Letters to the Editor

News Virginian
Published: May 19, 2007

Thank you for festival support

Thank You, Waynesboro, for supporting the 7th Annual Virginia Fly Fishing Festival. We had beautiful weather, great food, wonderful local wines and fly-fishing enthusiasts from many different states, plus from all corners of the Commonwealth. Waynesboro truly lived up to its reputation and city motto of "Hospitality in the Valley." This special tribute is for all the local and regional folks whose support was so important to our success this year.

We thank SunTrust for their multi-year corporate support and WDDI and Waynesboro Department of Tourism for promoting our festival throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.

To Shenandoah Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited, thanks for the popular casting pond, made attractive by plant, from Waynesboro Landscape & Garden Center. Thank you, Dubose Egleston Jr. for donating tables and chairs and Wayne Cycle Shop Inc. for the use of the "mule" all weekend.

To our nearby local wineries, Rebec Vineyards, Rockbridge Winery, and Wintergreen Winery, thank you for joining us this year. The Waynesboro Country Club provided tablecloths and a beautiful setting for our VIP dinner. Stone Soup Books graciously hosted our media event and book signing. South River Grill, as always, provided delicious local food for our visitors.

A big applause goes to the city of Waynesboro and Parks & Recreation crew who helped make Constitution Park so clean and beautiful for all of us. Thank you to the Waynesboro Police Department and Cpl. Short for the security coverage all weekend.

A special thank you goes to Bruce Potter and The News Virginian writers for their news coverage and special supplement. To NBC Channel 29 Charlottesville, ABC Channel 3 Harrisonburg and The Daily News Leader, thank you for multiple stories and promotions.

Kudos to our wonderful volunteers, who worked so tirelessly behind the scenes to bring off this wonderful event, and to all those on-site volunteers, who contributed valuable time and expertise.

If we've inadvertently missed naming anyone or any company, we apologize. We do recognize and appreciate your outstanding efforts.

Most of all, we want to extend a big thank you to all the folks - both residents and out-of-towners - who visited with us these two days. We hope that you'll be back to see us next year for the 8th Annual Virginia Fly Fishing Festiva,l scheduled for April 19 & 20, 2008.

Elizabeth Smith,

Promotions Chairperson,

Virginia Fly Fishing Festival

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Common sense

Fuel prices are at $3.00 per gallon. How can they close a VEC Office- How can the unemployed afford to drive to another district-

I am sure this decision was made by someone with four years of college. How the heck did we win World War II- Answer: common sense!

The suggestion above is why we are still wasting our time in Iraq. I'm glad I know how to live off the land .... and as far as I'm concerned - have common sense.

Jeffery D. Wampler

Crimora