Dear Editor,
I’m proud to volunteer with Community Works of Page County — a growing group of local volunteers uniting to improve our community.
One focus is the health of the Shenandoah River — truly the lifeblood of our community because our families, friends, and guests use it so heavily. Community Works partnered with the Friends of the Shenandoah River — the only non-profit organization that regularly tests for harmful E Coli bacteria — and raised funds for expanded testing along Page’s 55 miles of riverfront.
Results were reassuring. Except for one location, on every day of testing at every testing site, E Coli levels were well below recognized limits for human health. We should celebrate this. However, results at the Hawksbill Creek were very concerning.
After the Town of Luray contributed generously to the testing effort, the Friends’ manager and lab technician volunteered to test sites along the Hawksbill within town limits and these showed levels significantly above recognized limits on all dates except one (in mid-September). Since then, the Town is exploring possible sources of contamination within town limits, posted signage to inform citizens of the health risks, and is taking further steps.
Another program Community Works recently sponsored was a training session by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at the Luray VFW. Concerned with this serious issue, a wide range of people attended, including representatives from local churches, nursing students, veterans, the Sheriff’s office and other local citizens.
Initiated by a few local Democrats hoping to bridge the partisan divide, Community Works has grown to more than 80 local volunteers who come together to address County needs, regardless of political beliefs.
Volunteering is easy — participate just once or however often you wish; participate just on projects that interest you. Contact Community Works’ Local Coordinator, Sara Finn, at PageCommunityWorks@gmail.com and follow us on Facebook, Community Works 4Page.
Ken Scalet ~ Luray, Va.
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