Culpeper the most "marched on" in Civil War

Published February 21, 2011 in the Culpeper Star Exponent

“This is Gettysburg’s “Olympic” moment, and the eyes of the nation and perhaps the world will be on our town. This is an opportunity to enlighten and educate youth and adults alike about American heritage and how it continues to empower its citizens and the decisions that impact the future. Timeframe: Main Street Gettysburg defines the 150th commemoration extending from year 2011 to 2015. The “Olympic” moment is 2013 with “shoulder” periods of visitation two years before and after 2013 (MainStreetGettysburg.org)”.

We are in the midst of the Sesquicentennial commemoration of the Civil War. With all due respect to Gettysburg, Culpeper is the most “marched on” and “camped in” County in the American Civil War. Our heritage is significant as a pivotal location for over 160 battles (and skirmishes) during the Civil War period. The grounds of the Brandy Station Battlefield, the Cedar Mountain Battle Field, and even Davis Street are hallowed ground.  Both Union and Confederate soldiers gave their lives in these historic places of Culpeper.

The Culpeper Visitors Center staff was led thru a walking tour of Culpeper by local author and historian Virginia Morton (Marching Thru Culpeper) last week. Ms. Morton has been giving historic tours in Culpeper for more than a decade and her depth of knowledge shows. History came to life as we walked from the historic location of the Train Depot (home of the Visitors Center). “See that hill” as she pointed to a hill in the National Cemetery from the Depot balcony. An artillery battery was set up there to protect the train parked at the Depot. “Now look north along the train tracks. That is where the Union Soldiers came down the tracks toward the train in the midst of the artillery fire”.

Now let’s walk up to Davis Street. “Wounded Union Soldiers were lining the street from the Depot up to Main Street.” The soldiers were brought back to town after the Battle of Cedar Mountain, where over 3800 men gave their lives, were missing, or injured in one battle. We walked to the National Cemetery where she pointed out the monuments from Pennsylvania and Maine standing tall in solemn commemoration of the lives given at the Battle of Cedar Mountain.

“There is the Hill House” near the entrance to the National Cemetery. Ms. Hill saved her family silver by stepping over it with here hoop skirt as a union soldier inspected the home. The house is restored in perfect period condition bringing the era to life.

We drove to Cedar Mountain 5 minutes south of town. The battlefield vantage points are very visible. Some of the property is owned by the CWPT. Other properties are farms and open lands which look as if time stood still. We walked along the path open to the public where Ms. Morton sets the scene, ‘Artillery was raining down from Cedar Mountain onto the open field as the Union soldiers were advancing. The 13th Virginia held ground here with heroic bravery.” The men were trained by General AP Hill whose boyhood home can be found today at Main & Davis Street in downtown Culpeper.
Commemorate the Sesquicentennial by taking time to learn about the interesting stories of Culpeper. Check out the Culpeper Museum of History.

Jim Charapich, President/CEO
Culpeper County Chamber of Commerce

PSA - Business Basics Boot Camp

REGISTER NOW for
Business Basics
Boot Camp
 Monday, Feb. 28

$25 per person includes lunch, a wide variety of sessions to choose from and renouned author and  speaker - Matt Thornhill 

Men: It's Valentine's Day today

Published February 14, 2011 in the Culpeper Star Exponent

I tread on dangerous ground with this column. I have researched the subject. I have tested some of the theories. I will now share with you the results of my findings. Caution…. Men this is for you…. Women please understand that this is written by a man and that the research was conducted by asking questions to female subject matter experts. I assume that they were honest with me….

Men, Today is Valentine’s Day. I know that this may have been overlooked on your calendar. Many calendars distributed to men often exclude Valentine’s Day. Nevertheless, if you are reading this, you are duly informed and I am writing to save you from the awkward silence that may occur if you arrive home tonight with a deer in the headlights look. It’s Valentine’s Day???

Chances are that you are reading this early in the morning and there is time to act. Here are 7 Secret tips that the experts have confided in me. I feel honored to be included in the secrets of such a solemn code among women.

One - Treat her special all year, Valentine’s Day is to celebrate this love. Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, and Seven – see rule number One!!! So simple and so profound.

So how do you celebrate today and set the stage for year round… I polled the subject matter experts again and these are a few suggestions:

Petersen Jewelers is said to be the Hardware Store for Women – saving men since 1976… Men need I say more? Secret – Troll Beads can be given year round…

Looking for chocolate… You want the chocolate that says I LOVE YOU? Look closely as you enter the Frenchman’s Corner – Neuhaus Chocolates deliver a special message. They may even package separate his and hers boxes. No one has to know about the extra box… or walk back to the Frenchman’s Cellar to find a bottle of Chocolate Shop – a special wine that is said to taste like Cherry Cordials…. Mmmm

Guy’s – say Pandora…. You know… “Celebrate The Moment” all year… hear me guys… Pepperberries is opened in their new location, find the Pandora showcase.

I heard a statistic that 59% of women like gift cards for Valentine’s Day.  Oh, thank goodness you say… off the hook, right… not so fast… They like a gift card from the right place and presented in the right way. If you bring a gift card for a romantic dinner at a local restaurant, make sure that it is accompanied with flowers, or chocolates, or a bottle of her favorite beverage.

Finally, understand that they will ask innocently “Where did you find this adorable…”  Please do not say “the Internet”.  Consider this the moment when your sincerity is on the line. Seal your success by answering: Randy’s Flowers, Petersen Jewelers, Pepperberries, Frenchman’s Corner, Frenchman’s Cellar, Chateau du Reaux, or any of our local merchants. After all, there is a very good chance that she knows, that they knew, what she wanted….

Getting out of the office more

I was talking with a business owner last week and he made a comment that made me think about an aspect of business that is often over looked. We spoke about the proverbial “getting out of the office more.”   Naturally it is winter and there is a lot to be said for being in the office because it is cold. However, there is an opportunity to get out of the office in a very productive way. Think education and networking…

I am a huge fan of using the internet for education; however, there is nothing like meeting others, learning together, and making new business contacts. Winter is a great time to take advantage of these types of learning opportunities. After all, it will be more fun networking on the golf course or at CulpeperFest when the weather is nice (yes I did say nice weather and CulpeperFest in the same sentence… lol).

There is a great opportunity on February 28th at the Germanna’s Daniel Technology Center. In a coordinated effort with Germanna, The Culpeper Chamber of Commerce, and many local organizations, we have just the thing to escape the winter office blues…. Take a day or a few hours to learn something new. In fact, it is just as important to take time to “learn what you don’t know” in order to be competitive.

We have assembled subject matter experts from the region in order to give you a great return on your time. The conference is called Business Basics Boot Camp and it is designed to “Strengthen the Business of Non-Profits and Small Business.” We know how hard it is to get out of the office, so we packed lots of learning into one exciting day.

Our lineup of subjects and experts include a highly recognized representative from Constant Contact to share the latest in Email Marketing and Social Media (this alone is worth the time).  We have experts from the Foundation Center in Washington DC coming to talk about “Grant Writing” and another session on “How to Search for Grants” on the Foundation Center database at the Culpeper Library (again this alone is worth the time). We have experts coming to talk about employment & HR issues, record keeping, starting a new business, strategic planning, Federal and State regulations, and more. These are basics and yet they change in subtle and significant ways.

To make this an over the top, off the charts, can’t believe it conference. We have invited Matt Thornhill – a nationally recognized expert on the “Boomer Consumer.” It is clear that the baby boomer generation has had a significant effect on products and services in our economy. Come and hear Matt Thornhill, our keynote speaker to learn how to make profitable adjustments in your business or non-profit organization. The conference is $25 with lunch included. Go to BasicsBootCamp.com to register.

Jim Charapich, President/CEO Email

Culpeper County Chamber of Commerce

Published February 7, 2011 in the Culpeper Star Exponent