OUR VIEW: Spotlight shines on four residents

Staff Editorial
Published: October 7, 2008

» SUMMARY: Locals deserve acclaim for achievements and charity.

Once again parts of the southern United States were devastated by hurricanes this fall and one area man did more than his part to help those affected by the storms in Texas.

Joe Graham, a resident of Madison County and the chairman of the Culpeper-Madison Red Cross, traveled to the Galveston area the day before Hurricane Ike hit the Gulf Coast and helped aid the locals in their recovery efforts.

Graham, who moved to Madison about three years ago, should be commended for his efforts to help those in need in a state that lost 26 lives to the storm. It takes a special person to pack up and travel halfway across the country to offer aid to people he’s never met.
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REGIONAL RECOGNITION: Also making the community proud were two Culpeper County sheriff’s deputies who were re-cently recognized for their motorcycle skills at a regional competition. Deputy Chad McKnight finished in third place and Deputy Greg Butler took home the fifth place award in the safety skills competition at the Mid-Atlantic Police Motorcycle Rodeo.

The deputies demonstrated the best of what we’ve come to expect from local law enforcement and should give the Culpeper County Sheriff’s Department a leg up next year when it plays host to the event, bringing attention and tourist dollars to the county.

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TOP NURSE: The sheriff’s deputies weren’t the only local people to pick up prestigious awards in recent weeks. Laurel Care Gravatte, the Culpeper Free Clinic executive director, also deserves kudos for winning the prestigious “Outstanding Nurse of the Year for District 7” award, given by the Virginia Nursing Association.

Gravatte has been caring for patients for 32 years and deserved the honor, which is one of the highest given in the nursing profession. Congratulations to Gravatte for receiving the recognition that was so richly deserved.