Summer in Staunton
Governor Warner stopped by Staunton yesterday, spending a very warm summer day promoting arts and culture in the Valley.
He stopped by the Dixie Theater, which will soon be turned into a performing arts center thanks to funds his administration allocated to the community, and Blackfriars Playhouse, home of the American Shakespeare Center. He finished up at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, where he admired the Wilson presidential limo and toured the inside before he serving ice cream and joining an egg relay with local Girl Scouts.
The Staunton News Leader covered his trip:
When resident Kitty Dozier told him that she loved him as governor and will love him in a new position, he kissed her on the cheek. “I thought he was a wonderful governor,” Dozier said afterwards. “He did so much for the state of Virginia.”In an address that praised Staunton’s downtown revitalization efforts, Warner said Virginia has many special places. “But there are very few places as special as Staunton,” he said.
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After his speech, Warner toured the Dixie Theatre and Blackfriars Playhouse.
Walking over to the Woodrow Wilson Presidential library, he paused briefly to join a team of children in a relay race.
Carrying an egg in a spoon, Warner made his way carefully back and forth across the lawn before passing off his precarious cargo and touring the museum’s cool interior.
After Warner’s departure, Staunton Democratic Committee Chairman Bob Dickerman described his “energy,” “vitality” and connection to Staunton.
“I think he’s really a genuine friend of this community,” Dickerman said, noting that the regard people have for him was apparent during the visit. “They have a lot of regard and affection for this man.”
The Governor emphasized the arts as a vital part of tourism. He told NBC29:
“Tourism up and down the Valley through Charlottesville is one of our fastest growing industries. We combine beautiful outside opportunities, we combine a growing wine industry, great historic sites and then we add the cultural component and you’ve got everything a potential visitor could need,” he said.
Here are pictures from the stop: