Note from the Editor
Moulton Park (above) is a public park managed by the Jefferson County Parks and Recreation Commission, consisting of 10 acres of riverfront land donated by the Moulton family in 1976. The family has now offered to sell the remaining 82 acres of their farm to the county to expand the park. The Parks and Recreation Commission will be discussing this offer on April 21 (a public hearing was held on March 17). Jefferson County has changed quite a bit over the intervening 45 years, but the family’s devotion to the community has endured.
We also see a sense of community in the volunteers staffing the COVID-19 vaccination clinics being run by the Jefferson County Health Department – turning the basketball courts in the Ranson Civic Center into a well-run clinic serving hundreds each day. Dozens of community members have stood up and stepped in to work long hours to run this massive effort. You can see the energy in their faces, even with their masks on.
At the very edge of the County, overlooking the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, the collapsing walls of the Hill Top House reflect the passage of 133 years since its original construction. Yet as crumbly as the structure is, the legacy of its founder, Thomas Lovett, is poised for a rebirth under the vision of a local couple who have dedicated the past 13 years to rebuilding this community asset.
As spring unfurls in 2021, I’m sure all of us look forward to reuniting with our communities and harnessing this energy for a brighter future.
By Steve Pearson