Block · one region of the page, as the scanner read it. It may hold a whole story, part of one, several, or an advertisement; stitching blocks into articles is the next step. Text is supplied OCR.
Page 3 · column 1 of 6 · from the scan, no model involved
By Alexander Sharp VIII Special to the Rappahannock News
Despite scattered thunderstorms Friday evening, the Independence Day celebration at Bill Fletcher’s Thornton Hill Farm went on as scheduled. The juggler kept juggling, the bands kept playing, the vendors kept selling food and the people kept coming.
“I'm pretty soggy right now, but there’s no way I'm leaving before the fireworks,” said Malcolm Sonnett, a lifelong Rappahannock resident and current senior at the University of Virginia. “A little rain won’t scare me away.”
Bobby G and Friends, a popular local blues band, was to play until dark when the fireworks would begin. Insistent precipitation led to a couple 15 to 20 minute delays because the pyrotechnics could not be loaded in the rain - so Robert Glasker played a couple more rimes. Then, finally, a break in the weather.
“We were blessed with a one -hour stoppage in the rain.” said Gary Settle, cochairman of the Rappahannock County 4th of July Committee. “We had our fingers crossed. You’re dealing with Mother Nature in July.”
Joy Heddleston introduced the fireworks display with a moving rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. At “bombs bursting in air,” five booming reports from the thick night sky hushed the damp yet excited crowd, and the show was underway.
For more than 30 minutes, a spellbinding array of pyrotechnics wowed the estimated 3,000 people in attendance.
Ray Charles’ version of “America” echoed off the rolling hill side. Upturned feces stared in awe and patriotic wonder at the artistic and breathtaking exhibition orchestrated by the Sperryville Volunteer Fire Department
After a 10- minute lull in the action, the hazy night sky
58.0%