Page 46 - Discover Winter 2021
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66 Years CONTINUED
traffic through it. This information was and spaghetti suppers. They no longer
needed to prove to VDOT that there was produce their Ruritan calendar, in which
a need for an overpass over the tracks. The they sold ads to local businesses, and
need was punctuated by an incident in also discontinued their Christmas tree
which a 125-car coal train prevented the ornaments, both of which had featured
fire company from responding in time to a images of historic local buildings. Rumor
fire on the opposite side. The answer came has it that some of these have survived
in the form of the current Moneta bypass, somewhere in a storage facility.
which effectively rerouted 122 around the
Concern for the needy has always
village altogether and over the tracks.
been important to the club, which
In the case of the Rt 460 bypass, the provides food baskets and financial
club successfully petitioned the Governor support for such efforts. The club also
to change the proposed intersection of provides annual scholarships to Staunton
122 with 460 in favor of an overpass. River High School graduates, in the
names of C. Eldred Mauldin (a former
The Moneta Ruritans also
principal of the school) and Lib Walker, a
concerned themselves with health care. In
longtime member of the Ruritans.
1963 Dr. Sam Rucker, the local physician
was getting on in years, and the club Their many areas of service
members saw the need to find another include community Easter Sunrise and
doctor to help shoulder some of the Thanksgiving Services, cleanup along
burden. It took years, but finally in 1976 its adopted portion of Rt 122, and
they were able to arrange for the National participation in the annual SML Cleanup
Health Corps to install Dr. David each May. Their annual Family Night
Brechtelsbauer in the old Rucker home. honors two area volunteers at a dinner, at
which they are presented with “Citizen of
The following year, the club
the Year” plaques.
organized and raised funds for the
Moneta Medical Center building on As one of the longest serving civic
Rucker road. The new edifice was soon
associations, The Moneta Ruritans have
home to an eye doctor, a dentist, and a
a long standing tradition of providing
pharmacy. Over the years, at different
important improvements to the lake
times the building’s lower level has been
home to the original Moneta YMCA, community, and they welcome new members.
the Moneta Post Office, and the Moneta They hold dinner meetings on the second
Library. Monday of each month, at 7 PM, in the
Naturally, such endeavors required a Moneta Fire Department building. The
considerable amount of fund raising. This public is invited to attend these meetings. For
took the form of their traditional annual details, talk to any Ruritan member, or call
Chicken Barbecue, pancake breakfasts,
President Mike Casey, at 871-3797.
44 Discover Smith Mountain Lake WINTER 2020
