Moneta Ruritans Have Supported Their Community For Almost Half a Century
By Art Strunk, Resident Moneta, 24121

     In 1954 -  33 citizens of the Moneta community organized the Moneta Ruritan Club.  They wanted to make their area a better place to live and work through community service. The Club was in the forefront of many projects and programs:
     1954 - Organized and built a Civil Defense Post;  Instrumental in getting the installation of safety lights at the Moneta Rt 122 RR crossing. Hosted a program of the proposed Smith Mt. project and sponsored an effort to get a state recreation area established on the new lake.
     1955 -  Laid concrete sidewalks around the new Moneta H.S.  Currently Ruritan members help out at the Moneta Elementary School with Field Day, computer equipment, and tutoring.
     1956 -  Sponsored the first Moneta Fire Dept.  Helped financially and physically on the building on Rt 122 next to RR tracks.
     1961 - Arranged to get the caution light on Rt 122 & 24 and later lobbied the Governor to have the Rt 460 Bedford level bypass changed to an overpass over Rt 122.
     1976 - Established a physician and set up the Moneta Medical Center, Inc. that built the medical building on Rucker Rd.
     1989 - Proved to VDOT that an overpass was needed over the Rt 122 RR tracks, resulting in construction of Rt 122 bypass.
 Each year the Ruritans host a Community Easter and Thanksgiving Service; provide 2 scholarship awards; honor 2 “Citizens of the Year”; and a clean-up group traverses Rt 122 regularly. The Club sponsors a chicken barbecue, pancake breakfasts & suppers, and spaghetti suppers as fundraisers to support their community activities.
     You are invited to attend the dinner meeting held on the second Monday each month or call 540-721-3111 or 540-297-2256.