What a newcomer needs to know

Pronunciation guide to Virginia place names in the Rockbridge Area:

Buena Vista: BEW nah vista or simply “B. V.”
Buchanan: buh CAN un
Glasgow: GLASS ko
Goshen: GO shen
Kerrs Creek: cars CREEK
Raphine: RAY feen
Staunton: STAN-ton

Virginia place names outside of the Rockbridge area:

Aquia: a KWAI uh
Botetourt: BOUGHT a tot
Dumfries: DUM freeze
Fauquier: faw-KEER
Galax: GAY-lax
Gloucester: GLOS turr
Greenville: GREEN vll
Henrico: hen RYE coh
Jahnke: jank
Loudoun: LOUD un
Luray: LOO ray
Matoaca: ma TOH kuh
Norfolk: NAW fuhk
Poquoson: puh COH sun
Portsmouth: PORTS muth
Powhatan: POW a tun
Pulaski: pyoo LASS kee
Schuyler: SKY lur
Smyth: smith
Wythe: with

Regional accents:
If you hear a native Virginian say, “out and about the house” and it sounds like “eught and abeught the heuse” they’re probably from the Richmond area.

What do those four-letter organizations mean?

RACC Rockbridge Conservation

RACS Rockbridge Area Community Services

RAHC Rockbridge Area Health Center

RAPC Rockbridge Area Prevention Coalition

RARA Rockbridge Area Relief Association

RARO Rockbridge Area Recreation Organization

RATS Rockbridge Area Transportation System

RCHF Rockbridge Community Health Foundation

RCHS Rockbridge County High School

RAMGA Rockbridge Area Master Gardener Association

RCSSD Rockbridge County Social Service Department

CARE Community Anti-Racism Effort

LDMS Lylburn Downing Middle School

CAN Connect And Nourish (a RATS/Carilion Rockbridge Community Hospital community dinners program)