INSIDE LOTS OF LETTERS page 3 BEETLE WATCH page 6 OLD STRING MUSIC page 7 TOP RACERS page 10 ICE CREAM SANDWICH? page 11
FEBRUARY 2013 VOL. 7, NO. 9
FRENCHY TALK page 12
OLD TRAIL FOOD DRIVE page 13 HOT MARKET page 14 BEECHES page 15 VALENTINE RAVIOLI page 16 EATING ARSENIC page 16 THE LIGHT page 17 INDIAN VILLAGE page 19 COLD DOGS page 20 LIBRARY PROGRAMS page 21 CROZET MASONS page 23 CROSSWORD page 26 NEW PLANK ROAD EXCHANGE page 27 SNOW HARDY page 31 BEREAVEMENTS page 33 WRESTLERS page 34 HOOPS HOPES page 35 GET IN THE SWING page 36
Claudius Place south elevation plan (facing Library Avenue)
Claudius Place To Get Underway Downtown This Month The long-anticipated Claudius Place, the first private commercial investment in downtown Crozet in a long time, will break ground before the end of February, according to developer Katurah Roell. The new building, on Library Avenue opposite the new Crozet Library, will house the “skybar” bruited about for the last few months.
Roell started out saying he would be underway last April, but a series of site and easement obstacles delayed him. The county signed off on his 7,500-squarefoot plan in December and, with that in hand, he promptly got a bank loan. He said he intends to have the building open in six months. R.E. Lee Construction will be the contractor.
Mitchell Named WARS Volunteer of the Year
What Will Happen to the Ivy Transfer Station?
Travis Mitchell was named the Western Albemarle Rescue Squad’s Volunteer of the Year at the squad’s annual awards dinner at King Family Vineyard in Crozet Jan. 29. Squad president Bill Wood teased Mitchell as he presented him the plaque, telling him he was only winning a “popularity award.” The awards had been preceded by an impressive slide show of snapshots that captured the life of volunteers, at emergencies and at the squad house, over the last year. Occasionally messages the squad had received from someone it had transported were put on the screen. “Your care and your professionalism kept that day from being more devastating than it was,” said one. “The continued on page 18
The fate of the Ivy Materials Utilization Center, the solid waste transfer facility on Dick Woods Road in Ivy, will be decided by the end of the year. For western Albemarle, in particular, changes could reduce the availability of services we have long depended on. Current contractual terms required that notification be given to the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority, which operates the facility, in December if Albemarle County intended to change arrangements when the existing RSWA contract expires at the end of June. RSWA is a public utility formed jointly by Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville in 1990. Rather than give that notice, as it first seemed inclined to, the Board of Supervisors in January asked the RSWA to negotiate a six-month extension of the current contracts, through the end of
Cid and Liza Scallet, owners of the popular and lamented Batesville Store, will open a restaurant called Crozet Central that will occupy most of the space on the building’s main floor, as well as a rooftop glass-enclosed bar and an open-air deck, all enjoying some of Crozet’s best views. continued on page 4
Mike Brownlee
2013, so that the county can investigate the possibility of turning over operations at Ivy to a private company. County director of planning Mark Graham, who also sits on the board of the RSWA, said the county has informed RSWA that “we want to look at contracting services to see if that would be continued on page 9
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CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
From the Editor Virginia’s Disgrace Oh, shame, shame, shame. The Governor’s reappointment of University of Virginia Rector Helen Dragas and the General Assembly’s ratification of it shows that our most prominent public servants in fact consider themselves to be our political masters. But their performance in this sad spectacle betrays their real status as the flunkies and henchmen of the shadowy plutocrats who, because they finance political campaigns, often paying to both sides to ensure that they have backed the winner, presume to treat the University as their toy and insolently shove the disgraced Rector in our faces because they mean to prove that they can protect one of their own. And they have. So now
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To the Editor Letters reflect the opinions of their authors and not necessarily those of the Crozet Gazette. Send letters to news@crozetgazette.com or P.O. Box 863, Crozet, VA 22932. The Gazette does not publish anonymous letters to the editor.
Redistricting I am writing as a member of the recent Redistricting Advisory Committee, as well as a parent of two Brownsville Elementary students, in response to the recent article regarding a potential expansion of Crozet Elementary (Redistricting Committee Recommends “Holding Pattern” for Elementary Schools, January 2013). First, I’d like to address the notion that a vote for the “holding pattern” option at Meriwether Lewis School “had become a move to add on” to Crozet elementary. In
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MICHAEL J. MARSHALL, Publisher and Editor news@crozetgazette.com | 434-466-8939 ALLIE M. PESCH, Art Director and Ad Manager ads@crozetgazette.com | 434-249-4211 LOUISE DUDLEY, Editorial Assistant louise@crozetgazette.com
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fact, the committee’s decision to recommend against redistricting at MLS was determined, in its entirety, by issues regarding capacity and space utilization at that individual school building. Based on current class sizes, as well as additional available classroom space, the committee determined there was “no compelling reason” to redistrict between 30-50 students at this time. There was no discussion of adding onto Crozet elementary as a way to deal with excess enrollment at MLS. The idea of an expansion at Crozet elementary is a separate line of discussion for the committee and relates to anticipated enrollment growth in the Crozet area. The committee voiced almost unanimous concerns about the ability of the two Crozet elementary schools to
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we see the honor-challenged hearts of Virginia’s leaders. Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and Gov. Bob McDonnell have all stood up in front of cameras, put on feeble smiles and made tut-tut-tut excuses for Dragas that in no way justify or explain her actions. They are mere finger puppets for their rich financiers. Life in politics brings with it powerful temptations and opportunities to do wrong, even evil, to the innocent and trusting citizens for whose sake leaders govern. When the University institued its Honor System in 1842, its leaders knew that attending the University is be a privilege available to the select elite who show the ability to best employ the education that U.Va. provides. They are people likely to rise in their
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CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
Claudius Pl. —continued from page 1
State Farm agent Lauren Morris will move her office into the new building’s lower level. A lease is pending on two spaces on the main floor, Roell said, and he still has two spaces empty on the lower level. The bank wanted 60 percent of the total space leased as a condition of
the loan. Crozet Central customers will enter the restaurant’s main door to find a bakery section and an open kitchen and deli. Behind those will be the restaurant’s closed kitchen. The main restaurant will seat 100, plus counter seating at the bar. It will have a raised music stage, lounge seating areas and a kids’ play area. If configured to maximize seating, the space could hold 200 people.
The skybar, which will have full bar service and food, will seat 40, and the deck accommodates 50. The third-floor level will be accessible by both indoor stairs and outdoor steps. Dumbwaiters will connect the bar to the main kitchen. “Roell has been terrific with our design and has had many great ideas,” said Scallet. “We’re going to be picking up on our renowned food from Batesville
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Store,” he said, “but we’ll be on a larger scale. Crozet Central will feature classic comfort food, homemade baked goods and homemade ice cream in a restaurant setting. Plus we’ll have take-out. The food will be affordable and family-oriented, with lots of fun stuff for kids. The main menu and the late night menu will all be homemade. We will never bring in food. We’ll make continued on page 18
Crozet Cares
An Outreach Program of Tabor Presbyterian Church
February 15 Decorative Light Switch Cover Workshop 10 a.m. Materials supplied; donations encouraged
A local gal, Dr. Jagger grew up in Ivy and graduated from WAHS before heading off to college and veterinary school. With special interests in pain management and geriatric care, Dr. Jagger cannot wait to meet you and your furry companions.
February 18, 25 & March 4, 11, 18, 25 International Folk Dancing Class with Sue Chase 6:30 - 8 p.m. Cost $50. Register at Tabor.
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CROZET gazette
From the Editor —continued from page 3
professions, or in government, to supreme positions where their decisions affect society as a whole. Ethics was subject in Jefferson’s design of the curriculum and the Honor System is the institutionalization of that value. Once you have given mighty authority to a person, it is too late to wonder if he or she has the wisdom and virtue to wield it. Character must be established first. We may not be able to prove that Dragas has violated the letter of the Honor System’s standard of no lying, no cheating and no stealing, three concise no-nos that are a handy rule of thumb for moral living. But she has thoroughly betrayed the spirit of the Honor System, and in seeking to keep her post, she scorns it and wipes her feet on it. Why should a student at U.Va. bother to respect the Honor System after Dragas is reappointed as its figurehead? It makes a sham of the nearly 200 years during which Virginians have worked to instill, in practical ways, our ideals as a people and the criterion under which we demand to be governed. We thought we had a problem with the Board of Visitors when President Teresa Sullivan was booted in an announcement on a lazy Sunday morning in June, no doubt an hour advised to the conspirators by their PR consultants. It was shocking enough to discover the brazen coup attempt by a coterie of the board who worked around the procedures designed to ensure board transparency, with Dragas walking
FEBRUARY 2013 the point, and who betrayed the duties that they solemnly assumed by accepting their appointment. It amounted to subversion of the “academical village.” We say again to them emphatically: the University is not the property of the rich people who sit on its board or those who dole out from their fortunes to it. It is the property of the people of Virginia. It is they who have carried it to greatness over the years, generally for no reward for themselves. It exists for our children and posterity. It exists to achieve the goal Jefferson set out for it: to be “the bulwark of the human mind in this hemisphere.” What do they think “commonwealth” means? The visitors serve as a privilege. Live by the duties of that privilege or get out. But clearly the mess does not stop at the Board of Visitors. Elected officials serve as a privilege too. Our political bosses apparently think the Dragas episode is a minor dust-up over a routine appointment. No. No. No. It is profoundly serious and potentially devastating. It tunnels under our footings. But it has shown us plainly what cynicism lurks behind the facade of our political culture. We have had glimpses of this problem recently in the purchase of Biscuit Run park, in which case a law was actually passed in advance of the sale that prevents the public from learning exactly what its terms are and satisfying themselves about why we taxpayers paid so much for it than it is worth. Or take the case of the Rt. 29 western bypass, which has miraculously stood up out of its grave like a horror film monster, thanks to
some still-secret deals that benefit someone—whom?—in defiance of the settled will of the people. Both of these actions are in-yourface slaps at us as well. Virginians, we have a mess to clean up. We have had to deal with self-appointed aristocrat bosses before. To this hour, Dragas’s only honorable course is resignation. Obviously, the selection of visi-
To the Editor —continued from page 3
handle an expected influx of students over the next five to 10 years, which is a practical inevitability due to current and planned housing development in the area. The committee believes that recommendation of an expansion to Crozet elementary is the most expeditious and cost-effective way to increase school capacity for our local schools. Further, after reviewing feasibility studies and building plans provided by the county, as well as investigating the estimated number of new homes to be built in the area, the committee recommended that the Long Range Planning Advisory Committee (LRPAC) explore the idea of a larger addition to the school. In light of expected housing growth, such as the planned Westlake Hills community (which is zoned for Crozet Elementary), the committee believes that it would be ultimately ineffective to expand the school by only 130 seats, as the current plan states. At a time when capital resources are scarce, and knowing that additional resources will be needed to
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tors should no longer be patronage appointments of the governor. We need people who actually value what is entrusted to them. How to handle this is not clear, because our present oversight system has failed at every level. But we must establish firmer criteria that make the state university boards better than homogeneous clubs of millionaires.
address growth at WAHS and Henley, it’s important (and practical) for us to consider options that optimize existing school buildings for the long-term. A large expansion at the school is physically possible, had already been studied and designed, and provides the most flexibility for future enrollments at a cost that will be significantly less than a new school building. Second, I’d like to address relates to concerns voiced by the Crozet Elementary PTO about the “ideal size” of their school. Many statements have been made that the size of Brownsville elementary, which is now at 707 students, is not “healthy.” As an active PTO member, I take issue with the notion that growth, per se, is always a negative thing for schools. Brownsville is, in many ways, a state-of-the-art physical building, and boasts a number of technological and other learning tools that enhance student learning on a daily basis. Class sizes at Brownsville are properly sized, so that even though the overall school population is large, the student/ teacher ratio has remained stable over the years of growth. Special continued on page 25
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CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
Asian Long-horned Beetle May Threaten Area
Third grade students at Crozet Elementary culminated their economics unit of study by holding their own Market Day. During the unit of study the students created a class currency, held classroom jobs, and received “salaries” with their created currency. Each student operated his or her own store and created products to sell. They engaged in product research, advertising,
By Kathy Johnson kathy@crozetgazette.com Extension agents and the USDA are expressing concern that the Asian long-horned beetle, (Anoplophora glabripennis) may be moving into our area. The U.S. has no known natural predators for this beetle and its expansion to our area threatens shade trees and forest resources valued at billions of dollars. Citizens are asked to watch closely for this “death to trees” predator and make prompt reports upon seeing the beetle or signs of damage caused by the beetle. Adults are an inch to an inch-and-a-half long with antenna as long as four inches. Typical signs are emergence
Laura Rubendall displays her corn husk dolls.
Maggie proudly displays her horse stationery.
accounting, payroll, inventory, and price negotiation. All Market Day products were handmade by the students and included: corn husk dolls, ornaments, hair clips, bean bags, cards, stationery, decorated magnets, jewelry, nail painting, key rings, and air-borne toys.
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holes on the trunk of trees (typically round holes, smaller than a dime). Sap oozing from holes and sawdust are other indications. Most harm to trees is caused in the larval stage. Forestry experts believe eradication efforts may still succeed, but early reports are critical in limiting the impact of damage. The beetle is native to China, Korea and Japan and was first discovered in the U.S. in Brooklyn in 1999, apparently arriving in wooden packing material. It has since been found in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Ohio. It is believed to be causing $3.5 billion in damage per year, so far. It has also invaded Britain, Holland, Germany and Austria.
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CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
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by Phil James phil@crozetgazette.com
That Good Ol’ String Music Ever hear anybody mention the “big bang” from way back in ’27? No, not that one that some claim caused the world to commence spinning, but the one that started the country music records to spin down in Bristol in 1927. Well, it seems like so many other best-kept secrets, word had leaked northward to some of the record producing big shots in New York City (oh, no—here we go again) that some mighty sweet sounds were coming out of our Appalachian hills. A couple of years earlier, a few of the more enterprising fellows from down south had already slipped up north to be recorded, and, wouldn’t you know it, the first million-seller was hatched from the genre of music that the uninitiated referred to as “hillbilly” music. That lucrative tune, “The Wreck of the Old 97,” was based on a real-life, tragic train wreck near Danville. The Big Apple had been slow to catch on to what the Southern Mountaineer had known for a long
Leroy Garrison, son of Jimmy Garrison, with his father’s banjo. As a youngster, Jimmy received this instrument from his father, Miletus “Leet” Garrison, before their family’s forced relocation in the early 1930s by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Prior to the establishment of Shenandoah National Park, the Leet Garrison family lived on the mountain top north of Brown’s Gap, near Skyline Drive MP 84 and the parking area for the picturesque waterfalls along the Jones Run Falls Trail. [Photo by Phil James.]
These youth from Greene County’s Bacon Hollow and Wyatt’s Mountain were members of the Bacon Hollow School band. They were returning home from a rally at Ruckersville Elementary School. [Photo courtesy of Larry Lamb.]
time: rural string music was being performed and appreciated by everyone, from Grandma all the way down to Junior and his little sister. In the hills of central Virginia during the early 20th century, one didn’t have to venture far to enjoy a tune. Acoustic music could be played anywhere, from a soft fiddle lullaby beside the cradle, to a rhythmic string band providing a welcome distraction at a community corn-shucking, to rousing all-night square dances held in farmhouse kitchens or front parlors. Louise Wood Austin grew up in a house that her grandfather had built beside the mountain road leading from Sugar Hollow to Jarman’s Gap. “The front part of the house-— my grandfather had it built especially for square dancing,” Louise said, “and they used to have a lot of square dances in there; and even after I was a child, I can remember they had square dances… My father used to call the figures.” Music traditions and skills were continued on page 8
Rosetta Taylor Lamb, on right with guitar, and her friend Rellie Snow. Rosetta, born in 1900, was a popular instrumentalist on guitar and banjo in the Lamb’s Hollow area of Greene County. [Photo courtesy of Larry Lamb.]
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CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
String Music —continued from page 7
routinely taught by the older family members to the younger ones who showed interest and aptitude. “Rattlesnake Jim” Blackwell and his brothers were proud members of a musical family in western Albemarle County. “My daddy James Harvey Blackwell was a fiddle player and a banjo player, too,” stated Jim Blackwell of Sugar Hollow. “He didn’t take a back seat to anybody on the fiddle or banjo, either one. He could get in there with the best of them. But now, he didn’t play by chord, he played by ear. He’d hear a tune a time or two, and he had it. He’d pick it up.” The musicians’ love of the tune was complemented by their admiration of the older instruments and respect for the elders who passed them down. During a visit some time ago, after performing spirited renditions of “Golden Slippers” and “Rose of San Antone,” Jimmy Daughtry, another son of the Blue Ridge Mountains, left the room where we sat and returned carrying a different banjo than the one he had just played. “I’ve got my grandfather John Henry Daughtry’s banjo,” said Jimmy. “He carried that through the Civil War; said he used to play
Russell Wood with his mandolin beside the chimney of his family home place on the old south fork Moorman’s River road in Sugar Hollow. Along with his father, Joe Wood, and brother Sidney, Russell played for many house dances, picking music all night long in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Albemarle and Augusta Counties. [Photo courtesy of Larry Lamb.]
around the campfires and entertain the soldiers. He gave me that in 1926 in July. We went to visit him. He was on his deathbed and when we got ready to leave, he called his son and told him to go get his banjo and his watch, and to give me the banjo and my brother his watch. It had a resonator on the other side, Daddy said, when he was a kid, but I don’t know what ever happened to it. I never did see it. But isn’t that something? Bird’s-eye maple, I think. He couldn’t get a seal skin big enough for it and he sewed that [head] himself there around that hoop. And he had whittled out the keys up there, too.” Mrs. George Crenshaw of Earlysville honored her daughter Lottie with a memorable party at their home in May 1911. Guests from Free Union, Earlysville, Proffit, Ivy Depot, Rio, and Charlottesville “arrived about 7:30 p.m. and left about 11:30.” Refreshments were enjoyed to the musical backdrop furnished by a “stringed orchestra from Free Union” composed of two fiddles, a mandolin and a guitar. No doubt the family’s guests were as charmed by Miss Lottie as they were entertained by the talented group of young men from Free Union. Speaking of charmed, in the late 1950s and early ’60s, George Foss was performing as a trumpeter in Washington, D.C., with the National Symphony Orchestra, but whenever he had a break in his schedule, he lit out for central Virginia. His memoir From White Hall to Bacon Hollow chronicled an area of the Blue Ridge long recognized for its rich musical traditions. Mervin Sandridge became one of Foss’s most enjoyable acquaintances during his many forays into the mountains of Albemarle and Greene Counties. Mr. Sandridge, an accomplished string musician himself, related some of the listening habits of folks just before radios became readily available. “My mother used to play the banjo, and my daddy, he used to play the fiddle,” reminisced Mervin. “And when the telephone first come out, they’d go somewhere, you
A stringed orchestra from Free Union: Bernard Moubry, Shep Via, Hardy Proffitt, Hugh Burruss. [Photo courtesy of the Phil James Historical Images Collection.]
know, and set down and play on the telephone. Let people listen at ’em. Like a party line. Sort of like their own private radio station. That’s right. There wasn’t a radio, you know. They’d go where somebody had a telephone, and they’d set down and play over the telephone, you know, for ‘em to hear it. And ev’rybody along the line would pick up and listen. Well, it was when the first telephones come out, you know.” It’s a rare individual, indeed, who does not enjoy some form of string music: strummed, plucked or
bowed. The disciplined ones, usually with the patient instruction of a mentor, learned to entertain themselves, and later, when enough courage was mustered, they entertained others. The rest of us have traipsed off to be entertained in the living rooms of neighbors, or filed into community buildings to catch the wonderful music of traveling professionals. So, it seems that big bang down in Bristol just alerted the rest of the nation to what country folks had known all along: that there’s nothing like that good ol’ string music!
Lovers of music and community enjoyed pleasant times at Gentry’s Methodist Church near Boonesville. A heavy equipment flatbed hauler served as a solid stage for the outdoor performances. [Photo by Phil James.]
Follow Secrets of the Blue Ridge on Facebook! Phil James invites contact from those who would share recollections and old photographs of life along the Blue Ridge Mountains of Albemarle County. You may respond to him through his website: www.SecretsoftheBlueRidge.com or at P.O. Box 88, White Hall, VA 22987. Secrets of the Blue Ridge © 2003–2013 Phil James
CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
Ivy Landfill —continued from page 1
more cost effective than going through RSWA. “We talked about the option of closing down Ivy a year ago,” Graham said. “For some people, there aren’t other options than Ivy. There are no private haulers serving their area. Ivy is their only opportunity for proper disposal.” White Hall District Supervisor Ann Mallek said the board is no longer considering shutting Ivy down, but does want to consider other possibilities for operating it. “The board wants to keep service at Ivy and McIntire,” said Graham. “It’s a question of how it’s provided. Some services might not be offered.” Graham said county staffers are working up a request for proposal [RFP] this month that is designed to solicit the interest of private companies such as van der Linde Recycling in Zion’s Crossroads, Waste Management or Republic (formerly known as BFI), the only
companies likely to be capable of taking on the task. “Once the landfill closed, the economics of operating Ivy fell apart. It’s money losing, so the city felt it had better options,” said Graham. The city’s municipal solid waste [MSW] now is taken by private haulers to van der Linde Recycling, even though the agreement setting up the RSWA requires both the city and county to direct all their solid waste to the Ivy facility so that its tonnage volume generates sufficient income to operate the facility. With the drop in tonnage from the city, Ivy MUC now needs about $300,000 to $400,000 annually in additional support, Graham said. RSWA director Tom Frederick said the RSWA is now in discussions with Waste Management about extending their contract (which requires them to bring the waste they collect to Ivy) by six months. Waste Management is interested in changing some current terms if it is to going to extend, even for that period, he said. Still,
Ivy Materials Utilization Center weigh station
he expects an agreement will be reached. Ivy MUC now takes in between 70 and 75 tons of MSW per day. It used to be much higher, said manager Mark Brownlee, who also oversees the McIntire Recycling Center in Charlottesville. “The bad economy has reduced volume,” said Brownlee.
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Most area private waste haulers are taking their loads to van der Linde Recycling, where the tipping fee is $52 per ton. The fee at Ivy MUC is $66. Frederick said that Ivy’s price was set higher than prevailing commercial rates because city and county officials wanted the Ivy MUC to
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February is National Dental Health Month
Valid for new patients only. Offer transferable. Please share with your family & friends!
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CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
Derby winner Matthew Leclef, left, and second-place finisher Luke Vance
Pinewood Derby Champs
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Cub Scout Pack 79, based at Crozet United Methodist Church, held its annual Pinewood Derby Jan. 26 with 59 cars entered, a record number for the event. The scouts design and build wooden cars to race down a fourtrack, inclined aluminum speedway and their times are clocked by a computer. Each car runs once on each track and the slowest time is dropped. This year’s winner was Matthew Leclef, whose car “Pink Panther” hit the day’s top average speed, 180 miles per hour. In second was Luke Vance at 179.6 mph, and Simrat Sani’s number 23 car came in third at 177.7 mph. Awards for creativity went to Tyler Tinder and Brandon Thomas. Awards for “Hands-on” (meaning the scout did all the work on his car
himself ) went to Evan Gentry and Joshua Sime. Awards for Scout Spirit went to Matthew Shinstock and Turner Smith. Speed Awards by den went to Michael Gaelic of Tiger Den at 173.8 mph; to Evan Collier of Wolf Den at 173.8 mph; to Charles Collier of Bear Den at 175.6 mph; to Joseph Taylor of Webelos I at 176.5 and to Alex Johnson of Webelos II at 175.2 mph. Judges for the design awards were Ann Mallek, Ken Thacker, Vic Pena, Mike Carmagnola and Brian Lassiter. For the first time in race history, a ‘pit crew’ of parents ferried the cars from the finish line back to the starting ramp to prevent cars from being dropped and knocked out of the race by damage. The pack leaders for Pack 79 are David Vance and Chris Scott, both of whom are Eagle Scouts.
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CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
11
Stevie G’s Gluten Free Bakery Needs a Bigger Kitchen Sisters Sue Gass and Stephanie White (she’s the younger one) started Stevie G’s Gluten Free Bakery last spring and now they have a big problem. They need a kitchen that will allow them to keep up with demand. They started out in a family kitchen in Gray Rock, with an ordinary oven, and now they have to schedule themselves all day so that they can work the kitchen to its maximum capacity. Their product line of course has no wheat flour and is high protein. “It caters to the ‘paleo’ crowd,” said White. “We’re trying to keep everything handmade and fresh.” For now, their products are granola, granola bars, brownies, coffee cake, caramel pecan bars, seven layer bars, and frozen ice cream cookie sandwiches. “Those are outrageous!” she said. “They are a very unique product. There’s nothing like them on the market. Ice cream sandwich? Gluten free?!” They make bread and rolls, but cannot offer them on a commercial
scale yet. In Crozet, Stevie G’s products are at Crozet Great Valu and Greenwood Gourmet Grocery, at Albemarle Cider Works in North Garden, and in Charlottesville at Foods of All Nations, Rebecca’s, Whole Foods, Milli Joe’s Coffee Shop, The Farm, Mellow Mushroom and Blue Ridge Country Store. “We’re trying to get into the wineries,” added Gass. They handle all deliveries and also do mail orders. “Our mission is to join the gluten-free and the gluten-eating people so everyone can enjoy the same foods so that gluten-free eaters are not ‘different’,” said White. “For some kids, that’s important. It was gluten-eating fans of what we’ve been making at home who told us we should open a bakery.” The sisters were raised in Pittsburgh and with their families lived for a stretch very near each other in Atlanta. They moved to Crozet 12 years ago and live near
Sue Gass and Stephanie White
each other still. “My daughter was diagnosed as gluten-intolerant when she was 10 years old,” said White. “That’s nine years ago. She had had serious health issues that could not be diagnosed.” White, to show solidarity, went on a gluten-free diet herself. Soon she was feeling better and that
caused her to wonder if she might be a little gluten sensitive too. Gass held out until very recently, but under persuasion she gave up gluten foods, too. “I made the plunge,” she said. “It’s taken away the fire I had in my joints. Since I’ve gone off, I’m so much better. And it’s really not that hard to do.” continued on page 13
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CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler! by Clover Carroll | clover@crozetgazette.com Mardi Gras celebrations are already underway, but how many of us know what the name of this festival means? “Fat (Gras) Tuesday (Mardi)” is a French phrase that refers to the lavish feasting that historically took place the day and night before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the penitential season of Lent. During this six-week period, Christians—especially Catholics— fast to share in Christ’s suffering as they approach the commemoration of his crucifixion. Christians still practice self-denial by giving up various pleasures and luxuries during Lent, which culminates in the joy of resurrection on Easter Sunday— falling this year on March 31. “Laissez les bons temps rouler”
(lessay lay baw\n\ taw\n\ roolay) is a literal translation of the English “Let the good times roll,” used in the Louisiana Cajun culture to express the fun-loving and decadent spirit of Mardi Gras. This culture developed when Canadian French (Acadians) fled British persecution in the mid-18th century and settled in Louisiana, strongly influencing its culture, cuisine, and language. Myriad other French words and phrases have enlivened our language since the Battle of Hastings in 1066, when William the Conqueror defeated King Harold II to achieve the Norman Conquest of England. During the century of French rule, it became the language of the royal court and upper classes, so that many of our words for fancy food, legal concepts, and classy items are borrowed from French (think of “haute couture” (hote cootoor) for high fashion, or theatres that call
the intermission the entr’acte” (ahntract), or between the acts). King William I of England would have been bound by “noblesse oblige” (noh-bless’ oh-bleej, or nobility obliges—the responsibility of the aristocracy to lead by example, do good works, and take care of those less fortunate than they. With the continued blending of French and English since that time, some words have been so assimilated that we think of them as English words (for example, café or chaise), but other more recent imports retain their French spelling and pronunciation to lend diversity to our melting pot language. These are too numerous to discuss, but I have chosen a few of the more interesting ones. My lame attempts at conveying pronunciation use \n\ to indicate a nasal sound without actually pronouncing the n; many French words end with silent consonants, especially n and s. Surely our namesake Claudius
Crozet, who was born in France before emigrating here at the age of 27, would approve! As a matter of fact, a friend recently informed me that “crozets” are a tasty form of small square pasta used in French cuisine (kwee-zeen), meaning simply cooking, from the French “cuire,” to cook. As he sailed for America in 1816, his friends might have wished him “bon voyage” (baw\n\ voyahj), good travels. Bon, or good, is a part of many French words, such as bonjour (baw\n\joor), good day, and bonsoir (baw\n\-swah), good evening. Mardi Gras is especially enjoyed by “bons vivants” (baw\n\ veevah\n\, silent s), literally good livers, people who are always cheerful, love to entertain, and live the high life all year long (whether they can afford it or not). Invitations to their soirées (swah-ray, silent s), or evening parties/events, might encourage the recipients to RSVP, an acronym for “répondez s’il vous
Third Thursday
at The Lodge at Old Trail
The 2nd Annual Definitive
Downsizing Workshop Thursday, February 21, 2013 • 2:30 pm Don’t miss this valuable presentation which sold out last year. Local experts will advise on how to: Understand the spring real estate market, Prepare your home for sale, Downsize and dispose of unwanted things, Stage your home, Work with an auction house, and Hire the right moving company. Make your reservation early and please note the special time for this event only – 2:30 PM.
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I n d e p e n d e n t L i v i n g • A s s i s t e d L i v i n g • M e m o r y C a re
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CROZET gazette plaît” (ray-pawn-day seel voo play), literally translated as respond if it please you or, in English idiom, please respond. As you can see, our English verb respond itself derives directly from the French. One of the most common French words in use today is “sans” (sah\n\, silent s), meaning without. A font is called sans serif when it is without decoration on the letters (e.g. Arial v. Times). “Sans souci” (sah\n\ soosee) means without worries or carefree; or I might order a sandwich “sans mayo.” But my all-time favorite French phrase is “joie de vivre” (jwah duh veevruh), the joy of living—a feeling I experience daily and with which I strive to stay in touch. For some reason, the French version sounds so much more debonair (implying gaiety of heart) than the English! The verb “vivre,” to live, also underlies such phrases as “c’est la vie” (say lah vee), that’s life, and “vivre la France!” (veev-ruh lah frah\ n\s), or (long) live France! Similar in its energy to joie de vivre is “élan” (ay-lah\n\), literally surge or momentum, used in English to mean verve or enthusiasm. Both teams in the Super Bowl played with great élan, and displayed good “esprit de corps” (ehspree duh core), literally spirit of the whole, best translated as teamwork. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco has that “je ne sais quoi” (juh nuh say kwah), literally “I don’t know what” but better translated as “that special something” that makes him so much fun to watch. “Au contraire” (oh caw\n\-trair’), on the contrary! you may say—Colin Kaepernick’s speed and grace made him the man of the hour. Touché (too-shay)—we have touched swords, and it’s a draw! The French word “laissez” also comes into play in the concept of “laissez faire” capitalism, literally meaning “let (them) make” or “let (them) do,” but idiomatically translated as “let it be.” This expression refers to free market capitalism, an economic environment in which individuals or businesses can conduct transactions free from government intervention, with minimal regulation. Also derived from the verb faire is “fait accompli” (fett akawm-plee), or accomplished act-an action or decision that is finished and done and therefore no longer debatable. continued on page 27
FEBRUARY 2013
Stevie G’s —continued from page 11
White said it was hard for her daughter to be invited out. She couldn’t eat what was offered at places she went. White would make gluten-free things and send them along. White had started baking at age nine. It wasn’t a family thing particularly. She stopped baking when they got the diagnosis. “I didn’t know how to bake gluten free.” Then the day came when White was laid up with a knee injury and she started experimenting with gluten-free baking. “It became sort of a hobby and the feedback spurred me on,” she said. “I wanted my daughter to be able to eat the food I grew up on. “We started going to the Crozet Farmers Market in May. It was a field study for us. We learned so much. We stayed through the season and the holiday market. Parents who came were so thankful. I have such a passion now for what I do. “We really lean on each other,”
said White. “We’re each good at different parts of the business. We are very close. We’ve got a synergy going that’s really exciting.” The business’s name is a combination of White’s childhood nickname, Stevie, and the G for Gass. Gass’s kitchen has been inspected by the health department and certified gluten-free. “We’ve reached the point where we have to have a bigger kitchen. One that has no contamination.” The sisters both have other jobs, too, and they make time in the kitchen around all the other demands of life. They estimate they are each in Gass’s kitchen 50 hours a week. Meanwhile, they are both also enrolled in a course on how to run a small business. “I’m a paralegal in the personal injury field, “said Gass. “My job is sad. These things have already happened to people. The bakery clicked for me. I’m providing something good for people. And I’m happy and smiling in my kitchen.” Stevie G’s can be reached at 434882-0428.
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upcoming events FEBRUARY 17
Old Trail Teens & Kids Host Valentine Food Drive Teens and youth from Old Trail, with parental assistance, will host a Valentine’s Day Food Drive Sunday, February 17, to benefit the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. Items most requested include canned meats like tuna, chicken or ham; canned vegetables like beans, corn, peas, potatoes and carrots; canned fruits like peaches, pears, applesauce; and canned stews like beef, ravioli, soups or chili; grains, pasta and sauces, including cereal, oatmeal, mac-n-cheese, boxed pasta, spaghetti sauce and rice. Other items being collected include shelfstable (non-refrigerated) milk, juice and personal hygiene items like soap, shampoo, deodorants, etc. Cash donations may be given through the website at www.brafb. org (for every $1 given the food bank can provide four meals). Residents in the Old Trail area are being asked to fill a bag with items from the non-perishable list and leave it on their front doorstep to be picked up on Sunday. Youth and parents will take care of the pickup and then food will be loaded into the truck on Monday. All those donating are invited to attend the food collection and truck loading celebration on Monday, Feb. 18 (a teachers’ workday) at 10 a.m. in the field across from Old Trail Coffee.
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CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
Western Albemarle Fourth Quarter Real Estate Report
Crozet Home Sales Step Up Smartly By David Ferrall ferrall@crozetgazette.com We survived the Cliff, and there are now vague rumblings about the Ceiling. But the bumbling partisan missteps in Washington currently hold no sway over the Crozet real estate market. 2012 was a banner year for local home sales, the 244 total Crozet sales being the largest number since 2006. The fourth quarter of any year is usually the time the market takes a breather, and folks take time to enjoy the holidays, yet more than a fifth of local total yearly sales happened between October and December. This even annual distribution, coupled with factors like high attendance at open houses, multiple offers on listings, and continued low mortgage rates, paints a pretty peachy picture for local buyers and sellers. The forecast is for a busy spring, with the chance for good, fresh inventory available to buyers with continued strong interest-rate-driven buying power. The good news isn’t limited to Crozet. According to the 2012 Nest Report, there was a 15 percent sales increase in the local MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area including all local counties), and median prices edged up two percent. In Albemarle County, sales were up 14 percent to 1,280 on the year, Crozet being the leading sales area with about one in five sales happening locally. While these numbers compare well to the low figures of past years, they represent a flatto-upward trend that the local and national economies have been looking for. Only with hindsight in coming months will we be able to determine if the real estate market has truly bottomed out, but from where we are right now, the future certainly looks brighter. “FabiBoy, did we shine the fourth quarter in enin n e ’s Favosales, rite”39 were Crozet! Of the 53 total residential detached and 14 attached. homes GOThese NIONattached S were mostly 3new construction (10), spread lb. bag $3.9 9 between Liberty Hall and Old Trail. Of the 39
Crozet
detached home sales, 22 of them were new construction, with a national builder enjoying success in Westhall (five sales) and Wickham Pond (five sales), and local builders selling 10 homes in Old Trail. The 62 total sales in Old Trail this year have helped attract several new builders to the development, which will enhance variety and give buyers greater selection. The biggest sale of the quarter was Ramsay Farm in Greenwood, which sold at absolute auction for $3.3 million (For statistical purposes this sale is being left out of square foot and average price figures.) Not only were sales up in the area, but prices were up as well. Price for a property’s finished square foot rose 3.8 percent overall from the same time last year, the bulk of this gain being in attached properties. Average prices skyrocketed, moving from $310,000 last year to $411,000 this year for a detached house, and from $238,000 to $290,000 for an attached house. This was an overall average increase of 31.5 percent! The median sales price rose about this amount as well. These jumps are in large part attributable to re-emerging confidence in the real estate and in larger homes being bought. In 2012, 30-year rates dropped another 12.5 percent, from an average of 3.89 percent to 3.38 percent, roughly where they are today. Buyers can afford to buy more expensive properties today than they could a year ago. And numbers show that they are! Buyers are also feeling more confident about the real estate market than they have in years. National statistics show the “move-up” buyer is again looking to upgrade. This segment of purchasers has been absent in past years and can add real oomph to the market. But 2012 did see an important decrease. Short sales (where a property sells for less than the amount owed on it by the owner) and lender-/ bank-owned properties (that have been foreclosed on) declined over the year. There were four short sales in the fourth quarter of this year, and a total of 20 short and lender-/bank-owned sales over the year. In the fourth quarter of 2011, there were
four short and two lender-/bank-owned sales, and 23 over the year. As a percentage of total sales the 2012 figure came in at 8.2 percent, vs. 12.1 percent in 2011. This 32 percent drop is great news, as distressed sales can be harmful to local markets by dragging down comparable sales prices. But more importantly, they can cause great stress to the homeowner. At year’s end there were 79 transactions waiting to close in 2013. This is a 34 percent increase over the same period last year. Total inventory in Crozet has dropped from over 12 months to just over 9 months, year over year, an important trend that signals demand is rising while supply falls. This movement is mirroring what is happening nationwide. Prices do not seem poised to jump, but they are holding steady and some areas are seeing small increases. This could bring some fresh inventory to our market as sellers who may have been waiting for a good time to sell have the best opportunity in years right in front of them. In 2013 buyers should have plenty of properties to choose from, with historically low interest rates to fund their purchase. Sellers who price their properties properly have the best chance to sell that they have had in years.
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Chart courtesy Nest Realty
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CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
inthegarden@crozetgazette.com
Beech-Nut As considerable dental work can attest, I consumed far more than my fair share of Beech-Nut chewing gum as a kid, all before sugar-free alternatives became commonplace. Ditto for Life-Savers, also owned by the same company at one time. Although I was aware of beech trees, I must have thought that beechnuts were merely some not-so-secret ingredient of my favorite sugar bombs. As for the trees themselves, beeches are one of those species most people can easily recognize, generally by the carving on the bark. And I certainly hope that statement put you on full alert! I realize that Gazette readers, of course, would not commit such an atrocity. But just in case: Never carve “Hamlet hearts Ophelia” or some such, into a tree’s bark. Send your sweetie a proper Valentine. The American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) is the only species native to
the United States, growing all the way from Nova Scotia to the Florida Panhandle and on over to eastern Texas. (A closely related species occurs in a few localities in the cloud forests of northeastern Mexico.) Some authorities claim that there are actually three races of American Beech within the species, allowing it to occupy this large range. Regardless, the beech tree growing in Florida is undoubtedly genetically far removed from its cousin in Maine. Attempting to grow a tree with northern provenance in the Deep South, or viceversa, would surely result in failure. Even without showy flowers, beeches are attractive in all seasons.
American Beech woodland
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With the arrival of spring—only a month or two off now—the delicately translucent beech leaves unfold. As they mature, the leaves become a deep green, with slight hairiness along the veins on the underside. In the fall, the leaves will briefly turn a soft yellow, quickly go to bronze and then take on their winter pallor. And winter may well be the best time for beeches. With the leaves of most deciduous tree species no longer blocking the view, the smooth, gray beech bark shines in the bright sunlight. While most trees growing in a forest lose their lower branches as they get shaded out, the beeches retain these branches and spread out laterally. Leaves typically persist on younger beech trees, as well as on the lower branches of older ones. If you walk through—or even drive past—a beech forest, you can’t help but notice this understory of light brown- to parchment-colored leaves. On a sunny winter day they light up the woods like lanterns. And with a little wind, they rustle hypnotically. The inconspicuous female beech
15
American Beech
flowers mature into nuts the size of a small fingernail. I have a vague recollection of eating a few many years ago, finding them not bad. Literature describes them as somewhat bitter, but not nearly as much as acorns. One source says they “are mildly toxic, so don’t eat too many.”
continued on page 27
16
CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
Seasonal Flavors
MEMORIES & RECIPES FROM AN ITALIAN KITCHEN [ by denise zito • denise@crozetgazette.com \
Ravioli for Lovers One February day a few years back, a young friend asked me you help her make heart-shaped ravioli for her boyfriend for Valentine’s Day. Of course! Love and food go together and it’s nice to celebrate that in the dead of winter and, even better, to celebrate it at home. Homemade ravioli looks difficult, but it is really fun to make and a joy to serve. In Italy it’s often a smaller first course rather than the larger serving we see in U.S. restaurants. When I make it, I serve it on small plates, only 4-5 ravioli per person, and then follow it with the main course of meat or fish, vegetable and a salad. To me, the best ravioli has a bold flavor and my absolute favorite is made with a sharp cheese like gorgonzola added to the more subtle flavor of mild mushrooms. It certainly helps to have a pasta maker— in fact, I wouldn’t make it any other way. But the diehards will roll the dough by hand. Americans grew up with canned atrocities smothered in a bad tomato sauce that were labeled as ravioli. I prefer to use a drizzle of really good olive oil that has been infused with lots of garlic. Garnish with a little fresh basil and some fresh Romano cheese.
Gorgonzola-Mushroom Ravioli for Lovers Makes approximately 12 ravioli For the pasta: 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 eggs 1 tsp olive oil
These amounts are approximate. Put the flour on a clean counter, board or marble stone and make a well in the center. Break the eggs into this well and start kneading it together with your hands….messy but fun. Add the oil as the dough comes together. Add more flour if it’s too wet, or a little oil if it’s too dry. Be patient; at first it is really sticky but keep working at it. Once the dough forms, knead for five minutes. Then cover the dough with a cloth and let it rest for 30
minutes. This step is critical for successfully rolling the pasta. Use a pasta maker set on the highest setting and force the dough through as you roll. Gradually lower the setting, putting the dough through the roller twice for each setting. Or roll it out by hand.
For the filling: 4 oz gorgonzola, softened at room temperature ½ pound mushrooms, chopped and sautéed in 2 T olive oil For the sauce: ½ cup olive oil heated gently with two crushed garlic cloves Preparation: Carefully place the rolled dough on the counter and prepare to cut with a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Put a teaspoon of cheese and a teaspoon of the mushroom onto the center of each heart. Top with a second heart and press the edges with a fork. At this point, the ravioli can be frozen in a zip lock bag or stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. When ready to serve, boil a gallon of salted water and cook the ravioli for no more than five minutes (a little longer if it was frozen—don’t thaw before boiling). Drain carefully with a slotted spoon and serve immediately with a drizzle of garlic infused oil, a grate of cheese and some fresh basil. Yes, one or two of them always break in the water—if only I could solve that problem—sorry! Final note: I take over this cooking column from my friend Elena Day, an extraordinary cook and gardener whom I have known for nearly forty years. I hope I can fill her shoes. — CORRECTION — Elena’s Sicilian Olive Oil Cake recipe in the January Gazette should have 1 1/2 tsp. of baking soda, not 1/2 as listed. Special thanks to Sara Rothenberger of Batesville for bringing it to our attention.
Eating Arsenic [ by elena day • elena@crozetgazette.com \ As it’s easy to guess, I am focused on cooking and eating. I am even better at eating than cooking. Many of us are. I am concerned as to what I eat, especially since the factory farm system has entrenched itself in our country’s agriculture and many of the consequences thereof are unhealthy for humans and soils and water resources. The editor suggested by that a column such as I am about to attempt would be beneficial in informing the Crozet community regarding food choices. Beginning this month, another seasonal cook also of Italian extraction, Denise Zito, will be contributing her culinary tasties to the monthly cooking column. On January 1, 2013, the Maryland Arsenic Prohibition Law went into effect. It bans the use of arsenic in chicken feed. The European Union has banned arsenic in feed since 1999. Maryland’s law is the first ban in the U.S. It was an uphill battle in Maryland against Pfizer, marketer of the drug Roxarsone, which is included in chicken and pig feed. And when one recognizes that Maryland produces 300 million broilers per year, one can realize why Pfizer spent millions to fight the ban. Arsenic, a common rat poison and also a carcinogen, is routinely fed to poultry because it speeds their growth and makes their flesh
plump and pink. The latter is a result of bursting blood vessels. Nine out of 10 broiler chickens are fed arsenic today. This has been going on since 1944. Tyson pioneered the practice of adding it to feed. Chickens raised factory-style in crowded conditions are often infested with parasites that stunt their growth, hence the “benefits” of arsenic. Factory-farmed chickens, evidenced by analysis of their feathers, are also fed fluoroquinolones (the use of which is implicated in development of resistant MRSA and C. difficile infections in humans), an antihistamine that is the active ingredient of Benadryl, acetaminophen, the antidepressant Prozac, and caffeine. Besides these drugs, poultry feed includes chicken carcasses, discarded offal, and chicken manure. It is estimated 22,000 pounds of arsenic per year end up in Maryland soils as a result of spreading chicken manure on fields. One can surmise higher arsenic levels in soils in Virginia, which has its own poultry industry on the Eastern Shore, in the Tidewater generally, and in the Shenandoah Valley. A lot of arsenic ends up in the Chesapeake Bay after heavy rains. USDA standards do not allow arsenic in organic chickens. In our area, there are a number of organic chicken producers. It might be a good idea to seek them out. Organic chicken is more expensive. Eat less chicken and enjoy it more continued on page 27
Mountain Plain Baptist Church Our friendly church invites you to worship with us. Sunday School • 10 a.m. Traditional Worship Service • 11 a.m. Rev. Sam Kellum, Pastor 4281 Old Three Notch’d Road Charlottesville (Crozet), 22901 Travel 2 miles east of the Crozet Library on Three Notch’d Rd. (Rt. 240), turn left onto Old Three Notch’d Rd., go 0.5 mile to Mountain Plain Baptist Church
More information at
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CROZET gazette
17
FEBRUARY 2013
Parkway Pharmacy
BY DR. ROBERT C. REISER crozetannals@crozetgazette.com
He Saw The Light My friend and former resident Dr. Monica WilliamsMurphy, author of the how-to-book It’s OK to Die, sent me this interesting story recently. Years ago when I was ripe and round with my third child, I was trudging through a late night shift in the ER when a “code” came in by EMS. The patient was a young man in maybe his late 30s, and when the paramedics came around the corner with him they were all sweating from the efforts of professional chest compressions and airway support. I remember that they had been unable to place a breathing tube during transport due to the amount of vomit in the man’s airway. I recall, that due to my gestational girth, that I had to squat like a Sumo wrestler to be able to see into his throat myself, but was able to secure a stable airway as we continued CPR. I was giving the orders, but our entire team was trying to figure out why he had died, and what we could do to resuscitate him. One of the paramedics stated that he thought that drugs were involved and that this was a potential overdose situation. So I tried a few more medications on him and unexpectedly, we got a pulse! After a “successful code” we always go through a very detailed examination of the patient to look for sign and hints of what has been and is going on. As we rolled this young man to examine his back, my charge nurse, Penny, pulled a couple of narcotic patches off, “Here is our problem,” she said. We all shook our heads with a
type of disappointment; we had come to see this all too often in our community. “This is too bad,” I sighed while examining his pupils. Nothing about his examination suggested that he would live. He had no visible signs of brain life. Nothing. He seemed to be just a body to me, with a beating heart. I wondered aloud if he could even be an organ donor. No family ever arrived to check on him, to hear my prognosis that I had practiced in my head: “I think his brain just went without oxygen too long. I am so sorry, but I don’t think he will pull through this. We did our best, and I assure you that he is not suffering.” I sent him to the ICU and never heard anything about him again. Until six monthS later. Again I was on a busy night shift and the place was bursting at the seams. I think the lobby was spilling over into the parking area and I was feeling quite stressed about how I, alone, was going to get to all of these people who needed my help. In the midst of carrying a pile of charts down a hallway of patients, nurse Penny said that something unusual had just occurred in triage. A young man walking with a cane came up to the triage nurse and asked if he could have a word with me. She asked, “Do you have a problem that Dr. Murphy needs to see you for? If so, sign in here,” she said, pointing to a pen and paper. The man replied, “No, as a matter of fact, I do not have a problem, I just need to talk to her.” My nurse replied rather shortly, “Well, you just can’t show up here to chat with the doctor. See all of these people? She is very busy!” continued on page 29
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CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
Claudius Pl. —continued from page 4
Travis Mitchell and Bill Wood
WARS Award —continued from page 1
compassion and care you manifest are that extra help we all hope for in our weakest moments,” said another. These sincere thank yous clearly made the volunteers proud. “We’re all volunteer, all the time,” said Wood. “We’re nice people, doing the right thing and really making a difference.” The Frances Henry Award, given to the volunteer who answered the most calls of all types, went to Kelsey Mietla. Rookie of the Year went to Seth Wood.
The Chief ’s Award, which Wood said is meant to reflect solely on merit, went to Kenny Bruce. The President’s Award went to Greg Paquin. Wood explained that Paquin deserved it “because he gave much more time than he has to.” “Western Rescue has existed since 1978,” said Wood. “We’re very proud of what we have done. We’re doing what we can, the very best way we can.” WARS answered 1,100 calls in 2012, Wood said, with a total of about 80 volunteers engaged. “We are so grateful to the community for the support we get. We consider ourselves blessed,” said Wood.
everything.” Scallet said the restaurant would have special monthly dinner events, such as barbeque night or Italian night and occasional all-you-can-eat events. He said they also intend to do a lot of catering, but that will be set up as a separate operation. “We plan on having live music three times a week, so you can eat or snack listening to live music. The music will be early in the evening and over by 10 p.m. “We’re excited about the location because the deck views are just so nice. Scallet said he expects the restaurant to employ between 40 and 50 people. “We were very community-oriented in Batesville,” said Scallet, “and we want to keep that local vibe
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for Crozet. We want to be the local music hub of the area. We will be pushing music. “And we really want to reach moms and dads whose kids are at the library or swim practice. This place will be for kids, too. Plus, we’ll be senior friendly and we’ll host bridge tournaments.” Scallet said the restaurant gets 20 reserved parking spaces. And it will be across the street from the new library parking lot, which has 58 spaces. “We’re really excited,” he said. “We’re not getting any younger and it’s been almost two years since Batesville Store closed. Our place is going to be personal. It will have our stamp on it. It’s from us to our community. It’s not going to be generic and it’s going to a truly professional restaurant.” Scallet said he wants to be in operation in October.
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CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
19
The Blue Ridge Naturalist © Marlene A. Condon | marlene@crozetgazette.com
Wolf Creek Indian Village & Museum I wish there were more hours in a day. Then I could spend as much time learning about human history as I spend studying nature—two topics that I find thoroughly fascinating. However, last fall I was able to combine my interest in these two subjects by making a trip to Wolf Creek Indian Village in Bland County, which is in southwest Virginia not far from Wytheville. If you haven’t been there, I highly recommend that you visit. You can learn about the Eastern Woodland Indians that inhabited that area about 500 years ago.
Many woodland tribes inhabited the forests of the eastern United States at that time. All of them were stationary, living in wooden structures and farming within a clearing located not far from a river or stream. As you exit a door of the Wolf Creek Indian museum, you literally walk down into history by traveling along a lovely woodland trail to a recreated Indian village built in the forest. (The museum has recently purchased a motorized golf cart that can be used by those who have trouble walking to get down to the village.) The walled village of circular structures was opened to the public in 1996. Its existence is due to the construction of nearby Interstate 77.
A “Blessing of the Village” ceremony taking place in the recreated Wolf Creek Indian village in Bland County. [Photo courtesy Wolf Creek Indian Villiage]
In order to accommodate the highway, Wolf Creek needed to be rechanneled. A local resident contacted the Virginia State Archeologist (who’s on the staff of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources in Richmond) with concerns about an historic Indian village site possibly being disturbed. Howard MacCord, the state archeologist at that time, led the excavation of the site in 1970, during which time construction of the highway was stopped for a brief period. This was the first official
state-recognized archeological site (State # 44BD1) in Bland County. In 1992, members of the Bland County Historical Society decided to create a museum dedicated to the history of the first Native Americans who had lived in the mountains of Bland County. The idea was to provide a glimpse into the lives of the people who had called this area home so long ago. The historical society found funding and with the help of the local community, built a village continued on page 26
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By John Andersen, DVM gazettevet@crozetgazette.com
Cold Dog Nights A few weeks ago during the cold snap at the end of January I went on a morning run. It was all of 14 degrees outside and despite being bundled in long pants, wool socks, hat, gloves, three layers, and a neck gaiter, I was freezing! About a mile into my run, I heard a dog barking outside and was saddened when I saw a skinny hound dog in an outdoor chain-link pen. Here I was, freezing despite my many layers and exercise. And there he was with short hair (which is about as insulating as a long sleeve T-shirt) and minimal body fat to keep him warm. He had no enclosed dog house inside his pen and the wind was surely whipping right through his chain link pen door. No wonder the incessant “Bark! Bark! Bark!” Now I will bet that dog will not die of hypothermia this winter. He will probably keep himself just warm enough by constantly barking and jumping up on the chain-link door that keeps him locked up. But unfortunately he will suffer tremendously. I’ve lived in Virginia most of my life and here in Crozet for 10 years, and although more dogs nowadays are living inside, there are still a
large number of dogs who are kept outside all day and/or night. If these dogs were Siberian Huskies or German Shepherds, I wouldn’t be upset. These dogs have the ancestral coat—a long, full outer coat with a warm, thick undercoat—to keep them warm despite the freezing cold. But, unfortunately, the majority of outdoor dogs around here are hounds and pit bulls. Both of these dogs have very short hair and no undercoat and really have no business being out in the cold for extended periods of time. I’m sure I’ve provoked one of two responses already. Some of you are saying, “poor dogs!” and sympathize with the plight of the outdoor hound. Others are saying, “C’mon Andersen, give me a break! I’ve lived with dogs all my life and they do just fine outside. Quit being such a sissy!” And, unfortunately, many people who keep their dogs outside in the freezing cold are not going to be reading this paper. Here’s my argument for those folks who keep your dogs outside at night or during the day in the cold weather. First, I don’t want to make out every person who keeps their dogs outside out to be some ignorant person who is cruel to dogs. For many folks, this is just the way it’s been done in their family for generations and I see in my office
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that many an outdoor dog is precious to their owners. But consider this: your dog will never complain about the misery that accompanies being cold. It’s just not in his nature. He will be thrilled to see you when you go to his pen or out in the yard to feed him because he’s just dying for some interaction. He will wag his tail, eat his food, and even give you some love. That is the beauty of the dog. Unconditional love. I keep you out in miserable cold and you still love me. But when it’s below freezing outside, a dog is really miserable. He is getting chilled to the bone. When was the last time you have been really cold? Like hypothermia cold? We go inside or we grab a jacket and hat. Or, worst case, we’re stuck outside underdressed and we have to suck it up for an hour or two. If we were outside in 14-degree weather without a jacket we would be panicking cold. The cold won’t likely kill your dog unless he’s really young, really old, or really sick. He is tough. Tougher than we are for sure. I’ve seen dogs who have been running
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CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
21
Crozet Library Spring Programs TEEN PROGRAMS It’s a Draw: A Pen & Ink Drawing Contest March 4 – 30. This annual drawing contest selects original designs to appear in the library’s three teen program brochures. More details, entry forms, and prize information will be online at jmrl.org/teens and at every branch location starting in midFebruary. Grades 6-12. Free Comic Book Day Saturday, May 4. Once again, the Library will be joining Atlas Comics in celebrating Free Comic Book Day by—what else?—handing out free comics! Stop by to see what’s available. Check the website at jmrl.org/teens for more details, times, and locations as the date gets closer. An awesome event for all ages. Musings: a Teen Writer’s Workshop
First Tuesday of the month: March 5, April 2, May 7. 6:30 p.m. Interested in creative writing? This vibrant group meets monthly to practice writing skills, learn new techniques, share what other teen writers are working on, and offer an opportunity to hear helpful comments about your own writing. Drop-ins welcome. Ages 13-18. Teen Advisory Board (TAB) Tuesdays, March 12, April 9, May 14. 6:30-7:30 p.m. Your ideas are needed! Be a part of the Crozet Library Teen Advisory Board! Help plan teen programs, displays, and activities. Members will enjoy snacks and receive volunteer hours for their participation with TAB. Registration recommended. Grades 6-12.
show. If you’d like to perform, please call or visit the library to sign up. Registration is required and begins March 1. Bad Art Night Friday, April 26. 7-8:30 p.m. Nothing lifts the spirits like bad art! There are no standards or high expectations here. Come to the Library for an evening of laughter and artistic freedom. Create an ugly, garish, impulsive, wild, sloppy piece of art as you boldly explore different mediums and perspectives. Registration is required and begins April 5. Crozet Teen Book Club Tuesday, February 19. 6-8:15 p.m. (Book & Movie); Tuesday, March 26. 6:30-7:30 pm Join other teens for an out-ofthis-world book club featuring lively discussion, activities, and crafts. Snacks served at each meeting. Registration required and free copy of the book is included. Limited to 10 participants. Grades 6-12. Teen Book Swap Party Tuesday, April 30. 6:30-7:30 pm Looking for something new and exciting to read? Come to the book swap party! All teens are invited to bring gently used, age-appropriate books to exchange. Stick around afterwards for games, refreshments, and the YA book cover debate. Registration is requested. Grades 6-12
KIDS PROGRAMS
Teen TGIF Nights Friday nights for teens just got better! Come to the Crozet Library for this popular after-hours social gathering. Registration required. Grades 6-12
Tales for Twos: For 2-year-olds and young 3-year-olds. Winter Session: Thursdays through February 28, 9:30 a.m. Spring Session: Thursdays, March 7 – April 25, 9:30 a.m. Registration, limited to 15, begins February 19. This is a fun program of nursery rhymes, songs, stories, and fingerplays designed for 2 to 3-year-olds and an accompanying adult.
Crozet’s Got Talent Friday, March 22. 7-8:30 p.m. The stage is yours tonight! Share your talent, no matter how serious or silly, or just come to enjoy the
Alphabet Soup: A Preschool Story Time For older 3-year-olds to 5-year-olds. Spring Session: Thursdays, March 7 – April 25, 10:30 a.m.
Registration begins February 19. Enjoy a fun half-hour of stories, songs, flannel board stories, fingerplays, and more. Designed for older 3, 4 and 5-year-olds who are ready to enjoy story time on their own, without an accompanying adult or younger siblings.
School’s out! Meet your friends at Crozet Library for some gaming fun. The library will provide games. Bring a friend. If you have a favorite game, bring it along to teach and share. Registration is requested and begins March 18. Drop-ins welcome!
Stitches: A Handcraft Group for Ages 8 to 108 Meeting the last Tuesday of every month at 4:30 pm: February 26, March 26, April 30, and May 28. Knitters, beaders, stitchers! Bring any project you’re working on (or interested in learning) and join this fun group for an hour of handcrafting and sharing. Drop-ins welcome!
Dance, Dance, Dance Saturday, April 27, 11 a.m. For ages 2 - 5 and a favorite adult. Celebrate National Dance Week, April 26 – May 5. Krista Weih will help us explore the joy of creative dance and movement in a fun and educational environment. A wide variety of props, rhythm instruments, and music will add to the fun and learning. Weih has been teaching Laban-based classes to children and adults for over 10 years. Registration is required and begins April 8.
More Fascinating than Fiction: Stories for the Older Crowd Wednesday, March 20, 3:30 pm. For ages 5 - 8. Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and yes, sometimes more fascinating than fiction, it’s NONFICTION! Come into the library and listen in as we highlight some incredible stories from history and today, enjoy an afternoon snack and chat about books you’ve been reading. Registration requested. Dropins welcome! LEGO at the Library Wednesday, February 13, 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. For ages 5 - 11. Join other master builders for an hour of open-ended block building fun. The library provides the LEGO’s, you bring your imagination! An afternoon snack will be provided. Registration requested. Drop-ins welcome! Crozet Culture Club: This Trip: China Saturday, March 9, 1 p.m. For ages 7 - 11. Through folklore, music, food, games or art, we’ll learn about our fascinating neighbors around the world. On this trip we’ll explore the culture of China, the country where ice cream, dominoes, and sunglasses all originated. Registration is required and begins February 19. Gathering for Games Friday, April 5, 2 – 3:30 p.m. For ages 6 - 11.
Take a Screen Break: There’s So Much More to Do! April 28 – May 4 Fill out a nifty Screen Break Pledge Sheet, pledging to reduce your normal amount of TV viewing and screen time. Pledge sheets will be available beginning Monday, April 8. Bring your completed pledge sheet in by Saturday, May 18, and receive a free book! Show us that you turned off all screens for the entire week, and you’ll be entered in a drawing for an extraspecial prize! For all ages! For More Information Visit the Library or Call 434-823-4050
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Ivy Landfill —continued from page 9
generate enough money to support the recycling center on McIntire Road and to the cover the costs of handling hazardous waste collection and amnesty days. At first, he said, RSWA was expected to absorb those costs out its revenue, but in recent years the city and county have paid to cover those special services. Frederick said that van der Linde may offer even cheaper tipping fees to certain high-volume customers, but those arrangements would be private. Graham said he believes some haulers are being charged $46 a ton at van der Linde. He estimated that the actual cost of operating Ivy on a self-supporting basis would require the fee to be between $88 and $100 per ton. According to Frederick, information from the city shows that it is being charged $39 per ton by van der Linde. Once the city and county stopped enforcing the terms of the RWSA charter, Frederick said, revenue at
Ivy MUC began to decline. Loads hauled to Ivy from Charlottesville currently account for about 15 percent of the weight tickets at the facility, he said. If Waste Management begins hauling to a different transfer facility or landfill once its contract finally ends, Ivy’s daily tonnage will fall by two-thirds. MSW delivered to the Ivy MUC goes from there to a Waste Management-owned landfill in New Kent County, Graham said. “Waste management has a contract with RSWA to haul to New Kent. At the time that contract was written, five years ago, van der Linde did not exist.” Graham said both Waste Management and van der Linde Recycling have expressed an interest in running Ivy. Companies will likely be given 30 to 45 days to respond to the RFP, Graham said. One option would be to reduce Ivy from a transfer station, which must operate with a special permit from the Virginia Department of Environment Quality and can accept any kind of waste, to a “con-
venience center,” a term of art in the solid waste world that means it would be limited to accepting only “bag-and-tag” household garbage. Commercial trash from private haulers or waste from small businesses and things such as the debris from remodeling your bathroom would have to be hauled somewhere else, most likely to Fluvanna. “The verdict now is there is not a large demand for commercial waste handling at Ivy,” said Graham. “Ninety-five percent of solid waste is being collected by private haulers. Ivy is used by residential customers and some small businesses who have an occasional need.” Frederick said that the idea of privatizing Ivy MUC also came up three years ago when the city was still participating in the founding agreement. “Several companies initially expressed an interest, but as the deadline neared for bids, they dropped out. We did receive one bid, but when started talking to the company about details, they withdrew their bid.” After the privatization concept
came up again last fall, RWSA submitted a budget for how it would operate Ivy in the future with the same services available there now. In a memorandum to the supervisors Frederick said that the RWSA would need an annual subsidy of about $290,000. “We’re a public agency, so we responded with a budget,” said Frederick. “It’s an estimate budget. Our track record is that we perform better than our budget plan. But we can’t give firm prices because our assets are owned by people in different jurisdictions. They are not under the control of one entity. “The county has a right to do it with a private company if they want to, but our organizational agreement has not been followed. We can’t do strategic planning. We just end up postponing decisions. This has been going on for years now. “Our employees [at Ivy] do a good job,” said Frederick. “They use some old equipment that needs to be replaced. We think our proposal is a lean proposal. Very lean. It challenges us. We want to be as eco-
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CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
nomical as we can be, but we have to be able to accomplish the job, too. We’re cheaper than what [consultant] Draper Aden’s report estimates.” Frederick said that between 260 and 300 commercial customers, such as contractors, landscapers and various other small businesses, now depend on the Ivy facility. The RSWA proposed two options: one, running a small convenience center that uses compactors on household trash, and the other, maintaining the current setup. In either option, Ivy MUC would be open four days a week for 9.5 hours per day. The county would agree to cover any deficits and would be reasonable about allowing fee increases. The RSWA would continue to operate McIntire Recycling Center and would negotiate opening a similar center at Ivy. If Ivy is privatized, Frederick said the RSWA may not be able to afford to operate the McIntire facility. The RSWA’s 13 employees would be reduced to six or possibly seven, depending on who is responsible for
hauling waste to a landfill. Another employee might be needed if a recycling center is established at Ivy. The RSWA will retain its DEQ permit. Frederick said that DEQ officials had strongly advised the RSWA to hang on to its permit. In our region, counties typically have a transfer station or landfill, a place DEQ can monitor, that receives waste from dispersed convenience centers. A private operator at Ivy would have to apply for a new permit and go through a public hearing process. The RWSA also handles caretaking responsibilities on the closed part of the Ivy landfill, mowing, preventing erosion and carrying out groundwater tests, among other duties. According to the terms on which the landfill closed, it must be monitored for 30 years. The current Ivy crew also cleans three miles of the roadsides along Dick Woods Road every workday. And at the MUC, the yard is tidy and the people are friendly. The RSWA proposal now awaits developments with private companies.
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From left: Brother Charles W. Wilmer, Goldie W. Tomlin, Jr., Worshipful Master of King Solomon’s Lodge, and Brother Henry M. Fisher.
Crozet Masons Awarded Service Pins During their January meeting, King Solomon’s Lodge No. 194 of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons recognized two Crozet residents for their longstanding devotion and service to the Freemasons of the area and to the Grand Lodge of Virginia. At the presentation ceremony a 25-year veteran pin was presented to Charles W. Wilmer and a 50-year veteran pin and award was presented to Henry M. Fisher. Wilmer was made a Master Mason at King Solomon’s Lodge
No. 194 on December 8, 1987. Fisher was made a Master Mason on January 31, 1963 in Claremont Lodge No. 436 (California). King Solomon Lodge No. 194 received its charter from the Grand Lodge of Virginia in December 1864. It has proudly served in the Crozet, Greenwood, Batesville and Yancey Mills area for 149 years. Currently, King Solomon’s Lodge is providing college scholarships to four Crozetarea students.
Tabor Presbyterian Church (USA) Pancake Supper
Ash Wednesday Service
Companion Soup
Worship Service
February 12 • 6 p.m. UVA Hullabahoos at 7 p.m.
February 13 • 6 p.m.
1 Sunday Each Month 5 p.m. FOLLOWED BY Vespers 5:45 p.m.
FOLLOWED BY FELLOWSHIP
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Rev. Dr. Jewell-Ann Parton, Pastor
Sundays • 10:30 a.m.
Lenten Bible Study Begins
February 17 • 9:30 a.m.
Sunday School
Sundays • 9:30 a.m.
Traditional in style, progressive in outreach and mission.
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CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
Fee Fi Fo Fum! Plank Road Exchange Owners WAHS’s Musical Take Over By Kathy Johnson Mayhem kathy@crozetgazette.com by Clover Carroll
Think The Shop Around the Corner meets Sweeney Todd meets Alien and you will start to get a feel for Little Shop of Horrors, the rock horror musical comedy to be presented by the Western Albemarle Theatre Ensemble March 8 through 10. A madcap tale of fame, fortune, love, and a man-eating plant, this black humor classic is sure to make your skin crawl even as you laugh yourself to tears. Directed by Caitlin Pitts, with music by Alan Menken in the style of early 1960s rock & roll, doo-wop, and R&B and lyrics by Howard Ashman, the show stars Brennan Reid, Rachel PoulterMartinez, and Walker Spradlin. This romance-with-a-twist will entertain the entire family and send you on your way with a laugh on your lips and a song in your heart. Seymour, a timid, down-and-out employee at Mushnik’s Skid Row Florist, becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a craving for fresh blood. This singing carnivore (crooning songs such as “Feed Me” and “Suppertime”) soon offers Seymour unlimited fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite (and worse). With a “Greek chorus” of girl-group singers, hilarious songs, and a plant that keeps growing bigger onstage as it devours unsuspecting patrons, Seymour must choose between success and doing what he knows is right—even as his romance blossoms with lovely co-worker Audrey. The four differently sized puppets used to portray the growing, carniverous plant pose an unique challenge to the production. With two students as the puppeteers and two students as the voice of the plant, all of the lines of dialogue and singing have to be synchronized between these people. This will be the last show for eight Western seniors, including Ian Grimshaw, Anna Webster, and Gabriel Zak, who starred in last year’s smash hit Guys and Dolls. These talented songbirds will be sorely missed! Support local theater Friday and continued on page 32
It’s been nearly 10 years since the day in 2003 when Norm Jenkins and Michael Clarke purchased the old Page’s Store in downtown Batesville from the Page family. Since that time the store has been leased and operated by others, but in January the owners decided it was time to step in and begin operating the store. “That was always the plan,” says Jenkins, “we just weren’t ready then.” But clearly they are ready now with Jenkins behind the counter doing most of the cooking and Clarke there on his days off (he also works full time at another job) to help out at the counter. The store has returned to country store cooking, with items like tuna and chicken salad and the Plank Road Reuben on the menu. Sweets are provided by some “local ladies” and Jenkins said they are boosting up the store’s grocery stock and intend to carry local vendor products (produce and other items) from the “greater Batesville area.” In addition to the Exchange, Jenkins and Clarke have another business, Fair Co., with third partner Alex Frayer. Through Fair Co., Frayer will represent local products in Charlottesville and Washington, D.C. They already have a line of local coffees and other products they sell at the Exchange and Jenkins said they will represent those products in other areas. They will continue carrying local
Photo courtesy Jim Duncan
artisan crafts, like Barbara Albert’s pottery, which has been in the shop for some years. Local photography or painting will also be showcased on the walls. Albert’s paintings are presently up and will stay up through the end of February. Starting March 1, local photographer John Wright will have his photos on display and for sale at the store. Local (greater Batesville) artists are encouraged to drop by the store with a sample of their work. “We want to carry as much local art as possible,” said Jenkins. The store will continue hosting live entertainment every Saturday night, with occasional Sunday afternoon entertainment, and what they call Final Fridays (the last Friday each month). “Two Sundays ago we had the Miller School band here. That was great. They set up here and some of the parents came and others—we had a great time,” Jenkins said. Located next to the Post Office in Batesville, the store is open seven days a week, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays from noon until 5 p.m. For more information, call 434-823-2001.
Nancy Fleischman Principal
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CROZET gazette
To the Editor —continued from page 5
classes, such as art, music, and PE are high priorities at Brownsville, and there has been a push to increase the reach of gifted and intervention programs for all students. One of my son’s favorite activities is when his first grade class is visited by the Gifted teachers for math enrichment. Student achievement is high, and the student population is increasingly diverse. I also believe the quality of the Brownsville environment is of extremely high quality. Teacher and administration interaction with students happens often; my fifth grade daughter is often asked by teachers and administrators about her soccer games or other outside-of-school interests. Parents are always welcomed and are, generally, highly involved in all types of school activities. I am greeted on a first-name basis each time I visit the school, as is my two-year-old son, who freely gives out hugs and high-fives to a number of staff and students at Brownsville! I know that my children are known and cared-about by the teachers and administrators at Brownsville. The idea that a school environment will automatically become “unhealthy” simply by virtue of a certain enrollment size is certainly not being borne out at Brownsville Elementary. Nor do I believe this would happen with an expansion at Crozet. A number of Brownsville parents, me included, would likely be impacted by redistricting moves between the two schools. We would look forward to being equally active at any future school. The article referenced the past “rich community with lots of engagement” that used to be the norm at Crozet elementary. I believe that an expansion of the school could once again provide a way to increase volunteerism and, ultimately, strengthen the school community. Of course, we know that large schools can become institutional, anonymous places where students can easily get lost in the shuffle. However, it’s my strong belief that school growth can be managed proactively, with focus and foresight that emphasizes strong administrative leadership and an exceptional teaching staff. Positive growth also makes room for parent involve-
FEBRUARY 2013 ment, and encourages collaborative partnerships between schools, PTOs, and the larger communities. I have seen all of this being carried out with much success at Brownsville, and believe it can happen at Crozet elementary as well. Kelly Gobble Crozet We Crozet I appreciate the variety of neighborhoods throughout the White Hall district, the unique character of each determined by its residents’ desires. I hope you fully appreciate how special is this place you call home. Let us celebrate Crozet! Some descendants of the founders still live here. That connection to the past is alive and joyously embraced. Citizens organized and successfully funded the Crozet Historic District. You are on the board of the Blue Ridge Tunnel Foundation seeking to restore access to this engineering marvel and important historic and recreational link to the valley. There is active learning at the School for the Arts and other organizations for the music and dance of our cultural history. Our library in the train depot has held us together, prepared us for the future, and kept us connected to the past. Did you know that the library provides links to read the texts of all the historic markers in Albemarle? The marker at The Square talks about Wayland’s Farm and the founding of the town around the rail stop in 1876. But many families had already been here for more than one hundred years. These folks who link us to their ancestors also magically welcome new residents to the area. Never have I seen a place where the longtime resident and the new arrival so quickly join together. Long before the County government was organizing committees for the growth areas, Crozet residents organized themselves, coming together in the Women’s Club, the first Crozet library, the Community Association, the volunteer fire company, the Rescue Squad, a long list of churches, and many, many others. Residents wrote the community master plan to describe how they wanted to be when the town grew up. Now the town is beginning to
grow up. A new community group, the Crozet Trails Crew, is creating a legacy of interconnectivity within the community, and also to nature in town and up the mountain paths. This large, hardworking group carries out the plans and dreams of the residents. Trails provide scenery up close and personal, not distant from a car. As I struggle up the path to Calf Mountain shelter, I think of the many footsteps before me, the many others who stopped to admire the moss on the huge north facing boulders, or to listen to the trickling stream. Each of you will think of other aspects of Crozet to celebrate and I hope you will share them. It is time to celebrate your accomplishments and raise funds for three very special recipients in 2013. The third annual Valentine Swing Dance will be held Saturday, February 16, from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Field School, with a dance lesson offered at 7 p.m. The Salute to Swing band, which has 17 musicians and four singers, will perform. There will be a cash raffle and prizes. A special prize will be awarded to the neighborhood or organization that has the most people attend. Show your community spirit. Our thanks go to the school for hosting this and many other community events. The music, set up, refreshments are all donated. ALL proceeds will be divided among our stalwart emergency providers at the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department and the Western Albemarle Rescue Squad, whose active members get in to the dance free, and to this year’s new recipient, the Build Crozet Library fund. This will help furnish the library, the newest of many gathering places in Crozet. Celebrate. You deserve it. Ann Mallek Supervisor, White Hall District Green Olive Tree Needs Volunteers The Green Olive Tree thrift store, created to meet the needs of our area, needs you. Not just to come in and purchase from our gifts generously supplied by the community, but to give of your time and talents. We are staffed by volunteers and what a blessing that has been to all. With the passing years we have grown to the degree that we need more volunteers to join our exciting business, which is also a ministry.
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Please come in and see how you can help us. We need you! Nancy Virginia Bain Crozet Thanks I want to thank you for the comprehensive review of my book in last month’s issue. There I invited us all to bring back the gentle but powerful force of the feminine to our worship of God. You correctly summarized my central theme: humankind’s heavy emphasis on resource-consumption, on mental activity, on owning more and more things, places us at dire risk of disrespecting Mother Earth to the point where our children—far sooner than we realize—won’t be able to survive. My book is titled Sacred Source. It explores and describes the images and myths of the Divine Feminine that allowed human civilization to evolve and prosper out of antiquity. It shares the miracles that compelled me to serve Goddess. And it urges us all to transform from the inside out. “Think globally, act locally” is another way to suggest what my book uncovers. How much more “local” can we get than in the way we meditate, envision or pray to God? The January issue of the Gazette encouraged me to see that folks in Crozet really do seem to understand this. Your coverage of the aquiferdestroying gas station behemoth on Route 250 shows people don’t want our rare rural community infringed on by profiteers pushing hydrocarbons. Marlene Condon’s fine digest of climate change underscored my book’s message about loving and seeing our Earth as the feminine face of God. And equally outstanding, your photo-feature showed a beautiful statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe, one of the most important faces of God the Mother, being carried in procession across our town, with some of our neighbors singing and praying and worshiping to celebrate Her. As we change the way we act and think and pray, we can preserve and heal. I believe we can make both whole and holy, this marvelous blue-green jewel of Creation where all Life resides. Freeman Allan Greenwood
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CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
Naturalist —continued from page 19
based upon the archeology report. Thus the village is equal in size and the same in layout as the actual archeological excavation that took place on the Brown Johnston farmland nearby. I find it especially fascinating to know that this recreated village is very close to its original location. Situated not far from the rushing waters of Wolf Creek and surrounded by forest, you can easily feel as if you have truly stepped back in time, despite the traffic zooming by not very far away on Interstate 77. An interpretive guide discusses the structures and explains what the variety of tools located inside each were used for. She demonstrates the skills honed by the people who had needed to understand the natural world in order to survive. These native peoples lived among wolves and elk and they made ample use of both kinds of animals. Wolves were actually used for hunting deer and elk. The wolves were not pets as their descendants, domesticated dogs, are today. The wolves roamed free, but would hang around a village. The Indians believed the wolves did this because they were the embodiment of their spirit ancestors who wanted to help them survive. (Sadly, neither wolves nor elk still inhabit the area and our world is all the poorer for it.) The guide also talked about several of the plants used by the Woodland Indians, including many that grow wild in Central Virginia, such as Indian Hemp and Spicebush. Indian Hemp (Apocynum cannabinum), which is also known as Hemp Dogbane, is a North American plant that has a fibrous stem. American Indians used the fibers to make cordage (we were given a sample to bring home), bags, nets, and mats. This plant is not to be confused with True Hemp (Cannabis sativa) that is the source of marijuana and is sometimes called Indian Hemp. Spicebush berries were dried and used to spice meals. They smell and taste just like black pepper! (We were given a sample.) This native, continued on page 27
February Crossword
by claudia crozet Solution on page 28
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 8 9 10 11 Across 1 Sometimes it’s hot 12 13 14 15 4 Egyptian or Saudi 8 Sharp part 16 17 18 12 It’s in the 1A on Valentine’s Day? 13 Romeo or Juliet 19 20 21 22 23 14 Touchdowns 24 25 26 27 16 Rainbow goddess 17 Russian ruler 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 18 Rookie of the Year, 2012 19 Sault _____ Marie, Michigan 36 37 38 39 40 41 20 Chant of some Olympic hockey fans 42 43 44 45 21 Nail site 23 Catch a perp 46 47 48 49 24 Stun gun 50 51 52 53 26 Telecommunication co formerly known as Ma Bell 54 55 56 57 58 59 28 Soldier or queen 30 NE player, briefly 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 32 Busy god on Valentine’s Day? 36 Vehicle for Huck and Jim 68 69 70 71 72 39 Indian legume dishes 73 74 75 41 Part of Sinatra’s answer to Sartre? 42 Time frame 76 77 78 43 One shade of gray 45 Inspiration for Baltimore team name 76 See 73A 27 Little brother to 53 Ernesto Guevara 46 It’s swept away 77 Sneakers Jack and Bobby 55 Home away from 48 Crackle cousin 78 Outs partner 29 Six pt. goals home for the Lost 49 Lord Grantham or Lady Mary 30 2-D surface Generation Down 50 Identical 31 Nick and Nora’s 57 Wearer of XLVII 51 Ungrammatical lament: 1 Largest artery furry friend Super Bowl ring _____ is me! 2 Princeton and Yale, e.g. 33 It’s tied up in knots 58 Odds opposite 52 Bandage brand 3 In medias _____ 34 Woodwind 59 Store 54 Koko or Kong 4 Fine or liberal 56 Place for sultan’s wives 5 Civil rights activist Parks 35 One like Cassandra 60 Site for Gable or 36 Burgundy and merlot Bogart 60 Recipe amt. 6 _____ mode 37 Diva’s chance to 61 Carpet kind 63 Commercials 7 Ernie’s pal shine 62 Katherine, 6th of the 65 Definite article 8 White heron 38 Macdonald 8th; she survived 67 Gabor or Gardner 9 Labradoodle or cockapoo workplace 64 Went below 68 Clint Eastwood debate 10 Tide rival 65 Bumpy amphibian opponent? 11 Essayist, aka Charles Lamb 40 In addition 44 Fed. emissions 66 Not his 70 Soothing succulent 12 Shopping aid 72 Affirm regulators 69 Highest mountain in 15 Bro or sis 73 With 76A, February 12, 2013 20 One has an ode on it 47 Bags with tags Crete, sacred to Zeus 74 At hand 22 Bit of grain 49 Pod occupier 71 Rebel commander 75 Fat Tuesday follower 25 Take in take out 51 Tied the knot 72 “The Greatest”
Kids’ Crossword
Solution on page 30
by Mary Mikalson
Down Across 1 Name of the “First Dog” 2 Name of the current President 4 Shape of the 3 How to elect a President President’s office 5 Abraham ___ 8 ___ House 6 Virginia is one 9 ___ Washington 10 President’s ___ (holiday) 7 Number of states
CROZET gazette
French
FEBRUARY 2013
—continued from page 13
On a further political note, when a small group overthrows the government in a surprise, often violent, move it is called a “coup d’état” (coo daytah), a blow to the state—for example, when Napoleon overthrew the Directory (post-revolutionary people’s government) in 1799. This is often shortened to “coup” (coo) to refer to more ordinary victories, e.g. “Her being offered that job promotion was quite a coup.” Other French phrases also employ the word “coup,” such as “coup de foudre” (coo duh foo-druh), a lightning strike, or “coup de grace” (coo duh grahs), the
Beech
—continued from page 15
I am personally making no recommendations. The American Beech is not grown widely as an ornamental, and no cultivars are available. I checked at Ivy Nursery, however, and they do have some of the straight species in stock. A tree that accepts either sun or shade, American Beech only requires a moderate amount of water once established. Don’t plant it in areas of poor drainage, and also avoid hot, dry windy sites. It doesn’t appreciate compacted soils, so it probably won’t thrive where heavy equipment has been used recently, i.e. most newer developments. Conversely, the European Beech (F. sylvatica) is widely grown, particularly in Europe and the northeastern U.S., where it enjoys the cooler summers. Dozens of cultivars are out there, with a variety of leaf colors and shapes, as well as growth habits ranging from weeping to fastigiate. Perhaps most commonly seen are those with purplish leaves, sometimes known as ‘Purpurea’; paler forms are known as Copper Beech. The cultivar ‘Roseomarginata’ (or ‘Purpurea Tricolor’) features purple leaves with rose and cream edging. To some extent, all these cultivars with alternative foliage colors will be most brilliant when the foliage first emerges and fade somewhat with summer heat. To avoid leaf scorching on the Tricolor Beech, some high shade would be bene-
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final or deathblow—derived from mercy killings of mortally wounded soldiers on the battlefield, hence “blow of grace.” What is your “raison d’être” (ray-saw\n\ dehtruh), your reason for being? Major French novelist Victor Hugo’s (1802-1885) was surely writing. His “oeuvre” (euv-ruh), or collection of works, includes Ruy Blas, Lucrèce Borgia, and Notre-Dame de Paris (better known as The Hunchback of Notre Dame), but his “chefd’oeuvre” (cheh-deu-vruh, silent f ), chief or masterwork, was surely Les Misérables (lay mee-zayrah-bluh), the destitute or pitiable ones. Valjean’s aria “Bring Him Home,” a tear-jerker if there ever was one, is the “pièce de résistance” (pee-ess’
duh ray-zees-tah\n\s’) of the musical based on this novel— that is, the best part or highlight— which is currently playing in local theaters. Another example might be the showiest piece of music in a concert, a performance that defies (or resists) expectation. Cosette is naïve, that is, innocent and unknowing, when Valjean rescues her from the venal Thénardiers; her naiveté (neyeeev-uh-tay), the state of being innocent, adds to her appeal throughout her life. Mon dieu (maw\n\ dyeu), my God! I am out of both time and space. Time to say “au revoir” (oh ruh-vwahr), farewell until we meet again. And “merci beaucoup” (mare-see boh-coo), thanks very much for listening to my ramblings!
ficial during the hottest part of the day. Speaking with Heidi at Ivy Nursery, she noted that even if the foliage is damaged in particularly hot weather, the tree will be okay and will leaf out normally next spring. She added that they currently have Tricolor and other purple-leafed varieties in stock. Beeches have the rap of being difficult to transplant, but that might only apply to trees being moved from the wild. Woody plant guru Michael Dirr writes that he once transplanted two hundred seedlings, and all survived. Nevertheless, he posits that they may well benefit from the addition of mycorrhizal fungi from their native soil. Some nurseries actually blend these beneficial organisms into the potting mixture. Otherwise, you could find a stand of native beeches, “borrow” a cup of their soil, and mix it into the backfill when you plant. But what about the Beech-Nut company? It has a long history of mergers, acquisitions and break-ups, not to mention a scandal that involved labeling sugar-water as apple juice. When founded toward the end of the nineteenth century in upstate New York, the primary product of The Imperial Packing Company was ham, known for its distinctive nutty flavor. But company execs thought they needed a more down-to-earth name. They looked at area forests dominated by beech trees, and chose the rather wholesome, “natural-sounding” new name for the company. The sugar-water came several decades later.
Naturalist
—continued from page 26
understory shrub tends to be especially plentiful along streams and rivers in central Virginia. By 1998 the historical society was able to open a museum building to provide even more information on the Eastern Woodland Indians. Filled with drawings of village Indian life so many years ago and artifacts from the Wolf Creek excavation as well as other Woodland Indian sites, the museum is just as fascinating to see as the recreated village. Children as well as adults can enjoy a visit to Wolf Creek Indian Village. You can even bring a lunch to enjoy in the picnic area. The park, now run by the Economic Development Authority, is located in Bastian, Virginia, just minutes from Exit 58 off Interstate 77. It’s closed for the winter but will reopen in the spring.
Arsenic
—continued from page 16
knowing it isn’t laced with arsenic compounds and Prozac and that the bird likely ate offal. In the back of my mind are all those vegetarians, of which there are many in my life, who would counsel me to simply eschew the chicken! For more information go to www.foodandwaterwatch.org. DR. HILLARY COOK
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CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
Crozet’s Favorite Flicks
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House at the End of the Street (Horror with Jennifer Lawrence)
End of Watch
(Thriller with Jake Gyllenhaal)
Taken 2
(Thriller film with Liam Neeson)
Stolen
(Thriller film with Nicholas Cage)
Hotel Transylvania
(Children’s/Family with Adam Sandler)
The Paper Boy
(Thriller with Matthew McConaughey)
Seven Psychopaths
(Comedy with Christopher Walken)
Paranormal Activity 4 (Horror)
February picks PETE’S PICKS
End of Watch (new); Splash
RICK’S PICKS
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The Paper Boy (new); Major Payne
EVAN’S PICKS
What Hath Darwin Wrought? The Prince of Egypt Maupin’s Music & Video 434-823-2244 S
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CROZET gazette
Medicine —continued from page 17
In response, the man signed-in and took a seat to wait his turn. On the chief complaint section, the paper read “something very important.” I cannot recall how long he waited, but it should have been long enough to dissuade anyone with casual interests. So, I will say hours later, I finally got to his chart and headed toward his room. I had not even walking through the doorframe when this smiling gentleman, stood to greet me. “Dr. Murphy, I see that you have had your baby girl! How is she?” I stopped dead in my tracks, and an eerie, uncomfortable sensation rushed over my skin. I didn’t know this man, had never seen him in my life (or so I thought) and he was speaking to me in very familiar terms about me and my five-monthold child. I eyed him suspiciously. “Do I know you, sir?” I asked He continued to smile but took a seat, a visible effort to ease my apprehension. “Yes, you know me, you just don’t remember me. Six months ago you saved my life. I came here tonight to thank you personally, and to tell you my story.” I sat on the stool in front of him and listened. As he talked, I relaxed further, feeling comfortable that he meant me no harm and was not a stalker or something. He started by saying very matterof-factly, “I died and you brought me back to life in that room across the hall near the end of last year,” as he pointed toward the doorway and correctly toward our resuscitation
FEBRUARY 2013
room. With great detail he began to report on the events of that evening. “I had become addicted to pain killers because I struggled with a bad back. That night I had taken too many pills and had used some of my uncle’s pain patches.” He went on to explain how he somehow knew when he stopped breathing and then left “his body.” He recounted how he saw his girlfriend find him and then call 911 while she attempted to start CPR on him. He told me the words that she said and what the paramedics said and did on arrival to his home. He told me how he knew one of the paramedics and that she cried and struggled to do her job performing CPR on him while sobbing at the same time. He explained that he closely followed the events that were going on with “his body” and began to describe in accurate detail what had happened in the resuscitation room in the ER. He told me that we were dismayed that he had overdosed at such a young age. He stated that he watched as Penny, my charge nurse, rolled him over and pulled the two pain patches from his back and he heard her say “Here is our problem.” (Note: He did not state Penny’s name but called her that dark-haired charge nurse) He recalled that I had talked about “whether he could even be an organ donor or not.”
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“But, I came back into my body and I lived! And here I am today, but I am a changed man. I don’t take painkillers anymore. Now, this cane is my only medicine, it’s my only crutch.” He said, twirling his cane in the air, smilingly. His story seemed to have come to an end, but after a brief pause he continued, “But, I really only came here tonight to share two things with you.” His eyes grew serious. “First, when I was outside of my body, when I was dead, I saw something else. I saw that there was light coming from you and from your baby.” He was staring up at the corner of the room as if viewing the memory with a sense of wonder. I stared at him in astonishment. Then he turned to look directly at me, and with a deeply earnest expression said, “But, I really just wanted to thank you personally, face-to-face for helping to save my life, for being a part of giving me a second chance. I promise you, Doctor Murphy, that I will not waste it. There are things that happened to me when I was dead that I cannot tell you about, but I made a promise to use my life and my time differently.” I sat quietly before him, without words. What could be said? It was as though he had taken on the role of the doctor and I was the patient. He spoke gently to me using expressions that I didn’t quite understand about some aspect of existence and being that I did not comprehend. But, I was grateful for his words. That night this man gave me a gift. This gift was a deepened sense of appreciation for my own life, and for the gift of time itself. As a result, I became more keenly grateful for the lives of my children, my husband, my family and the opportunity we have all been given to experience this thing called life together. All these years later, if I could perchance meet up with this man again, this is what I would say to him: “I am so grateful that you cared enough to seek me out to share your story. I have had many years to think about this and although I may have helped save your physical life that night, on more than one occasion, you have helped save my spiritual life. Your story has always given me a second chance and I promise you that I will not waste it.” Monica Williams-Murphy, MD
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CLASSIFIED ADS ALTERATIONS AND TAILORING: Experienced seamstress with 30 years of tailoring and garment alterations experience, working from home in Crozet (Highlands). Call for a free consultation. Ruth Gerges: 434-823-5086. FOR SALE: Spectacular 120 degree mountain views. Secluded, elevated and perked building site. 7 acres. Deeded paved easement. Crozet/ Western Albemarle. 2 miles from I-64 and 250W. $305,000. 434-823-1520. FOR RENT: Two bedroom, one bath house available Feb. 15 in quiet Laurelwood location 8 minutes from Crozet. Deck, screemed porch, all appliances including w/d, d/w. Wood stove plus zone electric heat plus a/c. $895 includes water, sewer, snow removal, all maintenance. Sorry, no dogs. Tel 981-7274 Mon-Fri 9 -5 or visit www.laurelwoodvirginia.com for photos & info. WANTED: 50 or more acres of pastureland to rent for cattle near Crozet. Lowry Abell 434960-1334. WANTED: Claudius Crozet Park Inc. Park Board Members. Are you looking for an opportunity to contribute to your community, have a say in the future of Crozet Park? The addition of the Pool Dome, Quickstart Tennis and the YMCA are just a few examples of new facilities recently added with more to come. If interested, please contact either Kelly Strickland (kellyandcarrie@aol.com) or Robbie Maupin (kkorn4u@embarqmail. com) for more information. Claudius Crozet Park is a privately owned, non-profit park that is open to and serves the general public. ZUMBA FITNESS with Heidi Rose at Cornerstone Church, Crozet. All levels of fitness are welcome, no dance experience is needed. For more info and special deals e-mail me at HeidiRoseZumba@yahoo.com To place an ad or for more information, call 434-249-4211 or email ads@crozetgazette.com
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CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
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Crozet Readers’ Rankings Last month’s best sellers at Over the Moon Bookstore
JANUARY BEST SELLERS
The Weird Sisters Eleanor Brown
The Light Between Oceans M.L. Stedman
Mrs. Queen Takes the Train
Richard LaRue
Certified Fund Specialist Mutual Funds* • Life Insurance IRA Rollovers • Stocks* Monthly Income Annuities*
William Kuhn
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle the Countess of Carnarvon
The Secret Keeper Kate Morton
rlarue@royalaa.com 434-823-2984
P.O. Box 155 Crozet, VA 22932
*Securities & insurance services offered through Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., and its affiliates, member FINRA/SIPC.
How to Live: Or a Life of Montaigne in One Question [...] Sarah Bakewell
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Adult: Habits of the House by Fay Weldon Kids: This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen (Winner of the 2013 Caldecott Medal)
Recommended by Scott: Adult: Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes by Maria Konnikova The One & Only Ivan by Karen Applegate
CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
Crozet
Weather Almanac
JANUARY 2013
By Heidi Sonen & Roscoe Shaw | weather@crozetgazette.com
Eight Below? Heidi and I were in Montana near Yellowstone Park this winter and noticed kids playing outside a school. That’s not unusual, except that the car thermometer read eight below zero. Such a thing would never be allowed here in Virginia, so Heidi asked a teacher a few questions. Q: “How cold does it have to be to stay inside?” A: “Twenty below but we watch them close anytime it’s below zero.” Q: “How much snow does it take to close the school?” A: “I don’t know because it hasn’t happened since I’ve been here.”
A check of the weather records shows that it snows about 170 inches a year at the school and 250 inches nearby where some of the kids live. If the buses can’t run because of cold or snow, you are expected to get there anyway. Of course, in Virginia, just the forecast of a chance of snow in the afternoon can close school all day. We have a precious little one in school, so I understand the concern for safety. But, after seeing the “no excuses” attitude in Montana, I suspect those kids might just grow up a little tougher and more reliable than ours.
Rainfall
January Recap Overall, January was slightly warmer and wetter than normal. Despite this, the period January 22-27 was the coldest around here in four years. My pond froze hard enough to walk on, but two days later the high was 74. That’s Virginia! A total of 1.8” of snow, sleet and slop fell during six different wintry days.
January Average 2.94” Afton Summit 6.20” Crozet 5.16” Greenwood 5.14” Univ of VA 5.10” Charlottesville Airport 5.05” Waynesboro 4.02” Nellysford 3.69”
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CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
WAHS Drama —continued from page 24 christina@crozetgazette.com
G
The Perfect Snow Day
rowing up there was nothing I looked forward to more than a snow day. Now as a parent they can be more of a source of stress than a relaxing day off. It’s helpful for me to have a arsenal of activities for the kiddos and myself for snow day success. Remind yourself during these days at home, make it special! After everyone is all bundled up, make a game out of going outside. Look for tracks in the snow. Take a walk. And of course, sled! In my hometown in Georgia, we didn’t get much snow, and often improvised with our sleds—try a plastic trashcan lid for an impromptu stand-in when you are short a sled or saucer. On a very cold snow day, you can try making frozen bubbles. Mix 1/2 cup soap powder (borax), 1/2 cup
sugar, and 3 cups hot water. Using a bubble wand, slowly blow a large bubble and catch it on the wand. Let the bubble sit on the wand for about 5 minutes to freeze, then admire your wintery crystal ball. Back inside, use your newlyfound time to pull out projects that always seem to be put off. Consider sorting through your old pictures, sharing memories with the kids, or adding new photos to your photo albums. No perfect snow day is complete without something warm in the kitchen. This is the perfect time to try any long-cook recipe you’ve been thinking about. When the meal is complete, set a fancy table for dinner and chat about your snow day adventures.
Saturday March 8 & 9 at 8 p.m., and/or Sunday March 10 at 2 p.m. Adult tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door Student and senior tickets are $5 in advance or $6 at the door. There will also be a preview show at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 7 for the cost of a donation. Tickets will be sold at WAHS and
at Over the Moon Bookstore. Western is also participating in ArtFest in the West, a local arts fundraiser to be held on Saturday, March 2, from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Lodge at Old Trail. At this event you can enjoy performances by the WAHS Jazz Band, the WAHS Orchestra, the Henley Jazz Band, a swing-dance lesson, and even selections from Little Shop of Horrors (scheduled for about 8 p.m.). See you at the show!
FOR SALE: 2 BUILDING LOTS IN CROZET
.255 acre for $58,000; .395 acre for $86,000. On Blue Ridge Avenue, one block west of downtown. Zoned R-6; each lot can be configured for two units (such as garage apartments). Public water & sewer adjoining. Call 434-823-2291.
CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
33
BEREAVEMENTS
Gene Franklin Engle, 1920 - 2013 Gene Franklin Engle, 92, of Crozet, passed away on January 21, 2013, at home surrounded by his family and loved ones. He was born on November 3, 1920, in Pleasantville, Ohio to the late Alva and Jennie Engle. He was also preceded in death by his loving wife of 61 years, Marian Engle, and five brothers: Stanley, Wayne, Lowell, Chuck, and Llewelyn Engle. He is survived by his two daughters, Jennifer O’Dea and her husband Eric of Great Falls, and Becky Belew and her husband Danny of Afton; four grandchildren, John and Christine O’Dea and Brandon and Bonnie Belewm who were the pride and joy of his life and numerous nieces and nephews. He also leaves behind many dear friends and a devoted caregiver, Tonya Hicks. Gene graduated from Capital University in 1944 with a degree in music. He was a talented violinist, pianist, vocalist, and drummer. After college he attended the Midshipmen’s School in Chicago and then served as a Lieutenant JG in the United States Navy during World War II. After the war he further pursued his love of music by studying at the Ohio State University. Then he was a public school music teacher in New Bremen, Ohio, where he met his wife, and later in Forest, Ohio. Shortly after, he accepted a job with
the Department of Army in Germany as the Supervisory Education Officer and was responsible for six education centers for deployed troops. During this time he and his wife began their family and lived in Germany for eight years. They returned to the United States in 1959, where he worked at the Pentagon as the Deputy Director of Dependent Schools world-wide for the Department of Army. Later his office was transferred to the U.S. Office of Education, from which he retired in 1977. After retiring he and Marian moved to Crozet, which quickly became his home. He enjoyed gardening and landscaping at his home, playing music, his church family, traveling to 48 states and 19 foreign countries, and being an active and involved Papa to his grandchildren. A memorial service was held on Saturday, January 26, at Crozet United Methodist Church with the Reverend Doug Forrester officiating. Anderson Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. The family suggests that any memorial contributions be made to Crozet United Methodist Church, P. O. Box 70, Crozet, VA 22932 or the Western Albemarle Rescue Squad, P. O. Box 188, Crozet, VA, 22932.
Kenneth Joseph Johnson, —
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January 10, 2013
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Gene Franklin Engle, 92
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Robert S. Anderson & John W. Anderson, Jr.,
Mary Eliza Kent, 88
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January 31, 2013
Gazette obituaries are only $25 for up to 500 words, including a photograph. Call 434-466-8939 or emails ads@crozetgazette.com for details.
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CROZET gazette
FEBRUARY 2013
Warrior Sports News by David Wagner david@crozetgazette.com
Warrior Wrestling New Head Coach Adam Mulcahy (also a varsity football assistant), has given new life to the Warrior Wrestling program, which has struggled for a decade or more. Coach Mulcahy is working hard to instill a new attitude, while emphasizing the team aspect of the sport. Each wrestler goes on the mat alone, but each point scored counts for the team’s total and can be the difference in winning or losing. Mulcahy and assistants Fred Anderson (wrestled for WAHS in the 90’s) and Jason Taylor want the kids to see that the team collectively can only be as successful as each wrestler is individually. Everyone contributes and every individual match has an impact on the team’s success. With only one senior (Myciah Fitzwater) on this year’s squad, Mulcahy and his staff have an opportunity to impact the program significantly. This year’s team stood at 14-14 for the regular season going into the district tournament they hosted February 2 at Western Albemarle. They also hosted two home matches this season (which they had not done in two years) and were excited about getting a chance to have districts at their place.
Led by captains Andrew Dickerson (27-1) and Fitzwater (19-7) the Warriors were poised make a statement and show that they have the talent and determination to be a contender in the future. Dickerson has made the biggest splash this season for Western with 27 wins and only 1 loss. The loss came against Triple A Orange County late in the season. Dickerson, who was undefeated in the district in the 113-pound weight class, has been a great leader on and off the mat this year for the Warriors, especially for the younger guys. He’s been extremely dedicated, working hard to stay in shape and keep his status as a 113-class wrestler. He has been working out daily, running and being very disciplined in all aspects of his training. Fitzwater has wrestled his way to a 19-7 mark, with 5 of his losses coming to top-ranked opponents in the state. Wrestling in the 152 class, Fitzwater is the most physical wrestler on the team. He’s a strong, aggressive and has an attacking style. A four-year wrestler, he executes his moves deliberately, which makes him more effective. He managed to win 19 matches in what has proved to be the toughest and most
Andrew Dickerson, in blue, against an unidentified opponent. (Photo by Sheri Dickerson)
competitive weight class for the Warriors this year. Another major contributor has been Caleb Rider (22-4). Rider competes in the 145 class and has been a big surprise this year. With his humble, quiet demeanor you wouldn’t expect him to have the success he’s had on the mat. He’s committed and has an impressive work ethic. He’s only a sophomore and the sky is the limit for Caleb. He qualified for the state tournament in polevaulting last year, and he is also on the indoor track team this winter. Both coaches made concessions to let him compete in two sports in the same season. He practices before and after school to stay competitive in both sports and never complains. Gabe Rhody-Ramazani is 18-10 ,with four of his losses also coming against AAA competition. Only a sophomore, Gabe has a determined will and has worked hard at the details this season to be a better wrestler. He gets to school early for more mat time and studies film to
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improve his technique. He’s highly disciplined and never intimidated. Juniors Donte Henry (heavyweight), Bryce Van de Castle (170 class) and sophomore Noah Calvani (160) have also contributed this year. Van de Castle has battled a shoulder injury while wrestling a weight class above where he should be. Calvani secured the 160 class for the Warriors, bumping Van de Castle up a class. Western hasn’t fielded a complete roster for years and has had to forfeit three to four classes a match this season because they just don’t have the bodies to fill the spots. This is another reason why the 14-14 regular season mark stands out. Forfeiting 18 to 24 points a match puts added pressure on the guys who do compete. That’s why Coach Mulcahy has emphasized the team aspect. Forfeiting those points makes scoring every point that you can get even that much more important. The kids are buying into the philosophy, not only giving their all, but
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CROZET gazette encouraging and rooting for their teammates. With only one senior and a number of underclassmen, coaches Mulcahy, Anderson and Taylor have to be excited about the future of Warrior Wrestling. They won all of their matches against CHS, AHS and Monticello this year and won more convincingly as the season went on. They’re also nipping at the heels of top district opponents Fluvanna and Louisa, closing the gap in late season matches. They lost to Fluvanna 63-12 early in the year and were much more competitive in the second match, losing 45-27. They also closed the gap against Louisa, losing by the narrow margin of 33-27 in their late season duel. At the District Chmpionship match, Andrew Dickerson (113 weight class) and Gabe RhodyRamazani (132 class) both won. Caleb Rider (145 class) and Donte Henry (heavyweight 285) both finished second at districts, and Ross Myers (106), T. J. Spencer (120), Blaine Kennedy (126) and Noah Calvani (160) all finished fourth. The team as a whole came in fourth, finishing one place better than last year. Dickerson, RhodyRamazani, Rider and Henry all advanced to the regional tournament, which will be held this weekend in Leesburg. Congratulations to all the wrestlers and good luck this weekend.
Hester Heads to Hofstra by David Wagner Miller School senior Travis Hester verbally committed in January to play basketball at Hofstra University in Long Island, New York. Hester is in his third year at Miller and is only 35 points away from scoring 1,000 in his career playing for the Mavericks. Starting at the shooting guard spot this season, Hester is averaging 17 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds and about 2 steals per game. Hester was just discovered by Hofstra Head Coach Mo Cassara last November at a tournament hosted by Fishburne Academy in Waynesboro. Hofstra was a good fit for Travis, and by January he had made his commitment to attend in the fall of 2013, along with Hargrave Military graduate Gervelle Kidd. Hester should have a good chance to work his way into the line-up as several spots will be open on the Hofstra roster next season. He will sign his letter of intent sometime in April. Hofstra is a member of the CAA, which includes several Virginia schools, giving Hester a chance to play close to home numerous times every year. JMU, George Mason, William and Mary and VCU are all members of the CAA. Congratulations, Travis!
FEBRUARY 2013
35
Warriors Saddle Mustangs The Western Albemarle High School boys’ basketball team hosted the Monticello Mustangs in a key Jefferson District matchup Feb. 1. Monticello beat the Warriors earlier in the season and Western was looking for payback in a game that would have first place implications. Both teams got off to a slow start, and the game was tied at 9 with 2:29 to go in the first quarter. But Chase Stokes hit a big 3-pointer to give the Warriors a 14-12 lead and Eli Sumpter added two free throws to put Western ahead 16-12 at the end of the quarter. The teams traded baskets early in the second quarter before Monticello went on a 10-0 run to take a 29-24 lead. Denzel Terry and Jahvon Shelton hit back-to-back 3 pointers to get the rally going and turn the momentum in Monticello’s favor. Western countered with their own flurry to take a 34-31 lead into the half. A blocked shot by center Jeremy Baruch led to a fast break layup for Jake Maynard as time expired. Western came out hot in the third quarter, scoring the first five points as Maynard struck again, this time hitting a 3-pointer to give the Warriors a 41-34 lead. But it was short lived. Monticello went on another run, scoring 11 straight points to go ahead 51-47. The Warriors managed two late buckets with Maynard scoring to tie the game at 51 all. Monticello bounced back, though, to start the fourth quarter with Shelton scoring five points. The Warriors got back into the game behind the scoring of Stokes and Sam Chisholm and the game was tied at 58-58 with 4:10 to go in the contest.
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Chase Stokes (Photo by Ryan Jones)
In the final minutes Stokes hit two more field goals and Chisholm sank a big foul shot as the Warriors held on for the victory, 63-58. Monticello only managed two points in the last four minutes. Jahvon Shelton ended up with a game and career high 30 points to pace the Mustangs and Stokes led the Warriors with 19. Maynard added 13 points for Western and Chisholm finished with 12 points. The win, which was followed by a victory Saturday over Powhatan, has the Warriors tied at the top of the standings with Monticello and Fluvanna. If the Warriors can win their final two contests (too late for this edition) they could capture the number one seed for the Jefferson District Tournament coming up next week.
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