Front Porch Fredericksburg - January 2017 by Virginia Grogan

contents

closeups 3

Bill Kertsos ... FXBG restaurateur icon retires

Artist at a Glance ..Matt Westcott

donnie johnston what will he say next?

porch talk .

on the porch...life in fredericksburg Messages

On the trails:: Amy Davis & Mildred “Jane” Frick

“Variations” Larochelle & rhone kubarek

Everything Greens:Ryan Anderson

palettes to pups: spca art crawl

Bill Kertsos

history’s stories.: masonic cemetery our heritage: fxbg city directory

Senior Care: choose your words carefully

emancipated patients: summoning willpower mind your mind: what will be new for new year?

does a new year mean a new you? renew: small steps, big results

re-aligning fxbg city government poetryman: winter storm

art in the burg: art initiative

mYSTERY hOUSE stories of fredericksburg Jerry grimsley

welcome to the table @BSG

downtown buzz: New Board

companions: lessons a dog once taught me

It’s all energy

fredericksburg sketches

from my porch: power of affinity lupe sigman, wings volunteer

a “ burg icon By Ralph “Tuffy” Hicks Christmas in business. After 38 years in business he still has lots of energy for a youthful 74-year-old. He recalled to me his early years as a young graduate of West Virginia University. He was involved as a wrestling and football coach for a few years. He moved to Fredericksburg in 1968 with his wife Karen and he began his long profession in the restaurant business that has run for over 46 years. Thirty-eight of those years have been at the General Store.

...And more!

The city Game

vino: new year resolution

season’s bounty: healthy start

11 helping hands: helping kids find their best self

Cooking with Kyle... faux pho

15 empty bowl...fill your bowl on jan.29th

16-17

Calendar of events

The General Store name he said was because the restaurant reminded him of what a General Store looked like with the pots and pans and old cooking stove.

30 Picker’s alley black box january performances

Cover: “Ten Square” by Fritzi Newton

I remember what my mother once said, “give me roses while I am still alive not after I am gone”. Well I think of those words when I think of Bill Kertsos and his General Store which recently turned out the lights on December 23, 2016, after thirty-eight years of business. I have enjoyed being a customer and his friend for over three decades. Bill was just becoming a Fredericksburg icon in the 1970’s as I was becoming involved in local politics with the Fredericksburg Planning Commission until my retirement from City Council in 1998. The General Store had become one of the most well-known and respected restaurants in the area by that time. It was “the place to eat” in the Mary Washington College community. When Bill started the business, it was an allfemale college. Many of the student’s parents learned what a wonderful place Fredericksburg was when they had their first meal at the General Store. It was not unusual to see the President of the College along with the City Manager and several former or current county and city politicians having their lunch or dinner there.

Bill and his wife Karen have raised three daughters all of which are away from the Fredericksburg area and doing well. Bill said that one his main likes about the business is the many friends he has made throughout the years and he would like to thank all his patrons for their business. It was not unusual for Bill to come out from the restaurant kitchen and engage his patrons in conversation. Bill said that he and Karen plan on staying in the City that they both love. I thank Bill for his friendship and wonderful food all these years and wish him well in retirement. (38 years at the General Store at 40 hours per week is 69,040 hours on your feet.) Bill Kertsos here are your Rose’s, and the Fredericksburg community wishes you Karen and the family a happy retirement for many years.

Tuffy wishes you all a Happy New Year and promises to continue to bring interesting FXBG stories to FPF

I sat down with Bill just seven days prior to the close of the restaurant which was decorated for his final

January 2017

Front porch fredericksburg

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

contents

closeups 3

Bill Kertsos ... FXBG restaurateur icon retires

Artist at a Glance ..Matt Westcott

donnie johnston what will he say next?

porch talk .

on the porch...life in fredericksburg Messages

On the trails:: Amy Davis & Mildred “Jane” Frick

“Variations” Larochelle & rhone kubarek

Everything Greens:Ryan Anderson

palettes to pups: spca art crawl

Bill Kertsos

history’s stories.: masonic cemetery our heritage: fxbg city directory

Senior Care: choose your words carefully

emancipated patients: summoning willpower mind your mind: what will be new for new year?

does a new year mean a new you? renew: small steps, big results

re-aligning fxbg city government poetryman: winter storm

art in the burg: art initiative

mYSTERY hOUSE stories of fredericksburg Jerry grimsley

welcome to the table @BSG

downtown buzz: New Board

companions: lessons a dog once taught me

It’s all energy

fredericksburg sketches

from my porch: power of affinity lupe sigman, wings volunteer

...And more!

The city Game

vino: new year resolution

season’s bounty: healthy start

11 helping hands: helping kids find their best self

Cooking with Kyle... faux pho

15 empty bowl...fill your bowl on jan.29th

16-17

Calendar of events

The General Store name he said was because the restaurant reminded him of what a General Store looked like with the pots and pans and old cooking stove.

30 Picker’s alley black box january performances

Cover: “Ten Square” by Fritzi Newton

Tuffy wishes you all a Happy New Year and promises to continue to bring interesting FXBG stories to FPF

I sat down with Bill just seven days prior to the close of the restaurant which was decorated for his final

January 2017

Front porch fredericksburg

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

Bill Beck

ON THE PORCH Guest Porch Editorial

Contributing Writers & Artists A.E.Bayne Kevin Brown Linda Carter Christina Ferber Joan M. Geisler Alexis Grogan Karl Karch Kimberly Leone Vanessa Moncure Patrick Neustatter Sarah Perry Michele Roberts WendySchmitz Meg Sneed

Bill Beck Collette Caprara Barbara Deal Frank Fratoe Ann Glave Ralph “Tuffy”Hicks David C. Kennedy Jo Loving Fitzi Newton M.L. Powers Scott Richards Suzanne Scherr Casey Alan Shaw Georgia Strentz James Kyle Synder

Christine Thompson Carolyn Van Der Jagt Rim Vining Dawn Whitmore

Amy Umble Matt Westcott

Front Porch Fredericksburg is a free circulation magazine published monthly by Olde Towne Publishing Co. Virginia Bigenwald Grogan, Publisher.

The mission of Front Porch Fredericksburg is to connect the diverse citizenry of Fredericksburg with lively features and informative columns of interest to our community’s greatest resource, its people.

Messages from our readers are welcome. All submissions must be received by e-mail by the 19th of the month preceding publication. Writers are welcome to request Writer’s Guidelines and query the Editor by e-mail. Front Porch Fredericksburg PO Box 9203 Fredericksburg, VA 22403 Ad Sales: E-Mail: frntprch@aol.com Web Site: www.frontporchfredericksburg.com The opinions expressed in Front Porch Fredericksburg are those of the contributing writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Front Porch Fredericksburg or its advertisers. Copyright 2017 Olde Towne Publishing Co. All rights reserved.

On the Trails

January 2017

walking the circle of love

pondering

By Kevin Brown

BY bill beck Shortly before Christmas, as I sat in my shop pondering Fredericksburg’s future, a rather distinguished fellow, after looking around a bit, said “pardon me, my excuse is that I’m British, but can you tell me which side won the battle of Fredericksburg?” In my five decades of talking with folks about this town it was the first time I had heard that question. What ensued was a thoughtful conversation about just what it means to win or lose a battle in a terrible war and how we remember such battles and honor the sacrifices of the “winners” AND the “losers”. We went on to talk about other periods of Fredericksburg’s history. I learned that he lived not far from Northampton where George Washington’s great-grandfather served as Mayor. He had never visited Sulgrave Manor, the Washington ancestral home, but by the end of our conversation seemed anxious to make that visit. That brief exchange exemplified something that I have known virtually all of my life: The history of my hometown is extraordinary and powerful. When we realize that someone who knows not even the most basic fact about the battle of Fredericksburg, but has enough curiosity to ask a question, can quickly reach rather deep thoughts about life and death, freedom, rebellion and devotion to a cause we should feel compelled to respect this very special place. I have never been one who wanted to preserve the Fredericksburg of any one period as if in amber. I have always thought that our layers of history and our continuing evolution as a vibrant community are our greatest assets. Whenever I show visitors around town I make a point of taking them to the corner of Caroline and William, the spot where Jefferson began The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom in 1777 and Gaye Adegbalola protested for her rights in 1961. Who am I to say which period in time is more important? Enough about the past. When asked to write this piece for the New Years edition of FPF I thought “what a great chance to write about all of the opportunities facing Fredericksburg”. We have an enthusiastic new city manager. The city has finally hired a dedicated historic preservation professional. Main Street is up and running. The Tourism and Economic Development department is in the midst of a makeover. There is talk of high-speed rail coming through town and, even our city council may be starting to

Front porch fredericksburg

understand the realities of “Celebrate Virginia”. The shakeup in the Tourism department may be what brings about the most immediate and apparent changes. There is talk of creating a true regional tourism bureau, which, at first thought, seems to make sense. Our visitors don’t notice the jurisdictional lines that we think are important. Whether they are at Salem Church, Ferry Farm or Hyperion they will say they are in Fredericksburg. That just seems obvious, until you talk to a local politician who wants to see the name of his locality in lights. And the politicians control the money. We will have some real work to do to bring everyone together in a balanced, cooperative and effective tourism effort. I also worry a bit about a big visitor’s bureau giving enough attention to all of the little things that really define us and our community’s character. We know that big hotels and the Expo center will always be important but will we shine a light on LibertyTown, or Goolricks or the Virginia Outdoors Center? Those, and dozens or hundreds of other small businesses, museums, eateries and sites are really the things that people love about Fredericksburg, and the things they come back for. There has also been talk about moving the Visitor’s Center from its longtime home at 706 Caroline St. Personally I’ve enjoyed having the Visitor’s Center as a neighbor for thirty years but there may be good reasons to consider a move, and there may be better options. Only a few things about a new Visitor’s Center are absolutes. It absolutely must remain in the heart of downtown where it functions as an anchor store and it must have convenient and immediate parking. The most intriguing idea for a new Visitor’s Center was proposed more than 20 years ago. The Executive Plaza Building, AKA the Big Ugly, is certainly easy to find, it now has the parking garage right next door and the city already owns it. It would be easy to set up the basic services, bathrooms, handing out maps and making hotel reservations on the first floor, but the fun part is to think about what could be on a rooftop terrace. Think about it,

you can see the Big Ugly from almost everywhere, which means that all of those places are visible from the top of the building. You could see Ferry Farm and Marye’s Heights and Chatham and Belmont and Lee’s Hill, the Churches, the Court House and, of course, the Rappahannock. So a visitor could quickly orient herself and get a glimpse of almost everything she might want to experience here. It is an exciting possibility, but just one small aspect of what could be a whole new approach to preserving, enhancing and promoting the quality and character of this great place. So, there is plenty to ponder about our past, our present AND our potential as you read Front Porch, cover to cover.

had just lost over a hundred pounds through exercise and healthy eating. In late 2012, I had a left knee replacement, and became determined to walk the whole Heritage Trail/Canal Path loop without stopping before I considered myself healed completely. Jane was right there by my side, encouraging me and Amy Davis (L), Jane Frick “On the Trails” helping me to make my goal. We started off just walking a mile or so, but within a few months, we ..... With Three New Knees, One Fainting were walking the loop every day, often Snake, and a 40 Lb Beaver-H Hedgehog with “Tini” the Boxer/Rottweiler mix. Meet Amy Davis and Mildred Within 6 months, Jane and I walked the “Jane” Frick, inseparable friends since entire loop TWICE a day. We did it. In 2012 who walk the 3.1 mile Heritage 2015, within 5 weeks after I had my other Trail/Canal Path loop almost every day, knee replaced, Jane and I were slipping and and often twice a day! Here is their story. sliding our way around the loop again. Amy: After moving to Jane: I moved to Fredericksburg Fredericksburg with my husband in 2010, when I married my husband in 2011. I joined a local gym in early 2012 where I After our meeting at the gym, Amy and I met Jane. As I was working to overcome a have been inseparable walking the loop serious illness through improved fitness, ever since. In August 2016, not to be Jane became an inspiration to me as she outdone by Amy, I had my own knee

replacement. Amy: After Jane’s knee replacement, she was so strong and determined to beat my record of walking the loop within 5 weeks. She did it! She walked it 3 weeks post surgery. Jane: One of the most gratifying experiences we have had on the trail was watching a grandpa teach his grandson how to ride a bike. We observed over the course of a few years under his grandpa’s patient tutelage, the grandson went from immaturely throwing fits to learning to ride his bike like a pro. Amy: One time, Jane was walking in front of me and she stepped over what I thought was a neon green shoelace. As I stepped over it, it reared up and I screamed like a little girl. When I screamed, it fell over backwards and fainted. As I looked down, this poor, footlong, neon green, pencil thin snake is trying to right itself and flee from this crazy screaming person. Jane and I have laughed, and been amazed at the color of this snake for a while now. I personally

have never seen a beaver up close and personal. One day, I saw this 40 pound ‘groundhog’ go into the river. I was amazed at how big it was and that it swam so beautifully. Needless to say, Jane laughed at me for two solid weeks. Jane: We walk to stay in shape and to help us through life’s ups and downs. The trail is a place of beauty and peace for us and I can’t imagine my life without it. Amy: Walking the loop is our therapy. We laugh, cry and vent while we are walking. We love that the walk each and every time is a new and wonderful experience. Jane has been my rock with her encouragement and her friendship. And the Loop has become our circle of love.

Kevin Brown shares up-to-date local trail news and photos as administrator of the "On the Fredericksburg Va Trails" Facebook Group

Publisher’s Note: Bill Beck served from 2000 to 2004 as Mayor of the City of Fredericksburg, is the current president of the Fredericksburg Sister City Association and has served on the boards of a number of community organizations including the Fredericksburg Architectural Review Board, Our Town Fredericksburg, The Downtown Merchants Association, Historic Fredericksburg Foundation (4 years as president), The Preservation Alliance of Virginia, and The Fredericksburg Committee for The Virginia Statute. He is a lifelong Fredericksburg resident and product of the City’s public schools. The Fredericksburg Committee for The VA Statute of For Religious Freedom. and on the board of the Central Rappahannock Heritage Center.

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

Bill Beck

ON THE PORCH Guest Porch Editorial

Christine Thompson Carolyn Van Der Jagt Rim Vining Dawn Whitmore

Amy Umble Matt Westcott

Front Porch Fredericksburg is a free circulation magazine published monthly by Olde Towne Publishing Co. Virginia Bigenwald Grogan, Publisher.

On the Trails

January 2017

walking the circle of love

pondering

By Kevin Brown

Front porch fredericksburg

Kevin Brown shares up-to-date local trail news and photos as administrator of the "On the Fredericksburg Va Trails" Facebook Group

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

Variations

Everything Greens ryan anderson

@the UUFF gallery

By Sarah perry After four years as acting president of the Board of Directors and nearly 20 years volunteering at Downtown Greens (DTG), Ryan Anderson has stepped down from the Board. Taking his place as president is Kathy Vining who will be profiled in the January DTG newsletter.

By A.E.Bayne

“Ring Around The Rosie” Sally Rhone-K Kubarek painting with oils and watercolors, as they allow her a balance to printmaking. Larochelle notes, “Bold patterns, textures and colors inspire me. To me art is about how the exciting play of color and the asymmetrical division of space create a visual impact.”

Linda Rose Larochelle

Known for her vibrant block prints and monotypes, Larochelle says

The UUFF Gallery will host local artists Linda Rose Larochelle and Sally Rhone-K Kubarek with their show Variations during January and February 2017. Join us for an opening reception on Sunday, January 6, 2017, between 11:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., where the artists will be available to answer questions and talk about their work.

Sally Rhone-K Kubarek

Linda Rose Larochelle is a graduate of the San Francisco Art “ Member of the Wedding”, Linda Rose Larochelle Institute and has done graduate work at the textures, patterns, and the human figure University of Maryland and VCU. After are motivating factors for her as she over 20 years as an art educator, she has pursues printmaking. She also enjoys

THE

FREDERICKSBURG LAMP Only Available At

The Copper Shop 371-4455 1707R Princess Anne

Behind Silk Mill Like Us on facebook 6

January 2017

screen printing, pastel, and watercolor at UUFF Gallery in January and February. She says her inspiration comes from the world as a whole, as she has spent much of her life living abroad in Japan, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Morocco, before retiring here in Fredericksburg with her husband. RhoneKubarek has exhibited her work throughout her travels and is currently an active member of the FCCA.

Front porch fredericksburg

SP: We have to start with the basics, so tell us about yourself! RA: I went to Mary Washington and graduated in 1999. I currently live in Hawaii and I like to think of myself as a steward for the planet. I am the farm operations manager and the apiary manager at Hoku Nui llc. (www.hokunui.com). It’s a sustainable community where we are regenerating 280 acres in upcountry Maui.

Variations, which encompasses the work Larochelle’s and RhoneKubarek’s eclectic styles, may viewed Sundays between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. throughout January and February, or by appointment. The UUFF Gallery is located at 25 Chalice Circle, Fredericksburg, Virginia, 22405, behind the Chatham office park. Call (540) 3104001 for more information or to make an appointment to see the show.

retired from Arlington County Schools to devote her full time to art . “Under the Umbrella” Linda Rose Larochelle

Meet Ryan Anderson (as interviewed by Sarah Perry, Executive Director of DTG)...

Larochelle’s work has been featured in the Washington Post, Northern Virginia Magazine and Elan Magazine. She has had shown her work in Georgetown; in Virginia in Occoquan, Lorton, Charlottesville and locally at the Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts (FCCA); and in Houston, Texas. She is a member of Washington Project for the Arts.

A variety of mediums have captured Rhone-Kubarek’s imagination over the years. She will show collage,

SP: Do you have any parting words? SP: What is one of the accomplishments during your tenure that you are most proud of?

601 LAFAYETTE BLVD

A.E. Bayne is a writer, artist & educator. She is the publisher of Fredericksburg Literary & Art Review.

roxburyfarmgarden.com MAIN: (540) 373-9124 NURSERY: (540) 371-8802

We Have All Your Gardening Needs Since 1929 Come Shop With Us!

Sally Rhone-Kubarek has been fascinated with art since she was a child. She says, “The first book I bought on my own was calledThe Art Teacher. It was full of many projects for students of my age. I must have tried most of them since the book looks very worn in its place on my bookshelf.”

Rhone-Kubarek completed two years of formal training in Fine Arts at Syracuse University, and she has attended numerous art workshops throughout Europe and the United states.

Oh, and I founded Marenje Marimba [a program of Downtown Greens] in 2007 and we have taught the next generation how to make the instruments and the music of Zimbabwe.

Large or Small, I Sell Them All! Dreaming of Fabulous City Living? Let s Make It Happen!

Supporting Local Artists Since 1997

SUZY STONE Mobile:540.847.0630 Office: 540-898-2900 suzystone22@gmail.com C21redwood.com

RA: There are two, first: finding wonderful people to step up and take leadership roles, and second, the most recent one: putting the land in a conservation easement. That was a longstanding desire that we were never really able to do until just recently. That was able to happen because of having stable leadership throughout the organization. SP: What specific thing(s) about DTG makes it special to you? RA: The care for the land that has been happening for 21 years. People have been coming together to take care of that corner of Fredericksburg, and I think that’s not something we see people doing anymore because most things are owned personally. Downtown Greens is owned by the community, being a 501c3, so people come there and give their time and energy because they really want to be there doing it. When you want to be doing something it’s fun, exciting, and impassioned. SP: Do you have any advice for Kathy as she begins her presidency?

RA: I’m grateful for all of my involvement in Downtown Greens, for everybody that made that possible and for the volunteers who show up and continue to work. SP: If you could be any animal what animal would you be? RA: I’d be one of the groundhogs that hang out at Downtown Greens. They’re sitting pretty down there! SP: What is your favorite flower? RA: The sunflower because it’s so beautiful and it reminds me of the sun, by its name and in its image and that’s what we all need, a little sunshine. SP: Thanks so much, Ryan, for your service. If I’ve learned anything from working with you for the past four years, you’ll be back for more whirlwind youth instrument-making camps or construction sessions. Lucky for us, leaving the Board doesn’t mean you’ll leave your passion for Downtown Greens and its mission.

Sarah Perry is the Executive Director of Downtown Greens

RA: Stay positive and be flexible.

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

Variations

Everything Greens ryan anderson

@the UUFF gallery

By A.E.Bayne

Linda Rose Larochelle

Known for her vibrant block prints and monotypes, Larochelle says

Sally Rhone-K Kubarek

THE

FREDERICKSBURG LAMP Only Available At

The Copper Shop 371-4455 1707R Princess Anne

Behind Silk Mill Like Us on facebook 6

January 2017

Front porch fredericksburg

retired from Arlington County Schools to devote her full time to art . “Under the Umbrella” Linda Rose Larochelle

Meet Ryan Anderson (as interviewed by Sarah Perry, Executive Director of DTG)...

A variety of mediums have captured Rhone-Kubarek’s imagination over the years. She will show collage,

SP: Do you have any parting words? SP: What is one of the accomplishments during your tenure that you are most proud of?

601 LAFAYETTE BLVD

A.E. Bayne is a writer, artist & educator. She is the publisher of Fredericksburg Literary & Art Review.

roxburyfarmgarden.com MAIN: (540) 373-9124 NURSERY: (540) 371-8802

We Have All Your Gardening Needs Since 1929 Come Shop With Us!

Rhone-Kubarek completed two years of formal training in Fine Arts at Syracuse University, and she has attended numerous art workshops throughout Europe and the United states.

Oh, and I founded Marenje Marimba [a program of Downtown Greens] in 2007 and we have taught the next generation how to make the instruments and the music of Zimbabwe.

Large or Small, I Sell Them All! Dreaming of Fabulous City Living? Let s Make It Happen!

Supporting Local Artists Since 1997

SUZY STONE Mobile:540.847.0630 Office: 540-898-2900 suzystone22@gmail.com C21redwood.com

Sarah Perry is the Executive Director of Downtown Greens

RA: Stay positive and be flexible.

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

Artist at a Glance Matt Westcott: Changing Scenery By drew westcott A Large Selection Available

200 William Street Downtown ,Fredericksburg 540.373.4421 Mon-Sat: 9-5:30 CrownJewelersFredericksburg.com

January 2017

Life is full of signs, both literally and metaphorically. We as humans, are constantly in search of them whether it be questions as deep as “what is my calling in life?” or as simple as “where’s this diner I’m meeting my kids at tonight?” When you drive down winding River Road in Fredericksburg, you’re engulfed by a masterful scenery- an honest, simple and absolute beauty as told by oak and pine trees hovering over the Rappahannock River. For a moment, there’s a brief halt to our efforts to search for signs of any sort. This was the calming commute my father, artisan and master scenery artist, Matt Westcott would make to his shack-like studio for most my childhood. There, with the help of a pack of smokes and a cheap coffee, he’d get to his craft- artisan signs. Little did he know, but at the time he was making landmarks that 30+ years later are still standing in and around town. However, his commute to his studio-retreat in the woods came to a halt in 1999. Not because the one-manoperation was going under but rather due

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to the inquiries. “It was getting too commercial” he said when I asked him why he shut the doors. Son of proclaimed oilpainter Carol Westcott & grandson of water colorist John Whorf, my father has the truest of artist’s blood. A fine arts student at George Mason University, “I got into signs because of the Old English Tavern style..” he told me. “Minimal to no verbiage.” Using beautiful scrap woods, a chisel, sand router, paint, brush and most

tone-setters for the themes and characters within at the Riverside Center for Performing Arts. It comes to me as no surprise that this may be the first time you’ve heard of my father. “Pretty reserved in his corner of the shop, if he didn’t know you.” say’s Phil Carluzzi, former technical director at the Riverside Center for the Performing Arts. Now 60, Matt Westcott has created over 75 of these sceneries

importantly a heart-felt message told through important images he continued to create signs. Most times for no monetary return at all. The only compensation was a smile upon a loved one’s face. But with the doors closed on his business, he needed a paying-gig that also provided as a venue for him to keep creating his signs. The performing arts industry no doubt takes guts to be a part of. It also takes necessary ego to stand out. Each act is filled with vibrant personalities trained to catch your attention and hold it for hours. But there’s aspects too, that hold no ego at all. One of which being the scenery. For the course of the last 18 years, Matt has churned out 75+ 16‘X36’

over the course of the last 18 years. He’s only been to a couple of shows to see his work in place. “Riverside Center would not be where it is today without Matt Westcott” says Patrick A’ Hearn, Producing Artistic Director at the RCPA. Now Matt Westcott looks to spend the end of his career creating personalized signs for new friends around town. His works can be seen at 915 Gallery through the end of January.

Drew Westcott is a Writer/Filmmaker & PR Practitioner in Austin, Texas and the son of Matt Westcott

Palettes to Pups SPCA Art Crawl Showcases Local Shelter by A.E.Bayne

“Heidi”, Cheryl Bosch It is common knowledge that area animal shelters often find themselves filled to the point where they have to turn some animals away, so outreach is crucial. Fredericksburg Regional SPCA’s director, Caitlin Daly, and local artist Jayme Bauguess have teamed up to pair ingenuity with creativity in the first ever SPCA Art Crawl. Join them and other area artists on Thursday, January 5, 2017, between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., for an event designed to highlight some of the many affectionate companions wanting to be adopted at the facility. Light hors d’oeuvres, drinks and music will be on the schedule for the evening, and you might just find yourself leaving with a fourlegged friend. Bauguess is a self-proclaimed animal hoarder (in the best sense of the word). She says, “I was wondering what I could do with the skills that I have to help area animals since I’m now living in an apartment. Caitlin had been wanting to partner with artists for a while, so this was perfect timing.” Daly concurs, “I had been wanting to do something like things since I started as director here. I saw art hanging downtown at Sunken Well and I though we could do something like that here. When Jayme approached me, I knew it would work.” Bauguess networked with many local artists for this event. She invited them to visit the facility in early December to spend time getting to know a pawed friend or two, before returning home to create artwork to represent each animal. Nearly twenty artists signed. Now, when people come to adopt one of these lucky pups or pusses, they will also take home a masterpiece by a local artist. Cheryl Bosch, artist and owner of

Frame Design Gallery, says, “If a painting - something I love to do anyway - can help an animal find a home, then why wouldn’t I do this?” Other artists echo Bosch’s sentiment. Alexis Kay explains, “I love dogs so much, but because my allergies prohibit me from owning most breeds, I wanted to express that enthusiasm through art, to hopefully encourage people to take home a dog I can’t. I fell in love with Paco’s affectionate personality, so I know that he will make someone happy.” Joshua Luna chose a dog breed that typically has a hard time finding a home: a Pit Bull. He says, “There’s still a prevailing stigma against Pit Bulls / Staffordshire Terriers, and it’s a big reason why so many occupy shelters and struggle to get adopted. I chose Sparky because my goal is to show that these breeds are actually very loving animals and make wonderful companions, if people would only look past the underserved bad reputation.” In addition to these dog breeds, Daly notes that certain cats are hard to place. She says, “There are several black cats that have been with us for a long time. There’s one named Adams Morgan who has been here for nearly two years.” Daly has high hopes for her charges and sees this event as one where the public will look forward to visiting the shelter while enjoying an evening of art, food and music. She says donations are always welcome. “Our shelter runs 100% on community donations,” Daly explains. “Any event like this is not only to partner with our community in new ways, but also to spread awareness of what we do. Every day we save lives, sometimes up to 400 a day. Every donation matters and counts. We hope you come out and have a glass of wine, a good time, and support the cause.” SPCA ART CRAWL. Fredericksburg Regional SPCA at 10819 Courthouse Rd, FXBG, VA 22408 Thursday, January 5, 7-9 9pm Light hors d’oeuvres, drinks and music Art & Four-L Legged Adoptable Companions A.E. Bayne is a writer, artists and educator who published the Fredericksburg Literary and Art Review.

Helping You Heal Naturally

The Way Your Body Was Meant To Dr. Jason Sneed, D.O. 540-322-5040 www.odomedicine.com front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

Artist at a Glance Matt Westcott: Changing Scenery By drew westcott A Large Selection Available

200 William Street Downtown ,Fredericksburg 540.373.4421 Mon-Sat: 9-5:30 CrownJewelersFredericksburg.com

January 2017

Front porch fredericksburg

Drew Westcott is a Writer/Filmmaker & PR Practitioner in Austin, Texas and the son of Matt Westcott

Palettes to Pups SPCA Art Crawl Showcases Local Shelter by A.E.Bayne

Helping You Heal Naturally

The Way Your Body Was Meant To Dr. Jason Sneed, D.O. 540-322-5040 www.odomedicine.com front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

The City of FXBG Game ...Take the Quiz

Helping Hands

By Kevin Brown

Kids find their best self

Jane Yaun New RACSB Executive Director

By Christina Ferber

2. Brad Ellis (Ward 1)

1. Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw

5. Chuck Frye (Ward 4)

6. Matt Kelly (At-Large)

3. William C. "Billy" Withers (Ward 2)

7. Kerry Devine (At-Large)

4. Tim Duffy (Ward 3)

8. City Manager Tim Baroody

How well do you know your City Leaders? Take this quiz and find out!. Match the photos with the correct answers below. A. Baseball player; B. Football player; C. Historian; D. Basketball player ; E. Home Improvement Specialist ; F. Sax player; G. Drummer; H. Dancer Answer key: 1 - H, 2 - F, 3 - G, 4 - E, 5 - D, 6 - C, 7 - A, 8 - B

Where Customer Service and Title Insurance Become One

Jewell Wolterman

Open Monday – Friday at 6am Open Saturday – Sunday at 7am Serving Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner $5.00 Weekly Lunch Specials

1320 Central Park Blvd, Ste 200, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 540-907-0574 www.elitetitleva.com jwolterman@elitetitleva.com

540-373-8300 www.marriott.com/fkrcy 620 Caroline St. FXBG, VA

Serving Up Local “Good” News Since 1997

Wills and Trusts Provide for Incapacity Trusts for Minor Children Wealth Preservation Trusts Avoid Probate AhearnEstateLaw.com 10

January 2017

540/371-9890

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Front Porch Fredericksburg

By Amy Umble

You know that exercise and movement are good for your body, but did you also know they are good for your brain? Occupational Therapists know this, and use it to help their patients lead successful lives, but our area didn’t always have an option for this type of therapy, especially one targeted toward children. “When I moved to the area, I realized that there were no resources for a child to receive Occupational Therapy (OT), so I started my own in my basement in 2003,” says Lisa Worcester, founder and owner of Helping Hands, a Pediatric Therapy Service Provider. After a few moves and growth spurts, Helping Hands opened their current building in 2013 off of Route 1. The center provides support for a range of ages and issues, including sensory processing disorders, ADHD, autism, and developmental delays. “We run the gamut of who we work with and are constantly looking for research to better our protocols,” says Worcester. “We really look at the whole child and find what works for them, so they can find success in all parts of their lives.” Occupational Therapists (OT) work toward helping their clients achieve independence in all settings, and the therapists at Helping Hands use a variety of tools to assist their patients in reaching that goal. Sensory Integration Therapy helps regulate input into each of the senses, as well as aids in coordination, and Therapeutic Listening, listening to specific music chosen for its rhythm, tone and beat pattern to help the brain work more optimally, are among the options offered. One-on-one programs are widely used, while social groups are offered during the school year. A Speech Therapist is also on staff. “To move is to learn,” says Worcester. “Our goal is to help the body move in the way it needs to in order to help brain growth, which is the key to helping our clients. We have a lot of tools in our tool box depending on the child’s individual needs.”

Helping Hands also runs a day school that supports students from Spotsylvania and Stafford Counties, as well as Fredericksburg City schools. Following an OT Immersion Model, students are offered social thinking opportunities and movement as part of their regular curriculum. Worcester notes that this helps to stem anxiety which increases the body’s ability to learn and process information. Teachers are provided with resources, including full time OTs dedicated to the regulation of students. OTs also help with the social thinking curriculum and the understanding of how sensory processing can affect how students learn. Students are enrolled through private placements from the school system. “It’s been wonderful to watch the students grow every year and see the significant changes in them, especially those who have been with us since it opened,” says Worcester. “Instead of just surviving, they are really thriving and able to grow and learn.” Originally targeted toward the twice exceptional population, such as those with high functioning autism or ADHD, the K-8 school is opening to students with disabilities who are not SOL tested with plans to expand to high school aged students within two years. Aside from offering a multitude of services, Helping Hands also aims to be a resource for our community. They offer a website, as well as Pinterest and Facebook pages that provide articles, links, and community events. “We want every child to be successful and hope to provide caregivers and parents with the information they need to facilitate that,” says Worcester. Helping Hands is located at 2049 Jefferson Davis Highway. Visit www.hhitherapy.com to find out more.

Christina Ferber is a writer, , educator and mother in FXBG

After a six-month-long national Rappahannock Area search, the Community Services Board is pleased to announce the selection of Jane Yaun as its new Executive Director effective July 1, 2017. Yaun will succeed outgoing Executive Director Ronald W. Branscome, who will retire on June 30, 2017. “We interviewed a number of people from outside the organization, but when we looked at Jane’s strengths, she was a much stronger candidate than anybody else we interviewed,” said Board Member Jack Rowley, who headed the Executive Search Committee. “She is highly qualified, dedicated to RACSB and committed to helping people with mental illness, substance use disorder and developmental disability. In addition, she has outstanding leadership skills which will help guide the organization going forward.” “After a comprehensive search process, we’re pleased to be promoting from within RACSB an excellent candidate and leader for this key position,” Linda Ball, Board Chair said. “Jane's experience as an integral staff member of RACSB will help us make a smooth transition in leadership while providing important services to our community.” Yaun began working at RACSB in 1988 after graduating from Mary Washington College. She started her career as a Residential Counselor in the organization’s first supervised apartment for people with severe and persistent mental illness. She later headed the Mental Health Residential program, provided Intensive In-Home therapy services to adolescents with serious emotional disturbance, worked as an Emergency Services Therapist, served as Vocational Manager at the Psychosocial Rehabilitation program and led the Quality Assurance department. Yaun also worked for the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, analyzing policies that affected mental health services. She returned to RACSB in 2008, serving as the Quality Assurance Coordinator before becoming the agency’s first Deputy Executive Director in 2014. Yaun completed her Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Boston University in 1992. In 2015, she completed a 10-month Executive Leadership program with the National Council for Behavioral Health. Yaun successfully led the RACSB through numerous, rigorous accreditations through CARF International, including the most recent one this fall. “I am honored to be the next Executive Director of the Rappahannock

Area Community Services Board,” Yaun said. “I am committed to continuing our mission of providing quality behavioral health and developmental services to individuals residing in Planning District 16. I am grateful for having Ron Branscome serve as my mentor for more than 26 years and look forward to engaging the community, individuals served and stakeholders in fulfilling this mission.” Yaun will take over the helm of an organization that served more than 10,000 individuals in Fiscal Year 2016. With a staff of 600, RACSB provides behavioral health and developmental disability services, including outpatient therapy, emergency services, day support, residential programs, prevention, early intervention, crisis intervention and more. “In the past four decades, RACSB has continually grown and evolved to meet the changing needs of our community,” Branscome said. “With her unwavering commitment to the organization, Jane will build upon a strong foundation of quality services and continue RACSB’s work of providing excellent care for the people in our community.” Yaun resides in the City of Fredericksburg with her 9-year-old daughter, Kate. To learn more about Rappahannock Area Community Services Board and its services: www.rappahannockareacsb.org or call 540/373-3223.; 600 Jackson Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22401. Amy Umble is the Public Information Officer. She can be reached at 540-9402314 or at aumble@rappahannockareacsb.org

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

The City of FXBG Game ...Take the Quiz

Helping Hands

By Kevin Brown

Kids find their best self

Jane Yaun New RACSB Executive Director

By Christina Ferber

2. Brad Ellis (Ward 1)

1. Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw

5. Chuck Frye (Ward 4)

6. Matt Kelly (At-Large)

3. William C. "Billy" Withers (Ward 2)

7. Kerry Devine (At-Large)

4. Tim Duffy (Ward 3)

8. City Manager Tim Baroody

Where Customer Service and Title Insurance Become One

Jewell Wolterman

Open Monday – Friday at 6am Open Saturday – Sunday at 7am Serving Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner $5.00 Weekly Lunch Specials

1320 Central Park Blvd, Ste 200, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 540-907-0574 www.elitetitleva.com jwolterman@elitetitleva.com

540-373-8300 www.marriott.com/fkrcy 620 Caroline St. FXBG, VA

Serving Up Local “Good” News Since 1997

Wills and Trusts Provide for Incapacity Trusts for Minor Children Wealth Preservation Trusts Avoid Probate AhearnEstateLaw.com 10

January 2017

540/371-9890

Front porch fredericksburg

Front Porch Fredericksburg

By Amy Umble

Christina Ferber is a writer, , educator and mother in FXBG

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

The Table Market-Style Food Pantry By Linda Carter

Vino new years resolution: Drink More Wine by scott richards

The Table at St. George’s, a market-style food pantry, emphasizes fresh produce and healthy eating. The Table is an essential part of the church’s outreach. The Table is located in the church’s parish hall. Open every Tuesday from 9:30 -1 11:00 in the morning and 5:00- 6:30 in the evening, it serves hundreds of people from the surrounding community who experience food insecurity. Areas served include Caroline, King George, Orange, Spotsylvania and Stafford counties as well as the city of Fredericksburg. The Table is a unique food pantry in many important ways. Those who come to The Table choose their own food items, thereby “shopping” in a market-style setting. A selection of fresh produce is available each week. During the growing season, the food pantry purchases an abundant variety of fruits and vegetables from a local farmer. The Table encourages shoppers to come weekly in order to replenish perishable produce and protein items. Many of those who shop also volunteer, and several have stepped up to assume leadership roles at The Table. The Table partners with local agencies to make valuable nutritional and food preparation information available to shoppers. The Table is grateful for the generosity of all who support its efforts to improve the lives of people living with food insecurity. The Table at St. George’s Quick Facts The Table offers its guests, who come from the ever-growing population of those facing financial stress in the Fredericksburg area, a variety of fresh produce, protein, breads and staple items. The Table provides food for all who come, regardless of their situation. Food is available in a market-style setting each Tuesday at two sessions: 9:30-11:00 a.m. and 5:00-6:30 p.m. in St. George’s parish hall.

January 2017

The Table gathers food from a variety of sources: purchases from the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank and local farmers, grocers and wholesalers; private donations; and gleaning of excess food from neighboring retailers. In one day A shopper leaves The Table with grocery bags totaling 22-25 pounds. A shopper’s bags will contain approximately 60% of perishable food, including fresh produce, protein and bread. The Table draws shoppers from the city of Fredericksburg and at least five surrounding counties. In one week The Table distributes approximately 4,100 pounds of food. A total of 45-50 volunteers, spanning all ages, work approximately 200 hours for The Table. Of these volunteers, 30% are themselves also shoppers. The Table gathers and distributes about 375 loaves of bread, 100 bagels, 130 sweet rolls/breads, and 475 breakfast sandwiches/hot dogs through gleaning. In one year The Table served 23,146 household members. 2,237 were seniors (61+ years) 5,870 were adults (41-60 years) 7,635 were children (0-18 years) The Table distributed more than 206,000 pounds of food. • Of the above, a total of 109,375 pounds was fresh produce, provided by the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank or purchased from a local farmer or grocer. To contact The Table, call 540373-4133 or email outreach@stgeorgesepiscopal.net. To learn more, go to the following links. For The Table’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thetableatstg See page 26 for Brush Strokes Gallery Show “Welcome to the Table”, benefitting The Table @ St. George

Front porch fredericksburg

The grandchildren have gone home to Texas and all the Christmas stuff has been taken down and put away. This sounds familiar. Isn't this the way most January columns begin? So let's get down to the brass tacks of the situation. This is the time when everyone makes those resolutions to do the things they really don't want to do but feel they can assuage their consciences just a bit by making plans to do them even if the plans are forgotten before the first week of the new year is over. So, why not make a resolution to do something like learn more about the things you enjoy the most. For wine drinkers, that may mean drinking more wine. Hmm, gotta think about that one. There are two ways to look at this idea about learning more about wine The first is to go to more wineries, which is my first choice. But, like going to festivals, you can reach your saturation point quickly if you do not do some planning. Most, if not all, wineries around this area have a website, and on the website there are listings of the wines that the winery provides. Most of the winemakers I know love nothing more than to talk about their wine and inform what they may perceive as an unknowing crowd of tasters all the nuances about their product. There is, however, another side to the Yodas of wine. As much as they love to inform an unknowing public, they love even more to hold a knowledgeable, or even semi-knowledgeable conversation with people who can ask questions or make some observations beyond what they like and how much a bottle costs. A simple Googling of a wine listed on a winery website can deliver enough information to get you in trouble, or even just to be able to hold half of a conversation. That might not sound like much, but it is a start. After several trips to wineries, usually there is a common thread that will reveal itself as far as tastes go. Some like reds, some like whites, some like blends, and many like both. When at tastings, it is okay, no, it is encouraged to take notes on the wine you are tasting. I don't care how good the wine tastes at the time you taste it, it may taste different later from what is in your head several hours away from the tasting. Again, notes will help you determine that common thread among the recent stops you have made when you look back over your notes. Interestingly enough, the thread

changes. For all of us old timers who began drinking wine back in the 70's, white zinfandel was the thing. Thankfully, most have past that stage. I remember drinking only Chardonnay, then only reds, to include Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and of course there was the time the Malbecs were the craze. Today the white invasion is bringing many fine white wines to wine tasters everywhere. Looking back through old notes from tastings can provide knowledge that may have been forgotten otherwise. Secondly, whatever your thread is, research it. Different regions make the same wine differently. Understanding how terroir is infused in the taste of wine gives it an entirely different perspective. In your research, dare to try favored wines from different areas and catalogue the various qualities. When you know what makes the favorite wine appealing, pairing is not as daunting. A good wine shop or wine app will be able to help in finding more about wines and where they can be found. So much for resolutions. Here's to enjoying the new year responsibly. I resolve to get my columns written and in by the deadline. Cheers!

Scott Richards is owner of Loch Haven Vineyards, and a free lance writer Read his blog at fromthevine.wordpress.com or Contact him at bgmeadowswine@yahoo.com

Season’s Bounty

healthy start to new year By vanessa moncure At the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, when the glittering ball in Times Square drops - it’s a New Year! Confetti falls, deep roars and noisemakers erupt from the cold-benumbed crowd, champagne corks pop on tens of thousands of bottles in homes and parties around the nation to the backdrop of “Auld Lang Syne”, with kisses and congratulations all around, ushering in a New Year. And those New Year resolutions? It’s a tempting time to make promises to yourself - that blank slate of a new month and a new year is just the time to stop smoking, join a gym and get fit, go on a diet, save more money, plan a holiday, buy a house, get a better job, plan for a family, learn to knit, read more books, find more time for yourself, see more of friends and family - and you’re not alone! The top three resolutions (from the Guardian) are losing weight, getting fitter, and eating more healthily. Some gyms, diet clubs and groups see a huge 3050% January increase in memberships. Sadly for all those good intentions, 80% making resolutions abandon them after just three months. Most of the problem with resolutions is they’re not sustainably realistic. Changes need to become a part of your lifestyle - no one has ever run a marathon without incremental training if it’s taken 10 years to put on those extra pounds, you can’t expect a few weekly hours at the gym to magically reverse that weight gain. And eating more healthily? Well, just like everything else you have to start somewhere. Eating more healthily should be tops on every years’ resolution list - you will find more energy for getting fitter, and with dietary changes, those extra pounds should (slowly) drop off. Just like you put them on. Add a few of these recipes to your file. Happy New Year! CHEF’S SALAD FOR TWO Mix it up any way you like - but no iceberg lettuce, which is basically crunchy water - use romaine or other darker greens for a nutritional boost. Spend time in the produce aisle and try something new every time. Separate leaves, wash, dry and coarsely chop one head of romaine or two romaine hearts. Place lettuce in a large salad bowl, then layer with the following: half of a peeled, sliced cucumber, one chopped tomato, one cup of diced red, yellow or green peppers, one can of quartered artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed, one cup diced chicken, a handful of diced cooked ham, about one-quarter cup salami, prosciutto, bacon or other savory cured meat, one-half cup slivered Swiss, Muenster or Gruyere cheese, a few seeded black olives and one or two hard-boiled eggs, quartered. You can garnish the top

with sliced green onions, watercress or parsley. If making ahead of time, cover and refrigerate without dressing. If you toss with dressing, limit yourself to onequarter cup - it’s easy to pile on calories by using too much. I like my dressing on the side to dip FRESH HERB DRESSING Keeps well in the refrigerator - this makes enough for several salads. Finely chop (by hand or in food processor) one-quarter cup each - green onions, watercress, fresh tarragon, parsley and cilantro. Combine with 1 c. low fat mayonnaise (instead of raw eggs and oil), one large grated garlic clove, one T. fresh lemon juice, S&P, two minced anchovies (optional) - shake buttermilk well, then add three-quarters to one cup to your mixture, until it reaches a good pouring consistency. Use this low-fat mayonnaise and buttermilk idea for making any salad dressing - with fresh parsley, oregano and sun-dried tomatoes; a southwestern taste with cumin, oregano, chili powder and chopped fresh cilantro; blue cheese and chives or fresh garlic. FRUITY CHICKEN SALAD Toss together three c. diced chicken breast, two chopped tart apples; one-half cup walnuts; three-quarters cup red seedless grapes, cut in half; two T. chopped dried cherries; one cup sliced celery and one-half cup white raisins. Mix one T. lemon juice with one-half cup lowfat mayonnaise and combine with chicken mixture. Serve over fresh spinach and garnish with plenty of pomegranate seeds and sliced green onions. This is the season for pomegranates - it’s a bit of work to get the seeds out, but worth it for these little nutritional fiber-rich powerhouses. Only the seeds are edible - known as arils, each pomegranate has about 600 arils surrounded by a bitter white pith. If you’ve never seeded a pomegranate and start by cutting in half on a cutting board, your clothes, hands, countertop, backsplash and possibly cabinets and floor may begin to resemble a crime scene. So...fill a large-ish bowl full of cold water. Cut the pomegranate under the water, and work the seeds out with your fingers, discarding the peel. Most of the white pith will float, and you can scoop that out with a slotted spoon. Stir the seeds around, and scoop remaining pith from the water. Strain the seeds, pick out any remaining bits of pith, then use and freeze the rest. Four or five pomegranates yield about one quart of arils - freeze in pint containers or freezer bags - easy to separate, and thaw almost instantly. I love their bit of crunch in yogurt. Best to all in 2017

Olde Towne BUTCHER Corner of William & Charles Streets Downtown Fredericksburg 540.370.4105 www.oldetownebutcher.com Hours Monday - Saturday, 9am to 9pm; Sunday, 11am to 6pm Keith Lebor Proprietor

Serving Breakfast Sandwiches 10am ~ 11:30am Lunch 10am ~ 4pm Open Monday ~ Saturday 10am - 4pm 540.371.2233 www.thevirginiadeli.com 826 Caroline corner of Caroline & George Streets

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

The Table Market-Style Food Pantry By Linda Carter

Vino new years resolution: Drink More Wine by scott richards

January 2017

Front porch fredericksburg

Scott Richards is owner of Loch Haven Vineyards, and a free lance writer Read his blog at fromthevine.wordpress.com or Contact him at bgmeadowswine@yahoo.com

Season’s Bounty

Olde Towne BUTCHER Corner of William & Charles Streets Downtown Fredericksburg 540.370.4105 www.oldetownebutcher.com Hours Monday - Saturday, 9am to 9pm; Sunday, 11am to 6pm Keith Lebor Proprietor

Serving Breakfast Sandwiches 10am ~ 11:30am Lunch 10am ~ 4pm Open Monday ~ Saturday 10am - 4pm 540.371.2233 www.thevirginiadeli.com 826 Caroline corner of Caroline & George Streets

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

Cooking With Kyle Faux Pho

WELCOME TO OUR GREAT OUTDOORS It’s Beautiful ~ Night and Day!

(Pronounced f0 fuh)

The Soup & Taco, Etc.

by james kyle snyder so about four inches) charred ginger. Simply peel the onion (no need to peel the ginger) and set them over an open flame of your stove or grill. Rotate until all the sides are nice and toasted black. Rough chop and throw into the stock. While the onions and ginger are charring add to the stock: 40 Star anise points, 8 minced cloves garlic, 6-inch cinnamon stick, 15 whole cloves, 6 bay leaves, 2 TBS black peppercorns, 1 tablespoons s&p, 4 tablespoons fish sauce, 1 ounce yellow

Like December 2016’s article this is a great group meal. Everyone can make it to their own liking! From King Richard’s Face book: “[we added] Beet Noodle, Oyster Mushroom, Bok Choi, Cilantro, Carrot, Basil, Green Bean, Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice, and a zip of Sriracha for heat and flavor. We chose to add torn Lemon Pepper Rotisserie Chicken as our protein.” Add whatever you like. It’s soup! Our vegetarian friend, Meegana, was able to create her own delicious treat amidst the

Mon-Thurs 11am-9pm Fri & Sat 11am-10pm Sun 11am - 9pm Bar open until 2am everyday

Locally Owned Irish Pub and Restaurant are trimming vegetables (avoid spicy peppers unless you want a spicy stock), put the cuttings into a gallon freezer bag in the freezer. If you are short of room, use a quart bag. Once the bag is tight full, combine all those parts with two more parts water. Bring to a boil and simmer for two hours. Strain and use or freeze for later. (hint – Chicken stock is one cooked chicken carcass – Skin, bones, etc. – and two quarts of water). I don’t season my stocks because salt can always be added later, but can never be taken out. Once you have a stock, it is time to flavor it any way you want. Pho is a combination of lots of great Asian spices and a couple neat techniques: This recipe makes about eight every large bowls of broth. Start 8 quarts of water over high heat. While that is going, prepare 1 pound (2 medium onions) and 4 ounces (one ounce per since

Serving Traditional Mexican, Tex-Mex Food and Something More!! Tuesday to Saturday 11am-9pm Sunday 11am-6pm

Phone: 540-899-0969 soupntaco@yahoo.com

200 Hanover St. ~ 373-0738

The Sunken Well Tavern

rock sugar (white sugar or agave are great substitutes), 2 TBS cracked fennel seeds and

cup cracked coriander seed;

ground will not work well for this. To crack them, combine them and pulse them in a coffee grinder until rouge – every piece does not have to crack - OR use a mortar and pestle. Simmer this for two hours and then strain. Faux Pho broth is born!

carnivores. She is the lead hiker at Rock River Outfitter at 915 Sophia Street downtown. Stop by and say Hi! As always, food is meant to be simple, easy, and delicious. Be well!

Kyle Snyder appeals to your palate and your other senses when it comes to good, simple, healthy eating

Become a Friend Advocate ~ Donate ~ Volunteer

Eat Well Drink Well Live Well 540~479~4116 1013 Princess Anne Street , FXBG

January 2017

Front porch fredericksburg

the fine art of following through

By Rim Vining

813 Caroline St. Fredericksburg, VA

Happy New Year! During this time of year I often turn to a heart warming favorite for a great meal – soup. We’ve been making soups ever since we figured out how to make a bowl out of stone we could heat in the fire. Soups are a great way to recycle leftovers or fuse differing flavors into a cohesive dish. Soups, hot or cold, are comforting and communal. For this article, we are going to examine a how to make a great vegetarian / vegan version of the popular bone soup Pho. Not everyone can or wants to eat beef. The original Pho requires beef bones to be braised and then double boiled to create the base stock. This can take hours and does require patience and skill. What we have done here is taken a homemade vegetable stock and added the common Pho spices to create what we are calling Faux Pho (its fun to say too). The stock is super easy. As you

The Empty Bowl

720 Littlepage sunkenwelltavern.com 540-370-0911

I am probably the last person on earth you could imagine using a sports metaphor but perhaps a pun? The better the follow through… the farther the bowl will travel. Thank you Mr. Sovitsky! It is quite true that the best intentions are of no value unless brought to fruition though actions. Think of the Empty Bowl as a production of “Babes in Arms” but with a local cast playing Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. “I know, we’ll put on a show. We can hold it at The Elks Lodge on Tidewater Trail. It’ll be great!” Mickey only needed the show to raise $287.00 while the annual budget of Empowerhouse in support of their mission to provide a safe haven and critical services for victims of domestic violence is considerably bigger. Still, the enthusiasm and dedication to the show are just as infectious. Think of this as a one act play that only runs for one night; Fredericksburg’s own Brigadoon if you will. For one magical night a cast of characters appear and help make the world just a little better. It is a wellorchestrated play complete with an executive producer, a director, a set designer, a musical director, tech crew, stage hands and a huge supporting cast. The credits run longer than the actual event and it has enjoyed a sold out run for the past 16 years only because everyone followed through on their commitment to help from set-up to tear down. A committed cast if ever there was one. For the uninitiated or those new to the area who are just learning that ‘locals’ tend to assume you must know where Earl’s is and give directions by where things used to be… The Empty Bowl is a fundraiser Empowerhouse for our regional organization that provides services for victims of domestic violence. They operate shelters and transitional housing and provide on-going education and support that is critical to the health of the victims, their families and our community. This year’s event will be held at Elks Lodge #875 at 11309 Tidewater Trail on Sunday January 29 th from 5 to 7:30PM. Tickets are $60.00 for a night of soups, stews and desserts donated by area restaurants and local chefs along with live music, raffles and each guest gets their choice of a special ‘empty bowl’ made by area potters. With a crowd of over 400 in attendance that is a lot bowls. Tickets are

photo by tim snyder available through Empowerhouseva.org and at local outlets like LibertyTown Arts Workshop on guess what? Liberty Street, yep #916 which brings us to where your support can begin. January 7th from 10-4PM LibertyTown opens their doors for a Bowla-R Rama where a creative group will be throwing on the wheel their talents into unique creations for the Empty Bowl. We’re talking maybe twenty potters making 300-400 bowls in a process that takes weeks to complete. Some are hand building and some are turning on the wheel but each one is special, each one makes a difference, each one deserves our support. You can come cheer them on. You can offer encouragement. You can offer snacks, sustenance and probably even applaud. The only down side is spotting a bowl early on that you covet and then planning for weeks and hoping your timing will be right to pick it out as you enter the event and if not spending the evening searching and wondering who got “your” bowl. Still, if you don’t follow through you’ll never know now will you? Bowl-A A-R Rama LibertyTown Arts Workshop January 7, 10-4 4pm The Empty Bowl Elks Lodge #875,11309 Tidewater Trail Sunday January 29th , 5 to 7:30PM. Tkts :Empowerhouseva.org , LibertyTown Arts Workshop You can spot Rim scouring the Elks Lodge for who has his bowl

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

Cooking With Kyle Faux Pho

WELCOME TO OUR GREAT OUTDOORS It’s Beautiful ~ Night and Day!

(Pronounced f0 fuh)

The Soup & Taco, Etc.

Mon-Thurs 11am-9pm Fri & Sat 11am-10pm Sun 11am - 9pm Bar open until 2am everyday

Serving Traditional Mexican, Tex-Mex Food and Something More!! Tuesday to Saturday 11am-9pm Sunday 11am-6pm

Phone: 540-899-0969 soupntaco@yahoo.com

200 Hanover St. ~ 373-0738

The Sunken Well Tavern

rock sugar (white sugar or agave are great substitutes), 2 TBS cracked fennel seeds and

cup cracked coriander seed;

carnivores. She is the lead hiker at Rock River Outfitter at 915 Sophia Street downtown. Stop by and say Hi! As always, food is meant to be simple, easy, and delicious. Be well!

Kyle Snyder appeals to your palate and your other senses when it comes to good, simple, healthy eating

Become a Friend Advocate ~ Donate ~ Volunteer

Eat Well Drink Well Live Well 540~479~4116 1013 Princess Anne Street , FXBG

January 2017

Front porch fredericksburg

the fine art of following through

By Rim Vining

813 Caroline St. Fredericksburg, VA

The Empty Bowl

720 Littlepage sunkenwelltavern.com 540-370-0911

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

CALENDAR of events

january 2017… May your New Year Be Filled with Joy! Tuesday, January 3

Legume Tasting Tuesdays, featured Wine &/or Draft Beer 3-6 Music Tuesdays @Bistro Bethem309 William St. 711pm. Join us for Join us for ½ Drinks & pizzas. The first Tuesday of every month is Grateful Dead Night with a live performance by the Brokedown Boys Sunken Well Tavern

Wednesday, January 4

Open Mic at the Rec Center 8 pm .Scott Wagner hosts the coziest and best sounding open mic in Fredericksburg. Sign up starts at 7, music at 8. 213 William St. Sunken Well Trivia tonight starting at 7:45pm ~ Come and match wits against the finest minds in Fredericksburg! Compete for Honor, Glory, and Prizes!! Live Music @LaPetite Auberge, 311 William St, 8midnight. . No cover. lapetiteaubergefred.com

Thursday, January 5

Spca Art Crawl, 7-9pm, Light hors d'oeuvres, drinks and music Art & Four-Legged Adoptable Companions, Fredericksburg Regional SPCA at 10819 Courthouse Rd How to Begin Homeschooling: What You Really Need to Know! @ HEAV Office and Resource Center, 2100 W Laburnum Ave ,Richmond, VA 1pm,

First Friday, January 6

Meet the Artists, Suzi Beven, Charlotte Burill, Sheila Jones @Community Bank of the Cheasapeake, 425 William St, FXBG, 2-5pm Artful Dimensions All Member Show. Reception Art First All Member Show, Reception 6-9pm Brush Strokes Gallery, "Welcome to the Table", All Member Show FCCA “Power of Small” exhibit opening reception

PONSHOP Holiday Hangover Party @ PONSHOP Studio and Gallery, Jan 6 @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Why stop the festivities just because the New Year has arrived? We invite our fans and friends to visit us and enjoy all of our creative offerings. The gallery will be featuring fine art by Gabriel Pons, Maddie Huddle, and James Walker with ceramics by co-owner Scarlett Pons and Rachel Ruddle. Pickers Alley Black “Assassins”, 7:30p

Box

Theatre

presents

Twelfth Night @ Kenmore, Performance Times: 3:30, 4:15, 5:15 and 6:00 p.m. In Twelfth Night at Kenmore, a dramatic theater presentation, the year is January 1776. It is the first Christmas that Fielding and Betty Washington Lewis celebrate in their newly built home. It is not the usual celebration, however. War brings fear, doubt, and frustration to the Lewis family and their friends. Reservations required. Call 540-370-0732 x24 or email hayes@gwffoundation.org The Feathered Fish at Adventure Brewing North, 810p.The Feathered Fish bring strong vocals, well written music, and delivery that leaves audiences spellbound. If you like Red Hot Chili Peppers, or Sublime then you are going to love the new spin that can only be defined as The Feathered Fish.

Saturday, January 7

Box

Theatre

presents

Bowl-A-Rama, LibertyTown Arts Workshop, 10-4p

A Tribute To Elvis, @ 8: pm - 10 pm, Adventure Brewing Company, 33 Perchwood Dr, Unit 101 Celebrate Elvis' Birthday a Day Early With Us! Come Dressed in your best Elvis outfit to enter in the Elvis Look-A-Like Contest, and Join in on the Elvis Karaoke competition. Drink a Pint of "Go East Young Man" Our tribute to Elvis on his birthday. A special wheat beer made with peanut butter, banana and marshmallow.

Sunday, January 8

Variations @UUFF Gallery, Opening and reception for the artwork of Linda Larochelle and Sally Rhone-Kubarek. 25 Chalice Circle , Fredericksburg, VA 22405, 11:45-1:30p Twelfth Night @ Kenmore, Performance Times: 3:30, 4:15, 5:15 and 6:00 p.m. In Twelfth Night at Kenmore, a dramatic theater presentation, the year is January 1776. It is the first Christmas that Fielding and Betty Washington Lewis celebrate in their newly built home. It is not the usual celebration, however. War brings fear, doubt, and frustration to the Lewis family and their friends. Reservations required. Call 540-370-0732 x24 or email hayes@gwffoundation.org

Wednesday, January 11

Legume Tasting Tuesdays, featured Wine &/or Draft Beer 3-6 Music Tuesdays @Bistro Bethem309 William St. 711pm. Join us for Join us for ½ Drinks & pizzas.

Tuesday, January 17

Legume Tasting Tuesdays, featured Wine &/or Draft Beer 3-6 Music Tuesdays @Bistro Bethem309 William St. 711pm. Join us for Join us for ½ Drinks & pizzas.

Open Mic at the Rec Center 8 pm .Scott Wagner hosts the coziest and best sounding open mic in Fredericksburg. Sign up starts at 7, music at 8. 213 William St.

Front Porch wishes you...

Sunken Well Trivia tonight starting at 7:45pm ~ Come and match wits against the finest minds in Fredericksburg! Compete for Honor, Glory, and Prizes!! Live Music @LaPetite Auberge, 311 William St, 8midnight. . No cover. lapetiteaubergefred.com Pickers Alley Black Box Theatre presents “Stupid F’king Bird”, 7:30p

Friday, January 20

Monday, January 9

Tuesday, January 10

Martin Luther King Day

Wednesday, January 18

Sunken Well Brunch from 9am-2pm, $5 Bloody Marys and Mimosas. Bluegrass night from 7-9pm. Usually a good idea to reserve a table!

Ebenezer United Methodist Church Hosts Human Trafficking Awareness & Action Forum. f you think slavery is a thing of the past, think again. There are currently 20 to 27 million global victims of human trafficking, a modern-day version of slavery that includes prostitution, pornography, household servitude and commercial forced labor. At least 100,000 of these victims are children in the United States. Dinner and panel discussion, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM at 161 Embrey Mill Road in Stafford. Sign up at ebenezerumc.org/events/ or call 540-659-1349 for more information.

Monday, January 16

Inauguration Day

Friday, January 13

Tilt at Adventure Brewing North, January 13, 2017 @ 8:00 pm - 10:00 pm Adventure Brewing Company, 33 Perchwood Dr, Unit 101, very rare Perfomance of TiLT songs and favorite covers played in a way that have never been done before. TiLT will be performing in an "Unplugged" set at Adventure Brewing . Come check it out.

Saturday, January 14

Fireside Concerts @England Run CRRL, 2p

Sunday, January 15

Sunken Well Brunch from 9am-2pm, $5 Bloody Marys and Mimosas. Bluegrass night from 7-9pm. Usually a good idea to reserve a table!

Pickers Alley Black Box Theatre presents “Stupid F’king Bird”, 7:30p

Saturday, January 21

2017 Young Artist Competition @ Chancellor Baptist Church.11324 Gordon Road in Spotsylvania at 7:30 pm. Fredericksburg Festival for the Performing Arts/ArtsLIVE! will host their annual Young Artist Competition Pickers Alley Black Box Theatre presents “Stupid F’king Bird”, 7:30p

Sunday, January 22 Sunken Well Brunch from 9am-2pm, $5 Bloody Marys and Mimosas. Bluegrass night from 7-9pm. Usually a good idea to reserve a table!

Soup's On for The Fredericksburg Art Initiative @ Central Rappahannock Regional Library, 2:30-4:30 p. The Fredericksburg Art Initiative is a program funded by the Fredericksburg Arts Commission and organized by The Arts & Cultural Council of the Rappahannock and the Central Rappahannock Regional Library to offer a series of workshops geared toward helping local artists and art organizations nurture and promote their art businesses.

Friday, January 27

Pickers Alley Black Box Theatre presents “Stupid F’king Bird”, 7:30p

Saturday, January 28

Pickers Alley Black Box Theatre presents “Stupid F’king Bird”, 7:30p Fireside Concerts @England Run CRRL, 2p

Tuesday, January 24

Legume Tasting Tuesdays, featured Wine &/or Draft Beer 3-6 Music Tuesdays @Bistro Bethem309 William St. 711pm. Join us for Join us for ½ Drinks & pizzas.

Wednesday, January 25

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Keynote Speaker: Attorney Bakari Sellers an attorney, public servant, and a passionate speaker about civil rights, equality, eduaction, and faith. James Farmer Muticultural Center, College Ave, UMW, 7p. Info call 540/654-1044 Open Mic at the Rec Center 8 pm .Scott Wagner hosts the coziest and best sounding open mic in Fredericksburg. Sign up starts at 7, music at 8. 213 William St.

Thursday, January 26

Sunday, January 29

Sunken Well Brunch from 9am-2pm, $5 Bloody Marys and Mimosas. Bluegrass night from 7-9pm. Usually a good idea to reserve a table! The Empty Bowl ,Elks Tidewater Trail 5 :Empowerhouseva.org ,

Lodge #875,11309 to 7:30 p.Tkts

Tuesday, January 31

Legume Tasting Tuesdays, featured Wine &/or Draft Beer 3-6 Music Tuesdays @Bistro Bethem309 William St. 711pm. Join us for Join us for ½ Drinks & pizzas.

If you are reading this 234th issue of FPF, thank an advertiser as we celebrate our 20th year of continuous publication! If you are an advertiser, list your events. Deadline for February 2017 issue is January 20th. To submit events go to frontporchfredericksburg.com/submit

Children's Museum of Richmond (CMoR), the Yoga Foundation of Fredericksburg (YOFO) is offering a FREE, Parent-Child Yoga class at the Fredericksburg branch. 10-10:45a Pickers Alley Black Box Theatre presents “Stupid F’king Bird”, 7:30p

3032 Fans (& Growing) Want You to Join

Front Porch on 16

January 2017

Front porch fredericksburg

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

CALENDAR of events

january 2017… May your New Year Be Filled with Joy! Tuesday, January 3

Wednesday, January 4

Thursday, January 5

First Friday, January 6

Box

Theatre

presents

Saturday, January 7

Box

Theatre

presents

Bowl-A-Rama, LibertyTown Arts Workshop, 10-4p

Sunday, January 8

Wednesday, January 11

Legume Tasting Tuesdays, featured Wine &/or Draft Beer 3-6 Music Tuesdays @Bistro Bethem309 William St. 711pm. Join us for Join us for ½ Drinks & pizzas.

Tuesday, January 17

Legume Tasting Tuesdays, featured Wine &/or Draft Beer 3-6 Music Tuesdays @Bistro Bethem309 William St. 711pm. Join us for Join us for ½ Drinks & pizzas.

Open Mic at the Rec Center 8 pm .Scott Wagner hosts the coziest and best sounding open mic in Fredericksburg. Sign up starts at 7, music at 8. 213 William St.

Front Porch wishes you...

Friday, January 20

Monday, January 9

Tuesday, January 10

Martin Luther King Day

Wednesday, January 18

Sunken Well Brunch from 9am-2pm, $5 Bloody Marys and Mimosas. Bluegrass night from 7-9pm. Usually a good idea to reserve a table!

Monday, January 16

Inauguration Day

Friday, January 13

Saturday, January 14

Fireside Concerts @England Run CRRL, 2p

Sunday, January 15

Sunken Well Brunch from 9am-2pm, $5 Bloody Marys and Mimosas. Bluegrass night from 7-9pm. Usually a good idea to reserve a table!

Pickers Alley Black Box Theatre presents “Stupid F’king Bird”, 7:30p

Saturday, January 21

Sunday, January 22 Sunken Well Brunch from 9am-2pm, $5 Bloody Marys and Mimosas. Bluegrass night from 7-9pm. Usually a good idea to reserve a table!

Friday, January 27

Pickers Alley Black Box Theatre presents “Stupid F’king Bird”, 7:30p

Saturday, January 28

Pickers Alley Black Box Theatre presents “Stupid F’king Bird”, 7:30p Fireside Concerts @England Run CRRL, 2p

Tuesday, January 24

Legume Tasting Tuesdays, featured Wine &/or Draft Beer 3-6 Music Tuesdays @Bistro Bethem309 William St. 711pm. Join us for Join us for ½ Drinks & pizzas.

Wednesday, January 25

Thursday, January 26

Sunday, January 29

Sunken Well Brunch from 9am-2pm, $5 Bloody Marys and Mimosas. Bluegrass night from 7-9pm. Usually a good idea to reserve a table! The Empty Bowl ,Elks Tidewater Trail 5 :Empowerhouseva.org ,

Lodge #875,11309 to 7:30 p.Tkts

Tuesday, January 31

Legume Tasting Tuesdays, featured Wine &/or Draft Beer 3-6 Music Tuesdays @Bistro Bethem309 William St. 711pm. Join us for Join us for ½ Drinks & pizzas.

3032 Fans (& Growing) Want You to Join

Front Porch on 16

January 2017

Front porch fredericksburg

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

history’s stories

FREDERICKSBURG MASONIC CEMETERY By Ralph “Tuffy” Hicks

OUR HERITAGE

A monthly look at the Central Rappahannock Heritage Center collection

a cozy winter project By Michele roberts

Many of us pass by one of the oldest Masonic cemeteries in the United States daily located at the corner of Charles and George Streets. I along with several members of my family have been members of the Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge #4 for decades

The Masonic Lodge is referred to as Washington’s Mother Lodge since George Washington became a Master Mason on November 4, 1752, when the Lodge was in the old Market House, which was torn down in 1813. The current Masonic building on Princess Anne Street was built in 1815. Due to the looting and destruction of records by the Union Army in 1862 many of the early records no longer exist. Washington joined Hugh Mercer and over twenty-five other members who were in the Continental Army along with Lafayette who became an honorary member in 1825. The Masonic cemetery was established around the year 1850 with one of the oldest tombstones bearing the date of 1752. Records indicate that the land was owned by the Sommerville family, and was donated to the Lodge in 1784. Many of the early founders of Fredericksburg are buried there as they or members of their families were members of the Lodge. It was a requirement that you or someone in the family had to be Mason to be interred there. John Goolrick a Mason, had a school near Rocky Lane in 1759, along with being one of the first surveyors of Fredericksburg is buried there. The grave of Lewis Littlepage who became famous as a soldier in the war between Russia and Poland, after which he returned to America and died at the age of 39 in 1802. Basil Gordon from Falmouth known as the first “millionaire” in American is also buried there. The most famous woman to have a grave site is Christiana Campbell. We all know her from our Williamsburg history as the owner and operator of her tavern. Christiana moved to Fredericksburg after selling her tavern. She died here in 1792. I can recall as a young man growing up helping my father as he and other Masons took care of the maintenance of the cemetery as a labor of love and respect. I encourage you to take a few quiet moments and visit the cemetery. DEDICATED TO: Virginia Freeman, Annie Gracik, Marguerite Mills, & Mary Monroe

Donnie Johnston

It’s that time of year……holidays are over, days are short, and nights are long. Perfect time to curl up by the fire, reach for the lap blanket and think about family you were with last month. Why not gather the boxes of photos and mementos you’ve always meant to label and organize. Are family photos missing? Precious documents nowhere to be found? Partial Page from 1938 Fredericksburg City Directory Wouldn’t you and your family love to put the We made copies of the City pieces together of family stories and Directory pages and file documents that heritage? were pertinent to his family project. The Central Rappahannock The gentleman left the Heritage Center that Heritage Center may have an idea for you day with a smile on his face and a promise that came from a recent visitor to the to return for more research. Center. This is why we are here! If your The Heritage Center sends a family goes back generations in our areas monthly newsletter to members and of Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsylvania, donors of recently listed documents. A King George or Caroline, we just may have member noticed a donation that caught donated photos and documents of interest his eye. He is currently compiling records, to you. photos and documents to create a family history for his parents, who grew up in Central Rappahannock Heritage Fredericksburg. He noticed that we Center, 540.373.3704, Come see us Tues. recently received a 1938 Fredericksburg – Thurs.,10 a to 4 p, no appointment City Directory and thought useful necessary, 900 Barton Street, information might be there. Fredericksburg, Virginia We also Our member came in, explained what encourage you to check out the database he was looking for and gave us his family on our website: www.crhcarchives.org. names. We started him on a computer to Our staff is comprised entirely of check our data base for his family name volunteers who are here to guide you while we pulled the requested City through the archives of our local history! Directory. To everyone’s delight, the City Michele Roberts is a recent transplant to Directory did list the member’s family, as well the Fredericksburg area and has been as addresses and occupations. This volunteering at the CRHC since the information allowed the researcher to fill in summer of 2015. When not important blanks in his family history. We volunteering she can often be seen exploring the streets of charming also located files related to the family, as Fredericksburg with her beagle puppy, listed in our data base. The files revealed Shiloh. newspaper clippings and other documents.

what will he say today ? By kevin brown My neighbor Holly Leitch wakes up every morning and looks forward to finding out what entertaining thing Donnie Johnston will write about in his Free Lance-S Star newspaper column. So here’s to you Holly, let’s find out more about Mr. Donnie Johnston, interview below. Q. Tell us a bit about your background, what was Donnie Johnston’s life like when you were growing up? A. I grew up poor. My two brothers and I were raised by my maternal grandmother but there were many extended family members - mostly older folks - that were positive influences. Q. How did you get into the newspaper column-writing business, and how long have you been doing it? A. As a teenager, I began as a play-by-play announcer for my high school’s football and basketball games (I played baseball). I figured if I was going to cover the games for radio I could make twice the money by

covering them for the paper, too. So I began covering sports for the Culpeper Star-E Exponent when I was a senior in high school. Meanwhile, at the age of 17, I got my first real job as a rock and roll DJ at the local radio station, where I traveled on a Trailways bus all night to Pittsburgh to interview THE BEATLES, yes THOSE BEATLES! After high school, I started working full time for the Culpeper StarExponent. I left the newspaper business in 1974 (full time) to start a photography business, but kept writing columns and covering some sports. I’ve been sharing my crazy ideas on life that people seemed to enjoyed reading, and have been writing columns since 1976. And 40 years later, I'm still doing what I did in high school taking pictures, writing and doing basketball games (for TV now) as well as the FLS columns. I also produce TV documentaries for the local cable channel. And I play guitar (rock and roll) every day. Q. How do you decide on what you will

write about? What is your process for coming up with FLS column topics? A. Sometimes I wonder. Some years I do 160 columns. Coming up with topics is not easy. I read the news and try to come up with interesting angles. I listen to people's gripes, and write about my own gripes. Q. You use a lot of folksy humor in your work. Do you consider yourself to be a modern Mark Twain, or do you have any other influences? A. Not a Mark Twain or anyone else. I'm just me. Most people who know me say they don't have to read my columns because they're already heard me talk about them. Honestly, when I sit down at the computer with a random idea I have no idea where the column is going. It just goes. Sometimes I surprise myself. Often, on controversial topics, I don't even agree with myself. I just want the people to read and think. I suppose the people that take everything I write seriously make me smile more than anything else.

1972 photo of Donnie and the famous baseball player Johnny Bench

Q. What advice would you have for someone who is interested in becoming a newspaper columnist? A. Just be yourself. Don't try to imitate anyone. Do as many things as possible to build a background for your work. That way you always know what you're talking about. Kevin Brown is the administrator of the "On the Fredericksburg Va Trails" & the "FXBG City Council Public Forum" Facebook Group

Central Rappahannock Heritage Center

Virginia’s only Regional Archive The Heritage Center

January 2017

Maury Commons 900 Barton St 540-373-3704; crhc@verizon.net Front porch fredericksburg

Fredericksburg

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

history’s stories

FREDERICKSBURG MASONIC CEMETERY By Ralph “Tuffy” Hicks

OUR HERITAGE

A monthly look at the Central Rappahannock Heritage Center collection

a cozy winter project By Michele roberts

Donnie Johnston

1972 photo of Donnie and the famous baseball player Johnny Bench

Central Rappahannock Heritage Center

Virginia’s only Regional Archive The Heritage Center

January 2017

Maury Commons 900 Barton St 540-373-3704; crhc@verizon.net Front porch fredericksburg

Fredericksburg

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

Senior Care Choose your words carefully By Karl Karch

Like it or not, we live in a time where political correctness dominates much of the news. I was raised during a time when gender was either male or female. However, now gender is more about your personal sense of who you are, or how you self-identify. In a February 2014 report, ABC News identified 58 gender options allowed by Facebook. Individuals don’t like to be labeled by others, especially when the label has negative connotations. I grew up when jocks, nerds, freaks, and hoods were common descriptors. Entire groups of people are categorized by age, generally by the time in history when they were born and during their formative years. We have the: G.I generation (1901-1924), Silent Generation (1925-1945), Baby Boomers (1946-1964), Generation X (1965-1980), Generation Y (millennials Generation Z 1981-2000), (2001present). People born in these time periods didn’t self-identify. Their identities were defined for them by “others”. Ad agencies spend billions on stereotyping these age groups and entire industries evolved around these stereotypes. One of the biggest is the anti-aging industry resulting from baby boomers who don’t want to “look their age”, a negative stereotype. So, how does this bit of trivia pertain to seniors? You’ve heard the expression “act your age”. Well, if I’m told I am old or elderly, how am I supposed to act? And, for that matter, what age is old? Our society defines old in many ways. Some define it as 60: Area Agencies on Aging and Virginia’s elder abuse law to name two. Medicare defines it as 65. I remember when I got my invitation letter to join AARP at 50 (remember when it used to be American Association of Retired Persons). It made me feel “old”. I read that having a sense of identity is important because it allows people to stand out as individuals, develop

January 2017

Lexi Grogan’s Pet Sitting Service “Your pet becomes my pet while in my care, and I care a lot!” - Lexi (540-903-0437; lexig0892@gmail.com) On facebook as “lexi grogan’s pet sitting service” Prices: Dogs - $15 per canine per visit Cats - $12 per feline per visit

a sense of well-being and importance, and fit in with certain groups and cultures. However, miss-identifying people has a negative stereotyping effect. The word “ageism” was coined to describe agerelated stereotyping and discriminating against people because of their age. Considerable scholarly research has been conducted on ageist positive and negative stereotypes. One researcher, Brad Meisner in 2012 reviewed many of the relevant studies on the effects of stereotypes on older adults. As expected, he found that positive stereotyping had a beneficial effect on older adults’ health and mental well-being, and negative stereotyping had a damaging effect. Not only are negative stereotypes hurtful to older people, but they may even shorten their lives. Becca Levy, PhD, assistant professor of public health at Yale University found that older adults with more positive self-perceptions of aging lived 7.5 years longer than those with negative self-perceptions of aging. She also found that older adults exposed to positive stereotypes have significantly better memory and balance, whereas negative self-perceptions contributed to worse memory and feelings of worthlessness. As the old saying goes: “What is there in a name? A rose by any other name still smells the same.” Or, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” These are cute phrases, but as we learn more about the effects of negative stereotyping, we find that labels can have detrimental effects on people. So, as we begin the new year, you may want to resolve to choose your words carefully. Happy New Year!! Karl Karch is a local franchise owner of Home Instead Senior Care, a licensed home care organization providing personal care, companionship and home helper services in the Fredericksburg and Culpeper region.

Front porch fredericksburg

Mind Your Mind

Emancipated Patients

what will be new for the year

summoning will power By Patrick Neustatter, MD

By Barbara Deal Better value, more love for your pet than if you kennel board him!

I hope you didn’t make a g r a n d , optimistic, change-all resolution for 2017 along with your good-luck black-eyed peas this week. I am kidding in a way, and serious at the same time. There are those broad hopeful intention, e.g., to work out at the gym, lose 50 pounds, stop arguing with my children, etc after which most of us relinquish, disconcerted and probably self disparagingly so. Not that aspirations are a bad thing. Dreaming, hoping, planning, practicing actions are the building blocks of change. I think, probably the most reasonable and yes, even potentially successful, strategy would be a carefully stated detailed “tiny step”. So, basically remember studying the “scientific method” in fifth grade. Here follows a loose framework and nobody’s idea of science. But nevertheless, stay with me here. IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM: Take and TARGET ONE. Something you don’t really like, or something you do that embarrasses yourself. Write that down. “I sleep too much” “I eat too much”. “I yell too much”. Or maybe go deeper. A spiritual problem. GATHER INFORMATION. Watch. Look at what/when it happens or doesn’t. Where are you in those circumstances? Who is with you or not? How often does it happen? When does it not happen? What supports it, or maintains it? Specify what you know right now. DEVELOP HYPOTHESES. Imagine WHY you are doing the target behavior, thought, situation. This would be

hypothesis development. Is it emotionally based? Is there a preceding event that provokes you? Overeating is often a worry. This one for example can be a difficult one to address, given the nature of primary positive reinforcement (satisfying life sustaining needs for eating, the taste of chocolate, good food in general) rewarding in and of itself. Just go for it. Expand. Honest-to-goodness real possible causes. (bad day, headache, fight with the kids, election results) and feeling completely off-the-wall possibilities (you saw 14 red cars today, there were 6 hawks on the trees to work today). “If I did __________ different, it would change everything. SELECT a possible explanation to explore. Focus. Try just one thing to look at. Here is the critical part, I think. Pick only one thing. The tendency is a massive list of changes (eat less, exercise more, no television, etc). This is so disheartening, even setting oneself up for disappointment. Was there REALLY a big moon? Those hawks? TEST. Now here would be the time to try out your hypothesis. Set a time period (say, a week) and a way to measure (feeling better, physically or just more in control, lose some weight, walk away from an argument once, twice) Specifically do that one thing different that might change everything. (cut out all deserts. Cut out all deserts but chocolate; start running again, stop eating in front of the television). If possible, get a number, count. ANALYZE. How did that go? Be as specific a possible here. CONCLUDE. Did you learn anything about yourself with this? Did your hypothesis hold true? Did other explanations come up? If the latter, begin again. With #4. Happy 2017. We await and anticipate the new for the year. Barbara Deal MA, LCSW is a psychotherapist at Mental Health Resources, ( 540 ) 899-9826

The release of this issue of Front Porch concedes with the New Year. After having total overindulged during the holidays, we now feel we need to purge ourselves with some kind of punishing new years resolutions. But how do you summon the will power? People’s inability to do what’s good for them is of great concern to doctors – or maybe the concern is if you all ate right, exercised, didn’t smoke, drank in moderation, we doctors would be out of a job. But that’s about as likely to happen as Trump doing all the things he bragged about in his campaign. A whole science, and innumerable profitable industries have sprung up because of our inability to summon a little will power. There’s even a specific word for it – “akrasia.” If you’re not a scholar of ancient Greek, you may not be familiar with this term. It is used to mean knowing what we should do, but not being able to get ourselves to do it. Aristotle claimed it literally translates to “incontinence.” Incontinence of course has unpleasant connotations in medical parlance. But to really get in to it, akasia is subdivided into astheneia where, despite careful deliberation you are unable to make yourself do what you should. And propeteia where you don’t do the right thing because you are too impetuous. And here the deliberation comes later. Then it’s called regret. But let’s not get distracted by the terminology. Implementing any difficult change involves transitioning through a number of stages, the experts tell us. Precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and finally maintenance. The process – especially the contemplation - can go on for years. Your chances are better if You exercise your will power – it’s like

a muscle. It gets stronger the more you use it, so make yourself do lots of little disciplines. You have a coach/guru/mentor who monitors what you do - and gives you shit if you are failing (and praise when you are succeeding). You practice pre-commitment, meaning you set things up to help yourself succeed –don’t have bags of Snickers bars, boxes of donuts, bottles of soda’s, tubs of ice cream around the house when you’ve resolved to lose weight. You hang with people trying to achieve the same goals as you. This last point highlights the fact that we doctors are not great role models. Hence the cynical doctor’s maxim, “do as I say, not as I do.” Psychologists work on understanding why people have such trouble doing what they know they should do. To this end, an interesting experiment on dogs demonstrated one of the prime reasons people are so hopeless. The dogs were conditioned to expect an electric shock whenever they heard a tone. Then the dogs were put in a cage where only half the floor was electrified. By stepping over a small barrier, they could move to the other side of the cage and avoid the shock. But they didn’t. They had developed “learned helplessness.” This phenomenon has its sinister side. It’s a common in abusive marriages. And, for example, in kids in school who have become convinced they can’t do the schoolwork. I sometimes think my overpampered children have developed learned helplessness – or they do a good imitation. But now you understand all about the why’s and wherefores’ of succeeding with those resolutions, just get out there and do it. Read Dr.Neustatter's book, "Managing Your Doctor, The Smart Patient's Guide to Getting Effective, Affordable Healthcare", at Amazon.com

The Natural Path Holistic Health Center

~Nature’s Sunshine Products ~Quantitative Fluid Analysis ~VoiceBio Analysis ~ionSpa Foot Detox ~Zyto Bioscan Compass Helping homeless children and families in City of Fredericksburg, Counties of Caroline, Stafford & Spotsylvania 540 371 0831

Natural Products for Health & Wellness Barbara Bergquist, CTN Board Certified Traditional Naturopath

891-6200

www.thenaturalpath.us

4413 Lafayette Blvd. Fredericksburg front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

Senior Care Choose your words carefully By Karl Karch

January 2017

Front porch fredericksburg

Mind Your Mind

Emancipated Patients

what will be new for the year

summoning will power By Patrick Neustatter, MD

By Barbara Deal Better value, more love for your pet than if you kennel board him!

The Natural Path Holistic Health Center

Natural Products for Health & Wellness Barbara Bergquist, CTN Board Certified Traditional Naturopath

891-6200

www.thenaturalpath.us

4413 Lafayette Blvd. Fredericksburg front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

Renew small steps,

Big results

Resolutions

Mr. Baroody’s Resolution

Does a New Year mean a New You?

realign our City Government & make it better!

By meg sneed

by Joan M. Geisler Here is the good news and the bad news about fitness, weight loss and nutrition. Good news: It is not rocket science, it is rather simple. Bad news: It is not easy. BUT with unwavering determination YOU CAN achieve your health goals. As cliché as it is, the journey of 10,000 steps starts with one small one. Here are 15 small changes for BIG RESULTS. 1) Remember to start your day with protein. Aim for 20-30 grams per meal. 2) Focus on CAN and not CAN’T. You can eat all the fruits and vegetables you want. You can eat butter, cheese and steak. Don’t focus on what you cannot eat; pastries, pizza and fast food. 3) Ask yourself, “Am I really hungry?” “Why am I eating this?” “Does this really taste that good?” Become aware of why you eat and learn to ‘just say no’ so you can ‘Just say yes” to the yummy stuff. 4) Weigh yourself often. Weighing

yourself often keeps you focused. 5) Try “Joan’s Rule of 3”. Put 1/3 less on your plate. Leave 3 bites of food on your plate and wait 30 minutes before you have a second helping. 6) Your mother was right when she said, “Sit down and eat!” Moving, driving, multitasking or looking at a screen, computer or television as you eat causes you to mindlessly eat. You are unable to keep track of the calories and quantity of your food. Sit down, eat a complete meal and pay attention to what you eat. 7) Eat your vegetables first, eat them first while you are the hungriest. 8) Sleep equals weight loss and over all well-being. PERIOD. It is not a badge of honor to live off of 3-4 hours of sleep. It does not impress anyone. Go to bed AND turn off your phone! 9) 80/20 Rule applies to all aspects of life. Eat 80% clean foods and 20% not so clean. If you cannot do the math, then mark it on your calendar. “I can only eat desserts on Wednesdays and Sundays.” 10) Drink water! This is the closest thing you will find to the magic pill. Our brains are 85% water. Drink to get smarter. Our bones are 25% water. Drink to offset osteoporosis. And the obvious, drink water to fill up your belly so you don’t eat as much. 11) Exercise your head. Studies prove that when you have positive thoughts during your workouts, that you make healthier lifestyle choices afterward. Next time you want to complain about ‘having to exercise’ try Thanking God that you can move at your will. 12) List 10 ways to make yourself happy that does not contain calories. Don’t equate reward with food. 13) Move the desirables out of reach. Candy jar on your desk? Move it behind you. Break room full of treats? Walk the other way. 14) Cook more food at home. For every restaurant meal that you replace with a home cooked meal you will save as much as 200 calories and 400 mg of sodium. Plan ahead. 15) Prep ahead. Wash your vegies and fruit when you come home from grocery store. Scrub, cut, chop and put in bowls for easy access when you open the fridge doors. Small manageable steps will get you to your goals. I promise. Visit 8020lifefitacademy.com for more tips Joan Geisler is a certified nutrition coach Contact her for her tips on simple baby steps to begin new habits this year. at trainerjoans@gmail.com

January 2017

Front porch fredericksburg

As you read this, the holidays are most likely over in your household. Regardless of which holiday you celebrate in December, we’ve all scarfed down the last of the sugar cookies and come to the same stark realization – we now have to put on real pants again. Welcome to the New Year. It’s no wonder that, according to Statisticbrain.com, 45% of Americans usually make at least one resolution for the new year, and losing weight, getting organized, and “staying fit and healthy” are among the top five most popular resolutions each year. After the decadence and celebratory chaos of the past six weeks, most of us are more than ready to get back to normal – and a new normal always sounds like a good idea! As Marcia Grimsley, a local life coach with Life Advancement Coaching, pointed out, “many of us make New Year’s resolutions to help create a happier, healthier, and more satisfying lifestyle. However, adding new goals and commitments to an already full schedule can be our first challenge.” So how do we avoid becoming part of the 24% of people who feel that they never achieve a resolution? Marcia suggests we “begin by accepting yourself as you already are. Then decide what changes you might like to experience in your life. Set realistic goals that do not carry the need for perfection.” In fact, the idea of taking small, realistic steps is one of the pieces of advice I heard most often from some of my favorite gurus for meeting resolutions here in Fredericksburg! Jen Miller, a health coach with Growing Green Tomatoes, suggests that the trick to success “is to create small, attainable goals that build healthy lifestyle changes” over time, and Bridget Grosse, a consultant with green cleaning company Norwex, agrees: “Make changes slowly. Maybe start off with one chemical you want out of your house and replace that with an environmentally friendly product. Once you’ve made that change, move on to the next product.” Regardless of if your resolutions have to do with losing weight, getting more exercise, or working towards a healthier lifestyle, this advice is key! As Jen told me, “Skip the all-or-nothing goals and simply add healthy habits to your day.” Most failure is a result of getting overwhelmed by our own goals and getting lost in the big picture, rather than breaking it down into more manageable

steps that make chance slow but manageable and sustainable over the long term. As Kit from Dragonfly Yoga put it “Embrace change and progress with gratitude because you’re doing the best you can and your best is always good enough.” If you’re unsure as to how, exactly, to take those first steps – or even what they could be, Fredericksburg has a plethora of resources to help. A holistic health practitioner such as Dr. Jason Sneed at Old Dominion Osteopathic Medicine or Dr. Yvonne Villarreal at Embracing Health can help you create a plan for holistic health, as well as guide you in any natural supplements or other resources that may be beneficial in achieving your goals. If you’re goal is to eat healthier, consider a health coach such as Jen Miller with Growing Green Tomatoes, or Donna Hetrick from Lifestyle Fitness & Nutrition. If you want to focus on going green in your house, Bridget Grosse with Norwex can certainly steer you in the right direction for cleaning without toxic chemicals. Dragonfly Yoga is offering a special “New To Yoga” series in January that is focused exclusively on those of us who have never done a Downward Dog in our lives, and their regular beginner classes are suitable for newbies, those who haven’t been in in a while, or just those of us looking for a gentle stretch. Life coaches such as Marcia Grimsley can help you create a plan that will “allow yourself to relax into these new commitments and make certain that they include flexibility and a sense of joy.” A holistic health practitioner such as Dr. Jason Sneed at Old Dominion Osteopathic Medicine or Dr. Yvonne Villarreal at Embracing Health can help you create a plan for health as well as guide you more specifically to local resources that would be best suited to you and your own needs. That is, after all, the true goal of almost any resolution – to bring a sense of joy to our lives in one form or another. As Kit from Dragonfly Yoga says, “The most successful resolution, and the ones easiest to keep, are those that benefit your body, mind, and spirit.”

Meg is the practice manager at Old Dominion Osteopathic Medicine, community outreach coordinator for Fredericksburg Area CSA Project, a mom of 3 kids, and an ardent lover of all foods local, natural, and un-messed-with.

Doug Fawcett Assistant City Manager

Transit

Utilities

Erik Nelson Transportation

Facilities “There are times when external needs or conditions change, and the changing strengths of an organization sometimes need to be re-aligned to meet new challenges or provide better alignment of human resources to current tasks and demands. In working with the Fredericksburg city department directors and others throughout the organization, we believe that this is an excellent time for such a re-alignment.” Tim Baroody, City Manager. Effective 2 January 2017, several positions, duties, and departments within the City of Fredericksburg’s local government organization will begin operation under a reorganized structure. Mark Whitley will continue to serve as Assistant City Manager, with oversight of Finance, Budget, Human Resources, Information Technology, and Social Services. In a major change, a second Assistant City Manager position has been created. This new position will be filled by Doug Fawcett who will be vacating his duties as the Public Works Director. Mr. Fawcett will assume responsibility for supervision of ALL Public Works (including Utilities), Transit, and a new Transportation Administrator. Capital

- By Frank Fratoe

Winter Storm (ALONG COWAN BLVD.)

By kevin brown

Public Works

THE POETRY MAN

project oversight and management will also be consolidated under Mr. Fawcett. As part of this reorganization, the Parks & Recreation Public Facilities Division will be reassigned to the Public Works Department. This will consolidate city maintenance and construction duties under one entity, create a more direct chain of command on like responsibilities, building a strong sense of team, and driving efficiencies in operations. This consolidation will bring improved oversight for City Public Facilities under Mr. Fawcett and a new Public Works Director (to be hired). Related to these changes, the City Manager’s Office in coordination with the Public Works and Parks & Recreation Departments are actively still considering the future placement of the Parks Maintenance team. A final recommendation on this issue has been deferred for several months to see if the other changes in Parks & Recreation and Public Works might impact the function of Parks Maintenance. Under Assistant City Manager Fawcett, the creation of a new Transportation Administrator position will improve coordination with regional and state transportation authorities and improve the City’s ability to compete for

transportation grant projects across the variety of federal and state transportation grant programs. As the city’s new Transportation Administrator, Erik Nelson (moving over from his previous duties as City Planning Services Division Senior Planner) will work closely with Public Works, Economic Development, Planning, Budget, and others to more proactively identify, obtain funding, and execute beneficial transportation projects throughout the region. Mr. Nelson will continue to serve as a representative on the Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO) Technical Committee, and fill out City grant applications for transportation. He will further be charged with planning for and improving City gateways and wayfinding signage systems. Another city organizational change will be the consolidation of all Special Events coordination under Director Jane Shelhorse’s Parks & Recreation Department (with support from Director Bill Freehling’s Economic Development & Tourism Department). This change will bring a unified focus to the attraction of events that will enhance economic development, while also building a sense of pride in our local community. For Assistant City Manager Fawcett, Transportation Administrator Nelson, and all Fredericksburg City employees who will be taking part in this reorganization, we wish you success in facing the challenges associated with workplace changes and individual expanded responsibilities. Speaking for the grateful Fredericksburg citizens who you support, we greatly appreciate what you do! Let’s work together to make 2017 Fredericksburg’s best year ever!!! Kevin Brown is the administrator of the "FXBG City Council Public Forum" Facebook Group,

. The diffusion of snow against a streetlamp thaws on its way down and falls as rainfire but is frigid enough to bedeck the trees with transparent glow sticking till morning when the sun arrives. Then I walk outside and am moved to see ice-fingers on boughs drop bits of crystal to grass below them as the air warms up and each hand is open without gloves that once were the leaves. Frank Fratoe lives & writes in the city. He has written poems from the heart for Front Porch for the past 7 years.

Own The Movie A 40-minute film with aerial and underwater photography that tells the story of the Rappahannock River from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay.

DVD $14.95; Members $11.96 www.riverfriends.org 540-373-3448 3219 Fall Hill Ave.

Give a Child Something to Think About

Books, Games, Amusing Novelties M-Sat. 10am-6pm; Sun. 1pm-4pm

810 Caroline Street (540) 371-5684 front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

Renew small steps,

Big results

Resolutions

Mr. Baroody’s Resolution

Does a New Year mean a New You?

realign our City Government & make it better!

By meg sneed

January 2017

Front porch fredericksburg

Doug Fawcett Assistant City Manager

Transit

Utilities

Erik Nelson Transportation

- By Frank Fratoe

Winter Storm (ALONG COWAN BLVD.)

By kevin brown

Public Works

THE POETRY MAN

Own The Movie A 40-minute film with aerial and underwater photography that tells the story of the Rappahannock River from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay.

DVD $14.95; Members $11.96 www.riverfriends.org 540-373-3448 3219 Fall Hill Ave.

Give a Child Something to Think About

Books, Games, Amusing Novelties M-Sat. 10am-6pm; Sun. 1pm-4pm

810 Caroline Street (540) 371-5684 front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

Art in the Burg Soup's On for The FXBG Art Initiative!

Stories

of fredericksburg

The Fredericksburg Art Initiative is a proposal from the Fredericksburg Arts Commission (The Arts Commission) to fund a series of workshops geared toward helping local visual and performing artists and art organizations nurture and promote their art businesses. Topics for possible workshops include: help with social media marketing, business planning, drafting a press release, practical tips for tooting your own horn without blowing it, bookkeeping, and estate planning or leaving a legacy. On Sunday, January 22, from 2.30 to 4.30 pm, representatives from the Fredericksburg Arts Commission, the Central Rappahannock Regional Library, and The Arts & Cultural Council of the Rappahannock (The Arts Council) are holding a social gathering for local visual and performing artists and art organizations to mingle, talk, and strategize about creating a program that includes valuable tools and information to help promote their businesses. The purpose of this January event is to gather information from the local arts community about ways the Arts Commission, the Arts Council, and the Library can further support and help promote their art businesses. We want to know which workshops which would be most beneficial to the individuals and arts groups as well as which times and days are the most convenient for the best attendance for the workshops. The January 22nd gathering will be facilitated by Sherri Lander Smith, of Lander Creative, Inc., who is the Executive Director of the Artisans Center of Virginia. Sherri describes herself as “[a] synergistic motivator for positive change. Viewing personal growth as a life-long process of questioning and discovery, she strives to help individuals and businesses realize their unique talent assets; translate vision into action; and, build distinctive business platforms to pursue and sustain the work they love." So, please save the date and come by the Library on January 22nd prepared to warm up with some soup, enjoy a few snacks, and add your ideas to the pot as we talk about ways to develop the art

January 2017

for 6 months. I’m still close to my foster father. My foster mother passed away a few years ago. I always call them grandma and grandad. I became homeless when I couldn’t work no more. I can barely walk and I gotta use a stick to get around. I got degenerative disc and narrowing of the spine…I don’t really know what it means. The only thing I know is I can barely walk because of it. I originally hurt my back when I was 24. I hurt it roofing, and then I hurt it again when I was a sheet metal mechanic. I couldn’t do that work because I couldn’t carry the tool pouch.

potential in our area. Working together, who knows what we can cook up! For more information, email us at info@fredericksburgarts.org or visit www.fredericksburgarts.org If you can't make the gathering or if you just want to let us know your thoughts on promoting your "Art Business", please share your ideas on the event page at http://fredericksburgarts.org/event/so ups-on-for-the-fredericksburg-artinitiative/ The Arts Commission is a City supported Commission whose mission is to promote, support and expand the arts as an integral part of life for all people in the Fredericksburg area. The Arts Commission advises the City on policy and program development, oversees the grants and public arts programs, advocates for the arts and acts as liaison between the arts community and the city. The Arts Commission, among other things, provides funding for various art events and programs within the City of Fredericksburg, including public sculptures and art programs as well as the First Friday Trolley. The Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to advance the arts and cultural life of the central Rappahannock region by supporting and strengthening the region’s arts and cultural organizations and by publicizing its arts and cultural offerings for the benefit of all its citizens. The Arts Council, among other things, funds and maintains the Fredericksburg Arts Calendar of Events. Central Rappahannock The Regional Library's mission is to inspire lifelong learning for everyone in the community. The library supports the local arts community in many ways by providing print and online business and arts research resources, educational programs, galleries for visual arts, and a performing arts venue. With sponsorship by the Friends of the Library, the system also hosts art shows in each of its service jurisdictions the Uniquely Fredericksburg, Uniquely Spotsylvania, Uniquely Stafford, and Uniquely Westmoreland juried and judged shows.

Carolyn Van Der Jagt maintains the fredericksburgarts.org website (formerly arts-along-the-river.org) and is the President of The Arts & Cultural Council of the Rappahannock

Front porch fredericksburg

Jerry Grimsley, 52, became homeless when an illness effected his ability to work. He got back into housing about a year ago and recently started receiving a disability check. “I was in the woods about two and a half years, and I had a place down here behind American Family Fitness. I built a big tent that had a big old tarp. We had tents inside of it and we kept it all warm with kerosene heaters. Wintertime made it hard because of the mud and all that stuff. I had to make a tent over our tents to keep mother nature off of us because the tents are very thin and the wind will blow right through them. I took a 30×60 tarp and made a building out of it. I woke up one morning and it was snowing…I had to crawl out of bed because the tent was on the floor. We wouldn’t have made it out last year if it weren’t for my sister. She came out to stay with us and she bought all the kerosene with her disability money and I bought all the food with my stamps. My brother’s homeless too, he ain’t got a job and he can’t get a job.

win downtown gift certificate Identify this mystery house and you could win a gift certificate from a downtown merchant.

jerr y grimsley

By Carolyn Van Der Jagt Artists and performers are often the quintessential sole proprietor of the smallest of small businesses. Not only do they need to create their own product or service, they also need to market it, sell it, and keep their own books, all while trying to keep up with the latest trends in their field.

Name This House

Here’s how: Email frntprch@aol.com, Subject: mystery house Identify house address Your name, address, email. The poem below is a hint of the location of the mystery house. Good Luck! Last Month’s House: 211 Caroline St Brian Weeks is the Winner of a Gift Certificate from Ristorante Renato, 422 William St. We sit like painted ladies on each side of the sloping street, watching for the horse drawn carts which scurried in our youth. Up and down, back and forth,the sound of pounding hooves, smiling horse faces,delivering our needed goods. Ah the fun we had before the colors changed, we wore our coats of many hues, as was the style back then. We whispered and gossiped, as we do now, from the high side of the street unto the low, as I sit in my new yellow paint and watch it all. My shoemakers tap,tap, and repair sign are gone, tho the train stops down the block or two, as it always has, I hear its whistles still. The many young children play on our street, echoing with laughter, which without a doubt, gives new life to all who gather.

“Hopefully my grandkids will remember me as a loving grandfather. I have two kids and five grandkids. I enjoy my grandchildren. Two of my grandchildren were born 5 days apart- they’re my oldest and turned four in July. My one grandchild, she just takes off running and she’s got short legs and the way she runs just tickles the crap out of me. I gotta laugh at her! And then the baby…she comes over here and she’ll crawl up on my lap and just sit there with me. I’ve never heard her cry unless she’s wanting something or someone’s done something to her. But she had problems when she was born and she had to go to the children’s hospital in D.C. But she’s okay now. The last one who was just born, she’s all fine. So that’s a really good thing.”

Submitted by Micah Ecumenical Ministries., a Christ-C Centered Community supporting people experiencing chronic homelessness and identifying pathways to substainable housing. Contact: 540-4 479-4 4116; www.dolovewalk.net; facebook

I have some good and some bad memories from my childhood. I prefer the memories that are good. I grew up in Prince William/Stafford. When I was 14, my father died and I was in a foster home

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

Art in the Burg Soup's On for The FXBG Art Initiative!

Stories

of fredericksburg

January 2017

Carolyn Van Der Jagt maintains the fredericksburgarts.org website (formerly arts-along-the-river.org) and is the President of The Arts & Cultural Council of the Rappahannock

Front porch fredericksburg

win downtown gift certificate Identify this mystery house and you could win a gift certificate from a downtown merchant.

jerr y grimsley

Name This House

I have some good and some bad memories from my childhood. I prefer the memories that are good. I grew up in Prince William/Stafford. When I was 14, my father died and I was in a foster home

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

Welcome to the Table

Brush Strokes Gallery Show supporting st. George‘s Market Style Pantry

Art is a Gift from the Heart

Downtown Buzz 2017 Board to lead fvms By Ann Glave

Artists: Lynn Abbott, Jen Callahan Penny Parrish, Beverley Coates “Picnic”, Morma Woodward

810 Caroline Street, Downtown Fredericksburg

“Food for the Soul”, Peggy Wickham Brush Strokes Gallery presents "Welcome to the Table", a unique show dedicated to sharing the bounty of sumptuous food in support of St. George Episcopal's Market-sstyle Food Pantry. Proceeds from the sale of the delicious assortment of member art will be donated to this noble cause. Other unique artworks created by local artists include artful photography, delicately beaded jewelry, fused glass art, and original paintings in all media. Join us Jan 6, 2017 for the Artists' reception from 6-9 p.m. at Brush Strokes Gallery, located at 824 Caroline Street in downtown Fredericksburg. The Table at St. George’s, a market-style food pantry, emphasizes fresh produce and healthy eating. The Table is an essential part of the church’s outreach. The Table is located in the church’s parish hall. Open every Tuesday from 9:30 -1 11:00 in the morning and 5:00- 6:30 in the evening, it serves hundreds of people from the surrounding community who experience food insecurity. Areas served include Caroline, King George, Orange, Spotsylvania and Stafford counties as well as the city of Fredericksburg. (see page 12 for a more information on “The Table @St George”

January 2017

Front porch fredericksburg

Daily hours 10 to 6. Artist on site Saturdays

Brush Strokes Gallery “Welcome to the Table” Proceeds from Show to Benefit “The Table @ St. George” Reception, January 6, 6-9 9 pm Show runs through January 29

A New Year brings new faces to the Fredericksburg Virginia Main Street Board of Directors (FVMS). The 2017 officers are: Wilson Greenlaw (left) (Cushman Thalhimer), past president, DD Lecky (Libertytown Art Works) president, April Peterson (Riverrock Melissa Outfitter) vice president, Okrasinski (Corridor Mortgage Solutions) secretary, Judy Nave (VA Partners), Ben Wafle (Heritage Wealth Advisors) organization chair, Mike Carmody (Dovetail Cultural Resource Group) design chair, Brian Lam (Skin+Touch Therapy & Spa) economic vitality chair, and Fred Wellman (Scoutcomms), promotion chair. In 2016 we said good bye to a few people who have been instrumental in the creation of Main Street: Karen Hedelt and Sue Bridi have both moved on to the greener pastures of retirement and were both involved from the very beginning with the exploratory committee. And much gratitude goes to Scarlett Pons who led the Main Street organization as its first president, and most recently as past president, in its formative years. Thank you all for your guidance, time, enthusiasm, and your love for Downtown and Main Street. The overarching goals determined by the Board of Directors for 2017 are listed below. All of our tasks and projects should related back to the mission - to preserve Fredericksburg’s historic fabric and rich cultural history while encouraging a thriving economic future. 1. Strengthen Funding Stability - FVMS will develop and implement a sustainable funding strategy to ensure organizational stability. This will allow our organization to support projects that maintain and increase the economic vitality of the Main Street District. 2. Broaden Community Engagement FVMS will increase community engagement that will result in new and improved partnerships and community education. The overall goal is to transform stakeholders (those who benefit from our activities) into active partners (those who contribute to our activities).

“Still Life”, Karen Julihn

3. Create vibrancy through historic preservation -The preservation and enhancement of the Main Street district will help to preserve the historic

integrity of Fredericksburg, VA and provide a rich cultural foundation for the community and for the long term success of our organization. Continuing projects from previous years include the downtown planters, gift card program, educational classes, exit and entrance interviews, and ribbon cuttings. A few projects tagged for this upcoming year: 1) Face the River project, a collaboration with the City to improve the economic vitality in a specific area of Downtown’s river front., 2) Funding an assistant. It’s amazing what this organization has accomplished with its staff of one and numerous volunteers. It’s a true testament to how much Downtown is loved. However to get to the next level, we need additional staff. 3) Rollout of the Downtown brand – this is our largest project as we move forward with banners, new website, and other promotional aspects to promote Downtown. 2017 looks like it will be an interesting year! Get active with Downtown. Sign up for our newsletter at www.fredericksburgmainstreet.org. Save the dates: January 4: Visitor Center Move Discussion at 8:30am Executive Plaza. January 10: Christmas Parade Review at 9am at the Central Region Rappahannock Library. February 7th is our next community meeting at the Marriott Courtyard at 8am. Come out for breakfast, meet the Board, hear the committee and lessons learned reports and updates for 2017. Ann Glave is the Executive Director of Fredericksburg Main Street

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

Welcome to the Table

Brush Strokes Gallery Show supporting st. George‘s Market Style Pantry

Art is a Gift from the Heart

Downtown Buzz 2017 Board to lead fvms By Ann Glave

Artists: Lynn Abbott, Jen Callahan Penny Parrish, Beverley Coates “Picnic”, Morma Woodward

810 Caroline Street, Downtown Fredericksburg

January 2017

Front porch fredericksburg

Daily hours 10 to 6. Artist on site Saturdays

Brush Strokes Gallery “Welcome to the Table” Proceeds from Show to Benefit “The Table @ St. George” Reception, January 6, 6-9 9 pm Show runs through January 29

“Still Life”, Karen Julihn

3. Create vibrancy through historic preservation -The preservation and enhancement of the Main Street district will help to preserve the historic

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

Companions lessons a dog once taught me By Wendy Schmitz

The beginning of a New Year is a great time to reflect on our previous choices and actions and to reinvent those traits or behaviors we don’t find all that appealing in ourselves. There is something about January 1 and the days that follow it that makes us think that anything is possible, any problem is solvable, and all things can happen with enough hard work and dedication. I won’t go so far as to say I make resolutions; I think I gave that up years ago when I realized Santa was never going to bring me a puppy, and following the rules didn’t always lead to happiness. But what I will say is I review my life in the cold harsh light of day, assessing it for poisons I’m am strangely holding on to, behaviors that need to be thrown away, and places that need repair. I can be a better person if I am able to honestly assess my actions without ego or inflated self-worth getting in the way. As I reflect on the last 12 months, it strikes me that I have been struggling to be all things to all the people and the dogs in my life. I have over extended myself in every direction and I have been chasing my own tail trying to keep up, get ahead, or just get by. While the past year has included some amazing moments for me and my family, it has also put a giant spotlight on my greatest weakness, something I thought I had long ago overcome with the help of my first dog Cody — impatience. I can blame my short fuse on the lack of sleep a new baby brings or the lack of husband when mine was on the road for work. I can blame dogs who push and shove for more attention and extra treats or the two year old who flails around screaming when he doesn’t get his needs met. But at the end of the day I truly only

January 2017

have myself to blame for my loss of patience and irrational responses, because as a mature adult I should be able to keep it together, take a breath, and respond to any stimuli with grace or at the very least arrange my own time out. I think my life has gotten out of control. I think I am pulled in too many directions without a moment to enjoy all the truly wonderful things that make my life whole. I think I am so caught up in my complicated list of obligations and things to do that I am missing out on what truly matters, or worse, squashing what could be truly great moments in time with my impatient responses and constant worry over what comes next. In my effort to be a wonder woman I have failed at being me; and it is the real me that my husband, children, and dogs love so much, and it would seem she has been MIA for awhile. My dogs don’t care if I have all the laundry done, my boys don’t care if I invent the next big children’s toy, and my husband doesn’t mind if we eat pizza again; so why do I stretch myself to the point of losing my cool and lashing out in an effort to do everything when what I really should do is just let it all go and enjoy these creatures I am lucky enough to share my life with? So what to do? I want to make this new year the year I become more akin to my canine partners and remember all the things that dogs have taught me in the last 20 years. I want to enjoy the day for what it might bring me to chase, chew, or gleefully roll around in. So far I haven’t found a single to do list in a dog’s handwriting; yet at the end of the day they are accomplished, fed, rested, happy, and still alive. Happy New Year, may yours be a little more canine.

Wendy Schmitz is ringing in New Year with her pack of husband, boys, and dogs in snowy Colorado. PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This was originally published in 2013. I thought it deserved to be read again for the Lessons all animals teach us.

Front porch fredericksburg

It’s All Energy the daily energy routine by christina ferber

Better value, more love for your pet than if you kennel board him!

Old Town’s Greatest Tour 35 Monuments, Markers, & Attractions AND the Fredericksburg Battlefields Weddings Reunions Shuttles Parties Group Outings Fredericksburgtrolley.com

540-898-0737

(Part 1) A New Year means new beginnings, and for many of us that also means making resolutions or setting goals to become a better version of ourselves in 2017. A healthier body is often on that list, and Eden Energy Medicine’s Daily Energy Routine (DER) is one way to start the New Year in a healthy and positive way. This 5 minute routine can get your day started right, and will get you back on track when you feel a little off kilter. It is a way to balance the body’s energy systems, and can keep you healthy by helping you become more resilient to illness, give you more vitality, and help you think more clearly. The routine starts with the Four Thumps. Tapping on these points with your fingers or knuckles helps to boost and restore your energy, and feel more invigorated. Breathe deeply as you go through the points and vigorously tap for about 15- 20 seconds on each one. Start with your cheekbones (this will help to ground you), then move to the Kidney Meridian points. Find these by placing your fingers on your collarbone and following it down to the corners (below your throat). The indentation, about an inch off of your collarbone, is where you want to be. Tapping on these points help to give you more energy and increase your focus. Next, tap on your Thymus point, located at the center of your sternum (to help with strengthening your immune system), and then move to tapping on both sides of the body at the Spleen

points, which are located on each side of your ribcage at the base of your ribs (this helps with metabolizing everything from thought and food to toxins). The next step in the DER is The Cross Crawl. This exercise will help to balance your energy, improve your coordination, and help you think more clearly as you go about your day. Start with a shoulder pull by placing your right hand on your left shoulder. With a little pressure, push in and drag your hand across your body to the opposite hip. Repeat on both sides a few times, and then move to an exaggerated walk as you cross over each hand to the opposite knee. If your left knee is up, your right hand should cross over to touch it. Continue this cross-over march for at least one minute. The Wayne Cook Posture, which was originally created to help stutterers, can help with unscrambling your mind and help to bring your emotions back in balance. Sit in a chair and place your right foot over your left knee, and then place your left hand around your right ankle. Next, wrap your right hand around the bottom of your foot. Breathe in slowly through your nose and raise your body along with your foot on the in-breath, release as your breathe out through your nose. After several breaths, switch sides and do the same pattern again. Lastly, place your fingers together, and put your thumbs right between your eyebrows. Complete the exercise by breathing in and out a few times in that position and then bring your fingers to the middle of your forehead. Push in and pull them across your forehead to your temples. This first part of the DER may seem simple, but I am betting that these few exercises will start you on a path to wellness. In February, I will share the second part of the routine, but if you can’t wait and would like to find our more, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di5Ua44iuXc or search “Donna Eden’s Daily Energy Routine (Official Version)” on YouTube.

It’s always more fun in the Scenter of Town!

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Christina Ferber is an Eden Energy Medicine Practitioner working toward certification. Find out more at www.itsallenergy.net

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January 2017

Companions lessons a dog once taught me By Wendy Schmitz

January 2017

Front porch fredericksburg

It’s All Energy the daily energy routine by christina ferber

Better value, more love for your pet than if you kennel board him!

Old Town’s Greatest Tour 35 Monuments, Markers, & Attractions AND the Fredericksburg Battlefields Weddings Reunions Shuttles Parties Group Outings Fredericksburgtrolley.com

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It’s always more fun in the Scenter of Town!

ble at Availa n.com Amazo

Highlighting Local People, Places & Events Since 1997

Christina Ferber is an Eden Energy Medicine Practitioner working toward certification. Find out more at www.itsallenergy.net

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

On Stage!

Fredericksburg Sketches A visual Celebration of our community

at picker’s alley black box theatre

By Casey Alan Shaw

by kimberly leone We love a challenge!! So when a friend of ours asked if we could squeeze an incredibly challenging, dark and twisty Sondheim show, we of course said ABSOLUTELY! ASSASSINS, based on the book by John Weidman tells the story of nine misfit men and women who attempted (four successfully) to assassinate American Presidents, offering a peak into what each hoped to achieve by taking out a president. Set in a carnival shooting gallery, "Assassins spans several musical styles and many decades in a dizzying series of musical and theatrical inventions that culminate in the assassination of John F. Kennedy." This dark, musical comedy features a young cast of incredibly talented local actors you don't want to miss. On the stage at our

little black box theater, Picker's Alley, in downtown Fredericksburg. Show dates are Jan. 6 & 7 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $10. Available in advance via our web site, www.fredericksburgtheatre.org or at the door. Seating is limited so we recommended buying in advance. This production features several current and former students of Allie Goldstein, a local voice and piano coach who is simply fabulous. Sondheim is incredibly difficult and this young cast does an excellent job with it. After Assassins FTE is doing Aaron Posner's STUPID F'ING BIRD. It is sort of based on Anton Chekhov's "The Seagull" but where Chekhov represses

emotions, Posner's characters blast the audience with "so much feeling." The story: An aspiring young director rampages against the art created by his mother's generation. A nubile young actress wrestles with an aging Hollywood star for the affections of a renowned novelist. And everyone discovers just how disappointing love, art, and growing up can be. In this irreverent, contemporary, and very funny remix of Chekhov's The Seagull, Aaron Posner stages a timeless battle between young and old, past and present, in search of the true meaning of it all. Original songs composed by James Sugg draw the famously subtextual inner thoughts of Chekhov's characters explicitly to the surface. Stupid F’ing Bird will tickle, tantalize, and incite you to consider how art, love, and revolution fuel your own pursuit of happiness. This show runs Jan. 19, 20, 21 & 26, 27, 28. Shows start at 7:30. Tickets are $10. Available in advance via our web site, www.fredericksburgtheatre.org or at the door. As mentioned, seating is limited so we recommend buying tickets in advance. Both shows contain adult language and adult themes. We wouldn't recommend attendance by anyone under 17, however we do not turn folks away opting to leave the parenting to their parents. We sell beer, wine and snacks at all performances. Fredericksburg Theatre Ensemble is a non-profit theatre organization and everything we bring in from shows we put in to operating our venue which we share with other community theater groups and local musicians. Kim Kimberly Leone is a mom, wife, Marine Corps veteran, Executive Director of the Fredericksburg Theatre Ensemble and the Chair of the Fredericksburg Art Commission

" No one has become poor by giving." ~Anne Frank, ( Diary of Anne Frank,)

SKETCH #27: Under the Train Station Rome has its catacombs. Paris has its sewers. And Fredericksburg has its own 'subterranean' environment underneath the downtown train station. To harried commuters, this scene will look familiar. But to many Fredericksburg folks, this is an undiscovered gem. This painting is based on a photo taken by a terrific Fredericksburg graphic designer and photographer, Stephen Graham. I loved the shapes and contrast he captured in his black & white photo, so I asked his permission to use it as reference for a large painting. There is an on-going debate about using photos as reference for paintings vs. creating the art live on the scene. But, what the heck. This photo inspired me and I totally enjoyed the creative process of translating it into pigment. And, these days, I'm much more concerned with whether I'm truly enjoying the hours I spend painting than I am with whether I've followed someone else's rules about how I should apply pigment. And isn't that really what it's about? Find something you love to do and then try all different kinds of approaches to doing it. It turns out

that it's true … the real joy is in the journey, not the destination.

Casey Alan Shaw is a local artist and Realtor. He exhibits his original artwork and limited-edition prints at Art First Gallery in downtown Fredericksburg and at www.caseyshaw.com.

On-Premise Jewelry Repair

212 William Street,Fredericksburg 540-373-5513 Mon-Fri 9:30-6; Sat 9:30-5 jewelboxfredericksburgva.webs.com jewelbox14k@yahoo.com

January 2017

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Power of affinity

Lupe Sigman by georgia Lee Strentz

Your Hometown Jeweler Since 1940

Large Selection of ESTATE JEWELRY

FXBG’ERS

From My Porch

606 Caroline Street Old Town Fredericksburg

Introducing “Pebbles” by Gemstone Creations Handcrafted Jewelry Featuring Natural Rough Diamonds

373-7847 www.gemstonecreations.org Tuesday - Saturday 10-5 Wednesdays until 6:30 and by appointment

Where Fredericksburg Gets Engaged

Dedication to others is not learned, it is felt in the heart, and moves on from there. Wings, Women in the Giving Spirit, perhaps you have heard of this wonderful organization which is an umbrella charity in our town.They have financially helped more than 30 charitable groups representing a cross section of the social services community. Lupe Sigman, our volunteer Fredericksburger for this month, is a woman who represents so purely the spirit of this organization, which in turn reflects so beautifully the voice of Anne Frank. Started in 1996,when twelve women gathered at Trinity Episcopal Church. They found that many families were struggling with huge medical expenses, fires and other disasters. They also found that many charitable organizations were in need of financial aid. Their mission statement includes, "helping improve the quality of life for many of

our residents in need of financial help in our town." These "Wings" women could be called pioneer, "Fredericksburgers." Two decades later, 60 fundraisers, 200 members later, "Wings" has donated over $260,000 to the Fredericksburg region, touching countless lives. Lupe, whose heart leads her forward daily, as she lives her belief that a person should not feel obligated to volunteer, but as she puts it, "just do it from your heart." She believes that if each community member volunteers, it brings satisfaction into your life, not to promote yourself or fill in your obituary, as Lupe puts it!. Lupe was raised and schooled in South Georgia, with a sister and two brothers. She remembers that from a young age, she got tremendous happiness (as she does now) from helping others. She was a candy stripper in Atlanta, Georgia. She attended Georgia State University. Lupe and her husband Bill, who works at the Department of Defense in D.C., have one grown daughter who works as a health professional, and Bill and Lupe have lived in Fredericksburg for 21 years. Our town, our "Burg" by the river, seem to attract the most compassionate of people who truly try to care, share and make a difference. Lupe is a charity within a charity, as she often will hear of a humanistic problem and when no other help is available, and even though she has daily job, she personally takes it on herself, including the funding. She often is very concerned that a family might be without food or shelter, basic life needs, which keep her up at night figuring out how to help solve these needs. She has been concerned of late over the needs of migrant workers finishing up the crop season, and returning to their homes after following the crop harvesting. Now with cold weather descending, Lupe is concerned about the children of the farm workers, often Hispanic, and their lack of warm clothing. Lupe points out that she could have done none of her volunteering unless she had the help of her wonderful husband and daughter. We are very fortunate indeed to have citizens like Lupe, and so many charitable organizations like "Wings," working compassionately for so many of our citizens in need of help. This downtown girl is looking at the New Year, 2017. She is grateful her family lives in such wholesome "homeplace" with caring people, whom you can read about in our newsy hometown paper, "The Front Porch."

By Jo Loving “I am in no mood to fulminate on paper – I wish the two of us were in a room together talking of what matters most, the air thick with affinity.” ~ Carlene Bauer, ‘Frances and Bernard’ As a writer, you’d think that the written word would hold the utmost importance to me. It is important, but actual conversations with people, in person, not on social media, not over the phone, but face-to-face, have the greatest effect in life. Today, it is a rarity. Family and friends live far apart – states or countries apart. FaceTime is a big deal to those separated by geography, but this usually early adopter has, for some reason, eschewed video chat platforms. Why? I don’t know. I feel disembodied when chatting, and it makes me want to reach out and hug the people I love, which is impossible in the ether, so I leave such conversations wanting – wanting to be with them in person, wanting to reach out and touch them, and it can be sad, at least for me, to be unable to do so. Telephone conversations do not have the same effect on me. I can talk for hours, hear their voices, the inflections, catch up on what’s going on, and not feel the same level of yearning engendered by video. I think it is seeing them on camera that causes the sense of loss, of missing them more. So, what does this writer really value? A visit, of course. Whether in my home or theirs, just being in the same room, sharing, talking, doing something together – that’s what is most meaningful. My fall last year forced me to stay home while I went through physical therapy. My usual trips to see my children were canceled. I found myself in a funk, not just because of the pain and aggravation of rehab, but because I truly missed my children and grandchildren. I felt precisely as Carlene Bauer so eloquently stated, “I am in no mood to fulminate on paper – I wish the two of us were in a room together talking of what matters most, the air thick with affinity.” That’s it! The air thick with affinity. That’s what is missing with telephonic, video, or electronic communication. Air thick with affinity. That’s what I was hungering to have, what was missing because of the doggone fall. My children sensed this. The daughter who lived five hours away trekked home to visit, and the affinity was there. My sagging spirits were lifted, even with a short visit, because of the love we shared, the conversations we had, and the hugs – oh, those hugs meant the world to me. And then, a few weeks later, my youngest daughter and her family, who

live in Missouri, came for a visit. It was like an injection of happy juice was flowing through my veins. Just being together, cooking, laughing, just being, period, was life affirming. Finally, a month or so later, my son and his family, who live in Virginia, came for a visit. My son has the uncanny ability to peer through any facades to the deep truth. “Mom, are you ok?” he asked. “I’m good, now that you’re here, son,” I replied. “Your spirits seem a little deflated,” he said. “They were, but now you’re here, and it’ll be ok.” And it was. I have never been able to be away from my children for more than about six months at a time. I’m a traveling mama – who makes the rounds to see her family, much like the circuit riders of the old days. The accident had thwarted that for this year, and it showed. But after being in the same room with them, affinity filling the air, I was rejuvenated. It was the oxygen my fire needed, in order to fight, in order to win the fight. So, as we enter a new year, make time to be in the same room with those about whom you care. Let the air become thick with affinity. Bask in it. Wallow in it. Let it take over, and you, too, will benefit from the balm of affinity to your spirit.

Jo Loving has healed well, since the visits of the children and a second surgery on her wrist, which has finally left her pain free with full use of her hand. She has been to visit her son in Virginia, her oldest daughter and family moved nearby, and she is planning a trip to Missouri to see her youngest daughter. As she sits on the porch today, she is thinking about the power of affinity, and is grateful for those sweet visits with her family.

Become a Friend Advocate ~ Donate ~ Volunteer

540~479~4116 1013 Princess Anne Street , FXBG

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017

On Stage!

Fredericksburg Sketches A visual Celebration of our community

at picker’s alley black box theatre

By Casey Alan Shaw

" No one has become poor by giving." ~Anne Frank, ( Diary of Anne Frank,)

that it's true … the real joy is in the journey, not the destination.

Casey Alan Shaw is a local artist and Realtor. He exhibits his original artwork and limited-edition prints at Art First Gallery in downtown Fredericksburg and at www.caseyshaw.com.

On-Premise Jewelry Repair

212 William Street,Fredericksburg 540-373-5513 Mon-Fri 9:30-6; Sat 9:30-5 jewelboxfredericksburgva.webs.com jewelbox14k@yahoo.com

January 2017

Front porch fredericksburg

Power of affinity

Lupe Sigman by georgia Lee Strentz

Your Hometown Jeweler Since 1940

Large Selection of ESTATE JEWELRY

FXBG’ERS

From My Porch

606 Caroline Street Old Town Fredericksburg

Introducing “Pebbles” by Gemstone Creations Handcrafted Jewelry Featuring Natural Rough Diamonds

373-7847 www.gemstonecreations.org Tuesday - Saturday 10-5 Wednesdays until 6:30 and by appointment

Where Fredericksburg Gets Engaged

Become a Friend Advocate ~ Donate ~ Volunteer

540~479~4116 1013 Princess Anne Street , FXBG

front porch fredericksburg

January 2017