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Think Local Middleburg’s Communit Community Newspaper Middleburg’s y Newspaper
Volume 18 Issue 11
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Page 18
February 24, 2022
Bring On Spring
Middleburg Town Council Report Jay Hubbard
Eura Lewis and Mark Snyder Remerbered Eura and Mark served on the Town Council for many years and were long-time residents of Middleburg. Mayor Bridge Littleton opened the comments by saying, “though they might not be here with us on Earth anymore, they are always in our hearts, and their hard works are always going to be reflected in our community.” O v e r w h e l m i n g l y, Mark was remembered for his passion and attention to detail regarding the town’s water system over the 20 years he served on Council. Bridge talked about his father’s remark (Former Council member Trobridge Littleton). “If it weren’t for Mark, we would be in a disaster area.” Mark played a pivotal role in bringing the water system and the new treatment plant to fruition, allowing Salamander Resort and Spa to become a reality. “We owe him a debt of gratitude as a broader community, not only today but for decades to come,” Littleton said. Eura Lewis was known for her passion and her attention to detail. Eura was a driving force behind the ongoing work for the Middleburg Museum. Bridge summed Lewis up this way. “I mean, just detail-oriented. Everything was lined up. But what was most impressive about Eura was her absolute passion not only for equality but for this community. I mean, Eura deeply and
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intensely believed that this community and the entire breadth of this community, not just one segment or the other, was something unique was something special, was something that she was passionate about protecting.” Art in the Burg The event was started to bring and share art with the town community and visitors. Mary Ann Burns presented the new scope for Art in the Burg. The programs would like to bring a broader range of the arts to the community. One of the most notable additions to the event will be Ten Minutes Musicals. The success of A Christmas Carol as part of the last year’s Christmas in Middleburg led to the addition of Ten Minutes Musicals to Art in the Burg Event; Erin Colder of The Hill School, who directed the play during the Christmas event, has offered to help make this become a reality. Mary Ann went on to say the funding for the event would need to be increased to cover the cost of hiring a music production manager and the licensing fees for the Musicals. Several other ideas for the event will be a fashion show with a spin. Local businesses will create wearable fashions to walk down the runway built from something the company uses or creates in their line of work, such as a dress made from newspapers in the case of the Middleburg Eccentric. Local restaurants will do cooking demonstrations. There will be historical walking tours and sculptures built from canned food later donated to Seven Loves food bank.
Page 2 Middleburg Eccentric
• February 24, 2022
Diamond
Jubilee
The Middleburg American Legion is celebrating 75 years of continuous operation March 26, 2022 with a GALA event! AMERICAN LEGION Post 295 P.O. Box 4 - 111 The Plains Road Middleburg, Virginia 20118
Established on December 30, 1946, our American Legion Post 295 in Middleburg is celebrating 75 years of continuous service to the community. We invite you to our 75th Anniversary Gala Event with Food and Dancing on March 26, 2022, from 7 to 10 PM in our post’s Patriots Hall. On behalf of all the entire membership of Post 295, we thank you for participating in our fundraising event to celebrate our 75th Anniversary with an expanded and upgraded kitchen. Patriot’s Hall is open for rental by the entire community at a very reasonable fee. We have hosted wedding receptions, funeral repasts, significant birthdays, quinceañeras, official Middleburg Town Office meetings, American Legion regular and District-wide meetings, regular Boys Scout Meetings, Middleburg Garden Club, and all sorts of activities including hosting a Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles remote office operation.
We invite you to come out to the Patriot’s Hall to enjoy an evening of food and camaraderie. Admission fee: Bring your envelope with your donation no matter the amount.
For God and Country
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News of Note
Middleburg Eccentric
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February 24, 2022 Page 3
T
2022 Katherine Jameson Piano scholarship
he Community Music School of the Piedmont is pleased to announce that Nathaniel Abernathy is the winner of our 2022 Katherine Jameson Piano scholarship, named for CMSP’s first piano teacher, who taught at the Community Music School of the Piedmont for nearly 20 years. Nathaniel is a 9th grader who is homeschooled. He has studied cello at CMSP for two years and wishes to study piano to learn music theory and become a well-rounded musician. In his essay Nathaniel, who is also interested in music composition, wrote that acquiring piano skills will be very helpful to him when working on his compositions. CMSP’s mission is to provide high quality music instruction and performance opportunities that are affordable and accessible for all members of our Piedmont community.
MIDDLEBURG ECCENTRIC MARCH 17TH AD DEADLINE FOR
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ISSUE P.O. Box 1768 Middleburg, VA 20118 540-687-3200 news@mbecc.com
Editor In Chief Jay Hubbard Jay@mbecc.com
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Publisher Middleburg Eccentric LLC
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Page 4 Middleburg Eccentric
• February 24, 2022
News of Note
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Middleburg Town Hall Parking Changes he Town of Middleburg announces changes to the parking for the Middleburg Town Office effective Monday, February 21, 2022. Cooper Building Services, the General Contractor for the Town Hall Project, has begun to mobilize. As a result, the parking lot behind the Town Office will be closed. The two parking spaces immediately in front of the building, on W. Marshall Street, will become ten-minute drop off zones during Phase 1 of the project. Visitors who are unable to utilize the front steps can call the telephone number for the Town Office, located on the signs in front of the building, upon their arrival and a staff member will come out to assist. The Town is also providing a payment box on the brick wall along W. Marshall Street. Residents and guests who visit the office for more than ten minutes, and are traveling by car, will need to locate parking on the street or in one of the Town’s public parking lots. These municipal parking lots can be found on Liberty Street and at the intersection of Federal/Pendleton Streets. The Town staff encourages anyone conducting business within the Town Office during the project to do so electroni-
ReStoreYOUR
cally or by phone when possible. For the convenience of our utility customers, we have updated our online bill payment system. Customers wishing to sign up for online utility bill payments can do so by visiting https://middleburgva.gov/payments. The Town covers the fee for customers paying via electronic funds transfer (EFT, a/k/a e-checks). There is a small convenience fee for customers who wish to pay by debit/ credit card, VENMO, PayPal, ApplePay or similar payment methods. The Town will also arrange for electronic public participation and comments during Town Council, Planning Commission, and HDRC meetings. This will occur either through Zoom or DialPad (formerly Uberconference), depending on the meeting, and via telephone. For the link/ phone number for a specific public meeting, visit Official Town Meetings on the homepage of our website or at https://www.middleburgva.gov/town-meetings and click on the specific public meeting of interest. For more information on the Town Hall Project or to watch the daily construction activities once they commence, visit our website at https://middleburgva. gov/TownHall.
The Fox’s Trail is BACK in Middleburg March 11 - March 27
COMMUNITY Moving? Remodeling? Down-sizing? Before hiring a service to collect your unwanted goods, call the Fauquier Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Our staff will pick up large, gently used furniture, appliances, and building materials free of charge.
Grab a trail pass at a participating business Make a purchase and receive a stamp at each destination on the Trail
Your donation helps build a better future for local families and reduces tons of landfill waste.
Receive a “swag bag” for completing the trail of businesses
Where Home Goods, Do Good.
Get entered into the Grand Prize Drawing
fauquierhabitat.org 540.216.3447 • 617 Frost Avenue, Warrenton, VA 20186
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Middleburg Eccentric
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February 24, 2022 Page 5
Historic Garden Week is coming
H
istoric Garden Week is coming! As part of America’s largest “Open House” the
Leesburg Garden Club invites you to stroll along Cornwall Street, the heart of Leesburg’s Historic District. Established
Episcopal Church as Tour Headquarters, visitors are invited to make four stops along their walk, each wayside featuring a charming late-18th through 20th century property with beautifully restored gardens. From Queen Anne style to Colonial Revival architecture, guests will be treated to a unique glimpse into the privately-owned homes and gardens open only during Historic Garden Week. The tour is in convenient proximity to popular downtown Leesburg shops and restaurants. Each year for one week in April, over 25,000 visitors tour beautiful homes and gardens across Virginia during Historic Garden Week organized by the Garden Club of Virginia. The 2022 event encompasses 30 tours organized and hosted by 48-member clubs located from the Shenandoah Valley to the beaches of the Tidewater. Nearly 200 private homes, gardens and historical sites will be open. The properties and tours are different each year, making each Historic Garden Week a unique experiin 1757, as the seat of Loudoun ence. Tour proceeds fund the restoCounty, Leesburg is situated in Virginia’s premier horse and ration and preservation of Virginwine country. With St. James’ ia’s historic gardens and provide
graduate level research fellowships for building comprehensive and ongoing records of historic gardens and landscapes in the Commonwealth and support the mission of the Garden Club of Virginia. For more information about the Garden Club of Virginia visit gcvirginia.org This walking tour is held rain or shine. Please wear comfortable walking shoes. Advance tickets are $40 pp by mail or can be purchased at two Leesburg venues. To purchase tickets in advance: by mail, send, by April 12, a selfaddressed stamped business size envelope with check written to Leesburg Garden Club, PO Box 2006, Leesburg, VA 20177 or at in-person Leesburg venues, go to Visit Loudoun, 112 G South Street or at the George C. Marshall International Center, 217 Edwards Ferry Road. Or tickets may be purchased online, go to vagardenweek.org. The day of event tickets are $50 pp at Tour Headquarters. For additional Old Town Leesburg tour and ticket information visit leesburggardenclub. org.
JK Moving Partners with Nova Labs
J
Enabling Nonprofit STEAM Program to Move to New, Bigger Space
K Moving Services, the largest independently owned moving company in North America, is helping a local STEAM nonprofit move to an even larger facility. As part of its partnership, JK is helping underwrite Nova Labs’ move so that the nonprofit can expand its educational makerspace to serve and inspire more people. “We have a specialty in helping move labs. A lot of care, planning, and expertise is needed to move chemicals, equipment, records, and in this case robots and 3D printers,” explained Chuck Kuhn, CEO, JK Moving Services. “By combining our expertise with our passion to support our community—especially young minds -- we were excited to support Nova Labs’ expansion by helping defray expenses and coordinate its move.” Located just outside Washington, DC, Nova Labs is a membership-driven, all-volunteer makerspace, founded in 2011 with the purpose of empowering the community to “Rediscover the Joy of Making Things!” In addition to its labs and workshops, Nova Labs is home to an innovation center that serves as an incubator for entrepreneurial innovators as well as offers an extensive youth education programs, including 8 FIRST Robotics Teams. Nova Labs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports a wide range of opensource development projects that benefit both the local community and the world. JK Moving is in the process
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of helping Nova Labs move from its 18,000 sq. ft. facility in Reston that houses classrooms, workspace, incubator offices, and a shop which has both common tools and advanced fabrication equipment to an 38,600 sq ft facility in Fairfax City, Virginia. The Robotics teams, which JK is sponsoring to support youth STEAM education, is building two robots to support the move. JK Moving is the leading moving partner for several university laboratories across the U.S., offering specialized lab moving equipment and proprietary tools and methods. JK’s crew of lab equipment movers specialize in disassembling, moving, setting up labs, and moving work in progress. JK also is at the forefront of technological innovation within the relocation and logistics space and uses AI technology and virtual surveys to support its commercial and residential moves. In addition to Nova Labs, the company supports a variety of nonprofits, including its signature program--the JK Community Farm, a nonprofit working farm that donates 100% of its chemical free yield to local food banks. JK, along with its sister company CapRelo, employs nearly 1,100 people—a majority of whom live in the Washington, DC metropolitan region. The company has won numerous awards, including being recognized by the Washington Business Journal as a Best Place to Work and Top Corporate Philanthropist.
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Page 6 Middleburg Eccentric
• February 24, 2022
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News of Note
Middleburg Eccentric
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February 24, 2022 Page 7
Goose Creek Watching
D
Robert Banner
o you know where the source of Goose Creek is located? I know it begins in Front Royal, near Linden. It is at the top of my list of local places I have yet to visit. I would love to speak with someone who knows how to get there. If you know, my contact info is located at the end of this article. I would love to make a pilgrimage to “the source” of Goose Creek. If you started at the source and followed it to where Goose Creek empties into the Potomac, near Leesburg, you would travel approximately 45 miles through time and nature, bridging pivotal history and picturesque beauty that rivals any national park. I cannot think of a more important natural resource in our region. If you foxhunt in the area, you have crossed it routinely. Whether with Orange County, Piedmont, Middleburg, Snickersville, or Loudoun/Fairfax, you have found foxes there and chased them nearby or just hacked through on your way to more covert or home. The experience is a bit like riding through the quiet chapel. Each time I ride through, I reflect on the countless events those banks have hosted. From hunting sport to violent battles to peaceful picnics — If the banks of Goose Creek could only talk. Riding through nature’s cathedral always fills me with awe and respect.
The eternal history could fill books. As I reflect on the many milestones that have passed over the last 250 years, I realize one of the most important ones may have just occurred. The Goose Creek Association (GSA) recently announced a 3-year strategic plan to protect this important tributary well into the future. In the December 16th issue of Middleburg Eccentric, we spoke about the health of the Chesapeake Bay. As all the experts will tell you, the health of the Bay begins in tributaries like Goose Creek. I started with Lori McGuinness, who Co-Chairs the GSA board with Paul Lawrence. Together, they lead 600 members of the 501(c)3 founded in 1970 and are dedicated stewards of Goose Creek. The GSA monitors water quality, proposed development, legislation, and any activity that impacts this important resource through their active board. McGuinness and Lawrence are determined to improve the water quality the Department of Environmental Quality calls “impaired” to “fully supporting” various recreational activities. Their commitment and drive are unmistakable. I have no doubt; their plan will work. That plan involves Bill Howard of the Downstream Project (downstreamproject.org.) Local conservationist George Ohrstrom II founded downstream Project in 2007 with the acclaimed film “Shenandoah, Voices of The
River.” Combining conservation and communication, Howard and Ohrstrom will tie robust water testing data provided by Friends of the Shenandoah River (fosr. org) using their lab at Shenandoah University to the Goose Creek Association website (goosecreek. org.) Upgraded with Downstream Project’s WaterWatch, the GSA website will offer a visual approach to pinpoint hotspots they find. Howard will use the Water Reporter and FieldDoc apps developed by Chesapeake Commons (ourcommoncode. org) to allow everyone to participate in monitoring the progress in real-time. Matt Frost is River Steward for GSA. He’s the perfect fellow to explain the science and the solutions to landowners who live along the banks. Together, they will battle high pH, bacteria, and increased sediment and nutrient pollution. If the solutions involve nutrient banking and stream restoration, a landowner could easily make money in the programs that solve the problems. The credits they earn are the new “currency of conservation” that rewards a participating landowner for doing the right thing. Once collected, the data can be shared with the Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality or with The Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Ideally, it will also be shared with like-minded organizations like the Brandywine Conservancy in PA and The Harpeth Conservancy in Middle TN.
Our Community’s Largest Day of Giving
All are stakeholders in the vast network of river systems that affect the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. If we turn the data into stories promoted on user-friendly websites, we can better understand and address the problems. In that way, we ensure the beauty of Goose Creek (and all similar tributaries) will be enjoyed by generations that follow long after we are gone. Give generously to Goose
Creek Association. These programs are not free, and we all bear responsibility for their goal. Help Matt Frost on your property when he comes calling. We have much to lose but far more to gain. Robert Banner is Senior Project Officer at ACRE Investment Management in The Plains, VA, managing ecological credits for all concerned landowners. Contact Rob at rob@acre-investment.com, or call his cell (540) 729-1335.
a program of
MARCH 29 Give Choose 24 Hours of Giving Midnight to Midnight Early Giving Begins on March 15 GIVECHOOSE.org
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Page 8 Middleburg Eccentric
• February 24, 2022
News of Note
Five Ways Conservation Easements Make a Difference
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With Virginia’s population nearly doubling in 50 years, saving land is more important than ever
ccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of Virginia has grown rapidly, from 4.6 million in 1970 to more than 8.6 million in 2021. With this growth comes enormous development pressure. Conservation easements, a private legal agreement between a landowner and a qualified entity, such as the Land Trust of Virginia (LTV), that protects land and its conservation values permanently, are the most effective tool to ensure open space remains for all Virginians to enjoy. Here are five ways they help us all: Good for the economy Conservation Easements preserve a variety of open spaces, including those with public access, those being used for farming or forestry, and historic sites, all of which are significant to Virginia’s economy. In 2016, The Trust for Public Land conducted a study that found that for every public $1 invested in land conservation, $4 in natural goods and services are returned to the Commonwealth of Virginia. According to the 2017 Virginia Outdoors Demand Survey, the most popular recreational activity in the state is visiting natural areas. ConserveVirginia stated in 2020 that outdoor recreation generates $13.6 billion in consumer spend-
Middleburg American Legion Post 295 Celebrating 75 Years of Service to our Community
1946
2021
75 Years!
Diamond ~ Be Local ~
Jubilee mbecc.com
Middleburg Eccentric
ing and $923 million in state and local tax revenues. Heritage tourism generates almost $7.7 billion a year, according to a study commissioned by Preservation Virginia. Create jobs Conservation easements preserve farmland, thus protecting the agriculture industry, Virginia’s largest industry by far according to Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). ConserveVirginia’s data indicates that Virginia’s agriculture and forestry industries generate more than 450,000 jobs throughout the Commonwealth. Furthermore, every job in agriculture and forestry supports 1.7 jobs elsewhere in Virginia’s economy. Agricultural commodities produced in Virginia are highly diverse and include, beer, wine, wood products, seafood, livestock, and more and are enjoyed internationally. Reduces climate change Conservation easements help combat climate change in two ways. Natural habitats including forests and farmland absorb approximately 15% of the U.S.’s carbon dioxide emissions. They also prevent the additional greenhouse gases that would be the result of more development including deforestation and construction. Improves water quality Conservation easements improve water quality by creating natural, protective buffers around our streams, rivers, and
lakes. Forest and farmland, unlike pavement, absorbs rainwater and runoff and filters out harmful pollutants. Nutrients and sediments deplete oxygen levels, reduce lights, and obstruct waterways, leading to aquatic plant and animal death. Without proper management, they pose the most significant threat to the health of our waterways, especially the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Improves physical and mental health Conservation easements preserve nature and scenic viewsheds for all Virginians. Current research on the impact of nature on general well-being published in Mind found that 95% of those interviewed said their mood improved after spending time outside in nature, changing from depressed, stressed, and anxious to calm and balanced. A study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health found that people who lived within 1 kilometer of a park or a wooded area experienced less anxiety and depression than those who lived farther away from green space. Studies have linked higher greenness to reduced obesity prevalence, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, and improved birth outcomes. The Land Trust of Virginia leads the Commonwealth, holding more conservation easements than any other private land trust. For more information about their work, please visit http:// www.landtrustva.org.
Loudoun Laurels Foundation Seeks Nominations for 2022 Laureates The Loudoun Laurels Foundation seeks nominations from the public for its 2022 Laureates. Nominees for the Loudoun Laurels Laureates must meet the high standards of selflessness, integrity, creativity, wisdom and courage established by the Loudoun Laurels Advisory Committee. Qualified nominees will have a recognized legacy of service to the Loudoun community. Their service will include organizational leadership or service in a capacity in which they make major contributions to the work of the orga-
nization or group, volunteering their time and talents in a manner that benefits Loudoun County, and enriching the broader Loudoun community. Nominees’ vocational service may be considered among their attributes. The deadline for Laureate nominations is May 1, 2022. The 2022 Laureates selected by the Advisory Committee will be announced on June 1, 2022. For information on how to nominate a Laureate candidate, visit the Loudoun Laurels’ website at www. loudounlaurels.org/about/ nominate-a-laureate.
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February 24, 2022 Page 9
Boy Scout Troop 2950 is holding an athletic shoe drive fundraiser on March 28 to April 11 in collaboration with GotSneakers. This recycling program helps keep sneakers out of landfills, which has harmful effects on our environment, and helps organizations like ours raise much needed funds. Anyone can help by simply donating gently worn, used, and new sneakers. Drop off locations The Hill School Middleburg Town Hall American Legion
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Local knowledge, global presence Peter Leonard-Morgan | Global Real Estate Advisor Hunt Country Sotheby’s International Realty 2 W. Washington St, Middleburg, Virginia Direct - 443.254.5530 | peterleonard-morgan@hcsir.com peterleonardmorgan.com © MMXXI Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. All Rights Reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated. Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks licensed to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC.
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Page 10 Middleburg Eccentric
• February 24, 2022
News of Note
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Famous Accelerant Detection Canine Dolley Retires
he Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System’s (LCCFRS) Accelerant Detection Canine Dolley has retired and was honored for her service with an official proclamation
at Tuesday’s Loudoun County Board of Supervisors meeting. Loudoun County supervisors and Chair Phyllis Randall paid tribute to Dolley and handler Captain “William Bud” Herndon and welcomed Herndon’s new canine
Bali.Dolley served Loudoun County for just over 7 years, from April 2014 until October 25, 2021. Besides her daily work experience and contribution to the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal’s Office,
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What are they all talking about?
Nutrient credits? Carbon credits? Mitigation banking?
What’s in it for you? Ecological credits are the new currency of conservation. Even land under conservation easement retains valuable ecological rights that you can use. To use them shows you want to help the environment. In return, they provide financial reward as you contribute to cleaner air and water. Let Conservation Plus show you how you can put your land to work doing the right thing. Call now, while the idea is on your mind.
VALUING OUR NATURAL CAPITAL
Robert Banner, Senior Project Officer 4243 Jackson Street, The Plains, VA 20198 (540) 729-1335 cell, (540) 253-2509 direct, or rob@acre-investment.com
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Dolley is most famously known for being featured in a National Geographic Doggy Defenders children’s book titled “Dolley the Fire Dog,” which is sold around the world to educate children on fire safety concepts through a “day in the life” perspective.During her service with LC-CFRS, Dolley worked 126 fire scenes out of the Fire Marshal’s Office with her handler, Captain Bud Herndon. Her work has ranged from open area searches to commercial buildings and everything in between. Dolley and Captain Herndon have deployed on two National Response Team callouts and assisted federal, state, and local agencies in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. One of her more notable criminal cases was when she assisted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) with solving a 15-year arson spree that took place in two states and involved 27 fires. Dolley’s alerts helped provide the evidence needed to convict the arsonist, who is now serving a 40-year prison sentence. Unfortunately, Dolley has reached the end of her career as an accelerant detection canine and will be greatly missed by LC-CFRS and the citizens of Loudoun County. She will enjoy her retirement continuing to live with Captain Herndon and his family. She will miss the daily interactions with the citizens and guests of Loudoun County. “Ca-
nine Dolley was always eager to go to work and her presence will be missed by all that know her,” stated Fire Chief Keith Johnson. Following Dolley’s retirement on October 25, 2021, Captain Herndon started the ATF’s Accelerant Detection Canine School with LC-CFRS’s new accelerant detection canine Bali. Bali is a female yellow Labrador Retriever that was born on January 19, 2020. She was raised by the Guide Dog Foundation prior to her selection by the ATF to be trained as an accelerant detection canine. “We are excited to welcome canine Bali and see all that her handler, Captain Bud Herndon, and her will accomplish during her service to the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System and the citizens of Loudoun County.” Said Chief Johnson. Bali graduated with Captain Herndon along with seven other canines on December 3, 2021 and is now serving the citizens of Loudoun County. Bali and Captain Bud Herndon are one of only 68 ATF accelerant detection canine teams nationwide. Bali is the fifth accelerant detection canine deployed by the LC-CFRS’ Fire Marshal’s Office. The preceding canines were Nikki, Onyx, Jimmy, and Dolley. Learn more about our canine team assigned to the LC-CFRS Fire Marshal’s Office at https://www.loudoun. gov/808/Canine-Unit.
Middleburg Eccentric
• February 24, 2022 Page 11
The Ladies Board of Inova Loudoun Hospital is accepting applications for nursing school tuition assistance
T
he Scholarship Committee of The Ladies Board of Inova Loudoun Hospital is accepting applications for nursing school tuition assistance. Criteria for selection include all of the following: • Residence or work in Loudoun County • Enrollment in an accredited school of nursing. If not currently enrolled in a school of nursing, an acceptance letter is required. • Completion of one semester (nine credits) of nursing school or 30 undergraduate college credits. Funds are not available for prerequisite classes. • Academic performance: students must have at least a 3.0 cumulative average (or its equivalent). A transcript is required with the school’s name and applicant’s name. Students may be awarded only two consecutive Ladies Board scholarships. Scholarship application forms are available at Riverside Gift Shop at Inova Loudoun Hospital, the office at Loudoun Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Leesburg, Twice Is Nice Thrift Shop in Leesburg and online at ladiesboard.org/scholarships. Application deadline is Tuesday, April 9, 2022. No application will be considered if postmarked later than April 9, 2022. Incomplete applications will not be considered. The Ladies Board scholarship program was established in 1959 to award supplemental funds to worthy nursing students, and since that time The Ladies Board has offered over 1,200 scholarships, totaling over $2,000,000. Riverside Gift Shop at Inova Loudoun Hospital, Twice Is Nice Thrift Shop in Leesburg, the Lights of Love remembrance
program and the Annual Ladies Board Rummage Sale raise funds for this important project. In 2021, $62,000 was awarded to 29 students. Scholarships ranged from $1,000 to $2,500.
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Page 12 Middleburg Eccentric
Progeny
• February 24, 2022
Foxcroft School to Host Screening of “Resilient Hearts” Haitian Earthquake Documentary
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Public invited to attend Wednesday, March 16, at 7pm aitian-American director and global philanthropist Claudine Oriol will screen and discuss her captivating documentary “Resilient Hearts” at Foxcroft School on Wednesday, March 16 at 7 p.m. Highlighting the culture, history, and resilience of the Haitian people after the January
2010 earthquake, the film screening is the latest offering of the Alison Harrison Goodyear ‘29 Fellowship Program, and will be followed by a Q&A with Oriol. The public is invited to attend the event in the Engelhard Gymnasium of the Athletic/ Student Center on the School’s Middleburg campus. Admission
Middleburg ConCert SerieS PreSentS
t H e l e g e n d A r Y YAl e u n i V e r S i t Y
WHIFFENPOOFS
SuNday, MaRCH 20tH at 4PM SAlAMAnder reSort & SPA 500 n. Pendleton Street Middleburg, VA Sponsored by:
tickets available at www.eventbrite.com Masks and vaccination mandatory www.middleburgconcerts.com middleburgconcerts@gmail.com
uPCoMing
MAY 20 - MAY 22 ~ Be Local ~
is free, but seating is limited. Please email advancement@foxcroft.org to reserve your seats. Following the tragic earthquake in Haiti in 2010, Oriol was moved to write and direct the documentary “Resilient Hearts.” Having departed Port-au-Prince for New York City just one hour before the earthquake struck, she spent the next three years interviewing survivors, hearing their stories, surveying the destruction, and witnessing the strength, unity, and opportunity for her fellow Haitians to grow and rebuild as a country. In January 2014,
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the debut screening of “Resilient Hearts” took place at the United Nations among world leaders, entertainers, and professional athletes. Both personally and professionally, Oriol strives to make a lasting impact on the lives of others. In 2010, as a response to the aftermath of the earthquake, her Lespri Foundation partnered with Usher’s World Leadership Award to present a medical clinic to Mayor Jeudi of Delmas, the biggest district in Port-au-Prince. Her philanthropic endeavors in Haiti have also included work
with young children at the Delmas Juvenile Jail and she has discussed building a learning center in the Municipality of Delmas to benefit residents throughout the capital. In April 2009, she cohosted a luncheon for US Doctors for Africa (USDFA) with Pras Michel, an award-winning music artist and former member of The Fugees. In addition, Oriol was recently nominated as the Entertainment Relations Representative for the UN Millennium Development Goals with The Jack Brewer Foundation.
Middleburg Eccentric
• February 24, 2022 Page 13
Nine Students Elected to Foxcroft School Chapter of Cum Laude Society
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ive seniors and four juniors were recently elected to the Foxcroft School Chapter of the Cum Laude Society. They join
four members of the Senior Class who were named to the national high school scholastic honor society a year ago as juniors.
Seniors Virginia Bonnie (San Francisco, CA), Emma Carmichael (Lovettsville, VA), Erica Johnson (Richmond, VA), Cecelia Mould (Broad Run, VA), and Selina Xu (Beijing, China) were recently elected to the School’s Cum Laude Chapter, which is modeled on the collegiate Phi Beta Kappa. In addition, juniors Molly Catlett (Middleburg, VA), London Hershey (Hagerstown, MD), Lucy Moan (Middleburg, VA), and Helen Ventikos (Purcellville, VA) were given the special distinction of being selected during their junior year. Inducted last year, current seniors Claire Ai and Catherine Jin (Beijing, China), Caroline McLaughlan (South Riding, VA), and Xinyi Shen (Guangdong, China) will join faculty
members of the chapter to officially welcome the new members into the Society at the Cum Laude induction ceremony held during Foxcroft’s annual Awards Assembly in May. Those current faculty members are Head of School Cathy McGehee, Assistant Head of School Courtney Ulmer, STEM Teacher and Wellness Education Coordinator Dr. Meghen Tuttle (Chapter President), Athletic Director Michelle Woodruff (Chapter Secretary), Director of The Innovation Lab and History Department Chair Alex Northrup, World Language Department Chair Dr. Anne Mueller, and English Teacher and Global Studies Concentration Coordinator Dr. Lindsay O’Connor. The presence of a Cum
Laude chapter at a secondary school indicates a commitment to outstanding scholastic achievement. Students selected for induction must have superior academic records as reflected in their course load, grade point average, and other factors. They must also demonstrate a serious interest in the pursuit of knowledge and academic integrity. National guidelines limit membership to 20 percent of a senior class; up to half of those students are eligible to be elected in their junior year. The Cum Laude Society was founded in 1906 and has grown to include 382 chapters, the vast majority of which are located at independent schools in the United States. Foxcroft’s chapter was established in 1958.
Ten Foxcroft School Students Earn Prestigious Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
Four of the 16 honored works earn top regional honors and advance to the national competition.
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Vassiliki M. ’23 “Self Portrait” Ceramics
group of ten Foxcroft students created 16 outstanding works of art and writing that were recently selected for special recognition in the 2022 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards regional competition. Four students achieved the coveted Gold Key status — the highest regional designation. The “golden” artists are juniors Vassiliki M. (ceramics) and Helen V. (photography) and sophomores Claire M. (photography) and Juliana R. (photography). “Through the creative process, our students share their unique voices and perspective on the world around them, gaining important skills in confidence and self-expression,” explains Head of School Cathy McGehee. “I am proud of their accomplishments and of our expert arts faculty who support our student artists.” These Gold Key works are now being judged by a panel of noted visual and literary world leaders in New York City. The National Medalists they select will be invited to a ceremony at Carnegie Hall and their works included in a nationwide traveling exhibition. This year, students in grades 7-12 submitted more than 230,000 works of art and writing in 28 categories; advancing to the national competition is no small feat. Senior Virginia Bonnie col-
lected three of the seven Silver Keys received by Foxcroft students, one each for her painting, printmaking, and poetry submissions. Silver Keys also went to juniors Lexi Hill and Vassiliki (ceramics), and sophomores Rynn Cole (photography) and Caroline Doyle (mixed media). Honorable Mentions were earned by Virginia (critical essay), Vassiliki (ceramics), and juniors Leyla Akhundova. (mixed media) and Ryleigh Borror (photography). Established in 1923, the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards are presented by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers in partnership with more than 100 visual arts and literary arts organizations across the country. It is the nation’s largest, longest-running, most prestigious visual and literary arts program recognizing the accomplishments of students in middle and high school. Among the artistic luminaries who have served as judges are Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, Edwidge Danticat, David Sedaris, Nikki Giovanni, and Roz Chast. The list of past winners is equally impressive with Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Sylvia Plath, and filmmaker Ken Burns — as well as Foxcroft Fine Arts teacher Karin Thorndike — among the honored.
Juliana R. ’24 “Faded” Photography
Claire M. ’24 “Bird Reflections” Photography
Helen V. ’23 “Kafes” Photography
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Page 14 Middleburg Eccentric
• February 24, 2022
Fox ’s Trail Map 2022
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Must be 21 years of age to participate. Prizes are while supplies last are subject to change. Only one card per person permitted. Collect your swag bag at The Pink Box - 12 N. Madison St.
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Middleburg Eccentric
Pastimes
• February 24, 2022 Page 15
Dental Health Tips for Caregivers Middleburg Smiles
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Dr. Robert A. Gallegos
ral health is an integral part of everyone’s overall health. However, daily management of good oral hygiene is not always easy or possible for everyone. Children, as well as older and the disabled, often are not capable of good dental hygiene. In these instances, caregivers are vital in maintaining oral and overall health. Parents who model excellent oral healthcare for their children often have children with excellent oral health. Let your children
see you brushing and flossing. Let them know that you are enthused about going to the dentist for your regular checkups. Show your children how to brush and floss, and go with them to their dental visits to learn more about your role as their primary oral health caregiver—model to them how satisfying it is to have clean, healthy teeth and gums. Older and disabled patients often need caregivers. Caregivers may monitor or assist the patient with their daily oral hygiene based on the patient’s needs. It is vital that the caregiver who assists in daily oral hygiene also attend the patient’s dental visits.
During the dental visits, the dentist or dental hygienist will point out areas of concern, instruct the caregiver in the proper delivery of oral care, and suggest the best tools for accomplishing healthy goals. Toothbrush selection is significant. There are many options to choose from: electric or manual, small or large head, long or short handle, thin or fat handle, hard or soft bristles, etc. Here are some guidelines when choosing a toothbrush. Studies have shown that people better clean with an electric toothbrush. Many different electric toothbrushes are available, and some are better
than others. For individuals who cannot tolerate the vibration of the electric toothbrush, a manual brush is needed. Always use soft bristles and choose a comfortable handle length (small hands short handle, adult hands regular length handle, arthritic hands fat handle with always a smaller head brush, so it is easy to maneuver in the mouth). Ask your dentist or dental hygienist for their recommendation based on the patient’s and caregiver’s needs. Caregivers should oversee or assist in brushing fluoride toothpaste at least twice daily and flossing (or interdental brush) at least once daily. The morning brush should be after eating, and the evening brush should be just before bed. This timing is critical to remove food and sugars from the teeth, especially before bed. The less time food and sugar reside on the teeth. The less likely the patient is to have decay and gum disease. When it comes to cleaning between teeth with string floss, water flosser, or interdental brushes, the caregiver, in consultation with the dentist or dental hygienist, has to decide what can be accomplished. If the patient can do a thorough job cleaning between their teeth, with some caregiver oversite, this would be ideal. However, if the patient cannot perform this task, the caregiver can clean using regular floss or a floss holder. If floss is not possible, interdental brushes dipped in
toothpaste are an excellent way to clean between teeth and deliver some fluoride. Water flossers may be difficult and messy for patients needing a caregiver. Oral caregiving is an essential part of overall healthcare for children, elderly adults, and patients with disabilities. The caregiver needs to learn the proper techniques and tools for caregiving. The dentist and dental hygienist can show you how to accomplish this and discuss the tools required. Thank you to all of our dedicated caregivers.. Dr. Robert A. Gallegos is a Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry, visiting faculty at Spear Education, alumnus of Pankey Institute, Qualified Invisalign provider, member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and the American Dental Association. Dr. Gallegos practices dentistry in Middleburg, VA. www.MiddleburgSmiles.com
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Page 16 Middleburg Eccentric
Pastimes
• February 24, 2022
Relaxation 101 Fitness Pro
Kay Colgan Ace Certified Fitness and Pilates instructor
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re you overwhelmed by the stresses of life? Maybe it’s health issues that have you stressed. Or relationship issues that you can’t even begin to try to figure out how to get on the
same path. Possibly it’s the ongoing cable news and social media that continue to let us know all the bad things happening on an around-the-clock basis. Being informed is good, but too much information can leave you stressed to the max. Relaxation techniques are used to quiet the mind, but the bonus is it creates a stable, relaxed state through-
out your body, A technique that has been used for decades is progressive relaxation. Mindful breathing, tensing, and letting go are the premise of this technique. To start, turn off the lights lie down in a comfortable position— some like a pillow under their knees. Inhale through the nose
and exhale through the mouth slowly for two breaths. On the third breath, tighten your shoulders and neck as you inhale. As you exhale, relax the shoulders and neck. You are slowly staying in the moment repeat three times. Then inhale and tighten your arms and hands. As you exhale, relax the arms and hands. Repeat three times slowly and
tion). I started thinking maybe I was done with Spotify. I have been a Spotify power user for many years, maxing out over 60,000 listening minutes which Spotify reports annually. I have created dozens of playlists; I like the social media side of it--I like seeing what my Spotify friends are playing. I was not ready to dump something I was so comfortable with. But as the controversy came to a crescendo, I figured I should at least look at the alternatives. I had tried Apple Music twice in the past, and while the selection of music was solid, I was never keen on the interface, causing me to drop the service after both tries. I had a similar experience with Amazon Music. I have a subscription to NugsNet, which I like, but that is all live music, not the same as the other services. I had heard of high-fidelity services in the past. They have higher bitrates that give you incredible sound. Tidal is one of those services, so I pulled up their website and checked it out. Looked a lot like Spotify with a similar interface and music selection. They have a few levels of bitrate--their basic is like the others at a measly 160KBPS, but their midrange goes up to 1411 KBPS--which
provides lossless cd quality (that’s really good). Their HiFi Plus gives you up to 9600kbps, which provides Master Quality audio and other proprietary formats like Dolby Atmos and Sony 360 Reality Audio (you pay more for this). I put on Steely Dan’s Aja, a great music set to test the sound quality. The great Chuck Rainey’s bass riff kicked in, and then Donald Fagen sang:
mindfully. Inhale again and tighten your abdominals and lower back. As you slowly exhale, release the abdominals and low back. Repeat three times, staying with the breath, and at the moment, Take another deep breath and tense your glutes and upper thighs. Release the breath slowly and relax your glutes and upper thighs. Again repeat three times slowly. Inhale and tighten the muscles in your lower leg and pull your feet towards you in a flexed position. Slowly exhale and let your lower leg relax as you let your feet relax. Mindfully repeat this three times. Finally, take a few deep breaths and not tighten any muscles. A feeling of relaxation will come over you. With consistency, you will feel a sense of calm throughout your body. I don’t always have time to lie down to do the above. But I’ve done this sitting with eyes closed. The point is once you realize that you have the power to slow and relax your body, you can do it anyplace. Life happens good and not so good. Having the tools to quiet your mind and body is paramount to handling what life throws at you. Here’s to a new year of quieting our minds and relaxing our bodies. For more information about health and fitness, don’t hesitate to contact Kay Colgan at Middleburg Pilates, 14 S Madison Street, Middleburg, Virginia, or call 540-687-6995.
The Dilemma In Unison
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Steve Chase
have talked a lot about Spotify over the years; I rely on this music streaming service for a lot of my musical consumption. But I never paid attention when Joe Rogan was hired for a reported 200 million dollars and never listened to him on Spotify. For those who don’t know, the Joe Rogan Experience is the top podcast on the planet, with millions of daily listeners. A friend of mine who has another podcast on Spotify had once gone on Rogan’s show. They discussed a wide range of issues, including gun control, and he was still getting nasty emails about his opinions from Rogan listeners months after his appearance. I started hearing about a controversy after Rogan had some quack doctor who questioned whether SARS-Cov-2 was real and who pushed therapies that most medical professionals called ineffective or dangerous. Rogan seemed to be on the bandwagon with this guy, which only made him look worse to most folks who take the virus seriously. People started to ask why Spotify allowed misinformation about SARS-Cov-2 on their service. Then one morning,
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the headlines scream that Neil Young has pulled his music off Spotify, and others soon followed him--Joni Mitchell, Crosby Stills, Nash, Nils Lofgren, to name a few. They all referred to Rogan’s apparent disregard for science for making the moves, and Rogan didn’t help himself when he stated he liked Joni Mitchell, especially her tune Chuck E’s in Love, which Rickie Lee Jones recorded. The hashtags began to appear-#ditchspotify, #spotifysucks-you name it, there was a hashtag. This lasted a week before Spotify CEO Daniel Ek made a statement showing some support for Young and the others. Rogan gave what sounded like heartfelt apologies, and then Spotify removed over 100 Rogan shows that had “questionable” content. I then started reading pieces on Spotify, In the New Yorker (https://www. newyorker.com/culture/culturalcomment/imagine-a-world-without-spotify), and on an obscure Substack that reminded me that Spotify’s business model treats music as an essentially worthless commodity that can be monetized if you don’t mind screwing the artists out of money they deserve. (https://dadadrummer.substack. com/p/spotify-is-misinforma-
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“In the corner of my eye I saw you in Rudy’s You were very high You were high It was a cryin’ disgrace They saw your face “ It sounded excellent. I could hear every tap on the cymbals, every snap on the snare drum, discriminate between the brass instruments, Tom Scott’s sax solo was perfect, and Fagen’s voice was so crisp. This was selling me quickly on Tidal. But I was in Unison, where the Internet can be sketchy. On the next tune, Aja, with probably the greatest rock drum solo in history played by Steve Gadd, augmented
by the great saxophonist Wayne Shorter, the music stopped...it was buffering. Oh, oh, maybe Tidal was only good if you have a solid Internet connection? The music came back on, and I listened to Gadd’s second incredible solo that closes the tune. Damn, it sounded good. So I stepped into Tidal. Their family plan is about $15 a month for five connections, not bad. I have been playing it for two weeks now, and 95% of the time, it works great. I figure I’ll make a final decision on whether to dump Spotify. I will make that decision based on how the music sounds, how it integrates into my home music systems, and how the platform treats its artists. I don’t care about the Joe Rogan’s crap. I’ll let you know how it goes. If you are wondering if your Spotify is still right for you, there is a chart on Wikipedia that provides you with a list of streaming services and the features that they offer. It’s a good place to start. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Comparison_of_music_streaming_services/22 . Steve Chase is playing his HiFi music loud in Unison.
Middleburg Eccentric
• February 24, 2022 Page 17
Girl Code Sincerely me
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Brandy Greenwell
t times, women can be seriously catty individuals. Remember the movie “Mean Girls?” I wish that script was all Hollywood, but in reality, there is no woman I know who hasn’t been the target of some sort of bitchy alpha moment among her
female counterparts. Ladies, we don’t need to be BFFs with everyone, but we need to stick together. Help a sister out instead of tearing her down; we need to look out for each other. Always let your friend know when there is a “bat in the cave .”No one wants to walk around with a booger hanging out of her
nose. The same goes for lipstick on the teeth, run-away mascara, and leftovers in between your grill. A true friend is always honest about outfit checks. Before going out, if the genuine answer to the “Do I look ok in this?” question is “No,” be honest with your pal and help them find an
alternative. If they are already out in a poorly chosen ensemble, the answer is “You look fabulous,” as you don’t want to deflate a friend when nothing can be done. Just give her a confidence boost and let her inner light shine. This is where the karma Gods could really mess with you the next time you want to dress to impress. Bathroom blunders. Please pass the TP under the stall when requested, share an extra feminine hygiene product to a stained sister, stop the white trailing train stuck underfoot, and always, always let your stall mate know if she has her ensemble tucked into her knickers before she struts her wardrobe malfunction in public. It’s common courtesy. Don’t body shame. Ever. Anyone with an ovary knows there will inevitably be a point where your weight swings like a pendulum. You never know what someone has gone through to change the scale number or size. It often may not be what you think, and it is never appropriate to judge based on size. We are all beautiful.
Ladies, keep your mitts off of OPP. Men can sometimes be the predators here but step back if you find out they are married or taken. If you are a single lady who intentionally seeks married men, remember what goes around comes around when someone eventually puts a ring on your finger. Rumors. Don’t start them. Don’t spread them. As much as we think our divine inner Goddess is flawless, I assure you a mistake will be made at some point. Apologize. It takes a strong, genuine woman to say she’s sorry and admit fault. Listen, accept and forgive if appropriate.
Things are Looking Up! Around the Town
I
Hazel Sweitzer
t seems, cautiously, we can say things may be looking up as far as Covid is concerned in our world. Tom reminds me that we must be grateful every day and be ready for surprises, and not always good surprises. It has been a long two years for humans and for us dogs, and it seems maybe life is finally turning the corner. This does not mean Covid will be gone, or life will go back to an exact pre-pandemic structure. Tom and I have been balancing between bad news and good news recently. We have many friends recently who have been diagnosed with cancer or people who have lost their loved ones due to suicide or accidents. Very sad. But lately, we have been to concerts and theaters and have seen old friends and traveled safely. Tom has also begun to make plans for theater productions and travel. Planning makes Tom feel good and in control like many of you humans. All of this makes us feel hope. The world has finally seemed to begin to open up a little, and that feels like the sun coming out after a long storm or a scrap of food finally dropping for a Thanksgiving table. It is true. The isolation has made all of us feel trapped, sort of like being inside of a cage. Be-
lieve me, I understand that feeling. Ten years ago, when I lived in a cage before the Middleburg Humane Society humans found me and Tom adopted me, I felt isolated and trapped. No hope. That time in my life was my “Pandemic.” To be taken away from the human I loved and not being able to leave my cage and to have limited stimulation sent me into a dark place, I confess. I think this is what humans must have felt during these last two years. Some days were hard to wake up to. I had to tell myself every morning that there was a reason I was waking. And lo and behold, after a few months, I was saved and then adopted. I never want to go back to those “cage” days, and I am confident that must be how most of you feel about this pandemic. It’s hard to balance out the good and the bad, honestly, but it seems there has been a new baseline for both good and bad news in this new world, and that has to do with our expectations being manipulated throughout the pandemic. Just when we thought things were getting better, we were told things were about to get worse. This makes it hard to trust the good and believe in the future. Even for dogs, this time has been confusing and disap-
pointing. I missed seeing our house full of people and traveling to faraway places. Tom made a list of all the good things that happened during the pandemic to look back in time and see the positive that happened to him during one of the scariest times in history. I think we should be ready for the good and prepared for the bad but expect the good and try to make good for ourselves and other people. We know now what it feels like to have a different kind of universal loss. Every human
and every animal experienced the same thing. We were all scared and uncertain about what tomorrow might bring. We are not ever going to go back to the way things were, and in many ways, I think this happened to heighten our gratefulness in life. Humans needed a wake-up call. I am sorry to say that to you, but it’s true. You needed to be reminded of how fragile and precious life really is, including nature, friends, gathering, art, music, animals, tiny beautiful things, and most of all, freedom. Let’s all put out
some hope into the universe, and hope this time is the beginning of a more thoughtful, appreciative, and joyful life for all of us.
Is the COVID-19 Vaccine Safe for My Child? Let’s Talk Facts: The Pfizer vaccine has received emergency approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for children’s use. The other companies are also testing vaccines for children.
What Does this Mean?
The COVID vaccine is going through the same approval process as other vaccines your children get – like measles, polio, and the flu shot. The FDA provides the most rigorous safety testing in the world. And after full approval, vaccine safety monitoring continues, so you can be sure the vaccine is safe. If you have questions, talk to your pediatrician and visit www.StayWellNoVa.com to learn more.
Protect Yourself and Your Family!
Schedule your COVID – and flu – vaccines today. Dr. Warren S. Levy, MD, FACC President & Chief Medical Officer Virginia Heart
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Page 18 Middleburg Eccentric
Pastimes
• February 24, 2022
Mango and Black Bean Salad The Kitchen Philosophy - www.thekitchenphilosophy.com
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Emily Tyler
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1 mango, diced 1 pint cherry tomatoes cut in half 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained ½ cup cilantro leaves 2 teaspoon lime juice 2 tablespoon avocado oil ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon honey In a large bowl, toss together all of the above ingredients and serve
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Middleburg Eccentric
• February 24, 2022 Page 19
Let’s Go Racing! Horse-Crazy
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Lauren R. Giannini
he shorter month of February is highlighted by teasing glimpses of spring when brief periods of warmth encourage green shoots, which enliven the wintry landscape with promises of daffodils. On March 5, the Virginia Point-to-point season goes under starter’s orders at Rappahannock Hunt (see links at end). Last month’s “Horse-Crazy: Let’s Go Racing!” is online with tips on everything from tailgate food to what to wear. This month’s Horse-Crazy is about chasing dreams and making goals, about the importance of hope and not giving up. Books and movies with horsey themes continue to inspire and motivate me and my bucket list involves my passions for writing and horses. Crazy about racing, I was 11 or 12 when I read “National Velvet” by Enid Bagnold, first published in 1935. About a young girl and The Piebald, a horse she won in a raffle after seeing him jump a five-foot fence to get out of his field. Her dream is to compete in one of the world’s most exciting and historical jump races: the Grand National Steeplechase at Aintree Racecouse, Liverpool, England. I wasn’t the only kid, then or now, who wanted to be Velvet. In the early 1960s I watched “National Velvet” on television. The 1944 color movie, starring two young Hollywood legends, Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney, totally captivated me. My dreams of equestrian glory got all fired up. No internet back then, but reading was a passport
to where I wanted to be and we had publications like Chronicle of the Horse, which is how I fell in love with Virginia, which really is for (horse) lovers. Of course, it was love at first read with the late, great Dick Francis when my mother handed me her latest volume of Reader’s Digest Condensed Books with a horseracing mystery by Dick Francis. It came as no surprise that Dick credits working with his wife, Mary Francis, for their success. He was a clever fellow and stated in an interview that Mary and their families addressed him as Richard so he figured Dick Francis stood for Mary and himself. Their unique collaboration produced some of the best horse fiction ever. As jockey to the Queen, Francis certainly encountered many characters and their schemes. It helps to write what you know and they did research for each book. Mary became skilled at photography, earned her pilot’s license and ran an air taxi service, even delved into computer programming. She edited each manuscript. The result is that each original Dick Francis mystery is a gripping armchair adventure with great characters, good and evil, set in the vivid world of racing in England and around the world. Dick and Mary Francis created really cool protagonists who served as narrator. Readers were privy to their thoughts and emotions, could see into their heads and hearts. The main characters were human, yet managed to overcome “feet of clay” even as they faced incredible risk. There were romances, but no graphic sex. You can always count on a
Dramatic start of 2004 Grand National at Aintree -- Photo by Lauren R Giannin
Dick Francis protagonist to gallop in and save the day – even those who couldn’t ride. The world needs more of these heroic individuals who refuse to give up in the quest for truth and justice. “Blind Beauty” (published in 1999) joins the long list of terrific fiction about horses by British author, K.M. Peyton, one of my all-time favorite storytellers. She writes in an amazing voice, with great clarity whatever her topic. “Blind Beauty” involves a young Irish girl, Tessa, who finds her heart and salvation when she meets up with Buffoon, an Irishbred Thoroughbred racehorse with a link to her troubled childhood. No female jockey in real life had won Aintree’s Grand National, but Tessa finds salvation in hopes and dreams fueled by her incredible belief in Buffoon. She convinces the horse that he is a winner. The story touches heart and soul – it’s moving, gritty, and very real with all the highs and lows of life lived with horses. It’s a sporting classic, love story, and tribute to all equines – for their immense heart, healing power, and schoolmaster ability to teach profound lessons about life and everything… Out of print, but hardbound and paperback available; links at end. The point is that kids of all ages need hopes and dreams, goals and purpose. I love writing about horses and racing. It’s a win-win for me, because I’m still working on new chapters in life and in art, still crazy about horses. The point of this column is the progress and success female riders have achieved at the top of sports and disciplines, especially steeplechasing.
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The first Grand National ran in 1939. Female jockeys weren’t allowed to enter the Grand National until 1975’s Sex Discrimination Act. The first female jockey started in 1977, but didn’t finish—like many contenders, whatever their gender, since the first Grand National ran in 1839. The Grand National is the top tier of British jump racing, and every jockey knows that to finish the Grand National is an accomplishment, but to win is career-changing. Winning, after all, is the hope and goal of every jump jockey, whose day at the office involves keeping that dream alive while jostling for position going full tilt boogie in a field of 40 Thoroughbreds. Anything can and often does happen. Last April, almost one year ago, history was made when Irish jockey superstar Rachael Blackmore piloted Minella Times to victory in the Grand National by six and a half lengths. She had watched this British classic as a child on Saturday when the featured finale of the three-day festival is televised. That’s how a dream began for the daughter of a dairy farmer and schoolteacher in County Tipperary, Ireland. Blackmore’s parents encouraged her and provided ponies. She participated in pony club, foxhunting and pony racing, but no one ever dreamed that Rachael would grow up to be an amateur jump jockey. She earned her college degree and, totally focused on her dream, turned professional in 2015, hoping it would lead to more rides and better horses. It turned out to be the right decision. Blackmore, now 31, became the first female to partner a win-
ner of the Champion Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Across the four days of the meet, Blackmore recorded six victories to make history as the first female to win leading jockey at Cheltenham. She became the face of British and Irish horseracing three weeks before she arrived at Aintree for the 2021 Grand National. Blackmore is only the 20th female to compete in this British classic. In 2012, Katie Walsh, sister of retired champion jockey, Ruby Walsh, both Irish, finished third, the best finish by a female rider and the first female to make a top three placing. Blackmore’s first ride in the Grand National in 2018 ended when Alpha des Obeaux (33-1) fell at the Chair (#15), and she finished tenth with Valseur Lido (66-1) in her second start. When the pandemic cancelled the 2020 Grand National in which Blackmore was named as jockey for Burrows Saint, the British classic turned into a virtual event online. Last year, the 173rd Grand National ran without the usual 70,000-strong crowd. Minella Times (11-1) and Blackmore moved carefully through the inevitable scrimmage, jumping 30 fences over four and a half miles. A thinking, gifted rider, Blackmore credits trainer Henry de Bromhead for having plenty of horse when she made her move. Videos are on youtube. Here’s hoping Rachael Blackmore inspires new generations of riders to reach for the stars while chasing all sorts of dreams.
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Page 20 Middleburg Eccentric
• February 24, 2022
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Middleburg Eccentric
• February 24, 2022 Page 21
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Page 22 Middleburg Eccentric
• February 24, 2022
Opinion - Letters@middleburgeccentric.com
RESPECT John P. Flannery
In 1926, Carter G. Woodson
initiated the first “Negro History Week,” commencing the week of February 7 to celebrate and raise awareness of Black history. In 1976, according to Texas A&M University Afro-American history professor Albert Broussard, this turned into a month-long celebration, renamed Black History Month. Black History Month is celebrated in February in sync with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas in the second week of the month. Lincoln was influential in the emancipation of slaves, and Douglass, a former slave, was a prominent leader in the abolitionist movement which fought to end slavery. It is discouraging this year that some teachers claim not to have the time to teach about black history. The nation is suffering an undignified movement when we’ve breached the original promise of our declaration of independence – that we are all equal. The most egregious loss in our nation has to do with the loss of respect for persons of color. Respect is the mutual appreciation of the worth, of
the virtue, of the character, of another. Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul,” sang in a glorious voice, the notes climbing to the heavens, a demand for a “little respect,” “just a little bit,” “whip it to me,” she sang, “sock it to me,” she cried out, holding her arms wide, as if to embrace everyone within sight, unable to stand still, moving, always moving, as she sang. Aretha spelled out loud and clear what she wanted, so there could be no doubt, R-E-S-P-EC-T, imploring everyone to know and understand, “what it means to me.” Aretha looked out “on the morning rain” and felt so “uninspired” and so “tired,” felt her soul “in the lost and found” until she found her way to be “a natural woman,” and thus inspired other women to find what may have seemed lost to them. George Washington, as a young man, wrote rules of “civility and decent behavior,” and his first rule was that “every action done in company ought to be with some sign of respect for those that are present.” Aretha gave voice to that “decent behavior.” We are all too aware today that
Letter from The Plains Anthony Wells
As 2022 enters the end of its second month one question that is uppermost in the minds of those who care about our country’s international relations, and particularly those with our oldest trusted allies, is should we endeavor to expand the traditional Five Eyes Intelligence Community relationships? The latter comprises the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The Five Eyes have been joined since Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill formed the “Special Relationship” at the height of the Nazi invasion of Western Europe, and before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The relationship and exchanges of crucial war winning intelligence between Bletchley Park in the UK (the Enigma data) and the Office of Naval Intelligence in the US ( the US Magic data) was the precursor to the Five Eyes as the UK brought its three Dominions, later fully independent nations, into the Special Relationship. All this endures to this day and I am proud to be one of the longest serving and oldest members of the Five Eyes community. I attended a gathering of the community on board HMS Victory (Nelsons’ Flagship) in Portsmouth Harbor in the UK on October 14 last year. Personal relationships and the bonds of
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cooperation and exchanges are as strong and reliable as they were at the height of World War Two and the Cold War. My mentors in the 1960s, like Sir Harry Hinsley, Sir John Masterman, and Lord Blackett, would be as proud today of the current members of this extraordinary Community as they were when final victory was achieved over Nazi Germany and Japan. Relationships have endured and bonds are unbroken. As China, Putin’s Russia, Iran, North Korea, the Taliban, Al Qaida, particularly in Africa, and countless other international terrorist organizations, extremists, including white supremacists, and cyber/hackers threaten our peaceful way of life, we have to ask “Is Five Enough?” What does it take to counter all of the above and avoid, for example, a Putin led and inspired attack on a sovereign independent nation, the Ukraine? Changes are occurring, and I have been asked in various interviews and Podcasts, should the Five expand its relationships? The QUAD was formed as a result of the growing challenges from China, particularly in the maritime domain. This consists of the United States, Australia, Japan, and most significantly, India. The QUAD is not an Asian alternative to the Five Eyes or any way supplanting the Five Eyes historic roles and intelligence operations, analysis, and overall collaboration. It is
this virtue, to respect each other, needs to be refreshed. Aretha toured with her father, C.L. Franklin, a Baptist minister, who preached social justice from his pulpit at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit. Aretha arrived in Detroit, the Motor City, when she was 2 years old. Rev. Franklin organized the 1963 Detroit Walk to Freedom, the largest demonstration in the United States before the March on Washington. When Aretha wasn’t singing in her Dad’s choir, she traveled with him to churches through the South. Aretha remembered in an NPR interview, how, in their travels, they ‘were asked to go to the back of the restaurant.” In February 1960, in Greensboro, North Carolina, four African American college students sat down at a Woolworth whites-only lunch counter, to protest segregation, were refused service, and, when asked to leave, they remained in their seats, demanding respect. The National Museum of American History has a display of the original seats from that whites-only Woolworth lunch counter. In the black and white
picture memorializing these four courageous young men on one side of the counter, there is a young black man on the other side. He is wearing a cook’s uniform, an apron and hat. This young man’s head is slightly bowed, perhaps because he’s humiliated at the manifest contrast, feeling the terrible disrespect, how he’s expected to serve whites but not be served himself. One of those sit-in students said, “Fifteen seconds after I sat on the stool, I had the most wonderful feeling. I had a feeling of liberation, restored manhood; I had a natural high. And I truly felt almost invincible.” He said an older white woman came up behind him, and whispered, “I’m so proud of you.” A case of random respect. It was one of those protests that changed the history of America for the better. Aretha had it in her performance contracts -- she would not perform for any segregated audiences. Aretha followed in her Dad’s footsteps. She helped Martin Luther King however she could, to make payroll, to put gas in the vans,
to perform 11 concerts and give the gate to “the cause,” to house activists, and to host gatherings at her home. In 1970, Angela Davis was prosecuted as a terrorist, and Aretha reportedly posted Davis’ bail; ultimately Ms. Davis not only showed up as required by the terms of her bail, but she was acquitted of any wrongdoing. When Franklin recorded “Respect” on Valentine’s Day 1967, it came after some respect had finally been achieved, after segregation had been outlawed, and voting rights better protected in the Deep South. Andrew Young, a “lieutenant” to Martin Luther King, said, “Her songs were songs of the movement” and “the movement was about respect.” Aretha worked to replace what was hard and hateful with what was helpful and loving. We could use more of that respect she sang about today – indeed how can we move forward if we don’t. Aretha has passed from the stage, from this life, but she’s still with us, in song and memory, and we could best honor her memory by working on our respect for each other.
a critical adjunct, where on a need to know basis the United States and Australia not only share intelligence with Japan and India they conduct significant joint maritime operations on a regular basis. India has become critical in the region, from the east African coast to the Malacca Straits. The sale and support to India by the United States of the Poseidon P-8 anti-submarine and maritime reconnaissance aircraft is indicative of the burgeoning relationship of the US with India. The latter is a critical counter to China, not just on land in its border regions but also across the broad reaches of the Indian Ocean. The strategically valuable Indian islands across the Indian Ocean provide not just important staging and refueling bases, but also listening posts. Similarly Japan provides valuable shared intelligence, provided for example by its highly capable submarines. The “Five Power Defence Agreement” (FPDA) between the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Singapore was signed in 1971 and is a series of bilateral defence arrangements established by a series of multilateral agreements whereby the five powers are to consult each other immediately that there is a threat of armed attack on Malaysia or Singapore. The Agreement provides for deciding what measures should be taken either jointly or separately in response. There
is no specific commitment to intervene militarily. Enforcement of each country’s Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) is not included, though each state may request the support of the other states in protecting and enforcing their EEZ. There is an annual Defence Chiefs’ Conference hosted by either Malaysia or Singapore and a Five Powers Ministerial Meeting. The FPDA celebrated its 50th anniversary on October 18, 2021. Both Australia and the United Kingdom maintain personnel and facilities in Malaysia and Singapore. The Royal Malaysian Air Force Base at Butterworth in Penang is a key hub. On the question of admission to the Five Eyes of India and Japan my response has been this is not necessary as intelligence is shared on not just a “needto-know” basis, also on a quid pro quo basis where both India and Japan provide valuable intelligence in return for intelligence from the Five Eyes that is individually relevant to their particular strategic and operational needs. Sharing across the board multiple sources and methods of Five Eyes intelligence is simply not only unnecessary because it is not relevant to their needs, it also exposes extremely sensitive material to two nations that have not the same counter intelligence institutions and controls that have been developed and are vital for preserving highly sensitive
sources and methods between the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Cooperation between the Five Eyes and Japan and India is vital in the threat world of the 2020s and beyond. Similarly in Europe NATO receives on a need-to-know basis various intelligence inputs from the Five Eyes. Each of the Five Eyes have reciprocal relations with other non Five Eyes nations for intelligence collection and exchange, again very much on a quid quo basis. For example, historically the United States had a strong relationship with the Israeli MOSSAD based on data coming from Jewish immigrants leaving the Soviet Union for a new life in Israel. The other four nations have their sets of one-onone relationships. We will continue this discussion next month as events in the Ukraine dominate our concerns, reinforcing the necessity for the United States to review its intelligence interests in light of Russian aggression and Chinese global challenges. Editor’s Note: Dr. Anthony Wells is the author of “Between Five Eyes”, published in Oxford, UK, and the United States by Casemate Publishers, with a Foreword by Admiral The Lord West of Spithead, GCB, DSC, PC.
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Middleburg Eccentric
• February 24, 2022 Page 23
At the pharmer’s market, patients suffer while middlemen profit Sally C. Pipes
Imagine a visit to the local farmer’s market. When you’re about to pay the farmer for some fruit, a man in a suit and sunglasses interrupts the exchange and offers to negotiate a discount with the farmer. Cool, right? Not so fast. The man in the suit didn’t tell you who the discount was for. He gets the fruit for less, to be sure, but sells it on to you for the original price. He keeps the difference between his purchase price and yours. You’ve received no benefit -- and the farmer received far less than the price he’d listed.
Oh, to be that man in the suit! Of course, that’s not your typical farmer’s market exchange. But that is how prescription drug sales work. And the suited man is called a pharmacy benefit manager. PBMs serve as go-betweens for drug manufacturers and insurers, helping the latter design prescription drug plans and negotiate prices. PBMs secure considerable rebates, discounts, and other payments from pharmaceutical companies. A recent report from the Berkeley Research Group found that the majority of drug spending isn’t going to the firms that develop and manufacture
those drugs. Rather, it’s going to entities within the supply chain like PBMs, hospitals, and health plans. There’s also evidence that middlemen are the primary reason that spending on prescription drugs is going up. Between 2019 and 2020, total gross spending on branded medications increased 6.4% -- some $31 billion. Payers including plan sponsors, insurers, the government, and PBMs received 35% of that increase -- the largest share of any player in the market. Altogether, these entities received over $140 billion in brand-medicine spending in the form of discounts,
rebates, and other payments from pharmaceutical companies that were intended to lower the cost of drugs. Sharing discounts directly with patients could save between $145 and $800 per patient annually. If all rebates were shared at the point of sale, patients could save $57 billion over 10 years. Yet those savings rarely make their way to individuals at the pharmacy counter. Even as overall drug spending rises and middlemen rake in cash, millions of Americans can’t afford their prescription medicines. This is proof of a broken system. But it need not be. PBMs must be held
accountable for their role in prescription drug spending. Lawmakers can consider requiring that prescription drug rebates be shared with patients at the point of sale. Employers can demand that their insurers and the PBMs with whom they work rebate the discounts they secure to their beneficiaries at the pharmacy counter. Ultimately, the stakes in this “pharmer’s” market are more than your weekly produce -- they can dictate whether someone is able to access medication. In other words, this market dysfunction is a matter of life and death.
Episcopal Church in Upperville, VA. Gravesite interment will be held at 11a.m.with a memorial service immediately following in the church. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations
may be made to the Trinity Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 127, Upperville, VA 20185 (540-5923343). Condolences or memories may be shared at www.roystonfh. com.
Obituaries
T
Eura Lee (Hudgins) Lewis he Honorable Eura Lee Hudgins Lewis, 92, of Middleburg, VA, passed away January 25, 2022. She was born on March 27, 1929, and was preceded in death by her husband, Carl E. Lewis and her daughter, Carla L. Gregory. Eura was a dedicated servant of the Lord and a true public servant, who extended her wisdom, gifts and Christian walk across the state and nation. As a faithful member of Mt. Olive Baptist Church Rectortown since 1962, she was Sunday School Superintendent; Adult Class Teacher; Missionary Ministry Treasurer; Intercessory Prayer Leader; Chair or member of the Appreciation Banquets, Church Anniversaries, Family and Friends Day Services, Homecomings, the Pastor’s Aid Club, Baptist Training Union, Senior Choir, Prayer Meeting and Bible Study; Chair of the Deaconess Board; and Mother
M
of the Church. Eura was a member of the Baptist General Convention of Virginia; Lott Carey Baptist Foreign Mission Society, Inc.; Executive Board of the Northern Virginia Baptist Association (NVBA); the NVBA Commission on Christian Education and Women’s Ministry; Vice Moderator of Northern VA Sunday School Union; and member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Eura championed community involvement. Her slogan was “Making a Difference,” and everything she was involved in centered on her slogan. She retired after teaching for 40 years in Fauquier County Public Schools, was treasurer of the Fauquier County Retired Teachers Association, elected and served on the Town Council of Middleburg for 12 years. Eura also served on the Middleburg
Board of Zoning Appeals, Middleburg Library Advisory Board, Windy Hill Foundation Board, Pink Box Docent Tourist Committee, Middleburg Christmas Parade Committee, and Bluemont Community Activities. She was the Founder of the Windy Hill Family Development and Tutoring Class and Founder and President Emeritus of the Middleburg Museum. She is survived by a daughter, Merley L. Lewis, Clinton, MD; three granddaughters: Adriene L. Gregory, Rachel G. Ledbetter (Titus), Christina Gregory; three great-grandchildren; son-inlaw, The Honorable Roger L. Gregory (Velda); sister, Julia Marie Brown; three sisters in law: Jennie Hudgins, Juanita Hudgins, Katie Wines; and a host of loving nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends.
Marylin Goss Triplett Bigelow arylin Goss Triplett Bigelow, 88, passed away peacefully at home in Haymarket, VA on February 4, 2022. She was born May 22, 1933 in North Vernon, Indiana. She led a full life, and family and friends will miss her beautiful smile, outgoing personality, and positive attitude. Her travels began when she met and married Capt. Ellsworth C. Triplett in 1951, and their son Scott was born in 1954. They lived in Tucson, Arizona, where her husband started a law practice, and she worked for the government in Air Force procurement. In 1962 they moved to Washington D.C., where she worked first in the Pentagon and later at the General Motors corporate office in government relations. They divorced in 1965, and she became administrator for Railway Labor Executives
Association. She married Kenneth “Biggie” Bigelow in 1968, and they mostly lived in the Washington D.C. suburb of Chevy Chase. She was very active in local charities and was chairperson of the International Eye Ball fundraiser. Her love of antiques found an outlet in her store, “Last Touch”, which she owned in Bethesda, MD. She also managed a gift shop called “Vignettes”. They moved to Middleburg, VA in 1991, and her husband died in 1996 from Parkinson’s disease complications. She moved to Haymarket, VA in 2009 and was last employed at Tully Rector in Middleburg. She was an active member of Trinity Episcopal Church, Upperville Garden Club, and Loudoun Hospital Gala Committee. Her creativity and gift for decorating put a special touch on all her endeavors.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 28 years, Kenneth Bigelow, her parents Harry and Ida Goss, and two brothers, Jerry and Joe Goss. Marylin is survived by her son Scott Triplett of Haymarket, VA; granddaughter, Elizabeth (Aaron) Pugh of Eagle River, Alaska; sisters, Jane (Larry) Hand of Lafayette, IN, Susan (Richard) DeVore of Stockton, NJ; five great grandchildren, Marissa, Serena, and Brianna Hayes, Sarah and John Harlow Pugh; niece Carole (Robert) Hill; nephews Joel (Bridget) Hand, Justin (Maria) DeVore, and Andrew DeVore; great nieces, Lauren Hand and Ella DeVore; great nephews, Nathan, Andrew, Landon, and Carson Hill, and Luke DeVore. A celebration of life will be held Saturday, May 7, at Trinity
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Page 24 Middleburg Eccentric
• February 24, 2022
110 E. Washington St. | P.O. Box 1380 | Middleburg, VA 20118 | 540.687.5588 | sheridanmacmahon.com
ALL’S WELL FARM MArSHALL, VIrgINIA
Prime Fauquier County location on the Atoka road | 88.34 acres with bold Blue ridge views | Neoclassical brick home with slate roof completely updated & expanded | 5 BR, 5 full, 2 half baths, 5 fireplaces, gourmet kitchen | 10 stall barn with attached indoor arena | Pool, pool house, tenant house | Beautiful gardens | Superb condition
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50 WEST VINEYARDS MIDDLEBUrg, VIrgINIA
Existing farm winery established in 2015 | 38.47 acres recorded in two parcels | Hilltop setting with magnificent views | 2,500 sq ft wine tasting room, main level consists of tasting room, seating areas, kitchen, restrooms | 2nd story more seating areas & bathroom | Club House of 5,100 sq ft contemporary style, wine tasting bar, seating areas, bathrooms, large deck, terrace & pool | 40 x 60 Butler building, large parking area | Unique opportunity
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RUTLEDGE FARM MIDDLEBUrg, VIrgINIA
HALFWAY FARM THE PLAINS, VIrgINIA
Premier Middleburg estate | Main house of stone and frame construction circa 1740 w/addition in 1820 | 6 BR, 3 1/2 BA, 5 FP, high ceilings, moldings & detailed woodwork | Equestrian facilities are unmatched | 85 lush acres. 4 barns totaling 27 stalls | 14 paddocks | Derby field | 218 x 80 indoor arena | 250 x 150 all-weather outdoor arena | 80’ lunging arena | Polo field (or 2 grand prix fields) | 4 board, double fencing & automated nelson waterers | Other improvements include 3 BR, 2 1/2 BA guest house | Farm office attached to 3 BR house | Machine shed | Carriage house w/apartment | Stone spring house/office | 3 BR apartment | Pond with gazebo
Privacy and 107 acres between Middleburg and The Plains | residential enclave of great character within a rich array of natural resources | Classic Virginia stone and stucco c. 1820 | 4 bedrooms, antique floors and rich pine paneling | Two guest houses, stone cottage, farm manager’s house, 2 stables, machine shed and work shop | Extensive Little River frontage and 2 ponds | Tremendous views
(also availaBle witH 113 acres for $7,000,000)
$3,975,000
Paul MacMaHon 703.609.1905 sandra Bravo GreenBerG 202.308.3813
Helen MacMaHon 540.454.1930
MASON FARM, LIGHTRIDGE FARM ROAD
RABBIT HILL
$6,000,000
ALDIE, VIrgINIA
THE PLAINS, VIrgINIA
$3,462,000
Superb Fauquier County location, minutes from Middleburg | Middle of Orange County Hunt, surrounded by large properties on 10.27 acres | Hilltop setting with spectacular views | residence built in 1988, 4 Br, 3 1/2 BA, 4 FP, attached 2 car garage, in-ground pool, deck, mature landscaping | 6 stall center aisle barn, wash stall, heated tack room, feed room, hay storage, 4 paddocks, board fencing | 140 x 165 blue stone and rubber ring | Excellent ride out
Paul MacMaHon 703.609.1905
$1,980,000
20+/- acres in fast growing Loudoun location | Currently zoned Tr3UBF | Willowsford, South riding, Stone ridge, minutes away | New county high school next to property | Currently improved by 2 residences, 2 ponds | Northstar Blvd around corner
Paul MacMaHon 703.609.1905 Brian MacMaHon 703.609.1868
Paul MacMaHon 703.609.1905
ING M COSOON
ICE POND MIDDLEBUrg, VIrgINIA
Custom built home on 13 acres | Reclaimed heart pine floors | 4 BR, 4 FP, antique mantels and beamed ceilings | Main level suite with 2 separate baths and dressing room | Private library/office with fireplace and large family room open to kitchen with butler’s pantry | Extensive millwork, wonderful screened in porch, pool, garden, 2 ponds | All very private | Large lower level for storage and additional space finished currently for exercise space | Fenced yard, one small paddock and 2 run in sheds | 2 car attached garage
104 & 106 S. PENDLETON ST. MIDDLEBUrg, VIrgINIA
Rare opportunity | 2 recorded lots with C-3 zoning in the town of Middleburg | 2 separate buildings with 8 offices, 5 storage bays and ample parking | All buildings are in excellent condition
$1,400,000 Paul MacMaHon 703.609.1905 Brian MacMaHon 703.609.1868
$1,500,000 Helen MacMaHon 540.454.1930
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JOHN MARSHALL HIGHWAY MArKHAM, VIrgINIA
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