Clarke Observer May 2016

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may 2016

vaOBSERVER.com A monthly magazine serving clarke County

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mAy 201 6 Have you checked out Clarke County Library lately?

insiDe the oBserver

Not just books, but also...

• Wifi

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A Legacy of Music and Harmony

101 Chalmers Court, Suite C, Berryville

540-955-5144

www.handleyregional.org

By edith Welliver

Paws, Claws and even Breaks Clarke County Animal Shelter offers care to area’s forgotten animals

By claire stuart

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ON THE COVER Dwight and catherine Brown bid farewell to clarke county.

Photo by Jennifer lee.

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Aging in Place

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Around clarke county

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We are one with you

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real estate

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As the crow Flies

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Film Fest Fundraiser

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community Briefs

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grant match to Build indian village

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river and roots Adds Fiddle camp

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From the EDITOR STAFF

David lillard, editor/Publisher Jennifer Welliver, Associate Publisher Aundrea humphreys, Art Director hali taylor, Proofreader

CONTRIBUTORS karen cifala Jess clawson Wendy gooditis victoria kidd Doug Pifer JiJi russell claire stuart

COVER PHOTO Jennifer lee

ADVERTISING SALES Jennifer Welliver

Advertising Information 540-398-1450 (mon-Fri, 9-5) sales@vaoBserver.com

AD DEADLINE 1ST OF EACH MONTH

The Observer prints signed letters-to-the-editor of uniquely local interest. Letters containing personal attacks or polarizing language will not be published.

Letters may be edited. Send letters to the editor of 300 or fewer words to: editor@vaobserver.com.

THE OBSERVER 540-440-1373

www.vaoBserver.com

Differing Opinions Can Make A Community Stronger It’s rare that a small-town municipal election can draw such clear lines, and give voters choices about differing futures. The recent municipal elections in Berryville did just that — at least in the minds of voters who went to the polls.

One point of view might be characterized as those wanting Berryville to grow its commercial base within the town limits, and to include more automobile-oriented conveniences and services befitting a 21st century town. Maybe they’d like to get a burger later in the evening and have a hotel that accommodates travelers who will bring more business downtown and to the surrounding county.

Within that camp might be those who, however they describe their position, favor growth and development whatever its ramifications.

The other point of view might be characterized as those wanting to shore up the downtown economic base — there are empty buildings in town, after all — and retain the “character” of the town and the stretch of road extending from the Blue Ridge to the outskirts of Winchester.

Within that camp might be those who, however they describe their position, want to keep Berryville exactly as it is now: a place where the sidewalks are rolled up at night, where when darkness descends people are snug in their homes — or off spending money in some other town. Growth, from this perspective, is fine, as long as it occurs somewhere else.

There’s been a lot of activity on social media about the meaning of the election results. One that hasn’t gotten a lot of play is that the county’s comprehensive plan anticipates this debate and the outcome.

In effect, it says that growth will take place within town boundaries.

Everyone has their own interests, and those interests are valid. That’s democracy.

Democracy, the sages write, is more than showing up at a polling station; it’s a matter of staying engaged. Here’s to everyone staying engaged, staying in the conversation to shape the future of a special place that so many love equally, even if their ideas about how the community can thrive and endure may differ.

THE GROOMING SALON at

BATTLETOWN ANIMAL CLINIC

(540) 955-1151 Professional Grooming by Sara Anderson located next to the veterinary clinic at 3823 Lord Fairfax Hwy, 1/2 mile north of Berryville

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QUALITY CONCRETE & MASONRY Over 20 Years Experience Sidewalks, Patios, Repairs, and More

(540) 955-4977 www.qualityconcreteandmasonryva.com

3085 Millwood Rd Millwood, VA 22646

540-837-1261

Aging in Place

Reinventing Retirement, Boomer style By karen cifala

Ridititi Ltitititititi Wtitiktiy tiummtiti Ctimp Ctitititi Ctiutittiy Ttitiiti Ridititi Ftix tiutitititi tititititititititititi tititititititititititi tititititi ti titititidititi

Sandstone Farm

3 Summer Riding Camps Starting June 15th

Poe’s Home Improvements New Building & Remodeling Est. 1976

No Job Too Small Bobcat and Small Backhoe Work Land Clearing • Snow Removal Tree & Brush Removal • 60’ Man-Lift Service

A.B. Poe, Jr. “Pig Eye”

540-955-3705

Love at First Bite

Catering & Event Planning Creative Designs Reasonable Prices 24 years experience

540.955.4462 Lisa Trumbower-Sheppard, Owner | loveatfirstbitecatering.com

What do you get when you Google the word retirement?

Enough blah blah blah to put you to sleep: “Do I have enough to retire?” “How to retire in 10 steps” Or, “9 things you absolutely shouldn’t do when you retire.”

We’ve all heard that after the so-called “retirement” many Boomers will be, and are, challenged with the fact that they will most likely outlive their retirement savings. Great news, huh? But most are still fresh and active and full of wisdom, and are taking the alternative route of reinventing themselves or embarking on a second “encore” career. This can actually be exciting, and quite a few Boomers are looking forward to retirement. So I went searching for happy retirement stories.

Take Kathy Donovan for instance. A DC-area native having retired from the

corporate world of IBM, who moved to Bluemont, Va., with her husband Joe, in search of an encore. After realizing that they would be responsible for paying five years of back real estate taxes on a piece of property they wanted to buy, Kathy started to work out how to remedy that situation.

To qualify for the lower tax rate, Kathy needed to have some kind of farm business in order to get the county to change the tax status to their advantage. So, after talking to many people, she concluded that horses were too big — so were cattle — and that bees and bears on the mountain didn’t mesh well.

She ultimately settled on raising Karakul sheep, which are known for their fur that is used for carpets, garments, and footwear. After meeting Kathy and her sheep, I was amazed to see how perfect a choice being a “shepherd” was

for her. As exciting a choice this has been for Kathy, being a shepherd is not an easy job day in and day out. She had to learn everything about raising sheep from scratch, from birthing to feeding, shearing, and protecting them.

She has three large Anatolian shepherd dogs that were raised with the sheep to protect the flocks, which comes naturally to the breed. Kathy has expanded her interest by learning how to spin and dye her wool, teaching punch needle rug classes, and participating in festivals. As Kathy reflects back on her choice, which started as a dream, her excitement is obvious as she exclaims, “I have a whole new life of my own!”

Kathy has also started writing a book in her spare time. Search for Checkmate Farm on Facebook to learn more or to get in contact with her.

We all experience the comfort

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of daily routines from our jobs, the feelings of contribution, and the satisfaction of solving problems. Relationships with other workers and friends give meaning to our lives and are some of the benefits that I have experienced in my past career jobs. Losing those benefits can be hard for some people, whereas carrying that wisdom and knowledge forward after retiring can allow you to experience those benefits in a different way. It may be the key to a positive retirement.

Recognizing your past accomplishments can possibly help you find new meaning and help you find a new course in life.

Another fine example is Clarke County resident Jesse Russell, recently retired after 20 years with Clarke Co. government as zoning administrator and economic development guru. I caught up with Jesse and asked what he was up to after his retirement.

After a trip to Scotland last year,

he says he rides his motorcycle more and is catching up on home projects. With his infinite knowledge of Clarke’s zoning laws and ordinances, it’s no wonder people still seek him out when they have questions.

He says he is happy to be of assistance; in fact, he is also lending his expertise as a consultant on special projects for others.

Jesse’s love of history and his community led him to start a research project documenting the integration and desegregation of Clarke County during the 1963–1966 civil rights years. Jesse’s family has been living in Clarke County since the late 1700s.

“This is a story I want to tell for future generations,” says Jesse. “We all know the national story with Rosa Parks, but we don’t hear the small town stories.” In particular, he is documenting one of Clarke County’s famously known sports figures who, because he was black, by law in the

early 1960s, was not allowed to hold the Virginia State Championship honor. “This is a story that shouldn’t be lost,” says Jesse.

He is using both written and video documentation for his project. If anyone who lived in Clarke County during those years would like to contribute to his research project, Jesse encourages them to get in touch with him.

Will Rogers once said, “Half of our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.”

Then there’s this from Forbes.com: “Tomorrow can be the beginning of new adventures, new joys and greater successes – how you spend it is up to you.”

Karen Cifala is a realtor with Remax Roots out of the Berryville, Va., office. She can be reached by email at kcifala@gmail.com or by phone at 540-955-0911 or her cell, 303-817-9374.

,900

$309

541 Stringtown Road Berryville Lovely 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath home on .35 acres!

Main floor features 9' ceilings, hardwoods and an open floor plan.

Kitchen has all newer stainless steel appliances.

Master bedroom with walk-ins.

Master bath with new tile and roomy shower.

Large 32'x16' deck opens to rear yard with storage shed and playset.

Dual zone HVAC system.

Tom Parker, Realtor

703-727-3665

tomparker@remax.net

Re/Max Roots • 540-955-0911 • 101 East Main Street #103, Berryville, Va

VAOBSERVER.COM

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Around Clarke County Promote your event in TO send notices by the 1st of the preceding month to jennifer@vaobserver.com. keep event descriptions to 125 words, following the format of these pages. one or two cmyk photos, saved as tiff or jpg at 200 dpi, are always welcome.

May happening now!

Thru the Garden Gate at Barns of Rose Hill through May 28th. Everyone is invited to step thru the wrought-iron gates to enjoy this lovely collection of garden-related art by sixteen mostly-local artists. Natural Composition and Natural Attraction by Stephens City artist Ron Heath adorn the gates.

Stepping thru the gates takes one past watercolor peonies and roses by Julie Read and Janie Caspar’s Redbud Time.

Ed Cooper’s Country Garden and Summer Garden occupy the top of the path. Proceeding clockwise brings into view two watercolors by watercolorist Allene Fraser of Edmonton, Kentucky: The Blue Door and the Pott Home Place.

Coming into view next are Blue Bench with Hydrangeas and Thru the Garden Gate, both

by Cheryl Voytek.

A stroll around the outside perimeter features Blooming Places, a triptych in lovely pastel colors by Winchester artist Don Black and an abstract series entitled Sanctuary, The Glade and Small Pond, by Bob Black, of Millwood.

Works by C. B. Fisher,

Michele Frantz, Janet Hansen Martinet, Jill Perla, Cari Sherwood, DeeDee Volinsky and Robert Whitacre are also represented.

Most of the paintings may be purchased.

memorial Day service

May 29, Rose Hill Park in Berryville. 2pm. Sponsored by VFW Post 9760 and American Legion Post 41. The theme of this year’s service is “Clarke County’s Honor Roll: A Tribute to Our Fallen Heroes. Clarke County High School’s Band and Choir will perform at the service. Major General Hugh “Bugs” Forsythe, USAF (Retired), will deliver the Memorial Day message.

A U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, General Forsythe is a highly qualified pilot and experienced, professional leader. He has more than 35 years experience flying high performance fighters, including combat missions in Southeast Asia and Iraq. General Forsythe currently serves as the Director of Marketing for Potomac Air Charter, managing a King Air in Leesburg. He also serves as Chairman of the Board for Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers, a non-profit organization assisting those in need.

Following the service, a social event and luncheon will take place at VFW Post 9760 at 425 South Buckmarsh Street in Berryville. The luncheon is free and open to the public. In the event of inclement weather, the ceremony will take place at the Barns of Rose Hill.

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World Fair-Trade Day

My Neighbor and Me. 15 East Main Street.

Berryville. 11am-1pm Jona Masiya & Friends will be playing live music on Djembe and Marimba on the sidewalk.

2pm Storyteller Larry Lee Fickau with live illustrator Norasack Pathammavong. For information call 540-955-8124.

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Oriental Poppy by Millwood artist Cheryl Voytek flanked by Sally Myers’ metal sculpture: Trees (right) and Weeds (left).

Kidz Fest

Old Town Winchester.

Loudoun Street Mall. A day full of fun and education featuring more than 60 interactive exhibits highlighting education, art, music and sports. Free activities and engaging exhibits ranging from musical instrument demonstrations to gymnastics will line the Mall. For information contact Jennifer Bell at 540-535-3660 or jennifer.bell@winchesterva. gov.

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VHSA Jumper

Sandstone Farm. 3805 Millwood Road, Millwood.

Free admission to all events.

Breakfast and lunch available.

For Information 540-837-1261 or e-mail sandstonefarm@aol. com. See schedule for times and details at www.sandstonefarm. com. Free.

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Spaghetti Dinner and Auction

Clarke County High School. 627 Mosby Boulevard.

Berryville.

3–7pm.

Clarke County High School Chamber, Concert, and A Cappella Choirs will sing for you while you enjoy a Spaghetti Dinner. Proceeds will benefit the student singers’

future performances and their choral education. Donate for your dinner. There will be a silent auction following the meal. For information, contact Michelle Suling at suling5@ comcast.net or Teresa (TC) Miller Welch at bruceandtc@ gmail.com.

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Budding Artists Exhibit Opening

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville. We are excited to join forces with Heritage Child Development Center to showcase children’s art in a delightful exhibit—

Your Window and Door Specialist (540) 837-9351

10 South Greenway Avenue, Boyce • www.ottercreekmillwork.com

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Budding Artists. The children spend months making individual and collaborative pieces to proudly display for family, friends and the public.

While the younger children focus on tactile exploration and development of gross motor skills and visual acuity, the older groups explore a world of creative invention through a multitude of mediums. Doors open at 5pm. Exhibit starts at 5:30. Free. For information visit www.barnsofrosehill.org.

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Student Writers Open Mic Night

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville. Come out to read your original poetry and stories in a creative and supportive atmosphere! Arrive between 7 and 7:30pm to add your name to the list of readers.

Reader slots are limited to five

minutes. Participants must be middle-school through highschool students. Home schooled students are encouraged to participate. Local writers will serve as emcees. Doors open at 6. Readings start at 7:30. Free event. For information visit www.barnsofrosehill.org.

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aMuse Art and Craft Festival

Loudoun Street Mall. Old Town, Winchester. 11am-6pm.

Woodworking, printmaking, painting, collage, ceramics and ! aMuse Art & Craft Festival is Winchester’s only festival dedicated to the arts.

With a committee of local arts professionals, we are community driven and proud to host artists from across the region to our charming little town. For information visit www.amuseartfair.com

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Charm City Junction

Barns of Rose Hill.

95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville.

From dance inducing Old Time rhythms and foot stomping Irish melodies to hard-driving Bluegrass, Baltimore-based Charm City Junction creates a fresh soundscape that keeps listeners on the edge of their seats wondering where they’ll go next. The band is comprised of four of the most talented and promising acoustic roots musicians in the country. Doors open at 7:00, Show starts at 8:00. $15.00 in advance, $20.00 at the door, 12 and under free.

For information visit www. barnsofrosehill.org

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Job Hunting 101

Workshop for teens and young adults, Clarke County Parks & Recreation

The

Blue Ridge Studio for the

Performing Arts Presents

Two Great Productions In One Weekend

Featuring the Junior and Senior Performing Arts Companies and a Special Guest Artist.

(540) 955-2919

www.blueridgestudio.org

Center, 225 Al Smith Circle.

Berryville .

1–2:30pm.

Suggested donation is a can of food for FISH. To register by email contact Patty Maples at maplespatty@gmail.com or register directly on Eventbrite. at www.eventbrite.com/e/jobhunting-101-for-teens-andyoung-adults-clarke-countyva-tickets-24591865933.

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VHSA Horse and Pony Hunter show

Sandstone Farm.

3805 Millwood Road, Millwood.

Free admission to all events.

Breakfast and lunch available.

For Information 540-837-1261 or e-mail sandstonefarm@aol. com. See schedule for times and details at www.sandstonefarm. com. Free.

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Clark Hansbarger

And the Bitter Liberals. Mt. Zion Historical Park. 40309 John Mosby Hwy. Aldie, VA. 7pm. “Dream of a Good Death: New songs of the Old War—A Civil War Folk Odyssey”. Each song is introduced with slides and a bit of lecture to enrich the audience’s experience of the music, and then performed

by Hansbarger and his band The Bitter Liberals, featuring Allen Kitselman, Mike Jewell, and Gary Mcgraw. As a special addition, the evening will also feature paintings of Civil War themes by artist Winslow McCagg. Seating is limited, but tickets can be purchased in advance at the Mosby Heritage Area Association website at mosbyheritagearea. org/calendar. Admission for

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the evening is $15 for adults in advance. $18 at the door. students $10. More about the show and the project can be found on Clark’s website civilwarsong.com.

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Loudoun Youth Guitars

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville. One of the finest youth ensembles in the metropolitan area, the group is comprised of talented and highly motivated guitar students from several middle and high schools in Loudoun County. They perform music by composers from various musical eras, including Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and contemporary. Dr. Miroslav Lončar conducts the orchestra and Dr. Nataša Klasinc-Lončar is the assistant. Doors open at 3pm. Show starts at 4. $5 per person. 12 and under free.

For information visit www. barnsofrosehill.org.

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Clarke County Studio Art Tour Reception

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Court. Berryville.

7pm. All participants in The Clarke County Studio Tour

which will be held on October 1st and 2nd and interested folks are invited to a gathering to learn more about the tour & pick up “Save the Date” cards. For information or an application contact Diane Harrison at diane@centerringdesign.com.

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The Honey Dewdrops

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville. Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish share more than most couples.

As the Honey Dewdrops, they share stages from venues to festivals across North America, stretches of rolling, infinite roadway, and a lot of songs; they share one mic and a hunger to pay attention to what endures. With tight harmonies and a musical ensemble that includes clawhammer banjo, mandolin and guitars, the effect is to leave listeners with only what matters. Doors open at 7pm. Show starts at 8. $15 in advance. $20 at the door. 12 and under free. For information visit www.barnsofrosehill.org.

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Strawberry Festival St. Mary’s Episcopal

Church Parish Hall. 15 Barnett St. Berryville. 11am–2pm. Come enjoy delicious strawberry shortcake, homemade ice cream, scrumptious fried chicken lunches, baked goods, and much more. A gas card and a basket of cheer will be among items being raffled. Additional information is available by calling 540-955-4617. Proceeds benefit ECW Outreach projects.

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Corn Potato String Band

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville. The Corn Potatos have delighted audiences with their driving fiddle tunes and harmonious singing across the US, Canada, Europe, Mexico, and India.

They are all multiinstrumentalists dedicated to continuing the music and dance traditions of the Central and Southern US. In addition to being champion fiddlers they play banjo, guitar, bass and mandolin and deftly handle many different antiquated styles including ballads, “hodowns,” country “rags” and southern gospel, specializing in twin fiddling and double banjo tunes. Doors open at 7pm. Show

starts at 8.. $15 in advance. $20 at the door. 12 and under free.

For information visit www. barnsofrosehill.org.

June

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Brown Bag with Books

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Court. Berryville. 12 noon. Bring your lunch and join the Clarke County Library at The Barns of Rose Hill the first Thursday of each month to discuss the book of the month. June’s book is The Lost City of Z by David Grann. All are welcome. For information call Laurine Kennedy at 540955-5144.

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BRH Annual Hunter Horse Show

Sandstone Farm.

3805 Millwood Road, Millwood. Free admission to all events.

Breakfast and lunch available.

For Information 540-837-1261 or e-mail sandstonefarm@aol. com. See schedule for times and details at www.sandstonefarm. com. Free.

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The Bitter Liberals

Barns of Rose Hill.

95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville.

The Bitter Liberals is a band of focused concentration and joyful collaboration, encompassing decades of musical experience. They play all original music of texture and maturity, featuring rich storytelling, fine vocals, and the seasoned musicianship of Allen Kitselman, Mike Jewell, Clark Hansbarger, and Gary McGraw.

Doors open at 7pm, Show starts at 8. $15 in advance. $20 at the door. 12 and under free.

For information visit www. barnsofrosehill.org.

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5k Color Fun Run/Walk

Clarke County Parks and Recreation. 225 Al Smith Circle.

Berryville.

Clarke County Education Foundation, in partnership with CCPS and CCPR, hosts the 2nd “Color Me Clarke 5k Fun Run/Walk”. This is NOT a certified course; it’s about FUN. 7:30am checkin/ packet pickup. Race waves begin at 9am. $30 in May. $35 after May 31st and day of the event.

DJ, Awards, Color Finale - For information visit www.ccefinc. org For online registration visit https://runsignup.com/Race/ VA/Berryville/ColorMeClarke.

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Community Band

Hip and Humble Antiques and Interiors

Farm Fresh Furnishings & Current Vintage Decor Aylor’s Mill 401 East Main Street Berryville, VA

540-327-5669

Rose Hill Park.

Berryville. 6:30pm. Clarke County Community Band Spring Concert. Bring the family and a picnic and enjoy an evening of traditional band music and show tunes.

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Safety in the Home

Berryville Baptist Church. 114 Academy St. Berryville. Sheriff Tony Roper will be giving a talk on how to stay safe in your home. A light lunch will be served at 12 noon with the presentation following. Free event. 540-9551423.

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We are one with you Getting to know your local library through quotes

By J.c. coon

Throughout this article are a variety of quotes from books found in your local library.

As you find the quotes, quiz yourself to see if you know the book and the author. Answers at the end.

In the cold of winter I ventured out to my local library in search of reading materials to warm my soul and fill my mind with plans of my summer garden. “It has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

My mom says some days are like that. Even in Australia.” 1 While checking out my selected books I saw a small sign on the counter that said, “Volunteers wanted.”

Volunteers Wanted!

What?

I have always wanted to volunteer at a library, with life’s schedules I had not. So I took a leap and applied for the position. “My advice is, never do tomorrow what you can do today. Procrastination is the thief of time. Collar him.” 2 I got the position; it warmed my heart on that cold winter day.

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You have access to up to date computers?

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Access to Wi Fi, eBooks, Zinio, Mango and Freading?

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Ability to make copies, Black and White and Color?

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Can send (for a fee) a Fax?

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Can check out Movies and TV series and most Disney movies?

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Sit in a private room and have a ‘Study Date’?

Oh I could go on and on.

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” 3 Oh and wait….you can check out books too!

One of the bonuses of being a library volunteer, I get great ideas of what to read next, while filing the books that patrons

checked out.

The library has a rich variety of books, newspapers, magazines, DVD’s and CD’s (no cassettes). If you do not see what you want, the branch is part of a much larger system. You can order an item and it is usually delivered in a day or two.

The library has expanded beyond its four walls to reaching out to the community.

They have partnered with the Barns of Rose Hill on several events. Currently on the first Thursday of every month a group called the Brown Bag with Books, meet to discuss the book of the month (contact the library for a list of books).

Remember-- “ No two persons ever read the same book.” 4 This summer there will be movies starting on Saturday June 18th. The summer reading program “Read for the Win” will have special events at the Barns. After reading 6 hours or 360 minutes, youth and adults are eligible to receive a free book. “Sometimes, reaching out and taking someone’s hand is the beginning of a journey.

At other times, it is allowing another to take yours.” 5 The library is located in the heart of Berryville, easy access to all. If you have been to the Town or County offices you have been in the same building as the library. They are located at 101 Chalmers Court-Suite C, Berryville, VA 22611. Phone:

540.955.5144.

Web address: www.handleyregional.org. If you do not have a computer, come in and use theirs, all you need is your library card.

Don’t have your library card, yet? Not a problem, just bring in a photo ID (we all now have photo ID’s don’t we) and they will get you started. “When you see someone putting on his Big Boots, you can be pretty sure that an Adventure is going to happen.” 6 So put on your Big Boots and start on your own adventure.

Here are the sources for the quotes. If one piqued your

interest and you want to know more … our local library has their books.

1 – Judith Viorst, Alexander and The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day 2- Charles Dickens, David Copperfield 3- Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl 4- Edmund Wilson 5- Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration 6- A.A. Milne, Winnie-thePooh

The

Clarke County Community Band PRESENTS THEIR ANNUAL

Spring Concert Bring the family and a picnic and enjoy an evening of traditonal band music and show tunes.

at the gazebo

Rose Hill Park in Berryville

Friday, June 10 6:30pm

•

The library of today is not your Grandparents’ library, (but grandparents come and embrace the changes).

Free Admission

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Did you know that here in Clarke County at your local library…..

The Band is sponsored by the Clarke County Board of Supervisors, the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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A Legacy of Music And Harmony After 32 years of service, Dwight and Catherine Brown bid Clarke County farewell

STORY BY EDITH WELLIVER PHOTOS BY JENNIFER LEE

A

t the conclusion of Berryville’s ecumenical Good Friday service, with a congregation from a number of churches present, the host pastor regretfully announced that Berryville will be losing the Rev. Dwight L. Brown of the Clarke County Parish of the Episcopal Church. Dwight with his wife Catherine will be moving to Moscow, Idaho, her hometown, when he leaves the full-time ministry for whatever adventures semi-retirement will bring. The three churches they have served — Grace Episcopal, St. Mary’s, and Wickliffe, all historic contributors to the spiritual and cultural life of Clarke County — have relied on the Browns for 32 years for leadership in a wide variety of community services.

The Browns came to this parish in 1984. Dwight, a New Englander, had graduated from Trinity College in 1976 and worked in sales and as a hospital chaplain for two years in Idaho, where he met Catherine. At Virginia Theological Seminary he earned a Master of Divinity degree in 1981, followed promptly by his ordination and their marriage. He served as an assistant priest for three years at Trinity Episcopal Church in Arlington, where their son Timothy was born.

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By 1984, with his academic and practical preparation complete and with Cathy by his side, Dwight was ready to take the reins of his own congregation for this thirty-two year ride. In that time he has buried and married, baptized, counseled, confirmed, and shared the joys and sorrows of generations of Clarke County families. His daughter Elizabeth was born here, and both children attended Berryville schools.

Today Timothy is a consultant with a firm in Austin, Texas, now on assignment with Boeing in Seattle, and Elizabeth teaches scuba diving in Hawaii, where her parents hope to join her when Idaho winters get too hard and long.

On arrival in Berryville, Dwight inherited the care of an 1857 building, housing a congregation established in 1832. His predecessors had added a Sunday School chapel in 1902. Around that time the diocese established St. Mary’s as a mission church to encourage black congregants to stay in the Episcopal Church.

In the 1960s the diocese ended its mission relationship with St. Mary’s, expecting that the congregations would integrate. However, both churches have continued side by side, sharing Father Dwight’s ministry for weekly worship.

He also holds the service for an annual homecoming celebration for Wickliffe, a chapel that ceased having weekly services in 1918.

The Grace Church Sunday School building gradually grew modest additions until, by 2002, Father Dwight’s worshiping families and program had grown to need a greatly expanded home. They succeeded in building the existing parish hall and office wing with a roomy parking area — space for more than Robert E. Lee’s Traveler, who was hitched to the post on the Church Street side of the lot.

The expansion continues for the dead as for the living. Grace Church is acquiring a neighboring house with a yard suitable for expanding the 19th-century cemetery. The plan

is to create a columbarium to receive and memorialize cremated ashes.

When the Browns arrived, Clarke Parish had no Sunday School or Christian Education program. Cathy Brown, trained as an elementary school teacher with a Master of Education degree, initiated an active program. For well over 25 years, she taught, facilitated, and directed Christian learning for the church.

She took many junior- and seniorhigh school students on a variety of ski trips, retreats, and missions.

These included mission work trips to Episcopal Church camps in Virginia, Idaho, and Alaska.

The mission work locally helped Habitat for Humanity, and teams made trips to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina and to Staten Island following Super Storm Sandy.

Cathy took groups of teens across the country by train to spend a week on retreat at Priest Lake, Idaho. Another group spent a week whitewater rafting on the Salmon and Snake rivers.

She taught numerous Confirmation classes for teens and adults, led forty-hour famines, and coordinated countless fundraisers to finance trips and activities. As the Browns depart, Clarke Parish has a vibrant Christian education program, now under the expert leadership of Ms. Robin McFillen.

The community impact of the Browns’ three churches has extended well beyond the limits of their own buildings. As a senior partner in the Ministerial Fellowship, Dwight has enlisted the cooperation of other Clarke County organizations — religious and civic — in a whole list of projects: FISH food and clothing distributions, the Blue Ridge Hospice, the Stop-Hunger-Now program with Rotary, the Winchester Area Temporary Thermal Shelter (WATTS) with Ruritan and other churches, the high school baccalaureate services and the backpack ministry for school children on weekends and school holidays.

Several board members of the Josephine Museum attend St.

Mary’s. Dwight serves on the Social Services Board. Grace Church offers interdenominational Lenten Wednesday noon services, at which Dwight, an able pianist, accompanies the hymns before luncheons in the parish hall.

Grace Church participates in observances of Good Friday, Thanksgiving, annual “pulpit swaps,” and other community events. An A.A. chapter meets in their building. The congregation of St. Bridget’s met there until they could build their own church home, and now the Church of New Beginnings meets in the Sunday School chapel weekly.

Grace Church sponsors a Boy Scout troop in addition to its own Sunday School, including an adult class that Father Dwight teaches. He visits frequently with elderly members at Westminster-Canterbury retirement community and on rotation with other clergy at Greenfield and Godfrey House.

Dwight’s ministry also connects Clarke County with the wider world. Nearby he has helped to promote the Episcopal Church camp at Shrinemont, and has met with regional church representatives as their dean. Far away, Dwight is a canon in a diocese in Central Uganda,

where he has taken part in three mission trips and on three occasions has been able to bring their Bishop here. The Grace congregation has worked to provide safe water sources for several Ugandan villages. The concern now is to help the African and American churches understand each other’s cultural anomalies: We to accept their practice of polygamy, they to accept our gay relationships.

The Browns have given a great deal to Clarke County in 32 years, and there is more to come. On May 28, St. Mary’s will hold its annual Strawberry Festival, the day before Dwight’s final service at Grace Church. That afternoon, May 29, the churches plan a reception at 2pm for the community at the rectory beside Grace’s grounds.

On June 18, as part of the moving process, the Browns will hold a sale of the household surplus that they will not be taking along to Idaho.

They will dedicate the proceeds from the sale to youth ministry.

Too soon, whenever Berryville hears the 1957 Harry Byrd chimes from the Grace Church bell tower, we will feel a sweet, sad nostalgia at the reminder of the music and harmony that Dwight and Cathy Brown leave us as their legacy.

12

mAy 201 6 1790 HISTORIC & GRACIOUS RED GATE FARM Red Gate Road • White Post • 22663 Just past Long Branch Plantation

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At our dinner table, it has always been a favorite pastime to go around the table and share memories. On an average day, the question is about recent memories: “What was your favorite part of the day?”

All answers are permitted, and often there are more than one happy memory being shared and stored away in the vault of family history.

On holidays, with more chairs filled and more generations conversing, the questions are often “What was Thanksgiving like when you were little?” These memories set us all on the inviting path into the past, down which we travel together, exploring many side trails along the way.

With my own parents, I still ask many questions about their own histories; fun ones like, “What kind of car did you learn to drive in?” And serious ones like, “What do you remember about the Great Depression?” The answers are often educational, sometimes surprising, and always fascinating.

A favorite memory of my father’s is one he has told me often and vividly enough that I feel I have lived it, too. He describes how, as a very young child in small-town Alabama, he used to be allowed to visit his father at the grist-mill the family owned for some years.

My father describes the allconsuming sensory experience: the flour dust hanging in the air and giving every object an otherworldly pallor, the warm smell of grain against grinding stone, and most enthralling, all the sounds which made up the deep thrumming of a grinding mill, a noise almost more felt than heard, rising from feet through belly up spine to vibrate rhythmically in

Lockes Mill photos provided by Jon and Carol Joyce. the ears. The tireless splash of the sluice driving the rattling wood-against-wood of the gears, turning the weighty, whirring grindstones.

I love to think of my father as that little boy, perched on a sack of corn meal, watching his father tend his mill through the flour-dust fog.

So when I got the chance to go see/smell/hear the wonderfully restored Locke’s Mill on a grinding day, I accepted with alacrity. For me, an antique mill gathers the several threads of history of locale, human ingenuity, and lifestyle in one irresistible spot. Who were the people who searched for the right spot on the right stream and decided that enough people needed a mill to make it worth the huge undertaking of building one?

How on earth did those people know to order millstones from somewhere in Europe where the hardest stone could be had, and just how long did it take those stones to arrive,

and by what conveyance? And stepping forward through the decades, at what point did the job as miller originally embarked upon from necessity or inheritance change to career choice and gradually to lifestyle?

The patient and wonderful owners of Locke’s Mill and the recently rebuilt miller’s house answered my many questions with enthusiasm and justifiable pride. I was charmed to be permitted to explore the entire, beautifully restored building – new siding, restored windows, some new plank floors. Most of the old timber structure is original, but a major huge beam and a couple of stout supports are new, though they are as gorgeously rustic as their aged neighbors.

The flume and sluice (which divert part of the mill stream to turn the mill wheel), the mill wheel itself, the fantastic wooden gears are all sturdy, meticulously restored, and functioning as they should.

13

mAy 20 1 6 I stood and watched the rye grain pouring in and the rye flour pouring out and thought about the life of a modern-day miller in a small, antique mill.

The good news is that there is a living to be made still, thanks in part to the modern sensibilities which draw people to organic and locally produced consumable products of all sorts. The current millers entered mill ownership sideways. They thought they were buying a beautifully-sited spot on the river, from which to base their passion for kayaking with groups of friends. How heavenly to end the day on the banks of the river which had provided the day’s enjoyment!

The property happened to have a run-down old cabin — oh, and an abandoned mill.

Over time, the lure of restoration led the owners to rebuild the old cabin into a modern, comfortable house, and then on to the revitalizing of the mill itself. It has been a labor of love, with the fascination for the highest and best use of a mill — namely, milling — gradually becoming a part of their lives, however unintended. Without seeking actual business, the millers found themselves with two

good contracts for the regular production of organic flours.

Because these contracts arrived on their doorstep of their own volition, it is the millers’ strong feeling that, on top of this existing income, there is plenty more demand out there for someone who wishes to make a living as a miller.

It occurs to me to reflect on a lifestyle trend which — as evidenced by the interest in organics and local production — is attracting people across generations. I know a couple from Bethesda coming up on retirement who want to invest in some land with which to give young organic farmers a place to start out. I know a young couple with two small children who are saving to buy a small farm and live off the grid. Will I get to meet a budding miller with an interest in living a simpler, rural life and contributing to the organic and local movement? I sure hope so.

NPR did a story about young people reviving the backto-the-land and off-the-grid lifestyle. The story wound up with the statement, “This new generation of farmers have made farming cool again.”

And a paragraph from another story on living the

simple life: “A central and exciting task for our times is consciously designing ourselves into a sustainable and meaningful future, from the personal level outwards. In envisioning what this future could look like, it is important to not be bound by old stereotypes and to instead see the realism and the beauty of simpler ways of living.” (HuffPost) When I stood on the cushiony spring grass, gazing over the sparkling Shenandoah, hearing the splash and creak of the mill wheel behind me, I found it easy to imagine pursuing this endeavor. And so many people have work they do at home these days, and those hours of staring at a computer screen could be beautifully balanced by rewarding work in the mill across the driveway. Some enterprising someone is going to have the best of several worlds!

As you have probably gathered, Locke’s Mill is for sale, along with the modern miller’s house. It stands on 2.5 acres of beautiful riverbank with spectacular views of river and mountains. The house has three spacious bedrooms, three full bathrooms, huge windows, a stone fireplace, 6-burner gas stove, and on and on. Remember what I said about the best of several worlds? As if to satisfy that particular statement, the house has a simple modern sleekness that balances the mill’s rustic antiquity to perfection.

If you decide to be the next Locke’s Mill miller, I hope very much that you’ll allow me to bring my aged father to sit on a sack of grain in contemplation, once in a while on a grinding day.

Wendy Gooditis is a real estate agent on the Chip Schutte Real Estate Team with ReMax Roots at 101 East Main St., Berryville, Va.; (540)955-0911. She would be happy to answer any questions you may have about real estate, and can be reached at gooditis@visuallink. com or at (540)533-0840.

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As the crow Flies

A Red-Shouldered Hawks’ Nest

By Doug Pifer We’ve been watching a number of live cams of hawk, eagle and owl nests online. But it’s even more exciting to watch a pair of raptors nesting live from our own home.

Our property is part of the home territory of a pair of red-shouldered hawks. They seem to go about their business undisturbed by us.

They use our pasture fences as hunting perches.

Sometimes they just rest there with their buff colored breast feathers fluffed out. During the past six months we’ve grown used to hearing their calls and seeing them fly by with their black and white checkered wings and blackbanded tails.

Towards winter’s end we noticed the hawks became more vocal. Sometimes they perched next to each other. They soared together, diving at each other and calling. My wife started saying they must have a nest nearby.

We learned the whereabouts of the nest in early March—it had been before our eyes all the time. We saw one hawk fly up to another one perched on the limb of a very tall sycamore that adjoins our property. Through the kitchen binoculars I saw them briefly mate. As they sat together afterwards, it was easy to see the male hawk was slightly smaller and trimmer than his mate, although they were colored exactly alike.

It would be hard to distinguish them unless they were side by side. Both had the bright rufous patch at the bend of the wing that gives them their name. They had matching raptor expressions with short, hooked bills and piercing dark eyes.

Focusing the binoculars for a better look, we suddenly spied the nest right beside them. It was a cluster of surprisingly small twigs and branches about the size and shape of a big mixing bowl, hidden in the crotch of the sycamore among its white mottled limbs.

In the weeks since, we’ve heard them call repeatedly from the tree. If my chores take me into the nearby fields they often protest. The other day through the binoculars we saw fresh greenery lining the nest, absolute proof that the nest was active. Many kinds of birds, including raptors, carry fresh greenery to line their nests throughout the time they incubate their eggs and feed their young. Nobody knows exactly why.

Later that evening we observed the nest

Red-shouldered hawk at nest. Illustration courtesy of the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

through the spotting scope. Dark raptor eyes peered from the softly feathered face at the nest in the big sycamore tree. Once I saw her gape her mouth, opening bright yellow behind the dark hooked bill, and call out.

My wife looked through the scope and saw the pair switch nest duty. One flew up to the nest and the other soon flew off. Another time one hawk flew off the nest and down into the dense cedars.

Was it after prey or more evergreens to line the nest?

We expect to learn much from “our” nesting hawks.

15

mAy 20 1 6

Unbranded’s Masters Comes to Shepherdstown for Film Fest Fundraiser Clarke County artist Kelly Heaton’s painting featured at event

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VAOBSERVER.COM An evening of great adventure film and fine food and drinks awaits visitors of the American Conservation Film Festival’s spring fundraiser on June 18 in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Ben Masters, lead horseman and instigator of an escapade that took four young men over 3,000 miles with 16 wild mustangs, will introduce the film and join partygoers for the festive evening, beginning at Shepherd University’s Reynolds Hall for the film screening before moving to the Town Run Brewing Company for drinks, dinner, and discussion.

Unbranded screened to a full, enthusiastic house at the 2015 American Conservation Film Festival and won several awards at festivals throughout the country. This exciting tale highlights the complex plight of the wild American Mustang, thousands of whom inhabit public lands in the western United States.

Masters set out to prove the value and resilience of these horses as well as the importance of preserving our public parkland.

This event is generously sponsored by TDC Virginia. (http://tdcvirginia.com/) Auction items will include a few valuable and unique items, including a custom-framed oil painting of a mustang by acclaimed Clarke County artist Kelly Heaton. Tickets are $50 per person and all proceeds go to benefit the American Conservation Film Festival, while an auction item will also benefit the Mustang Heritage Foundation.

The American Conservation Film Festival is in its 14th season of presenting the most compelling and informative conservation films from around

the world along with discussions and workshops with filmmakers, family programming, and engaging social events. This year’s festival runs October 21-23 and 28-30.

For information on and tickets for the Spring Roundup with Ben Masters, visit: http:// conservationfilm.org/special-events.

Follow the event on Facebook: https://www. facebook.com/events/186151971770804.

For information on the film festival, visit: www. conservationfilm.org, or contact Jennifer Lee, jennifer@conservationfilm.org; 540-539-6150

16

mAy 201 6

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The Clarke County Animal Shelter has hosted more than just dogs and cats. Residents have included guinea pigs, rabbits, ferrets, pigs, goats, ducks and even emus!

There are only two employees—shelter manager Jenny Wright and animal caretaker Brittany Wren. The facility belongs to the county, but it relies on help from donations and volunteers for much of its operations. Wright described the facility as a “low kill” shelter, and reports that only aggressive animals or those with health conditions “beyond repair such as kidney failure” are euthanized.

“We’ve had dogs here for a year and cats as long as two years,” she said. “If they are healthy and friendly, an adopter will come along sooner or later.”

She explains that every shelter animal has a story as to how it ended up there.

There are families split by divorce, owners who developed allergies, folks forced to move to places that don’t allow pets.

There are the people who get pets, decide they are just not for them, and give them away.

There are animals with health problems that owners can’t deal with. There are strays whose owners abandon them or simply do not look for them.

And, of course, there are always the litters of pups and kittens (mostly kittens) brought in by people who do not spay and neuter.

Wright is a certified animal control officer, but she explains that she does not participate in field work. Police officers and deputies pick up strays, seize dangerous or abused animals

Thomas & Trina, photo by Kathy Durand. and do the legal work, and all animals picked up are brought to the shelter. Certain kennels are set aside for deputies to drop them off.

All strays are scanned for microchips. The State of Virginia requires that uncollared dogs have to be held for seven days to give owners a chance to reclaim them before they can be put out for adoption. If they do have a collar, they have to be held for 12 days.

Wright observed that most stray dogs are reunited with their homes. They get twice as many people looking for their lost dogs as for cats. People are much more apt to search for a missing dog than they are for a

cat.

“They just say, ‘this was an indoor-outdoor cat and it just wandered away or got killed’ and they don’t bother to look for it,” said Wright.

The main shelter has kennels for dogs, cat rooms and isolation rooms. There is a separate building for large or unusual animals. There is one cemented yard with a high fence for exercise and another large fenced-in grass area for dogs to run and play in nice weather. Volunteer dog walkers can take dogs out for walks on the nearby trails.

The veterinary care for the shelter animals is not rendered on a volunteer basis.

A veterinarian is contracted

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mAy 20 1 6

Naomi, photo by Kathy Durand. to take care of routine and emergency needs.

Wright pointed out a cat with oddlooking cropped ears and explained that he had come in with bloody, irritated ears. It turned out to be skin cancer and the diseased ear tips had to be removed. A cat that had been brought in with a leg fracture was recuperating.

All animals that are adopted out must be spayed or neutered.

The Humane Foundation helps with spay and neuter costs, covering 100% for Clarke County residents and 50% of the cost for adopters in bordering counties. Outside of that radius, adopters pay the entire cost.

Fortunately, a lot of donations come in. Wright reported that many children have birthday parties and

Address:

225 ramsburg lane behind the old clarke county high school

(540) 955-5104 shelter hours:

tuesday through thursday, 8 am – 4pm Friday through monday, 8 am -3 pm

Adoption fee is $25

request donations to the shelter instead of gifts. Scout troops and other groups often bring in carloads of pet food and supplies.

Several people regularly bring in large quantities of pet food that they get from stores where it would otherwise be discarded. It is often just past the sell-by date, or a bag may have been ripped or otherwise damaged. Wright noted that some stores will set this food aside for the volunteers to pick up while others will simply tape up a damaged bag and sell it at a reduced price.

“Sometimes an SUV will pull up to our door, and the people will just start unloading food!”

Volunteers help in many ways, including a woman who takes the publicity pictures of adoptable animals, some folks who come in just to cuddle the cats and some who walk the dogs.

On this early May day, there were 18 cats and 12 dogs in the shelter, but Wright says that in “kitten season” litters can arrive daily and they’ve had 60-65 cats at once. The highest number of dogs they’ve had at once was around 30, and they had to double and even triple up in the kennels.

There are no other area shelters that will take some of the animals when they are

so full. Since they have only two employees and operate seven days a week, the shelter is unable to take animals to adoption days at the large pet retailers. Breed rescue organizations will pick up pure-breed dogs, but some are fussier than others about what they accept as a purebreed animal. And pure-breeds seldom end up in shelters.

Once a year, on a Saturday in October, the shelter holds a big event with an open house and rabies clinic. There are vets and vet technicians on hand to give rabies shots in the garage for $10. In front, there is free barbecue, pony rides, a photographer to take people’s pictures with their pets, and of course, animals available for adoption.

In case anyone wonders, Wright reported that the two emus that were in the shelter were both adopted. She described one of the gigantic ostrich-like birds as, “the sweetest thing. It would put its head on your shoulder and you could pet its back.”

A final message from Wright and Wren: “Please spay and neuter your pets!”

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mAy 201 6

Community Briefs Bees, Herbs, Full Moon Walk Blandy Spring Programs

There is still time to enjoy one of the final spring programs at Blandy Experimental Farm in Boyce.

Secrets of the Hive: A Smithsonian Film Shot at Blandy; Thursday, May 12, 7-9 p.m. Honey bees and other bees are threatened by parasites, pesticides, habitat loss, and other pressures. This 2015 Smithsonian film, which includes work at Blandy by T’ai Roulston and his students, highlights efforts around the world aimed at understanding

and protecting our most important pollinators. Popcorn provided! FOSA members $10, nonmembers $12.

Backyard Pharmacy: Sunday, May 15, 2–4:30 p.m. Geo Derick Giordano, registered medical herbalist, explores common herbs and backyard plants used as first aid, to mi tigate illness, and to promote health and vitality. Supporting research, therapeutic doses, and drug interactions will be addressed. A plant walk will follow, so wear comfortable shoes. FOSA members $10, nonmembers $12.

Full Moon Walk: Sunday, May 22, 8:30-9:30 p.m. Explore the Arboretum under the full

moon. Wear comfortable shoes, bring a flashlight, and explore the natural world at dusk and after dark. FOSA members $10, nonmembers $12 Member family $20, nonmember family $25. Reservations required.

Blandy Experimental Farm, the State Arboretum of Virginia, is located at 400 Blandy Farm Lane, Boyce; 540-8371758 Ext. 226; http://blandy. virginia.edu.

Friends Of Handley Regional Library Presents Murphy Henry

The Friends of Handley Regional Library will be holding their annual meeting Wednesday, May 18, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. in the Handley Library Auditorium.

The highlight of this year’s meeting will be a performance and discussion by noted local artist Murphy Henry. The meeting portion of the evening will be approximately 15 minutes, with Ms. Henry’s performance immediately following.

Noted musician, teacher, and singer, Murphy will play as well as talk about her recent

book Pretty Good for a Girl, the first book devoted entirely to women in bluegrass. The book documents the lives of more than seventy women whose vibrant contributions to the development of bluegrass have been, for the most part, overlooked. Accessibly written and organized by decade, the book begins with Sally Ann Forrester, who played accordion and sang with Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys from 1943 to 1946, and continues into the present with artists such as Alison Krauss, Rhonda Vincent, and the Dixie Chicks. Drawing from extensive interviews, wellknown banjoist Murphy Hicks Henry gives voice to women performers and innovators throughout bluegrass’s history, including such pioneers as Bessie Lee Mauldin, Wilma Lee Cooper, and Roni and Donna Stoneman; family bands including the Lewises, Whites, and Mc Lains; and later path breaking performers such as the Buffalo Gals and other allgirl bands, Laurie Lewis, Missy Raines, plus local favorite, Lynn Morris. A reception will follow the program in the lower lobby.

Handley Auditorium is located on the basement level of Handley Library at 100 West

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Tourism Office Invites Properties For Web Listing

The Clarke County tourism and economic development office has added a “featured property” element to its YesClarkeCounty.com website. The section features commercial properties for sale or lease, with photos and a brief description of the property.

Realtors and property owners are invited to contact Len Capelli <lcapelli@clarkecounty. gov.

Healthy Living Event and Farmer’s Market “Rev Your Bev”

Our Health, Inc. is pleased to announce the beginning of its award-winning Healthy Living and Farmer’s Market season on the Kendall Community Campus. The first Wednesday of each month from June through September, the Our Health Campus GreenSpace at 329 N. Cameron Street transforms into a festive market showcasing our partner agencies’ services, free health screenings on the Valley Health Mobile Coach, and delicious and nutritious local produce and baked goods.

This year we are kicking off our events with “Rev Your Bev” – an event presented by the Closing the Gap Grant through the Lord Fairfax Health District.

Rev Your Bev is a statewide campaign in Virginia to raise

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The Family Trust Numismatic 18 N. Church Street. • Berryville, VA 22611

Secrets of the Hive will be presented by Blandy Farm May 12.

awareness about the health effects of soda and other sugary drinks. Why sugary drinks?

There is A LOT of sugar hiding in popular drinks. And the way they are being consumed right now is hurting our health.

And it’s not just soda – sugary drinks include sports drinks, fruit drinks, energy drinks, and sweet tea. Over time, too much liquid sugar can lead to serious health problems, like heart disease, tooth decay, liver disease, and diabetes. Rev Your Bev will be held on Wednesday, May 18 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00p.m. on the GreenSpace.

Beginning in June we will

resume our “First Wednesday” schedule for our Healthy Living events which run from 9:00am to 1:00pm on June 1st, July 6th, August 3rd, and September 7th.

Our October event will be in partnership with the Mexican Consulate and will be held on a date to be determined.

The Valley Health Mobile Health Coach will offer free health screenings while Valley Health nutritionists will be available for consultation on healthy eating choices. Fresh local produce and baked goods from area farmers and bakery vendors will be available for purchase. Also, community

residents who are enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, (previously known as food stamps) are eligible to use their EBT cards to purchase the local produce. Our Health has once again been approved by the USDA to be a food stamp recipient.

Returning for its third year, the Dental Clinic-NSV will be offering coupons to clients of the 75 Our Health partner agencies to be used at the farmer’s booths to make purchases. To qualify, clients must participate in a dental screening and visit a set number of partner booths to learn more about living a healthy life. The voucher program is part of a grant received from the United Way, NSV. Board Chair Don Butler said, “Our Health is pleased to join with area service providers to promote healthy living.”

Executive Director Sharen Gromling stated that unfortunately the clients on the Our Health campus do not have ready access to fresh produce and healthy choices.

Hopefully these events will help change some living habits for the better.

The general public is invited.

For more information, please contact Our Health at 540-5361600 or by email at mfalu@ valleyhealthlink.com

47th Annual Bluemont Fair Announces Poster Design Winner

Organizers of the 47th ANNUAL BLUEMONT FAIR, to be held September 17 & 18, 2016, are pleased to announce Denise Kupiszewski of Shepherdstown, WV is the winner of this year’s poster design contest. Her submission, “Harvest Moon”,

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Duck Pond, Boyce Fine house with 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths on 39 acres – Well cared for and well maintained – Wrap-around porches - Master bedroom on main level – Kitchen and baths updated – Lovely property - Excellent 4 stall barn with hot and cold water wash stall and heated tack room – Board fencing – Paddocks - Very good run-in shed – Level land, mostly open – Pond - Invisible fence on 10 acres - Blue Ridge Hunt territory. $1,027,000

540-247-5408

Tom Cammack

www.sheridanmacmahon.com

110 East Washington Street - P.O. Box 1380 - Middleburg, VA 20118

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Cars and Trucks Bikes and Trikes All Makes and Models WE DO IT ALL!

TIRE SALE!

Motorcycle, ATV, Car, and Truck.

ALL TIRES

On SALE NOW!

540-955-2100 Watch our ads for new specials each month!

23 North Buckmarsh Street, Berryville

www.kennysautoandtrikeshop.com VAOBSERVER.COM

MIDDLEBURG EYE CENTER Charles Stine, O.D., P.C. Andrew L. Stone, O.D. Debra H. Bierly-Holman, O.D. Emily A. Morin, M.D. Optometry • Ophthalmology • Exams • Contact Lenses Laser Vision Consultation • Fashion Eyewear

#4 Pendleton Street, Middleburg, VA

540-687-3634

L’Auberge Provencale *NEW* Bar & Lounge: The perfect spot for sophisticated small plates, herb-infused drinks from our gardens, and local craft beers & cider on tap! With an a la carte menu, and classy but casual atmosphere, the bar & lounge is a local treasure transporting you to Provence…. without a passport!

Locally Sourced Fare. Our own vegetable & herb gardens, and 78 fruit trees seasonally provide a bounty of fruits that we use daily in our cuisine. What we do not grow here, we purchase from local growers whenever possible.

Glen Manor Vineyards Wine Dinner. June 5.

Enjoy a farm to table style dinner featuring Glen Manor stellar Virginia wines. Vintner Jeff White will be on hand to describe the wines, his vineyard and the philosophy and future of the Virginia wine industry.

Call to reserve your exclusive seat.

13630 Lord Fairfax Hwy latableprovencale.com 540.837.1375

features a larger-than-life moon with fox and pumpkins in the foreground and will grace the Bluemont Fair’s distinctive poster, t-shirt, mug, and other fair memorabilia.

Denise is a two-time winner of the poster contest. Her very popular design, “The Birds of Bluemont” won in 2011 for the 42nd Annual Bluemont Fair.

Denise is also an accomplished potter. “Every piece I make here reflects a successful combination of artistry, clay, chemistry, and heat. I love my work, and because of that, each creation is a unique work of art which came to be from a ball of clay, crafted with my hands and heart, and backed with over twenty-five years of study and experience. Blessed with an overactive imagination, a playful inner child, and a desire to make everyone smile when they see my work, there is creativity and whimsy in everything I make.”

To learn more about Denise please visit her website at www.themudpeddler.com The Bluemont Fair is an oldfashioned country fair that draws thousands to the historic village of Bluemont, Virginia each September. Its original posters are but one facet that makes this such a special yearly event. The Fair gives visitors the opportunity to experience the beautiful foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains and enjoy many types of food, juried crafts, interactive exhibits, children’s fair, local beer and wine, excellent music, and so much more.

This year organizers are particularly pleased to announce that the Bluemont Fair will include an authentic “Indian Village” where Native American participants will be celebrating the harvest through dance, regalia, music, and living history exhibits, set among traditional wigwam and

2016 Fair Artwork.

teepee dwellings. It promises to be a unique educational and entertaining event for all ages!

For information about the Bluemont Fair call 540-5542367 (voice mail) or go to www. bluemontfair.org.

Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Baby Shower & Summer Camps

Join Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Sunday, June 12 from 1–3 pm for their sixth annual Baby Shower to benefit the orphan wildlife being raised at the BRWC. The event will be held at Long Branch Plantation in Boyce.

Bring a shower gift to help the wildlife center with the tremendous cost of raising more than 1,000 orphan wild animals this year. The event will feature refreshments, exhibits, and programs with our wildlife ambassadors.

Learn how BRWC raises so many unusual animals; test your knowledge of identifying

baby wildlife; enter raffles to win gifts or purchase auction items.

Here are some suggested baby shower gifts to bring: paper towels, trash bags, kitten and puppy chow, bleach, bird seed (mixed, sunflower and parakeet), toilet paper, dry erase markers, and baby food. More gift ideas at blueridgewildlifectr.org.

The group also welcomes cash donations to be used to purchase the many unusual food items fed to these very unusual babies, such as insects, minnows, and special wildlife milk formulas.

BRWC hosts its annual Wildlife Discovery Camps again this summer, featuring 5-day sessions by age. Sessions are Monday-Friday from 9am–pm and are $35 per child, per day.

Sign up for all or just one!

Call us at 540-837-9000 for information, or contact Jennifer Burghoffer, manager of education, at education@ blueridgewildlifectr.org with questions or to request a registration form.

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Local Native American Group Announces Grant Match to Build Indian Village

Barrel painting by Rene White (Feather).

A local couple has provided a local Native American Indian organization $7,500 as a match to state and local grants. The grant from Ken and Julia Falke is for a new artist residency/ pre-K-12 school-program called Art in Nature™ facilitated by the not-for-profit group Sanctuary on the Trail™, and involves a host of artists and volunteers teaching children to raise an Indian village in Bluemont, Virginia. The group is working in partnership with the Village Montessori School (VMS) at Bluemont, the Bluemont Citizens Association, and the Bluemont Fair Committee.

“Children in our community are very important to us and we look forward to seeing the

results of this effort. Our family’s philanthropy is dedicated to military and veteran wellness and the children in our local community,” said Julia Falke. Mrs. Falke is the co-founder of Boulder Crest Retreat for Military and Veteran Wellness in Bluemont, Va. This art initiative, proposed by Bluemont resident René Locklear White, is based on a “discovery” model of human development, where students learn concepts from working with materials, rather than by direct instruction alone.

“We are grateful to Ken and Julia Falke for their generosity.

They are helping enrich the understanding of our indigenous culture and way of life through

our children and our future,” added René White, who is the Art in Nature™ founder and a military veteran.

During phase one, the children will help prepare the village through sensory-motor activities and by working with materials that develop their cognitive powers through direct experience: seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, touching, and movement.

During phase two, they will explore the village and open it up to the public, cultivating a positive awareness of the depth of indigenous culture still thriving in this region.

“It may take a village to raise a child, but I believe it takes artists to help children raise a village,” said Mrs. White, a Lumbee Indian artist who led the grant requests along with a half-dozen volunteers supporting the grant writing effort.

When the village opens this fall, the general public will be surprised to find out how many things they do not know about Native American Indian people.

This initiative is also an opportunity for children and volunteers to be ambassadors for this underrepresented group and their culture.

The target audience is 45 Montessori school children from 2to 12-years old, along with seven teachers. The children will participate in building a wigwam/yahkin, erect a teepee, build and paint drums, learn to cook food over open fires, and much more. Later in the fall, the children will open the Indian village to the public during a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Bluemont Fair on Sept.

17-18, 2016.

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Leading the construction for the dwellings is Chris White, CEO of Sanctuary on the Trail™, a class-A general contractor and self-taught engineer. Mr. White is of Cherokee descent and a wood and stone artist.

Debbie Johnson-Conti of the Sauk & Fox Nation will assist Mr. White with developing the blueprints and obtain appropriate materials for building the yahkin, or wigwam. It was common for women to actually build the structures on the east coast, according to Powhatan oral histories and eyewitnesses’ accounts recorded by early settlers in Virginia.

The children and the general public will have an opportunity to meet more than 15 supporting artists who represent a spectrum of diversity from minorities and people with disabilities to military veterans and senior citizens. Many are Native American Indian artists coming in from across Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, and New Mexico. They include bead designers, wood workers, cooks, flintknappers, dancers, musicians, singers, storytellers, engineers, and more.

“Ken and Julia Falke’s investment in programs that promote Art and Artists in education ignites a compelling national interest,” Mrs. White added.

According to multiple reports, “a staggering 87 percent of references to American Indians in all 50 states’ academic standards portray them in a pre-1900 context.” That means students are graduating from high school without even basic knowledge of contemporary Native challenges or culture.

“At this time more than ever, we are at risk of losing the understanding of indigenous ways of life and what they stand for,” Mrs. White said, explaining that she took to heart her oath in the military to protect and defend. “The impact of funding cannot be over-stressed in

its ability to help us. It provides to us the support necessary to enable the educational development for both teachers and students. It provides the means of preserving a heritage valuable to all.”

“Native American Indian people have a rich heritage in the arts, but also in science, technology, engineering, and math or STEM,” said Michael Gress, VMS owner. “Indigenous contributions to the globe affect what we eat today, influence ecology, and inspire sustainable living. We are excited for our children to participate in this innovative program.”

VMS utilizes a unique prepared environment, indoors and out, which engages the sensitivity that children have to take in impressions and organize them through their senses. The approach is hands-on and childcentered.

“The Montessori way recognizes and values the human spirit in the development of the whole child – physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively,” said Toby Gress, head of VMS. “Our students will embrace the experience of this collaboration which mirrors and supports our current method of instruction.”

The team’s goal is to raise $27,850 for the artists, materials, and supplies needed to bring this program to Loudoun County. With Ken and Julia’s contribution of $7,500, the team still plans to raise $20,350 through community contributions and other grant opportunities. Other sponsors, partners, and donors from the community are invited to support and participate in this cultural education program. This is a 501(c) 3 non-profit initiative and all contributions are tax deductible.

More than 100 volunteers help the Whites field-test Art in Nature™ and Sanctuary on the Trail™ activities outside the classroom to ensure they

are well-received by students, teachers, families, and the public alike.

Last year, commuters may remember seeing a teepee while driving along US Highway-7 between Leesburg and Winchester at Clermont Farm on the corner of Berryville Main Street. Mr. White designed the structure with help from a Navajo/Dine artist who plans to drive from New Mexico to participate in this program.

Additionally, the team hosted “The Gathering 2015” an educational celebration of agri-culture held last fall at the Clarke County fairgrounds. Close to 5,000 people attended the Native American Indian harvest festival. Next year, “The Gathering 2017” is expected to draw 20,000+ people on Oct. 20-22, 2017.

This Indian village project would not be possible without the support of Jen Stone and her Bluemont family who have volunteered their private property to create the village, the Bluemont Citizens Association, and the Bluemont Fair Committee, who incorporated the grand opening of the village into the 2016 Bluemont Fair.

“We’re thrilled to have the Indian Village as part of our rural, historic Bluemont Fair,” said Bluemont Fair Co-Chair Cynthia Morris (with Jen Stone).

“The Native American heritage of our area has been underrepresented in the past. This is an exciting opportunity to remind people of those who were here long before the events that we usually talk about when we reference local history. The Indian Village will be an exciting addition to our Fair—everyone is invited to join us in Bluemont on September 17 and 18, 2016, and experience it for themselves!”

To volunteer or contribute visit www.HarvestGathering. org, email info4TheGathering@ gmail.org, call René at 540-5548730 or visit www.BluemontFair.org.

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River and Roots Adds Fiddle Camp Popular local roots music fest lineup includes …

This year’s River and Roots Festival will feature a fiddle music camp Tuesday, June 21–24, 1–4pm each day, with a fourth session Friday, 1-2 pm. The camp is for all ages and all levels. Students should come with a working fiddle and a way to record (most smart phones have a record app). Tuition is for all 4 days (and does not include the early arrival festival ticket). Space is limited.

Fiddlers may come just for the camp, too. The instructors are Malia Furtado, Stacy Sinclair, and David ‘Fiddlin’ Dave’ Van Deventer.

Furtado hails from the Northern end of

the Shenandoah Valley, coming from a large family of musicians. Her musical journey began at age 3 with classical violin lessons and took a turn; she then discovered bluegrass at age 7 when she attended her first festival, Galax Old Fiddler’s Convention. Since then, Malia has performed with a number of different groups, taken home a range of prizes, and graced the stage of numerous venues up and down the East Coast.

She teaches adult continuing education courses in bluegrass fiddle at Blue Ridge Community College in Weyer’s Cave, Va. Sinclair is from Canada, a country with a long history of fiddle music. She blends this influence with her classical violin training when she plays American bluegrass and traditional fiddle

tunes. She is a fifth-grade teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools and has worked at many summer camps over the years. She is also in her sixth year of teaching the next generation of musicians as a violin, viola, and cello instructor at Reston Music.

Van Deventer is a partner with Frazer Watkins in Shepherds Ford Productions, which hosts River and Roots and the annual Watermelon Park Festival.

He’s been studying the fiddle/violin for over 30 years, and teaching for 20 years.

He hosts a regular weekly old-time music jam at the Barns of Rose Hill, and a weekly old-time music group for kids at the Barns. David is an active member of Furnace Mountain, the Woodshedders and David Via and Corn Tornado.

The River and Roots Festival takes place

June 24–26 at Watermelon Park. This year’s lineup includes Tim O’Brien, the Keel Brothers, Furnace Mountain, Ragtime Annie, and several other regional favorites.

For a complete lineup visit www. riverandroots.com. Fiddlers interested in attending only the fiddle camp: call Shepherds Ford at 540-955-1621.

WOW YOUR GUESTS WITH PHENOMENAL FOOD! GRADUATIONS – WEDDINGS – PARTIES We love it here in Clarke County, and are honored to know that people drive for hours for our barbecue, pies, custom cakes, specialty baked breads and pastries!

We strive to make your event memorable – and affordable – with great food and unbeatable customer service.

6967 Lord Fairfax Hwy. Berryville, VA 22611 (540) 535-8466 info@hillhighpies.com www.hillhighpies.com

Call now to book your event

Our thanks to the yearbook staff at Clarke County High School for creating our new logo!

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