Clarke monthly October 2020

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OCT 2020

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As the Crow Flies

Batting For Beginners: Identifying And Tracking Local Bats

By Doug Pifer

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Last month I got a bat voice meter that attaches to my cell phone. With a touch of my finger I can now record the sound of any bat within range. It even tells me which species of bat I’m hearing. That little gadget has introduced me to an unseen world of nature at night.

For a long time, scientists have known that bats, shrews, dolphins, and certain birds can navigate, forage, and communicate in the dark by emitting sound waves beyond the threshold of human hearing. Special structures within their delicately tuned ears enable these creatures to conduct their lives in total darkness by capturing their own sounds bounced off objects.

Over the last decade, scientists have developed sophisticated detectors that pick up the ultrasonic calls bats make, erase other sounds, and record bat calls as spectograms. Spectograms can be used to identify which species of bat is making the sound. Using specialized equipment, the recordings can be slowed down in several ways so they’re audible to the human ear.

Since bat-detecting technology has become more available and user-friendly, people have become interested in finding bats as a hobby.

“Batting” can now be as fun and interesting as birding.

How does it work?

My Echo Meter Touch 2 for IOS plugs into the lightning port of my iPhone. Then, using the dedicated app, I can push a button and instantly start detecting bats. When a spectrogram is displayed on my phone screen, I press another button and the device immediately records and slows down the bat sound so I can hear it in real time.

As I record, auto I.D. automatically selects which bat I hear from a list of species occurring in West Virginia. It can’t identify every sound a bat makes. Sometimes it offers two possibilities, the first choice being the species it is most likely to be. A “mug shot” photo of each species can also be displayed, with a link to Wikipedia for more information.

Best of all, each recording has a GPS location. A satellite map using Google Earth displays the flight path of each bat, color coded by date, showing exactly where and when each recorded bat flew over our property.

Fascinating discoveries

Since late August we’ve recorded between seven and nine species of bats flying over our 5.7-acre property. The list includes big brown bat, eastern red bat, hoary bat, silver-haired bat, little brown bat, evening bat, and tricolored bat.

Two “possible” second-choice species complete the list, the Indiana bat and Townsend’s bigeared bat. The endangered Indiana bat is much like the little brown. Townsend’s big-eared bat is found only in parts of Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Its jackrabbit-like, naked ears fold back like accordions when the bat roosts in caves, old buildings, and abandoned mines.

Called a “whisper bat,” its sounds are seldom picked up by bat detectors.

Interestingly, our most recorded bat is the hoary bat, the largest species in West Virginia.

I’ve never seen a live hoary bat, but evidently they often fly to and from a big arborvitae tree about 40 feet from our front porch and may roost there. Our next most oft-recorded species are the big brown, silver haired and red bats. Little brown bats, once abundant, have been decimated by a fungal disease called white nose syndrome.

We feel lucky to have them here!

OCT 2020

Clarke STAFF

David Lillard, Editor/Publisher Jennifer Welliver, Associate Publisher Aundrea Humphreys, Art Director Hali Taylor, Proofreader

OCTOBER CONTRIBUTORS

Clarke How, When, Where To Vote Election Day is November 3, but voting is already well underway. As of October 12, approximately 28 percent of the county’s registered voters have cast their ballots, according to Barbara Bosserman, Director of Elections.

Mail-In Ballots

October 23 is the final day to apply for a Vote

by Mail absentee ballot. Mailed ballots must be postmarked on or before November 3 and be received by noon on Friday November 6.

In-Person Early Absentee Voting

Clarke County Cathy Kuehner Rebecca Maynard George Ohrstrom Doug Pifer Reverend Matt Rhodes Claire Stuart

The last day to vote early absentee in-person is October 31. You can vote at the Clarke County Office of Elections, 101 Chalmers Court in Berryville. Early voting hours are Monday – Friday, 8:30am–4:30pm and Saturdays October 24 and 31, 8:30am–4:30pm.

COVER IMAGE

Vote by Mail Drop Box or Hand Delivery

Viola Brown, on the occasion of her 109th birthday; by Sandy Williams Photography.

ADVERTISING SALES

Jennifer Welliver, 540-398-1450

Vote by Mail ballots can be dropped into the Vote by Mail Ballot Drop Box, located in front of the Berryville/Clarke County Government Building at 101 Chalmers Court in Berryville, before 7pm November 3. Vote by Mail ballots can also be dropped off at the Registrar’s office on the second floor of the government building before 7pm November 3.

Voter Identification

Advertising Information: 540-398-1450 (Mon-Fri, 9-5)

AD DEADLINE 1ST OF EACH MONTH

Clarke 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@clarkeva.com.

CLARKE MONTHLY

PO BOX 2160 SHEPHERDSTOWN WV 25443

540-440-1373

www.CLARKEVA.com

3

Virginia law requires all voters to provide an acceptable form of identification at the polls.

It also applies to early voters who vote at the General Registrar’s Office or at a satellite voting location. Acceptable forms of identification for voting at the polling place or voting early include the following:

•

Voter confirmation document you received after you registered to vote;

•

Virginia DMV-issued driver’s license or identification card;

•

Valid United States passport;

•

Any I.D. card issued by the U.S., Virginia, or a local Virginia government;

•

Any student I.D. card issued by a US university or community;

•

Valid student I.D. issued by a public school or private school in Virginia;

•

Employer-issued photo I.D. card;

•

Any current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document with your name and address;

•

An I.D. Confirmation Statement.

Where to Vote

A listing of polling locations in Clarke County is available at https://www.clarkecounty. gov/government/voter-registration-elections/ polling-locations.

Get Help

If you do not have internet access or have other questions, contact Barbara Bosserman, Director of Elections and General Registrar, 540955-5168. For those with email, you can contact Ms. Bosserman at vote@clarkecounty.gov. You can also visit the county’s election pages online at https://www.clarkecounty.gov/government/ voter-registration-elections, where there are maps of election districts and precincts, sample ballots, and other information.

Clarke

OCT 2020

4

Around Clarke County Promote your event in Clarke.

Send notices by the 1st of the preceding month to jennifer@clarkeva.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.

October

17

Annual Fall Craft Show

Clarke County Parks and Recreation Center. 225 Al Smith Circle, Berryville. The show will be outdoors and is still accepting vendors with homemade crafts only. No entrance fee. 9am–4pm.

540-955-5147.

17

Pumpkin Carving Party

Burwell-Morgan Mill. 15 Tannery Lane, Millwood. Bring your friends and family to a fun-filled day on the meadow at the Mill.

The Clarke County Historical Association will provide all the carving tools and even handle the cleanup.

Event includes lawn games and apple cider and social distancing and COVID-19 safety rules will apply to keep everyone safe. Pumpkins and carving tools provided by Nalls Farm Market. $5 per pumpkin. www.clarkehistory.org.

18

Magic Lantern Film: “Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles”

suggested donation for livestream. www.barnsofrosehill.org.

540-955-2004.

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Court, Berryville. In partnership with Magic Lantern Films, the documentary on the origins of one of Broadway’s most beloved musicals, “Fiddler on The Roof,” takes us to a time in 1960s New York when “tradition” was on the wane as gender roles, sexuality, race relations and religion were evolving.

PG-13; 92 minutes. 4–6pm. Barns members $5, nonmembers $8. www.barnsofrosehill.org. 540-955-2004.

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23

Live and Online Double Duo Concert

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Court, Berryville. Come out for a special night of music featuring two dynamic musical duos, Brendan Hearn and Dakota Karper and Morgan Morrison and Fiddlin’ Dave. There will be limited tickets for sale for those who want to be in the live audience. Masks are mandatory. Register ahead for in person tickets. 7–8:30pm. $20 in advance, $25 at door, children 12 and younger free. $5

Haunted Clarke County Walking Tour and Lecture Begins at Clarke County Historical Association. 32 E. Main Street, Berryville. Join director Nathan Stalvey for a riveting talk and walking tour based on Michael Hess’s book “Haunted Clarke County, Virginia.” Masks and social distancing required. 7–9pm. CCHA members $15, nonmembers $20. www.clarkehistory.org.

24

Nature Nurtures Online Events

Blandy Experimental Farm presents a virtual keynote tour and discussion of native plants featuring internationally known gardener, author and native plant advocate Colston Burrell. Cole promises to discuss native plants and ecology in “Can a Garden Have Everything?” They’ll also host an exciting demonstration of regional, farm-to-table cuisine with Neal

Wavra, owner and chef at Field and Main Restaurant in Marshall, and practical lessons on growing and using plants for personal health and joy with Corey McDonald of Red Root & Co. Register for one event, or all 3, at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. $10 per session, $25 for all three. 540-837-1758. www.blandy.virginia.edu.

31

Indoor Craft Show

Clarke County Ruritan Grounds. 890 W. Main Street, Berryville.

Homemade crafts and free admission. 9am–4pm.

540-955-2226.

November

3

Live Trivia on Zoom

Join the Clarke County Historical Association and Clarke County Library on Zoom with live trivia featuring categories such as history, literature, music, movies, science and more. Prizes donated by local businesses. 7pm.

Free. Visit www.clarkehistory.org for details.

6

Live on Facebook and YouTube Concert

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Court, Berryville. Award-wining harpsichord player Patrick Merrill and soprano Grace Srinivasan perform. There will be limited tickets for sale for those who want to be in the live audience. Masks are mandatory. Register ahead for in person tickets. 7–8:30pm. $20 in advance, $25 at door, children 12 and younger free. $5 suggested donation for live stream. barnsofrosehill.org. 540-955-2004.

14

Rabies Clinic

Clarke County Animal Shelter. 225 Ramsburg Lane, Berryville. Roseville Veterinary Clinic will conduct the clinic. Preregistration is not required and pet owners are asked to wear masks and stay socially distant. 10am– 12pm. $10. 540-955-5104.

21

Historical Crafts Workshop

Clarke County Historical Association Museum. 32 E. Main Street, Berryville.

Archivist Melanie Garvey teaches a hands-on workshop on leather imprinting.

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Clarke

OCT 2020 Supplies provided. $5. 11am–1pm.

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Ongoing Artist-in-Residence Program at the Mill Burwell-Morgan Mill. 15 Tannery Lane, Millwood. Program features a different artist each Saturday and Sunday, now through Nov. 7. Artists will set up their easels and create art, talk about their work, and offer paintings for sale. As with the biannual shows, the CCHA will keep a small portion of the art sales to support the mill as well as the Sarah P. Trumbower Memorial Scholarship. The mill is open 10am–5pm Saturdays and 12–5pm Sundays. Suggested donation to mill is $5 per adult; $3 per senior citizen. 540-837-1799 director@clarkehistory.org.

Clarke County Farmers’ Market 317 W. Main St., Berryville. Signs will direct both car and foot traffic.

Hand sanitizer will be available at each vendor’s stand as well as the main market tent. All patrons are asked to comply with statemandated requirements related to COVID-19, including social distancing and face coverings.

Find a list of vendors at clarkecountyfarmersmarket.com/ meet-our-vendors.

8am–12pm every Saturday through the end of October. manager@ clarkecountyfarmersmarket.com.

Pamela Klein/Irma Ostroff Joint Exhibit Long Branch Historic House and Farm. 830 Long Branch Lane.

Boyce. Original new works by innovative contemporary artists Pamela Klein and Irma Ostroff.

Exhibit is on display September 8 through October 30. Gallery hours are Monday–Friday, 10am–4pm. Free. 540-837-1856. www.visitlongbranch.org.

Clarke County Historical Association CCHA is developing a wealth of online content for people of all ages to use to enjoy history.

History challenges, behind the scenes video tours, puzzles, oral histories, our Archivist’s blog, online tutorials, there’s something for everyone! The Burwell-Morgan Mill is now open every Friday and Saturday, and the museum is open again Tuesday–Friday, 11am–3pm.

CCHA staff monitor email and phone messages at 540-955-2600 or director@clarkehistory.org.

Handley Library System Virtual programs for kids and teens with crafts, puppets, yoga, video game night, and more. www.handleyregional.org/blog/ virtual-and-live-programs-kidsteens Hoopla – Handley’s online streaming service for movies, TV, music, eBooks, audio books, and comics. Also, Hoopla is offering additional downloads for free on select content that do not count against your 6.

FISH of Clarke County 540-955-1823. Until further notice, FISH is closed to the public, but is not closed for food assistance.

If you need food, call the helpline, and they will deliver your food to your front porch or door with no personal contact. FISH is not accepting clothing donations and the clothing store is closed. Food donations may be dropped off by appointment only. For monetary donations, the mailing address is PO Box 1154, Berryville, Va, 22611.

If you have any questions, call Monday through Friday 8:30am–4 pm.

Barns of Rose Hill The Barns of Rose Hill, at 95 Chalmers Ct., Berryville, has reopened its art exhibits, gift shop and Visitors’ Center. Hours are 12– 3pm Tuesday through Saturday.

Donations are appreciated, as many programs have been canceled. Follow Barns of Rose Hill on Facebook, or contact the Barns at 540-955-2004 or info@borh.org.

Sanctuary Wellness Center 208 N. Buckmarsh Street, Berryville. A number of online classes are being held, including OM’Line Yoga with Amy HopeGentry and Yoga Nidra with Gayle Bohlman. Contact Amy at www.amyhopegentry.com/ yoga or Gayle at gaylebtcc@ comcast.net to register. For more information, email info@ sanctuaryberryville.com or visit http://sanctuaryberryville.com.

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6

Viola Brown Day Declared In Berryville

By Cathy Kuehner

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Clarke County’s oldest resident, Viola Roberts Lampkin Brown, celebrated her 109th birthday on Oct. 4 at her home on Josephine Street. A few family members and close friends gathered with her as she watched a procession of more than 50 cars slowly drive by with their enthusiastic occupants wishing Mrs. Brown a happy birthday. Some also delivered cards, gifts, and flowers.

The procession was led by a Berryville police vehicle, Town Council members and Berryville Mayor Harry “Jay” Arnold, who stepped forward read a proclamation declaring Oct. 4, 2020, “Viola Brown Day” in the Town of Berryville. Council was followed by the Clarke County Board of Supervisors, fire and rescue vehicles from John H. Enders Fire Company, and dozens of well-wishers who drove

by in cars, trucks, classic cars, and motorcycles.

Viola was born in Hume, Va., in 1911, the youngest of James Roberts and Maria Hosby Roberts’ 13 children. When Viola was 7, she and a brother moved to Clarke County, where they worked with their parents at Springfield Farm. Her mother was born in 1868, three years after the end of the Civil War. Her father was born in 1863, a month after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation took effect.

Viola married John Lampkin in the mid-1930s, and they built their home using part of a Main Street livery stable that they moved more than five blocks to Josephine Street, where the couple raised their son and daughter. Viola returned to work at Springfield Farm while also working for decades for

Viola Roberts Lampkin Brown – Clarke County’s oldest resident – celebrated her 109th birthday on Oct. 4. the families who lived at the Knoll, a grand home on South Church Street in Berryville.

Former Secretary of State and retired four-star general Colin Powell welcomed Viola Roberts Lampkin Brown of Berryville to his McLean, Va., home on Sept. 20, two weeks before Mrs. Brown’s 109th birthday. The afternoon visit included Mrs. Brown’s daughter, Vonceil Hill (standing) and Mrs. Brown’s nephew, Andrew Roberts (seated at right), who arranged the visit through a mutual friend with Powell.

Clarke

OCT 2020

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Berryville Mayor Harry “Jay” Arnold reads a proclamation declaring Oct. 4, 2020, “Viola Brown Day” in the Town of Berryville. Clarke County Board of Supervisors follow Town Council, leading a 50-plus car birthday procession, while Viola Brown (seated at right) watches from her home on Josephine Street.

Viola Brown Proclamation.

John Lampkin died in 1982, and Viola married the Rev. Paul Brown in 1988. He died in 1998.

Viola Roberts Lampkin Brown still lives in the home she and John built in 1936.

In 2016, a reporter asked Mrs. Brown about the changes she’s seen in her lifetime.

Of all the changes, which was most important to her? She thought for a moment and said, “The biggest change is that you can eat anywhere now and go into any store.”

That was not the case for more than half her life — until the Civil Rights Act of 1964

outlawed discrimination based on race, sex, and origin. She also expressed delight that she lived to see a Black man become president.

So imagine her delight in 2017 when Barack Obama sent a hand-signed letter to her on the occasion of her 106th birthday. The former president wrote: “Dear Viola, Happy birthday! Michelle and I send our warmest wishes as you celebrate your 106th birthday. We hope you are able to spend the day surrounded by the love and laughter of family and friends. Over the course of a century, you have made extraordinary memories and woven your own unique story into the American narrative. As you reflect on your contributions to our nation, we trust you take tremendous pride in all you have accomplished. We wish you all the best.”

Brown has eight grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, three great-greatgrandchildren and more relatives and friends than she can count. Many of them stopped by the house on Josephine Street on Oct. 4 to wish her a happy birthday.

Clarke

OCT 2020

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8

Cosmic Harvest Gallery Features Paintings of Keith Patterson

8 30 Long Branch Lane Boyce, VA 540-837-1856 info@visitlongbranch.org www.visitlongbranch.org

CLARKEVA.COM

VOTE MATTHEW E. “MATT” BASS Independent for

CLARKE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BERRYVILLE DISTRICT 540-535-5425 facebook.com/Bass4Board

paid for by Bass For Board and authorized by Matthew E. “Matt” Bass

Off the Rails 2020 • October 16th at 7:00 PM Rich Follett shares his love of music!

• October 24th at 5:00 PM Off the Rails Cabaret: Track 3 featuring local performers and their performance medium!

Please visit our website, www.WinchesterLittleTheatre.org, or call 540-662-3331 for ticket information!

Thank you for supporting Winchester Little Theatre’s Outdoor Performance Series! We hope to see you soonwhen the doors officially open for indoor theatre!!!

Cosmic Harvest Gallery opened October 1 featuring original paintings of local artist, Keith Patterson (a sometimes contributor to Clarke). The gallery was established by Keith and his wife, Kelli Scarrow Patterson, in a small carriage house on their farm just north of Berryville. A self-taught artist and entrepreneur, Keith began painting at the age of fourteen and his artwork includes award-winning cartoons, paintings, murals, and numerous corporate logos. Currently painting with acrylic on canvas, he blends a variety of techniques developed over a lifetime as an artist to create truly distinctive pieces. Keith has closely studied the work of the Masters and one may get a sense of VanGogh, Monet, Pollack and others while viewing his work.

Nathan Keith Patterson

III, who signs his work NKP3, is a native of Danville, Va. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from George Mason University and is an avid writer and musician. He is a past winner of the Mid-Atlantic Song Writing Contest, and arranged and performed the soundtrack for a Nike commercial that received both ACE and CAB award nominations. According to Keith, “Ever since a boyhood adventure led to my discovery that the appearance of light changed when it passed through the glass from the bottom of a cola bottle, I’ve been fascinated with how light is made of the full spectrum of colors. I try to capture this phenomenon in my paintings.”

Keith and Kelli met and became friends during their days at George Mason University and Kelli offered

space on her farm to Keith to use as an art studio in 2011.

It was not long afterwards that Keith began his professional art career, and in 2012 moved to Clarke County to live with Kelli. The arrangement worked out quite well and the couple were married in 2015.

Clarke

OCT 2020

9

CLARKEVA.COM

The Fox & Pheasant Kelli Patterson recently retired as the Executive Director of Long Branch Historic House and Farm where she had worked since March 2018 following a lengthy career as director of operations for a large Washington, D.C. law firm. During her tenure at Long Branch, she started ”The Galleries at Long Branch” and exhibited the work of many Virginia artists including renowned artists Bradley Stevens and William Woodward. Kelli, who started her college career as an art major, had the opportunity to learn about the art business while purchasing artwork for the law firm. “I had the good fortune to be given the responsibility to purchase and curate the art collection for the firm”, says Kelli, and this experience provided her the opportunity to work and learn from prominent art consultants Randy Rosenberg

and Laura Kaufman Siner.

Kelli says, “Although it was wonderful to share my love of art and use my knowledge to start the program at Long Branch, it is even more exciting to have our very own art business.”

Cosmic Harvest Gallery is located on the Patterson’s five-acre homestead. In addition, all works may be viewed OR ST HI

RRYVILLE, V IR G IC BE IN IA

H

on the art gallery’s website at www.cosmicharvest.com.

A grand opening special offers 15 percent discount on all purchases made through November 15, 2020. A portion of Keith’s art sales will benefit FISH in Clarke County. For more information, contact Kelli Patterson at 540-431-8320 or visit the gallery online.

We’re Back Live!

BARNS

• Masks required for in-house performances •

ROSE HILL

DOUBLE DUO CONCERT • OLD-TIME MUSIC

OF

Antiques • Décor • Interiors

Limited in-person tickets available or stream live on Facebook or YouTube.

Fri., October 23

Brendan Hearn and Dakota Karper Fiddlin’ Dave and Morgan Morrison

Fri., November 6 • HARPSICHORD AND VOCALS •

Patrick Merrill and Grace Srinivasan • FIBER ART EXHIBIT | WOOLEN WONDERS •

October 6 - November 28 Display and sale of primitive, traditional and punch rugs.

LIVE MUSIC | FILMS | EXHIBITS | LECTURES, CLASSES & WORKSHOPS | AND MUCH MORE!

See What’s Coming Up at www.BarnsofRoseHill.org 95 Chalmers Court | Berryville, VA | 22611 | P: 540.955.2004 95 Chalmers Court | Berryville, VA | 22611 | P: 540-955-2004

114 East Main Street Boyce, Virginia

Thursday - Saturday 10 - 5 Sunday 12 - 5

804-205-4605

Clarke

OCT 2020

10

Clarke County Offers Many Choices to Keep Kids Active and Safe

By Rebecca Maynard

With many Clarke Blue Ridge Studio County children do- for the ing some or all of their Performing Arts learning online, parents 5 E. Main St., Berryville, may be searching for 540-955-2919, www.blueridgestudio.org fun, enriching activities The Blue Ridge Studio offers that are also safe in light dance lessons for children age of Covid-19. No need 3 through adult, specializing in classical ballet, jazz, tap, modto drive to surround- ern and Broadway dance. ing counties; there are “After being shut down for many enriching options six months, the support from for kids right here in our community has been so uplifting,” said Nela Niemann, Clarke County. the studio’s founder and director. “Dance is a great way to

get kids away from electronic screens and on their feet. The discipline, focus and commitment that dancing requires will help them in every aspect of their lives — socially, intellectually, personally, educationally. Dance is especially beneficial in boosting confidence and self esteem, so even the shyest child feels encouraged to explore the world.”

Niemann said the studio has taken many measures to protect their students, staff, and their families. Separate doors are used to enter and exit the building, everyone gets their

temperature taken before being permitted in the building, and the dressing room and waiting areas are closed. Masks are worn by everyone over the age of 10, hand sanitizer is frequently used, a 10-minute break has been added between classes so teachers have time to sanitize the studio, and class sizes have been reduced so everyone has plenty of room to move and still maintain social distancing.

“And you know what? Absolutely no one has complained,” Niemann said. “They dance their hearts out and they are all

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wearing masks, and think nothing of it. In the 30 years running this place, I never imagined a situation like this; but these kids are troopers.”

United States Martial Arts Academy

850 W. Main St., Berryville, 540-955-0055, www.ustma.com USTMA has been serving the Berryville community for 10 years. Its programs include martial arts, self-defense, fitness, and leadership development for adults and children. The classes focus on respect, discipline, confidence, perseverance and good moral character. The USTMA family is led by Grandmaster Eung Gil Choi, a 9th Degree black belt with a Master’s degree in physical education and a former Korean Special Forces champion.

“When people think about martial arts, they sometimes think it’s just learning kicks and punches, but it’s more than that,” Master James Choi said. “It’s also about respect and discipline and learning about yourself.”

Choi said that martial arts are a great fit for homeschoolers and distance learning students, and that the respect and discipline that is emphasized can also help those who participate in other sports as they listen to and learn

Clarke

OCT 2020 from their coaches. All ages are welcome and the teachers at USTMA love it when entire families participate together.

Instructors at USTMA wear masks and frequent cleaning and sanitizing helps to keep students safe. Currently, outdoor classes are offered on Wednesdays and Fridays, and when the weather turns colder, they plan to offer an indoor class for participants who need to be particularly cautious, in which all participants will wear masks.

Footloose Dance and Gymnastics

20 E. Main St., Berryville, 540-338-3668,

footloosedanceandgymnastics.com.

Footloose Dance and Gymnastics has been in business for 20 years; it is a family-owned business whose mission is to maintain a fun but professional environment where students can learn in a friendly, educational and safe atmosphere.

It is the goal of Footloose to have all students progress into well trained dancers and gymnasts in the backdrop of this environment.

Footloose offers beginner to advanced levels of gymnastics classes, along with cheer and tumble teams. Dance classes include Broadway musical theater, jazz, hip hop, ballet, tap and a variety of combo classes for ages 2 to 5.

“Our primary goal is to provide a safe, fun recreational environment for our dancers and gymnasts. We encourage every student to strive for the best that they can be. We’re not a competitive dance or gymnastics studio and our focus is on fun! Everyone that enters our studio is treated like family,” said owner Cassie Ludtke-Willey.

The studio is cleaned on a regular basis with registered disinfectant solutions before, after and in between classes.

Students must wear attire to class and refrain from changing in the studio. Students remain six to ten feet apart during class times and gymnasts

rotate between all equipment, with the equipment wiped in between uses and students hand sanitizing. Touchless thermometers are utilized daily before students enter the studio and they must hand sanitize before entering.

Footloose offers a one time free trial class for any interested student in the studio. Register or call for more information.

Clarke County Parks and Recreation

225 Al Smith Circle, Berryville, 540-955-5140, www.clarkecounty.gov/ government/parks-recreation Clarke County Parks and Recreation offers a wide variety of activities and programs for people of all ages. Classes, programs, and special events are detailed in The Core, found at the center’s website. Published three times each year, The Core is available at the Recreation Center and it is mailed to residents who ask to be on the distribution list.

“Currently, we are programming one month at a time as things are constantly evolving,” said Shannon Martin, recreation program coordinator.

“We strive to offer a variety of programs for all ages at affordable prices. We are currently following CDC guidelines and the governor’s directions in the activities we are programming.

Social distancing and masks are required at events.”

Just a few of the many offerings available this autumn at the recreation center are skateboarding lessons, a Pokémon card game group, fitness classes, a free Internet cafe for distance learning students and clay sculpting camps.

Clarke County Library

101 Chalmers Ct. #C, Berryville, 540-955-5144, www.handleyregional.org The Clarke County Library, a branch of Handley Regional

Library, seeks to be a resource to the community by creating connections to information and entertainment, and being the center of learning. While checking out books, CDs and DVDs is a valuable and important resource, there is even more available at the library.

“With all the homeschooling and virtual learning, we are a vital resource that is so easy to get to and access,” said branch manager Laurine Kennedy. “Our wifi extends into the parking lot quite well, and is available 24/7.”

Check the library’s website for the latest available activities. Current Zoom offerings include story time and puppets, and kid “crafternoons.” Registration is required.

Another fun option, Kennedy explained, is parents can fill out a form with their child’s birthday, and when the child is turning 5, the library will send them a birthday card and a reminder to come in and get a free book.

REVEL Gymnastics

351 Station Road, Suite 11A, Berryville, 703-309-8787, www.revelgym.org “Gymnastics is a full body sport that develops many muscle groups that are important in other sports, making it a great foundation for all children,” said owner Margie Barnes. “In light of covid-19 and distance learning, the lack of regular available physical activity for children could lead to later health issues, as it is known that instilling and enjoying regular physical activity as a child will result in an individual most likely staying active their entire life.

“At REVEL Gymnastics we take our gymnasts, coaches, and families’ health very seriously. Our precautions for covid-19 include limiting the number of people allowed in the gym at one time, daily disinfecting, weekly cleaning, and all personnel wearing masks.”

REVEL offers recreational,

11 developmental and competitive programs to ensure that no matter your gymnastics goals, they are the gym for you.

Recreational sessions are designed for children with little to no gymnastics experience

that want to explore and learn the sport, and developmental sessions are by invite or placement, through previous program participation or new evaluation. Visit the website for details and class times.

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Clarke

OCT 2020

12

Creating a Pandemic Photo Documentary “A Snapshot in Time” Asks Photographers to Show How They Captured the Pandemic

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The Clarke County Conservation Easement Authority is sponsoring a photo contest designed to preserve this most extraordinary year.

“A Snapshot in Time” asks student, amateur, and professional photographers to submit images that show how they spent their time outdoors in Clarke County during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“A Snapshot in Time” contest judge is Fauquier County resident Ken Garrett, a distinguished photographer whose work has appeared in National Geographic, Smithsonian, Air and Space, Archaeology, Fortune, Forbes, Time, Life, Audubon, GEO, National Wildlife, and Natural History magazines. Garrett will be looking for images that best convey the coronavirus reflected in outdoor activities, isolation, or open spaces in Clarke County. He will also focus on content, contrast, composition, and creativity.

Garrett will select three photographs — first, second, and third place — that capture the essence of Clarke County during the pandemic. The Conservation Easement Authority will award $200, $100, and $50 prizes, respectively.

Photographs must be taken in Clarke County after February 2020. Each photographer may submit as many as five high-resolution images electronically (preferred) or five unframed printed photographs. Photos must be the original work of the entrant.

Contest deadline is 5 p.m. Jan. 11, 2021.

Every photo submitted must include caption information (description of subject and location) as well as photographer contact information (name, address, phone number, and email address). Photographers are responsible for obtaining permission from individuals depicted in their images.

Submit each electronic image separately, including the required information in each email.

Preferred digital image size is 1 MB or larger and at least 72 DPI. Smaller-sized images are accepted, but low resolution photos are less likely

to be considered as finalists. Send each image to ateetor@clarkecounty.gov.

Maximum size of printed images is 8-by10 inches. Send or deliver photos to Clarke County Conservation Easement Authority, attention: Alison Teetor, Berryville-Clarke County Government Center, 101 Chalmers Ct., Berryville VA 22611.

Winning photographers retain all rights to the images they submit, however photographers also grant the Conservation Easement Authority non-exclusive rights in perpetuity to publish the images for the Authority’s purposes in any format, including online and in print.

The Conservation Easement Authority is dedicated to protecting and preserving land with significant agricultural, natural, scenic and historic resources. The Clarke County Board of Supervisors appoints seven members to serve on the Authority. The Authority includes one member from the Board of Supervisors, one member from the county Planning Commission and five county residents. The Authority can acquire and/or receive conservation easements by purchase, gift, or other conveyance and it administers the Clarke County Conservation Easement Purchase Program.

Since its creation in 2002, the Clarke County Conservation Easement Authority has placed more than 8,000 acres into conservation easement, retiring 275 dwelling unit rights. When included with other entity holdings, such as the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, more than 26,000 acres — almost 23 percent of the county — have been permanently protected.

For more information about “A Snapshot in Time” photo contest or conservation easements, contact Clarke County Natural Resource Planner Alison Teetor at (540) 955-5134 or ateetor@clarkecounty.gov.

Visit clarkelandconservation.org.

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Clarke

OCT 2020

Hearing The Bells Of Hope

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By the Reverend Matt Rhodes

Those who may have been in Millwood at some point during the past several weeks likely heard something new, or at the very least something not heard in quite some time: the sound of bells ringing out from the tower of Christ Church.

For the first time in nearly 40 years, the full range of 12 bells is once again being heard daily as they toll the hours and — at mid-day and in the early evening — play a few minutes of beloved hymns.

The sound of church bells is for many a source of calm and peace, something that triggers the recall of past cherished memories, and perhaps even serves as a reminder of a community that has shared much in its long history — moments of lament and sorrow as well as of immense joy. Even today, I still smile at my own childhood memories of hearing the bells of the Methodist church in the small town where I lived, playing old, cherished hymns throughout the day.

In his famous poem “In Memoriam [Ring out, wild bells],” Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote: Ring in the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand; Ring out the darkness of the land, Ring in the Christ that is to be.

In reading those words recently, I reflected on how relevant they are to this time.

The past several months have without question seen a new form of darkness cover the land, as COVID–19 immeasurably altered the lives of many in Clarke County and beyond.

Some may have experienced illness or even the loss of a friend or loved one. Setting aside even the tragic aspects of this time, things that were once considered routine — tasks as simple as going to the supermarket or filling up the gas tank — now require a bit more planning

and preparation. Beloved annual traditions that bring our community together have, out of necessity and caution, been postponed or canceled. Students and families who anticipated a school year playing out one way are now dealing with an entirely new reality. Indeed, for every person reading this there may likely be a unique life change experienced during this time.

Despite this, the bells continue to ring out the darkness of the land — and not just the 12 bells in a church tower.

There are countless “bells” in our community sounding out hope, the bells who are all those women and men continuing to work diligently to ensure life moves forward in as normal a fashion as possible. School teachers and administrators; shop clerks, restaurant workers, and supermarket employees; emergency first responders; parents and grandparents; clergy, church staff and parishioners; medical professionals: the list of those ringing out the hymns of hope, in their own ways through their own professions and vocations, is long and inspiring.

In my own parish, the tower bells are not the only ones sounding across the land. Our dedicated food pantry volunteers have continued to be the hope ringing out for our neighbors needing assistance. Later

13

this month we are partnering with the American Red Cross on a community blood drive, another way of reaching into the community while sounding a bell on behalf of a crucial organization. Most joyfully we continue to gather as a church family, on Sunday mornings on the Parish House lawn and online through live streaming services at other times during the week.

During this time church buildings may have been closed, but Church was never closed. I have watched as clergy friends and colleagues throughout Clarke County and beyond serve as innovators, recording technicians, editors and trouble-shooters – things that likely none of us learned in seminary – to keep bringing their communities of the faithful together however and whenever possible.

We at Christ Church are blessed to have 12 bells ringing out from our tower, and pray they provide a source of comfort and peace for our neighbors. But whether in Millwood or elsewhere you do not necessarily need a church tower for inspiration. Simply pause and listen; you may discover the bell of hope you are hearing is no further away than the person standing right next to you.

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— The Reverend Matt Rhodes is Rector of Christ Church, Millwood.

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Clarke

OCT 2020

14

Unique Homes

Yesterday and Today Meet at Rock Hall

By Claire Stuart

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Clarke County is rich in history, and a drive down most of its country roads will reward you with glimpses of historic homes and buildings with much of their expansive acreage preserved.

In 1649, a tract of over five million acres of land in northern Virginia known as the Northern Neck Proprietary was granted

by King Charles II of England to those who had been his loyal allies during the English Civil War. Thomas, Sixth Lord Fairfax, inherited the land from his family and came to the colonies to oversee his holdings in around 1735. Fairfax decided to subdivide, sell and lease tracts of land to encourage business and settlement that would generate taxes and fees. He hired a surveyor whose team included 16-year-old George Washington.

The earliest settlers arrived in what is now Clarke County in 1740-1743. They had to build houses and fences, break soil and plant crops. The first homes, of necessity, were built of logs. In time, sawmills were built and framed lumber replaced logs as building material. Stone buildings became common in the late 1700s. Existing log houses were often covered by stone and stone stuccoed over.

History of Clarke County, Virginia by Thomas D. Gold (1962) states that there was a huge oak tree about a mile-and-a-half west of Berryville known as the Washington Oak. It was reported that after his survey, young George Washington told a friend “that all the country east of that large oak was fine and watered, but west of it dry and rocky.”

The 65-plus acre property on Route 7 west of Berryville known as Rock Hall was named for the dramatic outcroppings of limestone rock thrusting from the soil. It was part of Lord Fairfax’s grant. It was deeded to Thomas and Mary Neil (Neill) in about 1750, and sold to Richard G. and

Sarah Hardesty in 1812. It was later purchased by the Clevenger family, and subsequently the Kimball family in the late 1940s.

The house is a two-story, three-bay stone house constructed of local limestone. Local architectural historian Maral Kalbian says that it is typical Greek Revival style. She noted that the interior chimneys, mantles and newels of the staircase are all characteristic of the style. Greek Revival became very popular, especially by the 1830s to 1850s.

Kalbian describes this home as a “single pile” house — one room deep, with three large rooms upstairs and three down. The three rooms consist of a wide central passageway or hallway with stairway and a room on either side. Indoor plumbing was probably added in the 1930s to 40s and a shorter right hand woodand-stone wing was added in the 1940s.

James Monroe, U.S. President, 1817-1825, a relative of the Hardestys, was said to have spent time visiting at Rock Hall. The Hardestys’ son, James Monroe Hardesty, is buried in Berryville.

Legend has it that a Civil War soldier’s blood stained the second floor of the house, but there is no information as to his identity and the house was not used as a hospital during the Civil War, so

this is unsubstantiated. It is said that the first Methodist church in the county met in the woods of Rock Hall. This probably would have been in some sort of log cabin or other wood structure that no longer stands.

This historic home is now on the market, and it presents the perfect marriage of history and modern conveniences. Handhewn timber ceiling beams, reclaimed barn wood dining area, original stone interior walls and fireplaces speak of yesterday.

The modern kitchen with “miles” of counter space, stainless appliances and terra cotta floors; and the four over-size upstairs bedrooms with updated bathrooms, are all reminders that this is the 21st Century. A conservatory brings the outdoors in and opens to a flagstone patio leading to the swimming pool surrounded by the beautifully-landscaped grounds. There is a paddock to the side door, a studio office currently used as a classroom, a pond with an observation stand, a four-bay machine shop garage with lift, and a three-bay garage.

For a virtual tour of this outstanding property: https://matrix. brightmls.com/Matrix/Public/Portal. aspx?ID=16512074012. For information, contact Gloria Rose Ott, at TTR Southeby’s International Realty, 540-454-4394, GloriaRose.Ott@sir.com; or Rachael Duvall, 703-431-0656, rduvall@ttrsir.com.

Clarke

OCT 2020

Forty Years Of Keeping Clarke Rural Through Sliding Scale Zoning

By George Ohrstrom II October marks the fortieth anniversary of the adoption of “sliding scale zoning” in Clarke County, Va., passed in 1980. This type of zoning helps to keep large parcels of land intact by allocating fewer building rights for large tracts of land than for smaller tracts — along a sliding scale concept. For example, in Clarke County a parcel containing between 40 and 80 acres is allowed three houses while a parcel containing over 1,030 acres, no matter how large, can have only 15 houses. The theory is that the larger the parcel, the more of an agricultural resource it represents and thus the potential for non-agricultural use should be more limited.

The people that brought it to our county back then saw Loudoun County being subdivided at a rapid rate. Our old friend Bob Lee, who is presently on the Fauquier County Planning Commission, was the Clarke County Administrator back then. He had learned of the sliding scale concept when he was in graduate school at Cornell University. Pennsylvania’s York County had already adopted that type of zoning to preserve their farmland, and when farmland Preservation became a hot topic in Clarke County, he offered to take The Clarke County Planning Commission on a trip up there so they could see for themselves how it actually worked.

In fact, York County had, at that time, recently withstood a legal challenge to their sliding scale zoning,

which validated it as a reasonable zoning provision.

Interestingly enough, the lady my wife and I purchased our farm from, Margaret Maizel, was the Chair of the Clarke County Planning Commission then; just as I am today. (Must be something in the well water here at the farm!) She wrote a memo for a presentation to the Board of Supervisors about the possible effects of sliding scale zoning here in the County.

She pointed out that the existing zoning density of Clarke County was 56 people per square mile. She also stated that, at that time in 1980, that was pretty much the density of the whole world!

Margaret made the case that while “sliding scale” would be considered more restrictive than the zoning rules that were in place at the time, it may actually not be restrictive enough. She showed that, after total buildout, the zoning density of the county would be doubled and was thus not the “nogrowth zoning” that the adversaries of the policy claimed. One of the major points of her presentation was that, historically, the development patterns and density of this and most other Virginia counties were decided by the individual landowner and that, therefore, there was no centralized county planning. If Clarke County implemented a sliding scale, it would for the first time have a real handle on the amount of development (its nature and its location) it was likely

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to end up with. This would lead to a better ability to plan for growth.

She ended her memo with the sentence, “This strongly suggests that Sliding Scale is a mechanism that heads in the right direction for farmland preservation but that it really is a compromise and that more finite techniques are needed to achieve this valuable goal.”

Well, here it is 40 years later, and the idea that Clarke County might need something more restrictive than sliding scale zoning is quite eye-opening to me. As the chair of

15 the planning commission for the last 10 years, all I’ve ever heard from outside sources talking about Clarke is that, “over there they just say NO!” To quote from Bob Lee, “Sliding scale was Clarke County’s ‘Camelot’ moment,” and it truly was. I personally don’t think a restrictive downzoning of that magnitude would be passed today.

So a resounding THANKS to Bob Lee, Margaret Maizel, Jack Hardesty, Pete Dunning, Bob Mitchell, Velma Smith (who was then staff

at the PEC), and all the others who worked so hard to get this passed all those years ago. While it isn’t perfect, it has kept the county rural and agriculturally viable; and whenever one drives west over the mountain, one breathes a huge sigh of relief. The landscape is not only much more verdant, but it also seems more peaceful and less stressed.

I have often heard it said, “Sliding Scale Zoning only gets legally stronger every day it exits . . . .”

Clarke

OCT 2020

16

Letters to the Editor

Of Stone Walls Beyond Metaphor A number of readers responded to Clarke resident Charles Snead’s letter, published in the September edition, about the origin of stone walls around the county and their ties to slavery. Mr. Snead’s letter was itself a response to an opinion piece by another Clarke resident, Mary Martin, titled, “Remember Who Built Clarke’s Lovely Stone Fences.”

Gone With the Wind History

With all respect to you Mr. Snead, no matter what Gone With the Wind version of history you are referring to, when human beings are objects to be bought, owned and possessed those human beings do not feel they are being “treated with respect.”

— Lisa McCall, Berryville, Va.

No Respect Possible with Slavery

With all due respect to Charles Snead in his letter to the editor regarding the “stone walls of Clarke County,” it is difficult to reconcile his statement that “enslaved people were treated with respect in Clarke County.”

The mere fact that they were enslaved hardly indicates respect.

Mr. Snead references Ann Page of Annfield, who indeed by all historical accounts, was a devoutly pious woman who saw slavery as an abomination. Her answer to the question of slavery was what is known as the American Colonization Society, whose goals were to return these enslaved persons to Africa, a continent that these enslaved persons had never lived and yet somehow expected that the enslaved persons would be grateful for being sent across the ocean to a land that had become as foreign to them as it was to Ann Page herself.

She did indeed purchase a handful of enslaved persons from her husband — who was not part of the American Colonization Society — and, with the money he received from his wife, would then use it to replace one enslaved person with another enslaved person. What was more troubling for me was that these enslaved persons who were returned to Africa were separated from their extended families, much in the same way an enslaved person was separated from their families when auctioned off like little more than a yearling calf. “Treated with respect”? I think not.

In the 1850s, James Castleman accused one

of his enslaved persons of stealing from his general store he kept near the Shenandoah River. In order to punish this man, Castleman wrapped a heavy chain around the man’s neck, who was made to stand on a small object approximately one to two feet in height.

The chain around his neck barely allowed for him to stand on this unknown object without hanging himself. This man was left standing for many hours until he experienced exhaustion and his legs went out from under him.

In essence, the punishment resulted in the man being hanged until death. Castleman was charged with murder, but under the Virginia law, the enslaved had no rights and, being considered personal property, were no different than cattle were considered personal property. Castleman was acquitted of murder.

As one could not be charged and convicted for killing a fattened hog, so was the case of this poor man who was found hanging by the neck the next day after many hours of fighting against both exhaustion and sleep. After the jury acquitted Castleman of murder, he found out that it was not the enslaved person who had stolen from him. He had made a mistake! “Treated with respect”?

The Castleman case may have been rare, but cruelty toward enslaved persons began on the day that the first African was forcibly taken from their family in Africa and loaded aboard a ship, where thousands died while making the trip across the Atlantic. It was never their choice to become a “slave,” nor their choice to die aboard a ship and then be tossed unceremoniously into the ocean to become a meal for the creatures that lurked below the surface. “Treated with respect”?

In 1856, a family of 14 enslaved persons were auctioned off in Clarke County, where most never saw their family again. I can only imagine their terror and their grief while they were carted off to parts unknown. I know of this auction of enslaved family members because it was my own family who were responsible for such.

I can only say that the sheer nature of slavery is in itself cruel and cannot be considered anything but cruel. I ask that every person close their eyes, think of their family and then imagine being rounded up, sold, and separated from your loved ones forever more. Think of the excruciating emotional pain that might cause you. I doubt that any of you would consider this as being “treated with respect.”

Slavery cannot, nor should it ever be, softened with the opinion that the enslaved were treated with respect. Slavery and respect should never be used in the same sentence.

— Jesse Russell, Clarke County, Va.

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