INSIDE So Long, Doc page 3 Community Gardeners page 4 Valet Stars page 6 New Trustee page 9 Broken Egg page 10
Crozet gazette the
crozetgazette.com
august 2012 VOL. 7, NO. 3
No Sale Yet on Lumberyard
Reading Party page 11
chef showdown page 12 black rock springs page 13 Oh so close page 15 kitty nature page 16 Crape myrtle page 18 cotolette page 19 er olympics page 20 derecho debrief page 21 copperheads at home page 22 house sales page 23 solar power page 24 crossword page 25 literacy page 26 degrees on the go page 27 flicks page 30 Jackson clan page 34 summer Dancers page 35
The foundation of the new Crozet Library emerged in July.
Independence Day Fireworks Organizers Regroup Representatives of the coalition of civic groups that combine to put on the Crozet Independence Day Celebration, the parade and fireworks show, gathered at the firehouse July 13 to commiserate over the cancellation over this year’s show and set a plan for next year’s. Months of planning and effort had gone into the show, which was set up before the June 29 windstorm struck, and then had to be cleaned up in steamy
heat in the days afterward. And no fun happened. On the other hand, planners were relieved the storm hadn’t hit the next day, when the park could have had 3,000 people in it. In the end the show had $2,021 in advance expenses. Nearly every vendor who had set up and had losses from the storm accepted them without charging the event. The fireworks continued on page 17
It appears no deal closed on the sale of the J. Bruce Barnes Lumber Company acreage in downtown Crozet on July 27, the date called for according to the terms of the June 27 real estate foreclosure auction. When a silent and mysterious bidder walked away having apparently bought the property for $1.9 million, foreclosure trustee Suzanne Thomas of the Lenhart Obenshain law firm in Charlottesville told folks they would have to wait 30 days for a deed to be recorded to learn the identity, or perhaps the mask, of the owner. No one knew the bid winner, including the local land developers who wanted a first hand view of the action, and he said nothing. He met privately with Union First Market Bank’s representative, whose name is unknown, and Thomas, presumably to deliver a $50,000 certified check. According to the terms of the auction, if no closing occurred by July 27 the bid of Keith Woodard of Woodard Properties in Charlottesville, the only other bidder, would become valid. But Woodard’s associate Katurah Roell, the developer of Claudius Place, an approved restaurant and office project across the street from the lumberyard, said that Woodard has not gotten any call about accepting his bid since the deadline passed. Roell has been promoting a plan to develop the lumbercontinued on page 7
New Sisters at Our Lady of the Angels This year marks the 25th anniversary of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery near Millington, famous for the gouda cheese they make to support themselves, and in that time the group of Trappist sisters has risen from six to 14. Three sisters and a postulate, a prospective sister, have recently joined. A second postulate is also likely to join. The longest established Trappist monastery in America is that for men at Gethsemane in Kentucky, the home of the famous monk Thomas
Merton, author of The Seven Storey Mountain and many works on peace and the life of contemplation. Father Joe Wittstock, a South African priest (who became a Trappist after reading Thomas Merton), is on loan as chaplain for the monastery from Holy Cross Abbey, the monks in Berryville, Virginia. The motherhouse of the Crozet sisters is in Wrentham, Massachusetts. It was formed in 1949 by nuns coming from Ireland. continued on page 28
Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Free Union
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Now it’s your turn to... Be Part of the S to ry Now that the library building is underway, it’s up to us to build from the inside out.
"One thing that always unites the people of Crozet is doing what is best for Crozet. Join the people of Crozet United Methodist Church in making a donation towards furnishing the new Crozet/Western Albemarle Library."
We are raising funds for all the things that make a building a library: books, shelves, chairs, tables and desks, computers... All things we will use in the new library next year.
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Crozet gazette the
Published on the first Thursday of the month by The Crozet Gazette LLC, P.O. Box 863, Crozet, VA 22932.
www.crozetgazette.com © The Crozet Gazette
Michael J. Marshall, Publisher and Editor news@crozetgazette.com | 434-466-8939 Allie M. Pesch, Art Director and Ad Manager ads@crozetgazette.com | 434-249-4211 Louise Dudley, Editorial Assistant louise@crozetgazette.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: John Andersen, Connor Andrews, Clover Carroll, Marlene Condon, Elena Day, Phil James, Kathy Johnson, Charles Kidder, Dirk Nies, Robert Reiser, Heidi Sonen, Roscoe Shaw
Don’t miss any of the hometown news everybody else is up on. Pick up a free copy of the Crozet Gazette at one of many area locations or have the Crozet Gazette delivered to your home or dorm room. Mail subscriptions are available for $25 for 12 issues. Send a check to Crozet Gazette, P.O. Box 863, Crozet, VA 22932.
Crozet gazette
august 2012
From the Editor Thanks, Doc. We note with sadness that Crozet Gator swim team coach Doc Remaly will soon move to Boulder, Colorado, for the sake of being near family.
GAZETTE ROUTE CARRIERS Claudius Crozet Park Neighborhoods: Chris Breving: 823-2394 Western Ridge, Stonegate: Tyler Gale: 823-1578 Old Trail, Cory Farm, Foxchase, Wayland’s Grant, Grayrock, Clover Lawn: Austin Germani: 882-4370 Highlands, Wickam Pond, Bayberry Court, Red Pine Court, Emerald Ridge: Colton Germani: 882-2161 Laurel Hills, St. George Avenue, Wayland Drive: Rachel Anderson: 823-7440 Have the paper delivered to your doorstep the weekend it comes out! Call your neighborhood carrier to subscribe. One year is $20.
The Remaly Era has been great for Crozet. In his dry and candid way he told the kids how to get better at swimming. And they believed in him because it worked and they got better. Remaly had a gift for approaching each young swimmer personally and inspiring trust. He made them want to prove they could win a race. And they won more and more. Under Remaly a good team became a contender for the Jefferson Swim League crown. In recent years it’s been Crozet who has gone into the tournament spoiling to knock off Fairview, the perennial league dynasts. To have victory flit out of our grasp at Doc’s final meet, his ninth, is a bitter lesson in humility. Nonetheless, he showed us we could do it. We have seen the promised land. The Gators are a phenomenal group of parents and youngsters, a fun and neighborly winning team, and many people deserve credit for that. The teams were that way before Remaly and they’ll be good after he’s gone. But the tone comes from the top, as they say, and Remaly does things the right way. So long as Doc was making the
calls, we knew things were going to be honest and classy. Nobody puts more shine on the Crozet name than the Gators do. Our fond gratitude goes to Doc and his wife Shelley, who has also been a godsend to Crozet, for their signal contributions to our town. We will remember you with pride.
To the Editor Letters reflect the opinions of their authors and not necessarily those of the Crozet Gazette.
Groundwater Gripes I enjoy reading the Crozet Gazette, but there are times when I think to myself, “I’m glad I didn’t pay a lot for this newspaper.” I’ve complained about the Weather Almanac authors before, but their recent journalistic forays into groundwater (hydrology) in the June & July issues are downright schizophrenic. In June they wrote, ‘Our water table is normal and should be adequate to last in the hot weather for the next few months’. In July they wrote, ‘Our water tables are below normal and the driest at this stage in quite a few years’.
What are we to make of this? In one month our groundwater levels go from normal to driest in years! I don’t know if the Crozet Weather Almanac people know this or not, but groundwater depletion/ recharge is more appropriately measured over time frames on the order of years, not months (or month!). My suggestions to the readers of the Crozet Gazette are these: if you want to learn about history, read Phil’s column. If you want to learn about nature, read Marlene. And, if you want to verify what you already know to be true…that it was hot in July, by all means read about it from the Crozet Weather Almanac columnists in the August issue of the Crozet Gazette. But, if you want to learn about groundwater, seek out the qualified professionals at the U.S. Geologic Survey. Robert Butler Crozet Editor’s Note: Ouch! Fluctuation noted. Whatever the explanation, we know for a fact that no meteorologists write a more informative and witty journal of the mysteries of weather than Roscoe Shaw and Heidi Sonen.
When the Going Got Tough, Our Community Swept in to Help Us. All of the residents and staff of Mountainside Senior Living, a JABA owned and managed assisted living facility in the heart of Crozet, want to thank our friends from the community who helped us during the July storm that knocked out power and caused our need for evacuation. Heartfelt thanks to all of our tireless volunteers and to the following organizations for their assistance, without which we could not have responded to this disaster.
Albemarle Department of Social Service Charlottesville Rehabilitation Center Trinity Mission Nursing Home Crozet Rescue Squad Crozet Fire Department Albemarle County Sherriff’s Department Albemarle County Red Cross The Lodge at Old Trail Charlottesville Transit Services Thomas Jefferson Health District (Department of Health)
! u o y k n a h T
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Crozet gazette
August 2012
Old Trail Community Garden Takes Root Now in its third year, the Old Trail community garden, a grid layout of 10-by-10 plots in fertile bottomland along Lickinghole Creek, has developed a dedicated, mutually supportive cadre of gardeners and the hoped-for payoff of fresh vegetables. “It’s a wonderful community. Everybody helps everybody,” said Thierwechter, who chairs the volunteer operation with Betsy Aronson. The 50-by-100 foot plot has silt cloth pathways with mulch thrown on them and sits safely behind a seven-foot-high, woven-wire deer fence. A 150-gallon landscaper’s water tank timbers near the gate allows gardeners to irrigate their
plots with a gravity flow. Most plots are well tended, something that’s hard to do in Virginia’s lush climate, and these days they are showing off tomatoes, cucumbers, zinnas, strawberries, onions beets, kohlrabi, peppers, Swiss chard, carrots and gourds, and a gamut of other good fresh eats. The key to its progress has been Mitch Dillard, who has the equipment to do heavy work--like a tractor-mounted tiller--and who maintains the water supply in the landscaper’s tank by pumping water daily from a nearby spring. Dillard gardens about a half acre outside the fenced community plot growing a variety of vegetables with an evident
From left: Connor Dillard, Jonathan Whitehead, Betsy Aronson, Karen Clark, Mickie Johnston and Bev Thierwechter.
Old Trail Community Garden
green thumb. He’s aided by his grandson Connor, 13, an eighth grader at Henley Middle School, who mows the margins and cares for crops too. Connor is also known around Old Trail for mowing yards. “Last year Mitch gave away about 65 or 70 pumpkins,” Thierwechter said. “He’s unbelievable. He delivered them all around the neighborhood. Everybody was so happy.” “We give priority to meeting all requests for plots, and if any are left over people can have more than one,” Thierwechter explained. There are 30 plots and 18 gardeners now. There is a combination lock on the gate. If demand for spaces grows, the plot could be enlarged. Gardeners pay $20 per year to
have a space, and the money goes for fencing, pathway fabric, and other expenses, such as a tool storage box. They want another water tank and would like to put out a picnic table too. Gardeners must to contribute 10 hours of labor to the common needs of the garden. They held a workday on July 14 and 10 people showed up to tackle chores. “We don’t want people to get discouraged,” said Aronson. “But some people don’t last. We’re hoping that residents at The Lodge will pair up with some of our gardeners.” The plot is on county-owned land and gardeners sign liability releases to the county and to the Old Trail homeowners’ association.
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Crozet gazette “We appreciate the cooperation we’ve gotten from the developer and the county, and the HOA,” said Thierwechter. Last year the site flooded, but no lasting harm was done. They also had a problem with groundhog raids and on advice they got at Crozet Hardware they drove “sonic spikes” in the ground and those have worked. “I love the tomatoes and I’ve been experimenting with heirloom
august 2012 ones,” said Thierwechter. But there weren’t as many coming on as she had expected. “What I discovered was that they were not fruiting up because it’s been too warm at night. Gardening is a exercise in humility. Totally.” Next she is making plans for succession crops and putting in a bed of lettuce for the fall. Mickie Johnston lives in a townhouse and comes down to the community garden in the evenings to
Watering tank
H
m a de o me
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w i t h f re sh, l o c a l p e ach e
work her patch. “I’ve always been a gardener and I’ve worked in nurseries,” she said. She’s been in the cooperative for four years. Jonathan Whitehead calls himself a novice. “I’m trying to learn,” he said. But with the readiness with which gardeners are sharing tips on techniques and plant varieties, he’ll be an expert before long. Later this summer the community gardeners will hold a “Dinner in the Garden” event to savour their harvests.
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Crozet gazette
August 2012
It Started at High School Parties took up more than one spot with their cars. Some people parked along the shoulders of Rt. 151. The police like it that we take that pressure off. Now, when it gets full we turn into valet so nobody gets turned away,” said Black. “We charge according to the event and how many guys we’re going to need.” The brewery job usually requires six people. Besides valet and parking attendant services, they offer doorman service and coat check help. “The fancier events want that,” said Black. “We get in tuxedos and wear doorman hats and white gloves.” They scout job locations in advance to be able to make efficient set-ups. They come with tents and ponchos to work in rain. They have cones, flags and batons. They use radios to direct cars to vacant spots. “We describe the cars as they come in the lot. You definitely have to have communication.” They wear safety vests and employees all wear uniform shirts. They pack coolers to have food. A day at Blue Mountain usually goes from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tips are pooled and split to be fair.
Ryan Gibbs and Brandon Black of Southern Star Valet
“For the most part people will tip,” said Black. “We come prepared for any conditions. We’ve worked in hurricanes. It can be tough. You get home at 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning and you have to be at an event at 7 a.m. We fell into it and it blossomed and got so busy.” They have a special locking key stand and use a three-part number and tag system. “A claim ticket goes
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AUGUST 11
in three parts: one with the customer, one with the keys and one in the vehicle, Black explained. “We have never brought someone the wrong car yet.” They have handled events at Veritas Vineyard in Afton and they managed parking for the grand opening of the Trump Winery. “Our toughest job was the Tough Mudder [a challenging fitness con-
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When Brandon Black and Ryan Gibbs were 16-year-olds in high school at Western Albemarle back in 2005 they organized some car parking at parties. That’s where Southern Star Valet got started. “We got so busy that we decided to make a business out of it,” said Black. They now have 14 part-time employees. Both founders still work other full-time jobs themselves. Gibbs is an electrician with Kennedy Electric in Crozet and Black works for a stone mason. Both are married, but neither has kids. They are hustling on nights and weekends to keep up with demand for their parking service. “It has exceeded our expectations. It blew our minds how much work there is,” said Black. “We do it in a formal way. We lock keys up. We care. Everybody who works for us gets a background check, a driving test, and their driving records are looked into.” Southern Star oftens handles the busy parking lot at Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton, especially on weekends. “They used to have a lot of trouble [with parking]. People
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Crozet gazette
august 2012
No Sale Yet —continued from page 1
yard into a downtown core for Crozet that would feature a pedestrian mall of six blocks. After seeing preliminary plans about use and density, the county supervisors have waved it on. Woodard is ready to back the plan, Roell said. Build-out is assumed to be a long-term endeavor. One theory of the situation proposes that the mystery bidder at the auction was actually an agent of Union First Market Bank who got stuck holding the high bid. It was established in public record that former lumberyard owner Carroll Conley owed $1.9 million. If he actually owed more, the bank would be interested in recovering it and the mystery bidder may have been trying to drive the price higher when Woodard cooled off and stopped at $1.8 million. Before the auction the county’s tax assessment on the two parcels set their value at $3.29 million. Thomas said at the sale that she had expected more bidders and a higher final price. Neither Thomas nor a represen-
tative of the bank would answer calls from the Gazette asking questions about the status of the foreclosure. Law limits how long the foreclosure process can run and at some point the bank will have to put the property in its name and take on its costs, or sell it. Roell said that he and Woodard have talked to the foreclosure officials since the auction, and they are still interested in acquiring the 18 acres. But so far they have not changed their bid. Whoever owns the property will likely have to carry on with a rezoning from heavy industrial to the terms of the Crozet downtown district, Roell said, since the clock on the process is running. Roell, who has promoted his plan widely to investors, said that no other buyers appeared at the auction because investors feel wary about the direction of the economy. If the cost of owning the property and developing it has to be borne for several years before returns come in, he said, the plan’s numbers look less appealing. Roell said he believes in the probable success of the plan because he has first hand knowledge of the growth trends in Crozet. Roell said that construction of
The lumberyard when in full operation in 2009.
Claudius Place, once expected to begin in April, has been delayed because no sanitary sewer line was installed under Library Avenue when it was built. “We have to put it in,” said Roell. It will mean opening a 10-foot-wide strip in the street to install the line and two manholes. He said the drawings for the project are in their
fifth iteration, but he believes he will have the necessary county permit before the end of August. “We could get started on the building by late August or early September,” said Roell. “But we have to get through all the hoops. I want it under roof by winter and ready to go in the spring.”
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test] at Wintergreen,” said Gibbs. They also have handled events at U.Va.’s art museum. “We do lots of weddings, parties and events for politicians,” he said. “Valet is kind of new in our area. People don’t know if they can trust you. Some people who have nicer vehicles—Mercedes, Po r s c h e s — d o n’t want to turn them over. People’s attitudes can be surprising. For the most part, 99 percent of the time, folks are good. We have not had accident yet with a car in our care. We say to our guys, be very cautious.” The company name just “popped
Crozet gazette into my head,” said Black. “We bring Southern charm everywhere we go. Southern charm has been dying out a bit, but we are bringing it back. We are polite as we can be. “It’s ‘yes, ma’am’ and ‘yes, sir.’ We open doors. We help people in and out of cars. We carry packages and we push wheelchairs.”
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Alanna Mahon with father, Dan Mahon
Crozet Lions Club Corner Lion Scholar Alanna Mahon received the Lion Jim Stork Memorial Scholarship at the Crozet Lions’ meeting July 23. Mahon, a 2012 graduate of WAHS, will attend PVCC in the fall with plans to pursue graphic design and dance performance. Just Peachy The Crozet Lions Club will be serving delicious homemade peach ice cream at Chiles Orchard in Greenwood on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 4 and 5. Come by and enjoy this gourmet treat!
Check Us Out The club meets the second and fourth Monday of each month at the Meadows Community Building off of Rt. 240. Anyone interested in attending should call Karl Pomeroy at 987-1229. Meetings start at 6:30 pm with dinner provided and typically followed with a presentation. Lions Club International’s mission is to empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, and encourage peace.
Crozet gazette
august 2012
9
Kulow Named Albemarle Trustee on the Library Board Jane B. Kulow has been appointed to the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library Board of Trustees by the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors. She will serve a fouryear term. Kulow organized the Build Crozet Library grassroots campaign last summer. A communications consultant, Kulow uses social media techniques to support business-to-business education and training in the natural foods industry. Previously, she founded a successful graphic design studio in Boston, was an adjunct pvrofessor at the New England School of Art & Design and at Emerson C ollege, and has consulted in a variety of industries, including banking, restaurants, and law. Kulow also writes a popular blog about college search, finance and admissions called Dr. StrangeCollege. She has served on the Board of the City-Wide Friends of the Boston Public Library, as president of the Saskatoon French School Parents
Graduation Speaker, Again Jane Kulow
Society, as president of the Albemarle County Public Schools Parent Council, as programming volunteer with the Virginia Festival of the Book, and as an organizer for Build Crozet Library. She moved to Albemarle County with her husband and three children in 2006. On a per capita basis, the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library is one of the most heavily used in the nation.
Laura Meagher was one of the two graduation speakers chosen by her classmates at the Western Albemarle High School’s graduation ceremony in June 2007. This year she was the student speaker at Tulane University’s graduation commencement in the Superdome May 19. Chosen by a faculty committee from among 40 honors nominees, Meagher addressed a crowd of 17,000. On the podium with her was Lisa Jackson, the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Meagher graduated Cum Laude with a double major in Latin American Studies and Spanish. She was selected to participate in Professor James Carville’s Presidential Election 2012 Project, where she argued the case for the Affordable Care Act before Federal Judge Martin Feldman of the Eastern District of Louisiana. Now employed by Tulane as a university admissions counselor in the mid Atlantic region, Meagher plans to pursue an MBA or a Masters of Public Policy.
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Crozet gazette
August 2012
Willie DE’s First Album Set for Release This Fall Batesville guitarist Willie Denton-Edmundson, who goes by the name Willie DE, released his first album, Egg Cracked, The Bird Went Wild, in the United Kingdom June 14. One track from the debut solo CD was released in the United States May 25, but the album will not be out in the States until October 12. Denton-Edmundson, 20, graduated from Western Albemarle High School in 2011. He called it “breaking loose from the all-American incarceration machine.” In the year after, he said, he “opened up a torrent of creativity” that led to the album. “The songs are about freedom,” he said. He is now a full-time student studying jazz performance at Virginia Commonwealth University. This summer, as his parents visit the Mediterranean Sea as part of the University of Virginia’s Semester at Sea program, he is busking—playing for tips in public areas—at ports
of call in Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal. Admired for his guitar-playing, Willie has played at Charlottesville’s Friday’s After Five, at Floyd Fest on the main stage and he’s had gigs in New York City and Brooklyn. Recently at the Jefferson Theater in Charlottesville he was asked to jump up and jam with Luther Dickinson and the North Mississippi All Stars. He played shows at Mudhouse in Crozet and at Plank Road Exchange in Batesville before he left for Europe. “I want to be known in my own territory and to let people know about the CD,” he said. He began playing when he was five years old and at seven tried busking outside U.Va. football games and on the downtown mall in Charlottesville. He said the experience gave him “a hard-nosed musician’s work ethic.” The album was produced by Eli Cook. Some tracks were recorded
Willie Denton-Edmonson
and engineered by Dave Stipe at Little Rhodie Studio in Crozet and other tracks by Jeff Romano at Jimmy Dog Studios in Charlottesville. Thomas Dean of Crozet did the cover art. Devon Sproule and Terri Allard also sing on the CD. Willie DE wrote all the lyrics and music. He said his favorite song is “Egg Cracked, The Bird Went Wild,” as well as “I Fall Down,”
which is adapted from William Blake’s Songs of Innocence. “We did everything live and I rerecorded some things,” said Willie DE. “Eli Cook worked on arranging the tunes and was there during the recording to give advice.” Willie had been playing with a WAHS band called The Wave and his high school friend Brenning Greenfield plays drums on one of the new CD’s continued on page 33
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Crozet gazette
august 2012
upcoming community events
August 12
Bonnie and Friends Concert
The 19th annual Bonnie and Friends concert will be held August 12 at 3 p.m. at Crozet Baptist Church in Gillum Hall. The church is at 5804 St. George Avenue. Music for this year’s concert features many selections by Andrew Lloyd Webber including his shows Phantom of the Opera, Aspects of Love, Song and Dance, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Whistle Down the Wind. Other music will include Disney’s Newsies, The King and I, South Pacific, West Side Story and The Fantasticks. Joining Bonnie Samuel, soprano, will be Judy Bain, soprano, Violet Houser, mezzo-soprano, David Collyer, tenor, and John Hilker, bass. Nancy Fleischman will play the piano. The concert is free and open to the public. There is plenty of park-
ing at the church. For more information, call Samuel at 456-6433.
August 14
Library Summer Reading Party
Crozet library will hold its annual Summer Reading Wrap-Up and Cookie Countdown Tuesday, August 14, from 7 to 8 p.m. at Crozet Elementary School. This year the occasion will include the kick-off of the Crozet Library fundraising drive. Librarians will announce the total number of books read this summer and how many children participated in the reading program. Stats on the program go back as far as 2003 when 94 kids signed up and 4,334 books were read. New records have been set in each of the last three years: 2009: kids enrolled: 574, books read: 8,468; 2010: kids enrolled: 583, books read: 9,891; 2011: kids enrolled: 634, books read: 12,298. Cookies will be served.
August 13
Public Hearing on Crozet Historic District
The Virginia Department of Historic Resources will hold a public information meeting on the application to create an historic district for Crozet August 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the County Office Building Auditorium in Charlottesville. The district is an honorary designation that places no restrictions on property owners. There will be a brief presentation of legal information by the VDHR and a slideshow and overview of National Register nomination by Jennifer Hallock, of Arcadia Preservation, who prepared the application documents for the district. The nomination to add Crozet’s oldest buildings to the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register will then be presented to the State Review Board September 20 at a 10 a.m. meeting at the Pamplin Historical Park Education Center in
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Petersburg. Board action should be announced within 10 days of that meeting. Virginia has 490 historic districts.
September 8 & 9
Swannanoa Festival
The Center of the One Heart will host their annual Homecoming Festival at Swannanoa Sept. 8 and 9. The event, titled “Heart-First Living,” will offer speakers on a variety of topics along with arts & crafts, vendors, and an opportunity to share in the 100th anniversary of the opening of Swannanoa. Founded by a group of individuals sharing an interest in the art, science and philosophy inherent in the works, teachings and spirit of Walter and Lao Russell, who operated the University of Science and Philosophy at Swannanoa from 1949 to 1988, the Center typically hosts two or three events each year, of which the Homecoming is the largest. For more information call Richard at 800-741-1012 or visit www.oneheartcenter.org. Anyone interested in being a vendor should call Garry at 434-409-4422.
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Crozet gazette
August 2012
Crozet Chef Competition Set for September 20 Four Crozet chefs will compete to make the tastiest dish from a collection of predetermined ingredients at a fundraising event for Crozet-area charitable causes. A volunteer committee of local organizers, brought together by David Hilliard of The Lodge at Old Trail, is planning the Crozet Culinary Competition for Charity, to be held at The Lodge September 20 at 5:30 p.m. Tickets will go for $20 per person and guests will get free wine (from Crozet-area wineries) and hors d’oeuvres as they watch the chefs compete at four cooking stations. Fifteen dollars from each ticket sold will be split between the Build Crozet Library fund and Claudius Crozet Park, which still needs $20,000 to build the replacement shelter, after the insurance payments on the pavilion knocked down by the June 30 windstorm. The event is conceived of as an annual competition benefitting different local causes every year. Organizers are hoping to sell 300 tickets and will cap the event at 400. Contest judges will include a guest chosen at random from the crowd, a resident of The Lodge, White Hall District Supervisor Ann
Mallek and a fourth as-yet unnamed judge. So far chefs from Fardowners, da Luca Café and Bangkok 99 have signed on for the challenge. The winner will get possession of t h e trophy for one year, with their first place finish engraved on it, and the trophy will return to the competition next year for presentation to the next Crozet chef to get top bragging rights. “The idea is to pull people together and also because Crozet has become a destination now for dinner. And we want to get the town around a local charity every year,” said Lodge owner David Hilliard. “It’s about awareness.” Rules for the competition are not finally set, but the chefs will face two mystery ingredients that are presented to them when the competition starts. The meals the chefs prepare will be auctioned off at the end of the contest, which is expected to last no more than two hours. Tickets will be available at The Lodge, at the participating restaurants and from members of the organizing committee. For more information, call The Lodge at 823-9100.
Green Olive Tree Snippets by Sheila Freeman It has been over a year since The Green Oliver Tree thrift store moved to its bright new location on Three Notch’d Road next to the Crozet Laundromat. We still appreciate the all the aspects of the new store and our many customers old and new appear to agree that this has been a good move. Besides fashionable clothing, housewares, toys and seasonal items, we also have books, CDs and videos. We will make our seasonal switchover in August. Look for special prices through Aug. 18. The week of August 20-26 will be a bag sale: $6 per bag. Plus, buy one bag, get a second one free.
We will be closed from Aug. 27 through Sept. 3. We will not accept donations during that week. We will reopen Sept 4. Because of the generosity of our donors, “the Tree” is able to help community and Christian causes. We like to consider ourselves a community resource of information and friendliness. We are thankful for all the volunteers, donors and shoppers, and the help of the Lord. Special thanks go to volunteers Ellie Kroeger, Joice Wright, Barbara Kellum, Paul Clark, Jo Ann Perkins, Janet Martin, Trish Raymond, Brandy Copeland, Terry Crone and Kurt Kroeger. Nancy Bain and June Andrews, two founders, continue to inspire us.
Baking Soda Growing up in my house there was always an opened box of “Arm & Hammer” baking soda in the back of the fridge. I now know that it was there for its odor absorbtion power. Since then, I have learned several more uses for this common household product. Adding 1/4 cup to your regular laundry detergent helps to remove stains and odors.
For bee stings or other itchy bites, combine baking soda and a bit of water in a small dish to make a paste and spread on irritated area. Of course, baking soda is most commonly used in baking as a leavening agent—just don’t use that same box that has been keeping the back of your fridge smelling clean. So next time you’re making a batch of cookies, I hope some of the other uses for that fresh box of baking soda come to mind. There are many more! My homemade toothpaste (recipe below) can be stored in a small, lidded container for up to six months, do not refrigerate.
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Crozet gazette
august 2012
13
by Phil James phil@crozetgazette.com
Black Rock Springs: A “Celebrated Watering Place” A mountain resort that was once an enchanted destination fell silent nearly a century ago. Treasured experiences once filled the memory banks of those fortunate enough to sojourn there. But, slowly over time, the ones who knew its almost mystical delights slipped away from us. As its name came to be spoken less often, only the most diligent of searchers were left to wonder about its days of glory. The mineral springs below the Black Rocks near the mountaintop intersection of Albemarle, Augusta and Rockingham Counties had been a warm-weather destination for thousands of years. Archaeological studies conducted around the “black terrace” in the 1970s turned up prehistoric stone artifacts likely used for hunting and butchering, and others used for shaping wood and bone. A road connecting Albemarle and Augusta Counties was cut through the mountain gap just south of the Black Rock summit. Legend states that in 1781, Bernis Brown, a confidant of thenGovernor Thomas Jefferson, hid the State Archives and Virginia’s Great Seal in a long-forgotten cave “up over the Black Rocks” southwest of his Brown’s Cove home, thus saving them from capture by the Redcoats. When Augusta County’s Weyer’s Cave (now Grand Caverns) was opened to the public in 1806, the route through Black Rock Gap enabled many in Virginia’s Piedmont section to visit that underground wonder. By the mid-1830s, owing to the growing popularity of Virginia’s medicinal springs, an entrepreneur capitalized on the mineral springs a mile below and west of the gap. A hotel was constructed at the Black Rock Springs in Augusta County, and the place was promoted in newspapers far and wide. Ownership of Black Rock Springs changed hands many times during its decades of operation. In the late 1850s, a partnership from New
Photo postcards rubberstamped “Black Rock Springs, Va.” were sold at the front desk in the old hotel. This vintage view taken at the summit of Black Rock illustrates the fascination of the rocks to hikers of all ages. The dark lichens encrusted on the boulders gave the feature its name. [Courtesy of Phil James Historical Images]
York purchased the property and performed necessary repairs and upgrades. Their decision to change its name, however, especially during the partisan political climate of that day, may have doomed its success. The new proprietor, Jeremiah Peterfish of New Hope, advertised in 1860 that Union Chalybeate Springs was open for those wishing to “spend a pleasant season at this celebrated WATERING PLACE ... Board $8 per week—children and servants $4.” Rattlesnake hunting was advertised as an amusement. However, within a few short years, new owners were found and the original name was restored. The Black Rock Springs Improvement
Black Rock Springs is located in Augusta County inside Shenandoah National Park. Prior to the establishment of SNP in 1936, travelers could access the springs from White Hall in Albemarle County and Harriston in Augusta County. [Map courtesy of White Hall Media]
Company was organized in 1885 “to promote and develop the springs as a resort”. A new threestory hotel was erected, adjacent lots were sold to those from the local region, and private cottages were constructed. Popular amenities included an outdoor bandstand; the new three-lane ten-pin bowling alley was an instant hit. Those living in nearby localities were encouraged to visit for the day, and The Springs became a popular destination for picnics, marriage proposals and even baptisms. Throughout the years, locals from both sides of the mountain found an outlet for their goods and services at Black Rock Springs. A seasonal post office was operated from 1889–1928. Physicians, such as Dr. Eagle in 1896, routinely visited guests who were sick or infirm. J. L. “Bose” Blackwell was qualified by the Augusta County Court as policeman to serve at BRS in 1899. Nearby pastors brought sermons to the guests on the mountain. Paul “Doug” Harris and his siblings carried buckets of butter five miles from their home below Brown’s Gap to sell to the hotel kitchen. Sarah Jane Dorcus Jenkins performed domestic duties for $1.50/week. As a youngster, Ernest Via set up ten pins for ten to fifteen cents a night. Water boys toted buckets of spring water for cooking and baths. Those boom days were wonderful, but nothing lasts forever. The latter years of the resort were continued on page 14
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Crozet gazette
august 2012
Black Rock Springs —continued from page 13
rife with lawsuits. A competitor built a nearby establishment thought by some to attract the wrong crowd. Arguments over water rights escalated to vandalism and court cases. In November 1909, a devastating blow came in the form of a massive fire, the third in the hotel’s history. When the smoke cleared, the venerable establishment along with its stables, outbuildings and 28 cottages had been reduced to ashes. The wide-ranging forest fire also destroyed the wooden bridges leading to the resort. Amazingly, the competitor’s building survived the fire and eventually assumed the name of its former rival. By the time of the establishment of Shenandoah National Park in 1936, the remaining hotel and cottage buildings had been judicially condemned and completely demolished. So thorough was that removal that very little sign of its existence remains to be seen today in the hardwood forest that has returned to the property. If one were to consider a present-day search for vestiges of the Black Rock mineral springs along Paine Run Trail below the Skyline Drive at MP 87.4, do be reminded that the aforementioned rattlesnakes still do not consider their pursuit as amusement. Perhaps, instead, simply ponder some of the things that took place “once upon a time” in this not so far away place: - Spear hunters honed their skills among the upper flanks of the Blue Ridge Mountains while others in their party gathered nature’s bounty from trees, bushes and forest floor; the muffled sounds of their movements and voices carried across the hollows and floated down the springfed streams. - Up, up, up by hack, buggy, stage or shank’s mare, travelers and vacationers arrived from east
The arrival of new guests at Black Rock Springs Hotel was an event that brought the curious out of their hotel rooms and cottages. The intimate nature of the grounds assured that no one remained a stranger for long. [Photo courtesy of a private collection]
and west, near and far away. Taking the lure of newspaper ads or associate’s reports, they endured the rugged mountain roads to discover for themselves this place of seclusion and hoped-for leisure. They found a hotel with staff enough, and sumptuous, hearty meals of local foods served in a dining room. Their sleep was punctuated with dreams of the next day’s discoveries and adventures. - Lithe young women in long skirts held hands and joined voices as they danced on a sun-dappled green lawn spread beneath the sheltering boughs of ancient trees. In the evening, costumed dance partners moved to the live rhythms of string and brass. - Young men challenged one another in card
The bandstand, c.1907, at Black Rock Springs was a very popular gathering spot. Some guests referred to the gazebo-like structure as “the round house.” [Photo courtesy of a private collection]
games, croquet and ten pins, their cocky attitudes rising and falling with their fates. - Youth of all ages tested their limits over jumbled, massive quartzite boulders, scuffing shoes, elbows and shins in order to scratch their initials alongside those of their predecessors’, and to enjoy a magnificent panorama of the Great Valley. - The hopeful infirm partook of healing waters from mountain springs, and the once-weary reclined on vine-shaded porches and on hammocks strung between trees, napping, reading or chatting with others in this secluded seasonal community. Breathe slowly and deeply, and listen for their voices.
Following a widespread and consuming forest fire in the Fall of 1909, only ash and rubble remained of this party’s mountain cottage at Black Rock Springs. Nevertheless, their buggy ride up the mountainside from the Shenandoah Valley was rewarded with a picnic lunch. [Photo courtesy of Purcell and Dorothy Mowry Daughtry]
Follow Secrets of the Blue Ridge on Facebook! Phil James invites contact from those who would share recollections and old photographs of life along the Blue Ridge Mountains of Albemarle County. You may respond to him through his website: www.SecretsoftheBlueRidge.com or at P.O. Box 88, White Hall, VA 22987. Secrets of the Blue Ridge © 2003–2012 Phil James
Crozet gazette
august 2012
15
Gators Tripped Up at JSLs by Cannon McIlnay
In the spirit of community education, The Virginia Cooperative Extension Piedmont Master Gardeners contributed three new gardening books to the Crozet Library. Authored by Barbara Pleasants of Floyd County, the books’ titles are Starter Vegetable Gardens, The Complete Compost Gardening Guide and Garden Stone.
Crozet Library Branch Manager Wendy Saz, left, accepted the donated books from PMG President Joyce Grunewald and PMG member and Crozet resident Jane Ann Griffis. Any person or organization interested in making a monetary donation to support the new library may do so by going to buildthelibrary.org/give
crozet gators
Piedmont Master Gardeners Support Crozet Library
The Crozet Gators were able to hold a steady lead, and what looked like a safe one, in the first three sessions of the Jefferson Swim League Championship Meet held at the Fork Union Aquatic Center on July 27-28. On the second day, Fairview Swim Club was able to make a comeback that won them their 22nd straight championship with 1,874.25 points, leaving Crozet in a very close second place with 1,802.75 points. “This was the closest championship meet in JSL history,” said Crozet Head Coach Doc Remaly after the meet. Remaly has been a coach for Crozet for nine years, and head coach for seven. His hard work and expertise helped Crozet establish their reputation as one of the toughest and most respected teams in the league. Remaly is retiring this year and moving to Colorado this fall to be closer to his family, leaving the team under new leadership.
Although Coach Remaly led Crozet to countless victories and has trained some of the best teams in the Jefferson Swim League, he considers the highlight of his career at Crozet to be the connection he was able to make with the members of the team on an individual basis. “To me, my greatest accomplishment isn’t something you can measure. My greatest accomplishment was probably being able to work with the kids, making connections with each one and finding the best way to help them learn,” he said. He has been a huge influence on many children in the Crozet area and will be missed very much.
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Crozet gazette
August 2012
By John Andersen, DVM gazettevet@crozetgazette.com
Your Cat’s Inner Wildcat If you’ve read my column enough, you’ll know that I love considering the link that our domestic dogs have to their ancestor the gray wolf. As we try to understand why dogs behave the way they do, we can always look back to the original design to get some insight. What about cats? Where did the domestic cat come from? Can we also gain insight into their behavior from a wild ancestor? Recent DNA evidence as well as archeological evidence traces the origin of the domestic cat back to the Fertile Crescent (current day Iraq) about 10,000-12,000 years ago. DNA analysis has specifically
Clip th
linked our modern day domestic cat to five species of wildcats: the Central Asian wildcat, Southern African wildcat, European wildcat, Chinese desert cat, and the sand cat. The theory is that as human civilization started to grow, we built homes, storehouses for our crops, and areas for refuse. These areas attracted rodents, which in turn attracted these cats. And so, cats essentially domesticated themselves. We tolerated them because they controlled the rodents, and they tolerated us because we provided them food. Eventually this relationship grew more intimate and soon the domesticated cat was here to stay. Interestingly, the domestication of dogs and horses was really the other way around—we would seek out and capture wolf pups and
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horses and then train them to fill a need for us (e.g. protection, travel, hunting). Isn’t that just typical… cats just went ahead and domesticated themselves. Back to our little wildcats. In researching these five species of wildcats, they are very similar to other species of wildcats in the world, including our bobcats here in Virginia. These wildcats are close in size to our domestic cats and their facial features are strikingly similar. Wildcats tend to hunt small mammals like rodents and rabbits, but are able to hunt a wide variety of prey including birds, reptiles, and fish. They mostly hunt at night, using their stealth to get close to their prey until they are close enough to pounce and capture it. They are also a prey species themselves, vulnerable to attack from larger animals such as wild dogs. This gives them a very cautious and sometimes nervous approach to life. Wildcats are usually solitary hunters, but are social when mating or in families. They communicate their boundaries with other cats via urine marking, feces, and scratching trees and other objects. Young wildcats learn to hunt by playing with their siblings. Most of their play involves pouncing, pawing, biting, and chasing. Any of this remind you of your little wildcat? How about all the nervous cats out there? Many cats will jump with loud noises and are often “on edge.” Or they walk around always on guard as if someone is going to get them. These guys remember that they are both predators and prey. Or your cat that wakes you up at 3 a.m.? Unfortunately we never got the nocturnal nature out of them. They still seem to just sleep all day
and stay up a lot at night. Have you had a kitten before? You can probably remember being pounced on, play-bitten, and scratched up. That was just your little wildcat learning how to hunt. Have you ever had a cat who was urinating or defecating inappropriately? Well, it may be inappropriate for you, but perfectly normal communication for your cat. We are very fortunate that cats use litter boxes. We are simply taking advantage of an instinct to urinate in that type of surface with no training at all. Watching a six-week-old kitten walk into a litter box, go to the bathroom, and then try to cover it up is really an amazing sight as bizarre as that may sound. Often cats are urinating and defecating outside of the box when they are either stressed or sick—i.e., communicating in their own special way. We can also learn a lot about their diet. Wildcats are strict carnivores, preferring small mammals. A mouse is a meal high in protein, low in carbohydrates, and consists of about 75 percent water. Most people feed their cats dry cat food, which is usually not so high in protein, often contains 40-50 percent carbohydrates, and 3-5 percent water! It is no wonder we see such a high incidence of obesity, diabetes, kidney, and urinary problems in our domestic cats. Canned cat food is actually much more optimal nutrition for cats. Regular canned cat foods such as Fancy Feast contain higher protein than dry food, usually all meat-based protein (whereas many dry foods add in vegetablebased protein which is not the same), much lower carbohydrate levels (usually 5-10 percent) and
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Crozet gazette
august 2012
Fireworks —continued from page 1
contract called for the show’s deposit of $1,600 to be forfeited if the show was cancelled, but given the circumstances, the fireworks company charged only for its outof-pocket costs, which amounted to $975, and $625 remains on deposit towards next year’s show. The remainder of the next deposit, at least $1,000, but possibly more depending on which day is selected for the event, will be due in February. This year’s show cost $6,500, partly because it was scheduled for June 30. Next year the Fourth of July will fall on a Thursday and if the parade is set for that date, the fireworks will likely cost more. The Downtown Crozet Association, which advanced the deposit, will be reimbursed for it. The DCA is likely to apply it to the application expenses for the Crozet Historic District, which had been the intended beneficiary of the event. That application is still short by $2,500. Donations to the fireworks fund totaled $6,772. This year 81 people sent in checks, up from the 74 who contributed in 2011, but the sum of the checks was sharply down from the previous year. Organizers discussed how to improve fundraising and what possible reasons for the decline in donations could be. After the meeting, donors were mailed a thank-you letter acknowledging their gift and explaining the committee’s plans. It costs somewhere between $13,000 and $15,000 to put on the event, even with the generous volunteer effort of the civic clubs.
for sale:
Roughly $5,000 is necessary before the event date and the remaining bills can be paid afterward. Thus the show relies on happening to cover its expenses through donations at the gate and a share of food and drink sales, raffle proceeds, etc. The goal of this year’s show had been to cover the cost of registering the Crozet historic district and hopefully leave enough to cover the advance expenses of the 2013 show. Organizers agreed that they want to build up the show’s budget to the point where the event raises enough to pay for the next year’s show in advance, eliminating the annual campaign to raise fireworks money, and thus making the show self-perpetuating. The 2011 show raised about $6,000 beyond expenses, which was donated to the Crozet pool dome project. Organizers believe that the parade day should be able to generate a similar sum annually for Crozet community needs. In line with their longer-term goals, the organizers agreed to leave the remaining $3,671 as seed money for 2013. A fund drive for the fireworks show will still be necessary. Planners discussed whether to set next year’s show for July 4 or possibly the evening before. If on July 3, the idea would be to start the parade at 5 p.m., when, hopefully, the day is beginning to cool off. The parade takes an hour to reach the park, so it would arrive at dinner time on this schedule. The decision about the date was put off until a planning meeting set for Nov. 15 and meanwhile cost factors related to each date will be investigated, as well as how the alternatives could affect parade participants.
Two Building Lots in Crozet
.255 acre for $58,000; .395 acre for $86,000. On Blue Ridge Avenue, one block west of downtown. Zoned R-6; each lot can be configured for two units (such as garage apartments). Public water & sewer adjoining. Call 434-823-2291.
Thank You, Fireworks Fund Donors! Allied Portable Toilets U.S. Joiner, LLC Crozet Great Valu King Family Vineyard NPULSE Technologies, LLC Nicholas & Gail Munger Chiles Peach Orchard Brownsville Market C.D. & Jo Ann Hammer Sherry & Al Minutolo Albemarle Ballet Theatre Anderson Funeral Services Phil & Billie Best Blue Ridge Builders Supply Blue Ridge Dental Arts, Inc. Drs. Rice & Associates Clover Carroll H. Kay Cross, PC Crozet Eye Care Crozet Insurance Agency Crozet Print Shop, Inc. Crozet Shopping Center, LLC Olde Towne Shoppes, LLC Charlotte Dammann/Sara Lee Barnes Green Oliver Tree, Inc. Nancy & Keith Knoell David Hilliard Crozet Self Storage U.Va. Community Credit Union Tim & Donna Tolson Sandy & Janice Wilcox Michael & Lisa Marshall Jon & Mary Mikalson Mudhouse Coffee Ann & Leo Mallek Marie Marklein Marsha & Marland Newton John & Brenda Plantz Mary Rice & Fred Williamson Alvin & Ann Toms Caroline Walters Wayland Orchard & B&B White Hall Media Sandra Williams Carolyn Simmons & Bill Sweeny Mary Minor & Peter Henderson Mac Lafferty Joyce & Curtis Morris Alyce & Mark Outlaw John & Carolyn Rosenblum Steve Tharp Joe & Ellen Waff Virginia Barber Leslie Burns Donna & Carroll Conley Barbara Franko Tom & Jackie Loach Barbara Massie & Florence Mouley Claude & Patty Saul Bill Schrader Paul Grady I. JB McNeil
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Crozet gazette
August 2012
inthegarden@crozetgazette.com
Crape Myrtle Mid- and latesummer can be tough on gardeners. This year, we’ve already endured blistering temperatures and powerful storms. Spring blooms are long passed, and fall flowers such as asters and goldenrod are still weeks away. But one plant reliably brings summer color to Southern gardens, the crape myrtle. Even when their flowers are gone, some crape myrtle varieties develop attractive fall color. And with the colorful bark on many cultivars, the color display even extends into the winter. First, let’s get some confusion on spelling out of the way. “Crape” is most commonly seen, which is supposedly an Anglicized version of “crepe,” and refers to the crinkled nature of the flower petals. Sometimes you will see the name as one word, crapemyrtle, but for no particular reason, I will go with two separate words. Either way, we are considering the genus Lagerstroemia, which comprises about fifty species, all indigenous to East Asia, Oceania and Australia.
Crozet
The common Crape Myrtle (L. indica) is native to China and Korea, but has been grown in this country since the middle of the eighteenth century, first being introduced at plantations near Charleston. This species can get quite large, perhaps up to thirty feet or more, but usually with several trunks. Colors on crapes run the gamut from red, pink, lavender and purple to white, so you should always be able to find one that works with either your house color or garden scheme. Bark on this species is smooth, typically peeling to reveal a silvery-grayish surface, often mottled with shades of brown, yellow or green. Small plants that you see at the nursery may not wow you with their bark but will only get better with age. Lagerstoemia indica in its various incarnations held sway in the South for two hundred years, but in the 1950s things began to change. A new species, Japanese Crape Myrtle (L. fauriei) was introduced to horticulture by Dr. John Creech of the United States National Arboretum. At first glance, this “new” crape myrtle did not appear to measure up to its established rival: Its flowers are always white, and only appear
for two weeks in early June. But L. fauriei has a few winning traits. Perhaps the most conspicuous is its rich, coppery bark; even if the tree never flowered, it would still be worth growing for this alone. It is also less susceptible to the mildew that often disfigures the leaves of the Common Crape Myrtle. Finally, it is a hardier plant, able to withstand temperatures five to ten degrees colder than its cousin. Still, owing to its short bloom period, L. fauriei is hard to find in the marketplace, occasionally appearing at specialty nurseries in the guise of the cultivars ‘Townhouse’ and ‘Fantasy’. Where the Japanese Crape Myrtle has really changed the landscape is through its hybridization with the common species. We can now enjoy many hybrids, largely thanks to the work of the National Arboretum, that have improved hardiness, disease-resistance and amazing bark, as well as the variety of flower color and long bloom period that gardeners expect. There are dozens of these hybrids; perhaps the best known is ‘Natchez’, with white flowers and bronzy bark. In choosing your crape myrtle, picking the color may be the easy part. Even then, it’s probably best to see the plant in person if at all possible. Verbal descriptions, and even photographs, can’t always capture the nuances of different shades. The trickier part of choosing a crape is finding the right size. The straight species of L. indica and L. fauriei can both ultimately exceed thirty feet, but much breeding work has aimed for tidier plants. Many websites, such as those of Clemson and Auburn, list crape myrtles by size range, so you won’t waste time looking at plants that are larger—or smaller—than you need. Many of the newer crape myrtle introductions are the so-called
This 50-year old Lagerstroemia fauriei has a trunk two feet in diameter at the base!
dwarfs or miniatures; some growers even claim they have developed ground-cover varieties. Take descriptions of size with a grain of salt, since they are trying to convince you that their plant stays small. But once they are established, crape myrtles can be whacked to the ground if they get too big. One major warning: avoid “Crape Murder,” the annual pruning of larger varieties to a stump each spring. Besides looking funny— unless you are European—it leads to a mess of lanky shoots that flop over from the weight of the flowers. Proper pruning of crapes is done to open up the center of the plant, allowing better air circulation and discouraging the growth of mildew. Try to do this before the offending branch gets too large, ideally with a diameter of less than half an inch. Also, remove the suckers that sprout from the base of the plant; crape myrtles look best with three to seven sturdy trunks. The one necessity in crape myrtle culture is full sun. (Also a lot of
continued on page 31
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Crozet gazette
august 2012
19
Find community
Seasonal Flavors
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Memories & Recipes from an Italian Kitchen [ by elena day | elena@crozetgazette.com \
Cotolette & Sage This July was the worst in my in my sixty-something (perhaps now slightly failing) memory. First the searing heat and then the derecho and paucity of rain. My flower beds are abysmal and it’s difficult to coax vegetables to the bountiful fruition I have come to expect. I can’t keep myself from sharing one more gripe. July also brought us the VDOT’s glyphosate (Monsanto Roundup Ready) spraying, an “uglification” program that replaced the wildflowers that were most lovely this year with dead zones along Virginia’s highways. I imagine when there is no green cover or forage, insects, reptiles and amphibians are likely decimated. I’ll say no more. I am hoping for better weatherwise in August. This month the recipe is easy as I think it’s best to spend less time in the kitchen further heating up the house. Growing up we often had Cotolette alla Milanese, which are really Wienerschnitzel or breaded veal cutlets. At some point my mother started nixing veal and then beef from our menus and resorted to making the Cotelette with chicken. In recent years I have made sage pesto as a complimentary condiment. Sage pesto is also a great spread on tomato sandwiches this time of year.
Chicken Cotolette alla Milanese
4 chicken breasts 2 tbsp olive oil ½ tbsp butter 1 egg, slightly beaten unseasoned breadcrumbs I large clove of garlic sliced 1-2 tsp dried or fresh rosemary salt and pepper to taste 1 lemon, cut in wedges Cut breasts laterally so that they are of a lesser thickness. Pound them if necessary with a mallet or the bottom of a glass. Heat up olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Add garlic and rosemary. Dredge chicken breasts in beaten egg and then in breadcrumbs. Sauté breaded breasts over moderate heat, flipping once, until done and a little browned. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve each with a wedge of lemon or a good dab of sage pesto. Sage Pesto
¼ cup parsley 1 cup packed sage leaves 2 cloves garlic ½ cup walnuts or pecans ½ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese 1 tsp lemon juice a touch of lemon zest ½ cup olive oil salt and pepper to taste
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Grind up first 7 ingredients in food processor. Add olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Crozet gazette
August 2012
Parkway Pharmacy
By Dr. Robert C. Reiser crozetannals@crozetgazette.com
Olympic Fever I have Olympic fever. I get it cyclically, every four years or so. The symptoms are excitement and an obsessive desire to watch and record obscure sports like women’s ten meter air rifle shooting. (China won this year.) Fortunately the cure is easy: watching the actual Olympics. They are repetitive, overhyped and ultimately fairly boring, especially with so many pro athletes unilaterally thrashing the national teams of tiny countries. I am no sports wonk, but I think I can confidently predict the outcome of the Tunisia vs. U.S. men’s basketball match-up. Still I’ll probably watch, just for the sheer improbability of the match ups. Unfortunately I am scheduled to work in the ER during much of the competition and so I have made up my own Olympic events to watch while at work. None of these events occur where I actually work because we are all busy taking care of truly sick patients, but I have heard of this in other far away ERs. The Olympics of Emergency Medicine Opening Ceremonies will feature a procession of ambulance patients on stretchers parading in a circular route from the ambulance bay doors through the ER, past all the treatment bays and ending rather unceremoniously in the waiting room. The games will then commence with the first event, triage.
Triage: consists of two disciplines: Jumping and the Speed event. Triage jumping involves calling an ambulance in order to be seen more quickly than the walk-in traffic. The winner will actually be seen more rapidly, the runner’s up will be participating in the opening ceremony parade. The triage speed event will involve walk-in athletes trying to speed through the triage blockade to reach the treatment area more rapidly. Look for such key moves as chest clutching, the standing slow collapse, the dramatic and technically difficult wheelchair collapse with full head flopping into unconsciousness, and the risky, rarely successful maneuver, arguing with the triage nurse. Repetitive story telling is the next event. It requires discipline, focus and patience to tell the same story multiple times for no apparent reason. Athletes are automatically disqualified if they slip and utter the phrases “don’t you people write this stuff down?” or “don’t you people talk to each other?” Of course we do. Remember, this is a test. Points will be deducted for frank contradictions and obvious dissembling. Points will be awarded for consistency and bonus points may be earned by increasingly insightful retellings with practice. Patient Waiting is the next event and it is traditionally performed in the dark. Points will be deducted for wildly overestimating to the staff how long the athlete has been waiting. Extra points may be earned by correctly pointing out to the staff at Crozet Children’s Health Center P.C.
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is cumulative over multiple visits to multiple ERs for the same condition. Prescriptions scored from brand new interns only count for half. Extra points may be awarded for creative storytelling and the degree of difficulty will be determined by the distance traveled from the athlete’s hometown. Drunken Boxing and Drunken Wrestling: No points can be obtained and severe penalties will be assessed through the local police if any staff are injured. I could go on but my shift has ended and it is time to go home and watch the real Olympics. The 20-kilometer walk is coming up and I must watch.
that all of the athlete’s tests have been completed for an hour. Gurney Riding is scored by number of crashes into the walls or equipment (add extra points if fracture jostling is involved). The next events are strictly for the pros, those well-seasoned competitors with extensive experience in the ER Olympics. Drunk sleeping is scored by length of unconsciousness. The athletes will be disqualified if admission is required due to depth of coma and an ICU admission will result in a lifetime ban from competition. Narcotic Seeking is scored by the number of unwarranted and fraudulent prescriptions obtained. Score Be healt
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Crozet gazette
august 2012
21
Emergency Preparedness: High-Heels, Farm Animals, & Generators By Larry Miles I promised several friends in light of our recent storm and prolonged power-outage that I would not use this space to say, “I told you so.” So, I will not. Nor will I review how life was different for those who had some food, water, and shelter plans already made, versus those who ignored the advice I’ve offered here in the Gazette over the past few months. Instead, let’s talk about the benefits of having properly prepared for a power-outage and what it meant in real terms. Perhaps the best way to accomplish this is with a few reallife stories from Crozetians. In June, one issue I discussed was the concept of a “bug-out bag,” the bag you should pack and have ready in case you need to make an emergency evacuation. I was a little surprised at how one friend wove that article into her own experience. She described her June 29th night to me in this way. When she went to bed the power was on and everything was normal. Suddenly she was awakened by the wind, and the calls of her husband and children to rush to the basement. Naturally, she was barefoot when she got out of bed and everything was completely dark except for the eerie flashes of lightening coming through the windows. She stumbled around in her closet in an attempt to find shoes, not wishing to find what was in store for her in bare feet. The only ones she could find were a pair of black sandals with four-inch heels. Putting them on just before reaching the basement, she related how she was aghast at the scene before her. The strobe light-like effect of multiple flashlights, the howling wind from the open basement door, the excited bleating of three goats who had just entered the basement, (the goats had fled their pen after a tree fell on the fence), and the overwrought commands of her husband, who was trying to make order out of the chaotic situation. Apparently, the black high-heels complemented what she’d worn to bed and ended up adding enough of a flair to the scene that her husband nearly forgot to close the door! “Gosh, if only I’d prepared my bug-out bag,” she told me, “Then I’d have had the proper shoes and clothes for the emergency situation.” I’m glad it got her thinking.
Next I’ll tell you about my friend who had prepared…almost. In fact he had his water, his food, and even a generator. The only problem was he didn’t have any gas. As early as Saturday morning, rumors were already swirling that Augusta County was rationing water, and that there were only two gas stations in the whole region open, one at Barracks Road, and one in Ruckersville. Hearing these rumors, he decided to head south and went all the way to Madison Heights before he found gas. Buying about 15 gallons, he returned home about 2 p.m. and was just about to crank up his generator when his power was restored. Then there were several friends who expressed to me that they wished they had heeded my words of warning (from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management), “Get a kit, Make a plan, Stay informed.” The part they wished they’d heeded though was “Make a plan.” They greatly bemoaned the fact that they’d been “way too slow” to call hotels in Charlottesville or Waynesboro and book a room. By the time they thought to do it, every room in a 50-mile radius was already gone. “I’ll tell you one thing,” one friend related, “next time the power goes out, I’m booking a hotel room immediately and I’ll just cancel it if the power comes back on.” We all have our own priorities, but there is certainly a lot of wisdom in “Making a Plan.” Some other great rumors that began to fly around during the depths of our outage. I first heard on Sunday (July 1st) that Crozet was under a “boil your water” advisory. What great advice I thought, given that no one has any power. With visions of the Colorado wildfires in my head, I was sure that makeshift campfires and bubbling cauldrons of water were sure to pop up all over our community. Turns out that advisory never happened. I was personally thankful, however, that I had enough water for drinking and personal hygiene stored so that I didn’t have to tear down my back deck to build a campfire to boil water. Now let’s review a few lessonslearned that will hopefully help everyone for next time, especially if next time comes this summer. Remember the basics: water, shelter,
food. You need water to survive, end of story. It might seem plentiful now, but with no electricity to power your well pump, or if the water coming from the county suddenly becomes “non-potable,” it will get scarce in a hurry. So, again, you need water to survive. Make some plans, and take some action now, so that you’re not faced with a crisis related to a lack of water. Shelter is important, but it’s more important to some than others. If you are elderly, or care for either the elderly, or the very young, the ability to stay cool in 100-degree weather can also be a matter of life or death. Make a plan now for how you will stay cool if we experience another power outage in conjunction with a record-breaking heat wave. The same principle applies to cold weather. And finally, food. We didn’t have a major disruption in our food preparation since I had enough generator power to keep the food in my fridges from spoiling, and we cooked on our gas grill and the burner that’s attached to it. But things could have been very different if power hadn’t been restored to our local stores so quickly. So storing some non-perishable food, and having the means to prepare it certainly seems wise in light of our recent experience. Finally, a few miscellaneous thoughts. Consider how much gas you keep in the tank of your car. How many people do you think woke up on Saturday morning with less than a quarter of a tank? If you were one of them, I bet it was an unnerving feeling to see all of our
local stations closed, and not really know what was open in Charlottesville or on the other side of the mountain. Some experts recommend never letting your tank get below half full, and at a minimum, be sure and fill up before a predicted storm. Next is hygiene. In a no-power environment (especially if that also means a no-running-water environment) good hygiene is crucially important. Bad hygiene can prove deadly very fast in a “grid-down” environment. Consider storing several packs of hand wipes and using them liberally if you have no access to soap and clean water. I took this whole experience as a great test of the preparatory activities I’d done so far. I give myself a “B” overall. I really hadn’t properly considered some of the comfort factors we’d be missing, and how they’d impact my wife, who was 39 weeks pregnant when the storm struck. Whoops! On the other hand, the experience confirmed something that I’ve thought all along, and now know for a fact. The most important people in a crisis, or emergency situation are our friends and neighbors. Those people we see each day as we drive to and from work, school or the store. I can’t begin to tell of the countless acts of selflessness and caring that I witnessed during the week after the storm. It really gave me an even stronger feeling of gratitude to be a part of this community. If you made some planning or preparation errors this time, don’t wait until next time to correct them. Do it now.
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august 2012
Crozet gazette
The Blue Ridge Naturalist © Marlene A. Condon | marlene@crozetgazette.com
Yes, Virginia, You Can Coexist with the Northern Copperhead As an adult I’ve welcomed all wildlife to my yard wherever I’ve lived. But in 2006, shortly after my book, The Nature-friendly Garden: Creating a Backyard Haven for Plants, Wildlife, and People, was published, I faced a challenge to my open-door policy. A female Northern Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen), a venomous snake, decided that she wanted to give birth underneath my carport! The ground had settled and fallen away from one corner of the concrete floor, creating an opening to a cave-like area. The female snake could be seen daily at that corner. Copperheads are commonly considered to be much too dangerous to be allowed to live around people’s dwellings. Folks typically do not know much about these snakes, and their lack of knowledge, in combination with folklore, produces extreme fear of them. Thus, understandably, my husband was concerned about having this snake in such close proximity to us. He didn’t want to kill the snake, but he thought we should “move it along” by covering up the entrance to what I had begun to
call a den (the appropriate word for such a hidden retreat used by an animal). However, I wasn’t keen on my husband’s idea. My knowledge of plant and animal life has been gained by decades of taking extensive notes, along with photo documentation, of my observations. I now had a golden opportunity to learn about Northern Copperheads! I therefore suggested that we cover up most of the opening with a concrete block to see if that would discourage the snake, but leave enough of a space that the snake could continue to go inside if she still wished to do so. Luckily for me, the copperhead remained. Her presence didn’t present much of a problem for us because the den was on the opposite side of the carport from the kitchen door. Thus we did not need to walk near the area occupied by the snake in order to enter or leave the carport. Was it scary to know a venomous snake was hanging around so close to the entrance to our home? Definitely! But familiarity with the snake caused our fear of her to decrease and our fascination with her to increase. What we’ve discovered over the past six years (one or more females have used the den during most of continued on page 31
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This female copperhead may have thought she was completely hidden behind this feather! [Photo: Marlene A. Condon]
Crozet gazette
august 2012
23
Western Albemarle Second Quarter Real Estate Report Five Year Trend of Sales Activity (Total Number of Sales)
5 YEAR TREND
600 Chart courtesy Nest Realty
by David Ferrall Ferrall@crozetgazette.com When I was writing this column a year ago, the politicians in Washington where quibbling over the debt ceiling. The worry was that not only would important government functions go unfunded and shut down, but also that without an increase in the debt ceiling, interest rates would rise. In typical D.C. fashion the issue was resolved with a whimper, both parties claimed victory, and life went on. One of the important results was that not only have interest rates not risen, they have fallen. Current rates are now between 15-20 percent lower than they were a year ago. A typical 30-year mortgage can now be obtained by a qualified borrower for around 3.60 percent, the lowest rate since long term financing was introduced in the 1950s. In fact there are adjustable rate mortgages that dip darn close to 1 percent! This fact remains the brightest beacon in the real estate market today, and provides incredible opportunity for qualified customers to purchase properties and to refinance current homes. But the good news does not stop there. Within the Charlottesville metropolitan area and our local MLS, sales are up and inventory is down. And Crozet is leading the pack. In the second quarter of 2012 there were 80 total sales in Crozet, an increase of 31 percent over the same time last year! The average sale price was up slightly to $367,000, and the price per square foot was up a solid 6.5 percent. And while inventory is down only slightly, effective inventory is down around 18 percent due to the increased
500 400 300 200 100 0
number of sales in the period. In fact at the end of June there was 6 months of inventory in Crozet, the lowest monthly figure since June of 2006 (an interesting side note being that there was 52 months of inventory in Crozet in January of 2009)! Of the 80 sales, 30 percent were attached homes, up slightly from the 25 percent of 2011. These sales were spread pretty evenly across Old Trail (10), Wickham Pond (8), and the Highlands (5). Fourteen of these sales were new construction. The majority of the resales were in the Highlands. Square foot costs were up 3 percent for these attached properties, but the average price jumped 19 percent from $238,000 in 2011 to $284,000 in 2012. These increases are in some part the result of price increases by local homebuilders. This is an important fact to note, since in past quarters decreasing costs of new construction negatively affected resale prices. And perhaps for a first in Crozet, there were three attached home sales for over $500,000, one of the three selling for over $700,000! These “golf villas” are on the Fairway at
Old Trail. Crozet experienced an increase price in the square footage cost for detached homes as well. Finished square foot cost rose 8 percent, though the average price for a detached home remained the same at about $402,000. Of the 56 sales in the period, 42 were on an acre or less. Of these, slightly more than half were new construction, the majority being in Old Trail. The new construction in Old Trail is concentrated among several local builders, while new construction in Wickham Pond and Westhall continues at a good clip by a large national builder. Said national builder had been experiencing a large price advantage over the past several quarters that seems to be diminishing. This is good news also for supporting home prices. Thirteen of the detached home sales were for over $500,000, the same as last year, the high being a property in Batesville selling for $1.9m. The big question of course is “where do we go from here?” The chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, Lawrence
Yun thinks (not surprisingly) we are on the brink of a 10 percent price appreciation over the next 12 months. The Federal Housing Finance Agency, Clear Capital and others think we have turned a corner as well. At the same time, Morgan Stanley sees another 5-10 percent drop in housing prices. So what is in store for us? It’s hard to say, but the graph shown below (provided courtesy of Nest Realty) of the Charlottesville MSA (metropolitan statistical area) shows fiveyear sales activity trending upwards. Except for the anomalous second quarter of 2010, which was heavily influenced by federal incentives, area sales are steadily building quarter by quarter. With interest rates remaining low and inflation staying in check, this trend should continue. Back in Washington the bickering and posturing is picking up again. How the national election will affect the real estate market remains to be seen. But barring a governmental derecho, it looks like pretty smooth sailing here in Crozet for the coming months.
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Crozet gazette
August 2012
© J. Dirk Nies, Ph.D.
Here Comes The Sun We’re in the throes of the sweltering days of August. All spring and summer the northern hemisphere has been inclined toward the sun, bathing lawns and gardens, fields and forest in and around Crozet with abundant sunshine. This month, let’s take a look at this source of energy which makes life on earth possible. As we do, we’ll discover patterns and principles that support and underpin the natural economy of green plants. How much energy does the sun emit? Try imagining a 386 trillion trillion watt incandescent light bulb shining at the center of the solar system; that’s our sun. The sun generates this immense power by converting matter into energy at a mass-to-energy conversion rate of 4.7 million tons per second following Einstein’s iconic equation e = mc2, where e = energy, m = mass, and c = the speed of light. For perspective, Americans generate about 250 million tons of trash each year. The sun converts this much mass into energy every 53 seconds. Imagine solving our solid waste disposal problem in less than one minute, while simultaneously generating enough energy to run the US economy for 200 million years! Not only is the flow of solar energy huge, but it is also remarkably steady and extraordinarily reliable. Earth has never experienced a
solar power outage in more than 4.5 billion years. Wouldn’t it be nice if our power grid were as dependable? Nuclear fusion takes place deep within the sun’s core. Over and over again, the masses of four hydrogen atoms are combined together under extreme pressures and temperatures to make one slightly less weighty helium atom. Energy released through this continuous obliteration of mass makes its way up from the interior to the sun’s surface over a period of tens of thousands of years. Today’s sunlight represents energy generated when mammoths, mastodons and saber-tooth tigers roamed North America at the end of the Pleistocene Epoch. How much solar energy does the earth receive? From one vantage point, the amount is miniscule, less than one half of one billionth of the sun’s output. Earth’s meager apportionment of the sun’s largesse is owing to the fact that the earth is 93 million miles away and so very small compared to the sun. (If the weight of the entire solar system were set to one ton, super heavyweight sun would weigh in at 1,997 pounds while featherweight earth would barely tip the scales at one tenth of an ounce!) Fortunately the sun’s output is so immense that the small portion earth receives is large, averaging 1,361 watts per square meter. Scientists call this number the solar constant. The entire earth is steeped in a continuous flow of 174 quadrillion watts of solar energy. Using the
light bulb analogy again, that’s equivalent to 1,740 trillion 100watt light bulbs continually shining down on earth from the top of the atmosphere. Using a nominal electric utility rate of ten cents per kilowatt-hour, the earth is the recipient of $17.4 trillion worth of solar energy every hour, free of charge. Added up over a year, I estimate that the earth receives enough solar energy to raise the temperature of the atmosphere nearly 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit! Obviously, this catastrophic warming is not occurring, but why not? The reason is that the earth re-radiates this solar energy back into space as infrared heat. This means that the profound cold of outer space is essential for maintaining a temperate climate on earth, as essential as coolant to prevent a car’s engine from overheating on a hot summer’s day (which my daughter recently discovered firsthand when she came for a visit). Currently the outward flow of energy from earth into space, which I define as the “terrestrial constant,” is of similar magnitude to the amount coming in from the sun. If, however, the finely-calibrated balance between in-coming and outgoing energy were to drift persistently in one direction or the other, the climate will become too hot or too cold to support life. As it turns out, earth radiates energy so efficiently that greenhouse gases are necessary to keep atmospheric temperatures sufficiently warm for life to thrive. Without heat-trapping gases in the air, our earth would be like a home with all its doors and windows wide open on a frosty winter’s day. Temperatures would be about 60 degrees cooler, average highs in Crozet would stay below freezing year round, and the world would be in a perpetual ice age.
Four naturally occurring gases give rise to most of the observed greenhouse effect in the earth’s atmosphere. In order of their importance, they are water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and ozone (O3). Photosynthetic plants play, either directly or indirectly, a significant role in contributing to and maintaining these greenhouse gases at their present levels. Here’s how. Green plants transpire water, discharging moisture through their stems, leaves and flowers into the air. A single large tree loses several hundred gallons of water through its leaves on a hot, dry summer’s day. A forest is a living waterfall that flows in reverse, moving water up from the ground through the trees and into the air. Transpiration accounts for about three-quarters of the water that is vaporized over land and one-eighth of that vaporized over the entire globe. Green plants remove and sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, transforming this gas into solid biomass. Photosynthesis, which worldwide converts roughly 0.1 percent of the solar energy striking the earth to chemical energy, takes hundreds of billions of tons of CO2 out of the air each year. This process helps counterbalance emissions of CO2 that occur during respiration, decomposition of biomass, and burning of wood and fossil fuels. In the digestive tract of ruminants (cattle, sheep, goats, deer) and in swamps, bogs, wetlands or any similarly moist places where there is limited oxygen, certain types of microbes convert biomass to methane. For example, a cow emits into the air somewhere around 250 to 500 liters of methane per day from digestion carried on by microorganisms that live in its gut. Given a DR. HILLARY COOK
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Crozet gazette worldwide ruminant population greater than 3.5 billion, that adds up to a lot of natural gas. And finally, green plants emit oxygen to the air as a by-product of photosynthesis. A small proportion of this oxygen is converted to ozone by photochemical reactions in the troposphere and stratosphere. So, in closing this three-part topic, what we have learned? The most important concept to understand and remember is that photosynthesis converts abundant, reliable and renewable solar energy to chemical energy. Secondly, using this chemical energy, plants make their food and tissues from locally available materials, principally atmospheric CO2 absorbed through leaves, along with water and minerals drawn up through the roots. As a rule, green plants make the environment more hospitable over time, enriching the soil with humus and helping maintain the climate. Photosynthesis supplies oxygen to the atmosphere and provisions the front end of the food chain upon which all life depends. Our human economy, at its foundation, is utterly dependent upon photosynthesis. From the food we eat to the air we breathe, from our clothing made of cotton to our homes framed with wood and warmed in winter by logs on the fire, we are relying upon and reaping the benefits of photosynthesis. For all this and for the beauty they add to our world, we have much to be grateful for and much we can emulate in the ingenious and sustainable economy of green plants.
Gazette Vet —continued from page 16
much higher water content (often around 75 percent). It seems that the old conventional wisdom was to feed cats dry food because it’s good for their teeth. And although that may be partially true, there is no evidence that canned food is bad for their teeth and the health benefits of a canned food diet outweigh any dental benefits. The next time a nature program comes on that is about wildcats, be sure to watch it. I recently saw one program following a family of mountain lions and it was simply astounding to see all of the similarities between them and my own little wildcat. I just wish she’d stop the whole nocturnal hunting thing.
august 2012
London Calling Across 1 Sugar Hollow or Ragged Mountain 4 Without another 9 Place in Parliament 13 Wait 14 Walks in water 15 Vogue rival 16 *Vest 18 Swerve 19 Chutney for Latinos 20 Network of nerves 21 Tied 22 Iceberg display 24 Striped equine 26 German river 28 Up to 31 Maize unit 33 *Nappy 37 Gold to Cortez 38 Have dinner 39 *Caravan 40 Home of 2016 Summer Olympics 41 Notre Dame coach after Knute 42 It’ll curl your hair 43 Web feed letters 44 *Truck 46 They are rolled or thrown 48 Blackbeard 51 Archimedes’ aha! 55 Gin and tonic complement 57 Space intro 60 Jay and family 61 Home of Iowa State 62 *Torch 64 Horse hair 65 Beethoven wrote für her 66 Nickname for Chancellor Merkel? 67 They know CPR 68 Sun related 69 Tel. and acct. Down 1 She’s in the kitchen with a banjo player 2 Confuse 3 Actress Leighton of Gossip Girl 4 Responses to babies and puppies 5 Cowardly lion player 6 Garfield dog
Kids’ Crossword Across 1 Fantastic! 5 Home of the 2012 Olympic Games 8 Where the Olympic Games first began 9 One time around the track 11 Track ___ Field 12 ____ Phelps
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*U.S. and U.K.: “Two countries divided by a common language.” Translate the starred clues for Olympics goers. by claudia crozet 4
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7 Multiple player, multiple deck solitaire game 8 First name in cosmetics 9 Longest river in Great Britain, namesake in Annapolis 10 *Lifts 11 Away from the wind in sailing 12 Water bird 13 Head and shoulders in stone 17 Hostile incursion 23 Director Almodovar, or Napoleon Dynamite pal 25 Hamilton dueller 27 Cash in Tehran 29 Rainbow goddess 30 *Bathroom 31 Currency rejectd by UK 32 *Flat 34 Sicken
by Mary Mikalson
Down 2 Come in first 3 The Olympics happen every ____ years 4 Number of rings on the Olympic flag 6 This can be gold, silver or bronze 7 Olympic _____ (fire) 10 What a gymnast lands on
35 Made a case 36 Spooky 38 Namesake of Crozet pizzeria 39 “_____ bite! It’s good! 43 Serve another term as Homecoming Queen? 45 Peanut butter cups 47 Sort out 49 Where baristas work 50 Standard greeting 52 Lief _____, “Peace Like a River” writer 53 Department store chain 54 Piedmontese sparkling wine 55 _____ duck 56 Mosque leader 58 Rant 59 Mount near Pelion 63 That girl
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Crozet gazette
August 2012
by Clover Carroll | clover@crozetgazette.com Imagine not being able to read a cereal box, a recipe, or your lawn mower instructions. Imagine not being able to write a letter or answer questions on a medical form. Jack doesn’t have to imagine this feeling; most of his life, he could not read beyond a few familiar “sight words” or write more than his own name. Jack graduated from Burley High School in 1964, before integration moved all county students into Lane High School. Though he excelled in math, he never quite learned how to read or write. Class sizes were in the 30-40 range, he says, and even though he asked for help, “no one had time to sit down and work with you.” In spite of this handicap, after graduation Jack got a job at Sperry
Marine Systems, where he worked on the assembly line for 44 years while raising a family. “I could read the blueprints because of my math skills, and if a word tripped me up, somebody would help me.” However, he noticed that other workers who could fill out paperwork got better raises than he did. He was not alone, he points out; many he knew, including his mother, shared the painful secret of being illiterate. Literacy is a basic expectation in an industrialized country with a public education system. Yet, according to a study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics in 2003, 14 percent of adults nationwide, and 12 percent of Virginians, lack Basic Prose Literacy Skills (BPLS); 20 percent of Virginians over 25 have severely limited literacy skills (literacyforall. org). That means 1 in 5 can’t read this article.
St. office to learn phonics and develop basic skills such as typing. Celebrating their 28th anniversary of service to the community, LVCA is a nonprofit agency that provides confidential, one-on-one tutoring in basic literacy and English as a second language to adults living or working in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. This individual attention sets it apart from the adult education classes offered by the city and county schools. LVCA serves close to 250 students per year, thanks to the generous time commitment of nearly 200 tutors, who last year clocked 14,200 tutor hours. Due to major demographic shifts in our area over the past decade, 85 percent of their students are learning English as a second or other language (ESOL). These students might be immigrants resettled by the International Rescue Committee (IRC), migrant workers, or U.Va. spouses and families. The leading languages served by LVCA are Spanish, Arabic, Korean, and Chinese. The other 15 percent are adults who either dropped out of school or, as in the case of Jack, continued on page 33
W ! NO EN OP
Third Thursday
Not only is it embarrassing to be unable to read and write, it also prevents an individual from fully realizing his/her potential to become a contributing member of society. Illiteracy is closely connected with poverty. If you can’t read, it becomes difficult to complete a job application or medical form, to get a driver’s license, to talk to your child’s teacher, or, for immigrants, to become a U.S. citizen. “It makes you feel ashamed,” said Jack. “When my cousin’s child asked me to read to him, I couldn’t do it. I wanted to be able to read to my grandchildren.” So in 1988, Jack sought out Literacy Volunteers of Charlottesville/Albemarle (LVCA), which matched him with a tutor who spent almost three years teaching him to read and write. “There’s only so much I could do on my own. I needed help,” he attested. After retiring from Sperry last year, Jack returned to LVCA to work toward an even higher level of literacy. “I want to be able to read the Bible,” he says. “It has some hard words.” Besides the eight hours a month of tutoring time, Jack spends additional hours working with computer programs at the LVCA’s 7th
at The Lodge at Old Trail The Third Thursday of every month will bring a new and interesting event to The Lodge at Old Trail. Our Third Thursday programs offer a wide range of topics, many with a local flair. These events are not just for an older audience; your entire family is invited. All Third Thursdays are held at The Lodge at Old Trail, are open to the public and usually free of charge. Light refreshments and beverages will be served. Reservations are required for each event.
The Stinging Effect of the Environmental and Cultural Impact of Bees
Thursday, August 16, 2012 • 5:30 pm The story of a diminishing bee population is making headlines. Come and learn fact from fiction about the impact of bees on our food, flowers, farming and more. Could bee keeping be in your future? Join us to find out more about what we all can do to help.
Crozet Culinary Challenge for Charity Thursday, September 20, 2012 • 5:30 pm The Lodge at Old Trail and area vineyards invite you to a one-of-a-kind culinary challenge featuring local restaurant chefs and their flair for the winning fare. Enjoy a festive evening of appetizers, wine, and beer, while experiencing this fun competition up close and personal. A portion of the $20 tickets will go to local charities such as the Crozet Library and the Park Pavilion. For information on purchasing tickets, contact The Lodge at Old Trail.
RSVP- 434.823.9100 or rsvp@lodgeatoldtrail.com 330 Claremont Lane, Crozet, Virginia 22932 | www.lodgeatoldtrail.com Independent Living • Assisted Living • Memory Care
continued on page 38
Crozet gazette
august 2012
Crozet
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Weather Almanac July 2012
By Heidi Sonen & Roscoe Shaw | weather@crozetgazette.com
Car Thermometers Thermometers come standard in most cars these days and we take them for granted. But are they accurate? Yes and no is the answer, depending on several factors. Before about 1997, nobody had a car thermometer. Nobody, that is, except our old (and I mean really old) professor of meteorology, Dr. Blackadar. He had a Mercedes Benz into which he had carefully installed a thermometer. On clear, calm nights, Dr. Blackadar would take students out in his Mercedes to find “cold pools.” Sometimes, he could find a valley that was 15 degrees cooler than in town. Sometimes, the cold pools of air were so small and fragile that driving the car through on a deserted rural road would stir the air up and ruin the cold pool. The temperature might be 40 degrees on top of the hill and drop to 25 at the bottom. But when you turned around and drove back through, the newly stirred air was up to 30. The field trips were great fun for meteorology nerds like us, but Heidi and I mostly slept through his boundary-layer meteorology
class. As for Dr. Blackadar, he still reports to work and is as nice as ever well into his 90’s. Now that most of us have a car thermometer, you have to know when to believe them. Some are located in the front bumper, some in the rear bumper and some under the car or on the mirrors. The key to accuracy is to measure the temperature of the air and not the temperature of your bumper. That requires air flow. If you are parked in the hot sun and your car is black like mine, the readings will start off way too high. For example, on a hot, sunny day at noon, my car might read 104 as I pull out of the driveway, drop to 99 when I pass Crozet Pizza and settle at a fairly accurate 96 when I pull onto I-64. If you stop at a red light on the asphalt, you will start reading too high again. Heidi’s car, which is a much lighter shade, cools to the correct temperature more quickly and is generally more accurate. The weaker the sun and the more air flow, the more accurate the reading. At night, your thermometer will be correct almost as soon as you
start driving. In summary, your car thermometer is only accurate when you have a nice steady air flow on it and it has had time to adjust to the temperature of the air. The errors will always be too hot since I can’t think of anything that would make it read too cool. As long as you are moving steadily, it will probably be pretty close. July Recap On June 29 at 10 p.m., we were clobbered by a squall line that turned Crozet into Asplundh heaven. Firewood prices fell in half overnight. Then, when very few people had power or air conditioning, the high temperatures averaged 99 degrees for the first week of July culminating with 104 on the 8th. We were the luckiest folks in town. Our tree damage was minor, power
came back right away and we left town on summer vacation and missed all the heat. After that, the rest of the month was actually quite nice. Temperatures were normal and rainfall was light but amazingly consistent. Measureable rain fell an amazing 18 days at our house even though the monthly total was a below-normal 3.52 inches. The steady rains have kept the landscape green.
July Rainfall Totals Crozet . ................................ 3.52” White Hall ........................... 1.88” Greenwood .......................... 3.33” Nellysford . .......................... 2.34” Afton Summit ...................... 2.70” Waynesboro ........................ 4.13” Charlottesville Airport ......... 3.48” U.Va. ................................... 2.80”
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Crozet gazette
August 2012
New Nuns —continued from page 1
It has since planted three new houses, Our Lady of the Mississippi in Iowa in 1964, Our Lady of the Santa Ritas in Arizona in 1972, and Our Lady of the Angels in 1987. The other Trappist house in the U.S., Our Lady of the Redwoods in California, was formed by Belgian sisters in 1963. Because the number of sisters is growing and because many nearby residents are attending Mass at the monastery’s tiny chapel, the sisters are planning to build a new church at the monastery, said Sr. Barbara Smickel, the junior director of the monastery. “We’re seriously planning for and hoping for a church,” she said. “It will get mentioned in our fall cheese brochure and our Christmas letter. We hope to have a workable plan in six months. We roast in the chapel in the summer and we lost power for a week. It’s a happy crowding in the choir.” The chapel has 12 stalls for sisters and two benches in an alcove that accommodate eight or 10 visitors. These days, it’s usual to have 40 visi-
tors for Sunday Mass. They had 70 on Easter. For now, visitors pack in the aisle between the choir stalls. But the sisters are happy about the problem. “We always encourage people to stop at the chapel,” said Sr. Barbara. “The Mass is what it’s all about.” The new church, now being designed by the architect who designed the original building and its later addition, will have stalls for 25 sisters and room for 50 visitors. It will connect to the east side of the existing complex. Once plans are drawn, a two-year fundraising campaign will be necessary. “We have some money,” said Sr. Barbara, “but we will have to raise $2 million.” The addition of new sisters has brought some cultural diversity to the monastery. “It’s wonderful to have the enrichment,” said Sr. Barbara. Sister Nnaremekr is from Nigeria. In English her name translates as “The Almighty has done great things for me.” The postulate, Myriam, is from Haiti, and another new Sister, Sr. Maria Gonzalo Garcia, has come from Spain, where she had been in a missionary order for 10 years. She just got her driver’s
Left to right, Sr. Joanna, Sr. Nnaremekr, Myriam, a postulate, and Sr. Maria.
license, a cause for celebration among the sisters. Sr. Nnaremekr does liturgical dances in the chapel, a feature of worship from her home country. “It’s very broadening,” said Sr. Barbara. The increasing interest in monastic life is a reaction to the prevailing culture, she suggested. “We have several good candidates. One reason is a reaction against the secularism of the culture and the lack of values
and the permissiveness. Young people see this and they don’t want it. It’s a good reaction. Life is perceived as more precious than this and people want a life of substance, a life of contributing. Power and pleasure are not to be sought above all else. This life is counter-cultural and we mean it to be and we don’t want that to change.” The sisters lead an ascetic and disciplined life. Ordinarily, they are up at 3 a.m. and at Vigils, also called
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Crozet gazette night office, a time for private prayer, reading and breakfast, at 3:15. That is followed at 6 a.m. by Lauds, morning praise. That is followed by a half-hour of silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. At 7 a.m. comes Chapter, a time for a conference with the superior, a community meeting, or class. Then at 7:30 there’s Mass, followed by Terce, the mid-morning prayer and work period that lasts until 11:00. At 11:40 comes Sext, midday prayer, with dinner, private prayer or reading, and maybe a quick nap. At 1:30 begins None, the afternoon prayer and work period lasting until 4:15. Vespers, evening prayer, a quarter hour of silent meditation, a light supper, and private prayer or reading, begins at 5:30. Compline, the concluding prayer of the day, is at 7 p.m. and the sisters are in bed by 8 o’clock. But, as their proverb goes, “cheese waits for no woman,” and on cheese-making days they must bend their routine. One new sister, Sr. Joanna, was raised as a Methodist in North Carolina. “There was a picture of a monk in my life with his cowl up. I didn’t know what that was. I knew in my mid-twenties that the Lord wanted me in a monastery. I went to one and they told me to become a Catholic. I was walking at UNC with a fellow student who wanted to be a priest, and he told me I could be a contemplative nun. It planted a seed. That was 1976. I entered Wrentham in Holy Week in 1979.” She was in a monastery in Holland from 1998 to 2010, when she returned to Carolina to take care of her elderly parents. Now she is settled in Crozet. Sr. Nnaremekr met the Mother Marian, the superior at Our Lady of the Angels, who celebrated the 50th anniversary of her vows in July, at a meeting of sisters called General Chapter. Sr. Nnaremekr was a nun at a monastery in Nigeria that had been founded by the same Irish house, Glen Cairn, that started Wrentham. “I wrote to her and she wrote to me. I told her I would love to be in her monastery.” In 2009 she went to the Irish monastery and in 2010 came to Crozet. “It was just love,” she explained. “My mother house in Ireland did not want me to come. I got a visa. I thought it was a miracle. I wanted to experience life in Europe and in America. I love everything here. I love the sisters.” Myriam, age 41, one of six siblings raised in Haiti, said of her decision to enter monastic life,
august 2012 “When you are being called, it’s not all thunder and lightning. It’s things God puts in your way. I was very involved in my parish. At a retreat a priest asked me three questions and the last was had I considered religious life. And then here we go. I found the website for Our Lady of the Angels. I began looking into the Benedictines, too. I read about it and started looking for something more contemplative. A year ago I came for a two-week visit.” She was received as a postulate on June 15. Her next stage, being a novice, will last two years. At the end of her third year she can take vows that bind her for a year. Those are renewed annually for three years and at the end of six or seven years she can take final vows. “It’s like marriage,” she said. “I never wanted to be a nun,” said Sr. Maria, who gives off something of the Spanish mystic tradition. “I went to Catholic schools and I had the question how do people know God is calling them. For me what happened was I met Jesus as a real person. I wanted just to follow Him and do things for Him. Then I realized he wanted me, not me to do things for him. I couldn’t believe Jesus would ask me to be just for Him. It was too good. I talked about it with friends and they said, ‘Why not?’ “In 1997 a group of us who were in a youth group together started living together. When the Lord wants something, he just does it. The world is pretty small for God. I have to tell people about Jesus. It will change their lives. “The Lord told me I was the one who needed Him even more than he needed me. I realized I was being asked to a different life and I said, ‘I will do it, Lord.’ And I went to a monastery to pray. Our life is hidden with Christ in God. I thought it was impossible to be in a monastery, but my life is to follow Him so I entered a monastery in Spain. The life is so beautiful. Every monastery. We are like different families. You have to find your place.” She took a vow of stability, which is a commitment to work for a group of people. “So I looked for where I could love the people and the place. And the Lord led me here.” “There’s the call,” said Sr Barbara, “and then you set out to pursue it.” “I had other plans,” said Myriam. “But the Lord came about.” “You can’t resist it,” added Sr. Nnaremekr. “If you try to, you will be miserable. Sometimes it comes
through another person.” “Fifty years ago,” said Sr. Maria, age 34, “it was normal for people to be a nun. Now you have to discover it another way. You have a desire for something bigger, more beautiful and a bigger truth. That is forever. Only Jesus gives us that. You don’t need anything else.” “Contemplative life has taught me that God is real,” said Sr. Joanna.
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“His grace is tangible.” “Jesus is, for us, the significant other,” said Sr. Barbara. “You’re free, but if you do not follow the call, you would not be free.” “It’s away of understanding Him and yourself,” said Sr. Maria. “If you are raising a family as Catholics you really have to fight for that. Regular parish families go home after Mass. continued on page 31
Bereavements Ruby Lorene Via Doughtie, 80 Henry Linton Smith, 90 Glenn Elliott Gilbert, 67 Mariah Noel Moyer, 24 Murrill Downer Smithka, 86 Robert Poland Atkinson, — Virginia Rose Clark, 54 John Drayton Dalgliesh Jr., 68 Ann Moneymaker Webb, 70 Frank Cyrus McCue III, 82 Beverly Peyton Farmer, 79 James C. Morris, 63 Norman Ray Terrell Sr., 80 Caroline Dean McDaniel Johnson, 79 Sterling Wallace Durrett Sr., 82 Linwood Massie Martin, 71 Florence Elizabeth Fellows Skove, 85 Harley Clifton Easter, 89 Shelby Jean Wheeler Sandridge, 72 Pauline Peppas Stratos, — Richard Rod Cohen, 57 Johnny Leon Jones Sr., 56 Robert Stevens Fields, 87 Sadun Tor, 66 Leisa Denise Sims Turner, 45
June 10, 2012 June 21, 2012 July 2, 2012 July 2, 2012 July 3, 2012 July 4, 2012 July 4, 2012 July 5, 2012 July 5, 2012 July 8, 2012 July 10, 2012 July 12, 2012 July 12, 2012 July 13, 2012 July 14, 2012 July 14, 2012 July 14, 2012 July 15, 2012 July 15, 2012 July 16, 2012 July 18, 2012 July 19, 2012 July 22, 2012 July 23, 2012 July 23, 2012
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Here’s what’s popular at Maupin’s Music and Video with a few recommendations for this month from the experts there.
Top Rentals in July The Three Stooges
(Family/Comedy with Sean Hayes)
Get the Gringo
(Action with Mel Gibson)
The Flowers of War
(Drama with Christian Bale)
Lockout
(Action with Guy Pearce)
Casa de Mi Padre
(Comedy with Will Ferrell)
Silent House
(Horror with Elizabeth Olsen)
LOL
(Comedy with Miley Cyrus)
American Reunion
(Comedy with Jason Biggs)
august picks Pete’s Picks My Way (foreign, new) Hell on Wheels
Rick’s Picks The Three Stooges (new) Pineapple Express Across from MusicToday & Next to the Laundromat
434-823-4523
P.O. Box 36 • 5370 Three Notch’d Rd • Crozet, VA 22932
alliepesch.com
advertisements programs brochures business cards menus newsletters posters direct mailings books and more 434.249.4211 alliepesch@gmail.coM
Evan’s Picks Hatfields & McCoys (new) Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid Maupin’s Music & Video 5796 Three Notch’d Road 434-823-2244 On Facebook at facebook.com/maupinsvideo
Crozet gazette
New Nuns —continued from page 29
But we stay. We haven’t chosen the sisters in the community. He is the bond between us. Because we have Him, we have each other. “We make cheese together and it’s beautiful. We need all the sisters for it. Our work is a form of prayer. We pray, we pray, we pray, when we
In the Garden —continued from page 18
heat, not something we have to worry about.) They survive in part shade, but will be lanky, mildewprone plants that don’t flower well. Make sure they are well-watered for the first year or two, but after that they’re drought-tolerant. Other than some compost, additional fertilizing is not necessary and can actually lead to lush growth that is an invitation to pests. If your plant is attacked by mildew or aphids, it’s
Copperheads —continued from page 22
these years) is that copperheads are much more terrified of us than we need to be of them and that they are actually quite docile creatures that have no interest whatsoever in dealing with people. Northern Copperheads can cause humans serious harm, but it’s highly unlikely if you follow three very logical and simple rules. I’ve lived in my current home for more than a quarter of a century and I’ve never come close to being bitten by one of these snakes. First of all, one rarely sees a copperhead, even in a nature-friendly landscape. When you do, common sense should dictate that you leave it alone. Most people get bitten by snakes because they are either trying to kill the snake or to move it. Obviously a snake is going to try to protect itself under these circumstances. Second, you need to pay attention to where you place your feet. Getting into the habit of watching where you step is a good idea even if you aren’t concerned about venomous snakes. There are lots of critters on the ground that you needn’t step on and injure or kill.
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read and when we work.” The sisters are steadily beaming with smiles, but they admit that they have worries. “It’s work living together, said Sr. Maria” “The biggest message we can tell the world is, really, God is enough,” She said. “He is not a hobby. He is real hope and real love. Trust God.”
best to avoid use of heavy-duty chemicals that also kill off the beneficial critters. On a personal note, I do see why people seek out the dwarf crapes; there’s something to be said for a tidy shrub that flowers from midsummer to early fall. But if you pick the smaller cultivars, you’re going to be missing out on the great bark that graces the larger varieties. Check out the accompanying picture of a 50-year old Lagerstroemia fauriei, with a trunk two feet in diameter at the base!
Third, you should never place your hands or feet into areas, such as among tall plants or a woodpile, where you can’t see what’s in there. There are quite a few animals that, out of fear as your foot or hand approaches them, can give you quite a sting or bite that may not be deadly but which, nonetheless, will hurt quite a bit. Can children learn these rules? Absolutely, just as they learn never to cross the street without looking both ways first. In fact, statistics show that children are far more likely to be run over by their own parents in their own driveway than they are to be harmed by a snake. They are also much more likely to be harmed by pets, such as dogs, cats, and horses, or even to be hit by lightning. Our fear of snakes is way out of proportion to the actual likelihood of harm from them. By following the three aforementioned commonsense rules and by being observant, you can give copperheads the space they need to go about their business of helping to limit rodent numbers. We should—and we can—coexist with these animals. And believe it or not, when there’s no Northern Copperhead coiled at the northeast corner of our carport, my husband and I actually miss having its company!
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Crozet gazette
August 2012 ALL ENGINES POSSIBLE SMALL ENGINE REPAIR MARK PUGH
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Crozet Readers’ Rankings Last month’s best sellers at Over the Moon Bookstore, with a few recommendations for this month from the experts there
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Wreck This Journal Keri Smith
Her First American Lore Segal
Aug. Recommendations
Recommended by Anne: Adult: Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead Kids: Forget-Me-Nots: Poems to Learn by Heart by Mary Ann Hoberman
Recommended by Elizabeth: Adult: Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter Kids: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
Recommended by Scott: Adult: Coop: A Family, a Farm, and the Pursuit of One Good Egg by Michael Perry Kids: Summer at Forsaken Lake by Michael D. Bell
Crozet gazette
august 2012
Literacy
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—continued from page 26 Babysitter/ Mother’s helper/ dog walker: Our twin girls, 14 1/2 and going into 9th grade at Western, are reliable, wonderful with kids and have pet experience. Please contact Mom, Bevin at 540-456-6216 or BevinsGirls@aol.com. COMMIT TO FITNESS: Do you lack the motivation to exercise on your own? Come try Boot Camp for REAL People, an outdoor exercise class for all ages and abilities. Classes are held at Crozet Park on M,W, F at 6am. Try your first class for free! Looking for results, try RESULTS DRIVEN Boot Camp. This 6 week program meets Tu/Th at 9:15 and is limited to 10 participants. For more information or to register, visit www. m2personaltraining.com or call Melissa Miller at 434-962-2311.
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Classified ads start at $16 (repeating) and include free online placement. Lost and found ads are free. To place an ad or for more information, call 434-249-4211 or email ads@crozetgazette.com
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songs. “Everybody broke up and went to different schools,” said Willie. “It’s all solo now.” He said he can play the bass and drums himself. “I couldn’t hold down the show, but I can jam. “This is the dream,” he said of releasing the CD. “I’m taking breathing room. I’m writing more and putting some demos down. That’s how you develop songs. Mostly I’m thinking about music 24-7. The big game plan is to be able to play for shows and open for bands.” He called his style “alternative indie rock.” He’s also working on “jazz stuff” now. (He played guitar in the Henley Jazz Band.) He said it
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is “more difficult to play and it’s influencing my style. I’m really interested in fusion players like John Scofield and Wes Montgomery. “I’m trying to learn different genres, but I’m going for ‘rock singer-songwriter.’ I have to be persistent. Lots of things will go wrong. But things will come out. When I got pulled up on stage with the North Mississippi All Stars, a blues group, that was great. It was shocking.” Willie DE is handling distribution of the CD himself. It will be available through the website williede.com, which also has a music video for the CD on it that relates to the song “Willow.” He will play with the Willie DE band at the Misty Mountain Music Festival in Crozet September 28. M A N
Willie DE
whose schools let them down. New students are expected to work on the computers for a couple of weeks to demonstrate their commitment, while program staff match them with a tutor based on mutual interests, needs, and abilities. “We want to work with people who are willing to help themselves,” says Osborne. “The service is free, but they have to put in the time and energy to learn.” “Tutors are our biggest need,” said LVCA Director Ellen Moore Osborne, who joined the organization in October 2011 after 20 years of non-profit experience. “We just can’t keep up with the demand for our services. We always have a waiting list of 10 to 12.” Tutoring is not difficult because of the high degree of support LVCA provides. Not only do they supply the curriculum, but Deanne Foerster, Program Director, also guides initial lesson planning to get students on track toward achieving their self-identified learning goals. Tutors do not need to speak their student’s language, and are only expected to work with their student(s) for about two hours per week, setting their own schedule with the student. Tutors also serve as mentors, helping students decipher telephone bills and handle everyday problems. LVCA provides eight hours of training broken into two sessions, covering a curriculum overview, tips for working with adult learners, and an introduction to available resources. The next training session is planned for Saturday, September 15 from 9:30 a.m to 4 p.m., with lunch provided. “We recruit between 60 and 70 new tutors each year, but we need between 90 and 100. We are always seeking more tutors.” Tutors experience the joy of making a profound difference in another person’s life. “It can be very rewarding the first time a student drives
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himself to your tutoring session because he could finally get a driver’s license, or to help a student move from washing dishes to waiting tables—maybe even to owning their own restaurant.” This fall Literacy Volunteers will move their offices to the newly renovated Jefferson School City Center. The Center will house a diverse group of learning-centered organizations, including the AfricanAmerican Heritage Center, JABA’s Mary Williams Community Center, the Piedmont Family YMCA child care center, and the Vinegar Hill Café (to name only a few). LVCA’s new space will include a reception/ computer area, six private tutoring rooms, a library, and two offices. The renovation plan is committed to preserving the historical integrity of the building, so the face-lift will improve its look and functionality, but not change its essentials. Huge windows flood the rooms with light, and marks in the wood doorframes made by former students will not be sanded over. The result of a visionary privatepublic partnership, the Jefferson School will be rented to its resident partners for five years on a subsidized basis, after which ownership will transfer to them so they can jointly manage it to meet their needs. We are so lucky to have such an effective organization doing this vital work in our community. The LVCA staff and its scores of dedicated volunteers are making the world a better place by giving the gift of literacy to those who need it. Jack’ children received a better education than he did, and one of them even graduated from college. Now that he can read and write, he hopes to work with seniors as a volunteer himself. “Maybe I can read them the newspaper, or just talk to them. When you’ve been blessed with a helping hand, you want to pass that blessing on to others.” To learn how you can become a tutor, visit literacyforall.org.
Eight Screen Movie Theater in Nearby Waynesboro! Conveniently loCated just off of i-64 at exit 94 on lew dewitt Boulevard
Movie Hotline: 540-416-0536
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Crozet gazette
August 2012
Jackson and Thomas Family Reunion Comes to Yancey Mills Ellis Alexander Jackson, born in 1918 in Yancey Mills, now 94, looking in sleek health, was the star of the Jackson/Thomas Family reunion July 27-29. The three-day congregation of the families, descendants of Rice and Sadie Thomas Jackson of Yancey Mills, brought 150 relatives and loved ones to Piedmont Baptist Church for a Sunday service in the church Jackson was raised in. His grandfather laid the cornerstone for it. Jackson retired after 36 years as a butcher. He’s also a vet. He retired as a sergeant in the U.S. Army. He has lived most of his life in in Prospect, Kentucky, now with his son Mark. It was his request that the reunion be held in Virginia so he could see home. “Joy! Joy! Joy!” he cheered. “Family joy is so important. And I don’t mean just personal family. Everybody is family. And love.” He had said a prayer over the assembly earlier in church. It was a favorite, from memory. “You have to pass on the love and kindness you were given over the years,” said Joyce Jackson Colemon, Ellis’ niece. “Uncle Ellis and his brothers Jesse and Alonzo kept the family going. The family values are here, so we maintain that and teach our children what we learned from our parents.” Events started Friday when everyone rendezvoused in Staunton to look at the West African farm village area of the Frontier Culture Museum. Nearly all day Saturday was spent in a family picnic at Ridgeview Park in Waynesboro. Family members put on a fashion
show and a talent show. That night a family banquet was held at the Waynesboro Best Western and former Waynesboro mayor Frank Lucente presented a proclamation from the city celebrating the reunion. A letter of congratulations from Congressman Bob Goodlatte was read out.
Then young people in the family were given awards recognizing their academic and sports achievements. After the service Sunday, in which Bishop Wayne Jackson spoke on the topic God’s Favor Is Fair, came a photo session and a luncheon. People had come from Texas, California, Atlanta, New Jersey,
Ohio, Baltimore and Kentucky. “We’ve had a grand time over all,” said Colemon. “Everybody has enjoyed it and we’ve been blessed. Our children understand how they belong. We have a family directory and we keep up. We have a next generation council which we are training to carry on the values.”
LOVE Ellis Jackson
From left are Arthur Thomas of Staunton, Anita Washington, still at Piedmont Baptist, Ellis Jackson of Prospect, Kentucky, and Ernestine and Malcolm Brown, who came from Ohio.
Crozet United Methodist Church and the Kingswood Christian Preschool 1156 Crozet Avenue 823-4420
www.crozetumc.org
Summer Sunday Schedule:
Small Groups @ 9:00 AM and Worship @ 10:00 AM
You are welcome here.
Crozet gazette
august 2012
35
New Contemporary Dance Company to Debut in August A new seasonal contemporary ballet company based in Crozet will make its public debut in August with three performances. ConcorDance contemporary [cDc] was formed by Veronica Hart, a dancer with Charlottesville Ballet and co-artistic director for Albemarle Ballet Theater. Her professional dance career began in 2003. “I want to give the audience the feeling of childlike freedom that make anything and everything seem possible,” said Hart. “Anyone who likes ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ will love concorDance contemporary,” she said. The company will operate under the Studio For The Performing Arts, the nonprofit extension of Albemarle Ballet Theatre. The cDc’s professional dancers will perform four original creations beginning August 9 when choreographer Ryan Beck, co-director of Garage Contemporary Ballet in San Diego, will come to stage
Conversations on Olympus at ABT at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children, students and seniors. The cDc will perform two shows at Piedmont Community College’s Dickinson Black Box Theater at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children, students and seniors. On August 11, they will perform outdoors at Pollak Vineyard in Greenwood at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. The majority of professional dance companies typically perform from September through May. cDc fills a seasonal gap by giving dancers and choreographers another place to perform for audiences. In the company now are Charlottesville Ballet dancers Elisa Alexander, Audrey Fenske, Caitlin Lennon, Moira Price and Devin Sweet along with Dinah Gray, an instructor and choreographer with ABT. They have danced professionally with the American Ballet Theater, Ballet Theatre of Maryland, Richmond Ballet, The Julliard School and San
Physical Therapy & Wellness Center 5690 Three Notch’d Road • Suite 107 • Crozet • 434-823-7628
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Veronica Hart, Caitlin Lennon and Elisa Alexander. Photo by Grace Boyle.
Diego Ballet. “Our mission is to create a closer relationship between the audience and the artists by capitalizing on each company member’s uniqueness. By accentuating everyone’s individuality, our creations will be
unlike anything else,” said Hart. Tickets may be purchased online at www.concordancecontemporary. org/tickets or at their studio in Crozet. For more information, call 434-823-8888.
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Ballet, Jazz, & Modern Dance School Downtown Crozet
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Albemarle Ballet Theatre • 5798 Three Notched Road • Crozet VA 22932 434.823.8888 • www.aBallet.org • Dance@aBallet.org