Crozet Gazette November 2013 by The Crozet Gazette

INSIDE LETTERS page 2 CREATIVE CO-OP page 4 WAYLAND’S GRANT page 5 BRAEBURN RACERS page 6 80 YEARS OF HAIRCUTS page 8

NOVEMBER 2013 VOL. 8, NO. 6

Prospective Buyer of Lumberyard Seeks Zoning Rule Change

MONASTERY CHURCH page 9

THE HOUSING MARKET page 10 CIDER MAKING page 11 CROZET ORCHESTRA page 13 HALLOWEEN page 14 GETTING FIT page 15 ASH TREE KILLERS page 17 MALADY DE JOUR page 19 BAD CHOCOLATE page 22 DOG PARK page 23 CRANBERRY DISH page 24 EGGCORN PUZZLE page 25 ACME CLEANUP page 26 MARY BUFORD HITZ page 27 DAMON GETS MILLER page 28 DREAM DEFERRED page 29 SYNESTHESIA page 25 CROZET TRAILS 5K page 38

The heart of Crozet will have a very different appearance when the streetscape project is complete.

Renovation of Crozet Avenue Through Downtown Expected to Start in December Linco, Inc., a Lyndhurst–based construction company, is the apparent low bidder for the “streetscape” project that will add storm drains, curbs, wide sidewalks and buried utility lines on Crozet Avenue between Tabor Street and The Square.

The Virginia Department of Transportation is currently reviewing bid documents submitted by the firm, according to Albemarle County transportation engineer Jack Kelsey. Because state and federal dollars are being used, continued on page 33

A prospective buyer of the 19-acre former Barnes Lumber Company property in downtown Crozet has asked county planning officials for a rule change in the Downtown Crozet District zoning that would allow residential use of the first floor of buildings in the district following a special use permit process, county planning chief Wayne Cilimberg told the Crozet Community Advisory Council at their Oct. 17 meeting. The rule forbidding residences on the first floor was extensively debated when the special zoning district was created in 2006. It was finally adopted as a way to discourage the development of downtown as a concentration of apartment buildings, rather than the real goal, which is to attract businesses, especially those that will offer jobs. The current rule allows residences only above the first floor, which must be either com-

continued on page 18

Bogle Named Crozet Firefighter of the Year by Justin Ide The Crozet Volunteer Fire Department gathered at King Family Vineyards October 19 to celebrate another successful year of service, the 103rd for the department, and to toast standout members and the department’s community supporters. The evening featured a keynote address from LTC Jeff Mullins from the US Army JAG School in Charlottesville and various awards to a number of firefighters and local businesses. Guests arrived for cocktail hour and were able to sample a number of King Family Vineyard vintages, appetizers from Patsy

Wood, and later a delicious dinner by Country Cupboard Catering. After the presentation of the colors by the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department Color Guard, including firefighters Dave Layne, Adam Schifflett and Chris Rowland, and Captain Mark Carlson, Fire Chief Preston Gentry welcomed the crowd and chaplain Doug Forrester, pastor of Crozet United Methodist Church, gave an invocation. White Hall District Supervisor Ann Huckle Mallek, chair of the Albemarle board, also greeted members and guests. Community service awards were given to “Sam’s Hot Dogs,” a huge supporter

continued on page 7

Mike Bogle

CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

To the Editor Letters reflect the opinions of their authors and not necessarily those of the Crozet Gazette. Send letters to editor@ crozetgazette.com or P.O. Box 863, Crozet, VA 22932. Please Clean Up Crozet On October 23, my mother and I were walking along Sugar Hollow Road, picking up litter and trash that was thrown out car windows and into ditches and gulleys that run alongside the road. We brought along a very large trash bag—which was much larger than your standard trash bag. We had no sooner walked a third of a mile (this was clocked with our odometer) when we had to stop. My mother was not able to

carry the bag without slinging it over her shoulder and getting herself dirty. And this is a strong woman that I’m talking about. The bag weighed approximately 60 pounds. And almost eighty percent was alcohol packaging. Mostly this was beer-related, but there were some wine and hard liquor bottles. Our second most was soda cans and bottles, but these only took up about seven percent of the trash. The remaining was fast-food wrappers, diapers, cigarette packages, and a few milk bottles. Some of the bottles and cans were about 40 years old! One of our oldest bottles was a Coca-Cola jug from the 1960s (these are our estimates), which is over 50 years old! We had a few neat finds, but the

rest was pretty much junk. So next time you drive down to see beautiful Sugar Hollow, take a few minutes to stop and pick up a piece or two of trash. If everyone who lives here did this, the world would be a better place already. Pass it on—maybe we can accomplish this someday. Sylvia Daize Vera Seay (Age: 10 years, 2 months, 24 days as of October 29, 2013) Crozet It’s a Two-Way Highway It was with great bemusement that I read the [October] article by Ms. Seliga and Mr. Hultgren, “Cycling Road Rules & Manners”, regarding what a wonderful place

Crozet is to be a bicyclist, and their recapping of the rules of the road for bicyclists and motorists alike. I certainly hope that all of their cycling brethren take the time to read their article, and take a minute to digest some of the things that they included in the article, particularly; “Bicyclists cannot ride more than 2 abreast on highways. When riding two abreast, bicyclists cannot impede the movement of traffic, and need to move into single file when being overtaken from the rear.” I cannot tell you the number of times that I have come upon a group of cyclists riding two, and sometimes even three abreast, and their subsequent refusal to move to the side of the road into single file.

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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.

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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 It would also be fruitless to even try to count the number of “single fingered salutes” that I have received as a result of a short toot of my horn to alert the seemingly oblivious cyclists to my presence behind them. (Nice Manners. Try taking the earbuds out of your ears if you cannot hear me coming!) I am also astounded at how many times this occurs going into or leaving a blind corner. The number of times I have come around a curve (there are a few in this part of the state!) to be presented with a group of cyclists blocking my lane, or blocking the oncoming lane heading towards me, always stuns me. Is there no awareness at all of the danger that they are putting themselves in, and those they are sharing the road with, with such careless and unthinking riding habits? And before you get the wrong idea, I was, all through my high school and college years, a cyclist myself, and not just to get from home to school or the dorm or to work. I used to ride seriously, and I have numerous Centuries under my

NOVEMBER 2013 belt. I am also a dedicated motorcyclist, with years of safe and accidentfree riding under my belt, and am well versed in what it takes to share the road safely, and courteously with automobiles. So it is with great frustration that I am compelled to rain on your somewhat rosy picture of what it is like to have the number of cyclists on the roads in western Albemarle and the back roads of Virginia that we do. Too few of your fellow cyclists have taken the time to learn what it means to be responsible, safe, and sharing riders out there on our roads, and far too many of them are actively endangering the “moms, dads, sons, daughters” with whom they share the roads, as a result of their careless, arrogant, and unthinking riding habits. You are right, all it takes is “one too-close call for something tragic to happen.” In my experience, the cyclists are as responsible (or more) for those close calls as the motorists. Wake up & learn the Rules.

“Share the Road” goes for everyone, not just motorists. Thomas Bjornsen Crozet Ben Hurt’s 95th Celebrated with 23 Former Students Lunch was special on Friday October 25, 2013 for 25 Albemarle High School graduates who enjoyed a luncheon with their beloved principal, Benjamin F. Hurt. The event was to honor Mr. Hurt for his 95th birthday. Lunch was at the Shadwell Restaurant on Pantops Mountain. Arrangements were made by Penny Layman Ray, AHS Class of 1959. Birthday cards have become an annual happening at the Hurt home in Crozet. The Albemarle High School Alumni Association notifies graduates from the classes 1954 through 1984 when Mr. Hurt was at Albemarle. Maria Hurt, wife of Ben Hurt said, “Thursday’s bundle was large enough the mail carrier brought them to the door. The birthday wishes normally range in the 400–500 count. Opening

occurred on Sunday the 27th, which is his birthday. A 1958 graduate expressed his feelings: “Mr. Hurt, there is no doubt, you are the most loved person in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. When you read your cards and messages, you will see mentioned your kindness, thoughtfulness, fairness, your leadership, your friendship, your sincere interest in people, your caring, remembering names, being a role model, inspiring people and setting the example to follow. Mr. Hurt, we are so thankful that you were our principal at Albemarle High School.” A 1971 graduate wrote: “I have often thought of how lucky I was to have you as principal at Albemarle High School. You always had a kind word and a generous spirit. You were a great role model inspiring all of us to strive to be our best. I graduated from VPI and ended up living in New York City, where I reside today. In 1972 I became Miss New York State in the Miss America pageant. I know it was the firm foundation I learned from you that led to

continued on page 16

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CROZET gazette

CSC volunteer Tom Loach directing traffic at Claremont Drive on Halloween.

Crozet Safety Corps Takes on Event Support

The Crozet Safety Corps is the first group to organize under the Albemarle County Police Department’s community safety groups program. Seven CSC members—Patsy Crosby, Leslie Hill, Tom Loach, Bill Woodson, Kay Woodson, Matt Robertson, and Jim Crosby—volunteered to assist with the Halloween event at Old Trail Village in Crozet Oct. 31. They include four licensed Ham radio amateurs with radios. The CSC handled traffic detouring around the closed section of Old Trail Drive between Golf Drive and Claremont Drive and set up a base under a canopy in the parking lot across from the shopping area where pedestrians crossed the road.

Crozet Creative Cooperative to Host Its First Event Nov. 9 A Behind the Curtain Look at the Virginia Film Festival. Thursday, November 21st 2013 – 5:30 PM Join us for an evening with Jody Kielbasa, Festival Director. Fresh from the 2013 Festival, we will learn how it all came together this year, how films are selected, how they get actors and film makers to attend and discuss their films, the best and worst stories from festivals past and more. If you love movies and want to hear from our local Crozet film expert, this is an evening not to be missed.

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The Creative Cooperative at Crozet, an association for local artists and artisans, has been launched as a ministry initiative of Commonwealth Christian Community, a local congregation. The Coop is open to the public and has drawn people from various backgrounds from Crozet, Waynesboro, Charlottesville, Afton and Lovingston, according to Victor Morris, who is heading the effort. “The Coop is made up of Christian artists, artisans and crafters,” said Morris. “It does not promote ‘Christian art’ per se, but rather the art of people who come from a biblical worldview. It is open to the broad spectrum of participants in both the visual and performing arts. Painting, sculpture, pottery, woodworking, fiber art, music, dance, drama, vocal arts, and more are all included in the scope of what we are doing. Our theme is “Celebrating the Spirit of Creativity.” The Coop will host its inaugural event, which it is calling “Create,” Saturday, November 9 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Commonwealth

Community Center at 1447 McAllister Street in Crozet. “Create is a combination arts and craft exhibition and family fall festival,” said Morris. “Part of the focus of this Coop is to make the arts accessible to families. We hope that events we will offer will attract a wide range of people from our region, and help foster interest in the arts, from the youngest to the oldest.” Create will feature the work of artists such as Carol Bradbury of Waynesboro and Hannah Swan of Lovingston. Colleen Walker of Goochland will demonstrate hand weaving and using a spinning wheel. Alice Johansen of Charlottesville will present a moving dramatic monologue with a Civil War theme. There will be singers, musicians, and crafters of all types. Create will also have a children’s area, with activities for the kids, many of which will involve the children in creating their own artwork. For more information, send an email to creativecoopcrozet@gmail. com.

CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

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Homeowners and residents of Crozet’s Wayland’s Grant neighborhood on Jarmans Gap Road are appealing to officials of Union First Market Bank in Charlottesville to convey two grassy undeveloped parcels it owns in the center of the development to their homeowner’s association. Vacant over the years, the two lots have become a community commons where children play, the neighborhood holds bonfires on Friday nights, plays soccer games, picnics, and joins in other activities, accord-

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ing to Nick Sorrentino, who composed the appeal to the bank on behalf of the tightly connected community. The two lots are valued by the bank at $100,000. The bank’s current plans are to sell the lots for houses to be built on, he said. Residents are hoping they can persuade the bank to donate them since their value is beyond the means of the association. Nearly three dozen homeowners have signed the letter, Sorrentino said, and a meeting with bank officials was set for Nov. 6.

The Secret’s Out! Last month, Crozetians got noticed in national magazines: Leatherworker extraordinaire Chuck Pinnell was honored by Martha Stewart Living in its feature on American craftsmen; Fine Homebuilding magazine featured Upstream Construction’s renovation of a bathroom into a traditional Japanese style; and Zagat. com, an online restaurant and bar guide, named Crozet Pizza’s Supreme pizza the best in Virginia.

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CROZET gazette

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by Ruth Hewitt It was just another late spring day for spectators at the Colonial Downs racetrack east of Richmond. But not for trainer Patrick Nüesch of Crozet’s Braeburn Farm. With two of his horses entered to race—Saint Zita, a seven-year-old mare, and Silent Tale, a five-year-old gelding—he was waiting expectantly for the night to unfold. Nüesch had chosen both races carefully, calculating each competitor his horses were up against, as well as the distance they would run and who would be their jockey. This was Saint Zita’s second race of the year, but tonight Nüesch was trying something a little different. Instead of putting his regular jockey on, he was using a ten-pound “bug” rider, or

apprentice jockey. This meant that Zita would be racing with ten fewer pounds than the other horses, but her jockey would in turn have less experience than the other jockeys in the field. It was a gamble, but one Nüesch was willing to take. Zita broke slow and settled into last place early on, in no rush to challenge the leaders. As the field came into the final turn, Zita shifted gears, coming up on the outside to begin passing other horses. She made it look easy, taking the lead in the stretch to win by a length, all with minimal encouragement from her jockey. Silent Tale made an equally impressive run, winning by an easy seven lengths, and Nüesch had his photo taken in the winner’s circle continued on page 28

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CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

Firefighter Awards —continued from page 1

of CVFD members when they come in for lunch and dinner, and Lisa Baber Jones from Arborlife, for her help selling raffle tickets for the most recent cash raffle. The evening began with the promotion of three hardworking firefighters to the rank of lieutenant. The lieutenant in a fire company, an

Mark Carlson

integral post, not only performs all the regular duties of a firefighter, but is also tasked with supervising, motivating and training newer firefighters. Promoted his year were Larry DeVault, Will Barnhardt, and Chris Rowland. Collectively, they have over 40 years of fire service experience, and each brings a wealth of knowledge to the line officers cadre in Crozet. They were chosen for their dedication and their ability to lead and inspire. A special CVFD Service Award was given to Captain Mark Carlson, who after six years of service with the Crozet firehouse is moving to Wisconsin. Carlson, visibly touched when he was presented with a plaque and his yellow Captain’s helmet, said he was grateful for the many friends he has made in Crozet, and that his time here will be remembered fondly. Chief Gentry, who made the presentation along with assistant chief Will Schmertzler, said, “Mark was a very valuable asset to the community as well as the fire department, and he

New CVFD Lieutenants Will Barnhardt, Larry DeVault and Chris Rowland were promoted by Chief Preston Gentry

will be surely missed.” The Chief ’s awards, chosen by Gentry himself, recognized two people essential to him for their constant assistance in responding to calls and in the day-to-day operations of the department. Schmertzler, a longtime volunteer, was recognized for his consistent service and willingness to always be available no matter what the need. Firefighter Gary Dillon, a newer member of the department, was rec-

Call us at 82

ognized with the Chief ’s Award for his steady service on calls and for his ability with technology. Dillon spearheaded the inclusion of mobile technology on fire engines, installing iPads in the cabs of each, as well as promoting smartphone technology for firefighters that provides them more information about calls and reduces response times to incidents. A special award called the “Joyful continued on page 16

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CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

Modern Barber Shop Celebrates 80 Years Lisa Miller, the third generation in her family to run Crozet’s Modern Barber Shop held an 80th anniversary celebration for the shop Oct. 4 and 5 and the occasion drew

Lisa Miller and George Ellinger

the affection of some 200 of her many loyal customers who came by. The first day started with Leonard Sandridge as the first customer. His father had been Miller’s grandfather Vivien McCauley’s first customer when the shop opened on Oct. 4, 1933. “That was the highlight,” said Miller, “and reenacting our photo from the first day.” Among the visitors was Morgan Garrison, 96, who called to pay respects. The shop’s longest customer is George Ellinger, 90, of Greenwood who was getting his hair cut by her grandfather before he opened the shop. The Watkins family came for Dinwiddie County for the occasion and MacCauley cousins from Lynchburg came too. Miller said she has past customers from all the counties around Albemarle. On Saturday the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department brought an engine over for kids to climb in. “That was a big hit,” she said. She gave away “finger moustaches” to

kids and red cowbells, an allusion to one of the shop’s famous stories in which her father once convinced a young boy that there was a cow in the closet by saying moo from behind the door. The crowd in the shop was so thick that Miller said she watched customers look in and walk away thinking the shop was so busy they couldn’t get a haircut. Miller cut hair all day. She estimated that she does about 600 haircuts a month. She has been in the shop 24 years. Both her father and grandfather died in the shop. “I just want to thank everybody for their support through the years,” said Miller. “People are the reason I come to work. I really enjoy talking with everybody and learning the things I learn. After Dad passed away I didn’t know what to expect— he died five years ago—but people stuck with me. And I’m getting new customers. Some can’t believe I shave around the ears, old-style.” $12 for a haircut.

Leigh McCauley, Troy Miller and Lisa Miller

Lisa’s grandfather, Vivian McCauley and Leonard Sandridge Sr.

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CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

Our Lady of the Angels Monastery to Build New Church The Cistercian nuns at Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Crozet are building a new church to be able to accommodate their growing number of sisters and the visitors who attend Mass with them. The chapel currently in use was built in 1989, two years after sisters first moved to the property in Millington, which attracted them because it had a cheese-making operation set up that could support them. Then there were six sisters. “Now we overfill it with guests,” said Mother Marion Rissetto, who leads the monastery, and has for 13 years. “We have a lot of groups who come to find out about us and they want to stay to worship with us and we don’t have room for them. It’s time to complete the church as we imagined it. The chapel was meant to be temporary.” The chapel is supposed to fit up to 20 visitors in an alcove off the main sanctuary. On a usual Sunday 35 people are showing up for Mass

and the sisters are putting up folding chairs in the main sanctuary aisles around the sisters’ stalls. “Everybody’s sitting like sardines,” said Rissetto, “but they still come. Father Joe is a good chaplain and people like his homilies. He gets people really engaged on an intellectual level.” “People appreciate our style because it’s simpler,” added Sister Barbara Smickel. On big days like Christmas and Easter more than 70 visitors will show up and they line the hallway outside the chapel. “Sometimes it’s regulars bringing visitors,” said Rissetto. “We also need a welcome center. The [new] church will be on the upper floor and the lower is a large meeting space where we could take 70 kids for an afternoon. The existing room for meeting the public is 12-by-12 feet and it’s been obliged to hold 30 people in it. And there’s only one bathroom.” “One of monastic life’s priorities

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is hospitality and we want to expose people to the Catholic Church,” said Smickel. “A lot of people are exposed through our cheese. They ask us about our life, so it’s an opportunity for evangelization.

They will question us about what the pope says. We give our reasons for supporting the pope, all over a conversation about cheese. The cheese is about a way of life.”

continued on page 21

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CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

Western Albemarle Third Quarter Real Estate Report

Crozet Housing Sales Keep Growing By David Ferrall ferrall@crozetgazette.com In the second quarter of 2011 the country was facing a potential financial crisis over the debt ceiling. On July 31st of that year an agreement was reached that increased the debt ceiling with promises to decrease spending. Sound familiar? It should, as it is remarkably similar to the predicament we find ourselves in today. The federal government’s debt ceiling has been raised again temporarily with the end of the 16-day-long government shutdown. Sadly local real estate business is starting to be affected, as closings are being delayed due to furloughed workers and shuttered federal agencies. Popular loan programs like the USDA’s 100 percent loan, which accounted for financing of almost 10 percent of last quarter’s Crozet closings, stopped. And while federal VA and FHA loans are ongoing, some delays are being reported. The IRS is experiencing delays, which is slowing down some loanrequired documents. But while coming real estate hiccups may be the result of Washington’s current indigestion, the third quarter market in Charlottesville overall (see the

Five Year Sales Activity chart provided courtesy of Nest Realty) and in Crozet continued the year’s shining performance. In the Charlottesville area MLS sales were up almost 26 percent over the same period last year, and median sale price is now back up to about 2007 levels. In Crozet we are 8 percent ahead of last year’s total sales, with 207 sales to date (remember, this “Crozet area” is defined by the Crozet and Brownsville Elementary school districts). Sales in the third quarter were up almost 20 percent, from 62 sales in 2012 to 74 sales this year. Average price per finished square foot is up 11 percent to $149, average sale price is up 13 percent to $364,000, and the median sale price is up a whopping 25 percent to $368,000! And there were only four foreclosures/short sales in the quarter, down from seven in 2012. Twenty percent of total sales were paid for in cash. Breaking down the numbers, there were 54 detached sales in the third quarter. The largest was Farfields on Rt. 250, a 155-acre property that sold for $2.2m in cash (note: this sale has been excluded from sales figures). The average selling price in the quarter was

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$403,000, up 14 percent from a year ago. Twenty-one properties were new construction, with five sales each in Wickham Pond and Old Trail, and the balance spread across Westhall, Foothills, and Haden Place. Westhall is currently sold out, and Haden Place and Grayrock West are new communities we will start hearing more about. Fifteen properties were sold on an acre or more, which generally puts these out in the county. New construction sales on Lanetown and White Hall Roads are interesting to note, in that one was a speculation build by its contractor/owner, the other a custom home on a piece of land purchased in the county. Both builds are types that have been generally missing from the market in the past few years. From a real estate point of view, it is good to see folks building again in the county, rather than choosing from depleting existing inventory. It is also good to see builders building spec homes to have new homes ready for immediate purchase and occupancy. In the third quarter there were 21 attached properties sold. Nine of these sales were for new construction, the majority in Old Trail. Overall, 13 of the sales were in Old Trail, and three each in the

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Highlands and Haden Place. Average price per square foot was up 11 percent to $147, the average selling price of an attached property rose 16 percent to $276,000. Expect Old Trail and Haden Place to share the new construction spotlight as Wickham Pond is sold out for new attached houses. As we enter the fourth quarter there are 52 properties under contract. Quite a bit below the 74 at the same time last year, but we should still exceed the 244 total sales we saw in 2012. Current inventory is actually up about 12 percent over the same time last year, but annualized inventory is down to below nine months. While a five to six month inventory level is closer to an ideal balance, achieving this may be hard as long as there exists un-built inventory in large developments, such as Old Trail. Signs point to continuing strengthening in the housing market. Interests rates remain low and have actually fallen over the past quarter to a 4.33 percent average for a fixed 30-year note (Bankrate. com). Inventory continues to drop, and while properties have appreciated slightly over the year, they remain a bit lower when compared to prices before the Great Recession.

CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

by Phil James phil@crozetgazette.com

Sweet Ida’s Cider, Autumn delights! Those blessed to live in close proximity to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia would respond, “Indeed!” Our senses are at once entreated to Stop. Look. Smell. Taste. Experience. Now! Time’s a-wasting. Come on: this won’t last for long! Few could imagine their favorite fall festival without the colors, aromas and tastes of the princely apple, served up in numerous delectable forms. For many, the season’s first whiff of wood smoke comes from the open fire beneath a kettle of bubbling hot apple butter. And, oftentimes, nearby is an antique cider mill and press, its operators

putting the squeeze on an oozing hopper of the season’s tastiest varieties, their efforts rewarded by a steady trickle of fresh, sweet apple cider. Who, then, could blame songwriter Eddie Leonard when, in 1903, he associated the delicious natural cider nectar of this wonderfilled season with that special someone his heart yearned for: “Ida! Sweet as apple cider, Sweeter than all I know, Come out! in the silv’ry Moonlight, Of love we’ll whisper, so soft and low!” The slopes of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains have long pro-

Albemarle County Deputy Mac Sandridge prepared to dump a barrel of mash while an A.B.C. revenue officer destroyed an illegal still in the backwoods of late-1950s Albemarle County. The various jars intended for the moonshiner’s hooch included a glass jug bearing an Ida’s Sweet Apple Cider label (visible in the lower LH corner, topped by a dented-up tin cup.) [Photo courtesy of Mac Sandridge]

Autumn Delight

Beautiful baskets of mountain apples, picked in the 1920s by the Yockey and Gilbert families who relocated from Ohio to the Jarman’s Gap area of Albemarle Co., VA. Their sturdy woven oak baskets featured a steel hook that allowed for securing the basket in the tree while picking, as well as hitching onto the side of a field wagon when sorting and grading. [Photo courtesy of Doris Woolford]

duced award-winning apples, but it was not always so. Early European visitors in the New World found only the common crabapple growing here. Word was relayed back to the old country to bring seeds and scions so that orchards could be established on the farms and along trade routes. An important byproduct of these early orchards was apple cider, an inexpensive and easily produced substitute for highly-taxed imported coffees and teas. In Colonial America, the cider produced was of necessity a hard, or alcoholic cider, a staple libation to arriving Englanders who brought with them the equipment necessary for its production. As Americans planned westward migrations in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, rustic entrepreneurs such as John Chapman, popularly known as Johnny Appleseed, went ahead establishing nurseries of apple trees to sell to the homesteaders. By the mid-19th century, apples were being grown for profitable export trade. Great orchards were planted and many laborers were employed in their cultivation. A good many of those workers likely fit the description of Giles

Winterborne, a principal character in Thomas Hardy’s 1886 novel The Woodlanders: “He looked and smelt like Autumn’s very brother, his face being sunburnt to wheat-colour, his eyes blue as corn-flowers, his sleeves and leggings dyed with fruit-stains, his hands clammy with the sweet juice of apples, his hat sprinkled with pips, and everywhere about continued on page 12

The brightly-colored label of Charlottesville’s Piedmont Apple Products incorporated lyrics from the popular 1903 song “Ida! Sweet as Apple Cider.” [Courtesy Phil James Historical Images Collection]

CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

Ida’s Cider —continued from page 11

him the sweet atmosphere of cider which at its first return each season has such an indescribable fascination for those who have been born and bred among the orchards.” — What a guy! Squeezing several cheeses of minced apples at a time in a hand-operated press met the juice needs of individual families, but to meet the needs of a growing industrialized and more urban society, large-scale mechanization was needed. Throughout the apple growing belts, usually along rail corridors, large-scale producers of products derived from bulk fruits came into being. In 1905, the Crozet Cider Company was established. Their incorporation statement described their business as “for the manufacture of cider, vinegar, preserves, jellies and canned and evaporated fruits and the selling of same.” In a short while they advertised for sale “Pure Albemarle Apple Cider” in carload lots or barrels: “The genuine is the best and that is made in Albemarle County, out of apples and not chemicals. Ask your doctor if the genuine is good for your family’s health. Ask your soda fountain for our cider. Ask for our goods and take no substitute.” Born and raised in early-1900s Sugar Hollow in western Albemarle County, Emory Wyant recalled his several-miles-long walk to Sugar

This hand-operated 19th century Buckeye apple cider mill and press stood up to years of service on a farm at Roseland in Nelson County. The Buckeye brand was manufactured in Springfield, Ohio. [Photo by Phil James]

Hollow School. His father Hiram operated a blacksmith shop adjacent to their home and a stave mill near the first bridge. The Hollow’s oneroom schoolhouse was within sight of bridge number three. Just upstream from the second

A romantic engraved depiction of cider days during the mid-19th century; all available hands and work animals were required to harvest and process the bounty from an orchard’s-worth of fruit. [Courtesy Phil James Historical Images Collection]

bridge, Emory’s uncle John Via operated a grist mill. “I always remember Uncle John would sometimes call over to us when we walked passed his house across the river,” Emory said. “’Have a little cider; it’ll make your belly wider.’” Likely, Uncle John’s cider was a little (or a lot) on the hard side. And, just for the record, Emory’s mother Cornelia allowed absolutely no alcoholic beverages in her home. Sweet cider is fresh, raw, unfiltered juice from apples. It has a short shelflife in this form, before the naturally occurring yeasts begin to do their thing, converting the sweet juice into a more tart alcoholic drink. That process can be slowed by pasteurizing. No doubt, John and Emory both knew that his offer was only a tease, lest the wrath of Mother be visited on John’s house and Emory’s backside. Many an unsuspecting autumn guest has gladly received a welcoming cup of sweet or “soft” cider, and discovered mid-sip that the shelf-life for the soft designation had previously expired and nature was taking its course. Involuntarily pursed lips and raised eyebrows usually alerted the host to the faux pas. So, when the “delightful” season has arrived, you will do well to make haste to your favorite trusted purveyor of that soft sweet nectar of autumn. And don’t delay, because now you know that the “genuine” stuff won’t last for long. Perhaps you, too, will be joining in with ol’ Eddie Leonard, singing, “Ida, sweet as apple cider, I love you Ida, ‘deed I do!”

Orchardists could sell their culls and drops to businesses such as the Shenandoah Valley Fruit Company. The inferior fruits were processed into vinegar, cider and juice. [Courtesy Phil James Historical Images Collection]

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 © 2003–2013 Phil James

CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

upcoming events NOVEMBER 9 & 10

Artisans Studio Tour

The 19th Annual Artisans Studio Tour is scheduled for November 9 and 10 throughout Albemarle, northern Nelson and a small portion of Madison counties, showing off creations from more than 35 artisans at 23 different studio sites. From a vast range of offerings, visitors can pick their studios and create their own tours to include handmade furniture, jewelry, pottery, greenwood turned bowls, metal, stained glass, museumquality colonial-period long rifles, leatherworks and sculptures. Additionally, visitors will enjoy locally provided refreshments at most locations. Tours are free, self-guided and open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days of the tour. More information is available at 434-295-5057. A copy of the tour participants and a map may be downloaded at www. artisanstudiotour.com.

NOVEMBER 17

Schola Cantorum Fall Concert

Scola Cantorum will present its fall concert, “A Choral Sampler,” its first under the direction of Dr. Jesse Hopkins, on Sunday, November 17 at 3 p.m. at First Baptist Church at 301 S. Wayne Avenue in Waynesboro. Admission is free. The concert will include Renaissance, Baroque and contemporary music. For more information, visit their website, www. scholawaynesboro.org.

An Outreach Program of Tabor Presbyterian Church Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m. Adult Sunday School 9:30 a.m.

NOVEMBER 22

WAHS Hunger Project Benefit

Western Albemarle High School ceramics students will hold a dinner to fight hunger Nov. 22 at the school. For $10, guests can enjoy a simple meal of soup, bread and drinks in the WAHS cafeteria and choose a handmade bowl made by the ceramics students to keep as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world. All money collected will be donated to an organization that helps to fight hunger. Soup will be donated by local restaurants. Following the meal, the WAHS drama department is putting on its fall play, The Importance of Being Earnest.

DECEMBER 10

Crozet Community Orchestra Concert

The Crozet Community Orchestra will perform a short, open concert featuring selected works by Vivaldi, Dvorak and Handel under the musical direction of Philip Clark. The concert will be held at Tabor Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall on Tuesday December 10 at 8 p.m. The orchestra has openings now for string players. Wind and brass players are being sought for future concerts. For more information, contact Denise Murray at murrden@gmail. com or call 434-987-5517, or Philip Clark: pclarkmusic@gmail.com.

FREE Meditation Class with Dr. Jule Millard

November 6, 13, and 20 • 7 p.m. At Tabor PC. Call 823-4255 to register.

TUESDAY SPECIAL!

At the Pickford-Chiles Fellowship Hall. Bring a dish and share with us!

Crozet Community Choir Cantata December 15 • 3 p.m. At Crozet Baptist Church.

Rent a Movie at Maupin’s on Tuesday night and then come next door & get $2.50 OFF your pizza!

Crozet Community Handbell Choir Concert December 18 • 7 p.m.

At the Pickford-Chiles Fellowship Hall.

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December 14 • 9 a.m. - 7 p.m., $50

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Michele Zehr, Nationally Certified Instructor Lunch will be served. Register by contacting Michele at info@we2empower.com.

For more information call 823-4255 or visit CrozetCares.com

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The Gazette’s Upcoming Community Events listing is intended for free, not-for-profit or fundraiser events that are open to and serve the broader community. Events are included at the editor’s discretion. Priority is given to special and unique events. Space is very limited. Submit event press releases for consideration to news@crozetgazette.com

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CROZET gazette

Halloween In Crozet! At Western Albemarle High School, a geometry class assignment to produce geometric shapes in a pumpkin carving end up with Nathan Dunn’s owl pumpkin being selected by teachers as the best. Joining in the carving were Haleigh Johnson and Karley Herring.

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On The Square, for the first time ever (at the suggestion of Mountainside Senior Living), the businesses opened up to trick-ortreaters. They hope to make it a regular thing.

www.crozetspeechandlearningcenter.com Allen and Sandy Marshall’s House in Grayrock, decked out with a fake crime scene, a dozen specters that look convincingly like the walking dead, and a generally terrifying atmosphere, is becoming in a must-see stop for local trickor-treaters. “Hundreds and hundreds of people came this year,” said Sandy.

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The Gazette’s own Leo and Louisa Pesch, with friends Vivian and Dorothy Shoup (center), posed before heading out to trick-ortreat on Blue Ridge Avenue.

CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

by John Andersen

Finding Your Inner Athlete In the 2011 book Born to Run, Christopher McDougall profiled the Tarahumara Indians from Mexico’s secluded Copper Canyons. The Tarahumara are an incredible culture of endurance runners living a very simple and primitive life. Some may call their culture “undeveloped”; however, these people rarely suffer from heart disease or obesity and are known for running 100-mile-plus races through their rugged canyons— wearing homemade sandals—and doing so well into their 60’s and 70’s. The Tarahumara offer a resounding lesson that the answer to living a healthy and fit life has nothing to do with modern medicine, trendy nutrition plans, or specialized training routines. It is much simpler than that. The Tarahumara are an example of humans living as humans were made to live. How we have strayed from that! The Tarahumara’s incredible endurance running (with a diet mostly of corn and beans—no sports drinks or gels!) is actually not the best part of the book. The profound tale in this book is that of McDougall himself. He describes his transformation from an overweight, 6’ 4” inch tall, 200-plus pound man who couldn’t run a mile without chronic pain, into a fit and trim athlete who within a year completed a 50-mile trail run in the Copper Canyons. “If I can do this, anyone can do this,” he wrote. His transformation was made simply by eating better and learning to run like his body was made to

run. Let’s face it, most of you reading this article are very busy. We are earnestly trying our best to balance parenting, work, our home, relationships, and other commitments and we can very easily find ourselves in a physical and mental rut. Overweight, overtired, and overstressed, we wonder when life got so hard and when we started to get old. And just when are we supposed to find the time and energy to exercise, not to mention eat right and get enough sleep? I get this. I’m 37 years old, raising a seven-year old boy, working a demanding job, starting a new business (second job!) with my wife, and on top of that balancing a million other commitments (like writing a few newspaper columns) and trying to get enough sleep. And yet, I am the healthiest and most fit I’ve ever been in my life. Like McDougall, I have found that the answers are simple. The hard part is weeding through the plethora of information out there on health and fitness to find what is right, what is wrong, and what works best for you. This column intends to explore this journey—your journey—to get back to fitness. By applying evidence-based science as well as common sense to topics such as nutrition, exercise, and weight loss, we can clear the fog together. So if you are in a physical or mental rut, make time for yourself to get back to fitness. You are definitely worth it!

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CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

To the Editor —continued from page 3

my many accomplishments including having written three published books. Happy Birthday, Mr. Hurt. Enjoy your day and reflect on how many lives you blissfully touched throughout your life. You are loved.” A 1972 graduate wrote: “This is one opportunity I definitely didn’t want to miss out on! I’m an AHS 1972 graduate, and remember Mr. Hurt well and fondly. He was one who lead by example—quietly and confidently—and is the kind of principal every student wishes he or she had. A long and influential career, with the positive impact most educators can only wish they would have on their students. Thank You, Mr. Hurt!” Mr. Hurt’s AHS kids express their sentiments at every opportunity including at class reunions and at birthday time. On May 13, 2011, the Albemarle High School Alumni Association honored Mr. Hurt and inducted him in the first class of

Albemarle High School Alumni Hall of Fame. Between 600 and 700 people attended the event. A 230page book, Mr. Hurt’s 10,000 Memories, representing the AHS graduates during his tenure at Albemarle High School, was published by the Alumni Association and presented. In the book over 500 AHS graduates and faculty members expressed their admiration, feelings and thanks. The second edition is available on the Albemarle High School Alumni Association web site www.albemarlealumni. com, menu item: 10,000 Memories. After a period of meeting and greeting, Mr. Hurt was asked to give the invocation. After the meal, Mr. Hurt commented on how much he enjoyed his years at Albemarle High School, his days in World War II and his birthday cards. He announced that he had his medical checkup recently and all was well. His thankfulness and appreciation was evident. All joined in singing Happy Birthday and enjoyed the birthday cake.

The AHS graduates who attended were a mixture mostly of classes of 1958 and 1959. Everyone had a great time. Mr. Hurt may have lost the spring in his step, but he still remembers everyone’s name, many of their parents, their brothers and sisters if they attended Albemarle High School and where they lived. Upon leaving the event, Mr. Hurt repeated several times his appreciation. It was a great day for Mr. Benjamin Hurt and for all who attended. Mr. Hurt has made it a career of serving people. His working years were dedicated to education, serving his Church, and being a loyal Lions Club member and encouraging and helping individuals. If you know Mr. Hurt, you are aware he never seeks credit or recognition for anything he does, keeping many things secret for only himself and the individual or group being helped to know. This world needs more Benjamin Hurts. Charles “Connie” Crenshaw Charlottesville

Firefighter Awards —continued from page 7

Noise Award” was given to Captain Greg Pugh and firefighter Dave Layne for their assistance in providing professional sound production services repeatedly to the department over the years. The evening ended with the presentation of the President’s Award as well as Firefighter of the Year to Captain Mike Boyle, who joined the department in 2008 after relocating to Crozet from Maurice, Louisiana. Gentry said of Boyle, “he is an energetic and enthusiastic member who really gives 110 percent to the department,” and, he continued, “I couldn’t think of someone better to win both awards.” Boyle, joined at the dinner by his wife and brother, who came from Tennessee for the event unbeknownst to Boyle, said, “It was a shock,” when asked about the awards. “It’s an honor to be thought of that highly by the whole fire department,” he said.

Mountain Plain Baptist Church Our friendly church invites you to worship with us. Sunday School • 10 a.m. Traditional Worship Service • 11 a.m. Dr. Sam Kellum, Pastor 4281 Old Three Notch’d Road Charlottesville (Crozet), 22901 Travel 2 miles east of the Crozet Library on Three Notch’d Rd. (Rt. 240), turn left onto Old Three Notch’d Rd., go 0.5 mile to Mountain Plain Baptist Church

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CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

inthegarden@crozetgazette.com

Ashes to Ashes? Ashes, the genus Fraxinus, are widely distributed over the Northern He m i s p h e re . Most often medium to large deciduous trees, a few species are shrubby or evergreen. As members of the family Oleaceae, they’re related to the olive trees of the Mediterranean, as well as forsythias and lilacs. Useful shade trees with a fine-textured leaf that decomposes readily, ashes aren’t generally grown for their flowers. (The Flowering Ash, Fraxinus ornus of Asia, would be one exception.) The most common ash in Virginia, the White Ash (F. Americana), is a large tree found on good upland soils. It is known for attractive yet subtle fall color, often a mix of yellow, purple and red on the same tree. Autumn coloration usually appears earlier than most other tree species and can be very fleeting.

Green Ash (F. pennsylvanica) grows mostly on bottomlands or soils with a higher pH. It is arguably not as handsome as White Ash, with less brilliant fall color. But it is a much more adaptable species, tolerating a wide range of conditions, leading to a tremendous amount of planting in the landscape. Until recently, that is. In the early 1990s, an unwelcome invader arrived from Asia. The Emerald Ash Borer, a bright green, half-inch long insect presumably arrived via packing crates made from ash wood of Asian species. It began munching on and ultimately killing ash trees in metro Detroit, although it wasn’t identified as the culprit until 2002. In the following decade, the EAB has spread to approximately 22 states, as well as Ontario and Quebec. The modifier “approximately” is needed, since the bug is advancing rapidly and several states have reported its arrival just in 2013. Left to its own devices, spread would not be very rapid, but the EAB has apparently moved long

distances on firewood, nursery stock, or just by hitching a ride on cars. Ash trees have now been decimated in the Midwest, and the borer has recently reached the Shenandoah National Park, as reported in the Gazette in September. So for Virginians, is there hope for this important forest and landscape tree? Currently only a few locations in Virginia have confirmed infestations of EAB, but they are widely scattered throughout the Commonwealth. Therefore, the state and the federal government have declared all of Virginia to be in quarantine, meaning that ash wood can not be transported to non-quarantine areas in other states without proper paperwork. While the adult EAB consumes ash foliage, this is not where it does the most damage. Eggs laid on the tree’s bark hatch, and the tiny larvae burrow through to reach the cambium, the layers that conduct water and nutrients throughout the tree. They then proceed to eat their way around the tree, leaving a sinuous trail of destruction. Over the course of two to five years, the ash tree will slowly die. The first sign of trouble will be the loss of some foliage in the canopy, with increasing loss as time goes by. Other signs of damage are splitting of the bark, increased woodpecker activity, vigorous sprouting of branches from the trunk, and D-shaped emergence holes on the bark. With tens of millions of ash trees already dead, and with a total estimated U.S. population of eight billion, what can be done to halt the EAB? Other than prevention, i.e. not moving firewood or nursery stock out of a locality, there are two

prongs of attack: chemical and biological. Chemicals can be applied to trees in a variety of ways: to the soil, either by simple drenching or by injection; sprays directly to the lower tree trunk; sprays to the tree’s upper trunk and branches; or by injection through the bark and into the living tissue. From my research, the latter method seems to be the most effective and also poses a relatively low risk to the environment, although it does slightly wound the tree. Most of these methods can be performed only by professionals, and that is the only option I would countenance. But when should you consider treating a tree? Well, don’t rush out and do it today, thinking you’re going to head off the advancing bug. The trunk injections are effective for only two years, so performing them too soon is just pouring money down holes in the tree. Certainly, if your neighbor’s trees are being attacked, it’s time to act, but if the EAB is more than fifteen miles away, you should wait. Granted, this is pretty much a game of chicken with the borer. Luckily, a tree can withstand some degree of borer damage, yet still recover when injections are done. The tree may decline for another year, then start to repair the damage. If the tree has lost more than 50 percent of its canopy, it may be too late, however. Chemical treatment may be a viable option for selected trees, but given that there are billions in the forests, biological control should be a better long-term option. Three species of parasitic wasp have been brought in from Asia, where they continued on page 33

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CROZET gazette

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mercial or office space. The district limits building heights to four stories, though a fifth or sixth floor is possible if set back from the main façade. White Hall District Supervisor Ann Mallek identified developer Frank Stoner, principal with Milestone Partners and formerly vice president of Stonehaus Development, as the person seeking the change. He is in conversations with the bank holding the property, Union First Market Bank, which foreclosed on Barnes Lumber in 2012, Mallek reported. Cilimberg said Stoner is interested in putting townhouses on the southern and eastern sides of the property where it touches existing neighborhoods. CCAC members had no objections to the idea, reassured that each case would have to be considered through the special use permit process and the change would not be general across the 50-acre district. Mallek said she found the idea in agreement with the concept that use density should “taper” at the edges of the downtown district, a principle that was endorsed when the future of Carter Street on the west side of the DCD was contemplated during the revision of the Crozet Master Plan in 2010. Mallek said Stoner will present his plan for the property to the CCAC should it advance with the rule change. She said it does not now include a pedestrian mall as was proposed in earlier concepts for the area. Cilimberg told the CCAC that county planners will review any request for SUPs in downtown and that “nothing could get changed without the supervisors approving it,” which is not a consolation with much credibility in Crozet. “We don’t want downtown to

Lumberyard buildings came down in March.

become residential rather than commercial,” Cilimberg acknowledged. The proposal will go before the Albemarle Planning Commission Nov. 12. In other business, the CCAC learned that local landscaping supplier Scott Watkins has offered to do a roadside beautification project in Crozet and asked for a site to be suggested. CCAC members said either the embankment on the northwest corner of the railroad trestle, near the intersection of Rt. 240 and Railroad Avenue, or in the triangular patch where Crozet Avenue meets Rt. 250 with a right turn lane. CCAC member Bill Schrader said the Crozet Library is interested in adding evening hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays, open until 9 p.m. as on Mondays and Tuesdays, but that the longer hours will require more library staff. He asked local citizens to express support for the idea in the county’s current budget considerations. Mallek said the county will proceed with shutting down the Ivy Transfer Center in an effort to control costs of solid waste handling and is looking for three locations in the county for “convenience centers” where residents will be able to drop off common household trash but not all the variety of items now accepted at Ivy. One convenience center will be near Crozet, she said, the others being in the northern and southeastern quadrants of the county. Mallek said she inquired about vacant parts of the Crozet water treatment plant parcel but was told by the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority that it expects to need the area for expansion of the treatment plant.

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CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

BY DR. ROBERT C. REISER crozetannals@crozetgazette.com

What’s Going Around? What’s going around? It’s a question my wife asks me every week, every Monday to be exact. By virtue of my constant exposure to the current diseases of the community I feel well qualified to answer this question confidently and I always rise to the bait. “Croup.” “Nope.” I think a little harder. “Gastroenteritis?” “Wrong!” I always seem to get it wrong, at least according to my wife and the local Monday news feature “What’s Going Around?” For example, I did not realize hip fractures could be contagious, but that was what going around some months ago, according to a local orthopedic doctor. Sure enough, I saw several hip fractures that week. Another local doctor is seeing a lot of nasal irritation. Yup, I got that one wrong too. I looked for it all week but didn’t see any cases. To be fair, I didn’t look very hard. I am getting better at this, though, after several years of guess-

ing. Seasonal allergies are always a safe bet, they seem to be going around no matter what time of year it is. Viral infections are the other consistent winner of What’s Going Around, which I don’t find to be very useful news as a patient but certainly it is helpful when trying to confidently explain unexplainable symptoms to my patients. “It’s a virus, they are going around right now. It was in the news.” In the Emergency Department we do see characteristic patterns of disease depending on the season. Last week I saw four kids with croup during a single overnight shift. Croup is a viral infection of the lower throat that affects young children beginning at this time of year and causes a very distinctive cough that has been described as sounding like a seal barking. It is usually worse at night, which is when we see most of the cases. In addition to this barking cough, the inflammation of the lower throat can very occasionally cause these kids to develop pretty severe respiratory distress. It is quite frightening to the parents and with good reason. The kids are breathing 40-60 times a minute, nostrils flar-

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CROZET gazette

Monastery —continued from page 9

“We hope that in the lobby [of the new church] there will be a gallery of Cistercian things that would clearly explain our history and Cistercian life. We have to put that together.” The lower level will also house a cheese sales office, bathrooms, and a 10,000-volume library. (“We have inherited some collections from other monasteries,” explained Rissetto.) The present chapel will become a business office or a novitiate, a place for women who are seriously investigating monastery life. The other administrative rooms that now line the hall will be reconfigured into a guest apartment for chaplains. The chapel has 12 choir stalls for sisters and now there are 14 sisters. The new L-shaped church will have 20 or 24 stalls in the main sanctuary, plus room for wheelchairs and an organ area. “We’ve been getting more inquiries and nuns are notoriously long-

NOVEMBER 2013 lived. We think three more sisters may join us before the end of this year,” said Smickel. The new visitor’s area will hold up to 80, plus some space for temporary chairs. The church was designed by Shank and Gray Architects of Charlottesville, who also designed three earlier phases of the monastery’s construction. They visited monasteries in the U.S. and Europe first before doing the design, said Smickel. “We’re trying to be simple and beautiful and Virginia. The brick we used was called ‘Monticello colonial’.” “The architect’s don’t drive the project,” said Rissetto. “If we say no, they accept no. We’re trying to have Cistercian architecture, which is simple, straight lines, plus traditional features like a rose window and lancet windows. We’d like to do stained glass, but we’ll see what the budget allows.” “We’re really happy about how this is turning out,” added Smickel. “Having lived here 25 years, we know how often we have to go up

Drawing of the new church planned at Our Lady of the Angels Monastery

and down stairs. Dozens of times. The church has to be on same level as the living space.” The new church will have a small parking area outside the main lower level doors and a larger parking lot below the monastery. The estimate on the cost of construction is $2.8 million, but that’s before detailed drawings are done. “We’d also like to add a stone base,” said Rissetto. “They have always been accurate in their predictions about the budgets for the other phases.”

“For what it is, the cost is not exorbitant,” said Smickel. “It’s probably $3 million with furnishings.” “We’re approximately one-third of the way there,” explained Rissetto. “There’s no timetable for it. We won’t borrow to pay for it and we won’t build until we have it paid for. Other monasteries will help us because it’s in our tradition to share. “We won’t have a campaign. Those haven’t worked out for other monasteries. We’ll go in a gentle continued on page 33

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Cocoa No-No Each year from Halloween through Christmas, many of our homes become filled with chocolate and sweets. Unfortunately, dogs will be dogs and when they find your stash of chocolates, they can become seriously sick. Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, which are both types of compounds called methylxanthines. Unfortunately dogs are very sensitive to methylxanthines, and they love chocolate. This is a recipe for disaster that we see all too often this time of year. Methylxanthine toxicity in dogs looks a lot like what you would think a caffeine overdose would look like – hyperactivity, vomiting and diarrhea, increased heart rate, tremors, seizures, and even death. Sadly dogs do die from chocolate toxicity so it’s best to pay close attention to where you keep it in your home if you have dogs. The amount of theobromine (the main toxin) in chocolate depends on the type, with generally the bitter chocolates having higher concentrations than the sweeter chocolates. So, if a 50-pound dog ate just three ounces of baker’s chocolate (three of those little squares in the package), he would start becoming restless, then hyperactive, then start having heart arrhythmias, tremors, then seizures and possibly death within several hours. But this same dog would have to eat six ounces of semi-sweet chocolate (half a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips) to have the same effect, and 16 ounces of milk chocolate. Chocolate also has a lot of fat, and in most cases of milk chocolate ingestion, these dogs don’t have seizures and death, but they can have a lot of vomiting and diarrhea from the sudden high sugar, high fat meal. Typically, it’s the dark chocolate ingestion that gets dogs into the hospital. Hershey’s Special Dark choco-

late bars and, more recently, the 70 percent and 80 percent cacao gourmet chocolate bars are big troublemakers. Getting into a bag of semisweet chocolate chips will also do it. We don’t commonly see serious milk chocolate toxicity, though small dogs are the exception; it doesn’t take a large amount for their smaller weights. If your dog does get into some chocolate, call your veterinarian right away for advice. You can also do a Google search for “chocolate toxicity calculator” and find several references to help you determine if your dog ate a dangerous amount. But if you are unsure, call your veterinarian immediately. Cats are actually more sensitive to chocolate than dogs, but they simply don’t have a sweet tooth and it’s rare to see cats for this problem! Treatment of chocolate ingestion usually means making them vomit, then giving them activated charcoal (a gross black paste to help stop further absorption of toxins), and fluid administration. Most dogs come to us right after they ate the chocolate and they do well. The dogs who got into the chocolate 6-8 hours earlier can be in pretty rough shape and they are much harder to treat. Take home message: be very careful with where you are keeping your holiday chocolate and save yourself a vet visit! Another common sweet for us that is life threatening for dogs is xylitol. Xylitol is an artificial sweetener that is commonly used in chewing gum and sugar-free snacks. It is thought that xylitol has some antibacterial properties and dentists often recommend chewing gum that contains xylitol. So it’s great for humans, but terrible for dogs. There are two toxic effects of xylitol ingestion in dogs, hypoglycemia and liver damage. In dogs, the canine pancreas confuses xylitol for real sugar and releases a lot of insulin to lower the blood continued on page 28

CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

Dog Park in Planning for Crozet by Kim Guenther Claudius Crozet Park is truly a gem for our small town. Its open spaces, facilities and view of the mountains make it a favored spot for running and walking on the local trail network (that continues to grow!), early morning boot camp, swimming, baseball, and soccer. While we humans get the benefit of using the park day-in and day-out, what about our other family members? Imagine a fenced-in area next to the park where you could let your dog off-leash to romp and socialize with other dogs and their people! In mid-2013, a small group of enthusiastic Crozet dog-owners got together to discuss options for a local dog park. The team considered several options and identified a 1.5 acre county parcel adjacent to the Crozet Park’s lower baseball field as the best potential site to accommodate a large fenced-in, off-leash park. The perimeter of the dog park is defined by an existing trail that is part of the future Crozet Connector Trail, the Crozet Greenway. The dog park plan is intended to integrate into the network of trails in Crozet. The goal is to provide additional reasons to use the trails and to have the dog park entry easily accessible [see map]. The dog park will provide a safe area for dogs to run and play off leash while under the supervision of their owners. Following best practice for other dog parks in Virginia and the U.S., the park will have fencing roughly five feet in height, a double-entry gate system, and a wood chip surface in high-use areas

to prevent soil erosion. A combination of rules displayed on signs, selfpolicing by park users, and easy access to refuse bags will ensure the dog park is safe and clean. The dog park is expected to be open yearround during daylight hours. It will provide bag dispensers for waste and bench seating for the humans. The committee expects the dog park will be a great place for dogs to play and a gathering place for owners. The Albemarle County Parks and Recreation Department has expressed their support and offered the parcel of land for the off-leash area as one option. (The county

team also identified a portion of Mint Springs Valley Park as a possible additional site.) They are currently working on a conceptual plan to guide design and estimate costs. This same team designed the Chris Greene off-leash area, so their expertise is valuable. Initial build-out is expected to cost about $10,000 for the site adjacent to Crozet Park. Landscaping and construction of the dog park is expected to be an effort shared by Albemarle County and volunteers. Some initial tasks will require professional labor (e.g. clearing, grading, fencing and building some parts of water impoundment). The dog park organizing group expects to work with local community groups to drive

fundraising (under Crozet Park auspices) and to supply the labor required to clear brush and help with additional parts of build-out. The park, targeted for opening in 2014, will rely heavily on a base of volunteers to maintain and manage the site. A leadership committee of local volunteers will coordinate with (and support) the Crozet Park and Albemarle County Parks and Recreation to ensure their buy-in at each stage of the dog park planning and the park’s on-going management. To volunteer or, keep up-to-date on dog park activities, go to www. crozetdogpark.org. For more information, send an email to guenthercontinued on page 28

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CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

Crozet Shopping Center Repairs

Seasonal Flavors

MEMORIES & RECIPES FROM AN ITALIAN KITCHEN [ by denise zito • denise@crozetgazette.com \

I The parking lot of the Crozet Shopping Center will be rejuvenated this month. Heavily trafficked sections will be milled and resurfaced and the rest resealed and restriped. A new drainage system will be installed in front of the stores to end the chronic puddling from rain. A new island for shade trees will be added to the lot. Meanwhile, the Fruit Growers buildings in the Olde Towne Shoppes (pictured below) will be resided and then repainted “Crozet Pizza red.” Carpenters working on the buildings, which date to 1910, report they are tough and structurally sound. All the repairs are expected to be done by Nov. 15. The businesses remain open. Customers can find parking available at the former Patterson’s Flower Shop building. The center’s owners say they regret the inconvenience caused by the work.

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Cranberries

admire the cook whose recipes are neatly filed in notebooks or boxes. This kind of cook prefers the 3-by-5 notecard or, even better, the plastic sleeves to protect the recipes from splatter. I am not that cook. My 40-year collection of recipes are torn from the newspaper (because I can never find my scissors), or written on a sheet of notepaper that an older female relation was sure I would copy onto the notecard when I got home (ha!). I’ve now got three boxes of recipes. One lists A – N, the second M – Z, and the third has all the cookies and desserts. The boxes are fingerprinted, the dividers dog-eared, the recipes stained, but I love them all and can find whatever I need in this semi-organized chaos that I call my file system. This brings us to Thanksgiving and the fascinating subject of the cranberry and its various sauce incarnations. I like to talk with friends and new acquaintances to explore their family traditions, especially the food surrounding our American November feast. My Maryland friend Kate has sauerkraut, my own Danish in-laws must have red cabbage, while my Sicilian tribe wants a stuffed artichoke with their stuffed turkey. Then there are what I like to call the cranberry wars: canned or fresh? That jellied stuff? Well, I suppose it induces nostalgia because I do know some people who can’t live without it on the Thanksgiving table because it means home. Don’t worry, if you’re one of them I will not reveal your identity because if I do, you will never be thought ‘cool’ again. My own mother, who rarely cooked, still made the cranberries from scratch, including grated orange

zest. So if it’s not full of whole cranberries, I don’t consider it the real deal. But when you have a huge crowd, it’s nice to serve some variety. So in addition to Mom’s version of the traditional (boiled cranberries, sugar, orange zest, chilled and served), I’ll prepare this dish so people have a choice. Almost a dessert, it has substance and crunch. And oh—the recipe is written on a piece of brown paper bag—I got it from my friend Gail Barker and it is dated 1988. Should I go ahead and transcribe it onto an index card? Nah. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thanksgiving Cranberry Delight 1 bag cranberries 6 apples, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 cup brown sugar 1 jar apricot preserves 2 seconds of brandy, i.e. hold the open bottle over the bowl and pour while counting ONE, TWO. I’m serious, that’s the recipe. 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 cup chopped pecans Mix all except the pecans, pour into an ovenproof baking dish, top with the nuts, then bake for an hour at 3750F. Best served warm. And yes, I’m sorry to give you another dish that needs the oven at Thanksgiving. Who has space? But it’s worth it.

CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

Eggcorn* Hunting Defined as “imaginative attempts at relating something heard to lexical material already known” (on the Eggcorn Database), like “take for granite” (for granted or “viscous (for vicious) cycle.” Theme answers were spotted in the wild. Across 1 Hockey hall of famer 4 Don’t go 8 Takes potshots 14 Shade 15 Aspirin 16 Send to bed without supper 17 Mandela’s party: Abbr. 18 CIA’s peculiar habit? 20 Cooked turkey 22 Chopper in the service 23 Four before I 24 Keats’s “To Autumn” 25 Forensic evidence 28 Very weak stance? 34 Magical beginning 35 Unknown author: Abbr. 36 At the end of the day? 43 Name with Patricia or Boortz 44 Number crunchers 45 Fresh start for recovered dog walker? 52 Approves 53 12-17 yr. old brandy designation 54 Lose down 56 Err 57 Little rascal or cattle feed 60 Well lit garden? 64 Barely gleaming 65 Atlanta players 66 Jessica _____, actress 67 Put to work 68 Riser and tread sites 69 Become acquainted 70 Highest deg. Down 1 Chicago airport 2 Post election vote

Solution on page 32

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31 Before to Wordsworth 32 Hole repair 33 Little bit 36 _____ Domini 37 Onion cousin 38 Statutes 39 Ailing 40 Military address: Abbr. 41 Pelosi or Drew, for short? 42 Internet via phone line 46 More wicked (var.) 47 Rate 48 Home-run hitter Sammy _____ 49 “_____ little teapot…” 50 Some chairs or beds do it

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CROZET gazette

Acme Buildings to Be Removed as Part of Environmental Cleanup

A house once used as a credit union office and the former main manufacturing building at the Acme Visible Records site on Rt. 240 in eastern Crozet will soon be destroyed, according to Sarah Huddle, public the YOUR LOCAL SOURCE FOR LOCAL, ORGinformation Ecoordinator ATSWilsonfor Jones ANIC Mowner, property’s Company. The site has been under environmental remediation for the last few years to remove contaminants— www.greatvalu.com chlorinated solvents—that leached into the ground under the southern part of the main building. The cleanup is being done through the Where respect for YOU is ALWAYS in stock U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Corrective Action program and under the supervision of

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ing, every breath a noisy labored inhalation, the muscles of the neck and between the ribs tugging inward with each breath. They sit bolt upright, refusing to lie down. One of the most effective treatments for this degree of inflammation is simply cool moist airflow and often by the time the kids get to the ER the exposure to the cool, moist night air of fall during the car ride in has significantly improved them. The relief of the parents is palpable and their gratitude toward the ER staff for any ancillary treatment buoys the spirits of my middle-of-the-night staff. We watch these kids carefully and usually administer a one-time dose of a high potency steroid to fur-

the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. A bioremediation strategy is being used to remove the solvents. Two phases of it are now complete—with no new areas of contamination being discovered—and a final phase is about to begin, Huddle said. The buildings are in declining condition, she said, and removing them will make the site easier to clean–up and more marketable once the cleanup is complete. They are not candidates for renovation, she said. A public information meeting on the status of the cleanup will be held November 18 from 6 until 7:30 p.m. at the Crozet Library. ther calm the inflammation. Most go home after a period of observation. The fall season brings characteristic injuries in to the ER as well. Wood splitters, gasoline-powered wedge rams for splitting logs into firewood, maul several patients’ hands every fall. I still don’t understand how this happens. The wedge moves very slowly, 1-2 miles an hour over a distance of 2-3 feet. But it happens. Hunting season opens in the fall and aside from the rare accidental gunshot wound, we also more commonly see falls out of tree stands and heart attacks from trudging around the woods. And of course like winter, the flu is always just around the corner. Get your flu shot! So that is what is going around this week, honey: heart attacks, falls, mangled hands, croup, flu shots. It is in the news.

CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

Mary Buford Hitz Releases First Novel, Riding to Camille Local author Mary Buford Hitz of Afton has released her first novel, Riding to Camille, a story about a party of horse trekkers who unexpectedly encounter Hurricane Camille while on a three-day excursion. Hitz is known for Never Ask Permission, her memoir-style biography of her mother, the redoubtable and magnetic Elizabeth Scott Bocock of Richmond who set out with some ferocity to save the city’s architectural heritage. That work was reissued in paperback by the University of Virginia Press last year. “In 2000 my husband and I took a three-day horseback riding trip in New Zealand’s Southern Alps,” said Hitz, a very experienced rider. “We were walking the horses down a steep slope in rain. I broke my right foot on a root. The outfitter went to a sheepherder’s hut to get to a radio. I rode out for a mile and a half. The bone compounded and came out through the skin. “I thought to myself, somebody could write a novel about this,” she said. “I had never tried fiction, but

when confronted with real characters that I could count on, I could try it. I was looking for something to organize the story around. Hurricane Camille, the August 1969 storm that devastated Nelson County had always had a fascination for me. I had studied what is on file about it at the Nelson County Library. I did a lot of research on it. Twenty-nine inches of rain fell in five hours. So, slowly I got wrapped around using the New Zealand characters in the backlash of Camille in Nelson. My own experience is the first part. In the novel it separates the guide from the rest of the group.” In the novel, the camping party into the Blue Ridge includes Sam, the outfitter, who is in a new love affair with his summer intern, Lisl. This is a secret from the intern’s Swiss boyfriend, who has joined her for the summer, but not from Sam’s wife, Elsie. One rider breaks her leg and Sam, usually headstrong and impatient, must leave the group to get

Mary Buford Hitz

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from the upper $400’s

from the upper $200’s

from the low $600’s

continued on page 34

“My theory is that the reason the wife is dysfunctional is because she knew her husband had something going on with the intern,” said Hitz. Rita Mae Brown, in a blurb published on the book’s jacket, summarizes it as “sex, love and emotional entanglement ride smack into Hurricane Camille. It will blow you away.” (Hitz has ridden in the Oak

continued on page 35

CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

Damon Receives Miller Award Braeburn Farm Nancy Coble Damon, director of the Virginia Festival of the Book for 20 years, received the Samuel Miller Memorial Award at a dinner at the Miller School of Albemarle October 18. The school confers the award to recognize community leaders. “This award goes to someone who actually does something to improve the lives of kids,” said Miller headmaster Rick France. Miller students are required to do service projects and one group has been involved with staging the book festival for four years now. They work on the poetry section and say their intellectual horizons are influenced by Damon’s suggestions about books to read. English teacher Peter Hufnagle, who is on the award’s selection committee, credited Damon with being a “mastermind” for being able to organize the festival, which he also called “Shakespearean” in scope. “It’s one of Charlottesville’s and the Commonwealth’s most cherished weeks of the year,” he said. Damon was also referred to as the festival’s “crown jewel.” The festival is a project of the Virginia

Gazette Vet —continued from page 22

sugar. This rush of insulin starts removing existing real sugar from the bloodstream, causing dangerously low blood sugar levels that lead to disorientation, weakness, tremors, and even seizures. These effects can take up to 12 hours to correct. The other toxic effect of xylitol is liver damage. We do not know exactly why this happens, but it does take a higher dose of xylitol to cause it. Dogs can go into severe liver failure and die. These dogs

Dog Park —continued from page 23

kim@gmail.com. With the biggest hurdle—acquiring the land— already identified and provided, the next step is raising $10,000 for development. Please consider making a donation to the Crozet Dog

—continued from page 6

Nancy Coble Damon

Foundation for the Humanities. Damon, in a brief, modest acceptance of the award, a medal, thanked her coworkers and said she feels a special connection with Miller’s motto, “Mind, Hands, Heart.”

tend to have signs of hypoglycemia first, so they may have treatment instituted before too much liver damage has occurred. A 50-pound dog has to eat six to eight pieces of gum to get sick, whereas a 10-pound dog has to eat only one or two pieces. The take home message: be very careful with where you keep your chewing gum. As we head into the holiday season, our homes become filled with joy and of course a little chaos. Be sure to try to keep chocolate, gum, and other sweets away from dogs and your holiday season will be much more enjoyable! Park by sending a check made out to Claudius Crozet Park, Inc. to: Claudius Crozet Park, Inc./P.O. Box 171/Crozet, VA 22932. Remember to note “Dog Park” on your check. Claudius Crozet Park, Inc. (CCP) is an independent, nonprofit, community-owned park and donations to the CCP are tax deductible.

twice that evening. Afterwards, he trailered his two horses home to Braeburn Training Center in Crozet. Nüesch has been around horses most of his life. His father, Felix Nüesch, who is from Switzerland, influenced his passion to train horses. As a young man, Felix was involved with the Swiss cavalry. “They had to get up every morning and sit the trot for thirty minutes straight,” said Nüesch. “A lot of those boys didn’t know how to ride, so afterwards they would make them break the ice in the fountain, pull down their pants, and stick their butts in the freezing water to toughen up. Some of them got blisters so bad that they would pass out from the pain.” Felix, one of the few who already knew how to ride, quickly earned respect amongst his peers. When he moved to Virginia, his reputation as an expert horseman continued to grow. “[Felix] was very well known for his ability to bring a young horse along, and very well liked I might add,” noted Sandy Stuart, a local real estate agent who plays polo with the Roseland Polo Club. After managing Braeburn for a time, Felix passed the family owned business on to Pat, who is now the part owner and manager of the training facility. Braeburn has been training thoroughbred racehorses for almost thirty years. Training a young horse to mental and physical maturity is not easy, but Nüesch has developed a method over the years that works. Each interaction he has with a horse, whether on the ground or in the saddle, is well thought out and intentional. The unpredictable thoroughbreds respond positively to his calm, patient manner. Ben Doyle, who owns a filly in training at Braeburn, said that the care his horse receives is exceptional. “Pat says it best, ‘It’s all about the horse.’ He is really honest about what’s

going on [with your horse], whether it’s good or bad. Not all trainers are like that.” Pat’s years of experience and expertise show in the horses he produces and the results that he has, as with Saint Zita and Silent Tale earlier this summer. He brought Zita to Braeburn three years ago. She was in poor condition at the time. “She needed to put on some serious weight, but she came around pretty quickly. It didn’t take long to realize she was something special,” reflected Nüesch. Zita enjoys her daily TLC at Braeburn, and she is looking forward to retirement in the near future. A typical day at Braeburn begins at six in the morning. Horses are brought in and fed, stalls are cleaned, and Nüesch takes each horse and jogs them individually without a rider to check for lameness. Then, horses are cleaned and tacked in sets and trained on the track. Nüesch explained that training thoroughbreds requires time and patience. “They don’t always want to commit [to training]. It’s like a prospective spouse. You need a commitment to make the partnership work,” he said with a grin. “You’re not being mean. You have to get tough with these guys. If you just sit up there waiting for something to happen, chances are something will, and it won’t be what you wanted. It’s like Vince Lombardi said, ‘The best defense is a good offense.’ Thoroughbreds have remained in the Nüesch family blood. David, Nüesch younger brother, is a retired jockey with approximately 1,200 wins since he began racing in 1986, and, all together, his mounts have earned over $16 million throughout his career. He has ridden for top trainers in multiple countries around the world, and was a stunt rider in the film Seabuscuit and the TV series Luck. Nüesch’s son, Christopher, helps his dad train horses at Braeburn, and has apprenticed at tracks in Chicago as well as Florida, keeping the racing business in the family lineage.

CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

When Will the Dream Become Realty? by Clover Carroll | clover@crozetgazette.com

Were you as outraged as I was when our government shut down for two full weeks last month for no better reason than political grandstanding? The government of “we the people” seemed to have been hijacked by partisans who put politics ahead of the good of the country and the needs of the people they were elected to represent. Are you, like me, worried that the gridlock in Washington and the seeming inability of our elected representatives to effectively govern will cause us to lose the America we were raised to believe in? Poet Langston Hughes expressed a similar feeling in his moving 1938 anthem, “Let America Be America Again.” This sentiment seems especially appropriate this month, when we both exercise our right to vote and honor the veterans who risk all to defend our shared American dream of freedom and equality. Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was a leader of the Harlem Renaissance, the flowering of African American art, literature, and music during the 1920s and included Countee Cullen, Claude McKay, Zora Neale Hurston, and W.E.B. Dubois. Hughes, who grew up in Missouri and Illinois, began writing poetry in the eighth grade and never stopped, becoming the first black poet to earn a living through his writing. He published more than 50 books of poetry, fiction, essays, and drama and won numerous literary awards during his lifetime. Hughes is best known for “integrat[ing] the rhythms and structures of jazz, blues, and bebop into his poetry, … working to create a poetry which was African-American in its rhythms, techniques, images, allusions, and diction” (Poetry for Students). In this poem, Hughes is writing in the context of early 20th century racism and segregation, which he encountered both in the job market and while attending Columbia University. But he expands to a more universal vision with the inclusion of Native Americans, immigrants, and the working poor, many of who were unable to attain the American Dream because of political corruption and economic injustice. After stating his basic, rhapsodic theme in the imperative case—“Let America be America again!”—the poet defines our country’s founders’ original dream of America as a “great strong land of love,” “the homeland of the free.” Yet this dream, however noble and worthy of the many sacrifices it has inspired, has never become a reality for the speaker or for many others like him. The repeated line “America never was America to me” draws a contrast between two meanings of the word “America”—one, the dream of its founders who wanted to prevent tyranny and a rigid class system based on wealth, and two, the

actual segregated, classist country of the early 20th century, where many citizens suffered social and economic inequality. The italicized lines imagine an interlocutor asking the poet who he is who dares to make such a demand, to cloud the beauty of the stars on the American flag. The remainder of the poem becomes an answer to this question, “who are you?” In his answer, the poet speaks in the voices of the many citizen groups who have been denied access to their dream by “that ancient endless chain/ Of profit, power, gain … / Of owning everything for one’s own greed!” Many of the original groups who worked to build the country--Native Americans, a melting pot of immigrants, and the pioneers who settled the West-have by the time of the poem’s writing been shut out of its bounty. With the line “O, Pioneers!,” Hughes alludes to the same 1865 poem by Walt Whitman that Willa Cather used as the title of her classic 1913 novel, which was the November selection of the Crozet Library Monday Night Book Group. This novel provides a window into the lives of Swedish, German, and Bohemian immigrants struggling to survive on the plains of Nebraska at the turn of the century. The lost dream Hughes mourns here is the same dream he refers to (with far less patience) in his most famous later poem, “Harlem” (1951): “What happens to a dream deferred? / Does it dry up / like a raisin in the sun? /… Maybe it just sags / like a heavy load / Or does it explode?” Although much progress has been made in the 70 years since Hughes wrote his paean to the American dream in terms of tolerance, civil rights equality, and equal economic opportunity, “Let America Be America Again” expresses in heartfelt terms the same yearning many of us feel today for the ideal of an America that at times seems to be slipping further from our grasp. We share the same mixture of hope for the promise of our country and despair that that promise is so seldom realized. We share his frustration as we witness, or experience the effects of, the widening divide between rich and poor, corporations using their vast resources to influence elections, Wall Street bandits cheating Main Street investors, and our government becoming more and more detached from the people it was elected to help and protect. While we often feel powerless to influence government decisions, we also applaud those who stand up, speak out, write letters to the editor, attend meetings, and--most important of all-vote with conscience. Our own Crozet Library is a shining example of the power of grassroots activism to bring about change. While many of the specific issues may have changed since he wrote his stirring poem, Hughes’ plea for justice, equality, and good governance rings just as true today. If only our leaders were listening.

Let America Be America Again (abridged)

by Langston Hughes Let America be America again. Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain Seeking a home where he himself is free. (America never was America to me.) Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed— Let it be that great strong land of love Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme That any man be crushed by one above. (It never was America to me.) …. Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark? And who are you that draws your veil across the stars? I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart, I am the Negro bearing slavery’s scars. I am the red man driven from the land, I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek— …. I am the young man, full of strength and hope, Tangled in that ancient endless chain Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land! …. Of owning everything for one’s own greed! …. I am the people, humble, hungry, mean— Hungry yet today despite the dream. Beaten yet today—O, Pioneers! I am the man who never got ahead, The poorest worker bartered through the years. …. O, I’m the one who left dark Ireland’s shore, And Poland’s plain, and England’s grassy lea, And torn from Black Africa’s strand I came To build a “homeland of the free.” O, let America be America again— The land that never has been yet— And yet must be—the land where every man is free. The land that’s mine—the poor man’s, Indian’s, Negro’s, ME— Who made America, Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain, Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain, Must bring back our mighty dream again. For the full poem, visit www.poets.org

CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

Warrior Sports News

by David Wagner | david@crozetgazette.com

Warriors Are Playoff Bound The story line for Western Albemarle football this season has been offense, and lots of it. The Warriors are 8-1 overall and 5-1 in the Jefferson District with one regular season game left. They will host the Fluvanna Flucos on Friday, November 8 at WAHS. Game time is 7:30 p.m. The Warriors swept Valley District opponents Spotswood (1714), Waynesboro (50-27) and Fort Defiance (41-6) along with Jefferson District foes Orange County (6214), Albemarle (41-39), Louisa (4216), Charlottesville (63-48) and Powhatan (37-36). Their only loss was to county rival Monticello (3121) on October 18. Led by senior quarterback Kent Henry, Western has averaged 41.5 points a game while giving up 25 points. With the help of a superb supporting cast, the Warriors have posted some pretty gaudy numbers in the passing game and Henry’s athleticism has complemented the running game tremendously. For the season, Henry has completed 110 of 188 pass attempts for 1,868 yards. He’s been sacked 13 times for minus 68 yards bringing his passing yards to an even 1800 in 9 games. He’s thrown 30 touchdown passes to six different receivers and has only thrown 8 interceptions (3 of those in the Monticello game). His top passing performance of the year came against Fort Defiance. He threw 5 touchdown passes to five different receivers, completing 14 of 18 passes for 294 yards. Henry is also the team’s leading rusher with 926 yards on 109 carries for 12 touchdowns and two lost fumbles. His best rushing performance came against Orange County when he tallied 160 yards and four touchdown runs on only eight carries. He’s rushed for over 100 yards three times and has been held under 70 only once (Monticello). The receiving corps has held up its end of the bargain. Senior Stephen Hearn is the leading

receiver on the team in yards (589), catches (37) and touchdowns (10). He’s had three multi-touchdown games, catching two touchdown passes against Fort Defiance, Albemarle and Louisa. His second touchdown in the Albemarle game was a thrilling, game-winning catch as time expired. Henry found Hearn in the back of the end zone to give the Warriors the 41-39 win on the game’s final play. Hearn had a season and team high 10 receptions and 139 yards receiving in the game to propel the Warriors to victory. Senior Chase Stokes has been remarkable as well. Playing high school football for the first time this year (he’s a basketball player by trade), the 6-4 Stokes has added 28 catches for 485 yards and 9 touchdown receptions. He caught three touchdown passes in the 50-27 rout of Waynesboro early in the season and has 11 catches for 209 yards and one score in the last two games. With the season-ending injury to Nick Drapanas, Stokes’s emergence could play a vital role in the Warriors’ playoff goals. Drapanas’ injury had an impact on special teams and defense as well. Drapanas missed a couple of games early in the season and was then sidelined with a broken collarbone against Monticello. Before his season ended, Drapanas had totaled 308 yards on 14 catches for three touchdowns. He also played an important role on punt and kick returns. He ran a punt back 45 yards for a touchdown in the season opener at Spotswood that proved to be the game-winning score. He also had several big plays returning kickoffs and was a key player in the defensive secondary. His presence will be missed. Two other key components in the passing game have been Burkes Summers and Tre Banks. Summers added 11 catches for 201 yards and 2 touchdowns while Banks has 10 receptions for 189 yards and 3 touchdowns. They have stepped up to fill the hole left by Drapanas and

very likely will be important in the playoffs. Defenses will have to give Hearn and Stokes more attention, which should leave opportunities for Banks and Summers. They are both averaging over 18 yards a reception; Hearn is averaging 15.9 per catch and Stokes is averaging 17.3. They have both been making plays when given the chance. Oliver Herndon has been another important player on offense. He is the team’s second leading rusher with 412 yards and 6 touchdowns on 73 carries for a 5.64 average per carry. He hasn’t broken the 100yard barrier in a game yet, but he’s come close, 96 yards versus Waynesboro and 91 yards versus Charlottesville. Herndon gives the Warriors a serious running threat besides Henry. The defense has been susceptible to big plays, giving up nine touchdowns on plays of more than 50 yards and getting hit for 13 other plays from scrimmage of more than 30 yards. They were particularly suspect in the Albemarle and Powhatan games. Albemarle scored on three plays, runs of 73 and 78 yards and a passing for 67, and Powhatan had touchdown runs of 62 and 72 yards. Western won these two games by a combined three points. Charlottesville also burned the Warriors on three big scoring plays

but one of those came on special teams (a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown) and two 48-yard touchdowns (one rushing, one passing). One came late in the contest when Western had the game in hand and the second string defense was on the field. Monticello added an 89-yard touchdown pass as well, the longest play from scrimmage allowed by the Warriors all season. The Monticello and Powhatan games were also marred by big play touchdowns that came on questionable coaching decisions. On the first possession of the game at Monticello, the Warriors faced a fourth and nine at their own 36 yard line. The Warriors lined up as if they were going for it with Henry in the shotgun. Just before the snap, he then dropped back for a quick kick punt, but Monticello blocked it and returned it for a touchdown giving the Mustangs a 7-0 lead less than a minute into the game. In the Powhatan game, the Warriors had a second and fourteen at their own 17 yard line with less than 30 seconds to play in the first half. As Henry dropped back to pass, the Indians got pressure on him and came away with an interception that also went for a touchdown and allowed the Indians to tie the game at 21-21. continued on page 35

WAHS Players to Perform The Importance of Being Earnest The Western Albemarle High School players will stage Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, an enduring political and social satire, in three performances on the evenings of November 21 through 23, at the high school. Proceeds from the show will help send Western Albemarle students to New York in the spring to attend a Broadway workshop. Admittance to the November 21 show is by donation. Tickets for the Friday and Saturday performances are $5 for students and $8 for adults, in advance, or $6 for students and $10 for adults at the box office. The performances on Thursday and Saturday begin at 7:30 p.m.; Friday’s is at 6:30. Western’s drama director Caitlin Pitts described the play as “funny

and witty, and its message of the importance of truth in societal relationships is a timeless one.” Pitts said 26 students have been working on the production since early September and that the play will feature an unusual bit of staging. All patrons will be seated on stage, presenting the actors with an audience on three sides. “We were looking for an opportunity to increase our audience’s engagement with the play,” explained Pitts, whose students recently won first place for Best Technical Theater in a statewide competition. Since all audience seating will be on stage, only 95 tickets will be available for each show. Tickets can be purchased by calling WAHS at 823-8700.

CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

Anderson Funeral Services Inc.

Felix Yves Dupont, 1931 -2013 Felix Yves Dupont passed away peacefully in the company of his children in the early morning hours of Tuesday, October 8, 2013, in his room at Mountainside Senior Living in Crozet, Virginia. He was 81 years old. Felix was born in Breteuil-surIton, a small city in Normandy, France, on November 6, 1931, to Félix André Dupont and Jeanne Yvonne Déloffre. He was raised with his younger sister, Andrée Pierrette, and a younger brother, Jean-Claude, who died in childhood. His father, a veteran of both world wars, was a partner in a substantial lumber and millwork factory that was taken over along with the family home during the Nazi occupation of France. After graduating from boarding schools in Évreux and Paris, Felix went on to earn a degree in mechanical and electrical engineering from École Centrale in 1955. Later that year, while traveling to the United States as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, he met his first wife, Ismeine Hellen Chiotinos of Nashua, New Hampshire. In the fall of 1956, they returned to France so that Felix could fulfill his required military service as an officer in the Algerian campaign. They were married in Grenoble in April 1958. Following a brief period of employment with Ateliers de Sécheron in Geneva, Switzerland, Felix was recruited by General Electric in 1960 to work as an engineer in its Large Steam Turbine Generator division in Schenectady, New York. They gave birth to a son, Christian Yves, in July 1963. During his employment with GE, Felix pursued doctoral studies in engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in nearby Troy. Though he did not complete his degree, he was awarded a patent with two GE colleagues for developing a technique to improve the insulation of power generator conductors. In 1968, Felix joined the newly founded General Electric Information Services Company as a sales and marketing manager. As GEISCO grew, he relocated with his family to Massachusetts and then to New Jersey, where in 1973 he sadly

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lost Ismeine to cancer. Felix transferred to GEISCO’s Rockville, Maryland office in 1976 after meeting fellow GE employee Jyl Antonia Archer Gill. They were married on Valentine’s Day in 1977 and welcomed a daughter, Katherine Yvonne Thérèse, in November of that year. Together they raised their blended family, which included Christian, Jyl’s two children from her previous marriage, Patricia Deon Gill and Vernon Joseph Gill, and Katherine. Felix retired from GEIS, as it had come to be called, in 1996. He and Jyl separated two years later and divorced in 2008. Nevertheless, they continued to remain close as friends and as family. After living in Germantown and later Silver Spring, Maryland, Felix moved to Central Virginia in 2010 to be closer to Christian and his family. During his final years, Felix had begun to suffer from late-onset diabetes and related ailments that ultimately led to his passing. In accordance with his wishes, Felix’s body was cremated and his loss was mourned by family members in a private ceremony. Expressions of condolence may be submitted online at memorialwebsites.legacy.com/felixdupont or sent to: Christian Dupont, 830 Summit View Lane, Charlottesville, VA 22903. Charitable donations to Mountainside Senior Living in Felix’s memory may be made at the website above or by calling Mountainside at 823-4307.

Ellen Stulting Wyant, 90 Terrence Hintz, 59 Roger Joseph Rogers, 92 Mannis Edward Morris Sr., 66 Joan Hite Grissinger, 80 Michael Anthony Short, 21 Lester Hood Rice, 89 Mary A. Coughlin, 87 Elwood E. Shiflett, 77

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CROZET gazette

Streetscape —continued from page 1

VDOT must review the bid and authorize the contract to be awarded before the county can proceed. Bids were opened Oct. 16. Kelsey said the county has had contracts with Linco before and he expects VDOT’s authorization will be granted by mid-November. That would allow the county to award the contract by mid-December. Kelsey declined to say what Linco’s bid was. The county had budgeted about $1.5 million for the job, he said, and according to purchasing rules, a bid must be within 10 percent of the engineering estimate to be considered a valid bid. Linco is currently doing a streetscape project in Harrisonburg. It did the extension of the Charlottesville Downtown Mall and has done several large jobs for U.Va. The bid documents required bidding companies to draw up a sequencing plan, Kelsey said. He expects that the east side of the street will be worked on first, in three sections with each fully completed before the next is begun, because that side is where most of the widening will occur and starting there allows the contractor a better traffic management option. Kelsey said the contract allows 270 consecutive days, or about 9 months, for the work to be completed. Kelsey said he expects to be far enough

Monastery —continued from page 21

way. Events and dinners don’t go with our life. Our [cheese] profits above our needs will be put to it. We work hard at supporting ourselves and people see that and appreciate it. We share with the poor, too. Our cheese customers are helping by donating to the church with their cheese orders. “We’d love to start in the spring, but I don’t know if it’s realistic,” said Rissetto. “It may be late in 2014. It will certainly happen within the next five years.” “This is more than just a construction project, since the whole life of the community revolves around the church,” she said. “We

NOVEMBER 2013 along by the time of the July Fourth parade, for which the crowd prefers to stand on the west side to be out of the sun, so that the construction will not interfere with the parade. Kelsey said county officials intend to arrange a meeting where Crozet businesses and residents can get details from company representatives on how the work will proceed. A date has not been set yet. CenturyLink workers have been set up over a manhole in the Rt. 240 intersection in front of Dairy Queen for the last several days, completing splices on fiber optic and copper cables so that utility lines can be pulled down from poles along the avenue. Kelsey said he expects wires to be removed in the next two weeks. The project when first announced was scheduled to be complete in 2008. The bids for the Crozet Elementary School sidewalk project connecting the school to Laurel Hills subdivision were opened October 29, Kelsey said, and came in “substantially higher” than the estimated construction cost. Because of the stipulations in the Safe Routes to School grant funding, the project must be advertised and bid on again. Meanwhile the county will try to figure out why bids were higher than estimates. A reduction in the scope of the project may be necessary, Kelsey said. The project has been delayed three years since the grant was first awarded.

gather there seven times a day in communal worship, to praise and thank God and to pray for all the human family. From the church we go out to our various forms of work here at the monastery and to the church we return for our most essential work, the life of prayer.” “We have been so well received here. We’ve never run into prejudice or disdain,” said Smickel. When they are out in their nun habits, they are often approached and asked to pray for particular needs, she said. Send donations for the project to The Sisters of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery/ 3365 Monastery Drive/ Crozet. Follow the church’s progress on the sisters’ website, www.olamonastery.org.

In the Garden —continued from page 17

normally prey on EAB larvae and eggs. Tiny and non-stinging, the wasps pose no threat to humans. Currently the wasps are being evaluated for effectiveness in a five-year study concluding in 2014, and preliminary results are encouraging. Initially the wasps were being reared in labs and being supplied with EAB larvae to attack, and now some are being released into EABinfested areas. Like any parasite, they need their prey to survive, so releases into “clean” areas will be of

no value. Hopefully, the wasps can follow the borers, build up a selfsustaining population, and keep the borers under control. Purple traps have been put out to monitor the EAB spread, but if you suspect they are present on your property, call your county extension agent or an arborist. You can also contact the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at 804-786-3515. I recently spoke with Debra Martin of this office. Although recognizing the gravity of the EAB situation, I would describe her attitude as cautiously hopeful for its control. Let’s all root for those little wasps.

CLASSIFIED ADS ALTERATIONS AND TAILORING: Experienced seamstress with 30 years of tailoring and garment alterations experience, working from home in Crozet (Highlands). Call for a free consultation. Ruth Gerges: 434-8235086. FOR RENT: Nice Basement Studio. $600/mo. Utilities paid. Separate entrance. New carpet. Modern appliances. Washer and dryer on premises. Call 434-8231263. GET UP, GET OUT, GET FIT: Boot Camp for REAL People is an outdoor exercise class for all ages and abilities held at Crozet Park. Classes are held M/W/F at 5:50AM. For more information or to register visit www.m2personaltraining.com or call Melissa Miller at 434-962-2311. Come try your first class for free! HOLIDAY BAZAAR: Crozet United Methodist Women of CUMC will have their Annual Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, December 7, in the church social hall from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Come for good food and Christmas shopping. NOW HIRING: The Lodge at Old Trail has openings in the following positions: Nurses - PT/ PRN: Compassionate part time and PRN LPNs for upscale senior living community. Independent

living, assisted living and memory care neighborhoods. Prefer experienced, mature nurses who believe in working side-by-side with and mentoring caregivers. Scheduler/ Payroll: RMA/CNA/DCA with scheduling and payroll experience. Must be organized, computer literate and willing to take call every other weekend. Servers – Part time: Dedicated, reliable individuals who love working with seniors and are committed to providing a fine dining experience for our residents. Will train the right person. Activity Assistant – Saturdays and occasional weekdays to assist with prescheduled resident activities in multiple levels of care. Must be fun, energetic, and love seniors. 10am-4pm 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Saturdays of the month. Occasional weekdays if available. Experience with memory impaired residents a plus. The Lodge at Old Trail is a smoke free community. EOE. 330 Claremont Lane, Crozet, VA 22932, 434823-9100, or 434-8123179 (FAX). Apply online at www.lodgeatoldtrail.com. PRIVATE SITTING: Will private sit in your home or facility. My goal is to provide quality care and companionship to enhance the well being of seniors in a respectful, professional manner. 10 years of experience and excellent references. Please contact Tammy Sue: 434-327-3697.

Classified ads start at $16 (repeating) and include free online placement.To place an ad, email ads@crozetgazette.com

CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

Crozet’s Favorite Flicks

Flute Lessons in Crozet

Amy Toomy, REALTOR® (434) 996-0394 amytoomy@me.com

Suzuki and Traditional Methods

All Levels – Age 4 & Up

Elizabeth Brightbill, flutist

What’s hot now at Maupin’s Music and Video

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Top Rentals in October

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Pacific Rim

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The Internship

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Longest Serving Dental Practice in Crozet—Locally Owned & Staffed Since 1975 New State-of-the-Art Facility Opened May 2013 Emphasis on Patient Comfort, Gentle Care, & Child Friendly

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Before Midnight

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November picks

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The Gazette now offers COLOR business card ads. Call 434-249-4211 or email ads@crozetgazette.com for info.

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Pacific Rim (new) Amazing Grace

CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

Our Senses (Part One): Synesthesia “Papa, would you please transpose this song into the key of E?” Ryan frequently asked this of me when I was playing the piano. My son had perfect pitch, so he discerned with ease the key of a musical composition. But I suspected something more was at play in his recurrent requests. Ryan’s answers to my inquiries led me to discover the fascinating field of synesthesia, a way of perceiving the world experienced by perhaps as many as one in every 2,000 people who are as diverse as the late Nobel Prize winning physicist Richard Feynman, jazz pianist and radio personality Marian McPartland, and the cartoonist Michel Gagné, creator of the synesthetic taste sequences in Disney/ Pixar’s animated movie “Ratatouille.” Our senses provide us avenues of awareness to our surroundings. They send inklings of reality to our sentient (from Latin sentire, “to feel”) minds. Our minds, in turn, are conscious of, interpret and respond to these received sense impressions. For most of us, our nervous system and our brain keep our senses separated. For those with

synesthesia, direct linkages exist between them. Synesthesia is a perceptual condition that augments and expands a given sensation into multiple sensations. Stimulation of one sense (e.g., hearing) elicits a sensation/experience in one or more of the others (e.g. vision, taste, touch). Solomon Shereshevsky, the late Russian mnemonist with the ability to remember and recall unusually long lists of data or entire speeches word for word after one hearing, experienced synesthesia linking all five of his senses. When asked to memorize a new word, he would not only hear it, he would see its color, taste its flavor in his mouth, and feel it on his skin. Sound g color synesthesia (chromesthesia) occurs when voice, music or other sounds prompt color or colored shapes to appear and then fade in the mind when the sound ends. When Ryan heard an E major chord or melody in the key of E, he simultaneously “saw” blue (his favorite color) in his mind’s eye. But not only this, he “tasted” the sweetness of sugar in his mouth and “felt” the mood of happiness. No wonder his repeated appeals to transpose music into the key of E! The benefit is especially pronounced when transposing from the key of D,

Hitz’s Camille

Bookstore in Crozet Nov. 19 to talk about the book and will have copies to sign. The e-book version of the novel is available now from Amazon. A party to launch its publication will be held at the Rockfish Valley Community Center in Afton Nov. 14 from 5 to 7 p.m. Admission is a $1 donation to RVCC and beer will be free. Hitz will be at New Dominion Bookstore in Charlottesville in December to talk about traditional versus electronic forms of publishing. She was assisted in preparing the e-book version by David Moody of AuthorPress, a hosting site, she said. She will print on-demand copies of the book through Politics and

—continued from page 27

Ridge Hunt with Brown.) “It’s a commercial novel in the sense that sex is involved,” said Hitz. “The real theme is survival and who can cope and who can’t and how having an injury affects it. In geologic time, we are just pawns. Hurricane Camille was a once-in-athousand-years storm. You just don’t go on living your life after it affects you. “I’ve never liked historical novels,” said Hitz, “and I think I’ve written one.” Hitz will be at Over The Moon

which evoked in Ryan the color red and is the saddest of the keys. In addition to one sense evoking other senses, some synesthetes perceive distinct colors when they look at letters, numbers and geometric shapes (which collectively are called graphemes). For them, the alphabet from a to z and the digits from 0 to 9 create a kaleidoscope of color. Ryan had grapheme g color synesthesia. The letter A and the number 2 always take on the color red, while the letter R and the number 1 always appear blue. The other letters and numbers are tinted brown, orange, yellow, yellow-green, green, cerulean, blue or purple. Some such as 7 or T remain black. For Ryan, these elicited colors appeared even when the letters or numbers were shaded with a color that differed from his synesthetic palette. Here is a little ditty of a poem I wrote to convey a sense of what the world was like for Ryan, and for all synesthetes. Violets are like 1 and R, roses like A2; E major is a cheerful sweet, and also a deep blue. E minor shifts to sour sad, orange now its hue, Perceptions as a synesthete, prism the view. Context can make a difference in grapheme g color perception. Notice that the middle circle took on a different color for Ryan depending upon whether he perceived the grapheme pictured as a number, letter or geometric figure. Our senses are a vital feature of

Prose Bookstore in Washington, D.C., which owns the necessary equipment. “I’ve learned so much, so fast,” she said. “It swirls in my head— social media marketing and having a website. Self-publishing is expensive. It’s hard to find a traditional agent. I sent the book out many times.” Hitz said she began Riding to Camille in 2003, but did not give up her busy normal life—she serves on several boards—and did not finish the book until this year. “I think now that I love nonfiction more than fiction, but I believe in ‘never say never.’” Hitz said her next book might be a cookbook.

what it means to be alive. When one or more of our senses are impaired or lost, often another becomes heighted to compensate. By placing her exquisitely sensitive and highly trained fingers on a speaker’s mouth, Helen Keller, who was both deaf and blind, could “hear” words by “reading” lips. Our use of sensory metaphors reflects the foundational importance of our senses. A get-rich-quick scheme can “smell” like trouble or “sound” too good to be true. When we make poor or irrational choices (which can leave a bitter “taste” in our mouth), we often are told we’ve lost “touch” with reality, or we were “blinded” by love. Providing links not only to the present, our senses afford bridges to the past. The aroma of fresh baked pie hot from the oven, the squawk of sea gulls and the smell of a freshening sea breeze, or the pungent odor of a gym locker can transport us to another place and time, summoning memories long idle or forgotten. In future articles, I will highlight our scientific understanding of the processes empowering our sense of smell, taste, touch, hearing and sight; and our sense of time. While we share these senses in common, we each perceive in our own way. Our lives are broadened and enriched when are senses are attentive and attuned to the natural and cultural worlds in which we live, all the more so when we celebrate the distinctive perspectives others bring to the familiar.

Football

—continued from page 30

The defense has played very well in spots and has been particularly tough in the red zone, but if they want to make a run into the playoffs they will have to prevent big play scores. They have struggled to regain momentum at times after allowing big plays, and it won’t get any easier. Against playoff teams it will be even more difficult to shut down good offenses after surrendering big plays. But with a dangerous offense of their own, the Warriors have a legitimate chance to advance in the Conference 29 playoffs.

CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

The Natural World Is an Open Book That Anyone Can Read About the middle of April, just after the azaleas have begun to bloom in our area, you can expect to spot a male rubythroated hummingbird. The males leave Central America before the females to head into the United States and Canada, where they seem to follow the northward progression of azalea bloom. Many folks immediately put up sugar-water feeders once they know that these tiny birds have arrived, but then are puzzled and disappointed when the hummers disappear by May. Most people then assume that the first hummingbirds of spring are migrants with no intention of staying in Virginia and so they have left to continue their journey northward. But that assumption is incorrect. Although the ruby-throats appear to be gone, I can assure you that they do not leave the area. Every spring when the tulip poplar trees (Liriodendron tulipifera) start to bloom, hummers desert feeders to obtain their nourishment from tulip poplar blossoms. I’ve been taking notes about the natural world for many years and the hummer “disappearance” each year correlates exactly with the blooming of the tulip poplar trees in my area. And thanks to a microphone on my porch where the feeder is located, I know these birds are still in the vicinity because I continue to hear a hummingbird around the porch. The hum of its wings is quite audible. It doesn’t make use of the feeder, but it comes by once a day as if it just wants to make sure that the feeder is still there! Tulip poplars produce huge flowers that provide an abundance of nectar to many kinds of insects as well as our hummingbirds. Consequently, the hummers do not need to depend upon human handouts because they can just spend

each day up high in the tree canopy, visiting the tulip poplar blossoms that dwarf them. By looking up at the tall tulip poplar trees with binoculars, anyone can ascertain that is, indeed, where the hummingbirds are “hanging out.” You might not always spy one up there (the trees are fully leafed out at this time), but with due diligence, you’ll get an opportunity to see that the hummingbirds are definitely still around. And once those trees have stopped blooming, the hummers will immediately be back at the feeder! Sometimes people have expressed doubts when I’ve put forth this information. But what’s wonderful about the natural world is that it’s truly an open book that anyone can read and from which anyone can discern the truth. All you need to do is to observe what takes place when there is no manipulation of nature by man. Of course, you must also have an open mind that harbors no prejudices as a result of what you’ve previously heard or read. It also helps to document your observations. Having a microphone outside and keeping detailed notes helped me to discover the truth not only about hummingbird behavior in spring, but also about goldfinch behavior in fall in Virginia. The American Goldfinch is a gregarious bird, so if you keep a feeder of sunflower seeds and/or a water pan filled with fresh, clean water in your yard, numerous goldfinches will visit for food and drink every day without fail. But by the end of September, just a few weeks after the young-of-theyear goldfinches have left the nest (these finches are our latest-nesting birds), the goldfinch chatter and the “crying” of the juvenile goldfinches begging to be fed will be absent. The feeder and the water pan will be far less busy because the goldfinches—young and all—have left. The word from the Cornell Lab

finches again appear, then, they must be migrants flying into the area from farther north. The fact is that each and every one of us can freely take note of the natural world that surrounds us and we can often do this without special equipment and often without needing to leave home. Yet an incredible amount of misinformation is put out to the public, some by “experts.” For example, entomologist Doug Tallamy writes in his well-known book, Bringing Nature Home, that the tulip poplar “is one of the least productive forest species in terms of its ability to support wildlife— insects and vertebrates alike.” Yet nothing could be further from the truth, as you should expect for a native plant! This stately tree provides nectar for an array of insects as well as obviously being an important food source for hummingbirds. Although American Goldfinches can be seen almost the yearThe numerous around in Virginia, the birds you see in summer are not the seeds that result same individuals you see in winter, despite what you may read from the fertilization to the contrary. Photo: Marlene A. Condon. of the blooms by the will see. Look up the definition of great variety of nectar-feeders pro“resident bird” and you’ll find that vide a crucial supply of food for it’s synonymous with “non-migra- birds (such as titmice and cardinals) tory.” as well as mammals (such as squirBut the experts are wrong. rels and mice) from late fall into Although the disappearance of winter. goldfinches goes unnoticed by most The leaves are fed upon by many bird watchers (and, apparently, sci- kinds of caterpillars (such as those entists) who don’t have an expecta- of the tiger swallowtail butterfly and tion that these birds will leave, I the tuliptree silkmoth) and when have been paying such close atten- the tree is young, deer feed upon tion to what’s going on in the natu- the leaves that they can reach. ral world for such a long time that I I can’t explain why so much know for a fact that our goldfinches information published about our disappear for about a month or so natural world is incorrect. I suspect every autumn. a lot of it has to do with people One fall morning in 2011, I was writing about subject matter that outside well before the sun was due they have little, if any, personal to come up when I suddenly heard experience with. And then this misgoldfinches chattering from high information gets perpetuated by above me in the pitch-black sky. I others who repeat it as if it must be could tell they were going over from true and soon no one questions it. north to south in the darkness, as But if you pay close attention to many of our migratory songbirds the natural world, you can’t help do. I couldn’t see the birds, but their but find out for yourself what inforabundant chattering for a minute or mation is correct and what isn’t. You so suggested that there were quite a might even discover something that few of them on the move. no one else has noticed before. Birds don’t move northwards as According to a poster in my office the weather gets colder so our sum- given to me by my husband, mer goldfinches have undoubtedly “Discovery” results from “venturing moved a bit farther south come fall beyond the obvious to see what othwhen they disappear. When gold- ers don’t see!” of Ornithology is that goldfinches migrate, but only a short distance south and only from the coldest areas of the United States and southern Canada where they nest in summer. They move to more southerly regions where the minimum January temperature is no colder than zero degrees Fahrenheit on average. Therefore experts consider our Virginia goldfinches to be “permanent residents,” which suggests that all of them will hatch, live out their lives, and die here in our state. Look in any guidebook or bird checklist and that is the description that you

CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

Crozet

Weather Almanac

OCTOBER 2013

By Heidi Sonen & Roscoe Shaw | weather@crozetgazette.com

Thermometer Placement Our streak of eight straight months of below normal temperatures came to an end. October got off to a hot start with six days in the 80’s but the second half of the month was cold. We had some frost and a cold second half, but the month still finished half a degree above the long-term normal of 58 degrees. Temperature reports are so common that we take them for granted, but it is actually difficult to measure accurately. Official records require a rather sophisticated instrument shelter and careful calibration. The tough part is to measure the temperature of the actual air. Do it incorrectly and you will measure the temperature of the side of your house or the sun-heated metal around the thermometer. Many different types of thermometer exist and most are quite accurate. It’s the location that usually messes things up. Ideally, the thermometer should always be shaded and about four to six feet above a grassy surface with plenty of airflow. This is harder than it seems to accomplish, especially if you want to read it from the house. If you stick the instrument on a window or very close to the house, usually you get some artificial heat that causes error. These days, you can get a cheap ($15-$50), wireless

thermometer that allows you to correctly place the instrument in one place and the readout in your kitchen or wherever you wish. This seems straightforward, but I’ve had a fair amount of trouble getting the wireless to work all the time. Almost all the location problems cause the readings to be too high. If you get too close to a structure, then you get excess heat. If you get in direct sunlight, then you are measuring the temperature of the thermometer more than the air. Being above grass or vegetation is best but bricks or asphalt will emit heat. The best place is inside a “Stevenson screen”. That is a large, ventilated, white box specifically designed to block the sun’s rays but allow air to flow through freely. Unfortunately, these will set you back $150 to $900 and they look a little weird in the back yard. Heidi and I set thermometers up for friends all the time. Usually, we get the best spot we can that combines convenience, readability, and accuracy. Mostly, that is on the shaded, north side of the house. We have at least five thermometers at home. Two are wireless and in perfect locations, but they sometimes don’t work. We have two others attached to the house and they get ambient window heat but they are easy to read and always work. Our

“official” one works great, but you have to go outside to read it. There is no easy, perfect solution. These days, I often find it simpler to push a single button on my iPhone to get the latest temperature from Old Trail or Pollack Vineyard off of Wunderground.com. Those sites are reliable, but many other amateur stations are not. Airport readings are accurate 99.9 percent of the time. SHD or CHO are the closest airports with official readings. October Review October was a remarkably normal month for weather. Temperatures were just a touch

above normal and the rainfall of 3.54” was just a smidgen below normal. Snow tried to fall momentarily on the 24th and frost came the next morning. Leaf color peaked right around Halloween, also perfectly normal. Rainfall Totals… Normal 4.00” Old Trail 4.71” Wintergreen 4.26” Univ. of VA 3.74” Waynesboro 3.59” Crozet 3.54” CHO Airport 3.52” Greenwood 2.01” Nellysford 2.72”

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CROZET gazette

NOVEMBER 2013

Rosinski, Zvarych Take the Crozet Trails Day 5K The Crozet Trails Day 5K race was run Oct. 12 for the first time on a stretch of the Crozet greenway trail network, starting at Claudius Crozet Park and along what runners call a “popsicle” course to Western Ridge and back. The day was chilly and drizzly and runners came in mud-splattered. They described the rain-soaked trail as “slippery.” The winner was Steve Rosinski of Crozet who crossed the finish line in 17:49 minutes. Second was Jake Griffin at 18:25. Karen Zvarych was the first woman to finish, crossing at 23:45. Last year’s winner, Adam Goerge, finished eighth and Joseph Taylor, the race’s inaugural winner in 2011—as an 8-year-old, now 10—crossed in twelfth place.

Karen Zvarych

Steve Rosinski

The start of the race

The race, which drew 147 entrants—a big jump from the 58 who ran last year—is sponsored by the Crozet Trails Crew, a volunteer group of trail builders who are assiduously adding to the network laid out in the Crozet Master Plan. It was the birthday of CTC leader Jessica Mauzy and she was wearing a plastic tiara. Male and female winners in various age groups were recognized and awarded ceramic mugs and medals made for the race by potter Elizabeth Herlevsen of Crozet.

Julia and Dorothy Shields

ADDITIONAL STREETLIT PARKING AVAILABLE BEHIND ALL SHOPS

SALLY & GARY HART

Albemarle Ballet Theatre

ANNE DEVAULT

EVAN TAYLOR & PETE MAUPIN HEATHER DABNEY & PATTI SIEHIEN

Maupin’s Music & Video

Over the Moon Bookstore

COLLEEN & MIKE ALEXANDER

Crozet Pizza

Bark Avenue Crozet

HAYDEN & CATHY BERRY

Three Notch’d Grill

DONNA & JEFF MAHAN

Sam’s Hot Dog Stand

JIM WEBBER

Handcrafters

ANNE NOVAK & AMANDA JOHNSON

Creative Framing & The Art Box

build crozet l ibrary

"We are very proud of our granddaughters’ love of reading!”

You can still... Be Par t of the S tory Let's make full use of our beautiful new library and fill it with a collection to match our community's needs. Help fill our new shelves with your donation today! And purchase your own "I helped build Crozet Library" tee at the library. $10 for youth sizes; $15 for adults; cash or check only. NOW more than everIt’s what’s inside that counts.

Donate today at: buildcrozetlibrary.org/give

Grandparents Carolyn and Don Felling donated a leaf on the Library's giving tree in the name of their granddaughters, Elsie and Kennedy MacCleery

LOCAL LIBRARY BUILDERS

Crozet 434.823.1387 Palmyra/Lake Monticello 434.589.2877 Hours

Mon–Fri: 7am–5pm Sat: 8am–1pm

Charlottesville 434.964.1701 Hours

Mon–Fri: 7am–6pm Sat: 8am–4pm

Visit brbs.net for more information.

he Presenting t

2014

o h t o P C r a on te s t W i n n e r s ! d n e l a C

hank you to all who submitted photographs! This year’s overall winners, calendar photographs, and honorable mentions were selected by National Geographic photographer Sam Abell. The photographs selected for calendar month pages were by: Angie Brement, Robert Gutkowski, Elizabeth Willingham, Elise Lindquist, Liz Palmer (third overall, pictured), Malcolm Andrews, Beth Seliga (second overall, pictured), Robyn Eaton, Deborah Ferreira (first overall, pictured), and James Beeler (pictured below). Honorable mentions went to B. Diane Harner, Eileen deCamp, Katherine Greiner, Elizabeth Willingham, Robert Gutkowski, Mark Harris, Herb Stewart, Carolyn Rhondeau, Lynn Rutherford-Snow, Marion Johnson, Linda Beights, Leila Bushweller, Beth Seliga, Ben Hewitt and Liz Palmer. Calendars will be available for sale exclusively at Parkway Pharmacy, Crozet Great Valu and from the Crozet Gazette by Thanksgiving.

Beth Seliga (Second Overall)

New This Year: Enlarged Size (9 x 12 inches) Spiral Bound to Hang Flat No Advertisements

Liz Palmer (Third Overall)

Deborah Ferreira (First Overall)

Please join us at

The Art Box

$12.95 Reflection Mirador Snow

01 DECEMBER 2 MONDAY

SUNDAY

7 Pearl Harbor Day Remembrance

TUESDAY

First

for an ice cream sundae reception

Christmas Day

Day of Winter

at 4:00 p.m.

Hanukkah Begi

SATURDAY

FRIDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

Sunday, December 1

ler

by James Bee

Sam Abell

All are welcome! A slideshow of the photo contest entries will be on display and calendars will be available for sale.

The Art Box is at 5784 Three Notch’d Road in downtown Crozet. M

New Year’s Eve

JANUARY 2015

NOVEMBER 2014 M

with contest judge, National Georgraphic Photographer,

If ordering calendars by mail, please visit crozetgazette.com, or send a check to the Crozet Gazette at P.O. Box 863, Crozet, VA 22932. Calendars are $12.95 each. Please include $4 shipping & handling (per addresss), plus $2 for every additional copy. Call 434-249-4211 for more information.