Jon Gerlach
ON THE PORCH Guest Porch Editorial
Contributing Writers & Artists Rita Allan Sally Cooney Anderson Alexandra Baucus Dianne Bachman Bonnie Baker Sarah Kay Bierle Laurie Black Collette Caprara Sonja Cantu Jeanne Ellis Sandra Erickson Christina Ferber Frank Fratoe Bill Freehling Mary Geil Jon Gerlach Kathyrn Guy Alison Gauch Heiber David C. Kennedy Karl Karch Ralph “Tuffy”Hicks Sheila Jones Paulette Johnson Miriam Liss Lisa Marvashti Vanessa Moncure Pete Morelewicz Patrick Neustatter DeLaura Padovan Sarah Perrry M.L. Powers Gerri Reid Rob Rudick Suzanne Rossi Alex Sakos Casey Alan Shaw Pat Smith Mandy Smith Georgia Strentz Tina Will Laurie Westermeir Norma Woodward
Front Porch Fredericksburg is a free circulation magazine published monthly by Olde Towne Publishing Co. Virginia Bigenwald Grogan, Publisher.
The mission of Front Porch Fredericksburg is to connect the diverse citizenry of Fredericksburg with lively features and informative columns of interest to our community’s greatest resource, its people. Messages from our readers are welcome. All submissions must be received by e-mail by the 19th of the month preceding publication. Writers / Artists / Photographers are welcome to request Guidelines and query the Publisher by e-mail. Front Porch Fredericksburg PO Box 9203 Fredericksburg, VA 22403 Ad Sales: E-Mail: frntprch@aol.com
It’s Time by Jon Gerlach The Past It all started in 1967 when my mom's car broke down on our way from Pennsylvania to Florida. While the mechanic fixed our ailing station wagon, we stayed at a hotel near a golf course (today, Central Park). We used the down time to visit the local battlefields, sparking my lifelong fascination with Virginia history. Later, our family vacations included stopovers in Fredericksburg because we loved it so much. As a teenager I went on annual history tours around Fredericksburg, led by my friend and renowned historian Jay Luvaas of Allegheny College. Jay's spirited teachings made history come alive for me. I had a professional career in archaeology, an adventure that took me far and wide across the United States. After retiring from archaeology I earned a law degree at the University of Richmond. I practiced construction law, representing real estate developers and contractors in Virginia, before moving to Colorado where I acquired an insurance agency and raised my two wonderful children. Although I fell in love with the Rocky Mountains, I missed the daily reminders of history that permeate the Virginia landscape. When I was presented with the enviable opportunity of choosing a place to live for the rest of my life, I had no doubt where it would be. Nowhere else matched Fredericksburg's rich history, proximity to the mountains, easy water access for kayaking, and the world-class cultural offerings found here and in nearby metropolitan areas. The Present Through my law practice at Gerlach Law Firm, PLC, I have met many diverse and fascinating people, cementing even more my love for Fredericksburg. Our 800 block of Charlotte Street, where Mitzi and I live, is a wonderful neighborhood. We visit with neighbors,
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Web Site: www.frontporchfredericksburg.com Facebook: @Front Porch Fredericksburg The opinions expressed in Front Porch Fredericksburg are those of the contributing writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Front Porch Fredericksburg or its advertisers. Copyright 2020 Olde Towne Publishing Co. All rights reserved.
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February 2020
As a new Virginia resident, I jumped at the invite to tour Downtown Fredericksburg last Saturday with some of my fellow coworkers also new to the area and picked up a copy of the most recent issue of the Front Porch Magazine. I loved reading the stories and feeling the same sense of community as I felt when I was walking around. Jheanel Walters
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and babysit their kids from time to time so parents can get out together. Kids love to stop in front of our house and inspect Hal, our large mechanical yard owl. His wings move in the wind, which seems to keep squirrels away while attracting children of all ages. Exploring downtown is our favorite pastime. We might stop for coffee, or shop in stores and chat with friends. Goolrick's has the best grilled cheese sandwiches, the restaurants downtown are fabulous, and we've taken to calling Valentine's Day "Carl's Day". A hike in the woods on the battlefield is just a few steps away. The City's Trails System and Lee Drive offer great opportunities for a lovely walk or a bike ride. River access downtown is the jumping-off point for a relaxing kayak float, courtesy of River Rock Outfitters, and Virginia Outdoor Center offers whitewater adventures further upriver. The Future Wanting to give something back to this marvelous community, I am running for an At-Large seat on City Council in the May 5, 2020 local election. You can learn about my campaign and where I stand on the issues, at JonForCityCouncil.com. As I like to say: "it's time". While making decisions that shape our future, we must keep in mind the vision of what we want our City to be. It will be complicated and challenging, given the development pressures that are coming down I-95. We will build, of course, but we can't let that destroy what we all love about this place. It won't be easy - but it is achievable as long as we remember that the key issues are interrelated: they overlap like a Venn Diagram. Solving the issues we face depends upon community engagement, transparent decision-making, strong leadership, and 21st Century solutions.
One thing I appreciate most about the City is that our local government is non-partisan. We may differ on state, national and international issues, but when it comes to the City, partisan disputes are few and far between. Instead, we roll up our sleeves together as a team, from the City Manager to City Council, City Staff, its boards, committees, volunteers and the community at large, and get things done. How refreshing is that? For more than 20 years, Front Porch Magazine has been a wonderful platform for community awareness and civic engagement. I look forward to reading each issue from cover to cover, and I hope you enjoy this month's issue!
An attorney and retired archaeologist, Jon Gerlach chaired the Architectural Review Board and is running for an AtLarge seat on City Council. He frequently writes about historic sites for Front Porch Magazine .Photo by Alex Sakos.
Virginia:
Virginia
Thank you so much for supporting the Food Co-op's outreach and for providing the Fxbg community with great information & entertainment every month. I'm a cover-to-cover reader and we know people find us by reading Front Porch. Margaret Kertess
Thank you so very much for all that you do for all of us in the art community! Sending you my heartfelt gratitude and best wishes! Warmly, Lynn Abbott
Front Porch: Thank you for including the museum in this initiative! ("A Slice of History", December 2019 Sara Poore, Fredericksburg Museum
What a great guest editorial Christina Ferber wrote for the Jan.2020 issue. I agree that if we only put down our cell-phonesfor awhile, we can experience the beauty, wonder, & human caring all around us here every single day. Frank Fratoe