Front Porch Fredericksburg

YEAR 26

ISSUE 300

JULY 2022

contents

closeups 5

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anshu adhikari nepalese journey to UMW Natalie Mullanaphy portrays holocaust survivor jan monroe excellence in advocacy

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Porch talk 4

on the porch...life in fredericksburg Messages

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walk around photo challenge

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everything greens: what’s the buzz ?

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In the Garden: hot & steamy

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growing & crawling: dragons

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history’s stories: july 4th 1776 what’s in A riverbank? the pump house

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history in our backyard: stafford civil war park

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mental health: early intervention

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emancipated patients: diabetes challenge

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Life coaching: healing power of forgiveness acupuncture: how it works

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auto known better: celebrate independence

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art in the ’burg ...galleries in July

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companions: splish splash

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astrology & you poetryman: tubing

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fredericksburg sketches

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kristie mcintrye...Voice

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...And More!

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i have a friend: the right connection

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authentic self-care :beyond pride month

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tidbits...small bites of local news

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season’s bounty: grillin’ & chillin’

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need a vacation ? nearby solutions

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vino: party in a glass

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katie turcotte....philanthropy nerd

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Calendar of Events

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sounds & sights of summer

Cover: “Flagcycle - Version 2” By David C. Kennedy

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Sounds & Sights of Summer a season of great celebrations By collette caprara Market Square to the delight of all.

By the delight and exuberance of folks who hailed in the first events of this year's Sounds and Sights of Summer, this is going to be a season of great celebration.

The buzz and laughter of hundreds of delighted families, couples, and friends who strolled the streets drifted through the night air on June's First Friday, as the Free Trolley ridership soared. The pulsebeat of joy continued as Seth Casana's rambunctious walking disco pulsated through the streets and joined a host of buskers stationed along Caroline Street, including the longstanding wildly popular warblers, Peter Mealy and Laurie Rose Griffith whose voices floated out to the crowd from their spot in front of the Visitor's Center.

Meanwhile, singer/songwriter Karen Jonas and guitarist Tim Bray kicked off the first of the Sounds of Summer Concerts hosted by the Fredericksburg Area Museum in

On Saturday, crowds again filled the streets of the Burg to explore the vintage cars displayed along three blocks of Caroline Street for the 65th Annual Antique Auto show.

Buddies peered under the yawning hoods of the classic cars to

On Monday, an excited crowd gathered in front of the Fredericksburg library for the launch of this year's Music on the Steps concert series, featuring none other than the cheereliciting loveable antics and delightful sounds of the Elby Brass Band. Brought to their feet by the irresistible beat, 60ssomething folks were clearly transformed in time to their smooth dance moves of yesteryear, while the indefatigable young'uns flailed their limbs and jumped up and down ceaselessly, and music crossed all boundaries of age or background.

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inspect the shiny mint-conditioned engines and parts that makes things go, while some of the lady-folk thought about what life must have been at the time of those Model T's and reminisced about family outings taken in those friendly smiley sedans or the big-finned convertibles that once paraded their stuff on the streets. I thought about my high-school friends who once owned a 1950s Packard and 1960s MG. Meanwhile, a grandfather was trying to explain the snack tray affixed to the outside of a Chevy car window, saying, "No, it wasn't exactly a drive-through window." And I remembered my days as a carhop at an A&W rootbeer stand. And, as a staunch fan of road maps, as opposed to the one-turn-at-a-time GPS systems, I was pleased to meet a genuine old-time service attendant at the auto show who had a pocketful!

n

Tuesday, friends, families, seniors, kids, and preschoolers gathered at Memorial Park on their blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy a picnic, a performance by Karen Jonas, and each other.

A g a i n , attendance for this Picnic in the Park lunch concert seemed record-breaking, as families picked up freebies and enjoyed activities provided by FXBG Parks and Rec and a host of local organizations. One crew of industrious elementary-schoolaged children organized themselves into a virtual construction crew, gathering pine needles and twigs to build a lean-to shelter

attached to a tree trunk. I had a feeling this joy-filled crowd would linger even after the last note of the concert.

Yes, it was a fun-filled, uplifting weekend of the launch of the sounds and sights of summer.

The delight was palpable and best expressed by the audacious, celebratory, cheer-along song of Elby Brass Band: "DTF! DTF! Downtown Fredericksburg!!!!"

Collette Caprara is a local writer and artist with Brush Strokes Gallery.

Check Calendar for July Events, Activities, & Concerts

BEGINS IN JUNE front porch fredericksburg

July 2022

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ON THE PORCH Tom Conway

Guest Porch Editorial

Contributing Writers & Artists Rita Allan Sally Cooney Anderson Amy Bayne Laurie Black Dianne Bachman Sonja Cantu Tom Conway Collette Caprara Janet Douberly Jenna Elizabeth Edwards Em Ford Frank Fratoe Bill Freehling Jennifer Galvin Jon Gerlach Daniel Gillison Marcia Grimsley Ralph “Tuffy” Hicks David C. Kennedy Lenora Kruk-Mullanaphy Anne-Tilley Melson Ray Mikula Vanessa Moncure Laura Moyer Pete Morelewicz Patrick Neustatter Brigid O’Leary Gerri Reid Paula Raudenbush Rob Rudick Paul T. Scott Mandy Smith Rim Vining Eddie Vernon Tina Will 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 article submissions must be received by e-mail by the 16th & calendar items the 19th of the month preceding publication.

it’s not just a river... by tom conway ... It's Literally in Our Blood

The text from my friend John came at 5:25 pm on Thursday night.

"Hey, Tom, I'm going tubing @ 6 or 6:30. Would you like to join me?"

My first thought: "Seriously?

Are you nuts? That's only an hour from now."

The thing is, I didn't have anything pressing to do, so within an hour I was floating gently down the river, cool water on my back, the sun shining down on my face, the sparkling water guiding me over small rapids and past rocks, and the geese watching curiously as I glided by.

I wondered: "Why don't I do this more often?"

Recently, it seems like the whole city is having that same realization. Over the last ten years, we've created a multiuse trail along the banks of the river and the Rappahannock Canal. We've also created Riverfront Park, in the heart of downtown, where there used to be nothing but parking lots. There are plans, going forward, to build another trail from Riverfront Park to City Dock Park and ultimately have that hook up with a network of multi-u use trails that will cover much of the city.

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 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 2022 Front Porch Fredericksburg Magazine All rights reserved.

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"The city is trying very hard to enhance our connection to the river," said John, "and it's led to an increase in recreation and awareness of what the river has to offer." He should know. John Tippett was the Executive Director of Friends of the Rappahannock from 1995 to 2014 and is now an adjunct professor of earth and environmental sciences at the University of Mary Washington. He has spent the majority of his working life on

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the Rappahannock.

Three hundred years ago, when George Washington was growing up a half dollar's throw from Fredericksburg, life revolved around the river. Everything that moved in or out of Fredericksburg, for the most part, traveled via the Rappahannock.

By the mid-1800s, that began to change. Transportation options, in the form of improved roads and trains, improved drastically, so the Rappahannock Canal, which was originally constructed to move the goods and materials upstream, was converted to providing fastrunning water to turn millwheels for textile making and grain processing. By the early 20th century, the primary use of that running water became generating electrical power for the city from the Embrey Power Plant, which still stands, derelict and ghostly, on the banks of the river at the northern end of town.

But as other forms of energy became more readily available and cars and highways became the dominant modes of shipping and transportation, the river ceased to be as vital to the city. "The city turned its back on the river," said Tippett.

The focus, instead, was directed to Route 1, which for much of the 20th century entered town from the north along Princess Anne Street and exited along Lafayette Boulevard on its way to Richmond.

It brought a steady flow of tourists through downtown, who often stayed to take in the colonial and Civil War history. Hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and shops were created to serve the tourists. Meanwhile, people from the surrounding area, with no Spotsylvania Towne Center or Central Park to rely on, came to Fredericksburg to do their shopping.

All of the major retailers were located downtown, including J. C. Penney, Sears, Peoples Drug, Montgomery Ward, Woolworth, A&P, and Safeway.

By the 1980's, though, the Route 1 bypass and I-95 had moved traffic away from the city. All of the big businesses relocated to places accessible mainly by car. The neglected river flowed silently through a sleepy, quiet, somewhat empty city.

That, however, is changing.

"There seems to be a boom in river recreation," said Tippett. "I think the river will play a much bigger role in recreation and quality of life from here on out. It may not have the same level of economic importance, but it's part of the city's identity. As long as people enjoy the river in a sustainable and safe way, the increase in recreation is a great thing."

Possibly the most significant part of this is that the character of the river will never change. The banks of the river are owned by the city and protected as a deeded conservation easement for 31 miles upstream from Fredericksburg, and they cannot be developed. This means that the river that George Washington knew as a child will be preserved for all time.

Floating down the river, peacefully letting the current guide me along, this seemed incredibly important. It's something for us all to be grateful for as we sit by our beautiful river and read Front Porch from cover to cover.

Tom Conway is a local writer who teaches English at James Monroe High School and is currently working on a Master of Fine Arts in writing from Savannah College of Art and Design.

Photo by Tom Conway

Fredericksburg’s Finest Anshu adhikari by jenna elizabeth Edwards dedication to the Millennium Challenge Corporation in his capacity as a civil engineer was a guiding light for me to remember that we are all interconnected and that as long as someone is suffering, none of us are ever truly free.

He instilled in me not only a desire, but a sense of duty, to serve and to be a light for the people and communities in the shadows. The shadows where I may have dwelled if my father believed that girls did not deserve to be educated or cherished.

Anshu Adhikari, an aspiring data scientist and rising sophomore at the University of Mary Washington (UMW), was the epitome of raw vulnerability, unbreakable resilience, and unflinching courage as she reflected on her motivations for leaving Nepal to pursue her own heroine's journey to the United States: "My father called me chora, [Nepali f]or son, because he was adamant that I was just as valuable, and that I deserved the opportunities and bright future that would not be second guessed if I were a boy. He supported my mother in completing her secondary education while I was in secondary school myself.

I didn't understand the importance of education or just how much was at stake until that moment, and then it was like a fire that lit me and would motivate me my entire life to be my very best and to help the community as well. My father's work for and

“When my father died from COVID complications, I was the only one who identified him, and I am still scarred by that image of his lifeless face - this man, my father, who cherished me more than anything else in the world and who was determined to see me succeed, ripped from this world too soon. Not everyone saw the world through my father's eyes.

Some feared my courage and intelligence, and would have rather seen my 8-year-old brother thrust prematurely into the responsibility of leading the household, than to witness me or my mother exhibit the strength my father saw and nurtured in us.

“I chose to exceed what was expected of me as a young woman. That's when I decided that I needed to leave my home to become properly responsible for creating a home of my own making, and serving my country and the world from a position of strength. I set my sights on university in the United States, a place that embodied my father's vision for freedom, equality, and rule of law."

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Anshu applied to more than 20 universities, but felt a sense of kismet when she learned of Fredericksburg and UMW's special connection to her hometown: Kathmandu, Nepal.

Kathmandu The Fredericksburg-K Sister City initiative grew out of local efforts to aid Nepal following tragic earthquakes in 2015, and has since fostered cultural and i n t e r p e r s o n a l connections, including academic exchanges between UMW and Tribhuvan University.

"I have faith that just like the stars aligned for me to attend UMW, there will be a way for me to complete my education at UMW," Anshu says, "Being here feels right, and I am tremendously grateful, especially for the Fredericksburg community whose kindness and belief in me has been the greatest blessing."

S i n c e matriculating at UMW, Anshu has employed her Major in Computational and Data Science to empower Nepalese youth with skills in data literacy and creative (L to R), UMW Interim Provost Tim O'Donnell, Anshu writing. She has served Adhikari, and H.E. Ambassador of Nepal Sridhar Khatri at the n o n - p r o f i t Fredericksburg-N Nepal Sister City Annual Meeting 2022 organizations such as Code Nepal and Canopy Nepal with the gracious support of April Peterson, owner Help Anshu continue her of River Rock Outfitters. Peterson education at UMW: launched a Go-Fund Me in January 2022 to April Peterson's GoFundMe for Anshu: help Anshu cover her educational ww.gofundme.com/f/help-ffor-a anshu-u umwexpenses. However, Anshu is still in a student financially precarious position: due to visa restrictions, she faces significant limits on her ability to work and derive the income Jenna is partner of the Edwards Law necessary to continue her educational Firm PLLC and a local realtor. Her pursuits. It will take a village for this Facebook page, The Writing Realtor, courageous young lady to complete her highlights local business owners and community members to showcase why degree at UMW. the Fredericksburg region is an amazing place to live.

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B101.5 and Front Porch Magazine's Walk Around Challenge 2022!

Thank you to everyone who participated and to America's Choice Mortgage and Strong Roots for helping make this program possible.

Janey George

Kristen Harris

Jenna King

Marcy Doss

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Everything Greens what’s the buzz...Virginia’s native bees By em ford Dean’s Plastering Services Plaster, Stucco, Drywall, Art 540.656.2399 540.419.8878 luckyluckydean@aol.com

There are around 400+ different species of native bees in Virginia. These bees include: Carpenter bees, bumble bees, Andrenid bees, sweat bees, honey bees and more! They vastly range in size from comically large to incredibly discreet.

Some may be considered a nuisance, (looking at you, carpenter bees) however, native bees are instrumental to the environment. Native bees have spent hundreds of years interacting with native plants, developing unique relationships with these plants. Native bees do things a bit different than honey bees. They are usually solitary. Instead of hives they build solitary nests, sometimes in groups. Sure, they don't make honey, but they are environmentally (and commercially) important for many other reasons!

Native bees are grouped into two different categories: generalists and specialists. Specialist bees pollinate native fruits and even cultivated crops; and are specifically adapted to do so! Native plants such as blueberries (Vaccinium spp.) all

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rely on specialist bees to be pollinated, usually a type of Andrenid bee. In turn, these native bees rely on these specific plants as a main source of their diet. This is why it's so important to use native plants in landscape gardening, but that's a different article for a different day.

In contrast to specialist bees, there are generalist bees.

These generalists include bumble bees (Bombus spp.) and sweat bees (Megachille spp.)

Bumblebees will collect pollen and nectar from just about anything. As for sweat bees, you may have had one land on you on a hot day. They are aptly called sweat bees because they are attracted to the salts in sweat. Apart from drinking your sweat, sweat bees are important pollinators of wildflowers, orchards, and other plants. Due to their small size, they are instrumental in the pollination of smaller flowers that larger bees can't access. My personal favorite generalist bee is the leafcutter bee (don't tell the others.)

These bees can sometimes be seen flying around with bits of leaves used to build their solitary nests.

running. Save the NATIVE bees! The honey bee is doing just fine.

Want to know more?

Keep your eyes on our facebook and instagram pages the week of July 10th for bee week! A whole week dedicated to our flying friends.

Join us in the upper garden for…

Storytime in the Garden - Every Sunday at 10:30am Yoga in The Garden - Every Monday at 6pm Hip Hop Step Aerobics - Every Wednesday at 7pm, No sign-u up required!

And join us for a tour of the new 56 acres! Saturday, July 16th OR August 20th at 9am. 1360 Belman Road RSVP to programs@downtowngreens.org Em Ford is the Garden Coordinator at Downtown Greens and loves native bees.

Now, hopefully you're wondering what you can do to help save these native bees. Well, here's the secret: plant native plants! In addition to native plants, you can install nesting blocks, called "Bee Condos," around your garden. These blocks can provide a safe, designated area for bees to nest and brood. Now if only the carpenter bee nesting in my porch railing could find a bee condo somewhere, I'd be grateful. But for now, I'll sit here on my front porch, admire the efforts of these native pollinators, and thank them for their hard work in keeping our ecosystems front porch fredericksburg

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In the Garden hot & steamy By ray mikula A walk through the garden in July in Virginia is usually hot and steamy. It always amazes me how the native plants like coneflower, black eyed Susan, bee balm, gay feather, milkweed, and day lilies can thrive in such hot conditions. The bees and butterflies love all these plants and it's their time to eat, live and

ferns, coral bells, and hasta.

The hydrangeas are blooming now and help light up the forest shade.

From my vantage point I can see the tomatoes and peppers and herbs all soaking up the sun's energy.

By now all of your vegetable out topics for the presentations and times you can go to MGACRA.org and click on calendar.

If you want a heavier dose of gardening knowledge you can apply to become a Master Gardener at the the Stafford Extension office. You can contact Lisa Ellis, volunteer coordinator at (540) 658-8000 ext. 1056. Or email her at Lisae22@vt.edu.

The next Master Gardener class begins at the beginning of

reproduce. I love to watch them as they gather their food with little regard for my presence. I always make sure the butterflies also have some host plants to place their eggs on so their caterpillar offspring have a good food supply. The insects also need water during this time and appreciate a sip from a bird bath. But make sure there is something in the water like a rock that they can climb up on if they mistak-enly fall in. It happens all the time.

I prefer to seek out a bench in the shade and enjoy the blooms there.

Each year I line the garden path with caladium. They bring bright shades of color to the garden to contrast with the

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gardens are producing and you're enjoying the taste of fresh fruits and vegetables. If you don't have a garden you can find all that same goodness at your local Farmer's Market. I usually frequent the one at Gordon Road and Rt 3. I am there because I participate in the Master Gardeners plant clinics there on Saturdays. I along with other Master Gardeners answer your questions about plants, lawns, trees, pruning, pest control, and any other gardening questions. We are all trained by the extension agent and are sponsored by Virginia Tech University.

We have handouts from Virginia Tech on a wide variety of gardening needs. We also bring information sharing talks to the public at our local libraries and on Zoom. To find

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Sep-tember and goes to the second week of November.

If you don't have your own garden, remember there are wonderful

gardens in our area: Cossey Park in Fredericksburg, Cedell Brooks Jr. demonstration garden in King George, Chatham Historical Gardens, Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond, and Maymont in Richmond. Getting into the garden in the summer can lift your spirit, reconnect you with nature, and help bring you peace of mind.

Till the next time, Happy Gardening.

RayMikula is a Master Gardener.He has several acres of garden space & has been gardening for 62 years. Before retiring Ray was a Earth Science & Astronomy Teacher

Growing & Crawling where there are dragons there are damsels!

By janet douberly Dragonflies are a well known and popular insect that have won over many hearts with their iridescent colors and impressive wingspan!

Damselflies are a delicate and slightly modified version of dragonflies with just as much beauty and grace!

So how can you tell the difference? One easy way is to go by size. Damselflies are smaller than dragonflies, with bodies that typically range between 1 1/2 inches and 2 inches, while dragonfly bodies are typically longer than 2 inches.

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Another way to tell them apart is by looking at the position of their wings. When not in flight, a dragonfly's wings stick straight out, perpendicular to their body like an airplane's wings. A damselfly's wings fold back so they are in line with their body, giving them a more sleek, slender appearance at rest.

What they have in common is they are both beautiful and carnivorous!

The way their legs are positioned makes it possible for them to form a cage around another insect that they catch in midair.

This means they can snatch and devour insects while in flight, without having to land. Both of these insect eating machines consume their body weight in other insects everyday! Damselflies stick with smaller insects like mosquitoes, flys, and moths, whereas dragonflies eat the same

as well as larger prey such as butterflies, bees, and even other dragonflies!

Dragonflies! Damselflies! where are the Knightflies?

Now

Janet Douberly is an Employeefly at Downtown Greens.

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“I Have A Friend” the right connection: Dee & Dale

By Laurie Black Dale, who also volunteers with SERVE in Stafford, goes on to say regarding his volunteer service, "Being retired is the neatest thing. I have time I can give [back to my community]. I'm having so much fun. I'm going to do this until I need someone to visit me!"

Laurie Black is the Senior Visitors Program Coordinator at Mental Health America of Fredericksburg.

If you know a senior who could benefit from having a weekly, friendly visit or if you would like to volunteer to visit a senior, call the Senior Visitors Program at (540) 371-2 2704 or visit our website at mhafred.org to download volunteer or senior applications. The Senior Visitors Program is a free community service program of Mental Health America of Fredericksburg.

At Mental Health America of Fredericksburg, we love helping our community get connected!

Each month I highlight one of our Senior Visitors Program volunteers and the senior they visit. Volunteers offer social support to older adults in our community who for various reasons may be feeling isolated. Social support is important for all of us! Having a good social network fosters resiliency and can improve our mental health as well as our physical health.

Connecting volunteers with seniors is fun and rewarding, but it is also a process. Considerations are made for geographic location, and everything from pet allergies to common interests. It can take time to find just the right connection that works for both the volunteer and the senior. When that "right connection" does happen, it is wonderful to see friendships develop and flourish. That was the case with volunteer, Dale Heck, and his new friend, Dee. Prior to visiting with Dale, Dee tried visiting with two other volunteers, but they simply were not a good fit.

Thankfully, her third volunteer, Dale, was just the friend Dee needed.

Dee says of Dale, "Dale has been a Godsend. He is just a wonderful person.

I feel so comfortable with him; it is like we've always known each other. He's like

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donatelifevirginia.org

a brother and tells me I'm like a sister. He encourages me to get out and try things.

We like to go out to eat. We also went to a concert and that was a blast! I am even walking better [because of his encouragement]."

Dale says of volunteering, "The first person that I visited wasn't comfortable with me and that's okay. If you are thinking about volunteering, take that first step, give it a try.

Sometimes it is not a good fit, but don't give up. There is somebody out there you can help. I feel like it is divine providence that I found the Senior Visitors Program."

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Dale says of his new friend, "Dee is like a sister I've always wanted. She brings me so much joy and I think I bring her joy, too. It feels like I've known her for 20 years. We like the same music, and we can just talk about anything."

"Dee is very loving and kind.

Though, she's happy to be here close to her daughter, she's a West Virginia girl who misses home. I'm trying to help her get comfortable here in Virginia. We recently went to an outdoor concert.

Next, we are planning a scenic drive."

Dee says of the Senior Visitors Program, "I thank the Senior Visitors Program for bringing us together. It has given me a new outlook."

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IN MEMORIAM RICHARD WAYNE WALTERS June 21, 1931 - June 4, 2022 “Our Dear Friend” ~Tuffy & Anne

Authentic Self-Care! beyond pride month By anne-Tillery Melson Every June, members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community celebrate Pride Month. Pride often increases community awareness about the mental health challenges that many LGBTQ+ folks experience.

But after Pride Month, how can we work together to create informed and affirming environments where LGBTQ+ people can thrive? How can we foster a community that embraces self-ccare and mental wellness for ALL people?

This is another story in the series in which I delve into what authentic selfcare is by having conversations with local mental health professionals listed in Mental Health America of Fredericksburg's HELPLINE resource.

For this month's article, I spoke with Carmen Greiner, Director of Lighthouse Counseling.(pictured) Carmen and her team of counselors at Lighthouse

have been supporters of Mental Health America of Fredericksburg for years. You can learn more about their counseling practice at lighthousefredericksburg.com.

Carmen defines self-care as "paying attention to one's physical, mental, and spiritual well-being." Rather than what commercialist ideas of self-care lead us to believe, she says that real selfcare involves a "component of meaningmaking" that can come in many different forms, such as religion or spending time in nature.

For all of us, "self-care is about combating isolation," according to Carmen. The recent years of the COVID pandemic have showed us just how damaging isolation can be to our mental health. In order to thrive, humans need social connection and a sense of belonging.

For those who are LGBTQ+, finding social connection and belonging can be extra challenging due to the restrictions of our society and the reality that for many of these folks, it is not safe to come out. To help people combat isolation, Carmen often starts by asking her clients: "What are some situations where you can be authentically you?" and encouraging them to be in those spaces more.

The Fredericksburg region is fortunate to have so many mental health providers, businesses, and other organizations who are LGBTQ+ affirming.

Lighthouse Counseling is one of many local organizations who have created a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ folks. In

April 2022, they launched a support group for adolescents who identify under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.

For anyone seeking mental health services, it is important to find a provider who is a good fit based on what you want to get out of therapy. If having a therapist who specializes in working with LGBTQ+ clients is important to you, Carmen recommends asking them directly about their experience in the initial consultation.

Finding spaces where you can have a voice and be your authentic self is a critical piece of self-care.

MHAfred maintains an extensive list of local mental health providers that we call the HELPLINE. We keep track of the services offered in the area, insurances accepted, and new client availability. If you are looking for a local mental health provider or want to learn more about MHAfred's programs, call Mental Health America of Fredericksburg at (540) 3712704 or visit our website at mhafred.org.

Anne-Tillery Melson is the Suicide Prevention Education Coordinator at Mental Health America of Fredericksburg.

Lighthouse Counseling.of Fredericksburg 540-9 907-0 0121 lightousefredericksburg.com 420 Hudgins Rd, Suite 201\Fredericiksburg, 22408

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TidBits

Become a Member

small bites of local News

By Bill Freehling locally. For instance, Agave will sell micheladas, a tomato-based drink with beer mixed in. They will also serve frozen drinks, including margaritas.

101 William Street

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WELCOME TO OUR GREAT OUTDOORS It’s Beautiful ~ Night and Day!

Crazy Dumpling Opens A new Chinese restaurant has opened off U.S. 1 in Fredericksburg.

Crazy Dumpling recently opened at 1320 Emancipation Highway, which was formerly home to Pueblo's Restaurant.

Eats Burgers Open Mason-Dixon Cafe owner Kelly Hunt opened a new restaurant on Lafayette Boulevard. Eats Burgers, which is in a building at 701 Lafayette Blvd. that used to house Mister Dee's, is committed to providing Fredericksburg with fast, quality, casual meals. Hunt loved the "funky" building where Mister Dee's used to be, and was excited to open Eats in such a landmark. Being a lifelong native of Fredericksburg, she has witnessed the evolution of downtown, including Lafayette Boulevard

Mon-Thurs 11am-9pm Fri & Sat 11am-10pm Sun 11am - 9pm Bar open until 2am everyday

New Curator at FAM The Fredericksburg Area Museum has announced the addition of Dr. Gaila Sims to its team as the Curator of African American History and Special Projects.

Locally Owned Irish Pub and Restaurant 200 Hanover St. ~ 373-0738

Serving Up Local “Good” News For a Quarter Century

Front Porch Fredericksburg 12

July 2022

Dr. Sims is a public historian and museum educator specializing in African American history, according to FAM's announcement. She received her BA in History and African American Studies from Oberlin College and her MA and PhD in American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin Agave Bar & Grill - coming soon to FXBG Agave will sell Mexican food, as well as libations with top-shelf tequila.

Their main staple, according to Arellano, will be tacos. They will also be selling drinks that Arellano has enjoyed during his trips to Mexico, but has not found

Front porch fredericksburg

Crazy Dumpling's menu features an array of traditional Chinese dishes. We look forward to trying it out! It's open 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sundays.

Outdoor Courtyards & Patios in FXBG As the rays of sun beam down on Fredericksburg for the summer season, we are excited to re-open the back patio at the Fredericksburg Visitor Center (706 Caroline Street) during regular Visitor Center hours (9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. SundayThursday, and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays this summer). In that spirit, we felt it fitting to highlight some of our favorite courtyards in downtown Fredericksburg.

If it is a nice summer day, and you are looking for somewhere to sit outside, here are some wonderful spots with courtyards and patios in downtown Fredericksburg: 1.Courtyard Marriott - Surprised? We assume not; it's right in the name! During

your stay at the Courtyard Marriott at 620 Caroline St., enjoy some sunshine in their back courtyard as you prepare to explore Fredericksburg.

2.Curitiba Art Cafe - A hidden gem behind a beloved gem, Curitiba Art Cafe's tuckedaway patio at 919 Caroline St. is the perfect spot to enjoy an espresso or craft cocktail.

3. Eileen's Bakery & Cafe - Eileen's is a bakery with so much heart, and their courtyard at 1115 Caroline St. is no exception. Their Whipped Peanut Butter Cake only tastes better when savored on their back patio.

4.J. Brian's Tap Room - In addition to an extraordinary beer selection, J. Brian's Tap Room at 200 Hanover St. has a lovely courtyard behind their restaurant. Enjoy the Chicken Rebley sandwich while admiring the ceramic flowers that give this courtyard such character.

5.Maggie's Subs - This delectable sandwich shop at 820 Caroline St. courageously stayed open for everyone during the 2022 blizzard; now, during the summer, it is our turn to help them out by enjoying their gorgeous, multi-level courtyard out back!

6.Wild Hare Cider Pub - This new, delicious cider spot at 205 William St. has possibly the largest patio downtown. Situated between Wild Hare and the surrounding buildings, this patio is the perfect hideaway to sip on a mango habanero cider.

Bill Freehling, Fredericksburg's director of economic development and tourism

The Sunken Well Tavern

Season’s Bounty Grillin’ & Chillin’ vanessa moncure

Eat Well Drink Well Live Well 720 Littlepage sunkenwelltavern.com 540-370-0911

The Soup & Taco, Etc. 813 Caroline St. Fredericksburg, VA

Serving Traditional Mexican, Tex-Mex Food and Something More!!

Tuesday to Saturday 11am-9pm Sunday 11am-6pm

Phone: 540-899-0969 soupntaco@yahoo.com

Ahhh…..summer in Virginia. I just checked the weather ("Alexa, what is Fredericksburg's outdoor temperature and humidity? And the forecast?") and her answer was just about the same as the summer day before - "The temperature is 81F with humidity of 98%. You can expect scattered thundershowers throughout the afternoon ". Already feeling overheated and droopy, I don my garden clothes and clogs, floppy hat, give myself a spray of eau de Cutter and sunscreen and head out into the garden Amid months of social distancing, COVID scares, looking like Old West desperadoes with public masks and red bandanas, the quiet calm of the garden is a balm. I've seen more honeybees this year than in most remembered past years, buzzing from clover flower to clover flower in my clover-choked lawn.

Butterflies flit about in my herb beds, and tiny hummingbirds zip from flower to flower in my towering Rose of Sharon. And figs! Last year I was afraid I'd lost my fig tree forever to a killing frost - not one piece of fruit formed. But this may be THE YEAR if I can keep birds and squirrels away from my now 12' tree, covered in notFigs are a flowering quite-ripe fruit. member of the mulberry family - a volunteer plant I routinely pull up in the yard as I don't care for them, or their potential dark side. Mature berries are edible (also will permanently stain clothing, shoes, carpets, etc) but broken twigs as well as all parts except mature fruit ooze a poisonous white sap. If you take the time to study, many of our common and favorite plants can have a toxic or noxious side to their enticing blooms or growth, even garden plants.

Hostas, a common landscape feature, are practically the best treat deer can find yet poisonous if ingested by household pets or horses - and who knew my riotous rhododendron, sweet lily of the valley or stunning clumps of hydrangea flower blooms are all capable of causing coma or death if ingested? Fortunately no one will find sautéed "death by foxglove" on their dinner plates at my home. I'm too busy gathering the buckets of zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers and the first summer tomatoes. For the first time ever, our garden is overflowing with sweet carrots, earthy beets and buckets of Yukon gold and Norland red potatoes. Why the pea shoots are shriveled up and there isn't a green bean on the bushy rows, I can't answer. I'm just taking advantage of the bounty we are having!

GRILLIN' Last week, I cut zucchini and yellow squash into long slices, collected Swiss chard, trimmed green onions, cut potatoes into quarter-inch discs, halved peppers and large mushrooms and cut carrot strips - these I marinated in a 9"x13" Pyrex dish in an Italian dressing (made with olive oil) concoction. I have a grilling pan that will keep the vegetables from slipping between the grates, but use a cast iron pan if needed. Place the vegs on the grill, high heat, turning them as necessary, as charred edges are so tasty. Rub shucked corn with the dressing and add to grill if desired. I put them back into a large bowl and drizzle with the dressing. Serve straight from the grill, room temperature or chilled. Easy and yum, AND CHILLIN' Just thinking of homemade ice cream takes me back to childhood. This was always a summer treat, and I'm old enough to remember the sawdust-covered ice pulled from the ice house, large chunks placed in burlap bags and crushed with heavy blows from a steel head blacksmith hammer borrowed from its hanging place on the smithy wall.

The dark green painted wooden handcrank ice cream maker was held together with metal straps, and the "Peerless" logo faded away bit by bit with each use. There was a 6-8quart metal canister into which went the fruit-filled, sweet and creamy ice cream concoction, a paddle or "dasher" to stir the mixture with a hand crank on top and a locking mechanism to hold it together. Scoops of pulverized ice, followed by layers of coarse rock salt were packed tightly around the canister. Don't forget, this was hand-cranked, with no electricity. Turning the handle was easy at first, so the children lined up to turn the handle. As the cream began to freeze, turning the handle became harder and

harder, so it was turned over to the men, until finally no one could turn it any more.

Carefully the canister was taken from the salty slush and rinsed. This is when the children gathered around again - when Grandmother opened the top and lifted out the dasher - everyone wanted a lick!

She evened out the ice cream and covered it with a piece of an old quilt to insulate it, then placed it back in the bucket with clean ice all around. Anticipation building, the ice cream finally hardened satisfactorily and we gathered around, bowls in hand. The raspberries and blackberries we'd picked that morning topped off the fruity cold treat. I still have the hand- cranked ice cream maker but do admit to today using the electric version, with sawdust-less ice and already-cracked boxed rock salt. Closing my eyes as I eat the finished product, I am drawn back, though!

Recipe - mix together 4-6 cups chopped peaches (use bananas, berries, cherries, chocolate, nuts, mango - your choice!), 2 cups (more or less, taste with mixture for desired sweetness), 1 T. lemon juice, dash of salt, one quart heavy cream, 6 cups whole milk, 1 T. vanilla, 1tsp almond extract. Some use eggs, if you do use pasteurized equal to 4 eggs. Don't overfill the container, and follow manufacturer instructions.

This recipe will freeze hard and not very scoopable, but here's a hint if you want a softer scoop ice cream, and you won't taste it. Add 1-2T. vodka to the mixture before churning.

My grandparents certainly wouldn't have thought of that, and I don't believe there was ever any left over to refreeze!

Vanessa Moncure provides recipes & useful tidbits for every season

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July 2022

13

Need A Vacation? a nearby answer This cozy inn has 1950's flair alongside all the comfortable, and modern comforts to make your stay in Colonial Beach one to remember.

Plaza Bed & Breakfast A 1900's Victorian Bed & Breakfast offers a homey atmosphere reminiscent of days gone by. The Plaza B&B's hallmarks are elegant comfort, warm hospitality, and delicious food.

Need a Getaway, but don't want too travel far?

You can take a 45 minute car ride an arrive at Colonial Beach, a river beach town located on Virginia's Northern Neck peninsula. Once there you can take a bike ride, walk to nearby churches, antique shops, restaurants, brewery, the Colonial Beach Museum, or fish from the Town Pier. The town offers numerous dining experiences including plenty of local seafood And, stay overnight or a few days at one of the two charming accommodations below.

Riverview Inn One step inside the historic Riverview Inn and visitors will feel at

Traditional Butchery - Fresh Perspective

Clean, local, sustainable, humane foods prepared fresh.

Better for you and your family, better for our planet, better for local economy, better food!

401 William St - Fredericksburg 540-370-4105 - OldeTowneButcher.com The lovely guest rooms are furnished with stunning yet comfortable antiques. The Master Suite situated grandly at the top of the staircase features three luxurious rooms including an elegant bedroom, cozy sitting room, and a spacious bath. The other four guest rooms nestled throughout the main house reflect the charm of the Victorian Era and include such amenities as a mantled fireplace, clawfoot tubs, and Victorian Queen Ann beds.

Stroll around the yard to see the beds and tubs of flowers or the herb garden for a few moments of peace and seclusion. Enjoy a dip in the heated pool...

home. The original hotel was built in the 1950s and has since been transformed into a modern getaway that still preserves its classic charm. The retro venue is equipped with everything you need for a comfortable stay and adds excitement to the regular hotel experience by giving each room a unique theme. The Art Deco Hotel is downtown, ½ block to the beach, a perfect location for exploring the laidback Colonial Beach events, and dive into the rich history of the area.

14

July 2022

Olde Towne Butcher

Our Store is Open

320 Emancipation Hwy fxbgfoodcoop@gmail.com fredericksburgfoodcoop.com

Your stay includes a farm-fresh breakfast each mornin, they accommodate all dietary needs including Vegan, Vegetarian, Keto, and Gluten-Free.

Also serves complimentary drinks at check-in.

Riverview Inn, 24 Hawthorne St 804 246 3602 Plaza B&B, 21 Weems St, 804 246 3602

Front porch fredericksburg

Open every Sat 7am-2 2pm Rain/Shine @Hurkamp Park masks & gloves recommended

Vino

Join Us for Breakfast Now Serving Lunch $6 Weekday Lunch Specials 11am - 2pm Daily

party in a glass

by Rita Allan

540-373-8300 ~ 620 Caroline St. FXBG, VA

Join Us on the Rooftop for Chill VIbes, Tasty Eats, & Cold Drinks

314 William St..656-2500..fb@vivifyburger..vivifyburger.com

Old Town’s Greatest Tour 35 Monuments, Markers, & Attractions AND the Fredericksburg Battlefields Weddings Reunions Shuttles Parties Group Outings Fredericksburgtrolley.com

540-898-0737

Shop Local Welcome to Downtown Fredericksburg’s Main Street District fredericksburgdowntown.org

Since we are in the middle of summer, let's open up-or even conjure upsome delightful, refreshing, and chilled party wines and cocktails to get us through the heat. Invite friends and family over, throw the inflatable swan into the pool, break out the citronella tiki torches, and get the little drink umbrellas and flamingo stirrers ready, because it's party time!

Our first suggested party in a glass involves finding your margarita glasses or cocktail tumblers and putting them in the freezer to get frosty. Take your bottles of La Catrina Classic Margarita Wine Cocktail Jalisco Mexico NV and put them in the freezer too, as you'll want them super-chilled. When you are ready to serve, pour the extra-chilled margarita wine cocktail into your glass and enjoy. Wait! You mean do not need to add liquor to this? Yes, that is right. La Catrina is not a mix and is a ready-ttodrink, poured-ffrom-tthe-b bottle cocktail.

Garnish with a lime wedge. For frozen margarita, pour in the blender with a cup or two of ice and whirl it up. Whether you choose to salt your rim or not, enjoy your no-fuss, no-muss margarita.

Speaking of margaritas, our friends at La Catrina also have a bottled La Catrina strawberry margarita Strawberry Margarita Bridesmaids Jalisco Mexico NV. Follow the same frosty advice above, or grab a bag of frozen strawberries at the market and throw them in the blender with this bottled gem, and enjoy a super berrylicious frozen drink to help cool you down.

Both of the bottled margarita cocktails can be served chilled as is, or served over ice, depending on your preferences. A bowl of tortilla chips with

guacamole and salsa would make some enjoyable accompaniments.

Every mention of party in a glass has to include a sparkling wine. Sparkling wines are great on their own, but also make great cocktails. Mimosa, anyone? Or how about a Bellini? Try Prosecco Extra Dry DOC Treviso Veneto Italy. Mimosas and bellinis do not have to be made from champagne. Prosecco makes a great substitute for champagne in cocktails, and can be much more affordable. Cocktails like Cucumber Lime Basil Spritzer, or a Cranberry Pomegranate Cocktail, sound super-refreshing for these summer days. A classic French 75, which pairs a splash of gin, lemon juice, super and bubbly would be fabulous with Prosecco. The Kir Royale, which pairs ½ ounce of crème de cassis or Chambord with sparkling, is another great sparkling favorite. For other cocktail ideas, check out Prosecco Cocktails.

While the final party in a glass is really a Rage Party. Our Rage Party wine is the 2017 Michael David Winery Rage Zinfandel, from Dry Creek Valley in California. The vines that make this lovely Zinfandel were planted in the 1960s on the south edge of Dry Creek on a hillside slope in rocky red soils. This Zinfandel has a peppery-edge worthy of the Rage name.

Aromas on this wine may include ripe strawberries, red licorice, dark chocolate, and caramel. On the palate, you may taste ripe raspberries, cranberries, and cherries with hints of pepper, spice and hazelnut notes. There are soft tannins in this medium bodied red.

City Vino is located at 810 Caroline St. You can find owner Rita Allan on-site to provide answers to all your wine questions.

front porch fredericksburg

July 2022

15

CALEND july 2022...Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness First Friday July 1

FCCA "Brush Strokes & Stiches", Celeste Johnson McCahill;"Summer Red" National Exhibit, 813 Sophia Street

&

Anne

Featured Guest Artist, Hashim Al Samarra, "Crossroads: Where East Meets West", Brush Strokes Gallery, Opening Reception, 5-9p, 824 Caroline St "Treasures of Time" - Works by Christine Lush-Rodriguez, Opening Reception - 6-9pm Artful Dimensions Gallery, 922 Caroline Street Live Music @Curtiba Art Cafe, Tristan Dougherty Folkj musican & singer songwriter 7p, 919 Caroline St. Sounds of Summer, Market Square, 6:30-8:30p, Bring your own chairs Bruce Middle Trio with guest performer Ralph Gordon Art First "ARTnando", splashing into Summer exciting exhibition that features work by members. front room dedicated to water-related scenes of all types Delmarva @Fred Nationals, 7p Come join Olde Towne Carriages new Honey, Wine & Hops to Trot Tour.

We will give the history of our town taverns and spot for tastings at our local breweries, meaderies & bars, 6p , 706 Caroline St Live Music @Adventure Brewing North, Docksters, 7-9p

Saturday July 2

Monthly Fun Astrology Workshop for any skill level. 2 pm to 4 pm, Crystal Cove, 500 Westwood Office Park. FXBG 804-413-1755 register.

Red Tag Art Sale, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. outside FCCA garden Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts, 813 Sophia Street Farmers Market, Hurkamp Park,7a-2p, open air markets home grown, homemade, or hand baked goods sold Bowling Green Farmers Mart 9am-1pm 211 N Main St. Spotsy Farmers Market 8am - 1pm Location:12150 Gordon Rd

Live Music@the Recreation Center, M

Sunday July 3

Sunken Well Tavern Sunday Brunch, 720 Littlepage til 1p

Live Music@6 Bears & a Goat, Mark V

Sunday Brunch @ Billiken's Smokehouse @The Chimneys, 623 Caroline Bluegrass on the Patio, Sunken Well Tavern 6-8pm

Live Music @ Strangeways Brewing, 7p, 350 Landsdowne Rd.

Sunday Brunch at the Colonial Tavern 11:30-3p

Sunday July 10

Bee Week @Downtown Greens Begin

Monday July 4

Happy Independence Day

Sunken Well Tavern Sunday Brunch,

Fourth in Downtown Riverfront Park FXBG Arts & Craft Show, Festival of the Streets, Face painting, moon bounce, food vendors, live music

Sunday Brunch @ Billiken's Smokeho

Heritage Festival 5 mile Run

Bluegrass on the Patio, Sunken Well

Sunday Brunch at the Colonial Tave

Public Reading of the Declaration of Independence, Hugh Mercer Apothecary, 11a, 1020 Caroline St

Pop-Up Market @Adventure Brew handcrafted beer & handmade item

Ferry Farm July 4th Extravaganza, crafts, games, 18th Century cooking, re-enactors & more, 10a-4p, 268 Kings Hwy

Thursday July 11

Spectacular Firework Display, Pratt Park, 6-10p,

Music on the Steps, Steven Gellman,

Wednesday July 6

Learn secrets & strategies of the wea

Tot Open Gym @Stafford Gymnastic Center, 11:15a-12:45p, Fun and open play in our gymnastics area. ongoing unstructured class Trivia

Night,

Sunken

Well

at

6:30pm

Jeopardy nights at Adventure Eagle Village 7:30 pm.

Thursday July 7

Live Music @FXBG Food CoOP, Wellbillies, 5:50p UnFamily Feud @ Adventure North, 8- 10pm, 33 Perchwood Dr #101, Join us for the ultimate unfamily friendly fun! (ADULT humor)

Friday July 8

Sounds of Summer, Shades of Gray, Market Square, 6:30-8:30p, Live Music Darcy Dawn on the Funland Patio, 6p

Saturday July 9

Farmers Market, Hurkamp Park,7a-2p,

FXBg Adventure Fishing Camp, VA O

Wednesday July 13

Trivia Night, Sunken Well at 6:30pm Jeopardy nights at Adventure Eagle

Thursday July 14

FXBG Sister City Assoc Bastille Day c 10p Market Square. Food and bever Entertainment by Whiskey Django F

UnFamily Feud @ Adventure North, Join us for the ultimate unfamily fri

Live Music @Colonial Tavern, FXBG J

Friday July 15

Mid Summer Super Sale @Friends Replenish your back to school collec Olde Greenwich Dr, Suite 150

Master Gardeners Plant Clinic, Gordon Road Farmers Market

Bowling Green Farmers Market 9am-1pm 211 N Main St.

Live Music@EDEN Try Winery, Marc Allfred, 4p, 6818 River Rd.

Spotsy Farmers Market 8am - 1pm Location:12150 Gordon Rd

Sounds of Summer, Market Square, Harry Wilson Band

Live Music @Adventure Brewing Eagle Village, Dance, relax, sing -along with Suzie and Stephen as they sing some sweet and sassy tunes , 7p

Master Gardeners Plant Clinic, Gordon Road Farmers Market

Saturday July 16

Become a Friend Advocate ~ Donate ~ Volunteer

540~479~4116 1013 Princess Anne St , FXBG 16

July 2022

Front porch fredericksburg

Live Music @Hard Times Cafe, Adam Calhoun, Demun Jones & Dusty Leigh, 7:30p, 4 Mile Fork

Comic & Toy Show, Fxbg Expo Cente

Farmers Market, Hurkamp Park,7a-2

DAR of events

Metal Night, 5p, 213 William St.

Bowling Green Farmers Market 9am-1pm 211 N Main St.

Vollten, 6p, 1140 International Pkwy

Spotsy Farmers Market season: 8am - 1pm 2150 Gordon Rd

Kolby Oakley, Outlaw Country Rock,

Master Gardeners Plant Clinic, Gordon Road Farmers Market Live Music @6 Bears & a Goat, Shannon, 7p, 1140 International Pkwy Live Music @Highmark Brewery, The Cold North, 6-9p, 390 Kings Hwy

ns

, 720 Littlepage til 1p

ouse @The Chimneys, 623 Caroline Tavern 6-8pm

ern 11:30-3p

wing North, Shop local, & enjoy s 12-5p, 33 Perchwood Dr

Outdoor Center, 8:30a-4:30p,

, 7p, CRRL FXBG Branch, folk

althy LIVE Money 101 CRRL Howell

m 720 Littlepage Village 7:30 pm.

celebration. free community event 6rages will be available for purchase.

Foxtrot.

Sunday July 24

Sunken Well Tavern Sunday Brunch, 720 Littlepage til 1p Sunday Brunch @ Billiken's Smokehouse @The Chimneys, 623 Caroline Bluegrass on the Patio, Sunken Well Tavern 6-8pm Sunday Brunch at the Colonial Tavern 11:30-3p

Monday July 25

Sunken Well Tavern Sunday Brunch, 720 Littlepage til 1p

Music on the Steps, CRRL FXBG Branch, 7-8p, nick McAlister, classic rock, blues, country

Sunday Brunch @ Billiken's Smokehouse @The Chimneys, 623 Caroline

Wednesday July 27

Sunday July 17

Bluegrass on the Patio, Sunken Well Tavern 6-8pm Sunday Brunch at the Colonial Tavern 11:30-3p

Monday July 18

FXBG Ballet Centre, Join us for Summer Dance Camp! We will have Art Projects, Dancing, Snacks, and FUN! thru- 22 , 1624 Lafayette Blvd Music on the Steps, CRRL FXBG Branch, 7-8p, Ukulele-driven, americano

Tuesday July 19

Kaffeeklatsch monthly coffee and cake get-together. Eileen's Bakery & Cafe, 1115 Caroline St

Wednesday July 20

Trivia Night, Sunken Well at 6:30pm 720 Littlepage Jeopardy nights at Adventure Eagle Village 7:30 pm.

Thursday July 28

Live Music @Colonal Tavern, FXBG Blues Society Jam, 7p, Live Music @Highmark Brewery, Open Mic w/Larry Hinkle, C

Friday July 29

FXBG Agricultural Fair, Plenty of rides, entertainment, agricultural exhibits, vendors, and great food 10a-, thru Aug 7, FXBG Fairgrounds Rappahannock Model Railroaders, at the FXBG Agricultural Fair Model trains in operation, talk with members about the hobby

Trivia Night, Sunken Well at 6:30pm 720 Littlepage

Sounds of Summer, Market Square, 6:30-8:30p, Dixie Power Trio

Jeopardy nights at Adventure Eagle Village 7:30 pm.

Saturday July 30

Thursday July 21

Farmers Market, Hurkamp Park,7a-2p

Live Music@Highmark Brewery, Open Mic w/Larry Hinkle, 7-10p, 3

Bowling Green Farmers Market 9am-1pm 211 N Main St.

UnFamily Feud @ Adventure North, 8- 10pm, 33 Perchwood Dr #101,

Spotsy Farmers Market 8am - 1pm Location:12150 Gordon Rd

, 8- 10pm, 33 Perchwood Dr #101, iendly fun! (ADULT humor)

Friday July 22

Master Gardeners Plant Clinic, Gordon Road Farmers Market

Jazz Collective, 7p, Lafayette Blvd

Sounds of Summer, Market Square, 6:30-8:30p, Bring your own chairs Jon Tyler Wiley and his Virginia Choir

s of Library Center & Bookshop. tion & last minute beach reads. 125

Saturday July 23

6:30-8:30p, Bring your own chairs

Annual FXBG Arts & Crafts Faire, Fred Expo Center

Countdown to Christmas, Fred Expo Center, 150 vendors featuring holiday items as well as handmade jewelry, wood products, wreaths, home décor, pottery, pet products, homemade crafts Farmers Market, Hurkamp Park,7a-2p, T Bowling Green Farmers Market 9am-1pm 211 N Main St.

er, 10:30a=5p

2p,

Spotsy Farmers Market season: S, 8am - 1pm Location:12150 Gordon Rd Master Gardeners Plant Clinic, Gordon Road Farmers Market

Helping homeless children and families in City of Fredericksburg, Counties of Caroline, Stafford & Spotsylvania 540 371 0831

Open every Sat 7a-2 2p Rain/Shine @Hurkamp Park

Live Music@Wild Hare Cider Pub, Cider n' Soul, bon Family, 205 William Live Music @Eagles Lodge, SFR@Eagles, 2:30-4p, 21 Cool Springs Rd

Sunday July 31

Sunken Well Tavern Sunday Brunch, 720 Littlepage til 1p Sunday Brunch @ Billiken's Smokehouse @The Chimneys, 623 Caroline

If you are reading this 300th issue of FPF, thank an advertiser as we begin our 26th year of continuous publication!

List your events email frntprch@aol.com: subject Calendar Deadline for August 2022 issue is July 19th.

Dog Walking Pet Sitting Companion Play Time & Mini Furies, Too!

540-735-8228 On facebook as “City PetSitting” front porch fredericksburg

July 2022

17

history’s stories

July 4 1776

the pump house

By Ralph “Tuffy” Hicks

By jon gerlach

I was recently watching a National News program and ten University students were asked the question, "Why do we celebrate the holiday July 4th"? Only one student out of the ten was able to partially answer the question, saying it was the day we celebrated our independence from England. Unfortunately, over the last 152 years many Americans know little about the birthday of our nation. We are extremely fortunate here in Fredericksburg and the surrounding areas to have been the home to several founders of our country and its First President.

George Washington who was raised in Stafford County (Ferry Farm), and often would visit his mother (Mary) in Town during the American Revolution. James Monroe along with Hugh Mercer would have their business in the Town.

Fredericksburg would be the meeting place for other events such as the planning for the Document of Religious Freedom.

July 4th may just mean another day at the beach or cook out with family and friends and an evening of fireworks.

Anne and I always decorate our home in red, white and blue, "Old Glory" is flying in the breeze as always.

July 4, 1776 was the day that the Continental Congress approved the wording of the Declaration of Independence. July 2nd was the date that the members declared independence of the colonies to be free from British rule.

Also called Independence Day, but we must keep in mind that many other nations world over observe their own independence days, when they became free from foreign domination. The term Independence Day, is found in the continental records as early as 1790, however, the term July 4th is found eleven years earlier in 1779 It was not until the year 1870, when Congress made July 4th a holiday.

Interesting it was still unpaid for federal employees until 1938.

I like to remind everyone of the fact that forty-four years before the holiday was declared in 1870, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams died on July 4, 1826, within hours of each other, exactly fifty years after they both had signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Thomas Jefferson of Virginia is recognized as the author of the famous document.

Fifty-six of the signers of the Declaration fought in the war. Twentyfour were lawyers, eleven were business owners and nine were farmers. The war finally ended with the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781. The treaty in Paris in 1783 would finally recognize America as an independent nation marking the end of the American Revolution.

When Thomas Jefferson was working on the original draft for the Declaration of Independence in June of 1776, he wrote against King George III for his supporting the slave trade and violating their rights of life and liberty against people that had never offended him. It is written that Georgia and South Carolina took issue with the anti-slavery sentiments and the document was edited

by Congress. It would be another seventynine years before the wording in the Declaration would apply to all citizens in America. The echoes of freedom in the document would be the foundation of all the freedoms in America that we all enjoy today.

July 4, 2022, the Declaration of Independence reads: "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are LIFE, LIBERTY and the pursuit of HAPPINESS." Fly the Red, White & Blue Happy 4th of July.

Dedicated to: Dick Walters, Joyce Hall, Don Reed, Mike O’Donnell, & BobDeadrick

Tuffy is Front Porch’s Resident Historian

18

What’s in A Riverbank ?

July 2022

Front porch fredericksburg

Tucked in the riverbank at 301 Sophia Street, just next to City Dock, sits a curious industrial artifact of the 20th Century called the "Pump House".

Built of reinforced concrete walls up to five feet thick, the two story tower overlooks the Rappahannock River and a continuous traffic of kayakers, canoeists and standup paddlers. Next door is the CSX Railroad Bridge, iconic in its own right.

While the railroad bridge symbolizes Fredericksburg's connection to metropolitan areas up and down the East Coast, the Pump House speaks to the history of our local economy.

During the Great Depression, the Fredericksburg region's economy was kept afloat largely by the Sylvania Company. About 2 miles from the Pump House, the company's sprawling plant manufactured cellophane that was used in a range of products from food containers to cigarette packs. Located in what is now Bowman Center, the complex employed up to two thousand workers who earned living wages that supported families and small businesses throughout the region.

To produce cellophane, copious amounts of water were required to continuously cool the machinery. This is where the Pump House enters our story.

Following the 39-foot flood of 1937, and the massive 42-foot flood just five years later which inundated the commercial district along Caroline Street, the Sylvania Company's need for a reliable water source became acute. Built in 1947, the Pump House was designed to extract river water and pump it through two miles of pipes to the cellophane plant in Spotsylvania County.

With a capacity of 30,000 gallons of water per minute, the Pump House served as a pumping station for some

thirty years, closing down in 1978.

Spotsylvania County acquired the property, and in 1997 it was sold to former Mayor Bill Beck and his wife Susan Beck. Longtime owners of Beck's Antiques and Books at 708 Caroline Street, Bill and Susan have carefully restored the Pump House. Since then, the Pump House has hosted weddings and other special events.

If you've ever wanted to live along the river, now is your chance. The Pump House is currently for sale.

The Pump House is a testament to regional economic cooperation between Spotsylvania County and the City of Fredericksburg; a monument to the history and resilience of local enterprise, and a jewel of historic preservation. Given its solid construction, the Pump House may well outlast many other buildings in Fredericksburg as future generations come and go.

So … what's in a riverbank? Here, creative solutions to regional challenges.

An attorney and retired archaeologist, Jon Gerlach serves on Fredericksburg's City Council, Ward Two. Painting by Jon Gerlach, 1947 photo courtesy of Bill and Susan Beck

History in Our Backyard Stafford Civil War park

By Paul t. scott at this location in late February and early March of 1863. They had moved from their previous camps at Belle Plain and Stafford Courthouse. These troops were among the 135,000 Union soldiers in Stafford County that winter.

These camps were abandoned in June 1863 when the units marched north to Pennsylvania to counter General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia move resulting in the Battle of Gettysburg.

We all know of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park where the Battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness and Spotsylvania Courthouse occurred. But there is a site in Stafford County known as the Stafford Civil War Park located at 400 Mount Hope Church Road (State Route 608). Here units of the Federal army rested after their defeat in December of 1862 in the Battle of Fredericksburg and later the infamous January 1863 Mud March. This period has since been called the Union Army's Valley Forge by soldiers' letters home and historians.

Thanks to the efforts spearheaded by VMI alumnus and retired Air Force Colonel Glenn Trimmer and assisted by Stafford's own "Sage of White Oak" D. P. Newton, this 41-acre park came to fruition.

attack by Robert E. Lee on the vast supply depot at Aquia Landing at the terminus of the Richmond Fredericksburg & Potomac (RF&P) Railroad. The RF&P ran through Brooke as it does today. This particular site, about a quarter of a mile from Brooke, Virginia, was chosen to guard that depot.

The Stafford Civil War Park tells the story of the Army of the Potomac's winter encampment in 1863. The new commander, General Joseph Hooker, rebuilt the Army's fighting spirit while camped in Stafford. After the Mud March many units returned to their old camps in Stafford County. Morale was low and disease and desertions were high. General Hooker wanted to guard against any

Located along Accokeek Creek, the park opened to the public in April of 2013. The earthworks for the batteries are well preserved, and these as well as other notables have interpretive panels.

At General Hooker's direction, the XI Corps of General Oliver O. Howard moved its camp to this site along the heights overlooking Accokeek Creek. The First and Third Divisions of Howard's Corps camped

In the park, you will find the reconstruction of three gun batteries and fortifications with reproduction cannon, two blockhouse sites for protection during a period of bombardment, hut sites, a reconstructed hut, three miles of trails and a picnic area with a pavilion for relaxation.

There are five stops with parking, monumentation and signage describing each site.

There are the remains of corduroy roads which once carried Union troops, wagons and artillery.

Tour Stop #1 Orientation and Winter Camp: Shows the actual ruins of the huts built by the Union soldiers, some with the original stone fireplaces placed there by the occupants. The hut sites are the remains of the holes over which logs and tents were placed for shelter during the winter.

Tour Stop #2: Battery #1; Potomac Church Road and Daniel Bridge

Tour Stop #3: Picnic Area and Sandstone Quarry Tour Stop #4: Battery #2 and Hiking Trail Tour Stop #5: Battery #3 and Corduroy Road The entire site is preserved by a conservation easement to the Land Trust of Virginia.

Paul Scott is a member of the Board of Directors of Central Virginia Battlefields Trust, Inc. The mission of CVBT is to preserve land connected with the Battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness and Spotsylvania Court House. For more information, see www.cvbt.org.

Stafford Civil War Park 400 Mount Hope CHurch, State Rt 608 Open 8a-8 8p tourstaffordva.com

The Central Rappahannock Heritage Center is a non-profit, all-volunteer archives whose mission is to preserve historically valuable material of the region and make it available to the public for research 900 Barton St #111, Fredericksburg, VA www.crhcarchives.org contact@crhcarchives.org 540-373-3704 Volunteers Wecome!

Contact us about donating collections of documents and photographs

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Mental Health early intervention saves lives By daniel Gillison

My heart has been heavy over the last few days as I read the recent New York Times piece about the mental health crisis among U.S. teens, and about the recent passing of Sarah Shulze, Katie Meyer and Lauren Bernett. These young people were all around the same age as my cousin when she passed away from suicide. I am reminded of my own first-hand experience with the deep pain of losing someone you love in this tragic way - the shock, the confusion, the grief and the ripple effects such a devastating loss can create.

What strikes me the most about these young people is that, from the outside, you would never know they were struggling. Many have been student leaders, athletes and honor roll students with a circle of friends. They all had talents and opportunities. It serves as a somber reminder that we have to stop judging a book by its cover. It also reminds us how critically important it is to increase mental health services and prioritize early intervention.

Getting Help Early The average delay between symptom onset of a mental health condition and treatment is 11 years. That means if someone begins experiencing major depression at 14, they are unlikely to receive help until age 25. For a young person, that means suffering for almost half of your entire life before getting the help you need. For many, that means the possibility of treatment comes far too late.

This has to change.We have to treat mental health conditions before they reach levels of crisis.

Tactics For Early Intervention Increase Awareness And Services Fifty percent of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24. So, to treat mental health conditions early, it's critical that we increase services available to young

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people.

We must also i n c r e a s e awareness about those services, so that when a young person b e g i n s struggling, they know where to turn.

Increase The Pipeline T o i n c r e a s e services, we have to talk a b o u t workforce development. How do we incentivize people to enter into and remain in the mental health provider space? How can we reduce barriers to receiving the necessary qualifications to provide mental health support? How do we empower and support peer specialists and school psychologists/social workers?

If we want more services, we have to invest in the people who provide them.

The Biden Administration has proposed doubling the number of mental health professionals in schools, starting with a $1 billion investment in FY 2023. That would certainly be a great start. But we need the House and Senate to enact these key provisions into law.

Increase Preventative Measures When it comes to our physical health, we often speak of preventative measures to reduce the likelihood of serious illness. For example, we talk about exercise, diet and adequate sleep to prevent the likelihood of cardiovascular disease. There are similar preventative measures we can take to protect our mental health too, such as mindfulness, breathing exercises, challenging unhealthy thought patterns, developing supportive communities and more.

We need to explore how we can bring education about self-care, healthy coping mechanisms and other protective factors to young people. Providing youth and young adults tools for resilience can help guard them from developing more serious mental health challenges when they encounter stressors later.

How To Make Change Thinking about all of the pain young people are experiencing right now and how much systemic change still needs to happen can be overwhelming. It's

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important to remember that, so often, change begins on an individual level change can begin with us.

Addressing the youth mental health crisis and saving lives through early intervention starts with making the simple and intentional choices to show up for the young people already in our lives every day by doing simple things like: Asking them how they're really doing Reminding them it's OK to not be OK Assuring them they are not alone Helping to connect them to resources

ble at Availa n.com Amazo

If you want to get even more involved, consider bringing NAMI's Ending The Silence program, which contains mental health education for middle and high school students, to a school near you.

You can also advocate with your local school boards, city councils and state legislatures to increase mental health professionals, education and services in schools.

We need to show up for our young people and invest in early intervention services as if people's lives depend on it, because - as we are realizing with each new devastating story and statistic - they do.

Daniel H. Gillison, Jr. is the chief executive officer of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). Prior to his work at NAMI, he served He is passionate about making inclusive, culturally competent mental health resources available to all people, spending time with his family, and of course playing tennis. You can follow him on Twitter at @DanGillison.

To learn more about NAMI programs, visit Website namirapp.com.

Donate to a Cancer Organization Let’s Find a Cure!

Dianne Bachman,LCSW Psychotherapist/Astrologer Now offering psychological astrology & astrological consultations In addition to Individual, family & marital therapy Hypnosis Expressive Arts 540.845.7622 diannebachman.com dbachmanlcsw@gmail.com

Have You Tried Acupuncture?

Emancipated Patients diabetes challenge

By Patrick Neustatter, MD

Call Now to Schedule 540.847.6985 AcupunctureFredericksburg.com

You may not immediately see a connection between a challenging afternoon at the Moss Clinic, and "Yumfest." But I'll give you a clue - the connection is to do with food.

The afternoon at Moss was challenging because I was overwhelmed with patients with diabetes. To make it harder, many were Latino and didn't speak English.

One lady had a hemoglobin A1c (a measure of the average blood sugar over the preceding 90 days) of 11.7 and it shouldn't be more than 5.7. She didn't seem to have a very good grasp of her illness and it seemed impossible to get a good feel for what she was eating - diet being all important in diabetes.

Then I wanted to find out if she was having any heart/vascular complications. Asking about chest pain got us in to some long story about walking with her family in Loriella Park - but there are quite a lot of patients that the time pressured doctor wants to shake them by the lapels, and tell them "get to the point!"

I at least had Erica, one of our wonderful bilingual nurses, translating for me - rather than an interpreter over the phone which really is the ultimate in "the telephone game."

Diet is Everything Diabetes can be controlled, reversed, or prevented with the right diet.

The trouble is that, as Dr. Nimali Fernando, otherwise known as "Dr Yum" the founder of the Doctor Yum Project who I wrote about for Front Porch in 2018, knows, the standard American diet is not so good. That predominance of refined carbohydrates with salty, fatty, sugary foods.

This is a significant cause of the frightening increase of diabetes - which worldwide has increased about four-fold between 1980 and 2014 (in the US, Latino's have the second highest rate at 12.8 percent versus 7.6 percent for nonHispanic whites).

Obesity, which leads to diabetes is also growing. In kids 12 - 19 prevalence has increased from 6.1 percent in the early 1970's to 20.6 percent in 2013-14 (and here Latino kids have the highest rate).

and I sometimes wonder if we're not all going to die of diabetes before global warming gets us.

The explanation for the prevalence of obesity and diabetes in Hispanics seems to be that they fall foul of the awful diet of their new host country.

"When I ask Latino patients when their weight started becoming a problem, they often say 'When I came to this country,'" says Silvana Blanco, RD, a bariatric dietitian at a Weight Loss Surgery Program.

Other factors are because they don't understand the language, are often more sedentary than where they came from, are living in conditions where it's hard to cook for themselves, and often don't have health insurance - though not being able to see the doctor may not impact their diet so much as "despite the importance of diet quality, most clinicians and other members of the healthcare team do not currently assess or counsel patients about their food and beverage intake" scolds an article in Circulation.

To The Rescue To save us The Dr. Yum Project is here. It teaches healthy eating and gives cooking lessons for kids and their parents The "Yumfest," where we drank some great Highmark beer, tasted Bowmans bourbon, ate Phat Yummy quesadillas and gourmet burgers from Fire Escape (maybe not quite what would be approved by Dr Yum) played cornhole, raced tricycles (wife Paula leaving me in the dust), and bobbed to the music of Hard to Tell, was a fundraiser for this wonderful project - to which Paula and I were invited by Els Van Wingerden and Andy Craig of the Fredericksburg Food Coop.

So the rather clumsy message behind my linking my hard day at the Moss Clinic with the "Yumfest" is that diet is so important. The consequence of bad diet is the patients we see at the clinic with diabetes - of many ethnicities.

The solution is to learn, our kids especially, to eat right.

Patrick Neustatter, MD is the Medical Director of the Moss Free Clinic

The NIH has warned "childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st centaury"

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Acupuncture how it works

healing power of forgiveness

by eddie vernon

The realization that you are in pain occurs through the actions of two distinct nerves sending signals throughout your body: 1) Sensory Pain Nerves (Nociceptors): These send signals up the spine to the brain that allow the brain to sense that there is pain somewhere in the 2) Proprioceptive nerve fibers: body.

These send signals to the brain where the pain is by firing at the affected area.

When the brain senses the area where the proprioceptive nerve fibers are firing, it releases endorphins to control the pain until the body can heal itself.

Chronic pain occurs when the proprioceptive neural threshold is low, which means that the signal to the brain is weak at best and thus the brain does not release endorphins. This is occurring in many patients who know they have pain but cannot quite say where it is.

Acupuncture helps because the sensation caused by the needles stimulates the brain to recognize the pain and release endorphins to counter it. This process temporarily re-boots the proprioceptive nerves, but because this weak signal is a condition, the stimulated signal caused by acupuncture weakens after a few hours.

This just means that the body needs repeated sessions to train the proprioceptive nerve pathway to send normal signals to the brain. Just like you need to work out more than once to obtain strong muscles, you will need more than once acupuncture treatment to obtain strong nerve signals.

5 WAYS ACUPUNCTURE WORKS: 1.Strengthens Immune System: Acupuncture has been shown to escalate certain hormones, white blood cell counts, and antibody production.

Many acupuncturists can tell you that when they perform on patients with HIV, their white blood count and T cell levels increase after every treatment. Making for happier and healthier patients.

2.Stimulates Endorphins: Acupuncture creates both an immediate and a lasting pain relief by stimulating endorphin release with every treatment, and training the body to react that way to

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Life Coaching

By Marcia Grimsley

pain.

3.Neurotransmitters: Serotonin and Noradrenalin levels, both neurotransmitters, are shown to be affected with proper acupuncture treatments.

4.Circulation: Acupuncture has an effect on the efficiency of the circulatory system, having the ability to constrict or dilate blood vessels.

5.Nerve Gate Control: Acupuncture can close nerve gates by giving the impulses through strategically placed needles, overloading them. This process actually reduces pain transmission.

BALANCE METHOD The purpose of the Balance Method is to restore the body's balance by targeting areas that aren't near the pain.

By healing the body as a whole, not simply focusing on the area in pain, we can produce a healing that lasts and that makes you feel great.

This is done by targeting specific acupuncture points which stimulate blood flow, relax and re-train muscles, soothe nerves, and re-energize the body's natural healing system.

This is a fantastic method that we at Acupuncture Fredericksburg use because it stimulates a lasting healing process by: Using acupuncture points away (distant) from the injured or painful area, leaving sensitive places needle free.

Using fewer acupuncture points (less than fifteen) to produce more effective results.

Producing instantaneous relief.

Generating continuous improvement with comprehensive and successive treatments.

Requiring fewer treatments to achieve a stable and lasting improvement.

Allowing you to remain clothed through the process Being time efficient Acupuncture Appointments with Eddie Vernon, L.Ac. are available in the office of Total Rehab.

2358 Plank Road, FXBG VA 22401 (540) 847-6985; www.ysuffer.com

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"Forgiveness is giving up all hope for a different past." ~Colin Tippen Ph.D., Radical Forgiveness Now is the perfect time for making personal changes that can shift us into a healthier lifestyle and a healthier life. We can contribute to the healing of our world as well. The forgiveness process is a force for healing interpersonal relationships and hurtful experiences. In addition we personally benefit, because forgiveness heals us internally and creates less division in our community. I would like to offer you some thoughts on forgiveness, both from my own experiences and from some well-known teachers, writing on this subject. It is my hope that these ideas, shared here, will help you decide to move forward with this important inner work.

Forgiveness is usually two-ssided: forgiving another and forgiving ourselves.

Often people try to back themselves into the forgiveness process. Sometimes doing this helps us feel better, because it seems to protect our self esteem. Often we attempt to forgive others, before we first forgive ourselves. This does not usually work very well. Many times it is very difficult to look at feelings of guilt in forgiveness opportunities.

These disturbing feelings can be very deep in us.

One example of this might be, blaming our child's school or teacher for his or her academic performance, rather than seeing our own contribution to this problem.

Feeling guilty and assuming the victim role is often part of this dynamic.

One example of this type of unhealthy thinking may be, "people are always cutting me off on the road or cheating me, when I make a purchase." Neither of these perceptions will contribute to a happy life. They only add to our personal suffering.

Forgiveness does not mean that we are condoning any behavior by another person. Also, when we forgive, we are not making a statement that "nothing hurtful or unfair happened to me."

This is essential to understand! We do not have to continue to be part of any relationship that is unhealthy or harmful. Forgiveness does not mean that any specific action is necessarily required by us. Forgiveness takes place in our heart and in our mind.

Any action we choose to take as a result of the decision to forgive is strictly separate.

Forgiveness can help heal our physical and emotional body. We can ask a hundred people, are we on the right side of a conflict? We can ask a hundred people for forgiveness, when we make a terrible mistake. Neither really matters, because the healing work is an inside job for us individually. We are the one that is feeling upset or attacked. It is up to us to choose our response. If we attack back, we usually feel guilty later, and then have to justify our actions to feel better. This often requires the exhaustive recounting of our hurtful experience. We decide to carry our pain forward, or release it through forgiveness.

Toxic thoughts and feelings attack our bodies and minds. Continuing this attack, on ourselves by carrying our pain forward, can result in stress-related illnesses over time. Let us be responsible for our own thoughts, feelings, health and well-being. Forgive, because it is good for you and good for the world you are a part of!

Marcia Grimsley, BA, MS, is a Professional Life Coach.She offers Personal, Career & Business and Health & Welllbeing Coaching 540-785-4104 orwww.marciaslifecoaching.com

Auto Known Better celebrating independence

By Rim Vining 907 Princess Anne Street, Downtown Fredericksburg

www.donatelifevirginia.org

Ever wonder what kind of cars the Founding Fathers would have driven?

Jefferson was rather tall so I am thinking he wouldn't have been too comfortable in a Civic. Maybe a Cadillac CTS would have suited him for those quick runs from Mitchie Tavern back up to Monticello. It is a great road for driving and in his day there were no speed traps. Of course a Cadillac doesn't know the way home in the dark when you've had a few pints with the patriots. One more reason we should have stuck to horses.

Still, independence comes in many forms. Once when visiting Frank Lloyd Wright's "Falling Water" and "Kentuck Nob" in the Laurel Highlands of western PA, we were driving through Cumberland, MD and saw a '70 VW bus for sale complete with peace signs and flower stickers. From the back seat our friends remarked how their son would kill to have that ride. Okay retro, I get that.

What was amazing was to stop for coffee at the local caffeine café a few weeks later and there is the bus with new Virginia plates and the driver was not being retro. The years and experiences with a VW van were clearly evident through the smile on their face and the gleam in their eye.

Talk about distracted driving. I wonder what thoughts are rolling through that brain while cruisin' in the van?

Old Frank Lloyd Wright was a flamboyant independent who definitely set off fireworks on many levels. He also was a lover of automobiles as works of art to be driven and enjoyed.

He had a lifelong love affair with Cords, Duesenbergs, Mercedes and Lincolns. He once bought a 1937 AC 16/80 by placing his phone number on the windshield when he saw it on the street simply because it was beautiful.

And all his cars were painted his signature Cherokee red. Like

Panama Red but different. Not a terribly attractive color for some of those cars but you knew who owned it by the color.

I'm also imagining the fierce independence required to drive a late model Mercedes dressed in a silver sequined top made of small facets like armor plates and a pair of black Capri's while sporting hot pink shoes with four inch platforms with 6 inch stiletto heels.

Watching her maneuver those things into the car and up to the pedals was a sight to behold. Imagine the cell phone glued to the ear and those giant shoes going from the throttle to the brake. They actually did a driving study to gauge the effect of wearing tall shoes or flip-flops vs. real shoes. Reaction times do suffer.

I've also caught glimpses of, but not yet caught up with, whoever has set up their motorcycle as an old board track racer with big front and rear tires and everything else stripped off. It has low flat handlebars and a side stick shift. It looks fantastic and I've encountered it just enough that it has taken on the role of Suzanne Somers and the white T-Bird in American Graffiti. Maybe I'll never catch up to him.

It is July and we're celebrating Independence Day so put raccoon tails on your exhaust pipes, streamers on your handle bars and cards on the spokes of your wheels. Make a little noise and try not to think about the year being half over with Christmas just around the corner.

Although a snowy and cool thought in the summer heat can be refreshing. ~Autoknownbetter @ gmail.com

Rim Vining, humorist, friend and a devoted community volunteer

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Art in Burg Art Galleries in July Guest Artist Hashim Al Samarrai “Crossroads: Where East Meets West” Opening , First Friday, July 1 Opening recption 5-9 9p Brush Strokes Gallery, 824 Caroline St.

vessels.

Plant-life and oceanic creatures permeate her work. This blue & white show is a shift in her barnacle work, evoking pieces from long ago, tumbled and washed up on the beach. ~ Sally Cooney Anderson

“Two Skiffs”, Anne Timpano, @ Art First

Canal Quarter Arts 1517 Princess Anne ST First Friday, 6-8 8:30 ~Jeannie Ellis

“Treasures of Time”, Christine Lush-R Rodriquez @Artful Dimensions

“Sunrise”, Hashim Al Samarrai.@Brush Strokes Throughout July, gallery visitors will experience the power and dynamic quality of an internationally acclaimed Guest Artist from half a world away, Hashim Al Samarrai. Hashim is one of Iraq's premier oil painters. His exhibition at Brush Strokes, titled "Crossroads: Where East Meets West," will be his third in the United States and conveys iconic images of Middle-Eastern culture with enchanting depictions of landscapes and natural features of America, and sites that symbolize democracy.

The works selected for this show are painted in oils and acrylics and range in style from realism to impression, expressionism, and abstract art, including "The Dance," in which prancing horses emerge for the viewer from a fluid blue background. His homeland's ancient ways of life, which have always been tied to the land, are disappearing, but Hashim has revived them in paintings such as "Streets

of Old Baghdad" and works that convey the lonely challenges of the desert, such as "Man of the Desert" and "Resting Place."

Hashim's travels in the United States have served as a beacon of hope and healing for him. "Virginia Gold" captures the mesmerizing beauty of a sunset over the river, while "Sunrise" conveys the hope of a new day.

Hashim hopes that his "Crossroads" exhibit will convey the message that, while Iraqi and American cultures may differ on the surface, a shared heart of resilience and common humanity beats at their core and we can recognize the beauty in the "other."

Come on First Friday meet and with Hashim Al Samarrai learn about his work, his vision, and his fascinating life. ~Collette Caprara

Darbytown Art Studio First Friday, May 6, 5-8 8:30 .

PONSHOP, 712 Caroline Street Features fine art, ceramics, jewelry by local artist and regional artists

“ARTnando” All Member Exhibition Opening Reception, 6-9 9pm Art First, 824 Caroline ST Art First Gallery is splashing into Summer in a big way with this exciting exhibition that will feature work by all current members. The front room will be dedicated to water-related scenes of all types, including water-based flora and fauna, aquatic activities, beach scenes, and waterscapes... ~Jennifer Galvin

“Stormy Swell”, Nicole Myers @Art First “Treasures of Time” Works by Christine Lush-R Rodriguez Opening Reception First Friday, June 3, -6 6-9 9pm Artful Dimensions, 922 Caroline .Christine Lush-Rodriguez has exhibited in art shows nationwide since 1997. She uses organic elements as her subject matter in her clay sculptures and

The Artists' Alliance opening June 10, 6-9 9p 100 Taylor St, Suite 101 Colonial Beach Gallery open Sat-S Sun, 11a -5 5p .~ Rob Rudick “The Dance”, Hashim Al Samarrai @Brush Strokes Gallery

810 Caroline Street, Downtown 540.371.4099 “Radiant Roses” Beverley Coates 24

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“Winter Trees Gulf of Finland”, Penny A Parrish

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“Sunrise Princess Anne St”, Lynn Abbott

Artist on Site Saturdays

Story of Survival fxbg theatre graduate portrays holocaust survivor

bY Lenora Kruk-Mullanaphy Center for Performing Arts Scholarship for excellence in high school musical theater in 2018.

Natalie Mullanaphy, of Fredericksburg, has enjoyed performing since she was a toddler. Her elementary school music teacher, who taught her piano lessons, said she never saw a child so young who loved music so much. She took

voice and acting lessons before entering Stafford High School, where she spent four years as part of the award-winning Stafford Players. Mullanaphy's role as Aunt Spiker in the musical "James and the Giant Peach" earned her the Riverside

Mullanaphy, 22, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre with a concentration in acting from Rowan University College of Performing Arts in New Jersey in May. Her audition for professors in the Theatre Department had earned her a four-year talent scholarship.

She landed roles in several plays throughout her time at Rowan, but it was in her senior year when she made up her mind that historical theatre was something she was passionate about. She took Dr. Anthony Hostetter's "Theatre of the Holocaust" class and auditioned for a series of one-woman plays he created, wrote and directed. The plays depicted the lives of Holocaust survivors. Mullanaphy was cast for the role of Elizabeth Ehrlich Roth, portraying the 96-year-old Holocaust survivor in a world-premiere performance of "Rella, Rose and I: Elizabeth Ehrlich Roth's Story of Survival," at Rowan University in April.

Ehrlich Roth had a front-row seat and was joined by three generations of family to view the performance.

Hostetter, who is a tenured professor and mainstage producer for the Department of Theatre and Dance at Rowan, started the "Manya Project," whose namesake is for Manya Frydman Perel, a Holocaust survivor who was in eight concentration camps. For five decades, she educated students about Nazi crimes against humanity. "The Manya Project" and the four plays performed at Rowan's theater were told through the survivors' experiences in their own words.

By performing the documentary theatre pieces, Hostetter and the actors are keeping the survivor stories alive,

honoring Holocaust victims and educating audiences.

"I met Elizabeth quite a few times, and she is an amazing person," said Mullanaphy. "I feel it's necessary to share such important history and spread awareness of anti-Semitism to the public.

It's been the most important role I've undertaken, and I want to share this play with as many people as possible to let audiences know the strong, resilient and beautiful person Elizabeth is."

Mullanaphy is working with Hostetter to share the story of Ehrlich Roth's life with audiences in the Fredericksburg area, as well as for organizations and museums that feature Holocaust remembrance ceremonies and schools throughout the region.

"I feel like this is a play I can continue to perform for the rest of my life," said Mullanaphy. "It means so much to me to be able to share Elizabeth's extraordinary story and let people know about the horrors she overcame, the love she has for her family, her losses, the kindness she shows and, in spite of everything she's been through, her sense of humor."

Mullanaphy plans to reside in the Fredericksburg area, where she said there are many outlets for theater. In the future, she will also write and direct her own plays.

For more information and to book a performance of "Rella, Rose and I: Elizabeth Ehrlich Roth's Story of Survival," contact (540) 395-2941.

Lenora Kruk-Mullanaphy is a public relations professional & freelance writer.

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Jan Monroe receives excellance in advocacy award by brigid o’leary arts, ALL people can be heard regardless of perceived barriers."

Jan Monroe earned her B.A. in Communication Disorders from Radford University. She earned her M. S. Ed. in Speech-Language Pathology from Old Dominion University.

Jan Monroe , center, with two Step Parents at Awards Gala STEPVA founder and executive director Jan Monroe was honored recently as one of the two recipients of the Darrel Tillar Mason Excellence in Advocacy Award from the disAbility Law Center of Virginia (dLCV).

The award is given "to individuals whose work advances independence, choice, and self-determination for people with disabilities." It is named for Darrel Tillar Mason, founder of the Center for Special Education Advocacy, who the dLCV describes as "having tirelessly fought for the inclusion and rights of people with disabilities for over 50 years."

The dLCV wanted to acknowledge the power of art in overcoming isolation and fear, especially that which many disabled people experienced in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The organization chose to honor two individuals who exemplified inclusion through the arts and bestowed the 2022 Darrel Tillar Mason awards Joan Lipstock, of Dreamers Theater in Richmond, and Monroe.

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The two were recognized at the dLCV Midsummer Night's Gala, at the The Cultural Arts Center in Glen Allen, Va. Bill Fitzgerald, evening news anchor for WTVR in Richmond, and one of two emcees for the evening, described Monroe and Lipstock as "beacons of hope for people with disabilities," in their respective communities, before Darrel Tillar Mason herself presented the awards.

"I am humbled and grateful of the recognition bestowed upon me this evening by Kelly Nelson, Brigid O'Leary, and the Disability Law Center of Virginia.

I am also encouraged by this commitment to recognize the extraordinary efforts of non-profit organizations and individuals who connect the disability community with theatre and creative arts opportunities," Monroe said during her acceptance speech.

"This honor also energizes STEP VA's commitment to enable people with disabilities to develop their full potential through creative expression. Through the

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Jan has over 25 years of direct care experience, working with children and adults. She has served in long term care, inpatient, outpatient, home health, and acute care settings in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Hawaii. Currently she is exclusively a pediatric therapist employed by Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCUFredericksburg Therapy Center. Jan has prior experience serving as a board member for Center for Children La Plata, MD and Parent Advocates for Challenged Children of Charles County, Inc. (P.A.C.C.) White Plains, MD. While residing in Hawaii, she served a term as President of the Hawaii Speech and Hearing Association (HASHA).

Jan is thrilled to be a part of STEP VA, Inc. She resides in Fredericksburg with her husband Mike and their 3 children. Jan enjoys traveling, yoga, networking opportunities, and socializing with her family, and friends.

Brigid O’Leary is a STEP VA parent & advocate STEP VA provides sensory-b based theater and arts programs for individuals with disabilities. Its vision is to transform the world by offering each individual the opportunity to flourish in the community. For more info about STEPVA or to donate, visit www.stepva.org.

Katie Turcotte philanthropy Nerd

by Laura Moyer When Katie Turcotte becomes University of Mary Washington's Vice President of Advancement later this month, she'll fill a much-needed role helping to bring the university forward from pandemic constraints and bolstering its liberal arts and sciences mission.

Who better to lead the University of Mary Washington's development team than a "nonprofit and philanthropy nerd"? That's how Turcotte describes herself 25 years into a career that has taken her through every aspect of fundraising for a variety of nonprofits.

She comes to Mary Washington from the consulting firm GG+A, where she is vice president of philanthropic analytics.

Her résumé also includes positions at George Mason University, George Washington University, American University and Catholic University.

At UMW, she'll bring all that experience to bear at a time when public universities are coping with changing demographics and shifting priorities in state budgets. At the same time, students are seeking a quality education with minimal debt - a need the university helps meet with donor-funded scholarships and other institutional aid.

From a development standpoint, Mary Washington is well-situated given the special bond alumni have with one another and with their alma mater, Turcotte said.

While modest donations from younger alumni may not have the immediate power of a single high-dollar gift, they are key to fostering a long-term relationship. "It's important to provide pathways for alumni to give back in ways that will be impactful both now and in the future," she said.

Donors at every level have become savvier about their philanthropy in recent years, she said. They want feedback that their gifts have an impact, so telling the stories of student achievements, professors' effectiveness, alumni successes and overall societal improvement can be especially meaningful.

Turcotte herself is a product of public education, which she considers "one of the greatest socioeconomic change agents." She knows firsthand the power of a liberal arts and sciences education in fostering academic and personal interests.

As an undergraduate at Purdue University in Indiana, she focused on math and science courses, thinking she might become a physician. But she also enjoyed challenging herself with upper-level English literature classes, relishing the chance to broaden her reading and improve her writing.

The fundraising bug bit when, as a member of a student organization serving as hosts for the development office, she told her own academic story to a prospective donor who then made a substantial gift. The experience changed her academic and professional trajectory, as she committed to an extra year of college to major in organizational leadership and supervision. She also holds a master's degree in organization development from American University.

UMW President Troy D. Paino said he believes Turcotte will mesh well on Cabinet and beyond.

"We are fortunate to have someone with Katie's experience, skill set and passion for Mary Washington's public liberal arts mission join our leadership team," Paino said. "She possesses both the hard and soft skills necessary to effectively lead our advancement and alumni relations teams who do the critically important work of engaging our alumni, donors and supporters."

It's work Turcotte is eager to begin, she said. "I'm really looking forward to being able to partner with everyone across the campus and community."

Laura Moyer is the Associate Editor of University Relations & Communications

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Companions Splish Splash by gerri reid, dvm

Summertime is just getting started!

Time for lounging in the backyard enjoying the brisk summer nights or firing up a bonfire for some Smores! So, here are some tips to keeping your pet happy, healthy and safe!

Some dogs love jumping in and swimming in the pool. Nothing better than a wet dog on a hot day! Swimming is great exercise for your pet and at times you may ask yourself did I build the pool for us or the dog? For those dogs that can't get enough of the water, I recommend after a day of swimming to wash your pet off to remove any chlorine left on the coat. Also, consider flushing your dog's ears with a basic ear cleaning that is labeled as a drying cleaner. Using the ear cleaner will ensure the ear canal to be dry. You don't want the ears to remain wet inside as this can lead to ear infections. Some dogs don't like the water at all. Be mindful when they are around the pool and consider a life jacket to keep them safe. Hey…not all dogs like water!

It is definitely that time of the year when mosquitoes, fleas and ticks are in abundance. Seems like this year started early with the appearance of ticks! Don't forget to put your dog on flea/tick prevention such as Nexgard.

This chewable tablet given once a month will help keep those ticks away.

I do recommend to always check your dog after being outside for any ticks. Places to look include the ears, behind the ears, the anal area, and under the front/hind legs.

Not only will this keep them safe from tick-bourne diseases such as Lyme but it will also keep you safe from getting ticks.

in the yard or lounge while others may like to play "fetch". Be aware of the time of day your pets are outside in sun. "Heat Stroke" is very common in the summer.

Due to their short muzzles, breeds such as Bulldogs, Pugs, and Boston Terriers tend to overheat often where the nasal passages/airways can begin to swell.

These dogs become over heated from the heat and it can become life-threatening.

Always have fresh water outside or accessible and make sure your dog has a shady place to get out of the sun. Take breaks and bring your dog inside to cool off. Consider having those playtimes in the early morning or late evenings.

Lastly, it's that time of year where people love to throw some ribs or steaks on the grill. Your dog may be sitting pretty and begging to get some of those tasty bones or meat. Resist the temptation and "Cuteness"!

Avoid the urge to throw your dog a bone!

Veterinarians see too many cases of corn cob stuck in the belly or the bone that just won't come out. Stick to dog food and dog treats as this will save you the hassle of a trip to the Animal Emergency Clinic.

Summertime is for fun in the sun and making great memories with your family and pets. Take these tips provided and ensure that your pets will be safe and get thru the Dog Days of Summer!

Dr. Gerri S. Reid is the Owner/Veterinarian of Reid Mobile Veterinary Services. She can be reached at 540-623-3029 or reidmobilevetservices.com or facebook @ReidMobileVetServicesa

As we venture outside in our backyards, playtime for dogs can be endless. Some dogs just like to run around

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Astrology & You happy birthday USA!

THE POETRY MAN

By Dianne Bachman

By Frank Fratoe

did 248 years ago, the flavor of the prevailing energy is similar.

heart. This is a wonderful time to develop intuition or to cultivate communication that is more intuitive.

July 13 Full Moon in Capricorn takes us back to the seeds we planted at the last New Moon, which was in Cancer on

If you are pondering what all this might mean while you are firing up the grill and staging your f i r e w o r k display, here is my take. Currently Pluto is stationed retrograde as it was in 1776. In this chart, I see the slowing of Pluto as deliberation, a deeper look at Plutonian energy. It gives us room to reconsider, review, and rethink. Pluto is the powerful change agent, breaking down those areas it touches and purging that which is no longer serves us. Capricorn rules, among many things, structures, and government.

In the 1776 USA chart, Pluto is located in the second house. This is the house of finances, possessions, what we own, but also reflects those things we value. Once again, USA is in a state of upheaval and we the people have some space to consider what values we embody, what we hold dear and wish to preserve, what is no longer in the best interest of the collective. Though this energy can be intense, I have hope that somehow, we can all find the absolute best in ourselves and come together rather than perpetuate the ugliness of division.

June 28. How are those plans for self-care coming along? Now is the time to put those plans into action.

Healing energies further support these luminaries by a square with Chiron, our wounded healer.

Tubing On The Rappahannock From far away there seemed to be gold lilies swarming the current unlike the white of that flower but as I got closer they changed clearly to throngs of youngsters who wore life-jackets for safety tubing along joyfully downriver while adults kept intermingling.

All splashed feet in amber hoops

which sailed there as a flotilla to advance ringcraft that summer until thirty tubes spread onward where riders adorning each one became aquablooms risen on water.

Frank Fratoe lives & writes in the city.he loves.

None of us humans live long enough to see a Pluto return (approximately 248 years), but countries sure do. On July 4, Pluto will return to the same position as it was stationed on July 4, 1776, at 27 degrees Capricorn. Along with this important transit, because July 4 is a birthday, the USA will also be experiencing what is known as a Solar return at 12 degrees Cancer. Though our Country looks quite a bit different than it

As the Sun makes its Solar Return, it also squares transiting Jupiter in Aries, bringing lots of energy to the table. Perhaps there is something of a pioneer spirit sparked with this combination.

If we forge ahead with courage, enthusiasm, and think beyond the stuck places, we just might come up with something we can all embrace.

July 17 Venus enters the sign of Cancer, turning our attention to home, family or those we consider to be family.

Venus can be all about the richness of colors and textures, so what a perfect time to buy a few comfy pillows to soften your environment or experiment with a fresh look in your surroundings or your wardrobe.

July 18 waning Moon in Aries is conjunct Jupiter, bringing opportunities to get in touch with the heart of adventure. What novel places beckon for travel? What new things would you like to learn?

July 19 the Sun enters Leo. Warmth abounds in this creative, playful sign. Those with the Sun or Moon in Leo like to be recognized, so give a little credit to your favorite Leo. They will likely appreciate it.

July 21 Mars in Taurus squares Mercury in Leo, giving a voice or an outlet to wherever we feel stuck or stagnant.

Experimenting with breathwork or any form of somatic release techniques could be beneficial.

July 24 Venus in Cancer squares Jupiter in Aries as Jupiter trines Mercury in Leo. Creating a safe and nurturing space in your home environment is supported, along with the energy to express your own unique style. Be bold, embrace your individuality.

Now let's look at the rest of the month: July 5 Mars enters the sign of Taurus and Mercury enters Cancer. Mars is not such a happy camper in Taurus because Mars wants to forge ahead while Taurus slows the energy, wants to enjoy strawberry margaritas by the pool. But, on the other hand, Taurus can help Mars do some grounding. Mercury in Cancer adds air to an otherwise watery place, so any nurturing or relationship energy might come more from the head than the

July 28 New Moon in Leo, so time to lighten up, have some fun, and maybe think about a creative project or visiting a local art studio. Music and film are also favored as a means of nurturing the Soul.

Dianne Bachman is a psychotherapist & astrologer practicing in FXBG. She can be reached at FourwindsastrologyLLC@gmail.com

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Fredericksburg Sketches A visual Celebration of our community

By Paula Raudenbush

Brompton from Sunken Road I'm trying something new. I recently had the amazing Elizabeth Seaver bind a new sketchbook for me using an embossed cover that I found when cleaning out my mom's house a few years ago. I sometimes hang onto things for a long time before I find a use for them. We filled the book with toned paper in various colors so I'm not starting with a white page. The color of the paper then serves at the mid-tone and all you then need is black and white to provide the shadows and highlights. In this sketch I also used a couple of gray markers. It was a bit scary at first but so much fun once I got into it. You'll likely recognize this view of Brompton from Sunken Road and since it's in my neighborhood, I often find myself walking there. The house is somewhat hidden from this angle and that makes it seem mysterious. The light and shadow are rather stark but I love how they define the contours of not only the house but the hillside as well. I may go back in with some colored pencils but for now I'm enjoying thinking about a new way to sketch. Check out Urban Sketchers Fredericksburg on Facebook and join our monthly get-togethers to sketch in this very sketchable town.

Paula Raudenbush is a local artist & member of the Urban Sketchers

Give a Child Something to Think About

Books, Games, Amusing Novelties M-Sat. 10am-6pm; Sun. 1pm-4pm

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810 Caroline Street (540) 371-5684

Voice Kristie McIntrye

By Mandy Smith Voice. Most everything that Kristie McIntyre has been drawn to since childhood has connected to VOICE. Born and raised on Cape Cod in Massachusetts she loved the reaction she got, as far back as two-years-old, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance that she'd learned on Romper Room. School plays, involvement in chorus and band and community theater led to her next great love: RADIO. She didn't realize it was unusual, at the time, that her high school had a radio station and a friend encouraged her to give it a try. At 15 she started a music show with her younger sister and realized she was the only one talking. Her sister, decided to go in other directions but Kristie was hooked She became part of the nationally broadcast "Cape Cod Radio Mystery Theater" and went onto college at DePauw University as a Vocal Music major and Communications minor. Her first summer home from college she was hired to do weekend overnight shifts at her favorite Top-40 station on Cape Cod. A college

internship at WNBC in New York City convinced her that radio was her true calling. Between her college radio experience and her summer radio job she had already made connections and gained experience that led her to her first fulltime radio job right out of college: another Top 40 station in New Bedford, MA. She also worked part-time at a station in Boston. After that it was onto Baltimore, MD to help program a Hip Hop station and soon after she landed her "big break" at WPLJ in New York City where she handled the midday shift full-time for 5years. As an introvert and someone who suffers from social anxiety, this was a huge leap of faith for her but one that made her stronger and more confident. While there, she also hosted a syndicated Top-40 show called the "Overnight Café" heard across the country.

New York was also where Kristie began experimenting with voice-over work.

Taking voice-acting classes at night and eventually making a demo put her on a

path to begin her own voice-over b u s i n e s s , KVoices.com. Again, loving all projects that need a voice, she began doing commercials and imaging for radio and television, narrations, web voices and even onhold messages.

After WPLJ, Kristie moved back to Baltimore and has worked for several stations in that market as well as in Washington, DC. B102.7, Including Mix 106.5, WQSR (where she co-hosted mornings with the legendary Steve Rouse and Company), Mix 107.3, 94.7 FRESH FM and WASH-F FM. In addition to music radio, Kristie learned to be a traffic reporter and then a radio news reporter and anchor at WBAL in Baltimore. Vocal music has also continued to be a passion for her and she was selected to sing the National Anthem at both Oriole Park at Camden Yards and at Nationals Stadium.

After remarrying in 2020, Kristie and her husband, Brent, decided to move to Fredericksburg to be closer to his daughter's family. Kristie has two children in their early 20's. Her son, Alex, lives in Chicago and her daughter, Sarah, goes back and forth between Virginia and Baltimore.

Fredericksburg. In addition, she continues to run KVoices.com from her home where she broadcasts on other radio stations either doing news or music shows across the country.

And remember: "The only way to find your voice is to use it" -Austin Kleon

Mandy Smith is the Promotions & Marketing Director for B101.5. AKA "AJ" Weekend Air Personality

You can currently hear Kristie on weekends (and sometimes filling in during B101.5 the week) on here in

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