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July 2012 Middleburg Life residents and businesses. “As a town, we look forward to welcoming visitors from all over the world to our beautiful area,” Davis said. The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Piedmont Environmental Council and The Shenandoah National Park Trust recently hosted guests for a Summer Safari at the Smithsonian Front Royal Campus. Guests included Lynn Wiley, Steve Monfort and Luciana and Robert Duvall, who served as honorary chairs, as well as PEC board member and co-chair of the event George Ohrstrom. At the PEC event Lucia Henderson, Jim Kleeblatt and Leslie Cockburn
First of all congratulations to the Hill School Class of 2012. Congratulations and best wishes are in order for Cricket Bedford (real estate agent extraordinaire with Thomas and Talbot) and Neil Morris (champion race horse trainer) who were married in early June. Neil Morris and Cricket Bedford
Next up we have news that Sheila Johnson’s hotel company, Salamander Hotels and Resorts, has finalized the opening schedule for the 168-room resort on 340-acres on the edge of town. Mark your calendars for an August, 2013 opening. “I’m delighted to finalize this opening timeline,” Johnson told Middleburg Life. “This property has been my passion ever since I set foot on it nearly a decade ago. It’s unmatched in ease of access and equestrian heritage, and it promises to be the finest new destination to open on the East Coast in many years.” Johnson recently announced the schedule alongside Middleburg Mayor Betsy Allen Davis as they formally dedicated the town’s new water and wastewater treatment plants. Using state-of-the-art technology and costing $11 million, the facilities were built by Salamander and recently began serving the town’s
Samantha Shaffer, 19, had a successful time at the Upperville Horse Show recently when she won the $10,000 Paul and Eve Fout “Go As You Please Handy Hunter” class on Roy Perry’s Placido, trained by Denice Perry out of Skyland Farms. “It was so nice to see Placido perform at his true capabilities,” Perry told Middleburg Life. “He’s just an amazing horse.” No need to trek into the big city for great performances…mark your calendars for July 20, 21, 27 and 28 at 7 p.m. or July 22 and 29 for 2 p.m. matinees when the Middleburg Players will present The Sound of Music. The final collaboration between Rodgers and Hammerstein, which will run at Buchanan Hall in Upperville, was destined to become the world’s most beloved musical. The motion picture version remains the most popular movie musical of all time. The local version will star Ann Charlotte Robinson (who is also the producer), Elizabeth Rice and Clancey Yovanovich . For tickets and reservations contact the Little River Inn in Aldie. Local rider Danny Hazel is going to the Breyer Fest at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington with his Clydesdale Squire. They’re all set to per- Maggie Johnson and Idle Hour form and ride Savanna Photo by Middleburg to the song Photo “Breath of Life” by UK uber-phenom Florence and the Machine. He will also have a Snickersville foxhound in tow to dem-
The Hill School graduates of 2012: Sophie Gali, Julia Phillips, Hayley Alcock, Boo Graham, Seren Leonard, Lauren Faine; second row: Pipsy Steyn, Taylor Stine, Charlotte Scharfenberg, Meghann Harmon, Bernice Arellano; third row: Marina Shallcross, Madison Johnson, Madeleine Jahnke; fourth row: Carley Eldredge, Lizzy Catherwood; fifth row: Malan Jackson, Olivia Mascatello, Annie Mickum; back: Julian Von Finck, Josh Fox, Philip Bein, Skylar Langley, Savannah Birchall Clayton, Lydia Frey, Shane Blewitt, Jack Dunlap, Ben Weed, Rooney deButts, Harry Ware. Graduates will attend – Foxcroft, Highland, Madeira, Mercersburg Academy, Middleburg Academy, Salisbury, St. Andrews, Tabor, Tilton, VES, Woodberry, local public schools, and others such as home schooling and a school in Ireland. Photo by Middleburg Photo
onstrate to the crowd about fox hunting, riding aside with Maggie Johnson (also from Middleburg) on her Cleveland Bay, Idle Hour Savanna. Their demonstration is to illustrate all about horses from the UK . The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) “Good Citizenship Award” was presented to Amanda McGroddy of Middleburg Elementary School. Mandy is a graduating fifth grader and the daughter of Susan and Denis McGroddy. The DAR Award honors a student who displays the five tenants of a good citizen: honesty and moral strength, service to school and community, courage, leader- Denis and Susan McGroddy daughter Mandy winner ship and patrio- with of the good citizenship award at tism. Mandy Middleburg Elementary will attend Blue Ridge Middle School in the fall. Kudos. Congratulations to the Whoopsie girls
The Whoopsiespies gals Brittany Wiggins, Marcia Wiggins and Berkeley Gunnell
on the opening of their new shop and congrats also are in order for Frank Mangano of Upperville. A business administration major in the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School at Shenandoah University over in Winchester, he was named to the Spring Dean’s List. And even more kudos to Carole Stadfield and her super dog, Angel, winner of the Jack Russell Terrier Races at the Upperville Horse Show. Jeanne Blackwell at Madcap Farm has sent word to Middleburg Life of her Summer Fest and Farm Fun Fair Saturday July 21, over in The Plains. This will include Trouvail’s Vintage Fashions, professional model photo shoot, makeovers, manicures and more by Salon Emage, chair massage and a dance performance by Ian Spencer Bell of New York.