Old Town Crier - March 2026 by Old Town Crier

PUBLISHER’S NOTES

As I sit here and pen these notes, the former 10-foot stack of snow/ice left over from the mess Mother Nature dealt us earlier in February is down to a mere 4 feet. Woot! I don’t have a Farmers Almanac so no clue what is on the horizon for this month but sure hope it’s on the upswing. I have seen a few signs of life where crocus and snow drops were brave enough to pop up in the snow. Bring on the tulips.

I get a good amount of grief from my partner/quasi editor about my Publishers Notes writing style but I like to give you a heads up on some of what you can expect to see on the next 47 pages. This March recap: What is in a name? Find out this month in the Business Proﬁle as the popular store at 915 King street, Ten Thousand Villages, rebranded themselves late last month changing their name to The World Crafted on King. It remains an organization driven with a passion for fair trade but with a more locally owned ﬂair.

In A Bit of History Sarah Becker writes that although we have come a long way in civil and personal rights...she wonders out loud...have we really?

In Last Word, Miriam Kramer reviews Victorian Crimes in a London Fog. The author weaves his memorable characters together with occasional super natural touches. In Gallery Beat, Lenny Campello congratulates Artists and Makers Studios for 11 years in business and the National Gallery of Art had an open call for local folks.

In From the Bay, Lani Gering writes about our favorite band and friends, the Eastport Oyster Boys, as they celebrate 30 years of musical mirth regaling the essence of the Chesapeake Bay. Julie Reardon gets us geared up for spring writing about the Spring Race season in Hunt Country in To the Blue Ridge

For our Road Trip this month we ventured to the Blue Ridge and the Shenandoah Valley for a visit to L'Auberge Provencale - a great destination and a beautiful drive. We had an amazing time and got to catch up with former Old Town Alexandrian Drew Chaney. In Caribbean Connection we get an over water look at the suites at Rosewood Mayakoba

In Dining Out, we visited our two Irish Restaurants in Old Town –Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub and Daniel O’Connell’s. Each has its' own character and we invite you to visit them in March. In Let's Get Crafty, Tim Long gives us a lesson in how to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. In Grapevine this month, Matt Fitzsimmons gives us a look at some of the names who have helped keep moving the Virginia wine scene forward over the years. In Exploring Virginia Wines, winemaker Doug Fabbioli points out the good fortune that Virginia has had this year in the ﬁelds and winery. The heavier than normal snow fall this year has helped a lot to mitigate the drought of the last few years. Doug also reﬂects that the wine they are tasting at the winery is looking very good.

Captain Steve Chaconas gives us the scoop on the impact that the cormorants have on Potomac River bass ﬁshing in his Go Fish column. It appears they are pretty hungry birds. In Open Space Lori Welch Brown examines the meaning of Luck of the Irish, and ﬁ nds new meaning and understanding. All of this and much more inside.

Lots going on this month. Seems like we just put away all of our Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday paraphernalia just in time to get out the myriad of “green” stuﬀ and anything that remotely says “Kiss Me I’m Irish” since the St. Patrick’s Day parade is always so early. This year it takes place on the 7th so it only has to sit around to get dug out again ten days later on the real day on the 17th! The ﬁ rst day of spring rolls around on the 20th this year and the Cherry Blossom hubub gets geared up toward the end of the month with the early trees blooming in National Harbor mid-March –several days before the Tidal Basin starts turning.

March is my birthday month. I turn 79 on the 14th and I can’t fathom that I am actually going to be 80 next year. Time is a ﬁckle thing. In the meantime, I take one day at a time!

“May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face; The rains fall soft upon your ﬁelds and until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.” Sláinte!

Former Alexandrian, L’Auberge Provencale’s Drew Chaney and the author on the porch of the L’Auberge Provencale’s Inn and Restaurant.

We also couldn't let this month go by without saying Happy 79th Birthday to Bob!

march‘26

ON THE ROAD WITH OTC

Southern Maryland Old Town Crier fans, Joey Tagert and partner Jackie Hall took a trip to the Big Apple last month to see some sights and to take in two nights of one of their favorite musician’s, Jason Isbell, who was performing at Radio City Music Hall. They took the February issue with them on their adventure and snapped these photos featuring two of New York City icons in the background –Empire State Building and Lady Liberty.

If you would like to see your photo in this space, take the OTC with you on your next adventure and take a high resolution photo or photos of you and yours checking us out and send it with information for the caption to oﬃce@ oldtowncrier.com and put “On the Road” in the subject line.

This is the 459th cover we have published – without a repeat – and there are times when coming up with an image is a challenge. We try to stick with something that pertains to the season or the subject matter printed within. This month we had Women’s History, St. Patrick’s Day, and the ﬁ rst day of Spring. Obviously, we chose the latter. The photo gracing the front cover this month was taken last March at one of our many distribution stops while doing the “To the Blue Ridge” distribution.

When we encountered the snow drops (pictured below) last month on our Road Trip column trek, they not only put smiles on our faces, it meant that springtime is right around the corner. After the weather we had in February knowing that the daﬀodils, jonquils and tulips are starting to pop through the hard winter ground this month continues to lift our spirits. This is also an indication that the Cherry Blossoms are on their way. Photos by Lani Gering.

If you have a photo or a piece of artwork that you think would make a good cover image, email us at oﬃce@oldtowncrier.com

WHERE IS IT?

We have a winner! Truth be known, we thought this would take a bit more time but Old Town Alexandria resident Ashley Hogan picked up her February copy at the Barrett Library on Queen street and submitted the correct location. This very happening mural is located on the southwest corner of Prince and Patrick Streets.

Kudos to whomever painted it – the diver is very impressive.

This month we expanded our “reach” to the West End of the city. This mural location is such that it is visible from the road only one way so we are guessing this will be a challenge.

If you are the ﬁ rst person to respond with the correct location, you will receive a $50 gift certiﬁcate to one of the best French eateries in the DMV-Bastille Brasserie & Bar

In order to participate and qualify for the gift card, you will have to Like and Follow us: Facebook @oldtowncrier and Instagram @otcregionalmag

Send a PM with your guess and we will contact the winner each month via PM to arrange for prize delivery.

Events Around Town – March 2026

Located just minutes from D.C., Alexandria is one of the best places to admire new waterfront public art, enjoy cherry blossom-themed events, tour historic homes and gardens and bring your four-legged friends to canine-themed happenings around the city.

It’s also a gorgeous time to explore the stories and neighborhoods of Alexandria. So, whether you’re taking in the spring scenery while enjoying a pint at the region’s longest running brewery at Port City or dining al fresco in at the many eateries, you’ll nd plenty of experiences to unlock this time of year in Alexandria.

Cherry Blossom Season

This is the time of year to soak in the pink and white wonders as you wander Alexandria’s red-brick sidewalks, or see the D.C. blossoms up close with bike tours. Beginning in March, take a water taxi from Old Town to The Wharf for a short 10-minute jaunt to the Tidal Basin to enjoy the cherry blossoms, or take the Cherry Blossom Cruise past the Tidal Basin blossoms and into Georgetown. Photo by Igda Warner for Visit Alexandria.

Discover Alexandria's Architectural

Gems

Any time of the year is a good time to get outside and stroll the city’s centuriesold streetscapes, but spring time takes on a special air in Old Town. On April 18th , participate in the annual Home and Garden tour that is a part of Historic Garden Week

in Virginia. This easy walking tour includes private townhomes and secluded gardens located along the tree-lined streets of the historic district. In addition, the tour ticket includes admission to two Garden Club of Virginia restoration projects within a short driving distance of the tour area – the Gardens at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens as well as Green Spring Garden. Find more of Alexandria’s standout architectural spots to explore here - https://visitalexandria.com/things-todo/architecture/.Photo by Igda Warner for Visit Alexandria

Explore a New Waterfront Art Exhibit

New for the spring of 2026, a public art installation titled “Now or Never” will be on display at the Old Town waterfront from March through November. The piece features two 17.5 foot long billboards with opposing messages – “Now” and “Never” – opposite one another in opposing colors and aligned with the sunrise of the summer solstice. Read more about the inspiration behind the design from artist Alicia Eggert at https:// visitalexandria.com/the-best-of/now-or-never-waterfront-art/.Photo by Visit Alexandria.

Photo courtesy of Lee Moody

Ballyshaners 43rd Alexandria St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Saturday, March 7th

12:00 pm

Alexandria boasts the rst St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the DC area. Traditionally, this parade is held the rst Saturday in March, and serves to attract the nest entries. The parade normally features pipe bands, Irish dance schools, community groups, and a host of other performers and entertainment. It’s a fantastic day to spend with family or friends!

The parade of cially starts at the corner of Wolfe and St. Asaph Street at 12:00 pm, with dignitaries leading the procession. The parade proceeds north on St. Asaph with a turn to the east at Queen Street toward Pitt Street where it turns south ending at the corner of Duke and Pitt Streets. With thousands of spectators and participants expected, parade goers are encouraged to take advantage of public transportation. The closest Metro is the Blue Line, King Street/Old Town. There is a free trolley from the Metro, or the activities can be reached by a short 10-minute walk down King Street. Residents and tourists are encouraged to come early to enjoy the events at one of the DC area’s nest parades. All events are free to the public. www.ballyshaners.org for details.

What does Ballyshaners mean? “Old Towners” in Gaelic, the Irish Language

The Ballyshaners, Inc., were founded in 1980 by a small group of dedicated volunteers for the explicit purpose of organizing a Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in Old Town, Alexandria, Virginia. The Parade is now well into its fourth decade and the number and variety of participants is greater than ever before. The organization’s mission has grown to promoting and preserving Irish history and culture. Each summer, they host the Alexandria Irish Festival, featuring vendors, musicians, and traditional Irish dancers as well as hosting fundraisers and other social events throughout the year.

1st through 31st

63rd Annual Woodlawn Needlework Show

10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Woodlawn & Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope-Leighey House 9000 Richmond Highway Price: $$

Recurring daily except Tuesday, Woodlawn will host the 63rd Annual Woodlawn Needlework Show, the largest judged needlework show in the nation. During this month, Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House gives locals and out-of-towners alike the opportunity to view 500+ pieces of hand-sewn needlework from all over the world. This year’s Needlework Show will celebrate the 51st anniversary of Nelly’s Needlers, an all-volunteer corps who have contributed to the preservation of the pursuit of ne needle art. (703) 780-4000

OLD TOWN FARMERS MARKET

Tavern Square

100 Block of N. Royal St.

Saturdays, 7 am – 12 Noon Year Round

The Old Town Market is thought to be the one of nation’s oldest continuing markets operating since 1753. It is said that George Washington sent his products from Mount Vernon to be sold here. Today the plaza is a mecca for farmers and artists to sell their wares. The Market is a primary source for meats, dairy, sh, fruits, vegetables and owers for all those who visit.

DEL RAY FARMERS MARKET

Corner of Mt. Vernon and Oxford Avenues Saturdays, 8 am to Noon Year Round

This market is strictly a producer grown market. Lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, sh and salmon, fresh mushrooms, baked goods, hard cider. Farmers are within a 150 mile radius of Alexandria. A non-pro t is featured each weekend.

LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS

OLD TOWN NORTH FARMERS & ARTISANS MARKET

Montgomery Park 901 North Royal Street

Thursdays, 3 pm – 7 pm Year Round

Alexandria’s favorite dog friendly market! The Old Town North Thursday Market is a growers only market with a focus on produce from small family farms and local artisans. Products sold at the market include fresh fruits and veggies from Virginia’s Northern Neck, Micro Greens from an urban farm, Empanadas, Fresh baked pastries with a European air and much more.

FOUR MILE RUN FARMERS & ARTISANS MARKET

4109 Mount Vernon Avenue

Sundays, 9 am – 1 pm Year Round

This market offers fresh, nutritious food to people of all income levels and strives to re ect the diversity of Alexandria’s community. Local artisans display their arts and crafts as well.

THIS HORSE DIDN’T KNOW THAT THERE WAS A BALLOON IN THE GRASS THAT SHE WAS EATING.

Cat Volmer

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the ﬁfth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over a thousand years.

We here at the Old Town Crier love everything about St. Patrick’s Day including the history. We try to print this important information every year in the March issue and I am sure we have missed a few but we think it’s important that our readers know that it is more than just a day for a parade and swilling green beer! The parade takes place on the 7th this year and even though we think it’s a bit ridiculous to have it so early, it is established as the ﬁ rst parade in the DMV celebrating St. Patrick and truth be told, no self-respecting Irish person drinks green beer! Just Sayin’!

On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink, and feast—on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

The ﬁ rst St. Patrick's Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in the United States. Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City on March 17, 1762. Along with their music, the parade helped the soldiers to reconnect with their Irish roots, as well as fellow Irishmen serving in the English army.

Over the next thirty-five years, Irish patriotism among American immigrants flourished, prompting the rise of so-called "Irish Aid" societies, like the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick and the Hibernian Society. Each group would hold annual parades featuring bagpipes (which actually fi rst became popular in the Scottish and British armies) and drums.

In 1848, several New York Irish aid societies decided to unite their parades to form one New York City St. Patrick's Day Parade. Today, that parade is the world 's oldest civilian parade and the largest in the United States, with over 150,000 participants.

Each year, nearly three million people line the one-and-a-half mile parade route to watch the procession, which takes more than ﬁve hours. Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Savannah also celebrate the day with parades including between 10,000 to 20,000 participants.

Up until the mid-nineteenth century, most Irish immigrants in America were members of the Protestant middle class. When the Great Potato Famine hit Ireland in 1845, close to a million poor, uneducated, Catholic Irish began to pour into America to escape

starvation. Despised for their religious beliefs and funny accents by the American Protestant majority, the immigrants had trouble fi nding even menial jobs. When Irish Americans in the country's cities took to the streets on St. Patrick's Day to celebrate their heritage, newspapers portrayed them in cartoons as drunk, violent monkeys. However, the Irish soon began to realize that their great numbers endowed them with a political power that had yet to be exploited. They started to organize, and their voting block, known as the "green machine," became an important swing vote for political hopefuls. Suddenly, annual St. Patrick's Day parades became a show of strength for Irish Americans, as well as a must-attend event for a slew of political candidates. In 1948, President Truman attended New York City's St. Patrick's Day parade, a proud moment for the many Irish whose ancestors had to fight stereotypes and racial prejudice to fi nd acceptance in America.

Today, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by people of all backgrounds in the United States, Canada, and Australia. Although North America is home to the largest productions, St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated in other locations far from Ireland, including Japan, Singapore, and Russia.

In modern-day Ireland, St. Patrick's Day has traditionally been a religious occasion. In fact, up until the 1970s, Irish laws mandated that pubs be closed on March 17. Beginning in 1995, however, the Irish government began a national campaign to use St. Patrick's Day as an opportunity to drive tourism and showcase Ireland to the rest of the world. Last year, close to one million people took part in Ireland 's St. Patrick's Festival in Dublin, a multi-day celebration featuring parades, concerts, outdoor theater productions, and ﬁ reworks shows.

May God hold you in the palm of His hand,

May your days be many and your troubles be few,

May all God's blessings descend upon you,

May peace be within you,

May your heart be strong,

May you ﬁ nd what you're seeking wherever you roam.

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face;

The rains fall soft upon your ﬁelds and until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

The World Crafted on King

Alexandria’s own Ten Thousand Villages has changed its name and has rebranded itself as The World Crafted on King. I was reassured that it will continue its current role as an independent nonproﬁt organization dedicated to fair trade practices as it gets more involved with the community. They celebrated the Grand Re-Opening with a full weekend of activities on February 21st-23rd

The following information was gleaned from a press release they put out late last year and it pretty much outlines why they made the change:

“Located at historic King Street, our store was opened in 1994 by a group of dedicated people with a passion for the mission of supporting fair trade practices. More than just a store, The World Crafted on King is a way to shop with intention, shop one’s values and connect with global villages. From communities throughout the world, every inspired design is crafted with love using local materials (usually natural or recycled) and time-honored skills by known makers. At The World Crafted on King, discover organic clothing and jewelry; home décor and hand knotted rugs; and specialty foods and beverages from over 45 countries. Each handmade purchase directly impacts the life and community of its maker, breaking the cycle of generational poverty and igniting social change.

Alexandria’s store has been closely linked to the national Ten Thousand Villages organization since its Alexandria inception in 1994. While the Ten Thousand Villages undertakes a new business plan to focus exclusively on wholesale channels and online sales, independent stores like Alexandria’s, are seeking to rebrand under their own names. Alexandria’s The World Crafted on King store will continue to be aﬃliated with Ten Thousand Villages US as a fair-trade retailer, supporting the artisans around the world that Ten Thousand Villages US represents but will now be able to expand its fair trade partnerships to bring new and diﬀerent products to the store.

“While our name is new, The World Crafted on King will continue to be a community driven organization with a passion for fair trade,” said Mary Hiebert-White, the store manager. She emphasized that “we will be the same store with the same mission, just a new name.”

The World Crafted on King will maintain its nonproﬁt status with a local board of directors while continuing to bring to market handcrafted, quality artisan products from under-resourced communities from around the world. It is “retail with a conscience” notes store manager Heibert-White. The brick-and-mortar store will ensure that the people of Alexandria, the D.C. Metro area and visitors to the City of Alexandria can experience the unique products available for sale while they support the valuable impact of fair trade on our world.”

On a more personal note, I feel a bit guilty not being a more frequent customer over the years but that is going to change. I was reminded just how extensive and reasonably priced the inventory in the store is while taking the photos accompanying this write up. They say that “a picture is worth a thousand words” so I am going to keep this short and sweet. I urge you to support this now “locally” owned and operated store and the mission they are on.

What Can Market Volatility Teach Us About the Fundamentals?

Market volatility, painful as it can be, can actually provide an important lesson for investors about why it’s important to stick to the fundamentals, such as having an asset allocation strategy and reviewing your plan. With that in mind, here are suggestions for turbulent times that may help you turn today’s worries into tomorrow’s good habits.

Remembering asset allocation

When market volatility occurs, investors have the opportunity to get back to fundamentals they may have forgotten. This is especially true for asset allocation — the strategy ﬁ nancial professionals return to time and again when investors want help dealing with volatile markets.

At its most basic level, asset allocation is how you diversify your investments across diﬀerent asset classes (stocks, bonds, cash alternatives, etc.). This varies based on a number of factors, primarily:

• What you want your investments to help you achieve (objectives)

• How comfortable you are with market volatility (risk tolerance)

• How long it will be before you will need to access your investments (time horizon)

The asset allocation model that best suits any given investor depends on where they land in regard to these three factors.

It’s important to remember that asset allocation offers investors a trade-off. During good times, a diversified portfolio’s return will lag the best performing asset

class. On the other hand, during down periods, it will do better than the worst performing asset class. It’s up to each investor to decide what’s more important — participating more in the good times by holding more stock or avoiding the worst of the bad by holding less.

Reviewing your plan regularly

If you have an asset allocation plan and still ﬁ nd yourself lying awake at night, volatility is a chance to revisit your plan for possible adjustments.

It’s possible you overestimated your risk tolerance when creating your plan. Due to their potential for providing growth and, sometimes, income, stocks have an important role to play in many plans. But with that potential comes the likelihood for greater price volatility than is typically seen with other investments, such as bonds. If concern about your investments when there’s volatility causes you stress, it may be time to see whether you need to scale back the amount you have allocated to stocks.

It’s also possible the problem is not with your plan. Over time, market activity can shift your allocations away from your plan’s targeted amounts. Say you started with a hypothetical 60% stocks/40% bonds portfolio.

An extended rise in the stock market could shift it to, for example, 75% stocks/25% bonds. As a result, when there’s market volatility, you would experience more of it than intended.

You may want to consider rebalancing your portfolio regularly. Rebalancing is simply checking your investments to see whether

market activity has caused them to drift. If they have, you can decide if you want to sell investments that have increased in value and use the proceeds to buy others that may have decreased. Doing this at least once a year — or allowing your investment platform to do it for you — can keep your allocations, and risk level, where you want them.

Asset allocation and diversiﬁcation are investment methods used to help manage risk. They do not guarantee investment returns

or eliminate risk of loss including in a declining market. All investment involves risk, including the possible loss of principal.

This article was written by/ for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Carl M. Trevisan, Managing Director-Investments and Stephen M. Bearce, First Vice President- Investments in Alexandria, VA. You can contact hin with any questions at 800-247-8602.

Investment and insurance products are not insured

by the FDIC or any federal government agency, are not a deposit or other obligation of, or guaranteed by the bank or any bank aﬃliate, and are subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank aﬃliate of Wells Fargo & Company. ©2023 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved.

We’ve Come a Long Way Baby... or Maybe Not So Much!

“If we consider her as a citizen, as a member of a great nation, she must have the same rights as all other members.” Elizabeth Cady Stanton, 1892

The American Equal Rights Association [18661869], an organization founded by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass, worked hard to “secure Equal Rights to all American citizens, especially the right of suﬀrage, irrespective of race, color, or sex.”

The AERA won the black man’s bondage battle, his right to vote [Amendment 15, Section 1, 1870], only to lose the war for women’s equality.

Today’s woman values the vote. In June 2022 the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade 6-to3. Since then, abortion has been on the ballot in seven States and each time anti-abortion advocates have lost the popular vote.

Another of women’s articulated wants: Equal Pay! “Underpaying women and undervaluing their work not only hurts women and their families, it damages the entire U.S. economy,” the American Association of University Women [AAUW] said.

“In 2021, when comparing full-time, year-round workers, women were paid just 84 cents for every dollar paid to men,” the AAUW continued. “When the calculation included all workers, the earnings discrepancy was substantially larger. Women took home only 77 cents on the dollar.”

The data-aggregate “demonstrates that there is not just one pay gap, but rather many pay gaps— in earnings, beneﬁts and wealth,” the AAUW concluded. Asian-American women, for example, earn 99 cents on the dollar; White women 82 cents, Black women 69 cents, Native American women 59 cents, and Latinas 57 cents.

The AAUW’s solution: Congressional passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act of 2023 [H.R. 17, S. 728], “an update which would strengthen the [61 yearold] Equal Pay Act of 1963.” The two bills were simultaneously introduced —in March 2023—then left to linger in Committee.

“When President [John F.] Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act in 1963, our country codiﬁed the basic idea that all workers should earn ‘equal pay for equal work regardless of sex,’” U.S. Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA3) argued in 2021.

According to the Department of Labor the Equal Pay Act of 1963 “protects against wage discrimination based on sex…All forms of compensation are covered, including salary, overtime pay, bonuses, life insurance, vacation and holiday pay, cleaning or gasoline allowances, hotel accommodations, reimbursement for travel expenses, and beneﬁts.”

If Major George Washington could advocate for equal pay in 1754 [the French and Indian War], then why cannot Congress act on behalf of today’s working woman?

“Giving up my commission is quite contrary to my intention,” Washington wrote Virginia Lt. Governor Robert Dinwiddie. “[B]ut to be slaving

dangerously for the shadow of pay, through woods, rocks, mountains,—I would rather prefer the great toil of a daily laborer, and dig for a maintenance, provided I were reduced to the necessity, than serve upon such ignoble terms; for I really do not see why the lives of his Majesty’s subjects in Virginia should be of less value, than of those in other parts of his American dominions; especially when it is well known, that we must undergo double their hardship.”

“We can’t conceive, that being Americans should deprive us of the beneﬁts of British Subjects; nor lessen our claim to preferment,” Washington added in 1757. “We are defending the Kings Dominions, and altho the Inhabitants of Great Britain are removed from (this) Danger, they are…equally with Us.”

Subject, as deﬁ ned by the American Heritage dictionary: “one who is under the rule of another: especially a government.” To what extent are today’s women ruled by men: husbands and the Law of Coverture; religious leaders, politicians and or justices. Only 28% of today’s popularly elected Congress is female: the highest percentage in U.S. history.

Said Victoria Woodhull [1838-1927], a member of the Equal Rights Party and the ﬁ rst female candidate for President [1872]: “There is something wrong with a government that makes women the legal property of their husbands. The whole system needs changing, but men will never make changes.” March is women's history month. “In discussing the rights of woman, we are to consider, ﬁ rst, what belongs to her as an individual,” Stanton suggested in 1892. “If we consider her as a citizen, as a member of a great nation, she must have the same rights as all other members.”

Women are not cultural subsets of American society. They are individuals who in the collective seek gender equality!

Lucy Randolph Mason [1882-1959], the daughter of Episcopal minister Landon Mason—born at Clarens on Alexandria’s Seminary Hill—tells of many “instances where mill-town preachers, invoking the authority of the church, collaborated with millowners and local police to deny civil rights.” A dedicated activist, Miss Mason died four years prior to the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963.

“Equal work deserves equal pay,” Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA8) said in 2015. “This isn’t simply an issue of fairness, it’s about strengthening our middle class—putting food on the table, gas in the tank, and ensuring moms, daughters and sisters are not cheated out of their paychecks.”

Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter [2015-2017] was the fi rst to “open all military occupations to women.” There is no gender pay gap, even if there are fewer women because “at every rank, men and women are paid equally.” By contrast, today's Trump administration favors Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's defi nition of inequality. In 2017 the non-profit Contentedly Foundation

found that “although women hold half of all state and federal service jobs, they make 10% less than men. Also in 2017: former President [2017-2021] now President Donald Trump (R-FL, NY) “froze an equal pay wage data rule.”

The EEOC was ordered “to halt pay data collection.” Compliance, Trump said “imposed an incredible amount of burden” on business. Soon after, the White House removed the Equal Pay Pledge from its website.

The Equal Pay Pledge as of December 16, 2016: “The White House launched the Equal Pay Pledge in June at the ﬁ rst-ever United State of Women Summit [USOW], encouraging companies from across the American economy to take action to advance equal pay…Equal Pay has been an Administration priority since President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law in 2009….”

Lucy Randolph Mason a direct descendant of George Mason, author of the 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights, supported state labor laws that would ensure safer workplaces, end child labor, raise minimum wages and shorten work hours. In 2019 the Bureau of Labor Statistics said that “women accounted for 51.8% of all workers employed in management, professional and related occupations.”

Also in 2019: the McCrain- Palmer study “found a substantial pay gap between male and female congressional staﬀ.”

Today’s “wage gap cannot be dismissed entirely as the inevitable by-product of “women’s choices” in education, career and family matters,” The American Bar Association said. “Even when all relevant career and family attributes are taken into account, there still is an unexplained gap between men’s and women’s earnings.” Working women collectively lose out on more than $500 billion a year.

Working women, women generally need to rethink the status quo. To cast their hard-earned November votes prudently. In 2023 the Equal Pay Act was not only DOA, the disunited Senate scrapped the Equal Rights Amendment [S.J.Res.39, 2023].

“To the horror of hundreds of millions of American people, women in America have far fewer rights today than they did even a year ago,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer [D-NY] then said. About the Author: Sarah Becker started writing for The Economist while a graduate student in England. Similar publications followed. She joined the Crier in 1996 while serving on the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association Board. Her interest in antiquities began as a World Bank hire, with Indonesia’s need to generate hard currency. Balinese history, i.e. tourism provided the means. The New York Times describes Becker’s book, Off Your Duffs & Up the Assets, as “a blueprint for thousands of nonprofit managers.” A former museum director, SLAM’s saving grace Sarah received Alexandria’s Salute to Women Award in 2007. Email: abitofhistory53@gmail.com

Mercedes (BTC) Benz by The Lords of Easton & Stan Medley

After making a splash on Spotify in late 2025 with their ﬁ rst Christmas EP, The Lords of Easton and Stan Medley have started 2026 with the release of a new song called “Mercedes (BTC) Benz”. The song is a parody of a Janis Joplin hit that replaces asking the Lord to buy a Mercedes Benz, with a request for a “Bitcoin for free”. From its humorous lyrics to its rich string arrangement, “Mercedes (BTC) Benz” oﬀers a modern twist on a 1970s hit that’s sure to surprise and possibly delight its listeners.

Things get started with a slow upright bass line that gives the track its foundation and subtle rhythm. We also hear staccato viola come in and out with eighth notes further establishing the song's rhythm and emotional tone. Additionally a solo violin weaves a haunting melody and puts the fi nishing touches on a lovely musical palette. As the intro music comes to a gentle pause the vocals of the fi rst verse are introduced with the lines, “Oh Lord won’t you buy me a bitcoin for free / my buddies bought Ether they’re mocking poor me”. Moving into the second verse the music intensifies with deep and swelling bass notes. This is coupled with increased passion in the vocal performance that is offset with additional humor in the lyrics.

As the second verse draws to a close, the emotional intensity crescendos into a lush and powerful instrumental. The instrumental begins with quarter note staccato strings keeping steady rhythm. These are accompanied by droning bass drags that ring out like giant pillars in the music. Turning on a dime, things pick up and switch from a quarter note eighth note staccato rhythm. The violin also shifts to a more longing and inspirational melody line

lifting the music up just before releasing into the third verse.

The third verse begins with falsetto vocals that bloom into a delivery reminiscent of Freddie Mercury of Queen. Lyrically, The Lords of Easton continue to reference trending topics with lines that ask the Lord to help them “beat old Elon [Musk] to Mars”. New musical variations are also delivered for the third verse that include sixteenth note ﬂurries, swirling violin melodies, and thunderous double bass building out the arrangement. These musical evolutions coupled with the altered yet familiar vocal melody allow the band to keep things fresh and exciting without additional instrumentation.

Stan Medley is the founder of the band, The Lords of Easton, and they have big plans for 2026 that include the release of many more cover songs and original songs. The year is shaping up to be the band's most active period with plenty of releases to keep listeners engaged. If you would like to listen to “Mercedes (BTC) Benz”, or any of the band’s other music, you can ﬁ nd it on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and most other places music is streamed or sold. If you would like to learn more about The Lords Of Easton and Stan Medley, you can ﬁ nd more information on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X.

About the Author: Ron Powers is an independent A&R specialist and music industry consultant and is constantly searching for, discovering and writing about new talent.

AFTER HOURS

Birchmere

703.549.7500

3701 Mt. Vernon Ave. birchmere.com

The Blackwall Hitch

571-982-3577

5 Cameron St. theblackwallhitch.com

Chadwicks

203 S. Strand St.

703.836.4442

Evening Star Cafe

703.549.5051

2000 Mt. Vernon Ave.

The Fish Market

703.836.5676

105 King St. shmarketoldtown.com

La Portas

703.683.6313

1600 Duke St.

The Light Horse

703.549.0533

715 King St. lighthorserestaurant.com

Murphys Irish Pub

703.548.1717

713 King St. murphyspub.com

O’Connell’s

703.739.1124 112 King St.

Rock It Grill

703.739.2274 1319

VICTORIAN CRIMES IN THE LONDON FOGS

How to describe the highly talented author Paraic O’Donnell’s complex mysteries starring an energetic detective, his sergeant, and a then-termed “lady journalist” with tenacity to spare?

In the novels The House on Vesper Sands and follow-up The Naming of The Birds, O’Donnell weaves his memorable characters together with occasional supernatural touches and a need for substantial resolutions. He has a Dickensian gift for creating a brutal and sometimes poignant atmosphere in lower-class settings, along with a moral weight to the relationships he sees between the powerful and the powerless. As his investigators put together their puzzle pieces, they endear themselves to us while evoking echoes of other classic British mysteries.

The aptly named Inspector Cutter uses his sardonic and sharp-tongued sense on the people around him, adding humor that leavens tensions throughout the novels. With a blistering stride he leads his team towards justice down ethereal paths through an 1890s London fog. Secretive, he barks at his underling, the hapless, gentle Sergeant Bliss, to teach the former divinity student turned police sergeant how to write down the facts and observe them from another angle. Their acquaintance, the lively journalist and faux socialite Octavia Hillingdon, assists them by uncovering secrets with the tenacity of a dachshund disappearing down a badger hole.

In The House on Vesper Sands, lowerclass young women who possess an uncanny brightness of soul have begun to disappear. The supernatural element, involving the “Spiriters” and the energy they harvest, comes into focus gradually, giving the story a shimmering, otherworldly quality without sacriﬁcing emotional realism. O’Donnell seeds his clues throughout the story with care, entwining the sergeant’s search for a missing female friend, Octavia’s investigation of worthy targets, and Cutter’s dogged and energetic pursuit of the truth.

As they come together to follow a narrowing trail, the novel moves from urban intrigue to a remote and eerie coastal estate. This plot is thick with gothic imagery: decaying mansions, secret rituals, and the social power shielding monstrous crimes.

In The Naming of the Birds, the trio ﬁ nd out that when an orphanage burned, killing the occupants, twelve children

disappeared completely off the rolls of the dead. In the fi rst, flashback chapter, the orphans are taken to a locked building by certain school patrons, called only by the names of birds, and forced to complete tasks to satisfaction or suffer fatal consequences.

Years later, Cutter, Bliss, and Hillingdon investigate a string of meticulously staged murders targeting powerful retired officials with ties to the orphanage. A mysterious assassin leaves cryptic clues tied to this longburied scandal. The investigation gradually reveals the history of abuse and coverups. Again, the powerful in fi nance and government are able to do what they like, until they fi nd themselves the ultimate target for someone with an implacable need for vengeance.

The second novel drags a bit in the middle when Inspector Cutter again stays secretive while slowly teaching Sergeant Bliss to better interpret the concrete facts of the case. After the assassin ﬁ nally appears, the novel picks up momentum, with a twist that bares Inspector Cutter’s judgment open to his own conscience. O’Donnell more than makes up for the pause in pace with beautifully depicted scenes that cause us to stop and relish his words. These novels are more literary ﬁction than beachbook bestsellers, and the writing is much more satisfying.

The House on Vesper Sands and The Naming of the Birds each draw on classic traditions: Victorian mystery, Gothic suspense, Wilkie-Collins style intrigue, and Agatha Christie’s classic, uncanny countryside tales. As with Christie, these novels reveal an acute awareness of good and evil, with the occasional sense that the ends justify the means.

Yet O’Donnell’s language and literary style are vehicles peculiar to him, conveying a subtly contemporary outlook on the mores and outrages of this late Victorian period. His writing is often exquisite and detached, and always precise. For those who love a gothic touch, British humor, and a British mystery, you can do far worse than pick up this duology.

About the Author: Miriam Kramer worked at Olsson’s Books & Records before it closed in 2008, welcoming Old Town, Alexandria, residents to a unique place where employees with encyclopedic knowledge of literature and music enriched the community. As a global nomad, she has lived, studied, or worked in diverse countries overseas. With her experience writing and studying international aﬀairs, she has promoted democracy, international media, the arts, peace building, and citizen diplomacy during her career.

ONSTAGE:

It may roll in like a lion and go out like lamb, but March has a whole lot of great theater to roar (or baah) about as well. Check out these ﬁ ne productions as the weather warms up and those world-famous cherry blossoms burst onto the scene:

LITTLE MISS PERFECT

Olney Theatre Center

Through March 8

There’s a lot of pressure on high school senior Noelle, who ﬁ nds herself thrust into a whole new world as one of the few Black students at her predominantly white school. This new musical by Tik-Tok star Joriah Kwame takes on issues of stress and acceptance in the pressure cooker world of getting into the “right” college. Tickets at www.olneytheatre.org

MIDICULOUS

Keegan Theatre

Through March 8

In this play for young audiences, middle school banter becomes fodder for public relations pros, students psychoanalyze their own teenage hijinks and post-pandemic therapy rules. Welcome to the world of Midiculous. Tickets at www.keegantheatre.com

CHEZ JOEY

Arena Stage

Through March 15

Broadway’s original Michael Jackson and Tony® Award winner Myles Frost takes the eponymous role in this revisit to Rodgers and Hart’s fabled musical, co-directed by tap dance genius Savion Glover. American songbook classics like“Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” “This Can’t Be Love” and “The Lady Is a Tramp,” make for another great Broadway musical production down by the Wharf. Tickets at www.arenastage.org.

ON BECKETT

Shakespeare Theatre Company

Through March 15

Tony Award-winning actor and master clown Bill Irwin, a funny hat and a podium is all it takes to mine the comedy and tragedy of Irish playwright Samuel Beckett’s iconic work. If you’re a fan of Waiting for Godot (or even understand it), you’ll enjoy this nonstop display of jovial verbal and physical comedy that has become Irwin’s signature and Nobel Prize winner Beckett’s gift to the theater. Tickets at www.shakespearetheatrecompany.org.

NOTHING UP MY SLEEVE

Round House Theatre

Through March 15

Fans of illusionist Dendy and playwright/director Aaron Posner’s previous collaboration The Tempest will be happy to see the daunting duo pull back the curtain on the history of magic and Dendy’s own journey to the land of makethem-believe. If you enjoy spellbinding prestidigitation, you will, too. Tickets at www.roundhousetheatrre.org

FRECKLEFACE STRAWBERRY THE MUSICAL

Through March 29

The eponymous Freckleface learns that everyone is diﬀerent and that’s what makes us special in this brand new musical based on the best-selling book by actress Julianne Moore. Ms. Strawberry will do anything to get rid of her freckles – from scrubbing them with soap to wearing a ski mask to school. With the help of an talented ballerina, cute jock, charming ditz and kooky teacher, Freckleface and her family learn an important life lesson. Tickets at www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org

Adventure MTC

OLD TOWN

SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED

Signature Theatre

March 3 - April 12

Curious about a classified ad inviting readers to go back in time-- “bring your own weapons; you’ll get paid after we get back”—journalist Darius sets out to fi nd its author. When she agrees to take the writer up on his offer, Darius fi nds herself in way over her head on a time-traveling odyssey. Indie-rocker Ryan Miller of Guster fame joins actor/playwright Nick Blaemire to craft this new musical based on the hit movie. Tickets at www.sigtheatre.org

AS YOU LIKE IT

Folger Theatre

March 10 - April 12

Folger Artistic Director Karen Ann Daniels envisioned this new production of one of the Bard’s most beloved comedies. When Rosalind and her cousin Celia are forced to leave town for adventure in the forest of Arden (or is that Rock Creek Park?), the madness of love and some unpredictable predicaments ensue. A love note to DC’s reliance and inclusiveness, it’s all here, just as you like it, along with Shakespeare’s famous Seven Ages of Man. Tickets at www.folger. edu

JONAH

Studio Theatre

March 11- April 19

Ana is on her own, a scholarship student at a boarding school, until she meets day-student Jonah. What begins as an exploration of new and joyful desire shifts into more complex negotiations of intimacy and survival, covering decades in one woman’s life. A story of rage, resilience, and the radical possibilities of trust, playwright Rachel Bonds returns to the Studio for this DC premier. Tickets at www.studiotheatre.org

1776

Ford’s Theatre

March 13 - May 16

Just in time for the country’s 250th, this musical is an insightful, often humorous take on our founding fathers’ determination to do the right thing for their fledgling nation. As members of the Second Continental Congress struggle to reach consensus, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson debate the issues that will defi ne our country. Who knew that the composer of “Johnny Get Angry” would win the Tony® Award for Best Musical with this Broadway hit? Tickets at www.fords.org

HAMNET

Shakespeare Theatre Company

March 17- April 12

The esteemed Royal Shakespeare Company visits the DMV with this stage adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s best-selling novel about parent Will and Agnes Shakespeare whose eleven year old son is taken by the plague. “Life of Pi” playwright Lolita Chakrabarti crafted this moving tale of love and loss, proving that out of great suﬀering, wonder can emerge. Tickets at www. shakespearetheatrecompany.org

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

National Theatre

March 18- April 5

Be their guest at this beloved Tony® Award winning musical, the show that brought Disney to Broadway. A wonderful score by Alan Menken and smart yet lush, romantic lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice—Tim ﬁ nishing Howard’s work after the former passed far too young—makes this the family musical the kids will love and mom will swoon over. You can’t beat that combo, Dad. Tickets at www.broadwayatthenational.com

CAT KID COMIC CLUB… THE MUSICAL

Imagination Stage

March 21-22

Theatreworks/USA pays a visit to Bethesda with their madcap musical adapted from “Dog Man” creator Dav Pilkey’s spin-off series. It seems Cat Kid and Molly Pollywog have taken on twenty-one rambunctious baby frogs, hoping to mold them into comic book writers. Their fishy father Flippy is overjoyed until the baby frogs’ outrageous imaginations send them comically off the rails. They’re amphibians--what could go wrong? Tickets at www.imaginationstage. org

TRAVESTY

Woolly Mammoth

March 24- April 12

Actor, theater maker, drag queen Sasha Velour takes us on a one-person journey through secret queer history, one spot at a time. We meet a witch burning in a ﬁeld, a clown building a theater, and an underground gay bar rising up against the police as Velour channels each character through the cycle of existence, resistance, and camp that IS drag. Counting on lip synching, too. Tickets at www.woollymammoth.net

GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER

Little Theatre of Alexandria

March 28- April 18

The 1967 romantic comedy, directed by Stanley Kramer, gets the Little Theatre treatment. When an Upper East Side aﬄuent (need I say “white”?) family welcomes daughter’s new boyfriend, social constraints and unearthed prejudices rock an otherwise predictable dinner party. Sidney Poitier played the bf in the movie, which coincidentally came out the same year the Supreme Court decided Loving v Virginia, striking down our anti-miscegenation laws. Tickets at www.thelittletheatre.com

About the Author: Mark Edelman is a playwright who loves writing about theater. He is a lifetime member of the Broadway League and a Tony® voter. Catch his monthly podcast at www.onstagedmv.org.

Photo credits: Beauty and the Beast and Chez Joey by Matthew Murphy; Freckleface Strawberry… by Cameron Whitman; Nothing Up My Sleeve by Margot Schulman

National Gallery of Art Happenings & Beyond

First and foremost: Congratulations to Artists & Makers Studios in Rockville, Maryland on its 11th anniversary, which in gallery years is like 100 years. The unique model for this amazing space, under the guiding hand of its hardworking owner and Executive Director, Judith Olivia HeartSong, had grown into other spaces in Oro Valley, Arizona, and in San Gabriel and North Hollywood in California.

The National Gallery of Art in DC had an interesting open call which should be of interest to most of you if it ever happens again – not sure why I didn’t hear about it sooner, but...

The NGA invited anyone to submit a proposal for a 15- to 30-second social media video inspired by a work from their collection. If your video idea was selected, then you’d receive $3,000 to bring it to life. Your ﬁ nal video creation will be featured online and inside the museum, most likely after April 2026 or so. Cool or what?

Here is how it worked:

• You’d choose one artwork from their curated list here: https://www.nga.gov/open-call

• Submit a written proposal by February 28 telling the NGA how you’d remix it.

• Their team reviews submissions this month.

• In April, the top 50 creators will be selected to make a vertical video of their idea.

• Each top creator will receive $3,000. Videos will be featured on the National Gallery's social media and inside the museum. Smoking hot idea or what? Let’s hope that they do it every year – that is why I am discussing it here, so that you keep an eye out for it… and also the below.

It’s not on their list, but my absolutely favorite work of art in their collection is Watson and the Shark by John Singleton Copley. It seeks to

depict a true event that took place in Havana, Cuba, in 1748.

The naked guy in the water is fourteen-yearold Brook Watson, who was attacked by a shark while swimming alone in Havana harbor. Lucky for Watson, some of his shipmates were already at sea waiting to escort their captain ashore, and thus were able to fight the shark and rescue Watson, although the shark bit one of his legs off. On his return to England, he got his fifteen minutes of fame, became quite a celebrity in demand, and Copley painted this work to record the event.

However, if you study the painting carefully, you will realize immediately that Copley probably had never seen a shark in his life, and his depiction of the great white in Havana harbor yields one of the most ungainly and ugliest nonsharks ﬁsh things ever painted.

I love to sit in front of this painting and watch people as they walk by and get mesmerized by the brutal event taking place and kids making fun of the shark.

The NGA will host a workshop exploring Watson and the Shark, which will be on March 13th at 2:15 p.m. and on March 14th at 10:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.

They note that “during this 90-minute pause from your daily route, we’ll look slowly and mindfully at John Singleton Copley’s Watson and the Shark. You’ll be invited to look closely, wonder, and share your insights with the group. Together, we’ll learn “awe practices” that you can bring to your everyday life.”

You have to register here: https://www.nga. gov/calendar/ﬁ nding-awe/ﬁ nding-awe-johnsingleton-copleys-watson-and-shark

Finally…. And you heard it here ﬁ rst: There’s an Artomatic coming in the near future!

Yep! The planet's largest free and open group art

show... the show that artists and the public loves - and art critics hate – will be back soon!

"By artists and for everyone," Artomatic is wellknown for temporarily transforming empty spaces into vibrant arts events that celebrate creativity and create a unique and exciting opportunity for tens of thousands of visitors. This is the show that we all love, and that art critics hate (mostly because they usually don't have the mental batteries to write about an art show that can include a few thousand non-juried artists!).

Anyone and everyone can present their art at Artomatic, and presentation spaces are always selected on a fi rst-come, fi rst serve basis -- so it’s a great way to discover new art and artists. This is what makes this show unique on the planet - it is a great charging of artistic batteries for artists, and a great place for beginner and experienced collectors to pick among the 1000s of artists to fi nd that gem!

Another cool thing about Artomatic is that not only do you usually ﬁ nd the best-known DMV area artists such as Tim Tate, Michael Janis, Michele Banks, Alison Sigethy, Patricia de Poel Wilberg, Laurel Lukaszewski, Erwin Timmers, Andrew Wodzianski, Shanthi Chandrasekar, Sondra Arkins, Ric Garcia, Steve Wanna, J. Jordan Bruns and others, but also discover dozens and dozens of “new” artists!

More later…

About the Author: F. Lennox Campello's art news, information, gallery openings, commentary, criticism, happenings, opportunities, and everything associated with the global visual arts scene with a special focus on the Greater Washington, DC area has been a premier source for the art community for over 20 years. Since 2003, his blog has been the 11th highest ranked art blog on the planet with over SIX million visitors.

Work by Stuart Diekmeyer

“A woman in love with abstraction” - 2021

Forward !

Springtime is coming...really!

Update your wardrobe with classic styles and bold contemporary pieces in

Update your wardrobe with classic styles and bold contemporary pieces in beautiful, handmade and eco-friendly natural fabrics. Our lovely model is wearing the Wilder tunic by Bryn Walker in bambu linen and cotton in the gray and white print “nero.” Paired with a matching pant, this outfit is remarkably modern and comfortable for any warm weather coming your way. Come into the shop to see all of our wonderful new collections from all of your favorite artists. Springtime is coming ... really!

Check out our online store to see all of our wonderful new collections from all of your favorite artists!

"Woman balancing on a Jackson Pollock landscape", 2026 F. Lennox Campello. 32x40 inches, mixed media original painting on 600 weight paper.

Exclusively representing the works of F. Lennox Campello Price and additional images upon request.

“ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE OF WASHINGTON, DC” – Washington City Paper

16x20 watercolor on paper with embedded electronic images that rotate every 5 seconds.

Exclusively representing the works of F. Lennox Campello

In Case You Missed it: be sure to check out this month's Business Profile feature on page 12, where we highlight all the amazing offerings of The World Crafted on King (formerly Ten Thousand Villages). They truly have something for everyone and who doesn't love a good, handcrafted gift?

Syreni Caledonii (Northern Atlantic Mermaid). Watercolor, charcoal and Conte. 2019, 12x36 inches.

Work by Michele Banks

Work by John Singleton Copley

Work by Ric Garcia

Eastport Oyster Boys 30th Anniversary Shuck It Tour Celebration on March 22nd!

Join Us for the 30th Shuck It Tour Kick Oﬀ

March 22nd 4-6 pm

Maryland Hall

801 Chase Street

Annapolis

Marylandhall.org

General Admission: $30 plus fee

Priority Seating: $50 plus fee

VIP Priority Seating and Reception: $75 plus fee.

Sponsored by the Boatyard Bar and Grill, the reception with The Boys and their guest performers follows the concert. Light bites, beer and wine.

Tickets are limited and may be purchased online at https://app.arts-people.com/index. php?show=302053

Additional Sponsors: Flying Dog Brewing, Merrill Lynch, SpinSheet Magazine, Old Town Crier Regional Magazine.

I t is hard to believe that our absolute favorite Chesapeake based musical group, the Eastport Oyster Boys are embarking on their 30th year. We were introduced to them in January of 1998 at the inauguration of the Maritime Republic of Eastport when it seceded from Annapolis in one of the best marketing schemes to keep business ﬂowing while the Spa Creek Bridge was repaired. Being part of that coup as Ambassadors to the Commonwealth, we were ﬂattered to be in the thick of it.

Aptly appointed the Musical Goodwill Ambassadors by the City of Annapolis and the Maritime Republic of Eastport, the Eastport Oyster Boys love to share their musical celebration and stories of life on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay.

Over these last 30 years, the Eastport Oyster Boys have educated, amused, and delighted thousands with their wit, wisdom, and special message of stewardship and appreciation for the Bay and its unique maritime culture and history. The Oyster Boys’ simple philosophy is wrapped up in the three basic necessities of life: “a good hat, a good dog and a good boat.” These words comprise the lyrics of one of my favorite songs of theirs –obviously – Good Hat, Good Dog, Good Boat.

The Eastport Oyster Boys are known for their engaging and interactive presence with audiences. Along with their original music and songs of the area, The Boys often engage in an abbreviated and sometimes ever so slightly modiﬁed history of the Bay, its unique culture and characters and allude to some inside anecdotes that oft times inspire The Oyster Boys’ material. Most of all, audiences remember the good fun they had and go home with a bit of the Chesapeake in their blood.

The Boys are a collaboration of four of the Chesapeake region’s ﬁ nest and most experienced performers and bring with them a wide variety of instrumentation including acoustic/electric guitars, keyboards, banjo, ﬁddle, melodica, trombone and even hammered dulcimer. Their musical tastes cross numerous genres and include island rhythms, Americana, boogie, Celtic, Dixie swing, chanteys, waltzes and even some good ol’ rock-and-roll.

The core band members are Kevin "Brother Shucker" Brooks (guitar, banjo, vocals, songwriter), Tom Guay (electric/acoustic guitars, ﬁddle, hammer dulcimer, vocals), Mike Lange (keyboards, ukulele, melodica, vocals) and Andrew "Captain Andy" Fegley (trombone, percussion, vocals). Co-founder Jeﬀ Holland left the group around 2010 to become the West/Rhode Riverkeeper.

Though calling the waterman’s village of the Maritime Republic of Eastport home, their music has been appreciated nationwide and as far as the shores of Nova Scotia, Ireland and Europe. They have been often featured in regional, national and international print media, radio, broadcast and public television and ﬁlm productions over their 30year tenure.

The group have several notable compact disc recordings available including “Miss Lonesome”, “Full Moon Cruisin” and “An Oyster Boy Christmas” as well as several independent releases by the members of the boys. In addition, their songs have been featured on several CDs spotlighting songs of Chesapeake life here on the shores of the Bay.

The Boys were introduced to Alexandria in January of 2003 when they entertained guests celebrating the Old Town Crier’s 15th Anniversary at the former Old Town Theatre (now Patagonia). The audience was highly entertained to say the least.

The kickoﬀ of the 30th Shuck It tour on the 22nd is sure to be an evening of Eastport Oyster Boys music and mirth with special musical guests comprised of former members of the EOB’sRandy Morris - Tuba and Bass Guitar, Scott Hymes - Keyboard, Todd Kamen - Trumpet and Flugelhorn, Rich King – Percussion, Keith ManuelPercussion and Herbie Wheatly - Sax, Flute and Percussion. Along with these ﬁ ne musicians, many memories will be shared of their travels as the Goodwill Ambassadors from the City of Annapolis and Chesapeake Bay. They have traveled worldwide entertaining and educating audiences in all age groups.

Proceeds from the concert will help to support the mission of Annapolis Musicians for Musicians (AMFM) which provides scholarships and emergency support for local working artists.

For More Information or to book the Eastport Oyster Boys for your event contact their Artist Representative at 443-510-0831 or email booking@ oysterboys.com. Follow them on Facebook at “Eastport Oyster Boys” and check out their website: www.oysterboys.com. You can also ﬁ nd them on Linkedin: “Eastport Oyster Boys”.

Point to Point Season is Back!

It surely didn’t feel like spring was ever coming in February, with no signs other than a lonely crocus or two straggling up through the snow. But there are signs it is on the way. The sun rising earlier and setting later as daylight gradually increases. The occasional taste of warmth on a bright sunny day.

We know it's coming - the hunt country's harbinger of spring, opening of the point-to-point season. For true horse lovers, those suffering from cabin fever, and those looking for a social distancing-friendly country outing, there’s nothing like the early race meets in March. These races tend to be smaller, more informal affairs but there’s no shortage of equine talent as the country’s top steeplechasers as well as hot young prospects make their debut racing over fences after a winter layoff. With over $4 million in total purses, meets in 12 states, and millions of spectators, steeplechasing is big business. Some of the best horses and horsemen thoroughbred racing has to offer race over fences, and it all starts right here in Virginia next month.

The governing body, the National Steeplechase Association, sanctions the big meets later in the spring, including the best-known Virginia Gold Cup races in May. But pointto-points, run under rules similar to the NSA, are where it all starts for both horses and riders and oﬀer a wonderful social outing for fans as well. Virginia holds more meets than any other state during the season and most are about a scenic, hour-long drive from the DC area.

Both serious fans and casual spectators are able to get closer to the action and rub elbows with owners, trainers and riders as well as the local landed gentry. Snow and cold weather are par for the course at the early meets — but part of the fun, too. Dress warmly (fashionable attire takes a back seat to comfort) and pack plenty of adult antifreeze in your tailgate. Plan to rub elbows with local celebrities in a way you can’t at the larger spring meets – that is, if you recognize them under their winter layers!

This year's season opener, the Rappahannock Hunt scheduled

Spring Fever

for February 28th was rescheduled to March 28th because the condition of the course wasn’t up to par - most likely due to the “snowsleetfreezingrain” event that took place last month and played havoc with everything!

The location, at the Hill farm between Culpeper and Sperryville, has a long history of sport with horse and hound, and has been a long-time favorite ﬁ xture for hunting for its rural beauty and sweeping vistas. The farm owner, himself a horseman and active participant in racing over fences as an owner, trainer and rider, has worked hard to install a ﬁ rst-class course in a splendid little valley with sweeping views of not only the entire course, but the panoramic mountain vistas. The course provides arguably the best views on the circuit.

“He [the Hill farm owner Larry Levy] has pulled out the stops to make it perfect. You drive through the beautiful, pristine farm to get to it, and it's in a natural bowl, with parking on three of the four sides of it. All will have really good views of the course,” said Rappahannock Hunt's Barton Hitchcock, race committee co-chair. In addition to general admission parking, tailgating spaces and party tents are available to reserve for tailgate parking. “We're having good food, too,” Hitchcock added; and said there would be plenty of food trucks and vendors, if visitors don't want to bring their own.

Admission fees are generally less than half of what the big sanctioned races cost, and most of the courses oﬀer spectacular scenic views of the racing as well as the iconic Blue Ridge splendor in the background. The Rappahannock Hunt opener has a variety of reserved rail side tailgating

spaces and tent rentals are available by advance reservation as well. Rappahannock’s general admission is $10, and tailgate party spaces are available by advance reservation. Having your vehicle rail side provides a place to warm up should the weather be inclement. And should you wish to invite a bunch of friends, books of admission tickets are available at discounted prices - go to the hunt's website at www.RappahannockHunt. com for information. Call 540-2229887 or email bartonhitchcock@ gmail.com for information on rail side tailgating space. Gates open at 10 am and the ﬁ rst ﬂat race takes place at 1 pm.

Point to point races are the minor leagues of steeplechasing, or racing over fences, a sport popular in our state since colonial times. It has its roots in the hunt ﬁeld--hundreds of years ago, a pair of Irish foxhunters raced cross country using a church steeple as a landmark, to settle the question of who had the faster foxhunter.

The local hunt clubs are still the backbone of the sport here in Virginia, where each sponsors a race meet every weekend in the spring. For most foxhunting clubs, their point to point is a major fundraiser to oﬀset maintaining a kennel of hounds and paying for staﬀ, vehicles, and insurance. The pandemic cancelled most meets in 2020 and 2021, although some larger meets were held with no spectators or fans allowed. Cancellation of the hunt meets was particularly devastating because these races depend on spectators. In case of inclement weather, call the information number listed below; if a meet is cancelled or postponed, the hunt will have a recorded message.

Hope Springs Farm Orlean VA (540) 364-9480

Main Photo by Jean Van Der Muelen, Tailgaters by Riley Deborde, Hill Sign by Rappahannock Hunt.

HUNT COUNTRY

The Road to L'Auberge Provencale Inn & Restaurant

This past month we decided to head back to the mountains for our Road Trip adventure. For a destination we chose the L'Auberge Provencale Inn and Restaurant which is about a half hour past Middleburg in White Post and a short drive off of Route 340. The distance was about 62 miles from Old Town Alexandria and took about an hour and a half. Once you get off of the belt way and the slot car track locally known as I-66, you can hit some back roads and enjoy the drive. Taking the exit to Route 50 west off of 66 we headed for White Post via Middleburg to the L'Auberge Provencale.

We are pretty familiar since we have been distributing the Old Town Crier out that way pretty much since the beginning in 1988. I was already familiar with the area as I had grown up in Oxon Hill, Maryland and rode my motorcycle throughout the mountains each summer and fall. I wrecked the bike in 1968, so you can see, that was a long time ago. Traﬃc was not near what it is today and the mountains were a good escape. The Virginia Wine Industry was in its' infancy. Today there are over 300 wineries with a rise in the number of breweries and distilleries, making the area a popular destination in the DMV.

As lunch time was fast approaching, we stopped in Middleburg at the Red Horse Tavern for a quick beverage and sandwich. When we ﬁ rst started to distribution in the Blue Ridge “back in the day”, the Red Horse Tavern was called Magpies and,

like Red Horse, was a fun place to frequent and get a good meal and drink at a good price! Getting a deal these days is a huge plus.

After our nice lunch we continued our journey west on Route 50, through horse country and the classic town of Upperville and the home of the former controversial Hunters Head Tavern. We were considering stopping there for a beverage but it appeared to be closed. We later found out that it has sold and is being transformed into an Irishthemed tavern and eatery. We are looking forward to checking it out this summer.

We continued west on Route 50 past the Ashby Inn in Paris and across the Shenandoah River to where we picked up Route 340 south for about a mile and to the L'Auberge Provencale.

The Inn sneaks up on you after you make the turn. In fact, I drove right past the entrance and blue sign announcing the destination. L'Auberge Provencale is a classic French Country Inn in the

middle of the historic Virginia horse and wine country. The property provides fourteen unique guest rooms, an onsite bar and lounge, and an award-winning restaurant and are well known for their extensive wine cellar.

In 2025, the restaurant once again received Wine Spectator's Best of Award Excellence for the caliber of their wine program. The Best of Award Excellence is reserved for restaurants that demonstrate remarkable breadth across wine growing regions or vertical depth of top producers, paired with thoughtful presentation and personal commitment to the guest experience.

You just never know who you might run into at the L'Auberge Provencale. After getting all squared away in our room, we headed to the Bistro section of the restaurant where our longtime friend and former manager at Landini's Restaurant here in Old Town, Drew Chaney, greeted us at the door on our arrival. It was great to see an old friend...it really set the mood.

We immediately went to the bar for a cocktail and to catch up. The bar is small but is not lacking in any way. The liquor inventory is almost as extensive and their wine inventory. We were happy to note that they are supporters of several Commonwealth distilleries and wineries. In fact, they got a nice mention in Matt Fitzsimmons February Grapevine column as being one of the

state’s “Top Stewards of Virginia Wine”. I opted to support my pal Rick Wasmund and ordered a Copper Fox Single Malt on the rocks with a splash while Lani went for one of the many craft cocktails – too exotic for me since it had egg white in it. They have a nice selection of craft mocktails as well for those of you who don’t imbibe but want to experience a fun drink.

Dining at L'Auberge is a spectacular experience. You have your choice of a more laid-back experience in the Bistro area where the menu is billed as “casual bar fare”. The bar is also in this room so there were some lively conversations taking place while we enjoyed our pre-dinner beverages. The next time we visit – probably when we take them copies of this issue – we are planning to experience a few items on this menu. If you are looking for a formal dinner, it is served in one of the two dining areas in their acclaimed Virginia restaurant, La Table Provencalecertainly one of the best restaurants in Northern Virginia and a unique experience. Just as it is done in Provencale, the restaurant employs a farmto-table philosophy that makes for a memorable dining experience. To quote them, "In Provencale, dining is more than eating, it is a celebration of life where you enjoy food at a leisurely pace with friends and family, which is what you will experience at La Table Provencale!”

The menu changes as the seasons do and by the time you are reading this, I imagine the springtime version will be in place so I won’t regale you with what we consumed. However, we are glad that Drew insisted we order one of their signature appetizers – Pigs on a Clothesline. Yes, you read that right. It is strips of some of the absolute best bacon either of us has ever had – and that’s saying something since we are sort of bacon snobs - that are oven roasted and maple glazed and hung on the clothesline with clothes pins and ﬁ nished oﬀ with a torch that caramelizes the residual sugars in the syrup. During the torching process the drippings drop on to the greens and house pickled vegetables that are atop toast points. This makes

for a fantastic ﬂavor combination. The photo featured here shows the ﬁ nished product but the presentation is what makes it extra special.

They do have a dress code in the Dining Room which is business smart attire and I have to admit it does enhance the dining experience.

The restaurant also oﬀers a Sunday Brunch that is enjoyed by guests and locals alike; they have tailgate picnic packages that are available to purchase on steeple chase days during the season and to take if you want to spend a day hiking but want a special meal – everything you need is included.

The accommodations at L'Aberge Provencale are top notch and have great French inspired names. We stayed in the Coco Chanel with a very comfortable queen size bed that you had to use a small step stool to ascend to the comfort of the bed. Our room had an attached bathroom, small refrigerator as well as a coﬀee maker to help start the next morning. There was also a cable TV as well as a glowing electric ﬁ replace that provided some extra heat on the snowy, chilly evening that we were there. The private entrance is a plus as well.

Breakfast is included in your stay. It is served in the beautiful sunny patio side dining room and al fresco when the weather allows. Served between

8 and 10 am, you are asked to pick from a menu provided for you at check in that is turned in before you retire. Fill it in and let them know what time you would like to be served or when you want it delivered to your room. We recommend the eggs benedict and the French toast.

Innkeepers, Celeste and Chef Alain Borel should be very proud of themselves. They have created a place where guests feel like they are visiting an Inn in Provencale. Everyone we encountered during our stay was amazing. From the time we checked in to the time we checked out, the service was impeccable all the way around. It is nice to have an experience like this ever so often to make one feel special.

There is more information about the history of the inn and the many other services they provide –local wine tours, weddings, etc. - that you can ﬁ nd online to help reﬁ ne your visit. Not enough room in this space to print.

Anytime is a good time a road trip to the Blue Ridge, but spring takes on a special air of renewal and reminds us that warmer weather is on the way.

L’Auberge Provencale

13630 Lord Fairfax Highway White Post, VA 540-837-1375

Laubergeprovencale.com

Rosewood Mayakoba

The Ultimate Overwater Experience

When I was reading this piece, I was totally enamored with the whole concept and was all set to see if I could schedule a time to check this place out in person until…I got to the price tag info. At this point in my life, however, I would have to win the lottery to be able to spend a weekend here. However, the more I thought about it the more I realized that there are several people in the Old Town Crier’s distribution realm that could easily aﬀord to splurge on this adventure. In fact, I have a few close friends who fall into this category. Maybe they would take me along just because. For now, enjoy the authors description of what you can expect to experience at the Mayakoba. – Lani Gering

These overwater suites at Rosewood Mayakoba have emerald lagoon views, butler service, and heated private plunge pools. There’s a particular kind of quiet you only get when your room is literally over water. Not a waterfront view from a balcony. Not a “near the lagoon” marketing line. Actual water under your feet, the kind you can see shifting from your bed and hear at the edge of your terrace.

At Rosewood Mayakoba, that overwater experience exists in a place where you don’t normally ﬁ nd it: Mexico’s Riviera Maya, inside the private Mayakoba resort complex just outside Playa del Carmen. And the hotel’s Deluxe Overwater Lagoon Suites are one of the rare examples in the region of a true overwater accommodation—built above a calm, emeraldcolored lagoon, with the kind of layout and outdoor living that feels closer to the Maldives than mainland Mexico.

These aren’t overwater bungalows in the classic South Paciﬁc sense. They’re larger, more residential, and designed for the lagoon environment Mayakoba is known for: still water, thick mangroves, and a property plan that prioritizes privacy over spectacle.

What Makes These Suites Overwater

Plenty of resorts use “overwater” as a loose term. Rosewood Mayakoba does not.

The Deluxe Overwater Lagoon Suite is positioned directly above the lagoon, with uninterrupted water views and a terrace that extends out over the surface. It’s a place deﬁ ned by the color of the lagoon itself— green in the daytime, darker at the edges where mangroves gather — and by how still the water stays compared to open ocean.

That stillness changes the entire overwater experience. You don’t get surf. You don’t get wave sound. You get something closer to a private water garden: reﬂections, slow movement, and a sense of separation from the rest of the resort that feels immediate once you step outside. It’s a diﬀerent kind of overwater stay—less about drama, more about privacy and immersion.

The Suite Layout: Big, Private, And Outdoor-First

The numbers tell you what kind of suite this is.

The Deluxe Overwater Lagoon Suite has 788 square feet of interior space and 1,016 square feet of exterior space. That means the outdoor footprint is larger than the indoor one, and the design leans hard into terrace living.

Outside, the headline feature is a private heated plunge pool, positioned so you can use it at night without losing the view or the feeling of being out over the water. It’s not a decorative pool. It’s a pool you can actually spend time in.

Inside, the suite is built for two guests, with a king bed and a single full bathroom. This is a couple’s suite, not a family unit. The size is generous, but the occupancy cap keeps it intentionally quiet.

The balance is clear: one bedroom, one bath, one terrace, and a lagoon directly beneath you.

The Service Details That Change the Stay

Rosewood’s service model is a major part of why these overwater suites land diﬀerently than the typical “luxury lagoon room.”

The suite includes butler service, 24-hour inroom dining, daily housekeeping and turndown service, and a complimentary welcome beverage. It also includes daily fresh fruit and bottled water.

Those details matter because overwater accommodations tend to create a particular kind of behavior: you leave your room less. You stay on the terrace longer. You eat in more often. You want the room to function as its own destination. This suite is structured around that reality. There’s also a Nespresso coﬀee machine and tea service, WiFi, bathroom amenities, and a Dyson hairdryer — small things, but they reinforce that this is a high-touch room category.

Why Mayakoba Is the Right Setting for Overwater Suites

Mayakoba is a rare resort environment on the Riviera Maya because of its geography. The entire complex is threaded with lagoons, canals, and mangrove corridors, and those water systems create natural separation between buildings. That’s what makes overwater suites viable here in the ﬁ rst place.

In most of the Riviera Maya, you either have beach-fronting hotels with open ocean conditions, or inland jungle properties where water is ornamental. Mayakoba’s lagoon system gives Rosewood a third option: a calm, protected water environment that can support true overwater construction without trying to imitate an island resort.

The result is an overwater stay that feels speciﬁc to this location. You’re not pretending you’re in Bora Bora. You’re staying in a lagoon ecosystem on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, with the kind of privacy and stillness that the Riviera Maya usually reserves for private villas.

The Most Important Detail: The Outdoor Square Footage

If you only remember one fact about these

suites, make it this: the terrace is enormous. At 1,016 square feet, the exterior space is the main event. That’s where the overwater concept becomes tangible. You can spend an entire day outside without feeling like you’re perched on a narrow deck.

That’s also where the suite separates itself from other high-end lagoon rooms in the region. Plenty of hotels oﬀer lagoon views. Very few oﬀer a true overwater terrace with this much usable square footage and a heated plunge pool.

It’s the kind of outdoor layout that turns the room into a private compound.

Who This Suite Is Really For

This suite is designed for travelers who want to stay in one place and feel removed from the rest of the resort, even while being inside a large, well-known luxury complex.

It’s a strong ﬁt for couples celebrating something, travelers who prioritize privacy, and anyone who has done traditional Riviera Maya luxury before and wants something that feels materially diﬀerent without leaving the region.

It’s also the kind of suite that makes sense for travelers who like to structure a trip around the room itself: long terrace time, in-room dining, late swims, and the kind of quiet that feels hard to ﬁ nd at big coastal resorts.

The Bottom Line

Overwater suites are one of the most imitated concepts in luxury travel, and one of the hardest to execute outside a handful of classic destinations.

Rosewood Mayakoba’s Deluxe Overwater

Lagoon Suites succeed because they aren’t trying to recreate an island fantasy. They’re using Mayakoba’s actual lagoon environment—the water, the mangroves, the privacy—and pairing it with a suite design that prioritizes outdoor living in a way most Riviera Maya resorts simply can’t.

You get the overwater feeling, but with a distinctly Mayakoba signature: calm water, deep privacy, and a terrace large enough to live on.

And in this part of Mexico, that combination is genuinely rare.

Prices for These Suites

When you get to the overwater level, prices tend to match, wherever you end up in the Caribbean. Here, you can book the overwater suites like this for about $3,059 per night right now, based on what I found on Rosewood’s website.

About the author: Karen Udler is the Deputy Travel Editor of Caribbean Journal. A graduate of Duke University, has been traveling across the Americas for three decades. First an expert on Latin American travel, Karen has been traveling with CJ for more than a decade. She likes to focus on wellness, luxury travel and food.

Publishers Note: We are happy to partner with Alexander Britell, Founder and Editor in Chief of the Miami, Florida based Caribbean Journal and his staﬀ contributing to the OTC and our Caribbean Connection Section.

Check out the popular online magazine/ website at caribjournal.com for valuable information on all fabulous travel options and things of interest in the Caribbean.

Right on the beach in the nicest part of Naples, next to a park. You cannot get any closer or find a better view at any price than this 2BR 2BA condo. Naples was rated the No. 1 US city to live in by U.S. News and is always on the list of the top 10 best beaches in the U.S. Extremely well built, low density post WWII building that has withstood the past two Cat 4 and 5 hurricanes with no structural damage. Step out to beach or walk to town center, fabulous golfing biking and boating nearby. You cannot buy a better view anywhere on the Gulf for five times the price. For downsizing or a winter getaway don't let this one slip away. Listed for $975,000 with Naples Vibe Realty at 239-300-7006 naplesviberealty.com or call the owner Julie at 540-364-9480 for more information.

DINING GUIDE

AMERICAN

1799 PRIME STEAK & SEAFOOD

110 S. Pitt Street

571-404-6001

ADA'S ON THE RIVER

3 Pioneer Mill Way

703-638-1400

AUGIE’S MUSSEL HOUSE 1106 King Street 703.721.3970

BLACKWALL HITCH

5 Cameron St. 703-739-6090

BOB & EDITHS DINER 1743 King Street

703-664-0043 bobandedithsdiner.com

CHADWICKS 203 Strand St. 703-836-4442

CHART HOUSE One Cameron St. 703-684-5080

CITY KITCHEN

330 South Pickett St. 703-685-9172 fatcitykitchen.com

COOPER MILL 10 Duke St. 703-566-1278

EDDIE'S LITTLE SHOP & DELI 1406 King Street 571-312-8615

EVENING STAR CAFÉ

2000 Mt. Vernon Ave.

703-549-5051

EXECUTIVE DINER & CAFE 1400 Duke Street 703-299-0894

FRANKIE'S KITCHEN & COCKTAIL BAR 823 S. Washington St. 703-512-2118 frankiesoldtown.com

GADSBYS TAVERN 138 N. Royal St. 703-548-1288

HARD TIMES CAFE 1404 King St. 703-837-0050

HEN QUARTER 1404 King St. 703-684-6969

HOME GROWN 1600 King Street 703-705-4955

HOPS 'N SHINE 3410 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-566-1509

HUMMINGBIRD 220 South Union Street 703-566-1355

JACK'S PLACE 222 North Lee St. 703-684-0372

JOE THEISMANNS

1800 Diagonal Rd. 703-739-0777

JULA'S ON THE POTOMAC 44 Canal Center 571-800-6644

JUNCTION BAKERY & BISTRO 1508 Mount Vernon Avenue 703-436-0025 junctionbakery.com

KILN - HOTEL HERON 699 Prince St. 703-662-1900

KINGS RANSOM 728 King Street 571-319-0794

LAPORTAS 1600 Duke St. 703-683-6313

THE LIGHT HORSE 715 King Street 703-549-0533

LOST DOG CAFE

808 North Henry St. 571-970-6511

MACMILLAN'S SPIRIT HOUSE 500 Montgomery St. 703-665-6690

MASON SOCIAL 728 Henry Street 703-548-8800 mason-social.com

MURPHY'S GRAND IRISH PUB 713 King St. 703-548-1717 murphyspub.com

NORTHSIDE 1O 10 East Glebe Rd. 703-888-0032

OAK STEAKHOUSE 901 N. St. Asaph St. 703-840-3395

O'CONNELLS RESTAURANT & BAR 112 King St. 703-739-1124 DanielOconnells.com

PORK BARREL BBQ 2312 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-822-5699

THE PEOPLES DRUG 103 N. Alfred Street 571-257-8851

RAMPARTS 1700 Fern St. 703-998-6616 rampartstavern.com

RIVER BEND BISTRO 7966 Fort Hunt Rd. 703-347-7545 riverbendbistro.com

ROCK IT GRILL 1319 King St. 703-739-2274

ROYAL RESTAURANT 730 N. St. Asaph St. 703-548-1616

RT'S RESTAURANT 3804 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-684-6010 rtsrestaurant.com

SHOOTER MCGEES 5239 Duke St. 703-751-9266

SLATERS MARKET 1552 Potomac Greens Dr. 703-548-3807

SMOKING KOW BBQ 3250 Duke Sttreet 703-888-2649

SONOMA CELLAR 207 King St. 703-966-3550

SOUTH BLOCK 106 N. Lee Street 703-465-8423

SOUTHSIDE 815 815 S. Washington St. 703-836-6222

SWEET FIRE DONNA'S

510 John Carlyle Street 571-312-7960

THE MAJESTIC 911 King St. 703-837-9117

THE STUDY 116 South Alfred Street 703-838-8000

T.J. STONE'S

GRILL HOUSE & TAP ROOM 608 Montgomery St. 703-548-1004 tjstones.com

TOASTIQUE GOURMET TOAST & JUICE BAR 1605 King Street 571-312-1909

UNION STREET PUBLIC HOUSE

121 South Union St. 703-548-1785 unionstreetpublichouse.com

VIRTUE FEED & GRAIN 106 South Union St. 571-970-3669

VOLA’S DOCKSIDE GRILL & HI-TIDE

LOUNGE

101 North Union St. 703-935-8890

THE WAREHOUSE BAR & GRILL

214 King St. 703-683-6868 warehouseoldtown.com

ASIAN

ASIAN BISTRO

809 King St. 703-836-1515

CAPHE BANH MI VIETNAMESE

407 Cameron St. 703-549-0800

INDOCHEN 1625 King Street (571) 404-6050

KISSO ASIAN BISTRO

300 King Street

703-888-1513

MALAYA 1019 King St. 703-519-3710

MAI THAI 9 King St. 703-548-0600

NASIME 1209 King St. 703-548-1848

RAILBIRD KITCHEN 804 North Henry St. 703-577-9023

SIGNATURE THAI 722 King Street 707-888-2458

SISTERS THAI 503 Montgomery St. 571-777-8154

TOKYO JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE 66 Canal Center Plaza 703-683-8878

UMIYA SUSHI 3000 Duke Street 703-564-1800

CONTINENTAL

ALEXANDRIA BIER GARDEN 710 King Street 703-888-1951

CEDAR KNOLL GW Parkway at Lucia Ln. 703-780-3665

OLD HOUSE COSMOPOLITAN 1024 Cameron Street 703-717-9361

FRENCH

BASTILLE 606 N. Fayette St. 703-519-3776 bastillerestaurant.com

BEN' YAYS 1028 King Street 703-495-3888

LE REFUGE 127 N. Washington St. 703-548-4661

FONTAINE CAFFE & CREPERIE 119 S. Royal St. 703-535-8151

LA MADELEINE 500 King St. 703-729-2854

JOSEPHINE 109 South St. Asaph St. 703-683-1776

TWO NINETEEN RESTAURANT 219 King St. 703-549-1141 ITALIAN

ALDO'S ITALIAN KITCHEN 2850 Eisenhower Avenue 703-888-2243

ANDY’S PIZZA 107 N Fayette St 571-319-0497

BUGSY'S PIZZA RESTAURANT 111 King St. 703-683-0313

EPICURE ON KING 703 King Street 703-838-9090

HANDOVER BY THE SLICE 728 King Street 571-319-0794

IL PORTO RESTAURANT 121 King St. 703-836-8833

LANDINI BROTHERS 115 King St. 703-836-8404 landinibrothers.com

LENA’S WOOD-FIRED PIZZA & TAP 401 East Braddock Rd. 703-960-1086

MIA'S ITALIAN KITCHEN 100 King Street 703-997-5300

PIECE OUT 2419 Mount Vernon Avenue 703-398-1287

REDROCKS NEAPOLITAN BISTRO 904 King St. 703-717-9873

THOMPSON ITALIAN 1026 King Street alexandria@thompsonitalian.com

MEDITERRANEAN

BARCA PIER & WINE BAR 2 Pioneer Mill Way 703-638-1100

DELIA'S MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 209 Swamp Fox Rd. 703-329-0006

ELAINE'S 208 Queen Street 571-970-0517

TAVERNA CRETEKOU 818 King St. 703-548-8688 tavernacretekou.com

PITA HOUSE

719 King St. 703-684-9194

VALLETTA PORT 682 N St Asaph St. 703-512-4122

VASO'S MEDITERRANEAN BISTRO 1118 King Street 703-566-2720

VASO'S KITCHEN 1225 Powhatan Street 703-548-2747

SEAFOOD

HANK'S OYSTER BAR 818 N St. Asaph 703-739-HANK

FISH MARKET 105 King St. 703-836-5676 ﬁshmarketoldva.com

THE WHARF 119 King St. 703-836-2834

WHISKEY & OYSTER 301 John Carlyle 703-567-1533

INDIAN

BOLLYWOOD MASALA 211 King Street 703-512-0175

DISHES OF INDIA 1510A Bellview Blvd. 703-660-6085 DIYA 218 North Lee, 2nd Floor 703-706-5338

KISMET MODERN INDIAN 111 North Pitt Street 703-567-4507

NAMASTE 1504 King St. 703-970-0615

MEXICAN LATIN SOUTHWESTERN CASA TEQUILA 1701 Duke 703-518-5312

CHOP SHOP TACO 1008 Madison Street 571-970-6438

DON TACO TEQUILA BAR 808 King St. 703-988-3144

LOS CUATES 1116 King Street 703-548-2918

LOS TIOS GRILL 2615 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-299-9290

LOS TOLTECOS 4111 Duke St. 703-823-1167

TAQUERIA POBLANO 2400-B Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-TACO (8226)

TEQUILA & TACO 540 John Carlyle Street 703-721-3203

URBANO 116 116 King Street 571-970-5148

Sláinte

March is a grand time to visit Old Town’s two wonderful Irish Restaurants - Murphy's Grand Irish Pub and Daniel O’Connell's Irish Restaurant & Bar. We featured them both in this space a few years ago but wanted to show them some extra love again this year. Even though this article is in our Dining Out Column, the approach will be diﬀerent. I wanted to write about the opening of each and my thoughts. Some of you might not agree with me, but I feel that Murphy’s is more of neighborhood “Cheers” kind of place while O’Connell's is more upscale with “Old World” charm. You can’t deny, however, that they are both Irish to the core.

Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub & Restaurant

713 King Street

I moved to Old Town in 1977. This beautiful destination was not anywhere as big or popular back then. Actually, only Alexandrians knew much about Old Town. Old Town proper back then extended from the Potomac River to the 700 block of King Street, one block on the other side of Washington Street. Almost all of the action was down on the waterfront with restaurants and shops occupying old seaport warehouses. In fact, the revitalization of the wharf area had only begun that decade. Back in the 60's, Old Town was just a thought.

I met a guy, David Stasko, at the Fish Market Restaurant in the Brass bar and we became lifelong friends. Dave grew up in Alexandria and knew everything and everyone. He invited me to come play rugby with West Potomac Rugby and I accepted. This was my entree to Old Town. We would meet with other new friends every day at one of the bars on lower King Street. The now defunct Ireland’s Own was the only established Irish bar in Old Town but word about a new Irish bar opening up in the “west end” of old town drifted down to the water so we decided to investigate.

as well. He and his family have achieved that goal. Today, rather than on the outskirts of Old Town they are one of the anchors in the middle achieving Tom's goal every day.

In addition to food offerings that you may fi nd on most menus, they have some unique Irish offerings as well. Shrimp Killarney, Jameson Baked Oysters, Irish Egg Rolls, Shepherd’s Pie, Irish Stew, Bangers and Mash, Guinness Burger and Irish Meat & Potato Pie.

I don’t recall exactly what time of the year it was, but one nice day in 1978, we walked up to 713 King Street and walked in the front door of Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub. They were still in the opening stage, ﬁ nishing up the bar and setting up the room. We met the owner, Tom Mooney, and had a good conversation. His goal was to bring authentic Irish cuisine to Alexandria at a fair price and good Irish hospitality and music

Murphy's also has one of the largest bars in Old Town and is usually packed with locals who call this pub home. They have a wide selection of draft beers and Irish Whiskeys. On the main ﬂoor, there is a small stage in the middle of the restaurant along the wall opposite the bar where entertainment is provided seven nights a week with no cover charge. It is here that I ﬁ rst met some of the talented musicians in the Alexandria and D.C. area.

For those chilly days there is a fantastic wood burning ﬁ replace centered twothirds of the way back in the dining room with a view from both sides. It is magniﬁcent!

Murphy's has a second floor dining room with a full bar and a stage as well as a fi replace. This room is used for special events, private parties or for overflow on weekends or other special occasions. This is also the space where devout New England Patriots fans gather to watch their team in action during the season.

Congratulations to Tom Mooney, his wife Melinda and son Tommy and his wife Ann for achieving their goal as they celebrate 48 years in Old Town.

Daniel O'Connell's Restaurant & Bar

112 King Street

Compared to Murphy’s, O'Connell's is a new kid on the block - they celebrate their 20th year this month. After an extensive build out – the space was formerly Bullfeather's Restaurant - the “new” Irish place picked a great day to open its doors for the ﬁ rst time...St. Patrick's Day 2006. The management removed all of the furniture except one table in the back of the main bar and stored everything in a box truck parked out front (clearly that was before 100 King became a pedestrian mall). They must have had a premonition, since it was standing room only and folks were shoulder to shoulder after a few hours. We took advantage of the grand opening and headed for O’Connell’s early. We were lucky and sat at the only table on the ground ﬂoor. Needless to say, it was a very successful opening.

O'Connell’s was founded by Dublin resident John Brennan and former partner, Billy Sullivan, and is today run by his daughter Kate who is also the General Manager. Kate is doing an excellent job at O'Connell's with the help of their very capable staﬀ.

Once the build out was done, they brought a life-long collection of antiques from churches, museums and other historic structures in Ireland to be placed in the new restaurant. One of the ﬁ rst things you will notice upon entering the establishment... their attention to the details. It is truly a step back in time and you feel as if you are in a pub in Ireland. There is a smaller bar as you enter with furnishings from an apothecary. After climbing two steps you enter the main bar and dining room. Keep in mind that the back bar is hundreds of years old – yes hundreds. Be sure to check out all of the artifacts on the shelves and walls. For those chilly spring days, they have a gas ﬁ replace with high tops in front available to warm you up.

O'Connell's also has a second floor for dining that is open and looks down into the main dining room. Also on this floor are the Fitzgerald Room and Bar and the O’Sullivan Room and Bar. Both are utilized for special events and private parties. The upstairs is decorated with antique furnishings as well with a pulpit from a church over-looking the downstairs dining area. On nice days, the second floor bar has a deck for outdoor dining and drinking.

The bar at O'Connell's is extensive with numerous Irish whiskies in the line-up. And for all of you beer lovers, they have 16 on tap and too many to mention in cans and bottles.

Like Murphy’s, O'Connell's oﬀers "Auld Favorites" like Fish & Chips, Shepherd's Pie, Full Irish Breakfast, Bangers and Mash, Guinness Burger, Lamb Stew, Corned Beef and Cabbage in addition to other American oﬀerings.

This establishment has become one of Old Town's favorite gathering places as the Irish hospitality is welcoming. As with Murphy’s, we have been regular customers since their opening.

In fact, they started celebrating their 20th with a kick-oﬀ on February 28th and have all sorts of things planned for Parade Day on the 7th, on the 14th and on the 17th so be sure to check out their social media outlets for details.

Both Murphy’s and O’Connell’s oﬀer great happy hour prices, brunch on weekends, live entertainment and my favorite – the Six Nations Rugby tournament play in real time. I bet you were wondering how I was going to weave rugby back into this story. In fact, at the time of this writing we are in the middle of the tournament, however, Ireland is struggling a bit and are in the middle of the pack between Scotland and England with France at the top of the heap and Italy and Wales at the bottom.

As St. Patrick's Day approaches, make plans to visit both of these Old Town gems. Check out their ads in these pages for contact information. Sláinte!

IRISH COLCANNON Taking the Potato to a Whole Other Level

If you have never heard of colcannon and champ, you'd be hard pressed to ﬁgure out what these are.

Colcannon is a much-beloved Irish mashed potato dish. It is a heavenly concoction, traditionally served on All Hallows' Eve, with either charms or coins hidden inside it, but equally as welcome on St. Patrick’s Day.

Colcannon (along with champ), is one of the 1,000 foods to eat listed in the book 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die, by Mimi Sheraton. If you've never tried colcannon, I beg you to make this and indulge in a huge bowl of it soon!

I can describe it as creamy and buttery mashed potatoes mixed with softened and boiled cabbage. Green onions (champ) are added last, along with a generous amount of pepper. A signiﬁcant amount of butter should then be placed in the middle of a mound of the colcannon, to melt into it. You should go about eating the colcannon by spooning up a heap of the potatoes, along with some of the melted butter. This is heaven.

INGREDIENTS

2 large Russet potatoes ¼ cabbage cored and chopped 6 green onions sliced 6 tablespoon butter - split ½ cup milk salt to taste

pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Peel and cut your potatoes into small pieces and place in a pot. Add water to just cover the potatoes. Add a pinch of salt, and then bring the potatoes to the boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium and then simmer for approximately 10 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.

Meanwhile bring another pot of water (ﬁlled about ¾ full) to the boil. Add your chopped cabbage along with

a pinch of salt, and boil for about 2 minutes. Lower your heat to medium and simmer for another 8 minutes or so.

Once your potatoes and cabbage are tender, drain. Add the potatoes back to the pot, along with 5 tablespoons of butter, and your milk. Mash the potatoes until creamy and smooth. Then add your drained cabbage, and salt and pepper to taste.

Last but not least, add your sliced green onions and stir. Place the potatoes in a bowl, and make a shallow well in the middle. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter, and add a generous amount of pepper. Enjoy this colcannon with corned beef, any meat, or on its own! About the Author: Hi I’m Grace! I'm married and a mom to my fur baby, Toby, and food and travel are two of my greatest passions! Since our bank account does not allow us to travel or eat out as much as we'd like, I decided I would cook delicious meals that could give us a taste of all the places we'd like to go. My goal is to get you in the kitchen, and inspire you to cook and taste delightful meals that will transport you too. Let’s throw some actual travel in from time to time, all with an emphasis on keeping your wallet full and happy as well. Let’s get cooking and let’s start exploring!! I'm excited to be on this journey with you!! Find me at explorecookeat.com

St. Patrick’s Day CELEBRATE

ALL MARCH LONG

20 years of f riendship, pints, and great craic Daniel O’Connell’s celebrates years this March

The celebration kicks off Saturday, Feb 28th! Enjoy jam-packed days on February 28 , March 7 (parade day), March 14 , and March 17th

everyone is irish on st. patrick’s day!

although some people probably shouldn’t be…

St. Paddy’s Day falls on a Tuesday this year, and my friends and I love that! Did I just give you pause? (He wrote with a chuckle)

Well, allow me to expound on that sentiment. I am sure that some of you are wondering why we love our holiday falling on a Tuesday.

It’s easy. When St. Paddy’s Day falls on a weekday, the early crowd is a true Irish American crowd. They’re there for the same reason we are, to celebrate their heritage, in true Irish fashion, of course. And they understand that it’s about camaraderie and enjoyment, not just getting drunk

“St. Patrick’s Day is all about being Irish and celebrating as only the Irish know how.: - Anthony T. Hincks

My buddies and I have a long running Old Town St. Paddy’s Day routine. The day starts early, with breakfast. Eating is important on this day. Forgetting to do so can be dangerous. The day is a marathon, not a sprint. So planning is essential. And starting with a full belly is one of the keys to success. I also set my phone alarm to remind me to eat lunch. It’s easy to get caught up in the festivities and forget. It’s only one day. And one wants to get a full day out of it.

We sometimes eat breakfast at a local restaurant, an Old Town staple known as Table Talk. Or we head straight to the pub and have breakfast there. Either way, we are sitting at the upstairs bar at Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub on King Street by nine o’clock am. Times have changed, but the location hasn’t. The festivities always begin at Murphy’s.

“There are only two kinds of people in the world: the Irish, and those who wish they were” – Irish Saying

The afternoon is fun, festive, and great. But then things change at four pm. That’s when the “other” crowd rolls into the pub. To be honest, they’re just looking to have fun as well. But they’re mostly younger, so not experienced partiers. To them, it is a sprint. And many of them probably had a salad for lunch. This becomes obvious after they’ve had two beers and

a shot. They sadly don’t understand that a salad will not carry you very far during a true St. Paddy’s celebration. The reality is, they’re who we used to be. The life experience that they lack is the same that has changed us.

They show up in droves and hammer beers and shots. Everyone in the bar begins to feel like they’re being herded like cattle and pushed around like chattel. There was a time when our group wasn’t bothered by such things. A time when we would have actually enjoyed such a crowd. A time when we used to stay out until ten or eleven in the evening on St. Paddy’s Day. Now the day ends around 4 pm. The eﬀects of age and domestication are truly remarkable.

I’m not a party pooper, shots are fun. Although I do prefer to sip my whiskey. And Irish whiskey is very enjoyable. It’s a big part of the celebration. It’s also my second favorite whiskey. Bourbon will always be my ﬁ rst. But on St. Paddy’s Day, Irish whiskey takes a back seat to Irish beer.

Irish beer is a huge part of Irish history and reaches back well before famous brands and global breweries. It has roots that stretch back to medieval monastic brewing, when small religious communities and local alehouses supplied simple, un-hopped ales across the country. Much of a beer’s ﬂavor comes from hops. So, drinking an un-hopped beer is unpalatable to a modern-day drinker. But things had to start somewhere. Irish brewers relied on herbs and local ingredients to ﬂavor and preserve their beer.

By the late Middle Ages and into the 1600s, brewing had become more organized, especially in Dublin, where growing trade and population created steady demand for stronger, more consistent beer. The turning point came in 1759, when Arthur Guinness signed a now-legendary lease at St. James's Gate Brewery and began brewing porter. Visiting this brewery is still on my bucket list. Arthur helped establish porter, and later stout, as the dominant Irish beer style. His beer, known today as Guinness, helped deﬁ ne Irish brewing

Tim’s Whiskey and Cigar Recommendations

for generations, shifting public taste away from lighter ales and toward darker, fuller-bodied styles. Porters and stouts will forever be closely associated with Ireland itself.

Our fi rst beer on every St. Paddy’s Day is a Guinness, so is our second and third. It’s a classic dry Irish stout that’s smoother and more restrained than most people expect. You’ll pick up light roasted barley, subtle coffee, and cocoa on your nose. The fi rst sip is soft and creamy, led by gentle roast and toasted grain rather than heavy chocolate or sugar that you fi nd in other stouts. The fi nish is clean, dry, and slightly bitter. Overall, Guinness is crisp, creamy, and quietly complex. This stout is loaded with flavor. It’s built for long term, slow sipping enjoyment. Guiness is not the big, heavy, dessert-style stout that people assume it is.

Around the same time period as Guinness, Smithwick's (pronounced Smiticks) came into existence in Kilkenny and grew into one of the most powerful breweries in the world. John Smithwick focused on brewing ale rather than porter, which set the brewery apart as darker beers were beginning to dominate other Irish cities. Smithwick’s Ale is built around light malt rather than hops. The aroma features caramel, toffee, toasted grain, and a subtle earthy hop. The fi rst sip brings gentle caramel and biscuit malt. The fi nish is clean, short, and lightly dry with a soft malt fade. Smithwick’s is our go-to beer after we’ve downed a couple of pints of Guinness.

Red Breast 12-Year-Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

This whiskey is one of my personal favorites, and a go to on St. Paddy’s Day. On the nose, you get spicy, fruity, and toasted wood aromas, with hints of dried fruits, citrus peel, honey. The palate reveals a silky-smooth texture with subtle baking spices, caramel, and notes of nut. The oak barrel fi nish defi nitely comes through. This whiskey fi nishes long and satisfying, with spice, fruit, and oak flavors that linger.

Nub Cameroon 460

This is a cigar that can stand up to Irish beer and whiskey. Nubs are made by Oliva, who doesn’t make a bad cigar. I always suggest going with a 460, 4-inch, 60 gauge. These Nubs just seem to smoke better than the thinner or thicker ones. The Cameroon opens with black pepper and cedar. As you get further in, it becomes creamy with hints of leather, but the pepper and cedar linger. It ﬁ nishes a little sweeter, with the same ﬂavors being present throughout the smoke. Enjoy it with that Guiness and Red Breast 12 you are drinking. Sláinte!

This cigar, and many other ﬁne cigars, are available at John Crouch Tobacconist at 215 King St. in Old Town Alexandria. Mention this article and get 10% oﬀ the purchase of this month’s recommended cigar.

St. Paddy’s Day is not a big craft beer day. The craft beer brewers will tell you that. People will choose the Irish beers over any other on that day. And you can’t blame them. Guinness and Smithwick’s are some of the best mass-produced beers made. One last tip to help you have a great St. Paddy’s Day, stay away from green beer. It’s just cheap beer with green food dye in it. And you will not appreciate its eﬀects when you are in the bathroom the next morning. Trust me. I learned this years ago.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! And enjoy the marathon. Slainte! About the Author: Timothy Long is an educator, writer, consultant, and experienced restaurant operator. Email: tlong@ belmarinnovations.com . Instagram and Twitter: @wvutimmy. Blog: What is that ﬂ y doing in my soup? whatﬂ yinmysoup.com

(703) 548-2900

Virginia Wine Trivia Every Oenophile Should Know

When oenophiles think of events that changed the course of the American wine industry, they’ll likely mention the 1976 “Judgement of Paris.” During that event, a group of French wine judges blind tasted a lineup of American and French chardonnays and red blends, and ranked a pair of Napa wines as the best in both categories.

While not as famous, the Virginia wine industry has made its own contributions to the modern wine industry. Here are a few pieces of Virginia wine trivia that everyone should know.

The Carter Family – Colonial Virginia’s First Winemakers

Thomas Jefferson is America’s most famous oenophile, yet he never made his own wine. While he believed America had great potential as a wine region and spent decades trying to grow European grapes, Jefferson’s experiments were constantly thwarted by pests and weather. Few realize that almost 20 years prior to his viticultural trials at Monticello, the Carter family succeeded where even Jefferson failed. The Carters were one of the “First Families of Virginia,” a group of early settlers who rose to social and political prominence. Looking to diversify their crops away from tobacco, Virginia farmers were encouraged to plant vines.

In 1762, Charles Carter sent a dozen bottles of wine produced at his plantation of Cleve (located in today’s King George County) to London’s Royal Society of Arts. The exact

grapes he used is unknown, although they likely came from a mix of domestic and European vines.

Impressed with what they sampled, the Society awarded him a gold medal for his “spirited attempt towards the accomplishment of their views, respecting wine in America.” A year later, the Royal Governor of Virginia certiﬁed that the Carter family successfully grew European grapes.

The Carter family’s vines were short-lived, likely the victim of the same issues that beset Jeﬀerson. Nevertheless, the Carters were the ﬁ rst successful winegrowers in Virginia (if only for a few years), and possibly all Colonial America.

The Story of Woburn Winery, America’s First Black Owned and Operated Winery

The American wine industry is notorious for its lack of diversity. According to a 2019 survey of 3,100 wine industry professionals by SevenFifty Daily, only 2% of participants identiﬁed as Black

John June Lewis, Sr (1894–1974) was one of the pioneers of this movement, a Black man born from a former slave owner and Confederate veteran.

Born in Mecklenburg County, Lewis is listed in the 1910 United States Federal Census as a mulatto servant of Armistead Burwell. John’s son John June "Duckie" Lewis, Jr. previously indicated Burwell was also Lewis Sr’s father, and census records further link the Burwell and Lewis families.

Burwell taught the older Lewis winemaking when Lewis was a child, though it wasn’t until Lewis Sr. was stationed in Europe with the US Army during the aftermath of WW I that he discovered a passion for wine. He would later inherit the former Burwell farm, and planted 10 acres of vines there following the repeal of Prohibition.

This land became known as Woburn Winery, widely regarded as America’s ﬁ rst Black-owned and operated winery. Woburn made wine from native and hybrid grapes for 30 years and closed shortly after Lewis Sr.’s death in 1974.

Horton Vineyards’ 1993 Viognier – The Wine That Helped Put Virginia on The Wine Map The 1990s were a time of experimentation for the Virginia wine industry. Vineyards were ﬁnally reappearing after a long prohibition-induced absence, and information on how to grow

vinifera (European-based grapes) in Virginia’s humid weather was scarce.

Few vineyards embraced this spirit of experimentation as passionately as Dennis Horton. According to Horton Vineyards winemaker (and Dennis’s granddaughter) Caitlin Horton, “My grandfather really didn’t like chardonnay. He wanted a white that he could pair with heavier food. While traveling in France he found viognier in the Rhône valley and fell in love with it. So, he planted 14 acres oﬀ the bat – didn’t even do a test planting.

People thought he was crazy.”

At the time, viognier was essentially dying out. When Jancis Robinson wrote Vines, Grapes & Wine in 1985 she could only identify records for 80 acres planted in the entire world, most of it in viognier’s home of Condrieu.

Dennis’s intuition paid oﬀ. Horton’s 1993 Viognier won ﬁrst place at a California wine competition, providing Virginia some of its earliest national recognition as a wine region.

The Napa-based French Laundry (one of the most esteemed restaurants in the United States) took notice, and selected it as the ﬁrst Virginia wine to have a place on their wine list.

Horton’s success not only gave a publicity boost to the nascent Virginia wine industry, it was also instrumental in saving this grape, which now has around 40,000 acres worldwide.

About the Author: Matthew Fitzsimmons is a blogger who has visited nearly every winery in Virginia – most of them twice. Track his progress at winetrailsandwanderlust.com.

As the snow piles are melting down and we are seeing the ground again, I feel like we are hitting a fresh season with better luck happening ahead. Maybe it’s just spring, maybe it’s that Luck O’ the Irish thing or just that we’ve been down so long that it all looks up from here. For whatever reason, the Virginia Wine industry has a lot of positive things happening in 2026 and we want all you folks to visit, imbibe, enjoy, and bring home the tastes that we grow for you!

From the vineyard side, as cold as it was in January and February, the reports from our state entomologists, or bug specialists, is that this extended period of cold will kill off a significant amount of the eggs for the spotted lantern flies. Also, although many vineyard sites are still in a drought situation, growers have developed ways to manage their vines better through soil improvements, irrigation and pruning techniques. We have learned more about the symbiotic relationship between the soil nutrients, the microbes in the soil and the plants. Through this learning we have used less chemicals, improved our biodiversity in our vineyard rows, increased our nutrient availability by using more organics and compost.

In the cellar, our wines are tasting terriﬁc! In my style as a pretty traditional winemaker, barrel aged, hearty reds is what I do, what I want our customers to enjoy. But I have learned over the years that sparkling wines, sweeter styled wines, and even wine cocktails are pretty popular with our customers. Although I have tendencies to just stay in my lane, I am willing to learn other wines in order to stay fresh,

The Shift is Coming

relevant, and frankly to stay selling wines. Speaking of selling wines, there are more efforts now that ever to help our customers to engage in Virginia wines and to take some home. Here in Loudoun County, we have few different events on schedule for customers to come out and enjoy. March 14th has our annual county wide barrel tasting and June will have our “Pride in the Vines” celebration. On a local wholesale note, the Loudoun Wineries Association has launched their effort to get more of our local wines into stores and restaurants, especially on the “by the glass” program. This should help make our wines more accessible for all, mainly folks that don’t make it out to the wineries much.

So, the effort is to move forward. Find our wines at the shops, restaurants, offsite events and festivals. Come visit the wineries for a special event, or just a peaceful visit with friends and family. Bring wines home and share them with friends, family members, at dinners and at parties. Our businesses will stay in place as long as the wine is flowing in a positive direction. Thank you all so much for your patronage and overall support.

About the Author: Farmer, winemaker, entrepreneur, educator, and leader, Doug Fabbioli has been accelerating the growth and quality of Virginia’s wine industry since 1997. With his wife Colleen, Doug is the owner/ operator of Fabbioli Cellars in Leesburg, VA. He is the founder and director of The New Ag School, which focuses on teaching the next generation of farmers and agriculture-related leaders. No wonder they call Doug Fabbioli the Godfather of DC's Wine Country.

It’s Not Too Late…

Now is the time to order your lily bulbs. The earlier you shop the more choices you'll have. Lily bulbs planted this spring will ﬂower this summer and return to bloom again for years to come.

Lilies add long-lasting color and fragrance to ﬂower gardens and summer bouquets. These stately ﬂowers provide vertical interest and blend nicely with other perennials. And best of all, with very little care, you’ll be enjoying them for years to come. Planting the bulbs early is the key.

Plant diﬀerent types of lilies to extend your enjoyment from early summer into fall. The colorful and often fragrant blossoms add elegance to any bouquet and are long-lasting in a vase.

Start oﬀ the summer with Asiatic lilies. These compact plants have upward or outward facing blooms, and though they are not fragrant, they do come in bright colors that will light up your early summer garden. All are hardy in zones 4 to 9.

The next lilies to bloom are LA Hybrids. These trumpet-shaped lilies are a cross between fragrant Easter lilies (Lilium longiﬂorum) and colorful Asiatics. Choose from an array of rich colors including cream,

pink, yellow, orange and red. Hardy in zones 4 to 9 – we are in zone 7.

The dainty blossoms of turk’s cap lilies open in early summer. Also known as Martagon lilies, these ﬂowers have recurved petals and look like they are dangling from an upsidedown candelabra. Hardy in zones 3 to 9, these lilies prefer partially shaded gardens and woodland edges.

tiger lilies form impressive clumps, with towering, 4-foot stems. Hardy in zones 3 to 9.

Trumpet lilies steal the show in midsummer. Like their close relative the Easter lily, these big, outward-facing blossoms have long trumpets and are wonderfully fragrant. Another group of midsummer lilies are the Oriental-Asiatic (OA) hybrids. These have the compact height and outward facing ﬂowers of Asiatics and the larger ﬂowers and heady fragrance of Orientals. Look for the variety Kaveri, which has golden yellow petals touched with tangerine and burgundy. Hardy in zones 4 to 9.

Species lilies have downward facing flowers with reflexed petals and extra-long stamens. Bloom times vary. Lady Alice (Lilium henryi) and coral lilies (Lilium pumilum) flower a full month before tiger lilies (Lilium lancifolium). The latter are treasured for their big orange flowers and prominent black spots. Over time,

Oriental-Trumpet (OT) lilies are hybrids with fragrant, upward-facing flowers that can measure 9” across. Colors range from maroon and rose pink through gold and cream. The cool yellow flowers of “Yelloween” make this OT lily a favorite among florists. Hardy in zones 4 to 9.

The lily season ends with a bang, when the Oriental lilies begin to bloom. These big, open-faced ﬂowers have a spicy fragrance that can perfume an entire garden. A wide range of colors, including the popular variety Stargazer, invites lots of creative pairings in the garden and in a vase. Hardy in zones 5 to 9.

About the Author: Melinda Myers is the author of more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD seriesand the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio segments. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Longﬁeld Gardens for her expertise to write this article. www.melindamyers.com

FIRST BLUSH KIM PUTENS

Tricks and Tools of the Trade

Let’s face it gals, it’s a tough world out there and who couldn’t benefit from a few tricks and tools that make our beauty routines (and lives) easier. We all want to look our best and be able to rely on tools that get the job done quickly and effectively. With a beauty arsenal of reliable weapons, you can face each day with confidence knowing you possess the must-haves to pull off any great look.

Tweezers

You may think there is little difference between the drug store tweezer you discovered in the back of a messy drawer and the precision options praised by beauty editors. But quality makes all the difference. Tweezerman is the Cadillac of tweezers and relatively inexpensive when you consider its unmatched performance and precision. Its sharp steel tips are hand-filed and grab the hair every time. It comes in different shapes, sizes and styles, some with fun patterns to complement your style. And here’s a bonusTweezerman will sharpen your tweezer when it becomes dulled from everyday use at no cost! This coveted favorite pays for itself, so invest! Nothing frames your face better than a set of neatly groomed, excellently manicured brows.

Eyelash Curler

Short of a solid eight hours in dreamland, nothing makes you look more awake or bright-eyed than curled eyelashes. Even if you have absolutely no time to throw on makeup, curling your eyelashes takes seconds and gives you a ﬂirtatious look that lasts all day. Don’t feel like swiping on the mascara? No problem—a pair of curled lashes makes your peepers pop. Invest in a quality tool to make your curl last. The brand adored by makeup artists and professionals is Shu Uemura. It yields a perfect curl with unmatched precision, accentuating even the smallest lashes. This top performer lifts lashes to new heights with exceptional results and curls your lashes quickly with little pressure or tugging. After all, who has successfully batted their eyelashes at the cute Starbucks guy without curling them ﬁ rst?

Brush Set

This one almost goes without saying. Your makeup is only as good as the tools with which you apply it, so this is not the place to cut corners. Good makeup brushes are expensive, but will outlast their cheap cousins by a long shot and yield a noticeable

diﬀerence in the application of your makeup. Whether you collect them individually or buy a set, do some research about which type works best for you. Synthetic brushes are easy to clean and available in antibacterial versions, while animal brushes last but will cost you. The three brushes every woman should possess are eyeshadow, powder and blush. Add diﬀerent brushes to your collection over time. Trust me, they’re worth it!

Good Hair Tools

The same goes for hair tools— your hair will only look as good as the tools you use to maintain and style it. Every woman should have a decent hair dryer and hairbrush. Whether you’re willing to break the bank or prefer to shop around for cheaper alternatives, every good hair dryer should have multiple heat

distort the polish from the dryer’s heat or blast of air. If you curl or ﬂat iron your hair, invest in a solid, ceramic iron.

As for hairbrushes, the champion of mane tamers is the Mason Pearson, originated in 1885. These rubbercushioned brushes are handmade with the best materials to care for your tresses. Regular brushing conditions and cleans your hair and stimulates the scalp while imparting suppleness and healthy sheen. Mason Pearson’s quality simply cannot be matched and is available in boar hair and nylon bristles. Always use a wide-tooth comb on wet hair, never brush it!

Q-tips

If I could only have one “beauty tool” in my bag at all times, it would be the Q-Tip. It’s your cheap and versatile beauty workhorse. Stash them in your

and speed settings with 1800 watt power or higher. Diﬀusers and nozzle attachments are added bonuses. I use my hairdryer as much to dry my locks as for handy beauty tricks. When you don’t have the time to allow justpainted nails to fully dry, use your hairdryer to speed things along! Keep it on a low, cool setting so as not to

desk, purse and car—you’ll thank me! Q-Tips ﬁ x mascara smudges, correct makeup mistakes, function as an applicator for lipstick, gloss, and shadow, and are perfect for removing unsightly clumps of makeup buildup from the inner corners of your eyes. Correct polish slip-ups with Q-Tips

while the color is still wet. Your hands and feet will look like they were done professionally. And here’s a bonus: run an oil-soaked Q-Tip along sticky, stubborn zippers. The oil acts as a lubricant making the teeth open and close with ease.

Mani/pedi Tool Set

As much as I love indulging in a professional mani/pedi, I often kick myself for indulging in something that chips three days later! Manicures and pedicures are relatively simple to perform at home, so shop around for a tool set that will get the job done right. You can fi nd professional quality, affordable sets with a full array of tools and most come with a step-by-step guide to ensure a perfect paint job. By deciding to DIY your mani/pedi, you can afford that new pair of sandals you’ve been dying to buy and show off your handiwork at the same time. Even if you’re not a nail polish kinda gal, keep a nail file on hand for unexpected breaks or tears. In a pinch, you can use a closed zipper as a file! A little crude, but it works!

Clear Nail Polish

Not only does slapping on a coat of the stuﬀ instantly give dull, naked nails a shiny, sophisticated polish, this unassuming little bottle will wow you with its versatility. Everyone knows the helpless feeling when you spot the start of a run in your stockings. That little hole that, with your luck, you notice just as you’re walking into that all-important job interview. A dab of clear polish will stop the run dead in its tracks. Similarly, you can prevent frayed fabric from unraveling at cuﬀs and hems by brushing on a swipe of the clear goo. My favorite trick is applying it to inexpensive costume jewelry to keep it sparkling clean and free of tarnish. And remember, storing polish of any color in the fridge keeps it fresher longer!

Vaseline

It’s cheap, it’s versatile, it’s amazing! Buy a small jar and stash it in your bag. It will last forever and you’ll be surprised how often you pull it out for one reason or another. Vaseline is an excellent moisturizer, especially in winter months when dry skin is at its worst. Use it as hand cream, to sooth rough cuticles, as lip balm, or to tame unruly brows. Put a thin coat on eyelashes before bed. It promotes longer, thicker lashes over time. When applied at perfume points before spritzing, Vaseline maintains the scent longer. In a pinch, Vaseline will work as a makeup remover, too.

Let’s Start Running Into Spring

Spring is in the air and so is the pitter pat of beginning runners of all ages hitting the roads and trails across the country. Similar to the masses of new gym goers in January excited by New Year’s resolutions to become fitter, beginning runners often hit the road at the fi rst sign of warmer weather with similar aspirations. Many new runners head out with good intentions and admirable goals, but often fi nd themselves overwhelmed or unenthused with the progress of their new activity. Why is that? Running is often the fi rst choice of new fitness enthusiasts because of the low start-up costs, the fact that you can do it just about anywhere, and there are no long term dues or fees associated with running. Because of the low cost and ease of access, many new runners aren’t prepared mentally or physically for the new demands they’re about to put on their bodies and well as the time investment needed. All good things come in time and running is defi nitely one of those “good things.” Here are 10 tips to help ensure success with your new adventure into running.

1. Get Fitted: Pay a visit to your local independent running store. Often these smaller stores have more knowledgeable staﬀ than the big box retails stores. Many provide a gait analysis that reveals your foot strike pattern. Knowing this will help in selecting the best shoe for your foot type. Don’t skimp on your shoes. Be prepared to pay $80 to $100 for a good pair of running shoes.

2. Get Technical: Invest a little in some technical fabric running shorts, tops, and socks. Technical

fabric can be made of a variety of ﬁbers including natural and synthetic materials. Avoid 100 percent cotton. It tends to retain sweat causing chaﬃng, irritation, and even blisters. Technical fabrics allow the moisture to rise to the surface where it can evaporate. They still get damp, but not nearly as much as 100 percent cotton.

3. Get a Group: Motivation, inspiration, accountability, and commitment increase dramatically when you’re a part of a running group or at least have a running buddy. Everyone experiences times when they don’t want to run, but if you know you have buddies counting on you, it can make all the diﬀerence in the world when it comes to rolling over and getting out of bed. Check with your local running store. Many provide beginning running groups or know of running coaches in the area that work with beginning runners.

4. Get a Plan: Just getting out the door and running often does not work for many people, especially if you’ve been sedentary or away from exercise for any period of time. Find a beginning running plan to follow. There are beginning running programs online or you can contact your local running store, running club, or running coaches in the area to inquire about beginning running plans. One of the most eﬀective ways to begin is with a run/walk method

5. Get Acclimated: Whenever you begin new exercise your body’s ﬁtness level will actually dip a little while you acclimate to the new demands you’re putting on your body. Understand before you take up running that it takes your body about four to six weeks to

acclimate to the new demands. Anticipating that “wiped out feeling” can actually make it less of a shock. Just know that you’re going to feel the eﬀects of your new activity. Hang in there and before you know it, you’ll pull out of that dip and begin to feel stronger than before you started. Also, start slowly. Many new runners experience shin splints, pulled calf muscles, cramping quads, or sore hips from going out too fast or from doing too much too soon. Take it slow and ease into your new activity.

6. Get Fueled: Fueling your new activity is very important. Timing is key. It’s a good rule of thumb to eat about 1.5 hours prior to your run. This will give your body time to digest the food and provide your body with the needed energy for your activity. Not eating or not eating enough before your run can make your run feel labored or cause your muscles to feel fatigued. Eating too soon can sometimes cause stomach issues.

7. Get Hydrated: Being wellhydrated is just as important as being well fueled. Be sure to drink about 20 oz. of water about two hours prior to running. This will give it time to pass through your system and be voided before your run. During your run, drinking water is ﬁ ne. Once you’re running more than 45 to 60 minutes, you’ll need to switch to a sports drink to help replace vital electrolytes which are minerals (sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus) that play a major role in helping to maintain proper water balance in your body. Electrolytes can be lost though your perspiration. Sports drinks

such as Gatorade contain these important minerals.

8. Get Warmed-Up: Before you head out on your run, be sure to warm-up your muscles with a dynamic stretch. A ﬁve-minute walk is a great way to do this. This will help decrease the chance of your muscles feeling tight during your run. Save the traditional stretch-and-hold stretches for after your run.

9. Get In Tune With Your Body: Listen to your body. If you’re feeling something other than regular workout-related muscle soreness, don’t run. Running through the pain is never a good idea. If you’re experiencing pain along your shin, hip, IT Band or any area of the body that’s beyond normal muscle soreness, ice it, elevate it, and use your normal choice of anti-inﬂammatory medication and rest. When you no longer feel any pain, ease back into your running. If the pain persists, don’t let it linger. Go see your doctor.

10. Get Rest: Rest is just as important as your workout. Rest allows your body time to rebuild and recover. When you run or do any type of exercise, you actually create little micro tears in the muscle tissue. Your body then rushes in to rebuild and repair the tears. This is the normal muscle-building process that makes you stronger. However, if you don’t take the proper rest, your body may not have time to fully repair before your next run causing you to feel sore, tired, and sluggish. When you ﬁ rst start your beginning running program, it’s a good idea to have at least one day of rest in between runs.

The Single-Arm Dumbbell Press

Welcome back to another edition of “From the Trainer!” Let’s keep the ﬁtness momentum rolling into March with another simple but eﬀective exercise called the Single-Arm Dumbbell Press. You might be wondering, “Why use just one dumbbell?”

The main reason for only a single DB is to create a balance mismatch which requires your body to automatically activate your spinal and abdominal muscle groups during this exercise. It’s also great for the shoulders, trapezius, rhomboids, and triceps.

To start, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the DB palm forward and away from the shoulder with your wrist directly above the elbow. This position alone will unconsciously activate “the core”, however, still focus on keeping the abdominals tight

while pressing the DB overhead. Notice the ﬁ nish position of the DB. The inside edge should be in line with the top of your head. The pressing motion is like an arc pattern, going from wide at the bottom to more narrow at the top toward the midline of your body. The wrist should always stay aligned above your elbow to prevent possible injury to the elbow, shoulder, or even worse, your head! Slowly lower the DB back to the start position by following the arc pattern.

Try at least two sets of 12-15 reps per arm. If the DB is in your left hand, your abdominal and spinal muscles will be working harder on your right side because the resistance is uneven along the spine. The opposite arm (uninvolved one) can be relaxed at your side or the hand can be placed on your hip or abdominals. This will

remind you to keep them ﬂexed throughout the exercise. Avoid bending or twisting your torso during the press.

The single-arm DB Press is a great exercise to include during any workout routine. The key to a successful ﬁtness program is consistency. You can accomplish this by mixing it up with new exercises to stay motivated. Keep up the hard work and I will see you next month!

About the Author: Unverzagt holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Wellness Management from Black Hills State University. He is a certiﬁed Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength & Conditioning Association and a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography.

Does Grandma Really Need (or want) a Pet?

A little over a year ago, the night before Thanksgiving, my father passed away. He and my mother had been married 63 years: my sister and I grew up on a farm loving all animals but didn’t have a cat until one wandered out of the woods when I was in my twenties and turned the whole family into cat lovers. Mom and Dad had been thinking in his last years about getting a cat, but never did. When Mom was planning to move to her own place (a retirement community that allowed pets), she began to think about it again.

My 14-year-old niece decided swift action was called for so when one of her friends found some dumped kittens, she immediately conned my mom into driving over to their home after school. While mom waited in the car, Janey triumphantly came out to the car with a box: “Pick two Ma—whichever ones you want.” Mom was in shock and not sure if this was the right time to get cats (she hadn’t been moved in very long), but she did as instructed and picked out one beautiful brown tabby and one beautiful grey kitty. Janey named them Mr. Pickles and Ms. Cupcake. They promptly went home to live with my sister, and her family’s two cats, while she arranged for vet visits and supplies. The pair grew like weeds and got along with my sister’s two other cats, and had the approval of my sister’s husband who is the main cat caregiver in the family. You probably have guessed it by now, but my mom still doesn’t have those cats in her home. As Janey put it: “We love them now!”.

My mother is currently with me for several weeks helping me recover from surgery and, after giving me TLC and dinner, her main job is cleaning up after and feeding/watering my cats (one of whom has inﬂammatory bowel disease and occasionally gets poop on the mat outside the litter box rather than in it). She has now decided that it is fortunate that she never got to take the two cute kitties home since she feels too old to being doing all that work full time.

Of course, normally the rule is that you don’t give pets as gifts, but this scenario is a little harder because it feels like a good idea—giving an elderly person full-time companionship. However, we want to be sure the recipient of our good intentions is really ready, able, and willing to face the challenge. And that we don’t disrupt the life of an innocent animal in the process.

Pets can enhance the life of an elderly person, but there are a number of factors to take into consideration when deciding if pet adoption makes sense; like the mobility of the senior, their ﬁ nances, living situation, and your ability to help them plan for emergencies.

Mature/senior pets can be a better match energy wise (Mr. Pickles and Ms. Cupcake bounce oﬀ the walls—my mom, not so much). How mobile is the senior in question? Maybe a cat is the better choice because it doesn’t need to be walked. Would they like something smaller, like a ﬁsh or a bird? Will getting the pet to a veterinarian be a

problem? Is there one nearby and will it be possible for the senior to get them to it on their own or will they need assistance?

Are ﬁ nances an issue?

Perhaps you can get a pet that doesn’t need to be groomed, or choose to foster a senior or those with special needs so that medical care and other costs are covered? Many rescues allow both short and long-term fostering programs, so it can essentially be like adopting a pet but with many expenses covered.

Think about if the person is likely to be moving soon and what the pet policies are where they will likely go. Be sure to have a backup plan –seniors might have hospital stays where the pet needs watched or something positive like a trip they want to go on, so make sure that you have people on board who are local and able to help out with care when needed or take care of them full time if the senior is no longer able to do so.

Also, it is a good idea to give the senior a chance to interact with the pet before making a ﬁ nal decision, especially if it is a dog. And think about who else is around the senior (grandchildren, other pets of friends) and how they will interact.

In addition to fostering a pet, many rescues are in need of volunteers which can give seniors interactions with animals that are rewarding without the extra work of pet ownership. Pet therapy programs are also available, sometimes for home visits.

Thinking through all the options and considerations beforehand can save everyone

a lot of time, trouble, and possibly trauma. Best of luck!

About the Author: Angela Ohm lives in Arlington, Virginia with her two King Street Cats “What About Me?” rescues, Gillian and Josephine, who rule their home with stern but loving meows.

Resources: https://www.agingcare. com/articles/pick-a-pet-forsenior-172923.htm

https://www.kingstreetcats. org/

https://www. kingstreetcats.org/info/ display?PageID=16319 https:// unionlakeveterinaryhospital. com/blog/pets-and-seniors5-things-to-consider-beforeadopting

https://aging.arizona.edu/ sites/default/ﬁles/2023-02/ Older%20People%20and%20 Pets.pdf

A Quick Message from the AWLA:

We’ve seen an increase in the number of animals abandoned both at the AWLA and throughout the community. Marshmallow the guinea pig was even carelessly tossed in or donation bin. We certainly understand that life happens and caring for a pet can become diﬃcult or even impossible. But, please, let us help you ﬁ nd a better – more humane –solution for rehoming your animals.

Abandonment, besides being illegal, is inhumane and dangerous. Abandoned animals can suffer from starvation and dehydration to being struck by cars or attacked by wildlife. If you are fi nding it tough to provide food, supplies, or vaccines to your animal, let us know. We can defi nitely help. I you just can’t keep the animal, let us help you with rehoming and discuss your options. There is no judgement here. We serve the city of Alexandria, VA but some of our pet retention programs, like our lowcost vaccines and pet pantry, can extend beyond our jurisdiction.

For additonal information, please e-mail us at info@ AlexandriaAnimals.org, ﬁnd us online at AlexandriaAnimals.org or call us at 703-838-4774.

PETS OF THE MONTH

Animal Welfare League of Alexandria

4101 Eisenhower Avenue Alexandria, VA 22304

703-838-4774

www.alexandriaanimals.org

Animal Welfare League of Arlington 2650 S. Arlington Mill Drive Arlington, VA 22206 703-931-9241 www.awla.org

Fairfax County Animal Shelter 4500 West Ox Road Fairfax, VA 22030 703-830-1100 www.fairfaxcounty.gov/animalshelter

King Street Cats 25 S. Dove Street Alexandria, VA 22314 703-231-7199

www.kingstreetcats.org

Operation Paws for Homes, Inc. (Dog rescue for VA, MD, DC, and south central PA) P.O. Box 90813 Alexandria, VA 22309 703-344-7320 ophrescue.org Friends of Rabbits www.friendsofrabbits.org

Rikki’s Refuge Animal Sanctuary (1300 animals and 22 species on 450 acres) P.O. Box 1357 Orange, VA 22960 540-854-0870 By appointment: tours@rikkisrefuge.org events@rikkisrefuge.org www.rikkisrefuge.org

703-746-4774

alexandriaanimals.org

Mon-Tu-Th-Fri, 12-7 pm

Meet Leo, a sweet dog in search of a loving home! This one year and seven months old dog weighs 44 pounds, but would bene t from gaining some weight in his forever home. In other words, he would love to receive lots of treats and nutritious food! Leo sits nicely and takes treats softly as a polite young gentleman. Leo enjoys walks and playing with squeaky toys. He is an affectionate fellow once he gets to know you and delights in being around his favorite people.As a young dog, he is perfect for positive-reinforcement training.

Meet handsome Drako! This one-year-old boy is ready to live out his next chapter with you. Drako weighs 54 pounds and sports distinctive tan markings on his short black coat. His friendly face is always ready to greet new people and furry pals.Drako enjoys playing with other dogs and taking trips to the park. He would be a lovely companion on weekend road-trips and sniffy neighborhood walks. If this con dent and affectionate dog seems like a good t for your household, then reach out to arrange a meet-and-greet.

Zseri is a 10-year-old class act with undeniable charm. She loves pets, head rubs, and weaving affectionately around her favorite humans. Treat time is her favorite, especially when Temptations or Churus are involved. She has a fondness for catnip and nds wand toys absolutely fascinating, happily tapping and pouncing with playful enthusiasm. Zseri is searching for a loving person to share life’s quieter moments. If you are looking for a spunky senior kitty who makes wonderful company, Zseri would love to meet you at the shelter.

Leo Drako Zseri

Shooting the Birds

Cormorants topped the discussions at January’s MD DNR Black Bass Advisory Committee meeting. Members voiced concerns about the voracious ﬁsheating habits of this migratory bird and requested the Department begin the process to seek approval from The US Fish and Wildlife Service for aggressive cormorant removal.

This species has a significant impact on fisheries, as they consume large quantities of fish of various sizes and species, leading to conflicts with recreational and commercial fishing interests. Abundant cormorant populations have made fish stocking impractical, leading to calls for management interventions.

Following a low point in the 1960s and 1970s, cormorant populations have surged since the 1990s due to environmental recovery and reduced pesticide use, raising concerns about eﬀects on local ecosystems, aquaculture, and other bird species. Wildlife agencies are seeking management strategies.

Studies on Double Crested cormorants haven’t been conducted since the 1990s. MD Tidal Bass Manager Ryan Gary says more data needs to be gathered to provide a reason to reduce their populations. Without recent data, the impact of cormorants or what they are eating is uncertain. He also said permits are required to use non-lethal and lethal methods while proving they’re having an impact on a ﬁshery. Currently there are no active DNR permits.

There are exceptions.

Contractors in Maryland have an open permit to protect infrastructure on bridges and other structures by oiling eggs or removing nests. They also utilize devices to create loud noises to scare them oﬀ. Limited lethal taking of birds is also an option determined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service overseeing permits for any lethal take.

sandy islands. Bridges, wrecks, abandoned docks or towers are also nesting sites.

To make matters worse, the native population is increasing rapidly, enhanced by migratory cormorants leading to more breeding pairs in colonies ranging from several to a few thousand pairs. These birds are monogamous and tend to use their nests for several seasons, only making them bigger and more durable. Each nest produces two oﬀspring on average. This could be leading to larger populations taking up residence.

For the MD DNR to move forward, a diet study would need to be completed to identify the quantity and species of fish on the cormorant diet. This would require finding someone who focuses on birds as DNR does not staff such experts. Gary noted cormorants may affect many species. He suggested a working group with water bird management experience would

be obtained to take measures to remove or destroy cormorants. At the upcoming American Fish and Wildlife Service meeting, Gary will see how other state managers are dealing with the cormorant impact on the northeast US. He will also research what will be required for a depredation permit and requesting federal funding for a diet study.

Brendan Delbos, Virginia State Hatchery Superintendent says Virginia’s primary cormorant issue is fish predation at the State’s 9 hatcheries. He agrees that large cormorant populations can have an adverse impact on local fish populations. To protect hatcheries, they place bird netting over raceways and tanks to keep birds out. However, this method doesn’t work well with large hatchery ponds. Other deterrents are employed, including noise and human presence. As with MD, VA’s hands are tied since cormorants are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Federal permits, issued on a case by case basis, are required to capture or dispatch them. VA has not taken that route yet. Many anglers haven’t paid attention to these destructive birds; however, several are beginning to take notice as they see them diving into schools of fish and bait. Some are already pointing to a perceived impact on their fishing success. Understanding the ecological and economic impacts of cormorants is an integral part of developing comprehensive management plans. Cormorants need protections, but the impact on angling and economic interests complicate management planning.

need to be established.

A variety of efforts could be directed at reducing the impact of cormorants on sensitive habitats and fisheries. Marshes are particularly vulnerable as they are shallow and have an abundance of smaller fish. Legal restrictions limit the effectiveness of management actions.

Cormorants create a food source imbalance that impacts many other species. In addition, cormorant nesting areas can force other birds like gulls, terns, egrets, and herons out, while also leading to the destruction of shoreline trees and vegetation and subsequent rapid shoreline erosion. Cormorant guano, a college word for poop, kills vegetation. Cormorants nest in trees, on the ground, steep cliﬀs, and rocky or

Author Capt. Steve Chaconas is a Potomac bass ﬁ shing guide & freelance writer. Potomac River reports: nationalbass. com. YouTube channel NationalBassGuide.

As more state natural resource agencies report fish and habitat losses and consider cormorant predation to be a fisheries management issue, it’s possible an effective action based on science can be developed. Until then, MD DNR will begin efforts to seek funding for outside expert data collection to determine what fish species are being eaten by cormorants and how many are affected. Without this data permits cannot

Longer days and early spring temperatures are warming the river into the 50 degree range. Subaquatic vegetation is in early stages and bass are moving to main river points. Lipless crankbaits are search baits covering all depths. Red patterns show up in early spring water. Tie to 12 pound test GAMMA Edge ﬂuorocarbon line, slowly retrieve

along gravel banks. Focus on spots with grass. Also try red squarebills. Upgrade hooks to short shank wide gap hooks. Follow up with ½ ounce black/blue football jigs. Slowly work along cover. Horizontal presentations are best. Drop shots with 12 inch leaders and heavier line, like 12 pound test GAMMA CoPoly and larger baits, like 6 inch worms. Green pumpkin is very good. spots with grass. Also try red

Potomac River Bassing in MARCH

The Luck of the Irish

I always assumed that the luck of the Irish was based on leprechauns and lore so I was surprised to ﬁ nd out that it is actually somewhat of a derisive term coined during the American Gold Rush. Apparently, during the last half of the 19th century, a number of the most successful miners were of Irish/Irish American birth so the expression discredited them for using brains or resourcefulness, and insinuated that it was mere luck that brought them gold.

So, it got me to thinking—what is luck and who is lucky? Most of my luck happened when I came into the world. Lucky is the person born with ten ﬁ ngers and ten toes into a loving, safe, and secure home. Lucky is the person who gets a proper education. Lucky is the person who has ample food and warmth. Lucky is the person who has a stable, secure home life.

I was blessed with a heaping, piling over pot of luck.

I was lucky to have been born into a loving home—albeit as a follow up act to three brothers who excelled at teasing and torturing me with their jokes at my expense. I was lucky to have access to great teachers and decent schools that I was reluctant to attend mostly because of their deplorable gym programs. I was lucky to have plenty of food—the good, processed kind that happened before parents knew anything about food pyramids and organic—we got to pick out our own TV dinners on special nights and raced each other to the breakfast table to eat the last Hostess doughnut or ﬁght over the prize in the box of Lucky Charms. I was lucky enough not to

have gotten thrown through the windshield of our Pontiac because back then seat belts were optional. And, I was lucky not to have burned oﬀ my bangs lighting my mom’s cigarettes. Although it probably had more to do with the fact that she trimmed them so short they were out of ﬂame’s range vs. luck.

Some people are just born lucky and that was me. After that long run of luck, however, I had to rely on skills, work, and eﬀort. I imagine it’s that way for most people. Luck may get you through childhood, but adulthood is a whole other ball game. Luck doesn’t wake you up in the morning. Luck doesn’t make your bed or pay your rent. I guess it could if you were lucky enough to be able to play basketball like Michael Jordan, but even then, I’m pretty sure he worked pretty darn hard to become the GOAT.

I guess there are some people whose luck doesn’t run out. Or maybe their ‘luck’ comes later in life, but I think the rest of us are out there fighting the good fight, doing what we can to make a decent living and carve our way in the world. As they say, adulting is highly overrated because that is when most of us can no longer rely on our chubby little cheeks and toothy grins to land us what we want in life. Heck—I can’t even rely on a good kicking and screaming fit to get my husband XXL to clean his bathroom sink. And sobbing only gets me sideways glances and grumblings about menopause that make me want to punch someone in the throat. But…I digress.

I guess if I really think about it, luck is always looming. I was lucky to land some really good

paying jobs with some excellent bosses. I was lucky to score killer seats to see Elton John. I was lucky to make friends with some super cool people who seem to like me. I was lucky not to get longhaul COVID. I was lucky the cardiologist found out what was wrong with my heart before it was too late. Dang—that was really lucky come to think of it.

At this stage of the game, if my feet hit the ﬂoor in the morning, I am lucky. But the way the rest of the day rolls is in my court. I’m the one who has to lace up my shoes, turn on my computer, and make life happen. And maybe, just maybe, I might get so lucky that I win more than I spend on scratch oﬀs—which would be a personal best for me. So, yes…that would be lucky.

Luck is a ﬁckle mistress. Can she be counted on to score you a million dollar pay oﬀ ? No. Can she ensure you meet the love of your life tomorrow? Probably not. Can you bank on your team winning the Super Bowl? I wouldn’t bet the mortgage on it. But from where I’m sitting, she’s come through in ways I never imagined and in all the ways that truly count.

Maybe those Irish miners had an inside track, but more likely it was their grit and skills that led them to their pots of gold. Whatever the case, may the luck of the Irish be with you.

About the Author: Lori is a local writer, painter and pet lover who loves to share her experiences and expertise with our readers. She has been penning a column for the OTC for over 25 years. Please follow Lori online on Medium for more missives like this.

National Harbor Provides the Perfect Spring Break Destination

National Harbor is a 350-acre popular waterfront destination that is walkable, family-friendly and close to Washington D.C.’s monuments and museums. It is packed with amenities from boating and water activities to outdoor art, The Capital Wheel, biking, upscale and kid-friendly restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and more.

“National Harbor has grown over the past 18 years and provides a variety of options for families to see and do,” said Deborah Topcik, senior director of marketing at National Harbor. “With eight hotels to choose from, more than 40 restaurants, outlet and boutique shopping, multiple entertainment venues and all types of outdoor activities, it’s a premier destination for a vacation or a weekend getaway.”

Spring brings an amazing display of National Harbor’s hundreds of cherry trees lining the waterfront, these are some of the earliest blooms in the D.C. region. To celebrate these beautiful trees along with those in Washington, D.C., National Harbor will hold its cherry blossom celebration from March 21 to April 12. National Harbor is also an oﬃcial participant of the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The month-long celebration will be ﬁlled with entertainment, hotel room packages, food and drink specials, classes and more. The destination will host their annual Sakura Sunday event on March 29 from noon to 5 p.m., featuring live entertainment, a Japanese market,

demonstrations, and more. The Water Lantern Festival, March 27-29, is a ticketed event that brings families and friends together for a meaningful evening experience that illuminates the waterfront with messages of hope, unity, and remembrance. Participants decorate lighted lanterns, which are released into an enclosed area, creating a peaceful and visually striking nighttime display.

New this season is Garden Bros. Nuclear Circus, running March 12 - 22. This action-packed show features over 60 performers from around the world.

See the Human Cannonball, the Globe of Death, and much more. Fun for the whole family and held under a stunning red and blue tent at 204 Waterfront St.

Fun, educational activities at National Harbor include its outdoor art walk National Harbor has acquired and commissioned a large number of artworks by local and national artists. The tour begins at the waterfront with the world-renowned sculpture, “The Awakening” by J. Seward Johnson. Kids of all ages love to climb and interact with the giant rising out of the sand. The art collection includes two mosaics by local African American artist Cheryl Foster as well as statues of historic icons George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and Rosie the Riveter to a name a few—all by world-renowned sculptor Ivan Schwartz. Each ﬁgure tells his or her story on “Guide by cell”, a website giving more details on the sculpture.

Spring shopping at National Harbor is also robust with Tanger Outlets’ more than 80 top brands, MGM National Harbor’s retail and Waterfront District National Harbor’s more than 30 waterfront boutique shops. Popular restaurants include Fogo de Chão, Succotash, Grace’s Mandarin, Rosa Mexicano, Bombay Street Food, Bar Harbor, Fiorella’s, Redstone American Grill, Silver Diner and more. Fast casual options include Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls, Mezeh, Crimson Coward and more.

National Harbor offers a plethora of engaging activities for the entire family. Escapology has eight themed escape rooms or you can discover National Harbor with their outdoor game Unleashed. Muse Paintbar is a fun and creative way to spend time together. Families can check out a 35 mm camera at Sip & Develop, take black-and-white photos around National Harbor, and then return for a lesson in film development. By day, Live-K offers family-friendly entertainment in private karaoke rooms, giving guests a fun, interactive experience for all ages.

Families can choose from eight National Harbor hotels including Gaylord National Resort , AC Hotel National Harbor, Hyatt and the Westin National Harbor, a hotel that is also pet friendly. Visitors who book Gaylord National’s “Spring Sunshine Package” will receive special discounts at select businesses throughout National Harbor.

It’s easy to access Washington, D.C. from National Harbor. Visitors can take the Potomac Water Taxi to the Tidal Basin to view the cherry blossoms, Old Town Alexandria, or to George Washington’s Mount Vernon

Other activities include The Capital Wheel —180 feet tall. It provides another great family experience with heated and cooled enclosed gondolas that provide amazing views over the Potomac River. Topgolf National Harbor is a great way to bond with the family while having fun.

“Because National Harbor is so easy to navigate and has great walkability, it’s the perfect location for families and a great place to bring together multiple generations—from infants to grandparents,” said Topcik. “It’s the perfect place to stay, relax and enjoy our award-winning sunsets.”

For more information on National Harbor, visit www.NationalHarbor.com