Old Town Crier - August 2025 by Old Town Crier

PUBLISHER’S NOTES

Here it is, the middle of summer and it sure is hot! The air temperatures have consistently been in the mid to upper 90's and there are days that the humidity is back to the norm of 30 years ago here in NoVA. You may pick up on a bit of a theme going into this issue as we are trying to keep it “cool”. Probably our best eﬀort is taking you on a Road Trip to the subterrestrial world of Luray Caverns located in the Shenandoah Valley in Luray, Virginia. This is a worthwhile discovery for all ages. It is truly another world and worth the drive. Think about strolling among stalactites and stalagmites for an hour or so in 54-degree temps. Very cool…

A bit closer to home we thought featuring Pop’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream here in Old Town in the Dining Out column was only appropriate since at least you can keep yourself “cool” on the inside with a scoop or two. We also list the other ice cream/custard/ gelato centric businesses in Old Town proper in tandem with the column.

In Business Proﬁle we welcome a new contributor, Elizabeth Hughes. She comes to us with an extensive background in entertainment journalism in conjunction with editing in national, regional, and community publications. We are looking forward to more contributions from her. Elizabeth proﬁles the shops participating in the annual Sidewalk Sale this month (see calendar for details). Make sure you tell them that the Old Town Crier sent you when you are out there getting all of the good deals.

In From the Bay, we are happy to spotlight (no pun intended) Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, one of the most visible (pun intended) landmarks in the Chesapeake Bay just south of Annapolis. Our thanks to TPSL’s Lighthouse Manager, John Potvin for his contribution. The Lighthouse is celebrating its 150th year – see information about the celebration in this issue!

Let's Get Crafty’s Tim Long refers back to his ﬁ rst article four years ago regarding how hops play a part in the making of a brew and brings us up to date on what is brewing at Alexandria’s very ﬁ rst craft brewery, Port City Brewing Company. Port City is busy working on their 2nd Annual Beer Festival that takes place on the 16th

In Grapevine Matt Fitzsimmons give us a refreshing outlook on Old Vines vs. New Vines and those vineyards with legitimate “old” vines that grace the vineyards in the Commonwealth. Exploring Virginia Wines’, Doug Fabbioli, expands on a statement made many years ago by Gabriele Rausse, Father of Virginia's Vineyards..."It is incumbent that every Virginia restaurant oﬀer Virginia wines By the Glass." Note: Google Gabriele Rausse and read about his fascinating story, history and legacy. I interviewed him many years ago and a most rewarding experience.

Rounding out the issue in A Bit of History, Sarah Becker explores the measles epidemic today in A Bit of History; in Caribbean Connection we re-discover Jost Van Dyke, the original Beach Bar Island - passport required; for the Crab connoisseur out there, Let's Eats Charles Oppman oﬀers up his very simple and very tasty recipe for those end-of-season deep-fried soft shell crabs; in Fitness, Nicole Flanagan reminds us how important water is to our bodies as From the Trainer’s, Ryan Unverzagt, reminds us the importance of Rest and Recovery in this hot weather; in Go Fish, Steve Chaconas explores the ﬁshing history of the Potomac River aka The Nation's River and Lori Welch Brown tells us to “Just Eat the Cake” in Open Space. This and much more awaits you in these pages.

All I can say to wrap up these notes is, do your best to just stay cool….

Wendy Albert (1953-2025)

Restaurateur, Community Leader, Mentor and Friend

On a sad note, this past month Alexandria lost one of its restaurant pioneers. Wendy Albert passed away on July 17, 2025 after a long bout with cancer. When I started the Old Town Crier in January of 1988, Wendy and her husband Serge were my earliest advertisers with their fabulous Tempo restaurant. Wendy was a force of nature with a very kind disposition. She was always there to help, advise and just be a friend. Wendy was a good business woman and a great chef. She will be greatly missed.

Just hanging out in the Caverns!

august‘25

ON THE ROAD WITH OTC

The July issue of the Old Town Crier made the trek from Luray, Virginia to Stockholm, Sweden via Iceland last month. Karen Riddle, who, along with her husband Ralph, is the proprietor of Shadow Mountain Escape located near Thornton Gap in the Shenandoah’s, packed her copy and was showing it oﬀ in what she says is “the most beautiful spot in all of Stockholm!”

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.

Hoping to beat some of the heat here in the DMV, the OTC headed to Luray Caverns in the Shenandoah Valley in Page County, VA. The outside temp was hitting in the mid-90’s while the caverns were staying right around 54 degrees. It was a very comfortable hour and a half. While the cover image, the images featured on this page and those in the “Road Trip” column don’t do the caverns justice, you get the general idea of the enormity of these formations. We can only imagine the awe that the original “spelunkers” who discovered these caverns must have felt. And, they continue to discover new caves that may someday be open to the public. Writing about the Caverns is a bit like writing about the Grand Canyon and the Tetons – you need to see them up close and personal to really comprehend their beauty.

While on our visit in mid-July, the Cavern “complex” was still undergoing some construction that includes a new location for the Visitors Center and ticketing kiosks as well as a facelift for the walkways in front of the Snack Bar and Toy and Car museums. The makeshift walkways were a bit “rough” but Bill Huﬀman, Director of Marketing, told us the improvements are on schedule to be completed this fall – hopefully before “leaf peeping” season gets into full swing. – photos by Lani Gering.

www.oldtowncrier.com Instagram: otcregionalmag Facebook: Old Town Crier Regional Magazine

ELWOOD

We had another winner!

That is four months in a row that someone has found the mural just a few days after distribution. We were also very surprised at the number of people who guessed correctly. After picking up a copy from the rack located at Landini Brothers, Beth Trerotola and her husband John correctly identiﬁed the mural on the Prince Street side of Old Town Books (pictured right) located at the corner of South Royal and Prince. See her comments on “winning” below. It’s these sorts of things that make our job feel worthwhile.

We are hoping that this month’s clue is a bit more challenging. Above is another new mural and a bit off of the beaten path in a popular area of Alexandria. 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, Like and Follow us on: 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.

“We were so excited to hear that we got it correct! We are usually late to the game getting the paper because we are traveling and enjoying our life so much now that we moved to Old Town 2 1/2 years ago (we spent almost 30 years in Minneapolis, MN - brrrrrr). When we moved here, we started collecting any publication that was available so we could learn about our new home and all of the fun things to do here. Your paper is one of our favorites and we immediately enjoyed the mural contest because it helped us learn the town and the streets as we hunted for the mural. We walk around the area incessantly and we are always peeking down alleys and looking at buildings to see if there are murals (we wanted to be prepared for the ultimate time we actually knew the answer).

I have actually stood and studied the mural on Old Town Books because initially, I thought the pictures were graduation hats, or books with bookmarks hanging out. Then one day I realized it was a creative way of painting open books. So, when I saw the picture, I immediately knew where it was. After dinner on the 3rd, John and I took our usual night walk around town and this time we went by the book shop to conﬁrm. I sent the answer right when we got home and was hoping no one else had sent in an answer yet!

Thanks so much for your publication. We enjoy it immensely for the articles, travel ideas, and reading about all of your adventures as well. This area has so much to oﬀer - we are so glad we decided to live here.”

– Beth Trerotola

August Events Around Old Town

9th

16th Annual Alexandria Sidewalk Sale

Old Town, Del Rey and Beyond in Alexandria

The Alexandria Sidewalk Sale is presented by Visit Alexandria. This lively event features more than 30 independent boutiques across Old Town, Del Ray and beyond stepping out of their storefronts and offering deeply discounted merchandise, showcasing Alexandria as the D.C. region’s premier “Shop Small” destination. Start at the bottom of King Street and work your way up toward the Metro.

First-time Sidewalk Sale participants like Eliana Curated, a new jewelry boutique, romance-only Friends to Lovers bookstore and Fantastical Glass artist studio joining beloved shops like Red Barn Mercantile and Old Town Books along with the recently opened Old Town Books Junior. A full list of participating vendors available by logging on to AlexandriaSidewalkSale.com.

16th 5th Annual Bands and Brews Summer Bar Crawl

12:30 pm – 6 pm

Join in the fun and vibrant Del Ray community for a special summer event, featuring live music in outdoor restaurant venues along the Avenue! https://www.visitdelray. com/events/5th-annual-bands-brews-bar-crawl/

22nd through 31st

Alexandria Restaurant Week

For 10 days and two weekends, dozens of restaurants across Alexandria’s neighborhoods will offer $30, $40 or $50 per person special menus for in-person dining. Restaurant Week showcases the creativity of local chefs and breadth of international cuisine in neighborhoods throughout the city, including Old Town, Old Town North, Del Ray, Carlyle and Eisenhower, Arlandria-Chirilagua and the West End. This event highlights the city’s vibrant food scene and encourages visitors and locals alike to discover new neighborhoods and tastes. Plus, you will nd additional special offers and discounts at fast casual restaurants throughout the city. Extend your stay and sample multiple restaurants with the hotel package. The limited-time offer includes up to $200 in added value, allowing you to savor Alexandria and soak up the end of summer. https://visitalexandria.com/restaurants/restaurant-week/

Photo Credit Misha Enriquez

23rd

Around the World Cultural Food Festival

11:00 am – 7:00 pm

Oronoco Bay Park

100 Madison Street

Admission: FREE

Step into a world of avor, music, and culture at the 2025 Around the World Cultural Food Festival, the only festival of its kind in the DMV. More than just a food event, it’s a celebration of the global experience, where every bite, performance, and artisan craft takes you on a journey through the world’s diverse cultures.

A Global Culinary Experience: Taste your way around the world with ethnic food vendors offering authentic dishes from every corner of the globe. From spicy street food to sweet desserts, every food stand is an opportunity to discover something new and delicious.

Two Beer Gardens: Sip and unwind at our two beer gardens, each featuring a carefully curated selection of craft beers from local and international breweries, perfectly paired with the avors of the festival.

Live Cultural Performances: Be transported to different parts of the world with vibrant cultural performances, including music, dance, and live art that will make you feel like you’ve stepped into a new country.

Arts & Crafts from Around the Globe: Explore a marketplace lled with handmade treasures, where local and international artisans showcase their unique crafts. From jewelry to home decor, each piece tells a story of its culture and creativity.

Family Fun: For the little ones, enjoy moon bounces and fun activities that will keep them entertained while you relax and take in the festival’s many offerings.

This is more than just a festival; it’s a cultural immersion that invites you to experience the world through your senses—taste, sight, sound, and touch. Whether you’re coming for the food, the art, or the performances, you’ll leave with memories that last a lifetime.

Convenient parking is available nearby and there is access from the King Street Metro with the FREE Trolley dropping you a few blocks from the corner of Fairfax and King Streets.

LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS

OLD TOWN FARMERS MARKET

Market Square

301 King Street

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.

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.

7th Temporary Public Art Installation on Display Through November Break Water By Nekisha Durrett

Break Water is the seventh annual temporary public art installation at Waterfront Park, was completed in late March and is on display through November as part of the City of Alexandria’s Site See: New Views in Old Town series.

The sculpture draws inspiration from Alexandria’s waterfront being a place where natural forces and human activity intersect, often with profound consequences.

Break Water’s centerpiece, crafted from blackened wood, evokes the sidewheel of the steamboat River Queen, a vessel that symbolized Black ownership and opportunity until its mysterious destruction by re in 1911, shortly after its purchase by Lewis Jefferson, a Black entrepreneur. Encircled by black sandbags, the piece honors the resilience and strength of Black communities, referencing both protection and endurance during crises.

Beneath the sculpture, a ground mural of tangled taut ropes–called “Life Lines”–appears to tether the artwork to the park’s architectural elements, anchoring it against a symbolic undercurrent. Viewers are invited to walk the life lines that represent events, people, places, rituals, and traditions that have contributed to Alexandria’s unique identity. The painted lines symbolize the collective struggle to preserve these legacies, ensuring they are not swept away. Together the sculpture and the mural create a powerful tribute to the creativity and enduring spirit of Alexandria’s Black community.

Shop Around: A Spotlight on Old Town Boutiques

Whether you're looking to class up your wardrobe or to fi nd that perfect gift, Old Town boutiques don't disappoint. They cater to discerning locals and visitors, offering premium goods that you may not fi nd anywhere else.

So, with the annual Sidewalk Sale returning this month, OTC sent me out to spotlight places to shop local and the tastemakers that run them.

1. 3 SISTERS

213 King Street

This King Street destination is a woman and family-owned business operated by siblings Stella, Athina, and Stavroulla, who say that they were inspired by their refugee mother, Andrea.

The boutique showcases feminine apparel like maxi-dresses and tops. Accessories are accessible with the boutique’s Milan Luxe sunglasses priced at $16. (I bought a pair while researching this story. I couldn’t help myself.)

The team at 3 Sisters shared with me that they often extend Sidewalk Sale discount pricing into Sunday, so mark your calendars.

2. DASH’S OF OLD TOWN

1114 King Street

If you’re seeking sartorial armor, consider a visit to Dash’s of Old Town.

Featuring ﬁ nely-tailored men’s suits and other menswear imported from Italy or custom made, Dash’s sets itself apart from department stores.

Focused on individualized attention, the boutique oﬀers in-person meetings and wardrobe consultancy by appointment only.

Proprietor Victor Dash conﬁ rms that he works closely with Pentagon oﬃcials, lobbyists, and other DMV luminaries to tailor looks based on ensemble sets. These pieces seamlessly go from being camera-ready for a press conference in the morning to casually-cool for a clambake in the evening. At deadline, Mr. Dash and his team say that they are looking into a having a presence at The Sidewalk Sale.

3. ENCORE CONSIGNMENT

119 S. Fairfax Street

If you’re on the hunt for haute brands like Chanel, Ferragamo, and Hermes without the haute price tags, Encore Consignment is a must-see. Proprietor Jen Valentine oversees a store with an everchanging inventory of purses, shoes, skirts, blouses, and other luxury items.

For the Sidewalk Sale, go for discounts between 3050 percent oﬀ original pricing.

If you want to consign, be advised that Encore only accepts current, in-season apparel that is new or “like-new,” laundered or dry cleaned. Ms. Valentine adds that she is particularly interested in handbags

and other fashions from Loewe. She mentions that the Madrid-based luxury brand is “…having a moment.”

4. ERA

109 N. Fairfax Street

Since its June 2024 opening, ERA has showcased ﬂirty, high-end women’s apparel. Mini-dresses, summer denims, and accessories like gold aviator sunglasses will greet you when you walk into the elegant N. Fairfax Street store. ERA’s Hattie Dove says her team is planning to set up a tent for the Sidewalk Sale with discounts as high as 50-80 percent oﬀ.

Regarding year-round business in Old Town, Ms. Dove says, “We have really amazing, loyal customers who visit here multiple times a week.”

5. FRANCES VALENTINE

924 King Street

With a ﬂagship store in New York, Frances Valentine opened in Old Town in 2023. Store Manager Faith Bisbee says community response has been overwhelmingly-receptive. Customers range from young people to mature adults who love fashion and beautiful apparel. Ms. Bisbee adds that Alexandria’s hub is an ideal market, adding, “The camaraderie between all of the boutique owners/managers makes doing business in Old Town very special.”

Frances Valentine was founded in 2016 by Kate Spade and her close friend-turned-company CEO Elyce Arons who keeps Ms. Spade’s memory present in the running of the operation to this day –oﬀering joy-inspiring, colorful designs.

6. GOSSYPIA

325 Cameron Street

Gossypia (the Spanish word for “cotton”) is a ﬁ xture in Old Town.

Operated by longtime Alexandria resident and former U.N. employee Amanda Lasker, the boutique focuses on apparel made exclusively of natural fibers with a Latin influence. The longtime businesswoman with over a half-century in this market adds that she was influenced by her time living in Mexico and Guatemala.

Now, she continues to help Old Town thrive, saying the city has “…changed a lot,” but still fosters community spirit.

If you go, expect 40-percent off the entire fi rst floor inventory on Sidewalk Sale day.

THE LUCKY KNOT

101 King Street

This boutique, situated steps from the Waterfront, features women’s clothing and accessories. It also features an adjacent section dedicated to menswear. If you go, expect “vacay mode” items such as

swimsuits, statement jewelry, and chic clutches perfect for your next pool party. (I bought a gold Jen & Co. clutch there and absolutely treasure it!)

Other featured brands include Capri Blue, Lilly Pulitzer, and super-hip men’s hygiene products from Duke Cannon.

Established in 2012, look for The Lucky Knot team to be taking over the Sidewalk again this August.

8. THE SHOE HIVE/THE HIVE

315 Cameron Street

Up-and-coming style maven Elizabeth Todd presides over this shoe store and The Hive. For the latter, Ms. Todd curates everything from luxe women’s clothing to gifts that are sure to impress. For the former, stay on your toes as you peruse designers the likes of Freda Salvador.

The Shoe Hive/The Hive team tells me they’ll be back again at the Sidewalk Sale.

9. TEN THOUSAND

VILLAGES

915 King Street

Ten Thousand Villages is a nonproﬁt, local shop that sells sustainably-sourced goods from villages in over 30 countries.

Aﬀordable and intriguing, pieces include home décor items, organic clothing and jewelry, and specialty foods and beverages to soothe your soul. Managing Director Kate McMahon says, “(Your) purchase and donation directly impacts its maker, breaking the cycle of generational poverty and igniting social change.”

Ten Thousand Villages will participate in the Sale, but the discounted pricing will not impact artisans Worldwide who are paid in full for their craftsmanship.

Let’s not forget that the added value of shopping in Old Town is proximity to restaurants where you can wind down with a delightful meal or a glass of wine. Take advantage of the City’s free trolley or stroll brick streets with ease. Enjoy shopping around this August and all year-round. I know that I did!

About the Author: Elizabeth Hughes is a former entertainment journalist who has covered The Academy Awards, reality television, and breaking news. She has interviewed movie stars, rock stars, and authors. Her work in print dates back over 20 years with bylines and editing in national, regional, and community publications. These days, Ms. Hughes lives happily in Old Town with her boyfriend.

Photo credits: Frances Valentine image by Faith Bisbee. All remaining images by Elizabeth Hughes.

Note from the Publisher: Please keep in mind that this is just a sampling of the boutiques and shops that dot the landscape of King Street and Old Town proper. There are over 30 stores participating in the Sidewalk Sale this year.

CARL TREVISON AND

Giving Well: How Philanthropy Can

How much thought do you give your charitable giving? Do you simply write some checks, or do you visit organizations’ websites, make donations, and then get on with your day? If so, you’re not alone. But is that really the most fulﬁlling way to do it? Here are some insights from Meredith Camp, philanthropic services senior regional trust manager with Wealth & Investment Management, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.:

Having supported the philanthropic efforts of many clients over the years, I have seen clients enjoy so many incredible benefits of giving, but not without obstacles that need to be overcome to get the most out of the experience. First the benefits: I have seen fi rst-hand how giving one’s time, money, and energy on behalf of others can enrich personal and cultural relationships, enhance well-being, and build stronger, more vibrant communities.

Now the obstacles: Making meaningful decisions about how, when, and how much to give is not always easy. With over 1 million charities in the U.S. and social, environmental, and economic uncertainty, the choices can be overwhelming, even stressful. As a result, I have seen some individuals restrain their charitable activity despite their strong desire to give back. Others I encounter worry that their giving is scattered, often reactive, and as a result, only moderately satisfying.

Fortunately, there are ways to enhance the process of giving so that it’s a more rewarding and joyful experience for both donors and the recipients of their generosity. When my clients ask how to make the most of their charitable giving, I tell them it starts with meaning (not money). Together, we explore their values, passions, and objectives to help bring focus and intention to their philanthropy.

How can you transform your giving into a more meaningful, fulﬁlling endeavor? Whether giving of time or treasure, a little planning goes a long way. Here are some guidelines to help get you started:

1. Reflect: The fi rst thing I encourage clients to do is take a look at past and current practices of generosity. Understanding your past behaviors will help guide your direction forward. As you reflect, consider how much of your giving decisions are based on feelings of obligation, gratitude, impulse, or even guilt. What’s the most meaningful gift you’ve ever given and why?

2. Identify your values: Values are the core motivating principles that guide our behavior and shape how we show up in the world. Knowing the principles and characteristics that motivate you is at the heart of meaningful giving. For example, if your core values are creativity, opportunity, and independence, you may approach giving diﬀerently

Be More Focused & Fulﬁlling

than one motivated by tradition, eﬀectiveness, and collaboration. Understanding that philanthropy is as unique as your ﬁ ngerprint allows authenticity and meaning to penetrate the choices you make.

3. Find a focus and write it down: Intentional philanthropy requires exploring your interests and passions and determining what issues matter most. I suggest choosing two or three areas on which to focus the bulk of your giving. Then write a philanthropic mission statement as a way to clearly express the intent of your generosity. A mission statement answers the questions “What do I stand for and what do I want to do about it?” This focus will help you prioritize opportunities, make meaningful decisions, and even help you say “no” when an opportunity is oﬀ-target.

4. Engage those you love and trust: Philanthropy as a shared experience fosters a sense of interdependence and cooperation and can drive greater personal and social change than may be achieved alone. Family philanthropy is also an opportunity to connect with one another, deﬁ ne what you stand for as a family, and pass down generational values. Whether giving as a family unit or with a trusted group of individuals, be willing to stretch out of your comfort zone and learn from others and from the communities you choose to serve.

5. Attend to the details: It’s important to address the practical details of putting your generosity in motion. Establish a budget including charitable dollars and volunteer time, and consider parameters for discretionary and responsive gifts, even for those random acts of kindness. A budget can aid in planning and decision-making, bringing peace of mind so you can feel good about doing good.

Consider taking time to reflect on how you might fi nd more meaning and fulfillment from your expressions of generosity. Talk to a professional fi nancial advisor if you’d like to learn more about charitable planning and inspired giving.

Wells Fargo Wealth & Investment Management provides ﬁnancial products and services through various bank and brokerage aﬃliates of Wells Fargo & Company.

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 at 800-247-8602.

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. ©2022 – 2025 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved.

Infectious Diseases and Alexandria’s Checkered Past

Disease surveillance “is the continuing scrutiny of all aspects of occurrence and spread that are pertinent to control.” The increase in today’s measles epidemic boggles the mind. Measles, for example, are transmitted by droplet spread including oral contact (sneeze, cough) and hands (touch and contaminated surfaces).

Disease occurs when cells in the human body are damaged as a result of infection. Infectious diseases are caused by living organisms including the measles virus; bacteria, fungi, protozoa and parasitic worms. Infectious diseases spread by direct contact: via vectors like the mosquito; contaminated food, water and blood; and airborne droplets.

“Measles can cause serious health complications, especially in children younger than 5 years old,” the CDC conﬁ rmed. “If one person has measles, up to 9 out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are not protected.” Measles aﬀects multiple body systems, including the respiratory system—pneumonia being one of the most lethal complications.

Beginning in 1861, concurrent with the Civil War, Louis Pasteur developed his germ theory of disease. In 1861 U.S. Army bacteriologist George Sternberg isolated the pneumococcus bacterium “that is responsible for pneumonia.” Sternberg’s announcement of his discovery “came almost simultaneously with Louis Pasteur’s statement of the same.”

Infectious diseases account for a quarter of the deaths worldwide. As air travel continues, as weather patterns change; as food is now traded, as water and sanitation practices fail infectious diseases will spread. The city of Alexandria understood as early as 1810 excreta contaminated its groundwater.

Revolutionary War General George Washington understood the maladies associated with infectious diseases. He survived smallpox as a youth. Washington favored smallpox inoculation, so much so he countermanded the Continental Congress and ordered the Continental army immunized. “Necessity not only authorizes but seems to require the measure, for should the disorder infect the Army…we should have more to dread from it, than from the Sword of the enemy,” Washington told Dr. William Shippen, Jr., in 1777.

“[General] Washington’s unheralded and littlerecognized resolution to inoculate the Continental forces must surely rank among his most important decisions of the war,” historian Elizabeth A. Fenn wrote.

“Future nations will know by history only that the loathsome small-pox has existed and by you[r vaccine] has been extirpated,” President Thomas Jeﬀerson wrote English physician Edward Jenner in 1806.

Some solutions, like repeated hand washing with soap, are simple. Others like those associated with COVID, a disease for which social distancing [crowd gathering] and or a reduction in sexual intimacy is required, involve greater eﬀort. Prostitution, an example of the latter, ﬂourished— from the Civil War [1861-1865] until the 1980s.

During the Civil War Alexandria’s Gadsby’s Tavern, then known as the City Hotel, was proven a “bawdy place.” (Commonwealth v. R.M. McClure, Proprietor of the City Hotel, 1864) According to

the then Prostitution laws of Virginia “it shall be unlawful for any person to keep any bawdy place, or to reside in or at or visit, for immoral purposes, any such bawdy place.” According to the Virginia Department of Historic Resources “the Tavern buildings were considered a ‘tourist attraction’ for reason of their association with George Washington.”

“We did Patriot duty in the city of Alexandria until April 1863,” Union Army Lt. Charles E. Grisson wrote. “There were about seventy-ﬁve houses of ill fame in that [occupied] city and of course duty compelled us oﬃcers to visit them to see that everything was quiet, etc.”

Alexandria lost its civic reputation the 1890s. “Conditions in the city of 18,000 inhabitants were disgraceful,” The Washington Post exclaimed. On February 12, 1897 Police Chief James F. Webster announced “any person, rich or poor, white or

black, leading an immoral life, where it can be proven, would be brought to justice.”

In 1993 Alexandria city employees discovered an ark, a shack that was part of a wooden barge buried in the dirt. Built in 1900, the ark was “the only known survivor among the thousands of houseboats, gambling barges and ﬂoating brothels that lined the Potomac River from the Civil War to after World War II.”

Small ﬂoating houses of prostitution were mostly painted red or blue. They ﬂourished because Virginia had no jurisdiction over the Potomac River. “The Potomac is one of the few border rivers in the nation where the state line is not in the river but along the tidal high-water mark of one shore— Virginia’s shore,” The Washington Post explained. In 1906 E.S. Leadbeater, a druggist and Councilman from Alexandria’s First ward, proposed “to reduce the appropriation for the city’s police department,” The Washington Post said. “Passage…meant a reduction in the salaries of everyone connected with the [poorly performing] department. [Leadbeater], called attention to a number of abuses [including] the admission of boys

to houses of ill-repute, the unsanitary conditions of such places, and other alleged violations of the laws.”

Leadbeater agreed with Alexandria physician Kate Waller Barrett’s many on-going reform eﬀorts. Barrett, who published Fourteen Years’ Work among Erring Girls in 1901, was a national spokesperson for the Florence Crittenton Mission. Barrett favored “close police supervision” of bawdy places; no liquor sales to ill-reputed patrons, and “an honest living for the girls.” Alternative employment was often synonymous with $8 a week sweat shops.

“I guarantee to any girl who is now in a disreputable life, an opportunity to ﬁt herself for any profession in life that she may desire to ﬁll— provided that she has the ability and character that would be required,” Barrett wrote The Washington Post in 1913.” Many of the women working in Washington and Alexandria’s red light districts were college graduates.

Alexandria’s prostitution problem “became acute when Washington, D.C.’s red light district closed in early 1914.” At that time Judge Louis C. Barley notiﬁed the keepers of the various houses that he would not tolerate the harboring of any women from the city of Washington,” the Alexandria Gazette reported.

Alexandria’s segregated red-light district “located for more than half a century on the street that bears the name of the great Confederate General Robert E. Lee” ﬁ nally went the way of on June 15, 1914. The National Florence Crittenton Mission then “oﬀered to provide homes for any of the women who wished to reform,” There takers were few.

In 1979 Alexandria became the ﬁ rst Virginia jurisdiction to ban instant bingo, a churchsupported form of the game sometimes linked to scandal. “Earlier in the year, Alexandria Prosecutor William L. Cowhig resigned after being acquitted of bribery trials involving bingo,” The Washington Post noted.

In 1980 the former president of the Alexandria Bar Association James L. Burkhardt was indicted by a federal grand jury “on charges of conspiring to funnel regular cash payments to unnamed public oﬃcials in order to ‘buy protection’ for a large Washington area prostitution ring.” Burkhardt served as legal adviser to sex parlor kingpin Louis M. Parrish. The cash payments were allegedly given to Prosecutor Cowhig.

“Prostitution is a difficult problem to eradicate,” police spokesperson Lucy Crockett said in 1984 regarding solicitations occurring mainly along the King Street-US Route 1 corridor. Corridor hook-ups continue but now the bawdy places are hotel rooms. 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

I Ran (So Far Away)

by A Flock Of Seagulls

After releasing two singles with meager success, the Liverpool band A Flock of Seagulls struck gold with “I Ran (So Far Away).” Released in 1982, “I Ran” reached #1 in Australia, broke into the top 10 in the US, and helped deﬁ ne the sound of a decade. The song’s low-budget music video also enjoyed heavy rotation on MTV, further boosting its rise in popularity. With its lush synthesizer textures, echo-soaked guitars, and angular melodies, “I Ran (So Far Away)” stands as a pillar of the synth-pop and new wave genres.

For the intro music, the Flock deliver a full-band musical arrangement. Here, the music consists of guitar chord strikes that echo in time with the drums, along with a bass synth that has a fuzzy texture and swirling effect. Additionally, the bass guitar tiptoes around the mix alongside smooth drums processed with plenty of reverb. As the band approaches the fi rst verse, the energy of the music increases with organ-like synth chords and additional overdrive effects on the electric guitar. For the verses, the band tone things down, creating an energetic contrast in the music. Here, extended bass synth notes fill the stereo field with a new wave vibe, while the lead guitar comes in and out with a galloping lick. Additionally, drummer Ali Score precisely executes his pattern, giving the music its airtight feel. All these elements create a tasteful sonic design that perfectly supports singer Mike Score’s melody and pulls in the listener with that unmistakable synth-pop sound. Seamlessly transitioning to the chorus, the band adds glistening synth chords, creating more height in the music. Additionally, the lead guitar loosely follows the vocal melody, while guitarist Paul Reynolds and bassist Frank Maudsley provide backing vocals. These additions to the arrangement give the chorus an energetic lift as Mike Score sings about running away from a woman from outer space and eventually being overtaken.

After a couple of verse and chorus repetitions, the Flock introduce a key change for the instrumental: a move we don’t often hear in modern music. Here, drummer Ali Score sustains a four-measure rolling tom fill, adding a rumbling tension to the arrangement. Meanwhile, Paul Reynolds plays a palm-muted note filtered with a tremolo effect that slowly unfolds, creating a blooming sound. A reversed guitar chord is also added toward the end of the building section, lending to the tension before releasing into a guitar solo heavily processed with delay and reverb.

After 40 plus years, A Flock Of Seagulls are still going strong: releasing a full length album in 2024 and multiple singles, thus far, in 2025. They even have tour dates booked throughout the summer and into the fall of this year and you can fi nd tickets to their shows on their Spotify page. If you would like to listen to “I Ran (So Far Away)”, or any of A Flock Of Seagulls’ fi ne 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 band you can fi nd information on Wikipedia, Facebook, Instagram, 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 King St.

Shooter McGees

703.751.9266

5239 Duke St. shootermcgees.com

Southside 815

703.836.6222

815 S. Washington St. St. Elmos

703.739.9268

2300 Mt. Vernon Ave.

Taverna Cretekou

703.548.8688

818 King St.

TJ Stones

703.548.1004

608 Montgomery St. tjstones.com

The Study

703-838-8000

116 South Alfred Two Nineteen 703.549.1141

219 King St.

Alexandria Bier Garden

710 King St. 703-888-1951

Augie's Mussel House

703.721.3970

1106 King St. eataugies.com

Mason Social

703.548.8800

728 N. Henry St.

From the Vault: Why We Swim

I was immediately attracted to the title of Bonnie Tsui’s charming new book, Why We Swim. In the summer, we glide through the pool or jump through waves, taking advantage of the water only then unless we regularly swim laps or do water aerobics at a local pool. Tsui’s memories echo my own, and her research about swimming combines with her contemplation of activity that can raise our adrenaline because of its dangers or put us in a meditative state because of its rhythmic nature.

As Tsui notes, swimming is our second favorite casual exercise after walking. Swimming seems simple on the face of it: get in the water, pick up your feet, and move forward, sideways, or backward, but it is many things to many people.

It can be an act of daring. When she swims in the cold deep waters of the San Francisco Bay as part of a club, she joins others who prove to themselves that they can brave a situation in which they are not the apex of the food chain. She ﬁ nally ditches her wet suit so she can experience a freezing swim in which she starts to feel intensely alive, only to truly experience the dangers from the cold after she gets out of the water. Although swimming can be a solitary activity, she experiences both her own solitude and the camaraderie of her club. It is one of the few activities where you can be alone and together at the same time.

Her views of the water are more philosophical than scientiﬁc, which suited my tastes. A large, elegant swimming pool belonging to one of Saddam Hussein’s former palaces in Baghdad ironically became an egalitarian place where everyone from various Embassy staﬀ members to migrant workers came to learn how to swim properly. In this case it was a community without hierarchy, where people united and knew each other through swimming as one group, no matter their job or place in life.

Competitive swimmers relish the pace and thunder of a race, ﬂipping through the water with adrenaline ﬂowing. Concentrating on their strokes in training keeps them in the moment, but so does their automatic plunge into an intense physical contest. Both make them feel alive. While a competitive process, swimming on a team can also create a real sense of camaraderie. Tsui is fascinated by the story of an Icelander

whose boat tipped over oﬀ the shore of Iceland in 1984. None of his fellow ﬁshermen survived. Swimming in public pools and hot springs is popular in Iceland, so his fellow citizens still celebrate his ability to combat the elements by commemorating his swim with their own. He is the hero of a national pastime, a triumph to set against setbacks not only in swimming but in life. Long-distance swimming is its own challenge and reward. It can create a state of meditation that opens up creativity. People who swim conquer the English Channel, or the distance between Cuba

warriors swam and fought in armor, creating their own formal styles. Nihon eiho is a Japanese swimming martial art, requiring a unique way to move in the water. It is often vertical and meant to keep you still enough to be able to shoot an arrow and hit a target. This kind of swimming maintains a powerful sense of serenity and focus, along with conﬁdence in maintaining oneself with meaning, even within the strictures of a group.

Like Tsui, I swam as soon as I was able. Growing up in Africa, I learned to swim every day after school at a heavily chlorinated pool owned by the American Embassy. I swam in the chilly waters oﬀ a rocky beach in Marblehead, Massachusetts when visiting my grandparents every summer. I swam in a Maine lake at my uncle’s summer cottage.

and Florida. The poet Lord Byron found that it fostered his creativity, with regular swims across the Dardanelles between Turkey and Greece. Possessing a club foot, the water helped him move without constraint for once, freeing his mind along with his body.

In Japan, Tsui learns the fascinating art of samurai swimming, in which diverse groups of samurai

Now I swim from the lovely beaches of Sarasota, Florida. I swim in my own small pool. I also swim in the Warm Mineral Springs, a watering hole here in Florida where Europeans come to “take the baths” for their health.

Bonnie Tsui has authored a lyrical book about a lyrical sport and pastime. She leads me to the fundamental question: Why do I swim? If I had to boil it down to one concept, it would be freedom. The water makes me exercise hard and remain ﬁt without sweat or aches and pains. No physical limitations, other than the length to which I can hold my breath, apply. It frees me from stress and keeps me in present. At the watering hole I frequent, I can meet people and chat while hanging in the silky mineral water or swimming around the perimeter. Swimming also connects me to my past, to a childhood in which moving through water became second nature and a cocoon from the world. It still opens up my creativity and helps me gain perspective on other aspects of my life. Swimming allows for both personal connections and solitary dreams, and life is nothing without them.

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:

With our local theater companies getting ready for the 2025-26 season beginning next month, here’s a look at the new shows that came to Broadway last season and continue to draw fans and earn plaudits on the Great White Way this month. It’s NYC-- not DMV—this time around for Onstage Old Town:

OPERATION MINCEMEAT

Golden Theatre

45th Street between Broadway and 8th Ave

Direct from London—with its British cast intake—this Olivier Award-winning musical romp dramatizes the true WWII tale of the Allies' deception to disguise a corpse with fake papers and identity, fooling Hitler in thinking the invasion of Sicily was going to happen ﬁve hundred miles away. Five energetic actors portray some ﬁfty characters in this clever musical comedy. Tickets at www.operationbroaday.com

JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VIILLAIN

Booth Theatre

45th Street between Broadway and 8th Ave

Now thru August 31, this provocative new comedy set in a contemporary Georgia high school English class re-examines The Crucible through teen perspectives on identity, scandal, and myth. Sharp, witty, and reﬂective, it oﬀers a timely reinterpretation of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, drawing conclusions not often associated with the classic. Tickets at www. johnproctoristhevillain.com

OH, MARY!

Lyceum Theatre

45th Street between 6th and 7th Ave

Mary Todd Lincoln—yes, the wife of our 16th president—was really a cabaret-obsessed, cocktail-sipping harridan, as far as the brilliant playwright Cole Escola can tell. This raucous blend of sharp satire, original songs, and historical whimsy is not for the faint of heart or disciples of Mike Pence, for that matter; but it’s a laugh-out-loud riot. Tickets at www.ohmaryplay.com

MAYBE HAPPY ENDING

Belasco Theatre

44th Street between 6th and 7th Ave

If I told you the 2025 Tony ® Award winning Best Musical was about two South Korean robots who fall in love, would you dash over to see it? Retired helper-robots Oliver and Claire unexpectedly reconnect, sparking a poignant journey of love, obsolescence, and companionship. Tony ® Award winning Best Actor Darren Criss and the wonderful Helen J. Shen deliver standout performances in this charming musical. www.maybehappyending.com

DEATH BECOMES HER

Lunt-Fontanne Theatre

46th Street between Broadway and 8th Ave

A wickedly fun musical adaptation of the cult classic film, this hilarious romp fi nds notions of glamour, vanity, and immortality enter stage as two rivals fight to stay forever young—no matter the cost. Thanks to some dazzling effects, caustic repartee and show-stopping numbers, this dark comedy is a campy, twisted thrill ride through the glittering (and deadly) world of eternal beauty. Tickets at www.deathbecomesher.com

GYPSY

Majestic Theatre

44th Street between Broadway and 8th Ave

We all have until August 17 to witness one of the most commanding performances in Broadway history: Audra McDonald as Mama Rose. Based on the autobiography of striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee, the Arthur Laurents book, with musical by Jules Styne and lyrics by a young Stephen Sondheim, portrays the ultimate back stage mother in all of her monstrous glory. Plumbing new depths in a timeless tale of naked ambition and dysfunctional family, this powerful production reimagines a classic with elegance, grit, and MCDonald’s unforgettable performance. Tickets at www.gypsybway.com

BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB

Schoenfeld Theatre

45th Street between Broadway and 8th Ave

Based on the legendary Cuban ensemble and album, this new musical chronicles the making of the iconic record and the history behind the eﬀort. Two sisters who love performing have to make the awful decision to stay in Castro’s Cuban or face the uncertainty of emigrating to the US. Musical supervision by Tony ® Award winner David Yazbek contributes to the vibrant rhythms that made this music a Grammy ® Award winning journey. Tickets at www. Buenavistamusical.com

OLD TOWN AUGUST NYC EDITION

PURPOSE

Helen Hayes Theatre

44th Street between Broadway and 8th Ave

The Tony ® Award winning Best Play by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, directed with care and verve by by Phylicia Rashad, depicts a prominent Black family whose legacy in activism is tested by generational conﬂict and an unanticipated guest. A mix of humor and moral reckoning, the play ﬁ rmly establishes Jacobs-Jenkins as one of our most important contemporary playwrights. Tickets at www.purposeonbroadway.com

OPERATION MINCEMEAT

Golden Theatre

45th Street between Broadway and 8th Ave

STRANGER THINGS: FIRST SHADOW

Marquis Theatre

On Broadway at 46th St

The Netflix prequel comes to Broadway in an immersive theatrical spectacle. Set in 1959, it introduces main character Henry Creel into a phantasmagoria of supernatural chaos. Featuring magical stage effects, it's a thrilling blend of sci-fi and nostalgia. Tickets at www.broadway.strangerthingsonstage.com

CALL ME IZZY

Studio 54

54th Street between Broadway and 8th Ave

Now thru August 24, Emmy ® Award winner Jean Smart portrays a downon-her-luck trailer park wife forced to deal with an abusive husband who won’t let her follow her dreams: writing poetry that’s earned her a fellowship to study further. Tickets at www.callmeizzyplay.com

JUST IN TIME

Circle in the Square

50th Street between Broadway and 8th Ave

Tony ® Award winning Best Actor for last year’s Merrily We Roll Along, Jonathan Groﬀ stars as Bobby Darin in this jukebox musical that blends biographical storytelling with iconic hits like “Beyond the Sea,” “Mack the Knife” and the title song “Just In Time.” Connie Francis, Sandra Dee and a whole host of 50s and 60s celebrities turn up in this immersive nightclub-style performance. Tickets at www.justintimebroadway.com

About the Author: Mark Edleman 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: Operation Mincemeat by Julieta Cervantes Buena Vista Social Club and Just in Time by Matthew Murphy. Purpose by Marc J Franklin.

Women Artists of the DMV 15 Venues Opening This Month!

The month of August not only brings the latest edition of The Old Town Crier, but it will also bring the fi rst of fifteen – yup! Fifteen! – Openings at 15 venues, which are now part of the Women Artists of the DMV, survey show. This makes this show not only the fi rst ever major survey of the female artists working in the fi ne arts across the Greater Washington capital region, but I am also told that this is now the largest ever curated group show –ever – in the USA.

Curating about 400 artists from nearly 4,000 applications was a major labor of patience and curatorial bravado on my part, and over the last few months I have highlighted some key and emerging artists via this column, and with your (as Stephen King would say “constant reader”) indulgence, let me discuss a few more.

Let me introduce you to several superwomen of the DMV art world.

Sophia McCrocklin's is an artistic tornado! But the kind of tornado that leaves behind impressive artwork where the powerful artistic winds are fueled by her inspiration to explore the natural world and to explore the intricate details and hidden beauty of often-overlooked plants in the forest. She observes that "each species I encounter presents a unique challenge and an opportunity to delve deeper into the fascinating world of botany. This journey has resulted in the creation of large-scale ﬁber botanical sculptures and small pen-and-ink drawings of the plants found in the forested areas of Rock Creek Park and Dumbarton Oaks Park."

And just like the aforementioned tornado, her process to create the artwork is almost exhausting to behold! She explains that “creating each largescale fiber sculpture takes three to six months, depending on the complexity of the work required. The fun begins by enlarging photographs of each specimen up to 15 times the specimen’s original size to examine its circulatory system. Then I draw an image of the specimen on woven white Dacron. Next, I cut out the drawing, sew the pieces together by machine, and insert copper wires along the seams to support the stalk and stems. Afterward, I carefully cut out the fi ne details with tiny surgical scissors and hand-sew the remaining parts using pliers and heavy thread to complete the sculpture. Finally, to fi nish the botanical fiber sculpture, I paint it (because it is still white) with colorful acrylic paints to reveal the vascular system of the plant. It is then mounted on stretched canvas painted with subtle impressions of cherry blossoms, to reflect its deep connection to the District of Columbia. The whole piece is placed in a deep shadow box, further enhancing its visual appearance as a three-dimensional specimen."

This is what you call a process!

He She Tree by Margery Goldberg

I am fully convinced that Margery Goldberg is ﬁ ne arts AI.

In the world of the ﬁ ne arts, Margery Goldberg can do anything and has in fact done pretty much everything related to the ﬁ ne arts in the Greater Capital region! I cannot think of a single human being who has had more of an artistic footprint on this region than this superpower of a woman!

She is not only a brilliantly talented artist herself, as her gorgeous sculpture "He She Tree" proves (it will be exhibited at the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center in Washington, DC next month), but also a fi ne arts gallerist with the longest running independent fi ne arts gallery in the DMV -- one which has been running for decades and decades - a curator, activist, arts advocate, political mastermind, and may I add that she will forget more about the fi ne arts than most of us will ever learn!

In the past, I have discussed all the art created as a result of the COVID monster

that was released upon the world in 2019. An exceptional work inspired by the Covidian Age (a.k.a. Covidism) is Annette Polan's “Post Covid: Sacred Geometry Circle with Pearls” which is part of a series of abstract paintings that Polan has been working on since the Pandemic. "It grew out of my abrupt shift away from commissioned portraits in 2020 when it wasn’t possible to interact with clients in person," she explains.

She goes on, "At this time, I read Carl Jung’s essay on “Sacred Geometry” and was fascinated with the idea that all space, both macro and micro, is divided into circles and squares. I limited myself to working with only these basic geometric shapes and gave myself diﬀerent formal problems to solve in each painting."

To ﬁ nish, the DMV is home to over 200,000 immigrants of all legal statuses (yes – that is the plural of status); the second-largest Salvadoran population in the United States and the largest immigrant group in the DMV.

In September at the Katzen, one of the works from Muriel Hasbun's series “Pulse: New Cultural Registers/Pulso: Nuevos registros culturales”, which is a series which recognizes the cultural legacy of El Salvador during the 1980s and 1990s using Hasbun's personal and historical archives.

POST COVID: SACRED GEOMETRY CIRCLE WITH PEARLS by Annette Polan Acrylic on panel with pearls and other jewels, 24” diameter

She told me that "it imprints the rescued archive of the renowned Galería el laberinto --an epicenter of cultural activity in El Salvador during its civil war, founded by my late mother Janine Janowski -- along with my own photographic archive of the time onto the national seismographic record of El Salvador. The constructed photographs transform the land into a fully lived and witnessed “thirdspace” of memory and “vivencias,” while mapping personal and collective history into a new meeting ground for the future."

In her work, both the past, family history, and cultural legacy, all live together.

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.

Devil with the Blue Dress

“She’s a real humdinger

and I like it like that.”

There is lots of new inventory in the shop and you can order online. Choose your style, your size and color, including the tie dye blue (but no brushstroke). From Christopher Calvin.

your

your size and color, including the tie dye blue (but no brushstroke). From Christopher Calvin. Jane Seymour Hat by Walleroo. Jewelry by Sarah Cavender Metalworks. Handmade in

Jane Seymour Hat by Walleroo. Jewelry by Sarah Cavender Metalworks. Handmade in Oxford, Alabama.

Monday – Sunday, 11am – 5pm

1124 King Street l Alexandria, Virginia 22314 703-548-1461 l www.imagineartwear.com csimagine@aol.com

and additional images upon request. “A woman in love with abstraction” - 2021 16x20 watercolor on paper with embedded electronic images that rotate every 5 seconds.

Washington

Exclusively representing the works of F. Lennox Campello

Paper Exclusively representing the works of F. Lennox Campello

and additional images upon request.

Photo by Bev Dietz

Fiber Botanical Sculpture by Sophia McCrocklin

Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse Celebrates 150 Years!

The Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, an iconic maritime landmark that has guided mariners and recreational boaters to safety for more than a century, celebrates its 150th Anniversary in 2025. Listed as a National Historic Landmark, this last surviving screwpile lighthouse, still active as an aide to navigation and in its original location in North America, has played a vital role in the history of Annapolis and stands as a symbol of pride for the State of Maryland. The Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse is a local and national treasure that is inextricably entwined with the history of the Chesapeake Bay, the City of Annapolis, and Maryland. The 150th Anniversary not only celebrates its storied past, it also served as a wake-up call to raise the necessary funds to ensure its legacy is maintained for future generations.

The threats to the lighthouse’s future came into sharp focus last year when Hurricane Debby barreled through taking with it the entire landing dock and its beloved static mascot Drew. Drew and the dock recovered but the threats are real. An assessment of future sea levels indicates the lighthouse faces further rising seas which will aﬀect the structural steel underneath by inundating it with brackish bay water and putting the base of the cottage in peril with elevated wave action.

A sea level study conducted by EA Engineering in 2024 to assess the future needs of the lighthouse estimates that by 2100 sea levels will rise by approximately 6 feet, requiring radical interventions to protect this vital piece of maritime history.

We are seeking funds to retain engineers who can determine the proper course of action to elevate the lighthouse to ensure that this historic structure will remain for our grandchildren and great grandchildren and beyond. The need to provide initial funding is critical to develop an engineering solution on how to elevate the lighthouse out of harm's way.

Constructed in 1875, the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse is the last remaining screwpile lighthouse in its original location still being used for navigational purposes on the Chesapeake Bay. In 2004, the City of Annapolis assumed ownership of the lighthouse and the U.S. Lighthouse Society maintains the structure. The United States Coast Guard continues to maintain navigational aids at the lighthouse. Public tours exploring the history of the light, the life of a keeper in the early days and role of the modern-day Coast Guard depart from Annapolis June through mid-October. Over 8,000 people have taken public tours since 2007, and the tours sell out early each season

Since 2007, work at the lighthouse has been ongoing with volunteers restoring it to original standards and periods of time. Both the interior and exterior have been restored. A major restoration of the structure was completed in 2020 through 2024 at a cost of over $600,000 to provide a new steel structure to the underside of the lighthouse. It is estimated that an engineering study and solution could cost up to $75,000.

Join us for the 150th Anniversary Celebration!

The Lighthouse will celebrate its 150th anniversary this year with a special celebration. The Anniversary Celebration is a call to action because the lighthouse faces an existential threat from sea levels rising so let’s help raise the necessary ﬁ nds to keep it “aﬂoat”!

When:

Saturday, August 9th 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm

Where:

Navy Marine Corp Memorial Stadium Taylor Avenue, Annapolis, Md.

Cost:

Tickets $150 per person (limit 250 tickets)

-Dinner

- Door prizes

-Wine pull

Premium tickets $250 per person (limit 50 tickets)

Premium tickets all of the above and:

- Meet and greet with guest speakers

- Special VIP reception (6:00 pm - 6:30 pm)

- Early entrance at 6:00pm

With music by the incomparable Eastport Oyster Boys and a special –never seen before - screening of the iconic Jimmy Buﬀet performing at the Lighthouse on his last trip on the Bay!

Sponsors and ticket sales for the event will provide funding to develop an engineering solution on how to elevate the lighthouse. For ticket informationThomaspoint150th.com.

About the Author: Captain John Potvin is Lighthouse Manager of Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse. After retiring from a successful career in property management, he started working as a volunteer Preservationist in 2015, then trained to be a Docent and provided guided tours to tourists during the summer. In 2017 he was promoted to Director of Preservation and in 2020 he was promoted to Lighthouse Manager and took on the day-to-day management of the lighthouse including responsibility of coordinating volunteers, scheduling, training, publicity, fundraising and grant writing to facilitate restoration of the structure. Photo by David Sites.

Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse with Jimmy Buffet’s Last Mango

Photo

Lani Gering

Mad Dogs & Englishmen

As the saying goes, only mad dogs and Englishmen venture out in the hot midday sun of the dog days. This tale from a few years ago should more properly titled rabid wildlife, crazy dogs and Virginia girls.

One sunny summer morning during the dog days, my three resident Chesapeake Bay retrievers chased and killed a rabid fox. The drama unfolded behind my back as I was outside ﬁ nishing some gardening chores before it got too hot and oblivious to the drama unfolding.

However, from the upstairs bathroom window my husband Doug saw it unfold in the big pasture. He noticed what he thought was a small dog chasing our youngest retriever Der, then about 18 months. He thought that was strange as we almost never have strange dogs venture on our farm. As he watched, he could almost imagine Der thinking, “What's wrong with this picture?” as she turned on the afterburners, circled around and began chasing the smaller animal. They ran toward the house with Der in hot pursuit, passing barely 20 feet behind me, but silently. Shortly after, Der came over to where I was gardening and ﬂopped down by the older two retrievers, older females aged 8 and 9, and Doug came outside to ask me if I'd seen it.

“Seen what?” I asked. He relayed that he'd watched Der chase a small animal under the little deck, and that they'd passed right behind me. Two humans and the three dogs walked over to the little back deck, only about 2 feet oﬀ the ground. “Sic-sic-sic, git ‘em girls!” we egged the dogs on when they showed no interest and they looked at us like we were crazy. Their actions told us plainly they thought it was

too hot for such madness.

Doug went back inside, and I went back to the garden bed to ﬁ nish up.

Five minutes later, I heard a feral-sounding roar that I knew did not come from my dogs and turned around to

there. One of them must've shaken it and snapped its neck, for there was no blood or teeth marks on it.

Even though all 3 were well trained hunting retrievers, they're always sent individually, not 3

might start brawling over this prize, so I took the fox, laid it on top of the nearby board fence, and took the excited dogs inside. And yes, I did suspect rabies— we have foxes here but they are regularly hunted by the

see them attacking what I immediately recognized as a fox next to the little deck. It was over by the time I got

per retrieve. Der proudly delivered the fox to me as if it was the Christmas goose. I was more worried the dogs

local hound pack, they are mainly nocturnal animals and they would never attack

75-lb. dogs unless cornered. Or rabid. Rabies is spread by saliva, and there was plenty of that. Even if I hadn't handled that carcass, there was no way to avoid the slobber of three overly excited dogs. Worse, I had open poison ivy sores on both hands.

The next day I could fi nd no one in the county that was any help, but the huntsman at the local fox hunting kennels, a mile from me, told me there had been more than several instances of rabid wildlife locally and to take the carcass to the nearby state agricultural lab to get it tested. The head guy I needed to speak to was out of the office investigating another rabies report. Not thinking of myself, I wasn't too worried about the dogs as all had current rabies vaccinations. But I needed to get the preventative shots for myself. The county followed up with a visit from animal control where copies of the dogs' rabies shots were not enough—they all needed boosters. And they were quarantined to the farm for 45 days, thus missing almost the entire fall field trial season. Adding insult to expensive injury, I got busted for unpaid county dog taxes, that they euphemistically call dog licenses. These, on principal, I do not pay because of how much I do pay in property taxes for my land. The dogs' boosters, dog tax fi nes for three intact animals and my own shots were on the order of $15,000 with $13,000 of that for my own shots. You don't really have a choice to wait and see if you have symptoms, since rabies is 99.5% fatal. I can't even imagine what it would cost today—this was 13 years ago. Suffice it to say this was an expensive fox hunt.

Luray Caverns: the "Geology Hall of Fame"

As we were experiencing a prolonged heat wave here on the East Coast, we decided to head to the cool Blue Ridge mountains and the extraordinary Luray Caverns, in Luray, Virginia. Discovered in 1878, Luray Caverns were a destination on their own but over the years, the Car & Carriage Caravan Museum, Toy Town Junction Museum, The Shenandoah Heritage Village including the Luray Valley Museum were added to the experience and admittance to all are included in the price of the ticket. The Garden Maze and Rope Adventure Park are the latest attractions and tickets for admittance to them is available individually.

Car & Carriage Caravan Museum

This is a collection of over 140 items related to transportation dating back to the covered wagon and includes 50 motorized vehicles beginning with simple wagons and coaches to the elaborate and luxurious automobiles of the 1940s. Meticulously restored to their original splendor, these “antiques on wheels” are all in running condition and beautifully displayed among period artifacts and costumes.

Toy Town Junction

No, it’s not a Hollywood back lot. It’s Toy Town Junction. It’s a place that brings out the kid in everyone. And it all began with one boy, a single train, and two amazing parents.

In 1941, ﬁve-year-old Richard Worden received

his ﬁ rst toy train. With the country just emerging from the Great Depression, his parents sacriﬁced to purchase the Marx Copper electric train from the Montgomery Ward Christmas catalog. Because that’s what parents do.

My traveling partner was particularly fond of the Raggedy Ann and Andy Dolls that are on display. There is a snack shop adjacent to Toy Town that is very family friendly.

Shenandoah Heritage Village

The Shenandoah Heritage Village is a sevenacre re-creation of a small 19th century farming

community made up of restored historic buildings, cottage style gardens, and a small vineyard with a scenic mountain backdrop. In the Village you will ﬁ nd:

Luray Valley Museum

Ranging from pre-contact Native American history to the Roaring 20s, you’ll be amazed at just how rich the history of the Shenandoah Valley is. There is also a gift shop in the museum.

Gem Mining Sluice

The Stonyman Mining Company Gem Sluice is an interactive lesson in how pioneer prospectors would bring gold and other valuable gems into the world. Gem bags can be purchased in the Museum Gift Shop.

Heartpine Café

Under the “Burner Barn” you’ll ﬁ nd this café serving an assortment of sandwiches and snacks along with soft drinks and regional wines, beer,

and hard ciders that all pair nicely with the beautiful views. Shenandoah Vineyards was the winery featured while we were there and

the white we chose was good with my braut and chips and my partners local BBQ and coleslaw. There is also a snack shop.

Garden Maze

Claimed to be the largest hedge maze in the MidAtlantic states, the Garden Maze is a one-acre ornamental garden with over 1500 Evergreen hedges that create a half-mile pathway that diverges at over 40 points. Challengers must navigate their way through twists and turns while searching for hidden goals on a mission to discover the secret of the maze. It is handicap accessible with wide tires.

Rope Adventure Park

This attraction appealed to my 72 year old partner who took on the “Tree Top Adventure” course at Mountain Lake Lodge a couple of years ago. She maintains it is a conﬁdence builder. Here you can take on diﬀerent levels of ropes around the course that challenges your balance, strength and grit. There are two levels that enables participants to grow at an individual or team level, exploring risk, self-discovery, communication, problem-solving, and coaching.

While all of the above make your stop well worth the price of the ticket, make no mistake about it... the Caverns, another world, are the main draw. They are situated in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley just west of the Blue Ridge Mountains through Thornton Gap. Whether the temperature in the valley is hot or cold, the usual temperature in the Caverns is a uniform 54 degrees F. I may ad as well, the temps in the mountains are about 10 degrees cooler than the valley.

I could get technical about the formation of the caves but that can be easily found by Googling Luray Caverns. This article is about the

experience. As you walk on the well-constructed walkway (no sets of stairs) through the caverns you will marvel at the extraordinary rock formations from centuries of dripping water, acid and limestone. The stalactites growing from the older ones are usually white although, sometimes pink or amber colored. The Empress Column is a stalagmite 35 feet high, rose-colored and elaborately draped. Several stalactites in Giant's Hall exceed 50 feet.

One of the most amazing features is Dream Lake When we went there many years ago, I remember the shallow lake as being referred to as Mirror Lake...because that is exactly what it is. The small body of water sits still within the cavern where

no wind disturbs the surface. It is truly like a mirror and the reﬂection is the stalactites hanging from the ceiling of the cave but look like they are meeting identical stalagmites. It is amazing. Once again, writing about Luray Caverns does not do it justice. While these photos give you some insight to what to expect, a visit in person is the

best. You are in a surreal environment that was formed an eternity ago. It is best that you take your time touring the Caverns as there is much detail to discover. Although there is ample free parking on site I would recommend going during the middle of the week to avoid the tour buses and weekend road trippers.

Luray is not quite a 2 hour drive from Alexandria depending on the traffic we have in this area so makes for a great day trip; however, as we like to do with our road trips, is to offer insight into options for staying overnight so there is no rush. On this trip we stayed at Shadow Mountain Escape, halfway down Thornton Gap on the Luray side of the mountain. It is gorgeous. Also, closer to Luray Caverns and in the town of Luray is the beautiful Mimslyn Inn. It is a classic. Or, if you are lucky, there are two choices from Rappahannock Getaways in either Sperryville or Little Washington on the east side of the mountain. You can fi nd their ad in this issue. There are numerous motels to choose from in close proximity as well. Getting there is straight away unless you look for a “round about” way. Basically, the idea is west on I-66. You can take it all the way to Front Royal and then take 340 south to Luray. Or you can jump on to Route 55 (which was the way west before I-66) and then take some back roads to Sperryville and then across the mountain. A stop in Sperryville is always nice...very small town with a cool attitude. Nice wineries and eateries in that area as well as Copper Fox Distillery and the new River District’s The Marketplace Sperryille

Luray Caverns is a unique experience of another world. It is popular and one of the foremost cavern experiences in the USA. Try to avoid weekends as they have a lot of visitors over the weekend. We were there in the middle of the week and the parking lot was less than half ﬁlled.

Luray Caverns

101 Cave Hill Road

Luray, VA

540-743-6551

Luraycaverns.com

Self-Guided Tour General Admission – $36

$34 for seniors | $18 for children 6-12 | FREE under age 6

Guided Tours and Group Tours available at additional cost.

Jost Van Dyke - the Ultimate Caribbean Beach Bar Island

This month Guy Britton from the Caribbean Journal staﬀ has written about one of our very favorite islands in the BVI’s! It has been wayyyy too long since we have swum to shore to procure the absolute best dark rum concoction on the planet, the ORIGINAL Painkiller! Originally made with the Pussers Royal Navy rum, it is a delectable concoction of said rum mixed with some coco lopez, pineapple and orange juices topped with just the right amount of fresh grated nutmeg. The proportions of this beverage are key and I’ve come really close to getting it right but there's something about drinking them on the beach in front of the Soggy Dollar Bar! Not to be outdone – Foxy’s is another icon on this small piece of island paradise and not to be missed! He also is a frequent visitor in Old Town Alexandria. – Lani Gering

Jost Van Dyke - the Ultimate Caribbean Beach Bar Island

You step oﬀ the boat and your toes are in the sand in seconds. Music is ﬂoating out of the bar. Someone hands you a Painkiller. And just like that, you’ve arrived. This not a beach bar. This is the beach bar. This is White Bay. This is Jost Van Dyke. In the pantheon of Caribbean beach towns, no place captures the barefoot, rum-soaked, sandy-footed joy of island life quite like Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands.

This tiny island — just three square miles — packs more punch than destinations ten times its size. It’s where legendary beach bars were born, where the music plays late, and where the sand is the dance ﬂoor. And where the island’s rebirth has been complete for years now.

This is where you’ll ﬁ nd the Soggy Dollar Bar, the place that perfected the Painkiller and made famous the art of day drinking in the sand. There’s no dock — you swim ashore, the cash in your bathing suit getting wet — (that’s, of course, how the bar got its name), and settle into the kind of vibe that feels like it’s been happening forever. This is dinghy country, after all.

And then there’s Foxy’s, tucked into Great Harbour, a few minutes around the bend. It’s the island’s most famous institution — part beach shack, part party central, part cultural icon. On New Year’s Eve, it’s the center of the Caribbean

universe. On any other day, it’s the perfect place to talk rum and listen to Foxy’s own wisdom. And, of course, try the Firewater. This is a beach bar pilgrimage — and you’re already halfway to enlightenment.

The Best Beach Bars in the Caribbean? All on One Island

Next door? Hendo’s Hideout, a sleeker, dark-wood destination with swing chairs, Caribbean fusion cuisine, and an elevated take on the Jost experience — without losing that toes-in-the-sand energy

Chris Pearmund of Virginia's Pearmund Cellars at Foxy's with the OTC!!

Where to Stay on Jost Van Dyke

You don’t just drink here. You stay. You sink in. While most visitors to Jost leave before the sun sets, the hospitality scene on this island has actually never been better, with three top-ﬂight place to stay and immerse yourself into this unrivaled beach bar ecosystem. For space and comfort, White Bay Villas oﬀers stunning hillside retreats with sweeping views of the bay — perfect for waking up just above the action but still close enough to walk to the sand. Even better? The villas (18 in total) also have their own dedicated beach club. The rates are good, too. A sample “seaside cottage” villa will run you about $399 per night in the summer.

Getting to Jost Is Half the Fun

Right on the beach? The Hideout is the island’s chicest new boutique escape, with sleek, modern villas and private plunge pools — a luxurious contrast to the laid-back island vibe outside your door. It’s part of the Hendo’s umbrella, and that’s what makes it even cooler. Rooms (with plunge pools) starting at $897.

And then there’s Sandcastle Hotel, a place that feels like the heart of White Bay. It’s rustic, timeless, and just a few barefoot steps from the Painkillers. It’s not fancy. That’s the point. You’re here

Most travelers arrive via ferry (about $30 per person) or charter boat (the Moorings is still the best) from Tortola or St. Thomas. And that’s part of the magic: the anticipation builds with every wave. You pull into White Bay and the whole island opens up before you. It doesn’t take long to ﬁ nd the rhythm.

This is a place where time stretches. Where sunsets melt into slow dinners and late-night stories. Where you don’t remember the last time you wore shoes — or cared.

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

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

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

MYSTIC BBQ & GRILL 220 N. Lee St. 703-565-9808 mysticbbqandgrill.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

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

SIGNATURE THAI 722 King Street 707-888-2458

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

CAPHE BANH MI VIETNAMESE 407 Cameron St. 703-549-0800

SISTERS THAI 503 Montgomery St. 571-777-8154

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

CONTINENTAL

CEDAR KNOLL

GW Parkway at Lucia Ln. 703-780-3665

OLD HOUSE COSMOPOLITAN 1024 Cameron Street 703-717-9361

ALEXANDRIA BIER GARDEN 710 King Street 703-888-1951

FRENCH

BASTILLE

606 N. Fayette St. 703-519-3776

bastillerestaurant.com

BEN' YAYS 1028 King Street 703-495-3888

BRABO 1600 King St. 703-894-3440

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

FRANK PEPE NAPOLETANA PIZZERIA 3231 Duke Street Alexandria Commons 703-719-2035

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

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

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

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

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream!

“Ray "Pop" Giovanoni had been in the ice cream and dessert business since the 1940s. Much of Pop's early career was spent catering events at the White House serving First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt her favorite ice cream. In 1998, he left behind his little black book of recipes. Today, Pop's Old Fashioned Ice Cream continues the same legacy that made the First Lady so happy.”

Whewie, it has been one hot summer so far and it doesn’t appear that it is going to be getting any cooler this month. What better way to put the squelch on the heat than stopping in a nice air-

conditioned ice cream joint and procuring a couple of scoops in a waﬄe cone. We thought it only ﬁtting to highlight our very own Pop’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream in this column this month and list the other spots in Old Town (there are several) that cater mainly to the ice cream and gelato crowd.

I pulled up the proﬁle we published about Pop’s in August of 2013 and after reading through our writer - Liz Jones’ – piece, it appears that not much has changed in these last twelve years when it comes to the experience and the vibe at this fun place. To quote Liz:

“In a world of frozen yogurt chains and organic everything, it is refreshing to be reminded that you are allowed to indulge from time to time. I was fortunate to profile a business whose homemade ice cream, fi re engine red seats, and checkerboard floors have been bringing the people in Old Town great joy for many years. Ladies and gentlemen, children and adults of all ages, I am pleased to share with you one of the best places to stay cool during these dog days of summer. Whether it is a certain flavor you are craving, or the banana split you have been thinking about indulging in these last few

years, Pop’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream has it all! Located in the coveted 100 block of King Street, Pop’s is considered an institution in Alexandria and is truly one of a kind. Read on to get the scoop on what is new and the people who make this place such a success.”

Pop’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream knows how to invoke the nostalgia of childhood, with something as simple as an ice cream cone. There were 27 flavors at Pop’s the afternoon I was there and the scooper that was on duty said they are adding some new ones in the next few weeks. They offer the homemade quality you simply cannot get out of a chain. I tend to get over whelmed when I have soooo many choices, so generally stick with a scoop of good old chocolate topped with a scoop of salted caramel! For those of you who are lactose intolerant, they have a nice selection of Italian ices to cool you off. While it would be to everyone’s benefit for Pop’s to multiply and share their love for ice cream throughout the area, we are happy that they choose to just stick with the original.

In Liz’s initial interview with General Manager Jesse Maas in 2013 (pictured here with his then two and a half year old daughter), he so eloquently stated, “There is

only one Pop’s, and it is pretty cool to be a part of that.” In talking with him today, he acknowledges that there is much more competition now than there was 12 years ago but Pop’s remains constant. Probably one of the only drawbacks is the line that can tend to get quite long on a sunny weekend.

Pop’s also offers great party packages that they claim will “make your event easy breezy”. Whatever the occasion may be, a birthday party, an ice cream social, or just catching up with old friends, they have a package for you. They plan and host your party so you have more time to enjoy it with your friends and family. Their professional staff is there to make your special day a memorable one. From scooping ice cream to face painting, nothing is more important to us than ensuring your event is handled with special care and lots of fun. For those parents who have taken a precious moment of their “adult time” to read this article, we feel you should at least return the favor by crossing the “fi nd location for birthday party” off your list. Pop’s is ready to help host your child’s birthday or special event. They also host an annual Halloween Party (October 26th) and Christmas Party (December 14th), so be sure to visit their website and get in touch to learn more!

More Old Town Ice Cream Joints!

In the essence of time and space, we stuck to only those on King Street from the waterfront to the Metro and one block to the south and one block to the north. They are listed below in no particular order with comments from customer reviews:

Pitango Gelato & Coﬀee

115 South Union Street

"Fast friendly service, top quality gelato, and enjoyable fresh baked goods."

Dolci Gelati

107 North Fairfax Street

"The gelato was delicious and well portioned while the staﬀ was friendly."

Ben and Jerry’s

103 South Union Street

"Great selection of cones and ice cream and very friendly staﬀ."

The Creamery (formerly Scoops)

110 King Street

"I love a good ice cream spot and this is certainly one of my favorite places in Alexandria.”

Kilwin’s Ice Cream-Chocolate & Fudge

212 King Street

"Cute little shop with great customer service! Everything I've tried, I've LOVED!"

The Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar

716 King Street

"Found this place while on vacation and visited it twice!! The ice cream and staﬀ are phenomenal! We need more of these around"

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

102 South Patrick Street

"Get the Wedding Cake ice cream!!! You won’t regret it! The unique selections are great. Friendly service!"

Casa Rosada Artisan Gelato

111 South Payne Street

Opens 12 PM

"Dog friendly patio and DELICIOUS ice cream!"

Goodies Frozen Custard & Treats

200 Commerce Street

“Brandon and his crew serve up fantastic sundaes and root beer ﬂoats. This place is not to be missed.

Our intension is to have a comprehensive list of the Old Town spots, however, if we missed someone, we sincerely apologize. Don’t forget about the Dairy Godmother in Del Ray, the Custard Shack in Belle Haven and Cold Stone Creamery on Eisenhower Avenue. They all serve up some tasty treats.

DEEP FRIED Soft Shell Crabs

Now that we’re approaching the end of soft shell crab season, we should be thinking about frying up a few of these fabulous crustaceans while we still have them. The soft shell crab is one of the South’s greatest contributions to American cuisine. Soft shells are a delicacy in every sense of the word. They can be sautéed or deep fried. A soft shell is a common blue crab that’s harvested during the early stages of molting, when the crab sheds its smaller shell and before a new, larger shell forms. The crab should be cooked before the new shell begins to harden.

A bit of pre-cooking preparation needs to be done. The crab needs to be cleaned.

1. To clean soft-shell crabs, hold the crab in one hand, and using a pair of kitchen shears, cut oﬀ the mouth and eye parts.

2. Lift one pointed end of the crab’s outer shell; remove the gills by pulling them out. Repeat on the other side.

3. Turn the crab over and pull oﬀ the small ﬂap known as the apron. Rinse the entire crab well and pat dry. Once cleaned, crabs should be cooked immediately.

Only buy crabs that are alive. If they don’t move when touched, they’re dead and you won’t know when they expired. Smell the crabs. Like other seafood, soft shells should odorless or smell like the ocean. Avoid buying frozen crabs as they lose most of their body ﬂuid when they thaw out and appendages tend to break oﬀ. Soft shells should only be consumed during the season, which varies with the latitude. Soft shells are great with French fries and coleslaw

or as a po’ boy sandwich. Any po’ boy should be made on a crunchy French baguette. The po’ boy can be dressed with lettuce, tomato and tartar sauce.

Serves: 4 Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

4 soft shells

2 eggs, lg

½ cup milk

1 cup all-purpose ﬂour

2-3 cups frying oil, or as needed depending upon the size of pan. Salt, pepper & seafood seasoning mix such as Old Bay, to taste

Directions

Combine the flour, salt, pepper and Old Bay. Whisk together the milk and eggs to make egg wash. To coat the crabs, dredge them thoroughly in seasoned flour, then dip in egg wash and back into the flour mixture. The crab is now ready for frying.

Heat the frying oil to 350ºF in a sauté pan. Carefully place the crabs into the hot oil. Cook for at least 2 minutes, or until golden brown on one side. With tongs, carefully turn over and cook until golden on the other side. When crabs fry, they tend to explode splashing oil on anyone standing nearby so cover with a frying screen or hold a lid a few inches over the pan. Drain on paper towel. Serve hot while they are still crispy.

Summer Fun at Port City Brewing Company

August marks the fourth anniversary of this column. It gives me quite a feeling of accomplishment. The column has done well. Even if I do say so myself. I decided to go back and read my fi rst article in this series “Give Me Hops, But Don’t Give Me Bitter Death.” The article deals with a trip to Pittsburgh, which, by the way, has a great craft beer scene. I wrote about how the craft beer industry was moving away from the idea that a bitter beer was a better beer. I discussed the use of hops and how hops were associated with bitterness. If I may quote myself from that fi rst article: Even the mere mention of hops makes many beer drinkers think of only one word, bitter. Overhopped beer can be very bitter. It also raises the specter of beer elitism. We envision brew pub bars packed with man-bun-wearing millennials sipping from a flight of five small glasses in front of them while they are taking notes, discussing aromas, and comparing fl avors.

The trend away from bitterness has continued. Mercifully, so too man buns. And craft brewers now create a variety of great beers with complex delightful ﬂavors using hops.

I was pondering what to write about this month, when I received an email from Ryan Pederson, the General Manager at Port City Brewing Company. It seems that Port City was releasing some new beers, and Ryan was inviting me to come in for a tasting. The timing was great. Just as I was wondering about a subject, I got an invitation from one of my favorite breweries. A brewery which also just happens to be a ten-minute drive from my home. The beer gods had spoken. I was destined to write about Port City. Now if only the golf gods would speak to me. Oh well, one set of gods at a time, I guess.

As I entered the brewery, I knew which beer I was having ﬁ rst. They had just released it, the Port City German Pilsner. Anyone who reads this article knows of my love for German beer. People can ramble on about the greatness of Belgian beers all they want. German beers are, in my humble opinion, the best. Don’t get me wrong, there are many great Belgian beers. But a lot of them are fruity, which is not to my liking.

I headed to the bar and ordered the German pilsner. As usual, it’s brewed perfectly. They serve it “Keller Style” which means unfiltered and naturally carbonated. It’s clean on the palate with light floral and sweet malt flavors. The noble hops give it the crisp fi nish of a classic pilsner. What a wonderful beer.

Ryan met me at one of the high tops in the tasting room. And immediately asked which beer I was drinking.

“The German Pilsner.” I said with a smile. “I look forward to this every year.” “It is a great beer.” He replied.

After a few cordial words, we got into talking beer, which is something we both love to do. Ryan starts oﬀ by telling me about a couple of Hazy IPAs they are releasing. I was a bit shocked. Hazy IPAs are not the current trend, pilsners and lagers are. Ryan agreed. But he then informed me that they still sell very well. The Port City Hazy IPA was their second-best seller last year. It’s a harder IPA with very juicy ﬂavors of mango, peach and tangerine. It’s a good beer and quite refreshing on a summer day.

Ryan brings me a taste of the two new hazy IPAs. The Central Haze IPA has just been released. It has the same grain bill as Port City Hazy, but a diﬀerent

hop bill. It’s citrusy. But much softer and very delightful on the palate. It was a tad hard to believe it was an IPA.

Ryan then oﬀers me their other big IPA release, The Hopsurgence Double IPA. I was prepared to

Tim’s Whiskey and Cigar Recommendations

Widow Jane 10-Year-Old Bourbon

This is one of my favorite summer bourbons, and it’s from New York. This bourbon is perfect to sip on the rocks on a warm summer evening. On the nose you get corn, oak, some vanilla, and a hint of apple. It is sweet on the palate with corn and vanilla up front. Some pepper spice hits you about halfway through the taste. It all blends nicely. It finishes sweetly with a beautiful blend of oak and pepper. It’s 91 Proof, runs about $75 per bottle, and is well worth the price.

Monte Cristo Platinum Series Toro

Monte Cristo is one of my go-to brands. Their cigars are always easy to light and have an excellent draw. This Platinum Series Toro does not disappoint and is a medium-bodied delight. It starts off with earth and hickory flavors. After a few puffs, hints of citrus and sweet fruit come through. It fi nishes light with mostly hickory. It’s a great walking-the dog cigar.

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.

pucker up after tasting it, but that didn’t happen. It had no big hop bite at all. And it’s a double IPA! Wow. It was also pleasantly citrusy and bold, yet very soft on the palate. I immediately fell in love. This beer is fantastic. There are some other notable releases they have coming up. On August 8th they are releasing Duracho, a California Common style beer that is very similar to a steam beer. Their Schwarzbier is being released on August 22nd. It’s a German Black lager with note s of coffee and toasted malt. It’s dark like a stout, but tastes light and malty like a lager. I look forward to it every year. And starting in September, they plan on releasing a different coffee porter each month through the month of March. They’ll use different coffee with each batch.

But the big date is August 16th. That’s when Port City hosts their 2nd Annual Port to Port Beer Festival. This is a true craft beer festival featuring not only Port City’s great beers, but beers from a plethora of other craft brewers. Some of my favorite breweries will be there, including Stone, DC Brau, The Veil, Right Proper, Vassan, Denizens, and Sonoma Beer Cellars. There’ll be music featuring DJ Sprinkles and great food as well. Port City always has La Tingaria on site with their authentic tacos.

Port City has been one of Alexandria’s greatest breweries since Bill and Karen Butcher founded it in 2011. Many of their beers are award winners. (Plus, they won the Great American Beer Festival Small Brewery of the Year Award in 2015.) These events are always fun, and their beer is fantastic. If you have a chance, go to the festival. It’ll be great. If you can’t go, be sure to swing by the brewery sometime and try a few of their wonderful beers. Ryan and his crew will take great care of you. It’s always been one of my favorite places. And always will be. Cheers!!

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? http://whatﬂ yinmysoup.com

“Buy” the Glass!

Forty-one years ago, the fi rst Loudoun County harvest of wine grapes were brought to a crusher machine to be processed into wine. Over the past 4 decades, many more locally grown grapes and other fruits have been picked, crushed, fermented, aged and bottled for our residents and visitors to enjoy. Because wine grapes and other crops have a limited shelf life after picking, the processing of this fruit is often done on the same property where the grapes are grown. Because timing is crucial the grower needs to work closely with the winemaker to ensure a successful harvest. Often this is solved because the grower and the winemaker are the same person. The requirements for a successful vineyard are very specific so we tend to have vineyards clustered together where the conditions are best. All of these pieces together add up to a wine region, where grapes are grown, processed and offered to our customers for tasting and purchase all in the same geographical place.

Another important aspect of a wine region are the hospitality partners that help make the visit of our customers more comfortable and memorable for them. The local restaurants and hotels all play a role in creating an experience that will stay with our guests long after their shoes leave our soils. The Loudoun Bed and Breakfast guild encourages its members to share information about local wineries with their guests to make their guest’s experience in wine country even better. For example, Hidden View B&B offers local wines for purchase to their guests as a way to enhance their experience and support local. There is an effort underway to encourage local restaurants to enhance their diner’s wine experience by carrying more Loudoun County wines by the glass. If the restaurants offer wines on a “By the Glass program”, or BTG, the wine is much more approachable to the consumer. Buying a bottle

of wine may be romantic as it sits on your bistro table, but that is a commitment of time, money and consumption that many folks these days are not always ready to make on an unknown wine. But if restaurants support the BTG of local wines to their customers we can increase our exposure and hopefully gain new customers.

The BTG list is a coveted placement for a wine salesperson as well as for the restaurant. Wineries will give discounted pricing to the restaurant in order to get on that list. The placement needs to be a win for the restaurant as well which brings us full circle to improving the grapes grown and wine made in Loudoun County.

The wineries should help with promotion by advising customers about where they can enjoy a glass of their wine outside of the tasting room. Eﬀorts are being made on a county and state level by our industry associations to get more

of our wines in restaurants for BTG. Hopefully, this eﬀort will increase the experience for our visitors, but equally important, encourage residents to enjoy local products in the process. After all, we winemakers built this industry for our community to enjoy too. The moral of the story…please consider BTG when you are out for a meal, and maybe a few bottles purchased when you visit the winery. Your patronage keeps us farming!

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.

OPEN THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY 11-5

PLEASE CALL FOR RESERVATIONS FOR GROUPS OF SIX OR MORE

15669 Limestone School Rd Leesburg, VA 20176

703.771.1197 • fabbioliwines.com info@fabbioliwines.com

Old Vines = Better Wines

Few Virginia wineries have what are sometimes called ‘old vines’. Those that do will most likely happily let you know about them, with the implication that “old vines = better wines”. But what does the term ‘old vines’ actually mean, and why are they important?

There is no legal deﬁ nition for what constitutes a wine made with ‘old vines,’ although private organizations have their own criteria.

In 2024, the International Organization of Vine and Wine deﬁ ned an “old vine” as a plant that is documented to be 35 years or older. Plots where 85% of such vines meet this criterion may be considered ‘old vineyards.’ Several other organizations, including the South African Old Vine Project and the Old Vine Registry, use these deﬁ nitions.

The Historic Vineyard Society has a diﬀerent set of criteria, only certifying California vineyards with vines that are a minimum of 50 years old and when at least 1/3rd of producing vines can be traced to the original planting.

Few old vines exist in Virginia. Prohibition wiped out Virginia’s wine industry, and it wasn’t until the 1970s that it started making a comeback. Even Virginia’s oldest wineries seldom have anything left of their original vineyards.

Fortunately, a number of older vineyard plots do survive today. Such vines are living time capsules, representing the kind of wines Virginia’s viticultural trail blazers thought would perform best.

Many of these surviving vines are Burgundy or Bordeaux varieties that remain popular today. Chardonnay is still produced at Virginia’s two oldest commercial vineyards, Meriwether Vineyard and Montdomaine Vineyard. Founded in 1976 and located at Pearmund Cellars, Meriwether is recognized by the Old Vine Registry as Virginia’s oldest vineyard. Montdomaine was founded in 1978 and is located just below Michael Shaps Winery. Older vineyards are also the home of varieties that were once more prevalent in the state. Coolclimate vines often struggle in Virginia, a fact only appreciated after decades of trial-and-error. While many wineries have since torn out their riesling, Gray Ghost Vineyards, Shenandoah Vineyards, and a handful of others still tend to their plots.

Virginia’s ﬁ rst vineyards also widely utilized French American hybrid grapes, such as chambourcin and seyval blanc. These vines are relatively easier to maintain; an important consideration in a then-young industry with little institutional knowledge of how to handle more ﬁ nicky vinifera.

Why Winemakers Prize Older Vines

A well-tended grape vine can last 50 years or more, which makes ‘old vine’ status obtainable. The “Mother Vine” in Roanoke, considered the oldest grapevine in North America, was ﬁ rst recorded in 1584.

While younger vines are more productive, older ones are often thought to produce higher quality fruit. The reasons for this are complex, but much of the credit goes to how older vines have deeper root systems.

Deep roots allow older vines to more easily access water and nutrients that are inaccessible to younger

vines, which is especially beneﬁcial during periods of drought. This more balanced intake allows them to create more complex, intensely ﬂavored fruit.

Older vines have an additional advantage in wet regions, such as Virginia.

The roots of younger vines are more likely to become saturated during periods of heavy rainfall, diluting their fruit’s ﬂavor proﬁle.

Older vines are less likely to encounter this problem. The soil above them acts like a shield, preventing water from penetrating to the roots far below. This allows their fruit to maintain good chemistry, despite pre-harvest deluges.

Linden Vineyards winegrower Jim Law has observed older blocks have additional beneﬁts beyond deep roots.

“Older vines sometimes ripen up to 10 days later. This helps keep them in the sweet spot of late September/early October when nights are cool; a big advantage in our warmer climate. They are also more homogenous, which leads to more synchronistic ripening. This is important for quality,” he wrote over email.

Even so, it’s overly simplistic to assume old vines are superior to younger ones, according to winegrower David Lambert. David manages the winegrowing at both Shenandoah Vineyards and Stoney Creek Vineyards, two of the oldest in the state.

In answering a question about the quality of ‘old vine’ wine, David opined, “The answer is not as simple as old vines vs. young vines. Newer clones are superior to the older clones with questionable genetics. In particular, the 2018 riesling plantings at Shenandoah Vineyards ripen fruit sooner, have clusters that are looser, and are less prone to bunch rots, allowing them to produce wine superior to our 1981 riesling plants.”

Finding “Old Vine” Wine in Virginia

There are opportunities to sample wine from Virginia’s oldest vines, if you know where to look.

Pearmund Cellars is one of the few wineries in Virginia that makes wine exclusively from ‘old vine’ blocks. Next year Pearmund will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its Meriwether Vineyard with a special labeling of its “Old Vine” chardonnay, viniﬁed from these blocks.

Gray Ghost Vineyards produces a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon that is only made from its 1988 block. Fruit from these vines have been consistent award winners, most recently earning a Best in Class award from the 2024 East Meets West Challenge at Santa Rosa, California.

Linden Vineyards uses fruit from its 1985 and 1988 blocks (as well as its 2010 block) for its Hardscrabble Chardonnay, although the proportions diﬀer every year.

Shenandoah Vineyards’ 2019 Riesling, made with vines planted in 1981, won Gold at the 2023 Virginia Governor’s Cup.

If you ever ﬁ nd yourself at a vineyard with old, gnarly trunks – ask about them! There’s likely a story behind how they’ve persevered.

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

Save That Summer Garden Goodness for Delicious Winter Meals

All your hard work is paying oﬀ with a bountiful harvest.

Fresh produce is ﬁlling your garden, countertops, and refrigerator while the garden keeps producing more. Preserve s ome of your harvest to enjoy throughout the winter with some tried-and-true or updated variation of food preservation techniques.

Hanging bundles of herbs to dry is a long-time practice that works. Harvest herbs in the morning just after the dew has dried oﬀ the leaves. Rinse, allow them to dry, and remove any damaged or dried leaves.

Gather the dry herbs into small bundles and secure with a rubber band. Use a spring-type clothespin to hang the bundles from a clothesline or hanger in a warm, dry, airy place out of direct sunlight.

A modern twist on this tradition is the space-saving drying rack hung from the ceiling. You will be able to dry large quantities of herbs in any narrow, out-of-the-way space.

Extend the life, ﬂavor, and nutritional value of squash with proper harvesting and storage. Only store blemish- and damage-free fruits and vegetables to reduce the risk of mold and decay developing during storage. Harvest zucchini when the fruit is six to eight inches long and scalloped squash when three to six inches in diameter. Store these in a plastic bag inside the vegetable crisper drawer in your refrigerator for several days.

Wait to harvest winter squash when the fruit is full-sized, and the rinds

are ﬁ rm and glossy. The portion touching the ground turns from cream to orange when the fruit is ripe. Use a pruner to harvest the fruit, leaving a one-inch stem on each fruit. Cure all winter squash, except for acorn, in a warm, humid location. Then move to a cool, dry, well-ventilated area to store for several months. In the past, gardeners stored these, potatoes, onions, and fruit in wooden racks that maximized storage space and allowed air to reach each layer of produce. An updated version, Gardener’s Supply Orchard Rack, adds convenient drawers to this traditional storage system.

Boost your cabbage harvest with this trick. Remove ﬁ rm full-sized heads but leave the lower ring of leaves and roots intact. The plant will form several smaller heads.

Harvest cucumbers based on how you plan to use them. Pick the fruit when it is 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches long if you plan on making sweet pickles. Allow the cucumbers to grow a bit bigger, three to four inches, if dill pickles are on the menu. Harvest those for slicing when the skin is ﬁ rm, bright green and the fruit is six to nine inches long. Turn a portion of your harvest into something delicious. Fermentation is a relatively easy preservation technique used for thousands of years. Preserve some of your cucumbers as pickles, cabbage as sauerkraut, and berries as preserves with fermentation. Store fermented fruits and vegetables in a cool, dark place or extend their shelf life by canning the ﬁ nished product. For most projects,

you just need the fruit or vegetables, water, salt, and spices. The desired ingredients are placed in a covered vessel and weights are used to keep the fruit and vegetables submerged in water throughout the fermentation process.

Select the storage and preservation methods that work best for your garden produce, growing location, and lifestyle. Once you enjoy homegrown produce in winter meals, you will start growing more produce to eat fresh, share and preserve.

Note for future months: If your garden is still producing when frost is in the forecast, extend the harvest season. Cold frames and cloches are tried-and-true techniques used for extending the growing season. A modern method employs ﬂoating

row covers. These spun fabrics allow air, light, and water through while protecting plants from frosty conditions. Cover the plantings and anchor the fabric in place. Lift to harvest and enjoy several more weeks and even months of garden-fresh produce.

About the Author: Melinda Myers is the author of numerous gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio segments. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Gardeners Supply for her expertise to write this article. Her site is www. MelindaMyers.com.

Lighten Up and Brighten Up with These Summer Makeup Tips

It has been an unusually hot summer. I have been struggling with every aspect of my grooming. Every product I put in my hair either feels sticky or does not perform at all. With such thin hair, I rely upon my products to perform. But, in this heat and humidity, it is almost impossible. My solution: a ponytail almost every day. Most daunting for me, however, has been my makeup. I need to wear makeup. I have dark circles under my eyes – thanks to heredity – and my skin can be sallow when I get a bit of color. The problem: the extreme heat and high humidity make my makeup feel like it is slipping oﬀ my face. I wonder if others are struggling with this same problem. So, I thought I would oﬀer some tips and solutions I have found that help to keep my makeup in place and looking good.

Tip #1 – Lighten Up. All of us, despite our best attempts to cover up, will get a little bit of sun this summer. This presents an opportunity and a challenge. The opportunity –

to lessen the number of layers of makeup you would normally wear. The challenge – the colors we wear when we are paler will change when we get a hint of color. My suggestions:

Put away the foundation. Either switch to a tinted moisturizer or wear nothing at all. I would lean toward nothing. Even a tinted moisturizer will feel heavy in extremely humid climates.

Substitute foundation or tinted moisturizer with a powder or bronzer. If you use powder, however, only dust on your skin lightly with a brush. Please resist the need to blot with a sponge. If you use a puﬀ or sponge, you could make the powder look like pancake batter. Bronzer is a better choice because you get the beneﬁt of a powder with a bit of color.

Tip #2 – Brighten Up. Sun-kissed skin can sometimes be sallow and, because of the browning of the skin, look monotone. The best way to oﬀset these tendencies is to add pops of

color like pinks and corals. Be careful not to add too much and look clownlike. Some more suggestions for adding color:

Use powders, not creams. While cream cheek color can be more vibrant, it can slip in humidity. If you choose a cream, be sure to set with a powder to avoid slipping.

Try gel-tints. Gel tints stay in place better and penetrate the skin so the color “sticks around.” They also are very natural looking. They also serve multiple uses because they can be applied to cheeks and lips.

Tip # 3 – Consider Multi-Uses. I can hardly stand the feel of heavy eye shadow on my eyes in the summer time. I simply take my powder blush and brush it over my eyes. It is quick, easy and gives you a hint of fresh color.

Finally, instead of thinking of summer as a challenging time for makeup, consider it an opportunity to lighten your routine and cut out a

signiﬁcant amount of time. You can keep your look clean and fresh by not using too many products and get out the door quicker. My suggested routine for summer:

Step 1 – Apply tinted moisturizer, light bronzer (or nothing) all over the face. (1 minute)

Step 2 – Apply concealer (be sure it is the right color – too light will make you look like you have raccoon eyes) under the eyes. NOTE: You can also use the concealer to spot conceal other imperfections. But, make sure the color is right.) (1 minute)

Step 3 – Apply color to cheeks and eyes. (2 minutes)

Step 4 – Line upper eyelids with eye pencil (1 minute)

Step 5 – Apply mascara to upper lashes (if you do the lower lashes, you run the risk of it melting and running). (1 minute)

Step 6 – Apply lip-gloss. (1 minute) Done in seven minutes!

Are you Drinking Enough?? Water,

that is!!

Our bodies are made up of over 70% water and it is involved in almost every aspect of keeping our body’s biological processes running eﬃciently. Not counting perspiration, it is estimated that as adults we lose about 4% of our total body weight per day in water losses. This means, it is important to replace not only this water, but also the water we lose when participating in activities, especially in the summertime.

How do you know how much water you should drink?

Experts vary in their recommendations and the exact amount depends upon your body weight, where you live, how much exercise you do per day, and the type of environment in which you are living. But as a general rule, one quick way you can estimate how much you should be drinking is to take your body weight in pounds and divide that number by two. The result is the number of ounces that you should be drinking per day in terms of your water consumption. For example, if you are a lady and weigh 125 pounds/2 = 62.5, you should be aiming for at least 62.5 ounces of water per day.

Plain water is generally the best for hydration. Avoid caﬀeine or alcohol as these can dehydrate you further. However, if you are working out in the heat and or perspiring extensively, then it is important to replenish the electrolytes that your body loses with either an electrolyte supplement or sports drink.

Hydration and Heat

You need to increase the amount of fluids you drink if you are out in the heat. Plan your water intake before you start working out. Because everyone is different it is difficult to state exact fluid requirements, but as a starting point here are some general guidelines you can use, and then modify the amounts based on your individual circumstances.

If you will be outdoors or working out extensively you should drink 2-3 cups of water before your workout (about 2-3 hours prior to exercise). During your workout a good rule of thumb is to drink about 1 cup of water for every 10-15 minutes that you are working out. Sodium is actually important if you are working out heavily, so consider adding a sports drink like the low sugar version of Gatorade (the G2) or my personal favorite which is the Crystal Light Hydration Lemon which has 10 calories per a 16-ounce bottle of water, 150 mg sodium and 70mg potassium in order to replenish the electrolytes that your body loses during exercise and sweating.

A good tip is to weigh yourself before and after exercise, and any weight loss immediately after exercising is the weight you will need to gain back in water. As always, consult with your doctor before beginning an exercise program and if you take any medication that may aﬀect your ﬂuid intake and or exercise program make sure to ask your doctor about planning the proper amount of hydration and what types of exercises are safe for you.

Summary and Tips:

1. Drink water before, during and after your workouts.

2. Consider adding in a Sports Drink to replenish electrolytes.

3. Stay away from liquids containing caﬀeine or alcohol, (avoid beers, colas and other similar beverages)

Signs of dehydration:

• Weakness or lightheadedness

• Exhaustion

• Thirst

• Pale skin

• Loss of appetite

• Dark colored urine

• Dry mouth

• Muscle cramps

• Nausea and vomiting

• Sweating cessation

• Confusion and weakness, and then possible organ failure can occur if the dehydration is not treated!

This column first appeared in the August 2015 issue of the OTC. Catherine Varchaver (Peace Corp staff: Central and Eastern Europe and Kyrgyzstan 1991–1997) spent several years on Peace Corps staff working as a desk officer, trainer and Associate Peace Corps Director for Education at Headquarters and overseas. She has worked in private practice, Body and Soul Nutrition, blending Eastern meets Western approaches to health. She received her undergraduate degree from Oberlin College, Master of Arts in Teaching from the School for International Training, certification in health and nutrition counseling from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in NYC, and hands-on training in Chinese medicine’s 5-Element tradition working with acupuncture colleagues in the DC area.

Hey You Hard-Core Guys and Dolls Take some R&R!

This month’s article is for all of you hard-core ﬁtness enthusiasts who constantly workout to the point of no return. Don’t get me wrong, I promote physical activity on most, if not all days of the week. These activities can include leisurely walks, bike rides, roller blading, or taking the family to a water park. However, structured exercise (in which there are speciﬁc, measurable parameters such as intensity, duration, sets and reps) should be performed in moderation to prevent overtraining. There are very few personal trainers who will admit that more exercise is not always better.

Rest and recovery are probably the most overlooked aspects of any ﬁtness program, even above ﬂexibility. A little bit of R & R is important because you want to prevent needless injuries, burnout or staleness, and avoid the overtraining syndrome. Here is a list of symptoms associated with overtraining:

Performance plateau, followed by decreased strength & endurance

Decrease in lean body mass

Decreased appetite

Less energy & desire to exercise

Irritability

Interrupted sleep patterns

Excessive muscle soreness

Increased heart rate at rest and during exercise

Without adequate rest, there will not be positive adaptations to exercise. Exercise is a stressor to the body, so what you do between workouts is just as vital as what you do during your workout. During that time between exercising, your body is trying to regenerate, recover, and ultimately adapt to handle the physiological stress placed upon it.

Just because you had an awesome workout doesn’t mean you should sabotage it by not taking care of yourself until the next workout.

Overtraining is a serious issue for the extreme exerciser. Here are a few suggestions for meaningful rest and recovery:

Nutrition: This is the ﬁ rst thing you need to address. It’s true that you are what you eat and the best time to eat for recovery is within one hour after ﬁ nishing a workout. You should include a mixture of protein and carbohydrates. Try a turkey and cheese sandwich, or cottage cheese with fruit or sliced tomatoes, or just a glass of skim milk does the trick.

Sleep: Get as much of this as you can because your body recovers best with rest! Try for at least 8 hours a night. If your schedule allows, take a 20-minute nap during the day too.

(Just not at work!)

Add in a few light workouts: Yes. It’s ok to lighten up the intensity a bit. This way you get a chance to recover while still staying active. Even professional and Olympic athletes take advantage of this strategy to help them prepare for an important game or event.

Listen to your body: Don’t ignore the symptoms listed above because you could end up ultimately giving up on exercise, which is by far the worse consequence of all!

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.

POINTS ON PETS JANE KOSKA

It only takes a minute: Check the Chip!

Roughly 1 in 3 pet owners will experience the scary event of a missing pet during their pet’s lifetime. Pets can slip out an open door, jump out of a car, wriggle out of their collar and leash, or jump out of their person’s arms. Pets can be stolen, too. During natural disasters animals that are always indoors can end up outside and scared and run oﬀ.

One of the best ways to ﬁ nd a missing pet (in addition to a collar and ID tags) is to have your pet microchipped. According to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), research shows that microchipped pets are three times more likely to be reunited with their families. Similarly, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) cites research showing that animal shelters were able to ﬁ nd the owners of almost three-fourths of stray pets with microchips.

For anyone concerned about the microchipping process, rest assured that it’s a safe and routine procedure that can be done during a general vet visit. The vet uses a needle to place the microchip—about the size of a grain of rice— under the pet’s skin. Although the needle is slightly larger than needles used for injections, no surgery or anesthesia is required. If your pet is already undergoing anesthesia for a procedure, such as neutering or spaying, the microchip often can be implanted at that time. Or you might opt for a low-cost vaccine and microchip clinic, like the one oﬀered by the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria (AWLA) on the ﬁ rst Wednesday of every month. By the way, your adopted pet often came to you with a microchip. Many shelters, including AWLA and King Street Cats, microchip animals before adoption.

The research shows, however, that not all microchipped animals can be returned to their owners. Why? The most common reason is an incorrect or disconnected owner telephone number in the microchip registry database. To remind pet owners about the importance of microchips and accurate registration, AAHA and AVMA have teamed up to sponsor Check the Chip Day, celebrated yearly on August 15.

AVMA and AAHA recommend three actions for pet owners in conjunction with Check the Chip Day. First, if your pet isn’t already microchipped, make an appointment with your veterinarian for microchipping and registration with your contact information. Second, make a note to ask your veterinarian to scan the microchip during each of your pet's annual wellness exams. And ﬁ nally, use Check the Chip Day as a reminder to check and update your pet's microchip registration information.

That’s the core message of Check the Chip Day: a microchip is useful only if its registration information is accurate.

Why is registration so vital to success? A microchip doesn’t have a battery. It’s not a GPS device, so it can’t track a lost pet’s location. The microchip is a small, electronic chip (transmitter) enclosed in a glass cylinder. The chip transmits a single piece of data—a unique identification number—only when it’s activated by a RFID scanner that’s passed over the pet. After a pet is scanned, typically at a vet’s office or shelter, staff will look up the identification number in the chip manufacturer’s registry and try to contact the owner using the information that the owner provided to the registry.

When a microchip is placed, its unique number must be registered with the chip manufacturer, where it’s kept in a database and linked to the owner’s contact information. (For those concerned about privacy, the only information about you in the database is the information that you choose to provide when you register the chip or update your information.) Because the owner creates the registry account and provides the info, it’s their responsibility to keep it up-to-date. If the information in the registry isn’t accurate, reuniting a pet with their person becomes much more diﬃcult.

What if you don’t have the microchip number? Contact your veterinarian’s oﬃce—the number should be in your pet’s records. What if you have the number, but don’t know where the chip is registered? Unfortunately, there’s not a central registry, so you need to know the chip manufacturer to get to the right website. AAHA has a registry lookup tool that can help you ﬁ nd where your pet is registered. This tool does not disclose pet owner information or allow pet owners to update their pets’ microchips. It’s only a lookup tool to help identify the registry where a pet’s microchip is registered.

On Check the Chip Day, or any time your contact information changes, take a minute to call or visit the website where your pet is registered. (If you haven’t already created an account with the manufacturer, do that ﬁ rst.) Then, make sure that all of the information is correct, especially your phone

number(s). Remember: missing, inaccurate, or outdated owner information is the main reason reuniting microchipped pets and their owners fails. Microchips have helped vets and shelters reunite pets with their people immediately or even after several years have passed. So, remember to “Check the Chip” this month. Ensure your contact info is up-to-date and accurate to increase the chance of a happy reunion if the unexpected happens and your pet goes missing.

About the Author: Jane Koska is a writer and editor. She’s very thankful that microchips exist so that she doesn’t have to risk life and limb trying to get her two spicy and opinionated cats to wear collars.

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

- They can live between 4-8 years, so they're a long-term commitment.

703-746-4774

alexandriaanimals.org

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

This month the AWLA wants to highlight their adoptable guinea pigs. They have quite a few available for adoption right now, but also have a lot more becoming available for adoption in the coming weeks. They had numerous pregnant female guinea pigs surrendered to us that has substantially increased their numbers. Pictured here are three of their favorites and each is loaded with their own little personalities –we are guessing that they are both “sweet and salty” judging from their names.

A Note from Erin at AWLA: With a “wheek and a squeak”, a guinea pig will wiggle its way into your heart! If you've ever considered adding a piggie pal to your pack, now is a great time. The AWLA has many guinea pigs available for adoption. Here are a few things to consider and remember with guinea pigs:

- Guinea pigs are social – we urge you to consider adopting them in pairs (of the same gender, for obvious reasons).

- Their teeth never stop growing, so a fresh well-stocked supply of hay must always be available.

- They need an adequately sized enclosure for all their piggie activities -- approximately 10.5 square feet for two. You can nd these furry friends and all our available animals at www. AlexandriaAnimals.org/adopt.

Popcorn

Pecan

Cashew

Fishing History

In June, Major League Fishing (MLF) brought 66 professional anglers for a 4 day catch, weigh, and release tournament. Total weight determined the winner with no limit on numbers of scorable ﬁsh (minimum 1.5 pounds). Bass ﬁshing veterans, with successful history, were eager to return to the Nation’s River. Tennessee Nitro/Mercury pro Ott DeFoe won the exciting Potomac River Zenni Stage 6 tournament, presented by Athletic Brewing Company, taking home $150,000.

Pennsylvanian Ranger/Mercury pro Dave Lefebre, sponsored by Fishing Online, has been figuring out Potomac bass since the early 2000s. Looking forward to the river’s legendary grassbeds and hard cover, Lefebre spent his fi rst practice day looking for submerged vegetation, specifically milfoil, and some of his hundreds of hard cover waypoints. To his disappointment, the river has changed. Specifically, the shocking absence of milfoil grass beds. Lefebre’s hard cover spots, trees, duck blinds, and even some submerged wooden barge relics were either lost or relocated. MLF showcases the best anglers catching as many fish as possible, a strategy and time management change from 5 fish limit events. Experienced pros, confident in fi nding 5 larger fish in several areas, were uncomfortable with the catch-as-many-as-you-can format. Finding groups of scorable fish was essential to compete. Catches lacking in size were made up for in numbers.

Washington State native BassCat/ Mercury pro Luke Clausen, sponsored by Bridgford foods, has successfully sifted through Potomac grassbeds for trophies and checks. He also found a lack of milfoil with many scattered small fish. Clausen got bites but found them to be inconsistent. He says milfoil stalks, clumps, and canopies provide cover and home to bait fish. Clausen uses aerial photo apps to fi nd grass and prime spots. He also drives around areas he’s fished before to look for grass with larger groups of fish.

says tournament mortality might contribute as larger ﬁsh are brought to the scales and are more likely to succumb to tournament rigors. Recent MD and VA surveys show there’s been a drop in larger ﬁsh populations.

Another rule unique to MLF, lines out, allows fishing until the clock winds down. No more racing to the marina to bring fish to weigh ins. This is safer for anglers, and fish are caught, weighed, and released in that area. In this Potomac tournament,

spots that required meticulous work to pull a good 5 fish limit, but under the MLF format, he needed to fish faster and produce more fish to achieve a collective and competitive weight. History might have hurt him. With history holding him back, and limited practice time, this pro toughed it out in areas where he had prior success.

This format provided intensity. Chapman says there’s no time to relax as SCORETRACKER keeps you on your toes knowing another fish needs to be caught. With 5 fish limit events, he puts blinders on, trying to catch big ones. SCORETRACKER can take the wind out of your sails when the competition is racking up fish.

A fan of the MLF format, Chapman thinks it’s much better for fisheries, especially during hot summer months. With water temps in the 90s, Chapman says catch, weigh, and release protects fish since they aren’t put in livewells, transported around the fishery, and going through a weigh in process.

Releasing fish where caught also increases the likelihood they’ll be caught again, possibly later that day, but certainly again during the 4 day event. This adds to the strategy of where to fish. In addition, MLF participants practice conservative fish handling, no nets and no contact with boat decks or carpet. Fish are released below the rub rail after being weighed with non-piercing scales. MLF offers fans up-to-the-catch standings accompanied with on the water video. The ultimate in conservation minded fish care format is rapidly catching on as the best version of professional bass fishing.

For Lefebre, Chapman, and Clausen, successful Potomac track records have been based on fishing for 5 fish limits, however history and a different format altered their paths. Next time, these pros will likely be the ones to watch.

Anglers are accompanied by scorekeepers who announce competition data, SCORETRACKER. Clausen says this creates stress even though he knows he must catch them all day against this efficient field. When Potomac tides got low SCORETRACKER flickered faster. This format kept Clausen from trying new techniques, baits, or locations as he risked not catching them fast enough. Clausen believes history is more of a hindrance than help in adapting his MLF strategy to fishing locations with higher densities than in his previous 5 fish events where he fished for fewer bites while looking for bigger ones.

There weren’t many bigger ﬁsh caught, some say tournament pressure makes them skittish. Clausen

anglers were well into creek headwaters where travel time would have been prohibitive and in many cases lower tides would have forced anglers to leave before ﬁshing really peaked.

From Kansas, Triton/Mercury pro Brent Chapman, sponsored by Kast King, concurs that grass has been better. However, he says lots of ﬁsh were caught, albeit not many 4 pounders. Having had success over the years, he considers the Potomac to be his kind of ﬁshing. The Potomac’s 63 miles and dozen creeks made the 2 day practice period too short. Chapman relied on previous history to select

River Bassing in AUGUST

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

It’s time to frog ﬁsh! 50 pound test Gamma Torque Braid and cast to the thick grass! The strikes are explosive.

Other grass techniques include using swim jigs and bladed jigs in craw, black/blue, or white

patterns. Tie to 30 pound test Gamma Torque braid. For pitching docks and holes in the grass, use Mizmo tubes Texas rigged on 16 pound test Gamma Edge ﬂuorocarbon. Drop shot and shaky head on deeper drops. Use 15 pound Gamma Torque main line with 12 pound Edge leader. Green pumpkin colors are good.

Potomac

Tennessee Nitro/Mercury pro Ott DeFoe

Life is Short. Eat the Cake.

My husband had a birthday last month. He loves a good celebration— especially if it involves cake. For every year I’ve known him, it’s been strawberry shortcake which he starts talking about in May. “You’re gonna make me strawberry shortcake, right? You know it’s my favorite, right?”

Yes, dear. How could I forget with all these subtle hints, I think to myself. This year he threw me for a loop with a request for banana cake. What the h-e-double-toothpicks. A ‘wellmeaning’ friend brought one to a pot luck a few months back and it was love at ﬁ rst bite. Thanks, friend. Not being a ‘baker’ per se, I was not thrilled by his new request, but I accepted the challenge because I try to be a good wife, and my husband deserved a good birthday.

While XXL loves a good celebration, remember, especially when cake is involved (even better with ice cream—he’ll be the ﬁ rst to notice its absence), he’s not so keen on aging. He pretty much hates everything about it. I assure him that none of us is super excited by creaking joints or crepey skin, but as they say, it beats the alternative. I remind him that he’s already lived three more years than my brother Phil, 17 more than my friend Holly, and a lot more than my friend Betty. I don’t mention those sweet little campers who won’t see their ninth birthdays.

To be alive, is a gift. To be alive and healthy is a treasure.

XXL is one of those manly-men types. He spent most of his career doing manual labor, has captained many vessels, and has a 100-ton master’s license—a fact he’s recited to everyone from Uber drivers to Safeway cashiers. He’s proud of it, and rightfully so. There’s no one I feel more comfortable in bad weather conditions than Captain XXL. He skis double-black diamonds, and plays the drums like nobody’s business. He does not want to lose the ability to do any of these things. God forbid I mention anything about his hearing or vision (does he really think that dish is clean?).

I get it.

From the moment we pop out of the womb, unless we are plucked oﬀ early, we are riding the great conveyor belt to the sky. Of course, there will be substantial wear and tear on the body. XXL has had his knee and shoulder worked on and is getting ready to undergo back surgery to clean up a ruptured disk. I’ve got titanium hips. And aren’t we lucky that the technology and expertise exists to alleviate our pain and give us more years upright and mobile. But aging isn’t for the faint of heart. That is for sure. Personally speaking, I try to stay positive about the things I can do vs. the things I can’t. At

least I still have the vision to see the chin hairs, and I just recently cracked the code for getting up oﬀ the ﬂoor without using my hands. Go, me! I try to get XXL to focus on the positives. Personally speaking, I’m thrilled by the money I’m saving not having to stock my bathroom with Playtex products. If I was smart, I’d put $15 a month into a Depends account. Betting a leaky-day fund will come in just as handy as a rainyday fund. I’m no longer expected to go clubbing; do shots of sugary madeup concoctions that I’ll wake up regretting; pay crazy cover charges in order to have a hot ash dropped on my new Nine Wests; remember the number to Red Top Cab (which BTW, I still do—I can’t remember what I had for lunch, but for some reason 703-333-3333 is in for the long haul); or stay up past 10:00 pm.

Random strangers hold doors open for me. I don’t have to wear a name tag or punch a time clock or make water cooler chit chat with people who generally annoy me. Thanks to AARP, I get discounts, solid advice on avoiding scammers, and expert articles about the diﬀerence between a USB and a CVS. I don’t have to pretend the vaping is cool or that man buns are sexy. Praise God, the Buddha, and the Goddess of whatever. I’m just thrilled. Like anything worth having, it takes work to keep these aging bodies and

minds healthy and strong. You’ve got to keep moving and lifting. Lifting weight. Lifting groceries. Lifting spirits. Lifting the No. 2 to do a puzzle. You’ve got to keep on moving on. You’ve got to ﬁ nd things that challenge you mentally and physically. You’ve got to be ﬂexible— both physically and mentally. You’ve got to not only accept change, but embrace it. We are changing every day. Like the weather, it’s a fact of life.

I’m about to turn 59 in September. My last year in my ﬁfties. Wow. That is a bit terrifying, but at the end of the day, I’m blessed beyond measure to be here. I ﬁgure if you can show up, and eat the cake, life is pretty sweet. Now I have to concentrate on what cake challenge I’m going to toss to XXL. German chocolate? Espresso mocha? And while I’m at it, I may just think of a challenge for myself to keep me moving and strong. Sixty 6-mile walks? Sixty hikes? Sixty puzzles completed? Sixty articles published? Sixty push-ups? Hmmm. A lot to consider. In the meantime, maybe I’ll just have some cake. 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 20 years. Please follow Lori online on Medium for more missives like this.

It has been one hot tamale of a summer so far. The day I met Ken Kearney, owner of Freedom Ring Boats in the Harbor, it was too hot to even think about taking a spin on one of his “Donut Boats”. However, I am looking forward to taking friends out for an evening cruise when the weather cools down!

I have spent a lot of time on the water in the DMV over the years and have to confess most of it has been spent on “sailing” vessels on the lower Potomac, Chesapeake and Patuxent rivers – all of which required an hour or more drive to the marina(s) and a bit of boat prep before being able to hit the water. This isn’t the case with Freedom Rings. You are on the water after a brief orientation and quick boarding, captaining and docking lesson. No need to have any extensive experience to Captain one of these vessels, just a bit of common sense.

Ab�u� F��ed�� R�n� Boat� Proprietor, Ken Kearney spent the majority of his career in the marketing and advertising world but decided that he needed a change. Ken moved to the Harbor in 2022 and has his own boat docked at the Marina here as well. He has spent over 20 years boating so his love of the water comes naturally. In his search for a new “career” he noticed that there weren’t that many outlets in the Harbor that catered to kids and family activities other than the Carousel, the Capital Wheel, The Awakening sculpture that kids climb all over and family night movies on Sundays.

known as Smoots Bay) so you won’t be encountering any heavy waves as long as you stay on course.

Our typical sailing schedule sets us adrift Wednesday thru Sunday and holidays, from the noon tide (12:00 PM) until the evening watch ends at eight bells (8:00 PM). Starting October evening watch ends at six bells (6:00 PM). If you're looking to weigh anchor on a Monday or Tuesday, or if the tides don't seem to align with your desired day on our regular schedule, simply hoist your signal by using the "Sign up for the wait list" link found beneath your preferred vessel. We'll do our best to navigate the waters and accommodate your request for a special voyage!

He was looking for something that tied the water into an activity but didn’t want to go the “charter” route since that involves planning ahead, etc. He wanted something that visitors could just walk up to and be on the water but wasn’t a paddle boat or board. This is when Ken’s partner discovered “Donut” boats while on a vacation and sent Ken a few pics and the mission was immediately underway. Ken purchased his “Fleet of Four” and launched Freedom Ring Boats this spring.

Let’s talk about the “Donut” boats. The boat is round, resembling a donut, with a central area that can accommodate a table, grill, or other features. The Freedom Ring ﬂeet vessels include a central table and a cooler for food and drinks and an umbrella for shade. The boats seat up to 10 passengers that are typically seated around the perimeter of the donut, facing each other, which encourages conversation and socializing.

Wha� p��r� �� e�?

Freedom has two vessels – Freedom and Liberty - that operate with a small outboard gas motor that is guided with a tiller and has a top speed of 5 mph

Wha� �b�u� f�o� & ��k�?

If, after reading this piece, you decide to take to the water, you can pack your own eats and drinks and bring them with you. Beer and wine are allowed on the boats but hard liquor is not. If you end up at the Harbor and want to take a spontaneous spin, there are several restaurants in the Harbor that have takeout available.

I am soooo looking forward to having some big fun on one of these donuts with friends very soon!

W�� d� y�� bo�r�?

Freedom Ring Boats is located on C Dock just before you get to the entrance to the Capital Wheel. Look for the sign in tent on the left.

Ring Boats

and two vessels – Independence and Justice - that are propelled with electric motors guided with a wheel that has a top speed of around 3 mph. Keep in mind that your trek on the water is limited to the bay (formerly

M�e� K��!