Issuu

The Sounds of Sunday

Irish Sessions at O’Brien’s

Robotic-Assisted Surgery in Our Community

Robotic-assisted surgery changes the surgical experience for both doctors and patients, improving precision and shortening recovery times. The da Vinci Surgical System is directly controlled by our trained surgeons, allowing them to perform your procedure with smaller incisions and better visualization. With this robotic platform, Fauquier Health is proud to offer minimally invasive surgical care in our community.

Benefits for the Surgeon:

•10x magnification in 3D allows a clear, close view

•Greater dexterity

• Precise micro-movements enhance surgical maneuvers

Benefits for the Patient May Include:

•Smaller incisions can mean less pain

•Faster recovery time

•Shorter hospital stay

•Reduced risk of infection

Robotic Procedures Currently Available at Fauquier Health*

General Surgery:

• Abdominal wall or ventral hernia

•Inguinal hernia

•Paraesophageal or hiatal hernia repair

•Colon resection

•Gallbladder

Gynecology:

•Hysterectomy

•Ovary removal

•Endometriosis, chronic pain and fibroids

Urology:

• Prostatectomy (prostate cancer and enlarged prostate)

•Mass and tumor removal

•Nephrectomy (kidney tumors and cancer)

•Adrenalectomy (adrenal masses and cancer)

•Pyeloplasty for ureteropelvic junction obstruction repair

• Ureteral reimplantation (ureteral stricture and obstruction)

•Radical cystectomy for bladder cancer treatment

*Not all conditions or patients qualify for robotic-assisted surgery

Trained Surgeons

Nchang Azefor, MD General Surgery

Olga Mazur, MD General Surgery

Mohamad Salkini, MD, FACS Urology

G.Benjamin Wampler, MD General Surgery

Victoria McDonald, MD OB/GYN

Nathaniel Saint-Preux, MD General Surgery

FROM THE EDITOR

One of the things I like about my job is that I get to meet a lot of different local people. I especially like meeting the “old timers” who have lived in the community for many years. This issue I met Lois King who came to the county at the age of 17 and created her farm from scratch herself. At age 89, she still farms it herself.

As a former horse person, one of the things that I notice and admire is a nice pasture fence. Board fencing is safer and more attractive than the dangerous barbed-wire alternative, but it is also labor intensive to install and maintain. Lois’ three-board fencing is in excellent repair and neatly weed wacked (no stray grass underneath or around the posts), and the pastures are skillfully bushhogged. I was impressed. I hope I am doing as much at her age!

EDITOR Pam Kamphuis

A Celebration of Fauquier County

PUBLISHER

Dennis Brack dennis@warrentonlifestyle.com

EDITOR Pam Kamphuis pam@warrentonlifestyle.com

ART DIRECTOR Kara Thorpe kara@warrentonlifestyle.com

ADVERTISING

Sales Director: Jim Kelly jim@warrentonlifestyle.com, 434-987-3542

Senior Account Executive: Cindy McBride cindy@warrentonlifestyle.com, 540-229-6038

CREATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR Jay Ford creative@warrentonlifestyle.com

ACCOUNTING

Carina Richard-Wheat cwheat@insidenova.com 540-905-7791

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Email: subscribe@warrentonlifestyle.com 540-675-3338

EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING OFFICE

Warrenton Lifestyle Magazine 70 Main Street (by appointment only) Warrenton, VA 20186 • 540-349-2951

ON THE WEB

FauquierNow.com/lifestyle

Facebook: @FauquierNow, @WarrentonLifestyleMagazine

Email Newsletter: Sign up at FauquierNow.com

The Warrenton Lifestyle Magazine is published monthly and distributed to over 11,500 selected addresses. While reasonable care is taken with all material submitted to The Warrenton Lifestyle Magazine, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to any such material. Opinions expressed in articles are strictly those of the authors. While ensuring that all published information is accurate, the publisher cannot be held responsible for any mistakes or omissions. Reproduction in whole or part of any of the text, illustration or photograph is strictly forbidden. ©2025 Rappahannock Media LLC.

Kitchen Features

 White cabinetry

 Granite countertop

 Stainless Whirlpool refrigerator/freezer

 4 burner stove

 Propane oven

 24” sink with hand sprayer

 Shelving and additional

Floor Plan

 RVIA certified electrical, water, sewer, and cable hook ups

 3000 watt solar power system. 8 panels mounted to roof

 ac/dc power with batteries and converters

 Pioneer mini split heat pumps for heat and ac

 Propane heater

 Propane on demand

 Water heater providing hot water to the kitchen and bathroom

 40 gallon fresh water

 storage tank Sustainable off grid living

rfecct f for y your

vac

Warrenton man receives wheelchair ramp — and independence — thanks to

GRACE SCHUMACHER

Sentiment and storytelling through handmade jewelry.

KARLA JONES SEIDITA

The December fire that damaged Silver Branch Brewing was not the first on that site.

JOHN TOLER

DANIEL DUCA

News from FauquierNow

Stories you may have missed.

On the Cover: Alan Lacey and Jordan Koepke at the Irish Session held weekly at O’Brien’s Irish Pub Photo by Luke Christopher

A Lifelong Journey in Real Estate and Community

Get to know Tray Allen, Allen Real Estate

Real estate has been a lifelong journey, growing up in a family deeply rooted in the industry. As a third-generation real estate professional, I've learned from the very best and along the way I’ve developed a deep understanding of the Warrenton community, helping buyers and sellers navigate transactions with confidence.

After graduating from Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, and earning a B.S. in Finance from Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business in 1998, I gained valuable experience that continues to benefit the people I work with. Completing the Outward Bound program at Hurricane Island, Maine, and traveling extensively across North America, Europe, and parts of Asia have broadened my perspective and problem-solving skills.

For over 26 years, I’ve built a reputation based on market insight, negotiation expertise, and a results-driven approach. Whether working with small lots or multimillion-dollar estates, my focus is always on delivering the best possible outcomes. Staying ahead of industry trends through national, state, and local conferences ensures that my clients benefit from the most up-to-date strategies and technologies.

Strong community ties play a key role in my work, allowing me to facilitate deals that might not otherwise come together. The relationships I’ve built and my knowledge of the local market help create unique opportunities for buyers and sellers alike.

Beyond real estate, serving on the Board of Directors for the Greater Piedmont Realtors, Fauquier Family Shelter Services, the Boys and Girls Club of Fauquier, and Fauquier Habitat for Humanity has been an honor. Currently, I serve on the boards of the Fauquier SPCA and Experience Old

Town Warrenton, where I previously held the role of Chairman. Giving back to the community is something I take seriously, as strengthening our local area benefits everyone.

As a member of Gobundance, a high-level mastermind group for entrepreneurial men, I’m always looking for ways to grow both personally and professionally. This network provides structure, accountability, and an environment that fosters balance in business, health, adventure, and relationships. Right now, I’m training for the Shenandoah Epic Adventure, an exciting challenge that pushes limits and encourages new experiences.

Family is at the heart of everything we do. My wife, Emily, and I love raising our two sons, Joe IV and Mix, in Old Town War-

renton. We spend time together outdoors, support local businesses, and stay involved in youth sports. Whether coaching, cheering from the sidelines, or walking our rescue dog, Max, through town, we feel grateful to be part of this vibrant community.

If we cross paths in town, don’t hesitate to say hello—community connections are what make Warrenton such a special place to call home.

Located in the Historic District of Warrenton, Virginia, Allen Real Estate has the knowledge and experience to help with all things real estate. Buying or selling, we are up on the latest local market trends and information. Building or renovating? We consult on best practices for that too.

Allen Real Estate Co., Ltd. 43 Culpeper Street, Warrenton 540-347-3838

allenrealestate.com

Best Bets

TOP EVENTS IN FAUQUIER & NEARBY

What to do? There's lots going on in our area — and there's never enough time! This page and our free weekly Best Bets email newsletter (scan the code below to subscribe) aims to help you make plans and have fun.

Hero’s Bridge Vietnam Veterans Day 7th annual 5K

SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 10 A.M.

WARRENTON FAUQUIER AIRPORT, 533 IRIS TRAIL, MIDLAND HEROSBRIDGE.ORG

It's not just a race, it's a movement. Hero’s Bridge observes Vietnam Veterans Day (March 29) annually with a 5K run/walk. This race, and virtual teams nationwide, are part of a national effort to inspire America to honor and commemorate our Vietnam veterans and recognize the men and women who were denied a proper homecoming over 50 years ago. This year's participants will run on a paved course throughout the Warrenton Fauquier Airport campus with each step benefiting veterans over the age of 65 through Hero's Bridge programs and supporting the construction of the Hero’s Bridge Village. Walkers and strollers are welcome. Register for $30 before March 15 for early bird pricing and before March 19 to guarantee a race shirt.

O’Brien’s St. Patrick's Day Festival

SATURDAY-SUNDAY, MARCH 15-16, OPENING AT 10 A.M. - EVENING

O’BRIEN’S IRISH PUB, 380 BROADVIEW AVE., WARRENTON

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day weekend at Warrenton’s popular authentic Irish Pub. The festival will encompass a whirlwind of Irish culture and family-friendly activities. A highlight will be O’Brien’s 3rd annual St. Patrick’s Day parade with over 20 floats from local organizations, accompanied by Irish dancers, bagpipers and drummers. The parade starts at 1 p.m. and winds from Rady Park to the pub. Both days will feature vendors, a moon bounce, family friendly activities, lawn games, and multiple Irish dance and music performances. Traditional Irish fare available at the restaurant and pub all weekend and on St. Patrick’s Day.

Songs from the Emerald Isle

MONDAY, MARCH 17, 7 P.M.

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

FAUQUIER HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM, 705 WATERLOO ROAD, WARRENTON FAUQUIERCOMMUNITYBAND.COM

On St. Patrick’s Day, the Fauquier Community Band will celebrate the holiday with a free concert featuring traditional Irish melodies and songs from the Emerald Isle. Put on your best green attire and join the 50-piece band for a musical trip across the pond with toe-tapping tunes like “Londonderry Air,” “The Rakes of Mallow,” “Dublin Holiday,” and music from “How To Train Your Dragon.” The evening will feature a raffle, prizes and a complimentary dessert reception as well.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR: Hosting an event? Add it to the calendar at no charge and it may be chosen for Best Bets! FauquierNow.com/calendar

giving back

The gift of time and talent

Fauquier County has always been a special, tight-knit and caring community, with generous people, organizations and nonprofits supporting those in need. But giving back doesn’t always have to mean a financial donation. Often the most valuable contribution is a gift of your time or talent. Just being there for someone who’s lonely or helping a nonprofit with one of the many tasks necessary to fulfill their mission can be as important — and rewarding. Just a few examples include things like sorting food bank donations, nurturing a community garden, or providing services you may have expertise in. There are endless needs, some of which require specific skills, but many that don’t. They just require time and a giving spirit.

Warrenton Lifestyle’s ongoing feature highlights some of the countless and always needed time and talent volunteer opportunities in Fauquier County and nearby. In this we hope to bring awareness not only to the needs themselves but the many ways you can be a part of uplifting others to strengthen even more what is already an impressive community.

Volunteer Driver

VOLTRAN

Setup Volunteer

FAUQUIER SENIOR CENTER

Fauquier Senior Center is a place for seniors aged sixty and over to receive a nutritious meal as well as an opportunity for socialization and recreation. Seniors can gather for a few hours to learn new things, socialize or play games. The center is looking for volunteers that are able and willing to come set it up for the senior activities on Monday and Wednesday mornings from 9-10 a.m. This involves putting out six cafeteria style tables that fold and are on wheels and 35 heavy chairs with arms.

Information:

Fauquier Senior Center

430 E. Shirley Ave., Warrenton

Jessica Richardson

Jrichardson@ecsva.org

540-347-7729

For more opportunities to help, check the PATH Foundation’s Volunteer Hub database at letsvolunteer.org or inquire at another nearby nonprofit or organization that relies on volunteer assistance.

Voltran is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides the transportation necessary to take care of the medical and social needs of the elderly, disabled, and others in serious need in Fauquier County and the surrounding area. Volunteer drivers assist with transportation to medical appointments, grocery and prescription pickups. The schedule is flexible but drivers are usually needed during business hours. Volunteering with VolTran is a rewarding experience, providing the community with invaluable support and drivers with a simple way to give back. Volunteers must be 21 or older, have a valid driver’s license, proof of insurance, valid inspection sticker, undergo a background check and DMV screening and complete training.

Information: voltran.org/volunteer-with-voltran 540-422-2600

Are you an organization in need of volunteers? Email editor@warrentonlifestyle.com with information.

community

A LifeChanging Gift

Warrenton man receives wheelchair ramp — and independence — thanks to local nonprofits

BY GRACE SCHUMACHER

Jeff Soule watched in high spirits as his normally quiet yard on Lees Ridge Road transformed into a bustling worksite on the morning of Jan. 18.

For the past six months, Soule, wheelchair-bound since a 40-foot fall last spring left him with severe injuries, has been confined to the first floor of his home. In less than five hours, Soule’s home was outfitted with a new custom ramp — a project made possible by two nonprofits and the support of his friends and family, restoring not only his independence but also his connection to the outside world.

On May 11, 2024, Soule was performing routine yard work at his daughter’s home when he fell from a ladder. The accident resulted in fractures to all four limbs, six broken ribs and multiple compound fractures. He endured a 45-day stay in Inova Fairfax Hospital’s Trauma Intensive Care Unit and 17 emergency surgeries, followed by weeks of rehabilitation.

For Soule’s wife, Lyn Good-Soule, an English and creative writing teacher at Fauquier High School, the ramp symbolizes more than mobility — it offers freedom for both of them.

“This is going to change not just his life, but my life,” said Good-Soule. “I’ll be able to get him out for more than just doctor’s appointments and surgeries, which is something he needs desperately. Being in a wheelchair or in

a hospital bed all day in the same four walls does not help anybody, but he has a strong spirit, and he recognizes his blessings.”

Soule emphasized the impact the ramp will have on his day-to-day life, reducing his reliance on the local rescue squad for transportation.

“I am grateful to be alive, and having this is just an added blessing, especially on my wife. A lot of times my brother isn’t available and we have to call the rescue squad, which puts them out of service. I don’t like doing that because it takes away from other people’s needs,” said Soule. “This is going to give me a little bit of freedom.”

Self-employed with his company, Reliable Handyman & Remodeling Services, the ramp installation was especially significant to Soule, who spent years in construction and

remodeling before his injury. Watching the process reminded him of the work he loved.

“I miss doing work like this,” he said. “When I get better, I’ll probably volunteer.”

The ramp was built by Servants at Work Virginia, or SAWs, a nonprofit that constructs wheelchair ramps for people with long-term ambulatory disabilities. Founded in 2019 by Charlie Russell, SAWs Virginia is an affiliate of the national SAWs organization, which began in Indiana in 2003.

“Our ramps restore freedom, independence and dignity,” Russell said. “We build not just for the person in need, but also for their families and caregivers.”

The process began with volunteers pre-building ramp sections at the nonprofit’s Fredericksburg workshop the weekend prior so those with full-time jobs can

Jeff Soule, his wife, Lyn Good-Soule (left), Doug Soule and SAWs volunteers Michelle Daniels, Buck Wright, John Widner, Rick Dendy and Keith Dye pose for a photo after completing the installation of a wooden wheelchair ramp with materials from Fauquier Community Coalition.

PROVIDED BY BUCK WRIGHT SAWS

VIRGINIA

•

Keith Dye, in addition to helping out on the build, is responsible for creating the CAD, or Computer-Aided Design, drawings for the Soule’s wheelchair ramp.

still help out, said SAWs Executive Director Wayne Murphy, who was also on hand. On-site, the team of volunteers, including Soule’s younger brother Doug, completed the installation under the guidance of project managers Keith Dye and John Widner. “[Sections] are pre-made because they need to be customized based on the individ-

ual site needs and conditions. Everything is laser-measured, and we plan for details like slope, width, landing areas and handrail placement to meet accessibility guidelines,” said Buck Wright, a SAWs volunteer and friend of the Soule family. “We then transport the pre-made sections and materials to the site the next weekend and build from there.”

“Our affiliate serves all the counties surrounding Fredericksburg. We often get requests that are just outside or across that border, but Buck is giving us the opportunity to answer those calls that we get here,” Russell said. “This is our second build in the Fauquier area.”

The project was funded by the Fauquier Community Coalition, a nonprofit whose mission is to improve living conditions for county residents in need through initiatives like critical home repairs and a firewood ministry.

“When Buck, a former FCC member, came to us with this ramp project, he asked us if we would fund the materials, and we were very happy to do that,” Judy Williams, president of the Fauquier Community Coalition Board of Directors, said.

A retired educator who served Fauquier County’s public schools over a 39-year career, Williams is no stranger to the often hidden needs that exist across the region. “I learned that a family’s situation can change very quickly. It just takes one catastrophic event for someone’s whole life to change.”

“We rely on donations from churches and organizations in Fauquier as well as grants, which come through the PATH Foundation, but mostly are supported by indi-

viduals who have a heart for those in need,” she said. “We are a very small organization, but we are trying to have a big impact on the people in Fauquier County.”

“It’s all about putting the right people together, almost like a networking process,” said Wright. “[Fauquier Community Coalition] provided for all the material and

paid for all the technical support and help with installation.”

The installation drew volunteers from both the SAWs team and Soule’s circle of family and friends, including his stepdaughter Bekah Good and Warrenton Ward 3 Town Councilmember Larry Kovalik, who lent a hand and marveled at the teamwork.

“When Jeff first had the accident, Doug and I thought we’d just come by and pop a ramp up. Looking at this now, I’m like, ‘Wow, we would have been taking on a lot.’ To have someone come in and do this for him is amazing,” Kovalik said. “Knowing Jeff, seeing people out here doing this work to help him, he wants to be part of something like this. He’s got that kind of heart where it would be a no-brainer for him to try and give back too.”

The ramp installation is more than a physical improvement; it’s a lifeline for the Soule family. The couple, who will celebrate their wedding anniversary in September, has faced months of challenges adjusting to new realities.

“Jeff really has been through it, but we’re coming out stronger on the other end. What is being done here for us really takes a lot of weight off my heart,” said Good-Soule.

The ramp will allow them to reclaim some normalcy, and Good-Soule, whose birthday is approaching, is already excited to plan a date with her husband.

“I’m blessed to still be alive,” Soule said. “Lyn is my angel.” l

Jeff Soule watches through the storm door at the front of his home as a wooden wheelchair ramp is installed on the cold and icy morning of Jan. 18.

rising stars

Taking life in ‘doses’

Young Fauquier songwriter

Melody Larue is learning the art of being an artist

BY MADDI MAE MARTIN

Artists live among us, pushing past the often mundane and superficial routines of daily life in search of deeper, more meaningful truths to share through their work. Cinematographers, photographers, writers, poets, painters, potters, weavers, sewers, musicians — they may be your neighbors, your coworkers, your classmates.

One such artist is 16-year-old songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Melody Larue, who attends Kettle Run High School. As a music student of mine here at Maddi Mae’s Sound House in Remington and as a member of five-piece indie rock band The Sunstones, Melody has already published music with our studio’s DIY label, Sound House Record Makers. The band’s debut EP “Empty Pockets” has been streamed 15,000+ times since its launch on Earth Day last year — no easy feat for a local band, but especially for a local band composed entirely of teenagers who have schedules packed full of school assignments, extracurriculars and part-time work.

Of course, I think it’s important to acknowledge that it takes a team to achieve this kind of success at any age. Their families supported rehearsals, recording sessions and shows as personal drivers, booking agents, patrons, and more. Their friends listened to and shared the songs and showed up to the gigs with lyrics memorized. And I got the

The Sunstones’ “Empty Pockets” EP cover (left) and Larue’s “doses” cover (right). MIKE

honor of guiding them through the whole process of writing, recording and performing as their producer and mentor. Trust me, artists’ work can only grow as big as the communities that support it.

With a major team project under her belt, it’s now time for Melody Larue to venture out on her own — to debut solo work that she’s been developing since 2022. Quality songs take time to craft, and Melody has been patient with the process. She devotes a lot of her time to making straight

As at school, playing for her regionally competitive volleyball team (the Northern Piedmont Sports Club Panthers), working part time at Old Bust Head Brewing Company, and staying connected with her peers. With such a jam-packed schedule, we’ve just been piecing together these songs whenever she can spare an hour or two of studio time.

This kind of long-term diligence is often overlooked as one of the defining characteristics of successful artists, but it’s true: it takes determination and dedication over long periods of time to snatch an artistic concept from the inspirational ether and then craft it into tangible art here on planet Earth — while also functioning as a productive member of society. Melody is learning the art of being an artist.

Her first song is called “doses” (yes, with a lowercase “d”; it’s a Gen Z thing). Of the lyrics, Melody says, “This song came from an era of doing too much and doing it alone.” This is probably a familiar feeling for a lot of folks these days. Many of us are overworked and isolated in today’s culture. But Melody Larue — at sixteen years old, mind you — doesn’t shy away from this uncomfortable truth. Like a true musical artist, she writes a song about it.

She starts by voicing the problem. The first verse of her song goes, “How can you feel what you cannot define? Can’t put my finger on it, but it hurts all the time.” Notably, she doesn’t sit with the suffering. Instead, she seeks a solution. The chorus follows up with a resilient, optimistic strategy: “You’re doing the most. Take it in a dose.” Whatever that indefinable hurt is, let’s heal it a little bit at a time, dose by dose.

Jeffrey Harris and Dr. Paul Harris and their skilled team offer general, cosmetic, restorative and implant dentistry to help you look great and feel even better!

Jeffrey Harris, DDS

Paul Harris, DDS

That’s good medicine from a decidedly groovy track infused with specter-like vocals, quirky keys, crunchy bass, and boom bap drums. For a healthy dose of head-bopping, look no further. The song starts with a trippy guitar solo from a former student of mine, Julianne Carr, who is currently studying Jazz Performance at Shenandoah University’s Conservatory. Julianne was band leader and bassist of The Sunstones, so she and Melody have spent years making music together at this point. To guide our listeners out on the other side, I tracked another sizzling guitar solo of my own. The song rocks from top to bottom.

There’s a good reason why relatively unknown artists — like Melody and me — keep making artwork. We keep squirreling away an hour or two at a time to practice our crafts and produce our work because the process of making artwork transforms. A hidden truth can transform into a song. An unnamable feeling of loneliness can transform into an opportunity to connect

on the soul level. Neighbors, coworkers, and classmates can transform into entertainers, healers, and catalysts for even more transformation. A teenage girl can transform into an artist.

Life has transformed a lot for Melody since she wrote “doses” last summer. Of this change she says, “I learned a lot from my isolated suffering. I realized that there were

Melody’s song dropped on Jan. 29, so you can stream “doses” wherever you listen to music — right now! Her second single, “unfound,” is scheduled for release on March 20th.

so many people around me ready to help as soon as I could figure out how to communicate my needs. Life feels more balanced now.” That’s exactly the kind of transformation I’m trying to support here as a music coach at Sound House. Songwork requires introspection, expression, and collaboration. It’s a high-intensity personal-growth medium for those artists among us who are willing to engage fully with the process.

As a final note, Melody and I want to thank her parents Scott and Tina Harlan for their dedication and support. The Harlans are artists themselves; Scott is a vocalist and bassist with four records of his own, and together the two created Talk 19 Media, a business that offers website and graphic design, video and audio production, and more. They’ve worked hard to make sure that their daughter gets to experience the transformational power of creating art to share with the world.

I thank them for sharing their own in-progress masterpiece with me: Melody herself. L

Keep up with Melody Larue’s art by following her on Instagram @MelodyLarueMusic. While you’re at it, if you feel like supporting me and the work I’m doing with local artists like Melody over at Sound House, you can follow my studio on Instagram @SoundHouseVA or visit my site, SoundHouseVA.com.

Larue has published music with The Sunstones, a local fivepiece indie rock band.

AT HIGHLAND SCHOOL

ACADEMICS / ATHLETICS / ARTS / ENRICHMENT

CAMPS FROM JUNE 16 TO AUGUST 8, 2025

USE YOUR PHONE TO CLICK THE QR CODE!

Use your phone’s camera to click the QR code and go directly to our summer programs page and register today!

HIGHLAND SCHOOL’S SUMMER PROGRAMS NEW FOR 2025!

SUMMER EXPLORERS ARE HERE!

Summer Explorers is a brand-new series of 2-week, full-day programs that offer exploration and enrichment for students ages 3 to 5. Sessions run from June 16 to August 8, 2025.

SPARK BUSINESS ACADEMY

Spark Business Academy empowers students grades 1-8 with essential financial skills and an entrepreneurial mindset. Students learn valuable skills including teamwork, independent thinking, and problem solving. This year, we’ve got 14 great Spark BUSINESS Academy camps for your students!

FAVORITE CAMPS ARE BACK!

Enrichment and sports camps for rising Grades 1-8 including art, ceramics, tie dye camp, STEAM, baseball, basketball, soccer, and so much more!

EXPLORE CAMPS AND REGISTER TODAY

The Hardest Working Woman Around

Lois King drove a school bus in Fauquier County for 64 years, but she’s a farmer at heart.

BY PAM KAMPHUIS

When I first called Lois King to schedule an interview for this article, timing was an issue. She’s a busy 89-year-old.

“Not this week. I’m cutting and splitting wood this week. What’s the weather going to be like next week?”

I Googled it, and we settled on a day.

Many may know King as a longtime bus driver in the county; many may have ridden her bus, Number 87. But there’s quite an extraordinary woman behind the bus driver that some might not know. She is a farmer, at nearly 90, and is still fully taking care of her beautiful 140-acre spread outside Marshall.

King’s farm is her pride and her oasis. When she and her husband bought the property 72 years ago (for $9,000), it was, as she said, “a terrible mess.” It was almost all wooded with only a ramshackle 1803 two-story cabin.

“If I hadn’t been 17 years old and [very determined], I would have said, ‘Let’s get the hell out of here.’ But I didn’t know s**t from apple butter back then.”

She apologized for her language: “Nowadays, my mouth runs. I used to be such a

shy little girl, I only spoke when spoken to, partly because my father [who was a colonel in the army] drilled us in our manners. Now, on my property, I’m a wildcat.”

King has every right to be proud of her farm: she created it herself. Without much help from anyone, she slowly cleared the land over time, at first cutting and splitting trees with an ax and selling it for firewood for $7 a pickup truck load.

The day King received a chainsaw as a gift changed her life. No more hand axes and bow saws. It was put to use immediately and constantly, and King still uses one regularly. “I love a chainsaw. I could shave a beard with a chainsaw,” she said.

“See those fences?” she pointed out the fences I had admired on my way in. “I put every one of those in myself. Every board. Every post.” She started with a shovel and hand operated post hole digger and post driver and later bought a tractor with a post attachment. She now has six tractors on the property and a new 10’ bushhog.

“Everything you see here I did with my bare hands. But you have to appreciate what it was before. Because, if you don’t, then you don’t realize the tremendous work

•On-line Registration begins Monday, March 17, 2025.

•Dates to be determined

•K-4 Camps: sites to be determined

Summer Camp enrollment is open to rising Kindergarteners (must be age 5 by September 30, 2025) and children that have graduated Kindergarten through 4 th grade this current school year, 2024 -2025.

•Teen Camp: sites to be determined

Teen Camp enrollment is open to children that have graduated 5 th grade and up (for the current 2024-2025 school year) through age 14; child cannot turn 15 before 8/2/2025.

that went into making this place my home. If I’m going to do something, it’s going to get done. If I can’t do something the way it’s supposed to be done, I’ll figure out a way to get it done my way. I’m not a giver upper.”

“The old timers in Marshall have always said I’m the hardest working woman around,” she said.

“Up in the morning at quarter to four, at quarter to six, get out the

door.”

King started driving a school bus at age 24 and would do so for the next 64 years.

“Some of my children were almost born on a school bus,” she said, recalling one who was born within hours of finishing her route that afternoon.

She developed good relationships with the students she drove, even giving them a firm talking-to if they were going astray.

“They weren’t students, they were my family,” she said.

Through the years, King was always busy. She cut and baled hay and took side jobs bushhogging for neighbors and breaking horses. She milked her 10 cows twice a day and sold the milk (making about $4.66 a month), continued to improve the farm, and cared for her seven children and six foster children.

The children always had a good dinner: meat, potatoes, vegetables and dessert every night. She also made some of the children’s clothing: dresses for her daughters, and shirts for the boys. “I’d stay up until three

in the morning making them clothes. I put a lot of work into what they wore, and it made me so proud,” she said.

“I had a saying when I was driving the buses, ‘Up in the morning at quarter to four, at quarter to six, get out the door.’”

King later moved from milk cows to Black Angus beef cattle, which were a little less labor intensive. She maintained between 20-30 cows and a bull, raising the calves and selling them. She sold enough cattle in the 1970s to pay off the farm.

“I was so tickled to be able to do that,” she said.

Three years ago, she uncharacteristically dialed things back a bit, selling her bull and cutting back her herd to five cows. Instead of breeding her own calves, she buys heifers in the spring, raises them through the summer to market them in the fall.

Number 87

The last bus King drove was Number 87, which she was assigned in 2000.

Every year the school system offered her a new bus, but she didn’t

FREE AS A BIRD

The expression “free as a bird” is both a wonderful expression and a wonderful feeling. But as we all know it’s just a saying and that feeling is only temporary because before too long, just like gravity we’re dragged back down to earth.

Jesus said “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free”- John 8:36.

But what has imprisoned us and how does Jesus set us free?

Visit your local church and read the article to learn about the way Christ can set you free.

In the early ’80s, King discovered a spring near a hill on the property. She envisioned a pond and a little cabin which could serve as a refuge from her troubled marriage which later ended.

“I had somebody put the pond in for me, but I built the cabin, a 20’ by 15’, all by myself. I cut the trees and dragged them back and forth and then I’d take a chainsaw to them. I amazed myself, I can’t believe I built that by my damn self. I should have been a pioneer.”

care for “all the new bells and whistles” on the newer vehicles. “I loved my 87,” she said.

“You can’t give up. You’ve got to keep going, you get up against a problem, you can’t just skirt around it and do something else. Tackle it. Finish it. Do it. Don’t be afraid to get into mud. Do

In spring 2024, Number 87 broke down. She brought it to the mechanics shop, where they broke it to her gently that it would cost too much to fix, and it would have to be junked.

“I about had a fit,” she said.

But King took it as a sign: “My bus quit, so I’m quitting,” she said. “I’ve got all day”

quit her farm work at 2 o’clock every afternoon to drive the bus. She continues to take care of her farm by herself and still works on improving it. “I’m tickled because I’ve [still] got the strength to do things and now, I’ve got all day to do them. I’m still using that chainsaw like I’m 18 years old.”

“My plan for the future is to just to keep enjoying my beautiful place and working on it and repairing and keeping everything cool. My kids say, ‘Mom, you need to go on one of these cruise ships.’ And I say, ‘Are

“THE OLDER THE FIDDLE, THE SWEETER THE TUNE.”

—IRISH SAYING

The Sounds of Sunday

IRISH MUSIC SESSIONS A HIT WITH PATRONS, MUSICIANS.

BY KIPP HANLEY PHOTOS BY LUKE CHRISTOPHER

For three hours every Sunday winter evening, O’Brien’s Irish Pub in Warrenton takes a step back in time.

The overhead lights are turned out, tabletop candles are lit and the television above the bar goes dark. As the fireplace crackles a few feet away, fiddles dance, a Uilleann Pipe whines and a bodhran beats during a traditional Irish music session. Like the folks gathered there to drink and dine, the musicians sit at their own table, making merriment and music for the patrons to enjoy.

“The sessions are 50 percent music, 50 percent socializing, catching up with friends,” Warrenton session musician Alan Lacey said. “That is what is so appealing about it, we have a nice blend of the two. There is a welcoming aspect to the music that keeps people coming back and getting to know each other.”

The old-fashioned atmosphere crafted by owner Jerry O’Brien has locals and

non-locals alike coming in droves these days. On Feb. 2, the session played in front of a packed house. Locals Jerry and Birgitta Obrecht and the Dean family from nearby Gainesville were a few of the folks that came to eat and take in the traditional Irish musical experience.

The Obrechts come to O’Briens a few times a week and have seen several Sunday performances. Jerry loves the laid-back atmosphere, and the food is always good, says Birgitta.

“It’s your table for the night,” Jerry said.

An Irish music fan, Adam Dean had been to the Sunday sessions before but had never come with the lights out. It was his wife’s aunt’s birthday on Feb. 2 so he decided it would be the perfect time to take in a session with his five children and extended family.

“I saw it on social media so it kind of lined up for us tonight,” Dean said.

Comprised of several local and regional amateur musicians, the session has been

Alan Lacey and Jordan Koepke started playing together in November of 2008 at the inaugural meeting of the Warrenton Irish Session. Over the years the members have changed a bit, but the session has stayed strong for its 17-year history.

playing at the site since 2008, when it was known as McMahon’s. But after re-opening the bar in 2021 under the new name, Jerry O’Brien wanted to make the Sunday sessions feel more authentic. He felt too much attention was being paid to sports on TV and not enough to the musicians.

“Later in the fall when it starts getting dark outside, people were watching tv and clapping [at the games],” O’Brien said. “Once the session started, they weren’t even acknowledging them. [By doing this], I wanted to say, ‘hey look, we have talented musicians here that need more appreciation.’”

O’Brien grew up in the tiny village of Sneem in County Kerry before eventually moving to the United States. At Dan Murphy’s Bar in Sneem, where O’Brien still visits, many of the village’s 400 residents pack the pub to enjoy a pint of Guinness and listen to a session. Like the sessions in Warrenton, much of the music played there is hundreds of years old, the songs passed down orally from generation to generation. This is especially true in counties like Kerry where many fled to the U.S. due to famine in the 19th century, bringing their music with them.

“Lots of Irish music comes from our tradition, from our history,” O’Brien said. “The English knocked us down, and in some cases, they wouldn’t allow us to say Ireland in some songs.”

Those traditional songs are now familiar to musicians across the globe, said Lacey. He took a trip to Ireland with his family and fiddle in 2019 and was surprised by the international flavor of the sessions.

“I played a session in Galway, in west of Ireland, and there were lots of musicians,” Lacey said. “You could play in a session every night if you wanted to do that. The musicians were from all over the world. The flute player was from Spain.”

Session musician and Fauquier County resident Jordan Koepke said it doesn’t matter much where an Irish music session takes place. Most people interested in playing will fit in pretty quickly.

“Sessions can be different in New

ICONIC IRISH INSTRUMENTS

THE UILLEANN PIPES

Producing a softer sound than the booming Scottish bagpipes, the Uilleann Pipes are a popular indoor instrument used during Irish music sessions.

CELTIC HARP

A difficult to play wire-strung instrument, the Celtic harp is often associated with Irish royalty and sometimes appears on Irish coins.

FIDDLE

Played by Scottish and Irish American immigrants and used extensively in bluegrass music, the fiddle is an extremely popular instrument still today in Ireland.

BODHRÁN

A handheld one-sided drum that likely evolved from a tambourine, the Bodhran is traditionally made out of animal skin.

IRISH BUTTON ACCORDION

The accordion is sometimes nicknamed a squeezebox and is known in Ireland as a box or “bosca ceoil” in Gaelic.

TIN WHISTLE

Predecessors of this six-hole flute-like instrument can be dated back to the early Middle Ages in Ireland. The modern version was created in the latter half of the 19th century in England and has enjoyed popularity in Ireland, as well.

York than in County Clare [Ireland], but they are always a good overlap,” said Koepke, a Liberty High School graduate who owns a photography business in Warrenton.

The Warrenton session was first comprised of Lacey, his brother and two friends. A fan of classic rock and hard rock bands like Def Leppard, Lacey didn’t start playing the fiddle until his 30s. Soon thereafter, Koepke joined the group and slowly, the session began to grow in number. Today, it sports multiple generations of musicians, including the Edsall and Wade families.

One of the youngest regular members, 25-year-old Seamus Wade, can nimbly navigate his way around the fiddle while his brother Finn plays the accordion. Their father, Jim, plays the Uilleann Pipe, a unique instrument similar in sound to the Scottish bagpipe but played only with your hands and elbows and not your mouth.

Like many in the group, Seamus learned the music by ear, not sheet music. He was also constantly exposed to Irish dancing by his parents when he was in elementary school.

“There were all sorts of stuff like that they dragged me along to,” said Seamus. “I was exposed to it from a really young age.”

A flute player growing up, Louise Edsall spent a year on the marching band at the

University of Tennessee and eventually picked up the tin whistle as an adult. Her affection for music rubbed off on her three sons: Connor, Ryan and Sean.

Ryan and Sean, both of whom live in Fauquier County, have been attending the Warrenton session with Louise for more than a decade. Over the years, they have built up their musical prowess while welcoming newcomers. Ryan, 33, can play multiple instruments and often plays the Uilleann Pipes during the Sunday sessions, an instrument he picked up as a teenager.

“I have only seen the session grow and get better as musicians,” Ryan said. “Everybody has gotten better. They take it seriously but in a good way. We don’t put any pressure to do better.”

“The music bridges age groups,” Lacey said. “We have had grandmothers and college kids; it’s part of the charm. You get people that otherwise would never think of starting a conversation while passing on the street. But we have this common bond.”

That bond has extended beyond the boundaries of the pub. During the last two years, many of the session musicians have helped O’Brien celebrate the St. Patrick Day festivities in Warrenton by playing music for the event that he started in 2023.

And when a session member needed

Left to right: Kim Ainsworth of Warrenton, Alan Lacey of Warrenton, Jordan Koepke of Warrenton, Louise Edsall of Manassas, Sean Edsall of Hume and Ryan Edsall of Warrenton play the single jig “The Road to Lisdoonvarna” at O’Brien’s Irish Pub.

a pick-me-up two years ago, they were there, instruments in hand. In the fall of 2023, Louise was in a vehicular accident on the way to a session that left her husband Bart — already wheelchair bound — with several broken ribs. Because she had no homecare available over the weekends, Louise was forced to miss Sunday sessions in order to take care of Bart.

So last spring, Ryan and Sean

Sean Edsall plays the fiddle and the Bodhrán.

On Sunday evenings the Warrenton Irish Session can be found playing traditional jigs, reels, polkas, and slides in addition to songs of Ireland. Left to right: Louise Edsall, Kim Ainsworth, Leslie Roberts,

Precious Gems

Sentiment and storytelling through handmade jewelry.

BY JENNIFER WALDERA

For Cheryl Hawkins, jewelry-making is more than just a craft — it’s a deeply personal and artistic expression. As the founder of Gems & Gj, Hawkins specializes in custom, one-of-a-kind pieces infused with sentiment and storytelling.

Hawkins has always been drawn to gemstones and gold, a fascination that started in childhood with a rock collection and grew into a love for creating jewelry. “I started out by making basic things,” Hawkins said. “I started out in August of 2023, as a hobby — I ordered some tools and started seeing what I could do.” By November of that year, she had already created a variety of earrings, but she quickly moved into making other types of jewelry. Now, her passion lies in

homeschooled all of my children from the beginning. When she graduated, I decided to do something artistic, hands-on, and relaxing.”

Every item Hawkins creates carries personal significance. She sources materials from reputable suppliers, including the Jewelry Supply in New Mexico, but also loves to repurpose items. “I like to use old pieces — recycled glass, elements from the ocean, and old antique necklaces — I break them apart and make new things. I can take old elements from pieces that people have, like from a lost loved one, and recreate that.”

crafting custom pendants and wire-wrapping intricate designs. “Wire wrapping is my passion; gold, silver, and copper to do pendants, but it’s taken me a long time to learn it and I’m just scratching the surface.”

Choosing a name for the business was easy. “A family member brought it to my attention that my children’s first initials in birth order, Gabriel, Emma, Miles, Simon and Gloria Jeanne spelled out GEMS. I knew I loved gemstones, how precious they are, and when I went to name my business, I knew that was the name. My children are treasures to me and I wanted to honor them through the name.”

Originally from Goldvein, Hawkins and her family moved to Warrenton in 2007. “My

One of her most meaningful projects was a pendant for a Kelly Litchford of Warrenton whose horse, Gambit, had passed away. “I learned how to twist the hair into a pendant and used the colors of the saddle,” she said. “I like to focus on the individual and what they’re imagining and dreaming up and go from there.”

Hawkin’s studio is in her home, and her process is as organic as her designs. “Sometimes I’ll come in several times a day and sit down and walk away, come back, and dream on it. Sometimes I’ll have stones for weeks before I do anything with them. Sometimes I have a dream and I go make.” She rarely plans her designs in advance, instead allowing inspiration to be her guide. “I

Pendants composed of labradorite with citrine, sunstone, moonstone with freshwater pearl accent, amethyst, all set in copper wire.

Scenic Moss agate in copper wire.

Michelle Kelley PHD LCSW

WOMEN’S COUNSELING CENTER

don’t have a plan when I go to make them. Sometimes it doesn’t come out the way that I think. I can make a piece and I’m not satisfied with it. Then I show it to someone, and it’s exactly what they want. It’s a gift.”

Most of Hawkins’ business takes place through her Facebook group, where she engages with customers to bring their ideas to life. One experience that stands out in her memory is a customer who entrusted Hawkins with two antique star sapphires. “She had held onto them for years and told me, ‘Use your artistic liberty and do whatever you want to do.’ I was laboring over it and made it, and it wasn’t what her vision was. So, I started again and it came out exactly perfect. That was a learning experience. It’s not about me.”

Clarissa Fleming, an admirer of Hawins’

work, notes how her artistry stands out from other jewelry. “What truly sets Cheryl apart in the world of jewelry design is her ability to blend whimsical shapes and imaginative elements with exceptional craftsmanship and premium materials,” she said. “She's far beyond the typical craft fair artist. I have no doubt that one day she’ll have her own boutique, dazzling everyone with her

Clockwise from bottom left: Hawkins at work; carved labradorite doublet with tanzanite accent stones; white plume agate with topaz in sterling silver; green aventurine set in 14K gold herringbone wrap.

Hawkins and her husband performing on stage at Gloria’s in Warrenton. Hawkins plays drums and sings, and her husband plays octave mandolin and also sings.

Fires on Lee Street

The December fire that damaged Silver Branch Brewing was not the first at that site.

BY JOHN TOLER

On the night of December 23, 2024, a serious fire damaged the Silver Branch Brewing Warrenton Station, located on Lee Street between South Second and Third streets. Most seriously damaged were the kitchen and storage facilities on the western end of the block. The taproom and dining areas were spared, but suffered smoke and water damage.

Sadly, this was not the first time firefighters have been summoned to the scene.

On the night of May 2, 1968, the Fairway Chevrolet-Buick dealership, which occupied the entire block between Second and Third streets, caught fire.

A long-time business institution in Warrenton, Fairway was founded as a Chevrolet dealership in 1927 by L. L. Hutchison and George L. Hickman, doing business as Hickman & Hutchison. The Buick line was added in 1937.

In August 1942, Mrs. Mary McClanahan and Walter Robinson bought an interest in the firm, and in 1963, they were the sole owners and renamed the dealership Fairway Chevrolet-Buick.

Over the years, the footprint of the dealership was expanded to include the whole block, starting with the old warehouse, where the body shop was on the second floor and vehicles brought up on an elevator.

The two-story brick building at the corner of Lee and S. Third streets behind the old warehouse housed the dealership’s showroom, offices and parts department. Next to it was a single-story building used for maintenance and

storage. In 1963, a large, one-story repair facility was built on the property facing Beckham Street.

Fire!

A Warrenton Police officer on patrol checked on the Fairway buildings at about 2 a.m. and found nothing amiss, but returning an hour later discovered the fire raging inside. Six firefighting units from Warrenton, Catlett, Marshall and the Warrenton

Training Center responded, fighting smoke and intense heat. It took them two hours to bring the fire under control.

The buildings on Lee Street were completely gutted, and the old warehouse was damaged. The elevator to the upstairs body shop was destroyed,

Lost in the fire were three new Chevrolets and a Buick on the showroom floor. Fortunately,

most company records, stored in a three-ton safe, were saved. The newer one-story maintenance and repair shop facing Beckham Street, while suffering smoke and water damage, was spared. While the cause of the fire was not conclusively determined, co-owner Robinson believed that it started in the corner of the office and showroom where an electrical panel was

The Fairway ChevroletBuick showroom and office on the corner of Lee and S. Third streets were gutted in the fire that swept through the building.

located. It was estimated that the fire caused about $250,000 in damages, including $100,000 to the buildings, which were owned by L. L. Hutchison.

Recovery and the future

The most seriously damaged buildings collapsed during or after the fire, and the debris was removed. A ramp had to be built to remove the car in the second-floor body shop in the warehouse.

Remarkably, the Fairway Chevrolet-Buick dealership was back in operation a week after the fire. However, three months later, the business was sold to Winfred Herndon, a Chevrolet dealer from Gordonsville, VA. He operated the Fairway dealership until August 1971, when it was purchased by Fred Wilson and renamed Wilson Chevrolet.

Wilson built a new dealership facility at East Shirley Highway and Blackwell Road, which he

operated until selling to C. H. “Buddy” Lawrence in 1976, who changed the name to Country Chevrolet. Since 1997, the dealership has been owned by Andy G. Budd, who retained the name and has greatly expanded his multiple businesses here.

Like the fire that devastated the Fairway Chevrolet-Buick facility in 1968, the blaze in the kitchen and storage area of the Silver Branch Warrenton Station late last year was determined to have been caused by an “electrical event.” But unlike the quick rebound at the old dealership, it will take several months for Silver Branch to complete renovations, pushing reopening until later in 2025. L

Badly damaged, the Fairway buildings facing Lee Street were demolished, and the site used for parking. The repair facility on Beckham Street escaped serious damage, and as did the Silver Branch Warrenton Station taproom and dining area.

Three new Buicks and a Chevrolet Camaro on the showroom floor were lost in the fire.

Fauquier’s

10

Top Sales

The ten highest-priced homes that sold between mid-January and mid-February, 2025 in Fauquier County. Data and photos from Zillow.com.

7500 IRONWOOD LANE, WARRENTON

$20,000,000

Sold: January 31

4333 LONGWOOD LANE, CATLETT

$7,750,000

Sold: February 7

8079 ENON CHURCH ROAD, THE PLAINS

$4,200,000

January 31

4560 LEE HIGHWAY, WARRENTON

$3,700,000 Sold: January 15

5244 LITTLE GEORGETOWN FARM LANE,

The Big Picture

“The results are in! The holiday season ended up being a great time to buy and sell for consumers in the Greater Piedmont footprint. Sales activity was at an increase from 2023 at 132 transactions or a 12% increase. More buyers found themselves under contract in December 2024 compared to December 2023 at 108 new pending sales in the footprint. The Median sales price in the region reached a new high of $590,000 which is $83,000 higher than December 2023! Buyers may have seen a slight decrease in inventory as active listings were down 3%. Overall December proved to be a steady month in real estate. Now that the stockings are packed away until next year and we have all rang in 2025 will we start the year as strong as we ended it? Stay tuned for January stats and don’t forget to always consult a Realtor.”

—Carrie Brown, 2025 Greater Piedmont REALTORS® President

The December Details for Fauquier County

Compared to December 2023

Median Sales Price: $630,000, up 7%

Sales Activity: 70, up 9%

Days on Market: 43, up 39%

Greater Piedmont REALTORS® is a trade association representing 650 REALTORS® in Fauquier, Culpeper, Rappahannock, and Madison counties.

7054 WILSON ROAD, MARSHALL

$2,500,000

Sold: January 31 3 bedrooms

square feet

3677 GROVE LANE, DELAPLANE

$2,500,000

Sold: January 10

bedrooms

bathrooms

square feet

8459 MARCH WALES ROAD, WARRENTON

$1,900,000

Sold: January 21

8407 RED FOX LANE, WARRENTON

$1,050,000

Sold: February 5

9882 COBBLESTONE DRIVE, WARRENTON $950,000

January 13

About the Home Economist: Karla Jones Seidita has cooked up a very tasty life. She has been a restaurant and bakery owner, award-winning food writer, lifestyle radio host, cookbook author, country inn proprietor, and farm-to-table teacher. Currently she spends her days at her laptop and in her garden in Sumerduck. Find her at cheesecakefarms.com

Fall in Love with Your Food

BY KARLA JONES SEIDITA

Once upon a time you loved puttering around the kitchen and whipping up yummy things to eat. You were new to cooking and the joys of the kitchen. Your first roast chicken was a triumph and you felt so incredibly accomplished.

Over time, cooking became dreary and routine. Even prepping the easiest casserole was a chore. The kitchen you once loved turned into a

battleground of dirty dishes and bags of trash filled with the remains of yet another take-out rotisserie chicken dinner.

What you need is not another glass of wine but a spark to rekindle your love affair with your kitchen. Something new. Something exciting. Something that’ll dazzle ’em. But easy. Very easy. Your neophyte days of complicated, time consuming recipes are long gone. And I’ve got just the spark— quick little recipes that’ll set your culinary heart on fire. Each and every one a triumph. You’ll feel accomplished again. Maybe even inspired.

Pumpkin Bagel Butter

LUV something scrumptious on your breakfast bagel? Look no further. This bagel shop spread is a snap to make and for a fraction of the price. Just mix and chill. Lasts about a week in the fridge.

MAKES 3/4 CUP

INGREDIENTS

1 stick butter (softened)

1/2 cup powdered sugar (sifted)

1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

DIRECTIONS

1. Whip butter until fluffy.

2. Fold in remaining ingredients.

3. Chill overnight to blend flavors.

Minute Mousse

There’s no dessert more decadent than mousse. Maybe because it’s French. Maybe because it's rich, lavish and sophisticated. Or maybe because people think you’ve gone to a lot of trouble for them. Whatever it is, it’s delicious

MAKES 4 (1/4 CUP) SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

3 oz. good quality white chocolate 3/4 cup cold whipping cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Microwave chocolate with 1 Tablespoon cream until almost melted, about 1 minute. Stir to finish melting.

2. Cool to room temperature but not so long that it sets, about 3 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, whip cream till soft peaks form.

4. Fold whipped cream into cooled chocolate.

5. Spoon into serving dishes. Chill.

Rosemary Infused Olive Oil

Herb infused oil is a love affair of good taste adding elegance and finesse to even the plainest of dishes. It costs a fortune to buy yet is inexpensive (and ridiculously easy!) to make. Use it in salads. Brush it on chicken before grilling. Drizzle on hummus. Serve it as a dipping oil for crusty bread. You’ll find hundreds of uses and wonder why you never made it before.

MAKES 1 PINT

EQUIPMENT - 1 PINT

SIZE, WIDE MOUTH

GLASS JAR WITH A LID

INGREDIENTS

5 (5 inch long) branches fresh rosemary 1 pint olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Put the rosemary into the jar.

2. Fill the jar with olive oil covering the rosemary completely.

3. Cap jar. Refrigerate overnight before using.

4. It will keep indefinitely in the fridge. Do not store at room temperature.

Thai SaladSpiced Dressing

Make your next salad an affair to remember.

MAKES 1/2 CUP

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup natural peanut butter (without sugar - can sub any other seed or nut butter)

1/4 cup milk (dairy or nondairy)

1/2 teaspoon red chili garlic sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice (bottled is OK)

1/4 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon brown sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Whisk everything together.

2. Store in the fridge. Keeps about 1 week.

Shrimp Cocktail Spread

I always loved shrimp cocktail but you don’t see it around much anymore. This recipe brings back all that great shrimp cocktail flavor and is so easy it could become your fav go to hors d’oeuvre. Serve with crackers.

SERVES 4 TO 6

INGREDIENTS

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese (softened)

2 spring onions (finely chopped into rings)

1/3 cup cocktail sauce

1 1/2 cups tiny (Thumbelina) shrimp (cooked and chilled)

1/3 cup finely shredded Swiss or gruyere cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Mash cream cheese and onion together.

2. Place mixture onto serving dish and form it so it looks like a block of cream cheese.

3. Pour cocktail sauce over top. It’s OK if some drizzles down the sides..

4. Pile the shrimp on the sauce.

5. Sprinkle the cheese over the shrimp. Chill. 50 Years Experience in Dry Cleaning/Laundry Service Wedding Gowns Formals, Delicates Household Items, Linens & Sheets Comforters, Blankets Wash & Fold Service

Happy Spring! 25 Years of Keeping Warrenton Clean!

Quick and Easy 5 Minute Pizza

Most pizza recipes call for a yeast crust but sometimes pizza is a spur-of-the-moment thing with no time to wait for the crust to rise. That’s when I use this recipe. It’s better than frozen. Cheaper than takeout. And surprisingly good. In less time (and for less money) than it takes for delivery, you can put pizza on the table—or in front of the TV.

MAKES 1 PIZZA SERVING 4 TO 8

PAN SIZE - 1 (10” X 15” X 1”) JELLY ROLL PAN

DOUGH INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons water

TOPPING INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups pizza sauce (your fav)

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or to taste)

3 Tablespoons olive oil

Optional to taste - pepperoni, cooked sausage, veggies, pineapple etc.

DIRECTIONS

1. Position oven rack so pizza will bake in the lower 1/3 of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease pan or coat with baking spray.

3. Mix all dough ingredients forming a soft dough.

4. Using floured fingertips, pat dough over the bottom of prepared pan. Dough will be very thin and look like there’s not enough but don’t worry! It will puff up during baking and be just right.

5. Spread pizza sauce on dough leaving about 3/8” all around the pan without any sauce on it.

6. Top with cheese.

7. Sprinkle cheese with olive oil.

8. Add any optional toppings.

9. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden on bottom, about 25 minutes. L

Bestselling military historian Patrick K. O’Donnell brings local Civil War history to life with the story of Lincoln’s Special Forces and their hunt for Mosby’s Rangers and the Confederate Secret Service.

The Barbara & Keith Severin Lecture

Wednesday, April 2, 7 pm Rice Theater, Michael A. Hughes

Setting the Stage for Spring

refreshing

BY DANIEL DUCA

When the ground begins to thaw and the turn of spring arrives, I can’t help but reminisce about the sun kissed Italian coastline and how the ocean spray provides aromatics as refreshing as an orange twist. So, quite selfishly, I will take you there with a simple and lovely little bitter aperitivo called the Bicicletta. The mix of the dry white wine and that famous red amaro Campari, topped with a little soda and some orange wheels, it’s all quite perfect for setting the stage for spring.

To stay light with an excellent pairing, we turn to the Hugo Spritz, a delightful counterpart that allows those of you with a sweet tooth to partake in the joys of aperitivo. The floral elderflower liqueur and the mint sprigs truly stand out as a different take on the classic style. Cheers.

Hugo Spritz

.5 oz. St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur

4 oz. chilled Prosecco

1 oz. chilled Soda Water

1 sprig mint

Add St-Germain and a mint sprig into a wine glass and gently muddle. Leave it there to sit for three minutes. Then, add ice, Prosecco, soda water, give it a light stir, and then garnish with a mint sprig and a lemon wheel.

Bicicletta

3 oz. Dry White Wine (such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)

2 oz. Campari Club Soda to top

Add the ingredients into a wine or rocks glass, add ice, top with club soda, give a light stir, and garnish with two orange wheels.

Board-certified

Grew

Father,

University

Georgetown

Lives

Enjoys

Board-Certified

Grew

NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

A MONTHLY DOSE OF LOCAL HEADLINES

BROUGHT TO YOU BY FAUQUIERNOW.COM

Love endures: Couples renew their vows at Warrenton memory care home

Valentine’s Day arrived early at Poet’s Walk in Warrenton, where 10 couples reaffirmed their love by renewing their vows during a heartfelt ceremony on Feb. 13. Surrounded by flowers, twinkling lights and the warmth of companionship, the couples celebrated their combined 450 plus years of marriage in a tradition that has become a beloved event at the memory care facility.

Pastor Dennis Di Mauro of Trinity Lutheran Church in Warrenton led the ceremony. He invited each couple to introduce themselves and share the length of their marriage, recognizing the significance of

their collective years together.

During the ceremony, Di Mauro led the couples in renewing their vows. A chorus of enthusiastic “yeses” filled the room before each couple sealed the moment with a kiss. The “newlyweds” then raised sparkling cider in champagne flutes to toast the occasion over a special meal prepared by Director of Dining Services Jody Wright.

Keep up with all the news from around your county: SUBSCRIBE!

Daisy Award

Fauquier Health has named nurse April VanBuecken as its DAISY Award Honoree for the fourth quarter of 2024.

VanBuecken, a nurse in the hospital’s Post Anesthesia Care Unit, has been nominated twice for the national nursing recognition.

The DAISY Award honors nurses for their dedication, compassion and excellence in patient care, with nominations submitted by patients, families and colleagues, according to a Fauquier Health news release. VanBuecken was nominated by a patient who praised her commitment to providing safe, patient-centered care.

“She exemplified the very essence of nursing excellence, providing compassionate, safe, patient-centered care to me during my time in the PACU,” the patient wrote in VanBuecken’s nomination. “Her ability to empathize was remarkable, going above and beyond to ensure that I felt valued, heard and respected.”

Toni Maxwell, chief nursing officer at Fauquier Health, highlighted VanBuecken’s impact on patient care, stating, “For April to have been part of our nursing team for only three years and receive two DAISY nominations and a DAISY award speaks to the extraordinary care she provides.”

Liberty High School junior honored with National Rising Star Award

Liberty High School junior Kylie Fazenbaker has been named a recipient of the prestigious Rising Star Award from the National Art Honor Society, a national recognition given to only 50 students each year.

The Rising Star Award is part of the National Art Honor Society’s Secondary Recognition Program, which promotes art education as a career path and celebrates students excelling in the arts.

The award highlights Fazenbaker’s dedication to art education and her aspirations to become an art teacher, according to a news release from Fauquier County Public Schools.

Fazenbaker has been involved in numerous artistic and community endeavors, earning praise for her work ethic and positive attitude. Karla Kolb, an art teacher at Auburn Middle School, reflected on Fazenbaker’s contributions as an assistant at a children’s art camp.

“She was very helpful, always anticipating needs and offering a positive attitude. Kylie has a great sense of humor and the students adored her,” said Kolb.

As part of the honor, Fazenbaker will be recognized at the National Art Educators Association National Convention in Kentucky. She will also receive a four-year student membership to the association and a one-year professional membership.

Ann and Bob toast to 49 years of marriage during Poet’s Walk Valentine’s Day celebration. READ MORE:

April VanBuecken (left) accepts the DAISY Award from CNO Toni Maxwell.

Kylie Fazenbaker, a junior at Liberty High School, was recently the recipient of the National Art Honor Society’s “Rising Star Award.”

“I wish I had known about hospice sooner.”

Caring for patients and families as they face the challenges of a life-limiting illness has long been our calling, so we’re proud to be recognized as the preferred hospice provider in our community. From easing patients’ physical and emotional suffering to helping families cope with loss and grief, it is an honor to be with you when life matters most. To learn more about our care –and the compassionate people behind it – you can reach us 24/7.

(540)349-3970

(540) 349-3970

heartlandhospice.com