2 recorded parcels totaling 190 acres w/frontage on Old Tavern Rd & Old Winchester Rd across from Great Meadow | Farm has been in the same family since the 1940’s | 34.89 acres, zoned R1 potential of 31 lots, balance RA acres can be total of 10 lots | Conservation easement potential 10 total residences, 9 currently leased month to month “AS IS” condition | Land is gently rolling and mostly open, frontage on Piney Branch, large spring fed pond, mountain views in all directions
$4,950,000
Paul MacMaHon 703.609.1905
Brian MacMaHon 703.609.1868
ATOKA STORE
MARSHALL, VIRGINIA
Property has been a landmark for community for decades
Major frontage on Route 50 & Atoka Rd | Commercial kitchen, beer cooler, grocery items, pizza oven, in store seating | Potential to be very lucrative Property also improved by older home, old gas station has been renovated for potential office space or storage & stone spring house 2 lots with commercial village zoning
$2,700,000
Paul MacMaHon 703.609.1905
Brian MacMaHon 703.609.1868
RAMEY ROAD
MARSHALL, VIRGINIA
Discover the potential of this expansive 86-acre property located on Ramey Road in Marshall | This versatile land offers a mix of pastures, mature hardwoods, and scenic views, making it ideal for various rural uses | The property provides a perfect canvas whether you are looking to establish a working farm, create an equestrian haven, or build your dream home in a tranquil setting In conservation easement
$999,000
anne MicHael Greene 703.774.4748
WESTERN VIEW
THE PLAINS, VIRGINIA
Charming stucco over log 1780 cabin with stunning views | Large stone fireplace and exposed log interior 4 stall stable | 3 bay equipment building Artist’s studio High rolling land | Gorgeous building site for additional home | Spring-fed pond and dock
$2,400,000
Helen MacMaHon 540.454.1930
NEW ROAD
ALDIE, VIRGINIA
5.44 acres, mostly open, gently rolling ground, some board fencing, 7 stall barn and well installed | Shown by appointment only
$750,000
Paul MacMaHon 703.609.1905
Brian MacMaHon 703.609.1868
MARSHALL, VIRGINIA
Unique home in the Historic Village of Rectortown | Original portion of residence built in 1920, Sears Roebuck Kit house | Home was completely redone and dramatically enlarged in 2006 | 3 BR, 4 full and 1 half BA, 2 wood FP, mostly hardwood floors, gourmet kitchen with granite counters, cherry cabinets 3-car garage with office, 2 story office attached | Full house generator | Note the room sizes Phenomenal
Trustees Save Glenwood Park Property
By Leonard Shapiro
It’s already been a wonderful year for Middleburg’s premier and so picturesque steeplechase facility at Glenwood Park, site of the upcoming Middleburg Spring Races on April 19.
In January, Glenwood Park trustees Turner Reuter and Dave Moyes, with the help of donations from friends of Glenwood, a loan from Farm Credit and a drawdown of the trust’s endowment acquired the adjacent 44-acre Ockene family tract formerly leased by Glenwood and used for primary general admission parking for race meetings.
That tract is currently zoned for development as multiple residential lots, and the recent purchase by the trustees assures that the historic and now 160-acre Glenwood Park facility will remain in tact in perpetuity. The original 116 acres had already been placed in easement, and Reuter and Moyes are in the process of getting the recently acquired 44 acres into a perpetual conservation easement.
“Without this land acquisition,” Reuter said, “the race meetings at Glenwood Park would have been unable to continue as they have in the past. Without it, the property definitely would have gone to developers. They were lined up to purchase it (the 44 acres).”
The price for the 44-acre tract was $1.75 million, with those funds coming from several sources. Individual donations so far totaling about $750,000 and a Farm Credit loan and a drawdown from its endowment allowed the trustees to complete the purchase. Reuter and Moyes are hoping to pay off the loan and replenish the endowment fund with future private donations.
“Our endowment dividends are critical and used to fund the upkeep of Glenwood Park,” Reuter said. “These costs far exceed user fees for collected for race course usage.”
Located on the Foxcroft Road about two miles from the town of Middleburg, Glenwood Park has been hosting racing meets since 1932, when its original owner, New York businessman Daniel Cox Sands, had the course built on his property. In addition to the Spring races, it’s also the venue for the Fall Races and Middleburg Hunt point-to-point. Last May, it also hosted the Virginia Gold Cup when Great Meadow in The Plains had serious problems with its turf.
An avid sportsman and foxhunter who moved to Middleburg in 1907, Sands was Master of the Piedmont Fox Hounds from 1909-1915. In 1912, he established the American Foxhound Club. From 1917-1919 and 1921-1954 he was Master of the Middleburg Hunt, and in 1924, he also founded the Middleburg National Bank.
In 1920, Sands established the Middleburg Race Association to run a steeplechase meeting. His reason and primary goal was to thank and entertain the many local farming families over whose land the Middleburg Hunt and its members were permitted to ride over and across.
Sands, who died in 1963, left Glenwood Park 116 acres in trust for the community. According to Reuter, the trustees were instructed to “… hold, manage lease and operate the land…for the preservation of the race course…and to hold race meetings and other rural activities.”
So far, and now seemingly forever, it will be mission accomplished.
To Donate to the Glenwood Park Trust, email Turner Reuter at tr@redfoxfineart.com or Dave Moyes at dave@moyeslaw.com
Distributed and mailed throughout the Virginia countryside and in Washington and at key Sporting Pursuits and Celebrations
MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 798 Middleburg, Virginia 20118
PHONE: 410-570-8447
Editor: Leonard Shapiro badgerlen@aol.com
Managing Editor Vicky Moon
Art Director
Meredith Hancock Hancock Media
Contributing Photographers: Doug Gehlsen Crowell Hadden
Sarah Huntington
Nancy Kleck
Douglas Lees
Camden Littleton
Karen Monroe
Tiffany Dillon Keen
Donna Strama
Official Fine Artist Linda Volrath
Contributing Writers:
Drew Babb
Emma Boyce
Bill Cauley
Sean Clancy
Denis Cotter
Philip Dudley
Mike du Pont
Valerie Archibald Embrey
Jimmy Hatcher
Michele Husfelt
Alissa Jones
Laura Longley
Hunt Lyman
M.J. McAteer
Jan Mercker
Joe Motheral
Jodi Nash
Chip Newcome
Tom Northrup
Ali Patusky
Melissa Phipps
Pat Reilly
Linda Roberts
John E. Ross
Constance Chatfield-Taylor
John Sherman
Peyton Tochterman
John Toler
Leslie VanSant
Mike Wipfler
Louisa Woodville
ON THE COVER
For advertising inquiries, contact: Leonard Shapiro at badgerlen@aol.com or 410-570-8447 / Country Zest and Style / @countryzestandstyle / @countryzestand1 www.countryzestandstyle.com
The Upperville Horse Show is the nation's oldest sporting event, and we’re incredibly grateful to participate in this annual extravaganza just “up” the road off Route 50. Since Sloane Coles of The Plains was busy on the show circuit in Florida, we went through our archives for a cover photo. We had captured her at a previous Upperville show and are pleased to have one of many local favorites for this cover.
of NOTE
BE ON THE LOOKOUT through this issue of for the hummingbird.
He appears in two ads and the first two readers to find him (one each) will receive a gift from THE RED TRUCK Rural Bakery, with locations in Warrenton and Marshall. Send your reply to badgerlen@aol.com
LOTS OF HORSING AROUND
By Leonard Shapiro
It’s been a wicked winter, but just dreamily thinking about the sounds of spring in our precious portion of the Piedmont—you know, “clippety clop, clippety-clop,” or “whoa”— offered great hope that warmer relief was getting closer by the day.
Our last edition of Country ZEST offered a heavy dose of beloved cutie-pie pooches. In this issue, we’re moving up to our equally admired and far larger four-legged friends so prevalent in this area, starting with that gorgeous horse on the cover ridden by one of the country’s most accomplished equestrians. That would be Sloane Coles, of The Plains and soon to be competing in one of our favorite events of the year, the iconic Upperville Colt & Horse Show June 2-8. It merely started in 1853 and is considered the oldest sporting event in the nation.
Mark your calendars for that and several other top-flight equine events featured on our pages in this issue, including the Middleburg Spring Races Saturday, April 19, and the Virginia Gold Cup on May 3, the first Saturday of that month. And there’s plenty more horsing around, as well.
We have fabulous news about Middleburg’s premier steeplechase venue at Glenwood Park. The historic facility recently expanded to 160 total acres with the purchase of 44 acres, all to be forever preserved. We’ve got that story, and another on widely-admired Middleburg veterinarians Willie McCormick and his wife Lydia, who live only a short gallop away from Glenwood Park.
Eclipse Award-winning columnist Sean Clancy offers some lively tales from his recent trip to Great Britain, including details on one of his horses out of Riverdee Stables winning a big race. And photographer Doug Gehlsen contributed a a terrific cover photo and others from the local early racing season. Elsewhere, we have heavy doses of history, music, art and sports throughout the magazine. Read all about the late Eura Lewis, a major Middleburg mover and shaker for more than five decades. There’s a fascinating piece on Fauquier County’s highest ranking military man to be killed in action during World War II. And a story on the considerable contributions of the late John Levis in supporting Windy Hill.
We’re also honored to run an excerpt from local and nationally-acclaimed writer John Rolfe Gardiner’s latest work of fiction, a collection of short stories called “North of Ordinary.” He’ll be discussing and signing this extraordinary book on April 9 at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church parish house in Middleburg starting at 6 p.m. It’s sponsored by the Middleburg Library Advisory Board. It’s free and open to the public. I’ll be there. I’m a member!
And one final note: Here’s hoping this latest issue of our area’s most popular publication adds a little more ZEST to your reading pleasure.
Leonard Shapiro badgerlen@aol.com 410-570-8447
Doug Gehlsen and Karen Monroe of Middleburg Photo
Photo by Shannon Davis Sloane Coles
130 acres | $3,200,000
Bluemont – Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a quiet and scenic country road leads to this beautiful farmland. The gently rolling topography is a perfect setting for your estate or family compound. Easement potential is possible with valuable tax credits.
25 acres | $2,850,000
.16
A Wakefield Tradition Lights Up Their Eyes
By Darcy Marcoux
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what truly makes me happy. Long walks on the beach? Taking a final bow after a successful performance? Or spending the afternoon watching movies with my family? While so many things bring me joy, the one thought that kept coming to mind was the palpable sense of community at my school.
When I attended my first all-school assembly at Wakefield in The Plains as a first-grader, I had no idea what to expect. It was my first week at a new school, and I barely knew anyone. Then suddenly, I was being called to the front of the gym as a senior introduced himself and took my hand.
One of Wakefield’s annual traditions is having the seniors walk the first-graders out of the gym and over to the senior garden at the end of the first allschool assembly. Then, during the final assembly, the first-graders walk the seniors to the senior garden. As someone who didn’t really know what Wakefield was all about, this was the perfect introduction, and I’ve happily been here ever since.
Now, I’m that senior escorting the first-graders out of the gym and toward the rest of their lives. This year, my family planned a trip to Disney World we soon found out conflicted with the first all-school
Wakefield’s mentoring program represents a long-standing tradition at the school.
assembly. Though I really wanted to go to Disney, my favorite place in the world, I couldn’t bear the thought of missing this long-standing tradition. We decided that my mom and I would stay home for a few extra days so I could attend the assembly, and I’m so glad I stayed.
I love being able to see kids from all grades in the hallways, giving them hugs or waves as I walk by. I have so many opportunities to get to know the younger generation, from being partnered with my first-grade buddy to volunteering with the lower school classes, to spending time with younger actors
during school plays.
Even if I don’t work directly with some of the lower school grades, somehow it seems like so many people know who I am. That’s what I love about Wakefield—not only can you become friends with people of all ages, but everyone knows everyone.
A few weeks ago, I passed the entire second-grade class eating lunch outside. When they saw me, a huge swarm jumped up and enveloped me in a giant hug. It was so funny to see the teachers’ and my friends’ surprised faces as I chatted with each child before quickly heading to class.
When giving an admissions tour, our group stopped in front of the first-grade classroom, and when I started speaking, I heard an excited gasp and a little voice call out “Darcy’s here! She’s right outside!” Suddenly the whole first-grade class was peeking through the window, and when I opened the door, they all jumped around me in another bear hug.
Wakefield has given me so many opportunities to work with and truly bond with children in other grades. Nothing feels better than watching their sweet faces light up when I see them.
Darcy Marcoux is a senior in the Wakefield School Class of 2025.
SPRING INTO COMFORT!
ESTIMATES
End of An Era at Fursman Kennels
Photos by Howard Allen
By Leonard Shapiro
For most of the last 50-plus years, animal lovers from far and wide have navigated the long dirt driveway off Zulla Rd. leading to Fursman Kennels in Middleburg to drop off cherished furry family members, their precious dogs and cats. They were leaving them in a place they knew they’d be safe, well-fed and yes, even loved by the owner, Pam Dickson, and her dedicated staff.
Later this spring, that will change. Fursman Kennels is no longer accepting reservations because Dickson, now 88, has retired from her life’s work. Later this spring, this native of Great Britain and farmer’s daughter will close the kennels she founded on land she once rented for $30 a month in the early 1970s.
Her clientele over the years included luminaries like Today Show stalwart Willard Scott, actress Elizabeth Taylor, broadcaster David Brinkley and Jack Kent Cooke, owner of the former Washington Redskins. Cooke, who died in 1997, once sent Dickson a note that read, “I believe that no-one can match your work…Coco, my Cocker Spaniel, has never before looked as handsome since you have taken over.”
Dickson was also known for her own talented, highly trained dogs. She started using them to raise money in 1972 when floods triggered by Hurricane Agnes flooded a neighbor's home. She held a benefit where her first performing dog, a German shepherd named Rocky, carried a bucket through the crowd for donations.
Her second German shepherd, Treasure Chest, was an abused puppy who once raised money to send a terminally ill girl and her family to Disneyland, one of countless fundraising efforts for worthy causes. Over the years, Dickson regularly took her dogs to perform at schools, hospitals, and assisted living facilities all around the Washington area, and a certain birthday party for a cute little boy.
In fact, she and those dogs often have been credited for being instrumental in helping pioneer the concept of pet therapy, aiding young and old alike.
Treasure Chest is making a deposit.
Pam Dickson’s book Noble Friends was published in 1996.
Photo by Howard Allen Treasure Chest was patriotic.
Pam Dickson with her beloved German Shepherd, Rocky.
THOMAS & TALBOT ESTATE PROPERTIES
2 S Madison St. Middleburg, VA 20117
Office: 540-687-6500 | thomasandtalbot.com
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MARTINGALE RIDGE
.44 acres | $1,995,000
Middleburg – Care free country lifestyle within the 340-acre, 5-Star Salamander Resort. Move-in ready modern farmhouse blends rustic elements with contemporary design. Enjoy many resort amenities!
BUILDABLE LOT
.27 acres | $550,000
Middleburg – This parcel is open, private and level, with a pipe stem driveway for easy access. Enjoy a short walk to downtown shops, restaurants, post office, grocery stores, library and more.
A Skating Rink With a Historic Past
By M.J. McAteer
The French have a saying that the more things change, the more they remain the same. That is so true when applied to the Bush Tabernacle Skating Rink in Purcellville.
The changes this historic structure has seen since it began life in 1903 as an open-air temperance hall are almost unfathomable.
Although it’s hard to imagine now, before the arrival of Dulles Airport in 1962, the 8,500-square-foot octagonal, wooden structure was the largest building in all of Loudoun County. That was back when the county had all of 25,000 residents, or about six percent of the 443,515 souls who call it home now.
Yet even, as the county has been transformed almost beyond belief, even as television, computers and, now, cell phones have gobbled up so much of our time and attention, people continue to come to lace up their skates and circle around the Tabernacle’s sturdy hardwood floor to whatever the beat of the day might be.
A time traveler from the 1940s would still feel right at home at the rink, although a soundtrack that might be blaring Chappell Roan or Charli XCX could startle them.
The local fire department was behind the Tabernacle’s transformation into a skating rink almost 70 years ago. It saw the rink as a way to combat juvenile delinquency by providing local kids with a spot to have good, wholesome fun. In 2008, the firemen sold the Tabernacle to Purcellville, though, and the town now rents it out to Philip Message and his wife, France.
Message began his association with the Tabernacle a long time ago as a volunteer.
“I wanted to give back to my community,” said the University of Cambridgetrained computer scientist. But when the town decided to lease the building, the Messages formed a nonprofit, the Purcellville Teen Center Inc., and they have been operating the place almost continually ever since.
France and Philip Message, who helped save the historic Purcellville roller rink.
“I wanted to give back to my community” –Philip Message
That long tenure at the Tabernacle has made them into something of a fixture in the community. “I can’t go out to stores without being recognized by children and parents,” he said.
One recent evening, Message was seated at a post by the Tabernacle’s front door, checking in the middle schoolers who were arriving for the regular, free Friday night skates, held just for them. Message said parents are able to drop off their children at the rink, confident in the knowledge that they will be supervised and safe and not allowed to leave until their elders return to pick them up.
About 150 sixth, seventh and eighth-graders usually attend these sessions, and it’s quite the noisy whirl once they get going. Giggles and shrieks of mock terror and delight mix with the loud music and echo up to the rafters of the cave-like space.
Novices shuffle, and wobble and flail across the floor, some pushing wheeled carts for support, others hanging on to the boards as a life-support system. Other kids, mostly girls, glide around hand-in-hand, some gracefully, some haltingly, sometimes four or more across. Still others, mostly boys, race at top speed, weaving and dodging through the swirling crowd.
The Messages’ nonprofit subsidizes these free Friday nights for the middle school kids, but skate sessions on other days cost just $8, which includes the rental of skates or rollerblades. Pizza, popcorn, soft drinks and other snacks are available on site at equally reasonable prices.
“We don’t want them to feel that they are being gouged when they come here,” Message said.
Attendance at the Tabernacle clocks in at about 50,000 visits a year, and the old building also hosts about 400 birthday parties annually.
“You bring the children and the cake, and we provide literally everything else (pizza, drinks, plates, disposables, party games, setup/cleanup, etc.),” the rink promises. XBox, ping-pong, foosball and air hockey are also part of the deal.
Message didn’t know how to roller skate when he took over at the Tabernacle, and he tells the story of how a local TV reporter once pushed him to do so anyway, for the optics of her piece. The best he was able to manage was an ungainly shuffle around the rink.
“I was humiliated on TV,” he said. But, the French saying about things changing and staying the same doesn’t just apply to buildings. Even after that awkward episode, Message still has never learned how to skate.
Details: The Bush Tabernacle Skating Rink is located at 250 Nursery Avenue, Purcellville. Hours vary, and for more information, visit bushtabernacle.com.
Linden – Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with rolling hills, fenced pasture and woodlands, 4 ponds and scenic views in all directions. Perfect for those who to hike, hunt and ride horses.
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Photos by M.J. McAteer
The front entrance to the rink.
A Passion at Paradise for Antiques and Design
By Linda Roberts
“It is my passion,” says Ariane Carles Solari, glancing around her light-filled showroom stocked with exquisitely curated European antiques, paintings, gifts and what she refers to as curiosities, or small objects d’art.
The Paradise Antiques is indeed a wondrous place for the lover of fine furnishings, fabrics and art. Situated on a horse farm just outside Middleburg, Solari’s shop is actually two buildings. A cleverly redesigned former garage and a converted stable flank each other and overlook scenic pastures from all angles. Large glass windows, where barn doors once stood, bring in light that plays off her unique 18th and 19th pieces, all for sale for discriminating buyers.
Twenty years ago, Solari and her husband, Enrique, relocated from Solari’s native Buenos Aries when his employment provided the impetus to relocate to the Middleburg area.
Solari began her interior design business and her husband, a lifelong horseman, quickly immersed himself in the area’s equine community. The couple has three children, ranging in age from 14 to 25. To test everyone’s interest in a permanent move to the states, the family returned to Buenos Aires for a year. But, the pull back to Middleburg was strong and it won out. So the Solari family moved back, buying property behind the Middleburg Tennis Club that encompasses land named Foxleigh Farm.
“We are happy here as it’s a combination of so many things that we love,” Solari said, noting that she’s an avid tennis player and operates a flourishing design business, and her husband is deeply involved in his equestrian interests. While the Solari family makes their home in this area, they do go back to Argentina several times a year to visit family.
“I love the antiques,” Solari said, noting her interests are toward 18th and 19th century pieces from England, France and Italy. “Each of these pieces are unique and a work of art unto themselves.” This quality of antiques can be cherished for many years and passed down through generations of family members.
Her avid interest in fine antiques and design was inherited from her mother and grandmother, who both had a flair for incorporating antiques and design into everyday life.
Solari’s passion for design, and mixing in her inventory of top-quality antiques, provides an added bonus for her clients, many of whom have signature pieces that they would like to use with contemporary furnishings. Her showroom designs prove that this avenue is entirely possible and produces stunning results.
Her last container of furniture from Europe arrived in Middleburg at Christmas time and Solari is now busy creating for her clients a new look for the coming season. The next container will arrive in April in time for her popular Spring Market event.
Solari uses a variety of mediums to spread the word about her business, including the Internet, print advertising and word of mouth.
She finds that often her business draws potential clients from as far away as Richmond, as well as the Middleburg and Northern Virginia areas. “We have many younger couples in their 30s and 40s visiting the shop and they also appreciate the selection and quality that Paradise offers,” she said.
Details: The Paradise Antiques is open to the public Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and other days by appointment. Visit the website at theparadisantiques.com.
Ariane Carles Solari and Pepper walking into Paradise.
TONY FLAY: A Tree Surgeon With a Rugby Touch
LOANS FOR:
Homes and construction
Livestock
Barns and outbuildings
Fences and roads
And much more!
By Leonard Shapiro
It’s been an intriguing journey for Tony Flay making his way from his native New Zealand to a 10-acre farm near Marshall, now home to his family, their bustling business—The Tree Surgeon LLC—and their 13 cows.
Flay has been in the tree business for more than 30 years and his company has a well-earned reputation for its thorough work, whether it involves a full makeover of a property large or small or removing a few hazards here and there. His prices are right and his team’s work ethic, including his 27-year-old son, Padraig, is off the charts.
If all that wasn’t enough, there’s a cherished side gig as well for Flay, a lifelong rugby player and coach who once competed at the international level. Now 61, he still has an immense passion for the game, particularly in growing the sport in the U.S. These days, he’s much in demand as a widely-traveled consultant to countless high school and college teams and development programs all around the country, for men and women.
A year ago, this gregarious Kiwi, a man who greets one and all as “mate,” worked with rugby programs at UCLA, Stanford, Fresno State and Long Beach State. At the college level, most are club teams because the sport hasn’t quite gained enough popularity to merit varsity status at most schools. That should change over the next few years, mostly because the 2030 women’s World Cup and the 2031 men’s World Cup will be staged in America.
“There’s a big push in world rugby to get U.S. rugby really going,” Flay said. “And that will probably be my last hurrah, doing what I can to help make that happen. I look at my job as finding young coaches, get them dialed in and make them into rock stars.”
Flay was born and raised in Rotorua, New Zealand, in an area best known for its hot springs, two hours south of Auckland. The entire country is an outdoor lover’s paradise, and the fact that his homeland features nearly 600 native varieties of trees and shrubs, made it no surprise that he gravitated toward a forestry future.
Tony Flay in the middle of a long-ago scrum. He’s playing for a U.S. team (on the right) and is the crouching second man from the left, with ears not visible.
Flays: Father (right) and son.
“Since I grew up in this beautiful country,” Flay said, “trees are in my blood.”
And so, right out of high school, he began working for the New Zealand Forest Service while also continuing his love for rugby, the country’s most popular spectator sport. He had begun playing the rough and tumble game at age five and, after moving to America in the mid-1980s, was recruited by a team to play in Seattle.
He competed all over the Northwest as an amateur, and because he had a green card, he also was eligible to play on U.S. national teams. He represented the country on the U.S. Eagles (national team) from 1987-1993, and also played in the 1991 World Cup in England.
Rugby also led him to another true love in his life—his wife Terri. They were on a flight to Dublin—Tony to play in a tournament, Terri to visit some of her Irish relatives. “We sat together on the plane,” he said, “and the rest is history.”
They lived for a while in her hometown of Ocean City, New Jersey until he took on a logging project in Hawaii, where they lived for 18 months before moving back to Ocean City. Then they headed for New Zealand with three young children in tow in 2009. They owned a farm in Katikati, best known for its kiwi fruit farms, but were not especially happy with the educational opportunities for the kids.
In 2011, the family made what Flay described as the “melancholy” decision to get back to America—specifically Virginia—because of its schools and colleges. They continued with their tree business, which now also includes Padraig, better known as PJ, who always had wanted to follow his father as an arborist.
And to round out their business, PJ’s wife, Tara McClory, heads the Plant Health Care division. She’s a certified specialist passionate about the best practices and applications to maintain tree and shrub health.
“Not many young people want to do this,” Tony Flay said of PJ. “But he is very good at his trade and is a tremendous young businessman.”
Clearly it’s like father, like son, and on The Tree Surgeon website, Tony wrote, “my small business has been family owned and operated for thirty years, which attests to my dedication and love for the tree service industry. I’m a professional, dependable, and dedicated owner and operator, and I’m teaching my son these qualities so that he can take over the business one day.”
Well said, mate. Well said.
The
Virginia Gold Cup Ready to Roll
The Virginia Gold Cup is back where it belongs.
One of the nation’s oldest and largest steeplechase race events celebrates its 100th running this year on Saturday, May 3, at Great Meadow in The Plains.
Seven months ago, the fall International Gold Cup had to switch venues to Glenwood Park in Middleburg because the Great Meadow course had been ruled unsafe for racing due to turf problems. Those have since been resolved, and thousands are expected to attend the May races.
Long known as one of the largest and oldest steeplechase events in the D.C. region and the nation, the Gold Cup brings together the best of Virginia horse country. Highly talented horses, jockeys and trainers will vie to win eight exciting races during the day, while spectators gather at lavish tailgates and tented parties. The event also draws top corporations, organizations and companies in the region as corporate sponsors entertain their top customers, employees and prospects.
“We’re excited for this year’s event,” said Virginia Gold Cup Race Co-chairman Al Griffin. “We expect to have many of the top horses in the nation back this year as we celebrate our 100th running. This event not only provides top luxury entertainment for a huge crowd, but it also helps to fund the extensive horse industry in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Many jockeys and trainers work with their horses all year to be able to compete in the Virginia Gold Cup.”
Steeplechase offers a fast-action sport in a refined social setting and, at the Gold Cup, some of the best horses and jockeys compete over hurdles and timber fences. Held every year on the first Saturday in May, the Virginia Gold Cup enjoys a spectacular setting in the heart of Virginia’s horse country with the Blue Ridge Mountains serving as the backdrop. It’s Virginia’s answer to the Kentucky Derby.
As one of the Washington, D.C. region’s largest and oldest outdoor events, more than 30,000 people come out in their race-day finest to socialize and entertain. The fashion at the event has become as popular with a variety of hats and a fiercely competitive hat contest. Celebrity judges will decide whose hats are the most impressive in the day’s hat contest. There is also an equally competitive tailgate contest with prizes for the top three winners.
The Gold Cup’s long-standing tradition beckons to national celebrities, local VIPs, D.C. politicians as well as visitors from around the world. Characterized by lavish tailgate spreads, sleek thoroughbreds and exciting hoof-pounding competition, many companies have capitalized on what the day has to offer by getting involved with sponsorships, purchasing tents to entertain and networking.
Gates open for the Virginia Gold Cup at 10 a.m. with the National Anthem and color guard pre-race at 12:30 p.m. The tailgate contest judging begins at 12:45 p.m. and the first of eight races will start at 1 p.m.
Details: For ticket information, visit the web site at www.vagoldcup.com.
The Great Meadow course is ready for action at the 100th running of the Virginia Gold Cup on May 3.
This Adventure Is For the Birds
By Linda Millington
In early January, intrepid local birdwatchers gathered at specified meeting spots in Upperville to embark on a day of birdwatching on local farms and historic properties. It was 25 degrees, and the wind was stiff and relentless. A month earlier, they had met twice– once at the Red Truck Bakery in Marshall to fan out across The Plains, and then at a private home in Middleburg to survey properties around Aldie, including Oakhill, the former home of President James Monroe. These teams of birders were taking part in the annual National Audubon Christmas Bird Count.
Each year between Dec. 14- Jan. 7, birdwatchers – novice and expert, young and old – come together to count birds in the Audubon count, the longest running citizen science project in the U.S. This tradition was first proposed in 1900 as an alternative to the hunting of birds during the Christmas holiday.
This annual collection of data involves thousands of volunteers who find and count as many species of birds as they can in a 24-hour period in “count circles” 15 miles in diameter. Each count circle is divided into sectors led by sector leaders who are experienced birders. Lists from the day are forwarded to the count circle compiler, who submits the data to the National Audubon Society.
The critical information constitutes an important record of numbers and trends in early winter bird populations. Counts take place rain or shine. There are over 2,600 Christmas Bird Count circles across
North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands, and 54 count circles in Virginia.
This season’s results from circles close to Middleburg included 94 different bird species of 32,419 individual birds found by 181 counters on a wet foggy day in the Central Loudoun Christmas Bird Count.
In The Plains, 93 species of 16,118 individual birds were found on a snowy afternoon. Finally, 79 species, and 13,817 individual birds, including the rarely seen Lincoln’s sparrow, were identified in the Calmes Neck count which includes properties around Upperville.
Many property owners in our area grant permission to birdwatchers to enter their properties for access to ponds, fields, woods, barns and silos. Consequently, the landowners learn about “their” birds, and the presence of knowledgeable ornithologists may lead to other benefits.
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For example, a local landowner had tried unsuccessfully to convince the electric company to improve a dangerous transformer that was electrocuting Barn Owls on her farm. Because birders had regularly surveyed the property, always thrilled to find Barn Owls, they were able to assist the owner by involving federal authorities who put in motion changes that led to safety for the resident owls.
It’s important for the counters to be prepared for the wintry weather of the day, and difficult conditions do make for great stories.
Calmes Neck counters remember the year that roads were slick with ice, leading birders to head early to the lunch spot, a log cabin with a roaring fire in the fireplace and chili on the stove.
Joining a count can be a wonderful hands-on learning experience for those new to birding. And all are welcome.
Details: For information about participating in a count or learning whether a property falls into a count circle, contact Linda Millington at Millington.linda@gmail.com.
More on the annual National Audubon Christmas Bird Count and records dating back to 1900 at https://www. audubon.org/community-science/christmas-bird-count.
Linda Millington, Emily Southgate, and Hope Woodward counted birds in The Plains.
HOME IMPROVEMENT
The Most Wonderful Time of Year – For Remodeling
By Jeff Weeks
Spring is often considered the best time for home re-modeling, and for good reason. As the weather starts to warm up, homeowners feel a renewed sense of energy and motivation to tackle the projects they’ve been putting off all winter.
The longer days provide more natural light for construction crews to work efficiently, and the milder temperatures make it easier to complete both indoor and outdoor renovations without extreme heat or cold slowing down progress. Whether it’s a kitchen remodel, a home addition, or an outdoor living space transformation, spring offers the perfect conditions to get started.
Here are some advantages of re-modeling in the Spring:
• Summer Ready: Enjoy your updated spaces when the weather is warm. By starting in the spring, there’s a good chance the work will be finished before the peak of summer, (depending on the scope, of course).
• Contractor Availability: Summer and fall are the busiest times for contractors. Start your re-modeling project in the spring to secure the best contractors before it’s too late.
• Daylight Hours: With days getting longer, contractors have more time to complete work each day, keeping projects on schedule.
• Design Trends: Stay ahead of design trends by starting your project early in the year when suppliers introduce their new products and materials.
• Happier Holidays: Re-modeling in spring avoids conflicts with major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, ensuring your home is fully functional when you need it most.
While there are many advantages to re-modeling in the spring, there also are some drawbacks to consider and discuss with your re-modeling firm. Make sure you’re working with a trusted partner who has a plan for overcoming any potential setbacks.
Here are some potential drawbacks of Spring re-modeling.
• Unpredictable Weather: Heavy rains and lingering cold snaps can cause delays for exterior projects.
• Waiting Game: Supply chain issues and increased demand in the Spring can lead to longer wait times for materials
• Vacation Plans: If you’re traveling during spring or early summer, managing a re-model remotely can be a major challenge.
For homeowners considering a re-model, partnering with an experienced company is the key to a smooth process. With decades of experience in luxury remodeling, BOWA specializes in guiding homeowners through every stage of their renovation, from initial design concepts to final touches.
Our team of experts understands the unique challenges and opportunities that come with Spring re-modeling, helping clients make informed decisions and keeping projects on schedule – even when the homeowner is traveling. Our proven processes, including our thorough design process and dedicated, on-site project managers help clients achieve high-quality results with minimal disruption. Whether it’s a whole-home renovation or a simple refresh, our proven processes and award-winning craftsmanship ensure high-quality results homeowners can enjoy for years to come. If you’re thinking about re-modeling this Spring, now is the perfect time to get started.
Jeff Weeks is a Bowa project leader.
Jeff Weeks
In Middleburg, it’s Truly Hail to The Chief
By Leonard Shapiro
You can call him Shaun, Big Shaun, or simply Chief, and the response will almost always be the same from Shaun Jones, Middleburg’s Chief of Police. It’s usually a smile, a firm handshake and a friendly greeting from this affable bear of a man charged with the safety and well being of the town, its businesses and its 700-plus residents.
Middleburg Chief of Police Shaun Jones
“All the support the town gave me was phenomenal. It’s a truly unique town, and that made me fight even harder to get that job.”
Jones, 47, first joined the force on December 3, 2020, and if that smile seemed a bit forced over his first few months on the job, it’s not difficult to understand why. Four days after he started work on December 7, his father passed away, and during a recent interview, the memory of his dad still evokes a crack in his voice as he tears up and the conversation pauses.
Now fast forward to July, 2021, when Jones, then the assistant chief, was on his way to a meeting with town administrator Danny Davis when he took a call from his doctor.
“He said I had a problem,” Jones recalled. “I needed a mammogram and some other tests.”
The short version goes like this. He was initially diagnosed with lymphoma, sought a second opinion at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, and was told he was being treated for the wrong kind of lymphoma. Eventually, through Johns Hopkins, he was diagnosed correctly and began undergoing chemotherapy.
“That was probably the worst time of my life,” Jones said. “But the town was very supportive. They gave me the time off, and I came to work when I could. One time, I was chemo sick but I was able to write a grant for a new computer for the department. I got it in at 3:55 p.m. It was due at 4 o‘clock, and I just made it.”
By 2022, Jones was able to enroll in a professional executive leadership program at the University of Richmond, even while still on chemo. And the following year, on May 1, 2023, he was named chief of the Middleburg department, replacing the retiring A.J. Panebianco.
“When it was time to apply for that job, I thought to myself this is where I need to be. All the support the town gave me was phenomenal. It’s a truly unique town, and that made me fight even harder to get that job.”
Said Town Manager Danny Davis, “Chief Jones has brought a great sense of community outreach and partnership to the Middleburg Police Department, making connections with all members of our community. This allows him to be aware of what’s happening in our community and helps keep us all safe. He’s also brought new ideas, creative solutions, and relationships with other departments that have benefited the department and the town. We’re glad to have him as Chief!” Jones is justifiably proud of what he’s been able to accomplish, so far, adding new vehicles and other equipment as well as getting a 20 mile an hour speed limit—down from 25 mph—within the town’s boundaries.
“We needed it,” Jones said. “People walk everywhere around here. They walk their dogs, they exercise, kids are walking to school. Safety is always the most important part of our job.”
The eight-man department, soon to expand by two officers under the town’s 2026 budget does not have a large call volume and there’s an emphasis on traffic enforcement. There have been some domestic issues, a smattering of DUI stops and arrests, some shoplifting cases and a scary incident last year at the Hill School, when someone called about a possible active shooter on campus. That forced a short lockdown at the school until it was determined no such shooter existed and it was a “swatting” incident.
“We’re a small own department but we operate like a large department,” Jones said. “We have a lot of big events—the film festival, Christmas in Middleburg, Art in the Burg, Fourth of July—and we also have resources if we need them from other nearby departments, the Loudoun sheriff’s office, things like that.”
Jones still commutes to Middleburg from his family’s residence in Spotsylvania County and perhaps one of these days, may move a bit closer. But professionally, “I have no intention of going anywhere else,” he said. “This place is one of the best kept hidden secrets I know of. I love the job and the town.” And for Chief Shaun, the feeling is definitely mutual.
Geraldine Carroll
Charles Carroll IV, MD
At Highland School: A Unique Approach to Personalized Learning
By Ally Blunt
Highland School is committed to comprehensive student development through personalized learning, with a key aspect of the upper school curriculum certificate programs that allow students to deepen their study and expertise in specialized fields.
Beginning with implementation of the Leadership Certificate in 2009, the programs have provided focused, independent learning and hands-on experience, preparing students for college and future careers.
Highland’s certificate programs set themselves apart by offering flexible options for students to explore their passions. With certificates in leadership, global studies, pre-engineering, social entrepreneurship/environmental sustainability, and arts, these programs cater to diverse student interests.
The content across the programs varies, but they share three core components: coursework, experiential learning, and a culminating capstone project.
According to Assistant Head of School Cassin Bertke, “Not only are students challenged by the certificate requirements themselves, they also learn to create a plan that allows them to earn the certificate by the time they graduate. Choosing which classes to take and when, designing independent and meaningful experiences outside of the classroom, and presenting what they learned to a large audience are skills they will continue to practice in college and beyond.”
Students choose to participate in the specific certificate programs based on their interests, but they have broader goals of more ownership over their learning and challenging themselves.
Jake Stern, a senior completing global studies and leadership certificates, said the program has shaped his perspective on his future.
“Before, I knew I wanted to do something international, but I wasn’t sure how to connect my love for social justice, business, and global affairs,” he said. “Through my research on the Cuban economy, my international experiences, and the leadership skills I’ve gained, I now see how I can blend these interests into a career in international business and global trade policy.”
In recent years, 25 to 35 percent of each senior class at Highland has graduated with a certificate and most colleges recognize the significant commitment undertaken by these students.
Said Elisabeth Carver, the pre-engineering certificate coordinator, “I’ve always described the certificate programs as ‘high school minors,’ allowing students to ‘minor’ in subject areas that suit their interest while completing the ‘major’ requirements for a high school diploma.
“Students gain experience in certain disciplines that can contribute to and strengthen college applications while also providing relevant work experience that could ultimately lead to job interviews, internships, and/or full-time employment.”
The success of these certificate programs is evident in the achievements of Highland graduates. Many alumni have pursued degrees and careers aligned with their certificates. Brandon Conlin (2018) was one of the first Highland students to graduate with the pre-engineering certificate and credits the program with teaching him the engineering mindset and foundational engineering skills.
He believes the individual and team-based projects prepared him for his college studies and the expectations his professors had that he could manage a project from start to finish. Conlin is currently an e-axel engineer at Allison Transmission.
Highland’s certificate programs exemplify the continued commitment to innovate and expand its offerings and develop well-rounded, future-ready students. Sophia Brant, a senior completing the Leadership Certificate, summarized her involvement.
“My experience was completely organic and allowed me to focus on specific values and skills that were personally relevant, which not only led me to grow as a leader but also as a student.”
Ally Blunt is a senior at Highland School in Warrenton.
Highland senior Jake Stern is completing work on both the leadership and the global studies certificates.
Variety is the Spice of This Artist’s Work
By Joe Motheral
After 23 years in Colorado, artist Gayle Isabelle Ford moved to Culpepper in 2019 and never has looked back. “I feel very much at home here among the blue mountains and trees,” she said. “My horses are extremely happy to have green pastures”
Not long after returning, she soon joined the Artists in Middleburg (AIM) and has had a number of her paintings exhibited in its gallery. In 2022, she was awarded best of show for a work she called “Orchid Study” at AIM’s Springtime Splendor juried exhibition. She currently has a painting called “Child’s World” on display there.
Ford’s work includes a wide variety of subjects, including animals, landscapes, portraits, floral arrangements, and still-lifes. That variety extends to her medium.
“I love to paint in oils, watercolors, acrylics and pastels,” she said. “Most of all I love drawing. It sort of matters what I feel like at the time.”
Her great affinity for animals is clearly evidenced in her work.
“My very first memories are of loving horses, dogs and drawing,” she said. “As a child I read all the Walter Farley and Lassie books….Horses are magnificent animals. I feel both horses and dogs have mystical qualities about them.”
Growing up, she often asked her parents for a dog and “I finally got one. Now I have two warmbloods, my daughter’s mustang, two corgis and a kitty.”
“I choose to paint landscapes, intriguing portraits, luminous botanicals and lovable critters. I truly enjoy painting interesting faces…In my paintings, my hope is that I bring the viewer into the image, with the desire that they notice the beauty of my subject that they might not take the time to notice.”
Ford was born and raised in New Orleans where her interest in painting and drawing in particular earned her a scholarship at the McCrady School of Fine
and Applied Arts in the French Quarter. Unknown to Gayle, her high school art instructor had entered her work in an art competition presented by the Art Association of New Orleans, and the scholarship followed.
“When I was young, my parents brought my sister, brother and me on many road trips throughout the western United States,” she told Artsy Shark magazine. “My father took great care in planning each car trip, taking in as many national parks as possible, while learning everything possible about them. As a result, both my parents instilled a profound love and appreciation of the natural beauty of our country.”
Ford rarely does plein air, preferring to use models or photos to paint or draw. And how long does it take to complete a painting?
“Longer than I would like,” she said. “I take care of my critters and four and a half acres.”
In her 20s, Gayle pursued studies through art classes, studying illustration, photography, and fine art through the community college of the suburbs of Washington. She and her two daughters moved to Colorado, where she worked as a staff illustrator for Interweave Press.
And what about the future?
“Learning,” she said. “I want to continue to learn my craft and create beauty. Tomorrow I will be attending an online class given by Rob Liberace. He will be teaching silverpoint and painting on copper. Both fascinate me.”
She’s also a huge fan of AIM,
“It has been a wonderful experience,” she said. “There are friendly members and it’s always a fun time at the openings.”
“A Child’s World” is on display at the Artists in Middleburg gallery.
Gayle Ford
A Golden Anniversary For Chestnut Forks
By Jodi Nash
Chestnut Forks Athletic Club, famous for fun, family, friends and fitness, turns a nifty fifty this year.
How did they do it in the competitive world of pop-up fitness franchises? Chip Maloney and then wife Lindsay started the club 50 years ago after investigating what Fauquier County residents wanted for recreational fun.
“We sent out random postcards surveying what people wanted locally,” Chip said. To their surprise, it was indoor tennis. After purchasing five acres with an option to buy three more later, then securing a special use permit, construction started in 1974.
A high school and college jock who played football and basketball, Chip had never played tennis. Sitting in their cottage with one-year-old son Derek while stringing wood racquets for the pro shop, he had an epiphany: “I think it would be a good idea if we went down to Fairfax and took a couple of tennis lessons before we open the club.”
Lindsay agreed, and by the time they opened on April 25, 1975, they were both “pretty good tennis beginners.” Working with a skeletal staff, Chip, then 29 and soon to be 79, often manned the front desk from 6 a.m. to closing at 9 p.m.
“I did everything from vacuuming the courts to scheduling,” he said. “Lindsay handled the bookkeeping and advertising.”
In 1977, a year after second son John was born, they purchased the option three acres, built an outdoor pool and launched a swimming program. In ’79, they opened a dedicated “fitness space,” installing Nautilus equipment, free weights, stationary bikes, and Nordic tracks, while also offering aerobics and karate classes.
Soon, the club’s tennis program was rocking. The facility, at 36,000 square feet, boasted four indoor and four outdoor courts (two clay, two hard).
“We hosted the Mid-Atlantic Men’s Open tournament twice a year in the 1980s,” Chip said. “It was rated the second-best tournament in the state, based on quality of players. Of the top 10 players in Virginia, we had three or four.”
In 2010 came a crisis. Chip was diagnosed with a form of blood cancer (multiple myeloma) and thrust precipitously into a fight for his life.
“After a bone marrow biopsy,” he said, “I remember thinking on the way into the oncologist’s ‘I feel way too good for this to go badly.’”
But it did. He soon headed to Salt Lake City to the Huntsman Cancer Center for comprehensive testing and later, critical treatment. Enter Derek Maloney.
“I cleaned out my office,” Chip said, “and when Derek walked in all he said was ’S**T!’… It was his baby now. He knew the place as well as anyone. He could do this.”
Then in his mid-30s, Derek had previously worked at Airlie in Warrenton on the conference support staff and later as an assistant manager. He also was
Derek, Beth and Chip
coaching tennis at Fauquier High School, teaching lessons at the club, and learning the operational side of the business.
“I needed to take the reins,” he said. “We were in transition, working with consultants to make Chestnut Forks more profitable and implementing a new basic membership and business model. We wanted to be a true ‘multipurpose facility’ where members could ‘stay and play’ – hang out and relax after tennis or a work-out in a family-feel vibe.”
Beth Maloney, Derek’s wife, now works with him in the business. She calls the club the “middle child….First came Derek in 1973, then Chestnut Forks in ’75, and finally John in 1976!” she laughed.
In 2022, there was literally a major game changer—pickleball— America’s latest fitness rage and the country’s fastest growing sport. Chestnut Forks lined its tennis courts for the game and created a program that now includes private lessons, clinics, tournaments and open play.
Pickleball and tennis enthusiasts now play side by side. Tennis remains the club’s lifeblood, and sports director Collin Vero-Casavant, a tennis pro, stays busy with private instruction, adult and junior clinics, and USTA and in-house tournaments.
A few years ago, they added its lunch-time Courtside Café, and Sam Chapman (a fine tennis player herself) makes a mean BLT, delicious soups and stews, fresh salads and sandwiches. Members also can sip a glass of wine or down a cold beer.
“For the business to last 50 years, we’re doing something right,” Derek said. “We adapt.”
Added Chip, “We had no choice. We keep moving the goalposts because we have to. But we’ve also had great staff and programming. And my interaction with members over the years has been extraordinary. I’ve never engaged with nicer, more accommodating people.”
Chip made a point of expressing deep gratitude to those who helped build the club. The list is long and some have passed away, but credits, among others, Randy Iden (Lindsay’s sister), Walter Hart, Walter Tufts, Rod Kirkpatrick, Mark Berry, Kim Sieber (long-time business manager), and Cindy Birch Hendricks.
“We all had each other’s backs, he said, adding that, “My Mom (the late Betty Maloney), provided some financial help initially—without her and her belief in me, Chestnut Forks would not exist.”
Chip still teaches a fitness class for adults 50 and over and “there’s a lot of warm give and take between teacher and students. I need it as much as they do…I was never a great tennis coach but I always tried to make it a positive experience. I do the same thing in class.”
In a nutshell, the club continues to make membership a positive experience. After all, they’ve been doing it for 50 years.
Details: www.chestnutforks.com
Maloney at Chestnut Forks Athletic Club in Warrenton, celebrating 50 years.
Historic Long Branch Moving Forward to Tell Its Story
By Linda Roberts
Clumps of yellow daffodils jump-started spring on a south-facing slope at Long Branch plantation, a 400acre historic property in Clarke County where a tinge of green is just starting to show across its rolling fields.
“Long Branch has many stories,” said Executive Director Teresa Condon, who’s been at her post for a year and is supported by part-time assistant Amanda West.
One of Condon’s plans is to emphasize Long Branch’s fascinating past and meld it with the present in an attractive museum now underway on the mansion’s second floor. Here, history will come alive, as photos, storyboards, and archival materials discovered on the property will be on public display.
Although the grounds are open from dawn to dusk seven days a week, and the circa-1811 mansion is open at designated times, its past is not well known, even to local residents. Condon hopes to change that with the museum and a series of ongoing events.
Among her plans are art exhibits, a lecture series, restoration of its beautiful gardens, promotion as a wedding venue, and a special event during next year’s celebration of Virginia’s 250th year.
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Long Branch, considered by many as a “gem of Clarke County,” will host visitors on April 26 for the annual Virginia Garden Week festivities. Condon expects more than 500 guests, both local and from across the Commonwealth, will visit the historic farm and its lovely gardens.
Named after the stream that runs through the property, Long Branch was once a 1,000-acre plantation. Robert Carter Burwell conceived its Federal-style brick mansion with the assistance of Benjamin Latrobe, architect of the U.S. Capitol. Owned by the Burwell-Nelson families until 1957, the house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
After falling on hard times, Long Branch was slated for sale in 1986 on the steps of the Clarke County courthouse. Harry Z. Isaacs of Baltimore purchased it for $1.3 million. It was Isaacs’ dream that the scenic property would become a Thoroughbred racing and breeding farm. He had pastures and paddocks fenced, and had a handsome center-aisle brick barn built. Among other mansion renovations, he had the dining room enlarged and a west wing built.
Isaacs died from cancer in 1990 before fulfilling all of his plans. Fortunately, before his death he established a foundation, which exists today to keep the property open to the public with oversight from a board of directors.
Although no longer a racehorse facility, Isaacs likely would be pleased with the farm’s use now as an equine retirement home. Condon keeps in close contact with farm manager B. J. (Joe) Lewis as he cares for more than 70 retired horses boarded there by their owners.
Farm visitors frequently stop by to take panoramic photos or paint the horses grazing in well-tended pastures with the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop. Community members enjoy Long Branch’s frequent activities and appreciate the farm for its beauty and as an excellent place to exercise on its winding roads.
“Long Branch is such a treasure,” Condon said, “and we’re moving forward to tell its story.”
Long Branch is open daily from dawn to dusk. The house is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Wednesday and noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Thursdays and Friday it’s open by appointment. Details: www.visitlongbranch.com
Long Branch Executive Director Teresa Condon
Photos by Linda Roberts
A view from the front of the Long Branch mansion built in 1811.
Photos by Tiffany Dillon Keen of
Donna Rogers received a framed 2025 Proclamation from the Virginia Assembly recognizing her significant achievements.
Donna Rogers enjoyed many memorable moments out riding
Friends galore.
Photo memories.
The historic bank barn
Get Ready, Get Set and Mark Your Calendars
The Virginia Hunt Country, nestled in the rolling hills of the Piedmont, is the location of this year’s Historic Garden Week tour featuring three properties near Middleburg. Tour co-chairs are Anne Walker and Sheila Harrell. Tickets are $50 per person sold in advance at VAGardenWeek.org. Morning or afternoon tickets available at $60 per person the day of the event. The tour goes from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 27 and from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, April 28.
Ellerslie
35770 Snake Hill Road
The house at Ellerslie was renovated and enlarged in 1992 in a design inspired by its setting among rolling hills in the Virginia Piedmont. A wide front porch, bluestone patio, and rear veranda connect the house to the outdoors, while an elevated screened porch and deck provide views over the fields to the Bull Run Mountains. The light-filled interiors feature fireplaces of local fieldstone, family portraits, and antique furnishings. French doors in the living room open to Lutyens steps that lead to a stone lily pool. Beyond the pool is a lawn edged with mixed borders, each featuring layered plantings ranging from ground covers to mature trees. Paths lead from the lawn to a secret garden, to shady borders along an old fieldstone wall, and to a fenced vegetable and fruit garden with perimeter plantings of clematis, climbing roses, and native vines. A variety of native trees and shrubs provides wildlife habitat, and more than 140 species of birds have been identified on the property. In the rear of the house, steep slopes are terraced with herb, lavender, and peony beds, and flanked on either side by groups of native shrubs and ferns. The Ellerslie garden was included in the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Gardens in 2020. Turner and Christine Perdue Smith, owners
Benton
35758 Snake Hill Road
The Federal house, originally named Spring Hill, was built in 1830 by William Benton, who also oversaw the construction of President Monroe’s estate at Oak Hill and of nearby Huntland. The rose brick is Flemish bond on the south façade and 5-course American bond elsewhere. The main block of the house is one room deep with a central hall between the living and dining rooms. Most of the original woodwork and hardware is intact. Around 1908, Daniel and Edith Sands bought Spring Hill and changed its name to Benton. Edith was a founding member of the Fauquier & Loudoun Garden Club in 1915 and was instrumental in the founding of the Garden Club of Virginia in 1920, serving as GCV President in 1936. Her handiwork is apparent in the boxwood-lined brick walkways, a walled garden, and the front drive which winds among beautiful shade trees, blankets of daffodils, and vinca minor. The walled garden blends new plantings with sweeps of naturalized narcissus, bluebells, wood hyacinths and Tulipa sylvestris.
The Leith family have been stewards of Benton for over 60 years and sponsored its inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Benton was last open for Historic Garden Week in 1933. Betsy Leith Kelly and J. Roger Kelly, Owners.
Photo by Georgiana Watt
An intriguing gate at Benton.
Photo by Georgiana Watt At Ellerslie
for Sunday, April 27 and Monday, April 28
The Pond House
23694 Parsons Road
The Pond House gardens ramble around two ponds beside a pre-Civil War stone barn and large hay barn once used to stable the family ponies and horses. A chicken house and fifty-year-old concrete silo also make up the barnyard area. The naturalized setting hosts a large variety of plant material selected for the unique conditions that exist around the property: low wet areas, shady woodlands and open sunny meadows, to name a few. Two large tulip poplars frame the back patio providing a canopy of shade beside a rustic pergola. A playhouse with flower boxes sits at the edge of a swimming pool where a tropical summer garden is anchored by the huge leaves of an old towering banana plant. A fenced vegetable/ cutting garden has raised beds flanked by strawberries. A small stream created by the owner divides the main garden area from the mostly native plantings that are across a small bridge by a shady folly fondly referred to as the bottle house. The owner strongly believes that stewarding the land for pollinators, wildlife and clean water is of upmost importance. Many plants are chosen because they are natives that support birds, butterflies and bees. Missy Janes, owner
Photo by Georgiana Watt The main house at Benton.
Photo by Georgiana Watt A study in shape and texture at Ellerslie.
Photo by Missy Janes At The Pond House.
Photo by Missy Janes At the aptly named Pond House.
A FALLEN FAUQUIER HERO OF WORLD WAR II
In between shipboard assignments, Robert W. Fleming served at the Bureau of Aeronautics in Washington, D.C. and at Pensacola Naval Air Station.
Born in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 9, 1894, Robert spent the early years of his life at Gordonsdale.
By John T. Toler
During World War II, Fauquier County more than did its part, sending thousands of men to fight in virtually every theater of the war. Of those who served, over 100 were killed in action overseas or in training accidents at home.
The highest-ranking officer from Fauquier to die in combat was Capt. Robert Walton Fleming, USN, the commanding officer of the USS New Mexico.
In early January, 1945, the New Mexico was in the Lingayen Gulf supporting the amphibious operations to take the coast ahead of the liberation of the Philippines.
As the bombardment continued on January 6, a Japanese suicide plane carrying a 500-pound bomb struck the port navigation bridge of the New Mexico.
Thirty men on the bridge were killed along with Capt. Fleming, including Lt. Gen. Herbert Lumsden of the British Royal Marines, Special Military Representative to Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Sub-Lt. Byron Morton of the Royal Navy, and Time Magazine correspondent William Henry Chickering. In addition, 87 men were wounded.
In his last moments, Capt. Fleming encouraged his shipmates to continue the fight. Remarkably, while casualties were severe, material damage to the New Mexico caused little loss of battle efficiency.
Command was assumed by the executive officer, Commander John T. Warren, and for the rest of the day and the five days following, the New Mexico continued to provide intensive anti-aircraft fire and scheduled bombardment until the beaches were secured.
As happened after naval battles far from home, the dead, including Capt. Fleming, were buried at sea.
Robert Walton Fleming had deep roots in Virginia, and Fauquier County in particular. He was a direct descendant of Richard Bland Lee, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. His grandparents were Dr. Robert and Mary Elizabeth Lee Fleming, and his parents were Alfred Walton Fleming (18611957), a Washington attorney, and Gay Bernard Fleming (1866-1936). They lived for years at Gordonsdale, near The Plains.
Born in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 9, 1894, Robert spent the early years of his life at Gordonsdale. He attended Episcopal High School in Alexandria and the Columbia Preparatory School in Washington, D. C., before his appointment to the Naval Academy at Annapolis.
Graduating in March, 1917 in the first wartime accelerated class, he was remembered in the Lucky Bag, the class yearbook, as “…a wiry, sandy-haired chap” who led his company’s crew team as the coxswain. “He was the wise choice of the powers that be for three stripes of the fourth company.” He was known by two nicknames, “Bobby” and “Cocky.”
Robert’s success at the USNA “…was not due to bowing his head to popularity, but through sheer effort and knowing how. Cautious, not given to impulses or taking chances, he never suffered with the pangs of indecision as the less fortunate of us. He came into this world with his mind made up.”
Buried at sea with his shipmates, Capt. Fleming is remembered on a cenotaph in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C.
The USS New Mexico was Capt. Fleming’s last command. On January 6, 1945, he died on the bridge of his ship during a kamikaze attack in the Lingayen Gulf, off the Philippines.
After graduation, Lt. (j.g.) Fleming entered World War I, assigned to convoy duty on a destroyer, the USS Walker, based at Queenstown, Ireland. After the war, he had several east coast shore assignments.
On June 3, 1924, while serving at the Bureau of Aeronautics in Washington, then-Lt. Fleming married Emma Scott Stitt (1906-1986), daughter of Rear Admiral and Mrs. Edward Stitt. His next sea assignments from 1924-27 included the USS Raleigh and USS Arizona, followed by a year at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola. He then returned to sea as an officer on the USS Pennsylvania and USS California, and in October, 1930 was promoted to Lt. Commander. He returned to the Bureau of Aeronautics in 1931, where he served until 1933, at which time he was made commander of the USS Jacob Jones.
In July 1937, he was appointed aide to the commandant at Norfolk Navy Yard in Portsmouth, VA. He held this position until January, 1938, when he was appointed Commander and Captain of the Yard at Cavite, Philippines. During this time, he was joined by his wife and their two sons, Robert (born in 1926) and Edward (1930).
Sea duty followed in October, 1939, serving as commander of Destroyer Division 2 aboard the USS Hatfield and USS Gilmer, and in March, 1943 he was promoted to captain and given command of the USS New Mexico.
At the time of his death in 1945, his family was back in Washington. Edward was a student at Episcopal High School, while Robert was an Army private, serving at Fort Bragg, NC.
Buried far away at sea, a cenotaph honoring Capt. Robert Walton Fleming was placed in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for his gallantry and sacrifice while commanding the New Mexico.
As is often the case of a hero who died in action, one wonders what Capt. Fleming might have accomplished, had he survived. He certainly would have risen to the rank of admiral. After retirement, he might have returned to Fauquier County.
What more could he have accomplished here? We’ll never know.
Early’s Carpet, Inc.
Home of the Centrifuge Rug Cleaning Method
ene ts of Centrifuge Rug Cleaning
1. Prevents issues like discoloration, deformation, and unpleasant odors.
2. Helps maintain rug quality and appearance.
3. The power action of the Centrifuge ensures that deep seated dirt, debris and contaminants are effortlessly removed leaving rugs cleaner and rejuvenated.
Step by step overview of the Centrifuge Rug Cleaning process at Early’s Carpet in Amissville, VA
1.Inspection: The rug is thoroughly inspected for stains, damages, and any special cleaning requirements. This helps in determining the best cleaning approach.
2.Dusting: The rug is vacuumed by a machine that removes loose dirt and dust particles. This step is crucial as it ensures that the washing process is more effective.
3.Pre-treatment: Stains and heavily soiled areas are treated with appropriate cleaning agents to break down dirt and grime.
4.Washing: The rug is washed using a combination of manual and machine methods. This typically involves soaking the rug in water and using gentle brushes to clean the bers.
5.Rinsing: The rug is thoroughly rinsed to remove all soap and cleaning
agents. This step ensures that no residues are left behind.
6.Centrifuge Drying: The rug is placed in the centrifuge machine, which spins at high speeds until the water runs clear and extracts up to of the water. This signi cantly reduces the drying time.
7.Final Drying: The rug is then hung in a controlled drying room with proper ventilation to ensure it dries completely. This helps prevent mold and mildew.
8.Final Inspection: nce dry, the rug undergoes a nal inspection to ensure it meets quality standards.
9.Packaging: The rug is carefully packaged for delivery or storage, ensuring it remains clean and protected until it reaches the customer. Bring Early’s your soiled rugs for cleaning.
Hill’s Girls Teams Hooped It Up All Season
By Leonard Shapiro
It wasn’t so much March Madness for the Varsity and Junior Varsity girls basketball teams at Hill School in Middleburg as it was a Fabulous February, a month when both teams put the finishing touches on undefeated seasons.
The Varsity team, directed by head coach Harrison Schroder and assistant Sarah Dornin, ended the season at 8-0. The JV team, coached by Hill Athletic Director Zach Roszel and assisted by Christian Lyman, finished 6-0. And the cherry on top— playing seventh and eighth graders from both teams, Hill won two more games in a season-ending tournament at Powhatan School.
That unprecedented 16-0 accomplishment was quite a turnaround from the previous year, when the teams each won two games and combined for ten losses.
“They consistently outperformed the competition this year.” Roszel said of the Varsity team. “Our closest win was by eight points and we cleared the bench every game, and not just at the end. All the girls had a lot of quality playing time.”
All the girls meant that all 25 seventh and eighth grade girls played on the two teams. Many had never participated in organized basketball until they got to Hill. The school’s philosophy has always been
to include every student in athletics, art, music, and theater. Every student participates in tryouts to determine Varsity or JV team placement but everyone makes one of the teams.
“The most important thing was that we went about it the right way,” said Schroder, who credited Roszel with integrating basketball into sports classes in the lower grades over the last few years. That made a significant difference in the players’ skill level.
“Before that,” Schroder said, “a lot of the girls hadn’t really played much basketball. As a result of the program, they had enough of an introduction to the game to pick it up quickly when they got to this level. The experience in those years really did set
them up for success.”
So did the overall coaching philosophy. The Varsity and JV teams all practiced together with Schroder and Roszel. They used the same play calls and types of defenses and were always encouraged to try something new, take a chance, and not worry about making a mistake if it didn’t work out.
Three seventh graders made the Varsity team, but others also were used during the season.
“If there was an injury or someone couldn’t make a game, we’d fill in with the JV players,” Roszel said. “We could put them in the games and they knew exactly what to do. It was easy. Plug them in and play. And there was not a huge drop-off.”
Charlotte J., a seventh grader on both the JV and Varsity team, loved it all.
“The secret to an undefeated season is not about how one person can lead the entire team but the time, devotion, effort, and teamwork a team puts into a sport. Every one of The Hill School girls made that effort this season.”
Their success also had another benefit.
“We opened the gym during recess periods to fourth, fifth and sixth graders, and more girls started to come in and play basketball,” Roszel said. “It’s encouraged a lot of younger girls to say, ‘hey, I want to play basketball.’’’
Caitlin M. swoops in for an uncontested lay-up in a recent Hill girls varsity victory.
Argentina Came Alive at Hill’s Recent Cultural Study
By Leonard Shapiro
Lunch at Hill School one mid-March day earlier this year was hardly your standard school cafeteria variety. Prime meats and a variety of vegetables were grilled on an open outdoor fire, with all manner of delicious dishes and delectable desserts available to one and all.
It was Hill’s version of a classic asado, considered the epitome of Argentinean gastronomy and culture, typically attended by friends and family to share the joy of outdoor cooking and fellowship. At Hill, it was all students, faculty, staff, and parents enjoying that feast.
The asado was among the main events in what has evolved over the years into a 2 1/2-day celebration of a faraway land in the Middleburg school’s now annual Culture Study program.
This year, it was Argentina, and not just its food. Students from junior kindergarten through eighth grade also were exposed to its history, politics, social customs, music, art, literature and sports, among many other subjects.
They heard about polo, had a demonstration of tango dancing, attended a session on its native penguins. Hill alumna Olivia Stanfield, who has lived there for ten years, read the children’s books she’s authored.
The Culture Study program began at Hill in 1993 when then Head of School Tom Northrup and fellow educators Ann Northrup, Tom’s wife, and Debbie Sharples came up with a concept intended to widen
their students’ horizons. Many others have since made significant contributions, including current fifth grade teacher John Daum and long-time art teacher and program coordinator Linda Conti.
“The why of the program was clear,” Ann Northrup said. “We felt it was important that our children experience and learn from something broader than
their own community. The cultural immersion began in a small way as an attempt to expand our children’s understanding and curiosity about the enormous range of human culture on this earth.”
Every June, the entire faculty meets to discuss and vote on a country for the following school year, and perhaps even two years out, mostly because it takes so much preparation to make it work. Linda Conti retired after the 2024 school year, but was asked by Head of School Treavor Lord to continue coordinating the cultural study.
“It gives me a chance to see all the students again and it’s a wonderful program,” she said. “The entire faculty and staff come together either to directly teach or to support the program. It’s all hands on deck to bring another culture to the Hill community.”
Staff member Emily Tyler handled the culinary end. And because Argentina is so diverse, with major cultural influences from a number of other countries, the asado menu included an Italian style potato gnocchi with red sauce and melted parmesan cheese, Spanish beef and chicken empanadas, and a variety of Argentine cheeses.
“It’s such a total immersion in the variety of foods,” Tyler said. “And it’s very exciting to have everyone eating together in such a special feast.”
Once again at Hill, it was a special three days in March, just before spring break, with enduring memories and appetites definitely satiated to the max.
Photo by Linda Conti
Asado stteaks on an open fire at Hill School, not Argentina.
In Philomont, Say Hello to Marina and Co.
By Bob Appenziller
It’s not obvious unless you’re walking or biking in western Loudoun County, but the Upper Store in Philomont is aptly named because it’s a gentle uphill rise to get there from any direction.
Philomont lies comfortably on a rise in the Piedmont just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains about halfway between Bluemont and Aldie. And the old Upper Store (aka Van Sickler’s) is now a destination mercantile shop that’s well worth the climb or drive.
It’s called Marina and Co. and its website classifies the store as “Homesteading.” Like the early settlers of Western Loudoun, it’s provisioned with what they had to do for sustainment.
It’s fitting that Marina Wilson has landed on a hill in Philomont. Her heritage traces back to Cyprus and Mt. Olympus where the honey, watermelon and feta traces cheese are without peer. Her experience of being a refugee during her country’s civil war has cemented her passion for community.
That’s obvious when you stop at 36610 Philomont Road for a hot cup of Tazon Rico coffee (you can buy a bag) and have a chat with Marina. Nothing controversial or political, merely refreshing banter about how Ms. X helped Mr. Y with a project or a problem. Children from birth to adulthood is a popular topic with Marina Wilson.
The Marina and Co. mercantile building has an interesting history. Merchant John Van Sickler opened the store in the late 1890s. Before that he was listed in the 1850 Philomont census as a shoe maker. According to historical records, the building was first a store, then a school in 1917. More recently a furniture maker named Augustus Trail occupied the space and in 2023, it became an Airbnb.
Then along came Marina and Co. in October, 2024. Marina is popular in the neighborhood because she genuinely likes talking to people. She has ten children and a passion for midwifery and all things related to natural childbirth.
Before she opened in Philomont, Marina was an iconic presence at the Hamilton Mercantile. Most locals thought she owned it. These days, you can catch her on her legacy pink Schwinn bicycle commuting about 300 yards to her nearby home.
Philomont once had a very close community. Older residents still talk about Johnny Cash, Robert Duvall, and Kris Kristofferson among others occasionally hanging out in the general store on the corner of Philomont Road and Snickersville Turnpike.
Marina hopes to thrive with a well-stocked inventory (Seylou bread from D.C., Olipop Soda, Ariston olive oil and balsamic vinegar), with classes for gardeners, book clubs, and Homesteading.
The store also is stocked with practical items that anyone who knows about homesteading would want. There’s also a good chance the old fire station will become a new civic center and the explosion of wineries and breweries in western Loudoun County have opened up opportunities for several other small business owners.
Marina and Co. has fit in nicely with the Philomont General Store (Drew and Brandi Bishop and their ham biscuits) and a rare full-service post office. Locals may someday even see a restaurant near Philomont, but that’s down the road. Meanwhile, there’s Marina and Co.
Photo by Robert Appenzeller
Marina Wilson has a new store in Philomont
John Marshall’s Boyhood Home in Markham is Secured
By Thomas Marshall deButts
After more than four decades of perseverance, Friends of The Hollow has reached a historic milestone: the formal donation of seven acres of land, including The Hollow house, securing the boyhood home of Chief Justice John Marshall for future generations.
This landmark gift ensures that the 1765 home, where Marshall spent his formative years, will be permanently protected and restored as a national treasure.
The donation was made possible through the generosity of Learning Tree Farms, founded by the late David Collins and his wife, Mary Collins, longtime advocates for the preservation of The Hollow. Their commitment to historic conservation has guaranteed that this important site will be safeguarded for years to come.
“I’m honored that our vision of making The Hollow a place where children and adults can learn about John Marshall’s formative years and his lasting impact on American governance has arrived,” said Mary Collins, owner of Learning Tree Farms in nearby Delaplane. “We purchased and restored The Hollow many years ago with the intention of ensuring its place in public education and historical interpretation.”
When nonprofit Friends of The Hollow was founded in 1981, its mission was based on family history: that The Hollow was John Marshall’s boyhood home. The nonprofit was created to bring awareness to what was believed to be Marshall’s childhood residence—
Courtesy of Land Trust of Virginia
An aerial view of The Hollow, John Marshall’s boyhood home.
and to prove its historical significance.
Decades of research followed. A breakthrough came when multiple dendrochronological analyses dated the home’s timbers to a 1763 growing season cut, confirming that it stood during Marshall’s youth. Further archaeological evidence, including construction techniques and findings by Williamsburg archaeologists, provided additional support. This rigorous scholarship led to The Hollow’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Built in 1764-1765 by Thomas Marshall, The Hollow is one of the oldest surviving structures in Fauquier County. From ages 9 to 17, John Marshall lived there, a period that helped shape the intellect and character of the man who would become the most influential and consequential Chief Justice in American history.
Since its inception, Friends of The Hollow has worked to protect and preserve the house. Early
efforts focused on raising awareness and advocating for its protection, culminating in its official historic recognition.
A turning point came in the early 2000s, when Dr. David C. Collins purchased the land and provided critical funding to stabilize the structure. Recognizing its immense historical value, he partnered with Friends of The Hollow to launch architectural and archaeological investigations, which informed efforts to structurally restore the home to its 18thcentury appearance. These efforts saved the structure, which had been at serious risk of collapse.
Now, with Learning Tree Farms’ donation of The Hollow, the nonprofit will take the next steps toward full restoration and public access. Immediate plans include critical repairs, architectural stabilization, repainting, and structural reinforcements.
With the acquisition complete, Friends of The Hollow is preparing for its next chapter: fundraising to complete restoration efforts and expand public education about John Marshall’s early years. The long-term vision includes preserving the home, developing educational programming, and increasing public access to this important site.
As The Hollow moves into this exciting new phase, Friends of The Hollow invites the public to support its restoration efforts, ensuring that this landmark continues to share the story of one of America’s greatest judicial minds.
Details: For further information, visit www. friendsofthehollow.org.
Hunt Country Stable Tour 2025: Bigger and Better Than Ever
Absent from the Piedmont calendar since 2020 and following a triumphant return in 2024, the long-established and popular Hunt Country Stable Tour returns for 2025 after the incredible success of last year’s event.
The May 24-25 tour on the Memorial Day weekend benefits various community ministries and outreach programs at Upperville’s Trinity Church and promises to be bigger and better than ever.
The full list of attractions open to ticket holders will be announced in early April, but there are several holdovers from previous years, including the Virginia Mare Center and Salamander Resort’s horse facility. There also are spectator friendly events, including the Piedmont Fox Hounds appearance at the church and a polo exhibition down Blackwell Road halfway between Middleburg and The Plains.
In its earliest form the stable tour has been a fixture on local and regional calendars since 1959.
“Primarily it’s all about the horses, the beautiful farm and stable properties and their setting in the glorious countryside of this part of Northern Virginia” said Richard Jones, Trinity’s director of operations and communications. “We’re especially excited that for 2025, we have a record entry of eight completely new properties on the tour, and a record total of seventeen different locations included.
The appeal of the stable tour continues to endure, captivating long term supporters and newcomers alike. Visitors have traveled from as far away as the west coast, Georgia, and Ohio to take part in roaming the area’s countryside.
This year’s tour also includes a number of new options to enhance the experience
UPCOMING
EVENTS
POULTRY AND SMALL ANIMAL AUCTION
April 12th @ 12:00PM
Animal Take-in day of the sale from 8:00AM- 11:00AM
Contact: Stan Stevens (540)631-3523 or Emillie Stevens (540)222-2312
No out of state birds • All poultry to be in cages • 25% commission on all poultry
Held at the Fauquier Livestock Market
EVERY TUESDAY
FAUQUIER LIVESTOCK EXCHANGE
Sale start time 1:30pm
Animal Take-in day of the sale from 8:00AM- 11:00AM
Contact: Stan Stevens (540)631-3523 or Emillie Stevens (540)222-2312
No out of state birds • All poultry to be in cages • 25% commission on all poultry
Held at the Fauquier Livestock Market
CULPEPER GRADED SALE
Drop off Thursday, the day before the sale – 7:00AM-3:00PM April 4th, 2025 @ 10:30AM 10220 James Monroe Highway, Culpeper, VA 22701
See Culpeper Sale Barn Tab on Website For More Information
Check us out on FB or our website at http://www.FauquierLivestockExchange.com Fauquier Livestock Exchange does not guarantee any items sold. Not responsible for accidents.
even more. For example, there are just 50 VIP tickets to a very special “KennedyMellon” themed tour at the exquisite Oak Spring Garden Foundation.
There’s also an option for an exclusive tour luncheon experience in the countryside, in partnership with the Piedmont Environmental Council. For those unable to attend both days of the tour, a special Sunday-only ticket also has been added.
“The Hunt Country Stable Tour enjoys a long and impressive lineage,” Jones said. “But it’s a living tradition that each year evolves and grows with something new for everyone to enjoy.”
What makes the event truly special is that 100 percent of the proceeds support community ministries provided by Trinity Church, as well as local, regional, national, and international nonprofits. These funds help support vulnerable populations and fund incredible work both locally and around the world.
Details: Saturday, May 24 and Sunday, May 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets :at Eventbrite.com or trinityupperville.org/hunt-country-stable-tour
Photo Courtesy of Trinity Episcopal Church Visitors get an up close view of a fancy barn.
Ariane Carles Solari
Mattingly’s
Nature Knows Best During Baby Season
By Annie Bradfield
Executive Director, Blue Ridge Wildlife Center
At Blue Ridge Wildlife Center (BRWC), early spring is known as the start of “baby season.” It’s also our busiest time of the year, as concerned people find young wildlife and wonder, “does this animal need help?”
The answer usually is no.
Many well-meaning people intervene when they shouldn’t, sometimes doing more harm than good. Knowing when to step in—and when to leave nature alone—can make all the difference.
Each year, we receive hundreds of calls about baby birds found on the ground. But before scooping one up, it’s important to assess the situation. If the bird is featherless or has only downy (fluffy) feathers, it’s a nestling—too young to be out of the nest. In that case, it’s best to return it to its nest if possible.
If the original nest is destroyed, a small basket or container secured near the site can serve as a replacement. But if the bird is fully feathered with short tail feathers, it’s likely a fledgling and exactly where it’s supposed to be. Unless it’s injured, fledglings should be left alone.
The same principle applies to many baby mammals. Each spring, people stumble upon tiny rabbits in their yards, mistakenly believing them to be orphaned. Eastern cottontail mothers visit their nests only twice a day—at dawn and dusk—to avoid drawing attention from predators. If you find a nest, it’s best to leave it undisturbed. If the babies are injured, eyes closed and outside the nest, or have been in a pet’s mouth, call BRWC or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.
Fawns (baby deer) are another commonly “rescued” animal that rarely needs help. Unlike many mammals, white-tailed deer leave their young alone for hours at a time (up to 12 hours), returning only to nurse. A fawn curled up quietly in the grass is not abandoned—this is normal behavior. Unless it is visibly injured, crying persistently, or following people, it does not need intervention.
Squirrels also have attentive mothers. If a baby squirrel falls from a nest, the best approach is to wait and watch. Given the opportunity, the mother will usually retrieve her baby and carry it back up the tree. However, if the baby is still on the ground after several hours, it may need help.
Turtles and other reptiles also are frequently picked up when they shouldn’t be. If a turtle is crossing the road, help by moving it in the direction it was already traveling. Never relocate it far from its habitat. And while baby snakes and turtles may seem vulnerable, they are fully independent from birth.
There are times when a wild baby does need help. If an animal is visibly injured, bleeding, covered in flies or maggots, cold to the touch, or crying persistently, intervention may be necessary. It’s best to place the animal in a secure container, away from people and pets, and call BRWC or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator immediately—without feeding or giving water, which can do more harm than good.
Clearly, when in doubt, call before you act—our team at BRWC is always happy to help!
Details: blueridgewildlifectr.org
Photo courtesy of Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Leave those cute little baby squirrels alone.
What Happens When Machines Do Everything? HUMAN INTELLIGENCE
ABy Hunt Lyman
t a recent Middleburg Forum, I spoke with Kara Swisher, a journalist and long-time observer of technology, and I asked if the hype about artificial intelligence was overblown.
I reminded her that more than two years had passed since ChatGPT, the first widely known AI model, was released, and despite predictions of an imminent revolution, I was not seeing much change in daily life.
“Remember the internet,” she told me. “It takes time.”
She’s right. I was an early internet fan, sending the first email at Foxcroft School in 1992 and presenting what I believe was the first classroom demonstration of the World Wide Web at the University of Virginia in 1995. I remember thinking that people were slow to adopt the internet, but today, we live in a world where communication, shopping, travel, and news have all been radically transformed. AI initially generated headlines because it could write student papers, pass exams, and imitate famous people. These seemingly miraculous feats briefly cap-tured public attention, then faded. But those following AI closely know that while public fascination may have waned, the technology’s advancement is accelerating.
Each week brings a new breakthrough—whether in generating realistic images and videos, outperforming human experts in complex tasks, or creating innovative coding that surpasses top programmers.
The major milestone AI companies are striving to achieve is Artificial Gen-eral Intelligence (AGI). Simply defined, AGI would be capable of performing virtually any intellectual task at the level of the most expert human. Once AGI is achieved, many daily tasks will be accomplished more efficiently by technology. Most observers believe it will mark a major turning point in human history.
Optimists predict medical research that once took years will be completed in hours, leading to rapid advancements in treatments for diseases like cancer and
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dementia. In short, AGI likely will free humans from tedious work, allowing them to engage in more meaningful pursuits.
Pessimists, not surprisingly, have a darker view. They argue that AGI threatens not just mechanical labor but also elite professions—lawyers, doctors, journalists, teachers, and software engineers.
They worry that AI systems could be manipulated to disrupt communication networks, spread misinformation, or create biological threats. The prospect of AI-controlled warfare is particularly alarming.
Moreover, skeptics note technology leaders driving this race provide few details about what the future will look like, beyond vague assurances that life will improve.
For small towns like Middleburg, the AGI impact could be significant. Local businesses might use AI-driven customer service, personalized marketing, and automated supply chains, allowing small shops to compete with major retailers.
Equine care, central to Middleburg’s identity, could be transformed by AIassisted veterinary diagnostics and predictive health monitoring. Telemedicine powered by AGI could improve healthcare access, providing advanced diagnostics and treatment recommendations to residents now traveling long distances for spe-cialized care.
Education could also change, with AI tutors offering personalized instruction, supplementing—but not replacing—human teachers.
We stand at the edge of a profound transformation. Whether AGI leads to an era of abundance and human flourishing or brings economic upheaval depends on the choices we make as a society.
How do we harness AI to benefit humanity while mitigating its risks? Who will control these powerful systems, and how will they be regulated? The answers s will shape the future of work—and the world.
Hunt Lyman is academic dean and teaches at Hill School. This column was written with suggestions and assistance from ChatGPT.
we are pleased to welcome
maria eldredge and anne mcintosh
Maria Eldredge 540-454-3829
Maria became a real estate agent in 2011 and has spent her entire adult life involved in the real estate industry.
Maria’s husband grew up in the Middleburg area and they have lived in Fauquier and Loudoun county since 1990. Maria is actively involved in the local community and has a passion for Historic preservation, home renovation, gardening, tennis and painting.
Anne McIntosh 703-509-4499
Anne has been practicing real estate since 2003. With over twenty years of experience, she has a wealth of industry knowledge.
An avid horsewoman, Anne has been a Master of Blue Ridge Hunt for 18 years. She is actively involved in the local community with special interest in conservation, Historic preservation, foxhunting, and the rural way of life.
The McIntosh and Eldredge Group Formed in 2015 after being friends for over 40 years. Their mission then, and still is today, to make your real estate journey as seamless as possible–offering expert knowledge of current industry standards and the local market. Specializing in the towns, villages and communities of Western Loudoun, Northern Fauquier, Clarke, Frederick and Warren counties.
THOMAS & TALBOT
Hunt Lyman
MOC BEAGLES RUN WITH THE BIG DOGS IN RICHMOND
ABy Zachary R. Mahevich
group of junior foxhunters from the Middleburg Orange County (MOC) Beagles, led by Master and Huntsman Nina Fout, attended the Junior Foxhunters and Equestrians Day in Richmond earlier this year to make their voices heard in support of policies preserving the area’s rural landscapes and traditional equestrian sports.
Delegate Geary M. Higgins invited junior foxhunters to meet with their representatives and support land conservation and foxhunting. About 20 MOC members were joined by junior members of the Keswick Hunt near Charlottesvile.
The MOC Beagles is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization run entirely by volunteers and is free to all children. It was started in the 1960s by widely-regarded horsewoman and conservationist Eve Fout, Nina Fout’s mother, to teach junior riders about traditional field sports like foxhunting and the importance of preserving wildlife and the rural countryside.
The day in Richmond began with the group meeting with elected officials at their offices. In addition to speaking with Delegate Higgins, they also met with State Senator Dave Marsden to express their support for land preservation and the protection of field sports in Virginia.
The elected officials were appreciative to see such a large group of junior riders in hunting attire advocating for issues they are passionate about. A group of four delegates, including Higgins, Michael Webert, Amy Laufer and Kelly Fowler, then addressed the group on Capitol Square in front of the historic 1824 Bell Tower.
The highlight of the day came when the youngsters gathered in the gallery of the House Chamber in the State Capitol to be recognized by the House of Delegates. The House then unanimously voted to
adopt a “Resolution Commending the MOC Beagles.”
The resolution expressed the General Assembly’s “admiration for the organization’s history and its service to the Commonwealth.” It also commended the MOC Beagles “for its service to young people and their families in Virginia’s northern Piedmont region, as well as its preservation of foxhunting traditions and stewardship of the countryside.”
Zachary R. Mahevich is an eighth grader at Wakefield School in The Plains.
Photo by Haley Walsh
Delegate Geary Higgins with the MOC Beaglers.
Photo by Haley Walsh
The MOC Beaglers tour the Capitol in Richmond with Master and Huntsman Nina Fout.
Loudoun Animal Services Offers Welcoming Shelter
By Joe Motheral
The Loudoun County Animal Services (LCAS) is located on the appropriately named Adoption Drive southeast of Leesburg. They’ve been there for three years after a move from Hillsboro, their long-time home.
The spacious building has accommodations for animals “inside and outside,” according to Talia Czapski, the shelter’s community relations coordinator. The dogs and cats are in cages that extend from inside to the outside, and “we also have a play area for dogs. Cats are the largest number of our animals.”
In 2023, LCAS had a total “intake” of 2,174 animals, including 1,019 cats, 824 dogs, 299 small animals and 32 livestock. They had 54 animals born in the shelter and LCAS performed 1.061 surgeries. Many were adopted.
At one stop on a recent tour, Czapski pointed to a small clear plastic box that housed a mouse, prompting the question-- what’s been the shelter’s most exotic animal?
“We’ve had a boa constrictor and iguanas, goats, sheep, and horses,” she said. “We take in a little bit of everything. We have separate little rooms for unusual animals. We take any animal, even strays. A lot of our animals come from people who have to cut back on their living quarters, apartment complexes, causing them to have to give up some of their pets.”
The LCAS has a veterinarian and four technicians on staff and “we do thousands of vaccinations,” Czapski added. “We have operating tables and can do X-rays, ultrasounds. Animals don’t have to be transported to a vet so they can be cured faster and adopted.”
The LCAS also responds to emergency 911 calls, with officers dispatched if
necessary.
The shelter relies quite heavily on about 400 volunteers and donations of food. One volunteer, Cynthia (Cindy) O’Connell of Lansdowne, said, “I love animals and have always wanted to volunteer at an animal sheller.”
Her duties include being a “feline friend” by socializing with the cats. She also helps the staff with “housekeeping duties in the feline adoption areas, daily chores like feeding the cats, cleaning and bleaching their kennels, laundry duties and dishes.”
O’Connell is a member of the shelter’s “Mod Squad” after receiving training from the Behavior and Training Coordinator to learn feline body language and how to work with “scaredy cats.”
“I also like to travel on wildlife expeditions,” she said. “I’ve visited the Himalayas to see snow leopards, India to see tigers, Africa to see leopards, lions and cheetahs; Uganda and Rwanda to see the gorillas—all in their natural environment.”
She travels with the World Wildlife Foundation, with a mission to preserve the natural habitats for endangered species.
“We live in a community where people love animals,” Czapski said. “Any time we’ve said we need help, our community steps up. It’s one of the things about working here. People want to be involved, want to do right for the animals and that makes it a really special place. And we are always looking for people to adopt the larger dogs.”
As for future plans, Czapski said the shelter has recently added a second veterinarian and “we just started offering a vaccine for dogs—for $2, twice monthly. We’re excited to be able to expand these offerings to the public.”
Photo by Joe Motheral Talia Czapski of Loudoun Animal Shelter.
3
Bid 5 “Racing the Wind” Chloe’s
Susan Macy
Bid 6 “We are but Stardust” Clites Architects PC
Nicholas Pagano
Bid 7 “Hare in the Hay” Federal & Black
Natalie Fox
Bid 8 “One Koi Fox” Foxcroft School Aon Kanjanarattakul
Students
Bid 17 “Running Free” Middleburg Skin Care
Nadya Gordon
Bid 21 “Peacock in Disguise” The Accidental Peacock Beckwith
Bid 25 “Fingerprint Fox” The Hill School Students
Bid 18 “Colorful Hunt” Lost Barrel Brewing
Angel Tigne
Bid 22 “Hare and There” Carpenter Beach Construction Marlena Beach
Bid 27 “Cardinals in Quince” Nature Composed Margaret MacMahon Carroll
Bid 20 “Literary Fox” Middleburg Public Library
Elizabeth Gregg
Bid 24 “Hunting Hound” Middleburg Tack Exchange
Bid 28 “The Lemon Foxhound” The Lucky Knot
Kathleen Barrett
Mieke Baran
Bolle
Cassie Picard
Nicole Acosta: A Loudoun Changemaker
By Jan Mercker
Love where you live. It’s a favorite tagline of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties. And no one embodies it quite like Nicole Acosta, the foundation’s president.
A high-energy and passionate Northern Virginia native, she’s been at the organization’s helm for two years. Her background is in nonprofits, but she’s found deep, unexpected joy in helping donors channel giving into areas they really care about.
“I care very deeply about our nonprofit community,” Acosta said. “We have a tight-knit, supportive group of nonprofit leaders who really want to lift each other up and work together and collaborate. What I’ve come to understand better and love even more is working with all the donors to steward their charitable funds and connect them to causes they care about in a meaningful way. That’s been so rewarding.”
Acosta has been with the Community Foundation since 2018 and president since 2023. She’s a social worker by training and started her nonprofit journey working the night shift at the Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter (LAWS).
Acosta grew up in Prince William County and attended James Madison University. While earning a master’s in social work at Catholic University, she began taking shifts at LAWS. After graduating, she snagged her dream job, working as a children’s therapist at the shelter.
Acosta spent 12 years at LAWS, five as its executive director. That’s when she got to know the Community Foundation because LAWS was and remains a grant recipient. Acosta developed a productive working relationship with former foundation president Amy Owen, who hired her as director of grants and nonprofit programs in 2018. When Owen retired in 2023, the foundation’s board
named Acosta president and CEO.
Acosta has a fulfilling role as a matchmaker for donors and grantees.
“We have two audiences we’re connecting all the time. We have 138 charitable funds that families, companies, individuals, and nonprofits in the community have set up to build a permanent endowment and make grants,” Acosta said, adding that there truly is a fund for every donor, with 138 separate grant making funds.
One of Acosta’s favorite examples of a giving niche is the Ursula Landsrath Animal Rescue Fund, named for the late (2019) Fauquier County resident known for her passionate commitment to supporting local animal rescue organizations.
“She was great at supporting these small all-volunteer dog and cat rescues,” Acosta said. “When she passed, her family wanted that legacy to live on. So they created a charitable fund through her estate, and we continue to make those grants as a legacy to her.”
Another favorite undertaking is the foundation’s Giving Circles. Donors donate a set amount to join, and they decide as a group where they want their dollars to go based on their collective priorities. The foundation manages the Immigrant Giving Circle, devoted to organizations doing work for the region’s immigrant communities, The Loudoun Impact Fund, which focuses on at-risk youth, seniors, and people with disabilities, and the highly visible 100 Women Strong, one of the larger funders in the community with 75 members. Acosta lives in Purcellville with her husband and teenage son, and there’s not much time for outside pursuits. Still, she also volunteers with several community organizations, and her job continues to offer great satisfaction.
“There are challenges in our community, and I want to be serious about that,” she said. “But what we get to do here is make such profound change, and that feels good.”
Photo by Jan Mercker
Nicole Acosta
Possible Route 50 Changes Causing Concern
By Bridge Littleton
Loudoun County’s recent proposals to modify U.S. Route 50 near Middleburg have sparked significant concern among residents and our community as the changes would adversely affect the rural character of the area.
A Memo from the Mayor
Route 50 traverses the scenic landscapes of Loudoun County, connecting various historic towns, including Middleburg, is the only east-west corridor. In the 1990s, facing increasing traffic and potential threats to the rural ambiance, local communities and leaders embarked on the Route 50 Traffic Calming Project.
This initiative, characterized by extensive community engagement, led to the implementation of measures such as roundabouts and road narrowing to enhance safety and preserve the area’s rural charm. It also ensured Route 50 stay as a single lane road, without turn lanes and gravel shoulders. These efforts have been credited with maintaining the scenic and historic nature of the corridor while effectively managing traffic flow.
Loudoun County recently introduced new recommendations for the Route 50 corridor, spanning from Lenah to Paris Mountain. These proposals include the addition of dedicated turn lanes, hard shoulders, a potential sidewalk from Lenah to Upperville and other modifications.
However, these changes have raised alarms among community members and local officials. The Town of Middleburg highlighted that some proposed alterations are substantial and could significantly impact the rural nature of the community. My concerns about the potential effects of these changes on the community’s character is substantial.
The primary apprehension revolves around the potential erosion of the rural and historic nature of the Route 50 corridor. The introduction of features like dedicated turn lanes, four-lane roundabouts and hard shoulders is seen by many as a move toward urbanization, which could lead to increased traffic speeds and volumes. Such changes would not only alter the visual landscape but also encourage development pressures that threaten open spaces and agricultural lands.
The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), which played a pivotal role in the original traffic calming project, has voiced concerns that the new recommendations could undermine the effectiveness of existing measures. They caution that alterations aimed at speeding up traffic, rather than calming it, could compromise safety and the overall rural experience that residents and visitors value.
Recognizing the potential impact of these proposals, Loudoun County did hold a public input session at the Middleburg Charter School on March 26, after this magazine went to press, to ensure that any changes align with community values.
The debate over the proposed changes to Route 50 near Middleburg underscores the ongoing battle of the balance between infrastructure and preserving the unique rural character of western Loudoun. As the county tries to moves forward, it will be crucial for our community to voice its concerns and the lessons from past initiatives to ensure that any developments enhance safety and functionality without compromising the area’s historic and scenic essence.
Mayor Bridge Littleton
The Man From Trenton
By John Rolfe Gardiner
This is an excerpt from John Rolfe Gardiner’s latest book of short stories, North of Ordinary.
Before Eric met Denise, a therapist hired by the private academy where he’d been teaching American history had asked him, “What part of your trouble would you say was avoidable?” a tacit accusation of Eric’s eavesdropping habit. He met the insult by indirection, affecting shame for Aquarian parents whose treacly affection for each other he called “sugar diabetes.” “They had noses for each other like magnetic Scotties.”
Which begged the man’s next question. Why had he been living with parents so far past a normal move-on date? Already seven years out of college, sliding through another year of Founding Fathers, hard currency, and Civil War, when suddenly his principal wanted a psychiatric evaluation. Eric met the examiner’s absurdity with more of the same, eagerly describing life in his parents’ cramped house, where he was used to waiting outside the only bathroom while they shared a morning toilet. The gargling, the hawking, the groaning plumbing—flush and pipe—the splashing in the sink and bowl, and his appeal,
“How much longer?”
“You’ll have to wait. Your father’s on the stool.”
“Can you imagine?” he asked the psychologist. “When I tried again, my mother said, ‘He thinks there may be a second delivery.’ Both in there and she’s splashing over the sink, doing something to herself with a washrag.”
The man had heard enough. Eric was not shown his report, but it sat on the principal’s desk, where he could steal a glimpse.
Eric Nolting, age twenty-seven, American history instructor at Walker Road Christian Academy, presents with a shield of scatological humor as cover for unexplained misanthropy.
The principal read him the conclusion:
If no present danger to the school, Mr. Nolting does not seem a likely youth mentor. His controlled hostility is a red flag. He makes no apology for his actions. He approached our inquiry with defiance as a justified skeptic of your academy.
“What would you do if you were me?” the principal asked him.
“Fire me. Safest thing.”
It was done. With honest regret, Eric believed, and a fair severance.
“You threw your life up in the air to see where you’d land?” a wary Denise asked, and yet she married him.
“Yes,” he’d admitted, “but see where I came down?” There was the wild success of “Beyond Logic, Beyond Grammar,” followed by the purchase of the country cottage from which he wooed her. The property, a rural dream, she thought, though surrounded by suburban tracts. It included several unexplored acres of locust and poplar trees with wild shrubbery fighting for a share of sunlight. It was a thick pocket forest with undergrowth of honeysuckle and prickly multiflora, wild grapevines, and Virginia creeper. Here and there a redbud, and dogwood trees were invitations behind the woods’ margin.
“Did you wed the place or the man?”
So like her friend Vickie to stick a pin in her marriage. What could she know of Eric’s expectant breath, or the wild loss of reason behind his loving eyes?
At the one-man Tyler Agency, Nathan Tyler, smiling, unlocked the glass door himself, all bonhomie for the moment, against the news of no progress, no takers for “The Narcissism of Small Differences.”
Tyler might have been another therapist, with his self-effacing hesitance, framing and reframing his gently prodding questions. “Who was your imagined editor when you wrote this? Who were your readers?”
The agent didn’t say his early enthusiasm had been a mistake, but his lips tightened as he backed toward his desk, and Eric sensed a retreat from the early blessing.
“What if I called it ‘The Tyranny of Small Differences’?” he asked.
A short silence was followed by a clearing of two throats.
“You’re well positioned for your next, Eric. It would be a shame if we waited too long.”
“What if I called it ‘The Tyranny of Small Differences’?” he asked. A short silence was followed by a clearing of two throats.
“You’re well positioned for your next, Eric. It would be a shame if we waited too long.”
“‘The Tyranny of Trivia’?”
“How was your trip? Still using the train?”
“‘The Reflexive Contrarian’? I mean, I’ve thought a lot about the title.”
Author John Rolfe Gardiner
“You’ve seen what Maggie said?” Tyler handed him a familiar email. When Maggie Priest said no, the same shadow fell across a dozen desks. In her publishing house were many mansions, a fair share of the respectable imprints in New York. The rest might be told the news at lunch, or know what she said for the asking.
The email said:
Eric Nolting is a wonderful writer. You’re fortunate to have him. We waited a long time for this one, and I wanted to like it. But he’s written a women’s book that women will hate. I have to think the muse of perversity was sitting on his shoulder. So, not right for us. Better luck with others. And please! Let us see Nolting again.
He glanced at it, and said, “The trip was a nightmare. Denise is barely speaking. I had her in the quiet car, where I could think. Where she wouldn’t complain, but one of those so-important businessmen sat down across from us.”
“All amped up and floating on his authority?” “Exactly. With the Raspberry or Blue Fang, all of it.”
Eric began to describe the scene in the quiet car. How the man from Trenton disregarded the hissing around him but eventually stood up, looked around, and to no one in particular said, “What?” and “I’m not going anywhere,” before sitting again and making another call.
Eric had gotten up in the aisle to glower over him. The earphone had come off the man as he slid out of reach, toward the window. He remembered the face well enough, the way the nose dived down in a straight line from the forehead, the angle-cut sideburns, and the too-pale eye-brows that seemed the disguise of a dark intention.
The agent, Tyler, found something useful in Eric’s New York journey, something to stop his author’s anxious hovering over “Narcissism.” They parried for half an hour and Eric gave in. He would try to balance the sexual politics in his manuscript, and the title could be changed to the less provocative “Tyranny of Trivia,” and Tyler would send it around again.
While they waited for acceptance, Eric would start a new book about the man from Trenton and the whole brotherhood of rude Americans.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John Rolfe Gardiner was born in New York and grew up in the Washington, D.C. suburbs of Northern Virginia during World War II. Recipient of a Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Writers Award and National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, he’s the author of six novels and four collections of short fiction, including his latest, North of Ordinary. His stories have appeared in the New Yorker, American Scholar, Oxford American, One Story, Pushcart Prize anthology, PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories, Best American Short Stories, and elsewhere. Gardiner lives in Unison, with his wife, ceramic artist Joan Gardiner.
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Steve Fleming: An Artist in Paris
By Michele Husfelt
Visiting Steve Fleming’s little slice of paradise on the outskirts of Paris, Virginia you have to remind yourself that you’re still in Virginia and not in a picturesque village far away.
A small but stunning lake lies outside a 1700s log cabin, while the Appalachian Trail weaves its way throughout the property; the perfect setting for an accomplished artist.
Fleming has been painting seriously since his mid-20s when he took a watercolor class from a teacher, Skip Lawrence, based in Laurel, Maryland. He also attended a correspondence class based in Connecticut that he found in a magazine. He was pleasantly surprised to learn the instructors were all friends of Norman Rockwell.
Fleming painted daily for several years while working in the lighting industry. He worked on large estates, both indoors and outdoors, as well as on tree lighting projects, art galleries, and restaurants. This experience taught him about light and its effects on paintings. At 49, he transitioned to being a full-time teacher and painter.
Touring his cabin, he pointed out several paintings from his abstract period. After watching a movie about creation, Fleming began a series featuring a hundred paintings on the creation of the Earth, all completed in one year. The medium used was
watercolors, and as he pointed out a few hanging in his cottage, he marveled at them and noted, “I have no idea how I did them. I would never be able to recreate something like that today.”
He always paints something different. He teaches the art of painting rather than how to paint. While he does point out techniques and which brushes to use, he’s far more interested in the process.
“I want students to forget they’re painting and not be concerned about what people will think,” he said. “You can’t be afraid to make mistakes.”
Fleming has taught design and composition, as
well as abstract, oil, acrylic, landscape painting, still life, figure, and watercolor. His favorite teaching assignment was with residents at a retirement home.
“And that was the most fun I’ve ever had,” he said. “They were so attentive to what was going on.”
Although he’s taught art worldwide and continues to teach in Maine for two weeks every September, he said, “I do that because the students enjoy it. But I’d rather be here; I’d rather bring students to this area. I want to paint the world around me.”
Looking out the window of his log cabin, he observed, “I paint this lake all the time. It has so much personality. And the area around where we live— Paris, Paris Heights, up on top of the hill looking across the valley—I don’t need to go anywhere else to paint.”
Fleming has successfully exhibited his work in major art galleries throughout the country. He’s widely recognized as an exceptional teacher and critic. In addition to expressing creativity with a paintbrush, he also excels as a poet, often blending the art of painting with the craft of poetry.
Like most artists, he does not particularly enjoy the marketing aspect of the art industry. In fact, he’d like to find someone locally who may be interested in helping him promote his work.
Details: Steve Fleming can be reached at sh.fleming@ yahoo.com or through his website, https:// steveflemingartiststudio.com/
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Photo by Michele Husfelt
Artist Steve Fleming at his Paris workplace.
NEWS & NOTES
Author John Rolfe Gardiner Will Speak
The Middleburg Library Advisory Board’s Local Book and Author series continues Wednesday, April 9 with a talk and a reading by widely-acclaimed writer John Rolfe Gardiner at the Middleburg Emmanuel Episcopal Church starting at 6 p.m.
His latest book of short stories, “North of Ordinary,” has received widespread critical praise. The event begins at 6 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The book also will be available for purchase and author signing before and after.
“We don’t get any more local than the great John Gardiner,” said MLAB President Kathryn Baran. “He and his wife Joan have lived in Unison for more than 40 years and much of his brilliant fiction writing—including the stories in “North of Ordinary”—is based on literary observations of life in our rural area of Virginia and the culture west of the Beltway.”
Gardiner has written five novels and four story collections, and his fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, American Scholar, O Henry Prize Stories, and Best American Short Stories, among many other places. He’s a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts writers grant and a winner of the Lila Wallace Award for Fiction.
The Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area hosted its annual awards ceremony at Buchanan Hall in Upperville in March and selected the late Carol Lee of Willisville as its 2024 Heritage Hero honoree.
A third-generation resident of this historic village, Carol Lee delivered a lifetime wealth of service. As founder of the Willisville Preservation Foundation, she brought the history of her community to the forefront, leading to Willisville’s listing on the Virginia and National Register of Historic Places.
As co-author of the book “A Path Through Willisville,” she created a comprehensive history of the village, its families, and legacy. She passed away this past December.
The VPHA’s Public Educator of the Year award went to Laura Channing and Erin Curry, librarians at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn. Together they created a series of artifact trunks chronicling multiple eras of American history. Inside each trunk are original and reproduction items and documents, along with lesson plans and links to digital resources bring history to life for the school’s students.
•••••••••••••
The Middleburg Humane Foundation, a nonprofit animal rescue organization, has hired Matthew Galati as its full-time veterinarian. Galati has more than 14 years experience as a practitioner, skilled surgeon and manager with extensive emergency work. He’s also trained numerous interns in high-quality, high-volume spay/neuter techniques and has provided handling, care and medicine for exotic companion animals.
In addition, he’s provided training, cultivated effective communication and leadership skills in a team environment and established professional relationships with local emergency clinics and other area shelters.
Galati also has hired a licensed veterinary technician. The medical team wants to expand the clinic with offerings to other area rescues and shelters.
•••••••••••••
Golden Rule Builders in Catlett recently introduced Sean Ganey as the newest member of its leadership team, joining the firm as its principal architect and sales team manager. He has 28 years experience in design and construction throughout Virginia and the DMV area.
While sales management hasn’t been his primary focus in the past, his addition will allow Golden Rule to continue delivering the exceptional service that’s been its long-time hallmark.
Photo by Vicky Moon Heritage Hero Carol Lee
PSO Player’s Showcase
Trivia Night at Hunter’s Head
ChamBeR SoiRée
SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 2025 - 3PM
Bu�anan Hall - Upp�ville, Va
Join us for an intimate afternoon of delightful chamber music at Buchanan Hall—the PSO’s second home.
We will feature several soloists from within the orchestra in this springtime musical offering. PSO members perform Mozart’s masterful Concerto for Flute and Harp, Beethoven’s Septet for Winds, plus more. Cocktails and light refreshments will be available. SEATING IS EXTREMELY LIMITED!
APRIL 19, 2025 - 4PM UPCOMING PSO EVENTS:
PSO A�UAL SPRING GA�
Ca��bury Farm E�ate
SounDs of Victory!
A ce�b�ti� of V-Day SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 2025 - 5PM
FOR TICKETS & INFORMATION: www.piedmontsymphony.org
By Michele Husfelt
It’s Thursday evening, and for many Uppervillians and their friends, the most exciting night of the week has arrived: Trivia Night at Hunter’s Head. Hosted by Assistant Manager Michelle Dupwe, who recently celebrated her 20th anniversary at the popular pub, the staff and teams are ready for another evening of laughter and lighthearted competition.
Some teams have been together since the beginning of the now two-year-long weekly quiz night, while new ones join every week. Occasionally, patrons who thought they were simply coming in for a great meal find themselves persuaded to grab a table and put on their creative hats to come up with a clever name for their newly formed team.
“It gives people a chance to come and have fun and let their hair down,” Michelle said. As assistant manager, she’s not only invested in the restaurant’s success, but she also derives great personal joy from seeing customers enjoy themselves and connect with one another.
Hunter’s Head is reminiscent of the rural villages in the UK, which typically feature at least one pub. Here, the locals gather for a good meal and an evening of catching up with neighbors and friends. What better combination than adding a touch of friendly competition to the menu of fish and chips and bangers and mash?
Years ago, Hunter’s Head hosted a quiz night and hired a local quiz master. When they decided to bring it back, they immediately thought of Michelle as the host. An amazing singer who is comfortable with a microphone and accustomed to “working the crowd,” Michelle mentioned her love for playing games—and no one ever wants to play with her. This was the perfect gig.
A few of the regulars include Scott and Belinda Keller, who correctly answer questions pertaining to horses and all things Aussie (where Belinda is from.) When asked why they show up weekly, Belinda said, “We come for the great group of people. We’ve enjoyed getting to know people we would not cross paths with otherwise, and though we’re both well read, we’ve learned so much random information that we may or may not use again. My favorite part is the nonstop laughter!”
Doug and Dorothy Gow, longtime Uppervillians, wholeheartedly agreed.
“We love the sense of community here. All these people have become our friends, and it’s the highlight of our week,” said Doug. Dorothy added, “We never think we know anything, but occasionally we win, and then we feel really smart.”
Mary Briggs is a schoolteacher in Loudoun County and lives in Winchester. On Thursday nights, she almost always stops at Hunter’s Head on her way home. Mary is a regular, she says, because “I love the camaraderie on our team and between all the teams.
Gray Coyner has found Trivia Night to be a welcome addition to his week, especially over the last year while his lovely wife, Ann, has been in a rehab center recovering from a stroke. Thursday nights allow Gray to get out with friends.
Growing up on a farm in Delaplane, Gray is the agricultural expert on the Upperville Fab Five team. He sums up the consensus of Trivia Night in one word: “Conviviality.”
Note the spelling of conviviality; it may be one of next week’s questions at Hunter’s Head’s Trivia Night.
Photo by Michele Husfelt
They’re all pursuing trivia answers at Hunter’s Head in Upperville.
Goose Creek Bridge Needs a Major Fix
By Leonard Shapiro
Lewis Whitesell, a native of nearby Lincoln and a gifted stone mason for nearly a half century, has always been fascinated by the historic 200year plus four-arched, 212-foot stone bridge that crosses the Goose Creek just north of Route 50 about halfway between Middleburg and Upperville.
“I’ve been a regular visitor for a very long time,” he said. “I’ve been going out there every five or six months for years. I just liked being there, sitting up on top of it and looking out over the view. I guess you could say it’s my peaceful place.”
It is also a place that now needs some serious help. Back in 1995, Whitesell was hired by the Loudoun and Fauquier Garden Club—at the time, the group charged with preserving it—to do some repair work on a section of the old stone bridge that had fallen off.
“Ever since that time, I’ve always done my own assessment of the bridge whenever I go there,” Whitesell said, adding that he’s made a few minor repairs over the years. This past May, limping around on a ruptured achilles tendon, “I went down there to look and saw signs that the bridge had deteriorated considerably. On top, a concrete cap had buckled and sections of the bridge were seen to have settled further. I hadn’t seen that six months earlier. Something had to be done.”
Whitesell had done some stone work a few years earlier at the Middleburg home of Scott Kasprowicz and the two had become friends. A widely admired entrepreneur, preservationist and philanthropist,
Kasprowicz had been a driving force in protecting the area around Gilberts Corner and getting much of the surrounding land into conservation easement.
Kasprowicz clearly knows how to get things done and, along with Whitesell, has become heavily involved in trying to save a bridge that is believed to have been built around 1810. It’s the largest stone turnpike bridge in northern Virginia, and initially was a toll road designed to carry the Ashby’s Gap Turnpike across the creek.
In 1957, the turnpike was replaced by U.S. Route 50, which now crosses the creek, a short distance to the south of the bridge. It no longer is used for vehicular traffic, and is now under the purview of NOVA Parks. A long-time tourist attraction, the 20 acres around the bridge once was a center of fighting in the Battle of Upperville in June, 1863 during the Civil War.
“We’ve determined that we needed a detailed engineering study to see what needs to be done,” said Kasprowicz, adding that NOVA Parks and Loudoun County entered into an agreement on Nov. 15 to launch the study. “The goal is to create a permanent
Preservation Timeline
1974 – The Goose Creek Stone Bridge was placed on the National Register of historic Places.
1995 – 2006 - The Fauquier and Loudoun Garden Club preserved the bridge, provided historic interpretation of the Battle of Upperville, and protected the natural resources. The late Anne MacLeod was a driving force behind the club’s great stewardship of this resource.
2016 – 2017 – The Civil War Trust acquired the 12 acres from the Garden Club and later transferred that land to NOVA parks, and the Virginia Department of Transportation transferred seven acres east of the bridge to NOVA Parks creating a larger park.
record of the bridge’s physical condition and what needs to be done to preserve it. The outcome will be a report from the engineers on how to stabilize and maintain the structure in perpetuity.”
Kasprowicz estimated a price tag in the $7-10 million range, with funds coming from a variety of sources, including county and state money, public and private grants and individual donations.
The Piedmont Area Heritage Association has already expressed interest in getting involved and both Whitesell and Kasprowicz said they’re in it for the long haul, as well.
“We can’t predict how long a process this will be,” Kasprowicz said. “But Lewis and I will stay engaged for as long as it takes, from start to conclusion. We’re in Phase One right now, and obviously there’s plenty more to come.”
Photo by Leonard Shapiro Goose Creek Bridge through the trees.
THE MCCORMICKS: Spring Races Widely Admired “Patrons of the Year”
“The practice has changed so much. Not only the kind of horses you see, but the treatments now available are so much more sophisticated, the antibiotics, the ultra-sound, the radiology. It makes a big difference.”
—Willie McCormick
TBy Leonard Shapiro
he Middleburg Spring Races, traditionally contested on the third Saturday in April, bills itself as Virginia’s oldest steeplechase meet going back to 1921. And now, organizers have decided to honor two “Patrons of the Year,” with a choice that surely merits that welldeserved designation.
Long time Middleburg equestrian veterinarian William H. (Willie) McCormick and his wife, Lydia, a small animal vet, are the very first to earn that distinction. They’ll be introduced on race day, Saturday, April 19 at Glenwood Park, and the thousands on hand would be wise to turn away from their tailgates, stand up out of their seats and offer a rousing ovation.
Willie and Lydia probably would be satisfied with a pat on the back. But this modest and terribly talented couple, married since 1975, recently demonstrated one of many reasons they’re being recognized. With no fanfare, they made a significant contribution to the Glenwood Park Trust to help with the cost of its recent $1.75 million acquisition of 44 acres adjacent to the race course.
That purchase assures the now 160-acre facility will remain in tact in perpetuity. The Trust plans to place the newly acquired property into easement; that acreage had been zoned for development as multiple residential lots.
“Raising the funds was challenging on short notice,” said Turner Reuter, who, with fellow Glenwood Park trustee Dave Moyes, negotiated the sale for the Trust. “But with the help of a few significant contributions from preservation minded individuals, including Willie and Lydia, we were very lucky to close on the contract with time to spare.”
The McCormicks can see Glenwood Park from their kitchen window and Willie, now 78, has been involved with the facility in countless ways for as long as he can remember, including as a steeplechase rider himself.
“I didn’t want to drive down our road and see any development,” he said, referring to the couple’s generous gift to the Trust. “It’s a very special place.”
Photo by Vicky Moon
Willie and Lydia McCormick, “Patrons of the Year”
His father, James P. (Jamie) McCormick, was a widely regarded Middleburg-based trainer and Willie recalled traveling with him to races all around the area and beyond. A French horse Jamie McCormick purchased one year also became a main reason his son eventually gravitated to studying equine medicine.
“In the first race for my father after we had him, the horse bowed a tendon,” Willie said. “It always intrigued me and I would always think ‘what could we have done to prevent that injury?”’
After boarding school, he graduated from the University of Virginia in 1969. His biography on the website for the Middleburg Equine Clinic he first opened in 1983 offers more insight to his horsey pursuits.
“During those school years I rode show hunters, combined training horses and race horses,” he wrote. “I chased the fox and played perhaps too much polo (UVa Captain 1967,68). There were point to points too, and a leading point to point rider award in 1971, for the most part due to Mrs. Redmond Toerge’s Rock Spring’s undefeated season.
“There were other good rides on the likes of Senator John Warner’s Annual Meeting and Mr. Randolph Rouse’s Cinzano and a total of three
Rokeby Bowls, three Orange County Bowls, and a Middleburg Bowl.”
After UVa, Willie graduated from the prestigious University of Pennsylvania veterinary school, where he and Lydia, also a vet student there two years behind Willie, first met. They married in 1975, purchased their farm that same year and have been there ever since, now sharing the property with two retired horses and a half-dozen egg-producing chickens.
Lydia grew up in the Boston area, was involved with 4-H and rode in pony club before heading to college at Mt. Holyoke. At one point, she was whipper-in for the Norfolk Hunt in her native Massachusetts.
She eventually specialized in small animals, the better not to compete with Willie’s equine clinic located at the Middleburg Training Center. They’ve both been attending the races at Glenwood Park for close to a half century, with Willie among several local vets on duty for many fall and spring race meets.
Since 1993, he’s been pre-inspecting horses before races to make sure they’re sound enough to compete at sanctioned meets at Glenwood Park along with the late Calvin Rofe and Charlottesville vet Reynolds Cowles. In recent years, he also has conducted moisture and compaction ratings to determine how hard or soft the course will be on race days.
Lydia laughed and said she’s spent most race days at Glenwood Park as a spectator specializing in tailgating with friends. In recent years, she’s also become proficient in anesthesia and occasionally helps Willie out with horses when needed.
These days, he’s cut back a bit on his practice but still has more than enough work to keep him busy, including staying up on ever-changing methods of equine treatment.
“The practice has changed so much,” he said. “Not only the kind of horses you see, but the treatments now available are so much more sophisticated, the antibiotics, the ultra-sound, the radiology. It makes a big difference.”
As do Willie and Lydia McCormick, the Middleburg Spring Races truly special 2025 “Patrons of the Year.”
Perspectives on Childhood, Education, and Parenting
A Novel Way to Improve Reading Skills
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I may remember. Involve me and I learn.” —Benjamin Franklin
By Tom Northrup and Mike Wipfler
Tom: About 20 years ago I met one of the most creative and effective mentors and educational leaders I’ve known. And, he was not yet 30. A college graduate with a degree in social work, he founded a non-profit organization in a major city to help high school and elementary school students improve their reading skills. Here’s a brief outline of his idea and the results:
• He would seek permission from a high school principal to recruit some of his weakest ninth grade students–those reading below grade level.
• He would meet with them to offer a job tutoring elementary school students who were also weak readers.
• These high school students would be trained as reading instructors for the younger students. The reading level of the books selected was well below the required reading in their high school courses. But, it was at a level they could comfortably handle.
• For those who accepted this assignment, it was important to do a good job and to impress their tutees–thereby earning status and respect.
• The result: these weaker high schoolers developed enthusiasm for, and skills as, readers, and became stronger academically. Their principals reported
they became more responsible citizens. And, the younger students became more motivated and enthusiastic about reading.
From this small beginning, the program has been highly successful and has expanded its scope.
In our last conversation, Mike Wipfler and I discussed Dr. David Yeager’s recent book, “10-25: The Science of Motivating Young People.”
Mike, how does this young man’s plan (described above) align with Dr. Yeager’s recommendations about developing mentors?
Mike: Wow, what a great concept! The beauty of that program is that everyone benefits.
The younger students are getting one-on-one attention and practice in an area of difficulty, and as the instructor is near them in age, there’s an increased chance of high buy-in from the younger student.
The older students are getting a huge confidence boost and a chance to see themselves in an entirely new light—not as a weak or struggling student, but as someone who has valuable skills to share as a teacher, a leader, and someone to be looked up to.
Not surprisingly, the structure of this program perfectly aligns with Yeager’s research and recommendations.
Yeager’s central tenet that everyone who works with this age group (10- to 25-year-olds) needs to recognize and harness adolescents’ primary motivational force: the desire to earn feelings of status and respect, which “only comes from having demonstrated their worth and value to socially powerful others, be they peers or (adult) leaders.”
By entrusting these ninth graders with a realworld responsibility, the creator of this program gave them a clear pathway to earn that adolescent holy grail: prestige.
Tom: Another source of earned pride and achievement for these adolescent instructors: several wrote and illustrated children’s books that were published, celebrated, and used in the program.
Daniel Coyle in The Culture Code explains the factors behind high functioning organizations. He states that “culture is a set of living relationships working toward a shared goal. It’s not something you are. It’s something you do.”
Tom Northrup was the long-time Head of The Hill School. Mike Wipfler was a teacher, coach, and administrator at Hill from 2001 to 2020, and is currently the Co-Director of Camp Kingswood, a residential boys summer camp in New Hampshire.
The Hill School offers an education as unique as your child. Come visit our community to learn how our program of Total Education – strong academics and meaningful participation in art, music, sports, and theater – helps build character and confidence in our students and gets them started on the path to being happy, successful adults. thehillschool.org
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Middleburg Museum: TELLING OUR STORIES
By Nan Forbes
As the days grow longer and as the daffodil shoots start to peak through the earth (a little early this year), the Middleburg Museum has been busy reflecting on its mission in conjunction with an exciting project that can bring some of our local history more to life while also preserving it, one subject at a time – The Oral Histories Project.
A couple of years ago, in the spirit of that mission, we began working on what would become this important project. The goal is to tell the stories of our town and villages nearby through the voices of people who have lived here, some for quite a long time. Luckily, and with the help of local writer Lydia Strohl, we conducted more than a dozen extensive interviews with area residents.
Unfortunately, oral histories are unwieldy to listen to, because they are long, continuous orations that have no visual elements to complement, outside of the words themselves.
To assure they’re more accessible, we made a web-based player that helps make them more interactive and visual by adding a clickable transcript, and a series of images, maps, and websites. This was based on the work board member Bill Ferster did while at UVA’s Virginia Center for Digital History.
We found that these oral histories were truly able to bring history to life in a way that photographs and words on a page could not. They are a window into the past through the eyes of community members who have lived here for decades –some whose families have lived here for generations.
These videos, now accessible on our website (www.middleburgmuseum.org/ oral-histories) and via QR codes at the museum, delve into how these residents have lived here, why they came, what they did for a living, and the bonds that were formed with their families, neighbors, and communities.
There are so many unique identities that have sprung up in various communities in this area, and each of the people interviewed has been able to give us insight into these characters, and also provide cultural touchstones that made this area home.
Whether you trace your ancestor’s arrival to this area back 200 years – or two –these stories are a window into Middleburg’s soul. The collection of these stories is crucial to the preservation of our history. The Middleburg Museum believes we have a duty to preserve them for future generations.
Visit the Middleburg Museum, 12 N. Madison St. Hours: 11-4 Friday-Sunday.
Oral histories are a great way to experience personal histories. The Middleburg Museum made a media player that offers a more interactive and visual way to experience these rich audio recordings of our community members. To make them more accessible, they made this player more interactive and visual by adding clickable transcripts, where you can easily do, keyword searches, and see images and maps that show locations in context. Come and visit.
MARS EQUESTRIAN Returns as Presenting Sponsor for Upperville Show
The 2025 Upperville Colt & Horse Show is welcoming back MARS EQUESTRIAN™ as the presenting sponsor of UCHS, the oldest horse show in the United States. This year, the show celebrates its 172nd year June 2-8 at the historic grounds in Upperville.
“We’re honored to welcome back our partner, MARS EQUESTRIAN, again this year,” said Joe Fargis, president of the show. “This company’s commitment to the equestrian world has been exemplary and its support has become an important cornerstone of our horse show.”
“We’re delighted to continue to support this historic show now in its 172nd year,” said Bridgett McIntosh, director of Mars Equestrian. “Our years of mutual partnership have been very beneficial for both organizations. Through this partnership, we hope to honour the equestrian legacy of Mars while also engaging fans, families, athletes and all who make the show possible, with our iconic brands as we work to achieve our purpose of a better world for horses, pets, and the people who love them.”
Along with recognition as presenting sponsor of the show, MARS EQUESTRIAN will have multiple touchpoints across the 2025 showgrounds including: sponsorship of the Hunter and Jumper riders lounges, which will be open to riders, trainers and grooms, and recognition of ETHEL M® chocolate as the co-presenting sponsor of the 2025 Upperville FEI CSI4* Jumper Classic on the final Sunday, June 8.
The show is an FEI CSI4* event that attracts many world-class equestrians year after year. The equine and human athletes compete in disciplines ranging from international level show jumping, hunters and equitation to local ponies, in-hand conformation classes, and women in traditional, elegant sidesaddle.
In addition to its CSI4* designation, the competition boasts premier hunter and jumper rating six classifications with U.S. Equestrian, is sanctioned by the Virginia Horse Shows Association and the Maryland Horse Shows Association and is a World Championship Hunter Rider recognized show. The show is also one of a handful of qualified Heritage Horse Shows across the United States.
The week-long show culminates on June 8 with the thrilling $200,000 Upperville Jumper Classic featuring world-class equestrians. The day’s entertainment includes junior and amateur riders, a hat contest and the Horses & Horsepower car show.
Vendors throughout the week will offer an assortment of food as well as stylish equestrian and sporting clothing, millinery, tack and leather goods, jewelry, art and hand-crafted gifts. The venue is located in the heart of Virginia’s horse country.
Details: www.upperville.com, parking and general admission are free for spectators.
Photo courtesy of MARS Equestrian Mimi Gochman and Cosmos BH.
• March 13 - 15: Special 3-day afternoon meet with all dirt races
• $500,000 Virginia Derby on Saturday, March 15 - to be run on dirt as a prep race for the Kentucky Derby
• 41-day summer thoroughbred meet runs from July 9 - September 13 every Wednesday through Saturday
• 2025 Festival of Racing is Saturday, August 9
(details at colonialdowns.com)
• Saturday, April 19: Middleburg Spring Races at Glenwood Park
• Saturday, April 26: Foxfield Spring Races in Charlottesville
• Saturday, May 3: Virginia Gold Cup Races at Great Meadow
• Point-to-Point meets take place on 7 different dates in March/April
(details at nationalsteeplechase.com)
• Racing every Saturday & Sunday at 1:05 PM
• FREE ADMISSION, FREE PARKING, FAMILY FRIENDLY
• Triple Crown wagering on the Kentucky Derby (May 3), Preakness (May 17) and Belmont (June 7)
• A 7-week fall meet will run from September 13 - October 26
(details at shenandoahdowns.com)
Theodora Ayer Randolph, Fox Hunting’s
By Robert Mcg. Thomas Jr.
• June 15, 1996
Theodora Ayer Randolph, who rode the Virginia hunt country long enough and well enough to become known as the first lady of fox hunting, died on Tuesday at her Oakley Farm home in Upperville, Va. She was 90.
It had been years since Mrs. Randolph had donned her dark-blue, goldcollared coat, tucked her auburn hair under her helmet and galloped off over the vast expanse of farmland that makes up the grounds of the 150-year-old landowners’ association known as the Piedmont Hunt. But as a master of the Piedmont, she had remained an indispensable presence in the affairs of the nation’s oldest and largest fox-hunting entity.
In an area 45 miles west of Washington, where generations-old farms are sometimes acquired by city-bred newcomers unaccustomed to seeing a horde of horsemen thunder across their front yards in pursuit of a pack of hounds in pursuit of a fox, no respecter of property lines, after all, it would be Mrs. Randolph’s duty to pay the newcomers a call. Over a cup of tea, perhaps, she would acquaint them with the customs and traditions of the neighborhood, assuring them that the members of the Piedmont Hunt were always careful to close gates they might have opened and to not trample any flower beds near the house.
As a clincher, she would note that as landowners, the newcomers would be eligible to join the Piedmont, an act that would instantly elevate them to the upper reaches of Virginia society.
Photo by Howard Allen
Theodora Ayer Randolph
Hunting’s First Lady, Dies
The widow of Dr. Archibald Cary Randolph, a landed surgeon whose family helped settle Virginia, Mrs. Randolph succeeded her husband as hunt master after his death in 1959. But she was something of a newcomer herself. In an area where the first families of Virginia can be downright condescending to those who trace their ancestry to only the second wave of settlers, Mrs. Randolph achieved social prominence and fox-hunting distinction despite the fact that she was an actual Yankee.
Mrs. Randolph was born Sept. 27, 1905, in Beverly Farms, Mass., and learned to ride at the age of 3. Her father was master of the local Myopia Hunt, and she was fox hunting long before she saw Virginia.
Even so, she readily acknowledged that she received some of her most vivid training in advanced fence-jumping during Virginia visits to her daredevil uncle, General George S. Patton.
Mrs. Randolph -- whose first marriage, to the Massachusetts-born New York investment banker Robert Winthrop, ended in divorce -- married well twice and was born better.
Her father, Charles Ayer, was a member of the family that settled Ayer, Mass., and made a considerable fortune dealing in woolens and patent medicines, including the 19th-century tonic rage, sarsaparilla.
After her divorce, Mrs. Randolph, who had fallen in love with the Virginia hunt country during her years at Foxcroft, a Virginia boarding school, settled there and renewed her acquaintance with Dr. Randolph, whom she had known as the dashing master of the Piedmont Hunt during her boarding school days.
After their marriage in 1941, she became active in every aspect of equestrian
affairs, breeding show and steeplechase champions, leading a drive to ban the use of performance-enhancing drugs and receiving numerous honors for her work, including an honorary degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine.
But it was as a highly accomplished horsewoman, one who could take the lead in an organization that prides itself on being the nation’s fastest hunt (“Keep up or go home” is one of its official rules), that she won greatest acclaim.
It was a tribute to her standing, and her reputation for social observation, that in her later years newcomers tended to come to her.
In an area of such sprawling acreage and long driveways that next-door neighbors tend to drive over when they visit, Mrs. Randolph lived next door to Paul Mellon, not that she could actually see the Pittsburgh banking heir’s house from her own.
But she could see his private landing strip from her parlor window and took wry delight in the extravagant idiosyncrasies of the very wealthy. Whenever she would see the Mellons’s private plane land and then take off 10 minutes later, her step-granddaughter and farm manager, Becky Armstrong, recalled yesterday, Mrs. Randolph would take a sip of her tea and nod knowingly: It was only Mrs. Mellon, she would say, come home to fetch a scarf.
Mrs. Randolph is survived by three children from her first marriage, Theodora Hooton of Glen Head, N.Y., Amory Winthrop of Millbrook, N.Y., and Cornelia Bonnie of Prospect, Ky.; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
This article is reprinted with permission of The New York Times and may not be reprinted or reproduced.
HOME-GROWN SLOANE EYES UPPERVILLE SHOW
Sloane has placed in the top four of the following Grand Prix competitions in the past year: Kentucky, Tryon, Silo Ridge, WEC Ocala and the National Horse Show as well as representing the United States with Beezie Madden, McLain Ward and Louis Jacobs at Spruce Meadows in Calgary.
By Vicky Moon
Sloane Meriwether Coles began to ride just as she approached her second birthday, going bareback with a halter on Oil Can Harry on loan from the Treptow family. Sloane took him around the outside of the house as her mother, Julie, watched from inside to make sure they passed her kitchen window.
Sloane, 36, is expected to be among the top riders at the Upperville Colt and Horse Show June 2-8 this year.
“My first memory of Upperville was in the lead line,” she recalled. “I remember walking around the ring under the big oak trees and my mom leading me. The judge asked me what kind of bit the pony had in its mouth.” (She was on a borrowed pony and couldn’t answer.)
The detail of her mom, Julie Coles, leading Sloane at the show is significant. Horses are in the family’s blood. Julie grew up in Indiana where she went hunting with her father, Daniel F. Evans, who had ridden with his grandfather on the family farm. Julie also had a successful career on the horse show circuit.
Soccer anyone?
Sloane’s father, John Coles, grew up riding on the family farm, Cloverfields, in Keswick Virginia. Both his parents and many generations of ancestors rode for as long as can be traced. His father was master of the Keswick Hunt for 16 years and his mother’s family started the Keswick Hunt Club.
John’s mother was District Commissioner of the Keswick Pony Club for years. He didn’t do much showing himself. Instead, in addition to hunting, he steeplechased over brush and timber. When he first moved from Keswick to The Plains, he whipped for Orange County Hounds and has been a joint master since 2001.
“I’m not sure when it became obvious that show jumping would turn into a career for me,” Sloane said. “I think I just always knew it would be. It was important for me to have a balanced life growing up. I wanted to go to school, play sports and have friends outside of the show jumping world. But, when school was over, I was 100 percent committed to the horses and making a business and career out of it.”
Her brother Peyton, 39, and sister Fraley, 40, have spent time riding, are very supportive and have pursued other careers.
Sloane operates Spring Ledge LLC out of a 23-stall barn at her parents Springfield Farm in The Plains. It’s a fabulous facility for show horses, with plenty of space to ride out and keep them fit. An equine retirement facility is also part of the venue.
“I have a good group of horses that I’m excited about bringing to Upperville,” Sloane said, “My hope is to jump Ninja JW Van de Moerhoeve in the Grand Prix.” This horse, fondly known as Ninja in the barn, went double clear to tie for first place recently in the $65,000 2* Grand Prix at WEC In Ocala. The Grand Prix at Upperville will take place on Sunday, June 8.
Sloane Coles started riding bareback with a halter on Oil Can Harry just before she turned two.
Photo by Giana Terranova Photography
Ninja JW Van De Moerhoeve with Sloane up at last year’s show.
Bill Yeager Jumps From One Horse Show To Another
DBy Vicky Moon
eep in the heart of Fauquier County, on Opal Road near Warrenton, a 5,000-square-foot storage shed opens to reveal a massive colorful collection of horse show jumps.
Welcome to Partridge Run Jumps, the home base of Bill Yeager. He’s been in the jump business since 2007 and some of his designs will be in use this June 2-8 at the Upperville Horse Show.
“I’ve been in the jump business since about 2007,” he said. “It was formed out of a necessity for a group of shows I was assisting with in Syracuse, New York. Within the first year the need for one course grew to five and quickly continued from there.”
Bill grew up riding in State College, Pennsylvania and received a degree in Equine Business at Casenovia College in Madison County, New York. “When I started the jump business, I was still managing a property in Maryland and spent nights and weekends building and painting jumps.”
Bill and his wife, Marjorie, moved to Warrenton when she took a job training ponies at Moriah Farm. “This allowed my business to grow,” Bill recalled. Since then, he’s filled his schedule with jump rentals, sales, show management, and course design. This has taken him from Vermont to Florida to Texas to Michigan.
Meanwhile, Marjorie’s training success also grew.
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and will be
She took ponies and young riders to many of the big shows such as Pony Finals, Upperville and Devon. “With Ribbons to show for all of them,” Bill added.
As Bill’s schedule filled, “My wife’s training job began to wind down. The farm owner retired from pony breeding. “The timing worked perfectly as our own family has grown,” he said. “My wife and I had our son Liam, 10 and daughter Ainsley, 7.
While Bill spends many weeks on the road, Marjorie assists with managing the business between full time supervising their children’s schedule.
Details: Yeagerjumps@gmail.com and Facebook: Partridge Run Jumps & Horse Show Management
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Photo by Vicky Moon
Bill Yeager is jumping all the time from one horse show to another.
Photo by Vicky Moon
A pair of cowboy boots were first used at a Highland School auction
made into a jump.
Cup of COFFEE
Postcards from England…
By Sean Clancy
Twickenham. Sunday. March 9, 2025.
A tailgate in the carpark. Boy, these Brits are civilized. A slow gin and a scotch egg before the 3 p.m. kickoff. Is it a kickoff? My first rugby match. England beats Italy in a laugher. Why don’t they throw the ball forward?
Taunton Racecourse. Monday. March 10, 2025
The best week of jump racing kicked off early. Nothing like the four-day Cheltenham Festival being gravy. This year it’s gravy. There is nothing like a winner. Any where. Any time. Any place.
Sherminator improved to 2-for-2 with a definitive performance in front of a gaggle of Riverdee partners in the opener. They surely weren’t expecting a full room for champagne and a dozen win photos ordered after the DragonBet Proud Sponsors of Taunton Racecourse EBF Junior “National Hunt” Hurdle. They nailed it. The quaint country track is the youngest National Hunt course in England. It began in 1927. Yes, this is old world.
Purchased after winning his hurdle debut at Newbury Jan. 15 and moved to trainer Harry Fry, the 4-year-old owned by our Middleburg based Riverdee stable, took the next step with ease. A German-bred named after an American movie character winning in England. In front coming to the second-to-last hurdle, Sherminator measured and launched. You heard an audible gasp, nah, not a gasp, more like an exhale, an ooooh/wwwhew as the 11/8 favorite sealed it. The most beautiful sound.
The dream is alive.
Cheltenham. Tuesday, March 11, 2025.
The first gasp. The 2023 Champion Hurdle winner Constitution Hill finally did what he had been threatening to do and stepped long and low at the fourth hurdle, crashing to the ground. His first fall. His first loss.
The second gasp. The 2024 Champion Hurdle winner State Man grinding toward the last hurdle, the race in his grasp, at his mercy, and launching long and low, crumbling to the ground. His first fall since a Leopardstown maiden in 2021.
Golden Ace, the longshot mare only in the race because Lossiemouth went to the mares’ hurdle a race earlier, instantly went from a gallant second to an implausible winner of the 2025 Unibet Champion Hurdle. Owner Ian Gosden, trainer Jeremy Scott and jockey Lorcan Williams and a 12,000 guineas mare at the top of the world.
Scott paused and thought about the enormity.
“It was like shooting Bambi and knocking out Snow White at the same time,” Scott said. “It was just the most bizarre moment. We didn’t come here expecting that.”
Both fallers were OK.
“It sort of takes the edge off because I don’t necessarily think we won it on merit, but you do have to jump the jumps. That’s what makes jump racing the extraordinary sport it is,” Scott said. “You have to take the punt, haven’t you? It would have been easier to go in the mares’ race, but fortune favors the brave, doesn’t it? My owner was brave.”
Scott, who trains 35 horses, has spent his life waiting for one to walk through the door like Golden Ace.
“It’s extraordinary where they can come from, it’s not always the best pedigrees or the most expensive. Jump racing is great from that perspective. You do have a chance. Just like anybody could be president,” Scott said. “You just keep pecking away and hopefully something happens. We’ve gotten lucky that we stumbled upon her. Last year when she won the mares’ race…we’ve always believed in her…but that was the moment where we thought we could really have some fun with her. I didn’t dream it would be the Champion Hurdle.”
Nothing like a dream.
And, yes, it’s snowing at Cheltenham. Cheltenham.
Wednesday. March 12, 2025.
Two years. Two horses. One jockey. Michael O’Sullivan guided Marine Nationale and Jazzy Matty to wins at the Cheltenham Festival in 2023. A rising phenom, a respected young man, at the cusp of a burgeoning career, a beautiful life. Two years later, those two horses won again at Cheltenham and all we could do is look at the sky and wonder why. Michael’s gone, killed in a fall a month earlier.
Sean Flanagan fell at the same fence on that awful day, got up, walked toward Michael and eventually walked away. Unscathed on the outside, forever scarred on the inside.
Yesterday, Flanagan partnered Michael’s old horse Marine Nationale in the Queen Mother Champion Chase. Two miles on knife edge. Favorite Jonbon made a race-over mistake early while Flanagan maneuvered Marine Nationale like he had never had a bad day, a cross thought or a moment’s doubt.
“All the jockeys in the world have been under a cloud for the last couple of weeks. I’m only the man that steered him around,” Flanagan said. “Michael’s the man who made him what he is and he’ll never be forgotten.”
The first race of the meeting, the Supreme Hurdle, was named in honor of Michael O’Sullivan. The whole meeting is about him.
Cheltenham.
Friday. March 14, 2025.
One final day. Galopin Des Champs tries to win his third Cheltenham Gold Cup. He’ll join the alltime greats if he pulls it off. Golden Miller…Arkle… Kauto Star. Move over Babe Ruth…Ted Williams… Willie Mays.
I’ll be home soon.
Riverdee’s Sherminator on his way to a big victory in very jolly old England.
The winning team, with Sean Clancy in coat and tie to the left of Sherminator.
Eura Lewis – A Life Spent in Service
By Denis Cotter
Eura Lee Hudgins Lewis (1929-2022) was a well-known, much loved, and widely respected presence in the Middleburg area for over 70 years.
She was a public school teacher for 40 years in northern Fauquier County. After retiring, she became the first African-American on the Middleburg Town Council and was the driving force behind the creation of the Middleburg Museum Foundation.
Now located at The Pink Box, the museum is a key part of Eura’s legacy and her daughter, Merley, serves today on its board. The idea came to her in 2002 when she spotted the just-opened Haymarket Museum while driving through Manassas. Her passion for history and her friendship with local philanthropist Betsee Parker made the museum a reality.
Eura came to Fauquier in her early 20s, a “young whippersnapper”, as she called herself. Born in South Hill, Virginia, in Mecklenburg County, she was the eighth of Waddie and Pattie Walker Hudgins nine children.
Eura’s father was a highly successful farmer on his own 200-acre property, still in the family possession. He grew tobacco and other crops, and had cattle and poultry operations as well. Eura’s grandparents, on both sides, grew up enslaved.
Eura’s parents placed a high premium on the value of education. Both had gone to trade schools. Pattie was a seamstress and Waddie specialized in agriculture.
After attending racially segregated public schools in South Hill, Eura decided to become an educator herself. In September, 1947 at age 18 she entered St. Paul’s Polytechnic Institute in Lawrenceville, Virginia, 18 miles away in Brunswick County.
This private, all-Black, Episcopalian college was founded in 1888 by James Solomon Russell, born enslaved in Mecklenburg County 30 years earlier. The school’s original mission was to train AfricanAmerican teachers for Virginia and across the South. By 1922, St. Paul’s established a collegiate department of teacher training which the Virginia State Board of Education accredited four years later. From then on, St. Paul’s trained teachers for the segregated schools of Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland.
Eura was in the Student Christian Association, the Future Teachers of America, and the Women’s Athletic Association. She was a soprano and sang in the school choir and majored in elementary education, graduating in 1951.
Newly credentialed, she and two friends at St. Paul’s settled 180 miles north in Fauquier County. They’d been recruited to fill vacancies in small segregated schools outside Marshall – at Morgantown, Ashville, and Rectortown.
Eura began her teaching career in Morgantown, now listed in the Virginia Historic Register and located two miles south of Marshall.
A Reconstruction era village, it originated in the 1870s with gifts of land by William Morgan’s widow to seven of her husband’s former slaves. In 1951, when 22-year old Eura got there, Morgantown School was still the original one-room building
constructed in the 1890s.
She boarded at the home of Mrs. Lucinda Miles, the widow of Robert Emmett Miles, the school’s first teacher. Water was still obtained from a spring on the Miles property about fifty yards away from the schoolhouse. A wood stove heated the building and community members maintained the lawn and play areas.
Children walked to school to a classroom equipped with blackboards, desks, bookshelves, globes, maps, a sand table, a gramophone, a bulletin board, a set of printing blocks, and a teacher’s desk.
Eura soon met Marshall native Carl Eugene Lewis, and the couple married in April, 1955. They went on to have two daughters, Carla and Merley and Eura moved to teach at Rectortown No. 12, one of 31 numbered schools in Fauquier County for so-called “colored” children.
Rectortown No. 12 was a “Rosenwald” school, a name derived from the Jewish philanthropist, Julius Rosenwald, president of Sears, Roebuck & Company. In 1912, educator Booker T. Washington asked Rosenwald to serve on the Board of Directors at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, which Washington had founded.
This unique partnership led to the creation of the Rosenwald Fund to support the education of African-American children in the rural South. There were 382 Rosenwald schools built in Virginia between 1917 and 1932, eight in Fauquier County.
Rectortown No. 12 was built in 1924, a two-room building, with a third added in the 1950s. Along with her fellow teachers, Miss L.E. Washington and Miss C.E. Lewis (no relation), Eura taught first through seventh grades.
The U.S. Supreme Court issued its landmark Brown vs. Board of Education decision in May, 1954, but Fauquier County—like many in Virginia—was massively resistant to integrating its schools.
Instead, it embarked on creating “separate but equal” facilities. Many of the smaller schools for AfricanAmerican children were closed and consolidated into larger, new, but still segregated facilities. Morgantown, Ashville (another historic district near Marshall), and Rectortown No. 12 were consolidated into the newly built Northwestern Elementary School in Rectortown, which opened in 1964.
Eura continued teaching at Northwestern, including both her daughters there in seventh grade, where they both had to call her “Mrs. Lewis” in class. She also taught Karen Hughes in seventh grade at Northwestern.
Now Mrs. Karen Hughes White, she founded and is the executive director of the African-American Historical Association of Fauquier County based in The Plains.
In 1965, Eura and her family moved to Middleburg, where she lived the rest of her life. Fauquier schools did not integrate until 1969 and she eventually moved to Coleman Elementary on Zulla Road where she finished her teaching career. Her husband, Carl, died from a heart attack in 1990.
Eura was a member of Mount Olive Baptist Church on Atoka Road in Rectortown where she served many roles. And in retirement, she remained driven by her life-long motto to “Make a Difference.”
In a 2008 interview, she said: “If I can make a difference – make life just a little better for others –then my life won’t have been in vain”.
Among her many activities, she was treasurer of the Fauquier County Retired Teachers Association. She was elected and served on the Middleburg Town Council for 12 years, and served on the Middleburg Board of Zoning Appeals, the Middleburg Library Advisory Board, the Windy Hill Foundation Board, the Pink Box Docent Tourist Committee, and the Middleburg Christmas Parade Committee.
She was the founder of the Windy Hill family development and tutoring class and was a founder of the Middleburg Museum Foundation.
In the early 2000s, the Fauquier School Board proposed closing Northwestern Elementary – now renamed Claude Thompson Elementary, after its longtime principal – and consolidating it into Coleman Elementary. Eura and many others successfully fought to keep the school open.
Eura Lewis’s legacy?
Her inspirational, upbeat commitment to service, even in the most challenging of times.
Eura Lewis was a long-time Middleburg teacher, mover and shaker.
A shell of the old Morgantown school near Marshall.
Photos by Leonard Shapiro
Cricket Bedford and John Dowdy Linda and Jeff Millington
Michelle Abalos and Dorsey deButts
Founder and producer Montana Lanier Ruffner
Chief A.J.: A Community Focused Chief
By Chip Newcome
It started with a donut, a maple-glazed, bacon-covered $6 donut from the Home Farm, to be exact.
When A.J. Panebianco was considering the position of chief of police in Middleburg in 2012, he and his late wife, Amy, drove out one Saturday morning to check out the town. That’s when they discovered “the donut.” And the small-town charm that is Middleburg.
When he interviewed with the Town Council, Chief A.J., as he became known, let them know how much he loved that donut.
“The Home Farm makes a maple-glazed-bacon covered donut on Saturdays, and I’ve had one,” he told them. “Now, I’m addicted. So, you’re going to see me every Saturday, so you may as well give me the job.”
Council members laughed, but it also illustrated he’d been to the town and done his research. He was certain he could make a difference, and over his 11-year tenure before retiring in April, 2023, the now 58-year-old Panebianco certainly did.
“I began as chief, right at the cusp of the Salamander Resort re-construction,” he said. “What really drew me was the idea that this was going to change policing in Middleburg. I took advantage of that. We went from a part time agency…to a 247, 365-day-a-year police force.”
Early on, he began evaluating the skill sets of his officers and “when I got there, we really didn’t do any investigations.”
Instead, that work was turned them over to the Loudoun Sheriff’s office once they had gathered all the evidence. “Once I figured out who had skill sets and in what areas,” he added, “we began to investigate our own crimes.”
And Chief A.J., who now lives in the Lynchburg area, grew the department, but he’s quick to share the credit.
“It was a team effort,” he said. “It could not have been done without the people who were there.”
He said the entire Middleburg community was also responsible for the force’s success during his tenure. Residents, business owners, Town Council, and town management supported its mission. When job openings came up, he emphasized to candidates the town’s atmosphere more than he pitched the pay scale.
He also has always been a firm believer in community policing over his 35-year law enforcement career.
“We didn’t have to police Middleburg, because we were the police FOR Middleburg,” he said. “As a result, people didn’t see us as a thumb pressing on the community but part of the hand that you shake.”
Chief A.J created a program called “Breaking Bread,” where he personally paid for lunches at local schools and he and his officers sat and ate with the students. That, in turn, led to the formation of the Safety Patrol.
“We began teaching civil responsibility to kids.” And, once students completed the program, their pinning ceremonies were held at Town Council meetings.
Since retiring, he’s started Chief A.J. Consulting, helping Virginia towns and cities improve their policing practices. He’s also published a memoir, “A Police Chief’s Journey,” and is currently working on a children’s mystery series inspired by his granddaughter, Bella. She’s the main character, and Chief A.J. plans to continue writing until she tells him, “Quit writing about me!”
Might be better for her to offer a bribe. A bacon/maple donut could work.
Now retired Middleburg Chief of Police A.J. Panebianco on the final day of his 11-year tenure.
Piedmont Symphony Preparing to Turn 30
ABy Alissa Jones
s the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra (PSO) prepares to celebrate its 30th year during the 2025-2026 season, Conductor Glenn Quader, who was passed the baton in 2005 by Michael Hughes, will be celebrating his 20th year with no plans to put it down anytime soon.
Home base for the PSO, originally called the PRO for Piedmont Regional Orchestra, remains at the Michael A Hughes Center For The Arts at Highland School where Hughes founded it in 1996.
Maya Angelou said, “Your legacy is every life you have touched.”
Whether it’s the educational programs with local schools and the community, or simply the takeaway experience of one guest seated in a concert, touching lives and leaving a legacy is the propelling force behind the PSO.
“Legacy is what’s important to me and all those with me at the PSO,” said
Quader. “We position ourselves so we can thrive well past the point of my contribution and that of the conductors who come after me.”
Quader ’s belief in the education piece being a huge component of legacy is whats behind their commitment to local schools’ education programs.
“We host a yearly concert every February where we select three finalists to play alongside the orchestra, and then they are judged on that actual live performance,” said Quader.
Also in February, the PSO hosts a student visual art contest, where art entries of school age students are projected above the orchestra and timed with the music.
Every year, the PSO holds a Spring Gala concert in or around Warrenton. This year, the restored 1930s colonial mansion at Canterbury Estates, with its sprawling property, will host the event on April 19. On the ticket are two featured guests who regularly perform with the PSO; the soloists will sing with piano and
Elevate Your Home with a Luxe Bathroom Remodel this Spring
Conductor Glenn Quader leads the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra.
strings accompaniment; performing famous arias, duets and show tunes.
The following week, on April 27, the PSO will host a performance in Upperville at Buchanan Hall.
“The concert will be a feature of some of our key personnel in the orchestra doing Chamber music,” Quader said. The Chamber soirée will be a more intimate setting, with capacity for 125, which Quader said allows for an up close and personal experience. Cocktails will be served.
In line with furthering education, Quader said the two people being featured at the gala fund raiser are colleagues from about 10 years ago while working at an opera company in Washington.
“I’m trying to start a vocal intensive workshop retreat over the summer,” he said. “They would run it as lead educators and designers with the goal of bringing in emerging talent, singers, for intensive workshops and a public concert with the PSO at the end. This is something that ties into our educational mission and is part of the calculus we are looking at for the 2026-2027 season.”
PSO Executive Director Kate O’Konski said she believes every human has a need, and a desire to leave a mark on the world,.
“We all have our own personal legacies, and want to leave an impact, something lasting behind. Michael Hughes did that by founding the PSO and we look at that with honor by naming him Conductor Emeritus and acknowledging where we came from.”
O’Konski said Quader is at a point now, approaching his 20th anniversary with the PSO, where he’s created his own legacy with the orchestra.
“When we talk legacy at PSO, I think Educational outreach, innovative programming and the ability to collaborate with other arts organizations are probably the main areas where Glenn Quader and all of us prioritize our efforts,” she said.
O’Konski says building a new younger audience and training musicians of the future is what brings longevity and leaves legacy.
The PSO is well known for collaborating with partner organizations to do things on a larger scale, pulling together large groups, as well as the more contemporary, like rock concerts or swing. Quader has been known to play his bass during rock concerts.
The PSO will team up with the Warrenton-based Silver Tone Swing Band for their final performance of the year, in a thematic concert with big show stopper type patriotic pieces. The Silver Tones’ contribution will be 40s swing band music popular in that era.
Looking further ahead, Quader said he’s already excited about a couple projects for next year.
First on the agenda is the possibility of hosting one of his colleagues of more than 30 years.
“We attended the University of Miami music school together and now he’s on the map in the industry,” he said. “My friend is a singer, jazz guitarist and Grammy nominated artist and I’d like to do a symphony show with him. It’s in the skeletal planning stages still.”
He also would like to see a collaboration with the Reston Chorale that’s been in the works for the past few years.
“The PSO has worked with the chorus serval times before and we tried to mount a performance of the well-known and very popular choral and orchestra piece called, Carmina Burana. We’ve been wanting to do this joint concert, that was initially interrupted by the pandemic.”
Details: For more information, tickets to events, or to support the PSO, visit www. piedmontsymphony.org
RURAL BAKERY
“America’s Best Bakery Destinations”
“One of America’s best small-town bakeries”
TRAVEL+ LEISURE
JULIE FISHER: Making an Impact at Foxcroft
"I wanted to be able to inspire others as my professors had inspired me, so I changed course to pursue art education."
By Leonard Shapiro
ulie Fisher is celebrating her 20th year as an art educator, including the last eight at Foxcroft School. She’d like to think she’s having the same sort of impact on many of her students that one of her own instructors had on her when she was an underclassman at Atlee High School in Mechanicsville, Virginia.
JShe credits a long-ago Atlee teacher, Veronica Gerber, for instilling in her a passion for photography back when Fisher signed up for the elective and stayed with it until she graduated. “It was darkroom photography,” Fisher said, “and I loved it right from the start. I still use these historic processes in the work I create today.”
At James Madison University, she earned a Bachelor’s degree in fine arts with a concentration in photography. She used her considerable skills with a camera while working part time for the school’s sports media department. She was a familiar presence on the sidelines shooting JMU football and basketball games and many other sports.
“I also took a course in design history, which helped me appreciate the larger scope of the art world,” she said. “I wanted to be able to inspire others as my professors had inspired me, so I changed course to pursue art education.”
She has been doing just that for the past two decades. From 2005-17 at Atlee, she taught all levels of photography as well as graphic design. She also implemented the International Baccalaureate program in visual arts, an extremely rigorous, college-level course that fosters globally minded artists and scholars. She served as the Fine Arts Department chair and was the National Art Honor Society sponsor.
After earning a Masters of Fine Arts in photography from New Hampshire Institute of Art in 2017, she began to think about teaching at the college level, until she saw an advertisement seeking a digital arts instructor at Foxcroft School.
“Boarding school wasn’t really on my radar,” she said. “I was more college focused; I wanted to find that campus feel. But I applied at Foxcroft, and head of school, Cathy McGehee, hired me to teach photography, advise the yearbook, and develop courses connected to our newly installed maker space.”
Over the last eight years, she’s done so much more. She is now Foxcroft’s codirector of STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, art and math) and chair of the school’s fine arts department. In November, she was honored at the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS)’s Empowering Excellence annual conference, named as an Innovation in Education award winner.
According to her Foxcroft biography, she has developed a new interdisciplinary course in “Scientific Illustration” in partnership with STEAM faculty member Meghen Tuttle while she continues to teach classes in photography and graphic design, as well as engineering.
“Julie also utilizes the tools and technologies in Foxcroft’s Innovation Lab to facilitate our EPICS (Engineering Projects in Community Service) program, which was designed by Purdue University,” her school biography reads. “As the Academic Concentration Program Coordinator she fosters students growth in the areas of Fine Arts, STEM, Humanities, and Interdisciplinary Studies. These students work in and out of the classroom to develop independent projects that can also make a difference in their communities.”
According to McGehee, “she is always looking for ways to connect us with the community and develop learning that also has a real-world application. Julie has partnered with a variety of local nonprofits…from having our girls curate regional student art shows at local galleries to facilitating student service learning projects at Banneker Elementary, Aldie Mill, and Goose Creek Association… And she’s such a positive person. She uplifts our students and everyone in our own Foxcroft community.”
Living on campus with her husband, Rick, a 13-year-old son, also Rick, and 10-year-old daughter Allie, she still finds the time to produce her own art, often working right alongside her students.
“Photography is still my passion,” she said. “And I love it here at Foxcroft. There’s just magic being in a small school environment. Cathy trusts the work I do because she sees the value of not just being stuck inside the walls of a classroom. We’re trying to help our students understand the world around them, especially this unique place they’re residing in right here in Virginia’s Piedmont.”
Foxcroft educator Julie Fisher
CHURCH ART
It is with great delight that we share these charming images of oil paintings by Donna Loughborough. Donna lived and worked in Upperville for many years. She captured the ecclesiastical architecture in numerous magical oil paintings.
Marshall Baptist Church, established 1882
Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church, established 1877
Mt. Olive Methodist Church – AME 1909
Old School Baptist, Upperville, established 1806
Trinity Episcopal Church, Upperville, established 1842
Baptist Church, Upperville, built in 1806
United Methodist Church, Upperville, built 1840 and used as a hospital during the Civil War
PROPERTY Writes
Limestone Farm Offers Exquisite Touches
The masterpiece 67-acre acre estate of Limestone Farm features a stately federal style manor house (circa 1839) which has been meticulously renovated, impeccably modernized and significantly expanded.
The exquisite quality of this 11,160-square foot home is evident from the exterior as well as its interior featuring incredible proportions. From the structure and the mechanical systems to the fine finishes, this was a full renovation with extraordinary attention to detail.
The grand scale of the house is visible throughout and features a stunning William Ohs Kitchen with Waterworks fixtures and tiles throughout. The home is further enhanced by the exquisite interior design of Ralph Lauren, including wall coverings, window treatments, fabrics and furnishings.
The house features a Geothermal heating and cooling system, creating a comfortable and energy efficient environment year-round. On each side of the home and across the back there is a wide covered porch or terrace to enjoy the beautiful and very private countryside.
Entering the foyer, there’s a beautifully refinished mahogany newel post, handrail, floor and stair-casing in its original detail but fully restored. French doors and large windows throughout provide sunshine and natural light not seen in most homes.
The William Ohs kitchen contains a large Wolf stovetop/griddle with a double oven, Miele In-wall convection oven, separate in-wall Miele steamer, and Sub Zero side by side freezer and refrigerator.
This kitchen is a chef’s dream with gorgeous cabinetry, carrara marble countertops, Waterworks plumbing fixtures, marble backsplash, large William Ohs island, gourmet appliances, large pantry and extensive storage space.
The large breakfast area opens out to a charming brick terrace with pergola. A gracious hallway separates the kitchen from the great room and creates a wonderful flow throughout the home.
A guest house sits close to the main home and features a living/ bedroom combination, a bathroom and a kitchenette. The eight-stall barn was originally a bank barn that was redesigned and restored. A section of Opequon Creek, a tributary of the Potomac River, runs through this property at the outer edges.
The stately, federal style manor house at Limestone.
A birds-eye view over the 67-acre property.
An eight-stall barn and plenty of lush acreage to ride.
The spacious dining room offers gorgeous views.
AT WINDY HILL: Leading by Example
by John E. Ross
Sometimes the most effective leaders lead by example. One such leader was John P. Levis Jr. for whom Windy Hill Foundation’s Levis Hill House is named.
Following his death in 2005 and upon naming the residence for the elderly after him in 2008, one of his acquaintances wrote: “John never knew or understood the depth of feeling people had for him and would be amazed. How wonderful he is being honored by all of you.”
At the urging of long-time family friends, Lang and Judy Washburn, John moved from Louisville, KY, to Middleburg in 1985. Almost immediately, they convinced him to join them in Windy Hill Foundation’s drive to expand low-income housing in the Middleburg area.
In 2004, Windy Hill was contemplating building affordable housing for elderly members of the community. “Even after accounting for federal housing tax credits and low-interest loans,” said Kim Hart, Windy Hill’s first executive director, “the foundation still had to raise seed money.” The plan was to raise $800,000 in donations of $40,000 for each of the 20 small independent living apartments in what became Levis Hill House.
Immediately upon being told of the concept, “John was the first person,” Judy
LEVIS HILL HOUSE
Located between Middleburg’s firehouse and Windy Hill Cottag es, ground was broken for Levis Hill House in 2007. By the end of the following year, it was fully occupied with 27 elderly residents. Along with a large shaded porch and large community room, Levis Hill House contains 14 single bedroom and 6 two bedroom apartments. All are designed to meet the needs of people 62 years and older plus those who have disabilities but are able to live independently. Medium family income for residents is $11,300 per year.
Many of the first residents were old friends who had worked on nearby farms or the Middleburg Training Center, said Helen Wiley, former member of the Windy Hill Foundation Board.
Levis Hill House cost $4.3 million and was funded in a classic private-public partnership. Local donations of $800,000 enabled Windy Hill Foundation to secure $2.3 million Virginia Housing Development Tax Credits and the balance in federal and state grants and loans.
For more information about Levis Hill House, contact the Windy Hill Foundation at info@ windyhillfoundation.org or call 540/687-3997.
wrote a friend, “to pledge sponsorship of a unit. He was very excited about it.”
Figuring that being accompanied by the project’s first major supporter would facilitate personal visits to other prospective donors, Kim asked John to join him on a fund raising call. “It was like dragging John by the heels. As I made the pitch, John wouldn’t say a word,” Kim continued, “not even after the prospect pledged to fund two apartments.”
As they left the donor’s office, “John starts crying. He was so tense not wanting to be there at all.
Having the call be twice as successful as we hoped,” Kim said, “was more than he could hold in. He never wanted to be up front in anything.” Fundraising was clearly not his forte.
But like many others in the Middleburg area with resources and commitment, John made significant financial contributions to, and served on the boards of, several community organizations. Among them were The Piedmont Child Care Center, Hill School, and the Middleburg Community Center. He was also an unofficial advisor to the Windy Hill Foundation. According to Kim, “John was the go to guy for whatever you need, If you needed his truck to pick-up a trash can, if you needed him to go pick up somebody from school, if a kid needed a little financial help, you called John.”
Judy Washburn agreed. “He was always there behind you. He was always there. That was his real strength. He really liked doing things for individuals and especially liked being asked to do something for a young person.” Through Windy Hill, John established deep connections with the Middleburg community. He knew everybody from the Safeway checkout girl to the Chief of Police. Once a week he and the Chief would have lunch together, said his daughter Margot Thompson.
“I loved just walking down the street with my dad,” said Margot. “He’d say ‘wait, we’ve gotta stop and talk with Bill.’ And then it was Bill does this and Bill does that. “Bill was one of several we’d stop and chat with.”
“He was just a people person,” she continued. “He did so many things … he did so many different things. He put children through private tutoring. He just was a special guy. He had a philanthropic heart.” When it came to good works, John took after his parents Charlotte and J. Preston Levis. “My grandparents were definitely very philanthropic as well,” said Margot. “He followed their lead of altruism throughout his life in the hopes that we and our children would also. So the Levis philanthropic legacy would continue from generation to generation, John established the J. Preston Levis Charitable Foundation in honor of his parents.”
Among the beneficiaries of the foundation is Hill School which receives scholarship help for deserving students. The school’s business office is named for John, a reminder, perhaps, of his financial acumen.
“He was so modest,” Margot says. “I learned a lot about him after he died that I had no idea of. It made me so proud, my heart grew even bigger. Dad was just a good human.”
Photo by Doug Gehlsen of Middleburg Photo Judy Washburn
Photo by John Ross
A well-appointed porch offers a welcoming setting at Levis Hill House.
THURSDAY
ZEST photographer Donna Strama was over the top when she recently attended “Spy Night: An Evening of Espionage” at the American Legion Hall on the western edge of Middleburg. There were three authors along with moderator Mike Morell, who served as deputy director of the CIA and acting director. He also just so happens to be married to Mary Beth Morell, owner of Middleburg Books, who produced the sold out gathering. “The audience was full of CIA people past and present, two men were recruiters for spies. The woman’s book was about being the wife of a CIA agent,” Donna reported, “It was a great night.”
The Fauquier Loudoun Garden Club is hosting a speaking and book signing event on Friday, April 25 with Christopher Spitzmiller. The talk will begin at 5 p.m. with a cocktail reception and book signing at 6 p.m all at the Middleburg Community Center, 300 W. Washington Street in Middleburg. The cost is $150 per person to benefit the Fauquier and Loudoun Garden Club and the book, A Year at Clove Brook Farm, is $45. For details and tickets contact gail.j.clark@ gmail.com. It’s all about Gardening, Tending Flocks, Keeping Bees, Collecting Antiques, and Entertaining Friends by Christopher Spitzmiller written with Clinton Smith and a foreword by Martha Stewart.
Community Center. Felder was one of the first African-Americans to be in the Honor Guard at Arlington National Cemetery. He was head of the Honor Guard that stood vigil and participated in the funeral of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. At the conclusion of the burial formalities, the Honor Guard representing the various branches of the military left their hats on JFK’s grave. So moved by the gesture was the Kennedy family that they sought to honor this act by commissioning a memorial for the President’s grave with the assistance of Bunny Mellon.
Photo by Donna Strama
Michael Morell, Rosie Mowatt-Larsen, Rolf Mowatt-Larsen and James Lawler.
Photo by Donna Strama
The Oak Spring Garden Foundation recently hosted former Honor Guard James Felder at the Middleburg
Warrenton Hunt Point to Point
Photos by Doug Gehlsen and Karen Monroe of Middleburg
Photo
Friends, family and those who like cold weather gathered at the Airlie Racecourse for the 84th Running Warrenton Hunt Pointto-Point Races. The third race a maiden hurdle about two miles, had so many entries it was contested in three parts. The first division was won by Sliabh Aughty(Fr) trained by Neil Morris, ridden by Graham Watters and owned by Shannon Hill Farm. The second division went to The Wizards Well (Ire,) with Harrison Beswick up for Runnymoore Racing, LLC, and trained by Todd McKenna. In the third division Hashtag No Wonder won with Parker Hendriks, owned by William Russell and trained by Neil R. Morris.
Erica Tergeson and Charlie McCann K.T. Atkins, Chrissy Gray and Michael Pearson
Megan Connolly and Greg Russell
Laura Brown Jarvis, Brian Jarvis, Lindsay LeHew, Evan McKay, Will Driskill, Madison Busey, and Olivia Falkenberry
Most Visionary Tailgate Jennifer Jenkings -- Lavin Gartland.
Weight Loss for Health: Sound Nutritional Eating Patterns
By Mark Nemish
Contrary to what you might hear on the internet from some fitness influencers, the amount of calories you consume is the number one factor when it comes to body fat loss.
As a result, when tracking your current diet, pay close attention to the amount of calories you’re consuming since your current caloric consumption is what is sustaining your unwanted body weight/body composition. How much body fat you wish to lose will be largely determined by how much of a caloric deficit you need to employ and sustain.
Setting a goal for your dietary caloric deficit is the easy part, sticking to it can be extremely difficult. As a result, the type of calories you ingest is crucial for attaining and sustaining your deficit.
Most people don’t eat enough protein or dietary fiber, especially soluble fiber, at each meal. Both protein and fiber are extremely important for a number of health reasons, but proper consumption in relation to weight loss is crucial.
In addition to helping preserve or enhance lean body mass, adequate protein consumption is very satiating and keeps you feeling fuller for a longer period of time.
Protein, in relation to the other macronutrients such as fat and carbohydrate, also has a greater thermogenic effect. That is, it takes more energy to break protein down and absorb it. Fiber also has a very high satiating effect through the stimulation of several hormones such as glucagon like peptides (i.e., GLP-1
agonists). Fiber can have the same mechanistic effect as current weight loss drugs like Ozempic.
Building sound dietary eating patterns is primarily established with setting adequate protein goals. Based on research, I suggest eating one gram of very lean protein for each pound of lean body mass. Thus if you have 100 pounds of lean mass as determined by Dexa scan, divide 100 into 3 meals of 30-40 grams of protein at each meal.
Current FDA dietary fiber guidelines suggest consuming at least 28 grams per day. For most of my clients trying to lose body fat, I suggest 40 grams-plus of fiber provided their gut can handle it. Building your diet around your protein and fiber goals is crucial for curbing your appetite and sustaining your caloric deficit to achieve fat loss.
Filling in the rest of your diet to meet your caloric goals is the next step. Whether this comes from nutritious carbohydrate sources like fruits, vegetables, and grains and/or from healthy fats like nuts and avocado really doesn’t matter when it comes to weight loss.
Large scale meta-analysis has demonstrated that whether your energy intake is from high carb or low carb sources, when protein intake is equated, the average weight loss is the same. Nevertheless, for weight loss, some people do better with a high fat diet while others with higher carbohydrate energy sources. Minimizing or eliminating ultra-processed foods, carb or fat based, is also extremely important.
Mark Nemish is the owner/director of Precision Health Performance. He was the head strength and conditioning coach for the Washington Capitals (2007-23) and Nashville Predators (1998-04).
Mark Nemish and the Stanley Cup
ALL ABOUT AWARDS
Photos by Douglas Lees
The annual awards for the Virginia Steeplechase Association were recently presented at a ceremony at the Middleburg Community Center. Don Yovanovich presided and honored the following:
Open Leading Owner Riverdee Stable
Open Leading Hurdle Horse Who” Counting (South Branch Equine LLC)
Open Leading Timber Horse Schoodic (Mrs. J. R. S. Fisher)
Virginia Leading Owner Riverdee Stable
Leading Trainer Neil Morris
Leading Rider Gerard Galligan
Virginia Leading Hurdle Horse Jimmy Dan (Riverdee Stable)
Virginia Leading Timber Horse Animal Kingston (William Russell)
Virginia Leading Horse on the Flat Clint Maroon (GB) (S. Rebecca Shepherd) 11. Virginia Leading Horse on the Flat Seismic Wave (William Russell)
SPECIAL AWARDS
• Virginia Owned Steeplechase of the Year Jimmy Dan (Riverdee Stable)
• Steeplechase Horse of the Year Mystic Strike (Upland Partners)
• The Francis Thornton Greene Award went to Wayne Van Sant, presented by Greene’s daughter Tootie. This is considered a great honor as it is not awarded every year.
• Mary Mackinnon, Todd McKenna, Don Yovanovich, William “Bill” Wylie. With the award for Mystic Strike, Steeplechase Horse of the Year.
• Rosie and Graham Watters, honored as Leading Open Rider.
• Will and Diane Russell’s horse Seismic Wave tied for Virginia Leading Horse on the Flat with S. Rebecca Shepherd’s Cling Maroon (GB).
• Annie, Miles and Sean Clancy with award for Riverdee Stable won for Jimmy Dan, leading Hurdle Horse for Virginia Steeplechase Association; VSA Open Leading Owner Riverdee Stable and Virginia Leading Owner.
Saturday,April 19, 2025, 1:30 p.m. MIDDLEBURG SPRING RACE MEET Glenwood Park, Middleburg 2:00 -
Sunday, April 27, 2025, 1 :00 p .m. MIDDLEBURG HUNT POINT-TO-POINT Glenwood Park, Middleburg
Saturday, May 3, 2025 12:00 p.m. VIRGINIA GOLD CUP RACE MEET Great Meadow Course, The Plains
Mary Mackinnon, Todd McKenna, Don Yovanovich, William "Bill" Wylie. With the award for Mystic Strike, Steeplechase Horse of the Year.
Will and Diane Russell
The Francis Thornton Greene Award went to Wayne Van Sant.
Rosie and Graham Watters at VSA awards--Graham was awarded Leading Open Rider.
LETTER from PARIS
High Tech Here, Low Tech There
By John Sherman
Astart up without high tech is no better than a 747 without wings. It ain’t gonna fly.
Roma and I opened the Ashby Inn for business in November, 1984. Our office technology amounted to two thick leather threering binders—-one for overnight reservations and one for dinner reservations. Damned simple. Fill in the blanks. The Boyarskis, party of four, Wednesday at seven. Or the Flemmings from Cleveland, two nights in the Adams Room.
We hand-wrote our daily menus, created from Roma’s kitchen. Our wait staff helped. Each card bore its own penman style. I pressed my secretary to give a hand before my commute home. One evening our first customers even volunteered.
After about a month into our Ludite ways, we had a legal document to copy. We had enormous copiers at work, but a personal copier was a novelty. The only one in the village belonged to a heavy equipment operator across the street. His name was Clark Neff. He stepped out of the Popeye comics as Bluto. Broad and bearded.
I found Clark in his office, laboring over what looked like a letter. Clearly, he was not a frequent correspondent. I explained that I was a writer by trade and would gladly lend a hand and make quick work of it. I think he took my offer as condescending and made it clear that he wanted to write his own letter.
I asked who he was writing to.
“Guy who owes me money.”
He explained that he had dug a pond and made many calls for payment. None was answered. So now Clark was firing his last shot—-a personal letter.
A couple of weeks later I ran into him and asked whether he had any response. He had not. So, he did it the Bluto way.
“I showed up at his house early in the morning and sawed his front door in half. Out came the check.”
Some months later he was being stiffed after planting a wind break of six-foot hollies. Early one morning he drove up in a flatbed truck with five of his workers on board with chain saws. “I told them to fire up.” And, once again, “out came the check.”
The end of the story was that I went out and bought an Epson printer.
And now, another tech story.
Saud Al-Sowael was unique—-in the full blown definition of the word. Accomplished, would also work. As would brilliant.
The son of Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Washington in the 1960s, Saud had grown up in the world of diplomacy. Before his posting, his father was emissary to a number of Middle Eastern countries, including Egypt, where German teachers gave Saud his second language. His third language was English, which he spoke as well as I, delivering long passages from Wordsworth and Coleridge from memory.
After a year of private school in Washington, he finished M.I.T in two years; then on to Saudi Arabia’s giant oil corporation, Aramco, and his tutelage under Sheikh Yamani. He was soon to found Saudi Systems, which remains one of the country’s leading IT corporations.
Saud first came to the inn in our earliest days for a Sunday lunch. He was swarthy and of great girth. He was most definitely from the Levant. He became an enduring guest, and one of my closest friends. As a mark of his loyalty, he dug a gold coin into the taproom bar—-in his corner.
Saud rented our largest room for our first winter. He was our only guest. He arrived with two Apple computers and a beautiful woman. There he plied one of his passions, translating to English the works of lesser known 19th century German poets. In the evenings he could be found down in the taproom drinking cognac from a ceramic cup. Driving into Paris
one night from Washington, I noticed a dim light down in the taproom. I stopped to join him for a drink. I entered through a side door into complete darkness. As I approached the steps down, I almost fell over a few boxes. I got around them and joined Saud. I asked him what the boxes were.
“You need one.” The gift was a new Apple computer.
What do we do with it? The next day it took its place upstairs next to his two others. He needed a fun project away from the Germans. In the following weeks he was up and down, asking Roma and Debbie Cox, our irreplaceable office staff, questions about our modus operandi (such as it was). His queries became more specific, like a breakdown of what people drink; how many roast chickens do we serve in a week; how many bottles of bourbon or Chardonnay. And back he would retreat to his lab.
By the time Saud brought down our computer, we were primed for a new horizon. We could shelve our adding machine and manual typewriter, chuck the carbon paper and manila folders. We would be working on the same plane as other businesses. No one need know of the pathetic tools of our start up.
Saud, the impresario, unveiled his creation one Monday morning. His Frankenstein, exotic chips welded into a system and then pushed to extremes, brought good news and not so good news. It not only gave us crypto storage and tricky metrics, Saud’s over-programming gave us the number of blonds over the age of forty who ordered gimlets on a Thursday night. It could project the number of lamb chops needed for the coming month.
He spent many hours working with Roma, explaining the key combinations, how to layer one request on another, how to program staff salary in increments. He was there to explain and solve any confusion. Winter over, however, he returned to his home in Riyadh.
The bad news was that every time his baby threw a tantrum, we had to track him down somewhere in the world to undo the muddle. Finally, his intricate program became too exhausting. We bought a new Apple, and shelved Saud’s thing up next to the adding machine—-a monument to our arrival into the world of high tech.
His gold coin was dug out of the bar shortly after we sold the inn.
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