ON THE INSIDE: HANDLEY TREASURES | MAHJONG MANIA | MARSHALL CUISINE
Personalities, Celebrations and Sporting Pursuits
FIDELIO
THE PLAINS, VIRGINIA
European Elegance on 61 Acres | Timeless luxury Stunning European-inspired estate featuring reclaimed antiquity throughout Limestone floors, museum-quality finishes, hand-painted coffered ceilings, and exquisite mahogany doors and windows | 5 spacious bedrooms, 5 full baths, and 6 fireplaces | Exceptional kitchen and elevator | The compound also includes a separate gallery/studio, a stone cottage, guest house, spa pool, tennis court, and lovely grounds with a stream, waterfalls, orchards, gardens, and river frontage
$9,000,000
Helen MacMaHon 540.454.1930
MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA
31.05 acre property, 3 parcels, building sites with views | Cedar shake house with metal roof | 3 BR, 3.5 BA, & 3 FP | Wood floors, custom millwork & a paneled den Oversized 2-car gara ge Equestrian amenities include a 4-stall barn & an old riding ring | In-ground pool, rolling open fields
$2,650,000
Paul MacMaHon 703.609.1905
Brian MacMaHon 703.609.1868
LEESBURG, VIRGINIA
c.1822 historic home on coveted Mount Gilead on 14.9
ADA ROAD
MARSHALL, VIRGINIA
40.1
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
$1,900,000
Helen MacMaHon 540.454.1930
PURCELLVILLE, VIRGINIA
Hard to find 9.58 acres between Middleburg and Purcellville | Mountain views, woods and pasture with frontage on Beaverdam Creek
$600,000
Paul MacMaHon 703.609.1905
GRACE HILL
PURCELLVILLE, VIRGINIA
Period home, original portion 1768, additions in 1850 and 1950 | Stucco exterior, metal roof, beautiful wood floor, 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, 3 fireplaces, spectacular living room with high ceilings | 20.21 acres, recorded in 2 parcels, mountain views | Frontage on Butcher Branch, room for horses, studio/guest house $1,700,000
703.609.1868
MILLWOOD, VIRGINIA
Turn key cottage w/2 BR, 1 BA | Kitchen opens to the living room which walks out to the private deck overlooking the large backyard | Highlights include a modern kitchen with a new stove, hardwood floors, and an updated bathroom | Walking distance to the Locke Store and the Historic Mill | Would be a great weekend or
GREY ACRES
MILLWOOD ROAD
ISAAC EATON
Scott Hetz Clark Doing It His Way
By John E. Ross
Jazz and opera are first cousins, according to baritone Scott Hetz Clark of Leesburg. You may have heard him here or there at area venues like Slater Run Vineyards where he performed a few weeks ago.
Clark is equally impressive whether singing Frank Sinatra’ s “My Way” or Sondheim’ s “Sweeny Todd.” Only 28, he’s a staple of the Loudoun Lyric Opera and performs regularly with the area’s premier jazz bands.
Think it’s difficult to equate opera with jazz? He’ll tell you that Sinatra, for instance, was as talented and dedicated as any male diva – intently studying lyrics to get diction, phrasing, and emotion just right.
Clark didn’t start out to be a classical vocalist. It began as a big joke, literally. Scott at 6-foot-2, and a buddy on Woodgrove High School’s basketball team thought they’d get a lot of laughs from “us tall guys auditioning for the jazz choir.”
But when the choir director, Jessica Morgan, pulled him aside and told him he had an absolutely superb voice, Clark wasn’t totally surprised. His grandfather sang tenor in a touring barbershop quartet.
As Jessica Morgan began to coach him, Clark knew that music was his calling. From Woodgrove he went on to James Madison University’s School of Music. There Kevin McMillan, professor of voice, introduced him to opera. After
graduation, Clark decided that would be his career.
“If I’m going to have a career in opera,” he said. “I need to go to where opera all began.”
Through his professor’s connections, Clark made his European debut in the historic Estates Theater in Prague, Czechoslovakia, playing Figaro in Le Nozze di Figaro. Being only 22 and singing where Mozart himself debuted one of the greatest operas ever written (Don Giovanni in 1787) was, as he puts it, an “extremely profound” moment.
From Prague he traveled to Weimar, Germany to perform with the Lyric Opera Studio. By then it was February, 2020 “and the world was shutting down because of COVID.” Frantic about being marooned in Germany, he was able to get one of the last flights into Dulles.
His angst about being stuck in Germany was exponentially compounded by the fact that not so slowly, he’s going blind. Diagnosed when he was 14 with uveitis, an extremely rare progressive disease of the retina, Clark has accepted the reality that this auto-immune disease of the inner eye will soon take his sight.
Ever the quintessential optimist, for him Covid opened the door to jazz. He pulled together a small band and began to perform at vineyards and clubs in Northern Virginia as soon as they reopened. Just go to his website and listen to him sing Fly Me to the Moon. You’ll hear Ol’ Blue Eyes in the wings.
In August, Clark and Saige McGovern will be married. She’s his anchor, his moral support. In high school she played the flute, and they tease each other about teaming up to perform The Magic Flute. Whether he will sing at their wedding is as yet undecided.
Details: https://www.scotthetzclark.com/ where you can catch a snippet of Figaro or Sinatra.
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
Advertising Director Vicky Mayshaw
Art Director
Meredith Hancock
Hancock Media
Contributing Photographers:
Doug Gehlsen
Crowell Hadden
Sarah Huntington
Douglas Lees
Karen Monroe
Tiffany Dillon Keen
Donna Strama
Official Fine Artist
Linda Volrath
Contributing Writers:
Khris Baxter
Emma Boyce
Bill Cauley
Sean Clancy
Denis Cotter
Philip Dudley
Mike du Pont
Valerie Archibald Embrey
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
For advertising inquiries, contact: Vicky Mayshaw at vickymashaw@icloud.com or 409-381-0441 Leonard Shapiro at badgerlen@aol.com or 410-570-8447 / Country Zest and Style / @countryzestandstyle / @countryzestand1 www.countryzestandstyle.com
As photographers in Middleburg, versatility is key, seamlessly transitioning from capturing rugged boots-and-jeans of a field sport to glamorous tuxedo and evening wear affairs. Mastering lighting techniques is essential, whether crafting perfect shots in the studio or illuminating dynamic scenes at high-profile events. Thank you, Country ZEST & Style, and the Virginia Gold Cup Gala, for allowing us the opportunity.
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
OUR SEVEN YEAR ITCH
By Leonard Shapiro
It’s still hard to believe we’ve been producing Country ZEST ever since our inaugural issue in August, 2019. My how time really does fly. And now, as we soar into into our seventh year with this fall edition. We’re also delighted to announce a new name to our oh-sotalented cast of contributors.
That would be Vicky Mashaw, our fabulous new director of advertising who also will be focusing on expanding ZEST’s footprint on line in addition to working with many of our current (and hopefully future) awesome advertisers in the magazine.
Vicky is a multi-talented force of nature with great experience in publishing and also is a widely respected real estate professional. Check out her ad on Page 9 for one of her current listings, the country retreat of the late Willard Scott, our beloved local neighbor and America’s Weatherman on The Today Show for so many years. And dare we mention he played the part of Bozo the clown ages ago. Our cover story focuses on Karen Crane, who last year became the board chair for the Great Meadow Foundation in The Plains. She grew up in this area, has been riding horses all her life and has some wonderful ideas on how to maintain the gorgeous facility as one of the country’s finest and most challenging steeplechase venues.
We have a new addition on the writing side, so make sure you peruse a wonderful piece from Khris Baxter on local sports psychologist Rex Vogan. Our new student correspondent from Highland School, Susan Pragoff, has written about several of her classmates who have decided to resurrect their school newspaper, The HawkEye, for the first time in many years.
Our center spread focuses on another nearby school, Handley High in Winchester. Denis Cotter weaves a fascinating tale about Handley becoming a hidden repository during World War II for artworks usually on display at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington. Fearful back then of a possible attack on the Nation’s Capital, the then Corcoran director (with a Middleburg connection) arranged to store many iconic museum pieces in a vault in Handley’s basement for more than two years.
Who knew?
Hardly anyone.
Everyone is starting to learn that Marshall has become something of a dining destination both for locals and travelers up and down I-66. We’ve got stories and photos on several of the town’s popular restaurants and a few other places to find delicious goodies, ranging from tacos to so-called “Marshall frog legs.”
The Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Middleburg has become a destination for mahjong aficionados, the Chinese board and tile game. A throng of thirty enthusiasts meet in the Parish House twice a month to play a game growing in popularity here, there and everywhere.
As usual, there’s plenty more to catch your eye—and hopefully wet your Marshall appetite—as we head into Year Seven, the better to add plenty more ZEST to your reading pleasure.
Leonard Shapiro Editor badgerlen@aol.com
410-570-8447
Doug Gehlsen and Karen Monroe of Middleburg Photo
Photo by Denis Cotter
The ancient combination to the vault at Handley High School.
Upperville – Extraordinary 7 BR / 7.5 BA English Manor in prestigious Greystone. 3 level residence boasting over 6,950 sq ft. Guest/Pool House, heated pool, 3 fireplaces, 11’ high ceilings, chef’s kitchen, flagstone terraces. Fenced paddock and run-in shed–ideal for equestrians!
WOODMONT
18 acres | $4,295,000
Marshall – Stone pillars and a beautiful tree lined drive lead to this exquisite country estate of uncompromising quality and extraordinary design. Perfectly sited on 18 gorgeous acres of flowering trees and lush woodlands, this stately residence offers over 7,581 square feet of spectacular living space. Just minutes from the charming villages of historic Middleburg and Upperville, “Woodmont” is completely private and secluded. Fine shops, wonderful restaurants, excellent schools and sporting clubs are all nearby.
Some of the Highlights include:
• Free form Gunite heated Pool surrounded by stone terraces
• Imported stone/marble countertops
• New casement windows
• Designer brass light fixtures throughout
• High ceilings
• Transom windows
• Three wood-burning fireplaces
• New state-of-the-art appliances
• Whole house backup Generator and Two Wells
• Located in the prestigious Orange County Hunt territory
Bluemont – The Blue Ridge Mountains serve as a backdrop to this superbly built manor, where elegance and modern sophistication meet. Over 5,000 sq ft of meticulously designed living space. In addition, there is over 3,100 sq ft of partially finished space all set to be completed.
CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH
PHOTOS BY DONNA STRAMA
Juneteenth was busting out all over Middleburg earlier this summer, with events at the Middleburg Community Center and the Middleburg Museum. It’s the nation’s newest federal holiday celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.
Photo by Leonard Shapiro Middleburg Museum president Dorsey deButts, board Member Merley Lewis, guest speaker Marilyn Dillon of the U.S. Department of Energy, Pastor Herman Nelson and board member Charlotte deButts.
Photo by Leonard Shapiro A festive entrance on Madison Street.
Photo by Donna Strama Marilyn Dillon
Chief Shaun Jones
Photo by Donna Strama Marley Lewis
Francis Dodson
Photo by Donna Strama
Phyllis Clark
Lynn Wiley Porcha Dodson
Phyllis Cook-Taylor In front of her ancestor’s beauty parlor which later was a barber shop at the corner of Washington and Jay streets.
Art and Antiques At Roger on Madison
By Leslie VanSant
Loudoun County native Linda Mason is a familiar face to the Middleburg business community.
More than 30 years ago, her parents, Roger and Susan, opened the Middleburg Antique Gallery. It’s a shared space for antiques dealers that has been welcoming collectors and decorators on the hunt for that special something. What started as a side hustle for her mom, then became family business, finding antiques and treasures has just been a way of life for Linda.
Three months ago, she expanded to a new, exclusive space, “Roger on Madison” named after her father, who passed away in 2021.
“We still own the Gallery, and I still have items there, but I wanted my own space,” said Mason, who curates a mixture of antique, vintage and new furniture, fine art and more.
The treasures on display find their way to Roger on Madison from all points. Linda purchases items at auctions, through dealers here and abroad, and even locally. Her eye has been honed over a career of looking at catalogues and simply knowing when something will work.
“I’ve purchased things from people locally who are downsizing, or cleaning out their parent’s place,” she said. “You never know what you’ll find.”
In July, the shop began to offer select wines. “I’ m working with a distributor, and like the furniture, the wines will each have a story,” she said.
An incentive to have a larger shop was the opportunity for more wall space to feature fine art. Roger on Main has many uniquely framed antique oil paintings and prints.
“Having your portrait painted was a status symbol in the 18th and 19th centuries,” Mason said. “People like them today, even if they don’t know who they are. They become ‘instant ancestors.’”
At the entry of the shop is a very large painting by 19th century English painter William Henry Wheelwright (1857-1897) that features a group of fashionable men and ladies riding along the ChampsElysees in Paris, with the Arc de Triomphe in the distance.
But Roger on Madison also features works by local artist Anthony Barham, well known for his whimsical fox and hound scenes, and his wife, Misia Broadhead.
“I’m very fortunate to be able to offer their original works of art, and prints of Anthony’s originals,” Mason said. “We’ve even worked together on commissions for customers, who want a fox scene painted on pieces of furniture.”
The dark blue walls of the shop, located at 6 South Madison, allow the art and objects to stand out. Tending to favor 18th and 19th century English pieces, the style fits in with the sporting and equestrian lifestyle for which Middleburg is famous. The showroom is divided into rooms, each with their own theme and look. “Right now, the trend is for anything that is for cocktail, cigars, and a sporting style,” said Mason, pointing out a few pieces of furniture that now serve as dry bars. Two are antique boxes that would have been used by gentlemen to keep their spirits close at table to be served to guests. Others are repurposed, including a wine barrel that could now hold bottles and glasses. Of course, there are plenty of antique and vintage glassware and bar accessories to outfit each piece.
Fine art is featured at Roger on Madison, including this work by English painter William Henry Wheelwright (1857-1897) that depicts a group of fashionable Parisians riding along the Champs-Elysees in Paris.
Black Market—A Gourmet Delight Unlike Any Other
By Linda Roberts
If walls could talk, Aldie’s The Black Market restaurant could spill out local history, perhaps some gossip, and most recently, mouth-watering recipes that please the palate from its new and sleek, modern kitchen.
In another life, The Black Market was a wellknown local landmark operating as Partlow’s Country Store where locals shopped for fresh meats, cheese and locally grown vegetables, and to chat with proprietors Lillian and Murrell Partlow. Gas and directions for out-of-towners were also a feature.
Long-time Aldie resident and unofficial mayor of the village, Tucker Withers remembers when the little store also served as the town’s post office. The present Aldie post office was built in 1960, leaving more space inside the store for staples.
Later, the building served barbecue to eat in or take out and for a brief time, it was a country store again until shuttering for good several years ago.
“We love this area,” said Black Market owners Maryam and Carlos Mirandas, whose daughters attended Foxcroft School, leaving the couple with time to immerse them in the countryside. As a result, they bought a farm near Middleburg and decided to open a restaurant in the former store building, which at the time was for sale.
Experienced restaurateurs, the Mirandas learned the ups and downs of the business after opening highly successful restaurants in Miami, Florida.
“We immediately saw the potential to bring something special to the community,” Maryam said. “It all just felt meant to be.”
They had a soft opening last fall preceded by a major renovation to the building, which included installation of a state-of-the-art kitchen. And how was the name, The Black Market, chosen?
Renovations included painting the building black—a total redo—and “it felt
bold, handsome and striking,” said Maryam. “And the response from the community was overwhelmingly positive.” The name also is a nod to the concept of offering access to rare, hard-tofind goods, she added.
The Black Market is rooted in the Middleburg/ Aldie areas as well as being “perfectly positioned in the heart of Virginia wine country,” Maryam said. “Our goal is to create a destination for those with discerning palates, whether our diners are local or visitors seeking a refined yet inviting experience outside the city.”
The restaurant’s menu is ingredient-driven, globally inspired and rooted in the local countryside, with some offerings that change with the seasons. An extensive wine list accompanies each selection.
“People are curious about the restaurant, and they have made us feel welcome here,” said Maryam. “Quality is very important to us…We feel “fortunate to be here in the heart of horse country…What truly sets it apart is the heart behind it. This is a deeply personal project for us.”
She explained that their connection to the Aldie and Middleburg countryside runs deep. The couple met while attending Marymount University in Northern Virginia and, “we’ve spend decades building memories here, including sending our daughters to Foxcroft School.
“This is more than a unique new restaurant,” she added. “It’s a boutique market—crafted to be shared and savored and a place to discover rare ingredients, perfect pairings or the finishing touches for your own home cooking.”
Details: Open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday starting at 5 p.m. and weekend brunch Saturday and Sunday starting at 11 a.m. The menu is available at theblackmarketvirginia.com.
Black Market owners Maryam and Carlos Mirandas.
WEDNESDAYS 4:30 TO 7:30 PM May 21 - OCtober 15
For Windy Hill’s Drew MacMahon, A Happy Homecoming
DBy Leonard Shapiro
rew MacMahon was happily employed and living in Raleigh, N.C., a valued executive working at a large real estate firm with multiple responsibilities. And then he learned his brother Brian and his wife, Maura, were about to add a baby boy, Luke, to their Middleburg-based family, meaning he soon would be called Uncle Drew.
And so, he decided to move back to his home town “because I wanted to be close to family, and to be here for that.”
Not long after he arrived, he attended a monthly “Bizz Buzz” meeting of the Middleburg Business and Professional Association at Slater Run Vineyards. That early evening, he was chatting with Will Nisbet, the highly-respected development director at The Hill School, and MacMahon told him about what he’d been doing professionally over the past few years.
Nisbet’s wife, Eloise Repeczky, is the widelyregarded executive director of the Windy Hill Foundation, the iconic local institution that provides affordable housing for over 300 lower-income and senior residents in Middleburg, The Plains, Marshall and Sterling. When Nisbet told her about his conversation with MacMahon, she clearly was intrigued.
Long story short, with a very happy ending, Drew MacMahon, now 35, joined Windy Hill last September as its director of property and asset management. According to the foundation's
website, “He oversees the physical and financial performance, capital improvements and renovations of Windy Hill-owned properties.
So far, it’s been a fabulous match, according to Repeczky. “Drew is dedicated to cultivating and supporting a robust network of vendors, as well as fostering positive collaboration between residents, property management, and other key stakeholders to ensure seamless operations.”
“Drew joined Windy Hill Foundation in September, 2024 and has been instrumental in supporting Windy Hill’s mission,” she said. “He’s a steady, solutions-focused leader and his experience and commitment to excellence ensures that our properties remain safe, well-maintained homes for the individuals and families we serve. I’m grateful for his dedication to our Windy Hill neighbors.”
Before joining Windy Hill, MacMahon had extensive experience in real estate, asset and property management handling luxury apartments, individual homes, commercial real estate and much more with firms in Washington, D.C., Arlington, and his last stop in Raleigh.
“My past work has always been with for-profit businesses and focused a lot on eliminating costs and driving revenue,” he said. “Now, it’s shifted to taking care of all the people who live there and making sure their needs are met. I have the same responsiveness to our Windy Hill residents as I had for people who lived in $10,000 a month luxury apartments I used to manage. And whatever the foundation needs, I’ve probably had some kind of experience doing it.”
You might say some of that experience also came naturally, considering that his father Paul—“my role model in real estate and everything else”—is the long-time head of Middleburg-based SheridanMacMahon realtors.
Drew MacMahon has other helpful experiences these days, as well.
He was a fine athlete in high school, played two years of varsity basketball at Washington College before transferring and eventually graduating from James Madison University in 2013. He’s a licensed Virginia real estate agent, holds a construction safety license, is a public notary, an accredited residential manager and has a Washington D.C. inclusionary zoning license.
Oh yes, he’s also an outstanding professional soccer referee at the youth, middle, high school, college and pro level, officiating as many as 150 games a year. And that’s clearly been an asset in his line of work, as well.
“It definitely helps with your people management and emotional management skills in high pressure situations,” he said. “You’ll have 22 guys on the field and their coaches screaming at you, not to mention the crowds. But I definitely enjoy it.”
The same holds true of his return to his home town.
“I go to Windy Hill board meetings with people who’s kids I went to school with,” he said.
And being an uncle to now two-year-old Luke has been a great joy, as well, probably the best benefit of all.
Drew MacMahon
Drew with his nephew, Luke.
Drew MacMahon is a highly-regarded, very busy soccer official.
Expansive 240-Acre Estate in the Shenandoah Valley
2 BEDROOMS | 2 FULL + 1 HALF BATHS | $3,799,999
Willard Scott spent decades as one of America’s most beloved television personalities, bringing smiles and cheer to millions of viewers every morning on NBC’s Today show. From his famously upbeat weather reports to his cherished “Smucker’s Birthday Salutes” for centenarians across the country, Willard’s joyful spirit made him a household name. But after a career spent in front of the cameras, Willard chose a quieter, simpler life in the rolling hills of Raphine, Virginia—a place he lovingly called Willardville. His sprawling estate, set on over 240 acres of breathtaking Shenandoah Valley landscape, became his sanctuary. With panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, wide open pastures, and a blend of rustic and modern dwellings, the property was a true reflection of Willard’s love for nature, family, and community. At the heart of the estate stands the custom Lindal home, complete with a grand stone fireplace and an expansive deck. Scattered nearby are the charming Granary Cabin, the Wood Shed, the Middle and Spring Houses, and a beautifully restored 1880s bank barn. Together, they create the feeling of a small, welcoming village—one of the many reasons he affectionately called it Willardville. Willard often rode his Gator across the land, his dog by his side, tending his garden, entertaining friends and family, and savoring the slower pace of life. It was here, among the rolling fields and springfed creeks, that he truly felt at home. In 2015, Willard made his final appearance on the Today show— not from a studio, but from his beloved barn at Willardville. His dear friend and longtime colleague Al Roker traveled to Raphine to film the segment live, a fitting tribute to Willard’s remarkable career in a place that perfectly captured his heart. His daughter, Mare, recalled the surreal experience of watching TV crews set up in the early morning hours in their own backyard. Even in retirement, Willard’s estate remained an open, welcoming space—a place for family gatherings, quiet reflection, and meaningful moments. It wasn’t just where he lived—it was where he found peace and the truest version of home. Willard Scott passed away in 2021, but his spirit lingers here—in the land he loved, in the homes he built, and in the legacy of Willardville.Perhaps its next story is waiting for you.
BOB DORNIN:
A Hill Institution Heads Into Retirement
“You don’t work hard at anything unless you love it.”
By Leonard Shapiro
Bob Dornin has been associated with the Hill School in one way or another his entire life. His late father began teaching there in 1960, including a year with his son (Class of 1972) in his own classroom. Over the last 23 years, he’s been the school’s beloved grounds supervisor. And so much more.
Now, at age 67, Dornin is a few months into retirement, what he described as “an easy decision because the timing just seemed right.”
Asked what he’ll miss and his face lights up, because here comes the so much more.
In addition to nurturing and maintaining the school’s always gorgeous 137-acre campus, Dornin had another daily task starting at 8 a.m. As parents drove their children up the driveway to the drop-off circle to start the day, for many years he and longtime teacher Don Woodruff would be waiting at the curb in front of the main building. Since the Covid outbreak, he’s been paired with director of enrollment Kelly Johnson doing the same thing.
“We greet the youngest children when they arrive every morning,” he said. “Our job is to get the littlest guys out of their cars and safely into the school. I’m now definitely proficient in unlocking at least thirty different varieties of child car seats. That’s one of the things I’m really going to miss.”
The school, of course, will miss his meticulous attention to detail all around, maintaining its wooded areas, spectacular shrubbery, gorgeous gardens, blooming meadows and well-manicured playing fields. There’s also a 1 1/4-mile paved trail constantly utilized by walkers, runners and cyclists grateful to have such an accessible, spectacular path so close to the village.
“I’ve been doing it for 23 years and I worry about the place every waking hour,” Dornin said. “I think about it all the time, and it’s been a labor of love all these years. You don’t work hard at anything unless you love it.”
Over the last twenty years, he’s worked side-by-side with Jose Duran of Paradise Landscaping in Linden. Duran will essentially take over Dornin’s role on the dayto-day maintenance of the property, with Paradise still involved when necessary.
Dornin and his wife Claudia live near The Plains about six miles down the road from Hill. He admitted, with a smile, that it may be a little difficult for a while to drive down The Plains Road and past the school into Middleburg.
“I guess you could say I don’t want to see it if it’s not being taken care of well,” he said. “And I probably won’t want to see it if it looks much better than when I left. But no matter what, I’ll always peek. You can’t help but peek.”
The Dornins plan to do a little traveling and Bob said, “for the first few months, I’ll look after my own property for a change…What I know is plants and trees. I had thought about staying at Hill part-time, but when it came down to it, I decided it was probably best to make a clean break.”
In addition to all those mornings helping young children into the school, Dornin said he’ll also miss the daily interaction with many of his Hill colleagues, now among them, he said proudly, his daughter Sarah, a teacher at the school.
In early June, they gave him and retiring academic dean Hunt Lyman a warm send-off at the annual faculty-staff-board dinner.
“I’m going to miss the camaraderie of my co-workers here,” he said. “Probably more than anything else. It’s a very special place.”
Photo by Leonard Shapiro Hill School’s Bob Dornin
Using the Sun to Protect Wildlife
By Matt Sheedy and Heidi Lesinski
The Blue Ridge Wildlife Center knows that conserving wildlife is not just about veterinary services and rehabilitation. It’s also about protecting the environment that sustains both wildlife and humans. That’s why BRWC recently installed a 54.5 kW rooftop solar power system to further align the organization’s operations with its conservation mission.
For more than a century, Virginia’s electricity has been powered largely by fossil fuels, especially coal and natural gas. These energy sources come with a steep environmental price: mountaintop removal in Appalachia, polluted rivers, toxic air emissions, large water demands and greenhouse gases that fuel extreme storms and rising temperatures. Although progress has been made, renewables still only account for approximately 12 per cent of Virginia’s energy production.
We often think of climate change and environmental degradation in terms of human costs, but wildlife pays the highest price. The devastating forest fires in the American West have received a lot of attention but Virginia has also seen a growing number of fires driven, in part, by climate change. They are catastrophic for wildlife.
In addition, many species of wildlife, such as brook trout and salamanders, lose critical cold-water habitats as streams warm. Birds face disorientation and death from pollution and intense storms. And Virginia’s iconic species, from the woodland box turtle to the red-cockaded woodpecker, suffer from fragmented and degraded ecosystems.
Switching to solar power sharply reduces these threats. Unlike coal or gas, solar panels produce zero air or water pollution and require no fuel extraction or transportation, thus preserving the surrounding landscape and reducing the
burden on native species.
Solar panels also are a symbol and a teaching tool. The hospital hosts thousands of schoolchildren, community groups, and nature lovers each year, and will now include solar education in its programming. Visitors can see realtime data on how much energy the panels are producing, how much carbon they’re offsetting, and what that means in everyday terms. For example, how many trees would be needed to absorb the same amount of CO2.
“We’re showing people that clean energy isn’t some abstract concept,” said Blue Ridge Executive Director Annie Bradfield. “It’s right here on our roof, helping us save owls, turtles, foxes, and eagles, while supporting the principles of One Health, which recognize that the health of people is deeply connected to the health of animals and our shared environment.”
With electricity costs steadily rising, the wildlife hospital expects to save hundreds of thousands of dollars over the life of the project, funds that will be redirected toward veterinary care, educational outreach, training and research.
BRWC also worked closely with its installer, Mountain View Solar, to secure the 40 per cent federal incentives currently available for clean energy projects. Mountain View also did the work on the new system with minimal disruption to daily operations. A smart monitoring system also was added to provide real-time information about performance and maintenance needs.
Notably, recently signed federal legislation will rapidly phase out most or all of the currently authorized federal incentives for installing new solar panels. Those interested in making this environmentally friendly decision should act quickly.
Matt Sheedy and Heidi Lesinski are on the board of directors at BRWC.
Solar panels now at Blue Ridge Wildlife Center.
Using the Xray machine at Blue Ridge Wildlife Center.
What We Did On Our Vacation
By Bailey Davis
Long-time Middleburg resident Bailey Davis was kind enough to share a very long and fascinating letter she sent her parents more than 50 years ago describing what she and her husband, Brad, had encountered while making their way across Europe, then on to their final destination in Beirut, Lebanon. This is Part Two, with more adventures to come.
It was off to the Italian border through the Mont Blanc tunnel, really an architectural feat. It’s nine miles long through solid mountain and ascends all the way at a 12 degree angle.
We were headed for Verona, which friends said was a must. It was. Verona is an old Roman city with an amphitheater, aqueducts, palaces, and open markets. It’s the home of Romeo and Juliet and you’re able to see a replica of Juliet’s balcony, but not allowed in the family homes.
Bailey and Brad Davis
The market square was right in the center of the old section, with all the goods displayed under umbrellas. Some of the Italian goods are far superior to those of the English, and one really can purchase gloves for several dollars, and shoes and purses for a reasonable price.
That evening, we saw a great music performance in the amphitheater. Sitting there really gives you an eerie feeling to be part of both past and present. You can picture the great Roman gladiators performing in the amphitheater, even while the lights of the modern city brighten the night.
A day later, we were off for Venice, one of the most fascinating cities we visited, dazzling with its canals, architecture, art, and shops. The mosaic work which covers almost the entire huge surface of the Church of San Marco is almost too much to comprehend. You wonder how people could do such work because it would be prohibitive to duplicate these days. Venice is rich with everything, including tourists and unfortunately, we could only spend a day there. After all, we still had some 3,000 miles to go.
On Sunday, with church bells ringing, Bailey and Brad in jeans head for Zagreb, Yugoslavia. Upon arriving at the border, one notices a definite change in terrain and attitude. The border becomes more than just a traffic checkpoint. They check you out very closely, and if you are not on their blacklist, you finally get a visa.
Yugoslavia is beautiful with mountains, lush green valleys, pine forests, and rushing rivers. We had now come about a thousand miles and The Blue Bomb hadn’t given us any trouble. We traveled through the rolling mountains onto the flat plains where you really begin to get the feeling that this is a controlled and more antiquated country than its western neighbors.
We were soon headed for Zagreb, the second largest city in Yugoslavia. Just outside the main city center, I noticed the gearshift wouldn’t go into third. Soon, I couldn’t put it anywhere. Holding up traffic with everyone screaming at us in Serbian and us back in English, we pushed the car over to the side and headed for the nearest hotel, hoping someone
could do something about our lovely car.
After walking a mile we got help and were towed to the nearest VW fix-it shop. We were told to return at 6:30 Monday morning to talk with the mechanics. That was a laugh. The man didn’t speak a word of English and I must admit my Serbian ain’t so hot either. We soon realized it was going to be a big job and not to return until late that evening.
Anyway, we spent about a day and a half in Zagreb and found it quite fascinating. The center reminds you of pictures of Moscow—gray buildings, uninteresting storefronts, row houses, antique trams and people dressed in heavy dull tweeds, all with virtually the same expression on their faces. It really epitomized our imagined thoughts of Russia.
That evening, after walking for about two hours, we discovered the best restaurant in all of Zagreb in a back alley. It was The Star, where we had the local favorite lamb shish-kebab
The next day, the Blue Bomb was now ready to go and we headed for Bulgaria.
To be continued.
Wake Forest • Washington & Lee • Colgate • Bowdoin
University of North Carolina • University of Richmond
University of St. Andrews • McGill University
Michelle Lane-Smithwick, (Michelle Lane, RN, MSN), owner of Middleburg Home Care, Inc., and Med Spa of Middleburg, LLC, is happy to announce that her daughter, Marilyn J. Clisham in the white blouse, shown here at the Med Spa’s Ribbon Cutting Ceremony last year, has started her first year at Tulane University School of Medicine this month.
Tulane University School of Medicine is ranked in the top 100 Medical School in the United States and has an Acceptance Rate of only 1.4% of the nearly 15,000 students who apply each year. Marilyn told her Medical School Interviewers that both seeing her mother building and running healthcare businesses, and with Marilyn eventually joining the businesses, learning how to take excellent care of patients; and most importantly, visiting hospitals while watching her mother battle and beat metastatic cancer years ago, despite her doctors only giving her mother a two years life-expectancy, all inspired her to become a physician.
Multiple medical schools extended openings to Marilyn, in their first-year medical schools classes. She choose Tulane because of its excellent reputation plus, she also earned both a Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry and a Master’s Degree in Neuroscience in, only five years, from Tulane University.
Others pictured with Marilyn, Left to Right are: Vice Mayor, Town of Middleburg, Chris Bernard; Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, Little River District, Laura A. TeKrony; Board of Supervisors Member at Large, Phyllis J. Randall; Marilyn’s mother, Michelle Lane-Smithwick; Marilyn J. Clisham and Councilman, Town of Middleburg, J. Kevin Daly.
Baseball Is Back At Mickie Gordon Memorial Park
There’s no paving, no towering lights, just a faithful homage to Middleburg’s and the park’s past
By Bridge Littleton
AA Memo from the Mayor
fter years of effort and community persistence, it’s awesome to see baseball has once again returned to the hallowed grounds of Mickie Gordon Memorial Park.
What many recall as Hall’s Field—where African American teams like the Middleburg Braves played for decades during segregation—is now reclaiming its rightful place as a site of communal celebration and a rich history of baseball.
The Board of Supervisors approved Concept A in October, 2024, allocating funds to convert the lighted cricket field back to baseball, and construction began in January, 2025, finishing up this past April.
This restoration embodies the heartfelt demand of our community: reinstate the baseball diamond while honoring the park’s rustic, rural character. There’s no paving, no towering lights, just a faithful homage to Middleburg’s and the park’s past.
Already, the Middleburg Commanders American Legion baseball team has been playing summer games at the ballpark, reinforcing the bond of local tradition and supporting youth sports.
What’s next?
Loudoun County Parks, Recreation & Community Services (PRCS) has incorporated Mickie Gordon Park into its Capital Improvement Plan. The CIP prioritizes:
• The Concept A upgrades, including the restored baseball field, preservation of existing unpaved parking and roads, and installation of natural-surface trails with interpretive signage celebrating Hall’s Park’s history.
• Community-led design process : PRCS paused prior cricket-centric development to solicit town input, ensuring future plans reflect Middleburg values.
• Alternate cricket venues: To sustain county-wide demand, PRCS commits to opening additional cricket pitches elsewhere—two at Hanson Regional Park in spring, 2025 and more at Dulles South by fall, 2026—so that Mickie Gordon can stay true to its baseball legacy.
As the park moves into design and eventual construction phases for the remaining restoration, our goals remain steadfast: celebrate the return of baseball, reinforce Middleburg’s rural charm, and spotlight the park’s decades-long role in African American history.
But this progress also depends on all of us—the local community must actively use and support the park to demonstrate its value. If we don’t, there’s a risk that PRCS may revert to past plans that overlook the needs and character of Middleburg. Baseball, picnics, walking trails, and weekend games. These aren’t just pastimes, they’re proof of purpose.
Baseball’s return to Mickie Gordon Memorial Park was more than just opening day. It’s a homecoming of history, community, and heritage. As PRCS progresses with its CIP, Middleburg stands proud, ready not only to cheer on summer games but to steward a beautiful, meaningful park for generations to come.
We honor our past, embrace the present, and invest in a future that respectfully blends them all.
Mayor Bridge Littleton
Jill Brabant Always Finds Time To Paint
JBy Joe Motheral
ill Brabant teaches art at the Signal Hill Elementary School in Manassas and works on her own paintings “late at night, an hour or two, and on weekends, too.”
And how long does it take her to finish a piece?
“It depends,” she said. “It could some times take me two or three hours, some times three or four sessions.”
Jill’s work, primarily still life and florals, has often been displayed at Artists in Middleburg.
“My garden is a big inspiration,” she said. “When I started painting I just wanted something beautiful to paint. But now it’s connection with friends who enjoy the simple joys of life. I have flowers given to me by my friends and potted passed down from my grandmother. Each plant has a special meaning to me. It’s really that connection between family and friends.”
One of her idols is Henri Fantin-Latour, a 19th century French artist who also did florals and portraits. Brabant is now starting to pain landscapes, as well.
“It is important to work on all genres—still life, portraits and landscapes,” said Brabant, who added that outdoor (plein air) painting
also has been a good fit. “My love of nature and capturing the light has made me more interested in landscapes.”
She’s been an artist most of her life. A native of Rochester in upstate New York, she attended the Rochester School of Art. Before turning to teaching, she worked as a graphic designer for 25 years. She said that experience has definitely influenced her art because of its “strong and dynamic composition.”
“Art is like peeling an onion,” she said. “The more you do, the more you learn. Your hand has to catch up with your head. When you first start, your technical ability is not there. I always feel like I’m learning new things.”
Brabant primarily paints with oils but has also dabbled in watercolor.
“I like oils because you can go think with it,” she said of her paintings she describes as “realistic impressionisms. I like oil because you can scrape it off with a knife. With watercolor you have to pre-plan.”
She’s also a member of the Artists in Middleburg plein air group. One of her recent best in show paintings was a large garden scene and the “beautiful hydrangeas…A lot of times its gardens and gardening. I have a real connection between the two.”
Photo by Joe Motheral Artist Jill Brabant
ROCKBURN
75 acres | $5,500,000
Marshall – c. 1828 Stone Manor, 7 BRs / 8.5 BAs and 8 fireplaces. Traditional yet elegant with comfortable family spaces. Blue Ridge Mtn views, barn, log cabin, tenant house and workshop.
SPRING HOUSE
1+ acres | $1,650,000
Middleburg – 4 BR / 4 full BA colonial home, updated and meticulously cared for. Great loaction, move-in ready. Peaceful country living, Blue Ridge Mountain views.
RECTORTOWN RD.
.83 acres | $949,000
Marshall – American Four-Square home offers 4 BRs / 4.5 BAs w/over 3,700 sq
OAK RIDGE FARM
54+ acres | $2,925,000
Markham – Renovated stone and cedar house with stunning views of the Cobbler Mountains. Includes 2-car garage, separate office/studio pool house & pool. Also, 3 BR / 2 BA cabin.
BOB WHITE DRIVE
.62 acres | $1,092,000
Warrenton – 5 BR / 5 BA home in Warrenton Chase. Gourmet kitchen, screened in back porch, finished basement and a 3-car attached garage. Easy access to walking trails, tennis courts and pool.
ASHBY'S TAVERN
1+ acres | $785,000
Paris – Unique property with two houses and two outbuildings anchoring the village of Paris and neighbor to the famed Ashby Inn. Zoned Village/ Commercial this property offers many options.
NORTHWOOD
3 acres | $1,985,000
Middleburg – Fully updated brick Colonial in sought after Middleburg Downs. Mature trees, stone walls, fenced garden with a garden shed, and lush landscaping that surrounds the house.
HATCHER'S COTTAGE
.44 acres | $967,000
Upperville – Thoughtfully renovated offering the rustic charm of hunt country with the comfort and style of today. Refined and inviting spaces. Pool house and separate 2 car garage.
PARKER STREET
2+ acres | $325,000
Upperville – Rare village offering! Buildable parcel is a unique opportunity for expanded living or future investment. Peaceful, private, and within walking distance to village favorites.
Perspectives on Childhood, Education, and Parenting
Time to Pay Attention to the Smallest Events
“We all know that something is eternal...and that something has to do with human beings.” — From the play “Our Town,” by Thornton Wilder
By
Tom Northrup
Thornton Wilder stated that a major theme of his classic play, “Our Town,” “is an attempt to find value... for the smallest events in our life.”
One such small event in my life occurred in a high school English class when the teacher asked me to read the part of the young George Gibbs and my future wife, Ann (whom I didn’t know well at the time), to play Emily Webb. In the play George and Emily later marry. Perhaps the teacher was prescient.
I’ve always loved “Our Town.’
As a lifetime teacher, for me the month of July has served as a time for reflection, planning, and gratitude. Despite being retired for seven years, this routine is deeply ingrained. And, I would recommend it for parents of school aged children, regardless of their careers. It’s an excellent time to take stock and consider the bigger picture.
Going with theme of paying attention “to the smallest events,” I would offer the following observations for parents:
—That end of year “fixed point in time” testing results in which your child
Joyce Gates and Long & Foster Real Estate are pleased to announce the anticipated opening of BLUEBIRD
is compared to a larger norm group have limited value. Overemphasizing their importance can drain adult emotional energy and cause needless anxiety for the child and parent.
Instead, a better alternative is to evaluate your child’s progress in isolation. Is the trend line up or down? Either way, try to understand the contributing factors.
Accept that growth is incremental and adult patience is required. Adopting a long-term view is a healthy mindset.
—Remember, as the parent, it is your responsibility to establish guidelines around smart phone availability and use, chores, and bedtime. Your children may chafe at the structure, but will appreciate you later.
—Encourage and support your child’s interests and friendships.
In “Our Town,” Thornton Wilder recognized, nearly a century ago, before television, computers, or smartphones became major factors in distracting us, the difficulty that we all have in our ability to “find value in the smallest events of our life.”
Throughout the ages, for all human beings, being truly present has been a challenge. While reflecting and planning are essential for our individual and our family’s well being, so, too, is paying attention to the seemingly mundane–every day.
Tom Northrup is a long-time educator and Head of School Emeritus at The Hill School in Middleburg.
Tom Northrup
NEWS & NOTES
Dodona Manor Gets Huge Boost From County
Loudoun County has approved a $1.5 million investment to support the construction of a new state-of-the-art museum and visitor support facility on the grounds of Dodona Manor in Leesburg, the former home of General George C. Marshall.
This transformative project, led by the George C. Marshall International Center, will significantly expand educational opportunities and visitor engagement in Loudoun County, while preserving and promoting the enduring legacy of one of America’s greatest statesmen.
“We’re grateful to Loudoun County for providing support for this new facility, which will offer county students world-class leadership training, boost the local economy and serve as a hub for civic and community events,” said Tom Greenspon, Chairman of the George C. Marshall International Center. “This lasting resource will help us share General Marshall’s values of integrity, service and leadership with more people than ever before.”
The Marshall Center works to preserve historic Dodona Manor and share the legacy of one of Loudoun County’s most esteemed residents. It also works with Loudoun County and the Town of Leesburg to host the annual Veterans Day ceremony.
The new building, located in a corner of Dodona Manor’s attractive grounds, will serve as the hub for the Marshall Center’s expanding Ethical Leadership Program, which provides high school students with a foundational understanding of character-driven leadership — free of charge.
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The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and departments of Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) and Transportation and Capital Infrastructure recently celebrated the grand opening of the Ashburn Recreation and Community Center.
Located at 21105 Coopers Hawk Drive in Ashburn, the two-story facility features a 50-meter competition pool, leisure pool, spa, the largest full-size gymnasium in the PRCS system, sensory room, multipurpose room with a teaching kitchen, licensed preschool and childcare classrooms, offices and meeting spaces.
The facility’s indoor basketball gymnasium will have twelve basketball hoops and include game line markings for basketball, badminton, pickleball and volleyball. The second floor consists of fitness areas, a running track, a dedicated cycling studio, spectator seating for the competition pool and a viewing area for the leisure pool.
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Local historian Marc Leepson will talk about his latest book, “The Unlikely War Hero,” as part of the Middleburg Library Advisory Board’s local author and writer series on Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 6 p.m. at the Emmanuel Church Parish Hall in Middleburg.
The book tells the incredible tale of the youngest and lowest-ranking American POW captured in North Vietnam and held at the so-called Hanoi Hilton. Doug Hegdahl has never been properly recognized for his extraordinary efforts. It’s a story of survival—his own and scores of POWs.
Golden Rule Builders based in Catlett has been voted one of the top three Best Home Builders in Virginia in the 2025 “Best Of Virginia” awards by Virginia Living Magazine.
For over 35 years, Golden Rule has been designing and building homes that enhance the lives of Virginia families, especially those planning for multigenerational living, aging in place, or creating their dream forever home.
“We’re grateful to our clients, community, and team members who made this possible,” said owner Joel Barkman. “This recognition is a meaningful reminder of why we do what we do—and who we do it for.”
Courtesy of Dodona Manor Dodona Manor in Leesburg.
Rich Gillespie, Historian Emeritus and VPHA Board member, provides first person accounts of soldiers killed in the battle there 162 years earlier. Kirkby Farm house in the background.
Report and photos from Tom deButts
The Virginia Piedmont Heritage Association recently hosted a presentation at Kirkby Farm in Upperville to explore “The Hardest Fight I ever Saw”: The Battle of Upperville. On the162nd anniversary of that battle, the program focused on a farm where the heaviest fighting took place in the lead up to the Gettysburg campaign in June, 1863.On ground protected in perpetuity by conservation easement, historian Bob O’Neill, author of “Small but Important Riots: The Cavalry Battles of Aldie, Middleburg, and Upperville,” led a walk through Kirkby Farm (then known as the Thomas Farm). He told stories of those who lived through it from the Union and Confederate armies, and the civilians who witnessed this dramatic moment that would change their lives and their community forever.
The room was swinging and dancers were swaying and the music put everyone In The Mood at the National Sporting Library & Museum when the first edition of the Summer Concert Series moved indoors due to rain. The Silver Tones Swing Band and the three Silver Belles were delightful.
Experiences Rich in
Flavor
Indulge in vibrant and flavorful creations meticulously prepared with the fines locally sourced ingredients from Virginia’s Piedmont region.
As Virginia’s newest Forbes Five-Star restaurant, every exquisite bite sets a new standard for culinary excellence.
Photo by Leonard Shapiro.
Charlotte deButts and Robin Short.
It’s Mahjong Madness in Middleburg These Days
By Leonard Shapiro
Whenever Michelle McNaughton attended a trade show to purchase merchandise for The Playroom, her unique Middleburg child learning oriented toy, puzzle and game shop, in recent years she noticed an ever-increasing number of displays promoting the sale of the centuries-old Chinese tile game known as mahjong.
“I remember thinking, ‘I’m in the game industry, and I better learn what this is all about,’” McNaughton said. And so, she purchased a start-up kit to learn how to play, began practicing on line and then with friends Andrea Rossini and Linda Huntington, who already knew the game. Almost immediately, “I loved playing it.”
These days, she is not alone.
McNaughton was so smitten she decided to spread the joy. Late last year, with the urging of her friend and Playroom colleague, Susan Grayson, she organized the first meeting of the Middleburg Mahjong Club that she and Grayson co-hosted. The group now gathers from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the second and fourth week of the month, at the Middleburg Emmanuel Church parish house.
At a Middleburg Business and Professional Association “Bizz Buzz” meeting last year, McNaughton had spoken to Emmanuel Rector Gene LeCouteur about her fondness for the game and her idea about forming a local group. He graciously offered her the use of the church.
There are now 50 members, with at least 25 to 30 attending each of the Wednesday gatherings and 70 on its ever-growing e-mail list. It’s mostly all women from around the area, with one male in the mix, the boyfriend of another player.
Participants pay $5 per session, which all goes back to the church. On that second Wednesday, in addition to regular games of four players each, McNaughton and several others help teach mahjong to newbies at several training tables. Almost all of the rookies are ready to play for real after the first instructional session. On the fourth Wednesday, everyone plays. And pot luck snacks and beverages make both nights an overall delicious experience, to say the least.
“Pretty much everyone in that room has learned the game in the past six months,” McNaughton said. “We’re all very encouraging to each other and we want more people to join. When you look around the room, there are 20-year-olds, 70-year olds and everything in between. It’s a great way to connect with people in the community you might never get to know.”
According to Time magazine, “mahjong was a relatively modern game that developed in the midto-late 1800s, around the Yangtze River Delta. By the end of the 1800s, it was spreading in popularity in China, but mostly only in specific urban centers like Shanghai and Beijing. But in the early 1920s, it developed this international reputation, which helped spread interest in China as well.”
In 1937, a group of New York area Jewish women
formed the National Mahjong League (NMJL), the better to set standards and host tournaments. And according to Anita Luu and Christi Cavallero’s book, “Mahjong: From Shanghai to Miami Beach, “Throughout World War II the game continued to be played among Jewish women’s circles as it increased in popularity and became more prevalent in their lives.”
While men were off at war, Luu and Cavallero wrote, “women found mahjong to be an inexpensive form of communal entertainment. In the urban setting of New York, particularly, the game quickly spread from friend to friend, mother to daughter.”
These days, McNaughton said, “it really is spreading everywhere. It’s a game of luck, chance and strategy. What I like about it is that when you’re playing, you don’t worry about anything, not ‘when am I going to do the laundry?’ or ‘when do I have to make dinner?’ You just play. It’s my version of meditation.”
Mahjong also can be a gambling game, but not at the Middleburg gatherings. Still, when a player wins and belts out the “MAHJONG!!!!” victory cry, a hearty cheer goes up from everyone around the room as if the winner had just hit Triple Sevens on a slot machine.
“Our Wednesdays are the highlight of my month,” McNaughton said. “Once you start playing, it’s like an addiction, You just can’t stop.”
Details: To join in, an Rsvp is necessary. More: Middleburgmahjong@gmail.com.
Photos by Donna Strama Michelle McNaughton, founder of the Middleburg Mahjong Club.
Club members Taylor Stine, Mary Stine, Katherine Weeden and Jennifer Marandola.
Welcome to The Black Market, a gourmet restaurant blending a farm-to-table ethos with the sophistication of an upscale market.
Guests are invited to enjoy our daily fare on-site, take home chefprepared meals and join us for an expertly crafted cocktail or a select glass of fine wine.
What once was lost now is found—Highland School’s student newspaper, The HawkEye, returned last winter year after an 18-year hiatus.
Created in 1999, the original publication was founded by a small group of students and their faculty mentor, Paul Horgan, who was also an upper school English teacher and lacrosse coach. The original HawkEye staff included three students — Reynolds Oare, Mark Miller, and Michelle (Perry) Pais — who decades later continue in their commitment to the school as coaches, which speaks volumes about the tight-knit community the HawkEye endeavors to celebrate.
Before planning the future of the student newspaper, the new co-editors—rising juniors Katie Johnson, Sarah Johnson, and Susan Pragoff —spoke with former staff members to successfully capture the original spirit of The HawkEye Michelle Pais rejoins The HawkEye as one of three advisors and gave the new editors advice on how to successfully run a school paper based on her time writing for local and national newspapers while studying at William and Mary.
Mark Miller, who served as a co-editor in 2001, also shared valuable lessons, saying, “My experience with The HawkEye helped me to become better at asking questions. The right questions can make for the best interviews. My job consists of asking questions all day. I always try to remember that I have two ears and one mouth. I should use them proportionately.”
The first edition of the reinstated HawkEye, a simple leaflet, was distributed to students on Feb. 3, 2025. Since then, two full editions have been published and the paper has expanded to a four-page magazine-style format. The HawkEye staff
Boyce – Perfectly located, charming 3 BR/1.5 BA huntbox, built in 1900. Remodeled and updated including exterior paint, new roof, and kitchen. Lovely views of the surrounding farms as well as the Blue Ridge Mountains. Four large paddocks w/water and excellent grazing. One paddock has been used as a schooling ring - flat with good drainage. Run-in sheds in each field. A 4 stall barn with tackroom and wash area located within walking distance of the house.
has also grown to five with the additions of Sophie Stolley (‘26) and Adrienne Randall (’27).
The co-editors agree the growth could not have been achieved without the support of many within the larger Highland community. The HawkEye grew from concept to reality with the support of Highland’s former Board of Trustees Chair Jody Warfield and Dean of Students Scott Pragoff.
In addition, John and Monica Siniff, former USA Today journalists and current Highland parents, met with HawkEye staff to offer advice on writing from the perspective of showing instead of telling, emphasizing that credibility demands removing bias in reporting news.
The HawkEye staff was also fortunate to receive a journalism seminar from Highland alum James Jarvis (‘14). After graduating from Highland, James earned his Master’s degree in Journalism from Georgetown University and actively reports in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. He also teaches at his alma mater and specifically helped the staff transition to journalistic writing.
“At first, it took a lot of time figuring out how to shift from essay writing to article writing,” Sarah Johnson said. “One of the best pieces of advice we received from Mr. Jarvis was to embrace the role of a ‘public servant with a notebook.’”
So what’s next for The HawkEye? Katie Johnson said she hopes that “in the next two years we can establish The HawkEye as an integral part of Highland and create a lasting framework to endure after we graduate in 2027.”
The group aims to publish monthly in the coming academic year.
Susan Pragoff of Warrenton is a rising junior at Highland School.
Bluemont – Main house renovated in 2020 including: new kitchen and bathrooms, hardi-plank siding, oak hardwood flooring and upgraded lighting throughout. Open floor plan, views of the Blue Ridge mountains. Other features: two-car garage, greenhouse, 10 stall horse barn, matted tack and feed rooms. Dog kennels w/ runs, attached machine shed. Adjoining 23-acre parcel (tax parcel 653158587) with two building envelopes is also available.
Highland editors (l-r) Susan Pragoff ’27, Sarah Johnson ’27 \and Katie Johnson ’27.
Just Who Would Tom Beckbe Be?
By Laura Longley
There’s always a back story to the birth of a successful brand, some quite arcane.
But how often does one begin with a stolen LL Bean jacket?
Radcliff Menge, co-founder of Middleburg’s Tom Beckbe store, wore a traditional LL Bean coat through his undergraduate years at the University of Virginia until, he said, “someone made off with it at a bar called Coupes.”
As luck would have it, he’d left another jacket back home in Winchester. That Handley High School graduation gift, a waxed jacket like those his grandfather wore on their Alabama fishing and hunting outings, became such a favorite that he wore it all through Washington & Lee law school. It even made the transition to New York where, Menge recalled, “every other young lawyer was wearing the same jacket: We all wanted to look like Sam Waterston in Law & Order.”
When he and his wife, fellow W&L lawyer Mary Menge, decided to move to Birmingham, Alabama, the jacket went with them. By 2013, they were toying with the notion of fabricating and retailing their own waxed jacket.
“I found this nice lady on the internet who fashioned patterns in muslin,” Menge said. “From those, Mary and I had the prototype for our signature ‘Tensaw’ jacket.”
Named for an Alabama river, that jacket spawned what Field & Stream calls “one of the last decade’s best new American hunting apparel brands—Tom Beckbe.”
And who is Tom Beckbe?
No one.
When it came time to christen the business, Menge reached back into his Alabama memory bank and pulled out the Tombigbee River, labeled on antique maps as “Tom Beckbee” or “Beckbe.”
The couple opened their first store in Birmingham, a second in Oxford, Mississippi and virtually the same week in October, 2024, they opened branches in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Middleburg, under the direction of co-managers Niki Stephenson-Campbell and Manuel Simpson.
Stephenson-Campbell previously owned a vintage shop on Washington Street. Simpson not only launched the town’s Lou Lou boutique but also went to Handley High. Another area local, Hastings Foote, transformed the former bank in the historic Noble House on the northwest corner of Washington and Madison streets into the pantheon of sporting apparel and gear.
“Radcliff’s a big duck hunter,” said Stephenson-Campbell, “and he puts some lovely details into the jackets—a little pocket here, a small zipper there, and then you’ve got one that holds your pocket open for your shotgun shells or your dog treats. And the red lining is a nod to the red clay of Alabama.”
The store is filled with newly arrived fall merchandise—leather duffel bags, whiskey totes, and, of course, jackets—the Timber Camo Tensaw, Piedmont, Chatom, and Fowler jackets and the Kinsman, Paddock, Braddock, and Loudoun vests. Meanwhile, the Menges are opening their fifth store, in Franklin, Tennessee while business also builds online and their partnership with Ducks Unlimited takes off.
The initiative with the nation’s leader in wetlands and waterfowl conservation marks Tom Beckbe’s first step in its larger effort to support conservation.
As Menge said online, “Tom Beckbe originated from a deep belief in the importance of passing the sporting tradition from one generation to the next. And there isn’t a group of people who are more deeply invested in environmental stewardship than the staff and members of Ducks Unlimited. We’re excited to support their mission with a collection of true heirloom products.”
Audiences Are Applauding ... Audiences Are Applauding ...
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Photo by Leonard Shapiro
There are sporty jackets galore and much more at Middleburg’s Tom Beckbe shop.
of Rose Hill Barns of Rose Hill
Folk Opera A Folk Opera Inspired by Inspired by Everlasting Love Everlasting Love
written by Suni Mackall Music by Morgan Morrison, Aimee Curl, and Melissa Wright
A Basketball Lifer Brings a Women’s Team to Loudoun
“There’s no better time than now to bring something like this to Loudoun.”
By Joe Motheral
Thanks to Ashley Koranteng and her brother Phillip, Loudoun County has been home this summer to a semi-professional women’s basketball team named Virginia Vitesse that plays in the 16-team Women’s American Basketball Association (WABA).
The franchise has a 10-game summer schedule—five home, five away— in a league that began nine years ago. The regular season runs from July through August, and the Virginia team practices in Purcellville and plays its home games at the Virginia Academy in Ashburn.
Ashley, a Sterling native who graduated from Dominion High School and has a Masters from George Mason University, has played or coached basketball most of her life. Her brother also loves the sport and they are co-owners of the Vitesse.
“Personally I just grew up loving basketball and interested in women’s basketball,” she said. “I’m very passionate about women’s sports. It’s growing in terms of interest. A huge boom in interest in women’s basketball. But there’s still not a lot of opportunities for women. So when I had the opportunity to be in this space I wanted to be very intentional about it”
Ashley Koranteng
The WABA had a significant expansion this year, and the North Division where Virginia plays has teams in Washington, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Richmond. Playoffs are scheduled in September and October.
And the name Virginia Vitesse?
“I took six years of French in school,” Ashley said, adding that the dictionary definition describes it as “the act or quality of acting or moving fast, rapidity.”
Players must be over 18 years of age and not eligible to play for NCAA college teams. Timothy Horden serves as head coach, with an assistant coach, Christina Stomberg. The franchise, funded primarily from sponsors, also has a nutritionist, sports medicine consultant and sports psychologist.
The players went through a series of tryouts earlier in the spring. Virtually all have played either high school, college or professional basketball. And many also hope to play professionally either in the WNBA or on pro teams around the globe.
“I think sometimes people get it mixed up that semiprofessional is not professional,” Ashley said. “It is professional. It just means that these women also have full time jobs and we’re not yet able to be paid a full time salary. But you know with the semi-professional space, they’re still competing at a professional level, still professional athletes.”
After graduating from Mason, she started coaching an AAU homen’s team and said she always enjoyed watching her young players make progress.
In 2023, Ashley started working with the WABA as a director of player health and wellness. Later, she was selected as one of 12 Human Performance and Equity Fellows that are part of a global program through the NBA and the San Antonio Spurs.
“I’m really passionate about operations and making sure people have what they need to be successful,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to work on a women’s team. This is an elite experience for development, and we want the feel to be very professional. There’s no better time than now to bring something like this to Loudoun.”
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.
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Voted Best Private School in Loudoun County for Six Consecutive Years
FUELING THE FUTURE:
Foxcroft’s Mars STEAM Building Takes Shape
By Leonard Shapiro
With the all-girl student body mostly scattered back to their hometowns all around the U.S. and abroad, the sounds of silence mostly dominated the lush campus of Middleburg’ s Foxcroft School earlier this summer.
Still, several hundred yards away from its stately main academic and administration buildings, the decibel level was considerably more discernible.
At a massive and ever-bustling construction site, Foxcroft’s future is being built brick by brick, cinder block by cinder block, and every other material necessary to assure the completion of this new building that will enhance an already world-class academic all-girls independent high school experience for years to come.
Hayley Munroe, Foxcroft’s director of institutional advancement, Julie Fisher, director of STEAM education and chair of the school’s fine arts department, and Bridgett Redding, project manager for the builder, Coakley & Williams Construction.
The centerpiece of a ten-year, four-phase project is the two-story, nearly 18,000-square foot Mars STEAM Building, scheduled to be completed in December, 2025 and to open its doors to faculty and students at the start of the second semester in January, 2026.
“You’ve probably heard of ‘STEM’ before,” said Hayley Munroe, Foxcroft’s Director of Institutional Advancement. “But for several years, Foxcroft has added the A (Arts) to the ‘STEAM’ curriculum and programming to highlight the synergy between science/technology, engineering/math and creativity and design principles.”
Cathy McGehee, who retired as Foxcroft’s 10th Head of School this past June after 11 incredibly productive years, was a driving force along with Foxcroft’s Board of Trustees, faculty, and administrators in launching this $65 million “Building For Our Future” campaign, currently in its fourth year.
During the first phase, Foxcroft’s Music Building was completely renovated to include a recital hall as well as small and large practice rooms. Of the four-phase campaign, Phase 2 will be the completion of the Mars STEAM Building, then Phase 3 will be the construction of the new Ruth T. Bedford 1932 Performing Arts Center, with a 330-seat theater, the largest such facility in Middleburg.
Phase 4 will finish the campaign with the renovation of Schoolhouse, Foxcroft’s main academic building. Once the entire campaign is completed, the STEAM Building, Schoolhouse, and the Performing Arts Center will be connected so that students can walk indoors to most of their classes, labs, collaborative rooms, and so much more.
About half the funds have been secured for the campaign.
“ The goal is to give our students state of the art facilities in everything we do,” Munroe said.
Julie Fisher, director of STEAM education and chair of the school’s fine arts department, said, “There’s going to be a great deal of collaboration in the entire academic program. These new facilities open up so many more possibilities, and by expanding our academic offerings, we offer students more choices and ultimately more career paths.”
McGehee added, “Girls tend to want to learn material in context, and so the STEAM Building is intentionally interdisciplinary in its layout and flexible spaces. For example, the STEAM Building includes an engineering and construction shop to support our theatre and arts programs. The photography dark room is across the hall from the chemistry/biology labs to support our interdisciplinary curriculum. The art of science is showcased in the scientific illustration class and in photography, the technological aspects of light and sound are tied to play production.”
“The goal is to give our students state-of-the-art facilities in everything we do.”
“Research shows that girls will pursue comparative science and engineering at higher levels when they are solving real world problems,” McGehee explained.
“Our curriculum for engineering is part of Purdue University’ s EPICS program (Engineering Projects in Community Service). As part of the Teen Maptivist program, our students are using platforms to map real neighborhoods around the U.S. that do not have satellite mapping, and address social issues in their communities.”
“Foxcroft has always valued service and it has a long history of participation in the greater Loudoun community,” Munroe said. “With this new facility, we can continue to be a physical location for a stronger community of collaboration and enrichment. We can be a creative hub for Middleburg and beyond.”
Fields like engineering, science, construction, and architecture are traditionally male-dominated. However, Munroe said she believes programs such as the ones Foxcroft is offering will have a major impact on increasing the number of women in all those fields.
Foxcroft students already have a role model at the STEAM Building construction site. The Project Manager for the construction company, Coakley & Williams Construction (CWC), is Bridgett Redding, who offered a guided tour of the construction site and clearly loves her work, hard hat and all.
And with all the construction going on, some students are also taking part in a for-credit seminar taught by the architects, engineers, and construction project managers.
“ These seminars,”Munroe said, “are designed to expose students to the design and construction industry, where women continue to be underrepresented. Project DesignBuild and STEAMBuild have had approximately 30 students enrolled.”
And at Foxcroft these days, those decibel levels are the welcoming sounds of progress.
Details: To learn more, head to foxcroft.org/campaign or email Hayley Munroe at hayley.munroe@foxcroft.org
Courtesy Foxcroft School A birds-eye look at the Mars STEAM Building at Foxcroft.
STEAM from the inside.
Join us for this historic milestone and secure your favorite seats for the entire year. By purchasing a full Season Subscription, you also save 10% on single tickets prices! Mark your calendars and don’t miss a single note of this spectacular season!
30th Anniversary Season Highlights:
All-American 250th: October 26 - 3PM
Thomas Pandolfi, piano
PSO Holiday Concert: December 7 - 3PM
The Nutcracker & Corelli Christmas Concerto
Young Artists Competition: February 15 - 3PM Lord of the Rings
PSO Live!: April 12 - 3PM
Special Contemporary Music Performance TBA!
ROCK-maninoff: June 7 - 3PM
Carlos César Rodriguez, piano
FOR TICKETS & INFORMATION: www.piedmontsymphony.org The PSO is Generously Funded in Part By:
HUMAN INTELLIGENCE
Change Is Coming But Are We Ready
By Hunt Lyman
Now that I’ve retired and actually stepped off the academic treadmill, I suspect I am getting an early glimpse of changes that many others will face in the next decade. The transition has already reinforced a truth for which I am deeply grateful: an education grounded in the humanities may soon be a rarity and, paradoxically, more valuable than ever.
The philosopher René Descartes once wrote, “From my childhood I lived in a world of books.”
As a former philosophy major and lifelong English teacher, I recognize that world instantly. Give me an hour, a book and a shaded porch, and I’m content to disappear into another mind, another era.
At the same time, today’s headlines tell a different story. Universities, under financial strain and public pressure, are shuttering humanities departments. Families reasonably want assurance that tuition will translate into stable employment and, ideally, a lucrative career. A degree in philosophy, literature, or history can look impractical next to computer science or finance.
Yet this planning feels shortsighted. Much of the optimism about “practical” majors rests on assumptions that may not survive the technological wave already cresting over us: artificial intelligence.
Commentators compare the AI revolution to the Industrial Revolution, with one crucial difference: Where the first mechanized physical labor, this one targets many of the mental tasks that have defined white-collar professionalism, including drafting contracts, interpreting scans, writing code, even teaching. Will careers vanish, or merely change? Will society still need experts to design, maintain, and monitor AI systems? Are there jobs so anchored in human connection that no algorithm can replace them? How fast will disruption arrive, and what safety nets, such as universal basic income and shorter work weeks, might we need?
Two conclusions seem clear. First, the jobs that once seemed protected by a college diploma will change, and many employers will require fewer people. Yesterday’s “safe” majors may soon rest on shakier ground than the ancient disciplines.
Second, if AI does shoulder more routine work, many of us will inherit something quite precious: time. The question is whether we’ll know how to use it. Education narrowly conceived as vocational training leaves graduates proficient in earning a living but sometimes unsure how to live when the work recedes. An education that invites students to wrestle with ideas, beauty, ethics, and the breadth of human experience cultivates inner resources that outlast any job description.
Literature, philosophy, art, and history are not luxuries; they are training grounds for empathy, imagination, and critical thought. They teach us to inhabit minds unlike our own and to weigh conflicting truths, skills a democratic society and an AI-mediated future will desperately need.
Change is always unsettling. Yet it also can liberate. If machines can relieve us of tasks that are repetitive, tedious, or dangerous, we have the chance to turn our attention to what makes us fully human: relationships, creativity, citizenship, contemplation, joy.
To seize that opportunity we must prepare, individually and collectively, to spend this newfound time wisely. That preparation begins in our schools and universities. By all means, let students master technology; they’ll need it. But let us also defend spaces where they can read a poem slowly, debate a moral dilemma, trace a melody, or sketch the shadows on a summer field.
Such experiences do not show up neatly in earnings tables, yet they equip us to meet uncertainty with resilience and to greet the future not merely as technicians, but as thoughtful, whole human beings.
Hunt Lyman
MODERN FINANCE
With Bitcoin, It’s Best to HODL
By Philip Dudley
Corporate CEOs are increasingly shifting some corporate treasury assets to Bitcoin (BTC), creating a Bitcoin treasury. A Bitcoin treasury refers to the practice of companies holding Bitcoin as a strategic asset on their balance sheets, similar to traditional reserves like cash, bonds, or gold.
Companies adopt Bitcoin as a treasury asset to hedge against inflation, diversify portfolios, capitalize on potential long-term appreciation, or align with business operations involving cryptocurrency. Then they Hold On for Dear Life (HODL).
This trend, popularized by MicroStrategy in 2020, has grown significantly, with over 250 organizations, including public and private companies, holding approximately 4 per cent of Bitcoin’s 21 million fixed supply as of mid-2025.
Why would a company executive do something that on the surface may seem foolish? Well, in some circles, it’s not so foolish at all, and here are a few key reasons why:
BTC is an inflation hedge. Its fixed supply makes it
an attractive hedge against fiat currency devaluation, especially in regions with high inflation (e.g., Argentina’s 211 percent peso inflation rate).
Diversification is a factor. Bitcoin’s low correlation with traditional assets like stocks or bonds offers portfolio diversification.
There is long-term appreciation as well. Companies like MicroStrategy view Bitcoin as “digital gold” with significant upside potential as the asset hits all-time highs.
It also offers operational functionality. Firms accepting Bitcoin payments, like those in retail or tech, may hold BTC to manage transactions or attract crypto-savvy customers. And finally, there are capital market opportunities as some companies raise funds through equity or debt to buy Bitcoin, leveraging market enthusiasm to boost shareholder value.
There are many risks to this strategy, such as volatility, regulatory uncertainty, custody and accounting complexity. However, the fog is lifting and that’s giving companies the confidence to adopt this treasury model.
As of mid-2025, public companies hold about 855,000 BTC (4 per cent of total supply), surpassing ETF growth in recent quarters.
So, who are some of the companies involved?
Strategy (formerly MicroStrategy) holds 531,644 BTC ($45 billion, 2.5 percent of total supply) as of
April, 2025. They pioneered the Bitcoin treasury model in 2020, raising over $21 billion through convertible debt and equity to fund purchases. Its “Bitcoin Yield” strategy focuses on increasing BTC per share.
Marathon Digita had 47,531 BTC ($4 billion) as of March, 2025. They are a leading Bitcoin miner, and they retain mined BTC as a treasury asset while expanding mining operations post-2024.
Tesla holds 11,509 BTC ($1.2 billion) as of December, 2024. The electric car company began holding Bitcoin in 2020 for liquidity and briefly accepted BTC payments. CEO Elon Musk has signaled openness to increasing holdings.
And finally, Block (formerly Square) holds 4,709 BTC ($500 million) and in 2024 committed to reinvest 10 percent of Bitcoin-related profits from Cash App and other crypto business into BTC.
The outlook seems to be bright for companies using a Bitcoin treasury strategy which is reshaping corporate finance with over 126 public firms holding 819,857 BTC (4 percent of supply).
However, not all strategies are equal and as Bitcoin adoption grows, companies must balance innovation with risk management to sustain their treasury strategies or risk succumbing to volatility and crypto winters. Caveat Emptor!
T. Huntley Thorpe III
Karen E. Hedrick
Robin C. Gulick
Philip Dudley
Virginia Piedmont Heritage Has New Executive Director
Alexander Nance, executive director of the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area since 2022, has announced his resignation effective in August in order to enroll as a student at the University of Virginia School of Law this fall.
His colleague, Ian MacDougall, the VPHA’s public events coordinator, will be taking over the executive director position, responsible for the organization’s administrative, development, and preservation advocacy portfolios.
Travis Shaw, the VPHA’s Director of Education, also has taken on new duties with the transition, in addition to his educational programming.
“It’s been an honor to serve our mission of “Preservation through Education” alongside such a dedicated staff, an engaged and supportive board, and so many passionate partners and community members,” Nance said. “I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to have worked in such an impactful organization to protect and celebrate the places that matter to our community. I look forward to seeing the organization continue to thrive in the years ahead.”
Said MacDougall, “It’s an honor and privilege to step into a position that’s been carefully and steadfastly helmed by Alexander Nance over the last three years, with an ever-growing, diverse range of educational programs provided by our Director of Education, Travis Shaw.
“I’m especially grateful to be working alongside an extremely supportive board of directors chaired by Jim Little. Their passion for preserving and sharing the region’s rich history helps fuel the Heritage Area’s programming. Together, I’m confident we will continue to strengthen the Heritage Area’s impact and ensure its stories remain vibrant and accessible for generations to come.”
The VPHA also has two intriguing events coming up in August.
On Sunday, August 10, it will host a program on “Lafayette’s Legacy: A Loudoun County Perspective” from 2-5 p.m. at Oatlands in Leesburg. Tickets are $50. August, 1825 saw thousands of excited citizens crowd the steps of the Leesburg Courthouse to welcome the visit of American Revolutionary War hero, the Marquis de Lafayette, as part of his nationwide tour. Exactly 200 years later, a panel of experts will discuss his life, the 1825 tour, and what his visit meant and continues to mean to the residents of Loudoun County.
On Thursday, August 28, at 6:30 p.m., the VPHA will host another program called “Desperate Flight: The Wanzer-Grigsby Escape” at Slater Run Vineyards in Upperville.
On Christmas Eve, 1855 six enslaved men and women escaped from several local plantations, risking everything for a chance at freedom. Historians and educators Lori Kimball and Donna Bohanon of Oatlands will provide an indepth look at the history and legacy of one of the most famous episodes in the history of the Underground Railroad. Tickets are priced at $50, and $40 for VPHA members.
Alex Nance
Ian MacDougall
4
3
Karen Crane Crafting The Future At Great Meadow
By Vicky Moon
Like so many others living in these pretty parts, Karen Hoovler Crane, the board chair of the Great Meadow Foundation, started riding horses as a little girl and says, “I’ve been very fortunate to grow up in our area.”
Over the years, she rode with many prominent local riders, including the late Winnie Howland of Warrenton. “She taught me how to break ponies and horses and I rode with her for many years,” Karen said. “She was also the first person to take me fox hunting with the Warrenton hunt as a child.”
Through the years, she’s gone out with the Warrenton, Casanova, Orange County, and Piedmont hunts.
“I still enjoy going cross country when time allows,” she added. “I have a long history with Great Meadow. My father, Chuck Hoovler was on the board early on and later served on the board of the Virginia Gold Cup.”
An accomplished landscape architect, she studied at the University of Virginia and finished with a Masters degree in four and a half years. Karen founded a successful landscape architecture firm, KHH, Inc. she led for 25 years.
She also served as president of the Virginia Chapter of Landscape Architects. Her work is reflected in designing and planning some of the region’s most vibrant and desirable communities, including Broadlands, Brambleton, Ashburn Farm and Ashburn Village.
Karen’s landscape architecture is reflected at Great Meadow.
“I built the water jump, which is no longer used in the center of the course about 25 years ago. The Hoovler family was close with the Arundel family for years. The late Nick Arundel founded Great Meadow. I’ve volunteered for various race meets over the years, serving as patrol judge, placing judge, steward’s secretary and clerk of scales.”
Karen’s goal with Great Meadow is to fulfill the venue’s mission of promoting equestrian sports, conservation and preservation of open space and to be a hub for community events.
“I want to fully utilize this beautiful 374-acre property to serve our equine community and our community at large,” she said. “We just hosted over 10,000 visitors for the ‘Big Boom’ this Fourth of July. It was a beautiful night.”
She’s also aiming to encourage more community involvement at Great Meadow.
“We want you to bring us your ideas for events, come share in the beauty of this open space and the many events we host over the year. We have a very full calendar of events.
“We are very fortunate to live in such a generous and supportive community,” she concluded. “But we need to appeal to everyone for their support to keep this property viable for now and in the years to come.”
Details: www.greatmeadow.org
Photo By Karen Monroe, Middleburg Photo Karen Crane is working hard for the future of the Great Meadow Foundation.
Celebrating 40 years of preserving and enhancing Great Meadow in The Plains
Wesley Hall with Michael Crane and her mother Karen Crane.
Mary Pat and Raymond Guest
Dinner from Executive Chef Bryce Cherven of Purple Onion Catering and flowers from Lacy’s Florist in Orange.
Julie Rau, Kara Krause, Bethann Beeman, Carol Polhemus
Lara Chance, James Ruffner, Montana Lanier Ruffner, Robert T. Rhoads and Sebastian and Sophie Langenberg.
Catherine Parris Kerkam and Bryan Benitz Jr.
Ray Regan, Margriet Langenberg Husain, Alan and Debbie Nash, Najaf Husain
HOME IMPROVEMENT
REMODELING FOR REAL LIFE
By Jeff Weeks
One of the questions we hear most often is: How can remodeling make every day life easier?
These days, home owners are not just looking for beautiful spaces, but for solutions. They want to reduce stress, improve flow, and make their homes work better for the way they actually live. That question sits at the heart of what we do, and over the next few months, we’ll explore how smart design can help families navigate the rhythms of the year, including backto-school transitions and seasonal gatherings.
Let’s start with August, when the slower pace of summer gives way to packed schedules, early mornings, and after school commitments. As families shift back into daily routines, homes are expected to support more structure and activity, from homework and conference calls to meal prep and sports schedules, and everything in between.
As families return to schedules, having the right spaces can make all the difference. Whether it’s managing Zoom meetings or homework time, an intentional setup promotes focus and flow.
The challenges involve location, with work spaces often placed in busy, hightraffic areas or poorly lit corners that often lead to distractions, frustration, and reduced productivity.
Many homes weren’t built to accommodate changing needs. Spaces designed for young children often need to evolve; what once held toys and play tables may later need to support homework, hobbies, or remote work.
Solutions?
Transform a guest room into a dual-purpose office and library by adding built-
Summertime is Time
ins for storage and a pull-out bed for flexibility.
Install a compact workstation under the stairs or in a hallway nook, pairing it with concealed storage and proper lighting to keep it both functional and unobtrusive.
Create separation in open layouts. Use cabinetry, sliding pocket doors, or acoustic panels to carve out defined zones for work or study, especially in homes without dedicated rooms.
Dedicated work and learning spaces reduce distractions, support focus, and minimize clutter. When designed thoughtfully, they improve daily function while blending seamlessly into the rest of the home.
Meanwhile, even as routines resume, August weather still invites time outdoors. Designing for indoor-outdoor integration allows families to enjoy warm weather without sacrificing comfort or convenience.
More challenges include limited access like narrow doorways or poorly placed exits that make outdoor areas feel disconnected and inconvenient to us. Patios and yards often go underused because they’re designed only for lounging. Without purpose, they become wasted square footage.
The solutions?
Open up key pathways. Install large folding or sliding doors off main living areas to create a seamless connection to the outdoors and encourage daily use. Unify inside and out by using matching or complementary flooring materials and color palettes to visually link indoor and outdoor spaces and create a natural flow.
You also can add features like overhead shade, ambient lighting, and ceiling fans so outdoor areas remain comfortable and usable throughout the day and into the colder seasons.
Jeff Weeks is a Bowa project manager.
Jeff Weeks
A Delicate Dance With Water and Wine
By Chris Patusky
Does all this rain help or hurt the wines? A few thoughts:
The grape vine is a beast. It can climb for 100 years and reach 100 feet in length. Its heart-shaped canopy of leaves possesses the magical ability to use sunlight and chlorophyl to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) into sugar (C6H12O6) and oxygen (O2).
So what happens when the water arrives in sheets from the skies during the growing season, as we’ve seen in recent weeks. You might think that more rain means more glucose. However, the vine and its enemies also have a large say in such things. If the rains come from January and into June, it does not directly impact the grape quality because the vines are not producing sugar in the grapes at this time.
So, we say “no sweat,” but not really, because the excess water fuels outbreaks of fungus, disease and pests, all of which can hurt the plants and, ultimately, the grapes. So high amounts of early rains can damage your grape quality.
The solution is skillful vineyard management.
If excessive rains come during the harvest season in late June through October, as the grapes sweeten, that can harm the wine. If it’s only overcast, then we’re not getting sufficient sunlight to photosynthesize the sugars in the grapes.
If there’s too much water, then climbing pH levels in the grapes make it hard to achieve the acidity levels necessary for a truly superb wine. And, if the rains cause the grapes to swell or split, then you’re looking at a raft of ripening and intensity challenges. Sometimes, these issues come to a head in August or September when the remnants of a large storm comes sloshing overland toward the vineyard. At that point, you’re testing the pH and sugars every
day and also watching the weather map.
“Should we bring it in, or should we let it hang?”.
Long-time vineyard veterans tell a tale that goes back for many years. They say that when it rains and rains, as in 2018, the mother vine feels grand, she knows she will survive the year, and she pours her energies into herself, sporting abundant radiant leaves. She stands up tall, lives it up, and neglects her children, leaving them undernourished.
But, when the rains don’t come, as in 2023, the mother vine fears that she will indeed die, and so
she turns to the survival of her kind. She slows leaf production, and she directs her energies into producing the sweetest of grapes. That ensures their appeal to the birds, who will come and scatter the seeds, and continue the survival of her line.
I would suggest the next time you visit a Virginia winery, try a 2018 and a 2023 of the same wine. Then you decide for yourself what the rains and the drought can do.
Chris Patusky and his wife, Kiernan, founded and own Slater Run Vineyards in Upperville.
Kiernan Slater Patusky, co-owner of Slater Run Vineyards, pours the product.
A grapevine dripping with possibilities.
A premature grape cluster.
Photos Courtesy of Slater Run Vineyards A rain gauge tells a soggy story.
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Tiffany Dillon Keen
Tiffany Dillon Keen truly has a “keen” eye. As a fine photographer, She follows horses and riders all around the countryside and also at the horse shows, in the paddocks and beyond.
“THE WALK BEFORE THE RUN”
I wanted to evoke the feeling of a hot summer day and a thoughtful moment before the race begins.
“COLLECTION AT THE TROT”
My intention with this piece was to convey a feeling of pause, collection and concentration when everything around you is moving and chaos.
“MIRAGE OF FOXFIELD”
The goal was to create a feeling of chaos, almost panic, during the final stretch of a race.
“‘ANTICIPATION”
I utilized the tool of scale to exaggerate the anticipation of a horse rocking back ready to gallop.
“‘FOOLS PARADISE”
A beautiful scene of peace and tranquility can sometimes be followed by mischief.
Handley High School’s HIDDEN TREASURES
By Denis Cotter
Shortly after the United States entered World War II in December, 1941, a nearby
Northern Virginia school became involved in hiding from destruction irreplaceable works of American and European art.
The school was John Handley High School in Winchester—the only privately endowed, public high school in the countey. The art came from the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C. And the man who made it all happen was the Corcoran director, the splendidly named Mr. Cuthbert Powell Minnigerode (1876-1951).
Hiding art treasures from the forces of Nazi Germany had been going on for a while in continental Europe. In 1939, just before the war started, the Louvre tried to hide as much of its collection as possible in private homes and other locations.
In 1940, Britain moved masterpieces from the National Gallery in London to an abandoned shale mine in Wales. When Hitler invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, the Hermitage Museum in Leningrad transferred some treasures to safer places, as did the Tretyakov Gallery and the Pushkin Museum in Moscow.
The fear was that monuments of Western civilization would be destroyed in bombings and fires, or looted by marauding soldiers. It was also becoming clear that Hitler was an art thief on a scale colossally larger than Napoleon 140 years earlier.
A failed artist himself, Hitler had grand ambitions to create an enormous Führermuseum in his childhood hometown of Linz, Austria, a facility that would contain all the world’s greatest art. The 2014 movie, “Monuments Men,” described the successful American effort to recover some of the huge heist.
When the U.S. entered the war, art gallery directors on the East Coast were particularly alarmed. Like their European counterparts, they began to squirrel away the crown jewels of their collections.
In New York, the Brooklyn Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Morgan Library all moved works out of town. Whitemarsh Hall, 15 miles outside Philadelphia, became the recipient of almost 20,000 pieces from the Met.
Virginia Department of Historic Resources John Handley High School in Winchester.
National Gallery of Art The Dance Class by Edgar Degas.
In Washington, the National Gallery of Art, founded by Andrew Mellon, had just officially opened in March, 1941. It moved 62 paintings and 17 sculptures to the Biltmore estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Its much older neighbor, the Corcoran, founded in 1869 by William Corcoran, also took rapid action to protect its collection.
The driving force was Minnigerode. Born in St. Louis, he had strong connections to the Middleburg area. His mother was Virginia Cuthbert Powell, a granddaughter of Leven Powell, the founder of Middleburg. She was born and married in Middleburg, and is buried in Sharon Cemetery along with her husband and several of their children, the siblings of the Corcoran director.
Minnigerode had been at the Corcoran for almost fifty years, having started there as an office boy back in the 1890s. Several months before the U.S. entered the war, federal agencies had alerted him and other gallery owners that the agencies were planning to provide a bomb-proof air raid shelter for the protection of various irreplaceable treasures.
However, that had not happened by the time the Empire of Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Four days later, the Corcoran board held a special meeting to consider protective measures. At the museum, fire-fighting improvements were set up. A section of the basement was cleared for temporary storage of art objects.
Director Minnigerode also pressed for securing a suitable repository for the more valuable treasures in a building removed from Washington.
Immediately after the board meeting, he and a assistant drove out to Frederick, Maryland. They explored various possibilities there, but found nothing suitable. They then visited Leesburg as well as the Foxcroft School in Middleburg, with the same result.
On Dec. 16, they motored to Winchester and first called on W. Nelson Page, the town’s postmaster, whom they knew personally. Page and the Corcoran team then visited several locations—an apple cold storage facility, the George Washington Hotel, the Handley Public Library. None were suitable.
However, Vernon Eddy, the librarian at the Handley (public) Library in downtown Winchester, directed them to visit Handley High School about a mile away. There, they met Dr. Garland R. Quarles, the principal and superintendent of Winchester public schools.
Minnigerode decided that Handley was an ideal location. It was not the iconic beauty of the
impressive Neoclassical Revival brick building that got his attention. Rather, it was its physical location that most mattered.
As he wrote in his memo to the Corcoran board: “It is on the outskirts of town, completely removed from other structures, surrounded by an athletic field, and open fields. Winchester is not an industrial town. It has no factories, no airplane plant or airport, no army camp nor munitions factory.”
Most important, there was a room in the basement especially well-suited for hiding the Corcoran’s art, the perfect protective location to preserve the Corcoran’s “objects of irreplaceable character.”
The room was 24 by 28 feet, with a 15-foot ceiling. Almost entirely below ground, it was strongly constructed, with solid concrete and brick walls, and a ceiling of reinforced concrete.
A few improvements were needed. The floor was dirt, and a brick floor was installed, along with a steel door with a combination lock. Narrow openings were cut for ventilation. Other upgrades included installing electric lights, racks for the storage of paintings, installing a telephone in what would be the guards’ adjoining room, and an ADT burglar alarm system directly connected to the Winchester Police Department.
By Feb. 19, 1942, the upgrades were completed. On Saturday, Feb. 21, in the dark early winter morning, the art evacuation began. A van from the
Security Storage Company of Washington and two smaller delivery wagons of Garfinckel’s Department Store came to the Corcoran and took 48 paintings, four Gothic tapestries, and a Persian vase rug to the Handley storage vault in Winchester.
Three vehicles were necessary because the insurance company would not insure more than $400,000 worth of material in any one conveyance. The total value of the art at the time was $1.15 million. This would be at least $1.15 billion today.
Dr. Quarles hired two watchmen to work in 12-hour shifts and paid $75 a month. Postmaster Page came to the school and saw the condition of the vault before it was closed. A sealed copy of the combination to the vault was placed in Quarles’s care and locked in his safe. In case of emergency, Quarles and Page were authorized to break the seal and enter the vault.
Dr. Quarles was responsible for paying the watchmen and the Corcoran reimbursed him and he did not charge the gallery rent. The watchmen were armed with machine guns and slept on a cot in the adjoining room. A radio was their only source of recreation.
The citizens of Winchester, and Handley students and employees knew almost nothing about this, only that something was going on in the belly of their school. Meanwhile, the war went on. Nearly 1,000 Handley graduates served in World War II, with 48 making the supreme sacrifice.
The art stayed there for over two years, until October, 1944, when it was deemed safe enough to return it to Washington. In the meantime, the Corcoran displayed some of their less valuable objects on the walls, so the removal was not obvious.
Today at Handley, the vault room still exists, now used as a storage space for paper documents, items related to the school’s earliest years and from the building before its major renovation in the 1970s.
There also is the first-floor James Wilkins Hall of Art, installed during renovations in 2000 which displays a complete set of reproductions of the art that was once stored in the vault.
They include a famous Gilbert Stuart painting of George Washington, a couple of Rembrandts, several of Edgar Degas iconic paintings of dancers, splendid works by American masters John Singer Sargent and James McNeill Whistler, to name but a few.
It’s a tribute to a remarkable time in local history and a fitting memorial to men like C.P. Minnigerode and Garland Quarles who recognized the importance of saving cultural artifacts, even in the midst of a devastating war.
Handley High School Archives
Dr. Garland R. Quarles Smithsonian Cuthbert Powell Minnigerode
Library of Congress Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1923
National Gallery of Art
John Singer Sargent’s The Oyster Gatherers of Concale.
Photo by Denis Cotter
The vault door to the treasures.
Wed,. Aug. 27- Sun., Aug. 31
Friday features two Hunter Derbies Saturday features the $5,000 Hunter Classic Sunday features Hunt Night
Surprise, Surprise, Look What We Found
By Erica Tergeson
Last July, a beautiful Welsh pony was delivered to my farm. The proud new owner, Lily Adams (daughter of Trinity Episcopal Rev. Jonathan Adams and his wife, Jana), was on the property with her family welcoming the latest addition to the Adams’ menagerie of pets.
If you don’t know this fabulous family, they fit into the animal-loving Middleburg area quite nicely with four dogs, three cats, and their new pony.
And now for the rest of this heart warming story.
Lily, 21, has worked for me as a rider and a groom for several years. We’re both amateur whips for the Snickersville Hounds and as we were exercising horses one day, she asked if she could keep a pony at my Tergeson Ranch in Delaplane.
“Of course!” I said, and Tinkerbell, an adorable 11.5-hand Chestnut with a blaze and socks, became part of the farm’s equine population.
Warrenton Horse Showgrounds @ 60 E. Shirley Ave. 540-347-9442 and warrentonhorseshow.com adults $10, children under 12 FREE
Tinks, as we call her, had been driven, but was not yet broken to ride. Enter Charlie McCann, the well-known local horse whisperer. Lily asked Charlie if he could break her pony.
“Lily, I promised myself I was done with ponies, but I’ll do one more for you,” Charlie said with a twinkle in his eye. And after no more than six rides with 6-foot-2 Charlie astride, Tinks was ready for Lily to take over.
Since then, Lily taught Tinkerbell to jump and show. Now, fast forward several months and Lily and I hatched a plan to enter Tinkerbell in the lead line class at the Upperville Horse Show in June, with Charlie leading. We had an adorable two-year-old girl, keen to ride, coming out every week to practice.
Memorial Day weekend rolled around and Tinkerbell was needed at Trinity in Upperville to give pony rides at the church’s annual Horse Country Stable Tour. Going above and beyond and acting like a unicorn the entire time, Tinks gave rides to more than 40 children and everyone was happy.
The very next day, Charlie headed out to the paddock to catch Tinkerbell for another lead line practice session.
“Erica!” he yelled. “What is that???”
I came running out of the barn, worried that something terrible had happened. Instead, was that a fawn I saw in the paddock? A bear cub? Oh my, it was a pristine black foal, standing next to its very proud mom, none other than Tinkerbell. Both looked so perfect and healthy, I thought a stork must have delivered the foal.
The entire Adams family drove over immediately. Rev. Adams got out of his car, trotted over to the fence and said, “Oh. My. Godness!”A couple of hours later, the vet confirmed that mom and foal were healthy as, well, a horse. Or, in this wonderful case, two horses.
We later learned that Tinkerbell may have been exposed to a handsome Fell pony stallion before she came to our farm. Lily lovingly named the new colt “Dash”—short for his formal horse show name, A Dash of Pixie Dust.
And Charlie McCann had one more pony to break.
Lily Adams with her new ponies, baby Dash and mom Tinkerbell.
Photos by Erica Tergeson Mother and child in the barn.
Morven Park Has Become a Public Paradise
By Joe Motheral
Stacey Metcalfe, executive director of Morven Park since 2021, likes to refer to the facility as “Loudoun County’s 1000-acre backyard.”
Opened to the public by the Westmoreland Davis Memorial Foundation in October, 1967, the park, just north of Leesburg, includes an equine center, hiking trails, polo pitch, gardens and the Davis Mansion which Stacey described as “the centerpiece. People can come and visit and learn a little bit about the history of the property.”
The mansion was built between 1780 and 1800 and Metcalfe said, “Governor Westmoreland Davis purchased the property in 1903 and lived here while he was governor of Virgina from 1918 to 1922. Everything in the mansion is what they’ve collected from then.
“Other things to do are to explore the boxwood gardens. They are absolutely beautiful. We encourage people to walk, hike, and bike around here. We have two hiking trails and one of them takes hikers up the ridge to behind the mansion.”
Over 600 acres of the property, including the grounds of the mansion and the Ridgetop Trail behind it, have been protected since 2005 by an open-space easement granted to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. The 1.3-mile trail ascends 232 feet through forest to Catoctin Ridge, the highest point on the property. Miles of natural surface and gravel trails extend through the park. All trails are free and open to the public daily.
The biggest challenge?
“To make sure that the public knows that the park is accessible and open to everyone,” Metcalf said. “For people to understand that this is a privately funded park. We don’t get any funding. So it’s our donors and our members that contribute and really support us.”
Recently, Morven has launched the “246 Years Project,” an initiative dedicated to documenting and honoring the enslaved men, women and children whose names and life stories deserve to be known.
The term 246 years comes from slavery’s beginning in America in 1619 when 20 Africans initially arrived in Jamestown, Virginia and were sold as slaves. In the 246 years from 1619 until 1865 and emancipation, millions of Africans held in bondage and considered “property.”
“Life events of enslaved individuals were recorded in a variety of documents by enslavers managing property,” Metcalfe said. “These records survived today in the archives of historic sites, community history organizations, and local courts. We hope to have people make connections with ancestors. Jana Shafagoj, our director of preservation history, is working on that.”
Metcalfe also has other initiatives for the future of Morven Park.
“We want to bring championship equestrian sports to the Park and continue Polo in the Park and invite the community to play, learn and discover,” she said. “We’ll be evaluating other future initiatives through strategic planning with our Board.”
Courtesy of Morven Park
The Davis Mansion is the centerpiece of Leesburg’s Morven Park.
Paul Desmond Brown (American, 1893–1958) The Water-Aintree, 1931 print,
A Movement Called Generation Grace
By Michele Husfelt
Sam Rogers grew up in Marshall not far from Glascock’s Grocery Store on Main Street. His dad was the local pastor at Lighthouse Church and owned a furniture shop, also situated on Main Street. His mom drove a school bus for Loudoun County Public Schools.
Sam learned the value of hard work by washing dishes during high school at a local pizza restaurant. With the approval of the owner’s wife, he began dating her daughter, a waitress named Connie, who captured his attention. A few years later, they married.
His mother’s death at a relatively young age left him angry and depressed. Even with a beautiful young family and his own successful security system business, he said he felt empty and hopeless, devoid of peace. No one knew about those feelings except Connie; he continued to keep up appearances, running the business and attending church with his family, but his marriage was dying, as was his will to live.
And then, Sam and Connie started listening to messages online from a pastor in Colorado. As Connie remembered, “For the first time, we heard the message of grace, something we’d never heard before.”
Sam added, “What started wearing us down and draining us of life was how we were trying to earn our relationship with God by what we were doing; missions, working in the church, etc. We realized that when you do this, it’s a dead-end street. When we heard the message of grace, that you can’t earn God’s love by what you do, we’d never heard this before. And it’s in the Bible!”
What kinds of vehicles can be donated?
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Within a year, and still in their 40s, they moved to Colorado to attend Charis Bible College. Four years later, they returned to Virginia and the property they had purchased years before. They began to restore an old barn for family gatherings and started asking friends and neighbors to come hang out for food and conversation. They simply opened the doors and invited people in.
“It was all about the message of grace, that God accepts you just as you are,” Sam explained. “We live a transparent, down-to-earth life in front of others.”
They never intended to start a church, but what began as informal gatherings soon evolved into a movement called Generation Grace, now located at 4385 Grove Lane in Marshall. After building another barn, Sam half-jokingly asked Connie, “I wonder who the pastor’s going to be?”
They intentionally created a place where people feel welcome, especially those who have never attended church or have felt turned off by formal religion in the past. Before and after a service, people stay, eat, and converse. They serve a full breakfast every Sunday. From young children and families to a growing youth group and senior adults, Generation Grace is a multi-generational movement that believes everyone has a story.
“It’s like a big patchwork quilt,” Sam said.
Because of the beautifully constructed Amish-built barns, some people initially come expecting a winery and are surprised to find it’s a church. Whatever brings anyone inside, a warm welcome and new friends await at Generation Grace.
Details: generationgrace.com.
please call us at (877) 277-4344
stability for families.
Photo by Michele Husfelt Generation Grace founders Sam and Connie Rogers.
Are Chickens in Your Backyard Future?
While you don’t need a lot of experience or land to successfully raise a backyard chicken flock, you do need one key ingredient.
“You’ve got to really love the process,” said Lori Clark, a Virginia Cooperative Extension 4-H youth development agent in Stafford County who cares for 12 egg-laying hens on her half-acre plot.
Egg laying “songs,” unsupervised visits to the neighbors’ yard, and egg hunts around the property keep things interesting for Clark’s family. Her hens sing like trumpets when dropping their eggs, and sometimes the amusing melody will come from unusual places—like the garage.
Along with some quirky habits, chickens come with a lot of needs. Whether acquiring chickens for eggs, meat, compost, critter control or backyard entertainment, it’s important to study up before starting a flock.
“They need care seven days a week,” Clark noted. “You have to think about who’s going to watch them when you go on vacation.”
It’s also important to check with your neighbors, as even hens tend to be fairly noisy. Roosters are not necessary for egg production. Look at local ordinances for any regulations on the number of hens and roosters you can have and allowable proximity to neighbors.
It’s critical to make sure there is available space for a coop, a structure in which chickens can sleep and be safe from predators; and a run, a fenced-in area for free-ranging chickens.
And learn what the best breeds are for eggs, meat or pets.
Lizzie Crowder of Amelia County raises Rhode Island
Reds for their prolific egg laying, with her flock of 20 producing around 112 eggs weekly during peak months.
The Crowders started with day-old chicks, which need to be kept warm in a brooder for several weeks and develop adult feathers before being released outside. Young female birds, called pullets, and mature hens can be placed directly in a coop.
No matter the design, coops and runs must have sufficient floor space, protection from the elements and predators, ventilation, a place to roost, and nest boxes for laying eggs.
It’s recommended to use strong wire buried at least 6 inches deep around a run and secured to the outside of upright posts for predator proofing.
“Everything likes chickens,” warned Crowder. “Living in a rural area, the predators will take your whole flock in no time if you don’t limit their time outside.”
Even suburban areas attract a mix of predators. Clark said she’s lost hens to dogs, hawks and foxes. She also advises building additional fencing for securing the flock.
Fresh feed and water also are essential for a healthy, thriving flock. Backyard flocks are susceptible to avian flu, so the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends that owners restrict access to their property and birds; clean and disinfect clothes, shoes, equipment and hands; clean and disinfect poultry cages and equipment before going home if you have been near other birds or bird owners; don’t borrow equipment, tools or supplies from other bird owners; and know the warning signs of avian flu.
Details: vastatevet@vdacs.virginia.gov.
Middleburg – Exquisite colonial with sweeping lawns, lush woodlands, and beautiful gardens. Over 10,000 sq ft of living space on 3 finished levels. 7 BRs / 8 full and 2 half BAs, high ceilings, 3 fireplaces, premium appliances, and a heated pool are part of the idyllic estate.
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39th Breeders Cup Classics Set For Oct. 11
By Bill Cauley
The late Sam Huff’s vision of a major horse racing event in West Virginia remains as vibrant as ever at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races.
Since 1987, the West Virginia Breeders’ Classics features some of the top 3-year-old thoroughbreds the Mountain State has to offer. This year marks the 39th edition of the Classics, which is set to run on Saturday, Oct. 11, with a projected post time of the first race at 7:15 p.m.
“We’re going to have a nice crop of 3-year-olds running this year,” said Carol Holden, a Middleburg resident and long time executive director of the West Virginia Breeders’ Classics.
Huff, who died in 2021, was an NFL Hall of Famer who played for the New York Giants and the then-Washington Redskins (now Commanders). He retired after the 1969 season,
The West Virginia native always had a passion for horses. He owned them, trained then and raised them on a Middleburg farm he shared with Holden, his long-time partner.
Huff never took full credit for the creation of the Classics. He had always insisted much of the legwork involved in making his dream of a high-paying set of races went to Holden. With his responsibilities as a radio color analyst on the team’s football network, working alongside former teammate and Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen, Huff had to delegate much of the duties to Holden.
The idea for the Breeders’ Classics races came when Huff and Holden attended the 1986 Maryland Million at Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore. Both were impressed at the event’s great success.
“Sam wondered why something of this nature couldn’t be held in West Virginia,” Holden recalled. Given the close proximity of Middleburg to the Charles Town race track, less than hour away, and how popular it was in the region, Huff figured it could be successful, so he took a chance.
Huff was also very particular as to how this project would be financed, Holden said. “Sam didn’t want to take out a regular bank loan,” she said.
Instead, alternate funding was arranged through a loan, which was to be paid back ten days after the first Classics were held in 1987. That inaugural event saw Onion Juice win the West Breeders’ Classics featured race, which had a purse of $100,000 on a five-race card.
Now, the Classics features nine races with a purse of $950,000. Huff is considered by many to have almost single-handedly saved horse racing in West Virginia.
The featured race of the West Virginia Breeders’ Classics series is now officially known as the Sam Huff Classic. Runaldo won it last year.
The special weekend at Charles Town kicks off with the annual Sam Huff Golf Classic at nearby Locust Hill Golf Course in Charles Town on Friday, Oct. 10. Later that day, the annual gala will be held in the ballroom at the racetrack.
“We’re looking for another great event,” Holden said.
The win photo of Runaldo from last year’s Classic race.
• Racing Wednesday thru Saturday
• Post time is 12:30 PM except Fridays when first post is 4:00 PM
• 2025 Festival of Racing: Saturday August 9
• Free Parking/Free Admission! Conveniently located in New Kent at I-64, Exit 214 between Richmond and Williamsburg
(details at colonialdowns.com)
• Sunday October 5: Foxfield Races in Charlottesville
• Saturday October 11: Virginia Fall Races in Middleburg
• Saturday October 25: International Gold Cup Races at Great Meadow
• Saturday November 2: Montpelier Hunt Races in Montpelier Station
(details at nationalsteeplechase.com)
• Racing every Saturday & Sunday at 1:05 PM
• FREE ADMISSION, FREE PARKING, FAMILY FRIENDLY
• Conveniently located at I-81, Exit 283 halfway between Winchester & Harrisonburg
(details at shenandoahdowns.com)
On The Move: Willisville Meets the East Village
By Cricket Bedford
On a recent summer weekend, I set off on an illuminating adventure to help move my daughter, Louise, and her roommates from one apartment to another in downtown lower Manhattan.
It was going to be a little complicated. One landlord required them to be out by a certain day and a specific time. The other would not allow them to move in until the following day at a specific time.
It seemed logical to simply drive a U-Haul from Virginia to the New York area. We’d go up the first day, spend the night in a hotel near the Newark airport with a loaded and locked truck and head into the city the following day to make the move to the new apartment. We’d find out what fit, what didn’t and then bring the overflow back to Middleburg.
And who best to join me? My “right arm in the real estate business” and honorary big brother – Charles Lee, a resident of Willisville. We’ve known each other most of our lives and even better, Charles has known Louise all her life and considers her an honorary daughter.
Charles’ aunt, Julia Ross, or “Wa” as we called her, helped raise me and my siblings at Old Welbourne. Charles’ mom, Ann Lee, was a longtime employee at Welbourne, at the late Nat and Sherry Morison’s B and B, just up the road from Willisville. Her daughter, Joyce, still works there.
Another daughter, the late Carol Lee, did so much to preserve and protect the village of Willisville. Ann’s grandson, Dwight Grant, owns Salon Aubrey in Middleburg and her great-
grandson, Blake Grant, is a valued member of the staff at Journeymen Saddlery.
On moving day, we drove in from Newark and secured a decent parking space along Broome Street near the kids’ building. Louise and Charles went up the three flights of stairs to her apartment to assess the situation. As a younger man, Charles had worked for a moving company and happens to be a master at loading and unloading a truck.
Then came a surprise. The three movers my daughter had hired to help—Erick, Ricardo and Grazio—were all deaf.
At first, it did not go well.Too many hardworking Indians but no chief. I had stayed with the truck and tried my best to direct the packing. It did not take long to realize this wasn’t working and I urged Louise to send Charles down. When he returned to the truck, it took him a mili-second to see it was all frightfully wrong and that everything was not going to fit, at least under my direction.
He quickly hopped up into the back of the U-Haul and began to pull it all apart. The three helpers were confused and a tad unhappy by what they were watching. Rather than items they were lugging downstairs going on to the truck, they were now sitting back on the street.
Using my phone screen to communicate with them, I typed furiously to explain that Charles had worked for years with a mover and that he knew what he was doing. They were initially skeptical and surely thought it was going to take too much time.
Meanwhile, Charles was directing me to “grab
this corner, move this bag” as he completely repositioned the two sections of a large sofa, then began tightly fitting items into every nook before finally strapping everything to get it even tighter.
Within minutes, our three movers were clearly impressed. They were crowding around Charles to watch him tie off the straps and make more moving magic. Ironically, Charles also has a hearing issue; just last year, he was fitted for hearing aids.
When the truck was finally loaded, without uttering a word, our three deaf helpers were broadly smiling, vigorously shaking hands with Charles and patting him on the back. It was awesome to watch. What had started off as an awful job turned into a random assortment of people young and old, hearing and deaf, coming together to accomplish a difficult task and truly appreciate each other.
The next day’s “move in” went quite smoothly, despite a drenching rain, with a new team of men and Charles running the show. Louise and her roommates were in their new apartment in less than two hours.
Again, it was smiles, hugs and happiness all around. Charles and I soon headed back to Virginia feeling satisfied that Louise was now safely into her new NYC home.
And what a life lesson, with no words necessary, as to why it’s so important to simply be kind, to be patient and to not judge one another. So much can be accomplished. As Ted Lasso, TV’s wise and fictional soccer coach, often reminds us, “Be curious, not judgmental.”
Photo by Cricket Bedford
The moving crew (l-r): Ellia Giuliani, Erick, Ricardo, and Grazio of Tetris Wizards Moving Company, Charles Lee and Louise Whitner.
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Let’s call this one…All in the family. Evan Coles Tilghman placed fourth in the age 1-3 leadline on Heartfirst owned by Penelope Sugg, his
was leading. Sloane won a red ribbon after placing second on Ninja JW Van De
For the last 172 years, it’s almost an Upperville tradition…rain followed by mud.
in the
One of the more popular concessions.
PHOTOS BY TIFFANY DILLON KEEN
Aunt Sloane Coles
Moerhoeve
$200,000 Upperville Jumper Classic final.
Aaron Vale rode Styles, owned by Debbie Smith and Don Stewart, to victory in the $200,000 Upperville Jumper Classic final presented by Ethel M. Chocolates and Lugano Diamonds.
Be prepared.
It’s all in the details.
Everyone can use a new hat.
We lean toward the lobster at the BBQ truck.
Susan Lindholm and Barbara Sharp volunteered in the children’s art tent.
Penelope MacKenzie won the Leadline ages 1-3 on Loafers Lodge Ju Ju Be’s shown here with her mother= Christina Mangano.
Nancy Dillon with her great grandson Tate Johnson and his father Tyler Johnson.
Krissy Greenleaf Pesko and Sugar come out of the ring with a red ribbon.
Sunny Reynolds Goes Off The Beaten Path
By Jodi Nash
Sunny Reynolds recently returned from her 40th trip to the Galapagos islands.
When asked about what (if anything) has changed over her years of travel there, she said, “It hasn’t changed! The parks system there has done a great job of controlling the number of visitors to each island and preserving the ecosystems.”
Sailing on the Nemo II, this nimble catamaran (with room for 14 guests and seven crew members) is able to harbor right off each island, where a traveler can explore the lava beds or swim with dolphins.
Sunny can accommodate a menu of choices on her trips. Those opting out of hopping on a Zodiac for the daily excursion can relax shipside for a luxury sailing experience. There’s always fresh seafood and an abundance of marine life ~ like Giant Sea Turtles and Blue-Footed Boobie.
Sunny Reynolds is a global traveler and professional photographer and long time Warrenton resident with a unique perspective on how to find “wonder” by wandering. She distinguishes her adventure agenda from the typical cookie cutter approach by first visiting each country personally, where she meets and cultivates a relationship with her ground operators.
“Before I sell a tour, I want to be sure our guides have my vision, which is about exploring the undiscovered,” she said. “I ask them to find me a back street artisan or shop keeper, a local music experience or a bistro or cafe off the beaten path.”
From tented camps and camel rides in the Moroccan Western Sahara, to elegant coffee lodges and jeep safaris in the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, she exposes her clients not just to the architecture and history of a place, but to its indigenous peoples, their music, art, dance, crafts, customs, cuisine, and way of life.
In Tanzania, for those with a thirst for a disappearing world and tolerance for a long dusty drive, a visit to the primitive Hadzabe tribe (or “Hadza”, one of the last hunter-gatherer indigenous ethnic groups on the planet) is unforgettable. Speaking the “click” language (passed down through oral tradition alone) and numbering only about 1,300, these people warmly share their hunting or foraging practices with travelers when approached with the right attitude and guide.
“Travel is romantic,” Sunny said. “How do you explain that the growth you get from it is not like knowledge gained from a book, movie, or podcast?”
In India, for Sunny it’s not just about seeing the stunning white ivory glory of Taj Mahal in Agra, but traversing a vast tiger preserve in Rajasthan and shopping in an ancient spice market in Old Delhi.
In Argentina, she takes a trail ride with gauchos at a working hacienda, returning to the ranch house for a luscious feast of grilled meats and fresh veggies and traditional music played on native folk instruments. She doesn’t want a show at a resort – she wants a
glimpse of real life.
Also on her Argentina agenda is a two-hour drive from Salta to Cafayete on a single lane highway winding through spectacular red, purple and pastel striped cliffs. It ends in this tiny colonial town which produces some of the best white wine in the world.
Sunny has visited more than 40 countries, many multiple times and literally has friends all over the world. She’s climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and ancient Inca and Maya ruins, hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu through glorious Andean skyscapes, and floated in hot air balloons above Egypt’s iconic Nile river and the Great Pyramids.
Yet, as she sagely observed, “As my clients and I get older together we no longer need to climb the highest mountain. Still, I keep in mind you never get anywhere standing still.”
Sunny sold her original company (Biotrek Adventure Travels) after almost 30 years in business. Between the restrictions of Covid and her two-year non-compete clause it was a struggle to launch her third act: Take 3 Travel. Specializing in the art of classy travel, she encourages clients to “chase their story.”
“If a couple wants a romantic night out by themselves we try to accommodate that,” she said.
A true believer in paying it forward, she continues to sponsor and promote the causes she believes in
both personally and through her business, including the Tuleeni Orphans Home in Tanzania and a tiger preserve in India. She’s hauled school supplies across the ocean to the orphanage and new laptops to George of the Bush, her colorful and hard-working ground operator in Tanzania.
During the pandemic she collected donations from appreciative clients at home for her devoted long-time guides (Mohammed in Morocco and Josh and Boni in Africa). People donated generously because they recognize the value of their efforts in keeping travelers safe and comfortable while showing them miracles, both small and too overwhelmingly splendid to describe.
Recently, she bought $100 worth of beads to bring to the Maasai women in Tanzania. Tall and regal, but lacking access to education or resources, they’re often involved in beading jewelry and other crafts to supplement family income. “It will come back to me and my clients 100 times over in personal interaction with these women,” she said.
Sunny is grateful as she looks back at her evolution.
“I was lucky, but I couldn’t do it again,” she said. “You don’t just survive, you work to survive. People don’t buy what you do, they buy “why” you do it. And I love what I do.”
She’s already packed for her next grand escape. The Great Migration in Tanzania and Kenya awaits.
Photo by Sunny Reynolds
The Nemo II catamaran is a world traveler.
Photo by Sunny Reynolds Serengeti lion cubs
Photo by Sunny Reynolds Indian one-horned rhino
Sunny Reynolds
For Rex Vogan, It’s Definitely a Head Game
By Khris Baxter
There’s a curious phenomenon in sports: the moment an athlete stops moving. Not because they’re injured. Not because the game is over. But because something invisible, internal, psychological has caused the wheels to lock. It’s the moment talent becomes trapped inside a body that no longer knows what to do with it.
That moment is where Middleburg resident Rex R. Vogan begins.
Vogan does not wear a whistle. He does not pace sidelines or sketch out plays on a clipboard. His tools are less visible, more intimate. For nearly 20 years, he’s sat in a modest office in Leesburg, talking— but mostly listening—to athletes. And not just the professionals. Weekend warriors. College hopefuls. Teenagers trying to make varsity.
His title is sports psychologist, and his role is something more elusive. He’s part therapist, part coach, part confessor. A performance whisperer. That is Vogan’s talent. Not making people better at sports, exactly—but making people better at being athletes. And there’s a difference.
Roughly half of Vogan’s practice is sports psychology. The rest is clinical. Anxiety. Depression. Trauma. Suicidal ideation. And the techniques don’t differ as much as one might think.
“Sports psychology is often a single-issue concern,” he said. “Clinical work is broader. But the core is
the same—insight, emotional regulation, the capacity to reframe experience.”
Vogan’s own path began, as many do, with pain. Between ages 12 and 17, he was a promising soccer player. Then came the injuries, then the surgeries. He lost the game before he turned 18.
“If I’d had access to someone like me back then,” he said, “I would’ve taken it in a second.”
Instead, he enrolled at George Washington University, took a sports psychology class, and began to understand that the mental side of injury was every bit as important as the physical one.
So why do athletes come to him? The reasons vary. Career-ending injuries. The psychological free fall after retirement. The pressure of maintaining performance. Mental toughness.
Vogan doesn’t offer generic motivational advice. Instead, he helps clients identify patterns—beliefs, self-talk, emotional loops—that keep them stuck.
“Insight is critical,” he said. “But insight alone isn’t change. You need a plan. A structure. A way to move forward.”
The basic idea is this: what we believe affects
what we do. And what Vogan offers—quietly, persistently—is belief repair.
Athletes are hardly the only ones in need of adjustment. Parents—especially those with highachieving children—can also be a challenge.
“You’d be amazed how many parents attach their identity to their kid’s success,” he said. “ They start thinking like coaches.”
The problem is: kids don’t need another coach. They need a parent, “Someone to love them regardless of whether they win or lose,” Vogan added.
The idea here is subtle but powerful. Support isn’t about control—it’s about presence. And Vogan spends a good deal of his practice teaching that presence isn’t passive. It’s active. Just like performance.
Even for adult amateurs—tennis players, weekend runners, cyclists—Vogan’s insights apply.
“Your self-talk is everything,” he said. “It shapes your confidence, your resilience, your ability to bounce back when something goes wrong.”
He advises these clients to create a pre-competition routine, adjust expectations, and—this is key— understand that perfection is never the point. “Competing is a privilege,” he reminds them.
Here’s the larger point: Rex R. Vogan is not just coaching performance, he’s reframing failure. Reframing pressure. Reframing the self. And once you’ve done that? You’re no longer trapped inside your head. You’re back in the game, and for Vogan and his clients, that counts as a win.
Rex Vogan and pal Gracie.
Four Local Students Earn Library Scholarships
Four outstanding Middleburg area students have been awarded college scholarship funds for the 2025-26 school year by the Middleburg Library Advisory Board (MLAB). Three are graduating high school seniors and a fourth is entering her sophomore year in college.
Daniel Kwon of The Plains, a senior at Wakefield School, America Arellano, a senior from Middleburg attending Loudoun Valley High School, and Yanira Cortes, a senior from Upperville also at Loudoun Valley, were each awarded $5,000 Charles Plante Book Scholarships to continue their studies.
The Plante Scholarship was established by the MLAB in 2019 in honor of Charles L. Plante of Middleburg, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 84. Only current high school students were eligible for the Plante scholarship.
Beatrice VanSant, a dean’s list student at the University of Georgia and a Middleburg resident, was named the recipient of the fourth annual Eura Lewis Memorial Scholarship.
The $3,000 scholarship is named for Eura Lee Hudgins Lewis of Middleburg, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 92. She was a long-time member of the advisory board, a devoted school teacher for 40 years and a former Middleburg Town Council member.
The scholarship winners were honored at the MLAB’s July 22 board meeting at the Middleburg Library.
“The generosity of our benefactors is the sole reason MLAB is able to support this ‘small but mighty’ local branch of the Loudoun County Public Library,” said Kathryn Baran, president of the MLAB. “They help provide each of these four hard-working students a meaningful financial boost as they pursue their dreams. MLAB is immensely grateful to our donors.”
Daniel Kwon attended Wakefield as a prestigious Archwood Scholarship recipient awarded by the school. He was an outstanding student and plans to attend Marymount University, where he hopes to study economics. He was active in a number of extra-curricular activities, captained the squash and golf teams, volunteered at a local food pantry and now caddies at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.
America Arellano was a member of the National Honor Society, volunteered at a number of Middleburg Community Center events and had several part time jobs, including work at the Red Fox Inn. She will attend Northern Virginia Community College in the fall and will focus on international humanitarian studies.
Yanira Campos Cortes also was a fine student and said among her most memorable volunteer experiences was working at a local senior citizen center helping residents make Christmas crafts. She also did part-time work at IV Technologies, where she fixed, tested and calibrated medical equipment. She will attend Laurel Ridge Community College and will study nursing.
Beatrice VanSant was selected to attend the Virginia Governor’s School in Agriculture at Virginia Tech between her junior and senior years in high school. She’s now in a rigorous science-oriented program at the University of Georgia with a goal of attending veterinarian school and focusing on equine surgery or reproduction.
Beatrice VanSant
Yanira Cortes
America Arellano Daniel Kwon
At Slate Hill, George Washington Really Did Sleep Here
Welcome to Slate Hill, an exquisite country estate on almost 10 acres that was fully renovated interior and exterior in 2021 with all original features retained, including wide heart pine flooring throughout and detailed woodwork.
This elegant circa 1700s property has four bedrooms, 2.5 full baths and combines a wonderful mix of the old and new. The property was originally a portion of the 2,000 acre land patent granted to GeorgeWashington by Lord Fairfax in 1768. The original house and cabin structures date from the 1770s with additions to the house built in the 1820s.
George Washington’s original log cabin has been fully restored with a repointed chimney and two fireplaces, a loft bedroom and new full bath.
A stone entrance bridge with stone pillars crosses a small spring-fed stream, flanked by ancient boxwoods and wrought iron gates. A large parking area and driveway provides ease of access. Towering trees ring the property, and the perfect country lifestyle awaits inside the house.
A gourmet kitchen offers soapstone counters, custom cabinetry, farmhouse sink, imported AGA appliances and a casual dining area. The formal dining room retains its exposed original stone walls, restored beams, original fireplace and antique lighting.
The living room has expansive windows allowing the natural light to flood in, king with nine-foot ceiling beams, and the original fireplace mantle.
The master bedroom has a fireplace, cedar closets and a luxury bath with custom slate shower walls and Hansgrohe Raindance showerhead and fittings. Of the three guest bedrooms, one includes an en suite bathroom and two walk-in wardrobes.
Other Slate Hill features include new standing seam metal roofs on the main house and cabin, a new two-zone HVAC system, and a new washing machine and dryer (2024).
A large stone patio is reached through the kitchen and extensive mature landscaping and gardens surround the house.
Equine amenities include a center aisle barn by renowned King Construction (2021), with four oversized stalls, tack room, bathroom, wash stall and feed/ laundry room.
A breezeway with carriage doors provides beautiful airflow and views. Behind the barn are four fenced paddocks and a 120x70 EquiSand riding arena that suits all riding disciplines.
Slate Hill
10157 John Mosby Highway Upperville, VA
7.57 acres
Price: $2,795,000
Will Driskill
540-454-7522
w.driskill@thomasandtalbot.com
Thomas & Talbot Estate Properties
2 South Madison St. Middleburg, VA 20117
A panoramic view of Slate Hill from above.
A four-stall, center aisle barn includes a tack room, bathroom, wash stall and feed/laundry room.
The gourmet kitchen offers soapstone counters, custom cabinetry, farmhouse sink, imported appliances and a casual dining area.
There’s a comfy, cozy cabin-like feeling in this gorgeous room.
Expansive living room windows bring in natural light, and it’s the original 18th century fireplace mantle.
Meet Your Windy Hill Neighbors: Krishma and Abdul
When Krishma and her family arrived at Windy Hill in December 2024, they were looking for more than a place to live they were seeking a new beginning Originally from Afghanistan, Krishma, her husband, and their two sons had been living in tight quarters with extended family while adjusting to life in a new country The journey to stable housing and job opportunities was not easy, but with perseverance and support, the family has found both
“We stayed with my mother-in-law and brother-in-law for a year,” Krishma shared “Everything was very hard for us at the beginning especially the cost of living ” The family eventually applied for income-based housing through Windy Hill Foundation and was thrilled when they were accepted “It was such a long process, but when they called and said we could move in, we were so happy ”
Once settled, Krishma set her sights on her next goal: finding her first job in the U S Having always dreamed of working with children, she was excited about the possibility of becoming a teacher’s assistant With help from the Windy Hill Resident Services team, Krishma built a resume, practiced interview skills, and navigated the online trainings required for childcare work “The trainings I had to complete were a lot for me, but Madison was so helpful She spent a lot of time helping me on the computer ” Her dedication paid off Today, Krishma works as an assistant teacher at a local Montessori school, caring for toddlers between the ages of one and three Her youngest son is even enrolled in her class
Working in early childhood education is especially meaningful for Krishma “Since I was 18, I wanted to teach,” she said “But in Afghanistan, it was difficult for women to work. My husband supported me, but there were many barriers.”
Now, she feels empowered by the chance to pursue a career while also caring for her children “At the school, I can keep the children and learn, too It’s perfect for me ” Throughout their journey, Windy Hill Foundation has been a constant source of support “They are all so nice,” Krishma said “It is great to just walk by and see their faces Anytime I have questions or need help, they always help me out ”
Krishma’s husband, who is also from Afghanistan and a talented artist, has been working as a delivery driver on evenings to help support the family He recently showcased his artwork at Middleburg’s Art in the Burg festival, thanks to support from Windy Hill “He sold one of his pieces,” Krishma said proudly “But it’s hard he keeps all his art at home because we don’t have a place to show it ” Despite the challenges, his creativity is a big part of their family life “Our apartment is full of his art,” she added “He likes ancient themes; I love nature It's different, but beautiful ”
Their oldest son, Abdullah, now six, is thriving in Windy Hill’s SEASONS after-school program and attends Liberty Elementary School, where he’s close to his cousins “He loves the program,” Krishma said. “He has good friends here, Seasons is where he met his best friend, Justin ”
Krishma’s story is a powerful example of what can happen when determination is met with community support With a stable home, meaningful employment, and resources for her children, she is building the life she once only dreamed of “At first, everything was hard,” she reflected “But now, everything is better ”
Learn more about Windy Hill Foundation
Scan the QR code to support Windy Hill’s mission to provide safe, decent, and affordable housing to low- and lower- income individuals and families, including older adults, in Loudoun and Fauquier Counties, while also encouraging self-improvement and self-sufficiency among its residents
Hill Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) organization and charitable contributions are deductible to the fullest extent of the law
540-687-3997 www.windyhillfoundation.org
Krishma working with Windy Hill Resident Services Coordinator, Madi
Abdul displaying his art at Middleburg’s Art in the Burg
Windy
THE LEES of Warrenton’s Lees Ridge
RICHARD HENRY LEE 1732-1794
By John Toler
The historical marker along Warrenton’s Culpeper Street Extended (Rt. 802) notes some facts about members of the Lee family, for whom Lees Ridge Road is named. The gently rising land along the road was acquired by Thomas Lee (1690-1750) in 1718 through a 4,200-acre land patent, and passed to his son, Richard Henry Lee (1732-1794) of Westmoreland County, Va.
A patriot and signer of the Declaration of Independence, Richard Henry Lee was instrumental in the establishment of the Town of Warrenton, and donated a two-acre lot in the town where the first county courthouse was built.
In 1790, he commissioned the first detailed plan of the town, which helped guide future development. Upon his death in 1794, the land passed to his daughter Anne Lee (1770-1804).
Charles Lee (1757-1815) was a second cousin of Anne Lee. The son of Henry Lee (1729-1787) and Lucy Grymes Lee (1734-1792), Charles was born at “Leesylvania,” the family plantation along the Potomac River in Prince William County. The third of eleven children, he was the brother of Gen. “Light Horse
CHARLES LEE 1757-1815
Harry” Lee (the father of Gen. Robert E. Lee), and U.S. Congressman Richard Bland Lee.
After graduating from the College of New Jersey (later renamed Princeton University) in 1775, Lee read law in Philadelphia before returning to Virginia.
Highly regarded for his jurisprudence, Charles Lee was appointed U.S. Attorney General by President George Washington after William Bradford died in office, and received Senate approval on Dec. 10, 1795. He continued to serve as attorney general in President John Adams cabinet, leaving that office when Adams’ term ended in February, 1801. While in government service, he lived in Alexandria, still part of the District of Columbia in those days.
After leaving office, Lee represented William Marbury and other Adams political appointees in the landmark case of Marbury v. Madison. The case dealt with unfulfilled political appointments made by President Adams that were being held up by the Jefferson administration, which was represented by thenSecretary of State James Madison.
While the issue of political appointments was important at the time, it was the subsequent decision that the U.S. Supreme Court had “judicial review” over actions taken by the legislative and executive branches of the young federal
government that was most important.
By establishing this legal precedent—which is not detailed in the U.S. Constitution—the judicial branch was given the authority it needed to affect the balance of power sought by the founding fathers, still a very live issue today.
Noting Lee’s excellent arguments, President Jefferson later offered to appoint him to the U.S. Supreme Court, but Lee declined. Had he accepted, Fauquier County would have had the distinction of having two justices—Lee and native son John Marshall—on the nation’s highest court at the same time.
Charles and Anne Lee were married in 1789, and lived in Alexandria until 1800. They had six children, three who lived to adulthood: Anne Lucinda Lee (1790-1845), William Arthur Lee (1796-1817) and Alfred Lee (1799-1865).
In 1803, Charles Lee obtained title for a 900-acre tract of land carved out of the original Thomas Lee patent. Mostly woods and fields, the property was bordered by present-day Lee’s Ridge Road, Lovers Lane, and U.S. 17 southeast of Warrenton.
The exact date their house at Leeton Forest was built is not known, but it was likely completed before the Lees moved back to Warrenton.
Anne died in 1804, and in 1809 Charles married Margaret Scott (1783-1843). The couple had three children, two who lived to adulthood: Elizabeth Gordon Lee (1813-1897) and Robert Eden Lee (1810-1843).
Born at Gordonsdale near The Plains, Robert Eden Lee was married to Margaret Gordon Scott (1817-1866). They lived at St. Leonard’s, west of Warrenton.
Robert was involved in a long-simmering real estate dispute between the Brook and Scott families, and on July 24, 1843, Robert was killed in a duel with Richard Moore. He was buried in the Scott Cemetery at Oakwood.
Charles Lee died in 1815, and was first buried in the cemetery of the old St. Mary’s church on Turkey Run, and later re-interred in the Warrenton Cemetery.
Leeton Forest stayed in the family through the 19th century, occupied by Charles’ widow Margaret until she died in 1843, and then by their daughter Elizabeth, who was married to Rev. A. D. Pollock (1807-1890), pastor of the Warrenton Presbyterian Church.
The Civil War years at Leeton Forest were difficult for the Pollock family. They
After the original Lee family home burned in 1921, owner John Fielding built a new house on its footprint, using the foundation and chimneys. This is how the Leeton Forest Farm house looked in 1975, when the Andrew Bartenstein family lived there.
struggled with shortages of nearly everything, and the impact of frequent Union occupation.
Daughter Elizabeth Hendricks Pollock (1843-1914) is remembered as the young heroine who rode through Union lines to warn Confederate Captain John S. Mosby, then in hiding near Marshall, of an impending Yankee raid. After successfully eluding the Union sentries, she was nearly shot by a Confederate sentry before she could deliver the message.
Also worth noting were her brothers, Capt. Thomas Gordon Pollock (18411864), who was killed in the charge of Pickett’s Division during the Battle of Gettysburg, and Charles Lee Pollock (1849-1888), who died at Leeton Forest.
Toward the end of the war, a Union graves registration squad in Warrenton had been told that Mrs. Pollock had “Yankee bones hidden on her property.” They came to Leeton Forest, and questioned her.
She answered that, indeed, she did have a “bag of Yankee bones,” and led the men to the barnyard, where her tall, thin, cadaverous husband – a native of Pennsylvania – was feeding the chickens. “There is my bag of Yankee bones!” she said.
After Elizabeth G. Pollock’s death, a lawsuit was filed in Fauquier County Circuit Court, Margaret S. Moore, Complainant vs. E. G. Pollock’s Exor. & al, Defendants. In 1899, it was ruled that the original 900-acre tract be divided according to a survey conducted by the special commissioners, and parcels assigned to the parties involved.
Rev. and Mrs. Pollock’s unmarried daughter Lily, then a resident of Leesburg, Va., was given 250 acres and the house at Leeton Forest. The balance of the property was divided into three parcels and awarded to the complainant.
In September 1913, Lily Pollock sold Leeton Forest, by then down to 154 acres, to John L. Fielding (1869-1961), and the property left the Lee family after nearly two centuries.
In 1921, the house burned, and Mr. Fielding built a new house on the stone foundation, using the surviving chimneys.
While no photographs or drawings of the late-18th century house are known to exist, because the newer house occupies the same footprint, it is very similar to the structure that was lost.
A major change came in the late 1920s, when part of the frontage on Lee’s Ridge Road was sold to Washington, D.C. architect Waddy Butler Wood, who designed and built his home there and claimed the name “Leeton Forest.” Subsequent owners included Gen. Lemuel C. Shepherd, Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, and later, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Seilheimer Jr.
The Fielding house behind it became known as “Leeton Forest Farm,” to distinguish it from “Leeton Forest.” From November 1970 to 1986, it was the home of Andrew and Joan Bartenstein and their family.
Courtesy of Amy Gorsira.
Historic road sign, placed on Rt. 802 in 1934, indicates the location of nearby Leeton Forest.
A Story of Healing With Art Therapy
By Louisa Woodville
The Art and Poetry of Kathy Marmet: Dreaming Self Into Being: A soulful exploration of transcendence through art, this exhibit invites you on a journey of healing, integration, and becoming whole. Through vivid imagery and evocative verse, Kathy Marmet reveals the transformative power of creativity—where dream and self meet.
These words, posted on the Youngblood Art Studio website, suggested what to expect on a recent Sunday afternoon in The Plains at Kathleen Marmet’s art exhibition and poetry-reading. What it didn’t convey was the optimism Kathleen projected as she related her path in dealing with trauma.
Kathleen, 78, has lively eyes and a gentle demeanor. She spoke against the backdrop of her sculptures, drawings, and multi-colored paintings featuring large circles of color, ornamental lines, and faces—rictuses of emotive states.
“My story is one of chronic childhood traumatization ... which produces devastating results,” she said.
Over the course of about two hours, audience members came to understand that despite Kathleen’s childhood circumstances—growing up with a depressed mother and a father whose behavior was extreme and unpredictable—she has chosen not to be a victim. Her art therapy, practiced under the aegis of Lilla Matheson Ohrstrom, an accomplished artist and Art Therapist (ATR-BC), has played a significant role in Kathleen’s healing process.
Kathleen was drawn to Lilla’s practice in The Plains because art therapy creates a safe space in which to explore past experiences—especially trauma, which for Kathleen was physically wrenching. She also understood that conventional therapies—talk, writing, music and even theater—weren’t enough, especially after a particularly painful episode a decade ago.
“In 2014 I was having a conversation with my spouse, and it turned into a triggering of very early traumas,” said Kathleen, adding that she underwent two especially upsetting events at the ages of 14 and 17. “The earth opened up and I was failing. It was as though my life was over.”
Kathleen said she felt convinced no one loved her and that she just wasn’t good enough. “My life went from difficult to impossible,” she said. “For years afterwards, I tried to claw myself out of that hole. It was as though I was going through the motions of living.”
Lilla and Kathleen started their work at the onset of the pandemic. Initially restricted to Zoom sessions, Lilla’s instructions sounded simple enough.
“Lilla told me to draw circles every day, and in this way to work around the edges of the trauma, not to dig in,” Kathleen said. “It was a way to release trauma with safety.”
Kathleen found this artistic expression helped her to discern emotive states physically by feeling them in her body. Those emotive states were visually on display on the walls of the Youngblood Studio—despair, joy, relief, angst.
Art has been one way Kathleen has been able to share the dark truths of her painful journey; writing and poetry, and even theater were also tools she used to heal.
On a table at Youngblood Studio were copies of her self-published book, “Freeing the Voice of a Less Than Fully Mothered Infant: Poetic Artifacts of a Healing Journey (2025).”
“Let us create a tender space in which together we can bear the hard realities of our difficult truths,” read Kathleen, words from her 2023 poem, “Invocation of a Tender Space.” Members of the audience nodded appreciatively.
It was these “difficult truths” that art therapy helped Kathleen unlock.
“Art therapy can provide access to the unconscious mind when words fail and root causes are elusive,” said Lilla. “In the case of Kathleen, art therapy helped integrate the different therapies, enabling her to put all the parts of self together and gain a sense of wholeness. It has been very helpful for being present and feeling embodied.”
Kathleen Marmet’s art therapy works.
Art therapy is complementary to conventional talk therapy, said Lilla. Even though clients walk through the door with similar issues—depression, anxiety, trauma, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, grief, even autism—it is the art therapist’s role to act as a witness to whatever the client expresses through the creative process.
“I hold a safe space where people can feel free to express themselves without judgement,” she said. “But the main difference is in therapy we might go much deeper into the unconscious spaces. Understanding how to keep a space psychologically safe is part of my training.”
Art therapy enables patients to both discover and share —if they choose to do so—their process of healing as well as the ideas that emanate from the effort, said Lilla.
It’s a discipline that has gained prominence through the efforts of the American Art Therapy Association, whose mission is “Advancing art therapy as a regulated mental health profession and building a community that supports art therapists throughout their careers.”
Through art therapy, clients share their stories, and life experiences— an integral part to healing. As Kathleen explained: “Telling my story is an act of hope. Hope for my own continued healing. Hope that others who suffer may find a healing path.”
Details: Youngblood Art Studio is located at 6480 Main Street, The Plains. Visit https://youngbloodartstudio.com/art-therapy/.
Photos by Louisa Woodville Kathleen Marmet and Lilla Ohrstom
It’s Oooh-La-La at La Terra
“La Terra,” a private oasis, tucked away just outside Middleburg, offers the discerning buyer tranquility and beauty for family and friends to relax and unwind surrounded by nature.
The custom-built home is a perfect example of combined modern luxury and intelligent design that one would expect in a comfortable Hunt Country estate. For both exterior and interior spaces, no detail was left untouched.
Outdoors, there’s a heated pool; a large patio accessed from the living room and primary bedroom suite; additional patio and outdoor kitchen; stone terraces; picturesque flower gardens; water fountain and koi pond.
Inside, the gourmet chef inspired kitchen with generous counter and cabinet space plus top-of-the-line appliances is sure to please the cook and dazzle the guests. Relax in spacious, sunlit rooms on three levels using the front or side staircases to facilitate your personal lifestyle and entertaining needs.
There are newly refinished hardwood floors and lovely chandeliers opening up to the grand two-story foyer and dramatic curved staircase. Custom windows throughout the home let in abundant natural light while providing top energy efficiency.
The heart of this home is the bright, spacious chef-inspired kitchen, which lends itself to hosting large gatherings in the adjacent casual dining area and great room.
The convenient first floor primary bedroom suite is enhanced with decorative tray ceiling, huge windows and French doors accessing the patio and pool below. The spa-like bath is true luxury. Also, uniquely desirable, all bedrooms are en suites, each with its own bathroom and spacious closets.
The walk-out lower-level area has wide hallways and high ceilings. The newly updated theatre room is perfect for screenings and watching your favorite sports events, with the rec room just down the hall.
There are three large, finished rooms on the lower level to satisfy a host of opportunities and comfortably accommodate guests. Altogether there are four bedrooms and six baths plus the bonus rooms.
La Terra
36789 Snickersville Turnpike
Purcellville Price: $2,450,000
Joyce Gates direct 540-771-7544
office 540-338-1350
joyce.gates@LNF.com
Jason Fiallo direct 703-625-5891
fialloja@gmail.com
A heated swimming pool for lots of laps or simply splashing.
A gourmet chef inspired kitchen has it all.
The master bedroom lets all the light brighten the day.
Stroll through the manicured gardens on the terrace.
The expansive living room offers windows all around.
High Level Dining at Blue Mountain Grill
By M.J. McAteer
Jay Wood and Manuel Alvarez are familiar faces to many people around Middleburg. They’ve been mainstays of the local food and hospitality business since the 1990s--he in the kitchen, first as a dishwasher and then working his way up to chef, she in the front of the house as both a waitress and manager.
Photo By M.J. McAteer
Their combined resumes include stints at the sadly longgone Coach Stop and Mosby’s Tavern, where they first met. They also spent years working at two still-thriving local institutions, the Red Fox Inn and the Middleburg Tennis Club.
In the summer of 2023, Wood and Alvarez said goodbye to bosses, both good and bad, and became business partners as well as life partners, opening their own restaurant, the Blue Mountain Grill in Marshall.
“Manuel chose the name,” said Wood, explaining that when he first emigrated to the area from El Salvador, he was totally taken by the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
not edible.
“I’m the Jane of all trades,” she said. “I do all the paperwork, accounting and training and hiring. I make the menus. If I had to think about all I do, I’d probably fall over.”
Located on Marshall’s main drag, the cozy interior features brick walls, tile floors, Tiffany-style lamps and booths. There’s a full bar and a terrace in the back for outdoor seating. Patrons don’t come for the décor, though, they come for the fabulous food.
The menu includes a selection of pasta and salads, along with a good bit of seafood, including customer favorites clam chowder, blackened mahi mahi and crab cakes.
“Manuel does magic with steaks, too,” Wood said. “Throughout his career, anyone who has had his steak says it’s the best they ever had.”
In on-line reviews, customers give consistent kudos to the quality of the food, with many mentioning generous portions and pleasant and attentive service.
One satisfied customer wrote that a recent meal “was as good or better than restaurants that are twice the price.” Another called it “an out-of-the-way gem.” Alvarez, now a U.S. citizen, said most patrons primarily come from Marshall and Middleburg. Many tennis club members, remembering him from the 15 years he spent as a popular chef and on-court partner there, also make a point of
“They come here to support me, and it makes me feel good,” he said, adding that “You have to have a passion. You have to be engaged,” in order to make a go of it in the restaurant business. “If you want to do it, you do it the right way.”
Details: The Blue Mountain Grill, 8349 W. Main St., Marshall. Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Jay Wood and Manuel Alvarez outside their Blue Mountain Grill restaurant in Marshall.
Offers Food and Friendship
By Jody Warfield
“It’s like coming to someone’s home for dinner. I like to be happy, and I like people to be happy eating here.” That’s how Mohammed Elayan – whose friends and staff call him “Mike” – wants his Marshall Diner to be known.
Whether you want breakfast all day, or comfort foods like meatloaf or lasagna, or a summer cool-down with a root beer or “creamsicle” float, the menu features home-cooked foods, generous portions, and affordable prices – all served by friendly staff who treat you like family.
Chris Knoedler, owner of Allegro Solutions, is a regular customer who volunteered to help Elayan with marketing. To do so, he now waits on tables, talks to customers about what they like, and tells the story on the Diner’s Facebook page.
Knoedler raves about the great value and friendly atmosphere.
Since 1924
Breakfast is served morning, noon and night.
“You can pay $15 for a fast food meal at a drive-through, or $15 here for a huge fresh-made burger and big pile of home-cooked fries,” he said. “Our staff knows everyone, and when I’m waiting on a new customer, I get Mike out of the kitchen to meet them.”
How good is the food? One evening Knoedler waited on a snappily-dressed man who ordered liver and onions. He was a bit nervous as he asked the man how he liked his meal, but was thrilled to hear his response: “I’ve had liver and onions at the finest restaurants in France, and this is the best I’ve ever had.” Elayan, who emigrated to the U.S. from Palestine, opened the Marshall Diner 22 years ago. His brother, Amar Alfrooks, partners with him, and runs the Strasburg Diner, which they opened three years ago. His three sons often work as busboys, and his oldest, Omar, is learning to cook, while earning his engineering degree at George Mason University. Elayan also said his 12-year-old daughter is ready to join in.
“Hala asked me for a Diner shirt and apron,” he said. “She told me, ‘I’m going to be a chef.’”
Asked about his own favorites, Elayan mentions the chicken Alfredo and added, “I make the Alfredo sauce here in house, special for each order.” The menu is mostly all American home cooking. But Elayan is happy to prepare Middle Eastern dishes he learned from his parents.
“Lots of people ask for my Maqluba,” he said. “It means ‘upside down’ in Arabic. It is meat, rice and vegetables, cooked in layers then flipped onto a platter for serving.” Customers also ask for his curry chicken and falafel, which he’s happy to make to order.
Customers include locals who come every week; people visiting the orchards, whose staff urges them to hit the diner before heading home; and travelers from as far as Pennsylvania and Michigan who hear about it from friends, family or the sign on I-66.
Any conversation with Elayan and his staff always comes back to the topic of family and community. Said Knoedler, “What Mike never talks about is how he helps everybody. If someone can’t afford their meal, he’ll cover it. That’s just who he is.”
Details: Marshall Diner is open daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. (8 p.m. on Sundays) at 8453 Main Street in Marshall.
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Photos by Jody Warfield
Owner Mohammad Elayan is a wizard in the Marshall Diner kitchen.
UPCOMING EVENTS
MARSHALL SALE BARN
Regular Sales every Tuesday 1:30PM
Take in day of sale – 7:00AM-1:00PM 7404 John Marshall Highway, Marshall, VA
STATE GRADED FEEDER CATTLE SALES
Marshall Feeder Cattle Association
Drop off is the Thursday before the sale, 7:00AM-3:00PM
UPCOMING SALE DATES
Friday, August 8th, Friday, September 12th, Friday, September 26th
Friday, October 10th, Friday, October 24th, Friday, November 14th Friday, December 12th
POULTRY AND SMALL ANIMAL AUCTION
Date: TBD (Aiming for September!)
Animal Take-in day of the sale from 8:00AM- 11:00AM
Contact: Stan Stevens (540)631-3523 or Emillie Stevens (540)222-2312
Expecting: No out of state birds. All poultry to be in cages.
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.
Some Other Incredible Edibles All Over Marshall
By Leonard Shapiro
In addition to the four Marshall restaurants featured in this issue of Country ZEST, there are many other scrumptious eats to be savored and devoured all around town.
The Whole Ox on Main Street offers quality beef, pork and poultry to prepare in the oven or on the barbecue back home. But there’s also a small dining area inside and a few tables out front, not to mention a talented kitchen crew that makes arguably the biggest and best burger for miles around. And if you haven’t tried the fried chicken sandwich—probably good for at least two satisfying meals—this is a must order.
Just across the street is the iconic Red Truck Bakery, founded initially in Warrenton by former Washington Post art director Brian Noyes. He morphed into an all-world baking guru and cookbook author who sold the business in 2023 to pursue other food-centric possibilities. The pies, cakes and so many other goodies fly out the door.
Down the block on Frost Street is Tapatios, a hidden gem specializing in Hispanic dishes. The place is tucked between two buildings about 20 yards from the street. But the search will be rewarded with classic tacos and burritos that can be consumed in a cozy little dining room. The eating area is also attached to a market, where you can order the food to stay or go.
Just east of town at the intersection of Zulla and Route 55 is El Agave Mexican restaurant. This location is a branch of the same-named restaurant in Warrenton, and if the margaritas don’t make you merry, order a sizzling plate of fajitas and concoct your own guacamole magic.
Back in downtown Marshall, stop at Nick’s Deli, where owner Joe Sarsour is the purveyor and plenty more. Far more delicious is the food cooked up in the small kitchen of this unique store. Their fried chicken breast is juicy, and bargain priced under $4. Additional appealing choices, include great big fat French fries locals call “Marshall Frog Legs” back when Joe’s dad, Nick, was in charge.
Hankering for Italian food? Try Anthony’s N.Y. Pizza in the small strip of shops in front of the Food Lion. They also deliver. Crave Chinese? Head over to the Food Lion, where fried rice and General Tso’s or sweet and sour chicken are often on a hot buffet bar.
In that same shopping area is Fosters Grill, with beefy burgers and beer on tap. An outside seating area makes for pleasant weather dining hard by a grocery store parking lot.
Nearby is another popular food franchise, Subway, where a variety of oversized club sandwiches are made to order. And reasonably priced, like most every other food outlets mentioned, including two Marshall 7-11s, with carry-out food and how about a Slurpee?
Finally, of course, there’s a McDonalds on the way out to I-66.
Enough said.
Cheers for Old Salem, Where Everyone Knows Your Name
By Michele Husfelt
Since its early days as the Town & Country Restaurant on Main Street in Marshall, The Old Salem Café has always been a place to enjoy a good meal and friendly conversation. The café changed its name in 2009 and moved to a new location in 2014, shortly after Donna Armstrong took it over.
Donna grew up on the Mellon Farm in Upperville and started her first job at The Chronicle of the Horse magazine. She later worked for Airline Tariff, a publishing company serving the airline industry, for nearly 30 years.
In her free time, Donna was a skilled DJ, and after retirement, she imagined immersing herself even more in that world. However, her friends at Old Salem convinced her she needed to buy the cafe.
As Donna sighed, “What an adventure it has been!”
Continuing the tradition of serving affordable all-American breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with a full-service bar, the café remains a popular destination for both locals and travelers passing through off I-66.
A recent Yelp review by Kelly P. from Philadelphia states, “So glad I happened upon this place as a pit
One regular Donna fondly recalls was the late Henry Green, who owned and operated three farms in Markham. Henry was a WWII veteran who turned down a presidential exemption and faithfully served in the Navy.After returning home, he stayed in Markham, stewarding his land and loving his family. He died in 2023 at the age of 102, in the same home where he was born.
Imagine the stories Henry shared at the Old Salem. One afternoon, Oscar-winning actor Robert Duvall, who lives near The Plains, was having lunch when he noticed Henry a few tables over. Duvall, as excited as a kid, said to his server, “Is that Henry Green? Oh, how I would love to meet him!”
stop on a road trip to Shenandoah. Cheery service, beyond tasty food (ESPECIALLY for the price), and a small-town, rugged, cozy feel and aesthetic.”
As for the locals, they also appreciate the good food and excellent bar service. And the hometown “Cheers” feeling of a place where “everybody knows your name” is just as important a draw. Many customers stop by regularly, with some visiting daily to unwind after work and catch up with friends. They range from local business owners to farmers to blue-collar workers. For many, it’s the connections to each other that they might not have elsewhere that keep them coming back.
Today on the menu, a favorite item is the Alex Green Patty Melt, named for Henry’s brother, who also frequented the café
Not only do adults enjoy the café, but Donna and her staff are intent on creating a child and familyfriendly atmosphere, featuring activities such as cornhole games, fundraisers for local causes, karaoke, and even guest appearances by Santa and the Easter Bunny.
The success of the café is perhaps best summed up by Todd Bear, a regular from The Plains, who recently walked in at his usual time and commented, “It’s the people that really make this place.”
Helping Families and Friends
Loved One
The staff at Old Salem (l-r) Jodi McIntosh, owner Donna Armstrong, Carlos Gonzalez, Juana Beltran, Liz Johnson.
At Fabulous Field & Main, It’s All About Local
By Leonard Shapiro
When Chris Patusky and his wife, Kiernan, coowners of Slater Run Vineyard in Upperville, want to get away from the grapes and the vines for a quiet, high-quality meal, there’s no question about where they head. It’s only a ten-minute drive to the fabulous Field & Main restaurant in Marshall, owned by their friends, Neal and Star Wavra.
“It’s very much an owner-led operation,” Patusky said, “with the genius Neal Wavra sculpting every part of the experience, from the local sourcing of the ingredients, to the delicious and creative dishes, to the brilliantly curated but reasonably priced wine list.”
That’s high praise indeed, and surely music to the Wavras’ ears. It’s exactly the sort of dining destination they intended when they first opened in September, 2016.
“We wanted to develop a community place where we could create a farm-to-table network and you can come in, see your neighbors or maybe even sit next to the farmer who grew your food,” Wavra said. “Our
vision was a place where you could come in for a beer and a burger, or celebrate your 25th wedding anniversary.”
That’s clearly been mission accomplished.
Said Patusky, “For me, the best table in the house is the eating bar overlooking the kitchen. You have a front row seat to the chef calling out directions to the junior chefs as they make the meals directly in front of you, ‘Fire this plate! Fire that plate!’
“Neal also has created a comfortable and friendly neighborhood bar up in back, with great eats and terrific cocktails. Maybe the most unique experience is dining in one of the private cabanas out back, where you feel like a special guest at some distant unattainable resort.”
Neal Wavra, a Chicago native, has come a long way since graduating from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington with a degree in commercial diplomacy. He then earned a Masters at the Middlebury College Institute of International
Studies in Monterey, California.
He came east to D.C. and worked for two years at the Commerce Department, focusing on international trade agreements. He liked the job, he said, “but the bureaucracy was just not for me.”
He’d always been interested in food and wine, prompting him to enroll at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. “I took a wine course,” he said, “and it became a focus of my studies.”
He returned to Chicago for a stint working at Charlie Trotter’s renowned restaurant, then moved to the Blackberry Farm resort in Walland, Tennessee in 2006 where he and Star met. Then came Virginia, first the Goodstone Inn in Middleburg, then the Ashby Inn in Paris before the Wavras decided to open their own restaurant.
Marshall initially was not on their radar, but a friend, Peter Schwartz, then a county supervisor, suggested they look at the vacant O’Bannon House, their current location. It had been an “ordinary” for food and lodging in the early 1800s, and it was virtually love at first sight.
Neal Wavra did a lot of the cooking at the start, but now has two chefs, Taylor Johnston and Joffre Reyes. “We have a team,” he said, with Neal working on menu concepts, events, food acquisition and more and Star handling marketing and public outreach. Wavra also is part-owner of the Red Truck Bakery, and oversees that operation, as well.
Definitely, it’s all a long way from Walla Walla.
Neal and Star Wavra at Field & Main’s front door.
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Cooking Therapy In the Kitchen With Dinah
By Leonard Shapiro
Someone’s in the kitchen with Dinah, in fact a dozen someones recently gathered at the Emmanuel Episcopal Church kitchen in Middleburg earlier in the summer. No one was “strummin’ on the old banjo,” but instead they were on hand to learn a bit about gourmet cooking from renowned instructor and author Dinah Corley.
Dinah was there to take a few more small steps on what has been a long recovery from a debilitating stroke she suffered in December, 2021, leaving her immobilized without the use of most of her right side. But there she was that memorable June afternoon at Emmanuel, all dressed up by her friend, Wendy Osborn, owner of Chloe’s in Middleburg, and delighted to help conduct her first cooking class since the stroke.
“One day, I happened to see the book she had written,” Dylan said. “I told her that she needed a purpose and that I thought she could still teach people how to cook, something she’s done all of her life. I said ‘why don’t we do some kind of a luncheon and we’ll give it a try?’”
Dinah, who has lived in the Washington area since the mid1980s, has done cooking classes for hundreds of students over the years. She counts among her acquaintances the late Julia Child and Child’s lifelong French culinary star, the late Simca Beck. Dinah described Beck as her own long-ago mentor in the kitchen.
“This was the most exciting thing to happen to me since the accident,” Dinah said later, sitting in a lounge chair at the Middleburg home she shares with her husband, Jack Nargil. “Just being with people who still enjoy my recipes is really gratifying. I hope we can do more of it.”
That memorable June cooking class was the brainchild of Dylan Rumley, a therapist who specializes in providing clients with light therapy and medical cognitive hypnotherapy, among other services.
Over the last four months, Dylan has been going from her Middleburg office to Dinah’s home twice a week to work on improving her physical skills. The light therapy has been particularly effective and progress is on the horizon.
When Dylan learned about Dinah’s cooking credentials, she decided to organize the class at Emmanuel as another form of mental therapy.
According to the cover of Dinah’s book, “Gourmet Gifts,” published in 2011, she offers readers “a hundred delicious recipes for every occasion to make yourself and wrap with style.” She and Dylan selected several recipes, including one called “cuter than a bee’s knees,” to make pasteli, a Greek honey and sesame seed chewy candy and another that involved making an avocado butter.
Dylan wanted to emphasize farm-to-table ingredients for the class, and most of them came from the Saturday morning Middleburg Farmer’s Market. Pete Smith, a chef who spent several years at Salamander Resort, also came to the class to help and now creates tasty dishes and goodies, also for sale at the farmer’s market.
A dozen women signed up for the class, and a smile never left Dinah’s face over its three-hour duration.
“The joy of being back and creating what she’s always done was a great thing for her,” Dylan said. “Her inspiration is to do it again.”
With no strummin’ on the old banjo necessary.
Photo by Leonard Shapiro Dinah Corley and her therapist Dylan Rumley at a memorable cooking class.
A Prosecutor’s Tale: ORANGE ON THE BLUE RIDGE
For nearly two decades, each time prosecutor Suni Mackall worked a murder case, she looked for a photograph of the victim, one that showed the person happy, radiant, full of joy. Mackall would place the photo on her desk as she worked on the case, wondering about the person’s life, ambitions, dreams that were cut short.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about these lost souls,” she said. “So I started writing. “Orange on the Blue Ridge” is the result of what I heard in my heart when I thought about these victims. It’s an abstract reflection in music. It’s about connecting the love I felt surrounding the victims with the love I heard in music – and then expressing that music and love to the audience. I wanted to find a way to remember and honor their lives through song.”
“Orange on the Blue Ridge” will be performed at Barns of Rose Hill in Berryville on August 22 and 23 at 7 p.m. New musical pieces have been added to the production since last year’s two sold-out performances.
Mackall’s self-therapeutic reflections in “Orange on the Blue Ridge” – she describes it as “a folk opera inspired by everlasting love” – draw from her reflections from 1998 until 2017 when she was Clarke County’s Commonwealth’s Attorney.
After retiring in 2017 and spending time in private practice, she recently returned to Clarke County’s government as Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney. She’s a member of the University of Virginia Law Class of 1987.
Mackall also is slowly losing her hearing, triggered by an accident decades ago. So her theatrical mission is urgent: “It was imperative I finish this project while I can still hear the music,” she said.
In “Orange on the Blue Ridge,” a dozen songs weave together to represent Mackall’s musical journey to honor the murder victims. She stressed that the production isn’t grim.
“It’s really my story I’m telling,” she said. “It’s my way of bringing together everlasting love from one moment in time to another moment in time.”
While Mackall conceived the show and wrote the show’s lyrics, area musicians added music composition, vocals, and instrumentation, led by Music Director Morgan Morrison and including Aimee Curl, Melissa Wright, Dave Van Deventer, Nicole June, Willy Steinmetz, Mara Bella Occhuizzo, Rudy Bee, Nicole Davis, and Violet Neikirk.
“It has been an absolute joy to help bring Suni’s vision to life,” said Music Director Morrison.
Melissa Wright, who plays Mackall as the director in the show, as well as assists with songwriting, added, “Hearing the audience gasp in excitement, cry honest tears, and experience this story written by Suni has been one of the most inspiring projects I have ever worked on.”
Details: www.barnsofrosehill.org.
Courtesy Barns of Rose Hill Suni Mackall
New Leader, Same Mission for Goose Creek Association
By Alissa Jones
Established in 1970, the Goose Creek Association (GCA) serves as a guardian of the watershed and a voice for conservation in Loudoun and Fauquier counties. Its mission is to safeguard Goose Creek, its tributaries, and the surrounding land. The association monitors water quality, restores riparian zones, advocates for conservation, educates local schoolchildren, and raises public awareness about watershed-related issues.
The legacy of the GCA will endure for generations to come, thanks to the unwavering dedication of individuals like retiring Board Chair Lori McGuiness and incoming Administrative Director Alyson Borowczyk. Although their paths briefly intersected, their shared passion and purpose run deep. Both have dedicated significant portions of their professional lives to preserving Goose Creek’s watershed program.
After retiring from her career in regulatory law, McGuiness relocated to Fauquier County with her family. Recognizing her deep passion for conservation, a friend invited her to join the GCA board.
McGuiness dedicated 17 years to the board and, in July 2024, stepped down from her ten-year position as chair, passing the baton to Ted Lewis. Said McGuiness, “We didn’t officially announce it. I simply said, ‘Ted, take it over. It’s yours.’”
In 2023, Borowczyk left her thriving marketing business in Buffalo, New York, to relocate closer to her family in Virginia. Over the past year, she served as the organization’s administrative director, overseeing all administrative duties and representing the GCA at events. In May, 2025, she was appointed executive director.
Borowczyk’s new role involves more frequent interactions with the community, serving as the liaison between the association and local individuals or organizations.
Despite the change in responsibilities, Borowczyk emphasized that she didn’t relinquish any of her administrative duties. Instead, she simply added more tasks to her plate. She credited her team, particularly Annie Bellis, the River Steward, for her support.
Bellis manages water quality and volunteer programs, is a certified stream monitor, and spearheads the organization’s programming. She also assists with their educational outreach program, which involves visiting schools and conducting presentations.
Like McGuiness, Borowczyk is a strong advocate for educating local students through hands-on projects. She believes that teaching the importance of preserving the watershed program also instills a greater lesson of character, fostering stewardship and awareness for the community and future generations.
“We’re trying to broaden our impact and reach more children at different age levels,” said Borowczyk, “As a former educator, I love going into the schools, doing presentations and working with the kids.
“The watershed is not just the bodies of water, but the land surrounding it. We are very concerned about the health of Goose Creek and we want to help landners integrate best management practices.
One program being implemented is called a riparian buffer. It involves planting native trees and shrubs along the landowners’ property that borders the creek’s tributaries. By doing so, it helps minimize soil and nutrient runoff that could potentially enter the creek and damage its quality. The riparian buffer acts as a natural filter, intercepting pollutants before they reach the water.
The GCA partners with soil and water districts in the area and they provide the trees needed to be planted.
The association is mostly run by volunteers, concerned citizens who want to see the watershed protected, “They’re the lifeblood of the organization,” said Borowczyk. “That’s one thing I love about our program is that we do things in conjunction with volunteers.”
Details: goosecreek.org
Alyson Borowczyk recently was named executive director of the Goose Creek Association.
Geraldine Carroll
Charles Carroll IV, MD
LIVING FIT & WELL
Aging Is Definitely Not For Sissies
By Mark Nemish
As we age, we also realize we can’t physically accomplish a number of tasks we used to perform easily in our 20s and 30s. For many, the decline in physical capacity also can be accompanied by a decline in mental acuity.
Why does this occur and at a faster rate in some than others? Our concept of physical decline can be seen in older athletes who, depending on the sport, can’t seem to keep up with their younger counterparts due to their loss in speed and quickness. As a result, many older professional athletes will train harder just to compensate for their loss in speed in order to delay retirement.
At the other end of the spectrum, sedentary individuals approaching retirement age often find themselves having a harder time getting out of their favorite recliner or have difficulty lifting luggage up to an airplane bulkhead.
Physiologically, a number of things are occurring as we age, especially when we don’t exercise. Skeletal muscle makes up about 40 percent of our total mass and is composed of different types of fibers—Type 1 (slow twitch, endurance) and Type II (fast twitch, speed and strength). As we age, there’s a selective decrease in Type II fibers, both in number and size, resulting in a functional loss of muscle size.
That’s called sarcopenia, and it’s accompanied by a loss in strength, especially that’s needed for more powerful, faster movements. However, it’s not just a loss in total muscle mass that’s important, but rather a profound loss in the neurological activation of these fibers, the signals from the brain and central nervous system to the muscles to fire or contract.
Not only does the loss of these Type II fibers have implications for decreased strength, but they also are important for the storage of ingested carbohydrates known as glycogen. A loss of these fibers creates a smaller sink for glucose disposal, thus contributing to increased blood glucose and insulin levels, and possible incidence of Type II diabetes.
An important first step is to identify an individual’s current amount of muscle mass and where it’s located in the body. One of the most accurate ways of determining this is through a Dexa Scan (DXA). It measures total muscle mass and fat, in addition to where on the body its located.
The DXA will also measure bone mineral density (BMD) and assess it based on your age (Z-Score), how it compares to the average BMD for your age and how it compares to the BMD of young adults (T-Score). BMD is especially important for determining your risk for osteoporosis and resulting fractures.
Finally, recent research has found an increase in inflammatory factors and decreased growth and repair mechanisms in aged skeletal muscle that are mediated by gene expression. Collectively this indicates that many factors are contributing to reduced muscle function.
In my next article, I’ll discuss new research that points to the importance of maintaining muscle and strength, thus aiding quality of life and longevity.
Mark Nemish is the owner/director of Precision Health Performance. He’s spent 30 years managing the health of athletes, 22 as head strength and conditioning coach for the Washington Capitals (2007-23) and Nashville Predators (1998-04) in the National Hockey League.
The Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s Rokeby Farm is a place where agriculture, art, learning, and community thrive together in the beautiful countryside. Kick off your fall season at the second annual Rokeby Community Festival!
General Admission
Advance Tickets: $10
Day-of Tickets: $15
Child Tickets (12 and under): Free
www.osgf.org/rokeby-fest
Mark Nemish and the Washington Capitals’ Stanley Cup.
Independence Day
It was July 4th, a typically hot, hot, hot summer day, and an appreciative crowd came to the Middleburg Museum on Madison Street that afternoon to hear a very inspiring and even more appropriate public reading of the Declaration of Independence. Doing the honors were Narrator Punkin Lee, Tucker Withers, Dave and Kathy Olimpi, Janet Danker, Bruce Cameron and ZEST editor Len Shapiro. That was followed by the reading of an exchange of letters between then Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Banneker, with Banneker imploring Jefferson to make certain all Black men, women and children were, indeed, created equal by ending slavery. Shiloh Baptist Pastor Herman Nelson read the Banneker letter; Middleburg Town Council member J. Kevin Daly read Jefferson’s response.
Bruce Cameron
Vicky Lewis
Kai Gregory
Tucker Withers
David Olympi
Pastor Herman Nelson and J. Kevin Daly
Photos by Donna Strama
Are Coyotes Here To Stay?
By Michael Kieffer
Hearing a family group of coyotes howling on a summer night brings back an ancient memory of voices in the dark that just could pose a threat to a human. There’s a short list of animals to which humans are vulnerable including brown bears, great white sharks, poisonous snakes, large felines, and large canines. We no longer live among the animals in our world as our ancestors once did. Now, most people visit a park or preserve to experience nature. and, it could be argued, it’s becoming more like going out to watch a movie. We do not learn about animals in order to feed ourselves or protect ourselves. Instead, we live separate from them and, yet, depend on them. What does this have to do with coyotes? Maybe nothing, but sighting one does seem to affect the viewer in one of two ways that illustrates the juxtaposition of our present relationship with nature. Either the viewer feels awe and wonderment or aggression and fear.
Do we protect coyotes or do we eliminate them?
Traditionally a species that roamed the open grasslands of the west, coyotes first began to appear in Virginia in the 1950s. As eastern forests were cleared and converted to farmland, and now housing developments, the resulting patchwork of fields and brushy edges apparently created suitable habitat. Additionally, the wolves of the eastern U.S. were
completely extirpated. The coyotes were able to take advantage of the available habitat and no natural predators and began to move east. It’s unclear exactly how they came into each individual eastern state, but the interstate highway system surely facilitated their movements.
Since coyotes arrived in Virginia, they’ve filled the niche left vacant by wolves. Whether good or bad, they’re here to stay.
To highlight some of the more illuminating natural history characteristics of coyotes, it’s necessary to focus on their habits, ecology, and management.
One of their more intriguing habits is a “search image” of the prey type that is most easily scavenged or killed. They focus on this prey until its abundance decreases. And then, a more abundant prey replaces it.
In essence, coyotes opportunistically change food preferences reflecting the most easily accessible food
resource in its home range. And so, coyote predation will not limit population abundance of meadow voles, turkey, deer, fox or any other prey species. Another unique characteristic is their ability to have pups any time of year, usually three to twelve, with only food availability or space limiting their reproduction. By removing some or even most coyotes, they will quickly reach their maximum reproductive potential taking advantage of the increased food resources and space created from the reduction of their numbers from human hunting. Management to remove coyote populations are doomed to fail. Left alone, they will control their own population density to match their resources.
Ecologically, coyotes may indirectly benefit ground nesting bird species, including bobwhite quail and woodcocks, by reducing the numbers of ground-nest predators such as raccoons, skunks, and opossums.
Whether they’re considered villains or a welcome addition to a landscape depends on your background. Maybe it’s best to embrace the coyote as a replacement player in a human-opened niche. Will coyotes, ever so adaptable, continue to thrive or will our continued loss of natural habitat lead to a cinema-only nature experience for even this evolutionary success story?
Michael J. Kieffer is executive director of the Bull Run Mountains Conservancy.
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Courtesy Bull Run Mountain Conservancy A coyote roaming a grassy Virginia field.
Tractors and Traffic Don’t Mix
That’s the message the Virginia Farm Bureau is sharing.
The goal is to make drivers more aware of farm equipment on the roadways because Virginia farmers are seeing an increase in farm equipmentrelated accidents. In the past month, there have been at least three reported accidents involving farm equipment, said Matt Nuckols, chair of the Virginia Farm Bureau Safety Advisory Program.
“Fortunately, all the farmers survived, but we want to prevent these kinds of accidents from ever happening,” Nuckols said.
The National Safety Council reports that around 15,000 farm vehicles are involved in crashes each year in the U.S. Tractors generally travel at less than 20 mph, compared to cars cruising at 55-plus miles per our, the NSC reports. A car traveling 55 takes five seconds to brake 300 feet—the length of a football field—to avoid colliding with farm equipment moving up to 20 mph.
There recently was an accident in Amelia County involving a tractor traveling near the site of an almost fatal 2018 crash. In that accident, Wallick Harding survived after his tractor was hit, but it was a long road to recovery. He petitioned the Virginia Department of Transportation to install two large, reflective tractor crossing signs.
But the signs don’t seem to be enough.
Less than a year ago, Amelia County farmer Kenney Barnard’s employee also was involved in an accident. That employee was driving a combine down a straight, two-lane road around 11 a.m. The combine was equipped with flashing lights, but the driver still hit him from behind.
Injuries were minor, but the equipment suffered $17,000 worth of damage. “How you don’t see a 12-foot-wide combine is beyond me,” Barnard said. “But it could’ve been a lot worse.”
Barnard said he’s had many close calls himself.
“If I put my hand out the window signaling I’m turning left, they think I’m waving them around me,” he said. “Drivers are in too much of a hurry.”
To help raise awareness of slow-moving, large farm equipment on roadways, the Virginia Farm Bureau has started its SAFER initiative—Safety Awareness for Farm Equipment on Roadways.
Part of that includes a contest that encourages farmers, community groups and civic and youth organizations to create visual displays depicting the size difference between farm equipment and regular vehicles. The goal is to have displays in high-traffic public areas—like the banners in Campbell County— that will help make drivers more aware of farm equipment on the roadways.
Drivers should slow down when approaching farm equipment, and give themselves enough space to stop. Equipment operators can’t see drivers who are following too closely.
Instead of passing farm equipment, motorists should wait until it turns off the road.
“Most of this equipment is not traveling very far, so if you do get behind one, a little bit of patience can go a long way,” Nuckols said. “If you’re willing to wait in line at a grocery store or for a table in your favorite restaurant, you should provide that same patience for farmers who grow and raise your food.
Tom Sites and the Equine Adventure of a Lifetime
By Zachary R. Malevich
Searching for adventure after serving in the military during the Vietnam War, Tom Sites and his horse, Jose Dante, with no formal endurance riding experience, entered the longest horse race in history close to 50 years ago.
Stretching from New York to California, the Great American Horse Race began on Memorial Day, May 31, 1976, as a celebration of America’s Bicentennial. Sites recounted his great adventure to a large crowd at the Horse Country shop in Warrenton earlier this summer, with Rectortown veterinarian Jeannie Waldron, an accomplished endurance rider herself, serving as the program moderator.
The race “was and is the biggest endeavor of my life,” Sites said, adding that it all began two years prior to the race in Tysons Corner when he came across a strawberry roan with a big white blaze in a nearby field. That night, he said he dreamed about a dancing horse. The following day, he returned and purchased the horse, naming him “Jose Dante, the dancing horse of my dreams.”
Sites and Jose spent the next two years pleasure riding in the mountains around Luray, Virginia, where he still lives.
“I knew nothing about the sport of endurance, but we just rode for fun and adventure,” Sites said. “Jose was a good first horse.”
In March, 1976, Tom saw a cross-country race advertised in Western Horseman Magazine promising “the adventure of a lifetime.” It really was all across the country.
Two months later, he and Jose found themselves lined up with 91 other entrants from 32 states and 10 countries at the Herkimer County Fairgrounds in Frankfort, New York. He described the start as “chaotic with over 120 rigs and 150 horses and about 500 people. It was hectic, frantic and a circus.”
The riders would follow a daily course of five to sixty miles between campsites. Veterinarian checks every ten miles ensured the horses’ safety. Daily times were eventually tallied at the finish to determine the winner. The race ended in Sacramento, California on Labor Day.
Many riders had two horses, a crew, a trailer, supplies, and endurance experience. Sites and Jose arrived with little more than their own stubborn determination.
“I was out of my league, but I had the gumption to try,” he said.
Sites rode in jeans and long johns and ate a “whole lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.” He slept on the ground and under the feed truck when it rained. Despite the difficulties, he said he always prioritized Jose’s welfare.
Horse shoes proved challenging throughout the race because they slipped on asphalt and wore out quickly. In Ohio, Sites noticed that the Amish carriage horses didn’t slip on roads, so he had Jose shod by an Amish farrier. A good idea, because the Amish shoes had better grip and lasted for a thousand miles.
Sites has countless fond memories from that remarkable journey. One time in Utah, he walked in to a Baskin Robbins ice cram shop and ordered a massive hot fudge sundae with all 31 flavors.
He said he also loved seeing mile after mile of blooming wildflowers in Medicine Bow National Forest in Colorado and Wyoming. Most of all, he recalled the good times with friends among his fellow riders and expressed deep gratitude for their support and “all the kindness given me.”
Zack Malevich is a freshman at Wakefield School in The Plains.
Tom Sites and Jose were definitely at home on the range nearly 50 years ago.
Photo by Zack Mahevich Endurance rider Tom Sites recalled one of the great adventures of his life at a recent event in Warrenton.
LETTER from PARIS
My Late Great Saudi Friend Saud
By John Sherman
Saud al Sowael was a close friend, although he rarely shared much of his inner life.
He was an Arab, swarthy, of substantial girth, whose daily dress was a flowing white thobe and whose drink was scotch.
His father was Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the U.S. and Saud spent his formative years at a German school in Cairo. English was his third language, which he spoke better than I did. He went to M.I.T. where he completed his degree in two years. Then it was on to work for Sheik Yamani of OPEC fame.
We met in the taproom of The Ashby Inn in Paris, Virginia shortly after we opened in 1984. He came for lunch with an attractive woman and soon became quite a regular presence.
We had six rooms at the inn at the time. Saud spent the winter in the spacious Fan Room. He had two Apple computers and spent much of his time translating 19th century German poetry.
We did all of our office work on paper—reservations, orders, payroll—-19th century style. And kept them in a beat-up green filing cabinet that we inherited.
Driving home from Washington one evening, I saw a light in the taproom where Saud had his nightly cognac. I stopped to say hello. The inn was dark. I almost tripped over a box at the head of the steps. I asked Saud about the boxes. Without turning his head he said, “You need one.” It was an Apple computer.
Saud eventually moved to a rented house where he had the space to cook---another artistry. His apprentice cook would begin the preparations. At a magic moment, Saud would put down his scotch and addressed the stove—-like a conductor about to begin Beethoven’s Third. In his Saudi tradition, the food came all at once, served by his butler. Saud would preside at the head of the table quoting Wordsworth and the ins and outs of splitting atoms.
Sadly, Saud died three years ago at his sister’s house in Delaplane. A few memories stand out.
Saud once was accused by a woman of fathering her child. The county spent the next month tracking him down to serve a warrant, while Saud toured West Virginia. He finally showed up and landed in the county jail, where he refused to take a DNA test.
No surprise, Saud sized up his fellow inmates, their felonies, their education, and shortly opened morning classes in math and English. I imagined this large Arab standing in front of his pupils dressed in an orange jump suit.
Having had his sense of achievement and asylum from the demands from the Kingdom, he agreed to the blood test. It was negative.
I was at my desk one day when Saud called from Riyadh to say he would be in Washington later that week for a dentist appointment. Could we have
lunch? I made a reservation at Galileo, then the finest Italian restaurant in the city.
At the time, I was an inside Congressional staffer. In those halcyon days before moral rules changed, limiting the money that could be accepted for eating out, the sky was the limit. I had four or five wellpositioned lobbyist friends who ended up paying for my restaurant education, as we worked our way through just about every notable eatery in town— including Galileo.
Arriving early, I gave maitre d’hotel and friend, Michael, my credit card as a gesture to Saud’s historic generosity.
Saud arrived and ordered a martini. I was on the wagon. We chatted as they brought menus. The classic dishes ran from vitello tonato, wending its way though pastas and seafood to what the waiter called the “unusual tasting menu” where Saud and I lived: veal feet, lamb tongue, tripe, sweetbreads.
As we were perusing the choices, our server lugged over a leather bound five-pound wine list. Saud knew his Italian wines better than I did. As I
passed over the tome, I realized, with a shock, that he thought he was paying. It took two waiters to bring the bottle he ordered to the table. Saud tasted and approved, and I immediately stepped off the wagon. I looked up and Michael just rolled his eyes, grasping my angst.
Lunch over, I was brought the check. Saud protested. I insisted. I ran down the bill, resigned to my punishment. I looked up and Michael had a thin smile. He had taken the wine off the bill. Professional courtesy at its finest.
Not long after, I asked Saud to lunch at the house. Saud arrived and mentioned that his sister, Nila, might stop by to drop something off. The first course finished, I went to the kitchen to start the second. It took a bit to sauté the crab cakes. I re-entered to see a large block of something wrapped in plastic sitting on a trunk.
The block contained a half million dollars, which Saud dutifully lugged to Aspen as walking around money for a Saudi prince and wedding party there to ski.
Roma Sherman, Saud al Sowael and John Sherman
Middleburg – Meticulously updated four-bedroom residence on nearly 20 acres. This exceptional property boasts breathtaking mountain views, with stunning sunrises and sunsets, and provides outstanding riding opportunities (with permission) within the prestigious Middleburg Hunt territory.
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Equestrians will appreciate the 2-stall barn, complete with a tack room and a concrete aisleway fitted with rubber matting stalls for the utmost care of your horses. The property includes four paddocks that can be interconnected, two run-in sheds, and a spacious, flat paddock ideal for an outdoor grass ring. A generously sized, partially fenced open field offers potential for cross-country riding or hay production, and it can also serve as additional paddock space for horses.
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