Country ZEST & Style Fall 2023 Edition

SCOTT AND CHIP STINE

BOND OF BROTHERS

INSIDE: MICKIE GORDON WAY BACK WHEN MIDDLEBURG’S THREE P'S ALL ABOUT MONTANA

HICKORY TREE FARM

THE PLAINS, VIRGINIA

304 acres | Main house, stunning guest house with garage, 2 tenant houses, manager’s house, apartment complex, pool, 5 barns, approx 60 stalls, 3/4 mile all weather sand track, pond & extensive paddocks, fencing & sheds | Panoramic views of Bull Run Mountains & the Blue Ridge Mountains | Original home site still surrounded by towering trees, garden & stone walls

$7,950,000

heLen MacMahon 540.454.1930

OUT WEST

WARRENTON, VIRGINIA

Gracious home with impressive renovated kitchen | Hardwood floors, substantial millwork and fine finishes and 4 fireplaces | Perfectly sited to enjoy the views of surrounding farmland | 5 bedrooms, home office, large family room, newly resurfaced tennis court, wonderful pool with cabana and 4 bedroom guest house with workshop/3 stall stable | Large field for turn out, 1 paddock and lovely hay field | 32 acres in 2 recorded parcels

$2,850,000

heLen MacMahon 540.454.1930

RECTORTOWN ROAD

MARSHALL, VIRGINIA

Lovely country home on private lot in the village of Rectortown | FIBER INTERNET | Open floor plan with main level suite and home office | Upper level overlooks large family room with two story vaulted ceiling and stone fireplace and two large bedrooms and second family room | Multiple porches and decks with extensive plantings - easy maintenance

$1,100,000

heLen MacMahon 540.454.1930

THE PLAINS, VIRGINIA

64 acres on a lake in two parcels and extensive Little River frontage between Middleburg and The Plains Elegant French Country stone home with a slate roof Very well-appointed home with large rooms for entertaining and an elevator | 5 bedrooms, including two large suites with balconies Full compound includes a large pool with spa and spacious pool house, pavilion, tennis court, gazebo, barn with two apartments, equipment building/garage and 2 generators | All major systems updated Open fields and rolling pasture with extensive wooded trails in prime Orange County Hunt territory

$4,900,000

heLen MacMahon 540.454.1930

RUN

MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA

Middleburg Hunt location House built in 2020, Amish built, quality construction, frame exterior and metal roof 3 BR, 3 1/2 BA, 11 ft ceilings, moldings, tons of light Antique french doors from the Heinz family estate 50 acres are gently rolling & useable | 40 acres are fenced 4 large paddocks & 3 small holding fields 24 x 48 barn/ farm structure w/ tack room, 24 x 14 run in shed, 12 x 36 2-bay run in shed w/ feed room, 12 x 14 tack room Mountain views, koi pond

$2,982,250

PauL MacMahon 703.609.1905

Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

GLENDONNELL

WARRENTON, VIRGINIA

Stone Neo-Tudor home built in 1918 | Features light-filled rooms, a center hallway with arched doorways | Kitchen gives the gourmet cook all the amenities for efficient food prep | 5 wood-burning fireplaces | A separate office and gym on the first floor | 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 2 half baths Stone patio for outdoor entertaining | Detached garage with storage | 1.14 acres

$1,700,000

Lynn WiLey 540.454.1527

CATESBY VINEYARD

UPPERVILLE, VIRGINIA

44.55 acres of which 15 acres are producing grapes | 8.5 acres of Chambourcin, Traminette on 4.3 acres and Vidal Blanc on 2.1 acres | Vineyard infrastructure includes fencing, irrigation system and computerized well | Perc site for 4 bedroom home | Property is in conservation easement | Property can be converted to Residential use

$1,300,000

PauL MacMahon 703.609.1905

Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

PIEDMONT DRIVE

MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA

Elegant end unit all brick townhouse Almost 4,000 sf. | Living room with additional sitting area, fireplace & built in book cases | Kitchen has it’s own outside entrance, large island, formal dining room | 3 bedrooms on the upper level include large walk in closets and laundry & two full baths | The lower level is fully finished w/ 2 private home offices, a full bath & family room w/ fireplace, additional built in cabinetry and wet bar Back garden is fully fenced and provides private outdoor space with flagstone terrace for outdoor grilling and dining

$895,000

heLen MacMahon 540.454.1930

ROBINSON LANE

WARRENTON, VIRGINIA

Potentially lovely country home on 10.43 acres in Bellevue Farms | With some clearing huge mountain views to the west House built in 1997, frame construction, beautiful floors, built-ins, gourmet kitchen, 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, 2 fireplaces, 10 ft ceilings, front porch, rear terrace and deck | Improvements include detached 2 car garage with office, 2 stall barn and run in shed

$800,000

PauL MacMahon 703.609.1905

Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

FULTON

MIDWOOD

Came To Town

By Rob Banner

With a police escort, the first stop for the 1 ½ size version of Secretariat was the Middleburg Community Center, followed by the 2010 film, “Secretariat,” starring Diane Lane as owner Penny Chenery. Five different horses played the part of Secretariat, also fondly referred to as “Big Red.”

The evening was sponsored by Loudoun Therapeutic Riding with Executive Director Laura Smith organizing the event.

The next day, Secretariat moved across Washington Street to the National Sporting Library & Museum (NSLM) for a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s Triple Crown. Inside the Founders’ Room, a capacity crowd listened to remarks from sculptor Jocelyn Russell with Kate Tweedy, Penny Chenery’s daughter. Together, they brought the best racehorse that ever lived back to life and spine-tingling racing footage from 1973 left everyone slack-jawed.

Photo by Helen Wiley

Catherine “Bundles” Murdock, a member of the NSLM advisory board, with Julie Banner, education and marketing manager.

Photo by Leonard Shapiro Bruce and Laura Smith with Patsy Richards at the Middleburg Community Center.

Photo by Rob Banner At a stop at the executive mansion in Richmond: John Stuart of Bluegrass TB Services, Virginia Equine Alliance Executive Director Jeb Hannum and TB breeder Josh Pons.

ZEST & Style

Personalities, Celebrations and Sporting Pursuits

© 2023 Country ZEST & Style, LLC.

Published six times a year

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

Art Director

Meredith Hancock

Hancock Media

Circulation Director

Seneca Drennan

Editorial Research

India Awe

Contributing Photographers:

Doug Gehlsen

Crowell Hadden

Sarah Huntington

Nancy Kleck

Douglas Lees

Karen Monroe

Tiffany Dillon Keen

Donna Strama

Official Fine Artist

Linda Volrath

Contributing Writers:

Drew Babb

Emma Boyce

Sean Clancy

Kerry Dale

Philip Dudley

Mike du Pont

Carina Elgin

Valerie Archibald Embrey

Jimmy Hatcher

M.J. McAteer

Joe Motheral

Jodi Nash

Tom Northrup

Ali Patusky

Melissa Phipps

Pat Reilly

Linda Roberts

John E. Ross

Eugene Scheel

Constance Chatfield-Taylor

John Sherman

Peyton Tochterman

John Toler

Leslie VanSant

Louisa Woodville

For advertising inquiries, contact: Leonard Shapiro at badgerlen@aol.com or 410-570-8447

ON THE COVER

The photo shoot of the Stine brothers this month was a breeze. It was smooth as pie and easy on the eyes, aligning well with their respective professions. The props were key in conveying this visual narrative, akin to a compelling movie poster that hints at the story to come. Working with the Stine brothers was seamless, making the shoot a delightful experience.

/ Country Zest and Style / @countryzestandstyle / @countryzestand1 www.countryzestandstyle.com

BE ON THE LOOKOUT through this issue of for the hummingbird.

ZE

Country ZEST & Style Country

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of NOTE ZEST

& Style

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

SALUTING OUR HEROES

By Leonard Shapiro

As the proud son of a World War II Army private who landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day plus-three, Veterans Day always had a special meaning in our household, both growing up, and to this day. So mark your calendars for Nov. 11 and to each and every man and woman who’s ever served in the U.S. military, none of us can ever thank you enough.

We’re delighted to recognize an inspirational area organization that has done magnificent work with veterans. That would be the Boulder Crest Retreat in Bluemont, a 37-acre acre facility that recently celebrated its tenth anniversary of providing important services for hundreds of wounded and traumatized veterans and first responders.

Founded by Navy veteran Ken Falke and his wife, Julia, Boulder Crest has since added a second facility in Arizona. It’s a nationally recognized nonprofit focused on ensuring the veteran and first responder communities can live great lives in the aftermath of trauma. Its mission: “to facilitate post-traumatic growth (PTG) through transformative programs, worldclass training and education initiatives, research, and advocacy.”

We have several more stories on area residents doing valuable volunteer work all around the countryside, and even abroad. Read all about the foundation started by long-time Middleburg resident Richard Jackson and his wife Anna, who own and operate 18 physical therapy clinics in Northern Virginia, to provide desperately needed PT training for students and current practitioners in several African nations.

There’s a story on Middleburg FISH, run by “Big Fish” Martha Cotter. Providing services for over 60 years, its volunteers answer phone calls from area residents in need of help paying the rent, utility bills or filling prescriptions, among other requests.

Helping to fund FISH and other local charities is a newly created foundation that can trace its roots back to the 1930s and philanthropist Paul Mellon. The Middleburg Charitable Foundation (MCF) has a stated mission to “support organizations that provide services to the disadvantaged and vulnerable in the areas of health, education, personal safety and food security.”

The mission of this magazine remains the same. As always, we’re delighted to offer a wide variety of stories and photos guaranteed to put a little more ZEST into your reading pleasure.

Leonard Shapiro Editor badgerlen@aol.com 410-570-8447

Doug Gehlsen and Karen Monroe of Middleburg Photo

Photo by Lisa Catlett Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin was among the speakers at the tenth anniversary celebration of the Bluemont-based Boulder Crest Foundation, a nonprofit committed to improving the physical, economic, spiritual, and emotional well-being of military veterans and first responders and their family members.

IMPROVED PRICE

RED BRIDGE

107 acres | $9,975,000

Marshall – Magnificent estate of approximately 107 gorgeous acres in the heart of Virginia’s renowned horse country.

17,800 SqFt of exquisite living space and spectacular equestrian facilities which include an Olympic sized Outdoor Arena, a fabulous 12 stall Stable, 15 lush paddocks and riding trails throughout. Also includes a lovely Guest Cottage and Living Quarters for staff. Unparalleled in its beauty and charm, Red Bridge simply cannot be replicated anywhere.

BARRON ACRES

16+ acres

E. WASHINGTON

$2,500,000

Bluemont – Stunning Estate on a picturesque country road in prestigious Boxley Farms! 3 level custom built contemporary with open floor plan, vaulted ceilings, stone fireplaces, wine cellar. New 2 stall center aisle stable with attached run-in.

.16 acres

$975,000

Middleburg – 2,850 SF of outstanding space in 2 separate units, attractive offices, conference rooms with large windows, Hard Wood floors, dedicated private parking. Excellent condition, prime location. High-speed internet connectivity.

Z is for Azania, A Middleburg Star

By Leonard Shapiro

Back home in England and all around Europe, Azania Stewart is fondly known as “The Big Z.” At 6-foot-4, she’s a vivacious, highly skilled former professional basketball player, a past member of England’s national woman’s team and these days, a talented broadcaster.

In Middleburg, once her second home when she starred on a nationally-ranked high school team 15 years ago at the now closed Notre Dame Academy, she is still fondly remembered by anyone who crossed her path on or off the school’s basketball court.

“She was quite an impressive player at Notre Dame,” recalled Middleburg realtor Paul MacMahon, who served on the school’s board back then. “Her team was ranked in the top 10 in the country, No. 1 for a short time. She loved living here and she was the complete student athlete. More importantly, she’s as good a person as she was an athlete.”

Azania was back in Middleburg this past June reconnecting with old friends and former classmates and staying for a few days with long-time Middleburg resident Kim Shelly, who she described as “my second mum.”

Said Kim, “she’s my daughter from another mother.”

Azania’s initial journey to Northern Virginia was all about basketball. She grew up in a somewhat depressed area of London and took up the game when she was 13. She’d been spotted playing netball – an English sport similar to American basketball -- by an amateur coach who operated a youth basketball league in her neighborhood.

“I was terrible at first,” Azania said, “but I kept practicing and started to get better.”

Her father, Dexter, is 6-foot-6, and the height gene soon kicked in for Azania, who’s mother was a native of Tanzania. By the time she was 16, Azania was 6-4 and attracting some attention. Notre Dame coach Mike Teasley had been recruiting another player in London when he first saw her play. Impressed with her skills, and, of course, her height, he offered her a scholarship, and she decided to pack her bags and see how far basketball might take her.

She lived with her coach’s family in Frederick her sophomore year “but that commute really got old,” she said. “I had become friends at school with Kim’s daughter Haley, and she said to me ‘I don’t have any siblings, why don’t you come live with us.’ I didn’t take it seriously, but one day, Kim came up to me and asked the same question.”

For the next two years, she had a five-minute ride to school from Chinn Lane, took a part-time job working at a local inn and kept getting better at basketball all the time.

All five Notre Dame starters eventually earned Division I college scholarships, with Azania spending four years at the University of Florida before turning pro and playing abroad until she retired from the London Lions in the women’s European professional league after last season.

Over the past five years, she’s also worked as a sideline reporter for the BBC, and that’s what she’ll be doing full time in the future.

“I love it,” she said, adding that she’s hoping to be in front of the camera at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. And she also loved her time in Middleburg.

“I just remember this wonderful sense of community,” she said. “Everyone looks out for each other. Everyone knows everyone. It was a mini-utopia for me and I’m so grateful to have been here.”

Photo by Leonard Shapiro Kim Shelly and Azania Stewart.

Geraldine Carroll Charles Carroll IV, MD

Alpacas and Llamas Oh My!

By Joe Motheral

The Double 8 Ranch is home to 40 alpacas and 12 llamas, all residing on 32 acres owned by Bonnie and Doug Kittrell near Purcellville that clearly add to the rural character of western Loudoun County.

“We got our first Alpacas in 2005 from across the county, then two from Pennsylvania, one from Arizona and two from New Jersey,” Bonnie said, adding that, “Somebody came over with a folder full of information about alpacas and llamas. My husband did the research about all these creatures and we started raising them.”

Alpacas and llamas originated in South America and are closely related and occasionally even cross breed. Alpacas are smaller than llamas and communicate through body language. Spitting, for example, is commonly associated with llamas and is considered an expression of dominance.

“Llamas get a bad rap because people think of them as spitting,” Bonnie said. “In fact they are friendly especially with children…We feed them with second cutting hay year round, the pasture and we offer them a supplement by Blue Seal.

One of their llamas is especially friendly.

“His name is Star Spangled Banner,” she said, and, as if on cue, a few feet away he had draped his head over the fence and actually appeared to be smiling.

Bonnie uses the fleece from both llamas and alpacas to make yarn and “mostly scarves that we sell at the Leesburg Farmers’ Market primarily in the winter when there is more demand.”

In addition, the ranch sponsors tours consisting in part of an hour-long educational presentation “to teach about alpacas and llamas and the differences between the two,” Bonnie said.

“The tours are conducted by me and my husband,” she added. “We give you a healthy treat to feed our animals as we talk about the differences between the two types of alpacas and the differences between alpacas and llamas. about what we use them for here on our farm, fiber product production, agritourism, and hiking.”

And why is the ranch named Double 8?

“That’s our wedding anniversary,” Bonnie said. For more information: info@double8alpacas.com.

Bonnie and Doug Kittrell with one of their prize-winning alpacas.

The Art of Bookbinding on Steroids

By Robert Banner

One steamy summer Saturday, I attended a bookbinding demonstration in the powerful air conditioning of the Founders Room at the National Sporting Library & Museum (NSLM) instead of being spot welded to the back of my horse in the heat outside. It was a great decision. The horse was relieved. I was cooler. And I learned something that’s always left me curious.

I’m a huge fan of fore-edge painting, the process by which a book is privately decorated with a hand painted scene that is only visible when you bend the pages over. If you do that delicately, the viewer discovers a hidden hunting scene, or perhaps a pastoral vista. The art may have something to do with the book topic, but it may be anything else that inspired the artist, or book owner.

Cat Tail Run Hand Bookbinders from Winchester did the demonstration of decorative binding arts, and I was in the front row. Cat Tail’s Ann Loomis was there to show how she, or anyone for that matter, can create fore-edge painting on the pages of any book.

Cat Tail offers classes in that craft, as well as other bookbinding wizardry, so students can learn how each process occurs. Too busy? Cat Tail can decorate or restore, any book you own.

Fore-edge painting and even adding gilt edges to a book’s pages are just a couple of the ways enthusiastic book collectors can decorate their books. The rare book room at NSLM is filled with copies of old, rare tomes from as early as 1550. They demonstrate that bookbinding from the mid-14th century onward was totally up to the owner.

In those days, you bought a book as sections of printed paper called “quires” that may have been simply bound together when published. After purchase, it was re-bound in the best fashion you could afford. Special books required special binding. Special owners spared no expense.

Recently, the Smithsonian displayed an exhibit on bookbinding. There, I found books bound with pigskin “tawed” with alum, or salt, resulting in a whitish appearance. Calfskin was also used with decorative patterns achieved with natural acids. The cover of one book about winemaking was even decorated with amethyst beads arranged in clusters to resemble grapes.

Swirled marbling, mica adding pearlescence, scaleboard or scabbard, even bone (for clasps) also was used. Gold illumination, blue-green verdigris, and azurite added rare and iridescent color to the equation. Clam shell boxes were created to protect treasured editions.

All the decorative binding and special publishing techniques are at NSLM in the rare book room. Colleen Yarder, the George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Curator of Library Collections can show you. And just don’t stop at fore-edge painting. Colleen has her doctorate in the library sciences and has tabs on all the unique, bookbinding art in the NSLM collection.

Details: Cat Tail Run Hand Bookbinding;, 2160 Cedar Grove Road, Winchester, VA 22603; https://cattailrun.com; info@cattailrun.com.

ASHBY STATION RD FRONT ROYAL, VA

BA | 4,671

2438 PYLETOWN RD BOYCE, VA $2,295,000

BD |

Anne McIntosh REALTOR®

Powell’s Pals – the Three “P” Streets of Middleburg

By Denis Cotter

Three streets in Middleburg start with the letter “P”: Pinckney, Pendleton, and Pickering.

Coming into town from the east, the first is at the Exxon station, on the right. The second is at the United Methodist church on the left and Safeway on the right. The third is at the Red Horse Tavern on the right.

So who were those gentlemen Pinckney, Pendleton, and Pickering? Sadly, their names are mostly long-forgotten.

Fortunately, a wonderful book by Loudoun historian and mapmaker Eugene M. Scheel shed considerable light on the subject. It’s called “The History of Middleburg and Vicinity: Honoring the 200th Anniversary of the Town, 1787-1987” It had a limited edition of 1,000 copies, was never reprinted, and was sponsored by the old Middleburg National Bank.

Scheel makes clear that the street names of Middleburg were chosen by the town’s founder, Leven Powell (1737-1810). He had fought in the Revolutionary War and was promoted from major to lieutenant colonel by General George Washington.

After the war, he was a Loudoun County delegate to Virginia’s June, 1788 Richmond Convention that ratified the 1787 Federal Constitution. Powell picked all the town’s street names after returning from that convention.

It was meant to honor his heroes and pals – all well known names in American history—like George Washington, John Jay, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Marshall. And then came three not so well known—Charles Pinckney, Edmond Pendleton and Timothy Pickering. Charles Pinckney (1757-1824) was from Charlestown, South Carolina. He served in his state’s militia during the Revolution and represented South Carolina at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 where he presented his own complete draft of the constitution.

Thirty provisions were incorporated into the final document. Pinckney later served as governor of South Carolina, U.S. Senator, U.S. Minister to Spain, and Member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Despite his distinguished career, Pinckney likely would not have a street named after him these days. He also was a major slaveholder, opposed the 1820 Missouri Compromise that admitted Missouri and Maine to the Union, and supported expanding slavery into new territories and states.

Edmund Pendleton (1721-1803) was from Caroline County, Virginia. A distinguished lawyer and judge, Pendleton attended the First Continental Congress in 1774 with fellow Virginia delegates George Washington and Patrick Henry. He also was president of the Virginia Convention of 1774 that declared Virginia’s independence.

He also was president of the 1788 Richmond Convention that adopted the U.S. Constitution – and where he and Leven Powell first met. Pendleton was the first Chief Justice of the Virginia Supreme Court and served for nearly 25 years. Like Pinckney, he also a slaveholder, as was Leven Powell himself.

As early as the 1774 Virginia Convention, Pendleton proposed that the Virginia statement of universal rights should exclude slaves.

Timothy Pickering (1745-1829), the last of the “P” street honorees, was from Salem, Massachusetts. Like Pendleton, he was a lawyer and served as an officer in the Massachusetts colonial militia and as Quartermaster General of the Continental Army during the Revolution.

After the war, Pickering moved to Pennsylvania and took part in Pennsylvania’s 1787 convention ratifying the U.S. Constitution. He went on to be U.S. Postmaster General and the nation’s third U.S. Secretary of State under George Washington and John Adams.

Later accomplishments include serving as a Congressman and then U.S. Senator for Massachusetts. It’s still safe to have a street named after him: Pickering never owned slaves.

Country ZEST & Style | Fall 2023

The Eyes Have Always Had It For Chip Stine

By Leonard Shapiro

Chip Stine was seriously considering going to dental school until a day more than 40 years ago he’ll likely never forget. He was in college at the time, and a family friend, Middleburg dentist Gregg Helvey, allowed him to observe a wisdom tooth procedure he was performing on a patient in his office.

It may have been routine to Dr. Helvey, but Chip quickly realized that perhaps a different medical

pursuit might be a better fit. “I don’t think so,” was the way Chip described his reaction that fateful day, with just a touch of grimace.

It was a totally different comment and a far more positive look on his face when he spoke about observing another talented medical man in action back then. That would be optometrist Fred Goldberg, founder of the McLean Eye Center, who also invited him to watch an office procedure that was far more to his liking.

Much cleaner,” Chip said. “No blood, no mask or

Dr. Goldberg had graduated from the prestigious New England College of Optometry in Boston, and highly recommended the school. Not long after, Chip visited and was interviewed by an instructor who really impressed him. While he was there, he also passed an entrance exam that allowed him to attend the school a year earlier than he’d planned.

“I still don’t know how the heck that happened,” Chip recalled. “But I spent the next four years in Boston. It was a great education, a great experience.”

And a memorable last night in Boston, as well. His younger brother, Scott, was staying in his room, and they shared a bunk bed. Big brother Chip got the bottom bed, of course, with Scott on top. For a while.

That night, the top bunk and Scott collapsed onto the bottom bunk and Chip, and the brothers have been laughing about it ever since. They are extremely close, of course. Scott owns the Upper Crust bakery, and right next door is the log cabin headquarters of Chip’s bustling Middleburg Eye Care practice. Their father, the late Jim Stine, had suggested the log cabin approach years ago. They located a 200-year-old cabin they liked in Ohio, had it taken apart piece by piece and transported and rebuilt in Middleburg.

A widely-respected Doctor of Optometry, Chip opened his own practice in 1989 and has been at it ever since, often collaborating with some of the top eye specialists in the region. His wife, Mary, runs the office and their long-time friend Sandra Crosen has handled the optician’s shop on the second floor for over three decades. They’re also thrilled that their daughter, Taylor, has moved east this year,

and is teaching kindergarten at Banneker School.

Chip also cherishes his relationship with his little brother—despite the bunk bed boondoggle. They’ve been hanging out ever since the Stine family moved to Middleburg in 1972 when Chip was 10. The brothers and a band of buddies did everything together—mini-bikes, football, tennis—and many childhood pals still live in the area and remain great friends.

“Scott and I are a little different,” Chip said. “Scott hunts, I don’t hunt. Scott fishes. I don’t fish. He can relax. I can’t. I swim, ride bikes, play tennis. And we both love living here. It’s so wonderful to see the people you grew up with every day.”

Little brothers included.

Photo by Doug Gehlsen of Middleburg

Photo

Photo © by Vicky Moon

The waiting room at the Middleburg Eye Center is filled with memorabilia and optical artifacts.

Photo © by Vicky Moon

The log cabin office, originally from Ohio, is 200 years old.

Dr. Charles “Chip” Stine.

It’s a Shorts Story at the Upper Crust

By Leonard Shapiro

This is what Scott Stine loves best about owning Middleburg’s iconic Upper Crust bakery, and it has absolutely nothing to do with his ability to sample the countless goodies on display morning, noon and late afternoon.

No. It’s the short pants he wears virtually all the time, even in the dead of winter.

“Man,” he said, “I just hate to dress up. And knowing I could wear shorts here, that was a turning point in my life.”

That happened not long after Scott came back to Middleburg, his home town, after attending the University of Massachusetts-Boston. He was interviewing with the Calvert Group in Bethesda for possible employment as a stockbroker. Several college classmates were working there, and he thought it might be a good fit, as well.

The more he contemplated the commute, the more he considered having to wear a coat and tie all day, the more he knew he’d be far happier helping his father, the late Jim Stine, a petroleum engineer for the Navy Department and a serial entrepreneur, operate his two Middleburg businesses.

That would be Huckleberry’s, a popular hamburger and fries/ice cream and shake place on West Washington Street, and the new bakery his dad had opened on Pendleton Street.

“Best decision I ever made,” Scott said. “And life is good.”

It got even better when his beloved big brother, Chip Stine, started his optometrist practice right next door to the bakery. Chip is three years older, and when asked to describe their relationship, Scott smiled and said, “hey, we’re just great brothers.”

Scott, 58, is a very busy brother.

He puts in 60- and 70-hour work weeks, arriving at 7 a.m. and staying until late in the day. Until recently, they closed only on Sunday, mostly because Scott and his father always thought that day belonged to family. Now it’s also closed on Mondays, mostly because it’s been hard to find enough reliable help.

“I have the very best employees,” Scott said, “But I can’t ask them to work six days a week.”

One of those employees is Robin Rose, who grew up around the corner from the bakery, went to the same elementary, middle and high school at the same time as Scott and has been a lifelong friend. “She’s a very big part of the bakery,” he said. “Couldn’t do it without her.”

Scott estimated that 90 percent of the cookies, pies, cakes, breads and so much more is produced on site, just as it’s always been since the bakery began operating in the space that’s now its kitchen. In the mid-90s, his dad purchased the entire building.

Their most in-demand item? Cow puddles, a deliciously chewy cookie made with butterscotch and almond. The chicken salad, infused with green grapes, is also extremely popular.

And so is Scott Stine.

He’s a talker, a hand shaker, a man who knows many of his customers on a first name basis. If you’ve never met, he’s easy to find. He’s the guy in the shorts.

“Hey, we’re just

Scott Stine

In “The First Kentucky Derby,” racing historian Mark Shrager examines the events leading up to the first “Run for the Roses,” the unsuccessful plot hatched by the winning horse’s owner to fix the race. It also examines the prominent role played by African-Americans in Gilded Age racing culture—a holdover from pre-emancipation days, when slaves were trained from birth to ride for their wealthy owners and grew up surrounded by the horses that would be their life’s work.

When Mary Beth Morell began to stock her new Middleburg Books shop at 17 South Madison Street, she knew that anything horsey would work. So now we have “Girls and Their Horses” by Eliza Jane Brazier. Set in the glamorous, competitive world of show jumping, it’s a novel about the girls who ride, their cutthroat mothers, and a suspicious death at a horse show.

Middleburg Books owner Mary Beth Morell also suggests “Happiness Falls,” written by Angie Kim who lives nearby in Reston. She’s also lived around the world, including Seoul, South Korea, the Baltimore suburbs and Palo Alto, California, and attended Harvard Law School. “We didn’t call the police right away.” Those are the riveting first words of this extraordinary novel about a biracial Korean-American family in Virginia whose lives are upended when their beloved father and husband goes missing.

Carry Me BACK Mother Knows Best

The dinner dance took place at Bruce and Marjorie Sundlun’s Salamander Farm, named by Bruce whose code name was Salamander when he participated with the French resistance during World War II.

By Jimmy Hatcher

I’m thinking it was probably around 1980, when I was working for Pamela and Averell Harriman, that Sophia, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, came to stay with the Harrimans with her new husband at the start of their honeymoon trip.

The Duchess, Lady Sophia‘s mother, was Deborah Mitford, one of the six famous and occasionally infamous Mitford sisters, and a longtime friend of Mrs. Harriman. That weekend happened to be the opening meet of the Orange County Hounds, and Mrs. Harriman and I were planning to hunt.

Bruce and Marjorie Sundlun were giving a dinner dance the night after the Orange County meet. I had received a call that an old friend of Bruce’s from London was flying in and would be at the party without an escort. The old friend was Bettina Graziani, at one time, a top fashion model in London, and the last great love of the Pakistani playboy Aly Kahn, the ex-husband of actress Rita Hayworth and several others.

Anyway, the morning of the meet came and the weather was just foul—very cold and windy for that time of year. So Mrs. Harriman decided not to ride and instead, take the newlyweds (Lady Sophie was a big-time Three-Day Event rider) and go as spectators.

The meet was held at the Ohrstroms and we decided to view the hounds from inside Mrs. Harriman’s car. Suddenly Mrs. Harriman jumped out and ran up the hill to join a group of hardy, shivering spectators watching the hounds out in the open air.

There was one woman huddled in her overcoat who Mrs. Harriman was evidently delighted to see. She and Mrs. Harriman were enthusiastically hugging and chatting like long lost friends.

PSO Halloween Spooktacular! Sunday October 22, 2023 - 3PM

Spooky music by: Saint-Saëns, Berlioz, Grieg, Gounoud, Mussorgsky, Hermann & more! Costume parade on stage for kids!

Handel’s Messiah in Concert

Sunday, December 10, 2023 - 3PM

In conjunction with the St. James Church Choir of Warrenton, we present the concert version of Handel’s Messiah and a local premiere! Plus additional Holiday Classics!

PSO Young People’s Concert: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

PSO Young Artist Competition & Student Art Contest

Sunday, February18. 2024 - 3PM

Experience the thrill of three gifted young musicians competing for scholarship prizes!

DUKAS - The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Sunday, April 21, 2024

PROKOFIEV - “Classical” Symphony No. 1

MOZART - Symphony No. 40

MENDELSSOHN - A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Bella Voce 2.0 with Emily Casey & Nakia Verner Sunday, June 9, 2024 - 3PM

Emily Casey, soprano and Nakia Verner, soprano/alto return to perform timeless works for voice!

Nancy Mitford (1904–1973), Pamela Mitford (1907–1994), Diana Mitford (1910–2003), Unity Mitford (1914–1948), Jessica Mitford (1917–1996), Deborah Mitford (1920–2014) The PSO is Generously Funded in Part By:

Lady Sophia, who had been asked to be called Sophia (dropping the Lady title), wondered who Pamela Harriman was hugging and talking to with such affection.

I answered back that I wasn’t sure, but I thought it was probably Bettina, the London model many years earlier. I also told her that after Mrs. Harriman’s marriage to Randolph Churchill had ended, she and Aly Khan had once been a twosome themselves.

Without hesitation, Sophia said, “Mom too!”

ROSSINI - Italian in Algiers Overture

BEETHOVEN - Symphony No. 7

Often referred to as Debo, this Mitford sister married Andrew Robert Buxton Cavendish, 11th Duke of Devonshire in 1941 and thus became the Duchess of Devonshire. Her daughter, Sophia came to Middleburg for a visit.

Books about the Mitford Sisters can now be found in audio form.

Luminescence Foundation & The Ben-Dov Family

Bowden

The Intrigue of AI Hallucinations Human INTELLIGENCE

By Hunt Lyman

Since the release of ChatGPT almost a year ago, the world has seen a surge in interest in artificial intelligence (AI).

From familiar names like ChatGPT to newer systems like Bard and Claude 2, many have come to view AI as a highly informed and eloquent companion. However, these new friends, despite their sophistication, sometimes offer utterly false responses with great confidence. AI creators refer to these as “hallucinations.”

Take, for instance, last spring when a legal brief penned by ChatGPT and submitted by a lawyer cited several court cases. While the list was impressive, every single case was fabricated.

Another quirky example? A friend of mine who is a musician, despite his extensive online profile, was shocked when ChatGPT credited him with founding a major charity. And in my

own experience, ChatGPT once highlighted the importance of a character that doesn’t even exist in a novel I frequently teach in 8th grade.

The confidence with which these AI models present misinformation can be quite disarming, especially to those who trust them for precise details.

Traditionally, we think of software glitches as “bugs”—errors in the code that can be rectified. But AI mistakes arise from a different paradigm.

Rather than following a strict set of instructions, AI systems like ChatGPT learn from vast amounts of internet data in ways based on human learning. Instead of “debugging” these systems, AI researchers aim to “steer” them, though the exactness of this process remains to be seen.

A striking revelation about AI is the limited understanding even its creators have of its internal workings.

Sam Bowman, a key figure behind ChatGPT, noted on the Vox podcast Unexplainable, “I’ve built these models, I’ve studied them. We built it, we trained it, but we don’t really know what it’s doing.”

Given that AI designs draw inspiration from the functioning of the human brain, a mystery in its

own right, such ambiguity isn’t wholly unexpected. Still, as we come to rely more on these systems, the fact that even experts can’t say for sure how they are coming up with answers should give us pause.

Sarah Dillard, a fellow educator, sees a silver lining. She believes that the unpredictability of AI outputs, especially in academic contexts, can be advantageous. She says it is important to realize that some inaccuracies are “a feature, not a bug.”

To her, these “hallucinations” ensure students can’t solely rely on AI and must validate its outputs independently. This should be a guiding principle in the classroom, and I believe she’s right that our job as teachers is to help students see AI as a part of the research and writing process, not just a shortcut to the end.

As we integrate AI more into our daily lives, it’s vital to remember our knowledge of their intricate operations is still in its infancy.The allure of AI is undeniable, but we should never forget that there is a big hole in our understanding of how these systems work, one that may never be completely filled.

Long-time educator Hunt Lyman is the academic dean at Middleburg’s Hill School.

Hunt Lyman

For Montana, It’s Not Work If You Love It

By Leonard Shapiro

How much does Montana Lanier Ruffner adore The Hill School in Middleburg, where she’s a proud graduate of the Class of 2007? Let us count the ways.

She was both a beloved and inspired student there from kindergarten through eighth grade. She married her husband Jamie, a real estate appraiser, in the school’s outdoor amphitheater, with the ceremony conducted by Hunt Lyman, a long-time Hill educator and academic dean and one of her favorite teachers. And these days, she’s an active member of Hill’s alumni board, and still stays in touch with many classmates and faculty members near and far.

It’s hard to believe this 30-year-old dynamo has any time to remain so involved with the school. She has a full-time job as the meetings and events coordinator for Warrenton-based Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC). She founded her own company, Big Sky Management & Events, with a contract to serve as the operations director for Upperville’s Buchanan Hall. And oh yes, she also volunteers for the Land Trust of Virginia and other good causes.

Montana grew up near Bull Run Mountain in The Plains and fondly remembers often going to

Buchanan Hall. These days, she oversees all the facility’s events and services, ranging from weddings, garden shows, parties, book signings, concerts, a co-op kitchen, and its wildly popular Farmers Market that runs Wednesdays from May to October.

She formed Big Sky in 2020 after being laid off by Great Meadow during the Covid pandemic. A graduate of Foxcroft and Radford University, Montana’s degree came through the school’s Recreation, Parks and Tourism program. She had initially worked for a trade association, but was not totally enamored with it and began looking around in the hospitality field, focusing on non-profits.

Fletcher Slater, a fellow Hill graduate and volunteer president of Buchanan Hall, had attended several Great Meadow events Montana had organized, including a spectacular July 4th celebration that attracted more than 30,000. He told her he’d love to have someone with her skill set at Buchanan Hall.

“We went for coffee one day at Common Grounds to talk about it,” she recalled. “Then we sat down and he said, ‘okay, I’ve already talked to the board, and if you want the job, it’s yours.’”

She wanted it, and three years later, still thoroughly enjoys the job, as well as her work for the PEC.

She’s always been passionate about the environment and preserving the Virginia countryside where she was born, raised and never plans to leave.

“I don’t go much past the roundabouts out here if I don’t have to,” she said.

Her PEC work involves organizing its annual fundraising gala as well as coordinating efforts on a program called Solar on the Farm, including an upcoming event at a Culpeper farm that will focus on solar power and energy back-up. More than 100 area farmers are expected to attend.

She also wants to keep fulfilling what she sees as Buchanan’s Hall mission. In her words, “It’s to be a cornerstone of the community,” with a wide variety of events that appeal to one and all.

“At the end of the year,” she said, “I can sleep well knowing that every facet of the community has had some sort of support or recognition with an event at the Hall. People ask what my hobbies are. It’s some sort of work, I guess. The Hall has become my pastime. I love what I’m doing.”

And she’s not alone.

“Montana is equal parts, passion, and purpose with an unrivaled work ethic and attention to detail,” Fletcher Slater said. “She’s worked tirelessly to bring Buchanan Hall to the forefront of our community. She’s flashy, bright, fabulous, bold, and never fails to anticipate the needs of others. She should be very proud of what she’s already accomplished and I’m so excited to see what she does next. “

And he’s not alone, either.

Don't let sore muscles stop you from enjoying your ride! Riding horses requires a lot of work from your upper and lower body muscles. You likely notice tightness and soreness in your legs and chest after a ride from gripping the saddle and sitting upright. A 1-on-1 assisted stretch is exactly what you need to relieve tension and ensure your next ride is as enjoyable as possible!

Photo: Country ZEST Montana Lanier Ruffner

There will be a hat contest worth $5,000 as part of the festivities at this year’s West Virginia Breeders Cup races on Saturday, October 14 at the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races.

Details: wvbcmbn@frontier.com, Website:www.wvbc.com.

Photo © by Vicky Moon The Plains Community League hosted a luncheon in honor of Debbie McLaughlin, a devoted volunteer and long-time board member and past president. Top row: Robin Gant Melton, Mary Beth Jones, Debbie McLaughlin, Denise Godfrey, Earl Douple, Jane Goode; 2nd row: Ellen Richmond-Hearty, Joyce Heflin and front row: Molly Kelley, Nono Fisher, Sheila Wiley Harrell, Jaimie Pyles.

Photo by Leonard Shapiro David Graham and Cole Masterson, Fauquier County Sheriff’s Department officers, at the Marshall Fire Department breakfast event.

Photo by Leonard Shapiro Eddie Payne handles business for the Marshall Fire Department breakfast.

Photo © by Vicky Moon As summer faded.

Photo © by Vicky Moon

What would Mickie say?

Photo © by Vicky Moon Direct marketing near Rectortown.

VIRGINIA HORSE RACING SCHEDULE 2023

Colonial Downs Summer Thoroughbred Racing Schedule in New Kent, VA

July 13 - September 9

• The 2023 season ended on September 9.

• Thanks to all fans and horsemen for a great meet.

• Stay tuned for details on the 2024 summer racing season in New Kent which will include the Arlington Million, Beverly D Stakes & the Virginia Derby!

(details at colonialdowns.com)

Shenandoah Downs Fall Harness Racing Schedule in Woodstock, VA

September 16 - October 29

• Racing every Saturday & Sunday at 1:00 PM

• FREE Parking, FREE admission

• Shenandoah County Fair Harness Meet from August 30 - Sept. 2

(details at shenandoahdowns.com)

NSA Sanctioned Steeplechase Fall Meet Schedule

Oct. 1: Foxfield Fall Races in Charlottesville

Oct. 14: Virginia Fall Races in Middleburg

Oct. 28: International Gold Cup Races in The Plains

Nov. 4: Montpelier Hunt Races

(details at nationalsteeplechase.com)

Looking Forward to West Virginia Breeders Classic

By Bill Cauley

Tim and Judy Grams’ passion for horses runs deep. They’ve been fortunate enough to own and operate a successful horse racing business, Grams Racing Stable, LLC., in Charles Town, West Virginia.

The Grams first moved to Charles Town in 1989. The farm was purchased in 2008, and since then, they breed, break and train their own horses and are well-known in the state’s horse racing circles. The couple has won several West Virginia Breeders’ Classic races since the event began more than 30 years ago.

The 37th edition of the Sam Huff West Virginia Breeders’ Classic is set for Saturday, Oct. 14, at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, with a nine-race card. The expected purse for the Classic is $300,000.

“We’ve had some pretty good horses come through this farm,” Tim Grams said. “I think we’ve got five or six good horses that could do well for us.”

Grams said 3-year-old fillies Maggie’s Girl and Lucky Blond look promising. Their wins in the West Virginia Breeders’ Classic series include a victory in the Grade II $1 million Charles Town Classic, with Runnin’toluvya, in 2019.

The Classic now bears the name of the late Sam Huff, former Hall of Fame linebacker for Washington and the New York Giants and a long-time Middleburg resident. Huff and his partner, Carol Holden, spearheaded the move to spotlight the horse racing industry in West Virginia.

So far, 2023 has been a good year for Tim Grams. He sent out 137 horses with 22 wins and earnings totaling $544,000. That, along with other victories along the way, gives Grams 908 wins out of 5,058 starters, with $19.4 million in earnings.

Perhaps Grams’ best effort has been with Runnin’toluvya. The horse had more than $1 million career earnings, but the Grams’ overall success runs deep.

Tim Grams also trained Moonlit Song, a past Cavada winner. That horse banked more than $400,000 career earnings. Other impressive race horses trained by Grams include Beware of the Bop and Fancy Buckles. Fancy Buckles won nine of 17 races in her career and has stakes races named for her each year.

Judy Grams is a former jockey. Her career included 294 mounts, with 14 wins and earnings of $61,000. That may seem like a small number, compared to the much-larger totals by current jockeys three days. But those numbers also date back to the time before slot machines arrived at Charles Town in 1994. Since slot machines first arrived at Charles Town, purses have gotten much larger over time.

It turns out slot machines may have been the saving grace for the West Virginia horse racing industry. In ’94, the state legislature approved video lottery games, or slot machines. That move came at a time when the state’s racing industry seemed on the brink of collapse.

Since it began, the West Virginia Breeders’ Classic alone has paid out more than $30 million in purses for the breeders and horsemen in West Virginia.

The 37th edition of the Sam Huff West Virginia Breeders’ Classic is set for Saturday, Oct. 14, at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races.

A Historic Polo Property Changes Capable Hands

By Leonard Shapiro

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The names associated with the lush polo field located off a one-lane dirt road near Upperville read like a Who’s Who of Middleburg area royalty—Paul Mellon, John Shaffer Phipps, Hubert Beaumont Phipps, John Warner, Jack Kent Cooke, and the Brennan family, among others.

And that’s why Doug Barnes keeps pinching himself. After all, he’s the new owner of that very same historic 53-acre property and the polo pitch off Crenshaw Road that dates to the 1930s and known for many years as Phipps Field.

“It still hasn’t sunk in,” said Barnes, 49, a Texas native and long-time polo player and instructor who lives in The Plains. “To be able to buy one of the oldest polo fields in the country and the state of Virginia is hands down, one of the biggest treats ever. For me to be associated with some of those names just shows you that anything is possible.

“Did I ever think I’d own this? No.”

As he spoke, he was also hanging up a new sign at the front gate reading “Destination Polo,” the name of his business. It offers instruction to players at all levels and also organizes competitions in Virginia, South Carolina and Florida.

A graduate of Texas A&M, Barnes said as he was preparing to leave college, he told everyone he was probably going to law school, but knew in his heart that polo would be his true calling.

He’s been playing and teaching the game for more than 30 years, including competing on the same field near Goose Creek he just purchased from the Brennan family, who also own Llangollen in Upperville, a historic estate now also on the market.

The perfectly maintained polo field was sold separately. “All I had to do was mow it one time and it was ready to play,” Barnes said.

Kristin Lee Photography

We provide comprehensive care for equine athletes at all level from performance horses to trail horses, companions, and retirees through ambulatory farm calls or in our state of the art hospital.

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“I had 48 hours to make them an offer and I found out 48 hours later that they had accepted it,” Barnes said. “I made the offer on August 1st and we closed on the property on August 23rd. I didn’t sleep for two weeks. As I told the Brennans, this is an honor more than it is a regular transaction.”

Barnes will teach at the facility, organize games and tournaments. Players can also make arrangements to practice there. And he’ll be a hands-on owner. “People who have been in polo around here for the last 30 years will come and play and I’ve got a group of clients who will play. Friends and families in the community will find their way here. I’d like to let it happen organically within the community.”

“There are so many kids who have never even petted a horse in their life. So many people have never been exposed to polo. That’s what will make the experience out here so awesome. People will come out and watch, and that will make it even more worthwhile.”

More: https://destinationpolo.com/virginia

Photo © by Vicky Moon Doug Barnes Has A New Destination at Phipps Field.

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O p e r a t i o n & M a i n t e n a n c e ( O & M ) f o r

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Community Foundation Has a Dedicated New Leader

will support the local community through the awarding of grants to charitable

They also offer training and mentoring to local nonprofits so they can reach “operational maturity, without having to reinvent the wheel,” said Paul Siker, chairman of the Leesburg organization’s 14-member board of directors.

Community foundations shepherd donors through all phases of the paperwork and legal requirements entailed in setting up endowments. They then manage the funds and grant-making process, though donors can be involved in the process

The endowments can be group efforts, too. The Loudoun Impact Fund, for example, is an outgrowth of a giving circle and now has 50 members. Last year, it

Each of the 115 endowments Acosta oversees reflects the cause that moved its creators. For the Loudoun Impact Fund, that involves improving human services in the region, but other endowments may be dedicated to animal welfare, affordable housing, environmental stewardship or after-school programs for

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Overall, the foundation, which manages $10 million in assets, was able to distribute $2.6 million in grants to 265 nonprofits in 2022. Acosta said 94 percent of that funding stayed in Loudoun and Fauquier counties. Beneficiaries included the Windy Hill Foundation and the Middleburg Humane Society, and lesserknown ones like the Friends of Grace Multicultural Center, which is restoring an

“It’s so rewarding to work with people to have the legacy they want,” said Acosta, a native Virginian who holds a master’s degree in social work. She’s well versed in the charitable realm, which makes her a good fit for the second aspect

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She arrived in Loudoun in 2005 to work for the Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter (LAWS), where she handled overnight shifts and eventually became that organization’s executive director. Following a stint as the countywide domestic violence coordinator for Fairfax County’s Office for Women and Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, she returned to Loudoun in 2018 to be the Community Foundation’s programs and grants director. There she worked with CEO Amy Owens, who led the organization for 11 years until her retirement this spring.

“Nicole is very skilled at relationship building, which is what a community foundation needs,” said Judy Hanley, executive director A Place To Be. Hanley’s nonprofit received a $10,000 grant from the Loudoun Impact Fund last year,

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Acosta’s relationship building includes working with civic organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, and leveraging the know-how of the community

“I really enjoy working with local organizations,” Acosta said. “Every day, there’s a new program or innovative project happening to make this a better place.”

Photo by M.J. McAteer

A Nomad Food Truck Good As Gold

By Chip Newcome

The great J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote that if “more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” By this golden standard, Nomad Provisions is certainly making the world a little merrier.

There is, after all, something magical and merry about a food truck. But that same four-wheel magic is the most challenging thing about operating such a vehicle.

“I’ll answer your biggest challenge question; it’s the van itself,” said Georg Seyrlehner, who owns and operates Nomad Provisions with his wife, Karen. “Everything else works like clockwork. The kitchen works… we do fine with that. But, is the van going to get us where we need to go?”

A food truck and catering business, Nomad partners with local wineries and cideries to bring accessible, upscale Mediterranean food to the Shenandoah Valley.

In a former life, they worked in the corporate world, but eventually grew tired of it. And so, as Frodo left the shire, Georg and Karen left it behind in search of a specific kind of bread.

Georg, who has an Austrian background, wanted to learn to make a type of bread called Semmel.

“It’s a traditional Austrian roll similar to a Kaiser roll,” he said. “As a child, I would spend summers with my paternal grandmother in Austria, and there was a baker that delivered fresh bread daily by bike to the rural farmland where she lived. For me, its not only a textural and taste memory but also a bit of nostalgia. For years, I chased after making that roll but could never figure it out, so I went to culinary school to learn.”

The chase for this recipe led them west, where he attended the San Francisco Baking Institute. They eventually returned to Virginia, where they ran a bakery and cafe in the Tidewater region for about eight years, until they wanted a change of pace and place.

They sold their business and moved to this area, unsure of what the future held. And then they learned, by accident, there is always a need for food.

“Some of the wineries cannot have kitchens, depending on the county, because they are zoned agriculture,” Georg said.

And so, they began working closely with some of the local wineries, starting with the tasting room of Slater Run Vineyards halfway between Middleburg and Upperville.

Georg and Karen run the business, for the most part, by themselves.

“If we do a catering event, we might bring in a friend to help with service,” Georg said. “But other than that, it’s pretty much the two of us.”

When they park the truck at a vineyard, they both cook and serve the food. They mostly focus on Mediterranean style cuisine, specifically Jewish, Palestinian, and Israeli, because of the diversity of the spices and flavors. And they wrap it in four-inch tacos to enhance the flavors.

Recently, they’ve also begun catering in the tasting rooms of the wineries with which they have relationships. They create a custom menu designed to pair nicely with the wineries offerings. You might find them at Arterra Vineyard, Mount Defiance Cider Barn, Delaplane Cellars, and Slater Run.

FISH Tales Can Be So Rewarding

By Leonard Shapiro

It’s that time of year for Middleburg FISH, when fundraising letters have gone out along with a plea for more volunteers to answer phone calls once a month from area residents in need of help paying the rent, utility bills or filling prescriptions, among other requests.

The FISH acronym translates to “For Instant and Sympathetic Help” and is an all-volunteer organization providing services for over 60 years. Founded by the late Rene Llewellyn, Nancy Manierre and Florence Kaye, it’s a non-sectarian, non-profit group dedicated to helping people meet financial emergencies and short-term needs.

And for its dedicated volunteers, it can be as gratifying as it gets.

“I find working as an operator for Middleburg FISH to be one of the most rewarding volunteer positions I have,” said Jennifer Austell, a Marshall resident and operator the last four years.

“It’s a real boots to the ground organization that gives immediate help to our neighbors who need their electricity turned back on, prescription drugs paid for, rent help, etc. Since we have a restricted geographic area we work in, I know I’m helping my immediate neighbors and that’s a great feeling when people need it the most.”

Long-time Middleburg resident Martha Cotter

has headed FISH since 2009. She and 17 volunteers now answer those calls, including treasurer Holly Beth Hatcher, who oversees the dispersal of funds from the annual budget. They could use at least ten more operators to be available by phone Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Last year, FISH handled about 500 calls.

“Somebody will call who may have lost their job or been ill and they fell behind on a bill and we pay it,” said Martha, also known as the Big FISH. “This solves a very big problem.”

Marie Piskorz of Middleburg has been answering the FISH phone for 15 years and finds it gratifying and occasionally heartbreaking.

“There are just so many stories out there and you think to yourself how did they get to this point?” she said. “We just help people get on their feet, and that’s what’s so rewarding.”

Jenny Villar, an executive at the Middleburg branch of the Bank of Charles Town, answers calls twice a month. Spanish is her native language

and she’s often asked to help translate.

“A lady called and had been in a shelter with her kids,” Jenny said. “She had an abusive husband and she didn’t know what to do or where to go. We were able to help her with some money and get them to a safe place. That was one that really got to my heart.”

Romey Curtis moved to Middleburg four years ago and heard about FISH at her church, Middleburg’s Emmanuel

“It was something I could do to become part of the community,” she said. “I was retired. I had time, so I signed up. The days I work I’m always a little apprehensive about whether I’ll be able to cope. But most people you talk to are not in extremis and my job is to take down all the details and get them to our treasurer. I don’t have to make the decision, but I know we’re helping a lot of people. That’s all that counts.”

To volunteer or donate, contact Martha Cotter at bigfish@ middleburgfish.org.

75th Anniversary ���� Diamond Jubilee

Piedmont Regional Art Show & Sale

October 20 - 22, 2023

Friday, October 20

Sponsors' Preview with Artists

5:30 - 6:30 pm

Opening Gala - Admission $25

6:30 - 8:30 pm

Art Show & Sale

Saturday, October 21, 10 am - 6 pm

Sunday, October 22, 12 pm - 4 pm

Weekend Admission is Free

Silent Auction All Weekend

Supporting the Arts in our Community Grace in The Plains

www.faceook.com/artshowatgrace

www.piedmontartshow.org

6507 Main Street

The Plains, VA 20198 540-253-5177x106

Photo © Country ZEST Big FISH Martha Cotter

Sunday, October 22nd 2023 • 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Grab the family and join us for tasty farm to fork food, music by the iconic bluegrass band The Seldom Scene, and a dazzling view at Ayrshire Farm. Ayrshire is Virginia's first double Certified Organic and Certified Humane farm and is permanently protected with an LTV conservation easement. View their heritage animals, participate in our auction, children's activities, and more!

$1,200 - Sunset Box (Reserved table for 6 guests with premier views of the band, bottle service, and gourmet appetizers. SOLD OUT!

$110 – 1 ticket

$200 – 2 tickets

$380 – 4 tickets

$25 - 1 youth ticket (11-17) Free 10 and under

Want to help LTV conserve more working farms?

Consider adding a contribution to our Malcolm Baldwin Farmers Fund, used to reduce easement costs for farmers across Virginia, and receive additional recognition in our event promotion.

$25 – Stockman

$50 – Rancher

$100 – Pioneer

$500+ – Trailblazer

Tickets may be purchased online at landtrustva.org, or call us at 540-687-8441.

Help the Birds Stay Happy and Healthy

By Jennifer Riley

Fall migration has already started and will continue over the next few months. With so many wildlife species in decline, this is an especially important time of year to help protect individuals and populations as they make this epic annual journey.

But how?

Window strikes are one of the most common lethal threats to fall migrants – and though many do occur in cities with tall skyscrapers, the overwhelming majority occur at private homes and low-rise buildings.

Protect your windows this fall with any of the inexpensive, highly effective methods including products like Acopian BirdSavers, ABC bird tape, Feather Friendly tape, or even tape, paint, or lines drawn onto your windows with gaps less than two inches apart, vertically and horizontally.

Make sure any bird feeders are less than three feet away from your windows or greater than 30 feet away to limit the risk of a lethal collision. Most important, since many birds are nighttime migrants, keep lights off at night or close blinds if lights are on inside. This will not only reduce the risk of impact, but decreasing light pollution will also keep migrants that navigate using stars on the right track.

Plant natives. Fall is a great time to plant many native species that can help to keep migrating birds healthy and fed during their energetically expensive trip. Websites like Virginia’s Department of Wildlife Resources’ Habitat at Home and PlantVirginiaNatives.org have a plethora of resources to figure out the design and maintenance of your property.

Avoid lead in hunting ammunition. Deer hunting season overlaps significantly with migration and because lead is still the most common metal used when hunting deer, it also overlaps significantly with the spike of lead poisoning cases we see in wildlife hospitals.

Many opportunistic scavengers, including bald eagles, feed at gut piles left from field dressed deer resulting in fragments of ammunition being ingested and causing lead poisoning. Over 90 per cent of the bald eagles we treat at Blue Ridge Wildlife Center have elevated lead levels this time of year. Switching to ammunition that does not contain lead, such as 100 per cent copper ammunition, or avoiding ammunition altogether (archery for example) prevents this lethal toxicity.

Last, do less yard work. Fall is often thought of as a busy time for mowing and raking. Skip it and wait until spring when there are more food sources and good habitat available for wildlife.

Dead leaves are excellent cover for the insects that are essential to many birds’ survival. The dried-out stalks and seed heads left over in your flower beds are excellent sites for insects to lay their eggs, birds to hide from predators, and even a great source of food for many seed-eating birds.

Dr. Jennifer Riley, DVM, is hospital director for the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center, the only dedicated wildlife hospital in Northern Virginia. It’s a nonprofit, 501(c) (3) organization caring for native wildlife. For more information, visit www. blueridgewildlifectr.org.

A Yellow-billed Cuckoo is being treated at Blue Ridge Wildlife Center after colliding with a window.

This American Goldfinch recovered from a cat attack wound and was successfully released.

It’s a Family Affair at the New CDMX Mexican Restaurant

By Jan Mercker

Belen Paniagua has had a crush on Middleburg for years. The longtime Winchester-based chef and restaurant manager has been eyeing the town for nearly a decade, just waiting for the right location to open her own restaurant.

In August, Belen and her 21-year-old daughter, Maria Ayala Paniagua, made their dreams a reality with the opening of CDMX, a loving tribute to Mexico City, Belen’s beloved hometown. The mother and daughter duo are on a mission to bring authentic Mexican flavors to Middleburg–and create community in the process.

“To me, Mexican food is totally different than what it is in the U.S.,” Belen said. In Middleburg, she’s looking to go beyond the chimichangas and burritos so many American diners are familiar with, focusing on homemade sauces, fresh ingredients and unique specialty dishes.

Some favorite menu items include burritos and tacos al pastor, made with slow-roasted pork and pineapple. Another favorite, La Alameda, a chicken breast with bacon, a cheese sauce and onions prepared in a skillet, is named for a popular park in Mexico City.

“It reminds me of my city,” Belen said.

She got her start on the Loudoun restaurant scene running a Purcellville McDonalds more than 20 years ago. She’s also been a long-time manager with the popular Winchester-based Los Toltecos and maintains a working relationship with that group.

During her commute between Los Toltecos locations in Winchester and Chantilly, Belen discovered Middleburg.

“Every time I’d come through, I saw this little town and I loved it,” she said.

When she saw the former Red Bar Sushi location on East Washington Street was available, she knew it was the perfect spot. Belen and her ex-husband and longtime business partner, David Ayala, signed the lease this spring and opened CDMX in August.

The restaurant pays homage to Mexico City, with inspired dishes and a bright mural with familiar landmarks, including the Angel of Independence, the famed Teotihuacan pyramid and Zocalo Plaza.

Belen said she and Ayala were focused on helping create a business venture for their daughter, Maria, leveraging each family member’s strengths. And CDMX is intended to be Maria’s baby.

Maria, 21, grew up in Winchester. She’s smart, ambitious and gregarious andhas helped her parents in the restaurant business since she was a teenager. She previously worked for a law firm and was considering law school but couldn’t resist a chance to create a new family business.

“She’s a little businesswoman,” Belen said. “It’s very important because it’s Maria’s place. We want to support her.”

Maria said she’s inspired by her parents, who met while her mom worked in fast food and her dad was a busboy at a Mexican restaurant.

With Belen creating inspired menus and the extroverted Maria running the front of the house,

CDMX is already making a splash with busy lunch and dinner service. Maria said she’s now focused on getting to know Middleburg and creating community as the new kid on the local dining scene.

“Everybody knows each other. Everybody has a story,” she said. “I’ve gotten to meet so many people, so many new stories. It’s like a little adventure with every person– a new connection.”

DON’T HESITATE TO STOP BY OLD WORLD WOODWORKING IN THE PLAINS TO DISCUSS YOUR NEEDS.

Photo by Jan Mercker Belen Paniagua and her daughter, Maria, at their new Middleburg restaurant.

Boulder Crest Marks a Remarkable Ten Years

By Leonard Shapiro

There was plenty to celebrate at Boulder Crest Retreat in Bluemont on Sept. 8, specifically its tenth anniversary serving military veterans and first responders and their families struggling with post-traumatic stress, among many other issues.

When Navy veteran Ken Falke and his wife, Julia, donated 37 acres of their land and began their efforts to make a difference in the lives of veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iran, they had somewhat modest expectations.

And oh my, have they exceeded them.

“Our original goal was to serve 700 people a year in Virginia,” said Josh Goldberg, Boulder Crest’s recently named CEO, who joined the organization in 2014 not long after it opened. “The amazing thing is that we’ve served 100,000 people over ten years. What a privilege it’s been to impact people’s lives.”

One of those people impacted spoke at the opening ceremonies ten years ago, and then again at the tenth anniversary.

“I’m not a guest speaker, I’m a family member here because I’m a warrior on my path,” Brig. Gen. Anthony Henderson said in September. “Like many of you, I have been on that path longer than I knew, and I will be on it until the last of my days. Because who we are and who we’re meant to be and can become is filled with joy, of walking the path that Boulder Crest represents.”

Henderson told an audience that included Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin that he also has faced traumas involving the stresses of life, the battlefield, and his son’s struggle with a disease that Henderson only found out about when he came home from deployment to find his son in a wheelchair.

“It did carry as PTSD,” he said. “I couldn’t admit it, I wouldn’t accept it, because I feared not being promoted, not being accepted by friends and family, and in an honest reality, I pushed it aside and focused on the other men and women that I needed to lead, who were fighting for their lives every day in the service of their country. I brought them home, and I did not expect to begin losing them then. For the rest of my life, I will always be on this path, and this will be my home to it.”

Goldberg said the active duty military rate of suicide is the highest it’s been since 1938 and “the idea that that job is less deadly than themselves, than suicide, is a moral outrage.

Said Falke, “We take people in from all over the world who we don’t know anything about and we make them into some pretty remarkable people. And what we don’t do a good job at is making them civilians afterwards, and that’s really where we fit in at Boulder Crest.”

Gov. Youngkin and first lady Suzanne Youngkin presented Boulder Crest with a Spirit of Virginia award. Youngkin said the “post-traumatic growth” system created at Boulder Crest has “given a pathway, a vision, to deal with unthinkable things.

“This approach that is so familiar to the men and women who have served resonates in such an inspiring way. It allows them to flip the script and recognize that because they have gone through fire, they are strengthened, and they have an unbounded, not a limited, future.

Courtesy of Boulder Crest Retreat Marine Brigadier General Anthony Henderson with Boulder Crest Retreat founder and board chairman Ken Falke.

Ready to be a Carbon Farmer?

LUNCHEON, DIVOTS AND CHUKKERS

Photos © by Vicky Moon

The 2023 National Sporting Library and Museum Polo Classic presented by MARS EQUESTRIAN™ took place at Great Meadow in The Plains. More than 350 spectators filled a sprawling white Founders’ Pavilion for the benefit event. The event supports the NSLM in its mission to preserve, promote, and share the literature, art, and culture of equestrian, angling, and field sports as well as advocate for the conservation of open space and waterways crucial to these sports. In addition to fast ponies and daring riders, guests were treated to a parade of the Piedmont Fox Hounds, a fancy fanfare of presentation of Colors by the St. Andrews Society of Washington, D.C. (make that-men in kilts) and more. The feature Mars Cup Match was won by NetJets 6-3 over Salamander.

Michael Crane with Charlie Seilheimer.

Montana Lanier Ruffner entertained in high equestrian style at a tailgate gathering.

Mary Pat and Raymond Guest.

Direct (540) 229-1452 Office (540) 687-6500 snowden@thomasandtalbot.com

2 South Madison Street, Post Office Box 500 Middleburg, Virginia 20118

Licensed Realtor with Thomas & Talbot Estate Properties

Following the first match for the Founders Cup, the players for Holman Hall and the National Sporting Library &

teams rode down the rail for a greeting with spectators.

Jacqueline B. Mars.

Museum

Artist Linda Volrath created “Red, White & Blue” a 20 x 20 in. oil on linen painting created especially for the 2023 NSLM Polo Classic, which appeared on the cover of the program and was part of a silent auction.

Rob and Julie Banner. Drew Jackson age 2 ½ .

This bagpiper had to take a call on his cell phone while waiting to perform.

Ineke and Peter Kreeger with Bella, who was named Best Turned Out dog during the first divot stomp.

If I don’t have it, I know where to find it.

Country ZEST & Style | Fall 2023

MIDDLEBURG LIBRARY

A Joyous 10th Anniversary Celebration of the Middleburg Library Expansion Presented by the Middleburg Library Advisory Board

Photo © Vicky Moon Country ZEST editor and MLAB member Len Shapiro finds an appropriate book.

Photo © Vicky Moon MBLA President Kathryn Baran greets Alex and Jill Vogel.

Photo © Vicky Moon Sarah Brissing and Cindy Craun Pearson.

Photo © Vicky Moon Librarians Laura Agelman and Karen Warner.

Photo by Donna Strama And, for Eva Schu face painting was part of the festivities.

Photo © Vicky Moon Music by the Blue Mountain Songbird Bess Putnam as Jerry Wine and young friends listen.

DOWN VIRGINIA WAY

Nina Carter Tabb

Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Filley of New York, and their son, Oliver Filley, Jr., have arrived at their Virginia farm near The Plains, where they will stay for some time and enjoy fox hunting with Orange County Hounds and will attend the Middleburg Races on the Parkwood course where Mr. Filley is on the race committee.

Mrs. Norman G. Toeuge’s daughter, Mrs. Cyrus Minivere of Lake Forrest, Ill., has arrived in Virginia to spend a month with her mother and enjoy fox hunting with Orange County Hounds this month. Mr. Minivere will join his wife later in the month.

Mr. and Mrs. H. Gwynne Taylor will leave the latter part of the week for their cottage at Indian Rock, Fla., where they will spend the winter. Their son, H. Gwynne Tayloe, Jr., his wife, and three children will spend the winter at Windover, the Tayloe Home near Middleburg.

Edward Shirley Turner of Miami Beach, Fla., has arrived in Virginia and is visiting his aunt, Miss Marguerita Turner, at his farm, Westwood, near Middleburg.

Mrs. James B. Skinner, who has been in New York for a week, will return to her Middleburg home this week. She has been visiting Mr. and Mrs. Walter West at their home in New York.

Mr. and Mrs. Sydney Watters, Jr., of Baltimore, are staying at The

Middleburg Inn this week and attended the races yesterday afternoon.

The many friends of Mrs. Ruth Lester Buchanan of New Jersey, who formerly lived in Washington and Warrenton, Va., were pleased to see her in Middleburg last week  on a visit.

Mrs. Paul Whitin is in New York this week having her portrait painted by the artist, William Draper, who is having a showing of his portraits there. Mrs. Whitin was accompanied to New York by her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. George Draper of Dover, Mass.

Mr. and Mrs. William Draper formerly lived in Washington, and spent some time in this part of Virginia. Other relatives of his who have been in New York for the showing of his portraits are his mother, Mrs. Clare H. Draper, who came down from Boston, and his aunt, Mme. Draper Boncompagni of Washington.

Mr. Draper is the grandson of the late General William F. Draper, former United States Ambassador to Italy, and the great-nephew of the late governor Eben S. Draper of Massachusetts. Mrs. Hendrick Eustis and Mr. and Mrs. J. Burke Wilkinson of Washington, and Warrenton, Va., are in New York for the art shows and portraits of Mrs. Eustick, and Mrs. Wilkinson, which are in the exhibition. Mr. Draper was formerly an official Navy combat artist.

Reprinted with permission.

© The Washington Post (1923-1954); Nov 14, 1948

Loudoun County Museum’s New Director Sees A Historic Future

By Joe Motheral

The Loudoun County Museum in Leesburg opened in 1967 and has been the purveyor of Loudoun County history ever since.

Carrie Chistofferson, formerly director of the Newseum in Washington D.C., came on board this past January six months ago as the new executive director and said, “I’m focused on a variety of things: community activities, the First Fridays, activities for people’s view, getting more public programming. I’m particularly focused on meeting my neighbors, cultural programming and organizations like Loudoun VA250 Committee.”

Approaching the entrance to the museum 5hat is housed in a log-cabin an includes a gift shop, a large mural beside the entrance on the side of the building dominates the scene.

Carrie explained that it depicts a local portion of the Underground Railway featuring Bazil Newman in a rowboat. He was the ferryman on Edwards Ferry that operated on the Potomac River near Goose Creek. The person on shore is Leonard Grimes who helped fugitive slaves escape.

Across the expanse of one interior wall is a series of events and people who dominated the Loudoun County scene from 1600 to 2000.

For example, there’s mention of Lafayette when he visited the county in 1825 and information on World War II General George C. Marshall who lived in

Leesburg for 12 years.

It notes the founding of Middleburg in 1787 and the building of Aldie Mill in 1809. And in 18121814, with the British attacking the Nation’s Capital, the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights were stored at the Rokeby House, south of Leesburg. Dolly Madison reportedly delivered

them to the house.

Glass cases with artifacts also have their place. An old cash register sits at one location. Ancient pistols, daggers and tools have been positioned for easy viewing.

“The opportunities for the Loudoun Museum are just cracking the surface of all things that are possible,” she said. “Programming and getting into the next generation to understand things. A place where people can come and build relationships, express themselves. And we want to keep building that online reference as well—an extra arm of activity.”

Carrie has more than 25 years of experience in museum leadership; during her tenure at the Newseum, she managed the care and maintenance of the permanent collection, led the exhibit development, video production, visual resources, visitor services, and operations teams, and worked to connect exhibits and educational programs.

She holds a master’s degree in American studies from the George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. An active member of the American Alliance of Museums, she has been a speaker on museum design, collections management and visual culture.

“It’s clear that the Loudoun Museum’s robust, eclectic and intriguing collection can tell many stories,” she said. “I look forward to working with our community partners to discover, preserve and interpret our shared history.”

The Loudoun Museum is located at 16 Loudoun Street in Leesburg and is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

A museum mural depicts slaves escaping to freedom.

Smokehouse Restoration At Welbourne

Rebecca Morison Schaefer, a member of the seven of eight generations of a family that owns Welbourne near Upperville, spends her time maintaining and restoring the historic home and grounds.

As the “innkeeper,” Rebecca hosts guests for the bed and breakfast at the now 519-acre retreat. She greets visitors for “Meet Your Neighbor” tea for the Upperville Library, refurbishes antiques and artifacts and freshens paint everywhere.

That smokehouse was deteriorating and the work that day keeps it from further decay.

-Patty Callahan

PHOTOS BY DOUG GEHLSEN AND KAREN MONROE of Middleburg Photo

A future expert mason perhaps.

Tim Winther, founder of Dominion Traditional Building Group.

The main Welbourne home looms large in the backgound and a friendly dog guards the workplace.

The dining room chairs have been restored in an eye-popping turquoise color. “While some furniture is original to when our ancestors bought Welbourne in 1833, the contents of the house are an accumulation of seven generations,” Rebecca has written. “This set of 12 chairs came from the apartment in New York City where our father grew up.”

Add to her hectic calendar hosting rehearsal dinners, weddings and significant birthdays and anniversaries. Patty Callahan of Rectortown recently celebrated a significant birthday at a Welbourne gathering for friends.

“The Morison family is very special to me and I’ve known them for a long time,” she said. “I love what they’ve done to maintaining the history and spirit.”

When it became obvious that the circa 1830 smokehouse masonry needed attention, Rebecca contacted long-time friend Tim Winther. He hosted a hands-on historic masonry repointing workshop. As founder of Dominion Traditional Building Group in Marshall, he focuses on renovation of pre-1900 buildings. His projects include structures at Monticello and Montpelier.

Patty also attended the smokehouse event.

“It was really an interesting experience,” she said. “I like hands on practices, we showed up and he gave us history that the bricks likely came from the sand in Goose Creek. He brought his tools and showed us how to clean out the old mortar first and it was fascinating.”

According to Tim, the smokehouse had been repaired with “Portland cement and painted with latex paint. Both treatments trap moisture and are causing deterioration to the original historic brick.” For this he employs historically correct ingredients to repair and restore brick, stone and traditional three-coat lime plaster.

Tools of the trade.

Rebecca Morison Schaefer joined in the effort.

The ingredients were properly prepared.

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Blue Ridge Wildlife

Brian Noyes

Brian Noyes, who founded and owned the Red Truck Bakery in Warrenton and Marshall, has sold the iconic business to Neal and Star Wavra, owners of the Field and Main restaurant in Marshall. Brian is already working on his third book and will still be an investor and help with marketing.

Photo courtesy of Joanne Maisano

Happy Birthday

Hunt Night at Warrenton

STONEHAVEN

acres

$1,695,000 Rappahannock County – Stonehaven is a picturesque and tranquil retreat. The c.1791 stone residence has an additional stone cottage, which can be used for guests or as an office. Tucked into the woods beyond the home, is a charming and beautifully restored 2 bedroom log cabin. Gardens, lawns, barns, paddocks and ride out potential combine to create an outdoor haven.

Friends and family gathered to celebrate Mayo Brown’s 100th birthday.

(Standing) Mayo Krabbe, Andrea Brown, Carrington Brown, Sherrod Brown Krabbe and George Krabbe with Katie Brown Eney seated next to the birthday boy.

Photo by Pat Reilly

Photos © by Vicky Moon

Matt Van Der Woude on Blue Ash from the Warrenton Hunt was named Best Turned Out Horse and Rider Foxhunter. Bob Mueller and Shawn Brittle at Hunt Night at the Warrenton Horse Show.

Also at Hunt Night: Chestnut Forks founder Chip Maloney, Rick Gerhardt of the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors and David McGuire of the Warrenton Town Council.

Middleburg Charitable Giving Takes a Giant Step

By Leonard Shapiro

Back in 1939, long-time Upperville resident Paul Mellon saw a need to help provide health care for lower income area residents who couldn’t afford insurance and had no way to pay medical bills. The late philanthropist (1907-99), established the Loudoun Fauquier Health Center on South Madison Street in Middleburg, purchasing the building, donating it to the town and contributing funds to make sure it was properly staffed and funded.

His vision and his generosity have been played forward ever since, with virtually all the building’s proceeds going to fund health care for the less fortunate, and in recent years, also to a help support a number of local charities designated by the town. And now, comes a next significant step, the formation of an independent and newly created Middleburg Charitable Foundation (MCF) to make the decisions on where the money will go.

The town has annually provided between $40,000 and $60,000 a year to a variety of local good causes. And, said MCF board chairman Erik Scheps, “We’re hoping to increase that in the future to better serve the town and the surrounding area.”

The original building was sold by the town four years ago to the Old Ox Brewery, with the proceeds of the sale invested and revenue it generates going in large part to help fund those charitable organizations. Scheps is also hoping that the newly formed foundation will be able to raise more money through individual donations, as well.

The MCF’s stated mission is to “support organizations that provide services to the disadvantaged and vulnerable in the areas of health, education, personal safety and food security.”

Beneficiaries in the past have included Seven Loaves, Middleburg FISH, Backpack Buddies, A Place to Be, the Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter and the American Legion, among others. That is not

likely to change.

Over the last few months, the MCF has distributed a number of charitable donation request applications to those and other organizations. The completed applications were due on Oct. 2, with questions that included asking about the target beneficiaries and how an MCF donation would be used to benefit the Middleburg community. Each applicant will make a presentation to the MCF board on Oct. 23, and a final decision will be made on Nov. 10.

In addition to Scheps, Howard Armfield will serve as the vice chair of an MCF board that also includes Darlene Kirk, Phillip Miller, Ray Morales, Pam Curran and Jan Neuharth.

Armfield, a long-time Middleburg resident, had served on the Health Care Center’s advisory board since 1979.

“We would recommend to the town where the money should be donated,” he said, adding that the MCF is now an extension of that concept, but totally independent from the town. The money from the sale of the building has been invested, and those proceeds along with any other donations will be dispersed to the charitable organizations.

“We’re also planning to have our own fundraising events,” Scheps said. “We’re now in the process of getting our web site up and running. We’re already getting great response and we’re very excited about it.”

Details: middleburgcharitablefoundation.org

Photo © Vicky Moon Erik Scheps, chairman of the new Middleburg Charitable Foundation.

For Jennifer Taylor, It’s Always Been Happiness on a Horse

By Emma Boyce

It’s fox-chasing season and so, Jennifer Taylor often wakes up at 3:45 a.m. It’s still dark when she arrives at her barn on Zulla Road near Middleburg and readies the hunters.

She loads the horses and probably catches a sunrise as she drives to a meet, where she’ll spend hours astride a horse, often a green one, galloping through the Virginia countryside. It’s tiring and time consuming, but the next day, she can’t wait to do it all over again.

“It’s the kind of discipline you have to have if you’re in the military or something,” Jennifer said, laughing. “It’s crazy. It must be pretty fun I still want to do it every day.”

Though the business of horses is no laughing matter for Jennifer. It’s her passion.

A California native, she grew up around horses. Both her parents rode. They had horses at home, and she often climbed on after school with only a halter. If she slid off, she would get back on again.

After college, Jennifer moved east for graduate school. She worked on Capitol Hill and later attended Washington College of Law. It wasn’t until the late 1990s that an in-law invited her to ride with Loudoun, her first fox chasing venture that would open the door to a whole new sport.

By then, her riding had progressed from backyard bareback to an equestrian career that spanned disciplines. She had two show horses of her own and

eventing. Outside the show ring, she galloped race horses for over a decade and ran steeplechases both flat and over jumps. But fox chasing had her hooked.

These days, Jennifer balances being a professional fox chaser and horse trainer with her work as a lawyer, specializing in business taxes and farm organizational bookkeeping and tax planning. During the season, she rides with Orange County, Piedmont, Blue Ridge, Old Dominion, and Snickersville, where she also serves as Whipper-in.

“One component as a professional is that you’re a universal groom for everyone else in the field,” she said. “We try to facilitate the members because ostensibly we’re supposed to be able to do anything with our horses that we can to help accommodate the needs of everyone else out in the field.”

This entails everything from opening gates to

mentioned is training. In the off-season, Taylor continues working with her horses, many of them Thoroughbreds finding their second job.

“I always think of [my horses] as students,” she said. “You can gently guide them but they’re going to tell you what they want to do.”

Patsy Richards, who rides with Jennifer in the field, described her quite simply as, “Really exceptional.

“She does it the old fashioned way,” Patsy said. “Her generosity of spirit and performance is just amazing. She loves her role as a professional who will do anything to help anyone who may get in trouble, needs help with a gate, anything. She really takes her role as a professional seriously.”

Jennifer likes to talk about the importance of a happy and relaxed horse. In training for the hunt field, Taylor schools the new ones over cross country jumps, crosses ditches and creeks, all obstacles a horse would encounter. By the time the season begins, they are familiar with the environment.

Each season, new horses arrive at Taylor’s barn for training. Some belong to clients, others Taylor will train and use for her hireling business, where people wanting to join the chase can use an experienced horse for the day.

“The cross section of people that you meet on the field is fascinating,” she said. “You have people who are very accomplished riders riding alongside beginners, you have people who are very wealthy riding alongside people who are not so wealthy but

And over the fence goes a

A Peek Inside A Luxurious Renovation

By Tim Burch

When the owners purchased a 2001 home, they knew it would eventually be the perfect fit, but it required a much-needed whole-house renovation to get there.

A recent addition had added a guest bedroom, which would help to accommodate frequent visits from their adult children and older parents. Otherwise, the home hadn’t been suitably updated over the years. They felt it lacked the modern sensibilities and conveniences that would truly make this house their home.

With an emphasis on creating social spaces that would be inviting for both family and guests, Middleburg-based BOWA assembled and directed the perfect team, including architect Studio 360, for the project.

The uninspired paneling in the kitchen, drab flooring, and dated baseboards gave way to a blend of oak, glass, and earth metals to bring a warm, calming touch of nature to each of the updated rooms.

To improve cohesiveness for gatherings, walls were removed to create open sight lines throughout

the main level. In the kitchen, a wall to a rear hallway was removed to create an airy space featuring a marble waterfall countertop with island seating and beautiful copper fixtures. The entry hallway also was widened to create a more gracious welcome and open feel. Blackframed windows and walls of sliding glass-doors bring the outdoors in.

On the second floor, adjacent spaces were claimed to create a luxurious new owners’ suite. The expanded primary bath now features a glassenclosed double steam shower, sculptural soaking tub and two spacious vanities. An amazing two-story closet was created by extending into the attic and adding a modern spiral staircase leading to the new storage loft above. A neighboring bedroom became a second closet in the suite.

The basement retained much of the original floor plan but several spaces were repurposed to suit their interests. A large closet beneath the stairs in the recreation room was transformed into a warmly lit, glass-walled wine room, while a storage and mechanical area became a golf simulator room.

A hidden door embedded into a beautiful white oak slat wall leads to a home theater. The pillars

Money Talks.

Teach

remained for structural integrity but were swapped with wood that match the rest of the updated interior. This new design maximized the areas the homeowners knew they would use and appreciate and cut back on the redundancies and dated spaces. The homeowner always dreamed of providing his family with a home worth living in, and that goal became a welcome reality.

Tim Burch is a vice president and owner of BOWA, an award-winning design and construction firm specializing in renovations ranging from owners’ suites and kitchens to whole-house remodels and equestrian facilities. For more information, visit bowa.com or call 540-687-6771.

to Hug.

It’s a wide open view from the tub and shower.

Tim Burch

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A Banneker Teacher and Student Are One And The Same

By Ali Patusky

It’s back to school season, which means that Molly Allen is returning for her seventh year at Banneker Elementary School–as a teacher. She first walked the school’s halls as a kindergarten student, before graduating in 2006.

One of her most memorable moments occurred during her second grade year, when her teacher put an apple on every student’s desk and had them study, draw and dissect it using their senses.

“We walk in and we’re like ‘what’s happening here? Why do we all have apples on our desks?” Molly, 28, recalled. “I don’t know why that one stuck with me, but just having that little change out of a normal day is something that is so exciting when you’re a kid.”

And that moment later shaped her perspective as a teacher.

“I get to do that with these students,” she said. “One tiny little difference, a change up for the better, is something that’s going to make them remember you.”

A graduate of Radford University, Molly had wanted to “come back to Loudoun,” and got there with a tip from a Banneker teacher.

“Sarah Brissing, who taught kindergarten here for many, many years...called me one day and said, ‘Molly, there’s a teaching position open here. You need to apply.’ I thought if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. I got a phone call, and I got a job offer, and I haven’t left since.”

She’s mostly taught kindergarten, the grade where her “heart lies…The energy and the magic of kindergarten, the lightbulbs that you can very clearly see go off... it’s just something that’s so rewarding and heartwarming.”

Molly also relished the opportunity to become a colleague of a teacher she had when she attended Banneker.

“Mr. Moss just retired last year, so I was his student, and then I also got to be his colleague,” she said of physical education teacher Brad Moss. “It’s just really, really cool to have a teacher who you had so much fun with... and then get to be their co-worker…a really special relationship.”

Another draw for Molly has been the close teacher, parent and student community at Banneker.

“We are so small here at Banneker,” she said. “We’ve got two hallways and that’s it. So you know every single teacher from day one. As soon as those kids walk through the door you know who they are, you know who their brother and sister are, you know their parent The community is just something I personally believe you can’t get anywhere else. It’s cozy and feels like home away from home.”

That community also has changed since her student days.

“I think just the way the teachers are teaching and how we collaborate with other grade levels and other schools [has changed]. Teachers try to collaborate with other teachers we know. It’s two totally different perspectives, but the amount of support from families and from teachers feels the same, if not better, than when I was a kid,”

And what would her Banneker student-self would say to her Banneker teacher-self?

“I think younger me would’ve been like ‘I knew you would end up back here some how, some way’” she said. “I guess it was just in the stars.”

Photo by Sarah Brissing Molly Allen attended Banneker Elementary and now teaches there.

Piedmont Regional Art Show Celebrates 75 Years

By James Ivancic

The group of art lovers who founded the Neighborhood Art Show in 1947 at Grace Episcopal Church in The Plains no doubt would be pleased that what they started continues to this day.

What’s now known as the Piedmont Regional Art Show & Sale marks its 75th Diamond Jubilee anniversary, a milestone that would have been celebrated last year had COVID not prevented a show in 2020. This year’s event runs from Oct. 20-22 at the church at 6507 Main St., The Plains.

The Rev. H.B.W. Peters, then rector of Grace Episcopal, and local artist Barbara Middleton, started what was dubbed the Neighborhood Art Show in 1947. Then as now, the show served as a fundraiser for the church.

Rev. Peters was an artist who began drawing and painting while serving as a minister in Richmond, his grandson, Lawrence Emerson, recalled in a remembrance he wrote for an exhibition of his grandfather’s work in 1992 for the show’s 45th anniversary.

“Nature, light, perspective and color played strong roles in the images he produced,” Emerson explained. “But Rev. Peters also dealt with emotion, spiritual themes and even an occasional whimsical subject.”

Rev. Peters and his family lived in The Plains from 1945 to 1964 and he died in 1986 at the age of 93. By then the art show was in its 39th year.

The show is still going strong. Teresa Duke, cochairperson of this year’s event, said, “As a resident of The Plains and a participant in the Piedmont Regional Art Show for more than a dozen years, I’m thrilled to be a part of the event’s 75th anniversary celebration.

“Not only is the art show a fantastic venue for artists in our region, but it’s a vital source of funds that Grace uses to help meet many important needs in this community. We’re looking forward to a very special gala opening as we celebrate three quarters of a century of art in The Plains and look forward to the future of this wonderful tradition.”

This year’s event starts with an evening gala on Friday, Oct. 20 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (show sponsors get a 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. preview) followed by the show from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 21 and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 22. Admission to the show is free. Sponsors and artists attend the gala for free while others pay $25 apiece.

This year, a silent auction has been added and the artwork will be priced for purchase and judged. Judges this year are Becky Parrish, Bill Ferster, and Peggy Duvall.

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Photo courtesy

Painting of Queen Maeve is by artist Jennifer Sims.

A Gospel Concert to Benefit the Willisville Preservation Foundation

up in

Photos © by Vicky Moon

It was a full house at Buchanan Hall for glorious gospel music from two special groups. The Loudoun County Community Choir consists of multiple churches throughout Loudoun County and beyond. They formed in 2019, with the idea of coming together as one voice and uplifting the name of Jesus. The choir members are from: Outrageous Faith Ministries, Mt. Zion United Methodist Church of Leesburg, Mt. Zion United Methodist Church of Hamilton, Willisville Chapel, Providence Baptist Church of Leesburg and Agape Methodist Church of Purcellville. The Minister of Music for the choir was Victoria Norman. WeRChosen group: Patricia Lespoir and Lynne Stevenson, from 1st Mt. Olive Baptist Church Leesburg. They believe in the power of worship through song and are passionate, expressive and united in their love for Jesus the Christ and his church. The mission behind their music is to carry his message to all who are looking for the Love, Peace and Joy that only he can bring and provide. Daniel Grant from Mt Olive Baptist Church Rectortown performed as male soloist:

“Growing

Willisville, I never thought of escaping and pursuing adventure elsewhere, never knew there was an elsewhere as a child.” – Carol Lee

Zina Miller prepares for a tea party following the concert.

Carol Lee is a third generation of her family to live in Willisville and an active member of the foundation.

Ann Lee celebrated her 96th birthday at the event.

Elle and Dulany Morison are active in the Willisville Preservation as well as area history.

Meredith Whiting, John Ross and Rob Banse.

Janet Hagan preparing refreshments.

Perspectives on Childhood, Education, and Parenting A 60th Reunion Offers a Valuable Lesson

“As a teacher all my professional life, I am humbled that not (high) grades, test (scores), and academic awards, but (rather) students’ depth of genuine involvement in extracurricular activities predicts best how they will succeed in their adult years. Youngsters who had hobbies, interests, jobs, or were active in extracurricular activities were more likely to be successful in later life.”

–Douglas H. Heath

By Tom Northrup

Dr. Heath was an educational mentor of mine, a professor of psychology at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. Over several decades, he conducted longitudinal studies on the school and home conditions which contributed to adult success and happiness.

His work has had a profound effect on my educational philosophy and practice.

I was recently reminded of the truth and wisdom of his research when my wife and I returned to our hometown in West Virginia for our 60th Parkersburg High School reunion. About 100 alums (15 percent of the original class number) attended.

We knew most who returned, and conversations were comfortable. No one seemed to be interested in trying to impress their classmates with professional accomplishments, as might have been the case in years past. Primary topics were family, health, childhood memories, and gratitude for our good fortune.

from his

1991

book

“Fulfilling Lives—Paths to Maturity and Success”

In fact, most of the attendees had been successful in their personal lives and their careers. They included teachers at all levels, from elementary school to college professors, as well as engineers, musicians, artists, lawyers, doctors, scientists, and businessmen and women.

When I thought about Dr. Heath’s findings, it seemed that, without exception, these old friends had been deeply invested in one or more of our school’s extracurricular offerings— band, choir, public speaking, drama, community service, student government, publications, clubs, and athletics.

They had matured and prospered from the “curriculum” of these programs. Learning to work with others, compromise, solve problems, persevere,

share disappointment and success, to understand and appreciate those with a different perspective all contributed to the foundation of their adult character.

Many had enjoyed stable professional careers ---decades working in the same field, company, and location. I suspect it’s unlikely that this will be true for next year’s high school graduates at their 60th reunion in 2084.

Still, I believe that Dr. Heath’s research on the school’s role in preparing students for adulthood will continue to be a meaningful guide for school leaders, teachers, and parents. It’s essential that today’s adults recognize that what have been considered “extracurricular” activities should be reclassified as “co-curricular.”

Providing a broad range of these opportunities and ensuring that all students participate will be more important than ever for the children of this century.

THE HILL SCHOOL

Tom Northrup is a long-time educator and emeritus head of school at The Hill School in Middleburg.

Tom Northrup

Middleburg Books Makes Its Debut On The Road

Mary Beth Morell and Christina Duffy worked together as school librarians at Holy Trinity School in Georgetown, a Jesuit PreK-8th Grade School located across the street from Georgetown University. They decided to pool their talents for Middleburg Books, which is now open at 17 South Madison Street.

But first, they recently made their debut at the Millwood Country Club for a highly successful book event with Drew Gilpin Faust, who grew up in the area.

Faust was disappointed in the lifestyle of conservative, segregated Virginia and went on to engage in the civil rights movement, write seven books and became the first woman to serve as president of Harvard. Her new book, “Necessary Trouble,” reviews her own history in a delightful tenor. The line to purchase the book autographed snaked around the room.

Middleburg Books is an independent bookshop, in other words not part of a soul-less big box operation. Mary Beth and her husband, Michael, have recently moved to Middleburg, and she’s been hard at work creating a warm and inviting bookshop for all. She said she’s driven by the inherent belief that books can—and do—change the world.

Christina is a self-proclaimed “book nerd” and fondly blames her book obsession on her father, who encouraged her to read by taking her to the library and never saying no to a book purchase. Christina and her husband, Ryan, have a young daughter, who is an aspiring equestrienne.

Located in the heart of Middleburg, in a building dating to 1750, the new bookshop embraces a judiciously curated collection of the latest fiction, nonfiction, and children’s books.

The bookshop will present a range of programs, including book subscriptions for children and adults, annual memberships, and special events, including book clubs, author visits, story times, and literary retreats.

All of this is designed to support Mary Beth and Christina’s passion of making the bookshop a place where the Middleburg community can come together. They will also be supporting the community by giving back to Middleburg’s schools and by collaborating with other local businesses.

Details: https://www.middleburgbooks.com/

Photo © by Vicky Moon Mary Beth Morell, Drew Gilpin Faust and Christina Duffy at the Millwood Country Club for a book signing to benefit Long Branch Historic House and Farm.

Photo © by Vicky Moon Clarke County resident Lucy Byrd Dorick.

Recognizing Fauquier County’s Architectural Heritage

By John T. Toler

In the mid-20th century, Fauquier County witnessed an “Architectural Renaissance,” with private residences, classic renovations, new public buildings and churches added to the landscape. They were designed by talented architects, commissioned by both old Fauquier families and newcomers.

Notable among these architects were:

• Waddy Butler Wood of Washington, D.C., who designed and built Leeton Forest on Lee’s Ridge Road in 1929 as his own residence, as well as Blue Ridge Farm, Upperville, for Admiral Cary T. Grayson in 1935.

• Stuart H. Edmonds of Winchester, who designed the 1925 Fauquier National Bank Building at 18 Court Street, Warrenton.

• Milton L. Gregg of Charlottesville, who designed the Richard W. Hilleary house at 182 Winchester Street, Warrenton (1937).

• William Lawrence Bottomley of New York, who executed Colonial Revival-style renovations at Balcarres, 368 Culpeper Street, Warrenton (1927); Ashlawn, near Warrenton (1935); Whitewood in Rectortown (1940); and The Hill in Upperville (1941). Bottomley’s original designs include Tirvelda, near Middleburg (1931) and Whitehall, east of Warrenton (1947).

• Swiss architect Henri de Heller designed Yorkshire House at 405 Winchester Street, Warrenton (1938); the Georgian-Revival house at Henchman’s Lea, Orlean (1940); and his own home, Harkaway, near Warrenton (1932).

Perhaps the most versatile and prolific architect of that era was W.H. Irwin Fleming (1883-1961), who had a home and office in Washington, D.C. Although he had no direct roots in Fauquier County, he came here often to visit his cousins in the Fleming and Lee families living around The Plains.

Born in Washington, he was one of five children of Thomas and Grace Irwin Fleming, a prominent D.C. couple.

Irwin earned degrees at George Washington and Cornell universities, and began his career as an apprentice architect, working on different projects in the Washington area. He got his first major commercial task in 1916, designing the new Grace Episcopal Church in The Plains, built of stone behind the original 1855 church building.

“Írwin Fleming was described by a contemporary as shy and introverted,” according to the Society of Architectural Historians’ Archipedia. “He never employed a draftsman, and was known for controlling all aspects of his designs.”

Fleming’s church project was described in Archipedia as “nothing less than a masterpiece, nominally Neo-Gothic in style, in which the only orthodox revival element is the tower. Otherwise the building is ‘modern,’ with its long, huge sloping roof and tall, abstract lancet windows. The random rubble stonework is masterful.”

Variegated green and brown tinted fieldstone hauled from neighboring farms was used in the construction, and Fleming directed the stonemasons to pick the green stones for the prominent places on the church walls.

During the project, Fleming, spent time with his relatives in Fauquier, according to Henry L. Rust, grandson of Mary Elizabeth Lee Fleming and William Fitzhugh Rust II.

The former Fauquier County Clerk’s Office on Main Street, Warrenton was built in 1926, replacing an earlier Federal style county office building.

The Oaks, on the Springs Road near Warrenton, was built in 193

An architect, Rust now lives at Green Mont, The Plains, where he is building a new house on the foundation of the 19th century main structure that once stood there. He shares his extensive family history on his greenmont.blog. “Irwin was my first cousin, and I have always admired his work,” said Rust.

In 1917, Irwin married Sarah Beverley Carter, a kinswoman of Capt. and Mrs. Edward Carter of Carter Hall, in Warrenton. With the completion of Grace Episcopal Church in 1918, he moved on to other projects in the area.

Twin daughters Ann Clarissa “Nancy” Fleming and Sarah Beverley Carter “Sally” Fleming were born December 9, 1918.

The Fleming family suffered a devastating tragedy on the night of Jan. 28, 1922, when the roof of Crandall’s Knickerbocker Theatre in Washington, D.C. collapsed under two feet of snow.

Among the 98 persons killed in the catastrophe were Irwin’s father, Thomas Fleming, 71; brother John Paton Fleming, 32 and sister Mary Lee Fleming, 29. In addition to those killed, 133 persons were injured.

Beginning with his design of Grace Episcopal Church, Irwin Fleming went on to design a number of buildings in Fauquier County during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. His clients remembered him as a workaholic and perfectionist, and he often worked with master builders W. F. Hanback and his son, W. J. Hanback, forming an expert team.

Private residences included:

• Hopefield, on Airlie Road, Warrenton. Built in 1923-24 in the 20th century Federalist style for Col. Robert R. Wallach on the site of an older house.

• Fenton, a “refined stone structure” on Bear Wallow Road, Warrenton. Built in 1925 on Fitzhugh property, and later owned by the Cutting and Edwards families.

• Airlie House, a Classical Revival home on Airlie Road, Warrenton. Built in 1925 for Henry C. Groome on the foundation of a 1906 house that burned in 1924.

• The Colonial Revival main house on Zulla Road built for Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher Harper in 1929-30.

• The W. J. Hanback House at 493 Falmouth Street, Warrenton. Colonial Revival style, designed by Fleming and built by the Hanbacks in 1932-33.

• The Oaks, on the Springs Road, Warrenton. Built in 1932 for the Rev. Paul D. Bowden, rector of St. James’ Episcopal Church in Warrenton. The Georgian Revival style mansion sits on Innis Hill, the site of two earlier houses.

• Arborvitae on Lee Highway north of Warrenton, built in 1938. English Country style exterior, with the interior featuring Gothic Revival, Greek Revival and Art Deco styles.

His public buildings ad churches include:

• Fauquier County Clerk’s Office, 14 Main Street, Warrenton. Classic Revival style, built 1927-28, replacing the 19th century brick building that stood in front of it.

• Grace Episcopal Church, The Plains (described above), built in 1916-18.

• St. Andrew’s Episcopal Mission at Ada, established 1926. Church later built in contemporary style.

• The Baldwin Day Memorial Parish Hall of St. James Episcopal Church, 81 Culpeper Street, Warrenton. Built in 1928 in the Tudor Revival style, replacing an earlier parish hall that burned in 1910.

Other lesser-known examples of Fleming’s work can still be found out in the Fauquier countryside, including the stone bridge over Broad Run built on the Green Mont property, and the gatehouse at Archwood near The Plains.

The fact that the structures Irwin Fleming designed in Fauquier have survived is a testament to his talent and expertise. And the awareness of his work adds to our appreciation of our surroundings.

Amish

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Beginning with his design of Grace Episcopal Church, Irwin Fleming went on to design a number of buildings in Fauquier County during the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s.

Getting Quail on the Comeback Trail

By John E. Ross

Little quickens the pulse like a half dozen quail erupting from that little swale the farmer was convinced to leave un-mown last summer. Few things bring smiles like the plaintive “bob-bob white, bob-bob-bob white” call of a male quail seeking a mate or the sight of a hen leading her broods along a vine-matted fence row.

Once ubiquitous throughout Virginia grasslands, quail populations have declined by 85 percent and are now found on only10 percent of farms surveyed by Virginia Working Landscapes (VWL), according to Amy Johnson, PhD and VWL program director. VWL is an initiative of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute based in Front Royal.

Last year, at the invitation of owners Mark and Melissa Winchester, Johnson and a team from VWL surveyed Westbourne near The Plains. Surveyors recorded 50 species of birds on the farm of several hundred acres. Among the species listed in regional decline and found on Westbourne along with quail were eastern meadowlarks, grasshopper sparrows, and indigo buntings.

Melissa and Mark bought Westbourne four years ago, and last year they began releasing quail. Mark enjoys bird hunting, but there’s far more to it than that.

Quail are an indicator species for biodiverse farm habitat. They nest on the ground where clumps of grass form canopies to hide incubating eggs. Nests are usually located within 50 feet of open grasslands providing feed. Seeds from sweet gum and pine, remains of acorns partially eaten by other species, and mast from dogwood and sassafras trees found in mature and developing woodlands are also important in quail diets. During their first three weeks, quail chicks rely on insects. And quail bring landowners together like no other species. Presence of coveys in fence rows encourage neighbors on both sides not to mow closer than two tractors’ width. Un-mown fence rows, rocky patches and swales in fields, and tracts so damp that tractors dig deep ruts and may bog down generate biodiverse habitat that encourages native species to return to the land.

Leaving such terrain un-mown reduces the volume of hay harvested by only a few percent. According to Mark, once a contract-farmer understands why a particular spot should remain uncut, they’re quite willing to leave it wild.

Melissa spent her adolescence on a small farm outside of Upperville. She and her mother, Bonnie Mattingly, moved to Colorado 20 years ago and she and Mark married in 2009. Mark laughs when he tells how eager Melissa was to return to her native countryside. They searched for a farm next to others under conservation easement. Active in the OCH Conservation Foundation, they learned of Virginia Working Landscapes and invited VWL to conduct the biodiversity survey.

“We have become acutely aware of the biodiversity that exists on our farm,” Melissa said. “Every day, we walk, ride, run, or bike throughout the property. We know where our fox live, where bald eagles are nesting, where vernal creek pools hold tadpoles.

“We know where quail coveys tend to congregate, where twin fawns can be found at dusk, where owls live in the western woods, and where to pick blackberries every summer. We know our neighbors, and they know us.

“We’re establishing, with our young boys by our sides, the connection to this land that encourages us to care deeply, and allows us to find a path forward that can be supportive of the native species that have been here long before we arrived.”

Like the quail, like blue birds and kestrels nesting in their boxes, Melissa and her family have returned to the land and are, in fact and in deed, integral to its biodiversity.

OCH CONSERVATION FOUNDATION FUNDS HABITAT BIOLOGIST

Created in 2019 the OCH Conservation Foundation’s (OCHCF) mission is to enhance diverse wildlife habitats, strengthen critical connections with nature and preserve Northern Virginia’s unparalleled rural landscape.

“Our priorities,” said foundation president Rae Stone, “are education, conservation, and encouraging active participation in preserving the rural landscape and wildlife habitats.” This currently covers 35,000 acres in this area.

The foundation has entered into a philanthropic agreement with Virginia Working Landscapes to fund a Biodiversity Field Technician for three years. Working primarily in northern Fauquier and western Loudoun counties, this position expands VWL’s capacity to conduct surveys like the one on Westbourne, broaden educational outreach, and develop new insights into conserving wildlife habitats.

“The foundation considered hiring an employee,” Rae said, “but we realized expanding VWL’s capacity would have much greater impact.” VWL expects to fill the position by the first of the year.

VWL PROMOTES BIODIVERSITY

A program of the Smithsonian, Virginia Working Landscapes collaborates with landowners to study and promote sustainable farming and land management with an emphasis on native species. Established in 2010, VWL has conducted biodiversity surveys on 67 farms in Fauquier and Loudoun Counties.

“While VWL’s research is focused mostly on working farms,” says Amy Johnson, VWL program director, “our outreach programs highlight best management practices that can be applied on parcels as small as back yards.”

For example, VWL strongly promotes planting native plants around homes and gardens to support biodiversity.

Among its top priorities is cultivating the next generation of conservationists. VWL’s student interns usually go on to study conservation in graduate school or to work for prominent conservation organizations improving habitat on public and private lands. Says Amy, “It’s rewarding to see them use their experiences here to bolster private lands conservation around the country.”

For more information about VWL, visit https://www.vaworkinglandscapes.org/

Sustainable landscape gardener Fritz Reuter and Rae Stone, president of OCH Conservation Foundation, admire some horsemint.

Melissa and Mark Winchester, of Westbourne farm, and VWL’s Amy Johnson examine habitat along a rock fence row.

Amy Johnson, VWL program manager, scans a swale left un-mown at Westbourne for birds. The dead tree in the background provides habitat for woodpeckers and insects for scores of other species.

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For Many, It Will Always Be Hall’s Park

By Pat Reilly

Head east out of Middleburg on Route 50, about a mile and a half, turn left onto Carters Farm Lane’s gravel and travel back in time.

At the turn of the 19th century, the road was part of the McVeigh Plantation and was straddled by outbuildings, warehouses and crude cabins for enslaved workers. The “quarter” was called Macsville. When the plantation dissolved in debt after the Civil War, an enclave of African-Americans remained, replacing the cabins with bungalows, buying land and keeping the name.

The century turned again and an open area of 17 acres was purchased by William Nathaniel Hall, an African-American master stonemason who lived on the lane. He dedicated it in 1920 to the recreational use of the area’s Black community.

These days that land is part of a larger expanse known as Mickie Gordon Park, owned by the county, which earlier this year had announced tentative plans to add at least three cricket fields, expanded outdoor lighting and other significant changes. There has been widespread local opposition, and those plans are now being reviewed.

A Middleburg native, William Hall built prominent buildings around Loudoun County, including the Middleburg National Bank (now the Oyster Bar), the Madison Street firehouse, a drug store and the Upperville Bank (now the post office). In 1913, W.N. Hall and Sons constructed the Baptismal Pool at the Shiloh Baptist

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Photo courtesy of Richard Hall William Nathaniel Hall.

Church, where Hall was a deacon. His community, which was barred from county recreational facilities by segregation, made Hall’s Park a special gathering place for at least the next 30 years.

On Memorial Day, Fourth of July and the first Friday in September, the Aberdeen Lodge of the Grand United Odd Fellows, of which Hall was a trustee, would call a “Turn Out Day.” AfricanAmerican residents would start at the Federal Street lodge, march down Washington Street and then catch a ride to Hall’s Park. Up to 600 people would gather during the park’s heyday in the 1930s, historian Eugene M. Scheel wrote in volume three of “Loudoun Discovered.”

People from all over would pay 50 cents to watch horse races, baseball games and marching bands (some from D.C.). Another 50 cents bought a barbecue picnic. The sponsoring Odd Fellows, Elks and Trustees of Solon Cemetery gave the proceeds to churches, schools and scholarships, writes Scheel.

Ollie Hall of Middleburg, who later married a Hall cousin, recalled going to the park when \she was about ten.

“It was an entertainment place for the Black

community,” she said. “There was horse racing, food, music and dancing. I remember everyone was having fun. It was a wonderful thing for Black community fellowship. It was a wonderful thing to look forward to and go to. I’m sorry we don’t have it now.”

Alvin Dodson, of Leesburg, 87, also remembers those days, especially the glorious music. He snapped photos, which he posts on Facebook, of friends and family enjoying one of the few places they could travel in the area, even after Jim Crow. Baseball was the favorite sport; its premier team the Middleburg Braves. Dodson’s older brother, Roger, and many friends were players.

“Hall’s was a nice park,” recalled Asbury Lloyd Jr., the now-94-year-old former pitcher for the Middleburg Braves. Lloyd grew up in Philomont and played on that Black team with friends like Louis Haley, who lived in Macsville until his death two years ago. They wore uniforms modeled after the old Boston Braves (later Milwaukee, now Atlanta Braves).

“Blue and white with red stripes, and they had two hip pockets. Most of ‘em didn’t have one,” Lloyd laughed. He played baseball in Loudoun for 27 years and loves telling stories of his exploits, especially the time he and his unstoppable curve ball retired 12 batters to deliver a 1-0 win for the Braves.

Alvin Dodson was on hand in June, 1951 when world heavyweight champion boxer Joe Louis rode into the park in a convertible. Hall’s granddaughter, Sylvia Morse, 80, remembers her quiet grandfather introducing the champ and shaking his hand.

The expense of gas after World War II and higher admission fees cut attendance. Hall sold the park and

moved to Liberty Street. Eventually Loudoun County acquired and expanded the park to almost 100 acres, with two tennis courts, open fields and a big baseball diamond with dugouts, concession stands and bleachers. Babe Ruth Leagues were brought in by longtime coach Mickie Gordon, for whom the park was named in 1996.

Maintenance of the park fell off. Other teams came to play different sports. The large baseball field now hosts the tongue of a cricket pitch and a half-dozen tall lights for evening games. A rougher field is used for soccer. A cell tower looms over a fallow meadow.

Near the Carters Lane entrance to the park, among the oaks, maples and willows, the Lions’ pavilion, a fishing pond and the small baseball diamond, William Hall’s extended family gets together most years in late July for a reunion picnic. They like coming to Middleburg for the memories, Morse said. They visit their grandparents’ grave at the Solon Cemetery.

“You don’t appreciate it until you are older,” said Sylvia Morse, “what he was doing for the community.”

Said granddaughter Loretta Hall, “He was a giver. He believed in helping other people out, not just family.”

Middleburg Mayor Bridge Littleton calls the park “a unique historical treasure for the community. Not only is it a place where we’ve come to play and enjoy our open space, but it has deep and meaningful cultural significance in the story of segregation and immigration in Loudoun County.”

Alvin Dodson said he objected to naming the park for Mickie Gordon, because to his community, the place would always be known as Hall’s Park.

A pavilion in the area of the old Hall’s Park. Country ZEST & Style | Fall 2023

You Can Bank on Atlantic Union’s Natalie Lacaze

By Leonard Shapiro

Newly named Middleburg branch manager and Atlantic Union Bank assistant vice president Natalie Lacaze has only been on the job for a few months. And she loves the fact that people she’s known for years are stopping by, poking their heads into her office and welcoming and congratulating her on her new management position.

As a long-time resident of the area, she’s also making all the right moves to duplicate the welcoming atmosphere of the same building that once housed the old Middleburg Bank.

Her door is definitely almost always open and a smile hardly ever leaves her face when she’s dealing with her customers or her staff, even pitching in at a teller’s window when things get a bit hectic.

After spending the last 14 years working down the street at the old Sona Bank, now under relatively new ownership and known as Primis, she wasn’t exactly looking to move west up Washington Street.

Still, when Atlantic Union made her an offer, she hardly hesitated, mostly because it was a far more customer-oriented bank than Sona, where digital was all the rage.

“I didn’t think too much about it,” she said. “I had been at my current bank for 14 years and I’m not a big fan of change. (Atlantc Union) called me with an offer, and they had such a positive attitude about wanting me to come over. It was a very different vibe than that of the other bank. So it was not a hard decision to make for me to make the switch.”

Natalie insists she’s still learning all the time, but clearly is a quick study. And word of her banking prowess and people skills after successful interactions with several very satisfied clients already has started to spread.

Natalie did not start out in banking. She began in the business world involved working in her family’s restaurants—The Bistro in Warrenton and later Frogs & Friends in The Plains operated by her father, a Frenchman who has since moved back to his native land. Then she worked as a service writer for Mercedes Benz of Tysons Corner.

She and her husband, Jimmy, live in The Plains and their three children all attend The Hill School. Her brother Julien owns the Vintage antique and gift emporium in Marshall and her sister Michelle is a program director for Windy Hill in Middleburg.

Between her kids, other family obligations and the new job, “There is definitely a lot of juggling, but I am up for the challenge,” she said. “It’s a great community to be a part of and I am excited

Photo ©by Vicky Moon Natalie Lacaze, the new branch manager for

SO COMPOUND THIS

By Philip Dudley

Have you ever wondered about the eighth wonder of the world? You know, that fabulous concept called compound interest that works for you in your sleep and never rests.

Investment gurus often refer to the “rule of 72” which is a simple way to determine how long an investment will take to double given a fixed annual rate of interest.

Let’s say you invested $100,000 at an annual fixed rate of 10 per cent. It would take 7.2 years ((72/10)=7.2) to grow to $200,000. Not too shabby, but it’s the next few doubles that really boost your wealth because the interest is increasing exponentially, as opposed to linearly, over time.

Young people often don’t understand that time is their friend. Starting early and saving even small amounts of money pays off handsomely down the road, far more than saving higher amounts at a later age. Money makes money, and the money that money makes, makes more money.

I always give younger clients this advice and then tell them they will forget this conversation but thank me later.

Let’s say Bushrod starts saving $1,000 per month at the age of 20 and stops at age 30. His brother George saves the same amount but doesn’t start until the age of 30 and stops at 40.

They both saved $120,000 over a ten-year period and earned 7 per cent interest per annum. And yet, at the age of 55, Bushrod has $1 million and George has just under $500,000.

Investing and compounding is sort of like voting in a Chicago election— make sure it’s early and often.

Interest on interest is the Holy Grail of compounding as you earn interest on the interest earned and ultimately command a rising income stream from a larger base.

Considering our current economic state of affairs, in a world being battered by high inflation, that eats away at your purchasing power and increases the cost of food and shelter. So this is the perfect time to embrace this compound interest concept.

Yes, it’s difficult to save when everything costs more. It’s also difficult to think 10 and 20 and 30 years out when it’s a struggle right now. Be resolute and you will endure, and prosper.

The bottom line: the effects of compound interest are incredibly rewarding because it mitigates the rising cost of living due to inflationary pressures. Young people can especially benefit as they have the advantage of compounding over long periods of time.

Is there really anyone out there who would be opposed to effortlessly turning $120,000 into $1 million, even if took 35 years?

Middleburg native Philip RC Dudley is managing partner of Dudley Capital Management at 115 The Plains Road, Suite 250 and PO Box 494, Middleburg, VA 20118. For more information, he can be reached at philip@dudleycapital. com and 540-687-4600.

That Care.

Philip Dudley

HOME SWEET HOME IMPROVEMENTS

A Fun New Steakhouse Coming to Middleburg

By Ronen Feldman

Nikki Shugars knows a thing or two about restaurants, and Middleburg.

Growing up with a chef father, she’s been involved in food service in one way or another since childhood. She moved to Virginia from New York at age 12, and into Culpeper County when she was 16, where she’s

While working at a local country club as an events manager, she proved herself to be a hard worker, organizing banquets and working both the front and back of the house. When a club board member decided to open the Piedmont Steakhouse as a passion project in 2012, he immediately took her on.

Piedmont quickly became a Culpeper staple, serving top of the line cuts and personalized service, where the staff knows all their regulars by name.

Nikki eventually took over less than a year after COVID restrictions nearly caused the restaurant to close. They managed to power through and now it flourishes. And that’s why she began scouting around for a second location.

In July, Middleburg bade farewell to The Fun Shop, one of its most beloved establishments, after 66 years. Its closing left a hole on Washington Street, and now, Nikki hopes to fill that space with the second branch of the Piedmont

“I love Middleburg. For years it’s been an escape for me, a place to decompress,” Nikki said. “When I came to see the location I came for the experience of looking at a space, I didn’t even know The Fun Shop was closing. It was heartbreaking, but the space was beautiful, so we had to come back.”

The new location is substantially larger than Piedmont’s Culpeper location, which fits perfectly with Nikki’s desire for giving people a pleasurable

She wants to expand the menu, and provide her customers with multiple dining options by converting the main space into a steakhouse with a bar. There will be a separate pub-like bar with its own menu in the space where the late Howard Allen, The Fun Shop’s co-founder, once operated his photo studio. That area also will be decorated with many of his photographs.

The Piedmont Steakhouse is not expected to open until next year, but Nikki expects that once all permits are granted, renovations will take a handful of months to complete.

She wants the restaurant to become part of the Middleburg family of businesses by respecting existing establishments’ menus and products, and broadening Middleburg’s palate by adding her own items to the mix.

The new, large kitchen space will allow Piedmont to introduce new cuts like prime rib in addition to the already popular filet, tenderloin and tomahawk steaks. They’ll also serve Nikki’s favorite—key lime pie—and to all those who enjoy an adult beverage, they’ll feature an extensive wine and liquor list, including their signature 007 martini.

There will be a separate pub-like bar with its own menu in the space where the late Howard Allen, The Fun Shop’s co-founder, once operated his photo studio.

The Piedmont Steakhouse in Culpeper.

THANK YOU WINDY HILL PARTNERS!

In 2023, over 50 community partners helped our Windy Hill families and individuals in need. Thousands of pounds of food, pantry items, and other necessities made it to our doorstep so we could, in turn, provide residents with the resources they needed. Below are two community partnerships that we are grateful for!

For the second Summer in a row, Bainum Foundation Farm provided 12 weeks of CSA produce, fruit, and flowers to our residents. Each week, the CSA was distributed to 50+ residents, or 30+ households in Middleburg, The Plains, and Marshall.

Oak Spring Garden Foundation provides one monthly activity for our residents at Levis Hill House, and for our children at our Llewellyn Community Room. Residents have worked with succulents, pressed flowers, painted flower pots, and more!

OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS

A Place to Be

Arcola United Methodist Church

Bainum Foundation Farm

Banneker Elementary School

Blue Ridge Area Food Bank

Cake4Kids

Capital Caring

Carver Senior Center

Chetana Foundation DC Metro Chapter

Claude Thompson Elementary School

Donna’s Feast

Dulles South Food Pantry

Fauquier County Public Library

Fauquier FRESH

Fauquier Habitat for Humanity

Grace Community Church

Grace Episcopal Church

Loudoun Area Agency on Aging

Loudoun County Department of Family Services

Loudoun Hunger Relief

Loudoun Master Gardeners

Loudoun Mobile Hope

Marshall Community Center

Marshall Middle School

Middleburg Baptist Church

Middleburg Community Center

Middleburg Garden Club

Middleburg FISH

Middleburg Library

Middleburg Methodist Church

Middleburg Montessori School

Music to Free

Northern Virginia Diaper Bank

Northwest Federal Credit Union

Oak Spring Garden Foundation

Peers and Students Taking Action (P.A.S.T.A.)

Salvation Army

Seven Loaves Food Pantry

The Hill School

The Plains Community League

The National Sporting Library & Museum

The Town of Middleburg

Tree of Life

W.G. Coleman Elementary School

Wakefield School

Willisville Chapel United Methodist Church

Women Giving Back

On behalf of our residents who live in Windy Hill's 310 affordable homes, thank you to our partners and our cadre of dedicated volunteers.

To learn more about Windy Hill‘s work, our partners, and volunteer opportunities, please reach out via the information below to request the 2022 Annual Report.

Middleburg, VA 20118

540.687.3997

Contact Eloise Repeczky, Executive Director, 540.687.3997, eloise@windyhillfoundation.com.

Fuog Interbuild Started Small and Makes It Big

By Sebastian Langenberg

Fuog Interbuild based in Purcellville started as a niche business, but through the principles of client satisfaction, hard work, and completing a finished product that stands the test of time, the company grew into a one-stop, high-end construction operation. A firm that began by doing pole barns quickly grew into building wineries, breweries, residential and commercial buildings.

John L. Fuog started the business in 1981. He said that after only four months of working for another builder, he saw the potential to go out on his own. He started small, doing barns on the side, but he was able to go full time in less than five years.

“When you’re young, you don’t know any better and just do it,” he said, adding that “1981 was a recessionary year. So it’s the worst time to start, but everything is up from there. It can’t get any lower, so it’s all good.”

Fuog Interbuild has grown steadily over the years, expanding to steel buildings as well as pre-fab housing. Steel construction allowed the company to break into the commercial space market and they also were one of the few builders creating two-story, wood frame commercial buildings.

“And our manufacturer told us we were the only ones in the country doing that type of application with this type of construction.” Fuog said.

Always thinking about the future, Fuog brought on his first partner, Tom Miller, twelve years ago, then added another, Rickey Schooley, five years later.

“They’re younger than I am,” he said. “They’re very smart, dynamic people.

Both men brought in new ideas and new employees to help propel the company forward. For example, the firm has recently started installing septic and drain fields, something most builders usually outsource.

This recent expansion is a part of a philosophy of trying to get as much as possible under one roof to keep the quality high and client satisfaction even higher. For example, Fuog has its own excavation crews as well as in-house carpenters.

“We have our own employees to do the bulk of this work, and that really is a value added benefit for our customers,” Fuog said. “We don’t have to second guess what’s going on. We don’t have to wait for subcontractors to get on the site.”

Fuog Interbuild’s work is visible all around Northern Virginia. One of their biggest projects was a data center in Leesburg that consisted of 25 separate buildings and was constructed over two phases.

About twenty years ago, the company added pre-fabricated housing to their repertoire.

“It just kind of happens,” Fuog said. “Somebody says ‘can you do this?’”

They don’t say yes to all projects, but carefully consider whether they’ll be able to put up a quality building.

“We’re very proud of the things that we’re doing.,” Fuog said. “And we take them very seriously.”

That quality work stands out, having won many National Frame Building Association awards, ranging from a helicopter hangar to Middleburg’s Mt. Defiance cidery barn just east of the village.

“We’ve done over 3,500 buildings,” Fuog said. “And we are exceedingly proud of what we’ve done and what we have yet to do.”

Fuog Interbuild did the stately Mt. Defiance Cidery just east of Middleburg.

AROUND & ABOUT

The Virginia Craft Brewers Guild (VCBG) announced the 2023 Virginia Craft Beer Cup winners, with 125 breweries competing. Lost Barrel in Middleburg won four awards—a gold for its 2023 Stratazacca DIPA, a gold for its 2021 pale ale, a silver for its 2023 Hazy IPA and a bronze for its 2022 Tangerine Imperial IPA. Celebrating the good news were Tap Room Manager Bobby Martz, Brewmaster Dan Sickmen and General Manager Patrick Steffans.

GREER’S ANTIQUE CONSERVATION

Quality you can trust

at 300-plus) in the Middleburg Ballroom at Salamander Resort & Spa for a chat and book signing with America’s first black female billionaire, Salamander founder and Middleburg resident Sheila Johnson. Her book, “Walk Through Fire,” is a “memoir of love, loss and triumph.”

Open House

www.greersconservation.com

November 8 & 9, 2014

10am-4pm

37627 Allder School Road Purcellville, VA 20132 540.338.6607

www.greersconservation.com

greersant@gmail.com

Open Monday - Friday 9-4 & Weekends by Appointment Museum Level Conservation and Custom Furniture for 44 years

37627 Allder School Road

Purcellville, VA 20132

540.338.6607

greersant@aol.com

Regular hours are by appointment only

The Land Trust of Virginia’s (LTV) Art of Conservation took place at Dot Shetterly’s Silverbrook Farm in Hillsboro. The program brings the Loudoun Sketch Club of Virginia to properties in easement with the LTV. Steffanie Burgevin, Kevin Ramundo, Dot Shetterly (LTV easement/landowner), Debra Bourget (Loudoun Sketch Club), Lilla Ohrstrom, Ashton Cole (LTV executive director) and Childs Burden.

Photo by Donna Strama Blair Howard, Allison Tripp and Dieter Rausch, owner of the German-inspired Christmas Sleigh emporium, with his daughter and granddaughter.

Photo © by Vicky Moon Howard and Gloria Armfield are long time members of the Cakewalkers of the Goose Creek Jass and Ragtime Society. The 49th edition of the annual celebration of Old New Orleans Jazz took place this year at Welbourne. A bit of rain, yes but the rhythmic sound of Miss Maybell on her washboard was phantastic.

Photo by Leonard Shapiro Roger Beavers spoke at the Piedmont Heritage second annual History in Agriculture Concert celebrating farming heritage at the Fauquier Livestock Exchange. He’s a longtime former board member and cattleman. The evening included burgers (of course) and music from the Blue Mountain Songbird and Friends.

Photo by Donna Strama Natalie H. Ngounou was part of a packed house (estimated

Great Meadow’s New Head Has a Rural Mission

By Ronen Feldman

When the late Northern Virginia publisher Nick Arundel founded Great Meadow back in 1984, he hoped to create a community rooted in open spaces, and preserve the natural beauty of the rapidly urbanizing Washington area.

Based in The Plains, this lush, 300-plus acre equestrian paradise serves the area’s thriving horse community all year round, including hosting the upcoming International Gold Cup races on Saturday, October 28 and the Virginia Gold Cup in on the first Saturday in May as well as countless other events.

“The space Great Meadow occupies would otherwise be sold in favor of residential living projects,” said Tess Newcome, the new executive director of the facility. “Real estate developments aren’t just plucking out local communities, but are dividing farmlands, slowly forcing them out.”

The phenomenon hits close to home for Tess, a rural West Virginia native. To her, the great outdoors isn’t just meant for leisure, but is as essential as breathing air.

“Growing up in the country all you saw were fields, hills and farms,” she said. “We would walk around for hours with the wind on our faces, hear nothing but the calm, soothing sounds of nature and stare at the gorgeous landscape, that was our therapy. It was a 35-minute drive to the closest town, and we weren’t going to make that trip every time we ran

out of sugar. We knew all our neighbors, and were brought up to give.”

Community and nature mean the world to Tess. She’s known her school teacher husband Chip since the seventh grade and they left West Virginia as young adult for her to pursue a career in accounting.

Being far from their family, the Newcomes had to adjust to urban life in places like Chevy Chase and Bethesda, discovering new cultures and a different way of life. When it was finally time for a change of pace, and armed with an urban perspective, a move to Winchester and her new position at Great Meadow became a happy medium.

At Great Meadow, Tess said she has a sense of

purpose as she dedicates herself to community and preservation.

A gala celebrating Great Meadow’s 40th anniversary next year will also raise funds for the foundation, and will have a special guest, founder Nick Arundel’s wife, Peggy, who lives nearby.

“Young people today have a different understanding of what preservation is,” Tess said. “I have two teenagers, I want to teach them that an individual can make a difference, and that small actions now have a large impact in the long run.”

Tess sees the Great Meadow Foundation as all that stands between urbanization and natural green spaces in the area. She believes further involving the community, working with schools, recruiting volunteers to promote Great Meadow and inspiring other local and diverse communities to take action is the only antidote.

At the same time, she’s under no illusion about the possible threats and is committed to safeguard the space at all costs. An endowment to ensure Great Meadow’s mission is secure is the first of many steps she hopes to implement in order to keep the open space and the foundation alive and thriving.

A gala celebrating Great Meadow’s 40th anniversary is scheduled for next year.

Photo by Madi Hunter Chip and Tess Newcome at a recent polo event at Great Meadow.

Piedmont Symphony Has a New Concertmaster

By Leonard Shapiro

Teresa Gordon still remembers that day when, as a seven-yearold third grader, her class was taken to a room filled with musical instruments. One of the music teachers looked at her hands and told her they were on the smallish side, and playing the violin would be a perfect fit.

Growing up in the Annapolis area, she always did love music, and her mother has often told her she could sing before she started to talk. With a father who played the guitar and also liked to sing, music obviously just came naturally and it’s been a great joy in her.

These days, Teresa, 51, is the new concertmaster for the Warrenton based Piedmont Symphony Orchestra. What’s a concertmaster?

According to the website for the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston, it is “simultaneously the most skilled and knowledgeable violinist of the orchestra while also the chief intermediary between the musicians and the conductor.

“The concertmaster is responsible for…playing solo passages in the absence of a guest soloist; understanding the conductor’s ideas and communicating them in technical terms to the rest of the orchestra; leading the orchestra in tuning before rehearsals and performances; and assisting with aspects of the orchestra’s management.” PSO Conductor Glenn Quader said.

Gordon does all of that and so much more, and in addition to playing violin, she’s also a highly accomplished player on the viola.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Teresa as the new PSO concertmaster,” Glenn said. “Having served the last three seasons as our principal viola, she’s already shared in the successes with us on stage. Her professional reputation precedes her, and I’m very excited to work with her.”

Teresa joined the PSO as its principal viola player in 2019 and will play the violin as its new concertmaster. She has an impressive resume ever since graduating from Shenandoah University, including 18 years as the concertmaster for the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra.

Living in the South Riding area, she’s also a long-time teacher, serving as orchestra director at Rock Ridge High School in Ashburn since 2018, and before that seven years teaching music at the Fred Lynn Middle School in Woodbridge.

Teresa also plays with several other orchestras, most notably the Maryland Symphony based in Hagerstown and the Apollo Orchestra based in Bethesda.

Her decision to leave the Loudoun Symphony had a lot to do with her admiration for Glenn Quader, as a person and a conductor.

“I’ve known him for a long time,” she said. “He’s a nice guy, he loves music and he has great energy. He’s also kind of laid back and doesn’t stress you out. The whole organization is friendly, has a family feeling to it. People look out for each other. I really appreciated the opportunity to come aboard.”

The PSO’s first concert of the new season will be Oct. 22 at Highland School in Warrenton, with a Halloween theme and a wide variety of music including pieces from Lord of The Rings, Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean.

A few days after attending her first rehearsal with the string section as PSO’s concertmaster in mid-September, Teresa was thrilled with the session.

“It was just a nice opportunity to get things going, very positive, and I really love what I’m doing,” she said.

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Every case is different. We will provide a custom strategy to fit the needs of your unique situation. Call today for a consultation.

70 Main Street, Suite 52 • Warrenton, VA 20188-0880 • www.gctlaw.com 540-347-3022

Saturday, Oct. 14th, 8:00 PM

Paragon POPS! The Case of the Melodious Murder

Come for the music...stay for the laughs! Paragon Philharmonia joins forces with Dark Horse Theatre Company to present a hilarious harmonic whodunit!

Sunday, Nov. 5th, 5:00 PM

Grace Church Concert Series / VOCES8

The 2023 Grammy-nominated British vocal ensemble VOCES8 is proud to inspire people through music and share the joy of singing. SOLD OUT

Sunday, Nov. 12th, 5:00 PM

Paragon Philharmonia / Falling for Romance

The members of Paragon Philharmonia’s String Quartet collaborate with pianist Thomas Pandolfi to explore the powerful emotions present in Dvorak’s iconic Piano Quintet. For tickets please visit: http://artsintheplains.org/

6507 Main Street, The Plains, VA 20198 www.artsintheplains.org

Teresa Gordon, the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra’s new concertmaster.

T. Huntley Thorpe III

Karen E. Hedrick

Robin C. Gulick

SENATOR JILL H. VOGEL

September 2023 Legislative Update

The House and Senate concluded the regular 2023 legislative session this spring. However, at the end there was no agreement on a budget. The impasse stretched for six months, placing local government, social services, transportation, public education, and countless other resources in peril. That included hundreds of bills passed during session that only survived if the funding made it in the budget. For example, if a bill changes criminal penalties or abolishes a broken program to fund a new one, the bills die if the funding changes are not adopted in a budget.

Fortunately, by the first week of September, members reached a compromise. The House and Senate returned to Richmond and the budget passed. All sides declared victory on their key objectives, and it meant significant mental health and education improvements as well as much anticipated tax rebates.

While the budget includes hundreds of finance measures, it is still just one bill. During session we considered 2,863 other bills and resolutions and 812 ultimately passed and were signed by the Governor. I introduced a number of bills this session that were the product of a year of work with constituents and stakeholders around Virginia. Those measures included:

•  Virginia Power Innovation Fund—provides funding for research and development of innovative energy technologies, including nuclear, hydrogen, carbon capture and utilization, and energy storage.

• Protection of Children—parents/caregivers who allow children reasonable unsupervised independent activities are not subject to charges of abuse or neglect for that reason alone if the activity is appropriate for the child’s age, maturity, and physical and mental ability.

• Data Center Underground Transmission Line—requires the State Corporation Commission to approve a pilot project for underground transmission.

• Assisted Living Facilities—requires staff training and employment age minimums for certain facilities.

• Public Defenders / Commonwealth Attorneys—improves benefits under the hybrid retirement program.

• Community Service Boards—allows uninsured employees of certain community services boards to be eligible for state health insurance coverage.

• Apprenticeships—permits persons 16 years or older to serve as voluntary apprentices in cosmetology salons.

• Behavior Analyst Certification—provides the criteria for licensure as a behavior analyst.

• Fentanyl Penalties—increases penalties for distribution of fentanyl.

• Speed Calibratio—extends validity of the calibration on certain devices.

• Prostitution Solicitation—part of a package of bills to reduce human trafficking that increases penalty for a third offense of solicitation of prostitution.

• Human Trafficking—includes human trafficking awareness and prevention training in higher ed.

• Public Contracts—prohibits certain public contracts with contractors who boycott Israel.

• Control of Smart Thermostat—prohibits electric utilities from making adjustments to a customer’s smart thermostat.

• Stormwater Management—revises certain definitions of an agreement in lieu of a plan in stormwater management and erosion and sediment control laws.

• Women Veteran License Plate—authorizes special license plates for women veterans.

• National Warrior Call Day—designates first Sunday after Veterans Day as Warrior Call Day in Virginia, a community engagement and recognition of need to reach out to veterans.

• Loudoun County Crisis Receiving Center—provides funds for behavioral health crisis services.

• REACH Virginia—provides resources for teacher retention program.

• Enhancements for Conservation Application—funds system upgrade for agriculture BPM tracking program.

• DOE—provides resources for attendance recovery program.

• George Mason University—provides innovation commercialization assistance program resources.

• Physician Assistant Preceptor Incentive Program - augments clinical training of PA students.

• Battlefield Conservation—provides resources for conservation.

I announced earlier this year that I will not seek re-election. It has been a huge honor to serve our district for sixteen years in the Senate of Virginia. I will miss the work and the incredible partners in the legislature and in the community. I owe deep gratitude to the people in my office whose constituent service changed peoples’ lives and I appreciate all of you who changed mine. Thank you to everyone for so much help and support.

Senator Jill H. Vogel

District 27

Cell: 703-597-7100

Office: 540-341-8808

CAPITAL OFFICE  Pocahontas Building

900 E. Main Street

Room 612

Richmond, VA 23219

COMMITTEES

Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee

Senate Rules Committee

Senate Privileges and Elections Committee

Senate General Laws and Technology Committee

Joint House and Senate Committee on Rules

Cup

By Sean Clancy

The snow reached the bottom of the truck door. Horses boarded five miles away, needing to be fed. Driveway to gravel road to paved road, I made it to the barn. Horses fed, watered, mucked and hayed, all in a silent cocoon of an overzealous snowstorm.

Now to make it back. The snow rose to the door handle. As the roads narrowed, like pushing through an hourglass, the snow got deeper. There wasn’t a plow in sight. I white-knuckled it back to our farm, one of those drives when you turn off the radio and stow your phone, needing all the concentration you can muster. Turning right onto Snake Hill Road, there was a path. One single lane, oneway traffic. It cut a wedge down the middle of the road, straight as a Nolan Ryan fastball, past Banneker Elementary, past the farm where Alphabet Soup was raised and made a left. Into our farm.

I followed it to the front door.

A John Deere tractor the size of an Army Tank idled under a sagging apple tree. I trudged through the snow, yet to be shoveled, and fell through the door. There was my wife Annie, my son Miles and our neighbor Gordie Keys. Annie had coffee. Miles had milk. Gordie had whiskey.

“I asked Gordie if he wanted coffee, water, orange juice…” Annie said.

“I’ll take a whiskey,” Keys said. “It’s cold out there.”

I’m not sure how long he had been there, how much whiskey he had and can’t remember how long he stayed; I was just glad he was there.

Welcome to the neighborhood. I knew we would be all right in our new home in Middleburg.

Gordie Keyes was a good neighbor, a good friend from that day until his last day. A farmer, a cattleman, a horseman, a father, a grandfather, a husband, a mentor, a friend, a racing fan, a Saratoga loyalist, he died at his Beaver Dam Farm July 8 a month short of his 90th birthday. I’m sure that John Deere tractor sat idling, halfway through a project, somewhere on the farm.

Born in Laytonsville, Md., he lost his father, his namesake, before he was born. I guess that’s where the mentoring seed was sowed. His mother, Henrietta remarried. Robert Hallowell Chichester became Keys’ stepfather. He graduated from Sherwood High in Sandy Spring, Md., in 1951 and was drafted into the U.S. Army.

Following his service, he attended the University of Maryland (and was proud of it), earning a degree in agriculture. Keys married his college sweetheart, Janice Oxley in 1959. They had four children, Chandler, Chrissy, Susan and Anne. He put his education to good use, joining his stepfather in farming their ancestral home, Oatland. Keys divorced, moved to Middleburg and married Robin, his rock for the next 25 years, and settled into Virginia.

Along the way, Keys raised and sold cattle, raised and sold horses, fox hunted every day he could. He loved making a deal as much as he liked making the hay. He bred, raced and sold timber champion Ironfist. He bought (for $1,200), raced and sold Maryland Hunt Cup winner Solo Lord. He bred and raised Maryland stakes winner Grateful Bred.

“My God did he have an eye for a horse. He would take chances on things nobody else would. He was proud of his horses. He loved being at the races, just a fan of the sport,” grandson Sam Cockburn said. “So honest, he never lied to you. He never hesitated to help you out. He was always optimistic; he was supportive but straight. He’d tell you, ‘Your horse jumped terribly.’ And then it was over.”

Keys threw crab feasts in his hay barn. Hosted tailgates—oh, his smoked ham– at the hunt meets. An eclectic mix of old-school Virginians, farm hands, kids he was mentoring.

“Sean, just because you live in Virginia, doesn’t mean you’re a Virginian,” Keys said to me one day. I wasn’t quick enough to ask if he considered himself a Virginian or a Marylander. And it didn’t matter, Keys’ home was everywhere.

And certainly Saratoga.

Keys rolled into Saratoga each summer. A pocket full of money, a list of old friends and new friends to banter and barter with as they went racing, hit the sales, partied well into the night. Ten years ago, he threw himself an 80th birthday party in Saratoga. Again, an eclectic group who represented every facet of his far-reaching life. Keys closed the night with his deep acapella voice, we all sang along.

“Oh, he loved Saratoga,” Cockburn said. “That was his social scene, his to-do for the year. Ride his bike around, stay up all night, go to the sales, go to the barns in the morning. He loved it, loved every bit of it.”

When Covid hit, about once a month or so, we’d hear a knock on the door. Keys would be standing there, his Gator sitting in the driveway. We’d share a drink on the patio, vodka or beer, the West Coast IPA never quite as satisfying as a cold Milwaukee’s Best Light. Yeah, we didn’t agree on everything.

Hell, Keys didn’t agree with anybody about everything. He was a straightshooter, about horses or hay, politics or pedanticism, racing or romance.

When Annie, long before we got married, showed up at a party with a date he didn’t like, Keys barely said hello.

“Annie, this has got to stop,” Keys said, his southern, farmer drawl making a point that stuck.

They didn’t make it through the night.

Thanks, Gordie, you helped plow that drive, too.

Raise a glass or a can of Milwaukee’s Best Light, wink to the sky and launch into your best rendition of his favorite song. Pick a singer…Mort Dixon…Ella Fitzgerald… Paul McCartney…Joe Cocker…Gordie Keys:

Pack up all my care and woe, here I go, singing low

Bye, bye, blackbird

Somewhere somebody waits for me.

Sugar is sweet and so is she.

Bye, bye, blackbird

No one here can love and understand me

Oh, what hard luck stories they all hand me

Make my bed and light the light, I’ll arrive late tonight

Blackbird, bye, bye

Bye, bye, Gordie. Gordie, bye, bye. This column was originally published in The Saratoga

Photo by Vicky Moon Gordie Keys was a special kind of friend.

A Triumphant Return For A Local Hero

By Peyton Tochterman

On July 28, Jordan Miller once again stepped onto the hardwood floor of The Loudoun Valley High School gym. The lines of fans who once witnessed Miller leading the Vikings to their sole state basketball title welcomed him not as a player this time, but as an inspiration.

Miller, 23, is no stranger to the Loudoun community. Raised in Middleburg, he is a graduate of Banneker Elementary in St. Louis. He was a standout at Loudoun Valley and at college with George Mason and The University of Miami and recently was a second-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Clippers. His visit wasn’t just a casual stop. He returned with a mission — to give back.

“It was amazing to have him back,” said Chad Dawson, Valley’s head basketball coach. “He and his entire family are so community-centered, so it was no surprise that came back. He waited for every kid to come in, and he signed every autograph.”

After setting records at Loudoun Valley, becoming the school’s all-time scoring leader, Miller chose to remain local, playing three defining seasons for George Mason University. in his last season with the Patriots, he averaged 15.8 points a game.

Choosing to expand his horizons and seeking new challenges, he entered the transfer portal and ended up at the University of Miami. He donned green

and orange for two consecutive seasons after he was able to utilize the extra year of eligibility granted to college athletes who played in the 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The defining moment of his college career

came in the electrifying Elite Eight game that sent the Hurricanes to their first-ever Final Four appearance. He sank every shot he took, going seven for seven from the field and converting all thirteen of his free throws, clinching an exhilarating 88-81 victory over Texas that propelled Miami to the Final Four.

“His basketball IQ is so high,” Dawson said. “And it’s been that way since I started coaching him his freshman year here. In his first game as a freshman, he scored 17 and didn’t miss a shot except for one free throw. But even then, he was an unselfish player looking to do what’s best for the team, finding the next pass.

“We won the championship his junior year, but more impressively, it was during the tournament the next year. Jordan fouled out in regulation. We lost and were devastated. But Jordan, immediately after the game, was so positive saying that we need to appreciate the moment, move on, and that we had a great season. The maturity. So humble. So poised. What a leader.”

That same mental strength, dedication, and commitment are what Jordan Miller aimed to impart to the young and hopeful faces that surrounded him in the Loudoun Valley gym. While his journey from a small town to the glitzy courts of the NBA might sound like a fairy tale, Miller’s message to the next generation was clear: Dream big, work hard, and never forget where you came from.

Photo Courtesy of University of Miami Jordan Miller with his parents Donna and Jeffrey Miller.

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The long-time motto for the Middleburg-based Jackson Clinics Foundation has always been “Teach One, Treat Many.” That’s the title of a recent documentary on the foundation’s work—training physical therapists in Kenya and several other African nations, who then go on to treat countless patients.

And over the last 13 years, it’s more like “Teach Many, Treat Millions.”

Richard and Anna Jackson are long-time Middleburg residents and founded The Jackson Clinics in 2003.They have 18 Northern Virginia locations. Richard and Anna, who specializes in technology, marketing and human resources for the clinics, have dedicated themselves to training therapists in under-developed nations that desperately need upgrading their education and clinical skills.

They began that work in 2010 after one of their clinic directors, an Ethiopian, left the U.S. and returned home to educate therapists in his native land. Richard had served in the Peace Corps in Nairobi, Kenya in the late 1970s, where he wrote a textbook on kinesiology and also taught physical therapy to Kenyan students. Africa was familiar territory.

At the time, Ethiopia, with a population of 85 million, had only 250 physical therapists. That’s when he and Anna decided to fund their own foundation to help improve those numbers. They started a PT residency program in Addis Ababa University’s medical school. They also partnered with Regis University to establish the first doctoral program in physical therapy on the African continent. Their first group of 17 students graduated in 2017.

“Anna and I had wanted to develop an international service opportunity for our staff members,” Richard said. “We both believe very strongly in service and helping other people. I once had a patient from Iran, an economics professor, and we were talking about service one day and he said, ‘really, how many steaks can you eat?’”

Many Jackson Clinic employees have taught a variety of different African programs the foundation helps support with Kenya now the center of activity.

In 2012, the foundation launched an Orthopedic Manual Therapy Residency Program (OMT), a partnership with the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) in Nairobi. Ever since, over 160 volunteer doctors of physical therapy have gone to Kenya doing two-week rotations that included classroom teaching or clinical mentoring. Volunteers come from Jackson’s staff, and colleges and universities around the U.S.

In 2018, the foundation signed a memorandum of understanding with AMREF International University based in Nairobi to begin a Bachelor of Science degree program and a bachelor’s upgrade program for all Kenya diploma holders. In 2022, the first 17 physiotherapists graduated, and in July this year, 42 more graduated.

The addition of digital education allows many students to continue working at their jobs while working on their upgrade diplomas. The Jackson Foundation is also educating therapists in Tanzania, and Uganda.

All of this comes at a cost. Over the years, only about $50,000 in outside donations have gone to the foundation, and the Jacksons have contributed considerably more.

“We’re not very good at fundraising,” Richard said. “With inflation, it’s getting harder all the time for students to afford tuition.”

Tuition is $2,000 a year, including soon to start Masters programs in orthopedics, cardio-pulmonary and rehabilitation. (For more information on how to donate, go to www.teachandtreat.org).

“I don’t think we started out with a clear vision other than we wanted to help fill that gap a little bit at a time,” Anna Jackson said in the documentary.

But it’s clearly not been just a little bit.

“How many lives have our programs touched?” Richard Jackson wondered out loud. “It’s in the millions, for sure.”

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Richard and Anna Jackson with some very proud graduates on both sides.

DASH ON OVER TO FULTON RUN

Fulton Run offers an excellent horse country location, only minutes from Middleburg on 50 acres with a thoroughly modern, natural lightfilled home built in 2020 that includes gorgeous interior touches and lovely mountain and pasture views.

The 2,450 square foot home has three bedrooms and three and half baths, including a soaking tub on the first floor and a jacuzzi tub on the second floor. The first floor features majestic 11-foot ceilings, tons of light, spacious dining and living rooms, antique French doors and top of the line finishes.

The property, which is in conservation easement, is particularly equine friendly, with 50 gently rolling acres, 40 of them fenced. There are four large paddocks and three small holding fields, a 24x14 run-in shed, a 12x36 two-bay ruin shed with a feed room. There’s also a 24x48 barn/farm structure with a 12 x14 tack room and a large equipment shed.

The home features two balconies, also with French doors, a cellar, an expansive back porch and slate patio on the side of the home, both suitable for rest, relaxation and warm-weather entertaining. And have we mentioned internet service provided by Starlink and the koi pond?

There’s a cozy breakfast area not far from the front entrance.

A view from the front of Fulton Run

The main floor has a large, open kitchen featuring granite tops and premium appliances.

The property, which is in conservation easement, is particularly equine friendly, with 50 gently rolling acres, 40 of them fenced.

Fulton Run

37132 Fulton Run Lane

Middleburg, Virginia

Square Feet: 2,450

Price: $2,795,000

Listed by:

Paul MacMahon

703-609-1905

Sheridan-MacMahon Ltd.

Co-Listing Agent: Brian D MacMahon

703-609-1868

Sheridan-MacMahon Ltd.

The dining room features hardwood floors and plenty of room to enter tain.

A koi pond is visible from several sides.

A casually comfortable living room topped off with a gorgeous chandelier.

The wide-open back porch offers lovely views of nearby pastures and mountains beyond.

Deficit Spending Saved The Day … And Yours Truly

By John Sherman Part Deux

This is a recall—or the best I can make of it—of two years in the Army in France. Lyndon Johnson was president. I confess adding a pinch or two of artistry to thicken the tale.

Spec. 4 Robert Johnson, who was drafted during the Korean conflict, was sent, in pity, by personnel, to dig me out of a deep inventory hole of my own making. Page by page, we went through the Table of Organization and Equipment, a list of every item assigned to the 29th Base Post Office, my unit outside Orleans, France.

We matched up what was missing from the long inventory I had unwittingly signed for—-bilked by a sergeant who flew home the day after the turnover. “Lieutenant, you’re sucking bad,” Robert told me at one point. “I’ll do the best I can.”

My high hopes began to dull. It was going to take some very clever moves to bring me up to par—with no losses or overages. Robert recounted blowing up two thousand sheets on Alaska’s tundra to deal with overages. It was heartening. There were stories about burying trucks.

The only deal we had was for him to let me know the nature of his sub rosa negotiations. Right.

He first approached the Polish Guard, the gypsies of Orleans. They were largely refugees from the war, hired by the army to guard posts and prisons. They were billeted just beyond our perimeter; they wore strange uniforms. Their French was better than their English—-except when bartering.

With no available overages, we had to pick something of value to show we were players. Items the Poles could unload easily.

We settled on sheets (Robert’s specialty); they were easily sold on “the economy”—-the army’s term for anywhere beyond its walls. The Poles had particularly good connections with the French.

Apparently, they even had a market for atropine syrettes in Paris. In case of a gas attack, you injected the spring-loaded antidote into your thigh. I figured we were safe from invasion until I mustered out. They took our entire lot. All I could think of was selling them as drugs.

We got back truck tires. We traded pup tents to an infantry company next door. We got back toilets. And on it went.

A friend of mine from Com Z headquarters called one morning to warn of a full inspection of the post office that afternoon. The word was out and there was a general scramble to clean, polish, change uniforms, to look busy and alert for the “surprise” visit from an old colonel. (Orleans was known as

the repository for officers the army was mustering out. We had more than our share of “has-beens,” alcoholics and those who didn’t want to believe they were completely expendable.)

By arrangement, Robert and I set a few men to loading our overages onto a deuce and a half truck. The driver, a corporal named Shotzow from a Pennsylvania coal mining town, was ordered to drive around the city. He would call in every half hour to see when we could end the charade.

I pulled myself to full attention as the colonel approached to inspect my corner of the world. I was ready for a court-martial, or at least a stern reprimand. I walked him around the floor, covered with sorting tables and stamping machines. It didn’t take long to realize that the old infantry officer didn’t give a rat’s ass about a dinky post office. Shotzow was told to come back.

Some three months later, another warning of a full inspection was received.

I had asked Robert for infrequent reports on his mission. Most of them were circumspect. “We’re catching up, sir.” I knew he had negotiated many transactions. We didn’t talk much, but he had my complete trust in everything nefarious.

Somehow, he managed to load up on triple the ammo over our allotment. Ammo, except for firearms, was the most sensitive item in any army inventory. It drew investigations and harsh penalties for imbalances. Following de Gaulle’s order to get out of France, the inspections became more thorough, as all our

inventories were being slowly shipped to Germany.

Shotzow got skittish about making another round trip, confronting us with a very dark dilemma. I was never considered for my creativity in the military, but I finally came up with an unusual plan.

Two days later I ordered all our privates into two trucks and headed to the battalion’s firing range. We only had two pistols; I formed a line behind each. Each man was ordered to fire forty rounds of powerful .45 caliber shells. Some quit after twenty. Some went the distance. It took a couple of hours to bring down Thompson’s overload.

Payday, back then, came once a month, obligating each unit to turn out in dress uniform. As one more duty, I would drive to the Finance Office with an armed guard to draw our share. The closest I came to proficiency at any task was riffling through cash.

(A good friend in charge of the vault disliked the loss of two years as much as I did. His therapy was to stick a million dollars in cash into the trunk of a Triumph 4 and drive around the city at night. His ultimate plan was to drive to Geneva and skip to Brazil. He would put the money back and drive home to bed. He now works for the Rand Corporation.)

We formed up at eight in four ranks for inspection. Robert—-the “stumblebum,” “Sherman’s pet”—was missing. I imagined the taunting I would face if he never showed. And the contempt he would continue to suffer.

At one minute to eight, the steel door out of view opened and slammed shut. Measured footsteps sounded. Spec. 4 Robert Johnson appeared, halted, made a perfect right face. Uniform creased, shoes highly polished. His face was pure military.

On his chest were three rows of ribbons, including the Silver Star (just below the Medal of Honor), three Bronze Stars for valor and two Purple Hearts for his wounds. As he approached to take his place in formation, stunned silence. No one had confronted a true hero, a soldier who went far and beyond. And few were unlikely to serve with another.

Oh, and we never did erase all my deficits.

We got back truck tires. We traded pup tents to an infantry company next door. We got back toilets. And on it went.

F o x H o l l o w

F A R M F A R M

6 B E D R O O M S | 1 1 B A T H R O O M S

9 , 8 5 0 S Q F T

2 5 2 A C R E S

P R I V A C Y Y E T M I N U T E S T O T O W N

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H I G H S P E E D I N T E R N E T

2 - B E D R O O M I N - L A W S U I T E

6 - S T A L L S T A B L E

R I D I N G R I N G

F R O N T S L I T T L E R I V E R

" F o x H o l l o w " s i t s a t t h e e n d o f a p r i v a t e l a n e w / a g a t e d e n t r y , m a k i n g i t v e r y p r i v a t e y e t s e r e n e . L o c a t e d o n l y a c o u p l e m i l e s e a s t o f d o w n t o w n M i d d l e b u r g , m a k e s i t a g r e a t c o m m u t e r l o c a t i o n & p r o v i d e s y e a r - r o u n d s h o p p i n g c o n v e n i e n c e t o o . S o m e i n t e r i o r f e a t u r e s i n c l u d e , n e a r l y 1 0 , 0 0 0 s q f t o f f i n i s h e d l i v i n g s p a c e - p o t e n t i a l f o r 7 b e d r o o m s , h a r d w o o d f l o o r s t h r o u g h o u t , a l o n g w / h i g h c e i l i n g s , & e v e r y w i n d o w s h o w c a s e s a v i e w . T h e O w n e r ' s s u i t e h a s i t s o w n s i t t i n g a r e a w / a f i r e p l a c e , & a v e r y l a r g e o v e r s i z e d c l o s e t T h e r e a r e t w o p r i m a r y b a t h r o o m s , e a c h w / a l a r g e s h o w e r & o n e w / a s o a k i n g t u b T h e 2 n d f l o o r a l s o h a s 3 a d d i t i o n a l b e d r o o m s , e a c h w / t h e i r o w n p r i v a t e f u l l b a t h r o o m s , & t h e t o p f l o o r h a s a g u e s t s u i t e w / a p r i v a t e f u l l b a t h T h e l o w e r l e v e l i s 2 , 8 5 0 s q f t w / a h u g e v e r s a t i l e m a i n r o o m , & h a s a n a d d i t i o n a l 2 - b e d r o o m s , e a c h w / t h e i r o w n f u l l b a t h i n a d d i t i o n t o a n o t h e r f u l l b a t h r o o m & a d d i t i o n a l l a u n d r y T h e r e i s a c o m p l e t e k i t c h e n t o o t h a t h a s a l l t h e e s s e n t i a l s T h e b a s e m e n t f l o w s n i c e l y i n a n d o u t t o t h e p o o l a r e a t o o , a n d o n e s i d e o f t h e b a s e m e n t i s a h u g e w o r k s h o p F o x C h a s e F a r m f r o n t s L i t t l e R i v e r w i t h l o t s o f c l e a r e d t r a i l s , a l l o w i n g f o r e x c e p t i o n a l h i k i n g , c a m p i n g , r i d i n g , 4 - w h e e l i n g , & a l l y o u r o u t d o o r a d v e n t u r e s T h i s c h a r m i n g t u r n k e y h o m e i s s u r r o u n d e d b y 2 5 + a c r e s o f g r e e n p a s t u r e s w i t h 3 - b o a r d f e n c i n g , a 6 - s t a l l h o r s e s t a b l e , a u t o m a t i c w a t e r e r s , a h e a t e d t a c k r o o m , a l u x u r i o u s s a n d r i d i n g r i n g , & e a c h p a d d o c k h a s a c c e s s t o t h e b a r n L o c a t e d i n t h e O r a n g e C o u n t y H u n t t e r r i t o r y , t h e r e i s l o t s o f r i d e - o u t t o o ! T h e p r o p e r t y p r o v i d e s m u l t i p l e e n t e r t a i n m e n t s p a c e s a n d j u s t o u t s i d e o f t h e h o m e , i s a n i n - g r o u n d h e a t e d p o o l A n a t t a c h e d 3 - c a r g a r a g e a n d l a r g e c o n c r e t e p a r k i n g p a d w e r e t h o u g h t f u l l y d e s i g n e d a s w e l l . N o H O A & S t a r l i n k B u s i n e s s I n t e r n e t ! ! !

KRISTIN DILLON-JOHNSON | REALTOR® | Licensed in Virginia

C 703.673.6920 |

115 N 21st St (PO Box 190 | 20134), Purcellville, VA 20132

UNDER CONTRACT

hidden trail

107+ acres

$5,200,000

The Plains – Exceptional and surrounded by magnificent countryside with views. Stone and stucco residence, beautiful terraces. Geothermal heating/cooling, heated 20’ x 40’ pool, 8 stall center aisle stable with 14’ x 14’ stalls. Stunning indoor riding arena.

John Coles | 540-270-0094

oak spring road

57 acres $2,700,000

Middleburg – Once part of the famed Mellon Estate, this exquisite land offers expansive views and wonderful privacy. VOF currently owns the property and holds the easement. NOTE: the residence and 15 acres are in a LIFE ESTATE.

Rebecca Poston | 540-771-7520

4 windsor lodge ln.

54+ acres $1,750,000

Flint Hill – Offered separately for the first time, Alnell Farm's Main Residence and adjacent Guest House. Primarily one level living, with a main level primary suite. Charming guest home features 2 BRs / 1 BA, living room w/ fireplace and a kitchen.

Julia O'Regan | 202-468-0751

Offers

75+ acres

$4,500,000

Delaplane – Built for Channing Delaplane, Jr. in 1921, the manor house is exquisite and beautifully sited. Located within the Crooked Run Valley Rural Historic District. 10 BRs, 6 1/2 BAs. Behind the house are a pool, barns, paddocks and mature woodlands.

John Coles | 540-270-0094

303 acres

$3,750,000

This estate is waiting for someone with the eye for interior finishes to bring it to life. Minutes from the charming village of Sperryville and enjoys convenient proximity to Culpeper Regional Airport and Warrenton-Fauquier Airport.

Will Driskill | 540-454-7522

zachary taylor hwy.

111+ acres

$3,300,000

Boyce – Main Residence w/ 6 BRs /4 full and 2 half BAs, 6 car garage, Swimming pool, hot tub, pool house w/ full BA, Tenant House w/ 2 car garage, Office w/ an apt building of 3 one-bedroom apts + office. Stable w/ 21 stalls, Outdoor riding arena.

Rebecca Poston | 540-771-7520

13+ acres

$2,450,000

The Plains – Minutes from Middleburg in prime Hunt Country and surrounded by large estates protected by easments. Charming home with a first-floor BR and 3 BRs on the second level. Also: 3 stall barn, 1 bedroom apartment and 2 offices.

John Coles | 540-270-0094

zachary taylor rd.

241+ acres

$2,170,000

Flint Hill – Gorgeous rolling land with spectacular views! VOF Easement allows a permanent single family dwelling, a secondary residential dwelling and nonresidential outbuildings, etc. Cannot be further divided.

Julia O'Regan | 202-468-0751

10 acres

$1,950,000

Middleburg – Very private, within the community of Atoka Chase. Renovated in 2010, spacious rooms, high ceilings and large windows. Enjoy the view - serene mountains and horse farms with their open fields lined with stone walls.

Rebecca Poston | 540-771-7520

PRICE REDUCED

jericho road

154+ acres

$1,700,000 Flint Hill – 2 Parcels w/ multiple buildings: machine sheds, work shop, cattle barn, 3 grain silos and a one level 3 BR / 2 BA home. Protected by a Conservation Easement, allowing a permanent single family dwelling and a secondary residential dwelling.

Julia O'Regan | 202-468-0751

50+ acres

$1,500,000

Markham – Tremendous privacy just minutes from I-66. Elegant home, primarily one level living with lots of windows, great light and open spaces. Stone terrace w/ fireplace, multi-use pavillion and a barn. Ideal for full time living or weekend retreat.

Rebecca Poston | 540-771-7520

4 acres

$550,000

Flint Hill – 2 lots: 2456 and 2452 Jericho Road. Each home features 3 BRs and 2 BAs. Both homes share a well, a septic and share a driveway. Each home has a storage shed which is located next to the parking area. 2456 has a partially fenced yard.

Julia O'Regan | 202-468-0751

delaplane manor

magnolia farm

george miller house millwood farm

moss hollow

westwood

subject to errors, omissions, change of price or withdrawal without notice. Information contained herein is deemed reliable, but is not so warranted nor is it otherwise guaranteed.