Country Zest & Style Winter 2020 Edition

ZES ST T & Sty t lel WINTER 2020

Country

Tom Sweitzer: Middleburg's Magical Music Man

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308 acres of spectacular land | Extensive renovation and expansion by premier builder | immaculate home and beautiful land on Atoka road in 3 parcels | Two large stables | Multiple ponds | incredible views | Charming guest house | Tennis court | Stunning setting

gracious georgian Manor home, 11,000 sf, built in 1930 | Updated and suitable for large scale entertaining | 7 Br, 7 1/2 BA, 7 FP | High ceilings, formal gardens & private setting | Belmont style stable w/30 stalls and 2 apartments | 4 Br guest house/entertainment complex, 4-car garage w/office | 4 restored tenant houses, skeet range, pool & tennis court | 241 acres recorded in 3 parcels | Land mostly open & rolling with bold mountain views, numerous ponds and vineyard

Prime Fauquier County location minutes from Middleburg | Unbelievable finishes throughout | Antique floors and mantels, vaulted ceilings | 6 Br, 5 full, 2 half BA | 6 FP, gourmet kitchen | Improvements include office/studio, stone cottage with office, spa, guest house, pool and lighted tennis court | Landscaped grounds with stream, waterfalls, boxwood and special plantings | 61 acres

Well protected Fauquier location | 6 bedrooms | 4 full and 2 half baths | 3 fireplaces | Great views | Pool with large flagstone terrace | Large county kitchen | 4-car detached garage with apartment/office | 9-stall barn | Covered arena | Outdoor ring | 4 stall shed row barn | 51 fenced acres

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Original portion of house built in 1790 in Preston City, CT | House was dismantled and rebuilt at current site | Detail of work is museum quality | Log wing moved to site from Western Virginia circa 1830 | 4 Br, 4 full BA, 2 half BA, 9 FP & detached 2-car garage | Historic stone bank barn and log shed moved from Leesburg, VA | Private, minutes from town | Frontage on goose Creek | 37.65 acres

266 acres in Piedmont Hunt | Panoramic views of the Blue ridge, Bull run and Cobbler mountains which surround the whole property | improvements include 4 farmhouses, an iconic red dairy barn and many agricultural buildings | Ponds and traditional stone walls | This working farm is protected by a Virginia Outdoors Foundation conservation easement which allows 2 parcels

17 acres of rolling pasture land in the village of rectortown | Convenient to both routes 50 & 66 | Newly renovated | Private setting with magnificent mountain views | 4 bedrooms, 4 full baths, 1 half bath, 2 fireplaces | Heated pool & spa | 2 bedroom guest house | Large shed & 2-car garage

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Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

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A rare example of late medieval architecture, circa 1890 & 1935 with massive central chimneys, steep roof lines, and unusual brick patterns | 5 bedrooms, 3 full & 2 half baths | Double barreled ceilings, winding staircase, generous sized rooms & decorative fireplaces | Situated on 111.74 acres | Strong stream, stable with cottage & stone-walled terrace gardens

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Hilltop setting with beautiful distant views | Farm house circa 1920, completely restored and enlarged | 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2 fireplaces, wood floors, large country kitchen | 129.15 rolling & useable acres | 3-bay equipment shed/ work shop, guest house, 4-stall barn complex, riding ring, spring-fed pond and stream

297.45 acres recorded in 5 parcels | rolling and rising land, pasture and mature woods | 2 ponds, creek, elevated building sites | Close to Flint Hill, Little Washington & Front royal

82.69 acres | Mostly wooded, mountain views, bold stream in very protected area | Conservation easement | Can not be subdivided | Prime Orange County Hunt location | Halfway between Middleburg and The Plains

Very private home with 3 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths | Lots of light - All brick colonial home surrounded by mature plantings and extensive hardscape | Located in the Warrenton historic district | Detached 2 car garage, in-ground pool & fenced patio | Fully finished basement with separate entrance | Master bedroom balcony over looks pool

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$605,000 Margaret carroll 540.454.0650 ann MacMahon 540.687.5588

Remembering Rectortown No. 12, a Historic Rosenwald School

By Leonard Shapiro

W

Photos by Leonard Shapiro

Betsy Kleeblatt, a great grand child of Julius Rosenwald, and Karen White Hughes, president of the Afro-Ameeican Historical Association of Fauquier County.

hen Betsy Kleeblatt moved to a farm in the tiny village of Rectortown in 1981, she had no idea how close she was living to a historic schoolhouse her storied great-grandfather had helped fund 57 years earlier. Three years before she moved back to Washington in 2001, she learned all about the Rosenwald School—“Rectortown No. 12”—less than a mile away from her front door.

In 1912, Julius Rosenwald, a Jewish philanthropist from Chicago and president of Sears Roebuck & Company, was asked by Booker T. Washington, then head of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, to join the all-black college’s board. Their friendship flourished, and they forged a remarkable partnership that led to the creation of the Rosenwald Fund to support Frederic Michael the education of African-American students in the Grant chats with segregated South.

Marshiell Fox Clark Between 1917 and 1932, the foundation helped and Lorraine Tuckbuild 382 Rosenwald schools in Virginia, eight in er Stewart, all are Fauquier County, including No. 12 located behind former students at what is now Claude Thompson Elementary School. In Rectortown No. 12.

November, a rousing and often moving program was held at Claude Thompson to dedicate a historic plaque commemorating the Rosenwald school.

Betsy Kleeblatt was there, along with a number of No. 12 graduates and teachers, including former Middleburg Town Councilwoman Eura H. Lewis, who taught there. The three-classroom school for first through seventh graders was built in 1924 at a cost of $4,500 and closed in 1963 when what was then known as Northwestern Elementary opened.

Several speakers recalled the good times, and a few bad. Frederick Michael Grant, a former student, Dick and Jane were required reading. remembered walking to school and having white children throw Coke bottles at him and his friends from passing busses.

They found alternate routes through the woods, though he once fell into a snowdrift and had to be pulled out by his siblings.

Back then, Grant said people would tell him, “Nothing good would ever come out of Rectortown.” He and many others obviously proved them wrong. Grant earned a double master’s degree, followed by a Ph.D. and proudly spoke about many more of his highly successful classmates.

“Something good has come out of Rectortown,” he said. “We bonded together and made that school the best that we could.”

Historical Marker Sponsors • Afro-American Historical Association • Claude Thompson Elementary School • Friends of Rectortown, Inc. • The Jewish-American Society for Historic Preservation • Mount Olive Baptist Church, Rectortown • Rectortown United Methodist Church

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2020

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of NOTE

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BE ON THE LOOKOUT through this issue of

ZEST & Style ZES ST TStytlel &

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© 2019 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

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for the hummingbird.

MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 798 Middleburg, Virginia 20118

Country

He appears in two ads and the first two to find him (one each) will receive a gift from that advertiser.

Send your reply to badgerlen@aol.com.

PHONE: 410-570-8447 Editor: Leonard Shapiro, badgerlen@aol.com Wine Editor: Peter Leonard-Morgan

GOOD WORKS, AND GREAT PEOPLE

Food Editor: Daniela Anderson Art Director Meredith Hancock/Hancock Media @mhancockmedia Contributing Photographers: Crowell Hadden, Doug Gehlsen, Douglas Lees, Karen Monroe and Tiffany Dillon Keen ILLUSTRATORS Crowell Hadden and Daniela Anderson Contributing Writers: Linda Roberts, Childs Burden, Melissa Phipps, Kevin Ramundo, Justin Haefner, Sebastian Langenberg, Sophie Scheps Langenberg, Caroline Fout, Emma Boyce, M.J. McAteer, Tom Northrup, Tom Wiseman, Jimmy Wofford, Mike du Pont, Leslie VanSant, Louisa Woodville, Sean Clancy, Carina Elgin, Jodi Nash, Mara Seaforest ADVERTISING Kate Robbins, Katepolo@icloud.com For advertising inquiries, contact: Leonard Shapiro at badgerlen@aol.com or 410-570-8447

ON THE COVER This issue features Tom Sweitzer as the cover photo and was accomplished with a Paul C Buff Einstein 640w mono-light as the key light, with a “Beauty Dish” as the light modifier. Beauty Dishes are essential for any portrait photographer because they provide an even light resulting in a soft, smooth skin texture. A Profoto B1 with a gridded 24inch Octabox was placed to the right of the camera to help even out the light. An additional Profoto B2 strobe was focused on the backdrop. This is a typical setup for many studios, with the strobe power and Doug Gehlsen camera settings allowing for a wide range of lighting styles. of Middleburg Photo / Country Zest and Style

/ @countryzestandstyle

/ @countryzestand1

www.countryzestandstyle.com 4

Count

F

ebruary remains my favorite month of the year. My birthday is Feb. 2, Ground Hog Day. I was married on a Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. My oldest daughter was born on a Feb. 15th, and my second youngest grandchild came into this world on a Feb. 6th.

As for Country ZEST, it’s our first issue of 2020, with another February connection— Black History Month. We offer several stories to commemorate the occasion, including a Photo © Leonard Shapiro piece on a historic black school in Rectortown, Marshiell Fox Clark and and another story on an iconic local bandleader Lorraine Tucker Stewart were who made Upperville’s Buchanan Hall jump to former students at Rectortown the beat of his magical music.

No. 12.

Speaking of music, we’re profiling another local treasure—our cover subject, Tom Sweitzer. He’s become something of what one friend recently called “a rock star” in music therapy as founder of A Place to Be. The Middleburg nonprofit, celebrating its 10th anniversary, has performed medical/musical miracles on many levels.

Many more local folks are doing good works in this area, and we have stories on Habitat for Humanity, an ever-expanding Community Foundation and miniprofiles of several other area non-profits that feed the hungry, provide lowincome housing and help countless residents pay their bills.

I’d also be remiss not to mention a recent touch of sadness all around the Middleburg area. In January, Middleburg’s Town Council passed a resolution honoring the late Sam Coleman, who died in December from a virulent form of cancer. Sam was the area’s 25-year FedEx deliveryman, as delightful a fellow who ever came into so many of our lives.

“Sam Coleman was far more than an anonymous fellow who delivered packages to your house, your store, your office, your farm,” I wrote. “He was a man with a smile that seemingly never left his face…Even at the busiest times of the year…he never seemed rushed or in a hurry. He knew everyone by name, knew their kids names and often their kids kids names, as well. There was always time to ask how you were doing, what was going on, how’s your sore back or your golf game?”

Lately, countless people tell me every time they see a FedEx truck in town, they think about Sam. Me, as well, and oh how he’ll be missed.

As for the magazine, we’ve got another jam-packed issue. And it’s February, so add a little more Sam Coleman-like ZEST to my favorite month of the year.

Leonard Shapiro Editor Badgerlen@aol.com

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2020

Charter’s New Principal Making a Difference S

By M.J. McAteer

ome schools have a bulldog or a tiger for a mascot. Middleburg Community Charter School has Leonardo Da Vinci. It keeps a bust of him on prominent display in its lobby.

Principal Stephen Robinson explains that the great Renaissance genius was probably the most curious try-it-and-seewhat-happens learner, maybe ever, and that’s the route to knowledge that his school is trying to chart.

“Not the textbook, worksheet model,” he said. “We take a more hands-on approach.”

The Middleburg K-5 charter is Loudoun’s first. It’s a public school, and enrollment is free and open to any student in the county system. The school has been operating for about six years, but Robinson is in just his first year as principal.

After earning a master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from Liberty University, the Gainesville resident taught for eight years at the highly-rated Imagine Hope Community Charter School in Washington, D.C. He was named teacher of the year in 2010 and in 2015, became that school’s vice principal.

Robinson was commuting from Manassas, and wanted more time with his wife and three children. He contemplated leaving the area when he heard about the principal’s opening in Middleburg. From his first interview, he felt he’d found “a natural fit.”

His first year on the job, though, has found him mostly in learning mode himself.

“I’m spending lots of time on observation,” he said. “What’s working, what is not working.”

What’s been working from the start of his tenure is his intense engagement with the school’s 120 children. He’s always in search of ways to ensure their trust, whether it’s playing with them at recess and purposely taking the odd hit in dodgeball, or eating lunch with the students every day.

He does not refer to his flock as students, however.

Photo by M.J. McAteer

Middleburg Charter Principal Stephen Robinson with Leonardo.

“We address them them as scholars to show that we believe in them,” he said.

That’s a message parents obviously like to hear, and many volunteer regularly at the school to show their support.

Britain Blakeslee of Aldie started her three children at the school in January, 2019. Robinson “has a way of building relationships with everybody,” she said. “It promotes a sense of community and belonging like we matter, with respect for everyone.”

That respect is integral to the mission of the school, which, in addition to the traditional 3Rs of education--reading, ’riting and ’rithmetic-has the 3Rs of character building: Respect yourself, respect others, and respect property. Both individually and collectively, positive behavior and academic initiative are the goal.

The young scholars’ achievements and comportment, for example, can earn them Da Vinci dollars they can redeem for prizes such as T-shirts and hot chocolate.

“I’m big on character,” said Robinson, with a goal for his school to become a national school of character, a designation that recognizes charter schools that foster ethical and caring young people.

The school follows a STEAM curriculum, an acronym for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. These subjects are taught in blended classrooms, with kindergarten and first grades combined, as well as second and third grades, and fourth and fifth grades.

The project-based curriculum in these blended classrooms is based on Da Vinci’s seven principles of learning, which include curiosity, empirical testing, and the recognition of the inter-connectedness of all things.

This approach has led the charter school scholars to feel that they can make a difference in their community, even in the wider world, even at age 5. When some children realized the town had no children’s museum, they created one themselves, a whimsical fairy garden of bright plants, painted rocks and heartfelt messages, That experience reflects Robinson’s firm belief in his young charges.

“Every kid,” he said, “has the potential to be amazing.”

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2020

5

Town Administrator Davis Predicts a Bright Future

By Leslie VanSant

M

MIDDLEBURG COMMON GROUNDS

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iddleburg is a small town with a big heart, a love of horses, hound and field sports, and a deep sense of history.

Juggling the balance between a place to live, to do business, and to visit is the challenge and opportunity for Town Administrator Danny Davis.

“A key part of the attractiveness and allure of Middleburg is its history and tradition,” said Davis.

“So I think it’s about integration of that into our daily work, our long-range planning, and our community engagement.

Middleburg Town Administrator Danny Davis and The Fox. “At the same time, we must be st open to embracing the 21 Century in terms of technology and opportunity. It’s not a separation of the two, but an integration. This also means listening to the community, hearing what has made the town great, and keeping those ideals a part of our daily business.”

Davis was appointed to the Town Administrator position in November, 2018. He holds a Masters degree in public administration from George Mason University, and his experience in local government and the private sector make him well qualified to guide Middleburg through rapidly changing times.

He grew up in Peachtree City, a suburb of Atlanta, and credits it with shaping his view on community and the importance of place. Founded in 1956, Peachtree City was one of the nation’s first “planned communities” that included diverse residential neighborhoods, business areas, schools, libraries, churches and recreational areas. A key part of the plan was a system of connecting trails between the different parts of the communities that were accessible by foot, by bike or golf cart.

It’s easy to see Davis’ passion for Middleburg, and he’s made getting to know it and the residents a priority. Many days find him “walking through town” to get lunch, talking to shop owners and residents to understand what makes them happy and what gives them pause. He works closely with all aspects of the town government, including Town Council, Mayor Bridge Littleton, the many different committees and commissions as well as the other town staff.

“Right now, the town is in a great position,” Davis said. “But there are always inevitable downturns in the larger economy, so we must be forwardthinking and invest in the town’s future.”

He continued by outlining how investing in infrastructure, technology, sidewalks, water and sewer, diversification of available housing and retail space can ensure that Middleburg remains not only an attractive place to live, but one with a thriving economy.

Davis also places great importance on public spaces and their role in town life that he links directly to the spirit and health of the community, such as the new fox sculpture in front of the Middleburg Community Center.

“My hope is that in 2100, Middleburg looks the same and feels the same, regardless of how technology or the world around us changes,” he said. “That the strong community spirit we have now remains. The people in town truly care about each other and help their neighbors. I love being a part of that spirit.”

114 W. Washington Street • Middleburg, VA • 540.687.7065 6

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Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2020

7

Photo © Leonard Shapiro

Chef Seo of The Salamander Resort & Spa doing a sushi demonstration.

Judy Washburn wigged out at the Windy Hill Foundation’s Casablanca gala at Salamander Resort & Spa.

Photo by Crowell Hadden

Rev. Philip Lewis of the Mt. Pisgah Church choir performed at a special holiday service in Upperville.

Photo © Leonard Shapiro

Photo by Crowell Hadden

Bryan Banks played the piano at the Mt. Pisgah Church.

8

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2020

Musician Maddie Mae recently performed for a packed upper deck on the Johnny Monarch’s doubledecker “Bustaurant” in Marshall.

Sweet Chauncy Brown: Dancing the Night Away around to asking who provided the music. went to my first dance “Chauncy Brown,” I said. when I was 13.

Somewhat wistfully, she replied, In the 1950s, boys didn’t “Well now, Chauncy Brown played wear tuxedos until they at the first dance I ever attended, were 15 or 16 so I wore a blue too.” suit to this party, a dinner dance Born near Middleburg, he grew held at Huntlands near the up in that area and began learning Foxcroft School. to play the guitar as a boy. He Huntlands was occupied by joined the army in the early 1940s Compte Guy de La Frigoniere, and fought in France in World War his wife and her daughter, Betty.

II, but had established himself as a When dinner was announced musician earlier. we proceeded to a fully set table After the war, he put together a and were served from silver dance band and soon came into platters—full manners on! I demand all around Northern The great Chauncy Brown was seated next to Betty, the Virginia. He developed a jazzy hostess—double manners on! style and played at dances, hunt breakfasts, debut After dinner we escorted our partners to the parties, and a variety of other social events. ballroom. Mrs. De La Frigoniere and one of her Many were held at Upperville’s Buchanan Hall, friends guided through the proper etiquette of the perfect venue for a good dance two or three asking our partner to dance, escorting her to the times a summer. Those gatherings became very dance floor and back to her seat, then fetching her popular, and of course, Chauncy Brown was our a glass of punch. music maker.

The music was provided by a three- or four-piece The nights were hot, the music great and the dancing band led by the great Chauncy Brown. Altogether, it fast and furious. Claudia Saffer (Young) and Sandy was a lovely party, quite fun and an education.

Young were the best dancers. Claudia’s older brother, When my mother came to pick me up, she was Tommy, had a nice voice and at some point in the fascinated to know all about the party, finally getting evening, he could always be counted on to take to the

By William H. (Mike) du Pont

Courtesy Photo

I

stage and belt out “Sweet Georgia Brown.”

Chauncy Brown wrote that song for his business manager/wife, and early on, Chauncy’s friend and mentor, Duke Ellington, the great band leader, popularized this song all over the country. A few years later, the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team made it their theme music.

Just prior to one of those great Buchanan Hall dances, I’d heard about a potent adult beverage, Old Mr. Mack. I paid $1.69 and proudly took my bottle to the dance, and ended up drinking most of it myself.

It didn’t take long for me soon become sleepydopey-sick, and was deposited in Phil Thomas’ car. When he and his date reached the car, it was a terrible mess, but Phil has been a good (and forgiving) friend to me ever since.

Two other good friends, John and Timmy Riley, gave me a lift home. But my condition was such that I wasn’t allowed in the car. I was placed on the right front fender As we approached my house, my father was sitting on the front steps.

They drove right up to him, slammed on the brakes and dumped me on the gravel at my father’s feet. He took one look at me and said “Go to bed, sleep it off and then cut the grass!!”

Some Buchanan Hall dances ended well. Some did not.

William H. (Mike) du Pont is a long-time Middleburg resident and former MFH of the Orange County Hounds.

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Country SIDE

A Clear and Present Danger to the East

I

By Kevin Ramundo

’m almost certain you’ve all seen the signs—Oppose Banbury Cross Reserve— that started popping up all around the area after a Middleburg Planning Commission (MPC) public hearing in September.

The session focused on a 571-acre, 38home subdivision proposed for the Photo © Leonard Shapiro Banbury Cross signs eastern edge of town on Sam Fred Road Kevin Ramundo are all around near its intersection with Route 50.

The subdivision would stretch almost to Carters Farm Road, two miles farther east, and would change forever the eastern gateway to historic Middleburg and threaten the rural lands and historic areas near the town.

FUTURE CONCERT DATES SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2020

Renowned Italian flutist Ubaldo Rosso accompanied by Lithuanian pianist Ieva Jokubaviciute opens his US tour with what promises to be a highlight of the 2020 Middleburg Concert Series.

SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 2020

The Washington Saxophone Quartet -- the most widely aired saxophone quartet in the country -- will perform in concert.

Since 1997 their recordings have aired daily on NPR’s All Things Considered.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2020

The Shenandoah University Conservatory Chorale under the direction of famed Chanticleer Chorale director-emeritus Matt Oltman returns for the second year to ring in the holiday season.

10

When the MPC disapproved the project because of technical deficiencies, it was operating under a special authority to review and approve proposed subdivisions very close to town.

It’s expected that the developers will soon re-submit their application to the MPC, and its approval or disapproval will largely depend on whether deficiencies relative to the town’s subdivision requirements are corrected. The county will be conducting a similar review. Both reviews are based on the cluster zoning option the developers have chosen. More on this later.

A major deficiency the MPC identified with the subdivision plan was the failure to survey historic resources adequately. There are early 19th century resources on the property, as well as two historic African-American hamlets adjacent to the proposed development.

Brown’s Corner, located where Sam Fred Road and Route 50 intersect, is home to four historic houses. Macsville, which occupies both sides of Route 50 at Carters Farm Lane, predates the Civil War and is believed to have been home to slaves associated with surrounding farms. Those sort of historic homes used to exist throughout Loudoun County but have increasingly been lost to development.

Some may think that 38 homes on 571 acres shouldn’t be that big a deal. After all, that averages out to be one house for every 15 acres. That’s where the issue of cluster zoning mentioned before comes in.

Under this zoning option, the developer can put 2.5 times more homes on the property than the base zoning allows provided 70 percent of the land remains undeveloped. At Banbury Cross Reserve, the homes would be clustered along Sam Fred Road near Route 50 on what would average four acres per residence. It would be the largest cluster subdivision ever proposed in the southern portion of the county’s rural area.

Cluster zoning was first approved in Loudoun in 2003 with the stated intention of protecting valuable agricultural lands, but it has had the opposite result. Developers have been building on agricultural land, because it’s cheaper and easier to build there.

The land that remains undeveloped often involves steep slopes, rocky areas and wetlands, which are essentially useless for agriculture and harder to develop.

Unfortunately, cluster zoning has become the most prevalent form of residential development in rural areas of the county and is thought to be a significant contributing factor to why Loudoun has lost 26 percent of its farmland since 2002, according to statistics from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Oppose Banbury Reserve Cross signs are just the most visible part of a very active community effort to oppose the subdivision. The opposition effort includes a petition with over 1,000 signatures and a public Go Fund Me page to help cover legal and other expenses.

If you’d like to join the effort, please contact Daniel Haney (ConcernedCitizensVSBBX@gmail.com). Let elected officials in Middleburg and Loudoun County know your concerns about the subdivision, its threat to historical resources and the importance of maintaining a robust farm economy, a significant economic engine for the county.

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2020

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Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2020

11

At a seat.

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Parish Ho

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At The Parish House Performing Arts Series

At Emmanuel Church Parish House, 105 E. Washington St., Middleburg, VA Reserve a seat, call (540) 687-6297 • emmanuelmiddleburg.org $10 suggested donation

February 16 | 3pm

March 15 | 3pm

The award-winning Shaffrans sing timeless St. Valentine’s Day favorites.

Fresh from Carnegie Hall,

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Magnificent Music to Awaken Spring!

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Join us for an Admissions Open House Tuesday, March 3 from 8-11am

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Down the Primrose Path in Aldie

T

By Emma Boyce

he Primrose School, a premier pre-school with over 300 locations across the country, joins the burgeoning Aldie community with hopes of opening its doors to students in the spring. Today, the building, located near the intersection of Braddock and Northstar, is still a construction site, but even in its sheetrock-less state, there is already a waiting list.

“We really focus on developing the whole child,” said Amanda McDaniel, franchise owner of the Primrose School of South Riding and of Aldie. “We have a very strong academic curriculum.

We believe that who children become is as important as what they know.”

A pillar in early childhood education since its inception Photo by Emma Boyce Aldie and South Riding Director Ariel Hayes and in 1982, Primrose schools use Amanda McDaniel at the Aldie Primrose site. a team of child development experts to help build the curriculum. Class sizes are small— only eight in infant classes and a maximum of 20 children in pre-kindergarten—ensuring that each child receives ample attention throughout the day.

Alongside progressive sign language classes and introductory Spanish for three-year-olds and up, the Balanced Learning Approach sets Primrose apart from most pre-schools. Developed under the guidance of the latest research and in the vein of philosophers like Piaget and Montessori, the balanced learning approach aims for just that, balance.

The Happy Hearts Character Development and Life Skills program weaves different themes into the curriculum each month. Through readings and lessons, children are exposed to social concepts like honesty, respect, and friendship over a longer period of time, rather than a quick introduction in a single lesson.

“These things are hard to define for a child,” said McDaniel. “It really helps to develop compassionate and resilient children who become competent learners.”

The outdoor Thumbs Up program encourages development of motor skills.

Whether it’s throwing a ball, skipping, or hopping, Primrose teachers reserve ten minutes of playground time on deliberate activities before returning to free play.

“You’re focusing on specific development. What motions do they need to develop? What muscles do they need to successfully throw a ball? It’s something that adults take for granted, but as a young child, it can be puzzling.”

Primrose teachers clearly make the classroom click. In a field with high turnover, Primrose pays attention to its people.

“I think we as a school really focus on our teachers,” McDaniel said. “We try to make sure that our teachers know that we support them and we have been pretty successful at keeping them for a longer term.”

McDaniel credits her staff at Primrose in South Riding for its success. Some of these teachers, including the director of the that school, will relocate to Aldie, helping to smooth the transition from construction site to classroom.

“We’re going to be opening with experienced leadership and with some teachers that already know the Primrose curriculum,” she said. “It’s powerful when you have a few people in the building who already know the system.”

McDaniel signed her first franchise agreement in 2004 and has witnessed Primrose expand through the years. Although new research and classroom feedback tweak curriculum along the way, for the most part Primrose ambitions remain the same.

“The focus has always been on academics and the curriculum,” she said.

“Early childhood education is so important. When you give a child a really solid foundation, there’s no limit of what they can accomplish once they leave us and go on to the bigger schools.”

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2020

The Community Shop Around the Corner ong-time flea market, auction attendee, stop-at-all-yard-sales and thrift shop enthusiast Cindy Thompson has finally started living the dream.

“I always thought opening a shop would be fun, more relaxing,” she said.

Thompson, a skilled general surgeon, started going on treasure hunts when she was in college, and then medical school. She described a history of attending auctions and flea markets, which expanded to eBay in the digital age. And recently, she opened her own business—The Community Shop—at 10 S. Madison St. in Middleburg.

“It really is true, that trash for some is treasure for others,” she said, then launched into an intriguing tale of her favorite find.

She had bought a table full of bulk items at an auction, including a silver napkin ring. “It was really pretty and it had a mark and emblem on it that said, RMS Scythia,” she recalled.

Like a proper historian and antiquarian, she searched onlne for the RMS Scythia, learned about the provenance of the napkin ring and offered it for sale on eBay. The RMS Scythia was an ocean liner owned by the famed Cunard Line that sailed her maiden voyage in 1921 and had a long career carrying upscale American tourists from New York to the

Photo by Stephanie Knapp

L

By Leslie VanSant

Cindy Thompson with her friend, Stephanie Bates.

Mediterranean and London. Then it served as a troop transport and refugee vessel following World War II. The ship was scrapped in 1958.

“It was really wonderful,” she said. “A man from Canada purchased it and told me that he and his family had emigrated to Canada on that ship.”

Her life as a surgeon, wife and mother of two teenaged daughters never has stopped her from bargain and treasure hunting. It just made her expand and focus. For almost 20 years, she’s also been a volunteer at Upperville’s Trinity Church Thrift Store. She’s also been a regular, both shopping and selling the DC Big Flea Market held each January in Chantilly and

has participated in local consignment shops in and around Middleburg.

Opening her own shop was always just a dream held out for retirement. Simpler days, when she wouldn’t find herself saving lives in the operating room. But then, after the Wisdom Gallery on Madison St. closed in the fall and the space became available, “I just had to take the opportunity.”

With her roots in the community, she held a soft opening for The Community Shop late in the fall for a few days.

Because she is still a full-time surgeon, the shop is open by chance and by appointment. But she accepts consignments of furniture, china, glassware, art, household items and even clothes from designer labels in excellent condition.

“We’ll take consignments at the normal 60-40 percent split,” she said. “Or people can bring in items and select a local charity as the beneficiary of the sale, and then the split is 80 percent to the charity and 20 percent to the shop. And the consigner gets the tax receipt.”

Her ideas for the future include charity shopping events that feature one charity and invite people to enjoy a glass of wine, some snacks and shop to the benefit of their cause; tag sales where the color of the tag represents a level of discount and much more.

“I want the shop to be fun,: she said. “And perhaps Middleburg can also be a consignment shop destination. We have a number of great stores in town.”

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2020

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Michael and Karen Crane hosted a dazzling winter celebration at the Middleburg Community Center.

Tim Bates, Hurst Groves and Dev Rozell at the Middleburg Community Center Ball.

Old Ox Brewery owners Maryann and Graham Burns, definitely dressed for the occasion, welcomed guests to their event celebrating the end of Prohibition at their Middleburg brewery.

Photo by Douglas Lees

Photos by Leonard Shapiro and Douglas Lees

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington performed in the parish hall at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Middleburg.

Virginia Sen. Jill Vogel congratulates Bradley J. Bondi as the 2019 Heritage Hero from the Mosby Heritage Association. Mr. Bondi has established the “The Bondi Family Land Conservation and Battlefield Preservation Fund” to assist landowners with transaction costs, including stewardship, legal, and surveyor fees .

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Linger a while at The Fox & Pheasant in Boyce

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By Linda Roberts

he Fox & Pheasant is a place you want to linger.

Alongside the railroad tracks running through Boyce in Clarke County, this eclectic shop of antique, vintage and new finds is cozily housed in what once was the town’s post office, later turned dry goods store.

Garden statuary and a red, white and blue “open” sign greet visitors on the covered front porch. Pushing open the building’s old doors yields the way to a more-than-charming interior filled with handsome furniture, Oriental rugs, and tempting home accessories, from tiny crystal figures to attractive lamps.

Waiting inside are the store’s proprietors, Photo by Linda Roberts partners Michael Edward Biddy and Scott Michael Edward Biddy (standing) Davis. Their warm greeting matches that of and Scott Davis are the owners of their small and welcoming shop. Visitors The Fox & Pheasant in Boyce in Clarke County. have a tendency to linger and chat, seated on one of the well-upholstered chairs or sofas, often with a glass of wine or champagne in hand.

The Fox & Pheasant opened 18 months ago and already visitors are arriving from near and far to peruse its ever-changing merchandise and schedule design advice and appointments through Michael Edward Biddy Interiors.

Longtime interior designers, Biddy and Davis bring a wealth of knowledge to their shop and customers. Biddy, in the design and fabric business for 31 years, grew up in the Atlanta area and worked there before moving to Virginia. Scott, with a degree in interior design and years in the business, will tell you that this trade is his passion.

After having worked in design in the low country of the Carolinas, the partners found the switch to Virginia’s hunt country refreshing.

“What we love about this area is that people are so often steeped in tradition.

They have nice things, often family pieces, and they don’t want to get rid of their things and start over,” said Biddy, adding that they are most often asked to accentuate existing furnishings by incorporating design changes.

“The key to being successful in this business,” said Biddy, “is to be small and nimble.”

Biddy and Davis agree that their shop, with its small overhead and their fluid interior design business, meets the criteria to succeed in today’s fast-paced, highly electronic-charged society.

“You have to step back and discover what your role is when working with a client,” said Biddy..

Clarke County resident Patricia Corbat found her way to The Fox & Pheasant and the partner’s design advice after purchasing an 1800s farmhouse that was “almost a tear down.” Corbat wants to utilize the furnishings she has and is seeking Biddy and Davis’ expertise while her new home is undergoing major renovations to be livable.

With the holiday season past, Davis makes some suggestions to those now looking around their living spaces and thinking about making changes.

Before painting, decide on the rugs and furniture first. This will guide you to your choice of paint color.

Don’t stress when paint is being applied to bare walls. Usually once the furnishings are in, the room will look entirely different. If you still don’t like it, then repaint.

Lighting is so important. Use lamps large enough to cast the amount of light you need. This applies especially to bedside lamps to read in bed.

For those who like to redecorate frequently, Davis said, “Don’t fret. You’re never done until you move.”

The Fox & Pheasant at 114 East Main Street in Boyce is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

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Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2020

15

A Middleburg Mystery: The Stone Grave Marker

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By Childs Burden

as anyone noticed the mysterious stone grave marker located on the south side of Route 50 just off the old roadbed and a few hundred yards east of Atoka? It’s just under a tree and along the side of the stone wall.

I noticed it there some 30 years ago and, naturally curious, I asked longtime residents whether they thought the marker was a grave stone. Most thought so, but didn’t know much more.

Imagine my delight when I found a book, “The Memoirs of the Stuart Horse Artillery Battalion,” edited by Robert Trout, widely considered the leading historian of the horse artillery both North and South.

Trout has given us the complete journals of three Confederate artillery soldiers who fought under Confederate General JEB Stuart in the Civil War. One journal was written by Lieutenant Lewis T. Nunnelee, who enlisted in Captain Marcellus Moorman’s Beauregard Rifles in Lynchburg on May 10, 1861. He joined up at 41 as a private but survived the war and later donated his journal to The Museum of the Confederacy.

The Middleburg area was inundated by large-scale actions twice during the Civil War—after the Battle of Antietam in late October and early November of 1862 and just before Gettysburg, in June, 1863. Cavalry battles raged up The Ashby Gap Turnpike (Route 50) from Aldie on June 17 to Middleburg on June 19 and to Upperville on June 21.

There were 21,000 troopers fighting stirrup to stirrup on two fronts. By the end of the day, the Federal troopers returned to their bases across the Rappahannock River.

Soon, Stuart’s men began drifting up across the Rappahannock in a wide arc to cover

Photos by Leonard Shapiro

The fallen soldier’s grave is just feet away from route 50 near Atoka.

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Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2020

General Lee’s infantry as it headed west and north down the Shenandoah Valley and into Maryland.

Stuart was ordered to protect the Confederate infantry by keeping the Federal infantry and cavalry from crossing the Blue Ridge and intercepting the Confederate army in route.

June 22, 1863 - We learned at Upperville that Charles Saunders, who was wounded yesterday and left there at the house of Reverend George Harris, was shown every kindness by that gentlemen until his death, had his body nicely prepared for burial and his remains were finally sent to his home in Lynchburg. His faithful beloved slave, John, remained with him until he died and then passed himself off as free to prevent the enemy from taking him away with them. We also found that the mangled remains of poor John T. Edmundson had been interred by the side of the stone wall where he fell.

Lieutenant Nunnerly was in Marcellus Moorman’s battery, which came up from Brandy Station, passed

by Orlean and into Salem (Marshall) on June 16. The next day, they moved to Rector’s Crossroads (Atoka).

Here Nunnerly’s words speak for themselves: June 17, 1863—We left Rectortown at 6 p.m. and marched in double quick time past Rector’s Crossroads and took the Ashby Gap Turnpike arriving in Middleburg after night. We found that the enemy had been driven back so we returned by the same road and camped for the night at the farm of Alexander Elgin. Roads very dry and dusty. We had a most disagreeable march both day and night.

June 19, 1863 – Early in the a.m. the enemy were reported advancing. Our battery was put into position, waiting the approach of the enemy. At 9 a.m. our battery, except one piece, fell back to Rector’s Crossroads to cook our rations. During that time, we remained in position. Picket firing was going on and occasionally cannon firing which continued to 1 p.m.

At that time our battery was again ordered to the front where we remained until dark when we returned to Rector’s Crossroads where we parked for the night.

June 21, 1863 – At 7 a.m., cannonading was heard in front which was being carried on by Hart’s Battery and the enemy. Our battery was soon moved forward with McGregor’s Battery. Our cavalry and

Hart’s Battery were pressed back by a large force of sharpshooters and infantry. As soon as the enemy made their appearance on the opposite heights, we opened fire.

June 24, 1863 – I visited the grave of John T. Edmondson and learned from Misses Gibson that the enemy had buried him on Sunday (June 21) as they passed by but that their father, Mr. Nelson Gibson, had him disinterred and a neat pine coffin made into which he put the mangled remains and then had him buried a short distance from where he was first interred.

A small column of infantry charged down to a stone fence and halted there. Their sharpshooters then advanced and drove ours back and we fell back to the heights of Rector’s Crossroads. In a short time, they opened fire on us with a battery of artillery and, after heavy fire on both sides, we were again ordered to fall back. A shot struck John Edmundson and literally tore him into pieces and at the same time took off the leg of Charles D. Saunders just above the knee. He died in a short time.

And so the story is now told. When driving past Atoka, please salute the brave young soldier, John T. Edmonson, who rests beside The Mosby Highway.

It was actually the Battle of Upperville and this marker will eventually be replaced.

(Lieutenant Nunnerly described the rest of the Battle of Upperville. By the end of the day, the Confederate cavalry and batteries had been pushed back to Paris, where infantry under Confederate General Longstreet had taken up strong positions.)

Never did I see so much interest taken in a stranger as did the four sweet young Gibson girls.

They testified their sympathy by placing at the head of the grave a bouquet of beautiful flowers and may their path through life ever be strewn with these. At night we had our orders to be ready to march at a moment’s notice.

Historian and Middleburg resident Childs Burden is a founding member of the Mosby Heritage Area Association and its Chairman Emeritus.

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Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2020

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The Middleburg Tennis Club is a full service, private, member owned club. We host members, their families, and guests in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. A wide range of services and amenities are offered to help provide optimum enjoyment of our club.

Opened in 1969, the club resides on a 10+ acre site nestled in the heart of Virginia Hunt Country, just outside historic Middleburg, Virginia. With nearly 400 memberships, MTC has a warm and friendly environment with a country casual feel.

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19

Ship to Shore: A Spectacular Semester at Sea

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By Will Driskill

A camel ride for Will Driskill in Morocco.

ill Driskill of Middleburg, a junior at Hampden-Sydney, had a sea journey around the globe last fall. This is an excerpt from a blog he wrote along the way.

As we enter our tenth day at sea, crossing the Atlantic from Europe and Africa and head toward South America, I’m very aware that Semester At Sea is quite a different and unique study abroad experience.

It offers a college semester traveling by sea on a large cruise ship to eleven countries, and three continents over three plus months. On the ship, more than 400 students are taking classes, studying, exercising, eating and socializing while traversing the globe.

Arriving at each new port, students become immersed in a new culture through required field classes, optional travel programs, or free time to explore on their own or with a group.

It’s a unique way to study and travel, with the biggest challenge adjusting to life on a ship. Living spaces are small, and focusing on a lecture can be extremely difficult when the seas are rough and seasickness is always a possibility.

Another challenge is the limited WIFI on the ship. We’re only allotted seven minutes of WIFI a day, which makes it very difficult to keep up with friends and family. Still, the positives heavily outweigh the negatives.

I’ve made many new friends from all over the U.S. and around the world. Living in such close quarters with students and teachers has really helped me reach well beyond my comfort zone, and also enhanced my appreciation of others’ values, beliefs and personalities.

The experience also encourages students to interact daily with our professors, who also become our friends. In essence, they also become our second parents, who teach, exercise, give advice, dine and occasionally share an evening cocktail with us.

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Will Driskill made a few new friends in a Ghana village.

The classes also are enhanced with discussion of the culture, politics, history, geography and general information of each country we visit.

I’ve enjoyed taking oceanography as a science class, studying marine life, the mangroves, and the local environment in every area we’ve visited.

One of my favorite experiences has been eating food from different cultures.

Even though the ship food often can be as institutionally awful as the meals we eat on our regular dry-land campus, the meals we’ve had off the ship has been wonderful.

I’ve enjoyed Croatian pastry—“bureks”—from street vendors and bakeries, filled with sweet fruit, rich cheese or savory meats, then shared tangine chicken

and couscous under a tent after traveling through the Sahara Desert of Morocco by camel.

I’ve been served a homemade meal of beans and fish while staying in a seaside village hut in Ghana, and really enjoyed the local plantains they serve boiled, grilled or fried.

As I write this, we’re almost halfway through the journey. I’m looking forward to the sights, sounds, people, art, culture and food of Brazil, Ecuador, Trinidad, Tobago and Costa Rica. I’ve been on this voyage for about two months now, have made new friends from all over the world, and formed connections and experiences I’ll have for the rest of my life.

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For Tom Sweitzer, Middleburg is THE Place to Be Photo by Doug Gehlsen Middleburg Photo

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By Leonard Shapiro

hen Tom Sweitzer talks about 2020, he likes to say, “It’s going to be a very big year.”

You think?

The founder of Middleburg-based A Place to Be will celebrate a quarter century as a village resident. It’s the tenth anniversary of APTB, a nonprofit he heads with Kim Tapper using music therapy to treat over 600 clients, 400 in Loudoun County.

There are toddlers with Down Syndrome working to strengthen their mouth muscles (using kazoos), adults dealing with depression and teenagers battling bullying. Other specialties include working with people young and old with traumatic brain injuries, Autism, the after-affects of stroke and heart ailments and countless other disabilities.

And there’s plenty more on his crowded plate.

Sweitzer is talking with Arlington’s Signature Theater about a two-month run next year of the one-man show, “Meatballs and Music,” he wrote and performs. It’s about his own difficult childhood in his home town of Altoona, Pennsylvania and, he said, “how music and one Sunday School teacher (who introduced him to the piano) basically saved my life.”

This year, he’s performing the show in Altoona, York, Pa., and New Orleans among other stops to see ‘what works, what doesn’t work with an audience that really doesn’t know my story.”

Another part of his story was being hired by then Head of School Tom Northrup at The Hill School in 1995.

“Within fifteen minutes of our conversation, I realized this young man had much more to offer,” Northrup recalled about his first interview with Sweitzer. “The depth of his empathy, compassion, and kindness were rare. Our school community was fortunate that he accepted our offer. His contributions during his fifteen years with us were transformative.

“Over this past decade, his and Kim Tapper’s vision for and leadership of A Place To Be have helped a larger community, local and national, to understand the power of music, love, and acceptance in healing, inspiring, and creating the conditions to develop the potential of every individual.”

Recently, Sweitzer has been working with Renee Fleming, the renowned soprano who has performed around the world singing opera, musicals, concerts and doing recordings, theater and film. She’s a huge proponent of music therapy and Fleming and Sweitzer are doing presentations and workshops together around the country, including sessions at Tanglewood and the Kennedy Center.

Fleming has asked Sweitzer and Forrest Allen, a young man from The Plains who suffered a traumatic brain injury at age 18 while snowboarding nine years ago, to join her for one such presentation at The Vatican in May. Allen was in a coma and doctors told his family he might never awake. He did, and with Sweitzer’s inspired guidance, regained his voice, his brain function and his mobility.

In 2014, Allen graduated from Kettle Run High and is now attending George Mason University.

There’s more: Sweitzer has been commissioned to write a show to be performed in the Wolf Trap Children’s Theater series in May and July.

“It’s about a butterfly with two different wings,” he said. “She feels like she may not fit into a new environment. She and her mom have just moved into the Wolf Trap forest.

And it’s going to be performed with a cast of kids with full disabilities.”

There’s also another writing project. He’s working with an editor on a young adult novel with an equally compelling story line.

“It’s about a little boy with autism who picked up an injured bird one day,” Sweitzer said. “One of his neighbors recorded it on his phone. In the video, it looks like the boy healed the bird because it flies away. The video goes viral, and the little town of Braxton, Missouri where he lives becomes a symbol of healing around the world. It’s a book about miracles and who deserves to have them.”

This may also be the year that Hollywood enters Sweitzer’s life. His work with Forrest Allen already has been chronicled in a stirring documentary called “Music Got Me Here” produced by Susan Koch, executive director for the Middleburg Film Festival. MGM has optioned the rights to Sweitzer’s and Forrest Allen’s life stories, and a script is now in the works for a motion picture.

A decade after founding the A Place to Be with 65 clients that first year, Sweitzer and Tapper are now developing a strategic ten-year plan that includes branching out to other parts of Northern Virginia.

“Our heartbeat will still be here in Middleburg,” he said, “but we’d like to expand to eastern Loudoun—Ashburn and Leesburg. Eighty-five percent of our clients come to us from those areas. We’re also looking at another building in Middleburg.

“This is my 25th year living here. The people have been wonderful to me and have really supported A Place to Be. I’m not moving. I love it here.”

Around the Middleburg area and well beyond, the feeling toward Tom Sweitzer is clearly mutual.

Tom and Forrest: Keeping Hope Alive

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By Rae Stone

om Sweitzer inspires and empowers those struggling to navigate life’s greatest challenges. Our son, Forrest Allen, is just one of many young people whose lives Tom has saved.

In January, 2011, Forrest suffered a catastrophic brain injury while snowboarding.

In an instant his 18-year-old life and promising future Photo courtesy of Rae Stone were shattered.

Tom Sweitzer and Forrest Allen Through a cascading at George Mason University, series of complications, he where Forrest is a student. lost the ability to walk, talk, swallow, bend his arms or legs, or even to make eye contact. I was desperate to keep him connected to this world, to believe he could find his way back to us and reclaim his life.

Forrest and Tom have always shared a special connection from when Tom was his music and drama coach at The Hill School in Middleburg.

When I reached out to Tom, he immediately came to Forrest’s hospital bedside and brought with him the regenerative power of music therapy. Hidden in Forrest’s emaciated body and blank stare, Tom somehow saw the life force and vitality of the child he had known before the accident. Between surgeries and more setbacks, Tom came frequently to the hospital to try to reach Forrest.

After almost a year in six different hospitals, Forrest was slowly slipping away from us. He still couldn’t stand, eat or talk.

We knew that to heal, he needed to get out of the hospital and come home to Middleburg to be with his family and friends.

We set up 24/7 nursing care and brought Forrest home in an ambulance on December 21, 2011. On Christmas Day, Tom, with a keyboard and 40 carolers in tow, came to our farm to celebrate Forrest’s homecoming with music, laughter and song.

At home, Tom continued to work with Forrest, first to help him regain control of his breathing, then to recognize and respond to rhythm and pitch, then to hum.

Miraculously, on December 12, 2012 during a session with Tom, Forrest spoke his first words in almost two years. When it seemed all we held dear might be lost, Tom gave Forrest the lifeline he needed to stay connected to life, his family, his friends and his future.

He gave us all the gift of renewed hope.

As Forrest regained his voice, with unimaginable effort and a community full of prayer warriors and supporters, his humor along with his physical, emotional, and cognitive abilities blossomed.

Tom and Forrest remain uniquely bound together by their shared journey through dark and terrifying times. Now, when Forrest is home from college, you might see the two of them going for long walks around town, laughing and talking, sharing their music and making plans for the future.

I’m confident that together, Tom and Forrest will teach the world about the transformative impact of music therapy.

Their journey also celebrates the healing power of friendship, faith and community and reminds us all to never ever… no matter what…relinquish our hope.

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2020

23

Piedmont Symphony Focuses on Young Musicians

By Leonard Shapiro

W

hen Glenn Quader, the passionate Piedmont Symphony Orchestra conductor, stands at his lectern and looks out at his musicians, he can take great pride in knowing that the PSO’s student mentoring program already has paid major dividends.

There are at least three of his principal players who made their way through local high school music programs, earned college degrees and are now teaching music in the Fauquier County school system and also playing significant roles in his orchestra.

“They’ve come full circle,” he said recently, “and I think that is very cool. We also have at least five (current) high school kids in the orchestra. They’re gifted musicians and they can handle it.”

The PSO’s mentoring program grew out of Quader’s appreciation of a similar program that was started years ago by Capital Wind Symphony Orchestra’s conductor George Etheridge, his own mentor. That orchestra is also involved in working with young Fauquier County musicians.

How does it work?

PSO musicians go to Fauqier high schools and middle schools and conduct two sessions with bands and orchestras. In the first visit, five or six of the orchestra’s musicians sit with students playing similar instruments—strings, percussion, brass etc.—and demonstrate how they would play a particular piece of music.

PSO violinist Jason Labrador, back left, mentoring string musicians.

“They show the students their own techniques and work with them for about 90 minutes,” Quader said. “It’s like a private lesson.”

In the next visit to the school, the entire student orchestra is assembled and the professional musicians play along with them, with Quader conducting.

“It shows the kids what it should sound like,” he said. “And improvement happens very quickly. It’s a really quick turnaround for them.”

On Sunday, Feb. 16, the PSO also will hold its annual Young People’s Concert at the Highland School auditorium starting at 3 p.m.. They’ll play sections of the timeless love story of Romeo and Juliette from Sergei Prokofiev’s groundbreaking score to the ballet.

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In addition, the program also includes the PSO’s highly-competitive Young Artists’ Competition.

Three gifted young instrumentalists will perform alongside the PSO to compete for scholarship prizes, with funds provided by a grant from The Phillip A. Hughes Foundation.

“Our Young Artists Competition is one of the most inspiring concerts of the year,” said orchestra co-chairman Ernie Hueter. “We think our mission is to entertain, educate and inspire. To watch, listen and be entertained by these young aspiring musicians is very inspiring.

“Their work ethic and talent is unbelievable…Our Music Mentors program is our educational outreach.

Many students do not have the opportunity to take private lessons. It’s wonderful to see how much they learn and absorb when they play with our professional musicians.”

The mentoring program is dependent on private donations and grants, with each school visit costing about $1,750. Quader said the PSO is making a significant effort to reach out to their regular patrons to help fund its mentoring programs and make them available to more local schools.

“If you had grandchildren going to a Fauquier middle school and they were interested in playing an instrument, that would be a great place to make a contribution,” Quader said. “We believe (the mentoring program) also increases the footprint of what we’re doing, It increases the awareness of the PSO. “And that’s very exciting.”

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Perspectives on Childhood, Education and Parenting The True Building Blocks for Success

“Don’t feel behind… Compare yourself (not to others but) to yourself yesterday.”

– David Epstein’s advice to children in his book, Range

T

By Tom Northrup

Tom Northrup

he earlier you find your life’s passion, the sooner you focus your time and energy toward it, the more successful you’ll be, right?

In some ways, that’s been the conventional wisdom, and there are certainly examples who uphold this claim. Tiger Woods might come to mind. But scientist and writer David Epstein suggests another answer.

Few would dispute that Tiger Woods and Roger Federer were the dominant athletes in golf and tennis in the early 21st century. Many are familiar with Woods’ path to greatness through early specialization in golf. He was encouraged and guided by his father, who recognized the special gifts in his son. At age four, Tiger reportedly was practicing eight hours a day.

Federer, on the other hand, was involved in multiple sports as a child— basketball, handball, skiing, wrestling, swimming, skateboarding, squash, and soccer. His mother, a tennis instructor, did not coach him. In his teenage years, when Roger began to focus on tennis and play matches, his father’s only advice was “Don’t cheat!”

In his well-researched and highly original book, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, Epstein contrasts the childhood preparation for greatness of these two athletes.

He explains why Woods’ path of early specialization to succeed is the exception, not only in sports, but in virtually all fields—science, medicine, business, technology, art, music, theater, and education. Epstein has pursued the back stories of individuals who became elite in their fields, and has found that broad, early experience and delayed specialization are the norm and that ”mental meandering and personal experimentation are sources of power, and head starts are overrated.”

Range confirmed my belief that offering multiple opportunities for children in the arts, athletics and community service are vital building blocks for career success in virtually any field.

Epstein concludes that for most of us to find our “match quality” (what we ultimately discover that we love to do vocationally and personally), we must experience a “sampling period” (trying many and varied activities, and getting to know a lot of people). To parents, this “sampling period” can be a source of frustration, and can seem inefficient.

Epstein explains the difference between what he calls “kind” and “wicked” learning environments.

Activities such as golf, tennis, and chess are classified “kind” (i.e., rules are defined; specialized and extensive practice are paths to success). But in most of our lives we operate in what he terms “wicked” domains, a jarring and misleading term, I think, where the rules are not clear and where factors beyond our control are in play, such as in our personal and vocational relationships and business ventures.

Learning to be comfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity and developing the skills and confidence to navigate these challenges is enhanced by experiencing as wide a range of opportunities in childhood as can be provided by family, school, and community.

It follows that part of our responsibility as adults is to reassure our children (and ourselves) that their life paths will be in uncharted territory.

We can offer them love and support throughout their “sampling” period, and as they find their way, we need to accept that they may not find their ”match quality” until much later than we’d prefer. But, taking the long view and being patient as they unfold seems the wise course.

Tom Northrup, a long-time educator, is Head of School Emeritus at The Hill School in Middleburg.

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In The Plains: A League of their Own

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By Carina Elgin

he Plains goes well beyond the official town limits, with its 20198 Zip Code encompassing almost 73 square miles and 2,500 inhabitants, while the village deservedly is growing into a tourist destination in its own right.

Visitors also would be wise to pay attention to that attractive two-story white house in the center of town with the big wooden sign sporting fliers for local events. Known as the John Page Turner House, named after a long-time resident, it’s now home to The Plains Community League.

Their motto: “Neighbors Helping Neighbors”.

Founded in 1951, the League also has a mission statement: “The Plains Community League seeks to provide service, support and assistance to residents of The Plains Community.” While the 20198 area code is ranked 93rd in income in Virginia, Weston Matthews, Rector of nearby Grace Episcopal Church, said that “even here in Northern Fauquier, we have homelessness and hunger, among seniors, as well as young people. The Community League fills a need for communal space and for programs where extra support is available.”

Debbie McLaughlin is the League’s current president. She and her husband, Tom, moved to The Plains in 1981 and “it felt like home.” She was introduced to the League by local resident Joan

Debbie McLaughlin Kuhns, and has been volunteering ever since.

Kuhns started its most popular program—free tutoring. About 30 students, from third to eighth grade, receive a quick snack and weekly academic assistance from volunteers inside the cheery rooms of the Turner building. They arrive by Fauquier County school buses from nearby W.G. Coleman Elementary and Marshall Middle School. A bus from Rectortown’s Claude Thompson Elementary also is in the works. Only students from these three schools are eligible for the free tutoring.

The League has “paid toward medical bills, funeral bills, electric bills, scholarships to adult art and theology schools, colleges, law schools, national outdoor leadership school,” McLaughlin said. “We recognize that education comes in many different forms.”

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Last year, eight college-bound applicants received some financial support, McLaughlin added.

The League is there at Thanksgiving, when baskets of holiday groceries are purchased and delivered to neighbors facing health or financial issues. It also offers camps and classes, such as an upcoming art camp, “Paint Night,” and the Chess Club, open to all.

Ideas for programs are always welcome, said Keith Stroud, the League’s program coordinator, adding “we always need volunteers. We’d love more tutors, and are always open to new ways to serve the community.”

For example, some people have indicated they’d like a beginner Spanish class, and Stroud is on it.

Last fall, the League held its first “Music and Arts Fest,” with the goal of bringing businesses, the community and visitors together. Local resident and League board member Jaimie Pyles was instrumental in bringing the bands in and having them perform at different venues throughout town. She’s already preparing for the second Fest in October.

Most funding is raised through an annual appeal letter and newsletter to residents of The Plains and surrounding areas. Board members work hard to get money for specific needs like the tutoring program and house maintenance, receiving funds from private grants and organizations like the Warrenton-based Path Foundation.

Said McLaughlin, “I’ve learned in more ways than I can count that our motto of “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” is truly what The Plains and the Community League are about.”

Wakefield Freshman Ponies Up in Kentucky

I

By Emma Boyce n August, hundreds of the best ponies from around the country descend on Lexington, Kentucky to compete at the premier hunter/ jumper pony competition, the USEF Pony Finals.

Often a stepping stone into the larger competitive world of American show jumping, Pony Finals is much more than just pigtails and braids. Among the competitors this past year was rising Wakefield freshman Alexandra (Lexi) Van der Woude, one of three selected by the United States Hunter Jumper Association to receive the Gochman Family Grant to compete.

“I am not surprised in the least bit she received this grant,” said Gray Carr Bridgers, Wakefield’s director of admissions. Aside from catching Van der Woude in the Wakefield halls, Bridgers has seen her at work in the hunt field.

“Lexi is her own person,” she said. “She’s talented, humble and very outgoing. She absolutely adores horses and anything that is wrapped up in equine.”

While many young riders dream of a qualifying a pony, the road to Kentucky can be a significant, and sometimes impossible, expense for parents. Aside from easing the financial burden, the Gochman Grant pairs riders with suitable ponies. Van der

Woude had less than a week to get to know her new mount, Heart to Believe, or Teddy, before competing in the three phases of her division: the model, the flat, and over fences.

“This grant is great on all levels,” says Bridgers.

“It gives young riders the opportunity to compete at an A-rated show, while also exposing them to world class trainers and world class ponies. It’s an incredible experience at a very young age.”

Although some kids are there for the elusive blue ribbon, Pony Finals offer an educational experience alongside competition. During the week, Van der Woude attended a series of clinics, ranging from pony modeling to sports psychology to a horseman’s favorite subject, bits. She trained with accomplished equestrians Robin Greenwood and Rob Jacobs and hobnobbed with hundreds of other youngsters with shared interests.

“This grant is giving her exposure that she normally would not have had,” said Bridgers.

“The world is her oyster and we couldn’t be more pleased. She is absolutely lovely and she is going to go far.”

Van der Woude has riding in her blood. Her father is master of the Warrenton Hunt. Her mother, an accomplished horse person, also hunts. Her sister, a recent Wakefield graduate, captains Randolph-

Alexandra (Lexi) Van der Woude and Teddy Macon’s equestrian team.

“Lexi has had this foundation of foxhunting and riding,” Bridgers said. “She’s been around horses her whole life, but she also balances her academics and her love for other sports.”

At Wakefield, Van der Woude was chosen to be a member of the Key Club, a student-led organization that helps develop leadership skills.

The same well-rounded qualities that make her an outstanding student, also stood out to USHJA. Along with talent, those awarded the Gochman Grant have demonstrated horsemanship, tenacity, and sportsmanship.

She has all three. In spades.

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27

What Exactly is the SECURE Act?

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By Tom Wiseman

he “Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act” went into effect on Jan. 1, 2020 and brings important changes for financial planning and retirement. Here are ten of the top key provisions within the SECURE Act. You may find that one of these impacts the way you should plan going forward.

1. Open Multiple Employer Plans/Pooled Employer Plans: The SECURE Act allows unrelated small employers to band together in Tom Wiseman “open” 401(k) multiple-employer plans.

2. Safe Harbor 401(k) Plans and Timing of Plan Amendments and Adoptions: The SECURE Act very generally permits employers to add a safe harbor feature to their existing 401(k) plans during the year. Such additions are even permitted very late in the year and after the end of the year depending on certain circumstances.

3. Startup Credit for Small Employer Plans and New Credit for Small Employer Plans Adopting Automatic Enrollment: The SECURE Act increases the business tax credit for plan startup costs to make setting up retirement plans more affordable for small businesses. The tax credit will increase from the current cap of $500 to up to $5,000 in certain circumstances.

4. Post-70½ IRA Contributions: The prohibition on making deductible contributions to a traditional IRA after age 70½ is repealed.

5. Long-Term Part-Time Employees: The SECURE Act requires employers to include long-term, part-time workers as participants in definedcontribution plans except in the case of collectively bargained plans.

Eligible employees will have completed at least 500 hours of service each year for three consecutive years, and are age 21 or older.

6. Plan Withdrawals for Birth or Adoption: The SECURE Act allows an exception to the 10 percent penalty for birth or adoption. New parents can now withdraw up to $5,000 from a retirement account within a year of a child’s birth or adoption without the 10 percent penalty those younger than 59 ½ would normally owe.

7. Increased Required Beginning Date: The SECURE Act increases the age triggering the required minimum distributions (RMDs) plans and IRAs from 70 ½ to 72.

8. Consolidated Form 5500 Reporting for Similar Plans: The SECURE Act offers a consolidated Form 5500 for certain defined-contribution plans with a common plan administrator to reduce administrative costs.

However, it also increases penalties for failure to file retirement plan returns, such as Forms 5500, required notifications of registration changes and required withholding notices.

9. Fiduciary Safe Harbor for Selecting Annuity Providers: The SECURE Act creates a safe harbor that employers can use when choosing an annuity provider to provide annuity distributions under a defined contribution plan.

10. The Stretch RMD: The SECURE Act imposes a 10-year distribution limit for most non-spouse beneficiaries to spend down inherited IRAs and defined-contribution plans. Before passage of the Act, withdrawals from inherited accounts could be stretched over the life of beneficiaries to mitigate taxes.

These are just ten of the new rules that The SECURE Act brings with it. Be sure to talk to your advisor about how these changes affect your retirement, estate or overall financial plan.

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Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2020

February 21, 2020 Friday, 6-8 pm Art Auction & Reception

at the Middleburg Community Center

Kevin Adams, View From Emerald Lane

Kevin H. Adams Anthony Barham Brittany Beiersdorf Ross Taylor Boyd Misia Broadhead Lauren Bruce Wodicka Mike Budzisz Tiffany Budzisz Armand Cabrera

Debbie Cadenas Teresa Duke Leanne Fink Gail Guirreri-Maslyk Jillian Holland Bonnie Hoover Laura Hopkins Cody Leeser Margaret MacMahon Carroll

Deborah Morrow Marci Nadler Lee Newman Jill E. Poyerd Katherine Riedel Dana Lee Thompson Antonia Walker David Williams Jessica Wilson

artofthepiedmont.org Pre-purchased tickets available online $50 VIP Entrance | $20 General Admission | Tickets available at the door for $30 a benefit for Middleburg Montessori School Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2020

29

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Purcellville ~ Hard to find 15+ acre parcel ideally located between Routes 50 & 7 in Western Loudoun County. Open pasture land is surrounded by black board fencing and stacked stonewalls with mountain views. Multiple wells and a 4/5 BR drainfield has been located. Property is sited on the corner of Snickersville Turnpike and Black Oak Roads.

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Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2020

The 2020 Middleburg Wellness Day Spread the word 2020 Middleburg Wellness Day - it’s worth the trip.

T

Get the primary care experience you deserve Same-day or next-day appointments

By Peter Leonard-Morgan

Reach your doctor after hours

he Middleburg Go Green Committee was formed by a Town Council ordinance in 2013, with a mission to advise the council on environmental issues and develop action plan recommendations to increase community awareness, and improve the town’s eco footprint.

One of Go Green’s signature events, Middleburg Wellness Day, will take place on Saturday, March 28 at the Middleburg Community Center. The event brings together exhibitors and presenters from all areas of healthy eating and active living, or “HEAL,” a program run nationally by the Institute for Public Health Innovation, of which Middleburg is a Gold member.

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Middleburg Community Center

This inspiring community event Website: bit.ly/2020MWD seeks to bring together citizens and visitors of all ages and to increase overall health and wellness awareness. Expert speakers present for ten minutes each from the stage of the Community Center on various subjects, with the theme for 2020 being “Brain Health.”

Admission is free, with exhibitor tables costing $35 each and $100 logo sponsorships helping to offset the cost of reusable shopping bags for every participant. The terrace room of the Community Center will be set aside for CPR training by Dr. Ather Anis for anyone interested in taking part and learning about this life-saving capability.

Additional speakers will include Georganne Derick from Geo’s Joy Herbal Medicine and The Sanctuary Wellness Center in Berryville, talking about how to repair our brains after years of abuse; Dr. Dave Stewart of Loudoun Holistic Health Partners on the link between nutrition and brain health.

Nancy McMahon will show how Yoga Nidra induces a deep feeling of relaxation; Woody McMahon will speak on the link between exercise and brain health and Loudoun Therapeutic Riding will present on the fascinating subject of rehabilitation following PTSD and strokes though horseback riding.

For those looking to exercise, there will be three “Walk Middleburg” routes of one, two and three miles, developed as scavenger hunts to make things fun and engaging. The one-mile walk will take in the historic center of Middleburg while the two- and three-mile routes will move to the lovely grounds of the Hill School, just south of Federal Street.

Technology has also arrived at the Middleburg Wellness Day by way of QR codes on the walking maps which will allow walkers to use their smartphones to navigate the routes. Part of the Hill School walks will include “Forest Bathing,” a form of eco-therapy through immersion in nature.

Visitors to the event will have opportunities to walk away with a prize. Each will be will offered their own “Passport To Health,” which they can present at different exhibitor tables and town businesses in return for a stamp. And stamps can lead to prizes.

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Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2020

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Fauquier Habitat: Gimme Shelter

By Louisa Woodville

“B

uilding strength, stability and selfreliance through shelter.”

That’s the mission at Fauquier Habitat for Humanity, the nonprofit affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International that builds or rehabs homes for worthy applicants. It gives them the proverbial hand-up, as opposed to a hand-out, with volunteers and homeowners getting involved in the process.

“It’s a chance to bond and focus on community building among the volunteers and partner families and make people feel welcome,” said Melanie Burch, associate director of development.

Previously director of development of the Middleburg Humane Society for four years, she’s firmly committed to the mission of Habitat, which she joined last August.

Thanks to her and others’ efforts, the nonprofit already is having success.

“Executive Director Darryl Neher has been dynamically active in trying to increase the profile of Habitat. The whole point of hiring Liz and Melanie is to help raise funds and increase name recognition,” said board member Dave Couk of Warrenton, referring to Burch and Elizabeth Rose, associate director of development.

Another recent development also has helped put Fauquier Habitat on the map.

“It’s been a huge steroid injection to have the PATH organization getting behind us and putting some wind in our sales,” Couk said, referring to a $1 million grant from PATH, the philanthropic foundation that serves Fauquier, Rappahannock and northern Culpeper counties. Fauquier Habitat has invested the funds in the Eva Walker neighborhood in Warrenton, a revitalization effort that will serve as a blueprint for future ones.

Who is eligible?

The application process is stringent; a person or family’s income must fall within a specified range — above poverty level but less than the basic cost of living for Fauquier County. Applicants also must prove they can pay the monthly mortgage. They then go through a blind selection process.

Next is training: “A successful applicant must also go through information sessions on finance, home ownership, and even repairs,” explained Burch.

Couk stressed that homeowners are directly involved in the building process. “They also have to contribute 250 hours of sweat equity in their project; for a family, it’s 500,” he said.

Is there any advantage to home ownership for the category of residents Habitat serves? Statistics show children raised in Habitat homes are twice as likely to go to college and have fewer behavioral problems; 57 percent of homeowners report furthering their education. Neighborhood revitalization efforts also help residents access community resources that improve specific aspects of their lives.

Another successful endeavor has been Women Build, an effort that brings together ten teams of ten

34

Photo by Louisa Woodville

Habitat Executive Director Darryl Neher with Development Director Melanie Burch and Tony Toth. women each to build houses.

“Sixty-eight women showed up to the Women Build launch party and information session,” said Burch. “As of today, we have 130 signed up to participate.”

Women Build also helps generate funds. Each of the hundred participants is raising a minimum of $250; 100 women have a target to inject $25,000 in cash, which the PATH foundation will the match two to one.

Fauquier Habitat, Burch explained, is built around the idea of partnership. Volunteers partner with

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2020

community residents who might need affordable housing. Fauquier Habitat, in turn, partners with other nonprofits to disseminate information on both home ownership and home ownership-management to people who might need it.

And Habitat’s future looks bright.

“We’re in the best position we’ve ever been in,” said Couk. “Now’s the time for us to get to a higher level and build more than a home a year. We want to get to the point where we are building 20 homes per year.”

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35

Community Foundation:

Philanthropy Made Easy

J

By M.J. McAteer

ust about a decade ago, Ursula Landsrath founded the Animal Rescue Fund because she cared about animals and wanted to help them.

She thought the best way to do that was to stay local, and the Delaplane resident subsequently led a volunteer effort that raised more than $1 million that was distributed annually to worthy but chronically underfunded area organizations. The Equine Rescue League and the Middleburg Humane Foundation were among the fund’s better-known local grant recipients.

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A lot of work came along with Landsrath’s foundation, though--emailing, accounting, schmoozing, and myriad administrative tasks--and she did almost all of it herself, said her husband, Ken Rietz. It was a classic labor of love.

So, when Landsrath died last year, Rietz wanted to honor his wife by keeping her foundation afloat. Unfortunately, he was not physically up to the task, and that’s where Amy Owen and the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier rode to the rescue.

The foundation helped Rietz create the Ursula Landsrath Animal Rescue Fund to make sure that the legacy of his wife’s good work would continue.

“We connect donors who care with causes that matter,” explained Owen, president and CEO of the Leesburg-based nonprofit. And, she added, the foundation makes that connection easy for both donors and endowments by handling all the datail work, especially legal and accounting issues, all the while keeping costs low and staying true to the donors’ missions.

Owen’s community foundation is one of about 25 in Virginia and one of more than 850 in the U.S. They function like civic savings accounts, building and managing permanent endowment funds across a spectrum of community needs.

Owen’s foundation currently represents more than 75 funds, many created by individual families, often in honor of a loved one. They support everything from medical and scientific research, to affordable housing and food programs. One fund is even dedicated to the promotion of performances of jazz music.

“As long as it is charitable, we can do that platform,” Owen said.

The foundation also helps support, train and coach leaders in the nonprofit sector through seminars that cover subjects such as forging a good relationship with their board members and dealing with fundraising pressures while keeping true to their cause.

“No day is the same” on her job, Owen says, but much of her time is devoted to raising awareness of the foundation’s existence. To that end, she makes frequent visits to wealth managers, attorneys and other financial gatekeepers and has joined local civic and business groups such as the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce, which in 2018 named her its Entrepreneur of the Year in recognition of the foundation’s robust growth under her leadership.

36

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2020

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– Amy Owen, president and CEO of the Leesburg-based nonprofit.

When Owen took over the foundation in 2012, it was managing assets of about $1.3 million. Six years later, that figure was almost $6 million, and, this year, she hopes to reach $8 million.

Join us for our

Owen has spent much of her career in the nonprofit sector, working for organizations such as the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the Center for Environmental Stewardship and the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation, where, in a little more than a decade, she increased assets from $1 million to $17 million.

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Early in her working life, Owen sold radio ads. It was “the worst job in history,” she said, but it taught her the value of persistence.

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“It took, on average, 15 contacts before a buy,” she said.

That yardstick for tenacity is still relevant as head of a philanthropic organization. This time, however, the payback for her persistence won’t be ad revenue, but the many gifts that keep on giving back to the people of Loudoun and Fauquier.

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37

FISH Offers Many Helping Hands

F

Photo by Emma Boyce

FISH treasurer Holly Beth Hatcher (left), and “Big Fish” Martha Cotter (right),

ISH, the acronym representing “For Immediate and Sympathetic Help,” puts the idea of love thy neighbor into action.

The Middleburg chapter provides temporary financial support to those residents of western Loudoun County and northern Fauquier County, struggling to afford rent, utilities, and even prescription medications.

“There is a lot of hidden poverty in this beautiful community,” says “Big Fish” Martha Cotter. “There are farm workers who lose work in the winter. Maybe somebody’s been injured and can’t work. Maybe somebody’s lost a job.

We really try to pitch in so people who are in a temporary financial bind don’t get evicted or can’t get the medications that they need.”

Middleburg FISH helps around 300 families a year. What began in the 1960s under the auspices of Middleburg’s Emmanuel Episcopal Church, has, in the last ten years, grown into a 501 c 3.

Still a small operation with little overhead, the organization has no headquarters or office space, only the FISH telephone

line. Monday through Friday, Emmanuel’s parish secretary forwards calls to one of 15 volunteers waiting to help. These volunteers then pass the callers’ information to the FISH treasurer to review each case.

“It used to be, if you were the FISH operator, you needed to stay home and answer the phone,” Cotter said. “Now with cell phones, you can be a FISH operator and be on vacation or at work. It’s really opened up opportunities for people to volunteer and we’re really grateful for that.”

For situations exceeding the means of the nonprofit, or for callers outside the area served, volunteers have a list of other resources to contact.

“People are so stressed,” Cotter said. “Their lives are falling apart because of these financial difficulties and to be able to help them is a really rewarding thing for us. It’s our mission and it’s a meaningful mission for us.”

To volunteer, email Martha Cotter at bigfish@middleburgfish. org. Donations can be mailed to PO Box 507, Middleburg, VA 20118. —Emma Boyce

Windy Hill More than Just Housing

W

Photo by Aniyah Smith.

Bill Corum, one of the first people to move into the Levis Hill House at Windy Hill 13 years ago.

J

hen Irene Llewellyn drove down Windy Hill Road one day in 1981, she knew something needed to change.

A holdover from the segregation era, many residents of this small African-American community, pushed to the outskirts of the town of Middleburg, lived in blighted houses without running water or plumbing, some with dirt floors. Less than a mile down the road, people were playing Atari. Some even had computers.

After galvanizing support from her community, Llewellyn, with the help of Edna Washington, raised enough money to renovate the houses of Windy Hill Road, a ten-year undertaking that laid the groundwork for the Windy Hill Foundation.

“We’re in the business of providing safe, decent and affordable housing to low income and moderate income families,” said Executive Director Bob Dale. “You’ve got to get a roof over their heads first to get their lives stabilized.

Then that gives people the opportunity to focus on other

For more information, visit windyhillfoundation.org or contact the Windy Hill Foundation at 540-687-3997.

—Emma Boyce

Seven Loaves For One and All

ust behind the Middleburg Methodist Church, the volunteers of Seven Loaves Services, a faithbased food pantry, are hard at work, stocking shelves, picking up groceries, and packing and distributing baskets of food for families in need.

“We serve groceries to anyone regardless of who you are, where you are, or your income,” said Director Carleigh Underwood. “You can come once a week. No appointment or referral needed.”

Seven Loaves serves between 80 and 100 families every week. In 2018, they distributed 225,679 pounds of groceries to a total of 1,324 individuals. While grocery stores like Harris Teeter, Walmart and Giant contribute to the bulk of their food supply, Seven Loaves also works with neighboring farmer’s markets for fresh

38

aspects of their lives.”

Today, the Windy Hill Foundation has 310 housing units in Fauquier and Loudoun counties. Along with providing support for senior citizens, Windy Hill focuses its efforts on children and education, offering after-school assistance, summer camps, educational scholarships, on-site computer labs, and tutors.

“We feel like if we can get people a good education that will help break the cycle of low income poverty that, in most cases, they have grown up in, and their families have grown up in,” said Dale.

Whether assisting with seniors at Levis Hill House or overseeing homework at the Llewellyn Village Community Room, the foundation clearly takes care of its community.

Photo by Emma Boyce

Volunteers are critical to Seven Loaves effort. produce. One such market, the JK Community Farm in Purcellville, dedicates its entire harvest to homeless shelters and food pantries like Seven Loaves, ensuring that healthy eating is not lost in hard times.

Since its start in 1994, Seven Loaves has largely relied on the support of the local community. Some donors drop off eggs from their farms. Schools hold

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2020

food drives. Every year around the holidays, Harley Davidson delivers thousands of pounds of food. Day to day, volunteers help with the heavy lifting. Whether driving to Walmart to pick up food or packaging goods for distribution, every role is important.

“We’re dependent on volunteers,” said Underwood. “We have drivers volunteering their cars and their time. We have people who like to work in produce, people who like to do bags or assist with the distribution process. Everyone finds their niche.”

Seven Loaves is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 10 a.m. to noon. For anyone interested in volunteering or donating, contact sevenloavesservices@gmail.com or call (540) 687-3489. —Emma Boyce

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2020

39

They’re Rocking Steady and Fighting Back

D

“You Talkin’ To Me?”, 15” x 30”, oil on board

Photo © Leonard Shapiro

Alan Rubin spars with boxing coach Lisa Larkin.

By Leonard Shapiro

elaplane artist Alan Rubin, diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease 13 years ago, once was asked how he’d manage to control his meticulous brush strokes if the involuntary shaking of his hands ever became a problem.

Easy answer, he smiled.

“I’ll become an abstract expressionist.”

It’s never come to that for this gifted, whimsical Brooklyn-born artist, but in the last year, he’s become something else.

A boxer.

Every Tuesday evening and Saturday morning, Rubin joins a co-ed group, all with Parkinson’s at various stages, ranging in age from the 30s to the 80s, at Blaser’s Physical Therapy facility in Warrenton.

For an hour, they go through a variety of exercises, many involving non-contact boxing maneuvers— pounding a heavy bag, rhythmically swatting a suspended smaller bag, jumping rope, lifting weights, working on their balance and footwork.

It’s all done under the watchful eye of the energetic coach who runs the program—Lisa Larkin, a mildmannered school teacher by day who has always loved boxing and martial arts. She’s trained as a certified boxing instructor with a national organization known as Rock Steady Boxing, founded 14 years ago by an Indianapolis lawyer who had recently himself received a diagnosis of early onset Parkinson’s.

It’s a degenerative movement disorder that can cause deterioration of motor skills, balance, speech and sensory function. More than one million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, about 60,000 each year.

“Rock Steady’s exercises are largely adapted from boxing drills,” according to its website. “Boxers condition for optimal agility, speed, muscular endurance, accuracy, hand-eye coordination, footwork and overall strength to defend against and overcome opponents. At RSB, Parkinson’s disease is the opponent.”

Larkin said the Warrenton program, which recently celebrated its first anniversary, has provided significant physical and mental benefits for all 20 participants.

40

“Hangin’Out”, 20” x 30”, oil on canvas.

“The whole principle is that high intense, interval workouts help with keeping the disease from progressing,” she said. “Studies have shown that boxing and cycling are two forms of exercise that can slow the progression of the Parkinson’s.” Wh e n Larkin attended a training session in Indianapolis a few years ago, she recalled meeting a former police officer who’d been forced to retire. He’d learned about Rock Steady, and when he first began the workouts, he needed a walker to come to class.

“He began training, sometimes two hours a day,” Larkin said, “If you look at him now, you would never know he had it. No tremors at all. For me and everyone there, it was just inspirational.”

The same can be said for anyone who attends one of her classes. Larkin begins by pointing to a board with the quote of the day. The night Country ZEST visited, it came from the late Muhammad Ali, himself a long-time Parkinson’s patient.

“It’s not about the hits you take,” Ali once said. “It’s about how you get up.”

Each student in the class also has what is known as their personal “corner man,” a spouse, a friend, an adult child, even several volunteers who keep a wary eye on each individual as they go through their paces. The closest there is to contact comes when Larkin or another volunteer puts on padded mitts and “spars” with a class member who jabs at those pads while circling around a small area.

Alan Rubin’s wife, Susan, is his corner man and has seen the effect the class has had on her husband and many of his fellow participants.

“Everything slows down with Parkinson’s,” she said. “Sometimes, as you walk, you shuffle. But if you’re swinging your arms and moving, you don’t shuffle. And there’s a real emphasis on posture.

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2020

“Clarinet Riff “, 15” x 13”, oil and gold leaf on board

“Road to Enlightenment “, 28”x30”, oil on board Everybody is at a different level here. It’s a great program, and it’s good how encouraged people get because of it.”

According to Larkin, Alan Rubin “just amazes me.

“He comes in with a cane, but he does remarkable things. He’s moving his feet, he’s jumping rope. He hits the big bag hard. When you watch him, he really looks like a boxer.”

Said Rubin, “I always look forward to it. When I started, I could do maybe four or five pushups.

Now I can do 15. Not long ago, I lost my balance and almost fell, but I went into a boxing stance right away and stayed up.”

Throughout the session, music is playing. At the start, it’s the theme from Rocky, the ultimate underdog fighter. At the end, during final stretching, “Don’t Stop Believing” blares. And on the back of the Rock Steady T-shirts participants all wear, the message is perfect: “Fight Back,” it reads.

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Country ZEST & Style is pleased to be a sponsor of the Go Green Middleburg project. Please look for the logo on the left hand pages of each issue.

Twelve-year-old Lilly Killinger’s colorful and creative artwork is on display at Middleburg Common Grounds for the entire month of March, with the opening on March 1 from 2 to 4 p.m. It’s only fitting that sales of her artwork will go to A Place To Be, where she wants to donate money for scholarships for children in need.

She loves to paint fairies and has expanded with this colorful chicken and much more. Kudos.

Joe Fargis, president of this year’s Upperville Horse Show, mounts up while in Wellington for the winter. There are many positive changes slated for the iconic show scheduled this year from June 1-7, including complimentary general admission parking.

Stay tuned for more.

Photo by Crowell Hadden.

Photo by Vicky Moon

Willis Holmes was among the guests at Buchanan Hall for a recent Virginia Steeplechase Association celebration.

Photo by Crowell Hadden

George Kuk and Devon Zebrovious also attended the Virginia Steeplechase event.

Money Talks.

Now, Teach it to Hug. From memorial funds, to scholarships funds, to donor-advised funds, we can help you make a difference that never ends.

Since 1999, the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties has helped generous donors support a variety of charitable causes in our region. We salute the leaders who wrapped their vision and commitment—and arms—around this community to create and sustain a permanent charitable resource.

Won’t You Join Us? CommunityFoundationLF.org  (703) 779-3505 42

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2020

The Place To Be This Time was at the Salamander Resort & Spa with Tom Sweitzer who hosted a tenth anniversary celebration of the innovative music therapy organization he founded.

PHOTOS BY CROWELL HADDEN

Tom Sweitzer, the fearless leader of A Place To Be.

Taylor DeCasta

Stephen Smith and Trish Epperson

Caroline Elgin

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2020

Dan Savage and Gracie Withers

43

Middleburg Academy Joins Solar System

M

interact with the panels, and learn the practical applications.

By Sebastian Langenberg iddleburg Academy is going green.

Richard Pantel, founder of Princeton Engineering and Solar in Round Hill, donated a solar panel array to the school in August, 2019. The technology will help offset the costs of the school’s water treatment system and reduce its carbon footprint.

“I’m very excited and I’d like to see it expand,” said Kasey Morris, the school’s director of admissions.

“Renewable energy is the way of the future.”

Said Middleburg Academy senior Alexandra Anderson, “The solar panels are bringing Middleburg Academy into the 21st century by reducing our carbon footprint and teaching students ways to be more eco-friendly. ”

His engineering firm, which services the lower 48 states and Hawaii, specializes in structural, electrical, and site engineering. They design largescale Photovoltaic (PV) projects in addition to providing engineering services for the PV solar commercial and utility-scale market.

“I wanted to create an energy endowment for the school,” said Pantel, whose son, Derek, is currently a junior at Middleburg Academy. “This array should produce many MegaWatts of power over the 20 to 25 year lifespan of the system.

To put this into perspective, this array’s power production is enough to power about three or four average homes.”

In the first three months of operation, the panels generated just over 3.32 MegaWatt hours of power with a carbon offset of 2.44 tons and by the end of January, reached 4.15 MegaWatt hours of power and 3.05 tons of carbon offset.

“We’re truly excited and deeply appreciative of this generous gift from Mr. Pantel,” said Head of School Colley W. Bell III. “The significance of this gift is that our science and math students will be engaged in the science of solar power - and the power of environmental awareness.

Pantel has set up a website for the school to both monitor the panels and incorporate them into the science curriculum. This way, students can actually

“Already our teachers are crafting lessons as the solar array supplements power to our water treatment plant. It’s unquestionably an impactful

gift for our community as a model for helping protect our environment here and now in the name of our students.”

Pantel said he’s a big proponent of installing solar wherever possible.

“Everyone who thinks about the future understands the importance of developing and using renewable energy sources,” he said.”

There will be a formal dedication ceremony for the solar panel field on Wednesday, April 15 at 10 a.m. on Middleburg Academy’s campus at 35321 Notre Dame Lane.

In other science news at the school, Middleburg Academy has earned the College Board AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP (advanced placement) Computer Science. Schools honored with the award have expanded young women’s access to AP computer science courses.

Out of the 20,000 institutions that offer AP courses, 818 achieved this important result during the 2018-2019 school year, nearly 20 per cent more than the 685 schools recognized last year. In 2019, Middleburg Academy was one of 143 recognized in the category of AP Computer Science A.

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12/11/19 11:56 AM

Tea Time AT THE MIDDLEBURG LIBRARY PHOTOS BY Crowell Hadden

John Partio was among those interested in the tea time.

Alexandra Heidler, Adult Services

Hillary Coley of Dominion Tea recently spoke at the Middleburg Library.

And who could not forget to read more on the subject of tea…The Boston Tea Party and more.

Sandra Partio and Carol Avery were among the attendees.

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TheOrange OrangeCounty County Hounds The Hounds The Orange County Hounds Invites You Invites YouToTo Invites You To

The Forty-Fifth Running ofof The Forty-Ninth Running The Forty-Third Running of

The Hounds TheOrange OrangeCounty County Hounds Point-to-Point Point-to-Point The Orange County Hounds Sunday, April 3, 2016 Sunday, March 29 Point-to-Point

The Middleburg Concert Series PHOTOS BY CROWELL HADDEN

T

he Middleburg Concert Series featuring The Shenandoah University Conservatory Choir, under the direction of Chanticleer Director Emeritus Dr. Matt Oltman and accompanied by organist Dr. Dudley Oakes, presented a spectacular concert at Middleburg United Methodist Church.

First Race 1:00 p.m.

First Race 1:00 p.m.

From Rt. 50 West of Middleburg, take Rt. 709 South From Rt. 50 West of Middleburg, take Rt. 709 South for oneatmile to the course on theO. right.

From Rt. 17, Mrs. Magalen Bryant’s for one mile to the course on the right.

From 17, take Rt. 709 North for eight miles to the course on Rt. the left.

take Rt. 709 NorthLocust for eightHill milesFarm to the course on the left.

OCH Pair Virginia Races Middleburg, OCH Pair Races Saturday,March April28 2 Saturday,

Time 9:00 take a.m. Rt. 709 South for From Rt. 50 West Start of Middleburg, Start Time 9:00 a.m. contact one mile to Geraldine the coursePeace, on theYLYfox@aol.com right. From Rt. 17, contact Geraldine Peace, YLYfox@aol.com take Rt. 709 North for eight miles to the course on the left.

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46

Amanda and Erik Scheps

Leah Ferguson

Len Schessler

Ed Hatrick, Betty Kirk and Jane James

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2020

A Fighter Mom Copes With a Fighter Chick

I

By Jodi Nash

t’s been a year since our epic drive west in my daughter Carsyn’s car, with her husky “Zeus” to deposit her at the prestigious Jackson Winks Mixed Martial Arts Fight Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Miles: 1,827, through six states, and finally the Sandia mountains on our horizon. We set her up in her apartment in one exhausting day, visited JW gym to check it out, bought groceries, and then I flew back to Virginia.

My daughter, the MMA fighter.

I still can’t figure it out. Carsyn, aka “Fighter Carsyn Nash strikes a Chick,” grew up in Warrenton, has a college fearsome pose. degree in Spanish and is bilingual. She has a beautiful singing voice, a sharp math mind. She loves to bake and decorate fancy cakes, plays guitar, enjoys functional art. So how did this happen, and what’s it like to be a “Cage Mama?”

Scary.

Humbling.

Surreal.

In November in Oklahoma City, Carsyn had her first fight representing JW, billed as “Rage in the Cage.”

Her intense training was brutal: weightlifting, striking, wrestling, rolling, bag work, ju jitsu, Muay Thai, nutritional consult, and cutting weight. She’s normally 130 pounds, but fights at 115, so losing that last five or six pounds can be cruel and unusual punishment when living in a state of perpetual dehydration.

It all feels sub-human…or perhaps I should say super-human.

Carsyn’s had six fights, with a 5-1 record. I’ve seen four, including her only loss as an amateur in New York City in front of 2,000 people. She lost on points— same day weigh-in, poor mental game, no nutrition and conditioning coach, but an astounding learning curve. I was there, nauseated, shaky, anxious, like the parent of any top-notch athlete in a competitive event.

Yet, somehow these MMA fights feel different.

A closed cage. The mat. Hand wraps, no gloves. No shin guards, no shoes. Ugly mouth guard. Not unlike boxing or wrestling, but so much more unpredictable.

A punch, a strike, a kick to the jaw, repetitive body shots, a sweep and arm bar, rolling, grappling, then suddenly on your back caught in a virtual stranglehold, bucking like a wild horse, refusing to submit.

Serious MMA fighters are like zoo animals out of their cages: wild, exotic, unpredictable, fiercely dangerous, predatory. My girl gladiator has weaponized her body for combat. During the fight, I’m transformed into a screaming wildeyed Irish banshee, unconscious of anything but her odds for survival. I think I can’t stand it, but of course I do.

Carsyn says MMA’s appeal to her is the very “purest sense of living in the moment,” like an upright physical chess game. You watch for your opponent’s “tell,” that indiscernible sign of their next move, then think strategically how to counter, and turn it to your advantage. Carsyn says it’s all about a wise expenditure of energy, avoiding an adrenaline dump, and developing a high fight IQ. Also sobering is the hurly-burly crude, gritty MMA fight culture. It’s an often hand-to-mouth existence. Drugs. Steroids. Tattoos. Rough living situations in ratty places. Sketchy moral codes. This Ground Zero of human psyche and harsh survival keeps me in a constant state of “high alert.”

Carsyn says what you fight for matters. Many fight to eat or feed their kids. When I ask why she fights, she says she needs the discipline, that it’s made her resilient. She loves the stripped-down existence, the sense of camaraderie and family.

“The MMA world is made of fire,” she says. “And I like it.”

How do I feel?

Proud!

Rather than just endure, maybe I need to toughen up myself and become more like Carsyn Lee, my Fighter Chick, who is teaching me so much about true grit.

Grit Fighter Mom, get your grit on. After all she’s your cub.

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MID

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ww 47

Where’s The Beef ?

Local Angus Farm Is a Cutting Edge Operation

L

Courtesy photos

Mark Duffell steers his Belgian horses in the Middleburg Christmas parade. who lived in their community, Bobby Davis. They spoke briefly, their only meeting until Duffell was preparing to attend Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) in Rome, Georgia. In the 1980s, custom fitters were used in the cattle industry to prepare and show cattle to promote farms and their breeding programs.

By Daniela Anderson

ess than 10 minutes from Middleburg, a man and his Border Collies take in a glorious Virginia sunset and stroll contentedly on a state-of-the-art 3,500-acre farm, truly a community treasure.

Over the last 32 years, Mark Duffell, Whitestone Farm’s managing partner, has brought the farm’s operations to the national forefront as an industry pioneer in cutting edge scientific technology and genetic research in the Black Angus cattle industry.

Davis approached Duffell at a show in Raleigh, N.C. and asked if he’d take off his college fall semester and work for him. Duffell says that job changed the trajectory of his life.

He worked for Davis on the show circuit and was responsible for the Angus division. At a show in Kentucky, he met his true life mentor, Paul Hill, considered a world-class Angus manager. Hill, who managed the Hayes Star Ranch in Travelers Rest, South Carolina, hired Duffell.

Duffell said he’s “never worked a day in his life” because he does what he loves. His remarkable journey includes legendary mentors, outstanding opportunities and a lifetime of dedication to his profession.

His passion runs deep for livestock, horses, and the cultivation of his gardens and the land, with the help of his beloved Belgian horses.

Both sets of grandparents owned farms near where he grew up in Starr Iva, South Carolina. His maternal grandparents’ farm remains in the family, and it’s said the King of England had gifted the Dean family thousands of acres. His grandfather mostly farmed cotton and used mules for years before turning to tractors.

His paternal grandparents also lived nearby. That grandfather worked in textiles, but also farmed vegetables using a family mule-pulled hand plow. At age five, Duffell often went out in the field. One of his fondest memories: walking in front of his grandpa, holding the plow’s support bar behind his mule, and together tilling the land.

Duffell’s affection for farming grew exponentially as he got older. He lived in a subdivision, not a farm, but his father helped him build a 100x16 foot chicken “palace.” He raised and traded many different breeds

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Mark Duffell of chickens, peacocks and other interesting fowl.

As a high-school freshman, he joined the Future Farmers of America (FFA), but had no animals of his own to show. A friend introduced him to an early mentor, Preacher Riddle, who raised performance cattle. In exchange for a show heifer, Duffell completed daily chores for the next three years at the farm, paying Riddle a dollar so the heifer could be legally transferred to his name.

Performance cattle usually don’t do well in the show ring, so Duffell’s heifer often finished last. Still, it honed his showmanship skills and he won that class all four years of high school, earning trips to the national FFA convention in Kansas City.

While in FFA, he once attended a judging contest at the farm of a national, custom-fitting legend

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2020

He worked there for a year and became a freelance fitter. By age 19, Duffel had shown in 42 states, also working for two other major operations, the R and J Ranch in Briggs, Texas and Silvera Brothers in Mendosa, California.

Hall was then asked to manage North Cote Farm in Lynchburg, owned by Al Stroobants of Belgium.

Duffell went with him, and decided he, too, wanted to become a manager, giving himself five years.

It was mission accomplished when he came to Middleburg and Whitestone in 1988. The farm is owned by George Lemm and his family partners.

Together, they’ve developed an operation that is a leader in the Black Angus industry.

Whitestone Farm will host its 27th annual Pasture Performance Tested Bull and Female Sale on March 28.

It’s open to the public. For details: www.whitestonefarm. com or 703-327-4863.

Say Cheese, Please at Harvue Farm

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By Carina Elgin

MAKE THE SWITCH TO

Free

heese. It’s a staple in every refrigerator.

But have you ever wondered where it comes from and how it’s made?

Does it come from a small herd of happy cows, who are known by name and can freely choose to snooze on a deeply bedded “free stall,” or wander out and graze as they choose, while supporting a multiAshley and Matt Hardesty with their children generational family-owned and two happy cows. farm? Or does it come from an industrial-like operation where the cows rarely see the light of day, or a blade of green grass.

At the Harvue Cheese operation near Berryville, the cows are definitely happy.

Despite the grueling hours, Ashley Hardesty of Harvue Farm, loves being a dairy farmer. “I love that farming is so multi-faceted, hard and challenging with every day different,” she said. “I love working with family and with animals.

It’s definitely a lifestyle, not a job.”

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She would know. Hardesty was raised on the Elgin family dairy farm near Middleburg, before her parents, Jim and Terri Elgin, moved to Orange in 2003 to run their own place. Terri had dairy farming roots, too, as her parents were part of the Williams family farm in Aldie, where substantial homes now stand in fields where cows once grazed.

Ashley earned a degree in dairy science from Virginia Tech, before marrying Matt.

Their two young children are fifth generation Hardestys on the farm in Clark County.

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Despite the many pressures facing family farms nationwide, the Hardesty family, which has been milking cows at their Harvue Farm since 1949, have no plans to shut their barn doors.

Dad David and son Matt oversee the milking of 350 registered Holstein cows and the farming of some 800 acres. The Hardestys are well-known in the industry for top-of-the-line genetics, and for showing their cows at all levels, even having a two-time Supreme Champion of The National Holstein Show, Harvue Roy Frosty. They enjoy encouraging young people in their community to get involved, and to know where their food comes from.

Harvue milk has always been sold the traditional way, through the Maryland Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association, to large processors who sell it under various store labels. Since 2003, their milk has also been sold under the Coop’s own brand, Maola, emphasizing the quality of local farmer-owned producers to the Mid-Atlantic market. Matt even appears on the cartons. But, the family still needed to do something different, to diversity, to “think outside the carton,”

By November, 2019, the Hardestys were ready to start selling Harvue Cheese, using milk from their own cows and processed at a small Pennsylvania cheese plant. Their first month was a huge success, with over 1,000 pounds sold.

“It was a heck of a December,” said Ashley, adding that they started with three cheeses, a mild cheddar, one with tomatoes and peppercorns, and, a garlic and chives cheddar, the best seller so far. Two new varieties, a horseradish cheddar and a beer cheddar, will be ready this February.

“Almost every early customer would buy cheese and tell a personal story of Jack “Gramps”, 4-H, or playing a sport with a Hardesty,” Ashley said. “This family has always been very active in the community, and it’s great to see the people of Berryville be so supportive of our cheese business. They’re genuinely excited for us to expand our dairy in order to maintain our farm.”

Harvue Cheese products will be sold throughout Northern Virginia, and interested retailers should contact Ashley at harvuecheese@gmail.com. They have a website (www.harvuecheese.com), and a Facebook page, Harvue Cheese. You can place an order to pick up at the farm or go to one of the retail outlets and farmer’s markets listed on line. More outlets are being added every week.

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Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2020

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Local Riders Win a World Championship The big prize for the ladies was a Golden Spur awarded at the General Assembly in Paris, headquarters for Fegentri.

Photo by Hoofprints, Inc.

The lady riders: U.S. Skylar Mckenna, Great Britain Jessica Gillam, Czech Republic Tereza Grbavcicova, Italy Danila Cherio, Hungary Virginia Drexler and Don Yovanovich.

By Don Yovanovich

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U.S. team of flat and steeplechase riders recently traveled to Oman, Switzerland, Germany, France, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, Morocco and Mauritius for the Ladies Nations Team of the Amateur Riders Club of America. The four riders included Eilidh Grant of The Plains and Emme Fullilove of Round Hill along with Bethany Baumgardner and Erika Taylor from Maryland.

Photo by Hoofprints, Inc.

In the winner’s circle at Delaware Park: GeSponsored by Longines, the rard Galligan , trainer Ricky Hendriks, Bethany competition for ladies, gentlemen, Baumgardner, and Don Yovanovich. and teams is presented by the Federation Internationale des Gentlemen-Riders et des Cava lie res (Fegentri) formed in 1955 and based in France. The 26-member group aims to promote amateur riding, encourage camaraderie and share the passion of race riding.

The U.S. women of the Amateur Riders Club of America (ARCA) competed in 14 races in ten countries of 26 races offered in 2019. They won four races in three countries, with four seconds and one fourth place finish leading up to the finals.

These races are the equivalent to the Olympic Games for horse racing. Because there are few amateur races in America, the odds of the United States winning a World Championship is a long shot at best. But determination, skill, and smart decisions brought them victory.

The trips to the foreign venues are remarkable, with opportunities for these young, aspiring riders, who could only dream of riding on some of the most famous and prestigious race courses in the world.

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“I am so proud of this team.

We’ve proven we can compete on a world level.”

—Don Yovanovich Photo by RJ Umberger /EQUI-PHOTO

Eilidh Grant of The Plains on Backcat.

“It’s insane the places we get to go and the horses we get to ride,” Eilidh Grant, 29, told Country ZEST. “Galloping up the backstretch at Chantilly [the famed racecourse near Paris, France] I thought I should pinch myself to prove it’s real.

It’s been an amazing journey.”

Grant scored three of the four American wins and had two seconds.

Baumgardner had the fourth win and one second. Fullilove and Taylor scored additional points to secure a final score of 75 points, just one point more than France in second place. France has been a perennial leader in Fegentri, with a lucrative amateur program of over 300 races a year in France alone. They’ve won at least one championship category almost every year.

The 2019 schedule started in Oman on April 6 and concluded on the small island of Mauritius for the December 1 finals. Residents of the island relish their horse racing and treated the riders as super stars. This U.S. victory marked the first time the Nations Award has ever been given, and team members agreed it was very special to be the first team to win.

The defending U.S. ladies team surely will have a target on their backs for 2020, but they’re ready.

Erika Taylor, 30, said “This program has given me so many great opportunities,” she said. “I’ve been so grateful for the past five years to travel around the world to such incredible places.”

The goal for the team is to create life-changing experiences. Not only are there opportunities to travel and make friends, but the platform is intended to give the riders a chance to make a critical decision, whether or not they can make a living from race riding.

Jump into Spring at the 100th Running of the

MIDDLEBURG SPRING RACES APRIL 18, 2020 Glenwood Park Racecourse Middleburg, VA Post Time 1:00pm

More than two-dozen professional jockeys had their earliest race experiences within the ARCA program. Many of the very best riders in the Middle Atlantic region are graduates of this program.

In Maryland, riders Trevor McCarthy, Forest Boyce and Weston Hamilton all began as amateurs, as well as other riders who keep their tack at Penn National, Parx Race Course, Charles Town or Delaware Park. In 2018, Hamilton was the first ARCA graduate to win an Eclipse Award as Leading Apprentice of the Year.

Julio Correa, who rode in ARCA races in 2017 and 2018, was a runner up for the 2019 Eclipse Award.

Said rider Emme Fullilove, 21, “Being part of the U.S. ladies team was easily the best part of 2019. I had the pleasure to ride races in Oman, Sweden, and Germany against ladies from other countries. It’s an incredible learning experience to see how horse racing and training is done around the world.

“While during the race we’re all competitive, off the course we’re all friends.

Even after the season is over, we keep in touch. Not only is it a privilege to ride against a top group of competitive international amateurs, it improved my riding a lot. Fegentri gives us the opportunity to travel, learn, and create memories and friendships that last a lifetime.”

Race and steeplechase trainer Don Yovanovich is based in Middleburg. He’s executive director of the Amateur Riders Club of America, a 501 C3 public charity. He selected and coached the U.S. Ladies team to victory. For more information, he can be reached at: dony13@aol.com. “We appreciate any funds friends are willing to contribute,” Yovanovich said.

Get your tickets today!

MiddleburgSpringRaces.com 540-687-6545

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2020

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Longtime trainer Mike Berryman Smiled His Way to the Finish Line Mike Berryman

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He worked hard, made time for his family and friends and smiled bright. What else is there?

By Sean Clancy

ike Berryman was everyman.

The affable, upbeat, horse trainer made a difference when he showed up at the races. Not in the record books, but more importantly, in our hearts.

Berryman, died January 24 at age 67. He brightened your day and it didn’t matter if you were riding a maiden claimer for him or sharing a shed row or passing him in the paddock. He simply made a positive difference.

He grew up in Middleburg and went to Banneker Elementary off the St. Louis Road, Douglas High School in Virginia, Dobyns Bennett High School in Tennessee and East Tennessee State University.

The last time, for me, was at the International Gold Cup over in The Plains in the fall. I hadn’t seen Berryman, once a mainstay from Camden to Camargo, for a while. I walked into the barn and caught that smile, that infectious, beaming, one-of-a-kind smile. It was just like Berryman, without a horse entered, there he was at the barn, with his people, in his element.

Sitting on a hay bale, back against a stall partition, Berryman introduced me to a woman friend, we laughed, reminisced, caught up on our lives.

I asked him about the music business, and he looked at me quizzically. I stammered, explaining that I thought he went into the music business. He laughed, almost scoffed, confused by my confusion.

Later, I realized he had been kidding when he told

me he was concentrating on his singing career after he retired from training horses. It was a punch line that lasted four years.

In my mind, I still hold the image of Mike picking a banjo at Tootsies Orchid Lounge, singing about road trips over mountain ranges and slow horses over bushes and posts.

I walked away, thinking about riding White Eyed Judge for Berryman at Saratoga, winning on Summer Island at Aiken in the fall, crashing on Willowark at Aiken the following spring. More than the horses, I thought about the soulfulness of the man. I’m glad I stopped and chatted. Life is about stopping and chatting.

As we do when a trainer, a jockey, an owner, a horse for that matter, leaves us, we checked Equibase, looking for statistics.

POINT-TO-POINTS

PAY!

STARTER REWARD PROGRAM RETURNS for the 2020 Spring Virginia Point to Point Races!

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Any Virginia Owned or Trained horse that starts in a flat, hurdle or timber race will recieve $200 per start.

VirginiaHorseRacing.com

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2020

Centralentryoffice.com

Berryman won 80 races and just over $1 million in his training career, one he stepped away from in 2016. The sport was poorer for his departure.

With Bruce Haynes, another icon gone way too soon, Berryman etched his name into the sport. It was a slow etch, but an etch just the same.

Berryman began with Gala Golightly for Rob Banner’s family.

The Maryland-bred son of Cougar II won at Tryon and Strawberry Hill way back in 1983. A decade later, Berryman was banging away, winning eight races in 1992, another eight in 1993, with horses who mostly were on their second or third tours of the sport.

Berryman and Haynes picked up the likes of English Reel, Exuberant Speed, Jog On and Doubledarn, horses moved to fill orders for others. Nobody logged more miles in a shorter amount of time than those two. When you rode for them, you better have hurried back to the barn to check on the horses because they were locked and loaded as soon as the horse was watered off.

Great to ride for, Berryman knew his horses, knew most were limited but never let that interfere or affect his approach or attitude.

Eventually, Berryman and his horses were priced out of our sport, unable to shop the local markets at long-gone whistle stops like Oxmoor, St. Louis and St. James. That is a void in our sport.

The oldest of five children, Berryman is survived by three daughters, seven grandchildren, a family of jockeys he gave a start to and a sport that will never be the same without him.

After retiring from training horses, Berryman was employed in the health care field as a caretaker for clients with developmental disabilities. He held several positions at Friendship Baptist Church in Johnson City. Mike met and fell in love with Myca Gray. They planned to get married and move back to Virginia. The music career would have to wait.

J

James Bushrod Adored His Horses

ames P. Bushrod, 87, a long-time Middleburg resident and a popular and well-known groom and trainer at the Middleburg Training Center, died on January 22 at Heritage Hall Nursing and Rehab Center in Leesburg, Bushrod, 87, worked at the training track or on local farms for most of his life. He loved working with horses so much, he only retired a few years ago. He also was an avid fisherman.

“He was an old fashioned horseman who worked alone and did everything himself,” said one long-time trainer at the Middleburg Training Track. “He worked for many years out of Barn Six, where several others had a few horses of their own.”

James Bushrod

Bushrod was born on September 18, 1932 in Leesburg, the son of the late Clarence Bushrod and Rose Jackson Bushrod. On June 29, 1957, he married the late Irene Bushrod (Marshall) and together, they shared 52 years.

He was a loving and devoted father of Carleton N. Preston of Dumfries, James F. Bushrod of Leesburg, Sharon Anderson of Leesburg, Arnisha Murillo and her husband Simon of Woodbridge and the late Michael Bushrod; brother of the late Rose Helm and proud grandfather of 11 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.

MORE THAN JUST A FARM STORE!

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2020

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Hunt

Photos by Middleburg Photo

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obert Mihlbaugh of Middleburg Hunt hosted a Boxing Day hunt breakfast. Country ZEST Food Editor Daniela Anderson prepared a delightful feast at his home, Tarlton Farm.

Sweet dreams Evan Dombrowsky

Jennifer Rose and Robert Mihlbaugh

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BREAKFAST The breakfast included: Virginia peanut soup, spinach casserole and (of course) ham biscuits.

Holly Rachel Smith and Jeff Blue

Nick Greenwell with his son Ashley (aka as Dash) in tow and Steven Putnam

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2020

Luc Dejager, Chet Moore and Greg Grigorian

Preston Moore and Jim Nichols

Senator Jill H. Vogel January Legislative Update The 2020 Senate Session convened January 8th at the Capitol in Richmond for the 401st year. All 140 members of the new General Assembly were sworn in, the House and Senate reorganized under new Democratic leadership, and Governor Northam gave his State of the Commonwealth address. Committee assignments were announced and for the next four years I will serve on the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, General Laws and Technology Committee, Rules Committee, Privileges and Elections Committee; Joint House/Senate Rules Committee and Finance subcommittees on General Laws, Health and Human Resources and Claims. Senate Finance is my most significant responsibility as this session the committee crafts an entirely new 2-year budget for the Commonwealth.

In the months preceding session, I met with local governments, public safety officials, school boards, supervisors, civic organizations, and community advocates in each of the seven jurisdictions in the 27th District. Many of their requests are part of my current legislation. A partial list of bills that I have introduced includes: Improved treatment protocols for substance use-related emergencies; Creation of higher education work group and implementation of teaching practices for dyslexia and literacy, multisensory structured language education; Opioid access reduction through home hospice disposal of deceased’s unused drugs left in the home; A cap on interest and fees for pay day loans; Workers compensation for firefighters with cancer diagnoses associated with toxic exposures; Improved incentive for investment in solar and recycling equipment; A Hope Card Program for permanent protective orders; Reporting of unprofessional conduct by health professionals; Amendment to the Charter of the Town of Middleburg; Speeding fines increased on certain high accident roadways in Fauquier County; Electronic speed indicator signs on U.S. Route 17; Speed limits for certain vehicles on U.S. Route 17; Workers’ compensation to include PTSD for law-enforcement officers and firefighters Prompt payment by contractors to subcontractors; Music therapy licensure; Signage and road markings for cyclists; Change in rules for distillers’ licenses, remote stores and tasting rooms; Increase in special event licenses permitted for localities; Increase in resources to accommodate Winchester City elected School Board; Grant funding for Acute Stabilization in Drug or Alcohol Emergencies; Additional resources for the Career Prosecutors Program; Funding for the education facility at Clermont Farm; Support for the Shihadeh Innovation Center Winchester Public Schools; Resources to provide information cards for individuals with protective orders; A 5% raise for teachers over each of the next two years; Hub for Innovation, Virtual Reality and Entrepreneurship education in the northern valley in partnership with Shenandoah University; Resources for Clerks of the Circuit Court; and Support for the Laurel Center intervention programs for domestic and sexual violence and workforce training.

This marks the first session in 26 years where Democrats have majorities in the House and Senate with a Democrat serving as Governor. It has brought an immediate change to the direction of the legislature. January 3rd, we held a pre-session public forum for people in the region to address the budget and other matters. Large numbers turned out to advocate for budget revisions, while others testified about concerns over bills proposed that would negatively affect business, taxes and the Second Amendment. That day I listened to almost six hours of testimony from my constituents. It was just a wind up to the activity that we see at the Capitol now. A crush of communications are pouring in to our office as we fight for what is important to our district and press through the several hundred bills left to consider.

We welcome your feedback and encourage visitors to the Capitol. Please contact our office any time that you have questions or concerns. I can be reached during the General Assembly session at 804-698-7527, P.O. Box 397, Richmond, VA 23218 or email at district27@senate.virginia.gov.

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2020

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PROPERTY Writes

F Plains.

Fabulous Fidelio Is Luxury Personified

Grand entrance to 12,000 square foot villa home

idelio, an enchanting estate named after Beethoven’s opera, sits on 61 immaculate acres that can’t help but catch the eye from the road navigating from Middleburg to The

Upon entering the six-bedroom Neoclassical villa home, a lavish reception gallery sets the stage for 20,000 square feet of breathtaking architectural features. Vaulted ceilings, 12 sets of French doors, limestone floors and exquisite detailing sweep through both the east and west wings.

The striking details of the library, notably the “Terrarum Notarum” (“The Known World”) ceiling fresco by Patrick Shields, defines the spectacular space. Detailed millwork, clerestory windows and a cast stone mantel with fireplace are a few of the unique elements adding to the allure of this space.

A formal stairway featuring period sconces ascend to the upper level grand corridor, providing access to the luxurious master suite. Delicate detailing, built in banquettes, restful views of the formal gardens, a private east-covered verandah, and sunset terrace to the west create an atmosphere of serenity and ease.

Front angle aerial of villa, property and rolling land

Located a short stroll from the villa is a guest house with a large open kitchen, lofty ceilings, recessed lighting throughout, reclaimed oak floors, mantel and fireplace unifying the design elements of Fidelio. Two decorative niches flank the entryway to the mosaic style swimming pool overlooking views of the tennis courts with glimpses of the Little River beyond.

A refined flagstone walkway leads to the fully equipped three-bedroom guest house with full kitchen, breakfast bar, living room, and two full bathrooms. Presently serving as an artist’s studio is an expansive space located beneath the stone cottage, which also has been used as an equestrian center and multi-car garage suitable for the avid collector.

Fidelio encompasses modern sophistication and luxurious amenities, making this distinctive masterpiece a noteworthy Virginia treasure. Offered at $8,750,000.

Aerial view of entire estate and rolling land, exquisite landscaping

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Gourmet kitchen with windows overlooking east formal gardens and views of south courtyard

Backyard view of beautiful natural and formal gardens

The “Terrarum Notarum� ceiling fresco defines the spectacularly detailed library space

A flagstone walkway leads to the fully renovated stone cottage with reclaimed oak floors

Two-story estate office and art studio complementing the villa

Paul MacMahon/Sheridan MacMahon 110 E. Washington St. P. O. Box 1380 Middleburg, VA 20118 540-687-5588 www.sheridanmacmahon.com Instagram: @paulmacmahon_sheridanmacmahon The master bedroom provides every comfort ensuring both privacy and luxury.

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2020

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ALL IN THE FAMILY T he National Sporting Library and Museum is holding a memorial exhibition celebrating the life of the late Phyllis Mills Wyeth and featuring a selection of 31 paintings and drawings created by her husband, contemporary artist Jamie Wyeth. It will be on view through June 28th and reflects Phyllis’ vibrant spirit and love of nature, horses, and her ever-present dogs. “This is a personal exhibition for our community,” said NSLM’s Vice Chairman, Jacqueline B. Mars, who underwrote the exhibition and was a lifelong friend of Phyllis Wyeth. “We fox-hunted together with Orange County from a young age,” Mars said.

Jamie Wyeth (American, b. 1946) And Then Into the Deep Gorge (1975), oil on canvas, 36 x 46 inches on loan from The Phyllis and Jamie Wyeth Collection

Jamie Wyeth (American, b. 1946) Connemara (1987), oil on canvas, 37 x 73 inches on loan from The Phyllis and Jamie Wyeth Collection

Jamie Wyeth (American, b. 1946) Sable (1988), oil and gesso on panel, 30 x 40 inches on loan from The Phyllis and Jamie Wyeth Collection

Jamie Wyeth (American, b. 1946) Winner’s Circle, Belmont Stakes (2012/2019), oil and acrylic on panel, 36 x 30 inches on loan from The Phyllis and Jamie Wyeth Collection

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Jamie Wyeth (American, b. 1946) Iggy Visits Union Rags—Fairhill 2011 (2011), mixed media on toned paper, 4 ¼ x 8 ¾ inches on loan from The Phyllis and Jamie Wyeth Collection

Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2020

Licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia

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Marshall ~ A French country home in the prestigious horse and wine country of Northern Fauquier County. Sited on 50 acres with views of rolling pastures, a spring fed pond and the Blue Ridge Mountains.... $1,850,000

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Middleburg ~ Beautiful traditional all brick center hall Colonial on 3.36 professionally landscaped acres just minutes to historic village of Middleburg. Meticulously cared for by owners makes this home... $1,125,000

Marshall ~ Turnkey rambler style home lovingly redesigned over the years to create an open, light-filled feel. Owners are local artists and their attention to detail is evident throughout. Features open foyer,... $687,500

Delaplane ~ Located in the historic village, this 4 BR, 2.5 BA home has been meticulously renovated. Features original hardwood floors, 5 fireplaces, formal Living Room, Dining Room and new go... $670,000

See all our fine estates and exclusive properties in hunt country by visiting THOMASANDTALBOT.com

THOMAS & TALBOT REAL ESTATE A Staunch Supporter of Land Easements

1967

LAND AND ESTATE AGENTS Middleburg, VA 20118 (540) 687- 6500

2020

Offers 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.

Licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia

JOHN COLES 540-270- 0094 REBECCA POSTON 540-771-7520

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760 ACRES/LEESBURG

MUSTER LANE

Upperville ~ This impressive 1511 acre Estate & Prize Winning Cattle Farm is an assemblage of 3 contiguous farms, which can be purchased separately. Through the exceptional management, which is willing to stay, this is some of the most magnificent farmland with 33 verdant pastures, natural water resources and forest, which creates a $13,000,000 haven of tranquility.

Rare, 760 Acre Working Farm, 5 minutes north of the Town of Leesburg, currently in crops, hay, cattle and sheep. Four residences include the historic main house and 3 tenant homes. Substantial Rt. 15 road frontage. This open land features streams and pond. Currently in 2 large tracts and 1 small parcel. Potential for Conservation Easement Tax $8,600,000 Credits.

The Plains ~ 108 gorgeous Acres, This Stately and Historic Estate with its grand rooms is in prime Orange County Hunt Territory, minutes to Middleburg. It also features a pool and pool house, 5 bay garage with office, 2 tenant houses, newly remodeled 11 stall center aisle stable with apt. & office, riding arena and exceptional ride-out to wooded trails and $7,250,000 open pastures.

HIDDEN TRAIL

Marshall ~ The 152 acre horse farm of Chilly Bleak has beautiful open gently rolling pastures and fields in prime Orange County Hunt Territory. The historic fieldstone home dates to 1820 with later additions creating a 5 BR, 5 BA home with stone terrace and pool. Two Stables - 15 stalls and 6 stalls, Kraft Walker, 8 paddocks, 6 fields, 3 cottages. The home is perfectly sited for privacy with easy access to I66 and Rt. 50. VOF Easement. Shared listing $3,750,000 with Sotheby’s.

CHILLY BLEAK

TULEYRIES Boyce ~ Exquisite Federal Style Mansion, c.1833, features 12’ ceilings, dramatic curved stairway and 5 en-suite bedrooms. Sited on 406 Acres in 3 parcels with Easement Potential. Built by Joseph Tuley, Jr., later purchased by Graham Blandy, who bequeathed over half of the original estate to the University of Virginia (State Arboretum of Virginia). Estate includes 3 tenant houses, 12 stall stable with renovated 3 bd. apt. $5,000,000 & numerous historic structures.

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The Plains ~ Magnificent horse property in the midst of the serene countryside. From the picturesque Young Road two driveways access the 107 acres of Hidden Trail Farm. The first leads to one of the finest indoor arenas surrounded by exquisite ride out. The second is the graceful, park-like drive, which parallels a creek and then gently curves left to $4,900,000 the elegant manor home.

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MORELAND FARM SMITTEN FARM LANE The Plains ~ Finely built custom residence on 16 Acres minutes from Middleburg in Prime Orange County Hunt Territory. Designed for Grand Entertaining both inside and outside. The rooms graciously open into one another and lead out to the deep porches, which wrap the home and overlook the pool, grounds, gardens and conservatory. $2,950,000

Delaplane ~ Spectacular Views! Approximately 250 Acres in 2 parcels. The primary parcel of 142 acres features the 3 BR/3 BA stone home accessed from Moreland Road, 2 tenant homes and numerous supporting structures including a large 4 bay machine shed. The second parcel of 107 acres is on the opposite side of Moreland Road, and currently offers a 2 BR tenant home with potential to build an additional primary dwelling. The 2 parcels may be purchased in total or separately, neither of which may be further divided. $2,426,000

DESTINAIRE FARM Hume ~ Impeccably maintained, exquisite 118 Acre horse farm with indoor dressage ring. 10 fields and paddocks with 4 board fencing, gently rolling land & panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains with glimpses of Skyline Drive. In addition to the stucco and stone main residence, there are guest and tenant homes, numerous barns and run-ins to house 25 horses comfortably. $1,950,000

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THOMAS & TALBOT REAL ESTATE A Staunch Supporter of Land Easements

1967

LAND AND ESTATE AGENTS Middleburg, VA 20118 (540) 687- 6500

2020

Offers 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.