Clarke Observer February 2017

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vaobserver.com Roy’s Upholstery: From Boats to Buggies

By Claire Stuart

ON THE COVER Doug Pifer’s winter tale as a great blue heron’s hunting companion. Photo by Matthias Zomer.

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Aging

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Around Clarke County

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Real Estate

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As the Crow Flies

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Healthy Outlook

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News Briefs

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F EBRUARY 201 7 :

FROM THE EDITOR STAFF

David Lillard, Editor/Publisher Jennifer Welliver, Associate Publisher Aundrea Humphreys, Art Director Hali Taylor, Proofreader

CONTRIBUTORS Karen Cifala Jess Clawson Wendy Gooditis Victoria Kidd Doug Pifer JiJi Russell Claire Stuart

COVER PHOTO Matthias Zomer

ADVERTISING SALES Jennifer Welliver

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Laugh it off, play some hoops Hanging in the hallway at my old high school are the basketball team pictures from the past 40 years. A player in the center of the front row in each picture holds a basketball identifying the year — “62-63,” “63-64,” “64-65,” etc. One day our coach spotted a freshman looking curiously at the photos. Turning to Coach, he said, “Isn’t it strange how the teams always lost by one point?”

Ba dum dum.

The psychology instructor had just finished a lecture on mental health and had proceeded to give an oral quiz to the freshman class. Speaking specifically about bipolar disease, the instructor asked, “How would you diagnose a patient who walks back and forth screaming at the top of his lungs one minute, then sits in a chair weeping uncontrollably the next?” A young man in the rear of the room raised his hand and answered, “A basketball coach?”

So the world is going haywire, and all we can do is joke about college basketball and March Madness? Yes, that’s exactly right. Because one of the great casualties of our times is becoming the loss of laughter.

And it might be spreading. As Frank Layden

explains it: “I told one player, ‘Son, I can’t understand it with you. Is it ignorance or apathy?’ He said, ‘Coach, I don’t know and I don’t care.’”

But seriously. College basketball is the timehonored way to celebrate how higher education and sports go hand-in-hand to mold character.

One could be an athlete and a great student. As Charles Barkley once put it, when asked about his high GPA: “All I know is, as long as I led the Southeastern Conference in scoring, my grades would be fine.”

Then there was the coach talking about his star forward. A reporter had said, “He’s great on the court, but how’s his scholastic work?” “Why, he makes straight A’s,” replied the coach. “Wonderful!” said the sportswriter. “Yes,” agreed the coach, “but his B’s are a little crooked.”

Basketball does have a way of breaking down barriers. When you’re in a neighborhood game, everyone is just a player. I play in an over– 40-basketball league. We don’t have jump balls.

The ref just puts the ball on the floor and whoever can bend over and pick it up gets possession.

The losers are forced to watch the news on TV.

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Aging

Seniors and Dating: Is Love Ageless?

By Karen Cifala

VAOBSERVER.COM

It so happens that I am a Valentine baby, and February is one of my favorite months of the year. It’s sweetheart month. It’s also still cold, but the prospect of warm spring days, budding roots, and bears emerging from their dens inspires me to think more about new beginnings and a new year.

So may I ask you … When was the last time you had a conversation with your mom or grandmother about dating or love or intimacy? Choke … um … never. Actually that’s not entirely true for me. After thinking about this, I do remember asking my grandmother when she was in her mid-70s if she had considered dating another man, or if she ever wanted to go out with another man after my grandfather died in his 60s.

Here’s the choke part, and her response was priceless; “Are you kidding? I have no interest in washing another man’s underwear,” was her exact answer.

So there you have it. I found out a long time ago that this topic was a very sensitive subject, at least with my grandmother, but I’ve also learned that a senior’s love life is not researched very much, much less discussed.

Betty Friedan’s book “The Fountain of Age” helps to define and explain some of the expectations, and redefine modes of intimacy and sexuality that are not based on when you were 40! She writes: “Before it’s too late… we can choose to tear down the walls that we have built up against intimacy, choose to take the risk of it, choose to create the experiences, reunions

that will keep it alive, over the distances of time and space. But space itself, and time too, must be created anew; we have to use it differently, move maybe to a different space, for the bonds of intimacy to continue to grow and nourish us in age.”

Baby boomer, listen up. Because of social media, YOU have expanded this topic into the mass media and we have seen an increase in personal services and products tailored to boomers and seniors. The online sites for finding companionship are endless. We all know we are living decades longer, staying healthier, and have more wisdom, and the expectations and desires are much different than when you were 30 or 40.

While we know that logistics are difficult in older years (I call it the GUD factor, Geographically Undesirable), there are other factors that can also make it challenging

to form romantic relationships: • Older men might feel inferior because they are less virile.

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Older women come to see themselves as unattractive.

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Older men often seek younger women to start a new family rather than pairing up with someone closer in age.

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Women live 8 years longer than men. Many lonely widowed women out there; at assisted living it is an average of 7 women for every man.

To complement these difficulties, I’ve discovered an interesting list of 9 things that maybe you hadn’t considered yet for older dating adults: (Brought to you by Stitch.net) It’s not your age that matters; what’s important is what shape you are in, how healthy

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you are, and what activities you can do. Age is a secondary measure. For example: if you are an active 70-year-old woman, you might be more interested in an 82-year-old man who can share your activities. And vice versa: maybe you are a 78-yearold who loves wine and movies who might be a great match for a 65-year-old man.

Looks don’t matter as much.

When you get older being “hot” or “sexy” is more a function of your personality than how you look. The wisdom that comes with being older is that you know that looks have very little to do with whether someone is kind, loving, and caring.

Dinner dates are important.

Who likes to think of themselves always eating alone and cooking for themselves? Unlike when you are young, it’s not meeting at the bar and drinks that’s important: it’s dinner.

Dating doesn’t mean the ultimate goal is love and marriage.

The online dating/marriage is far from universal for older adults. While flirting is nice, travel and sharing favorite activities go a long way.

Is it about one companion?

Many older adults that are not looking for that single life partner for the next 2 or 3 decades might need multiple companions; dinner-date companion, travel companion, hiking or gardening or a bridge partner.

It’s really okay and it’s not infidelity. It’s just common sense and older adults recognize that one person may not be the solution to all their social needs.

Talking versus texting.

Huffington Post recently said “Kids, you’ve heard of phone calls, right? Did you know that there’s an app on your smartphone that lets you talk out loud to family and friends? Ask your grandparents about it.”

Making the call makes all the difference.

Trust is hyper-important.

Need I say more?

Older adults are far more refreshingly open minded. Unlike match.com where young people have a clearly defined set of filters for that “perfect match,” older adults don’t let pre-conceived notions interfere as much on who would be the right partner.

Online dating stinks. Get out there into your commu-

nity; volunteer, join a cause or maybe a book club, a hiking club, or a wine tasting event.

Share your energy with others, and let others share theirs with you.

One more aspect I’d like to mention; older people deserve just as much autonomy in their lives as any other adults – the opportunity to learn, live, and love. It’s understandable that this might test the concerns of grown children who fear that there are ulterior motives and such, which might be legitimate in some circumstances, but come on -- do you really think that life ends at 60?

This reminds me of a song I grew up listening to: “you know that you’re over the hill when your mind makes a promise that your body can’t fill” Little Feat Old Folks Boogie 1977 – “ a doctor of the heart is a doctor of mine”.

Karen Cifala is a Realtor for Remax Roots in Berryville VA. Her love of senior topics is endless and real. She welcomes your interaction.

You can reach her on her cell 303-8179374, office 540-955-0911 or by email kcifala@gmail.com

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Around Clarke County Promote your event in TO Send notices by the 1st of the preceding month to jennifer@vaobserver.com. Keep event descriptions to 125 words, following the format of these pages. One or two CMYK photos, saved as tiff or jpg at 200 dpi, are always welcome.

February

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/19 Poetry Workshop

With Wendell Hawkins. Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville.

Open to anyone aged 17 and older interested in creative self-expression. Noon to 2pm each day. Each participant’s work will be reviewed in a collegiate and supportive atmosphere. Examples of various poetic forms will be examined as they relate to the student poems being discussed. With an MFA in Poetry, Hawken is an award-winning poet with two chapter books and one full collection. Her second collection, “White Bird” is forthcoming in August 2017 from Future Cycle Press. $15 in advance for both sessions. For information visit barnsofrosehill.org.

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Fall Film Series

Marguerite. Barns of Rose Hill.

95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville. Barns of Rose Hill and Magic Lantern Theater present Marguerite. Released a year before Meryl Streep’s “Frances Foster Jenkins,” this French film also takes inspiration from the real-life story of a society matron devoted to singing opera — despite her decidedly tin ear. “Marguerite” has light moments and hits many of the same notes (the protagonist’s passion for music, her audiences’ hypocrisy), but also the darker notes of a failing marriage. In French w/English s/t. “’Marguerite’ is a shining star, a film that will set you laughing and thinking in equal

measure” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch). Rated R. 129 minutes. Doors open at 3:30.

Film starts at 4. $8 nonmembers. $5 for Barns of Rose Hill & Magic Lantern Theater Members. For information visit barnsofrosehill.org.

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2016 James Bland Music Competition

Sponsored by the Clarke County Lions Club. Barns of Rose Hill, 95 Chalmers Ct., Berryville, VA. Come out to support our talented local middle and high school student contestants as they showcase their vocal and instrumental musical talent and compete for the chance to advance to the next level of competition.

Doors open at 5:30. Competition starts at 6. Free event. For information visit barnsofrosehill.org.

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Soul-full Community Meal

Duncan Memorial United Methodist Church. 210 E.Main Street.

Berryville. 5:30–6:30pm. This month’s meal will be prepared by Zion and St. Luke’s Baptist Churches. Free. For information call 540-955-1264.

Vera Bradley Bingo will be held on March 18 to benefit the Blue Ridge Center for Therapeutic Horsemanship.

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Ham and Turkey Dinner

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The Russian Duo

Cash Party

Blue Ridge Fire Hall. 131 Retreat Road. Bluemont. Doors open at 5:30. Dinner at 7pm. $1000 grand prize. $100 to $500 card games. Lots of chances to win. $25 per person. Tickets are available at the door or from any member.

For information visit www.blueridgefire.org.

March Boyce Fire Hall. 7 South Greenway Avenue. Benefits White Post United Methodist Church. 4– 7pm. Free will offering.

Spring Classical Music Series.

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville. A Magical Collaboration Between Virtuoso Balalaika & Concert Piano. Russian Duo is an international project, born out of a love of traditional music and classical elegance. Oleg Kruglyakov, balalaika virtuoso, and Terry Boyarsky, masterful pianist, have teamed up for exuberant performances of soulful, passionate music. Doors open at 7. Show starts at 8. $20 in advance. $25 at the door. 12 and under free. For information visit www. barnsofrosehill.org.

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Grand Opening

Berryville Sanctuary. 208 N. Buckmarsh Street. Berryville. Celebrate the opening of The Sanctuary, Berryville’s new Wellness Center.

Meet the practitioners, tour the new space and enjoy some light fare & music. Join in the ribbon cutting at 2:30 along with Berryville’s Mayor & Historic Main Street manager. The Sanctuary is a community of Integrative Therapists dedicated to restoring Health, Vitality & Joy.

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Community Church Choir Sing

Berryville Baptist Church. 114 Academy St. Berryville. 7pm. A Community Church Choir Sing will benefit the Stone’s Chapel Memorial Association. Various church choirs from the community will share their special musical selections as well as join together at the end of the program for a special hymn. An offering will be taken during the service to assist with the repairs and maintenance of the historic Stone’s Chapel, built in 1848 and located near the intersection of Crum’s Church Road and Old Charles Town Road in northern Clarke County.

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The Honey Dewdrops

along with Zoe and Cloyd. Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville. Laura Wortman and Kagey Parrish share more than most couples.

As the Honey Dewdrops, they share stages from venues to festivals across North America, stretches of rolling, infinite roadway, and a lot of songs; they share one mic and a hunger to pay attention to what endures. This hunger to explore and document is evident in their 2012 release Silver Lining, a Top Ten record on national Folk and Americana stations. Zoe & Cloyd spring from deep roots in American music. Founding members of the acclaimed Americana trio, Red June and long-time veterans of the Asheville, NC mu-

sic scene, Natalya Zoe Weinstein and John Cloyd Miller shifted gears to their duet project after the birth of their daughter in early 2015. Their debut recording, Equinox, released in April 2015, features original and traditional repertoire spanning bluegrass, old-time and folk and showcases the elegant simplicity of two instruments and two voices. The album met with high acclaim in publications such as No Depression and Bluegrass Unlimited, among others. Their banner year continued with a 1st place win at the Duo Contest at the prestigious FreshGrass Festival in North Adams, Massachusetts. Look for the couple in 2016 at MerleFest, Music City Roots, and more! Doors open at 7. Show starts at 8. $15 in advance. $20 at the door. 12 and under free. For information visit www.barnsofrosehill.org.

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Vera Bradley Bingo

also Premier Designs/Thirty-One. John H. Enders Fire Hall. 9 S. Buckmarsh St. Berryville. Doors open at 1pm and Bingo starts at 2. Event benefits the non-profit Blue Ridge Center for Therapeutic Horsemanship. $20 in advance. $25 at the door. 14 prize-filled games.

Raffles for Grand Prize. 50/50 and themed baskets. Chili, snacks and beverages available. Proceeds will provide scholarships for students with special needs and funds to help care for our therapy horses and ponies. 540-533-2777 or brcthinc@hotmail.com. Tickets can be purchased online at brcthmarchbingo.bpt.me.

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Tom Parker Realtor

Wellness Wednesday.

Tea and Talk at The Sanctuary Wellness Center. 208 N. Buckmarsh Street. Berryville.

12–1:30pm. Come to The Sanctuary to talk all things Well & Good. Share, listen and participate in growing your knowledge of wellness over a cup of tea. Bring a bite to eat over your lunch hour.

703-727-3665 tomparker@remax.net

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Real Estate

Bel Voi: Town and Country Estate

by Wendy Gooditis There is an old homestead within the Berryville town limits, on town water and sewer, within two minutes of pizza or a can of paint. It is two minutes from the highway that runs over the mountain to the wealth of jobs in Northern Virginia. But the house believes it is still in the countryside of 1807, the year it was built. It rests serenely on its knoll, gazing toward the Shenandoah River at the blue and purple mountain ridge across the fields. The sun rises there. The sky first darkens there, as it has

for more than two centuries.

And the house rests.

It has seen a lot of history.

A lot of changes in culture, way of life, laws. Its builder was a young man whose family moved from New Jersey, rested here awhile, then continued to Kentucky without him because he had started to sprout roots here during their interlude. He built the main brick structure, and, once planted in the fertile soil, became the Deputy Sheriff at age 18, and acquired lots of land and a merchant business.

From the Civil War to the 1950s

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the house was apparently a tenant house. Then it was bought and the adding on began. The 1950s addition expanded the house by a couple of rooms downstairs and a couple more up. Then in the 1970s, the huge dining room was added on the back, plus a further extension out the side. Now the house is big and rambling in the best possible way.

The central part of the house has not changed much. Just inside the front door, the old wooden staircase climbs three stories. Maybe it’s unorthodox to start with the upstairs, but I am being called. I slide my hand up the handrail on the lovely old bannister, listening to the quiet the house is giving me. As I reach the top, I feel I am in 1845, about to meet two barefooted children in muslin, carrying hoops and slingshots.

Or a man tying his stock tie in preparation for a ride into town to see a man about a new farm wagon. The house remembers these people and those times.

Some people love the little ups and downs, twists and turns of these old houses, and I am one of them. Turn and go up another flight? Or up a step here or there to the bedrooms? I choose the bedrooms.

This blue one with the fireplace and great big windows? Or this one at the back, also with a fireplace? Both with full bathrooms for us modern types. I’m glad I don’t have to choose. Up a step and down the hall to another full bathroom, another sweet bedroom, and a large yet cozy studio space. Ah. I am in the side addition now. A house with room to spread out.

I wind my way back, through the hall, and take the last flight up to the top level. When I finally remember that I can’t spend

all day gazing out the window there, I peek behind the antique door into the generous attic, and then return down the stairs. Now I enter the living room – all space and dignified woodwork, with its fireplace. In my mind’s eye I see two women, about 1910 or so: one embroidering initials on a handkerchief and one knitting squares for an afghan. A cat purrs by the fire, while the two children lie on the floor looking at picture books. I snap back to the present and go back and then into the dining room, which is certainly one of the finest dining rooms in Clarke County, and that’s saying something.

Talk about room to entertain!

This is a huge, gorgeously paneled room with storage hidden behind the paneling, many windows, and — yes — a fireplace. Suddenly I’m in 1974, in the midst of a cocktail party.

The room is so spacious, no one spills a drop, even with all the animated chatter.

Around the corner to the beautifully thought-out kitchen – all modern conveniences and warmth – then on down a couple of stairs past utility, laundry, pantry rooms, yet another bathroom, into the wonderful family room with yet another fireplace, slate floor, office or TV nook, built-in bookshelves, and enough atmosphere to relax even a person living in our modern times. In 2017, I sit in a deep armchair, lean my head back, and soak up the calm.

Eventually, I stand up and stretch, and then find my way past the adorable halfbath near the front door, and around to the steps down to the true English basement with windows on three sides of the main room. Plus – a fireplace. (!) The door outside goes to a

brick walk to the guest house: no stairs up. This basement definitely does not feel like a basement. I long to look into 2025 and see the leather club chairs pulled up around the fire while a group of cheering fans watches the Super Bowl.

So the indoors has you covered for winter coziness and hot chocolate by the fire, and the outdoors has you covered for beautiful summer days, with the deep front porch floored in herring-bone brick, ceiling fan wafting air from above. In 2038, on the adjoining brick patio, I see many barbecues taking place while the children play in the playhouse with – get this – running water. I kid you not.

(Did I tell you? The house loves children.) The 11 acres provide the privacy and beauty that make this house a real haven for busy modern people. The weekend guests walk over from the brick guest house, past the old stone smokehouse cum garden shed. The huge, HUGE tree presides over all, as it has for countless decades.

The mountain view is still there. The house still rests, and shelters its occupants.

Lovely Bel Voi is ready to shelter new occupants. Know of anyone in need of a home that’s also a retreat that’s also convenient that’s also built to last that’s also just plain wonderful?

Wendy Gooditis is a real estate agent on the Chip Schutte Real Estate Team with ReMax Roots at 101 East Main St., Berryville, VA 22611, phone (540)955-0911. Wendy would be happy to answer any questions you may have about real estate, and can be reached at gooditis@visuallink.com or at (540)533-0840.

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As the Crow Flies

BUDGET

Great Blue Heron In Winter Story and image by Doug Pifer

We pulled into the driveway, got out of the car and saw a big bird on a branch preening its feathers. Perched in a big hackberry tree at the edge of the woods, the great blue heron looked enormous.

We’d seen blue herons flying overhead and fishing in the creek all year long. But this was the 19th of December. By this time most great blue herons have migrated southward.

Still, it isn’t that unusual to see a great blue heron in the winter, particularly if the weather has been mild and the streams and ponds stay open. But if the weather remains cold, herons will likely move southward.

I’ve watched occasional great blue herons hunting for field mice far from water during the winter. Typically, they use the same method to catch prey whether wading through water or among tall grasses and weeds. The bird is a study in caution, alternately standing statue-still with neck outstretched or striding carefully and purposefully along. The instant prey is spotted the heron’s neck folds into a tight S, the bird leans forward, and at the right moment thrusts its bill downward to harpoon its prey. Friends of mine who are expert fly-fisherman have told me they imitate the deliberate “stop and go” style of a great blue heron when they fish for trout.

This heron was perched facing us, standing on one leg while the other was tucked up and hidden by the long plumes that streamed from his chest.

The black stripes on its head, white crown and prominent

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plume feathers on its chest indicated it was an adult bird. I looked out several times during the evening, and the bird never left its perch until after dark.

Five days later, the morning of Christmas Eve, the big heron was back in the same hackberry tree just above the creek. It ignored me as I set up the spotting scope, which revealed striking detail. Perched with its back towards me, the heron’s handsome back plumes spread out like an upside-down fan.

A light rain was falling. Droplets ran off the curved plumes and off the end of the heron’s dagger-like bill. I mounted the phone camera on the scope and got several photos as it twisted its long neck around to preen its feathers. A bit of down remained stuck on the end of

its bill. From time to time the big bird looked around warily or shifted on its perch, but soon tucked up one leg and resumed resting. Later in the day it stopped raining and when I looked out, the heron had gone.

In West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland, great blue herons’ numbers remain reasonably high. Herons have few predators except mankind, yet they remain wary and shy.

They nest singly or in groups in remote forested areas high in trees. Nesting colonies are vulnerable to human disturbance, which can result in nest abandonment. When adult birds are disturbed and leave the nest, their eggs and young become more vulnerable to predation by crows, raccoons, bald eagles and great horned owls.

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Crow’s Nest

By Betsy Arnett

Walking up the brick path from Church Street to the front porch of the Crow’s Nest, it is not hard to imagine how the stately house must have looked in about 1850 when Thomas Crow and his family moved into their newly built home. At that time, the Crow mansion stood on 46 acres on the southern edge of Berryville. Today, the house is an apartment building, with ten one- and two-bedroom apartments, surrounded by other houses and buildings in the heart of town.

Born in Virginia in 1809, Thomas Humphrey Crow was a merchant and farmer, who owned considerable property in Clarke County, including a store on Main Street in Berryville and a farm of over 200 acres south of town. In 1832, he married Frances Amelia Shepherd. Thomas and Frances had nine children, seven of whom survived to adulthood. In 1848, Thomas began construction of a new home for his large family, just south of Berryville. The

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main house was completed in 1850 with the rear wing, initially slaves’ quarters and later servants’ quarters, added in 1851. Also in 1851, the youngest Crow daughter, Ida, was born, the only person to be born in the house.

Crow’s Nest is a two-story Greek Revival brick mansion with a raised basement. The Crows no doubt selected many of the house’s ornamental details, including the classical Ionic capitals on the front portico columns, from architectural stylebooks popular at that time.

During the Civil War, the house was commandeered several times by Union troops, including at least once by General Philip Sheridan for use as his headquarters. The family hid silver and other valuables from the Yankees in a “rudely constructed” vault in the basement during these times. They also hid Confederate soldiers on more than one occasion when Berryville was taken over sud-

denly by Union troops, leaving Confederates stranded in town.

A secret room in the attic, with space for up to five men, was accessed through a linen closet. Among the soldiers who availed themselves of the hiding place were John T. Crow, Thomas’ son, and Philip Swan, who later married one of the

Crow daughters, Eloise. Both John T. Crow and his younger brother Henry served in the 6th Virginia Cavalry Regiment.

Thomas Crow died in February 1865. It was rumored that his death was the result of eating tomatoes poisoned by the Yankees. The truth was probably much less dramatic, simply

a case of food gone bad. Thomas died without a will, although he supposedly made known his desire that the house should go to his daughters in order that they might provide for their mother.

The mansion did eventually go to three of the daughters, following their mother’s death in 1872, although the property was not divided by court order until 1885. Lucia, the eldest daughter, never married and died of tuberculosis in 1888. Fanny, named Frances Amelia after her mother, also never married. Ida, the youngest, married Robert Morgan in 1871, but was widowed soon thereafter and returned home to Crow’s Nest. The other two daughters, Eugenia and Eloise, both married and had families of their own. Eloise died in 1872 and, following her death, her three children moved into Crow’s Nest with Lucia, Fanny and Ida. After Lucia died, Fanny and Ida ran Crow’s Nest as a boarding house until their deaths in the late 1930s. During the first decades of the 20th century, it

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was a well-known summer retreat for residents of Washington, DC to escape the heat of the city. According to an 1939 Clarke Courier article, as many as 35 people stayed at Crow’s Nest during the annual county horse show.

Ida died in 1939 and the house was put up for sale.

In preparing the sale, family members rediscovered the secret room in the attic. Estelle Swann Royce, daughter of Eloise Crow and Philip Swann, recalled at the time that she and four other nieces had asked their Aunt Fanny about the secret room when they were children. Fanny told them how to get into the room but warned them never to tell anyone about its existence.

In 1945, Dr. D. Blanton Allen, a local dentist, purchased Crow’s Nest and converted it into ten apartments, installing new bathrooms and kitchens throughout the building in sometimes creative configurations. Dr. Allen retained many of the house’s original architectural features including the high ceilings, fine woodwork, marble mantels and pocket doors, something the current tenants greatly appreciate. In order to put apartments in the attic, dormer windows were installed. Photos of Crow’s Nest taken around 1910 show a porch across the front of the house flanking the portico, but it is unclear when it was removed. At some point, the front portico was altered as well, replacing the double columns with single columns.

Following Dr. Allen’s death,

Crow’s Nest changed ownership several times. The current owners, Marsha and Stanley Legum, purchased the building in 2006. Stanley had recently retired and they were looking for a “project,” as Marsha puts it. She has previous property management experience, so she had some idea of what to expect in taking on the maintenance of a 150-year-old apartment building. Shortly after

purchasing Crow’s Nest, the Legums upgraded the electrical system throughout the building and replaced the radiators with an electrical heating system. Most recently they replaced the shingle roof with standing-seam metal. One project Marsha is just beginning is a recreation of the boxwood hedges on the front lawn that Frances Crow planted shortly after moving into the house in 1850, using boxwood plants from Mount Vernon. A few of the original boxwoods have survived.

“The hardest part of running the apartment building is finding good tenants,” Marsha says.

“One of our tenants has been here as long as we’ve owned the building. I really rely on my tenants to look out for the wellbeing of the building. It is a labor of love for all of us.”

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Healthy Outlook

From Pain to Prevention The Subtler Side of Berryville Chiropractic

By JiJi Russell

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When you think of a chiropractic treatment, the word “subtle” might not come to mind. But the alternative therapies that Dr. Celeste Krawchuk has brought to the fore in her downtown Berryville practice probably won’t result in audible or immediately perceptible “cracks” or “pops.”

The “Activator Method” chiropractic technique offers one such gentle, low-force approach. The method utilizes the “Activator Adjusting Instrument” in lieu of hands-on adjustments, working particularly well for those with osteoporosis, or those who need more precise or specific tweaks to their spinal alignment. Literature from Dr. Krawchuk’s office on the procedure points to peer-reviewed research and analysis as the foundation of the Activator Method, which can “detect spinal joint dysfunction, analyze leg length inequality, identify issues with

body mechanics, and test neurological reflexes.” That’s good news for someone who might want to try a natural, yet “quiet” method to address pain.

Indeed, the mention of “pain” came up frequently in a conversation with Krawchuk, who understands that while chiropractic care is based on prevention, most people don’t walk through the door until they feel pain.

Krawchuck, of course, also provides traditional manual chiropractic adjustments, with the primary purpose of “removing irritation from the nerves so that people can feel better, move better, and get back to what they want to do with little to no pain.”

With 20 years in practice, the energetic 45-year old mother of three boys has worked on all types of bodies, including the tiniest of all: infants. With her pediatric and pregnant clients, gentle and subtle techniques

often are of the essence. For babies, she will use just finger-tip pressure. For pregnant moms, she will often use the Activator Instrument.

Rest Your Head

Relief for headaches, pain from concussions, and even poor vision can often be addressed through another of Krawchuk’s subtle techniques.

Cranial-sacral therapy, which often is included with a standard chiropractic adjustment, relies on gentle touch to, “help make sure the bones in the skull and sacrum are moving properly so that spinal fluid moves … fluidly,” Krawchuk said. The technique relies on the premise that a correlation exists between the ease (or tension) throughout bones of the skull and the corresponding ease (or tension) at the base of the spine, the sacrum. Consider it a tune-up for the top and bot-

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tom ends of the spine, providing better communication between the two end points.

Most integrative health practitioners have their own favorite go-to practitioners.

About two and a half years ago, Krawchuk invited one of her personal favorites to join her at Berryville Chiropractic. Dr. Gordon Stevenson, who started practicing chiropractic 40 years ago, “retired for a week” several years ago, and now sees clients part-time, offering a depth of integrative healing techniques. In addition to chiropractic and acupuncture, Stevenson offers “Naet” and cold laser therapy.

When I asked what cold laser therapy could be used for, Stevenson plopped a tome on my lap showing precise protocols for everything from pain, to Lyme disease (using UV/ antimicrobial light), to wound healing…not to mention a host of emotional disturbances like anxiety.

At the Cellular Level

The guiding principle of

cold laser therapy hones in on the effect that light applies to the mitochondria inside each of the body’s cells. Here’s the short story: Stimulating the mitochondria with light enhances the mitochondria’s ability to provide more energy, which then prompts better healing of the affected area/s. It might sound a little “out there” until you meet Stevenson, a septuagenarian, whose answers to my questions came in sentences of typically no more than five words.

Stevenson doesn’t seek to turn anyone into a believer. He simply carved a path to deal with his wife’s mercury poisoning many years ago. All the medical and even alternative health practitioners they visited at the time said, “Hmmm… isn’t that interesting?” in response to his wife’s severe symptoms. So the couple took matters into their own hands… and 40 years later, Stevenson’s still at it (and his wife, a dental hygienist who also trained in Naet, is doing well.)

Why not retire? I asked Stevenson, who has lived in Luray,

Berryville Family Chiropractic Primer of Services, “A” to “P”

“Activator Method” chiropractic: A low-force technique for gentle or specific spinal adjustments Cold laser therapy: A device using light to promote healing on a cellular level Cranial-sacral therapy: A very gentle neck and skull touch therapy to promote fluidity in the spinal fluid Hands-on chiropractic: A traditional technique of manual adjustments to align the spine Naet: Allergy testing to identify root causes of health concerns Physical rehabilitation: Targeted strength, endurance, and movement training to prevent or heal injuries Office Location: 101 East Main Street, Suite 102 Berryville, VA 22602 phone: 540-955-3355 web: berryvillechiropractic.com

Va. since 1988. “I like people,” he replied.

From Allergies to Jumping Jacks

Another tool Stevenson adopted along the way seems particularly relevant on today’s health landscape. “Naet,” a muscle-testing technique, identifies specific allergens that affect individuals. The technique, developed by Devi S. Nambudripad, M.D., offers a “non-invasive, drug free, natural solution to alleviate allergies of all types…” according to the Naet web site. My curiosity abounded as Stevenson showed me his vials of water “with the energy field” of hundreds of environmental allergens and elements. Also included in the vial collection, however, are more subtle tests of brain/body balance, anxiety, and other emotional and psychological aspects of well-being.

A final service you can find at Berryville Family Chiropractic, and probably the least passive of them all, is physical rehabilitation. Anne Cushman, a personal trainer and certified athletic trainer helps people with core strengthening; endurance; and proper daily movement patterning, among other focus areas. Krawchuk says she has seen clients heal more rapidly and thoroughly by combining physical rehab with their chiropractic or other therapeutic sessions. Cushman also works with high school athletes for injury recovery or prevention, and conditioning.

After seven years in Berryville, Krawchuk hopes to endure as a stable part of the health and healing community, offering quality integrative therapies. “I love helping people feel better,” she said. “It’s coming from my heart through my hands to help people get back to what they want to do.”

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Roy’s Upholstery: From Boats to Buggies

by Claire Stuart

A gleaming 1990s-era Mercedes Benz convertible sits in the workroom of Roy’s Upholstery, ready to get a new top, and a boat is parked outside, awaiting its turn for upholstery repairs.

Owner Roy Potts IV has been practicing his craft for 17 years, starting when he was still in high school. He learned hands-on in a family business, working at the side of his uncle, Steve Roberson, who operated Steve’s Upholstery in the old church building on Buckmarsh Street until his death. Potts took over the business after his uncle passed away and moved to his large garage building on First Street in June of last year.

He noted that his uncle had worked on upholstered furniture, cars and boats for years, but about seven or eight years ago dropped the furniture work because there was more call for marine and auto upholstery. Potts now works on boats, convertible tops, and any upholstery inside a car including carpets, seats, headliners and door panels, as well as motorcycle and tractor seats.

Berryville might seem to be an unexpected place for a marine upholstery business since there are no large bodies of water close by, and you don’t see many boats larger than canoes and rowboats on the Shenandoah. However, Potts reported that he gets a lot of business from the Lake Holliday boating community outside of Winchester—and his father operates a marina on the Potomac near Fredericksburg. He was expecting two more boats to come in at any time.

Upholstery is a very specialized trade, and it takes years of hands-on work to master. “Every day is different,” said Potts, “and I’m still learning.”

He does a very limited amount of furniture work, mostly kitchen chairs and barstools. He also upholsters Edwardian fireplace surrounds (also called fenders—bench seats on metal frames for the front of fireplaces) for Throwleigh Club Fenders of Clarke County, who ships them all over the country.

His assistant, Michael Hutchinson, was busy cutting out a pattern for a replacement seat cover for the captain’s chair on a boat. He demonstrated how the old seat cover was removed and all of its pieces were taken apart and flattened out. The pieces were outlined to make a pattern for the new seat cover.

Hutchinson has been with Roy’s for about a

year. He mentioned that he originally wanted to get into auto restoration, starting by learning about upholstery. He found it interesting and challenging and decided to stay in the upholstery business.

Any day might bring Potts a classic, antique or luxury car or an everyday model like most of us drive. At one end of the spectrum, he has worked on Rolls Royces for Moyers Motorcars in Front Royal. At the other end, he takes care of the common upholstery problems that any car can suffer.

Upholstery can be damaged in accidents. “I had a 2017 car where a headliner accidentally got cut when a broken windshield was replaced,” he recalled. And of course there is general wearand-tear. “Seats tear at the side corner where you slide in and out,” he explained. “And headliners start to sag—I do a lot of those, probably 150 in a year.”

Each upholstery job is unique and brings its own set of problems to solve, and it helps to be a bit of an artist, too. Potts has worked on just about anything that is upholstered, from horseand-buggy seats to a helicopter flight simulator, and he has replaced whole interiors in old cars.

Wait time for most jobs is about a week or two in winter, but you might have to wait a month or more in summer when he is much busier.

Roy’s Upholstery is located at 15a First Street in Berryville Open Monday through Friday 8-5. Phone 540-955-2236.

Visit his web site Roys-Upholstery.com.

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News Briefs Studio Tour calls for artists and artisans

The revival of the Clarke County Studio Tour in 2016 was a tremendous success, with 32 artists and artisans participating in 22 locations around the county. The planning team has begun making plans for the Clarke County Studio Tour 2017, which will take place September 30 and October 1, 2017.

Tour organizers invite Clarke County artists or artisans to apply to join the tour by contacting Peter Miller at 540-955-3939 or by email, peter@ phmiller.com. Artists who participated in the 2016 tour will be sent the renewal application.

During the tour, visitors follow the self guided tour around the county to visit artists in their studios. The 2016 tour included fiber artists, floral designers, woodturners, furniture makers, pottery artists, fine artists and jewelry artists.

Each participating artist and maker will be promoted on the CCST 2017 website, event brochure, press releases and other printed marketing. If you are an artist or maker and participated last year we will be sending you the 2017 tour information automatically.

New approaches for agriculture & rural prosperity

The 13th annual Forum for Rural Innovation will showcase projects and programs that enhance farm or rural business profitability. The models presented at the forum also focus on conserving farmland and natural resources, and developing new approaches to rural prosperity in upscale areas where land commands premium prices.

The forum will feature a series of presentations, with an emphasis on educating the public about the agriculture industry. Topics and exhibits have been chosen to present practical examples of successful innovative operations that could be adapted to any farm. The program will feature some of the most progressive and recognized farms, organizations, and research in the United States.

The conference will offer farmers, landowners, rural business owners, local elected and appointed officials, extension educators, economic development and planning professionals an opportunity to see and hear industry leaders discuss innovative practices and methods for agricultural development. For information: biz.loudoun.gov/forum or call 703-777-0426.

Invasive species information session at Blandy

The Blue Ridge Partnership for Invasive Species Management (PRISM) will host an information session about financial resources available to landowners for nonnative invasive species management. Learn more about programs, how to get involved, and get an update on PRISM’s most recent funding opportunity, the Regional Conservation Partnership Program, during an information session Wednesday, Feb. 22, at Blandy Experimental Farm.

PRISM is the first Cooperative Weed Management Area in Virginia. The organization represents a coordinated effort to manage nonnative invasive plants in the Northern Blue Ridge. For information: Ashton Stinson, Blue Ridge PRISM, 804-641-1642.

Summer jobs available in Virginia State Parks

Virginia State Parks is hanging out the “Help Wanted” sign for everyone from high school students to senior citizens.

Seasonal positions — from lifeguards and snack bar workers to rangers and housekeepers — are available in all 37 state parks, which are managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

“Seasonal employees are the backbone of our operations and allow us to provide a wealth of outdoor recreational and programming experiences for our guests,” said State Parks Director Craig Seaver. “A state park seasonal position is a great way to enhance job experience in a variety of unique outdoor related locations and facilities.”

Virginia State Parks will host more than 5 million visitors between Memorial Day and Labor Day and fill about 1,000 seasonal positions to support them. Many seasonal park employees spend significant time working outdoors. Employees receive customer service training in addition to job-specific training.

A list of available positions can be found here: http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/jobs.

Downpayment Assistance available throughout the Valley

The Downpayment Assistance program administered by People Incorporated of Virginia creates opportunity for first-time homebuyers.

The funding may be used for closing costs and

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News Briefs (continued) down payment, which can be two major hurdles for first-time buyers.

The program serves eligible homebuyers on a first-come-first-served basis within their service area of Clarke, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah, and Warren Counties. The amount of assistance is capped at the lesser of either 10 percent of the sales price or $7,500. These funds can cover closing costs, or they may serve as a down payment, and sometimes they help with both. This is secured as a second, interest-free lien against the property that is forgiven when the borrower fulfills the affordability period. Funding for the program will continue until all funds are committed.

Qualified households are first-time homebuyers, which includes Virginia residents who have not owned a home within the last three years. Eligible households also must contribute a minimum of 1 percent of the sales price toward the purchase, have the ability to receive a home loan as determined by

a lender, complete a free homebuyer class, and earn a low or moderate income. The property being purchased must also meet program requirements.

For more information, contact Valerie Roth at People Incorporated’s Woodstock office at 540-459-9096, email info@peopleinc.net.

Cupid’s Arrow at Handley

The Friends of Handley Regional Library will host a Valentine’s Day lecture February 18 at 2pm. Ben Glenn II will deliver his lecture Cupid’s Arrow: Love, Marriage, and Morality in the Golden Age of Dutch Painting. Dutch painters of the 17th century are famous for their depictions of everyday life. But there’s much more than meets the eye, particularly in their paintings of young couples in love, men and women frolicking flirtatiously, and scenes of households both serene and dissolute. This richly illustrated lecture examines the work of

beloved masters such as Frans Hals, Jan Steen, and Johannes Vermeer, revealing the lessons of morality – some humorous, other poignant – they contain regarding courtship and love in Holland’s “Golden Age.” For more information, visit handleyregional.org.

Imagine Your Business Legacy

The Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business at Shenandoah University will host its annual business symposium Friday, March 31, from 8am to 5pm in Halpin-Harrison Hall on the campus of Shenandoah University in Winchester.

In “Imagine: Your Business Legacy,” attendees will hear from Ron Losby, president and CEO of Steinway & Sons, during a keynote address. Under Losby’s leadership, Steinway has continued to adapt its brand, remain relevant in the market, and uphold a standard of un-

compromising quality known around the world. Attendees will also learn how the company continues to innovate and change with the times.

The event is designed to inspire and educate attendees from for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Students can enhance their classroom experience through direct exposure to the diverse community of business professionals and speakers that are the heart of the symposium.

Attendees can choose from an array of dynamic breakout sessions focused on current business issues and best practices. These sessions will help attendees put today’s rapidly changing business climate in perspective and provide practical tools, tips and techniques to use right now.

The event is free for high school and college students. Visit www.subusiness. org for more information, pricing and to register. Early bird registration is available through February 28.

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