Clarke Monthly June 2023

Juneteenth Celebration Planned For June 17

Clarke County’s second annual Juneteenth Celebration takes place from noon until until 8pm, June 17 at the Clarke County Ruritan Fairgrounds, 890 West Main Street in Berryville. The event is hosted by the Josephine School Community Museum, the Josephine Improvement Association, and the Clarke County Training School–Johnson Williams High School Reunion Association.

As part of the education and understanding of the significance of June 19, 1865, the Ruritan Building will feature pictorial displays and videos depicting the journey to freedom from then (1865) to now. And the Horticulture Building will offer a silent auction with donations from local generous donors, as well as a ‘Proud to Serve’ art dis-

play, a genealogist and several other informative vendors.

TV personalities Allison Seymour of WUSA9 and husband Marc Clarke return this year as emcees for the afternoon. There will be reenactments of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass, musical entertainment for everyone — from a little gospel by Rev. Hassie Howard and the Gospel Travelers to African Drumming and Dancers by Jona, followed by R&B by The Special Occasion Band.

The Buffalo Soldiers will present the U.S. flag and honor a local deceased Buffalo Soldier. There will be a 4,000-flag slave memorial, MLA Mime from Washington, DC, a presentation from local architectural historian Maral Kalbian on Afri-

can American historical sites in the Northern Shenandoah Valley, a brief history of Josephine City, and a powerful MLK impersonation. There will be activities for the children from face painting to balloon twisting, a moon bounce and other games. And of course, there will be various art & craft vendors as well as a variety of food vendors.

Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Confederate General Robert E. Lee had surrendered at Appomattox Court House two months earlier in

Virginia, but slavery had remained relatively unaffected in Texas—until U.S. General Gordon Granger stood on Texas soil and read General Orders No. 3: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”

Juneteenth (officially Juneteenth National Independence Day) is now a federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of African-American slaves. It is also often observed for

celebrating African-American culture. In 1979, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday; several others followed suit over the years. In June 2021, Congress passed a resolution establishing Juneteenth as a national holiday; President Biden signed it into law on June 17, 2021.

For event details, more Juneteenth history, and to donate, visit juneteenth2023.myevent.com.

Scouts Spruce Up Chet Hobart Park

Seventeen-year old Matthew Marsden of Berryville (center) has completed his Eagle Scout project at Chet Hobert Park. He and friends Evan Dyer and Gabriel Ignacio – all members of Boy Scout Troop 34 – installed five benches and built a raised planter in a garden area that honors the late Jay Hillerson. Hillerson, who died in August 2020, and was a founding member of the Parks and Recreation Council (now Advisory Board) when it was formed in 1986. In March 2022, friends built a memorial garden near the Rotary Shelter. Trees were planted and a footpath was created. Thanks to Matthew, the garden now completes the vision for the garden. A Scout

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since the first grade, Matthew asked the Clarke County Parks and Recreation Department what it needed and then raised funds and donations for the project. The youngest of Patrick and Michele Marsden’s four sons — Eagle Scouts all — Matthew will attend the University of Alabama in the fall.

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Julianna Pledgie Awarded Rosemont Leadership Scholarship

The Clarke County Education Foundation is has named Julianna Marie Pledgie the recipient of the 2023 the Rosemont Leadership Scholarship. The scholarship was created to recognize the student with the greatest leadership potential from Clarke County High School’s graduating class. The Rosemont Leadership Award is the CCEF’s most prestigious and largest scholarship, with the recipient receiving a $10,000 award. The award was presented Sunday, May 21 at 6pm at CCHS’s Senior Recognition Night.

Biff Genda, owner of Historic Rosemont in Berryville, approached the foundation with the idea of starting a new scholarship to replace the Star Leadership Award, which ceased in 2018. He offered to donate $5,000 toward the scholarship each year in exchange for the CCEF matching that amount, making the scholarship a total of $10,000 annually. He also offered to open Rosemont to the foundation for its annual gala, free of charge, to assist the foundation in its fundraising efforts. The gala was held this year on March 17 with over 200 attendees present and raised over $80,000 for the CCEF and its mission to promote, expand, and augment educational opportunities for students and staff in the Clarke County Public Schools.

The teachers and staff of Clarke County High School voted on the top four leaders from the Class of 2023. A point-based system was then used to select the final four nominees, who are presented here.

Julianna Marie Pledgie

Julianna Pledgie is a graduating senior at Clarke County High School. Post graduation, she will attend the University of Virginia to double major in biology and astronomy in pursuit of a career in Astrobiology. Julianna has excelled in her academics, having studied as a NASA High School Intern and two-time Virginia Space Grant Consortium Scholar, and served as senior class president, CCHS Interact Club president, and CCHS National Honor Society vice president. She has received multiple awards of high honor, including the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizen Award and the College Board 2022 – 2023 National Rural and Small Town Scholar Recognition Award.

Julianna was on the CCHS Girls Cross Country team that won the 2022 State Champions title and 2023 State Runnerup title; she competed on the CCHS Scholastic Bowl team, and contributed more than 100 hours of volunteer service to the community. In her free

time, Julianna enjoys reading, baking, playing tennis, and ballroom dancing.

Carleigh Janae Kidrick

Carleigh Kidrick, a Clarke County High School 2023 graduate, has attended Clarke County Public Schools since elementary level. As she has grown over the years, she has become an asset to the community. During her years at CCHS, she served as a member of Interact Club, which works with the local Rotary Club on service projects (local and global), and was a member of the National Honor Society. Carleigh has worked diligently as football manager since 2019. Along with being a part of CCHS football, Carleigh has been a member of Health Occupations Students of America all four years of high school. Carleigh plans to continue her academic studies at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, W.Va., and will major in nursing. Since 2022, Carleigh has kickstarted her career as a certified nursing assistant at Winchester Medical Center.

Julianna Marie Pledgie. Carleigh Janae Kidrick.

In her spare time, Carleigh enjoys being an aunt and big sister to the littles in her family.

Ella Grace O’Donnell

Ella O’Donnell was born and raised in Clarke County. She served as student body president, vice president of Health Occupations Students of America, annual reporter for DECA, and member of National Honor Society and Interact Club. Ella also was 2022 homecoming queen for CCHS and a captain of the varsity soccer team. She has been a member of the varsity team since her freshman year and was a part of the 2021 state championship team. Ella competed in DECA district and state competitions three years as a high school student. Ella obtained her Certified Nursing Assistant license while in high school and worked as a C.N.A. at Winchester Medical Center.

Ella will be attending the University of Kentucky this fall as a pre-nursing major. Her dream is to obtain her nursing degree to provide care and comfort.

Graham Worden Wolford

Graham Wolford is a charismatic leader of Clarke County High School’s class of 2023. One of Graham’s most involved positions was his role as president of Clarke County’s DECA chapter. He earned this role after competing in DECA for all four years of high school and serving as an officer during his junior year. Graham has been an officer in Interact Club his junior and senior years, helping to organize and fundraise for community service projects. Throughout high school, Graham was involved in SCA, National Honor Society, Environmental Club, Spanish Club, the IB Diploma Programme, cross

country, track, tennis, basketball, and has been a member of the Yearbook staff. Next year Graham will attend the College of William and Mary as a Monroe Scholar to pursue a degree in business finance with a minor in Spanish. He hopes to attend law school.

The scholarship was judged by a 6-person committee of local community members that included Mayor Jay Arnold; Matthew Bass, who serves on the Clarke County Board of Supervisors; Lauren McKay Cummings, a Communications Strategist with Navy Federal Credit Union where she manages internal communications projects; Kristin Foltz, a 1999 CCHS graduate; Gwendolyn Malone, a retired Clarke County Public Schools teacher; and Sheriff Tony Roper.

The Clarke County Education Foundation, established in 1991, is an independent public charity dedicated to promoting, expanding, and augmenting the educational opportunities for students and staff in the Clarke County Public Schools, by generating private support and involvement to enhance these publicly-maintained services. For information visit www.ccefinc.org

For information regarding this scholarship, The Rosemont Leadership Award, how to donate to this fund or information regarding the CCEF, contact Beth Williams, Clarke County Education Foundation executive director, at 540-955-6103 or ccefinc.berryville@gmail.com.

Ella Grace O’Donnell. Graham Worden Wolford.

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Historic Preservation Commission Celebrates 2023 Award Recipients

By Cathy Kuehner

Each May during National Preservation Month, the Clarke County Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) honors community members who have made significant contributions to the preservation of the county’s architectural landscape and unique cultural identity.

“It is truly an honor every year to recognize the hard work that owners of historic properties put into restoring and preserving their homes and buildings,” said HPC chair Betsy Arnett. “Restoring a historic property is definitely a labor of love.

These awards are a small way of letting people know the county has noticed and appreciates their efforts to retain Clarke’s historic character.”

On May 17, Arnett and other HPC members presented their 24th annual Historic Preservation Awards during a luncheon at Camino Real Mexican Restaurant in Berryville.

Nancy Polo and Forrest Pritchard received a Certificate of Merit for their rehabilitation of the building at 20 W. Main St. in Berryville.

In 2018, Polo and Pritchard

purchased a Main Street building likely constructed around 1900. Its ground floor had been vacant for decades. The twostory, gable-end vernacular commercial building was at one time the town’s first A&P grocery store in addition to other commercial enterprises. Historical records note “a small building sometimes used as a marketplace” was on the site by 1867. In 2021, Polo and Pritchard rehabilitated the building to meet modern standards while retaining its historical integrity. They opened the

The 2023 Historic Preservation Commission “Certificate of Merit” awards were presented to (from left) Bill and Marcia Waite, Liliana Polo and Forrest Pritchard, HPC chair Betsy Arnett who was standing in for Romey Michael, and Alvin “Pigeye” and Kimberly Poe. Liliana Polo attended the May 17 luncheon on behalf of her daughter, Nancy Polo, who was honored along with Forrest Pritchard. Award recipient Romey Michael was also unable to attend. Photo provided by Clarke County.

ground-floor space as Homespun, a family owned farm-totable market and restaurant. An accomplished artist, Polo painted a bucolic Clarke County scene on an exterior side of the building.

Romey Michael was honored with a Certificate of Merit for her rehabilitation of a unique stone building at 29 W. Main St. in Berryville.

The diminutive one-story building that has been a barbershop and hair salon for almost 100 years was, in fact, Clarke County’s first jail. It was constructed around 1850 and used until 1892, when a new jail was built on North Church Street near the county courthouse. The Main Street building was then converted into a general store. It became a barbershop in the late 1920s and was used as such until Michael bought the property a few years ago. She carefully updated the building while retaining its historical character, and she continues to use it as a hair salon.

Bill and Marcia Waite ac-

cepted a Certificate of Merit for their rehabilitation of a frame cottage at 18983 Blue Ridge Mountain Rd. in Bluemont.

Bishop’s Gate, located on the mountain near the Bishop’s Gate Chapel, was built in the early 1900s for a pastor associated with the Methodist Church and often referred to as “bishop.” In 2018, the cottage, which is in the Bear’s Den Historic District, was restored by the Waites who live on an adjacent property. The Waites carefully rehabilitated the two-story, wood frame, gableroofed house for use as a vacation rental, bringing it up to modern standards while maintaining its historical charm.

Alvin “Pigeye” and Kimberly Poe were presented a Certificate of Merit for their renovation of a concrete block building at 214 White Post Rd. in White Post.

“Pigeye” Poe has been fixing up historical buildings in Clarke County for decades. In 2018, the Poes purchased a circa-1950 commercial building in White Post. The small

building with stepped parapet facade had been unused for many years. The Poes carefully restored it, added a compatible front porch, and now use it as an office for their construction business. Bringing an otherwise derelict building back to life near the iconic white post in the center of the village has helped beautify the community in general.

The Historic Preservation Commission is a seven-member group appointed by the Board of Supervisors to review projects and developments that may change or alter the character of historic districts in the county. For more information about the Historic Preservation Commission, go to www.clarkecounty.gov.

For general information about Clarke County history, visit the Clarke County Historical Association located at 32 E. Main St. in Berryville (540-955-2600), or contact architectural historian Maral Kalbian at 540-955-1231 or maral@mkalbian.com.

Around Clarke County

June

3 FISH Mobile Community Table

3

“Berryville Celebrates” 225th Anniversary Parade

Downtown Berryville. The biggest parade Berryville has ever seen will happen rain or shine and all Clarke County businesses, nonprofit organizations, school groups and marching bands are welcome to participate. Enjoy a picnic in Rose Hill Park after the parade with free hot dogs and drinks for the first 500 people attending, along with food trucks and live music. 2pm. 540-313-7467. info@bvmerchants.com.

3 Summer Truck Pull

Clarke County Fairgrounds. 890 W. Main St. Berryville. Gates open 4pm, pulling 6pm. $15. www.dragonpulls.com.

Church of the Good Shepherd. 27 Good Shepherd Rd. Bluemont. Dairy products, personal care items and snack packs, and food to take home “from our community table to your family table.” Find out what benefits may be available to you from the Department of Social Services. Held monthly. Free. 9–11am. 540-955-1823. www.fishofclarkecounty.org.

3 Denim and Diamonds Benefit Gala

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville. Gala guests will enjoy fabulous entertainment, catered hors d’oeuvres from Bonnie Blue Southern Market & Bakery, an open bar and a live and silent auction featuring a few select items generously donated by supporters. Proceeds benefit the

Barns of Rose Hill. $75. 6pm. www.barnsofrosehill.org.

3 White Post Studio Opening Reception

White Post Studio. 713 Berrys Ferry Rd. Historic railroad warehouse will host a variety of exhibitions, in-

cluding local artists. 5-7pm. Whitepoststudio@gmail.com.

6 Clarke County Democratic Committee Meeting

Clarke County Courthouse. 104 N. Church St. Berryville. All are welcome. Meets on first

Tuesday of each month. 7pm. 301-821-2829.

8 The Women’s Club of Clarke County

Berryville Baptist Church, 114 Academy St., 2 P.M. Our speaker will be Clarke’s John Hudson. Guests welcome.

8 Annual Clothing Giveaway

Clarke County Fairgrounds.

890 W. Main St. Berryville. Free clothes of all sizes for all ages. There may also be shoes, hats, coats, books, linens, household items and furniture. Volunteers and donations needed. Accepting donations week of June 5–9 at fairgrounds. Details on Clarke County Annual Clothing Giveaway Facebook page. 5–8pm. 540-550-0773.

9 Clothing Giveaway for Seniors

Clarke County Fairgrounds. 890 W. Main St. Berryville. Free clothes of all sizes for ages 55 and older. There may also be shoes, hats, coats, books, linens, household items and furniture. Volunteers and donations needed. Accepting donations week of June 5–9 at fairgrounds. Details on Clarke County Annual Clothing Giveaway Facebook page. Some transportation available; call for details. 9am–12pm. 540-550-0773.

10Annual Yard Sale

St. Bridget of Ireland

Catholic Church. 1024 W. Main St. Berryville. Many items for sale, including lunch. 8am–4pm. barbarahalfieri@gmail.com.

10Annual Clothing Giveaway

Clarke County Fairgrounds. 890 W. Main St. Berryville. Free clothes of all sizes for all ages. There may also be shoes, hats, coats, books, linens, household items and furniture. Volunteers and donations needed. Accepting donations week of June 5–9 at fairgrounds. Details on Clarke County Annual Clothing Giveaway Facebook page. 9am–12pm. 540-550-0773.

16Summer Art Show Opening Reception

Long Branch Historic House and Farm. 830 Long Branch Lane. Boyce. “The Long Branch You’ve Never Seen,” a photographic exhibit by Bernie Lewis, on display June 9–August 27. 6–8pm. Free. www.visitlongbranch.org.

16Irish Music Concert Series

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville. Irish fiddle master Brendan Mulvihill is joined by Angelina Carberry on banjo and Dan Brouder on accordion. This tour celebrates the re-release of Martin Mulvihill’s Collection of Traditional Irish Music, a songbook compiled by Brendan’s father, first released in 1986. $20 in advance, $25 at door. 7–9pm. www.barnsofrosehill.org.

18Buffalo Nichols Concert

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville. While acknowledging the joy, exuberance and triumph contained in the blues, Nichols looks intently at the genre’s origins, which hearken back to complicated and dire circumstances for Black Americans. $20 in advance, $25 at door. 7–9pm. www.barnsofrosehill.org.

18New Moon Drum Circle

Sanctuary Wellness Center.

Locally owned and operated for over a decade, Jordan Springs Market is open 7 days a week.

We smoke Beef Brisket, Pork, Chicken, Ribs and more and make delicious homemade sides and sweet treats every day.

Stop in for takeout, dine in with us or have us cater your next special event from 10 guests to 1000!

741 Jordan Springs Rd Stephenson, VA

"Voted Best BBQ in the Shenandoah Valley" since 2010!

208 N. Buckmarsh St. Berryville. Join us for a year of intentional drumming for harnessing the new moon energy. Free; $10 donation welcome. 6:30–8pm. ovenotesmusictherapy.com.

24FISH Mobile Community Table

Shiloh Baptist Church. 1983 Millwood Rd. Dairy products, personal care items and snack packs, and food to take home “from our community table to your family table.” Find out what benefits may be available to you from the Department of Social Services. Held monthly. Free. 9–11am. 540-955-1823. www.fishofclarkecounty.org.

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville. A well-established band, Chris Jones and the Night Drivers make some of the most distinctively elegant yet driving bluegrass music heard anywhere today. Jordan Springs Barbecue will be available for purchase. $20 in advance, $25 at door. 7–9pm. www.barnsofrosehill.org.

25CCHA Annual Meeting

Blandy Experimental Farm Library. 400 Blandy Farm Lane. Boyce. Join us as we look back on CCHA’s past year, what lies ahead, and vote on incoming Board members. Maral Kalbian will also present information on her new book, Clarke County Virginia: History Through Architecture. Free; members only. 2pm. www.clarkehistory.org.

July

1

Guy Davis Concert

Barns of Rose Hill. 95 Chalmers Ct. Berryville. Gifted acoustic musician is an American blues guitarist, banjo player, and two-time Grammy award nominee, the son of actors and civil rights activists Ozzie Davis and Ruby Dee. $20 in advance, $25 at door. 7–9pm. www.barnsofrosehill.org.

Ongoing

Summer Art Show

Long Branch Historic House and Farm. “The Long Branch You’ve Never Seen,” a photographic exhibit by Bernie Lewis, on display June 9–August 27. Monday–Friday 10am–4pm, weekends 12–4pm. Free. www.visitlongbranch.org.

Farmers’ Market

317 W. Main St. Berryville. More than 30 local vendors. Held each Saturday, May through October. 8am–12pm. clarkecountyfarmersmarket.com.

Rotary Club

Berryville Presbyterian Church. 123 W Main St, Berryville. Wednesdays at Noon.

Bingo

Boyce Fire Hall Social Hall.

1 S. Greenway Ave. 7pm every Thursday, 1:30pm every Sunday. Kitchen is always open for meals and snacks. Outside food and drinks are allowed; no alcohol.Ages 16 and older. www.boycefire.org.

The Galleries at Long Branch

Mindful Meditations and Musings

Sanctuary Wellness Center. 208 N Buckmarsh St. Berryville. Twice weekly meditation classes for beginners with a focus on mindfulness. Typical class will consist of 30-45 minute lightly guided meditation followed by a brief discussion. Wear comfortable clothing and bring whatever you need to sit comfortably. Yoga mats and chairs available to borrow. $25 for individual class, $100 for five classes. 10:30–11:30am Fridays and 6–7pm Mondays. Email to register. tmgeorge126@gmail.com.

Women’s Reiki HealinCircles

Sanctuary Wellness Center. 208 N. Buckmarsh St. Berryville. A sacred space to honor and celebrate who we truly are as women. Learn how to change your thoughts to change your life, find greater inner joy and peace. $25. June 7 and 28. 7–8:30pm. elizabethbava@rocketmail.com.

Yoga with Amy

Monday thru Friday 10-4

Opening Reception Friday June 16 from 6-8pm

Sanctuary Wellness Center. 208 N. Buckmarsh St. Berryville. Move your body through a progressive yoga class that balances out active flow yoga with gentle Yin Stretching. Class will move you through physical yang yoga, helping you develop muscular strength, stamina, and flexibility before slowing you down into the long held stretches of yin to finish. Recurring Saturdays, 9–10am. $20 drop-in, $78 for 5 Classes. Email to register. .amyhopegentry.com/yoga.

24Chris Jones and the Night Drivers Concert

The band is sponsored by: e Clarke County Board of Supervisors, e Virginia Commission

and

National Endowment for the Arts.

CCHS Graduate Chloe Eichenlaub Member of International Cheer Union Championship Winning Team

By Rebecca Maynard

Clarke County High School

graduate Chloe Eichenlaub started her cheerleading career at age 5 as a Clarke County Youth Football League cheerleader. Little did she know then that in 2023, she would be a member of the first-place winning Team USA All Girl at the International Cheer Union (ICU) World Cheerleading Championship.

“I fell in love with cheerleading, and then decided to join an all-star cheerleading team,” Eichenlaub said. “My favorite thing was when I got older and helped coach the CCYFL cheer teams. I loved that I could share my passion with future cheerleaders.”

Eichenlaub is now a senior at Morehead State, and her college team, Morehead State All Girl, won College D1 Nationals at the UCA Cheerleading Nationals in January. Her group and the two other Morehead State

groups that tried out made Team USA.

“We were so proud that we could represent our college as well as our country,”

Eichenlaub said.

After making Team USA, the team had different challenges every week to send into their coaches, consisting of stunting and tumbling challenges as well as workout challenges. These challenges took the group an average of three nights to complete

— Team USA All Girl gets only 10 days of training to

prepare for the competition, Eichenlaub said.

“To put this into perspective, most teams get six months to prepare,” she explained. “Collectively, we all put our skills together and became one of the most consistent teams USA All Girl has ever put together. We had zero deductions for almost all of our full outs. Hitting our routine with zero deductions on Day Two of the competition was one of my greatest achievements. Our team put everything we had into it. I’ll never forget the feeling of the arena chanting “USA” once our music ended, and my team and I crying tears of joy. Our coaches and country had an expectation for us, and we knew we accomplished it!”

“The process my team and I went through for our training was harder than any training I’ve ever experienced,” Eichenlaub said. “We had nightly ice baths at the end of our long practices, and to take our minds off of how cold it was, we would sing the national anthem.

Flashing forward to when they announced the United States as world champions, the country that wins gets to sing their national anthem on the podium. As we were all crying, we all remembered how we sang our national anthem in the ice baths and we realized that all of our hard work, injuries, and time was worth it in the end.”

Ten countries competed in the All Girls Premier Division, and 52 countries competed over the weekend in other divisions. The USA All Girls Premier were also the highest scoring team in the championships, said Chloe’s father, Joe Eichenlaub. “This was an

amazing event from opening ceremonies to the closing. We are very proud of Chloe and all that she has accomplished,” Joe said.

Chloe lives in Morehead, Kentucky. She is majoring in elementary education, and hopes to teach at an elementary school and in the evenings coach a high school or All Star cheer team.

“Being a part of Team USA was such an honor,” Eichenlaub said. “I was able to help bring back a World Championship for our country, and all of the hard work my team and I did was for a purpose. This year’s motto was “GOLD”. I am so proud to bring back the gold and to represent my country. The process and the experience it brought with it is something I will never forget!”

How a Secret Invention Rescued D-Day

By Norman Fine

On the eve of Tuesday, June 6, 1944, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe, made one of the most difficult decisions of his life. If wrong, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Originally scheduled for June 5, Eisenhower had already postponed the D-Day invasion of mainland Europe for one day because of the beastly weather. Troops couldn’t be safely transferred over the sides of the transport ships to the landing craft in the tossing seas.

Relying on his meteorologist’s forecast for improving weather that night and weighing the potential consequences of another delay — losing the moon’s phase, the tide, and the critical element of surprise — he made the decision to send 150,000 armed men to the beaches of Normandy, France. In so doing, he initiated the largest land invasion by sea in world history.

It was, in fact, that same beastly European weather that had too often grounded the Allied bombers in their mission to destroy Nazi Germany’s war-making infrastructure and neutralize its potent air force in preparation for an Allied landing. The statistics through 1943 reveal, that over the years of the bombing campaign, seventy to eighty percent of all planned bombing missions had been scrubbed or recalled because of the weather. Bombing missions were completed only seven days a month, on average. Not enough. As 1943 drew to its close, Allied Air

Force leaders recognized that they were failing to achieve the prerequisites for a successful DDay invasion. Something different was needed if D-Day were to be launched as planned. But what?

American Air Force leaders listened reluctantly to the scientists and a handful of forwardthinking airmen. The Brits had already done so, but the entrenched American military establishment was stubbornly resisting. What could a lab full of civilian scientists at M.I.T. possibly have to offer the United States Army Air Force? After all, they had the B-17 Flying Fortresses and the Norden Bombsights that could “drop a bomb into a pickle barrel from an altitude of 20,000 feet!” But wait. What good was an optical bombsight when the targets couldn’t be seen through the persistent overcast?

This is why, in January 1944, just five months before D-Day, the USAAF completely changed its bombing protocols. The new bombing plan was resented and resisted by many air force leaders and their own experienced airmen in Europe. Nor was it ever mentioned by historians writing for a popular readership.

Starting in January 1944, all bomber wing formations were to be led by one bomber in which a new top-secret radar had been installed. The radar-equipped plane, called a Pathfinder, would lead the entire formation, navigate its way to the target no matter the weather or the cloud cover, “see” the target through the overcast,

B-17 heavy bombers attack oil facilities at Hamburg shortly before D-Day. The black smudges rising through the cloud cover are burning oil storage tanks. Courtesy National Museum of the USAF.

and drop the first bombs and marker flares upon which the following planes would simply toggle their bombs to fall on the Pathfinder’s markers. Blind Bombing!

Through that first month of January 1944, there were fewer than twenty heavy bombers equipped with the new radars to lead the formations. These radars were hand-built prototypes from the lab at M.I.T. The next combat-ready B-17 to arrive at the U.S. Eighth Air Force in England was fitted with the first production model of the new radar fresh off Philo’s production line. This, on January 29, only four months before D-Day. By D-Day, there were probably not even a hundred radar-equipped bombers in the entire theater to lead the 3,000 heavy bombers of the Eighth Air Force to their targets.

The time was short, and the assets were limited. The new offensive strategy was hardly tested before men who had never even heard of radar had to implement it in combat with a minimum of training. There were no operating or servicing manuals. Civilian physicists, engineers, and technicians from the M.I.T. laboratory Stateside were in England at the airbases, still making design changes and repairing equipment failures.

Yet just five months after the new bombing protocols were introduced, the Allies put 150,000 armed men on the Normandy beaches on Tuesday, June 6, 1944, and there was scarcely an enemy plane in the sky to oppose them. Those enemy planes

that were still airworthy had no fuel to run them, no spare parts to repair them, and few experienced pilots to fly them.

They’d been shot down. The relentless bombing campaign,

How the Allies overcame the U-Boats during the Battle of the Atlantic and rescued the D-Day invasion in just five months is the subject of Blind Bombing: How Microwave Radar Brought the Allies to D-Day and Victory in WWII. Blind Bombing received the silver medal for World History in the 2020 IPPY awards, a national prize sponsored by the Independent Book Publishers Association. Kirkus Reviews called it “A riveting addition to the literature on scientific innovation during the Second World War.” Published by Potomac Books, an imprint of the University of Nebraska Press, it is available in hardcover, digital, and audio formats. Blind Bombing is available from bookstores and popular online retailers.

undeterred by the weather, with a Pathfinder plane leading every bomber wing, had crippled the Nazi warmaking infrastructure.

A Secret Invention

We know from the history books that all the warring nations had radar: Britain, Germany, Japan, the U.S. What wasn’t made clear from the history books, however, was that radar was primitive compared to what the Allies were bringing to the battles. This primitive radar operated at low radio frequencies, which required massive antennas and cumbersome, power-hungry electronic equipment. Immobile, it was limited to fixed installations

Norman Fine is the author of “Blind Bombing: How Microwave Radar Brought the Allies to D-Day and Victory in WWII.”

and was useful for defensive purposes in detecting a group of approaching airplanes or large ships on the seas. But it could not detect small objects or be built small enough to be usefully installed in trucks or planes.

Radar scientists and engineers around the world all wanted to operate radar at higher frequencies. They knew the advantages would be enormous: smaller antennas and electronic packages, the detection of smaller objects (like a single U-boat on the vast sea), and more detail in the radar signal returns. However, there was no known gadget capable of transmitting high-frequency radio waves at any useful power (distance).

Unknown to the rest of the world, however, a top-secret gadget (that scarcely anyone

has ever heard of) was invented by two British physicists (whom scarcely anyone has ever heard of) on the very eve of the war. That invention allowed radar to operate at much higher frequencies than the earlier, primitive radar.

The secret gadget was called a resonant cavity magnetron. It was invented by John Randall and Harry Boot, and it was the key that unlocked radar’s enormous potential. The new high frequency radars overcame the two major obstacles to D-Day, the U-Boats and the beastly European weather. And only the Allies had it.

The resonant cavity magnetron turned out to be the single new invention most influential in the winning of the war. Without it, D-Day might not have been attempted on June 6, 1944, or even that year.

And if D-Day had been launched prematurely, the results would have been far different.

Yes, the atomic bomb was an earth-shaking new invention, but it didn’t win the war. The war was already won when the atomic bombs were dropped

on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The two bombs ended the war abruptly and, in so doing, saved thousands of American lives from having to invade the Japanese mainland. And, yes, the breaking of Germany’s Enigma code was a brilliant mathemati-

cal achievement but hardly an invention. The resonant cavity magnetron, unknown to the rest of the world, was ultimately used by every branch of every Allied military force by the end of the war.

The resonant cavity magnetron enabled the Allies to design radar equipment that operated at frequencies more than two orders of magnitude higher than the radars known to the rest of the developed world. That improvement translates to more than a hundred times improvement in radar’s ability to detect smaller objects in greater detail from further distances. Plus, the antennas and electronic packages were that much smaller. Small enough to be mounted in planes and trucks for mobile operations.

A handful of civilian scientists in Britain and in the newly established Radiation Lab at M.I.T. in Cambridge, Massachusetts, used the cavity magnetron to design new radars that just months earlier hadn’t existed. For the first time, radar could be designed for effective use as a mobile, offensive weapon of war.

The enemy was soon baffled by their losses. Admiral Karl Doenitz, commander of the German U-Boat fleet, asked his scientists, “Is it possible the Allies have a new form of radar?” “No,” the scientists assured him, Radar is incapable of detecting the level of detail presented by a lone submarine.

Resonant Cavity Magnetron #12, brought to the U.S. by a British technical mission. More than a million were manufactured in the U.S. during WWII. Courtesy Canada Science and Technology Museum, Tom Alfoldi.

Keeping It Together When An Organization or Congregation Disagrees

By Brenda Waugh

Community organizations provide important functions in our communities, whether they are clubs designed to help young people excel in their interests, make our community beautiful, provide art and culture, or provide emergency services. Churches are also meaningful organizations within our communities, joining those with shared beliefs to work towards common goals.

Any group of people working together may eventually find disagreement among the members. The disagreement may be among leaders, such as board members or the vestry. Other times it is between staff members and board members. Some conflicts are between members of the organizations. When a conflict or disagreement arises, it may not seem to be destructive. Members may ignore it or hope it goes away. Some of the conflicts fade away in time, but other times they do not. They may threaten the organization’s or congregation’s vitality and health when some members decide to quit, or oth-

ers suspend participation. They also threaten the well-being when the organization’s mission becomes secondary to addressing the conflict.

In previous articles, I’ve discussed how mediation can help resolve civil disputes before they are filed in court. I’ve also discussed how mediation can help families and workplaces resolve disputes to avoid litigation and improve the health of the workplace and the family. Mediation is also a viable option for community organizations and church congregations experiencing a conflict when they cannot independently create a win-win resolution. Many organizations and church congregations have resolved these conflicts and retained their members as healthy organizations by using mediation and facilitation to work through the conflict.

In these situations, a member of the organization may reach out to the mediator to engage their services to resolve the issues. Usually, the next step would be meeting with

leaders or critical persons in the conflict within the organization. During that meeting, the mediator gathers information about the conflict and considers potential mediation strategies. This stage often involves considering the organization’s history, members, and mission. When the mediation involves many people, some mediators will suggest adding a co-mediator to expedite the process and provide a greater ability to identify the interests and needs of all members.

After the mediator or mediators have met with some members of the organization, they will evaluate the matter to recommend a process to create an environment for the members to understand one another. This could be in the form of several small meetings with members, a large meeting in a structured setting, or even a large meeting with a process such as a restorative justice circle. Usually, the mediator will also meet with most participants before a large meeting to help everyone be sufficiently prepared.

In some situations, a conflict may be addressed with one meeting, and the members could reach a workable agreement. In other situations, it might take weeks or even months of meetings with the mediator and organization members to find an acceptable resolution. While the time and cost expended might seem high, it is often viewed as a superior outcome. Even if members decide to reform and leave the organization or congregation, they may have gained more insight and moved into new positions with a more enlightened viewpoint.

Mediation can help preserve relationships, promote understanding and forgiveness, and

uphold the organization’s or congregation’s shared values. Many organizations, including churches, encourage mediation to resolve conflicts between members. For example, the Episcopal Church has a canon that encourages churches to create a trained mediation team within the congregation to facilitate communication and resolve conflicts. The United Methodist Church has also developed a process to retain a team of trained mediators to work with churches to develop plans for resolving disputes. Mennonites have a formal process that employs trained mediators to work within guidelines to resolve disputes.

When a nonprofit community group or congregation is

experiencing disagreement, a neutral mediator may be the best way to retain group members and avoid litigation. Like other disagreements, if the disagreement involves legal duties and obligations, groups risk losing members and wasting resources in protracted legal cases. Recall that mediation is usually voluntary among all participants and does not replace pastoral care. Instead, it can be a way to work to increase the capacity and resolve of the group to find ways to improve outcomes from conflict.

Brenda Waugh is a lawyer/ mediator with Waugh Law & Mediation, serving clients in the Blue Ridge region of Virginia and Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia

In Clarke County

around the electrical substation and to support the insects and birds that are essential for pollinating the food we eat.

Clarke County resident and Region II REC chairman Chris Shipe was among those who addressed the gathering of students, government officials, and other REC representatives at the pollinator garden celebration in the park on April 25.

Pollinator garden

A new Rappahannock Electric Cooperative pollinator garden in Clarke County’s Chet Hobert Park was officially revealed April 25 with a ceremonial planting and ribbon cutting. Fourthgrade students from nearby D.G. Cooley

Elementary School, REC representatives, and Clarke County government officials gathered to see the garden, which was funded and planted by the memberowned utility. More than 350 native Virginia trees, shrubs, and ground cover plants were installed by REC foresters in February to create a visual screen

Four D.G. Cooley students used ceremonial shovels to “plant” a tree in the pollinator garden in Chet Hobert Park. Watching (from left) are REC director of Vegetation Management Services Cindy Musick, Parks & Recreation Director Lisa Cooke, REC director of Operations and Construction Darrell Porter, REC chairman Chris Shipe, Clarke County Supervisor David Weiss, and REC president and CEO John Hewa.

Environmental Advocate of the Year Named

Christi McMullen accepts the Clarke County Litter Committee’s first-ever “Environmental Advocate of the Year” award from committee chair Ashley Harrison during the May 16 Board of Supervisors meeting. Watching from the dais are Supervisors Matt Bass, Bev McKay, chair David Weiss, vice chair Terri Catlett, and Doug Lawrence. McMullen is a Clarke County resident who in May 2022 voluntarily began collecting glass every week at the county’s convenience center for household trash. She invested in a glass crushing machine, and began filling her garage with bags full of ground glass. By December 2022, she had collected more than 27,595 pounds of glass — keeping it out of the landfill and turning it into 13 1/2 tons of reusable sand. Thanks to McMullen’s glass recy-

cling efforts, and the residents who enthusiastically recycle their glass, Clarke County expanded the program this spring, adding a bigger collection bin at the convenience center, and taking much more glass to a bigger recycling facility in Fairfax County. “The mission of the Clarke County Litter Committee is to educate, inspire, and empower the community to improve the environment through beautification and litter prevention,” said Litter Committee chair Ashley Harrison. To McMullen she said, “Your selfless adventure and continued efforts of glass re-

cycling have fundamentally impacted the wonderful county we all call home.”

Ribbon cutting for industrial park

The first of two new Patriot Industrial Park buildings east of Berryville officially opened May 15 with a brief ribboncutting ceremony. LGV Group LLC built the 60,000-squarefoot manufacturing facility on 12½ acres along Jack Enders Boulevard next to the Clarke County Business Park. A second 100,000-squarefoot warehouse-industrial space will open next year.

Vito Germinario and Khalil

Rouhana, principals in the LGV Group real estate development company, also own Glass Projects Resource (GPR), a glass and glazing contractor that occupies the new building. The beautiful glass-encased structureat 410 Jack Enders Blvd. highlights GPR workmanship.

Cynthia Rouhana and Kristi Germinario held a construction tape “ribbon” for (from left) Khalil Rouhana, his par-

ents Salweh and Gabriel Rouhana, and Vito Germinario, who all welcomed guests to the May 15 event. Because Salweh and Gabriel Rouhana traveled from their home in Lebanon to participate, they were given the honor of cutting the ceremonial ribbon.

Glass Projects Resource (GPR) employees wore Patriot Industrial Park T-shirts to watch as their new workplace was formally opened.

They also fabricated all the glass windows on the building, which reflects the beautiful landscape that surrounds it. GPR outgrew its previous facility at 351 Station Rd. in Berryville — the former American Woodmark facility — so GPR’s 25 employees are thrilled with their new work environment.

Photos provided by Clarke County.

Fathers Day Legacy: Two Forefathers Of American Conservation

By Doug Pifer

When the enchanting notes of a wood thrush reached my ears as I woke up this morning, I smiled.

Nice as it is to hear birdsong in our own woods and plant native trees on our own property, I wonder about mankind’s role in nature. Can we keep using our natural resources wisely and sustainably while at the same time protecting and treasuring our wild natural lands?

I take comfort in thinking about how two leading fathers of American conservation dealt with this problem. During 1890s, America faced an environmental crisis similar in many ways to our situation today. Our country had nearly ended its westward expansion. Corporations bought up huge tracts of land for timber and mining. What was left of the unclaimed land set aside for farming and homesteading had become overrun with grazing cattle and sheep. Big game animals were a rarity, and our remaining forests were in real danger of destruction. Something had to be done.

In 1896 the National Academy of Sciences sent a team of commissioners on a fourmonth tour of the Western United States and asked for their recommendations. Among these commissioners were two young men, John Muir and Gifford Pinchot.

Muir was a preservationist who believed forests were sacred and had to be protected from logging, grazing, and mining. Pinchot was a conservationist, believing that forests needed to be used, sustained and managed as a natural resource. Despite their widely differing viewpoints, the two men be-

friended each other during this glorified camping trip, fishing together on Lake McDonald on land that would become Glacier National Park in Montana.

Muir and Pinchot agreed that wild natural areas like Lake McDonald should be permanently protected.

The result of the commission was a Congressional bill that would preserve national wilderness areas, combined with a system of forests protected by the government but open to every American’s use. This bill failed to pass but ultimately led to the creation of the U.S. Forest Service as a separate branch of government under the Department of Agriculture.

Pinchot became the first chief of the US Forest Service in 1905 under President Grover

Cleveland. With Pinchot’s guidance, America’s national forests were managed and cared for by the federal government. Timber was used like any other crop, not preserved as if in a museum.

Muir and his supporters believed the proposed Forest Service didn’t do enough to protect America’s pristine wild lands. They won a victory in 1899 when Mount Rainier in the state of Washington became a National Park. Muir, an avid writer and naturalist, went on to create the Sierra Club, an organization dedicated to preserving our nation’s wilderness areas.

Muir and Pinchot’s friendship fell out in 1908, when the City of San Francisco was granted the authority to dam the Tuolumne River in the Hetch Hetchy valley, located in the

heart of Yosemite National Park in California. The city needed the dam to provide water for its growing population. Pinchot lobbied in Washington, D.C., for the dam’s use. Meanwhile, Muir wrote fiery articles from the state of Washington in Harper’s Weekly and Atlantic magazines condemning the destruction of public lands. Pinchot won out and the dam was built in 1913.

Today the US Forest Service and the National Park Service combine the legacies of treeloving preservationists and user-friendly conservationists. On Forest Service land, the interests of lumber and mining companies are balanced along with recreational use by hunters, hikers, snowmobilers, and cross-country skiers —in line with Gifford Pinchot’s thinking.

The National Park Service follows John Muir’s preservation theory, protecting natural wonders like Sequoia trees for all to enjoy.

Like father and son, we won’t always agree. I picture Muir and Pinchot fishing companionably together. Then I think of them seated by a campfire on the lake shore, heatedly discussing things late into the night. We can preserve and protect nature and still respect and encourage wise use of our natural resources.

Despite continuing tension and tug-of-war between viewpoints, we can listen to and respect each other, and finally find common ground.

The Father’s Day message is that there’s room for divergent thinking in America.

Gifford_Pinchot was the first director of the USDA Forest Service. John Muir in the Yosemite.

Congratulations to the 2023 CCEF Scholarship Award Winners!

Rosemont Leadership Scholarship

Alice Loope Education Scholarship

Andy Kiser Performing Arts Scholarship

Baiba Schletty Social Studies Scholarship

Bonnie Ann Justice Memorial Scholarship

Brent Emmart Memorial Scholarship

CCHS Science and Engineering Scholarship

Chris Ball Scholar-Athlete Scholarship

Danielle N. Moyer/Kimberly J. Stutzman Scholarship

Denise Geiszler (Holman)

Memorial Endowment Scholarship

Dr. Joseph M. Casey Scholarship

Jimmy Racer Scholar-Athlete Scholarship

John D. Hardesty Agriculture Scholarship

John F. Milleson Jr. Scholarship

John R. Milleson Scholarship

Jon VanSice Wrestling Scholarship

Marty McMichael Memorial Scholarship

Mary Hardesty Nursing Scholarship

Moore Family Scholarship

Nancy L. Friant Performing Arts Scholarship

Nancy Specht Cross Country Scholarship

Ray A. Gray Trades Scholarship

Renée Weir Business Scholarship

Shirley Elizabeth Bartlett

Memorial Scholarship

Virginia B. Lloyd Scholarship

Wilbur and Helen Feltner Athletic Scholarship

$10,000Julianna Pledgie

$1,000Bella Clotzman

$500 Lily Mackenzie

$2,000Linus Pritchard

$1,000Ava Schmohl

$500 Tyler Sampson

$1,000 Carolina Vilchez

$200 Kyler Darlington

$2,000Bailey Mayo

$500 Willow Oliver

$2,500 AvaMansfield

$2,000Emily Emmart

$1,250Addison Plumer

$1,000Emma Stanley

$1,750Heaven Ortiz

$1,000Cannon Long

$500 Graham Wolford

$500 Melissa Smith

$1,000Julianna Pledgie

$500 Harrison Casey

$1000James Dalton

$500 Kyler McKenzie

$500 Matthew Sipe

$300 Kyler Darlington

$500 Campbell Paskel

$1,000Emma Stanley

$2,500Will Booker

$2,500Bailey Beard

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