Honor the National Hero in Your Family

By Cathy Kuehner

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Clarke prints signed letters-to-the-editor of uniquely local interest. Letters containing personal attacks or polarizing language will not be published. Letters may be edited. Send letters to the editor of 300 or fewer words to: editor@clarkeva.com. Include your town and state of residence.

Because of friendships with men and women who have served in the armed forces, Clarke native and current county Supervisor Matthew Bass has a personal interest in supporting all veterans. “Our veterans gave so much, and active military members continue to protect our freedom. I’m always looking for ways to honor them and acknowledge their sacrifices.”

Most recently, Bass connected with others in the area to spearhead a new Clarke County “Military Tribute Banners Program.”

He explained, “A few years ago, I was driving through a small town in Pennsylvania, and I saw a street lined with beautiful banners with images of its local veterans.” Not long after, he ran into friend Adam Packham, an Army veteran who founded Heroes on the River, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing recreational activities for veterans and active duty members.

“Adam was thinking about the banner program, too, so that’s how this started,” said Bass, noting there is now a small group of individuals dedicated to the project.

Clarke County’s “Military Tribute Banners Program” will honor veteran, active duty, reserve, and National Guard service members. Each 30by-60 inch, full-color banner will display a photo and basic military information about the honoree.

All banners will be displayed each year throughout down- town Berryville from Memorial Day through Veterans Day.

“Everyone who lives in Clarke County would agree this is about as good a place as can be, but it didn’t come for free,” Bass said. “Clarke residents have a long tradition of stepping up to serve to our country. My hope is that anyone who is able will step up to honor a local hero.”

The banners, Bass said, “are how we can remember our friends and relatives who fought and served over the past century.”

Each military tribute banner costs $200. Deadline to order a banner this year is March 31. Order banners at https:// militarytributebanners.org/ virginia/berryville-va.

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Bald Eagles In Clarke County

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March 10-25

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In an email last week Tom “Kimo” OConnor, a superb wildlife photographer, asked would I like to write about bald eagles in Clarke County. Attached was his stunning photo of an eagle peering down from a lichen covered branch. That stern eagle eye seemed to pierce through me! Immediately, I answered that I’d love to do a collaborative essay featuring his photos.

Kimo has been photographing wildlife for the past ten years using Canon cameras and lenses. His photos often grace the pages and covers of the Clarke Monthly. A pair of eagles, which he’s named “Samson and Delilah”, have an enormous nest high in a sycamore tree located near his property along the Shenandoah River. Kimo says, “I mostly shoot 100-400mm, sometimes 500 and 600mm. All my pictures are taken in Clarke County. It’s a wildlife paradise there.”

1. Titled “Mr. Lincoln,” this photo captures the spirit of the male eagle “Samson.”

2. Samson flies out of one of the large sycamore trees that line the Shenandoah River, having just mated with perched “Delilah.”

3. Young eagles fledge in late June and spend much of their first year learning the skills necessary to catch their prey. This youngster wears dark juvenile plumage. Its eye looks cloudy because it is “blinking.” The third eyelid (nictitating membrane) snapped shut the moment this photo was taken.

4. Eagles replace their feathers gradually throughout the year. Young birds take four or five years to acquire the pure white head and tail of maturity. During their third and fourth year they are a patchwork of colors, with many white feathers on the back, chest and wing linings.

5. An adult eagle’s eye is about the the same size as a human’s but shaped much differently. The flattened back of the eye allows it to magnify the images it sees, as if the eagle were using binoculars or a telescope.

6. Established mates tend to wander from the vicinity of their nest after their young fledge. Courtship and pair bonding start in late fall. Courting eagles perform acrobatic dives with interlocked talons, vocalize, and face each other with billing displays as shown here.