INSIDE COBBLESTONES page 3 HOT MARKET page 4 MEADOW ROAD page 6
HORSEPOWER page 15
AUGUST 2017 VOL. 12, NO. 3
Courthouse Quandary: Should They Stay or Should They Go?
PUT IT BY page 17 PAELLA page 18
By Lisa Martin
lisamartin@crozetgazette.com
COLD COFFEE page 19
MIKE MARSHALL
READING LIST page 21 HOW TO GET BIT page 22 LAST CHANCE CROZET SURVEY page 23-26 GATORS page 28 FAST EATERS page 31 HYMN SINGING page 32 INNISFREE page 34 HOW HOT? page 35 SECOND SATURDAYS page 36 THE BAD NEWS page 37
Ignacio Becerra and Maria Garcia with the Virgin of Candelaria statue from their hometown in Jalisco, Mexico, which traveled to U.S. towns in July. See story page 32.
A Christian Response: Local Churches Examine Refugee Crisis By Theresa Curry
theresa@crozetgazette.com
A few years ago, Vasilea Digidiki got a phone call from her mother with some disturbing news from home. Dr. Digidiki is a visiting scholar from the Harvard Center for Health and Human Rights. Home is Lesbos, the beautiful Greek island where Digidiki
By Margaret Marshall
AUTUMN OLIVE page 40
In the more than six decades since its inception, Crozet’s Peachtree baseball league has only qualified five teams for the Babe Ruth Southeast Regional Tournament. Two of those were this year: the All-Star 12U and 11U boys both earned bids to the big time after finishing second in their respective Virginia state tournaments.
KIDS’ CROSSWORD page 45
continued on page 34
continued on page 8
Peachtree Baseball Teams Go to State Finals and Beyond
MIMOSAS page 38
BEREAVEMENTS page 43
grew up, and her mother reported thousands of boats arriving daily at the little port, crowded with people crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey, fleeing the brutal war in Syria, sick with fright, soaking wet, hungry and cold. “I thought she was exaggerating,” Digidiki said. When she could, Digidiki returned
It happens to most of us at some point—a traffic ticket, a landlord dispute, perhaps a conflict with a contractor—and we end up in court. On the assigned date we make our way to the courthouse, which for all residents, city and county alike, is situated on a bustling and congested square block right in the middle of downtown Charlottesville. It’s been this way for two and a half centuries, ever since the first Circuit Court building was erected on what is now Court Square in 1763. But for county court-goers, that may be about to change. Badly in need of expansion, security upgrades, and accessible parking, Albemarle County’s General District and Circuit Court buildings have been the subject of more than two decades of study and debate. County
margaret@crozetgazette.com
The 12U team was able to accept the invitation, and ended up finishing fourth in the southeast, playing teams from Florida and North Carolina and putting Peachtree on the map. The 12U boys’ trip to WinstonSalem, North Carolina for the Regional tournament, which started July 11, was the culmination not just of a season of hard work, but years of it. Most of the boys on the team, who continued on page 12
LISA MARTIN
ARTS ALLIANCE page 14
Albemarle County Circuit Court
Search. See. Love.
The finest homes in Western Albemarle
6441 Woodbourne Lane Old Trail • $989,000
6577 Woodbourne Lane Old Trail • $879,900
6406 Woodbourne Lane Old Trail • $799,900
5 bedrooms • 4 full baths • 1 half bath www.6441WoodbourneLane.com
4 bedrooms • 4 full baths • 1 half bath www.6577WoodbourneLane.com
4 bedrooms • 4 full baths • 1 half bath www.6406WoodbourneLane.com
7123 Hampstead Drive Old Trail • $534,900
1711 Wickham Way Wickham Pond • $399,900
3025 Morewood Lane Highlands • $359,900
4 bedrooms • 2 full baths • 1 half bath www.7123HampsteadDrive.com
4 bedrooms • 3 full baths • 1 half bath www.1711WickhamWay.com
4 bedrooms • 2 full baths • 1 half bath www.3025MorewoodLane.com
Recently SOLD in Western Albemarle Represented Seller 2245 Craigs Store Road
600 Jonna Street
1425 Plains Drive
5341 Brookwood Road
705 Highgate Row
814 Filly Run
1815 Clay Drive
6933 Wishing Meadow Lane
3285 Rowcross Street
3280 Rowcross Street
Represented Buyer 6933 Wishing Meadow Lane
3280 Rowcross Street
810 Belgrove Street
297 Shiloh Loop
UNIQUE NEW HOMES BY ARCADIA BUILDERS
Ask about our $5,000 closing cost credit!
Building in Central Virginia Uniqueness is in the details Well-respected local builder Many floor plans to choose from Lots available in Old Trail and Lochlyn Hill Homes from $535,000
For all your real estate needs... 2013 CAAR Salesperson of the Year, 2015 CAAR REALTOR© of the Year
Definitely Denise
(434) 960-4333 deniserameyrealtor@gmail.com www.deniseramey.com 350 Old Ivy Way, Suite 200, Charlottesville, Va - 22903 Licensed to sell real estate in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
CROZETgazette
From the Editor Leave the Courthouse Where it Is We’re having a hard time understanding how to respect our history these days. Statues that represented heroism and sacrifice to our grandparents are now cast as shameful and disposable. Our seat of justice, the courthouse built by Thomas Jefferson’s generation, is now suspected of being obsolete and, worse, oblivious of our requirements for cars. Albemarle County is now considering building a new courts complex where there’s a surplus of parking, such as the sprawling vacant asphalt at Albemarle Square on Rt. 29. The Gazette must once again make an argument on culture, so often necessary in addressing
AUGUST 2017 development issues—meaning our goal in Crozet is not to grow for growth’s sake, but to sustain tight small town culture in the face of it—in the case of the justice system. Albemarle’s legal services infrastructure have grown up around Court Square for obvious reasons. That gives that essential service of government a large root ball of culture in its present location. When entertaining the options to move the courts, county supervisors should weigh heavily the cost of disturbing those roots, fragile and vast and irreplaceable as they are. The supervisors will be tempted to quantify the moveor-double-down options with cost projections, which, as any one who has done any building will know, are likely to be just educated guesses that underesti-
mate the final total. The only question will be how far off they end up being. So let’s accept that whatever option we choose will cost us more than we would like. The decisive factor is which does what’s good for promoting justice. The relationships that create
a healthy legal culture are harder to count up and value. But they are what make the culture for good or ill. Fracturing those, which like all relationships rely to some degree on propinquity, will have painful costs to the mission of the system.
To the Editor
was Old Crozet but now there is a New Crozet! With the paintings on the walls there and cobblestones this would be an iconic symbol for the Old Crozet meeting the New! Why not resurrect them— put an historical marker there and on each side a warning to go slowly under the railroad bridge because of cobblestones? Why not indeed? Jim Hannan Crozet
Send your letters to the editor to news@crozetgazette.com. Letters will not be printed anonymously. Letters do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Crozet Gazette.
Let’s See the Cobblesones! We retired here in 1993 from McLean and shortly thereafter cobblestones were discovered under the trestle by The Square. For a variety of reasons, they were covered over again. This
continued on page 27
Lewisfield Farm - $2,050,000
77 acres located in the heart of Ivy on Owensville Road with four separate tax map parcels. Twenty-one acre parcels are also available with multiple prime estate building sites. Build your dream home. WAHS/Henley/Meriwether Lewis. MLS #561333
1617 Garth Road - $758,000
4188 Longacre Farm Lane - $485,000
2929 Morgantown Road - $498,500
Historic residence c. 1880 privately situated under towering oak trees on a prominent knoll with a large sun room, 12-foot ceilings, hardwood floors and light-filled rooms. MLS #562181
Almost new Cape Cod located near Beaver Creek Reservoir in the Meriwether Lewis school district with close proximity to Crozet on almost 6 acres. MLS #561093
Vernacular farmhouse c. 1879 located in Ivy near Murray Elementary School, meticulously restored and renovated by custom builder Blair Turner & Co. MLS #556405.
Amy N. Stevens
Ross L. Stevens
rstevens@stevensandcompany.net
434-981-5268
amy@stevensandcompany.net 5785 THE SQUARE, SUITE 200, CROZET, VIRGINIA 22932 434-823-6104 OFFICE
CROZET gazette
MICHAEL J. MARSHALL, Publisher and Editor news@crozetgazette.com | 434-466-8939
© The Crozet Gazette
LOUISE DUDLEY, Editorial Assistant louise@crozetgazette.com
the
Published on the first Thursday of the month by The Crozet Gazette LLC, P.O. Box 863, Crozet, VA 22932
Member, Virginia Press Association
3
ALLIE M. PESCH, Art Director and Ad Manager ads@crozetgazette.com | 434-249-4211
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: John Andersen, Clover Carroll, Theresa Curry, Marlene Condon, Elena Day, Phil James, Charles Kidder, Lisa Martin, Dirk Nies, Robert Reiser, Roscoe Shaw, Heidi Sonen, Eric Wallace, Denise Zito.
434-996-0394
Don’t miss any of the hometown news everybody else is up on. Pick up a free copy of the Gazette at one of many area locations or have it delivered to your home. Mail subscriptions are available for $29 for 12 issues. Send a check to Crozet Gazette,
P.O. Box 863, Crozet, VA 22932.
4
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
Western Albemarle Second Quarter Real Estate Report
New Housing Sales and Prices Jump in Spring I want to thank all those responsible for the wonderful Fourth of July parade and party last month in Crozet. Capped off with amazing fireworks and a grand finale that had to be experienced to be believed. Kudos to all those involved with this wonderful small town production! What was also exploding in Crozet in the second quarter was the pace of real estate sales, up 11.5 percent over the same period last year. This rise handily exceeded the 1.2 percent total rise in sales experienced in all of Albemarle County (see attached 5-year sales trend chart provided courtesy of Nest Realty). Of the 107 total sales, 87 were for detached and 20 for attached properties. There was one sale over $1m, 4285 Slam Gate Road sold for $1.3m after being on the market for almost
four years (this sale was removed from statistical reporting). The eye-opening statistic for the quarter was that there were 41 sales of new properties, 39 percent of the total sales. That’s a higher than typical figure for sure. Twenty percent of total sales (21) were for properties of an acre or more, homes that tend to be in outlying areas. There were six land sales in the quarter, down from nine at the same time last year. There were two distressed sales (short sale, foreclosure or auction), a low but persistent figure that just won’t go to zero. The average price of a detached home in Crozet rose 5.5 percent in the quarter, to $497,000. The median price was even higher at $530,000. Of the 86 total detached sales, 35 were for new construction, up from 14 at the same time last year. The majority of these sales were in Old Trail, but Chesterfield Landing, Westlake, and Foothills all boasted a
CHART COURTESY NEST REALTY
by david ferrall | ferrall@crozetgazette.com
handful of sales as well. The average price per sqft of these new homes dropped slightly to $196/sqft, but the average price rose to $623,000. This is due to the average size of new homes rising 4.5 percent to 3,224sqft. The average price of a resale property dropped to $434,000, down from $495,000 at the same time last year. Homes lasted an average of 57 days on the market, up slightly from the same time last year. There were 20 sales for attached townhouse properties in the quarter, down one sale from the 21 at the same time last year. Six of these sales were
for new construction, all in Old Trail. The average price for this year’s newly constructed townhomes was $417,000, up sharply from the $226,000 average price at the same time in 2016. This is due to the average size of these attached houses more than doubling in size from 1,052sqft last year, to 2,246sqft this year. As was the case last year, there were resales in Parkside, Highlands, Clover Lawn, Wickham Pond, Old Trail and Haden Place. But the only current neighborhood for new-construction attached properties remains Old Trail. Affordability remains a prob-
continued on page 44
Your Builder of Choice
MODEL HOMES OPEN DAILY 12-5 CRAIGBUILDERS.NET
434 .973.3362
Available at:
Blue Ridge Builders Supply & Home Center Crozet 434 823 1387 Blue Ridge Paint & Decorating Charlottesville 434 964 1701
brbs.net
6
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
By Clover Carroll
clover@crozetgazette.com
A visitor to Crozet needs no more evidence of our love of nature than the beautiful wildflower meadows lining Jarman’s Gap Road, from Old Trail west to Grayrock, as well as the Old Trail Drive traffic circles. Clearly, this welcome streetscape enhancement and support for wildlife did not happen by accident. How did the meadow project come about, and what is its future? It all started in 2013, when the Homeowner’s Associations (HOAs) of Old Trail, Bargamin Park, and Wayland’s Grant came together to hire freelance landscape architect Jessica Mauzy, Crozet Trails Crew Founder and then member of the Crozet Community Advisory Association (CCAC), to develop a solution for a unified streetscape along Jarman’s Gap Road. Their goal was to create a cohesive corridor to unite the various neighborhood entrances along this important
road. Mauzy developed a comprehensive conceptual plan with various options, which she presented at a Sept. 19, 2013 meeting at the Old Trail Golf Club. The original idea to line the roadway with trees was precluded by the requirement that trees be planted 10’ away from water or sewer lines, which took up the usable space within the VDOT right-of-way. After a series of meetings open to all community members and discussions with neighborhood representatives, a consensus was reached to plant wide swaths of wildflowers and ornamental grasses along Jarman’s Gap Road. Using VDOT roadway plans to determine the areas that could be planted and the required site angles, Mauzy presented them with the Jarman’s Gap Road Conceptual Streetscape Planting Improvements report in April 2014, an illustrated proposal for the meadows that would “suggest continuity and uniformity” along the roadway while “the entryway features should convey neighborhood
6240 BARGAMIN BRANCH ROAD • In popular and convenient Bargamin Park • Walk to all things Crozet • Bright and sunny corner lot • 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths • 2746 finished sqft. • 2 family rooms • Blue Ridge Mountain views! • Brownsville/Western Albemarle schools
CLOVER CARROLL
The Jarmans Gap Wildflower Meadow Project
Coreopsis tinctoria has been the first to bloom in front of Bargamin Park, which was re-seeded this spring.
identity.” She explained that this solution would provide multiple benefits, including “visual continuity along the roadway, low maintenance/ water once established, habitat for beneficial birds and insects, and the ability to change the appearance over time by self-seeding, over-seeding, and natural progression.” J.W. Townsend Landscapes, a leading landscaping contractor
in this area, was contracted to install and maintain the meadows in 2015. Geoff Shaw, project coordinator, participated in subsequent planning meetings, and educated the core group on the process of establishing and maintaining a meadow. The cost was shared by the three neighborhoods, with Ben Wilson, then of Real Property Management (now with Nest continued on page 41
Looking to Buy or Sell in Crozet? Give Rod a Call!
Now Open in the Blue Goose Building in Downtown Crozet • Over 20 years experience • Over $150 million in sales
MLS#564717 Offered at $439,000 Supporting Meals on Wheels for 20 years
David H. Ferrall
Associate Broker, Nest Realty
df@NestRealty.com 434.882.5263
Agents, Rod is building his team! Call 987-6399 for more information.
Rod Phillips RE/MAX Realty Specialists Owner / Agent rodfphillips@gmail.com 434-987-6399
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
Join MOPS! Crozet Baptist Church chartered their first MOPS group in the spring of 2017 and has continued to offer preschool moms and their preschoolers (8 weeks-K) a great place of fellowship. Our group meets every other Monday morning from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. The meetings offer a variety of speakers, personal testimonies, creative activities, and opportunities for valuable fellowship with other moms and mentors. Excellent childcare that includes a Christian Curriculum is provided in a program called Moppets. We are in need of additional childcare volunteers.
Back to School Promotion Sunday August 27 Complimentary Picnic After Church! Worship service begins at 10 a.m.
Register today at crozetchurch.org/mops-signup/
Crozet Avenue
St. George Avenue
Minister of Children, Youth and Community Ministries
Dairy Queen
Crozet Pizza
Senior Pastor Serving 34 Years
Tracey Pugh
Railroad Avenue
Rev. David Collyer
www.crozetchurch.org 434-823-5171 5804 St. George Avenue
7
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017 LISA MARTIN
8
The Albemarle County Circuit Court (right) and General District Court buildings on Court Square in downtown Charlottesville.
Courthouse —continued from page 1
staff and outside consultants have assessed the pros and cons of options ranging from an in-place overhaul to pulling up stakes and moving out of Court Square entirely. Opinions on the best course of action are split, and all of the choices are costly, but the county Board of Supervisors now seems poised to make a decision on the thorny issue of whether to renovate or relocate.
Shenandoah Valley's premiere outdoor store since 1987.
1461 E. Main Street • Waynesboro • 22980
540-943-1461 • RockfishGapoutfitteRs.com
Court of Public Opinion For county residents, the first and most obvious obstacle to arriving for one’s day in court is the dearth of downtown parking. Besides hit-or-miss curbside parking, only two public parking garages serve the hundreds of citizens, court staff, and supporting constituencies who make their way to Court Square each day. Ann Mallek, Albemarle Board of Supervisors (BOS) representative for the White Hall district and the longest-serving current board member, experienced the parking struggle first-hand when she brought her elderly mother down to the courts after her father died. “My mom could not walk five blocks, and I couldn’t just drop her off,” she said. “It’s an untenable situation. Residents are always asking me to please move county services where they can more easily take advantage of them, and my job is to represent the citizens of my district.” The county General District
Court alone handles 40,000 cases per year, and court employees relate anecdotally that parking difficulties are the leading excuse for people running late to their court appointments. Though the issue has been a primary driver of courthouse-related discussions in years past, the city and county have been unable to negotiate a solution that increases parking options. But parking woes are only a symptom of the larger problem. A more fundamental dilemma lies in accommodating the increasing caseload of the courts. As the county population has grown over the last two decades, so has the volume of cases, and the pressure is growing. A 2015 feasibility study by Moseley Architects projects a 45 percent growth in county’s General District caseload by 2035, which translates to the equivalent of two additional courtrooms needed to accommodate them all. County Circuit Court Clerk John Zug noted that contested civil cases involving a jury trial are currently being scheduled as much as a full year out. However, he pointed to an important element of the problem: additional courtrooms would not shorten the extended delays in setting trial dates unless accompanied by additional judges, for whom the funding must be appropriated by the Virginia General Assembly. Order in the Court Perhaps the most critical and least-discussed deficiency in the
CROZETgazette LISA MARTIN
9
Jim Camblos, former Commonwealth’s Attorney for Albemarle County.
spectives on whether or not parking was a problem, and they weren’t going to agree.” said Camblos. “The attorneys all have their own parking spaces, so they tend to dismiss the issue.” But the larger problem was just as evident. “Even at that point it was obvious that the county had outgrown the courthouse and would have to move out of downtown.” Despite the uproar such a move would cause, he said, “the first obligation of the Board of Supervisors is to the citizens of Albemarle County.” In recent months, the BOS has been getting serious. Last fall, former County Executive Tom Foley presented the board with several options of varying cost and scope. The choices ranged from a renovation and expansion of the existing buildings in Court Square ($40 million), to moving one or both courts to the County Office Building area on McIntire Road ($27-$33 million), to moving
Crozet’s first yoga studio. All levels welcome, come move with us!
www.crozetyoga.com
introductory offer: 30 days unlimited classes for $50
continued on page 10
LISA MARTIN
current Court Square facility is its security. The Moseley study found problems with safety as well as circulation and space allocation, flagging the courthouse’s multiple public access doors without adequate security provisions and the minimal separation between defendants, judges, and the public as they traverse the halls. Bailiffs routinely march prisoners up from the basement cells and down the main hallway of the General District Court building, right past the public waiting in line at the clerk’s window. “Victims and accused are jammed in together, making for uncomfortable situations,” said Mallek. “It does not give people a sense of being well cared-for.” The study recommends that a modern court building would include features such as enclosed, secure, basement-level parking for judges, a central detainee holding area, a sally port for transferring detainees to and from vehicles, and a central public lobby with security checkpoints. None of these court deficiencies are new, and all have worsened during the decades of discussion. Jim Camblos, a retired prosecutor who worked in Charlottesville for 40 years and served as county Commonwealth’s Attorney for 16 of those, was a member of the original six-member committee tasked with assessing the courts issue back in the mid1990s. After many hours of meetings over the course of several years, he came to a few conclusions. “It was clear that the city and county had totally different per-
AUGUST 2017
Doug Walker, Interim County Executive for Albemarle County.
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
CROZ ET SUMMER 2017:
Workshops & Classes
ARTS BALLET
for Exploring & Creative Movement for ages 3 - 4 Rising KBallet ages 5 - adults, beginners- advanced
through Adults.
YOGA
See website for descriptions & registration. Gentle; Level I-II for teens & adults
THEATER
Improv, play readings; Classes ages 5 - adults
MUSIC
Guitar, Flute Ensemble, Chamber Strings, Music Together, Suzuki Cello; all ages
ART
Open Studio & Fall Watercolor Art classes for children, teens, adults
PILATES
Mixed levels teens & adults MORE TBA
REGISTER ONLINE Class descriptions & enrollment:
=
REGISTER at Crozet Arts: Tues 8/29 3:00 - 6:00 pm
CrozetArts.org
Photo by Anna Isley
1408 Crozet Ave - behind Field School (434) 964-6770
Crozet Arts is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit. Need-based scholarships are available.
Discover the joy of making music together with your family!
Co nt a ct us to a c vi s it las s!
Charlottesville · Crozet blueridgemusictogether.com 434) 293-6361
Mulch & Compost Double Ground Hardwood Mulch Pine Bark Mulch Black, Red, Brown & Natural Colored Mulch Organic Compost
CROZET, VIRGINIA
434-466-2682
Courthouse
LISA MARTIN
10
Crozet Arts is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit. Need-based scholarships are available.
—continued from page 9
entirely out of downtown to a location in the county’s Urban Ring ($31 million). The board directed its staff to suspend negotiations with the city on the downtown option, and resolved to “explore and pursue opportunities related to the relocation of the county court facilities.” The vote on the resolution to proceed was 4 to 2. Liz Palmer, BOS representative from the Samuel Miller district, was one of the two ‘no’ votes. “There is no reason to waste money on studies because the main purpose of the courts is the administration of justice, and for that the courts should stay downtown,” she said. “The poorest and least educated among us most need centrally located, accessible court services.” Palmer was particularly disappointed with the information provided on the cost of the options. “Yes, the Urban Ring option was cheaper, but there were big holes in the estimates. No cost was included for buying land out there, and there were way too many hypotheticals.” Palmer said her constituents tell her that moving is an outrageous plan because it’s a social justice issue. Judgement Call Charlottesville’s Circuit and General District Courts are housed within a block of the county courts, and the square is surrounded by the offices of law firms and legal support services. The one hundred or so court system employees are flanked by over four hundred attorneys in the historic district. The Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court sits on a corner of the square and is used jointly by both the city and county, employing a single, unified clerk’s office. Many—some say most—who work within the judicial system would prefer that the county and city court buildings remain where they are in Court Square. In a letter to the BOS in response to its November resolution, county Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Tracci strongly opposed the relocation proposal. He and seven co-signers from across the judicial system, including both city and county Clerks of Court and both sher-
Liz Palmer, Samuel Miller district representative to the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors.
iffs, argued that a move would negatively affect the quality of justice provided to the citizenry. “Justice is best promoted by judicial efficiency, timeliness, public convenience, and court safety,” Tracci wrote, and asserted that the co-location of all the courts and legal services together downtown promotes those efficiencies. Tracci says the county is overstepping its role by not listening to those who actually serve the interests of justice in the community. “These views have been largely ignored by the Albemarle Board of Supervisors,” he said, and questioned whether wider support of the plan to move exists. “Who in our community has stepped forward to publicly advocate dissolving Court Square?” Bruce Williamson, Chair of the Courts Location committee of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Bar Association, says there is a misperception that opposition to a move is based on the interests of the lawyers. “Keeping all of the courts downtown is better for everyone who uses the courts—prosecutors, judges, sheriffs, Legal Aid, public defenders, and all of their clients. It’s not unusual for a prosecutor and defense counsel to appear in three different courts all in the same day, and that efficiency would be lost [if they were separated].” Williamson said that a cooperative spirit would be lost as well. “There’s a sense that downtown Charlottesville is the hub of the community. You really do undertake a change, moving in the direction of two communities rather than one, if you move the court system for the county
CROZETgazette
The Jury is Out County staff have now shifted their focus from the narrower issues, like parking, to the big picture. Interim County Executive Doug Walker, charged with providing all the pertinent information the board needs to make its decision, is taking the long view. “We have to consider the long-term efficiency of any proposed solution,” he said. “That means not only providing modern court facilities for taxpayers and court-users, but also looking at the viability of stimulating more economic activity in the county.” Walker is currently overseeing several outside consultant studies that will produce recommendations for the board members. “It’s important not to rely on anecdotes or intuition in this process,” he said. “We need data and expertise to evaluate this decision.” The goal is a transparent process that produces reports that the public can read and judge for themselves. The major ongoing studies include: Another look at the “stay downtown” plan: Remaining in Court Square is the option with the highest price tag—$9 million more than moving out—partly because of the historic nature of the structures and the uncertainty of what contractors will find during the renovation. One cost-saving modification would be to reduce the breadth of the Circuit Court expansion by dispensing with a planned addition. Another is to replace two county-owned houses at the
intersection of 4th and High Streets with a new facility for the General District Court, including space behind the building for expansion or parking. “These choices will have cost implications,” said Walker, “but also performance implications.” An assessment of “adjacency”: Responding to concerns that a county move would disrupt the efficiency of the court system as a whole, Moseley architects are studying this issue in conjunction with the National Center for State Courts. The latter are experts in understanding how courts work and will document the interrelationships between the county and city courts, as well as other court-related entities such as the Public Defender, Commonwealth’s Attorney, Legal Aid, and Sheriff’s offices. The goal is to figure out just how inter-dependent these entities really are, in part by interviewing the users and stakeholders themselves, to assess the true operational costs—transportation expense, delays in hearings, etc.—of any plan to separate the city and county courts. “We’re trying to understand these concerns empirically, using an analysis of how these relationships work, to make the most responsible decision for taxpayers,” said Walker. A move and a partner: A substantial part of the county’s current focus is on determining whether moving the courthouse from downtown Charlottesville out to the Urban Ring is a viable choice. “If we are looking at the most cost effective way of solving the problem of the courts, then we have to examine the potential economic benefit of a partnership,” said Walker. Using the area at the intersection of Rio Road and Route 29 as a test site, Stantec Services Consulting, Inc. is exploring possibilities for a public-private partnership (or P3) to build the new courthouse and stimulate a wider redevelopment project in the county. Stantec is a large international engineering, design, and project management firm whose work places special emphasis on community partnerships. P3’s come in many forms, but the idea is to lessen the financial burden on the county
continued on page 45
PAUL CANTRELL
away from downtown.” The city also raised the question of whether or not the county has the right to move the courts at all. Voters typically must approve a move of the Circuit Court—whose location is referred to as the “county seat”—at the ballot box via referendum. However, the Virginia General Assembly recently softened that rule by exempting within-county Circuit Court moves. Because Court Square is located on a small carve-out of land owned by the county, not the city, the county is free to relocate the courthouse to another part of the county without a referendum if it so chooses.
AUGUST 2017
VS
11
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
Hometown Friendly. Multi-State Strong.
Jay Stalfort, CLCS COMMERCIAL INSURANCE
Brian Adams COMMERCIAL INSURANCE
John S. Smith Jr. PERSONAL INSURANCE
An independent insurance agency serving the needs of individuals and businesses in Albemarle and Crozet. BUSINESS | HOME | AUTO | LIFE | HEALTH
Call for a quote: (434) 977-5313 or 800 | 541-1419
630 Peter Jefferson Pkwy, Ste 300 Charlottesville, Virginia Virginia: Bedford • Bowling Green • Charlottesville • Danville • Eastern Shore • Fairfax • Fredericksburg Harrisonburg • Lexington • Lynchburg • Newport News • Portsmouth • Richmond • Roanoke • Staunton Sutherland • Winchester • Wytheville North Carolina: Asheville • Elizabeth City • Kitty Hawk • Plymouth
BankersInsurance.net
Crozet Gazette, 1/4 page color
SUBMITTED
12
First row L-R: Tommy Williams, Brayden Ross, Anthony Garono, Eli Scarbrough, Zack Thacker, Jonathan Kumer; Second row L-R: Coach Kevin Murray, Noah Murray, Kainan Miller, Sam Waldbillig, Coach John Thomas, Will Ferguson, Ross Hardy, Brandon Thomas, Coach Ned Hardy
Peachtree
—continued from page 1
all attend Henley Middle School, have been playing together for years, and they had Regionals as their goal going into this season. The 12U AllStars, which is a group composed of selected players from all the twelve-year-old-and-under teams in the Peachtree league, came into the district tournament favored to win, because they had won last year at the 11U level. Head Coach John Thomas, who has been coaching in Peachtree for eight years and with this particular group of boys since 2015, when they were 10, said the three games they had to play in route to their district victory were hard-fought. With the district championship complete, the boys advanced to the State Tournament, where they placed third last year. Determined to do better this time around, the boys achieved their goal. First, on July 1, they took down Stafford, hitting five home runs in a row and 10 total in the game. Coach Thomas praised his players, “I knew we could hit, and we were peaking at the right time, but that game showed the power the team had.” Fueled by that power, they advanced to the finals, where they faced Glen Allen, a perennial state powerhouse among all the Cal Ripkin/Babe Ruth baseball teams. The only team to beat the Peachtree Pride in two years of state tournament games, Glen Allen got the best of the
Crozet ballplayers again this year, but that didn’t diminish the impressive feat of making it all the way to the championship game, especially when one considers the huge numbers the Richmond-area team draws from compared to Crozet. More importantly, the second-place state finish meant our hometown boys qualified for the Southeast Regional, becoming only the fourth team in the history of Peachtree in Crozet to do so. Thomas believes there are many reasons this team was so successful, including first and foremost the friendship among the boys and the team’s focus on being good people, not just good players. “We always had a saying on the team, ‘If you work hard and have a positive attitude, good things will happen,’” Thomas said. “We never purposely talked about ‘winning,’ but about ‘good things.’ That’s true in life. If you work hard and you have the right attitude, good things happen.” Clearly, it was true for the Pride. In the Regional tournament, the boys lost to Atlantic Beach, Florida 7-4. They then rebounded to beat East Catawba, North Carolina 14-3 and Orlando, Florida 4-2. Thomas cites the Orlando came as an example of the 12U boys’ grittiness: “Orlando was a very good team. We played perfect defense that game, and worked really hard to pull out that close win.” The win sent them into a rematch with East Catawba, which they lost 11-6, putting them in 4th place overall, behind Atlantic Beach, the champion,
CROZETgazette though, they had to play Northside again to unseat the defending champions. In that second game, Northside beat them 6-4, sending both teams into a final showdown for the title. In the championship game, played just hours later, Northside came out strong on the heels of their win, going up on Crozet 10-2 by the bottom of the fourth. But the Crozet kids rallied. They scored five runs that inning, then three more in the fifth, so it was a tied game, 10-10, going into the sixth, the final inning at this level of play. Northside scored one run in the top of the sixth. But one wouldn’t be enough: Crozet scored two, to walk off with a 12-11 win and the district title. Head Coach Ben Jones recalled the mental and physical effort it took: “We had lost that morning, so the kids were down. And then we were down 10-2, so the kids were really down. But they didn’t give in, they didn’t hang their heads. We finally woke up and started hitting. It took a lot of hitting to get us there. But the fans started cheering, and the kids, they just went nuts.” Taking down last year’s champions was a big deal for the Peachtree 11U boys, who then went on to the state tournament. They beat Keezletown and Stafford before falling to Glen Allen, then beating Stafford again, and then falling to Glen Allen in the championship game, just as their older compatriots at the 12U level did. But the runner-up finish
13
Third Thursday at The Lodge at Old Trail august 17 5:30 pm
Finding Bix: The Life and Afterlife of a Jazz Legend
continued on page 42 SUBMITTED
Glen Allen, the runner-up, and East Rowan. The entire tournament was a thrill for players and coaches alike, who all enjoyed the camaraderie amid the competition, hanging out at the pool and watching other games together. That togetherness defined the team all season, and Thomas knows it was crucial to the team’s success, too. “We have parents who are supportive of their child as well as the team,” he said. And the support comes from the broader Crozet community too, as evidenced by an online GoFundMe campaign that raised money to help cover some hotel, food, and travel costs for the team. Thomas expressed his gratitude: “I am thankful for a community that supports us in such a positive way. We had a great support system from the Crozet community and the Peachtree league.” Some of that intra-league support came from the 11U team, the other Peachtree team to earn an invite to Regionals. Though the 11-year-olds weren’t able to accept the offer, as only the fifth ever team from Crozet to qualify, they had an exceptional season, too. With a record of 13-3, the 11U All-Stars took the league by storm, winning both their early season tournaments and then going on to take the district crown. The district tournament, held in Rockville, started with a drubbing of Fluvanna, 13-2. Then the Peachtree boys beat Northside, last year’s district champion, 16-5. Since the tournament is double-elimination,
AUGUST 2017
It’s almost time for another Third Thursday presentation at The Lodge. This month we will be joined by Brendan Wolfe, managing editor of Encyclopedia Virginia at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, who will be discussing his soon to be published book Finding Bix: The Life and Afterlife of a Jazz Legend. The book is a mix of biography, memoir and criticism that follows the story of Bix Beiderbecke, one of the first great jazz soloists. It’s a personal and engaging attempt to connect music, history and legend. You’ll see pictures and hear music from the Jazz Age and it’s sure to be a musical and biographical adventure for everyone. Make your plans for this event early. Seating is limited! OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! Make your reservation early. RSVP to 434.823.9100 or rsvp@lodgeatoldtrail.com 330 Claremont Lane Crozet, Virginia 22932
Front row: Peyton Herring, Wesley Gobble, Oliver Maxham, Daniel Jones, Julian Miles, Luke Kielbasa; Second row: Conner Hite, Charlie Pausic, Andrew Huffmyer, Josh Lively, Ben Winslow, Nate Evans; Back row: Coach Ben Jones, Coach Jason Lively, Coach Stu Evans.
www.lodgeatoldtrail.com INDEPENDENT LIVING • ASSISTED LIVING • MEMORY CARE
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
CLOVER CARROLL
14
Crozet YMCA After School Program Starts August 23 Monday–Friday | 2:30–6 pm
Includes— Licensed Program ● Qualified Teachers ● Homework Assistance ● Nutritious Snacks ● Fitness Activities ● STEM ● Arts & Crafts ● Character Building ●
Transportation provided from Brownsville, Crozet, Murray and Meriwether-Lewis
Members of the Greater Crozet Arts Alliance plan to meet monthly as an umbrella group of arts organizations to support the wide variety of arts in the Crozet community and collaborate on future goals. Front Row (left to right): Boomie Pedersen, Carol Pedersen, Suzanne Reid. Back Row: Sharon Tolczyck, Denise Murray, Carolyn Lawlor. Not Pictured: Lisa Goehler, Sandra Hodge, and Karen Yonovitz.
Fledgling Arts Alliance Convenes Learn more at— 434-205-4380 or piedmontYMCA.org
www.charlottesvilleselfstorage.net
Experience Mindfulness through Meditation
WE CARE!!!
NEW
• Onsite Resident Manager CLIMATE • More Secure with Coded Gate CONTROLLED UNITS • Well-lit for Your Convenience • A Fully Paved and Fenced Facility
Wednesdays at 7 PM
Your Neighborhood Self Storage at Crozet
Come join us!
Call Marsha Hall Greene to Rent or Reserve Today
Beginners welcome
whitehallmeditation.org
434-823-2340
MENTION THIS AD FOR MOVE-IN SPECIAL!
5390 Three Notch’d Rd | Crozet, VA 22932
John W. Clayton & Son Doublegrind Hardwood Mulch Pine Bark Mulch Composted Horse Manure Screened Topsoil Brick Sand Blue & Brown Driveway Gravel Custom Application of Lime & Fertilizer
P.O. Box 167, Ivy, VA 22945 johnwclaytonandson@earthlink.net
By Clover Carroll
clover@crozetgazette.com
The inaugural meeting of the Greater Crozet Arts Alliance (GCAA) was held on May 23 at the Crozet Library, with a follow up meeting on Wednesday, July 12 at Crozet Arts. The original group of Suzanne Reid (Crozet Arts Board), Carolyn Lawlor (Chair, Crozet Arts Board), Sharon Tolczyck (Artistic Director, Crozet Arts), Sandra Hodge (President, Crozet Chorus), Denise Murray (President, Crozet Orchestra), Lisa Goehler (Crozet Orchestra), and Karen Yonovitz (Partner, Crozet Artisan Depot) were joined at the second meeting by Boomie Pedersen (Managing Director, Hamner Theater), Carol Pedersen (Hamner Theater), and Clover Carroll (Crozet Gazette). The group was first formed to gather input from community-based arts organizations for Crozet Plaza/Barnes Lumber developer Frank Stoner about ways to reflect the unique Crozet arts culture in objects, images, and a possible performance space in the future Crozet Plaza. The group used this occasion to establish an ongoing umbrella group to solicit and share ideas and support for the wide variety of arts in Crozet, and to collaborate on future planning to
achieve mutual goals. At the July meeting, the GCAA name was adopted along with Vision and Mission statements. The GACC Vision is “To foster, coordinate, and support the development of the arts in the greater Crozet community.” Their mission is “To create a vibrant community through the arts and to raise awareness of the many varied arts organizations and events in the greater Crozet area.” The long term goal of the group is to find a location for and build a Crozet Performing Arts Center large enough to host dance and concert performances by the growing ballet, chorus, orchestra, and drama groups as well as art exhibits and educational opportunities. Appropriate stage size, rehearsal and classrooms, adequate parking, professional acoustics, and convenience to downtown Crozet are a few of the desired features. Fundraising, publicity, and collaboration with foundations that support the arts were discussed. They will continue to meet on the first Wednesday of each month, with the next meeting planned for Wednesday, Aug. 2 from 1:30 to 3:00 pm at Crozet Arts (behind Field School). Any arts organization that would like to participate in this fledgling arts alliance should contact Suzanne Reid sznnrd@gmail.com.
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
By Phil James
15
phil@crozetgazette.com
Working-Class Hoof Power Where would we be as an industrialized people had a brave soul not determined to tether some reasonably mild-mannered beast to a seemingly immoveable object in order to make a backbreaking job easier. With just a bit more ingenuity, a simple plow was eventually fabricated and attached to said beast and the science of agriculture took a major, albeit it plodding, step forward. In 18th century America, long before steam, gasoline or diesel power was invented and harnessed for such purposes, oxen were the agriculturalist’s engine of choice. They held on to that distinction until the mid-19th century when the pace of life dictated a greater need for speed. Horse breeds such as the Belgian, Clydesdale, and Percheron, bred specially as draught, or draft, animals, have fascinating histories. With pedigrees hailing from, respectively, Belgium, Scotland, and France, they proved themselves in times of both war and peace as faster workers, quite capable for many of the down-and-dirty tasks. The oxen’s place in the working world was not relinquished overnight, but its days were numbered.
“Wesley Barnes (1856–1936) lived right across the Moorman’s River from us,” recalled Emory Wyant, who was born in Sugar Hollow in 1911. “I remember him well. He worked a team of oxen all the time. He didn’t have any horses until, maybe, later in life. It always amazed me — he plowed those old oxen, just creep along like snails. He never did work them out for other people. Just used them for himself. He had some fields over on that side of the river. I don’t know that he ever did anything else [besides farming].” Concerning those earlier days when the slow but steady cloven-hoofed bovine was the preferred beast of burden, Albemarle historian Vera V. Via noted in her Daily Progress column: “From the farmer’s viewpoint, the use of oxen had one advantage. The animals could be eaten after serving for years as a work animal. It took longer cooking and the meat was tougher, but the old ox could supply the meat for the family for quite a while.” Slaughter W. Ficklin, who was destined to change the face of draft animals in America, was born in western Albemarle County at Pleasant Green in 1816, sixty years before that
Winston Morris had a lofty view into Bacon Hollow as he plowed this rocky field on steep Wyatt’s Mountain in Greene County. His draft animal provided transportation to and from the mountain fields and quiet company throughout the day. [Photo courtesy of Larry Lamb.]
Homer Knight of Bacon Hollow, Greene County, steadied King, a Percheron stud horse belonging to Big Jim Walton of Blackwell’s Hollow, western Albemarle County. Knight’s daughter Frances enjoyed the view from high atop King’s back. [Photo courtesy of Frances and Leah Knight.]
farm estate was counted among the several around which the village of Crozet was established. His father Benjamin Ficklin Sr. moved their family to the town of Charlottesville in the 1820s and entered into the tobacco business.
As a young man, S.W. Ficklin traveled in Europe and became inspired by some of the handsome animal breeds he encountered there. Upon his return home, he determined to become a breeder. While partnered in a continued on page 16
At Boonesville in northwest Albemarle County, Bryce Walton Sr. was a hard working farmer and community leader. His son Bryce Jr. waited on the hay mower while his father held the team for a rare workday photo. [Photo courtesy of Larry Lamb.]
16
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
Work Horses —continued from page 15
stagecoach business, in 1847 he purchased the 550-acre Belle-Mont estate on the outskirts of town and set about to establish a stock farm on his property. Following the Civil War years, Belmont Stock Farm was fully established. With a learned eye for good horse stock, Ficklin chose his initial breeding pair of Percheron draft horses from France and had them shipped to his Belmont Farm. Black Hawk the stallion and Daisy his mare set about their business of producing champion offspring. The pair and their progenies soon brought attention and recognition to Ficklin as one of the United States’ premier breeders of the still popular Percheron draft horse. Purebred draft horses such as Ficklin’s Percherons were found more often increasing their fame and value in show rings, not laboring in the fields. Their value to their owners and to the owners’ greater community was in further breeding, to pass along their sturdy bloodlines into the neighbors’ horse stock. “My grandfather Big Jim Walton ran a stud service with his [Percheron],” said Blue Ridge historian Larry Lamb. “My Aunt Alease Walton Bruce said he would ride that horse around the community and stay with the people who were hiring the horse’s stud services. Then he would go on to the next place. He would be gone a week at a time.” The onset of World War II led to a shortage of manpower available to farms. Steam traction engines and simple tractors had
supplanted draft animals in some larger farming operations. With a greater need for the country to produce more food and necessary goods with fewer hands, the mechanization of farming ramped up. A literal descriptive term, long familiar to the farmer and teamster, was re-coined, by which Henry Via of Doylesville in western Albemarle County always had time to stop and we have come to rate chat, whether at work with his team in the field, or at day’s end on his way home. everything from [Photo courtesy of Thelma Via Wyant.] small machinery to political influence: horsepower! Greater “Asked if he could weld anything but a horsepower in gasoline-powered equipment broken heart, Woodson said he could, and meant that fewer hands could produce more even tried to mend the latter occasionally.” and more, faster and faster. Among the ones A revival of interest has kept the draft who soon saw the writing on the wall was horse from disappearing entirely from the the village blacksmith who had long main- scene. Were his roadside stand still open, tained and helped to protect the hoof-power E.O. Woodson, who passed on to his of transportation and agriculture. well-deserved reward in 1964, would likely Daily Progress reporter Boyce Loving vis- still have a waiting line to repair those hearts ited with third-generation blacksmith E.O. which still yearn for the satisfying sight and Woodson Sr. of Greenwood in the midsounds from those earlier days. 1950s. He noted that 1949 census figures counted 3,330 horses and 560 mules in the county. By the time of Loving’s article, Woodson was only shoeing 500-600 horses and mules per year. Mr. Woodson acknowledged, “The automobile, tractor, combine, and other power-driven farm machinery [are] here to stay... and modern farm equipment has all but killed the need for the wheelwright.”
Dolie Lamb and Rosetta Taylor Lamb of Pocosan Mountain in Greene County were dressed in some of their “Sunday-go-to-meeting” best when they took this drive astride Buster and Sadie, Rosser Lamb’s prized work team. [Photo courtesy of Larry Lamb.]
An illustrated broadside advertised the 1893 stud services of Dictator, a purebred Percheron draft horse whose lineage was officially documented back to the Belmont Stock Farm of Slaughter W. Ficklin of Charlottesville. Ficklin, born at Crozet’s Pleasant Green in 1816, was the first breeder of PercheronNorman draft horses in the United States. [Courtesy of Phil James Historical Images]
Follow Secrets of the Blue Ridge on Facebook! Phil James invites contact from those who would share recollections and old photographs of life along the Blue Ridge Mountains of Albemarle County. You may respond to him through his website: www.SecretsoftheBlueRidge.com or at P.O. Box 88, White Hall, VA 22987. Secrets of the Blue Ridge © 2003–2017 Phil James
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
17
By Theresa Curry
theresa@crozetgazette.com
Late July is the time to make sauerkraut on Love Mountain, where the rows of Stonecrop cabbage have stayed sweet and tight and green. Gardening on the mountain is a little different from gardening down below, said Lynn Coffey. Her tomatoes ripen later, but all in all she’d rather have the cooler air. Coffey said she grew up eating sauerkraut, a staple from her family’s Eastern European heritage. “We didn’t have a garden or anything like it,” she said. “I grew up on Florida’s Gold Coast, and we bought our sauerkraut.” For reasons she has never understood, she was fascinated with the idea of country living, self-sufficiency and simplicity. “I think I told my parents when I was six that I would someday live in the mountains and raise and hunt my own food.” All of that came true, and more. People on the mountain and most people in Nelson
County are familiar with Coffey’s work. For 25 years, she wrote and published Backroads Magazine, a chronicle of “plain folks and simple living,” and later published several booklength collections of mountain lore. A city kid, “I knew nothing when I started,” she said. “I walked all over this mountain learning everything I could from my older neighbors. I think they humored me just so I’d leave them alone!” Johnny and Nin Coffey (relatives of Lynn’s husband, Billy) were her mentors on sauerkraut making. She liked their sauerkraut cutter and bought a similar one. Billy made her a sauerkraut tamper. Both are large tools made of wood. Coffey likes to salt and tamp her cabbage in layers, putting down four inches or so of cut cabbage and salting it before cutting another layer until the crock is full. On the top go some fresh grape leaves, shiny side down, then a plate and a big clean rock to weigh it all down. “That’s it,” she said.
THERESA CURRY
Gardeners and Cooks Keep The Rural Arts Alive
Lynne Coffey with garden vegetables.
“Nothing could be easier.” It didn’t seem so easy the first time though, she admits. “By that time Nin had died and Johnny lived with his sons. I had him on the phone for each step of the way.” Like her old neighbor, she put the crock under the house, to ferment where it was cool and dark. When it was time to can the sauerkraut, Coffey crawled under the house and found a
WEDNESDAYS: 6 - 8 PM YOGA BALANCE & BREWS
suspicious top layer of mold. “I ran back in and dialed him,” she recalls. “He told me to pull it off, so I set the phone down and ran back out.” She found the cabbage below the mold to be perfectly fermented, delicious, crisp and tart: “It almost tasted carbonated,” she said. She either cans it cold and processes the glass jars in boiling water or heats the whole batch to pack in continued on page 30
THURSDAYS: 7 - 9 PM GEEKS WHO DRINK TRIVIA
18
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
Paella I believe I wanted to make paella before I had even tasted it. The idea of a savory stew of chicken, pork, seafood and rice just sounded divine. Back in the olden days, if you wanted to cook something new, you’d have to buy a new cookbook or perhaps go to the library. I found my long-desired paella recipe in a hotel travel magazine in Vail, Colorado in 1994. Recently, I discovered a paella recipe in my Joy of Cooking; listed under ‘cereals.’ Wait, what? Me, being me, I didn’t do a test run, but instead decided to make it for the first time for my father’s birthday, hosting the 19 members of our extended family. That’s a lot of expensive ingredients and I remember thinking “my little nieces never eat anyway, I won’t make any for them”—just to save some money. Never mind that I didn’t have the proper cooking vessel. I used two enameled roasting pans on the stovetop—and burned a bit in both pans. The paella was a big hit. And the little nieces who never ate anything, not only ate a portion but begged for more! However. That recipe was horrible. Nothing listed in the proper order and terribly confusing. I have over the years revamped and improved it. The Joy of Cooking recipe pales next to this one. When I finally traveled to Spain to taste the “real deal” I
• Half-day for 2 ½ years to Pre-K • Friendly, Loving, & Experienced Staff • Nurturing, Christian Environment • Affordable Rates • Pre-K Spanish Enrichment
was more enamored than ever with paella in its many forms. Here are my favorite memories: • asking the staff at a Barcelona hotel where I could buy a paella pan, and being sent on a wild goose chase through the city, including two subway changes and a hunt through a large department store. • lugging the gigantic, heavy pan back through the city and the two subway changes. • managing to get it into my large suitcase and then having to ask a random stranger at Dulles Airport to help me heave it from the luggage carousel. • going into a Barcelona grocery store and asking in my best Spanish “where is the rice?” The man followed me to the aisle and asked me, “Where are you from?” I answered (really pleased that he couldn’t place my U.S. accent), ‘The United States.’ Him asking, “Do you not have rice in the United States?” Me replying, “Yes, but there are 25 kinds of rice in the world and we can only buy three of them.” • making paella again and again and loving it every time. This is not a trivial undertaking: lots of expensive ingredients, lots of time. Worth it? Completely. Here is the recipe and of course this would be fantastic as the entrée, accompanied by the dessert of Santiago Cake that I contributed to the July Gazette.
Paella ½ lb bacon 1 lb sausage (chorizo, or hot Italian) Olive oil 1 cup sliced onion 1 cup sliced sweet peppers 8 pieces of chicken (thighs work well; skinned or skinless, you choose) ½ cup white wine or vermouth 4 ½ cup chicken or beef broth 1 lb shrimp 2-3 fresh tomatoes I cup green peas 1 cup cooked garbanzos 2 cup Spanish or Italian rice 24 mussels
24 clams 3 lemons, quartered, for serving Paella spices: ½ tsp saffron 1 tsp paprika ¼ tsp coriander 1 bay leaf ½ tsp thyme ½ tsp oregano 2-3 cloves minced garlic Salt and pepper Shrimp marinade: 1 T lemon juice 2 T olive oil ½ tsp oregano
Begin with a large, heavy bottomed pan—or a roasting pan, but be careful not to burn it! Sauté the bacon and sausage in 2T olive oil. When the meat is brown, add the onions and peppers and cook for 10 minutes. Remove all this from the pan and reserve. Add the chicken pieces and brown on both sides. Add the bacon, sausage and veggies back to the pan. Add the wine, the stock, the spices, and the garlic. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. While simmering the paella, clean the shrimp and toss it with the lemon juice, oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper. Refrigerate till needed. Core, skin, and chop the tomatoes. (Easily done by covering them in boiling water in a heat-resistant pan. Remove when cool and the skin will come off easily). Reserve. Now, turn up the heat till the contents of the paella pan are boiling and sprinkle the rice over the entire pan. Gently press the rice into the liquid. This can now be covered and put into a 200°F oven till ready to serve, or, cook gently uncovered for 15 minutes and proceed as follows: When ready to serve, adjust heat to medium and add the shrimp, peas, garbanzos, and tomatoes, pressing gently into the paella. Cook uncovered for five minutes. Don’t stir. Insert the rinsed mussels and clams, hinge side down, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 7-8 minutes. If the shellfish are good, they will slowly open as they cook. If they don’t open, don’t eat them---consider them a beautiful garnish. Serve with lemon quarters. I always forget to serve the lemon quarters. Don’t be like me! Serves 8-10. *It’s taken me years to realize that this is best made the morning of your dinner party—up to the seafood addition step. Keep it in the oven, covered, at 200°F until your guests are ready to dine. Then add the seafood and serve when it’s thoroughly cooked. This way, the rice is completely cooked and has soaked up some of the cooking juices.
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
Business Briefs
By Theresa Curry theresa@crozetgazette.com
Local business news
19
THERESA CURRY
Lebanon Evangelical Presbyterian Church a place where: Skeptics are Welcome Broken Lives are Mended
LIVE MUSIC
AUGUST 12 • 6:30-9 PM The Pollocks
AUGUST 13 • 1-4 PM
Jesus Christ
is the Message
Central Virginia Blues Society Electric Jam
AUGUST 19 • 6:30-9 PM
Chamomile and Whiskey Join us Sundays for worship at 10:45am. We are located at 8312 Brooksville Rd., Greenwood, VA For more information please go to our website:
www.lebanonepc.org Pastor: Rev. Michael Payne PH.D.
Colleen Miller draws a taste of nitrogen-infused coffee at the Blue Ridge Bottle Shop. Photo: Theresa Curry
Cooling off with coffee Neither humidity nor blazing sun nor temperatures in the high 90s keep the sleepy public from their caffeine, according to local coffee suppliers. Crozet citizens rise early to walk their dogs, mow their yards or exercise before the oppressive heat, then stagger into local coffee shops for refreshment. “About 30 percent will go with their regular brewed coffee or espresso drinks,” said Caleb Mallory of Grit. “The other 70 percent will ask for an iced coffee, a frozen coffee, or a cold espresso drink.” Mallory is ready for them at Grit’s Old Trail location. At least 12 hours before the morning rush, he sets the coffee to brew naturally with fresh water, steeping it overnight to bring out the flavor without the heat. At Grit, they like to use Latin American coffees from Trager Brothers: “They have really nice, rich chocolate tones, just naturally sweet,” he said. “Guatemalan is the best, and Mexican is good, too.” Grit uses a fine cheesecloth to strain its long-brewed coffee before filtering it, and Mallory’s willing to coach his customers
on how to do this at home, if they don’t happen to have cheesecloth around. “Strain it through a fine mesh, like a tea strainer before putting it through a coffee filter, so it won’t get all clogged up,” he said. Over at the Mudhouse, manager Tim Henderson also offers a mellow, slow-steeped cold brew, alternating flavors to suit the various tastes of his clientele. He mentioned a couple of other alternatives. One is a Japanese-style cold brew, also called flash brew, where the barista does a “pour over,” with hot water, adding only twothirds or so of the regular amount of water, with the rest supplied by ice. “That way, you don’t dilute the flavor,” he said. There’s a third alternative at the Mudhouse. They make a blend––they call it their “Intentional” blend because of its fair sourcing––then send it over to Snowing in Space in Charlottesville to create “nitro mud,” brewed under pressure with nitrogen and returned to them in a keg. The infusion of nitrogen makes the coffee velvety and mellow. Sean Miller at Piedmont Place, who regularly pulls tastes
continued on page 20
“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations these are mortal... But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit.” C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory
AUGUST 26 • 6:30-9 PM Red and the Romantics
AUGUST 27 • 1-4 PM Cool Blue Quintet
SEPTEMBER 2 • 6:30-9 PM Keith Morris and the Crooked Numbers
SEPTEMBER 3 • 1-4 PM
Art & Wine: Pete Myers Photography
Open for lunch, groceries, convenience, gift and prepared take-out dinners, beer and wine. Tu-Th: 11am-7pm; Fri: 11am - 8pm Sat: 11am-9pm; Sun: 11am-4pm
BATESVILLEMARKET.COM 6624 PLANK ROAD, 22924 434-823-2001
Become a CAREGiver
SM
The job that changes lives in your community.
It takes people like you to make a difference in the lives of seniors! • No experience necessary • Paid training • Vacation & 401K • Flexible scheduling • Overnight and Weekend hours available Call 434.979.4663 for more information or apply at www.HomeInstead.com/532 Each Home Instead Senior Care ® franchise office is independently owned and operated. ©2015 Home Instead, Inc.
20
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
Business Briefs —continued from page 19
of craft beer from various kegs for his customers at the Blue Ridge Bottle Shop, had been intrigued for some time by the nitrogen-assisted brew popular in Charlottesville, and he and wife Colleen first introduced it to Crozet. He uses the Snowing in Space proprietary blend, and it’s available in cans or on tap at the shop. It comes out with a bit of foam, just like a beer or like champagne bubbles floating to the top, and has an interesting taste and texture. Both Miller and Henderson said that even people who swear by cream and sugar don’t always add it to this creamy brew. Cans of the pressurized coffee are also a new addition to the shelves of the Crozet Market.
arranged to donate two Tesla and two Universal chargers.” Thrasher said that several patrons plan their trip to stop at Pro Re Nata for the 1 1/2 hours or so that it takes to fully recharge. It appears to be a good move for Tesla, too. There’s a bit of an empty space on the map between the charging stations at the Boars Head Inn and the ones at the Iris Inn and Sigora Solar in Waynesboro. There are many in Charlottesville, and those heading west can find plenty of stations in Staunton and Harrisonburg.
Book release from local small press Various groups demonstrating around the country have a long history behind them,
Electric cars get thirsty, too At Pro Re Nata, those passing by can refresh their vehicles as well as themselves. While stopping to enjoy the food at Braised or a craft beer from the brewery, there’s now a place to recharge their electric car. “It’s an awesome story,” said Jared Thrasher, a PRN manager. “Somehow someone at Tesla read online about us because of our railroad car bar and
Charging station at PRN
Thoreau’s 200th birthday, the handbook offers excerpts from the writings of these three groundbreaking figures, along with brief commentary by Hancock, who is also the editor and publisher. The Handbook is available direct from the publisher, St Brigid Press: stbrigidpress.net/ books/a-handbook-for-creativeprotest St. Brigid Press publishes A Handbook for Creative Protest.
whether they know it or not. A Handbook for Creative Protest: Thoreau, Gandhi, & King in Conversation, published a few weeks ago by Afton’s St Brigid Press, is a thoughtful guide to responding to these turbulent times. Emily Hancock, St. Brigid’s founder, quotes Thoreau: “A people, as well as an individual, must do justice, cost what it may,” and tracks Thoreau’s influence on Mohandas K. “Mahatma” Gandhi and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Although Thoreau was part of the privileged class in 19th century America, and Gandhi and King were obviously born into the oppressed classes in different times, all three men came to a similar understanding of what to do when faced with injustice, Hancock said. Released in conjunction with
La Sunflower blossoms locally Those looking for a natural bug repellant can find it now on the shelves of the Batesville Market thanks to La Sunflower, a Waynesboro skin care compounding business run by Lynn Ross and Barbara Swett. La Sunflower concocts its selection of freshly made, organic skin care products in a
Emily Hancock of St. Brigid Press.
DONATE, SHOP, VOLUNTEER!
CROZETgazette
Natural bug Sunflower.
repellant
AUGUST 2017
from
La
Crozet Library Monday Night Book Group
small home operation and markets its products through outlets like the Batesville Market and Wintergreen Spa, as well as through direct mail. Designer Lynne Ross, a student at The New England School of Science, makes her lotions and creams with natural ingredients and scents them lightly with steam-distilled essential oils, eschewing phthalates, parabens, sulfates, artificial colors, synthetic fragrances, and chemical preservatives. Ross
21
said she started out making a few products for family and friends, but the demand increased until she now serves hundreds of customers. Ross knew the time was right when she read that women apply as many as 200 chemicals to their faces and bodies each day, with well more than half of them readily absorbed through their skin. Besides the insect repellant, the home business offers salves, essential oils, pain relief rubs, elixirs, lotions, soaps and oils. There’s also an educational component, Ross said, that offers seminars on body care. Find La Sunflower at lasun flower.com.
Lynn Ross and Barbara Swett of La Sunflower.
September 4, 2017 7 p.m. The Mill on the Floss, by George Eliot (1860) October 2, 2017 7 p.m. A Strangeness in my Mind, by Orhan Pamuk (2015) November 6, 2017 7 p.m. A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman (2014) December 4, 2017 7 p.m. The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead (2016) January 8, 2018 7 p.m. News of the World, by Paulette Jiles (2016) February 5, 2018 7 p.m. The Gene: An Intimate History, by Siddhartha Mukherjee (2016)
Tom is more than just a Realtor
March 5, 2018 7 p.m. JMRL Community Same Page Selection TBA
• Banking & Finance Degree • • Legal Contracts •
April 2, 2018 7 p.m. The Zookeeper’s Wife, by Diane Ackerman (2007) May 7, 2018 7 p.m. Hillbilly Elegy, by J.D. Vance (2016) June 4, 2018 7 p.m. Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett (1998) July 2, 2018 7 p.m. Coming Up for Air, by George Orwell (1950) New members are always welcome to join us for any or all of the discussions! Meetings are held in the community room at Crozet Library the first Monday of the month.
• Home Financing • • Top Line Price Negotiator •
Haircuts|Beard Trims|Shaves Free eyebrow, ear & mustache trim with haircut Straight razor shaves include hot lather, hot towels & aftershave Find us on Facebook!
Mon. Tues. Thurs. & Fri. 7:30 - 5:30 Saturday 7:30 - 1 Walk-Ins; No Credit Cards
SERVING CROZET SINCE 1933
1202 Crozet Avenue 434-823-4223
$10 Million Sales Experience
Tom Noelke REALTOR®
434-770-8902 Since 1927
Roy Wheeler Old Trail Village
Crozet, Va 22932 434-770-8902 • www.RoyWheeler.com
gear up at 22
Winter is for 2017 AUGUST Running
CROZETgazette
WE WE R E MA DE TO R U N
by John Andersen
john@crozetgazette.com
How to Get Bitten by a Dog Albemarle County is an of getting yourself bit in and amazing place to live, and around Crozet. And boy do we Crozet in particular is sublime. have some good opportunities– Tight community, incredible from spoiled suburbia dogs, to mountain views, and enough country dogs, to free-roaming breweries and wineries to last a wild dogs–stick around long lifetime are some of our many enough, follow my advice, and blessings. But Crozet and west- you’ll have some sweet puncture ern Albemarle are also an incred- marks to share with your friends ible place for outdoor exercise, on Instagram! Here we go! especially running, hiking, and 1) When approaching a dog biking. Between the miles of walking with its owner from scenic, challenging roads and behind, be sure to quietly pass YOU CROZET! the miles THANK of rugged mountain right by them! We opened our doors agotechnique and are is one of my CROZET RUNNING SPECIALTY RUNNING STORE trails, Crozet really does haveone it yearThis so grateful for the support and friendship this all for keeping you fit. favorites because it seems to surcrozetrunning.com | 434-205-4452 | facebook.com/crozetrunning community has shown us. We look forward to And don’t forget about the prise everyone it works for. Even serving in You’ve the future share dogs! you What? neverand beencontinuing the most to docile of our dogs can be passion for running, fitness, and the great outdoors! bitten by a dog? Or you’ve expe- unpredictable when it gets sudrienced a- few bitesand but Michelle seem to Andersen, denly spooked, especially when John Owners long for something deeper? Or it may think its owner is sudperhaps you want to be the last denly in harm’s way. So, when one to whom Mrs. Jones can you’re running or biking and honestly say, “Don’t worry! you see Mrs. Smith walking Killer never actually bites any- down the path with her friendly one”? Well, have I got a column Labrador, just be sure to pass for you! right next to the dog without As someone who knows the giving any warning of your behavior of dogs pretty well, coming. Assume that dog is and who loves to exercise out- friendly and well-behaved–it doors, I’ve amassed quite a bit makes the surprise attack even continued on page 27 of experience on the best ways
Serving Crozet & Surrounding Areas Since 1980
CALL TODAY! 434-823-4622 We Offer Duct Cleaning
Monday – Friday 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
24 HOUR ANSWERING SERVICE
“Where Quality Counts” 5391 Three Notched Road, Crozet, VA 22932
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
23
Crozet Community Survey Answer this survey ONLINE at crozetcommunity.org/2017/05/public-survey
If you are not able to complete the survey online, remove this sheet from your Gazette and mail to the Crozet Community Association, P. O. Box 653, Crozet 22932
All adults in your home are invited to complete a form. It should take about 15 minutes to complete the questions below. There are no right or wrong answers; what’s important is your opinion. All of your responses will be kept confidential. Thank you for your participation!
LAST CHANCE! Survey Closes August 20
Q1. Crozet has often been said to have a “small town feel.” For each of the following aspects, please rate how important each is to you using this scale: 1 = very important 2 = somewhat important 3 = not very important 4 = not important at all A vibrant downtown
A vibrant local library
Many community events
Plentiful open/green space
A mix of places to live, work, and do business in the downtown area
Q2. There are many reasons why someone lives in Crozet. For each of the possible reasons listed below, please rate how important each is for you. 1 = very important 2 = somewhat important 3 = not very important 4 = not important at all For a job in the area (includes anyone in your family)
Area’s tax rates
The presence of friends, family, or loved ones in the area
Convenience of your commute
You grew up in the area
Ease of getting around by car
Retirement Q3. Returning to Crozet’s “small town feel,” please rate how important each of the following aspects are to you. 1 = very important 2 = somewhat important 3 = not very important 4 = not important at all Parks and recreation spaces (e.g., trails, pools, team sports space, playgrounds) Residential development
Ability to work in Crozet
Tree-lined streets
Safety/low crime
Convenience to retail/shopping
Q4. And returning to why someone lives in Crozet, please rate how important the following are for you. 1 = very important 2 = somewhat important 3 = not very important 4 = not important at all Safety of the area
Physical beauty of the landscape
Quality of the schools
Availability of farms or land in general
Thoughtful town planning (e.g., Crozet Master Plan)
Overall quality of life in the area
Availability of culture and arts
Active civic engagement
Issues Facing Crozet Throughout this questionnaire we will be referring to Crozet’s Master Plan and its current land use map as shown on page 25. Please take a moment and acquaint yourself with the map. The area of the map inside the red line is the Crozet Development Area, sometimes called the Crozet growth area. The area outside of the red line is zoned as rural area with fewer houses on more land per house (also known as lower density). A guiding principle of the County’s Comprehensive Plan and the
Crozet Master Plan is to foster and permit growth and greater density (more houses on less land) in the growth area, thereby protecting the rural areas and watersheds from population growth and development. Throughout this questionnaire we have included questions that state what the current Crozet Master Plan says on a topic, however, there is no part of the Master Plan that cannot be changed. Please give us your honest opinion about how important these features of the current Master Plan are to you.
Q5. How closely do you follow local civic and growth/development issues in Crozet? very closely
somewhat closely
not very closely
not closely at all
Q6. Do you live within the Crozet Growth area (Crozet development area)? [Please refer to the map] yes
no
not sure
Q7. Below are some issues the Crozet Master Plan addresses. Let’s first talk about development issues facing Crozet. For each of the below, please indicate how important each one is to you. 1 = very important 2 = somewhat important 3 = not very important 4 = not important at all Ensuring that downtown Crozet is a quality commercial center with a diversity of businesses and services Supporting existing small businesses in Crozet Increasing the amount and ease of parking in the downtown area Increasing commercial development along Route 250 Creating a local recycling center Q8. The Crozet Master Plan states that Route 250 from the Fox Chase subdivision to near the Pro Re Nata Brewery should stay as it is—that is, largely protected from more residential and commercial development. Some people say the Master plan should be changed to allow for more residential and commercial development. [Please check the GOLD area on the map (labeled 250 West Area)] Which of the two statements below is closer to your own view? Check one. Route 250 from the Fox Chase subdivision to the Pro Re Nata Brewery should continue to be protected from further residential and commercial development Route 250 is a good area for more residential and commercial development
continued on page 24
24
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
Q9. Do you favor or oppose having the Crozet Master Plan’s current development area boundaries expanded, thereby creating more and new areas in the Crozet area available for residential and/or commercial development? [Current development area boundary shown in RED on map] strongly favor
somewhat favor
somewhat oppose
strongly oppose
Q10. Below is a list of growth issues facing Crozet. Please indicate how important each one is to you. 1 = very important 2 = somewhat important 3 = not very important 4 = not important at all Increasing the availability of jobs in Crozet
Increasing the availability of affordable housing
Limiting new residential development
Protecting and buffering existing neighborhoods against new commercial and residential development
Protecting the water supply
Q11. Do you favor or oppose commercial or industrial development near the Route 250 and I-64 interchange? [Please check the PURPLE area on the map (labeled Interstate Interchange Area)] strongly favor
somewhat favor
somewhat oppose
strongly oppose
Q12. Do you favor or oppose a main principle of the Crozet Master Plan that the downtown area should be the social and business center of Crozet? strongly favor
somewhat favor
somewhat oppose
strongly oppose
Q13. Below is a list of possible transportation needs facing Crozet. Please indicate how important each one is to you. 1 = very important 2 = somewhat important 3 = not very important 4 = not important at all Greater motorist safety and traffic management
Connecting streets between neighborhoods
Increasing pedestrian safety
Increasing commuter bus and/or van options
Emphasizing walking as an alternative to using the car (including greenway trails and sidewalks) Q14. Do you favor or oppose the principle that the downtown Crozet area should be the top priority for new development? strongly favor
somewhat favor
somewhat oppose
strongly oppose
Q15. Do you favor or oppose additional commercial and residential development along Route 250? strongly favor
somewhat favor
somewhat oppose
strongly oppose
Q16. How often do you go to businesses in Downtown Crozet (e.g., The Square, B&B Cleaners, Crozet Market/GreatValu shopping center, Crozet Pizza, Piedmont Place)? daily
several times a week
weekly
several times a month
less frequently than once a month
never
Q17. How often do you go to businesses in the shopping area along Route 250 that includes Harris Teeter, UVA Credit Union, UVA Family Medicine, ABC store, Verizon Wireless, et al.? daily
several times a week
weekly
several times a month
less frequently than once a month
never
several times a month
less frequently than once a month
never
less frequently than once a month
never
Q18. How often do you go to businesses in Waynesboro? daily
several times a week
weekly
Q19. How often do you go to businesses in the Charlottesville area? daily
several times a week
weekly
several times a month
Q20. Now thinking about the types of stores and services that may come to Downtown Crozet in the future, please indicate for each of the following, how important it is to you? 1 = very important 2 = somewhat important 3 = not very important 4 = not important at all More restaurants and bars
More professional services
More retail stores
More employers offering professional/technical jobs
More lodging/hotel Q21. And from the list below, please indicate how important it is that new jobs in each of the following industries come to the Crozet area? 1 = very important 2 = somewhat important 3 = not very important 4 = not important at all High-tech (such as BioScience and Medical Devices)
Retail
Manufacturing/light industrial (such as Information Technology, Defense, Security, and Agri-business Related Technology)
Office/Professional (such as Business and Financial Services)
Thank you for your answers so far! You are over half-way through the questionnaire now! Q22. Below is a list of recreational opportunities that could be created or enhanced in Crozet. For each, please indicate how important it is to you. 1 = very important 2 = somewhat important 3 = not very important 4 = not important at all Greenways and walking trails
Outdoor event and performance space
Park space for organized youth sports activities
Albemarle County park at Old Trail
Natural areas and open spaces for walking, sitting, quiet activities Q23. Which of the following local events did you attend in the last 12 months? (Please check all that apply.) Misty Mountain Music Festival Crozet Arts & Crafts Festival Crozet Farmer’s Market Athletic Events – SOCA, YMCA, WAHS, Peachtree, etc. Crozet Library events/storytime Crozet Independence Day Parade and Celebration Crozet Christmas Parade Local cultural events – WAHS plays, Crozet Community Orchestra or Chorus, etc.
Crozet Trails Crew Fun Run Crozet Car Show Third Thursday Depot Acoustic Jam Session Crozet Spirit Walk and Fall Festival Annual Pitch-In at the Park Old Trail Friday’s After Six Old Trail Movie Night Old Trail Summer Movie Series The Lodge at Old Trail’s Third Thursday events
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
25
Q24. Below are some phrases. For each, please indicate how much you feel it describes Crozet, using a 1 to 5 scale, where 5 means it very much describes Crozet, while a 1 means it doesn’t describe Crozet much at all. Community-minded
Bike-friendly
Mountain views
Family-friendly
Local recreational facilities and opportunitites
Locally-owned businesses
Rich history
Rural area
Good schools
Walkability
Wineries
Agriculture/gardens
Locally-owned restaurants
Active railroad
Breweries
Local arts and culture
Parks and green space
Q25. Below is a list of education issues in Crozet. Please indicate how important each is to you. 1 = very important 2 = somewhat important 3 = not very important 4 = not important at all Increasing local school capacity by building schools
Managing local school capacity by re-districting
Q26. Please share any other comments or thoughts you’d like to make about Crozet or the Crozet Master Plan and/or its revision.
Please remember that all of your answers are strictly confidential and only group results will be reported. Q27. How long have you lived in Crozet? 0-2 years
3-5 years
6-10 years
11-20 years
21 or more years
All of my life, so far
continued on page 26
26
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
Q28. Which of the following neighborhoods do you currently live in? The list below first names areas inside of the Crozet growth area and then some areas outside of the growth area. (If your neighborhood isn’t listed, please write in your street name or area name) Bargamin Park Blue Ridge/Carter Street Brookwood Chesterfield Landing Clover Lawn Cory Farms Crozet Crossing Crozet Mobile Village Foothill Crossing Foothill Village
Grayrock North Orchard Acres Grayrock Orchard Park View Hayden Place Parkside Village Highlands Railroad Avenue Hilltop/Myrtle/Tabor Street area Rea Subdivision (between Haden Lane Jarman Gap Estates and Killdeer) Laurel Hills St George Avenue/McAllister area Liberty Hall St. George Acres Meadows Three Notch’d Road area Old Trail Union Mission Rd/Starr Hill Brewery area
Emerald Ridge Afton Freetown Batesville Free Union Beaver Hill Village Fox Chase Brownsville Hillsboro Church Hill West Emerald Forest (Miller School Rd area)
Greenwood Ivy Mint Springs Road Newtown Sugar Hollow
Wayland Park Waylands Grant Western Ridge Westhall West Lake Hills Weston White Oaks Wickham Pond Other area INSIDE the Growth Area, please specify: ________________________
Thurston Drive area White Hall Yancey Mills Other area OUTSIDE the Growth Area, please specify: __________________
Q29. Where do you most often work or go to school? In or near Crozet
In or near Charlottesville
In or near Scottsville
In or near Waynesboro
In or near Staunton
Somewhere else
Not working or going to school right now (Skip to Q31 below)
Retired (Skip to Q31 below)
Q30. How far do you usually travel to go to work or school? 0-5 miles
6-10 miles
11-20 miles
21-30 miles
greater than 30 miles
Q31. Are you a: (please check all that apply) Crozet resident
Local business owner in Crozet
Property owner in Crozet
Employee/non-owner of a Crozet business
None of the above
Q32. Were you involved in public participation for the Crozet Master Plan in either 2004 or 2010? For example, going to a meeting, taking the 2009 survey, talking to elected officials. Yes
No
Did not live here then
Not sure / Don’t know
Q33. Please check the number of household members, including yourself, in each age category, that live in your home. 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
0
0 to 5 years old
31 to 50 years old
6 to 12 years old
51 to 70 years old
13 to 18 years old
71 to 80 years old
19 to 21 years old
81 or older
1
2
3
4
5
6
22 to 30 years old Q34. What is your gender?
Male
Female
Q35. What is your marital status? Single, never married
Married or domestic partnership
Q36. Do you have children in the local public schools?
Yes
Widowed
Divorced
Separated
No
Q37. What is the highest level of formal education you have completed? Completed some high school
High school graduate or equivalent (e.g. GED)
Completed some college
Trade/technical/vocational training
Associate degree
Completed some post-graduate
Master’s degree
Ph.D., law or medical degree
Bachelor’s degree
Other advanced degree beyond a Master’s degree
Q38. Do you own or rent your current home? Own my current home
Rent my current home
Living with someone who owns the home
Living with someone who rents the home
Q39. Are you currently participating regularly in any local community or civic organizations? Yes
No
I particiate, but not regularly
Don’t know / Not sure
FINISHED! CONGRATULATIONS. Thank you for your time and input. We greatly appreciate it! TEAR THIS SHEET OUT AND MAIL TO THE CROZET COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, PO BOX 653, CROZET VA 22932
A
gain, this survey is the first of several opportunities for your active participation in the decisions affecting our community in the next five years or so. If you’d like to stay informed about Crozet, Crozet Master Plan revision and related topics, please subscribe to our email list by signing up at: CrozetCommunity.org/contact-us. We only send out 3-5 emails a month and every email is reviewed
and approved, so no spam or trolls! If you have any concerns or questions about this survey or any of the topics, please contact us. You can get our contact information at crozetcommunity.org or email us at CrozetCommunity@gmail.com Sincerely, The Crozet Community Association
CROZETgazette
Back to Fitness —continued from page 22
more exciting! And once her dog suddenly senses a fast-moving stranger about to overtake him and his master, if you’re lucky, he’ll get a quick adrenaline spike along with some anxiety, and he’ll make a rash decision that it’s probably time to protect his house first and ask questions later. Remember, even really good dogs with really good owners can snap if surprised—the power is in your hands! Alternatively, if you’re chicken, I’d advise that if you’re coming up on a dog and its owner from behind, that you give wide berth and be sure to make some noise to let them know you’re coming up on them. That way, the dog can have a little time to assess you and the owner can have a little time to restrain the dog if they think it’s needed. I hate to admit it, but I’m chicken and I never ever run by a dog from behind without a lot of notice or without first getting off the sidewalk and onto the road. I just can’t commit to the pale thigh fang mark Instagram post yet! 2) If you see a menacing dog coming toward you, quickly start running/pedaling away!
From the Editor —continued from page 3
The mission of the courts is justice, not economic development. The Gazette has little confidence in the ability of local government to create prosperity. If it could, every community in America would be rich. Business is what creates wealth and it goes where it sees real opportunity, according to its own lights, not simply a welcome-to-town sign or even community officials who are willing to cut subsidy deals to lure prospective businesses. The prosperity goal should be separated from the justice goal, and certainly not knotted up in public/private development deals. We learned how susceptible those are to corruption under the recent McDonnell administration. Our wisest choice is to invest where we are already invested, in the court square environs,
AUGUST 2017 Even though you’ll almost never be able to outrun a charging dog, you should totally try anyway because it really stokes their predatory instincts, often making the impending attack even more bold! Most of the time, if a dog is running out of someone’s yard barking and coming towards you, it is just telling you to go away in the best way it knows how. If you stand your ground and yell at them to stop, they will almost always stop at this bluff, however you can quickly turn this situation into a guaranteed dog bite by frantically running away. The dog is already amped up and suddenly it sees the strange human transform from a large powerful creature to a prey species. The chase and bite instinct is pretty strong in dogs, especially in maladjusted dogs, and it’s easier than you think to really score a sweet leg bite here. Even on a bike, these dogs will happily shred a rear tire or put a puncture in your freshly shorn legs if given enough provocation—just experiment and have fun, but be sure to run fast! If you change your mind though, if you’re feeling a bit “yeller,” simply stand your ground, make eye contact, and yell at that dog to stop and get away. Admittedly, this can be hard to do if you’re really feeling
continued on page 44
and add to what history and the legal culture have built up and entrusted to us. Honor that. In the end, we tend to forget what something cost us—this is not a license to spend wastefully—but whether the spending achieved the outcome we sought. When U.Va. faced a choice over whether to build needed hospital rooms next to the old University hospital or build new health complex at the deserted old Blue Ridge Hospital, which could claim better Interstate access for cars, the university decided to build the new next to old. That choice best preserved the academic mission of teaching medicine. Imagine what would be happening on West Main Street today if the complex had been moved away from the University. We should be faithful to the justice mission and trust that being true to it will have the added reward of prosperity.
27
CROZET ARTISAN DEPOT presents
“The Light Chaser: Plein Air Paintings of Virginia” August Featured Artist Meg West Second Saturday, August 12th 2017 Presentation by Meg from 2-3 pm Reception from 3-5 pm
CROZET ARTISAN DEPOT ART & GIFTS
5791 Three Notch'd Road, Crozet 434 205-4795
Mon-Sat: 10 am - 5 pm Sun: 12 pm - 5 pm www.crozetartisandepot.com
PEACH ICE CREAM SALE SATURDAY, AUGUST 5 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 6 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Chiles Peach Orchard, 1351 Greenwood Road, Crozet
28
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
margaret@crozetgazette.com
JEN PHILLIPS
When the Jefferson Swim League was founded 51 years ago in 1966, the “Village Club of Crozet” was one of its five original members. Now Crozet is much more than just a “village club.” Now it is one of the biggest of 18 teams, one of the perennial contenders for the crown, and the only squad to have beaten Fairview in the Championship in the past 27 years. This year the competition at the top was especially close— the top three teams were separated by only 124 points, and they jockeyed for position all season long and up through the final races of the championship. In the end, Fairview held on to win with 2,395 points, while Crozet took 2nd with 2,285, leaving ACAC in 3rd with 2,271. Head Coach Alex Rayle is in his second year leading the Gators, but he’s been with the team since he started swimming in 2003, and he’s been assistant coaching with the team since he was 16. Having just graduated from UNC-Wilmington and its swim team in May, Rayle now has a full-time position as Head Age Group Coach for CYAC, the Charlottesville YMCA Aquatics Club, a year-round team on which many Gators also swim. Rayle was extremely pleased with the Gators’ performance this year, not just at Champs but all along the way. The Gators had a season record of 3-2, with their two losses coming at the hands of Fairview and ACAC. (The Gators easily beat the other teams in Division I: Forest Lakes, Boar’s Head, and Fry’s Spring.) Despite the
tough loss, Rayle remembers the ACAC meet on June 28 as his favorite of the season. “We went in knowing it was going to be really tight meet, and we were going into their home pool,” he says, noting that the ACAC pool is 50 meters, which puts Crozet at bit of disadvantage since the Gators train in a 25-meter pool. But the Crozet swimmers rose to the challenge beautifully: “We were swimming really fast, and team spirits really were high. All the kids were cheering really loud, older and younger. Last year, we were in same situation with ACAC, but our mindset was totally different this year going into the meet and throughout it. It was good to see to that transformation.” The final score was 541.5 to 528.5. But Crozet would avenge that 13-point deficit exactly one month later. On July 28, the first day of Champs, Crozet was back in a foreign pool and back in a close battle with ACAC, but this time the setting was Fork Union, hosting the JSL Championship for the second time since its usual home at the UVA Aquatics and Fitness Center was under construction. That day, the youngest and oldest swimmers raced their hearts out in the first two sessions of the meet. The 6-and-under and 7/8 age groups saw lots of big moments, like Miller Grimes setting a JSL record for the 7/8 girls 25 freestyle, and the mixed 5/6 freestyle relay, comprised of Bowen Hunt, Dilyn Carter, Willow Philips, and Katherine Heilman, smashing the JSL record by almost 14 seconds. The young ones’ efforts put Crozet in second place to ACAC at the end of the first session.
Bowen Hunt dives in.
Taylor Kagarise, Willow Phillips, Caroline Pinson, Emma Lane Schnell, and Savannah Hankins.
Then their older teammates took the pool. Swimmers like Haley Sheffield, who outtouched a higher-seeded Fairview swimmer to win the 50-meter freestyle, provided a lift not just in points but also in spirits as the long meet went on into Friday evening. “Shout out to our 13-and-over section who made second possible,” Rayle said. “They over-performed what was expected of them. Probably about 90% of the swimmers in that group set personal bests. I was very proud of them for stepping up.” Saturday morning, the time drops continued. In the 9/10 boys individual medley, Finnegan Driscoll, Nolan Liang, and Gage Davis all took almost 7 seconds off their previous best times. “I haven’t had a championship meet as successful as this one in terms of time-drops,” Rayle said. Meanwhile, superstar Thomas Heilman didn’t just win every individual race he swam in, but also set new JSL records in all them, too: the 50m freestyle, 50m backstroke, and 50m butterfly. Heilman, who goes to Brownsville Elementary School, was the High Point Award Winner for the JSL boys 9/10 age group, and he’s also currently ranked second for his age in the nation in the 50 and 100 freestyle, races for which he also holds the state records. On the girls side, the free relay team of Sarah Jordan, Ella Wagner, Bree Palmer, and Willa Simmons came up with a big first-place finish, too. Swimming the anchor leg, Simmons clinched the victory even though she lost her goggles mid-race and had to battle blindly to the finish!
With incredible performances like that, Crozet was clearly swimming its best. But Fairview took the lead and ACAC squeaked into second, so that Crozet was in third place going into the final session of the meet. Rayle and the other Crozet coaches, however, knew that their 11/12 age group would provide a powerful finish that ACAC might not have a big enough lead to withstand. They were right. The 11/12 swimmers provided more moments for the highlight reel, such as the first-place-winning, JSL-record-setting races of the boys medley relay team, made up of Henry Addison, Jack Burr, Jonathan Alexander, and Anthony Garono, and the boys free relay team, made up of Addison, Alexander, Jonah Davis, and Ian Ratcliffe. When the last swimmer climbed out of the pool on Saturday afternoon, Crozet had climbed into second, edging out ACAC by 14 points—one more than they had lost to them by one month before. Though obviously proud of the team’s awesome time ALISA SPOSATO
By Margaret Marshall
JEN PHILLIPS
Gators End Impressive Season to Finish Second at JSLs
Coaches Hunter Mitchell and Alex Rayle talk to Jack Burr after his race.
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
29
Coaches Lexi Campbell and Elsa Strickland cheer on a swimmer.
CHERIE WITT
had to harp on, they just kinda did it on their own. Everybody got what the meaning of the team was from top to bottom and it really showed this year.” Rayle knows the meaning of the team so well because he’s been a part of it for so long, as have his assistant coaches, Elsa Strickland, Hunter Mitchell, Lexi Campbell, Emily Farabaugh, and swimmer/coach Colleen Farabaugh, all of whom were once Gators themselves. In fact, Rayle’s first coach when he himself was just a little 8-yearold Gator was Sarah Sprouse Hankins. This year, he coached her children Savannah and Jackson. Clearly, the Crozet swim team makes a family, and once you’re a Gator, you’re a Gator for life. From this “village club” perspective, that’s a pretty great thing to be.
Your Local Tree Care Professionals
Michael Heilman swims butterfly. ALISA SPOSATO
improvements and hard fought races, Rayle was perhaps most proud of his team’s energy and enthusiasm. Known throughout the league for its sportsmanship and spirit, Crozet stayed true to its character this year. “We were a well-oiled machine,” Rayle said. “Last year, I set a lot of things in place, and there was a lot of adjusting. This year, everyone knew what the expectation was, we started off where we ended last year, and it just felt like a really fun, high-spirited swim team.” That blend of discipline and drive with camaraderie and conviviality is what makes the Gators such a successful and joyful program. Coach Rayle continued, “The support that the team gives each other at meets and at practice was so much higher this year, and it wasn’t even something I
All Your Local Tree Care Needs for Over 30 Years ROGER BABER, MA4044 Office (434) 823-4021 Fax (434) 823-1239 arborlifepro@aol.com PO Box 748 Crozet, VA 22932
Evan Sposato dives in.
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
Rural Arts —continued from page 17
clean jars. Coffey’s sauerkraut joins dozens of jars of jellies, pickles, honey, soup, vegetables, fruits and tomatoes in her pantry, all from recipes learned from her studies of rural wisdom and all made with love on Love Mountain.
THERESA CURRY
Pickles and Jam While other brides might be showered with china and crystal, Carolyn Rhondeau became the proud owner of a hot water canner and a pressure canner when she married in Idaho, courtesy of her mother and mother-in-law. It was no surprise: “I grew up canning and preserving,” she said, “and just continued doing it.” Now living in Crozet, Rhondeau limits her food preservation to pickles, chutney and apple pie filling, taking advantage of nearby fresh fruits and vegetables at Henley’s orchard or a nearby farm stand. One look at her beautiful bread and butter pickles and it’s clear she knows a thing or two about what she’s doing. But she’s always learning, she said. At a
Ferm Campbell dries and packages southern peas.
church dinner in West Virginia, she liked the sweet pickles so much she asked for the recipe from an elderly woman who said she’d no longer be making them. With a few adjustments to the recipe, she’s found it produces reliably excellent pickles. Rhondeau has other motives besides thrift, superior taste and a love of cooking: “I like to know what’s in my food,” she said. “When you buy something like this off the shelf, it’s not always that healthy.” She likes her own freezer jam because it requires less sugar than the store or conventional homemade product. Rhondeau is also a master gardener and helps out at the Albemarle County Fair, now in progress at the Highland fairgrounds. “We’re not getting the same kind of entries as we used to,” she said. “In the past, everyone liked to bring in their vegetables, flowers, baked goods, jams and jellies.” She encourages gardeners and home cooks to consider the fair and make future plans to enter garden produce or any of a dozen other categories under “home arts.” You can see this year’s best examples through Saturday. Find out more at albemarlecounty fair.com. The Happy Gardener The Campbells’ friends say that in case of a national emergency, they’d move in with them and survive just fine. It’s true! Fern Campbell, also a master gardener, fills her freezer, pantry and makeshift “root cellar” with everything anyone could need to sustain them. But freezing, canning, cold storage and drying are not her only strategies for having food available in every season. Fern and her husband, Cleve, keep a large and varied garden going almost year-round with succession planting, prudent row covers and constant crop rotation. They fight bugs with decoy plants as well as by attracting predators for the most destructive pests. They enrich the soil with winter crops, make sure there are plenty of butterflies and bees to pollinate, and mulch heavily for weed control. In late July, after two weeks of 90 plus weather and no rain, the Campbells had armloads of lettuce and spinach peeking out under a sunshade, with the smaller plants––still fresh and crisp––
THERESA CURRY
30
Carolyn Rhondeau grew up canning.
still coming on strong. Part of their success with mid-summer salad greens is the shade; part is the appropriate variety. Several varieties of southern peas resist the heat and drought, with pods growing long and fat under the blazing sun. They’ll be dried and vacuum-packed for winter storage. Every inch of soil is heavily used, but it’s also replenished with crops like buckwheat that keep the soil shaded and weed-free and are then cut and allowed to decompose and enrich the soil. The Campbells are adopting some permaculture techniques: it’s a system of gardening that keeps soil in constant use in lieu of tilling, interplanting within the rows to confuse garden pests, and returning everything to the soil, imitating what happens in a woods or natural meadow. With so much going on in the garden and kitchen, Fern keeps a journal through the season, noting not only what, when and where she planted, but also harvest dates. She also records what she canned, froze and dried. “That’s so I don’t overdo it,” she said. “I’ll check off how many we have left at the end of winter.” Still, it looks like there are plenty of extra vegetables and jars, and visitors leave the sunny kitchen with armloads of them. But there’s no sign that she plans to cut back anytime soon, she said: “The garden is my happy place.”
OPEN DAILYiDer
wine & hard c tasting rooms
e s c h e a p n r --ow u o y k c Pi ard.com Orch ChilesPea3chCrozet, VA 434 • 823• 158
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
31
By John Andersen, DVM gazettevet@crozetgazette.com
Eating Fast In the early morning darkness, just before sunrise, a dog shoots up from her restless sleep. In a display of one of nature’s most awesome survival designs, adrenaline is quickly released from her adrenal glands into her bloodstream, instantly transforming this sleepy, calm dog into a finely-tuned machine ready to take on extraordinary feats of “fight or flight.” Her heart is instantly racing, cardiac output maximized for the upcoming extreme situation. Her senses fully aware, her reflexes sharp. Her muscles are tense and coordinated; she is able to run/jump/fight with seemingly 10 times her normal strength. She springs up from her rest, a different beast, ready to take on…. BREAKFAST! This is my dog Ruby, every single morning of her life. She LOVES food. She is CRAZY about food—literally and figuratively. When the morning alarm goes off, she instantly springs up and I make no exaggerations on the adrenaline flowing through her veins. Asking her to go outside first is a joke. There will be no peeing or pooping yet—breakfast is always first. As I sleepily bump my way from the bedroom out into the kitchen, she is wild-eyed and running circles around me, panting and vocalizing, unable to hide her freak-out-excitement of the impending meal. I fend her off from the food bin as I fill her scoop and then try to avoid having my feet stepped on as I make my way to the food bowls. Despite some “pretty good” behavioral training, Ruby just can’t help herself as she prances, jumps, and vocalizes waiting for her meal. I make her back up, throw her food in the bowl and then stand back. Her attack is impressive, quick, and complete. She eats as if there are 40 dogs right behind
her about to steal her food. Her entire serving is gone in about 30-40 seconds of furious eating. But the feeding frenzy is hardly gone. Everyone in the house knows that you MUST stand between Ruby and our other dog Boone’s feeding stations— otherwise Ruby will chaotically charge right over to Boone’s bowl and shove her face in. She simply has no control and must be physically pushed back if she gets the chance. Poor Boone. After guarding Boone while he casually eats his portion in 2 minutes, Ruby then runs over to the food bin to see if I left the lid unlocked, then frantically runs back and is sure to lick every aspect of her bowl, the surrounding floor, and then Boone’s bowl to ensure all traces of food are completely gone. Then finally, the heart rate starts to slow, the panic starts to fade, and breakfast is officially over. So why are some dogs so crazy about food? Why is it that there are the food-obsessed dogs out there, and then there are some who will just casually graze on their food all day long and never overeat? Almost all the time, the true answer, I believe, is simply genetics and their inherent personality traits. We know there is a genetic component to this behavior. In fact, in May 2016, Eleanor Raffan and colleagues at the University of Cambridge published a study in the Journal of Cell Metabolism describing a relationship between a mutation in the canine POMC gene and increased hunger and weight gain in Labrador Retrievers. I didn’t need a study to tell me that though—I see this daily! Many breeds— Labradors, Goldens, and Beagles to name a few—seem to consistently love food and be obesity prone. I think a lot of this goes into the “messing with genes” we have done to create domestic
continued on page 44
CLIP THIS AD & GET
$20 OFF
YOUR FIRST VISIT! • Routine health care • Advanced surgical, medical & dental procedures • Family-friendly office— bring the kids! • Traveling Vet available for housecalls
Dr. Michael Rose Dr. Kim Bohne Dr. John Andersen Dr. Kristin Heilmeier
Get to know us on Facebook!
434-979-DOGG
1193 5th Street SW • Charlottesville, 22902 • cvillevet.com
32
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
Religion News CLOVER CARROLL
By Theresa Curry theresa@crozetgazette.com
Hymn singers make a joyful noise.
Hymn singers make a joyful noise
MIKE MARSHALL
Nearly 50 music lovers gathered at Tabor Presbyterian Church in July for an old-fashioned Hymn Sing and Ice Cream Social. The idea originated in the Tabor Church choir and was organized by Robin McElwee, Diane Lewis, and Molly Jones. Jones led the singing through a microphone with her sweet soprano voice and even added a descant or two. Last month’s event was the second of the well-attended series. “A lot of churches have gone to praise songs, but people still love to sing the old hymns. Gathering in the evening like this to sing used to be a tradition,” Lewis explained. Church member Susan Craig came “because I love to sing. I prefer these songs to the high-falutin’ kind you often get these days. But my husband, I think he came for the ice cream!” If you’d like to join but are not sure you’ll remember all the
Virgin of the Candelaria
words, they’re projected on a screen to help. Those who read music use a book containing both words and music. The singers created a spirit of community as well as vocal harmony as they sang old favorites such as “Just a Closer Walk With Thee,” “Shall We Gather at the River,” “Morning Has Broken,” and “Whispering Hope.” Pianist Nila Khakimova provided lively accompaniment, and Bucky Bailes lent strong tenor support on “Just a Little Talk with Jesus.” In addition to an opening prayer, five choir members led a soothing benediction by singing “God Be With You Till We Meet Again.” The next Hymn Sing at Tabor will be Sunday, August 27 at 6:30 p.m., and all ages are welcome.
Patron saint honored With rolling hills and open country, the small town of Quitupan, a municipality in the state of Jalisco in Mexico, looks very much like Crozet in many ways, said Ignacio Becerra. Becerra, who owns Las Cavanas with his wife Maria Garcia, comes from the town. Along with other people from Quitupan scattered throughout the United States, they observe some of the religious traditions of their home. One is to honor their town’s patron saint, the virgin of Candelaria. She’s represented in the town as a small statue encased in glass, holding a candle in one hand and the infant Jesus in the other, with beautiful blue robes edged in gold. On the second of February each year, the citizens of
Quitupan have a big parade to honor their patron saint, with music and dancing and prayers, followed by food and drink. In the summer months, a replica of the statue is passed from church to church, and then it journeys northward, to be received by former residents of Quitupan in churches and homes in the United States. This year, the statue traveled east to Colonial Beach, then to Charlottesville, then to Crozet, where it was displayed at Las Cavanas on July 14, and then to the home of Garcia and Becerra, where friends and neighbors met to pray, listen to music, sing hymns and enjoy Garcia’s famous tamales and mole.
“Faith in film” encourages dialogue When the Wayne Theatre opened in Waynesboro last year, Barrett Owen wanted to find a way to support it. The Rev. Owen had just come to Waynesboro’s First Baptist Church, and it seemed to him a film series examining universal spiritual themes was a perfect way to learn about the community as well as fulfilling the mission of the church in Waynesboro. “I wanted to show contemporary films with theological underpinnings,” Rev. Owen said. It wasn’t hard to find suitable films, although some of them didn’t at first seem overtly religious. For instance, he chose “Selma” to examine race and reconciliation, and “Chocolat” to discuss the church and community. Youth coming of age was examined in “Brave” and will be again in “Moana,” scheduled for August 13. Owen said the symbolism of a journey, stretching back as far as the Odyssey, is especially relevant to people searching for something greater than themselves, and this theme will also be repeated in the October offering, “O Brother, Where Art Thou.” The films, followed by discussion groups composed of community members who have standing regarding the issues raised, have been well-attended, and are offered on a “pay what you will” basis. Rev. Owen expects the films to continue after this season. Besides encouraging honest
Dr. Vasilea Digidiki speaks at the second annual East-West encounter.
dialogue on important matters, Rev. Owen said the films have benefited him. “As someone new to the community, this helps me understand city dynamics on a larger scale than I see in my role as pastor.” Find times and dates at Waynetheatre.org.
East meet west Two churches––St Nicholas Orthodox and St. Thomas Acquinas Catholic––use the timing of a nearly thousandyear-old break to make a simple local effort to come together. In mid-July, near the anniversary of the great schism, “we meet other Christian brothers and sisters, share what we have received in our own Eastern Orthodox tradition, and explore issues of mutual concern,” said Father Robert Holet of St. Nicholas. This year’s event was the second in the series. Last year’s speaker, Dr. Gayle Woloschak, participated in the Great Council of the Orthodox Churches held just weeks earlier, and reported on issues of unity in the churches, Father Robert said. “This year’s event (see separate story) was prompted not only by the Syrian refugee crisis itself, but also the visit of Pope Francis and Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople (Istanbul) to minister to the refugees who landed on the island of Lesvos, Greece.” Next year, Father Robert said the event will be held at St. Thomas if the new facilities are completed. He said the two churches have also discussed other smaller gatherings in the interim, to explore the issues that serve as obstacles to unity.
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
33
For over 35 years, the Green Olive Tree, Inc. has gladly accepted donations of toys, shoes, clothing, household goods, books, linens, and kitchen items that are available to the community at low prices. Please visit us anytime! The third full week of every month is an $8 bag sale. Looking forward to your visit!
www.greenolivetreecrozet.com • 434-823-4523 CHRISTIAN THRIFT STORE
100% VOLUNTEER, NON-PROFIT, SERVING SINCE 1979
BUSINESS HOURS: MON. - SAT. 11 AM - 4 PM
Batesville Organizations Reclaim Neglected Cemetery bring his Youth Conference attendees to help. After three hours of cleanup work by the youth, the cemetery was reclaimed. One hundred years ago, a section of Pounding Creek Road that is now abandoned passed between the two cemeteries. White funeral parties turned right to the Wild Rose cemetery, and the black funeral processions turned left into the Mountain View cemetery. Pounding Creek Road was redirected to connect with Miller School Road and now there is no reason for the two cemeteries to be separated. The goal of all involved is to create a united, well cared for cemetery. The members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a particular interest in Batesville because it saw the first local conversions to the Mormon faith. Youth attending the conference saw the site of the first Mormon Church in the area, built by Sam Kirby and his brother in 1893. They also saw the old Kirby and Herring homes, and looked upon the gravestones of the early Mormons in the Wild Rose Cemetery.
CharlottesvilleFamily Favorite Award Winner 2015
SUBMITTED
Members of the Batesville Ruritan Club and the Batesville United Methodist Church welcomed approximately 100 youth and leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints June 14 for a project to reclaim Mountain View Cemetery. Eighty youth who were participating in an annual Youth Conference of the Waynesboro Stake of the Church, joined the community organizations to clean out the downed timber and brush in the long neglected cemetery to reveal dozens of graves of members of the Batesville black community, making significant progress toward the goal of restoring the Mountain View cemetery, a primarily black cemetery, and combining it with the adjacent Wild Rose Cemetery, a traditionally white cemetery. Mountain View is owned by the Mountain View Baptist Church, which presently has only four elderly members and is unable to care for it. Peggy Shaker of the Batesville Ruritans, and Liz Buxton, pastor of the Batesville United Methodist Church, which owns the White Rose Cemetery, decided that the long neglected Mountain View Cemetery should be reclaimed from the forest that had overtaken it. They launched a long-term project, first extending a beautiful white fence around the Wild Rose Cemetery to front the Mountain View Cemetery. Mike Schill, youth leader of the Waynesboro Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints volunteered to
Nancy Fleischman Principal
An independent agency offering a choice of companies.
Let us compare for you.
crozetinsurance.com
34
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
Refugees —continued from page 1
to her home to help with the refugee effort. She spoke about her experiences on the island, and her study of the refugee crisis worldwide at a program July 14 sponsored by St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Greenwood and St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Charlottesville (see “Faith and Values,” page X). The program was called “The Christian Response to the Refugee Crisis.” What she found when she flew home was both appalling and inspiring, she said. Sometimes 15 boats arrived at the same time, many of them unseaworthy. The 40-member Lesbos coast guard went out day after day and far into the night, meeting the flimsy rubber crafts organized by smugglers who promised homeless families a safe trip in return for everything they had. Most boats were sunk low in the water under the weight of too many passengers. Some lost their bottoms or capsized. Motors would fail, stranding passengers in the cold for hours. Many passengers slipped into the sea when the wind was rough. At the peak of the crisis, 5,000 people entered the whole of Greece every day. It was the greatest mass displacement of people since World War II,” Digidiki said. In fact, she said, if you considered the refugees a nation, it would be the 21st largest in the world. The numbers entering Lesbos were well beyond the ability of the coast guard to protect. Still, the boat captains tried. On the shore, the Greek people, already poor from the inter-
national recession and austerity measures, met families at the beach with clothes and food, grabbed screaming babies, brought blankets from their homes or hurriedly bought them from nearby shops. Some who were too poor to offer anything else took armloads of soaked outerwear from the refugees to wash and iron and return. A short film (linked below) captured a day in the life of one pilot who commandeered a local fisherman to help him pull drowning children from the water. The stoic captain, identified only as Kyriakos, was everywhere, instructing people in CPR, pressing water from the lungs of unconscious babies, calling in ambulances to meet dying children at the beach, turning his head to hide his tears from the camera. What haunted Kyriakos most was what the refugees had already been through. “I can’t reassure them,” he said. “It’s impossible.” He said he could see what they’d been through in their eyes, and “Now, they’re losing each other in the Greek sea.” The film, “4.1 Miles,” by Daphne Matziaraki, won a 2016 Peabody Award and was nominated for a 2017 Academy Award. It documented not only the heroism of the Coast Guard, but the kindness and generosity of the Orthodox community of Lesbos throughout the years when migration was at its peak. It also captures the despair of Kyriakos and those like him who wondered why the rest of the world had turned its back on them. Questions from the audience, which included people from continued on page 47
Syrian refugees off the island of Lesbos
Gary Burnette and Tom Evans
“Friend-Raising” at Innisfree Village Music Festival With the sun shining and the verdant Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop, the Innisfree Music Fest June 24 drew approximately 200 people to the five-hour, family-friendly festival to enjoy live music, food and drink, tours of Innisfree, and camaraderie with members of the Innisfree community. Executive Director Rorie Hutter described the festival as a “Friend-Raiser – a way to let the community know Innisfree is here and share the gift of Innisfree’s beautiful surroundings with the wider community.” Hutter added, “We have many wonderful supporters in our community but are also always surprised by the number of people our staff, coworkers [Innisfree’s term for its community members with disabilities], and volunteers meet who have never heard of Innisfree.” Hourly raffles were held, and prizes consisted of baskets overflowing with handicrafts, organic vegetables, organic teas, granola, hand-made herbal soap, ceramics, and free-range eggs from Innisfree’s onsite therapeutic workstations, including a weavery, woodshop, bakery, vegetable garden, herb garden, art studio, pottery, and farm operation. Brett Arburn, an Innisfree coworker since 1978 who has been showcasing his musical talent at Innisfree’s special events for many years, kicked off the
festival with a singing and guitar performance. Five other musical acts included Cathy and Elly, Coalie Stokes, Grainneog, Holy Smokes! and the Warmed Over Boys. The roster of the Music Fest was a family affair, with all musical acts boasting Innisfree connections. The four members of the band Grainneog live and work at Innisfree. Each of the other four musical groups had one member who either works at Innisfree or has a family member who works at Innisfree. Innisfree used the music festival to reintroduce Innisfriends, a program founded in the early 1990s by long-time Innisfree board member Geri Schirmer. Innisfriends pairs Innisfree’s coworkers with local community members who invite their designated coworkers for periodic bonding activities, such as movie nights, restaurant visits, and sports and cultural adventures. Founded in 1971, Innisfree is a fully licensed, not-for-profit, 550-acre residential community with adults with intellectual disabilities located outside Crozet. Innisfree’s 38 coworkers live side-by-side with full-time, volunteer house parents and with Innisfree staff members in 10 family-style houses at Innisfree’s “Village” location near Crozet and in two houses in Charlottesville.
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
35
Crozet
Weather Almanac
JULY 2017
AUGUST 13 & AUGUST 27 10 a.m.
CHARTS COURTESY HEIDI SONEN/ROSCOE SHAW
By Heidi Sonen & Roscoe Shaw | weather@crozetgazette.com
The Field School 1408 Crozet Avenue Fr. Joseph Mary Lukyamuzi Holy Comforter Catholic Church
facebook.com/ CrozetCatholicCommunity
Summer in the South July was hot. Very hot. But what do you expect? After all, it is summer in the south. The average high was 91 and the humid overnight lows were just 67. We topped 90 degrees 13 days in row from July 12 to 24. Overall, temperatures were 2.2 deg above average for the month and July is historically the hottest month of the year. July was also dry. Rainfall was about an inch below normal and the driest stretch coincided with the hottest. Fortunately, we got a nice rain the last week of the month and finished with a couple of cool mornings in the 50s. But when we went digging through the historical data, we couldn’t really find anything exceptional about this latest bout of heat. So far this year, seven days have hit 95 deg or higher (see chart). Normal for the past 100 years is nine days. We still have some hot days
ahead but we seem about normal so far. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the number of 95 degree days is that the trend is slightly lower over time. From 1910 to 1963, we averaged 10.5 days that hit 95 or more. From 1964 to now, the average is just 7.4. The worst year was 1936 when an astonishing 42 days topped 95. Heidi reminds me that “they didn’t call the 1930’s the ‘Dust Bowl’ for nothing.” Heidi and I were surprised that the trend is lower in a warmer world. But, on the other hand, “global warming” should really be called “global less cold”. High temperatures have barely budged in recent decades. Most of the warming has been in northern latitudes, in winter and at night. Winter mornings in the great white north have warmed quite a bit but the warming has been modest elsewhere.
Brownsville your neighborhood market BREAKFAST
STARTING AT 5AM Biscuits Bagels Croissants Sausage Country Ham
Ready Coffee’s am! at 4:30 0 am)
(Sundays
at 5:3
Bacon Pork Tenderloin Steak Biscuits Egg & Cheese Fresh Coffee
Come Tr yO HOME ur Famous FRIED MADE CHICK EN!
36
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
Bloom Town: Second Saturdays Celebrate Crozet Art Scene By Clover Carroll
clover@crozetgazette.com
When I recently met the Associated Press representative for our region, I introduced myself as a writer for the Crozet Gazette. “Crozet?!” he responded warmly. “I’ve heard that Crozet is becoming the arts hub of Central Virginia!” Concealing my surprise, I assured him that it most certainly was. Sometimes we can miss things that are right under our noses! This conversation woke me up to the exciting truth of what he said. Between the Crozet Arts School, Art on the Trax, the Crozet Artisan Depot, Second Saturdays, the Crozet Arts & Crafts Festival, Over the Moon Bookstore, Christine Kennedy’s studio in Crozet Antiques, Albemarle Ballet Theatre, the Crozet Community Orchestra, the Crozet Chorus, the Artisans Studio Tour, and the Barn Swallow just down the road—it becomes clear that the arts are indeed flourishing in Crozet! The Little Town That Could is brimming with opportunities to enrich our lives by creating, viewing, and possessing art in a variety of forms. “One of the reasons we opened here”—owner Anne Novak’s third Creative Framing & Art Box store, after Art on Ivy in Charlottesville and Art on 12th in Lynchburg—“was that this area is saturated with working artists, folks that are experimenting with different media, folks new to the field, as well as those who have been doing it a long time,” said Amanda Smith, manager of Art on the Trax, which does custom framing, sells art supplies, and offers art classes for both children and adults. “We see our role in the Crozet Arts Scene as providing a venue for families to be involved in the arts, a place where children can be comfortable with learning about different kinds of art,” Smith continued. “Understanding art as a child fosters confidence, and shows them a new creative outlet or even career option.” Crozet’s own Second Saturdays is a monthly opportunity for you to get to know many of the artists who work in
Tamara Murray’s “Win, Place, Show.” Meet the artist on August 12 at Piedmont Place’s Second Saturdays reception. Photo courtesy of the artist.
and around Crozet. This inspired tradition was begun by Anne DeVault of Over the Moon Bookstore, and has blossomed since then to include three art venues plus ongoing art displays at Green House Coffee, the Crozet Library, and Old Trail Lodge. When she opened in 2010 at the corner of Crozet Ave. and Three-Notch’d Road, Anne began hanging new art work around the bookstore and hosting a reception to meet the artist on the second Saturday of each month. With the opening of Art on the Trax in 2012, the idea of a multiple venue “Arts Crawl,” modelled after Charlottesville’s First Fridays, was born. “We hoped people could have an outing as a family,” Smith recalled, offering an ice cream sundae bar with local fruit toppings at their receptions. And when it opened in the old train depot in 2015, the Crozet Artisan Depot happily joined in. “We see Second Saturdays as a networking opportunity, to bring people downtown to celebrate all the talented artists in our community,” said Depot partner Karen Yonovitz. The Depot, which celebrated its second anniversary July 1, offers cookies, popcorn, and lemonade for its reception. The three venues decided to stagger their reception times so visitors could move from one to another on a relaxed schedule. Second Saturdays receptions are held from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Depot, 4 to 6 p.m. at Art on the Trax, and 5 to 7 p.m. at Over the Moon—which, after its move to Piedmont Place earlier this year, hangs paintings throughout the main floor and lounge area. As Anne said,
“Come hungry!” to enjoy the variety of restaurant options while you bask in the beauty. The August 12 Second Saturdays receptions will feature oil paintings by Meg West at the Depot, drawings by rustic furniture maker Joe Sheridan at Art on the Trax, and colorful, acrylic “hidden dimension” paintings by Tamara Murray at Over the Moon at Piedmont Place. Come out and meet the artists while you enjoy snacks at the Depot and dessert at the ice cream sundae bar before dinner at Piedmont Place! July’s featured artists included Lesli DeVito’s abstract and animal oil paintings at Piedmont Place, Pam Roland’s journal-inspired watercolors and collages at Trax, and Elizabeth Karaffa’s gorgeous hand-painted porcelain tiles at the Depot. Other special events are often planned in conjunction; for example, Meg West will present a slide show and talk about her work and experience as a plein air painter on August 12 from 2-3 p.m. before the reception at the Depot. She will discuss her paintings from Monticello, Skyline Drive, and the Blue Ridge Parkway, along with vineyards and many other locations around the area. Depot artist Marvin Rankin of Blue Ridge Dulcimers, who has been handcrafting dulcimers since 1975 using mainly traditional wood from the Blue Ridge Mountains, presented a demonstration and discussion July 15. In June, Depot “Adventure Artist” Kathryn Matthews hosted 17 young artists, ages 6-12, at an Art Workshop entitled “Snails, Trails, and Tails” leading into the afternoon reception. “Kids need a place to hang out and be creative,” Matthews observed, “a place to make a mess. Art can be therapeutic for them. They relax and tell you about their lives.” To inspire you with beauty while you lunch, the Green House’s current featured artist is travel photographer Camilyn Kuhns Leone. Even our beautiful library mounts the work of a different local artist every 6 weeks on art panels beside the leisure reading area. This month they are hosting Katherine Easterly, whose oil paintings of nature subjects such as grapes,
fields, and cows celebrate the rural lifestyle. In mid-August, the library will welcome Carolyn Ratcliffe. The library also has a current display about the upcoming solar eclipse created by librarian Amy PenceLanctot with materials loaned by Jack Koester. Sharon Tolczyck, Artistic Director of Crozet Arts, agreed with Smith. “A solid arts culture grows from participation by the community—not just looking at it, but doing it,” Tolczyk explains. “I am passionate about what participating, learning, and doing art does for development of the mind, heart, soul, and being.” The arts school, located in the Old Crozet Elementary School, began in 2009 with 30 students and currently serves 450, from infants to seniors, with classes in ballet, guitar, painting & drawing, chamber strings, flute ensemble, drama, sewing, creative movement, and an expanding Twinkle Project interdisciplinary arts camp each summer. The Building Goodness Foundation, coordinated by Lauren McCraven with support from T. C. Cooper Construction and Montebello Excavation, recently completed an entrance ramp and bathroom to make the school accessible to the disabled. So was the AP rep right in viewing Crozet as the up and coming arts capital of Central Virginia? The more I researched this article, the more I had to agree with him. We are surrounded by artistic creativity even as we dine, shop, read, and lead our daily lives. The passion and dedication of the artists and business owners I interviewed was contagious. “Participation in the arts nurtures lifelong engagement,” observed Tolczyk—and this community is fully involved! Art is ubiquitous here—perhaps in part attracted by the natural beauty that surrounds and inspires us all. Take a moment to enjoy the arts, crafts, music, and drama that enliven our community. As artist Lesli DeVito puts it, “Earth without art is just ‘eh.’” You can plug into the Crozet Arts Scene at: crozetarts.org, overthemoonbookstore.com, crozetartisandepot.com, artbox virginia.com.
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
37
BY DR. ROBERT C. REISER
crozetannals@crozetgazette.com
The Bearer of Bad News By Guest Columnist Amita Sudhir, MD The sad case of Charlie Gard has been in the news recently—a baby with a fatal and incurable disease, a hospital at odds with the parents’ desire to leave no stone unturned in finding a cure for the child, an American president who got involved in a medical case across the ocean, a controversial experimental therapy, and a case that ultimately ended in the death of the child after a media maelstrom. The conflict in this case arose because the hospital and the child’s physicians believed that there was no hope for any kind of significant recovery for Charlie, while the parents, hoping against hope, wanted to bring him to America for an experimental treatment that had never been used for his condition before. That is perhaps an over-simplification of an incredibly complex situation, and as a physician who has never treated either this child or the condition he suffered from, I will refrain from making any pronouncements on the ethics of this case, or what should or should not have been done. This case does highlight one of the overlooked but important parts of our profession—when physicians have to communicate with families that there is no more hope. We spend years in training to save lives. Most of us went to medical school to help people get better. We are taught to diagnose, treat, reassess. We are taught that our minds are our most important tool, that we can achieve miraculous things with the resources of modern medicine. We can restart a human heart, monitor the pressure in a brain, breathe for a patient when their own lungs can’t, maintain their blood pressure with medications when
otherwise they would die from shock, surgically repair a failing organ, and bring people back from the brink of death. We are taught how to do all of these things in medical school and residency, but what we are never explicitly told is there are times when we have to abdicate all those skills, and use our hearts, not our minds, to tell a patient’s family that there is no more hope, and despite all the wondrous options modern medicine has to offer, there is not a single one that will help their loved one be well again. We learn to do this on the job, and doing it well is a difficult task. This is all the more true when the patient is a child. As a parent, I can empathize completely with another parent who wants to try anything, no matter how far-fetched, if they think there is even the faintest of chances they will bring their child home again, healthy. The parents of some terminally ill children find it difficult to accept that their child will never be well again, and their position is completely understandable. It is up to us as physicians to compassionately but clearly lay out what the expectations are and what the limitations of treatment are, but to wait for the parents to reach a state of acceptance that can’t be rushed. Watching a parent who believes that their dying child will be well is gut-wrenchingly hard, but not everyone is ready to process that kind of devastating news as soon as it is handed to them. The worst thing a physician can do in this situation is to offer a hope that does not exist. It is so tempting when faced with a parent clutching at straws to offer words of comfort that involve even the shadow of a chance. But while it may make them feel better in that moment, our own inability to accept the limits of our profes-
continued on page 39
GET BACK TO LIFE SOONER
WITH ROBOTIC ASSISTED SURGERY
www.augustahealth.com
38
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
inthegarden@crozetgazette.com
A Pretty Tree, But... Can a weed be pretty? The answer might depend on whom you ask. But picture for a moment a small, umbrella-shaped tree with delicate ferny foliage, topped with powder-puff pink flowers, looking like it might have come off the African savannah. Sounds kind of pretty to me. As always, there’s two sides to a story. The mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin) is native to Asia, ranging from Iran eastward to Korea. A member of the legume family (the Fabaceae), it’s one of some 150 members of its genus. As often happens with common names, this tree is not a true Mimosa, which belongs in its own genus. Mimosas, albizias, acacias, etc. are all related trees, comprising hundreds of species, native to much of the world’s tropical and subtropical regions. Most of us can probably conjure up the iconic thorn tree of the African savanna, as depicted on PBS’s Nature series opening shot. If you’re shopping for a mimosa, you’re not likely to find the straight species for sale at most garden centers, although it is available through online retailers. A cheaper alternative: find a tree somewhere and collect its seeds in the fall, then sprinkle onto a bare patch in your yard. Hmm. “Comes up easily from seed.” Are we noticing a possibly undesirable trait here? People are more likely to be selling one of the mimosa cultivars, such as ‘Ishii Weeping.’ This tree will never get very tall, instead perpetually drooping over. A color breakthrough,
‘Summer Chocolate’ came onto the market a few years ago and stands out for maroon-purple leaf coloration that holds well in summer heat. To my casual observation, it does not flower as profusely as the species. The latest mimosa release is Chocolate FountainTM, a purple-leaved weeper with the foliage color of ‘Summer Chocolate.’ So our “mimosa” is indeed a pretty tree with some interesting cultivars, and looks like nothing else that grows in our area. So, what could possibly go wrong? To start with, it’s a weed. I dropped a generous hint on that when I advised you to obtain your very own mimosa merely by plucking a seedpod. You’ll have no trouble finding one of those, owing to the mimosa’s ubiquity along roadsides and other disturbed areas. By the way, my definition of a “weed” has nothing to do with a plant’s appearance. I know some people look at a perennial or wildflower and declare, “It looks like a weed!” if it’s more than two feet tall and isn’t currently flowering. Another issue with mimosas is their susceptibility to problems. The fall webworm will weave its webs on the leaves, and the caterpillars start munching. By mid- to late summer, the tree will look awful, even though there are no long-term effects. A more serious issue is vascular wilt disease, caused by a fungus that invades the plant and ultimately blocks the transport of nutrients. It will eventually kill a mimosa to the ground, although the tree may re-sprout from the roots. Although sales literature may tout mimosas as “trouble-free” and “disease- and
Rudbeckia maxima
insect-resistant,” this doesn’t seem to be the case in our part of the world. Do you want this plant? If you’re adventuresome, you could try one of the Chocolate varieties, but be prepared for possible problems. Otherwise, enjoy it along the Virginia roadsides. And thanks to a reader for suggesting mimosas as a topic; suggestions are always welcome. *** On a somewhat related note, the other day I noticed caterpillars attacking one of my baptisias. The relationship to mimosas? Baptisia is yet another legume, one of 19,000 species in this family. The caterpillar in question is that of the Genista Broom Moth, Uresiphita reversalis. (Genista is the scientific name of a genus of leguminous shrubs often known as brooms.) The adult moth is brownish, with a wingspan of a little over an inch, not a raving beauty. The adult caterpillar, about an inch long and typically yellowish green with black and white dots, prefers legumes, so the baptisia is easy prey. The caterpillars first appear as ¼” long critters in webs where they hide and feed. Gray-brown areas on the leaves indicate where they’ve dined, although the tiny caterpillars are hard to spot. As they mature they become solitary and start carving out semi-circular chunks of leaves. Like many caterpillars, they hang out on leaf undersides, making them difficult to see. After they’ve been at work for a while, their presence is all
too obvious. If left unchecked, the caterpillars will reduce a baptisia to a brown mound in a few days. What to do? For now, I am using “manual controls”, i.e., smushing the varmints. But they’re not always easy to find until they’ve done some damage, and if I relax my vigil for a couple of days I’m afraid the population could explode. To complicate the situation further, I’ll be out of town for the first part of August. I could just let nature take its course. The caterpillars will reduce the baptisia to rubble, and I’ll cut the whole mess down and bag it up, caterpillars and all. The plant should recover eventually, but probably not until next spring. Or I could resort to a biological control. You may have heard of Bt or Bacillus thuringiensis, a naturally occurring bacteria that attacks caterpillars. Reportedly, it is not very effective against the adult caterpillars. They could still be feeding, turning into moths ready to start the whole cycle again. Bt is considered an organic control for caterpillars, so it’s totally cool, right? Unfortunately, it’s not selective. It kills all caterpillars, including monarchs. It’s used extensively in farming and has been introduced into genetically modified crops. I suspect that by now I’ve raised the hackles of some readers. I’m going to leave you hanging. What will I do about those caterpillars?
CROZETgazette
Medicine —continued from page 37
sion can cause immeasurable hurt to that parent in the long term. To communicate the inevitability of death we have to be willing to accept that many outcomes are out of our highly trained hands. With dying adults, the job can be easier, but is sometimes complicated by family members who want different things. No sooner have we discussed imminent death with one daughter, who agrees that her father would not want to be on life support and would like to have the ventilator turned off, than another daughter arrives who does not want to accept that outcome. While we can’t make a decision for that family, it is important for us to be clear about the inevitability of a death when we know it is going to happen. As physicians who are trained to save lives, it can often be hard for us to accept this ourselves, but we owe it to the patient’s family to be realistic and not hold out false hope. Equally often, families look to us for answers that will guide their decision. Several years ago, a woman came in with her uncle who had dementia and a terrible case of pneumonia with sepsis, a bloodstream infection that had spread throughout his body. Most of his organs were failing and we had to decide whether to put him on a ventilator or make him comfortable and allow him to die peacefully. I outlined what the options were—put in a breathing tube, allow the ventilator to breathe for him, give him antibiotics and other medications, and hope for the best knowing that his chance of survival was minimal but that he might linger for days on life support, or let the disease take its natural course knowing there was not much to do to reverse the damage already done. The patient had no other family, and I could tell that the decision was a terrible burden for the niece to bear. She asked me for some time to think about it, but I told her that if we were going to intubate we would need to do it soon; she had only a few minutes to decide. She put her head down for a moment, and then looked
AUGUST 2017
39
at me and asked, “What would you do if it was your uncle?” Intellectually, I wanted to tell her that I couldn’t make that decision for her, that every patient and family were different, that she had to decide for herself. But emotionally, I knew HOURS: she wasn’t able to do that, so I Monday - Thursday 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. New told her that if he were my own Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. family member I would do no Patients X-Ray Services Available On Site more than allow him to die Welcome! Mark Keeley, MD • Russ Sawyer, MD peacefully. She looked relieved and said that would be her deci• Amie Munson, MD Anne Boyland, NP sion as well. When he passed away a cou434-823-4567 • 1646 Park Ridge Drive • Crozet ple of hours later, she cried and told me she knew he wouldn’t want to be on prolonged life support but that she was just afraid to make the decision to let him die. Sometimes families need a lot of discussion between themselves about the options; sometimes they just need our Ages SUMMER PRESCHOOL SummerCamp Camp Preschool Summer 2 1/2 - CAMP 5 Ages 3 - 6 Ages ½ -several 5 help with choosing a pathA gentle, they safe & loving Sign up2 for days or for the Sign up by the A gentle, safe & loving Creative weekly already know they wantatmosphere to take. for young whole summer. children weekor for the whole atmosphere for young Creative themes. Private, in-ground wading These interactions take a toll to begin to to begin exploring summer. thethemes. world & toweekly children Private, explore the world & pool for daily swimming. LOCAL MUSIC on physicans. We are supposed in-ground wading pool prepare for kindergarten. to prepare for for daily swimming. LOCAL FOOD kindergarten. to be highly trained life-saving LOCAL VIBE machines, so when we find ourHALF DAY & FULL DAY NUMEROUS OPTIONS NUMEROUSSCHEDULE SCHEDULE OPTIONS selves in the situation of having Close to Crozet, Charlottesville & UVa 979-2111 www.millstoneofi vy.com www.millstoneofivy.com to admit to a family that we(434)434.979.2111 have failed at our task, the sobering reality that we are not omnipotent can be overwhelming, even in cases where we know that the abysmally low odds of survival were predetermined before the patient even set foot in the hospital. This is one part of the job that gets harder, not easier, the more times you do it. But we also take comfort in knowing that if we can help those families through the worst moments of their lives with compassion, with a kind hand, and a steady heart, that is worth as much in $775,000,000 emotional terms as all the tricks in our medical arsenal. is the annual Despite all the advances consumer spending on being made in medicine every toothbrushes. day, there are still so many disWhy not get a free one eases we are unable to effectively from your dentist? fight with science. Accepting that reality is the first step to being able to offer a compassionate alternative to treatment, and to offer that alternative in such a way that families can make their peace with it, if not now, then at some point in the future. No Babysitter? Regardless of one’s opinion No Problem! on the ethics of the Charlie Keep an eye on your children Ad design and copy provided in part by with our playroom cam Gard case, that his parents never fifth graders at Brownsville Elementary School had that opportunity is heartbreaking. 540 Radford Lane, #100 • Across from Harris Teeter, behind BB&T in Crozet
David A. Maybee, DDS
Family Dentistry
New Patients Welcome!
434-823-1274
crozetdentistry.com
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
MARLENE A. CONDON
40
This Bud’s for You This past April, as Autumn Olive (Eleagnus umbellata) shrubs were abundantly blooming around Albemarle County and Charlottesville, the ones in my yard were looking almost lifeless. They were lucky if they sported a few leaves, and there was nary a bloom in sight. The butterflies, bees, and I were sorely disappointed by this turn of events. I always look forward to the early-spring blooms of Autumn Olive shrubs. I absolutely adore the fragrance of the flowers on these plants, which normally perfume my entire yard. It also delights me to see how much the blossoms help to feed the many species of butterflies and bees out looking for nectar sources. Yet I was not surprised, nor did I wonder why, my shrubs were not blooming as they usually do. After all, I am always documenting the wildlife activity that takes place daily in my yard, and the explanation for my barren shrubs could be found there. For the first time that I can remember in the three decadesplus that I have lived here, one or more of the Gray Squirrels that share my property had visited my plants almost daily since the buds had swelled. They had eaten virtually every leaf—and then flower—bud. I was recording their bud-binging activity in my wildlife-food notebook far more often than I had ever done before! It is not unusual for squirrels—and birds—to eat flower and leaf buds during late winter to early spring (depending on when the buds swell, or start their growing process, due to warming temperatures). I have observed White-throated Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos,
Northern Cardinals, Pine Siskins, and American Goldfinches heartily eating the buds of Autumn Olive. Following bud break, when leaves or flowers start to emerge and are quite small, birds and squirrels feed on them as well. Usually they lose interest once the leaves and flowers that had escaped their notice have managed to grow bigger than the animals apparently like. Thus I do not see them in the Autumn Olive shrubs again until another year has passed. This year, however, the birds lost interest, as is typical, but for some unknown reason, one or more squirrels did not. The hardest time of the year for squirrels to find food is early spring when new seeds have not yet developed on most kinds of plants, and seeds from the previous fall are almost gone. However, I would not have thought these medium-sized rodents would have had much of a problem this year as there was plenty of food around for them. They inhabit The Naturefriendly Garden, after all! Additionally, they should not have had much trouble getting enough to eat because there were not a lot of squirrels around to compete with each other for food. In the fall of 2013, we had a hard mast (acorn crop) failure. The lack of those nutritious nuts hit Whitetailed Deer and Gray Squirrel populations hard. These mammals could not quickly move away to other areas, as another acorn-dependent animal, the Blue Jay, had done. When we then had a severely cold February in 2014, many of these mammals died of starvation. February of 2015 repeated this same scenario, with a cold, wet spring compounding the difficulty for these animals to find enough food to survive. The result of two years of dieoffs and poor reproduction
Gray Squirrels and several species of birds visit my Autumn Olive plants in spring to feed on the nutritious flower and leaf buds.
(recruitment) by the animals that managed to survive means that there were far fewer deer and squirrels in the area this spring. Therefore I would not have thought the squirrels would be so intent upon eating my Autumn Olives to such an extent this year. Judging by their behavior, I would say that the squirrels were simply enjoying the flavor of those plants. And, since there is no junk food in nature, they were simultaneously getting needed nutrients. The squirrels worked intensely to reach every-last bud on every Autumn Olive in the yard. After the buds within easy reach were gone, I would often see a squirrel hanging upside down to reach buds at the tips of branches below. Sometimes it would lose its grip and fall to the ground. Other times, it would just chew through the branch altogether, take it in hand and eat the buds off just as we eat an ear of corn! Autumn Olive, being a plant from Asia, is considered an invasive species—an alien plant that supposedly displaces native plants by crowding them out and “monopolizing essential resources.” I have not found that to be the case. I planted five of these plants when I moved into my house 31 years ago. They formed a hedge that ran north to south, parallel to my veggie/fruit garden. Despite being only about eight feet away from the garden, Autumn Olive has never “invaded” it, preferring to grow in the nutrient-poor and dry-asa-bone soil that has been left to its own devices following the clearing of the property. Inside the garden fence, however, where I have added com-
post that enriched the soil, trees—such as Tulip Poplar, Chestnut and Red Oak, Red Maple, and American Sycamore—insist upon coming up. Removing them is a rite of spring. Autumn Olive is an extremely useful plant for creating habitat in areas shunned by native plants, which is exactly why it has filled in areas alongside highways and long-ago-depleted cow fields. Indeed, government agencies brought this plant to this country in the first place to prevent erosion and to rehabilitate degraded areas because they knew native plants would not grow there. Mysteriously, these agencies have somehow forgotten this fact and now call Autumn Olive “invasive” and a “pest.” But although it is easy to claim that these plants pushed out native plants, that notion is simply a myth perpetuated by people who do not recognize the prior history of the land. That loss of historical knowledge is detrimental to current efforts to create habitat because people are working to get this plant banned from privately owned land. Yet Autumn Olive is perhaps the most valuable wildlife plant there could be, feeding birds and mammals in spring (buds, leaves, blooms) and late summer (fruits), and numerous species of bees and butterflies in early spring (nectar). More than three decades after planting it in my yard, I can say with the utmost assurance that Autumn Olive is a wonderful plant that has performed its function beautifully. I can also honestly say that it has never behaved in the manner people ascribe to it.
CROZETgazette
—continued from page 6
Realty) coordinating the project. Old Trail decided to add their roundabouts to the plan, and Bargamin Park came on board a year later, supported in part by a turf-to-meadow grant from the Virginia Conservation Assistance Program (VCAP) of the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District (TJSWCD)—which stipulates that the funded meadow be maintained for at least 10 years. In the spring of 2015, the multi-year project got underway. First, they sprayed the area to kill the grass and weeds that were growing there already. They then planted a mix of annual and perennial wildflowers and multi-seasonal grasses, including cosmos, zinnia, rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan), Shasta daisy, coreopsis, monarda (bee balm), Queen Anne’s lace, yarrow, echinacea (coneflower), gaillardia (blanket flower), little bluestem, and purple love grass (among others). A 24” height limit was established for aesthetics and to preserve site lines, which eliminated tall natives such as milkweed, mullein, and Joe Pye weed. The first seed application was made in spring of 2015, and another three weeks later. The seeded areas were covered with biodegradable hay matting to prevent erosion, and Do Not Mow signs were erected to allow time for the meadow to become established. In her proposal, Mauzy also stipulated that “the meadow will need to be seeded and carefully maintained for the first few growing seasons.” The original contract with Townsend did include three follow up visits during the first year to maintain
the meadows and remove weeds. This arrangement carried through to spring of 2016. We are now in the second year of the meadow project. Already, due to last year’s June/ July drought, the meadow in front of Bargamin Park had to be re-seeded this spring, at no additional cost. Coreopsis tinctoria, an annual that will probably re-seed to return next year, can be seen blooming now through the hay mat. The original meadows are suffering in the current mini-drought, but should bounce back next spring. Townsend has a basic, ongoing maintenance contract with the neighborhoods that automatically renews from year to year unless there is a problem. “Our maintenance involves weeding the areas, annual mowing, and re-seeding when necessary,” Shaw explains. However, “if the diversity fades or specific weeds become overly problematic, the meadow could be either redone completely or over-seeded with other species to increase diversity.” Mauzy made some further recommendations, such as “a shrub border on the uphill edge of the meadows on the north side of Jarman’s Gap Road” to provide screening to the houses as well as color and interest in the winter when the meadow is not blooming. She also advised mowing every winter, both of which have been done. But one thing Mauzy recommended has not been followed through. “By regularly mowing the outside 2-3 feet of the meadow swaths, a ‘tidy’ edge is presented to the viewer,” her report states. “This also will keep the meadow plantings from infringing on sidewalks and private property.” This was not done along Jarman’s Gap, although the traffic circles in Old Trail do have a 5-foot mulch border. In addition to these “turf bands,” Mauzy said they discussed “a big overseeding every three years” to maintain diversity. While we may notice that some of the meadows look brown and wilted in the current summer heat, some flowers will inevitably suffer during minidroughts such as we are experiencing now. “This is not normally where you would have a meadow,” Mauzy points out. “The bees and butterflies are happy, but this is different than
41 CLOVER CARROLL
Meadow
AUGUST 2017
The Old Trail HOA decided to add its roundabouts to the meadow project. The meadows are suffering in the current mini-drought, but should bounce back next spring.
natural meadows where stronger species will become dominant. The purpose of these meadows is aesthetic; in order to be a top notch wildflower planting, they can’t just be left to do their thing.” The blackeyed Susans and blanket flower seem to be holding their own through this hot, dry spell, but other varieties have faded for now. As Shaw explained further, “Meadows are constantly evolving, and species that are dominant change from year to year.” Patience will be needed as the project develops over time. Any questions or concerns should be
directed to the property managers, which are Real Property for Old Trail and Wayland’s Grant, and Nest Realty for Bargamin Park. Lady Bird Johnson, who promoted the 1965 Highway Beautification Act that funded the planting of wildflowers along the nation’s highways, said, “Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” She would hold a lot of hope for Crozet! We all appreciate this investment in the beauty of our landscape, and hope it will continue to bloom and thrive.
AugustA Audiology AssociAtes is celebrAting 20 yeArs of service for your heAring heAlthcAre needs! We are the only center in the Shenandoah Valley and surrounding areas that offers complete evaluation & management of your hearing healthcare needs, including:
Complete Assessment of Hearing, The Vestibular System and Auditory Processing.
stAte-of-the-Art heAring Aid technology: To help you hear what you have been missing, our hearings aids are available in different styles and a wide range of prices for your budget! We Specialize In Custom Earmolds For: Musicians, Hunters, Swimmers, Nascar Fans, MP3 Players, Industrial Employees and MORE! Our Services Also Include: Assistive Technology For Personal Listening, T.V., and Telephone We care about you and your family! We are here to serve you!
Call 540-332-5790 to schedule your appointment! Julie Farrar-Hersch, Ph.D., Clinical Audiologist 540-332-5790 • Augusta Health Medical Office Building 70 Medical Center Circle, Suite 204 • Fishersville, VA 22939
42
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
Peachtree
—continued from page 13
earned them an invitation to Regionals, too. Though the 11U boys weren’t able to make the trip to their Regional tournament, which was held in Florida, their dominant performances at districts and states as well the invitation itself all prove how far the Peachtree league has come in recent years. “Two years ago we didn’t have enough kids to make an All-Star team. Last year we had to beg and plead to get kids to stand in a picture to make it look like we had enough kids for a team. So to win our district was huge for us and then to be runner up at states, beat those kids from Northern Virginia, that was a thrill,” Coach Jones explained. He also praised his players’ growth not just as hitters—they batted .360 in districts—but also on defense. In the second state tourney game against Stafford, the boys held their opponent to only three hits and made zero errors. “A hallmark of our team, which I’m really proud of, not only are they a hitting team but they’ve become a clean fielding team as well. Watching them
play at this age, it’s really clean baseball. A team’s got to work to get anything against us,” Jones says. As with the 12U boys, most of these 11U boys have been playing together for years, and hopefully they will continue to. Jones, like Thomas, credits the league and the community in addition to the kids and families themselves, for the growth of the sport here in Crozet: “Peachtree has done a good job embracing higher levels of baseball as well—elite teams, travel teams, stuff like that. We’ve got a good mix at Peachtree and because they work with it instead of against it, we’ve been able to attract really good players. It’s growing right now!” And it’s not just growing in size or talent; it’s also growing in spirit. The league forms a tightknit community, and kids from different age groups come out to cheer each other on. And now they can cheer on their sisters on the softball field, too, since Peachtree added softball for the first time this year, in an inaugural season full of successes already chronicled in the Gazette. Clearly in Crozet, America’s pastime is not merely surviving, but thriving.
Cordelia Gentry Sutherland Cordelia Gentry Sutherland, 83, died on July 17, 2017 at her residence in Crozet. She was born on January 17, 1934, the daughter of the late Earnest and Delia Cahron Gentry and the last of three children. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Mildred G. Gibson; her brother, Cornelius H. Gentry; and her first husband, Edward Lane Sutherland. She is survived by three children, Rita Eisensmith of Durham, North Carolina, Joseph B. Sutherland of Charlottesville, and Mary S. Mayo of Ruckersville; three grandchildren, John Robert Eisensmith, David Eisensmith, and William J. B. Mayo IV; and one great- grandchild, Bennett Eisensmith. After passing of her first husband, Edward Sutherland she met and married Harold R. Loschelder who survived her, as well as two step-sons, Russell Wayne and James Allen
Loschelder. She also leaves behind her special cats. She was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church in North Garden and was employed at the University of Virginia for over thirty years. A graveside service was held on Friday, July 21 at Hillsboro Cemetery in Crozet. Anderson Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Elwood Gordon Goolsby, Jr. Elwood Gordon Goolsby, Jr., 80, died on July 16, 2017 at a local nursing home. He was the husband of Hilda Marie Goolsby. He was born on October 21, 1936, the son of the late Elwood G. Goolsby Sr. and Edna V. Bragg Goolsby. He was predeceased by brothers Hershey and Robert Lee (Buddy) Goolsby. He is survived by sons, Elwood G. Goolsby III and Timothy L. Goolsby; and by five step-sons, Floyd, Jimmy, Raymond, David and Jim
Snow. There are numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. Also surviving are brothers Kenneth ( Squeeky) Goolsby of Batesville and William Goolsby of Greenwood, and a sister Sissy Mott of Michigan. Mr. Goodsby was a retired equipment operator for VDOT. A graveside service was held on Saturday, July 22, at Wildrose cemetery in Batesville. Anderson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Gazette obituaries are just $25 for up to 500 words and include a photograph. Email ads@crozetgazette.com or call 434-249-4211.
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
43
community events AUGUST 9
Crozet Jam Band
The Crozet Jam Band will resume its jam sessions at Starr Hill Brewery Wednesday, August 9 from 7 to 9 p.m. As usual, everyone is invited to come and participate regardless of your skill level. This is not passive entertainment—everyone is encouraged to try harmonies, riffs on instruments or whatever. There is no cover and dinner from a food truck is available until 9 p.m. The themes for this jam are Freedom songs to celebrate the 241st anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, as well as songs by Fleetwood Mac, Nora Jones and Emmylou Harris. The band will also take requests from its 150+ page songbook. Attendees are encouraged to come up on stage and lead a song you particularly like. Note: This jam session is on Wednesday, August 9, rather than the second Thursday of the month which is the typical date for CJB sessions at Starr Hill. Bring friends and family and join us at Starr Hill and make some music because after all—“music is love.”
AUGUST 13
Bonnie & Friends Concert
Come join us on Sunday, August 13 for the annual “Bonnie and Friends” vocal concert. Don’t forget to mark your calendars. There will be solos, duets, and ensemble selections from various musical productions. There will be selections from “Annie,” “The Aristocats,” “Maytime,” “Into the Woods,” “Can’t Help Singing,” “Look for a Sky of
NORTH BRANCH SCHOOL in Afton invites you to join us for a playdate, Wednesday mornings starting September 13, from 9:30 to 11:30 am. This program offers social development as well as fine and gross motor skills. Ages 18 months - 3 year olds. There is no charge for this program. Please call 540-456-8450 with questions or to register.
Blue,” “Hit the Deck,” “Starting Here, Starting Now,” and others. Featured singers will be Bonnie Samuels, soprano, David Collyer, tenor, Chuck Miller, bass, May Sligh, mezzo, and Robin McElwee, alto. Nancy Fleishman will again be the pianist. The concert will be at Crozet Baptist Church in the Fellowship Hall at 3 p.m. The church is located at 5804 St. George Avenue in Crozet. There is plenty of parking and the concert is free. Contact Ms. Samuel at 540-456-6433 or the church office at 434-8235171x0 before the date of the concert if additional information is required.
AUGUST 24
Lake Front Film Series
On Thursday, August 24 from 7:30 - 10 p.m., Montfair Resort Farm, local food historian Leni Sorensen, and the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank will partner to host an outdoor showing of the PBS-aired documentary Soul Food Junkies, with proceeds to benefit the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. Sorensen will introduce the film, in which she is featured, and provide food tastings of sweet potato pie and collard greens. White Hall Vineyards will attend, selling glasses and bottles of wine. “There are so many mythologies that accreted onto the idea of what black people were eating during the time of slavery,” says Sorensen in the film, which explores the culture of soul food in the southern US. This is the first film of three in Montfair’s first annual Lake Front Film Series. Showings and accompanying food tastings will occur each month, August through October.
CROZET CHORUS IS ACCEPTING SINGERS for the Fall 2017 season. This is a community chorus and NO auditions are required. Rehearsals are Tuesday evenings from 7-9 at the Crozet Baptist Church on St. George Avenue. For more detailed information, to read about our fabulous Music Director, and to sign up go to crozetchorus.org.
Serving Western Albemarle Families Since 1967 Robert S. Anderson & John W. Anderson, Jr., D I R E C T O R S
823-5002 5888 St. George Avenue Crozet, VA 22932
BEREAVEMENTS Medford Franklin Hammon Jr., —
March 2, 2017
William Culver Bonds-Kemp, 46
May 15, 2017
Earl Shifflett, 70
June 22, 2017
Gloria Ann Hopkins Hare Mitchell, 85
June 25, 2017
James Ernest Woods, 90
June 25, 2017
Shirley Ann Woodson Morris,72
June 26, 2017
Matthew Ryan Smith, 30
June 28, 2017
Albert George Walker Sr., 102
June 30, 2017
Mae Fielding Quesenberry, 86
July 1, 2017
Charles Edward Shifflett, 79
July 1, 2017
Richard Radcliffe, Jr., 50
July 2, 2017
Deborah Johnson Pyles, 62
July 3, 2017
Laura Alice Reaves Robinson, 103
July 3, 2017
Elfie Marie Ash, 86
July 8, 2017
John Alden Getz, 89
July 8, 2017
Darlene Ester Pritchett, 79
July 8, 2017
James Matthew Bryant, 43
July 9, 2017
Dawn Marie Abare Everard, 50
July 11, 2017
Phillip A. Parrish, 69
July 12, 2017
Billy Franklin Gray, 61
July 14, 2017
Aubrey Garland Wright, 80
July 14, 2017
Elwood Gordon Goolsby Jr., 80
July 16. 2017
Cordelia Gentry Sutherland, 83
July 17, 2017
Reva Juanita Brown, 82
July 18, 2017
Emma Lucille Dodson, 88
July 20, 2017
Frank Reynold Griffin, 92
July 20, 2017
Lori Ann Keesee, —
July 21, 2017
George Joseph Stukenborg, 55
July 21, 2017
Patricia Temple Haney Chapman, 76
July 22, 2017
James Murray Higgins Sr., 77
July 23, 2017
Lester M. Garrison, 72
July 25, 2017
George Thomas Haney, 86
July 27, 2017
44
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
Gazette Vet —continued from page 31
dogs from wolves. Retrievers have a very innate, instinctual tendency to retrieve objects and stay close to their owners. Beagles and hounds have a very innate, instinctual tendency to put their nose to the ground and run away from their owners to follow whatever scent they smell and then go on to track. We have somehow over thousands of years not only selected for specific physical features to make certain dog breeds (Chihuahuas and Great Danes all have the wolf as their ancestor!), but also have somehow selected for certain instinctual behaviors! And so, along with these honed hunting/retrieving/ guarding instincts that some dogs have, there seems to be some food-obsession that occasionally gets mixed in there. Additionally, breed makeup aside, every dog is an individual and regardless of upbringing, some dogs will have certain personality traits and tendencies, and love of food is a very common one! It’s just who they are! Rarely, there are dogs who are ill and are ravenous because they are not absorbing nutrients or have hormonal imbalances. Dogs who lack digestive enzymes or that are heavily loaded with parasites often have ravenous appetites despite weight loss. These dogs almost always have chronic diarrhea. Some dogs with hormonal imbalances can also have an increased appetite. But this is probably not your dog. Your dog simply loves food just because. Is it harmful to eat so fast? 99% of the time—no! It is
interesting because there is a whole market of “slow feeder” bowls made specifically for the purpose of slowing dogs down when they eat. But is eating fast actually a problem? Grandma always said it would give me indigestion! Both on the human side and on the veterinary side, I will make the argument that there is no SOLID evidence to say that eating fast is harmful. There are some poorly done human studies that say people who eat fast are more likely to gain weight because of decreased “satiety,” but sorry, that just doesn’t fly with me (it’s called portion control and making good diet choices!). Once food is in the stomach, whether well-chewed or hardly chewed, a dog’s stomach acids are more than capable of breaking the food down into the necessary parts to send it off into the small intestine where digestion truly occurs. And frankly, dogs are MADE to eat fast and furious—if you’re a wolf, you’d better be able to eat a bunch of meat from that elk carcass and then get outta dodge! So, when is eating fast a problem? There are uncommon scenarios when dogs may have swallowing problems, and eating fast can be associated with choking on their food and coughing. Similarly, some dogs may vomit or regurgitate after eating fast, however in all of these situations, eating fast is not the primary issue, it is just more likely to show us that the dog has a swallowing or stomach issue. My wife and son give me a hard time because I tend to eat fast. Perhaps this whole article is actually just self-justification for my dinner behavior! However, I never get indigestion and I don’t choke on my food, so is there really a problem? And frankly, I actually enjoy eating fast—it tastes better that way! I can relate to Ruby and I support her fast eating—it is good to see such gusto! So, if your dog (or spouse or child!) is eating fast, just support them and love them for who they are.
Fitness
—continued from page 27
spooked, but even a charging big dog is intimidated by a charging bigger human. I’ve used this trick more than any other to avoid getting bit when charged from a dog coming out of a property I was running by. They come charging and barking, and I start charging and barking right back. “HEY!” “GIT!” “BACK UP!” I’ll even take a step or two towards them or give them a squirt from my water bottle. When you reach a stalemate, simply keep up your confident “mean human” demeanor as you slowly back away from them. One of these days I’m gonna turn around and run, but I just don’t want my calf sleeves to get a hole in them. 3) Run with headphones in and pay no attention to your surroundings That’s right, unfortunately, dogs almost always tell us when they are coming towards us, giving us ample time to chicken out and avoid a Twitter-worthy torn shorts photo. Especially when you’re out there on country roads, they sometimes give you a quarter-mile notice. But if you pump up the jams in both ears and generally disengage from your environment, it will make it so much easier for that dog to charge you and then think you’re just running or pedaling away and SNATCH! But if it’s not quite your day and you’re needing a little reassurance, then I’d suggest you take the headphones out and engage in the outdoor environment you’re in. Besides easily recognizing an upset dog com-
Real Estate —continued from page 4
lem with new construction in Crozet. In the second quarter of 2015 the average price for all new construction was $472,000. This price rose to $482,000 for the same period last year, but soared to $593,000 for the second quarter of this year. This staggering increase over the past two years doesn’t seem sustainable, but unless planners/supervisors see fit to authorize neighborhoods of more affordable housing types
ing towards you, you can also better hear that more fatal enemy, the car. It’s not as fun as blaring the Gin Blossoms as you head down Jarmans Gap Road, but it’ll keep you safe until you get your wits about you to try #2 from this list. 4) When you encounter a nervous looking dog with their owner, be sure to reach down and pet it, regardless of its body language Here’s one where you just need to go “all in!” Let’s say you just killed a long ride and you pull up in front of the Mudhouse in your sweet new kit including helmet and matching shades. You see your friend on the sidewalk with their Weimaraner who is not quite loving your tight clothing, helmet, shades, and carbon fiber bike frame. Pay no attention to those bulging eyes or the dog’s efforts to back away from your “space alien” likeness. You gotta commit and reach in fully for the head pat. You tell that dog who’s cool and in charge! Okay, if you’re still a chicken, or perhaps you need both hands for your “job” or whatever, you may want to just refrain from petting dogs while you’re in your running or biking get up. Those dogs see and smell you as some wild beast who just came up to their owners from out of the blue and they are just not sure about you. Yeah, it’s a bit insulting, but just go with it and don’t you dare reach in lest you are ready to post to your FB with your left hand for the next week. And don’t worry, these tips work everywhere, not just in Crozet! Now let’s see those bite wounds and be sure to tag your pics with #igotbit! this upward march in the average price seems inevitable. According to the National Association of Realtors, the only headwind facing the national real estate market is low inventory. This is being experienced in Crozet as well, with declining resales hampering total sales. As new construction sales continue to represent a larger percentage of total sales, and prices continue to rise, it seems reasonable to assume local folks might stay in their homes a bit longer, especially if they want to stay in Crozet.
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
Courthouse
places economic development above the needs of citizens.”
by partnering with a private firm. As an example, the county could invest in infrastructure like roadwork, water/sewer systems, and parking, and that investment would reduce the up-front costs for private investors who could then develop support businesses such as office, retail, or residential space in the area. Another approach could enlist a private company to build the courthouse and then lease it back to the county over a long period of time, so the private firm has a guaranteed tenant that then supports the overall larger development. Those who oppose the county courts relocation see the emphasis on a P3 as misguided. In Robert Tracci’s view, “The board appears determined to subordinate the criminal justice community, defendants, and the citizens we serve to promises of speculative, undefined, and unspecified ‘economic development.’ Its decision to proceed forward in the face of near-unanimous opposition to relocating the courts reflects a mindset that
May it Please the Court Supervisor Mallek is optimistic about the current path, wherever it leads. “We are working furiously to get the information we need,” she said. “There’s more confidence in the materials we have now, more determination to do something than there has been in the last twenty years.” Mallek says that it is important to keep the decision “grounded in the math.” “There are so many things we cannot do as it is. I would like to hire a dozen more police officers instead of spending more to stay downtown. How we provide services for our county residents is the really important thing.” The capital budget for the project is $40 million, the largest non-education outlay in the last several decades, and the funding has already been incorporated into the county’s Capital Improvement Program. County officials hope to hear recommendations from the outside consultants by November or December, followed thereafter by BOS action.
—continued from page 11
by Louise Dudley
Put on Your Chef’s Hat 1
2
3
6
4
5
8
7
9
10
11 12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21 22 24
23 25
27
26
29
30
31
28
32 34
35
Solution on page 46
33
ACROSS 1 Cheddar, pepper jack or provolone 4 Breakfast “bread” made from batter in a special “iron” 6 Unexpected problem 7 Contents of a cookbook 11 “_____ I was going to St. Ives . . .” 12 Some grapefruit are this light red color 13 Half of a quart 16 Three-_____ salad is easy to make 19 A part in a play 21 Gas for a grill 24 Peeling these might make you cry 25 Kitchen appliance for baking 27 Cooking equipment in the backyard 29 Word for asking politely 30 Whirl up a smoothie in this appliance 34 Ice cream on a pie makes it pie ____ mode 35 Dinner DOWN 1 Edible holder for a scoop of ice cream
45
2 Main ingredients in an omelet 3 Sweet topping for pancakes 4 Tool for beating eggs by hand 5 Enemy 8 Metal container for tuna, olives, soup, etc. 9 Frying pan 10 Sandwich known by its initials 14 President Lincoln’s nickname 15 Tool for shaving cheese into tiny bits 17 This keeps your clothes clean while cooking 18 Meal that combines breakfast and lunch 20 “____ Top of Old Smoky” 22 After washing dishes, do this to remove soap 23 Gazpacho is a cold one of these 26 Nights before special holidays 28 Utensil for serving soup or punch 31 “Skip to my _____, my darling.” 32 Afternoon rest for a toddler 33 Organ for hearing
46
CROZETgazette
AUGUST 2017
Add yours for as little as $45 a month! Call 434-249-4211 or email ads@crozetgazette.com
CLASSIFIED ADS
Crozet Gazette Business Card Ads
COMPUTER CARE: Quality computer repair in your home or office. Virus removal, networking, wireless setup, tutoring, used computers. Reasonable rates. Over 15 years’ experience. Please call 434-825-2743.
Rover’s Recess
Give your dog a break!
Midday Dog Walking
Premium Business Cards: Most Recent Cards Order History Photo Library
Serving Crozet Since 1999 LICENSED • BONDED • INSURED • REFERENCES
ROVERSRECESS.COM
434-361-9122
PROOF Front of Your Card
McAllister Painting Licensed and Insured Over 20 Years Experience - Free Estimates All aspects of painting Interior and Exterior Gutter Cleaning & Power Washing “No job too small”
Call Todd at 434-960-4775 Serving Central Virginia for Over 25 Years
Blue Line: Represents the final trimsize
ALL ENGINES POSSIBLE
ColorCardsDirect.com © 2011 | All Rights Reserved | Home | View our privacy policy
New location! 6037 Rockfish Gap Turnpike, Crozet Open Monday - Friday 9 am - 6 pm; Saturday 8 am - 1 pm; Closed Sunday
Quality Work | Affordable Rates 434.823.8392 434.953.7931 cell www.allenginespossible.com
Accounting - Bookkeeping Tax Services - Notary Public BY APPOINTMENT
1186 Crozet Avenue In the Blue Goose Building in Downtown Crozet
Phone: 434-823-1420 Fax: 434-823-1610
GENERAL CONTRACTORS
Licensed & Insured Contractor Since 1964
We Do All Home Interior & Exterior Remodeling & Repairs
Plumbing, Electrical, Painting, Carpentry, Floors, Walls, Kitchens, Baths, Etc. We Also Buy Old Coins and Paper Money
Crozet ................................... 434-823-4167
FIREWOOD
summer outdoor parties church events birthdays get togethers camping Gary Peppe, Crozet
Puzzle on page 45
DOUG SEAL & SONS
EVERY LIFE IS A GIFT AND EVERY LIFE HAS A STORY. Become a part of someone else’s story by becoming a CAREGiver with Home Instead Senior Care. If you have changes you would like us to make We are looking for committed, please type them below. honest, and caring individuals that want to make a difference in someone’s life. Home Instead Senior Care is in search of compassionate CAREGivers. The candidate must understand the importance of meeting the needs of clients while helping them maintain a high quality of life and independence in their home. We are looking for committed individuals who have good customer service, communication skills, and able to problem solve on the spot. Our CAREGivers have a reputation for being cheerful and respectful as they administer care to our clients, and we are seeking someone who would be a great fit for our team. All shifts are available! Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to: • Light housekeeping tasks and meal preparation • Medication and appointment reminders • Ability to treat and care for seniors and their property with dignity and respect • Ability to communicate with clients in a friendly and congenial manner • Complete a criminal background check, motor vehicle record check and drug screen • Possess a valid driver’s license and valid auto insurance (required if driving clients) • No previous experience necessary. Paid Training, Paid Vacation, Annual Bonuses, Health Benefits, 401K, Mileage Reimbursement and much more!
Caroline Watkins | ROY WHEELER REALTY CO. | 1100 Dryden Lane Ednam Hall Charlottesville VA 22903
Order 794905
S O U P
434-987-4539
C H E E S E WA O G Y H S NAG R E C I P E S U A S P I N K G A R B EAN B P P ROPA E R R T U ON I ON S E GR V EN N C V S H L EA S E B L E S O S UP
F F L E O B E S K L P I N T L O L E N E T I L A ND A L P E
L E R A R
EXPERIENCED SEAMSTRESS with over 30 years of tailoring and garment alterations experience. I work from home in Crozet (Highlands subdivision). Please call for a free consultation. Ruth Gerges: 434-823-5086. FCC NOTICE: On July 13, 2017, an application was filed with the Federal Communications Commission for consent to the transfer of control of Low Power Television Station WUDW-LD, Channel 15, Station W31EC-D, Channel 31, Station WFWG-LD, Channel 38, Station WUDJ-LD, Channel 35, Crozet, VA from DTV America Corporation, to DTV Holdings Inc.
CROZETgazette
Refugees
AUGUST 2017
Crozet Gazette Business Card Ads
—continued from page 34
both of the sponsoring parishes, dealt with the schooling of the children and the plight of the two countries––Greece and Italy––who had responded most generously to the crisis as opposed to those––Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary––who to this day have taken almost none. Those in the gathering could have no doubt what their church leaders thought was a Christian response, Digidiki said. Last year, Pope Francis met with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop Ieronymos of Greece on Lesbos to issue a statement asking communities to increase their efforts to receive and protect refugees of all faiths, to extend temporary asylum, to offer refugee status to the eligible, and to work for a prompt end to the economic and political causes of the conflicts. The world responded in many ways, and at least a couple were well-meaning but ineffective, Digidiki said. Volunteers showed up on the island, untrained and in some cases unstable, and trained workers found they were a distraction from the humanitarian effort. Placement of refugees in private families, an initiative encouraged by church leaders, did not always work well, either. Instead, she recommended that donations be sent to the two Christian charities most involved with the relief effort, both highly rated as to their proportion of service to administration, and both linked below. • International Orthodox Christian Charities: IOCC.org • Catholic Relief Services: CRS.org • Watch the short documentary, “4.1 Miles:” www.nytimes.com/ 2016/09/28/opinion/ 4-1-miles.html • More information on the Syrian refugee crisis: stnicholasorthodoxchurch. com/syrian-refugee-crisis more-info/
47
Add yours for as little as $45 a month! Call 434-249-4211 or email ads@crozetgazette.com
Resolving your water concerns water testing water filtration water softeners electric hot water heaters uv sterilization well pumps handy man services
We can service your existing equipment John Moore 434-996-9742; 434-823-1973 Crozet, VA 22932 jbmooreservices@gmail.com
ridgemont.travel@gmail.com RiveR CRuising WoRLd CRuises
• •
Land TouRs • oCean CRuising LuxuRy aiR PRivaTe JeT seRviCe
Specializing in individual reservations, multi-generational family vacations, and group travel of all types. More than 25 years of combined experience. Based here in Crozet.
Call Barbara or Buzz Rabatin: 757-345-3335
MATT ROBB Phone: 434.531.6060 Fax: 888.251.3406 EMail: matt@robbconstruction.com 8803 Dick Woods Road Afton, VA 22920
www.robbconstruction.com Class A Lic. #2705073818A
HEIRLOOMS S UNCOMMON FINDS Christine Kennedy Studio, Watercolor Artist CROZETANTIQUES.COM
434.989.6556
1171 Carter Street at Jarmans Gap Road
BAKESHOP
Custom Order Cakes, Cupcakes, Cookies, Pies, and more! Treats Are Available When The Sign Is Out! 5853 Jarmans Gap Road, Crozet 434-960-5872 mycakebyrachel.com
Independent and Unbiased Investment Advice
Sam Harris
Financial Advisor 434.214.0407 (office) 434.282.4284 (cell) Sam@PatinaWealth.com
PatinaWealth.com
Something for everyone. Resale and new, we have a treasure waiting for you! New items arrive daily! Come check us out!
12 BOOTH VENDORS HOUSEWARES ANTIQUES FURNITURE PRIMITIVE BOOTH CRAFTS CLOTHING FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY UP TO 80% OFF RETAIL PRICE
1805 Eastside Hwy, Crimora • Open Tues-Fri 10am - 6pm; Sat 10am - 3pm
Parents of arts-oriented kids attending Western Albemarle Co. public schools—
Get Involved with A.W.E.!
Arts in Western Education needs you!
A.W.E. is a non-profit supporting arts education. Learn more—
Go to www.ArtsInWesternEd.org
Albemarle Ballet Theatre
Ballet, Jazz & Modern Dance School Downtown Crozet
Come Dance With
Us
Charlottesville!"/&01 !"#$%&'()*+"%,) -&..(% !"#$
434.823.8888 ∙ Dance@aBallet.org ∙ www.aballet.org Albemarle Ballet Theatre, Inc. • 5798 Three Notch’d Road • Rear Entrance • Downtown Crozet