INSIDE LETTERS page 3 SCHOOL NOTES page 6 CORK OR CAP? page 8
SEPTEMBER 2017 VOL. 12, NO. 4
CONSERVATION page 17
Sharing the Wealth: Why the County Pays the City Millions Each Year
BLUE RIDGE SCHOOL page 19 BEST HUMMUS page 22
By Lisa Martin
lisamartin@crozetgazette.com
MIKE MARSHALL
BUSINESS BRIEFS page 23 NEW RUNNERS page 26 MEDICAL STATS page 28 THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS page 29 AUSSIE RULES page 30 PONY CHAMPS page 32 GRAZING PETS page 33 CHURCH NEWS page 34 HURRICANES page 35 HATE DAY page 36 POISON SUMAC page 38 TRAINED BIRDS page 40 OBITUARIES page 42 KIDS’ CROSSWORD page 45
Danny Yusef and retired Virginia State Police Sgt. Ronny Byram. See “Thanks for Dinner,” page 21.
Computer Security Firm Counter Flow AI, Inc., Starts Up in Crozet By Michael Marshall
editor@crozetgazette.com
Randy Caldejon of Crozet and Peter Shaw, his partner in founding nPulse Technologies, have formed a new company that will use machine learning, also called artificial intelligence, to help protect computer networks from intruders.
Crozet-based nPulse Technologies, which developed technology that allows speedy forensic analysis of computer security breaches, was acquired in 2014 by San Jose, California-based FireEye, a leading international cyber security firm. Caldejon described nPulse’s box as similar to an airplane’s flight data
continued on page 15
Every January for the past 35 years, Albemarle County has transferred a sum of money to the City of Charlottesville under a pact called the Revenue Sharing Agreement (RSA). “Sharing” is a euphemism, as the payments have only gone in one direction. The amounts are not trivial—this year’s payment was almost $16 million, and the total transfer to date tops $310 million. Though the arrangement began as a desperate bargain to stop the city from annexing more of the county’s land, many county residents now wonder if they are paying something for nothing. “I was shocked to find [the agreement] buried in the budget,” said Bill
continued on page 10
Crozet’s Mountainside Senior Living Adds Dementia Unit By Michael Marshall
editor@crozetgazette.com
Mountainside Senior Living, a 105-bed assisted living facility in downtown Crozet, will convert its entire third floor to a secure dementia unit containing 20 beds, according to Marta Keene, executive director of the Jefferson Area Board for Aging, which operates the facility with the aim of keeping affordable senior care
available. The unit is expected to open in February of 2018, she said. “Patients will stay on the floor for all activities,” she said. “Meals will be served family-style. There will a large common area that will overlook The Square. There will be ‘stations’ that allow patients to do safe projects, such as crafts. It’s going to be very personalized. They are not connecting with the present moment and they don’t continued on page 18
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To the Editor 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.
Thank you, Locketts I’ve put off writing this because it brings back a lot of painful memories. The nightmare in Charlottesville the weekend of August 12 changed all that. My family lived just off Route 250 not far from Greenwood. Dad worked at Cockrell Chemical Co. One day in 1963 he went to work—”late on a Monday morning.” He did his normal routine up on the tank—except someone had already done it while he “was not there.” The tank exploded— blew him off the ladder onto concrete. Chemicals damaged
SEPTEMBER 2017 his eyes. He had a wife with four children and another on the way. No income, no groceries. And all of the sudden, EVERY FRIDAY we had company. A black man that Dad worked with at Cockle—Lucian Lockett and his wife Minnie, along with their young son (Bucky?). They brought BOXES AND BAGS of food. Every Friday. For I don’t remember how long. They kept us from starvation. I’ve spent 31 years in factories and I understand better now that (hopefully) Lucian and Minnie didn’t take us on completely by themselves, and perhaps there was a pass the hat around the factory thing. But all my days I have known that if not for Lucian and Minnie Lockett we would have starved to death. They shaped my world
in ways a lot of people should experience. Though Lucian and Minnie are likely long dead (as are my parents, Hiram and Louise Meadows), to any of their descendants or relatives, I never forgot what they did for us. Thank you. God’s got you. And now we have Charlottesville. The bitter, the hatred, the arrogance. They quite obviously haven’t had as many cold, hungry, Virginia mountain, “when will this end” days that I had. Lucian and Minnie Lockett were my heroes. This thank you is long overdue. And to Bucky: remember they would put sheets over the clothesline like a tent, for us to camp out. After darkness descended, the fear of bears would run us back indoors, every time. Laugh with me.
Janie Meadows Four Oaks, NC TransAmerica Bike Trail Most people who live in Crozet and Albemarle County have no idea that some of our roads comprise a portion of the TransAmerica Trail—a bicycle route that stretches from Yorktown, Virginia, all the way across our country to Astoria, Oregon. It is marked by the unfortunately infrequent signs showing a “76” with a silhouette of a bike below those numbers. There are cyclists that I have met from around the world riding on our local roads—their ultimate goal of getting to Oregon and the Pacific Ocean. Most of them apparently choose the route traveling from east to west, which means almost all these continued on page 4
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SEPTEMBER 2017
To the Editor —continued from page 3
people on bikes that I meet are just in the first few days of riding. So I go out of my way to encourage them, knowing that the hilliest and often most difficult part of the journey involves getting through the Blue Ridge starting in western Albemarle via Garth, White Hall, Jarmans and Greenwood Roads and up to Afton Mountain and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Roads that I bike on every week—weather permitting. Last May I had the pleasure of meeting and riding with one of these amazing people, quickly discovering that she was on her way to Oregon. Ann had just graduated from William and Mary and her bike was loaded with panniers filled with the necessary gear and supplies. She was riding the complete 4,228 miles of the trail to help raise money for a charity. I had caught up with her just south of White Hall near Grace Estate Vineyard when someone in a speeding car yelled for us to “get off the road.” I was embarrassed. This was not the local hospitality that I was hoping to share. Although I was disappointed that this might be her lasting impression, I was not terribly surprised, as I unfortunately but regularly have these types of experiences out on our local county roads. Recently, I had a driver yell at me as he stopped his car and told me that I had no right to be on Jarmans Gap Road and “on these back roads,” adding that I needed to ride on the roads in Crozet with marked bike lanes. These recurring incidents of cyclists being told to stay off the roads and on marked bike paths is either disingenuous, ignorant or both, but nothing less. From my experience of biking over 4,000 miles a year on our local roads, I would say that over 90% of the people I encounter in cars and trucks passing me in either direction are courteous, cautious and patient with me and other cyclists as we get exercise, fresh air and enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds us on our roads. They slow down for me or wait for a clear view of the road ahead to pass me and other cyclists as they often give more
than enough safe clearance when passing. And I always try reciprocate and to be considerate of these and other drivers. I ride my bike with a flashing red light on the back for increased visibility and safety. I’m empathetic with drivers (I am one myself!) so I invariably wave them past me when hearing that they have slowed behind me around curves and hills when I often have a better vantage point of being able to see that they do not have oncoming traffic. For those of you who do indeed drive too fast and too close, “buzzing” me and other people on bikes—please stop this very dangerous practice and realize that you are both breaking the law and endangering our lives. You travel within the safe confines of a car or truck, surrounded by the steel of a two-ton vehicle. However, cyclists on the other hand, have much less stability on two wheels and sometimes just inches from your comparatively massive vehicle as it speeds past. The Virginia Three-Foot Passing Law was passed by the General Assembly in Richmond on March 8, 2014. It requires vehicles to give three feet of space when passing bicyclists. This was an improvement over the previous two feet and brought our state in line with laws in Maryland, Washington, D.C. and 21 other states. I would like to note here that the law does allow for drivers to cross a double yellow in order to pass cyclists. Although I had been very pleased that this much-needed legislation was passed, the number of close calls I have had while cycling on Jarmans Gap Road, Greenwood Road White Hall Road and other local roads has recently become too many to count on one hand. People are simply driving too fast, often times very obviously beyond the posted speed limit. They are distracted by their smartphones (I’ve witnessed drivers holding and looking at their phones as they pass me) and other hightech conveniences in their vehicles. Perhaps, as some of my encounters that include their yelling and verbal abuse would point to, they just plainly don’t like cyclists using our roads. While reading the Richmond Times last July I had one of
those awful experiences that I will never forget. I abruptly noticed a picture of someone I thought I recognized, who as the caption tragically reported, had been killed. This was heartbreaking news. Ann Davis, the young woman I met while riding just north of Crozet in May, had been hit and killed on her bike while still on her journey in Idaho just a few days away from her destination of the Pacific Coast. Please drive carefully. The lives of fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, sisters and brothers and your neighbors depend on your vigilance and kindness. Kyle Bollmeier Crozet Angela Lynn for Delegate On the rare occasions when Del. Steve Landes shows up in our neck of the woods, he comes across as a moderate, down-to-earth guy, focused on helping businesses flourish. But that mild-mannered image doesn’t match how he’s actually voted during his two decades in the Virginia House of Delegates. Steve Landes voted to allow domestic abusers with protective or restraining orders to carry concealed handguns. There’s ample evidence that when abusers own guns, the odds that they’ll murder the victims of their abuse dramatically increase. That doesn’t seem to matter to Landes. Steve Landes voted to repeal Virginia’s purchase limit on handguns. One criminal arrested in New York as part of a major gun-trafficking ring was later caught on tape, bragging: “There’s no limit to how many guns I can go buy from the store. I can go get 20 guns from the store tomorrow … I can do that Monday through Friday … They might start looking at me, but in Virginia, our laws are so little, I can give guns away.” That doesn’t seem to matter to Landes. Steve Landes voted against letting Virginians hunt on Sundays. For some reason, that does matter to him. Steve Landes voted against allowing cities in Virginia to raise their minimum wages or benefits, even though there’s compelling evidence in places like Seattle that such moves
appear to help workers and boost the local economy. That doesn’t seem to matter to Landes. Steve Landes voted against expanding Medicaid, keeping decent medical care out of reach for thousands of struggling Virginians. The claims he made about how much the measure would cost simply weren’t accurate. That didn’t seem to matter to Landes. Perhaps most crucially, Steve Landes has voted to make it harder for you to vote, by supporting photo ID requirements that place an often impassable thicket of red tape between perfectly eligible Virginians and their right as Americans to cast a ballot. That doesn’t seem to matter to Landes. None of those votes sound like the actions of a pro-business moderate. That’s why I’m voting and volunteering for Democrat Angela Lynn, who’s running to replace Landes in the House of Delegates on Tuesday, Nov. 7. In Richmond, Lynn will work for greater access to public land for hunting; cleaner streams for fishing; better teachers, receiving better pay, to give our kids a better education; and better health care for all Virginians. And unlike Steve Landes, she won’t put her own extreme ideology ahead of the good of the people she represents. Angela Lynn wants to fight for the things that matter to all of us. I think we should give her that chance. Sincerely, Nathan Alderman Crozet Dearest Thomas, I regret having to call on you at this time, however it is of utmost importance. This is a matter concerning your lovely lady who as you are aware has been acclaimed most fair in the land by those who know her. I wish it were not so, but Sir it seems those appointed to look after Lady Charlottesville have fallen out with Robert. Apparently some time back he said or did something they find offensive, and in spite of his great sacrifice to your lady and those she keeps, they are demanding his stay be terminated. continued on page 44
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CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017
A Delightful Beginning Stories and Photos By Lisa Martin
lisamartin@crozetgazette.com
l principal Beth Costa
Henley Middle Schoo
Henley Strives for Connection “There is so much energy in this building right now,” said Henley Middle School principal Beth Costa during the week before the doors opened for a new school year. Costa is particularly excited about a new curriculum aimed at helping students and their teachers enhance the social/emotional aspects of learning. “Developmental Designs,” created by a national nonprofit in 1979, is a program whose mission is “to promote an equitable and humane multicultural society through quality education for all,” and it establishes community-building classroom practices that educators hope will lead to higher engagement for every student. “The motto of the program is ‘Assume nothing, teach everything,’” said Costa, “so if we want kids to learn how to self-manage and work together, we need to teach them.” At Henley, this meant an overhaul of the bell schedule to incorporate three advisory periods per week where students and advisors meet, share, and have fun
with each other. “The strategy is for kids to connect with an adult, to teach them to be kinder to each other, and to make sure every kid feels connected to the school community,” said Costa. Over the summer, 22 of Henley’s teachers participated in Developmental Designs training and shared what they learned with the entire Henley staff. Key practices include using empowering language, modeling social competence, and creating dignified pathways to self-control. During the first two weeks of school, the entire student body will create a school-wide “social contract,” in which the students will collaborate and decide on five priorities they expect of themselves and each other in their school environment in order to be successful in their goals. As always, Costa is optimistic. “I believe that kids are doing exactly what we expect them to do at their age; it’s predictable,” she said. “So if they make mistakes, it’s our job to provide support, to teach them, to model the behavior we want, and to create an environment of respect for everyone.”
Grants for Great Ideas The Shannon Foundation for Excellence in Public Education has awarded grants to local public school teachers in the Charlottesville-Albemarle area since 1990, and this year six teachers in western schools received nine grants to turn their innovative ideas into action. From coding to women’s studies, teachers at Crozet,
Brownsville, Meriwether Lewis, and WAHS will be stimulating their students with hands-on learning experiences. Here, a few of the recipients talk about their plans: Brian Squires, first grade teacher at Brownsville, received a grant for a product called “Makey Makey,” which allows students to make electrical con-
Crozet Elementary first grade teacher Ginny Slechta has a First Day of School tradition that builds bonds with her students and their families in a sweet way: she hosts an evening popsicle party at the school playground. “It was really a great day,” she said as she greeted the parents and siblings of her 18 students and distributed ice-pops from a cooler. “The day is a lot about calming their worries, so we take it easy.” First grader Gracelynn paused for a photo with two of her classmates and reflected on the day.
“My favorite part was going out to recess for three really long times,” she said, and her compatriots agreed. Slechta says the popsicle party is great for the parents as well. “They like to debrief about the day, and they enjoy hanging out with each other.” For the students, the serious schoolwork will begin soon enough, and the theme for the year is kindness. “Today we talked about how by the end of the year they’ll earn their superhero capes for all of the kindness activities they’ll do,” said Slechta with a smile. “Kindness will change the world!” And popsicles may bring it a little closer together, too.
Crozet Elementary principal Gwedette Crummie (right) with families and siblings of first graders.
ynn, and Claira s Malena, Gracel er ad gr st fir w Ne
nections to objects and then use coding to make those objects control something else, like a character on a screen or a sound. “It’s a wonderful tool to get kids thinking about electricity, conductivity, programming, and creativity,” said Squires. Dawn Laine, P.E. teacher at
enjoy the party.
Crozet Elementary, received two grants this year. One will purchase foam bricks for students to use in solving construction and logic problems in small groups, allowing P.E. to integrate with the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and continued on page 44
Something “NOTEWORTHY” going on at your school? Let lisamartin@crozetgazette.com know!
CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017
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CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017
By Clover Carroll
clover@crozetgazette.com
“A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine” declares an old adage, attributed to 19th century French gastronomer Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin. And the soft “pop” of the cork leaving the bottle is a ritual sound enjoyed by many. But does the squeak of an aluminum screw cap inspire the same anticipation? Should a bottle of fine wine be served up the same way as a jar of pickles? As the use of screw caps and synthetic “corks” continues to increase, I began to wonder what effect these new technologies have on a wine’s quality and flavor. Not only did I discover that the answer is anything but simple, but I also stumbled upon one of the hottest debates in the wine world, with ardent proponents on both sides. On one side are the European traditionalists, who have been using natural corks to close wine bottles for centuries. They prefer this natural, organic, and
renewable resource—hand harvested from oak bark, mostly in Spain and Portugal— with its long-term, proven success in aging wine gracefully. On the other side are modern proponents—led by Australia and New Zealand—of various cork alternatives that are significantly cheaper, easier to use, and that reduce the risk of spoilage— synthetic closures that may be recyclable, but are not biodegradable. The burgeoning U.S. wine industry falls somewhere in between. “It’s time for a more modern and consistent way of doing things,” declares winegeeks.com. As Andrew Hodson, owner of Veritas Vineyard in Afton, explains, wine production involves three stages: the primary stage of extracting the juice from the grape; the secondary stage consisting of fermentation with yeast, and the tertiary stage, when the wine is aged over long periods of time. The oak barrel—one of the most expensive elements in wine-making—is a semi-perme-
CLOVER CARROLL
To Cork or Not to Cork? The Great Wine Closure Debate
Veritas Vineyard in Afton uses a variety of closures for its wines.
able membrane, which permits the exchange of oxygen that allows the wine’s more complex flavors and textures to develop and evolve. “Oxygen is what ages wine. Microscopic amounts of fresh air seep through the wood, allowing it to age slowly,” he observes. Almost all wines are aged at least six months before being bottled and sold— most far longer. But the aging of wine contin-
ues in the bottle. The cork, like the barrel, is also a semi-permeable membrane that allows small amounts of oxygen to enter so the wine can continue to evolve over time. Red wine— which includes the skins of the grapes—is naturally more complex than white wine, partly due to tannins, which impart bitterness and astringency (a dry mouth feel) to the wine. As a continued on page 41
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CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017 COURTESY ALBEMARLE COUNTY
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Proposed boundaries of Charlottesville’s annexation plans, 1980.
Revenue Sharing —continued from page 1
Schrader, Crozet resident and advocate for local projects. “I served on the Crozet Community Advisory Council and was looking for ways to fund the new library here, and started asking questions about the payments. Few people understand that we are simply giving our money away.” Since the RSA went into effect in 1982, the county’s population has grown by 48,000, many of whom are oblivious to its details. But a recent presentation on the agreement by County Attorney Greg Kamptner to the Board of Supervisors (BOS) clearly outlined the basic predicament: Despite the Virginia General Assembly’s extended moratorium on the city’s right to annex county land, Albemarle County cannot free itself from the annual obligation to share its property tax revenues with the city.
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Debate While the provisions of the RSA may seem hard to fathom now, the community debate during the years leading up to the 1982 agreement was deeply serious. Current county Supervisors Ann Mallek and Diantha McKeel recalled the unease of those times at a recent
BOS meeting. “I voted in favor of the agreement back then [as a citizen], and I remember we were all terrified,” said McKeel. Mallek also sensed a sharp tenor of concern among the populace. “People felt that it would be the end of our existence as a county,” she said. During much of the 20th century, city annexations of adjacent county land were a common tactic for cities to increase their tax base and add revenue to their coffers, partly because of Virginia’s uniquely independent city/county structure. Charlottesville had successfully annexed parcels of varying sizes throughout its history, and had drawn up plans to do so again at the end of a temporary annexation moratorium in 1980. The city’s acquisition target encompassed a 10-square-mile area, from the Rio/29 interchange out to the Pantops region and down to 5th Street South. There was also talk of a larger area under consideration, extending farther north and west and potentially swallowing up 32 square miles of the county. County residents in the affected areas, led by groups such as Citizens for Albemarle and the Citizens’ Committee for City-County Cooperation, were thrown into a panic as they understood the very real threat they faced. Four square miles of county land, including all of
CROZETgazette ALBEMARLECOUNTY.ORG
Barracks Road Shopping Center, had been annexed in 1963 to almost double the city’s size, and the county’s revenue loss from that transfer was painfully evident. Subsets of city and county leadership began a series of meetings to negotiate an arrangement that would (a) preserve county-owned property, and (b) provide the city with additional revenue. After a protracted and contentious debate, the contours of a deal began to emerge. The Revenue Sharing Agreement in its final form prohibited the city from annexing any county land (except Pen Park), and in return, the county would “share” a portion of its property tax revenue with the city each year. (See the sidebar below for a primer on the calcula-
SEPTEMBER 2017
Ann Mallek, Supervisor.
White
Hall
District
tion of the payment.) Key features of the agreement were that (a) the county land values used to calculate the payment were fair market values, even if the property was under land use continued on page 12
Revenue Sharing by the Numbers For those curious about the details, here’s an example of how the RSA amount would be computed for the year 2014 using round numbers. Some of these values are estimated, as the figures used in the calculation are not published in county budget documents, only the total is reported. To create the Revenue Sharing pool, the city and county each contribute 37 cents per $100 of their total assessed value of taxable property into the pool:
Cville contribution $22 million Alb Cty contribution $67 million Total $89 million (to be shared)
The above is roughly a 25/75 split. The amounts are then weighted by two factors: the relative population of each jurisdiction, and the relative “true tax rate” each imposes on real estate. The true tax rate is the real estate tax rate, adjusted for the ratio of assessed value to actual sales.
Cville population 48,000 32% of total Alb Cty population 104,000 68% of total Total 152,000 Cville true tax rate .91 Alb Cty true tax rate .75 Total 1.66
55% of total 45% of total
Still awake? For each jurisdiction, these two percentages are averaged into a composite, and that “composite index” is used to calculate how much of the pool each SHOULD receive, compared to how much they contributed:
Cville composite 43% Alb Cty composite 57%
43% of $89M is $38M 57% of $89M is $51M
Since Cville’s weighted share is $38 million, but they only put $22 million in the pool, they receive $16 million from the county. The “sharing” has thus far always gone from county to city because the city has more people per dollar of assessed property value, and because they already charge their citizens a higher tax rate, all else equal. Probably the biggest driver of the transfer is county property values, which grow every year and make the pool bigger. Charlottesville will never end up transferring funds to Albemarle unless one or more of these factors changes significantly.
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SEPTEMBER 2017
Revenue Sharing —continued from page 11
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taxation, (b) the annual payment would be capped at 0.1% of the total assessed value of taxable real property, and (c) the agreement would continue indefinitely. While some citizens argued against the deal because of its permanence and because county residents would have no say in how the shared revenue would be spent by the city, the Daily Progress and many citizen groups opined in favor of the agreement. A local group called SAFE (Stop Annexation Forever) used an illustration by local artist Charles Peale of the city depicted as an octopus-like “annexation monster,” far-reaching and voracious, to whip up public support for the RSA. The Daily Progress editors pointed out that the threatened land provided the lion’s share of the county’s property tax and sales tax revenue, which would be lost to annexation while at the same time exposing residents in those areas to the city’s much higher tax rates. To residents’ concerns about the agreement’s perpetuity, the paper countered in a May 1982 editorial that “annexation, dear reader, lasts forever.” Because the agreement involved contracted debt, the RSA was presented to Albemarle County voters in an up-ordown referendum, where it passed with 63 percent approval (though not in Crozet specifically, where approval reached only 41 percent). The county’s first payment to Charlottesville ($1.2 million) was made in 1983, and payments reached a high of $18.5 million in 2010 before stabilizing at around $16 million for the past several years. The agreement’s cap, a provision thrown in at the eleventh hour of negotiations, has limited the payment in 27 of the 35 years it has been in force. Regret County residents felt they had narrowly avoided a calamity, even after the state imposed a moratorium on annexations by cities in 1987. “Pauses” in annexations had come and gone in past decades, and the agreement provided a long-term bulwark against future threats. However, the moratorium was
extended until 2010 by the Virginia General Assembly and then to 2018, and this year it was extended again until 2024. Adding to the consternation of RSA opponents, another state rule allows a county to be declared permanently immune from city-initiated annexations when it reaches “a population of 50,000 persons and a density of 140 persons per square mile.” According to the most recent Weldon Cooper Center population projections for 2016, Albemarle County hits both targets. So at present, the county looks to be impervious to any threat of annexation by the city, yet still must pay millions. Why? The Revenue Sharing Agreement is a short and tightly written document that represents a binding contract between Charlottesville and Albemarle with no expiration date. The text states that the agreement will remain in effect until one of three events occurs: (1) The city and county are consolidated into a single political subdivision, (2) the concept of independent cities in Virginia is altered so that city property becomes part of the county’s tax base, or (3) the city and county agree to cancel or alter the agreement. So if, under option (1), Charlottesville were to revert to “town” status, as has been discussed in past years when the city was experiencing financial difficulties, then Albemarle County would assume control of all regional services (schools, police, etc.) and the agreement would dissolve. However, this window is almost closed, because when Charlottesville reaches a population of 50,000 (it stands at 49,000 currently), reversion to town status is no longer available under state law. Option (2) would require a statewide legislative change that would affect dozens of cities in various ways, and appears equally unlikely. As for the third option, Charlottesville has never publicly shown an interest in altering the agreement. As BOS Chair McKeel noted recently, “City Councilors seem surprised that we have county residents asking about this. It’s just not on their radar at all.” Regarding this issue, over the last twenty years, she said, “I
CROZETgazette have been briefed by five different County Attorneys and every one of them says the same thing—that this is a legal contract and the contract will stand.” In his recent BOS presentation, County Attorney Kamptner addressed the questions often raised by county residents challenging the validity of the agreement. Were we under “duress” when we agreed to it? Why have we no say in how the funds are used? Was valid “consideration” paid? If the annexation threat is gone, why can’t we get out of it now? The answers to all of these questions, explained Kamptner, hinge on what happened in May of 1982. “The hard reality of contract law,” said Kamptner at the meeting, “is that it’s based on conditions that existed at the time the agreement was entered into.” The terms of the RSA, including how the payment is calculated, the lack of county input on the funds’ use, and its permanence, as well as the possibility of a renewed statewide annexation moratorium at any time, were widely discussed and debated. The terms were ultimately approved, as written and
without exception, by county voters. Press reports, editorials, and residents’ memories of the times all indicate that the populace understood the choice before them, and each side received something of value in the agreement, so the contract remains valid by law. Timothy Lindstrom, former County Supervisor and one of the lead negotiators of the RSA, said in his 1992 thesis on the history of the agreement that, “[i]t must be remembered in assessing the future of the agreement that it was the product of the coincidence of interests of two parties motivated by pragmatic self-interest rather than goodwill.” Review A recent study by a private, local, nonprofit public policy group called The Free Enterprise Forum used the 10-square-mile annexation map to try to quantify who has benefitted from the RSA. For the 15-year period from 2001 to 2016, the study used publicly available data to conclude that Albemarle County has received $64 million more in local tax revenue generated by that area than it has paid in RSA funds to the
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and Management Analyst for the city, explained that they are allocated in three ways. For FY18, about two-thirds of the projected $15.8 million goes into the General Fund and onethird into the Capital Improvement Program (CIP), with a small (2.5%) portion going to the Facility Repair Fund. The city budget states that: “The majority of this revenue is
city. Good news for the county, though Ann Mallek notes an omission: “That’s fine as far as it goes, but what’s missing is the cost of providing services to those residences in the urban ring.” Powerless to direct how the “shared” funds are spent, county residents often wonder what happens to them in the city’s budget, where they represent 10 percent of total city revenues. Ryan Davidson, Senior Budget
continued on page 14
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Revenue Sharing —continued from page 13
dedicated to projects and operations that benefit City and County residents alike.” Though the General Fund monies are not earmarked for specific projects, “[t]he funds support public safety departments, parks and recreation, and infrastructure maintenance,” said Davidson. He also noted that RSA-funded CIP projects in recent years have included “sidewalk and bridge repair, bicycle infrastructure, transit bus replacement, parks and playgrounds renovation, and trail and greenway development.” Supervisor Mallek puts the tradeoff into perspective. “If leaders at the time had not achieved the agreement, we would have been a remarkably different place than we are today,” she said, referring to the loss of county land that almost certainly would have been annexed. From the agreement, she said, “We received certainty, and we kept our boundaries, and the city’s biggest concession was the cap [on the annual amount].” To suggestions that the county should simply refuse to pay the yearly transfer, Mallek demurs. “I am not willing to spend a half-million dollars of taxpayer money on court fees, only to lose that battle.”
Resolve The battle continues to be waged on other fronts, if intermittently. State Delegate Steve Landes, whose district includes western Albemarle County, proposed a budget amendment earlier this year that would have dissolved Virginia revenue sharing agreements when a municipality’s annexation rights become restricted (as under the current moratorium). While this would have voided the Albemarle-Charlottesville RSA, there are more than a dozen other such agreements around the state that might also have been affected by the change, so Delegate Landes withdrew the amendment and plans to try a different approach in the near future. Crozet’s Bill Schrader has focused on what he sees as a possible breach of the agreement—a “payment in lieu of taxes” (PILOT) charged to county residents by the city for natural gas service. The RSA prohibits either jurisdiction from imposing a lawful tax on the other that the other could not reciprocate, and to Schrader, the PILOT is a clear violation. The County Attorney has argued that the PILOT is actually unconstitutional because of how the city accounts for it, and thus does not violate the RSA
The “annexation monster” illustration by local artist Charles Peale, 1982
(which prohibits only legal taxation), but the explanation raises more questions than it answers. “I was disappointed in the County Attorney’s presentation,” said Schrader. “They are still trying to justify the agreement instead of attacking it.” Though rarely attempted in the past, the payment could be used as leverage in city/county negotiations. During a recent BOS discussion about moving the county courthouse to another location, Supervisor Richard Randolph suggested a way to make the “downtown
option” more desirable for the county. “If the city were to offer to re-negotiate the [RSA] with the county, and halve the amount the county owes the city on an annual basis, then I ...would be very receptive to re-opening our negotiations with the city,” he said. Absent such an offer from Charlottesville or an unexpected intervention by the Virginia General Assembly, Albemarle County is bound to be sharing the wealth for a long time to come.
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CROZETgazette MICHAEL MARSHALL
SEPTEMBER 2017
CounterFlow AI’s Andrew Fast, Randy Caldejon and Erik Breuhaus.
CounterFlow —continued from page 1
recorder that helped networks know promptly when they needed to react to a threat. FireEye’s acquisition included a three-year non-compete clause that has now lapsed. CounterFlow AI goes the next step in cyber security and directs the network to where the breach has occurred. This changes a company’s security mindset from wait-and-see about threats to search-and-destroy them. “The market is still hot for cyber security,” said Caldejon, whose new firm set up shop on the fourth floor of Piedmont Place on Labor Day. Besides Shaw, who resides in Boston and will handle business operations and sales, Caldejon, an expert in computer security monitoring and forensics, is joined by Andrew Fast, a Ph.D. in computer science who will lead the firm’s data science efforts; Erik Breuhaus, a marketing expert; Brendan Richardson, who specializes in low-power semiconductors; and Jeffrey Woodruff. “Machine learning is writing software that can learn from examples. It can find patterns in data and then guide human action. A big part of it is in the filter component. The machine focuses human attention in the right places. The term is ‘threat hunting’. This is like a handful of Dobermans patrolling the grounds and looking for threats. The key for machine learning is data—as much as you can feed it. Data is traffic analysis.” Cyber security is beset by
three problems, Caldejon said. First is the new, overwhelming flow of data and security events. Second is the increased sophistication of the attackers and third is the lack of skilled analysts available to respond. Caldejon said it was particularly important to him to establish the business in Crozet, and he pointed to the recent move of Perrone Robotics to downtown as a sign that Crozet can attract modern technology companies if a nucleus forms. “We want Crozet and Charlottesville to be known for data scientists. “We plan to fund-raise this fall,” said Caldejon. “We’re looking for an angel investor. We have a very aggressive schedule. We have to have a minimum viable product by the end of this year,” he said. “We have three prospective customers. We want them to be able to test our product before they make annual budget decisions. Our stuff will be working on a network. It will sit inside a corporate network and observe the traffic. AI is really statistics. It’s all mathematics.” Caldejon said his likely main customers are Fortune 500 companies and the U.S. government. Threat-hunting involves detecting patterns and then filtering them to find the highest priority threats. “AI helps us to look here and not there. There are too many variables to consider,” Caldejon said. Besides being able to detect a security attack and now also know where to find it, the company also expects to develop software that will confront attacks and block them.
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THERESA CURRY
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Third Thursday at The Lodge at Old Trail august 17 5:30 pm
Finding Bix: The Life and Afterlife of a Jazz Legend 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
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Erika Raskin with Sully.
Raskin’s Best Intentions Published By Theresa Curry
theresa@crozetgazette.com
Like a film director who wants to see how an old classic will hold up to modern life, Ivy author Erika Raskin has kept an eye on the people in her novel, Best Intentions, for nearly three decades. She began the novel when she lived in Richmond, in the days when her husband was in medical school. She didn’t suddenly snatch her characters from the early days of Madonna and plunge them into the posttruth era, but instead trotted them out from time to time to refine some of the details, in the wake of each fresh rejection by a publisher. Sure enough, they still ring true. Best Intentions was published in August by St. Martin’s Press and introduced to Crozet at a MudHouse reading sponsored by Over the Moon Book Store. In the span between the book’s beginning and its publication, Raskin moved to Ivy, raised her children, wrote dozens of articles and essays, and published her first novel, the award-winning Close. Raskin claims there was a mischievous invisible hand guiding her beginnings as a novelist. The lack of an available parking space at VCU on the very day she was to start her master’s degree in social work forced her to change her mind and become a writer. But really, she admitted, it was always in the cards. Her
mother, Barbara Raskin, wrote the very popular and funny Hot Flashes, published in 1988, and it quickly became a best seller. The other family business was social action, and she grew up in D.C., surrounded by leaders in the civil rights and anti-war movements. Her brother, Jamie, is a U.S. representative from Maryland’s 8th District. Raskin herself has been outspoken in her articles about disparities, negligence and greed in healthcare. It’s a subject she knows something about, not only from her own undergraduate education and her husband’s work (he’s an anesthesiologist). She also draws on her own painful personal experience and that of close family members who were given the wrong drugs, recommended for dubious procedures, not informed about their options, and exposed to lapses in medical hygiene. This informs her novel, the story of a heroine who takes a job in a hospital, hoping to use her social work degree and to provide practical counsel to young mothers. It’s a bit of a juggling act, she said, if you want to remain true (but not too true) to the idea of writing about what you know. She advises young writers to make sure their fiction remains fictional. In a Publisher’s Weekly article, she suggests capturing the essence of the truth from your experiences but to avoid legal fees and potential poisoning at family dinners by not continued on page 18
CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017
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The Cistercian nuns of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Crozet consecrated their new church in a Mass August 2 that drew a score of church dignitaries to their quiet setting. Mass was said by Bishop Richard B. Higgins, of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, who has longstanding connections with the sisters. He was joined by 16 priests, four abbots—including Fr. Joseph Wittstock of Holy Cross Abbey in Berryville, their Father Immediate, who served for nine years as the sisters’ chaplain—as well as three brothers. The Mass included the anointing of the altar and the crosses and candles of the church, as well as the incensing of the altar. In the tradition of altars since Early Christianity, the altar contains first class rel-
ics (meaning of their body) of two martyrs, Saints Ignatius and Anastasius, as well as first class relics of St. Basil, St. John Chrysostum, St. Gregory Nazianen, St. Bernard, St. Rafael Arnaiz, St. Teresa, St. Therese, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Blessed Gabriella, who the sisters firmly believe will be canonized. Once dedicated, Sr. Barbara Smickel noted, the space can never be used for any other purpose. “Most of us were ready to cry,” she said. “It was a very special day.” “Now it belongs completely to God,” said Mother Kathy Ullrich. “There’s no debt on it. No bank can foreclose on God.” “This is the present community,” said Sr. Barbara, referring to the 10 current sisters. “Hopefully in one hundred years another comadobemunity continued on page 32
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Resident group activity at Mountainside
Mountainside —continued from page 1
need to be brought back to it. “It’s recognizing that we have to find the personal things we can tap into to help them,” said Keene. “The key is personalizing it.” The unit will also have a “snoozle room,” a low-stimulation room that’s kept very quiet and has dimmable lighting. Dementia patients will also be able to go outdoors to another secure area—namely the patio on the north side of the building where trains rumble by—if accompanied by an aide. The balconies on the floor will be sealed off from the rooms, except in the common area space where the balconies will be incorporated and windows added. Each room will have a private bath with handrails and a walk-in tub. Eighty regular assisted living rooms will remain after the conversion. Keene said that another goal is to allow the “[patients’ cur-
Erika Raskin —continued from page 16
writing about characters or situations too close to the real ones. As to advance plotting: “Are you kidding?” she asks. I don’t even know what’s in my purse. I start with a general idea and let the characters decide the plot.” In Best Intentions, the heroine is Marti Trailor, a likable and loving mother who ends up in a tragic situation, full of mystery, murder, deception and drama. Raskin believes her best talent is in understanding on a deep level the back story of her characters: what they might choose to wear, or to have for dinner, whether they chew their fingernails, are shy at parties or outspoken when confronted with unfairness. “Fundamentally, the com-
rent] caregivers a chance to return to their prior relationship as being the wife or husband or daughter and not simply the caregiver.” “People won’t have to leave [Mountainside] now if they develop dementia,” she noted. Two current patients are expected to move to the new unit when it opens. “We’ll be instituting all the best practices,” Keene said. “We’re visiting other facilities now to learn what works best.” The unit will use Teepa Snow positive approach techniques and all daily care will be provided by certified dementia care practitioners. A market study on the Charlottesville-area need for dementia care estimated that there are 400 local residents in need of such a facility, Keene said. The Lodge at Old Trail operates the only other dementia unit in Crozet, with 16 beds. Mountainside’s dementia unit beds will go for $4,800 per month. Deposits are being taken now. plexities of our characters are what determines what happens in real life,” she said. “It’s the same in fiction.” She knew from the start that Marti adored her children, would have a sense of humor, was “dancing on the edge of her marriage,” was able to see systemic problems and would want to fix the things that she saw as fixable. Raskin will use her ability to create complex characters with full histories in her next book, a collection of linked short stories centered on a Charlottesville hotel. She doesn’t regret her distance from a major urban area. She’ll soon move from her Ivy home to a smaller home in North Garden. “I won’t leave the area, though,” she said. “It feeds my soul.”
CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017
By Phil James
phil@crozetgazette.com
George Mayo & George P. Mayo was the founding father of Blue Ridge Industrial School, known also by its acronym BRIS. A circuitous path led him to establishing that benevolent work in the rolling bottom land of Bacon Hollow, below Powell Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western Greene County, Virginia. Born in 1876 near Hague, Westmoreland County, on Virginia’s Northern Neck, Mayo was homeschooled for his primary education. His secondary schooling was completed in Richmond where a scholarship led him to Roanoke College and a bachelor’s degree. Another scholarship afforded his entry to Princeton University, where he was awarded his master’s, studying under, among others, theology professor and future U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. He then entered Virginia Theological Seminary at Alexandria, graduating in 1902. By that time, Rev. Frederick W. Neve’s nearly single-handed mission work, begun in 1888 among the residents of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Albemarle and Greene, was bearing good fruit. Rev. Mayo readily joined Neve’s work, being assigned first to Holy Cross Church near Batesville before moving to
the
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Blue Ridge Industrial School
It took many hired hands to manage the hundreds of acres of farmland owned by Blue Ridge Industrial School. The boy students were trained in “farming, fruit-growing, stock-raising, blacksmithing, carpentry, and forestry.” [Photo courtesy of Larry Lamb]
Crozet’s Saint George Episcopal Church and being placed in charge of the mission outposts in the Blue Ridge. By horseback and on foot, the new minister began to make himself known among his parishioners, learning about their lives and sharing his. Friendships and trust grew, and the people began to invest themselves in the greater cause. Archdeacon Neve reflected on Rev. Mayo’s coming to the mission work in the Blue Ridge: “He [Mayo] soon realized that
Blue Ridge Industrial School, c.1915. On the left is Neve Hall, completed in 1909, the first building erected for the school and used in its earliest days to house the girl students. To its right is the Recitation Hall where classes were given and assemblies held. [Photo by Rufus Holsinger. Courtesy of UVA Library.]
he could not accomplish much unless he lived among the people; and this suggested the idea of a Mission Home, which was ultimately built, and soon became the centre of an aggressive and valuable work. But Mr. Mayo was not content with the work he was doing, and soon conceived the idea of building an Industrial School, as the best means of giving the mountain children a chance to improve their condition.” Direct appeals from Neve
and Mayo to supporters of the mountain mission work during the winter of 1902-1903 brought a generous pledge of support to build what would be the first part of Mayo’s new work: a mission house in the mountains. As it turned out, raising the funds was the easy part. “Mission Home,” as its principal benefactor requested it be named, was to be located near the Albemarle-Greene County continued on page 20
The cannery at B.R.I.S. provided preservation of perishable crops for later consumption by the school, as well as teaching the steps of that process. [Photo courtesy of Larry Lamb]
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SEPTEMBER 2017
BRIS
—continued from page 19
line on a hilltop between the Bruce and Shifflett Hollows. Separated from most sources of building materials by many miles of difficult roads, as well as from contractors willing to work for the money the budget allowed, another reality of rural mission work became evident. “I made my home with one of the mountain families nearby,” Mayo recalled, “and I purchased a pair of overalls and a saw and a hatchet, and each day I would take my place with the workers... We started building in July, and by the 16th of December, we were ready to move in and occupy the second story until we completed the ground floor.” Then, in 1907, those hardearned lessons of fundraising, purchasing land, overseeing construction crews and selecting able mission workers were reapplied to Rev. Mayo’s vision for an industrial-based farmschool to better educate and prepare mountain youth for the life challenges that awaited them. The school’s first classes were taught in a log cabin on the farm in 1909, even as work continued on the primary buildings of the boarding school that would form the nucleus of
a project that some proclaimed as “the greatest achievement in Greene County.” In its earliest years, BRIS was primarily an elementary school with a “desire to give opportunity to children whose ambition has already been aroused in one of the various mission [day] schools of the Archdeaconry.” The progress made by its students and ongoing advancements instituted by the school’s leadership led to it becoming Greene County’s first accredited high school. Its first diplomas were awarded in 1918. Our Mountain Work, a newsletter of the Episcopal Diocese, published the daily schedule at the “School Farm” in 1912. Each day was structured necessarily from beginning to end, from everyone rising before the sun (4:30 a.m. May–September, or 5:30 October–April) and being occupied with work, study or recreation until lights-out at nine. Deaconess Bertha Lawrence wrote, “...the pupils go back and forth from their books to manual work... [using] a different set of muscles every hour or so, more fresh air, and the valuable acquisition of an appreciation of time and its limits.” In a 1914 volume of Harper’s New Monthly Magazine, well-traveled writer and author Robert Bruère described his
At BRIS, the girl students were taught “sewing, darning, cooking, gardening, poultry raising, and general housekeeping.” The milk maids pictured here reported to their twice-daily duty at 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. [Photo courtesy of Larry Lamb]
Most students at Blue Ridge Industrial School boarded there. For those youth who did not, it meant miles of walking each day, including stream crossings. On pleasant days, that trip was less of a chore when accompanied by friends. [Photo courtesy of Larry Lamb]
exploratory springtime visit by buggy to BRIS. “The dogwood and the crimson Judas trees were in bloom,” he wrote. “The road was fragrant with sprouting fern, its banks mottled with violets, yellow sorrel bells, and bloodroot blossoms. “Through Simmon’s Gap, along the boulder-strewn bed of a mountain stream, over the hump of a crouching hill, down a steep path broken by gullies and jutting rock, across a plowed field and half-stumped clearing, I came at last to the Blue Ridge Industrial School and the home of the Rev. George P. Mayo.” There, the writer Bruère encountered first-hand the realities of Mayo’s faith-inspired vision. Spread out before him was a “demonstration farm of more than five hundred acres; its sawmill and dairy; its dormitories, classrooms, workshops, and kitchens; its orchards and fields for every grain and grass and fruit... Mr. Mayo has informed the every-day life at the school with the deepest though most unobtrusive religious spirit, and because he believes that the only sound basis for a vital church today is the spontaneous religious emotion of a happy and prosperous people. “During the afternoon I saw fine mountain girls baking
bread and studying poultry, mountain boys harrowing after the plow and mending tools in the smithy. And morning and evening I heard them singing together and co-operating in work and in play—and through the children Mr. Mayo is trying to spread the spirit of co-operation and mutual aid throughout the neighborhood.” Rev. George P. Mayo (1876– 1954), with his most capable wife Patty by his side, led BRIS by word and by deed until 1944. In 1947, the school’s charter was changed to reflect the name that had been adopted in 1939: Blue Ridge School. Since 1962, Blue Ridge School has served as a private boarding school “dedicated to providing a sound college-prep education for capable and willing young men.”
Without the faith and energies of Rev. George P. Mayo, pictured on his steed Nell, c.1917, the good works accomplished by Blue Ridge Industrial School as well as by today’s successful Blue Ridge School for boys would not have been possible. [Photo by Rufus Holsinger. Courtesy of UVA Library.]
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
SEPTEMBER 2017
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Home delivery is $20 for the year and provides local youth a first paying job. There are openings for carriers in select areas, contact the Gazette publisher, Mike Marshall at 434-4668939 to inquire. To find out how to subscribe in other neighborhoods, contact Mike at the number above.
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Thanks for Dinner! It fell to retired State Police Sgt. Ronny Byram of Crozet to arrange the supper for the annual meeting of the Virginia State Police Alumni Association in Charlottesville August 12 and he turned to his buddy Danny Yusef at Gateway Market for his barbeque and sides. There were more than one hundred retired troopers at the Holiday Inn on Emmet Street for the event, which included speeches, blue grass music, and a fund drive for an emergency relief fund. That last part came home to them, and the party mood was blighted, when the crowd heard news of the deaths of two State
Police pilots whose helicopter crashed while monitoring the protests in Charlottesville, Byram said. “You treated us so good,” Byram told Yusef as he presented him with a Virginia State Police Alumni patch, meant to signify the contented appetites of the troopers. “Let me tell you how much everybody loves your barbeque,” Byram said, bearing down. “I didn’t do it for anything,” said Yusef, protesting in a no-not-me-officer fashion. “I wanted to do it to show respect for the police.” But now he was smiling.
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CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017
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Hummus Hummus is ubiquitous in the grocery stores these days, and on the bar and restaurant menus. It hasn’t always been so. I tasted my first hummus at a Middle Eastern restaurant in D.C. in the late seventies. Hummus was exotic and you couldn’t get it just anywhere. So, some things do get better, including the plethora of ethnic foods available. God bless America and our diversity! These days there are many variations in commercially available hummus: roasted pepper, roasted garlic, with spinach, with artichokes, etc. I’ve also had it using sweet potatoes instead of garbanzo beans…. very tasty! Hummus isn’t cheap. Most stores sell it for about $4 for a cup. What if I told you that you could make it for $1 a cup? Great deal, right? And your time investment is only about 30 minutes. It will be $1.75 per cup if you use canned beans, but I prefer to cook my own. Before you go to bed one
night, put some dry garbanzos in the slow cooker, fill it with water, turn it on low heat and have a good sleep. They are ready in the morning. Reserve two cups for the recipe below and then freeze the rest in one or two cup portions for more hummus, or to sprinkle on your salad. I have never owned nor aspired to own a food processor. It always seemed to me that by the time you cleaned the thing, you could have already chopped whatever it was that needed ‘processing’ and you’d have had the added enjoyment of all that time with a knife in your hand. I also never had space to store a food processor. But my parents gave me a mini-processor for my birthday once, and it is perfect for preparing hummus (and pesto; but that’s another column). What makes this the ‘best’ hummus is lots of lemon juice and lots of garlic. Both give that sharp, fresh tang to the humble garbanzo bean.
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The Best Hummus Recipe Ever 2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (or 2 cups of cooked sweet potatoes) ¼ cup tahini (sesame butter) ¼ cup fresh-squeezed lemon
juice 4 crushed garlic cloves ¼ cup olive oil, plus more to garnish 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt Paprika for garnish
Put everything except the paprika into the food processor or blender and blend on high speed until smooth. Serve in a shallow dish, add a swirl of additional olive oil and a liberal sprinkle of paprika. Serve with pita wedges or celery or carrot sticks. Donate the other $6 you would have spent to some good cause.
CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017
Business Briefs By Theresa Curry theresa@crozetgazette.com
Local business news
THERESA CURRY
plants that grew here before any human intervention. The SanJules are uniquely qualified to educate and supply people with native plants. They both have backgrounds in agriculture and conservation, and have surrounded themselves with native plants for years. When their stock of thriving flora reached the point where the couple could consistently offer them for sale, they built a retail nursery with their new home off Blackwells Hollow Road. They’re also very happy to give advice to anyone starting out with native plants, or wondering if the flowering plant they love is a good choice for low maintenance and high sustainability. Tim had some advice for those wavering: “Remember that you’re not just growing plants. You’re growing bees and butterflies, moths and birds.” The SanJules are often at local farmers markets, and sell plants
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from their nursery. They also welcome questions about the construction of their home, which collects its own solar power and water. Hummingbird Hill is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and by appointment. There’s a great deal of information on the website about what’s available and how to care for it: visit hummingbirdhillnatives.com, or call 434-964-1034.
Public West Closing; Wayland’s Crossing Tavern to Open As transitions go, this was a happy one, said Brian Sewell, who served as executive chef at the popular Old Trail restaurant and will be the chef and co-owner (with Kim Dillon, who will serve as the general continued on page 24 THERESA CURRY
Wanda and Tim SanJule at Hummingbird Hill.
Going Native At Hummingbird Hill, Tim and Wanda SanJule encourage local gardeners to look at their landscape a little differently, adopting the perspective of a bird, butterfly or bee. The beautiful lawn that’s the envy of the neighborhood? A biological desert, they say. The golf course view you paid extra for? Just about useless for anything but
golf. The SanJules are not campaigning for the end of all lawns or golf courses. Theirs is a gentler approach. They suggest adding plants to your garden or yard that adapt well to your conditions, attract pollinators, and are strong enough to withstand the occasional onset of local predators. It turns out that the best candidates to fulfill these requirements are the very
Hummingbird Hill
CROZETgazette
Business Briefs —continued from page 23
manager) of the new establishment. Sewell had been overseeing the kitchen for owner Daniel Kaufman, who also owns Public Fish & Oyster in Charlottesville. “We were doing well, but the traveling back and forth was too much,” Sewell said. “Daniel was also very glad to give me the chance to do something on my own.” Sewell has an extensive restaurant background and lives close to the restaurant’s location on Heathercroft Circle. He’s already heard from people distressed by the absence of fresh raw oysters in Crozet. “I’m going to have them, as well as some other things people loved, like the fish and chips. We’re going to continue to be a neighborhood place, a fun place.” There will be changes, though. He wants the details to be a surprise for the grand opening the first or second week of October, but hinted that there will be an Irish tavern theme.
Qaim Seeks to Help Crozet Clients
Blue Oregano It’s no surprise to anyone who knows her that Caitie Maharg recently opened her own catering business on Waynesboro’s Main Street. Maharg told her family and friends when she was 10 years old that she was going to be a chef. Then she did it, studying at the American Culinary Institute, and filling positions of increasing responsibility, most
Kim Dillon and Brian Sewell of Wayland’s Crossing Tavern
recently at Waynesboro’s Iris Inn. Her desire for a family posed a dilemma for the young chef: Restaurant hours just aren’t compatible with family life, so when she found a spot for a catering kitchen and dining area in the heart of town, she grabbed it. Maharg has found her own niche among Waynesboro caterers by offering food from local farms and orchards. “I want to show respect for food and where it comes from,” she said. She’s proud of her inclusion as the only Waynesboro caterer in the Shenandoah Valley trail of “Fields of Gold,” which supports local agri-tourism. Maharg is also distinguished by her several appearances on the Food Network, a lifetime dream, she said. Her connection with her sur-
roundings is reflected in the name she chose: “oregano” means “Joy of the Mountains” in Greek, and she added “blue” for the Blue Ridge. Blue Oregano is available for catering large and small events and monthly “pop-ups” are announced on the website at blueoregano.com. Her partner in the business and in life is Nathan Maharg.
The Wyants Store We Knew Has Closed Larry Wyant had operated Wyant’s Store in White Hall, a landmark local business and the home of the venerable Liar’s Club and a famous porch bench, since 1988. His great grandfather started the store in 1886. His grandfather worked in it, and Larry, at age 69, was ready to turn it over. He’s been
SUBMITTED
Bingham Jamison had the feeling something was missing in his work with large wealth advisory firms. “It’s true that families who are very wealthy need financial advice,” he said, “but on the other hand, if they make a mistake, it’s not going to sink them.” It’s a different story for families with fewer resources: “One bad mistake and the work of many years could be lost.”
For that reason, Jamison started Qaim Wealth Advisors. Many people have very complicated financial pictures, he said, but don’t have the wealth that would qualify them to be clients of large multi-family offices. Still, he said, these families need professional planning and investment help. He doesn’t set a net worth minimum for his clients, he said. Besides many years of experience with firms serving highnet-worth clients, Jamison is an author, with work appearing in Forbes, Time and other national and regional publications. He served as a Marine in Iraq and named his business after Al Qaim, where he commanded intelligence teams. His writing is about his combat service as well as about financial issues. “I know I had difficulty returning to civilian life,” he said. To support other veterans, he founded and co-chairs the Warrior Healing Campaign and devotes a portion of his business proceeds to this work. For information on Qaim, or the Warrior Healing Campaign, go to qaimwealthadvisors.com.
THERESA CURRY
SEPTEMBER 2017
SUBMITTED
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Bingham Jamison, Qaim Wealth Advisors
Caitie Maharg.
CROZETgazette MIKE MARSHALL
SEPTEMBER 2017
Nature, Comfort and Simplicity
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Wyant’s Store, White Hall
getting in the store at 5:30 a.m. for more than 29 years. His son John took it over in August and began to plan a modernization. But lease terms broke down with other family members and John threw the towel in at the end of the month.
Events, Large and Small
THERESA CURRY
Other Crozet businesses have seen changes: Simply Flags and Gifts on 250 just east of Crozet has closed its doors; construction of Mechum’s Trestle on
Rtes. 240 & 250 is progressing but as of press time is still without a restauranteur; the folks at Piedmont Place donated 10 percent of last Saturday’s proceeds to Texas hurricane victims. A little something to entertain children is always good business. Pro Re Nata has added a petite “bounce house” for kids and is planning the addition of a playground structure, while the Batesville Market will host an event Sunday, September 10, at 1 (Ramblin’ Davey) just for kids.
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
New kid-friendly outdoor space at Pro Re Nata Farm Brewery
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CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017
Virginia’s Trail Running Headquarters by John Andersen
john@crozetgazette.com
Advice to the New Runners
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I remember what it was like to “not be a runner” because I used to not be a runner. I never ran in high school or college, and I questioned the sanity of my few friends who did such things. Running was something we did while playing sports or being chased. It was only when I was about to turn 30 and Michelle and I were expecting our first child that I started to use running as my regular exercise. I had fallen into a rut health-wise and I had a revelation that I was not going to be an out-of-shape dad. When this child was 18 years old, I wanted to be able to go out for runs, hikes, bikes, or whatever with him without being limited by a lack of fitness. I realized that goal started right then and there. It wasn’t going to simply come to me, I had to get out there and make the change. I remember even thinking about the Charlottesville 10-miler. Who would run that far? Now, a decade later, I have somehow become a long-distance runner. How did this happen? Trial and error. Tons of mistakes. Lots of time. An open mind. Patience. Desire. Commitment. And I’m still learning. I often give newer runners who come into the store advice. Sometimes they see this advice as coming from someone who runs all the time and who has always run. But nope, I used to be a total noob too. So, for this month’s column, here’s advice that I wish I could’ve given myself a decade ago. Go slow! I had zero idea how to pace myself. I used to think that when I was running, I was
working out, so the harder the better! I would struggle up every hill and finish every run pretty much out of breath with my hands on my knees. I was excited about gaining fitness and enjoyed being able to push myself. If I could go back, I would tell my younger self, “You’re doing it all wrong!” Nowadays, I have learned the art and the benefit of taking it easy. It’s all about building a good aerobic base–getting your body more efficient at running, using less energy and with less impact. When all your runs are hard and short, you’re putting a lot of stress on your body and not getting as much aerobic benefit as if you went longer and slower. I am much more fit and much faster now at 41 than I was at 30, mostly because I take it easy on most of my runs. I could write a whole column on the benefits of low heart rate training, but as the ultrarunner says to the new runner: go slow! Forget pace! I got my first ever smartphone about the same time I started running regularly. Naturally, I got an app and I would carry the phone every time I ran. At every mile, a friendly woman’s voice would chime and tell me my pace. It’s quite impossible to ignore the pace part when a voice or a watch is right there telling you. You can’t help comparing yourself to your self from last week, and also to the entire running world. If I could go back, I would smash that smartphone! Pace is a terrible metric to pay attention to for the newer runner. Instead, you should only pay attention to your perceived effort. The reason is simple. Sometimes, a 20-minute mile pace is great (going up a
continued on page 27
CROZETgazette
KRISTEN HARDY
steep mountain). In other words, your pace is going to change depending not only on the terrain you’re running, but also on the type of day you’re having. Hills. Lack of sleep. A cold. An injury. Life stress. All these things will affect your pace. Start each run with a purposeful effort level that you intend to run, and as a newer runner, most your runs should be EASY. Yes, leave your house saying, “I’m going to run X-miles EASY, however long that takes me and whatever pace that is.” Over time, you will see your running get faster naturally. Running your regular runs too fast and too hard is the number one mistake newer runners make. It stresses your body and leads to injury and a lack of motivation. Pay attention to elapsed time and miles. Nail your form. I never gave any thought about my running form. I ran how I ran, right? Isn’t your running form just an intrinsic characteristic of who you are? Nope! Not paying attention to your running form is a huge mistake. If I could go back, I would talk to my noobie running self about proper running form on day one. It would have saved a lot of injury problems! We need to learn how to run as efficiently as possible, meaning with the least amount of impact and with the least amount of muscle! Yes, please! And its relatively easy. About 80 percent of newer runners could make running much easier if they would learn some simple form cues that are easy. Most kids naturally run like this, but after years of school, work, driving, sitting, etc., we have forgotten how to be springy and efficient runners.
SEPTEMBER 2017 You can’t eat whatever you want. Running does not lead to weight loss. Sad, isn’t it? But it’s true. Only a healthy, appropriate diet can lead to weight loss. Running makes you healthier and helps weight loss occur, but you can’t outrun a bad diet. Most distance runners pay attention to their diet because they don’t want extra weight; it slows you down and increases impact. I don’t know many long-distance runners that don’t eat pretty healthy. Get a headlamp. It took me years to finally take advantage of 5 a.m. Here’s the reality: we’re all busy. You’ve got to make fitness a priority. Especially when you have a demanding job and kids. Get yourself a nice headlamp and set the coffee pot for 4:30 a.m.! A good headlamp makes you way more visible than reflective clothing, and helps you see those tricky curbs. I used to run in dark without a headlamp, and that was both difficult and stupid. Be patient. Don’t rush fitness. Don’t worry that you’re getting older. Don’t worry about getting this many miles in this week. Take it easy. Be patient. Running takes endurance, both physically, and mentally. Stay consistent and fitness will come. Sky is the limit. I never had a goal of running a marathon when I first started running. In fact, I was adamantly opposed to the idea. But more experience and success in running will change your tune. Don’t ever put limits on yourself, both in what you think you can do but also what you think you will want to do. One of the most exciting things about running is finding out just how much of an athlete there is hiding inside of you.
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CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017
STOCK IMAGE
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© J. Dirk Nies, Ph.D.
dirknies@crozetgazette.com
Diagnostic Testing: A Bayesian Approach The chance of having a false positive result after 10 yearly mammograms is about 50-60 percent. –Susan G. Komen Foundation At the dawn of the 18th century, Joshua Bayes, a nonconformist Pr e s b y t e r i a n minister, welcomed his son Thomas into the world. Reverend Bayes’ dissenting views from the official dogma and practice of the Church of England influenced young Thomas to think for himself, challenge prevailing assumptions, and look to underlying principles. Three centuries later, Thomas’ insights on the then-emerging field of probability theory and statistics have experienced a resurgence in relevancy with the explosion of diagnostic testing. A startling ramification of Bayes’ Theorem that I wish to explore with you is this: a medical screening method can be highly accurate, and yet, even when a test result says we’re ill, chances of being disease-free nevertheless can still be strongly in our favor! How and when does this paradox arise? I will explain with a hypothetical scenario and follow with a discussion of mammography as an example that touches millions of lives each year. To set the stage, we need to know that the accuracy of any ‘yes/no’ medical screening test is judged by its sensitivity (how well it identifies those who truly have the condition) and its specificity (how well it properly excludes those who truly do not have the condition). For a medical screening test to be accurate each and every time, it must be both 100 percent sensitive and 100 percent specific.
When sensitivity is less than 100 percent, some ill people will be missed by the test (false negatives). When specificity is less than 100 percent, some healthy people will be incorrectly identified as ill (false positives). The following scenario elucidates how and when a highly accurate diagnostic test can still be wrong more often than not when it comes to identifying patients who truly have a disease. Let us suppose that you and I are members of a group of 1,000 people. Two percent of our group (20 individuals) have a curable but life-threatening disease. But we don’t know who. To find out who needs medical intervention, everyone is screened using a diagnostic test that gives correct results nine times out of ten. On average, what test results will the group get? Of the 20 who truly have the disease, the tes—tbeing 90 percent sensitive—will identify correctly 18 as ‘true positives.’ That is, the test results say they are ill and they truly are. Of the remaining 980 fortunate folks who do not have the disease, the test—being 90 percent specific—will generate 98 ‘false positives.’ In other words, the test results will say 10 percent of the healthy members of the group are ill even when they aren’t. In total, out of the thousand people tested, 116 (11.6 percent) will test positive for the disease: 18 true positives + 98 false positives = 116 total positives. Now you and I were just told our results and we both got the heart-stopping result that we tested positive. If we can gather our wits about us, among the many things to think about, we ought to consider what are the odds that either of us actually needs medical treatment? Why?
Roughly 18 million mammograms are performed annually in the U.S.
Because under this scenario, chances are we don’t! Here’s what I mean. For those 116 people who received a positive test result, the odds of being disease-free is the ratio between the number of false positives and the number of true positives. These 98:18 odds mean that anyone testing positive still has a very good chance of not have the disease. This happens because for the purposes of identifying only those who truly have the disease, the test results are wrong 84.5 percent of the time (98/116 = 84.5%). Here are my main takeaway points. The results of a ‘yes/no’ test are not black and white. Pre-test, because we didn’t know which 20 people had the disease, everybody in our group of a thousand had a 2 percent probability of having it. Posttest, the 116 people who tested positive saw their chances of having the disease rise from 2 percent to around 16 percent (18/116 = 15.5%). The remaining members of the group who tested negative saw their chances drop significantly below 2 percent. (Go ahead and calculate their chances. Leave a comment at my article online and I will tell you whether we agree!). Now on to mammography. Mammography is the most widely used breast cancer screening method in the U.S. Roughly 18 million mammograms are performed annually, leading to the discovery of a quarter of a million new cases of breast cancer identified each
year. Taken together, these data indicate that the annual incidence of new breast cancer cases among adult American women is less than 2 percent. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Of those who get screened, 16 percent will get called back for further testing if it’s their first mammogram, and 10 percent will be called after subsequent mammograms. Fortunately, very few of those who are called back will end up having cancer.” Putting this another way, CDC is saying that two million women each year will receive the difficult news that their mammography indicated an abnormality requiring follow-up testing, even though they are healthy. And as stated by the Komen Foundation, over the course of having 10 mammographs, a woman is more likely than not to receive an upsetting test result even though she has been cancer-free the whole time. These are direct consequences of Bayes’ Theorem. Similar to the situation in our hypothetical scenario, an initial mammogram that comes up positive increases a women’s probability of having breast cancer from the general baseline range of 1-2 percent to perhaps 10-20 percent depending upon signs, symptoms, medical history, race, age, and the overall clinical picture of the patient. If you have had a hard time following along with Bayesian reasoning and its implications continued on page 47
CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017
29 CLOVER CARROLL
Wendell Berry Recovery by Clover Carroll | clover@crozetgazette.com
The trauma of Aug. 11-12 was shared by the entire Charlottesville c o m m u n i t y. Uninvited and unwelcome, Hatred and Violence inflicted themselves upon our normally peaceful, friendly, and tolerant city. It felt as if we—and perhaps the whole nation—lost our innocence that day. Visiting the site of the car attack on 4th St. SE—now an improvised, heartfelt memorial to victim Heather Heyer—I was overcome by feelings of horror, grief, anger, and even despair. If you, like me, are still reeling with shock over recent events, “The Peace of Wild Things” by Wendell Berry (1934- ) offers one approach to healing. The poet opens by describing a level of despair similar to what witnesses of the horrific Aug. 12 events must feel—the kind that disturbs his sleep and arouses worry for the future health and safety of his community and his children. This despair is not static, but growing. Beginning with line four, however, he takes action and is able to find comfort through communion with nature. He leaves his man-made dwelling to go outside, seeking peace and healing amid the beauty of a lake or river and waterfowl who live in harmony with the planet, never worrying about their needs for the future. He twice repeats “I come into,” as if he is entering a different realm from the troubled human world he left behind. By lying down, the poet joins in the lives of the wild things and is able to
let go of his human anxiety and find inner peace beside the “still water.” This is a subtle allusion to the 23rd Psalm: The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters… Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. (Psalm 23:1-6). In the final third of the poem, the poet achieves a kind of ecstasy through mystical union with the earth and with nature. Although we are blind to the stars during the day, he feels their abiding presence, establishing a connection to the universe and its (temporarily hidden) light—a symbol of awareness and consciousness. The stars are calm, patiently “waiting for their light,” their time to shine and fulfill their cosmic destiny. These lines shift our perspective from earth to the heavens, with the stars now looking down on us and reminding us of a spirit larger than ourselves that makes our concerns seem far less important. Berry implies that this light is a beacon of natural goodness and hope for the future. Blessed with the grace and peace of an abiding natural order that will continue long after our petty struggles are forgotten, the poet is finally able to rest, free of anxiety—“for a time.” This inherent paradox—that the “wild things” of nature are more orderly and lasting than man’s attempts to tame them through “civilization”—is characteristic of the romantic worldview. This free verse lyric is written in a straightforward and accessi-
When despair grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting for their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free. -Wendell Berry
Heather Heyer tributes on 4th Street SE
ble style (with words like “things” and “tax”), but is dense with meaning and suggestion. Berry’s word choice supports his tone of reassurance with the repeated soft, soothing sounds of d, s, and t. He also uses assonance and consonance to advantage in “wood drake,” “great heron feeds,” and “dayblind stars.” The poem is in the first person, consistent with the “confessional” style prevalent in modern poetry, and the voice is humble, with no hint of omniscience or preachiness. Not showy with stylistic flourishes, the poem is as quiet and unassuming as the peace the poet seeks. Wendell Berry is an American novelist, poet, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer who lives in Kentucky. He has written many novels, including A Place on Earth (1967) and A World Lost (1996), as well as short stories, poems, and essays. “To cherish what remains of the Earth and to foster its renewal is our only legitimate hope of survival,” he has stated. Berry has earned a host of awards, including the National Humanities Medal, the Cleanth Brooks Lifetime Achievement Award from the Fellowship of Southern Writers, and election to the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame in Lexington, along with Barbara Kingsolver
and Hunter S. Thompson. In “The Peace of Wild Things,” Berry does not presume to advise us what to do, but offers his solution to despair as an example that we might choose to follow or not. There are many possible sources of comfort for emotional pain— family and friends, charity and volunteerism, religion, meditation, therapy—even poetry itself. This simple and quiet poem suggests the recourse that works for Berry, reminding us that our conflicts will not outlast the eternal spirit that surrounds us through nature. I, too, find solace in nature; a distant mountain view, the thrum of a bull frog by the pond, or the sweet, cascading call of a screech owl in my back woods soothes my cares and restores my perspective. This is one of the (many) reasons I enjoy living in beautiful Crozet. We can only hope that this divisiveness, too, shall pass.
The C’ville healing symbol designed by Dani Antol, co-owner of rock paper scissors on the downtown mall, which sells bumper stickers and tee shirts with the image.
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CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017
By Margaret Marshall
margaret@crozetgazette.com
GALLIVANT PHOTOGRAPHY
John Freeman practically grew up in the press box above the Western Albemarle football field. Every fall Friday night, perched on his knees in a chair to see over the table, he’d watch the plays and call the numbers as his dad, Allen, the voice of the Warriors, announced. Ten years later, his dad was still announcing, but John wasn’t in the box anymore. Now he was on the field himself, an all-district defensive back sophomore through senior years. A captain, he was on the field in 2003 when an undefeated Western came from behind to beat a tilthat-moment undefeated Monticello using the famous Lonesome Polecat formation, a play that will live on in Western Albemarle sports lore forever. After graduating from Western in 2005, John went on to the University of Virginia, and he himself became an announcer like his dad, doing the radio play-by-play for soccer, lacrosse, and women’s basketball. Though he could still crush the opposition on his rec soccer team, he thought his own moments of real athletic glory were behind him, on the field at Western. But he was wrong. This August, Freeman’s athletic talent took him far, far from the Friday night lights of Crozet. It took him to the Saturday afternoon sun of Melbourne, Australia, for the 2017 Australian Football International Cup. There, as a
starting and starring midfielder for the USA Revolution, America’s men’s national team, he got to experience the thrill of team competition in a whole new and entirely incredible way. Freeman is the first to admit a kind of baffled wonder at how he wound up playing for an international championship. After all, it’s not every day a boy from Crozet “finds the most niche sport that will allow him to play,” he jokes. But self-deprecation aside, the truth is that the sport sort of found him. Freeman moved from Charlottesville to Nashville in March 2016, and he went to a park to play pick-up soccer, hoping to meet some folks and make some friends. Across the field, he saw a group kicking around a sort of oval-shaped ball, and recognized what they were doing: playing Australian rules football, a game played on an oval field in which two teams of 18 active players try to score points by kicking the ball through the goalposts, passing the ball by kicking it or punching it off their palms—no throwing allowed. Also no helmets, no pads, and no timeouts. The company Freeman works for is owned by Australians, so he’d heard about the sport and even kicked around the ball himself at a company gathering in Vancouver once. He approached the group in the park, which turned out to be the Nashville Kangaroos, the Music City’s professional Aussie rules football team. When he introduced himself, they taught
John Freeman plays midfield against Ireland in Game 5 of the Australian Football International Cup in Melbourne.
GALLIVANT PHOTOGRAPHY
Western Alum Freeman Shines for U.S. in Aussie Rules World Cup
John Freeman
him how to play and asked him to come to practice later that week. Within two months, Freeman was a standout on the Kangaroos. At the regional tournament in Indianapolis, he was really still learning the game, but he played so well that the national scouts noticed him. They invited him to a national team training camp in Philadelphia in July of last year. There he underwent rigorous physical tests and evaluations, and the national coaches stayed in touch. After the national tournament in Sarasota, Florida, in October, he was one of just 60 players selected to attend the final national team tryouts in Dallas. So this past April, he traveled to Texas for more evaluations and fitness tests and trial games. None of his teammates back in Nashville were surprised when the final national team was chosen and John had made the cut. Anyone who had watched him back in his all-district days would not have been surprised, either. Everyone knew John Freeman was all-world.
It did surprise Freeman himself, though. “Things escalated pretty quick,” he said. On August 5, he found himself landing in Melbourne and donning official red, white and blue apparel emblazoned “USA” on the back. “It was pretty exciting. But it was also pretty terrifying, cause I’d never seen play at the level I saw in Australia.” The Revolution’s first game was against Canada, and the Canadian Broadcasting Company carried it live on air, so Freeman’s Canadian colleagues tuned in to watch him on TV. Down at halftime, America came back and won 45-25, securing bragging rights for Freeman at the next company meeting in Vancouver. Next the Revolution played South Africa, and won handily, 64-17. But the third game was the big one: America was taking on Papua New Guinea, known in the Southern Hemisphere more simply as PNG, an island neighbor of Australia and a hotbed of Australian Football League talent. In the same way that the NFL is huge in America, the AFL is huge in
CROZETgazette ing the distinction of being one of the few men who played and started in every game, which Freeman, with customary humility, said was, “just as much luck as it was a feat of endurance.” Even more impressively, Freeman also won the honor of being named top midfielder on Team USA. The coaches have already said they want him back three years from now, for the next Aussie Rules International Cup. But the global glory isn’t what really matters to Freeman. What he’s most grateful for is simply the chance to come back to the world of true, deeply invested team sports, a world he hasn’t really gotten to be a part of since those days back in Crozet. “In high school, you live for the championship, and then that competitiveness just lay dormant for years. I was always kind of2017_Layout jealous of1people CrozGaz_March 2/27/17 that got to play and complete,” he says. Traveling with the U. Va. teams he’d announce for, he’d often think, “How cool it would be to be on this team!” Now, in Melbourne, he got to experience firsthand how cool it really was. “I was kind of living out all the things I’d wanted for 10 years,” he said. Just as the Lonesome Polecat play was an amazing moment he’ll remember vividly forever, his trip across the planet with the national team will always be a technicolor memory. Recalling the PNG game, he recounted the feeling: “We’re on a bus to the game, and it leads us to the locker room, there’s people tailgating, there’s little kids asking for our autographs, they’re playing our anthem, and I was just like, ‘I got everything I wanted.’ I never took that for granted.”
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Australia, and many of its professional players are recruited from PNG, who won the Aussie Rules International Cup last year. The USA/PNG game was played in Montrose, a suburb of Melbourne and home to a professional AFL team, whose stadium welcomed the Americans warmly. “It was nuts!” Freeman recalled. “People were tailgating, they had a legit TV broadcast, it was on radio, they had USA painted on the field. There were a couple thousand people there.” Before the game started, PNG did a haka, a traditional war dance, in a moment of terror but also wonder for Freeman, who never got over the adventure of it all. “These island people are doing a war dance in my face, and there was this moment like, ‘How did I get here? This is the most random thing I’ve ever done,’” Freeman said. Maybe the most random, but also one of the most impressive. Though America lost the hard-fought game, Freeman scored two goals, and afterwards the coaches and media ranked him the highest-rated US player in the game. In the fourth game of the Cup, Freeman scored two more goals as the Revolution annihilated France, 132-19. They kept up the point scoring ruthlessly because after the loss to PNG, their only shot to make the championship game was the point-differential stats. However, they fell a little short of qualifying and instead played for third place against Ireland in the fifth and final match. They lost that game, too, so they went home with a fourth-place finish. Freeman is grateful that he also went home with all his bones and ligaments intact, as the sport can be pretty brutal and injuries abound. Over the course of his year in the sport, he’s suffered one severe shoulder sprain and countless other minor wounds: “I usually find a way to bleed from my face,” he said, and described how after a game he often finds bruises on his arms in the shape of perfectly outlined fingers, since opponents grab a player’s arms to keep him from releasing the ball as he’s tackled. Besides the sore muscles, Freeman also went home with some serious accolades, includ-
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Monastery
KRISTIE SOJKA
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—continued from page 17
Pony Club Championship By Kristie Sojka Three Western Albemarle High School students, Elizabeth Davis (10th grader), Libby Terrell (10th grader) and Anna Sojka (9th grader), qualified for and competed in the U.S. Pony Club national championships in Lexington, Kentucky at the Kentucky Horse Park, July 17 21. Elizabeth, Libby and Anna are members of the Crozetbased Mountain Skyline Pony Club (MSPC), which is in the Old Dominion Region Pony Club (ODRPC). Elizabeth and her pony, Freedom’s Stormy Night (Stormy), competed in the Introductory Rider Division (2’6”) of show jumping and her team placed first in horse management out of 16 teams with only 1.42 points deducted over the whole week and 13th overall. Anna and her pony, Finnegan (Finny), competed in the Training Level Division of dressage and her team was first overall in the division out of 14
teams and third in horse management. Both Stormy and Finny were recognized by the Arabian Sport Horse Alliance for being half-bred Arabians competing in the Championships. Libby competed in the Senior D-level Quiz portion of the Championships, which is unmounted. Her team was sixth overall for the division and Libby was third individually. The Championships had over 1,100 competitors across seven equestrian disciplines from 48 states. Pony Club competitions are strictly for the rider to do all of the work and riding, no parental help. Parents are assigned volunteer positions to help the competition run smoothly and riders have adult supervision for safety and riding coaching, but all of the horse management is done by only the riders. For more information about Mountain Skyline Pony Club, please contact Claiborne Davis at claibornedavis1@gmail.com.
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is here.” The altar, Mother Kathy explained, was given by the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky, the famous monastery of Thomas Merton. “We opened it and were very happy at what we found.” The occasion was joyous, but the death two weeks earlier of Sr. Mary David DeFeo, one of the original number who came to Crozet in 1987, was keenly felt. The group is a daughter house of a monastery in Wrentham, Massachusetts, one of three it propagated, in Iowa in 1964, in Arizona in 1978 and in Crozet in 1987. The Sisters’ original chapel held 12 choir stalls for the Sisters and seating, they assert, for 25 visitors. Maybe if someone were there to pack them in. It was enough for the daily visitors. At Easter, some 75 would crowd the halls. “We called it the Holy Shoebox,” said Sr. Barbara. “The acoustics were horrible. We didn’t realize until we moved. We called ourselves a choir of mice.” The new church has 20 stalls for the Sisters and pews for 80 visitors. Visitors have a transept view of the altar, side on. A large stained glass window is above them, south-facing, casting light on the altar. The focal point on the wall beyond is a large carved crucifix, set in a neat Gothic niche. On an average Sunday there are 40 visitors. “The other aspect for us is attracting vocations,” said Mother Kathy. “The church often gets built last at a monas-
tery. You have to have bedrooms and a kitchen and workrooms first.” Once, the church was conjectural. But now they have their church. They can show it when they talk about how they live. And they can show the sunny library on the level below the sanctuary, with its 10,000 books and quiet carrels. She said the monastery has several candidates, some of whom attended the dedication and are beginning an observership. The process of entering the monastery takes eight years. “We’re ordinary people, but we are living a radical lifestyle,” said Mother Kathy. “We have a new room where guests can visit us, where classes can be held,” said Sr. Barbara. “We see a lot of new faces since we moved into the new church. But we’re not a parish. People have to connect to a local parish.” “Our original thought [about the chapel] was quite different,” she said. “Living in the space gave us a different idea of what we needed in the church.” Meanwhile, the Shoebox has become office space for the monastery’s cheese-making business, the way it supports its seven-times–a-day dedication to prayer. Mother Kathy, elected a superior after Mother Marion Rissetto retired at age 75, after serving 29 years, is on her way to a meeting in Assisi, Italy, of all the superiors of all the Cistercian monasteries in the world. It’s held every three years and lasts nearly a month. The public is invited to Mass at the Monastery, at 3365 Monastery Drive, at 8 a.m. and to public prayer at 5:30 p.m.
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The Grazers Recently, as I ran my dogs around a local field, I couldn’t tell if they were more excited to have off-leash exercise or to eat as much grass as possible. As we walked our loop, they had their smiling faces on and their happy tails wagging. But as they ran from smell to smell, they constantly sampled grass. This is normal for them, so I don’t worry about it much, though I wish they wouldn’t do it. I’d say I’ve got a 50/50 chance then that one of them will wake me up at night puking grass. Dogs and cats are clearly carnivorous animals, so why grass? First, I’ve never had a dog or cat tell me why, so all I can do is guess. To my knowledge, there is no good scientific reason why our domestic dogs and cats sometimes (or often) eat grass. Of course I have my own opinions, which I will share here. Everything that our pets do is based upon instinct. It’s amazing really, that our domestic dogs still do some ingrained instinctual behaviors that the wolves of 10,000 years ago did! Cats, the same. So, let’s go back to those days and consider why wild wolves and cats would ever eat grass? To help clear out parasites. Being a wild animal is not a romantic life. It’s a hard knock
life full of a lot of suffering and challenges. One of those challenges is intestinal parasites. Intestinal worms are extremely common in wild dogs and cats, and believe it or not, an otherwise healthy adult animal can live in a reasonable balance with these parasites. We see this in our domestic dogs and cats with worms. The number one sign of worms in our dogs and cats? Nothing. Most of the pets we see with worms we pick up on a fecal test are not having diarrhea or weight loss (yet!). This is not a healthy or sustainable state, but it shows that there is a balance. But one proposed reason why wild dogs and cats would suddenly consume a lot of grass would be to try and clear or reduce a heavy worm burden. Dog’s belly feels gross, dog eats grass, belly feels better. To supplement their diet. 10,000 years ago, there were not acres of manicured tall fescue grass, or even our slightly less maintained farm pasture. There were native plants and grasses. It is hard to say what exact nutrients wolves or wild cats would need from grasses that they wouldn’t get by eating the intestines of the animals they hunted, but it’s reasonable to say that there is a difference between fresh prairie grass and prairie grass that has been fermenting in the stomach of an
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CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017
Religion News THERESA CURRY
By Theresa Curry theresa@crozetgazette.com
Cindy Kirchner and Barb Fuhrman staff intake at bread distribution.
Long-Standing Bread Ministry Grows
THERESA CURRY
Early on a dark morning, a crowd sheltered from the rain on the front porch of the Holy Cross Episcopal Church parish building near Batesville. They were waiting for the bread fund distribution, a ministry of both Holy Cross and Emmanuel Episcopal Churches. Although volunteers call it by its original name, the monthly distribution has evolved to include a great deal more than bread. And, said Cindy Kirchner, one of the administrators, they’ve recently adjusted the process. “We used to pre-pack the boxes for our families,” she said. “Now we have them choose according to their needs.” This change allows for more personal interaction with clients, as they flow through the well-stocked rooms, asking questions and exchanging news about their lives. “This makes it more of a ministry,” Kirchner said. Nancy Avery, the co-administrator, was stationed on the back porch, where she had arranged boxes and sacks of potatoes, tur-
nips, cucumbers and cauliflower, all picked up from the central Food Bank in Verona. The recent addition of a cold storage unit––supplied by a grant to the churches––allows any leftover fresh vegetables to be stored. “This is part of the Food Bank’s mission to make sure the food we distribute is nutritious,” said Avery, who hauls a truckload of produce and staples over the mountain each month. Her families are delighted with the produce, she added. “Many of them have their own gardens and that’s their tradition.” Some items, particularly the packaged goods, meat and frozen fruit, have limits for each family. Others are distributed in whatever amount is needed. The churches purchase food to supplement the supplies from the Food Bank. “We find our families are fearful of taking too much,” she said. “They want to make sure there’s enough for all.” The program has been distributing food for several decades (no one was sure exactly how long) and several volunteers said they’d been helping for 10, 15 or 20 years. As busy as they were at the September distribution, they’re headed into their busiest time, Avery said. “As it gets colder, and people have to choose between heat and food, there’s more of a demand.”
Waynesboro Churches Fundraise for Winter Shelter Nancy Avery
A fun evening with good food will raise money for the
Waynesboro Area Refuge Mission (WARM). “Men Who Cook,” planned for October 21, features “regular guys” and community leaders who’ll show off their culinary skills and compete for the crowd’s favor at the Best Western Plus Inn and Conference Center in Waynesboro. The shelter ministry is supported by a coalition of Valley Mennonite, Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Salvation Army and Baptist churches. The mission provides warmth, safety, transportation and other services to those who are homeless during the winter months. There’s also a shelter for women with children. To find out more about the program, buy tickets for the fund-raiser, or volunteer to cook, go to warmwaynesboro. com.
Race and Reconciliation In accordance with its bishop’s wishes, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church has made race and reconciliation a priority for the months ahead. Dona Wylie, a counselor and a retired nurse, said a group has met regularly and had some thoughtful discussions on this topic. Beginning Sept. 20, Wylie and others from the group will moderate a Wednesday night discussion using Debbie Irving’s popular book, Waking up White as a focus for a conversation on white privilege. The author wrote the book after realizing her interactions with people of color had often been awkward and unhelpful. The study group, which will meet at 7 p.m. and continue for nine weeks, is open to everyone. Registration is requested for planning purposes, and it’s possible to register through the church office, or by emailing Wylie at joydmw@ gmail.com. For more information, go to stpaulsivy.org/news/2017/07/ 30/race-and-reconciliation.
“So we start with ourselves”
United Methodist Church Pastor Sarah Evancho was out of town when several different hate groups marched in
THERESA CURRY
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Dona Wylie of St. Paul’s.
Charlottesville. Shocked by what she was hearing on the news, she wrote a letter to her congregation, full of sorrow and guidance: “It is a sin to hate a person God loves, and just because you might temper that word ‘hate,’ do not think that God is fooled,” Rev. Evancho wrote. “We are all sinners. We are all in need of the grace that only Christ provides. We can all be transformed from sinners, and liberated from our hatred. So we start with ourselves, and we no longer let each other speak the language of prejudice that makes hatred of another person socially acceptable. “Change starts with us, and Christ has freed us for this very purpose, this holy cause. We need to raise the children in our homes and in our community to love as God loves, and reject the sinful divisions humankind has created to reinforce a false hierarchy that raises some up by forcing others down into the depths of an unholy social prison. In this country, people have the right to hate, but we are not building an earthly kingdom of legalism, we are building the Kingdom of God, and there is no room for hatred here. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with us.”
Crozet Catholic Mission Now Has Weekly Masses The Crozet Catholic Mission, sponsored by Holy Comforter Catholic Church in Charlottesville began weekly Masses at 10 a.m. at the Field School in Crozet Sept 3. Masses are said by Fr. Joseph Mary continued on page 39
CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017
Crozet
Weather Almanac
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Hurricanes Are Back The United States was lucky enough to have the longest stretch in history without the landfall of a major hurricane. The streak lasted 4,324 days, or almost 12 years. This lucky streak was twice the previous record but simply could not last forever. Harvey made landfall in Texas to break the streak with devastating consequences. As we write this, hurricane Irma promises to be a different type of storm in different places but perhaps equally horrific. Good luck has turned to bad, but this is not unexpected. Hurricanes have always been devastating and often come in bunches. September 12 is the most likely day of the year for hurricanes to strike with the vast majority of severe hurricanes coming between August 1 and October 15. Global Warming & Hurricanes A great deal of talk has re-emerged about hurricanes and global warming with these recent developments. We hate to even mention the subject because for some crazy reason, the science has become terribly politicized. One mention and people start hating, even if all we do is cite science. But global warming is no hoax and the theory of stronger storms in the future is founded on fundamental physics.
The basic theory goes like this… humans burn fossil fuels and that releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. All else being equal, it is well known that CO2 warms the air and water. Hurricanes thrive on warmer water so warmer water could produce more and/or stronger hurricanes in the future. This all sounds very plausible, even likely given the thermodynamics. But, science isn’t so simple, especially when dealing with an insanely complex earth/atmosphere/ocean interactions. All kinds of unknown feedbacks happen in a chaotic, non-linear system. In order to confirm the theory is correct, we need observational evidence that matches the theory. Fortunately, there has been no increase in hurricane activity (see chart). The earth also has had no increase in floods, droughts, tornadoes or heat waves. I say fortunately, because this is very good news. On the other hand, this by no means proves that it won’t happen. The lack of hurricane trend merely means that so far, the theory lacks confirming evidence. This is very important because scientists must refrain from hyping a theory with enormous implications and continued on page 39
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The Day Hate Came to Town At 1:55 p.m. on August 12 a group text went out from the attending on duty in the ER. “We need help. Car ran into crowd. Multiple victims. Text me back if available. This is not a drill.” Hate had come to Charlottesville. I turned off the TV, leaving the images of swastikas and street fighting and headed in to work. Dr. Sudhir was already there. We exchanged looks, but there was really little to say. We had already worried about this in previous conversations. Now it was here. Deal with it. A dozen of us had responded. I saw some of my faculty colleagues in scrubs for the first time in 20 years. Apparently every ER doc still has a pair of scrubs in a drawer somewhere, a kind of ER shibboleth. We
pitched in to do the work that was familiar to us. We had lots of help. A mass casualty incident (MCI) had been declared and the MCI plan was being implemented. Dozens of surgeons, anesthesiologists, respiratory therapists, nurses, unit clerks and registration clerks, X-ray techs, patient transporters, chaplains and social workers had responded to the ER and there was work for all of them. Ten ORs were open on standby. Twenty stretchers were lined up in front of the main entrance to the hospital. This was our answer to the hate that had come to Charlottesville. The cavernous lobby of the hospital had been transformed into the triage unit for the ER and was filling up with the bewildered and shocked victims.
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SEPTEMBER 2017
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U. Va. Hospital on August 12, 2017. Photos by Dr. Robert Reiser.
In eight trauma bays in the ER, eight trauma teams were running major trauma resuscitations simultaneously. It was grand and terrible. The teams performed magnificently, everything just got done by the right people at the right times. Everyone knew what to do; little direction was needed. Then just as suddenly as it began it was over. After two hours every patient had been seen and treated. No more came. I went home emotionally exhausted and demoralized. I was heartened by the work we had done to restore the victims but shocked and haunted by the cruelty and hatred that had
been displayed. I sat on my porch with friends that night, grateful for the rain that was falling. It felt peaceful and secure. Mostly I was grateful in an ER doc kind of way that the rain would keep people indoors and end the violence that still threatened Charlottesville. I did not want to go back in again. Recovery and healing will take some time for the victims and our community and for all the caregivers as well. In the meantime I will try to focus on all those clean white stretchers in the open air, waiting. Waiting to take in all those in need. That is the Charlottesville that I know.
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ELLEN HONEYCUTT
38
inthegarden@crozetgazette.com
Cashews, Mangos, Pistachios and Poison Ivy?! These four plants actually have something in common. They’re all members of the Cashew Family, the Anacardiaceae. Some members of this family are a lot more people-friendly than others, however. Among the tropical Anarcardiaceae, the familiar cashew (Anarcardium occidentale) is native to northeastern Brazil and widely cultivated in warmer regions. The cashew nut may readily be eaten by most of us, although 5 percent of the population is allergic. The cashew shell is more problematic, containing a potent skin irritant related to urushiol, the nasty substance found in poison ivy and poison sumac. Roasting destroys the anacardic acid in cashew shells, but according to Wikipedia this must be done outdoors. (I presume you might want to stand pretty far upwind from the smoke! And this is not the same thing as roasting raw cashew nuts at home. Here the shells have already been removed.) Mangos are another tropical member of the cashew family; Mangifer indica is the species most commonly cultivated in warmer regions. As for species from temperate regions, I had once championed the Chinese Pistache (Pistacia chinensis, a cousin to the edible pistachio) as a good landscape tree. Now I am having my doubts. A small, drought-tolerant tree with brilliant fall color, it is reportedly becoming invasive further south and west. Plus, I have seen trees that
appeared to be less than healthy, perhaps owing to clay soils and too much water. Probably better to avoid this plant. I hope everyone who spends any time outside is familiar with the ubiquitous Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans, formerly Rhus radicans). “Leaves of three, quickly flee!” etc. Much less well-known but actually more deadly is Poison Sumac (T .vernix or Rhus vernix). A large shrub or small tree, fortunately for us it is generally uncommon in Virginia except in swamps. Despite some bad players, several members of the Cashew family can work in your garden. The sumacs (Rhus), large shrubs or small trees, can provide outstanding fall color, attractive fruits, and bold form in the right situations. Several of the sumacs are native to our area, so you might already have one on your property. The Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra) and the Winged or Shining Sumac (R. copallina) are common across most of Virginia. Both have large, compound leaves with many elongate leaflets; in the fall, the medium-to dark green foliage will turn crimson red on the former shrub, and to yellow, orange-red or purple on the latter. Greenish-yellow flowers appear in early summer on Smooth Sumac, late summer on Winged. Fruits that follow in the fall are showy crimson-to-scarlet clusters measuring 4” to 8”. Neither of these sumacs are small in any sense of the word, with heights between 10 and 20 feet and with an equal spread. In fact, their suckering nature means rapid spread
Rhus glabra in its fall colors
may be their greatest virtue—if you want to cover a lot of ground—or their greatest vice. Given their running nature, planting these sumacs around any other plant is not advisable. If you have a “wild” area on a large property, plant them where they have “plenty of room to romp,” as some of the plant catalogs phrase it. On a smaller property, you might be able to contain them with a driveway or some other concrete barrier. Otherwise, plant your sumac in the middle of your lawn and mow around it to remove the suckers. Also, consider the texture of sumacs in any design scheme. Fairly coarse even when in leaf, in winter the stout bare stems can look gaunt. Or perhaps “architectural” if you want to put a more positive spin on it. Putting one in front of a wall would highlight the form; just make sure it’s not the wall of your house, or the suckering shoots might pop up in your living room. Another species among the large sumacs offers an alternative to rampant spreading, at least in one variety. More common in the mountains and up north, Staghorn Sumac (R. typhina) gets quite large as the straight species, easily growing to 15’ to 25’ in the landscape. Its hat-rack growth habit and velvety hairs on the younger stems resemble a deer’s antlers. Like other sumacs, female plants will have bright crimson fruit clusters in the fall, along with brilliant foliage. ‘Dissecta’
and ‘Laciniata’ are two cultivars—or perhaps just one plant with two different names— featuring finely dissected fern-like foliage. These varieties both still run and grow to large proportions, however. A reasonable option for smaller spaces is the variety Tiger Eyes (officially known as ‘Bailtiger’), reportedly only reaching 5’ to 10’ at maturity and not suckering as much as the larger varieties. Tiger Eyes is arguably the showiest of the sumacs, with bronze-yellow new spring growth, maturing to yellow-green in summer and closing out to orange-red in the fall. One more sumac is much tidier in size, growing only to 2’ to 6’ in height and suckering to a width of about 10 feet. A cautionary note: Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica) has a scary resemblance to poison ivy; if you had both plants on your property, someone could make a serious mistake. The major difference: poison ivy’s central leaflet in the cluster of three has a noticeable stem; fragrant sumac’s central leaflet joins the other two directly. Also, fragrant sumac does not climb. If you’re adventurous, the straight species, as well as the cultivar ‘Grow-Low’, are available from Lazy S’S Farm Nursery by mail order.. All these sumacs are not fussy about growing conditions, as long as they’re not water-logged. Full sun, dry, rocky soils or Virginia clay are just fine, which means they would be perfect for reclaiming a nasty bare slope or a road cut.
CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017
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then promote it as fact without supporting observations. The scientific junkyard is littered with well-intended, seemingly plausible theories. The saturated fat debacle comes to mind in this regard. For a generation, we were urged to shun saturated fat and that “all scientists agree.” All the major health organizations backed this idea from the food pyramid to the American Heart Assoc. to the World Health Organization. Now, the “saturated fat causes obesity and heart disease” mantra has been almost entirely discredited. In the meantime, Americans adopted low-fat, high-sugar diets which led to serious public health repercussions. Even if there is a small increase in hurricane energy, it
Religion News —continued from page 34
Lukyamuzi, the pastor at Holy Comforter, and Fr. Dan Kelly, a retired priest who was formerly at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Lovingston. A full-time priest
probably pales in comparison to the threat posed by the massive number of people and their property moving into harm’s way. Florida had just two million people in 1945 and now there are 21 million. This has been made possible by modern meteorology. In the old days, living in Florida was simply crazy because giant hurricanes arrived unannounced. Now, transportation and information improvements allow people to escape the wrath. Heidi and I are appalled at the National Flood Insurance Program which encourages people to build in harm’s way and then uses taxpayer money to bail them out after the inevitable disaster. We love a great beach house, but let’s not encourage people to build and then make other people pay for the repair and to have it happen again.
for the mission is not expected to be named until next summer. The mission has so far registered 101 families and has formed a building committee to acquire a site for a church. It has also begun a religious education program that has enrolled 44 families and 86 students.
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39
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CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017
MARLENE A. CONDON
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Birdbrained
STOCK IMAGE
It is almost time for birds from farther north to return to Virginia for the winter. If you are thinking about feeding birds, I want to share the most delightful experience I may have ever had participating in this activity. Because I have had rheumatoid arthritis for decades, it has finally taken a toll on my hands, making just about anything I do with them terribly painful. As a result, I had to relinquish my role last year as the principal provider of birdseed to my winter visitors. My husband kindly took over for me, although he did alter the protocols. Whereas I would put some seed on the ground late in the afternoon to make sure all ground-feeding birds were well fed before “going to bed” for the long winter night, he decided that meant too many squirrels were taking the seed. So-o-o, he decided to make the last feeding of the day much later, after the sun had gotten well below the Blue Ridge Mountains just a few miles to our west. By that time of day, with the light beginning to fade, the only birds usually still active were White-throated Sparrows, Northern Cardinals, and
Mourning Doves. Occasionally a lone Dark-eyed Junco would remain, but most of its fellow juncos would have already disappeared for the night. Often one or more Eastern Cottontail Rabbits would join the birds, and quite surprisingly, a couple of Gray Squirrels would risk staying out much later than their usual bedtime to take advantage of the handouts. My spouse stuck strictly to his schedule, and after many weeks, the most amazing thing happened. By mid-winter, those birds had learned not only the schedule he kept for feeding them, but also the sound (the unlocking and/or opening of the kitchen door into our carport) that announced he was about to provide them with their food! My husband had been throwing seeds into the shrubs by the north side of our driveway that offered a measure of protection from predators, such as owls just becoming active at this time of day. He would also throw some seeds into the driveway. I would watch from my office window from just before he opened the kitchen door to the time he returned to the carport. I was the lucky recipient of a perfectly endearing show. The minute the door opened, every bird poking around in the plants in the front yard would
A Northern Cardinal has it all—beauty and brains!
fly to the shrubs. Many even came out of the brush piles I keep around the yard for them to sleep in or to escape predators or bad weather. It was just an amazing thing to see dozens of sparrows and a cardinal here and there quickly crossing the yard to enter the shrub area where they could await the “birdseed man.” If the squirrels and bunnies were already in the driveway, they too would take their places inside the shrubbery, albeit on the ground. Remarkably, however, with each passing day, the rabbits got bolder and instead began to just wait for my husband in the driveway! Just as Pavlov’s dogs learned to associate the sound of a bell with food and thus salivated more in anticipation of eating, our wild critters had learned to associate the sound of our kitchen door with the arrival of food and reacted accordingly. Some birds, usually a male cardinal and several Whitethroats, would already be perched in the shrubs, facing the carport, when I first looked out. Mourning Doves would also be waiting patiently, either milling around in the driveway or lying down on their bellies there. The fact that birds would be facing the carport only in the evening demonstrated that they could tell what time of day they could expect my husband to come out of the house. And, of course, the birds poking around in my gardens and perching in the brush piles probably knew approximately when supper was to be served and were simply killing time in the locations that suited them. The birds grew ever bolder. At first, those in the bushes
would perch close to the driveway and then get scared as my husband threw seeds into the shrubbery. Many of them would originally fly far off and quite possibly did not return. But, after a while, the birds would simply move up higher into the trees as soon as they heard the kitchen door, where they could wait and watch as my husband approached. They had realized that they would not have seeds bouncing off them if they were higher off the ground, so eventually, many birds would simply wait high up in the first place for his evening appearance. As he walked back to the carport, the avian creatures would all fly down into the shrubs, and after several moments, a jumble of birds would pour out of the shrubbery as they literally ran out into the driveway. There were always at least five dozen White-throats, five male and four female cardinals, and usually a minimum of six doves. It was the most incredible sight to behold. I couldn’t help but giggle to myself as I watched. My husband would usually watch the boisterous gathering from the carport. He especially marveled at the White-throated Sparrow chatter that seemed loud enough to get the attention of the whole neighborhood. The term “birdbrain” refers to a person who is stupid or scatterbrained, yet these birds had shown themselves to be every bit as capable of learning as any mammal—the animals with the largest brains and thus for years thought to be more intelligent than birds, reptiles, amphibians, or fish. Perhaps we need to redefine the word “birdbrained.”
CROZETgazette
—continued from page 8
red wine ages, oxygen acts as a stimulus for the tannins to polymerize (or “link up like Legos” as Hodson described it) which reduces their bitterness. “The screw cap allows no oxygen to enter the bottle, so the aging process stops there,” explained Colleen Miller of the Blue Ridge Bottle Shop in Piedmont Place. “It is good for younger wines, but not for old reds that need to breathe.” Hodson agrees. “The aluminum screw cap is fine for wines costing less than $20/bottle,” he explained, “but not for premium or high quality wines costing $25 and up.” While the type of closure is more important with red wines, it matters for all “premium” wine, softening the tannins in red wine and reducing the acid in white wines to create a more mellow, buttery flavor. Aging also allows the various flavors in the wine to develop and stand out, resulting in “the nuances of a high-quality wine.” White wine is typically aged 1-2 years; red wine is aged 5 or more. For the same reason, Hodson argued, you do not need to aerate a red wine that is under 5 years old. Traditional European winemaking methods were established in the 1400s, and closures did not change much until the 1950s. While the natural cork allows the wine to breathe, it can also lead to a condition called trichloroanisole (TCA), commonly known as “cork taint.” “TCA is a chemical compound of phenols, chlorine and mold…[that] will taint the aromas and flavors of the wine, resulting in musty odors…. Most wine insiders estimate between 3 to 5 percent of all wine is affected by TCA” (winegeeks.com). During the 1950s and ’60s, wine makers began turning to various synthetic alternatives, primarily to reduce spoilage in their corked wines, but also because they were cheaper. While a natural cork costs 11-13 cents a bottle, an aluminum screw cap costs only 7 cents a bottle—about half as much. Screw caps are also easier, both in the bottling process and for the consumer to open. Australia and New Zealand have gone almost entirely to the
use of screw caps to close their wines. Since the leading producer of these is Stelvin, the wine literature refers to these wines as being “under Stelvin.” Some say air-tight screw caps can “suffocate” wine, but screw cap manufacturers have answered this complaint with new technology: “Today you can buy screw caps with calculated levels of ‘oxygen ingress’ over time” (winefolly.com). Moreover, there is now a third alternative to the cork or screw cap: synthetic corks. While purely plastic cork acts the same as a screw cap, a French company has developed a hybrid of cork, beeswax, and vegetable polyols called “Diam,” that claims to allow natural aging and eliminate the risk of TCA. “Diam is opening the way because of how it looks—it is a processed cork and if you look closely, you can see the cork pieces that make up the closure that on first take looks like a natural cork” (forbes.com). In other words, it is no longer possible to tell what is purely natural cork and what is not. “[When] you buy an affordable wine at the grocery, more often than not it won’t be a 100 percent natural cork. Instead, the bottle will be closed with a technical, agglomerated, and colmated cork, which are low quality alternatives to natural cork” (winefolly.com). Many prestigious vintners are now selling even their premium wines “under Diam.” Per a 2014 report from the University of California/ Davis, synthetic corks now close 60 percent of the top 500 wines (sold by volume) in the U.S. “The only thing holding back a total conversion to synthetic enclosures is consumer perception” (winegeeks.com). While a natural cork allows a high quality wine to continue to mature, experts seem to agree that with a lower-cost wine that will be consumed within 3-6 months of purchase, the type of closure makes little difference. For a relatively low-budget wine consumer like me, screw caps are probably fine—and they are more acceptable on white than on red wines. But when I want a premium bottle of wine for a special occasion, I should look for a cork—if I can even figure out what is under that metal “capsule” that wraps the top of
41 CLOVER CARROLL
Cork v. Screw
SEPTEMBER 2017
Cork and screw cap closures on wine bottles at the Blue Ridge Bottle Shop in Piedmont Place. The wine on the left costs $40; that on the right costs $13.
the bottle! As a hard core traditionalist, I found this research both eye-opening and disappointing. I admit it—I still don’t like screw caps. But with new technologies taking over, apparently I will need to spend a pretty penny to find a true, unadulterated cork closing my bottle of wine. Want to know more about these and other issues related to
wine? Hodson, who is credentialed by the nonprofit Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), will be teaching a Level II wine class at PVCC on Monday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. beginning Sept. 11 (as part of the Workforce Services Viticulture & Enology series). Level I will also be offered all day on Saturday Oct. 7, but is not a prerequisite. Cheers!
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CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017
Warren Douglas James Florence Dillener Massie Florence Dillener Massie, 92, of Crozet, passed away and went to be with the Lord on Saturday, August 12, lovingly attended by her two daughters. She was born in Montclair, New Jersey on August 1, 1925, to the Rev. LeRoy Young Dillener and Emily Heusel Dillener. A graduate of Maryville College in Tennessee, she retired from a long and joyful teaching career with Albemarle County Public Schools. She was a devoted member of Tabor Presbyterian Church, where she attended services, sang in the choir, taught Sunday School, participated in Presbyterian Women, and enjoyed fellowship gatherings for sixty years. She was the first woman to become a deacon for the congregation. As a member of the local chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, she helped support their mission of providing personal growth opportunities for women educators. In her retirement, she enjoyed her circle of friends in the FCE/Cooperative Extension Club, Crozet, and in the Red Hatters group. Her personal warmth, gratefulness, and loving smile won the hearts of many. Florence was predeceased by her husband of 48 years, John Walker Massie, Jr.; her brothers, John August Dillener, the Rev. LeRoy Young Dillener, Jr., and Phillip Heusel Dillener. She is survived by her dear sister, Merriam Dillener Scott, of Virginia Beach; her cherished daughters and son-in-law, Barbara Massie Mouly of Crozet and Rebecca Massie Lane and
husband, Douglas, of Hagerstown, Md.; and beloved grandsons and daughter-in-law, Jacob Anderson Massie Lane and wife, Emily of Conshohoken, Pa., and Gabriel Walker Massie Lane of Boston, Mass. Her family is immensely grateful to the staff of Just a Little Help, the University of Virginia Medical Center Neuro ICU, the University of Virginia Transition Hospital, and the Charlottesville Health and Rehab Center, all of whom provided her with encouragement, professional and compassionate care in the last stage of her life. A memorial service will be held for Florence on Saturday, September 9, at 11 a.m. at Tabor Presbyterian Church, Tabor Street, Crozet, reception following. The family is being served by Anderson Funeral Home of Crozet. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to Tabor Presbyterian Church.
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Warren Douglas James of Crozet died on August 1, at Avante Rehab in Waynesboro. He was born on July 21, 1942, in Albemarle County to the late John L. James, Jr and Pearle Rea James Swisher. He was preceded in death by one brother, Meredith Rea James. He is survived by his wife, Leslie John-James; two daughters, Mary-Elizabeth “M-E” James Via and husband, David of Charlottesville, and Noah James Sandidge and husband, Ed of Potomac Falls, VA; one son, John James and wife, Leslie Walton James of Crozet; one
brother, Phillip Neil James and his wife, Sally of Crozet; and six grandchildren, Douglas Via, Elizabeth Via, Paige Sandidge, Brice Sandidge, Allison James, and Aaron James. Warren was the owner of Warren James Automotive in Crozet. He was a member of the Crozet Sportsman’s Club. A memorial service was held Saturday, August 19, at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Greenwood. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making a donation to your favorite charity.
Forrest Franklin Fisher, Sr. Forrest Franklin Fisher Sr., 84, of Greenwood died peacefully at his residence on August 10. He was the son of the late William Andrew Fisher and Evelyn Hicks. He was preceded in death by his wife, Jean Gibson Fisher and a sister, Doris Elledge. He is survived by a daughter, Janet Dickie and husband Alan of Nelson County and a son, Forrest Franklin Fisher, Jr. and wife Lisa of Greenwood, and one sister, Phyllis Sponogle of Greenwood, and three grandchildren, Richard Edward Anderson, Tamra Dawn Fisher, Terri Leigh Fisher and one
great-grandson, Zachary Ryan Anderson, and too many close friends and family to mention. Special thanks to Lisa for taking such great care of Dad during his time of need. Lisa went above and beyond helping with Dad and was truly a loving daughter. The family would also like to give special thanks to the wonderful nurses and staff at the Martha Jefferson Cancer Center for their wonderful care of our loved one. A graveside service was held on August 14 at the Rockgate Cemetery in Crozet, with Rev. David Collyer officiating.
Ruth Painter Cragg Ruth Painter Cragg of Short Pump, born September 24, 1948, went to be with her Lord and Savior, August 31. She is survived by her daughter, Laura C. Marshall and her husband Scott, granddaughter, Tea M. Marshall, grandson, Cooper S. Marshall, and siblings; Helen Mooneyham of Staunton, Agnes Critzer of Jacksonville, Florida, Betty Critzer, Patsy Rea, and Barbara Dollins of Crozet, Marylee Atkins of Northern Virginia, and many nieces, nephews and special friends. She is preceded in death by her parents Raymond D. and Hazel C. Painter; brothers Charles, Leroy,
and Lester Painter; sister Alice Moore; and granddaughter: Sophia C. Marshall. She was a graduate of Albemarle High School, Piedmont Virginia Community College, and the University of Virginia. She spent many years as a Grants Specialist for UVA Hospital and a Senior Fiscal Administrator for Bank of America. A memorial service will be held September 16, at 11 a.m. at Crozet Baptist Church, 5804 St. George Avenue. In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to B.S. Community Hospice House, 1133 Old Bon Air Road, Richmond, VA 23235.
CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017
43
Randolph Wilson Pugh Randolph Wilson Pugh, 79, of White Hall passed away Monday, August 14. Randolph was born July 16, 1938, to the late Samuel W. Pugh and Elizabeth Collins Pugh Taylor. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by two sons, Mark Pugh and Stephen Pugh; two sisters, Shirley Pugh Bond and Phyllis Pugh Cook; and 3 nephews: Bobby Dale Morris, Jeff Morris and Kendall Bond. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Joyce Robinson Pugh of White Hall. Three sons, Richard Pugh (Sandra) of Callahan, Florida; Gregory Pugh (Donna) of Crozet, and Kevin Pugh (Megan) of Cary, North Carolina. Eight grandchildren: Brandy Smith (Bryan); Amy Copher (Aaron); Amanda Mazza (Tony); Brian Pugh (Lauren); Ashleigh Brown (Anthony); Joshua Pugh; Jacob Pugh and Schuyler Pugh and ten great-grandchildren. His sister Barbara Sipe (Warren) of Chesapeake, Virginia; brother, Eddie Taylor of Verona, Virginia and brother in law, Linwood Bond of Callahan, Florida. He is also survived by several cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. Randolph was a renowned local auto mechanic. Randolph and his wife ran Pugh’s Gulf Station providing service to the
Serving Western Albemarle Families Since 1967 Robert S. Anderson & John W. Anderson, Jr., D I R E C T O R S
Crozet community for 5 years, Pugh’s Mobile Auto Service and prior to his retirement he worked as an auto mechanic at Ivy Exxon. Matthew 25:23: “His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” A service was held at Mount Moriah Methodist Church on August 18. The family would like to thank Wanda, Colleen, Katherine and the staff of New Century Hospice and the staff of Mountainside Senior Living. The family requests that memorial contributions be made to Mount Moriah Methodist Church, 4492 Garth Road, Charlottesville, VA 22901 or the Western Albemarle Rescue Squad, Post Office Box 188, Crozet, VA 22932.
Robert Carroll Hebb Robert Carroll Hebb, 59, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, August 22 in Salisbury, NC after a long illness. He was born November 16, 1957 in Charlottesville, and was the youngest of five children. He was preceded in death by his mother, Mabel P. Hebb of Crozet, his father Hercel H. Hebb of Bridgeport, WV, and a sister, Joyce Ann Shifflett of Crozet. He is survived by his two children, Christina Hebb of Concord, North Carolina and Johnathon Hebb of Salisbury, North Carolina, as well as a brother, Thurmond C. West, Jr. of Albemarle, North Carolina, and two sisters, Page Marie Marsha and Albert Hebb Dodson of Crozet. He is also survived by his stepmother,
Charity Hebb of Bridgeport, WV, and a special friend, Jim Wilson Price of Salisbury. Following a private family gathering, he was laid to rest on August 25 at St. John-theBaptist Episcopal Church in Ivy. Funeral arragements were by Summersett Funeral Home in Salisbury and Anderson Funeral Home in Crozet.
823-5002 5888 St. George Avenue Crozet, VA 22932
BEREAVEMENTS Arthur Edward Harris, 71
July 22 2017
Warren Douglas James, 75
August 1, 2017
Bertha Jones Bailey, 78
August 6, 2017
Sarah Rodeffer Kite, 90
August 6, 2017
Emory Shannon Gray Shirley, 87
August 6, 2017
Berlin B. Funk Sr., 94
August 8, 2017
Forrest Franklin Fisher Sr., 84
August 10, 2017
Melvin Hunter Seale, 69
August 10, 2017
Callum Braxton Boggs, 27
August 12, 2017
Leona Juanita Naylor Davis Gardner, 93
August 12, 2017
Florence Dillener Massie, 92
August 12, 2017
Julian Thomas Via, 69
August 12, 2017
Hobert Beuford Cressel, 82
August 13, 2017
Clarice Kirkland Fitzgerald, 80
August 14, 2017
Randolph Wilson Pugh, 79
August 14, 2017
Monte Carroll Hunt Sr., 87
August 15, 2017
Elizabeth Roberts Wood, 89
August 15, 2017
Kenneth G. Decatur Sr., 78
August 18, 2017
Raymond Ralph Fitzgerald Jr., 68
August 20, 2017
Phyllis Roach Shifflett, 79
August 20, 2017
Anna Pearl Breeden, 93
August 21, 2017
Mildred Moubray Dowell, 95
August 21, 2017
Julie Dennis Howard, 87
August 24, 2017
Ola Jane Morris, 98
August 24, 2017
Bertha Elmia Scott Harris Minor, 70
August 27, 2017
Roy Ann Sandridge, 83
August 27, 2017
Joann Miller Berry, 80
August 30, 2017
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CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017
Gazette Vet —continued from page 33
elk for two days. The evolution and creation of all the species we know of today is exceedingly complex and mind-blowing if we really think about it. Suffice it to say, animals have amazing instincts to survive and thrive in the environments in which they live. Grass eating was in there somewhere. Now let’s go to our pets. They are domestic, friendly, playful, and fully dependent upon us for their survival. Yet their ancestors were wild. Our pets’ instincts have been diluted and mixed up over tens of thousands of years, leading us with some interesting behaviors that are not quite essential for survival while sleeping on a couch! Grass eating is definitely one of these instincts that sometimes has a purpose but often is just a “confused instinct.” I break it down into two groups: There are the regular grazers. These dogs and cats somewhat regularly partake in grass eating without any real consequence. They always will when the opportunity presents itself, but
are otherwise completely healthy, despite the occasional vomit or interesting bowel movement the grass eating causes. Then there are the problem grazers. These pets start eating a lot of grass when they are having some sort of intestinal upset. Whether a virus, an ulcer, or some “dietary indiscretion,” their belly feels bad, so their ancient instinct tells them, “Eat tons of grass!” You can tell they are feeling sick. Either they are not eating, or they are vomiting and/or having diarrhea, while also seemingly obsessed about grass. You should consider a vet visit, especially if they are not eating. Sometimes the grass eating does help, however most of the time it adds fuel to the fire, like treating a stomach ulcer with Texas Pete hot sauce. So, if your pets are regular grazers like mine, but are overall healthy, consider it an amazing natural wonder and contemplate the mind-blowing complexity of our natural world. But if you pet is acting sick and wanting to eat tons of grass, it’s time to start thinking about why your pet feels sick and consider a call to your vet if it keeps up!
community events SEPTEMBER 9
Saturday, September 9, beginning at 3 p.m., Crozet Artisan Depot, The Art Box, and Over the Moon Bookstore will host their monthly Second Saturdays artist receptions to welcome new exhibits to their galleries. For more details, visit www.crozetgazette.com/events/
The event will be rain or shine, and admission is $10 for adults, with kids 12 and under admitted free. Proceeds will benefit both Rockfish Valley Community Center and Nelson County Community Fund. For more details, contact RVCC at (434) 361-0100, rockfishcc@gmail.com, or rock fishvalleycommunitycenter. memberlodge.com.
SEPTEMBER 10
OCTOBER 25
Second Saturdays Artist Receptions
Last Blast of Summer
Rockfish Valley Community Center will wrap up its summer party series Sunday, September 10 co-hosting the “Last Blast of Summer” with the Nelson County Community Fund from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at RVCC’s Blue Mountain Pavilion in Afton. Entertainment will be provided by the Bobby Midnight Band, and there will be grilled burgers and hot dogs, ‘Rockin’ Scoops’ gourmet hand-made ice cream, Blue Mountain beer, Veritas wines and soft drinks for sale. Party-goers will be able to play Knockerball —a form of human bumper cars—at no charge, or to test their pitching skills trying to dunk local candidates or school officials in the “Dunk Tank.” There will also be corn hole, face-painting and other games for kids.
To the Editor —continued from page 4
School Notes —continued from page 6
Math) curriculum. The second will purchase materials to help expose students to rhythmic activities from other cultures, such as jump bands, ribbon stick and hoops, and Chinese jump ropes. Atlanta Hutchins, third grade teacher at Crozet, received a grant to purchase Ozobots for students to incorporate their use of coding with problem-solving and critical thinking skills, such as creating a map of an ancient civilization and using coding to virtually “tour” through the civ-
ilization. Hutchins has applied for a Shannon grant for the last three years, and for her, the third time was a charm. Monica Laux, an English and Women’s Studies teacher at WAHS, will be using her grant in her brand new Women’s Studies course to purchase two sets of class books, prints of artwork by influential female artists, and two DVDs of films to study. She is enthused about the student-directed elements and major projects in the class. “It’s a great opportunity for students to supplement their curriculum with an analysis of influential women and the role of gender and oppression,” she said.
Many have come to Mr. Lee’s defense, although not all of good character and to no avail. Their cries for his departure have only increased. It is claimed many responsible are from the northern territory or of that persuasion. Your lady is suspicious especially because Mr. Lee has always been a gentleman and honorable guest. A most dreadful series of events has occurred and your lovely lady Charlottesville has been dragged through the mud and her white dress soiled and torn. She has been shamed immensely. Those in charge who claim her welfare to be of greatest concern only stood by
Peachtree Annual Meeting
Do you enjoy watching kids play and learn the game of baseball? Wondering how you can help the league grow? Are you interested in giving back to the kids in our community? Please join us on Wednesday, October 25, at 7 p.m. at Crozet Library. We are currently accepting names for the following board positions for 2018-2020: President, VP Babe Ruth, Coaches Rep Babe Ruth, Treasurer, Equipment Manager, Coaches Rep Major/Minor, VP Tball/Rookie, Publicity Director, Historian. Applicants must submit their name and the position you are interested in via email by 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 1, to Peachtree Baseball, attention Cheryl Madison, President at peachtree@ peachtreebaseball.com and watched and are now using this terrible affair for political gain. There is even word they are starting to quarrel with Mr. Jackson. Imagine that. In spite of your instinct to defend your lady, I recommend you remain where you are. It would be terribly unwise to ride back to Monticello at this time. The brood squad has been summoned and those responsible are also accusing you of unmentionable violations of character as well. Thomas, know that countless others are doing all they can to protect your lady’s honor to prevent further disgrace. Until further notice. Godspeed. Tim Wright Batesville
CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017
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Pick-Your-Own
Apples
Festival
3 & 24
r2 Septembe The Orchard is
open daily
by Louise Dudley
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ACROSS 2 Volleyball court divider 4 1/16th of a pound 6 Sport played on
Old Trail’s course 9 Only soccer player who can put a hand on the ball (on the field)
ard.com
Orch ChilesPeach
10 Your birthday marks a new one of these 12 Opposite of misery (rhymes with bun) 14 Hang on tightly 15 Nickname for a last chance, extra-long pass in football 16 Shin _____ protect legs from hard kicks 17 _____ hockey, a fall sport for WAHS girls 18 Small taste of a drink 21 “Hoops” at Henley in the fall 23 Sport known as futbol in other countries 26 Distance between yard markers in football 27 Desired result in golf 28 Color of first warning card in soccer 29 Drink this to stay hydrated 31 Vehicle on the tracks through Crozet 32 2,000 pounds DOWN 1 Body’s organ for breathing 2 “Zero” in a soccer score
583
434 - 823- 1
3 Nickname for WAHS athletes 5 Football play worth 3 points 7 Extra period played to break a tie 8 Do, re, mi, ___, sol, la ti, do 11 A hen’s product 12 What a football official drops to call a penalty 13 Some grandmas are called this 15 Group of football players leaning in to hear the next play 19 Rest your head on this in bed 20 Number of soccer teammates on the field 22 Racquet sport at Henley in the fall 24 Familiar name for soccer shoes 25 Sound made by lions 26 Make a U-_____ to reverse direction 30 “Happy birthday ____ you!” Solution on page 46
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CROZETgazette
SEPTEMBER 2017
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CROZET CHORUS: Rehearsals begin first week in September! 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 and to sign up, go to crozetchorus. org. We hope you’ll join us!
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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”
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12 BOOTH VENDORS HOUSEWARES ANTIQUES FURNITURE PRIMITIVE BOOTH CRAFTS CLOTHING FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY UP TO 80% OFF RETAIL PRICE
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Accounting - Bookkeeping Tax Services - Notary Public BY APPOINTMENT
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Across from MusicToday & Next to the Laundromat
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P.O. Box 36 • 5370 Three Notch’d Rd • Crozet, VA 22932
GENERAL CONTRACTORS
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Puzzle on page 45
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L OU N G F UN A L A N GUAR SOC L E WA T S
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W A R GE R GR I P G O R D S I P E I A L L L E L V O Y E L L OW N
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. FEELING STUCK? Bored? Stressed? Depressed? Want to change your life? Consider coaching or counseling. We offer FREE 30 minute consultations. Conveniently located in town. Call/Text Pam Rule at 434-234-4639 or chrysalis.rule@gmail.com TUTORING: Certified teacher/experienced tutor in Crozet. Offering PSAT/ SAT/ACT/SOL Test Prep, Reading, Writing, Study Skills/Organization, and Homework Help in most subjects/all grade levels. Call 434-465-4311. To place an ad email ads@crozetgazette.com or call 434-249-4211
CROZETgazette
Science to Live By
SEPTEMBER 2017
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—continued from page 28
for interpreting diagnostic test results, you are in good company, so do many physicians. The Bristol School of Social and Community Medicine in the U.K. has led the first ever systematic review of how well health professionals interpret diagnostic information. Their study concluded that “test accuracy measures including sensitivity and specificity are not well understood” by health professionals. There was little evidence in the literature “of successful application of Bayesian reasoning: most studies suggested that post-test probability estimation is poor with wide variability and a tendency to overestimation for both positive and negative results.” In conclusion, way too many diagnostic tests are ordered to ‘rule in’ or ‘rule out’ a medical condition. That’s not what many screening tests are capable of doing. What they are useful for is refining probabilities. This is the general principle Thomas Bayes bequeathed to us three centuries ago. Ideally, before diagnostic tests are ordered, patients and physicians should discuss to what extent a positive or negative test result changes the likelihood of a diagnosis. This ‘post-test’ probability estimation depends upon not only the accuracy of the test and the medical history of the patient, but on the prevalence of the disease being tested as well. As a consequence, doctor-patient conversations become even more important when discussing an affliction found infrequently among the general population. Bayesian reasoning offers a way to do this. Armed with this information, we will make better informed medical decisions. Life is tough enough as it is. Following the principles of Bayes Theorem, we have an enormous opportunity to avoid unwarranted anxiety and pain in our lives. And in doing so, we will save billions of precious healthcare dollars as we focus them more productively. Let’s up our game.
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MATT ROBB
Serving Central Virginia for Over 25 Years
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Parents of arts-oriented kids attending Western Albemarle Co. public schools—
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We can service your existing equipment John Moore Crozet, VA 22932
434-996-9742; 434-823-1973 jbmooreservices@gmail.com
A home sure to make everyone green with envy. Visit our just completed, fully-decorated, main level living model in Old Trail featuring beautiful on-trend, green and gold pops of color throughout. Be one of the first to lay eyes on this stunning villa home located at 5712 Upland Drive in Crozet. We are an independent, locally-owned business that supports other small businesses to boost the local economy. We call this the “Homegrown Difference.� Visit southern-development.com. Join us for a GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION on September 9th and 10th from 11am to 6pm. Complimentary Smoked BBQ, will be served from noon to 3pm each day. Nancy Witte 434-245-2238 nwitte@southern-development.com