INSIDE PANCAKE THANKS page 3 GREENWOOD P.O. page 4 MARKET DAY page 5 GO-KART STAR page 6 GOLF CLUB NEWS page 7
APRIL 2013 VOL. 7, NO. 11
Bama Works Backs Library with $100,000 Matching Grant
SPRING SOUP page 8
CROZET ARTS page 10 HAT TRICK HOUSE page 10 CCA MINUTES page 12 JERSEY DEVILS page 13 Twinkie: Rest in Peeps (Story on page 34)
FOCALS page 15 SLIPPERY WORDS page 16 DRYING OUT page 17 NEW NAME page 18 TUNNEL REFUGE page 19 WILD CAT WALLY page 20 CROSSWORD page 21
Downtown Crozet Association to Become Crozet Board of Trade The officers of the Downtown Crozet Association voted in February to change the organization’s name to the Crozet Board of Trade and to broaden its agenda to represent all western Albemarle businesses and to work for local economic and community development goals. The new name resurrects one in use in Crozet for three decades in the early 20th century when local business leaders
organized a group to promote Crozet products through marketing campaigns. (For details, see The Crozet Gazette, Jan. 2013, pages 11-12.) Reviving the name is meant to give local merchants and business owners an organization that is devoted to addressing prosperity issues. A non-profit organization recognized by the IRS as a community-building
continued on page 7
The Build Crozet Library fund received a $100,000 matching grant from The Bama Works of Dave Matthews in Charlottesville Area Community Foundation in March, fundraising committee chairman Bill Schrader announced at the Crozet Community Advisory Council meeting March 21. Donations to the library fund made after that date qualify for matching from the grant. So far, the BCL has raised $741,033 toward its $1.6 million goal. The grand opening of the library is expected in late summer. In other news, the Crozet Lions Club has secured a $5,000 grant from the Lions’ state organization for the large print section of the new library. Books can now be donated to the library through the Amazon.com website. Crozet Library staff members have posted a list of about 100 book titles that are desired for the new library, many of them children’s books. continued on page 25
GARDEN WEEK page 22
Utility Relocation Begins First Phase of Crozet Avenue Project
SAFETY ON 151 page 23
Dominion Virginia Power has begun a project to remove its overhead power lines and poles from Crozet Avenue through downtown and to supply electricity to buildings there through buried lines. CenturyLink will do the same with its telephone and fiber optic cables, but has not begun yet, said Albemarle County transportation engineer Jack Kelsey. The Virginia Department of Transportation had said it would not allow construction drawings for the $1.5 million Crozet Avenue “streetscape”
THE NATURE OF WATER page 24 SAVE THE CHESTNUT page 25 ETERNITY IN AN HOUR page 26 DANCE SCHOLARS page 27
project to go out for bid by contractors until the utility companies had actually completed their tasks, but VDOT is now reviewing drawings and specifications and will allow bids to be sought once the plans have been approved. Kelsey said he expects the bid request to go out in May. The project will improve Crozet Avenue from the railroad trestle at The Square to Tabor Street and add turn lanes for Library Avenue, storm water drains, landscaped medians, wide new continued on page 9
Utility lines along Crozet Avenue will be buried.
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Now it’s your turn to... Be Par t o f the Story Now that the library building is underway, it’s up to us to build from the inside out. We are raising funds for all the things that make a building a library: books, shelves, chairs, tables and desks, computers...
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Rita Dove: Commonwealth Professor of English Poet Laureate of the United States from 1993 to 1995 1987 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry
LOCAL POET
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All things we will use in the new library later this year!
CROZET gazette
From the Editor The Capital of Western Albemarle To get something done in the public sphere you must have organization. And while citizen activism on various issues has done wonders for Crozet, nothing quite gets the traction that comes when businesses get together and build a consensus on goals. How many times at Board of Supervisors meetings have we seen the supervisors lean forward in their chairs when someone paying business taxes,steps up to the microphone? Money gets attention. So the metamorphosis of the Downtown Crozet Association into the Crozet Board of Trade holds out the prospect of big dividends for western Albemarle’s prosperity. The DCA arose out of the Crozet Master Planning process when it became apparent that the historic commer-
APRIL 2013 cial center of what had been an agricultural village, was not prepared to deal with the realities of competition from shiny new commercial areas and the threat of highway shopping centers on Rt. 250. What’s needed now is a more inclusive agenda that addresses the goals of greater Crozet and that invites all area businesses to be involved. Crozet has always insisted that it will have its hands on the steering wheel where getting to its destiny is concerned. Businesses prosper when they support each other in promoting trade and attracting customers. Further, Crozet needs to attract businesses that offer more employment, for instance in the former Barnes Lumber location. Local businesses also need to combine to be able to speak with an imperative voice. Consider the
impact of the Rt. 29 bypass project, which could suck up all the state’s road improvement funds due to Albemarle for two or three decades, on Crozet’s need for a bridge over Lickinghole Creek and over the CSX tracks so that the planned eastern artery will actually connect Rt. 250 and Rt. 240. The money for those projects, somewhere in the order of $15 to $20 million, was supposed to come out of developers. continued on page 9
To the Editor On behalf of the Crozet Lions, I would like to thank all those who helped make our March 2 Pancake Dinner, a fundraiser for Crozet Library, such a success. The Lions thank all of our business partners for their donations of
funds and for providing 55 raffle prizes. We thank all those community members—250—who joined us for dinner. Danny and Chris Hodge provided exciting and entertaining juggling. A special thanks goes to June Andrews for providing ever-soperfect piano music. Thanks to Todd Barnett of the Field School for providing a great venue. For getting the word out, a thank you to Mike and Allie of the Crozet Gazette, Tim Tolson, Jim Duncan, Jane Kulow, as well as all the loyal businesses that posted our flyer. It was a great evening and a huge success. More than $3,000 was raised for the large-print and audio book section of the new Crozet Library. Karl Pomeroy President, Crozet Lions Club
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Published on the first Thursday of the month by The Crozet Gazette LLC, P.O. Box 863, Crozet, VA 22932.
www.crozetgazette.com © The Crozet Gazette
MICHAEL J. MARSHALL, Publisher and Editor news@crozetgazette.com | 434-466-8939 ALLIE M. PESCH, Art Director and Ad Manager ads@crozetgazette.com | 434-249-4211 LOUISE DUDLEY, Editorial Assistant louise@crozetgazette.com
Conveniently located just off Route 250 in Crozet On Browns Gap Turnpike just 1/2 mile from Beaver Creek Dam
For more information and to schedule a visit, please call
Mrs. Linda Reaser: 434-823-5711 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: John Andersen, Clover Carroll, Marlene Condon, Elena Day, Phil James, Kathy Johnson, Charles Kidder, Dirk Nies, Robert Reiser, Roscoe Shaw, Christina Shoup, Heidi Sonen, David Wagner.
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Don’t miss any of the hometown news everybody else is up on. Pick up a free copy of the Crozet Gazette at one of many area locations or have the Crozet Gazette delivered to your home or dorm room. Mail subscriptions are available for $25 for 12 issues. Send a check to Crozet Gazette, P.O. Box 863, Crozet, VA 22932.
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APRIL 2013
CROZET gazette
Postal Service Cuts Hours at Greenwood P.O. • • • •
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The U.S. Postal Service cut the operating hours at the Greenwood post office in March as part of a plan to reduce expenses. The move defied the energized Greenwood community that turned out for a January 9 meeting with regional post office officials at Emmanuel Episcopal Church to plead for the status quo at Greenwood, which post office officials admit is profitable. The post office will now be open six hours a day, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with an hour closed for lunch. “The highlight of the process is that they are lumping a lot of small P.O.s together and not looking at the merits of each,” said Scott Peyton, a leader with the Greenwood Citizens’ Council, a grassroots group that organized the effort to save the P.O. from having shorter hours and service reductions. Peyton said the closing of the post office, which Greenwood residents believe is the long-term goal of the operational hours cut, would be as potentially damaging to the Greenwood community as the closing of Greenwood elementary school was. Greenwood’s identity is being lost, he fears, as it feels pressure from growing Crozet. Should the Greenwood post office close, some of its rural delivery routes would likely be transferred to Crozet. “There was overwhelming opposition to the process, which was misleading and deceptive,” said Peyton. “We were aggressive about educating ourselves about post office policies and we approached in good faith. But they ignored us. Nationwide, we’ve learned, nearly every post office that was identified [for cuts] did not escape this fate. “This is the least reduction possible under the plan. We take some consolation in that. They say they will review Greenwood post office in one year and if our revenue has increased they might consider restoring the lost hours. If revenue declines, they may reduce hours more.” But with shorter hours, and none convenient for those on their way to or from their jobs, one would expect fewer customers. “We always thought we were actually targeted for closure. The old district manager suspended the DUO
[the plan to reduce services carried out at the post office, such as sorting], but the new manager will only say he’ll suspend temporarily. “DUO was never supposed to be a public process,” Peyton said. “So we could be reevaluated under the table and find out about a decision later. There’s no way for us to oppose it. “Congressman [Robert] Hurt certainly helped us, but the U.S.P.S. is very evasive. We got run over by a bureaucratic bulldozer. They took the hours off the morning so that has set back delivery in the boxes until the middle of the day. You never had to look for it after 10 a.m before.” The U.S.P.S. is looking to replace Mandy Conley, who has been staffing the Greenwood post office part time and with no benefits, with a full-time career employee. Conley is not eligible to apply for the job. Peyton said that the most obviously successful way to run the office would be to keep Conley on. “She knows the system and the community. She’s the most efficient choice. “What it all indicates is tremendous upheaval and confusion internally in the postal service,” Peyton said. “We get incomplete information from them. They won’t tell us about any revenue. It’s wait and see now. The best thing we can do is use the post office and hope the postal service recognizes that. “Ultimately the solution for rural post offices is going to have to include direction from Congress. The Post Plan [for reducing hours] grew out of inaction by Congress. “The ‘savings’ at Greenwood P.O. are false savings,” said Peyton. “We’re not throwing in the towel. We garnered attention for our P.O. and we gave our community a voice, even though they ignored us with impunity. We expect them to try to circumvent us in the future. We demonstrated that we can be active and vocal.”
CROZET gazette
APRIL 2013
5
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The following Henley seventh graders (l-r above): Cole Weiss, Madison Rotter, Kathryn Edwards, Abby Boitnott, Meg Richey, and Jacob Chang-Rascle competed in the second annual Literacy Explosion at Mountain View High School in Stafford on March 23.
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Literary Explosion Six Henley Middle School seventh graders made the trek to Mountain View High School in Stafford March 23 to compete in the second annual Literacy Explosion sponsored by the Virginia Association of Teachers of English. Students create a digital project that promotes a favorite book and encourages others to read it. Students present their projects and are then interviewed by a panel of judges. Henley students competed in the book cover and book trailer categories and went up against middle
schoolers from the Richmond, Fredericksburg, and northern Virginia areas. Three students brought home awards. Jacob Chang- Rascle garnered first place honors in the book trailer category with a video that promoted The Lord of the Rings. Abby Boitnott took second place in the book trailer category, and Meg Richey claimed second in the book cover category. Meg created her project along with classmate Elizabeth Fabiano, who was unable to attend the competition.
Crozet Farmers Market Opens May 4 at Tabor Church The Crozet Farmers Market will open Saturday, May 4, at a new location in the Tabor Presbyterian Church parking lot on Crozet Avenue. The market has relocated because construction of a new parking lot for Crozet United Methodist Church is slated to occur during the summer. Market hours are 8 a.m. until noon every Saturday through mid-October. The Crozet Market is a growers’/producers’ market, providing vendors the opportunity to sell their locally grown produce and handcrafted goods to the public. New vendors are welcome. Proceeds from sales in the market are returned to the community through an annual donation to the Crozet United Methodist Church
food pantry. The market offers a variety of locally grown vegetables, bedding plants, vegetable starts, cut flowers, homemade baked goods, handcrafted jewelry, woodcrafts and pottery. The market also offers the Horticulture Help Desk, staffed by volunteer Piedmont Master Gardeners every second and fourth Saturday of the season. HHD staff can answer questions about horticultural practices, pest control and plant diseases, with aim of safeguarding consumers and the environment against adverse effects. Bring samples of pests or problem plants. For more information, call market manager Al Minutolo at 434823-1092.
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CROZET gazette
APRIL 2013
Racer Massie Ralston Is Getting Used to Taking the Checkered Flag Nine-year-old Massie Ralston is a third grader at Crozet Elementary School and a phenom on go-kart racetracks throughout Virginia and the Carolinas. His winning skills appear so promising that he has earned a sponsorship—and mentorship—by one of the top gurus of the sport, go-kart engine builder Tod Miller. Massie got the racing bug from his uncle, Clay Dudley, who raced go-karts at Eastside Speedway in Waynesboro. Ralston picked number 23 for his carts because that is his uncle’s number, too. “My uncle was doing it and I wanted to try it. And then I really liked it and I got into it,” he explained with an abashed youthful reticence. “I like to go fast and I like racing.” He started at age five and now has three years of racing experience under his belt.
Racing on both dirt and asphalt tracks, Ralston has reached a top speed of 72 miles per hour. The average top speed in his class and age group is 68 mph, explained Ralston’s father Danny. Go-carts use resistor plates to restrict airflow to the engine and thereby limit their top speed. Ralston’s typical speed during a race is between 35 to 40 mph and races, depending on the particular course, are 20, 25 or 30 laps long. They usually last about 20 minutes, but there are two days of qualifying first and drivers normally bring two go-karts with them. Racers wear special helmets, chest protection, a fireproof jacket, racing shoes and a Hahn’s 360 device that provides neck support. Races charge entry fees and the typical prize is $1,500. Ralston has raced for an $80,000 purse. Ralston has won on tracks of dif-
Massie Ralston competing [Photo of courtesy Eric Hylton]
Massie Ralston with his parents Carmen and Danny
ferent lengths and on tracks he’s never been on before. So far he’s won nearly 100 races. “You’ve got to race yourself,” said Massie. He’s won the Purple Plate, the youngest class, making him the champ at Eastside Speedway. He was named Driver of the Year there. At Margarettsville Speedway in Margarettsville, North Carolina, he said, “I was beating them in the Purple Plate, so they moved me up to Blue Plate,” typically the class for kids 12 to 15 years old. Then he won 18 races in a row. Now he’s the Blue Plate champ too. He’s also won every race he’s entered at the King George Speedway in King George. The biggest race he’s won is the Maxxis (named for a tire maker) at Providence Raceway in Martinsville. Part of the mid-Atlantic series, that’s
an invitation-only event. At the Maxxis Nationals at Thunder Valley Motorplex in Neeses, South Carolina, he went up against 1,350 other racers from 48 states. Since he’s been jumping into higher classes, Massie said he plans for when he turns 13: moving into a full-size car. When they started buying motors from him, Tod Miller told the Ralstons to keep him updated on Massie’s progress. Massie went on winning. His goal now is to be the Blue Plate state champion. “I’d race every weekend,” said Massie, and he just about is racing, somewhere, every weekend during the March through October go-kart season. continued on page 30
Crozet United Methodist Church and the Kingswood Christian Preschool 1156 Crozet Ave. www.crozetumc.org Sunday Small Groups For All Ages @ 9:45 AM Sunday Worship: 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.
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JOIN US FOR A FUNDRAISER FOR THE CROZET LIBRARY The Faithful Men and Beautiful Feet Two Groups Live in Concert
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CROZET gazette
APRIL 2013
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Fostering a Love of Learning Since 2002
New Businesses at Golf Club Well-known local golf instructor Kandi Comer is opening her flagship comprehensive instructional golf program, the Kandi Comer Golf Academy, at Old Trail Golf Club, offering private instruction and clinics for adults alongside an extensive junior program for children as young as four. “My passion is to grow the game of golf through instruction, and there is no limit to the number of people I can reach at the Old Trail Golf Club,” said Comer, who has years of experience as a golf professional and instructor. “There are so many young families to serve, and the leadership [at Old Trail] is committed to a high quality and accessible golf experience. Their ‘everyone’s welcome’ inclusivity creates exactly the right atmosphere for my academy.” Registration for the first junior clinics, beginning April 7, is now open. Private lessons are also available for players of all skill levels. Local restauranteurs Andrew Watson and Kelley Tripp, who have been involved in six successful restaurants including Boylan Heights and Mellow Mushroom on The Corner in Charlottesville, will launch a new restaurant at the Old Trail Golf Club later this spring. The restaurant is designed to serve golfers, host weddings and events, and welcome families from Crozet and
Board of Trade —continued from page 1
civic organization, the DCA was formed in 2007, before Old Trail village shops or the Clover Lawn/Harris Teeter shopping areas were built. The DCA’s first goal was to create a zoning district for downtown Crozet with terms that recognized the idiosyncratic circumstances of Crozet’s historic business district and did not treat it as if it were a suburban shopping center with expansive parking lots. The county supervisors created the roughly 50-acre Crozet Downtown District, adopting zoning rules for it that are designed to create a traditional, mixed-use town center that is pedestrian-friendly. The district is unique in the county. The DCA has customarily also handled fundraising for Crozet’s
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beyond. “The concept of the restaurant is restoration,” said Kelley. “Whether our customer is rounding out a relaxing round of golf, out for a date night, or just getting together with family and friends, we will provide thoughtful approaches to comforting food that appeal to people from all walks of life. We want to create experiences that leave everyone in good spirits.” Significant renovations to the Old Trail Golf Clubhouse and Pavilion are scheduled to begin in April, according to golf club manager Seth Van Hall. “Our vision is to provide great amenities that become part of the fabric of our wider community. You don’t need to be a golfer or a resident of Old Trail to take advantage of what we’re building.” Old Trail Golf Club is open to the public year-round, providing a regulation 18-hole, par-71 golf course, a full-service clubhouse, and event hosting services.
Fourth of July fireworks show. It was a sponsor of the effort to create the Crozet Historic District, officially recognized by the U.S Department of the Interior in November, which makes designated older structures in central Crozet eligible for state and federal renovation tax credits. The CBT will host a public meeting about the construction schedule for the streetscape project on Crozet Avenue once a contractor for the job is selected by the county. The current officers of the CBT are Sandy Wilcox, president (The Blue Goose); Jean Wagner, vice president (Crozet Great Valu); Brenda Plantz, treasurer (Parkway Pharmacy); and Mike Marshall, secretary (Crozet Gazette). Businesses and professionals that would like to be on the CBT mailing list are asked to send an email to crozetboardoftrade@gmail.com.
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CROZET gazette
APRIL 2013
Seasonal Flavors
MEMORIES & RECIPES FROM AN ITALIAN KITCHEN [ by denise zito • denise@crozetgazette.com \
Spring Soup The asparagus starts poking its head above ground mid-month and if you planted your spinach last fall or in early March, it should also be ready to eat by now. Though we don’t associate Spring with soup, I guarantee that you and yours will love this recipe, supplied by my sister Jackie many years ago. The snow peas won’t ripen in central Virginia until May, so if you’re a real purist and want all the ingredients to come from your garden, then save this recipe until next month. I call this a ‘clever’ recipe in that you add the ingredients one by one, in reverse order of cooking time. Once you gather what’s needed and prepare the vegetables, the cooking time is very short. I urge you to make your own stock by boiling a chicken with an onion, some celery and a carrot for a few hours—why buy salt-filled, boxed stuff when it’s so easy to make your own? The soup is a wonderful way to start a lunch or dinner, followed by chicken salad (from that boiled chicken you used to make the stock) and a fruit salad. Ah, April!
Spring Soup 1 lb asparagus, cut off woody base, peel if needed, cut diagonally into one-inch pieces. ½ cup chopped onion 3 cloves minced garlic 1 T. olive oil 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth ½ cup orzo pasta 3 cups snow peas, strings removed 6 cups chopped spinach ¼ tsp. pepper ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese ¼ cup pesto (optional, but this really makes the dish special) Using a 4-quart heavy pan, sauté the onion and garlic in the oil until tender. Add the broth; bring to a boil. Stir in the orzo, reduce heat and boil gently for 5 minutes. Add the asparagus and snow peas. Return the soup to a gentle boil and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the spinach and pepper, and cook one minute more. Remove the soup from the heat. Ladle into bowls, swirl in some pesto and top with grated cheese. Makes 8 servings.
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CROZET gazette
APRIL 2013
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Utilities —continued from page 1
brick sidewalks, lighting and shade trees along the street. Kelsey said county officials have discovered that two more easements than were formerly identified on the east side of the street are necessary. Easements necessary for the connection to the new Crozet United Methodist Church parking lot, slated for construction over the summer, are in hand now, Kelsey said. The parking lots for the church and for the Blue Goose Building will connect by a short street to Crozet Avenue opposite Library Avenue, creating a four-way intersection there. The project, which has been plagued with delays and complications in securing 27 needed easements, was first expected to be built in 2008. Funding for it has been in the bank meanwhile. “The big hurdles are taken care of,” Kelsey said. Construction should begin this summer and is expected to require eight months.
SAVE THE DATE! Fathers Day
Sunday, June 16th, 2013
From the Editor
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—continued from page 3
But they stepped around that proffer gambit. Those projects must be public ones. Someday. How do we get someday to happen? By organizing our commercial power. The CBT is incorporated and recognized by the IRS as a nonprofit organization that works for Crozet’s civic benefit. This is a handy foundation for tackling the economic development tasks that lie ahead.
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APRIL 2013
CROZET gazette
Crozet Arts Dancers Perform “Spring Garden” Ballet and theater students from Crozet Arts presented two performances of their first Winter Studio Performance Workshop March 23 at Crozet Arts. Pictured are ballet students in “Spring Garden,” choreographed by Sharon D. Tolczyk, (left to right: Somé Louis, Ravenna Barber, Eleanor Hawkes, Annie
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Boczek, Caroline Hill, Zoe Clay, Emily Wright, Abigail Crane, Libby Addison, and Jen Phillips). The Children’s Theater class, under the direction of Boomie Pedersen, performed a play they wrote, “The Dragon Who Could Not Remember His Name.” Flowers were kindly donated by Couture Design in Crozet.
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APRIL 2013
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Crozet Is Site of First Triple-Certified House in Virginia Sylvia Hallock and Rosa Jimenez-Vazquez will soon move into their new home on Orchard Drive in Crozet, the first in Virginia to be certified by three programs that promote environmentally sustainable, universally accessible, and super-durable construction. They showed off their 2,200-square-foot home, built by Craig Builders, to the public March 16 with an open house. The house is based on a popular one-level Craig design, but the pair added windows and made sure it conformed to all the building specifications that the certifications require. Perhaps it’s no coincidence that Hallock, the
Rosa Jimenez –Vazquez and Sylvia Hallock Rosa Jimenez –Vazquez and Sylvis Hallock
1. 2. 3.
first Virginia state director for Habitat for Humanity, sits on the boards of the EarthCraft Virginia and Easy Living Home and expects soon to be on the board of Fortified Home (all non-profit organizations). Hallock and Jimenez– Vazquez put their money where their values are in executing the project. Their goal is to improve “green” homes as much as possible. “The design is for seniors and for people of any age who might be in a wheelchair. There are no steps anywhere; there’s a roll-in shower, for example,” explained Jimenez–Vazquez, a retired professor of social work. She immigrated to the U.S from Cuba in 1961 as a young lawyer. EarthCraft House certification emphasizes health considerations, energy and water conservation, air quality, quietness, durability and comfort. Hallock said that she expects to pay an electric bill on the order of $60 per month. There are 140 builders in Virginia that build to EarthCraft standards, Hallock said, and so far about 2,200 homes in the state have been certified. First organized by “green” home builders in Atlanta, EarthCraft is now established across the southeast U.S. Easy Living Home stresses factors such as nostep entries, wide doors and maneuvering spaces,
and other features that improve convenience. Fortified Homes certifies a house’s ability to withstand very high winds—up to 130 miles-perhour—hail and severe storms through special roof-securing measures. The windows can resist the same force. The house has 2-by-6 stud walls with blown cellulose insulation and a high efficiency heating and cooling system run at variable speeds by a programmable thermostat. It operates with only three percent leakage. Normal systems leak about 25 percent of the air they heat or cool. The house and lot cost a total of $375,000.
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
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(434) 823-4877
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Third Thursday at The Lodge at Old Trail
Behind The Scenes At Design House 2013 An annual fund raiser to benefit the Shelter For Help in Emergency (SHE)
Thursday, April 18, 2013 • 5:30 PM Would you give up your home for three months? Each year, a Charlottesvillearea homeowner generously extends the use of his or her house for the Design House event, allowing local designers to showcase their talents and the latest in interior design styles and techniques. The result is a popular fund raising event that provides a unique tour for visitors filled with endless and inspiring ideas for the home. • Join us to learn how a Design House is created. • Meet one of the designers for the 2013 house. • View results from previous Design Houses. • Learn how the important funds raised support SHE. If you have interest in interior design and decorating, this is an event not to be missed.
RSVP- 434.823.9100 or rsvp@lodgeatoldtrail.com 330 Claremont Lane, Crozet, Virginia 22932 | www.lodgeatoldtrail.com
INDEPENDENT LIVING • ASSISTED LIVING • MEMORY CARE
CCA Raises Money for CVFD, WARS and Crozet Library Joined by White Hall District Supervisor Ann Mallek, Crozet Community Association president Tim Tolson presented checks at the CCA’s March 14 meeting to Kostas Alibertis of the Western Albemarle Rescue Squad, Tom Loach of the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department and Build Crozet Library fundraising committee chairman Bill Schrader from the proceeds of the Valentine’s Swing Dance held at the Field School February 16. The event, which featured Leo Mallek’s Salute to Swing band, raised $1,300 that was split between the three local volunteer organizations. The CCA heard about the status of the county’s geo-policing policy from police Lt. Greg Jenkins, who also introduced officer Paul Quillon, who is assigned to the western Albemarle sector. The strategy is to keep officers on local beats where they can become
acquainted with residents, rather than shifting them randomly to patrol sectors around the county. Loach and Jim Crosby described their initial efforts, in collaboration with the county police, at establishing the Crozet Safety Corps, a volunteer citizens’ group that will promote local crime prevention and emergency preparedness. In the local history moment, Crozet historian Phil James told the story of a 1908 robbery of the Bank of Crozet, which occupied the building downtown that is now the home of Bark Avenue, the dog grooming salon. With the help of tools stolen from a nearby blacksmith, thieves blasted open the bank’s vault with dynamite. The furniture in the bank was reduced to splinters and $800 was taken. Fortunately the loss was covered by insurance. No culprit was caught. DR. HILLARY COOK
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CROZET gazette
APRIL 2013
13
by Phil James phil@crozetgazette.com
The Jersey Devil,
A
ccording to editors of several Virginia newspapers in 1910, it was said to have been the “most extraordinary combination of beast and bird ever seen in these parts.” “These parts” being referenced were near the village of Hightown on U.S. Route 250 west of Staunton and close to the West Virginia line. That was where David Freeze was reported to have been surprised by a strange creature passing through the sky above him. The thing he described “had a head like a horse, feet and legs like a mule, and soared along on great red wings.” Everyone who heard about it knew that it had to be one of those infamous “Jersey devils,” interloping below the Mason-Dixon. Now, before you stop reading and turn the page, you need to know that a year earlier, the Alexandria Gazette reported that John Edgerton, the village blacksmith, and Charles Robbins had been “paralyzed with fear” by the sight of a similar creature landing and then taking flight in a field not 40 yards from them. That same beast was reportedly seen again some distance away by other eyewitnesses. If you haven’t run to check on the children and are still reading, then you may as well hear that the Daily Press in Newport News reported, nine months after the Alexandria sighting, that another one—they, too, said it was a Jersey devil—had been found dead in the woods near Burlington, NJ. Hundreds had seen and photographed the carcass. Apparently the report of the extraordinary sighting in Hightown created too much of a stir over in Monterey, because a week later the Highland Recorder tried to debunk the whole affair by blasting the Staunton news authorities for writing it up in the first place. But, hey, if you read it in the newspaper....
and
Other Local News
Changing gears, now, if you can: newspapers have been referred to as the first draft of history. Others have opined that the daily news media present more of a first rough draft of history; the story, and subsequently, history, become refined as more facts and reliable eye-witnesses accounts
1913 ~ Charlottesville Daily Progress
1910 ~ Staunton Spectator and Vindicator
are added to the big picture. For those who seek out family and community histories, newspaper archives provide a vital portal to the past. Down through centuries, editors, reporters and advertising agents have assembled and published their best profile of the day’s events and personalities. Within the recorded local and world events, mentions are made regularly of the everyday rhythms of a community. The weather was noted in earlier days not so
1885 ~ Richmond Dispatch
much for the planning of leisure, but within the context of farming. Then, as now, when the poor farmer suffered—when Ma’s Victory Garden wilted—everyone felt it, city and countryside alike. The city editors needed to sell papers outside of the downtown crowd, so they looked to those cognizant of their neighbors in the outlying precincts and villages. For pennies per column-inch of news, school teachers, merchants, postal workers and general gadabouts reported back what they heard.
continued on page 14
1902 ~ Richmond Times
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1923 ~ Charlottesville Daily Progress
Jersey Devil —continued from page 13
And who doesn’t want to stay up on their neighbors’ business! So papers got sold, community was enriched (only occasionally at the expense of someone’s privacy), and a rich harvest of names and activities awaited future researchers. July 1884: The Charlottesville Jeffersonian reported on ruffians who had threatened and alarmed passengers riding on the C&O train between Charlottesville and Staunton. When told by the train’s staff to refrain, they refused. Armed with a “billet of wood,” the chief conductor and a porter confronted the rowdies and ejected them from the train alongside the tracks between Mechum’s River and Crozet, whereupon the culprits proceeded to stone the train as it pulled away. February 1892: Mr. D. McGregor, of Avon, will ship a large lot of lumber to the “Old Country” this month.
1893 ~ Richmond Times
April 1901: A boiler explosion at a sassafras mill near Gilbert’s Station (north of Charlottesville) threw engine parts 150 yards, seriously injuring four workers. The mill’s owner, J.H. Riney, was “found senseless” and not expected to recover. February 1901: William M. Lafferty and Sarah E. Owens, of Crozet, were married at noon at the residence of the bride’s father... The wedding breakfast served at 11 o’clock was sumptuous. September 1902: The handsome carriage, runabout and spirited horses belonging to C.D. Langhorne of Mirador may be seen each evening on the splendid roads in and around the village of Hillsboro. September 1903: Bishop Gibson left Richmond for a tour of his charges around the State. On the 30th he will inspect Mission Home at the foot of Lost Mountain. That evening he will hold a service at the schoolhouse on Lost Mountain. April 1906: Mr. Joseph F. Wood of Sugar Hollow, a teamster of skill
Pascha: Easter with the eggs but not the rabbit Join us on the great lenten journey throughout the month of April toward the glorious resurrection of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. On Route 250 in Greenwood. stnicholasorthodoxchurch.org
St. Nicholas
orthodox church
1910 ~ Charlottesville Daily Progress
and experience, has, since last summer, brought over the mountain to Crimora more than a half million manufactured shingles. June 1906: Albemarle Sweet Cider by barrel or carload; also, superior snow white corn meal. Write for prices. Greenwood Grist and Cider Mills. Greenwood Depot, VA. January 1913: The death of Miss Lottie Moon, age 73, next to the oldest in service of Baptist missionaries in China, occurred at Kobe,
Japan, while she was being brought to America for treatment. She is a native of Albemarle County. May 1916: Little Viola, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. S.H. Jones of Free Union, is out again after a very severe attack of diphtheria. March 1919: Private Ernest Louis Hicks of Decca arrived back stateside in Newport News. The J.T. Hicks family rejoiced along with their friends for his safe return from The War.
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 © 2003–2013 Phil James
CROZET gazette
APRIL 2013
15
inthegarden@crozetgazette.com
Staying Focused While studying design in a community college horticultural program, we visited the garden of a local horticulturist, an avid collector of Japanese maples. Our instructor was probing us to describe the garden’s aesthetic and prompted: “It begins with ‘c’,” hoping someone would say, “a collector’s garden.” Unfortunately, one of the students came out with “chaos,” a term the instructor frequently used to describe overly busy gardens. Ouch. The garden owner never let him live it down. I have to confess to being something of a plant collector myself. I haven’t focused on any particular genus, so I don’t have to possess every new daylily or hot-off-theshelf hosta that comes along, for example. But I do appreciate the variety and diversity of the plant world, and my garden reflects that. Which translates to: For the purposes of this article, do as I say, not
as I do. A focal point—or “focal,” for short—is something our eye goes to, whether it be in the landscape, a room, etc. In a collector’s garden, with so many plants that grab your attention, your eye jumps around and you end up with no real focal point. For gardening purposes, a focal might be a plant, but it can just as well be any object. In fact, inanimate objects may arguably make the best focals in the garden. Amid a sea of plants, an object is pretty much guaranteed to stand out. Another advantage to using an object—a sculpture or urn, for example—as a focal: it will immediately be at its final size. No waiting for it to grow to the appropriate dimensions. No watering required. Unfortunately, there’s no exact formula for figuring out what size you’ll need. Too big, and the focal will overwhelm your garden; too small, and it will look puny and get lost in the shuffle. It’s pretty much a matter of common sense and trialand-error. But if you’re contemplat-
Sculpture makes a dramatic focal point.
ing an object that’s approximately the size of a person, you could actually have a person stand in the chosen spot to see if those dimensions work. Color is critical for focals. Red, the complementary color to green,
will stand out the most in a garden. Some might say it would stand out too much; read the warning labels, but be guided by your own muse. Blue, which is a component of green, tends to work well in a garcontinued on page 28
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CROZET gazette
Regarding “Local” and “Natural”
An Outreach Program of Tabor Presbyterian Church Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m. • Adult Sunday School 9:15
[ by elena day • elena@crozetgazette.com \
• April 8, 15, 22, & 29
Spring into Action
Presented by A Place to Breathe, Crozet Great Valu, & Moving with Elegance 6:30 p.m. Cost $25 for four sessions. April 8: Nutrition—Learn what healthy eating really is and learn easy steps to get you there with Fabienne Swanson; April 15: Flexibility—Enjoy gentle stretching that relaxes the body and the mind with Johanna Dottori and Charlotte Fitch; April 22: Stress Relief—Learn tools to bring relaxation into your life so your body can heal and your mind can rest with Crystal Oliver.; April 29: Home Practice— Certified instructors help you develop your own practice to take home with you after the workshop.
• April 27
Pilgrimage for Spring Renewal: A Labyrinth Workshop.
Beginning at 10 a.m. Lunch served. Suggested love donation $10. Led by Jule Millard, PhD Experience the power of the labyrinth to support an inward journey to peace, energy and the spirit within. The two-hour workshop will combine a group labyrinth walk, silent meditation and prayer with the creative processes of mandalas, journaling, and finger labyrinths to deepen your labyrinth experience. Bring a journal and dress comfortably.Space is limited. Preregistration necessary.
• May 15, 7 p.m.
For more information or to register, call 823-4255
Community Handbell Choir Concert
NEW! Crozet Cares Has a Website: WWW.CROZETCARES.COM
JUNE 17 - 21
This summer, Tabor Presbyterian Church is hosting Camp Hanover, a traveling day camp in its 16th year! Staffed by an American Camp Association Accredited Day Camp Director and Counselors
For Children 1st - 5th Grades Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., $100 Register Online at www.CampHanover.org
Tabor Presbyterian Church
5804 Tabor Street • PO Box 446 Crozet, VA 22932 www.taborpc.org • 434-823-4255
Mountain Plain Baptist Church Our friendly church invites you to worship with us.
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Dr. Sam Kellum, Pastor 4281 Old Three Notch’d Road Charlottesville (Crozet), 22901 Travel 2 miles east of the Crozet Library on Three Notch’d Rd. (Rt. 240), turn left onto Old Three Notch’d Rd., go 0.5 mile to Mountain Plain Baptist Church
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I feel heartened by the Buy Local/ Eat Local aspect of the “good food /slow food movement.” However, I can’t help suspect that the encouraging word “local” is one easily coopted by Kroger, WalMart, et al., and not necessarily indicative of a healthfully produced product. After all, we have plenty of factory-farmed egg layers and broilers over in the Shenandoah Valley within a 50- to a 100-mile radius, which implies “local.” Tyson’s chickens are “local.” “Natural” is another one of those words that are overused and misleading to the consumer. High fructose corn syrup is “natural” and in many processed foods. It is a major contributer to our collective increasing girth. Over 90 percent of U.S. corn is genetically modified (GMO) “Monsanto Roundup Ready.” GMO corn is in cereals labeled “natural.” Recently, my husband and I read the “commitment” on the back of the Kashi cereal box. Kashi pledges that by the end of 2015 half their product will be non-GMO verified. Why 2015? This should give one pause. There are not enough nonGMO and organic ingredients out there! Kashi is owned by Kellogg, the largest breakfast cereal company in the world. Is Kellogg going to go GMO-corn-free on all its brands or only for the foodie niche market? It won’t happen without an informed public demanding a GMO phaseout. Again, more than 90 percent of soybeans, canola, and sugar beets are GM. Oils from canola, soy and corn are labeled “natural.” In January 2011, the FDA also approved Roundup Ready alfalfa, our fourth largest crop after corn, soybeans and wheat. Ninety-three percent of alfalfa was previously grown without herbicides, as it forms a dense mat that can choke off weeds. Alfalfa is the primary crop grown for hay to feed dairy cows and horses. Most of the corn and soybeans raised are fed to animals. Unplowed fields green up with weeds in early spring. Those that remain unpleasantly brown have
been sprayed with the weed-killer Roundup and planted with Roundup-resistant corn and soybean seeds provided by Monsanto. Monsanto sells 90 percent of the patented seeds in the world. I can’t help but wonder what happens to beneficial soil organisms, insects, and amphibians, too, (since Roundup runs off into wetlands and streams) in such induced sterility. Currently there are 150-million-plus acres of Roundup Ready crops in the U.S. Roundup has given rise to superweeds that are now killed with even more toxic herbicides like paraquat. Chemical farming isn’t anything new. Since the second half of the 19th century US farmers have used lead, arsenic, cyanide, DDT and organophosphate nerve poisons in massive amounts. These are not health aids. Currently, 80 percent of our vegetables, fruit and flowers are treated with organophosphate pesticides. These have been linked with Attention Deficit Hypersensitivity Disorder (ADHD) in various studies. “Local” does not mean that the vegetables, milk or meat one buys are free of pesticide residues. Local does mean that the average miles that food travels from farm to consumer is decreased. Indeed, the fossil food footprint of industrial agriculture as a result of transport is enormous. However, local foodstuffs may be as heavily dosed with pesticides as those from California, Mexico, Chile or China. “Local” doesn’t mean that fields on which crops are grown aren’t heavily fertilized with synthetic nitrogen. Billions of pounds of nitrogen fertilizer are poured onto U.S. agricultural fields yearly.* Nitrous oxide is a byproduct of the manufacturing process and its release into our atmosphere as a greenhouse gas is more damaging than that of carbon dioxide (CO2). Of course large amounts of CO2 are also released in transport because 70 percent of the nitrogen fertilizer is imported. I mentioned Tyson early in the “rambling.” The local poultry Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) in the Valley
continued on page 33
CROZET gazette
BY DR. ROBERT C. REISER crozetannals@crozetgazette.com
Remembering Walter Over the years I came to know Ken* a little. He would come into the ER about every three to six months, slightly drunk, morally exhausted, physically tremulous, and emotionally overwhelmed. Most of his self-respect was gone or hanging on by a thread of remembered value. He wanted something from me, something that was for me to give or withhold. He was always polite and always prepared for the possibility that I would say no. He wanted voluntary in-hospital alcohol detoxification. Voluntary alcohol detoxification is different from treatment for acute alcohol withdrawal. Alcohol withdrawal can be fatal. Acute alcohol withdrawal typically occurs 12 to 24 hours after an alcoholic stops drinking abruptly. Alcohol withdrawal is a true medical emergency with a high mortality rate and we admit all those patients. Mortality ranges from two to 25 percent, depending on how severe the withdrawal is. In contrast, voluntary alcohol detox is just that, voluntary, usually long before there is any risk of acute alcohol withdrawal or associated medical needs. To safely and comfortably get an alcoholic through the stages of detoxifying from alcohol takes anywhere from 3 to 5 days in the hospital for monitoring and treatment with the appropriate sedatives. A day in the hospital typically costs between two and four thousand dollars. The most ancient and low-tech option for preventing abrupt alcohol withdrawal in hospitalized alcoholics is whisky or beer served as needed. Our pharmacy *Not his real name
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APRIL 2013
still stocks several brands that can be ordered on admitted patients. How Mad Men! Mostly, however, we now use tapering doses of sedative type drugs such as Librium in place of the alcohol. It does take some of the raffish nostalgia out of writing the admitting orders, though. While all hospitals can easily provide alcohol detox, for various reasons very few actually do it. Insurance coverage is iffy, the patients can be frustrating to deal with, the disease itself isn’t imminently fatal and, most importantly, alcohol detox is rarely successful once the patient leaves the hospital. To be accurate, the success rate is not known. It is hard to track the success of a treatment that is confidential or even anonymous and when relapse of the disease is often denied or not reported. But the best estimates and my own experience suggest that the success rate is pretty close to, but not quite, never. In the ER I get requests for voluntary medical detox all the time, but they are typically from spouses, parents, children or other family members of the patient. The patient usually sits passively through these encounters, intoxicated, bored and often faintly amused. When asked, the patient will deny the desire to stop drinking. When I tell the families that it really has to be the patient’s choice and that detox is not really an option today, the patient will smile triumphantly and say, “See? No one wants to help me!” Did I mention the patients can be frustrating? To make it even more challenging, the families will then transfer their anger at the patient onto me, as if I could magically fix him, but won’t. When we do discharge these continued on page 28
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Victory Hill Church Becomes Commonwealth Christian Community Victory Hill Church of God renamed itself Commonwealth Christian Community on Easter, marking a new direction for the church under the leadership of a new pastor, Paul Hollifield. The new name for the church, located on Patterson Mill Lane in Yancey Mills, “speaks to our vision of working together as the body of Christ,” Hollifield said. The community will put greater emphasis on meeting in homes and other locations around the region, while remaining under the supervision of the main church, he explained. He called the new approach “a multisite strategy.” “Our goal is to find people who are not engaged with a church,” he said. He said it will take some time to get the community’s signs and van markings changed, so the old name will still be seen around for a while. “There was no issue with the name
Victory Hill. It wasn’t about there being a problem. The church is moving into a new season, a new era. It’s been happening for the last two years. Before I came. “We want to honor that past. We’re not changing things that were happening. There was nothing wrong, which is what people wonder when you change a name. We’re making our outward appearance conform to the change that’s happened to us over the last 15 years.” “Our heart is to reach the lost,” summed up Annie Hollifield, his wife. “We want to be the community of believers we are called to be,” said Paul. “The Gospels say to love God with all your heart and mind and to love your neighbor and to go change the world. If you were to be persecuted for being a Christian, would there be evidence against you from your life?” Hollifield, the son of a pastor, got
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From left, Victor Morris, discipleship pastor; Pastor Paul Hollifield, and David Webb, associate pastor.
his theological training at Lee University in Tennessee, the main seminary for the Church of God, and also met Annie there. He also earned his M.A in church music there. The Hollifields had been liv-
ing in Amelia County, essentially as missionaries, Annie said, before moving with their four children (all home-schooled) to Crozet in September. continued on page 25
CROZET gazette
APRIL 2013
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The Blue Ridge Naturalist © Marlene A. Condon | marlene@crozetgazette.com
Bats Endangered; The Crozet Tunnel Should Remain Closed Many years ago, when I first heard that people were interested in opening the Crozet Tunnel on Afton Mountain to hikers, I e-mailed a Nelson County supervisor. I was concerned about bats that might be using the tunnel to hibernate or roost. I’d hoped those flying mammals would be taken into consideration and would not be disturbed at all during hibernation and minimally bothered during the rest of the year. With animal populations crashing all around us, I recognized the value of preserving healthy populations of whatever critters had managed thus far to survive the increasingly disruptive impact upon wildlife by humans. The supervisor responded to me as if I were a naïve little girl. He assured me that there were plenty of bats around and that there was nothing to worry about. He ignored my pleas to avoid harming these animals. But within just a few years of that correspondence, a disease called White-nose Syndrome (WNS) was discovered in a cave near Albany, New York. It gets its name from the white fungus that is often visible on the muzzles and bodies of infected bats. The fungus is deadly, killing bats by weakening them when it invades their body tissue and disrupts their hibernation. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a minimum of 5.5 million bats have since died in four Canadian provinces and 19 states, including Virginia. Many species of bats have been affected, including the Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus) and the Tricolored Bat, which was formerly known as the Eastern Pipistrelle (Perimyotis subflavis). The Little Brown used to be the most common bat in North America, but it’s now threatened with extinction. Research has shown that popula-
tions of the Little Brown Bat and the Tri-colored Bat have declined by more than 90 percent. Both of these species have been found in the Crozet Tunnel by game biologists from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. Our neighbor state to the north, Pennsylvania, has lost approximately 99 percent of its Little Brown, Tricolored, and Northern Long-eared Bats (Myotis septentrionalis) since 2008, illustrating the speed with which almost entire populations of species can be wiped out. The probability for a rebound of populations is practically nonexistent. Bats usually live for two to three decades and typically give birth to only one pup per year. Thus even if WNS could be stopped right now, it could take hundreds of years for populations to come back to preWNS levels. And that’s assuming there are no other assaults upon these mammals. All organisms have important roles to play. The role of bats is to feed upon night-flying insects, limiting their numbers to sustainable levels. Bats themselves are fed upon by other animals, such as snakes and owls, and even humans in some parts of the world. As species disappear, the environment comes ever closer to being unable to function properly. Mother Nature is no fool and has built into the system back-up creatures to fulfill roles played by other critters that may temporarily disappear or be in short supply. But that back-up system is becoming more and more depleted, threatening the existence of our own species. The cause of WNS is a European fungus that somehow found its way to the United States, perhaps upon the sole of a traveler’s shoe. The spores from the fungus (Gomyces destructans) have been discovered now in 21 states. If people pick up spores on their continued on page 30
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CROZET gazette
APRIL 2013
By John Andersen, DVM gazettevet@crozetgazette.com
Wally the Feral Kitten One morning, our practice owner Dr. Michael Rose got a call from a friend. This person had gone out to start his truck on a cold morning and immediately heard the screams of an animal coming from inside the engine. He stopped the engine, popped the hood, and inside was a 12-week-old kitten who had just been beaten up pretty bad by the truck’s fan blade as the engine started. Sadly, this is not an uncommon occurrence in cold weather. Stray cats go looking for warmth and find a cozy place inside the hood of a car. Seems like a good idea until the people come back to the car and start it up. So there the man stood, looking at this poor kitten who was clearly in pain, scared, and still in his engine. He instinctively reached down to help get the kitten out of the engine, which is when he found out it was really going to be a really bad morning. If you ever find yourself in a situation where a dog or cat is injured, even if it’s your own trusted pet, be very careful if you go to touch it or pick it up. When animals are scared
or in pain, they often go into survival mode. Even though you may be trying to help them, they may see that as a threat and defend themselves with their teeth. I would guess that approaching a scared or injured animal is easily the most common reason for a person to get bit. Our poor injured kitten saw this man’s hand coming down to get him and he let him have it. “Mr. Jones” was bitten and scratched, but somehow managed to get the kitten out of the engine. It ran under the truck, hissing and panting. Dr. Rose headed over on his way to work and somehow got the kitten into a box. Mr. Jones’s hand was bruised and already starting to swell. Dr. Rose explained to him how cat bites always need immediate medical care because the bacteria in their mouth almost always will cause a terrible infection when they get under the skin. Even one day’s delay in getting on antibiotics has sent many people to the emergency room with a systemic infection. Additionally, we knew nothing about this cat’s rabies status, as it was a stray. Mr. Jones went to an urgent care facility to get started on antibiotics and Dr. Rose brought the kitten to the office. The problems with “Wally,” as we
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there was any chance Wally could have rabies. The odds are probably low that he did, but rabies would surely kill Mr. Jones. We can’t take any chances when we have people bitten by an unvaccinated animal, especially a “wild” animal. The options for Wally were either to euthanize him and send him to the state lab for rabies testing or to quarantine him for 10 days to see if he started showing any signs of rabies. Animals with rabies will die within 7 to 10 days of becoming contagious. Wally’s x-ray So what do we do? Kill this poor kitten? Maybe it would be best to put it out of its misery, since there’s no way it’s going to let us care for it. Or do we keep it for 10 days, knowing that the poor thing is injured and there’s nothing we can do for it except try
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named him, were many. For starters, he was badly injured. It was clear that he could not use his back legs, as they were dragging behind him, and there was a decent amount of blood in the box. On top of that, he was clearly feral. “Feral” is a term we use to describe domestic cats who have never been socialized and are terrified of human interaction. These are basically wild animals. Adult feral cats will almost never allow someone to pet them, and when these cats have kittens, their kittens quickly pick up on this avoidance of people. Wally was feral. He was hissing and spitting at us, making it very clear that he was not going to allow any kind of exam at all. Lastly, Wally was now in rabies quarantine. Because he bit Mr. Jones, we now had to determine if
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CROZET gazette
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APRIL 2013
Brownsville your neighborhood market
Hard Wok Café and Other Fun Dining From real restaurant names
by claudia crozet 1 2 3 4 5 4 Across 1 November birthstone in its 12 orange form 6 Rap sheet letters 17 9 Atty. group 12 Martini accent 20 21 13 MacDonald’s place 15 Disney fish 24 24 17 Ocean going vessel 27 28 29 30 18 Spicy Asian bar and grill 20 Too much to Pierre 32 33 22 S issue 23 ______ -Magnon 40 24 Family owned seafood eatery 27 Highest h.s. classes 43 44 30 Hockey’s Bobby ______ 50 47 46 47 31 Project or miss end 32 Veggie sandwich cafe 50 51 52 36 Garage or yard transaction 40 Young ox 56 57 41 Buck and Afton: Abbr. 42 Sore 62 63 43 Hop kiln 44 Mexican restaurant and cantina 66 67 46 Place to get stuck 70 69 71 48 ______ king, demon of German folktales 49 Superlative finish 50 Tokyo Falafel shop 4 Forestall 56 Suit topper 5 Time for military action 57 Defense pact formed 6 Astern Apr. 4, 1949 7 Mexican painter, wife of 58 Multi-room accommodations Rivera 62 Heavenly Chinese takeout 8 “Open up! 65 Figure of speech This is ______!” 66 Boar’s Head and Clifton 9 Curry or Landers 67 SNL Sarah impersonator 10 Copper leafed tree 68 Choosing rhyme start 11 When the moon hits your 69 Soak (with up) eye like a big pizza pie 70 Crozet RR 14 Nonconformist 71 Rubbish 16 “ ______ about”: legal term allowing fudge factor Down 19 Iridescent gem 1 Tattled (with on) 21 Soil drainage test, for short 2 Roly-poly pre-school character 25 Dairy based taco sauce 3 Pub measure 26 Developer of alternating
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Across 3 Carry along with you 4 Rain ____ 6 Daffodils and tulips 7 Opposit of dry 9 Month after March
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current 27 In addition 28 Animal protection org. 29 Jeanne d’Arc and Therese of Lisieux: Abbr. 33 Prefix meaning four 34 And others, briefly 35 Son of Jacob, Tribe of Israel 37 Wile E. Coyote’s favorite brand 38 Meadowlands 39 Once once 42 Like some German vowels 44 Last part of an
Biscuits Bagels Croissants Sausage Country Ham Bacon Pork Tenderloin Steak Biscuits Egg & Cheese Fresh Coffee Ready Coffee’s am! at 4:30 0 am)
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Grab & Go or Made to Order! BREAKFAST
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GRILL • MARKET • GAS STATION CONVENIENCE STORE
endless play? 45 Miners’ objectives 47 ______ Reader 50 South sea islands war canoe 51 Desktop symbols 52 Business card item: Abbr. 53 Moral code 54 Oafs 55 To draw in Provence 59 Firm up 60 Like the Iliad or Aeneid 61 Hide opposite 63 Sixth sense, briefly 64 Polish Solution on page 32
LUNCH Homemade Fried Chicken Homemade Sides (change daily!) Steak & Cheese Chicken Filet Sandwich Corndogs Burgers Daily Specials
Come Tr yO HOME ur Famous FRIED MADE CHICK EN!
MON. - SAT. 5 am – 10 pm SUNDAY 6 am – 9 pm Route 250 • Crozet Next to Western Albemarle High
434-823-5251
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APRIL 2013
CROZET gazette
Afton and Nellysford Featured in Historic Garden Week, April 21 & 22
Solliden, Taylor Creek Road, Afton (Photo courtesy Historic Garden Week)
— THANK YOU —
Crozet Lions Club 2013 Pancake Dinner Supporters Thank you for making our March 2 pancake dinner fundraiser such a success! ACAC Fitness & Wellness Center Albemarle Ballet Theatre, Inc. Anderson Funeral Services Animal Wellness Center Anna’s Restorante Art in the West B & B Service Associates Blue Ridge Builders Supply Blue Ridge Glass & Beads Bobby Graves Brownsville Market Buck & Judy Barber Charlie Coiner Chiles Peach Orchard Clover Lawn Salon Couture Design Crafty Edith Crozet Gazette Crozet Great Valu Crozet Hardware Co., Inc. Crozet Insurance Crozet Laundromat Crozet Print Shop D. B. Sandridge Doris Sandridge Davis Douglas F. Seal & Sons Dr. Elizabeth Berger Mandell
Drs. Rice & Associates Otto’s Encompass Therapy Over The Moon Bookstore Face Value Salon Parkway Pharmacy Fardowners Restaurant Penelope Field School of Charlottesville Pinnell Custom Leather Fischer Auto Parts PT Plus Georgetown West Salon R A Yancey Lumber Goodloe Saunders Robert Mentzinger Grand Home Furnishings Rockfish Gap Country Store Greenwood Antiques & Uniques Ruby Starke Sandridge Hankel Citizens Ins. Co. Sal’s Pizza Harris Teeter Sam’s Hot Dog Stand Henley Middle School Scott Weiss Architect Hill & Wood Funeral Service Settle Tire Iris Potter Southern Way Café Ivy Corner Nursery Staples Barber Shop J. P. Gates State Farm Ins.-Gregg Leffler Jack & Betty Coogan T.M. Turf Company Jazzercise The Art Box Creative Framing June Andrews The Needle Lady Kennedy Electric The YMCA La Cocina de Sol Tiger Fuel Co. Maupin Electric Company US Joiner, LLC Maupin’s Music & Video UVA Community Credit Union Modern Barber Shop VA Soccer Camp for Champions Not Just Pearls Warren James Automobile Office Quad Woodbrook Sports
See you next year!
Afton and Nellysford will participate in the 80th anniversary of Historic Garden Week in Virginia with two homes open in each location for this well-attended event, this year on April 21 and 22. Two mountainside homes in Wintergreen’s Stoney Creek area, Hemlock Hill and the Lindquist home, and two locations in Afton, Solliden and Knollwood, offer broad lawns and gardens. The homes are as varied as a restored 1800s log house and a 2006 mountainside home featuring informal gardens of tall tulip poplars, Japanese maple, dogwoods, redbuds, boxwoods, evergreens, hosta, perennials and an herb garden. Hosted by the Rivanna Garden Club, Charlottesville Garden Club
and Albemarle Garden Club, the homes offer gorgeous mountain views, sweeping terrain and unique natural gardens. All four homes and gardens will be open for both days. Hours for the tours are noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday. No spike heels, backpacks or pets are allowed and due to the terrain, no vehicles will be permitted to park in the tour area, on the roads or on tour properties. All access to the tour will be by shuttle only. As a courtesy to the gardens’ owners and for participants’ safety, guests are asked to wear flat walking shoes, but not unsecured sandals. Walking will be required and there are some steep slopes. Strollers are not permitted in homes and most garden areas are not stroller friendly. Tour areas are not handicap accessible and parking and restroom facilities will be provided at parking areas. There are no restroom facilities at the homesites or gardens. Tickets are required ($40 for the full tour, good both days) to board shuttle buses and to enter homes and gardens. All funds raised benefit the restoration and preservation of historic public gardens in Virginia, such as Monticello, Montpelier, Poplar Forest, and the University of Virginia gardens. For more information, including a schedule of events, directions, and ticket purchases, visit www.vagardenweek.org.
APRIL 2013
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VDOT Starts Route 151 Corridor Study
FOR FAMILY FUN & ACTIVITIES!
CROZET PARC YMCA Healthy Kids Day
Fun, FREE activities for the whole family!
Saturday, April 27 1-4 PM Crozet PARC YMCA
UPCOMING EVENTS*
With current crash data in hand, field visits were conducted of each intersection, and factors that may have contributed to crashes were identified and possible solutions described. Public input on those was solicited at the meeting. A second public meeting will be scheduled in late April or early May before the study is submitted in June.
Around the Garden Now that spring is here, we start to spend more time outside. Try taking a walk through your yard and plan improvements from the prevous year. I am far from a master gardner, but I do have a few helpful tips for working outside this spring. • Remove salt deposits from clay pots before reusing by combining equal parts white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and water in a spray bottle. Spray the pot all over, scrub with a brush and let dry. • Make a convenient and practical garden twine holder. Put the ball of twine into a small clay pot, pull the end of the twine through the drainage hole, place it upside down in your garden.
CROZET MOOSE LODGE
• Prevent cord from jamming in your trimmer by spraying the new string with oil before installing in your trimmer. • Create unique plant markers and get your kids excited about the coming seedling. Collect flat rocks and decorate them with permanent marker or non-toxic paint to mark and label rows. Or, laminate your seed packages with packing tape or clear contact paper and staple them to thin wooden stakes to stick in the garden beds. Or, instead of using the seed packages, do the same with hand-made labels and drawings by you or your children. Whether you are a gardener or not, enjoy this wonderful time of the year outside. Happy Spring!
APR. 5 • DANCE WITH JEREMY STAUBUS 8:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. APR. 12 • DANCE WITH SHANNON BRANCH & SANTA FE BAND 8:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. APR. 19 • DANCE WITH JUSTIFIED 8:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m. APR. 26 • DANCE/KARAOKE WITH DJ PAUL SEAL 8:30 - 11 p.m. *For members & qualified guests only.
Members may bring an unlimited number of guests.
Dinner Specials Every Wednesday Night
KIDS 6 & UNDER EAT FREE
Call or Stop by for More Information Wednesday - Sunday
6135 Rockfish Gap Turnpike
434-823-2316
Bringing the best of two beautiful worlds together.
SECOND SATURDAYS GALLERY RECEPTION
Saturday, Apr. 13, 6 - 8 p.m. Crozet Arts Student Show!
SARAH KENNEDY
Author of The Altarpiece (Bk. 1, The Cross & the Crown Series)
Tuesday, Apr. 16, 6 p.m.
ELIZABETH TIDWELL
Author of War Club: a Journey of Understanding Along the Lewis & Clark Trail
Wednesday, Apr. 24, 6 p.m.
APRIL 24
Officials from the Virginia Department of Transportation introduced preliminary findings in its current study of safety issues along Route 151 in northern Nelson County at a public meeting at the Rockfish Valley Community Center March 14. More improvements of the section stretching from Route 250 south to the intersection of Route 151 and Beech Grove Road (Route 664) may be needed. Steady local population growth and increasing tourism usage have caused an increase of vehicles on the Route 151 corridor, which has a recent history ranging from minor accidents and fender benders to multiple fatalities, VDOT officials said. The highway has also been used for more than a decade as a shortcut for commercial truck traffic traveling between I-64 and U.S. Route 29. Approximately 60 people turned out to review maps and suggestions for each of the 13 intersections included in the 14-mile study route.
COME JOIN US AT THE
APRIL 16
CROZET gazette
Books, artisan crafts, jewelry, cards & more!
MON. - SAT. 10 - 6 ; SUN. 12 - 5
Rt. 240 at Crozet Ave. | 434-823-1144
Healthy Kids Day is THE day for kids to get a jump on a summer! Activities include:
36-foot Inflatable Obstacle Course! Family Fitness Classes, including Zumba, Strength Challenge, Athletic Conditioning, and Yoga! Healthy Food Samples! Launch of our Community Garden!
Complete activity stations and receive YMCA gift bag!
Become a member of the Crozet PARC YMCA:
Outdoor Summer Pool! Fitness Center & Group Exercise Classes! Program Discounts!
Crozet PARC YMCA 1075 Claudius Crozet Park Crozet, VA 22932 434 205 4380 piedmontymca.org
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CROZET gazette
APRIL 2013
© J. Dirk Nies, Ph.D.
Water: Life’s Elixir (Part One) Water is the most common chemical compound on earth. It is essential for life and has long been perceived as foundational to the formation, composition and function of the world. The creation story in Genesis begins with the Spirit of God hovering over the face of the waters. The ancient Greeks held that water along with earth, air and fire were the four elements of which all things were made. Traditional Chinese philosophy assigns water as one of five interacting essences of the world, the others being earth, fire, wood, and metal. Many ancient civilizations had their origins near water. Along the coastlines of oceans, bays, and lakes, and especially along the banks of great rivers—the Nile of Egypt, the Tigris-Euphrates of Mesopotamia, the Indus of India, and the Yangtze and Huang He of China—human cultures and empires were founded. To a great extent, history is the narrative of agriculture, trade and conquests made possible by water’s lifegiving properties and by our travels upon its surface. Many chapters of our human story have been shaped by the prolonged deficit or the sudden surplus of water, by punishing drought or devastating flood. In this series of articles on water, I will highlight its continuing importance in our lives, our environment and our economy, illuminating how precious, useful and essential water is. In doing so, we shall come to appreciate that water is, in many ways, the most extraordinary and unusual compound we know. The planet’s inventory of water resides overwhelmingly in saline oceans and salty seas. Only three percent of the earth’s water is fresh; and this stock of fresh water is locked up primarily as ice, with the remainder stored away as groundwater. Of all the fresh water on earth, just 0.3 percent is found in lakes and rivers. The United Nations
Environment Program (UNEP) estimates that the total usable freshwater supply for humans and ecosystems is less than one percent of all freshwater resources. Unique among natural substances, water is the only one that plays essential roles in the environment as a solid, as a liquid and as a gas. If the earth were to orbit a little closer to or farther away from the sun, environmental conditions would no longer permit the three forms of water to be as widespread as they presently are. As we begin this story of water, let’s review its chemistry. Water is a molecule comprising three atoms; two of hydrogen and one of oxygen (H2O). Most molecular compounds containing only a few atoms, such as hydrogen (H2), oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), are gases at room temperature. Many of these gases must be cooled down to hundreds of degrees below 0 to become liquids, and even colder to become solids. This is fortuitous too, because for example, if atmospheric oxygen were to become liquid or solid when it got very cold outside, we would all suffocate. So water’s most amazing property relative to other compounds of similar size and weight is that it is a liquid at room temperature. Why is water a liquid at temperatures high enough to cause other similar small molecules to be in the gaseous state? The answer lies in its atomic makeup and structure. The two hydrogen atoms of water are chemically bonded to the single oxygen atom in such a manner that the three atoms make the shape of a wide open “V,” where the oxygen is located at the tip formed by the two lines (the internal bond angle is 104.45 degrees). Because oxygen strongly attracts electrons, more so than does hydrogen, electrons swirling around these atoms tend to reside more on the oxygen than on the hydrogens. This leads to a nonuniform distribution of negative and positive charges within the water molecule. These electrical
charges promote linkages, called hydrogen bonds, between the positively charged hydrogens of each water molecule with the negatively charged oxygens of adjacent water molecules. These intermolecular hydrogen bonds (which do not exist in the other gaseous compounds mentioned earlier) hold water molecules together so tightly that they do not easily fly apart to become a gas. This hydrogen bonding phenomenon is strong enough for water to exist as a liquid even on the hottest summer days. Why is this so important? Being a liquid allows water to be contained and yet flow. Being a liquid permits water to be a solvent capable of dissolving and transporting minerals, nutrients and other materials vital for life. Being a liquid at biologically benign temperatures makes water a suitable reaction medium for all the reactions that occur within the cells of living organisms. Another special feature of water is that it is one of only a handful of substances that expands upon freezing, occupying 9 percent more volume as ice than does ice-cold liquid water. This extraordinary property has shaped the landscape of earth, breaking up larger rocks into smaller stones as water freezes and thaws, and in a more fundamental way, made life on earth much more prevalent than it otherwise would be. Imagine what the world would be like if ice sank to the bottom of the ocean, a lake or a river when it froze. Their surface waters would be continually exposed to the air, un-insulated by a layer of ice from the freezing cold. Consequently, as more and more ice formed on the surface and descended into the depths, all bodies of water located in the higher latitudes would become solid from the bottom up in winter. Over time, they would become thick blocks of ice, with a thin veneer of water appearing on top only during warmer months as the ice at the bottom remains frozen, shielded from the warm air above. Water’s ability to hold heat, that is, its heat capacity, also is remarkably large. For example, the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of a pound of water by one degree is more than 30 times greater than the energy required to achieve a one-degree rise in a pound of gold. Stated another way, the energy nec-
Five water molecules and hydrogen bonding among them [From Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water]
essary to raise the temperature of gold by a blisteringly hot 360 degrees would raise the temperature of an equal weight of water by only a paltry 12 degrees! This amazing energy-holding property of water gives rise to the aphorism ‘a watched pot never boils.’ Via persistent ocean currents and water’s enormous capacity to store heat, vast quantities of tropical warmth are transported to colder climes. For example, the Gulf Stream, by giving up its water-borne heat to the atmosphere as it flows off the coast of Great Britain, keeps London’s average monthly lows above freezing year round even though London is hundreds of miles north of Duluth, Minnesota. Despite water’s great capacity to absorb energy, to transform boiling water from liquid to vapor is even more energy intensive. In fact, to change 212 degree Fahrenheit liquid water into 212 degree steam, that is, to change its phase without increasing its temperature, requires five times as much energy as is needed to heat ice-cold water by 180 degrees to its boiling point! This high heat of vaporization has a practical importance greater than one might appreciate at first glance. Water expands more than a thousand fold when it changes from a liquid to a gas. If only a little more heat were required to make this phase change from water to steam, the ‘watched pot’ would explode like a bomb just after the boiling point of water was reached. In the next article, I will explore the hydrological cycle of water: its continuous movement on, above, and below the surface of the earth. Until then, while savoring your favorite cup of tea, delight as well in water’s wondrous properties that make its brewing possible. And just for fun, let your imagination wander to places on earth the water in your teapot has been.
CROZET gazette
APRIL 2013
upcoming events
in this environmentally significant effort, please contact Warren Laws at 434-823-2515 for details.
APRIL 7
APRIL 13
birdmangabriel@yahoo.com, or visit: www.monticellobirdclub.org.
Evangelist Denny Youth Day of Service Kertner at Mr. Salem APRIL 13 Four Crozet-area churches are combining an All Area Gospel Church Chestnut Planting— Youth Daytoofsponsor Service Saturday, Mt. Salem Gospel Church of April 13. Youth volunteers will Volunteers Needed Mechum River, on Old Three Notch’d Road near Crozet, will host the dynamic evangelist Denny Kestner of the Bible Truth Church of God and Christ of Stuarts Draft April 7 as guest minister of the hour. All are welcome to come.
APRIL 11
Bird Expert Peter Kaestner Talk
Peter Kaestner, who has seen 8,462 out of the roughly 10,000 birds of the world, one of the highest marks ever achieved, will speak to the Monticello Bird Club at 7 p.m. April 11 at the Ivy Creek Natural Area Education Building in Charlottesville. Kaestner, employed by the U.S. State Department, oversaw consuls in India from 2006 to 2009 and is especially proud of the 949 species he has seen in India. Earlier postings included Egypt, Brazil, Guatemala, New Guinea and Colombia. In 1989 he discovered a species new to science, the Cundinamarca Antpitta, in Colombia. For more information, contact Gabriel Mapel at 540-363-5035 or
The American Chestnut Foundation is seeking volunteers to help plant 160 hybrid chestnut trees at the Fried breeding orchard near Innisfree Saturday, April 13. Before 1930, the American Chestnut tree populated much of the Blue Ridge Mountains and provided both people and other animals with highly nutritious food and excellent quality lumber. By 1930, a fungus also known as “The Blight” had killed off what some people called the perfect tree. Fortunately, a few survived and have been crossbred with the Chinese Chestnut tree, which has a natural resistance to the fungus. Progeny from this initial crossbreeding has been backcrossed to other American Chestnut trees, thus creating hybrids. This process has been going on since the early 1980s, and the American Chestnut Foundation has finally developed advanced hybrids that are expected to have all the characteristics of the American Chestnut tree, but with the blight resistance of the Chinese Chestnut tree. This breeding needs to continue to ensure that these hybrids will thrive in Central Virginia. To help
work at The Meadows and at Claudius Crozet Park. The day will start at 9 a.m. with a rendezvous at Crozet Baptist Church and end at 3 p.m. Volunteers are asked to bring work gloves, a bag lunch, a water bottle and small garden tools. The churches sponsoring the service day are Crozet Baptist Church, Crozet United Methodist Church, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and Mt. Olivet Presbyterian Church.
APRIL 13
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Bill 5390 Bill tolbut tolbut 5390 Three Three Notch’d Notch’d Rd Rd Resident Crozet, VA 22932 Resident Manager William E. Tolbut | Resident Manager
Pits of Dreams Mud Bog at RVVFD
The Rockfish Valley Volunteer Fire Department will host the Pit of Dreams Mud Bog April 13 at 11100 Rockfish Valley Highway in Afton. Gates will open at 9 a.m. and the first truck will be in the mud at noon. Concessions will be available. Bring a chair, sit back and watch the mud fly! Mud bogs will also be held on June 8, July 13, August 10, September 14 and October 12 (to benefit Relay for Life). For more information, call (434) 361-1826 or (434) 962-8302.
5390 Three Notch’d Rd | Crozet, VA 22932
The Gazette’s Upcoming Community Events listing is intended for free, not-for-profit or fundraiser events that are open to and/or serve the broader community. Events are included at the editor’s discretion. Priority is given to special events. Space is limited. Submit event press releases for consideration to news@crozetgazette.com.
Library Fund —continued from page 1
To donate a book this way, go to the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library website, jmrl.org, and click on “Amazon wish list.” Choose the “JMRL Crozet Library wish list” on left. Choose a title and add it to cart. On the next page, be sure to click “this will be a gift.” Proceed to check out and sign into your account. On the next page, choose the shipping address “Ship to gift
registry address.” The next page will be the “select gift option” page. Amazon will send your book directly to the Friends of the Library. Upcoming fund drive events include a performance by the band Lockjaw at the Mudhouse in Crozet May 11 from 7 to 9 p.m. to benefit the library. The fundraising committee will have a table at the Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival on May 11 and 12. The public is invited to stop by.
Victory Hill —continued from page 18
Former Victory Hill pastor Steve Mills felt called to missionary work and is now pursuing it in Ghana. Hollifield has done missionary work himself, in Romania, Ukraine and Kenya. The community operates a preschool for 30 children, its maximum capacity, in the church’s basement level. It also operates an afterschool program at a facility on St.
George Avenue in Crozet for about 20 children who attend Crozet and Brownsville Elementary schools. Church services are held on Sundays and Wednesday evenings, and on other weeknights small group meetings for adults are held. Average attendance for the main Sunday service is about 80 people, Hollifield said.
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CROZET gazette
APRIL 2013
Ordinary Miracles: William Blake by Clover Carroll | clover@crozetgazette.com The first quatrain of William Blake’s “Auguries of Innocence” is well-known and beloved by many. This perfect gem of mystical imagery suggests that the ability to see the cosmic in everyday natural phenomena—such as a wild flower or the palm of one’s hand—is a blessing and a rare gift. Combined with the title, these lines suggest that such visions would be auguries of innocence. An “augury” is an omen or prophecy, the foretelling of future events or discovery of what is hidden or obscure by supernatural or magical means. The ability to see these wonders is a sign of innocence and purity, especially that of children who are closer to Paradise, or of the inner child that Blake wishes to awaken within each of us. As critic William Brewer points out, these lines “assert that something infinitesimal can expand into immensity.” Each line moves from the abstract to the concrete, from the infinite to the particular. The elegant alternating rhymes match the graceful sophistication of the thought, with internal sound effects such as the consonance of repeated d sounds and the assonance of in, infinity, and eternity. These powerful lines seem to defy logic and blow our minds into another dimension; they “question…the absolute nature of space and time” (Brewer). Perhaps it is the wild flower or the hint of sandy beach that causes me to associate these lines with spring. The rest of the poem, however, is far more simplistic and decidedly strange, ranging in subject matter from faith to war to the end of the world. For Blake, this quatrain only serves to introduce an extremely long, almost rambling poem that totals 132 lines. For the sake of brevWilliam Blake ity, I have excerpted less than a third of them here. It consists of a series of rhymed couplets, less melodious and less elegant than the opening, each expressing a proverb or aphorism cataloging a crime against nature (which Blake equates with a state of innocence). To harm a skylark, hunt a deer, kill a butterfly, or ignore the needs of a beggar are equally reprehensible and collectively will result in humanity’s demise. The proverbs are “wildly incongruous ….[strung] together in a bewildering succession” (Brewer). Many of these
couplets repeat the movement from microcosm to macrocosm established in the first quatrain, and most also contain a clear moral judgment, suggesting that such cruelty and inhumanity has consequences. Blake especially condemns the “doubter” who suppresses the natural faith of childhood, which he believes is closer to existence in Paradise. The singsong rhythm and predictable rhymes themselves suggest a childlike innocence on the part of the poet. William Blake (1757-1827) was a mystic and a visionary himself. He began seeing visions as young as 4, and at 10 saw “a tree filled with angels, bright angelic wings bespangling every bough like stars.” As an adult he reported being visited by his dead brother’s spirit. Some contemporaries believed him insane, but 19th-century scholar William Rossetti (brother to poets Dante Gabriel and Christina Rossetti) characterized him as a “glorious luminary.” Blake drew on this gift to become a highly influential poet, painter, and engraver, ushering in the Romantic movement in English literature. He is considered a “preRomantic” because the other leading Romantic poets—Coleridge, Keats, Shelley, and Wordsworth—lived and wrote somewhat later. “Auguries of Innocence” expresses the spirit of this literary movement in its reverence for nature and celebration of the innocent joy and spontaneity of childhood before falling into the greed, corruption, venality, and doubt embodied by industrial civilization. The Romantics valued emotion and imagination over reason, and rebelled against the abuse of class power. Partially in reaction to the scientific enlightenment of the 18th century, Blake and later romantic authors celebrated the values of freedom and equality for all social classes that gave rise to the American (1776) and French (1789) revolutions. Blake developed an elaborate personal mythology, set forth in a series of prophetic books such as Jerusalem and The Book of Thel, which combined biblical Christian values such as sacrifice and forgiveness with Greek and Norse mythology. He rejected all conventional organized religion, especially the doctrinal separation of body and spirit. Blake’s best known work, Songs of Innocence and of Experience, published in 1794, sets out to show “the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul.” The Songs of Innocence are light-
Auguries of Innocence (excerpts)
William Blake (1757-1827)
To see a world in a grain of sand, And a heaven in a wild flower, Hold infinity in the palm of your hand, And eternity in an hour. …. A dog starv’d at his master’s gate Predicts the ruin of the state. 10 A horse misused upon the road Calls to heaven for human blood. …. A skylark wounded in the wing, 15 A cherubim does cease to sing. …. The wild deer, wand’ring here and there, Keeps the human soul from care. …. He who shall hurt the little wren Shall never be belov’d by men. 30 …. The wanton boy that kills the fly Shall feel the spider’s enmity. …. Kill not the moth nor butterfly, For the last judgment draweth nigh. …. Joy and woe are woven fine, A clothing for the soul divine. 60 Under every grief and pine Runs a joy with silken twine. …. The beggar’s rags, fluttering in air, 75 Does to rags the heavens tear. The soldier, arm’d with sword and gun, Palsied strikes the summer’s sun. The poor man’s farthing is worth more Than all the gold on Afric’s shore. 80 One mite wrung from the lab’rer’s hands Shall buy and sell the miser’s lands; …. He who mocks the infant’s faith 85 Shall be mock’d in age and death. He who shall teach the child to doubt The rotting grave shall ne’er get out. …. Every night and every morn Some to misery are born, 120 Every morn and every night Some are born to sweet delight. …. God appears, and God is light, To those poor souls who dwell in night; 130 But does a human form display To those who dwell in realms of day.
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Welcome, Little One!
Blake’s artwork
From left: McKenna Henson, James King, Jamie Henson, Dinah Gray (rear), Sylvie Cromer, Sally Hart (rear), Amia Salisbury, Amira Salisbury, Nancy Virginia Bain, Allen Gilbert, Bill Tolbut
hearted and optimistic, whereas the Songs of Experience lament the corruption and evil of war, abuse of class power, and the Industrial Revolution. The most famous of these are “The Lamb” from Innocence and “The Tyger” from Experience. Other well-known poems include “The Marriage of Eight years ago, Albemarle Ballet your community.” Heaven and Hell,” “London,” “A Theater started a scholarship proAmira Salisbury, a scholarship Sick Rose,” and “A Poison Tree.” gram that raises money, through dancer for seven years, told the Blake illustrated not only all of performances and gifts, to pay for donors, “It has helped me to overhis own work but other commisdance lessons for children who have come fear and to have faith in sioned works including the Book of the desire to dance, but lack the myself. Thank you for supporting Sarah and Brandon Black of Job and Dante’s Divine Comedy, means to become involved. In 2012 me.” Crozet are happy to announce which was incomplete when he ABT raised $9,580 from supportive Sylvie Cromer, a dancer just the arrival of their daughter died. He is credited with producing local businesses and individuals and starting out, said, “When I dance, I Amelia Dawn Black, who was the first children’s picture book. His its Spring Gala, and thereby allowed feel I can be whoever I want to be.” born March 13 at 2:57 p.m. at influence in literature, art, and phi18 girls to take lessons. Some “I really appreciate the opportuMartha Jefferson Hospital. She losophy is still felt today. donors and recipients met a recognity you give me,” said Amber weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces While the admonitions that folnition reception met at the school Gilbert. “Otherwise it would not be and was 20 inches long. Amelia low may be less ethereal, the first March 24. available to me. From my family to is the granddaughter of Donald four lines of this poem transport us “Dance is expensive,” said ABT’s yours, I thank you and I wish the and Deborah Bush of Palmyra, beyond ourselves. I expect most of Gary Hart. “In the old days it was best for your businesses.” and Dale and Genevieve Black us have experienced rare moments only for the wealthy. We’re grateful Over the years, the program has of Crozet. of transcendence such as those to all of you who support us in this. made dance available to 51 stuBlake captures with his memorable You are contributing to the lives of dents. www.crozetgazette.com/celebrations words. Their deft insight reminds us these girls and boys. You care about to look beyond physical reality and, through a combination of imagination and faith, see the sacred in the every day. Blake would surely agree with Antoine de St. Exupéry, whose Little Prince counsels that “it is only with the heart that one can see www.crozetchurch.org rightly; what is essential is invisible SUMMER to the eye.” The mind’s Preschool eye, on the Ages SummerCamp Camp Ages 3-8 Preschool Summer 2 1/2 - 5CAMP PRESCHOOL Ages 3 - 6 Ages 2 ½ 5 other hand, is capable of compreAges 2 ½ 5 Ages 3 8 Sign up for several days or for the A gentle, safe &Sign loving up by the week A gentle, safe & loving hending the miracle of creation. A gentle, safe & loving Sign up for or for the whole summer. whole summer. Creative weekly atmosphere for one youngweek atmosphere for young children Creative weekly themes. children to beginsummer. to atmosphere for young or the whole themes. Private, in-ground wading to begin exploringchildren the world & towading Creative Private, in-ground explore theweekly world & to to begin themes. Note: I am indebted to Ebsco’s exploring pool for daily swimming. prepare forin-ground kindergarten. the world & to Private, wading pool for daily swimming. kindergarten. online Literary Reference prepare Centerfor prepare for kindergarten. pool for daily swimming. HALF DAY & FULL DAY many of the ideas collected here, espeSunday Worship Close Close to Charlottesville, Crozet Close Charlottesville, Crozet Crozet & totoCharlottesville, & UVA UVa& UVA cially William D. Brewer’s “Auguries NUMEROUS SCHEDULE OPTIONS 8:45 & 11:15 a.m. NUMEROUS OPTIONS make a connection, (434)SCHEDULE 979-2111 of Innocence” in Masterplots II: (434)434.979.2111 979-2111 vy.com make a difference | www.millstoneofi 5804 St. George Ave. | 434-823-5171 www.millstoneofivy.com www.millstoneofivy.com Poetry, revised edition, 2002.
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Gazette Vet —continued from page 20
to sneak it some pain medication in its food. When faced with these hard decisions, we usually err on the side of life, and thus Wally was pardoned. Fortunately, Wally was a survivor and an eater. We were able to lace his cat food with some pain meds, and every day cleaned his cage as while he hissed and spit at us from the back of it. Day 10 came and Wally was alive. No rabies. Now what? Do we put him to sleep since he’s a feral kitten who can’t use his rear legs? Or do we try to fix him up, knowing that if he’s not functional, we couldn’t release him back “into the wild” and would have to put him to sleep eventually. Again, we erred on life, and again Wally was pardoned. The following Monday, my surgery schedule read “Fix paralyzed feral cat.” Our attempt at humor. By utilizing our “squeeze cage,” we were able to inject Wally with a heavy sedative and finally get our hands on him. After examining his legs, it was clear they were broken and x-rays confirmed that he had fractured his right femur (thigh bone), his left hip, and had a few small pelvic fractures to round things out. Decision time again. Fractured pelvises can often be accompanied
by spinal cord damage, and we had no way of determining his current nerve function. Do we spend the time to fix his broken legs knowing it may all be a waste? Or just put him to sleep? Once again, Wally was pardoned. Wally’s broken femur was already trying to heal despite being completely displaced. I had to “rebreak” these attachments and was able to pin the bone back together. His left hip was badly broken and was also repaired. We also took the opportunity to neuter and vaccinate Wally while he was out. We moved Wally into our recovery ward and as he awoke from anesthesia, our staff was doing their best to handle him and love on him in his drugged state. After several days of a lot of love, and a lot of pain meds, Wally transformed from a hissing feral kitten to a purring loving pet! Additionally, with his legs in alignment, Wally began standing and walking for the first time in two weeks! No nerve damage! Wally spent another two weeks recovering at our hospital and was quickly adopted by some wonderful clients. He is now a spoiled indoor cat about to celebrate his first birthday. Decision making as a veterinarian can be very difficult, but sometimes if you ask yourself “what would a little kid do?” things can turn out okay.
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Medicine —continued from page 16
patients, we never recommend that the patients go home and stop drinking abruptly due to the risk of alcohol withdrawal, but rather suggest a more gradual tapering of alcohol intake. This leads to some absurd discharge instructions, usually something like “Please stop drinking slowly.” Punctuation counts, people! So, faced with Ken’s request for admission one more time for voluntary detox, I had to make a medical decision based on no science and only my beliefs and values. I had to try to judge the sincerity of his desire this time and his true motivations. This is ethically dangerous territory, and I really would like a little help, but no one has the answer. Like all ER doctors, I have been manipulated many times in the past. The last lady I had admitted to the hospital under similar circumstances revealed to the inpatient team that she was trying to avoid a court date for shoplifting. I had admitted Ken for voluntary detox multiple times, shreds of my med school idealism and optimism still smoldering somewhere in my weary ER doc heart, and every time he would later return, drunk and penitent. Today would be no different. But each time I saw him I remembered the wise words of a
In the Garden —continued from page 15
den, generally standing out just enough from the surrounding plants. And colors will work differently according to season. A brownish urn will stand out better in a matrix of tawny winter grasses, then recede into the background as summer arrives. Greyish rocks look good in most garden situations, whereas white ones can jump out too much. It’s risky to give advice on colors—after all, we all have our favorites—but one color I would stay away from in garden objects is green. A green object among green plants is usually going to provide only an uncomfortable clash. (If you’ve ever bought either a green hose or watering can, you’ll know
wizened old alcoholic named Walter. Walter worked in the ER at Yale with me many years ago. He was a volunteer, a drunk of 30 years, now sober for 25 years. Walter’s selfappointed task was to approach each alcoholic in the department and offer detox. He never stopped asking and he would convince us to admit patients over and over again despite the apparent futility. I asked Walter how many attempts were too many, when to stop trying? His answer was simple: never. His reason was equally simple. “Because that’s what eventually worked for me.” “And,” he added, “every day since has been a gift.” So I admitted Ken yet again, Walter’s patient, persistent voice in my head. Finally, one day Ken showed up in the ER for an unrelated complaint. He was sober and had been for eight months. He apologized for his many lapses and thanked me for giving him multiple chances to get sober. Searching for some insight, I asked what had finally worked for him. He had no clear answer. For him, like Walter, he simply had to go through it too many times to count until one day he just tired of it and stopped drinking. I don’t know if he will stay sober. The cost of his current sobriety: over $100,000 in medical bills. The cost to restore his self-respect: priceless.
what I mean.) But if the green object is surrounded by plants with burgundy or yellow foliage, then it can work. Of course, plants can also serve as focals. To do so, the number one thing to remember is contrast. This can be as simple as having a tree or a substantial shrub in the middle of your lawn. The size and form of the tree will immediately make it stand out. If you made a grouping of three of the same tree, it should still work as a focal, since it would be viewed as a unit. But if you gave in to your collector instincts and planted three different trees in that grouping, things could go awry, particularly if they were all about the same size. You’d be better served by having one tall, upright tree, surrounded by a couple of lower, spreading trees. Tall, spiky trees, some conifers continued on page 29
CROZET gazette
APRIL 2013
In the Garden —continued from page 28
for example, act well as focals, especially if they’re placed in a bed with relatively low-growing plants, such as most perennials. Depending on the size of the bed, you might even have two or three of the same tree spaced evenly. At this point, they become less of a true focal; instead they just provide some overall structure to your planting. And how many focals should your garden have? Of course, it depends on the size of your property, but even on a modest-sized lot, you could easily have one in both your front and back yards, and two or three wouldn’t be out of the question. If they were trees that flowered at different times, they might take turns being the focal. And a focal doesn’t have to be a large object like a tree or sculpture. In a small space, an unusual bird bath would suffice. Among herbaceous plants, one perennial with a conspicuous flower stalk might serve as a temporary focal when it’s in bloom. And don’t forget about different textures to make a plant stand out. Something like a hosta with large, bold leaves will become a “mini-focal” if it’s set among some fine-textured ferns. Your focal doesn’t even have to be on your own property. Many of us enjoy mountain views in the distance, but you can make these vistas a more integral part of your landscape when you frame them, perhaps with an arbor or a pair of upright trees. And like most principles of design, the rules on focals are made to be broken. You’re the only one who has to be pleased.
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BEREAVEMENTS
Dorothy Kirby Dorothy Dunn Kirby, age 81, passed away Saturday, March 9, 2013. Funeral services were held March 12 at Trinity United Methodist Church with interment in Grove Hill Cemetery, Darlington, South Carolina. Dorothy leaves to cherish her loving memories one daughter, Virginia (Ginger) Irene and her husband Archie “Munk” Muckenfuss of Ridgeville, SC and daughter-inlaw Diane Merritt of Roanoke. She is survived by two grandsons, Roy “Chuckie” Henry Kirby Jr. and his wife Kristi of Roanoke and Archie “Trey” Muckenfuss III and his wife Julie of Ridgeville, SC, and one great-granddaughter, Reagan Kirby, and a greatgrandson Kirby who is due in June in Roanoke. She is also survived by her siblings, Odell Dunn and his wife Helen of Charlottesville, Royal “Roy” Christmas Dunn and his wife Peggy of Richmond, sisters, Athleen Goolsby of Afton, Audrey Goolsby and her husband Jack of Afton, Sylvia “Jean” Dudley of Crozet, and Cora Horne of Amherst. She is also survived by many special nieces, nephews, cousins and many, many loving friends and church family from both Virginia and South Carolina. Donations may be made in Dorothy’s name to The Trinity Church Bus Fund, P. O. Box 16, Darlington, SC 29540 and or TLC (The Lord Cares) Ministry, P. O. Box 1457, Darlington, SC 29540. An online guestbook is available at www.belkfuneralhome.com.
Anderson Funeral Services Inc. Serving Western Albemarle Families Since 1967 Robert S. Anderson & John W. Anderson, Jr., D I R E C T O R S
823-5002 5888 St. George Avenue Crozet, VA 22932
Richard Jolly, 94
March 1, 2013
Robert Austin Roberts, 92
March 2, 2013
Gordon J. Edwards, 79
March 3, 2013
Bessie Haislett Frazier, 79
March 5, 2013
Iris Pritchett Clements, 89
March 6, 2013
Gordon David Nicoll, 89
March 6, 2013
Roy Mason Shifflett, 96
March 6, 2013
Stephen Vaughan Jammé Sr., 92
March 7, 2013
Gordon Junior Morris, 72
March 8, 2013
Dorothy M. Fuller, 98
March 9, 2013
Joseph Walter Stephens Jr., 85
March 9, 2013
Marjorie June Spangenberg Bottoms, 90
March 10, 2013
Anna McCauley Johnson, 55
March 10, 2013
John Samuel Morris, 76
March 10, 2013
Mary Alice Plummer, 87
March 10, 2013
Noble Ann Brown Wood, 79
March 10, 2013
Al Smith Morris, 81
March 11, 2013
Helen Austin Snow, 94
March 11, 2013
Forrest Nathaniel Dent, 59
March 12, 2013
Geneva Dawson Hensley, 74
March 12, 2013
Lonnie Edward Shifflett, 80
March 13, 2013
Francis Page Nelson Jr., 92
March 15, 2013
Daniel Chapman Rorrer, 71
March 15, 2013
John Marshall Breckinridge, 70
March 16, 2013
Agatha Martin Burke, 89
March 16, 2013
Janet Elizabeth Dunlap, 94
March 16, 2013
Verdie Virginia Harris, 76
March 18, 2013
Robey Andrew Shifflett, 86
March 18, 2013
Carl Lace Durrett, 80
March 20, 2013
John Burton Fiery, 81
March 21, 2013
Rosa Marie Lamb, 84
March 21, 2013
Reva Butler Marshall, 98
March 23, 2013
Cora Waller Walker, 61
March 23, 2013
John Paul Bartley, —
March 24, 2013
Eunice Arline Dulaney Kyger, 85
March 24, 2013
Claudine McHenry, —
March 24, 2013
Jeremiah Cardell Clark, 5
March 25, 2013
Margaret Kirby Whitehorne, 88
March 26, 2013
William E. Baer, 85
March 27, 2013
Mildred E. Gibson, 85
March 27, 2013
Kenneth Benford Tillman Sr., 85
March 27, 2013
Lloyd Westley Bentley, 79
March 28, 2013
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CROZET gazette
APRIL 2013
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Bats in Tunnel —continued from page 19
shoes or clothes and then go into caves or tunnels with roosting or hibernating bats, they can help to spread this infectious disease that, as of now, no one knows how to cure. (Humans are not affected by White-nose Syndrome.) I myself would love to walk through Claudius Crozet’s engineering marvel. But the Crozet Tunnel needs to remain closed to the public. WNS is such a devastating disease that the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service suggests that people stay out of places where bats are known—or suspected—to hibernate (hibernacula) in all [emphasis mine] states. Right now, this is a voluntary moratorium, but people must ask themselves whether it’s more important for folks to be able to visit this site than it is to help bats that have rapidly become endangered and may disappear in our lifetime. Some might argue that humans created this tunnel and therefore it’s theirs to do with as they wish. However, it’s virtually assured that the deadly fungus wiping out our bats was introduced to this country by humans and that they have helped to spread it. Thus it’s incumbent upon us to try to limit further harm. Many environmental problems have been caused by human ignorance and carelessness. But in this case, Nelson County officials can’t feign ignorance. If they choose to open the tunnel, they are knowingly inflicting harm and demonstrating mankind’s continuing disdain for the natural world that sustains us. Man can do extraordinary things; the Crozet Tunnel is proof of that. Unfortunately, man’s extraordinary conceit often causes him to believe that other life forms aren’t important. But they are. We do not live in a vacuum. Opening the tunnel now is clearly not environmentally prudent. Marlene Condon will speak on “The Nature-friendly Garden” Saturday, April 6 at 10 a.m. at The Lodge at Old Trail, hosted by the Old Trail Community Garden.
Massie Ralston —continued from page 6
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“I think I win because the [go-kart] set-ups are good,” Massie theorized. “He carries his winning very well,” said his dad, standing in when Massie’s laconic nature took over. “When he gets his helmet on he goes into a zone.” (Massie said he likes to listen to country music to get into the right frame of mind.) “If he does as well in full-bodied cars as he has in go-karts, he’s pretty much guaranteed to make it to NASCAR,” said Danny. “He studies the proper line to run on the track.” “Yeah. I want to make it to NASCAR,” Massie said. He named Kyle Busch as his favorite driver. “He wants to win, but that does not get the best of him,” said Danny. “He shakes everybody’s hand and he’s a good sportsman. He’s a smart driver. He studies the lines closely and he can describe the performance of his kart.” “My life goal is to win at Daytona,” said Massie tranquilly.
Crozet Readers’ Rankings March’s best sellers at Over the Moon Bookstore ADULT
The Weird Sisters Eleanor Brown
Proof of Heaven Eben Alexander
Unlikely Friendships Jennifer Holland
Quiet: the Power of Introverts Susan Cain
The Language of Flowers Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bislans’ History-Making Race Around the World Matthew Goodman CHILDREN & YOUNG ADULT
Requiem
Lauren Oliver (teens)
Mossy
Jan Brett (picture book)
Wonder Show
Hannah Barbary (ages 12+)
Star Wars Origami
Chris Alexander (ages 8+) Fun With Nature: a Take-Along Guide
Mel Boring (ages 7+)
Time for Kids Zoo 3D
Time for Kids Editor (ages 8+) APR. RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommended by Anne:
Adult: Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini YA: Requiem (Delirium Trilogy book 3) by Lauren Oliver Kids: One Gorilla by Anthony Browne
Recommended by Scott:
Eighty Days... by Matthew Goodman
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APRIL 2013
Crozet
Weather Almanac
MARCH 2013
By Heidi Sonen & Roscoe Shaw | weather@crozetgazette.com
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What Happened to Spring? I suppose it’s still coming but it’s remarkably late. Heidi’s weather calendar says “March 22…cherry trees bloom.” Still waiting. One thing that makes this March so striking is how different it was from last March. March of 2012 was the second warmest in 100 years of records with an average temperature of 57 degrees. This March, by contrast, was a full 16 degrees colder and ranked as the sixth coldest. We finally got some snow, too. 14.5 inches fell during the month making it the fifth snowiest on record. March 1960 was the all time champ with 30 inches of snow. My mother still talks about that winter. “It was my first winter in the south and it snowed every Wednesday. I thought I was back in Michigan.” It is probably no coincidence that I was conceived that month. I suspect that a month from now, it will all be a distant memory. The average high by the end of
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April is 74, and we are headed into what most folks around here consider our best weather months. Rainfall was ample in March and we are in good shape for water for the summer growing season. Ground water is about average and stream flow is above average. The chance of a 2002-type of drought is virtually zero this year.
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Rainfall totals for the Month Some of the rain gauges are not heated so they under-measure during snowstorms. This was an issue in March, especially with the big snows March 6. Rockfish 4.93” Crozet 3.95” Afton summit 3.86” Greenwood 3.76” Waynesboro 3.43” Nellysford 3.38” Univ. of Virginia 3.18” CHO airport 3.13”
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Crozet’s Favorite Flicks
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EVAN’S PICKS The Hobbit (new)
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Maupin’s Music & Video 434-823-2244 P S E
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CROZET gazette
APRIL 2013
“Local”
—continued from page 16
that furnish the broilers to the Tyson slaughterhouse/meatpacking plant in nearby Harrisonburg are contributing to overall totals of methane pollution, which is 72 times more destructive per ton than CO2 and is responsible for 14 percent of human-induced global warming. Industrial agricultural has incredible capability to produce and deliver to market immense amounts of food. It is unfortunate that it does so in a way that is not beneficial to soils, water resources, farmworkers or consumers. It delivers food that contains hormones, antibiotics, and pesticide residues. It is transported long distances and is often tasteless; i.e, think Florida tomatoes. “Local” contributes to the problem when it simply replicates conventional agriculture. The solution is a public interested and informed regarding the sources of what they eat. Mandatory food labeling, which the agricultural lobby and the food processors are fighting to derail, is integral. Development and investment in local food production that uses minimal or no pesticides and chemicals and is GMO-free will come about only in response to the demands of informed and active consumers. In the meantime, shop local at the Crozet Farmers Market (opening May 4), the Charlottesville City Market (open April 6) and Wintergreen Market, also open in May. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA’s) enterprises are signing up members this month. For money paid up front, families or individuals receive weekly delivery of vegetables generally beginning in mid or late May and continuing until late September or early October Simply google CSA’s. The list is long from which to choose. *Every year US farmers use enough synthetic nitrogen to fill over 12,330 railroad boxcars with a capacity of 200,000 lbs each. (from Organic Consumers Association article “Local And Organic Food and Farming: The Gold Standard,” 2/23/11)
CLASSIFIED ADS ALTERATIONS AND TAILORING: Experienced seamstress with 30 years of tailoring and garment alterations experience, working from home in Crozet (Highlands). Call for a free consultation. Ruth Gerges: 434-823-5086. 2 COMMERCIAL SPACES FOR LEASE in Crozet Shopping Center, Retail or Office only. Space 1 is approx. 859 sq.ft, Space 2 is approx. 1238 sq.ft. or can be leased as a whole. For more information, call Dave at 434.531.8462. COMMIT SOME TIME FOR YOURSELF this spring. Come join us for 60 minutes of me time at Jazzercise. Morning classes at 5:50, 7:45, 9:00. Check out The Hook Health & Fitness Special feature section for a great new student special. More class information at Jazzercise.com. Contact Jane at 434-466-9933, or rogers. crozet@gmail.com. ESTATE SALE: The estate of the late Vera Bond Harvey of Waynesboro. Saturday, April 13, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, April 14, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Monday, April 15, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 1842 Cherokee Rd., Waynesboro, VA 22980. This tag sale will include the entire contents of the house including Antiques, Handmade Furniture, China/Glassware, Folk Art/ Collectibles; Framed Art; Quilts/Textiles; Kitchenware, Tools, Garden Cart/Tools, Outdoor /Patio Furniture, 1991 Toyota Corolla 4WD-51,700 actual miles (nice), Craftsman Lawn Tractor, Singer Electric Sewing Machine w/ Dressmaker’s Mannequin/ Thread galore/Buttons & more, Alum. Ladders, Vintage &
Handmade clothing, Rugs, Curtains, Good Furniture & more. RED HORSE ESTATE SALES. Go to EstateSales.org for photos/details. Info: 434296-7906. email: jhelmore@ embarqmail.com. FAMILY FUN AT THE WHITE HALL COMMUNITY CENTER. Saturday, April 20 from 9 to 3. Come paint a bird house, build a bat house, craft earth-friendly jewelry, and eat edible dirt! There will be raffles and a play structure. Come join the fun! For more information, visit PvilleofCville.com or e-mail Playville@PvilleofCville.com. FISH FRY DINNER: Mt. Moriah UMC, 4524 Garth Road in White Hall. Friday, April 12, 5 - 7:30 p.m. Eat in or take out. Fried Tilapia, Cole Slaw, French Fries, Hush Puppies, Dessert, Drink. Adults $7.00, Children $4.00. FOR SALE: Allan Herschell Co. circa 1920 Carousel Horse. Restored in 1970, Herschell Jumper is 48 inches long and 42 high. In excellent condition and complete with stand, brass sleeve, stirrups and items to allow ceiling mounting if desired. $2500 firm. Call 434823-2129 between 6 and 9 p.m.
FOR SALE: Spectacular 120 degree mountain views. Secluded, elevated and perked building site. 7 acres. Deeded
paved easement. Crozet/ Western Albemarle. 2 miles from I-64 and 250W. $305,000. 434-823-1520. FOR SALE: DBL Wide Mobile Home. Asking $77,500. Like new, 2 BRs w/walk-in closets, 2 full baths, all appliances included plus washer & dryer, gas fireplace. Ready for DISH hook up, has upgrades, located in Beaver Hill Park in Crozet. Must be 55 yrs or older. Call 434-882-4002. MOUNTAINSIDE SENIOR LIVING FUNDRAISER: Fish Fry Dinner, Friday, April 19, 6:30 - 8 p.m. Fried tilapia, cole slaw, french fries, hush puppies, mac and cheese, dessert, drink. Adults $8.00, Children $5.00. Eat in or take out. Mountainside is located at 1220 Crozet Ave. in Crozet. NEED MOTIVATION? Come join the crew at Boot Camp for REAL People, an outdoor exercise class for all ages and abilities. This fun, non-intimidating class meets on M/W/F at 5:50AM at Crozet Park. Melissa Miller, certified personal trainer and Crozet resident, will push you to be your BEST! For more information or to register visit www.m2personaltraining.com or call 434-962-2311. SATURDAY GLASS CUTTING LESSONS at Blue Ridge Beads & Glass in Crozet. Every Saturday from 2 to 3 p.m. learn to cut glass for free. Space is limited to 5, call the store, 434-823-4237, to reserve a place. Artist/Owner Jerry O’Dell will demonstrate and teach each participant the mechanics of glass cutting.
Classified ads start at $16 (repeating) and include free online placement. Lost and found ads are free. To place an ad or for more information, call 434-249-4211 or email ads@crozetgazette.com
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CROZET gazette
APRIL 2013
Crozet Pair Win Washington Post’s Peeps Contest Leslie Brown and Lani Hosa, coworkers at Western Albemarle High School, won the Washington Post’s seventh annual Peep’s Diorama Contest, announced just before Easter, with their entry “Twinkie: Rest in Peeps.” Their diorama is a funeral scene for the Twinkie and a general lament for the passing other Hostess bakery confections, such as Ho Hos and Ding Dongs. Peeps are the marshmallow bunnies and chicks that are produced around the Easter holiday. In the contest, contestants create dioramas, within a base limit of three feet by three feet and walls no more than two feet high, that use peeps as characters. Brown’s and Hosa’s scene was selected by Post staffers from 650 entries. In the scene, well-dressed mourners fill the pews and a Peep Pope delivers a eulogy for the Twinkie that lies in half-open casket. Beyond
the sanctuary in the church yard lies the freshly dug grave Twinkie is bound for, where he’ll lie in company with fruit pies, cupcakes and sno balls. Hostess announced its bankruptcy in November, but recent news is that there is a buyer for the company after all. “In perpetuity we’ll be known for graveyards for marshmallows,” quipped Hosa. “It’s hard to believe, isn’t it? We have similar senses of humor. We laugh a lot and we think it’s clever. The goal is to come up with an idea you can execute.” The pair first entered the contest three years ago and Brown admitted that her determination to win has only gotten stronger. “We’d seen the contest and I was always intrigued by these sorts of things,” she said. “We stated getting funny with the idea of a memorial for the Twinkie. After we had the cemetery idea, it just sort of took off.”
A detail of the winning diorama. For a full view see page 1.
Lani Hosa and Leslie Brown
Brown, who sews, is the couturiere for the diaorama, said Hosa. Brown made all the Peeps’ costumes and the pew cushions. Hosa concentrated on making the graveyard, which includes a toothpick fence and clay tombstones. The diorama took about 35 hours to complete, they said. They had to look online to find a Twinkie and ended up paying $4 for it, Hosa said. They estimated their total construction costs at nearly $100, which is the value of the gift card they won. They will also receive a “Peeps gift pack,” but they have no idea what that might contain. “We were quite tickled when we finished,” said Brown. “Everybody says it’s our best.” The entries, which include two photographs, were cut down to 50 for a slide show that Post lifestyle section staffers watched and then reduced further to a short list of five contenders that were then voted on. The Post called the duo’s idea for
the diorama “wildly popular our newsroom.” The Post informed the pair they had made it to the finalist stage in advance of the general announcement of a winner, and in a bit of irony for a business that thrives on information leaks, swore them to secrecy. “You need the idea, that’s the main thing, and then you execute it as best you can. There’s a thought process and we take it seriously. You can be disqualified for a visible spot of glue,” said Brown. “We manicured it for loose threads. We put in moldings in order to have clean edges.” The diorama will go on display at Art-o-Matic, a sort of art display space in D.C., and there will be a reception for it (that Brown and Hosa intend to be at) and then, its Peeps stale and desiccated, it will be thrown out. The pair are already thinking about a concept that can be “Peepified” for next year’s entry.
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CROZET gazette
APRIL 2013
35
SWIM, BIKE, RUN, JUMP, PLAY!
CROZET LIONS CLUB CORNER Shiny Clean Crozet On a brisk early Spring morning, the Lions collected 18 bags of trash from the Rt. 240 roadways into Crozet. The Lions were joined by Bob Dombrowe and Jessica Mauzy from the Crozet Trails Crew. The group was rewarded with a hearty breakfast from R & R Catering. Historic Crozet Local historian Phil James will
be the guest speaker at the April 8 meeting. The Lions meet the second and fourth Monday of each month at the Meadows Community Building off of Rt. 240. Anyone interested in attending a meeting is welcomed. Please contact Karl Pomeroy at 9871229. Meetings start at 6:30 p.m. with dinner provided and typically followed by a presentation.
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