INSIDE NOISE page 3 CIDER GUYS page 4 IVY EXXON page 6 REGISTER NOW page 7 CHRISTMAS OPERA page 8
DECEMBER 2012 VOL. 7, NO. 7
Ron Washington’s Day in Court
FLINTLOCKS page 9
SANDRIDGES page 11 TSIMMES page 13 NICE & NAUGHTY page 15 O TANNENBAUM page 16 TREE THIEVES page 18 WHO’S PAYING? page 23 CROSSWORD page 24 BIRD BONANZA page 27 POWER PLANTS page 31 HOW TO USE SOAP page 32 SANTA IN CROZET page 34-35 NEW LAX COACH page 36 PERSISTENCE page 37 WEDDINGS page 38
Crozet welcomed the start of the holiday season with the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department’s annual Santa parade December 2. See photos page 34.
Redistricting Strategy Predicated on Addition to Crozet Elementary The committee of parents representing the elementary schools in the Western Feeder Pattern appears inclined to leave current school attendance zone boundaries, and the existing school populations, as they are. They are likely instead to call for an addition to Crozet Elementary School on a scale that accommodates prospective growth in
Crozet. Once it is built, no sooner than four years from now, a redistricting of the feeder pattern would be done that presumably would produce stable enrollments. The four schools in the Western Feeder Pattern, those schools whose students are destined for Western Albemarle continued on page 20
Ron Washington worked for Kroger supermarkets for 29 1/2 years at their store in Waynesboro near the Interstate 64 exit, where he was the deli manager until he was fired in 2011. He suspected racial prejudice was the cause of his dismissal, and he brought a Title Seven racial discrimination suit against the company in the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia, which sits in the Charlottesville court building that looks out at the Lewis and Clark statue. On November 19 he had his chance to appear before Judge Norman K. Moon. Kroger hired Chicago lawyer Chris Griesmeyer, with the firm of Greiman, Rome and Griesmeyer, to make the case against Washington. Washington spoke for himself. Griesmeyer had made a motion for summary judgment, in which the judge rather than a jury would decide the case, and dismissal of the suit. Griesmeyer pointed out that Kroger had promoted Washington and described him as “well-liked by customers and employees.” But trouble began in the deli departcontinued on page 8
Build Crozet Library Fund Keeps Growing Construction of the new Crozet Library is a month ahead of schedule, according to Bill Schrader, who chairs the Build Crozet Library fund-raising committee, a team of 10 local citizens who are trying to raise $1.6 million to provide the building’s furnishings, computers, books and other contents. Unless the winter forces serious delays, the prospect of occupying the new building in September looks strong. As it looks now, Schrader said, library staff members should be able to start setting the library up in late July.
The fund drive has put $328,000 in the bank so far, Schrader said, not counting the $100,000 matching grant from Charlottesville’s Perry Foundation, awarded in October. “We’re 75 percent of the way toward that match,” he said. “People were waiting for the Perry decision before they contributed so they could double their dollars.” Once the remaining $25,000 for the match is raised, the fund will hold $453,000. Schrader said the committee now has continued on page 33
Ruby Hutchinson spotted this bald eagle near Ramsay Farm on her way to work December 3.
"When I was a child in Crozet, our community library was a bookmobile. Next year, we will all have access to a great library and resource center."
build crozet l ibrary Thank you to the Perry Foundation for a generous $100,000 matching grant to furnish our new Library.
Now it’s your turn to... Be Par t of t he 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... All things we will use in the new library next year.
It’s what’s inside that counts.
Donations are tax exempt: Buildcrozetlibrary.org/give And help grow our matching funds!
Leonard Sandridge, Jr Former Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, University of Virginia. Special Advisor to the President, University of Virginia, with grandchildren: Maegan, Siena, Peyton and Grant.
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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
To the Editor Letters reflect the opinions of their authors and not necessarily those of the Crozet Gazette. Send letters to news@crozetgazette.com or P.O. Box 863, Crozet, VA 22932. The Gazette does not publish anonymous letters to the editor.
Dear Editor, Our Girl Scout Troop studied a book, The Power of Advocacy, and chose to research and help the intellectually disabled in our community. We decided to visit Innisfree Village, a community for adults who have intellectual disabilities. At Innisfree, people with intellectual disabilities can receive assistance throughout the day while also getting the opportunity to engage in day-to-day activities. For special needs men and women who otherwise can’t support themselves, Innisfree gives them the chance to use their skills and develop a level of independence. The beauty of the Innisfree community is that each resident’s personal gifts are matched with the work they can do to sustain the community. The residents work at the workshops, contributing to the outside communities of Crozet and Charlottesville by making baked goods, packaging tea bags, cutting wood, gardening and weaving beautiful knits. These products are then sold to help support the Innisfree community. The annual Innisfree Village Open House will be held Saturday, Dec. 8, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Girls from our troop will be help-
Sincerely, Senior Girl Scout Troop 64 The Dome Isn’t Really That Quiet… “I’ve been to the pool and YMCA several times since the dome was put up and it isn’t that loud.” “Actually, it is that loud,” the residents of the Crozet Park neighborhood can respond, “you were standing on the wrong side of the dome.” To start, let’s be clear: we aren’t talking about the sound of people in the pool heard through the dome or people in the parking lot. We are talking specifically about the mechanical blower that keeps the dome inflated. It’s true, it isn’t very loud on the parking lot side of the dome but walk around to the basketball and tennis court side of the dome, and listen. The dome blower cycles every few minutes when the air is warm and rarely cycles off when it’s cold. To hear it at its loudest, please come to listen on a cold day or just after dark, since sound waves travel more easily through the cold air. What will you hear? An incessant and inescapable dull, droning noise. It passes through double-pane windows and solid walls. The residents of the Crozet Park neighborhood have been lis-
.Holiday Concert.
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ing with some activities. We hope that you will visit Innisfree and purchase products to help continue this wonderful service for the intellectually disabled. For more information, go to innisfreevillage.org.
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1408 Crozet Avenue Side Entrances
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Visit our website for MORE info! On-going Yoga, Ballet, Flute, more..
CROZET gazette the
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
tening to it since the dome was installed September 27. It literally echoes through the neighborhood. Several of us even hear it inside our houses! There is no escape. Living next to a park, we all accept there will be occasional parkrelated noise: swim meets, ball games, festivals. Swim meets end, ball games are won or lost, and festivals set a date for next year. The dome blower noise never stops, even when the pool is closed. We live next to a park. None of us bought our homes expecting to live next to an industrial facility that never closes, which is what the pool has become. What we have done, unofficially: worn noise-cancelling head-phones around the house, turned radios and televisions up very loud, avoided rooms on the side of our houses closest to the dome (since they are the loudest), kept windows in the quieter rooms closed (even on really nice days) to help keep some of the noise out. What we have done, more officially: attended the October and November Crozet Park Board meetings, provided the board with unofficial decibel readings, requested the county take official decibel readings around the neighborhood, provided the Park Board with a map of the neighborhood showing how farreaching the blower noise is, contacted the company that sold the dome to the park for information regarding noise levels associated with this dome blower model and
known ways to quiet it (no response from the company), provided Ann Mallek with a CD of recordings of the dome blower noise from the neighborhood, provided the park board with basic research into companies that professionally install sound barrier systems. To their credit, the Park Board has expressed the deepest concern for the trouble the dome blower noise has caused. They tell us the company that provided the dome and blower assured them it was “whisper quiet.” We now know that isn’t true. Several board members and students from Western Albemarle volunteered their time to build a sound barrier wall beside the dome blower. While the effort is appreciated, it didn’t work as well as hoped and only slightly helped one household. That was in late October. This letter was submitted to the Crozet Gazette on November 27, exactly two months after the dome was installed. We are still living with the noise in our yards, on our porches, in our homes! We have spent October and November listening to and living with the blower noise. It would be wonderful not to spend all of December the same way. All we want is for the Park Board and YMCA to make our neighborhood the peaceful and quiet place it used to be before the dome was installed. The Spenglers, Rothmans, and Goadhouses Crozet
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TICKETS at the door. DESSERTS by local caterers!
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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
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.
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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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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
Potter’s Craft Cider Discovers Its Popularity Dan Potter and Tim Edmond launched Potter’s Craft Cider nearly two years ago not knowing what to expect, and now they are barely keeping up with demand for their two styles of crisp, dry, favorful hard cider. But then they are making a highquality artisanal beverage, using local apples, that’s intended for a local consumer, so they have a place on the wave of the local food movement. They are operating out of a former horse vet’s clinic on a farm in Free Union, a one-story block building that is a little too chopped up for their needs, but it has high ceilings and concrete floors with drains. Farmhouse Dry, their marquee label, is fresh, dry, slightly sparkling and satisfying. It’s available in bottles (wine-looking bottles) and in kegs at local restaurants. Each batch of Farmhouse takes about three weeks to ferment and the cidery
expects to run through January, when the availability of suitable fruit for cider making is expected to end. They only use fruit stored under simple refrigeration, not that stored in gases. In 2011 they produced about 4,000 gallons of Farmhouse Dry. Their second cider, more aristocratic in bearing, is Oak Barrel Reserve, which ages six months in used oak casks that once contained Laird’s Apple Brandy. They use terms like caramel, vanilla, toasted oak, mellow and round to describe it. It has a hint of cognac, too. They have six barrels of the Reserve aging, and expect to produce about 800 12-bottle cases of it. Potter and Edmonds became friends at Princeton University. They began brewing beer together as a hobby and became, after much, much practice, accomplished brewers and were producing beers in the Blue Mountain Brewery vein, Potter said. They even branched out into
Tim Edmond and Dan Potter
things like a mint chocolate stout. Potter was working at Tuckahoe Plantation in Henrico, the eighteenth-century farm that was for several years the boyhood home of Thomas Jefferson. A Princeton friend is trying to revive the agricul-
tural enterprise of the farm and Potter was helping. “Beer making started taking over our lives, so we thought we would start a farm brewery,” explained Potter. They planted hops and barley, but the barley crop failed and
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the plan seemed to stall. Meanwhile Potter had bought some apples from Henley’s Orchard in Crozet to make fresh cider and in the course of that took a stab at making hard cider, too. The result surprised him. The hard cider was dry and flavorful, nothing like apple juice or the sweet style of ciders
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Valley, too. “We ferment to complete dryness so there is no sugar at all. We use whole apples and yeast. We never add sugar or water. We’re expressing the fruit’s character. It’s the cider’s structure that gives an impression of sweetness. We want each blend to have real character, a really different flavor profile, not just a nuance. That’s the fun for us. It really goes well with food. “We haven’t brewed beer in a while. This takes everything now. We had a bigger jump in demand than we expected. The puzzle is interesting because you have to make all your decisions in a three-month period. Potter’s Craft Cider logo, which adorns their Farmhouse Dry 750 ml bottles. It’s tough to know how deep the maravailable commercially. ket is. It was a question of how So next the pair carried out 300 much we could do and how much trials of hard cidermaking using dif- space we have.” ferent blends of apples and yeast. They distribute for themselves, “It really educated us,” said and Farmhouse Dry is available at Edmond. “We tasted our way 43 places around Charlottesville— through all these blends. All these including Crozet Great Valu, flavors developed. We were doing it Piedmont Store, Greenwood in small batches so we could develop Gourmet Grocery, and on draft at flavors, like butter or pepper. It’s Blue Mountain Brewery and uncharted territory there.” Mountfair Vineyard—as well as a What they call their “pilot year,” few places in Richmond. Their 2010, was a real education, too. inventory is sufficient, they think, They started carrying samples to to be able to supply their stores area bars and grocery stores and through the next year. Farmhouse offering tastings. Dry, which is 7.5 to 8 percent alco“We found out there is a feasible hol, sells for $10 or $12 per bottle market,” he said. “Everybody is and is also available at the cidery in doing something unique, but we are cases by appointment. more in the vein of what Albemarle They are studying problems they Cider Works and Castle Hill Cider are facing in production planning. are doing.” “The core of our model is to go deep Cider Week Virginia, held in at home,” said Potter. “Good relaNovember, was hectic for them, but tions locally, not spreading out. We it exposed them to the flavors the want to get to more spots and show handful of other cideries are making people about cider. The market and it fostered camaraderie among needs better education.” They are the cidermakers. considering how they might get a “Even in this niche,” said tasting room added to their buildEdmond, “there is tremendous vari- ing.” ation. You get year-to-year variation “Craft ciders will always be in flavor, just like wine. Few apples regionally limited and tied to the can stand alone. Sugars, tannins, land they come from. We want to aroma—those are the marks you’re stay true to what we do and to the trying to hit.” quality we make,” said Potter. Their blend is based on Albemarle But word about the flavor is getPippins, Winesap and Stayman ting out. Southern Living magazine apples. “We buy local apples from recently came calling and Potter’s orchards in Albemarle and Nelson Craft Cider could end up being a and now from the Shenandoah local favorite all over the South.
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DECEMBER 2012
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CROZET gazette
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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
Ivy Exxon Has New Owners Scott and Diane Ramm ran the Barracks Road Shell gas station in Charlottesville for 20 years until September, when they took over Ivy Exxon. Roger and Steve Gibson operated the station for the previous 15 years. They are now retired. The Ramms have extended operating hours to include Sundays and converted one of the station’s four pumps to full service. Full service means they pump the gas, wash the front and rear windows, check tire air pressures, and look under the hood at engine fluid levels. Their three fulltime mechanics have come with them. All are ASEcertified, one at the master level. The station has three service bays, two with lifts and one with a pit. Ramm said he intends to put a lift in the pit bay as well. The station can do maintenance and repairs on any American or foreign-made car, Scott Ramm said. Work is scheduled by appointment—though they do respond to emergencies—and usually jobs can be scheduled in the next couple of days, said Ramm. They offer courtesy shuttle service to Crozet and Charlottesville for customers who need to leave their car for the day. The station will do factory-scheduled maintenance, including timing belts, oil changes, wipers and batteries, state inspections, air conditioning and “check engine” light repairs, and trip checks for those headed out of town. They can also handle some repairs that are covered under extended warranty programs.
They offer an Auto Advantage Club for $99.95 per year that gives members two free state inspections, four free oil changes, a free trip check and discounts on other repairs. “We’re like a family doctor for your car, A to Z,” said Ramm. “We’re very proactive about repairs people are likely to need so they don’t end up on the side of the road. We have a lot more computer diagnostic equipment than the station had before. Now we can compile repair histories for cars.” The station sells Exxon products and offers an assortment of additives and other car products. “Things have been good since we opened. People have been friendly and welcoming. We kept the same phone number and we want to maintain as much as possible what Roger Gibson had going. We are family-owned and we treat everybody’s car as if it were my mother’s car. We treat our customers like they are family and we want them to be safe,” said Ramm, a Western Albemarle High School graduate. “We want to be a hometown station for Ivy and Crozet. There is much more of a neighborhood feel to this business than there was in town. We enjoy that people recognize us now.” They had a petition sheet about the local elementary school redistricting options available on the cash register counter for customers who wanted to sign. “We want to make some face-lift changes,” said Diane Ramm. “We want to remodel the office and
Diane and Scott Ramm
bathrooms, put awnings over the office windows and do more landscaping. We also hope to swap out the older pumps so customers will be able to use their credit cards at the pumps.” The station is open for gas from 7
a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Repairs are available from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
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New Online Registration for Western Albemarle High School Current eighth graders who will be attending Western Albemarle High School for the 2013-14 school year will register for classes online later this month. Prospective Western Albemarle students can register for classes between December 21 and January 9 by logging on through their Parent or Student Portal accounts. Students who will attend Albemarle High School can register from December 12 to January 9 and those headed for Monticello High School from December 12 to January 13. This is the first time the online system will be used. School officials expect the system to be more efficient, timely and cheaper to admin-
ister. About seven out of 10 parents of high school students have a Parent Portal account, which enables them to review student grades and attendance records and communicate directly with teachers. Parents who do not have an active Parent Portal account should contact their school’s main office for assistance in setting one up. Western Albemarle will host a curriculum fair Monday, December 10. Meetings to discuss the transition are being held this month for eighth graders in county schools. A similar meeting will be held in February for private school parents and students who are interested in attending public high school.
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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
Washington —continued from page 1
ment in the spring of 2010, Griesmeyer said, when store manager Tom Shepherd noticed cash shortages happening there. He called in a company loss prevention investigator, Diana Gallion. She ordered what Griesmeyer called MAX reports, “monitoring all exceptions” reports, detailed accounts of every purchase at every register. The company’s systems can pull up “a dizzying array of metrics,” he said, that allow it to diagnose unusual situations. Gallion also installed a surveillance camera in the department that focused on the register. Camera video showed that an employee from a different department was stealing from the deli register. When confronted by Gallion, she admitted to the thefts, totaling $400, and to a gambling problem that was motivating her. She added that she had benefited from a “black bowl” discount program that she said Washington had instituted for his friends. For 99 cents, she said, a customer could load as much food as he wanted from the deli steam table. She said Washington gave this deal to employees and other favored customers. These were unauthorized discounts, Griesmeyer pointed out, and “an act of dishonesty.” The guilty employee resigned at the end of the interview in which she was confronted. Gallion pursued the matter of the discount sales with two other deli employees, both white, who admitted that they had charged employees 99 cents for filling black bowls for lunch. One employee said she had been told by Washington to
stop the discounted sales because the store was losing too much money on them. The other employee was suspended and subsequently fired for violating store policies. “Kroger does not allow pricemarking for yourself or over or under weighing produce,” Griesmeyer said. Next Gallion interviewed Washington. According to her deposition, Washington denied giving or taking discounted items or to have any knowledge of the 99-cent charges or some suspect 25-cent charges. But he could not explain the MAX report data. She said Washington admitted to having worked off-the-clock, a violation of Kroger rules, when the deli department was short-handed. At the end of the three-hour interview, Washington was suspended. After Gallion’s report was read by Kroger’s human resources department, Washington was fired. Griesmeyer said that Kroger had solid evidence that Washington had violated store rules and his suspension was not different from the way the white employees involved were treated. “He didn’t like the result and filed a grievance through the union, [the United Food and Commercial Workers Union],” said Griesmeyer. “The union met with Kroger. Kroger showed them the same evidence being shown in court and the union decided not to pursue the case. Washington had violated a host of store rules. “The union voluntarily withdrew and Washington did not like this. … He thought white deli managers in other stores had had the same program and had not been punished.”
Ron Washington
Kroger investigated the other stores and found that the cases were different, Griesmeyer said. “Washington let employees and himself steal from the company. The others allowed employees to buy, off-the-clock, distressed merchandise that would have been thrown out. They didn’t buy it themselves. There was no evidence the other managers had violated rules.” Griesmeyer said, “Washington identifies two incidents where the n-word was used. Kroger does not tolerate this. When asked about them, Washington said he never actually heard the word used. It’s only hearsay. One was eight years ago. He was told that Diana Gallion had referred to two employees as “Ns.” A customer had overheard this and told a store employee, who told Washington. Triple hearsay. That’s all he has.” The other incident Washington alleged occurred in 2009. “Washington was suspended because out-of-date inventory in
the deli had gotten too high,” Griesmeyer said. The employee who later admitted to a gambling problem “told Washington that Shepherd had said, ‘We finally got rid of that nigger.’ Washington never once heard that word used himself. Based on these facts he cannot prevail because he cannot show a prima facia case. His job performance was not satisfactory.” Essentially, he argued that Washington could not show that white employees similarly situated were treated more favorably than he. “It may be that Washington did not steal from Kroger,” Griesmeyer said. “The company could be wrong. But the burden is on him to come up with evidence that his firing was discriminatory. There is no other evidence of a hostile work environment. N-word instances are not sufficient to prove it.” “This is not my forte,” said Washington when his turn came. He tried to clarify points in continued on page 18
Crozet United Methodist Church 1156 Crozet Avenue
(434)823-4420
Christmas Eve Worship 4:00p Children's Service 7:00p Contemporary Service with Communion 11:00p Candlelight Communion Service Professional Nursery Service at 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. All are invited to celebrate Communion. Come as you are.
www.crozetumc.org Advent Programs
Children's Christmas Program: December 16 at 6:00 p.m. Choir Cantata: December 9 at 11:00 a.m. Regular Sunday Worship at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.
CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
9
Sandy’s Custom Long Rifles Preserves a Traditional American Art By Kathy Johnson kathy@crozetgazette.com Allan Sandy is the artist behind Allan Sandy Custom Long Rifles, and his workshop just off Dick Woods Road near Afton was part in the recent Artisan Tour. Tools line one wall of the immaculately clean shop. In another part, a variety of finely crafted long rifles and one spectacular pistol are on display. Most have never been fired, nor are most—destined for collectors—likely to be. “I started out just interested in shooting black powder guns and in the history of muzzle-loading rifles,” said Sandy. “I don’t shoot as much as I used to. The historical part has become a lot more important. You never learn it all.” The traditional long rifle Sandy makes was common from the period of the French and Indian War through the American Revolution and into the early 19th century. “Mostly these were hunting guns, and they were used for protection. Average fellas owned a gun, especially if they lived out of the city or out of town. They used that gun every day. It was a tool. It wasn’t a luxury. They carried it with them for protection against Indians or
whatever. It was a livelihood for food. Guns were very important. We’re so spoiled today. We have no idea what it was like to live back then. “I’ve gone to some of these events, rendezvous or encampments, for a week or week and a half at a time, so you are doing without electricity, living in a tent. Sleeping on the ground is way overrated.” His guns could be used for hunting during black powder season “to a certain extent,” he said. “There is a very modernized type of muzzle gun that a lot of people use, but there are still a lot of people who like to hunt with a traditional weapon.” Sandy said the range on these guns is roughly 150 yards. “But the ability to use one and actually hit something is dependent not only on the ability or range of the guns, but on the capability of the shooter, how well he knows his gun, and how accustomed he is to shooting it.” Sandy’s clientele are typically hunters, re-enactors or gun collectors. Some of his guns will be bought as investments. Usually Sandy will test fire a gun he made, but if a collector asks that it not be fired, he honors the request.
Allan Sandy
“Most of the guns I build are shooters, and yes, I will shoot those guns and sight them to be sure they are safe, accurate and sighted properly.” Sandy said the majority of owners spend months working with their guns, learning how that gun performs and improving their per-
formance and accuracy with it. “Working up just the right powder charge, the ‘patch ball’ combination and their accuracy,” is crucial to using the gun successfully,” he said. To shoot the gun, first black powder is poured into the barrel and then a patch ball, a small cloth continued on page 10
Hillsboro Baptist Church Sunday Worship @ 10 am Christmas Eve Candlelight Service @ 7 pm 6356 Hillsboro Lane, Crozet, VA 434.823.1505
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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
Gun Maker —continued from page 9
patch enclosing a soft lead ball, is rammed down the barrel. “In the flintlocks, a small amount of powder goes in the pan area of the gun,” he explains. That pan is located near the front of the gun by the cap. “In a percussion gun, it has a small built-in flint. That’s a newer innovation introduced about 1830. That innovation meant they didn’t have to put the flint out there. They didn’t have to put the powder in the pan or worry so much about things getting wet. “Flint is a super dense, very hard stone. Typically what we use today, and what we feel like is the best, comes from England. It is a harder flint that holds up and lasts much longer.” Flints are a dwindling commodity, he said. “There is one company in England that naps flint. These are all hand-chipped out of a large piece of flint, kind of like cutting diamonds. It has to be done precisely, with knowledge, in order to make a good piece of flint and
not just a bunch of chips on the ground. Only a few tradesmen know how, and it is gradually dying out. “Typically, from a good flint you get anywhere from 50 to 100 shots. It actually strikes a piece of steel called a frizzen and that makes the spark. The spark ignites the powder in the pan.” On average a gun takes about a month to manufacture, something like 150 to 180 hours of work. For one of Sandy’s hunting guns, a base price could be $2,500. “The average gun that I build today, that’s going to run $4,500 or $5,500.” More ornate guns with sterling silver on the stock or engraving on the barrel can take two months and require 300 or 400 hours. A nice collector’s piece could run to $10,000 to $15,000—depending on the details the client is looking for. “I do all the work that’s on these guns. I am pretty much self-taught. I took a basic class, which was pretty much putting all the parts together correctly, back in the mid-’80s. I
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learned a lot, although the engraving, the carving, the inlay work was all self-taught. I’m very fortunate that I have the skills to be able to make these.” Sandy said that most of the people who came through for the Artisan Tour had an “Oh, wow” response. “They were not all gun people, but this is not just a weapon. This is a piece of art, traditional American art. “These guns evolved from early immigrants, gunsmiths trained in England, France and Germany,” Sandy said. “After 20 or 30 years guns evolved into a slightly different kind of weapon than they used in England because there were actually more hunting opportunities here. The guns became a true American gun. By 1860 or 1870, our guns were American. They were no longer carryovers from German or English guns.” The silver inlay work done on most of the collector guns is a French-style “checker.” “Those lines that are cut in there are for grip-
ping,” said Sandy. “It helps to keep the gun from slipping in your hands. The little dots are sterling silver pins that I have set in there. They create a wonderful look.” The locks and the barrels he buys, but everything else is designed and made by Sandy. “They are pretty rough casting when I get them, so they take a lot of work to get them looking like this. “I like what I do for a living,” he said. “And I’m very fortunate to have found what I am really good at. I was an auto mechanic before and I’ve always been good with my hands. I did very well in the automotive field and then I found this creative, artistic ability that I had no idea was there, putting wood and different metals together and making everything look like it belongs there, not making it too flashy or gaudy. I was never one to sit down and draw. But this is a different canvas.” Each new gun starts with a block of wood. After that each gun is unique—an original piece of art-
continued on page 22
CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
11
by Phil James phil@crozetgazette.com
A Mountfair Christmas: Shaping the Heart of a Country Preacher “I grew up in a country store with a post office in the back corner and I have never been able to figure out what children do who grow up in any other environment,” wrote Sidney Sandridge in his memoir Things My Father Always Said ... Or would have – given the occasion. Sidney’s father Laurie Sandridge was born in 1890 at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains in western Albemarle County, west of the Mount Fair plantation established by Revolutionary War Capt. Bezaleel Brown of Brown’s Cove. As a young man, Sandridge found employment on that same farm, owned then by Jim Early. “I was born in a log house on the bank close to the [Doyles] river,” recalled Sidney’s brother Homer. “I remember hearing my Daddy say that during World War One—he had four children then—his pay was $16 a month. Flour was sold for $18 a barrel during the war. But he didn’t have to buy any flour. He was furnished with flour, meal, a couple hogs, a cow to milk. That’s what came along with all of his compensation. Brown’s Cove Methodist Church, early-1930s. “Whenever our church, Brown’s Cove Methodist, had a revival, we went every night—just as regular as a goose goes barefoot. But if another church had a revival, we went one night ... usually on a Wednesday, because Papa said that was likely to be the ‘off’ night in attendance. And being a family of ten children, we made up for almost any deficit they had.” ~ Sidney Sandridge [Photo courtesy of Herbert McAllister]
Laurie and Vertie Batten Sandridge were married in 1909. Their children were Dabney, Horace, Moses, Homer, James, Laurie Jr., Agnes, Mary, Dorothy—and Sidney. [Photo courtesy of Eldon and Mary Morris]
“My earliest remembrance of what Daddy did, he was working on Mount Fair Farm and he along with two or three other people who worked on the farm were cutting telegraph poles—45 or 50 feet long—and hauled them with a four-horse team to Mechum’s River to put them on a train to ship them. At that time, you see, it was a railroad station at Crozet, but I think the road was better to Mechum’s River.” Laurie and his wife Vertie (Batten) Sandridge stepped out in faith and with determination to improve their lot by taking on much greater responsibilities as store merchants. In making that move, they set a course that expanded the career options for generations of their descendants. When they acquired the store business in 1921, their customers crossed the Doyle’s River by ford or foot bridge. “Between Mountfair and Doylesville is less than a mile,” said Homer. “I remember you crossed the river—you forded the river—three times. The road just followed the river.” To supply the store’s groceries required a daylong, 37-mile-round-trip to Charlottesville in a Model-T Ford truck. Homer noted, “We sold horseshoes, hardware-type items, plow points. At one time they were shipped from Staunton. We’d
go to Crozet and pick up the hardware and dry goods—they’d call yard goods. “When you ran a general store you had to have a ware room because a lot of it is feed and bulk items: a hundred pounds of salt, stone crocks. Daddy and C. W. Sandridge would buy a whole boxcar load of crocks and divide them. They would pack crocks in boxcars, just stack them up about three or four high with straw between them. C.W. was running a store in Crozet and Daddy was running the store up here. That was a lot of crocks.” Sidney wrote, “Papa kept a stock of meal, flour, salt, horse and cow feed, as well as a 20 by 6 foot table filled to a six-inch depth with black walnut kernels, dried apples, or ginseng roots—depending upon the season of the year. These were the products he had taken as trade for the groceries and other supplies that some of his customers needed.” “There was a board fence from the river up to the store,” recalled Homer, “and then some more board fence up above here. That’s where they tied their horses. There might have been one person who drove here who had a Model-T. “The mill sat right here [across Fox Mountain
continued on page 12
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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
Country Preacher —continued from page 11
Road in front of the store.] The blacksmith shop sat below it on this side of the river. The Madisons ran that early on. Theodore Madison was the first one I knew after we moved here. Then his son Mahone ran it after him. Later, Lem Shifflett built a place up on the hill there and he ran the blacksmith shop and took the mill over.” Sidney continued, “Papa was the Postmaster at Mountfair, Virginia. Our house was attached to the store and we sat by the pot-bellied stove in the back of the store until bedtime each evening. Then at closing time, two of us would close the wooden shutters on the front of the store, extend a steel bar across them, place a bolt-like pin through the wall and secure it with another pin. This was a lesson in cooperation and dependence: Any two of us could ‘close the blinds,’ but it took two of us. One could not do it alone. “The business of buying and selling was as natural to us as breathing. Ours was the business world, and we lived and learned from that world. I, along with all my brothers and sisters, found a place in the world of business.” As the youngest child in a large family, Sidney Sandridge was shaped by a myriad of family and neighborhood experiences. His older siblings modeled the work ethic and Bible-based values of
Dr. Sidney E. Sandridge: Director, Professor, Ferrum College; President, Southern Seminary Junior College; President, Athens State University. Not too bad for a country preacher... [Photo courtesy of Kim Sandridge Snell]
Laurie Sandridge purchased Mountfair Store in 1921 from the estate of James W. Early. In addition to large-scale farming, Jim Early (1857–1921) had been the storekeeper, postmaster and miller in the community that was named for Capt. Bezaleel Brown’s Mount Fair plantation. The Mountfair, VA, post office operated 1899–1955. [Photo courtesy of Virginia Shifflett]
their parents. Church and school leaders modeled lessons in civics. Whether walking by lantern light to an evening church service or participating in a Thanksgiving Day hog killing, the basic fabric was being woven that would drape his life work of Christian ministry and education. Sidney’s memoir, originally written for his children, recounts many of those life-lessons. One particularly meaningful experience is shared here: “Christmas was a grand time in our family,” recalled Sidney, “with an emphasis on music, gift giving, and family. But one Christmas stands out in my memory. “It was a Christmas Eve and the snow was deep and still falling. All my brothers and sisters and I, along with our parents, were gathered in our upstairs parlor, which was used only on rare occasions. In the midst of our clamor, someone heard a sound that appeared to be someone crying. My Father and older brothers took lanterns and went out into the dark night. Across the bridge, on the main road, they found a little girl, about eight years old, with her younger brother walking in the snow and crying. The men brought the two children in and began to investigate the situation. They discovered the Father of the children down the road a couple of miles, where he had fallen into a ditch in a drunken stupor. He had started walking with his two children earlier in the day trying to get them to his Mother’s home. As they walked, the snow got deeper and he got drunker until he could no longer stand. The little girl was trying to make their way to her Grandmother’s home, which was still many miles away. My fam-
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 © 2003–2012 Phil James
ily took the children in, kept them overnight, and made arrangements with the County Sheriff to take the Father in for the night. This happened on Christmas Eve, and the two little children were with us for the Christmas morning event. It was interesting to me that Santa Claus didn’t forget those two children and some of the packages that had been under the tree suddenly had their names on them. I was very young, but I learned that day what the spirit of Christmas means.”
In addition to their shared Christian ministry, Sidney and Gladys Sandridge’s home was filled with the joys of their children: Jeffrey, Kim, Sandi and Jennifer, one of whom sits securely with Sidney in this 1950s view. “Daddy always managed to find horses,” noted daughter Kim. [Photo courtesy of Kim Sandridge Snell]
CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
Seasonal Flavors
MEMORIES & RECIPES FROM AN ITALIAN KITCHEN [ by elena day | elena@crozetgazette.com \
Tsimmes & Onion Tart December brings us shorter days and gray skies. A body needs the sustenance of root vegetables. Full of carbohydrates for energy, the “roots” are low in fat and high in vitamin C, beta carotene, and minerals such as potassium, phosphorus and magnesium. The first is a recipe that has found its way into our Thanksgiving feasts via my Jewish brother-in-law. It’s a Passover staple, but he has injected it into both Thanksgiving and Christmas family dinners. The second is a quick onion tart. (Onions, bulbs rather than roots,
have been a food source for thousands of years and are currently the second most important horticultural crop next to tomatoes. Nutritional/ medicinal pluses include their suppression of harmful bacterial growth in the gut as well as possible reduction of cancerous colon tumors.)
Tsimmes 1 lb beets 1 lb parsnips 1 lb carrots 1 lb turnips 1 or 2 tbsps salt 1 tsp black pepper ½ cup olive oil 2 tbsp minced parsley
2-3 cloves of pressed garlic Moroccan spice mix (recipe below) Set Aside: 2 tbsp honey 1 cup golden raisins soaked in hot water Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and cut all vegetables into equal-size chunks and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, parsley and Moroccan spice mix. Place on oiled cookie sheets in single layer. Roast for about 20 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain raisins. Add raisins and honey to roasted vegetables. Reheat in oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Just before serving, garnish with more freshly minced parsley.
Moroccan Spice Mix 1 tbsp cumin 1 tbsp coriander 1 tsp fennel seeds ½ tsp each nutmeg & cinnamon ½ tsp tumeric 1 tsp allspice 1 tbsp ginger 1 tbsp salt ½ tsp black pepper ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
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Onion Tart For the Crust: ½ stick (4 tbsp) of softened butter 1½ cups flour ¼ tsp salt Cut butter into flour until texture of cornmeal. Carefully add up to a 1/3 cup of cold water. Stir with fork and form a ball of dough. Roll out the pastry and place in a 10 inch pie pan and artistically flute the edges. (I generally don’t chill the pastry and have no trouble rolling it out on a floured counter top. Everyone deals with the production of crust differently, so do what you have to.)
For the Filling: 2 large onions 4 tbsp butter ¾ cup cream or half-and-half ¼ cup milk 4 eggs 4-5 oz Gruyere cheese or mix of Gruyere & Swiss cheeses grated salt & pepper to taste grated nutmeg Saute onions in butter until beyond translucent but not caramelized. Beat eggs in bowl. Add milk and cream, grated cheese(s), salt and pepper to taste and a sprinkle of grated nutmeg. Spread onions in the pastry shell. Pour egg mixture over onions. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes until slightly browned.
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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
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CROZET LIONS CLUB CORNER Barbara Westbrook and Bob Metzinger were inducted into the Lions Club at the November 26 meeting. The Lions will meet December 10, with the featured event of the evening a gift swap. 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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CROZET gazette
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BY DR. ROBERT C. REISER crozetannals@crozetgazette.com
Dear Santa Dear Santa, I know you keep a list of those who are naughty and those who are nice, and I was hoping I could help make sure your lists were up to date on the medical professions. I am not expecting any extra special presents in return for this help, but if you wanted to finally come through on that pony, well, I guess that would be okay, too. Naughty: Texas Governor Rick Perry for refusing to accept the federal funds Obamacare is offering to insure more poor people under Medicaid. An unconscionable 24 percent of Texans or one in four residents lack any health insurance, the highest proportion in the nation. Virginia, at 14 percent, is expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Also, the Florida, South Carolina, and Louisiana Governors join that list for the same reasons. I would suggest you give them lumps of coal but I am afraid they might interpret that as a nifty source of energy and a sign that global warming isn’t real. Nice: The Supreme Court for upholding the Affordable Care Act. It is good to provide health care insurance to as many US citizens as possible. I know it wasn’t really Constitutional and all that, but believing that a mandate is the same as a tax is no more far-fetched than believing that one man could deliver presents to every child on earth in one night. Even Fed Ex couldn’t quite do that. Naughty: The Virginia state legislature for trying to force invasive medical procedures on women (transvaginal ultrasounds) without any medical understanding of the procedure. No coal for them either; we get plenty from West Virginia. How about a free probe of their
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DECEMBER 2012
own? Nice: The Charlottesville Free Clinic for providing, well, free health care to our area’s working poor. Partnering with Martha Jefferson and UVA equally for labs and x-rays and with local specialty physicians for specialty referrals, it is truly a remarkable resource. Send some sugarplum fairies their way. Naughty: The New England Compounding Center executives. NECC is the pharmaceutical company that illegally produced the steroid injections that have sickened hundreds and killed dozens this year in an outbreak of fungal meningitis. NECC was warned by the FDA back in 2006 that their manufacturing was illegal due to lack of adherence to safety regulations, but the FDA never followed up. No need to give them a lump of coal. It will be of no use to them in jail where they belong. Nice: India, which has finally, with the help of global health resources, rid itself of polio this year. Only three countries in the world remain as sources of polio, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria. With the proper political will we could eradicate this dreaded disease forever, as we did with smallpox in 1979. My colleague and fellow columnist Amita Sudhir assures me they celebrate Christmas in India after a fashion, so maybe you could send them some chocolate elephants. Naughty: Florida Governor Rick Scott for attempting to prevent doctors from talking to their patients about gun safety and storage by criminalizing such speech. Dubbed the Docs and Glocks law, it was passed by the Florida legislature last year and signed into law by Governor Scott. This blatant violation of the First Amendment was quickly struck down by a federal continued on page 25
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Thoughts on Christmas Trees As a kid back in the fifties, we chose our Christmas tree from a nursery in the New York City suburbs where we lived. Back then I wouldn’t have known a fig from a fir; still, recalling its wonderful fragrance, I’d bet we picked one of these conifers from the far North. I also recall that the trees of my youth were much sparser than those found on today’s tree lots. I would guess that those more open firs were cut from the woods up in Maine or perhaps in the Canadian Maritimes. Today, farm-raised trees are neatly sheared. I have no idea why we have gone over to more “perfect” Christmas trees, especially since it requires extra labor and can make it more difficult to hang the ornaments. In fact, I read that in Europe they still prefer the more open natural look, partly to allow room for placing candles. (Does anyone still use candles on trees?!) Christmas tree farming really hadn’t taken hold in my youth, and
artificial trees were rather crude affairs made of surplus bottle brushes. (Or according to some sources, toilet bowl brushes. Presumably not recycled…) Today, artificial trees are much more natural-looking and more widely sold, but the trend might be reversing. In 2001, 7.3 million artificial trees were sold, and by 2007 that number had risen to 17.4 million. Yet, in 2010, the number had plummeted to 8.2 million. Was this due to the general economic downturn or just a saturation of the market? After all, an artificial tree should last several years. From 2007 to 2010, the number of natural trees sold also declined, but much less dramatically, from 31.3 million to 27 million. There are arguments to be made for buying both artificial and natural trees. Jami Warner, executive director of the American Christmas Tree Association said, “Our members have been urging consumers to choose the Christmas tree that best suits their lifestyle, be it real or artificial.” Grammatical errors aside, I’d like to think I have a real lifestyle. But which choice of tree is actually
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more “green”? With an artificial tree, you buy it just once, or at least only buy a new one after many years. But the tree is made of plastic, which in turn is made of oil. The overwhelming likelihood is that the tree came from China after a journey of several thousand miles, also courtesy of more oil. Once the tree becomes unusable, I am not aware of any way to recycle it. There is a slight advantage that each year you don’t have to drive somewhere to buy a new tree, and no fossil fuels were consumed bringing a tree to your local tree lot. Since most natural trees are now farmed, we no longer have to worry about depleting our forests. Or do we? Presumably, any tree farm is taking up the space that would have been occupied by our native woods; on the other hand, it also could be replacing a corn field. Either way, we now have a monoculture, a lack of plant diversity that may also lead to lower diversity of fauna. That said, I think this is apt to be more of a real problem in the vast Christmas tree plantations of the Pacific Northwest. In the East, small patches of Christmas trees might actually provide good habitat for wildlife when surrounded by native vegetation. Perhaps more worrisome is the use of chemicals in raising Christmas trees. As with any crop, excess fertilization can get into waterways. Weeds between the rows of trees are often controlled by herbicides; noxious insecticides are used to knock out the critters that feed on the trees. In theory, these are all gone by the time the tree reaches market. Or so we hope. We don’t eat Christmas trees, of course,
but kids will be handling them. If you find this worrisome, you might want to talk to the tree farmer about his horticultural practices. Some farmers actually employ organic methods, but don’t bother to go through the official certification; my search revealed that Village Gardens in Appomattox County fits that description. There are probably many others doing the same. Christmas trees appear to have originated in Germany, perhaps an outgrowth of ancient pagan traditions of having something green and “alive” in your home during the dark and cold of winter. The custom spread west to England with the arrival of Prince Albert and to the U.S. with German immigrants. And what about Christmas trees in other cultures? As you head south, especially into the summer of the Southern Hemisphere, bringing life and greenery into the home is not an issue. When I was in Chile last December, I was told that everybody has an artificial tree. Since the landscape is lush and covered with flowers, just a “tree” with some bright lights suffices to celebrate the holiday. Nevertheless, in Australia and New Zealand, Monterey Pines (Pinus radiata) are grown for a variety of purposes, including natural Christmas trees. Somewhat ironically, a species that is rare and threatened in its native California has now become an invasive weed in the Southern Hemisphere. Remember to keep your Christmas tree well-watered and the strings of lights in good condition and turned off when you leave the house or go to bed. Enjoy your Christmas, and recycle the tree when the holidays are over!
CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
17
Musical Miracle: Amahl and the Night Visitors by Clover Carroll | clover@crozetgazette.com Are you looking for a wholesome, heartwarming cultural activity for the whole family that captures the true meaning of Christmas this holiday season? Then look no further than Ash Lawn Opera’s new production of Amahl and the Night Visitors by Gian Carlo Menotti, being performed at the Paramount Theatre Saturday, December 8, at 4:30 and 7 p.m. (Note: the matinee is already sold out). Though less well known, this transcendent story of love, sacrifice, and healing stands alongside O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi” and Dickens’ A Christmas Carol as a beloved Christmas classic. The lyrics sung in English, one-hour length, and affordable price make it “the most accessible of operas, ideal for a family outing,” observes Michelle Krisel, general director of Ash Lawn Opera. “Our mission in expanding our season into the winter is to expose a whole new generation of families to classical music. We want to build a broader and younger audience, to turn children into opera lovers. Amahl has multigenerational appeal and represents our first major collaboration with the local community.” With lead singers hailing from highly prestigious opera companies around the country—including the Metropolitan Opera (Hyung Yun as Melchior), Santa Fe Opera (Brandy Lynn Hawkins as Amahl’s mother),
and Washington National Opera (Kenneth Kellogg as Balthazar plus stage director Andrea Dorf )—this is guaranteed to be a top-notch production. Sharing the stage with this star power will be twenty local singers from The Virginia Consort, led by Judy Gary, as well as sixteen members of The Wilson School of Dance—all conducted by Kate Tamarkin, music director of the Charlottesville and University Symphony Orchestra, many of whom will fill the orchestra pit. The role of Amahl will be sung by Crozet’s own Chloe Horner, a seventh grader at Henley Middle School. Amahl retells the Christmas story through the experiences of a crippled shepherd boy eking out a subsistence living with his single mother near Bethlehem. The birth of Christ and the journey of the three kings serve as a backdrop to the central drama of how Amahl and his mother—so impoverished that they are contemplating a life as beggars—will even survive. Writing the libretto as well as composing the glorious music, Menotti introduces humor into this dark scenario by perfectly capturing the mixture of devotion, protectiveness, and rebellion that typify any mother/son relationship. The scene opens with the plaintive melody of Amahl’s shepherd’s pipe echoing across the fields, created by the oboe. When Amahl goes inside and tells his mother about the “star as large as a window” above the house, she scolds him for telling tall tales. Matters grow worse when
there is a knock on the door and Amahl reports that there are three kings outside! But his mother soon learns that he is telling the truth about both extraordinary events. Inviting the kings inside for the night—along with their page and their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh—she calls the other shepherds to bring food to entertain her guests. As night falls, a crime committed under duress leads to a miracle that is completely believable within the context Menotti has created. As the kings continue to follow the star, we experience Christ’s promise to bring light into a dark world. This intimate, personalized version of the familiar journey of the magi as they seek a new kind of king emphasizes how Christ’s birth bridged the gap between rich and poor and celebrated the worth of the common man. Menotti, who was born in Italy in 1911 and emigrated to the United States at the age of 17, writes with the soaring lyricism and
singable melodies typical of Italian opera, but adds a mystical element with minor keys and startling harmonies. His other most famous work is The Medium (1946). Commissioned in 1951 by NBC to write the first opera for television, Menotti was inspired by Hieronymous Bosch’s 1516 painting The Adoration of the Magi. The music of Amahl is a miracle in itself, highly original and intensely moving. Menotti was a master of transforming the natural inflections of ordinary conversation into musical lines, from Amahl’s breathless report of the gigantic star (“Mother, Mother! Mother, come and see!”) to his curious interrogation of the kings (“Amongst your magic stones…Is there one that could cure a crippled boy?”). Menotti also captures the exotic Middle Eastern setting through his music, from the simple, folk-like melody of Amahl’s shepherd’s pipe to the sinuous dance music of the shepherds. The
continued on page 22 DR. HILLARY COOK
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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
Washington —continued from page 8
Griesmeyer’s presentation. “The charge against me was discounting product, not theft. They rely on [the thief ] to prove the case against me. Gallion said to me, ‘I would believe the word of a thief before I would believe you.’ “I was called into an unannounced meeting. I asked for a union representative to be present.” He said that the union member who sat in was a membership recruitment person, not someone familiar with disciplinary matters. He said he considered it an “interrogation meeting and it was unfair.” He described it as “hostile.” Washington said that in the case where he was suspended when outof-date product was found in the deli case, that the ‘thief employee’ had been told by the manager to apply for Washington’s job. That was the occasion when Shepherd is alleged to have said, “We finally got rid of that nigger.” Washington said
that she took cigarette breaks often with Shepherd and that she said he used the n-word repeatedly. Washington disputed that any video from the surveillance camera showed him favoring his friends or employees or ringing up his own order. He asserted racial bias in Shepherd and “a pattern of racial conspiracy by white employees.” He pointed to his 29 years of satisfactory performance evaluations. He noted that he was supervised by Shepherd for the last three years. He called Shepherd’s supervisory methods “questionable” and “harsh.” He said he was verbally offered a settlement of $2,000 dollars and the ability to get his pension. He said he asked for the offer to be put in writing. “I emphatically deny the charges of theft. I refused to sign the paper they set aside for me to sign.” He said the charge of working off-theclock was an instance in which after he had gotten off work he took
RVCC Suffers Tree Theft and Loss of Income
continued on page 39
continued on page 39
By Kathy Johnson For the past several years, the nonprofit Rockfish Valley Community Center has sold Christmas trees as one of their annual fundraising events. This year, the center purchased freshly cut North Carolina Fraser firs to sell, but now not all those trees can be sold by the center. RVCC was the victim of a tree theft the first weekend in December. “What we normally do every year is stack our Christmas trees right in this little courtyard,” explained new executive director G. Stuart Mills. “So, we did that again this year. The trees came in on Thursday [Nov. 29] and we unloaded them and stacked them, just like we always do, and somewhere between Thursday night or Friday night, somebody came in and just helped themselves.”
Happy Holidays from
“The fella who volunteers to run the tree sales for us initially estimated that there were 30 or so missing. Today I found out that was an over-estimate; about 10 or 12 trees were stolen. A lot better than we had originally thought, but it still represents a loss to us of over $400, and we’re a nonprofit,” Mills said. “For us, that’s money that we’ll never get back, and that’s one of our fundraising events. It’s pretty sad to think that someone would steal from a nonprofit. It’s like stealing from a church. I’m sure they are sitting on the side of the road somewhere selling Christmas trees that should have been sold here.” RVCC has filled a report with the Nelson County Sheriff’s office, “and I guess we’ll have to deal with the insurance company,” said Mills. Funds from the sale of the freshlycut trees are used by the center to
To all our friends, neighbors, family and the entire Crozet Community
Peachtree Baseball League!
We greatly appreciate the continued support of everyone in Crozet and western Albemarle community. We have always known that this is a great place to live and raise our children but the never-ending generosity of our friends, neighbors and local businesses is truly a blessing that we are grateful for everyday! This past year was another year of growth, learning and many successes for our League. Our youngest division, Blast Ball, was a huge success with introducing the basic elements of baseball to our 4yr old players. We had over 390 players this spring in all divisions and we fielded 6 All Star Teams, of which our 8, 9 & 13 year old division were District 5 Champions and 4 teams went on to States.
Snow is coming. Are you ready?
With all of this growth and excitement we have been working hard to restructure and rebuild, especially in our Rookie Division and we continue our focus on our Babe Ruth Division. We are reconstructing 3 fields that are currently in place this coming spring and will be launching a major fundraiser to reconstruct these fields and purchase batting cages and other vital equipment so that we can keep up with the growth of our community and provide a safe, healthy, nurturing environment for the youth of our community.
At the Lodge at Old Trail, we are! Our fireplace is aglow in our beautiful senior living community where new and active friends await you. Find peace of mind knowing you will not be left in the cold or dark this winter. Leave your snow shovel behind and join the pioneer residents of The Lodge.
Many positive changes are also occurring behind the scenes as well as on the fields so that the League is able to operate more efficiently. Coaches will be participating in specialized training and leadership exercises prior to the start of the season. Our goal is for all children of Crozet & Western Albemarle have a fantastic baseball experience each and every year.
• Situated in the heart of The Village of Old Trail • Attractive monthly rental program. No buy-in or large entrance fee. • Spacious apartments, exceptional dining and thoughtful amenities
Call Kristina Paré today at 434.823.9100 and learn how moving to The Lodge is easier and more affordable than you think.
The Lodge at Old Trail 330 Claremont Lane, Crozet, Virginia 22932 | www.lodgeatoldtrail.com Independent Living • Assisted Living • Memory Care
We wish you ALL a very blessed Christmas and holiday season and look forward to seeing everyone at registration:
January 15 & 17 from 6:30 - 9 p.m. at the Old Trail Community Building Registration is now OPEN online at
www.peachtreebaseball.com
For information about Peachtree Baseball, contact Cheryl Madison at madisonhi@aol.com or visit peachtreebaseball.com
CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
upcoming community events DECEMBER 8
Pictures with Santa to Benefit Library Photographer Angie Brement will host her fourth annual Pictures With Santa event Saturday, December 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Trailside Coffee. This year, the event will raise money for the Build Crozet Library Fund. A suggested donation of $20 is requested, but not required.
DECEMBER 8
Terra Voce Concert at Crozet Arts Crozet Arts received nonprofit status from the Internal Revenue Service earlier this year and to celebrate this milestone, Terra Voce will hold a benefit concert on December 8 featuring music from their winterthemed/holiday CD, “The Frost is All Over.” Elizabeth Brightbill (flute) and Andrew Gabbert (cello), together known professionally as Terra Voce, are both instructors at the school and passionate about the school’s nonprofit mission of “bringing the arts to life in our community.” Sharon Tolczyk, artistic director, and Mollie Washburne, administrative director, are the cofounders of Crozet Arts. The school opened in 2009 in the classroom wing of the old Crozet elementary school, which it shares with The Field School, and attracted more than 180 students from preschoolers
through seniors in classes including ballet, creative movement, story theater for children, acting, music and movement, Suzuki cello, salsa, swing and ballroom dance, painting, guitar, yoga, knitting and sewing, a flute ensemble, and an adult strings ensemble. “What Sharon and Mollie have done is to create a space where the arts can mingle and young and old can experience them,” said Gabbert. “I don’t think there is another school like it in Albemarle County, certainly not a nonprofit one.” “We emphasize the process and the person rather than just the product,” said Tolczyk. “Artistic expression is life-enhancing, and training in the arts enhances your abilities and skills in everyday life. So, it’s about a lifelong engagement with the arts, not just one shining moment, but a series of shining moments. We hope that is what all our students will take away from their instruction at Crozet Arts…a lifelong passion.” Unlike a for-profit model, the school puts the support it receives back into program development that will further its mission, said Washburne. An interdisciplinary project including music, dance, art, and drama is in the works, as well as expanding class offerings and outreach to schools. “We are classified by the IRS as a ‘public charity,’ meaning our support comes from the community. We are community-based. Our board of directors is local. Our instructors are local professionals.
Terra Voce is based in Crozet, and Crozet caterers are generously donating desserts for the concert. So, if you are interested in supporting local initiatives, we hope you’ll come to the concert on December 8!” Terra Voce will perform a program with winter themes that emphasizes their creative arrangements and variety of styles. The concert, which is open to the public, begins at 7 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door for $10/person or $30 /family.
DECEMBER 8, 9, 15, 16
Nutcracker Mini Suite at Albemarle Ballet Theatre
Albemarle Ballet Theatre will perform a Nutcracker Mini Suite Saturdays, December 8 and 15, at 7 p.m. and Sundays, December 9 and 16, at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Clara falls into a magical dream after her Christmas party with the nutcracker she receives as a gift. The Sugar Plum Fairy takes the awakened Clara to the “Land of Sweets” where she is entertained by Arabian, Chinese, Gypsy, and Raggedy Ann dolls, Russian and Spanish dancers. Colorful, golden glittery, handmade costumes fashioned for this classic story, embellish beautiful choreography performed by ABT dancers to Tchaikovsky’s timeless music. Local student performers are: Alissa Bush, Eileen Boyle, Anna DeLaura, Olivia DeLaura, Emma Gilbert, Chloe Hannah, Susannah Morrell, Rebecca Richardson, Amia Salisbury, Nicki Sheffield, Kelsey Tarleton, Hannah Williams, Maeve
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Winters, and Sally Hart. Choreography is by Ashley Geisler, Sally Hart, Veronica Hart, and Moira Price The Nutcracker Mini Suite is perfect for the entire family—children, adults, and seniors. Seating is limited to 40 people per show. Run time is approximately 45 minutes. Proceeds support Studio for the Performing Arts (SFTPA) “Dancing off the Streets” scholarship fund. Tickets are $10 each. Purchase online at aBallet.org/tickets or at their studio in Crozet. For more information, call 434.823.8888 or email Dance@aBallet.org.
DECEMBER 11
Messiah Sing-In Scola Cantorum of Waynesboro will hold its ‘Messiah Sing-In’ Tuesday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 11th Street at Wayne Ave., in Waynesboro. For more information visit their website: www.scholawaynesboro.org.
DECEMBER 31
Crozet Running Club New Year’s Run Close out the year with a run and start the new one with a run! The Crozet Running Club will meet in front of Trailside Coffee in the Old Trail Village Center at 11:30 p.m. and will run 3 to 5 miles depending on the group. Anyone is welcome! Bring your headlamps. The Crozet Running Club is brand new and will focus on better connecting the Crozet running community. Visit www.runcrozet.com for more information.
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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
Redistricting —continued from page 1
High School, are Brownsville, Crozet, Meriwether Lewis and Virginia Murray Elementaries. Each has two representatives on the committee. A parent from Red Hill Elementary in North Garden also sits on the group, since that school could potentially feel a ripple effect and be enlarged by students shifted from Murray. The committee’s alternative course would be to recommend a near-term shift of some students from Meriwether Lewis to Crozet, perhaps from the Browns Gap Turnpike and White Hall areas, or, less likely, a shift of some from Meriwether Lewis to Murray, such as children in the Glenaire vicinity. Meriwether Lewis Elementary is currently 52 students over what is called its “program capacity,” basically the enrollment it was designed to serve given our educational values. The school uses four trailers, one as a music classroom, but the committee was not persuaded that this degree of overcrowding justifies a redistricting action. School officials told the group they have no plan or intention for building on to Meriwether Lewis Elementary. In a meeting Nov. 11 at Crozet Elementary, the committee learned that a survey of Meriwether Lewis parents had identified their highest priorities in a change of enrollment size. Highest concern, at 37 percent, was that the quality of instruction and learning not deteriorate, next at 32 percent was preserving student friendships, transporta-
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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
Existing western Albemarle school districts
tion factors were cited by 20 percent and impact on property values was the fourth factor at 19 percent. The committee examined the figures on school capacity and current and projected enrollments. [See the chart on page 20.] Predictions are based on local birth data and the locations of building permits issued and, judging by zoning, where they may be expected. County schools Chief Operating Officer Josh Davis said school leaders do not have
strong confidence in projections that are longer than three years out. While agreeing that the school has more students than it is supposed to have, Meriwether Lewis parent James Younger said, “Being over capacity does not necessarily mean students have to move. We’ve been over since 2007 and we were redistricted to create the overcapacity situation.” Davis referred to this option as “the holding pattern.”
An addition to Crozet Elementary would add 130 seats in a two-story wing that would roughly occupy the spot where a basketball court is now on the south side of the school. The main office, library, kitchen and cafeteria would also be remodeled. The estimated cost of the addition is $5.67 million. The new capacity would be 472 students. This plan assumes a redistricting decision has been made that sets that capacity. If redistricting is put off, an even larger addition is possible that would aim for a higher capacity. The addition would likely mean a redistricting affecting each of the four schools in the pattern. An addition to Crozet Elementary is not on the county’s current list of planned capital projects. Even if the Board of Supervisors agrees to the idea and funds it immediately, the addition would not be available until the
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2016-17 school year. “This is not a funded project. This would be a request to the county,” said Davis. Without certainty that it would be built, the committee was reluctant to move students to Crozet now. Murray parent Mary Margaret Frank said she was “uncomfortable with moving 50 kids out of Meriwether Lewis and into Crozet” and made a motion to “take Crozet off the table.” It passed on a 10-1 vote with Younger dissenting.
continued on page 26
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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
Amahl
—continued from page 17 christina@crozetgazette.com
Winter is here and the temperatures are going down and the utility bills are going up! Here are a few tips to winterize your home and keep comfortable this winter. 1. Run fans in reverse Running your ceiling fans in reverse takes all the warm air up at the ceiling and circulates it back down. 2. Insulate your pipes Insulating the pipes will help to keep the pipes from freezing and help to keep the hot water pipes warm so the hot water heater doesn’t have to work as hard. Most hardware stores sell pre-cut foam tube you can measure and place over the exposed pipes. 3. Clean the gutter Removing leafs and debris from
the gutter allows rain and snow water to exit properly. 4. Check smoke alarms This is a good time of year to make sure all your smoke alarms have batteries and are working properly. Also not a bad idea to add a carbon-monoxide detector. 5. Make a draft snake A draft snake is a fabric tube filled with dry rice, lentils, or sand that you can place in front of a breezy door. Try repurposing old flannel shirt sleeves or pajamas for the fabric. As an added bonus, making the draft snake is a fun winterizing project for the kiddos, too. With your house all ready for winter, it’s time to enjoy the magic of the season. Stay warm and Happy Holidays!
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orchestration brilliantly reflects the action on stage, with staccato strings reflecting Amahl’s limping across the room on crutches; regal, sonorous chords accompanying the appearance of the three kings at the door; and close, sweet harmonies imbuing the tender duets between Amahl and his mother. The plaintive duet between Amahl and his mother as they plan their begging strategy will melt your heart, and the luminous, ethereally beautiful quartet in which the three kings describe the many-faceted character of the Christ child while Amahl’s mother draws a comparison to her own beloved son is a major highlight of the score. Menotti returned to Italy later in life to become artistic director of the Rome Opera. Ash Lawn Opera formed in 1978 and performed for many years outdoors in the boxwood garden at the home of James Monroe. They moved to the Paramount in 2009 in
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order to produce more professional productions and reach a wider audience. Krisler, who worked with Placido Domingo at the Washington National Opera for fourteen years before joining ALO in 2010, is tackling more difficult, tragic works this summer—a “two-hanky season,” she confesses. Auditions for La Bohème by Puccini and Carousel by Rodgers and Hammerstein will be held January 6, 2013, with performances planned for July and August. Lead singers fly in from all over the country and are housed locally by volunteers, so please consider supporting the local arts scene in this way. ALO also educates children by providing entry points to opera through its Teaching Artists program. Charlottesville is lucky to have our own, local opera company offering superlative music and theater to enrich our cultural lives! For tickets to the evening performance of Amahl ($27 adults / $16.50 students / $6 youth) or for additional audition information, visit www. ashlawnopera.com.
Owners/OperatOrs arlin & Janet Martin FREE WI-FI Next to the Green Olive Tree
5368 THREE NOTCH’D ROAD, CROZET | 434-531-5968
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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
By John Andersen, DVM gazettevet@crozetgazette.com
Love More. Judge Less. I’m going to talk about a sensitive topic: money. Just as I was about to enter my last appointment of the evening a few weeks ago, our receptionist interrupted me. “Dr. Andersen, I’ve got a woman on the phone. She’s hysterical because her dog’s eye is hanging out of the socket and bleeding everywhere. And she says she has no money.” I have to admit, this was not what I wanted to hear at 5:30 p.m. as I’m wrapping up my day and getting ready to go home and spend time
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with my family. The problem here was three-fold. First, it was the end of the day and this was clearly not a situation I was going to be able to quickly resolve. A dog with its eye hanging out of the socket would clearly need surgery, which includes anesthesia and plenty of post-operative monitoring. We simply did not have the capability at that time of day. Problem two was that these clients had no money. They were both unemployed (chronically) and barely had enough gas in their car to drive to our hospital. They were not being “cheap.” They really just had no money for this problem. Also,
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they were not even our clients— their regular veterinarian was closed. And unfortunately, providing health care costs money. And that’s the sticky subject, right?! I have to give a disclaimer here to my readers that I grew up truly appreciating the value of a dollar. I was raised in a single-parent home, shopped for clothes at Goodwill, have had a job since I was nine years old and worked hard and paid my way through school with student loans and waiting tables. So I’m very sensitive to the fact that veterinary care is expensive and clients are paying us directly out of their pockets. Just why is veterinary care so expensive? Why did my pet’s annual exam with shots, heartworm pills, and flea medicine just cost me $300? Remember that there is not typically insurance to offset these costs. So what you pay is what we use to keep the hospital open and running. Veterinary hospitals are all small businesses running on a very tight profit margin because there is not insurance to inflate the costs of care. Because those dollars come directly out of your pocket, they need to go farther. Consider a spay surgery on a female dog (an ovariohysterectomy). At most veterinary hospitals this will cost a few hundred dollars, whereas the same procedure on a human is going to cost around $10,000. Same procedure, same anesthesia. Obviously just a different system on the human side, and rightly so. So in the end, what often seems like a huge expense for you is really covering rent, utilities, drug inventory, diagnostic and therapeutic equipment costs, continuing education, licensing fees, and
staffing costs including assistants, receptionists, veterinary technicians, bookkeepers, CPAs, and of course veterinarians. And you’ll just have to trust me that we veterinarians are not rolling in it! (My dad told me I should’ve gone into human medicine!) So back to problem number two, this client had no money. So who pays for this dog’s surgery? If we do this dog’s surgery pro bono, it will literally cost our hospital hundreds of dollars. This is just like going to a grocery store and leaving with a few carts full of groceries without paying. Can a small business really afford that? What about when you have to cancel an hour’s worth of appointments to do this surgery? Now it’s a double hit. That brings me to problem number three: who is going to help these people? Am I going to punt it down the road, which is sure to end with nobody helping them? Am I going to go in carte blanche, knowing it’s going to cost our hospital hundreds of dollars (that we need to pay staff, bills, etc.)? Am I just going to tell the people, “We can’t help you. Good luck.”? I will admit that at that moment, I was a bit annoyed. Someone else’s problem had now out of nowhere become my problem. But I got into this field because I care and we will never decline helping someone in need. I told them to bring the dog in and went to see my 5:30 appointment, apologizing for running behind. These were some really nice clients with two great dogs. I later heard the front door chime and explained that I had to run.
Ser ving
continued on page 25
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Mountain Plain Baptist Church Our friendly church invites you to worship with us. Sunday School • 10 a.m. Traditional Worship Service • 11 a.m. Rev. 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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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
Santa’s on His Way 1 2 3 4 5 Across 1 Pouch for a yolk, say 12 12 15 13 4 Brew ingredient along with newt’s eye and dog’s tongue: 15 16 17 “wool _____” 9 Indefinite article for 19 20 Angela Merkel 12 One who serves smashingly 21 22 23 (or maple genus) 26 27 28 25 29 13 _____ Sendler, Polish Underground rescuer of Jewish 27 28 29 30 31 children; her name means peace 14 Doo intro 34 35 15 Homer involves four 17 Santa without Rudolph? 39 43 40 19 Run off together 20 Horse riding expert 43 42 43 (anagram for KIELWE) 45 46 47 48 21 Santa baby? 25 Paul McCartney or Mick Jagger 49 50 53 26 Friend only on Facebook? 27 Easy toss 55 56 30 Give off 32 Jonathan Swift’s Tale of _____ 59 60 34 Mommy kissing Santa? 62 63 39 Places for iniquity? 40 Speck 41 US anti-pollution org, 42 Eisenhower nicknamesakes? 3 French wrap? 44 Dr. for sinus problems 4 Squeak stop 45 Santa gives the Christmas spirit? 5 Smile opposite 53 Highly decorated 6 Attacked on all sides 54 Permit 7 Hamlet’s mania: “_____ disposition” 55 Smokey plays Santa in the 8 RGIII nemesis pageant? 9 One weighed and measured 58 _____ Jean Mortenson, aka 10 Debt slip Marilyn Monroe 11 Tel. and social security 59 Annapolis org. 12 Not up 60 One of four Michelins 16 Intuits 61 Sorrows 18 What crouching tiger will do to prey 62 Numbered roads in DC 22 Thin coin 63 Earhart or Red Baron 23 Julia’s Brockovich 64 Big Apple paper letters 24 Noisy drink 27 Flatscreen TV type Down 28 _____ acid, oil used in soap making 29 They have interest and principals 1 Fish flake 31 Channel for film lovers 2 Fable maker 33 “Be prepared” org.
Kids’ Crossword Across 1 Santa’s footwear 3 Very happy 5 Cold white stuff 8 Color of Santa’s beard 9 Treat for the reindeer 11 ____ away all!
by Mary Mikalson
Down 2 Sack full of ____ 4 Treat for Santa 6 Reindeer name 7 Slumber 10 Color of Rudolf’s nose Solution on page 28
by claudia crozet Solution on page 30
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35 Employ CSX? 36 Made admiring noises 37 _____ Reader 38 Basketball aficionado 43 Hair protection from damaging rays? 46 First USA/USSR anti-nuke negotiations 47 Party donkey misses this 48 Nerve: comb. form 49 _____ the coop: escaped 50 Jetson son 51 Cupid running mate? 52 Word before the night before Christmas 55 Greyhound 56 Superlative ending 57 Ready follower
CROZET gazette
Gazette Vet —continued from page 23
The poor “eye dog” was a mess. It was 15, blind, had significant heart disease, horrible dental disease, and was generally in poor condition. Not to mention the bloody eyeball that was hanging down by its mouth. After carefully assessing the situation, I recommended putting the dog to sleep. I was pretty convinced this dog was not going to fare well. The owners weren’t ready for that and decided they were going to go back to their regular vet in the morning. I loaded the dog up with pain meds and wound care and wished them luck. I later found out that when my 5:30 clients were checking out, they asked our receptionist if they could help those people and pay their bill! We had never discussed those cli-
Medicine —continued from page 15
judge but the shoot from the hip Governor has appealed the ruling and still wants to jail doctors for suggesting to parents of small children that it might be a good idea to lock up the glocks. Sheesh! Since the Governor has now made the list twice, Santa, I think you should give him a trip as a very special present. Since he seems to think more weapons are a good idea and more health care is not, perhaps a governmental junket to a region more in line with his priorities is due. How does Afghanistan sound? Lots of guns, not so much health care. He
Gun Maker —continued from page 10
work. He works with a lot of curly maple or tiger maple. “It’s the hardest wood there is,” he said. “I like using nice wood. Every gun that leaves my shop is based on what the client wants.” Most of his work is commission work. “Pleasing the customer is really important to me. I want every one of my customers to be happy with what they have; in fact, happy enough to come back, and to have at least 80 percent of my customers own two or three or four of my guns. “Occasionally I set aside some
DECEMBER 2012 ents’ financial situation, yet somehow they sensed some help was needed. This hit me like a rock. I realized I had been judging and complaining, yet these folks sensed a need and without judging or condemning, simply asked if they could help. The Rev. Billy Graham once said, “It’s not our job to judge. It’s our job to love.” Amen to that. Two weeks later I got a card from the owners of the “eye dog.” They wanted to thank us and let us know how much they appreciated our help and that of our kind client. They sadly shared that the dog died the following night, but they were at peace with that because of all the help and kindness they received. This was my official intro to the 2012 Christmas season. May we all gain strength to judge others less and love others more. Merry Christmas! could look into the polio thing while he is there. But, it is the Christmas season, so I should end on a hopeful note. Nice: All of the amazing and multitudinous volunteers in the Crozet community. From the firemen to the ambulance workers, the Lions and Ruritans, the Peachtree baseball coaches and staff, the Crozet Gators helpers, the Green Olive Tree staff, the Build Crozet Library fundraising committee, the Crozet Community Association and too many others to list. Send them something extra nice this year, Santa. How about a white Christmas? Peace on earth. time and work on something else. I’m going to try to set some time to work on one of these shotguns to have something to offer.” The guns he displayed during the artisan tour and those still in his shop were all on loan, he said. “I don’t own any of my guns, except the fourth gun I made. It’s 30 years old now, but I hunt with it still. It brings in meat every year,” he said proudly. “I just took a buck with it here a few weeks ago.” Sandy is available by appointment only. Anyone interested in viewing the fine art of making an American gun can reach him at 434-760-1141 or allansandyflintlocks@gmail.com.
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CLASSIFIED ADS 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.
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. ART YARD: Come visit local artists under the tent at 6095 Jarmans Gap Road. Every Saturday and some Sundays until Christmas. Fill your stockings with fine arts, felted art, culinary art. For more information, call Marissa at 434-305-2078. CHRISTIAN SPIRITUAL UNION hosted by Mt Salem Gospel Church of Mechum River on Sunday, December 30, 2012 beginning with Sunday School at 10 a.m. followed by readings, singing and brief message. A box lunch will be provided after morning service. This is the 5th Sunday and all churches and friends are welcome! A freewill offering will be taken. FREE CHRISTMAS PARTY FOR KIDS! Sunday, December 16, 2 to 5 p.m. A gift for each kid under age 12! Visit with Santa and refreshments! Bring the whole family for an afternoon of fun. Free and open to the community. Crozet Moose Lodge, 6136 Rockfish Gap Turnpike (Route 250). Email crozetlady@ yahoo.com or call 434-996-5576 for more information. INNISFREE VILLAGE OPEN HOUSE Featuring crafts from the Innisfree Village weavery, woodshop, pottery, bakery and gardens. Plus children’s activities, tours and refreshments. Free. Saturday, December 8th, 10am-5pm. Additional wreath making workshop at 1:30, $35, advance registration required. 434-823-5646. 5505 Walnut Level Road, Crozet. JOIN US AT MT. MORIAH AS WE CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS: Sun. Dec. 8, 9 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.: Come join Santa and the Snow Princess for Breakfast! Free to the
community. Parents are welcome to stay or can go shopping while the children learn of the Nativity, sing Christmas carols, enjoy crafts and a movie! We’ll make reindeer sandwiches for lunch. Take a picture with Santa and the Snow Princess, too! Come join us as we share the Christmas Spirit! ***If your children have allergies please provide a packed lunch and snack for them. *** Hope to see you there! Dec. 16, 10 a.m.: Community Lessons and Carols, followed by Christmas Caroling. Dec. 24, 7 p.m. Community Christmas Eve Service. Mt. Moriah UMC, 4524 Garth Road, White Hall. 8239557.
START YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION EARLY!: Boot Camp for REAL People is an intervals style exercise for all ages and abilities to help you meet your health and fitness goals. Classes are held at Crozet Park from 5:506:50am on M/W/F. Check the website for the indoor location under 21 degrees. Need a later time? There will be a drop-in 9:15am class on Tu/Th from Dec. 4-20. Visit www. m2personaltraining.com for more information or call Melissa Miller at 434-962-2311. LAND WANTED: Looking for a 5-10 acre parcel in Crozet area. Must be fairly level, partially cleared, & suitable for building a home on. Will assist in subdividing process and cost if necessary. Call 434-5667124. WANTED: Professional firefighters seek to lease hunting rights for 201314 season. We are safe, responsible hunters seeking to partner with a land owner to enhance our hunting experience and manage the deer population. 540-476-1177.
WRITE YOUR LIFE STORY: Professional ghostwriter and personal historian writes memoirs, autobiograhies, family histories, marriage tributes, business or organization histories. Free consultation. Kevin Quirk: 434-823-7629 or Kevin@ lifeisabook.com. 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
DECEMBER 2012
Redistricting —continued from page 21
After some discussion, the possibility of moving children living on Browns Gap Turnpike, who until 2008 traditionally had gone to Crozet, back to that school was kept in play. The committee next rejected two possible shifts that would have sent children from the Holkham Drive and Owensville Road neighborhoods or from the Old Ballard Road and West Leigh neighborhoods to Murray. Students in the Glenaire area are two miles closer to Murray than Meriwether and that shift was not finally rejected, but there are presently only eight students who would be affected by that change, so its impact on Meriwether would be negligible. At their next meeting Nov. 27 at Murray Elementary, the committee reviewed possible future moves of current Brownsville students to Crozet if an addition is built there.
Shifting the children in the Wickham Pond and Western Ridge neighborhoods would transfer 125 students, virtually the whole added capacity. A second option considered was sending students in the Grayrock, Wayland’s Grant and Bargamin Park neighborhoods, a total of 124 kids, back to Crozet, which they were redistricted out of not long ago. Students living north of Lickinghole Creek in Old Trail were also mentioned, as were students living on Crozet Avenue south of town, though both these groups are very near Brownsville. In all, some 380 students now at Brownsville are more or less plausible candidates to be moved to Crozet. Students who will live in a new subdivision called Westlake Hills are designated for Crozet now because for the time being access to the neighborhood will be through Westhall (which goes to Crozet). Students in Foothill Crossings, now being built on Park Ridge Road
continued on page 38
The proposed addition to Crozet Elementary School
continued on page 31
CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
The Big Month for Rockfish Birders by Dr. Marshall Faintich
warbler species. Included in this total were some You may have heard or seen the rare to very rare species: Olivemovie The Big Year, where birders sided and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, travel all over the United States Connecticut, Mourning, and Bluecompeting to see who can log sight- winged Warblers, and an extremely ings of the most avian species in one rare Lawrence’s Warbler that is the calendar year. rarest of the possible hybrids resultBirders on the Rockfish Valley ing from cross-breeding between Trail had a “big month” in Blue-winged and Golden-winged September, logging 108 avian spe- Warblers. The rare Mourning and cies in this one month, including 25 very rare Connecticut Warblers were seen on the same morning! With all of this great avian activity on the trail, photos and reports were posted on the Monticello and Shenandoah Valley birding list-servers and on the Virginiawide birding listserver. Visitors from all over Virginia came, many of Blue-winged Warbler © Marshall Faintich 2012 whom had never
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been to the trail before, and some Virginia birders brought visiting friends from as far away as Seattle, Washington. More than 185 species of birds have been seen on the Rockfish Valley Trail over the past five years, making it one of the best birding locations in central Virginia. In the October 2010 issue of Birder’s World (now called BirdWatching) magazine, the Rockfish Valley Trail was selected as one of their birding hotspots in the United States, and in September 2011, the Audubon Society of Virginia modified its Central Piedmont Important Bird Area boundary to include the Rockfish Valley Trail. Birders have to compete with other Rockfish Valley Trail activities, but it is mostly birding that draws people from outside the local area to visit. Volunteers have worked hard to maintain the trail for birding, to lead guided bird walks, and to promote birding as a reason for coming here. The Rockfish Valley Trail has several environmentally sensitive areas
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Merlin © Marshall Faintich 2012
that contain unique and rare plants and natural wetlands. The bog areas along the Rockfish River and Reid’s Creek contain several rare seeps and a very rare vernal pool. Because of the designated birding and environmentally sensitive areas, it is essential that everyone observe good trail etiquette while enjoying the trail system.
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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
29
BEREAVEMENTS
Josephine Marshall 1918 - 2012 Sarah Josephine May Marshall, RN, departed this life on Thursday, November 29, 2012. She is survived by her son, Thomas A. Marshall of Crozet; her sister, Minnie Lee May McGehee; her brother, John H. May and sister-in-law, Mary Beth Melton May, of Palmyra; and many nieces and nephews. Her other siblings were the late Lieutenant Colonel James F. May Jr., Samuel S. May, and Mary Frances May Blodgett. She was born on February 9, 1918, at Glen Wilton in Botetourt County, Virginia, to Sarah Jennie Garner May and James Franklin May Sr., and grew up in Fluvanna County, near Carysbrook. She married William A. “Bill” Marshall, United States Navy, in September 1946, and lived on Belmont’s Druid Avenue in Charlottesville from its development in 1947 until 2006. Like her mother, she became a nurse. She entered training at Blue Ridge Sanatorium and earned her cap and diploma from the University of Virginia Hospital School of Nursing. She studied newborn special care in New York City from 1941 until 1942. From 1946 until 1950, she was an obstetric nurse at the University of Virginia Medical Center under Dr. W. Norman Thornton Jr. and Dr. John M. Nokes. She was Head Nurse on the Pediatrics Unit of the Martha Jefferson Hospital until her retirement in 1982. She held many offices in the Virginia Nurses Association and served as a delegate to three conventions of the American Nurses Association. Even after she retired, many friends and relatives relied upon her care. She loved to cook and regale her many friends and kinfolk. She was a pas-
God’s Garden The kiss of the sun for pardon, The song of the birds for mirth, One is nearer God’s Heart in a garden Than anywhere else on earth. - Dorothy Gurney sionate reader and lived a life of ever-expanding horizons. In retirement, her zest for travel took her to Spain, England, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Egypt. She lobbied relentlessly for the mentally ill and the aged. Her life-long love of wildflowers and of gardening culminated in an embankment garden at Mountainside Senior Living in Crozet, which she transplanted there, along with herself. She rooted and potted plants to raise funds for the Jefferson Area Board of Aging. In lieu of flowers, please contribute to Mountainside JABA, P.O. Box 310, Crozet 22932.
Nancy Eagle Owens, 69 David Smith Jr., 47 Rebecca Davenport Chaitin, 77 Littlepage Thacker, 76 Robin Nicole Payne Brown, 36 Lois Bush Garver, 74 Louise Dolores Fernandez, 89 Barbara Yalden-Thomson, 91 Beulah Jane Clark, 81 Viola Wright, 89 Kenneth Barry Spain, 56 Anne Goodwin Richards, 72 Homer Davis Shiflett, 80 Vivian Hawkins Fink, 74 Lois Kidd Graves, 60 Lyman Ed Knight, 79 Geneva Morris, 85 Lawson Beard, 93 Kristen Gibson Donnelly, 34 Audrey Ann Fisher Wood, 74 Amy Lynn Cobb, 35 Jonathan Scott Harman, 56 Alvin Curtis Crawford Sr., 80 Jeffrey Ray Morris, 53 James Wallace Shifflett, 56 Joan Beatrice Davis Carter, 81 Ray Roach, 90 Ethel Gladys Wilson, 85 George William Bolton, 81 Aubrey Newton Roach, 82 Grace Viola Byers, 81 William Preston Schwab, 61 Anne Florence Woods, 92 Adelaide Wilson John Spainhour, — Ruth Anderson Barrett, 83 Sara Josephine May Marshall, 94
October 7, 2012 October 24, 2012 October 27, 2012 October 28, 2012 October 29, 2012 October 31, 2012 November 1, 2012 November 2, 2012 November 3, 2012 November 3, 2012 November 6, 2012 November 7, 2012 November 7, 2012 November 8, 2012 November 8, 2012 November 8, 2012 November 8, 2012 November 9, 2012 November 13, 2012 November 14, 2012 November 15, 2012 November 15, 2012 November 16, 2012 November 16, 2012 November 17, 2012 November 18, 2012 November 18, 2012 November 19, 2012 November 22, 2012 November 22, 2012 November 24, 2012 November 24, 2012 November 24, 2012 November 27, 2012 November 28, 2012 November 29, 2012
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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
Crozet’s Favorite Flicks
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Top Rentals in November
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Love’s Christmas Journey
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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
© J. Dirk Nies, Ph.D.
Energy Part Four: Electrical Efficiencies Electricity and natural gas provide about ninety percent of the energy we use in our homes. This month, I will focus on electricity, the most high value and versatile form of energy used in our economy. Specifically, I will address the generation and distribution of electricity to our homes. This information will be helpful in making informed choices regarding this vital part of our lives. I begin by introducing to you a Frenchman who lived at the turn of the nineteenth century, prior to the age of electricity. His name is Nicolas Léonard Sadi Carnot (named after a Persian poet, philosopher and moralist of the thirteenth century, Sa’di of Shiraz). As we shall see, his fundamental insights profoundly influence how we design and operate power plants today. True to his namesake, Sadi sought to live his life according to high moral standards. As a young man, he compiled a list of rules of conduct which, translated from French, included: “Say little about what you know and nothing at all about what you don’t know. When a discussion degenerates into a dispute, keep silent. Do not do anything that the whole world cannot know about.” In 1812, 16-year-old Sadi Carnot entered the prestigious École Polytechnique in Paris to begin his college education. As a student, he loved solving industrial engineering problems and he developed a special interest in the theory of gases. After graduation, Carnot began his career as a military engineer in the French Army. In 1821, he traveled to Magdeburg, Germany to visit and consult with his father, Lazare, who was then living in exile. Lazare Carnot was a distinguished mathematician, accomplished engineer and had been a leading statesman and military strategist during the French Revolution and under
Napoleon Bonaparte. Both father and son wished to improve the economic and political status of France and they both were fascinated by the design of machines. Regarding the importance of the steam engine, Sadi wrote: “To take away today from England her steam engines would be … to dry up all her sources of wealth, to ruin all on which her prosperity depends, in short, to annihilate that colossal power. The destruction of her navy, which she considers her strongest defense, would perhaps be less fatal.” Upon returning to Paris, Sadi applied what he learned from his father to his investigations of the scientific principles underlying the operation of steam engines. He knew that a perpetual motion machine was impossible to construct. To him this meant that the efficiency of any machine, including any steam engine, could never be greater than 100 percent. But he wondered whether there was an inherent limit to the efficiency of a steam engine that was lower than this. Could he show by a simple, yet well-constructed argument, that there was “a limit which the nature of things will not allow to be passed by any means whatever?” Carnot was probably the first person in the world to conceptualize a steam engine as a machine that did work when heat flowed from a higher to a lower temperature. He comprehended that motive power could be produced when heat “dropped” from the higher temperature of the boiler to the lower temperature of the condenser, somewhat like falling water provides power to a waterwheel. He also realized that a hot steam engine works only so long as there is some way to cool down and let off steam. Through the genius of his imaginative “ideal” heat engine, his impeccable logic and simple arithmetic, he was able to show that there was a fundamental limit to their efficiency. In his Réflexions sur
la Puissance Motrice du Feu (Reflections on the Motive Power of Fire) published in 1824, Carnot tackled the concepts of energy, heat, power and efficiency. His paper outlined the basic energetic relations between the flow of heat and the generation of motive power by his idealized Carnot engine. He proposed that the maximum possible efficiency of any heat engine depended upon the temperatures of its hot and cold heat reservoirs. The theoretical and practical significance of his work was almost completely unappreciated during his short lifetime; he died in 1832 at age 36 during a cholera epidemic in Paris. But within a few decades, his insights were to become the foundation of modern thermodynamics, the science of heat, work and the flow of energy. In 1848, with the development of the absolute thermodynamic temperature scale by Lord Kelvin (absolute zero = 0 kelvin), the maximum efficiency of a thermal engine could be calculated. Stated simply, engine efficiency can be no greater than the difference between the hot and cold operating temperatures divided by the hot temperature, when temperatures are expressed in kelvins (K). Now how does all this relate to the generation and distribution of electricity? All power plants that consume fuel (uranium, coal, oil, natural gas or biofuel of any kind) can be thought of as massive thermal engines that are coupled to huge electrical generators. They all create a hot temperature, they all convert this heat into mechanical motion, and they all use this mechanical motion to generate electricity. And because they are thermal engines, they are all subject to the same inherent limitations. To quantify these limitations, let’s apply Carnot’s efficiency rule to a typical coal-fired power station in which the steam turbines are running at their standard operating temperature of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (811 K) and the temperature of the cooling water is about 95 degrees Fahrenheit (308 K). The difference between these hot and cold temperatures is 503 K. Dividing this difference by the hot temperature, we find the maximum possible efficiency of turning heat
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from fuel into mechanical motion is 62 percent (503 K/811 K = 0.62). This limit, which comes purely from “the nature of things,” means that, at best, no more than a 62 percent portion of the energy in the fuel can be harnessed by the power plant to do the work of spinning magnets within the wire coils of its generators to produce electrical current. In practice, according to the US Energy Information Administration, the maximum generating efficiency of coal-fired power plants in operation today is a much lower 46 percent and most plants are less efficient than this. When losses associated with transmission and distribution of electricity across the grid to our homes and businesses are also taken into account, the effective efficiency drops even lower to 32 percent. Thus, for every three lumps of coal burned by our electrical utility company, we receive only one lump worth of energy at our breaker panel. Typically the rest of the energy is lost to the environment as waste heat. This 3-to-1 ratio of fuel energy consumed to electrical energy delivered holds true for any fuel used by a commercial power plant (unless there are other practical constraints which drop efficiencies a little further, such as occur with nuclear power). We’ve made great strides since Sadi Carnot wrote of the enormous commercial value of steam engines that turn fuel into power (in his day they operated at a meager 3 percent efficiency). However, using thermal engines to generate electricity means that much energy necessarily “goes up in smoke.” Electricity is so integral to our lives and our economy that, now more than ever, we need efficient, diversified, resilient and cost-effective ways to generate and deliver electrical power to our homes and businesses. I highlight the life of Sadi Carnot to inspire those, especially the young, who are called to design and implement the power systems of the future. In the meantime, when I remember to flip off the light switch as I leave the room, not only do I feel thankful that I could turn the lights on, but I am also consoled to know that I am conserving three times that much energy at the power plant when they’re off.
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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
The Blue Ridge Naturalist © Marlene A. Condon | marlene@crozetgazette.com
Microbes and You On October 30, NBC29 ran a segment about germs. Microorganisms from swabbed surfaces in the community were grown at the Martha Jefferson Hospital microbiology lab and identified for the story. It’s useful to know about the innumerable invisible-to-thenaked-eye life forms out there, some of which can make us ill (“germs”). But what has happened in society as a result of news stories like this one is that people have begun to obsess over these microscopic organisms. Just because we now have the ability to “see” microorganisms does not mean we need to worry a great deal about them. For example, cleaning the handles of a shopping cart with a sanitary wipe before using it is overly cautious behavior. Ironically, society’s overblown response to germs may actually be causing a huge increase in illness. People nowadays are trying to sanitize themselves and their surroundings by using germicidal cleaning agents on their hands and surfaces. These chemicals kill most of the microorganisms they come into contact with, which has serious consequences for individuals, society, and our environment.
Rob Dunn, associate professor in the Department of Biology at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, has written a book called The Wild Life Of Our Bodies: Predators, Parasites, and Partners That Shape Who We Are. He argues that many of the organisms we kill off with antibacterial soap are probably useful to us. For example, Dr. Dunn refers to a study in which people with asthma or diabetes were more likely to get sick when they washed with antibiotic soaps than when they didn’t use any soap at all. The problem with antibiotic gels and soaps is that they kill the “good” microorganisms— those that don’t cause illness—along with the ones that do. Water, on the other hand, simply rinses away most of the microbes you have recently acquired—which could include harmful organisms— but leaves intact the many, many innocuous bacteria that normally reside on your hands. As Dr. Dunn puts it, these bacteria form “a kind of first line of defense.” This concept is perfectly logical. Every organism plays a variety of roles in the environment. Dr. Dunn provides us with a rational reason for why humans support such huge numbers of bacteria. There’s growing evidence that children who are not exposed to the
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numerous forms of bacteria around them when they are young may not develop properly functioning immune systems. Parents who try to totally protect their children from “germs” are probably short-circuiting a natural process that has been in place for millennia. Since man came into being, babies have crawled around, putting all kinds of “dirty” things into their mouths. It makes sense (in order for life to be perpetuated) that the human body is equipped with a defense system that can deal with the multitude of microbes a baby introduces to itself over the course of years. Logic should tell us that our bodies possess a natural ability to cope—for the most part quite successfully—with the microorganisms that surround us. To begin with, our skin functions as a very effective barrier to keep out microbes that could wreak havoc inside our bodies. To work properly, however, it needs to be intact. Therefore any minor injury that bleeds (a sign that your protective barrier has been breached) should be washed with soap and water to rinse away microbes and then covered with a bandage to keep them out. Please note, however, that it is extremely important to keep tetanus shots up to date. Microorganisms can also get inside your body via your eyes, nose, and mouth. If someone coughs or sneezes near you, sending their germs through the air directly into these areas, there’s not much you can do about it. However, you can avoid introducing microorganisms to these primary pathways via your hands by keeping them away from your face unless they are clean.
Is it really necessary to wipe the handle of a shopping cart before using it? [Photo: Marlene A. Condon]
In case you are doubting that simply washing with water and ordinary soap is an effective way to deal with microorganisms, consider this: Washing is the way that all animals, even tiny insects, keep limited the number and kinds of microorganisms on their bodies. It works. The best offense against illness is proper living: Eat a balanced diet and get enough sleep. Maintain good overall hygiene and always wash hands just before preparing meals and eating, as soon as you get home from being out in the world, after using the bathroom, and whenever hands are obviously dirty. Keep dirty hands away from your eyes, nose, and mouth. Always clean and then cover cuts and abrasions of the skin. Don’t scratch insect bites or poison ivytype inflammations so much that you cause them to bleed. If you must go out when you are sick, cover your nose or mouth when you sneeze or cough to avoid spreading germs to others.
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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
Library Fund —continued from page 1
Art Gallery and Framing Shop Now Open in White Hall Gray Hawk Design, a framing shop and art gallery, has opened on Pea Ridge Road in White Hall. Its upstairs level will be a gallery, classroom and studio space meant to give local artists a place to congregate and work. The shop will host a Christmas open house Dec. 15 and 16 from 2 to 5 p.m. each day with a potter, a jeweler, a wood worker and two painters on hand to show their work.
21 proposals before individuals and foundations that are considered sympathetic to the cause. In all, they total $957,000 in requests. “We pitch them with people who we think are likely to care about them. The Crozet Lions Club, for example, has made a donation for large print books and they are approaching their state and national organizations for help, too. “We won’t get all 21 to say yes. That’s dreaming,” said Schrader. “But we have plans for where we’ll go next with the requests. It’s a continual process to find the right match for donors.” Schrader said he considers a 40 percent success rate with the proposals to be a good return. He is waiting for the Christmas season to be over before deciding on where to redirect requests. “Coming out of the business world, I’ve been a little amazed at how long it takes for some decisions to get made,” he said. “I want to thank the committee,”
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he said. “They are making a lot of effort. They have day jobs and they still make things happen for the committee. They should be commended. “The other group to thank is our western Albemarle residents. They have really responded. We’ve had over 200 individuals make donations so far. We knew there was a lot of support for Crozet Library and it’s confirmed by the donations we’re getting. It’s not just Crozet that’s responding, it’s the whole area, from Afton to North Garden.” Schrader said that a mailer sent to all area residents had produced an encouraging response. “The Crozet business community has really supported us as well. The Mudhouse has hosted two events for the fund drive and Parkway Pharmacy has made an enamel lapel pin they sell to raise money for the library.” Schrader said the library needs at least $1.3 million to open. Some of the sought-for money is intended for books and other items that can be bought after the opening. The fund is aiming to purchase 25 computers and eventually to achieve a collection of some 42,000 books. Donors who contribute $1,000 will get their name engraved on a leaf on a metal sculpture of a tree that will be mounted on a wall in the foyer of the library. So far, there are 16 names to go on it. A special sale through Barnes and Noble bookstore in Charlottesville in November netted $1,500 from people who used a checkout code that directed a percent of the sale to the fund. The drive also resulted in seven boxes of books that were bought at the store for the new library. The book donation program will run through the end of the year. “The Barnes and Noble folks are amazed at the support we’re getting,” Schrader said. Fund raising events are being planned for the spring. Schrader said that if the dollar goal of the drive were divided among the number of area residents, a local family’s share would be $240. Donations should be sent to the Crozet Library Furnishings Fund, c/o Friends of the JMRL, 1500 Gordon Avenue, Charlottesville, VA 2203. Checks should be made to Friends of the Library. Be sure to put “Crozet Library” in the check’s memo line. Or donate online at buildcrozetlibrary.org/give.
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DECEMBER 2012
CROZET gazette
CROZET gazette
Crozet
DECEMBER 2012
35
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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
Warrior Sports News Whitten Takes Over WAHS Lacrosse Alex Whitten, with some recent Connecticut laurels on his crown, will be the next head coach of the Western Albemarle High School lacrosse team. Whitten grew up in Connecticut, the son of a high school lacrosse coach. Besides lacrosse he played football (he was all-state at safety) and ran track (all-state in the quarter mile). He played college lacrosse at Duke University in the mid1990s, as a starting midfielder. His younger brother followed him on the team a couple of years later. After Duke, Whitten went into what he called, darkly, “corporate America.” Six years was all he could stand. In 2003-04 he started coaching at New Canaan High School (CT), population 1,250, just outside New York City. His team has been conference finalists for the last two years. Last season they won the title. “Kids like playing lacrosse,” he said. “You have the ruggedness of football and hockey, the footwork of soccer and the off-ball work of basketball. Lacrosse calls itself ‘the fastest game on two feet.’ It’s got a lot of things that make it fun. There are five times the number of kids playing now than when I played.” Whitten has a lacrosse coaching business that puts on specialty clinics and he expects to continue it here. Meanwhile he has moved his
family to Ivy and he is looking for a job. He said he will start a Western Albemarle Lacrosse Club, a youth club that will compete at the middle school level. “The idea is to teach the values we want the boys to show in high school,” he said. “We’ll try to raise the level of lacrosse, which is already well-established here. What I want to accomplish is a program with consistent performance, yearto-year, competing for district and state titles every year. Ultimately I’m a very fundamental coach. My message is, ‘be a great kid and work hard.’ It’s an acquired-skill sport. It takes time to acquire the skills.” He called his practice style “up tempo.” He has already met with prospective players and their parents. There is not a big market for lacrosse players after college, so for Whitten the aim is to get the high school players into the best colleges they can reach. “Baltimore and Long Island have the deep lacrosse heritage, but we see kids come out of here. We want to place kids at the best schools academically that they can get into. I say to kids, pay for it now so you have options later. You have to have the grades now.” Whitten knows U.Va. lacrosse coach Dom Starsia, who once recruited him, and is personal friends with the coaches at Roanoke
Alex Whitten
College and the University of Richmond. “I know most of the guys around here,” he said. “Lacrosse is my life, really. I’ve been involved in all kinds of lacrosse programs. I have a reputation for being honest and that goes far with coaches.” Whitten said the decision to
come to Crozet “is a leap of faith for us. We don’t really know anybody here. I heard about this job and Charlottesville is an attractive town. It’s got great energy. This area is conducive to the way we want to raise our family. We’re excited about it.” First practice is February 18.
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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
37
Crozet
Weather Almanac
NOVEMBER 2012
By Heidi Sonen & Roscoe Shaw | weather@crozetgazette.com
A Cold November Tends to Last November was cold. Very cold. The month averaged a full four degrees below normal, making it the ninth coldest November here in 100 years. It didn’t seem so bad, though, because the month was mostly tranquil and dry, with generally nice weekends. “So, Heidi and Roscoe, what kind of winter are we going to have?” We can’t make it in and out of the Great Valu without getting hit with that question. The simple answer is that we don’t have a clue. Long-range forecasting of temperature is still pretty pitiful and precipi-
tation is next to impossible. This is not for lack of trying. The economic benefit of long-range forecasts would be fantastic. But for the most part, success has been elusive. Don’t even start with the Farmer’s Almanac. They just make that stuff up because people want to read it and have been buying it for 250 years. The writing and phrasing are clever but the scientific skill is ZERO. If you are one of those people who insist the Almanac gets it right, then please talk to us about something else at the supermarket.
This year, everybody keeps asking about the plethora of acorns. What does that mean? Well, unfortunately, nothing. How about Wooly Worms? They are a big deal for some reason in the mountains of North Carolina. Appalachian State University actually once did a long study where they collected many samples and analyzed the results with multivariate regression analy-
sis. Nothing! But, we aren’t completely clueless. Turns out that the best predictor we know of in the eastern United States for the coming winter is the November weather. If it’s cold in November, then it tends to be a cold winter and vice versa. That’s what is called a “persistence” forecast. Most of the time, it doesn’t work. But for continued on page 39
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CROZET gazette
DECEMBER 2012
Engaged! Y
Megan Maupin and Nathan Burgess Rick and Cathy Maupin of Crozet are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Megan Dare, to Nathan Anderson Burgess, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. Anderson Burgess of Richmond. Megan is a graduate of Western Albemarle High School, the University of Virginia, and Washington University in St. Louis. Nathan is a graduate of Collegiate School and Grove City College. He is currently employed with Wells Fargo Advisors in St. Louis, Missouri. A spring 2013 wedding is planned.
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Newlyweds! Y
Danielle House and Zac Allen It is with great pleasure that we announcet Zac Allen of Blue Ridge Builders Supply in Crozet and Danielle House of BB&T in Ruckersville made their promises to each other on August 11, 2012. They were united in Stanardsville at First Bible Baptist Church with Pastor James Woods performing the ceremony. It is also part of United Christian Academy which these two attended from K-5 to graduation in 12th grade. She was one grade ahead of him but they became best friends in high school and attended college together for one year. They went their separate ways for about three years only for fate to bring them back together, though this time it became more than a friendship. They both knew that all the paths taken in the lost years were just trials to prepare them for life together in this world. Danielle’s maid of honor was Jessica House and her bridesmaids were Ally Cummings, Emily Traylor, and Heather Lamb, with Sammy and Jenna Palmer as flower girls. Zac’s best man was Keith Allen and his groomsmen were Zack Lam, Andrew House, and Jesse Palmer, with Kyle Harris as ring bearer. The music was a bit unorthodox, as it was all Celtic to add an appropriate Irish twist, for both of them have an Irish background. She is a relationship banker at BB&T in Ruckersville with an associate’s degree in business administration and he is a sales associate at Blue Ridge Builders Supply. They currently reside in Albemarle County, but they have their hopes set on being back in their home county, Greene. They honeymooned in Kitty Hawk, NC, at the Ramada Inn Plaza.
Redistricting —continued from page 26
near Western Ridge are slated for Brownsville. “I think the growth projections for Crozet are conservative,” said Davis. “The tough thing will be if growth accelerates before the Crozet Elementary addition can be built.” Davis brought up other factors bearing on the redistricting decision, namely that continued growth along Rt. 29 North will necessitate construction of a new high school in the Hollymead vicinity. Should that happen, at a cost of $50 to $100 million, Davis estimated, it would force a countywide redrawing of feeder patterns and attendance zones. Davis said he had been inspecting potential sites for a new high school earlier in the day. Possible adjustments in that scenario would be adding on to Henley Middle School and Western Albemarle or to shift students living on Plank Road and Craigs Store Road to Red Hill Elementary, which would also have to be expanded, and thus into the Monticello High School feeder pattern. County school policy forbids students from having bus rides longer than one hour. Other possible shifts are sending children in the Rosemont, Taylors Gap Road, University Housing, or Buckingham Circle areas, now at Murray, to Red Hill. None of these conjectured construction projects is presently envisioned in the county’s capital spending plans. Red Hill parent Patrick Bennett said parents of kids in the western feeder pattern should all be happy with their schools. “Red Hill has quite a disparity in the quality of the building compared to the western elementaries,” he said. The southern elementaries all need modernization, he said. The committee balked at the idea that students could be moved into new schools when they are in upper grades. Frank called for thrifty decisions in the meantime so that more money will be available when the new construction becomes inevitable. With this prospect in mind, the committee inclined to the holding pattern option. Committee member Keith Hammon, formerly the principal at Woodbrook Elementary, said, “I’m having trouble moving kids. No change means staffing stays the same. I’m not convinced something needs to be done.” Younger agreed that a compelling reason was lacking. The committee will take public comment on options at a meeting Tuesday, Dec. 11, at 6:30 p.m. at Meriwether Lewis. It will not deliberate, but listen. School officials will also send an online survey to affected parents the week of the meeting. The committee will meet again Dec. 18 at 6:30 p.m. at Henley Middle School to wrap up its work and forward its recommendation to county school superintendent Pam Moran. She will recommend a course to the School Board in January. The survey and other working documents produced for the redistricting can be accessed online at www.k12albemarle.org.
CROZET gazette
Weather
—continued from page 27
the last 100 years, it has been a reliable indicator of the coming Virginia winter. So, the cold November this year means that we have a 70 percent chance of a colder than normal winter. But what does this tell us about snow? Snow in Virginia is a nearrandom event. A cold winter is not necessarily a snowy one. To get snow, we just need a couple of good storms to come together just right. That can happen even in a warm winter or fail to happen in a cold winter. The November predictor doesn’t work for snow and I don’t know anything else that does either. So, we’ll just have to wait and see. If you are a snow-lover, then prepare to be disappointed. We average 18 inches of snow a year but oddly, half the years get less than a foot. “That’s not possible,” you are thinking. But it’s true. Half the years get
DECEMBER 2012 less than a foot but sometimes we get 40 or 50 inches in a winter and that pushes the average up to 18.
November Rainfall November was remarkably dry, with the only significant rain coming on the 13th. Normal rainfall for the month is 3.57” but we were 80-90 percent below normal. The growing season is over so this wasn’t much of a problem, but we will need to recharge the groundwater at some point this winter or face the possibility of drought next summer. Greenwood 0.68” Charlottesville Airport 0.45” Crozet 0.47” Waynesboro 0.73” Univ. of Va. 0.82” Nellysford 0.82” Rockfish 0.42” Afton Summit 0.55”
Washington —continued from page 18
three minutes to load an order into a customer’s car. “Everything I did as manager was on the level,” Washington said. Clearly still stung by it, he repeated the phrase he said he had been told, “I finally got rid of that nigger’s ass.” In a rebuttal Griesmeyer said, “Washington wants this case to be about the fraud investigation. But that’s not what it’s about. He forgets he bears the burden of proof to support race discrimination. That’s what he has to show. He presents no evidence and he can’t because there is none. It doesn’t exist. A white employee got the same treatment.” Judge Moon asked, “What’s the big deal about three minutes offthe-clock?” “It’s a violation of store rules,” answered Griesmeyer. “It gets the company in hot water with the union. There are wage and hour issues.”
39
Washington asked for the case to proceed to a jury trial so he could call store employees as witnesses. He asked for summary judgment to be denied. Judge Moon has not issued a ruling yet on the summary judgment motion. The trial date is currently set for January 16.
Tree Theft —continued from page 18
help with the upkeep and improvements at the center. Remaining trees are available for purchase on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the tree lot and through the Treasure Chest. Tree prices start at $40, with a $5 discount for RVCC members. The crime is being investigated by Officer William E. Mays of the Nelson County Sheriff’s Department and anyone with information should call the tip line at 877-570-8477. Tips may be made anonymously.
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