INSIDE free the 268! page 3 orchard acres page 4 run to the bank page 5 Crozet PTO page 8 almanac page 9
Crozet gazette the
crozetgazette.com
February 2012 VOL. 6, NO. 9
New Push to Create Crozet Historic District
rose hill barn page 10
lenten food page 11 fray’s mill page 13 Roses page 15 8-period vote page 16 irish dig page 18 live right now page 19 clann mhor page 20 know that croak page 21 dogs and cats only page 22 wars honors page 23 Z! Shops page 25 Crossword page 27 reads page 28 bereavements page 29 movietime page 30 Gov. Baliles page 31
Wooden Racers Streak to Victory at Pinewood Derby Tiger Cub Scout Keegan Scott walked away with the tallest trophy at Cub Scout Pack 79’s annual Pinewood Derby at Crozet United Methodist Church Jan. 28. His car hit 177.4 miles per hour on a 29-foot aluminum ramp. He finished a scant 3/1000s of a second ahead of Alex Flamm (also a Tiger, a first-year Scout), who clocked in at 177.3 mph. Camden King’s car came in third at 176.8 mph. He is also a Tiger. Former Cubmaster Mike Carmagnola came back for the derby
to announce the event in his smooth, repartee-seasoned style. Arin Sime handled the timing duties on the computer. Other parents manned a concession stand that provided pizza for lunch. Twenty-two pizzas were eaten. Fifty-one wooden cars, many with ingenious shapes, were entered. Thirteen had been built by adults or Scout siblings and 38 were made by Cubs. Fifty heats were run on the four-lane track, each car racing in each lane one time, and each car’s continued on page 26
The lion’s share of the architectural documentation needed to qualify Crozet’s older sections as a state and national historic district was finished in 2008 but the final application papers that would make the district official were never completed and submitted to state officials. Now the final submission deadline is on the horizon. The survey of Crozet properties done then by Jennifer Hallock of Arcadia Preservation, a Keswick-based company that offers a variety of services related to the preservation of historic buildings, is no longer valid after five years elapse. The Crozet Community Association, joined by the Downtown Crozet Association, has taken up the cause and is trying to get the historic designation official by next year. Hallock originally surveyed about 300 buildings around downtown, and the proposed district boundary incorporates 175 structures. After consulting with state officials in the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, who reviewed the Preliminary Information Form Hallock submitted in 2008, she learned that they require a return visit to all the properties within the proposed district boundary to update the description of their condition and appearcontinued on page 6
County Signs On With Funds for Crozet Park Pool Dome The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors agreed to a proposal from the Claudius Crozet Park Board Jan. 11 and provided $200,000 earmarked for other improvements at the park to go instead to the installation of a dome over the pool, making the pool a year-round facility. In exchange, the park is taking responsibility for installing new tennis and basketball
courts and a perimeter walking trail around the park that the county had set aside $200,000 in 2009 to pay for. Park officials needed the okay for the projects swap in January in order to proceed with a construction schedule that would not interfere with the summer swim season. The pool dome, which will be removed during the warm months, is slated to continued on page 26
Heidi Sonen speaking to the Board of Supervisors.
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Crozet gazette
Letters reflect the opinions of their authors and not necessarily those of the Crozet Gazette.
Dear Board Members: I remain concerned that [School Superintendent] Pam Moran continues to withhold 268 e-mails that could reveal more clearly her communications and relationship with Pearson, the publishing giant. Some of her dealings with this vendor, especially the SchoolNet debacle, are now public record, but many important questions remain unanswered. Locally, The Hook first introduced the public to Moran’s interactions with Pearson and recent New York Times articles have further documented Pearson’s unscrupulous strategies to extend their corporate interests.
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My questions are fundamental: Why does she refuse to cooperate with a Freedom of Information Act request and withhold such a very large number of e-mails? I do not believe this is her prerogative or privilege, and I also feel strongly that the superintendent is obligated to be truthful and make a full disclosure to the taxpaying public. Do you not consider it your responsibility to expect and insist that she be forthright and provide these communications? If not, why not? Unfortunately, there is a distinct element of impropriety in both her noncompliance and relationship with Pearson, and I am disappointed and cannot fathom why board members have become complicit in this ongoing and avoidable mess. I thought board members were supposed to represent the public and ask thoughtful, insightful, and direct questions of the superintendent. The public has a right and
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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
continued on page 8
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: John Andersen, Clover Carroll, Marlene Condon, Elena Day, Phil James, Kathy Johnson, Charles Kidder, Robert Reiser, Heidi Sonen, Roscoe Shaw, David Wagner.
Louise Dudley, Editorial Assistant louise@crozetgazette.com
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3
Help Restore The Crozet Murals!
deserves to know the truth, and your role is simple yet vital: Please insist that these 268 e-mails be released so that we can draw our own conclusions.
earl dudley
To the Editor
February 2012
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
February 2012
AHIP Looks to Fix Up Houses in Orchard Acres The nonprofit Albemarle the 1960s and ’70s. “We want to Housing Improvement Program, get close to a 100 percent response AHIP, is applying for a state grant rate,” White said. “We’ll be calling to renovate a neighborhood and has on those who do not send forms selected Crozet’s Orchard Acres as in.” Albemarle County will be the its candidate neighborhood. official applicant for the grant. It is Homeowners in Orchard Acres due by late March. White held out could stand to get up to $25,000 of hope that another such funding needed repairs made to their houses opportunity will come next year if they meet too. income qualifiAHIP believes Samples of Covered Repairs cations. that if the neighborupgrade fuse box to circuit breakers “We help hood wins, the replace old wiring, sparking homeowners grant will be someswitches or outlets make repairs to where between install GFI circuits their houses,” $500,000 and add outlets and circuits AHIP president $750,000. Gov. solve mold and drainage issues Jennifer Jacob McDonnell will replace gutters and downspouts told the group announce the repair leaking or collapsing roofs of about 40 selected projects in replace hot water heaters people who July and work on install an efficient heating turned out for repairs could begin and cooling system an presentation in September. The remove or contain lead paint Jan. 25 at The repairs will be done repair flooring Me a d ow s by professional replace old windows and doors about the grant insulate attics, crawl spaces and walls AHIP crews. “We’re process and accountable for the replace old plumbing and what the benework,” Jacobs leaking water and waste lines fits for residents assured the audiinstall washer/dryer hookups might be. “We ence. repair porches, stairs, railings, or add railings try to get to the Project manager most urgent install ramps and other modifications Joyce Dudek said for accessibility first, but now she got 15 responses we have an from a mailing to opportunity to cluster projects. residents in October. She offered to Crozet has neighborhoods. We help fill out forms and to inspect zoned in on Orchard Acres. It’s a houses to see what repairs are beautiful neighborhood, but there needed. By the end of the meeting are repairs that need to be made.” she had 22 applications. AHIP County housing director Ron hopes to inspect at least 15 houses White told the group that the state before the application is due. Rental has $9 million in federal money to properties are not considered. spend statewide on housing projects Crozet Crossings, built in the this year. He passed out application 1980s, is not part of the grant. An sheets for residents to fill out. estimator will visit every incomeThere are roughly 130 houses in eligible applicant. The eligibility Orchard Acres, most dating from ceiling is 80 percent of median
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continued on page 24
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Crozet gazette
February 2012
5
Western Albemarle Quarterly Real Estate Report for the Fourth Quarter of 2011 by David Ferrall ferrall@crozetgazette.com I started my third quarter real estate report with the feeling of blessedness for living in such a beautiful area. The stunning fall foliage, temperate weather, and a moving real estate market had me in a great mood. Today the trees are bare of leaves, but the rest seems the same. The weather is temperate, and real estate continues to move. And this surprises me! I typically expect a downright frozen real estate market in January. But no, I continue to show property on an almost daily basis, and my colleagues report the same. This is attributable in some part to the weather (no one seems to want to look at homes in the snow, sleet, or bitter cold), but in larger part to historically low mortgage rates, and a wide range of properties and prices from which buyers can choose. And while the real estate market as a whole is down slightly year to year, Crozet is holding its own. Let’s look at the numbers. Total sales in Crozet were down 22 percent in a quarter-to-quarter comparison. While this may seem dire, sales for the entire year were up 3.2 percent, and this takes into account the heavy federal home buying stimulus in the spring of 2010! Sales in 2011 were very evenly divided across the entire year, a consistency that should be heartening to buyers and sellers. There were 46 sales in the 4th quarter of 2011, compared with 59 in 2010. As of this writing in mid-January, there are already two sales, and a heady 59 properties that are under contingent (21) or pending (38) contract. A strong start to 2012 indeed! Sales in the fourth quarter averaged $132sqft, a $288K average price, and 84 days on the market. This is against $133sqft, $316K average, and 66 days on the market in the last quarter of 2010. Of the 46 sales, 32 were for detached homes. The average price per square foot of these homes was $137, with an average price of $310K. The lowest new home price was $107sqft in Wickham Pond. The remaining sold properties (14) were attached homes, averaging $121sqft and a
$238K average price. Five of these were in Liberty Hall and four were in Old Trail. Liberty Hall continued to be a cost leader, with one unit selling for $90sqft! The Old Trail properties averaged $150sqft. The most expensive property sold in the quarter, costing $781,000, was in Old Trail. In this time frame there were an average of 200 homes per month on the market, with 15 or so selling each month. These homes were mostly attached and proposed attached houses. A basic inventory model would suggest a little over 13 months of inventory in Crozet, but this figure has many variables. The most interesting aspect I take away from the fourth quarter doesn’t really concern the quarter itself, but the whole year. Year to year, 2011 to 2010, there were six more properties sold in 2011, 189 vs. 183. There were 20 more new construction properties sold in 2011 (81 vs. 61), and the price of that new construction fell 2 percent. The average price for all properties sold in 2011 fell a touch under 3 percent. So while prices fell only slightly, the number of properties sold was up. This is heartening. What is also encouraging (for sellers anyway) is the current spike in construction supply prices. This will raise the cost of new construction, which will help re-balance the pricing of new vs. pre-existing properties. Some of the new-construction selling prices in 2011 were so far below the price of pre-existing houses that a buyer could either buy new, or really beat up a seller on the seller’s house price to make it fall in line with newly built offerings. And that made sense. But while this aspect of pricing will hopefully help stabilize re-sale prices, we still have to contend with discounts being offered on short sales and foreclosures. There were 43 short and lender sales in the area in 2010 and 44 in the past year. This figure is about a quarter of all sales! These numbers need to drop before any real price stabilization can take hold. I may be thinking about spring a little too early weather-wise, but it is time to think about springtime from a real estate perspective. Typically the spring market wakes continued on page 8
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Crozet gazette
February 2012
Historic District —continued from page 1
ance. Hallock then set her price to finish the job at $4,500, and the CCA and DCA are setting out to raise the money. Once the district is official, property owners in it can qualify for tax credits for their rehabilitation expenses on their buildings. Residential properties can get a state tax credit for 25 percent of renovation costs. Commercial properties would also qualify for a 20 percent federal tax credit, bring their reimbursement up to 45 percent of rehab costs. Only buildings at least 50 years old qualify. “The PIF submitted in 2008 was approved [by state officials], but it has to be expanded,” Hallock explained. “It’s been dormant since 2008. If the money had been there to do it, we could have submitted the nomination form then and been done.” Since then, Hallock has also handled the creation of the GreenwoodAfton Rural Historic District, an effort paid for privately by
Greenwood-area citizens. The 200708 field work was funded by a $12,500 grant from the VDHR that was matched by Albemarle County and the Piedmont Environmental Council. The sponsors wanted to raise public awareness about Crozet’s social and economic history, coordinate Crozet’s downtown development with historic preservation goals and stimulate private investment to renovate older buildings. “If we get started now, it will be totally registered a year from now,” Hallock said. If the documentation process is not wrapped up by 2013, it will have to start all over again from square one. “We’re in a good spot to finish it up now,” said Hallock. “We have to make sure nothing has changed since 2008, nobody demolished something or added an addition,” she explained “We’ll have to look at all our historical descriptions. “Crozet’s historic district is important to the County’s history and it’s intact,” Hallock said. “It has survived and we should honor it and help people fix up their buildings with tax credits.
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“There is such a sense of place in architecture. It’s important to have that sense and for Crozet to look like Crozet and not some everywhere-in-America.” “I’d love to submit the nomination forms to the state review board in time for their September quarterly meeting,” she said. “Otherwise we would have to wait until December for them to act on it.” The state review panel has already agreed that old Crozet meets the criteria for establishing a district. Hallock said that once the nominations forms are submitted and the state confirms that all the documentation is in order, Crozet will automatically go on Virginia’s Historic Register. Next, state officials will send the Crozet documents to federal officials and they should give their approval for federal designation on the National Register of Historic Places within 90 days. A public meeting will be held in Crozet 30 days before the nomination to the state review board is submitted, VDHR officials will come to answer questions about the district. Property owners who want to
apply for tax credits will have to agree before starting their renovations to conform to the Secretary of the Interior’s Rehabilitation Standards, Hallock explained. “They are very broad,” she said. “They say, ‘New construction has to be able to be read from the old.’ They don’t want things chopped up and changed around. But there is flexibility. They also don’t want new things that are made to look old. There is no architectural review board, which is what people worry about.” “It’s a dollar-for-dollar tax credit,” Hallock explained. “So commercial properties can piggyback the credits and get back 45 percent of their expenses. It has really helped people. It helps you maintain the integrity of the house. The credit offsets the cost of doing the right thing for the resource.” There are no fine-print strings attached to being an historic district, Hallock said. “It’s only honorary. No limitations are imposed. National registry is designed to be non-regulatory. It’s a documentary tool. All the regulations are the local ones.”
Crozet gazette “You need to have a sort of big renovation—roofing, mechanical systems—if you want to apply for the credits,” said Hallock, whose firm also handles documentation for the credits approval process. “It’s really helpful for commercial properties because they get both the state and federal credits. Homeowners just get the state credit.” The nomination form sets out the significance of the proposed historic district and gives an architectural description of it, Hallock said. “It will explain why the district is cohesive.” “The CCA should take the lead in this,” said CCA president Tim Tolson. “I’m excited about the district moving forward. The tax credits could make a difference in a decision about whether to renovate commercial buildings in downtown Crozet. And we need to complete the nomination now. If the Supervisors go ahead with construction of Crozet library as we hope, the community is facing a major fundraising challenge—$1.6 million—to furnish and stock the library. We should get the historic district fundraising finished first.” The CCA and DCA will send a letter to property owners who will be eligible for tax credits, asking them to make a donation toward the cost of the submission. A square dance being planned for Greenwood Community Center March 9 will raise donations for the district.
February 2012
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Crozet gazette
February 2012
Crozet Elementary School PTO Real Estate up after the doldrums of winter. Takes on Enrollment Issues Sellers are polishing their offerings —continued from page 5
The Crozet Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization formed a seven-person subcommittee in January to tackle the staffing cutbacks that will follow from the school’s sagging enrollment. The school will see its resource teachers and librarian cut to halftime next year because its roll count has fallen to 287 students, below the 300 student threshold required for full-time teachers. “We are under our capacity of 380,” said parent Ravi Respeto. “Our purpose is to reach out to the School Board and let them know that we are down 100 seats and Brownsville Elementary will reach its capacity in 2012. We could lose staffing of our specialty teachers. Redistricting would alleviate that problem. “We don’t want to lose teachers who have longevity at Crozet Elementary. Potentially losing them makes a difference, a real difference. It will be hard to regain the ground that is lost as we wait for enrollment
to go up.” Respeto said the parents plan to meet with county school leaders Matt Haas and Billy Haun about the problem. They are inviting School Board members Barbara Massie Mouly and Ned Gallaway to an upcoming meeting of the PTO and they will speak before the School Board Feb. 9. “We want to introduce them to the facts as we know them,” said Respeto, “and how that exaggerates the disparity between the Crozet schools. “Crozet Elementary is in a Growth Area. We expect to grow above 300 again. We’re getting support from young families who are concerned for their students. They don’t want to look at private schools.” Respeto said the PTO noticed that school officials recently began the process of redistricting kids from overcrowded Hollymead Elementary to Baker-Butler Elementary, three miles away, which continued on page 27
and buyers are out looking. If you are planning on selling this year, get a jump and start planning now. Talk to realtors about what is involved in selling your property. If you are hoping to buy this year, inventory tends to build in the coming months. Mortgage rates are historically low, so talk to your lender about what you can afford and start your search online and/or with a realtor. Good things often come to those who wait, and current trends may indicate that the time to act could be now. In 2003 John Talbott published The Coming Crash in the Housing Market. The former investment banker and economic and political commentator went on to forecast the housing peak in 2006 and the ensuing crash in real estate values. He knows his stuff. He recently offered the opinion that now is the time to run, not to walk, to your nearest lender and line up a 30 year mortgage for a home purchase. His conclusions are based on values
relating to peak prices, replacement cost, income/rent, and real terms (not US dollar terms). He is pretty emphatic, and his track record is impressive. Perhaps all the runners in Crozet are heading somewhere after all!
To the Editor —continued from page 3
The article says the school can expect to save “hundreds of dollars per year.” That seems to me to quite absurd. I think there are many financial institutions in the US, even in this present economy which could give a better return on $286,000 than the “hundreds of dollars per year” and still have the principal sum in hand at the end of 20 years. Did anybody do the math of working out whether this was a reasonable return on money invested? If it was correctly reported in the Crozet Gazette, it appears to me to be a huge waste of funds, whoever contributed them. Ian D. Henry Crozet
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Crozet gazette
February 2012
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Crozet
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434-531-2192 January went out like a lamb. Isn’t that March that is supposed to go out like a lamb? It is hard to describe January any other way, though. We finished with eight straight warm days and a high of 70 on the last day of the month. Overall, the month was much warmer than usual but not recordsetting. The lack of snow makes some people happy, but three days of ice in a row couldn’t please anyone. The ice from January 20-22 was particularly dismal, with subfreezing drizzle and fog that wouldn’t quit. Snowfall for this year has totaled just one inch. I know what you are thinking: “We haven’t had an inch of snow.” But actually, some kind of snow or ice has coated the ground ten times this winter and if you add it all up, it amounts to one measly
inch. In our 100-year database, we’ve made it to the end of January with an inch or less a dozen times, so it’s actually not that rare. Back in 1914, we were skunked to this point but finished with 31 inches by the end of March, so it can turn around. However, most lean years stayed mild and mostly snowless. In 2009, we started this way and finished with seven inches for the year. Spring warming usually is first noticed in the second half of February. The average high temperature at the start of the month is a wintry 45, but that warms quickly in late February to 52 by the last day. A month from now, we will be seeing the first flowers poke out and waiting for the explosion of beautiful spring that March brings.
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Crozet gazette
February 2012
Classic Barn at Rose Hill Rises Again by Kathy Johnson kathy@crozetgazette.com The landmark dairy barn on Rose Hill Farm in Greenwood, owned by Stephen Takach and his wife Alice, that burned in 2009 is being rebuilt. The curved, laminated roof beams are up as well as the sheathing. The roof is coming soon. J. Bevan Crocker, restoration specialist and contractor for the project, has spent 28 years in construction. He began as an apprentice learning restoration work from craftsmen who had done only the highest quality restoration work. “I have never deviated from that tradition and quality,” Crocker said. “We are a small team of craftsmen who are committed to building quality projects that will stand the test of time.” The original barn, built sometime between 1903 and 1920, burned
three years ago. Takach said the original structure was a dairy barn but was not used commercially. “The barn was used as a dairy for the workers on the farm,” Takach said. “That and the crops grown here were for the workers.” Crocker designed the new barn, which is not an exact replica of the orginal, and shifted its orientation 90 degrees. “I designed this structure using the pictures of the old barn,” he said. Pointing to what he called the prow of the roof, Crocker said, “It’s the part of a barn roof that protected the track system that extended out from the barn from the weather and created its support. The track was what the hay trolley was attached to, so that hay could be lifted up and then stored in the hay mow.” While the barn is being restored to look as much like the original as possible, it will not have
J. Bevan Crocker
a track or be used to store hay. The original foundation was found to be in bad shape and would have required too much work and expense to be reused, Crocker explained. With the new footprint, drivers passing by on Ortman Road will be able to see a full side view of the barn once it is complete. At the west end of the barn is the terra cotta silo that survived the fire except for its roof. Crocker and his crew have rebuilt it and installed a galvalume (galvanized aluminum) roof that will match the roof going on the barn. Barns are not being built as they were in the past, Takach said, because post and beam construction is typically too costly. He praised Crocker’s craftsmanship as “unbelievable. It’s very costly, but I want to try to restore it.” The completed barn will stand 36 feet tall to the ridgeline. It will be 70 feet long and 42 feet wide. It is a monster in size and spectacular in design. Along the side, white oak beams support the entire structure.
Crocker said white oak was selected because it offers a tighter growth ring and will last longer. It is very strong wood, and “since old growth wood is no longer available we look for the best materials today given the project needs on which we are working.” Crocker said he does only highend restoration work on homes and barns. “The company’s main focus is on historic preservation, bringing houses and barns back to their original structure given the period in which they were built,” he said. Construction started August 10. Crocker said he anticipates it will take seven or eight months to complete. “The weather has been a big help. We worked hard to get the roof up in order to have all the kilndried lumber under cover.” All of the internal and wall framing is rough-sawn southern yellow pine and the board and batten siding is kiln-dried white oak. “There will be more than 30,000 board feet
RETHINK The former Rose Hill Farm barn that burned in 2009.
C H U R C H Crozet United Methodist Church
and the Kingswood Christian Preschool 1156 Crozet Avenue (434) 823-4420 www.crozetumc.org You are welcome here.
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continued on page 24
Crozet gazette
February 2012
Seasonal Flavors
Memories & Recipes from an Italian Kitchen [ by elena day | elena@crozetgazette.com \
Gnocchi Two Ways February is that time of year when in times past winter stores were diminishing and one looked for a sign of spring. I always believed that the Church instituted Lenten fasting to coincide with decreased supplies of foodstuffs. (This winter our weather has been on and off spring-like with birdcalls in January heralding the mating season and even spring peepers vocalizing in the evenings.) This month’s recipes are easy to prepare, hearty and I can imagine them to be February staples in bygone days. Gnocchi are dumplings made of potato and flour or of semolina and eggs. In Italian, gnocchi also can mean “stupid people.” As a child I was taken with the idea of eating “stupids.” Below are two recipes for gnocchi, or “stupids” as I used to call them.
Gnocchi alla Romana 4 cups milk ¾ cup cream of wheat ½ tsp salt 1 egg 2 tablespoons butter grated Parmesan cheese (at least ½ cup) Bring milk and salt almost to a boil. Slowly add cream of wheat while stirring. Continue to stir until thick. Remove from heat and stir in an egg until well blended. Pour into a lightly greased 8 by 11 casserole dish. Cool. When cool, cut a diamond pattern into the poured cream of wheat. Start with diagonal cuts from one corner and repeat diagonal cuts from adjacent corner. Dot with butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes until slightly browned on top.
Potato Gnocchi 2 potatos boiled and mashed 2 cups flour 1 egg ½ tsp salt Mix together above ingredients. Knead as best one can, adding flour as necessary, for a few minutes. Divide dough into two balls. Roll first one and then the other into a 3/4-inch-wide long snake on floured board or countertop. Use knife to cut into ½ inch pieces. Press each one with the tines of a fork to decorate. Sprinkle the gnocchi with flour so that they do not get too moist in the time it takes to boil a pot of salted water. Drop gnocchi into boiling water and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until they rise to the surface. The sauce to serve with the gnocchi is your preference. I find the following tomato onion sauce easy and tasty. Chop or cut (not too small) a cup and ½ worth of onions. Sautee these in 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil until onions are transparent and almost caramelized. Patience is necessary. Add 1 to 2 cups of plain tomato sauce. Salt and pepper (use fresh grated pepper) to taste and cook until sauce is slightly reduced and thicker. Pour this over gnocchi and sprinkle liberally with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.
* * * The following is for those interested in the politics of food. Otherwise read no further. Monsanto recently received FDA approval to market genetically modified (GE) sweet corn and plans to grow it on 250,000 acres this spring. This will account for 40 percent of this year’s sweet corn crop. Monsanto sweet corn received swift approval without independent testing because its GE traits of corn-
11
borer resistance, rootworm resistance and tolerance to Roundup herbicide had been previously approved. GE corn, which has been on the market since 1996, is fed to animals and is also present in 80 percent of highly processed foods. Consumers who want to avoid GE corn can do so by opting to eat organic meats and avoiding processed foods. GE sweet corn will not be labeled and is intended for frozen and canned products. These products will be more difficult to identify and avoid. Although 95 percent of consumers support food labeling, our agribusiness giants have repulsed all citizen efforts to do so with well-funded lobbyists in Congress. GE-modified foods have been linked to food allergies and to the rise of superweeds resistant to Monsanto Roundup. In turn, superweeds require increased use of more toxic herbicides such as atrazine and compounds similar to Agent Orange. GE crops have contaminated organic and non-GE crops through cross-pollination and seed dispersal. We are also justified in questioning the ethics of patenting living organisms and the corporate control of our seed supply. Already, at the behest of Food and Water Watch and other organizations, Whole Foods, Trader Joes and General Mills have agreed to avoid the sale or purchase of GE sweet corn. Food and Water Watch has scheduled a call-in day to Walmart, a major player in shaping our food supply chain, for February 8. They are asking that Walmart substantiate its claims to green credentials, local farming and healthier eating by refusing to sell GE sweet corn. For more information and to participate in the call-in, go to www.foodandwaterwatch.org.
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Crozet gazette
February 2012
Pool Dome —continued from page 1
be installed in September. County Parks and Recreation Director Bob Crickenberger commended Crozet park leaders and area citizens for raising $422,000 to install the dome, but cautioned the supervisors as they prepared to consider the request that it had not been reviewed by the county’s Technical Review Team or Oversight Committee, which he called “a broader policy issue.” He also warned that the current arrangement in which the YMCA will manage the pool might come undone and that might cause Crozet park leaders to come back to the county for money to operate the facility. “At this point the staff supports the PARC [the acronym of the aquatic and recreation center],” Crickenberger said, but the staff nonetheless wanted a performance bond from Crozet park leaders that would guarantee that the park would do the work on the swapped projects to the same quality standard that the county would.
Hearing that, Supervisor Dennis Rooker noted that the original language of the authorization for the projects gave some flexibility to the board and that a performance bond needn’t be required. “The volunteer effort should get some respect,” he said. “It’s getting something done.” Supervisor Duane Snow noted that the project will be handled by Barton Malow, a national construction management company, “not some guy with a pick-up.” The staff asked to have one of its members assigned to the construction management team. “We can multiply the effect of our $200,000 more than three times,” said Rooker. “Because of private fundraising for a public park, we have a good opportunity to provide a swimming facility in the western part of the county. We already allocated the $200,000 to the park. What’s the best way to use it?” Supervisor Ken Boyd resisted the transfer, saying he didn’t like the way the proposal had come to the board, which involved a revised version of the agreement being delivered to the county attorney at lunchtime on the day of the meet-
ing. Park officials said that was done to satisfy demands for changes that the county staff had made. They had given the agreement to the county in early December, they said. “I can’t vote for it,” declared Boyd, perhaps forgetting the procedural shenanigans of his own effort to resurrect the moribund western bypass of Route 29 around Charlottesville. But when the vote was eventually called for, he said yes. Boyd also accused Mallek of “negotiating with the park without the full knowledge of the board.” Mallek replied that she had talked to the park’s leaders but had not made any deals with them. “Reallocating money means we can use the park year-round,” said Snow. “We need a building that’s heated and air-conditioned.” The park had requested the transfer so that the building next to the pool could be renovated to include heated locker rooms. “This has been a long [project],” noted Supervisor Ann Mallek. “It was being talked about before I came on the board.” “Thousands of volunteer hours have been put in on this and they
are worth more than $600,000,” Snow argued. Rooker observed that according to the Crozet park’s timeline, “the tennis courts will be built faster than under the plan we had. This is not a new appropriation.” County Attorney Larry Davis told the board that the staff expected that the park would pay the county back the $200,000 so that the county could be able to do the projects. “At some point there was a misunderstanding with the park that the staff was not aware of.” He said the last minute revisions to do the agreement the PARC submitted were necessary to deal with “issues.” Park leaders said they thought the swap of projects idea had been agreed to by county officials in the fall. Davis said the county was concerned that if the park spent $200,000 to build just the tennis courts, it might consider that it had met its obligation to the county and then not do the basketball courts or the trail. Heidi Sonen, representing the park board, told the supervisors that $51,000 had been raised in continued on page 26
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Crozet gazette
February 2012
13
by Phil James phil@crozetgazette.com
Fray’s Mill on the Rivanna “Do you know where Advance Mills is? It used to be Fray’s Mill,” Jimmy Daughtry recalled during a reminiscence of some of the old folks he had known up in Sugar Hollow. The native of Sugar Hollow continued, giving a glimpse into a way of life that has all but vanished. “Lem and Cornelia James lived up on the mountain there with Wash and Susan Via. Aunt Sue and Aunt Nealie would knit socks at night by the fire. Wash and Lem sheared the sheep one year and Uncle Wash wanted Uncle Lem to take the raw wool down to Fray’s Mill, 20-some miles I reckon, and have it carded. So they loaded it on the wagon and he got started about five o’clock one morning and it was almost dark when he got there. Mr. Fray told Uncle Lem to ‘Come on, get your horses and bring them in and feed them, and spend the night.’ So he did. A black man they called Uncle Albert agreed to stay up and card the wool so it would be ready in the morning. The next morning Lem went out and said the wool was all carded and ready to come back.” The waters of the Lynch and Roach Rivers emerge from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Greene County. The Lynch begins near Mission Home, and the Roach in
Powell Gap in Shenandoah National Park. The two streams combine near the Albemarle-Greene County line to form the north fork of the Rivanna River. By the early decades of the 1800s, that region’s commerce had shifted from tobacco to cereal grains. A certain John Fray, a miller in Madison County, sold his business there and moved his family to Albemarle County. He had determined to serve the farmers of both Albemarle and Greene Counties. About three miles north of Earlysville, he and his sons constructed a new grist mill on the
Fray’s Mill at Advance Mills, c.1920. [Photo courtesy of Ann Early Shelton]
The north fork Rivanna River pours over the Fray’s Mill dam, c.1922. The J. M. Fray & Co. mercantile is atop the hill beside the Advance Mills bridge. [Courtesy of Ann Early Shelton]
Some of the Fray children play alongside the dirt road in front of the J. M. Fray & Co. mercantile at Advance Mills. [Photo courtesy of Ann Early Shelton]
north fork of the Rivanna River. He farmed and raised cattle, and, as his milling business prospered, he reinvested his profits in nearly 1,000 acres of Albemarle County land. Succeeding generations of Frays established themselves in close proximity to the family’s enterprises in the place that had come to be known as Fray’s Mill. Their compound contained every dependency necessary to maintain their properties and to nurture and educate their families. Albert Garrett Fray, the elder Fray’s son, assumed much of the responsibility for managing the family business as his father aged. In turn, Albert Fray’s three sons continued the good steward-
ship of that legacy. John Milton Fray and his brother Aubrey Gaines Fray formed “J. M. Fray & Company” in 1884, with John managing the company’s milling operations (producing their own “White Eagle” brand flour), and Gaines running the prosperous mercantile. Their brother Robert carried on the farming operation begun by their grandfather. The closest mail service had been at Earlysville until the U. S. Postal Service established a post office in the busy community of Fray’s Mill. Renamed “Advance Mills,” the change was said to have been the result of the many return visitors to the community remarking about the continual advances being made at that place. And advances there had been! Gazetteers and other records of that time documented milling operations for both corn and flour, as well as animal feed, saw mills, a woolen mill, and a sumac mill (which produced an extract used in the local tannery and for dying cloth). Carpenters and contractors had plenty of work, as did a saddle and harness maker, blacksmith, and local distiller. Separate schools were established in the area for white and African-American children. Fray’s imposing mercantile was a site to behold in this location continued on page 14
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Crozet gazette
February 2012
Fray’s Mill —continued from page 13
remote even for its day. By the early 20th century, whatever one needed could be had at Fray’s. As many as ten store clerks were on hand to meet customers’ needs. Special orders could be shipped to the town of Burnley on the Southern Railway, and then transported by wagon the seven miles to the store. General merchandise included groceries, clothes, suits, shoes, dry goods, and millinery. Complete undertaking services were available through Fray’s, including purchasing coffins and hearse transport to the graveyard. Crossing the Rivanna River at Fray’s/Advance Mills had long been an adventure itself. Wooden bridges, at first constructed with no sides, succumbed to flood waters more than once. A c.1900 cast-iron truss bridge was moved there in 1943. Measuring 204 feet in length with a wood plank roadbed, the two-span, one-lane bridge defined the community for over 60 years until it fell victim to time and increasingly heavy vehicles. Following a threeyear ordeal that included an extended period of no bridge access, a new Advance Mills bridge was opened for service in 2010.
We can never know what Lem James might have muttered had he driven his load of wool from the Blue Ridge Mountains to Fray’s Mill for carding in the late-1800s and then found a “Closed” sign on the bridge. What is known is that he was graciously received by the Fray family, and his work order was ready to go when promised. Jimmy Daughtry concluded his story thusly: “Well, after he’d get back, Aunt Sue would spin the wool into a thread on her spinning wheel, and then she’d put it on a loom and weave it into cloth. They had one year a black sheep and Uncle Wash asked her to keep the wool separate. Susan spun that wool and wove it into cloth and made him a suit and put a black velvet collar on the suit. It wasn’t real black; it was a charcoal-gray color. When Uncle Wash went to church on Sunday he was the best-dressed man there. “Aunt Nealie died giving birth up there on the mountain in 1899. It was a cold winter that year. When Lem left there, Aunt Susan gave him five pair of wool socks that she had knitted, all made from the wool sheared from their sheep.”—And carded by Uncle Albert working overnight at Fray’s Mill on the Rivanna.
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
Albert Garrett Fray, his wife Martha Ann Wilhoit Fray, and their son John Milton Fray, c.1867. [Photo courtesy of Ann Early Shelton]. Above left: Advance Mills, VA, postmark, 1908. The U. S. Post Office at Advance Mills was in service from 1884–1946. [Courtesy of the Phil James Historical Images Collection]
The J. M. Fray & Co. mercantile is top center in this c.1930 view of downtown Advance Mills. [Photo courtesy of Ann Early Shelton]
Crozet gazette
February 2012
15
inthegarden@crozetgazette.com
The Most Popular Flower I’ve been writing this column for several years, but never had the nerve to take on roses. Until now, that is. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, roses will be appearing everywhere, so I guess it’s time for me face the thorny things. I remember reading in some unimpeachable source like Parade magazine that roses were the most popular flower in the country. Never mind that most survey respondents probably could not name their second-favorite flower. Taking on the number one plant is daunting, especially when there are many rosarians—and perhaps even Rosicrucians—waiting to jump to the plant’s defense. In the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit that roses are not my favorite plants. A few years ago I grew a couple of shrub roses, but became discouraged when they became lunch for the Japanese beetles. At least in certain cases, roses
Crozet
Radrazz, the original cherry-red Knock Out Rose
are high-maintenance plants, so not my cup of tea. Despite that experience, I do acknowledge that some roses are much tougher than others. What are some of the better ones, and how do you grow them? There are somewhere between one hundred and two hundred species in the genus Rosa, and most of these wild plants are not beset by all the ills of their cultivated brethren. If you are content with fairly small, single flowers, i. e. only five petals per flower, along with a short bloom period, natives such as Rosa virginiana, R. carolina or R. palustris would do fine. But if you want big, blousy flowers with hundreds of petals and a long bloom season, you’ll have to seek out the numerous hybrids and cultivars that so many people conjure up when they think of “rose.” Unfortunately when those features were bred into roses, much of their natural toughness was bred out. This is why most of the fuss-budget roses are quarantined in rose gardens where they can more readily receive frequent chemical blastings. Irreverent rose-detractors might refer to such roses as “blackspot-on-a-stick.”
But back to the tough-species roses. One of my favorites, R. banksiae or Lady Banks Rose, is a standby in the Deep South, but will do okay up here. The wild form has small white flowers in April; the more commonly seen cultivar ‘Lutea’ features small, yellow double flowers. Reportedly the yellow flowers have little fragrance, while the white ones will do better at tickling your olfactory lobes. Lady Banks Rose is not for small spaces. A sprawling climber, it needs something to hang onto—a fence, pergola or sturdy trees can support it as it grows to twenty feet. In mild winters it can be essentially evergreen, and the older stems have attractive cinnamon-colored shredding bark. Plus, they have almost no thorns. Breeders are always striving to produce healthier roses that still have the flower power that most people crave. Many new varieties appear to do the trick for a few years but ultimately succumb; however, it does seem that the answer to gardeners’ prayers may have appeared in the Knock Out Roses. Knock Out is the trademark name for a series of shrub roses developed by
William Radler of Wisconsin and first released around twelve years ago. Borrowing from his last name, the official cultivar names all begin with “Rad”, such as ‘Radrazz’, the original cherry-red Knock Out, and may also be followed by a designation such as PP 11,836, indicating the plant patent number. All the Knock Outs are tidy shrubs, eventually reaching about six feet by six feet, although many of the promotional materials claim 3’ by 3’. If they get too big for their space, they can be cut back severely in early spring. They start flowering in April or May and will keep going off and on for most of the summer and fall. New growth is an attractive burgundy, and in milder winters they will retain much of their foliage. Their big selling point is that they are healthy, vigorous plants that require no spraying, dusting, etc. for the many rose diseases. Some even claim they’re resistant to Japanese beetles. Knock Outs are available in the original red, as well as pink, yellow, white and coral. Even I may have to find room for one in my garden. continued on page 26
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Crozet gazette
February 2012
The Western Beat
Society), the English Department, and the WAHS media center.
Y-Ball Life Reports from Western Albemarle High School A By Zach Mandell
School Board Ties on Vote, Sticks With 8-Period Schedule by Tim Dodson The Western Hemisphere A tense Albemarle County School Board voted Jan. 12 to stick with the current eight-period schedule. The motion to return to a schedule of seven periods divided the Board into two camps: those who wanted to “reduce teacher workloads” and those who wanted to “provide students with more opportunities.” Ned Gallaway, the newly elected at-large member of the School Board, decided not to take a position on the issue. He said he believed that it was unfair for the Board to ask him to make a decision on scheduling when he still needed more time to hear from both sides. He proposed to the Board that the school system look
Robotics Team Reaches Regional Tournament By John Payne
The Western Albemarle Robotics Team competed against 26 more experienced teams in the qualifying tournament of the FIRST Tech Challenge hosted by the University of Virginia School of Engineering Jan. 28.
into more creative schedule ideas so that both sides of the issue could be satisfied, such as a schedule of eight periods, where teachers teach five and use the other three periods for planning and remediation. After nearly an hour of debate, the Board came to a decision. Board members Jason Buyaki, Eric Strucko, and Barbara Massie Mouly voted in favor of returning to the seven periods, while Diantha McKeel, Steve Koleszar, and Pam Moynihan voted to stay with eight periods. Ned Gallaway’s abstention resulted in a tie, meaning that the motion to change the schedule to seven periods was defeated. Parents and teachers are expected to bring the schedule issue up again at future Board meetings. In their first-ever competition, the fledging team scored high enough to advance to the Virginia Regional Championship in Richmond March 3. The WAHS Robotics Team consists of tenth graders Andy Cohen, Alex Krasner, Nathan Nieburg, Cayden Ramberg, Ellie Weikle and ninth graders Dor Hananel and Lexy Payne. The rules of the FIRST Tech Challenge require that a team design, fabricate, and program a robot from a specific materials kit.
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The robot must operate in both autonomous and human remotepiloted modes. The robot must collect and place racquet balls into crates, stack the crates, and move the crates into specific areas of the competition field to score more points than other teams. Rules also require that team captains negotiate with each other based on their results and capabilities to form alliances as the elimination rounds advanced toward the final event.
Poetry Out Loud By Pete Barber
Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry competition that has existed for the past seven years, but 2011 was the first year that Western Albemarle students participated. More than 200 students competed through Ms. White’s and Mr. Hughes’ English classes. There was also an “At Large” competition that drew another nine brave students from the rest of the student body. At the Western Albemarle Poetry Out Loud championship December 13, ten students earned the right to compete in this final. The students were instructed to memorize a poem and give the judges a copy of the chosen poem beforehand. The students were then judged on accuracy, flow, and difficulty of the poem. Aidan Barkley was crowned champion and plans to go to the regional competition in Richmond this month. The Poetry Out Loud competition was sponsored by the NEHS (National English Honor
Y-Ball, as the YMCA basketball league is known, has become a primary activity of winter for Western boys. High school Y-Ball is divided into 9th/10th grade and 11th/12th grade leagues. In each division there are two teams that hail from WAHS. The 9th/10th grade Red Team (also known as the Pinapple Warriors) consists of Michael DeSimone, Rob Nowlin, Andrew deJong, Zach Mandell, Ben Smith, Nate Smith, Sam Wheeler, Taylor Godine, John Mark Mastakas, Cy Webb, and Coach Mike Culp. It stands at 1-2. This rocky start for a historical powerhouse is especially painful since their archrivals, the White Team, are 4-0. The 9th/10th grade White Team, comprised of Ilo Zak, Dylan Curry, Joe Squillace, Michael Nafziger, Deven Barkley, Austin Gadient, Jeremy Pugh, Jonathan Dance, and Coach Curry, will face the Red Team in their last two games of the season. As far as either Coach Culp or Coach Curry is concerned, this super climactic double finale means everything. In the 11th/12th grade division, the Orange Team of Riley Saunders, Adam Schiller, Ben Schiller, Grant Tolber, Brett Engle, Mike Lengel, Dallas Pugh, Preston Nowlin, and the legendary Coach Post are experiencing an uncharacteristically slow start with a record of 1-2. As one of the most storied programs in Y-Ball history, the Orange Team is not used to defeat. But have no fear. “The Crozet Criminals” are a wiry of group of warriors and will undoubtedly figure it out sooner or later. Their archrivals, the Green
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Crozet gazette Team, are defending champions of the 9th/10th grade division. They are made up of Timmy O’Shea, Quinn Cross, Tommy Mullin, Patrick Greer, Kent Miller, Jeff Culp, and Daniel Kujzak and are also 1-2. One of their losses came in the form of a forfeit against the Orange team, giving Orange bragging rights over Green.
Scholastic Team Wins Districts
By Josh Epstein & Josh Mandell The WAHS Scholastic Bowl Team secured a trip to Regionals by winning the Jefferson District regular season championship with a 19-1 record. Starters Josh Mandell, Connor Swank, Charles Bill, Angela Li, and Michael Patashnik built up early leads in most of their matches, allowing reserve players to close out the wins. Freshman Eric Xu and junior Foster Whitlock had impressive showings off the bench and many of the reserve players scored their first points for the team this season. Western won the Jefferson District Tournament January 25
February 2012 and is headed for the Region II tournament on February 4.
Key Club Holiday Efforts a Success
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Sandridge Awarded Life Member Badge by CVFD
by Maegan Carvajal
With Salvation Army bells still ringing in their ears, Key Club members are very happy with the outcomes of their holiday project. They worked with children during the Toy Drive and Breakfast with Santa. Tree Sales and Bell Ringing were also successes for the club. They are currently working on their ongoing project of Head Start at Brownsville Elementary School and reinstating their Mountainside Senior Living volunteering, while hoping to lead a blood drive in the spring. What senior Charlotte Roland really likes about Key Club is the opportunity to give back. “We’re really fortunate to have what we do, and it’s easy to get wrapped up in that. As a teenager I can’t necessarily give a lot to the people in need, but what I can give is my time,” she said.
Seated from left to right: Kathi Sandridge, D.W. Sandridge, Ella Sandridge; Standing from left to right: D.B. Sandridge, Derek Sandridge, Mary Sandridge, Blaine Sandridge, Jamie Taylor, Della Sue Sandridge Taylor, Chas Sandridge, Adeline Sandridge, Ralph Sandridge, Kendall Sandridge Price, Levi Price, and Connie Sandridge. Not pictured: Kevin Sandridge (but he called in during the ceremony)
D.W. Sandridge was presented with a badge distinguishing him as a life member of the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department at a ceremony Jan. 24 at the firehouse. Family members and firefighters gathered for the occasion. Sandridge, now 85, started with the CVFD in the 1950s. He is the department’s oldest life member now and has served as its president.
Alexander Salomon, MD, Joins UVA
Dr. Salomon brings to the community his extensive experience in caring for those with diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. He also specializes in addressing the unique needs of geriatric patients. Dr. Salomon attended medical school and completed residency training at Georgetown University and worked in private practice for 12 years before joining UVA. Same day appointments available 434.243.0700 (office hours include Thursday evenings 5 to 7 p.m.)
UVA Family Medicine, Internal Medicine & Specialty Care - Crozet Suite 103, 375 Four Leaf Lane (250 West) Crozet, VA
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Crozet gazette
February 2012
Summer Archeology School to Excavate Irish Settlement Site The suspected location of a settlement of Irish workers who built the Blue Ridge Tunnel from 1850 to 1858 will be unearthed in a summer archeology dig led by Dr. Stephen Brighton of the University of Maryland, a specialist in sites related to the Irish diaspora after the famine of the 1840s. The dig will happen on private property at Pollack Vineyards in Greenwood among a scattering of farm buildings that Brighton investigated last summer after being approached with clues by Clann Mhor, a group of local researchers who are trying to flesh out the history of the tunnel’s construction. The University of Maryland will offer a sixweek, six credit-hour summer school in archaeology from May 29 to July 6. The dig is open to students from any college and students will all be charged Maryland in-state tuition rates, $290 per credit hour for undergraduates and $525 per credit hour for graduate students. Students will board at the University of Virginia and be shuttled to the dig site. Students must be admitted to the University of Maryland summer school. There are no prerequisites. Enrollment is limited to 20. The dig will try to establish if Irish laborers and their families lived at the site and, if so, in what manner. The site is the only rural setting for an Irish community to investigated so far and is the first location in Virginia believed to be related to the diaspora. For more information, contact Dr. Stephen A. Brighton at sbrighto@ umd.edu.
Duelling Love Poems by Clover Carroll | clover@crozetgazette.com
Although these two classic love poems—written nearly 100 years apart— could not be more different in style, form and mood, both movingly express deep, tender love for their companions. The well-known sonnet 43, written in 1850 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (a noted British poet even before she married the poem’s addressee, Robert Browning), is a formal, thoughtful avowal of eternal love. Using regular rhyme and meter, its combination of passion and logic make it one of the most popular love poems of all time. In contrast, e. e. cummings’ whimsical “since feeling is first”–only one line longer than a sonnet—breaks all the rules in its open defiance of both form and logic. This free verse ‘carpe diem’ poem, a 20th-century restatement of Robert Herrick’s 17th century “gather ye rosebuds while ye may,” admonishes us to enjoy our finite life to the fullest. Wishing everyone a love- and laughter-filled Valentine’s Day!
Academic Honors Wyatt Munson of Crozet has been named to the Dean’s List at Virginia Commonwealth University for the fall semester. The following students at James Madison University have been recognized for their achievements: Fall 2011 graduates include Caitlin Cosby and Kayla Howard of Crozet. Betsy LaRue of Crozet was named to the Fall 2011 President’s List. Crozet students on the Dean’s list for fall are: Nicholas Corbell, Cassandra Derby, Kelly Hodgkins, Christopher Leibl, Thomas Manzella, Keith Miller, and Ryan Sheppard.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of being and ideal grace. I love thee to the level of every day’s Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for right. I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death. Elizabeth Barrett Browning since feeling is first who pays any attention to the syntax of things will never wholly kiss you; wholly to be a fool while Spring is in the world my blood approves, and kisses are a better fate than wisdom lady i swear by all flowers. Don’t cry —the best gesture of my brain is less than your eyelids’ flutter which says we are for each other: then laugh, leaning back in my arms for life’s not a paragraph And death i think is no parenthesis e.e. cummings
[Ask your school to send its Dean’s List to the Gazette too!]
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Crozet gazette
February 2012
Parkway Pharmacy
By Dr. Robert C. Reiser crozetannals@crozetgazette.com
It’s Okay to Die Emergency physicians and nurses see how people die every day. The good ones learn from it. The great ones use that knowledge to help patients and families when death approaches. I recently heard from one of my former residents. Dr Monica Williams-Murphy graduated from our Emergency Medicine residency program in 2004 and is in practice in Alabama. Monica has written a book and its title is a little startling for an ER doctor: It’s OK to Die. Not exactly what you want to hear from your doctor in the ER after your car crash perhaps. But as she notes in her book, only 10 percent of us will die suddenly and unexpectedly and for these patients an ER doctor’s role is clear: Do everything possible unless a Do Not Resuscitate order is in place. Having seen much of this sudden death, though, Monica has learned this from it. “Live and love as if every day is your last, or your mother’s last, or your child’s last. Leave no words unsaid, leave no plans unmade.” This would be rather a banal platitude were it not preceded in Monica’s book with seven case
histories she has seen of sudden unexpected deaths. The other 90 percent of us will die more slowly and actually rather predictably. It is Monica’s intention to change the way patients, families and physicians prepare for that death. Monica explains how she came to focus on this important topic. “I had the distinct privilege of working for about a year in an ER where the nursing home residents represented about 30 percent of our patient population. The sheer volume of the extremely aged and dying seemed to bring the topic of death into sharp focus for me. Sometimes half my critical care beds, or more, were filled with those aged or near the end of life. For the most part, I was being asked by their families to snatch them from the jaws of death. Did their families realize that we had come to the time where the jaws would now constantly remain open and any small physical insult or illness would put grandma squarely back onto the teeth? Generally no.” Americans don’t do death well for the most part. Ninety percent of us want to die at home, yet only 20 percent of us do. Dying in a hospital from a terminal illness means very likely dying alone, after visiting hours are over. Seventy per cent of
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us have no advance directives, leaving stressed family members to attempt to make highly complex and emotional decisions at the worst possible times. In the face of such duress most opt for all interventions possible for our loved ones, many of them as futile as they are painful. There are multiple reasons for why we pursue care for our loved ones that we would not choose for ourselves and they are laid out well in the book. We no longer recognize when dying is inevitable and we have made no efforts at closure before the final crisis strikes. As Monica puts it in typically blunt ER doc fashion, “If you have not made peace with your brother who lives across the country, it is not going to happen while I am shocking your heart and performing chest compressions on you.” Monica’s book sets down in great detail all aspects of the process of dying and offers key advice and insight for each step of the process. Her goal is to make death an opportunity for deep reflection, emotional closure, healing of old rifts,
and a profound expression of reciprocal love. This is very hard to do comatose in an ICU. If you have elderly or ill or nursing home bound family members, I recommend this book to you. It will help you understand the modern end-of-life experience and empower you to make choices that are meaningful to you. It can be found online at www.OKtoDie.com. Do you know what else can be found online? Caskets! Cheap caskets. As I learned from the book, there is a federal law that requires funeral homes to use any casket that you have shipped to them and they cannot charge a handling fee if you don’t buy your casket from them. This can save you money when compared to funeral home prices. I went on Amazon.com and sure enough there is a wide selection of caskets from simple pine ($589.00easy assembly in 15 minutes, one day shipping) to solid mahogany ($2,095, marked down from $6,285). Unlike many other products available used on Amazon, though, I could only find options for “Buy new.” at Crozet Children’s Health Center P.C.
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Crozet gazette
February 2012
upcoming community events February 7
Job Fair at the Lodge at Old Trail
The Lodge at Old Trail, a senior living community slated to open in May, will hold a job fair Feb. 7 to seek applicants for a variety of positions. The fair will be held in the Old Trail Golf Clubhouse from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. and again from 5 p.m to 7:30 p.m. Applicants will receive information and a brief interview. They are asked to bring a resumé and a photo ID. The following part-time and fulltime positions are open: Registered Nurses; Nurse Manager; Activity Assistants; Concierge; Cooks; Dining Service Director; Chef; Dining Room Manager; Environmental Services Director; Fitness Trainer; Food Servers; Administrative Assistant; Host/Hostess; Medication Aides; Housekeepers; Licensed Practical Nurses; Maintenance Technicians; Resident Services Director; Memory Care Program Manager; Sous Chef; Utility Staff; Van Driver.
February 9
Clann Mhor Talk at Gateway Theater Members of Clann Mhor, a group of local independent scholars who are researching the history of the construction of the Blue Ridge Tunnel, will make a presentation of their findings so far Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Gateway Theatre, 329 W. Main Street, in downtown Waynesboro. Learn about the Irish immigrants and slaves who constructed this 19th-Century engineering feat. Donations of $5 will be appreciated by the Waynesboro Heritage Foundation, which is hosting the talk.
February 10
Bill Staines Concert Folk legend Bill Staines will return to North Branch School for a family-friendly concert Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. Attendees are invited to join Staines for a pre-concert potluck supper at 6 p.m. Songs by Bill
Staines have appeared on radio (Prairie Home Companion, Mountain Stage) TV (Deadwood), and movies (The Return of the Seacaucus 7.) Staines’s music is a slice of Americana, reflecting with the same ease his feelings about the prairie people of the Midwest, the adventurers of the Yukon, the onthe-road truckers, or the everyday workers that make up this land. Tickets available in advance at Trailside Coffee and North Branch School. Proceeds benefit North Branch School. For more information call 540-456-8450.
February 11
LOVE Art Coming to Waynesboro The Virginia Tourism Corporation’s oversized LOVE artwork will be located in downtown Waynesboro February 11 through February 15 at the corner of Main Street and Wayne Avenue. Area residents are invited to take family photos in front of the artwork. The art-
work is 16 feet long and more than six feet tall and is part of the “Virginia is for Lovers” tourism campaign.
February 11
RVCC Sock Hop Take off the winter chill and have some fun at the Rockfish Valley Community Center Winter Sock Hop Feb. 11 from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. What did you dance to in the ’40s, ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s? DJ Ed will take requests. Dig out your poodle skirt or come as you are. Refreshments will include beer and wine from local establishments and an old-fashioned bake sale. Admission is $5 for RVCC members and $10 for non-members. Join RVCC that night and you and one guest get in for $5 each. Email song requests to Pat @ RockfishRiverPottery@gmail.com. Snow date is February 18. The Rockfish Valley Community Center is at 190 Rockfish School Lane in Afton.
Crozet gazette
February 2012 publicity photo
February 15
Grammy-Winning Folk Musician Tim O’Brien at Field School The Field School Distinguished Artist Series will feature renowned folk musician Tim O’Brien with local artists Uncle Henry’s Favorites at the Field School auditorium Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. O’Brien is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who draws on a deep reservoir of traditional and his own tunes in his performances. He came to prominence as a member of the bluegrass group Hot Rize, recognized by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) as entertainers of the year for 1990. He is a bluegrass musician’s musician who has appeared with practically everyone in the industry, usually singing and playing the mandolin, fiddle, bazouki, banjo or guitar. Charlottesville area’s finest traditional bluegrass band—Pete Vigour’s Uncle Henry’s Favorites— will appear with O’Brien. Uncle Henry’s Favorites recently won the Prairie Home Companion small town band contest. Tickets are available at Green House Coffee in Crozet or through www.musictoday.com. Ticket prices are $25, and student tickets are $10. The Field School is located at 1408 Crozet Avenue.
February 23
Phil James Soiree
Local historian Phil James will be the featured speaker at the Crozet Library Soiree Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. at Crozet Elementary School. His column, “Secrets of the Blue Ridge:
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The Blue Ridge Naturalist © Marlene A. Condon | marlene@crozetgazette.com
New Guide to Frogs and Toads
Tim O’Brien (See February 15)
Stories from Western Albemarle,” is a popular feature of the Crozet Gazette, and James has come to be acknowledged as the historian of western Albemarle. Through his work collecting photographs and oral histories, James has preserved Crozet’s history and lore.
March 3
Pancake Breakfast to Benefit Piedmont Baptist Fire Fund
A pancake breakfast will be held March 3 from 8 a.m. until noon at the Piedmont Baptist Church Fellowship Hall to benefit the church’s Fire Fund. Piedmont Baptist Church is located at 596 Half Mile Branch Road in Yancey Mills. The church will also host an open house Sunday, March 18, from 1 to 4 p.m. Piedmont Baptist will hold its Rededication and Appreciation Service Saturday, April 28, at 3 p.m. The St. James Baptist Church Choir, from Waynesboro, will perform, and dinner will be served in the fellowship hall. For more information, call 434-823-4194.
The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) has published “A Guide to the Frogs and Toads of Virginia.” This 44-page guide is simply wonderful for identification purposes as well as for learning a bit about the lives of these critters. And you should learn about them. They are disappearing from our world, perhaps due to the ubiquitous use of pesticides that are now found in soils wherever herbicides, insecticides, and/or fungicides are employed. An amphibian (an animal that spends a part of its life in water and a part of it on land) has extremely absorbent skin. Therefore poisons readily pass through this outer organ into the animal’s body to sicken or kill it. As a young girl, I was totally enthralled by tadpoles and other life forms that lived in the brook that ran by my elementary school. I would excitedly visit the little waterway on warm spring days as soon as school was out. I never dreamt a day would come when the world had to worry about the extinction of frogs and toads (as well as salamanders, which are also amphibians). But that day is today and it’s a warning signal to humans. Our wildlife fulfills important roles in the environment. The “jobs” that critters perform make the Earth habitable for mankind. You don’t need to be a scientist to understand this concept. It is supported by the Bible (in Genesis). So if you are a gardener, learn about the natural world so you can grow your plants within the framework of “laws” that must be heeded. When you understand the needs of plants, you’ll grow only those kinds that are suited to the conditions you can provide for them and they will be healthy. You won’t require pesticides that are a dead giveaway that you are trying to thwart Mother Nature’s rules.
And when you make your yard nature-friendly, you automatically invite wildlife to it. Wildlife comprises the natural system of checks and balances that keep your yard functioning properly so that, again, you’ll have no need for pesticides that are so deadly to our amphibians. Spring, which will be here before you know it, is the time of year when you can readily learn about frogs and toads. The males start to call after they’ve located a suitable place for the females of the species to lay their eggs. By calling, they let the females know where to find them. Their sounds also let curious humans know where to find them as well! Always move slowly in the direction of a calling animal in order to avoid scaring it away. You’ll have a better chance of spotting it if you use binoculars and you won’t need to get as close to study its markings. Once you’ve gotten a good look, you can compare the animal to the superb photographs in the DGIF booklet. All 27 species of frogs and toads found in our state are shown. Shaded maps let you know at a glance whether the animal is indeed found in the area where you are located. And to learn as much as continued on page 26
If you want to learn about frogs and toads, you should buy a copy of “A Guide to the Frogs and Toads of Virginia” from the Department of Game & Inland Fisheries e-store for $10. (https://www3.dgif.virginia. gov/estore/proddetail.asp?prod=VW256) [Photo: Marlene Condon]
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Crozet gazette
February 2012
By John Andersen, DVM gazettevet@crozetgazette.com
Broadening My Horizons I grew up as a suburb kid in an Army family. I spent the first seven years of my life in California and Hawaii before our family finally settled down in Northern Virginia. The exposure to nature and wildlife out on the west coast and on the Islands was surely an influence in my becoming a veterinarian, as was the fact that we always had dogs in the house. My initial impressions of a veterinarian were of someone who takes care of dogs and who also works at SeaWorld making sure the killer whales were fed.
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As a quick aside here, one evening during my third year of veterinary school during fall break, I found myself studying late into the night at my parents’ house in Northern Virginia. It was an extremely challenging academic year and I was feeling a bit worn down and stressed, even though I was only halfway done with the first semester. I took a break and just happened to find a box of memorabilia in my mom’s office. I snooped around and low and behold I found my first grade writing journal from when I was in school in Hawaii. It was pretty entertaining, and then I stumbled onto a page that read: “When I grow up, I want to be a veterinarian so I can see dogs’ hearts
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with the radar system.” This was accompanied by a decent illustration of an EKG machine attached to a dead dog. I must have recently taken a field trip to the local vet’s office. This was a neat moment in my career, all these years later finding out I had been interested in this stuff all along. It gave that semester a little more purpose. Back to my initial impressions of being a veterinarian. I had never really been exposed to farm animals like horses and cattle, due to my suburban upbringing, so imagine my surprise when I learned that throughout veterinary school I would have to learn about a few more species. To become a veterinarian, you need to be competent in not only treating dogs and cats, but also horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and birds. This is actually all on our standard veterinary medical board exam – detailed questions about diagnosing and treating diabetes in a cat, followed by questions about the microscopic appearance of viruses that cause diarrhea in pigs. Needless to say, I’m pretty sure I did badly on the farm animal stuff,
which, fortunately, was balanced by my small animal (dogs and cats) knowledge. I think in the future this should change, allowing veterinarians to forego spending valuable time and money on species they will never treat. Please note: don’t ever ask me to come on your farm and look at your horse. I will be faking it and I’ll probably get kicked! Large animal medicine (horses and cattle mostly) was a very interesting part of my education however, having never really been exposed to those animals so close up. It’s one thing to learn about their anatomy and physiology in a classroom, but another to go into a stall by yourself and work on a horse. I felt like they could always tell I didn’t really know what I was doing and they would mess with me psychologically. Even more interesting was the farm call rotation my senior year. No matter your upbringing, you are going to spend at least three weeks doing farm calls with the large animal vets. Attire for that is Dickies overalls and muck boots. My first call was an emergency continued on page 24
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Crozet gazette
February 2012
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Kelsey Mietla Tapped for Western Albemarle Rescue Squad’s Top Award large jar of puffed cheese balls, went to Marian Lawson. “We love you!” Wood declared. The contributions of Heather McManamay, Nick Barrell, Michael Walton and Vicky McCue were recognized with their designation as WARS life members. Melanie Welcher organized the event, dinner and dance.
The Western Albemarle Rescue Squad held its annual awards dinner at King Family Vineyard Jan. 28 and conferred the Frances Henry Award, its top honor, on Kelsey Mietla. WARS President Bill Wood asked the crowd of WARS EMTs, board members and guests to pause in silent honor of Frances Henry, a legendary life member of the squad who died last year. “We want to acknowledge the sacrifice she made in the thousands of hours she gave,” Wood Kelsey Mietla
WARS Chief Kostas Alibertis and Stacey Hosenfeld
said. “She gave her heart and soul to Western Rescue.” A slide show of Henry and a tribute song were put up on a screen for the volunteers to reminisce with. “Be grateful for what others do, and have done, for us,” said Wood. “She’s here all the time,” he marveled about Mietla. “She pretty much dedicates her weekends to the squad. It’s a tremendous effort. It’s a lot to give. She’s also trained to be an ALS, which is a higher rating of EMT.” David Booth was named Rookie of the Year and Member of the Year went to Travis Mitchell. He also does EMT instruction. Kostas Alibertis announced that his Chief ’s Award went to Stacey Hosenfeld. The President’s Award, which included a very
Dog Grooming Gallery Coming Soon to Crozet
Bark Avenue Crozet dog grooming and gallery is expected to open in March in the former Fruit Growers complex in Crozet, in the small house formerly occupied by Cuts by Tammy next to Crozet Pizza. Patti Siehien from Bedford, where she operated a dog grooming business, and Desiree Shelton, from Roanoke, are co-owners. Shelton has been a designer for United Pet Group and will have her own line of pet accessories. Bark Avenue Crozet will offer full service grooming, emphasizing the use of all-natural and organic products in a spa-like atmosphere. The gallery will carry pet accessories as well as organic dog food and treats.
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Crozet gazette
February 2012
Gazette Vet —continued from page 22
C-section to deliver a calf that was stuck in the birth canal. This surgery was performed in about three inches of mud while the cow laid down and was wide awake the whole time (with proper nerve blocks of course). It was cold, wet, and windy, not consistent with my younger impressions of a veterinarian’s work. Although I will never work on large animals, I don’t regret having to learn about them and their role in people’s lives. If anything it gave me a unique experience on what it takes to feed this country and convinced me that I will get killed if I ever try to own a horse, so I might go draw a picture of that.
ountainside
New Barn SENIOR LIVING
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of lumberA JABA in the completed post Assisted Living Community and beam project. All of the materials were kiln-dried to help eliminate shrinkage and movement,” explained Crocker. Using kiln-dried material will ountainside also help create a SENIOR LIVINGstructure. tighter and more stable “The rafters are all Glu-Lams. 14 of They14 use several individual pieces lumber glued together in a press to A JABA Living They Communityare over 30 create theAssisted arch. feet long in the arch.” If they were laid end to end, the rafters would form a circle, he said. The rafters are tied to the ridge and girders with custom-madeountainside metal. “Each piece SENIOR LIVING was laser-cut and then put in a computerized brake and bent to the 15 15 required angle.”
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Winner of the 2007 Governor’s housinG AWArd Winner of the CommonWeAlth CounCil on AGinG 2010 Best PrACtiCes AWArd
Nearby is a window frame that will be placed in one of the openings along the side. Crocker had just finished the frame back in his shop. “If I can’t find what we want or need for a particular job, we make it.” He will make all the windows and hardware that will be used in the barn in his shop. “One of the hardest parts of the restoration process is finding materials and items that are needed. You could put up something that is ‘close’,” he said, “but close does not count.” Crocker also tries to use locally provided products as much as possible. “No big box stores here.” The white oak lumber came from Blue Ridge Lumber in the valley and the yellow pine came from Yancey Lumber. “We buy local and use local people, whenever possible. In the days that these historic properties were built, most of the building materials came from the local area. ountainside ountainside We live and build in our communiSENIOR LIVING SENIOR LIVING ties and feel it is important to buy within our communities. I work as 13b much local as I can.” A JABA Good weather means they A JABA will Assisted Living Community Assisted Living Community start roofing the barn within the next few weeks. They will also be installing two new cupolas that will match the original Jamesway cupolasountainside that perished in the fire, ountainside said SENIOR LIVING SENIOR LIVING Crocker. Rose Hill is presently a summer home for the Takach 14 family. “My wife’s family purchased the A JABA A JABAhouse Assisted Living Communitysays Takach. “Her Assisted Living Community originally,” family has owned [Rose Hill] since Henry Martin, her father, purchased the property in the 1960s to [help] house his book collection. “ The resountainside toration of the barn is sure toountainside bring SENIOR LIVING SENIOR LIVING pleasure not only to the family, but to those that pass on a nearby coun15 try road.”
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Karl Pomeroy, Past President; and Col. Steve Sellers, Chief of the Albemarle County Police Department at the January meeting.
Crozet Lions Club Corner Lions Get Policed Col. Steve Sellers, Chief of Albemarle County Police Department, discussed safety concerns and crime trends in the county at the club’s Jan. 23 meeting. Col. Sellers said that county crime statistics have improved, but that policing needs continue to grow as the county grows. John Reynolds, former Regional Director of the US National Park Service, will speak to the Lions at their Feb. 27 meeting. Lions Talk Trash The spring trash pick-up will be held March 24. Lions will gather at the Meadows Community Building at 7:30
Orchard Acres —continued from page 4
Moisture and drainage problems are typical, as are roofing, plumbing, HVAC and electrical repairs, and of doors and windows. ountainside ountainsidereplacement The grant will pay to connect to SENIOR LIVING SENIOR LIVING public sewer, Dudek said. 16 16 Homeowners will have a lien on their property for the value of the A JABA exceptional and affordable A JABA Offering Assisted Living Community Assisted Living Communityrepairs for 10 years and make payassisted living in the heart of Crozet. ments on it based on a formula that considers their monthly expenses. If • Managed by JABA a homeowner has a very low income, • Skilled staff on-site 24/7 no payment may be expected. After • Home-style meals, featuring local foods 10 years the debt is forgiven. If a • Reasonably priced, homey rooms with homeowner sells the house before views then he must repay the outstanding balance to the county. www.jabacares.org 434-823-4307 “The purpose is to enable you to
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a.m. and later enjoy a hearty hot breakfast after the trash pick up. Check Us Out The club meets the second and fourth Monday of each month at the Meadows Community Building off of Rt. 240. Anyone interested in attending a meeting is welcome. Please contact Karl Pomeroy at 987-1229. Meetings start at 6:30 p.m. with dinner provided and followed with a presentation. Lions Club International’s mission is to empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace and promote international understanding through Lions clubs.
stay in your house, not to enable you to make money on it. We expect you to be up front with us,” said AHIP rehab director Jane Andrews. AHIP has gotten grants like this before. “We have a good reputation with the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. They are happy with our compliance and our reporting.” “Community involvement is pivotal to getting the grant,” said Dudek. “They want the community to own it and not be dragged into it by an agency.” AHIP regards the grant competition as fierce. Susan Miller, a 40-year resident, volunteered to talk about the grant around the neighborhood.
Crozet gazette
February 2012
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Zestivities! Owners Opening Four Shops in Nellysford As shown by the opening of their latest new store, a Crozet couple does everything with a special Zing! Victoria and Don Rich, owners of Zestivities!, previously located in Old Trail, have opened their newest shop in Nellysford. ExtraZ!, a bou-
tique featuring jewelry, scarves, skin care products, socks, belts, soaps, journals, candles and other things is now open and getting rave reviews from customers. “In three months we hope to have the two other barns here combined to open as the new Zestivities!,” said Don Rich.
kathy johnson
by Kathy Johnson
kathy johnson
The new Zestivities! shops in Nellysford.
Victoria and Don Rich.
Expectancy... Hope... Vision... “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith...” SUNDAY CELEBRATION 10 AM
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(540) 456-7282
470 Twinkling Springs Road, cornerstonealbemarle.org Crozet, VA 22932
When the new Zestivities! opens it will feature items for casual entertaining and gifts. “We’ll have patio furniture, weather vanes, cards, some home accessories,” he said. Rich loves his new location and has only good things to say about Nelson County and the welcome they have had from customers and government officials. While there is still a lot of work to do to get Zestivities! open, they
are already working on plans for the final shop, TidbitZ! The last little vacant barn across from ExtraZ! is next to HomeBrewZ! and the two buildings will be combined to create the new shop. Rich said the shop’s theme will be “fun with food.” The shops are located at 2469 Rockfish Highway in Nellysford, next to Wild Wolf Brewing Restaurant and Bar.
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Crozet gazette
February 2012
Pinewood Derby
—continued from page 1
worst time was dropped. Whenever a leader said “Pinewood Derby,” the Scouts shouted, “Swish! Yea!” If their cheer did not seem enthusiastic enough, the words would be said again until the room’s vaulted ceiling was jammed with sound and the boys were focused again on the race. The pack has 40 Scouts, including 11 in their first year. Cubmaster David Vance asked the scouts to tell him what the value of the month is. They volunteered sportsmanship. He was looking for positive attitude and in a bit someone remembered it. Scouts crowded around the finish line and accepted their cars’ fates. Carmagnola steadily pointed out
new speed records for the day. Occasionally the Scout sign, three fingers up on the right hand, was raised, which means be quiet and pay attention. “Sign’s up,” Vance would declare firmly. The boys hushed. Parents needed repeat training on the cue. Fourteen trophies were awarded, three tall ones to the top finishers, and the rest for car design and workmanship. David Gallik and Max Somers got trophies for creative car design. Darius Mehta and Turner Smith were recognized for construction effort and Nathan Vance and Joshua Sime won the Scout spirit awards, which reward ways to get Scouting references into the cars’ appearance.
Pool Dome
of Barton Malow and a resident of Parkside Village, came to the microphone to say that “the issue of a performance bond is a on a job-by-job basis. There’s not a huge liability in a walking trail or a tennis court.” Mallek said she hoped that having a year-round pool would mean that swimming could be a part of school physical education programs for elementary school students around Crozet. She lamented the drownings of young children who had not yet learned to swim. As it emerged that the will of the board was to agree to the proposal made by the park, Mallek made a motion to release the $200,000 and Rooker seconded it. The vote was 6-0. “You’re not sitting back expecting the government to do everything for you,” Mallek said to the park supporters. The Western Albemarle High School swimming teams also turned out to watch the proceedings.
—continued from page 12
December to bring the project to its funding goal (not counting the County’s $200,00 contribution). Sonen said the park’s master plan is to be a full-service public park and it is committed to realizing all the features in the plan. “It’s a community park and we realize we need to raise the money,” she said. “We need your vote now so we can hit the opportunity we have for our volunteers to do their part.” She meant the construction schedule, according to which firms like Barton Malow are donating or discounting their contribution. If the schedule were to collapse, park leaders worried that volunteers may not be able to make their same offer. Sonen called the requirement of a performance bond “pretty rough” and Philip Kirby, a senior executive
CROZET ARTS
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Ballet, Music, Theatre,Visual Arts, Yoga, more! PAINTING with John A. Hancock begins February 8th!
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First place went to Keegan Scott, left, and second to Alex Flamm.
Kudos for speedy cars also went to Gavin Saucerman, Jeb Blackman,
Gibbs Gresge, Shane Keeton and Josiah Walcott.
Frogs of VA
lured to these animals by sound, frogs and toads are often somewhat hidden among vegetation. In the case of Wood Frogs, however, they are usually floating within water. Their leaf-colored medium-tan skin turns almost black within an hour of their arrival at the water, making them very difficult to see.
—continued from page 21
possible about frogs and toads, you should take a cue from the last page of the booklet. Here you can note the date of your observation, the type of habitat you were in (habitat refers to the kind of environment, such as mountainous, swamp, etc.), and interesting or unusual observations. You never know when you might witness something that is not known to scientists. For example, the booklet tells us that Wood Frogs breed from February to April when the temperature is about 50 degrees. But I’ve been keeping notes about these frogs for well over a decade now and my experience has been that it would be highly unusual for these frogs to mate when it’s that warm. These are cold-weather animals that typically mate when the temperature is only in the 40s. I’ve even heard a male Wood Frog calling in my front yard for several minutes when the thermometer measured only 35.3 degrees! This took place on January 20, 2010, at 10:24 p.m. when it was raining and quite cold. A nice addition to the DGIF guide is a CD tucked into a plastic pocket on the inside back cover. If you listen to it in advance of field trips to learn the calls that frogs and toads make, you can identify them by sound even if you don’t get to actually see them. Because predators may also be
In the Garden —continued from page 15
All roses share similar growing requirements: as much sun as possible (although the Knock Outs will take some shade), well-drained soil amended with organic matter, moderate watering, and a good mulch to keep the roots cool and prevent splashing from rain striking the soil. Many sources warn against overhead watering of roses in order to discourage foliar diseases. One rose to avoid scrupulously is the Multiflora (R. multiflora), an invasive species from Japan. I doubt anyone is selling this evil weed anymore, but there is a good chance it’s growing near you. It was originally promoted for ornamental purposes, as well as for erosion control and as a natural fence. It is easy to distinguish from other roses by its large clusters of many small white flowers. The best control method is applying herbicide to the cut stem late in the growing season. Even my hard heart is warming up to the better roses, though I don’t expect to see any in a box and wrapped in tissue paper landing on my doorstep any time soon.
Crozet gazette
February 2012
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Experienced seamstress with 30 years of tailoring and garment alterations experience. I work from home in Crozet (Highlands). Please call for a free consultation. Ruth Gerges: 434-823-5086. House for Sale: Country Setting in Crozet: 4BR, 2.5 BA Cape Cod with 2-car garage and full basement. Features include skylights, hardwood floors, brick fireplace. Large patio surrounded by extensive landscaping and a water garden. 434-466-4634.
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CLASSIFIED ADS
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39 What Frosty does Across senator Houck 40 Deli order 1 “Proud Mary” grp. 10 Balloon end 42 Pick 2 Follow orders 11 Neil Armstrong or 45 Tolkien goblins 8 Coke rival “30 Rock” doc 46 Formerly, Clay 13 Tokyo yes 12 Dean Martin 47 Dave Norris and 14 Law invoked to get diagnosis when the Rudy Giuliani, 411: Abbr. moon hits your eye formerly 15 Take on like a pizza pie? 50 “Number one” 16 “There’s an ____ 18 ____ cost to you … prefix? for that.” 19 Love _______ 17 Before the kickoff 51 By the end of the 21 Ring site? and seconds after seeing second quarter, he 25 Blind or skirt intro 27 1040 org. her enter the bar, he was sure he had made a very ____. ____ of her heart. 28 Cash drawer 29 Brooks and Blount 20 Minutes into the 53 When she left 30 Outs partner first quarter, he at halftime, he 31 French cheese, established that they wasn’t worried; Baby ____ were both _____. she’d come ____. 32 Regrets way too 22 Former kitten 56 R and R spot much? 23 Semester enders 57 Wear away 33 Hunting with birds 24 Greenwood to 58 Upon a time Crozet dir. 59 Anthem contraction 34 Suits 25 Office note 60 Damascus site 35 Egotist and his 26 Belarus or Ukraine, 61 Far opposite beloved alone in the formerly: Abbr. 62 Three of four pts. end? 27 Lover’s vow on a vane 36 Winery sight 28 Indonesian island 37 Love to Sartre divided into east and Down 40 Web journal west 1 Thresher refuse 41 Portuguese capital 29 Peace to Trotsky 2 Short pants 42 Cries of dismay 31 Two based 3 Gets ready for eating 43 Cyanide or DDT 4 Entrails 44 Figures of speech 32 “I may not be the 5 Oriole Powell and 46 Pause in breathing best looking guy in namesakes 47 Pilgrim goal the room, but I’m the 48 Interrogator only one talking to you” 6 Ireland in Irish 7 Showed ennui 49 Entangle was apparently not an 8 Analyze syntax 52 Has all her marbles ____ to him. 9 Leno announcer 54 Neither partner 37 Takes advantage of 38 Alternative to nothing Hall or former state 55 Dictator Amin
NEED MOTIVATION TO EXERCISE?: Don’t wait another day to get in shape and improve your health! Take action now by trying Boot Camp for REAL People in Crozet. This non-intimidating class meets on M/W/F at 6 a.m. Come try your first class for free! Looking for a smaller class and more accountability? Reserve your spot for the next session of RESULTS DRIVEN Boot Camp for REAL People starting March 6 at 9:15 on T/Th. For more information visit www.m2personaltraining.com or call Melissa Miller at 434-962-2311. Tutoring Par Excellence Helping students improve grades and test scores in Math, Science, and Languages (French & Spanish). Email tutoringparexcellence@ gmail.com or call 540-456-6682. RN or LPN – Evening Supervisor: Mountainside Senior Living, located in Crozet, is an award-winning, affordable, assisted living community. At Mountainside, residents benefit from attentive, personalized care for daily living needs. We are seeking a skilled, caring LPN or RN to function as a shift supervisor. Typical hours are 3:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. Monday - Friday and every other weekend. This is a salaried position, and the supervisor is expected to work a flexible schedule and additional hours when needed. The successful candidate will have significant experience working with senior clients and in providing leadership and supervision to other medical staff. Please send cover letter, resume, and salary expectation to: ajarvis@jabacares.org or to Mountainside Senior Living, 1220 Crozet Ave., Crozet, VA 22932 Attn: Human Resources. EOE
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Crozet gazette
February 2012
Richard LaRue, CFS Financial Advisor
Income & Retirement Planning • Life Insurance Planning Charitable Giving Strategies • Individual Stocks* Exchange Traded Funds* • Annuity Strategies* • Mutual Funds*
9071 West End Circle Crozet, VA 22932
rlarue@royalaa.com 434-823-2984
*Securities & insurance products offered through Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., and its affiliates, member FINRA/SIPC.
EMERY F. TAYLOR, JR, DDS General Family Dentistry • Veneers • Cosmetic Dentistry • Whitening • Invisible Fillings • Implant Dentistry • Non-Mercury Fillings
• Sealants • Root Canals • Caps/Crowns/Bridges • Dentures and Partial Dentures • New Patients Welcome
Serving the Crozet & Western Albemarle Community Since 1975 Monday - Thursday 8:30 - 6:30
1191 Crozet Avenue, Crozet
434-823-4080
Wayland Orchard Affordability in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Reserve a room for your out-of-town guests!
Bed & Breakfast
(434) 823-7323 • www.waylandorchard.com Just past Mint Springs Valley Park in Crozet
Crozet Readers’ Rankings Last month’s best sellers at Over the Moon Bookstore, with a few recommendations for this month from the experts there
January Best Sellers
Secrets of the Blue Ridge Phil James
The Eighty-Dollar Champion: Snowman, the Horse That Inspired a Nation Elizabeth Letts
You Know When the Men Are Gone Siobhan Fallon
The Randolph Women & Their Men Ruth Doumlele
The Sherlockian Graham Moore
Crozet Beauty Salon
Unlikely Friendships: 50 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom
Open Monday - Saturday
How to Live: Or a Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer
Jennifer Holland
Mae Hazelwood - Owner Appointments encouraged. No credit cards. full line of Paul Mitchell & Biolage Matix
Sarah Bakewell
434.823.5619 P.O. Box 386 • Crozet, VA 22932
866-584-7011
The Disappearing Spoon: and Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements Sam Kean
Left Neglected Lisa Genova
The Angel Makers Jessica Gregson
The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins
Dead End Gene Pool Wendy Burden
FITZGERALD
The Heroine’s Bookshelf: Life Lessons, from Jane Austen to Laura Ingalls Wilder
S E R V I C E S
Mitch Fitzgerald, Owner Landscape/Mechanical Background
Erin Blakemore
The History of the World According to Facebook
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Feb. Recommendations
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Adult: A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty Joshilyn Jackson Young Adult: Dead End in Norvelt Jack Gantos (Newbery Award Winner)
Recommended by Elizabeth: Adult: Death Comes to Pemberley P.D. James Kids: Me… Jane, Patrick McDonnell (Caldecott Award Honor Book)
Crozet gazette
February 2012
Bereavements Jane Lawder Gamble Heyward, 94 Juergen Paul Meissner, 70 Alicia Inez Bowler Lugo, 70 Harry E. Sullivan Jr., — Philip Robert Natoli, 81 Mark Edison Fitzgerald, 79 Homer Edward Tyler, 79 Harold Patton, — Eunice Helen Cole, 85 Catherine Sue Lee Landess, 77 Edward Raines Jr., 69 Barbara Ann Wallace, 67 Esther J. Kuepfer, 59 William B. Morris, 82 Louise Virginia Harris, 105 Lucille M. Rogers, — Kenneth Martin Higgins, 78 Lauretta Anna Wright, 88 Thomas Linwood Whitten Sr., 68 Mary Earle Woodard Cooper Wood, 84 Rose Shifflett, 78 Daisy Viola Vest, 86 Harry Jackson Smith III, 59 Doris Gerding, — Jedidiah Cole Shifflett, 21 Linwood Russell Jennings, 82 Alfred Paul Heuer, 90 Helen V. Dunivan, 96 Sylvia Jennings Henderson, 69 John Junior Layne, 83 Eva Marie Antonio Schaeffer, 72 Judith Page Mims Whitlock, 85 Marie Lively Morris, 76 Bobby Dean Graves, 76
December 12, 2011 December 20, 2011 December 21, 2011 December 22, 2011 December 30, 2012 December 31, 2011 December 31, 2011 December, 2011 January 2, 2012 January 2, 2012 January 3, 2012 January 3, 2012 January 4, 2012 January 6, 2012 January 7, 2012 January 7, 2012 January 8, 2012 January 8, 2012 January 11, 2012 January 11, 2012 January 12, 2012 January 12, 2012 January 13, 2012 January 14, 2012 January 15, 2012 January 17, 2012 January 18, 2012 January 19, 2012 January 21, 2012 January 21, 2012 January 21, 2012 January 21, 2012 January 23, 2012 January 25, 2012
Anderson Funeral Services Inc. Serving Western Albemarle Families Since 1967
Obituaries
Elizabeth Fierro, 1926-2011 Mrs. Elizabeth “Betty” Fierro, age 85, died Friday, September 30, 2011 at her residence due to Alzheimer’s. She was born September 21, 1926, in Crozet, the daughter of William Fleming and Grace Lee Murray. She was the granddaughter of James Edgar and Eva Hacket Murray. She was a Senior Underwriting Specialist with the State Farm Insurance regional
office, retiring after 40 years of service. She was inducted into the State Farm Insurance Hall of Fame. She was the recipient of the prestigious Banker’s Cup Award for “Woman of the Year 2002.” Betty is survived by her husband, John A. Fierro of Winter Haven, Florida and sisters Joyce M. Thacker of St. Cloud, Florida, Doris Brockman and Brenda Surratt.
Gazette obituaries are only $25 for up to 500 words, including a photograph. Call 434-466-8939 or emails ads@crozetgazette.com for details.
Crozet PTO
Well Hung Vineyard Gets Gold Medal
has empty seats. Besides trying to draw official attention to the situation, the PTO is also researching bus routes and possible redistricting options. They are also trying to maintain communications with parents at Brownsville Elementary and to promote a “sister school” relationship.
Crozet’s Well Hung Vineyard won a gold medal for its 2010 Viognier at the International Women’s Wine Competition held in San Francisco in January. The vineyard’s viognier, made by winemaker Michael Shaps, was judged outstanding in blind tasting competition featuring wineries from around the world.
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climate CLIMATE CONTROLLED UNITS climate controlled controlled units units Manager Resident Manager ••• Resident Resident Manager •• Monthly Leases Monthly Leases •• Tractor Monthly Leases • Tractor Trailer Trailer Accessible Accessible ••• Insurance Tractor Trailer Coverage Available Insurance CoverageAccessible Available • Passcoded Gate Access •• Passcoded Passcoded GateGate AccessAccess Access Available 24-hour Access Available •••• 24-hour 24-hour Access Available • Packing Packing Materials Materials • Packing Materials nnoow w
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Bill 5390 Bill tolbut tolbut 5390 Three Three Notch’d Notch’d Rd Rd Resident Manager Crozet, VA 22932 Resident Bill Tolbut | Resident Manager
Robert S. Anderson & John W. Anderson, Jr., D I R E C T O R S
Pastor Dr. Don Hardman 8312 Brooksville Road • Greenwood • 456-6719 Serving Christ in this community for 260 years.
Worship Sunday, 10:45 a.m. Truth Seeking Inspiring Blended Worship Warm Fellowship Gorgeous Setting
Come and see what we’re about! On US 250, 3.5 miles west of I-64 Crozet Exit
823-5002 5888 St. George Avenue Crozet, VA 22932
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5490 Three Notch’d Rd | Crozet, VA 22932
www.lebanonepc.org
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Crozet gazette
February 2012
Blue Ridge Beads
ays!
Crozet’s Favorite Flicks
Sund pen O Now
classes.gallery.beads.findings.stained glass
& Glass
crozetbeads.com Crozet Shopping Center • 5764 Three Notch’d Rd
Monday - Saturday 11 - 6 • 434.823.4237
Here’s what’s popular at Maupin’s Music and Video with a few recommendations for this month from the experts there.
Monday – Saturday 10 –5; Sunday 12 – 4 2171 Ivy Road • Charlottesville, VA 22903
www.patinaantiquesetc.com • 434.244.3222
ESP Plumbing & Gas FTG Experienced, Skilled & Professional PLUMBING REPAIRS, ADDITIONS & REMODELING WATER HEATER INSTALLATION & REPAIR GAS LINE INSTALLATION, AND MORE!
David C. Morris Crozet, VA
alliepesch.com
plumbesp@centurylink.net
Top Rentals in January
advertisements programs brochures business cards menus newsletters posters direct mailings books and more
Moneyball
(Comedy with Brad Pitt)
50/50
(Comedy with Seth Rogen)
Courageous
434.249.4211 alliepesch@gmail.coM
LICENSED & INSURED
Douglas F. Seal & Sons General Contractor
(Drama with Alex Kendrick)
The Ides of March
(Drama with George Clooney)
(434) 960-8458 (c) (434) 823-4167
Abduction
Specializing in home remodeling, including kitchens and bathrooms
(Action with Taylor Lautner)
Backhoe Service • Electrical & Plumbing Repairs Drywall Repairs & Painting • Walk-in Tub Installation
(Action with Hugh Jackman)
All Work Done Personally
Real Steel
Dirty Girl
Serving The Area Since 1964
(Comedy with Milla Jovovich)
P.O. Box 598, Crozet, VA 22932
Killer Elite
WE ALSO BUY OLD COINS AND CURRENCY
(Action with Robert DeNiro)
fEbruary picks
New Location!
Pete’s Picks
Across from MusicToday & Next to the Laundromat
50/50 (new) The Caine Mutiny
Rick’s Picks Moneyball (new) The Secret Garden
434-823-4523
P.O. Box 36 • 5370 Three Notch’d Rd • Crozet, VA 22932
Evan’s Picks
Courageous (new) Hustle & Flow Maupin’s Music & Video 5796 Three Notch’d Road 434-823-2244 Solution to this month’s puzzle: E
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$25/year for 12 issues. For more info: (434) 249-4211
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The Crozet Gazette, P.O. Box 863, Crozet, VA, 22932
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Crozet gazette
February 2012
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Governor Baliles To Talk in Crozet Feb. 16 Former Virginia Governor Gerald Baliles will talk at the invitation of The Lodge at Old Trail as part of their monthly speakers series Feb. 16 at the Old Trail Golf Clubhouse from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Baliles, a Democrat, was Virginia’s 65th governor, serving from 1986 to 1990. He emphasized road building and world markets for Virginia products and has since served with dignity in many public roles, such as Chesapeake Bay clean-up. Since 2006 he has been the Director of the Miller Center at U.Va. He said he will bring samples from the center’s archive of recorded presidential conversations to play for the audience. Baliles is fond of Crozet for family reasons. His daughter and sonin-law and their two girls live here. Last year Baliles visited one of his granddaughter’s class at Brownsville Elementary. He can tell you who Claudius Crozet was, picking up that knowledge up in grade school in Patrick County. He can describe our town accurately as it was during the years he was at U.Va. Law School, when Crozet was a farmers’ village with two factories nearby sitting along the tracks. Baliles said the Miller Center is a non-partisan institution that studies the presidency as well as political history and policy issues. “We’re trying to inform decision-making,” he explained. “We try to extract lessons from history that could have an impact in policymaking.” These days the center has a six-part debate series on national issues airing on ABC News on Sunday mornings, with George Stephanopoulos as host. The center collects oral histories of the American presidencies, Al Reaser Sales Consultant AlReaser@gmail.com 434-806-2049
too, (they are wrapping up on Clinton) and has issued white papers on a variety of topics in governance. It has opened an office in Washington, D.C. Baliles said the center stresses civility in politics and that it aims to elevate that trait. “When you listen to Kennedy talk to Eisenhower about the Cuban Missile Crisis it is chilling to the bone,” Baliles said. “Or LBJ after Kennedy’s death or Nixon talking about protestors. I’ll show people [at the talk] how the presidents talked about the issues of their day.” “A few years ago when our future in Iraq and Afghanistan was unknown, we listened to JFK asking, ‘If we go in, how do we get out?’ And you can hear Nixon talk about the same thing. “We can’t address every problem,” he said of the Miller Center’s ambitions, “so we look most at problems related to governance, education and transportation because those are the building blocks of the economy. You have to move products to compete.” Baliles said the questions that occupy him now are those such as: What is the role of government in education? How do you govern a problem like climate change that is inherently international in scope? If the Western economy goes over the cliff, can the international financial structure cope? The center is preparing a report on transportation issues, and how to finance the next 40 years of infrastructure work. The Dutch and Portland, Oregon, have instituted a tax based on vehicle miles, Baliles noted. Computer chips in our cars would report our mileage to tax authorities. “One cent per mile Auto SAleS, Inc.
Former Virginia Governor Gerald Baliles is the Director of the Miller Center at U.Va.
would replace all the federal expense for transportation. Two cents per mile gives us plenty of money,” he said. “If I were to put it into an epigram, my take-away from what I’ve learned so far is that nothing is ever as simple as it seems. This country is enormous. This continent is vast. It’s difficult to reach consensus. That puts a premium on identifying options and trying to reach agreement. That means compromise. We tend to look at our problems
through ideology. When you put down your bottom line first, the discussions are about demands, not discussion. The focus should be on getting a consensus and then on how you should package it. “The era of instant communications means that there is little time for reflection. That creates an impatience for immediate answers,” he said, pointing to it as a fact. But, as we ought to remember, nothing is ever as simple as it looks.
Over three million miles of dental floss is
purchased in North America each year… …the road to our office is shorter!
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Family Dentistry New Patients Welcome! No babysitter? No Problem! Keep an eye on your children with our playroom cam
434-823-1274
crozetdentistry.com
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999
#775
Economy, heat only thermostat. Simple worry free operation, bi-metal temperature sensor & snap action switch. Mercury free, decoration back plate included. Does not work with heat pumps. Retail: $19.99
3-Pack Jersey Gloves
199
#11351
3 Pair, large, poly/cotton blend, brown jersey gloves, straight thumb, clute cut. Retail: $4.39
Oil Filled Radiator Heater
2799
#15214
Westpointe, 700w, 7 fins mini oil filled radiator heater. One heat setting, adjustable thermostat, & auto shut off for overheat protection. Caution lights signal overheating. Retail: $34.99
9-LED Lantern
5221 Rockfish Gap Turnpike Crozet, VA
599
#11404
4 AA LED lantern, 9 super brite LED’s, long distanced focused beam, plastic. Assorted colors, black, red & yellow. Includes 4 heavy duty “AA” batteries, no bulbs to replace. Retail: $9.99
434-823-1387 Monday to Friday: 7am–5pm Saturday: 8am–1pm Website: brbs.net
1500W Ceramic Heater
2999
#32498
Westpointe, viziheat, ceramic heater with comfort control thermostat, 1500w, 5118 BTU’s fan-forced heat. Auto shut off, overheat protection, & manual reset. Integrated carry handle, large grill area for maximum heat output & two heat settings. Retail: $34.99
Happy Val entine’s Day! New Year... New Church...
You’re Invited!
Sundays at 4:30 p.m.
New You!
Old Trail Clubhouse Pavilion
5494 Golf Drive Crozet, VA 22932
434-218-2LJC
“Spreading the Fame of God”
www.lifejourneyva.com