Crozet Gazette January 2014

INSIDE RULE CHANGE page 2 CROZET ORCHESTRA page 6 SANTA’S HELPERS page 7 NEW CELL TOWER page 8 AFTON BANK CLOSES page 8

JANUARY 2014 VOL. 8, NO. 8

Firehock Named to Planning Commission

NICKSVILLE page 9

MINT SPRINGS LAKE page 11 JUST ONE DEAD ONE page 11 ROASTED VEGGIES page 12 SLOW BURNING page 13 KILLER CATS page 14 ETERNAL APPLE page 15 HAND RINGING page 17 INVISIBLE PEOPLE page 18 ROSE PAGE page 21 MYSTERY LUMPS page 22 CROSSWORD page 23 BOOK LIST page 24 DEER RAVAGES page 25 NEOLOGISMS page 26 FAVE FLICKS page 28 WARRIOR HOOPS page 30 RAIN GAUGE page 31

Frank Stoner, standing, met with the Crozet Community Advisory Council Dec. 18 to lay out a concept for the development of the former Barnes Lumber Co. property.

CCAC Introduced to Development Concept for Barnes Lumber Property Real estate developer Frank Stoner of Milestone Partners met with the Crozet Community Advisory Council Dec. 18 at The Meadows community building to describe a development concept for the roughly 19-acre Barnes Lumber Company property in downtown Crozet.

Stoner has a contract to buy the two main parcels making up the yard from

Union First Market Bank on the condition that it will be rezoned to be included in the Downtown Crozet District, a unique zoning district in Albemarle County that has rules designed to make Crozet’s downtown develop as a traditional, pedestrian-oriented town commercial center.

“This is not so much a presentation, continued on page 3

New Samuel Miller District Supervisor Liz Palmer has selected Karen Firehock of Howardsville to serve as the district’s member of the Albemarle County Planning Commission. Palmer said she chose Firehock because of her experience as a professional planner.

Palmer said Firehock also shares her strong belief in the importance of listening to district constituents about their priorities.

Firehock said she is excited to serve as a planning commissioner and described herself as committed to protecting farmland. She said she wants to encourage suitable rural businesses while protecting the natural landscape.

“I will listen carefully and weigh the interests of all parties, while ensuring that the county’s regulations and codes are upheld,” she said. “The county faces many challenges over the coming years in incorporating new demands from growth, while also seeking to preserve the characteristics that make Albemarle a truly special place to live and work. I welcome the opportunity to make a positive difference.”

Firehock has lived in the area for 26 years and moved to southern Albemarle continued on page 11

Tucked Away Farm Carries on the Dairying Lifestyle In 1953, when Buddy Clark’s grandfather Hugh went into the dairy business at Tucked Away Farm, just north of White Hall, there were 53 Grade A dairies in Albemarle County. Now there are two, both in western Albemarle: Ed Brookings’ operation, Early Dawn Farm on the Mechums River and Tucked Away. Buddy’s dad, Hugh Jr., bought Tucked Away’s 140 acres and built the double-six milking parlor.

Clark, officially Hugh III, now 60, took up dairying as his livelihood in 1980. He was 17. As of January 7, it’s been 43 years.

“A lot of people retired and their children did other things,” Clark said continued on page 16

Tucked Away Farm

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CROZET gazette

JANUARY 2014

Downtown Zoning Rules Changed to Allow More Residential Use In a shift little noticed in Crozet, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors voted Dec. 11 to change a zoning rule in the Downtown Crozet District to allow residential uses that were formerly forbidden.

Acting with unusual alacrity to please a potential developer of the 18-acre former Barnes Lumber Co. property, the supervisors agreed that residential use of the first floor of a building will be possible through the special use permit process.

Previous zoning, developed with extensive public input in 2006-07, barred the first floor of a building from being a residence with the aim of favoring commercial and light industrial development in downtown.

The first floor rule had been extensively debated when the district was created. One view was that it was too restrictive and would inhibit growth. The prevailing one was advocated by independent planning consultants the county hired to draft the downtown zoning plan, Community Planning and

Design LLC, led by Kenneth Schwartz, who had been involved in developing the Crozet Master Plan.

It held that without the barrier the 50-acre downtown commercial zone could be diluted by apartment buildings or fail to attract larger businesses that would offer employment and thus fail to mature into the town center. Downtown zoning requires all buildings to be from two to four stories tall and formerly envisioned residential uses on upper floors.

County planning chief Wayne Cilimberg visited the Crozet Community Advisory Council meeting in October to introduce the concept to the CCAC. The idea was that townhouses along the eastern and southern edges of the lumberyard would create a buffer zone with established residential areas Parkside Village and Hilltop Street.

CCAC members supported that.

But members were surprised to learn at their December meeting that the change had already been

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enacted and they now had to consider that the rule affected all downtown properties and not just the described edges.

When he presented the change to the Supervisors, Cilimberg pointed to the special use permit process as giving county officials and the public control over whether townhouses or single family houses were to be built in downtown.

“The request originated with the applicant,” said Cilimberg, declining to name him, “and has been passed by the Planning Commission.”

The applicant was Frank Stoner of Milestone Partners, which has a conditional contract to buy the Barnes Lumber property, which is currently zoned heavy industrial and will have to be rezoned to be added to the DCD. The purchase is contingent on the property becoming part of the DCD, Stoner said.

One speaker from Crozet suggested that the board delay the rule change until it was clear what the

plan for rezoning the lumberyard would look like and to make it an element of the eventual rezoning, characterizing the request as the first phase in a “negotiation” with the developer over what would happen in the lumberyard.

Stoner addressed the board in rebuttal and said the change “is a policy decision. It is or it is not your policy. It’s not a negotiation related to the Barnes Lumber site. If the board doesn’t want to change the policy, we will rethink whether we want to proceed.”

White Hall District Supervisor Ann Mallek said, “People understand. They want the lumberyard to proceed. I’m confident this will work.”

Retiring Jack Jouett District Supervisor Dennis Rooker agreed.

“This change makes common sense.

I think in a downtown area you would want some townhouses. It will enable Crozet to move forward.”

The change passed on a motion

by Mallek, 6-0.

CROZET gazette

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JANUARY 2014

Stoner

blocks of townhouses and apartments, a senior center, a civic and commercial center bordering a village green, sports facilities, green space along the Rivanna River, and, in the future, an organic farm. His company recently completed the renovation of Jefferson School in downtown Charlottesville.

“I’ve held on to my small town roots,” he said. “It’s humbling and exciting to think about transforming the Barnes Lumber site.”

He said Milestone Partners “does development for clients. We provide soup-to-nuts management expertise. Barnes Lumber is complex enough to need a long list of consultants. We are development managers.”

Stoner said he got the Barnes Lumber parcels under contract in August after six months of negotia-

—continued from page 1

but we’d like a dialogue,” said Stoner, who was joined by his associate at Milestone, L.J. Lopez.

Stoner said he grew up in a small town in western Pennsylvania, of a size similar to Crozet today. He came to Charlottesville in 1984, he said, and since then has been involved in the development of several projects, among them Kegler’s (a bowling alley); Queen Charlotte Square in downtown Charlottesville; the Belmont Lofts, a set of apartment blocks; and more recently Belvedere, a large-scale project off Rio Road on the north side of Charlottesville. Belvedere describes itself as an “eco chic neighborhood” that includes single-family houses,

tion with the bank. He did not say who his client for the project is.

Stoner said his research into Crozet’s population trend predicts that the town will grow to 8,000 by 2020 and 12,000 by 2030.

He asked CCAC members then to describe to him what the “character of Crozet is and how it should be manifested in downtown.”

But before visionary talk began, CCAC member Brenda Plantz asked Stoner, “Why have you already been to the Planning Commission and why do you already have a zoning request?”

She was referring to the change in the DCD’s rule against residential use of the first floor of a building, apparently unaware that the Board of Supervisors had already acted the week before to change that rule on a case-by-case basis

through special use permits.

“We perceived a critical flaw in the DCD,” answered Stoner. “I approached the county [planning staff] and they suggested a zoning text amendment. The flaw is this: you could build a single family detached unit without a commercial use but not an attached home.

Now you can with a special use permit.”

“Mixed use is still the most important thing to the community,” interjected White Hall District Planning Commissioner Tom Loach, who had voted for the change.

“The single biggest query in Crozet now is how do we save downtown,” added CCAC chair Meg Holden.

Stoner said he did not find any

continued on page 4

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JANUARY 2014

Stoner

—continued from page 3

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flaw in the Crozet Master Plan, but “wanted the community’s idea of how to use Barnes.”

“We’ve got one opportunity to get it right,” answered Chris Holden, “or it will be screwed up for a long time.

We’re an eclectic group. It’s a great asset here.” He pointed to Crozet’s past as the “peach capital of Virginia” and said the goal of developing Barnes should be “to thread the needle to honor the agrarian past and the eclectic present. You shouldn’t do something big and monolithic.”

Kim Connolly said Crozet is characterized by “locally owned businesses where they know you and you know your neighbors. We don’t want chain businesses. We don’t want to be ‘any town’ that you can find anywhere. We want our unique personality.”

“We have a vibrant community of artists and musicians here,” Lisa Goehler said.

“Could a permanent draw be built around that?” asked Stoner.

“Yes,” came the emphatic answer.

“We’re friendly here and supportive of each other. It’s really cool,” Goehler summed up.

Stoner proposed a wine center in Crozet, but White Hall District Supervisor Ann Mallek spoke up to say, “That’s more likely closer to Monticello.”

“People are really connected to the outdoors here. They’re completely tuned in,” she said, and stressed that employment for local residents is a high priority in how Barnes is developed.

Other speakers said they want to see “the features of European towns” in the development.

“Our vision is evolving,” said Stoner. “That’s part of the value of this. We envision this as an interactive process.”

Then he projected a picture of Rothenberg, Germany, a medieval town of narrow streets, onto the wall of the Meadows Community Center and said, “This is what I would like to build, but with VDOT and Fire/ Rescue you can’t do that.”

Next he projected a scene of Aguas Calientas, a town in Peru, which showed a railroad track down the center of a narrow street. It was sort of a joke.

“The real flaw in the DCD is a lack of connectivity,” he said. “It needs another railroad crossing at the

CROZET gazette east end of the [Barnes] property.”

Next he put an image of Warrenton, a town of about 10,000, showing a traditional 19th century main street. “The economics of new towns is a challenge,” said Stoner.

“They don’t pay for themselves.

Warrenton is a county seat.” Finally he ran through a series of images of Smithfield; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; and Dallas, Oregon. “Small town retail and mixed use does not pay for itself. Building new today you have to get $18 to $22 per square foot to pay for it. Residential over retail is very difficult to get financing for.

Banks and investors don’t like it.”

“Old Trail has done it,” observed Loach.

“In their case they got tenants who could pay but are now gasping at the rent,” Stoner said.

“Access to this site is restricted,” he continued, “and that is a major problem. Circulation is very difficult. The level of service on roads in downtown is already marginal in downtown Crozet. Maybe an underpass [under the tracks] at the east end of the property? We don’t have the money for that. Crozet needs more residents in walking distance to downtown.”

Stoner then reviewed what he called “opportunities.”

“Crozet will continue to grow. It needs a unique downtown. Barnes is a rare transformational opportunity.

Let’s do it right. It will require a commitment from us and from the community. I hope you’re up for that.”

He showed a plan for the Barnes property proposed in the past by Katurah Roell in which a pedestrian mall was the central feature. “This was retail with large buildings and parking around them. We’ve reached out to CSX about purchasing their property [a triangular, roughly 3-acre parcel adjoining the tracks]. We think it’s possible. It’s well suited for commercial.”

Then he presented his latest version of a development concept and road plan. “This allows us to create a focal point.” The plan has a traffic circle at the east end of the property and what Stoner called ‘a square’ that looked vaguely triangular where High Street and Library Avenue would intersect. High Street would continue to a connection with The Square. In a red colored area of the drawing, about six acres in size and adjoining The Square, Stoner said commercial buildings would go. In

CROZET gazette an area to the east about two acres large, shown in purple, office buildings could be built. In a yellow area, single family and townhouses would be built, a total of 75 to 80 units, and in the southeast corner of the parcel, depicted in green, space needed for storm water control would remain open.

“It feels like a small town main street,” Stoner said to sum up the general plan. “The objective of the county is to get the road built. We’d start at The Square and at the residential end. The residential would be needed to pay for the road.

“This property is a non-starter for us if proffers are involved. Then we’re not your guys,” Stoner said flatly.

Existing county policy calls for

JANUARY 2014

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CCAC members disputed that and said that there are more and more pedestrians in downtown. They pointed to the developing trails system in Crozet as giving people convenient walking routes through town.

Stoner said that the county’s requirements for such things as curbs and gutters on streets, while desirable, are driving up housing costs, meaning that more residences were required to cover road expenses.

Asked for a timeline, Stoner said he intended to submit a zoning amendment request in January.

“We’ll submit a plan like this and everything else would fall under DCD zoning. We would submit a SUP [for the housing units] congruently and hope to have it all done by

Commercial Space Available As conjectured in this version, which was projected during Stoner’s presentation to the CCAC, Library Avenue enters from the left and exits into Parkside Village on the right. High Street enters from the lower left and connects to The Square in the upper left. Brown is commercial, yellow is residential and purple is mixed.

developers to pay $17,000 to the county per residential unit built to help the county recover costs that fall to the public in accommodating growth.

“It’s a very expensive road. The county estimates $2.4 million. We estimate maybe $1.8 million.”

“This is a mixture of uses,” observed Loach, “but it’s not mixed use as envisioned in the DCD [with residences over commercial space]. I don’t see anything wrong with your yellow. It’s compatible with the neighbors. I have no problem with that.”

Stoner contended that the purple zone of the drawing would be mixed use. “You could put apartments buildings there, or a hotel.”

Plantz asked, “How much residential do you need?”

“We don’t know yet,” answered Stoner. “We’ll know in three or four weeks. The demolition costs there are enormous. There is no pedestrian friendly access to this area.”

July. Then we would need community input on design and help attracting businesses. We would work toward the middle [of the property].”

Stoner said he would show architectural plans to the CCAC in advance. He projected images of his previous projects and CCAC members let out audible gasps upon seeing the Belmont Lofts. “Not that!” came from the group.

“Us fighting the community is a recipe for disaster,” Stoner said. “I don’t want to fight. We’ll tell you what we think makes sense. If you don’t like it, we’ll go away. We want you to be excited about it. We think we are the right people to do it.

“This is a starting point for dialogue. We didn’t bring copies of the plan that people could carry out saying ‘This is what they are doing.’”

“We want buy-in,” added Lopez.

“This has enormous potential. Our take-away is we have a lot to digest from the comments. This plan will change. We’ll keep persevering.”

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CROZET gazette

JANUARY 2014

Crozet Community Orchestra Performs Debut Concert The new Crozet Community Orchestra performed its first concert Dec. 10 at Tabor Presbyterian’s Pickford-Chiles Fellowship Hall.

Orchestra director Philip Clark of Ivy conducted and also played the violin.

Organizers scurried to add seats as classical music-loving Crozetians turned out to show their support for the 16-member orchestra and in the end there was only standing room at the back. The headcount reached 90. The hall had been set up with tables and water bottles, snack foods and candy had been put out. The orchestra had not expected such a strong turnout, and as Clark explained, the idea was to make the concert a less formal occasion.

“A community orchestra is really terrific people,” he said. “Our goal is to make classical music accessible and less elitist. The only country where classical music is growing is China,” Clark said, “and there people eat at the concerts.”

The evening’s program included

works by Handel, Dvorak, Vivaldi and Francis Poulenc.

The orchestra is the creation of Crozet’s Denise Murray, a violinist.

“Philip was the person I had in mind for musical director,” she said later. “He has started orchestras in the area and I participated in one 10 years ago. He’s tremendously talented and has done amazing things in his career. He arranges music for the Latham Music website,” she said, “and he has several books of arrangements.”

Clark plays viola and violin and teaches violin. His orchestras often include his students, Murray said.

“Some people in the Crozet Community Orchestra played in their youth and are coming back to it,” said Murray, who is also in a string ensemble and learned the violin as an adult. She is a former ICU nurse and now does case management for the U.Va. Hospital.

“I found out he was starting an orchestra and I signed up. Then he said he would come to Crozet and

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From left: Front Row: Cathy Dalton, Lianne Campbell, Nancy Handley, Michelle Nevarr, Hannah Adam, Ray Varona, Donna Buchanan, Monica Olivarez. Back row: Bob Hoffman, Les Bares, Steve Rosenfield, Jodi Roper, Ann Benner, Allen Hard. Not pictured are Lee Showalter and Maggie Bourgeois. Orchestra organizer Denise Murray is obscured directly behind director Philip Clark in the center.

start an orchestra.”

An orchestra is not exclusively stringed instruments and Murray said the group is expecting to add wind instruments (they want two flutists) and possibly, eventually, brass instruments if there are enough strings to balance them. “It will be quite a while,” she predicted.

The orchestra is losing a cellist and a violinist. “We would like more strings immediately. There’s always a need. We don’t want to turn any one away. Philip can do the arrangements depending on what the group of musicians is. We want inexperienced players to feel comfortable because they have strong players next to them.

“He said yes in the fall and I emailed all my music contacts. I got a great response. People want to play. I approached Tabor and they said yes. We fit just fine there.” She said the orchestra is grateful to Tabor pastor Jewell-Ann Parton and to Robin McElwee who directs the church’s Crozet Cares outreach program.

Crozet has two ballet schools and great church choirs, so Murray sees the potential for the orchestra to play at more events.

“I do want this to succeed,” she said. “We’re working on getting our nonprofit status.” Every orchestra member pays a fee to play, $94 a year, to pay Clark. A scholarship fund would allow more players to join. The orchestra is accepting donations, but they are not yet taxdeductible.

The orchestra plans to play four concerts a year, essentially one each season, but with a summer break.

Their next performance is set for March 11.

“The Crozet community does support local endeavors so it did occur to me that the whole town might turn out,” Murray said. “The musicians thought the concert was great fun and they were excited so many people came. Everybody says they are coming back. They were surprised by the community support. Philip was happy with the performance and delighted by the turnout. I want people to have fun and provide great music for the community.”

The orchestra practices on Thursday nights at 7 p.m. at the church and will meet again January 21.

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CROZET gazette

New Cell Tower Site In Ivy Gets Balloon Visibility Test A bright red balloon was lifted 20 feet above the treetops on a wooded ridge off Morgantown Road Dec. 12 to mark the location and relative visibility of a new AT&T cell phone tower that will improve service in the Ivy area.

Valerie Long of the Charlottesville law firm of Williams Muller represented AT&T at the site and explained the procedure by which it could be approved to a dozen neighbors who came to inspect the location, some worried about possible health effects of microwave “spray” from the tower.

Towers can be administratively approved by the county if they colocate with an existing tower or are no more than 10 feet higher than the nearby trees.

AT&T is seeking a special use permit to place a tower that is 20 feet higher than the trees around it. The permit requires proof that the tower has no adverse impact on visibility, Long explained, hence the balloon raising. If trees grow to interfere with the tower, AT&T can petition to raise it.

The balloon was very difficult to spot, even close by the reference tree, a 73-foot pine that stands at the edge of a mature, neatly laid out planting of pines. From Rt. 250 west of Ivy it was virtually undetectable. The site is

about a half-mile west of the Ivy trestle.

The tower will provide 4G LTE (long term evolution) service, the most current technology, Long said.

“AT&T needs more towers to meet access demands for data transmission.”

Long said AT&T likes to place towers near evergreen trees because they conceal them better. The top of the pole will be painted brown.

No date has been set for the Board of Supervisors to consider the tower.

BB&T Bank to Close Afton Branch Branch Bank and Trust will close their Afton office on Rockfish Highway (Route 151) January 31.

“We recognize that any business closing can be an emotional issue for a community,” said BB&T Vice President of Corporate Communications David R. White.

“For that reason we do not take the decision to close a financial center lightly…One of our greatest concerns is the effect that closing a branch has on the local community…and we are very sensitive to the inconvenience and impact of this action and it is only after extensive analysis that we make the difficult decision to close.

“For several years, BB&T has reviewed the business strength of our financial center in Afton, Virginia.

Based on many factors, including client usage patterns, the decision was made to close the branch,” said White from BB&T’s corporate headquarters in Winston Salem, North Carolina. “There will be no job loss to BB&T associates as a result of this closing,” he said.

“The drive-up ATM will remain at the location. In addition, the Crozet financial center is in close proximity to the Afton branch and we look forward to continuing to serve our clients there.” White also mentioned BB&T’s online banking services.

The branch manager in Afton, Cecelia Price, is also the manager of the Crozet branch, located in the Blue Ridge Shopping Center on Rt. 250. BB&T branches are also located in Waynesboro.

CROZET gazette

JANUARY 2014

9

by Phil James phil@crozetgazette.com

Nicksville

and the

Free Union Church

His name was Nick, a free African American, likely born in the late 18th century. His adeptness as a blacksmith and the service that came to be expected by passersby who stopped at his roadside forge led to a small village slowly growing up around his stand. Into the early 20th century, several generations of locals and travelers routinely called that place Nicksville.

For succeeding generations who have known no need of a village blacksmith, we are indebted to the poet Longfellow, who, in 1839, memorialized such a smith as Nicksville’s own. The poet wrote, in part: Under a spreading chestnut-tree The village smithy stands; The smith, a mighty man is he, With large and sinewy hands; And the muscles of his brawny arms Are strong as iron bands...

Week in, week out, from morn till night, You can hear his bellows blow; You can hear him swing his heavy sledge, With measured beat and slow, Like a sexton ringing the village bell, When the evening sun is low...

In the very early 1800s, the area’s small population center was two miles west of Nicksville at a place known as Thompson Neighborhood. That locality featured a store operated by Thomas Fretwell and a schoolhouse. “Fretwell’s Store,” according to early historian Edgar Woods, “was the place for holding elections for Overseers of the Poor for the northwest district of the county.”

A tobacco house belonging to William S.

A good crowd was in attendance for this early-20th century Christian baptism near Free Union. Several drivers had maneuvered their buggies into the river for an unobstructed view. [Photo courtesy of Larry Lamb]

Thompson was given some rudimentary improvements by the Methodists and Baptists, and came to be known as Garrison’s Old Meeting House, named after a Baptist minister.

By 1833, denominational preferences had led the Methodists to establish nearby a separate house of worship that they named Wesley Chapel in honor of English hymn writer and preacher Charles Wesley, who, along with his brother John, was credited with the founding of the Methodist movement in the mid-1700s.

The Baptist believers, labeled at that time as Old Side or Regular Baptists, migrated toward Nicksville, and, in 1833, joined with the Albemarle Baptist Association, their church name then being called Free Union.

John Bing and his son Charles were among those who operated a store in this building that stood roadside just east of Free Union Church. [Photo courtesy of the Dunn-Bing Collection]

The crossroads at Nick’s blacksmith shop had become a convenient point of rendezvous for many. A joint decision was made by four denominations—Baptist, Episcopal, Methodist Episcopal, and Presbyterian—to maximize their collective lots by pooling their resources to support a church building. A two-acre tract was donated by the Burruss family in 1837, “being the lot of land on which a house for religious worship is now built, and called Free Union.”

The deed further stated that each denomination was assigned one Sabbath or Lord’s Day continued on page 10

Free Union Church was lit only by kerosene wall lamps until this kerosene lamp chandelier was installed in 1908, a welcomed gift from local storekeeper Bill White. The ornate fixture was converted to electricity in 1942. It is still in use and enjoyed today. [Photo by Phil James]

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Nicksville —continued from page 9

every month to use the building for religious services. Trustees representing each of the denominations were appointed to govern the use of the building by other Christian groups.

A decade later, in 1847, progress had made the village eligible for a post office designation. To avoid confusion with another Albemarle County village called “Nixville”, an official name change was deemed necessary. The name Free Union was chosen, borrowed from the local church assembly that represented a cross-section of the community; thus the hamlet’s original name and its namesake were lost to all but those who had known their origins.

As did similar churches of its day, the customs at Free Union Church included separate entrance doors for males and females as well as separated seating. The inclusion of both Black and White members on the church roles was also customary, Blacks usually being the enslaved property of White church members. Records for the Baptist congregation in 1859 noted 110 members: 69

This 1940s view of Free Union Church depicts the mostly original lines of the church, but without the side doorways that had been removed and bricked up in the 1890s. The original bricks were fired nearby on the Burruss farm. [Photo courtesy of the Dunn-Bing Collection]

White; 41 Black. Following the Civil War, the tradition of mixed-race congregations ceased in most churches, as African Americans finally were allowed to assemble together freely under the law.

Over time, the various Free Union Church partners grew to be able to support their own individual places of worship, leaving the Baptists as the only church group still using the 1830s brick structure. In 1971, legal papers were drawn designating Free Union Baptist Church as the sole owner of the property. Through the ensuing decades, they have proven to be faithful stewards of the building and property, ensuring its availability to succeeding generations.

Simple wooden benches used in Free Union Church were replaced in 1902 by these more comfortable and attractive pews. It was local resident John Banks who recalled for Julian Catterton that the replacement benches were made in the wood shop at Miller Manual Labor School of Albemarle.

They were stacked onto two wagons for transport to Free Union, each wagon drawn by a four-horse team. [Photo by Phil James]

Longtime Free Union businessman E.J.T. “Eddie Tom” Maupin (1870-1958) told writer/ historian Vera Via that Nick’s blacksmith shop had been located on the corner opposite his store and garage at Free Union. At separate times, several store buildings had been located on Nick’s former site; the last one (today a private residence) was occupied for many years by Cecil Maupin and his three sons, the well-known “Maupin Brothers” of Free Union.

The wagon road from Nicksville to Thompson Neighborhood to Free Union has known the steady march of history, each step of which deserves to be recalled and retold.

Many elements reminiscent of Free Union’s history are represented in this single advertisement from 1910. Opportunity was knocking at someone’s door. [From Charlottesville’s Daily Progress newspaper]

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 © 2003–2014 Phil James

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Mint Springs Lake to Be Drained Firehock —continued from page 1 for Repair Project in 2011. She served The upper lake at Mint Springs Valley Park in Crozet will be drained in January to allow repairs to be made to the swimming platform and to the bridge that connects the parking lot to the beach.

The project is expected to take 45 days, depending on weather and pump down progress. Once pumping begins and until the lake refills, no fishing will be allowed, and because the lake bottom is a public safety hazard, the lake will be posted against trespassing.

Albemarle County Parks and Recreation Department staff will monitor the pump down on a 24-hour basis. Their objective is to lower the water level while maintaining enough water to permit the survival of the fish population. The State’s Department of Game and Inland Fisheries will restock the lake when the project is done.

The lower fishing lake and other areas of the park will be open to the public as normal.

County Tightens Rules on Inoperable Vehicles Stricter regulations regarding the storage and screening of inoperable vehicles went into effect in Albemarle County January 1.

An inoperable vehicle is defined as a vehicle that is not in operating condition, lacks a valid license plate or inspection sticker, or has an inspection decal that has been expired for more than 60 days.

On properties in residential zoning districts, residents may keep one inoperable vehicle outside of an enclosed building and must com-

Mom says “Come home...

Now!”

pletely cover or screen the vehicle from view at ground level from surrounding properties. Acceptable forms of screening include a formfitting vehicle cover, wood fence, evergreen hedge, or masonry wall.

Tarps are no longer permitted as vehicle covers. In addition to being covered or screened, inoperable vehicles must also be kept behind any face of the house that has frontage on a street.

Rural Area properties are not affected by the change.

St. Nicholas

orthodox church

For information call 434-973-2500 On U.S. Route 250 West www.stnicholasorthodoxchurch.org

on the Charlottesville Planning Commission for four years, where she coordinated a new river buffer ordinance for the city, creating a new infill and low-impact development ordinance; changed city zoning for parks from “residential” to “park” to ensure better land use protection; and helped update the city’s comprehensive plan, including its first environmental chapter and strategies for watershed health, energy conservation, trails and the urban forest. She received a design award from the city for her efforts. She also worked on the citywide rezoning plan, which focused on providing denser development around the university while protecting local neighborhoods. During her tenure, the city adopted new historic districts and entrance corridor standards.

Firehock currently runs a statewide nonprofit organization called the Green Infrastructure Center, based in Albemarle, that assists local governments with landscape evaluation and planning. The Center maps forests and farmlands to ensure that rural economies can

Karen Firehock

thrive while also protecting natural resources. She is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture, where she teaches courses in planning and landscape architecture.

She holds a Master of Planning degree from the U.Va. School of Architecture and a Bachelor’s degree in natural resources management from the University of Maryland’s School of Agriculture.

Firehock is an avid kayaker and hiker who enjoys the proximity of the James and Rockfish Rivers very near her home. She lives in an historic house, at one time one of the county’s four banks, built circa 1740, which she and her husband, Tim Lewis, have renovated.

RVCC Looks to Start Orchestra The Rockfish Valley Community Center (RVCC) is recruiting those who play any orchestra instrument to join them in forming a new community orchestra. A first gathering of the group will be held Monday, January 13, at 7 p.m. in the Rockfish Lounge at RVCC. The meeting is open to all those

who play or used to play. All levels and all ages from 14 up are invited.

Meet conductor Philip Clark and learn how to take part in this opportunity to play again. For more information, contact Connie Muscenti at rainbowridgemusic@gmail.com or call 434-361-0440.

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CROZET gazette

Seasonal Flavors

MEMORIES & RECIPES FROM AN ITALIAN KITCHEN [ by denise zito • denise@crozetgazette.com \

Nancy Fleischman Principal

Comfort Vegetables

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And now it is winter: full force, still dark and cold outside. Comfort foods are in order and this means the crock pot, the soup kettle and roasted root vegetables. We eat differently in January; there isn’t much left under the garden row covers, although despite all this sleet and cold weather, I still have plenty of lettuce, arugula and spinach in mine.

So we resort to opening the canned tomatoes and making some good soup or roasting some root vegetables. If you have an hour to prepare dinner, this is a wonderful option. It satisfies the vegetarians and works well with grilled meat of any description.

Nearly any vegetable can be

roasted and the trick is not to overdo it. That stage just after perfectly roasted and just before charred is the key. Good oil (and not too much) produces the beautiful golden color and enhances the flavor. Most surprising ingredient: cherry tomatoes.

They are not quite seasonal, but almost always available. They add beautiful color and a nice additional taste. Finally, a few choice herbs and an optional dressing poured on just before serving make for a satisfying dish.

As you ponder this recipe, remember that you can vary the proportions and delete the vegetables or flavors that your family may not enjoy or that you don’t have in the fridge.

Winter Roasted Vegetables (Serves 6) 3 medium potatoes, peeled or not, cut into wedges 2 medium onions, peeled and cut into wedges 3 carrots, peeled and cut in diagonal slices, about half an inch thick 1 sweet potato or winter squash, peeled, cut into half inch slices 3 parsnips, peeled, cut into 2 inch x 1 inch chunks 1 head of garlic, cut horizontally, use the two halves, try not to break it up 1 cup of cherry tomatoes cut in half Optional sprigs of rosemary and thyme Salt to taste 1/3 cup plus 2 T olive oil Put the parsnips, carrots, onion and garlic in a bowl and pour on the oil. Stir to coat the vegetables. Sprinkle on some salt. Spoon everything into a roasting pan large enough to just cover the bottom with the vegetables. Add the herbs if you have them (you don’t really taste them but they make the house smell divine).

Place in 375 degree F oven and roast for 20 minutes. Remove pan, add the potatoes, stir and return the pan to the oven. Roast for another 40 minutes until the potatoes are soft and golden. Then add the halved cherry tomatoes and roast for 10 more minutes.

Just before serving, whisk together the juice of a lemon, 2 tsp capers, 1 tsp maple syrup, ½ tsp Dijon mustard, 2 T olive oil. Pour over the vegetables before serving on a beautiful platter.

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by John Andersen

Sunday Worship

Fat Burning A friend asked me in the store last week, “How do you run to burn fat?”

This was actually a great question, with a very specific answer that may not be what you think.

I would like to start by saying there will always be endless debate on the best ways to exercise, live longer, lose weight, etc. The most important thing is that you find something you enjoy and can stick with regularly to make exercise an integral part of your life!

This month we’ll look at a sciencebased view on the optimal way to burn fat.

Let’s start with the fact that during exercise, our body has two main fuel sources to choose from–sugar and fat–and the intensity at which we exercise influences which fuel our body will use. As our friend Dr. Mark Cucuzzella puts it, our body is like a hybrid car, constantly burning a blend of gasoline (sugar) and electricity (fat). At higher intensity exercise, our hybrid engines are mostly utilizing sugar, which gives us 36-38 ATP per molecule of glucose (ATP is the body’s energy currency). We only have enough glucose stores to last for 1-2 hours before we crash! At lower intensity exercise, our hybrid engines are mostly utilizing fat, which gives us a whopping 460 ATP per molecule of fat! We all have enough fat stores to fuel the electric engine for days on end!

While burning glucose enables us to perform at a more intense level, it also produces more byproducts (such as lactic acid) and is more stressful on our body. Fat burning exercise on the other hand is very easy on our body and allows us to recover quickly and be less prone to injury.

So what is the best way to burn fat? Exercise at a lower intensity, but for extended periods of time, regularly, and on an empty stomach.

• Lower intensity: To be specific, we’re trying to exercise below our aerobic threshold heart rate. Without getting too technical, this tends to be running or walking at a “conversational pace” where it’s easy to chat with a friend without being out of breath. For the more technically

8:45 and 11:15 a.m.

inclined, you can use a heart rate monitor and find your aerobic threshold heart rate (ATHR) and just stay below it. There are many formulas to find your ATHR, the most simple of which (per Dr. Phil Maffetone) is to take 180 minus your age. I am 37, so my ATHR would be 143. If I am exercising below this heart rate, I am burning mostly fat.

If I exercise above it, I start to use less fat and more sugar the higher my intensity goes.

• Extended periods of time: Because our fat burning system is so efficient, you do need to exercise for longer periods of time to burn significant amounts of fat. I recommend making an hour of exercise a goal. One hour three times a week is better than 30 minutes six times a week.

Make the time for yourself! Running, walking, hiking, biking–any activity that you can enjoy is great. And runners, don’t forget that you’re allowed to walk from time to time! There is nothing wrong with walking to keep that heart rate down on our hills.

You’ll be able to go farther and longer if you mix in some walking into your runs.

• Regularly: To really start to burn off some fat, you’ve got to make this a habit and get out there several times a week. Let’s face it. This is the hardest part. Life is too busy, I’m tired, it’s cold outside, etc. But I am convinced that anyone can carve out this time. It may be at 5 a.m. or 8 p.m., but you can find it. You’re worth it!

• Fasted: The beauty of exercising at a lower heart rate is that you simply do not need any food to fuel that exercise. So you can just wake up, get a cup of coffee (no sugar!) and go.

There is a specific reason I say fasted.

If you eat or drink right before exercise with foods containing any sugar or simple carbohydrates, your body will preferentially use this energy as well as release insulin. Insulin can inhibit fat breakdown (lipolysis), making it harder for our body to burn fat as an energy source. So ideally, exercising on an empty stomach will help your fat burning engine continued on page 19

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inthegarden@crozetgazette.com

Pets (or Pests?) in the Garden Gardeners deal with a variety of critters attacking their gardens, be they of the edible or ornamental variety. These wild animals—mammals, birds, insects, etc.—are just trying to earn a living, but when they interfere with our desire to grow our favorite plants, they’re

labeled as “pests.” But what about when our own pets are considered pests?

With all respect to the canines, the real heroes—or villains—of the garden and the greater green world beyond it: cats. What role does the domestic housecat, Felis catus, play in the outdoors? The answer very much depends on whom you ask.

Conventional horticultural wisdom often holds that cats are efficient and useful garden cops. Have

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a problem with voles or bunnies?

Just get a cat. Or maybe a couple of dozen cats, depending on the size of your property and the magnitude of the problem. In reality, cats’ hunting skills are highly variable, being taught by their mother. And voles spend much of their time underground, not particularly susceptible to feline predation. But what about when kitty starts taking down songbirds?

Two factions duke it out over the effect of outdoor cats on wildlife: the cat-lovers, with the Humane Society being one example; and the bird-lovers, represented by such groups as the Audubon Society.

Although both groups are interested in animals, their outlooks differ greatly.

(I should disclose my own stand on the Tweety-and-Sylvester debate: I own two cats, who always stay indoors, although over the last forty years I have had many cats that went outside. And hunted. I am not a birder, a person who often keeps lists of birds and plans vacations around “getting” more birds on his list. I could be considered a birdwatcher, one who recognizes a few bird species and enjoys observing their behavior.)

First, some numbers. (I hesitate to say “facts,” since they are hotly debated.) In the Continental United States, domestic cats—which includes ferals—kill between 1.4 and 3.7 billion birds each year.

That’s an astounding number. Also astounding is that it varies by over 100 percent. Was the poor enumerator getting a bit frazzled after he passed the first billion?

In reality, Tom Will, Scott Loss and Peter Marra, the authors of the Smithsonian-funded study that

came up with these numbers, admit that, “National mortality estimates are often based on extrapolation from a limited sample of small-scale studies, and estimates of uncertainty are ignored or only superficially assessed.” Perhaps they mean that everybody else’s estimates are flawed, but theirs are just fine.

Cats are an exotic species and are only present in the Americas and many other areas courtesy of European immigration. In that sense, they don’t have a “right” to be here, at least not as free-roaming, feral animals. On the other hand, are they at least in part replacing native predators that are no longer present in many areas? And their true impact on bird populations may not be as serious as some believe. According to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, “Despite the large numbers of birds killed, there is no scientific evidence that predation by cats in gardens is having any impact on bird populations UK-wide… It is likely that most of the birds killed by cats would have died anyway from other causes before the next breeding season, so cats are unlikely to have a major impact on populations.”

Meanwhile, cats may help to control other exotics, such as the ubiqcontinued on page 20

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CROZET gazette

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15

We Need to Recover Diversity in Apples

...Working for You in the New Year!

[ by elena day • elena@crozetgazette.com \ At Christmas I was given a used copy of 1001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die. The preponderance of the 1001 gardens is in England, which is fortunate if seeing the gardens is on one’s bucket list. The one that currently intrigues me is Brogdale in Kent, England.

Brogdale is listed as a Horticultural Trust of 150 acres. It boasts the largest collection of fruit tree varieties in the world, with well over 2,000 varieties of apple. Apple varieties include the “Decio,” brought to England by the Romans and the 18th century Scottish “Tower of Glamis,” whose flesh cooks to a “sweet, pale lemon puree.” The orchards also include 337 varieties of plum, 502 of pear, as well as currants, grapevines, rapsberries, cherries, quinces and medlars.

Medlars ( Mespilus germanica) are large shrubs or small trees indigenous to Asia Minor and southeastern Europe. They were widespread in Roman and medieval times. They were eaten in winter after having been softened or “bletted” by frost or after a slow-ripening protected in straw. The medlar looks rotten, turning dark brown when ripe, but medlar enthusiasts claim that the innards are of the consistency and flavor of applesauce. In medieval times the medlar was referred to as “hairy arse” and there are a number of references, generally of a sexual nature, to medlars in Shakespeare’s plays.

The diversity of Brogdale and of course the character of medlars led me to ruminate on the newly developed Arctic Apple here in North America. The Arctic Apple has been genetically altered by Okanagan Specialty Foods, a Canadian company in British Colombia. The Arctic Apple, unlike the medlar, will never turn brown when cut, bruised or overripe. The genetic manipulators have inserted bacterial and viral DNA to prevent this.

This variant of genetic manipulation (as well as most others) remains controversial. Unknowns include what happens to the apple trees’ defenses against pests and disease

and to people who eat the apples.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture hasn’t sponsored research. Arctic Apples do not need Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. The public comment period on Arctic Apples ended December 16, 2013.

The decision to go ahead with introduction of Arctic Yellow Delicious and Arctic Granny Smith is imminent. Although Gerber (owned by Nestle) and MacDonald’s have no plans currently to include the Arctic Apple in baby food or as slices in Happy Meals, this could change.

Think of the market for apple slices in school lunches and fast food kid meals. And then think of the increased possibilities of importing Arctic Apples, as we have the Galas, from as far away as China and New Zealand. Of course, an argument forwarded by Okanagan for approval is that apples that don’t brown will increase apple consumption, which over recent years has fallen from 20 lbs. per year per person to 16 lbs.

(Personnally, I believe decreased consumption of fresh fruits is a result of the national trend of increased consumption of prepared snacks, chemically engineered to please and addict our taste buds to the optimal amount of corn sweeteners and salt.)

After the defeat, by 1 percent, of the Washington State initiative to label Genetically Engineered/ Modified foods and the strong likelihood of USDA Arctic Apple approval, I was most gratified to read David Maurer’s piece in the Daily Progress (12/08/13) about Tom Burford’s new book Apples of North America: 192 Exceptional Varieties for Gardeners, Growers and Cooks.

Burford has advocated for and is now witnessing the “triumphant return” of the apple “in all its diversity.”

Apple varieties decreased beginning around 1950, concurrent with apples being grown for profit (and long distance shipment), not flavor.

According to Burford, 20 years ago pomologists were no longer being hired at U.S. agricultural research stations. Now he notes that there are young people at local farmers’ markets selling apples, and consumer palates are liking local and heirloom continued on page 27

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Tucked Away —continued from page 1

to explain the near extinction of local dairymen.

“I wouldn’t be in it if not for Gail,” said Clark. “She takes care of the calves.”

“I had no idea what I was getting into,” said Gail. “But I’m still here.”

Clark is now milking 72 cows.

Usually the number is around 80 out of the 90 Holsteins in the herd.

He will give non-breeders a second chance, but not a third.

He has a Holstein bull that’s relatively mild, but he also uses artificial insemination. He keeps all his heifers as replacements and pastures them down the road at Our Lady of the Angels Monastery. “We’re on the bubble size-wise,” said Clark.

He has 100 beef cows besides, some on pastures farther up Rt. 810. In all, he’s tending four properties totaling 550 acres of pasture and cropland. That doesn’t count

the woodland. He grows 80 acres of corn and chops it all for ensilage.

He raises all the hay he needs.

He has one full-time helper, Ben Staton, and he hires seasonal help, mainly for haying or corn harvesting.

“When I first got started I had a fellow—Clinton Shifflett—he was like a dad to me,” said Clark.

“Buddy taught me to milk,” said Gail.

“Clinton died in 1983. I hired Marvin Lambert. He worked here for 20 years, until he retired. He was a great man. He never raised his voice. He was so kind.

“Family farmers have always helped each other. When I started, Dan Maupin and the Abell brothers, Jim and Carr, helped me. Ed Brookings has helped me.”

Buddy and Gail have two kids, Joe and Hope, both now married.

Hope is teaching at Crozet Elementary and Joe works for county parks and rec. Joe had a big career as a baseball player at Western

The Tucked Away Farm milking shed

Buddy and Gail Clark

and went on to play with distinction for Frostburg State in Maryland. He’s an assistant coach for the Warriors now and head coach for the JV squad. Buddy, once a Peachtree League player, coached in Peachtree when Joe was playing.

“The kids are great,” said Clark.

“Raising kids on the farm gives them a work ethic. They never complained. They knew what had to be done. They never gave us trouble.”

“Andy Powley and his son, Martin, have helped me,” said Clark, circling back.

Clark thought there might be a chance Joe would decide to take up the dairy.

“It’s not going to happen,” said Gail.

Gail, in her spare time away from relentless calf chores—feeding them, carrying water to their pens—does house cleaning for a few clients and adds in tax work during the filing season. “I started that in ’09 when milk prices got so

low.” For fun, she hunts.

The 1 o’clock milking time got started so they could fit into their kids’ school sports schedules. They had vacations years ago when kids were young and Lambert shouldered the place singlehanded. Their last vacation was five years ago.

A cow gets milked every 12 hours. So, Buddy and Gail get started right after lunch and again not long after midnight. The night shift gets done around 4:30 a.m.

Every day. Well or ill. Storm or shine. At 10 degrees or 100. There’s a generator to make sure the milking machines and cooling system can keep operating. This is what it takes for other folks to have milk, cheese, butter, sour cream and whipping cream, not to mention ice cream.

Clark belongs to Dairy Farmers of America. They market the milk.

Clark’s 1,500 gallon milk tank, kept chilled to 38 degrees, is emptied every other day. A big tractor with a

continued on page 29

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17

Crozet’s New Hand Bell Choir Performs Christmas Concert A Crozet hand bell choir formed last year made its town debut with a Christmas concert to a delighted crowd of 85 people Dec. 18 at Tabor Presbyterian Church’s Pickford-Chile Fellowship Hall.

The choir is yet another product of Tabor’s Crozet Cares community outreach program.

“The turnout was way bigger than we expected,” said choir director Chris Celella, the performing arts director for Miller School, where he teaches piano, guitar, drums and singing. The choir has also performed for The Lodge at Old Trail and at Crozet Baptist Church recently.

The 12-member choir presented 10 songs, mainly traditional Christmas carols, with each member handling two bells, but also performed Coldplay’s “Clocks.”

“The crowd really got into that and clapped forever. It was like a rock concert,” said Celella. “The only way to sustain a tradition is to make it accessible to young people.”

He said the group is now looking to form a youth choir as well.

“I took on [the choir] because of Jesse Haden,” he said, “who had the idea for the bell choir.” Haden is the sort of grand dame of Miller, and has been selflessly dedicated to the

school for more than 50 years now.

“It’s like a fluke that Crozet has a hand bell choir, but people are having fun. Every line of music takes eight people to play, so it’s the ultimate team sport. Any mistake is really exposed,” Celella explained.

To get that tightly in synch, the choir practices every Wednesday night. “It’s really a gift to have members who come every week.”

The bell ringers each wore black gloves. “The hands are a big deal because you see the movement and hear the sound.” The choice of black was a contrast decision, he said, and choirs will also wear white gloves.

The choir is intending to buy more bells and will go for a fourth octave, extending half an octave up and half an octave down. “We’re looking for more members because in hand bells it’s the more the merrier.”

The choir went to two festivals last year. “It inspired the choir to see what could be done. It’s more than just ringing a bell. There are different articulations. People really have to concentrate. It’s escapism. It’s the definition of being part of something bigger than yourself. Our choir is nice people and super democratic.”

David Collyer, co-pastor at

From left: June Andrews, Susan Collyer, Robin McElwee, Christopher Carmagnola, Madeline Chaillet, Kathy Nathan, David Collyer, Susan Miller, Diana Pace, Katie Dixon, Ron Gaykema, Julie MacMillan and Christopher Celella

Crozet Baptist Church, is part of the group and once directed a bell choir at CBC. Churches sometimes form hand bell choirs, he said, but this one in Crozet is communitybased.

“We’re still in the novice stage,” said Collyer. Next comes the use of mallets and trying to create echoes.

Bells have a special design that allows them to ring in one direc-

tion, he explained. Bell makers mark the spot on the bell where it makes the best sound.

“It’s about how the ensemble plays,” Celella stressed.

“Our playing together really has improved,” agreed Collyer.

Celella said the choir wants to add songs by Michael Jackson and The Beatles to its repertoire.

ADDITIONAL STREETLIT PARKING AVAILABLE BEHIND ALL SHOPS

SALLY & GARY HART

Albemarle Ballet Theatre

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EVAN TAYLOR & PETE MAUPIN HEATHER DABNEY & PATTI SIEHIEN

Maupin’s Music & Video

Over the Moon Bookstore

COLLEEN & MIKE ALEXANDER

Crozet Pizza

Bark Avenue Crozet

HAYDEN & CATHY BERRY

Three Notch’d Grill

DONNA & JEFF MAHAN

Sam’s Hot Dog Stand

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Handcrafters

ANNE NOVAK & AMANDA JOHNSON

Creative Framing & The Art Box

18

CROZET gazette

JANUARY 2014

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HEART & VASCULAR CENTER

BY DR. ROBERT C. REISER crozetannals@crozetgazette.com

The Invisible People On the chilliest nights of the year I meet the invisible people.

They live in the woods, under bridges, in the cracks in the infrastructure known only to them, the cops and ambulance drivers. They are unbelievably hardy people, living year round without heat or electricity, mostly in tents in the woods. If you look hard through the bare trees lining the Route 250 Bypass, you may see some of their dwellings. They scorn the homeless shelters. They say some are too crowded and dangerous, others won’t let them in drunk, and those that will take them in drunk are always full. No, they live free of other people’s rules and pay for it in hardship and privation. It is only the wettest, coldest weather that drives them to the shelter of the ER, always open, refusing no one.

Due to the hazards of their lifestyle they all have chronic medical conditions and injuries that legitimize their occasional visits to the ER. Usually they just need to get dry and warm and sober and then they disappear again. Mostly they are quiet and don’t engage, but some are boisterous or even threatening. A few are pleasant and cheer up the staff with goofy remarks and attempts to seduce the wide-eyed interns. If they are really weary of the winter weather, they may creatively embellish their complaints to attempt to extend their stay into an inpatient hospitalization. I have learned to be wary of these complaints, but I try to keep an open mind.

One bitterly cold night an intern brought me a case of a homeless man who said he had a seizure on the Downtown Mall. The seizure

was witnessed only by a homeless woman who accompanied the patient, but who could not describe any aspect of the event. They were both intoxicated and had been picked up by the police for being drunk in public and offered a choice of the ER or jail. The patient claimed one prior seizure several years ago that he thought was drug related. He denied any current drug use. Coincidentally they had missed the 6 p.m. intake for the shelter they were heading for due to their impromptu binge and had nowhere to sleep that night, their tent being too cold. Hmm. The intern had a long list of potential diagnoses including meningitis and brain tumor and proposed an extensive and expensive workup.

I reviewed the patient’s record of past visits and noticed a detail the intern had missed. I went to the bedside to see the patient with the intern. A quick neurologic exam revealed the cause of the patient’s seizure. The exam showed very hyperactive reflexes. When I tapped on the patient’s knees, his legs jerked wildly. When I pushed up on his feet, they began flapping rhythmically and uncontrollably.

“Sir, did you take any tramadol today?”

“Maybe.”

“How much did you take?”

“Too much?” he offered sheepishly.

“Yes, too much. It doesn’t agree with you,” I scolded him.

“Watch him for 6 hours and release him if he has no further events. Oh, and get them sandwiches. They missed dinner at the shelter,” I instructed the intern in my most avuncular tone. The intern looked amazed at my diagnostic acumen and insight.

Tramadol is the generic name for the painkiller Ultram. It is widely

CROZET gazette prescribed by doctors (40 million prescriptions a year in the U.S.) as an alternative to narcotics because it is advertised as having little potential for abuse. This is not true. The FDA issued a warning letter in 2010 regarding the dangers of Ultram, including but not limited to its potential for abuse and criminal diversion as a street drug. My patient had abused tramadol in the past to get high; in fact, I saw him for his last overdose three years ago. He had had a seizure that time as well. This was the detail I picked up in the record that led me to my magically swift diagnosis. I only noticed the note buried in the record amid dozens of other notes because it had my name on it. I had seen this exact same patient for exactly the same

Fitness

—continued from page 13

work with maximum efficiency.

Remember to try to avoid sugars and limit simple carbohydrates throughout your day. These foods are what make fat in the first place! Avoid “fake healthy” exercise foods like sports drinks and nutrition bars that are loaded with sugar. Eat whole foods as much as possible.

So, should you never exercise at a high intensity? Will you not burn fat at a high heart rate? Again, it’s important that you find a form of exercise that you enjoy and can sustain. If that is a higher intensity activity, great! And yes, you will lose weight from this because exercise of any type is going to burn calories and increase your metabolism.

Mountain Plain Baptist Church Our friendly church invites you to worship with us.

Sunday School • 10 a.m.

Traditional Worship Service • 11 a.m.

JANUARY 2014

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complaint; déjà vu is the diagnostician’s best ally. I probably should have told the intern this, but why spoil the illusion?

In addition to its abuse potential, Ultram can also cause seizures in high doses or when mixed with other medicines, especially certain antidepressants such as Prozac or Zoloft and others. The seizures are caused by an excess of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which also causes the hyperactive reflexes my patient displayed. This “serotonin syndrome” is becoming increasingly commonly recognized and can be fatal in severe cases.

Fortunately my patient did well, weathering the overnight with us.

He was discharged at first light to go wherever the invisible people go.

However, this discussion is focusing on the BEST way to burn fat, and that would be lower intensity activity for a long period of time. This is probably the main reason that most distance runners tend to be thin.

Most long runs are slow paced and runners out there are burning fat for hours at a time. But you don’t have to run. Just block out some time and walk, hike, or cycle. Just do it for an hour, three times a week, combined with a healthy diet low in sugar.

References: Dr. Mark Cucuzella’s articles on our endurance engine and heart rate zones: tworiverstreads.com/category/ endurance-engine/ Dr. Phil Maffetone on his 180 method: philmaffetone.com/180formula

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Thomas Jefferson – Scientist?

Meet Rick Britton, an award winning Charlottesville author and historian, to learn about Jefferson’s little known contributions to science.

Thursday, January 16, 2014 – 5:30 PM

Americans mostly remember Thomas Jefferson as an author, an architect, and a President.

What’s often forgotten about this extremely inquisitive man is that he was an amateur scientist completely enthralled with the Enlightenment. Did you know, for example, that Jefferson is the father of one modern science and one of the founders of another?

RSVP to 434.823.9100 or rsvp@lodgeatoldtrail.com

Dr. Sam Kellum, Pastor 4281 Old Three Notch’d Road Charlottesville (Crozet), 22901 Travel 2 miles east of the old Crozet depot on Three Notch’d Rd. (Rt. 240), turn left onto Old Three Notch’d Rd., go 0.5 mile to Mountain Plain Baptist Church

More information at

www.mountainplain.org or 823.4160

330 Claremont Lane, Crozet, Virginia 22932 | www.lodgeatoldtrail.com

INDEPENDENT LIVING • ASSISTED LIVING • MEMORY CARE

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JANUARY 2014

CROZET gazette

®

Events for the Crozet Community An Outreach of Tabor Presbyterian Church

NEW! Beginner Handbell Training January 8 • 5:30 - 6:45 p.m.

Requirement: Age 10 and up.

Crozet Community Handbell Choir January 8 • 7 p.m.

Requirement: Must read music.

Crozet Crafternoons January 17 • 6:30 - 8 p.m.

Enjoy the company of other crafters as you work on your own project!

Crozet Community Orchestra

Tuesdays Beginning January 21 • 7 p.m.

Contact Denise Murray: 434-987-5517.

Tai Chi Beginning Level Class

Saturdays Beginning January 26 • 11 a.m.

Taught by Lee Felton. Register at www.crozetcares.com.

Family Friendly Souper Bowl Party February 2 • 6 p.m.

Potluck Dinner & Big Screen Game!

Admission: Cans of SOUP for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank.

For more information visit

CrozetCares.com Click on Upcoming Events

Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m.

Adult Sunday School 9:30 a.m.

Tabor Presbyterian Church

5804 Tabor Street • Crozet www.taborpc.org • 434-823-4255

Tabor Presbyterian Church (USA) Worship Service Sundays • 10:30 a.m.

FOLLOWED BY FELLOWSHIP adult sunday school at 9:30a.m.

Rev. Dr. Jewell-Ann Parton, Pastor

Traditional in style, progressive in outreach and mission.

5804 Tabor Street, Crozet | On the corner of Tabor Street & Crozet Avenue | 434-823-4255

ABT Dancers Perform Nutcracker in Transformed Theater Space Two dozen local dance students brightened the holidays with their performance of “The Nutcracker” to eight sold-out audiences at Albemarle Ballet Theatre in downtown Crozet.

The performances highlighted the new lighting, projection and stage improvements to ABT’s studio, effectively turning it into an intimate theater.

The show included the wellknown roles of Clara, Sugar Plum and dancers from many countries.

Two casts arrayed in handmade costumes included Eileen Boyle & Amia Salisbury as Arabian, Sophia Greenhoe & Chloe Hannah as Ballerina Doll, Alissa Bush & Kari

Keyser as Chinese, Noa Kipnis & Camden Luck as Clara, Olivia DeLaura & Kelsey Tarleton as Mirliton, Zaynab Manaaki, Hannah Peterson, Maddie Thiess and Isobel Williamson as Raggedy Ann Dolls, Ivy Allen & Michal Kipnis as Russian, Emma Gilbert & Maeve Winter as Snow Queen, Kyra Ventura & Claire Zwadlo as Soldier Doll, Amanda & Anna DeLaura as Spanish. Mother was played by the school’s director Sally Hart and instructors Ashley Geisler and Veronica Hart.

ABT’s Gary Hart said that a raised seating area for audiences is next on the agenda for the space.

In the Garden

colonies, groups of feral cats. At this point, we’re clearly beyond the pale of a gardening column, unless you happen to maintain such a colony on the outskirts of your garden. (But would they then just be your outdoor pets?) Some cat colonies are cared for by volunteers that feed them and also practice TNR, TrapNeuter-Release of the resident cats.

They maintain that neutering eventually leads to the diminution of the colony. Wildlife advocates disagree and argue for euthanasia of the cats.

You could spend hours reading diverse opinions on the subject; below is a quotation from the Humane Society of the United States: “Our in-house authors take a serious, science-based look at the problem, but from the orientation that respects the interests of both cats and wildlife. While the problem of cat predation is real and very significant,

—continued from page 14

uitous house sparrow, as well as rats.

But, back to the numbers. An estimated 114 million cats live in the Lower 48 states, with 84 million of these considered house cats, or pets.

About half of pet cats spend some time outside, and about half of those do some hunting. But since they are our pets, we presumably can exert some influence on their behavior.

For example: a cat that stays indoors all the time will catch no birds and will probably have a longer, healthier life, as well. And a cat that goes outside for only an hour a day will do less hunting than one that is roaming the outdoors for eight hours of the day. Of course, a cat that’s indoors is not able to control rodents in your barn.

A hot-button topic among cat people and wildlife protectors is cat

continued on page 27

CROZET gazette

JANUARY 2014

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Anderson Funeral Services Inc.

Rose Page, 1922 -2013 Rose Ahlean McCormick Page, 91, of Batesville, passed away at her home on December 6, 2013, surrounded by her family.

Rose was born on August 25, 1922, in Fairfield, Virginia—a place fond in her memories that she spoke of often.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Hansford McCormick and Mamie McCormick LeFever and her step father Lawrence LeFever. Rose was also preceded in death by her husband, Charles T. Page, Jr. and her brothers Robert McCormick and R.H. “Mac” McCormick.

She is survived by her sister Anna Bell McChesney of Waynesboro. She leaves to cherish her memory her son Charles T. Page, III and wife Leslie Andrus and her daughter Martha Page Fairlamb and husband Currie; her niece Abby Baird and husband Tim of Richmond; and a large, loving extended family of cousins, nieces, and nephews.

After graduating from Fairfield High School, she attended Dunsmore Business College. She then moved to Washington, D.C. where she worked for the United States War Production Board while living with her relatives Rose and Frank LeFever. She returned to Virginia to marry Charles T. Page, Jr. on December 28, 1942.

From that point through her retirement in 1994, she partnered with her husband Charles and his family to run Page’s Store in Batesville, where her career as a store owner and “Matriarch” of Batesville began. Many Batesvillians and family members can recall “Mrs. Page” wearing her Page’s Store apron and standing on the front porch of the store, makings sure all in town was in order.

Not only was Rose instrumental in her community leadership, but she also worked tirelessly in the Batesville Post Office and even served as a substitute teacher at the Batesville School.

She helped run the store, most nights remaining there until after

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midnight; supported her husband in his role as Batesville Postmaster for many years when the Post Office was inside the store; and managed the store’s finances. (She often proudly recalled the time when an auditor visited to review her books and noted, “Mrs. Page, you leave a trail anyone can follow.”) With her vision and support from her son, family, and dear friends and neighbors, she helped Batesville to continue to thrive to be the special village it is.

Rose’s partnership with the family helped the store to continue to thrive and to be a heart of the community for its 80 year legacy. She loved the town of Batesville and the people— locals and newcomers alike.

Rose was also the registrar for the Batesville voting precinct for many years and took great pride in this role, helping to run a tight ship and fair elections. She was instrumental in keeping the precinct from moving out of Batesville during the period of 1971 - 1986, by allowing the voting to take place in one of her houses.

Rose and her family have welcomed the community to use their field for such events as the annual Christmas Carol Sing and the Batesville Ruritan Club’s annual events, such as Batesville Day and Apple Butter Day. A private graveside service was held. Condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.mcdowfuneralhomeinc.com.

Gazette obituaries are just $25 for up to 500 words, including a photograph.

Call 434-466-8939 or emails ads@crozetgazette.com for details.

Gary Mitchell Howard, 56 Leslie Wade Staton Sr., 61 Harold Edward Brown, 75 Rosa Belle Moon Lee, 88 Ella Loraine Shelton, 89 Michael John Fitzpatrick, 64 Randolph Croft Hall, 63 Neal E. Bartlow, 64 Cynthia Pulaski, 65 W. Ramsey Richardson, 82

November 24, 2013 November 26, 2013 November 27, 2013 November 28, 2013 November 29, 2013 November 30, 2013 November 30, 2013 December 2, 2013 December 3, 2013 December 3, 2013

Arlene Wood Huff, 92 December 4, 2013 Ronald Hancock, 87 December 6, 2013 Rose Ahlean McCormick Page, 91 December 6, 2013 Andrew Francis Krieger, 88 December 7, 2013 Mary Ann Shifflett Page, 73 December 7, 2013 Richard Hamilton Barrick, 83 December 8, 2013 Ruth Phyllis Eisenberg, 83 December 10, 2013 Ruth Dixon Gosnell Kuper, 87 December 11, 2013 Franklin Winston Davis, 68 December 12, 2013 Dorothy Barbara Chapman Stephens, 90 December 12, 2013 Prentis Shifflett, 71 December 13, 2013 Steven Michael Taylor, 55 December 13, 2013 Luther Isaac Garrison, 92 December 15, 2013 Walter Lewis Eades, 91 December 17, 2013 Mollie Mae Woods, 112 December 17, 2013 Della Crawford-Scott, 44 December 19, 2013 Harlon Jerone Lett, 95 December 19, 2013 Laura Christine Gray, 88 December 20, 2013 Edgar M. Bronfman Sr., 84 December 21, 2013 Irving Winslow Harris, 71 December 21, 2013 Donald Henry Rhodes, 80 December 21, 2013 Aaron Dale Blackwell, 32 December 22, 2013 Dorothy Louise Napier Carter, 75 December 23, 2013 Mildred Patterson LeBarron, 88 December 23, 2013 Joyce Cornelia Sandridge Rawlings Warren, 73 Dec. 24, 2013

22

CROZET gazette

JANUARY 2014

By John Andersen, DVM gazettevet@crozetgazette.com

Mast Cell Tumors in Dogs “Casey” is an 11-year-old Golden Retriever who came to me for an annual wellness exam.

During the physical, his owners asked me to check out a few lumps they had noticed growing recently.

All told, Casey had about 15 lumps and bumps affecting his skin, but fortunately they all seemed perfectly benign. I recorded them in the chart and told the owners to call if any of them seemed to be changing.

“Bailey” is a 6-year-old Boxer mix who came in right after Casey for the same thing–an annual wellness visit and “Hey, can you check out this bump?” Bailey’s bump was a

little different than the ones Casey had. It was slightly pink, raised, and hairless, and had been there for a couple of months. I told Bailey’s owner that I could not write this one off as benign by the looks of it and suggested we do a quick “fine needle aspirate” to get an idea if it’s a problem or not. While Bailey held still like an angel, I stuck a small gauge needle into the mass and pulled back on the syringe a few times. Then, over a microscope slide, I sprayed out the small amount of cells and fluid that I was able to aspirate. We stained the slide and put it under the microscope. It took all of five seconds to see what I suspected–a mast cell tumor. I headed back to the room needing to break the news.

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I often get asked to check lumps and bumps that people find on their dogs. Just like us, as our pets age, it’s not uncommon to find a variety of skin lesions that pop up over time.

Fortunately, most of the skin masses that dogs acquire as they age are benign–skin tags, adenomas, cysts, and moles. These tend to be small growths on the surface of the skin that have a very slow rate of growth and usually are not bothering the dog and never will.

How can we tell if the lump on your dog is benign or something more concerning?

Experience plays a big role. If I walked into a dermatologist’s office and asked him to look me over, I hope he wouldn’t recommend a surgical biopsy for every little freckle or mole he sees. At the same time, I sure as heck don’t want him to miss anything, especially if something could be done now to keep me alive longer!

With dogs, there are a lot of skin masses that I can tell are benign just by my naked eye. However, we do see malignant skin tumors on a very

regular basis, so it is good to keep a cautious approach if you have noticed a new lump on your dog.

“Malignant” tumors are tumors that can spread to other parts of the body or that invade and destroy local tissues. When people refer to “cancer,” they are typically referring to a malignant type of tumor.

The number one (by far) malignant skin tumor we see in dogs is a mast cell tumor. Mast cells are a certain type of white blood cell associated with our immune system. They contain compounds such as histamine, and are usually associated with allergic response. When you get a mosquito bite, the reason it turns into a little hive and itches is because mast cells have released histamine and other compounds to create redness, swelling, and itching.

Though rare in people, mast cell tumors are very common in dogs, and are a type of tumor that occurs in younger animals as well as old. It is not uncommon to find three- and four- year-old dogs with mast cell continued on page 27

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CROZET gazette

Resolved: Healthy, Happy 2014 Across 1 Tablet 5 Musical work 9 _____ nostra 13 Home of most people 14 One percent resolution?

15 Controversial apple spray 16 Stoical resolution 19 Abel to Eve 20 Prime draft status 21 Talking tropical bird: Var. 22 Personals letters 23 Experimental musician Brian _____ 24 Dietary resolution 33 Employ 34 Unconcealed 35 Wizards, Magic, Jazz and Heat org.

36 That depends on what your definition of _____.

–B. Clinton 37 Cheerful resolution 38 Heavy burden 39 MLB division for Mets and Braves 40 Aplomb 41 Filbert and Brazil 42 Moving resolution 46 _____ Miss 47 Expected 48 Word of apology 51 Summers in Cannes 53 Sham finish 56 Resting resolution 60 Pass out spades and clubs 61 Dental resolution 62 Locale 63 They run for offices 64 Olive and peanut 65 Home to Paris Down 1 Go by 2 Analogy words 3 Mane cat 4 It disappears on standing

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17 Blunt weapon 18 “_____ a doctor, but…”

22 Frosts 23 Second Mrs. Rochester 24 Sound of a speeding bullet 25 Bride walk 26 Vietnam president, 2006 -2011, homophone

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Grab & Go or Made to Order!

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Brownsville your neighborhood market

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Across 1 Mysterious snowman 3 Dancing snowman 6 Snowpusher 7 Sidewalk cleaner 8 Keeps your neck warm 9 Strong snowstorm

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43 Wild and wrinkly mushrooms 44 First place and namesakes

Biscuits Bagels Croissants Sausage Country Ham Bacon Pork Tenderloin Steak Biscuits Egg & Cheese Fresh Coffee Ready Coffee’s am! at 4:30 0 am) s at 5:3

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49 Butter sub 50 Not phony 51 Darwin’s theory, briefly 52 Hardy lass 53 Contented hum 54 Sweet sandwich 55 Anthem opening 57 Initials for foggy city airport 58 Peyton’s bro 59 Quaker grain

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MON. - SAT. 5 am – 10 pm SUNDAY 6 am – 9 pm Route 250 • Crozet Next to Western Albemarle High

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Crozet Readers’ Rankings

MATT ROBB Phone: 434.531.6060 Fax: 888.251.3406 EMail: matt@robbconstruction.com

Last Month’s Best Sellers at Over the Moon Bookstore

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CHILDREN/YOUNG READERS

The Day the Crayons Quit

Drew Daywalt (picture book)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck Jeff Kinney (age 8 - 12)

The Emerald Atlas

The House of Hades

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Recommended by Anne: Adult: Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Stephen Leacock Children: Once Upon a Memory

by Nina Laden (picture book)

ALL ENGINES POSSIBLE SMALL ENGINE REPAIR MARK PUGH

Recommended by Scott: Adult: To the Letter

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CROZET gazette

JANUARY 2014

25

The Blue Ridge Naturalist © Marlene A. Condon | marlene@crozetgazette.com

Gardening in the Midst of White-tailed Deer One summer day I delightedly watched a Redspotted Purple butterfly (Limenitis arthemis) laying her eggs upon a shrubby Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) by my driveway.

(When trees come up where I don’t want full-sized trees, I prune them so they grow into shrub form instead of getting rid of them.

Keeping them shrub-sized allows me to maintain native-plant habitat for wildlife in areas where I can’t accommodate large trees.)

Unfortunately, the very next morning my heart broke when I went to check on the butterfly eggs.

I had planned to get into the habit of examining the plant daily so I wouldn’t miss the hatching of the eggs. But overnight, one or more deer had completely defoliated the small plant, taking every young succulent leaf upon which I had fervently hoped I would get to see Red-spotted Purple caterpillars.

I’ve never heard anyone mention that deer impact the reproductive capabilities of insects and spiders when they consume (albeit inadvertently) their eggs. Of course, this occurrence was not “bad” in and of itself, as the populations of all kinds of organisms need to be kept in check by various means.

But the reality is that deer predation of innumerable kinds of insect and spider eggs located upon plants is undoubtedly happening far too often nowadays in Virginia. The deer population is out of balance with the rest of the ecosystem.

By the beginning of the 20th century, White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were almost extinct in Virginia, thanks to 300 years of overhunting by European settlers, their descendants, and new immigrants. But before the white man arrived, these mammals had been an integral part of the environment, providing food and clothing

for American Indians for more than 12,000 years.

(NOTE: Over the past few decades, some folks have tried to claim that Native Americans were just as disrespectful of the environment as Europeans. This contention is disproven by a simple fact: people living in hunter-gatherer societies cannot survive long if they don’t respect and value the wildlife and plant communities they are dependent upon for their own existence.)

Because of protective game laws and restocking efforts by the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries (DGIF), deer populations have rebounded over the past century. Unfortunately, however, for most citizens of the state, deer have been allowed to overpopulate much of Virginia, as is obvious by how often you see these large animals. They should not be so numerous as to be visible to humans almost daily.

Yet according to the introduction to the DGIF 2006-2015 Deer Management Plan, “Virginia currently does not have many widespread ‘overpopulated’ deer herds.

Although Virginia’s deer herds are often portrayed as being overpopulated, most can best be characterized as being at low or moderate population densities, below the BCC.” BCC means the Biological Carrying Capacity, which refers to the ability of the landscape to support a species at a level that does not result in harm to either the animals themselves or to the environment.

Thus as far as the DGIF is concerned, as long as deer appear healthy and are not obviously starving, the agency feels that these animals have not reached their BCC in most areas of Virginia.

But the only reason that deer are healthy and seem—to the DGIF— not to be overpopulated is that these hoofed mammals truly have an almost endless supply of food in the form of the average home landscape.

However, lawns and gardens should

Deer aren’t supposed to kill plants. The problem nowadays is that we have one deer after another coming by and taking some bites and pretty soon, there are no bites left to take!

Photo: Marlene A. Condon.

not be taken into account when deciding how many deer comprise a “natural” population density because these areas artificially inflate the BCC. What should count for management purposes is only how much natural landscape exists for deer, which would substantially lower the density of deer per acre of land in Virginia. Obviously deer would still find their way to suburban gardens, but there would be far fewer problems for gardeners (and drivers, farmers, orchardists, etc.) if there were far fewer deer around in the first place.

As long as the DGIF Board of Directors is composed solely of hunters or relatives of hunters, and as long as a majority of hunters feel that more deer are better than fewer, you are unlikely to see a decrease in the numbers of deer per acre anytime soon.

So how does the gardener coexist with an unending stream of deer coming by for a bite? There are steps you can take.

Because deer can jump as high as eight feet from a standstill and perhaps a bit higher from a running start, you would need a nine-foottall fence around your entire yard or food garden to totally exclude them.

Another option, depending upon the size of your wallet, is to build a six-foot-tall brick wall, which is more aesthetically pleasing. Deer will not jump over an obstacle if they can’t see what’s on the other side.

You can also use electric fencing which will give deer a shock, but it is high-maintenance and, in my opinion, a bit mean-spirited. After all, deer are simply trying to survive;

they aren’t trying to be troublesome.

If your garden is quite small, perhaps consisting of just a few tomato and pepper plants, for example, you may find that a wire cage around each plant will be sufficient. Deer will be able to feed upon the parts of the plant that grow beyond the cage, but you might get enough tomatoes and peppers from inside the cage to be satisfied.

For vining food plants (such as cucumbers), you can grow them upon a trellis and can quite often keep deer at bay by using row covers. Simply cover the entire trellis with the cloth until the plants start to bloom. At that point, you will need to uncover the trellis each morning so that pollinators can reach the blossoms.

You must remember to cover up the trellis again before nightfall. Of course, any deer active during daylight hours will be able to feed upon the exposed vines, so this method works best if your yard tends to be populated by people or a confined dog during the day.

When growing plants for beauty, rather than a source of food, I recommend using cages for woody plants until they have “hardened” and (with luck) have become less palatable for deer. However, you must be willing to make sure that each plant never leans upon its cage.

Such support will cause the trunk and stems to be weak and the plant will be unable to support itself after you’ve “freed” it.

You should consider buying plants from catalogs or local nurseries that label the plants that deer are not particularly interested in. Keep in mind, however, that buying only

continued on page 27

26

CROZET gazette

JANUARY 2014

New Year, New Words

by Clover Carroll | clover@crozetgazette.com

The English language is a living thing, as vibrant and dynamic as the people who use it to communicate. Both are constantly changing and re-inventing themselves. Like leaves on a tree or cells from our bodies, old words fall away (my father favored “fiddlesticks” and “horsefeathers”) and new ones sprout up and take hold.

Language adapts to accommodate new concepts and situations, and the increasing dominance of technology and social media in our lives seems to have accelerated this phenomenon in the 21st century. On average, the Oxford Online Dictionaries add approximately 1,000 new entries every year. This month, I’d like to mention a few neologisms that I either first heard, or first understood, in the past year.

Some may already be familiar to you, but I hope others may surprise and amuse.

The Oxford Online Dictionaries announced their Word of the Year in December, one which reflects “the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of that particular year and [which] ha[s] lasting potential as a word of cultural significance.” The 2013 winner, “selfie,” is “a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically…with a smartphone or webcam, and uploaded to a social media website” such as Facebook, Twitter, or SnapChat. A decidedly non-technological runner-up for

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word of the year was “twerk,” a risqué dance move from the ‘90s made infamous this year by Miley Cyrus’ performance at the VMA awards.

The origin of this word is unknown, but a combination of twist and work has been suggested, as in “twist and shout….work it on out”; twist + jerk is also a possibility. Next year’s word of the year might be “cloud computing,” the growing practice of storing all of one’s digital files, financial records, songs, etc. in the “cloud”—i.e., on Internet servers such as Google Drive, iTunes, Flickr, and DropBox—rather than on a personal computer’s hard drive.

This transition allows tablets and smart phones to replace desktop and laptop computers.

Some new words are really acronyms that have taken on a life of their own, often derived from texting (written messages sent via smart phones). Even the term “smart phone” is of recent coinage, indicating a cell phone that can also access the Internet, support email, and host “apps,” or applications. In this category we find the now ubiquitous “OMG” (oh my god), “LOL” (laugh out loud) and its more salty relative “LMAO” (laughed my ass off), “TMI” (too much information), and my personal favorite, “YOLO” (you only live once). These and their myriad cousins, including abbreviations such as “blog” (short for web log), “MOOC” (massive open online course), and “apols” (apologies), are indications of how fast-paced life has become. Who has the time any more to actually write out these oftused words and phrases—let alone read them?

Of course, this new shorthand also comes in handy when using Twitter, the social media phenomenon (a nicer term than craze) that has mushroomed to 500 million users since its launch in 2006. This “microblogging service” allows users to “follow,” and interact with, people and events that interest them, but limits postings to 140 characters (including spaces). Faulkner must be turning over in his grave!

Twitter has given rise to a whole lexicon of new words—some more ridiculous than others—including “hashtag,” “tweep,” “twitterati,” and

tweetathon. The short bursts of–to put it kindly—insight, called tweets, can establish global threads of conversation to which anyone may contribute, marked with the # symbol that has over time been called the number, pound, or hash sign. When this symbol precedes a word or (unspaced) phrase, called a tag, it becomes a hashtag—a catchier term, because of its assonance, than poundtag. All of one’s followers or correspondents constitute his/ her band of “tweeps,” a play on “peeps,” which is in turn shorthand for people (i.e., my “peeps” might consist of my family and/or friends).

The collective mind of Twitter opinionators has been referred to as the “twitterati,” a take-off on literati— which originally referred to scholars in China and Japan whose highly cultivated poetry, calligraphy, and paintings were revered. A nonprofit organization might even organize a “tweetathon,” or telethon-type event held over Twitter, in which frequent posts to a particular hashtag (such as #literacyvolunteers) on a particular day can raise its profile and perhaps even generate donations.

So if I were to tweet “wishing u health & prosperity in the #newyear,” any other Twitter user could add his/her new year’s greetings, and the searchable hashtag serves as a link to find and participate in that global conversation. I might collect ideas for future use in this column by creating the discussion thread #logophile (Greek for language lover), if someone hasn’t already. This would be an example of “crowdsourcing,” or soliciting needed services from an online community rather than from traditional sources. A special use of this approach is the groundbreaking concept of “crowdfunding,” in which a multitude of people, using an online tool such as Kickstarter, contribute a small amount to fund creative or philanthropic projects.

I’m not really an authority on this, however, since I have so far avoided jumping on the Twitter bandwagon.

The conversion of nouns into verbs (known as—you guessed it— “verbing”) is one of the more annoying new linguistic developments. Heralded by the term “googling,” this trend has now become habitual, happening so frequently that it is hardly remarked upon. From “I will friend you on Facebook” to “I’ll message you my

address,” this new breach of language etiquette is clearly here to stay. A good example is another of Oxford’s runners-up. “Showrooming” is the practice of visiting a bricksand-mortar store, such as Barnes & Noble or Best Buy, to sample products and get expert advice, but then buying the needed item for a lower price online. When Banksy, a renowned graffiti artist who strikes secretly at night, moved from London to New York, delighted residents would announce that during the night they had been “Banksied.”

Since Twitter introduced “Trending Topics” on its front page in 2010 to highlight newly popular hashtags, the word “trending” has quickly taken hold. A recent email touted Trending Products @ BestBuy.com. The germ of this column was planted one morning as, while making my morning coffee, I tuned into the Today Show to check the weather. “And now let’s see what’s trending on Twitter!” chirped Savannah Guthrie. What-ing? wondered my foggy morning brain. The trends that followed were typically trivial, involving Kim and Kanye, silly scandals, or other ephemera about which I couldn’t care less. I’d rather… well, talk to my friends!

Are peer pressure and groupthink becoming mainstream, or are we finding new ways to develop our individuality through connection with other like-minded souls? While the word of the year might suggest we’ve become the Me Generation on steroids, the global connectivity of widespread smart phone access also provides unparalleled opportunities for forging new relationships.

It’s a cosmic irony: at the same time that technology allows (encourages?) us to withdraw into the bubble of our mobile devices, the Internet allows the creation of new, virtual communities from across the globe that were not possible when limited by time, space, and travel costs. Wikipedia, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and many other media have led to a new means of collective knowledge creation. People may not only find and keep in touch with new and old friends worldwide, but can band together to help each other survive and thrive. These myriad new opportunities for connection, of which new words are merely a symptom, are creating a new cultural zeitgeist. No doubt someone will come up with a new name for it soon!

CROZET gazette

Gazette Vet —continued from page 22

tumors.

Mast cell tumors are also among the most perplexing skin cancers because while some dogs die quickly from mast cell cancer in their body, other dogs will have had a mast cell tumor on their skin for years without incident. There are not many other cancers that have such a wide range of behavior. Because mast cell tumors can spread, we always recommend prompt removal.

Fortunately, we cure 95 percent of the mast cell tumors we see. By diagnosing them and removing them while they are new and small, we almost always will cure them.

Then there are dogs like Godiva– my boss’ dog. Godiva had a very subtle mast cell tumor pop up on her chest. We removed it promptly, and while it never recurred in that same spot, a few weeks later she

JANUARY 2014 came in with her entire chest and armpit area swollen and bruised. A few tests showed that this, sadly, was mast cell cancer that had spread to a local lymph node and was aggressively spreading in that area, causing swelling and bruising along the way. Godiva got the best care, yet lost the battle to a very aggressive mast cell tumor right before our eyes.

Although mast cell tumors are easily the most common skin cancer in dogs, we do see other types, all of which behave in slightly different ways. Surgery is definitely the first line of treatment for all skin tumors and fortunately is very successful–“a chance to cut is a chance to cure.”

So if your older (or younger) dog has a new lump or bump pop up, it’s best to get it checked out. And although there’s nothing wrong with being “old and lumpy,” if we can extend the quality and quantity of your pet’s life, it is definitely worth it.

Apples

In the Garden

—continued from page 15

—continued from page 20

apples. Not only does Burford recognize the lost diversity of our foods, but “the loss of the culture when food was a focal point of not only nourishing the body, but for entertainment and the art aspect of it.”

Kudos to Mr. Burford and all the young folks engaged in what one might call a new (and local) American agricultural model and who think of the medlar and its place as nourishment and also as art and entertainment.

there is nothing to be gained by demonizing cats or suggesting Draconian and far-out solutions.

The best approach involves sterilizing cats, conducting robust TNR programs, support for innovative cat programs through shelters and rescues, and educating owners on how keeping cats indoors is valuable for both cats and wildlife.”

May Tweety and Sylvester live in harmony. Best wishes for a Happy New Year, and to my friends with fur or feathers, as well.

Naturalist

Rather than fencing the plants, which would have detracted from their beauty and my enjoyment of them, I changed what I could— how I felt about the situation. I accepted that roses were not something that I could grow, at least not as long as there are so many deer to contend with.

More details on gardening in the presence of deer and other kinds of wildlife can be found in Marlene’s book, The Nature-friendly Garden: Creating a Backyard Haven for Plants, Wildlife, and People (Stackpole Books). Autographed and inscribed copies can be purchased from the author.

—continued from page 25

plants that deer are not supposed to want to eat is not a guarantee of success. The tastes of deer sometimes change over time due to a change in what kinds of food are available for them.

Lastly, the best way to be a happy and contented gardener is to simply accept that you may not be able to grow particular plants in the presence of deer. For example, I love the fragrance of old-timey roses, but when I tried to grow them, the deer literally ate them to death.

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CROZET gazette

JANUARY 2014

Crozet’s Favorite Flicks

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CROZET gazette

Tucked Away —continued from page 16

tanker comes down the narrow gravel road to Tucked Away. In winter snows he has to clear the road for it. It’s about a mile and half out to the paved surface. Before it’s hauled to the plant, the milk is sampled and tested. The tank gets a three-cycle washing every time it’s emptied. An automatic system rinses the milking machines’ pipeline system at the same time. State inspectors show up unannounced about five times a year.

“We haven’t had a problem,” said Clark. He said he stays current by reading Progressive Farmer and Howard’s Dairyman.

Milk is bringing $24 per 100 weight now. It fluctuates. “Now it’s been stable for a couple of years,” said Clark. “That would be a good price if the price of feed wasn’t so high.” He gets a check from the co-op once a month and an annual report.

JANUARY 2014 “I’ve always said it doesn’t matter how hard you work or how well you manage. It’s how the weather goes.

“I’m pretty proud of all the milk and beef I’ve raised for the American people,” said Clark, pausing to ponder who else he might need to thank for helping with that.

“I’ve never abused an animal. An abused animal will not produce.

Why would I do that? I don’t push my cows. Mine produce about 50 pounds a day. It’s 8.6 pounds to the gallon. My milk averages 4 percent milkfat.”

The parlor has six elevated milking stations on each side—cows come in shifts of 12­—with a central trench between them for a man to work in. Half a dozen cows get their udders washed while the machines suck the milk from six others. You can do 40 cows an hour that way.

The cows are fed as they are milked; each gets 8 pounds of feed containing 20 percent protein. When they’re done, they mosey off to the ensilage trough. “I have fewer health problems if the cows aren’t pushed

29

Tucked Away Farm

to produce to their maximum potential,” Clark observed.

Gail grew up in Nelson County.

“Buddy came to a baseball game there to see his sister play,” she recalled. “I was pitching.

“I married for love. It was blind love. Blind love.”

Her look admitted that hers will always be a love that blind.

“It’s a good life but it’s a hard life.

It’s all about the weather and the milk price. We’re blessed in a lot of

ways—our beautiful children.” She’s wearing an insulated—once upon a time—hunting jacket, worn into tatters, that started out as Buddy’s.

These days she’s tending to 38 bony, gangly, adorable calves, hand feeding them bottles of the milk taken from their mothers. They’re taken off when they are one-day old and then go 60 days on the jugs of milk before moving on to other feeds.

continued on page 31

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CROZET gazette

JANUARY 2014

Warrior Sports News Warrior Hoops Look Strong in District

By David Wagner

Freedom 5K The fifth annual Freedom 5K was held Saturday, December 21, with over 200 runners and walkers. The course began in front of The Lodge and looped around Old Trail, including both road and trail portions. Overall winners this year were Matt Carson, with a time of 17:31 and Ann Mazur, who set a new women’s record for the event, finishing in 18:28.

Michael Kaminski, creator and

director of the event, explained, “The Freedom 5K is my expression of gratitude to that very special 1% of our population that keep us all free and safe.” Participants choose between “Go Navy” or “Go Army” race bibs and are given small American flags to carry the final stretch of the race. Money raised through the event benefitted Folds of Honor, Parade Rest, and Blue Star Families of Central Virginia.

We’re Open!

The Western Albemarle Varsity boys’ basketball team has gotten off to a hot start. Winning their seasonopening tournament with victories over Harrisonburg and Covenant, the Warriors were on their way to a 6-0 start. They’ve cooled off, losing three of their last five. The first loss came at Fort Defiance the day after a thrilling home overtime win against Charlottesville (54-51). The second loss came in the championship game of the Holiday Classic versus STAB (61-56). Western defeated Culpeper and Albemarle en route to the championship game, and the third loss came last Friday night in Fluvanna. The Warriors were without the services of senior Chase Stokes and the home-standing Flucos were able to force overtime and come away with a 49-45 win. It was the first district loss of the season for the Warriors, who are now 8-3 overall and 4-1 in the Jefferson District. The Warriors’

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Jorgen Vik and Diver Davis aproach the finish line in the Freedom 5k.

three other district wins came versus Louisa, Orange and Monticello.

The Warriors are led by seniors Sam Chisholm and Chase Stokes. Chisholm plays aggressively and relentlessly in the low post. He scores, rebounds, plays great defense and is a force to be reckoned with in the paint. Stokes is involved at both ends as well. His endless hustle and determination create scoring opportunities. He creates fast break points with steals and long rebounds.

Point guard Eli Sumpter has gotten off to a fast start as well. His ball handling skills, three-point shooting and foul shooting keep defenses honest. Opponents can’t place all their concentration on Stokes and Chisholm. Sumpter can distribute the ball and also score from the perimeter. Along with Sumpter, Jake Maynard has also lessened the pressure on Stokes and Chisholm.

Maynard can score, play defense and is an all around solid player.

The Warriors have depth, talent, experience and a winning attitude.

Head Coach Darren Maynard seems to get the most out of his teams and it looks like this season will be no different. At 4-1 in the district and with a win over Albemarle (that wasn’t an official district game since it was played in the Holiday Classic Tournament), the Warriors are poised to make another run at the Jefferson District title. They still have to play Albemarle two more times and they will play CHS and Monticello on the road, but they’ve beaten both of them at Western already. Those four games are likely to go a long way in determining whether or not the Warriors win the district title. The Warriors play at Albemarle Friday, January 10 in a key Jefferson District tilt.

CROZET gazette

JANUARY 2014

31

Crozet

Weather Almanac

DECEMBER 2013

Bringing the best of two beautiful worlds together.

By Heidi Sonen & Roscoe Shaw | weather@crozetgazette.com

SECOND SATURDAYS GALLERY RECEPTION

Wet December weakest sun (Dec 21). The opposite happens in summer with the strongest sun on June 21 and the hottest days averaging July 21.

Tucked Away

Clark built the modest home he lives in, a rustic, Cape Cod style with a wide front porch. He keeps the wood stove going in the basement.

Gail keeps a daily diary going. She keeps records on her calves, too.

Buddy talks about getting a part time job once he retires. But, Gail noted, he’s never worked for anybody else.

Or maybe he’ll just run the beef herd.

—continued from page 29

“Wherever I’m needed, that’s where I am,” said Gail. Her calves show adoration for her. She is their mother, tender and reliable.

“I want to see Niagara Falls,” she said. She considers her bucket list too ambitious beyond one item. “Yeah, we’d like to go to the beach for a couple of days, too.”

OTIS L. LEE, JR

Author of From South Boston to Cambridge: The Making of One Philadelphia Lawyer

Saturday, Jan. 18, 7 - 8 p.m.

BOB PERRY AND STEFAN BECHTEL

Rainfall Totals

Authors of Bowling for the Mob: a Memoir of Redemption

December was sloppy wet with several very rainy stretches. Four days had snow or ice, but it only added up to a messy 1.4” accumulation.

Y 18 JANUAR

Saturday, Jan. 25, 6 - 7 p.m.

Crozet 5.80” CHO airport 4.73” Old Trail 5.22” Wintergreen Summit 5.91” Nellysford 5.35” Univ. of VA 5.32” Waynesboro 5.90” Rockfish 4.14”

JANUAR Y 25

December was finally warmer than normal, thanks to a five-day stretch before Christmas of 60-plus degree weather. But 2013 will go down in the books as a cold, wet year. The average temperature for the year was 55.7, which is a full 1.5 degrees below normal.

Rain was consistent and above average all year. The big rain on December 29 pushed the yearly total in our gauge to exactly 50.00 inches.

Normal is 47 inches.

January is usually the coldest month of the year even though December has the weakest sun. This happens because we still lose more heat than we gain for a while until the strong sun in February reverses the trend. The coldest day of the year (Jan 21) is about a month after the

Paintings by Janet Pearlman

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MON. - SAT. 10 - 6 ; SUN. 12 - 5

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