Piedmont Media, llc
Spring 2018
VIRGINIA GOLD CUP
Al Griffin and Will Allison
SPRING 2018
$4.95
Country Spirit • Spring 2018
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3/15/18
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Mount Gordon Farm
Mayapple Farm
Hume, Virginia • $3,600,000
Middleburg, Virginia • $3,400,000
128 acres and immaculate 3 level, 13,000+ sq ft stone & shingle main house • 5 BR • 8 FP • Exceptional finishes on every floor • Caterer's kitchen • Elevator • Spa • Separate guest cottage • Pool • Farm manager residence • 3 additional tenant houses • 12 stall center-aisle stable • Pond • Extraordinary land w/incomparable views extending beyond the Blue Ridge Mts • Orange County Hunt Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930
203 acres in Fauquier w/nearly 1 mile of Rappahannock river frontage • Elegant stone & clapboard house • 5 BR, 4 full & 3 1/2 BA • 4 FP • Wood floors • Gourmet kitchen • Gunnite pool w/stunning views overlooking Blue Ridge Mtns and private pond • Situated amongst protected properties • 5 stall Jim Fletcher barn w/pristinely maintained paddocks, pasture and gdns • 2 car garage w/in-law suite • Old Dominion Hunt territory • VOF Easement Alix Coolidge (703) 625-1724
“Mayapple Farm," purist delight • Original portion of house built in 1790 in Preston City, CT • House was dismantled and rebuilt at current site • Detail of work is museum quality • Log wing moved to site from Western Virginia circa 1830 • 4 BR, 4 full BA, 2 half BA, 9 FP & detached 2-car garage • Historic stone bank barn and log shed moved from Leesburg, VA • Private, minutes from town • Frontage on Goose Creek Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905
Aurora
Gileswood Farm
Old Fox Den Farm
Aldie, Virginia • $2,900,000
Purcellville, Virginia • $1,950,000
The Plains, Virginia • $1,750,000
Lovely residence situated atop a knoll overlooking President James Monroes's famed Oak Hill • Property consists of 5 bedroom main house and tenant house • All on approximately 40 cross-fenced acres • 6 stall barn with wash rack and tack room • Top level finishes and construction throughout • Turnkey and private Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905
Immaculate custom-built craftsman home with gorgeous finishes • Gourmet kitchen • Vaulted ceilings • Open floor plan maximizes light & views • 1st floor master suite • Home office • Large family room opens to impressive pool area with cabana and extensive stone terrace overlooking neighboring lake • Large barn easily built out for horses • Land fenced & prepared for 2 acre vineyard Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930
Restored 3 bedroom 1830's farmhouse on 65 acres • Multiple porches & fireplaces, lots of charm • Lovely pool, shared pond, 4 stall barn, workshop • Expansive mountain views, rolling open pasture & fully fenced elevated land • Gorgeous setting in the protected valley between Middleburg and The Plains • Conservation easement permits 2 more homes to complete the compound Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930
Winchester Road
Kildare
Firethorn Lane
Marshall, Virginia • $895,000
Middleburg, Virginia • $775,000
The Plains, Virginia • $775,000
1.69 acres with frontage on Route 17, right off Route 66, currently zoned R-4 • New Marshall code zoning calls for Gateway District, potential office building, etc. • Solid stone house on property • Sold in "As Is" condition • Owner licensed real estate agent in VA Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905
Private 6+ acres in a lovely setting just 3 miles from town of Middleburg • Stucco home with 5 bedrooms • Traditional yet open floor plan • Hardwood floors • Wood burning fireplace • Front porch, rear deck, patio & pool • 2 bay garage and main level master suite • Very pretty lot with mature trees and old stone walls Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930
Located in a sought-after area between Middleburg and The Plains • Main residence recently renovated • Large master suite and two additional generous sized BRs, each with their own full BA • Large gourmet kitchen • Lovely living and dining rooms • Wrap around porches with western views from the elevated site • Charming guest house • Beautiful gardens and stonework Alix Coolidge (703) 625-1724 Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930
Oak Ridge
Madison Street
Halfway Workshop
Warrenton, Virginia • $655,000
Middleburg, Virginia • $425,000
The Plains, Virginia • $239,000
Prime location, off Springs Road • Surrounded by large farms & estates • House circa 1890 with 2 BR, 1 1/2 BA, FP, hardwood floors, new kitchen • Garage • 2 sheds/studio potential • Tenant house • Property shares large spring fed pond • Private setting on 13.21 acres Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905
Immaculate cottage in village of Middleburg • Very well maintained and cared for • 2 bedrooms on main level, new kitchen, new bathrooms, new roof, new HVAC and new windows • Charming back yard with views of Salamander Resort • Finished lower level with full bath and separate entrance • Bright sunroom and pretty plantings • Easy and minimal maintenance Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930
Great building between Middleburg and The Plains • First floor currently used as a contractor's workshop • Many creative possibilities • Bring your artists or craftsmen • Lots of storage and lots of light Helen MacMahon (540) 454-1930
110 East Washington St. • P.O. Box 1380 Middleburg, Virginia 20118 (540) 687-5588 2
Crest Hill
The Plains, Virginia • $9,850,000
Country Spirit • Spring 2018
info@sheridanmacmahon.com www.sheridanmacmahon.com
From the Editor
It’s All About the Kids, the Gorillas and the Spaghetti
After that stirring “Marching for Our Lives” rally in Washington, organized and led by a group of remarkable Florida teenagers in late March, we’re proud to point out that Country Spirit also is bullish on the under-20 set. We’ve been writing about Generation Z from Day One, and recently reached out to local high schools for articles written exclusively for Country Spirit by their talented students. This month we have a nice piece from Wakefield’s Catherine Zontine on her school’s alliance with a local foundation doing critical work in Haiti. We also have a fabulous feature by millennial Sophie Leonard Shapiro Langenberg on a current and very motivated Foxcroft student who already has become a certified doula, assisting midwives in natural childbirth. Sebastian Langenberg, another valued regular contributor (who just so happens to be married to fellow millennial Sophie), writes about a renovated local mill. And young contributing writer Justin Haefner is now finishing up his home high school studies, all the while polishing a future story on a local national championship horse and her teenage rider. Clearly, we firmly believe it’s well worth paying attention to many young people of today, and leaders of tomorrow. They have a voice, and we’re delighted to offer them a platform. And now, for the rest of this spring issue. Start off with a feature on our classy cover guys, Will Allison and Al Griffin, two of the principals who produce that other great race on the first Saturday in May, the Virginia Gold Cup, the largest, most spectacular outdoor sporting event in the area. We’re also focusing on the oldest horse show in America, a story by Leslie VanSant on the unique Wall of Fame at the 165th Upperville Colt & Horse Show, running from June 4-10. And don’t forget our preview of Trinity Church’s annual Memorial Day weekend Hunt Country Stable Tour, this year honoring the late Bunny and Paul Mellon. On the education front, meet Wakefield’s new headmaster, profiled by Megan Catherwood. There’s a story on Hill School’s unique Cultural Study program. And regular columnist Tom Northrup, a star college point guard at Penn and a world-class educator, has an intriguing take on the lessons learned from the University of Virginia’s stunning opening-round March Madness loss. There’s lots more: Former Olympic equestrian Jimmy Wofford with a touching tribute to his gold medal-winning friend, the late Bill Steinkraus; a second excerpt from Kara Arundel’s book about her late father-in-law’s acquisition of two African gorillas for the National Zoo, and a profile of a world-class adventurer who can actually teach you how to climb Mt. Everest. And that’s no tall tale, either. On the photo front, thanks to Crowell Hadden, we visited several spaghetti dinners for good causes and hope that’s enough pasta “fa you.” And so, as spring spreads its splendor across this stunning corner of the planet, there’s simply no better time to Catch the Spirit. Leonard Shapiro Badgerlen@aol.com Country Spirit • Spring 2018
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COVER PHOTO Published 6 times a year by Piedmont Media, LLC ADDRESS 41 Culpeper Street Warrenton, Virginia 20186
®
RURAL BAKERY
PHONE: 540-347-4222 FAX: 540-349-8676 Publisher: Catherine Nelson, cnelson@fauquier.com
8 3 6 8 W E ST M A I N ST R E E T M A RSH A LL , V I RGI N I A O PEN E V E RY DAY 5 4 0 - 3 6 4 -B A K E
Editor: Leonard Shapiro, badgerlen@aol.com Style editor: Barbara Sharp
2 2 WAT E R LO O ST R E E T
Entertainment editor: Emily Tyler Executive editor: Chris Six, 540-347-4222, csix@fauquier.com Page designer: Taylor Dabney, tdabney@fauquier.com Contributing photographers: Caroline Fout, Missy Janes, Douglas Lees, Middleburg Photo, Crowell Hadden Contributing writers: Justin Haefner, Sebastian Langenberg, Sophie Langenberg, Lizzie Catherwood, Pat Reilly, Missy Janes, Caroline Fout, Sean Clancy, Megan Catherwood, M.J. McAteer, Jimmy Wofford Advertising director: Kathy Mills Godfrey, 540-351-1162 kgodfrey@fauquier.com Ad designers: Cindy Goff, cgoff@fauquier.com Taylor Dabney, tdabney@fauquier.com Annamaria Ward, award@fauquier.com For advertising inquiries contact Leonard Shapiro at badgerlen@aol.com or 410-570-8447
“America’s Best Bakery Destinations”
WA R R EN TON, V I RGI N I A 5 4 0 - 3 47-2 2 24 CLO S E D SU N DAYS Photographers Karen Monroe and Doug Gehlsen posed for a unique selfie inspired by our cover photo. They used an old silver Paul Revere bowl handed down to Karen from her parents, Di and Dennis Osborne. The bowl is engraved O. D. Hunter Trophy Ch. Half Bred from 1967 and was created as an award by Wilma and Frederick Warburg of Snake Hill Farm outside Middleburg. Dennis was the respected head trainer there for many years. “The bowl was presented once and eventually gifted to my father,” Karen said. “It’s a little dented from being stuffed into the trunk with all the tack after the win, but still brings back fond memories.”
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Country Spirit • Spring 2018
Virginia Gold Cup in Truly Capable Hands By Leonard Shapiro
F
or Warrenton native Will Allison, it’s been a life of good works and great deeds, including one of the most spectacular events in the Commonwealth of Virginia, 11 miles from where he grew up on Falmouth Street. That would be the Virginia Gold Cup at Great Meadow in The Plains, always on the first Saturday in May. Allison has been on the Gold Cup board since 1985, president since 1995 and now co-chairman of the races with his friend, Al Griffin, a man who considers Allison both role model and treasured mentor. They are both dentists (check out those gleaming smiles on our cover), both avid horsemen, both passionate about an equine extravaganza that is expected to draw a crowd of 60,000 on May 5 to one of the most picturesque and challenging venues in the sport of steeplechasing. The race-day purses total $425,000, including $250,000 from the Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. The feature $100,000 Gold Cup race over four miles features 23 stiff timber fences up to four feet, nine inches. In March, Allison was named to the Virginia Steeplechase Association Hall of Fame. In his introductory remarks before announcing the honor, VSA secretary Don Yovanovich said of Allison, “he has taken it (the Gold Cup) to levels far beyond what we’ve ever known before….This guy always gets it done.”
W G NESTIN LI
PHOTO BY MIDDLEBURG PHOTO
The Virginia Gold Cup.
Said Griffin, “Will just has a way of getting along with everyone. He came from humble beginnings and he attained the highest levels of responsibility in everything he’s ever done. It’s what he is.
“He was on the planning commission for a long time. He was involved in the local dental society, then became president of the state dental organization. He started fox hunting, then became secretary of the hunt, then joint master. Everything he’s ever done, he’s earned it, and he earned the respect of everyone around him.” Allison gradated from VMI in 1953 and the dental school at the Medical College of Virginia in 1957, and still practices several days a week. He’s been heavily involved over the years in Rotary, the Warrenton Free Clinic, Piedmont Environmental Council and the Boys and Girls Club. And he still finds time for another great passion—golf—where he’s also known as a consistent straight shooter. Allison was clearly thrilled by the recent Hall of Fame honor, but he also emphasized that he’s hardly a one-man band at the Virginia Gold Cup. He offered a major shout-out to his fellow volunteer Griffin, horseman Mike Pearson and others in helping elevate it to a crown jewel on the Virginia racing calendar. And this octogenarian dynamo shows no signs of slowing down. Asked how much longer he plans to remain involved with the Gold Cup, Allison naturally smiled and said, “I’m going to stay until we achieve our goals. We want to increase purses. We went to give more money to local charities. There’s plenty more we can do.” And with Will Allison on the job, it’s a given that it surely will get done.
W G NESTIN LI
FIVE POINTS RD, THE PLAINS
7129 JAMES MADISON HWY, WARRENTON
20252 UNISON RD, ROUND HILL
17563 LAKEFIELD RD, ROUND HILL
36160 PAXSON RD, PURCELLVILLE
12 STONEWALL CT, MIDDLEBURG
450 ACRES | Offered at $6,300,000 Legacy Farm - 450 acres in Orange County Hunt’s most prized territory. Build your dream estate amidst rolling fields, stone walls, and winding creek. All framed by unmatched mountain views. Conservation & fox-hunting easement. Peter Pejacsevich (540) 270-3835 Scott Buzzelli (540) 454-1399
11 ACRES | 4 BR | 2.5 BA | Offered at $799,000 Lovely Colonial with 2 car garage and 4 car detached garage. Pool, patio, and screened in porch. Recent updates include: fresh paint, refinished hardwood floors, appliances, siding, and fireplace cap. Creek along backside of property. Mary Kakouras (540) 454-1604
65 ACRES | 6 BR | 3/2 BA | Offered at $2,750,000 On the National Register of Historic Places, Loretta is one of Fauquier’s most historic properties. Long, private drive lined with trees & rolling fields within the Warrenton Hunt. Guest & tenant house, studio/office, pool, horse barn, garage and other outbuildings. Peter Pejacsevich (540) 270-3835 Scott Buzzelli (540) 454-1399
5 ACRES | 3 BR | 1.5 BA | Offered at $740,000 Charming 3 BR stone & log home, c. 1791. Beautifully built 2 stall barn, tack room, fenced pastures. Five fireplaces, antique pine floors, DR and LR with fireplace, lovely porch with views. Great location with FIOS. Jane Hensley (571) 550-2728 Kim Hurst (703) 932-9651
11 ACRES | 4 BR | 4 BA | Offered at $1,170,000 Custom all brick, quality built 4500+ finished SF Flemish bond home, privately sited between Purcellville and Middleburg.Elegance abounds in large bright rooms with stone fireplaces and high ceilings. Potential 1st-floor master suite. Jane Hensley (571) 550-2728 Kim Hurst (703) 932-9651
2 BR | 2/1 BA | Offered at $250,000 Charming and quiet, this conveniently located home is your pied-à-terre in the heart of Middleburg. Fireplace, wood floors, 2/2.5, and lovely wooded view from your deck. Kim Hurst (703) 932-9651 Jane Hensley (571) 550-2728
Country Spirit • Spring 2018
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Art
All Around The Byrne Gallery is proud to present “Off to the Races!” a celebration of Gerald Hennesy’s latest oil on canvas paintings and oil sketches of point-to-point and steeple chase racing. Get ready for the fresh palette of Spring with vivid colordriven subjects and closeups of horses and riders on course with the wind in their hair. Hennesy has focused on the forward motion and intensity of the race and his paintings will make you feel like going out for a wonderful afternoon of sunshine and tailgating. His work has been an inspiration for 96 years. He paints every day and is constantly experimenting with different formats and techniques as well as giving a contemporary flair to his subject matter and new vibrance to his color palette. The exhibit continues through Sunday, April 29 at 7 West Washington Street in Middleburg.
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The Artists in Middleburg studio will be exhibiting students work from Claude Thompson Elementary in Marshall, Middleburg Montessori and Foxcroft. “The girls from Foxcroft are from a photography class and will be working with the younger students in the gallery when we hang the exhibit,” Sandy Danielson tells Country Spirit. “Should be fun. We’re an educational organization and children are an important component of our plan of work.” Patty Callahan has sent word to Country Spirit that Akre Capital Management (ACM) in Middleburg is in search of a mural artist. The business is located in the building formerly known as Mosby’s Tavern and has issued an RFP to have an exterior mural painted on the side of their office building. They are seeking proposals from those who have the ability to design, manage and implement the project to completion. This project serves to enhance the lives of ACM employees, who view this area daily, as well as to provide a wonderful artistic outlet for a talented mural artist. Also, in order to provide the artists with an opportunity to submit new and creative concepts for the design, the theme is open. All submissions will be considered, but the winning proposal will be subject to a final review by the town of Middleburg Historic District Review Committee (HDRC). The RFP is available on the Middleburg Arts Council Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/MiddleburgArtsCouncil or you may contact Patty Callahan directly at: pcallahan@akrecapital.com for more information.
At Youngblood Art Studio in The Plains, Dianne Beal and Lilla Ohrstrom hosted an opening for the work of Gennady Zeubkov’s “Nature’s Way” on view through May 5. PHOTOS BY CROWELL HADDEN
November 8 & 9, 2014 37627 Allder School Road 10am-4pm
Purcellville, VA 20132 540.338.6607 www.greersconservation.com greersant@gmail.com
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Open Monday - Friday 9-4 & Weekends by Appointment Museum Level Conservation and Custom Furniture for 44 years
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37627 Allder School Road Purcellville, VA 20132 Country Spirit • Spring540.338.6607 2018 greersant@aol.com
Dianne Beal and Jay Adams
Hays deButts and Lilla Matheson Ohrstrom
Gertraud Hechl
architects for exquisite equestrian estates
local projects include: the M.a.r.e. center* (Middleburg) heronwood (upperville) rutledge FarM (Middleburg) Foosaner Barn (Middleburg) eMo staBles (warrenton)
photo: heronwood Farm
all’s well FarM (Middleburg) river FarM (leesburg) * John Blackburn will be on site at the Middleburg Agricultural Research and Extension (M.A.R.E.) CENTER during the upcoming Hunt Country Stable Tour May 26 & 27, 2018 www.BlACkBuRNARCH.CoM
Country Spirit • Spring 2018
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Raising America’s Zoo By Kara Arundel
T
Part Two
he Arundel safari to explore central and western Africa was set for January and February of 1955. Russell Arundel brought along his wife Marjorie, his son Nick, several friends, a guide, and a photographer. The agenda was to hunt non-threatened animals, explore the diverse landscape, and, if all went as planned, get two young gorillas to bring back to the National Zoo in Washington. They moved east from Stanleyville in the Belgian Congo, where they watched hippos, waterbucks, elephants, buffalo, and warthogs in Albert National Park. They traveled in and near Albert Park, starting at the jagged Rwenzori Mountains and moved through the calm of Lake Edward by boat toward Queen Elizabeth Park. They journeyed into and out of Uganda and Rwanda, traversing vast low-lying lakes, grassy plains, and towering volcanic mountains. Along the way, they viewed leopards, cheetahs, and zebras. They recorded the animals and scenery with their cameras and diaries and hunted animals whose species were plentiful, including leopards, which were considered nuisances then. Although the distance they covered in their time there was small compared to the broadness and variety of the entire continent, the sheer number of animals they came across surprised them. The group finalized their central and eastern African trip in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, before flying west to Leopoldville, the capital of the Belgian Congo. On their first full day in Leopoldville, Nick and Russell went to the Leopoldville Zoo to meet with John Biname. The hunter-turned-zoodirector finally had a solid lead on gorillas for the National Zoo. There were two young gorillas—a male and female—being held by the French Equatorial African government at the Brazzaville Zoo, directly across the Congo River from Leopoldville. Nick and Russell saw the baby gorillas for the first time on February15, 1955. There was “no doubt in dad’s mind — at first sight we took them,” Nick wrote in his journal. As Russell and Marjorie flew back to the U.S.,
Nick Arundel holds Moka in the Belgian Congo in 1955. Nick spent the next few days attempting to learn more about the gorillas’ histories and personalities. He carried them around so they would get used to his feel, his smell, and his voice. He named the male gorilla Nikumba for a village in the region where he was captured. The female was named Moka to honor the place of her birth. Understanding his incredible responsibility, Nick carefully chose the pair’s play toys and developed a firm feeding schedule for the gorillas. He bought baby bottles and learned how to mix infant formula. With Sabena Airline’s promise to fly the gorillas to America, Nick was ready to bring them home to the National Zoo. The press coverage of the gorillas’ arrival at the zoo on a cloudy and cold February 24, 1955, was extensive. Nick told friends, family, and reporters that he captured the animals. “Strictly amateurs at the animal-trapping business, they did it ‘just for the fun of it,’” the paper quoted Nick as saying. An article later that week called the acquisition of the gorillas a “modern-day, mechanized safari.” Even the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents’ 1955 Annual Report, in announcing the donation of the gorillas as the zoo’s outstanding gift of the year, referred to the gorillas’ captures by the Arundel Expedition. A few months after the gorillas’ arrival in
Washington, D.C., a newspaper article said Nick purchased the gorillas from natives. Nick’s own notes from his time in Africa did not mention spending time in the jungle or his capturing gorillas in the rainforest. When people asked for details about how he got the gorillas, he would simply tell them, “It’s a sad story.” It is unknown but unlikely that Nick actually captured the gorillas. Many of the reports from Nikumba and Moka’s life in Africa say the gorillas were captured separately, nine months apart; that they were not brother and sister; and that the Arundels paid the F.E.A. for the gorillas in order to donate them to the National Zoo. But in 1955, the story of a former Marine hunting gorillas in the African wilderness was a better tale to tell. It also was not as villainous then as it sounds now. Exploits of capturing big game on the mysterious and largely unexplored continent by non-natives could buoy a man’s social status and reputation. There were bragging rights and trophies of animal parts to show off. And although efforts to educate the world on the declining population of certain animals and the need for conservation were expanding, it was still believable that a tourist, particularly a former Marine, could capture a gorilla from the African jungle. Edited for Reprinted with permission from Raising America’s Zoo: How Two Wild Gorillas Helped Transform the National Zoo (Mascot Books, 2017). For more information, visit www.RaisingAmericasZoo.com or contact raisingamericaszoo@gmail.com.
Nick Arundel visits the outdoor gorilla exhibit during a Friends of the National Zoo 50th Anniversary celebration in 2008.
Kara Arundel’s new book about her late father-in-law Nick Arundel, the former owner of the Fauquier Times, and his quest to bring two wild gorillas to the National Zoo.
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Country Spirit • Spring 2018
Country Spirit • Spring 2018
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165th Anniversary
Upperville Colt & Horse Show The Oldest Horse Show In The United States
Presented by St. Bride’s Farm
Monday, June 4 thru Sunday, June 10, 2018
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REFLECTION
New Middleburg Baptist Minister Keeps the Faith With Flannel “It’s all about removing the boundaries that make it harder to connect with God.” – DAN MORGAN, MINISTER AT MIDDLEBURG BAPTIST CHURCH
By Leslie VanSant If you ran into Dan Morgan in the Middleburg post office or at the coffee shop, you might not guess he was a man of the cloth. He leads with his sense of humor, flannel is his favorite fabric and he rarely wears a tie. He’s also comfortable in his faith, and that feeling is contagious to anyone around him. Forget that casual appearance because Morgan is totally dedicated to his pastoral ministry. Since 1992, he’s been tending to his flock and helping people who haven’t found a church home begin a conversation with God. “I didn’t start out this way,” said Morgan, who grew up in Northern California. “You could say I had a ‘coming to Jesus’ moment as a senior in high school that helped me realize that I wanted a conversation with God.” From there, he traveled to Chicago where he attended the D.L. Moody Bible Institute. In addition to theological studies, he performed and toured with a religious musical group which brought him to Reston. One thing led to another: he was asked to stay on at the church where he met his future wife and soon found himself calling Virginia home. Prior to being called by Middleburg Baptist, Morgan had been dispatched by Leesburg Baptist Community Church to lead a church plant in Purcellville. There, he led worshippers at the Catoctin Valley Community Church. He described
Dan Morgan.
PHOTO BY LEONARD SHAPIRO
the process as a true “leap of faith.” Despite the new church closing after five years, he said it was “spiritually energizing” but physically exhausting. “This was a church in a box, literally every weekend, we would have to set things
up and tear them down.” Ironically, Middleburg Baptist was also a plant, by Spring Hill Baptist in 1847. The “free church” building in Middleburg was home to four congregations, including Middleburg Baptist. Over time, as the others began to put down roots and build their own houses of worship, it worked out that the free church came under the sole ownership of Middleburg Baptist. Morgan was contacted by a member of Middleburg Baptist not long after Catoctin closed down and asked to temporarily take the pulpit during their search for a new minister. They were seeking a fresh approach to revitalize their worship and communion with God and each other. It soon became clear they had found their man. Morgan said he seeks to create a safe environment where people can feel comfortable speaking with God. “Some churches are more traditional, liturgical, which can be off-putting to people who may not have been raised in church,” he said, “I try to reach out and preach so that everyone can feel refreshed and renewed by God’s love. “It can be as simple as using more modern music, showing films to children in Sunday school. You’ll rarely see me wear a tie because that’s not a measure of my faith. We stay true to God’s message, but how we share it in our community needs to change with our times.”
Country Spirit • Spring 2018
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The 58th edition of the Hunt Country Stable Tour set for May 26 and 27
The 2018 Hunt Country Stable Tour will honor the memory of the late Bunny and Paul Mellon. As long time members of Trinity Episcopal Church, they gave the native Virginia sandstone complex of the church, rectory and parish hall to Meade Parish in 1960. Through their generosity, the Mellons, who lived in Upperville, enhanced this astonishing expanse of
the countryside with her deep adoration of gardening and horticulture and his love of horses and commitment to preserving the land. The Mellon’s Oak Spring Foundation will be the highlight of this year’s tour. Mr. Mellon’s hunter and jumper barn and one of his yearling barns will be on view. The stalls will feature information from his notes about each horse
stabled here. There will be a 15-minute film about his champion horse, Mill Reef, who was foaled 50 years ago. The film will also introduce the foundation, which includes Mrs. Mellon’s nearby horticultural research library that is not part of the tour. The Middleburg Agriculture and Research Center, known as the M.A.R.E. center, was
Salamander Equestrian Center set on 340 acres in the heart of Middleburg was originally the Harriman Estate. There is a 22-stall stable, a 120 x 240 outdoor area with Thor-Turf footing, miles of trails and nine turnout paddocks. 12
Country Spirit • Spring 2018
BUNNY MELLON: Designing Woman By Vicky Moon
The 420-acre Middleburg Agriculture Research and Extension (MARE) Center was originally donated by the late Paul Mellon and is run by Virginia Tech, with research aimed at improving pasture and equine productivity. Visitors will see mares and foals here.
originally donated by Paul Mellon in 1992. It was designed by Blackburn Architects of Washington, D.C. and features their signature ventilation plans. John Blackburn has done more than 200 horse facilities in 35 states and six countries. He’ll be on hand to discuss his work and sign copies of his latest book. The center fosters research aimed at improving pasture and animal productivity and is operated by Virginia Tech. Affectionately called “the training track” by locals, the Middleburg Equestrian Center is in the process of a major renovation. Built by Paul Mellon in 1956, and now owned by Charles “Chuck” Kuhn, it’s a Hunt Country Stable Tour tradition to stop early Saturday morning to see Thoroughbred horses condition and train on the racetrack. Horses begin their training here as yearlings, before going on to compete in local and national races. Spectacular Bid, winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 1979, trained here. Additional stops on the Hunt Country Stable Tour will include: the National Sporting Library & Museum with a special exhibition of the Paul Mellon Virginia Equestrian Art Collection on display. Salamander Equestrian Center set on 340 acres in the heart of Middleburg was originally the Harriman Estate and at
Trappe Hill Farm there will be a demonstration of horses swimming in the pond. Foxview Farm is a serene 30-acre farm with a stable in a renovated Quonset hut with show horses, cattle, chickens and elegant swans on the pond. The 350-acre Hunt Country estate, Atoka, is most famous for being the former home of U.S. Senator John Warner and his late wife, actress Elizabeth Taylor. Belle Grey Farm embraces fox hunting, side-saddle and carriage driving and show jumping with champion resident trainer Kim Prince. Sprout Therapeutic Riding Center from Aldie will offer demonstrations. Fox Chase Farm is home to many horses and hosts competition events and social, charity and wedding events throughout the year.
Saturday, May 26 and Sunday, May 27 10a.m.-5 p.m. $25 online or early purchases, $35 the day of the tour trinityupperville.org/hunt-country-stable-tour/ Trinity Episcopal Church 540-592-3343
At right, Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville was designed by architect H. Page Cross. This famous Upperville landmark is a free adaptation of a 12th-13th Century French country church. The native Virginia sandstone complex of the church, rectory and parish hall were given to Meade Parish by Bunny and Paul Mellon in 1960. Tours of the church will be available throughout both days of the stable tour.
At Trinity Church in Upperville, Bunny Mellon influenced the pattern of many of its intricate parts, from the stone and wood carvings, ironwork and the courtyard. Visitors to this year’s Hunt Country Stable Tour on Memorial Day weekend, Saturday, May 26, and Sunday, May 27, will have an opportunity to get an up-close peek at many of these unique elements. Designed by H. Page Cross, the church, rectory and parish hall were given to Meade Parish by Bunny and Paul Mellon. Construction began in 1951 and was completed in 1960. The North Carolina cobblestone granite near the entrance, in the color of Flambeau or Canterbury Pink, is set in the pattern of a scallop shell. The shell is intended to resemble the scallop shell often associated with the Pilgrimage of St. James along the Camino to Santiago de Compostela, Spain (a trek this writer and her family know quite well). Although Bunny Mellon had no formal training, she studied the work of French gardeners André Le Nôtre and Jean-Baptiste de La Quintinie. And while many have mistakenly referred to Trinity as an English country church, it is, in fact, based upon the style of 12th and 13th century French country churches. In the courtyard, she employed a type of miniature boxwood named Kingsville that is sculptural and elegant. In juxtaposition is the humble native hackberry tree, providing a favorite feast for the beautiful bluebirds. Ornamental crab apples bloom in the spring.
PHOTO BY SARAH SUDDUTH
The Middleburg Equestrian Center will be open on Saturday, May 27 for visitors to watch the thoroughbreds work out on the track
Cobblestones PHOTO BY STEPHANIE KNAPP Country Spirit • Spring 2018
13
Mark Putnam: Back on the Beat and Lucky to be Alive By Leonard Shapiro
FURSMAN KENNELS The Fursman Kennels Experience From the moment you and your beloved pet drive through the entrance leading to Fursman Kennels, I would like you to enjoy and feel the beauty of the trees and flowers on either side of the winding lane, which is nearly 1 mile long. The kennel itself is beautiful and spacious and is surrounded by two-hundred-year-old oak trees. The staff who work here are very committed to the care and love of every individual dog or cat during their holiday stay. We have separate rooms for different breeds of dogs, which make it more cozy and comfortable. Each kennel has indoor and outdoor runs. We also have very large runs where we lead the dogs out several times a day at no extra charge for them to run, play and go to the bathroom..
Hours of Business
Mon-Fri: 8am-5pm | Sat: 8am-12 noon Sun: Between 9am & 10am Please call for reservations.
Things to Know About Our Kennels • Beautiful, spacious kennels • 24 hour care and attention • Dedicated, loving staff • Cozy, comfortable rooms • Veterinarian recommended • Indoor, outdoor, and large runs • Founded in 1972 • Vaccinations REQUIRED
1661 Zulla Rd | Middleburg, VA
(540) 687-6990
Best of Middleburg 2016 & 2017 14
Country Spirit • Spring 2018
As Middleburg police officer Mark Putnam walks around the village on his daily foot patrols, he’s often greeted by locals genuinely delighted to see him. “How ya’ doing, Mark?” they ask. “Good to see you,” they say. “Glad you’re here.” And so is Mark Putnam. Last April, Putnam had just returned to his Rapidan home from his 5 a.m. walk with Bella, his Yorkshire Terrier. His wife, Stacy, was getting ready to head off to work, but Putnam knew something was not right. His side ached and he was breaking out in a cold sweat. Then suddenly came the seizure, followed by his wife’s 911 call to summon help and a rapid response from a nearby rescue squad, only three miles away. Putnam was quickly transported to the Culpeper Hospital, where CPR was performed after his heart stopped beating. He was revived, then soon after was on an emergency medical helicopter heading to the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville, where a team of doctors was standing by. Once again he was in cardiac arrest in the hospital, and once again, he was brought back to life, stabilized and then taken to surgery. Putnam remembers almost none of the above, but was told later that he had suffered a burst aneurism in an artery leading to his spleen, causing the initial seizure. The spleen had to be removed in surgery, and he was then put in a drug-induced coma and taken to intensive care. When he finally woke up five days later on Easter Sunday morning, 2017, his 23-year-old son, Brandon, summoned from San Diego where he’s stationed in the Navy, was there. So, too, were the 72 staples holding him together from the top of his chest down to his navel. “I stayed in the hospital for ten days,” Putnam said, adding that he was told by doctors that, “the aneurism just happened, and they couldn’t really say why. All I remember is going to the hospital in Culpeper. It’s a good thing my wife was still home. Very lucky.” Initially, he also was told not to return to work until August. But as he recovered at home, he quickly be-
PHOTO BY CROWELL HADDEN
Mark Putnam
gan to regain his strength. Buoyed by flowers sent by the town office and countless cards, letters and calls from his fellow officers and many local residents, Putnam was eager to get back on the job, and much sooner than later. He returned in June, many weeks ahead of schedule. “It’s an amazing story,” said Middleburg Police Chief A.J. Panebianco. “This is one tough guy right here.” Putnam grew up in Orange, played football at the local high school and started out in construction before a brief stint as a corrections officer. He worked as a sheriff in Orange and Culpeper counties before joining Middleburg’s six-person force in 2013. Five years later, he’s a huge fan. “The town really supports us,” Putnam said. “Everyone knows us on a first-name basis, and people know they can call on us for just about everything and we’ll be there. The crime rate is very low, and we do our job to keep it low. It’s just a unique town and a wonderful place to work.” Putnam also is greatly appreciative of the first responders who arrived so quickly that morning “because if they didn’t get there right away, I wouldn’t be here,” he said. A self-described “man of good faith,” he also has an obviously welldeserved new personal outlook. “When something like this happens, you start to look at life a little different,” he said. “Sometimes we take it for granted. Now, I take it day-to-day because you know it can be taken away just like that.” Welcome back Patrolman Putnam. Glad you’re here.
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Country Spirit • Spring 2018
15
A Wall of Honor at Upperville Horse Show Celebrates One and All By Leslie VanSant
During the first week in June, ever since 1853, many members of the Upperville community have gathered under the oaks at Grafton and Salem Farms to celebrate and achieve equine excellence. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and the same could be said of the Upperville Colt and Horse Show, which runs from June 4 to June 10. Residents from the village and surrounding farms have been working to put on a world-class horse show since Day One. Tommy Lee Jones, tapped by then grounds owner Theo Randolph in 1982 to be the Show Manager, recalled many days when the show probably wouldn’t have gone on without the help of the village. “A few years back, a big wind storm came during the show,” Jones said in a recent interview. “People for miles didn’t have power, but we did at the show because Dennis Singhas made sure we had plenty of generators.”
ple’ have made the show a success. I accepted by the Horse Show Board. wanted a way to pay homage to the “It kept the politics out of the earlier people who kept the show to- Wall,” Jones said. gether for so long.” Each year, there are a handful of inAnd so, in 2005 the show ductees, including horses and humans. launched the Upperville Wall of Some are current, others are from the Honor to celebrate the many people, past, but all have played a role in the mostly Virginians, along the way show’s long and distinguished history. who have helped make the show a For a few years, it seemed as if success. That includes riders, own- there was a “curse” connected to the ers, trainers, electricians, plumbers, Wall of Honor. Several inductees had carpenters and even the occasional died before the induction ceremony. “libation engineer.” “It put the committee off a bit,” One year, the induction class inJones said. “We started considering cluded Malachi Grant. A long time PHOTO BY CROWELL HADDEN fixture at the show, Grant always nominees in terms of ‘no, we don’t Tommy Lee Jones tended the bar at the annual picnic want to lose them yet.’” This year’s ceremony for the Wall in what is now the schooling ring. of Honor will be held on Saturday, The Horse Show isn’t just about “We inducted Bob Smith the the horses. It’s about the people who same year,” Jones said. “He asked me June 9 at around noon in a tent at make it happen. what Malachi did, and I said, ‘liba- the end of the grandstand. As of “Charlie Risdon was Mrs. Ran- tion engineer,’ he thought that was Country Spirit’s press time, the committee had not yet chosen the 2018 dolph’s carpenter,” Jones added. “He pretty funny.” “Some of us approachinductees. wealth planning leaving it entirely youby can be certain the to just about built every grandstand“SomeAofsmall committee receives and reus approachthe wealth planning by leaving it But entirely to what ‘experts, ’ often not fully understanding it is they will include people who are dedi-have on the hunter side. Francis “Finch”the views the’ often nominations the Wall. list ‘experts, notrecommended fullyforunderstanding what it is they have we do, while of us throw our hands an the success of theupshow. Finchum, our electrician, could do The first chair, Butch Saint, established cated tosome recommended we do, while some of us throw up our hands and do nothing. way is very wise. ” about the Upperville Colt To learn more just about anything. So many people a rule that is still honored. TheNeither commitNeither way is very tee makes its decision, and wise. it is ”always and Horse Show, visit upperville.com. over the years who aren’t ‘horse peo-nothing.
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PHOTO BY ROBERT T. KINSEY
Locke’s Mill once had four levels but has been rebuilt down to three and was once owned by Col. Fielding Lewis, George Washington’s brother-in-law.
It’s a true daily grind at Locke’s Mill By Sebastian Langenberg
Locke’s Mill grinds back to life, about 75 years from when it was last in operation. The mill on (where else) Locke’s Mill Road in Berryville, was built in 1876, but the foundation could date back to the 1700s. Back in the day, mills often would burn down, with new ones constructed right on top of the old foundation. Jon Joyce and his wife started restoring the mill nearly 25 years ago and finally got it up and grinding in 2015. “You never really finish restoring it,” said Joyce, adding that when they started, “it was dilapidated.” When they first took on this massive project, the mill didn’t even have a water wheel, so they started at the basement and slowly worked their way up. “We pretty much replaced what was already there that might have been rotten or broken,” said Joyce. They replaced many of the cellar and sill beams, added a new milling machine and new white oak gears, but the grinding stones are original to the mill. All the new pieces were created to look just like they did in the 1800s. Joyce sent pieces off to millwrights to be replicated, including new iron parts recast and shipped to them. So how did they know what they were doing? “It doesn’t take long to become an expert in 18th century grist mills because you’re pretty much the only one who owns one,” Joyce said. “When you’re restoring it, you become an expert real quick. I never intended on becoming a miller.” At first he was just interested in
restoring the building, but quickly fell in love with milling. “This is how it was done in the 1800s,” Joyce said. “You can feel their pain.” Once Locke’s Mill was restored, the Joyces sold the property in 2016 to Sandy Lerner, owner of Gentle Harvest, Hunter’s Head Pub and Ayrshire Farm. “We’re just elated that Sandy acquired the mill,” Joyce said. “It’s the best of both worlds because we were concerned that having spent all that time and money restoring it, and then to have it be idle and fall into decay would just be the worst.” Lerner had no plans of letting the mill sit as a museum piece and has incorporated it into her other businesses. After many inspections, she was able to have the mill, powered by a tributary to the Shenandoah River, Certified Organic by the Oregon Tilth Certified Organic program, one of the leading certifying agencies in the country. Locke’s Mill also is one of just a handful of organic mills in U.S. Lerner kept Joyce on to continue to run the mill and sell grains to area restaurants and distilleries through the business, Locke’s Mill Grains. “I call it doing God’s work but making whiskey!” he said. The organic rye flour they mill is grown in Loudoun County on Three Monkeys Farm, so it’s truly a local endeavor all the way around. To sample a product made from rye flour produced at the mill, the organic rye bread at Gentle Harvest in Marshall is baked fresh daily. Bagged flour is also available for purchase.
The Plains ~ Set on a knoll with views of the Blue Ridge Mtns, this 83 acre farm is well designed offering every amenity. The main house has 4 bedrooms, 7 baths, 4 fireplaces, gourmet kitchen, and gracious entertaining spaces inside and out. There is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath tenant house, charming guest house, swimming pool, outdoor kitchen, 4 ponds and extensive landscaping. There is a 4 stall barn, 2 stall shed row barn, equip. shed, 3 run in sheds. Protected by a conservation easement. $4,980,000
old CArTers Mill roAd
Marshall ~Renovation just complete! 22 acres in a park like, private setting. 2 story covered porch. 4 bedrooms and 4 ½ bathrooms, including a separate au pair or guest suite with fireplace. Hardwood floors, antique mantles, ten foot ceilings, 5 fireplaces and custom woodworking. Full basement with work out room and sauna, play room and bountiful storage. New kitchen with Sub Zero, Wolf and Bosch appliances. $2,100,000
lAnd & TrAininG Course
Berryville ~173+ acres of beautiful open, rolling land in VA horse country with mature pastures, cropland and several lovely home sites. Listing includes an income producing, established equine vet clinic/surgical center with 6 stalls, 50 x 120 machine shed, paddocks, sand arena and an open turf gallop of nearly a mile in length. Adjacent to 82 acre Gordonsdale event training course, also $1,300,000 available for $625,000.
emily ristau 540.687.7710
epristau@thomasandtalbot.com www.Thomas-Talbot.com Thomas and TalboT real esTaTe 540-687-6500 mIddlebUrG, Va Country Spirit • Spring 2018
17
Calling All Culture Vultures: Two Concerts and A Regional Art Show
Two gorgeous churches, two world-class musicians and two fabulous concerts are on the local cultural schedule over the next few weeks, along with one of the year’s more anticipated exhibitions of area artists. On Sunday, April 15, highly-acclaimed pianist John O’Conor will perform at the Middleburg Concert Series fundraising event “Arts in the Afternoon” at 4 p.m. at the Middleburg United Methodist Church. A week later, on Sunday, April 22, award-winning organist Jonathan Ryan will appear at the Grace Church in The Plains as part of the Grace Church Concert Series starting at 5 p.m. O’ Conor’s performance will be followed by a cocktail reception at the National Sporting Library and Museum and will include a private viewing of the new exhibit from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, “A Sporting Vision: The Paul Mellon Collection of British Sporting Art” which will open that weekend. The concert will include selections from Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert and Irish composer, John Field. O’Conor has received outstanding critical reviews for over 40 years, accumulating countless awards and recognition. According to the Chicago Tri-
John O’Conor, a renowned pianist, will perform in the Middleburg Concert Series.
bune, ”He represents a vanishing tradition that favors inner expression and atmosphere over showmanship and bravura.” A native of Dublin, Ireland, O’Conor has played with major symphonies throughout the world. He was unanimously awarded first prize at the International Beethoven Piano Competition in 1973, opening
the door to his career. Tickets for the concert, reception and exhibit are $100 per person and can be purchased at www.eventbrite. com, by emailing middleburgconcertseriesgala@gmail.com or by calling 540-326-4611. A week later in The Plains, Ryan will work his musical magic on the Grace Church organ. “Jonathan Ryan is one of the brightest younger artists in the field today, with a mastery of the music, and a clear vision for its interpretation,” a reviewer for the Diapason wrote recently. “Ryan will take your breath away.” Acclaimed by audiences and critics alike for his strong communicative skills in numerous styles, depth of musicianship, and passion, Ryan is hailed as one of the premiere young concert organists of our time. His command of an exceptionally large breadth of repertoire, spanning from the Renaissance to numerous solo and collaborative premieres, coupled with striking virtuosity enables the bold, imaginative programming and exceptional use of each organ’s unique capability for which he is noted. Born into a musical family in Charlotte, N.C., Ryan first started playing the organ at age eight. He
earned a Bachelor of Music degree with academic honors from the Cleveland Institute of Music and received a Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music. Additionally, he holds the highest-ranking professional certification from the American Guild of Organists. He’ll play a program that includes pieces by Bach, Vivaldi, Brahms, Schumann, and Guilmant. For ticket information, go online to Grace-theplains.org; email at concertseries@ gracetheplains.org or call 540-2535177 ext.107. Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for students and there’s no admission for 17 and under. Also on the arts front, the 71st annual Piedmont Regional Art Show & Sale is also scheduled at Grace Church starting with a gala on May 18 and continuing on May 19-20. The show and sale is a major fundraiser for the church. The opening night gala will be from 6 to 8:30 p.m. for artists and sponsors. Admission to the gala is complimentary to exhibiting artists and sponsors, with a $15 admission charge for additional guests. The show, open to the public, continues May 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and May 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is no admission fee, though donations are accepted.
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Purchasing and consigning quality antique arms ofmedals, all types swords, knives, bayonets, uniforms, flags, belts, since 1957. Appraisers and other collectable militaria.We to the Smithsonian, thebuckles National Park Service and also thepurchase National Firearms Museum. sporting gun and military related books, gun related Recipient of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Citation for Public Service. tools, vintage ammunition, etc. If you have any antique or collectable you want Address: to Visit our shop!military or gun items thatMailing sell please contact us for more information on our 109 E. Washington St (Rt. 50) Post Office Box 7 appraisal services, consignment rates or outright sale.VA 20118 Middleburg, VA 20117 Middleburg,
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Country Spirit • Spring 2018
Middleburg, VA 20117 Middleburg, VA 20118 Tel. 540-687-5642 Fax 540-687-5649 Email: info@davidcondon.com www.davidcondon.com
Family friendly club Limited space available for Summer memberships Full Memberships:
Tennis, Dining, Fitness, Swimming Club House & Special Events Summer Memberships:
Pool, Grille, August Tennis, Junior Tennis Camp Contact: Vaughn Gatling, General Manager Middleburg Tennis Club, (540) 687-6388 ext. 34
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LIBERTY HALL “ Circa 1770”
Paris, Virginia Historical Background: The 20 Acres of Liberty Hall evolved from a 1768 land patent of 630 acres to Thomas Middleton from the late George Carter’s grant of 3,312 acres. Architectural evidence confirms that the initial stone section of the home was built circa 1770 by the Middleton family. Restoration: With much attention to detail, the current owner has meticulously restored the exterior of the home and completely restored the architectural integrity of the foundation of the house. In this lengthy renovation a new basement was dug and a new metal roof was installed. Two new large stucco additions were added in the same areas of the past additions - both with stone fireplaces and one with an expansive covered porch. In addition, the electric to the house was buried underground, a new 230 foot well was dug, and a four bedroom gravity septic field was installed. The new owner of Liberty Hall will enjoy its sublime location and its magnificent protected views. With the structural integrity of the home restored, it awaits an owner with the vision and desire to finish the interior to their own personal specifications.
$1,550,000
THOMAS AND TALBOT REAL ESTATE (540) 687-6500
Rebecca Poston
Licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia
Middleburg, Virginia 20118
540-771-7520
www.Thomas-Talbot.com
Offers subject to errors, omissions, change of price or withdrawal without notice. Information contained herein is deemed reliable, but is not so warranted nor is it otherwise guaranteed.
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Country Spirit • Spring 2018
Entertaining With Emily Going Herbal By Emily Tyler Country Spirit Entertaining Editor
Basil
At the Debaggio Herb Farm and Nursery in Chantilly, one can go beyond the classic Genovese basil and try the variety called Lime Basil. Its distinctly citrus flavor is wonderful paired with cantaloupe and Prosciutto. Try combining this basil with chives and mayonnaise and spread it on top of a mild white fish. Top with buttered bread crumbs and bake at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes (timing depends on the thickness of the fish) or until the crumbs are golden brown and the fish just flakes.
Borage
This beautiful herb, with its periwinkle blue flowers, is a pollinating bee magnate in your garden.The leaves and flowers have a lovely cucumber taste and this will give you a fine excuse to whip up a batch of Pimm’s Cup No. 1 cocktails. Pour 1½ ounces of Pimm’s over ice in a tall glass and top with lemonade or 7-up and garnish with lemon, cucumber and fresh borage leaves and a flowter or two. Bring it back tothe garden and enjoy your day’s work, or off to a cricket match, either way you will arrive in style.Borage flowers are beautiful and tasty sprinkled on any green salad. If you really want to get fancy, paint them with an egg white wash and dust with sugar before placing them on top of a simple cake.
Thyme
Nick’s Deli in Marshall will have several types of thyme on sale at their market. And, at Debaggio’s, they offer my favorite variety of Golden Lemon Thyme. This beautiful variegated variety is delicious used in a soup of yellow crookneck squash, chopped onion and chicken broth.Sauté the onion in a bit of butter, add the squash, minced lemon thyme and enough chicken stock to cover and simmer until tender. With an immersion blender, blend until almost smooth, then serve with a dollop of sour cream and chopped chives.
Scented Geraniums
If you haven’t experienced the world of scented geraniums, they come in all type of͞flavors,͞ including essence of apple, coconut, nutmeg, lemon and lime. They’re delightful brought in as houseplants at seasons end, after they have grown abundantly outside all summer long. I don’t use them for anything other than pleasure, and I think you’ll love them too.
Heirloom Tomatoes
Heirloom tomatoes are a popular fruit (yes, fruit) at the local farmer’s market in Middleburg on Saturday mornings or at the Green Barns in The Plains on Sundays.I encourage you to explore beyond the hybrids and grow varieties like Black Tala, Boxcar Willie and Mortgage Lifter. It’s infinitely more interesting and fun to watch them develop, an adventure, really, and isn’t that what gardening is all about?
Asparagus
The Southern States in Middleburg and DeBaggio’s Herb Farm in Chantilly have Jersey Knight asparagus in ready-to-go plant form. This is for all of us who have procrastinated about putting in an asparagus bed. There’s no excuse now; they’ll be ready for light harvest next season. If you have never eaten just-picked asparagus, it’s worth every bit of effort.I have fond memories of my dad, our asparagus patch and dinner, and dividing the stalks among the seven of us. Country Spirit • Spring 2018
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Estate Planning:
An Essential Piece of Financial Wellness
By Tom Wiseman
I recently read that the third most popular new year’s resolution was making better financial decisions. That’s no surprise. I’ve worked in wealth management for over 30 years and every January we have a flurTom Wiseman ry of prospects anxious to get their affairs in order. It’s important for us to at look their whole picture: investments, retirement, taxes, insurance and estate planning. This way we can assess how the areas work together for that specific client or prospect. While these five categories are equally important, the one we see most neglected is estate planning. Let me share a couple of real life examples where there are glaring oversights. The inadequacies of an estate plan are often due to changes in circumstances or current laws. The recent divorcee, Laura, whose ex-husband was in charge of everything “financial:” Laura is not quite sure what she has in the way of estate documents and if she even has them. It
turns out that she does and it’s imperative they be changed to fit her new situation. The documents she currently has stipulate that her ex-husband inherits all her assets at her death. Along the same vein, her ex makes the decision as to whether they should turn off life support if Laura is hospitalized or who should handle finances if Laura is deemed incompetent. Even in an amicable parting, most do not want their ex-spouse making these decisions. It would be well advised for Laura to enlist a trusted person with financial experience or a financial planner to give her guidance in these areas. At the end of the day, she should have at the very least a will, revocable trust, power of attorney, and advanced medical directives not only to provide for her children but also herself. The widowed multi-millionaire, Victor, who has fastidiously met with a planner but due to the recent tax law, realizes his estate plan needs another look: In 2011, Victor’s estate totalled close to $7 million. Then the Estate Tax exemption amount was $5 million. At that time, the liquidity provided by a life insurance policy would provide funds to help pay the estate tax at his death. Although the increase is set to sunset in 2025,
the exemption amount is now $11.2 million and Victor may not need his life insurance any more. What are his options? Depending on the policy, it may be worthwhile to surrender it for the cash value. Another alternative that’s not commonly known is “selling” the policy on the secondary market. That may seem like an odd idea, but there is a secondary market for existing, in-force life insurance policies. While insurable interest must exist when the policy is originally purchased, it’s not required in a sale of an existing policy to a third party. In short, it’s time for Victor to consider a revamp of his current estate plan. Those two examples are not intended to worry you but to serve as a reminder that even the best-laid plans have their faults and that an estate plan should never remain static. It requires ongoing attention. While we’re not attorneys, we are well-versed in estate planning. It’s always a good idea to take the time to take a closer look at the plans you have in place and make sure they fit your current situation.
Tom Wiseman is president of Wiseman & Associates Wealth Management in Middleburg. Go to wisemanandassociates. com or call 540-687-7077.
Welcoming children from birth through age 15!
located in the Village of Atoka just 3 miles west of Middleburg on Rt. 50
CONTACT US TODAY!
Middleburg Montessori School Helping Children Develop Into Capable Individuals
by focusing on their MORAL, BEHAVIORAL and EMOTIONAL development in BI-LINGUAL Montessori classrooms with children from Loudoun, Fauquier, Frederick and Clarke Counties for over 35 www.middleburgmontessori.com | Cassella Slater | 540.687.5210 | cassella@middleburgmontessori.com Montessori School does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, vendors, and clients.
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Goodstone Inn & Restaurant
Country Spirit • Spring 2018
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Country Spirit • Spring 2018
Master Craftsman
By M.J. McAteer
Back in 1974, a finger was worth $3,600. At least that’s what the insurance company paid Nick Greer when he lost half of one of his digits in a woodworking accident that year. That doesn’t sound like a lot of money, even in the ’70s, but Greer considered it enough to start his own business. Now, 44 years later, clearly he was right. He’s still in the same ramshackle barn where he started, just outside Purcellville on Allder School Road, but these days he needs a staff of 15 to keep up with demand for his services. Nick Greer, Antiques Conservator, is a full-skill operation for the restoration of fine furniture, especially 18th Century antiques. Greer does major and minor structural repairs and replaces or rescues inlays, marquetry, and veneers. He and his craftsmen hand carve and turn, gold-leaf, cane, and upholster. Greer will build custom pieces, too. The National Gallery, Dunbarton Oaks, and the Blair House have been clients, along with many families who send him heirlooms that are in need of help. Greer’s woodworking career got started when his grandfather, an expert carver, threw him a piece of wood and a chisel one day when he was home sick with the flu as a teenager.
“See what you can do,” his grandfather told him. Turned out Greer, now 70, could do a lot and, he eventually spent a year working for the Smithsonian, recreating centennial cabinetry for its bicentennial exhibition. Greer has trained everyone who works for him to one degree or another, and it’s a tight crew with little turnover. “The reason I’ve been successful is the people who work here,” Greer said. “They really look out for me, and I look out for them.” Assistant cabinetmaker John Brown, refinishing a yewood secretary, said he’s the “newbie,” having been with Greer only seven years. Bill Chadduck, working on an 1860s knick-knack shelf with ormolu trim, has been with him for 18 years, and Steve Scafidi for 30. Greer’s craftsmen are versatile, but they all have their specialties. Upstairs in one quadrant of the warren-like barn, Wade Colbert (25 years) is gilding a three-piece set of parlor furniture. The process involves getting small, delicate sheets of 22-carat gold-leaf to adhere to the furniture’s wooden surfaces using a small brush and static electricity. Colbert estimated the painstaking process will take about 80 hours and require $1,500 in gold leaf. Greer’s own specialty now is being
BONHAMS VIRGINIA
Gertraud Hechl +1 (540) 454 2437 gertraud.hechl@bonhams.com
Your local gateway to the International Jewelry market
A DIAMOND, EMERALD AND RUBY BROOCH, circa 1900 Sold for $26,250
INQUIRIES
Nick Greer
PHOTOS BY M.J. MCATEER
Nick Greer, a master woodworker. Above, a beat-up barn has housed the business for 44 years.
the face of the business, and he’s on the road a lot, meeting with clients and doing pick-ups and deliveries, sometimes a dozen in a single day. On days when he’s in the shop, he gravitates toward doing final touchups and working with keys. Cradduck said Greer is the go-to guy for making seams, dings, and
other flaws vanish. He’s also a master with French polish, involving repeated layers of shellac and much burnishing. It takes elbow grease, finesse, and quite a bit of time, but gives the wood unrivaled color and depth. He also has a penchant for the keys, Greer said that “pretty much everything but chairs has a key.” Proof in point, a burled walnut, 18th Century grandfather clock that awaits refinishing, but is still a showstopper. It sports a key midway down a tall case that is extensively inlaid and includes a decorative metal insert of the sea god Poseidon in the waves. In a couple of out-buildings, Greer has antiques for sale, including another handsome grandfather clock. It gleams with a luscious French polish, but, alas, includes no sea god. Price: $23,000. “I don’t go looking for anything,” he said. “People just show up with stuff,” he said. His real love is the fine period furniture he’s spent a lifetime restoring and building, and he doubts that it will ever go out of style. “Younger people go with more modern pieces,” he said, “but as they get older, they start to appreciate the beauty and art of handcrafted pieces.” And when that happens, they might want to brave the cavernous potholes on Allder School Road to visit Nick Greer at his ramshackle barn.
bonhams.com/dc © 2017 Bonhams & Butterfields Auctioneers Corp. All rights reserved. Bond No. 57BSBGL0808
Enjoy our safe, friendly, and beautiful 500-acre campus!
Friends of Foxcroft Spring Forward to Summer Fun & Fitness
Tennis Membership & Lessons $200 (summer) $400 (annual)
(private, semi-private, and group lessons are offered as a separate option and cost) Contact: karin.thorndike@foxcroft.org
Join both & save $100
Pool Membership & Lessons
Fun for the whole family! $300
(private, semi-private, and group lessons are offered as a separate option and cost)
Contact: karin.thorndike@foxcroft.org
Fitness Center Membership (Women Only)
$350 (annual)
* State-of-the-art cardio equipment * Weight-training machines & free weights * Stationary bikes * Indoor track Contact: michelle.woodruff@foxcroft.org 22407 Foxhound Land Middleburg, VA 20118
540.687.555 www.foxcroft.org/auxiliary_programs
Country Spirit • Spring 2018
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REAL Estates: Grandview
Beautifully constructed of stone and stucco with a copper roof, the home blends perfectly with the surrounding landscape. Old Town Warrenton is one of the most charming and idyllic small towns in the Commonwealth with its shops, cafes, taverns, historic churches, interesting architecture and so much more. It’s proximity to the Washington, D.C. area and all that it has to offer, as well as the Blue Ridge Mountains contributes to its ever-growing popularity. Just five miles west of town, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge is Grandview. This jewel of a country estate is aptly named for its unimpeded views of the mountains and surrounding countryside. Beautifully constructed of stone and stucco with a copper roof, it was built by one of the area’s finest custom builders and blends perfectly with the surrounding landscape. The “Cape” style home has a large and welcoming center hall flanked by a parlor with built-ins, and formal dining room. The large family room is the focal point of the home with an impressive stone fireplace surrounded by custom built-ins. A wall of glass looks across a covered slate porch to the mountains beyond. The chef ’s kitchen features a large eat-in area with cathedral ceilings and massive glass pocket doors to a conservatory with panoramic views of mountains and surrounding countryside. 26
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The master suite is on the main level and has a sitting room, fireplace, luxury bath, picture window and private slate porch to enjoy breathtaking sunsets. Upstairs there are three more spacious bedrooms with baths ensuite and landings that provide quiet spaces for reading or homework. As an extension of the upper level, there is a fabulous au-pair or in-law suite complete with kitchen and bath above the three-car garage. The lower level provides ample opportunity for recreation with a fireplace, built-ins, large bar with sink/fridge, media area, full bath and plenty of space for lounging, gaming tables, etc. There’s lots of natural light with full size windows and a walkout door to gardens and the pool area. The grounds are immaculate, with flowering trees and shrubs, and is highlighted by the back yard. Ideal for entertaining, this private oasis is professionally landscaped with extensive stone hardscapes and built-in fire pit, all surrounding the salt-water pool overlooking rolling pastures to the mountains beyond. To call it a “barn” simply does not do justice to the multi-use building on the property. Also constructed of the finest quality, the lower level has four bays in the front with plenty of space
for mowers, tractors and all the toy cars, ATVs, etc. It’s also ready for four stalls to be framed up with stall doors out to the pasture in back. The main level is a fun, cavernous space with wide-plank floors and very high ceilings. It opens to a lovely porch overlooking the stocked pond, with even more mountain views. This space would make a fantastic party pavilion, indoor basketball court or simply additional storage. Finally, the upper level would make for great storage or can be finished for ideal office or studio space. On 25 acres of open and rolling pasture, Grandview is privately situated in a bucolic mountain view setting just minutes from the Fauquier Springs Country Club and Historic Warrenton in the Heart of the Warrenton Hunt. $2,200,000.
Contact:Joe Allen Allen Real Estate Co. Ltd. 43 Culpeper St Warrenton, VA 20186 Allenrealestate.com 540-229-1770
1.
1. Grandview is just five miles west of town, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge.
2. The salt-water pool overlooks rolling pastures to the mountains beyond.
3. To call it a “barn” simply does not do justice to the multi-use building on the property.
4. The large family room is the focal point of the home.
2.
3.
4. Country Spirit • Spring 2018
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GET CASH BACK FOR THE THINGS YOU LOVE
Barbara Sharp: PUTS A LID ON IT By Barbara Sharp
Fedora, especially one with a wide brim and a tall crown. This style will provide a little extra facial “height.” If you My love of hats probably amounts have an “oblong” face, try a hat with a to an infatuation. It started many years ago, when, as Easter ap- shorter crown that will balance out the proached, my Mom would take me length of your face. A floppy hat might shopping for a new dress, new shoes also be a good choice. For a “square” face, try a floppy hat or a Bowler. And, and, yes, a new hat. I remember with absolute clarity for a “heart-shaped” face, almost any when I was eight, and my navy blue brimmed style will be attractive. Rule 2: Regardless of dress with a white sailor’sthe style hat you choose, like bib with red piping In the end, consider pulling your was the dress selected. My just enjoy hair back into a pony tail. hat was a navy and white straw Fedora, accented the process Having hair down around your face is distracting, with a simple bow. The of expressshoes were navy patent both from the hat and ing yourself! from your appearance. leather with white trim. But if you’re They killed my feet, but Rule 3: Always sew a they were so, so stylish. in doubt, call thin elastic band inside My philosophy in the hat to keep it on. wearing hats has matured me; I’m always Rule 4: Make sure available for your hat is comforta bit (as have I) over the years, but it is still rela- “consultation” able. The more expensive tively simple: (no charge; straw hats have a ribbon Rule 1: Purchase a hat around the interior to that compliments your it’s just for the prevent the straw from face. You’ll find the best sefun of it.} scratching your head. lections in the hat departAt the races, have some ment of a good department fun and express yourself store, but there also great vendors with with a more festive hat. Take a few a wide variety of styles at the pointsilk flowers and adhere them to the to-point and steeplechase races in and back of the hat. Add a bow and some around Middleburg. Timeless hat styles are a Fedora, netting. These sorts of enhancements a Bowler, a floppy straw or felt hat, all make for “instant intrigue.” As for a hat to complement your a Cowboy and a Panama. The Panama is a universally flattering style outfit, don’t wear straw with a winter that goes well with all shapes of fac- outfit. Better go for felt, which can es. Likewise, an oval face goes well be enhanced with feathers and netting. Also consider adding a broach, with almost any shape of hat. If you have a “round” face, look for a or a horse pin or two. Country Spirit Style Editor
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Country Spirit • Spring 2018
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THOMAS & TALBOT REAL ESTA
EBENEZER CHURCH RD ~ 88 ACRES WILLOWCROFT~ 1 ACRE
FRENCH COUNTRY ESTATE ~ 92 ACRES
Agents:
Susie Ashcom Cricket Bedford Catherine Bernache Snowden Clarke John Coles Rein duPont Cary Embury Barrington Hall
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OLD CARTERS MILL RD ~
No. 2 SOUTH MAD P.O. BOX 500, MIDDLEB
TELEPHONE:
A STAUNCH ADVOCATE LAND AND ESTA
Phillip S. T
Celebrating his 56th
www.THOMAS
A Sales Record of H
ATE BONNIE GLEN 25+ ACRES
KENTHURST LANE ~ 2.43 ACRES
22+ ACRES
DISON STREET BURG, VIRGINIA 20118
(540) 687-6500
E OF LAND EASEMENTS ATE AGENTS SINCE 1967
Thomas, Sr.
h year in Real Estate.
S-TALBOT.com
ROKEBY ROAD~1. 84 ACRES
MAPLE HILL~ 6.65 ACRES
Agents:
Julien Lacaze Anne V. Marstiller Brian McGowan Jim McGowan Mary Ann McGowan Rebecca Poston Emily Ristau
Historic Proportion
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Forever a sportswoman, Viviane Warren recently took to the Atlantic off the southeastern coast of Florida from the Hillsboro Inlet for a day of deep sea fishing. And, here she is with the catch of the day, a Mahi Mahi. Although the statistics for the catch were not available at press time, we’re estimating 10 feet long and 70 pounds. And maybe she’ll need a bigger boat.
The Virginia contingent of the Garden Club of America made a visit to Capitol Hill, visiting with Senator Mark Warner and Senator Tim Kaine’s staff. “Our goal is to impact full funding of Land and Water Conservation Fund; encourage support of the Botany bill,” said Middleburg’s Missy Janes. “We went to impress the importance of using native plants to support our at risk pollinators; preserve ecosystems as infrastructure improvements are made; support conservation measures in the Farm Bill and preserve the Antiquities Act and our National Parks.” Janes was part of the group along with: (front row, l to r) Rossie Hutchenson, Rab Thompson, Penny Dart, Margrete Stevens, Nick Barbash of Senator Kaine’s office. (Back Row) Kim Cory, Madeline Mayhood, Mary Frediani, Cindy Simonds, Janet Frantz, Michah Barbour of Senator Warner’s office, Carla Passarello, Missy Janes, Jane Edwards, Forrest Moore, Carol Carter.
Lauren and Renè Woolcott flew south to Gulfstream Park to watch their homebred, Sadler’s Joy (by Kitten’s Joy out of Dynaire by Dynaformer), run in a thrilling comefrom-behind victory with Julien Leparoux up in the 23rd running of the Mac Diarmida Grade 2 $200,000 1 ¾ mile turf race. The 5-year-old chestnut horse runs under their Woodslane Farm colors of cobalt blue and ingot gold and is trained by Tom Albertrani. As of mid-March, Sadler’s Joy lifetime earnings in 15 starts were $1,343,288.
SEEN
Artist Deb Cadenas has been so enamored with the Middleburg Community Farmer’s Market that she did a charming painting of it several years ago. It hangs in the town office. This season it appears on the market’s postcard. We now offer this reminder: Seasonal fresh produce, fruits, cut flowers and edible flowers, grass fed beef and lamb, free range eggs, herbs, plants, honey, pastured poultry chicken and turkey, eggs, pork, gourmet cakes, French pastry, coffee, jams, jellies, spice mix, empanadas, micro greens, cookies, pies, homemade soaps, sugar scrubs and more. It’s open Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to noon, May through October, and located behind the Community Center on Stonewall Ave. For details: Tina Staples, tstaples@middleburgva.gov. Madison Gallo and Justin Phipps Boyce were married on March 3 at Lowndes Grove in Charleston, South Carolina. The bride, 28, is a project administrator at Gallo Mechanical in New Orleans. She graduated from the Louise S. Mcgehee school in New Orleans and studied marketing at Tulane University. She’s the daughter of Stephen Gallo of New Orleans, a director of Gallo Mechanical, a mechanical and construction leader across the gulf south. Mrs. Boyce is also the daughter of Celeste Lingle and stepdaughter of James Raymond Smith, both of New Orleans. The groom, 32, is a partner in Boyce/Wright LLC, a construction company specializing in historical renovations in New Orleans. He graduated with a degree in historic preservation from the College of Charleston. He’s the son of Melissa Phipps Gray of New Orleans and the late David Boyce of Millwood, Va. The groom’s father was a director of Oatlands Plantation in Leesburg. He is a stepson of John Dagworthy Gray of New Orleans. The groom’s late maternal grandfather, Hubert B. Phipps, was a publisher of the Fauquier Times.
SUMMER LEARNING AT MIDDLEBURG ACADEMY At Middleburg Academy, we believe in lifelong learning. So, why stop during the summer? We invite you to our first Summer Learning Program. We offer daytime and evening classes on our beautiful 90-acre campus. Courses range from English, math, language and sports. Middleburg Academy is an independent school serving grades 8 through 12, with small classes, dedicated faculty, full STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) curriculum, excellent athletics, and a remarkable record of graduates excelling at top universities. Visit www.MiddleburgAcademy.org for more information, class schedules and registration forms that are due by March 30.
middleburg Academy Learn Lead Serve
Grades 8-12 35321 Notre Dame Lane, Middleburg, VA 20117 540-687-5581 facebook.com/middleburgacademy
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Country Spirit • Spring 2018
instagram.com/middleburgacademy
@middleburgacdmy
Senator Jill H. Vogel – Legislative Update The Virginia Senate adjourned in March for what was supposed to be the end of session. By then, we had reached agreement on hundreds of measures. However, we could not agree on the most important bill of session—the two-year budget and we adjourned sine die with no budget, a $3 billion gap between the House and Senate proposed budgets and a disagreement over health care. Currently, the House budget includes Medicaid expansion and the Senate version does not. The two most recent budget impasses lasted until June, but new budgets were adopted days before the old budgets expired and Virginia avoided a government shutdown. To keep the process moving this time, the Senate passed a resolution calling for a special session to continue work. It would have been wise to pass the Senate’s less expansive budget, with a framework everyone could support, and then continue to work on Medicaid and other issues. That would have given immediate certainty to localities and others who need our budget to act on their own budgets. But that was a no-go and we will be back in April to continue work on the budget and to have a separate Veto Session to address bills acted on by the Governor. Under the ACA, Medicaid expansion was originally targeted at those who earn too much to qualify for traditional Medicaid but who do not earn enough to qualify for a subsidized plan on the federal exchange. The current plan to expand Medicaid in Virginia has gained broad support but critics attack the plan for drawing the majority of funding from taxes on hospitals, which they argue will be passed directly on to Virginia consumers who can least afford it. People on all sides attack the “work requirement” as largely unenforceable and not like the Indiana or Kentucky plan. It has no reporting or verification requirement and ultimately functions on the honor system. In past years, the Senate rejected expanding Medicaid because ongoing spending commitments threatened funding for other priorities, like roads, schools, and public safety. Currently, without expansion, Medicaid takes almost one forth of our general fund budget and it is growing at 8.9% annually. Opponents of expansion cite costs in other states that are 157% higher than originally projected. That scenario means that Virginia’s share could grow to $900 million and should the federal government repeal funding, then Virginia could face $3.5 billion in annual costs, triggering significant cuts to other categories of funding in the state. Still, a majority of people have advocated for some form of expansion and we remain in negotiations until we get a resolution. While most of the attention focused on where Republican leadership in the House and Senate were in disagreement over healthcare, far more of our time was spent working hard on issues where we agree with our colleagues in both parties. Many of us face difficult challenges in our Senate districts and my willingness to support my colleagues and their willingness to support me makes all of the difference in a session being productive. This session saw headway on matters related to agriculture, transportation, energy, the environment, jobs and education. The Grid Transformation and Security Act passed as a reaction to consumer demand for accountability and lower rates for customers of investorowned utilities like Dominion. This bill was among the most controversial of the session and repeals the current rate freeze, offers immediate refunds to customers, and makes large investments in grid modernization and renewable energy. If you receive your electricity from one of our two co-ops, your rates are already reviewed on a periodic basis. This bill extends those rate reviews to all ratepayers. While the review schedule is not as aggressive as I would have liked, this compromise bill delivers immediate benefits and creates a framework to build on in future years. The bill was desperately needed to protect consumers, return rate overcharges and it had support from a broad coalition including Governor Northam, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the League of Conservation Voters, the Virginia Manufacturers Association, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Virginia Offshore Wind Development Authority and the leadership of both parties. That speaks to the fact that the status quo is simply not acceptable and everyone believed that the legislature needed to act. Other bills that passed which were a priority in my region included my bill to assist Clarke County in securing part of the Camp 7 Property that was previously a state corrections facility and a bill I co-patroned to address congestion and safety hazards that plague I-81. The I-81 bill directs resources to study proposed options for I-81 improvements and will also allow Virginia to benefit from any federal infrastructure package which may pass in Washington by being immediately ready to compete to secure funding for critical improvements. We also passed the hard fought horse racing bill that allows for historic racing in Virginia. I have long supported this as a way to bring life back to the industry, to restore Virginia’s great history of racing and to re-open Colonial Downs. It is important to agriculture, it pumps life and money back into our equine industry which has slowly seen investment bleed out to Maryland, Pennsylvania and Kentucky along with the loss of millions in jobs. The bill passed and we are awaiting the Governor’s action. Highlights of other bills that passed are: • SB 960 - Establishes a system to allow local school boards to develop technical education and apprenticeships. • SB 368 - Requires programs of higher education to include training and intervention for students with dyslexia. • SB 103 - Requires the Board of Education to provide teacher licensure reciprocity for any spouse of an active duty member of the Armed Forces. • SB 747 - Ensures high school students in dual enrollment programs are included in guaranteed admissions agreements with four-year universities. • SB 915 Prioritizes funding of waivers for most critical in need, with additional funding for mental health, substance abuse, and alternative transportation of Medicaid patients. • SB 844 Allows less expensive “short term” health coverage plans to be offered for 364 days instead of the current 90 days. • SB 935 Allows small businesses to pool health care plans for larger negotiating and purchasing ability. • SB 964 Expands catastrophic coverage beyond the current federal cap of age 30, allowing individuals to purchase low-cost, high deductible healthcare. • SB 47 Increases the penalty for female genital mutilation to a class 2 felony. • SB 49 Requires a registered sex offender entering an emergency shelter to give notice to law enforcement. • SB 106 Raises the larceny threshold from $200 to $500. I urge you to contact our office any time you have questions or concerns. I can be reached at 540-662-4551 or by email at district27@senate. virginia.gov. Our office appreciates the opportunity to serve and we are very grateful for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Senator Jill Vogel PAID FOR AND AUTHORIZED BY VOGEL FOR SENATE Country Spirit • Spring 2018
33
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Aldie Spaghetti Dinner PHOTOS BY CROWELL HADDEN
The Women of the Aldie United Methodist Church presented a spaghetti dinner (salad, garlic bread, dessert and drink included) for the benefit of the Loudoun Abused Women’s Shelter
Call 540.724.2054 or visit mdvip.com to schedule a complimentary getacquainted meeting with Dr. Royston.
Norris Royston Jr., MD Family Medicine 8255 East Main Street Marshall, VA 20115 mdvip.com/NorrisRoystonMD Clockwise, from top left: Sharon Pearson; Barbara Bull was in charge of the dinner; John W.Kelly, pastor of the Upperville United Methodist Church 34
Country Spirit • Spring 2018
n o o n r e t f A e h t n o n o i n r e s t f t n o r A o e n r h e t t f A n i A s n t o e r o h t n A r n e i t f s t r A e A h t n i s t r A presents
presents
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Featuring World Featuring World Featuring World Famous Pianist Famous Pianist Famous Pianist JOHN Featuring World
JOHN Famous Pianist O’CONOR
O’CONOR JOHN JOHN O’CONOR O’CONOR
John O’Conor appears by exclusive arrangement with Diane Saldick, LLC, 225 East 36th Street, New York, NY 10016, www.dianesaldick.com
John O’Conor appears by exclusive arrangement with Diane Saldick, LLC, 225 E
Sunday, April 15th at 4 PM Sunday, April 15th at 4 PM Sponsored by: Middleburg UnitedbyMethodist • 15 W. Washington Street • Middleburg, VA Concert followed a cocktailChurch reception Sunday, April 15th at 4 PM atConcert National Sporting andreception Museum Sponsored by: followed byLibrary a cocktail Middleburg Church • 15VAW. W Middleburg United Methodist Church • 15Methodist W. Washington Street • Middleburg, with a private viewing of theUnited new exhibit at National Sporting Library and Museum John O’Conor appears by exclusive arrangement with Diane Saldick, LLC, 225 East 36th Street, New York, NY 10016, www.dianesaldick.com
Sunday, April 15
Middleburg United Methodist • 15 Washington Street •www.dianesaldick.com Middleburg, VA John O’Conor appears by exclusive arrangement Church with Diane Saldick, LLC,W. 225 East 36th Street, New York, NY 10016,
“A aSporting Vision: The Paul Mellon with private viewing of the new exhibit Concert followed by aSporting cocktail reception Collection of British Art from “A Sporting Vision: The Paul Mellon at National Sporting Library and Arts.” Museum the Virginia Museum of Fine Collection of viewing British Sporting Artexhibit from with a private of the new To“A purchase tickets go to www.eventbrite.com the Virginia Museum Fine Mellon Arts.” Sporting Vision: TheofPaul or middleburgconcertseriesgala@gmail.com Collection of call British Art from To purchase or tickets go toSporting www.eventbrite.com 540-326-4611 orthe middleburgconcertseriesgala@gmail.com Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.”
Sponsored by:
Concert followed by a cocktail reception at National Sporting Library and Museum Betty McGowin Charitable Trust Howard and Gloria Armfield with a private viewing of the new exhibit Betty McGowin Charitable Trust Howard and Gloria Armfield or call 540-326-4611 “A Sporting Vision: The Paul Mellon To purchase tickets go to www.eventbrite.com Betty McGowin Charitable Trust or middleburgconcertseriesgala@gmail.com Collection of British Sporting Art Howard and Gloriafrom Armfield or call 540-326-4611 of Fine Arts.” John O’Conor appears by exclusive arrangement with Diane Saldick, LLC, 225 East 36ththe Street,Virginia New York, NYMuseum 10016, www.dianesaldick.com
Sunday, April 15th at 4 PM
To purchase tickets go to www.eventbrite.com or middleburgconcertseriesgala@gmail.com or call 540-326-4611
Middleburg United Methodist Church • 15 W. Washington Street • Middleburg, VA
Concert followed by a cocktail reception at National Sporting Library and Museum with a private viewing of the new exhibit “A Sporting Vision: The Paul Mellon Collection of British Sporting Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.” To purchase tickets go to www.eventbrite.com or middleburgconcertseriesgala@gmail.com or call 540-326-4611
Sponsored by:
Betty McGowin Charitable Trust Howard and Gloria Armfield
From the top: Taska Mendez and John Bull; Denis Christopher Lyddane; Tennessee Grame; Stanley Rice and Dana Connor; Pam Graham George with Anne Graham and Jennifer Graham Country Spirit • Spring 2018
35
A Civil War hero’s recognition, long overdue By John Toler
36
As one might expect, most of the Civil War history of Fauquier County is focused on the local men and women who fought or otherwise supported the Southern cause. It’s part of the area’s heritage. But over the years, more has been learned about the men from the North who were encamped in or near our towns, or passed through Fauquier on their way to battle somewhere else. One of the most dramatic stories to come out of the Union occupation is about First Lt. Alonzo H. Cushing (1841-1863), who served on General Edwin Sumner’s staff while headquartered in Warrenton, and later – much later – was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his valor at the Battle of Gettysburg. His story was recently shared by Fauquier Times subscriber Steve Markardt of Warrenton, who, after seeing Cushing’s picture in the 2014 award announcement, remembered seeing him in a photo of a group of Union officers taken in the summer of 1862 on the front porch of Mecca on Culpeper Street. Born in Delafield, Wisconsin, Alonzo Cushing was one of four brothers who served in the Civil War. Milton (1837-1887) was a Navy paymaster; Howard (1838-1871) served as an artilleryman, and later was a famous Army scout and Indian fighter; and William (1842-1874) a naval officer who won fame for sinking the CSS Albemarle. Fresh out of West Point, Alonzo Cushing fought in the battles of Second Manassas, Antietam and Fredericksburg, where he showed great courage under fire. It is believed that the photo on the porch at Mecca was taken before Antietam (Sept. 22, 1862). Following the Battle of Chancellorsville (April 30-May 6, 1863), Cushing was brevetted major, and put in command of Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, 2nd Corps of the Army of the Potomac. Less than two months later, Cushing and his cannoneers were in the thick of the fighting in the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863 – a pivotal conflict that witnessed “Pickett’s Charge,” the “high water mark” of the Confederate forces. On the third day of the battle, the men of the 4th U.S. Artillery were firing six 3-inch rifled cannons positioned at “The Angle” between stone walls on Cemetery Ridge. At about 1 p.m., a fierce duel with Confederate artillery began, which lasted about 90 minutes. Steve Markardt noted that one of the Confederate artillery units was Brooke’s Battery, formed in 1862 by James Vass Brooke, a prominent Warrenton attorney. “I believe Brooke was injured just before Gettysburg,” he said, “and the battery turned over to his second, Addison Utterback, another Warrenton man.” As soon as the Confederate batteries stopped firing, an onslaught of 10,000 Confederate infantry under Major General George E. Pickett attacked Cemetery Ridge, attempting to break through the Union line. As the Confederates were within 400 yards, Cushing’s position was littered with dead and wounded, and only two cannons still firing. It was then Cushing suffered his first wound, when a piece of shrapnel went through his right Country Spirit • Spring 2018
Lt. Alonzo Cushing (second from left) was photographed in 1862 on the front porch of Mecca, the Rice Payne Home on Culpeper Street, Warrenton. The home was being used as the headquarters of Gen. Edwin Sumner (top, center), during a Union occupation.
Detail of the cyclorama at the Gettysburg National Military Park depicts Lt. Alonzo Cushing’s final stand on Cemetery Ridge Helen Loring Ensign, a first cousin twice removed of Lt. Alonzo Cushing, receives his Medal of Honor certificate from Secretary of the Army John McHugh at the White House on Nov. 6, 2014. shoulder. Working with First Sgt. Frederick Fuger, who had joined the unit on the first day battle, Cushing continued to fire on the approaching enemy. Fuger later reported that Cushing used his thumb to stop the cannon’s vent, burning his ginger to the bone. Moments later, a larger piece of shrapnel ripped through Cushing’s abdomen and groin. Although in extreme pain and weak from loss of blood, Cushing refused to be moved to the rear, telling Fuger, “I would rather fight it out, or die in the attempt.” As enemy troops approached, Cushing was killed by a bullet that
struck him in the mouth and exited his skull. He fell beside his gun, but the Union line held. The effort to bestow the nation’s highest military honor upon Cushing began in the late 1980s, with a letter campaign started by Margaret Zerwekh, a historian from Delafield who lived on property once owned by Alonzo Cushing’s father, Dr. Milton B. Cushing. After years researching Cushing’s background and pressuring her congressmen, it was announced in May 2010 that he would receive the Medal of Honor. But there would be more delays. Finally, on Dec. 19, 2014, President Barack Obama presented the award at a ceremony at the White House, attended by about two dozen relatives of the Cushing family. Also present was Margaret Zerwekh, then 94, who was praised by the President for her persistence, noting, “It’s never too late to do the right thing.”
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37
Celebrating
Steeplechasing Don Yovanovich presents VSA Hall of Fame award to Will Allison
Wilma Hoovler, right, accepting on behalf of her family the Francis Thornton Green award for the late Chuck Hoovler.
in Virginia
The Virginia Steeplechase Association’s recent annual awards dinner at the Middleburg Community Center ended on a rousing note, when Warrenton’s own Will Allison, president of the Virginia Gold Cup since 1995, was named to the VSA Hall of Fame. “As president, he’s taken the Gold Cup to levels far beyond what we’ve known before,” said VSA SecretaryTreasure and host Don Yovanovich in presenting Allison his Hall of Fame plaque. “This is now the premier outdoor event in Virginia…This guy got it done, with intelligence and commitment.” Wise One, a horse trained by Jimmy Day, also was named to the VSA Hall of Fame, and the late Chuck Hoovler was the winner of the Francis Thornton Green Award. Many others in the sport who also
got it done in 2017 were honored at the dinner. They included:
Open Leading Owner: Irvin Naylor Open Leading Trainer: Leslie Young Open Leading Rider: Kieran Norris Leading Owner: Maggie Bryant Leading Trainer: Doug Fout Leading Rider: Kieran Norris Leading Hurdle Horse: Balance The Budget (Stonelea Stables LLC) Open Leading Hurdle Horse: Orchestra Leader (S. Bruce Smart and Rosbrian Farm) Open Leading Timber Horse: Grand Manan (Armata Stables) Leading Timber Horse: Worried Man (Four Virginia Gents) Leading Horse on the Flat: Swellelegent (Thomas Hulfish, III) Virginia Owned Steeplechase Horse of the Year: Balance The Budget (Stonelea Stables LLC) Steeplechase Horse of the Year: Ebanour (Irvin Naylor)
Robert Bonnie with his trophy for Leading Hurdle Horse Balance The Budget
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Hill’s Culture Study Program Focuses on All Things Kiwi By Leonard Shapiro
L
inda Conti is positively beaming as she stands over a colleague’s shoulder and focuses on a computer screen to watch a recent video of a group of young children performing the Haka, the traditional and ancient war dance of New Zealand’s indigenous Maori people. PHOTO BY MIDDLEBURG PHOTO The participants range in Linda Conti works with Hill students on all age from four to six years things New Zealand. old, and they clearly are having a wonderful time, espeand had meaningful hands-on expecially on the verbal parts. rience. She was absolutely wonder“OOOOOH,” they grunt. Then ful, and her father and mother came “AAAAAARGH.” With giant steps in and spoke with the older classes. forward in between. We did Thailand years ago, because “The kids just loved it,” said Conti, we had a student from that country. Head of the Art Department at the “We did Ghana because my son, ElHill School in Middleburg. An ac- liot, was going to JMU (James Madicomplished artist and sculptor her- son University) and had a professor self, she’s been teaching there for 23 from Ghana who turned out to be my years and also coordinates the annual main resource. He came and spoke to 2 1/2-day “Culture Study Program” the children and helped find other peoconducted right before spring break. ple who could help us do this.” Last month, the study focused Among the resources employed on New Zealand. In years past, the this year was Tony Flay, a New Zeaprogram has jumped all around the lander who lives in Marshall, Virglobe—Thailand, Ghana, Norway, ginia but still coaches the Crusadand the Democratic Republic of ers, a feeder team for his country’s Congo among other faraway places. world-famous “All Blacks” rugby The concept has been around since team. At Hill, he gave a spirited talk former Hill educators Debbie Sharples and Ann Northrup started it on grit, hard work, and perseverance, all qualities that make for successful back in the 1990s. “We wanted to make sure the athletes, and students. Over those 2 1/2 days last month, children at the school would have a there were 17 different “stations” deeper understanding of another culoffering a wide variety of options, ture,” Conti said. “Middleburg is out from rugby to cricket, to studyin the country. We’re a little isolated ing Kiwi birds and fruits, creating out here. Some have travelled, some have not. The goal is to give the chil- “rhythm sticks” used in Maori celdren a dose of this culture, an intro- ebrations, to the country’s tradition duction. We’re intentionally jumping of “tramping.” In New Zealand, tramping reinto new territory that they may not fers to walking over rough country. have known about. And that goes for Trampers often carry a backpack and the teachers, too.” foul-weather gear and bring equipEvery June, the entire faculty ment for cooking and sleeping. Hill’s meets to discuss and vote on a country for the following school year, and trampers walked around campus “in perhaps even two years out, mostly places where they usually don’t go,” because it takes so much prepara- Conti said. Depending on their grade level, tion to make it work. Every class in the Junior Kindergarten through students were also exposed to New eighth grade school participates in Zealand cooking, social customs, Culture Study, and virtually every music, art, history and literature, member of the faculty and staff is among many other subjects. “And it’s done to a level where we also involved. And Conti said her colleagues are always all in, the real also honor the country and respect that country,” Conti added. “That’s key to its success. “Last year, we did the Democrat- really what we want to leave with the ic Republic of Congo,” Conti said. children. And it’s just so much fun.” “We had Lucy Turner, a sixth-grade This year, especially that hometeacher who lived there as a child grown Haka.
Salamander’s Sean Burch Can Get You Right to The Top By Leonard Shapiro
Whenever world-class adventurer, extreme athlete and motivational speaker Sean Burch appears before an audience, he always makes it a point to ask “if you had the time and the money, would you ever want to climb Mt. Everest?” Virtually every time, he said, “At least half of them raise their hands.” These days, Burch, who now lives in Marshall and runs a program at Middleburg’s Salamander Resort & Spa called “Two Years to the Top,” can actually make it happen. For a steep price, of course, but as the promotional material reads: “There is no summit out of sight! … As the first Virginian to summit Everest, Burch will dedicate two years to you and prepare you physically and mentally for the 29,035-foot climb with Salamander Resort & Spa as your training ground. You’ll stay at the resort for one week every six months as well as one weekend every month as you train, recover and push yourself to the limit with one-on-one training with Burch. The package starts at $260,000 per person and will prepare anyone to climb to the top of Everest.” So far, no takers, but Burch remains hopeful that one of these days,
that he now knew would never come true. He told me that was the worst thing about dying, and that I needed to live my life to the fullest. It had me in tears. And then he said, ‘I don’t want that to happen to you.’ After he died, it finally kind of hit home.” Burch said he trained four years for Everest, including a preliminary climb of Mt. Rainier in Washington State with a group that, “I absolutely hated. We were within 1,000 feet of the summit, and I was the only one who wanted to keep going to the top. That’s when I started thinking I could do these climbs myself. And if I do, I can go fast.” Burch is involved in a wide variety of projects, from documentary film-making to speaking gigs, personal training and writing. He’s also a single dad and loves living with his young son far from the city. He said he’s prepared to be available 24/7 to anyone interested in the Salamander program, which includes daily workout and nutritional programs, 20 weekend stays, full use of all the resort facilities and daily communication. “It’s designed for someone who wants to reach a goal that might otherwise not be possible,” he said. “It’s for someone who asks ‘why not me?’ And I have a program that will get you to that mountain to reach that goal.”
Sean Burch someone will walk through the resort’s front door, then eventually go up, up and away ascending one of the planet’s most challenging peaks. And Burch, a Northern Virginia native who grew up in Oakton, cannot only talk the talk, he can trek the trek. After all, he holds eight world records for extreme athletic accomplishments, including a 5 1/2- hour climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and is the author of a book, “Hyperfitness: 12 Weeks to Conquering Your Inner
Everest and Getting Into the Best Shape of Your Life.” Burch was a decent high school athlete, has black belts in several martial arts and said he always thought about mountain climbing. The last conversation he ever had with his then-dying grandfather, Hans, convinced him it was time to make that dream a reality. “He was a World War II veteran,” Burch recalled, “and he said he’d had dreams and goals as a younger man
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New Head at Wakefield Already Enjoying Special Courtesies By Megan Catherwood
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Country Spirit • Spring 2018
Ashley Harper, the incoming leader at Wakefield School in The Plains, feels what really set the institution apart for her was the campus environment. “Warm, welcoming and successful, all at the same time,” she said during a recent interview. Currently director of advancement at Winchester Thurston School in Pittsburgh, Harper was appointed Wakefield’s next Head of School last fall. Since then, she’s been back for schoolrelated meetings and family house- New Wakefield Head of hunting. As is often the case with inde- School Ashley Harper pendent schools, she explained, there’s a well thought-out transition, as current Head David Colón completes his tenure at the end of this academic year and she begins on July 1. Friendly, focused, and articulate, Harper said it was the students’ demeanor in the classrooms that made the greatest impression during her initial visit. She described “An incredibly kind group of kids…I saw that they take their studies seriously, and you can see their joy when they do well.” What Harper had encountered were the “Wakefield Courtesies” in action, a school code of conduct emphasizing civility and respect in every endeavor. “So many opportunities for students to shine and to be demonstrable in their learning,” she said. “I wanted our son [12-year old Riley] to attend here – isn’t that the best thing you can possibly say?” A classroom teacher for many years (grades 5-8, history and math), Harper has also held the positions of lower school director at Winchester Thurston, and middle school director at the Brookwood School in Thomasville, Georgia. From 2011-12, she was a National Association of Independent Schools Aspiring Heads Fellow. An Atlanta area native, Harper attended public schools, including high school in Minnesota, where her family had moved because of her father’s work. It was her husband, Doug, who offered a first glimpse into the benefits of an independent school experience. The two met at Florida State University, where she obtained her B.A. in economics (she also holds a Masters degree from the Fischler College of Education at Nova Southeastern University). It became evident that a love for his former school and the lifelong friendships developed there had been absolutely formative. Part of her new mandate, Harper said, “Is to grow the school with families who appreciate all the opportunities Wakefield has to offer – inviting people in, making its accessibility known. We will invite them into this community but will also be external – out in the community. We don’t just want to be ‘the school on the hill’.” As spring stretches into early summer, the incoming and outgoing heads of school will continue to collaborate. Harper and her family (which also includes 22-year-old Jack, a college student) will settle into their new community and hopefully find time for some much-anticipated hikes in the Shenandoah. Riley, according to his mother, is excited to begin his own tenure at Wakefield. When he visited the school in January, the sixth grade class organized a laser tag event to make sure he, too, felt welcome. It seems the “Wakefield Courtesies” really do extend to all situations.
Wakefield Students Go Beyond Soccer to Help Haitian Children By Catherine Zontine
Goals Beyond The Net (GBTN), a non-profit organization based in Jacmel, Haiti, is dedicated to enriching the lives of impoverished children and their families. And there’s a significant local connection, as well. The organization has partnered with Wakefield School in The Plains to help make a difference. It was founded by Dr. Kathy Leggette of Centreville, who has a doctorate in nursing, and her children, Diane and Julia Leggette, both Wakefield graduates and fine soccer players. That’s where “The Net” comes in. More on that later. Jacmel is the fifth largest city in Haiti. Located on the southern coast, its population is about 40,000. In 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Jacmel, damaging or destroying approximately 70 percent of the homes, with most of the major damage in its poorer neighborhoods. GBTN has worked with Wakefield on several events with the help of four local student “ambassadors” – Sofia Olmstead, Gracie Sacripanti, Allegra Solari, and Catherine Zontine – all of whom hope to travel there some time in the future. “Goals Beyond the Net has taught me how to bring our community together in order to help the less fortunate in Haiti,” Olmstead said. Wakefield has completed many successful clothing drives and raised thousands of dollars for what is known as the Goat Program, which provides Jacmel families with goats to be used as a source of nourishment and income. Wakefield students are taught the importance of being global citizens, and their enthusiastic support of GBTN
The Goat Project is a key component of Wakefield’s relationship with Goals Beyond The Net in Haiti. is one of the ways to fulfill that goal. With the core values of education, empowerment, and sustainability, GBTN also has created the Jacmel United Football Club (JUFC), a structured soccer academy that provides the infrastructure to implement several other programs. The children’s participation in the soccer program is dependent on their performance and behavior in school, which holds them accountable for their actions. The soccer club was built with the hopes of creating a sense of purpose and community for the children. The four Wakefield ambassadors play on the varsity soccer team and recognize the importance of the sport in bringing people together. “Playing soccer has been an impactful experience in my life,” Solari said. “So to be able to share that with the children in Haiti has been spectacular. Soccer has shown me the importance of teamwork and dedication, and I can only hope it’s done
the same for the players of JUFC.” GBTN has started an English-language school, allowing the top students to participate in a more rigorous language program. This ability to speak English is tremendously helpful, enabling the children to connect and communicate with people outside of Haiti. “English is an avenue for future educational and employment opportunities for these children, whose parents are unemployed,” Dr. Leggette said. Additionally, all medical needs of the children are covered by the organization. Before GBTN began its work in Haiti, many of the enrolled children had never even seen a doctor before. There’s also a clear connection between the Wakefield and Haitian communities, as demonstrated in the Character Development program of GBTN, which closely resembles the same program at Wakefield. Students learn about a new virtue each month to teach the importance of character. In the Goat program, each donated goat is pregnant with “kids” that are given to other struggling families, The organization believes that the community must work together to rise out of poverty. By supplying the goats, GBTN provides also long-term nourishment for the Haitians living in the slums of Jacmel. “GBTN’s mission has been to dramatically change impoverished Haitian children’s lives in a very comprehensive and meaningful way,” Dr. Leggette said. “Through our comprehensive sixprogram approach, Goals Beyond the Nets’s impact on these children’s lives has been tremendous. We‘re creating the future leaders of Haiti.” Catherine Zontine is a senior at Wakefield School. For further information, go to Goalsbeyondthenet.com.
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Art of the Peidmont
The always anticipated Art of the Piedmont auction and reception to benefit the Middleburg Montessori School took place at the Middleburg Community Center in mid-February. It was an enchanting cultural gathering and a welcome diversion from winter. PHOTOS BY CROWELL HADDEN (Clockwise, from top left) Chris Patusky and Kiernan Slater Patusky; Susan Schultz and Janey Thompson; Tara Jelenic, sporting photographer; Paul Aliloo on a magic carpet, no doubt; Freya Gerlach, Aoife Brazil and Sarah Becker; Emily and Brett Miller; and BethAnn Slater, head of school at Middleburg Montessori.
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AMONG THE VINES AT Three Fox Vineyards By Vicky Moon
Holli and John Todhunter are ready for springtime. During the winter they hardly had the time to sit back and read a good book in front of the fire at their Three Fox Vineyards in Delaplane. Instead, they tended to the critical maintenance of the vines at their scenic 50-acre farm. They begin the process of tying down the cordons from which this year’s shoots and crops are growing. According to John, “We’re likely to be done with all of this some time mid- to late March. ” When it was founded in 2002, Holli, a vintner and head of marketing, was responsible for naming the vineyard, with rolling hills and hard by the Crooked Run Creek. On the day they first were shown the properPHOTOS BY VICKY MOON ty, she spotted three foxes on a nearby slope. Father Richard Miserendino The vineyard offers a brick outdoor pa- and John Todhunter at Three tio, several grass bocce courts, creek-side Fox Vineyards. picnic areas and even hammocks in a nearby meadow. There are also tables available in between the vines. This year they haven’t planted any new vines among the estate-grown varietals they now have in place, including Viognier, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. “We’ve only planted a few replacements as we see how bud break goes,” John said. “Bud break will likely occur mid to late April as it does every year.” Typically, once bud break has occurred, there is readily visible shoot growth within two to three weeks. Prior to bud break, the Todhunters watch for sap bleed from the pruned ends of the vine. Once they see that, Inside the tasting room at Three they know bud break is not far off. As far as feeding the vines during winter Fox Vineyards in Delaplane down time, they have very little on their todo list. “Since the vines are dormant,” John Mark Your Calendar said, “we do pray that we don’t get extended May 12-13 – Mother’s Day super cold weather because that can cause celebration June 9 – Rubber Duck Race bud damage, even when dormant.” They work to keep the vineyard rows tidy. down the rapids of Crooked Run 4 – Dog Days of And they also put down a light garden oil August August with prizes for all sizes spray to kill over-wintering disease spores and shapes and insect eggs on the plants. Sept. 15 – the annual Blessing “At this time of year and up to bud break,” of the Harvest he added, “not much work is needed beyond Oct. 6 – Alpaca Day pruning, tying down any new cordons, and Nov. 23-25 – Turkey Trot applying an oil spray. After bud break, the Vineyard style. work consists of keeping the growing shoots orderly, removing shoots on the main trunks Three Fox Vineyards that we don’t need, and managing the vine 10100 Three Fox Lane canopy as it develops.” Delaplane, VA 20144 Holli also has been busy ordering new Threefoxvineyards.com items for their interesting gift shop, including 540-364-6073 unique wine-related hostess gift items. (A personal favorite is a gel-pack wine bag that goes in the freezer and chills the bottle.) And of course, they’re working on a yearlong schedule of events for 2018. “We have great spots on our estate for hosting private gatherings and celebrations,” John said. They offer live music most Saturdays, with groups that include Movin’ On, the Tower Blues Band, the Exaggerations, and Richard Giersch. And then…all can settle in and sit back, perhaps even at a table nestled between the vine rows, and have a sip of something very special at Three Fox.
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Leah Palmer: Puts the Puzzle Pieces in Place By Vicky Moon
Architectural designer and draftsperson Leah Palmer describes herself as a puzzle person, but her puzzles occupy very large spaces: homes, stables and kennels. “I’d rather figure out how to move a stairway and add a small addition,” she said, “and raise the roof as opposed to building a whole house.” Living in a home for years and feel that kitchen window just doesn’t feel or look right? Buying a new house and want to add a game room, mudroom or great room? Palmer, who lives in Fauquier County, can make that happen. She’s a horse girl at heart but now operates her business using the names Leah C. Palmer Drafting and Design and Horse Country Design LLC. It’s based at Patrickswell, a Victorian home she’s remodeling for owners Joe and Stephanie Spytek off the Atoka Road near Rectortown. Palmer, 48, a Virginia native, settled in Middleburg to fulfill her horse obsession. She rode, showed and sold horses and occasionally accompanied others out hunting. “I rode everything,” she said. “And I did it myself.” At age 30, Palmer followed another lifelong ambition— to study architecture. She graduated from Catholic University with honors in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science degree in architecture, along with a heavy dose of philosophy courses. She persevered in her studies even after losing a sister in the nightmarish 2007 shootings at Virginia Tech. At her home office, she is propped on the kitchen counter chatting about her work. She has between five and nine projects in various stages of development. And, though she’s not yet licensed in architecture, she has plenty of work drafting drawings for various clients. One of her biggest clients is Joe Spytek, who has numerous properties in Fauquier County.
PHOTO BY VICKY MOON
Leah Palmer on the front porch of her home office in Fauquier County. Leah Palmer facebook.com/leah.palmer.560 703-216-3029
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“Leah was recommended to me by John Pennington of Monomoy, who quite rightly recognized that I needed a bit of help with some of my site planning and project management work on the property,” said Spytek. “Leah has proven to be highly competent and reliable with tremendous local knowledge and insight. “She’s driven the permitting process with the county, designed our barn and run-in sheds and essentially developed the full site plan. On numerous occasions she’s corrected our architect on matters of local ordinance and engineering. At Patrickswell, I’m basically having Leah manage the place as we work to transform it into an equestrian property.” Palmer’s clients have also included long time resident, Pippy McCormick who has a circa 1800 Federal brick and stone that had “several questionable additions” and needed renovation. For singer songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter she consulted on a major renovation and rebuilding. And, for weekenders Lisa Jacobs and Paul Brinkman, Palmer reworked a portion of their older home, which had two front doors and no hall. Palmer has completed over 50 projects for horses, dogs and humans. She has not advertised. “It’s all been word of mouth,” she said. “I’m too busy for a website, I don’t have a landing page.” Her work includes renovations, additions, pond placements and, of major note, the outstanding new $700,000 kennels for the Piedmont Fox Hounds in the summer of 2015. “The hounds will be much happier,” she said upon completion of the 2,500-square foot kennels. The block structure replaced the circa 1918 wood frame facility. The perfect Palmer puzzle.
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SCENE Zacharty Lieser and Sarah Lieser enjoy a dinner prepared and donated by the Side Saddle Café of Middleburg to benefit the Piedmont Parents Association, which supplies funds for classroom supplies and curriculum needs for the Piedmont Child Care Center in Upperville. PHOTO BY LEONARD SHAPIRO
Sydney Pemberton spent an appropriately attired afternoon at the Warrenton Hunt Point-to-Point. PHOTO BY MIDDLEBURG PHOTO
Pianist Tanya GabrielIan at the reception following her stellar performance for the Grace Church Concert Series in The Plains. PHOTO BY LEONARD SHAPIRO
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Country Spirit • Spring 2018
John Mascatello was honored by the Middleburg Tennis Club recently with the Nanette White Sportsmanship Award, presented by the late Mrs. White’s daughter, Lizanne Driskill.
From Middleburg Academy’s Equestrian Team, Country Spirit has received word of the following awards: Coach’s Award: Kristina Horchover ‘18, Most Improved: Salem Twiggs ‘20, MVP: Madi McDermott ‘18 and High Point Rider: Kat Doherty ‘21.
At the Warrenton Hunt Point-to-Point the cameras were turned on photographer Douglas Lees (right) as he presents the trophy for the Foxhunters Timber race run memory of his father D. Harcourt Lees, Ex-MFH, a life long devoteé of hunting and racing. The winner was Alex Leventhal on Pied Du Roi owned by Straylight Racing, LLC and trained by William B. Santoro. PHOTO BY MIDDLEBURG PHOTO
Ian Fitch was part of the kitchen crew in Cox Hall at Trinity Church for the Piedmont Child Care Center benefit dinner. PHOTO BY LEONARD SHAPIRO
Jeff Blue’s adorable Goggles watches all the action. PHOTO BY MIDDLEBURG PHOTO.
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HUBERT PHIPPS TEES IT UP UP AND AWAY By Leonard Shapiro Hubert Phipps has been a championship race car driver, still flies his own helicopter and is a highly-regarded sculptor who’s work has been exhibited around the country. He’s also dabbled in golf since his teenage years living in South Florida. These days, he can walk just a few steps out of his majestic art studio and tee off on a slightly downhill golf hole located on his 70-acre property in the bucolic horse country of Middleburg. Once he arrives at the 2,500-square-foot green installed about five years ago, he can stroke putts on a yawning two-tiered surface of warp-speed artificial turf that allows him every sort of break imaginable. Left to right, right to left, downhill, uphill, 60-footers to tap-ins. A bit of sand sprinkled all around also can slow the greens down just a touch from their 10 to 11 Stimpmeter readings. And if Phipps gets a little bored with putting to seven different hole locations, there are three bunkers, two protecting the left side of the green, one on the right, to practice out of the sand. There’s also short and long grass all around to work on chipping or flop shots over the traps. Phipps said he’s so busy in the art studio these days preparing for upcoming shows of his imposing and often large-scale sculptures that he doesn’t have all that much time to spend on his game. Still, he enjoys coming out every once in a while to bomb drives from an artificially turfed tee 270 yards from the green, or move up to another tee box at 150 yards, the better to work with his shorter irons. “Right now I’m really focused on my art work,”
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Country Spirit • Spring 2018
PHOTOS BY VICKY MOON Hubert Phipps’ 2,500-square-foot putting green was installed about five years ago and features seven hole locations.
Phipps said, standing on the green recently with a putter in his hands and three golf balls in his pocket. “I’ll come back to it a little more when I have the time, but I love this. I come out and putt a little bit, chip a little bit. It definitely helps clear your head.” Phipps’ father, Hubert Phipps, died in 1969 when his son was only 12. He was a member of the Phipps family that partnered with industrialist Andrew Carnegie in the steel-making business in Pittsburgh. His son and daughter, Melissa, grew up in the Virginia horse country at Rockburn Farm in Marshall, and their father raised Thoroughbred race horses and purebred cattle. The elder Phipps once also owned the Fauquier Democrat, now known as the Fauquier Times, in Warrenton, some 15 miles from their farm.
After his father’s death, young Hubert went to live with an uncle in Palm Beach, then attended Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, where he first learned to fly. He’d heard that a few years earlier, another student at the prep school had been given permission to take flying lessons in lieu of playing a mandatory sport. So Phipps broached the same idea and was allowed to take off. These days, he has his own helicopter, a Eurocpter EC 120. It’s a five-seater he keeps in Winchester, with a landing area on the farm right next to his art studio on what looks to be the perfect site for yet another grass tee. He has 1,200 hours of flight time on the copter, and occasionally flies it down to South Florida (about seven hours, with two stops to re-fuel) where he often stays with several cousins in the area.
Hubert Phipps travels in his own helicopter, a Eurocopter EC 120. He keeps the five-seater in Winchester and has a landing area on his Middleburg farm right next to his art studio.
In addition to his passion for flying, Phipps had always enjoyed drawing and painting growing up, and briefly enrolled at the San Francisco Art Institute before getting involved in another of his adrenalineinducing pursuits, motorcycle motor cross. Then, after attending his first Daytona 500 race, he literally decided to switch gears and get into car racing, enrolling in driving school for potential competitors.
Out on the race track, he won a Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) national championship, and once teamed with then 19-year-old Michael Andretti in the Formula Atlantic series of open cockpit racing. It’s a circuit that included races in New Zealand and Australia, and among its alums are legendary racing luminaries as Gilles Villeneuve, Bobby Rahal and Danica Patrick. “I’ve always been enamored with machines,” Phipps said. “And I had a great life as a race car driver, won a lot of races.” And then came the crash. It happened in a training run at the Sears Point track in Napa, California in 1983. A driver in front of him had spun out on the downside of a hill, out of view of Phipps’ car whooshing along at 120 miles an hour over a blind rise. “I came over the hill and hit his car,” Phipps said. “When I looked down, my feet were six inches closer to my kneecap. At first, I thought my shoes had just come apart and slid up my shins. I was trapped in the car. It took them an hour and a half to get me out of the car. I broke the heels, ankles and tibias and had a broken arm. I was out for six months, got back in the car and won again. But I wasn’t getting much traction in finding the sponsors I needed, so I decided to give it up in 1985.” Phipps was a real estate broker in South Florida for a number of years and also worked on his art, eventually switching from painting and illustrating to sculpture. He moved from Florida back to Virginia six years ago, when he also got interested in golf again, taking lessons with instructor Mark Guttenberg. He and his wife, Leslie, also a fine teaching pro, have their own instructional area in their backyard in nearby Aldie. “He’s an interesting guy,” said Guttenberg, now di-
rector of instruction for the Raspberry Falls golf group out of Bull Run Golf Club in Haymarket. “In the beginning, I could never find out what he did. He told me he was a writer. He says ‘I write a lot of checks.’” Phipps also told Guttenberg he had a lot of land and was thinking about installing a practice green near his art studio. Guttenberg came out one day, saw the property and suggested positioning the green at the end of what was then a hay field, far from the studio and safe from possible errant window-shattering missed shots. “Everyone who plays wants to be an architect,” Guttenberg said. “I designed a two-tiered green for him. I drew out the shape, where the traps would go. And then we created a 270-yard tee shot and then a 150-yard shot. I loved being part of the process. I’m not Nicklaus or Crenshaw, but this was a great thing for me.” The golf hole itself is nothing fancy—a wellmanicured, straightforward fairway, generously wide with a first cut of rough, then longer grass. A lawn service keeps it mowed to regular fairway length. It’s framed on both sides by tall trees that really don’t come into play and it’s slightly downhill to the green that was installed by Rich Shoemaker, from Winchester. Seven different holes dot the putting surface, and if Phipps ever decided to put other tees left, right, or behind, there’s probably enough land to make nine different holes aimed at that single green. For now, he’s more than satisfied with what he’s got. “Hubert can hit it pretty far,” Guttenberg said. “Scoring wise, he’s probably a 90s shooter. In all the time he’s taken lessons from me, he probably only plays about one or two rounds a year on a regular course. He just wanted to play golf in his backyard.”
Country Spirit • Spring 2018
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Goodbye to Cap’nbilly:
A Tribute to a Matchless Horseman By James C. Wofford
First of Two Articles
We recently lost Bill Steinkraus, America’s Greatest Horseman, after a decades-long fight against cancer. The various obituaries about him are accurate, but a bit dry, and I wanted to tell you a little more about him from my personal perspective. He was a hero of mine; I hope that after you read this, he’ll be one of yours, too. I called him “Cap’nbilly” and he called me “Little Brother.” Some explanation is required: In the South, “Cap’n” is a term of respect, rather than rank, and “Little Brother” did not refer to a familial connection, but rather to Bill’s conception of me as the little brother he never knew he had … or wanted. In part, “Little Brother” acknowledged a relationship that was established early in our lives. My father was Bill’s first Olympic coach, and he rode my mother’s horse Hollandia in his first big competition—the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. For the next 20 years Bill Steinkraus would serve as the show jumping team captain, hence “Cap’nbilly.” Given the 20 years that separated us, I filled the role of a little brother—buzzing and whining on the periphery, always quick to interject and irritate, tolerated due to my somewhat unusual status. Yet at the same time, there was a fair amount of hero worship involved on my part. Bill’s intellect would have been one of the first things newcomers noticed about him. It could be irritating and off-putting at first, because he carried himself with an instinctive assumption of superiority. But any extended exposure to Bill would lead you to the conclusion that Bill did not just have a superiority complex…he really was superior. 52
Country Spirit • Spring 2018
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PHOTO BY VICKY MOON
Bill Steinkraus with fellow U.S. Equestrian Team members Neil Shapiro and Joe Fargis at the Aachen, Germany Horse Show in 1972. Coach Bert deNemethy and a horse show official in front.
Everything he discussed had already passed through the powerful lens of his considerable intellect. Thus, if you dared to disagree with him, you should (in another lovely Southern phrase) “pack a lunch and bring a lantern.” To disagree with Steinkraus would take a while. Looking back, I wish I had gotten in the habit of recording my conversations with him. The world would be a better place for the knowledge that poured out of him. He could discourse at a moment’s notice on the difficulty of a violin sonata (at certain points in his life, Bill played violin at the symphonic level) and give an impromptu lecture on the similarities between preparing a serious musical passage and schooling a young show jumper. One learned the mechanics needed to produce each musical note, then one played the movement in quarter-time, and then in half-time, and so on. Similarly, when training the show jumper, you could conceive of an educational progression that began at the walk over one rustic pole on the ground … and finished at the Olympic Games. Along the way, the horse and rider would have practiced every possible combination of problems: vertical-oxer, oxer-vertical, oxer-oxer, vertical-vertical, and so on. He was fascinated by the connection between horse and rider, and studied its every aspect. He was a life-long proponent of maintaining contact with the horse’s mouth throughout the jumping process. He wrote to me about this not long ago, saying, “I have always felt that ‘contact’ and even Bert’s (Bertelan de Némethy, long-time coach of the U.S. Show jumping Team) ‘connection’ are relatively clumsy, inexpressive words, and prefer the French ‘l’appui bon,’ defined by them as ‘the reciprocal sentiment between the horse’s mouth and the rider’s hand.’ Good hands and l’appui bon come together.” This conviction made him an outspoken opponent of the crest release. To his mind, a rider could no more produce a trained jumper on a loose rein than a musician could produce a musical note with a slack string. He understood the educational process, and occasionally advocated a loose rein when starting young horses, but loose reins on course were anathema to him. “Jimmy, they have turned a virtue into a defect,” was one of his many statements about the crest release. Upperville-based Jimmy Wofford has been a world-class Three-Day Event rider and coach who won team silver medals in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics. This article first appeared in Practical Horseman magazine.
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For Versatile Nina Fout, Life After By Sophie Langenberg Nearly 18 years ago, Fauquier native Nina Fout became an Olympic hero after competing in the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia and returning home with a team bronze medal in threeday eventing Just before leaving for the Games, Fout closed up her Middleburg sporting art and framing shop, the Gallery of Country Sport, to finalize her preparations for the competition of a lifetime. So what has Fout been up to in the years ever since? The answer is: quite the juggling act. In addition to her rigorous competition schedule, since the mid-1980s, Fout has been designing cross country courses as a way to give back to eventing. As she entered a transition period in her life after the Olympics, she was looking for something to complement those skills. In 2003, she began a graduate certificate program at the George Washington University, and after two years, graduated as a certified landscape designer. “It’s such a good fit with course design,” she said. “It was always something I had wanted to do and never dedicated the time. The GW program really got me inspired. I thought, if I was literate on the nuances on being able to render graphically and was able to read topographic maps and
understand a little bit more of the engineering components, that would be a different advantage than the every-day person who wanted to course design. It was another feather in my cap.” Fout’s GW experience also unleashed a true passion for the study of plants and landscapes in general. “I became a plant nerd,” she said. “I really enjoy making things look natural, like they were always there and nothing looks forced. It’s a delicate balance.” Fout first worked with a residential landscape designer in Prince William County. “I got a lot of experience with that company in smaller formats knowing that I really wanted to transition here to the bigger farms,” she said. “I wanted to pull together my knowledge of site planning and working on a bigger scale and then I could impart all the things that are important to me in a landscape design.” Fout truly thrives when creating sustainable landscapes. Her knowledge of native plants and the habits of local wildlife allow her to create an oasis for pollinators, song birds and other creatures. It’s often a difficult puzzle to work with the natural topography of a property or work with existing buildings, but Fout enjoys noodling through these issues to find the best solution for her clients. “A funny example would be
Maybe you have a small area you would love to have blacktopped but you can’t afford to pave the whole thing right now. We install partial driveways. We can pave an area by your house just big enough to park your vehicles, or we can install as little as one load for you.
A Fout project before 54
Country Spirit • Spring 2018
Olympics Has Been a Great Event when I was siting a house,” she said. “I chose the spot based on where I noticed the horses standing all winter long. They got out of the winter wind by standing in a low spot with southern exposure. All the architects really wanted to put the house on a high point that was totally windswept.” The final product is always a true collaboration between Fout and her clients. “Sometimes they have a very clear idea about what they want,” she said. “Maybe they want to rejuvenate some existing planting beds by adding some new color or it may be a blank slate and then it’s up to me to probPHOTO BY SOPHIE LANGENBERG lem solve their program re- Nina Fout quirements. Whether it’s a patio or a retaining wall.” “It’s horses in the morning Within her own garden in and designing in the afterThe Plains, Fout loves to exnoon,” she said. “And when it’s periment. She frequently buys rainy or too cold outside, I still new plants or moves around existing ones to find out where frame out of my home studio.” Between custom picture they might thrive. It’s allowed framing, running her horse her to increase her knowledge business (Paul Fout Stables, exponentially, making her even more of a major asset to named for her late father), becoming an FEI-level cross her clients. Fout has done many proj- country course designer and ects, both large and small, her landscape design business, throughout Fauquier and Fout has little idle time. As usual. Loudoun counties, purely (To see Nina Fout’s impresthrough word of mouth. As sive design portfolio, visit her warm weather returns, she’s also eager to fill up her spring newly-launched website at with exciting new jobs. www.ninafoutlandscapes.com.)
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A Fout project after Country Spirit • Spring 2018
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Foxcroft Senior Born to Birth Babies
T
By Sophie Langenberg
he average teenager spends time outside of school participating in clubs or playing on a sports team. But Foxcroft senior Rachel Brown is no average teen. At the tender age of 17, she’s taken time out of her rigorous school schedule to become one of the youngest doulas, a non-medical birth assistant, in the nation. “I have always loved babies and was curious about how they were born,” said Brown, who’s family lives in Marshall. “My favorite video to watch was Reading Rainbow: On The Day You Were Born, which followed pregnancies. As a child, I gravitated towards stories about the bond between mothers and babies, and I think that’s where my fascination stemmed from.” Brown’s mother, Susie, is a registered nurse and from an early age she was exposed to the medical field. After watching a C-section video when she was seven, Brown declared that she wanted to be an obstetrician. Ten years later she has never wavered from that goal. To begin her path, Brown has spent the last two years becoming a doula. After many hours of classes, workshops, and paperwork, she became certified through DONA International, the oldest and most rigorous accrediting agency. Brown was able to rearrange her school work by participating in Foxcroft’s Exceptional Proficiency Program which allows students to pursue
PHOTO BY SEBASTIAN LANGENBERG
Tabitha Kaza and Rachel Brown
a particular passion (normally a sport) with approval from the school. “My teachers have been really supportive,” said Brown. “They always ask how the birth
went and are very understanding about the time I need to make up my work.” Brown is mentored by local doula Tabitha Kaza and together they have assisted in eight births and were expecting to be present for two more in March. “Many of my friends had no idea what a doula is or what they do,” Brown said. “After much explanation, most of them think it’s really neat. I also often get asked if it’s gross, to which I reply, “childbirth is messy, but I would not call it gross.’” As a doula, Brown assists the birthing process by providing the soon-to-be mom comfort and encouragement. She’s also involved in prenatal care and can assist with breastfeeding following the birth. Brown loves every second of it. “Honestly, it’s hard to pick out one specific moment as the best because I think every single time the baby is born after hours of hard work is the most incredible thing,” Brown said. “I cry every time and smile for hours.” As impressive as Brown is to those around her, she’s incredibly humble as well and hopes through this experience to encourage other teens to find their passion and jump in with both feet. “Whatever their passion is, young people should pursue it,” she said. “I think it’s really important to find a mentor and learn all that you can from them. My mentor, Tabitha, has been incredible and I have learned so much from her. I could not have accomplished this without her support.”
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Country SpiritSpirit • Spring 2018 Country 9.5” w x 5.87” h
April 2018 issue
Perspectives on Childhood, Education, and Parenting “This is life – it can’t define you. You enjoy the good times, and you gotta’ be able to take the bad times. When you step into the arena…the consequences can be historic losses, tough losses…. you have to deal with it.”
– TONY BENNETT University of Virginia basketball coach after UVA’s historic NCAA tournament loss to UMBC.
By Tom Northrup
The recent death of pioneering runner Roger Bannister and the graceful handling by Tony Bennett of his team’s historic loss in this year’s NCAA basketball tournament offer an opportunity to reflect on the essential lessons of high-level athletic achievement. Despite the differences in their ages and the eras in which they competed, I see remarkable similarities in Bannister’s and Bennett’s understanding of the role competition plays in developing productive and ethical human beings. The day Bannister broke the fourminute mile barrier, he worked his usual morning shift as a doctor before taking a train to Oxford’s Iffley Field for the race. By today’s standards, his training was minimal— daily practices of an hour and about 25 miles of running each week. Bannister hoped that his athletic prowess
and fame would not define him. With inflated salaries and the accompanying pressures, many current college coaches seem more invested in themselves (short term winning and the size of their contracts), than the long-term welfare of their players. Bennett offers a different leadership model. Before the 2017-18 season, no basketball pundits predicted Virginia would be ranked as the country’s No. 1 team. In fact, UVA was unranked in every preseason poll. Few, if any, players had been recruited by high-level Division I schools. Bennett is a superb coach technically. His defensive and offensive schemes and his ability to get the most from his talent are unmatched. At the same time, his value system, his humility and his perspective on the role of sports, provide his players a lifetime foundation. Growing up in Parkersburg, West
Tom Northrup Virginia, I loved nothing more than running or playing any game with a ball. I lived in a neighborhood with many children who had similar interests. I vividly recall the joy of running from school to a neighborhood court to play pick-up basketball before going home for dinner. In high school, sports was more organized, and I became more serious and focused about improving and achieving. I settled on basketball and middle distance running, which I pursued in college. During my formative years, I was inspired by the excellence of Bannister, New Zea-
land runner Peter Snell, and my home state’s basketball hero, Jerry West. Looking back on my coaches and lessons learned from athletics, I was fortunate. Most of my athletic mentors emphasized working hard, learning from mistakes, and preparing for the next contest, all applicable and relevant to life’s later challenges. In the 1950s and ‘60s, Bannister motivated me and many others to set and pursue goals. Over a halfcentury later, Bennett is providing a similar model for coaches, parents and student athletes. In children’s athletics today, parents often struggle to deal with highpressure competition, demanding schedules, and coaches who sometimes are more focused on winning rather than learning. Bannister and Bennett remind us to remember the lessons that really help young athletes grow strong and resilient, keeping successes and losses in perspective. It’s been said that losing an important game doesn’t define you as an athlete or a person. In reality, I believe that the loss to UMBC and Bennett’s reaction to it may be the most significant lesson for his players’ education during the entire season. When we check back with them in 50 years, we’ll know for sure.
“We’re extremely GRATEFUL our grandchildren are at a school that LOVES what they do as much as HILL does.” “At The Hill School, the climate and environment is one of complete acceptance. The teachers have always made us feel welcome, even when it is not a planned visit. They are happy to have us there – they know the grandparent role is important and they embrace that. Our grandchildren are fortunate to be in such a magical environment.”
Gail & Kevin Kuchem, Hill Grandparents Palmer, The Hill School Class of 2024 Davis, The Hill School Class of 2027
When you visit our village-style campus in Middleburg, VA you’ll learn how we develop students with strong character, self-confidence, a sense of community, and a lifelong love of learning.
Serving students in Junior Kindergarten through 8th grade since 1926 TheHillSchool.org
Country Spirit • Spring 2018
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PHOTO BY MONA BOTWICK Goose Creek Association Board co-chairs Bonnie Mattingly and Lori Keenan McGuinness.
Goose Creek Association Is All About Hands On By Megan Catherwood
Vote on May 1, 2018 Leadership • Experience • Commitment A VISION FOR OUR COMMUNITY • Preserve Protect Middleburg Vote on& May 1, 2018
• Safe, sustainable water & utilities • Support our local businesses Leadership • Experience • Commitment • Investing in our Future
A VISION FOR OUR COMMUNITY A DEVOTED LEADER FOR MIDDLEBURG • Preserve & Protect Middleburg
• Safe, sustainable water & utilities • Middleburg Town Council Member •• Support our local businesses Vice President, Board Member for • Investing in our Future& Pink Box Middleburg Museum • Executive Committee Member Virginia Municipal Leaugue • Past Commissioner Middleburg Planning Commission
A DEVOTED LEADER FOR MIDDLEBURG • Middleburg Town Council Member www.bridgeformiddleburg.com
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• Vice President, Board Member for 571-276-7730 Middleburg Museum & Pink Box • bridgelittleton@gmail.com Executive Committee Member Paid for and authorized by Bridge for Middleburg Virginia Municipal Leaugue Country Spirit • Spring 2018 • Past Commissioner Middleburg
Rural residents like to joke about how much time can be spent getting places — especially when there’s a slow-moving tractor or loose livestock on the road. And about mud-encrusted vehicles. Or how hard it is to get good internet “out here.” But the fact is, most cherish these surroundings. Credit Mother Nature, of course, for Virginia’s beautiful backdrop. But recognition is also due to the many individuals and organizations that work diligently to safeguard the region’s land and ecosystem. The most hands-on of local, conservation-minded entities is the Middleburg-based Goose Creek Association (GCA). Its volunteers and citizen scientists — often including area high school students — plant riparian buffers to repair erosion, monitor stream water quality, and participate in “Canoe and Cleanup Days.” Founded in 1970 to fight the discharge of sewage effluent, the GCA later took on its broader mission of protecting the environment and quality of life in the Goose Creek Watershed throughout Fauquier and Loudoun counties. Lori Keenan McGuinness (Fauquier), a former international regulatory attorney, along with her board co-chair Bonnie Mattingly (Loudoun), leads the active and increasingly vocal 600-member group in addressing critical issues at the local and state levels. Advocacy focuses on proposed developments, legislation, zoning and other actions that have potential impacts within the Watershed. “Taking steps,” according to the organization’s materials, “to forestall or encourage these changes.” Examples include monitoring cell tower, agri-tourism and new home development; working successfully with Markham residents and the Piedmont Environmental Council to resist VDOT’s plans to open an I-66 truck rest in that area; and providing comments to Fauquier’s Planning Commission regarding a proposed events center, inn and dining complex on the Blackthorne property in Upperville. “It’s not political,” McGuinness said in a recent interview. “I don’t know the affiliations of our volunteers. We’re just all grassroots conservationists, working together to preserve the land.” The scope encompasses the 386-square miles of the Goose Creek Watershed, where the 54-mile stream runs mostly through agriculture and forests before flowing through Leesburg and emptying into the Potomac River (and, ultimately, the Chesapeake Bay). While some offshoots may be familiar — Little River, Cromwell’s Run, Chattins Run, Bolling Branch — there are also countless unnamed tributaries that flow through area fields, farms and private properties. “Educating landowners is another great mission for us,” McGuinness said, noting a documentary or similar community-wide forum is presented annually. The GCA also plays a valuable role in supporting and sponsoring designated historic districts. Adults interested in getting their hands wet are encouraged to participate in the stream monitoring program, which delivers data to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. A prescribed protocol ensures reliable metrics, most notably the number and diversity of small bugs (macroinvertebrates) that live in the stream waters.
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JOHN COLeS
“ Specializing in Large Land Holdings” OAkeNdALe
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THe PLAiNS ~ Oakendale Farm is the epitome of an exquisite virginia hunt country estate in prime Orange County Hunt territory. From the william Lawrence Bottomley designed Manor house to the meticulously manicured gardens, grounds, dependencies and the hundreds of acres of surrounding pastures with protected view-sheds. 837 acres @ $17,990,000 ~ 333 acres @ $8,990,000
THe PLAiNS ~ world class equestrian facility comprised of 115 Acres in the OCH Territory. The u shaped complex encompasses an 80’ x 180’ lighted indoor riding arena connected by a breezeway to the 12 stall center-aisle barn and extraordinary living and entertaining quarters overlooking the outdoor ring. Additional structures include tenant houses and large heated equipment barn. $4,400,000
MiddLeBurg~A graceful & charming 5 bedroom French Country home is set amongst nearly 40 serene acres enhanced by majestic trees, rolling lawns and fenced paddocks. This property also includes a 7 stall center-aisle barn with office, additional 4 stall barn with apartment, indoor arena, and tremendous ride out potential. Located in the Orange County Hunt Territory. $3,200,000
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HuMe~great elevation, fantastic views, open land, woodlands and river frontage on the rappahannock river. 726.66 acres in 14 parcels, all of which are 50 acres or larger. Accessed from Hume road and from Black rock Ford. Mixed game for hunting. great opportunity for tax credits. $2,979,306
uPPerviLLe ~ c.1823, This stunning 6 Bedroom, 3.5 Bath, offer is one of the grand manor homes in the famed horse country of upperville on 34 acres. recently renovated, the home offers wonderful indoor and outdoor living areas. Porches, gardens, barns, paddocks, riding arena, pond, pool and magnificent views from the Bull run to Blue ridge Mountains. $2,950,000
THe PLAiNS~Stone posts and walls mark the entrance to the 133 acre country estate of Landmark. As the driveway gently rises, curves and then circles in front of the handsome two-story stone manor house, one notices that the home is sited perfectly to enjoy the expansive mountain views from the Bull run to the Blue ridge. The setting for this four bedroom, four bath residence is further heightened by the massive boxwoods and the stately trees. $2,790,000
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HuMe ~ impeccably maintained, this is an exquisite 118 acre horse farm with ten fields and paddocks of 4 board fencing, gently rolling land and panoramic views of the Blue ridge Mountains with glimpses of Skyline drive. in addition to the stucco and stone main residence, there are guest and tenant homes, numerous barns and run-ins to house 25 horses comfortably, and an indoor dressage ring. $2,495,000
THOMAS AND TALBOT REAL ESTATE (540) 687-6500 60
Middleburg, virginia 20118
MiddLeBurg ~ 145+ acres of land in sought after location on Mountville road near Foxcroft School. Several home sites with wonderful views and vistas yet extremely private, half wooded and half pasture with over 2,000 feet of goose Creek frontage. Minutes from Middleburg with easy access to dulles international Airport and washington dC. Middleburg Hunt Territory. $2,465,250
540-270-0094
THe PLAiNS~ The lovely 22.8 Acre ridgeview Farm offers a private, 4 bedroom residence sited on a knoll, with spacious rooms and views into the trees that border Little river. Located in prime Orange County Hunt territory the horse facilities include a 6 stall barn with tack room and wash stall, machine shed, run in shed and 4 beautiful board fenced paddocks, fields and round pen. vOF easement. $1,095,000
www.Thomas-Talbot.com
Country Spirit • Spring Offers 2018 subject to errors, omissions, change of price or withdrawal without notice. Information contained herein is deemed reliable, but is not so warranted nor is it otherwise guaranteed.