Sports

Fauquier Times | April 1, 2020

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SHELBY TO THE RESCUE

Nesbit helped save FHS girls tennis, then came the coronavirus

By Peter Brewington Time Sta Writer

Shelby Nesbit’s dream tennis match might have to wait awhile, but she’s still hoping to play it.

Nesbit, set to be Fauquier’s No. 1 singles player before the coronavirus wiped out the season, recently contacted Kettle Run’s scheduled No. 1, Ryan Roeber, about trading strokes anyway. Nesbit envisions a head-to-head duel at Vint Hill “as soon as it’s safe enough to play.”

“I wanted to see if we could do a match for fun. Maybe we can play in late May,” said Nesbit. “It might be in early summer. It’ll be fun to have one last match for senior year.”

Of all the lost-senior-year athlete stories, Nesbit’s has an especially bittersweet tinge. Without her, Fauquier wouldn’t have had a team at all this spring. Fauquier had no coach – Rob Deavers had resigned after six years atop the program to spend more time with his family.

A region force for many years, the team had an insufficient roster a week before spring practices were set to open last month. Nesbit was one of only two returning players this spring, along with junior Ana Wright. Two meetings gauging interest produced only four girls.

Nesbit did her part by securing an initial commitment from her chemistry teacher, Jake Preli, to coach, but the roster remained problematic.

“I tried to talk to girls at school. Nobody wanted to do it, so we were gonna call it,” said Nesbit. “Then this girl in my grade texted me and said, ‘Me and my six friends want to play tennis.’ I said, ‘Wow, now we need a coach.’’’ The Fauquier Times looks at athletes whose seasons were ended by the coronavirus.

Nesbit went back to Preli, a former FHS football star, with the amazing news. “He said, ‘You have enough people. Fine, I guess I’ll coach.’’’ Preli laughed when he recalled his involvement. “I told her if she could get six other girls I would coach, and she got 11.”

Many of the recruits played fall sports. Still, teaching neophyte players the mechanics of groundstrokes and serving was rough. “No one else knew how to play,” said Nesbit. “It was frustrating at first. We had to start from scratch.”

After two weeks of practice, the Falcons were preparing for their first match when spring sports were postponed, then ultimately scrapped, leaving an emotional scar for Nesbit.

“I was looking forward to it. I spent three years practicing, improving to be a starter my senior year. It finally happened. I’m the first seed, then it was canceled,” she said.

Nesbit says she still goes to the tennis court by herself to practice or goes running.

“Normally, I’m the only one at the courts in the morning. I practice serves. We keep in touch,” she said of her teammates. “Now is a good time to play. We don’t play together,” she added.

Nesbit works as a lifeguard at the WARF, which is closed. So, with school out and tennis canceled her life has a void. She was super-excited about the challenge of winning matches in her final high school months. “My work got shut down. It’s kind of boring. I’ve been watching ‘The Flash,’” said Nesbit, who’ll attend West Virginia University in the fall.

PHOTO BY TAMMY NESBIT Shelby Nesbit, wielding her Babolat Pure Drive racket, fought to save the Fauquier girls tennis team.

VHSL says spring sports might be played in summer

FILE PHOTO Playing spring sports in July is still a possibility.

By Peter Brewington Time Sta Writer

So you’re saying there’s a chance? The Virginia High School League has left the door open for sports activity in July after the conclusion of the current academic year. A decision to play in summer will be made in May. “Any options for the spring sports season will require that COVID-19 is no longer a threat and poses no health risks to our student-athletes or the public,” said VHSL Executive Director Dr. John W. “Billy” Haun. “This is extremely serious and a lot has to happen before May for us to extend the season.”

For sports to occur in July, which is considered a dead period, the VHSL Executive Committee would need to provide a one-time waiver to allow teams to practice and play. Any athlete signing a professional contract will not be eligible. Baseball has its draft and signing in the second week of June.

Another concern is insurance, with parents required to provide proof that their student athlete is insured through either the school, athletic participation through the school or by a family policy.

The VHSL said that students entering college and taking summer classes that are not part of any dual enrollment situation are no longer in high school, making them ineligible. New physicals will also be required since June 30 is the expiration date. There will be no state champions. Kettle Run activities director Paul Frye isn’t sure how a July season would play out, noting there are many hurdles.

“It’s not safe if kids haven’t been doing anything for two months. They’d need five to 10 days of practice, and the governor has shut everything down to at least June 10,” said Frye. “It might look more like a park and recs league. I think the VHSL is buying some time before they nix everything.”

But Frye also said the games could have some needed psychological benefit, as competition returns after the COVID-19 hardship: “We could play maybe five games between us, Fauquier and Liberty. It would be real nice.”

Spring coaches will still get paid

By Peter Brewington Time Sta Writer

It looks like spring coaches will receive their coaching stipends even though sports have been canceled. “We were told the stipends will be paid,” said Kettle Run activities director Paul Frye. Frye and fellow ADs Mark Ott of Fauquier and Dean Spahr of Liberty sought clarification of the matter in an email to Superintendent Dr. David Jeck.

Ott pointed out that all spring coaches are working nearly yearround anyway.

“If you look at it, as much as you hate to say it, they’re coaching 12 months a year. The VHSL says you can have off-season practice, so these coaches are working with kids in the fall, working to get ready for spring. I would hope they are still paid out this year. It’s been in the budget. I think it will happen.” All the local ADs previously coached varsity sports in Fauquier County. Ott was an FHS softball and golf coach, Frye coached boys basketball at Liberty, and Spahr was the Eagles’ wrestling coach.

“Coaches want be out there doing something with their kids,” said Ott. “They do it because they enjoy it. They want to watch them grow as athletes and young men and women. Coaching is not done for money. These coaches have a passion for it.”

by career and volunteer emergency responders to extend this concept to our communities in time of need, such as we are experiencing with COVID-19.” Weekly boxes of food

Hoffman said she, her husband Al and four or five volunteers will cook and pack boxes of food for the first time on Tuesday, March 31; then they’ll be delivered later that day. Matt Mize, executive chef at A la Carte Catering and Event Design in Vint Hill will also be helping out. Hoffman said that boxes will include some packaged food for breakfast – fruit, yogurt, meal bars, for instance. Each box will also have a bag of salad recipients can eat for the week, some bread, a soup choice and one hot meal for each day. Once we get the system streamlined, she said, “we will be able to scale up easily.” She said it will depend on what vendors have in stock each week, but she envisions cooking and packaging meals like lasagna or spaghetti that people can heat up in the oven or the microwave. Polster said that local vendors will be used as much as possible. Ground beef will be from Locust Hill Farms and Great Harvest in Warrenton will be baking the bread.

The second week and beyond, meals will be prepared and delivered on Mondays.

Polster has provided the seed money for the program upfront – which so far amounts to several thousand dollars. He said he would like the program to grow organically; he expects the deliveries to continue for a couple of months.

He said he’s reached out to the heads of HOAs and leaders in the faith community, to find people who might need food assistance but who are reluctant to leave their homes.

Amy Jenkins (left), of Front Diner, and Tina Fanning, a Fat Tuesday’s manager, prepare containers of food bound for Mutual Aid boxes on the Fat Tuesday’s bar.

TIMES STAFF PHOTOS/COY FERRELL Fat Tuesday’s owners Kelly and Al Hoffman pose with containers of food bound for Mutual Aid boxes on the bar at Fat Tuesday’s.

“We’re going to try not to say no to anyone who needs help.”

Polster said that residents who know of someone who would appreciate a box from Mutual Aid box can contact him at sean@seanpolsterva. com with the recipient’s name, address and contact information.

He added that, unfortunately, only Town of Warrenton residents are eligible. “That’s all we’ll be able to handle,” he said.

Home delivery

Town Councilman Alec Burnett (Ward 2) is handling the logistics of delivery. Town Councilman Jerry Wood (Ward 1) and his wife, Town Councilman Kevin Carter (Ward 5) and town council candidate Heather Sutphin are among those who have volunteered to help deliver the boxes, which will be left at front doors to minimize contact with the at-risk recipients.

After the first week, residents may post a note on their front door with other requests. Polster said, “Maybe they need toothpaste, toilet paper. Maybe they need someone to pick up a prescription. We’ll do the shopping for them and leave it in the next week’s box.”

Polster said, “I think we are blessed to live in a community that takes care of each other whether it’s the federal government shutdown or the coronavirus … You know. This is Warrenton. We take care of each other.”

Reach Robin Earl at rearl@fauquier.com

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Administration adapts to realities of months-long closures

By Robin Earl Time Sta Writer

Just as Fauquier County’s school division was getting its arms around the ramifications of a four-week, coronavirus-inspired school closure, the administration has had to quickly adapt to new disruptions; Gov. Ralph Northam declared March 23 that schools must remain closed for the rest of the school year.

Some of the most urgent questions revolve around graduation (students who were on track to graduate in June will be able to) and how learning will continue among students that don’t have access to internet service and/or computers and tablets. An answer to that second question is a work in progress.

Tara Helkowski, spokeswoman for the school division, said in an email March 25 that school division teams are working to develop an instructional plan based on the new guidelines provided by the Virginia Department of Education. The school division plans to survey families to assess their device and internet connectivity needs. The preliminary plan is to provide supplemental devices and hotspots based on the survey results. “Instructional delivery options will be varied and will also be informed by the survey results,” she said.

Helkowski added, “Along with keeping our kids safe, our priority is to provide students with opportunities to continue to learn and grow. While this is challenging, considering we are no longer face-to-face with our students, it opens up possibilities for us to think differently about teaching and learning. We are grateful that the state has provided us with flexibility in ensuring we meet the needs of all our learners.”

On the school division’s coronavirus information page, it states, “In the next few days, we will survey families to find out how many of our students do not have access to a device for learning. We will use that information to help us plan for device distribution. Our goal is to have that plan in place by April 9.”

In the case of families that do not have internet access, the page offers, “In the next few days, we will survey families to find out how many of our students do not have internet access at home. We will use that information to help us plan for the distribution and/or positioning of hotspots.”

The page offers a couple of options for internet access in the meantime: Exploring a Comcast Internet Essentials option (for those who are eligible for public assistance programs like the National School Lunch Program, housing assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, and others), or parking next to a school building to access the FCPS guest network. Frequently asked questions

The school division is pushing out weekday emails to keep parents and staff up to date on the decisions being made on instruction and other evolving issues. The FAQ page may be found at https://www.fcps1.org/Page/3186.

Here are some of the questions that the school division has provided answers to so far: Q: Will seniors still graduate? A: Yes, the state has the authority to waive most of the graduation requirements for our seniors, so that anyone who was a 12th-grader and on track to graduate as of March 13, will graduate.

More details can be found in Superintendent's Memo #077-20. Q: Will students in grades K-11 move on to the next grade? A: According to the Virginia State Superinten

dent Dr. James Lane, "We are going to make it as easy as possible for students K-11 to move on to the next grade." Q: What instructional resources are available now? A: FCPS instructional staff has provided a wealth of learning resources at this link. Additionally, teachers are providing resources and activities for students to stay connected to their schools and classrooms through communication channels previously established during the school year. We have asked teachers to update their Blackboard pages to provide you with additional supplemental materials. Q: What is the plan for instruction now that schools are closed for the rest of the academic year? A: FCPS instructional staff is developing guidelines that will assist in continuing thinking, learning and inquiry for all students. These instructional guidelines will be provided to teachers and school leaders by April 9. New instruction for students will begin on or about April 14. Q: Will AP testing take place? A: On March 20, the College Board provided an update stating that AP testing will continue but will be offered in an abbreviated, at-home format. Based on that information, we have determined the following:

For the 2019-2020, school year, AP exams will not be required for FCPS students enrolled in an AP course.

For the 2019-2020 school year, all FCPS students will receive weight for their AP courses without having to take the associated AP exam. The College Board will be providing resources for students to review for those that still choose to take exams.

See SCHOOLS, page 15

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Have you ever heard of the U.S. School Garden Army from the days of the first World War? (Look it up – it’ll be today’s history lesson!) Our family recently learned about this program and found it great inspiration for expanding our garden in these uncertain times.

I work in the hospitality industry, so like many people, my hours have dwindled due to the COVID-19 epidemic and my kids are now home from school for the foreseeable future – what better time to start, expand or revitalize a garden?

I am far from an expert on gardening, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that a little trial and error goes a long way. I once planted a vine cucumber plant too close to a pear tree and ended up with cucumbers dangling from the branches.

Why plant a garden? • Food -- Our 8-year-old’s favorite thing about gardening is eating the food. Be it fresh peas, raspberries, corn, melon or vine-ripe tomatoes, food pretty much sums up her motivation for all the work that goes into preparing and maintaining a garden. • Dirt – There’s just something about dirt and kids (adults, too). I’m pretty sure there are scientific studies that show that digging in the dirt helps boost the immune system and improve mood. You can research that with your kids, too – it’ll be today’s science lesson. • Fresh air and exercise – I don’t know about your kids, but mine are always happier when they’ve had a good dose of fresh air and exercise. Shoveling loads of mulch or compost counts as exercise, right? • Conversation – Our middle child keeps up constant chatter while we work in the garden. Sometimes the conversation is light, like what he’s planning to build next in Minecraft, and other times it’s surprisingly deep, like what he thinks the long-term impact of the current epidemic might be. • Silent companionship – Our oldest is 11 and a half years old and is often found with his headphones on listening to an audiobook. I found

AMBER KIFFNEY

this challenging at first when we worked in the garden together but have learned to just enjoy his presence. • New skills – Get a book on smallscale gardening from the local library. (Have you tried their curbside pickup?) Look up information online or just get some seeds and read the planting instructions on the back.

Planting your own food doesn’t have to mean moving out to a farm. We live in town on a half-acre lot, so we are fairly limited on space, but we gardened even when we lived in a townhouse with a tiny yard. We have found that raised beds work well for us.

While ours are built from cedar boards that a family member gave us years ago, modern pressure treated lumber is a great, readily available option and there are lots of tutorials online for building raised beds. You can create a garden from an existing flower bed, or even just sneak a few vegetables into your ornamental areas (lettuce can actually make an attractive- and functional – border or filler). Of course, if you have space, a classic in-ground garden is always an option. A few tips for getting started

Start small – If it’s your first time planting a garden, don’t plan on acres of plants unless you’re prepared for a pretty major investment of time and energy to keep it all going. Our first garden bed was 2 by 8 feet with herbs, a couple tomato plants, and the aforementioned cucumbers. You can go even smaller – many vegetables can even be grown in pots.

Stick to common plants in the beginning - don’t try to grow anything unusual when you’re just starting out. Try tomatoes, herbs, lettuce, peas, melons (if you have space, they spread) and squashes like yellow

Planting a seed... • Fauquier High School’s horticulture group has a plant sale every spring at its greenhouse at FHS. So far, the sale is still on for this spring, May 1 and 2, 8 and 9. The gardeners have a greenhouse full of plants that have been growing since the fall. • Amber Kiffney recently started a Facebook Group called Virginia’s MOST Amateur Garden Club. She writes that the group is primarily geared toward amateur gardeners in the Northern Virginia area. “Our group exists for beginning gardeners to discuss what we’re planting and when, to ask each other questions and share our experiences, trials and errors. This is a judgement-free zone and the discussion should be kept strictly to gardening, please and thank you!”

Owen Kiffney, 9, helps out at the Fauqiuer Education Farm last weekend.

squash or zucchini or even pumpkins.

If you have a structure they can grow up or on, cherry tomatoes can be especially fun for kids. I once walked out to our garden to find my kids and a number of buddies from the neighborhood essentially doing a tasting party of the various cherry tomato varieties we were growing that year.

Don’t try to learn how to grow everything at once. Pick two or three things you know your family will eat and start with growing those. For best results, let your kids help decide what to grow. When our kids were preschoolers, we built them each their own 2 by 2 foot raised bed in which they could grow anything they wanted as long as it would fit. Years later, they still clean out their garden beds each spring and decide what to grown in them.

If you can get it, bagged cow compost is my secret weapon for a successful garden. You mix it into the soil before planting (the back of the bag tells you how much to use). Don’t worry, the smell dissipates quickly!

As your bounty starts to come in you can share any excess with friends or neighbors, freeze, can, dry or otherwise preserve your bounty. Tomatoes are a fairly straightforward first canning project – just be sure to find and follow directions from an expert. Making pickles is surprisingly easy and fun. There is lots of information online and at the library for how best to freeze or otherwise preserve your bounty.

Amber Kiffney is a mother of three. She and her family live in Warrenton.

After confusion, Department of Health clarifies takeout guidelines for restaurants

By Coy Ferrell Time Sta Writer

Restaurants are permitted to allow customers inside to pick up takeout orders, according to a March 23 clarification issued from the Virginia Department of Health.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam issued an executive order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on Monday, that, among other provisions, mandated the “closure” of restaurants and other businesses that sell prepared food, although the order also said that these establishments “may continue to offer delivery and take-out services.”

That last phrase – “take-out services” – caused confusion for some local businesses last week as the Virginia Department of Health issued guidelines interpreting the executive order.

Nikki Guskiewicz, of Deja Brew Café, and Zan Dial, of Ellie’s Place, both said they were visited by health department officials instructing them not to allow customers inside the building to pick up takeout orders.

A March 25 email sent to food service establishments from the Rappahannock Rapidan Health District office of the Virginia Department of Health advised that “patrons should not enter the food establishment” and that all takeout orders “should be delivered curbside by the food establishment employee(s).”

However, VDH received new guidance from the governor’s office on March 26 which said that “patrons are allowed into the lobby of food establishments in order to pick up their food,” according to Whitney Wright, the environmental health manager for the Rappahannock Rapidan Health District of VDH.

“We spoke with many of you yesterday and understand that requirements as a result of the order have been confusing and difficult,” said

the March 26 email from Wright.

The VDH website now states: “Facilities are encouraged to bring take-out orders outside,” but it no longer contains language requiring restaurants to forbid customers from entering if they choose.

The current guidelines also instruct food service businesses to “maintain adequate social distancing (6 feet separation) and limit patrons in the establishment to less than 10 at any time. No dine-in (indoors or outdoors) is permitted.”

More guidance for food establishments can be found on the VDH website.

For FCPS students who choose to take AP Exams, FCPS will pay for those exams.

There will be more guidance about AP exams and dual enrollment as we work with our partners. Q: How will SOL tests for underclassmen be handled this year? A: Since SOL tests will not be administered this year, students currently enrolled in a course with an end-of-course test will be afforded a locally verified credit. Q: If a student was failing a course as of March 13, will the student automatically fail the course? A: No, plans will be made to provide a student who is failing a course with additional learning opportunities to pass the course. Q: Will the learning packets/resources provided during the two-week mandatory closure period be graded? A: No, nor are they required to be completed or turned in. Q: When will report cards be distributed from schools? A: Teachers have now finalized grades for the third nine weeks. Once staff can access the school buildings, we will prepare for report card distribution. If possible, we plan to mail report cards by April 13.

Q: Will graduations take place as planned? A: We are currently discussing options for celebrating our graduates. Q: Will school board meetings still take place? A: At this time, yes. However, they will only be viewable to the public via live stream at www. fcps1.org/live. Q: Will kindergarten registration begin soon? While KG Registration Week has been postponed (we require in-person verification of some documents), online registration (OLR) is available now. Regardless of when the in-person KG Registration Week is re-scheduled, we would like parents to complete OLR prior to bringing records to the school. We will not be accepting in-person documentation until a yet-undetermined time in the future.

Fauquier establishing temporary internet hotspots during COVID-19 closures

INTERNET, from page 1

hardt emphasized. The goal of the hotspots, he said, is to provide a place where residents affected by disruptions to schools and businesses caused by COVID-19 can go to access the internet while adhering to guidelines meant to prevent the spread of the virus.

“It’s open and it’s free,” said Gerhardt of the internet connection that will be available at the various access points, which will utilize commercial Wi-Fi equipment designed for outdoor use.

Gerhardt thanked broadband company Datastream, who he said would provide the bandwidth for the project at no cost, for their role in the initiative. A $70,000 grant from the PATH Foundation, is covering the cost of the equipment and its installation. The county will fund costs beyond that.

Other public Wi-Fi options

Although Fauquier public libraries are not currently open to the public – curbside pickup is available at the Warrenton and Bealeton locations - all three public library locations have free Wi-Fi that is available to the public from outside the building, according to Lisa Pavlock, the library system’s public information coordinator. Wi-Fi at the Warrenton branch will only be available during regular library hours.

The networks are password protected, Pavlock said, but the passwords are posted on the doors of the Warrenton, Bealeton and Marshall libraries.

Another possibility for free WiFi is accessing the internet at a public school building. Fauquier County Public Schools’ website suggests those in need of internet access “[p]ark next to one of our school buildings to access the FCPS guest network.”

This guidance applies to all public schools in the county, confirmed Tara Helkowski, FCPS public information officer. Helkowski emphasized that the suggestion to park next to schools was not meant to be the answer for schoolchildren without internet access at home.

“We realize [parking next to school buildings] isn’t a viable solution, however,” said Helkowski about the effort to make sure schoolchildren have access to learning resources for the remainder of the academic year. “We are currently working on more reliable ways to provide our families with access.” She elaborated that the school division already owns some hotspot devices that can be checked out to families. There is also the possibility of ordering new hotspots and equipping buses with internet access points and parking them in neighbors. She said that the school division is currently surveying families to gauge the needs of families throughout the county.

Comcast Xfinity, which operates a network of Wi-Fi hotspots at businesses and outdoor locations, has made accessing those networks free during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Consumers can find a nearby Wi-Fi location using an interactive map at wifi.xfinity.com.

Comcast is also offering the first two months free to new customers who qualify for its Internet Essentials service.

Internet Essentials is available to residents who are eligible for some government assistance programs; after the two-month introductory period, the service is $9.95 per month, plus tax, for residents who qualify for the service. More information about the service can be found at internetessentials.com.

According to the consumer information website BroadbandNow, Comcast cable internet service is available to 71.5% of Fauquier residents.

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