Colonial Beach 2013
Inside: Art, Biking, Boating, Dining, Fishing, Golf Carting, Music, Picnicking, Shopping, Swimming and more!
Enjoy summer activities at the Beach
Published by The Journal Press, Inc.
2 May 2013, The Journal’s Potomac River Festival
Ravens’ Torrey Smith, right, holds the ball and waits with another player for his chance on the court.
Ravens’ Torrey Smith is grand marshal for CB Potomac River Festival Parade Richard Leggitt Colonial Beach Mayor Mike Ham told the Westmoreland County Board of Supervisors recently that Torrey Smith, the star wide-receiver of the Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens, will be the grand marshal of the grand feature parade at the 2013 Potomac River Festival next month. “It’s probably the biggest event of the year in Colonial Beach,” said Ham. Smith, who attended elementary school in Colonial Beach and has numerous relatives in the area, will be the headliner at the parade held on Saturday. Mayor Ham told the supervisors that this year’s festival will be held June 7 through 9. There is also a Firemen’s Parade on Friday evening. Sponsored by the Colonial Beach Chamber of Commerce, the Potomac River Festival has been held in the beach community for 61 years. A carnival, sponsored by the Colonial Beach Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary actually begins on Wednesday, June 5. The carnival, held on Town Hill on Washington Avenue, will feature a ferris wheel, chair swing, giant slide and other rides for families and friends. The carnival will open at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, and 1 p.m. on Sunday. Funnel cakes, corn dogs and cotton candy will be available along with cool lemonade. The Firemen’s Parade on Friday will begin at 7:30 p.m., and there will be a Miss Colonial Beach Beauty Contest on Town Stage after the Friday parade. The Saturday parade featuring Torrey Smith will begin at noon. There will also be live entertainment beginning at 3 p.m., and fireworks beginning at 9:15 p.m. Sunday will feature a pet parade, a boat parade, and a beer and wine garden on Town Hill. There will be food vendors, and arts and crafts along the Boardwalk. The Colonial Beach Police Department, the Westmoreland County Sheriff ’s Office, Virginia State Police and Virginia Marine Police will be providing security throughout the weekend.
Peoples Community Bank invites you to celebrate our 100th year Anniversary! Saturday, June 22, 2013 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at our Montross Branch Come join the fun! Hometown Congressman Rob Wittman will speak and Gov. Bob McDonnell has been invited. Classic Car Show • Music by band “Southern Bred” • Spin the Fortune Wheel for a chance to win $100 in cash & prizes • Bouncy Houses and Miniature pony cart rides for the children • Hot Dogs, sodas and ice cream. Music & lots of fun! Parking will be available at Washington & Lee High School an easy walk or catch the shuttle bus Hope to see you on June 22nd! Celebrating serving the Community as your “Home Town Bank” Rated one of the nation’s strongest banks. King George: 8065 Kings Highway (540) 775-2914
Dahlgren: 5082 James Madison Pkwy. (540) 644-9706 Montross: 15960 Kings Highway (804) 493-8031
Warsaw: 4593 Richmond Road, (804) 333-3500 Fredericksburg: 175 Kings Highway (540) 371-6889
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The Journal’s Potomac River Festival, May 2013 3
Colonial Beach on the Potomac Colonial Beach is located on the North Eastern most end of the Northern Neck in Virginia. It sits on the Potomac River and is known for its gambling back in the 1950s. Today visitors still can get a taste of betting at Riverboat on The Potomac which features Off-Track Betting, as well as both Virginia and Maryland lottery, Keno and card game tournaments. The town features a large beachfront for swimming, wading and boating along the Potomac on its east side. Numerous marinas line the protective waters of Monroe Bay on the town’s west side. A free public boat launch is located on the Southern tip of Colonial Beach with inexpensive spaces to park vehicles and boat trailers while you spend the day on the water. A trolley system runs during the summer accessing every area of Colonial Beach or visitors can call one of the local cab services. Colonial Beach is a golf-cart community, sharing the road with vehicles and bicyclists. The downtown area features medium box stores with a mix of small quaint shops, including golf cart rentals, thrift stores and gift shops throughout. A large group of artists have settled in Colonial Beach and the town is quickly becoming a hub of local and visiting artists featured at various shops in town. Nightlife in Colonial Beach has grown up since the early days, with a large variety of restaurant style bars and pubs with many featuring live entertainment year round. The town also has local private clubs such as the Moose lodge, American Legion, VFW and the Eagles. There is also a local group for boy-scouts, girl scouts and venture crew. Colonial Beach is also home to a host of large birds of prey, such as osprey, eagles and the occasional hawk. Cranes, blue herons, swans, geese, ducks, seagulls, loons and a variety of small birds also reside year round in Colonial Beach.
Blue crabs are plentiful in summer and oysters in winter, thanks to conservation efforts that have brought back these local delicacies. Colonial Beach also offers many tackle shops to accommo-
date fishermen and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission is located in the downtown area on the corner of Taylor and Wilder Ave. Copy and photo by Linda Farneth
Summer Activities in Colonial Beach Potomac River Festival Colonial Beach offers a host of entertainment activities throughout the year starting with the Potomac River Festival, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce. The Festival brings together a variety of local and outside talents for entertainment as well as shopping experiences for hand made art, crafts and souvenirs. Over the years local non profit groups have added events either close to or during the festival weekend. The fun really begins with on June 5 with the Colonial Beach Volunteer Firemen’s Festival Carnival hosted by the ladies auxiliary. Overlooking the Potomac River on Town Hill, the carnival traditionally offers a family night. With one low price kids receive a bracelet that allows them to ride as many rides as they can handle till 9 p.m. The carnival continues throughout the week and during the Festival weekend. Thursday, June 6 is a great day to take advantage of touring the many historical sites within minutes of Colonial Beach. George Washington’s Birthplace is just 15 minutes up the road on Route 3 and just five more minutes brings you to the Westmoreland State Park. After a day of adventure take advantage of one of many local restaurants featuring locally harvested blue crabs and other local fish. For lodging the town offers many quaint bed and breakfasts as well as the newly renovated Rivers Edge, located at the base of Town Hill overlooking the Potomac River. On Friday spend the day on the beach soaking up the sun, but be sure to stake out a spot along the parade route for the Firemen’s Parade which will begin at 7:30 p.m.
The Firemen’s Parade draws companies from hundreds of miles away to show off their trucks, flash their lights and blare their horns which can be heard across the river as far away as Maryland. Be sure to bring earplugs and a bag for collecting candy. The parade route is clearly marked before the weekend events begin. Immediately after the parade folks gather to watch the Miss Colonial Beach Beauty Contest on the town hill stage while judges and visitors get an up close look at the fire trucks. You don’t want to miss the trucks leaving the beach, blowing off their sirens one last time and waving goodbye. On Saturday the Arts and Craft show begins at 10 a.m. and food vendors will be present for all day dining. The Grand Parade begins at noon featuring Hometown Heroes as its theme, with Baltimore Ravens Receiver, Torrey Smith as the Grand Marshal. Smith started his career in Colonial Beach as a small boy taught by local Coach Steve Swope before he moved to neighboring King George. The parade award ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. on the town stage and live entertainment will begin at 3 p.m. and run till 11 p.m. Fireworks will be shot from the Town Pier and can be viewed all along the beach as well as from town hill and the carnival area. Fireworks begin shortly after dark and signaled by the fire department’s siren, as are many event beginnings such as the parades. Sunday winds down a bit but the fun continues with the Boat Parade at 1 p.m. and the Pet Parade on Town Stage at 2 p.m.
4 May 2013, The Journal’s Potomac River Festival
New tourist idea
Take a group oystering
Coming with children to the Northern Neck? Are the grandchildren in town?
Twenty things to do w/ kids in the Northern Neck:
Captain David Rowe loads oysters on the culling table on Bay Quest
Visitors experience new marine tourism program on Coan River
of the watermen who have worked the waters around the Northern Neck for generations. When the Captains demonstrated oyster tonging, several visitors were inspired to give the tongs a try, and came away from the experience with new-found appreciation for Warsaw — Seventy people aboard two the strength and perseverance necessary to James River buses came to Lottsburg on harvest and then cull oysters in preparation the morning of Friday, April 26, to learn for market. Visitors were interested in the about the Virginia oyster and its habitat, concept of oyster leases and learned about cultivation, and harvest. As the visitors the Baylor Survey of 1894, which mapped on one bus pulled into the Coan River oyster beds reserved for public use. Both Captain Rowe and Captain Crabbe Marina to go out on two Chesapeake Bay deadrises, the other group went to Cowart had participated in the Chesapeake Heritage Seafood Corporation to tour the oyster Program in February, which provided hatchery; the groups switched activities for training for watermen to give visitors an on-water experience that includes history, the afternoon. Third-generation watermen Captain the Bay’s health and the watermen’s heritage Danny Crabbe, aboard KIT II, and Captain unique to the Chesapeake Bay and its David Rowe, on Bay Quest, spoke about the tributaries. The Chesapeake Heritage Program was oyster’s role in the health of the Chesapeake Bay, past years’ decline, and now resurgence, funded by the Northern Neck Chesapeake in the oyster population, and the traditions Bay Region Partnership and Rappahannock Community College Workforce Development. The events for the group were arranged by Northern Neck Heritage Tours in Heathsville, and included lunch, and an introduction to colonial culture of the Northern Neck at Rice’s Hotel/Hughlett’s Tavern, a circa 1795 historical landmark, where historian Carolyn H. Jett provided insights into the area’s tobacco heritage, and several artisan guilds demonstrated blacksmithing, woodworking, spinning, and weaving. The group spent the weekend at Tides Inn, where they experienced the river’s culinary delights with a broader recognition of the watermen’s work that makes the harvest possible. For more information on Northern Neck events and attractions, visit www.northernneck.org or Trying out the oyster tongs during the outing. call 804.333.1919.
1. Hunt for fossils or make a shark’s tooth necklace at Westmoreland State Park. dcr. virginia.gov/state_parks/wes.shtml#generalinfo Did you find a camel’s tooth?! 2. In May or early June, pick strawberries at Westmoreland Berry Farm. Pick enough for strawberry shortcake. Find out what’s in season before you go: westmorelandberryfarm.com Don’t forget to check out the goats before you leave! 3. In the Great House at Stratford Hall, find the angels on the fireback in the chimney. Hunt for shark’s teeth on the beach. Hike down to the mill. Buy cornmeal (for corn muffins) in the gift shop ground at Stratford Hall. stratfordhall.org Add berries from the berry farm and make blueberry corn muffins when you get home. 4. Build a wooden boat (Mabel skiff) at the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum, June 28– 30, from Friday to Sunday: rfmuseum.org/workshops.html Also a children’s model building workshop is held in August. 5. For older, tech-savvy kids, the Northern Neck is a giant geocache! Stratford Hall, which is part of the Star Spangled Geotrail, Westmoreland State Park, Belle Isle State Park in Lancaster, Reedville and loads of points in between! GPS equipment rentals available at state parks. Star-Spangled Geotrail info: friendsofchesapeakegateways.org/projects/ssb_geotrail/ 6. Catch a big one in Wilna Pond during Kids Fish Day in June at Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Richmond County: http://www.fws.gov/ refuge/Rappahannock_River_Valley/visit/visitor_activities.html 7. Everything is fun about the Richmond County Fair at the August 20–24. Be a Farmer for the Day! 8. Quietly go in to Christ Church in Weems, in Lancaster County. There’s a great hands-on visitors center, or participate in Hands-On History Day, or play Colonial games on a Second Saturday: christ-church1735.org/kids.html 9. Take a free ferry ride (in the car) across the Corrotoman (upper Lancaster, near Merry Point) or Little Wicomico Rivers (Northumberland, near Reedville). 10. Where’s the playground? Climb over a giant crab at the playground in Kilmarnock, on Waverly Avenue, or at Belle Isle State Park, for ages 5-12. 11. Reach the Beach! Colonial Beach, Vir-Mar Beach, Westland Beach – to name a few! colonialbeach.org 12. For older kids, ride in the biking festival, RiverRide, September 27th & 28th. Family-friendly supported biking in the Northern Neck. riverride.org 13. Tractor-happy? The Northern Neck Farm Museum is a must-see! From steampowered to gas & diesel, tractors galore. Look for special events, like the corn maze during the fall. thefarmmuseum.org/events 14. Identify trees at Menokin, the estate home of Francis Lightfoot Lee, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The house is a partial ruin, so you can walk around it and see how they built homes many years ago. Menokin.org 15. Play tennis in Warsaw at Rappahannock Community College’s courts. Open to the public, night-lights until 10pm! 16. On the weekend, rent a kayak or canoe at Belle Isle State Park and paddle across to the Morattico Waterfront Museum, and come back to the park! Age 10+ 17. September 21 is Kinsale Day—and a Rubber Duck Derby! For more information, see kinsalefoundation.org 18. Go camping in Reedville and then take the boat to either Smith or Tangier Island the next morning. campingfriend.com/ChesapeakeBayCamp-Resort and tangiercruise.com/tangier-island-cruises.asp 19. Get the family together on a charter boat and catch dinner! crabbescharterfishing. com or chuckscharterfishing.net or bayquest-fishing.com 20. Visit the northernneck.org calendar or your local library for other family-friendly events. At the library, check out a book on George Washington and plan your visit to his birthplace on beautiful Pope’s Creek in Westmoreland County: nps.gov/ gewa. Bring a picnic lunch!
The Journal’s Potomac River Festival, May 2013 5
•
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Visit Website For Complete Schedule www.colonialbeachdragstrip.com
6 May 2013, The Journal’s Potomac River Festival
The Bell House Bed & Breakfast
A
charming circa 1882 Victorian on the Potomac River, once the Catch the Shriner Mini Patrol at the Potomac River Festival Grand Parade! summer home of Alexander Graham Bell. Private baths, wine & cheese, full breakfast. Sit on the front porch and enjoy the magnificent view of the Potomac.
What would a festival be without a fire truck or two?
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The Journal’s Potomac River Festival, May 2013 7
Anne Skinner Denson
November 2, 1919 – February 2, 2013. R.I.P.
For most of the twentieth century one of the Northern Neck’s iconic landmarks and traditions was Denson’s Grocery at Colonial Beach. Originally it was in a small frame building on Bancroft Ave., where the Denson family worked wonders in filling the traditional trading and social functions that characterize small-town life. The original Mr. Denson died during the Depression, leaving the business to his widow, Jetta, and their son, Bernard, known to all as Boozie. No computer could tally a bill as quickly as Mrs. Jetta Denson, and no gourmet butchery had a meat array Henry Lane surpassing Boozie’s. I recall one occasion when he told my father that he Hull had a particularly good cut of meat that he had held and put aside for us. In the Second World War Boozie served his country, during which he was wounded. Upon returning home, he met his future wife, Anne Skinner, while he was convalescing. After their marriage Anne came to the family stand, and became a favorite figure among Beachites, as Colonial Beach residents and enthusiasts were known. By the early 1950s the Densons decided that the old store was too small to accommodate their business, and they purchased prop-
erty across the avenue and began building their new store. At that time they had two daughters, Jetta and Carole, and were expecting another child. The building took shape quickly, and they planned a grand opening on April 4, 1956, but that event was not their most important occasion of the moment, for their third child, a boy, also named Bernard, but better known as Rocky, was born on that very day. Boozie served on the town council, and won election as mayor on 1958, served two terms, then lost his election, but came back, and served in and out of town government until his death in 1980, while again on the council. The elder Jetta died in the 1970s, still active in the business, and after Boozie’s death Anne continued to operate the store, until the bigger markets came to town. She spent much of her retirement as the full-time caregiver for her daughter, Jetta, who lived most of her life as a victim of multiple sclerosis. In that arena Anne gave Jetta a splendid quality of life through her personal service. In her 80s she extended her labor of love with the vigor and determination of a person decades younger. To visit them was always a memorable experience. Jetta remained cheerful and keenly aware of the world beyond her bedroom window where her confinement did not diminish her expansive interests. Her mother stood bysupportive, nurturing, and engaged. The care she gave Jetta
was fully professional, and utterly loving. They both were accepting of their roles in life, enjoying each other’s company, and happy to be alive. Jetta died several years ago, and Anne adjusted to her life without her. Carole spent her career as a banker at the Beach. Rocky went into the insurance business, from which he has retired, and now has returned to his roots, re-opening a new Denson’s Market, a few blocks from the original site, bringing back to Colonial Beach the lore and tradition of Denson’s, and all of its history in the “good old days.” Two months ago, at the age of 93, Anne died, having lived to see the Denson name once again prominent in the Colonial Beach retail scene. She was a beloved figure everywhere she went, both due to her welcoming personality in running her business and to the great respect with which all who knew her esteemed her. She related to every person she met, and despite whatever vicissitudes were visited upon her, she remained happy and joyful. All these years later I vividly recall childhood conversations with her in their store, remembering her as a genuine friend, particularly concerned that I be careful walking home with whatever purchases my mother had sent me to get. She was more than our grocer or my parent’s friend; she was mine as well. This article is reprinted with permission from the Rappahannock Record.
James Monroe Birthplace Park and Museum
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Bring lunch and enjoy the picnic area on the grounds or launch your canoe from our dock on Monroe Creek, which flows into Monroe Bay and the Potomac River. The Foundation’s purpose is for Education and Preservation honoring the life and legacy of James Monroe, our fifth President and founding father. He was the only other US President to have served in active duty in the Revolutionary War other than George Washington and helped save this nation during the War of 1812 when he served as both Secretary of State and Secretary of War. Visit the new Museum with its expanded exhibits honoring President James Monroe. Directions: The Birthplace is located on Route 205 in Westmoreland County, 1 mile east of Colonial Beach at 4850 James Monroe Highway at the James Monroe Birthplace Historical marker. www.monroefoundation.org • virginiapresidents@gmail.com Find the James Monroe Memorial Foundation on Facebook 804-214-9145
8 May 2013, The Journal’s Potomac River Festival
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Congratulations on your 62nd Potomac River Festival
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The Journal’s Potomac River Festival, May 2013 9
High Tides’ new palm trees signal a Rockin’ Beach Season Richard Leggitt
Nine new palm trees. A large new outdoor grill. An enlarged and improved stage. Newly painted tropical colored chairs. Wines from the Trump Winery. And, almost 40 popular bands on the summer schedule. With another summer at the beach here, High Tides on the Potomac plans to be ready! The family built and owned restaurant and bar has become an essential part of the food, fun and music that has made Colonial Beach popular for generations. “We’re working hard, so Colonial Beach will come back and be what it used to be,” said Vickie Coffman, who with her husband, Bryan, and her children built and opened High Tides in 2005. Today, with 65 employees, their restaurant and bar is one of the town’s largest private employers. To get ready for a new season, Vickie and Bryan had nine palm trees trucked from Florida to replace palms that died during the cold winter weather. They built a large outdoor grill next to the Black Pearl Tiki Bar that will serve barbeque, burgers, kabobs and islandstyle pork chops to accompany the beer, wine and frozen drinks served at the bar. — Vickie Coffman The Coffmans painted many of their outdoor chairs in tropical island colors and this summer they will be the first restaurant in the area to serve wine from Donald Trump’s new Charlottesville winery. And, the Black Pearl Tiki Bar has an expanded stage that will host a wide range of rock and blues bands from May 4 through Sept. 8. Free concerts will be held almost every weekend. High Tides, located on the Colonial Beach Boardwalk, will of course continue to serve the steaks and seafood that made the restaurant one of the premier dining facilities on the Potomac River. “We try to be the best we can be,” said longtime employee Bonnie Gysel. The credit for the growth and success of High Tides and the Black Pearl Tiki Bar goes to the Coffmans and their hard-working family and friends. “We bought the beachfront property and then went to South Carolina and Florida looking at different venues that we thought were unique,” said Vickie. “We combined the best of what we found.” Bryan served as general contractor, and the construction of the riverfront restaurant was done by the Coffmans, their three sons and several longtime family friends. Today, the Coffmans are hands-on managers of the popular restaurant and bar with the help of one of their sons, a daughter-in-law and two of their granddaughters. This year, Mondays will again be Game Nights featuring darts and other games; Tuesdays will be Movie Nights with popcorn, drinks and feature films under the stars; and on Wednesdays and Thursdays, Rockin’ Roger, a local musician who is a one-man rock band, will entertain guests. The weekends continue to draw top billings and top crowds ending with Doug Parks and the Lonewolves on Sept. 8. Other summer weekend entertainment will include a long list of popular bands and featured special events for the June 21-23 Blues Festival, the 4th of July and Labor Day weekends. “Colonial Beach is such a great place,” Vickie said. “It’s a little hidden secret. We want to help get the word out.
“We’re working hard, so Colonial Beach will come back and be what it used to be.”
New Palm trees greet you at the entrance to High Tides
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Celebrate History Come in and learn what has drawn visitors to our shores since the nineteenth century through exhibits, pictures and videos. 128 Hawthorn St., Colonial Beach, VA 22443 (corner of Hawthorn St. & Washington Ave.) Hours: April 13 • December 14 Saturday, 1-4 & Sunday, 1-4 For further information please call
Beach Discount Winners in the 2011 Festival parade
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Monroe Bay Inn Bed & Breakfast
Enjoy comfortable rooms with private baths, full breakfast, and a relaxing atmosphere. The Inn is situated one block from Monroe Bay and three blocks from the Potomac River. Walk to the public beach and pier. Visit art galleries, shops, and restaurants. Go fishing, boating or bird watching.
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8 21 Weems Street Colonial Beach, VA 22443 Phone: (804) 224-1101
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12 May 2013, The Journal’s Potomac River Festival
For All Your Medical Needs King George Medical Center now has two campuses to serve you. The Gateway Campus is located at 11131 Journal Parkway in King George County and the Dahlgren Campus is located right outside of the Dahlgren Main Gate at 5254 Potomac Drive. At the Gateway Campus you will find Gateway Medical Urgent Care and King George Pediatrics. We have also worked with Specialty practices to bring Central Virginia Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, Virginia Cardiovascular Consultants and Fall Hill Gastroenterology out to see King George and surrounding area patients right here in King George for your convenience. These specialists usually work out of the Gateway campus one day per week.
The Visitor Center now open Friday Sunday
At the Gateway Medical Urgent Care you can be seen Monday-Friday 8am-8pm and Saturday 9-3 by a rotation of medical providers that specialize in emergency medicine and urgent care. Dr. Keith Hummel, Dr. Roosevelt Dean, Dr. Michael Costa, along with Physician Assistant Amy
MacSparran and Nurse Practitioner Carol Campbell, all live in King George or the surrounding areas, so they may be your neighbors. You can reach the Urgent Care or find out information on the visiting Specialist by calling (540) 7758009. King George Pediatrics is open 8-4:30 Monday-Friday and has same day appointments available, as well as accepts almost all insurances. Dr. Ilya Zavelsky and Nurse Practitioner Sabrina Hawkins would be honored to take care and watch your child grow. The caring and compassionate staff of King George Pediatrics thoroughly enjoys being a part of your child’s progression. Call (540) 775-6891.
DENSON’S GROCERY STAPLES & SPECIALTIES
Colonial Beach Chamber’s 2012 Business of the Year Proprietor
(804) 224-4121 117 Washington Ave. Colonial Beach, VA 22443
Friday:
Firemen’s Parade Miss Colonial Beach (following parade)
Saturday:
Grand Marshal Parade Arts & Crafts & Vendors on Town Hill Music on Town Stage, 3–5 p.m. Fireworks at 9 p.m.
Sunday:
Boat Parade at 1 p.m. Pet Parade at 2 p.m.
Carnival from Wednesday - Sunday Complete details at
www.ColonialBeach.org (804) 224-8145
The Journal’s Potomac River Festival, May 2013
13
Virginia’s Northern Neck At-a-Glance Originally inhabited by eight separate Virginia Indian tribes who established villages along its shores, Virginia’s Northern Neck is one of the most historic regions in Virginia. In 1608, our first tourist, Captain John Smith, referred to it “as a place heaven and earth never agreed better to frame man’s habitation.” This peninsula, nestled between the Potomac and the Rappahannock Rivers, and spilling into the Chesapeake Bay, was part of the enormous 1649 land grant by Charles II, known as the Fairfax Grant. The bountiful waters of the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay, supported and induced English settlement. The English built stately homes and farmed tobacco for export to England, which became the basis of the Northern Neck’s economy during the Colonial era. The Northern Neck’s most famous son, George Washington, born on Pope’s Creek off of the Potomac River, called the region “the Garden of Virginia.” James Madison, fourth president of the United States, was
born at Port Conway in King George County in 1751 at his grandparents’ home, Belle Grove. Our nation’s fifth president, James Monroe, was born in Westmoreland County in 1758. The Lee family of Virginia called the Northern Neck home and built Stratford Hall in the 1730s, of bricks fired from the clay soil on the premises. A son of Thomas Lee, Richard Henry Lee, co-wrote the Westmoreland Resolves, which proposed American independence in 1766 in protest against the Stamp Act. Richard Henry Lee and his brother, Francis Lightfoot Lee, were the only two brothers to sign the Declaration of Independence. The last Lee to survive to maturity born at Stratford Hall was Robert E. Lee, born in 1807. During the Steamboat Era, from 1813 to 1927, the Northern Neck utilized the network of about 600 steamboats to move people and products throughout the Chesapeake Bay region. In addition to facilitating trade of local produce, sea-
food and tobacco for manufactured goods, spices, and fruits, the steamboat made the Northern Neck more accessible to Baltimore and provided the residents with entertainment from the James Adams Floating Theater that circulated to ports of call throughout the Chesapeake Bay region. In more recent times, the waters of the Potomac River, Rappahannock River, the Chesapeake Bay and their tributaries provide a haven for boaters and water enthusiasts, and have supported a fishing industry for generations. Presently, Colonial architecture, small-town charm, bed & breakfast inns, ten wineries, seventeen museums, historic sites, marinas and retail shops are among the valuable assets that attract visitors to the area. For more information on enjoying the history and heritage of the Northern Neck, contact the Northern Neck Tourism Commission on the web at northernneck.org, by phone: 804.333.1919 or by email: nntc@northernneck.org.
Discover the Northern Neck of Virginia. Travel its highways and byways. Enjoy its food. Try some of its great oysters Colonial Beach Village
Not news from all over the world … Just from our neck of the woods The
Journal
Call 540-775-2024 to subscribe $24 per year
Now accepting applications for 1 & 2 Bedroom Townhomes Call our office or stop by at 343 12th Street #1 Colonial Beach, VA 22443
804-224-9496
Office Hours: 8 am - 5 pm TTY: 711 Equal Housing Opportunity Handicapped Accessible This institution is an Equal Opportunity provider and employer
STEVE’S Home - Auto Business Keys Duplicated Dead Bolts Installed • Master Key Systems Virginia License ID #11-5801
Steve Zirkle Toll Free: 1.877.90MYLOCK • Cell: 301.943.6046 Web: stevelocksmith.com
14 May 2013, The Journal’s Potomac River Festival
CB Potomac River Festival Baby and Fire Dept. Contest applications being accepted 2013 Baby Contest, hosted by the CBVFDLA, will be held on Sunday, June 2, at the CBVFD. NO ENTRIES will be accepted that day. A boy and girl winner will be picked in each of the four age groups from 6 months to 6 years. 6 months to 12 months and the 1 to 2 year olds will be at 1:30 p.m., and the 3-4 and 5-6 age groups will be at 2:30 p.m. Someone will be at the fire house on Friday, May 31 from 5– 7 p.m., and on Sat., June 1 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. so you can register. All
first place winners will ride in the Festival Parade on June 8. Applications can be picked up at local banks, The Journal, and the CBVFD. For more info. call (804) 224-0215 from 6 – 8 p.m. Please turn the applications in at the fire house ASAP. Little Miss, Jr. Miss and Miss CBVFD Contest: This contest will be held on Sunday, June 2 right after the baby contest at 3:15 p.m. All applications and portraits for this group must
be submitted by Thursday, May 30 at 6:30 p.m. for rehearsal at the Fire House. Just for girls in the 7-9, 10-12 and 13-15 age groups. Applications can be picked up at the same places as above, also you can register on the same day as above. For more info. call (804) 224-0215 from 6–8 p.m. Admission for the contest is $3 for adults, $1 for children 6 and older, children under 5 are free. One parent that pays for a child gets in free. Proceeds to benefit the CBVFD.
JAMES W. DODD PLUMBING & HEATING
Serving Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner And Dessert Open at 6:30 am
Comfort food at its finest!
804-224-7578
Just a short drive from Colonial Beach or Montross
4099 Kings Highway • Oak Grove, VA (formerly Bowie’s Restaurant)
Call us for your Plumbing & Heating needs! (804) 224-9225
Has Elvis left the building?
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® Locally Owned by William Washington
The Journal’s Potomac River Festival, May 2013
15
May Art Walk—good food, good wine, good weather and great art Linda Farneth May’s Second-Friday Art Walk was extra special. With Spring’s longer days, art-lovers could not only enjoy extended hours of daylight, but a stroll along the Boardwalk gave visitors a taste of a larger variety of the Guild’s artwork. The Colonial Beach Artists’ Guild donated over 25 pieces of artwork from several of the town’s artists to beautify the Boardwalk’s garbage cans. It even seems like with the art on the cans, the Boardwalk area has been much cleaner than usual. The Potomac River Fisheries Commission, located at 222 Taylor St., is featuring works by 14 different photographers. During our visit, The Journal caught up with one of them. Rob Rudick, who said that he is a data analyst by day, and a photographer by night, was on site. Rudick started out photographing flowers, because when he started using digital, the process was so slow that it was the only subject matter he could photograph without blur. He has since moved on to automobiles, landscapes and interiors. While in college, Rudick took photography courses and Latin American Studies, and spent much of his time traveling through Latin America doing black and white street photography (before the digital age). At the JarrettThor Gallery, located at 100 Taylor St., the featured artist, Steve Griffin had his work on display beside his deceased brother’s work. Bob Griffin died in 2005, but since childhood Bob followed in his brother’s interest in art. Two of a family with seven children, Steve said that he and his brother found solitude and peace in the basement of their home. Steve said, “It was an escape from the chaos of a large family.” Their common interests carried on
throughout life. Steve told The Journal, “Bob and I followed very similar paths. We both started drawing and painting at an early age, and we both became active professional artists and university art professors. Bob taught at the University of Nevada in Reno for ten years, and my last twentyfive years of teaching were at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg.” Thirty-three years ago, Steve settled in Virginia while Bob was still living in Nevada. Several years later Bob moved to New York City, where sadly, after many years of struggle, he lost his battle with alcohol addiction in 2005. Steve has finally been able to organize an art show with both of their works, and will be on display for the rest of the month at the JarrettThor Gallery. Both men found unique methods of creating abstract work, a mustsee collection. There was no shortage of abstract work on the art walk, but another fine artist, Farzin is currently displaying at LaLa’s Hair Studio, located at 215 Washington St. A naturalized Persian-American painter-cum-craftsman and builder, with a past in architecture and engineering, he creates unique abstract works of art, as well. For many years it has been his dream to express eternal, universal spiritual values through new artistic modes that reflect the insights of advanced scientific cosmology and philosophy, but draw deeply from the thought and art of the past, especially the transcendental poetry, and classic esthetic sensibility, of his native Iran. As always, an ever-changing array of
Visitors get a taste of Colonial Beach Culture while strolling the Boardwalk in Colonial Beach. artists’ works are currently being displayed throughout the month at Visions by Shirl, Esco Limited, Riverview Inn, Pottery By
Hand, and Studio A, all located along Hawthorne Street between Beach Terrace and Washington Ave.
BEACH GLASS BUNGALOW
Steve Griffin stands between his brother’s work to the left and his work to the right on display at the JarrettThor Gallery.
Contact: Rebecca Oldham 804-224-2280 • bgbungalow@aol.com
16
May 2013, The Journal’s Potomac River Festival
Left: Cirbee’s company renovated St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church. Above: The homes Steve Cirbee builds have lots of windows, balconies or porches and many are done in refreshing whites and some pastels.
One man’s dreams change look of the Beach Richard Leggitt As a little boy, Steve Cirbee used to come to Colonial Beach to visit his grandparents, well-known local Realtors Vincent and Della Mullin. Now Cirbee and the firm
he owns, Trinity Building Company, are almost single-handedly changing the look of the beach town in historic Westmoreland County. Since 2008, Trinity Building Company has restored, remodeled, reconstructed or built more than 200 single family homes
George Washington Birthplace National Monument Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. The Visitor Center, its parking lot, and Historic Area close at 5 p.m. year-round. From April-October, the Washington Family Burial Ground, Picnic/Pavilion Area, and the Potomac River beach are open until dusk. Pets are not allowed in the Historic Area.
Admission is FREE! 1732 Popes Creek Road Washington’s Birthplace, VA 22443 (804) 224-1732 ext.227 www.nps.gov/gewa Sponsored By Commonwealth Driving School • 540-775-7775
in Colonial Beach. The clean, crisp, classy designs of Cirbee’s finished products, many of them featuring upper deck balconies with expansive water views, are easy to spot. “From site analysis and home design, to house orientation and interior details, I take pride in advising and assisting my clients with every stage of the home building process,” said Cirbee. “Trinity Building Company delivers a finished product that meets every expectation and, as a result, I build solid lifelong relationships with my clients.” For 30 years, Cirbee was in corporate construction working on projects from South Florida to Maine. “I was making money, but I wanted to get back to what I liked about the construction business in the first place.” “I’ve been coming to Colonial Beach since I was little. I went to Colonial Beach Elementary as a child. My grandparents owned Vincent F. Mullin Real Estate, located in the building where Bob Swink’s Colonial Beach Real Estate is located now.” After his grandfather passed, Cirbee and his wife Andrea bought his grandparents’ home at the end of Washington Avenue so that his grandmother could continue to live out her life in the home she loved. She passed away two years ago, and now Trinity Building is restoring the 1890 waterfront home back to its original architecture. Except for a Victorian home with gingerbread, a contemporary waterfront home on Monroe Bay and the recently renovated St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church, all of Trinity’s construction projects have
“I’ve been coming to Colonial Beach since I was little.” —Steve Cirbee a very distinctive look. And, many of his remodels and renovations have completely changed the look of the waterfront streets and avenues in Colonial Beach. “I guess it’s a combination of Colonial style with a farmhouse look,” said Cirbee. The homes have lots of windows, balconies or porches and many are done in refreshing whites and some pastels. They seem readymade for those who want to spend part of their days looking out at the water from a porch swing or rocking chair. Cirbee said no job is too big or too small for Trinity. And, he prides himself on his relationships with his customers. “Trinity Building Company greatly appreciates the support from our clients, our subcontractors and those who have paid us numerous compliments on the work that Trinity has performed in and around Colonial Beach,” Cirbee said. “We fully intend to maintain and continue to grow our strong position and presence as a high quality, cost competitive builder in residential, commercial, municipal and insurance restoration projects. All will receive the same level of quality and attention.”
Enjoy the Beach. Visit and then you will want to stay
The Journal’s Potomac River Festival, May 2013
17
Community Dental heads in to its fourth year Treating Medicaid patients from throughout the Northern Neck
Northern Neck Builders & Property Management, LLC
“We specialize in quality built homes” New Construction—3 bedroom, 2 full bath homes starting at $149,500 Visit one of our homes today, many of our Standard features are considered upgrades with other builders! Randall Wright (804) 761-3541
Kim Jones (804) 224-8477
SERVING YOU & YOUR COMMUNITY Call On Us For Experienced, Dedicated Service....EXPECT RESULTS!
In 2009, Dr. Richard Cottrell and his associate doctors began discussing the need to offer quality oral health care to the many King George County residents who have Medicaid as their health insurance. This led to a partnership between Dr. Richard Cottrell, Dr. Michael Clark, and Dr. Joshua Swanson and Community Dental was born. Initially, the doctors shared office space with Dr. Cottrell and Associates, opening their doors on Saturdays but they quickly realized that the need was greater than they had thought and they took steps to operate on a more permanent basis. When Dr. Cottrell & Associates moved into a new office on Smile Way in November of 2010, Community Dental maintained the dental office in the Journal Plaza and brought in Dr. Yarissa Lopez. Community Dental is proud to announce that we have opened a second office, located in Callao, and now provide quality care to Medicaid recipients of all ages from Fredericksburg to the tip of the Northern
Neck. The staff at Community Dental creates a comfortableatmosphereforpatients,where we can develop trusting relationships. We understand that some patients can be apprehensive toward the dentist, and it is our mission to overcome their fears. We work with parents on understanding their child’s oral health and discuss milestones of oral development, diet, oral habits, and proper use of fluoride. We are ‘parent friendly’ and welcome parents into our treatment rooms where they find that we are gentle and kind toward their children. As much as we enjoy the many children we see, we consider ourselves lucky to have the opportunity to help adults, the elderly, and special need patients as well. We embrace the challenges that come along with providing dental care for all of our patients, from routine care to emergency needs. Building a relationship with our community was always our goal. Going into our fourth year, our patients feel like our extended family. The feedback that we receive from our patients, and the stories they tell us inspire us to do our best everyday and certainly gives us a sense of accomplishment.
Community Dental Inc., Medicaid Office r
(Limited coverage is also available for adults, age 21 and over)
Cathy Reed
Realtor® 804.761.6807 www.CathyReed.net
Linh Green Realtor® 804.214.5247
LinhGreenRealtor@gmail.com
creedexitrealty@gmail.com
Please be advised we only treat Medicaid recipients. We are unable to accept payment for services.
(540) 625-2007
10246 Kings Highway King George, Virginia 22485 Each office independently owned and operated
(804) 313-5202
367 Northumberland Highway Callao, Virginia 22435
Communitydentalinc@gmail.com
18 May 2013, The Journal’s Potomac River Festival
Yvonne Lewko, a natural scupltor Staff Reports
Yvonne Lewko rents a corner of the shop Pottery by Hand at 10 Hawthorne St. in Colonial Beach, but some pretty amazing things come out of that corner. I went to meet her at the shop, which is across from the Colonial Beach tourism office, near the town pier. I came to talk to a sculptor and I was surprised to learn that she had only been sculpting for about a year. “I’ve been painting and drawing since I was a child,” Lewko said. Then she took wheel-throwing classes from Hanna Janney, who owns the shop and teaches pottery making. Lewko wasn’t particularly interested in making pots, she said, but when Janney mentioned sculpture, she wanted to try it. Janney said she thought she would be awhile teaching Lewko something, but after the second or third lesson, Lewko was better at it than her teacher. “She’s a natural,” Janney said. The process of sculpting starts with the making of an armature, sort of like a skeleton. The one Lewko showed me was made of newspaper. It is a base upon which the sculpture is built. The armature sat on a base made by using slabs or coils made of clay. The clay is built over the armature, first in a rough shape that is shaped into more and more detail. Some details are added, like hair, or the nose tip on a dog. Lewko proudly displayed a statue of her daughter, Marisa, and one of her husband, Bill. “Bill is my biggest fan and my agent,” Lewko said. Another statue she calls “Amelia” because she looks
like Amelia Earhart. Amelia was done strictly from Lewko’s imagination. She has made several mermaids. Now she finds herself doing dogs. She had a statue of one of her own dogs. She is finishing a statue of a man’s dog for him. “My first commission,” she said. She can do statues from photographs or from live subjects. Her card says, “Made to Order Animals.” Before getting into sculpture, she did a lot of painting, taking lessons from artist Ebbie Hynson, who is wellknown in the Colonial Beach area. Sculpting is different because it is three-dimensional. A sculptor has to constantly turn what she is working on to make sure it remains proportional. “I take pictures of my work as I go,” Lewko said. She said It helps her see better whether it is all fitting together. Lewko was raised north of Pittsburgh. She was chosen when she was in the second grade to enter a special program for children with artistic talent held at Carnegie-Mellon University. She won a prize the first time she entered a painting in a contest. She is married to Bill Lewko, an investigator with the Westmoreland County Sheriff ’s Office. It is a second marriage for both of them. He has two grown children and she has three. Yvonne also loves animals. She has dogs, but she’d love to have a miniature cow or a chicken. Her husband is not enthusiastic about the chicken. Yvonne Lewko can be found at “Pottery by Hand” or contacted at (804)761-6831 or YLewko@aol.com.
Yvonne Lewko learned her craft at Pottery by Hand
Wakefield Motel On the Point
Located in a quiet Colonial Beach residential area, Clean 21 Unit Motel with Cable TV & WiFi. Lighted Pier with Electrical Outlets for Night Fishing SECOND FLOOR One Suite with Full Size Kitchen, Dining, Living Room and Bedroom FIRST FLOOR 10 large units with Kitchenette, 10 small Units with Sink, Refrigerator, Microwave Oven
1513 Irving Avenue • Colonial Beach, VA 22443 one mile to the Riverboat Restaurant
804-224-7311 www.wakefieldmotel.com
Colonial Beach Real Estate, Inc. Bob Swink, Broker
(804) 224-0001 • Cell: (804) 761-0500 Fax: (804) 224-9006
“YOU’RE #1”
www.bobswink.com • bobswink@hotmail.com 501 Washington Ave., Colonial Beach 22443
The Journal’s Potomac River Festival, May 2013
Take a ride around Town on the Colonial Beach Trolley
Important Numbers emergency and non-emergency
The Colonial Beach Trolley runs from May through September and makes about 20 stops along it’s route. It’s so much fun to ride! What a great way to get around town. There’s plenty of space for all your gear, too. Shopping bags, kids, whatever
Police Department 907 McKinney Blvd. (corner of First Street) Non-Emergency 804-224-0141 Emergency 911
you’ve got with you. Service hours are 11:00am - 7:00pm on Saturdays and Sundays. For Holiday weekends (Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day) it runs on Saturday, Sunday AND Monday from 11:00am - 7:00pm
List of Stops: With the time (after the hour) that it stops at that location. :00 Colonial Beach Municipal Pier & Visitor Ctr :04 The Bell House Bed & Breakfast :05 Potomac Breeze B&B :06 Wakefield Motel :09 Dockside Restaurant & Blue Heron Pub :14 Castlewood Park :18 Nightingale Motel :20 Happy Clam Restaurant :21 Corner of Hawthorn and Washington :22 Tides Inn Market :23 Riverboat on the Potomac and Town Hill :25 7-11 on Colonial Ave. next to the car wash :28 Colonial Beach Plaza :30 Beachgate Shopping Center :32 The Meadows Apartments :35 Wilkerson’s Restaurant :40 1st and McKinney :42 1st and Jackson :45 Days Inn :55 Corner of Hawthorn and Washington
10250 Kings Hwy. King George 540-775-2024 www.journalpress.com
Publishers of: The Dahlgren Source, oriented to the contractors and employees of the Dahlgren Navy base. ChamberLink, the monthly newspaper of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce. For information on these publications please call 540-775-2024 or go to www.journalpress.com to see the publications
19
Fire Department 312 Colonial Avenue Non-Emergency 804-224-7255 Emergency 911 Rescue Squad 312 Dennison Street 804-224-7750 Emergency911 Water/Sewer Emergencies 804-224-7260 Remember if you are using cell phone to report an emergency call 804-224-0141 as someone is always there. Town website: www.colonialbeachva.net
Colonial Beach activities Fireworks Colonial Beach is one of the few areas on the Northern Neck that prides itself on lavish fireworks displays. One during the Potomac River Festival and one on the 4th of July. People flocked to the boardwalk from hundreds of miles to spend the day awaiting the lavish fireworks display just after sunset. Shot from the municipal pier, residents and guests can view the show from several different locations along the waters of the Potomac River. Jet Ski Races Colonial Beach has now become a regular stop on the UWP- IJSBA Watercross National Tour. Colonial Beach will play host to the Liberty Cup portion of the national jet ski competition on July 19 to the 21 for the fourth year in a row. Friday July 19 kicks off the Jet Ski races with corporate competition, where local businesses gather a team and compete for corporate title in Colonial Beach and national competitors get a chance to show off some of their tricks in between races. Saturday and Sunday professionals compete to move on to the next level. Other Events In August the town will host the 34th Annual Rod Run to the Beach car show on the 17 and 18. Be sure to also check out the 47th Annual Boardwalk Arts and Craft show on September 7 and 8. In October be sure to catch the Halloween Gulf Cart Parade and Contest on the 26th. November is the Chamber sponsored 19th Annual Rockfish Tournament from the 8th to the 10th. And Santa visits Colonial Beach on Town Hill in Santa’s Wonderland during the Winter Festival on December 7. . Linda Farneth
Find The Journal online at www.journalpress.com
20 May 2013, The Journal’s Potomac River Festival
Good days for the Colonial Yacht Club as they march in the parade. Back when gas was under $2 a gallon!
Colonial Beach Yacht Club The Colonial Yacht Center plays host to hundreds of boats docked at the Marina and is the home base for the Yacht Club. Members come from all over but many live in the town of Colonial Beach. Members of the club also dock at other area marinas in Monroe Bay; Parker’s, Winki Doodle Point, Nightingale, Stanford’s as well as Harbor View Marina in Mattox Creek, but the Colonial Yacht Center is the hub ,of activity. Colonial Yacht Center is located at the mouth of Monroe Bay where it meets the Potomac River. The Club meets at least once a month and sponsors or participates in many activities throughout the year such as the boat parade during the Colonial Beach River Festival, cruises throughout the year, social gatherings, and the National Jet Ski races on July 19-21. New members are always welcome, the only catch is you must be a boat owner to join. Members become lifetime after 25 years and continue to enjoy all the benefits of the group even after they retire their boats. Anyone wishing to join the group or just learn more about them can call (804) 224-4145 or E-mail Jlperkey@aol.com. - Linda Farneth
C&B AUTO PARTS Enjoy The Colonial Beach 62nd Potomac River Festival
(804) 224-0080 920 Colonial Ave, Colonial Beach, VA
Parts • Sales • Service Keep your Golf Cart ready to zip you around town this summer. Gateway Power Equipment is now an authorized service center for
Carts
10031 James Madison Pkwy.
US 301N, north of the intersection of Rt. 205 in King George
540-775-2241
www.gatewaypowerinc.com
The Journal’s Potomac River Festival, May 2013
21
Colonial Beach’s Dockside Restaurant - History, Good Food and Beach Fun Richard Leggitt
Colonial Beach’s Dockside Restaurant is located in what used to be a historic old oyster house where Monroe Bay flows into the Potomac River. The restaurant, which has undergone revitalization since owners Jordan Grimley and Shannon Lupo took control in 2010, shares a strip of land known as Ghost Point with the Colonial Beach Yacht Center. Grimley said he and Lupo are enthusiastic about what the restaurant has become under their leadership and what it means for the town of Colonial Beach which is also revitalizing. “We are bringing people to Colonial Beach and we want them to have a great time so they will come back,” Grimley said. One of the oldest restaurants in Colonial Beach, Dockside is the fifth restaurant located in the old oyster house that was built in 1932. Despite its long history, Dockside today is a modern friendly destination for beach residents and their visitors that features delicious steaks and seafood, including shrimp grits and crab cakes. “Our goal is to help people enjoy their experience in Colonial Beach,” said Grimley. “If they have an enjoyable time, that benefits us and it benefits the town.” Dockside boasts an expansive view of the Potomac and features live music all week-
end. The restaurant has three bars, including a tiki bar, and can host large parties including weddings and corporate events. There is a formal dining room, pub seating and dining outside on screened and open porches. In addition to steaks, shrimp and crab cakes, the first rate menu includes soups and chowders, po’boys, flounder, oysters, scallops and an excellent crab imperial. There is a raw bar with spiced shrimp, steamed clams, steamed mussels and oysters on the half shell, as well as a wide variety of salads and appetizers. Visitors to the Dockside can drive to the restaurant or they can arrive by boat and dock at the adjoining Colonial Beach Yacht Center, which has been hosting boats and offering boating and marina services since 1946. The point where the restaurant and the marina are located is officially known as Gum Point and has been a prominent historical site since before the Revolutionary War. The area became known locally as Ghost Point in 1985 after a flood unearthed graves of a group of 17th century fishermen. These are happier times, thanks to Dockside and its owners Grimley and Lupo. Mondays feature $2 hamburgers, Wednesdays there is a prime rib special, Thursdays feature Tiki tacos and Fridays are Trivia Nights
Dockside Restaurant where nice people come everyday. where teams of up to five people play trivia for restaurant prizes. Then comes the weekend featuring live music and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. “We have a lot of fun,” said Grimley. “And we get to meet nice people everyday.”
Reservations are preferred and can be obtained by calling 804-224-8726. The restaurant opens at 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 3 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Dockside is closed on Tuesdays.
River Gym hopes to build healthy lifestyles at the Beach Richard Leggitt
You can add Bobbi Adamson’s name to the growing list of smart, business savvy entrepreneurs who want to help Colonial Beach be all it can be. Adamson, the owner of the new River Gym, believes there is a need for more healthful activities at the beach and she is opening her gym to help fill that market. Adamson’s River Gym of Colonial Beach will open June 1 at 215 ½ Washington Avenue, in a portion of the building that also houses the popular Tattle Tale coffee shop. “I want to spark an interest in a healthier lifestyle,” Adamson said. “Exercise is the first step toward good health.” The new gym will feature personal training, group fitness classes, weight loss and wellness programs as well as the most modern exercise facilities including cardiovascular equipment, full-body variable resistance circuit equipment and free weights. “We’re a premier fitness, training gym with a strong commitment towards personalized service and individual attention for those seeking to achieve a healthier lifestyle,” said Adamson. River Gym’s state of the art facilities are just the beginning. The gym will help its members reach their fitness goals through personal training, body fat analysis with a certified
“I want to spark an interest in a healthier lifestyle. Exercise is the first step toward good health.” —Bobbi Adamson weight management consultant and a certified nutritional coach. “We will have healthy programs for everyone,” Adamson said. Adamson knows her stuff. She is certified as a personal trainer, a weight management consultant, a nutritional coach, a spin teacher and a wellness coach. She has won awards from the National Gym Association and the Organization of Competitive Bodybuilding. She is the former owner of a large exercise facility in Lake Ridge in Northern Virginia. “I have been a weekend resident of Colonial Beach for seven years,” she said. “It is clear that there is a need for more healthy activities here, especially for young people. “River Gym is going to be a hands-on gym that can help build healthy lifestyles.” Potential gym clients can drop by the Washington Avenue location for a tour, call
Chesley Swisher shows off the exercise equipment at Bobbi Adamson’s new gym 804-410-2058, or email info@rivergym. com for more information. Discounts are
available for those who join the gym prior to its grand opening on June 1.
22 May 2013, The Journal’s Potomac River Festival
62nd a Potom
Riv
Featured Artist Each Month
(FREE RECEPTION EACH 2ND FRIDAY OPENING, 6-9 PM): June 14 - July 7: Aaron Bowles & Ron Rudick: Special Father's Day Classic Car Photo Exhibit by Rudick July 12-August 5: Steven Walker August 9-Sept. 8: George Bowles and Tarver Harris New on Premises: Tarver Harris Design Studio
Open Thursday - Sunday • 10 AM - 5 PM 804-224-7200 or jarretthor@aol.com or www.jarretthor.com
Stepp’s Harbor View Marina Located on Mattox Creek, a couple of miles south of Colonial Beach, Stepp’s Harbor View Marina is a family run marina that has been in the boating business since 1990. Our family’s business is your family’s fun! • • • • • • • •
Marina Amenities
Launch ramp Ethanol-free gasoline Pump-out Station Covered Slips Electric and Water service to all slips Public restrooms Members only bath house Swimming pool
• • • • • •
a v i t er Fes
l
Regional Artists with original landscapes, seascapes, still life, portraits & abstracts in all media. Unique hand-made jewelry, wooden bowls, minerals and silk scarves
Enjoy the
c
ART AT THE BEACH
Visit our Full Service Deli & Salad Bar Daily Dinner Specials Home-made Fried Chicken that folks travel miles for
‘Real’ home made salads and the best pies around! pen at Now O Laundrom pm Daily 7 am - 10
Boat Maintenance
Haul outs to 40 tons Mechanical, electrical and hydraulic repair Fiberglass repair Winterizing and shrink-wrapping Spring commissioning Catalog ordering for Do-it-yourself boaters
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The Journal’s Potomac River Festival, May 2013
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Colonial Beach –The water awaits and so does the fishing! Mark Fike
Colonial Beach residents sure have a tough time going to work with the river so close by and the fishing opportunities the Potomac offers. The Potomac River at Colonial Beach can be a vast place to try to fish. While one boat may go out into the briny waters and do well, another may not. In short, the more time you spend fishing on the water, the more effective you will become. The Potomac at Colonial Beach is no different. There are plenty of fish to be caught at or near Colonial Beach. In season there are croaker and striped bass or rockfish; sometimes you can pull in a flounder during dry summers. Catfish are abundant year-round. White perch are in the area from April through November. Puppy drum or the juvenile red drum made an incredible showing last summer in the area. Spot can be caught and are quite delicious during the summer months. Bluefish, although usually smaller than ones caught in the Chesapeake Bay, are also summer visitors to the river. During really dry summers, anglers with a boat can get into the river and troll for and catch Spanish mackerel downstream of Colonial Beach. Skate, or cow-nosed rays are also very common during the summer months in the river. I cannot forget the crabs either. After years of decline, the crabs appear to be coming back in population numbers. Where do I fish on the river? Some anglers are shore-bound. This does limit things a bit. However, the Town of Colonial Beach has a municipal pier that offers a place for anglers to get out into deeper water to fish. The pier is located at the upstream or northwestern edge of town. During the summer, particularly during lower-light periods, nice fish are taken from the pier. Croaker, spot, catfish and puppy drum can be caught using bottom rigs with squid, shrimp, bloodworms or Fishbites. Cast as far out as you can, and fish a moving tide if possible. Fishing from the shore is possible but not quite as good. Westmoreland State Park, just downstream, offers the same sort of fishing from a pier. If you want to jump in the car and get to a place with shoreline access near deeper water, run up to Aqua Land at the Harry Nice Bridge (Rt. 301) on the Maryland side of the river. Crabbing from docks or the pier can be decent later in the summer. Some anglers that reside at the Beach use small boats, kayaks or canoes to crab or fish. Doing so opens up a whole new world of fishing. Often the fish are just barely out of casting range of the shore. There are several ramps at Monroe Bay with various fees associated for parking or launching. Fishing in Monroe Bay can be fun for smaller fish. If you can venture out into the river with a larger boat there are many more opportunities to catch your next meal. The key to finding fish in the main river stem is to find structure. Structure is what makes the river bottom appealing to fish. Oyster beds are hotspots for many species of fish. Gravel bars or rocky areas also are great locations to fish. A simple bump or lump in the bottom is another good place to fish. Sudden drop-offs offer predators a place to herd baitfish from the deep water to shallow waters. GMCO makes a great map of the river listing all the bars and shoals and lumps with the appropriate depths. A fish-finder also helps in this regard. Carter’s Lumps, straight out from Colonial Beach and slightly upstream, is a hotspot at times. However, St. Clements Island, downstream of the Beach on the Maryland side, is a traditional fall rockfish hotspot, too. Various points and so on, offer fish places to feed. Find a difference in a seemingly vast and boring bottom of the river, and you will find fish. When you find a drop-off or structure, be sure to consider the flow of water. You have to be upstream of the flow to get your bait or lure to the correct spot to get a bite. If fishing “The Lumps”, motor upstream far enough to anchor and still
Left: Gary Sanders and daughter Ashley caught a nice one not far from shore. Above: Croakers are out there waiting for you
Fishing Species Availability in the Potomac River January-March-Catch and release rockfish, catfish April-Rockfish season starts (see regulations first), some perch, catfish May-June-Croaker start showing up, rockfish, perch, catfish July-September-Croaker, spot, rockfish, flounder, skate, perch, red drum, bluefish October-December-Rockfish and catfish, with a few perch around be above the lee side of the lump, so your bait is put right in the face of the fish. If you are off even ten feet, it can mean the difference of fish, or no fish! A fish-finder is valuable in this regard. When you find a great spot mark it on your fish-finder so you can find it easier next time. Watch the fish-finder to see what bait looks like, vs. game fish. Watch where other boats are fishing, and when they move, try to determine what was attractive to that location for them. Be sure NOT to crowd other anglers. That is not only unethical, it is rude. Find your own spots to fish without ruining someone else’s. Don’t overlook Mattox Creek or any other small tributary to the river. Explore the river and enjoy it. Cap your day off with a fresh meal of your catch. Nothing beats fresh fish or crabs after a day on the water! Current fishing regulations can be found at http://www. prfc.state.va.us/sports/fishing_potomac.html Be sure to have the appropriate fishing licenses. If using a boat, consider a PRFC boat license to cover everyone in the boat. Chandler’s Mill Pond near Montross There are some local freshwater ponds and streams where bass, bream, jackfish or pickerel, and of course, catfish can be hauled in for supper. These ponds, except for Chandler’s Mill Pond near Montross, are private, and permission is necessary in order to fish them. At Chandler’s Mill Pond, the fishing is best in the spring and fall for bass, bream and pickerel, with the occasional crappie stringer being filled. Fish the shorelines with plastic worms or crawfish on a jig for bass. Bream will take insects and worms free-lined or hanging under a float in the same areas. A few nice channel catfish are caught in Chandler’s by mistake while crappie or bream fishing. Crappie love minnows and have been found near the bridge and treetops.
During the summer months the pond is best fished very early or very late. The water temperature gets pretty high, and the dissolved oxygen level gets low during the hot summer hours. Watch out for the barbed- wire fence-remains in the pond. And remember that only electric motors can be used in the pond. Colonial Beach is a great place to wet a line and enjoy time on the water. Get your rod rigged and ready, and the boat in the river. Don’t forget the camera. — Mark Fike is an Outdoor Writer for The Journal.
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May 2013, The Journal’s Potomac River Festival
Colonial Beach pastor Johnny Almond authors book of devotionals Richard Leggitt A Colonial Beach pastor, who was an Air Force chaplain for 20 years, including service at the Air Force Academy and Arlington National Cemetery, has written a book of daily devotionals that is being widely heralded by prominent Christian leaders. Dr. Johnny R. Almond, Pastor of the Colonial Beach Baptist Church, is the author of Gentle Whispers from Eternity, a series of 366 devotionals inspired by key verses throughout the Bible. The book, which is being released this week, encourages readers to listen carefully to the word of God in Scripture. “We often seek to hear from God in the big moments and big events of life…but He is best heard in the stillness of silence,” John V. Upton, President of the Baptist World Alliance and Executive Director of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board said. “Johnny Almond has captured this truth so effectively in his work Gentle Whispers from Eternity, setting a tone of quietness through which the Holy brushes up against the business of a day and offers a moment of solace,” Upton said. “This book is part of the ministry God has given to me,” said Almond. “It’s not about me; it is God’s word through me. I hope it will change people’s lives and hearts.” Almond said any profits from the sales of the book will be reinvested to print and produce more books, so the message can be delivered to a wider audience. Delivering God’s message has been a lifelong mission for the humble Colonial Beach pastor. The son of a Baptist minister and an elementary school teacher, Almond grew up in Arkansas, and he said that he has been divinely guided toward preaching the gospel since he was a teenager. Almond graduated with highest honors from Henderson University in Arkansas, where he was a seminary student. He received a Doctor of Theology Degree from Missionary Baptist Seminary in Little Rock. He has a Doctor of Ministry Degree from Drew University in New Jersey, and a Cambridge Diploma in Religious Studies from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Almond preached as a Baptist minister in Illinois, Oklahoma and Arkansas for ten years. His last ministry before joining the military was a church at the University of Arkansas, which had a dramatic turnover from year to year. “Looking back on it, that was a very good preparation for what I was about to do,” said Almond. Almond’s first military chaplain’s post was with the U.S. Army. Following a three-year tour of duty with the Army at Ft. Stewart, GA, Almond joined the U.S. Air Force as a chaplain. “The Army’s emphasis was more on being with the troops in the field. In the Air Force, there was more of an emphasis on family and chapel worship services.” As an Air Force chaplain for almost 20 years, Almond had seven postings including Okinawa and England. He was the minister at the 1,200-seat Cadet Chapel at the U.S. Air Force Academy and also served as the senior Air Force chaplain at Arlington National Cemetery. Almond retired from the military eight years early because he wanted to pastor a community church. He was hired as Pastor of the Colonial Beach Baptist Church in 2000. “When I retired, I was doing some part-time ministry while hoping for a full-time church. Basically I said, ‘Lord, you choose the coordinates, and I am yours.’ Just a few weeks later Colonial Beach Baptist called, and here I am.” Just a few months after Almond accepted the position in Colonial Beach, he was also offered a part-time position as the military liaison for the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, which allowed him to minister at Colonial Beach Baptist, but still stay in contact with military chaplains across the state. “Preaching and teaching the Bible is my calling,” Almond said. For his ministry at Colonial Beach Baptist, Almond began comparing “seven or eight translations of the Bible and making notes.” From that, he prepared weekly devotionals for the back page of the Church bulletin. People would ask him, “Is this a book?”. With that idea, Almond began a three-year search for a
Pastor Johnny Almond greets parishioners Pocahontas Schuck, middle, and Lucy Hines after announcing publication of his new book. publisher before selecting CrossBooks, a division of LifeWay to publish his manuscript. Christian leaders including Jim White, Executive Editor of the Religious Herald, Bruce Kittleson, President of Olive Branch International, and Maj. Gen. Bob Dees of the Campus Crusade for Christ have been impressed. “Johnny Almond delivers the next generation of devotional readings in intimate first-person ‘whisperings’ from the Almighty,” said White. “Pastor Almond has beautifully written poetic and uplifting devotions for all walks of life,” said Kittleson. “In
our fast-food society, we rush past ‘burning bushes’ and fail to hear the ‘still small voice of God.’ Gentle Whispers from Eternity is a wonderful antidote to such modern maladies,” said Dees. Almond said, “My prayer is that people everywhere will read this book and be blessed by it.” Copies of the book may be obtained from Amazon, Barnes and Noble or online through CrossBooks at gentlewhispersfrometernity-scripturepersonalized.com. Questions about the book may be answered by contacting Pastor Almond, jralmond@verizon.net or by calling (804) 450-3451.
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The Journal’s Potomac River Festival, May 2013
25
The newly remodeled River Edge Inn fills a badly needed role at Colonial Beach Richard Leggitt Many visitors to Colonial Beach over the past several years have expressed their concerns about being unable to find modern, clean, affordable lodging with accommodations for large groups of guests. With their purchase and extensive remodeling of the former Days Inn on the riverfront, John and Soo Chung are working to remedy that situation. Their River Edge Inn is open for business, offering a warm, cozy and restful place to stay at the beach. “Everything is new and we’re ready for business,” said front desk hostess Stephanie Dirolf of Colonial Beach. One of the first goals of the Chungs, who are from Northern Virginia, is to repair the reputation of the 60-room waterfront inn, which suffered through hard times with the closing of the old Days Inn and a subsequent foreclosure. The Chungs bought the inn in December. “For starters, they replaced everything,” Dirolf said. “Absolutely anything you can think of, they have replaced. Our lobby has been remodeled, and we have a new breakfast bar for guests where we will serve our guests bagels, cereal, pastries and waffles, as well as
“The Chungs have turned this place into a much more familyoriented place to stay.” — Stephanie Dirolf juice, coffee and tea in the mornings.” The River Edge Inn rooms are clean, warm and welcoming. The Chungs have replaced the carpet, curtains, beds, frames, linens, furniture and fixtures. “There are new refrigerators, flat screen TVs, telephones and wi-fi in each room,” said Dirolf. The rooms have all been repainted in soothing colors. The inn’s website is being revamped and their advertising is being upgraded. “We want everyone to know about us,” Dirolf said. “The Chungs have turned this place into a much more family-oriented place to stay.” Families and guests staying at the River Edge Inn will have a splendid view of the five-mile wide Potomac River, a beach
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just outside their doors, and a remodeled swimming pool. And, they will be within walking distance of Colonial Beach’s unique restaurants and shops. “It’s the best place to stay in the Beach,”
said Dirolf. “We hope everyone will stop by for a great room and a great view.” The River Edge Inn is located on the waterfront at 30 Colonial Avenue. Reservations can be made by calling (804) 410-2087.
Historyland Memorial Park Thank you for your support We are pleased to be here to serve you Susan Muse 540-775-7733 11227 James Madison Pkwy. King George, VA 22485
26 May 2013, The Journal’s Potomac River Festival
Low Back Pain -
How to handle it when you are on vacation Get a prescription: If you know that your prescription will run out prior to your return from traveling, either get it refilled before you leave, or get a prescription from your primary care doctor to take with you. If traveling to a foreign country, many medications have different names, so make sure it’s the same medicine when you’re filling the script away from home. Keep your medications with you. Do NOT place them in your checked bags in case your luggage is lost. It could take days (or longer) before your bags finally reach you. Bring an OTC backup. If there is a similar over-the-counter (OTC) medication, bring that with you. (Check with your prescribing physician, of course.) Ask us about anti-inflammatory &/or muscle-relaxing herbs &/or vitamins. Keep a list of vitamins, herbs, and medications with you at all times. Keep your medications in their original containers. This could eliminate the need to explain to security what each pill is for, and may help avoid them from being confiscated. Pain Relief Tactics: ICE IS NICE! But, traveling with ice is tricky, as it warms up and melts over time. We recommend traveling with several sizes of Ziploc bags that a flight attendant could fill with ice for you. Pinch it between the seat and your lower back, and rotate it on and off in 15-20 minute intervals.
Repeat the process for the length of time the ice lasts (which is usually several applications). Chemical ice packs also work well. Make sure if you bring an ice pack or gel pack with you, that it will be allowed through security. The flight attendant should allow it to be placed into the refrigerator between uses. HEAT IS NEAT! The use of heat for chronic low back pain (LBP) can be very effective, but use ice if the LBP is acute (a new problem). If in doubt, try both ice and heat before leaving, so you can determine which one works better for you. You can also alternate between ice and heat, but start and end with ice if the LBP is acute.
CB Museum open for the summer, stop in Linda Farneth The Colonial Beach Museum’s doors are open for the summer season. The small quaint museum sits on the corner of Hawthorn St. and Washington Ave., directly across from the public Cooper Library and Town Center building. Once an old rundown building slated for demolition, the Colonial Beach Historical Society, formed in 1994, took on the building’s renovations and opened the museum in 1998. Today the exhibits change routinely to share the rich history of this once popular bathing community and home to Alexander Graham Bell as a child. One permanent display is the Watermen’s Room, dedicated by the founding members of the Historical Society to honor the generations of fishermen and oystermen who made their living on the waters of the Potomac River and Monroe Bay.
TENS Unit. These produce a pain-reducing electrical current where a small unit is placed in your pocket, or on your belt, that connects wire electrodes to sticky pads placed in the area of pain. These work well for some people, so try it before you leave to see if you like the results. We can obtain these and train you on their use, as well as provide you with a letter to take with you while traveling to show to security.
Tools of the Trade remains on display, and a new addition is the sale of the DVD, Watermen of Colonial Beach on sale for $15. Produced by John Sweton, the film tells the story of local watermen and the Oyster Wars. Entrance to the museum is free, but donations are welcome. The Museum operates solely on donations and membership fees. The Colonial Beach Historical Society meets the first Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. in the Colonial Beach Town Center/Cooper Library building at 20 Washington Ave. Meetings are open to the public, and everyone is cordially invited to attend. The museum will be open every Saturday and Sunday from 1 – 4 p.m., and during the Second Friday Art Walks throughout the summer until mid-December. Anyone wishing to join or volunteer their services can contact the Colonial Beach Historical Society at (804) 224-3379.
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If Low Back Pain (LBP) is chronic, start and end with heat. We often suggest 10 min./5 min./10 min./5 min./10 min. cycles (a total of 40 minutes), starting/ending with either ice (if acute LBP), or heat (if LBP is chronic). There are disposable heat packs available, but remember, limit each use to no more than 20 minutes to avoid pooling of blood in the LBP area. Commercial heat wraps (such as ThermaCare) can also be used. Make sure security will allow the passage of any heat gel pack. OTC Pain Patch or Gels. There are both prescription and OTC pain patches available (such as Bengay Pain Patch). Similarly, heat or coolant rubs or gels can also provide pain relief and reduce the need for medication. Topical Chinese herbals can be
If you, a friend or family member requires care for low back pain, we sincerely appreciate the trust and confidence shown us by choosing our services. We look forward to serving you and your family presently, and in the future. Find all this and much more at our office.
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The Journal’s Potomac River Festival, May 2013, 27
Stratford Hall to offer rare glimpse into colonial manufacturing Richard Leggitt Visitors to Stratford Hall, the Westmoreland County home of the Lees of Virginia and the birthplace of Robert E. Lee, will get a rare glimpse this Saturday at the way products were manufactured in colonial times. “It’s difficult to imagine a time when all manufactured goods were done by hand or with the aid of falling water, animal or human muscle,” said Jon Bachman, Stratford Hall’s Public Events Manager. “However, this was the state of manufacturing in the pre-industrial age.” On Saturday, May 25, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., “As a way of recognizing National Preservation Month, Stratford Hall will present an annual event that will highlight the artistry, ingenuity and craftsmanship that was once the norm throughout the American colonies,” Bachman said. The event, called “Ore to Ax,” will celebrate the birth of the industrial age at self-sustained plantations like Stratford Hall. “The sights, sounds and smells of colonial ironworking and applications will be on view all day,” said Bachman. Things to do and see will include: In the Stratford Hall Visitor Center – An exhibit of archaeological artifacts recovered from excavations at the Lee plantation. Items on display will represent materials that would have been made on farms and plantations during colonial times. Near the Coach House – Lee Sauder and Steve Mankowski will demonstrate smelting, Jeff Dunkelberger, Caitlin Garvey and Lucas and Liam Dunkelberger will demonstrate hand forging and Steve Walthall will demonstrate the work of a craftsman who trims and shoes horses. On the Oval – The Richmond-based Falling Creek Ironworks will exhibit and discuss archaeologically significant observations and research from the oldest ironworks in Virginia. On the Grounds – Participants can walk Stratford Hall’s nature trails and visit the gardens. The Plantation Dining Room will open for lunch from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. and the gift shop will be open all day. The cost of the May 25 program is $10 for adults, $5 for children and free for children under five. Groups of five or more are $5 per person. Admission includes a tour of the guest house. For more information, visit www.stratfordhall.org or call (804) 493-8038.
Ore to Ax celebrates the birth of the industrial age in the American colonies.
Colonial Beach Artists Guild: Ten Years of Service The Colonial Beach Artists Guild (CBAG) is celebrating its tenth anniversary during 2013. It was founded in 2003 by five dedicated local women to improve their painting skills. It has now grown to approximately 90 members and has added substantial, effective community service to its member skill development objective. CBAG is best known for hosting the Second Friday Art Walk in Colonial Beach but it has also created the Potomac River Regional Art Show every July, conducted boardwalk improvement projects, provided scholarships and other support to the local school art program, and found additional ways of supporting their members’ personal improvement. The Second Friday Art Walk is conducted year-round. Each month, 6-8 local venues open from 6-9PM on the second Friday night of the month and display the works of multiple artists while providing free refreshments and a place to meet friends and neighbors. Visitors to Colonial Beach usually participate actively during summer months and are universally pleased at the quality and variety of the works displayed. But even in the winter months, the turnout is usually large (weather permitting) as locals and others avoid “cabin fever” and come out for the evening. The artists whose work is shown are often CBAG members, but that is not necessary. The galleries also like to bring in artists from Maryland, Northern Virginia and Fredericksburg so the town gets to see a wide
variety of painting and photography styles and subject matter. For example, JarrettThor Fine Arts will typically exhibit about 30 works of one “featured artist” who is usually from somewhere else and 3-4 works each of its 20 “permanent artists”, several of which are from the Colonial Beach area. The subject matter always includes a fair share of boats and waterscapes to reflect the interest of its customers, but there are always still lifes, flowers, cityscapes and abstracts in various media. The Potomac River Regional Art Show, co-sponsored by the Colonial Beach Chamber of Commerce, is held in the Town Center Building during July. The show has the capacity to hang about 90 works provided by artists on a first-come-first-served basis with a limit of two per artist. The 2013 show works will be about 2/3 from CBAG members and the remainder from the region. The opening reception will be July 12 as part of the Art Walk and the Awards Reception will be Sunday, August 4 at 3PM. The show will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10AM-5PM and admission is free of charge. Alert boardwalk strollers in Colonial Beach will have noticed that 25 trash-canholders along the boardwalk have been decorated with original art portraying birds, fish, beach scenes, golf carts, and frolicking people. This “Trash Art” is the result of a cooperative project between CBAG’s artists and Colonial Beach Town. In previous years, two of the town’s support buildings
have been decorated with elaborate murals painted by CBAG members. Each year, CBAG also provides a scholarship for further study in art to a local High School graduate and provides funds to the school art program to cover additional supplies and materials. Last year’s scholarship winner was Katherine Walworth. This year’s winner will be announced in early June. CBAG also offers to its members occasional field trips, workshops and specialty shows. For example, there is a Members Photography Show during May at the Fisheries Building. These activities are announced and described on its website, www. colonialbeachartistsguild.org, and some are available to non-members. CBAG produces note cards and Christmas cards using designs from members. The group meets monthly, with eight of the meetings being social/instructional and the other four covering the inevitable “business” topics. About 40% of the CBAG members do not have a Colonial Beach address. They have found it is worth a little extra effort to join the Colonial Beach art renaissance. There are also several examples of regional artists who have moved to Colonial Beach either full- or part-time mainly as a result of there being a vibrant artist community available. For example, Stafford artist Tarver Harris will open a design studio within JarrettThor Fine Arts starting in June. CBAG was founded by local artists looking for a place to hang their works. The late Cecelia Mc Dowell, with the cooperation
of the Chamber of Commerce, arranged a meeting in the Klotz Building with several local artists she knew. Among the founding members who are still members were Doris Barbee, Connie Canby, Becky Hunt, Ebbie Hynson, Sara Looney, Judi Morris and Kathy Waltermire. (Apologies if anyone was left off the list). Membership grew to 37 in the first year. The first art show was held that year and the first set of Christmas cards was created. The local focus was quickly extended to the region and members were attracted from further away and the activities were broadened. Local potter Sherry Sundburg organized the first Art Walk. The current Board Members of CBAG are Dr. Judi Morris (President), Elcy Leshley (Vice President), Margaret McMullen (Secretary), Carl Thor (Treasurer), Connie Canby, Shirley Rush, and Karna Sparks. Questions about CBAG can be submitted to info@colonialbeachartistsguild.org
28 May 2013, The Journal’s Potomac River Festival
Denson’s Grocery named business of the year Rocky and Blaire Denson are living the family dream and winning awards for it, too. It doesn’t get any better than that. Denson’s Grocery Staples & Specialties was named the 2012 Business of the Year recently by the Colonial Beach Chamber of Commerce. Rocky Denson spent 20 years working for Farm Bureau Insurance Company, but the last five years of his career, all he could think about was getting back into the grocery business. Rocky’s grandparents, Frederick and Jetta Denson, first established Denson’s Grocery Store in 1912 when they purchased a building on the 100 block of Bancroft Ave., on the southern end of Colonial Beach. Unfortunately, Frederick passed away in 1936, but Jetta continued to run the store for several more years. The family-run business soon grew, and the family built a 4,000-square foot store right across the street and expanded the business. In the mid-1940s, Rocky’s parents, Bernard and Anne Denson took over the family business. Rocky and his sisters, Jetta and Carole, all worked in the grocery store when they were young. In 1980, their parents sold the store. When Rocky decided to re-establish Denson’s Grocery, he and his wife, Blaire, knew that they could not run a “mom and pop” business the same way his parents and grandparents had. So Blaire conducted lots of research, formulated a business plan, and the two opened a small specialty grocery store and deli at 117 Washington Ave. on May 27, 2011. Denson’s is not your average grocery store. All items are handpicked by Rocky and Blaire from only the best markets. When the couple can, they buy locally-caught
seafood. They refuse to carry the imported pasteurized crabmeat, and they only carry crab cakes made from his grandmother’s secret recipe. “Truly, we feel that’s the way it’s supposed to be,” Rocky said. The Densons get their rice and grits from South Carolina. Their olive oil and pasta sauces are imported from Italy. Some of their spices and seasonings come from Jamaica, and their pickled products come from a local company in Richmond. The couple researches what is not available locally, and tries to fill a niche with their products to keep their customers from having to shop out of town. One of the best qualities about the store, and what delights the Densons the most, is the ability to interact one-on-one with each and every one of their customers. Colonial Beach is known for its many little shops and personal customer service. Denson’s goes above and beyond by giving their customers background information on any products they show an interest in. Rocky and Blaire love to be able to talk with their customers. They acknowledge everyone, and know many by name. “We have a fantastic staff, and they all take ownership. They are like family,” said Blaire, proudly. Their oldest son, Leslie, is currently enlisted in the US Navy and stationed in Tennessee, but helps out once in a while when he is home. Their oldest daughter, Lauren, worked in the store for two summers before entering Davidson College, in North Carolina. Their youngest daughters, Elizabeth and Katherine, both in high school, also help out occasionally. The store offers boxed lunches and other catered items for meetings. There are “dinners for one”, daily specials, fresh deli meats, and every Saturday they have the
Blaire and Rocky Denson at the Densons’ Store R&B Oyster Bar open. The Densons serve oysters from Prince Edward Island, located in Canada and Massachusetts. “We really take our oysters seriously,” says Rocky, “We serve them ice-cold on the half shell, as well as fried and trago-style. The deli offers eleven original sandwiches, all named after establishments that no longer exist in Colonial Beach. There is the Mayfair, Reno, Jackpot and more. If you’re
curious about the establishment after which your sandwich is named, the Densons will be happy to give you a history lesson while you wait for your sandwich to be prepared, fresh and on the spot. Denson’s also offers bottled milk and oldfashioned bottled beverages, as well. My favorite, Grape Nehi, brings back childhood memories of easier days. Linda Farneth
Colonial Beach Eagles #4315, a Small Organization with a Big Heart Richard Leggitt
The Colonial Beach Eagles #4315 is a small organization with a large heart. The Eagles frequently hold fundraising events to help charities and individuals who are in need of assistance, including their recent car show which raised money for diabetes. “Special charitable events such as the Diabetes Research Center Car Show enable this fraternal order to provide financial support on a grander scale,” said Patti Hansley of Colonial Beach, the chair of this year’s show. Scott McGee of Colonial Beach was the co-chair of the car show. Hensley said the local Eagles have donated over $15,000 this year alone to help others. “And that does not include donations from the car show fundraiser, which are still coming in,” Hansley said. “Nationwide the Fraternal Order of Eagles is leading
the way in the fight to find a cure for diabetes,” Hansley said. “Eagles from the United States and Canada made a five year $25 million commitment to develop the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center at the University of Iowa.” The funds are being used to pay for diabetes research and for the construction of a research facility on the University of Iowa campus. “The new facility is not yet complete, but the research funded by the Eagles is going strong,” Hansley said. In addition to diabetes research, Eagles #4315 has donated over $5,800 this year to the Colonial Beach community. The Eagles provide assistance to local residents who are unable to pay their bills and are in need of medical financial support. And, additionally Eagles #4315 contributes money to a scholarship fund at Colonial Beach High School. Hansley said continued strong support from the Co-
lonial Beach community, businesses and from Eagles’ members is the key to their fundraising. The Eagles also participate in local food banks, contributing over 2,000 pounds of food this year to help the needy. “We want to thank everyone for their past and continued support to the F.O.E. #4315, Colonial Beach,” said Hansley. “And a very heart-filled thank you to all of the hard working volunteers that make these events the success that they are.” Winners of the Diabetes Research Car Show for 2013 were: John Pulliam, who won the Ladies Choice Award for a 1930 Ford Model A; Steve Deatley, who won the People’s Choice Award for a 1941 Lincoln; Timothy Payne, who won the Best In Show Award for a 1965 Buick Skylark; and Jim Mercer, the winner of the Motorcycle Best in Show Award for a 2011 Boss Hoss Trike.
The Journal’s Potomac River Festival, May 2013
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The Visitor Center now open Friday - Sunday
June 7-9 Potomac River Fireman’s Festival
Don’t miss a minute of the Carnival, Miss Colonial Beach Contest, and all the activities on Town Hill. Watch the Fireman’s Parade as it winds through the Beach on June 7 May 25
2013 Colonial Beach Calendar of Events
CBVRS All Wheels Show 804-224-7750 CBVRS CrabSign Fundraiser, now through Sept.
June 1
3rd annual Beach Clean Up Day in conjunction with the Chesapeake Bay Clean Up Day, sponsored by the CB Yacht Center and the CB Historical Society. Volunteers needed to meet at the Yacht Center 8:30 a.m. 804-224-7230 1 Colonial Beach Chapter 595 NARFE Annual Yard Sale, Leslie Revenell 804-224-3096 1-2 JarrettThor Fine Art 2-day workshop 804-224-7200 2 Miss CBVFD and Festival Baby & Little, Jr. Contests, No entries that day. 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. 804-224-0215. 5-9 Potomac River Firemen’s Festival Carnival, Town Hill, CBVFD Ladies Auxiliary 804-224-7255 7 2nd Friday At Walk 6 - 9 p.m. 804-410-2025 7 Miss Colonial Beach Contest. 804-224-0215 7 CBVFD Fireman’s Parade, 7 p.m. 804-224-7255 7 62ns Annual Potomac River Festival-Parade, Vendors, Arts & Crafts, games, Stage Shows, etc, 804-224-8145. Sponsored by Colonial Beach Chamber of Commerce 7-8 CBVFDLA Festival 8 am - tee-shirts, food 9 CB Yacht Club Boat Parade 1pm, www.thecyc.com 21-23 Rock n Blues Festival, at High Tides Restaurant. Benefit OAR. Sponsored CB Blues Society/CB Chamber of Commerce. 804-214-0883
July 4
July 4th Celebration and Fireworks from Municipal Pier 804-224-7181 12 2nd Friday Art Walk, 6pm - 9pm 804-410-2025, www.colonialbeachartistsguild.org 7/13-8/5 Potomac River Regional Art Show at the Town Center 804-224-2774 13 CBVFDLA Pork dinner, 5-7 p.m. 224-7255 13-14 YMCA Colonial Beach 2-day Triathalon. Larry McLaughlin, 540-371-9672 20 Fraternal Order of Eagles #4315 Cancer Benefit 804-224-4315 20-21 International Jet Ski Races - 3 day event 804-224-8145/804-224-8726 27 CBVFDLA Yard & Bake sale, 804-224-7255.
AUGUST 9 10 10 17-18
2nd Friday Art Walk, 6pm - 9pm 804-410-2025 www.colonialbeachartistsguild.org CBVRS Children’s consignment clothing sale CBVFDLA dinner at the fire house, 5-7 p.m. 33rd Annual Rod Run to the Beach, 804-224-0690
september 1 6-8 7 7-8 13 16 21-22
CBVRS Golf Cart Poker Run, 804-224-7750 CB Dragway “King of the Beach” 804-224-7455 Jazz in the Courtyard 6-9pm Ingleside Vineyards 804-224-8687 46th Annual Arts and Crafts Show on the Boardwalk 804-224-8145 2nd Friday Art Walk, 6pm - 9pm 804-410-2025 www.colonialbeachartistsguild.org CBVRS Golf Tournament, Cameron Hills, 804-224-7750 5th Annual Chesapeake Wine and Harvest Festival Stratford Hall 804-493-8038
october 5 11 19
CBVRS Harvest Festival, 804-224-7750 2nd Friday Art Walk, 6pm - 9pm 804-410-2025 www.colonialbeachartistsguild.org 34rd Annual Harvest Celebration 11am-4pm Ingleside Vineyards 804-224-8687 26 CBVFDLA Children’s Halloween Party & Costume Contest 804-224-7255 26 Halloween Golf Cart Parade & Contest 804-224-2278 26 Historical Haunts-Ghost Tours Stratford Hall 804-493-8038 Each Sat. in October, Haunted House, CBVRS, including Oct. 31
november 1-3 8 11
19th Annual Rockfish Tournament, 804-224-5000/804-224-8145 2nd Friday Art Walk, 6pm - 9pm 804-410-2025, www.colonialbeachartistsguild.org Veteran’s Day Memorial “At the Cannon” VFW 804-224-9510
DECember
7 CBVRS Vendor Craft Show Tree of Light, Tree of Bones through December
804-224-7750
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May 2013, The Journal’s Potomac River Festival
You will see this in color when the jet skiers get to Colonial Beach this summer.
CONGRATULATIONS COLONIAL BEACH ON YOUR 62nd POTOMAC RIVER FESTIVAL from
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The Journal’s Potomac River Festival, May 2013
Decorate your cart and head for the parade
And end up your evening with a great fireworks display!
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Virginia State Parks Belle Isle | Caledon | Westmoreland
We love d hiked t our time on t hi h this af s morning and e water. We te tomorro rnoon. We’re g are kayaking w et campgr to go fishing. ting up early ou The pa join us nd is really r nice. Yo k’s next ti u shoul me. d
Love , Virginia
800-933-PARK (7275) | www.virginiastateparks.gov VSP_JP_GetAways.indd 1
3/25/2013 10:03:25 AM
Caledon State Park, née Natural Area With the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon July 14, 2012, Caledon Natural Area officially became Caledon State Park. King George now has an official state park which will draw tourists to the county and make the park more visible to those interested in its natural beauty, camping and boating availability. Plans for the park, which was given to the Commonwealth of Virginia by Ann Hopewell Smoot in 1974, surfaced in 1979. In 1984 the Caledon Task Force, appointed by Governor Charles Robb, developed a master plan to preserve the park and its eagles and provide limited public usage of the park. In 2011 after the bald eagle was removed from the endangered species list, updates were made to the master plan to make the park more accessible to the public while still preserving its “Native flora and fauna, including bald eagles as well as historical and cultural resources,” according to its mission statement. Plans are now being phased in to make improvements to the park at an estimated
Photo by Cynthia L. Ailey
Park staff, Boy Scout Troop 170, Cub Scout Pack 165, Fredericksburg Mountain Bike Enthusiasts, Friends of Caledon and Virginia State Park director Joe Elton cut the ribbon at the opening of Caledon State Park, née Caledon Natural Area. cost of $7,393,815, a figure which may take years to come up with, given Virginia’s current fiscal situation. First on the list is to expand access for hikers and bikers within the park and install a parking area that will connect the park to the Dahlgren Heritage Railroad Trail. Stated plans are that the trail would eventually become a part of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. The park wants to add a canoe/kayak landing with five campsites and a vault toilet and add 12 hike-in only campsites with a vault toilet. As of now there is a 1000 foot no boat-
ing zone along park property on the banks of the Potomac River. That no boating zone will become a no motorized boating area to accommodate canoers and kayakers. There are also plans to build a small picnic area with a vault toilet near Boyd’s Hole in the park along the Potomac. So, while the park will remain rustic it will attract those who really want to get out in the woods or into the Potomac in a more simple, outdoorsy sort of way.
2013 Caledon Special Events: • Great American Backyard Campout, June 22 • Seurat Sunday (art in the park) Sept. 15 • Youth Outdoors Day! Sept. 28 • Howlin’ Coyote 10k Trail Run, Sept 28 • Caledon Art & Wine Festival Nov. 2 *For more information on Virginia State Parks, visit www.VirginiaStateParks.gov and click on park events. Camping and cabin rentals available at Westmoreland and Belle Isle State Parks. — Ruth Herrink