SUPPORT Middleburg Community Center Receives Generous LOCAL Donation BUSINESS
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Think Local Middleburg’s Communit Community Newspaper Middleburg’s y Newspaper
Volume 18 Issue 8
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November 29 ~ December 16, 2021
Piedmont Hunt Opening Meet
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Reclaiming the Roots of Thanksgiving
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Lynne Kaye
Continued Page 5
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Huntsman Johnny Dean Photo By Tiffany Dillon Keen
onya Taylor, Director of Production for the Bainum Foundation Farm, recently gave my husband and me a tour of the farm. The farm is located off St. Louis Road a bit north of Middleburg. On the farm, we watched the bees and butterflies collect the season’s last harvests of nectar. We admired the fall vegetables and greens growing in the fertile soil. We learned how the farm used crimson clover and other cover crops to provide a fertilizing blanket for the vegetable plots that were already put to bed for the winter. Seeing the farm and listening to Tonya’s enthusiasm for growing healthy food reminded me how much affinity agricultural societies had for the soil. It also reminded me how deeply rooted Thanksgiving is in the traditions of ancient harvest festivals. Harvest festivals date back at least 10,000 years to the earliest agricultural societies. As agriculture spread, so did agriculturebased cultures’ dependence on their local soils to produce successful harvests of fruit, vegeta-
bles and meat. Harvest festivals were celebrated in virtually every agricultural society from Africa and the Middle East to Europe, Asia and the Americas. The festivals expressed thanks for and celebrated the harvest in good years. In poor years the festivals entreated whatever force the culture associated with the harvest to provide them with a better future. Harvest festival traditions were born from feasting on the best of the region’s local food and drink. While food production and consumption are often now divorced from one another by entire continents and oceans, harvest festivals are still celebrated around the globe. National Geographic’s list of the top 10 harvest festivals includes festivals in places as diverse as Plimoth Plantation in Massachusetts, Bali in Indonesia and Eswatini (Swaziland) in Southern Africa. Tonya and the other farmers at Bainum use traditional, regenerative farming techniques. While looking at the rich soil and beautiful produce from the Bainum Foundation Farm, it is easy to understand why our ancestors and we would want
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November 29 ~ December 16, 2021
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News of Note
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November 29 ~ December 16, 2021 Page 3
Middleburg Community Center Receives Generous Donation
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heila Johnson of the Salamander Resort & Spa presented the Middleburg Community Center with a check in the amount of $12,066 on Tuesday November 16th. The Salamander hosted the American Ballet Theater over the summer for their traveling summer tour as an outdoor experience in Middleburg for community members and visitors alike. As opposed to the Salamander receiving profits from their ticket sales for this event that attracted hundreds of people, Sheila so generously recommended tickets be purchased on a donation basis, with the Middleburg Community Center as the recipient of the donations. The MCC plans to use the funds towards community events and programs and is extremely grateful for the partnership and thought behind the endeavor.
MCC board, Executive Director, Salamander Representatives & Founder - Sheila Johnson: (left to right) Rachel Cochran, Olivia Rogers, Melanie Blunt, Tom Foster, Bethann Laign-Beeman, Richard Williams, Beth McKenna, Sam Gerges, Sheila Johnson, Jose Curci, Robert Carter, Carmen Arwine, Sarah Brissing, Tom Wiseman, Jim Thompson, Lynn Wiley
MIDDLEBURG ECCENTRIC DECEMBER 10TH AD DEADLINE FOR DECEMBER 16TH ISSUE
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November 29 ~ December 16, 2021
News of Note
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The Queen of Steam Makes a Rail Stop
The Queen of Steam” By Tom Neel
rain lovers can’t help but to gather at their favorite rail crossings to catch the famous Norfolk and Western 611 stream engine on its nostalgic trips through Delaplane, Marshall and The Plains. One such enthusiast is Tom Kee, owner of The Rail Stop Restaurant in The Plains. In fact, so much so that he commissioned veteran artist, Tom Neel to recreate the mighty coal burning locomotive as it passes through the town. Kee explains, “I love Tom’s style of painting and after seeing a photo he had taken of a famous train coming through The Plains, I thought a painting would connect well with the town and the restaurant.” First nicknamed the “Spirit of Roanoke” and then after a later restoration, “The Queen of Steam”, the 1950 class “J” 4-8-4 streamliner hits home with the theme of Kee’s Rail Stop Restaurant and its own suspended model railroad featuring a working version of the famous steam engine. Tom Neel says, “I was
thrilled to recreate this massive engine. I recall, while taking photographs, the thunder beast passing by me raining bits of coal dust, but what a joy to see, and now paint!” The Rail Stop restaurant has been a fixture of The Plains for decades, and Kee is starting his 27th year as owner and chef. He shares, “During Covid business was tough, but we’ve been grateful for our excellent customer base to pull through it. We added a raised deck with an awning this past year which was a great addition. Our customers have really enjoyed the extra outdoor space.” As with the model train, which has become a Rail Stop fixture, so too will the 18” X 24” Tom Neel painting titled, “The Queen of Steam”. There’s a plan to make some fun train tee shirts to celebrate the occasion! The Rail Stop is located at 6478 Main St. The Plains. For more information please visit - www.railstoprestaurant.com
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November 29 ~ December 16, 2021 Page 5
Kuhns Put Contract on Saint Louis Historic Property with Goal of Protecting from Development
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he Kuhn family has put a contract on 42-acres in Saint Louis, Virginia, one of the first AfricanAmerican townships in Loudoun County. As part of the buying process, the Kuhns are conducting a study of the site, which is currently owned by the developer Mojax. If the purchase proceeds, the goal would be to place the land into conservation easement to protect it from development and preserve the open space for future generations. “We are excited to be working with Board Chair Phyllis Randall, her fellow supervisors including Tony Buffington, and County Administrator Tim Hemstreet to help save and protect this historically significant and beautiful land. Saint Louis was bought by freed slaves following the Civil War. Preserving our county’s important history fits with our focus on helping preserve Virginia’s natural habitats, ecosystems and past,” explained Chuck Kuhn, owner of JK Land Holdings and JK Moving Services. The 42-acres are located northwest of Middleburg and are currently slated to become 45 homes. With the potential sale to the Kuhns, the land—part of the township which dates back to 1891—instead will be protected and preserved. Conserving the
land also will help ensure that nearby and long-time residents of Saint Louis—many of whom are descendants of the first AfricanAmerican settlers—will be able to afford to stay in their homes since this will prevent costly property tax increases in the area. In addition, the purchase will help preserve their family history. Kuhn has won numerous awards, including being recognized by the Washington Business Journal as a Top Corporate Philanthropist and the Old Dominion Land Conservancy for his conservation efforts. Other ways that Kuhn, his family, and his companies have protected landmarks and natural habitats include buying and conserving: • 90-acre property that housed the former historic Middleburg Academy • 500-acre Wolver Hill Farm in Middleburg • Historic White’s Ferry in Maryland • 135-acre golf course in Leesburg that is being transformed into a park • 87-acres in Loudoun that has more native species of plants and wildlife indigenous to Virginia than is typical • 150-acres in Purcellville used
to start the JK Community Farm, a charitable effort alleviating hunger by growing chemical free crops and livestock and donating them to local foodbanks • Historic and now fully renovated Middleburg Training Center
• Several thousand acres near agement firm serving private and
Loudoun’s historic villages The Kuhn family seeks land acquisitions through JK Land Holdings that can be sold, leased, developed, placed into conservation easement, or utilized by sister companies JK Moving Services and CapRelo, a global employee relocation and assignment man-
public sector clients. Over the past decade, they have strategically redeployed more than 22,000 acres of its purchases into conservation easement, ensuring vulnerable vistas and habitats are preserved and protected for future generations. www.JKLandHoldings.net
Reclaiming the Roots of Thanksgiving Continued from Page 1
to give thanks for and celebrate a successful local harvest. The farm was a tapestry of different shades of greens and browns with splashes of color provided by the fall’s last blooming flowers, vegetable plants and cover crops. The farm’s tapestry was created by mixing a variety of different types of vegetables and flowers together in groups rather than growing acres of a single crop in evenly spaced rows like corn. Tonya showed us the secret to the farm’s success - its rich, dark soil alive with beneficial organisms and full of nutrients. The quality of nutrients the soil transfers to the farm’s produce truly matters because the produce goes to improve childhood food security in Washington, DC’s 7th and 8th wards. Just as for our ancestors, the quality of the harvest can be the difference between hunger and a nutritious diet that supports a growing child. This Thanksgiving, my family will take our cue from the Bainum Foundation Farm by remembering that the roots of Thanksgiving are in the ancient harvest festivals and in the soil. We will celebrate by eating locally, regeneratively grown food and by thanking farmers like
Tonya and their rich, living soil for the feast on the Thanksgiving table.
Home & Business Security Systems & Cameras. Locally Owned & Operated Ensuring Top-Quality Work & Exceptional Customer Service Since 2002. Cabling Systems, Inc. provides customers throughout the Greater Piedmont Region with: Fully trained, licensed (DCJS #11-3918) technical experts who have passed in-depth background checks and fingerprinting—you are assured of safety and complete peace of mind when we are in your home or business Superior quality, affordably priced security products Unmatched, personalized customer service for every customer every time Prompt response when you need us More than 95% of our customers are referred to us by our many satisfied customers
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November 29 ~ December 16, 2021
News of Note
Critical Considerations that Ensure Your Home Security System Meets Your Needs
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Glenn Duckworth
hoosing to install a security system to protect your property and your loved ones is a wise decision. In addition to protecting the perimeter of your home— the remainder of your security needs for your home are unique. It’s important that your security system addresses your specific needs and requirements and delivers the complete protection you want. The latest security system technology enables you to choose from wire free, all-in-one security panels to hybrid wired/ wireless systems. All of the new security systems can incorporate cellular and smart home technology such as lighting, temperature, and door lock control while maintaining a simple, flexible user interface. Below are critical considerations that should be factored into the specific components for your home security system: • What are your unique concerns in addition to general security? Do you need to protect a gun safe? Is a medicine cabinet of concern? • What is your day-to-day lifestyle? Your security system provider should walk through
the entire house with you and discuss the options of a security system that will fit your lifestyle. It’s important to understand how your security system will work when you are home vs. when you are away. • Do you have pets? This affects the feasibility to use motion sensors. • Do you travel a lot? Do you travel more than you are home? This determines the specific type of sensors that can be used effectively and the best way to set up the system. • Would you like to have remote access to your security system? It’s important to understand the communication paths that are available. You can choose from cellular, landline, internet communications or a combination of paths. • Would you like to add video to your alarm system? This can include a camera system with onsite and/or cloud storage. You can choose an alarm system that protects the entry points to your home or a custom combination of the available options. • How will your security sys-
tem be used and who will be using it? Who will be notified in the event of an alarm? How would you like to be notified in the event of an alarm? The answers to these questions should be factored into your security system. • Who will service your security system? Are they local or from out of town? Are they employees or subcontractors? It’s important to work with trusted, licensed, screened security system experts who are dedicated to protecting you and our community. • What additional items do you want to connect to your security system? Components that monitor water? Temperature? Fire? • Are you concerned with home protection only or do you want to be notified if someone is approaching your home? Protect your home and your family. Work with a licensed, trusted security system expert who will ensure that your security system meets your unique needs and preferences. Glenn Duckworth, founder and owner of Cabling Systems, Inc. located in Remington, VA, has more than 30 years of security system expertise. He and
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his team design and install home and business security systems and IP camera systems based on clients’ needs and lifestyles. All team members are fully trained, licensed, background checked,
and finger printed providing complete peace of mind. For security system questions or additional information, please call 540.439.0101 or email info@cablingsystemsonline.com .
112 West Washington St. Middleburg, VA 540-687-5633 | Highcliffeclothiers.com
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November 29 ~ December 16, 2021 Page 7
Come Celebrate a Musical Celtic Christmas “At The Parish House” on Sunday, December 19th
viola. They always weave interesting historical notes and amusing stories through their concerts. Fun fact: three band members have led Williamsburg’s world-famous Fife and Drum Corps. The performance is Sunday, December 19 at 3 p.m. at Emmanuel Episcopal Church’s Parish House, 105 East Washington St. in Middleburg. Reservations are recommended, but not required (540-6876297). A donation of $10 is suggested. Mask and COVID vaccination proof, please.
Painting By FRENCH TOUCH
concert was enormously popular. And this year’s concert will be the third visit for Ms. Mei-Li Beane whose voice, violin and viola never fail to enthrall an audience. The band will sing and play many Christmas specials such as “I Saw Three Ships” and “Pat-a-Pan,” and a variety of year-round Celtic favorites. Instruments accompanying their energetic voices will be the accordion, Irish flute and whistle, Uilleann pipes, bodhran, guitar, violin and
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or decades a talented band of Celtic musicians has played to sold-out audiences in Virginia with brilliant renditions of Irish and Scottish songs and tunes. Lovingly nick-named “The Dwarves” (for historical reasons too complicated to explain here), the band will perform a Christmas concert at Emmanuel Church’s “At The Parish House” concert on Sunday, December 19 at 3 p.m. The band’s 2019 Middleburg
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Page 8 Middleburg Eccentric
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News of Note
Antiques & History—A Key Gateway
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s a seller of antique documents, prints and items of silver, cut glass, china and wood, I focus very much on what these items tell us. Beyond the attractive print of birds or animals from the 1700s or a hand-colored engraving showing a scene of one’s hometown in the 1800s or a silver tea set or decorative miniature in china or metal, there exists a rich body of knowledge of the history of our country and its peoples and that of others. On occasions all it takes is a bit of
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curiosity and that curiosity may prove beneficial. An antique piece or document or newspaper or advertisement may bring home the nature of what people felt or believed more efficiently than a lengthy history text. The social mores of every period and the similarities with and differences from today quickly come to mind in antique pieces. A simple example. When attending the University of Virginia, my wife and I lived on Garth Road,
an extension of Barracks Road. That name reflected the barracks that housed captured Hessian & British soldiers marched from Boston to Charlottesville after the Colonial victory at Saratoga New York. It represented almost a death march for some and many Hessians deserted into the Germanspeaking areas of Pennsylvania and Virginia. At war’s end, a number of the young soldiers had no desire to return to their homelands. They gravitated away from Charlottesville to the Shenandoah Val-
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ley, the northern part of which was populated by German-speaking immigrants living in towns such as Strasburg, Maurertown, Edinburg. Many homes constructed or their ornamented woodwork reflected the craftsmanship of these former prisoners. I would buy a home in Maurertown on the north fork of the Shenandoah River and, for its inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, the woodwork was deemed to have been crafted most likely by one of these former soldiers. A residence off Barracks
Road at one point in my life and a house 20 years later decorated by those former prisoners. The history certainly enriched the perspective of this “antique” home. Another example are vinaigrettes. Not salad dressing, but small boxes of base metal or silver with a cover and then a second interior box. In that box a piece of sponge or cloth resided and would be soaked with vinegar. In the 1600s and 1700s, these were worn to attempt to fight influenza or malaria. In the 1800s, they continued as a worn item but with perfumes so ladies could hold them to their noses as they moved through the very “smelly” portions of London, Paris or New York. Different periods in art reflect political and social items as well. The palace of Versailles from the late 1600s led to other nation’s seeking the glory of constructing their own structures to show the absolute power of the monarch. However, the art in these sites was antithetical to the next generation of artists. The debate over classical versus romantic themes in art reflected not only the artists but the political movements leading to more central governments and then responding to the novel ideas of public interest and its role in governing. Also, the construction of such sites reflected and reinforced trade guilds that would later support the industrial revolution. In short, artists painted to please patrons and this included the patron’s or the artist’s political positions and goals, a truth going back several thousand years and continuing today. Antique implements and even dining pieces reflect the high style and technical capacity of earlier generations. Antique documents denote behavior now decried or surprisingly shared. Of note, many magazines existed to advertise patent medicines. The magazines required “articles” to satisfy Post Office rules to get cheaper postal rates. Many authors got their starts writing articles or romance stories for these publications. What does one do with this knowledge— well, first it can enrich your life to understand the world around you; second, one may appreciate how others addressed the challenges of their times; third, one can appreciate the craftmanship and how many needs of common people were met by artists, manufacturers and writers; fourth, some items and attitudes are humorous now because of how much progress has been made in frequently more positive directions. In the end, purchasers should not be shy about asking questions. Middleburg benefits in this area as its antique proprietors have deep knowledge of the pieces they offer and can provide interesting facts and features. You never know when those descriptions not only enrich your “purchase” but as well your understanding of the history, culture and mores of our past which invariably affect our present. Alfred Pollard is the proprietor of ROSEMARY located at 16 S. Madison Street, Middleburg.
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November 29 ~ December 16, 2021 Page 9
Create a New Tradition. If you’ve never been to Middleburg for the holiday season, you might be surprised at just how big our little town does it up! Come on out for the day or the weekend, and experience the truly unique Christmas in Middleburg. We’re proud that it’s earned international recognition – but even more proud that you’ll still enjoy the same charm, character and community that we’re known for. We can’t wait to see you!
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An ideal village blend of refined luxury and unpretentious comfort.
Eat Well
Our restaurants, bistros, cafés, pubs, and brewery scene in our village rivals that of any big city.
Wineries
More than 20 wineries within a 30-minute radius.
Accommodations
Choose from a historic inn, traditional B&B, or a 5-star sprawling country estate and spa.
The Great Outdoors Open spaces and rural calm inspire invigorating hikes, relaxing strolls, picnics & horseback riding for all levels.
HOLIDAY ACTIVITIES Join us all December long for food, shopping, and festive activities - celebrate with a “Dickens of a Christmas in Middleburg”
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Page 10 Middleburg Eccentric
• November 29 ~ December 16, 2021
News of Note Indoor Humidity
S
David Elphee
tudies have found that low relative humidity increases the risk of transmitting the viruses responsible for COVID-19 and influenza1,2,3. With the winter months well upon us here in Northern Virginia, indoor humidity levels have plummeted. Humidifiers are an important step towards creating a healthy environment for your family, but are all humidifiers the same? Which is best for your home and budget? Relative humidity is the measure of moisture in the air at a given temperature. Warm air can hold more moisture than cool air, which is why humidity is “relative” to temperature. Here is how that works: Cool air from outdoors sneaks into your home through doors, around windows, cracks, and vents. The air may be moderately humid, we will say it is 60% relative humidity (RH), and 35 degrees Fahrenheit (F). The heater your home warms the
air up to 68 degrees F, which is what you have your thermostat set on. Because of the change in temperature, relative humidity drops to an arid 18%RH, which is drier than the Sahara Desert. Air this dry sucks up moisture from wherever it can. Skin, houseplants, woodwork, even the glue holding your furniture together. When a person inhales, the air soaks up moisture from inside the lungs, and the exhaled air is close to 100%RH. It is no wonder that this has an adverse effect on lung function. You may have heard people say that gas and oil furnaces dry the air worse than heat pumps, but this is not entirely true. No moisture is removed from the air when it is heated, regardless of the type of heater you have. However, fossil fuel furnaces that use indoor air for combustion will increase the amount of outdoor air that infiltrates into your home, lowering the humidity as described in the previous paragraph. Portable Humidifiers
Portable humidifiers are the cheapest option for adding humidity to a single room or small area of the home. These will need to be refilled with water frequently, and a separate monitor for measuring ambient humidity is recommended to measure the effectiveness of the unit. Some portable humidifiers have such a low capacity for evaporating water that they barely affect that humidity in the home. If your portable humidifier holds a gallon of water, and you refill it three times a day, that’s three gallons per day of moisture evaporated into the home, which isn’t much. For comparison, a residential steam humidifier has a capacity of up to 35 gallons per day. Central Humidifiers Central or “whole house” humidifiers installed on your ducted heating system have a number of benefits over the portable type. They humidify the entire home, and they have a much higher capacity. They don’t need refilling, as they are piped into your home’s water supply. If they are
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maintained properly, they can last longer than your furnace or heat pump. Humidifiers can be classified as either evaporative or steam. Evaporative humidifiers use the air and heat from your central heating system to evaporate water as it flows through the humidifier. Most modern humidifiers have a sponge-like media inside where the evaporation takes place. In decades past, some humidifiers had a tank that held water continuously, but it is rare to see these anymore, and if you have one you should get it replaced. Humidifiers that hold water induce mold growth, which can spread to your ducts and distribute mold spores throughout the home. Evaporative Humidifiers Evaporative humidifiers will require a new pad at least once a year, depending on how many minerals you have in your water. As water evaporates, minerals left behind build up on the pad, and eventually inhibit evaporation. A neglected pad can even cause your humidifier to leak. Changing the pad is fairly simple and typically does not require any tools, so many homeowners do this themselves. Some evaporative humidifiers have a built-in fan to help with evaporation, while others use ducted air and rely on your heating system’s fan. Both have similar advertised humidification capacities of 12 to 18 gallons per day, but this can be a bit misleading. The final capacity of any humidifier depends on how it is controlled. A basic setup is a humidifier that runs when the heat is running, assuming the humidity in the home is below the setpoint on the humidistat. If your heater does not run much, you won’t get anywhere near the rated capacity
from the humidifier. A better control system involves running the humidifier any time the humidity drops below the setpoint on the humidistat, regardless of whether or not the heat is running. For this to work, the central blower needs to come on when the humidifier is running, which requires some extra control wiring. It is also helpful if your humidifier is piped to your home’s hot water instead of cold. This type of setup is called operating your humidifier “independent of the heat” and will result in much more humidity production. Even so, evaporative humidifiers are often not enough to raise the relative humidity to desired levels, especially in larger homes. Any humidifier is better than no humidifier, but if you want to hit and maintain a target indoor RH, a steam humidifier is recommended. Steam Humidifiers Steam humidifiers use electricity to evaporate water. While these models feature a tank that holds water, the water is sterilized every time the humidifier operates, so they are not subject to the mold problem described previously. As a further precaution, the units are drained when not in use. Most steam humidifier manufacturers now utilize a canistertype system, which has simplified maintenance significantly. Older style steam humidifiers required cleaning by a professional, but the new models feature a simple disposable container that gets replaced periodically. Like evaporative humidifiers, how often this needs to happen depends on the minerals in your water. Steam humidifiers must be controlled independent of the heat. The main benefit of a steam humidifier is its high capacity, but this comes at a price. All humidi-
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Celebrating 50 Years!
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Sunday, December 12 4:00pm Sweeter, Still… A Christmas Concert with the Blue Ridge Singers Sunday, December 19 4:00pm Lessons & Carols with the Master Singers Friday, December 24 Christmas Eve 5:00pm Christmas Family Service 8:00pm Celebration Choral Eucharist 11:00pm Candlelit Eucharist Sunday, December 26 10:30am Children’s Christmas Pageant Sunday, January 2 8:00am Traditional Eucharist 10.30am Service of Lessons & Carols All welcome! On Rt 50, Upperville, VA, just 15 minutes west of Middleburg
540-592-3343
www.trinityupperville.org
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fiers require energy to evaporate water. Evaporative humidifiers use the heat from your central heater, so if you heat with gas or oil you probably won’t notice the extra energy expenditure because it is hidden in your fuel bill. Steam humidifiers, however, use electricity. And not just a little. It is not uncommon for a steam humidifier to raise the electric bill by $80 a month or more. Of course it depends on how high you set your humidistat, how leaky your home is, etc., but just like you pay for the heat in your home, you can expect to pay for humidity. Given the current pandemic, however, this may be money well spent. How Much is Too Much? The ideal humidity for preventing virus transmission appears to be between 40 and 60%RH4, but many homes will not support a RH much higher than 45%. The exact number varies by home, but raising humidity also raises the dewpoint temperature, and any surface colder than the dewpoint will condense water out of the air. At an indoor temperature of 70 degrees and 50% RH, the dew point will be about 53 degrees. Cold windows will fog up, poorly insulated ceilings or walls can become damp, and concrete floors can become slippery. If any of this happens, you need to lower your humidity setpoint. High-end humidistats have an automatic feature which can take care of this for you if set up correctly. The algorithm in the humidistat will automatically adjust the indoor RH setpoint depending on how cold it is outside. Just like running your humidifier independent of the heat, it requires a little extra wiring when installed. Conclusion A humidifier is a great investment for your home. It can help protect you family’s health as well as your home’s woodwork and furniture. If you discover that you prefer dry air in the wintertime, you can simply turn your humidifier down or totally off. If you do decide to invest, be sure to choose a reputable, qualified contractor willing to discuss your specific needs and budget.
• November 29 ~ December 16, 2021 Page 11
Jason Knight and David Elphee
1 Ward, Michael. “Low Humidity Increases COVID-19 Risk: Another Reason to Wear a Mask.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 18 Aug. 2020, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200818094028.htm. 2 Kudo, Eriko, et al. “Low Ambient Humidity Impairs Barrier Function and Innate Resistance against Influenza Infection.” PNAS, National Academy of Sciences, 28 May 2019, www.pnas.org/content/116/22/10905. 3 Joseph G. Allen, Akiko Iwasaki. “Opinion | This Winter, Fight Covid-19 with Humidity.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 19 Nov. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/ opinions/2020/11/18/winter-covid19-humidity/. 4 Sandoiu, Ana. “How Humidity May Affect COVID-19 Outcome.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 2 Apr. 2020, www. medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ how-humidity-may-affect-covid19-outcome.
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• November 29 ~ December 16, 2021
Places & Faces
NORTHERN VIRGINIA THERAPEUTIC RIDING PROGRAM POLO CLASSIC 2021
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A Record $180,000 in Net Income Raised At Program’s Largest Annual Event shares NVTRP Executive Director, Kelsey Gallagher. “It takes a village and we are truly thankful to have such a passionate group of people that care about and support the work we do.” Guests were treated to an afternoon of polo, live and silent auctions, music, drinks and dining in the heart of Virginia’s picturesque hunt and wine country. The event benefits NVTRP’s mission to provide equine-assisted services to children and adults with disabilities, youth-atrisk, military service personnel and their families. All proceeds are used to subsidize lessons for NVTRP clients and assist with general operations at the farm.
The COVID-friendly event format included individual guest tents with private lawn and deck space to allow for social distancing, self-serve bar area, boxed or plated meals, increased restroom facilities and contactless registration. This year, we were also able to offer a limited number of general admission tickets while still maintaining a safe and COVIDconscious environment. Special events included music by local artist, Jahnel Daliya, the Color Guard of St. Andrew’s Society of Washington, DC accompanied by NVTRP military
The Land Trust of Virginia is truly grateful for the annual support and partnership of the following businesses. They support conservation of the spaces we all love, so we hope you will support them.
Conservator
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Middleburg’s Community Newspaper www.mbecc.com
The Land Trust of Virginia (LTV) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit land conservation organization dedicated to preserving and protecting Virginia’s open space, agricultural land, natural areas, and cultural heritage. To become a business sponsor, please contact kerry@landtrustva.org or call 540-687-8441. For more information, go to www.landtrustva.org
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riders and NVTRP therapeutic riding clients participating in a halftime quadrille - a choreographed drill pattern on horseback set to music. Will Thomas, NVTRP Board Member and Vice President at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, and Sherrie Beckstead, partner at Liljenquist & Beckstead Jewelers, returned to cochair the event, and were joined this year by honorary co-chair and respected entrepreneur and philanthropist, Sheila C. Johnson. Many individuals and local
businesses donated more than 100 items to this year’s live and online silent auctions, including weekend getaways, golf packages, restaurant gift certificates, autographed sports memorabilia and more. A special thank you to the lead 2021 Polo Classic sponsors: ITCON, Crescent City Charities, Deloitte, AT&T, Gary Cubbage, Barry & Alla Cline, The Peterson Family Foundation, Ginny & Bill Craig, Sheila Johnson and Salamander Resorts, Sherrie Beckstead, Will Thomas, and Campbell Wealth Management. Photos by Tony Gibson/ 22Gates.com
he Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program (NVTRP) held its 15th annual Polo Classic on Saturday, September 25, 2021 at Great Meadow in The Plains, VA. The event was a huge success - with a record-setting net income of $180,000 to support program operations - while complying with all safety standards and protocols for a safe, in-person fundraiser in light of COVID-19. “What a spectacular day! We are so grateful for, and could not do it without, all of our sponsors, guests, volunteers and staff that make NVTRP’s largest annual fundraiser such a success,”
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Middleburg Eccentric
• November 29 ~ December 16, 2021 Page 13
D
Piedmont hunt
E UC
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RE
Photos by Tiffany Keen
White Oak Farm 93+ acres $3,600,000 Middleburg – 1st time offering of this wonderful ‘Hanback built’ home with spectacular Blue Ridge Mtn views. 5 bedrooms, 5.5 baths. 4 fireplaces, hardwood floors. Pool and mature landscaping. 2 bedroom, 1 bath tenant house, 6 stall barn with paddocks. 2 ponds.
W
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Deercroft 6.31 acres $1,200,000 Middleburg – Meander up the driveway bordered by Kwanzan cherry trees to this 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath home tucked away from the road. Stunning landscaping includes mature trees, boxwood parterre and extensive gardens. Distant views of the Bull Run Mountains. Split rail fencing and stone walls. Ideal commuter location just east of town. Gregg Ryan, Masters--Shelby Bonnie, Tad Zimmerman
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The Plains – Investment property in the heart of the village. The post office has been in this building since 1933. Detached stucco building currently operating as an office. This building has a second floor that could be a potential accessory apartment. Parking is available on the street, in a parking lot on the side of the post office and behind. Investment property - both buildings are currently rented. Offers subject to errors, omissions, change of price or withdrawal without notice. Information contained herein is deemed reliable, but is not so warranted nor is it otherwise guaranteed.
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Page 14 Middleburg Eccentric
Progeny
• November 29 ~ December 16, 2021
Wakefield Head of School Speaks in NAIS Podcast Series
W
Wakefield’s Head of School Ashley Harper was a guest speaker in a panel-discussion podcast for the National Association of Independent Schools
akefield’s Head of School Mrs. Ashley Harper appeared on October 12 as a guest speaker on the National Association of Independent Schools’ new podcast series, New View EDU. Episode 10 of the series, entitled “What Have We Learned, and Where Do We Go From Here?”, features Mrs. Harper along with two other heads of school, Luthern Williams of New Roads School in California and Lisa Yvette Waller of Berkeley Carroll School in New York, as well as NAIS President Donna Orem. The episode is the closing segment in New View EDU’s first season. According to host
and moderator Tim Fish, “This final episode is all about schools, from the perspective of school leaders… With these visionary [educators], we dig into the topics covered during the season and specific areas of opportunity for schools. We explore establishing well-being as the foundation of schools; creating schools that serve as incubators for the infinite potential of students; unleashing student and faculty agency; … and the importance of hope, empathy, authenticity, and vulnerability to leadership.” According to the NAIS website, another key question the hosts explore with the panelists in this interview is “the purpose of school.” In each prior podcast episode of this season, the web-
site states, “the purpose of school has risen to the top as an avenue for exploration. Are we at a new moment for understanding and redefining purpose in education? And how can we design for the future with all the lessons we’ve learned at the forefront? How does a big-picture understanding of purpose in a school community drive the development of student agency and personal development?” On all of these questions, Mrs. Harper and her fellow heads of school share insights about their school communities’ experiences over the last two years. In regard to school purpose, Mrs. Harper speaks of Wakefield’s mission and how the sudden lockdown forced a re-evaluation of what
was truly critical to that mission and what was not—and adds that a number of things “that were rightly let go of” in the context of the pandemic “will not be picked back up again” as the school moves forward. She also reflects on the pandemic’s opportunities for both student and faculty agency, and “the amazing sense of entrepreneurial spirit” that existed among the faculty. In a letter to Mrs. Harper, Brianne DeRosa, the producer of New View EDU, said, “Our 25330 Eastern Marketplace Plaza, Chantilly, VA 20152
whole New View EDU team is excited and proud to share your wisdom with the world, and we hope you’ll share, too! ...On behalf of the whole New View EDU team, I truly cannot thank you enough for your thoughtful, positive, and empathetic contributions to this important panel discussion.” To hear the panel’s full conversation in Episode 10, find New View EDU on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, and many other podcast apps.
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Middleburg Eccentric
• November 29 ~ December 16, 2021 Page 15
Dental Care Through the Decades of Life Middleburg Smiles
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Dr. Robert A. Gallegos
ental needs change through the different decades of life. They reflect the stages of health and lifestyle. To meet the needs of maintaining proper dental health in all the stages of life requires homecare, diet control and regular dental office visits. Regular visits to the dentist will help guide homecare as oral health changes. The first two decades of life and dental health care pertain to prevention of decay, prevention of trauma during activities like sports, and orthodontic care for
proper tooth alignment. Early orthodontic care can establish a healthy airway along with providing a beautiful smile. Decay prevention is mainly a diet and homecare issue. Regular visits to the dentist will help reinforce healthy habits, homecare and diet, strengthen teeth with fluoride applications and catch any problems early, but the overriding responsibility for maintaining good oral health is what is done on a daily basis at home with diet, hygiene, and safety. Wearing an athletic mouthguard during sports is essential even if the sports league does not require mouthguards. Wearing one can prevent tooth damage, tooth loss
and concussions. In the third decade, things tend to be pretty stable during this peak health phase of life. As long as good care was taken during the first two decades and is continued, not much happens. In the fourth and fifth decades there starts to be some other needs and changes. In the fourth and fifth decades there may be some changes, periodontal (gum) recession, straight teeth getting crooked, a cavity or two, a broken or cracked tooth and some old restorations may need replacement. Gum recession is most often due to previous orthodontic treatment and/ or brushing against the gums too
hard. Orthodontic retreatment is very common in middle age due to crowding as a result of not wearing orthodontic retainers and not getting new retainers on a regular basis. When people are in peak health they sometimes choose to not go to the dentist regularly, are lax in their homecare and diet. New cavities may develop during this time due to bad habits that carried over from the twenties and thirties. Normal wear and tear can also lead to the breakdown of teeth and old restorations but most breakdown happens due to bad habits, like ice chewing, and clenching and/ or grinding. Cracked teeth need treatment, a crown, onlay or extraction. A common way to replace missing teeth is with dental implants. In the sixth decade and beyond, any unresolved issues of the previous decades carry over. In addition to natural wear and tear, many people develop dry mouth and may start to develop some arthritis or limited dexterity impacting how well teeth are brushed. As we age, our saliva production decreases. Some medications can also cause dry mouth. Reading the side effects of many medications reveals that dry mouth is a common side effect. Dry mouth is a major contributor to the overgrowth of bacteria that cause decay, gum disease, and fungal infections. Limited dexterity due to arthritis and hand or arm injuries can
make homecare more difficult. Hygienists can instruct patients how to maintain health when there are health challenges like arthritis. Staying well hydrated and keeping up with homecare and dental visits is essential. In these decades it may be recommend to have more frequent dental care visits and recommended to use different homecare products, like a special toothpaste and/or mouth rinse. The good news is, with good health, proper homecare and regular dental visits, many more complicated issues can be avoided or they will have limited effect on day to day life. Start early and stay engaged in healthy habits. Dr. Robert A. Gallegos is a Fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry, visiting faculty at Spear Education, alumnus of Pankey Institute, Qualified Invisalign provider, member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and the American Dental Association. Dr. Gallegos practices dentistry in Middleburg, VA. www.MiddleburgSmiles.com
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Page 16 Middleburg Eccentric
Pastimes
• November 29 ~ December 16, 2021
Digital History In Unison
I
Steve Chase
s it too early to play Holiday music? By the time you read this, the answer is likely to be “no”. I go by the Thanksgiving rule--you can play Holiday music anytime starting on Thanksgiving. When I grew up, I don’t remember ever hearing Holiday music on the radio until well into December, perhaps any time after December 10. I started working on this column on Veteran’s Day, and it forced me to start playing Holiday music on my Spotify account so I could make a Holiday party playlist for you all. Of course, that meant that anyone connected to my feed could see what I was listening to. I started my research
when I found a Christmas 2021 Christmas Party playlist on Spotify, and clicked on a song before
I had to step away. When I came back to my laptop, at least fifteen holiday songs had played, mostly
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generic commercial pieces of trivial music that might work more to turn you off to the holidays. I was not happy that all of my friends could see these songs, it was embarrassing. “What the hell is wrong with Chase?” they were probably asking, “what is he listening to, and why so early?” Oh well, I turned the music off and moved away from that particular playlist, never to be referred to again. I began digging deep to find an assortment of songs from different genres that I like and more importantly, what I think my guests would like while hopefully expanding their musical horizons. What makes a good Holiday party playlist? If you have been following this column, you probably know that I like complex, longform music, where songs might go on for ten or fifteen minutes. My wife Karen, a music professional for more than four decades, reminds me often that my musical taste is “out there” and beyond many people’s likes or tastes. She’s right, but I still go by Duke Ellington’s statement, “if it sounds good, it is good”. Karen’s advice did help me build a quality Holiday party playlist. Nobody wants to hear Zappa’s The Purple Lagoon or Umphrey’s McGee’s Wizard Burial Ground at a holiday party. What party guests want is a good mix of generally upbeat, easy to listen to holiday tunes, played by artists that they recognize. Mixing genres is fine--bluegrass, big band, crooner, jazz trio, rock and roll; but the order must be done with care to bind the whole list together. I like to target about 40 songs for my playlists, which will keep your soundtrack going for two and a half or three hours. While I tend to stay away from clichés, and Bing Crosby’s White Christmas certainly is in that category, I suck it up and allow some of these overplayed songs into my Holiday party mixes--people like them. To stay a bit rebellious, I always stick a few tunes into the mix that people have never heard--the great NRBQ once released a Christmas album, and their rendition of Christmas Time is Here, while a bit eccentric, is just fantastic. The same goes for the great LA Santa played live by Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger;
Kung Fu Christmas, the only Christmas tune ever sung on the National Lampoon Radio Hour; and Ring Out, Solstice Bells, the one Christmas tune that Jethro Tull released. I was bummed to see that one of my favorite holiday albums, David Grisman’s Acoustic Christmas, is not available right now on Spotify. The balance of the playlist tunes are performed by folks that most of your partygoers will know-Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Der Bingle, Vince Guaraldi, John Prine...you get the idea. If you don’t want to bother making your own playlist, you can create your own using a handy online tool at playlists. christmasmusic.com . This webpage gives you three playlist categories to choose from, including Christmas Morning, Christmas Party, and Under the Mistletoe. Click on one of these and then choose from eight artists, old time to current popular. I clicked Christmas Party and then checked off Dean Martin and Willie Nelson as my artists and clicked “Create playlist now”. In less than two seconds, a somewhat custom playlist popped up on screen with a few dozen holiday songs, not a bad list. You can then export your list to Spotify or Apple Music--instant party soundtrack. If you want to work on your own playlist, beware of using canned albums with names like “Acoustic Christmas” or “Holiday Soft Jazz” that are all over the music streaming sites. These are typically low budget efforts using studio musicians (they have to eat too), and are best used if you own an elevator company. These collections of holiday Pablum will provide no value to your party whatsoever, unless you are looking for ways of getting those last friends to leave at 1AM after they have drunk most of your Pappy and have been parked on your sofa for the last six hours. Whatever way you approach it, having a soundtrack for your gatherings with family and friends is a must. Take a minute and check out my Spotify playlist at https://tinyurl.com/te6cwuxc . Just refrain playing it until the holiday spirit strikes you. Steve Chase is hanging lights and playing Christmas music in Unison.
Middleburg Eccentric
• November 29 ~ December 16, 2021 Page 17
Christmas Magic
Sincerely me (Read to the tune of “Christmas is Coming”)
C
Brandy Greenwell
hristmas is coming, and the supply chains are whack. Please think outside the box before you wrap. If you can’t find the perfect thing for under the tree, give an experience and memory. Christmas can be such a magical time for families and friends. What’s trending this year is gifting experiences. Instead of a sweater, give a gift card for a pedicure. Organize a yearly family game night. Plan a walk at the park with your bestie. Make a coffee date with your college roommate. Hire a sitter for a date night, and tip them well. Share a book you enjoyed. You get it. Be simple; give yourself your time, gratitude, and thoughtfulness. Those are the best gifts to give and receive. My mother has always been the magician extraordinaire when it comes to decorating, giving, and creating the most special occasions. She brings Christmas to life. As a child, we’d spend outdoor time as a family over Christmas break. There were times of chopping and stacking wood together to heat our home, watching my mom decorate the tree with miniature wreaths she made from braiding bailing twine, and some years, going out of town together. As a young child, I was so concerned about how Santa would find my brother and me in those years. My mom decorated our home
before we left and schlepped decorations to our destinations to set the scene and bring the magic to wherever we laid our
heads. Christmas mornings were full of love and family gifts only, you know because Santa didn’t know where we were.
We never lacked any experience because of my mother’s masterful planning. Before returning home, my mother arranged for
a neighbor to stuff stockings and put pressies under the tree, so we knew Santa remembered us. It wasn’t about the gifts; it was about the magic my mother made for her family. I still believe in Santa. This year, I hope to continue the magic for my children who are just old enough to understand the meaning of Christmas. And we will end where we began: “Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat. Please put a penny in the old man’s hat. If you haven’t got a penny, a ha’ penny will do. If you haven’t got a ha’ penny, then God bless you.” My family would sing that together outdoors, in around. It was goofy and so fun to keep that family rhythm. I can still hear my father belting the baritone line and how it echoed through the crisp air like a church organ: memories and magic. I am wishing you and yours a peaceful, grateful and magical Christmas.
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Page 18 Middleburg Eccentric
Pastimes
• November 29 ~ December 16, 2021
Here come the Holidays Around the Town
A
Hazel Sweitzer
s you humans go into your holiday season, I want to remind you that people are good. Many of you have had a tough and confusing last two years, and I know tensions are high, and you are exhausted. Well, animals
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are exhausted as well, but we know we must be there for you, humans. It’s easy at this point to want to give up on other humans because there has been so much disruption and tension, but this is the perfect time to stop and take hold of your compassion and empathy and see how you can bring more joy into your own life by
caring for others. I see a lot of interactions in town, and I have noticed something different. Maybe this is because of the masks, but I see only half as many people look down at me and smile or even notice me. And I am very cute. Hard to pass by. I think everybody is just trying to get thru the day,
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and it’s more complicated than ever to take a moment to look at someone or stop for a second to notice others around you. Smiles are tucked under masks, which makes it more challenging to read a person’s expression. But I have also seen many people going out of their way to make a moment pleasant. Like, my friend Ant-
won at the post office. He always greets us with a smile and asks Tom how he is doing. Or Lisa at the pharmacy, no matter how backed up her line is, she talks to Tom like a friend. Or the ladies at the bank, always with a treat and a smile. And I also have noticed many people stopping us and asking Tom about how he feels, and many have asked about how I’m doing. Come on, humans can’t be that bad if they ask how dogs are doing. It doesn’t take much to ask one question or even to make one positive comment to someone. Like, last week, someone stopped Tom to tell him they loved my pumpkin outfit I was wearing. Now, I don’t particularly appreciate dressing up, but I’ll take a compliment any day. All of you humans are trying hard to make life bearable and better, so don’t give up on your fellow man or dog. Recently, everyone has been fragile somehow, and we must remember how similar we all are. Well, I have fur, and humans don’t, but you get the idea. The last many years have been full of fear and uncertainty, and we all need to step up and show a little more love to everyone around us. And as you go into your holiday events and get-togethers, remember to have patience with others. Even before you interact with any other humans, think about how you can reach out and show care and compassion. Listen, I know what I am talking about. Dogs are the masters of care and compassion. Humans have always been a little bit behind, but it’s never too late! Happy Holidays! Love, Hazel
Middleburg Eccentric
• November 29 ~ December 16, 2021 Page 19
Cherry Tart
the combination of sweet and sour cherries and the “Perfect Pie Dough” recipe will give you just that every time The Kitchen Philosophy
www.thekitchenphilosophy.com Emily Tyler
Cherry Tart Makes 1 9”tart 20 ounces frozen pitted cherries, you can use sour, sweet or a mixture of both 1 cup sugar 3 tablespoons tapioca flour* Juice of half a lemon 2 tablespoons butter 1 disk of perfect pie dough, recipe below In a large bowl, first add the sugar and stir in the tapioca flour. Add the cherries and the lemon juice and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to sit for at least 15 minutes Take one disk of the pie dough out of the refrigerator and warm it up just until you can easily roll the dough out. If you would like to decorate the top of the tart with cut out pieces of dough, use two disks. Lightly flour your counter and roll the dough out to about 1/8th inch thickness and transfer to the tart pan - it is ok if it tears, just press the dough together and patch any holes - it is very forgiving Fill the pie shell with the cherry mixture Roll out and cut any additional dough pieces on top if you so desire Dot with butter Place the tart on a foil line pan Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees, then lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 40-45 minutes or until the crust is browned and the cherries are bubbly and soft Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before serving to allow it to firm Serve with vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream *tapioca flour can be found in most grocery stores with a gluten free baking section Equipment: Rolling pin and 9” fluted tart pan with a removable bottom Perfect Pie Dough Makes 2 double crusts
1 ¾ cup shortening - preferably organic, no-hydrogenated such as Spectrum
½ cup cold water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Extra flour for the board for rolling the dough out
1 egg
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine
Add the shortening and with your fingers mix in the shortening until the ingredients are crumbly and the size of a pea Combine the wet ingredients and add to the shortening mixture and stir until well combined Gather the dough and divide
into 4 quarters Pat into 4 disks and wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes This dough freezes well, save the other portions for another pie
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Page 20 Middleburg Eccentric
• November 29 ~ December 16, 2021
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Middleburg Eccentric
• November 29 ~ December 16, 2021 Page 21
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Page 22 Middleburg Eccentric
• November 29 ~ December 16, 2021
Opinion - Letters@middleburgeccentric.com
Letter from The Plains Anthony Wells
What do Harry and Meaghan, health care workers, our fine US military personnel, and loyal allied military friends all have in common? This is something more than a provocative rhetorical question. I will sow one seed for thought before elaborating – we in the United States are in the midst of a crisis that is not public enough in my humble opinion. It’s called an “Occupational Health Crisis”. In the United States we really do not care, except perhaps as interested bystanders, in the current furors that are still ongoing as a result of Prince Harry’s and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s, interview with Opra several months ago. Without wishing to be judgmental I think that if I had been advising them both before that interview, which earned them a lot of opprobrium across the pond, I would have left family matters completely out of the interview, and discussed much more pressing issues of an international and humanitarian nature. However, I find the subsequent Harry and Meghan talks and actions both of interest and important for several other non Royal Family reasons. Nonetheless there are connections, cause and effect, that indeed in any family can have ramifications outside what I think are strictly family private boundaries. Harry lost his mother in the saddest of circumstances for a young boy, walking behind his mother’s coffin that could only have been traumatic in the extreme. I have enormous respect and affection for Queen Elizabeth, who in my opinion is the greatest monarch in British history if one looks at her reign in perspective, from the days of Winston Churchill as
British Prime Minister until today, a quite revolutionary period in global and British history. The fair and judicious have noted Her Majesty’s slowness to respond to Diana’s tragic death as perhaps a sad blemish on an otherwise incredible record of service and achievements. It took Prime Minister Tony Blair’s personal visit to Her Majesty’s Balmoral Scottish home to, in essence, direct her to return to London and join the British people in a period of intense national mourning. The young, impressionable Harry must have been affected by all this. Who wouldn’t? Then to add to this complexity is the issue of his father’s personal meanderings and clear love for another woman that he could never remove from his life, calling her indeed on the very night of his nuptials to his extremely young and impressionable bride, Diana, Princess of Wales. Harry saw military service and was well regarded by “his men”. He became a stalwart in supporting the various Para Olympic games, and multiple other ways to show support and respect for those who not just served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, but who were suffering permanently from their injuries. Harry has shown humanity. Then he meets the love of his life, and Eccentric readers do not need me to recite the rest of the story, except to emphasize that they are here in the United States, with two very young American children, the Windsors, with an American mother. As a total aside, do remember one key fact: Winston Churchill had an American mother. He was “Half and Half”. Let’s now connect the dots. Leaving aside the nasty vitriol of the likes of Piers Morgan and other members of the less than erudite British press, where does the truth reside? We are well rid of Morgan
and his like here in the United States, back now in the UK parleying his own brand of arrogance, smugness, and self indulgent conceit at the expense of people like Harry and Meghan. Objective criticism is fine, and loyalty to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth is highly commendable, as long as it is balanced, fair, and tempered with humanity, not vitriol playing to an often less than well educated readership. Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, was a kind, caring, and compassionate person who gained global affection for her work in supporting the less fortunate, and particularly those suffering from the effects of wars and malnutrition. She traveled the world to support hugely worthy causes. She was much loved here in the United States. Diana was not highly educated and certainly had no medical credentials. Did this really matter? I don’t think so. Her actions and the undeniable positive outcomes speak for themselves. She died having given support to millions, with hope in her heart for those less fortunate than her. She left a legacy that I firmly believe Harry has inherited. He has his mother’s genes in my humble opinion. Here is the connection, at last you say! Harry and Meghan are not doctors. They are not practicing traditional medicine like “Doctors without Borders”, but they are contributing significantly just as Harry’s mother did. Yes, they are now California entrepreneurs, making a healthy living through Archewell and other business ventures. This is America. Why not? At the same time they are contributing through various means to one very important medical domain that is becoming a daily crisis in our country – PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) amongst several key sectors of the American people. In addition to
Book Burning Proposed in America?
John P. Flannery
There’s a political push by Republicans, self-identified MAGA Moms, accompanied by a smaller number of Yahoo Dads, who are showing up at local school boards, to foment and shout demands for an array of questionable public policies. They want protective masks outlawed in our public schools, and oppose virus vaccinations. They want books outlawed, oppose instruction about our nation’s history of slavery and racism, even what we’ve accomplished to diminish discrimination, and, they insist, the school curriculum we have makes Johnny feel bad about himself. Down in Spotsylvania, Rabih Abuismail and Kirk Twigg spoke of burning books; in recent days, citizens responded with outrage, opposing censorship including any notion of book burning. These MAGA parents demand that our schools not recognize or protect transgender students, despite the bullying that goes on prompting some to commit suicide and die. “Christian values” are invoked to justify the refusal to use pronouns suited to gender identity. Our local Circuit Court was just fine with this form of discrimination. More broadly, “the Moms” oppose any protections against discrimination for LBTQ persons. The Moms harangue the locally elected officials in and out of these school board meetings. The Moms seek to remove local elected officials who don’t do their bidding, and badger and coerce those who disagree with them with trash talk calls, offensive social media attacks and physical threats, seeking to scare the opposition into silence or resignation.
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One Loudoun County Board Member withdrew, resigned from her post, during a pending recall hearing, because of physical threats to her family. This is a national problem and the proof is that our AG M. Garland wrote a memo asking the FBI to meet with local law enforcement officials to look into threats, intimidation and harassment directed at school officials, teachers, administrators and staff. The further proof that it’s a national tragedy is that AG Garland was grilled for hours at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing and refused to revoke his memo. AG Garland’s memo said: “In recent months, there has been a disturbing spike in harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff who participate in the vital work of running our nation’s public schools. While spirited debate about policy matters is protected under our Constitution, that protection does not extend to threats of violence or efforts to intimidate individuals based on their views.” These wrong-headed school board attacks are calculated to keep our young in the dark, both white and black, rather than promoting understanding and the much needed discussion of racism, its systemic effect, how it came to exist and how we may alleviate its adverse effects going forward toward “a more perfect union.” Despite the golden rule of the Sermon on the mount, that is, love your neighbor as yourself, these Moms want no respect for transgender children, or any LGBTQ person. These Moms seek to foist these irreligious beliefs, of isolation and discrimination, on all of us, and insist our schools, and everyone in the community, ostracize and discriminate against such persons. Banning and burning books is a
throwback to European dictators who feared free thinking and tolerance, treating the writings as an assault on the state. By comparison, this Mom movement has leveled its fire power at our nation’s democratic values and the nation’s original promise we were all equal. Let’s drill down a little bit on the censorship of reading materials. When I was a kid, there were libraries that gave you the run of the place. James Baldwin, a black author and poet, a brilliant and accessible fiction writer and essayist, said, “I went to the 135th street library at least three or four times a week, and I read everything there, I mean every single book in that library. In some blind and instinctive way, I knew that what was happening in those books was also happening all around me. And I was trying to make a connection between the books and the life I saw and the life I lived.” Republican Moms say they are anxious about books that discuss sex and violence – that’s their real objective – so they say. But the books the Moms select and the authors who write the books they oppose inform us that their objective is about diminishing diversity and equality and a fair understanding of white supremacy. If this “movement” was truly about writings of sex and violence, shouldn’t children be directed away from the New Testament when Jesus is whipped and nails hammered into his feet and arms to crucify him upon a cross. The Old Testament speaks of the slavery of the Jews in Egypt. Should children be directed away from the good book – either as prose or religious scripture. Ayn Rand is favored by Republicans. In her essay, “What is Capitalism,” she says that “a rational mind does
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the military sufferers from PTSD is a large, daily growing number, within our occupational health care community who are tired, exhausted, worn out, and suffering PTSD from the effects of the COVID pandemic. They have witnessed over 750,000 plus deaths, and worked day in day out to keep alive and ensure the recovery of millions more. Everyone has their breaking point, however physically and mentally strong. As a nation this is an urgent issue that must be addressed so that not only are our health care workers and military PTSD sufferers are taken care of, but a much more thorough and resilient strategy put in place to ensure the survivability of the health care system, while caring for those who have so valiantly cared for others at cost to their own physical and mental well being. The Infrastructure Program should contain whatever it takes financially for out Nation to respond to this crisis, because crisis it is. In addition to our health care workers the other group that requires urgent attention is the military, serving and retired, and at whatever age. PTSD is still not adequately addressed, and the Veterans Administration requires significant funds to create an infrastructure that will help immediately those who need help, including when former colleagues, or family, friends, and neighbors recognize the need for intervention and urgent care, and make the call. The Suicide Hotline is simply not good enough. Too little, and often too late. The recent tragic suicide in the United Kingdom of Major General Matthew Holmes, CBE, DSO, the distinguished retired Commandant General of the Royal Marines (equivalent to the Commandant of the US Marine Corps) exemplifies that even at the highest ranks no one is immune from
the effects of war and its psychological impact, a heartrending reminder that all are vulnerable, and all need care. Within the greater scheme of things Harry and Meghan are two small dots but, as we all know, the whole is the sum of the parts, and they are doing their part. Harry knows what PTSD is, first hand, and he has a loving and caring wife who relates to those much less fortunate. We can all do our bit, even if it is only to join the clamor to ensure that the Federal government and, here in Virginia, the State government, step up to the plate and support those who have given their all to ensure that many may live. Leadership is what is now required, underscored by the key value that Diana, Princess of Wales, exemplified, compassion and caring in the service of the merciful heart. Postscript to my October, 2021 Letter from The Plains: It is with considerable sadness that after publication of my October Letter I have to report that Commander David Lewis, United States Navy, the senior Intelligence Officer on board USS Liberty at the time of the June 8, 1967 attack, and a fine personal friend, has passed away. Dave was severely injured in the attack, the only survivor within the intelligence inner sanctum on USS Liberty when an Israeli torpedo exploded killing everyone in the space except Commander Lewis, who was protected from intense heat and blast by working at the time between a bulkhead and heavy security safes. I shall never forget how Dave explained to me that his highly classified Cryptic messages were on the desk of the President within minutes of transmission. What they were doing on board USS Liberty was that sensitive.
not work under compulsion; it does not subordinate its grasp of reality to anyone’s orders, directives, or controls; it does not sacrifice its knowledge, its views of the truth, to anyone’s opinions, threats, wishes, plans or ‘welfare.’” Still the Moms, our version of the brown shirts, know that intimidation and threats work, though Ayn insisted “a gun is not an argument.” Frequently mentioned in recent days on the Mom’s black list was Toni Morrison’s Beloved – a heartfelt and painful story of what slavery meant. One overriding message by Morrison was beware the ghosts of slavery. Morrison wrote that Slavery was about Sethe, who was tied to a pole and whipped for eating a meal she made herself, forced to give birth to a child fathered by men who forced themselves on her, raped her. It was about Sethe wondering about the whereabouts of her absent husband. Worse, it was living with the burial of the unnamed daughter she killed, that Sethe killed, brutally, to save her unnamed daughter from slavery and pain and indignity; Sethe was barely able to afford the carving of the letters, “Beloved,” for her child’s tombstone, her child’s final resting place. As does Abraham, the father of a multitude, prepare to sacrifice his only begotten son Isaac, as a sacrifice, as Yahweh does sacrifice Jesus on the cross, so does Sethe offer her daughter as a sacrifice, a shocking incident dedicated to the proposition that suffering on earth as a slave could be worse than life itself, and deemed so by the child’s mother. Of course, Abraham is saved from his choice, prompting Kierkegard’s essay, “Fear and Loathing.” If a child can read about Isaac and Jesus, can’t a child read about an unnamed “Beloved” lost to slavery. Not incidentally, Beloved is based on the true story of Margaret Garner.
Are we asking more of the ethics or intellect of this political movement focused on besieging school boards across the nation. Yes, we are. While Toni is a black author, the Moms have no use for William Styron’s, “The Confessions of Nat Turner.” William is a white Southerner from southeastern Virginia, where “took place the only effective sustained revolt in the annals of American negro slavery.” Nor should you expect the Moms to embrace Stephen Vincent Benet’s extended blank verse poem, John Brown’s Body. Benet treats Brown as an historical figure who can “change the actual scheme of things” and, by the power of his personality, bring about a new historical dispensation: “Sometimes there comes a crack in Time itself. Sometimes the earth is torn by something blind. Sometimes an image that has stood so long It seems implanted as the polar star Is moved against an unfathomed force That suddenly will not have it any more.” As a political martyr, John Brown advanced the cause of the abolitionists. You should not be surprised that the lists of censored writings by the Moms include Harper Lee’s, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” after all, it’s about the residents of Macomb resenting that Atticus, the local white lawyer, would agree to defend Tom Robinson, a black wrongly accused of raping a white woman. We should know the Mom’s movement against what our children may read is itself racist and discriminatory in origin, purpose, and effect.
Eric Hoffer, in his book, “The True Believer,” wrote, “To ripen a person for self-sacrifice he must be stripped of his individual identity and distinctness …” “The most drastic way to achieve this end,” Eric wrote, “is by the complete assimilation of the individual into a
Middleburg Eccentric
collective body. The fully assimilated individual does not see himself and others as human beings.” These Moms have been absorbed into a “movement” that resists this nation’s original promise of equality for all.
This movement reflects the most recent strain of American antiintellectualism, and rejection of our American values. We are deep in a period when many discount science and logic and clear thinking, though I insist there are more
of us who think than those who think hardly at all. It might be more appropriate to think of this social phenomenon as Richard Hofstadter did, as “anti-rationalist.” This movement invites our rejection
Sadly, Sam Huff, our friend, and long-time neighbor, died on Saturday, November 13. He was 87 and had suffered from dementia since 2013. I have little doubt that his 13 years of NFL head-knocking play when he was a tackling terror for the N.Y. Giants and the Washington Redskins in the 1950s and ‘60s had plenty to do with that inexorable decline in the final years of his remarkable life. In 1960, Sam was the subject of a CBS documentary narrated by Walter Cronkite called “The Violent World of Sam Huff.” He had a mike and radio transmitter in his helmet, and for the first time, viewers could actually hear the sound of a big-time hit, not to mention the colorful back and forth dialogue between opposing players on the field. Many believe that show helped further popularize the league, a process that may well have begun two years earlier with Huff also front and center. In the 1958 NFL Championship Game, the Baltimore Colts, led by quarterback John Unitas, rallied in the closing minutes to beat Huff’s Giants in what often has been called “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” In 1988, I had the honor and the pleasure of collaborating with Sam, one of my childhood heroes growing up a Giants fan on Long Island, to write
his autobiography. We called it “Tough Stuff,” and I spent more than 40 hours interviewing him at his Middleburg home. Out came a stream of remarkable stories—growing up in a West Virginia coal mining camp, college football at West Virginia University, his legendary NFL years, becoming a top executive for the Marriott Corporation, the radio days, his foray, along with his long time significant other Carol Holden, into horse racing. And of course, he spoke of his love affair with Middleburg, where they lived on a horse property just outside of town. Two days after his death, I wrote an appreciation column on Sam that appeared in The Washington Post. Over the next few days, I received a number of emails, Facebook replies, and texts, more than a few sent by people who knew Sam as their Middleburg neighbor. My favorite came from local resident Leah Thayer Ferguson, who admitted she did never really know much about sports save for horse racing the first time she ever met Sam. She began by writing, “Like everyone in Middleburg, I have Sam Huff stories. “When I moved here 21 years ago, I had decided I wanted to create a local radio show,” she continued. “I looked in
the yellow pages and saw ‘Middleburg Broadcasting,’ so I sent a letter. To my surprise, I quickly received a phone call from a man whose name I did not recognize asking me to come in for a chat. “I went to Sam’s office behind the Exxon station. When I entered the reception area, I saw photos of thoroughbred horses, so I thought to myself, ‘this is nice, a horse person.’ Soon an attractive man came out and invited me into his office. I noticed all these football photos there, so I said, ‘I see that you like horses, do you like football as well?’ “Sam’s jaw dropped. He stared at me for a moment, then replied, ‘Well, yes.’ “I asked, ‘Did you ever play football?’ “With a smile on his face, he responded ‘a little.’ “Where did you play. ‘In high school, (pause) and then for the New York Giants and the Redskins.’ “At this point my thick brain realized that this guy must be a big deal. When I told this story to the men in my family they all gasped. From that point on, every time I saw Sam in town, often coming out of his beloved Coach Stop, he would walk up, grab my hand and say, ‘Let me introduce myself. I’m the football guy.’”
Obituaries
Sam Huff
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Leonard Shapiro
lmost anyone living in the Middleburg area for any length of time surely shook hands or exchanged greetings with long-time resident Sam Huff at the very least, and more than likely, was soon engaged in a lively conversation. Never mind that he’d once been a nationally famous, all-world pro football player. In fact, many believe a Hall of Fame middle linebacker helped boost the game over Major League Baseball as America’s true sports pastime. And never mind that he also was an iconic member of the Washington Football Team’s radio broadcasting crew for more than three decades paired with his pal, fellow Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen, and play-by-play man Frank Herzog. Around Middleburg, he was simply every-man Sam, an affable guy you might run into at the post office, in the Safeway, at the counter at the old Coach Stop restaurant where he ate breakfast every day. No airs, never pretentious, always friendly and willing to stop and chat, tousle your kid’s hair and even offer an autograph to anyone who asked, total strangers who stopped him on the street included.
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• November 29 ~ December 16, 2021 Page 23
and active opposition as it violates our most traditional American values, especially the phrase penned by Thomas Jefferson, that we are all equal.
Leah Ferguson did, need, broadcast her radio show from Sam and Carol’s studio, and one day Sam went on as her guest. “I asked Sam why he had pursued professional football rather than staying in West Virginia to work in the mines like the rest of his family,” she recalled. “He told me that working in the mines is very dangerous. I replied, ‘Sam, there are lots of people who consider getting knocked around on a football field dangerous.’ Sam responded, ‘I was always the knocker, never the knockee.’” “Sam was unique, and he will be missed,” Leah Ferguson ended her touching email. And especially so here in Middleburg, which he loved, in a town where he was beloved.
Robert Macdonald “Sandy” Young and Claudia Saffer Young hat began as a love story ended as a love story for two widely known and much admired Middleburg area natives and long-time residents. On October 30, 2021, Robert Macdonald “Sandy” Young died peacefully in his sleep at his home on Denton Farm in The Plains, Virginia. He was 85. Two weeks later, on November 14, his wife of 59 years, Claudia Saffer Young, also passed away peacefully in her sleep at their home. She was 84. The two were childhood friends growing up in Middleburg, Virginia, and as Claudia liked to say, they “rolled off the potty together.” Sandy Young was born in New York City on August 22, 1936, to Robert Bonnell Young and Sybil Whigham Young, and the family moved to the Middleburg area at Denton Farm in 1939. Claudia Young was born in Washington, D.C., on June 15, 1937, the daughter of Thornton Delbert and Martha Gresham Saffer. They first met while attending The Hill School in Middleburg until Sandy finished middle school at Aiken (South Carolina) Preparatory. He went to the
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Pomfret School in Connecticut for high school, where he was a coxswain on the crew team considered one of the finest in all of New England. Claudia attended Holton Arms in Washington, D.C. Sandy graduated from the University of Virginia and was a member of the St. Elmo fraternity. Claudia Young attended Southern Seminary in Buena Vista, Virginia, and regularly visited Sandy in Charlottesville while both were in school. In the summer of 1962, they eloped to Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and began their married life in Syosset on Long Island, 30 miles east of New York City. Sandy initially worked for the New York Jockey Club as a registrar at major Thoroughbred sales. He had developed a love of horses as a child fox hunting with his parents and later rode as a jockey in the local steeple chase races. Claudia was born and raised in Middleburg, the daughter of the town’s only doctor, and spent her childhood exploring woods and streams all around and occasionally joining her father on house calls. She developed a lifelong love of birds, flowers, and plants from helping her mother tend the family garden.
In 1965, the Youngs moved back to Virginia so that Sandy could help run the family farm. Over the years, he also worked at Middleburg’s Lee Advertising and became a fixture on the local steeplechase scene as a steward and race official. He also worked for the National Steeplechase Association for a time. Sandy was an enthusiastic owner, trainer, and breeder of steeplechase and Thoroughbred racehorses. For many summers, he and other Middleburg area friends, including his great lifelong friend, Lewis Wiley of The Plains, traveled to Saratoga Springs for the annual Thoroughbred sales. “We worked hard,” Lewis Wiley said. “But we played harder.” The Youngs built their home at Denton Farm, where they raised their three now-adult daughters. Sandy continued to train horses and his daughters described Claudia as “the ultimate mother, volunteering as a room parent at Hill School, tending her flock of chickens, cooking amazing dishes and crafting the perfect hand-written note for any occasion.” Indeed, Claudia was a gifted and selftaught calligrapher and frequently was
Mary Kay Fincham Garwood ary Kay Fincham Garwood, the welcoming face of Middleburg to countless visitors to the village for more than a quarter-century, died peacefully on November 21, 2021. Upon retirement after a 35-year teaching career, Mary Kay became a volunteer at the Pink Box Visitor’s Information Center in Middleburg in 1992 and served as director for 24 years. She spent many weekends manning The Pink Box. She enjoyed greeting guests, keeping the doors open for special events, and especially recruiting volunteers, many of whom became her
dear friends. In 2008, Mary Kay was honored as Tourism Volunteer of the Year by the Loudoun Convention & Visitors Association and the American Legion Citizen of the Year by the Town of Middleburg. She received the Leven Powell award for her volunteerism in 2012 and 2019. Also, in 2019, the Town adopted a resolution of appreciation in her honor and crowned her the “Queen” at the annual volunteer reception. A daughter of James Courtland and Anna Susan Jenkins Fincham, Mary Kay, or Kay Kay, as she was affectionately known, was born in Madison, VA, and
raised at the family farm in Flint Hill with her two sisters Arland and Garland. She attended the former Washington High School, where she played basketball for the Rappahannock Rockets. After receiving degrees from Madison College and The University of Virginia graduate school, she worked in elementary education, teaching the fourth grade at Layton Hall Elementary in Fairfax primarily. Mary Kay lived in Clifton, Manassas, and McLean, before settling in her beloved Middleburg in 1983. She was a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority, The Middleburg Hunt,
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asked by friends and neighbors to design all manner of wedding invitations, formal announcements, and birthday and anniversary messages when one of her friends was undergoing treatment for a serious illness out of town one winter, Claudia hand-wrote and mailed her a meticulously crafted note of encouragement every day for months. Sandy was an avid golfer, no surprise considering his great-great-grandfather, Charles Blair Macdonald was one of the game’s premier golf course designers and a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. In 1908, he designed the world-famous and exclusive National Golf Links of the Peconic Bay in Southampton, New York. Sandy always liked to joke that he wasn’t allowed to play his greatgreat grandfather’s masterpiece unless accompanied by a club member. The Youngs were known for their kindness, sense of humor, and love of spending time with family and friends. And, oh yes, how they could trip the light fantastic and quickly clear a dance floor. They are survived by three daughters, Cathy Hartley (David) of The Plains, Mary B. Moore (Dan) of Charlotte, N.C.,
Susan McCaskey (Sean) of Middleburg, and grandchildren Campbell and Mac Hartley, Jack, Charlie, and Daniel Moore, and Caitlin McCaskey. A service celebrating their lives will be held Saturday, November 27 at 2 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville, with a reception to follow at the Middleburg Community Center. In accordance with the Youngs’ wishes, the family encourages you to reach out to friends and family and celebrate life. Donations in their memory can be made to The Hill School in Middleburg or the Middleburg Community Center.
and a patron of the Virginia Fall Races at Glenwood for over a half-century. Mary Kay was predeceased by her husband, James Clifton Garwood, to whom she was married for 50 years and shared a love of sporting art and antique automobiles. In addition to her parents, Mary Kay was preceded in death by her sisters and her nephew, William Roland Welch, Jr., all of Flint Hill. Among her survivors are a daughter, Robin Garwood Sterling Keys (Gordie) of Middleburg and a grandson, David Michael Sterling of Middleburg, and two nephews, Roger Allen Welch and
Dale Welch, both of Flint Hill. The family would like to thank Capital Caring Health and Blue Ridge Hospice for the excellent support they provided and to Evelyn Reed of Middleburg, her loyal caregiver. Services are private. A memorial observance may be held at a future date.
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Page 24 Middleburg Eccentric
• November 29 ~ December 16, 2021
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