Old Town Crier- January 2017 Full Issue

Since 1988 • Priceless

January 2017

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From the Bay to the Blue Ridge

january’17 A Division of Crier Media Group OTC Media LLC PO Box 320386 Alexandria, VA 22320 703. 836.0132

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5

10

A Bit of History........................................................... 8

Financial Focus.............................................................6

Pets of the Month....................................................17

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Electronic Ink 9 Royal Street, SE Leesburg, VA 20175 703.669.5502

After Hours..................................................................13

First Blush....................................................................45

Points on Pets............................................................16

Alexandria Events.......................................................3

Fitness...........................................................................40

Publisher’s Notes.........................................................2

Art & Antiques...........................................................15

From the Bay…........................................................22

Road Trip......................................................................20

Behind the Bar...........................................................28

From the Trainer.......................................................41

Social Media Message.............................................. 9

CONTRIBUTORS Lani Gering Miriam Kramer Sarah Liu Jeff McCord Julie Reardon Chester Simpson Bob Tagert Carl Trevisan Ryan Unverzagt Lori Welch Brown

Business Profile............................................................5

Gallery Beat................................................................14

Spiritual Renaissance..............................................43

Caribbean Connection..........................................18

Go Fish..........................................................................42

The Last Word............................................................10

Chef’s Special.............................................................34

High Notes..................................................................11

… To the Blue RIdge..............................................24

Dining Guide..............................................................32

National Harbor........................................................47

Urban Garden...............................................................7

Dining Out..................................................................30

Open Space................................................................46

Exploring Virginia Wines.......................................36

Personality Profile....................................................... 4

office@oldtowncrier.com oldtowncrier.com Published the first week of every month.

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PUBLISHER Bob Tagert MARKETING & ADVERTISING Lani Gering Bob Tagert SOCIAL MEDIA & WEBSITE Ashley Schultz

Chris Anderson Peggie Arvidson Sarah Becker Frank Britt Bonnie Browning F. Lennox Campello Steve Chaconas Doug Coleman Jimmy Deaton Doug Fabbioli Nicole Flanagan

© 2017 Crier Media Group, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. The Old Town Crier is published monthly and distributed to select Alexandria residents, hotels, restaurants and retail shops. Also distributed in the Annapolis, Fredericksburg, Blue Ridge and Washington, DC areas as well as St. John, USVI.

Since 1988 • Priceless

January 2017

From the Bay to the Blue Ridge

oldtowncrier.com

About the cover On the road with OTC The Old Town Crier family wishes you and yours a safe, happy and peacful holiday season and new year.

Down the Road is more like it — the Old Town Crier didn't make it too far last month! One of our favorite barkeeps, Mitchell Hughes of Landini Brothers Restaurant in Old Town Alexandria, entertained two fine Scottish lasses with the December issue during Scottish Walk Weekend. This photo by Chester Simpson was just too good not to print! photo: © 2016 Chester Simpson If you would like to see your picture here, take the OTC with you on your next trip, snap a high resolution photo and send it along with information for the caption to office@oldtowncrier.com. Happy Trails!

OldTownCrier

January 2017 | 1

PUBLISHER’S NOTES

BOB TAGERT

n this New Year we will begin the 30th year of bringing the Old Town Crier to our readers. Our first issue debuted in January of 1988. A lot has changed since that first issue. Over the years we have expanded our distribution to other Old Towns in our region but have kept Old Town Alexandria as our centerpiece. I would like to thank all of our readers for picking us up, and all of our advertisers who make it possible for us to go to the printer each month. If you can’t always find a hard copy, you can always go to oldtowncrier.com or find us on Facebook at Old Town Crier Regional Magazine.

This month’s Road Trip is a sampling from the road trips that I took in 2016.

Each one is brief, but you can read the entire article by going to our online version and checking the archives. For those of you in my age group and from this area, the Personality Profile is a walk down memory lane with Ray “Deak” Deakins, a man of many talents and dreams. He and I share a love of motorcycles so I thought it fitting that I drag out a photo of my young self with my first bike, a 500cc Triumph.

Figuring that there may be quite a few of you out there who did a bit of over indulging during the holidays we tried to choose healthy options for a good bit of this month’s editorial. Between the Business Profile, Grateful Juice Co., the Fitness and From the Trainer columns to Dining Out, The Sushi Bar in Del Ray, we are trying to get you all back on the road to good health. All of these are worth the read.

I’m not really a “resolution” kind of guy since I don’t think I could keep it for more than a week if I made one, however, we asked our writers to submit their New Year Resolutions for publication and they sent in some pretty good ones. Maybe next year we will seek out your resolutions for publication. Always good to have some reader input!

Wishing you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

In appreciation of Mary Steidl It caused great sadness when I learned of the passing of a very good friend, Mary Steidl, this past December. Mary and her husband opened Fresieurs hair salon about the same time I started the Old Town Crier.

She and her husband Robert, who passed away a few years ago, were very good friends of the Crier. We watched each other grow. She will be missed.

NOTE: We apologize to our friend and photographer, Chester Simpson, for the oversight on the credit for the images in the December Road Trip column.

Those images should have been credited to him.

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Alexandria DECEMBER TOURS, EXHIBITS, EVENTS

JANUARY 8-MAY 29

CIVIL WAR SUNDAYS AT THE ALEXANDRIA ARCHAEOLOGY MUSEUM Admission: Free Alexandria Archaeology Museum Torpedo Factory Art Center 3rd floor 105 N. Union Street Alexandria, VA 22314 703-746-4399 alexandriava.gov/archaeology Explore the Civil War in Alexandria with Civil War Sundays, a showcase of an original May 26, 1861, edition NewYork Tribune detailing Colonel Elmer Ellsworth's death in Alexandria, a Peeps Diorama illustrating Ellsworth's death, a diorama of a heating system constructed in Alexandria to warm Civil War hospital tents during the winter of 1861, a cocked and loaded Wickham musket discarded in a privy during the 1860s, an exhibit on the Lee St. Site during the Civil War, and more! Tour the Alexandria Archaeology Museum between 1 and 5 p.m. for Civil War Sundays, on the 3rd floor of the Torpedo Factory Art Center. Admission is free though donations are encouraged.

on lands “Gray Ghost” Confederate John S. Mosby and his men operated upon during the Civil War. Then head down to the restaurant’s main dining room to

experience more wine and great food inspired by the 19th-century. Doors open at 7 p.m. with the first tasting. Dress is business casual.

FEBRUARY 3 HEFLEBOWER’S COBBLERS & COCKTAILS AT GADSBY’S TAVERN MUSEUM 7-9 p.m.

Admission: $50 includes two drink tickets, period appetizers and evening of historic socializing Gadsby’s Tavern Museum

PBS’S ORIGINAL DRAMA, MERCY STREET, BROUGHT TO LIFE FOR SECOND SEASON ALEXANDRIA ANNOUNCES 25 NEW VISITOR EXPERIENCES As fans of the PBS Civil War-era drama MERCY STREET anticipate the show’s return for a second season on January 22, 2017, at 8:00 p.m. ET, historic Alexandria, Virginia announces 25 new tours, exhibits and events inspired by the series, launching in 2017 as the new season airs. MERCY STREET, PBS’ first original American drama in a decade, is inspired by real events of Civil War Alexandria. Alexandria celebrates the national spotlight on its history by presenting 35 visitor experiences for MERCY STREET fans in 2017, including 25 new offerings. Fans are invited to visit the city’s historic sites to enjoy new exhibits and events inspired by the series, with several that focus on Civil War-era cultural customs including food, fashion and music. Uncover the real people behind

the characters on the show, the realities of Civil War medicine, the changing roles for women, and the breakthrough experience of enslaved African-Americans claiming their freedom.

HIGHLIGHTS OF NEW 2017 VISITOR EXPERIENCES • Carlyle House events including “Gala in the Garden” with MERCY STREET producers (May 20), “Love and Romance Between the Lines” open house event (Feb. 11) with historic chocolate treats and reenactors playing real-life love birds Frank Stringfellow and Emma Green, and “Fashion Show and Tea on the Terrace” (June 4) featuring Civil War-era fashion • Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary

Museum’s “Apothecary of Mercy Specialty Tour” (starts Jan. 8) and “This Terrible Disease” exhibit (opens Jan. 13) featuring prescriptions and remedies sold to the Union Commissary Department and to the contraband population and civilian residents in Alexandria during the Civil War

by Sherry Z. Sanabria” (continues through May 2017) at the Alexandria Black History Museum featuring over 20 paintings honoring the lives of African-Americans who survived slavery, and years of racial injustice, but whose presence defined the American landscape

• Civil War-inspired food events including “Civil War Wine Dinner with Gray Ghost Winery” (Jan. 26) and “Heflebower’s Cobblers and Cocktails” (Feb. 3), both at Gadsby’s Tavern, and lectures at the Lyceum including programs with the authors of “Food in the Civil War Era” (Jan. 12) and “Starving the South” (Feb. 23).

• Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site’s “U.S. Colored Troops Living History Encampment” (Apr. 8) portraying the history, training and solider life of African-American units associated with the Civil War defenses of Washington and “Fort Ward Tour and Civil War Concert” (May 20) with a solider-led tour of Fort Ward and period music by the Federal City Brass Band

• “Before the Spirits are Swept Away: African American Historic Site Paintings

JANUARY 26 CIVIL WAR WINE DINNER WITH GRAY GHOST WINERY 7 p.m.

Admission: $125 Gadsby’s Tavern Museum & Restaurant 134 N. Royal Street Alexandria, VA 22314 703-746-4242 alexandriava.gov/gadsbystavern Start your evening in the City Hotel for the first course and conversation with Gray Ghost Vineyards, whose wines are created

LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS

OldTownCrier

134 N. Royal Street Alexandria, VA 22314 703-746-4242 alexandriava.gov/gadsbystavern It is 1862 and tavern keeper Samuel Heflebower is running a bar at the City Hotel where cocktails are “swallowed in the darkness.” Come taste 19th-century cocktails, learn a bit of tavern history, and try to evade the Provost Marshall!

Ten visitor experiences are returning for a second year, including the topvisited MERCY STREET-inspired exhibit, “Who These Wounded Are: The Extraordinary Stories of the Mansion House Hospital” at Carlyle House, once the Green family home adjacent to the Mansion House hospital, featuring an interpretation of period hospital rooms and doctor/officer housing, plus stories of nurse Mary Phinney and spy Frank Stringfellow.

Publisher’s note: We will continue to print Mercy Street-themed events as they happen during the course of the year. We hope you are tuned in to the series since it is right here in our own backyard.

OLD TOWN FARMERS MARKET MARKET SQUARE • 301 KING ST SATURDAY 7 A.M. – NOON, YEAR ROUND Free parking in Market Square garage during market hours People who come to Alexandria on Saturday mornings find themselves in a busy plaza where local farmers and artists have been selling their products since 1753. Old Town Alexandria’s Market Square is thought to be one of the nation’s oldest continually operating farmers markets, serving as a primary source of meat, dairy, fish, fruits and vegetables for Alexandrians. George Washington sent his produce from Mount Vernon to be sold here. Today, the market offers folks a way to reconnect to the past, while participating in an ongoing local and national tradition.

DEL RAY FARMERS MARKET CORNER OF E. OXFORD & MOUNT VERNON AVES SATURDAY 8 A.M. – NOON, YEAR ROUND The Del Ray Market is producer grown, with fresh vegetables and fruits in season. All year round, this market offers meats, eggs, fresh pasta and sauces, Amish cheese, yogurt, bakery goods, eggs, jams and jellies, fancy nuts and bakery goods.

NORTH MONTGOMERY PARK FARMERS MARKET NORTH MONTGOMERY PARK • 901 N. ROYAL ST THURSDAY 3 – 7 P.M., YEAR ROUND, WEATHER PERMITTING The market will feature local growers, bakers, and other area providers of wholesome foods including Twin Springs, Grace's Pastries, Bread & Water, and Relay Foods.

January 2017 | 3

PERSONALITY PROFILE

BOB TAGERT

American Highlander

O

ne of the fun things about owning this publication is all of the cool people that I have met and interviewed over the years. This month is no exception. When I attended the Christmas Parade in Little Washington, Virginia the beginning of December, I was introduced to Deak at Tula’s Restaurant. After conversing for the better part of the morning, I knew that there was a good story behind that beard and long hair. I was right.

Although he bought some land along the Thornton River in Rappahannock County in 1984, he maintains his residence and business in Alexandria. I had the chance to meet him for breakfast at the Royal Restaurant for this interview. I learned a lot about this “larger than life” guy, but one of the things that impressed me the most was when he bowed his head and prayed to his God before breaking bread. I made a comment and he told me he is very proud of his Christian faith and that God is his life! How could it get any better than this?

Deak and I have traveled a parallel course our whole lives. At 70 years old, he is 5 months older; he grew up in southeast Washington, D.C. and I grew up in Oxon Hill, Maryland. This is his story.

Deak grew up in a very close-knit family consisting of two brothers and two sisters. “The poker player that dad was, he always said he had a full house,” he tells me. I guess that he meant that in more ways than one. “We were a good Catholic family,” he says. “The three most important men in our lives were my father, the Parrish Priest and the cop who walked our beat.” These were the men he grew up admiring. He pretty much had all the bases covered!

In 1956 the family decided to leave the city and move to

the country, and in those days the country was not far away.

“We moved to Suitland, Maryland,” he says. “ It was great, we were right along Suitland Parkway and even had a creek close by.” This is when the love of the outdoors began to grab Deak. Ironically, it was about this same time that my family moved to Oxon Hill.

When it came time for high school, there was not enough money available to send Deak to a private school, until one day his dad came home and said, “You are going to St. John’s!” St. John’s College High School, located in Washington, D.C., was established in 1851 and is the second oldest Catholic Christian Brother’s school in the United States. He was granted a full football and basketball scholarship so that he might attend from 1960 to 1964. It was not until many years later that Deak found out that his Parrish Priest and an anonymous donor made it possible for him to attend by picking up that scholarship. After high school he attended the University of Maryland. In 1969 he graduated from the university with a degree in business.

“I never got a feel for “campus life” while at Maryland,” he tells me. While there he was always trying to work two jobs, mostly in construction. “I had been working since I was 12 years old,” he says. “While attending Maryland, at $2.25 to $2.75 an hour, those were the best paying jobs.” At 6’3” he was built for that line of work. Deak should have graduated from Maryland in 1968 but he spent one year in the Army in his last year of school. This led to one of his major regrets… while he served in the Army all of his friends went to the Woodstock Music Festival. “I sure wish I could have been able to make that concert,” he says.

“Deak” Ray Deakins

“The three most important men in our lives were my father, the Parrish Priest and the cop who walked our beat.”

4 | January 2017

PERSONALITY PROFILE > PAGE 25

OldTownCrier

BUSINESS PROFILE

LANI GERING

Cost Sheet 2016

Fresh start

Email: kimberly@gratefuljuiceco.com Cell: 301-312-3812 gratefuljuiceco.com

Green Goddess cucumber celery spinach lemon liquid chlorophyll

G

rateful Juice Co. is the brain child of Alexandrian, Kimberly Sickmen Landini. Some of you may remember her from a profile that we did on her first business venture - Zweet Sport Athleisure Clothing Collection. She partnered with long-time friend and fellow athlete, Marja Toan, in designing clothing suited primarily for yoga with a concentration on “hot” yoga. They have since expanded their business to the Zweet Sport Hot Yoga Studio and more recently opening Zweet Sport Total Fitness Studio. Their focus in all of these projects is to promote healthy living and igniting self-transformation through yoga and total fitness.

We will leave those fun businesses for another profile down the road.

When I asked Kimberly what prompted her to go into the “juice” business, she tells me, “I’m passionate about the health benefits that come from OldTownCrier

Blue Majik

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grew up eating lots of fresh food, and learning about the importance of a primarily plant-based diet. She’s now juicing here with me at Grateful Juice Co.; she’s part of the juice team.”

When I asked why the name Grateful and the Grateful Dead-looking logo? Landini says, “It’s obvious that I am a fan of the Grateful Dead. I started listening to them at a young age and their music always spoke to me, inspired me and made me feel joy. Additionally, I’ve always been fascinated by the 60’s and 70’s - all of it really….not just the music, but also the idea of being free and truly living your life while you’re alive. However, the name was equally inspired by the word itself. I am grateful every single day. I am so grateful for my life, for my friends, for my family, my yoga school and for my amazing students. I wake up and do what I love every single day.”

I was interested in where they source the ingredients and was told that they do their best to purchase local produce when available. For instance this summer, the juice for “Glow” - whose main ingredient is watermelon - came from a local exchange called The Giving Tree. According to Kimberly, “We try to use organic whenever possible, which includes not only our produce, but our extracts, algae, and super foods as well.”

“Additionally, we make house made almond mylk; currently we have two flavors…apple pie, which is house made almond mylk, apple, cinnamon, dates, and vanilla. The second flavor is called “purple haze” - house made almond mylk, blueberry extract, apple, lemon, organic agave.” drinking fresh juice daily. My As the website says, “GJC is about goal was to be able to bring fresh putting the best things into your juice to my yoga students after body, to get the most magnificent class, instead of them reaching for version of you. We believe in the something that won’t provide any power of FRESH, which is why we real type of nutrient or benefit to handcraft all of our juices on site, their body. Instead, my wish was never adding harsh chemicals or GRATEFUL JUICE CO. that they consume a nutrient dense preservatives to extend shelf life.”

1508 MOUNT VERNON green juice, or maybe a blue/green AVENUE algae juice (for example) to replace In addition to their main location 301-312-3812 electrolytes, reduce inflammation, in Junction Bakery & Bistro, you can GRATEFULJUICECO.COM and increase mental clarity. It now purchase the juice and the almond goes beyond just my yoga students, mylk at Zweet Sport Hot Yoga but that is where the idea originated located at 400 North Henry Street. from. Additionally, my mother has always influenced You can contact Kimberly directly and also arrange my food decisions, and she embodied a lot of what for cleanses, etc., by e-mailing her at kimberly@ I’m now trying to share. My mom had us shopping at health food stores before they were mainstream… gratefuljuiceco.com.

“At GJC we feel all things are possible when you before Whole Foods existed. She’s been a vegetarian all her life, so we followed that in our house as well. I “drink something magical” every day!”

January 2017 | 5

FINANCIAL FOCUS

CARL TREVISAN, CFP© & STEPHEN BEARCE

Investing vs. Paying Off Debt The Debt Dilemma

The process for eliminating debt is anything but an easyto-solve financial equation.

Many people wonder if they should pay off their debt as quickly as possible or invest their money, letting debt payments run their course.

The answer depends on whom you ask. Theories about balancing investing with debt vary widely.

Some financial experts say freedom from debt is the most important goal. Others say it’s more about the math: Your money should go toward investing if your investments earn a higher rate of return than your debts cost you. Still others focus on the emotional aspect: how comfortable are you with a certain level of debt?

Neither One or the Other

Better yet, perhaps, is a balanced approach to wealth management. If you’re like most people, you’ll need to manage finances for both present and future needs. That means paying off some debt today while simultaneously investing with an eye on the future.

Although your decisions should take into account your own needs and circumstances, consider the following guidelines for handling debt in light of investing goals:

Save for a Rainy Day

Before paying down debt (beyond required payments) or settling on an investment strategy, make it your first priority to put funds aside for an emergency reserve.

Coleman Law Group Attorneys at Law Serving Virginia and DC for over 20 years (703) 739-4200 coleman-lawyers.com 602 Cameron Street Alexandria, VA 22314

6 | January 2017

We recommend six months or more of living expenses; an absolute minimum is three months’ worth. These funds should be in traditional savings or very short-term, highly liquid, non-volatile investments.

Some financial experts say freedom from debt is the most important goal. Others say it's more about the math: Your money should go toward investing if your investments earn a higher rate of return than your debts cost you.

Your Future First

As a general rule, your longterm investment plan should take priority over applying extra amounts toward debt.

Be careful as well not to let “lifestyle creep,” a tendency toward more expensive tastes and luxury consumption, impede your investment outlook.

By contributing to a longterm investment plan as early as possible, you may set yourself up for a brighter future. If paying down debt is also a priority, you’ll want to examine your personal budget to decide how much to direct each month toward investing and how much toward debt repayment.

Just remember, there are no magic numbers. In general, the best advice is to make sure your investment strategy fits your financial expectations for the future.

Prioritize Your Debts

With an emergency fund in place and your investment strategy up and running, putting any extra money toward your debts is also a smart way to go. But how do you decide which debts to pay

down first?

One approach is to start with the smallest debts first to eliminate at least some of your debt burden and interest payments in a timely manner.

It also makes sense to pay off high-interest debts like private student loans and credit card debt more quickly.

Federal student loans and mortgages might be lower priorities, because their rates are often lower and their terms are longer. Vehicle loans might fall somewhere in the middle. Tax considerations might also come into play.

It’s Personal

As you divide and conquer debt, don’t forget to consider the emotional side of your strategy. If paying off a certain debt will help you feel more secure, you might want to go with your gut feeling.

You’ll enjoy a growing sense of financial freedom as you stay on course and get

your debt under control. As it shrinks over time, you may find you have more funds available for enjoying the present and focusing on the future.

This article was written by/ for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Carl M. Trevisan, Managing DirectorInvestments and Stephen M. Bearce, First Vice PresidentInvestments in Alexandria, VA at 800-247-8602.Investments in securities and insurance products are: NOT FDICINSURED/NOT BANKGUARANTEED/MAY LOSE VALUE. Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. © 2016 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved.

OldTownCrier

URBAN GARDEN

JIMMY DEATON

BONSAI THE ART OF

F

or many folks, Bonsai conjures up images of Asia and ideas of someone who has taken a lifetime to master the art.

The reality is completely opposite. It’s an art form that knows no boundaries when it comes to age, nationality or sex. It’s a challenging combination of technique, artistry and horticultural ability that allows someone to create a living work of art that has the potential to last longer than the person who created it.

So what is Bonsai? Well, first of all we must learn the correct pronunciation which is bone-sigh.

But in essence it’s a variety of things depending on one’s purpose for pursing the art. Many see it as an Asian art form, others as an extreme form of gardening. Someone else may see it has a path to enlightenment OldTownCrier

while for others it’s nothing more than a hobby. Simply put, though, Bonsai is a small tree in a pot. For myself, it’s a fascination of the Asian lifestyle mixed with being a hobby. At the same time it is an eye opener since creating and maintaining a Bonsai takes patience.

There is a big difference between a plant that is in a pot and a Bonsai. It is the artistic influence of the person who created, shaped, and maintained of what the species would be like after spending decades or longer in nature.

Horticultural ability alone will not make a Bonsai, a conscious thought process must be used in its creation.

Bonsai requires an open mind in order to create beauty and meaning.

Without an artistic eye, horticultural and technical talent is wasted; without the horticultural experience to encourage the tree to grow healthy and in the correct way, the artist is

unable to create a masterpiece that is living. For that is what Bonsai truly is, living art. Changing not only with the seasons and time, but also with the artistic input from generations of keepers. A tree that has been alive for hundreds of years has outlived many of its caretakers. It has built up a rich history of its own with stories that can be seen in the fissures of the bark, the bends in its branches and in the unique character it possesses. It not only has a past but also a future, an art form that transcends the individual and the immediate.

For my own Bonsai collection I focus mainly on the tropical varieties; bougainvillea, ficus, knockout roses, and elephant plant although I do have a Japanese maple and a juniper. All of my Bonsai’s are what’s known as Shohin. This means the trees/plants are no more than a foot tall, with the

majority being around 8 to 10 inches.

If you’re interested in getting into this fascinating hobby, the U.S. National Arboretum located in Washington, D.C. holds workshops and make sure to check out the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum located there. You’ll be in for a treat.

Jimmy, also known as Farmer D, is native to the DMV and has resided in the Del Ray section of Alexandria, Va. for 24 years. He and Angie currently share their home with their three cats Jax, Scooby and Wilson the feral. He is currently employed by Greenstreet Gardens of Del Ray. Questions or comments about Urban Garden or a garden question for Jimmy can be dorected to: office@oldtowncrier.com.

Write “Urban Garden” in the subject line.

January 2017 | 7

A BIT OF HISTORY

SARAH BECKER©

Presidential Elections

“D

Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826

ifferences in political opinions are as unavoidable as, to a certain point, they may perhaps be necessary,” President George Washington wrote Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton on August 26, 1792, “but it is to be regretted, exceedingly, that subjects cannot be discussed with temper [calmness] on the one hand, or decisions submitted to without having the motives which led to them, improperly implicated on the other….”

Pundits now describe the Presidential campaign of 2016 as the “nastiest in our lifetime.”

an alleged nationalist opposed to globalization. A billionaire real estate developer disposed to improving the country’s infrastructure. A climate denier: Trump “Digs Coal,” was until recently invested in the Dakota Access oil pipeline and supports fracking.

Windmills are unsightly and he opposes the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Full-fledged parties, with national platforms, campaigns, and conventions, did not emerge until the 1830s. Andrew Jackson’s Democrats, the ongoing Democratic Party is the result of an 1825 split in Thomas Jefferson’s 1791 DemocraticRepublican Party. The Republican Party of Abraham Lincoln formed

Aaron Burr, 1756-1836

Donald Trump, 1946-

According to Republican Presidentelect Donald J. Trump’s campaign rhetoric he won “a rigged election.”

His campaign strategy, reminiscent of Republican Richard Nixon’s 1968 conservative southern strategy, was ingenious. On November 8, 2016 Trump became America’s fifth President-elect to lose the popular vote — to Democrat Hillary Clinton by more than 2.7 million votes — and win the Electoral College.

Trump may play fast and loose with the facts, but his appea l—especially to the undereducated, rural white male — is real. He is Mr. Brexit, 8 | January 2017

independently in 1854.

President elect Lincoln’s November 6, 1860 victory so upset the State of South Carolina it held a secession convention on December 20, 1860 and seceded from the Union; Mississippi on January 9, 1861. America’s Civil War began in South Carolina on April 12, 1861. Controversy: a dispute, especially a public one, between two or more sides holding opposing views.

The election of 1876 was deeply controversial. Known as the stolen election presidential front-runner Samuel J. Tilden (D-NY) won the popular vote then lost the Electoral

College by one vote to Rutherford B. Hayes, a founder of the Ohio Republican Party. An Electoral Commission, established in January 1877 to investigate, awarded South Carolina, Florida and Louisiana’s winning electoral votes to Hayes.

The outcome, engineered by regular Republicans and southern Democrats, included the Reconstruction Compromise of 1877.

In 2000 Vice President Al Gore (DTN) defeated Gov. George W. Bush (RTX) by 544,683 popular votes only to lose the Electoral College by 11 votes.

Theirs remains the closest presidential race in modern political history.

It involved punch card balloting machines, the State of Florida’s manual recount, campaign lawsuits and a U.S. Supreme Court challenge. Gov. Bush won his court case, the day of machine count stood, and he was pronounced President-elect. Bush served two presidential terms, survived 9/11, and is responsible for America’s 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Perhaps no presidential election was more disputed than the Election of 1800. In the winter of 1800 incumbent Vice President Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican defeated sitting President John Adams a Federalist; tied DemocraticRepublican presidential candidate Aaron Burr and then, with Federalist Alexander Hamilton’s help, won the Presidency on the 36th ballot in a run-off election in the U.S. House of Representatives. It was the first of two presidential elections decided in the House.

“If Jefferson and Burr come with equal votes to the House of Representatives, the former ought to be preferred by the Federalists,” Hamilton wrote Congressman Harrison Gray Otis (F-MA) on December 23, 1800. “Mr. Burr loves nothing but himself —Thinks of nothing but his own aggrandizement — and will be content with nothing short of permanent power in his own A BIT OF HISTORY > PAGE 9

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“We are embarking here today on an era that presents challenges as great as those any nation, or any generation, has ever faced. We shall answer to God, to history, and to our conscience for the way in which we use these years.”

President Richard Nixon Second Inaugural Address, 1973 A BIT OF HISTORY FROM PAGE 8

hands…If Mr. Jefferson is likely from predilection for France to draw the country into war on her side—Mr. Burr will endeavor to do it for the sake of creating the means of personal wealth and power…By no means, my Dear Sir, let the Federalists be responsible for (Burr’s) Elevation. In a choice of Evils, let them take the least—Jefferson is in my view less dangerous than Burr.” Burr became Jefferson’s Vice President in 1801, his rival in 1802.

“The [presidential] campaign of 1800 was a collision of three republican ideas: the oligarchic republic of Alexander Hamilton and the High Federalists, the balanced republic of John Adams (a balance between the few and the many), and the representative republic of Jefferson and Madison (in our terms a democratic republic),” editors Fischer and McPherson noted. “Ironically, the tribunes of the democratic republic in 1800 were rich and well-born men of greater wealth than Adams and Hamilton.” “[John Adams and Thomas Jefferson] were an incongruous pair,” Joseph J. Ellis wrote. “Choosing between them seemed like choosing between the head and the heart of the American Revolution.”

Scandalous charges were hurled.

“The fuel was the seemingly implacable opposition of Federalists and Republicans, largely a battle between northerners and southerners,” Joanne B. Freeman concluded.

“Defamation is becoming a necessary of life, insomuch that a dish of tea in the morning or evening cannot be digested without this stimulant,” President Jefferson wrote journalist John Norvell in 1807.

“Even those who do not believe these abominations still read them with complaisance to their auditors.”

Jefferson set the tone later politicians, including President-elect Trump, would follow.

“The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations… [from] characterizing parties by geographical discriminations, Northern and Southern, Atlantic and Western,” President George Washington said in his 1796 Farewell Address. “To the efficacy and permanence of your Union, a government of the whole is indispensable.” Trump now seeks to OldTownCrier

unify that which candidate Trump verbally, vulgarly ripped apart.

Donald Trump becomes the 45th President of the United States on January 20; his wife America’s second foreign born First Lady. His business conflicts are unprecedented and, unlike Republican Vice-President Nelson Rockefeller in 1974, Trump has yet to release his tax returns. Odds are he never will.

The President-elect’s message is greatness. His emerging interest: oil.

The IEA lists the world’s top five oil producers as the United States, Saudi Arabia (a swing producer), Russia, Iraq, and China. The top five U.S. oil producing states: Texas, North Dakota — the IEA predicts their oilfields will be past prime by 2020 — California, Alaska, and New Mexico. Do we really need a playbill to understand energy independence; OPEC, oil production and price?

Trump’s Cabinet includes two Texans, one ExxonMobil CEO and Secretary of State pick Rex Tillerson.

Tillerson, the recipient of Russia’s Order of Friendship, holds $218 million in ExxonMobil stock. How does a business-conflicted Cabinet member define a public good? The Cabinet analyze the good’s benefit-cost [advantages and sacrifices]? Respond to Republican President Teddy Roosevelt’s 20th century environmental call?

Trump’s EPA pick Scott Pruitt opposes Obama’s 2015 Clean Power Plan, a Plan the American Public Health Association advocates.

“We are embarking here today on an era that presents challenges as great as those any nation, or any generation, has ever faced,” President Nixon said in his second Inaugural Address in 1973. “We shall answer to God, to history, and to our conscience for the way in which we use these years.”

Sarah Becker started writing for The Economist while a graduate student in England. Similar publications followed.

She joined the Crier in 1996 while serving on the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association. Board. Her interest in antiquities began as a World Bank hire, with Indonesia’s need to generate hard currency. Balinese history, i.e. tourism, provided the means. The New York Times describes Becker’s book, Off Your Duffs & Up the Assets, as “a blueprint for thousands of nonprofit managers.” A former museum director, SLAM’s saving grace Sarah received Alexandria’s Salute to Women Award in 2007. Email: abitofhistory53@gmail. com

SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGE ASHLEY SCHULTZ

What to Watch Tonight

S

ocial media has not only become an outlet where political views are expressed or baby pictures and cat videos are posted; it is also a way for people to share their favorite TV shows or movies. When I am finished with a series on a streaming service, I often post, “Suggestions? What is a good series or movie to watch?” Often the replies I receive are some of the same popular shows. I usually watch one or more of them, and then am able to have in-depth discussions with others on the plot or other aspects of the show.

Several shows this year have caused uproar on social media!

Here’s a look at the biggest ones discussed online in 2016.

Stranger Things

Netflix got this recipe right! The show appealed to the “Goonies” crowd by casting actors who were relatable and genuine. 80s vibe helped as well. Moreover, sheds a light on the children that are out casted for their imaginations.

Meanwhile, gives a rollercoaster ride of emotions of family angst and passion for those you love.

Meanwhile, dealing with a “Demogorgon.”

The Walking Dead

We lost some of our favorite characters this season. We lost them

in a very brutal manner. How will we cope? Facebook and Twitter were in an uproar when the seasoned opened.

If you didn’t see the season premiere, social media sure let you know.

Black Mirror

Black Mirror was another one of many British shows that was commissioned by Netflix because of its dark and satirical feel. According to the creator Charlie Booker, “each episode has a different cast, a different setting, even a different reality. But they’re all about the way we live now — and the way we might be living in 10 minutes’ time if we’re clumsy.” This enabled a discussion for social media users and viewers of the show to discuss issues that probably wouldn’t be brought up in everyday conversation.

Social Media has allowed us to connect to others who enjoy shows and realms as the shows discussed provide. These shows, over the past year, have brought together people from all over the world. Whether it was crying over your favorite character dying, or realizing you were one of those kids trying to fight the Demogorgon, with social media, you’re always able to find someone who feels the same.

January 2017 | 9

THE LAST WORD

MIRIAM R. KRAMER

Melting Pot of Comedy January is generally anticlimactic and dreary after the holidays, and the beginning of this year may feel particularly dreary in comparison with the ebullient atmosphere prevalent eight years ago. Yet it’s also a symbolic start. If we learn anything through reading about comedians’ lives, it’s that we can survive almost anything with a great sense of humor and drive. The United States is a rich stew of comedic traditions that continues to attract those driven to innovate and break boundaries through this

most elusively mastered art form, one that requires the freedom of speech and ideas offered here. Joan Rivers, a second-generation Jewish immigrant, proved herself a master of re-invention and a trailblazer for female comics everywhere. Leslie Bennetts’ biography Last Girl Before Freeway is a timely look at one of the most fascinating, tireless, and driven women in show business. In his memoir American on Purpose, the charming Scottish comedian Craig Ferguson looks back at a life conquering demons and how he saw America as his

MYSTERY READING AT ITS BEST

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CARIBBEAN MYSTERY AND INTRIGUE A dead Marine washed ashore on a Caribbean island leads investigators to otherworldly perpetrators in historic pirate waters and high level abuses in Washington. An intrepid maritime historian working the case for U.S. Naval Intelligence discovers a 60-year record of extraterrestrial activity in the Caribbean basin. History and national security politics meet science fiction in this mystery based on exhaustive factual research and informed conjecture.

CARIBBEAN hISToRY AND ADvENTURE Where did the villain General Santa Anna of Alamo infamy retire? Is time travel possible?

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beacon, creating a new career through standup, a stint on The Drew Carey Show, and as a latenight TV host, becoming an American citizen in the process. Martin Short’s autobiography I Must Say is not only a very funny read, but also reveals his own recipe for survival while taking a warm-hearted look back at his group of brilliant Canadian comedians who landed on their feet in the United States in the 1970s and 1980s, making movies and creating cutting-edge comedy through work on groundbreaking programs like Saturday Night Live and SCTV in particular.

Having read Joan Rivers’ autobiographies Enter Talking and Still Talking, along with watching the compelling 2010 documentary about her, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, I could not wait to read this biography. Bennetts, a wellrespected writer for Vanity Fair and other publications, started researching it almost immediately after Rivers’ death in August 2014.

Rivers, the daughter of two Russian Jewish immigrants, was torn between their incessant Old World demands that she become a doctor’s or dentist’s wife for financial security, and her own modern, singleminded dreams of making a career in show business, which her parents viewed as being one step up from prostitution. Every advance of her early career seemed like a Sisyphean ordeal as she started out as an

opening act at strip clubs, working her way to better venues, and eventually taking on an initially unwilling boys’ club with a 1960s stint in the famed Second City Improv troupe.

Like many a Jewish member of show business, she changed her name to better blend in with a WASP culture. When she finally got her big break on Johnny Carson, she felt that she had finally hit her stride. Meeting her husband Edgar Rosenberg, a producer, and having her beloved daughter Melissa in 1969 while acting as a guest host for The Tonight Show merely cemented her happiness in her new marriage, and the feeling that with Edgar, she had a partner who would always look after both her and her career.

In the 1980s she reached a mighty pinnacle by becoming The Tonight Show’s permanent guest host, at a time when an appearance by any comedian on the show was a make-orbreak career moment. She also became the first woman ever offered her own late-night talk

show in 1986 on the fledgling FOX network.

Johnny Carson never spoke to her again when he found out that she was starting her own show opposite his time slot.

When Edgar, her officious, insecure manager-husband undermined her relationship with TV executive Barry Diller and the network, they were summarily fired from her show in 1987 and also black-balled from The Tonight Show. Unable to recover from this loss and his black cloud of depression, her husband very publicly committed suicide, leaving Rivers herself temporarily suicidal, having fallen from the pinnacles of power with her daughter Melissa blaming Rivers for her father’s death.

The power of Joan Rivers lies in her early-instilled immigrant work ethic, desire to be financially independent, tenacity, and her seemingly limitless energy to bounce back from personal tragedy.

Soon her brash humor and survival instincts kicked in, and she decided that she would walk through any door on her way back up that career ladder. Having perused Rivers’ own memoirs, I found a more comprehensive picture of her career difficulties here through reading outside perspectives from former managers, lawyers, and producers who saw her disrespected husband as her blind spot and Achilles’ heel.

Bennetts successfully pinpoints Rivers’ selfloathing because of her lack of beauty and early pudginess THE LAST WORD > PAGE 38

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HIGH NOTES

CHRIS ANDERSON

2016: DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YA’

W

ell, well, well…that was a doozy of a year, wasn’t it?

At least we can say that it brought a wealth of fantastic music. It was tough to keep up, and there are still many important albums I’ve yet to hear. But the ones that turned my ears, well they damn near twisted them off.

Here we go again, My Top Sixteen of ’16.

Mystery Jets: Curve Of The Earth

Mystery Jets continue their ascent with their fourth album, a set that takes Bends-era Radiohead and combines it with a modernized psychpop sound. The songs are amazing, especially “Bombay Blue” and “Bubblegum”, two of the best singles to come out this year.

Marillion: F**k Everyone And Run

Not a lot of bands wait 30+ years to release their masterpiece. Then again, Marillion is not your average band. A concept album about the state of the world, this is a statement of purpose like none other. Lyrically intense, the writing and playing is more inspired than it has been in some time, and Steve Hogarth once again reminds us why he is one of the best vocalists around.

Kula Shaker: K 2.0

Twenty years after their debut, Kula Shaker’s fifth album finds the band at the peak of their powers. Indian influences are still present, but there are also detours through folk, pop, rock, funk, a little 70s glam, and a heavy dose of psychedelia. I seriously can’t get enough of this album.

The Monkees: Good Times

…and the award for the most pleasant surprise of the year goes to The Monkees who, with the help of Adam Schlesinger and a host of contributing songwriters, created one of the best late-period albums by any band ever. “Me & Magdalena” must be heard to be believed.

Bob Weir: Blue Mountain

Co-written with Josh Ritter, this long-overdue third solo album from the Grateful Dead legend is a triumphant career rebirth. A set of rustic cowboy songs, this is what you might expect from Weir, but it still sounds fresh, and about a million miles away from the Dead…simply exquisite.

TOP

16 OF 2016

Regina Spektor: Remember Us To Life

Speaking of exquisite, there is none more so than the wonderfully quirky Regina Spektor. Her seventh album is a mix of heartbreaking piano ballads and oddball pop songs. That balance is her stock in trade and, with every album, she further reveals herself to be the treasure that she is.

The Rolling Stones: Blue And Lonesome

So the Stones finally started work on a new album when they decided to warm up with a set of old blues numbers. Those tracks were so raw and so perfectly captured the essence of where the Stones came from that it wound up becoming the new album.

And it is one of their finest.

HIGH NOTES > PAGE 13

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HIGH NOTES FROM PAGE 11

Elephant Stone: Ship Of Fools

Montreal’s psych-pop kings deliver another masterpiece with their fourth album. British psychedelia combines with a distinct Indian influence, and an electronic undercurrent, to create a patchwork of pure elegance.

Hellsingland Underground: Understanding Gravity

On their fourth album, Sweden’s best southern rock band continues doing what it does best — writing and playing memorable, literate rockers with clever arrangements and outstanding playing. This band does a really good job of sounding like itself, while growing with each release, which is why I love them so much.

Stonerider: Hologram

On their third album, Stonerider elevates to a far higher plane, taking you along with them. Sounding straight out of 1971, Stoneider fuses bubblegum pop and acid rock with some absolutely outstanding songwriting and a sound that is pure FM radio.

Syd Arthur: Apricity

Four albums into their career, Syd Arthur continues to keep the Canterbury flame alive with their unique brand of jazzy psych-pop. One of the more intriguing bands out there,

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this album has brought Syd Arthur more high profile tours and press attention, all of which is deserved.

Green & Gold: And Then The New Crow Came

Green & Gold’s sophomore release finds significant maturity in the band’s playing and arranging, as well as in Len O’Neill’s songwriting, which is out of sight on this reflective story arc about a man who found the end of his rope…as well as the way back up.

“Out” is one of the standout songs of the year — you must hear it.

Lambchop: FLOTUS

Lambchop’s eleventh album finds Kurt Wagner in an even more reflective mode than usual. Two epic-length numbers bookend this album full of extremely well-written songs that very lightly groove under Wagner’s gentle hush of a voice. “In Case Of 8675309” is 11:51 very well spent.

Black Mountain: IV

Black Mountain continues to hold up the more intense end of psych-pop with their fourth album. The opening “Mothers Of The Sun” is one of this band’s crowning achievements. Had this come out 45 years ago, it just might have changed the world. Better late than never.

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Murphys Irish Pub 703.548.1717 713 King St. murphyspub.com O’Connell’s 703.739.1124 112 King St. Rock It Grill 703.739.2274 1319 King St. Shooter McGees 703.751.9266 5239 Duke St. shootermcgees.com Southside 815 703.836.6222 815 S. Washington St. St. Elmos 703.739.9268 2300 Mt. Vernon Ave.

“Years that end in 7 usually tend to be pretty monumental years in music and we need everyone on board.”

The Dear Hunter: Act V – Hymns With The Devil In Confessional #5 in a six-part story cycle, this latest act finds Casey Crescenzo’s ambition shine brighter than ever.

Twisted prog epics combine with pop songs, sweeping, orchestral numbers, a spot of jazz, and immaculate production.

Drive-By Truckers: American Band

DBT brings the heat on its 11th album. Once again, Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood bring out the best in each other’s songwriting, and the band sounds tighter than ever. Biting social

commentary, such as on Hood’s “What It Means” and Cooley’s “Once They Banned Imagine” is precisely what we need at times like these.

And so here’s the part where I pay tribute to the fallen heroes of the year.

But this year….there were just far too many to list them all without eating up my entire article so I will instead issue a blanket “RIP” and cross my fingers in hopes that this trend will slow down in 2017. Years that end in “7” usually tend to be pretty monumental years in music and we need everyone on board!

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Call to confirm show times, dates and cover charges. Check our advertisers’ websites

January 2017 | 13

GALLERY BEAT

F. LENNOX CAMPELLO

Left: Intemperance Detox Simulation... by Audrey Wilson - photo by @peted301 Below: DMV Artist Tim Tate's booth at SCOPE Art Fair

I

f you have read this column regularly over the years, then you know that around this time I am always harping on the importance for artists and art dealers/galleries to explore and then have a presence at one of the reputable fairs in Miami during Art Basel week (which is usually the first week in December).

In the past I’ve also warned artists and galleries to stay away from predatory fairs, and to explore first, ask questions second and then ask more questions before investing the significant amount of money that it takes to participate in the art world’s “big dance.”

And yet every year, I run into dejected DMV artists and gallerists and art dealers looking gloomy in the face as they face the financial disaster that can result from doing a fair where nothing sells. As every participant learns sooner, rather than later, the art fair phenomenon is all about the commoditization of art.

I have been doing the Miami art fairs for over a decade now, and I continuously offer myself to gallerists, dealers and artists as a source of that most precious of things: information!

It is all based on empirical data, rather than theory.

This year, as we have done for the last five years, Alida Anderson Art Projects participated in the Context Art Miami fair held in the Wynwood district of Miami. The gallery featured work by Dulce Pinzón (Mexico), Jodi Walsh (Canada), and local DMV artists Alma Selimovic (Bosnia), Elissa 14 | January 2017

Farrow-Savos (US), Tim Vermeulen (US), Georgia Nassikas (US), Audrey Wilson (US) and yours truly. The gallery also sponsored former DMV artist (now living in NYC) Matthew Langley, and he hung 35 of his small works series in one of the fair’s public spaces.

Over in Miami Beach, the gallery had another booth, this one at the Scope Art Fair and focused on a solo booth for DMV blue chip artist Tim Tate, who had a series of his latest sculptural video works.

Doing three separate booths in two fairs is a lot of work, and one key lesson to learn here is that both Langley and Tate are excellent at “manning” their own space, discussing their work, managing sales, etc. If an

artist can help the gallery during the fairs, then you’re one step ahead of the game already.

We all happened to be in Miami when the ancient and brutal Cuban dictator Fidel Castro Ruz finally died, and Miami being the heart of the Cuban Diaspora, exploded in joy.

“Don’t judge my happiness,” began a sign being carried by a very happy woman on the streets of Little Havana, “Unless you have lived my pain,” it ended.

The day before the opening of the Context Art Miami fair, one of the cleaning ladies was nearby our booth and speaking on her cell phone using the machine gun staccato of Cuban Spanish that drives other Spanish speakers crazy. “Cubans,” once

DMV artists Tim Vermeulen, Lenny Campello, Jodi Walsh and Georgia Nassikas at Context Art Miami

wrote the Argentinian writer Jacobo Timerman, “use Spanish as a weapon.”

I could tell that she was trying to calm someone down on the other side of the conversation. When she hung up, she burst into tears. Alarmed, I walked up to her and asked what was wrong. Prior to this event, we had exchanged pleasantries and she had told me that her family was from Matanzas. With tears on her face, she related that she had been speaking with her niece in Cuba. It seems that her niece was in the middle of her Quinceañera party when the Cuban police showed up.

A Quinceañera party is the coming of age party that Cuban girls, and girls throughout Latin America, celebrate on their 15th birthday. It remains one of the most important and strongest traditions of the Spanish-speaking world. In Cuba, because of the extreme necessities of the Cuban people, setting up a Quinceañera party often takes years of preparation, usually in close coordination with relatives in other countries who can hand-carry and bring the required items needed to stage the most important social event in a young girl’s life. In this case, the teary cleaning lady told me that she had made half a dozen trips in the last two years binging party items, shoes, dress, candy, stockings; the list went on and on as she sobbed and related what had happened.

The local Cuban police showed up to the party, and informed the girl’s family that they were in violation of the official nine days of luto GALLERY BEAT > PAGE 15

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(mourning) for the death of Fidel Castro Ruz; parties and music-playing was strictly forbidden. All guests’ names were taken down and all were ordered to leave. When La Quinceañera’s mother began to cry and complain to the police, she was pushed to the ground and punched in the mouth. When La Quinceañera’s father tried to help his wife, he was also beaten and then arrested.

That’s why this nice cleaning lady was trying to calm her abused family members across the miles, and then broke down once she hung up.

“Even after that desgraciado is dead, he’s still abusing us,” she sobbed in Spanish. I hugged her, and we cried a little together. That’s was Cuba after Fidel, week one.

Opening night at art fairs are usually social events, with a few sales here and there, but mostly a “seen” and “be seen” event in Miami’s social scene. This year there was the usual sighting of impossibly slim women in impossibly high heels, and handsome young dudes in tight pants and sockless long shoes.

There was also a lot of very good tasting food and plenty of Prosecco flowing.

Most of my family lives in Miami, and they started arriving in waves, and I spent much of opening night speaking to them... collectors also came by, most notably Texas übercollector

Ardis Bartle, who hasn’t missed a Miami art week in years and who visits the top art fairs and always goes home with new art for her formidable collection.

With most of my family members in one place together, I brought out a folder with around 100 lithographs and etchings that I had done 19771981 while I was a student at the University of Washington School of Art, as I wanted to give them a choice of some prints as gifts.

Soon my familial peeps were spreading out the prints on the table and selecting them. A few minutes later I noticed that several other random people were also gathering around the table and selecting work. When I say “other random people” I mean strangers.

Before my mind got this fact clear, I realized that people were helping themselves to the artwork — not just my family, but perfect strangers.

By the time that I reached the folder, about 20 prints remained — I say maybe a third of the original 100 or so were in my family’s new art collection; the rest now belong to perfect strangers who never bothered to ask a question, but just angled in, got some prints and left. And that’s how I significantly expanded my collector base!

alidaanderson

The Batman Brooding From the Naked Superheroes series Charcoal on Paper, 20x16 inches ©2015 F. Lennox Campello Represented by Alida Anderson Art Projects, LLC Washington, DC For more information or images of other works from the Naked Superheroes series, email us at info@alidaanderson.com

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January 2017 | 15

POINTS ON PETS

JASON BERGER

KING STREET CATS ADOPTION CALENDAR JANUARY 2017 FOR DETAILS & MORE INFO website: www.kingstreetcats.org email: contact@kingstreetcats.org King Street Cats is looking for foster homes! You provide the spare room and TLC and we provide food, litter and all vetting. Please email for our Kitten Fostering FAQ at: contact@kingstreetcats.org KING STREET CATS 25 Dove Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Every Saturday & Sunday 1:30 - 4:30 pm PRO FEED Bradlee Shopping Center 3690 King Street Alexandria, VA 22302 Every Saturday & Sunday 1:00 - 4:00 pm PETCO UNLEASHED AT PENTAGON ROW 1101 S. Joyce Street Arlington, VA 22202 Saturday, January 7 Saturday, January 21 Sunday, January 22 1:00 - 4:00 pm THE DOG PARK 705 King Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Saturday, January 14 1:00 - 4:00 pm ARE YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW FREE DURING WEEKDAY MORNINGS? King Street Cats is looking for weekday morning caregivers and vet taxis to transport our cats to the vet. Email contact@kingstreetcats.org for details.

16 | January 2017

Senior Pets When older can be even better

T

hinking about adopting a pet? How about adopting a senior animal?

The American Veterinary Medical Association considers cats and small dogs senior at age 7, while larger breeds of dog are seniors at age 6. And senior animals often have many healthy years ahead of them.

Benefits of Adopting Your Senior Pet

Adopting a senior pet has many benefits for both human and animal. In addition to all the love senior pets have left to give, adopting a senior pet can save a life! Older animals are often overlooked by potential adopters. A survey by petfinder.com found that less-adoptable pets — including seniors —wait for a home nearly four times longer than the average adoptable pet does. The survey noted that senior pets had the most difficult time, so adopting a senior pet can save a life.

But adopting senior pets is not just beneficial for the animal — it’s also wonderful for humans! For example: • Knowing that you are saving a loving, valuable life can be a great feeling for the human of a senior dog or cat. And senior pets instinctively know that you chose them and are grateful for it. They

seem to greet their humans with a look in their eyes that says, “Thank you!”

And they can love you just as much as kittens or puppies—maybe even more.

• Senior cats are likely to be already litter trained, while senior dogs are likely to be already leash trained. So there is less chance of an unwelcome accident in your home.

• Moreover, when adopting a senior pet, humans know what they are getting. A senior pet has an already established size and personality.

Ensuring the Health of Your Senior Pet

Of course, there are certain important things to keep in mind before adopting a senior pet. In particular, caring for a senior pet’s health brings with it certain manageable challenges. However, with proper care, an older cat or dog can live a long, healthy life.

Particular areas of importance in caring for an older pet include scheduling regular veterinarian visits, staying aware of changes in your pet’s behavior, taking care of your pet’s dental health, keeping your pet at an appropriate body weight, and being aware of health problems more common in senior pets.

The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends that older pets visit the veterinarian for checkups twice a year. AVMA also suggests that owners contact their veterinarian if their pet has a change in behavior, which can be an indication that their pet may have a health problem. For example, if a litterbox trained cat goes outside the litter box or a housetrained dog goes inside the house, or if your pet has a loss of appetite or increased thirst, or gains or loses an inordinate amount of weight, these may indicate health problems you should talk over with your veterinarian.

Be on the lookout for impairments more common in aging pets, including cancer and arthritis. Signs of cancer include weight loss; changes in appetite; sores that do not heal; unusual odors from the mouth and body; and difficulty breathing, chewing, swallowing, urinating, or defecating. Signs of arthritis include limited movement, joint swelling, and wasting away of muscle. As with other health issues, keep your veterinarian posted about your pet’s symptoms.

And there are other important considerations when caring for your senior pet.

POINTS ON PETS > PAGE 17

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POINTS ON PETS FROM PAGE 16

Dental Care, Diet, and Exercise for Your Senior Pet

Older pets need adequate dental care.

Brushing your dog’s teeth can be important, as well as making sure she has regular dental checkups at the vet. Dental problems can have adverse effects on a senior pet’s heart, lungs, and kidneys. According to the American Animal Hospital Association, signs of dental problems include swollen, red, or bleeding gums; persistent bad breath; loose teeth; or reluctance to eat, play with chew toys, or drink cold water. Bring such problems to the attention of your veterinarian.

Keeping your senior pet at an ideal body weight is also important. In Visual Reference Guides: Cats, Dr. Bruce Fogle says that obesity is the most common nutritional problem in cats and, especially in senior cats, can lead to joint pain, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Likewise with older dogs, keeping your pet at an ideal body weight is necessary.

Feeding pets an age-appropriate diet and getting your pet continued exercise, consistent with his or her health condition, is important.

You can feed your older pets food formulated for seniors, which can help meet their unique dietary needs. Older dogs generally need a lower-calorie diet to help prevent obesity and a higher-fiber diet to improve gastrointestinal health. In The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Cats, Cat Breeds, & Cat Care, Alan Edwards reports that senior cats in general require a reduced protein level with a corresponding increase in fat levels, but not in quantities that might cause obesity. And always make sure your older pet has plenty of easily accessible clean water.

Playing with Your Senior Pet A good way to ensure the health of your senior dogs or cats is to play with them. For an older dog, walks are important, although your pet may not be able to walk as far as he once did. Shorter walks, consistent with your pet’s

ability, are a good way to make sure your dog gets proper exercise. In addition to walks, an old dog is never too old to learn new tricks!

Teaching your dog new things is a good way to keep him physically and mentally engaged.

For senior cats, play is just as important. As petfinder.com notes, “Regularly engaging your cat in moderate play can promote muscle tone and suppleness, increase blood circulation, and help reduce weight in cats that are too heavy”. You can use your cat’s favorite toys to engage in play with her, varying toys to keep things interesting. Also, a little catnip can help your cat enjoy different toys. For both dogs and cats, toys that dispense food or treats are always appreciated. If you have any questions about play appropriate for your pet’s health condition, be sure to discuss this with your veterinarian ahead of time.

And, of course, give your senior pet plenty of comfort, love, and attention! You’ll get plenty of love in return, because the journey of life with a senior pet can be every bit as rewarding as with a younger animal.

Additional Resources Adopting Senior Animals • Adopt a Senior Pet Month—Petfinder www.petfinder.com/adopt-a- senior-pet-month/ • King Street Cats—What About Me? Program Shines a light on older, shy, and special-needs cats http://www.kingstreetcats.org/info/ display?PageID=14030 • Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, including information on special adoption fees for older animals www.alexandriaanimals.org/adoptioninformation

The DC stands for Dog and Cat For more info: www.dcPawsRescue.org

SHELTER PET & LIFE OF THE PARTY

Medical Conditions Affecting Pets • American Veterinary Medical Association www.avma.org • American Animal Hospital Association www.aaha.org • petMD www.petmd.com/ Amazing stories start in shelters and rescues. Adopt today to start yours.

PETS OF THE MONTH

HAMILTON 75K+ Instagram Followers

HARVEY (A069487)

REDDICK (A069441)

CALIX (A069246)

Say hello to Harvey! This one year old handsome man is ready for adoption and searching for his forever family!

He is a great cat with one of the shiniest, sleekest black coats you’ll ever see. Harvey seems to prefer the companionship of dogs rather than cats, and even lived with a small dog in his previous home that he loved to snuggle with! If you’re looking for a sweet kitty, or a feline friend for your dog, stop by to meet Harvey today!

It’s absolutely ridiculous how adorable Reddick is! This sweet Pitty has a face you’ll never forget! Famous for his adorable submissive smile and loose, wagging tail, Reddick is a staff favorite.

Reddick would likely prefer to be the only dog in the home, but if you have a dog and just can’t resist, he’d definitely be open to saying hello to see how it goes. We’re sure that if you stop by the shelter, you may not be able to leave without him! Come down today to give this boy the forever home he deserves!

Calix came to the AWLA as one of many rabbits saved from a severe hoarding situation. Due to a lack of socialization in his previous environment, Calix is a little shy around humans. Calix is looking for a new home with patient owners who understand it may take him a little while to get more social and comfortable in a new home. If you have had shy rabbits before, or are just looking to work with a special little bunny, stop by to say hello to Calix today!

CHANGE A LIFE.

ADOPT

4101 Eisenhower Avenue • Alexandria, VA 703-746-4774alexandriaanimals.org Mon-Fri, 1-8 pm • Closed Wed • Sat & Sun, 12-5 pm OldTownCrier

January 2017 | 17

CARIBBEAN CONNECTION JEFF McCORD

How the South’s “Pirate” Helped Establish the U.S. Virgin Islands

W

ith the United States mainland more politically divided than at any time in recent memory, it’s interesting to look back at the impact of a real Civil War on the U.S. Virgin Islands. Most importantly, the adventures of Confederate naval hero, Captain Raphael Semmes who became a world famous blockade runner, helped convince President Lincoln’s Secretary of State William Seward of the need to purchase the then Danish West Indies to establish a U.S. naval base.

With no exaggeration, Captain Semmes noted in his memoirs, “the very mention of my name had the same effect upon the Yankee Government as shaking a red flag before the blood-shot eyes of an infuriated bull.” There’s ample evidence that Raphael Semmes prowled Virgin Island and nearby waters -- first in his converted merchant vessel, the C.S.S. Sumter, and later in his notorious warship C.S.S. Alabama, a fully rigged sailing and steam ship that could out-run virtually every naval

vessel of her era. Both ships required coal and provisions and Danish St. Thomas and other neutral European owned Caribbean islands offered everything needed, including ports in which captured Union merchandise could be sold.

The C.S.S. Alabama, alone, captured and burned at sea fifty-five Union merchant ships valued in the many millions of dollars. She also sank the U.S.S. Hatteras in a revealing battle off Galveston, her first combat action. Semmes won the engagement through subterfuge. When the Hatteras spotted the Alabama and came close to investigate, hailing her for identification, Semmes shouted back through the speaking trumpet that she was the neutral HMS Spitfire and then fired a broadside into the hapless Union ship.

Semmes followed this same strategy in most hostile encounters, earning a reputation as a “pirate” within U.S. Navy circles.

Time-after-time, when spotting a Union ship on the horizon, Semmes would use steam power as needed to overtake the target, then

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18 | January 2017

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raise the British flag. When the relieved Union captain raised the stars and stripes in reply, Semmes quickly hauled down the Union Jack, ran up the Confederate ensign and captured his prey.

In his popular book, “The Cruises of the Alabama and Sumter,” published in London in 1864 during the War, Semmes described the sad fate of one captured merchant ship, after he took off her crew and cargo: “It was about ten o’clock at night when the first glare of light burst from her cabinhatch. Few can forget the spectacle. A ship set fire at sea!

It would seem that man was almost warring with his Maker.

Her helpless condition, the red flames licking the rigging as they climbed aloft, the sparks and pieces of burning rope taken off by the wind and flying miles to leeward, the ghastly glare thrown upon the dark sea as far as the eye could reach, and then the death-like stillness of the scene.”

Semmes was well aware that writing such scenes captured the imaginations of journalists and the public. He courted both in the South and North.

In 1863, for example, while visiting the French island of Martinique, Semmes wrote a taunting, public letter to the

New York manufacturers of a popular patent medicine that consisted mostly of St. Croix rum: “I regret to inform you that twelve cases of your most beneficial Plantation Bitters found on board the Ariel, will not reach their destination, having been transferred to my vessel . . . Sirs, I trust you will not fail to freight each vessel likely to cross my path with Plantation Bitters and I will guarantee to place a case in the hands of [Confederate] President Davis.”

In a fine example

of Yankee ingenuity and marketing prowess, the Bitters’ makers published Captain Semmes’ entire letter in a January 11, 1863 New York Times ad: “[We] are exceedingly obliged to the gallant Captain for such a capital advertisement . . . [It] is but a sample of the widespread fame of Plantation Bitters.

No [product] before ever performed so many cures . . .They are just the thing for the weak, debilitated and careworn of all ages and conditions of life, acting as a gentle stimulant and thorough tonic. “ Although readers likely found the ad humorous, President Lincoln did not. The U.S. Navy had been devoting enormous resources trying to capture Semmes. Beginning in 1861, for instance, the U.S.S. San Jacinto, the first propeller driven steam frigate in the U.S. Navy, began searching the West Indies. In October, her Captain, Charles Wilkes, wrote his Washington superiors about his meeting in St. Thomas harbor with the U.S.S. Powhatan, a side-wheeler frigate built in Virginia’s Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and the U.S.S. Iroquois, which had been among the first American ships to visit Japan in the 1850s when Commodore Matthew Perry opened diplomatic relations and trade with that reclusive nation.

At St. Thomas, the San Jacinto, Powhatan and Iroquois coordinated their searches for Semmes. And, one month later, in November, 1861, the Iroquois caught up with him in French Martinique. But, the ostensibly neutral French authorities helped Semmes and his ship escape.

Lincoln’s Secretary of State William Seward (who later purchased Alaska for the U.S. from Russia) concluded CARIBBEAN CONNECTION > PAGE 19

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CARIBBEAN CONNECTION FROM PAGE 18

that America needed its own Caribbean island as a naval base. Lincoln agreed and Seward opened negotiations with Denmark to purchase St. Thomas. Although talks stretched until after the War was concluded, the U.S. and Denmark actually reached a sales agreement in 1866, but Congress never ratified the deal. Instead, it was not until 1917 during World War 1 that the U.S. finally bought the Danish West Indies, renaming them the U.S. Virgin Islands.

At War’s end, Semmes, by

then a Confederate admiral, was arrested by U.S. forces in Richmond and charged with piracy. After being held for a few months, he was released and permitted to go home to Mobile, Alabama where he practiced law, taught at a college and became a journalist. Tragically, he died at age 67 after eating some bad shrimp. The Caribbean exploits of Captain Semmes are a sub-plot in my fact-based novel, “Santa Anna’s Gold in a Pirate Sea.” Jeffrey R. McCord is a freelance journalist whose work on international economics and

consumer protection has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Gannett newspapers and Truthout.org, among other publications. For more than 20 years, he’s called Northern Virginia his home.

Jeff is the author of two factbased Caribbean novels: “Undocumented Visitors in a Pirate Sea,” which was a quarter-finalist in the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest; and, “Santa Anna’s Gold in a Pirate Sea,” a finalist in the 2016 Next Generation Indie Book contest. He now divides his time between Virginia and St. John, USVI.

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January 2017 | 19

ROAD TRIP

BOB TAGERT

What a ride ...

2016

Each month during the course of the year I write a road trip article in which I explore the neat places of our region.

Each January I recap those road trips from the previous year. Last years road trips began with a three-hour drive to the New River Gorge in West Virginia and ended with the different Veteran’s Memorials that are in the D.C./Virginia local area.

Let’s head southwest to Wild and Wonderful West Virginia!

New River Gorge, WV

We actually visited the New River Gorge and the town of Fayetteville in December and published the article in February. Last December around Christmas time, the weather patterns of this area went absolutely crazy.

Expecting cold temps and maybe a little snow in the mountains, we were instead greeted with temps in the mid 60’s the night we arrived and warmed to the low 70’s by the time we left.

Upon our arrival at the River Expeditions compound, the fog in the area hampered us, but we soon found our cabin. The campground is huge but at this time of year, we were the only ones present. In the summer months when folks are running the river I am sure that every cabin, safari tent and other accommodation is packed. The next morning we drove into the town of Fayetteville and on to the New River Gorge Bridge.

The New River Gorge Bridge was completed in 1977 and at the time was the world’s longest arch bridge.

The New River is a steel arch bridge that spans 3,030 feet. The roadway of the bridge is 876 feet above the New River. It is one of the highest vehicular bridges in the world, and is currently the third highest in the

20 | January 2017

New River Gorge, West Virginia

United States. Construction of the bridge gave a boost to the state and local economy and the completion improved transportation in the area by cutting the vehicle traffic time from one side to the other from 45 minutes to 45 seconds. You can follow the river by driving along Route 60 for another adventure discovering the small towns of West Virginia.

Antrim 1844 Country House Inn

With the last of the winter snow melting, we headed north for our March road trip. This adventure took us north to Tanytown, Maryland. The Antrim is an historic property that was built in 1844 by Col. Andrew Ege on land inherited by his wife Margaret from her father Major John McKaleb.

The estate was named in honor of the McKaleb’s family ancestral home in County Antrim, Ireland. An American treasure, Antrim is a classic example of a quintessential brick Geek Revival Mansion with Federal

influences that exhibits a classic example of a mid-nineteenth century agrarian plantation. Nestled in the foothills of the Catoctin Mountains, this area abounds with immense rural beauty and is rich in history. Today, most of the original outbuildings, which supported the lifestyle of an important property of that era, are still intact. These buildings consist of the Carriage House, the Ice House, the Post House, the Summer Kitchen, the Brick Kitchen, the Overseer’s Wing, the Barn, the Spring House and even the double-sided outhouse.

This place treats their guest’s right. There is an afternoon tea in the drawing room of the mansion complete with cucumber sandwiches (no crust) and an assortment of scones and cookies help to set the tone. Guests are taken to dinner one group at a time. Our seating was at eight thirty so we decided to head to the Pickwick Pub. We settled into the bar stools and enjoyed the

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The Pickwick Pub

warmth of the wood burning fire on this chilly evening. We later enjoyed a five- course dinner in the former smokehouse that took the better part of two hours…it was a delight.

Springtime in the Mountains

Last April we had some warm weather and took a drive to the mountains. In so doing, it also gave me a chance to visit some of the small towns along the way. My first stop was Culpeper. The historic district of Culpeper gives it a small town feel but the rest of the town is spread out over miles. The historic district has some fabulous shops and a collection of restaurants to rival anywhere.

Taking route 522 out of Culpeper I made my way past Old Rag Mountain to Sperryville. Sperryville is a classic town full of very creative folks.

The Thornton River Grill is a casual restaurant serving a limited menu but covering all the bases. Across the street from the Grill is Hopkins Ordinary, a fabulous B&B if you are looking for a good nights rest and a delightful breakfast.

A little over a year ago the owners took their home brewing to the next level and opened the Ale Works with specialty craft beers. On the other side of town you will find Copper Fox Distillery where Rick Wasmund makes his Wasmunds single malt American whiskey and Copper Fox Rye as well as some new products.

Also in this part of town are Copper Fox Antiques, Pen Druid Brewery and a couple of retail stores.

Leaving Sperryville on Route 211 east you will once again come to Washington, Va. This is the home of the internationally renowned Inn at Little Washington. The Inn has long been a destination of the rich and famous from around the world. About OldTownCrier

The Tiki Bar Opening

a block from the Inn is Tula’s Off Main, a restaurant that is owned and operated by local Alexandrian’s Mark Allen and John McCaslin. If you are looking for a spa treatment, look no farther than The Little Washington Spa which is owned by Jackie Bogle Meuse, another Alexandrian.

Getting back on Route 211 heading east you will turn left at route 522 and into the little village of Flint Hill and over the mountain to Front Royal.

Front Royal is a big little town with a lot to offer, including the Shenandoah River. Taking Route 66 east you will come to the town of The Plains.

About two blocks long, this town has unique shops and some very good restaurants. The beauty of this trip is all of the fine Virginia wineries that you will pass along the way. Do a little research and visit a few and discover what they have to offer.

Solomons Island, Maryland

With warm weather driving out the cold, I went to Solomons, Maryland for the May road trip. On the way, I had to stop at Stoney’s at Broomes Island — just south of Prince Frederick — for my first crab cake of the season. This lets me know that summer is officially here. From here, I cruised on down Route 4 to my very own Key West…Solomons. The world famous Tiki Bar had recently opened for the season so shoes were tossed aside and it was full bore toes in the sand. There are a few small shops on the island like Carmen’s Gallery, which hosts the Plein Air Festival every fall.

There is a bounty of great places to eat with crab cakes, rockfish bites and Myers rum the go to delights. There are a variety of hotels, Inns and B&B’s for an overnight stay. The Smithsonianaffiliated, Annemarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center is also located in Solomons. Most sculptures are on

loan from the National Gallery of Art or the Hirshhorn Museum. A stop by the Calvert Marine Museum is a must as well. You have to see the live otter show if nothing else. Solomons is a year-round resort town and everything is open all winter.

Deep Creek Lake

For our June road trip we took a drive north to Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County, Maryland. Although we were there in the spring when the boating season was getting underway, Deep Creek Lake has always been associated with winter skiing at the popular Wisp Ski Resort. I can remember skiing there with friends twenty years ago and staying a short drive from the mountain at one of the many rental properties available in and around Deep Creek Lake. In the summer months the resort offers events including bonfires, kayak tours, paint ball, skatepark and disc golf, not to mention a full-size golf course. For the thrill seekers there is also the zip line tour that lets participants fly over the slopes and through the woods.

During the warm months the drive to Deep Creek is beautiful if you get off of the interstates and travel the back roads. Spring is a great time for this drive as everything is in bloom and it is also transition season.

There Is No Place Like Home

it is spectacular.

Back on the Virginia side of the river, George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate awaits you. The wintertime is a great time to go, as there are fewer tourists from around the world thus making the lines shorter and a lot less crowded. Also located on the George Washington Memorial Parkway you can find Belle Haven Park and the Belle Haven marina. Although a bit cold now, this is a getaway for locals and one of the best places to learn to sail. A little farther from Old Town you can visit Annapolis, Maryland…the sailing capital of Maryland. Even in the winter you can catch hearty sailors competing on the water in the frostbite races.

Berryville Virginia & the Waypoint House

In August we wrote about our trip to Berryville, Virginia located in the Shenandoah Valley. This is a small town with some muscle. It is the largest town in Clarke County but the main street is still only 6 blocks long and anchored a one end by the Berryville Feed and Grain and he other end by the Battle Town Inn. In the middle of town is the Barns of Rose Hill, a location for the performing and visual arts.

ROAD TRIP > PAGE 26

In July of last year we stayed home and visited some of the cool places that are in our own backyard.

We can move among the most modern to a rich history. Last July the 1.3 billion dollar MGM Casino and Resort had not yet opened across the Potomac in National Harbor…but it is now. Opening on December 8th, the resort drew capacity crowds their first few nights in business. We had an opportunity to visit on media day and January 2017 | 21

FROM THE BAY …

No Shell Left Behind We are all accountable for achieving a cleaner Chesapeake Bay. The Oyster Recovery Partnership has a strong history of serving a pivotal role in restoring oysters and working toward a healthier Chesapeake Bay. The Oyster Recovery Partnership assists in designing and implementing oyster restoration projects that maximize ecosystem services that oysters can provide. ORP’s mission is to increase the number of oysters in the Chesapeake Bay, and over the years, this has been accomplished by planting oysters in sanctuaries, managed reserves, and public fishing grounds. ORP has an impressive history of restoration; since 1998, 6.7 billion oysters have been planted on over 2,200 acres of oyster habitat in Maryland waters. During that time, refinements to the oyster restoration process allowed ORP and its partners to redefine success from fewer than ten acres of oyster plantings annually in our early years, to the hundreds of acres planted currently. ORP is now assisting with the one of the largest oyster reef restoration projects to occur worldwide in tributaries on the eastern shore of Maryland.

22 | January 2017

The ORP relies on its many partners to assist in restoring oysters to the Chesapeake Bay. Some of the many Bay-minded partners who have supported our mission include everyone from the likes of the University of Maryland and NOAA on the “restoration” side to to Finlandia Vodka and Flying Dog Brewery on the “eco-minded” corporation side.

The restoration process is complex and could not be carried out without the partners, who work with ORP to supply oyster larvae, identify areas that will sustain successful reefs, and monitor reefs after construction.

In addition to our “Restoration Partners” and “eco-minded” corporations, there are several other nonprofits to research and promote oyster recovery efforts and Bay health issues. Moreover, without the continued financial support and interest of the Maryland Congressional delegation and State leadership, our recovery efforts and successes would not be possible. For a complete list log on to oysterrecovery.org.

Natural oyster shell is the best material on which to raise new

oysters and restore oyster reefs.

Scientists know that now, but for generations used oyster shells were used to build roads, driveways and housing construction. Some ended up in landfills. The Oyster Recovery Partnership developed the Shell Recycling Alliance (SRA) to save this extremely limited natural resource.

Every half shell collected by the SRA creates a new home for approximately 10 baby oysters.

The SRA motto is quite fitting in that they want to make sure that “no shell is left behind.”

When the program launched in 2010, 22 restaurants signed on as members. Six years later, the SRA is now 300 members strong, and the largest shell recycling network in the country. In 2015, 26,005 bushels of oyster shell was collected from establishments in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania.

The shell that was collected in 2015 will enable ORP to plant over 100 million oysters on oyster reefs in the coming years.

Since its launch, the SRA has recycled 90,000 bushels of shell, enabling ORP to plant 450 million oysters in the Chesapeake Bay. In addition to restaurants and businesses, the SRA collects used shell from public drop sites in 11 counties.

Within the past year the State of

Maryland passed legislation that increased the tax credit from $1 to $5 for every bushel of shell recycled by business. Businesses and bay-area residents play an important role in restoring oysters to the Chesapeake Bay. “I appreciate the pickup of shells,” said Sunny White, owner of Captain White Seafood City in Washington D.C. “We depend on the Chesapeake Bay for a lot of oysters. It’s good to restock the Bay for the future, and it’s also nice to not have to dump used shell in the landfill.”

Individuals can also help the cause just by eating oysters! By eating oysters you are supporting the fisherman and farms that are sustainably growing most of the oysters consumed. Don’t just toss those shells either. Go to www.shellrecycling.org to find where to recycle. If you want to be part of building an oyster reef, a small donation to the ORP of $10 helps plant 1,000 oysters!

Please call 410-990-4970 or visit www. oysterrecovery.org if you would like to become a supporter of ORP or learn more about our various support levels.

OldTownCrier

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January 2017 | 23

TO THE BLUE RIDGE

JULIE REARDON

You d e w o h S Up!

A Trophy life Every year, the Publisher asks us for our New Year’s resolutions.

Since I don’t normally make them, I thought it might be fun to make just one for 2017. So this year, I think I’ll find someone or something to blame for every bad thing that happens in my life. I might even take up the rallying cry of white trash everywhere when something goes wrong and shriek, “I’ll sue you!” And I’ll be expecting a trophy for any sport or competition I enter, along with praises and honors for non-participation.

I don’t think I’d be the only one that would benefit from the new culture of participation trophies. It has some enticing possibilities for country living, especially out here where people brandish money like it’s a trophy. It might even serve to bring down the prices of big showy mansions with manicured acreage if everyone just left things au naturel.

And imagine how exciting our spring steeplechase season will be when horses line up and walk to the finish line. Jumping the obstacles could be optional. Horse shows, too, might benefit from a kinder, gentler approach to awarding ribbons. Why bother to be the best if mediocre will 24 | January 2017

get you a ribbon? You could save all kinds of money on instruction, show clothing and tack and all kinds of time spent practicing, not to mention the elbow grease and labor spent on

dominated by Labradors and I have Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. I think you should get an automatic trophy for entering a Chesapeake or a Golden Retriever. Further, if you pay your entry fee and show up, you should get a ribbon and points toward your dog’s Field Champion title.

Exciting possibilities cross all sporting lines, from high school

big deal cleaning and braiding your horse to look nice. And year end awards? Pffft, who needs those?

Dog shows and performance events would be well served with participation trophies for anything canine with a pulse. The growing sport of dogs jumping off docks should reward all who give it a try instead of the ones that leap the furthest. As for the shows that are beauty pageants, shouldn’t the ugly ones get something too? And field trials are way too cut throat; I propose affirmative action for retriever field trials because they’re

football to traveling soccer leagues, if everyone got to win. Wouldn’t it be thrilling to watch track and field sports where no one was timed, no jumps were measured and everyone was declared a winner? We could take tackling, sacking and blocking out of football entirely, from junior varsity through the NFL. No one would have to worry about concussions or question a touchdown or penalty flag.

Marathons and half marathons would be much more fun if everyone who crossed the finish line, heck everyone who lined up at the start, got a trophy.

No need for grueling workouts and

training.

Wineries out here, too, could benefit from a new kinder, gentler culture if they won prizes for batches of vinegary swill not fit for hogs at the prestigious wine judgings here and abroad. Why discourage a winery from making something that tastes awful? The vintner no doubt spent as much time on the swill as they did on their good stuff, so let’s recognize that effort. Visitors trying to choose from among the area’s many wineries, or seeking to buy a Virginia wine, don’t really need to know which are the best, because the sorry tasting ones aren’t their fault.

Along those same lines, the competitions at county fairs for the best pie, biggest gourd, finest lamb or calf aren’t really needed, especially as many children exhibit there, and we sure wouldn’t want their tender psyches damaged by not getting a blue ribbon and trophy.

So, dear readers, let me hear from you. What sports or events do you think would benefit from more participation trophies? Happy New Year to everyone!

Comments may be sent to Julie’s attention at office@oldtowncrier.com.

OldTownCrier

PERSONALITY PROFILE FROM PG 4

It was around this time that Deak bought his first motorcycle and I bought mine. His however, you couldn’t really call a motorcycle…it was a Honda 50. It was a two-wheeler and 4.5 horsepower that couldn’t get out of its own way in a hurry. Put a two hundred and twenty pound man on it and you need time to get to speed. “I paid $229 for that bike new,” he tells me. “I would hit the beltway and nearly twist that handle throttle off to get going and then I would pull in behind a truck to gain the draft from the truck…my brother taught me that trick.” Keep in mind; these were the early days of the beltway. There were only two lanes in each direction and very little traffic. You could drive around the beltway and see a handful of cars, and only a few at night.

“After the Honda 50 I bought a Honda 305 Super Hawk and life was good,” he remembers. Two hundred and five more cubic centimeters does make a difference.

After college he was recruited by Ford Motor Company to work in their labor relations department in Michigan. He only lasted a year due to an argument with his boss. “The argument centered around the shootings at Kent State in 1970,” he says, “I took the position that it was a government slaughter.” After leaving Ford, he was hired by a very progressive engineering firm where he set up their human resources department. That gig lasted 3 years and then it was time to get out of the suit and tie and travel, so he hopped in his van and spent the next 5 months traveling 40,000 miles around the country. The whole journey only cost him $3,200.

When he got back he went to work for a friend in the building business. “I was going to spend the next five weeks helping him build decks,” he tells me, however that turned into 43 plus years of Deak and Company. He was enjoying his work as well as the outdoors. In 1975 a friend mentioned that they should enter a white water canoe race on the Patapsco River.

His friend came in first but Deak came in last …he was hooked.

Thus began 12 years of white water canoe racing. His learning curve really went up once he joined the Canoe Cruisers Association.

“I paddled on 67 rivers from here to Oregon,” he tells me. He won a lot of local championships but never won the National Open Water Canoe Championship, however placing in the top 5. “Man, we would go flat water paddling in the morning, go to work and then hit Great Falls in the late afternoon.” he remembers. “ One time the water was really high, sort of flood stage, and we went out. I got caught in the current and ended up in the top of some trees. Couldn’t get the boat out, so tied it off in the trees and went back for it later. Firemen rescued me, and this was way before they had developed “swift water” techniques.”

One of Deak’s favorite venues for canoe racing was Petersburg, West Virginia where racing would be done on the North Fork of the South Branch of the Potomac River. Once again our parallel course nearly converged for I have spent more than 12 years visiting the same river and have seen the racers paddle by my friends house. The course was long as it meandered through rural villages and mountain gorges. In 1985 a 500-year flood hit this area and entire communities were wiped out. Deak and his canoe buddies returned to help with the recovery. “I put my carpentry skill to use in helping rebuild some of the homes,” he tells me. “The devastation was immense,” he says, “after the waters receded you would find cows that were stuck up under bridges.”

One man who was partially blind kept asking Deak who he was, and the reply was, “just a friend to help out.” Finally Deak told the guy his name and a few years later he got a book in the mail that was written about the flood of 1985. To this day, that book is one of Deak’s most prized possessions.

Some of his other favorite venues to race were the Rappahannock River as it flows through Fredericksburg and the Covington and Thornton Rivers near Little Washington and Sperryville. In 1983 he saw an ad for some land for sale along these familiar rivers, and in 1984 he purchased the land. He met the owner who was living with his wife and living off of social security. “We offered him $350 a month to buy

OldTownCrier

the land and they were glad to get it to help supplement their monthly income. The owner was a movie actor from years ago named Edward J. Pawley. “This guy was in every movie you and I saw as kids,” he tells me. “He was never a leading man, but when talkies came out, he was one of the few who had a magnificent voice.” Pawley and Deak remained close friends until Pawley’s death in 1987. “He was a true patriot and conservative,” he remembers.

Today Deak and Chris, his wife of 34 years, have a classic log home on that property that Deak built himself. They have two daughters and 6 grandbabies under the age of 4. His way of dealing with the 6 is easy…spoil them!

At age 70 he still builds and remodels homes but has pared back from the days when he employed as many as 49 people to just himself. Deak and Company is a one-man show.

He has been across country many times, most recently on his 1340 cc Harley Electra Glide. On one of his earlier trips out west he rode with a group of bikers called the Booze Fighters.

“I am happy to say that I have been a patch holder for 16 plus years in our club that just turned 70 years old,” he says. “This was one of the first motorcycle groups ever and was founded by a guy know as Wino Willy,” he says. “Life magazine did a big story on the group and pretty much got it all wrong. The magazine depicted us as one of the 1% bikers when in fact, we were one of the 99% of good guys.” That episode was the basis for the movie Wild Ones, and Lee Marvin played the role of Wino Willy.

Deak is also a historian and can be an activist. With all of the hullabaloo about the Civil War statue at Washington Street and Prince Street, Deak had had enough and placed two signs on the base of the statue which read Alexandria City Council COWARDS. “I thought the signs might last 15 minutes but they were up for an hour before someone tore them down,” he says. “The Alexandria Gazette did a front page photo of the signs,” he continues. This is a man who believes in history and its’ rightful place in our lives. I agree.

I have had a blast writing this article and taking myself down memory lane. The only way to sum up the man is a song from PaintYour Wagon…I’m on my way!

Gotta dream boy, Gotta song, Paint your wagon, and come along: Where am I goin’? I don’t know, Where am I headin’? I ain’t certain, All I know is I am on my way.

When will I be there? I don’t know, When will I get there? I ain’t certain, all that I know is I am on my way, Gotta dream boy, Gotta song, Paint your wagon And come along!

“I would hit the beltway and nearly twist that handle throttle off to get going and then I would pull in behind a truck to gain the draft from the truck…

Tagert and Deakings: Separated at birth?

January 2017 | 25

Mount Vernon

Copper Fox Distillery in Williamsburg

Berryville’s Waypoint House

Destemming and pressing grapes at Pearmund Cellars

ROAD TRIP FROM PG 21

While in Berryville we stayed at the Waypoint House Bed and Breakfast.

Waypoint is a very clever name because a waypoint is a reference point that one puts in their GPS and marks the location for a return trip. Owned an operated by former Alexandrians Rachel and Jonathan Worsley, the Waypoint is a historic home built in 1884 that has been remodeled into a modern bed and breakfast. There are some very nice restaurants as well as unique shops in town.

Copper Fox Distillery, Williamsburg, Va. This road trip was a real winner.

We got to visit the new distillery in Williamsburg, VA and had a chance to catch up with owner and friend Rick Wasmund. Although it is a 200 mile drive, if you avoid Interstate 95 and take U.S. 301, the traffic will be less and the drive more scenic.

Williamsburg is located in the northern part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. It is bordered by James City County and York County.

Less than two miles from Colonial Williamsburg is the new Copper Fox distillery. This is Wassmunds second location with the first one being in Sperryville. It sits on 6 acres on the former site of a 104 room motel.

Ricks inspiration to convert these 8 buildings into a distillery is mind blowing. He is a true visionary. The new facility will give them much 26 | January 2017

needed barrel storage and a new area where they can continue to hand malt their own barley. With a remodel of the main building this year production of spirits can increase. Take an overnight trip to Williamsburg and stop by for a taste of some of the best Single Malt American Whiskey and Rye in the country.

Northern Fauquier County Wine Country

Last fall I had a chance to visit the wineries of Northern Fauquier County.

The wineries I visited are located along Route 66 and Leeds Manor Road between the towns of Marshall and Warrenton. Route 66 is a chaotic drive but Leeds Manor road takes you across mountain tops and past horse farms and wineries. My first stop near the town of Warrenton was Pearmund Cellars and their newly opened Vint Hill Craft Winery. After grabbing a bite to eat in Warrenton, I made a right on to Leeds Manor Road and headed to Desert Rose Ranch & Winery near Hume Virginia.

A rustic ranch-style tasting room makes for a western experience. Leaving the winery I retraced my tracks back on Hume Road to Leeds Manor and making a left preceded to Philip Carter Winery. Leaving PC Winery I made my way to Linden, VA and up the mountain to Fox Meadow Winery on Freezeland Road. My next stop was back towards Marshall and Naked Mountain Winery and Vineyards. After negotiating the

windy road leaving Naked Mountain I make my way back on Route 55 to Route 17 and “a little bit of Tuscany” at Three Fox Meadow Winery. My last stop was back on Route 55 and Barrel Oak Winery and their newly opened brewery.

All of these wineries are very good and have just about anything you are looking for. To learn more go to our archives at oldtowncrier.com and pull up the October 2016 issue for the entire article.

Veterans Day & DC’s Memorials

As a salute to our Veterans I decided to visit some of the beautiful, and somber memorials that are nearby.

My visit began with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, a 2-acre national memorial that is located next to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and pays tribute to the members of the U.S. forces that fought and died in Vietnam. The memorial consists of three separate parts: The Three Soldiers statue, the Vietnam Women’s Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall, or simply…the Wall! At the other end of the Reflection Pool you will find the World War II Memorial, which honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the United States, the more than 400,000 who died, and all who supported the war effort from home.

On the other side of the Reflecting Pool stands the Korean War Veterans Memorial. All of its components,

including the walls, stainless steel statues and Pool of Remembrance, are dedicated to the armed forces that served and sacrificed during the Korean War. Leaving the Reflection Pool area and venturing into Washington, D.C you will find the Navy Memorial and Naval Heritage Center that honor and commemorate the sailors of the United States Navy.

The memorial is an outdoor public plaza and the Heritage Center serves as a place o learn about the history and heritage of the sea services.

The next three memorials are located on the Virginia side of the Potomac River. The Navy-Merchant Marine Memorial is located in Lady Bird Johnson Park on Columbia Island and is a monument honoring sailors of the United States Navy and the United States Merchant Marine who died at sea during World War I. Nicknamed “Waves and Gulls,” the memorial depicts seven seagulls above the crest of a wave. The monument can be seen between the G.W. Parkway and the Potomac River just north of I-395.

The United States Air Force Memorial honors the service of the personnel of the United States Air Force and its predecessors. The memorial is located right off of I-395 in Arlington on the grounds of Fort Myer near the Pentagon and Arlington Cemetery. The memorial is an iconic image on the Washington skyline. The ROAD TRIP > PAGE 27

OldTownCrier

Walnut Hill A Civil War Era Farmhouse

Bucolic retreat less than an hour from DC in the Loudoun County countryside. Private, 11 wooded and open acres with pond. Almost 3000 sq. ft. of finished space. New kitchen with eat-in room overlooking pond. Stainless steel appliances, gas cooking, quartz counters, cherry cabinetry. Custom walnut built-in bookcases (harvested from property) in living room.

Updated baths (2.5), five bedrooms, including master with sitting room and main level guest bedroom. Original heart pine floors, pinched seam metal roof, expansive deck and stone walls. Vegetable garden, chicken coop, mature plantings and perennial beds. Near the lovely villages of Taylorstown and Waterford; minutes to the MARC commuter train.

Offeredatat$649,000 $629,000 MLS No. LO9679173 Offered

For More Information: Kathy Shipley, RE/MAX Premier Ryan Clegg 540.338.0300 • 703.314.5539 Atoka Properties kathyshipley.com ryan@atokaproperties.com 703.209.9849

BEER. BED. BREAKFAST. VISIT THE BREWERY NEAR SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK AND STAY THE NIGHT

The Iwo Jima Memorial ROAD TRIP FROM PG 26

three memorial spires range from 201 to 270 feet high and appear to be soaring: its array of stainless steel arcs against the sky evoke the image of “contrails” of the Air Force Thunderbirds as they peel back

in a precision “bomb burst” maneuver.

The final memorial is probably the best known. The Marine Corps War Memorial, or the Iwo Jima Statue, located in Arlington, VA just off the George Washington

47 MAIN STREET • SPERRYVILLE, VIRGINIA 540.987.3383 • HOPKINSORDINARY.COM Parkway. The United States Marine Corps War memorial represents this nation’s gratitude to marines and those who have fought beside them.

While the statue depicts one of the most famous incidents of World War II, the memorial is dedicated to all Marines who have given their lives in defense of the United States since 1775. Semper Fi!

Old Town Alexandria dressed up for the holidays.

OldTownCrier

photo: © Chester Simpson

Home for the Holidays

Every December’s road trip is all about Alexandria, Virginia…where I live. We started the Old Town Crier here in January of 1988 and paid for our first print job with a credit card. No business plan, no financing… not anything but our desire.

This town has been very good to our publication and me.

Businesses stood by us early on in spite of ourselves and

over the years we have gained their respect…and that is a two way street! To those of you who read us…thank you. For those of you who advertise …wow, couldn’t have done it without you!

So, as a new year begins take a road trip around our beautiful area but more importantly, take the time to shop, dine and enjoy this great city of ours. See you on the road.

January 2017 | 27

BEHIND THE BAR

Alexis Von Schoening How did you get started in the business?

The completely practical and simple answer to this question is the 2008 financial crisis. I helped support myself through college and my adventuring years after college by waiting tables. In 2008 after seeing so many families struggle, I decided to learn to bartend. Now, no matter where I go, no matter what I am doing, I have a skill the weathers economic uncertainty. People, it seems, tend to visit bars more when the economy is bad for a little comradery and community.

ALEXIS IS BEHIND THE BAR AT DON TACO TEQUILA BAR 808 KING STREET ALEXANDRIA 703-988-3144

What is your biggest bartender pet peeve?

People interrupting me while I’m serving another customer at the bar and that general lack of consideration for your fellow bar guests. Everyone is at the bar to have a nice time. And it’s never appreciated when one person or group insists that they have the right to have a better time than everyone else at the bar.

What is the cleverest line anyone has ever used to get you to give them a free drink?

Ah….getting marriage proposals are always funny. I give you alcohol and food and apparently this makes me marriage material. I have been proposed to with flowers, multiple kinds of food, and even a ring pop.

28 | January 2017

Alexis is behind the bar Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings. She serves up the Prima Pina: Basil, Pineapple, Tequlia, lime and agave.

What is the best/worst pickup line you have overheard at the bar?

I had a customer who was sitting in a lounge section outside the bar. He seemed to feel bad that I kept leaving the bar to come check on him and mentioned “he would come to the bar if he needed anything”. However, as I was walking away he made a comment about how much he enjoyed watching me walk away. I was a little off put but at the same time the line was executed in such a suave way that I eventually married that guy.

Tell us about an interesting encounter you have had with a customer(s).

In my early days of bartending, I had a very intoxicated customer wander into the bar. He stared solely at my chest and kept telling me how pretty I was. After refusing to serve him, he managed to look at my face and began to swat at me across the bar.

This began an epic ordeal. If his eyes wandered up he would swat at me. If his eyes wandered down he would let me know how pretty I was.

If you could sit down and have a drink with anyone in the world, past or present, who would that be?

Gertrude Stein and her companions in 1920’s Paris. I feel like they threw a good party. Good drinks, good company, lively conversations, and the awakening of a new artistic and social era.

If you would like to see your favorite bartender featured in this space, send contact information to office@ oldtowncrier.com.

OldTownCrier

Alexandria’s Finest Dining • Veteran-Owned Brunch • Weddings • Private Events

CELEBRATE LIFE’S MILESTONES WITH A LOCAL FINE DINING EXPERIENCE

214 King Street • Old Town Alexandria 703.683.6868 • warehousebarandgrill.com

This is where your new favorite whiskey comes from.

Visit us in Sperryville. Tours daily. www.copperfox.biz

OldTownCrier

January 2017 | 29

DINING OUT

BOB TAGERT

A QUIET ESCAPE

N

ow that the holidays are over and you have probably done your fair share of overindulging, we thought that we would take you to a place that serves “healthy” fare. We are shining the spot light on The Sushi Bar in Del Ray. When Mike Anderson opened his restaurant he had a vision in mind that is much appreciated this time of year.

No one under the age of 18 is allowed!

Although the idea brought its own controversy, after months of kids and crowds, it is nice to have dinner away from all the commotion.

The Sushi Bar is located in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria and provides a cozy lounge-like escape.

There is a large bar with perhaps 20 seats as well as a 6-seat sushi bar. The dining area consists of square tables that seat two or three persons. In the lounge area of the dining room the seats and tables are shorter than normal which actually give you a feeling that you are sitting closer to the floor. Prepared by chef Saran “Peter” Kannasute, their sushi and sashimi offerings are served on small “tapasstyle” plates, which encourage guests to sample multiple dishes and to create their own perfect sushi experience.

This bar is literally a “sushi bar”.

There is no kitchen and everything is prepared out in the open.

Our starters included the spicy miso soup, which is a Japanese soup consisting of a stock called “dashi” into which softened miso paste is mixed.

This is a very tasty soup as well as good for you. We also had Edamame, a preparation of immature soybeans in the pod. The pods are boiled or steamed and served with salt. They are crisp and delicious. Other starter offerings include scallop salad, baby octopus salad, spicy sashimi salad, avocado salad and one of my favorites, seaweed salad.

For my main course I had the California Roll and the Kamikaze Roll.

The California roll contains cucumber, crabmeat and avocado. As one of the most popular styles of sushi in the United States, the California roll has been influential in sushi’s global popularity and in inspiring sushi chefs around the world in creating their non-traditional fusion cuisine. This was very good and the crispness of the cucumber could be tasted.

The Kamikaze roll was a slightly different take on the California roll. In addition to the spicy crab, cucumber 30 | January 2017

The Sushi Bar in Del Ray offers a welcome change of taste and pace

THE SUSHI BAR 2312 MOUNT VERNON AVENUE DEL RAY/ALEXANDRIA 571-257-3232 SUSHIDELRAY.COM

Chef Saran “Peter” Kannasute of Del Ray's Sushi Bar.

and avocado, there was a crunchy potato strips, red beet tempura and sweet chili sauce to top off the roll. This was very good as well and

you tell them there are certain fishes that you don’t like). Between the miso soup, the edamame, the two rolls that I ordered and the sushi dinner we were

“flights”. This would have been a great opportunity to compare the different styles and brands. Next time!!

The décor is simple which gives

Sushi dinner

Warm Sake

Honey ginger ice cream in phylo nest

the crunchy potato made for a nice texture. One thing I particularly liked about both of these rolls is that the roll was sliced into smaller pieces than I am used to which made for a better dining experience…I didn’t feel like I was going to choke on a big piece of fish. All of the rolls run in the $7-$9 range making this a pretty affordable place to dine.

My dining partner ordered the Sushi Dinner that features 10 pieces of chefs selection of Nigiri priced at $20.

(They will customize the selections if

on full. However, Chef Peter insisted that we try his “special” honey ginger ice cream dessert. What a pleasant surprise when three small scoops of this delicious ice cream came served in a honeyed phyllo spun pastry nest!

In addition to the regular bar cocktails, The Sushi Bar features a selection of more than 20 brands of sake in all price ranges. We opted for the house brand, Sho Chiku Bai. Priced at $11 it was enough for two people. In retrospect, I wish we would have tried one of the sake tasting

the entire restaurant a clean, crisp feel. The staff were very attentive, knowledgeable and welcoming. This is definitely a place that we will frequent more often and take friends for an all adult evening. Although Del Ray is popular and very busy and street parking is sometimes a challenge, there is free parking in a lot directly behind the restaurant. Just be sure to turn the corner to the west off of Mount Vernon Avenue at East Oxford and take a look to your left – the parking lot is right there.

OldTownCrier

Winter is Here!

It’s Official!

And so

is our new Winter Menu.

Old favorites and new us at River Bend.

Don’t forget the Annual SCYC Super Bowl Fundraiser, Feb. 5 at 6pm.

Help support Alexandria’s children in need. Plenty of Food, Silent Auction, Cash Bar - $40.

7966 Fort Hunt Road • 703-347-7545

RiverBendBistro.com

JOIN US FOR A

SUPER EXCITING FOOTBALL BOWL

dine out!

dishes too. Warm up with

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Feb. 5, 6pm BIG SCREEN TV’S LOTS OF FOOD SILENT AUCTION CASH BAR $40 per person

Santa Claus Yacht Club

7966 Fort Hunt Road • 703-347-7545

RiverBendBistro.com OldTownCrier

January 2017 | 31

Dining Guide AMERICAN ASHAR RESTAURANT AND BAR 116 South Alfred St. 703-894-6356 BILBO BAGGINS 208 Queen St. 703-683-0300 BLACKWALL HITCH 5 Cameron St. 571-982-3577 BURGER FI 111 N. Pitt St. 703-746-9242 CARLYLE CLUB 411 John Carlyle St. 703-549-8957 CHADWICKS 203 Strand St. 703-836-4442 chadwicksrestaurants.com An Old Town tradition since 1979 and an original Georgetown pub and restaurant since 1967.

CHART HOUSE One Cameron St. 703-684-5080 CITY KITCHEN 330 South Pickett St. 703-685-9172 fatcitykitchen.com USA City inspired menu choices that bring together traditional American and global cuisine with their own personal touch. Casual dress. $30 and under. Lots of free parking. Open 7 days a week with brunch on Sat & Sun 11-3. AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa COLUMBIA FIREHOUSE 109 S. St. Asaph St. 703-683-1776 EVENING STAR CAFÉ 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-549-5051 FIN & HOOF 801 N. Saint Asaph St. 703-836-4700 FIRE FLIES 1501 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-7200 FOSTERS GRILLE 2004 Eisenhower Ave. 703-725-1342 GADSBYS TAVERN 138 N. Royal St. 703-548-1288

INDIGO LANDING #1 Marina Dr. Washington Sailing Marina 703-548-0001

ASIAN ASIAN BISTRO 809 King St. 703-836-1515

JACKS PLACE 222 North Lee St. 703-684-0372

RAMPARTS 1700 Fern St. 703-998-6616 rampartstavern.com

JACKSON 20 480 King St. 703-842-2790

REYNOLDS STREET CAFÉ 34 S. Reynolds St. 703-751-0830

MAI THAI 9 King St. 703-548-0600

JOE THEISMANNS 1800 Diagonal Rd. 703-739-0777

RIVER BEND BISTRO 7966 Fort Hunt Rd. Hollin Hall Shopping Center 703-347-7545 riverbendbistro.com

RED MEI 602 King St. 703-837-0094

KING STREET BLUES 112 N. St. Asaph St. 703-836-8800 LAPORTAS 1600 Duke St. 703-683-6313 LIVE OAK 1603 Commonwealth Ave. 571-312-0402 LOST DOG CAFE 808 North Henry St. 571-970-6511 MACKIE’S BAR AND GRILL 907 King St. 703-684-3288 MAGNOLIA’S ON KING 703 King St. 703-838-9090 MAJESTIC CAFÉ 911 King St. 703-837-9117 MASON SOCIAL 728 Henry Street Old Town Alexandria 703-548-8800 mason-social.com MOUNT VERNON INN Mount Vernon, Va 703-780-0011 MURPHYS IRISH PUB 713 King St. 703-548-1717 murphyspub.com Old-world Irish pub featuring a roaring fireplace, serving a variety of imported, domestic and non-alcoholic beers in a friendly atmosphere. Serving robust American-Irish meals at fair prices. Favorites include fish and chips and Irish stew.

Irish-style entertainment nightly.

NICKELLS AND SCHIFFLER 1028 King St. 703-684-5922 NINAS DANDY Potomac Party Cruises Zero Prince St. 703-683-6076 dandydinnerboat.com

HARD TIMES CAFE 1404 King St. 703-837-0050

OCONNELLS RESTAURANT & BAR 112 King St. 703-739-1124 danieloconnellsrestaurant. com

HEN QUARTER 1404 King St. 703-837-0050

OVERWOOD 220 North Lee St. 703-535-3340

HUNTING CREEK STATION 801 King St. 703-684-8969

PORK BARREL BBQ 2312 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-822-5699

32 | January 2017

RAILSTOP GASTROPUB 901 N. Fairfax St. 703-683-8793

ROCK IT GRILL 1319 King St. 703-739-2274 RT's RESTAURANT 3804 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-684-6010 rtsrestaurant.com SAMUEL BECKETTS IRISH GASTRO PUB 2800 S. Randolph St. Villages of Shirlington 703-379-0122 SHOOTER MCGEES 5239 Duke St. 703-751-9266 SOCIETY FAIR 277 S. Washington St. 703-683-3247 SONOMA CELLAR 207 King St. 703-966-3550 SOUTHSIDE 815 815 S. Washington St. 703-836-6222 T.J. STONES GRILL HOUSE & TAP ROOM 608 Montgomery St. 703-548-1004 tjstones.com American cuisine with libations from around the world. Bar specials Mon-Fri, 4-7 pm. Brunch served Sat & Sun. TRADEMARK 2800 Jamieson Ave. 703-253-8640 UNION STREET PUBLIC HOUSE 121 South Union St. 703-548-1785 unionstreetpublichouse.com Old Towns favorite neighborhood tap and grill.

Distinct southern style menu, fine steaks, fresh seafood.

Sunday brunch, private parties, happy hour.

MALAYA 1019 King St. 703-519-3710

STREETS MARKET AND CAFE 3108 Mt. Vernon Ave. 571-431-6810

LA BERGERIE 218 N. Lee St. 703-683-1007 labergerie.com

PITA HOUSE 719 King St. 703-684-9194 thepitahouse.com Family owned and operated; carry out available and free delivery.

ITALIAN

BUGSYS PIZZA RESTAURANT 111 King St. 703-683-0313 bugsyspizza.com FACCIA LUNA 823 S. Washington St. 703-838-5998

SANG JUN THAI 300 King Street 571-312-3377 KAI ZEN TAVERN 1901 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-836-1212

HANKS PASTA BAR 600 Montgomery Ave. 571-312-4117

THAILAND ROYAL 801 N. Fairfax St. 703 535-6622 TOKYO JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE 66 Canal Center Plaza 703-683-8878 CAPHE BANH MI VIETNAMESE 407 Cameron St. 703-549-0800

THE SUSHI BAR 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue 571-257-3232 CONTINENTAL BRABO

by Robert Weidmaier 1600 King St. 703-894-3440 BRABO TASTING ROOM 1600 King St. 703-894-5252 CEDAR KNOLL INN GW Parkway at Lucia Ln. 703-799-1501 RESTAURANT EVE 110 S. Pitt St. 703-706-0450 TEMPO 4231 Duke St. 703-370-7900 temporestaurant.com Northern Italian, French provincial and American cuisine featuring fresh seafood, meats and pasta served in a contemporary, romantic atmosphere.

FRENCH BASTILLE 606 N. Fayette St. 703-519-3776 bastillerestaurant.com

VIRTUE GRAIN & FEED 106 South Union St. 571-970-3669

LE REFUGE 127 N. Washington St. 703-548-4661

THE WAREHOUSE BAR & GRILL 214 King St. 703-683-6868

TAVERNA CRETEKOU 818 King St. 703-548-8688 tavernacretekou.com

GERANIO RISTORANTE 722 King St. 703-548-0088 geranio.net Still Old Towns highest-rated Italian restaurant (Zagat).

Discerning Old Towners flock here for refined cuisine in this comfortable, yet sophisticated restaurant. With entrees from $14, there is no reason not to enjoy a selection from their Wine Spectator award-winning list, while being attended by the friendly staff of seasoned professionals. Reservations recommended and casual attire welcomed.

VERMILLION 1120 King St. 703-684-9669

VOLA’S DOCKSIDE GRILL & THE HI-TIDE LOUNGE 101 North Union St. 703-935-8890

YVES BISTRO 235 Swamp Fox Rd. (in Hoffman Ctr.) 703-329-1010

FONTAINES CAFFE & CREPERIE 119 S. Royal St. 703-535-8151 LA MADELEINE 500 King St. 703-729-2854 TWO NINETEEN RESTAURANT 219 King St. 703-549-1141

IL PORTO RESTAURANT 121 King St. 703-836-8833 LANDINI BROTHERS 115 King St. 703-836-8404 landinibrothers.com Elegant, classical Italian cuisine served in a lovely historical setting. Fresh veal, homemade pastas, and fresh fish are some of the daily choices.

An extensive list of wines and champagnes served in a sophisticated and friendly atmosphere.

DELIAS MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 209 Swamp Fox Rd. Alexandria, VA 703-329-0006 BISTRO DU SOLEIL 1116 King St. 571-312-2754 SEAFOOD HANKS OYSTER BAR 1026 King St. 703-739-HANK RTS RESTAURANT 3804 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-684-6010 FISH MARKET-OLD TOWN 105 King St. 703-836-5676 fishmarketoldva.com Internationally known and locally owned! We serve shrimps, a few crabs, tall people and lots of nice people, too! Live music and lively food!

ERNIES ORGINIAL CRABHOUSE 1743 King St. 703-836-0046 THE WHARF 119 King St. 703-836-2834 wharfrestaurant.com "Its All About the Seafood," traditional and creative coastal cuisine.

FISH MARKET-CLINTON 7611Old Branch Ave. Clinton, MD 301-599-7900

LENA’S WOOD-FIRED PIZZA & TAP 401 East Braddock Rd. 703-960-1086

INDIAN BOMBAY CURRY COMPANY 2607 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-836-6363

PARADISO 124 King St. 703-683-5330

DISHES OF INDIA 1510A Bellview Blvd.

703-660-6085

PINES OF FLORENCE 1300 King St. 703-549-1796

MEXICAN LATIN SOUTHWESTERN DON TACO TEQUILA BAR 808 King St. 703-988-3144

RED ROCKS FIREBRICK PIZZA 904 King St. 703-717-9873 TRATTORIA DA FRANCO 305 S. Washington St. 703-548-9338 MEDITERRANEAN LA TASCA 607 King St. 703-299-9810 Offering unlimited tapas at lunch and dinner. Choice of dessert included. Lunch 11:30 am - 4:30 pm for $20.07; dinner 4:30 pm - close for $30.07. Eat a little, drink a little, have a lot of fun!

LOS TIOS GRILL 2615 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-299-9290 LOS TOLTECOS 4111 Duke St. 703-823-1167 TAQUERIA POBLANO 2400-B Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-TACO (8226)

OldTownCrier

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722 King Street Old Town Alexandria 703.548.0088 www.geranio.net

OldTownCrier

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703.548.1717 murphyspub.com January 2017 | 33

CHEF’S SPECIAL

CHESTER SIMPSON

When did you first become interested in cooking? Why did you pursue a culinary career?

I used to help my mother and grandmother bake during the holidays.

Every major holiday revolved around large meals and I became a part of the preparation at an early age. I grew to love the restaurant business at fifteen when I got a job as a busboy. From that point I dabbled in the different positions within restaurants, spending time as a server, bartender, manager, and finally kitchen employee. After I worked my first week in the kitchen I knew that I would never leave it, and that I felt at home around food all day.

This compelled me to become a chef and attend Johnson & Wales University to study culinary arts.

Who have been the biggest inspirations for your career?

The combination of chefs’ culinary styles and techniques I have studied under have been inspirational and helped to mold my culinary personality. I will forever be

appreciative to Chef Tony Chittum for giving me the chance to be his culinary intern when I had little kitchen experience to speak of. I also learned JUSTUS FRANK a lot from Andrew IS THE CHEF OF Markert, Miles LIVE OAK RESTAURANT Vaden, and Shannon 1603 COMMONWEALTH AVE Overmiller along the ALEXANDRIA way. I think that I grew 571-312-0402 the most as a chef LIVEOAKDELRAY.COM during my three year stint at Fiola, learning immensely from Fabio Trabocchi how to effectively manage a large staff and elevate cuisine to the next level. a tableside pour of duck veloute to round out the entrée. Some ideas make What dish on the menu are you most more sense in my head than they do curious to see how it’s received? on the plate, but ultimately we want I currently ask the staff at Live Oak the guests to receive them well and for feedback on the Rohan Duck & come back for more.

Dumplings dish that we just put on the supper menu. The pan-roasted duck breast is served atop shredded duck confit leg and thigh meat that has been sautéed with roasted baby carrots, celery, leeks, and buttermilk biscuit dumplings. The final touch is

What do you do to ensure that the food going out to customers is of the highest quality?

I attempt to source as much food as I can from local purveyors. I also

photo: ©2017 Chester Simpson

Justus Frank

believe that it is essential to know as much as possible about where our food comes from and how it is raised. I have developed sound relationships with farmers over the last ten years working in kitchens in the metropolitan area. Our menu is riddled with various local produce items from farms like Earth N Eats and Bounty Hill. I also carry meat CHEF’S SPECIAL > PAGE 35

left to right: RPA Venison Carpaccio, Head-On Shrimp & Weisenberger Grits, Rohan Duck & Dumplings, and Apple Spice Cake.

34 | January 2017

OldTownCrier

CHEF’S SPECIAL FROM PG 34

and chicken sourced here in Virginia. It is important to us at Live Oak to support small business and encourage other people within the industry to showcase these locally grown goods that have consistently proven to be unparalleled in quality.

If any chef in the world could

prepare a meal for you, who would it be?

I am asked this question quite frequently, and my answer changes depending on my current craving. I have always been amazed by Daniel Boulud and Massimo Bottura. My perfect meal would have head cheese and foie gras made by Boulud

and pasta and seafood made by Bottura. Chef Daniel Boulud is a French chef and restaurateur with restaurants in New York City, Washington DC, Las Vegas, Palm Beach, Miami, Montreal, Toronto and London. Chef Massimo Bottura is an Italian restaurateur and the chef patron of Osteria Francescana,

a three-Michelin-star restaurant based in Modena, Italy which has been listed in the top five of The World’s 50 Best.

When at work it’s nice to have something sweet (lemon bar, pecan sandie, beignet) at the end of a shift where most of my consumption was savory.

What’s your guilty food pleasure?

I seem to get the most satisfaction out of a bacon cheeseburger and french fries.

If you would like to see your favorite chef featured here, send contact info to chester@ chestersimpson.com.

“The Finest Lebanese Cuisine” –Washington Post, 2001 Family Owned & Operated Come and Enjoy a Cozy Candlelit Dinner Carry-Out Available • Free Delivery Open 7 Days for Lunch & Dinner

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January 2017 | 35

EXPLORING VA WINES

DOUG FABBIOLI

2016 is history.

T

he great part about being a farmer is that the work is never the same on a daily basis. It certainly changes with the season. As the cold weather moves in, the firewood becomes a

the coordination between the weather and the availability of the concrete from the plant is important. When we want our concrete, so do the other folks working on projects in the area so I have to remember you can’t always

There is always hand vineyard work to do but that is weather dependent as well. The wind seems to be the deciding factor for a “work” or “no work” day. We can work pruning vines when it’s twenty degrees out — if the

A New Year begins. priority along with propane, exposed water pipes and snow removal tools.

We know the cold will come and we know it will go away in a few months.

Our responsibilities are to maintain through the cold and be ready for when things warm up again.

We always have to plan for whatever job we take on any time of the year, but generally we need more planning for our winter projects. Last week we poured concrete for a floor in a section of the winery. We were making a plan based on the weather as you cannot pour concrete when it’s really cold. So 36 | January 2017

have what you want, when you want it.

Part of our maintenance is to keep the roads, driveways, walkways and parking clear. Ice, snow, melting snow and heavy mud from freezing and thawing all add to the challenge of keeping folks safe and business traffic flowing. Another part of that is to keep heavy equipment from messing up the ground. We can layout the rows and fencing for a new vineyard, but ripping and post driving can get delayed from cold and wet. Too many delays can push a project into the spring when we are trying to get other things done.

wind is not howling. Often times we will wait to prune a little later so the vines are through the coldest part of the year and we prune after the winter dieback occurs. Also, this way we can focus on that job with all workers at the same time. Smaller operations may prune through the winter months as their skilled crew is limited.

The shop is a busy place in the cold weather. We take on many repairs and projects that we do not have time to do properly through the growing season. Our shop is multi-faceted.

We do woodworking, construction

and equipment repair all in one area. Oftentimes the shop gets messy since we have a number of projects happening at once and I don’t set the best example of “cleaning up behind you”. I guess it comes back to what I refer to as “housekeeping.” Catch up on the small things when you can and don’t let them pile up. Our green leaves will be back in a few months and we will be ready with more equipment working, more tables for guests, smooth driveways, more space for wine and most broken things fixed.

The change of weather is a break in the type of work, but we always have work!

Doug is the proprietor and winemaker of Fabbioli Cellars in Loudoun County and has been penning this column for several years. He has been instrumental in the success of many of the Commonwealth’s vineyards and wineries.

OldTownCrier

VIRGINIA WINE TRAIL PROFILES BEDFORD COUNTY WINE TRAIL bedfordwinetrail.com The Bedford Wine Trail in the Central Virginia region includes five vineyards and wineries surrounding Bedford.

n THREE FOX VINEYARDS JANUARY EVENTS n

8: PAINT NITE! n 14: MARTIN LUTHER KING WEEKEND SALE! n 15: MURDER MYSTERY DINNER! n 22: PAINT NITE! n 22: MURDER MYSTERY DINNER!

BLUE RIDGE WINE WAY www.blueridgewineway.com The Blue Ridge Wine Way features eight wineries and vineyards in the spectacular mountains of the Northern Virginia region.

BOTETOURT COUNTY WINE TRAIL botetourtwinetrail.com The Wine Trail of Botetourt Country features three wineries in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

EASTERN SHORE WINE TRAIL esvatourism.org The Eastern Shore of Virginia Wine Trail hosts three wineries along the Land Between Two Waters. This area is a unique rural coastal environment. Hundreds of miles of Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay shoreline provide a wealth of recreational opportunities for beach-lovers, fishermen, and boaters in addition to wine lovers.

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FAUQUIER COUNTY WINE TRAIL fauquiertourism.com/wineries.html Fauquier County is home to 16 wineries and vineyards — each with its own unique flavors. Enjoy award-winning Virginia wines, wine tastings and tours.

SHENANDOAH VALLEY WINE TRAIL svwga.org The Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail is an association of six vineyards and wineries.

LOUDOUN WINE TRAIL visitloudoun.org Loudouns Wine Trail in Northern Virginia takes you through Virginias hunt country to 23 participating wineries.

CHESAPEAKE BAY WINE TRAIL chesapeakebaywinetrail.com The Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail, in the Chesapeake Bay region, highlights six different wineries.

HEART OF VIRGINIA WINE TRAIL www.hovawinetrail.com The Heart of Virginia Wine Trail in Central Virginia presents several events throughout the year at four wineries located in the central region of the state.

BLUE RIDGE WINE TRAIL blueridgewinetrail.com The Blue Ridge Wine Trail features five wineries and vineyards in the spectacular mountains all within minutes of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

GENERALS WINE & HISTORY TRAIL thegeneralswinetrail.com In 2009, 10 wineries banded together to form a new type wine trail experience. The new wine trail experience was to tie our rich wine heritage with our rich historical heritage and thus the Generals Wine & History Trail was born.

MONTICELLO WINE TRAIL monticellowinetrail.com The Monticello Wine Trail leads to 24 wineries from its hub in Charlottesville.

Source: Virginia Wine Marketing Office

OldTownCrier

real people. earth friendly. fabulous wines.

AWARD-WINNING WINES & FINE PAIRINGS OPEN DAILY 11A-5P 15669 Limestone School Rd • Leesburg, VA 20176 703.771.1197 • fabbioliwines.com • info@fabbioliwines.com

VISITING VIRGINIA’S WINE COUNTRY It’s always a good idea to call before visiting. Many Virginia wineries are small, family-owned operations and may be closed during the time you are planning to visit. If you are a group of eight or more, call ahead to help the winery prepare for your visit and to make sure they can accept groups. Most of our wineries have grape cluster highway signs within a ten-mile radius pointing the way to the winery. Many of these signs also tell you how many miles to go before reaching the winery.

January 2017 | 37

LAST WORD | FROM PG 10

as fuel feeding both her need for approval and the eating disorder that caused her to avoid meals to stay thin. It also caused her to get excessive plastic surgery procedures that ended up leaving her face an artificial mask. Her comedy over time turned towards making fun of beautiful women who were heavy or had gained weight, such as Elizabeth Taylor, who became the target of her fat jokes and thus ironically her meal ticket in the 1980s. (The singer Adele became one of her last targets in the last two years before her death.) As a result of Joan’s insecurities, she felt free to be cruel and superficial when commenting on high-and-mighty showbiz figures, even in one of her most popular recent shows, Fashion Police. Yet she showed a completely opposite side in displaying endless warmth, generosity, and responsiveness to her public, loyal staff, good friends, and family. She also supported the charity God’s Love We Deliver, whose original mission was focused on helping AIDS patients, when to do so was potentially taboo.

Coming from a financially insecure childhood and unstable career, Rivers was as focused on regaining wealth as she was in succeeding in comedy. She took any show business job possible after mending fences with her daughter. Her biographer astutely notes that she never got the recognition she deserved for her achievements in all areas of her life. In particular, she was never recognized by the financial establishment for the fashion and accessories empire she built on the QVC shopping network, which left her with the income she required to live lavishly and to the manor born in her over-the-top Upper East Side apartment.

As Bennetts reports it, Joan Rivers’ life was so full, so rich with ups and downs, that there is no way to encapsulate it. When I first finished reading this biography I sensed something missing, and felt that Bennetts’ capable, competent reporting had not captured her subject. Then I realized from knowing Joan Rivers’ background reasonably well that no book could ever completely capture this woman’s endless internal contradictions, achievements and losses, not to mention her frenetic and sometimes desperate efforts to stay on top and outwork people half her age. She lived several lives in one lifetime.

38 | January 2017

“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend.

Inside a dog it’s too dark to read.”

― Groucho Marx

The author recognizes Joan’s success when she dedicated this book to “everyone who has lost love or work or money or success or youth or beauty or hope: may Joan’s indomitable spirit…inspire you to triumph over any odds, and remind you to keep your sense of humor along the way.”

For those who enjoyed The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, which followed David Letterman on CBS from 2005-2014, his memoir will serve as a touching and compelling read. He grew up in working-class Glasgow in a loving family, but also experienced a drab Scottish school system that emphasized obedience over innovation, fostered class enmities between Protestants and Catholics that were a fainter echo of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and broke any desire to complete any education past the age of 16. On a trip at age 13 to visit his uncle in the United States, Craig fell in love with New York City and America in particular.

With its emphasis on multiculturalism, innovation, and possibility, it served as the antithesis of his school experience with its emphasis on corporal punishment and conformity. Thus the seeds were planted for his eventual jump across the pond.

An autodidact and punk rock musician, Craig started work as an apprentice electrician after leaving school while playing gigs and beginning to drink and do drugs heavily. Over time, he lost his job and met various girlfriends, losing them after blacking out and becoming increasingly irresponsible. He suffered intense anxiety along with withdrawal, which he could only quell with more alcohol or drugs. After missing a Christmas Eve flight from London to a family Christmas in Glasgow by going on a bender, he finally strongly considered committing suicide by jumping from Tower Bridge

in London at age 30. His moment of clarity allowed his friends to put him in rehab, which saved his life.

Ferguson’s description of his problems with alcohol in particular are searingly honest and quite possibly helpful to those who suffer from it. He calls it a “clever and patient monster” in Chapter 15 of his book, which feels as if he’s speaking to an AA meeting in the most unvarnished terms. While not claiming to know more than other alcoholics, he speaks of his soul-searching, proclaiming “Understand this, if nothing else. It’s not about how much you drink. It’s not about the alcohol really at all. It’s about what the alcohol does to the alcoholic.

That’s why I would never advocate temperance for those who don’t need it. If I could drink like a normal person, then I would drink….Here is something else that proves, to my mind, anyway, that I am an alcoholic. If I could drink alcohol like a normal person, I would not be interested in drinking alcohol. This is sometimes very difficult for nonalcoholics to understand.”

Ferguson’s endearing zaniness and comedic prowess paved the way for a long-awaited permanent move to America. In Hollywood he started his showbiz career that netted him TV pilots, several movies, and then a continuing role on The Drew Carey Show. In 2005, after competing against a revolving crew of guest hosts, he finally took the helm of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, a very funny, silly program that first brought him to my attention. At that point he also started doing stand-up around the country, which led him to consider becoming a citizen after having lived here so long. When he was first made an honorary citizen of Ozark, Arkansas, he decided to put up a map on his television show and ask other towns and cities OldTownCrier

LAST WORD | FROM PG 38

across the country for honorary citizenship, thus leading him on a symbolic path to a meaningful U.S. citizenship.

Ferguson’s book is inspirational, funny, and serious. His story reveals how he found his way from the bottom of a bottle to a very successful showbiz career, marriage, and family in a country he had come to love as the fabled land of opportunity. He had put his life-threatening demons to rest, using his sense of humor, intelligence, and grasp of comedy to open up his life. He had also come to live in a country he found welcoming, warm, and open; a place he could enrich with his eccentric sensibilities and acute observations.

Martin Short first came to my attention when I was a kid watching him on Saturday Night Live as the hilarious Ed Grimley, a bizarre character obsessed with Pat Sajak and Wheel of Fortune. So reading his book, a firsthand account of what could be called the Canadian Comedy Invasion of the 1970s and 1980s, was a treat.

When he was 21 in 1972, Short was cast in the Toronto production of Godspell, which ended up being an incubator of talent that eventually achieved celebrated comedy and acting careers in both Canada and the United States. That cast included Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Dave Thomas, and the groovy young bandleader/ musical director Paul Shaffer. Shaffer went on to lead the band and create the background atmosphere for the edgy and influential early Eighties talk show, Late Night with David Letterman, which both shaped and became a funnel for the edgy, changing brand of comedy taking form.

The Godspell cast drew in friends and family that included other future Canadian and American luminaries such as Bill Murray, Brian Doyle-Murray, Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, and Catherine O’Hara, among others.

All congregated in Toronto at crash pads outside of work, creating a crucible of talent and mutual support that would lead to most leaving for larger show-biz pastures in the United States. Short started a relationship with Gilda Radner, who was his first and only longterm girlfriend before he met his eventual wife, Nancy, an understudy for the show.

As in the best show-biz memoirs, Short lets loose with a flood of funny stories about his close friends from that time, as the Godspell crew started to disperse. In 1973 the famed Second City improv troupe opened a sister company in Toronto, where Gilda Radner, Eugene Levy, Dan Aykroyd, Joe Flaherty, Catherine O’Hara, Andrea Martin, Dave Thomas, and Brian Doyle-Murray landed.

John Candy and Bill Murray took spots at the original troupe in Chicago.

After watching the careers of his fellow actors, sketch comics, and masters of improv take off, Short finally summoned up the nerve to do Second City and then join the subversive, brilliant cast of SCTV, featuring many of the bold-faced names above. As Gilda Radner and Bill Murray left, they became household names OldTownCrier

as stars at the groundbreaking and instantly popular Saturday Night Live from the first and second seasons of the show. Short himself joined the show for one year in the early Eighties.

As Short tells multiple witty tales of meeting many good friends and movie luminaries such as Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, Steve Martin, Diane Keaton, and Nora Ephron and Nick Pileggi, he also talks about the fearlessness he inherited in his career from the difficulties of handling the death of his eldest brother in a car accident when he was thirteen, followed by the death of his mother from cancer at sixteen and his father at twenty. After their losses, rejection receded in importance and emphasized his life priorities. Comedy was also his saving grace, helping him to get through those difficult times and another that struck 2010.

To make some order out of his life and losses, he developed something he called the Nine Categories, where he gave himself scores in nine areas and aimed to keep a good overall average: the importance of maintaining his psychological and physical health, close family, immediate family, friends, career, money, creativity, discipline, and lifestyle. By checking in once a week, he sees where he needs to put in more effort, where he has been succeeding, and which direction he needs to pursue. Short has used it for 35 years to put career hiatuses in perspective, particularly in regards a career as uncertain as show business and a life devoted to his marriage and three children. It seems unusual that a man so prone to creating crazy characters has found a way to discipline himself so successfully, but it too is oddly inspirational. I think I may look hard at his theory and put it to good use in forming my own New Year’s resolutions.

The ebullient Short, like Joan Rivers, has been willing to go through any door to keep moving when difficulties loomed large. When there were no movies he would do television.

When there was no television he would do plays. In the process he has accrued a hoard of wonderful friends and show-biz tales, along with creating bizarre characters that have burst forth in places as varied as SCTV and feelgood movies like Father of the Bride, in which he plays hilarious and ethnically ambiguous Franck the Wedding Planner with Steve Martin and Diane Keaton as the father and mother of the bride. Short paints a picture of a life full of familial love, good friendships, and career success; one divided between his retreat in Canada and his life and career in the United States as a dual citizen.

After zooming through his memoir, I happily thank Canada for sending us their best: Martin Short and his peers, those who have shaped great and groundbreaking comedy over the past forty years. Luckily this country has always had the psychological space to absorb Joan Rivers, Craig Ferguson, Martin Short, and all other types of immigrants who pursue their art to, as Donald O’Connor so wonderfully warbles in Singin’ in the Rain, “make ’em laugh.”

Resolutions We thought it would be fun to let our readers in on what the fine people that put their “pen to paper” - or maybe better yet their “touch to tablet” - each month are looking to improve in the next year.

Without these dedicated authors the Old Town Crier would be a pretty boring piece of print!

“To begin doing artwork in really large sizes: Size matters!”

– F. Lennox Campello, Gallery Beat, page 14 “My New Year’s resolution is to be more open and honest in my communication with those closest to me.”

- Jason Berger, Points on Pets, page 16

“It would be highly rewarding to introduce more people to the sport of Potomac River bass fishing. Anyone, any age, can enjoy bass fishing and with a little guidance they can achieve success. MAKE AMERICA BAIT AGAIN!” - Steve Chaconas, Go Fish, page 44 “I resolve in 2017 to: Find a way to have ice cream and defined biceps; Win a lot of money playing 3 card poker at MGM and be a nicer, kinder, gentler and more patient person—even when I’m losing at three card.”

– Lori Welch Brown, Open Space, page 46 “My resolution is to make the garden even more pollinator friendly this year to help the declining bee population.”

- Jimmy Deaton aka Farmer D, Urban Garden, page 7 “To thank my Crier readers for their love of history, their emails and interesting bits. To walk Parker Poodle every day even when my knee says no.”

- Sarah Becker, A Bit of History, page 8 “My resolution is based on leadership: I will continue to promote, teach and encourage strong leadership on all levels. From the kids to the world leaders, we all can benefit from strong leadership skills.

Sometimes you are leading a party of one!”

- Doug Fabbioli, Exploring Virginia Wines, page36 “My resolution is to finish a Chapstick without losing it!”

- Ashley Schultz, Social Media Message, page 9 “To hike every trail in the Virgin Islands National Park; to complete my third “Pirate Sea” novel.”

– Jeffery McCord, Caribbean Connection, page 18 “Read my January column for my resolution.”

– Julie Reardon, To the Blue Ridge, page 24 “To learn to play the guitar and to volunteer for at least one organization that supports the environment or civil rights.”

- Miriam R. Kramer, Last Word, page 10 “Walk 5 miles a week (not necessarily all at once) - Practice listening more - Write & publish 20 blog posts - Find 20 new restaurants and try them out - Figure out what the heck the “cloud” is and how to get to it!”

– Peggie Arvidson, Spiritual Renaissance, page 43

January 2017 | 39

NICOLE FLANAGAN

FITNESS

Start the New Year Right

I

love a new year. It almost seems like we can start all over, finally become that wonderful, productive, healthy, happy person we’ve always wanted to be.

The trouble is, the enthusiasm to make changes, especially with exercise and diet, tends to fade once we realize we can’t change everything overnight. If you want to make lasting changes, there are three things you can do to make your resolutions work all year long: 1. Adjust your attitude, 2. change your lifestyle, and 3. come up with a plan for success.

If you have the wrong attitude about fitness, you’re already setting yourself up for failure. Most people look at exercise as: • Punishment for bad eating • An obligation • Painful

40 | January 2017

• Time consuming • Impossible to sustain over a long period of time • Boring If any of these sound familiar, how long do you think you’ll stick with your program? Nobody wants to do something painful, boring or obligatory. Before you throw yourself into weight loss, get yourself a more positive attitude about exercise and figure out a new way to look at fitness. Try a different perspective and look at exercise as: • A break from a stressful workday • A way to boost energy and mood

body for working so hard

• The only time you’ll have to yourself all day

• A way to improve your quality of life immediately

• A chance to get totally physical and let your mind rest

One of the resolutions on every one’s list is weight loss.

Remember that losing weight and maintaining that weight loss is a lifetime prospect.

• A chance to reward your

You will never stop working to maintain your fitness and weight. So, before you start that same old diet or exercise program, ask yourself this question: Can I sustain this diet for the long term? Is this exercise program something I can do every day? Once you recognize the gravity of permanently losing weight, you’ll need to change your lifestyle to accommodate this goal. Figure out your bad habits. Keep a food/activity journal for an entire week. Do it without judgment or shame — you’re simply trying to figure out what you’re doing every day that may be hurting your weight loss goals. Then work towards replacing those bad habits, one at a time, with different habits. Experts know that you can’t break bad habits without forming new ones. If you take away your daily Egg McMuffin and don’t replace it with something else you’ll drift right back into the old McDonald’s habit. This may sound simplistic, and it is.

Giving up something yummy for something healthy isn’t easy. You have to change your environment to make

it impossible to have or even want that Egg McMuffin.

Get started with these ideas.

Decide what you’ll eat instead of fast food. Stock up on breakfast foods you like, keep meal replacement bars in the car or try healthy fruit shakes or smoothies. Eat before you get in the car so you won’t be starving and, therefore, tempted to hit the drive thru.

Change your driving route to work so you don’t even pass by McDonald’s. Don’t carry cash in the car (even if you DO have the urge to indulge, you won’t be able to), write down your weight loss goal and tape it to your steering wheel or your glove compartment so, when you’re reaching for your wallet, you’re immediately reminded your goals.

Your best chance at making your resolutions last is to make a plan for success. A few simple steps taken ahead of time can save you time and energy. Once you have figured out how to change your bad eating habits by replacing them with good ones, you’ve FITNESS > PAGE 44

OldTownCrier

RYAN UNVERZAGT

FROM THE TRAINER

Laugh It Out!

connect people emotionally, improves mental alertness and mood. It has too many benefits to fully cover within this article, but has watching a funny movie ever put you in a bad mood? I didn’t think so.

I truly believe that laughter is the best medicine.

Stress will always be a part of your life, there’s just no getting around it. How you cope with it is what matters.

There are many more healthy ways to handle stress, but these four activities can help you keep your worries to a minimum

And other stress busters

I

hope all of you had a memorable holiday season and happy new year!

After all of the hustle and bustle that the holidays bring (gift returns, credit card bills, writing thank you notes, tolerating shopping crowds), it’s very easy to accumulate stress. Everyone has their own unique way of handling stress, but I would like you to consider these healthy ways to cope with it all.

Stretch Your Muscles

Flexibility is one of the most neglected aspects of staying healthy. It’s not only good for your muscles, tendons, and joints, but it also can have a calming effect. Take a few minutes each day to gently stretch the major muscle groups of your body (Neck, shoulders, chest, torso, lowback, hips & legs). Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds several times a day. Your local health professional can show you safe, effective stretching techniques to help relieve that stress.

Practice Progressive Relaxation

This is a relaxation technique that you can do sitting in a chair at work or lying in a bed. It involves tensing particular muscle groups for 10 seconds, and then releasing that tension for 20 seconds to help reduce OldTownCrier

anxiety. It will take some time and practice before you really notice the benefits.

For example, clench your fist firmly for 10 seconds then slowly release that tension and remain relaxed for 20 seconds.

Do not hold your breath during any of these exercises (flexibility too). Progress your way to other muscle groups and focus on releasing the tension completely. A quiet place is helpful to practice progressive relaxation.

Listen to Your Favorite Music

Music is powerful and can help change your state of mind. Stress relief doesn’t always come in the form of relaxation. Depending upon what type of music you like, it can calm you down or get you going. Music can make you forget about life’s problems for a little while.

Laugh Often

I can’t stress enough (no pun intended) the importance of laughter.

Medical studies have shown that laughter increases the level of endorphins, the body’s natural pain killer, and lowers epinephrine levels, the stress hormones. Laughter helps

Unverzagt holds a BS in Wellness Management from Black Hills State University.

He is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA), and a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS) through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS).

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January 2017 | 41

GO FISH

STEVE CHACONAS

Arresting Angler

F

ormerly pursuing bad guys, DC police officer Jeff Greene is now chasing fish on the Upper Potomac River. His squad car has been replaced by a jet drive fishing boat designed for the shallow rocky waters just outside DC. No more issuing tickets. Instead, the guide creates fishing memories.

Why would a guy leave a cushy job like being a law enforcer in the Nation’s Capital?

Greene says. “I enjoy teaching people that normally wouldn’t be out there. I like to see the look on their face when they catch a big fish.”

He says guiding is all about people because there are days when you can’t catch them. “I know where they are, but they might not bite.

So there has to be a mutual respect and the ability and motivation to engage strangers in conversation.”

It’s more than his fish fascination that makes his trips rewarding. Greene is also an authority on the historic waterway. The Upper Potomac River, a description used by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, appeared to be the perfect waterway to connect GO FISH > PAGE 44

POTOMAC RIVER BASSING True winter fishing. Fish are relating to drops close to shallow water in out of the current areas. Burp Silver Buddy lures on 10-pound test GAMMA Edge fluorocarbon down drops.

Short movements to work drops thoroughly. Also use Mann’s Stingray grubs and Mizmo 4-inch grubs on ¼ ounce jig heads on the same line.

Quantum Smoke spinning reels are perfect for light line presentations.

JAN.

42 | January 2017

Dropshot with 1/0 Mustad Mega bite hooks with 5 inch Mizmo Doodle worms on Edge 10 pound test. A 3/16 or ¼ ounce Water Gremlin BullShot weight will keep this presentation in the same spot a while. Leaders about 6 inches. Soak soft plastics in garlic Jack’s Juice Bait Spray.

Crank Lucky Craft Bevy shad suspending crankbaits with frequent pauses when contacting cover or working down drops. Twitch and pause. Make long casts and target warmed water near hard surfaces like rock and docks near drops.

On warmer days when water reaches 45 degrees, slow roll Mann’s Classic spinnerbaits, gold willow/Colorado blades and shite skirts.

OldTownCrier

SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE PEGGY ARVIDSON

31 Wishes for 2017 1. I wish you a year of joy in all circumstances. I know this is a tough wish. And you may not want it for yourself and that’s okay.

2. I wish for you a year with the inner space to know what you want, why you want it and to be perfectly okay with whatever it is that you desire.

3. I wish for you a year filled with the small whisper of love in your most unlovable moments. (That whisper comes from you, by the way).

4. I wish for you a year of a daily smidgen of stillness so you can come home to the truth of your magic.

5. I wish for you a year, not without its share of challenges, for you to have the capacity to find yourself in the midst of the storm. For you to see the strength you have that is beyond any measure you imagined.

6. I wish for you a year of gentle moments with the people you love. The gentle moments are the ones we often miss while going after the next big thing or experience, and they are as important to your journey as the “big” moments.

7. I wish for you a year filled with friends and laughter gathered around a table full of food a drink that you love.

8. I wish for you neighbors who support you even when you think you don’t need to be supported.

9. I wish for you a year when you believe you can do OldTownCrier

whatever you set your mind to, no matter what the past has been.

19. I wish for you a year of forgiveness, of yourself and for yourself.

10. I wish for you a year of being present. A year where you neither spend time looking back nor forward, but you show up, where you are and find the magic right there.

20. I wish for you a year of dressing up because it makes you feel good, dressing down without feeling guilty and generally dressing to please no one but yourself.

11. I wish for you a year of little and big adventures with the people you love, with new friends, with strangers and most importantly with yourself.

Take yourself to lunch at a new place, go visit a museum you’ve always wanted to see and explore a new neighborhood on your vacation.

21. I wish for you a year of speaking your truth, even when it feels uncomfortable.

12. I wish for you a year of music that soothes you and music that challenges you.

13. I wish for you that this year you pick up an instrument you played when you were younger — not to perfect it — but to find wonder and the magic of your own creativity.

14. I wish for you a year of reflection without melancholy.

15. I wish for you a year of holding hands with all the people you love.

16. I wish for you a year of face to face conversations with friends, colleagues and family.

17. I wish for you a year of resisting the news.

18. I wish for you a year of traveling outside your comfort zone, even if that looks like simply leaving your county.

22. I wish for you a year of deep listening no matter who is speaking to you.

23. I wish for you a year of looking into the eyes of the humans and animals around you and seeing the truth that lives there.

24. I wish for you a year of trying new things to

The

stretch your boundaries.

25. I wish for you a year of facing the uncomfortable pauses with grace and dignity.

26. I wish for you a year of peace in difficult moments.

27. I wish for you a year of having the wisdom to find your breath when you feel overwhelmed.

28. I wish for you a year of serendipity.

29. I wish for you a year of new friends and old that help you see your reflection in their brilliance.

30. I wish for you a year of courage to face what needs facing.

31. I wish for you a year of love, no matter how much

fear tries to get in.

This is in no way an exhaustive list of my wishes for you in 2017. After the tumultuous personal and world events of 2016, this is our opportunity to find the ways we can bear witness to the good.

It won’t always be easy, but invite you to make a commitment to yourself to end each day with a brief list of the ways you found the good, so that you can wake up ready to move into the next.

Stay kind, dear readers. Stay kind.

Peggie Arvidson is a mentor who uses ancient and modern tools to help people clear blocks that keep them stuck so they can truly live in prosperity, joy, and peace.

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FITNESS FROM PAGE 40

learned to create an environment that doesn’t allow those bad habits to exist. Now, you need to make a plan for what you really want. Write down specific goals you have (not just ‘I want to lose weight.’). List everything, for example: How much weight you want to lose. Make sure the amount of weight you want to lose is reasonable for your height and frame. Next, set a target date to reach your goals. Make sure you’ve given yourself a reasonable amount of time to reach that goal (a safe bet would be to lose a pound a week). Also write down the reasons why you want to lose weight (you are getting married or want to look good in a bathing suit for summer). Think about how you will feel once you reach your goals. Trying to set small goals throughout your program is a good way to keep yourself motivated.

Plan ahead to figure out how you’ll maintain your weight loss once you reach your goal (remember, it’s a lifetime thing-even when you reach your goal-you can’t quit!).

Now that you have your goals set, it is time to set up a fitness program! To set up a good routine, you’ll need to know the basics of a complete program. Your program need to GO FISH FROM PG 42

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westward from DC to the Ohio River. Finding it too shallow for larger boats, the C&O Canal was eventually constructed to provide a transportation link. Civil War forces on both sides crossed the Upper Potomac, including Confederate troops heading to the Battle of Gettysburg. Over time barges were built, with many sunk during the Battle of Balls Bluff.

Other barges and ships simply ran aground or got too close, inciting impromptu battles with significant casualties.

At one point in time over 100 ferries carried travelers and goods from VA to MD. Today only one, White’s Ferry, operates every day 5am to 11pm including all holidays, connecting Whites Ferry Road in Montgomery County, Maryland with a road by the same name in Loudoun County, Virginia.

It’s Greene’s service that keeps his clients returning to Shallow Water Fishing Adventures. Supplying anglers with quality equipment is just the start. Greene serves up patience as well, perfect for every skill level.

Recognizing his clients aren’t on the water much, Greene says you must have patience with the fish and clients. “Who would you rather have teaching you?...someone who is soft spoken and confident in what they are doing or someone who is impatient unprofessional and downright rude?”

Summer is a fun time. Fish of all sizes are spread out. Topwater tactics with Rapala F-7 series black and silver minnows cover water and fish mood. Greene also ties on BOOYAH 1/8 to half-ounce buzzbaits. “When I use a buzzbait I’m not looking for quantity. It’s when I believe one of my clients will hook up with a big large or small mouth bass.” Other topwater lures include the Lucky Craft twin prop Kelly J. His tackle box includes green pumpkin, crawdad pattern and black soft plastic Wacky Worm 3-inch stickworms rigged on 1/8 ounce handmade thin wire hooked FOBA F-Heads along with River Rock Custom Baits 2.5 to 2.75 inch tubes on 1/8 ounce River Rock Custom Baits Crawler Heads.

These rigs even work on finicky fish.

involve cardio, strength training and stretching.

Easing your way into a new workout will ensure that you do not get overwhelmed and that you can stay committed. If you are already a member of a gym, try signing up for a single personal training session and have a trainer show you how to use some of the cardio and weight machines. If hiring a personal trainer is not in your budget, grab your best friend and get them to commit to two days a week with you. When you have someone else who is depending on you to be there it gives you a bit more motivation to get up and get to the gym. If you feel that working out on your own is not going to work, try signing up for a class.

Group classes are a great way to stay motivated and, believe it or not, they can be fun!

The important thing to remember is that losing weight and staying fit requires that you change your lifestyle. You have to change the way you think about exercise and eating; change the way you schedule your day and how you prioritize your tasks. It’s easy to lose a few pounds, but it’s hard to keep them off for good.

Being prepared for what’s ahead is your first step in the right direction. Good luck in the New Year!

Fall water cools to upper 50s. Fish feel a sense of urgency to fatten up before winter moving to out of the current eddies to avoid using energy to catch their meals. “The river is like a conveyer belt bringing their food.”

Tubes, small swimbaits on slider heads and suspending Lucky Craft Pointer 78 and 100 jerkbaits generate success.

In the wintertime fish move into refuge spots, remaining out of the current.

Encouraging lethargic fish to bite, Greene’s goto lure is working Andy’s Custom Bass Lures hair jigs, in ideal colors and patterns, painfully slowly along the bottom.

Lures are tied to 15 pound GAMMA Torque braid with GAMMA Edge fluorocarbon leaders in 6, 8 or as low as 4 with super clear water.

Braid casts easily. Leaders allow variable lure presentations. Due to rocky conditions, the guide checks lines every 4 fish looking for nicks or frays to avoid losing fish. For topwaters, it’s GAMMA Copoly.

Greene also targets good-eating catfish, providing a chance to switch gear and use bait if bass fishing is tough.

Possessing solid fishing skills is a must for any guide, but the additional boating challenge of navigating shallow water requires a mix of local knowledge, boat handling and a lot of experience. He has the perfect boat for this.

This off-season, he gave his SeaArk skimmer jet boat a cosmetic makeover. Maryland Offshore Performance painted the inside and, instead of carpet they installed Seadeck, a padded material on the deck for traction and comfort.

New seats too.

About a half hour from most of the DC area, Greene takes up to two passengers for half and full day fishing trips. He offers the cure for cabin fever as he fishes year round. shallowwaterfishingadventures.net Capt. Steve Chaconas is a Potomac bass fishing guide and contributing writer for BoatU.S. (BoatUS.com) Potomac River reports: nationalbass.com. Book trips/purchase gift certificates: info@NationalBass.com.

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FIRST BLUSH

T

he holidays are in the rear view mirror and winter blues have set in. You looked fabulous getting through the holiday parties, the trips to see Santa, and the late-night shopping adventures, but the hectic schedule and craziness have left you feeling blah.

So, here’s how to survive the winter blues and look good doing it.

Take care of your skin.

When your skin looks great, your makeup looks even better. During these cold, drab winter months, it’s easy for our skin to start looking dull and lifeless. A couple of ideas to jumpstart the appearance of your skin – apply a mask, experience a deep exfoliation, and apply a richer moisturizer. Try a mask that has rejuvenating properties. Masks that

rejuvenate the skin work to exfoliate off dead skin and bring back its natural glow.

These masks specifically get the blood flowing to the surface so that the skin looks youthful and glowing. A deep exfoliation will get rid of the layers of dull dry skin that have accumulated as a natural winter blanket on the skin. Most over the counter physical exfoliants — the granular ones — will do the trick. Chemical exfoliants with glycolic acid are also very effective. Finally, make sure to apply a richer moisturizer than usual. These winter months are incredibly dry and impact the skin’s natural moisture levels. Using a proper moisturizer is important in providing relief and in diminishing the look of dry, aging skin.

Winter Beauty Care: A Primer

Take care of your hair.

For many of us, our mood and how we approach the day is dependent upon the way our hair looks. Frizzy hair, split ends, and lifeless locks are consequences of the dry winter months. Frizzy locks are very common. There are many ways to help the hairs lay flat. Try a deep

Products of the Month

conditioning mask once a week or once a month, depending upon how frizzy the hair. Apply to the hair, wrap in a towel, and allow the hair to marinate in the conditioner. Rinse and let air dry to give your hair a break from the heat of a blow dryer. On a daily basis, use leave in conditioners and defrizzing styling products on the hair before heat styling.

To combat split ends, get your coif trimmed frequently.

Lifeless locks can be revived with a change in routine.

Try a clarifying shampoo once a week to combat build up caused by using lots of hair products such as hair sprays, styling aids, and heavy conditioners.

Take care of your nails.

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OldTownCrier

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With all the worries over flu season and winter colds, we tend to wash our hands more often in the winter months. This causes our hands to become dry and our nails brittle. Give your hands a treatment to keep them looking youthful and your nails healthy. Once a week, apply an extra deep moisturizer to your hands and wrap them in socks overnight. The next morning, your hands will feel smooth and be less dry and cracked.

It will also help to improve

the look of your nails as the moisturizer penetrates to make them less brittle and prone to breakage. For added protection and help, apply a cuticle moisturizer over the entire nail bed and cuticle area. Finally, keep nails trim and deal with breakage immediately by filing with an emery board to prevent further breakage.

Take care of your feet.

Feet constrained in high heels and fancy shoes during the holiday season are in need of a respite. Nurture your tootsies with foot soaks, foot scrubs and foot moisturizers. Once a week, give your feet the soak they deserve. Look for foot soaks with moisturizing ingredients and soak them often. After the soak and while your feet are softer, use a foot file to scrub off the dead skin. Finally, apply a deep moisturizer to keep the feet feeling soft and smooth. As with your hands, try applying a deeply moisturizing foot cream and stuff your feet into socks overnight. The heat of the socks reacts with the moisturizer to make them softer and more hydrated the next day. Trying doing this once a week or as needed.

January 2017 | 45

OPEN SPACE

LORI WELCH BROWN

A Calendar Year

S

harpen up your pencils because this month is all about revising—revising your social life, your waist line, your gym plans, your refrigerator contents, etc. If you had a practically over-indulgent holiday season, perhaps you’re more in ‘repent’ mode. Hail Mary, full of grace…Grace, yeah. I could definitely use some of that. Before I trash last year’s calendar, however, I like to sit down and page through it to do a quick review of the year.

It’s a nice stroll down memory lane and a good reminder of things I’ve accomplished. In my opinion, one can never give oneself too many pats on the back. Sure, you can beat yourself up over the things you didn’t accomplish, Haircuts $15

but what’s the point of that?

January is your reset/refresh button. Consider it your Godgiven mulligan.

After I review last year’s events, I tuck that calendar away, and get out my shiny new calendar. Yes—I’m still a geek who uses a paper calendar, and I take great care in selecting it. It’s a very important decision. The paper, colors, format and construction have to be just right if it’s going to hold my entire life in its hands. Think about it. You’re entrusting your most important milestones and events to that puppy. It has got to be something you like looking at and that makes you happy deep down inside—something you want to share your coffee time with each day. Kinda

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important. I don’t even wait until January when they’re 40% off—I splurge and get just the perfect one, pre-sale.

Crazy, I know. Anyhow, I love opening up that blank slate and starting to pencil in reminders of important dates for the year ahead— Mom’s birthday, anniversary of her passing, first date with hubby, nieces’ and nephews’ birthdays, planned vacations, etc. There is so much good in life to celebrate and it’s joyful to spend time looking out over the horizon before you have to start penciling in doctors appointments and payments due. Don’t even get me started on color coding and those cute little ‘Important’ and ‘Priority’ stickers at Michael’s. It’s a planner’s dream world over there.

Once my events are logged in (in bright, festive, happy colors no doubt), I start focusing on my goals for the year. What is it that I’d like to revise about myself this year? How can I, Lori Welch Brown, be a better person, a better member of society?

What actions can I take to present a happier, more joyful person to the world?

Sounds like a big undertaking, right? Really, it’s just about softening the hard edges by adding a little more love and self-care (yes—a day on the couch watching Christmas movies counts as self-care).

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE, IN FICTION OR IN LIFE, TO REVISE. —NANCY THAYER I don’t really subscribe to the infomercial brand of resolutions, i.e., C’mon, lose that weight! Reduce that waistline! Give up sugar and alcohol and carbs and fat and TV and gluten and cursing and gossip and everything that basically makes you, well, you. It’s a lot more palpable to just resolve to be a better version of yourself. We like you. Truly we do, we just want you to be a tad bit nicer, healthier, and more patient, accepting and present. If you happen to enrich a few relationships, save a few bucks and lose five pounds in the process, BONUS! Seriously, no pressure though. But hey, if you’re more of an all out ‘delete and start over’ kinda person, by all means, go for it. If you smoke, quit. If you spend money, don’t. If you eat gluten, stop. If you drink, abstain. Now, sit back and enjoy the year! Woot, woot.

Sounds like crazy fun, right?

Somebody just shove a fork in my left cornea, please.

Turns out that whatever method you choose, being

a better version of yourself might not be easy—probably because you, my friend, are pretty darned close to being perfect just the way you are.

I’d say you’re perfect now, but nobody is because that would just be BORING. I’m a big fan of self-improvement—don’t get me wrong. I probably bought half of that aisle at Barnes and Noble in the late 90s. I was constantly on a quest to not only improve, but to understand. It’s not that I didn’t think I was good enough, but more curious about learning what others knew that I didn’t. I wanted their words of wisdom.

I wanted to know what they knew. I didn’t want to repeat mistakes. I wanted knowledge—much more than I wanted a gift set of P90X CDs and a thigh master. QVC has made a fortune off of people’s insecurities and New Year’s resolutions. Turns out all we really needed was some Hallmark Christmas movies, spa time and a bright, shiny new calendar!

Happy New Year!

OldTownCrier

NATIONAL HARBOR

LANI GERING

Chips The MGM Casino and ahoy! Resort – It’s Grand!

T

he much anticipated opening of the latest addition to the National Harbor side of the Potomac River has come and gone! Traffic wasn’t half of the nightmare that was predicted – not to say that it didn’t impact late night commuters on opening night but it was not at a stand-still for hours as predicted.

And…..it hasn’t impacted the normal rush hour at all for those of us who commute between the Harbor and Virginia. After all, this isn’t the Vegas Strip where casinos are lined up like dominos – it is one beautiful structure on the hill and casino people aren’t driving there in hoards during the normal commuter traffic hours. They tend to hit the slots and tables a little later in the evening! Will be interesting to see what impact the upcoming shows in the “Theater” will have. Having only 3000 seats, it shouldn’t make a major difference.

We will have gone to press with this issue before the Bruno Mars concert on December 27th but that will definitely be a test of the traffic.

Opening night had its fair share of maladies as one would expect when there are tens of thousands of warm bodies consuming adult beverages and gambling. But that is behind us and we are moving on.

I’ve got to admit that I spent my fair share of time in Las Vegas, Reno and several other small Nevada towns in the mid ‘80’s. My job took me to these places on a regular basis. And… .I do like to play a bit of Black Jack and some video poker so I have been

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OldTownCrier

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particularly excited for a “real” casino to open up in the area. I know many of you are going to tell me there is a “real” casino in Baltimore – Caesar’sowned Horseshoe. I have been there and it is very nice but it sure doesn’t have the flash and the glamour that the MGM has brought to the east coast!

I’m not going to go into all of the facts and figures as far as the MGM is concerned since all of that information has been on every local news channel and in every newspaper for the last 6 weeks. I want to take up this space to give you my take on the place. As they say….a picture is worth a thousand words.

We were privy to a special media presentation and tour on the morning of opening day. I was impressed by everything that I saw from the time we drove up to valet park to the time we left. The lobby is impressive to say the least – very classy and elegant. No typical Vegas “over the top” feel in this place. It overlooks the “Conservatory”- the area one floor NATIONAL HARBOR > PAGE 48

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NANDO’S PERI-PERI 191 American Way 301-567-8900

PIENZA ITALIAN MARKET Gaylord Resort 301-965-4000 gaylordnational.com

REDSTONE AMERICAN GRILL 155 National Plaza 301-839-3330

NATIONAL PAST TIME SPORTS BAR & GRILLE Gaylord Resort 301-965-4000 gaylordnational.com

POTBELLY SANDWICH WORKS 146 National Plaza 301-686-1160

ROSA MEXICANA 135 Waterfront Street 301-567-1005

SUCCOTASH 168 Waterfront Street 301-567-8900 THAI PAVILLION 151 American Way 301-749-2022 WALRUS OYSTER & ALE HOUSE 152 Waterfront Street 301-567-6100

SAUCIETY AMERICAN GRILL 171 Waterfront Street 240-766-3640

January 2017 | 47

NATIONAL HARBOR FROM PG 47

down in front of the main entrance to the casino – which is decorated for the holiday season with a wintery theme. The photos here don’t really do it justice since some of those trees and sculptures are a story and a half tall. The Theater, the main entrance to the casino, Restaurant Marcus (classic American cuisine), Ginger (Asian cuisine) and the Bellagio Patisserie surround the Conservatory. You also enter The District from this level.

The District is an area that wraps around the casino and houses the big name restaurants, the likes of Fish

by Jose Andres (5 pm -10:30/11:00 pm Friday and Saturday) and the Voltaggio Brothers Steak House (5 pm – 10:30/11:00 pm Friday and Saturday, TAP Sports Bar (11 am – 11 pm daily), the National Market Food Court and the retail shops.

You won’t find the cheap Vegas AllYou-Can-Eat 24 hour buffet here but you will find something tasty to eat in National Market. All very reasonably priced, you will find Amo Los Tacos, Banh Mi Vietnamese Kitchen, Bento, District Deli, George Washington Beer and Wine (GWBW), Honey’s Fried Chicken, S’Cream, Zizi’s Pizza, Pappa’s Crab Cakes and Shake Shack! All of these joints are open from 11 am – 1 am daily. For you Starbucks people, they are open from 6 am – 1 am daily.

Not a bad choice in the bunch!

On to what is important to me

Sarah Jessica Parker was on hand for the opening.

due to its proximity to the slots. The Lobby Bar is open from 4 pm-11pm daily and is pretty typical of an upscale hotel lobby bar. When you are here you don’t realize that there is a huge casino just one floor down. There are beautiful bars in all of the restaurants as well.

While anyone who knows me well, you know I’m not a shopper. However, for those of you who are into some retail therapy there are some very nice stores to choose from. As a bonus for all of you Sex and the City fans out there, Sarah Jessica Parker has opened SJP. Her store sells – you guessed it – handmade shoes along with city-chic

You won’t find the cheap Vegas All-You-Can-Eat 24 hour buffet here and several of my close friends….. the Bars and Lounges. The Lobby Bar, the Blossom Cocktail Lounge and Felt Bar & Lounge round out your choices in this department. The Blossom is located in the heart of the casino and is open 24hours a day and Felt is located in the casino as well. It is closer to the gaming tables and the poker room and is open from 4 pm 1 2 am. Felt has live music and “artisanal” cocktails, house-made mixers and craft beer. Blossom is probably going to be the most popular for casino goes

handbags and some outerwear. I was only able to capture a picture of her back while we were there on opening day but she was very media friendly and the store is cute. I’ll talk about the rest of the retail when everyone is up and running.

There is also some pretty incredible artwork in all mediums throughput the exterior and interior of the property. Referred to as the Heritage Collection, there is even a sculpture

by Bob Dylan – yes singer/songwriter

The Cinderella Show by Liao Yibai.

Bob Dylan. The artwork will be the subject of a future column I’m sure.

The thing that I think we like best about the MGM Grand is the layout.

If you aren’t someone who likes to gamble or the casino-scene, you never have to step foot inside it if you don’t want. All of the shops, the big name restaurants and the National Market are accessible via The District walk way. None of these open into the casino with the exception of the Starbucks.

This is just a brief outline of what the MGM has to offer locals and visitors alike. As far as we are concerned, it is a welcome addition to the Harbor and I am looking forward to some fun times there in the future!

HIGH ROLLER PACKAGE Gaylord National Resort’s New Monumental Offering Experience the HOTTEST new destination of MGM Resort while staying in the heart of the harbor. This special high roller package includes luxury accommodations and private car service to MGM from the resort. Be one of the first to enjoy the world-class entertainment and the excitement of luxury table games and more than 3,300 slot machines. After you have tried your luck, you can return to Gaylord National to dance the night away in our rooftop lounge, enjoy a night-cap in one of our bars, or just take in the scenery of our spectacular glass atrium.

MGM Package Starting From: $199* Book online at GaylordNational.com or Call 301-965-4000

Located in National Harbor, Maryland, minutes from Old Town Alexandria and D.C. *Price excludes taxes and fees. Additional restrictions apply see website for details.

GN16MK055[ad]OTC_MGM_9-625x6-5.indd 1

48 | January 2017

12/22/16 12:06 PM

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