Since 1988 • Priceless
April 2017
Road Trip
THE SECRET OF HAVANA Business Profile
KING’S JEWELRY Beauty, Quality, Integrity & Value A Bit of History
WORLD WAR I: THE CENTENNIAL Personality Profile
HOWELL CRIM Wooden Boat Builder, Mechanic & Captain
oldtowncrier.com
From the Bay to the Blue Ridge
april’17 47
A Division of Crier Media Group OTC Media LLC PO Box 320386 Alexandria, VA 22320 703. 836. 0132 office@oldtowncrier.com oldtowncrier.com Published the first week of every month. Worth waiting for! PUBLISHER Bob Tagert MARKETING & ADVERTISING Lani Gering Bob Tagert
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20
SOCIAL MEDIA & WEBSITE Ashley Schultz
A Bit of History................................................................ 8
Financial Focus.................................................................. 6
Open Space.....................................................................46
After Hours.......................................................................13
First Blush.........................................................................42
Personality Profile.............................................................4
DESIGN & PRODUCTION Electronic Ink 9 Royal Street, SE Leesburg, VA 20175 703. 669. 5502
Alexandria Events............................................................ 3
Fitness................................................................................40
Pets of the Month.........................................................17
Art & Antiques................................................................15
From the Bay….............................................................22
Points on Pets.................................................................16
Behind the Bar................................................................28
From the Trainer............................................................41
Publisher’s Notes.............................................................. 2
Business Profile................................................................. 5
Gallery Beat.....................................................................14
Road Trip...........................................................................20
Caribbean Connection...............................................18
Go Fish...............................................................................44
Social Media Message....................................................3
Civil Discourse................................................................... 9
Grapevine.........................................................................36
Spiritual Renaissance...................................................43
Dining Guide...................................................................32
High Notes.......................................................................11
The Last Word.................................................................10
Dining Out.......................................................................30
Let’s Eat .............................................................................31
To the Blue RIdge..........................................................24
Easter Fun.........................................................................27
National Harbor.............................................................47
Urban Garden.................................................................... 7
Exploring Virginia Wines............................................35
On the Road with OTC................................................... 1
Virginia Wine Trails........................................................37
Chris Anderson Peggie Arvidson Sarah Becker Frank Britt F. Lennox Campello Steve Chaconas Jimmy Deaton Doug Fabbioli Nicole Flanagan Lani Gering Miriam Kramer Genevieve LeFranc Sarah Liu
CONTRIBUTORS Adam Morel Glenn Morel Jeff McCord Kim Putens Julie Reardon Ashley Schultz Chester Simpson Bob Tagert Carl Trevisan Ryan Unverzagt Lori Welch Brown Molly Winans
© 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.
about the cover "Rabbit Rabbit" is a superstition found in Britain and North America: a person says or repeats the word "Rabbit" or "White Rabbits" out loud upon waking on the first day of the month to ensure good luck for the rest of the month. There is another folk tradition which may use a variation of "Rabbit" or "White Rabbit" to ward off smoke that the wind is directing into your face when gathered around a campfire!
OldTownCrier
on the road with OTC Junior Cat is a loyal reader of the Old Town Crier in the Garden State. He
particularly likes reading the Points on Pets column. Junior lives with his owner Janet Rocchio in Williamstown, NJ. 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!
April 2017 | 1
PUBLISHER’S NOTES
UNLOCK ALEXANDRIA’S HISTORY WITH THE
KEY TO THE CITY MUSEUM PASS NEWLY EXPANDED FOR 2017
$49 Value for $15 Includes 8 Historic Alexandria sites plus 40% discount to Mount Vernon Passes purchased are valid for use throughout 2017.
BOB TAGERT
W
ell, we made it to Spring, even though as I write this, the high is barely hitting the mid-40s. At least the sun is out and it is Cherry Blossom season. Peak bloom was predicted for March 14 — a record — and then the cold snap hit and destroyed half of the bloom, also a record. The basin is still beautiful so don’t let the lack of blossoms keep you from taking a trek to check them out. It just goes to show that you can’t always count on the norm. For years Chester Simpson has profiled a chef each month, but due to a visit to San Francisco in March and a scheduling conflict, it didn’t happen. We will be back on track next month but in the interim check out the Easter lamb shank recipe from our former Let’s Eat writer and author of The Accidental Chef, Chef Charles Oppman. For this month’s Road Trip I stayed home and our friend Glenn Morel and his brother Adam made the trek to the island nation of Cuba. Adam has written a descriptive piece on Centro Habana and the colors you see in his writing are as vivid as Glenn’s photographs. “You can read all the books, look at all the photographs, watch all the documentaries. Nothing prepares you for Havana — or reveals its true nature.” Doug Coleman gives us a rare look at Union officer Fitz John Porter. Pay particular attention to the last paragraph — we should learn from history. Speaking of which, Sarah Becker writes about the approaching Centennial of World War I in her A Bit of History column. We decided to get a little nostalgic with Dining Out and wrote about an old favorite, the Royal Restaurant. I am sure many of you have fond memories of a breakfast or two there. April is a great month to take a springtime drive to Virginia wine country and enjoy the budding vines, the wine, the countryside and the people. For me, it is also time to de-winterize my boat and get out on the water. See you soon, Solomons! Here’s wishing you a wonderful April and, to those of you who celebrate Easter, have a very happy one. Here comes Peter Cottontail …
WASHINGTONIAN’S TOP 100
SPECTACULAR SEAFOOD CREOLE & CAJUN SPECIALTIES
● ● ● ● ●
Alexandria Black History Museum Carlyle House Historic Park Friendship Firehouse Museum Gadsby’s Tavern Museum George Washington Masonic National Memorial Observation Deck
● ● ● ●
George Washington’s Mount Vernon (40% discount coupon) Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum The Lyceum: Alexandria’s History Museum
Alexandria’s Renowned Neighborhood Restaurant & Bar
3804 Mt. Vernon Avenue Alexandria 703-684-6010 rtsrestaurant.net
Get your tickets at the
Alexandria Visitor Center 221 King Street or online at: VisitAlexandriaVA.com/KeyToTheCity 2 | April 2017
OldTownCrier
Alexandria MARCH TOURS, EXHIBITS, EVENTS
84th Annual Alexandria Historic Homes & Garden Tour April 22, 2017 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission: $45 in advance; $55 day of; $25 single site admission Various locations throughout Old Town Alexandria 703-838-5005 VAGardenWeek.org On April 22, five of Old Town Alexandria’s finest private homes and gardens will open to the public as part of the 84th Historic Garden Week, the oldest and largest house and garden tour in the nation. The homes will feature beautiful flower arrangements created by the members of the Garden Club of Alexandria and The Hunting Creek Garden Club, which are sponsoring the tour, open 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. A Marketplace at The Athenaeum, boutique shopping, and fine dining are just steps away. In addition, the tour ticket allows access to two Garden Club of Virginia restoration projects, George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens and Green Spring Gardens, in addition to other local properties of historic interest. Carlyle House Garden Day Herb & Craft Sale April 22, 2017 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission: Free; $5 to tour house; free tours with Alexandria Garden Day ticket Carlyle House Historic Park 121 N. Fairfax St. 703-549-2997 www.carlylehouse.org Come celebrate spring with the Friends of Carlyle House’s Annual Garden Day Herb & Craft Sale, 8:00 a.m.- 4:00. Tour Carlyle House, the actual site of the Mansion House Hospital featured in the PBS drama Mercy Street. Purchase culinary and decorative herbs, plants, and flowers raised in Mount Vernon’s greenhouses. Bring your gardening questions to the Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia. Enjoy live musical entertainment throughout the day, a bake sale, book sale, white elephant table, and more. Proceeds benefit Carlyle House. This event is free, however admission to the Carlyle House museum is $5 for adults, $3 for children, and free for Friends of Carlyle House or with your Alexandria Garden Day ticket. This event will take place rain or shine. OldTownCrier
33rd Annual George Washington Parkway Classic 10 Mile, 5K and Kids Dash April 23, 2017 at 8:00 a.m. Admission: $10-$80 Old Town Alexandria; starting places vary RunPacers.com/race/parkwayclassic The George Washington Parkway Classic is Alexandria’s hometown race, and so much more, with the Parkway route connecting two of the area’s most historic spots. The starting gun (sadly, there is no musket) fires steps from the picturesque George Washington’s Mount Vernon. From there, you’ll travel down the tree-lined George Washington Memorial Parkway to another area associated with Washington, charming Old Town, Alexandria. In addition to the 10 mile distance, a 5K and kids dash are available. The George Washington Parkway Classic supports the Boys and Girls Club of Alexandria and has been voted a favorite spring race by RunWashington Magazine. Join Pacers Running for the 33rd Annual George Washington Parkway Classic! Spring Mercy Street-inspired Tours, Exhibits and Events Ongoing Admission: Varies depending on the activity; various locations throughout Alexandria. visitalexandriava.com/mercystreet Fans of the PBS Civil War-era drama Mercy Street are invited to learn about the real sites and stories that inspired the show with spring tours, exhibits and events in historic Alexandria, Virginia, including a new exhibit of costumes from the show plus 12 tours inspired by the series. From walking tours of the city to in-depth tours of historic sites to special events that focus on Civil War-era cultural customs including fashion, food, and music, fans will 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 AfricanAmericans claiming their freedom. SPRING EVENTS & TOURS Concerts with the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra April 1, 2017 8 p.m. April 2, 2017 3 p.m. May 20, 2017 8 p.m. Admission: $5/youth 18 and
SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGE ASHLEY SCHULTZ
Social Media Fails of 2017 … So Far! We are only a few months in, and, already, there have been some hilarious and painful social media fails.
McDonalds
On March 16 the fast food conglomerate tweeted to its 150,000+ followers, that Donald Trump was “disgusting” and pointed out his “tiny hands” and wished Barack Obama was back in office. It was later discovered that McDonalds Twitter account had been hacked.
Department of Education
On Feb. 12 the Dept. of Education tweeted a quote by civil rights activist and NAACP founder W.E.B. DuBois, spelling his name ‘W.E.B DeBois.’ To make matters worse, in their apology they proceeded to tweet, “Our deepest apologizes for the early typo.” Finally, they were able to get their grammar game together and tweeted, “our deepest apologies for the earlier typo.”
CNN
On Feb. 3 CNN tweeted, “Faith Hill is releasing an album of duets with The Notorious B.I.G., 20 years after his murder.” Faith Hill, a country singer, took the tweet in stride by saying how “awesome” that would be. It was actually Faith Evans, once married to The Notorious B.I.G, who is releasing the album.
Sean Spicer
We are not positive if this tweet by Sean Spicer was his password, but on January 26 he posted “n9y25ah7.” Seems likely, just under; $10/students with ID; $20-$80/adults Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall & Arts Center 4915 E. Campus Lane 703-548-0885 AlexSym.org The Alexandria Symphony Orchestra will feature two spring concerts this year. Bernstein features the Choral Arts Society of Washington and Artistic Director Scott Tucker weaving an evening of masterworks with the Choral Arts Chamber Singers. One of his finest liturgal works, written for “troubled times,” Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass triumphantly marries the chorus and orchestra. Also on the program: Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, Brahms’ Nanie and Variations on a Theme by Haydn. In New World Symphony, the National Symphony Orchestra at Wolf Trap conductor Emil de Cou presents Dvorak’s epic Symphony No. 9 (From the New World). Written as
because it fits the Twitter password criteria that requires a minimum of six characters.
Yahoo Finance
Yahoo Finance was the victim of the notorious “b” and “n” keyboard proximity. On January 5, they meant to post, “Trump wants a much (b)igger navy: here’s how much it will cost.” Yet the “b” was an “n” which caused an uproar on Twitter.
Donald Trump
On the first day of his presidency, Donald Trump tweeted, “I am honered to serve you, the great American people, as your 45th President of the United States.” As President, you would think spell check would be a priority.
PWC Consultant
PWC Consultant Brian Cullinan was working backstage at the Oscars, his only job making sure the right envelope got in the right hands. He was even told to stay offline to avoid distractions. Yet, he was too busy tweeting and handed Warren Beatty the wrong envelope which resulted in one of the biggest stumbles in Oscar history. These are a few blunders in just the first three months of 2017 — who knows what the rest of the year will bring! Ashley Schultz holds a Master’s in Public Relations from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fla. You will find her social media pages filled with her three cats: Jesse, Walter, and Hank and of course any viral cat video!
both a tribute to his immigrant roots and his adopted homeland, this American-inspired work borrows from Native American song, African-American spirituals, Scottish melodies and Dvorak’s own Czech folk traditions. 18th Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Lee-Fendall House April 14-16, 2017 Egg hunts begins Friday 3 p.m.; Saturday 10:30 a.m., 12:30 & 2:30 p.m.; Sunday 12:30 & 2:30 p.m. Admission: $12/kids 10 & under; $5/adults; free/Friends of LeeFendall House Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden 614 Oronoco St. 703-548-1789 LeeFendallHouse.org To celebrate Easter, the Lee-Fendall House Museum’s gardens will be filled with hundreds of colorful, toy-filled Easter eggs in addition to activities like crafts, snacks and photo opportunities with the Easter Bunny. Open to children ages 10
and under and their families. Tickets available online. Time & Place Performance April 23, 2017, 1-4 p.m. Admission: Free Gadsby’s Tavern Museum 134 N. Royal St. 703-746-4242 alexandriava.gov/gadsbystavern Artist Sheldon Scott’s immersive performance art installation uses the history of the harvesting of ice from the Potomac River and the storage and use of ice at Gadsby’s as a starting point. The performance examines the historic relationship of the Potomac River and the people of Alexandria, and the contemporary utility of the river as a resource. Performance begins at the waterfront and culminates at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal Street. Viewers may view the performance anywhere along the route. Find more spring events at visitalexandriava.com/spring.
April 2017 | 3
PERSONALITY PROFILE
BOB TAGERT
Howell Crim Wooden Boat Builder, Mechanic & Captain
Courtesy of Mt Vernon Estate
J
ust like our Business Profile, this month’s Personality Profile is another local guy. Howell Crim grew up in the Hollin Hall area of Alexandria and attended Fort Hunt High School down the GW Parkway. Crim developed his taste for boats at an early age. His best friend’s family had a summer home in Fairport, Va., which is close to Reedville. The friend’s house was on a smaller bay that opened up to the Chesapeake. The boys would spend their days sailing the family’s wooden Lightening and enjoying life. Near the house was Jimmy’s Boat Yard and Marine Railroad (used for hauling boats). Jimmy’s Boat Yard built a bay boat called a “Deadrise,” a traditional fishing boat used on the Chesapeake Bay. While sailing and watching these powerful boats easily navigate the Bay’s waters he found himself saying, “I want to know how to build that boat!” Crim’s first job was around boats and the water. “I got my first W-2 from George Stevens the owner of Belle Haven Marina in Alexandria. “Yeah, I was a Wharf Rat just like Chip Johnston who I had known since kindergarten,” he says. “We would take care of the rental boats, teach people to sail and sometimes go rescue them when they couldn’t get the boat back in.” For those of you who have never 4 | April 2017
Courtesy of Mt Vernon Estate
visited Belle Haven you are missing Alexandria’s great little secret. Chip pretty much runs the boat rentals today and it is a perfect place to learn to sail or rent a kayak and explore Dyke Marsh. After graduating from Fort Hunt, Crim attended NOVA for a while and then transferred to a college in Maine to study Macrobiology. His interest in school faded and he took a job as an arborist where he began to realize his interest in all things wood. That spring he came home and took a position at Mount Vernon Estates working the grounds. This held his interest for eight years. While at Mount Vernon he got a call from his cousin, Pete Hall. Hall was then the captain of the schooner Alexandria — a three-masted tall ship that was berthed in Alexandria and served as a sailing ambassador for the city for many years. (This part of the story is dear to me because I also sailed the Alexandria and knew Pete Hall very well and decided to become part of the Seaport Foundation.) Crim joined his cousin on a number of trips with the most memorable bringing the ship back from New Orleans where she had a cameo appearance in the movie Interview with a Vampire starring Tom Cruise. Through his association with the Alexandria, Crim got to know others in the Seaport Foundation and most
notably formed a friendship with the new boat building school and its creator Joe Youcha. His first attempt at boat building was to team up with Chip Reynolds (another captain on the Alexandria) and Carl Cole to build two 12-foot skiffs for Kramer Junior High in Washington, DC. In 1997 Crim left Mount Vernon and went to work with Youcha at the boat building school full time. Here Crim found his passion. He helped to design and precut the wood for a boat kit. The boat was a 12½foot flat bottom designed for easy rowing. “At the St. Michaels Maritime Museum we would hold a class where we would build as many as 60 boats in a weekend and launch them at noon on Sunday,” he tells me. The Bevins (named after the dog in the boat shop) Skiff is sill available today. Crim gives Joe Youcha a lot of credit for his teaching and organizational skills. His boat building school became the model throughout the country. While Youcha was helping to develop other schools, Crim remained the force behind the scene in Alexandria. Crim was also instrumental in the building of the floating Seaport Center, which is located on the river north of the Chart House. He also helped to build the Potomac Dory, a traditional 42-foot workboat that is tied up along Waterfront Park in Old Town. Recently Crim started his own
business called Bay Built Boats that is intent on preserving the Maritime Heritage of the Chesapeake Bay. His first commissioned job was from Mount Vernon to build an 18th century Batteau, a shallow-draft, flat-bottomed boat which was used during the period from 1775 to 1840 to transport tobacco and other cargo along the Potomac River. George Washington made great use of this boat as he derived 80 percent of his income from the Potomac River fishery. The timber framing that Crim built on the shores of the Potomac at Mount Vernon is still there in the hopes of building another boat. They are working on building a Punt, a flat boat with a broad front, designed for use in small rivers or other shallow water. Crim’s current project is restoring Harry Miller’s Margaret, a 32-foot Yawl that was built in Georgetown, DC in 1896. “This one will take some time,” he tells me, “I will have to replace about 20 percent of the wood that has rotted.” Crim has built a pop-up shed to keep the boat from more weather damage. The Margaret is located on his parent’s property in Gloucester, Va., which is about an hour from where he learned to sail the Lightening when he was a kid on the same Chesapeake Bay. Funny … Crim’s dad sailed the Margaret when he was a kid. Full circle? OldTownCrier
BUSINESS PROFILE
BOB TAGERT
KING’S JEWELRY 609 King Street Old Town Alexandria 703.549.0011 KingsJewelry.net
I
n these uncertain economic times it is always nice to find a business that has weathered the storm for over 55 years…this is the story of Norman “Brad” Bradford. Bradford is also a local boy having grown up in Alexandria and attending school here. The ambitious Bradford also held down a day job after school at the old Cannon Shoe Store on King Street. It was in the course of selling shoes and working with people that Bradford discovered not only what he enjoyed, but also that he was a natural born salesman. Recognizing
left to right: Gregory, Cathy, Brad, Tari and Andrew
OldTownCrier
Bradford’s unique talents, Moritz Bier, then owner of King’s Jewelry, made an offer of $10 more a week to the 19-year-old in June of 1962 and Brad made the move. His initial training was “on the job”. Bier took the young Bradford under his wing and taught him - hands on - about the jewelry business. “I was always doing it under his guidance,” Bradford said. “He was kind of grooming me to take over some day.” As time passed, Bradford took on more of the every day operations and in 1978, when Bier and his family
King’s Jewelry: A Family Affair wanted to retire they sold the business to Bradford. That early-on family environment is the cornerstone to the family run King’s Jewelry of today. Ten years after Bradford started at King’s his sister Helen joined him at the store working for Bier. After Bradford bought the business, his daughter Tari joined the growing business in 1983. “Wow, how time flies,” Tari tells me; I have been working at King’s Jewelry for more than 34 years.” Working with family and co-workers who are like family has been rewarding. Over the years Dad has taught us so much.” In 1986 Bradford’s wife Cathy, came to work
at Kings Jewelry bringing with her an accounting background and quickly took over the dealings with insurance, advertising, office work and the books. Today, it is clear that both the working relationship and the romantic relationship have blossomed. To insure that this family business stayed together at the same location, Bradford bought the building at 609 King Street in 1985. “Although the building was not for sale, I offered double the market value to encourage the owners to sell. It has turned into a great long term investment,” he tells me. To round out this family affair, son Andrew graduated from George Mason and joined King’s five years ago and has completed the Graduate Diamonds Program at the Gemological Institute of America and the Colored Stones program. Son Gregory has just started with the business and will begin to learn it all. Just like when spring arrived this past week, this too is now a rite of passage, as Bradford becomes the teacher and his son the student. It is clear that both Brad and Cathy are delighted to be working alongside their two sons. The friendly sales staff at the store is another one of its greatest assets. BUSINESS PROFILE > PAGE 45
April 2017 | 5
FINANCIAL FOCUS
CARL TREVISAN, CFP© & STEPHEN BEARCE
The Stretch IRA Strategy and Your Estate Plan
M
ost Americans understand an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) can provide a powerful way to save for retirement. But what many don’t know is an IRA can also be an effective estate-planning tool. If one of your goals is to transfer wealth to your children or grandchildren and leave a financial legacy that could potentially increase over time, the stretch IRA strategy may help you achieve this goal. With some planning on your part — along with
educating your beneficiaries on how they need to manage their inheritance — you may be able to turn even relatively small balances into large payouts over time. The stretch IRA is a strategy, not a special type of IRA. It’s an approach to estate planning that attempts to maximize the tax-advantaged potential of the IRA assets by leaving them in the IRA as long as the law allows. That’s because when a nonspouse beneficiary inherits an IRA, he or she must begin taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) from
Old Dominion Capital Management, Inc. is pleased to announce the expansion of its mangement team with the addition of
the IRA in the year following the original owner’s death to take advantage of the stretch IRA strategy. The term “stretch IRA” refers to the ability of the beneficiary who inherits the IRA to draw out the RMDs over his or her own life expectancy on a “termcertain” basis. “Term-certain” means the assets can’t remain in the account indefinitely; at the end of the “term” the account will be emptied. The younger the beneficiary is, the longer his or her life expectancy, resulting in a smaller RMD as a percentage of the IRA balance. This strategy minimizes how much must be taken out of the IRA each year and, more importantly, allows the funds remaining in the account to potentially continue to grow on a tax-advantaged basis. To understand how this strategy might work, let’s look
at the following hypothetical example. John names his grandson Stephen as the beneficiary of his IRA. John passes away at age 69, and Stephen inherits the IRA with a value of $79,500 at age 21. He begins taking RMDs from the inherited IRA in the year following John’s death. At age 83, assuming Stephen takes only the RMD amount each year, he will have reached the end of his “term-certain” or projected life expectancy and received a total of $866,624 from the Inherited IRA, depleting the account.1 While Stephen will owe taxes on the pre-tax dollars distributed from the inherited IRA, the impact is a lot less than if he had chosen to take a lump-sum distribution and liquidated the IRA. And, by doing this, he would have foregone the opportunity for the dollars to stay in the IRA and continue to potentially
grow on a tax-deferred basis. In order to make sure the intentions of the stretch IRA strategy are met, the following are some important points for beneficiaries to note. When a beneficiary inherits the IRA, he or she should direct the firm holding the account to open an Inherited IRA. The Inherited IRA will list the name of the individual who inherited the account as the beneficiary and list the name of the IRA owner as deceased (for example, “Jane Doe, beneficiary, John Smith, deceased). Additionally, the beneficiary must begin taking RMDs by December 31 in the year following the year the IRA owner died. It is important to remember the beneficiary is not the owner of the IRA — that person is deceased. The beneficiary can take distributions and make FINANCIAL FOCUS > PAGE 17
Example is based on a hypothetical projection of the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) option. The projected values should be reduced for any applicable federal and state income taxes that will be due. All distributions are assumed to be taken at the end of the year. Calculations are based on a 6% annual rate of return and were invested in a Traditional IRA.
1
Noell Michaels SVP, Director of Business Development
Our goal is to make a difference in each member’s life.
Old Dominion Capital Management is a registered investment advisory firm with offices in Alexandria and Charlottesville (VA); they offer integrated investment management and financial planning services. 118 N Alfred St, Alexandria | 434.977.1550
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
Experience the Signature difference We’re here for you and your family through every life stage with accounts for every generation. We invite you to join our family and see how we can make a difference in your financial life. Join today at bit.ly/signaturefcu-apply-now (use promo code OTC2017), and visit www.signaturefcu.org/products to view all our products. You can also contact us at (800) 336.0284 to speak with a member care team representative. Federally insured by NCUA
6 | April 2017
OldTownCrier
URBAN GARDEN
T
JIMMY DEATON
TOMATOES!
his month I want to focus on what is, without a doubt, the most popular veggie grown in most gardens — and that is tomatoes. They are probably the most widely used and versatile vegetable around. From sandwiches to salads, pasta sauce or tomato juice, the pickled green tomatoes found in cupboards, and of course my all-time favorite — fried green tomatoes. So why talk about tomatoes in April? To give everyone the heads up on how to grow the best plants they can resulting in an abundant harvest. Whether growing from seed or purchasing the plants from a garden center or other retail destination, there are some tricks to the trade. The site should have a light fertile soil that is rich in organic matter but not too much nitrogen. So, be careful adding heaps of rotted manure or organic fertilizer rich in nitrogen. You’ll get big leafy plants but very little in the way of fruits. Lobster compost or Bumper Crop added to the soil will give your plants what they need. Espoma’s Tomato Tone sprinkled around the drip line or a compost tea made from worm castings sprayed directly on the plants will do wonders. They also love full sun and we have ours situated on the south side of the house. With it being bricked and OldTownCrier
throwing off the heat at night, we have harvested tomatoes up untill December some years. Sowing seeds is easy, but make sure you use a good quality potting mixpreferably one that is a seed starting mix. Sow the seeds about 6 weeks before you plan to transplant into the mix. About 1/4” depth is ideal. Keep the mix moist but definitely not soggy. A heat mat is great for germination. Once they germinate, place them under some fluorescent lights if possible or a south facing window. The lights are well worth the investment. Just go to the local big box store and get a T-5 fixture with cool bulbs that are in the range of 5000k-6500K and keep them about 2-3 inches above the seedlings to minimize stretching of the plants which makes them very spindly. Once you have about 2 sets of true leaves, transplant them into 4 inch containers. Dixie cups with some holes punched in the bottom will be ok or get some peat pots from your local garden center and use those. I give my seedlings about 16-18 hours of light per day and this gives me some very robust plants when it’s time to put them into the ground. If you’re buying plants, buy them early and when they are young in 4 inch pots. You want plants that are stocky, bright green and have that healthy look to them. Above all, avoid
tall, leggy plants or those with open flowers or fruits. Also, stay away from plants that have a purplish hue to them — especially the underside of the leaves. Harden off your plants over a 10 day period if possible. Each day, put the plants outside starting with about 2 hours a day and increase it by an hour each day. Make sure you protect them from the wind as well. A protected spot will save you a lot of heartache in the end. Transplant after the last threat of frost — which is about April 15th for those of us in the Metro area. When you do put them in the ground, bury as much as you can of the stem leaving about 4 inches above soil line. Trust me on this, that plant will put out roots all along that buried stem giving you a bigger root system. I also cut the bottom off a 1 gallon nursery pot and place that around the plant with about 2 inches of it buried into the ground, so when I water, I just fill up the pot and all the water goes down to the root system instead of running all over the place before it decides to head south. Tomatoes need plenty of nutrients so a good water with some fish emulsion or, better yet, a good foliar feeding of a compost tea made from worm castings and kelp/seaweed will give the plants all it needs. The compost tea foliar feed is the best
route as it also helps inhibit certain foliage diseases. A good mulch around the base of the plants will help retain moisture and inhibit disease pathogens being splashed up from the soil. Grass clippings, straw or even leaves make a good mulch. Although some folks like to use individual trellis’, they are actually detrimental to producing a good crop. I have an 8 foot tall trellis that is also 8 feet wide. I use a piece of nylon twine and tie it to the top of the trellis. I then wrap it a couple times around the root ball when I transplant the plant and as the plant grows I wind it around the twine. Remove the suckers as the plant grows and you have a nice tidy plant that will be loaded down with fruit. After all that hard work, let those fruits vine ripen and you’ll have the best ‘maters in the neighborhood. I guarantee. Jimmy, also known as Farmer D, is a native of the DMV and has resided in Del Ray, Alexandria, Va. for 24 years. He and Angie currently share their home with their three cats — Jax, Scooby and Wilson the feral. Questions or comments about Urban Garden or a garden question for Jimmy can be directed to: office@oldtowncrier.com. Write “Urban Garden” in the subject line. April 2017 | 7
A BIT OF HISTORY
SARAH BECKER©
WWI: The Centennial
“W
oodrow Wilson may well have witnessed more dramatic changes in national and global affairs than any other president since [George] Washington,” Carter Smith wrote. “He entered Presidential office [on March 4, 1913] a highly regarded reformer.” His foreign policy was not nearly as aggressive as his domestic. Then talk of war in Europe divided America.
John Singer Sargeant’s portrait of Woodrow Wilson
On August 1, 1914 Germany declared war on Russia; on France two days later. President Wilson, a Democrat elected on an anti-war platform, responded by ordering wireless telegraph stations to remain neutral. Neutrality was policy with a presidential pedigree. “The United States must be neutral in fact, as well as in name, during these days that are to try men’s souls,” Wilson explained on August 19, 1914. Europe’s continental war expanded when Germany raided Great Britain in January 1915. On May 7, 1915 Alexandria resident, British national and second cabin passenger John Booth lost his life while cruising aboard the RMS Lusitania. The 8 | April 2017
32,500 ton RMS Lusitania was traveling from New York to Liverpool. Booth, age 35, was sunk; German U-boat Captain Walther Schwieger — with the blast of a submerged torpedo — buried him at sea. London, May 7, 1915…“The giant Cunarder, Lusitania, was torpedoed and sunk off Old head, Kinsale at 3:38 o’clock this morning,” the Alexandria Gazette related. “All details are lacking but, it is reported the passengers and crew have taken to the boats and were saved.” In fact 1,198 passengers died including 128 Americans. Philadelphia, May 10, 1915…“The example of America must be a special example, not merely of peace because it will not fight, but of peace because peace is the healing and elevating influence of the world,” President Wilson said. “There is such a thing as a man being too proud to fight. There is such a thing as a nation being so right that is does not need to convince others by force that it is right.” On January 31, 1917 Germany notified the United States unrestricted submarine attacks would continue. They announced Germany would sink on sight all merchant vessels found in a zone around the British Isles or in the Mediterranean. President Wilson, narrowly reelected to a second term in 1916, broke off diplomatic negotiations and ordered the arming of American freighters. “Although we have centered counsel and action…upon the [domestic] problems…to which we addressed ourselves four years ago, other matters have more and more forced themselves upon our attention — matters … which, despite our wish to keep free of them, have drawn us more and more irresistibly into their own current and influence,” President Wilson said in his second Inaugural Address. In February 1917 the Germans sank 540,000 tons of Allied shipping; in March 578,000 tons, and 874,000 tons in April. On April 6, 1917 — one hundred years ago — America responded by declaring war. The United States entered World War I on the condition that it could legitimately
demand universal liberal democracy from the world. “It is fearful to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance,” President Wilson said. “But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts — for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own government, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal domination of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free.” Europe’s 1914 conflict was “a quarrel…between nation and nation, culture and culture.” President Wilson’s 1917 world war was about competing ideologies, competing visions of the European and international orders. To what extent is President Donald Trump’s rejection of globalization, his tweeted December 23, 2016 denunciation of United Nations Security Council Res. 2334 —Israel’s growing West Bank and East Jerusalem settlements — a reflection of yesterday? WWI’s peace Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919. In 1979 — sixty years later — George Kennan, author of the 1947 Russian Containment policy, called the 1914-1918 war “the great seminal catastrophe of the 20th century.” Without it fascism and communism, the Great Depression and the Second World War, the Cold War and today’s Middle East crisis especially, would be unthinkable. By 1900 Jewish anti-Semitism had become a way of life. Weary of the hatred, Jews of different political persuasions aligned to establish a Jewish state in Palestine. Jews had not had an independent kingdom in Palestine since the 2nd century B.C. With WWI, with the 1916 fall of the Ottoman Empire new opportunity(s) emerged. Palestine was an Arabic country but Great Britain, instead of promoting A BIT OF HISTORY > PAGE 13
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CIVIL DISCOURSE
DOUG COLEMAN
Fitz John Porter, Scapegoat
F
itz John Porter is a hero you have never heard of. In 1861-62, he was what the Union needed — a general officer with more competence than ego. Born in New Hampshire in 1822, he graduated West Point in 1845, just in time for the Mexican War. He fought at Molino Del Ray and was wounded at Chapultepec, coming out of the war a brevet major. He returned to West Point to become an instructor. He served at Fort Leavenworth, earning promotion. In 1857-1858, he was part of the expedition against the Mormons. In the Civil War, he served prominently during McClellan’s Peninsular Campaign, culminating in the Seven Days battles before Richmond. Without going into each battle, the significance of these battles was that Joe Johnson was killed at Seven pines, with the result that Robert E. Lee was put in charge of the army. Things went badly for McClellan, who was forced to retreat. Lee was on the verge of destroying the Federal army. Porter prepared a rear guard to make a stand on a plateau called Malvern Hill on July 1, 1862. He massed artillery on that hill, called in the assistance of three Federal gunboats, and waited for the assault. When the ever-aggressive Lee pushed forward for the coup de grace, Porter’s artillery and well-placed infantry cut the Confederates to bits in three failed frontal assaults. Appreciating how badly he had hurt Lee (one in ten Confederates was a casualty), Porter urged McClellan to resume the offensive and finish it — just exactly what Lee feared as he measured his losses. A spooked McClellan did not take Porter’s advice and Lee was saved, leaving hanging one of the war’s many “what ifs?” The Lee who was not annihilated went on the offensive. He detached Stonewall Jackson’s troops north to mess with the Union forces around Washington, confident that McClellan would remain quiet. On August OldTownCrier
27th, Jackson hit Bristoe Station and captured the supply depot at Manassas Junction. What his men could not eat or carry off, they burned or crapped on (really — they used the Yankee ration boxes for sit-down toilets). Union general John Pope had an army on the Rappahannock whose supply line was just severed. Having properly provoked Pope to come north, Jackson pulled back to Stony Ridge overlooking the Warrenton Turnpike, concealed his men in the woods and behind an abandoned railroad grade, and waited. What transpired over the next few days demonstrated the complete incompetence of the Federal command. Pope operated under the delusion that Jackson was a mere raiding force who could be bottled up and captured, meanwhile ignoring intelligence from his cavalry commander that Longstreet was advancing through the Thoroughfare Gap and had arrived at Gainesville with nearly 30,000 men. Pope ordered Porter to move his exhausted men through the night over a road crowded with supply wagons, criticizing Porter for delaying the march to a more reasonable hour with more light. He ordered Porter to attack Jackson’s right flank with a force that McDowell had just depleted, ignoring the fact that this would present Porter’s back and flank to Longstreet’s vastly superior forces while actively engaged with Jackson at the same time. McDowell, his immediate superior, told him he was too far out and was not in a good place to make a fight. When Porter did attack on the last day of the battle, his fears were realized when the attack failed and Longstreet’s counterattack nearly destroyed the whole Union army. Porter’s forces actually delayed Longstreet just long enough for Pope to consolidate his line and make an orderly retreat toward the forts at Centreville. McClellan actively held back, hoping Pope would be defeated so that his star could ascend once more (which it did after Pope’s defeat, albeit briefly). Second Manassas was a huge defeat
for the Union - Pope and McClellan were now bottled up within the defenses of Washington, allowing Lee to proceed with his campaign to invade and liberate Maryland. And everyone knew Second Manassas was a disaster. Pope and McDowell needed a scapegoat and relieved Porter of command on September 5th. His friend McClellan quickly restored him. Pope himself was relieved of command on September 12th. Porter commanded McClellan’s reserve at Antietam later in September of 1862. McClellan was himself relieved of command in November. There was much blame to be laid. And this blame unfairly fell on Fitz John Porter — a friend of McClellan, a northern Democrat now at odds with the Lincoln administration. Porter himself had been publicly critical of Secretary of War Stanton, an indiscretion about to cost him. On November 25, 1862, Porter was arrested and faced a court martial. The charges were cowardice and disobedience at Second Manassas. A vindictive Stanton is said to have handpicked the panel. This trial and the events leading up to it are fleshed out fully in Gene Paleno’s The Porter Conspiracy, wherein Paleno refutes any notion that Porter was a coward. Instead, Paleno argues convincingly that Porter’s competency and common-sense saved the Matthew Brady’s portrait of Major General Fitz John Porter army. Porter’s trial had a pre-ordained result, the object of which was to save the careers of Pope and McDowell, the generals actually responsible for the debacle. Thus Porter was cynically crucified for the sins of others, cashiered and forbidden from holding any office of trust or profit. Government, especially CIVIL DISCOURSE > PAGE 13
April 2017 | 9
THE LAST WORD
MIRIAM R. KRAMER
The Stranger in the Woods
T
hose of us who live in Washington, DC’s political tangle or even in the bustling historic environment of Old Town, Alexandria might take a long weekend or weeklong trip glamping near the Grand Canyon, hiking in the Shenandoah Valley, or sailing the Potomac to reconnect with nature. What would it be like to melt into the wilderness only to emerge over a quarter century later into an accelerated culture bombarded with information and technology? This life path is barely possible to fathom. In The Stranger in the Woods, Michael Finkel pens an
entirely compelling account of Christopher Thomas Knight, a twenty-year-old who impulsively parked his car on a remote trail in 1986, abandoning it and his family to disappear into the Maine woods without direct human contact for 27 years. The news item he read about Knight’s capture in 2013 transfixed Finkel, an introverted national magazine and newspaper reporter living and occasionally camping in western Montana. Communicating by mail with Knight in prison, he unraveled Knight’s story thread by tiny thread as the incommunicative Knight
MYSTERY READING AT ITS BEST by Virginia author Jeffrey Roswell McCord
moved through the courts and began to reintegrate involuntarily into modern life. Christopher Knight grew up as one of six children on a farm in Albion, Maine. His parents, rock-ribbed Mainers who practiced self-sufficiency, raised their children with skills in farming, building, and thermodynamics. They split logs, picked fruit, and packed jugs of water next to each other in the ground to form a heat sink for a greenhouse on their sixty wooded acres of land, thus
enabling them to grow vegetables all year long without paying for warmth. Intensely private, they socialized little. Following his family’s pattern as a bright, very introverted teenager, Chris mostly kept to himself in high school. After graduation, he took an electronics course that led to a job installing security systems. His skill set and natural ingenuity came in handy after he quitted the world on a whim. Hiking south from northern Maine, Knight instinctively stopped on the outskirts of Little North Pond in central Maine, only thirty
miles from his hometown. After building a camp, item by stolen item, he spent years living inside a ring of boulders in a secret snarl of woods, a tract of land so difficult to penetrate that he received no unwelcome human visitors during that time. Yet his carefully constructed escape paradoxically sat within earshot of seasonal civilization on the outskirts of Little North Pond in central Maine. To survive, he used his box of tools from his former workplace to carefully and repeatedly break into summer cabins and the local Pine Tree camp, gaining a reputation THE LAST WORD > PAGE 26
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HIGH NOTES
T
he Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame has always given the shaft to progrock. In 1996, Pink Floyd got in, because of course they did. It took fourteen years before Genesis made it in and Rush was finally inducted in 2013….and that’s it. However, this April it gets a little better as Yes, after being eligible for 23 years, is finally getting inducted. As they bloody well should. A primary influence on an entire subgenre of music, the level of success Yes has seen, and the strides they’ve made toward further establishing music as an art form, has deemed them more than worthy. Yes has had so many lineup changes, over the last 48 years, that it’ll make ya dizzy. Of course, some members are more significant than others and those are the ones chosen for induction. The only member to appear on every album was bassist Chris Squire, who died in 2015. He will be inducted posthumously, along with vocalist Jon Anderson, guitarists Steve Howe and Trevor Rabin, keyboardists Tony Kaye and Rick Wakeman, and drummers Bill Bruford and Alan White. While it’s unfortunate that Patrick Moraz, Trevor Horn, Geoff Downes, Igor Koroshev, Billy Sherwood, Benoit David, Oliver Wakeman, and Jon Davison got passed over, it’s understandable. You can’t induct everyone and most of these guys were only around for a short time. However, one omission that gets under my skin is that of founding guitarist Peter Banks. An underrated talent, Banks was the first member to get sacked, and eventually was the first to die (in 2013). The intervening years did not garner Banks much success and he had to live with the pain of being the forgotten founder of a band that really only took off after he left. There would be no Yes without him (in fact, it was he who named the band), and his work on the first two albums is stunning. While Steve Howe proved a better fit, there is no excuse for the Hall Of Fame to leave Banks behind and I hope that someone mentions him in their acceptance speech. That aside, we’re here to celebrate the music of Yes. Fortunately there is much to celebrate. Here is a sampling of Yes at their best:
Close To The Edge (1972)
Featuring just three tracks, this album was the culmination of OldTownCrier
CHRIS ANDERSON
everything Yes had learned, to that point. The title track, a sweeping, dynamic piece that fills an entire side of vinyl, is the pinnacle of prog-rock. This record was so good that Bruford quit after its completion, feeling that Yes would never be able to top it.
The Yes Album (1971)
After two albums, Peter Banks was given the boot, in favor of Steve Howe, who arrived with an arsenal of guitars and ideas that brought a new sense of musicality to the band. “Yours Is No Disgrace” and “Starship Trooper” saw Yes moving into extended-length territory, while “I’ve Seen All Good People” brought folk-rock to the fore.
Fragile (1972)
The first Yes album to feature Rick Wakeman boasts four band performances along with solo features for each musician. “Roundabout” is perhaps Yes’ most beloved song while “Heart Of The Sunrise” is just monstrous.
Relayer (1974)
The avant-hubris of 1973’s Tales From Topographic Oceans was a bit much for Rick Wakeman, who took off for the first time. Replacing him was Patrick Moraz, who took Yes further down the rabbit hole with this dark masterpiece. “Gates Of Delirium” is grandiose and almost terrifying while “Sound Chaser” is Yes at their most frenetic.
Going For The One (1977)
Yes lured Wakeman back into the fold for this album that saw a return to shorter songs. The title track rocks harder than anything Yes had ever done while the extended “Awaken” is often referred to as the quintessential Yes song.
Drama (1980)
Attempts to follow up 1978’s lackluster Tormato saw Yes fall apart. Anderson and Wakeman left and were replaced by Trevor Horn & Geoff Downes (aka The Buggles). Some fans scoff at this version of Yes but this lineup’s sole album is flawless. “Machine Messiah” and “Tempus Fugit” prove that Yes could still prog better than anyone else, while “Does It Really Happen” hints at the more accessible material Yes would do a few years later.
JUST SAY
YES! 90125 (1983)
Yes officially split after Drama but the new band that Squire and White formed with Trevor Rabin eventually mutated into Yes, with the return of Kaye and Anderson, and Trevor Horn in the producer’s chair. This new lineup’s first album was, thanks to “Owner Of A Lonely Heart”, the band’s biggest commercial success. “Changes”, “Hold On”, and “It Can Happen” are some of the best music the 80’s had to offer.
Open Your Eyes (1997)
The second album after the return of Steve Howe originally started as a Chris Squire album, but was optioned to Yes, who was looking for a quick fix. Featuring a more song-oriented direction than the previous year’s Keys To Ascension, this album takes time to sink in but it’s easy to hear the genius in these tracks. “Wonderlove”, “Universal Garden”, and the title track are among the best things Yes did in the 90’s.
Magnification (2001)
The last album (to date) to feature Jon Anderson finds Yes filling a vacant keyboard slot with an orchestra, and the result is stunning. Some of the most unique music this band ever created. The title track and “Dreamtime” are simply astounding while “Don’t Go” is one of Yes’ most playful songs.
Heaven & Earth (2014)
Most fans hate this album, and I agree that Roy Thomas Baker completely botched the production, but “The Game” is one of my favorite songs of 2014 and the epics “Light Of The Ages” and “Subway Walls” are proof that Jon Davison is right at home in Yes. Big congratulations to Yes as well as the other 2017 inductees — Journey, Electric Light Orchestra, Joan Baez, Tupac Shakur, and Pearl Jam. You guys earned it!
April 2017 | 11
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A BIT OF HISTORY FROM PAGE 8
Arab nationalism, changed political course. Its Balfour note of 1917 promised to support the idea of a Jewish ‘homeland’ in Palestine. The Jewish ‘homeland’ became a partitioned state in 1948. The US acquiesced in part because of World War II’s Jewish Holocaust. The District’s US Holocaust Memorial Museum “tells the full story of the Holocaust from 1933 to 1945.” The Arab League formed in 1945, with the end of WWII. To the Arabs, Zionism and the resulting Republic of Israel seemed like a new form of Western invasion. In 2003, on the heels of the 9/11 attack, the US invaded Iraq an independent country since 1937. President George W. Bush rationalized the invasion in Wilson-ian fashion. “The years since the end of the Cold War have epitomized the enduring influence of a historical democracy tradition …” analyst Nicholas Bouchet wrote. “More than ever America’s leaders have tried to translate this tradition into a set of specific policies to promote democratization abroad.” Nearly 4.7 million American soldiers served in WWI.
Although state and city memorials abound no national WWI Memorial exists. That will change when the national WWI Memorial is unveiled in the District of Columbia’s Pershing Park in 2018. Let us not forget the date! In Virginia, Alexandria’s 1941 WWI Memorial is located in Union Station Plaza. President Wilson’s 1916 shipbuilding program included the 1918 Virginia Shipbuilding Corporation located at Jones Point in Alexandria. President Trump has yet to fully articulate his foreign policy. Maybe he copies Richard Nixon. “We shall do our share in defending peace and freedom in the world,” President Nixon said in his 1973 Inaugural Address. “But we shall expect others to do their share. The time has passed when America will make every other nation’s conflict our own … .” “Just as America’s role is indispensable in preserving the world’s peace, so is each nation’s role indispensable in preserving its own peace,” Nixon persisted. “Let us continue to bring down the walls of hostility which have divided the world for too long,
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CIVIL DISCOURSE FROM PAGE 9
your own, is almost never your friend. Lincoln, like Pilate, approved the verdict. Porter spent the next 15 years trying to salvage his honor. Some of his best allies were the Confederate generals he had fought against, who attested to his competency in combat. A more effective ally was President Grant, who knew a little bit about the Civil War and appreciated what had really happened at Second Manassas. In 1878, Sarah Becker wrote for The General Schofield convened a Economist while a graduate special commission to review student in England. Similar Porter’s court martial. Porter publications followed. She was exonerated of all charges joined the Crier in 1996 while after the commission found serving on the Alexandria that Porter had probably Convention and Visitors saved the army from an even Association Board. Her worse defeat. While critical interest in antiquities began of Porter for intemperate as a World Bank hire, with remarks about Pope, the Indonesia’s need to generate commission finally put the hard currency. Balinese history, blame where it belonged - on i.e. tourism provided the Pope and McDowell. Eight means. The New York Times years later, President Arthur describes Becker’s book, Off reversed Porter’s sentence. Your Duffs & Up the Assets, Congress subsequently passed as “a blueprint for thousands a bill restoring him to the of nonprofit managers.” A rank of colonel retroactive to former museum director, Sarah May 1861. Not that this did received Alexandria’s Salute to him a lot of good financially Women Award in 2007. Email: — the government neglected abitofhistory53@gmail.com. to award him his back pay.
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Vindicated, he promptly retired from the army. Porter’s legacy to us is the detailed maps of the Manassas vicinity he created in the course of trying to clear his name. These maps are so detailed that the Manassas battlefields have been reliably restored and preserved in parts to look exactly as they did in the 1860s. Porter also reminds us of what politicians and career soldiers are capable of. Finally, Porter’s dismissal leaves a negative legacy — as one of the Union’s more competent and aggressive officers, how would history be different if he had been left to fight? Porter died in 1901, leaving behind a statue and monument telling his story.
Sources
Gene Paleno, The Porter Conspiracy: A Story of the Civil War Doug Coleman is an attorney and amateur historian in Alexandria; comments and corrections are welcome at dcoleman@coleman-lawyers. com.
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April 2017 | 13
GALLERY BEAT
Art Is Not a Crime by Rayne Layton
F. LENNOX CAMPELLO
The Call by Julia Chen
Renaissance by Sophie Nguyen
High School Talent Shines Tension by Angelique Nagovskaya
The Bucket and the Basement by Kristina Waymire
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Deep Market by Kern Lee
14 | April 2017
ast month I had the honor and pleasure to jury The Friends of The Yellow Barn Studio and Gallery’s 18th Annual High School Student Art Exhibition. This art competition is an annual event for all high school sophomores, juniors and seniors
from Montgomery County, Md., Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC. To say that I was astounded by the quality of this show would be a gigantic understatement! And I decided to focus this month’s column on that exhibition and the GALLERY BEAT > PAGE 15
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associated annual call for high school artists. In part because I was so impressed by the work, but also because I was disappointed to see that very few Northern Virginia and DC students submitted work. I want you to take this column, cut it out of the newspaper, and pass it to a high school art teacher. Dear High School Art Teacher: Make a note of this, and contact the The Friends of The Yellow Barn Studio (yellowbarnstudio. com/friends) so that you get the call next year and pass it to your students! Look at the examples of the work! Prepare to be astounded! Let me tell you, after several decades of jurying, curating, reviewing, and looking at hundreds of art competitions, exhibitions, and fairs, it is rare for me to walk into a room full of art waiting to be juried, and still be completely (and pleasantly) surprised by the extraordinary amount of talent, creativity and skill present in that room. And yet this was exactly the case with this competition. It must be clear to the most casual observer, that once you view the works that I selected for this show, that there’s an extraordinary abundance of artistic capital in these young minds. The award winners and selected artists must be congratulated for this achievement. The level of this competition was very high and it was an exceedingly difficult process to jury. Additionally, there were several outstanding works of art that could easily have been included for awards. To the selected artists: I encourage each one of you to continue to press on with your artistic gifts — you are at the beginning of a lifetime of creation and I charge each and every one of you to continue to leave an artistic footprint as you mature in life. To their high school art teachers: Congratulations on helping to develop such young talent!
More Good news: Artomatic Is Back in 2017 in Crystal City! “By artists and for everyone,” Artomatic is well-known for temporarily transforming empty spaces into vibrant arts events that celebrate creativity and create a unique and OldTownCrier
exciting opportunity for tens of thousands of visitors. This is the show that we all love, and art critics hate (mostly because they usually don’t have the mental batteries to write about an art show that can include 1,000 non-juried artists!). Anyone and everyone can present their art at Artomatic, and presentation spaces are always selected on a first-come, first serve basis — so it’s a great way to discover new art and artists. This is what makes this show unique on the planet — it is a great charging of artistic batteries for artists, and a great place for beginner and experienced collectors to pick among the 100s of artists to find that gem! In addition to visual art Artomatic also features a range of performing art forms throughout the exhibition — live music, dance, spoken word, comedy as well as professional development series and special events showcases. Every night of the event, thousands of people visit Artomatic to discover new art, grab a drink, listen to music, go on dates, and mingle with the creative community. No matter what kind of creative events you like, you’ll find something to like at Artomatic. “We are very excited to be working again with the Crystal City BID, a constant champion of the arts, to create a unique, invigorating and brand new artistic experience for all visitors to enjoy”, said Jennifer Williamson, current Artomatic Board President. “We first brought Artomatic to Crystal City in 2007 in order to demonstrate the transformation that was already in progress — a new main street, fun restaurants — as well as to underscore how easily accessible our neighborhood is from DC. The second showing in 2012 helped us further showcase our emerging arts and innovation scene,” said Crystal City BID President/CEO Angela Fox. “Now in our third iteration, we are excited to mark the beginning of the next generation of growth, engagement and creativity for Crystal City.” The exhibition runs through May 6 at Vornado/Charles E. Smith, 1800 S. Bell Street, Crystal City, and as always, free!
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
ART&ANTIQUES ANTIQUES
GALLERIES
Spurgeon-Lewis Antiques 112 N. Columbus Street
Torpedo Factory Art Center 105 N. Union Street
BW Art, Antiques & Collectibles 108 N. Fayette Street
Principle Gallery 208 King Street
Imperfections Antiques 1210 King Street
Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery 105 N. Union Street
The Antique Guild 113 N. Fairfax Street
St. George Gallery 105 N. Alfred Street
Silverman Galleries 110 N. St. Asaph Street
The Art League 105 Union Street
Red Barn Mercantile 1117 King Street
Local Colour Old Town 218 N. Lee Street
Washington Square Antiques 425 S. Washington Street
Icon Galleria 101 N. Union Street
Susquehanna Antique Co. 608 Cameron Street
B&B Art Gallery 215 King Street
Old Town Antiques 222 S. Washington Street
Gallery West 1213 King Street
Verdigris Vintage 1215 King Street
Enamelist’s Gallery 105 N. Union Street
Cavalier Antiques 400 Prince Street
Printmakers, Inc. 105 N. Union Street
Sumpter Priddy III 323 S. Washington Street
Kelly’s Art & Frame 510 N. Washington Street
Henry Street Antiques 115 S. Henry Street
Oerth Gallery 420 S. Washington Street
Curzon Hill Antiques 108 S. Columbus Street
Jeffrey Winter Fine Arts 110A S. Columbus Street
The Hour 1015 King Street
Johnston Matthew 105 N. Union Street
A Galerie 315 Cameron Street
Huddy Studio 105 N. Union Street
Random Harvest 810 King Street
Mezzanine Multiples 105 N. Union Street
Acme Mid-Century + Modern 128 S. Royal Street
Silverman Galleries 110 N. St. Asaph Street
Van Bommel Antiek Hous 1007 King Street
Cochran David 105 N. Union Street
Lloyd’s Row 119 S. Henry Street
Betty Grisham Studio 105 N. Union Street Imagine Artwear 112 King Street
April 2017 | 15
POINTS ON PETS
KING STREET CATS ADOPTION CALENDAR APRIL 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, April 1 Saturday, April 15 1:00 - 4:00 pm THE DOG PARK 705 King Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Saturday, April 8 1:00 - 4:00 pm NATURE NIBBLES 2601 Mt. Vernon Avenue Alexandria, VA 22314 Saturday, April 22 1:00 - 4:00 pm
16 | April 2017
LILY WALKER
T
here’s an old pop song that asks, “How much is that doggie in the window?” The person posing the question is thinking about getting a dog, based on the pup’s waggly tail. We fall in love with animals and want to adopt them for all kinds of reasons. But before you embark on the adventure of living with a pet for the rest of its life, consider the following.
ADOPTING What to ask yourself first
Why Do I Want a Pet? This is one of the few things in life over which we have control, so take time to think about your reasons for wanting a pet. This new family member could be around for the next 10 to 20 years, so consider the responsibilities of a longterm commitment to another creature. Do you want a companion for your ailing parents? A best friend for yourself? A pal for your kids? What kind of animal would suit you and your family best and would you be able to best care for?
Can I Afford a Pet? Just like a two-legged addition to your family, there are initial as well as lifelong expenses involved when adopting a pet. Besides the basic costs of food and veterinary bills (which can be hundreds of dollars a year for routine, preventive health care), consider items such as a bed, leash and collar, kennel/carrier, litter and litter box, toys, or scratching post. If your pet develops a veterinary condition that requires long-term or permanent care, are you prepared to pay for medicines and other treatment and maintain the daily routine for such care? If you adopt a dog, what about grooming, bathing, and obedience training?
Does My Lifestyle Support Having a Pet? • Do I have time to care for a pet? If you spend long days at the office and/ or have a difficult commute, a dog that needs multiple walks throughout the day may not be a good fit. Perhaps you’re fortunate enough to work from home, but that energetic Jack Russell terrier will still need lots of attention. How will you feel about picking up as you walk your dog, scooping and refilling a litter box regularly for your cat or rabbit, or cleaning a birdcage for your parrot? Even fish, reptiles, and amphibians require regular time and
attention (and cleaning up). And every pet will need your love and care.
landlord’s or homeowner association’s policy on pets.
• Do I travel often? If you are away from home often and don’t have someone at home to care for your pet, remember to factor in the fee of a pet-sitter or a boarding kennel. Some pets adapt well to having their humans away from home for a bit, and some don’t. Will your pet be OK with your being away?
• Whether you are in an apartment or house, consider how you will feel getting up at 6 a.m. to walk your dog. How about at 6 p.m. when you get home from work? Or in the rain or snow?
• Who else lives in my home? Think about all the humans and animals who share your home and your life, particularly small children, older adults, other pets, and anyone (human or animal) with special needs. You may be drawn to that older white cat you keep seeing at your local shelter, but will a deaf cat fit comfortably into your family? Does anyone in your household have allergies to animal dander, fur, or feathers? What concerns do your family members have about adopting a pet? And who will take care of your pet, and how will you share responsibilities for your pet’s care? Kids love kitties, puppies, bunnies, and other small critters. But is your child ready to live with and help care for a pet, particularly after the animal is no longer young or cuddly? And what if you can’t help with pet care any longer, because of illness or other life surprises? Who is your pet’s backup human?
Is My Home Pet Friendly? • Some residential buildings limit the size and number of pets you can have, or say you can’t have pets unless you pay special fees. Be sure to check your
• Is your home big enough and laid out in a way that suits your pet’s needs? Is there a yard/play area nearby that would be adequate for your pet? • If you are considering adopting an unusual pet, make sure that it’s legal to have such an animal where you live and that you’ll have the home environment that would work.
What Is My Tolerance for Animal By-products? Furry animals tend to shed. Some animals slobber. City regulations require dog walkers to pick up after their pets. Litter boxes, bird cages, and aquariums must be regularly cleaned. And many animals like to mark their territory. How prepared are you to deal with the “byproducts” of normal pet behavior?
Is This the Right Pet for Me? Just as some people prefer canines over felines, you should consider the various traits of a dog, cat, or other animal you might want to adopt. Watch how the animal interacts with its caregivers and other creatures. Is it skittish? Docile? Friendly? A bully? Does this animal want other animal companions, or does it have to be your sole pet? Remember that the POINTS ON PETS > PAGE 17
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POINTS ON PETS FROM PAGE 16
animal’s behavior at a shelter or rescue may be different than its behavior in your home. For example, a shelter with dozens of animals in a relatively small space is quite a different experience for a cat or dog than the peace and tranquility of your living room.
See the list of resources at the end of this article for a few places in Northern Virginia that have animals available for adoption. Be sure to call ahead or check online to confirm hours of operation. And here’s to a forever home for you and your pet!
Does Everyone in Our Household Agree about Adopting a Pet?
Resources
This is not only important for your pet’s happiness, but for your own. It may also affect whether you can adopt a particular pet. You may be vetted yourself by adoption coordinators to see whether you and your family (humans and current pets) are ready to take care of a certain animal’s needs. This holds true even for less common pets. Shelters and rescues want you and your pet to be happy, and they are looking for forever homes for their animals. They only want to say goodbye once to an animal they too have come to love. So help them help you find a forever home for your pet, and be sure what you want to do. So you’ve pondered these questions and have decided that YES, you’re ready to welcome home a new pet. Please be sure to ADOPT! Never buy from a pet store or online provider. Even if you do find a responsible breeder, if you buy your pet, you are supporting an industry that treats animals as products to be bought and sold. With rescue groups, animal shelters, and the entire power of the Internet, it’s easy to find a loveable critter in need of a good home. Besides, many shelters and rescues have adoption coordinators who are trained to help you find the perfect companion, and the service is free! These coordinators are likely familiar with each animal’s personality and can guide you to a good fit for you and your new pet.
Animal Welfare League of Alexandria 4101 Eisenhower Avenue Alexandria, VA 22304 703-746-4774 info@AlexandriaAnimal.org alexandriaanimals.org Animal Welfare League of Arlington 2650 S. Arlington Mill Drive Arlington, VA 22206 703-931-9241 mail@awla.org awla.org Homeward Trails P.O. Box 100968 Arlington, VA 22210 703-249-5066 homewardtrails.org King Street Cats 25 S. Dove Street Alexandria, VA 22314 703-231-7199 kingstreetcats.org Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation P.O. Box 50037 Arlington, VA 22205 703-295-DOGS (3647) lostdogrescue.org
PETS OF THE MONTH
MYA PAPAYA (A069976)
EDUARDO (A069182)
Mya Papaya is a nine-year-old Bulldog mix who weighs about 75 lbs. She usually needs a few minutes to warm up to strangers, but once she does she’s as sweet and silly as can be! She offers a beautiful “sit” whenever there’s a yummy treat in your hand! She does not like other dogs so will need to be the only pet in the home, but she’ll give you all the puppy love you could want! Some of her favorite pastimes include: laying in the grass, soaking up the sun, and going for walks the woods.
Eduardo came to us as a stray and is still looking for his new home. He is dashingly handsome with mediumlength hair, estimated to be about two years old. He enjoys supervising your productivity and keeping you company. He does not want any dog-friends, or dog roommates, just humans who will give him plenty of chin rubs and playtime. Because Eduardo has a little bit of an edge, he would be happiest in an adult-only home. Come fall in love with him today!
CALIX (A069246)
MY Calix is a male ADOPTION FE English Spotted HAVE BEEN ES P A ID ! rabbit, estimated to be about six years old. He was transferred to us with several other rabbits from an out-of-state hoarding case in October. Because Calix was not provided with much socialization, he is currently in a foster home to help him learn some people skills.
4101 Eisenhower Avenue • Alexandria, VA 703-746-4774alexandriaanimals.org Mon-Fri, 1-8 pm • Closed Wed • Sat & Sun, 12-5 pm OldTownCrier
FINANCIAL FOCUS FROM PAGE 6
investment choices, but he or she cannot make contributions to that account. If you’re considering including your IRA in your estate plan, you can use the stretch IRA strategy with either a Roth IRA or Traditional IRA. It’s important to note that with a Traditional IRA, you have to take RMDs the year you turn 70 ½. Any remaining balance after your death can pass to your beneficiary, and he or she can employ the stretch IRA strategy. Additionally, you’ll want to give careful consideration to the individual you name as beneficiary. You must list your beneficiary on the IRA beneficiary designation form. You can also name contingent beneficiaries. Since a non-spouse who inherits the IRA will take RMDs based on his or her life expectancy, the younger the beneficiary, the less he or she must take out each year. Therefore, if maximizing the tax-deferred compounding of the IRA is the main goal, a young person is the ideal individual to designate as a beneficiary. When considering the stretch IRA strategy for your estate plan, keep in mind your needs and tax laws can change over time. The stretch IRA strategy is appropriate for individuals who have other assets to cover expenses in retirement and don’t anticipate needing the funds in his or her IRA to fund retirement. However, if you’re unsure about whether you’ll need your IRA assets to fund your own retirement, remember that any amount left in the IRA after your death can be stretched by the beneficiary. You can change the beneficiary at any time and you should review beneficiaries at any life event such as a birth of a child or grandchild, marriage, divorce, or death of a beneficiary. If you have questions about which IRA and estate-planning techniques are right for you, you may want to discuss your options with your Financial Advisor, tax advisor, and attorney. Investments in securities and insurance products are: not FDICinsured/not bank-guaranteed/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. April 2017 | 17
CARIBBEAN CONNECTION JEFF McCORD
I
t’s no wonder that President Lincoln wanted the Virgin Islands. By 1863, the second year of the Civil War (which began in April, 1861), Union patience was being stretched thin by “rebel pirates” and “English rebel agents” frequenting then Danish and neutral St. Thomas, to quote Rear-Admiral Charles Wilkes, Commander of the U.S. West Indies Squadron in a dispatch to Washington, DC headquarters. Admiral Wilkes was not a man to trifle with. Previously courtmartialled for severe treatment of his own men during an Antarctica expedition he commanded, some believe Wilkes was the model for Herman Melville’s half-mad Captain Ahab in “Moby Dick.” And, searching for Confederate ships back in 1861, Wilkes had illegally blockaded the neutral British island of Bermuda and
even fired upon the Trent, a Royal Mail Steamer, forcing it to stop. He then boarded the vessel and arrested two Confederate diplomats found onboard, causing a crisis that nearly led to war with Great Britain, which was profitably trading with the South. Now, in early 1863, he commanded several formidable war ships in the West Indies and was keeping an eye on St. Thomas. With one of the best harbors and marine repair facilities in the Caribbean, Danish St. Thomas was the Western Hemisphere headquarters of the British Royal Mail Steamship company and a major provisioning port for steamers and sailing vessels crossing the Atlantic and traveling between South and North America. Confederate blockade runners and privateers were also using St. Thomas for coaling, repairs and provisioning. They frequently attacked Union ships in nearby waters. “Rebel cruisers have been roving unrestrained upon the seas, terrifying our merchant ships, and committing fearful havoc upon our commerce,” Admiral Wilkes later explained when accused of overzealousness in the West Indies. One example of “fearful
havoc” by the Confederate privateer Retribution was the capture on January 17, 1863 of the J. P. Ellicott, a Bucksport, Maine-based merchant vessel. She was caught within one day’s sail of St. Thomas. First flying a U.S. flag, the Retribution approached the Ellicott and ordered it to “hove to” for boarding. The armed Confederate boarders led by Gilbert Hay found that the Ellicott’s small crew included the wives of the captain and first mate. Hay declared the boat a prize to be taken to a port and sold. He ordered all of the Ellicott’s crew removed to the Retribution, with the unfortunate exception of the First Mate’s wife who was held with the boarding party, the Bangor Daily News has reported. During the night, when the Retribution had disappeared beyond the horizon, the “First Mate’s wife” (whose name was not revealed in reports due to Victorian era delicacy) either feared “bad usage” from her captors or may have been raped. Sources differ on whether she was assaulted. What happened next, however, made the First Mate’s wife a hero throughout the North. As suffragette Susan B. Anthony told the story in an 1881 history of women during the War, the captive “formed a bold plan” to capture the boat. Retrieving liquor stored in the main cabin, she enticed Confederate leader Hay and his second in command Thomas Gilbert to drink until they passed out. She then clapped them
in irons. With the help of two disgruntled Confederate crewmen (who had naively thought the Retribution was a blockade runner rather than a privateer), she accurately navigated the Ellicott to St. Thomas. One of Admiral Wilkes’ officers was in port when she appeared. He discovered that the privateer leader Hay, still safely in irons on board, was “an old offender,” having previously commanded another Rebel privateer. And, his associate Gilbert had previously deserted from an American ship visiting St. Thomas. More importantly, though, it was learned that a few days before seizing the Ellicott, the Confederate privateer Retribution had itself been in St. Thomas for re-provisioning. There, she had been joined by another Southern ship, the Dixie, which, in violation of Danish neutrality, had transferred three new cannons, ammunition and rigging to the Retribution. When Admiral Wilkes later arrived at St. Thomas with several warships, the Danish governor likely feared the U.S. Navy would take over the island. He promptly met with Wilkes and “attempted to excuse” the actions of the Retribution and Dixie, seeking to escape “all blame,” the Admiral said in a letter to Gideon Welles, Lincoln’s Secretary of the Navy. About one month later, on February 19, 1863, while the formidable U.S.S. CARIBBEAN CONNECTION > PAGE 19
St. Thomas: Rebel Pirates & English Agents 18 | April 2017
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CARIBBEAN CONNECTION FROM PAGE 18
Vanderbilt remained in St. Thomas harbor, a Danish ship brought in the crew and passengers of the S.S. Jacob Bell, a clipper ship returning with tea from China that had been captured and burned by the Confederate raider C.S.S. Florida. The outraged commander of the Vanderbilt told his superiors he would “scour the seas in pursuit and God defend the right.” Rather than the Florida, however, just days later the Vanderbilt actually captured the British steamer Peterhoff, which had departed St. Thomas harbor where she had cleared Danish customs following a transatlantic voyage. Although the ship was officially bound for the Mexican port of Matamoras (located on the border opposite Confederate Brownsville, TX), a crew member let slip that she was really going to Brownsville. And, prior to being boarded, “a package sewed up in canvas weighted with lead so as to sink it, and was spoken of by the captain as dispatches” had been thrown overboard, according to testimony in a
later court hearing. They were actually letters to Southern Secretary of State Judah Benjamin from his agents in Britain, Confederate Naval Records prove. The Peterhoff, which was carrying mostly military stores no doubt destined for Texas, was condemned in a New York prize court, bought by the U.S. Navy and converted to help blockade the Southern port of Wilmington, NC (home of the privateer Retribution). Sadly, off Hampton Roads, VA, the Peterhoff was mistaken at night for a Confederate
blockade runner and sunk by a Navy warship. 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. He is the author of two fact-based Caribbean novels: “Undocumented Visitors in a Pirate Sea,” and, “Santa Anna’s Gold in a Pirate Sea.” He divides his time between Virginia and St. John, USVI.
Escape
THE COLD WINTER WEATHER
Hillcrest Guest House is located within a residential area, rising two stories above Cruz Bay, on the crest of a hill and minutes from the beach and the US National Park, Virgin Islands. Six suites available, $185-$235/day Call 340-776-6774 or 340-998-8388 hillcreststjohn.com
HH HILLCREST GUEST HOUSE
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Apartment on St. John. $170/Night, no minimum stay. Pets allowed with some restrictions. Pool, kitchenette, private bathroom, screened porch overlooking tropical forest with banana and papaya trees, double bed, and separate living area. Perfect for a couple or young family. Amenities include kayaks, snorkel gear, and bamboo walking sticks. More than 60 percent of this spectacular Caribbean island is Virgin Island National Park, offering hiking, snorkeling, and unbelievable views. Get out of traffic and come to paradise.
Reservations: mjtoomey1995@yahoo.com Listed on VRBO, #829001
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Key West Getaway One Block from Sloppy Joe’s Contact: historichideaways.com • 1-800-654-5131 OldTownCrier
April 2017 | 19
“YOU CAN READ ALL THE BOOKS, LOOK AT ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHS, WATCH ALL THE DOCUMENTARIES. NOTHING PREPARES YOU FOR HAVANA — OR REVEALS ITS TRUE NATURE.”
ROAD TRIP
BY ADAM MOREL PHOTOS BY GLENN MOREL
A
n old woman living in a tiny home, working slavishly over a hot stove, making strong coffee for three strangers. A middle aged man with a tattered shirt and bloodshot eyes, giving a bear hug, speaking emphatically in a language his new found friend cannot understand. A single mother with bright eyes, writing directions in broken English to a neighborhood gathering later in the evening. A plump, optimistic neighbor serving bread and eggs, fruit and ham, walking gingerly though a buckling hallway without a ceiling, to a table set with pewter and lace. An old man laughing in the street, refusing to help with directions until the lost soul first “makes friendship” with him as he shows off prized photographs hung carefully on the splattered walls of his collapsing cantina. An elderly, well-to-do couple, pointing with pride from building to building, watching the reaction of
their esteemed guests, eyes misting as they describe the loss of their beloved Fidel. A busy driver with a tiny American flag hanging from his mirror, lustily sharing his black market successes, talking politics while racing between towns to show off the countryside. A gangly, weathered farmer nervously clutching a cardboard box in a dilapidated barn, fearfully selling sell clandestine cigars for three pesos each. A tourist with a make-believe beard and an anxious heart, overwhelmed. You can read all the books, look at all the photographs and watch all the documentaries. Nothing prepares you for Havana — or reveals its true nature. Yes, the classic automobiles, the majestic colonial architecture and the pulsing music are there, all of it more vibrant, more splendid, more everything, than depicted. And yes, the cobblestone streets and the crumbling asphalt ones too, literally teem, day and night, with life - the local poor, wide-eyed tourists, friendly hustlers, hookers, joyful children, multitudes of dogs and cats, purveyors of bread and goats and cheese and nuts, all that life undulating as one, ribbon-like, down narrow, dusty
one hand, alternately smoking and streets, tree-lined boulevards and swilling with the other. The men have along the gulf-soaked sea wall, the been doing this, playing dominoes furtive, famous Malecon. and drinking and smoking, in the But the part of Havana, its essential middle of the day, all day, for most part, missed in all that preparation, is of their lives. Yet nothing about the the rough, sweet touch of the hands of scene feels routine. You get the sense, the old woman, the hard, friendly slap as you do everywhere you go as you across the shoulders of the backstreet explore the capital of our unlikely rummy, the desperate salesmanship neighbor that the men are waiting for of the new entrepreneur, the baleful, something while they play. They’ve yearning eyes of the beautiful young waited for fifty years, a lifetime for widow. To learn the secret of Havana, many of them, and it is as if they sense to truly know the iconic, languid, the waiting is almost over. It’s not bursting-at-the-seams Havana, you must start in Centro Habana, in the just the three men. It’s written across middle of Crespo street, between Havana in the lines of the faces of the Trocadero and Colon, on a bright old people and it reverberates in the Wednesday afternoon, rippling personalities of and look for three men the young. seated at a rickety card If Havana is anything table, trapped in an in mid-February 2017, endless game of dominos, it is anxious with a sharing a three dollar bounce in its step. Walk bottle of rum. its neighborhoods from Sitting is hardly the Miramar to Vedado, from way to describe what the Cojimar to Habana Vieja. Stop and look. And three men are doing, for listen. Like the cafecito they are so animated, which rivals rum as the so flush with movement most popular libation and chatter, they seem to of residents and visitors hover above their chairs, alike, you can hear pushing the pieces across the table frantically with Photographer Glenn Morel Havana percolating with
The Secret of Havana 20 | April 2017
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The author, Adam Morel
ambition. So read the guide books, look at the magnificent photographs and watch the documentaries. And then, go. These days, you can plan it yourself. Be prepared to self-certify before departing the airport that you are going to Cuba for a reason deemed worthy by the U.S. government, whether for an Educational “People to People Exchange,” for Professional Research or any of the other 12 approved categories for travel. Do your research, pack your bags and keep your senses keen. One day, who knows how many years in the future, Havana will be a different place. Whether that place will be better or worse will be a matter of debate for the Cuban people and for their eager visitors. In the meantime, ponder this: How many places OldTownCrier
can you go where you can sit on a crumbling sea wall in a colonial city of two million people, smoke a cigar and hear between the crashing waves, the sound of history tiptoeing forward? A last word of advice. When you climb down from the Malecon, after marveling at the churches, cars and museums, find the old woman, the rummy, the middle-aged driver, the nervous farmer, the laughing children and the old men biding their time on Crespo Street. Spend a little time with them. Don’t worry about the language barrier. Extend your hands and your heart to them. They’ll tell you the secret of Havana with their eyes. Adam Morel is a New England-born, southern-bred trial lawyer, traveler and writer in search of rapture in the routine and the miraculous in
the mundane. When he isn’t in the courtroom, you can find him transfixed over a keyboard, capturing what he sees as the essence of the world around us and the regular folks that inhabit it. Adam graduated from the
University of Florida with a BS in Telecommunication before earning his law degree from the Cumberland School of Law. Adam is the older brother of Old Town Crier contributing writer and Alexandria resident, Glenn Morel. April 2017 | 21
FROM THE BAY …
L
et’s try some guided imagery to start the sailing season. Take a deep breath. Relax. Imagine. It’s your first big day on the water and a sunny, 70-degree one. You slip on your new Maui Jims and work your way up on deck to rig up the new jib (this is imagery, right? It’s all shiny and new). Fast forward to envisioning yourself at the mast. Hoist! Later, you change a sail or two on the bow, mess with the pole, and run down below to pack a chute. Brace yourself for that puff! Whoa, that was a good one. Now you’re in the cockpit. Can you pass up that other headsail? Careful, it’s heavy. I got it. Can you hand me a winch handle? Trim, trim, trim. Ease, ease. Nice. Can you guys hike out a bit? Could you crawl out to skirt the jib? Such an upbeat sailing day goes by quickly. I’ll take a beer. Ah. Here, I can help you with the boom cover. Need a hand? Hand me that big duffel bag. Pass me the cooler. What a wonderful day, thank you! Fast forward to the next day. How does your back feel? Let’s slide out of sailing fantasy camp and into reality. How does your back really feel the next morning after the first windy day sail or race? Local sailor Kerry De Vivo knows about painting hulls,
MOLLY WINANS
hoisting sails, hiking out, doing quick tacks, and how all of it affects the back and body. As a Pilates instructor with Excel Pilates Annapolis, she says, “We’re all trying to get our sea legs back. It’s important to get ahead of the curve and take care of yourself rather than wait until you get hurt.” De Vivo and her husband Erik Fridley, “racers at heart,” cruise with their five-year-old son more than race these days (although he does tag along for some Wednesday night races on Round Bay on their J/27 Super G). Pilates, says De Vivo, appeals to many sailors because it conditions the body and has mental and spiritual components, but “there’s no chanting as in yoga, which is why a lot of people like it.” Pilates (pronounced pi-LAH-teez) is a system of exercise, which is a fullbody workout—involving mat and apparatus work—focused on core strength. De Vivo, who can tailor programs for sailing crews, notes that strengthening the core is every bit as important as upper body strength for sailing. Core strength is not only helpful in preventing the back injuries common in sailing, but it also greatly improves the flexibility and balance necessary to go under the boom, brace yourself in a puff, switch sides on the
rail, or trim sails on windy days. Here’s one easy exercise De Vivo urges sailors to begin today: “Stand with your heels together and toes a fist distance apart. Stand upright with good posture. Think about lifting your abdominals toward your spine. Posture is huge for injury prevention. Just like when you get your sail in the right position, when your posture is good, you flow” (excelpilatesannapolis. com). Ben Jenkins, a trainer at Annapolis Athletic Club, recommends three core-strengthening exercises we can all start right now to strengthen our core for sailing. He says to start with “the plank.” Get in push-up position but on your forearms instead of hands (a little more challenging). “Maintain a straight line without letting hips go down or arch up. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Do three reps. Work up to holding it for a minute.” Jenkins also suggests a “V-fit.” Starting in a sit-up position with knees bent, keep your back straight with your arms across your chest. Lean back until you feel your abdominal muscles engage. Hold for 15 to 20 seconds (progress to a minute). Repeat three times. For upper body strength, he recommends two exercises that can be done anywhere: push-ups (do them on your knees if
you must) and tricep dips with a chair (annapolisathleticclub.com). When asked for his top three exercises for sailors, Harry Legum at Annapolis Sailing Fitness, who specializes in training racing sailors, responds, “Because everyone’s so different, it cannot be boiled to the top three exercises, but rather top three routines or types of exercises, such as core, balance, and agility training and cardio. Each has numerous ways to practice such as yoga or Pilates classes, the use of a Bosu ball or paddleboarding, and running or cycling. Strength training with weights should also be mixed in ideally” (annapolissailingfitness.com). Geez Harry, we were hoping for short cuts. So much for pain-free imagery. If we’re going to be fit for spring sailing, we had better get moving. Publisher’s note: Winans is the Managing Editor of the very popular Annapolis/Eastport, MD based SpinSheet sailing magazine and PropTalk power boating magazine. This column first appeared in SpinSheet April 2011.
Core Value
Core training on the water
22 | April 2017
photo: Dan Phelps/SpinSheet
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CALVERT MARINE MUSEUM APRIL EVENTS Spring is in the air at the Calvert Marine Museum. Programs and activities are planned for all ages in April. Visit calvertmarinemuseum.com for a complete listing. Saturday, April 1 • Bugeye Ball • 7 pm The Museum will be closed
Saturday, April 15 • Fossil Egg Hunt • 10 am - 12 noon
Tuesday, April 1; Thursday, April 13; Wednesday, April 19 • Sea Squirts 10 am - 10:30 am & 11 am - 11:30 am • O is for Otters!
Monday, April 17 • Predator/Prey Day • 10 am - 4 pm
Wednesday, April 12 • Meet the Lighthouse Keepers • 11 am - 3 pm
Wednesday, April 19 • Gills Club • 5:30 pm - 7 pm
Thursday, April 13 • Miocene Fossil Exploration • 10 am - 4 pm
Saturday, April 22 • Build a Toy Boat • 2 pm - 4 p.m
Thursday, April 13 • Norse Exploration Day Camp • 10 am - 2 pm
Sunday, April 23 • The Celtic Fiddle Festival • 7 pm in the Harms Gallery
Friday, April 14 • Birds of the Marsh • 11 am - 3 pm
Thursday, April 27 • Little Minnows • 10 am - 11 am
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Tuesday, April 18 • All About Plants! • 11 am - 3 pm
April 2017 | 23
TO THE BLUE RIDGE
New Exhibition at the National Sporting Library & Museum
Andre Pater: In a Sporting Light April 21 – August 13, 2017
Andre Pater (Polish/American, born 1953) Demonstrative, 2014, oil on canvas, 28 x 22 inches Private Collection, © Andre Pater
“G
o beyond the mere image, and the painting becomes a ‘matter of light,’ ” notes sporting art authority Lorian Peralta-Ramos of contemporary sporting artist Andre Pater’s work. Peralta-Ramos who is a National Sporting Library & Museum Board Member lent her expertise as guest curator for the upcoming exhibition, Andre Pater: In a Sporting Light, working with the artist to identify over 45 works from private collections across the country. “Light is movement,” Pater says. “I love what I do. I never count the hours I’m working in my studio. It’s pure joy. It’s fun. It makes me peaceful.” Pater remains passionate about his work after more than three decades as an artist: “It’s my enthusiasm that brings light to my paintings.” The retrospective of Pater’s sporting art and accompanying exhibition catalog with essays by Lorian PeraltaRamos and the NSLM’s George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Curator of Art Claudia Pfeiffer highlight his mastery of the use of light and insightful understanding of animal anatomy, behavior, and motion. The included works created between 1984 and 2015 represent a variety of sporting subjects that Pater has explored throughout his career: Polish sighthound hunting, jockeys in brightly-colored silks, 24 | April 2017
winning Thoroughbreds, splashy racing starts, tranquil paddocks, pointers guarding the day’s bag, foxhunters meeting in a beautiful landscape, and hounds with expressive eyes. Pater celebrated his Polish heritage in early works, infusing his historic and Arabian-horse compositions with light and motion. He graduated summa cum laude from the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts with a degree in architecture, his first vocation. Drawing and painting equine subjects began as an avocation. He was fascinated by horses and showed innate talent at an early age. Pater’s focus, style, and subject matter began to evolve upon coming to the U.S. in 1981. After six months in New York, he moved to Texas for an architectural position. He was inspired by the Arabians being bred there, the same breed of Poland’s historic bloodstock tradition. By 1984 he dedicated himself to painting Arabians full-time and then in 1988 settled in Kentucky, the birthplace of the U.S. Thoroughbred industry and home of the Iroquois Hunt. “Andre Pater has surged to the head of the pack among today’s contemporary sporting painters. He not only is an unrivaled master of his craft, he has the reputation and following to prove it,” notes PeraltaRamos who is working on another project on the artist, the soon-to-be-
published comprehensive book, Andre Pater: A Matter of Light. The bold and vibrant compositions for which Pater has become extremely sought-after are often compared to those of the great 20th-century British sporting artist Sir Alfred Munnings. Like Munnings, Pater is a gifted draftsman, uses a lush palette, and is equally adept at landscape, figurative, and animal compositional elements. Although stylistic comparisons are inevitable, Munnings preferred openair painting, while Pater’s technique represents the opposite. He is most at home in his studio working from sketches and photographs in an academic mode, perfecting his prized works in oil and pastel. Pater is not an emulator of his predecessor. He brings his unique and fresh perspective to the art that depicts sport and is a beacon of the genre. His refinement in pastels in addition to the classic medium of oil has solidified his rightful place as an eminent sporting artist in the 21st century.
Related Event
Coffee with the Curator will be held on Saturday, April 22, 2016 from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. at the National Sporting Library & Museum. George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Curator of Art Claudia Pfeiffer will host a coffee reception from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m. and then special guest, artist Andre Pater will provide a custom tour of the
exhibition. Admission to this event is free to NSLM members and $5 for non-members. Coffee provided by Middleburg Common Grounds. RSVP to Anne Marie Barnes, Clarice & Robert H. Smith Educator at 540-687-6542 ext. 25 or ABarnes@ NationalSporting.org
About the Museum
The National Sporting Library & Museum (NSLM) is located in Middleburg, Virginia, the heart of beautiful hunt country. Founded in 1954, the renowned research Library and art Museum highlight the rich heritage and tradition of country pursuits. Angling, horsemanship, shooting, steeplechasing, foxhunting, flat racing, polo, coaching, and wildlife are among the subjects one can explore in the organization’s general stacks, rare book holdings, archives, and art collection. The NSLM offers a wide variety of educational programs, exhibitions, and family activities throughout the year, and is open to researchers and the general public. The NSLM is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. While there is no admission fee to the Library, the Museum charges $10 for adults, $8 for youths (age 13-18), and $8 for seniors. NSLM members and children age 12 and under are free. Library & Museum hours are Wednesday-Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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THE LAST WORD FROM PG 10
over the years as a living ghost, the Hermit of North Pond. Careful to leave as few traces as possible, he would steal peanut butter, soap, paperbacks, radios, batteries, or propane tanks, depending on what he found and needed. Brilliant at woodcraft and intensely secretive, he never lit a fire, left a footprint, or revealed a trace of his presence through stepping
on twigs and leaves. His goal was to keep away from others, take only what he needed, and live in communication with nature, with no social strictures or pressures to meet any needs but his own. Finkel’s fascination with Knight is contagious. He analyzes multiple aspects of Knight’s life in solitary freedom: how it was possible for Knight to manage psychologically without
others, to survive physically through brutal Maine winters and a lack of medical care, and to ponder existence philosophically with stolen books and magazines as his sole texts. Weaving together the global cultural significance of hermits, neurological and chemical reasons for the human need for connection, and Knight’s possible placement on the autism spectrum, Finkel
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pulls together an absorbing, vibrantly written story of a recluse’s navigation of a natural world existing adjacent to and bleeding into one he abandoned. He also reports the reactions of local residents, vacationers and those around the world. Many were either repelled by Knight’s stealing and parasitic existence, awed by his quixotic retreat from human overcrowding and unhappiness, or perhaps both. As a child, I spent weeks at a time at a cabin on a lake in western Maine, although I rarely visited after the midEighties. Reviewing my intense ping-pong trajectory living, studying and working in various cities and countries since then, I wanted to understand how and why he could spend that same period of time living a seemingly monotonous, difficult, but singularly satisfying life. I’ve thin-sliced that beauty, enough to love lying quietly on a lake shore with a cold wind blowing tears into my eyes, gazing up at sparkling swarms of stars with no light pollution acting as a veil between me and the universe. What a treat it could be to measure a long period of time with no formal calendars:
only sunlight, moons, and seasons punctuated by snow, rain, flowers unfurling, leaves twirling in the breeze, and wild animals crackling through nearby twigs. Time itself would take on a completely different significance. While ultimately unrealistic and impossible for most of us, the idea of plunging oneself immersively into a fairy-tale-dark wood to find the Beast’s castle within and an ensuing “happily ever after” pulls at the human heart. After reading The Stranger in the Woods, I think of C.S. Lewis’s classic The Chronicles of Narnia, in which children entering a wardrobe find a fascinating parallel world in which animals and mythological creatures talk, endless winter prevails before an unexpected spring, and time passes far faster than in their home country focused on dislocation through war, train schedules, and rote memorization at schools that dull the imagination. In a way, Christopher Knight’s experience must be like reading a transformative work of literature or nonfiction: diving into a sea of immersive, rhythmic pages that lead us to a different perspective on nature, time, space, and our own existence.
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26 | April 2017
OldTownCrier
Easter Fun! Easter Bunny
The Bible makes no mention of a longeared, short-tailed creature who delivers decorated eggs to wellbehaved children on Easter Sunday; nevertheless, the Easter bunny has become a prominent symbol of Christianity’s most important holiday. The exact origins of this mythical mammal are unclear, but rabbits, known to be prolific procreators, are an ancient symbol of fertility and new life. According to some sources, the Easter bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egglaying hare called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws.” Their children made nests in which this creature could lay its colored eggs. Eventually, the custom spread across the U.S. and the fabled rabbit’s Easter morning deliveries expanded to include chocolate and other types of candy and gifts, while decorated baskets replaced nests. Additionally, children often left out carrots for the bunny in case he got hungry from all his hopping.
Easter Eggs
Easter is a religious holiday, but some of its customs, such as Easter eggs, are likely linked to pagan traditions. The egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with pagan festivals celebrating spring. From a Christian perspective, Easter eggs are said to represent Jesus’ emergence from the tomb and resurrection. Decorating eggs for Easter is a tradition that dates back OldTownCrier
to at least the 13th century, according to some sources. One explanation for this custom is that eggs were formerly a forbidden food during the Lenten season, so people would paint and decorate them to mark the end of the period of penance and fasting, then eat them on Easter as a celebration. Easter egg hunts and egg rolling are two popular egg-related traditions. In the U.S., the White House Easter Egg Roll, a race in which children push decorated, hard-boiled eggs across the White House lawn, is an annual event held the Monday after Easter. The first official White House egg roll occurred in 1878, when Rutherford B. Hayes was president. The event has no religious significance, although some people have considered egg rolling symbolic of the stone blocking Jesus’ tomb being rolled away, leading to his resurrection.
Easter Candy
Easter is the second best-selling candy holiday in America, after Halloween. Among the most popular sweet treats associated with this day are chocolate eggs, which date back to early 19th century Europe. Eggs have long been associated with Easter as a symbol of new life and Jesus’ resurrection. Another eggshaped candy, the jelly bean, became associated with Easter in the 1930s (although the jelly bean’s origins reportedly date all the way back to a Biblical-era concoction called a Turkish Delight). According to the National Confectioners Association, over 16 billion jelly beans are made in the U.S. each year for Easter, enough to fill a giant egg measuring 89 feet high and 60 feet wide. For the past decade, the top-selling nonchocolate Easter candy has been the marshmallow Peep, a sugary, pastelcolored confection. Bethlehem,
Pennsylvaniabased candy manufacturer Just Born (founded by Russian immigrant Sam Born in 1923) began selling Peeps in the 1950s. The original Peeps were handmade, marshmallow-flavored yellow chicks, but other shapes and flavors were later introduced, including chocolate mousse bunnies.
processions have been a part of Christianity since its earliest days. Today, other cities across America also have their own parades. Publisher’s note: Many thanks to History. com for this Easter history lesson.
Easter Parade
In New York City, the Easter Parade tradition dates back to the mid-1800s, when the upper crust of society would attend Easter services at various Fifth Avenue churches then stroll outside afterward, showing off their new spring outfits and hats. Average citizens started showing up along Fifth Avenue to check out the action. The tradition reached its peak by the mid20th century, and in 1948, the popular film Easter Parade was released, starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland and featuring the music of Irving Berlin. The title song includes the lyrics: “In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it/You’ll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade.” The Easter Parade tradition lives on in Manhattan, with Fifth Avenue from 49th Street to 57th Street being shut down during the day to traffic. Participants often sport elaborately decorated bonnets and hats. The event has no religious significance, but sources note that Easter
Easter, like any other holiday has its own songs. Here is one of the Old Town Crier’s favorites! Here Comes Peter Cottontail Here comes Peter Cottontail Hoppin’ down the bunny trail, Hippity hoppity, Easter’s on its way Bringin’ ev’ry girl and boy A basket full of Easter joy Things to make your Easter Bright and gay He’s got jelly beans for Tommy Colored eggs for sister Sue There’s an orchid for your mommy And an Easter bonnet too. Oh! Here’ comes Peter Cottontail Hoppin’ down the bunny trail Hippity hoppity Happy Easter Day Look at him hop and listen to him say, “Try to do the things you should” Maybe if you’re extra good He’ll roll lots of Easter eggs your way You’ll wake up on Easter morning And you’ll know that he was there When you find those choc’late bunnies That he’s hiding ev’rywhere, Oh! Here’ comes Peter Cottontail Hoppin’ down the bunny trail Hippity hoppity Happy Easter Day April 2017 | 27
BEHIND THE BAR
Carlos Mejicanos How did you get started in the bartending business?
I got the idea when I was 20 going on 21. I was tired of the sales industry and wanted to find a way to make money while I was in school.
What is your biggest bartender pet peeve?
I have to pick just one? It probably has to be customers asking me if I make a good [insert cocktail here]. I usually reply with, “No, I make a terrible [insert cocktail here].” After the joke they add, “I’ll be the judge if it’s good.” I once told an Old Fashioned aficionado that if he didn’t like my drink, he could come behind the bar and school me. He liked the drink and asked for another.
What is the most clever line anyone has ever used to get you to give them a free drink?
I run into more people wanting a heavier pour, but there are others demanding free drinks for their birthday buddies. Once, I had a Latino guest try to get a free drink based on our similar ethnic background. This older gentleman wanted me to hook him up with a free drink because “You gotta look after your own, right? Haha!” Nope.
28 | April 2017
What is the best/worst pickup line you have overheard at the bar?
The worst was quite vulgar, but in short he told her what he would do to her and what kind of involuntary acts (and convulsions shall we say …) she would follow up with. It, of course, didn’t work.
Tell us about an interesting encounter you have had with a customer(s).
This happened years ago while I was bartending at the Bertucci’s where a Five Guys now stands in Old Town Alexandria. It wasn’t a rough night, and all seemed normal until we got a guest who sat at a bar table. It was a two-top by the front door. We noticed she looked homeless, got her some water and let her sit for a while. Then she falls asleep. We woke her and told her she couldn't sleep there so she ordered some food. This all just seems relatively normal until she starts talking to herself. She’s having a fullon conversation with herself and we’re all looking at each other wondering if we should be concerned. We didn’t wonder long, though, because she got up and started shouting The Star Spangled Banner. Just try and picture a skinny, ragged woman standing at attention bellowing this tune to the ceiling. She went for the long hold, too, once she got to “can you see.” She
CARLOS MEJICANOS IS BEHIND THE BAR AT BOND 45 RESTAURANT & BAR 149 WATERFRONT STREET NATIONAL HARBOR 301-839-1445 BOND45.COM Carlos concocts La Birra, Italian for “The Beer.” The recipe for this drink came all the way from Napoli. Carlos is behind the bar 5-6 nights a week and always on Fridays and Saturdays.
doesn’t let go. Even the manager stared for a bit before realizing he needed to do something. It was an amazing and crazy thing to witness. We packed up her food and escorted her out. She didn’t step into the restaurant again.
Nielsen. I’m a big fan of slapstick comedy and I find him to be a slapstick genius. I can’t imagine what ridiculous conversations we could have over a few drinks.
If you could sit down and have a drink with anyone in the world, past or present, who would that be?
If you would like to see your favorite bartender featured in this space, send contact information to office@ oldtowncrier.com.
It would probably have to be Leslie
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April 2017 | 29
DINING OUT
LANI GERING
THE ROYAL, SINCE 1904! THE ROYAL RESTAURANT 730 N. SAINT ASAPH STREET OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA 703-548-1616 ROYALRESTAURANTVA.COM
“F
or over one hundred years, the Royal Restaurant has been the most popular restaurant in Old Town, Alexandria. Originally located next to City Hall at 109 North Royal Street, the familyowned Royal Café became Alexandria’s premier lunch time eatery for the then bustling downtown shopping district during the 1940s, ‘50s, and ‘60s. Everyone in Old Town ate at the Royal Café. Although a family restaurant, the Royal Café was regularly visited by police officers, secretaries and other downtown workers. It became the place where many of the city’s most important political decisions were made as local politicians, attorneys, businessmen and downtown citizens discussed the hot topics of the day over hearty southern-style dinners and rice pudding desserts. The building on North Royal was torn down in 1964 to make room for the city’s urban renewal projects on the block. Undaunted by the uncompensated taking of their prime location, the owners, Richard Kyriacos and his nephew, Charles Euripides, moved “The Royal” to its present location in 1965 and with very hard work and determination made the new Royal Restaurant a success. Now Euripides and family proudly continue the tradition of its fine home style cooking, authentic Greek and Italian fare, and friendly hospitable service. Welcome to the Royal Restaurant.” The above statement — taken from the front of their carry out menu — pretty much sums up what the Royal is all about. It is an old town institution — one of the good kind! We thought maybe it would be fitting to feature a place that goes easy on your wallet during the month of April — you know, tax season and all! The Royal is just that place. The most expensive item on the menu is the 14 oz. Delmonico steak at $21 and that
30 | April 2017
includes house-made mashed potatoes and broccoli. You can easily have a good breakfast for $10, lunch for $15 and dinner for $20 — including tax and tip. I must admit that the day we ate lunch here (the dinner menu is pretty much identical) was the first time in the 25 years that I have lived here that I have been to the Royal for a meal other than breakfast during the week or the fabulous breakfast buffet that they serve on Saturdays and Sundays. More on that later. The menu is pretty extensive with a host of appetizers, soups and salads, sandwiches and burgers, pastas, steaks and chops, chicken and seafood and choice of 6 desserts. There definitely is something for everyone. They also have daily lunch specials during the week. I was lucky enough to be there on a Wednesday when they had the open faced hot turkey sandwich for a mere $10.50. This includes cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and green beans and it was huge. I am pretty picky about turkey in restaurants – I hate the thin sliced pressed (or whatever it is) pieces that are cut off a deli hunk. I like real turkey sliced off of the roasted bird and that is what they have here! It really hit the spot. In fact, I had to bring half of it home. Bob decided to order a manly man entrée — two grilled center cut pork chops seasoned with herbs, garlic and onion served with the Royal’s signature mashed potatoes and green beans. This is another large plate but he managed to eat both chops. While they were a little on the tough side, he said that the combination of the herbs, garlic and onion compote that topped them more than made up for it. At $15 it was worth it. One of the guys sitting at the counter ordered one of their burgers and it looked great — definitely a good sized sandwich for $9 including the fries. I can’t forget to mention the adult beverages. They do have full bar service and a decent bottled beer
selection, however, if you are looking for a fine wine list, this isn’t the place. They offer a choice of Sean Minor Chardonnay, Tavo Pinot Grigio, Raywood Cabernet Sauvignon and Michael Sullberg Merlot all at the price of $8.50 per glass. I have to give them credit with their wine pour — it is pretty substantial. Let’s talk about breakfast and the breakfast buffet. I love breakfast as long as I don’t have to make it for myself. I realize that it’s the most important meal of the day, blah, blah, blah, but I have never been one who wakes up wanting to eat right away. This is where the Royal shines. The many times I have been there for this meal over the years it doesn’t change. Eggs are cooked to order, the omelets (especially the omelet station on Saturdays and Sundays) are fantastic and the pancakes, Belgian waffles and French toast are spot on. The coffee is always really good here — maybe it’s the old fashioned diner feel that makes it taste better than usual. The vibe that you get from the clientele here adds to the experience. I get the impression that there are still a lot of important “political decisions” being made here by the local politicians and business people! I see a lot of faces that I recognize. Lots of breakfast meetings going down at this place. Breakfast is served Monday through Saturday from 6 am to 11 am and the buffet is served Saturdays and Sundays from 7 am to 2 pm. Get there early for the buffet — it is a mad house on Saturdays after Farmers Market! Lunch is served Monday through Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm and dinner from 4:30 pm to 9:30 pm. If you have never been to the Royal, put it on your bucket list. It is truly a slice of Americana that takes you back a few years. The music playing in the background when we were there was reminiscent of the ‘60’s!
OldTownCrier
LET’S EAT
CHEF CHARLES OPPMAN
Lamb Shanks for Easter Dinner
W
ith Easter just around the corner, it’s time to break out the lamb recipes. When we think spring lamb, most of think of that boneless roast or a bone-in leg, but let’s try something different. Of course, French cut lamb chops are wonderful, but expensive and lack flavor. Why not do lamb shanks? This is a great cut of lamb for several reasonS — fairly inexpensive, bursting with flavor, soft texture and high collagen (when heated, collagen dissolves to provide flavor and gelatinous texture). A meat shank or shin is the portion of meat around the tibia of the animal, the leg bone beneath the knee. Since the leg muscles are well developed they tend to be tough must be braised or slowbaked in the oven. This recipe calls for the braising in the oven. As with any cut of lamb, the shanks are delicious with mint sauce. Please don’t resort to mint jelly. Fresh mint sauce is a snap to make. You just add mint leaves and a pinch of sugar to the natural juices. This is an easy recipe that you’ll love. One caveat, the bone in lamb shanks can be large (this is a good thing because this means more flavor) so compensate for this when judging how many shanks to cook.
Ingredients
• 3-4 pounds of lamb shanks • ¼ cup vegetable oil • 1 teaspoon table salt • 1 teaspoon black pepper • 1 cup onion, diced • 1 cup celery, diced • 2 tablespoon fresh garlic, chopped • 4 bay leaves • 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
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• 2 cups beef broth, canned is fine • 1 tablespoon Worstershire sauce • 6 sprigs fresh mint, finely chopped
Method
• In a heavy skillet or Dutch oven heat the oil over a high flame. Salt and pepper the shanks and sear in hot oil on all sides to form a brown crust. • Remove and set aside browned shanks. Add the garlic, onion, celery, thyme leaves and bay leaves to the hot skillet. Cook over medium to high flame for 3 minutes.
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• Add shanks back to the skillet. Add beef broth and Worstershire sauce. Either place covered skillet in a preheated 300ºF oven or simmer over low fire. Cook until shanks are fork tender, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. • Remove shanks from skillet and set aside. Strain sauce into a separate container. Skim any oil from surface and discard. • Return sauce to skillet and reheat. Add chopped mint leaves, salt, pepper and sugar to taste. Reduce sauce until desired consistency is achieved. If too thick add a small amount of canned beef broth. Adjust seasoning to taste. • Serve with oven-roasted potatoes or couscous and asparagus. Serve sauce in a separate container as desired. Garnish plates with sprigs of fresh mint.
OldTownCrier
April 2017 | 31
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EXPLORING VA WINES
O
ne of the parts I like best about my job as a winemaker is the culture of sharing information in order to make better wines and, hopefully, a better industry. We just had a Winemaker’s Round Table where we tasted Petit Manseng from the 2016 vintage – all made here in Loudoun County. We taste blind so we don’t know which wine is which. Also, the winemaker is usually in the room so diplomacy is important in critiquing a wine. The round table format is for learning, not sales, so the winemaker needs to have an open mind about styles and input in order to make the most out of the experience. In other words, please check your ego at the door. Our roundtables don’t often focus on one varietal, but with Petit Manseng being a sound varietal in the vineyard, we felt it deserved the winemakers focus addressing the styles, procedures, challenges and demand for these wines. Petit Manseng grapes are known for giving big fruit characters, high acid and high
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sugars that are converted into high alcohol. The balance of this wine is challenging, which leads this wine to be used as a blender rather than a varietal name on the bottle. When using a varietal name, customers have an expectation of style for the wine. For example, Cabernet Sauvignon is known to be a bold dry red wine. Riesling has had issues with its
is that we generally only get to make one batch per year, so the definition of style needs to be well thought out long before the grapes arrive on the crushpad. We have a number of techniques or “tools” that we utilize in order to adjust style in a wine. One of the ones we are considering for 2017 is extended skin contact. Once the grapes are crushed, they can be left
some character was barrel aging. Some new oak characters seemed to add to the complexity without masking over the fruit. Styles ranged from dry and austere, to sweet, fruity and complex as well as many styles in between. If there were a conclusion from this tasting and discussion, I would say that Petit Manseng is a very interesting and dynamic wine. It often needs a little sweetness to balance out the acidity but I will not say “always”. With all the new beer styles, craft beverages and tasting rooms opening, another wine in the mix is not a bad thing. As an industry, the wineries need to keep bringing a fresh thing to the table. Petit Manseng is a solid choice for something fresh. Enjoy!
together as a mash where the flavors and tannins from the skins are absorbed by the juice. This actually will decrease the acid and raise the structure of the wine. Higher crop loads on the vine is another way to help tame this wild beast of acid and sugar. Another technique that added
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.
Petit Manseng expectations because some are bone dry, others are very sweet and many are in between. We winemakers in Northern Virginia cannot define exactly what the style for Petit Manseng should be, but we can each find our own and see where it fits among the others. The other challenge
DOUG FABBIOLI
April 2017 | 35
GRAPEVINE
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FOGGY RIDGE CIDER foggyridgecider.com 276 398-2337 1328 Pineview Road Dugspur 24325
GREY HORSE VINEYARDS greyhorsevineyards.com 540-788-4620 12285 Elk Run Church Road Midland 22728
DELFOSSE VINEYARDS AND WINERY delfossewine.com 434-263-6100 500 DelFosse Winery Lane Faber 22938
FOX MEADOW WINERY foxmeadowwinery.com 540-636-6777 3310 Freezeland Road Linden 22642
GUILFORD RIDGE VINEYARDS 540-778-3853 328 Running Pine Road Luray 22835
DEMOCRACY VINEYARDS democracyvineyards.com 434-263-8463 585 Mountain Cove Road Lovingston 22949
GABRIELE RAUSSE WINERY gabrieleraussewinery.com 434-981-1677 3247 Carters Mountain Road Charlottesville 22902
DESERT ROSE RANCH & WINERY desertrosewinery.com 540-635-3200 13726 Hume Road Hume 22639
GADINO CELLARS gadinocellars.com 540-987-9292 92 Schoolhouse Road Washington 22747
DEVAULT FAMILY VINEYARDS devaultvineyards.com 434-993-0722 247 Station Lane Concord 24538
GAUTHIER VINEYARD gauthiervineyard.com 703-622-1107 5000 Farmer's Drive Barhamsville 23011
DOUKÉNIE WINERY DoukenieWinery.com 540-668-6464 14727 Mountain Road Purcellville 20132
GENERAL'S RIDGE VINEYARD generalsridgevineyard.com 804-472-3172 1618 Weldons Drive Hague 22469
DRY MILL VINEYARDS & WINERY drymillwine.com 703 737-3930 18195 Dry Mill Road Leesburg 20175
GILES MOUNTAIN VINEYARD & WINERY gilesmountainwinery.com 540-267-4125 290 Moye Road Staffordsville 24167
COBBLER MOUNTAIN CELLARS cobblermountain.com 540-364-2802 5909 Long Fall Lane Delaplane 20144
DUCARD VINEYARDS ducardvineyards.com 540-923-4206 40 Gibson Hollow Lane Etlan 22719
COLTSFOOT WINERY coltsfootwinery.com 276-623-7653 19158 Stone Mountain Road Abingdon 24210
EARLY MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS earlymountain.com 540-948-9005 6109 Wolftown-Hood Road Madison 22727
COOPER VINEYARDS coopervineyards.com 540-894-5474 13372 Shannon Hill Road Louisa 23093
EDEN TRY ESTATE WINERY EdenTryEstate.com 540-786-0037 6818 River Road Fredericksburg 22407
CORCORAN VINEYARDS & CIDER corcoranvineyards.com 540-882-9073 14635 Corkys Farm Lane Waterford 20197
ELK ISLAND WINERY elkislandwinery.com 804-627-3929 5759 River Road West Goochland 23063
CREEK'S EDGE WINERY creeksedgewinery.com 540-822-3825 41255 Annas Lane Lovettsville 20180
FABBIOLI CELLARS fabbioliwines.com 703-771-1197 15669 Limestone School Road Leesburg 20176
OldTownCrier
GLASS HOUSE WINERY glasshousewinery.com 434-975-0094 Tasting Room 5898 Free Union Road Free Union 22940 GLEN MANOR VINEYARDS glenmanorvineyards.com 540 635-6324 2244 Browntown Road Front Royal 22630 GOOD LUCK CELLARS goodluckcellars.com 804-435-1416 1025 Good Luck Road Kilmarnock 22482 GRACE ESTATE WINERY graceestatewinery.com 434-823-1486 5273 Mount Juliet Farm Crozet 22932 GRANITE HEIGHTS WINERY gh.wine 540-349-5185 8141 Opal Road Warrenton 20186
HAMLET VINEYARDS hamletvineyards.com 276-629-2121 405 Riverside Drive Bassett 24055 HAMPTON ROADS WINERY hamptonroadswinery.com 757-899-0203 6074 New Design Road Elberon 23846 HARTWOOD WINERY hartwoodwinery.com 540-752-4893 345 Hartwood Road Fredericksburg 22406
HUNT'S VINEYARD huntsvineyard.com 540-942-8689 57 Hawkins Pond Lane Stuarts Draft 24477 HUNTERS RUN WINERY huntersrunwinebarn.com 703-926-4183 40325 Charlestown Pike Hamilton 20158 HUNTING CREEK VINEYARDS www.hcvwines.com 4344549219 2000 Addie Williams Trail Clover 24534 INGLESIDE VINEYARDS inglesidevineyards.com 804-224-8687 5872 Leedstown Road Oak Grove 22443 IRON HEART WINERY 3742 Boone Furnace Road Allisonia 24347 JACEY VINEYARDS jaceyvineyards.com 804-580-4053 619 Train Lane Wicomico Church 22579 JAMES CHARLES WINERY & VINEYARD jamescharleswine.com 540-931-4386 4063 Middle Road Winchester 22602
JEFFERSON VINEYARDS jeffersonvineyards.com 434-977-3042 1353 Thomas Jefferson Parkway Charlottesville 22902 JUMP MOUNTAIN VINEYARD jumpwines.com 540-348-6730 1493 Walkers Creek Road Rockbridge Baths 24473 KESWICK VINEYARDS keswickvineyards.com 434-244-3341 1575 Keswick Winery Drive Keswick 22947 KILAURWEN WINERY, LLC KilaurwenWinery.com 434 985 2535 1543 Evergreen Church Road Stanardsville 22973 KING FAMILY VINEYARDS kingfamilyvineyards.com 434-823-7800 6550 Roseland Farm Crozet 22932 KNIGHTS GAMBIT VINEYARD knightsgambitvineyard.com 2218 Lake Albemarle Road Charlottesville 22901 LAKE ANNA WINERY lawinery.com 540-895-5085 5621 Courthouse Road Spotsylvania 22551
HICKORY HILL VINEYARDS WINERY SMLwine.com 540-296-1393 1722 Hickory Cove Lane Moneta 24121
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HIDDEN BROOK WINERY hiddenbrookwinery.com 703-737-3935 43301 Sprinks Ferry Road Leesburg 20176 HIDDENCROFT VINEYARDS hiddencroftvineyards.com 540-535-5367 12202 Axline Road Lovettsville 20180 HILL TOP BERRY FARM AND WINERY hilltopberrywine.com 434-361-1266 2800 Berry Hill Road Nellysford 22958 HILLSBOROUGH VINEYARDS hillsboroughwine.com 540-668-6216 36716 Charles Town Pike Purcellville 20132 HONAH LEE VINEYARD honahleevineyard.com 540-406-1313 13443 Honah Lee Farm Drive Gordonsville 22942 HORTON VINEYARDS hvwine.com 540-832-7440 6399 Spotswood Trail Gordonsville 22942
3310 Freezeland Road • Linden, Va 22642 540-636-6777 • foxmeadowwinery.com Sunday, Monday, Thursday & Friday 11a - 5p Saturday 11a - 6p
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.
April 2017 | 37
LAZY DAYS WINERY lazydayswinery.com 434-381-6088 1351 N Amherst Highway Amherst 24521
MAGNOLIA VINEYARDS & WINERY magnoliavineyards.com 703-785-8180 200 Viewtown Road Amissville 20106
MIRACLE VALLEY VINEYARD miraclevalleyvineyard.com 540 364 0228 3661 Double J Lane Delaplane 20144
MOUNTAIN RUN WINERY MountainRunWinery.com 703-638-5559 10753 Mountain Run Lake Road Culpeper, Virginia 22701
LEO GRANDE VINEYARDS & WINERY leograndewinery.com 540-586-4066 1343 Wingfield Drive Goode 24556
MAIDSTONE MEADERY maidstonemeadery.com 703-303-2090 22367 Maddens Tavern Road Stevensburg 22741
MISTY MOUNTAIN MEADWORKS mistymountainmead.com 540-888-4420 1531 Pack Horse Road Winchester 22603
MOUNTAIN VIEW VINEYARD 540635-5369 444 Signal Knob Drive Strasburg 22657
LEXINGTON VALLEY VINEYARD lexingtonvalleyvineyard.com 540-462-2974 80 Norton Way Rockbridge Baths 24473
MARCELINE VINEYARDS Marcelinevineyards.com 540-212-9798 1588 Cross Keys Rd Mt. Crawford 22841
MOLLIVER VINEYARDS & WINERY molliver-vineyards.com 434-349-1000 2046 Waller Road Nathalie 24577
LINDEN VINEYARDS lindenvineyards.com 540-364-1997 3708 Harrels Corner Road Linden 22642
MARTERELLA WINERY marterellawines.com 540-347-1119 8278 Falcon Glen Road Warrenton 20186
MOLON LAVE VINEYARDS molonlavevineyards.com 540-439-5460 10075 Lees Mill Road Warrenton 20186
LITTLE WASHINGTON WINERY littlewashingtonwinery.com 540-987-8330 72 Christmas Tree Lane Washington 22747
MATTAPONI WINERY mattaponiwinery.com 540-582-2897 7530 Morris Road Spotsylvania 22551
MONROE BAY VINEYARD MonroeBayWine.com 804-410-5628 4786 James Monroe Highway Colonial Beach 22443
LOUDOUN VALLEY VINEYARDS loudounvalleyvineyards.com 540-882-3375 38516 Charlestown Pike Waterford 20197
MEDITERRANEAN CELLARS mediterraneancellars.com 540-428-1984 8295 Falcon Glen Road Warrenton 20186
MONTDOMAINE 434 971-8142 5134 Viewmont West Drive Charlottesville 22902
LOVING CUP VINEYARD & WINERY lovingcupwine.com 434.984.0774 3340 Sutherland Road North Garden 22959
MERIWETHER SPRINGS VINEYARD meriwethersprings.com 434-270-4299 1040 Owensville Road Ivy 22945
LOVINGSTON WINERY lovingstonwinery.com 434-263-8467 885 Freshwater Cove Lane Lovingston 22949
MERMAID WINERY www.mermaidwinery.com 757.233.4155 330 W. 22nd Street Norfolk 23517
LURAY CAVERNS VINEYARD luraycaverns.com 540 743 6551 970 U.S. Highway 211 West Luray 22835
MICHAEL SHAPS WINERY michaelshapswines.com 434-296-3438 1781 Harris Creek Way Charlottesville 22902
MAGGIE MALICK WINE CAVES maggiemalickwinecaves.com 540-905-2921 12138 Harpers Ferry Road Purcellville 20132
MILLER WINERY millerwinery.com 540-692-1411 23 S. Royal Avenue (back alley)Front Royal 22630
MONTICELLO WINE TRAIL monticellowinetrail.com PO Box 244 Charlottesville 22902 MORAIS VINEYARDS & WINERY moraisvineyards.com 540-729-2763 11409 Marsh Road Bealeton 22712 MOSS VINEYARDS mossvineyards.net 434-990-0111 1849 Simmons Gap Road Nortonsville 22935 MOUNTAIN COVE VINEYARDS mountaincovevineyards.com 434-263-5392 1362 Fortunes Cove Lane Lovingston 22949
MOUNTAINROSE VINEYARDS INC mountainrosevineyard.com 276-328-2013 10439 N. Reservoir Road Wise 24293 MOUNTFAIR VINEYARDS mountfair.com 434-823-7605 4875 Fox Mountain Road Crozet 22932 MT VALE VINEYARDS mtvalevineyard.com 276-238-9946 3222 Meadow Creek Road Galax 24333 MUSE VINEYARDS musevineyards.com 540-459-7033 16 Serendipity Lane Woodstock 22664 NAKED MOUNTAIN WINERY AND VINEYARDS nakedmtnwinery.com 540-364-1609 2747 Leeds Manor Road Markham 22643 NARMADA WINERY narmadawinery.com 540-937-8215 43 Narmada Lane Amissville 20106 NEW KENT WINERY NewKentWinery.com 804-932-8240 8400 Old Church Road New Kent 23124 NORTH GATE VINEYARD northgatevineyard.com 540-668-6248 16031 Hillsboro Road Purcelleville 20132
NORTH MOUNTAIN VINEYARD & WINERY northmountainvineyard.com 540-436-9463 4374 Swartz Road Maurertown 22644 NOTAVIVA VINEYARDS NotavivaVineyards.com 540-668-6756 13274 Sagle Road Purcellville 20132 NOVA RIDGE VINEYARDS novaridgevineyards.com Waterford, 20197 OAK CREST VINEYARD & WINERY oakcrestwinery.com 540-663-2813 8215 Oak Crest Drive King George 22485 OLD HILL CIDER oldhillcider.com 540-896-7582 17768 Honeyville Road Timberville 22853 OLD HOUSE VINEYARDS www.oldhousevineyards.com 540-423-1032 18351 Corkys Lane Culpeper 22701 OTIUM CELLARS otiumcellars.com 540-338-2027 18050 Tranquility Road Purcellville 20132 OX EYE VINEYARDS OxEyeVineyards.com 540-849-7926 44 Middlebrook Avenue Staunton 24401 PARADISE SPRINGS WINERY paradisespringswinery.com 703-830-9463 13219 Yates Ford Road Clifton 20124 PEAKS OF OTTER WINERY IwineU.com 540-586-3707 2122 Sheep Creek Road Bedford 24523 PEARMUND CELLARS PearmundCellars.com 540-347-3475 6190 Georgetown Road Broad Run 20137 PHILIP CARTER WINERY www.pcwinery.com 540-364-1203 4366 Stillhouse Road Hume 22639 PIPPIN HILL FARM & VINEYARDS pippinhillfarm.com 434-202-8063 5022 Plank Road North Garden 22959 PLUM CREEK WINERY 276-988-9792 5418 Thompson Valley Road Tazwell 24651
real people. earth friendly. fabulous wines. HOLD YOUR ‘FABB’ EVENT AT FABBIOLI CELLARS! WEDDINGS • CORPORATE OUTINGS • GRADUATIONS • CELEBRATIONS
email us at info@fabbioliwines.com 15669 Limestone School Rd • Leesburg, VA 20176 703.771.1197 • fabbioliwines.com 38 | April 2017
POLLAK VINEYARDS pollakvineyards.com 540-456-8844 330 Newtown Road Greenwood 22943 POTOMAC POINT WINERY potomacpointwinery.com 540-446-2266 275 Decatur Road Stafford 22554 POTTER'S CRAFT CIDER potterscraftcider.com
PRESTON RIDGE WINERY prestonridgewinery.com 276-957-2100 4105 Preston Road Martinsville 24112 PRINCE MICHEL VINEYARD princemichel.com 800-800-WINE (9463) 154 Winery Lane Leon 22725 PUNGO RIDGE WINERY pungoridgewinery.com 757-426-1665 1665 Princess Anne Road Virginia Beach 23456 QUATTRO GOOMBAS WINERY goombawine.com 703-327-6052 22860 James Monroe Highway Aldie 20105 QUIEVREMONT quievremont.com 540-987-3192 67 Reality Farm Lane Washington 22747 RAMULOSE RIDGE VINEYARDS amuloseridgevineyards.com 540-309-6375 3061 Hendricks Store Road Moneta 24121 RAPPAHANNOCK CELLARS www.rcellars.com 540-635-9398 14437 Hume Road Huntly 22640 RDV VINEYARDS rdvvineyards.com 540-346-0221 2550 Delaplane Grade Road Delaplane 20144 REBEC VINEYARDS INC rebecwinery.com 434-946-5168 2229 North Amherst Highway Amherst 24521 REYNARD FLORENCE VINEYARD reynardflorence.com 540-832-3895 434-962-1849 16109 Burnley Road Barboursville 22923 ROCKBRIDGE VINEYARD www.rockbridgevineyard.com 540-377-6204 35 Hill View Lane Raphine 24472 ROGERS FORD FARM WINERY rogersfordwine.com 540-439-3707 14674 Rogers Ford Road Sumerduck 22742 ROSE RIVER VINEYARDS & TROUT FARM roseriverwine.com 540-923-4050 Rt. 648 Syria 22743 ROSEMONT VINEYARDS & WINERY RosemontofVirginia.com 434-636-9463 1050 Blackridge Road LaCrosse 23950 RURAL RETREAT WINERY & VINEYARDS ruralretreatwinery.com 276-686-8300 202 Church Street Rural Retreat 24368 SANS SOUCY VINEYARDS sanssoucyvineyards.com 434-376-9463 1571 Mt Calvary Road Brookneal 24528
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OldTownCrier
SASSAFRAS SHADE VINEYARD sassafrasshade.com 804-596-0179 4492 Ladysmith Road Ruther Glen 22546 SAUDÉ CREEK VINEYARDS saudecreek.com 804-966-5896 16230 Cooks Mill Road Lanexa 23089 SAVOYLEE WINERY savoy-lee.com 540-297-9275 5800 Johnson Mountain Road Huddleston 24104 SHARP ROCK VINEYARDS sharprockvineyards.com 540-987-8020 5 Sharp Rock Road Sperryville 22740 SHENANDOAH VINEYARDS ShenandoahVineyardsVA.com 540-984-8699 3659 South Ox Road Edinburg 22824 SKIPPERS CREEK VINEYARD skipperscreek.com 804.598.7291 965 Rocky Ford Road Powhatan 23139 SLATER RUN VINEYARDS www.slaterrunvineyards.com 540.592.3042 9030 John Mosby Highway Upperville 20184 SPRING RUN VINEYARDS springrunvineyards.com 804-382-4529 10700 Spring Run Road Chesterfield 23832 STANBURN WINERY stanburnwinery.com 276-694-7074 158 Conner Drive Stuart 24171 STINSON VINEYARDS stinsonvineyards.com 434-823-7300 4744 Sugar Hollow Road Crozet 22932 STONE HOUSE MEADERY stonehousemeadery.com 571-512-0763 36580 Shoemaker School Road Purcellville 20132 STONE MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS stonemountainvineyards.com 434-990-9463 1376 Wyatt Mountain Road Dyke 22935 STONE TOWER WINERY stonetowerwinery.com 703-777-2797 19925 Hogback Mountain Road Leesburg 20175 SUNSET HILLS VINEYARD sunsethillsvineyard.com 540-882-4560 38295 Fremont Overlook Lane Purcellville 20132 TARARA WINERY tarara.com 703-771-7100 13648 Tarara Lane Leesburg 20176 TERRA NEBULO VINEYARDS terranebulo.com 540-882-3800 39892 Old Wheatland Road Waterford 20197
THE BARNS AT HAMILTON STATION VINEYARDS thebarnsathamiltonstation.com 540-338-5309 16804 Hamilton Station Road Hamilton 20158 THE DOG AND OYSTER VINEYARD hopeandglory.com 1-804-438-WINE (9643) 170 White Fences Drive Irvington 22480 THE HAGUE WINERY thehaguewinery.com 804 472 5283 8268 Cople Highway Hague Virginia 22469 THE HOMEPLACE VINEYARD thehomeplacevineyard.com 434-432-9463 568 Rigney Circle Chatham 24531 THE HOMEPLACE VINEYARD thehomeplacevineyard.com 434-432-WINE 568 Rigney Circle Chatham 24531 THE VINEYARDS & WINERY AT LOST CREEK lostcreekwinery.com 703-443-9836 43285 Spinks Ferry Road Leesburg 20176 THE WINE RESERVE AT WATERFORD waterfordwinereserve.com 540-692-WINE (9463) 38516 Charles Town Pike Waterford 20197 THE WINERY AT BULL RUN wineryatbullrun.com 703-815-2233 Ext. 107 15950 Lee Highway Centreville 20120 THE WINERY AT LA GRANGE wineryatlagrange.com 703-753-9360 4970 Antioch Road Haymarket 20169 THISTLE GATE VINEYARD Thistlegatevineyard.com 434-286-7781 5199 West River Road Scottsville 24590 THREE FOX VINEYARDS threefoxvineyards.com 540-364-6073 10100 Three Fox Lane Delaplane 20144 THREE SISTERS OF SHINEY ROCK ThreeSistersOfShineyrock.com 804-497-9630 5484 Shiney Rock Road Clarksville 23927
TWO TWISTED POSTS WINERY twotwistedposts.com 540.668.6540 12944 Harpers Ferry Road Purcellville 20132
VILLAGE WINERY villagewineryandvineyards.com 540-882-3780 40405 Browns Lane Waterford 20197
WHITE OAK MTN MEADERY whiteoakmead.com 888-264-6323 455 East Store Lane Chatham 24531
WINERY 32 winery32.com 301-943-9995 or 240-687-1989 15066 Limestone School Road Leesburg 20176
UNICORN WINERY unicornwinery.com 540-349-5885 489 Old Bridge Road Amissville 20106
VINCENT'S VINEYARD vincentsvineyard.com 276-889-2505 2313 East Main Street Lebanon 24266
WHITE ROCK VINEYARDS & WINERY whiterockwines.com 540-890-3359 2117 Bruno Drive Goodview 24095
WINERY AT KINDRED POINTE kindredpointe.com 540-477-3570 3575 Conicville Road Mount Jackson 22842
UPPER SHIRLEY VINEYARDS uppershirley.com 804-829-WINE (9463) 600 Shirley Plantation Road Charles City 23030
VINT HILL CRAFT WINERY vinthillcraftwinery.com 540-351-0000 7150 Lineweaver Road, Warrenton 20187
WHITEBARREL WINERY whitebarrel.com 540-382-7619 4025 Childress Road Christiansburg 24073
WINERY AT LA GRANGE wineryatlagrange.com 703.753.9360 4970 Antioch Road Haymarket 20169
VALERIE HILL VINEYARD & WINERY valeriehillwinery.com 540-869-9567 1687 Marlboro Road Stephens City 22655
VINTAGE RIDGE VINEYARD vintageridgewine.com 540-364-3371 8517 Maidstone Road Delaplane 20144
WICKED OAK FARMS & VINEYARD wickedoakfarms.com 571.201.2963 2121 South Pifer Road Star Tannery 22654
WINEWORKS EXTENDED michaelshapswines.com 434-529-6848 1585 Avon Street Charlottesville 22902
VALHALLA VINEYARDS valhallawines.com 540-725-9463 6500 Mt. Chestnut Road Roanoke 24018
VIRGINIA MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS vmvines.com 540-473-2979 4204 Old Fincastle Road Fincastle 24090
WILDERNESS RUN VINEYARDS 540.841.2598 11109 Plank Road Spotsylvania 22553
WINTERGREEN WINERY wintergreenwinery.com 434-361-2519 PO Box 648 Nellysford 22958
VALLEY ROAD VINEYARDS valleyroadwines.com 540-456-6350 9264 Critzers Shop Road Afton 22920
WEBSTER C HALL VINEYARDS www.websterchall.com 2120 Webster Corner Road Callaway 24067
VAULT FIELD VINEYARDS vaultfield.com 804-472-4430 2953 Kings Mill Road Kinsale 22488 VERAMAR VINEYARD veramar.com 540-955-5510 905 Quarry Road Berryville 22611 VERITAS WINERY www.veritaswines.com 540-456-8000 151 Veritas Lane Afton 22920 VILLA APPALACCIA villaappalaccia.com 540-358-0357 752 Rock Castle Gorge (Do not use for GPS) Floyd 24091
WELL HUNG VINEYARD wellhungvineyard.com 434-260-1501 Charlottesville 22903 WEST WIND FARM VINEYARD AND WINERY westwindwine.com 276-699-2020 180 West Wind Drive Max Meadows Wythe County 24360 WESTON FARM VINEYARD AND WINERY westonfarmvineyardandwinery.webs.com 540-967-4647 206 Harris Creek Road Louisa 23093 WHITE HALL VINEYARDS whitehallvineyards.com 434-823-8615 5282 Sugar Ridge Road Crozet 22932
WILLIAMSBURG WINERY williamsburgwinery.com 757-229-0999 ext 129 5800 Wessex Hundred Williamsburg 23185 WILLOWCROFT FARM VINEYARDS willowcroftwine.com 703-777-8161 38906 Mt. Gilead Road Leesburg 20175 WINCHESTER CIDER WORKS winchesterciderowrks.com 540-550-3800 2502 N. Frederick Pike Winchester 22603 WINDING ROAD CELLARS windingroadcellars.com 540-364-1025 4289 Leeds Manor Road Markham 22643 WINDSONG WINERY windsongwinery.com 5801 Funny Tree Trail Columbia 23038
WISDOM OAK WINERY wisdomoakwinery.com 434-984-4272 3613 Walnut Branch Lane North Garden 22959 WISTERIA FARM & VINEYARD wisteriavineyard.com 540-742-1489 1126 Marksville Road Stanley 22851 WOLF GAP VINEYARD & WINERY wolfgapvineyard.com 540-984-3306 123 Stout Road Edinburg 22824 WOODLAND VINEYARD woodlandvineyard.com 804-739-2774 15501 Genito Road Midlothian 23112 ZEPHANIAH FARM VINEYARD zephwine.com 703-431-2016 19381 Dunlop Mill Road Leesburg 20175
n THREE FOX VINEYARDS APRIL EVENTS n
n 1: 9TH ANNUAL KITE FLIGHT n 2: AUTISM AWARENESS DAY n n 8&9: THE FRENCHMAN FOOD TRUCK n 15: THREE FOX EASTER EGG ROLL n n 16: EASTER SUNDAY n 22: TALK OF THE MOUNTAIN SEAFOOD n 23: PAINT NITE n n 28: MURDER MYSTERY DINNER n 29: TALK OF THE MOUNTAIN SEAFOOD n
TOMAHAWK MILL WINERY tomahawkmill.com 434-432-1063 9221 Anderson Mill Road Chatham 24531 TRUMP WINERY TrumpWinery.com 434-977-3895 3550 Blenheim Road Charlottesville 22902 TURK MOUNTAIN VINEYARDS turkmountainvineyards.com 434-989-2182 8982 Dick Woods Road Afton 22920 TWIN OAKS TAVERN WINERY twinoakstavernwinery.com 202-255-5009 or 540-554-4547 18035 Raven Rocks Road Bluemont 20135
Tasting Room Hours - Open Year Round Thursday-Saturday, & Monday 11-5 pm • Sunday 12 pm (noon)- 5 pm
Mention or bring this ad for a complimentary tasting for two through 12/23/2010 10100 Three Fox Ln. • Delaplane, VA • 540-364-6073
OldTownCrier
April 2017 | 39
FITNESS
NICOLE FLANAGAN
e n i t u o R e s i c r e x E r u o Y n a e l C g n i r p S
S
pring is finally here! At last we can enjoy the longer daylight hours and the warmer weather. It’s time to pack away those heavy winter jackets and pull out our warm weather wardrobes. This month is a good time to focus on stepping up your workout and getting the results you desire for summer. Changing seasons is a great time for a fresh twist on an old routine. This spring do something different with your workout. Head outside, get some fresh air and try some of these exercises to target your arms, abs and thighs. The best part about this workout is that there are no weights required so you can exercise any time anywhere!
Give your abs a killer workout in just fifteen minutes with these exercises.
• ABDOMINAL SIT & HOLD Start sitting on a chair and place your hands on the edge with your finger-tips facing forward. Tighten your abs and lift your feet a few inches off the floor then lift your butt off the chair. Hold this position for 15-20 seconds and then relax. Rest for ten seconds and repeat. Do this for 2minutes. • THE PLANK Start in full push-up position with your hands on the floor under your shoulders. Tighten your abdominal muscles and
hold this position for 2030 seconds. Relax for 10 seconds. Do a set of three planks. As you gain strength with this exercise hold it longer. • OBLIQUE CRUNCH Kneel on the floor and lean all the way over to your right side, placing your right palm on the floor. Keeping your weight balanced, slowly extend your left leg and point your toes. Place your left hand behind your head, pointing your elbow toward the ceiling. Next lift your leg to hip height as you extend your arm toward your leg keeping your palm facing forward. Lower your leg to starting position. Do 8-10
repetitions and then switch sides.
Get a better butt in just a few minutes with these awesome exercises.
• SQUAT JUMP Start standing with your knees slightly bent and your feet about hip width apart. Keeping your abs tight jump straight up. When you land sit back into a squat and hold for a count of 5. Keep in mind that when you squat your knees should not bend farther than your toes. From this squat position you will go into your next jump. Do ten consecutive jump squats and then rest. Do three sets. • HIP LIFT Lie on your back with your arms at your sides with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Lift your hips toward the ceiling. Hold for 1 count, and then lower back down. Focus on pressing your heels into the ground and forming a straight line with your shoulders, hips and knees. • TOE TOUCHES Lie on your back with your arms on your sides. Lift your feet, bending both knees to 90 degrees so your thighs are perpendicular to the floor. Now tap your toes on the floor alternating your feet. Do this for one minute.
Tone your arms and shoulders with three simple steps.
40 | April 2017
• PUSH-UP start in the full pushup position. Lower your body to the ground until your elbows are bent at 90 degrees. Watch your lower back and be sure to keep your abdominals tight to support your core. If full push-up are too difficult start with your knees on the floor. • CHAIR DIPS Sit on the edge of the chair with your feet together. Place your hands on the seat on either side of your thighs and keep your feet flat on the floor. Bend your elbows 90 degrees and lower yourself toward the floor. Raise your body by straightening your arms. Do 8-10 repetitions. • OPPOSITE ARM AND LEG LIFT Begin on all fours, knees under hips, palms beneath shoulders, and abs engaged. Slowly extend left arm forward parallel to floor and right leg behind you to hip height. Hold for 2 or 3 counts, lower, and repeat on opposite side. Do 8 to 12 reps per side Try adding these new exercises to your old routine for a change. The best part is that you can perform these exercises with very little or no equipment. Try adding these exercises either before or after an outdoor run or walk. Changing up your workout will make it more interesting, which will make you more likely to stick to it. OldTownCrier
RYAN UNVERZAGT
FROM THE TRAINER
PLYOMETRICS
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pring is in the air and hopefully all those heavy snow storms will be a distant memory. April is one of my favorite months because the weather is usually making a turn for the better (my birthday is in April too!). If you like the warmer weather, chances are you will be spending much more time outside, which means less time at the health club; but don’t let your fitness routine melt away like the winter snow! If you are a weekend warrior who loves to compete in various sports throughout the year, or just an Ordinary Joe who’s looking for something new, you should consider adding plyometrics to your exercise program. Plyometrics is a form of jump training that has been proven to increase the muscle’s ability to produce power. Why is this important? An increase in power results in an increase in speed, strength, or a combo of the two, which means you will have an advantage over your competition and be lighter on your feet. Another benefit of plyometric training is it can be performed outside (where it will soon be nice) with minimal equipment needed. There are a few things to remember before even trying plyometric exercises — age, strength, body weight, previous injuries and training experience. Because of the
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intense nature of plyometrics, the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) recommends a lowerbody strength prerequisite before starting any jump training. A person must be strong enough to freeweight squat at least 1.5 times their own body weight. For example, a 180 lb person must be able to squat a minimum of 270 lbs! Don’t worry; you will need about six months of progressive resistance training to reach this strength guideline. The minimum age requirement depends on the physical and mental maturity level of the adolescent. Please check with your family physician to help determine if your child is physically ready to start with basic plyometric training. The maximum age relies heavily on current health conditions such as obesity, arthritis, or past joint surgeries. Several studies have shown that lowlevel plyometrics can help increase bone density in older participants. The NSCA recommends those who weigh more than 220 lbs should not depth jump from a height higher than 18 inches. Depth jumps are one of the most advanced techniques in which a person stands on a higher surface, steps off, lands on a lower surface and jumps as high as possible. This should only be performed after a solid
strength base and previous training experience has been established. Besides having a solid strength base, you must also have great technique, especially upon landing from
a jump. Most injuries happen during the landing and rarely on the take off. Landing mechanics need to focus on proper foot placement and flexion of the hips, knees and ankles. Foot placement should be shoulder-width apart with hips flexed about 130 degrees, knees flexed to 110 degrees, and ankles flexed about 75 degrees. I always teach my clients to “land softly” as to absorb the impact by pushing the hips back and flexing the knees, similar to sitting in a chair. Your torso should be leaned slightly forward at the waist with good posture in
the low back. Avoid slamming your feet down on the landing surface. A correct landing should be as quiet as a mouse. 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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April 2017 | 41
GENEVIEVE LEFRANC
FIRST BLUSH
Faking the Glow
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kirt hems are getting shorter; chalky, winter skin is peaking out from under stuffy layers; and store windows are already showing off tiny bikinis and resort wear. The weather is getting warmer, which means shorts, sundresses, tank tops—and with it—bare skin. If you’re not blessed with one of the rich brown mocha skin tones of your African, Indian, Asian and Middle Eastern sisters, you can get a jump on summer by transforming your skin from milky, winter white to glowing, supple bronze. There’s no doubt—a tan makes you feel prettier, look healthier, and enhances muscle definition. Nothing beats being on the receiving end of compliments on your luminescent complexion when you’ve been putting
STUFF WE DIG!
in overtime at the office and haven’t seen the light of day in weeks. However, by now we all know the perils of overexposure to the sun and baking in it during your vacation is the fastest way to age skin, speed the formation of wrinkles, and increase your chances of developing skin cancer (I won’t even get into tanning beds but if you’re using one, stop immediately). If you’re ready and willing to pass up or at least drastically reduce laying out but don’t want to give up that warm healthy glow, self-tanners are one of the best options. Some formulas do a great job of building color gradually with natural results that can last up to a week, but many self-tanners get a bad rap for their less than pleasant smell, streaky application, or orangutan-like results.
Skeptics, take note! Follow these tips, do’s and don’ts, and suggestions for the best formulas, and you’ll be looking like an exotic island princess in no time—no vacation required. It’s not only about the product you choose. You need to know the essential tips and tricks of application, or any self-tanner will end up looking tragic. First and foremost, you must exfoliate with a body scrub in the shower, paying close attention to rough, dry areas like elbows and knees—dry skin will absorb more tanner, creating an uneven, blotchy look. Try Laura Mercier’s Almond Coconut Milk Scrub. Shave beforehand, but do not apply moisturizer, lotion, sunscreen, deodorant, or perfume—your skin needs to be totally clean to ensure proper absorption
Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum Product Description: Formulated with Vitamin C ,konja root, ferulic and hyaluronic acids, and 4 other actives, this antioxidant blend is purported to “brighten, tighten and smooth skin while reducing effects of photoaging.” By leaving out harmful chemicals, parabens, synthetic color and fragrance, Mad Hippie is said to help skin achieve balance naturally. Product Evaluation: We used the serum in conjunction with a moisturizer from another vendor for about 6 weeks. It had some positive effects on older (63 year old) skin in that it did appear to tight and smooth. As for reducing the effects of photoaging, it was hard to tell. The user is an old sun worshiper and naturally freckled. Recommendation: It most likely would work more effectively in conjunction with other Mad Hippie products since they are all created to work with each other. The name alone is enough for some of us of a certain age to pick it up! Price: $33.99 Available at: Select Whole Foods markets and madhippie.com About Mad Hippie: They offer an extensive range of natural, safe skin care products geared to protect the skin from the harmful effects of environmental factors. Their goal is to create safe, effective products utilizing scientifically advanced actives coupled with Mother Nature’s finestantioxidants. All Mad Hippie products are made in the USA and are never tested on animals and are packaged in BPA-Free, recycled and fully recyclable bottles.
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of the self-tanner. Stay away from sugar or salt scrubs that are oil based. When you’re ready, rub Vaseline on your cuticles and nails to protect your manicure and keep your fingertips and nails from staining. Next, apply the tanner limb by limb, starting with your legs, sweeping the product over the shin and calf, and then over the ankle, foot, and toes. Continue with your thigh, from front to back, applying any excess over the knee. Then, apply tanner to hips, stomach, and torso, and lastly shoulders and arms. Wait ten minutes before getting dressed, and don loose fitting, dark clothing. No point staining your favorite pieces. Avoid water, bathing, or activities that will make you sweat for at least eight hours. If your tan hasn’t properly set, sweating will cause unsightly streaking a la Christina Aguilera. By now your hands will be covered in the product, so to remove the tanner from your palms and not the tops of your hands, rub your palms along a wet washcloth. If you mess up or your end result is streaky, you can fix flubs with an astringent toner or even toothpaste. If your application is patchy and uneven, try exfoliating again. If the color is too light, repeat after allowing time for the tan to fully develop. Now that you know how to properly apply self-tanner, you’re ready to go out and pick the perfect product.
Guerlain’s Terracotta Self-Tanning Spray
In 1984, Guerlain of Paris created the first bronzing powder called “Terracotta.” Their bronzer is my go-to product for a bit of color on my face, but they now make one of the best spray tanners on the market. It dries very
quickly, so you can get dressed almost immediately, and the color is supremely natural—a rich brown rather than a fake orange. The tan even deepens as the day goes on! It’s not exactly cheap, but trust me, it’s worth the splurge. After all, it was legendary French designer Coco Chanel who popularized the suntan in the first place!
Laura Mercier Bronzing Gel
This bronzing gel is perfect for enhancing the tan on your face. Dab a bit on after moisturizer and before any powders. While this option is a bit pricier, the bronzer provides a youthful, just tanned glow with a touch of rose. It warms the skin and adds a spark of shimmer without looking too cheap or overly youthful.
Jergens Natural Glow
This lotion formula is perfect for a gradual, subtle tan that builds over several days. It’s perfect for women who embrace their paler complexions or don’t have the patience to maintain darker, more obvious one-application self-tanners. Rub the lotion in after showering, and within a few days you’ll notice a beautiful difference. The one downside is the chemical smell typical of many selftanners, but for the cost, miserly beauty girls will deal.
Decleor Self-Tanning Milk and Gels for Body & Face
Decleor self-tanning products are some of the best and least pungent self-tanners you’ll come across. This product really is near perfect: It hydrates, unlike many drying self-tanners, it won’t streak, and it looks completely natural (albeit with a bit of shimmer) without the FIRST BLUSH > PAGE 45
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SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE PEGGY ARVIDSON
Freckles, Scars & Callouses
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ver the years, I’ve come to realize that each palmist has their own special fascination in the hands. Don’t get me wrong, we all find hands, palms and fingers endlessly fascinating, I’ve yet to meet a professional palmist who refuses to learn more or who thinks it’s time to stop learning about hands. Still, there tends to be one thing that really piques our fascination. For me, it is freckles and their sister markings — scars and callouses. Before I even learned to read hands I was aware of a freckle that appeared on what I now know is the Mount of Jupiter of my left hand. When it appeared I was curious — I’m not a freckled person and I was sure that freckles came about as a pigmentation mark related to sun and fair skin. And I had never seen a freckle on the palm of someone’s hand. Sure, I have an Irish family so I’ve seen freckles on noses, arms, legs and the outside of a hand, but never before had I seen one on the inside of a palm. I first wrote about this topic in 2009, since that time I’ve met hundreds of people who have sent me pictures of their palm-side freckles and conversed with hundreds more on social media. I now know that while freckles on the palm side of a hand aren’t common they aren’t as rare as I once believed. When I first noticed that freckle someone told me that it was just a birthmark. I wasn’t buying that explanation, I knew it wasn’t there throughout my life, it had appeared when I was in my mid-30s. About the
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time that I decided to learn to read hands that freckle had begun to fade and a new one was forming (and is still there) sitting just below the beginning of my heart line, below my left pinky. It’s big and it’s brown and it’s there just to ensure that I never lose sight of my life lesson. In the 13 years since I learned to read hands, I’ve come a long way in terms of accepting the gift of my life lesson. You see a life lesson, in hand analysis terms is like a personal PhD program — intense but ultimately leads to an exceptional understanding of a particular subject. In order to fully live a life purpose, one must learn all the parts to their personal PhD program. Just like a doctoral program, the classwork can be grueling, but each class builds on the one before and if you follow through and commit yourself to the process, you wind up not only with a PhD behind your name, but a depth of understanding that few others in the world have. According to your hands you have an individual life lesson. My life lesson happens to reside in the fingerprint on my left pinky! This lesson is all about trust, surrender and intimacy in everyday life. Every time I take ownership of my lesson and get real about my own trust, surrender and intimacy challenges, things start to “ease up” around me doing what comes easiest and most natural for me (in other words, I get to step into my purpose in a bigger way.) Your lesson may not be on your pinky, but I assure you whatever and wherever it is, it can perplex you and push you beyond your comfort zone.
However, when you continue your coursework, you wind up more solidly connected to your life purpose. The challenge, no matter which finger is home to your lesson, regardless if you have a corresponding freckle, is that your lesson can really hit when you’re down. So that freckle, sitting there below my pinky stares at me every morning when I wake up and check out my hands. That freckle reminds me of all the work that I’m doing to tell my truth, to walk my talk and to stand up for my own voice. It reminds me that no matter how awful or scary my life story seems at the moment — it’s just an illusion. And that the only way out is through. I can’t hide. For me, my lesson requires that I come clean and tell my story in my own words. Whether it’s a conversation
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with a friend or family member, a story to you, or an admission to an authority figure, the truth has to come out for me to surrender to the path. I’m stubborn, so that freckle is hanging on — although, thankfully, fading. I’m getting it though. Every day that I walk my talk, my purpose becomes more accessible. My purpose is helping others trust their own voice and connect with their own inner compass. Do all freckles represent our lessons? No. Sometimes they’re little badges of honor — or memory markers for important milestones in our lives. But most often they seem to show up to remind us of our strengths and challenges and to encourage us to keep moving, to keep trusting to keep living as authentically ourselves as
possible. 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.
Pragmatic Palmist PEGGIE ARVIDSON
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April 2017 | 43
GO FISH
STEVE CHACONAS
HAULING BASS H
aul seining doesn’t come up in conversation unless you’re chatting with Potomac River guide Capt. George Martin. In 2015, Capt. Martin observed the practice of staking one end of a long net and dragging it out to the end and then making a loop to return to the stake. Fish are trapped in the net, containing a pocket to hold fish. Harvested by hand nets, non-target species are released. Haul seining is legal on the Potomac River. Local watermen opt for Maryland’s shorter regulation of 960 feet (VA allows 1000 yards). Initially, he didn’t pay much attention. However, after having successful fishing days in very clear water, Capt. Martin found his shallow area getting muddier, loaded with floating, chewed-up subaquatic vegetation, and fishing became difficult. Scrutinizing
commercial fishing activity with boats churning the water and long nets ripping through grass, Capt. Martin determined this activity produced muddy water, chewed up SAVs and invaded prime spawning areas. Haul seining takes place from spring into June when SAVs emerge. Once grasses are destroyed, they take time to come back or they become overgrown with less desirable grasses. It’s also when bass move into shallow spawning areas. Martin contends any spawn taking place in these areas will be disrupted from the time nests are made, eggs are laid and bass are hatched. He also adds several spawns take place during this period. Destruction of SAVs has a continuing impact on the life cycle as any surviving bass are in open water, becoming easy prey. Food sources for growing fry disappear. GO FISH > PAGE 45
POTOMAC RIVER BASSING Decent weather patterns and longer days have fish up shallow in grass and around grass, wood and docks. Using a Lucky Craft LV RTO lipless crankbait on GAMMA 12 pound test Edge fluorocarbon line with a strong reel like a Quantum Smoke HD will help winch fish out of thicker grass. When water is a bit cooler into the 50-degree range, try a suspending Lucky Craft
APR.
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Pointer 78 in the clown pattern. Using Mustad short shank KVD triple grips on lipless cranks and Mann’s Baby 1-Minus is a good idea. They hold fish better when forcing them out of grass. Firetiger, red, and shad patterns are best depending on sunlight and water clarity. Pitching Texas rigged Mizmo tubes on 3/0 Mustad Mega Bite hooks with 14 pound test Edge to docks, wood and grass clumps is a good idea. Also Carolina rigs with Mann’s HardNose Reel N Shads in white, watermelon and green pumpkin will work too. Use 3/0 Mega Bite hooks. Torque braid combo with 12-pound Edge leader is best. Soak all soft plastics in garlic Jack’s Juice Bait Spray.
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FIRST BLUSH FROM PG 42
BUSINESS PROFILE FROM PG 5
Simon, Peggy, Ken, Kay and Michael have been serving their customers for many years and Catherine, their newest employee, is an expert jeweler and custom designer. At King’s Jewelry there is no sales pressure because their employees do not work on commission. You will encounter the same level of customer service whether you are replacing a watch battery or purchasing a diamond ring. Located in the back of the store and not readily visible to the public is their resident goldsmith, Marcos Smyth and his assistant goldsmith, Susan. Marcos is trained both as a jewelry designer and sculptor and has the experience and expertise to turn your creative vision into a reality. Smyth will sketch out your design, create his own wax models, cast, and then finish that one-of-a-kind masterpiece. I am fortunate to have known Marcos for 40 years. He was one of the early artists at the Torpedo Factory Art Center before it was remodeled. He had unbelievable talent then as a metal sculpture artist. Over the years King’s Jewelry has established a practice that their customers come first, and this philosophy has paid huge dividends. They have the same customers come back time after time whenever they need a special gift. King’s offers a wide range of jewelry and watches in every price range for every budget. Beauty, quality value and integrity are the
cornerstones of the King’s philosophy. When Bradford is buying for the store, he looks first at the beauty and quality of the piece then the value (price) and the integrity (will it hold up over the years). In today’s climate of so much online shopping, when it comes to jewelry, being in a store working with a sales consultant is the better bet. You can feel the weight and see the beauty of the piece. In addition to a selection of the finest watches available, King’s Jewelry is also a franchise store for the coveted Rolex Watch, one of a handful in Virginia and the only one in Alexandria. The hallmark of any successful business is gauged by repeat business. King’s Jewelry has customers who bought their wedding rings there and then came back 50 years later for a golden anniversary gift, and everything inbetween. I personally know of people here in Alexandria and some who have moved out of the area who swear by King’s Jewelry. Actually, they just refer to it, as “going to “Brad’s” to pick up a necklace.” I love a good success story, and this one about a 19-year-old shoe salesman with long hair and beard that became a refined successful businessman is a good one. This success certainly did not come overnight but over four decades of quality product and friendly, yet professional service.
GO FISH FROM PG 44
With hundreds of pounds of catfish, carp and other species confined as they’re hauled in, Capt. Martin also feels the haul seining harvesting process is hard on bass already stressed from the spawning ritual. In addition, he believes confinement restricts oxygen intake for extended periods of time, as he has noticed many dead fish after a haul seining operation has vacated. Since this is an ongoing process, entire bays are affected as watermen harvest for several months. Realizing the impact this practice could have, Capt. Martin contacted guides and anglers to get their thoughts. He took responsibility of this issue. Tracking down jurisdictional authority took some time. For Virginia tributaries it was the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. Maryland presented a complicated situation as counties claimed authority. As for VMRC regulations, he found it was not legal to disrupt SAVs nor was it legal to operate in water less than 3 feet deep, although the regulation was unclear as to the tide. He was told, from his description, commercial fishermen might be in a gray area and VMRC would contact the operators. Nothing changed. Attending a VMRC meeting was next. In March 2016, waiting through other issue discussions, Capt. Martin made his presentation but was told he was not addressing the correct group. He met Robert O’Reilly, Chief of Fisheries Management Division and reported subsequent incidents directly to him. Later in 2016 he observed haul seining in Belmont Bay and photographed SAV destruction and boats working haul seining. He also noticed, and photographed, herding, another vessel scaring fish into the net. Noting haul seining is regulated as a one boat operation, the Marine Police were notified and determined they would have to observe the activity before it would become a violation. OldTownCrier
As for Maryland, Capt. Martin presented his case to the Black Bass Advisory Subcommittee. This issue also topped the BBAS concerns as more anglers have taken note of SAV destruction. Finding no real authority, he supported the move for MD DNR to obtain authority for these commercial activities, which would have to move through the General Assembly. Noteworthy, a waterman presented blue cat harvesting data showing only 2% were harvested via haul seining. Capt. Martin is asking anglers to report to VMRC (VA) and MD DNR (MD) with any observed haul seining activity, photos, location, and day and time. Proposing 5 recommendations, Capt. Martin makes it clear he’s not opposed to commercial fishing. First, no haul seining in less than 5 feet at mean low water. No haul seining where SAVs are present. Before haul seining can be performed, responsible authorities would have to be informed of the area to be fished 24 hours in advance to verify SAV presence and depth. Maintain maximum net length to 1000 yards with only one-vessel operations. And he’s asking for herding to cease. A lifelong resident, recreational and tournament angler and guide, Capt. Martin says he’s just doing his part to protect the fishery and feels haul seining does more damage than angling activities. Reiterating he’s not opposed to watermen making a living, he says haul seining needs to be reined in to end potentially destructive impacts on the environment and fishery. 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.
slightest trace of the dreaded orange. There is that telltale selftanner smell, but the tanning agents are 100% organic and work on both the face and body.
St. Tropez Whipped Bronze Self-Tanning Mousse for Face & Body This salon brand has earned a cult following and is coveted by celebrities like Elle MacPherson. Swimsuit and lingerie models know their self-tanners, so you can count on this one. Within about three hours of application, you’ll have a guaranteed deep, completely natural-looking tan. This is most definitely not a gradual self-tanner, and because it’s fast acting and dries quickly, I recommend using the St. Tropez applicator pad—preserve your manicure and fix any missed patches in a cinch. Their website even features detailed, helpful videos that teach you how to perfect your application. This product deepens over time, and has a more pleasant fragrance than most self-tanners out there.
Dior Bronze Auto-Bronzant
My mom swears by this self-tanner from Parfums Christian Dior for three simple reasons. One, it doesn’t have the offensive smell often associated with self-tanners. In fact, it actually smells quite nice. Two, the result is subtle but noticeable. You can build it up over the course of several days and it will last for quite a while. And three, the formula is completely matte—it does not have any shimmer at all, which she claims is a big plus for women of a certain age who should not be trying to carry off a look best left to their daughters. There are two formulas, one for face and one for body but for the same price you get more product in the body formula which can be used on the face as well. Finally, don’t forget to always wear a moisturizer with SPF to prolong your sunless tan, and. more importantly, to protect your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays.
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OPEN SPACE
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n a recent Saturday morning as I was deciding whether or not to use tap or distilled water in my Neti pot, another woman was attempting to absorb the news that her only daughter had died of a heroin overdose just hours before. I’m aware of the news reports about the heroin epidemic, I’ve watched Intervention since its debut (amazing show, btw), and personally know people who struggle with addiction, yet it still rocks me to my core when I hear about people overdosing. I didn’t know this
46 | April 2017
LORI WELCH BROWN
An Ordinary Luxury young woman—she was just 32 years old. She was the niece of a friend of mine. I know only a few details. She left behind a mother and brother who adored her, as well as a 12 year old daughter who is being raised by her dad and stepmom. She had been in a hotel room with a ‘friend’ who called 911. Medics tried to revive her, but it was too late. She had been struggling with her addiction since she was 18—almost half her life. When people asked her what her drug of choice was, she answered, “more.” I feel so badly for all involved, but I
feel relieved for ‘her’ because she is at least free from the horrible existence that is addiction. I’ve written about addiction previously so I will refrain from getting up on my soapbox — and you and I both know that won’t help the addicts out there. What I will do is tell you what her death meant to me personally. This person, whom I had never met, opened my eyes to a couple of things. First off — It got me thinking about the true meaning of friendship because as far as I’m concerned, no ‘friend’ will ever call 911 from a hotel room for you because you’ve overdosed. For starters, a true friend would never be in that room with you. A true friend would have cut you off long before you ever got to that room because a true friend wouldn’t be able to sit idly by and watch you slowly kill yourself. Just sayin’. Secondly, this person, whom I did not know, opened my eyes to the beauty of my ordinary life. I’ll never look at my Neti pot the same way again. Seriously. How fortunate am I that I have this daily routine that includes such simple luxuries? I sleep soundly on a comfortable mattress with fluffy blankets beside a man who loves me. We sleep in our little slice of heaven surrounded by a three year old boxer/collie mix who often snores as loudly as my husband, XXL. We are awakened most mornings around 4:00 AM by our cat, Macey, who likes to be scratched under her jowls at that particular time. It is her favorite and I can’t deny her this simple pleasure. A cup of hot, black coffee awaits me as soon as my feet hit the floor each morning. Coffee in hand, I make my way to our sunroom where I quietly sit
contemplating the day ahead. My days are not without stress — some days I have to fit in grocery shopping, trips to the vet, and laundry on top of work. I have deadlines and bills to pay. I often have to skip my weekly yoga class in order to check something pressing off my ‘to do’ list. My joints ache and I see my hairdresser more than most of my friends because the gray comes around more frequently than they do. Just the other day, I picked up a nail in my tire which almost made me late for a very important meeting. Some days include traffic gridlock (stupid accidents!) and rude people. I was recently at my local Safeway in the checkout line behind a man who was on a work conference call the entire time — using his speaker phone. After five minutes of being held captive by him, his boss, and a coworker as they dissected last week’s accounts payable log, I seriously considered assaulting him with my head of cabbage. I could go on and on.
Whatever is going on in my blissfully ordinary little existence, I can tell you with confidence that my stress is nothing compared to that poor girl. Imagine the stress of living for a high every damn day. Imagine the stress of keeping so many lies going. Imagine. I can’t, and that’s what makes it so hard. I can’t imagine what her life was like because it is in such stark contrast to my very blessed life. While I am making light of my daily ‘stress,’ even in times of ‘real’ stress, it doesn’t hold a candle to what this woman and/or her family endured. Let’s not leave out the family — they are the ones who carry the real stress of worry, concern, and fear. While none of us wants to be ordinary, please take a moment to embrace the simple, ordinary pleasures of everyday life. Ever since I heard of this woman’s passing, simple and mundane tasks like doing the dishes and putting away the laundry seem like luxuries I have been afforded. Happy Easter, everyone! OldTownCrier
NATIONAL HARBOR
Peeps Day! April 8th Diorama Contest Kicking Off Festivities at Second Annual Peeps Day Washington City Paper and National Harbor are holding their own Peeps Diorama Contest. The finalists from the diorama contest, made popular for years by The Washington Post, will be featured in Washington City Paper and be on display at National Harbor starting on Peeps Day which is occurring April 8. In addition to multiple activities for the whole family, Peeps Day will include declaring one of the Peeps dioramas as the “Peeps Choice Award,” voted on by those attending Peeps Day. The Grand Prize Winner, along with the other five finalists, will be featured in Washington City Paper Friday, April 14. Peeps Day starts at noon on the National Harbor Waterfront Plaza which is in front of the Peeps & Company store (157 National Plaza, National Harbor.) In the event of rain, the
MATT “THE MEGATOAD” STONIE SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA 5’8”, 130 LBS, 24 YEARS OLD • #1 Ranked Eater in the World by Major League Eating • Winner 2015 Men’s Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest • Undefeated in sanctioned MLE competition in 2015 • Holds 13 World Records • World Bacon Eating Champion; 182 strips in 5 min • World Birthday Cake Eating Champion; 14.5 lbs in 8 min • World Frozen Yogurt Eating Champion; 10.5 lbs in 6 min • World Gyro Eating Champion; 24 8-oz Gyros in 10 min • World Slugburger Eating Champion; 43 Slugburgers in 10 min • World Pumpkin Pie Eating Champion; 20 lbs, 13 oz in 8 min OldTownCrier
competition will be held under a tent on the Capital Wheel pier. Entrants are asked to create a diorama, not to exceed 3 feet wide by 2 feet deep by 2 feet tall. Then they should take a photo of their dioramas and submit their entry at woobox. com/knsexwby Monday April 3, at 11:50 p.m. EDT. The photo is to include an accompanying sign no bigger than 12” x 3” with the name of the diorama. Information to be included with the submission is the entrant’s name, age, hometown, phone number and email address as well as the names of any other contributors to the diorama. Six submissions will be selected for the finals. The selected finalists are to take their entries to National Harbor April 8 for National Peeps Day by 11 a.m. Judging for the Peeps Choice Award will begin at noon, and will be done by a popular vote by the Peeps Day audience. Complete Diorama Contest rules and regulations are available on the National Harbor website, www. NationalHarbor.com. The 2017 grand prize winner, which will be chosen by the Washington City Paper staff, will receive $500 in gift cards to National Harbor restaurants and stores. The second place winner will receive $300 in gift cards to National Harbor restaurants and stores, and third place will receive a $100 gift card to a National Harbor restaurant.
Top Major League Eaters to Participate in Second Annual National Harbor World PEEPS® Eating Championship
Matt Stonie and Juliet Lee return to defend their titles The No. 2 world-ranked competitive eater Matt Stonie (San Josie, California) and No. 11 world-ranked Juliet Lee (Gaithersburg) will return to National Harbor with almost a dozen other professional eater contestants to defend their world record titles set
last year at the National Harbor World Peeps Eating Contest. Stonie won the event by eating 200 Peeps in five minutes. Juliet was the highest ranked woman competing, having devoured 140 Peeps. The event is sanctioned by Major League Eating, the world body that oversees professional eating contests including Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. Major League Eating developed competitive eating and includes the sport’s governing body. The National Harbor World Peeps Eating Contest will take place at1:30 p.m. on the National Harbor Waterfront Plaza which is in front of the Peeps & Company store (157 National Plaza, National Harbor.).In the event of rain, the competition will be held under a tent on the Capital Wheel pier (just adjacent to 157 National Plaza location.) “Our signature Peeps & Company store provides the perfect backdrop for our World Peeps Eating Contest,” stated Deborah Topcik, director of marketing for National Harbor. “The contest attracts many of the top competitive eaters in the nation, which is unusual to have so many together; and it offers an amateur eating contest as well.”
will lead the children’s “Dance Like a Peep” contest with prizes. The day will end with the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory playing at 2:30 p.m. The Peeps & Company store at National Harbor was the first in the country and there are only two others. Peeps (the popular marshmallow candies shaped like chicks and bunnies) have become an iconic symbol of spring. Peeps® are made by the family-owned company, “Just Born,” headquartered in Bethlehem, Penn. and founded in 1923. Over time, the candy line has expanded to include bunnies and a wide array of colors and flavors. For more information, visit www. NationalHarbor.com. Publisher’s Note: Thanks to Bendure Communications for the information published here.
More Peeps Day Fun!
The Capital Wheel celebrates Peeps Day with a free child’s ticket (12 and under) with one adult paid ticket. The Wheel soars 180 feet above the landscape and provides breathtaking views of the Potomac River, Washington D.C., Virginia, and Maryland. There will be free activities which include a climbing wall and a children’s maze. The Peep character
SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES FOR THE DAY Noon to 12:30 p.m.: Public Judging of Dioramas 12:30 p.m.: Amateur Peeps Eating Contest 1:15 p.m.: Dance Like a Peep Competition 1:25 p.m.: Announcement of Diorama Winners 1:30 p.m.: World Championship Peeps Eating Contest 2:30 p.m.: Showing of the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
“THE LOVELY” JULIET LEE GERMANTOWN, MARYLAND 5’4”, 100 LBS, 49 YEARS OLD • #8 Ranked Eater in the World by Major League Eating • World Jellied Cranberry Sauce Eating Champion, 13.23 lbs in 8 min • Became only the second woman to break 30 Hot Dog & Bun mark in May 2009 • Ate 219 Shrimp Wontons in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2012 • Former chemistry professor in Nanjing, China; now owns a hair salon April 2017 | 47
Join us for an evening to remember at Old Hickory Steakhouse’s Bourbon Dinner. Enjoy a six-course dinner paired with award-winning single and small batch bourbons including Buffalo Trace and Blanton’s.
Friday, April 28, 2017 at 7:00pm Pre-purchase required GaylordNationalTickets.com (301) 965-4000 Located in Gayord National Resort National Harbor, MD 20745
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3/22/17 4:23 PM
Potomac RiveRboat comPany
NATIONAL HARBOR DINING GUIDE
SightSeeing – Private CharterS – Water taxiS
alexandria – national harbor Water taxi
washington by wateR monuments cRuise
National Harbor is a waterfront destination across from Alexandria. Round-trip and One-way service provided.
Enjoy our nation’s monuments and historic landmarks on a narrated cruise between Old Town Alexandria and Georgetown Washington D.C.
george WaShington’S mount veRnon by wateR cRuise
Water taxi to the national Mall
Arrive by boat and spend the afternoon exploring the 45-acre estate, grounds, Museum and Education Center.
Arrive in style at the National Mall to view the Roosevelt Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, World War II Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and more!
For additional information, visit our ticket booth located in the Alexandria City Marina, behind the Torpedo Factory Art Center.
703.684.0580 48 | April 2017
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AC LOUNGE 156 Waterfront Street 301-749-2299 BOND 45 149 Waterfront Street 301-839-1445 BREWS & BITES Capitol Wheel Pier 301-749-1300 BROTHER JIMMY’S BBQ 177 Fleet Street 301-909-8860 CADILLAC RANCH 186 Fleet Street 301-839-1100 CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL 158 National Plaza 301-749-2016 CRAB CAKE CAFE 140 National Plaza 240-766-2063 ELEVATION BURGER 108 Waterfront Street 301-749-4014 FIORELLA PIZZERIA E CAFFE 152 National Plaza 301-839-1811
GRACES MANDARIN 188 Waterfront Street 301-839-3788 GRANITE CITY FOOD & BREWERY 200 American Way 240-493-3900 IRISH WHISPER 177 Fleet Street 301-909-8859 McCORMICK & SCHMICK 145 National Plaza 301-567-6224 McLOONES PIER HOUSE 141 National Harbor Plaza 301-839-0815 NANDO’S PERI-PERI 191 American Way 301-567-8900 NATIONAL PAST TIME SPORTS BAR & GRILLE Gaylord Resort 301-965-4000 gaylordnational.com OLD HICKORY STEAKHOUSE Gaylord Resort 301-965-4000 gaylordnational.com
PIENZA ITALIAN MARKET Gaylord Resort 301-965-4000 gaylordnational.com POTBELLY SANDWICH WORKS 146 National Plaza 301-686-1160 PUBLIC HOUSE 199 Fleet Street 240-493-6120 REDSTONE AMERICAN GRILL 155 National Plaza 301-839-3330 ROSA MEXICANA 135 Waterfront Street 301-567-1005 SAUCIETY AMERICAN GRILL 171 Waterfront Street 240-766-3640 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
OldTownCrier
Salerno Seabass
Sweet Pea Mahi
Herb Farmhouse Salad
SPRING SAPOR
The quality in a substance that affects the sense of taste Visit us in Annapolis or Alexandria to indulge in delicious, Spring inspired offerings. Starting March 21 for a limited time only.
chart-house.com 300 Second St. • Annapolis, MD. • 410.268.7166
One Cameron St. • Alexandria, VA • 703.684.5080
Anniversary Celebration! Friday, April 7 - Sunday, April 9 Join us for tastings with Chef Jill Siena, drawings, and store specials!
The Spice & Tea Exchange
®
320 King Street, Suite 112 | Alexandria, VA 22314 | 571-312-8505 alexandria@spiceandtea.com
Happy Hour Tuesday through Friday 4:00pm to 6:30pm
Lunch Thursday and Friday 11:00am to 2:00pm
Dinner Tuesday though Sunday 5:00pm to 9:00pm
Brunch Saturday and Sunday 11:00am to 2:00pm
With our seasonal menu changes and patio opening in mid-April, there is evidence that . . .
Spring is upon us!
Ask us about our private event space! Walk-ins Welcome, Reservations Recommended 703.780.3665 reservations@cedarknollva.com 9030 Lucia Lane Alexandria, VA 22308 cedarknollva.com