Since 1988 • Priceless
From the Bay to the Blue Ridge
April 2019
Can you guess the flower? oldtowncrier.com
Setting the Standard In Old Town Since 1979
april’19 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 Meg Mullery SOCIAL MEDIA & WEBSITE Ashley Schultz
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40
A Bit of History............................................................. 16
First Blush.........................................................................43
Personality Profile............................................................ 4
DESIGN & PRODUCTION Electronic Ink 9 Royal Street, SE Leesburg, VA 20175 703. 669. 5502
After Hours.......................................................................11
Fitness................................................................................41
Points on Pets.................................................................18
Alexandria Events............................................................ 3
From the Bay….............................................................22
Alexandria Symphony Orchestra 18-19 Season...11
From the Trainer............................................................42
CONTRIBUTORS Ron Powers Kim Putens Julie Reardon Amy Roberts Ashley Schultz Jackie Shannon Bob Tagert Carl Trevisan Ryan Unverzagt Lori Welch Brown Molly Winans
Arts & Antiques..............................................................13
Gallery Beat.....................................................................12
Behind the Bar................................................................32
Go Fish...............................................................................45
Social Media Message................................................... 2
Business Profile................................................................. 6
Grapevine.........................................................................38
Spiritual Renaissance...................................................44
Caribbean Connection...............................................20
High Notes.......................................................................10
Tall Ship Providence Update....................................15
Dining Guide...................................................................34
Masters of Cuisine.........................................................36
Dining Out.......................................................................31
National Harbor.............................................................. 47
Eart Day 2019..................................................................28
On the Road with OTC....................................................1
Exploring Virginia Wines............................................39
Open Space...................................................................... 46
Urban Garden.................................................................14
Financial Focus.................................................................. 8
Pets of the Month.........................................................19
Walsh Family Wine........................................................40
Peggie Arvidson Nancy Bauer Sarah Becker F. Lennox Campello Steve Chaconas Doug Fabbioli Nicole Flanagan Lani Gering Miriam Kramer Genevieve LeFranc Sarah Liu Melinda Myers
© 2018 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 and St. John, USVI.
Since 1988 • Priceless
15
Publisher’s Notes.............................................................. 2 Road Trip...........................................................................24
The Last Word.................................................................... 9 To the Blue Ridge..........................................................26
From the Bay to the Blue Ridge
April 2019
on the road with OTC Can you guess the flower? oldtowncrier.com
about the cover This photo is proof that there is beauty in everything that Mother Nature provides. If you know what kind of spring flowers these are, send your answer to office@oldtowncrier.com with "About the Cover" in the subject line. Photo by Lani Gering.
Old Town Crier
On the way back to Colorado from lots of fun in the sun on the beach in Venice, Florida, Adalie, Violet and Wyatt Kutta take a couple of minutes to catch up on what is happening in their Great Uncle Bob's corner of the world while waiting for their flight. The "Kutta Kids" belong to the Publisher's niece Kim and her husband Matt who reside in Erie, Colorado. The Kutta's are regular subscribers to the OTC and travel with it when they can. If you would like to see your picture here, take the OTC on your next adventure, snap a high resolution photo and send it along with information for the caption to office@oldtowncrier.com. Happy Trails!
April 2019 | 1
PUBLISHER’S NOTES
BOB TAGERT
Spring has arrived and we sailors have burned our socks in anticipation of a dry sailing season. We are all hoping for a much dryer year than last year which turned out to be one of the wettest on record. The long range weather forecast for March was spot on. The long range forecast for April seems pretty good as well with only six days of rain forecast and temperatures slightly below the average of 65 for the month. The month of April is a great time to break away from cabin fever and take a drive. This month’s Road Trip will take you to Middletown, Virginia for a step back in time to a slower pace of life. The fields are turning green and buds are beginning to appear. The drive to Middletown will take you west on I-66 past some of Virginia’s finest wineries. Take time to stop in one or two and enjoy the wine and hospitality as well as the beautiful views. Our friends at the Virginia Wineries are looking forward to a dry season more than anyone. If you want to see the Cherry Blossoms you can beat the D.C. crowds and take a short drive or bike ride to National Harbor and admire their own Cherry Blossoms around what was formerly Smoots Bay. Our Personality Profile this month is our longtime friend Nina Tisara. Learn what it was like in Old Town in the early 80’s and how the city’s growth began. Dining Out this month is the Junction Bakery & Bistro in Del Ray. The baked goods are spectacular and the evening meals are much more than one would expect. The decor is charming and it is an excellent spot for both family-style dining and the solo diner. Check out our favorite bi-valve, the Eastern Oyster, and its continuing role as a delicacy and the most effective tool for cleaning the waters of our rivers and Bay in From the Bay. Learn about the “Circle of Life” from our Business Profile and the new Brandywine Living at Alexandria. As we get older, long range planning becomes essential. As coincidence would have it, Lori Welch Brown’s Open Space column focuses on her family’s situation with her father who is now in need of some extra care. In this month’s Exploring Virginia Wines Doug Fabbioli gives us a little tutorial on tasting wines as he prepares for the upcoming season. As I mentioned, last year was brutal for the Virginia wine industry because of the weekend rains all season and the hurricane that arrived around harvest time. This is a recovery year and a great time to visit these hard working vintners and wine makers. We celebrate Easter on the 21st and Earth Day on the 22nd – both a time of reflection and inspiration for renewal! We are donning our bunny ears and looking forward to some good egg hunting! Happy Easter and Happy Earth Day!
SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGE
Happy Easter from Lani and Bob!
ASHLEY SCHULTZ
Spring Cleaning your Social Media Accounts
I
t is officially springtime and now is the perfect opportunity to clean up your social media accounts, whether they are business or personal! Over time, your bio details become outdated, privacy settings will have been changed without your consent, and your overall use and goals for a particular platform may have shifted! A good first step in springcleaning is to update your social media passwords, make sure you have a database or secure location where you can store your passwords. Then take the time to go over the following list: • Delete photos and updates that no longer represent you or your brand • Make sure all of your website links on the home page are working properly 2 | April 2019
• Pages-check your admins and permissions to make sure it is what you want
• Personal-check your privacy settings
• Check messages and requests you may have missed and delete any
spam or clutter • Have a branded or curated account? Delete personal photos that don’t contribute to your vision • Visit your followers and see if you have missed anyone you would like to follow back and connect with • Visit those you follow and makes sure they align with your brand - if they don’t it is time to unfollow those accounts • Check your DM (direct message) folder- the message requests are easy to miss • Check your messages and favorites to follow up on anything you wanted to save Now that you have cleaned up your social media closet, time to tackle that actual closet!!! Old Town Crier
Alexandria APRIL TOURS, EXHIBITS, EVENTS
Even when trains aren’t running, we’ll keep you on track.
PREMIER EVENTS Cherry Blossom Pop-Up History Tours
Braddock Rd
TBA (see below) 221 King Street www.discoveralexva.com
King Street-Old Town
Two pop-up tours to occur during peak bloom weekend Admission: $12 per adults; $5 per child Tour departs from the Alexandria Visitor Center
Van Dorn St.
Discover Alexandria will be offering a Cherry Blossom Pop-Up History Tour in April. The tour will occur twice over peak bloom weekend. The tour offers the best of both worlds, combining local history with great cherry blossom sightseeing. The tour dates and times will be announced approximately one week in advance via Discover Alexandria’s website and social media platforms. Reservations are required and can be made by emailing: discoveralexandria@gmail.com.
Eisenhower Ave
This summer, Metro is suspending train service at the Braddock Rd,
APRIL 27TH
86th Annual Old Town Alexandria Historic Homes & Garden Tour 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission: $45 in advance; $55 day-of at The Athenaeum or Old Presbyterian Meeting House www.VAGardenWeek.org
King St-Old Town, Van Dorn St and Eisenhower Ave Metrorail stations for platform repairs. But we’re putting plans in place to help you still get around. Sign up for alerts and get the latest info: alexandriava.gov/GOAlex
Five of Old Town Alexandria’s finest private homes and gardens will open to the public as part of Historic Garden Week in Virginia, the nation’s oldest and largest collection of house and garden tours. The homes will feature beautiful floral arrangements created by the members of the Garden Club of Alexandria and the Hunting Creek Garden Club, the tour’s sponsors. This walking tour features private townhomes and secluded gardens located along the tree-lined streets CALENDAR > PAGE 5
SPRING FUN & THINGS TO DO IN YOUR OWN HOMETOWN: 1. Check out VisitAlexandriaVA.com/Spring 2. Stay tuned to the visitALX blog at visitALX.com 3. Sign up for the Alexandria Insider monthly e-newsletter at VisitAlexandriaVA.com/eNews
VisitAlexandriaVA.com/Spring #visitALX | Old Town Crier
April 2019 | 3
PERSONALITY PROFILE
BOB TAGERT
Tisara circa 1982 Photo: David Ford
T
here have been many individuals that have had a profound effect on the City of Alexandria over the years and this month’s profile is one of kindest persons I have ever known to unite a growing city – Nina Tisara. In the early 1980s, Old Town Alexandria was comprised mostly of the first 6 blocks of King Street from the waterfront to Washington Street. In the early years the OTBA (Old Town Business Association) was founded to help organize and coordinate the businesses east of Washington Street. That all began to change in 1983 when the King Street Metro opened and Alexandria had rail service. Nina Tisara opened her photography business on King Street in 1990 – two years after we started publishing the Old Town Crier. We have used several of her images over the years. I guess you could say we have been running a parallel course along the way these last thirty plus years. Before becoming a full time photographer, Tisara worked for the Air Force where she was an archivist for their photo library. One of her bosses thought that if you are selecting photos, you should know something about photography. Tisara thought that was a good idea and took a class offered by an airman. She later enrolled in NOVA and while developing her film in the lab, she met a fellow photographer who worked in sales at the Gazette newspaper in Old Town Alexandria who told her they 4 | April 2019
Nina Tisara
Still a Force to Reckon With! needed a photographer. “I was shooting plants at the Botanical Gardens, so I took some of the images and met the editor of the paper, Jim Goldsmith,” she tells me. “Can you shoot something that moves faster than a plant?’ he asked. “He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out two rolls of TRI X film and said, “let me see what you can do with this and I will try and publish some of your photos.’’’ Tisara would work all day long Saturday shooting, spend Sunday in her dark room developing film and making prints, and then drop them off at the newspaper Monday morning. “He would try and publish my shots, but remember, this was soft news, and I got paid $5.00 a shot. He might publish one and the most he ever did was 10,” she says. Back in those days everything was being shot in black and white. Not many local publications were using color in 1990. “I love black and white and I miss the darkroom,” she laments. With the development of the aforementioned King Street Metro in west Alexandria, businesses began to open up on the west end. Howard Rooks of Mount Vernon Real Estate started an association of businesses in the west end and Tisara joined the group. In the second year she was
Tisara today with her Mosaics
Photo: Stephen Halperson
president and the group changed their name to KSMET (King Street Metro Enterprise Team) and modeled itself after the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce of which she was a member. Most of those initial businesses are now gone, but Tisara ushered in a new era of cooperating businesses, particularly business and the arts. “Since I had been taking photographs for the local paper for years I had developed a reputation of having this archive of images. People began coming to me for images of persons who had died to accompany stories they were writing,” she says. Tisara had yet another idea and approached Jerry Vernon of the Gazette. She figured she could solve future problems by starting to shoot people who were still alive, and the *Living Legends program was born in
2007. Noteworthy people are nominated as Living Legends and the winners are selected each year. Tisara is responsible for the photographs of the nominees that accompany the nominator’s short biography. All of the nominated Living Legends photos and bios are donated to the Office of Historic Alexandria. “Out of all of the award programs in the city, this is the only one that is archived. Can you imagine what this will amount to over time?” she says. Tisara was the driving force behind Tisara Photography which for many years was known as the “go-to” wedding and event photographer. Since the introduction of the digital age of cameras, their business has fallen off a little and the appreciation of the professional has waned. Owning a digital camera does not make one a photographer...only a person who takes pictures. Today Tisara’s son, Steven Halperson owns and manages Tisara Photography. Although Nina has stepped aside in some respects, it doesn’t mean this 80-year-old dynamo has slowed down. Today she is in the process of scanning her old prints, which is very time consuming, using the large format scanner at Fairfax Sherwood Regional Library and is then donating them to the Alexandria
Library’s special collections unit where they are happy to have them. “They tell me that they do not have many photos representative of the 80’s,” she says. As our breakfast meeting at Table Talk continues, the conversation turns to Tisara’s new path of reinvention. “Although I have stepped away from the photography, I have reinvented myself through my mosaics,” she tells me. A mosaic is a piece of art or image made from the assembling of small pieces of colored glass, stone or in Tisara’s case, tile. She cuts each piece until it acquires the shape she needs for her art piece. Tisara began working in mosaics in 2004 and has had numerous shows. Her next show is April 7th through the month of May at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation Of Fairfax at 2709 Hunter Mill Road in Oakton, VA. Nina Tisara’s legacy continues through her work, her photography and her many friends. As the city grew, her beloved KSMET merged with OTBA and became the Old Town Business and Professional Association. She was the one who added the King Street Metro area to the Old Town Alexandria street map and brought this city together. *Living Legends has its own 501C3 classification and is solely supported by donations. The city doesn’t provide any funding so it is up to businesses and individuals to keep the program afloat. To learn more about the project go to www. AlexandriaLegends.org. Old Town Crier
CALENDAR | FROM PAGE 3
of Alexandria’s historic district, plus refreshments and a marketplace at The Athenaeum. Tour tickets also provide access to two Garden Club of Virginia restoration projects, located at George Washington’s Mount Vernon and Green Spring Gardens. Tour attendees also are encouraged to stop by the Alexandria Visitor Center at historic Ramsay House, where the garden is undergoing a major renovation that will create a more accessible and sustainable design to welcome visitors to Old Town Alexandria.
EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE MONTH APRIL 1ST, 7TH, MAY 5TH & 26TH Geek Tour: Behind the Scenes 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Admission: $15 Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum 105-107 S. Fairfax Street 703-746-3852 www.alexandriava.gov/apothecary Spend more time touring the StablerLeadbeater Apothecary Museum with an expert guide. You’ll enjoy special access to the rarely-open basement and third floor of the historic pharmacy. Wear comfortable shoes, be prepared for stairs and bring your camera.
APRIL 6TH AND MAY 4TH Factory Flow: A Healthy Arts Series 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Admission: $20 Torpedo Factory Art Center 105 N. Union Street 703-746-4590 www.torpedofactory.org Find inner peace and creativity with this early-morning series focused on art, health and imagination. Sessions feature sound artists, yoga teachers, dance instructors and more. Visit www. torpedofactory.org for tickets and to pre-register.
APRIL 6TH Cherry Blossom Celebration
featuring food and drink specials at top neighborhood restaurants, raffles and more. Proceeds benefit Rebuilding Together Alexandria and the beautification of Mount Vernon Avenue. For ticket information, visit www. visitdelray.com.
APRIL 12TH
Enjoy gallery talks, artist receptions, music, live performances, handson artmaking and three floors of open artists’ studios at the Torpedo Factory Art Center’s monthly Late Shift event. Look toward the future with a night of new and innovative art and ideas. Meet up-and-coming talent during Target Gallery’s opening for the 2019 Emerging Artists exhibition. Explore Mirror Mirror, a new temporary public art installation at Waterfront Park by SOFTlab, a New York-based design studio led by artist and architect Michael Szivos.
APRIL 19TH – 21ST 20th Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Lee-Fendall House 3 p.m. on April 19; 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on April 20; and 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on April 21 Admission: $15 Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden 614 Oronoco Street 703-548-1789 www.leefendallhouse.org
Enjoy an indoor hanami (flower viewing) in the Torpedo Factory Art Center and revel in all things cherry blossom. Artists show and make work inspired by the popular pink and white blooms. Find a bevy of activities and performances to enjoy this regional celebration in Alexandria.
Old Town Walking Tour is $10 Throughout Old Town Alexandria aianova.org/architectureweek.php
Don’t miss this community bar crawl
Old Town Crier
Open Thurs 10am-8pm Mon-Sat 10am-6pm Closed Sundays
KingsJewelry.NET 609 King Street Old Town Alexandria 703-549-0011
Family owned and operated for over 60 years.
The Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt returns to Alexandria on Easter weekend. Once again, the museum’s garden will be filled with hundreds of colorful, toy-filled Easter eggs. Other activities include games, crafts, refreshments and photos with the Easter Bunny. $15 for children ages 1-12; $5 for adults; free for infants under 1 years old; discounted tickets available for Friends of the Lee-Fendall House. Tickets are available online.
APRIL 20TH – 28TH
1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Admission: $15 in advance; $20 at the door Various Locations Mount Vernon Avenue Del Ray Area of Alexandria www.visitdelray.com
This family owned business is the best! Coming from a stressed out newly engaged bride-to-be, they went out of their way to accommodate my ring redesign requests, in a timely manner. Then we bought my wedding band there. the I now take all my jewelry to King's to have it repaired, appraised and love the beautiful and unique jewelry that they carry. Everyone is very knowledgeable and friendly. I wouldn't go anywhere else but King's Jewelry." — Lynne Williams
7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Admission: Free Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union St., Alexandria, VA 22314 703-746-4590 www.torpedofactory.org
April 6, 2019, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: Free Torpedo Factory Art Center 105 N. Union Street 703-746-4590 www.torpedofactory.org
3rd Annual Del Ray Bar Crawl
A MUST READ
Late Shift at the Torpedo Factory: Art on the Horizon
AIA Northern Virginia Architecture Week Admission: Prices vary depending on the event
For architecture buffs, Architecture Week presents a week of activities, including tours, lectures, exhibits, and family activities planned by local architects. Architecture Week is held every April as part of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) nationwide celebration of our built environment. AIA Northern Virginia will offer a wide variety of architecture-themed events including the always popular walking tour of Old Town Alexandria, focusing on historic churches this year, an
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CALENDAR > PAGE 17
April 2019 | 5
BUSINESS PROFILE
OUR COMPANY
LANI GERIG
Brandywine Living is a premier provider of quality care and services to seniors. Dedicated to promoting independence, dignity and individuality, the Brandywine team has a long history of providing a network of health care services in the mid-Atlantic region including assisted living and Alzheimer’s and dementia care. Brandywine’s corporate office is located in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey.
OUR MISSION Brandywine Living provides our residents with the highest quality care in the most appropriate setting based on an individual’s needs while respecting their individuality, independence and dignity.
OUR CORE VALUES • We believe that every resident has the right to be treated with dignity and respect and has the right of selfdetermination. • We believe in delivering the best quality service possible to those who have put their trust in us.
Photo by JudyHDPhoto and StudioHDP
Brandywine Living…
W
Interior, from top: Lobby from above; Lobby from below; living room; bedroom.
Interior photos by Lindsay Galtro LG Photography
6 | April 2019
hen we first decided to feature Brandywine in this column I knew it wouldn’t be like most of the other Business Profiles we have published since we usually feature small businesses much like ourselves. Brandywine is anything but a small business since they have locations in 7 states along the east coast and will soon be opening another location in Potomac, Maryland. I wasn’t really sure of what my approach was going to be, either, since we normally highlight what a business has to offer, a little background about the owner(s) and what sets it apart from other like businesses in the area. However…after sitting down with the Executive Director of the Alexandria location, Christian Randolph, and Samantha Tricoli, the Director of Community Relations, it all clicked. Many of you may be familiar with Brandywine Living. It is the newest addition to the adult retirement and assisted living community in the Alexandria area. Notice that the name isn’t Brandywine “Assisted” Living. There is a reason for that. The mind set they want their clientele to have is that they are residents just like in any other condominium complex in the area even though they may need a little special attention. The Alexandria location hasn’t been open a year yet and they are located in an area that is in transformation from industrial to multiuse much like many sections of our city. In
the midst of the construction, the building is a gem. Brandywine Alexandria is beautiful inside as well and has one of the most welcoming foyers and second floor terraces in the city. The aquarium in the center sets the tone for your experience. I have been on the property for several events and have taken a tour. The photos don’t do it justice. The people are just as beautiful. It was wonderful watching how they interacted with the residents we encountered while I toured the facility with Samantha. Many of you readers are at the point in your life when you are either looking for a place that may be more suitable for an aging parent than trying to keep them at home or you are dealing with issues yourself that you could use some assistance with. While there are many good choices for such places in our area, I think Brandywine would be well worth consideration. While gathering information from Christian and Samantha, I discovered that Christian had written a piece about some of the hurdles that we face with aging parents since she is dealing with many of them now. I then decided that I would have some of the highlights of what Brandywine Living offers published in a side bar and would reserve space for her piece. Some of the highlights of picking Brandywine are featured in this section.
• We believe that honesty, integrity, caring and thoughtfulness are as important as the health care we provide. • We believe that our residents are active, joyful and fascinating individuals who will continue to learn and grow each day and will contribute to our learning and growing as well. • We believe that great care is a team effort where ideas, collaboration, and mutual respect for each team member’s efforts and contributions are essential to the result
What Makes Us Different? CARE – Our licensed nurses are All Day, All Night, On-Site. You also have comfort knowing that all medications are administered by licensed nurses. There is a “memory” floor that caters to residents experiencing dementia and Alzheimer’s symptoms. HOSPITALITY – Our décor blends elegance and comfort to make the surroundings inviting and warm for everyone who chooses to call Brandywine home. Restaurant-style service (including All-Day Dining) and our signature Serenade program are examples of why life is beautiful at Brandywine. You may join your loved ones for meals or even spend the night. There is also the Coco Chanel Salon on premise for residents. ESCAPADES…for Life! It is about adventure, excitement, and discovery and makes you want to get out of bed each morning and have some FUN! BRANDYWINE LIVING 5550 CARDINAL PLACE (OFF SOUTH PICKET STREET NEXT TO CAMERON STATION)
ALEXANDRIA 703-940-3300 BRANDYCARE.COM
Old Town Crier
The Circle of Life from the Perspective of an Adult Child
Tag, You’re It! BY: CHRISTIAN RANDOLPH
O
ne would think a relationship between a parent and child has clear boundaries. The path through life would be systematic, wherein the eldest child would have the rite of passage to leadership, boast the ability to make executive decisions, call the shots, and willingly accept the charge of being a deputized mandated reporter. The youngest child would get a free pass on making major decisions, due to their youth and not fully developed judgment. Regardless of the hierarchical position in the family tree, we sometimes discover we’ve been found, we’ve been tagged - and now we’re “it.” Children love to play games, and I specifically remember Tag and Hide and Seek being my favorites. Fast forward from your childhood, say 30 years to today. Perhaps there has been a loss of one of the parents, and/or a significant health decline has begun to take its toll on one or both of them. The vibrant, independent parents you once knew have now become less active, lonely and struggling to make it on their own. They may have not prepared financially for retirement because they were rearing a family, paying for piano lessons and college tuitions. In their minds, retirement was light-years away, and they had plenty time to prepare; except they didn’t. Our parents don’t want us to know that they’re in a predicament, so they hide it. Their decline is hiding in plain sight, but they’re the strong matriarchs and patriarchs, so surely, this is not happening. They compensate, they “make it work”, but deep down, that 6th sense keeps you up at night worrying about them. We have busy careers in the prime of our lives. We’re raising our own families and our spouses or significant others don’t know how to help. The guilt has brought us to our wits end and we have begun to experience depression-like symptoms ourselves, such as fatigue, sadness, changes in sleep, and changes in mood,
Old Town Crier
Exec. Director Christian Randolph with Mrs. Maudy Mays. Photo courtesy Brandywine Living
to name a few. Does this sound familiar? Tag! You’re it! Being “it” means that the daunting task of finding solutions for our parents, while maintaining their dignity and input, rests heavily on our shoulders. In our minds, they gave us their all, and now it’s our turn to repay them - but how? We don’t know their wishes, and truthfully, we’re afraid to ask because deep down we really don’t want to know the answer. We are now preparing to jump into the deep end of the pool just like when we were little, but this time….the ones that used to catch us are now the ones needing to be caught. Hundreds of questions and scenarios engulf your thoughts; praying that you will make the right decision. Every scenario seems worse than the one before it. Perhaps you are an only child. Perhaps the siblings you “shared everything with” live far away, they’re extremely busy, self-involved, or overwhelmed with their own lives. You present ideas, no one agrees. You offer options, none of which are acceptable to all parties. It’s time to regroup and look at things from a different perspective. We can repay our parents by determining the most immediate need, and reaching out to qualified individuals who can help. Being “it” does not mean that we have to do it alone; however, it does mean that we must do something. There are many resources available to help us navigate through the process; however, we must take the first step. Knowing our parents are safe
and getting the additional support they need is the most “grown up” decision we can ever make, and it will be the best night’s sleep we have had in a very long time. Have a courageous discussion with your parents and discuss their wishes and preferences. If they are not able to be a part of the decision making process due to physical or cognitive decline, make your decision based on what you know to be true. There is no one more qualified to make an informed, thoughtful decision than a dedicated adult child with the best intentions. Tag! You’re it!
Old TOwn Shoe & luggage Repair • Serving Alexandria for over 17 years • Shoe & Luggage Repair • New Luggage
824 King Street Old Town Alexandria, Virginia 703.299.0655 Mon-Fri 7:30 am-7 pm • Sat 9 am-5 pm
April 2019 | 7
FINANCIAL FOCUS
CARL TREVISAN, CFP© & STEPHEN BEARCE
How to Maintain Your Lifestyle in Retirement
Y
ou may have heard the rule of thumb that you need to replace about 80% of your preretirement income if you want to maintain your current lifestyle when you retire. But like many rules of thumb, that advice is much too general for most people, says Herbert Poole CFP® CRC®, Retirement Development Consultant for Wells Fargo Advisors. To help ensure that you can actually live as comfortably in retirement as you do now, Poole says you need to identify what your desired lifestyle costs. Next, you’ll need a saving and investing strategy that matches your income needs. Here are the key questions for you and your financial advisor to consider:
What’s my ideal retirement age? This is both a financial and a quality-of-life question, says Poole. Financially speaking, you need to determine when you’ll have amassed enough savings and investments to stop working. You want to be able to comfortably live on withdrawals from your accounts — without running out of money. 8 | April 2019
On the nonfinancial front, think about what you really want to do during retirement (Travel? Start an encore business?). “Ask yourself: ‘At what age could I retire and still be healthy enough to do these things?’” Poole suggests. As you get closer to your actual retirement age, you can home in on when you can afford to leave work. “Depending on your situation, working just a year or two more than you planned could make a big difference in how much money you have available to live on later,” notes Poole.
How much money do I need to support my current standard of living? This is perhaps the most important question to explore. “However, you’d be surprised by how many people answer this question by saying to their financial advisors: ‘I have no idea. Just tell me what kind of lifestyle I can afford,’” says Poole. You’re much better off estimating your target retirement budget early, so you can help ensure you’re saving and investing enough, says Poole. Your financial
advisor can offer help estimating costs for items like health and long-term care for different parts of the country. During this process, Poole says it’s also a good idea to separate your necessary costs (mortgage/rent, utilities, food, transportation, etc.) from your discretionary expenses (fine dining, vacations, and more). That way, you know where you can cut costs if your estimated retirement income ends up being different than you planned.
What are my retirement income sources? You may have a taxdeferred retirement plan through your job, personal and/or Roth IRAs, rental property income, and more. Once you identify all your potential income streams, you can make some smart decisions — including increasing your investment contributions now — that could help boost your income when you retire. For example, your financial advisor can help you determine whether it would be wise to add more income-producing options, such as annuities or real estate, or to consider more tax-advantaged investments.
How can I plan for the unexpected? To avoid a financial snag that significantly affects your retirement income, Poole suggests having both contingency funds and contingency plans. For contingency funds, you could earmark money for your grandkids but hang on to the funds in case of an emergency. This could be as simple as leaving money to your grandchildren in your estate plan, rather than putting the money in trust in their names. Contingency plans might include paying for expensive home repairs like a roof replacement before retirement. You might also prioritize which assets (vacation home vs. business rental, for example) you would sell in a financial emergency.
Am I regularly monitoring my progress toward retirement? Maybe you have 20 years left before retirement, or perhaps you’re already in the middle of retirement and planning to live to age 100. Wherever you are in the process, it makes sense to talk with your financial
planner at least once a year — or whenever you face a significant life change. After all, the financial markets and your investments are constantly changing. You change over time, too. You may decide to retire to a state with a different cost of living or change your mind about how much risk you want to take with your investments. All of those factors could affect your retirement lifestyle and how much income you need to live well in retirement. This article was written by/ for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Carl M. Trevisan, Managing DirectorInvestments and Stephen M. Bearce, First Vice PresidentInvestments in Alexandria, VA at 800-247-8602. Investments in securities and insurance products are: NOT FDIC-INSURED/NOT BANKGUARANTEED/MAY LOSE VALUE Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. © 2018 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved. Old Town Crier
THE LAST WORD
MIRIAM R. KRAMER
The Border
D
espite weighing in at a walloping 716 pages, Don Winslow’s The Border explodes off the mark like a dopedup Olympic sprinter. The final installment in a trilogy covering the United States’ War on Drugs, The Border picks up where The Cartel and The Power of the Dog leave off and brings the story to an electric conclusion. Winslow’s twenty years of research into the illegal drug trade between the United States and Mexico make him uniquely qualified as a novelist to bring its dizzying highs and lows to light. Art “Arturo” Keller, the American son of a Mexican mother and an absentee American father, is a former CIA agent turned DEA after Vietnam. Having spent more of his career living in Mexico than the United States, Art has seen everything from the burning of Mexican poppy fields in the mid-1970s to the vicious battles between cartels seeking to mark territory in the early 2010s in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas. Obsessed with bringing down Sinaloa cartel leader Adán Barrera, who murdered his partner, Ernie Hidalgo, Keller uses almost any resource possible, even other cartels, to find a way to destroy his bête noire. In The Power of the Dog and The Cartel, Winslow brings to life complex interactions between drug cartels; Mexican armed forces, police, and security agencies; ordinary and upper-class Mexicans; and Mexican journalists. In The Border, Winslow continues the gritty stories of his mesmerizing characters while turning his attention more towards the United States’ role. Old Town Crier
After staggering out of a firefight involving Adán Barrera and a competing cartel at the beginning of The Border, Keller has been tapped to become the head of the Drug Enforcement Agency, placing him in the position to take his decadeslong worm’s-eye view of the drug war and apply it from the top down in Washington, DC’s bureaucratic snake pits. Heroin’s popularity in the United States has soared in the 2010s as it and its synthetic cousin, fentanyl, become an affordable substitution for the prescription painkillers liberally dispensed by doctors throughout the country. While fighting its ascendance, Keller comes across information that will culminate in a constitutional crisis that involves everyone from low-level civilians to cartel kingpins to those at the highest levels of the American government. In writing about Art Keller, his colleagues, his glamorous nemeses, and his frenemies, Winslow follows the money trails between Mexico and the United States. He adeptly reveals interdependent relationships between the heroin-focused drug trade, immigration and customs enforcement, private prisons, and money laundering that are an integral part of our own American economy. At the end of The Cartel, a soon-to-be assassinated Mexican journalist speaks furiously for the innocents, the poor fleeing violence, and the powerless, writing that all those with power, including the military, the government, and the narcotics traffickers, are the cartel. They are inextricably intertwined. In The Border, so are the
economies of Mexico and the United States, and in many respects, their citizens. As his corrupt president-elect, John Dennison, screams “We’re going to build a wall and Mexico is going to pay for it,” a weary Art Keller knows that all the borders he’s ever been asked to protect and keep separate are porous and ultimately murky, if not illusory. As a crusader against the drug trade, he himself is Mexican and American. As an American who has examined corruption at all levels of Mexican society he states “We have to ask ourselves—what kind of corruption is there of our collective national soul that makes us the world’s greatest consumer of illicit drugs? We can say that the roots of the heroin epidemic are in Mexican soil, but opiates are always a response to pain. What is the pain in the heart of American society that sends us
searching for a drug to lessen it, to dampen it?” The Border’s War-on-Drugs hydra has a bewildering number of hissing heads on view: almost too many to take in. Winslow’s editors deserve a standing ovation. To his great credit, his sprawling threepart saga educates and maintains its cohesion against all odds. There aren’t too many sizzling crime novels that could qualify as required reading for anyone affected by the drug trade in the Americas, which means anyone reading this book review. There aren’t too many that provoke such selfsearching and show such
gallows humor, sympathy for human frailty, nuance, and anger at the abuses of power.
April 2019 | 9
HIGH NOTES
I
RON POWERS
was visiting a friend a few days ago and while we chatted, my friend’s son was in the living room playing a snowboarding game called “Steep”. One of the songs on the game’s soundtrack grabbed my attention so I naturally “shazamed” it. The band I discovered is called Bangups. The song is Va Va Voom. And although it’s been out since 2016, I really want to tell you about it. Va Va Voom is the second song off the Bangups’ third release (Candy Cigarettes). It begins with a three-octave lead guitar line followed by punk rock power chords, bass, and four-on-thefloor drums. My initial impression of the song was Sex Pistols meets Weezer meets Lady Gaga. I particularly love the drum sound. Not surprising seeing as Steve Albini (Nirvana producer) recorded the album. After the intro we hear a strippeddown verse arrangement of kick drum, fuzz bass, and vocals. Not only is this song musically and melodically compelling it’s also very impressive lyrically. And although the theme “boy likes girl” is common, Bangups’ lyrics are anything but that. Here’s four lines from the song that says it all...
10 | April 2019
“You’re the seismic spike shaking up my volcano The headline news the F6 tornado My nuclear bomb my apocalyptic dream My zoo’s on the loose my eyes are glued to the screen” Next the pre-chorus comes in. Here the Bangups lift the energy just enough to increase interest while leaving plenty of headroom for the chorus to pop. Then we hear a screaming-pitch-rising guitar sound which blasts us into a perfectly crafted chorus. If I wasn’t already convinced the Bangups knew what they were doing when it came to constructing song, I certainly was when the chorus kicked in. Va Va Voom has all the earmarks of a great song, i.e., melody with a strong hook, and simple, memorable chorus lyrics. Although this song has a simple chorus, it reflects creative restraint and balance. It’s easily noticed when an artist is just following a pop formula of repetitive lyrics. There’s a difference between lazy repetition and artful repetition. The Bangups embody the latter. After one more verse/chorus combination the instrumental/bridge
section comes in. It was at this point that I let out an audible “YES!”. Here the Bangups “drop the hammer” as they say. It was like the cells in my body were vibrating from the raw power this song emits. The bridge lyrics ring out... “Dialed in on the sweet spot You got the kilowatts Coming through my powerlines Like a thrill ride Charging up my battery Oh so powerfully The big bad wolf in me Howling for you” Following the instrumental/bridge is a four-bar tension builder. This section is composed of simultaneous strikes to the drums which rise in intensity while bass and rhythm guitars hold one steady note, and the lead guitar blasts out aggressive siren like sounds. The tension builds to a fever pitch. Then the song slams into one last chorus followed by a satisfying outro. I highly recommend that you take a listen to Va Va Voom and the Bangups. This is a band I’m thrilled to have discovered and I look forward to hearing what they come up with next. You can listen to more of their music on Spotify, Apple, Google Music, etc.
Old Town Crier
Alexandria Symphony Orchestra FINAL CONCERT OF THE SEASON RACHMANINOFF: PIANO CONCERTO NO. 3 Saturday, April 6th at 8:00 p.m. Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall Sunday, April 7th at 3:00 p.m. George Washington Masonic MemoriaL Tickets: $20-$80 for adults. Student tickets $10 (with ID). Youth tickets $5 (age 18 & under). Military, senior and group discounts available. Purchase online at www.alexsym.org or call 703-548-0885. Free parking provided by the ASO at both venues. The Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center is accessible by Metro bus lines 7A, 7B, 7F, 7Y, 25A, 25C and 25E, as well as DASH bus line AT6. The George Washington Masonic Memorial is accessible by the Blue and Yellow metro line (King Street station), numerous Metro, Dash and Richmond Highway Express bus lines, and the King Street Trolley in Old Town, Alexandria.
For soloists’ biographies, please visit: http://www.alexsym.org/about/musicians/
AFTER HOURS Birchmere 703.549.7500 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave. birchmere.com The Blackwall Hitch 571-982-3577 5 Cameron St. theblackwallhitch.com Carlyle Club 411 John Carlyle Dr. 703-549-8957 thecarlyleclub.com Chadwicks 203 S. Strand St. 703.836.4442 Evening Star Cafe 703.549.5051 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave.
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The Fish Market 703.836.5676 105 King St. fishmarketoldtown.com La Portas 703.683.6313 1600 Duke St. Las Tapas 703.836.4000 710-714 King St. lastapas.us The Light Horse 703.549.0533 715 King St. lighthorserestaurant.com Murphys Irish Pub 703.548.1717 713 King St. murphyspub.com
O’Connell’s 703.739.1124 112 King St. Rock It Grill 703.739.2274 1319 King St. Shooter McGees 703.751.9266 5239 Duke St. shootermcgees.com Southside 815 703.836.6222 815 S. Washington St. St. Elmos 703.739.9268 2300 Mt. Vernon Ave. Taverna Cretekou 703.548.8688 818 King St.
TJ Stones 703.548.1004 608 Montgomery St. tjstones.com LaTrattoria 703-548-9338 305 S. Washington St. Two Nineteen 703.549.1141 219 King St. These establishments offer live entertainment. Call to confirm show times, dates and cover charges. Check our advertisers’ websites
April 2019 | 11
GALLERY BEAT
F. LENNOX CAMPELLO
Paradiso - Fairy Morte, 2017 Found Image, lace fabric, acrylic varnish on wood panel with wood frame, 11” x 9” x 1.5”
Dreams and Shadows’ by Courtney Applequist Oil on Canvas, 36x48
Out With the Old, In With the New!
I
Adrift (2017) by Kyujin Lee Watercolor, acrylic, tissue paper on canvas 30” x 22” 12 | April 2019 Laguna #1
Standoff (2018) by Kyujin Lee Watercolor, acrylic, tissue paper on canvas 30” x 22”
n the thousand years or so that I’ve been writing this column, I’ve discussed the various types of galleries that make up a city’s art tapestry: commercial, nonprofits and collectives. There was a halcyon time a decade plus ago when the streets of Alexandria, Bethesda, and even the District were paved with art galleries from curb to curb. In Bethesda there was the iconic Fraser Gallery (one of two, the other being in Georgetown), Heineman, Neptune, Osuna, etc. – in fact dear reader, at one point a decade ago there were 13 galleries in the Bethesda Art Walk! Most of them have closed their doors – some went
strictly online and started doing art fairs in New York, Miami, etc. The DMV is not a gallery-friendly place. And thus, Waverly Gallery is now one of a handful of Bethesda galleries which has stood the all-telling test of time, and is still around since its founding in 1993. Part of those survival skills is the fact that this gallery is a cooperative gallery, riding the capricious tides of the economy on the robust shoulders of its member artists. The gallery recently hosted its invitational exhibit, with work by Henry Winokur, Joan April, Shaune Bazner, Kyujin Lee, JoEllen Murphy, GALLERY BEAT > PAGE 13
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GALLERY BEAT | FROM PAGE 12
Jill Cantrill, Paul Guilderson, Lucy Louise Derickson, John D. Antone, Jack Allbrittain, Mariana Kastrinakis, Kim Blue, Carol Barsha, Hunt Prothro, John Paradiso, Sue Osterhout, Andreia Gliga, Sara Parent-Ramos, Courtney Applequist, and Diane Szczepaniak. I paid a visit to the gallery to look at the works of these artists – most of whom were “new” to me. My favorite “new” discovery was the work, the very painterly paintings of Courtney Applequist - I was intrigued by the technique is it a palette knife which is delivering these immensely sensual paintings? Or simply mastery of the brush? or a mixture of both? In any event, the sense of moistness, light and volume is palpable in this artist’s elegant work - keep an eye on this artist. Also at the show, I must highlight the work of Kyujin Lee’s - someone that I’ve seen previously, but is always memorable - and I am always impressed by the facility with which this artist tackles really interesting subjects, most of which one does not see routinely on gallery walls. John Paradiso’s erotic work is also a stand-out – no surprise here either as he’s is a DMV artrockstar. New subject: I sit on a lot of grant giving organizations – and I am always shocked as to how few artists ever apply! SO here’s what I want all of you Virginia residents to do after you read this column:
Paradiso - Nip Slip (2017) Found Image, lace fabric, acrylic varnish on wood panel with wood frame, 11” x 9” x 1.5” The Virginia Commission for the Arts is now accepting applications for arts activities and projects that occur between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020. For additional information, contact the Virginia Commission for the Arts, Main Street Centre, 600 East Main Street, Suite 330, Richmond, VA 23219, (804) 225-3132 or visit their website at www.arts.virginia.gov – there is no cost associated with applying! Finally, the Art League’s March show at the League’s wonderful gallery on the ground floor of the Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria was juried by Costa Vavagiakis. The Best in Show for March 2019 was awarded to Jeff Lodge’s work titled Sunset Trawler. Having juried this show a couple of times many decades ago (hey Art League! I’ll do it again), and because the juror did all the jurying digitally, I dropped by to do a phantom online jury of the entries from the Art League’s somewhat
20th century website, and see how my picks compare with its real (and talented) juror’s. I loved a wonderfully blue abstract by Barthell (note to the Art league: Please put all the artist’s full names somewhere on your website – it is called leaving a digital footprint). I also liked Goodrow’s powerful painting of a cowboy – it is a painting full of action and movement! Landry’s loose landscape is exactly the way that landscapes were designed by God to be painted. Joey Manlapaz’s entry is awe inspiring – she is without a doubt one of the painting superstars of the DMV and I’ve said it before: no one on planet Earth can paint glass storefront reflections better than her! In a show full of great work (good job Costa!) other stand outs are the entries by McSorley, Jackie Saunders (another DMV superstar), Steiger (is that Marsha?), N. Wallace (who takes a common subject to sublime levels), and Zapatka’s strangely sensual tree. Art League… seriously: full names!
ART&ANTIQUES ANTIQUES
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BW Art, Antiques & Collectibles 108 N. Fayette Street
Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery 105 N. Union Street
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St. George Gallery 105 N. Alfred Street
The Antique Guild 113 N. Fairfax Street
The Art League 105 Union Street
Silverman Galleries 110 N. St. Asaph Street
Local Colour Old Town 218 N. Lee Street
Red Barn Mercantile 1117 King Street
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Washington Square Antiques 425 S. Washington Street
B&B Art Gallery 215 King Street
Susquehanna Antique Co. 608 Cameron Street
Gallery West 1213 King Street
Old Town Antiques 222 S. Washington Street
Enamelist’s Gallery 105 N. Union Street
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Printmakers, Inc. 105 N. Union Street
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Kelly’s Art & Frame 510 N. Washington Street
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Oerth Gallery 420 S. Washington Street
Henry Street Antiques 115 S. Henry Street
Jeffrey Winter Fine Arts 110A S. Columbus Street
Curzon Hill Antiques 108 S. Columbus Street
Johnston Matthew 105 N. Union Street
The Hour 1015 King Street
Huddy Studio 105 N. Union Street
A Galerie 315 Cameron Street
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Random Harvest 810 King Street
Silverman Galleries 110 N. St. Asaph Street
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Version 1 Come see our entire line of amazing American-made clothing, jewelry and crafts.
GALLERIES
Version 2
Recently found vintage 1997 stone lithographs! Mermaid – The Deep (Version 1) Limited Edition of 10 signed and numbered stone lithographs on 11x14 inches paper. Circa 1997 Mermaid – The Deep (Version 2) Limited Edition of 10 signed and numbered stone lithographs on 14x5 inches paper. Circa 1997
Get a vintage Mermaid stone litho by well-known DMV area artist F. Lennox Campello! Sold loose and ready for framing! Each signed and numbered print from this tiny unique edition of 10 prints is $100, packing and shipping included.
Exciting new designs that will put some spring in your step Old Town Crier
Email info@alidaanderson.com to order – once this edition is sold out, it is gone forever!
April 2019 | 13
MELINDA MYERS
URBAN GARDEN
M
UST
PLANT
Pollinator-Friendly Flowers
F
ill your garden with colorful annuals you and the pollinators can enjoy all season long. Look for outstanding varieties chosen by All-America Selections (AAS), a non-profit plant trialing organization, to brighten your garden, attract pollinators and outperform other varieties on the market. Attract hummingbirds and second looks from passersby with the vibrant bright orange flowers of Canna South Pacific. This compact variety can be started from seed and was selected as a 2018 AAS winner for its vigorous, full and uniform growth habit. Whether it’s spikes of lavender, pink, white or red your garden and container need, you’ll find them in the Salvia Jewel series. Watch the butterflies and hummingbirds stop by for a sip of nectar and the finches feast upon the seeds later in the season. Add more vertical interest and pollinator appeal in the garden and large planters with Asian Garden Celosia. The bright pink blooms hold their color all season long atop sturdy stems 31 to 40 inches tall. Include a few Cupheas, also known as Mexican Heather in containers, borders and mass plantings. FloriGlory Diana has more and larger flowers than its counterparts. The season long bloom of intense magenta flowers made this a winner. Incorporate beauty even in challenging locations with EnduraScape Pink Bicolor Verbena. As the name implies it is tough as nails, tolerating 14 | April 2019
drought, heat and temperatures in the low teens. Use this spreader in large containers and baskets where you can appreciate the soft pink blooms with their darker center. Wow visitors and lure pollinators to your garden and containers with Vinca Mega Bloom Orchid Halo. The bright purple blooms with a white eye stand up to heat and humidity without succumbing to disease. Grow winning varieties of a traditional favorite, zinnia. These low maintenance sunloving annuals can be started from seed directly in the garden. Add vibrant color to the garden with Queeny Lime, Zowie! Yellow Flame and Magellan Coral. Include smaller scale beauty with Profusion and Zahara varieties. Gardeners and pollinators love purple coneflowers (Echinacea). Two colorful winning varieties, Cheyenne Spirit and PowWow Wild Berry will fill your garden with color for seasons to come. Cheyenne Spirit Coneflower produces a mix of purple, pink, red and orange flowers along side lighter yellows, creams and white. This compact plant stands tall in wind and rain and is drought tolerant once established. PowWow Wild Berry Coneflower lives up to its name. The vivid deep rosepurple flowers retain their beautiful color all season long. You’ll enjoy continual bloom without deadheading or grooming. Add more perennial beauty with Twizzle Purple Penstemon. The spikes of vibrant purple blooms
are favorites of hummingbirds and other pollinators. Include them in containers for added height or highimpact color anywhere in the landscape. Extend your budget and increase perennial plantings next year by starting these three winners indoors by late January. Your efforts will be rewarded with flowers that same season. Don’t let shade stop you from inviting pollinators into the garden. Bounce Pink Flame Impatiens has all the flower power of common impatiens but is resistant to downy mildew. Plus, they are a bit more forgiving if you allow them to wilt. Just add water and they bounce back. Plant Sunpatiens Spreading Shell Pink in full sun or shade. Enjoy the season long, soft pink flowers even in high heat, rain and humidity. This variety has all the low maintenance beauty of impatiens but is resistant to downy mildew. Once you’ve added these beauties to your landscape, sit back and enjoy. You and the pollinators will reap the many benefits of these winning additions to your gardens and containers.
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything: Food Gardening for Everyone” DVD set and the nationally syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio segments. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by AAS for her expertise to write this article. Myers’ web site is www. melindamyers.com. Old Town Crier
SPECIAL FEATURE BOB TAGERT
hip S Tall
Comi ng
Pr
o vid e nce
to Alexandria
A
~ U P D AT E ~
s the arrival of the Tall Ship Providence is now only months away, the excitement in Old Town is growing. The ultimate home of the Providence will be at the foot of King Street along the newly constructed park and pier. This construction of the amenities for the “Providence Experience� will not be completed for another
Old Town Crier
year, so when the ship arrives sometime around mid-June to early July - she will be berthed at the long dock north of the Chart House restaurant on the waterfront. Work is continuing on the vessel in Wiscasset, Maine as shipwrights restore the ship and new cannons are prepared and mounted. The cabins below have
been removed and replaced with hammocks as was traditional during the days of the Continental Navy. The mast and spars are being fashioned and installed on the ship. Work on the refurbishing of the quarterdeck and foredeck are well under way. You can also follow the story of the Providence on Facebook at @ Tall Sip Providence Foundation.
April 2019 | 15
A BIT OF HISTORY
©2019 SARAH BECKER
Equal Pay Day LET’S
A
pril 2 is Equal Pay Day. Wanna celebrate? According to the American Association of University Women’s 2018 annual report, The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap, Virginia ranks 29th in gender equality. The Commonwealth’s Equal Pay laws are “weak,” and the pay gap is “real.” Virginia women “are paid 79 cents, on average, for every dollar paid to a man.” “While the nation’s unemployment rate is down, and the number of women working is up, the wage gap is sadly remaining stagnant,” AAUW Chief Executive Officer Kim Churches said. “It’s unacceptable.” The Equal Pay Act became law in 1963; the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938. In the United States, in 2017, median annual earnings for full-time workers were $41,977 for women, $52,146 for men. “If the pay gap narrows at the same rate of change since 2001, it will not close until 2106,” the AAUW explained. Female pay ratios by occupation: financial managers 65%, physicians and surgeons 71%, lawyers 76%, education administrators 78%, and registered nurses 92%. Iceland is first in the world when it comes to gender pay equity. “With a population of just 330,000—fewer people than currently work at Amazon—the island nation has had progressive equal pay laws for years.” Not so in the United States. President Donald Trump (R-NY) froze an equal pay wage data rule in 2017. Compliance, The White House said “imposed an incredible amount of burden” on business. The President also removed the Equal Pay Pledge from The White House website. “Equal work deserves equal 16 | April 2019
C E LE B R AT E ? ? ?
John Lewis
Lucy Randolph Mason
Frances Pperkins
pay,” Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA) said in 2015. “This isn’t simply an issue of fairness, it’s about strengthening our middle class—putting food on the table, gas in the tank, and ensuring moms, daughters and sisters are not cheated out of their paychecks.” Newly elected Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) references the gender earnings gap in her February Green New Deal Resolution. George Washington objected to unequal pay. On September 10, 1753, at the Winchester Conference, participating Native Americans cancelled the 1752 Treaty of Logstown (PA). “[His] majesty King of Great Britain has at present a Design of making a settlement of Settlements of British subjects on the Southern or Eastern parts of the River Ohio called otherwise Allegheny… The settlement or settlements shall be unmolested [and] we will Protect the British subjects there inhabiting.” Troubled by the termination, Virginia Lt. Governor Robert Dinwiddie dispatched Major George Washington, age 21, to Forts Venango and le Boeuf to investigate. The Iroquois preferred the French and the French refused to withdraw from the Ohio Valley. The militia’s 450 mile journey ended in January 1754.
“Giving up my commission is quite contrary to my intention,” Washington wrote Dinwiddie on May 24, 1754. “[B]ut to be slaving dangerously for the shadow of pay, through woods, rocks, mountains,—I would rather prefer the great toil of a daily laborer, and dig for a maintenance…than serve upon such ignoble terms; for I really do not see why the lives of his Majesty’s subjects in Virginia should be of less value, than of those in other parts of his American dominions; especially when it is well known that we must undergo double their hardship.” Washington inherited ten slaves in 1750, Mount Vernon in 1752. “We can’t conceive, that being Americans should deprive us of the benefits of British Subjects; nor lessen our claim to preferment,” Washington continued in 1757. “We are defending the Kings Dominions, and altho the Inhabitants of Gt Britain are removed from (this) Danger, they are…equally with Us.” By 1900 America had enjoyed more than a century of constitutional government. In June 1900 Samuel Gompers, President of the American Federation of Labor attacked workers’ wages. “Low wages,” he argued, “were a social injustice.” The AFL, founded
in 1886 to represent skilled workers excluded women, blacks and immigrants. The November 1900 presidential election proved a turning point. Incumbent President William McKinley (R-OH) and Theodore Roosevelt (R-NY) won the male-only popular vote. It was the Gilded Age. Big business dominated; wages remained low, and wealth was concentrated. The National Child Labor Committee formed in 1904. Urban sweatshops were on the rise and New York’s Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire killed 146 women. Congress responded by passing an Act “forbidding corporations from contributing to election campaigns for national office” on January 26, 1907. By 1920 World War I had come to a close. More people lived in urban places than rural, whites “demanded” an institutional deference from blacks, and the Women’s Suffrage Amendment was law. “A college student poll which found Jesus Christ coming in third behind Henry Ford and Napolean Bonaparte fortified the fears of those who thought the country had lost its moorings.” Few women successfully traded domesticity for the workplace. Secretary of
Labor Frances Perkins—the first female appointed to a Cabinet post (1933-1945)—was one. Said Secretary Perkins, “Pretty dresses for women are attractive, but don’t particularly invite confidence in their common sense.” Perkins, the well-educated wife of Paul Caldwell Wilson died in 1965. In the 1930s Virginia-born labor activist Lucy Randolph Mason “aggressively promoted the Congress of Industrial Organizations [CIO].” Her mantra: collective bargaining. As established by the Wagner Act of 1935. “A kindly, gray haired woman who came to the labor movement in her fifties, [Lucy Randolph Mason] has rendered an invaluable service to the southern trade-union movement,” Bernard Karsh wrote. “It is fitting that she should have devoted herself to the cause of civil rights, since it was her great-greatgreat grandfather, George Mason, who wrote Virginia’s Declaration of Human Rights. Three of her kinsmen signed the Declaration of Independence; Chief Justice John Marshall was her mother’s relative and General Robert E. Lee was her father’s cousin.” Mason authored Standards for Workers in Southern Industry, the first pamphlet of its kind in 1931. Alexandria’s historic LeeFendall House Museum & Gardens invites all to visit its exhibit: John L. Lewis (1937-1969): Public Figure, Private Person. In July 1937 Alexandria resident, President of the UMWA, CIO founder and President John L. Lewis offered Mason the job of CIO public relations director in the Southeast. Support for President Franklin Roosevelt’s A BIT OF HISTORY > PAGE 17
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A BIT OF HISTORY | FROM PAGE 16
forthcoming Fair Labor Standards Act was split: between North (pro) and South (con). In her 1952 autobiography, To Win These Rights, Mason, the daughter of Episcopal minister Landon Mason tells of many “instances where milltown preachers, invoking the authority of the church, collaborated with millowners and local police to deny civil rights to union members and organizers.” She received The National Religion and Labor Foundation’s Social Justice Award also in 1952. “Often when a union organizer was jailed in a small town, Miss Mason would be summoned to his aid,” Karsh explained. “She would first seek out the local judge. More often than not, a portrait of General Lee would be hanging in the judge’s office, whereupon she would begin a conversation by admiring the portrait and comparing it with the one which hung in her home. She would then quietly point out that General Lee was her father’s cousin. Thus disarmed, the judge tended to be a great deal more conciliatory.”
CALENDAR | FROM PAGE 5
exhibit of award-winning buildings at the Torpedo Factory Art Center and family activities including a Scrap City and scavenger hunt through Old Town. To learn more, visit aianova.org/ architectureweek.php
APRIL 27TH – MAY 18TH
“The Savannah Disputation” Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 3 p.m. Admission: tickets from $21 The Little Theatre of Alexandria 600 Wolfe Street 703-683-5778 www.thelittletheatre.com The subject is damnation, but “The Savannah Disputation” is as light and
“Regional prejudices have been worn at the edges by the impact of new ideas, new personalities, union papers… and most of all belonging to a national union,” Mason recollected. “Many people thought the salvation of southern society lay in keeping out democracy…The result was that southern states impoverished themselves—all of their citizens—by walling their people off from the benefits of American life. In recent years the wall has begun to crumble. While many forces have worked toward this end, the union movement has been at the forefront, drawing the energies of once prejudiced people into a joint endeavor that overcomes every barrier.” What about today’s barriers? A first ever 2016 study of pay equity by the Alexandria city government “found that female employees earned 94 cents for every $1 earned by their male peers.” Progress, perhaps. In 2017 the Contentedly Foundation, a non-profit for investigative journalism, found that “although women hold half of all state and federal service jobs, they make 10% less than men. The employee earnings records also showed that 73%
of government workers making $100,000 or more annually are men.” Data was provided by all 50 states. The Department of Defense was not analyzed. In 2015 Defense Secretary Ashton Carter “opened all military occupations to women.” There is no gender pay gap, even if there are fewer women because “at every rank, men and women are paid equally.” That said sexual harassment and or assault remain real. The Institute for Women’s Research suggests the private sector’s gender pay gap is 20% or more. “Wage gaps are a problem” and “racial wage gaps have worsened.” According to JUST Capital only 51 of 897 companies, companies like Colgate-Palmolive, Intel and Microsoft “have made public commitments to pay equity.” Wages in fact have stagnated while equity markets have risen. According to the Economic Policy Institute “compensation for chief executive officers in America’s largest firms is now 312 times the annual average pay of the typical worker, compared with about 200 times in 2009, 58 times in 1989 and 20 times in 1965.” The data
sweet as the iced tea served by the odd-couple sisters in their proper southern home. But the sisters quickly lose their southern charm when a young door-to-door evangelist comes knocking to save their souls. This theological comedy with a twist blends the sharpness of wit with the depth of character while telling a story of a crisis of faith.
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, participants travel down the treelined George Washington Memorial Parkway to another area associated with Washington, charming Old Town Alexandria. In addition to the 10-mile distance, a 5K and kid’s dash are available. The Parkway Classic supports the Boys and Girls Club of Alexandria and has been voted a favorite spring race by Run Washington Magazine. Join Pacers Running for the 35th Annual Parkway Classic.
APRIL 28TH 35th Annual Parkway Classic 10 Mile, 5K and Kid’s Dash 8:00 a.m. Admission: $10-$80 Old Town Alexandria; starting places vary www.parkwayclassic.com The Parkway Classic is Alexandria’s
illustrates the ever-widening gap between the haves—those in the top 0.1%—and the havenots. Income inequality is “the greatest since the 1920s.” Lucy Randolph Mason’s success cannot be denied. The gender pay gap in unionized workforces is smaller than in nonunionized workforces. On March 16 Senator Bernie Sanders announced that all of his 2020 “presidential campaign employees below the rank of deputy director will be represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 including matters of pay parity.” The AAUW claims the only pay gap which favors today’s woman is that of wholesale and retail buyer. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 overturned the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Inc. Still the Virginia House of Delegates refuses to ratify the 1972 Equal Rights Amendment. Not only do Virginia and the U.S. profess unequal pay, the U.S. is one of only two developed nations (U.S. and Serbia) whose maternal mortality rates have increased since 1990. Either way, the politics must change. On March 5 Montgomery
County, Maryland Councilman Evan Glass unanimously introduced The Montgomery County Pay Equity Act (Bill 419). When it passes, women will no longer be required to reveal their salary history when applying for a County job. Unlike Virginia, the State of Maryland ranks 7th in gender equality. The State ratified the ERA in 1972 and Maryland’s Equal Pay laws are “strong.” Sarah Becker started writing for The Economist while a graduate student in England. Similar publications followed. She joined the Crier in 1996 while serving on the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association Board. Her interest in antiquities began as a World Bank hire, with Indonesia’s need to generate hard currency. Balinese history, i.e. tourism provided the means. The New York Times describes Becker’s book, Off Your Duffs & Up the Assets, as “a blueprint for thousands of nonprofit managers.” A former museum director, SLAM’s saving grace Sarah received Alexandria’s Salute to Women Award in 2007. Email abitofhistory53@ gmail.com
Find more spring events at www. VisitAlexandriaVA.com/Spring.
ABOUT ALEXANDRIA, VA Named the #1 Best Value U.S. Travel Destination 2018 by Money magazine, a Top 5 Best Small City in the U.S. 2018 by the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards and one of the South’s Prettiest Cities 2018 by Southern Living, Alexandria hums with a cosmopolitan feel and a walkable lifestyle—a welcoming weekend escape next to our nation’s capital. A nationally designated historic district founded in 1749, Old Town Alexandria is home to more than 200 independent restaurants and boutiques alongside intimate historic museums and new happenings at the waterfront. At the heart of it all is bustling King Street, a walkable mile recognized as one of the “Great Streets” of America. New restaurants tucked in to 18th- and 19th-century architecture still intact from the city’s days as George Washington’s hometown ignite historic and off-the-beaten-path neighborhoods as the waterfront district evolves with new energy. Learn more at www.VisitAlexandriaVA.com.
Old Town Crier
April 2019 | 17
POINTS ON PETS
CHERYL L. BURNS
H
aving been a volunteer for King Street Cats for more than two years, I can tell you without a doubt that some of the world’s most powerful words are: “But, Mom [or Dad], look how cute he is!!!” Especially when those words are undoubtedly true. Actually, the power of those words is one of the reasons that we don’t do same day adoptions at KSC. We believe that pets, be they feline or otherwise, should be cherished members of the family. And we also know that they are a huge commitment, meaning that pet adoption is never a decision that should be undertaken lightly or on a whim. Springtime is an important time of year to remember that all pets — even those that seem “simple” at first
WHEN BUNNIES AND CHICKS BECOME RABBITS AND CHICKENS:
The Reality of Easter Pets blush — are a commitment and a promise. As Easter approaches, it isn’t unusual to see a wide range of groups offering bunnies and chicks for sale. Scampering around, seemingly half fluff with oversized eyes, they are undeniably adorable and even the hardest of winterhardened hearts soften at the special beauty of children and animals bonding. But, it is important to remember that just as surely as winter turns to spring and spring to summer, bunnies and chicks will one day become rabbits and chickens, neither of which
ADOPTION CALENDAR
is as simple a pet as they seem when they are cute and tiny (and, especially, held in a tiny set of human hands paired with perfectly-tuned pleading faces). Rabbits are not lowcommitment pets. PetMD notes that they often live upwards of 10 years, meaning that pet bunny may still be home when the child he was given to has left the nest! While some do like being stroked, few rabbits enjoy being held and most simply aren’t as cuddly as the cartoons might make one believe, which can be
www.kingstreetcats.org emai: contact@kingstreetcats.org
KING STREET CATS 25 Dove Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 Every Saturday and Sunday from 1.30pm-4.30pm
Are you or someone you know free during weekday mornings? King Street Cats is looking for weekday morning caregivers and vet taxis to transport our cats to the vet. Please email: contact@kingstreetcats.org for details.
PETVALU Bradlee Shopping Center, 3652 King St, Alexandria, VA 22302 Every Sat/Sun from 1pm-4pm
FOR DETAILS AND MORE INFO
King Street Cats is looking for foster homes! You provide the spare room and TLC and we can provide food, litter and all vetting. Please email: contact@kingstreetcats.org for details.
18 | April 2019
especially heartbreaking to a small child. Furthermore, rabbits are not happy living in a small, confined space. Experts suggest that any rabbit cage be at least four feet by four feet, and many recommend that pet rabbits simply be allowed to roam in a room or even a house. My House Rabbit — an advocate for pet rabbits, to be sure, but also an advocate for being fully informed about what rabbit-parenting involves — adds that they are highly intelligent animals that need regular interaction and exercise. Combine
this with their innate need to chew and it means that “bunny proofing” is a very real thing! And, much like dogs and cats, rabbits need regular veterinarian care to stay healthy and to keep behavioral problems in check. Failing to have a rabbit spayed or neutered may lead to aggressiveness or urine spraying. Vet care for a rabbit can cost some $800 per year, not much different from the bills for a small cat or dog. As for their feathered friends, The Spruce doesn’t mince words when it warns: “Baby chicks are a terrible Easter gift.” Chicks (and ducklings too) require indoor and outdoor space. In fact, purchasers should check local zoning laws since many places consider them to be livestock, POINTS ON PETS > PAGE 19
PETCO UNLEASHED 1101 S Joyce St, Arlington, VA 22202 Every first Sat & third Sat from 1pm-4pm PETCO UNLEASHED 1855 Wisconsin Avenue, Washington, DC 20007 Every fourth Sat/Sun from 12pm-3pm THE DOG PARK 705 King Street, Alexandria, VA22314 Every second Saturday from 1pm-4pm
Old Town Crier
POINTS ON PETS | FROM PAGE 18
not pets, which means they do not allow them in residential areas. In the same vein, their diet means regular trips to a specialized farm store, not just your local pet shop. Also, salmonella is a very real danger. The bacteria is found in chick and duck feces, but easily spreads to their feathers and talons. It gets passed along when the animals are handled, coops or water dishes cleaned, or even through clothing worn around the animal or its home. A particularly apt warning in the context of this article and for children: Don’t kiss a bird or snuggle it close to your face. While most salmonella infections don’t require hospitalization, they can lead to some pretty awful gastrointestinal distress. And, even more than with rabbits,
few see the chicken or duck that the tiny fluffy critter will quickly become. Sadly, humane shelters often find themselves inundated with bunnies and chicks a month or two after Easter when the novelty wears off and the reality sets in. Statistics are hard to find and the subject of much debate. It is hard to imagine that these often informal Easter pet adoptions are tracked with any regularity. And many Easter pets are, sadly, simply abandoned to the great outdoors, a fate that is all but certain death for a domesticated animal (even if the animal was only domestic short-term). On a much broader note, giving animals as a gift is rarely a good idea. The only real exception is when the pet has been specifically requested and
when the gift giver is certain that the animal is wanted and will be cared for properly. When the recipient is a child, this means making sure that every adult in the household is fully on board. After all, a child may truly intend to keep a promise to care for a pet’s every need, but follow through is not always a kid’s strong suit. Pets can be a wonderful part of any family — as my own cats, Smoky Tiggs and Sweet Potato Bailey Burns, would gladly tell you (they’ll also tell you they are in charge, and they’d be right). Pets can teach children (and adults) about responsibility and, perhaps more importantly, about pure, unadulterated love. But pets should be a carefully considered choice, not a passing whim. No matter how cute.
Burns has worked as an attorney in a large firm, as a recruiter, and a ghostwriter before finding a dream job playing with words all day as a Legal Editor. Ready to stay put, felines Smoky Tiggs and Sweet Potato Bailey Burns kindly allow Cheryl and her husband to live with them in Springfield.
Resources Vladimir Negron, “Beware the Lure of the ‘Easter Bunny,’” PetMD (accessed Feb. 2019, https://www.petmd.com/rabbit/care/evr_rb_easter_ bunnies_chicks) Abi Cushman, “Easter and Bunnies,” My House Rabbit (accessed Feb. 2019 http://myhouserabbit.com/new-to-rabbits/easter-andbunnies/) Melissa Mayntz, “Why Easter Chicks Are Actually a Terrible Gift: The Dangers and Misconceptions of Baby Birds as Gifts,” The Spruce (updated Feb. 14, 2019 https://www.thespruce.com/easter-chicks-and-ducklingsterrible-gifts-387097) Centers for Disease Control, “Keeping Backyard Chickens and Other Poultry,” CDC Features (updated June 8, 2018, https://www.cdc.gov/features/salmonellapoultry/index. html).
PETS OF THE MONTH
HARPER
4101 Eisenhower Avenue Alexandria, VA 703-746-4774 alexandriaanimals.org Mon-Fri, 1-8 pm Closed Wed Sat & Sun, 12-5 pm
OREO
Adult, Spayed Female, Grey and White Domestic Longhair
Adult, Neutered Male, Black and Grey Australian Cattle Dog
HARPER isn’t one to hop with the flow. This outgoing gal knows her mind, and if that’s set on snoozing the day away, that’s just what she’ll do. But don’t think that Harper doesn’t love her people. She, in fact, prefers them to her fellow rabbits! Harper would love to spend her days side by side with her special someone and that might just be you!
NICKY here! People stop me all the time to tell me how b-e-a-u-tiful my long, grey fur is! I am very friendly and love the touch of my human. I like it when my chin is scratched and will rub up against you with the loudest purrs! I’m also an independent lady, and sometimes I like to sit quietly and just ponder life. I would love to sit with you as we think about where our lives will go from here…hopefully together!
My name is OREO and I will work for treats! Seriously, I’m a little bit of a show-off with my tricks, but my shelter friends say it’s OK to brag a little bit! Oh, did you want to see me “sit”? No problem! How about a “down” or a “paw”? Done! I’m just a big, smart fella waiting for the perfect home to be allll mine. If you’re looking for a buddy who has brains AND brawn, I’m your man. Come meet me and my big beautiful brain today!
https://alexandriaanimals.org/animalprofile/?id=32189 https://alexandriaanimals.org/adoptioninformation/ Photo courtesy of Alison Lane Photography
Old Town Crier
NICKY
Adult, Spayed Female, Calico Rabbit
https://alexandriaanimals.org/animalprofile/?id=34736 https://alexandriaanimals.org/adoptioninformation/ Photo courtesy of Alison Lane Photography
https://alexandriaanimals.org/animalprofile/?id=34450 https://alexandriaanimals.org/adoptioninformation/ Photo courtesy of Shelley Castle Photography
April 2019 | 19
CARIBBEAN CONNECTION AMY ROBERTS
Photo courtesy of St. John Source
‘Floating Food Truck’ on STJ’s East End:
THE LIME OUT
M
obile food vendors selling everything from kallaloo to fracos have long been popular in the Virgin Islands. In the islands and on the mainland, there’s been a growing trend for food trucks to offer more upscale and exotic fare. Now a group of young entrepreneurs from St. John is taking the concept one step further by opening up a “food boat” anchored in a bay on St. John’s remote East End. The Lime Out – essentially a small houseboat painted lime green – was towed out to its mooring in Round Bay in mid-March and the staff began serving craft cocktails and gourmet tacos to customers who approached by boat, kayak, or float. Asked how the first day of business went, coowner Richard Baranowski responded with a grin and a cheerful, “Best day ever!” The Lime Out is the brainchild of three men who were raised on St. John and grew up sailing, diving, swimming, and boating in its waters. As they pursued these activities as adults, they realized that charter boats out on day trips and boaters anchored on the East End have virtually no place to get a bite to eat for miles. They couldn’t help but notice the success of PiZZA Pi, a boat anchored at Christmas Cove near the east end of St. Thomas, where they have served more than 7,000 pizzas in its three years in business. The three friends, Richard Baranowski, Dane Tarr, and Dylan Buchalter, began planning out how they might 20 | April 2019
Owners Dane Tarr, Richard Baraowsk and Dylan Buchalter Photo: Amy Roberts
bring the concept to St. John. They started with a huge advantage: Baranowski and his wife Chelsea now own the Lime Inn, a popular Cruz Bay restaurant that was launched by Chelsea’s parents, Rich and Chris Meyer, in the mid -1980’s. The Lime Inn now serves as the base of operations for the Lime Out. That’s where all the food is prepared and where the serving dishes are returned to be washed. The Lime Out owners are deeply aware of how sensitive
the environment is at their outlying location and have taken every step they could imagine to assure that the pristine water where they’re moored is not compromised. Their mooring permit (coincidentally at Limetree Cove) is granted on a monthto-month basis, so they have to be mindful of following regulations and co-existing with the community. The 39-foot by 16-foot houseboat is solar-powered; food is served in biodegradable containers; drinks are served
in reusable cups; and all waste is kept aboard until it can be transported back to Cruz Bay. However, the owners may not have counted on how sensitive the property owners at the East End would be about a floating food service operating in their neighborhood. When the Lime Out tested out the waters a week before opening, they began to get blowback from residents who feared the worst. In response, Baranowski, Tarr, and Buchalter called a community meeting in Coral Bay for the evening of
March 11 and faced a crowd of almost 30 residents. Many who attended were supportive, some were undecided, and several promised to do whatever they could to close down the business. Because of rowdy behavior on some other floating bars, residents felt some cause for alarm. For several decades the William Thornton, a floating bar located on nearby Norman Island, had served as a mecca for partygoers arriving by boat. The Willy T, as it was commonly known, offered women a free T-shirt if they would jump topless from the mast, and the loud music and drunken revelry went on throughout the night, causing boaters seeking peace and solitude to head elsewhere. The Willy T sank during the storms of 2017, and when a new boat was built as a replacement, the owner of Norman Island forced the boat to find another anchorage. It is now located at Peter Island. Closer to home, Angel’s Rest, a small yellow houseboat that plied the waters in Coral Bay and the East End of St. John, served as a bar and a party hangout for several years CARIBBEAN CONNECTION > PAGE 21
CARIBBEAN CONNECTION FROM PAGE 20
until it, too, was destroyed by Hurricane Irma. Baranowski and Tarr, who did most of the talking during the meeting, tried to assure meeting goers that they were an entirely different kind of operation. “We knew there would be some opposition, and we’re open to hearing your concerns,” said Tarr. “We want to promise you this will not be the Willy T,” said Baranowski. Unlike the Willy T or Angel’s Rest, the Lime Out will only be open from 11:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. from Tuesday through Sunday, and customers will not be allowed to board the vessel. They can take their purchases back to their own boat, or eat at the water-level bar as they float in the water. Residents worried about sewage were assured that the camping toilet on board will be used by staff only and will be removed and emptied at the owners’ homes at the end of the day. Music will be kept soft, and any boaters who raft up to buy tacos and drinks are asked to turn off their own sound
systems. The Lime Out owners have been in contact with all the local charter companies, asking them to approach the vessel slowly and be especially considerate of swimmers who regularly swim in Round Bay. For safety reasons, swimmers who set out from shore will be not be served in case they are not in shape to swim back. The shoreline property is all owned privately, and at least one property owner is renting out kayaks and paddleboards to provide access to the vessel. During the first week, customers registered their approval on social media, praising the creative cuisine
and friendly atmosphere. Tarr, Baranowski and Buchalter invited those attending last Tuesday’s meeting to come out and sample their fare. “We’ve put our hearts and souls into this effort,” said Tarr, turning to some of the skeptics. “You might even consider us an asset.” Amy Roberts has been writing for various publications in the Virgin Islands since 1986. She taught literature and journalism in the public schools and cofounded the Virgin Islands Writing Project.
Escape to paradise 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
MYSTERY READING AT ITS BEST by Virginia author Jeffrey Roswell McCord
CARIBBEAN MYSTERY AND INTRIGUE A dead Marine washed ashore on a Caribbean island leads investigators to otherworldly perpetrators in historic pirate waters and high level abuses in Washington. An intrepid maritime historian working the case for U.S. Naval Intelligence discovers a 60-year record of extraterrestrial activity in the Caribbean basin. History and national security politics meet science fiction in this mystery based on exhaustive factual research and informed conjecture.
CARIBBEAN hISToRY AND ADvENTURE Where did the villain General Santa Anna of Alamo infamy retire? Is time travel possible? What was it like on the ground in the worst hurricane of the 19th century? Can a band of rogue sailors from Coral Bay, St. John, defeat ruthless corporate mercenaries? These questions and more are answered in Jeffrey Roswell McCord’s new fact-based novel “Santa Anna’s Gold in a Pirate Sea.”
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April 2019 | 21
FROM THE BAY … JACKIE SHANNON
Photos by Kenny Fletcher
A
thriving Chesapeake Bay and healthy Potomac River depend on water-filtering oysters. But there’s so much more to know about our favorite bivalve. The Eastern Oyster has long been an iconic part of our region’s culture, cuisine, and ecology. But harvesting pressure, combined with loss of reef habitat, pollution, and disease, has decimated the oyster population to just a tiny fraction of historic levels. For more than 100 years, watermen along the Chesapeake Bay and lower Potomac River have made their living harvesting oysters for resale to restaurants and seafood wholesale companies. Until the mid-1980s, oystering was the most valuable commercial fishery in the Bay.
After oyster stocks crashed, crabbing became a more lucrative fishery in much of the Bay. Fortunately, a growing aquaculture industry in the Chesapeake is now bringing delicious farmed oysters to our tables, while at the same time benefitting the environment. By eating locally farmed oysters from Virginia and Maryland, you’re supporting local businesses and healthy waterways. Oysters also have tremendous ecological value, which may be the most important benefit they provide. Sediment and nitrogen cause problems in Bay waters. Oysters filter these pollutants either by consuming them or shaping them into small packets, which are deposited on the bottom where they are
not as harmful. A single adult oyster can filter as much as 50 gallons of water a day. The oysters in the Chesapeake could once filter a volume of water equal to that of the entire Bay (about 19 trillion gallons) in a week. Today, it would take the remaining Bay oysters more than a year. Anyone who fishes in brackish waters knows that oyster reefs are among the best fishing spots because they are teeming with life that attract large predator fish, such as striped bass and sea trout. The hard surfaces of oyster shells and the nooks between the shells provide places where small marine animals find shelter. Hundreds of animals use oyster bars: grass shrimp, amphipods, bryozoans,
anemones, barnacles, oyster drills, hooked mussels, mud crabs, and red beard sponge, to name a few. These in turn serve as food for larger fish and animals. Fortunately, oyster restoration efforts to rebuild this important reef habitat have greatly accelerated in recent years across the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers. The Chesapeake Oyster Alliance has launched a bold new goal of adding 10 billion new oysters to the Bay by 2025. This broad coalition of organizations, non-profits, businesses, and educational institutions hopes to reach this goal through expanded restoration activities, fishery replenishment, and the continued growth of the oyster aquaculture industry. There are many ways you
can help beyond eating locally raised oysters. That includes recycling oyster shells for use on new reefs, volunteering for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s oyster restoration efforts, or advocating for state and federal investment in oyster restoration. If you have access to a dock on brackish water you can even grow your own oysters to be planted on sanctuary reefs. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation is offering workshops throughout tidalTidewater Virginia this summer, visit www.cbf.org/ vaoystergardening. Jackie Shannon is the Virginia Oyster Restoration Manager for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
Want to take a fun first step right now? Test your knowledge of this fascinating local critter by taking the oyster quiz. The first two questions are below. Oysters might be encased in immovable hard shells, but they’re hiding a very flexible secret. They can actually change which of these things? a. Their sex—they start as male and turn female later in life. b. Their location—oysters have a “mid-life crisis” and detach during their adult lifecycle. c. Their diets—depending on the water salinity, some oysters consume radically different types of food. d. Their dreams—oysters are ruthlessly ambitious. Oysters have achieved great notoriety...for all the work they do cleaning up the Bay. But do you know what all the whispers and rumors are based on? a. Oysters filter up to 50 gallons of water each day! b. Since they spit out nitrogen for bacteria to eat, they stop the nitrogen from fueling algae that clogs up the Bay. c. Those oyster reefs are also awesome homes for crabs, fish, and other creatures. d. Those dang overachievers—it’s all of the above. Find out if your answers about our beloved Bay bivalve are correct and finish the quiz at www.cbf.org/oysterquiz. 22 | April 2019
Old Town Crier
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April 2019 | 23
ROAD TRIP
BOB TAGERT
Spring has sprung in the Shenandoah Valley, where Middletown resides.
Photo: Lauren Fleming
Middletown, VA At the Junction of I-66 and I-81
Middletown's infamous Wayside Inn 24 | April 2019
Old Town Crier
I
n the past we have taken road trips out west and then headed down Route 81 or Route 11 to points south. This month we decided to head north to the little burg of Middletown. Choosing Middletown as our destination was because of our March Road Trip…”Getting Your Irish On - From the Bay to the Blue Ridge”. You will remember that our pub of choice for the Blue Ridge was Nana’s Irish Pub located in the heart of Middletown. We included Nana’s at the request of our layout and design guru, Lauren. Lauren told us it was a local pub that actually takes her back to Ireland every time she stops in. It is a great place and as we discovered, this traditional Pub draws folks from Winchester, VA to Front Royal and beyond. In addition to a nice thank you from Nana’s Pub we got an email from the Wayside Inn as well as the mayor of Middletown, Charlie Harbaugh, inviting us for a visit, so we decided to make it the April Road Trip. Middletown is one in a series of small towns that are interspersed up and down Route 11 from Winchester to Harrisonburg, VA. Each of these towns have their own charm and Middletown is no exception. Middletown is located in southern Frederick County. It is in the Shenandoah Valley region and is 5 miles southwest of Stephens City, 13 miles southwest of Winchester and 5 miles northeast of Strasburg. Middletown was chartered on May 4, 1796. Some of the first documentation of early Middletown dates back to the late 18th century. The town was originally known as “Senseney Town”, a piece of land within the 17th Century Fairfax Grant and gifted to the allies for siding with England during the Civil War in the 1600’s. Probably the main historic attraction near Middletown is Belle Grove Plantation located about a mile south of town. Belle Grove was first settled in about 1750 and its historic Federal-style manor house was completed in 1797. Middletown was the site of numerous military operations in the American Civil War including the Battle of Cedar Creek, fought just south of town near Belle Grove Plantation. The area where this battle occurred has been protected as part of the Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park. You can share the experience of the Battle of Cedar Creek Reenactment after a two year absence. On October 19-20, 2019 at the Cedar Creek Battlefield, the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation will host the reenactment event on the original fields in Middletown, Virginia where the original battle was fought on October 19, 1864. Because the town was founded long before the Civil War, its antebellum history is extensive, as evidenced by the fact that Middletown’s Wayside Inn purports to be the longest continuously running inn in America. Wayside Theatre, also located in Middletown was one of Virginia’s oldest professional theaters although it was permanently closed in 2013. In addition to Belle Grove Plantation, the Middletown Historic District, Fort Bowman, Monte Vista, Old Forge Farm, and St. Thomas Chapel are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2012, the town of Middletown elected the youngest mayor in Virginia history at the age of 24, Charles Harbaugh IV. He was reelected in 2016. Mayor Charles, as he is known, is a dynamic and purposeful man who has a lot of charisma and a fierce dedication to his town. We met him on the porch of the Wayside after he had made a day trip to Richmond. He presented us with a miniature license plate tag that he had just picked up in Richmond as a keepsake of Middletown. He is bringing back these small plates that are attached to your state license plate which, from Old Town Crier
1940 to 1972, indicated that you had paid your local taxes. The re-issue of these plates are a matter of civic pride to the mayor. Nana’s Irish Pub is a must visit for the traveler. It is a very small, cozy place reminiscent of neighborhood Irish Pubs. There is a dining area upstairs where the old vault door remains from its’ former days as a bank. Down stairs is the small bar with more seats. Managements efficiency of space is pretty amazing and the locals are fun to talk with, and talk you can do as there are no televisions. Nana’s Irish Pub’s purpose is to bring a taste of Irish cuisine to the Shenandoah Valley, where many Scots-Irish settlers chose to stay after immigrating to America. Their goal is to share with you some of the sounds and tastes of their home, Limerick, Ireland. If you are a big fan of BBQ, you have got to be sure to stop at another Middletown icon, Shaffers BBQ. Located in a renovated gas station on the edge town, this place is way happening. They are famous for their BBQ but rumor has it that the fried chicken ranks among some of areas finest as well. Nothing tastier than a hot pork sandwich with two home-made sides and nice cold beer! Our hosts at the Wayside Inn were proprietors George and Becky Reeves. This is a must stay Inn. The wood structure features wide pine wood floors and walls. The rustic appearance provides a warm and cozy feeling with gas fireplaces in each of the seven dining rooms and a large wood burning fireplace in the main dining room adjacent to Larrick’s Tavern. Their American style menu, features full-course meals as well as lighter fare to fit any appetite. Everything is made fresh to order using local ingredients as available. Their peanut soup is excellent! The Wayside offers 22 unique rooms and suites furnished in period antiques and art. Step back in time to experience 18th century ambiance combined with 21st century comfort. For a possible paranormal experience, choose to stay in one of their ghost rooms. A made-to-order country breakfast is included in with each night’s stay. During the Civil War, soldiers from both the North and South frequented the Inn in search of refuge and friendship. Serving both sides of this devastating conflict, the Inn offered comfort to all who came and thus was spared the ravages of the war, even though Stonewall Jackson’s famous Valley Campaign swept past only a few miles away. With the much changing hands of the war, the inn survived unscathed due to the readiness of the day’s victor controlling the inn that day. With spring upon us it is a great time to go on a road trip. In addition to the upcoming popular Apple Blossom Festival headquartered in Winchester, Middletown will host its 9th Annual Car & Truck Show on August 18th and have made quite a reputation for stepping outside of the box with their Annual Farm to Table Family Dinner that shuts down Route 11 while locals and guests dine at tables set up in the middle of the road. This year’s dinner takes place on September 8th. Middletown is about an hour and a half from Alexandria, but a world away. Apple blossoms will be in bloom and 60 degree days should be the norm. There are just enough things to do but still have plenty of time to kick back in one of the front porch rocking chairs of the Wayside Inn and watch the traffic go slowly by. Some words of warning…be sure to obey the 30 mph speed limit.
From Top: Good eats at Shaffer's Market; Farm to Table Dining in town; Civil War Reenactments; Nana's Irish Pub, a Middletown staple (and food you won't want to miss!); Mayor Charles. April 2019 | 25
TO THE BLUE RIDGE JULIE REARDON
Blooming I
Oatlands Plantation
IN APRIL
t’s that time of year, when everyone’s invited for an up close look at the homes of the rich and famous in Virginia. Because, we admit, there’s a little voyeurism in all of us. We love to peek through the windows and behind the closed doors and walled gardens of others, especially the wealthy. So even if you aren’t an avid gardener, Historic Garden Week in Virginia offers a rare chance to visit a few of the area’s loveliest estates during a time when they’re all dressed up in spring colors. This year there are over 200 homes to tour over 8 days statewide, starting April 27th through May 4th. Because of Easter, Historic Garden Week is later than usual this year (next year, the dates will be April 18th – 25th) but you can get in the mood in Warrenton April 6th with the Discovery Publications’ 9th Annual Home and Garden Show, held this year at Fauquier High School from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is only $5 per person (children under 12 free). For information visit discoverypubs.com Historic Garden Week is sponsored by the Garden Club of Virginia and its local chapters and for 2019, 26 | April 2019
some of the most beautiful gardens, homes and historic landmarks statewide will be open during “America’s Largest Open House.” This 8-day event provides visitors a unique opportunity to see unforgettable gardens at the peak of Virginia’s springtime color, as well as beautiful houses and historic sites. Garden Club members create over 2,300 flower arrangements that decorate each property to add to the beauty. Back in 1927, a flower show put on by the Garden Club of Virginia raised $7,000 to preserve some of the trees on the lawn of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, a huge sum at that time, and Historic Garden Week was born. The first statewide tour was in 1929, and since then over $17 million has been contributed to restoring landmark gardens and grounds around the state. The nearly 50 active Garden Club of Virginia restoration projects statewide include Mount Vernon, the Pavilion Gardens at the University of Virginia, and the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, which benefit from Historic Garden Week tours. Tour proceeds fund the restoration and preservation of Virginia’s
historic gardens, and provide graduate level research fellowships for building comprehensive and ongoing records of historic gardens and landscapes in the Commonwealth, and support the mission of the Garden Club of Virginia. In the Blue Ridge, with those fabled mountains, the stone walls, the dogwoods, and the redbuds in bloom for the backdrop, you can see open houses in several regions. On Saturday April 27th, the town of Washington, Va. in Rappahannock County (not to be confused with the big one across the Potomac) will have a walking tour of four in-town homes. Sunday, April 28th you can travel north to the historic town of Winchester to see several unique properties there, or to Leesburg, which has four homes open two days; Sunday April 28th and Monday the 29th. If you’re partial to the central Blue Ridge area, you can start April 27th in Orange County (about 75 miles southwest of the Beltway) to view four magnificent homes and gardens in the fertile farmland there. Sunday the 28th Charlottesville and Albemarle County hold their
2015 Garden Tour
Leesburg Garden tour of homes and gardens, and Monday the 29th you can tour the private walled gardens of University of Virginia Pavillions on the Lawn. You could make a full week of it and still not see all the open houses on the tour, but if you’re up for some driving midweek, we heartily recommend the James River Plantation tour, Sunday April 28 through Tues., April 30. From there you can head back north to view the Fauquier homes and gardens on Wednesday and Thursday May 1st and 2nd. Tickets for any of the tours
can be purchased ahead of time for $25 or on the day of the tour for $35. For details and online ticket purchase go to their website at www. vagardenweek.org but tickets can be purchased individually on site at any of the open houses, too. And don’t forget the horses—racing is in full swing, both point to points as well as the big sanctioned races. There is a race every weekend, sometimes two, the entire month of April. See the Spring Race Schedule in this section for locations, times and contact information. Old Town Crier
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* STREET FAIR ON HISTORIC SPERRYVILLE MAIN STREET * * GREAT RUBBER DUCK RACE STARTS AT 2 P.M. * * 18TH ANNUAL WATERPENNY SPRING PLANT SALE * * PARKING AT HEADMASTER'S PUB * ********
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Old Town Crier
April 2019 | 27
Earth Day 2019 April 22nd
S
The theme for this year’s observance is “Save Species”.
ince the first year Earth Day was celebrated in 1970, there has been a documented loss of 40% of the world’s wild animal population. Besides the more visibly exotic African animals under threat, bees and other insects responsible for pollinating the world’s plant population continue to be decimated by the use of insecticides. Marine animals have been devastated, with turtles particularly hard hit due to destruction of nesting grounds. Meanwhile, climate change threatens almost 75% of the world’s coral reefs. Under the present administration, the Endangered Species Act is also under threat with plans to lift or soften protections for more than 1,300 endangered or threatened species in the USA.
All about Earth Day The idea behind the day - honoring the
planet and all living things that inhabit it - originated with the early 1960’s hippie era. That’s when Earth Day bloomed into a grass roots movement that resulted in the first official U.S. observance of Earth Day, celebrated in 1970. Today, many cities extend Earth Day celebrations for an entire week to increase awareness of recycling and better energy efficient communities. Come April, major cities in the US and Canada honor Earth Day from coast to coast by hosting civic ceremonies and interactive programs to get everyone involved. Just up ahead, discover detailed information about what else happens on the big day - with fun facts, quotes, ideas for student projects, coloring pages, crafts ideas, information and history, as well as environmental events & festivities, celebrations & activities across the US and Canada ...
• Exceeding all expectations, 20 million Americans participated in the first Earth Day observance in 1970. Celebrations effectively stopped traffic in New York City when 20,000 people packed Union Square to see Hollywood actor Paul Newman and hear a speech by New York City Mayor John Lindsay, who arrived on an electric bus. • John McConnell was the creator of the first Earth Day Flag. His design was inspired when he saw the first picture of the Earth, later dubbed “The Blue Marble”, printed in Life magazine. • Throughout the 1970’s, Earth Day observances eventually led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. • Today, Earth Day is the largest secular holiday in the world, with more than 500 million people taking part in 174 countries around the world. • Google has celebrated Earth day with animated doodles on its home page since 2001. For more information about Earth Day log on to www.chiff.com/home_life/ holiday/earth-day.htm
28 | April 2019
Old Town Crier
Photo by Meg Mullery
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Old Town Crier
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Visit our website for availability and to make your reservation. www.theroomsupthere.com Marshall, VA (540) 364-5343 x2 April 2019 | 29
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Mon-Thurs 10am-6pm Fri-Sat 10am-7pm Sunday 11am-5pm
Old Town Crier
THE GASTRONOMES
DINING OUT
Junction Ribs
JUNCTION BAKERY & BISTRO 1508 MOUNT VERNON AVE. ALEXANDRIA, VA 703-436-0025 JUNCTIONBAKERY.COM
Hot Fried Chicken Sandwich
Junction Family Style Pot Roast
J
unction Bistro and Bakery is now open for dinner. This Mount Vernon Avenue gem in the Del Ray section of our fair city opened in 2016 serving house made breakfast and lunch fare as well as special offerings on the weekends for brunch while concentrating on fresh baked goods at the same time. “We wanted to launch dinner because of a strong demand from our customers.
he designed the dinner menu with Junction guests - families and busy professionals - in mind. Dinner at Junction aims to be low-key and lowstress. The menu incorporates Junction classics that regulars have come to love in addition to elevating some of those favorites. Duke has put his own stamp on the menu with items including Thai Street Noodle Soup (see photo) featuring vermicelli, shredded
Meet Me At the Junction...
Junction Taco Tuesday
Thai Street Noodle Soup
Chef James Duke & his Peppers Old Town Crier
A lot of guests that already join us for breakfast and lunch can now add dinner to their rotation and those who can’t make it during breakfast or lunch now have an opportunity to come in at the end of their day. We’re excited to give guests who may not be able to come into Junction during the week a chance to do so,” Proprietor, Noe Landini tells us. Many of you will remember that the OTC featured Junction’s Executive Pastry Chef, Jonni Scott, in the Masters of Cuisine profile a few months ago. Since then they have brought Chef James Duke into the fold to give special attention to their savory offerings. Chef Duke is a Northern Virginia native and comes to Junction after his most recent post as chef de cuisine at the Salt Line in DC. He has known Noe Landini since childhood and his first job in the hospitality business was as a bar back at Landini Brothers Restaurant in Old Town. When approached by Landini to take on the title of Executive Chef at Junction, Duke said he just couldn’t turn down the opportunity. When Duke took the reins,
chicken, coconut, Kaffir lime, red curry, scallions, cilantro, Mung bean sprouts, and watermelon radish, an ode to the Asian cuisines he came to love growing up in Northern Virginia. Duke will also be highlighting Junction’s outstanding in-house bread program by offering a Junction Bread Basket featuring baguettes, brioche rolls, and whole wheat baked fresh daily with a rotating selection of house made butters. Duke plans to continually refresh the menu, adding new items based on current inspiration and the seasonality of ingredients. A menu feature that Duke is particularly excited about introducing at Junction is the family-style dinner option available both for dining in and to go. Including Homestyle Roast Chicken featuring a half or whole chicken roasted with fresh herbs, butter, and garlic served with fingerling potatoes and an assortment of dipping sauces and a field green salad and Family Style Pot Roast (see photo) with boneless short rib accompanied by glazed root veggies, pearl onions, and a field greens salad are available as a personal serving or for 2-3
adults. This is a stellar idea for the family that doesn’t have the time or the energy to pull together a hearty meal after getting home at 7 pm. A simple phone call to the restaurant and you will have your fresh made hot meal waiting to be picked up. Lastly, Duke has turned an eye to elevating the retail options in the Junction market by adding more house made ingredients including DC’s favorite mumbo sauce, fermented hot sauce, and house made giardiniera and pickles. Duke plans to add additional retail options including scratch made sauces and vinegars for
James is a bit like family to us so we just let him pick and choose some of the items that he has added to the menu for us to sample. It’s too bad everyone can’t do the same thing. We sampled the aforementioned Thai soup and the Pot Roast in addition to the Memphis-ish BBQ Pork Ribs, Malaysian Curry (vegetarian sample), Hot Fried Chicken sandwich served between a cheddar chive biscuit with aged honey, Louisville Fire sauce and house made dill pickles. We dined on “Taco Tuesday” so had to give the Al Pastor a try - roasted pork with pineapple salsa, pickled
at-home meals. Junction has added some cocktail options in addition to their wine and beer selection for dine-in guests. Currently on the menu of the rotating cocktail selection are a draft version – “GinDa-Mom” featuring Sipsmith gin, grapefruit, lemon, black cardamom, chamomile, and hopped grapefruit bitters and the Junction’s take on the classic cosmo, the “UnCosmopolitan” made with Tito’s vodka, cointreau, lime, and spiced cranberry juice. Rounding out the selection is an Aperol Spritz consisting of Aperol, Zardetto Prosecco and sparkling water. We didn’t try any of these, which is way odd since one of us is a gin drinker and the other a vodka queen. You can be sure we will give them a test run the next time we are in. We opted for a bottle of wine instead. As far as the food is concerned, we didn’t approach it in our normal way. Chef
red onion, salsa verde, chipotle aioli and cilantro on a soft white corn tortilla. You have your choice of three (pork, chicken and veggie) for a mere $10. Everything hit the mark with us with the exception of the Malaysian Curry. Neither of us are curry or tofu fans but the chef wanted us to try a vegetarian dish – I imagine for those of you who are wild about tofu and curry it will be a small slice of heaven. Guests order at the counter and either belly up to the island or take a seat at a table and wait to be served. There is limited sidewalk dining so when the weather clears up, you will have to get there early in order to secure a seat. All orders are available to go. Pricing is comparable to other establishments in the area and the portions are generous. Be sure to check them out if you haven’t already! Dinner at Junction is served from 4 to 9 PM Sunday through Monday.
...for Dinner!
April 2019 | 31
BEHIND THE BAR
SHANE LANDRUM
LIGHT HORSE RESTAURANT KING STREET OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA 703-549-0533 THELIGHTHORSERESTAURANT.COM
How did you get started in the bartending business? When I was 21, I got hired to work in Richmond bar called Tiki Bobs. It was 25 cent beer night and my job was to endlessly pour beers for the college students. I was in Richmond because my boyfriend was a soccer player on the Richmond Kickers and we both were going to school
in Chapel Hill. I’d walk in at 8 pm and leave at 2:30 am literally showered in beer. The keg wouldn’t stop flowing until we closed. Over time, that morphed into me slowly appearing behind the bar more and more in Richmond. Once I graduated from college, I moved to Chicago and was head bar manager of a 3 story nightclub called
This is hard because I block out things that bring me pain (Talking about YOU Childhood!). I mean…if you really want to know how to pick up someone, go out with friends and be yourself. The What is your bartender pet best pick up line is your friend peeve? ripping on you in front of strangers. There is no better I really hate when my coworkers judge our customers. quality than self-deprecation and having at least one friend My bartender pet peeve is to show to everyone else ridiculous bartenders who you’re not a crazy person. think the customers should follow some “set rule” and Can you tell us an behave a certain way. Don’t interesting story? know your drink, NO BIG DEAL. Didn’t tip, NO BIG Okay, here’s a story. DEAL, it’ll all shake out in the Hopefully this girl doesn’t read end. Also - I love mayhem, be this. But one time we had a yourself, come to my bar and couple come to the bar and have fun and laugh all the way the girl proceeded to cry, and to hell. I mean dry heave, sob cry for So snap your fingers, scream almost two hours straight. I my name, slam your hand, had to take care of them and IDGAF because I’m living my best life and having a blast with honest to God, I had no idea what to do. But they never you. Also, I’ll do anything for yelled, they never argued; it a dollar - so get handsy as well. was literally them coming in Grab my ass PLEASE - Life is separately and then her crying short. for two hours. They left and I thought that was that. What’s the best line Well, two days later I’m anyone has used in order Spin. I’ve been behind a bar in some capacity for over 17 years. It’s the friendships, the stories, the memories and OF COURSE the money that always brings me back.
taking care of this really cute girl and a different guy and I’m obviously staring at the girl because I’m pretty sure it’s her but I’m not sure. When the guy goes to the bathroom, I’m like “Okay, who are you and why are you so familiar?” and she hangs her head in shame and says, “I’m the girl who spent two hours crying the other day.” And I was like, “Okay - you have to tell me what the hell happened?” and lo and behold that cry session was a re-meet up of a two year relationship where the guy ghosted her and moved out when she was at work and didn’t return her calls for a year UNTIL THAT DAY and they decided to rehash…I guess…at my bar. The moral to this story is that guys are f-ing trash garbage douchebags so make sure yours at least is endowed and has a nice body so that when you cry it’s worth it.
BEHIND THE BAR > PAGE 33
to get a free drink?
I get offered sexual favors all of the time but never coupled with a free drink request. I don’t know, people don’t have to ask me for a free drink because it’s already in my hand if it’s a regular, a birthday girl, a break up cry baby, an anniversary, etc. You get a comp tab for a reason bartenders, USE IT and create an atmosphere people want to be a part of.
What’s the most memorable pick up line you’ve heard?
Taste ultra-premium spirits & cocktails made from wine: brandy, vodka, and gin. Then step over to the wine bar for a wine tasting! didasdistillery.com rcellars.com Open Fri. - Tues. Noon to 5:00pm Located at Rappahannock Cellars 540-551-8141 | 14437 Hume Rd., Huntley, VA 22640
Shane conjures up the Light Horse Black Fox – Copper Fox Rye Whiskey, egg white, blackberry syrup, and lemon juice served up with a dusting of fresh grated nutmeg. 32 | April 2019
Old Town Crier
BEHIND THE BAR FROM PAGE 32
t.j. stone’s
Who would you want to have a drink with and why? I would do anything to have a drink with Maya Angelou, she has always been a personal hero of mine, or Harriet Tubman. The unbelievable strength of these two women takes my breath away. To hear their stories and their triumphs, their losses and their joys would be the greatest gift. One of humanity’s tragedies is the inability of its society to picture the obstacles that history’s greatest heroes had to overcome. We are a nation of many people and we do ourselves a disservice to neglect our education when it comes to Black and minority history, Woman’s History, and LGBTQA history. Shane is behind the bar Thursday and Friday nights, Saturdays from 4 pm to close and on an occasional Sunday. If you would like to see your favorite mixologist featured in this space, send contact information to office@ oldtowncrier.com.
grill house and tap room
celebrating american cuisine with libations from around the world
Cold Smoked Salmon Month!
wood burning fireplace! private event room over 300 beer & wine
tjstones.com 608 Montgomery St Alexandria 703.548.1004
Personal Paleo Chef
Simple. Straightforward. Affordable.
From the founder of Brianne’s Blissful Bites, your local Paleo/Primal/Gluten-Free/Vegan sweet eats outlet, comes this LIMITED, EXCLUSIVE OFFER Introducing the Personal Paleo Chef, marrying the convenience of ready-made meals with the special touch of a personal chef. To ensure that your experience is not only affordable but also personal – in fact, from information gathering to ordering to invoicing - ALL correspondence will be between YOU and the CHEF. No admin assistants to ferry messages back and forth; no “carts” or “subscriptions” with rotational billing; no “up/down” websites.
Personal Paleo Chef promises to:
1. To provide healthy meals, ALL free from grains, gluten, dairy, soy, refined sugars with plenty of room within a traditional menu to adjust according to YOUR tastes 2. To offer – completely free of charge – an individualized nutritional plan, courtesy of our friends at BFit BodyFit, to ensure you
are choosing meals to help you reach your fitness goals 3. To do ALL of this for a lower price than ALL competitors We will be offering services to only a small number of individuals. Services will begin in late April to early May, so take advantage of this limited, space-available offer today.
To find out more, email bri@briannesblissfulbites.com, bri.bfit.bodyfit@gmail.com, or bri.personal.paleo.chef@gmail.com.
Old Town Crier
April 2019 | 33
AMERICAN AUGIE’S MUSSEL HOUSE 1106 King Street 703.721.3970 MOHO KITCHEN & COCTAILS 116 South Alfred St. 703-739-6090 BILBO BAGGINS 208 Queen St. 703-683-0300 BLACKWALL HITCH 5 Cameron St. 703-739-6090 CAFE 44 44 Canal Center 571-800-6644 CARLYLE CLUB 411 John Carlyle St. 703-549-8957
HUMMINGBIRD 220 South Union Street 703-566-1355
THE PEOPLES DRUG 103 N. Alfred Street
JACKS PLACE 222 North Lee St. 703-684-0372
RAMPARTS 1700 Fern St. 703-998-6616 rampartstavern.com
JACKSON 20 480 King St. 703-842-2790
RESERVE 2216 2216 Mount Vernon Avenue 703-549-2889
JAVA GRILL 611 King Street 571-431-7631
REYNOLDS STREET CAFÉ 34 S. Reynolds St. 703-751-0830
JOE THEISMANNS 1800 Diagonal Rd. 703-739-0777
RIVER BEND BISTRO 7966 Fort Hunt Rd. Hollin Hall Shopping Center 703-347-7545 riverbendbistro.com
JUNCTION BAKERY & BISTRO 1508 Mount Vernon Avenue Alexandria 703-436-0025
ROCK IT GRILL 1319 King St. 703-739-2274
CHADWICKS 203 Strand St. 703-836-4442 chadwicksrestaurants.com An Old Town tradition since 1979 and an original Georgetown pub and restaurant since 1967.
LAPORTAS 1600 Duke St. 703-683-6313
CHARLIE'S ON THE AVENUE Mount Vernon Avenue 703-851-3270
LIVE OAK 1603 Commonwealth Ave. 571-312-0402
CHART HOUSE One Cameron St. 703-684-5080
LORI'S TABLE 1028 King Street 703-549-5545
CITY KITCHEN 330 South Pickett St. 703-685-9172 fatcitykitchen.com USA City inspired menu choices that bring together traditional American and global cuisine with their own personal touch. Casual dress. $30 and under. Lots of free parking. Open 7 days a week with brunch on Sat & Sun 11-3. AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
LOST DOG CAFE 808 North Henry St. 571-970-6511
THE LIGHT HORSE 715 King Street 703-549-0533
RT's RESTAURANT 3804 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-684-6010 rtsrestaurant.com SAMUEL BECKETTS IRISH GASTRO PUB 2800 S. Randolph St. Villages of Shirlington 703-379-0122 SHOOTER MCGEES 5239 Duke St. 703-751-9266 SMOKING KOW BBQ 3250 Duke Sttreet 703-888-2649 SOCIETY FAIR 277 S. Washington St. 703-683-3247
MACKIE’S BAR AND GRILL 907 King St. 703-684-3288
SONOMA CELLAR 207 King St. 703-966-3550
MAGNOLIA’S ON KING 703 King St. 703-838-9090
SOUTH BLOCK 106 N. Lee Street 703-465-8423
MAJESTIC CAFÉ 911 King St. 703-837-9117
SOUTHSIDE 815 815 S. Washington St. 703-836-6222
EVENING STAR CAFÉ 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-549-5051
MASON SOCIAL 728 Henry Street Old Town Alexandria 703-548-8800 mason-social.com
SWEETGREEN 823 King St. 571-319-0192
EXECUTIVE DINER & CAFE 1400 Duke Street 703-299-0894
MOUNT VERNON INN Mount Vernon, Va 703-780-0011
FIN & HOOF 801 N. Saint Asaph St. 703-836-4700
MURPHYS IRISH PUB 713 King St. 703-548-1717 murphyspub.com Old-world Irish pub featuring a roaring fireplace, serving a variety of imported, domestic and non-alcoholic beers in a friendly atmosphere. Serving robust American-Irish meals at fair prices. Favorites include fish and chips and Irish stew. Irish-style entertainment nightly.
COLUMBIA FIREHOUSE 109 S. St. Asaph St. 703-683-1776
FIVE GUYS 725 King St. 703-549-7991 FLAT TOP BURGER 529 East Howell Ave. 571-970-1006 FOSTERS GRILLE 2004 Eisenhower Ave. 703-725-1342 GADSBYS TAVERN 138 N. Royal St. 703-548-1288 GLORY DAYS GRILL 3141 Duke Street 703-567-157 GRATEFUL KITCHEN 727 N. Henry Street HARD TIMES CAFE 1404 King St. 703-837-0050 HEN QUARTER 1404 King St. 703-684-6969
34 | April 2019
MYRON MIXON PITMASTER BBQ 220 North Lee St. 703-535-3340 NECTAR COFFEE & WINE BISTRO 106 Hume Avenue 571-431-6150 NORTHSIDE 1O 10 East Glebe Rd. 703-888-0032 OCONNELLS RESTAURANT & BAR 112 King St. 703-739-1124 danieloconnellsrestaurant.com PORK BARREL BBQ 2312 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-822-5699
SWEET FIRE DONNA'S BB@ & HOPS 510 John Carlyle Street 571-312-7960 T.J. STONES GRILL HOUSE & TAP ROOM 608 Montgomery St. 703-548-1004 tjstones.com American cuisine with libations from around the world. Bar specials MonFri, 4-7 pm. Brunch served Sat & Sun.
ASIAN ASIAN BISTRO 809 King St. 703-836-1515 MALAYA 1019 King St. 703-519-3710 MAI THAI 9 King St. 703-548-0600 NASIME 1209 King St. 703-548-1848 STREETS MARKET AND CAFE 3108 Mt. Vernon Ave. 571-431-6810 THAILAND ROYAL 801 N. Fairfax St. 703 535-6622 TOKYO JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE 66 Canal Center Plaza 703-683-8878 CAPHE BANH MI VIETNAMESE 407 Cameron St. 703-549-0800 KAI ZEN TAVERN 1901 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-836-1212 THE SUSHI BAR 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue 571-257-3232 CONTINENTAL BRABO by Robert Weidmaier 1600 King St. 703-894-3440 BRABO TASTING ROOM 1600 King St. 703-894-5252 CEDAR KNOLL GW Parkway at Lucia Ln. 703-780-3665 OLD HOUSE COSMOPOLITAN 1024 Cameron Street 703-717-9361 TEMPO 4231 Duke St. 703-370-7900 temporestaurant.com Northern Italian, French provincial & American cuisine featuring fresh seafood, meats and pasta served in a contemporary, romantic atmosphere. FRENCH BASTILLE 606 N. Fayette St. 703-519-3776 bastillerestaurant.com
TRADEMARK 2800 Jamieson Ave. 703-253-8640
BISTRO SANCERRE FRENCH 1755 Duke Street
UNION STREET PUBLIC HOUSE 121 South Union St. 703-548-1785 unionstreetpublichouse.com Old Town’s favorite neighborhood tap and grill. Southern style menu, fine steaks, fresh seafood. Sunday brunch, private parties, happy hour.
LE REFUGE 127 N. Washington St. 703-548-4661
VERMILLION 1120 King St. 703-684-9669 VIRTUE GRAIN & FEED 106 South Union St. 571-970-3669
FONTAINES CAFFE & CREPERIE 119 S. Royal St. 703-535-8151 LA MADELEINE 500 King St. 703-729-2854 TWO NINETEEN RESTAURANT 219 King St. 703-549-1141
VOLA’S DOCKSIDE GRILL & THE HI-TIDE LOUNGE 101 North Union St. 703-935-8890
ITALIAN BUGSYS PIZZA RESTAURANT 111 King St. 703-683-0313 bugsyspizza.com
THE WAREHOUSE BAR & GRILL 214 King St. 703-683-6868
FACCIA LUNA 823 S. Washington St. 703-838-5998
THE ITALIAN PLACE 621Wythe St. 571-777-8981 HANKS PASTA BAR 600 Montgomery Ave. 571-312-4117 IL PORTO RESTAURANT 121 King St. 703-836-8833 LA TRATTORIA 305 S. Washington St. 703-548-9338 LANDINI BROTHERS 115 King St. 703-836-8404 landinibrothers.com Elegant, classical Italian cuisine served in a lovely historical setting. Fresh veal, homemade pastas, and fresh fish are some of the daily choices. An extensive list of wines and champagnes served in a sophisticated and friendly atmosphere. LENA’S WOOD-FIRED PIZZA & TAP 401 East Braddock Rd. 703-960-1086 MIA'S ITALIAN KITCHEN 100 King Street 703-997-5300 PARADISO 124 King St. 703-683-5330 PINES OF FLORENCE 1300 King St. 703-549-1796 RED ROCKS FIREBRICK PIZZA 904 King St. 703-717-9873 MEDITERRANEAN LA TASCA 607 King St. 703-299-9810 TAVERNA CRETEKOU 818 King St. 703-548-8688 tavernacretekou.com PITA HOUSE 719 King St. 703-684-9194 thepitahouse.com DELIAS MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 209 Swamp Fox Rd. Alexandria, VA 703-329-0006 VASO'S MEDITERRANEAN BISTRO 1118 King Street 703-566-2720 VASO'S KITCHEN 1225 Powhatan Street 703-548-2747 SEAFOOD CATCH ON THE AVENUE 2419 MOUNT VERNON AVE 703-566-1283 HANKS OYSTER BAR 1026 King St. 703-739-HANK FISH MARKET-OLD TOWN 105 King St. 703-836-5676 fishmarketoldva.com Internationally known and locally owned! We serve shrimps, a few crabs, tall people and lots of nice people, too! Live music and lively food! ERNIES ORGINIAL CRABHOUSE 1743 King St. 703-836-0046 THE WHARF 119 King St. 703-836-2834 FISH MARKET-CLINTON 7611Old Branch Ave. Clinton, MD 301-599-7900
Old Town Crier
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INDIAN BOMBAY CURRY COMPANY 2607 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-836-6363 DISHES OF INDIA 1510A Bellview Blvd. 703-660-6085 DIYA 218 North Lee, 2nd Floor 703-706-5338 NAMASTE 1504 King St. 703-970-0615 MEXICAN LATIN SOUTHWESTERN CASA TEQUILA (next to Crate & Barrel) 1701 Duke 703-518-5312 DON TACO TEQUILA BAR 808 King St. 703-988-3144 LOS CUATES RESTAURANT 1116 King Street 703-548-2918 LOS TIOS GRILL 2615 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-299-9290 LOS TOLTECOS 4111 Duke St. 703-823-1167 TAQUERIA POBLANO 2400-B Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-TACO (8226) TEQUILA & TACO 540 John Carlyle Street 703-721-3203 Urbano 116 116 King Street 571-970-5148
Old Town Crier
April 2019 | 35
MASTERS OF CUISINE
Sebastien Rondier
S
EXECUTIVE CHEF
ebastien Rondier’s love of traditional French cuisine and the communal aspects of cooking were instilled in him throughout his childhood in Southwest France. The influence of his grandparents and his uncle, a chef who brought his expertise home, even making fresh sausages for neighbors, was especially meaningful. After graduating from culinary school at CFA Hotellerie DAX in France, Rondier worked in acclaimed kitchens in French Basque Country, Paris (Le Bristol, Michelin-starred Taillevent) and Monte Carlo (famed Chef Alain Ducasse’s Michelin-starred Le Louis XV Restaurant). Monte Carlo was the beginning of a prolific working relationship with Ducasse, as Rondier moved to the U.S. and worked in his celebrated restaurants across New York City (Alain Ducasse at the Essex House, Adour at St. Regis, Benoit) as well as in Puerto Rico (miX On The Beach at W Retreat & Spa), and in Washington D.C. (Adour at St. Regis). Rondier further honed his craft in additional kitchens in D.C., Hawaii and Las Vegas, as well as with a big win on the “I Love It When You Call Me Big Papaya” episode of Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen. As Executive Chef at Brabo Brasserie, Rondier is thrilled to lead a first-rate culinary team and use his vast experience to shape a menu of simple, iconic French brasserie fare with a contemporary twist, made from top-quality, seasonal ingredients from around the region.
What inspired you to pursue a career in the culinary field?
biggest inspirations for pursuing a culinary career. I knew early on that school was not for me. My uncle was in catering and I would go with him to work to watch him butcher meats and make pâtés, blood sausages, and terrines. This inspired me to start a two-year apprenticeship, followed by culinary school at CFA Hotellerie DAX in France and chef jobs around the world.
BRABO BRASSERIE 1600 KING STREET OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA 703-894-3440 BRABORESTAURANT.COM
Who or what has made the biggest influence on you during your career? Alain Ducasse had the biggest influence on my career. Working with him for 13 years was a challenging and rewarding experience. Because of him, I was able to make my way to New York City in 2003 after spending three years working in his three-Michelinstarred restaurant in Monte Carlo.
What is your “personal” favorite dish on your menu and why? My personal favorite is Le Grand Duck Flambe. The dish serves two to four guests and requires a 24hour notice. Roasted Rohan duck breast and braised legs are served with an orange confit sauce, radish composition, and a tableside flambé of Grand Marnier. It’s a classic French dish and is very much worth the wait!
What do you feel sets your cuisine apart from others in your field? At Brabo Brasserie, I put a lot of thought into the ingredients I use
My uncle and grandma were my
MASTERS OF CUISINE > PAGE 37
Chef Sebastian prepares his Grand Duck Flambe'. 36 | April 2019
Old Town Crier
MASTERS OF CUISINE FROM PAGE 36
and what guests are looking for when dining out. We offer a variety of fish dishes, an ever-changing steak frites program, and daily specials highlighting French classics. It’s important that our menus embrace fresh, local ingredients and the flavors of France to create dishes our guests are going to love.
If any chef in the world (past or present) could prepare you a meal, who would you want that to be? Without any hesitation, Auguste Escoffier.
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NANCY BAUER
GRAPEVINE
g i B e v Lo
Mediterranean Cellars Wins
F
or years now, it’s been impossible to find a ticket to the annual Fauquier County People’s Choice Wine Awards. They sell out every year, and it’s easy to see why: no queuing in crushing lines, beautiful (indoor) venue at Airlie, tasty wines, and everflowing hot and cold hors d’oeuvres. Plus, you get to vote. Each guest gets three color-coded voting cards – Favorite Red, Favorite White, and Favorite Sweet. At first, the voting concept seems easy enough: when you taste a favorite, you drop your card into a little box on the corresponding table. This year, fifteen wineries poured tasting samples on
two floors of Airlie House, with live music and plentiful platters of cured meats, fancy cheeses, and creative empanadas and such on each level. Forty-one wines were poured “officially,” though a few enthusiastic wineries raised the count with even more unofficial bottles. As the clock ticks down, the voting cards start to burn a hole in your pocket: time to choose. But how? So many factors enter in: the wine itself, the friendliness of the people pouring the wine (yes, this should not be part of the decision-making process, but let’s admit: it is), your memories of a relaxing day you may have spent at that vineyard. It’s tough, and you may find yourself avoiding eye
contact with one table as you drop your card at the next. But quickly, it’s all over but the counting. While we wait, we talk to Fauquier’s tourism officials to pass the time. “This event happens at a time of year where it is usually pretty quiet for most tourism businesses including the wineries, so this is a really great chance to get out and shake off your cabin fever and try some of the best wines in the region,” says Tourism Coordinator, Laura Torpy. Miles Friedman, Director Fauquier County’s Economic Development office, adds, “Fine wine is a delight to the senses and Fauquier wines rank among the best in the region and in the
at Fauquier Wine Awards
Commonwealth. Wineries make up a substantial share of our business community and are at the core of our appeal to tourists. By all measures, investment, employment, revenues and quality of life, our wineries play a vital role in Fauquier County.” And then, a bell assembles those of us who haven’t gone on to dinner (though how is that even possible with all those nibbles?) and the announcements begin. This year is a sweep for the Papadopoulos family of Mediterranean Cellars in Warrenton, which walks away with an award for Top Red, Top White and Top Sweet. The family’s other winery, Molon Lave, also nabs a Top White award, to much
cheering and clapping of the crowd and hugging between the two Papadopoulos sisters in the room, Katherine and Leah. “This event is a really wonderful one, and it’s so great to see the efforts that Fauquier County is putting forth to promote the wineries in the county,” Katherine wrote to me later. “We were thrilled to take home an award for choice white for our 2018 Pinot Grigio. There were some excellent local wines at this event, and it’s really exciting for me to witness both Louis’ and Louizos’ (owners and winemakers) hard work come to life in these wines. I’m looking forward to next year’s event already!”
Here is the complete list of winners for 2019. Note that no individual scores are announced; the top three vote-getters in each category win equally.
TOP REDS
TOP WHITES
TOP SWEETS
Granite Heights Lomax Reserve 2012 Mediterranean Cellars Pinot Noir 2011 Blue Valley Vineyards Petit Verdot 2016
Mediterranean Cellars Chardonnay 2013 Blue Valley Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2017 Molon Lave Vineyards Pinot Grigio 2018
Mediterranean Cellars Penteli 2008 Desert Rose Winery Mulled Plum Wine Morais Vineyards Cherry Wine 2017
38 | April 2019
Old Town Crier
EXPLORING VA WINES
DOUG FABBIOLI
THE
Language OF Tasting WINE
T
asting wine has been a process that many have made fun of over the years. You have to admit that it is kind of an odd process, seeing that we taste different food and beverages all the time, but don’t always put words to the process. When you listen to an expert describe a wine or a dish, one could be impressed at the detail, or turned off by a boorish display of self-importance. I am always amazed as we watch the Food Network and listen to people taste things. We can’t taste these things, we can only rely on their words and the look of the food. Vocabulary, presentation and connecting with those around you is important in getting your message of wine understanding out without turning people off. I often find myself describing a wine as the offensive side of an American football team as some people can relate to that example. The base of acid, tannins and alcohol are the line giving balance and structure to the wine. These pieces may not make the highlight reel, but they are critical to overall success. The fruit aspect would be represented by the quarterback. That is often the main player that shows from the vineyard and gets a lot of the credit. When looking at oak character, minerality and spice characters, I think of the other offensive ball handlers. All of these pieces come together to create a dynamic and flavorful beverage that folks like to consume and talk Old Town Crier
about. One of the more conventional tools to use in describing wines is an aroma wheel. This piece can help through general descriptions narrowing them down to relatively specific flavors and aromas. So if you smell fruit in a wine, the wheel can walk you through to tree fruit, red fruit, and even red cherry. Some folks may go even further describing cherries jubilee, or Bing cherries or even white cherries. Finding the words help you to connect with the wine as well as others. Sometimes I will end up describing specific moments in time that come back to me because of the aromas that come out of a wine. The earthiness aroma in a certain wine brought me back to a specific camping trip many years ago when the rain overnight brought out the aromas of the soil in the pine grove where we set up camp. The decades of decaying pine needles created a certain characteristic of aroma that was locked into my brain and came out as I smelled the wine. Ok, I am kind of weird that way! As you go through your flavor journey of food and wine, don’t be afraid to be weird. Lock in the aromas in your memory and try to attach some words. Bring out those memories as you taste new wines so you can build upon your catalog of characteristics. Make the most of it and you will surprise yourself sometimes!
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April 2019 | 39
WALSH FAMILY WINE:
to-day weeds of operating a business will pull one away from the primary goal and aspirations for creating the business in the first place. But it’s actually had the opposite effect on us. We are more detail-oriented in the vineyard management and winemaking, and more concerned with the minutiae of producing quality wine, because there are no longer any excuses to doing otherwise. There’s nowhere else to lay the blame for failure. I would say that I am even more concerned with the vines and wine than I used to be.
Loudoun Wine Country’s New Crush
Walsh Family Wine opened last month in Purcellville, and the owners are feeling loved. What was once their side project – growing and making wine from a Catoctin Ridge vineyard just outside of Waterford – had exploded into farming five vineyards over 50 acres and the eventual purchase and re-launch of a winery. More than 500 guests descended on grand opening weekend. But instead of feeling exhausted, co-owner Sarah Walsh says the outpouring of community support and is what kept them going. Taking over from an icon can be tricky, and the Walsh’s predecessors, Mark and Vicki Fedor, owners of the former North Gate Vineyards, were not to overstate it – just crazily beloved. From their work ethic – they made and sold wines at farmers markets and held garage tastings for years before
opening the winery – to the passion they put into creating an extreme eco-friendly business, to the humility they showed while earning top wine awards made many fans over the years. But Walsh Family Wine owners Nate and Sarah Walsh are no pretenders. They’ve been part of the Virginia wine community for more than a decade already, Nate as goldmedal-winning winemaker at Sunset Hills Vineyards in Purcellville, and Sarah in fine wine sales and hospitality. I asked Nate for his thoughts about where they’ve been and where they’re headed with the new Walsh Family Wine.
About winemaking at Sunset Hills Vineyards
Sunset Hills was and is a wonderful wine producer. Mike and Diane Canney took a real chance on me, as I had never
The Walsh Family Vineyard; (Inset) The Walsh Family
been a head winemaker when they hired me, and they allowed me to develop my farming and winemaking style pretty much on my own terms. It was a period of growth for Sunset Hills - we went from 20 planted acres to 70 during my time there and I was fortunate to be a part
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of that, and to get to work with their vineyards, of which there are some really high-quality blocks.
Walsh Family Wine: The little side project
Sarah and I started Walsh Family Wine as a side project. Sarah has a background in fine dining, as well as wine distribution and sales, and my background is in winemaking, so it always seemed like with our powers combined, as they say, we could do something to be proud of. We were given an opportunity to take a lease on a vineyard called Bethany Ridge in 2014, and we jumped at it because it’s such a great site. For 2014 and 2015, we worked the vineyard in the evenings and on weekends, and each year produced a Sauvignon Blanc, which we sold to restaurants in the area. I was able to teach her about the farming end, and she was able to teach me about sales, and we were working toward a product that we knew we’d be proud of.
Making the wine while being the boss
It’s a valid concern that getting caught up in the day-
Making a mark in a crowded Loudoun Wine Country We have a bit of a different model than what most of our neighbors are doing - more of a focus on an elevated level of hospitality, on tours, and on longer, more intimate tastings. Fewer people, and more connection with the people. We put enormous effort and love into the wines, and our hope is that if we can show people that, they will care.
WALSH FAMILY WINES 16031 HILLSBORO ROAD, PURCELLVILLE, VIRGINIA • OPEN FRIDAY 12-8, SATURDAY/SUNDAY 11-6 • Tasting Fee $20/person (reservations available) • Kids welcome; dogs welcome outside; lite fare food menu; small picnics may be enjoyed outside; reservations required for groups over 6 Tip: One Friday evening a month, Walsh Family Wine will host a “Bar Takeover” that invites other Virginia winemakers to present their wines along with Walsh wines.
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40 | April 2019
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April 27 & 28
Tickets are $10 in advance ($15 at the event) and include a Taste of 4 wines, 3 Ciders, 2 Beers & 1 Mead
Old Town Crier
NICOLE FLANAGAN
FITNESS
B
ea t
C
ardio is the key to a successful workout program and essential to heart health. The recommendation for cardiovascular exercise is at least 45 minutes most days of the week. There is no way to make the time go by any faster, however changing up
o i d r Ca
redom o B
MPH. • 10:20-11:20 – Jog at 5.0 MPH. • 11:20-14:00 – Repeat minutes 10:00-11:20 twice. the program and adding a little variety to the workout can make the task seem less daunting. Here are just a
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few ways to change up your workout. Find a hill that takes about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes to climb. Warm up for 15 minutes, moderate effort. You can also use a stationary bike and adjust the resistance in time intervals.
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• Hill climb 1: Stay seated, use moderate resistance. Recover by pedaling downhill in easy gear. • Hill climb 2: Stay seated, increase resistance. Recover by pedaling downhill in easy gear. • Hill climb 3: Sit halfway up the hill, then stand, using moderate resistance. Recover by pedaling downhill in easy gear. • Hill climb 4: Sit halfway up the hill, then stand using hard resistance. Recover by pedaling downhill in easy gear. • Hill climb 5: Stand the entire way using moderate resistance. Recover by pedaling downhill in easy gear.
• Hill climb 6: Stand the entire way using hard resistance. Recover by pedaling downhill in easy gear. • Ride at a moderate effort for about a half hour, then cool down for 5 minutes at easy effort.
• 14:00-17:00 – Jog at 5.0 MPH. • 17:00-27:00 – Run at 6.5 MPH. • 27:00-31:00 – Jog at 5.0 MPH. • 31:00-35:00 – Run at 6.5 MPH.
Cycling Intervals
• 35:00-39:00 – Jog at 5.0 MPH.
• Warm up for 15 minutes at a moderate effort.
• 39:00-55:00 – Repeat minutes 31:00-39:00 twice.
• Pedal hard for 10 seconds recover for a minute of easy pedaling.
• 55:00-60:00 – Gradually, slow pace to cool down at jog/walk.
• Pedal hard for 20 seconds recover for a minute of moderate pedaling.
If the interval speed is too much, adjust the pace to your fitness level. You can use a combination of walking and jogging instead of running and jogging. These timed interval workouts can be used on any piece of cardio equipment, an elliptical or stair climber as well as the treadmill or bike. Don’t think that you have to limit yourself to a machine. Take your watch on your next run and do timed intervals of increased and decreased speed throughout your normal running routine.
• Continue to increase hard pedaling in ten second increases until you have reached one minute of hard pedaling followed by a recovery of one minute. • Repeat the intervals twice for a 30minute workout or three times for 45 minutes.
Treadmill Intervals • 00:00-10:00 – Warm-up jog; 5.0 MPH. • 10:00-10:20 – Sprint at 7.5
oldtowncrier.com April 2019 | 41
FROM THE TRAINER
RYAN UNVERZAGT
❶ ❶
❷
KEEP YOUR CHIN UP!!
T
his month’s exercise is the chin-Up - the chin-up warrants an underhand grip (palms facing you) about six to eight inches apart. You might be wondering, “What’s the difference between a chinup and pull-up?” The answer is in the grip. The pull-up has either an overhand grip (palms facing away from you) or a neutral grip (palms facing each other) and the hands are generally placed wider to emphasize the latissimus dorsi. The chin-up targets the back muscles (latissimus dorsi, middle & lower trapezius, rhomboids, teres major), posterior deltoids, and biceps. It provides a better mechanical advantage than the wide-grip pull-up meaning that the chin-up is easier to perform. Another benefit of this exercise is that it helps increase your grip strength. To start, grab the bar with an underhand grip as described above and assume a hanging position (figure 1). Pull yourself up utilizing your back and biceps until your chin is above the bar (figure 2). Lower yourself down until 42 | April 2019
your arms are almost straight. A common mistake is to lower only halfway or ninety degrees elbow flexion. Complete a full range of motion to optimize strength gains. The chin-up can be performed anywhere there is a stable bar above the head. This is a perfect exercise to use in a push/pull super-set with the dip. After finishing a set of dips, you can go right to chin-ups to work the back and biceps while your chest and triceps get a break. Try two sets of ten repetitions for each exercise. If you can’t do a chin-up, have a spotter grab your feet to assist during the pull. Enjoy your bodyweight exercises because they give you a great workout for strength or endurance gains. Until next time, stay fit! Unverzagt holds Bachelor of Science degree in Wellness Management from Black Hills State University. He is a certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength & Conditioning Association and a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography.
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Old Town Crier
KIM PUTENS
FIRST BLUSH
ANSWERS TO YOUR
Frequently Asked Questions How do I choose the right moisturizer for my face? Believe it or not, the most important thing about choosing a moisturizer is the weight, not the fancy ingredients. The wrong weight of moisturizer can actually cause as many, if not more, problems than the ingredients. If too heavy, it can clog your pores and cause breakouts. If not heavy enough, the lack of moisturizer can lead to premature aging. In choosing the right weight, apply a normal amount to your jaw line. Wait Haircuts $15
a few seconds and check the area. If the moisturizer feels sticky or greasy, it means that it hasn’t absorbed into your skin and is too heavy for your complexion. If the moisturizer soaks in and still feels dry and your skin feels taught, then the moisturizer is not heavy enough. Look for a moisturizer that soaks in to your skin, but your skin feels relieved and looks plump. Everywhere I look, all the makeup has shimmer and glitter. How do I embrace it without looking like a teenager? Shimmer can actually be your friend. Glitter, not so much. Leave glitter to stage
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performances. A bit of shimmer can actually make old skin look young. And, it is the easiest and cheapest way to freshen up your skin and bring about a youthful glow. But, if you overdue it, you could end up looking like an over-aged teenager. Keep in mind, dry and dull looking skin exacerbates looking old. So, the best thing to do is be strategic about your placement and amount. The best place to get the most bang for your buck is to apply a bit of shimmer along the base of your eyebrow along the brow bone. It gives the illusion of an instant lift to a sagging eye (which happens to all of us as we approach 40). Another good place for a bit of shimmer is along your cheekbone. Again, it gives the illusion of an instant lift to the face but it also gives a punch of glow and dewiness that is associated with youthful skin. It is okay to go for broke and put a bit of shimmer along the brow bone and the cheekbone. You’ll be amazed at how your friends will compliment your new youthful appearance.
I’m 40, should I be wearing foundation? Not necessarily. Determining when to wear
foundation has nothing to do with how old you are. In fact, I would argue, that if your skin looks good, you should avoid foundation because it can make you look older than you are. Using foundation has more to do with the condition of your skin. If your skin is blotchy and uneven, you may want to consider wearing foundation. If not, skip it all together and apply a good moisturizer.w Remember, foundation’s primary goal is to even out your skin tone to create a monotone surface in which to apply color. Think of foundation as the canvas before applying the artwork – eye shadow, cheek color, lipstick, etc.
milled soaps are often known as French triple milled soaps.
What is triple milled soap?
What are hair powders or dry shampoos?
A triple milled soap is actually three soaps milled into one. The process of milling three soaps into one is a lengthy process taking months to produce a single bar of soap, but it provides users with a soap that lasts much longer than its counterparts. A triple milled soap usually lasts a month or more. Also, the French have the oldest and best known milling process which is why triple
Hair powder and dry shampoo are actually the same thing but referred to differently. These are essentially talcum powders that have been colored to match your hair color. By applying the hair powder/ dry shampoo to your scalp, the powder will soak up the excess oils and freshen up your hair as if it was washed. Basically, the powders give life to second day hair without having to wash your hair.
Do I need a lip liner with my lipstick? Most of the time lip liner is a personal preference. For some, they do not feel complete without lip liner. The only time lip liner is absolutely necessary is if (1) your lipstick tends to bleed, no matter the color and (2) if you are wearing a deep and dark color like red, which bleeds on everyone. I would not recommend lining your lips when wearing lip-gloss. What you can do, however, is use a lip liner to fill in your lips to add more color and staying power to your lip-gloss.
April 2019 | 43
SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE PEGGIE ARVIDSON
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f you’ve been reading along for any amount of time you know that I’m a big believer that life, or the Universe, likes to toss a few curveballs in from time to time to make sure we’re on our toes. How we deal with the curveballs is a big indicator of how well we deal with life in general. No one gets out without dealing with uncomfortable and downright painful stuff. So-called “spiritual” people are not immune either. At the moment I have multiple friends dealing with a parent’s illness, facing scary issues with their children and addressing rifts in their personal relationships. Each of these people are good people. Each is dealing in their own way and some days are better than others. Yet everyone (myself included) seems to find the silver lining, recalibrating to the positive before long. Coincidentally (or not) we all have a personal yoga practice. While I’m not a yoga instructor, I have been practicing yoga somewhat faithfully for 12 years. That doesn’t make me a better yogi than anyone – if anything, it reminds me how important it is to get on my mat and practice. Practicing yoga keeps me grounded, literally, and helps me find my balance when my life feels like it’s out of control. Here are 9 things I’ve learned from my yoga practice in trying times. YOGA DOESN’T KEEP 44 | April 2019
SCORE. Showing up on my mat means just that – showing up. Yoga doesn’t keep a scorecard of how long it’s been since my last practice, nor does it care how wobbly or crabby I am. It’s just there, waiting to meet me. That gives me the freedom to be where I am and do whatever I can to find my center. YOGA IS A MICROCOSM OF MY ENTIRE WORLD. If I’m off balance on the mat, it’s a sure thing that I’m off balance in one or more areas of my life. THE ONLY MOMENT IS NOW. There’s no way I can hold a crow pose if I’m focused on how I messed up in my tree pose. I can’t ever hope to stay present in downward dog if I’m obsessing about doing a handstand. Staying present gets me to pay attention and feel where I am in any moment. That’s a key to life too. EVERY DAY IS A DO-OVER. Some days on the mat I can’t seem to find a single pose and swear I’ll never go to a class again. Yet I go back and start over. Every practice is a doover. For that matter, every moment in every practice is a do-over. WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, FIND YOUR BREATH. When my head takes over and I’m chastising myself in the middle of a practice, I know I can go back to following my breath. That gets me centered and I can move forward. The same is true when I’m rushing through
my day and stressing out. THERE IS NO COMPETITION. The only person you need to focus on in a yoga practice or in life is yourself. That’s not a selfish thing at all. When your eyes are on your mat (or life) you don’t have time to or energy to compare. When you are centered and calm, you are infinitely more present for everyone else in your life. LISTEN TO YOUR OWN BODY. It’s easy to get caught up with what everyone else is doing in a yoga class (and at work, out with your friends and more). The key is to figure out where you are in the moment and do what is right for you to move forward.
I’m not gonna lie, there are yoga classes when I spend three-quarters of my time in child’s pose because I can’t emotionally or physically manage more than that. Being okay in that moment is priceless. EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED. From breathing, to moving to standing still, everything you do on the mat is part of the whole practice. The whole practice is part of you. Taking that wisdom out into the world is a big part of what yoga is about. COMMUNITY LEADS TO JOY. I practice at yoga studios around the country. Wherever I go, I try to take
a class. This means that I rarely know others in the class when I show up to practice. However, simply being in the community atmosphere, on my own mat, buoys me beyond the studio. There is something about being in a space with others, engaged with a singular focus, that creates joy. If you’re in the middle of some trying times, I urge you to try a yoga class (if you’ve never been to one before, find a beginner friendly studio!) or head back to the mat if it’s been a while. Also, I would love to hear how your practice helps you, in good times and in bad. Contact me at PeggiePArvidson@gmail.com.
Are you at a crossroads and need to make some serious decisions? If you’re feeling stuck at work, in love or in general, it can feel impossible to get out of your own way. Peggie helps you assess your situation, using ancient and modern tools to help you move forward with a specific plan of action. Private Sessions are available by phone or Skype.
PeggieArvidson.com peggieParvidson@gmail.com Old Town Crier
STEVE CHACONAS
GO FISH
You can lead a kid to water... ...but you can’t make him fish
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ransitioning from outdoor writer and photographer, Darl Black is in his 5th year as a guide in Northwest PA. Sharing fishing information in America’s favorite angling magazines for over 30 years, he now goes one on one with clients including youngsters. The writer, turned guide, targets kid-friendly species like smallmouth bass, crappies, bluegills, and pumpkinseeds. Introducing children to fishing can turn them off or get them hooked, depending on the kid and the patience of the angling adult. To board his boat, Darl recommends kids be at least 8 or 9 years old and mature enough to follow simple safety guidelines. He takes only two guests, one parent and one child. Darl believes youngsters need to have full time attention when afloat. On land, Darl and his wife Marilyn conduct youth seminars/fishing contests at campgrounds with children 6 or 7 years old. Both are former teachers. When booking trips, parents usually ask questions about Darl’s experience with kids and his age restrictions. Darl follows with queries about the kid’s fishing experience specifically the extent of casting skills and whether they can handle 4-5 hours on a boat. Most importantly, the guide needs to be assured the child will wear a PFD and accept safety instructions. Darl believes in a proper introduction for kids and novice anglers, including safety. He insists on parents wearing a PFD and then has them put
one on the child. The PFD remains in place until they leave the boat after the trip. If a parent hesitates about wearing a PFD, Darl mentions it sends a good safety message to their child. In spite of the wide experience range, nearly every kid wants to be more successful at catching fish. Some kids have no experience. Others are ardent anglers. Darl realizes they usually lack knot tying ability, are unfamiliar with fishing rigs, and need a lot of work on casting. As part of every outing these skills are taught, reinforced and practiced. The good news is kids aren’t species snobs. Youngsters don’t care what they catch and that takes a lot of the pressure off. More experienced kids might want to catch a big fish or numbers of fish. Ultimately his goal is to ensure the child is having an enjoyable time, catches fish and becomes more interested in angling.
From there, brief casting instructions for both child and parent begin. Darl demonstrates and reveals some tips, such as stopping line on the spool with a finger as soon as bait hits water and flipping bails by hand rather than turning the handle. If it’s apparent the child cannot cast safely, a few minutes are spent on shore to determine capability progress. If casting doesn’t look likely, Darl employs fishing techniques that do not require constant casting and retrieving, like drifting a bobber & bait. After catching a few fish, Darl provides another round of casting lessons. By end the day most are better casters, but not all. Forgoing push button reels, Darl focuses solely on spinning gear as he says closed faced spincast reels are more troublesome than spinning reels. He also says his students can see what happens to the line on the spool and how to correct problems. On
spincast reels, you can’t see problems until it’s too late. Learning to tie the basic knot of the day is important and everyone is taught and gets some practice, but when it comes time to fish, Darl ties the knot. He doesn’t want any lost fish due to a poor knot. If they are using live bait, he instructs the child on how to bait their own hook and they bait their hook afterwards. Playing in the minnow bucket is part of the trip, if the child decides to do so. For his part, Darl targets species he is fairly certain the child can catch in the first few minutes. If they aren’t catching fish, they’ll lose interest quickly. He also engages the child in conversation, asking about school, how they started fishing, their biggest fish, and favorite trip, anything to keep them attentive. Considering this a teachable moment, Darl then injects educational fishing
info about the fish they’re catching and why they are in one spot and not another. A few snacks and beverages keep energy levels up. Photos of fish catches of the kid and with parent add to the memorable experience. Darl says most parents want their child to become interested in fishing and the outdoors to spend less time on video games and computers but may not have the basic skills themselves. Older kids enjoy the outing and parents are rewarded with quality family time. Darl’s objective is to lay the foundation for a lifetime of memories. Author Capt. Steve Chaconas is Potomac bass fishing guide & contributing writer for BoatUS. com. Potomac River reports: nationalbass.com. Book trips/ purchase gift certificates: info@ NationalBass.com.
Potomac River Bassing in April Water is warming, as days get longer. Grass is emerging and fish are shallow. Mann’s Baby 1-Minus on 10-pound test GAMMA Edge fluorocarbon line on Quantum Smoke HD reels can be cast long distances to cover water. A 7’ KVD medium action cranking rod is soft enough for early spring fish. Drag Carolina rigs with 30-pound GAMMA Torque braid and 12-pound test Edge fluorocarbon leaders tied to 3/0 Mustad Mega Bite hooks with Mann’s HardNose lizards around gravel flats. Soaking in garlic Jack’s Juice Bait Spray encourages fish to hold on longer. Lipless crankbaits, red for stained water, gold on cloudy days and chrome when water is clear, can be crawled along the bottom or across the tops of emerging grass. Use 12-pound test GAMMA Edge fluorocarbon line on 7’ Quantum KVD medium action rods. Replacing hooks with Mustad KVD short shank triple grip trebles allows upsizing hooks. Slow rolling Mann’s Classic spinnerbaits when skies are cloudy, water stained and a bit of chop will cover water effectively.
Old Town Crier
April 2019 | 45
OPEN SPACE
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enjoyed a great, middleclass childhood. It wasn’t perfect, but my three brothers and I transitioned to adulthood without a single appearance on Dateline and no one in the Prince William County police force knows us on a first-name basis. I didn’t raise any children, but I know that launching four kids into adulthood without jail time and/or massive therapy bills is an amazing feat worthy of celebration. We didn’t have a lot of money, but we never went without. Dad worked hard to put a roof over our heads, and my brothers and I were fortunate to grow up under the watchful eye of a stay-at-home mom. We came home when the street lights came on, and we passed the evenings watching The Rockford Files together as a family. There was no helicopter parenting and/ or buying our admission into fancy colleges, but they did spring for little league uniforms and equipment. We grew up with a lot of rules set by the people paying the bills, and we were free to leave any time we felt we couldn’t follow them. 46 | April 2019
LORI WELCH BROWN
Navigating Life w/Dad Amazing Feat #2: My parents’ marriage lasted 52 years until Mom’s passing in 2006. Speaking as a woman who has less than five years of marriage under her matrimonial belt, I am humbled and in awe. I’m the baby of the family and the only girl. Dad and I were already close, but we have gotten even closer since Mom passed. He and I have always shared a special bond. Don’t get me wrong—I loved my mother, but Dad and I always had each other’s backs. Dad set the curfews growing up, but he was also the one who gave you the nudge needed to leave the nest on your own and go explore. I remember the first time asking to leave their side at the mall. Mom immediately said, “No—stay here with us.” It was Dad who said, “It’ll be alright. Meet us by Orange Julius in thirty minutes.” Those
first few bursts of teenage freedom and independence were euphoric and mostly thanks to Dad. He is also the one who took us out in the ocean to ride waves for the first time while Mom watched from the safety of her beach towel. I only just recently discovered that my Dad never really knew how to swim, but somehow he managed to help us navigate our way not only around those waves, but life in general. Dad started seeing a lady a couple of years after Mom passed. It was awkward at first to watch him with someone other than Mom, but my brothers and I were thrilled to see Dad starting a new, post-mom chapter. Our motto through everything has been “whatever makes Dad happy.” About two years into their relationship, they decided to relocate from Virginia to Florida. It was the first time in my life that
my father was more than an hour away, and it took some getting used to only being able to see him a couple of times a year. He had never lived outside of Virginia (except for his time in the military) so I think it was exciting for him at first. Frankly, I think it took a lot of courage to make such a big change at that stage of his life, leaving his comfort and familiarity behind. Unfortunately, age and failing eye sight have been creeping up on Dad these past few years so his partner has taken on more of a caretaker role which has been hard on both her and him. He can no longer do the things he loved - like mowing the lawn, taking care of the yard, fixing anything and everything. It’s been hard to watch from the outside looking in, and so I can only imagine how frustrating it is for him. In February, Dad took a fall that resulted in a hip
replacement. It scared the bejeezus out of us, but it was also a wakeup call. It became time to get real about dad’s ongoing care, what he wants and needs, and how we can help. It is also time to get his affairs in order, a process he started with our mother many years ago. It’s time for tough conversations. There are a lot of big questions that only Dad can answer. A lot of folks avoid asking the questions and then they are left wondering what their loved one would have wanted. Me, I’m a planner. I like having a set of clear instructions so there is no room for error. One decision has been made—to bring Dad back to Virginia to recover once he is given the green light from his surgeon. We are about to embark on the stage of life when parent/child roles get reversed. Our strong, capable father whom we relied on and leaned on for so many years now needs to lean on us. I’m not sure I’ll do as good a job for him as he did for me, but I am up to the challenge. And, the best part—Dad will be there to help navigate us through this stage as well. Old Town Crier
NATIONAL HARBOR
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e knows that spring is on the scene here in the Harbor when March Madness basketball is FINALLY off of the big screen on the Plaza and the landscaping starts perking up with actual blooming flowers and green grass. This year the Harbor welcomes something pretty special - the Harbor is now considered an official partner with the Japan-American Society of Washington, D.C.
LANI GERING
and the National Cherry Blossom Festival. The Washington, D.C. region has long treasured cherry trees since they made their initial debut at the Washington Tidal Basin more than 100 years ago as a gift from Japan. Since that time, millions have visited Washington to see these spectacular trees in all their glory. Last year, in honor of its 10-year anniversary, National Harbor added more than 100 Okame cherry trees to its existing collection, bringing
Don’t miss the jawdropping cherry blossom display in the Conservatory of the MGM Resort and Casino. Situated just outside of the theater and hotel lobby, the Conservatory celebrates seasons through a highly talented horticultural team that creates magnificent two to three story displays.
the number of trees it has to more than 200. Many of these are along the waterfront in the Waterfront District at National Harbor. They should be pretty close to full bloom by the time you are reading this column. They really are a fantastic addition to the Harbor shoreline. Our official Cherry Blossom Festival event has been dubbed Sakura Sunday and takes place on the 14th from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. This is a free festival where guests can enjoy
authentic Japanese Cherry Blossom bloom traditions including traditional Japanese picnicking with food available for sale, a sake, rosé and beer garden, a Japanese Market and Japanese-inspired music and entertainment. Additionally, The Capital Wheel will be pink throughout the festival. Something else that is dear to my heart is the Carousel and it officially opens on Friday the 5th. This year there will be a new covered pavilion added to the space providing a place to get out of the elements as well as a space to host that special birthday party. I hear that there are new party packages this year as well. You can check them out at thecapitalwheel.com/carousel. Also, one of my very favorite places to hang out on the water here in the Harbor, the Flight Deck at the Capital Wheel, opens for the season
on Friday the 12th with happy hour specials and live music. I am so hoping that the spring weather is way better that the fall weather was. Mother Nature wasn’t very kind to those enterprises that depend on nice weather to survive last year. Hopefully she isn’t mad at us anymore. Check out the details at thecapitalwheel.com/ flight-deck. Throughout April, the celebration continues at National Harbor with various offers throughout the destination including special cherry blossom themed specials. Visitors are invited to stroll and shop along the tree-lined promenades and/or dine at one of the more than 40 restaurants. Access to the Washington D.C. Tidal Basin cherry trees via water taxi is also available from National Harbor.
GN19SE012[ad] April Mixology Old Town Crier Print Ad.ai
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3/21/19
9:31 AM
What's In Your Garden? C
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MY
Mixology Class
Create three spring cocktails paired with chef-selected food samples.
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Saturdays through April 27 1PM
$35
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Pre-purchase required
GaylordNationalTickets.com Located across the river in National Harbor, MD
W
ho doesn’t love spring? It is especially the best time of year in Washington, D.C. where thousands of travelers head to the nation’s capital to see its famed cherry blossoms come to life. The Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center is joining in on the celebration with a host of spring-focused activities called Bloom. The new offerings are the perfect complement to the National Harbor’s expanded cherry blossom offerings including events and more than 100 cherry blossom trees. Through April 28th, visitors to the resort can experience more than 200 spring flowers added to the resort’s already blooming 19-story garden atrium including tulips, lilies and daffodils, as well as 6.5 foot pop-up flower displays. With room rates starting at $189*, the resort will offer complimentary kid activities for overnight guests on Saturdays including a flower trail scavenger hunt, cupcake decorating and a plant-your-own-flower activity from 3 to 5 p.m. Kids also will get the opportunity to meet everyone’s favorite hopping egg-lover, the Easter Bunny, in the resort’s lobby on Sunday mornings
48 | April 2019
through April 21st. Adults can join in on the spring celebration during the new What’s In Your Garden? mixology class. The resort’s beverage director will lead participants in an interactive class to learn how to craft three springinspired cocktails using fresh ingredients found in gardens. Each cocktail is paired with chef-selected food samples. The class is offered every Saturday at 1 p.m. and costs $35*. Pre-registration is required and tickets can be purchased at Tickets. GaylordNational.com. Gaylord National’s spa, Relâche, will offer a selection of cherry blossom-infused treatments through April 30. Spa-goers can choose from a body scrub, pedicure, massage and facial services. For the ultimate getaway, the Cherry Blossom Spa Experience package offers a massage, facial and pedicure combination that will leave guests feeling hydrated and refreshed. The package costs $348.50* Mondays through Thursdays and $369.75* Fridays through Sundays. Additional spring offerings include cherry blossom-inspired cocktails at Gaylord National’s four bars, as well as its Easter Brunch at Pienza Marketplace on the 21st from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The brunch features everything from a waffle and omelet station to carved ham and lamb stations, a seafood station, flatbreads, salads, kid items, desserts and more. The Easter Brunch costs $65* for adults ages 12 and older and $29* for children ages 4 to 11. Kids 3 and younger are free. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 301-965-4000 or visiting www. GaylordNational.com. *Some restrictions may apply.
Old Town Crier
Brandywine resident since 2013
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