Old Town Crier-April 2020 Full Issue

Since 1988 • Priceless

From the Bay to the Blue Ridge

April 2020

Let's Celebrate... ...EASTER AND THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF EARTH DAY!

oldtowncrier.com

oldtowncrier

Setting the Standard In Old Town Since 1979

april’20 A Division of Crier Media Group OTC Media LLC PO Box 320386 Alexandria, VA 22320 571-257-5437 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 DESIGN & PRODUCTION Electronic Ink 9 Royal Street, SE Leesburg, VA 20175 703. 669. 5502 Peggie Arvidson Sarah Becker F. Lennox Campello Steve Chaconas Samantha Clayton Scott Dicken Doug Fabbioli Mark Fitzsimmons Nicole Flanagan Lani Gering Miriam Kramer Genevieve LeFranc Sarah Liu

CONTRIBUTORS Cindy McGovern Meg Mullery Melinda Myers Ron Powers Kim Putens Julie Reardon Ashley Schultz Jaime Stephens Bob Tagert Carl Trevisan Ryan Unverzagt Lori Welch Brown Molly Winans

7

16

32

A Bit of History................................................................ 7

First Blush.........................................................................36

Pets of the Month.........................................................19

After Hours.......................................................................11

Fitness................................................................................35

Personality Profile............................................................ 5

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

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

Points on Pets.................................................................18

Alexandria Symphony Orchestra '19-'20 Season....11

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

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

Arts & Antiques..............................................................15

Go Fish...............................................................................38

Road Trip...........................................................................26

Business Profile................................................................. 4

Grapevine.........................................................................32

Social Media Message................................................13

Caribbean Connection...............................................20

High Notes.......................................................................10

Spiritual Renaissance...................................................37

Dining Guide...................................................................30

Let's Eat.............................................................................31

Take Photos, Leave Footprints......................................16

Dining Out.......................................................................28

National Harbor.............................................................40

The Last Word.................................................................... 9

Exploring Virginia Wines............................................33

On the Road with OTC................................................... 1

To the Blue Ridge..........................................................24

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

Open Space.....................................................................39

Urban Garden.................................................................16

© 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

From the Bay to the Blue Ridge

April 2020

Let's Celebrate... ...EASTER AND THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF EARTH DAY!

oldtowncrier.com

oldtowncrier

about the cover Spring Tulips

by International Photographer Татьяна Чернышова

On the road with OTC Former Alexandrian, Captain Brian Buzzell, USN (retired) spent 3 weeks in the Philippines visiting some of his old stomping grounds where he used to race Columbia 22’s out of the Subic Naval Base Yacht Club 1991-92. This picture was taken at the Old US Naval Station Subic Bay at the Subic Bay Yacht Club. We are happy that he took the OTC with him on his trek. It is a gorgeous venue for sailing. He tells us that there is always wind and no ocean swells – a sailors dream.

If you would like to see your photo in this space, take a high resolution shot and email it with a description for the caption to office@oldtowncrier.com.

Old Town Crier

April 2020 | 1

PUBLISHER’S NOTES

BOB TAGERT

In January of 1988, I wrote my first publishers notes for the very first issue of the Old Town Crier. Although we paid for the first issue with a credit card, we were full of hope and excited about growing our publication with the exploding economy of Alexandria, Virginia. The restaurants were crowded with lines forming on weekends. The future certainly looked bright.

Then 2020 arrived with the Coronavirus and the bright, eternal outlook on the world fell apart and was gone. We were lucky to have good advertising representation from the hospitality business here in Alexandria. Everyone was busy and that little pot of money kept passing from hand to hand with a little taken out each time. Until the government stimulus kicks in, that little pot of money has dried up. Survival for many small business, including the Old Town Crier, are not looking too bright, but with a little bit of luck and short term planning, we may all come out of this just slightly scarred.

As you will notice, this issue is about 2/3 the usual size of our publication. Due to the loss of advertising revenue (the only thing that feeds the engine of the OTC) and the fact that we can’t publish any upcoming events, this is by design to help reduce costs in an effort to survive. Your favorite articles are still in this issue and I hope that you enjoy reading them and maybe find a little slice of normalcy in your day. While you are social distancing, dreaming of the Caribbean you can check out the Caribbean Connection and make some island cocktails...at least the ABC store is open. If you need a break from your home prison, take a look at a drive to the mountains in Road Trip. Just remember the importance of social distancing. If you need a break from bad news (don’t we all) give Open Space a read to help relax your anxiety.

We do have many things to celebrate in the month of April including Easter and Earth Day. In fact, the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day takes place this month. A Bit of History outlines what led up to the celebration on this day. Unfortunately, the many faceted events around the region that were planned for the celebration have all been cancelled. This doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate the day in your own way. Plant something new in your yard or in a pot on your deck or balcony. The internet is full of suggestions.

We can’t forget about Easter and the Easter Bunny! Since it is really awkward to conduct an interview with a human sitting 6 feet apart we resorted to a humorous submission of an interview with “The” Bunny himself. Check out what he had so say in the Personality Profile.

On a serious note, with social distancing and remaining inside as much as humanly possible, hopefully the virus will flatten out and life can again return to normal. This is going to be tough.

For those businesses remaining open please try and patronize them. Get dinner to go from one of the restaurants. Be kind to each other out there and enjoy each sunrise that brightens the day.

Don’t forget to celebrate Mother Earth on the 22nd and every day for that matter….and have yourself a Happy Easter on the 12th!

Here’s to a Happy Easter! — Lani and Bob

KEEP YOUR DISTANCE AND WASH YOUR HANDS 2 | April 2020

Old Town Crier

Alexandria

APRIL TOURS, EXHIBITS, EVENTS

COVID-19 UPDATE With the current situation with the COVID-19 virus all schedules events have been cancelled. We will post as we get information, in the meantime we encourage you to connect with the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association at:

HAPPENINGS & THINGS TO DO IN ALEXANDRIA: 1. Check out VisitAlexandriaVA.com

Web: VisitAlexandriaVA.com Blog: Blog.VisitAlexandriaVA.com Facebook: Facebook.com/VisitAlexandriaVA Twitter: Twitter.com/AlexandriaVA

2. Stay tuned to the visitALX blog at visitALX.com 3. Sign up for the Alexandria Insider monthly e-newsletter at VisitAlexandriaVA.com/eNews

Instagram: Instagram.com/VisitAlexVA Hashtags: #visitALX

ABOUT ALEXANDRIA, VA Named the #1 Best Value U.S. Travel Destination 2018 by Money magazine, a Top 3 Best Small City in the U.S. 2019 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.

Old Town Crier

VisitAlexandriaVA.com #visitALX |

April 2020 | 3

BUSINESS PROFILE

LANI GERING

Do You Know Where Your Water’s Been?

I

up to another “utility” that we couldn’t live without. Now that I know that it is actually more of an “investment’ in protecting our drinking water as well local water resources, I will grumble less about getting another bill.

In the spirit of celebrating

’ve lived in Alexandria, both in Old Town and Del Ray, since 1992 and never actually gave any thought to what we are actually paying for when I write out the check that pays for the water that we use several times every day. I guess I just chalked it

the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, we thought it would be a good idea to write about a local entity that takes care of Mother Earth’s most precious resource, water. Alexandria Renew Enterprises aka AlexRenew is that entity.

Located amazingly close

to Old Town out in the Eisenhower Avenue corridor, this facility is surprisingly non-descript – meaning that it blends well into the landscape - for a facility that basically turns 13 billion – yes, billion BUSINESS PROFILE > PAGE 13

“Alexandria Renew Enterprises is one of the most advanced water resource recovery public utilities in the United States. We clean dirty water to protect our community and the environment. When dirty water flows from your home or business, we get to work turning it into sparkling, clean water. Here’s a look at how we take your dirty water and transform into clean, healthy water.”

“AlexRenew’s 100 employees provide an essential service, wastewater interception and treatment, for our community. Their daily work, passion and commitment as wastewater treatment professionals, protects our community health and well-being while protecting the environment. Earth Day is a great time to reflect on essential employees in the water sector and remember their 24/7 commitment to our water environment.”

– Karen Pallansch

4 | April 2020

From Wastewater to Clean Water

AlexRenew completes the water cycle by transforming wastewater into clean water and renewable resources.

I maintain our equipment and fix it when it breaks!

I work on the computer system that automates our process.

Like a brain, it controls all of our equipment.

3

4 5

2 1 As an engineer, I make sure our water cleaning process works efficiently.

I work in the lab.

I test the water we transform to be sure it’s clean and safe!

7 I’m an operator.

I monitor and control the water cleaning process!

6 8

your 1 Where water goes

From your showers, laundry, sinks, and toilets, dirty water flows down the drain and through the sewer to AlexRenew.

out 2 Take the trash

Screens remove a variety of objects that go down the drain – from food scraps to toys to wipes. This waste cannot be reused and must go to the landfill.

3 Separate the solids

Our settling tank is like a giant pool where we separate water from grease and solids.

Grease is light and rises to the top of the tank.

Heavier solids, like dirt, fall to the bottom.

bugs 4 Put to work

Microbes, also called bugs, may be small but they play a big role in cleaning wastewater by eating pollution and using it to fuel their bodies.

5 Separate the bugs

In the second settling tank, bugs – heavy from their meal of water pollution – fall to the bottom of the tank, separating from the water. Active bugs return to work (step 4) while others go to the digesters (step 7).

6 Purify the water

Filters purify the water and ultraviolet light destroys bad bacteria to protect your health. We reuse some clean water; the rest is returned to the Potomac River via Hunting Creek.

7 Digest the solids

Just like water, we transform our solids.

New microbes break down the pollutioneating bugs, releasing methane gas that we use for energy.

8 Remove the water

We remove water from the solids until they are as thick as dirt. The water goes back into the process for further cleaning. The solids are taken to farm fields, returning vital nutrients to the soil to help plants grow.

Old Town Crier

PERSONALITY PROFILE

OLD TOWN CRIER

Interview With The Easter Bunny...

W

ith the onset of COVID-19 we weren’t able to conduct a face to face interview with any of the cool people in our region so we went to the internet for a bit of help. This file was submitted by Lanette Curington to the Lauderdale County Tennessee home page a few years ago. We feel that our readers needed a good laugh. This interview is NOT for youngsters and total fiction: With the possible exception of Santa Claus himself, there is not a busier mammal on the face of the earth than the Easter Bunny. Once a year, the Easter Bunny hops into the home of hundreds of millions of boys and girls all over the globe, dropping off chocolates, candy and eggs as part of the celebration of Easter. America Online (AOL) spent a few minutes with the Easter Bunny as he was preparing for this year’s task, for a tell-all, no-holdsbarred interview.

If you thought you knew the Easter Bunny, you just may be surprised.

America Online: Thanks for talking to us.

Easter Bunny: No problem.

Do you mind if I eat while we talk? (takes out a packet of small green pellets) I’ve been in a rush recently.

AOL: Go right ahead.

We’ve got a list of questions here, compiled from our members, and I’ll just go down the list if you don’t mind.

EB: Ready when you are.

AOL: The first question comes from Ted, in Dayton, Ohio. He writes: “We all know that Santa’s Workshop is located at the North Pole. Does the Easter Bunny have a workshop, and if so, where is it located?”

Old Town Crier

EB: Well, Ted, the answer is yes, I do have a workshop.

It’s located in San Bernardino, California.

AOL: San Bernardino?

EB: That’s right.

AOL: You have to understand that most people would have figured some place like Easter Island.

EB: Have you been to Easter Island? What a rock! It’s the single most isolated piece of land on the planet. By the time we shipped fresh eggs there, we’d have chickens. Besides, San Bernardino has the sort of motivated labor pool we need.

AOL: Elves?

EB: Laid-off aerospace workers.

AOL: They would seem to be a little overqualified.

EB: Maybe. But now we have some lovely chocolate stealth bombers.

AOL: Our next question comes from Cindy, in Tempe. She writes: “Why is the Easter Bunny a bunny? Why couldn’t it have been the Easter Kitty, or the Easter Puppy?”

EB: That’s a very good question. In fact, in the late 70s, we as an organization decided to play around with the whole “bunny” thing by recruiting prominent local animals to deliver Easter baskets. In 1978, when the experiment was at its height, we had an Easter Bunny, an Easter Coyote, an Easter Manatee and an Easter Komodo Dragon.

too. The less we talk about the whole Easter ManEating Bengali Swamp Tiger episode, the better. Now we stick with bunnies. We know bunnies. We can work with bunnies. Bunnies don’t eat anyone.

AOL: Bob in Honolulu asks: “Is there is just one Easter Bunny? Moreover, has the same Easter Bunny been the Easter Bunny for the last couple of millennia?”

EB: The fact of the matter is that there are quite a few Easter Bunnies, and we’ve never made a secret about that. Unlike the Santa Claus operation, which works under the improbable assumption that one guy delivers all those presents.

AOL: Are you saying that Santa is a sham?

EB: I didn’t say that. I never said that. What I am saying is that “we” don’t work under the same sort of constraints.

I mean, think about it. One bunny delivering baskets to several hundred million homes across the planet? The friction from the atmosphere alone would turn the poor guy into a bunny briquette. There’d be hideous charcoal smudges all over the baskets. “Easter Bunny” is a job description, not a proper name. It’s like “Postal Carrier,” except our employees very rarely become disgruntled

Photo courtesy industrialust.org

of physical tests you have to pass. We can’t afford to have an Easter Bunny cramp up at the beginning of his run.

AOL: Any famous rabbits turned down for the job?

EB: I don’t want to name names. But one bunny who’s making a living in the breakfast

cereal industry, we had to let go. Any time a child would try to get an Easter basket from him, he’d back away and start snarling. He was a silly rabbit. Easter baskets are for kids PERSONALITY PROFILE > PAGE 11

OLD TOWN Shoe & Luggage Repair

AOL: So why are you THE Easter Bunny?

EB: Because I’m the boss.

You’re not an Easter Bunny until I say you are.

AOL: What happened?

AOL: How does one become an Easter Bunny?

EB: It just didn’t work out.

The Komodo dragon ate the eggs, the coyote just flaked out, and the manatee, if I may say so, was just about as dumb as a stick. There were some other problems with the program,

EB: Well, it’s not just hopping down the bunny trail, I’ll tell you. First, for reasons already explained, you have to be a bunny. After that, we have a psychological evaluation and a battery

Serving Alexandria since 1996 • New Luggage Shoe & Luggage Repair • All Your Shipping Needs

824 King Street Old Town Alexandria, Virginia 703.299.0655 | Donshoe.com Mon-Fri 7:30 am-7 pm • Sat 9 am-5 pm April 2020 | 5

FINANCIAL FOCUS

CARL TREVISAN, CFP© & STEPHEN BEARCE

Social Security and Retirement: Claim Benefits Sooner or Later?

W

hen it comes to Social Security and retirement, you may have conflicting viewpoints: On the one side, you hope to start collecting your benefits as soon as you’re eligible— after all, it’s your hard-earned money. On the other side, you know that, if you wait, your monthly benefit amount will increase.

While it does make sense to wait as long as you can, Rob Arthur, First Vice President/Manager of the Federal Benefits Consulting Group, Wells Fargo Advisors, recommends you re-evaluate your situation every year in retirement before deciding whether to continue delaying getting benefits. One item you need for that annual retirement review: a current copy of your Social Security benefit estimate from ssa.gov.

This provides personalized estimates of future benefits based on your real earnings and lets you see your latest statement and your earnings history.

Here, Arthur outlines a comparison of claiming now vs. later, and offers key considerations as you review your strategy each year.

6 | April 2020

Comparison: Claiming sooner vs. later Let’s start with a hypothetical example: John Doe was born in 1960 and was earning $200,000 a year when he retired. He decided to start receiving Social Security benefits as soon as he became eligible at 62, or five years before he would receive full retirement benefits. His monthly benefit in today’s dollars is $2,106. If he had delayed receiving benefits until he was 70, he’d receive $1,700 more a month, or $3,806. And he would make up for the eight-year delay in not taking any benefits in about 10 years. (And because one out of every four 65-yearolds today will live past age 90, according to the Social Security Administration1, the long-term benefit could be substantial.)

Make wellness a deciding factor Your health can play a big role in helping determine when you should start taking benefits. Do your loved ones live long lives, or has everyone succumbed to illness before age 65? “It’s not the most accurate indicator of

what’s going to transpire in the future, but it can have some bearing,” Arthur says.

“If you’re in reasonably good health, that counsels in favor of waiting,” he continues. “If you’re in poor or guarded health, that counsels toward drawing benefits sooner rather than later.”

Do you have enough income?

Another key factor is having other sources of income to live comfortably in retirement without needing Social Security benefits. He says you should consider the guaranteed rate of return Social Security offers: 6.25% (plus a cost-of-living increase). That’s better than the guaranteed rate of return available in today’s market.

Considerations for married couples Arthur advises married clients to look at multiple factors when determining the timing for each spouse to claim Social Security benefits. For example, if your spouse is working full time and you’re working part time or seasonally, his or her Social Security benefits may be dramatically higher than

yours. It’s still wise for both of you to wait, if possible.

“Not only does it increase the size of the benefit that the [higher-earning] individual personally receives, but it also increases the size of what’s known as the survivor’s benefit that the [lowerearning] spouse could draw if the individual passes away,” Arthur says. Keep in mind that the current average life expectancy of a 65-yearold man is 84 years, while a woman that age can expect to live until age 86, according to the Social Security Administration1.

What about taxes?

When it comes to when to claim Social Security benefits, Arthur advises his clients not to focus primarily on the tax ramifications. “The vast majority of people that I counsel, their marginal tax rate in retirement will be fairly constant,” Arthur says.

“If retirees were to take their Social Security benefit at 62, what I typically see is their marginal tax rate is exactly the same or approximately the same as it would be if they claimed the benefit at age 70.

I want [them] to focus instead on maximizing the net cash

flow over the remainder of their lifetime.”

1 https://www.ssa.gov/ planners/lifeexpectancy.html Wells Fargo Advisors does not provide tax advice. You should discuss specific Social Security claiming strategies with your own financial professional prior to making any final investment or planning decisions.

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. © 2019 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved.

Old Town Crier

A BIT OF HISTORY

©2019 SARAH BECKER

“T

he time has come to inquire seriously what will happen when our forests are gone, when the coal, the iron, the oil, and the gas are exhausted, when the soils shall have been still further impoverished and washed into the streams, polluting the rivers, denuding the fields, and obstructing navigation,” President Theodore Roosevelt—a progressive New York Republican—told State Governors in 1908.

“Conservation of our natural resources, though the gravest problem of today, is yet but part of another and greater problem to which this Nation is not yet awake, but to which it will awake in time, and with which it must hereafter grapple if it is to live,” Roosevelt continued.

On April 22 the country, the city of Alexandria celebrates Earth Day’s 50th anniversary.

That said what exactly do we celebrate? “Rising sea surface temperatures and acidic waters could eliminate nearly all existing coral reef habitats by 2100,” the University of Hawaii Manoa explained on February 17, 2020, at the Ocean Sciences Meeting. Coral reefs harbor the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem globally and directly support over 500 million people worldwide.

In fact, scientists “project 70 to 90 percent of coral reefs will disappear over the next 20 years as a result of

Old Town Crier

Earth Day

Celebrates 50 Years climate change and pollution.”

Although pollution poses numerous threats to ocean creatures, “the new research suggests corals are most at risk from emission driven changes in their environment.”

“Much of the emissions spike is driven by the continued rise of transportation emissions, now the nation’s top source of emissions,” the Rhodium Group explained. Rather than develop mass transit competitively, plan and market its metro stations fittingly, the city of Alexandria, despite its multi-modal policy, mostly encourages auto-driven streets.

Born in 1858, in New York City, Teddy Roosevelt was a byproduct of the Second Industrial Revolution (18401870). The Second Industrial Revolution was steampowered, including ships and railways. Technology was king and it was technological change, Union weapons testing that inspired President Abraham Lincoln to incorporate the National Academy of Sciences in 1863.

By 1900 Wall Street was no longer promoting agriculture, textiles and railroads. It

favored emerging industries like steel, chemical, petroleum, electrical and automotive. It was, as Mark Twain said, The Gilded Age. “We have become great in a material sense because of the lavish use of our resources,” Roosevelt reasoned.

President Roosevelt responded by providing protection for approximately 230 million acres of public land, 18 national monuments, 5 national parks, 150 national forests—he established the U.S. Forest Service—51 Federal bird reservations, and 4 national game reserves. By contrast President Donald Trump (RFL/NY) is in the process of withdrawing the U.S. from the multi nation Paris Climate Agreement.

UNESCO claims the coral reefs in all 29 reef-containing World Heritage sites “will cease to exist as functioning coral reef ecosystems by the end of the century if we continue to emit greenhouse gases (GHG) under a business as usual scenario.” Merriam Webster defines GHG as “any of the various gaseous components (such as carbon dioxide CO2 or methane) that absorb

radiation; trap heat in the atmosphere and contribute to the greenhouse effect.”

Iconic reefs such as the United States Northwestern Hawaiian Islands “have all experienced their worst bleaching on record; with devastating effects.”

What is the social cost of carbon? “For most of us, it’s a way to grasp how much our carbon emissions will affect the world’s health, agriculture, and economy for the next several hundred years,” MIT’s Technology Review said. “It’s approximately the damage done by driving from San Francisco to Chicago, assuming that about a ton of carbon spits out of the tailpipe over those 2,000 miles.” The Obama and Trump administrations numbers are “contentious”— [depending] on how you value future damages.”

“In the U.S. nearly one in two passenger cars sold today is an SUV,” the International Energy Agency reported in October 2019. “If SUV drivers were a nation, they would rank seventh in the world for carbon emissions.”

“As the global fleet of SUVs has grown emissions from the vehicles have increased more than fourfold, from 2010 to 2018,” the IEA report continued. “In that period, SUVs doubled their global market share from 17% to 39% and their annual emissions rose to more than 700 megatonnes of CO2. No energy sector except power drove a larger increase in carbon emissions, putting SUVs ahead of heavy industry (including iron, steel, cement and shipping), aviation and shipping.”

“We must face the fact that the energy shortage is permanent,” President Jimmy Carter (D-GA) said in 1977. “Nothing more clearly illustrates the serious consequences of our long delay in creating a comprehensive national energy policy than does [the need for] legislation.”

“We must emphasize research on solar energy and other renewable energy sources,” Carter continued.

He was the first President to openly criticize America’s dependence on foreign oil.

Today Carter’s Georgia farm fields are packed with solar energy panels.

“Our decision about energy will test the character of the American people,” Carter clarified on April 18, 1977.

“This difficult effort will be the “moral equivalent of war”— except that we will…build not destroy. The 1973 gasoline A BIT OF HISTORY > PAGE 8

April 2020 | 7

A BIT OF HISTORY | FROM PAGE 7

lines are gone…but our energy problem is worse…because more time has passed without planning for the future. And it will get worse every day until we act.”

“One distinguishing characteristic of really civilized men is foresight,” Roosevelt concluded in 1908. “We have to, as a nation, exercise foresight for this nation in the future; and if we do not exercise that foresight, dark will be the future!”

Carbon dioxide molecules,

in the guts of fish, sea otters poop, and the stomachs of dead whales and dolphins.”

Malaysia in May 2019 sent back “some 3,300 tons of non-recyclable plastic waste to countries such as the U.S. in a move to avoid becoming a dumping ground for rich nations.”

“We live with history,” Johnson told Congress in 1966.

“It tells us of a hundred proud civilizations that have decayed through careless neglect of the nature that fed them…

To sustain an environment suitable for man, we must fight

disease.” Lung related diseases like asthma; cardiovascular disease; adverse pregnancy outcomes and dietary trends including meat and dairy production.

“The only way we will solve the existential threat of climate change is to include everyone in the solutions,” former President Carter wrote in November 2019. “Climate change is the most extreme human rights challenge of our time, and a human-rights based approach is needed to solve it.”

“In 1856 Eunice Foote was

second, they want to expand airports…and motorways.”

In 2016 the United Nations Civil Aviation Organization adopted international carbon dioxide emissions standards for aircraft. The United States struggles to meet the U.N. 2020 deadline. Yet Alexandria, a city located near National Airport, National Landing continually yields to regional pressure—Maryland, roads, and road construction especially. On May 23, 2019, T&ES staff openly admitted Alexandria’s City Council approved Braddock’s

Amelia Draper asked. (1) Electricity or transportation?

Answer: Transportation. (2) Maintaining buildings or passenger cars? Answer: Passenger cars.

“The 50th Anniversary of Earth Day, I believe, will be the largest, most diverse action in human history,” cofounder Denis Hayes told a National Press Club audience.

“The Earth Day Network is prepared to engage with over 3 billion people in 190 countries through a series of mass events and educational programs.”

To learn more about

“WE LIVE WITH HISTORY. IT TELLS US OF A HUNDRED PROUD CIVILIZATIONS THAT HAVE DECAYED THROUGH CARELESS NEGLECT OF THE NATURE THAT FED THEM…TO SUSTAIN AN ENVIRONMENT SUITABLE FOR MAN, WE MUST FIGHT ON A THOUSAND BATTLEGROUNDS.” — Lyndon B. Johnson, February 8, 1965

once emitted, remain in the atmosphere for almost a century.

“We must look back at history to understand our energy problem, the transition from wood to coal to oil and natural gas,” President Carter claimed. Still the United States is the world’s second largest carbon emitter.

Lyndon Johnson (D-TX) was the first contemporary President to concern himself with Clean Air and Water Quality. “There is no excuse for a river flowing red with blood from slaughterhouses,” Johnson said in 1965.

“There is no excuse…for chemical companies and oil refineries using our major rivers as pipelines for toxic wastes. There is no excuse for communities to use other people’s rivers as a dump for their raw sewage.” Sewage, for example, which includes plastics.

The National Academy of Sciences, in May 2020, reported that “microplastics— pieces of plastic smaller than 5mm—have been environmentally detected; 8 | April 2020

on a thousand battlegrounds.”

“Despite all of our wealth and knowledge, we cannot create a Redwood Forest, a wild river, or a gleaming seashore,” Johnson concluded.

“But we can keep those we have. The science that has increased our abundance can find ways to restore and renew an environment equal to our needs.”

President and California Republican Richard Nixon established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970, the same year co-founder Denis Hayes established Earth Day. “We have the chance today to do more than ever before in our history to make life better in America—to ensure better education, better health…better transportation, a cleaner environment,” Nixon noted. “Let us be bold in our determination to meet those needs in new ways.”

In February 2020 the Harvard Medical School convened a symposium described as “the opening salvo of a national effort to get the healthcare industry to confront climate change’s impact especially the spread of deadly

the first scientist to show the connection between excessive carbon dioxide and increased atmospheric temperatures, [to explain] the greenhouse effect.” Carter continued.

“Because women scientists were not respected her work was published under a man’s name…We cannot solve this complex problem as long as women and girls, half of the world’s population, have unequal access to education and decision-making bodies.”

The same women and girls who fetch clean water, tend the animals, and prepare the families food. Only 0.2% of all philanthropic giving is provided to women-led environmental programs.

Teen-age Swedish climate activist and Nobel Prize nominee Greta Thunberg suggests it is wrong to portray climate change as “primarily an opportunity to create new green jobs, new businesses, and green economic growth…Climate change is an emergency, not something you can like on Facebook. Politicians one second say climate change is very important…and the next

controversial GW Parkway/ Slater’s Lane connector road absent adequate transportation analyses.

“If greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current rate, the atmosphere will warm by as much as 2.70 F, or 1.50 C above preindustrial levels by 2040,” the United Nations 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report concluded. “Without aggressive action, many effects that scientists once expected to happen further in the future will arrive by [or before] 2040, and at the lower temperature.”

J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. recently announced “plans to restrict investments in coal companies; to dedicate $200b to the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.” “[W]e need to reverse emissions trends and turn the world economy on a dime,” Myles Allen, Oxford University climate scientist and author said. America, its localities need “to ratchet up their ambitions…and cut emissions of greenhouse gases.”

“What’s the biggest contributor of greenhouse gasses?” NBC4 meteorologist

Alexandria’s Earth Day activities, visit www. alexandriava.gov/EarthDay. The Nobel Foundation hosts its first ever Nobel Prize Summit—Our Planet, Our Future—in Washington, D.C., April 29-May 1. The discussion includes 20 Nobel laureates. “Today’s leaders must not bequeath a dangerously destabilized planet to future generations,” the Foundation exclaimed.

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.

Old Town Crier

THE LAST WORD

MIRIAM R. KRAMER

R

ecently Oprah Winfrey and Barnes & Noble Bookstores selected the book American Dirt

by Jeanine Cummins, a novel about migrants trying to make their way to a new life in the United States, as a timely choice for their respective book clubs. In doing so they unwittingly made a controversial choice. Many Latinx writers protested the pick, with several accusing the white writer of spreading stereotypes about Mexicans and other Central Americans while attempting to write a story that was not hers to write.

As pundits and other cultural figures argued about the story, Cummins’ book tour was canceled because of threats of violence. This tumult raised the book’s profile but also obscured what she wrote: a profound and moving work about maternal love, human resilience, and the evil and kindness that emerge during the worst of human circumstances. Her story about migrants searching for the best among terrible choices gives names, faces, and humanity to the brown hordes clamoring for a piece of the North American dream at the border to el norte.

American Dirt sprints off the starting line as a middleclass Mexican mother, Lydia, and her son, Luca, hide in a bathroom when bullets start flying at a family birthday party in Acapulco. Emerging to find their extended family killed, along with their husband and father, Sebastián, Lydia finds a note pinned to her husband. It says “My whole family is dead because of me.”

As a journalist writing about the cartels, Sebastián has penned a locally published profile of local kingpin Javier Crespo Fuentes, known as La Lechuza (The Owl), the head of the cartel Los Jardineros.

Before knowing who he was, Lydia had befriended La

Old Town Crier

Lechuza at the bookstore she owns, growing close to him because of their long conversations about literature. In telling her husband that La Lechuza would not threaten them, Lydia has made a terrible mistake.

Knowing that his halcones (cartel lookouts) want to find her and Luca to finish off the job, Lydia realizes that La Lechuza has located her at a hotel where they are hiding.

She must flee with Luca and find a way out of Acapulco and to the United States, where she has a relative in Colorado.

As she begins living the life of a migrant with little access to money or security, Lydia realizes that “All her life she’s pitied these poor people. She’s donated money.

She’s wondered with the sort of detached fascination of the comfortable elite how dire the conditions of their lives must be wherever they come from, that this is the better option.

That these people would leave their homes, their cultures, their families, even their languages, and venture into tremendous peril, risking their very lives, all for the chance to get to the dream of some faraway country that doesn’t even want them.”

In writing Lydia as a middleclass woman forced by threat of death to join people of all types of economic levels in making their way north, Cummins has

probably made it more possible for a middle-class readership, whether here in North America or elsewhere, to better identify with the way corruption in Mexico or anywhere else can bring people of all social levels to their knees. Empathy for one sufferer can be contagious; it can lead to empathy for all who suffer.

Without the documents to fly north, Lydia now contemplates riding La Bestia (The Beast), a network of Mexican freight trains that migrants from Central America and Mexico climb and ride on a dangerous journey north. On La Bestia they can fall and kill or injure themselves, fall prey to cartel bandits or corrupt policia, or be robbed of all they own. In contrast to these terrors, churches open migrant shelters with kind priests and others offering temporary shelter and food to those fleeing cartel wars, death, and oppression.

In the process of seeking out the best way forward to Nogales, Mexico, on the border of Arizona, Lydia and Luca meet people fleeing gangs that will rape or kill them if they stay, including two kind sisters from Honduras with whom they strike up a friendship.

They meet regular Central Americans deeply affected by dire circumstances, corrupt officials who try to extort them, gangs who kill men and rape

women, and those who rise above modest circumstances to show kindness and try to save their lives. In the process, Lydia does everything to save her child, regardless of what happens to her.

When reading about the controversy surrounding this book, I wanted to determine as best I could whether I thought this book was unfair to Latinx people, or those interested in this subject matter. Some Mexican and other Central American writers have accused

this novel of stereotyping and said, in essence, “I don’t recognize myself in these people.”

I would not agree. Despite being a relatively privileged, well-traveled person, I recognize myself in the other characters as much as I do in middle-class Lydia. One of a writer’s main goals is to make any reader do the same. I also believe that a writer can write any point of view about any characters in any book she wants to write. Brown writers have no monopoly on writing a book about brown writers, just as white writers, or male writers, or female writers, have no such monopoly either.

Mexico and Central America THE LAST WORD > PAGE 13

Become a Published Author with Dorrance. We want to read your book!

Trusted by authors for nearly 100 years, Dorrance has made countless authors’ dreams come true.

Our staff is made up of writers, just like you. We are dedicated to making publishing dreams come true.

Complete Book Publishing Services FIVE EASY STEPS TO PUBLICATION: 1. Consultation

4. Distribution

2. Book Production 5. Merchandising and Fulfillment 3. Promotion

Call now to receive your FREE Author’s Guide

877-974-8307

www.dorranceinfo.com/otc

April 2020 | 9

HIGH NOTES

P

VRIS (pronounced “Paris”) is back with a smashing single called “Dead Weight”. The new song is the first single off the band’s upcoming album (“Use Me”) which is set for release May 1st. “Dead Weight” engages the listener on multiple levels, holding appeal for fans of both EDM and rock music. The song has a lush pop sound mixed with aggressive rock tones and is sure to please everyone from modern-day pop fans to 90s grunge rock lovers.

My favorite thing about this song is Lynn Gunn’s vocal performance. The emotion and energy she conveys knocked me out. The verse melody is a mix of hard rock with hiphop undertones and staccato pop hooks. Gunn introduces dark and serene vibes on the pre-chorus which adds an enjoyable twist to the song.

And for the chorus she gets aggressive, implementing a driving rhythm which makes the song the hard hitter that

10 | April 2020

RON POWERS

Dead Weight

by PVRIS

it is.

“Dead Weight” is about getting rid of what doesn’t serve you. It’s about standing up for yourself when others are taking from you. Gunn expresses what it feels like to constantly give and get nothing back. She’s noticing that something has to give.

She talks about how if she starts “cracking at the center”, everything she’s working for will go away. A difficult choice emerges. Does she let all this dead weight crush her or does she get in touch with her merciless side and cut the dead weight out of her life? The song expresses the difficulty of being caught between two tough choices.

The production of this track is another highlight. It sizzles with saturation and fuzz yet

has a slickness and shine to it.

“Dead Weight” is somehow smooth and chaotic at the same time. For the verses, the band establishes an aggressive groove lead by full bodied distorted drums and bass. The vocal performance for the verses also adds to its muscular tone. Next, the pre-chorus introduces an unexpected and enjoyable dynamic. Descending guitar lines, lush atmospheric chords, and a dreamy melody fill the speakers. This section is a testament to the power of Lynn Gunn as a front woman.

Her ability to transition from edgy power to delicate beauty is central to what gives PVRIS their impressive range of expression. But the real test of any great song is the chorus.

I found myself compulsively bobbing my head every time it

was introduced. It has a driving groove that expresses both rock-and-roll power and hiphop swagger which gives “Dead Weight” its hit song magic.

This song was written in the spirit of renewal which goes perfectly with Springtime.

Whether you’re cleaning out your garage, straightening up your closet, or situating your life this season, be sure to listen to PVRIS for a bit of inspiration while you dispose of the “Dead Weight” in your life. If you’d like to know more about the band, you can find them at pvris.com, as well as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also find their music on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and most places music is streamed or sold.

Ron Powers is an independent A&R specialist and music industry consultant and is constantly searching for, discovering and writing about new talent in all genres.

Old Town Crier

CALENDAR | FROM PAGE 5

AOL: He seems to have gotten better since then.

EB: Prozac helps.

AOL: Albert from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, wants to know “what are the occupational hazards of being the Easter Bunny?”

EB: There are several. Large dogs are always a problem, of course: one moment you’re delivering a basket of goodies, the next, a Rottweiler named Pinochet is on you like a meat-filled sock Nervous homeowners with guns wing a couple of bunnies a year, as do edgy cops and private security guards. We don’t even bother trying to deliver to the children of militia members anymore; first they’ll plug you for being on their land, then they’ll make you into jerky and a pair of gloves. But you know what our number one problem is?

AOL: What?

EB: Sliding glass doors.

Sometimes we’ll just forget they’re there. Man, that’s embarrassing.

AOL: Here’s an interesting question, from Amy, in New York City. She writes: “How does the Easter Bunny get along with Santa Claus?

It seems like Santa gets all the

attention.” And I have to say, I did notice some tension earlier, when you brought him up.

EB (Looking uncomfortable): Well, you know, look. I don’t want to say anything bad about the guy. He does what he does, and I do what I do.

Professionally, we get along fine.

you know. Folks wouldn’t stand for it. I have to maintain strict quality control. The only food product he has to worry about is fruitcake. You could tile the Space Shuttle with fruitcake.

AOL: But privately?

EB: It’s like opening for the Beatles, is all. And he “is” the walrus, if you know what I mean.

EB: Is that tape recorder turned off?

AOL: Uh.....sure.

EB: He’s a big ol’ pain in this bunny’s bottom. For one thing, he’s a prima donna: always me, me, me, where’s my highball, where’s my corned beef sandwich, tell this dumb bunny to get his own dressing room. I’d rather be trapped in a sack with Joan Crawford. For another, he’s totally paranoid of other large men. He thinks that Luciano Pavarotti is trying to move into his territory. Last year it was John Goodman. He actually danced when Orson Welles kicked, waving his pistol and bellowing “Rosebud!” from the top of his lungs.

AOL: Wow. He seems a little scary.

EB: You think? And yet he gets all the publicity. Why? We do the same job. Mine’s actually tougher, since I’m moving perishable stuff. You can’t have bad eggs or stale chocolate,

Alexandria Symphony Orchestra 2019-2020 Season MUSICAL TALES OF BELONGING James Ross, Music Director Claudia Chudacoff, concertmaster PRECHTL: Tribute (world-premiere) FRANK: Three Latin-American Dances RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Scheherazade

Saturday, May 16, 2020 at 8:00 p.m.

Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall Sunday, May 17, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.

George Washington Masonic Memorial Tickets: $20-$85 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.

Old Town Crier

AOL: We’re sure you have your own fans.

AOL: One final question, from Pat, in Rockford, Illinois; “Does the Easter Bunny actually lay eggs? How does that happen, since the Easter Bunny is both male and a mammal?”

EB: Well, platypuses are mammals, and they lay eggs. So it’s not impossible.

AOL: That still leaves the male part.

EB: We’re quibbling on details, here.

AOL: Maybe there should be an Easter Platypus.

EB: Sorry. We tried that in ‘78.

For some really funny stuff, please check out the Lauderdale County Tennessee Home page by logging on to lctn.com/humor.

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.

The Fish Market 703.836.5676 105 King St. fishmarketoldtown.com La Portas 703.683.6313 1600 Duke St. 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.

Like us on Facebook! @oldtowncrier

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. Village Brauhaus 710 King St. 703-888-1951 These establishments offer live entertainment.

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

April 2020 | 11

URBAN GARDEN

MELINDA MYERS

W

hile you’re busy filling your landscape with beautiful flowers and scrumptious vegetables, the deer, rabbits and other wildlife are watching and waiting to move in to dine. Don’t lose your beautiful investment to hungry animals. Be proactive in keeping wildlife at bay, so you can grow a beautiful landscape this season.

Protect plants as soon as they are set in the ground. It’s easier to prevent damage rather than break a habit.

Once critters find delicious plants, they will be back for more and they’re likely to bring along a few additional family members.

A fence is an excellent defense against animals. A four-feet-high fence anchored tightly to the ground will keep out

rabbits. Five-feet-high fences around small garden areas will usually keep out deer that tend to avoid smaller spaces.

Woodchucks are more difficult.

They will dig under or climb over the fence. You must place the fence at least 12” below the soil surface with four to five feet above ground. Make sure gates are secured so animals can’t squeeze through or under these.

The last thing you want is an animal happily living and dining inside your fenced in garden.

For gardeners who do not want to spend the money on fencing or view their flowers and other ornamental plantings through a fence, there are other

options.

Scarecrows, rattling pans and other scare tactics have been widely used for decades. Unfortunately, urban animals are used to noise and human scent and not discouraged by these tactics. You must move and alternate the various scare tactics to increase your chance of success.

Repellents may be your best and most practical option.

Always check the label for details on use, application rates and timing. Research has proven that odor-based repellents are more effective than other types of repellents. Wildlife will avoid plants rather than taking a bite before they discover they don’t like the taste.

12 | April 2020

Look for organic repellents labeled for use on food plants when treating edibles. Plantskydd (plantskydd. com) is the only OMRI certified organic repellent and is effective against rabbits, deer, voles, elk, moose, chipmunks and squirrels. It is rain resistant and each application lasts three to four months during the growing season.

Maximize results by treating new growth according to label directions.

Most liquid repellents need time to dry while granule repellents may need to be watered to activate the smell.

Always check the label for the product you are applying.

Protect new tree whips by dipping them in a long-lasting liquid repellent. Mature trees will benefit as well. Treat them prior to bud break or two to three weeks after leaves have developed.

Continue to monitor plantings throughout your landscape all season long. Watch for animal tracks, droppings and other signs wildlife have moved into your area. Protect new plantings and those favored by wildlife before they start dining on your plants. Always be as persistent as the hungry animals.

If you’re ever feeling discouraged, remember that gardeners have been battling animals in the garden long before us and there are lots of options to help protect your flowers and harvest.

Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio segments. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Tree World Plant Care Products for her expertise to write this article. Her web site is www.

MelindaMyers.com.

Old Town Crier

SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGE

Let us talk about some good things, I’ve compiled some of the best “feel good” social media stories to let us escape the “beer” virus.

Facebook helped save a 3-year-old’s vision.

After TaraTaylor uploaded a photo of her daughter, Rylee, to Facebook, a friend reached out about a strange glint in the toddler’s eye, saying it could be a sign of vision problems. A Memphis retina specialist diagnosed the youngster with Coat’s disease,

THE LAST WORD | FROM PG 9

are not monoliths. There are as many Mexicos, for example, as there are United States of Americas. We are multifaceted countries comprising multifaceted peoples. If those protesting Latinx writers mean that they don’t recognize themselves as uneducated migrants whose lives have been threatened, perhaps they are tired of others assuming that everyone who comes here from Mexico, or Central America, or Spanish-speaking countries, did. Such writers also might have grown up as victims of racism within this country.

They may be angry at having stereotypes and slurs thrown at them.

That being said, Mexico is the most dangerous country in the world for journalists attempting to tell truth to power. That is a fact, and this book recognizes it. Cartel corruption rots the highest BUSINESS PROFILE| FROM PG 4

– gallons of waste water into clean, healthy water for around 320,000 end users every year.

While talking and corresponding with Monica Billger, Community Outreach & Education Specialist at AlexRenew, I was given permission to use information from their website for some basics. I don’t have enough space available to give you all of the facts and figures and the long history of how AlexRenew got to where they are today so I encourage you to read all of that at your Old Town Crier

ASHLEY ROSSON

When We Need it the Most!

When his dog, Gina, ran away on Halloween, the American Pie and Orange

When a mom surprised her kid with 60,000 Facebook friends.

On Feb. 2, a Michigan mom started a Facebook page to solicit birthday wishes to cheer up her disabled son, Colin, who said he didn’t want an 11th birthday party because he thought he didn’t have friends. About a week and a half later, he had 60,000 of them on Facebook, and a few weeks after that, Good Morning America hosted a surprise birthday celebration for him in Times Square. Now the “Colin’s Friends” page has more than 2.1 million fans.

levels of government. It is also true that poorly paid government officials, whether they be the federales or state and municipal policía, are riddled with corruption.

There are honest government employees and dishonest ones.

Unfortunately, the latter are the ones who generally make living wages.

Cummins spent five years interviewing people who had made this trip as migrants. She is well-versed in the subject.

In American Dirt, she explores all types of characters, and writes with nuance about the best and sometimes even the worst of them. If you want to experience her discoveries through others’ eyes, please watch the transfixing Showtime documentary series The Trade, in particular Season 2. While the series covers aspects of the drug trade overall, the four episodes in Season 2 are specifically about desperate Central American migrants

trying to get to the United States of America and stay there. These powerful stories parallel and confirm many in American Dust. As real people’s journeys ripped from the headlines, they will sink into you.

You might also read Don Winslow’s powerful trilogy about the Mexican drug trade from the the Eighties until today: The Power of the Dog, The Cartel, and most importantly in this case, The Border. I consider these books excellent, thinly fictionalized lessons in history, international relations, and global money laundering, with the United States as guilty as any other country when it comes to the latter.

It seems that Latinx writers’ outrage comes mostly from feeling sorely underrepresented at telling their own stories through major publishing houses. In this case, the controversy surrounding

American Dirt can only help their stories get heard. I would be very interested, for example, to read a story about current-day migrants written by a Mexican or Honduran writer to see how it compares to Cummins’ perspective. I hope these writers can hold publishing houses’ feet to the fire and make that happen.

There is a huge Latinx community in the United States, and it hungers to read better books and hear different points of view on their own experiences. So does the bookbuying public. We do not just want to hear about migrants, either.

As I said, American Dirt has been overshadowed by the discussion taking place outside of the book itself, which is unfortunate. It is surprisingly subtle considering its subject matter. This novel does not hesitate to confront evil while recognizing not only the love Lydia has for Luca but also

that which they feel for certain migrants who become like family. It is broad-minded, unsentimental, violent, terrible, and hopeful. It is also a speedread that paradoxically makes you want to pick it up and put it down at the same time.

Is American Dirt a future classic like The Grapes of Wrath, to which author Don Winslow compared it? I do not know. I do know that it brought me emotionally closer to the lives of languishing asylum-seekers and desperate border crossers than anything else I have read. If there is one point that Jeanine Cummins wants to make in titling the book, it is that we all live on American dirt, no matter what America that is, and that the borders between us exist only as constructs, not as strict boundaries between people with the same emotions, needs, and hunger for security and sustenance.

leisure at AlexRenew.com.

It really is pretty amazing when you think about how far we’ve come just in the last 25-30 years in making our local waterways what they are today. I do, however, want to give you a bit of an overview of what happens from the time the “dirty” water hits the plant to when it gets to you.

As you can see, this is an arduous process and I, for one, am glad that they are here.

AlexRenew has suspended all plant tours of the main campus due to ongoing construction that is part of the RiverRenew program.

Seeing the process first-hand at their award winning water resource facility is the best way for visitors to learn how they make dirty water clean again, but in the meantime they have created a specialized tour — in partnership with the Four Mile Run Conservatory — of the Four Mile Run Pump Station. For more information on the tour go to alexrenew.com/visit-us/ take-tour.

We all need to take some time and reflect on what we each need to do to preserve our surroundings and the Earth in general not just on Earth Day on

the 22nd but every day.

Since the COVID-19 virus has prohibited gatherings in public places, the citywide Earth Day Celebration sponsored by the City in conjunction with AlexRenew has been cancelled, however, this doesn’t mean you can’t do something on your own to acknowledge the 50th Anniversary. Plant an extra flower bed for your yard or consider planting a pot of bee friendly flowers on your patio or deck. It’s the little things that add up. And……DON’T LITTER!

which can cause blindness, and Rylee started treatment to help restore some of her peripheral vision.

When a NFL player gave a pep talk to his 4-year-old daughter before surgery.

Devon Still, Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle, shared video of the moment he gave his daughter, Leah, a fist bump en route to the pediatric cancer patient’s

tumor removal surgery in September. The viral clip helped boost sales of his jersey, and the NFL team’s pro shop donated all proceeds— more than $1.3 million— to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

When Jason Biggs found his lost dog.

Is the New Black actor asked his Twitter followers to keep an eye out for her. Thousands of retweets later, Gina was found alive. Biggs tweeted, “Could NOT have done it without you guys. An amazing woman picked her up in the street, and you guys ended up forwarding the message 2 her.”

Do NOT flush items that can harm pipes and cause back-ups like: Kleenex (tissues) Paper Towels Wipes of Any Kind Dental Floss Feminine Hygiene Products Coffee Grounds Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) This is especially important as we have been facing toilet paper shortages and people have been substituting paper products that are not meant to be flushed.

April 2020 | 13

GALLERY BEAT

F. LENNOX CAMPELLO

“The Coronavirulization of Art” Pen and Ink with Colored Pencils

by F. Lennox Campello

THE CORONAVIRULIZATION OF ART

A

few weeks ago, what could possibly be the last art fair of 2019 took place in New York City amidst all the angst and social changes caused by the virus in our society. The fair was essentially a disaster, and we lost a ton of money, and subsequently all planned art fairs for 2020 have either been cancelled or postponed.

The silver lining in the coronavirulization of America is that, for artists, it gives all of us – in spite of the scariness being gratuitously disseminated by the main stream media in a futile effort to boost ratings – the perfect excuse, as we are forced to hunker down and batten all hatches, to do some constructive things which in most cases will help your art footprint in years to come.

“But Lenster,” you cry in anguish, “how can we exhibit and sell work?...all galleries are closed, all fairs postponed… all this… all that.”

Ahhh… money worries – good point.

Even in the best of times, artists often have money issues, and thus the Coronavirulization of the art world has an even more profound

14 | April 2020

impact on our families.

There are options out there; in fact there are plenty of emergency resources for artists as well efforts to provide financial relief for artists.

Let me list a few.

The Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant (https://www.gottliebfoundation.org/ emergency-grant/) is “intended to provide interim financial assistance to qualified painters, printmakers, and sculptors whose needs are the result of an unforeseen, catastrophic incident, and who lack the resources to meet that situation. Each grant is given as one-time assistance for a specific emergency, examples of which are fire, flood, or emergency medical need.” This program has no deadlines.

The Artists’ Charitable Fund (http:// artistscharitablefund.org/index.html) “assists American visual fine artists (painters and sculptors) living anywhere in the United States by paying a portion of their medical/dental/ eye-care bills.

For example, GALLERY BEAT > PAGE 15 Old Town Crier

ART&ANTIQUES

Curzon Hill Antiques 108 S. Columbus Street

B&B Art Gallery 215 King Street

Exclusively representing the works of

ANTIQUES

The Hour 1015 King Street

Gallery West 1213 King Street

Price and additional images upon request.

Spurgeon-Lewis Antiques 112 N. Columbus Street

A Galerie 315 Cameron Street

BW Art, Antiques & Collectibles 108 N. Fayette Street

Enamelist’s Gallery 105 N. Union Street

Random Harvest 810 King Street

Imperfections Antiques 1210 King Street

Printmakers, Inc. 105 N. Union Street

Acme Mid-Century + Modern 128 S. Royal Street

The Antique Guild 113 N. Fairfax Street

Van Bommel Antiek Hous 1007 King Street

Silverman Galleries 110 N. St. Asaph Street

Lloyd’s Row 119 S. Henry Street

Red Barn Mercantile 1117 King Street

GALLERIES

Washington Square Antiques 425 S. Washington Street

Torpedo Factory Art Center 105 N. Union Street

Susquehanna Antique Co. 608 Cameron Street

Principle Gallery 208 King Street

Old Town Antiques 222 S. Washington Street

Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery 105 N. Union Street

Verdigris Vintage 1215 King Street

St. George Gallery 105 N. Alfred Street

Cavalier Antiques 400 Prince Street

The Art League 105 Union Street

Sumpter Priddy III 323 S. Washington Street

Local Colour Old Town 218 N. Lee Street

Betty Grisham Studio 105 N. Union Street

Henry Street Antiques 115 S. Henry Street

Icon Galleria 101 N. Union Street

Imagine Artwear 112 King Street

GALLERY BEAT | FROM PG 14

the Fund has purchased a wheelchair, paid for eye surgery, provided funding for an artificial leg, paid partial medical expenses of several artists who have cancer, as well as other needs for medical assistance.”

The Haven Foundation (http://www.thehavenfdn. org/) “offers interim financial assistance to freelance professionals in the arts who face crises. The Foundation’s reach is the United States, and its awards are granted with a view to helping individuals overcome temporary adversity and return to full-time work.”

Lots more resources listed here: https://dcartnews. blogspot.com/2020/03/ financial-relief-resources-forartists.html Another thing that you can do – especially if you’re somewhat quarantined and at home with some decent online access – is to fine tune your artistic online presence and cement your digital footprint.

Here are some tools which make it easier to run an art business online: My wife has been using Zoom to teach her graduate students online (at https:// zoom.us/) - The free plan can host up to 100 participants for 40 minutes – perfect for whatever… maybe a presentation to a client?

Since I plugged Zoom – Old Town Crier

how about Loom! (https:// www.loom.com/) – With this partially free toolset, you can capture your screen, voice, video, image, face… whatever, and share your video.

Saatchi – I use this service and have sold work though its online platform – At https:// www.saatchiart.com/ and you’ll be able to keep 70% of the final sale price.

Wanna build a new website?

Wix at https://www.wix.com/ is a good start. With the Wix website builder, you do not need any coding skills as Wix gives you 100s of templates, unlimited pages gratis hosting or you can upgrade to a premium plan starting at $13/month and get even more. Same deal pretty much at Hypermart (https://www. hypermart.net/), where you also get free email, etc.

Wanna publish a book and sell it through Amazon?

With Blurb (http://www. blurb.com/) - you have one platform for designing, creating, publishing, marketing, and selling print books and e-books.

Above all – keep making art, and use this dark period to create artwork which will hopefully survive for decades and centuries after we have all long died of old age!

Also remember to do the social distancing stuff – our grandparents were asked to go to war and they did – all that’s being asked of us is to stay at home! Keep calm and

Kelly’s Art & Frame 510 N. Washington Street Oerth Gallery 420 S. Washington Street Jeffrey Winter Fine Arts 110A S. Columbus Street Johnston Matthew 105 N. Union Street

F. Lennox Campello

“ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE OF WASHINGTON, DC” Syreni Caledonii (Northern Atlantic Mermaid). Watercolor, charcoal and Conte. 2019, 12x36 inches.

– Washington City Paper

Alida Anderson Art Projects, LLC, Washington, DC www.alidaanderson.com / info@alidaanderson.com

Huddy Studio 105 N. Union Street Mezzanine Multiples 105 N. Union Street Silverman Galleries 110 N. St. Asaph Street Cochran David 105 N. Union Street

carry on.

“What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger” noted the 19th century German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Remember that!

Campello out.

About the Author: F. Lennox Campello has been called “one of the most interesting people of Washington, DC” by the Washington City Paper, and is considered as one of the leading artists and visual arts voices in the DMV - an acronym which he invented a few decades ago.

Handmade.

Fair Trade.

Support Local and Global.

915 King St. Old Town Alexandria 703-684-1435 Call 703-684-1435 to shop in store or online www.tenthousandvillages.com

Check us out online at

oldtowncrier.com

TriangulateDC.com TriangulateDC.com

A Pause ...

In these unprecedented times, we are temporarily pausing in-person shopping at Imagine Artwear.

Taking care of our Imagine family, friends and supporters is the most important priority in life, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to the shop very soon.

We are also concerned about feelings of isolation for all of us, so we would love to connect with you via our new Instagram page at imagineartwear. And, if you’d like to shop virtually using FaceTime, email csimagine@aol.com to set up an appointment. We will ship your selections immediately. Be safe and be well.

We can’t wait to see you again.

Come in soon to see our entire line of amazing North American-made clothing, jewelry and crafts.

1124 King Street

•

Alexandria, Virginia 22314 • (703) 548-1461 www.imagineartwear.com

April 2020 | 15

TAKE PHOTOS, LEAVE FOOTPRINTS SCOTT DICKEN

Malawi:

Photos: Scott Dicken

Africa’s Best Kept Secret

M

alawi is, in my opinion, one of Africa’s best kept secrets.

Despite a concerted effort by the Government of Malawi, and plenty of international press opining its virtues, the relatively small, land-locked Southeast African country seems to have remained largely off the average tourist’s radar. Whilst this is obviously disappointing for a country that could really use the cash injection that tourism has brought to other East and Southern African countries, it means those of us willing to tread off the beaten path and visit Malawi will be blessed with all the country has to offer without the excessive crowds.

That’s why, in this month’s issue of Take Photos Leave Footprints, I’ve decided to explore five great reasons why you should add Malawi to your travel bucket list.

Reason 1: Word-Class Wildlife Malawi has had its fair share of problems with wildlife crime.

But, over the past few years Malawi’s government, together with the Lilongwe Wildlife Foundation, has created a wildlife crime investigation unit and passed a Wildlife Act. For the nation’s wildlife, which has historically been under huge pressure, these important changes are happening alongside carefully managed wildlife rehabilitation, park and reserve management programs, conservation education, and the trans-location of animals. The result is a resurgence of wildlife and, ultimately, the return of the ‘Big 5’ (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, and buffalo). Two of the most popular safari destinations in Malawi are Liwonde and Majete; with the former offering spectacular opportunities for both land and water-based safaris. Other parks worthy of consideration are Kasunga, Nkhotakota, Kuti and Nyika, although the tourist infrastructure at these less frequented parks is significantly underdeveloped.

Reason 2: Beachfront Bliss There aren’t many landlocked countries in which you can relax on the beach, scuba dive at a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and kayak amongst mangroves. In Malawi you can! Lake Malawi, stretching over 360 miles along the country’s eastern border, is arguably its best-known, and well-developed, tourist attraction. The Lake’s golden sand beaches, turquoise waters, and stunning waterfront accommodation make it the perfect place to spend a few days relaxing after a ‘hard’ week of safari. The Lake also offers picture perfect sunsets and the twinkle of fisherman’s lanterns on the water into the night. It was the latter which led to David Livingstone coining Lake Malawi’s more affectionate name, “The Lake of Stars”.

It’s a stunning locale from which to enjoy a well-earned gin and tonic and fresh seafood supper.

16 | April 2020

Old Town Crier

Reason 3: Serenity and Solitude Malawi is lovingly known as ‘the warm heart of Africa’. It exudes an easygoing vibe and is home to some of the friendliest people you’ll meet.

It’s also a country that has managed to maintain a peaceful, stable, and safe environment for tourism; something that makes the relative dearth of visitors to the country even more mystifying! As one of Africa’s best kept secrets you’ll be afforded the opportunity of exploring everything the country has offer without the crowds so often prevalent in other regional destinations. For example, if you’ve visited the Serengeti in Tanzania, the Masai Mara in Kenya, or Kruger National Park in South Africa, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn that it’s possible to traverse Malawi’s National Parks for hours on end without seeing a single other person.

Reason 4: Captivating Culture Although most visitors will focus on the safari and relaxation options on offer, Malawi is a country steeped in vibrant culture and tradition.

If you’re looking for an event around which to base an entire trip, then look no further than the Lake of Stars Festival. This annual cultural celebration was established in 2003 and has rapidly become the talk of the African continent. Featuring leading international and local musicians, lectures, theatre, and film the festival, set on the northern shores of Lake Malawi, is a cultural experience unlike anything else Africa has to offer.

Further south, visitors should be sure to visit Malawi’s tea plantations which sit nestled beneath the majestic Mount Mulanje, overlooking the Shire Valley. A notable tourist tea-tasting hotspot is Satemwa, in the Thyolo Tea Estate region, which has been producing Black, Green, White, Oolong, Dark, and Fusion teas since 1937. The Estate offers tours of the factory and tasting sessions where visitors can learn more about the tea growing and preparation process.

Reason 5: Spectacular Scenery Africa is well known for its sunsets, and there’s no better scenic vista from which to watch them than the sandy banks of Lake Malawi. But Malawi has much more by way of scenic diversity than its world-famous lake. From Mount Mulanje, the highlands of the Zomba Plateau, and the scenic hills of Dedza to the wetlands of the Lower Shire in the Great East African Rift Valley, Malawi has something to cater for every taste. This diversity of landscapes is particularly unusual for such a small country and can be attributed to its altitude range - from 10,000 ft. to below sea level. Not only does that make Malawi a photographer’s dream, but it affords visitors the opportunity to try activities as varied as scuba diving, trekking, horse riding, mountain biking, rock climbing, abseiling and fishing.

If you’re considering a visit to Malawi after the travel sanctions are lifted, make sure to check out the TakePhotosLeaveFootprints.com website where you’ll find more hints, tips and destination inspiration for your trip.

Old Town Crier

April 2020 | 17

POINTS ON PETS

CINDY MCGOVERN

Think twice before adding a live animal to your Easter basket!

B

y Sure, it’s adorable; an Easter basket with a baby rabbit, chick, or duckling peeking out.

Who wouldn’t want one? Well, once the novelty and initial cuteness wear off, many people. According to the House Rabbit Society, rabbits are the third most commonly surrendered animal to shelters (after dogs and cats). Unlike with dogs, behavioral reasons didn’t rank high as a reason for surrendering rabbits.

Instead, rabbits were surrendered because the owners were unable or unwilling to care for them.

While statistics on chicks and ducklings are harder to find, the increase in backyard chickens has led to shelters taking in more than in the past. According to the American Humane Association, the majority of baby chicks given as Easter gifts will suffer and die from lack of proper care and stress within a few weeks of the holiday. In other cases, as the animals grow, they are neglected in backyard pens or released outside where they die from predators, starvation, or exposure.

Does that mean that these animals can’t be part of your family? Of course not; they can all make wonderful, loving pets. But before you adopt one, or especially gift one, do your research and understand each animal’s unique needs and ensure the proud new owner is able and willing to provide it for the life of the pet. And, if that’s not the case, consider a chocolate bunny or marshmallow chicks instead.

CHICKS AND DUCKLINGS While rabbits can and should be kept indoors, both chickens and ducks require both indoor shelter and outdoor exercise areas. Ducklings also require a safe location for swimming.

Many cities consider chickens and ducks to be livestock rather than pets, and they may not be permitted in residential areas.

Finally, research different breeds of chickens and ducks to be sure you are choosing one that you can properly care for throughout its life.

Chicks

RABBITS A domestic rabbit’s average life span is eight to 12 years with many living into their teens. Even with this, rabbits are considered to be more delicate and fragile than other pets. They don’t often tolerate being held closely and carried, and may respond by struggling or scratching. They must also be picked up and handled carefully to avoid injury to their backs and legs. As a result, they may not be a good fit in a household of toddlers or small children.

Rabbits don’t require annual vaccinations but regular checkups can help detect small problems before they become big ones. Common health problems include dental abnormalities (incisor overgrowth and molar spurs), gastrointestinal problems,

ADOPTION CALENDAR FOR DETAILS AND MORE INFO www.kingstreetcats.org emai: contact@kingstreetcats.org

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.

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 2020

and ear and upper respiratory infections.

Rabbits should also be spayed or neutered once they reach sexual maturity (about four to six months of age). This not only reduces hormonedriven behaviors such as lunging, mounting, spraying and boxing, but also protects females from uterine cancer, which occurs in more than 50 percent of mature rabbits.

While rabbits can have free run of the home, it’s usually best to start with a space they can call their own. It can be an exercise pen, a large dog crate, a bunny-proofed room, or a very large cage or condo. Make sure that there’s a litterbox in the corner of the space that your rabbit chooses for a “bathroom,” and place additional litterboxes throughout the home.

KING STREET CATS 25 Dove Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 Every Saturday and Sunday from 1.30pm-4.30pm PETVALU Bradlee Shopping Center, 3652 King St, Alexandria, VA 22302 Every Sat/Sun from 1pm-4pm

Rabbits love to chew and electric cords, furniture, and ornamental plants are very tempting, dangerous, and expensive chew toys. Be sure to provide your rabbit with appropriate toys and ensure you rabbit proof the home.

Rabbits are social animals, with distinct personalities, who thrive on attention. If you do decide to adopt, consider a bonded pair or trio. Boredom and depression are common symptoms of loneliness in rabbits. These are accompanied by destructiveness and hyperactivity in some rabbits (generally the smaller breeds) and withdrawal in others.

Finally, as with any decision concerning a companion animal, consult your veterinarian on the proper nutrition, handling, and care of your rabbit.

Chickens are not the easiest of pets to own. They have specific housing requirements, require a specific diet, and need to be handled in a specific way.

Chickens are sociable creatures, so plan to keep three to six birds. They need a brooder where they can run around but also be protected from other animals. One medium-sized chicken needs at least three square feet of floor space inside the coop and 8-10 square feet outdoors. The more space, the happier and healthier the chickens will be; overcrowding contributes to disease and feather picking.

Just like rabbits, chickens can live long lives; up to 16 years.

Another important thing to remember is the potential risk for Salmonella that chickens bring with them. Young birds—chicks included—often carry this harmful bacterium.

Some chicks infected with Salmonella show no signs of illness, making it difficult to know whether a pet chick has the disease or not. Exposure can happen from kissing, 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

cuddling, or simply holding the birds.

Ducklings

Ducks are hardy, inexpensive, and easy to care for. They can live up to 20 years and make

gentle and amusing pets.

But remember, ducks are not “house” pets and are not suited to indoor living. Ducks need minimal shelter outside but should have the option of getting out of the rain, sun, and wind if they choose. For up to

four ducks, a good sized dog house is sufficient shelter.

Ducks are also social animals who get along very well with each other and seldom fight.

They are not solitary creatures and will become depressed and lonely quite easily; which

will make it difficult for them to survive or thrive. They are also highly intelligent and emotional. They can understand commands, play with toys, play games, give kisses, and beg for snuggles like other birds. If handled

frequently and gently from an early age, ducks will become quite sociable with people.

Cindy McGovern is a long-time pet owner who currently resides with Bella, a gorgeous Siberian cat.

RESOURCES: HTTPS://RABBIT.ORG/ | HTTPS://WWW.PETASSURE.COM HTTPS://WWW.PETASSURE.COM/NEW-NEWSLETTERS/HELPFUL-TIPS-WHEN-GIVING-PETS-ASEASTER-GIFTS/ HTTPS://WWW.AVMA.ORG/ | HTTPS://WWW.HUMANESOCIETY.ORG/ HTTPS://WWW.CDC.GOV/FEATURES/SALMONELLAPOULTRY/ HTTPS://WWW.AMERICANVETERINARIAN.COM/NEWS/CHICKS-AS-EASTER-GIFTS-ADVICE-FORCLIENTS HTTPS://WWW.FORTHEBIRDSDVM.COM/PAGES/CARE-AND-FEEDING-OF-PET-DUCKS

Cremation of Horses & Companion Animals (571) 835-0540 Chantilly, VA IMPetServices.com

Mark your calendar for April 15th!

Can’t wait until April 15th?

You can DONATE NOW at gvgb.com/KSCS2A

PETS

OF THE MONTH

DOLL

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

PRISCILLA

Adult, Spayed Female, Grey Tabby with White Domestic Shorthair

Adult, Spayed Female, Brown and White Terrier

Doll might look like your average bun, but she’s actually one extraordinary gal! Doll is sweet to the core. She loves lap time, greeting new friends and always wants to hang with her people. She rushes to the front of her pen for pets and cuddles and just wants to be near you. Sweetest bun in town?

We think so!

Sammy is one beautiful feline, but you might never know it. As a cave bed connoisseur, Sammy spends most of her time testing various dome, cave, cocoon and tent beds. She’s not sleepy, she’s a “paw-fessional” hard at work. Well... sometimes she’s sleepy, but it’s part of her rigorous testing process! Sammy is currently dedicated to her work, but looking to reduce her hours of cave dwelling and share her time with a family to call her own. All interested parties can meet her at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.

Meet Priscilla! This sweet girl is very playful, inquisitive and curious. Life is full of wonder balls, birds, sniffs and snacks. She’s just a happy girl who loves people - everyone is a potential friend - and getting petted, though she is not as fond of other dogs so she would love to be the only dog in the household. With her enthusiasm and vigor, Priscilla is ready to step out and see the world, so she could benefit from some loose leash training to round out her skills. Priscilla’s warm and generous smile is just a hint of her good soul a recent loving, attentive, and doting mom, she is just looking for the next heart to touch and hold.

alexandriaanimals.org/animal-profile/?id=42365 alexandriaanimals.org/adoption-information/ Doll’s photo courtesy of Alison Lane Photography

Since March 17, the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria has been operating by appointment only to prevent large groups of people gathering at the Vola Lawson Animal Shelter. This may change depending on what is recommended as safest for our staff, volunteers and the community, so you can find our current status or set up an appointment at AlexandriaAnimals.org or by emailing info@alexandriaanimals.org.

Old Town Crier

SAMMY

Adult, Spayed Female, Brown Shorthaired Rabbit

/alexandriaanimals.org/animal-profile/?id=42681 alexandriaanimals.org/adoption-information/ Sammy’s photo courtesy of Dirty Paw Photography

alexandriaanimals.org/animal-profile/?id=39150 alexandriaanimals.org/adoption-information/ Priscilla’s photo courtesy of Alison Lane Photography

April 2020 | 19

CARIBBEAN CONNECTION ALEXANDER BRITELL AND THE CARIBBEAN JOURNAL STAFF

From Cancun to Turks and Caicos, 7 Cocktails to Make Right Now

I

f you’re at home right now, you’re probably still dreaming about the Caribbean. And for those of us who can’t be in the region right now, there are still some ways to rediscover the Caribbean in your own home.

One particularly delicious way is by making a cocktail — and some of the Caribbean’s top hotels have you covered.

We’ve collected a series of recipes from top places to stay in destinations ranging from Cancun to Turks and Caicos, offering up a slice of the Caribbean to take a little bit of the edge off.

Here are some Caribbean cocktails to make right now.

Mezcalina

Pina Colada

This exotic cocktail straight from JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa’s 150 Margaritas Menu strikes the perfect balance between the smoky notes of mezcal and the refreshing and tropical hints of orange.

Straight from the birthplace of the piña colada, this recipe from the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico dates back to the 1950’s and is one of the most popular tropical cocktails to date.

Ingredients:

2 oz Rum (we recommend Puerto Rico’s Ron del Barrilito) 1 oz Coconut Cream 1 oz Heavy Cream 6 oz Pineapple Juice ½ cup Crushed Ice

1 ½ oz Tequila (Preferably Tierra Noble Reposado) 1 oz Cointreau 1 oz Mezcal ½ oz Simple syrup 1 oz Orange juice ¾ oz Lemon juice Tajin seasoning for rim Pour all ingredients in a shaker glass and muddle together. Add ice and shake. Line the glass rim with Tajin seasoning (if available). Pour ingredients into the glass, and garnish with an orange slice. Enjoy.

¡Oye! Juanjo!

Transport your taste buds to the tropical Dutch island of Curaçao with this refreshing pineapple and tequila infusion from the Caña Bar + Kitchen.

Ingredients: 1 ¾ oz Blanco Tequila (preferably Don Julio Blanco) 1 ½ oz Fresh Pineapple Juice 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice ⅓ oz Fresh Ginger Juice ½ oz Agave Nectar Add all ingredients to a shaker. Shake and fine strain in a tumbler with crushed ice. Top up with crushed ice and serve.

Ingredients:

Mix rum, cream of coconut, heavy cream and pineapple juice in a blender. Add ice and mix for 15 seconds. Serve in a 12 oz glass and garnish with fresh pineapple and a cherry.

Mango Madness Mango lovers can tap into the tastes of the island Saint Lucia with a delicious blend of fresh mango, lime juice and rum in this recipe from the Jade Mountain.

Ingredients: 1 3 1 1 1

½ oz Bounty Rum oz Fresh Mango Puree teaspoon Lime Juice teaspoon Simple Syrup dash of Bitters

Put the rum, mango puree, lime juice and bitters in a shaker. Cover and shake quick and hard. Strain into a large tumbler filled with ice.

Garnish with a fresh mango slice.

Aruba Mule Enchanted Forest The Wymara Resort & Villas in the Turks & Caicos enchanting backdrop of Grace Bay Beach, paired with mixologist Paolo Pattitucci’s European travels, inspired the flavors of this vibrant cocktail.

Ingredients: 1 ½ oz Star of Bombay Gin 1 teaspoon Organic Raspberry Jam 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice ¾ oz Ginger & Lemongrass Syrup 1 ¼ oz Fresh Pineapple Juice Fresh raspberries Combine all of the above ingredients on ice in a cocktail mixer. Shake for a few seconds then double-strain in a martini coupe glass. Garnish with fresh raspberries.

20 | April 2020

Sip the refreshing flavors of the ‘One Happy Island’ with an aloe-inspired concoction mixed with ginger beer, mint and fresh lemon from the Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino in Palm Beach, Aruba.

Ingredients: 1 ¼ oz Vodka 2 oz Aloe Vera Juice ¼ oz Fresh Lemon Juice ¼ oz Simple Syrup 4 oz Ginger Beer Mint Leaves Fill a copper mule mug or a mason jar with ice. Add vodka, aloe vera juice, fresh lemon juice, and simple syrup to the glass. Top with ginger beer and stir gently. Garnish with mint leaves.

Old Town Crier

CARIBBEAN CONNECTION FROM PAGE 20

Rum Swizzle Dating back to the mid-18th century, this cocktail has a history of making patrons ‘swizzle’ around the dance floor (or their living rooms) after a few. Recipe courtesy of Hedonism II in Negril, Jamaica.

MYSTERY READING AT ITS BEST

by Virginia author Jeffrey Roswell McCord

Ingredients: 1 oz Rum 1 ½ Lime Juice 3 dashes of Bitters Club Soda 2 dashes of Fruit Syrup Pour rum, lime juice, bitters, and fruit syrup ingredients into a glass filled with ice, add club soda and stir. Garnish with a cherry and pineapple slice.

Alexander Britell is the founder and Editor in Chief as well as contributing writer to the popular online magazine/ website, the Caribbean Journal, based in Miami, Florida. We are happy to have him and his staff contributing to the OTC and our Caribbean Connection Section. Check out the Journal at caribjournal.com for valuable information on all fabulous travel options and things of interest in the Caribbean.

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

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.”

Available from Amazon or as a Kindle download

HILLCREST GUEST HOUSE

CLIFFHANGER k

Ann Street Gardens

y

ey west getawa

SEE OUR AY HOMEAW 5 AT #28629 LISTING AY.COM HOMEAW

As featured on HGTV and winner of “Bang For Your Buck” in St. Thomas. This recently renovated villa resides on the edge of a cliff 200 feet above the Atlantic Ocean crashing onto the rocks below. The best location on the island—a private, secure, gated community of luxury villas—the villa offers spectacular views of the Atlantic and various islands including St. John, Jost Van Dyke and Tortola. The main house has 3 bedrooms with a detached cottage with its’ own queen size bed. Large deck, pool and spa.

Phone 703 628-9005 • Fax 703 765-5900

Key West Getaway One Block from Sloppy Joe’s Contact: historichideaways.com • 1-800-654-5131 Old Town Crier

April 2020 | 21

FROM THE BAY …

TIMOTHY B.WHEELER

Remember the Terrapin!

“R

Photos: MD Dept of Natural Resource.

22 | April 2020

emember the terrapin, when you set out crab pots this year,” says Dr. Chris Rowe, Associate Professor and Terrapin Researcher with the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL) of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science located on Solomons Island.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources receives reports every year of diamondback terrapins trapped in crab pots. Dr. Rowe explained, “The terrapins are enticed by the bait, but when they try to come up for air, they can’t, so they drown.” He recommends a Turtle Excluder Device (TED). “If recreational crabbers would put a TED on

the crab pot, it would keep the turtles from entering the trap, but crabs can still get in.”

Abandoned crab pots have been found with dozens of drowned terrapins, deaths that can seriously hurt terrapin populations. TED devices are simple to make, and many stores have readymade TEDS that are easy to attach to the crab pot. “This small adjustment can make a big difference,” adds Rowe.

Recreational crabbing season begins April 1, 2020.

The TED’s can be purchased at hardware stores, fishing tackle stores and some crabbers craft them themselves or they can be ordered online.

If you want to see exactly how a TED works check out this Maryland Department

of Natural Resources Video more information about where to buy and how to apply turtle excluder devices log on to: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=IJdHdwikFLU

About the Laboratory: For more than 90 years, CBL has been a national leader in fisheries, estuarine ecology, environmental chemistry and toxicology. CBL scientists are developing new scientific approaches to solving the major environmental problems facing our world.

For more about CBL and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science www. umces.edu/cbl To support students and programs at CBL go to https://www.givecampus. com/campaigns/2969/ donations/new Old Town Crier

Spring Solomons...

CELEBRATE

Staying the Course In

IN Looking toward the Future SOLOMONS!

Spring is upon us!

WE HAVE A SLIP WAITING FOR YOU!

DEEP WATER AND COVERED SLIPS AVAILABLE

14485 Dowell Road Solomons, MD 20629 410.326.4251 calvertmarina.com

WE SHIP OUR AWARD WINNING CRABCAKES ANYWHERE IN THE USA! VOTED BEST CRAB CAKES IN SOUTHERN MARYLAND 2012 Maryland Life

HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS LIVE ACOUSTIC MUSIC • CRAB CAKE SHIPPING DOG FRIENDLY OUTDOOR PATIO • HALF PRICE WINE WEDNESDAY OUTDOOR DECK SEATING • TAKE OUT & CATERING • TRANSIENT SLIPS

STONEY’S KINGFISHERS SEAFOOD BAR & GRILL 14442 Solomons Island Road Solomons, Maryland 20688 SolomonsKingfisher@gmail.com

410.394.0236 EVERY WEDNESDAY HALF PRICE WINE

TO THE BLUE RIDGE

JULIE REARDON

BUY YOUR DOG A SERVICE DOG VEST ONLINE AND TAKE HIM ANYWHERE… …Actually, please don’t.

W

e Americans love our pets and spending time with them, whether at home during enforced social distancing or taking them places with us. A happy outcome of this is the increased number of places we can bring them these days.

But for some, it’s not enough to bring our dogs places where pets are welcome.

Some insist on bringing their pets in places where dogs are forbidden by law, such as grocery stores and restaurants.

An entire cottage industry of fake service dog credentials has sprung up online, where one can purchase vests, collars, leashes and even fraudulent “credentials” that allow you to take your dog places where they’re normally not allowed.

“But Fluffy is my emotional support dog,” say those who insist on taking their pet in places where dogs are forbidden by state law.

Yesterday, a post on a social media group generated a firestorm of controversy because of a photo of a 24 | April 2020

Photo: Paul Brennan

woman pushing a toy-sized designer breed dog in a shopping cart. Her friends and many dog lovers claimed the dog was needed for her mental health. Others were appalled that they now had to worry about a dog being in a cart when there is already widespread concern about a viral pandemic. “Now I have to worry about cleaning up whatever was on that dog’s butt in addition to COVID19?” said one irritated dog lover. Clearly, far too many are ignorant of the important distinction between an emotional support animal and a true service dog—

the former is not covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act, while the service dog is provided for.

However, in no case should a dog be placed in a food shopping cart. That’s just gross.

The Justice Department, which administers the ADA, states that no store is required to allow service animals in shopping carts. Generally, the dog must stay on the floor, although a person may carry the dog. For example, if a person with diabetes has a glucose alert dog, he may carry the dog in a chest pack so it can be close to his face

to allow the dog to smell his breath to alert him of a change in glucose levels. Restaurants, bars and other places that serve food and drink are not required to allow service animals to be seated on chairs or to allow them to be fed at the table. Seating, food, and drink are provided for customer use only. The ADA gives a person with a disability the right to be accompanied by his or her service animal, but covered entities are not required to allow an animal to sit or be fed at the table.

Trained service dogs can accompany disabled handlers in most places where dogs

are normally forbidden, because this is provided for under the ADA. Many people with disabilities use a service animal in order to fully participate in everyday life. Dogs can be trained to perform many important tasks to assist people with disabilities, such as providing stability for a person who has difficulty walking, picking up items for a person who uses a wheelchair, preventing a child with autism from wandering away, or alerting a person who has hearing loss when BLUE RIDGE > PAGE 25

Old Town Crier

BLUE RIDGE | FROM PAGE 24

someone is approaching from behind.

The ADA requires state and local government agencies, businesses, and non-profit organizations that the U.S. Dept. of Justice considers covered entities (those that provide goods or services to the public) to make “reasonable modifications” in their policies, practices, or procedures when necessary to accommodate people with disabilities. The service animal rules fall under this general principle. Accordingly, entities that have a “no pets” policy generally must modify the policy to allow service animals into their facilities. However, there is no provision in the ADA for emotional support animals.

Under the ADA, a service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability, and the dog must be trained to take a specific action when needed to assist the person with a disability.

For example, a person with diabetes may have a dog that is trained to alert him when his blood sugar reaches high or low levels. A person with depression may have a dog that is trained to remind her to take her medication. Or, a person who has epilepsy may have a dog that is trained to detect the onset of a seizure and then help the person remain safe during the seizure.

Emotional support, therapy, comfort, or companion animals are not considered service dogs covered by the

ADA. These terms are used to describe animals that provide comfort just by being with a person, but there is no requirement and indeed most have not been trained to perform a specific job or task, so they don’t qualify as service animals under the ADA. Even if someone’s dog calms them when having an anxiety attack, such as from PTSD, it does not automatically qualify the dog as a service animal.

The ADA makes a distinction between psychiatric service

animals and emotional support animals. If the person has been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and the dog has been trained to sense that an anxiety attack is about to happen and take a specific action to help avoid the attack or lessen its impact, that would qualify as a service animal. However, if the dog’s mere presence provides comfort, it’s not considered a service animal under the ADA. Due to privacy rules, many

staff are afraid to question those who bring their dogs complete with vests purchased online into places they’re not allowed. By law, they are only allowed to ask two specific questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

Staff are not allowed to request any documentation for the dog, require that the dog demonstrate its task, or inquire about the nature of

the person’s disability. So do those who need and depend on service dogs a favor: do not purchase and use fake credentials so you can take Fluffy (or your peacock, boa constrictor or pony) in the grocery store or nail salon with you, or indeed, any place where dogs are forbidden by law for health and safety reasons. And do not claim your dog is your emotional support dog and expect access to places where service dogs are allowed.

YOUR

ADVENTURE BEGINS HERE

Quality Sport & Trail Horses For Sale Open Year-Round Lessons • Training •Trail Rides • Special Events www.therockingsranch.com • 540.678.8501

•

29 Main On the River – Sperryville

•

A quaint cottage on the Thornton River in the Heart of the Village of Sperryville.

Spacious one bedroom/one bath suite Kitchenette Private deck overlooking the River Outdoor shower Popular for Hikers and Foodies, looking for a great getaway.

VRBO#1001234 • AirBnB #18582009

• • • • • •

Large put cozy, suite above Little Washington Spa 1 Bedroom/1 Bath Living room with pull out sofa Kitchenette Great Location in the center of town VRBO#735456 • AirBnB #7131304

• • • • •

The Loft – Little Washington

More Info Contact- Samantha.rpkgetaways@gmail.com

Old Town Crier

April 2020 | 25

ROAD TRIP

BOB TAGERT

Skyline

Photo: La

Drive

uren Flem

ing

Get Out and Take a Drive I

n these uncertain times when we don’t know what the rules are next week, we thought it a good idea and take a drive just to get out of the house. Make no mistake about it...I strongly support the idea of social distancing and that is the point of the article. If we can be sequestered in our homes, apartments or condos, why can’t we take a drive with those we are routinely in contact with or by ourselves.

Do you social distance when you go to the grocery store? If you are like me, you try to, but standing in line at six feet will make you lose your place in line. With all of these rules in mind, I propose to get out to open spaces where you are not around others but for a brief moment and can enjoy this beautiful spring weather and refresh your soul.

As Of Tuesday, March 24th at 12.59 am Governor Northam made it mandatory for all non- essential businesses to be closed.

This also applies to our Virginia wineries. You may not even sit at one of their outside tables on the property. However, with participating wineries, you can pre-order on the website, by calling or texting, and then picking up at the winery – some of the wineries are offering free shipping as well. You can even order while driving up the driveway but you can’t get out of your vehicle, an employee will bring your order out and you pay on the spot, cash, check or credit card.

My original premise for this article was to drive out on a beautiful day, buy a bottle and grab a seat but not too close to anyone else. That part, grabbing a seat, is no longer doable, but grabbing a bottle or two of wine for later use if you can find a roadside table or better yet, buy a case and take it home for consumption while you binge on Netflix. These wineries went through hell two years ago with all of the rain. They made a strong comeback last year and had a fabulous crop year. Some of those wines are available now. Take a drive on a beautiful

26 | April 2020

Old Town Crier

Dolly

le

Cletus the Clydesda

day and help out an industry that is important to the Virginia economy.

If wineries aren’t of interest to you – as an aside, some of the wineries have beautiful sculptures at their entrances that you can stop an admire so make sure you are going slow - there are all sorts of beautiful plants and animals that dot the landscape of the Blue Ridge in the spring time. Lani made a new wooly friend who she affectionately named “Dolly” when we stopped to take photos of a flock of sheep. Dolly came right up to the fence and stuck her head through so she could be petted and in Lani’s normal fashion, she kissed her on the head…don’t ask.

You remember when she kissed the llama a couple of years ago?

While you are taking your drive on the beautiful Virginia backroads you can check out the state parks which, as of this writing are still open, but once you park your car stick to social distancing while picnicking and hiking.

On our drive last week we also re-discovered the Marriot Ranch Trail Rides in Linden, Virginia. Located at 4439 Fiery Run off of Hume Road, the Marriot Ranch offers a variety of horse-related activities, none more popular than the ninetyminute trail rides across parts of their beautiful 4,200 acre working cattle ranch. When we were there they were offering individual rides and limited person trail rides but I am sure that has changed. Just keep them in mind for a future outing. And yes…..Lani met “Cletus” the Clydesdale and you know the rest of the story.

I quess that the whole point of this article is to do what is right but at the same time you can still exercise personal freedom if you are smart about it. Don’t go stir crazy, pack a picnic basket with all of the essentials and take a drive to the open spaces, see the beauty of spring...trees are budding, flowers are blooming, the air is clear! Take care friends and take care of each other...

Old Town Crier

April 2020 | 27

DINING OUT

BOB TAGERT

DINING IN!

W

ow, how things can change in thirty days. Last month we wrote about a new Irish restaurant for our March issue. At the beginning of March we had already been to our next

restaurant, Sweetbay, in Leonardtown, Maryland, and then all hell broke loose. The Coronavirus came on the scene and - according to some, was to only last a few days - our whole world changed.

In that short time, all

The streets may be empty, but your stomachs don't have to be!

Support your local restaurants (and drivers!) with take-out and delivery options

28 | April 2020

restaurants have been instructed to close with only delivery and curbside pickup allowed. In some cases the restaurants realized that staying open under these conditions would not work in the long run. They would just lose more money. This is the case with two of the most successful restaurants in Old Town Landini Brothers and the Fish Market. They have chosen to close until this is over. They are not only two of the most popular but are also two of the largest restaurants in town and it would be prohibitive to remain open considering the costs of doing so. River Bend Bistro on Fort Hunt Road provided carry out until inventory ran out. Union Street Public House has closed in hopes of being able to open in mid-May. Our friend and advertiser, Eric Faughnan who owns Kingfisher Restaurant in Solomons, Maryland closed a few weeks ago considering that pickup service “was a slow death!”

Some restaurants have closed for the same reasons but are also looking to preserve cash for their hourly and tip employees. They have established GoFundMe efforts for their employees. A patron brought the idea to Stephen Mann of Fat City Restaurant

Director King Vidor (1894 1982) and actress Marion Davies (1897 - 1961) tuck into a takeaway meal during the filming of 'The Patsy' (aka 'The Politic Flapper') on Oct. 6, 1927.

John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images

Group, owners of Ramparts, Shooter McGee’s, City Kitchen and T.J. Stones, that “we are all in this together” so a Go Fund Me effort was created for the staff of each restaurant. Landini Brothers has also started a GoFundMe page for their employees. We are hoping that each of these restaurants loyal patrons chip in to help keep these families afloat during these troubled times.

We are fortunate, however, that a good portion of the eateries in Old Town and the surrounding area have made the decision to provide curbside pickup and use several available modes of delivery – Uber Eats, Door Dash and Grub Hub. Most of them are

offering limited menus and the times of availability vary from restaurant to restaurant. Your best bet to check out “who’s doing what” is to log on to the Alexandria Visitors Association website at visitalexandriava. com/alxathome or go to #AlxatHome. These mediums are updated on a regular basis.

The restaurants that are remaining open for curb pickup or delivery will need our help by ordering out. It is still the same great food you enjoy at the restaurant, it is just the ambiance that will be missing. You can still get the famous Cajun fare and seafood from The Warehouse DINING OUT > PAGE 29

Old Town Crier

“A Washington Post Capitol Cuisine Favorite” The Very Best Alexandria has to offer in the Heart of Historic Old Town Famous for our She Crab Soup, Steaks and Crab Cakes

Best Brunch in Old Town Saturday & Sunday 9am- 4pm

DINING OUT FROM PAGE 28

(warehouseoldtown.com) and Mackies (mackiesbarandgrill. com) will be offering a steak dinner for two as well as other specials and several choices from their menu. A number of the pizza shops in town will remain open. If you are looking for good Irish comfort food, Murphy’s (murphyspub. com) has curb side service as well as delivery through Door Dash. In the west end delivery and take out on Duke Street is available from Tempo (temporestaurant.com) who will be providing delicious dinners for folks throughout Alexandria. If you are looking for some extraordinary French fare, a meal from Bastille (bastillerestaurant.com) on North Fayette Street is in order.

The whole market is in such flux that all of these details are subject to change as the situation changes on a daily basis. In the meantime, please pick up or have a nice dinner for you and your family delivered at least once a week to your home. The choices are no longer unlimited, but there is still much to choose from. Let’s work with what we have and help each other get through this.

Old Town Crier

Small Batch, Gourmet Hot Sauce

We apply the “Hurricane Category Heat Index”

Cajun Dew Bayou Inspired

GOOD SPORTS GOOD FRIENDS GREAT EATS!

COVID-19 SPECIALS*

Inca Gold Cajun Dew is the perfect blend of Cayenne and Habenero peppers along with garlic, vinegar and salt.

Simple and flavorful.

Inca Gold combines the unique flavors of South American Peppers with just the right amount of punch.

Available for purchase online at hurricanebobs.com or at the Old Town Shop and fine restaurants including Bonefish Grill, The Columbia Firehouse, Daniel O’Connell’s, Union Street Public House, and Virtue Feed & Grain.

Steak Dinner for Two & a Bottle of Wine - $70 Pasta Dinner for Four w/Salad - $79 Movie Pack - $25 All available for curbside pickup or delivery to your door via Uber Eats, Door Dash & GrubHub

*See details and full menu offerings at

MACKIESBARANDGRILL.COM

907 KING STREET OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA 703.684.3288 | MACKIESBARANDGRILL.COM April 2020 | 29

DINING GUIDE AMERICAN

AUGIE’S MUSSEL HOUSE 1106 King Street 703.721.3970 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 CHADWICKS 203 Strand St. 703-836-4442 CHART HOUSE One Cameron St. 703-684-5080 CITY KITCHEN 330 South Pickett St. 703-685-9172 fatcitykitchen.com COLUMBIA FIREHOUSE 109 S. St. Asaph St. 703-683-1776 EVENING STAR CAFÉ 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-549-5051 EXECUTIVE DINER & CAFE 1400 Duke Street 703-299-0894 FIN & HOOF 801 N. Saint Asaph St. 703-836-4700 FIVE GUYS 725 King St. 703-549-7991 FOSTERS GRILLE 2004 Eisenhower Ave. 703-725-1342 GADSBYS TAVERN 138 N. Royal St. 703-548-1288 GRATEFUL KITCHEN 727 N. Henry Street HARD TIMES CAFE 1404 King St. 703-837-0050 HEN QUARTER 1404 King St. 703-684-6969 HUMMINGBIRD 220 South Union Street 703-566-1355 JACKS PLACE 222 North Lee St. 703-684-0372 JACKSON 20 480 King St. 703-842-2790 JAVA GRILL 611 King Street 571-431-7631 JOE THEISMANNS 1800 Diagonal Rd. 703-739-0777 JUNCTION BAKERY & BISTRO 1508 Mount Vernon Avenue Alexandria 703-436-0025 30 | April 2020

Please Contact your favorite restaurants for updates on their "Social Distancing" policies.

LAPORTAS 1600 Duke St. 703-683-6313

THE LIGHT HORSE 715 King Street 703-549-0533 LIVE OAK 1603 Commonwealth Ave. 571-312-0402 LORI'S TABLE 1028 King Street 703-549-5545 LOST DOG CAFE 808 North Henry St. 571-970-6511 MACKIE’S BAR AND GRILL 907 King St. 703-684-3288 mackiesbarandgrill.com MAGNOLIA’S ON KING 703 King St. 703-838-9090 MAJESTIC CAFÉ 911 King St. 703-837-9117 MASON SOCIAL 728 Henry Street 703-548-8800 mason-social.com MOUNT VERNON INN Mount Vernon, Va 703-780-0011 MURPHYS IRISH PUB 713 King St. 703-548-1717 murphyspub.com 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 PORK BARREL BBQ 2312 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-822-5699 THE PEOPLES DRUG 103 N. Alfred Street 571-257-8851 RAMPARTS 1700 Fern St. 703-998-6616 rampartstavern.com RIVER BEND BISTRO 7966 Fort Hunt Rd. Hollin Hall Shopping Center 703-347-7545 riverbendbistro.com ROCK IT GRILL 1319 King St. 703-739-2274 RT's RESTAURANT 3804 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-684-6010 rtsrestaurant.com SAMUEL BECKETTS IRISH GASTRO PUB 2800 S. Randolph St. Villages of Shirlington 703-379-0122

SHOOTER MCGEES 5239 Duke St. 703-751-9266 SMOKING KOW BBQ 3250 Duke Sttreet 703-888-2649 SONOMA CELLAR 207 King St. 703-966-3550 SOUTH BLOCK 106 N. Lee Street 703-465-8423 SOUTHSIDE 815 815 S. Washington St. 703-836-6222 SWEETGREEN 823 King St. 571-319-0192 SWEET FIRE DONNA'S BBQ & HOPS 510 John Carlyle Street 571-312-7960 T.J. STONES GRILL HOUSE & TAP ROOM 608 Montgomery St. 703-548-1004 tjstones.com UNION STREET PUBLIC HOUSE 121 South Union St. 703-548-1785 unionstreetpublichouse.com VERMILLION 1120 King St. 703-684-9669 VIRTUE GRAIN & FEED 106 South Union St. 571-970-3669 VOLA’S DOCKSIDE GRILL & THE HI-TIDE LOUNGE 101 North Union St. 703-935-8890 THE WAREHOUSE BAR & GRILL 214 King St. 703-683-6868 warehouseoldtown.com 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 VILLAGE BRAUHAUS 710 King Street 703-888-1951 villagebrauhaus.com FRENCH

BASTILLE 606 N. Fayette St. 703-519-3776 bastillerestaurant.com BISTRO SANCERRE FRENCH 1755 Duke Street LE REFUGE 127 N. Washington St. 703-548-4661 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 ITALIAN

BUGSYS PIZZA RESTAURANT 111 King St. 703-683-0313 FACCIA LUNA 823 S. Washington St. 703-838-5998 HANK & MIMI'S PIZZA AND PASTA 600 Montgomery Ave. 571-312-4117 IL PORTO RESTAURANT 121 King St. 703-836-8833

LANDINI BROTHERS 115 King St. 703-836-8404 landinibrothers.com LENA’S WOOD-FIRED PIZZA & TAP 401 East Braddock Rd. 703-960-1086 MIA'S ITALIAN KITCHEN 100 King Street 703-997-5300 MICHAEL’S LITTLE ITALY 305 S. Washington St. 703-548-9338 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 DELIAS MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 209 Swamp Fox Rd. 703-329-0006 VASO'S MEDITERRANEAN BISTRO 1118 King Street 703-566-2720 VASO'S KITCHEN 1225 Powhatan Street 703-548-2747 SEAFOOD

HANKS OYSTER BAR 1026 King St. 703-739-HANK FISH MARKET-OLD TOWN 105 King St. 703-836-5676 fishmarketoldva.com ERNIES ORGINIAL CRABHOUSE 1743 King St. 703-836-0046 THE WHARF 119 King St. 703-836-2834 INDIAN

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 CHOP SHOP TACO 1008 Madison Street 571-970-6438 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

LET’S EAT

CHARLES OPPMAN

Ingredients 3-4 pounds of lamb shanks ¼ cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon table salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 1 cup onion, diced 1 cup celery, diced 2 tablespoon fresh garlic, chopped 4 bay leaves 1 teaspoon thyme leaves 2 cups chicken broth, canned is fine 1 tablespoon Worstershire sauce 1 tablespoon tomato paste 6 sprigs fresh mint, finely chopped

Method In a heavy skillet or Dutch oven heat the oil over a high flame. Salt and pepper the shanks and sear in hot oil on all sides to form a brown crust.

Easter Lamb….Shanks!

W

ith Easter around the corner it’s time to break out the lamb recipes.

When we think spring lamb, most of think of that boneless roast or a bone-in leg, but let’s try something different. Of course, French cut lamb shops are wonderful, but expensive and are short on flavor. Why not do lamb shanks? This is a great cut of spring lamb for several reasons―fairly inexpensive, bursting with flavor, soft texture and a high collagen content (when heated, collagen dissolves to offer flavor and moisture). Since this is a tough part of the animal’s musculature, shanks must be braised or slow-baked in the oven.

This recipe calls for the braising method. As with any cut of lamb, the shanks are delicious with mint sauce. Please don’t resort to mint jelly. Fresh mint sauce is a snap to make. You just add mint leaves to the natural juices. This is an easy recipe that you’ll love. One caveat, the bone in lamb shanks can be large (this is a good thing because this means more flavor) so compensate for this when judging how many shanks to cook.

Remove and set aside browned shanks. Add the garlic, onion, celery, thyme leaves and bay leaves to the hot skillet. Cook over medium to high flame for 3 minutes.

Add shanks back to the skillet. Add chicken broth and Worstershire sauce. Either place covered skillet in a preheated 300ºF oven or simmer over low fire. Cook until shanks are fork tender, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Remove shanks from skillet and set aside. Strain sauce into a separate container. Skim off surface oil, discard oil.

Return sauce to skillet and reheat. Whisk in tomato paste. Add chopped mint leaves. Reduce sauce until desired consistency is achieved. If too thick add a small amount of chicken broth. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Serve with oven-roasted potatoes or cous cous. Serve sauce in a separate container as desired.

MATT FITZSIMMONS

GRAPEVINE

Eco-Friendly Virginia Wineries To Visit On Earth Day

M

ost people think of Earth Day as a celebration of fresh air, clean water, and the goodness of a healthy environment. To others, it’s a time to reflect on the importance of being good stewards of the land. I like to think of it as a time to appreciate the bounty of the earth… and more specifically…the fruit that makes my weekends a lot more fun than they otherwise would be.

I’m talking about wine grapes, of course.

Talk to anyone who works at a Virginia winery and they’ll explain that great wine starts in the vineyard, where winegrowers do everything they can to convince their vines to grow ripe clusters of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and all their other friends.

To them, EVERY day is Earth Day. But there are several wineries that set themselves apart when it comes to sustainable practices. They take measures ranging from building their tasting rooms out of recycled material, using solar energy, and practicing environmentally-friendly farming techniques. Lots of wineries take these steps…but these places go the distance.

So here’s a salute to several Virginia wineries who go above and beyond.

Remember them when spring comes and we can (hopefully) enjoy an excursion outside!

DuCard Vineyards

Photo: Matthew Fitzsimmons

32 | April 2020

I often wonder if a winery’s convenience is inversely proportional to the quality of its wine. It makes sense – if it was super easy to visit, then wineries would have little incentive to provide a high quality product.

The fact that DuCard

inspires such loyalty despite being nestled in the Shenandoah Mountains demonstrates they are serving something special.

“Off the beaten trail” isn’t a euphemism; it’s the literal truth. DuCard is along the same road that takes you to Old Rag Mountain and White Oak Canyon. In fact, lots of patrons are hikers unwinding after a long excursion.

As you can imagine, visiting here is one of the prettiest drives you’ll find anywhere in Virginia.

DuCard is also very “Green”, and I’m not just talking about the scenery. The entire place is solar powered, to the point they sometimes sell electricity back to the local power grid. They also emphasize the use of organic materials over chemical sprays and process wastewater using their own artificial wetland system. You can charge your TELSA or other EV there, no ‘charge’ to you, while you enjoy the wines and atmosphere. Even the cutlery is biodegradable.

Being sustainable is commendable, but they also take pride in another word: authenticity. Except for their Traminette all of their wine is made with fruit grown from their own 17 acres of vines. But what makes their vineyards extra-special is these aren’t just grape vines – it’s a classroom for Piedmont Community College students studying viticulture!

I’m a big fan of DuCard’s wines, but my favorite is their Petit Verdot – a bold red that grows especially well in Virginia. The Virginia Governor’s Cup competition seems to like it as well; their 2014 vintage earned a Gold medal two years ago, and their 2017 took another Gold this past February. Also check out their Norton-based port-style wine and Viognier.

Make sure you say “Hi” to owner Scott Elliff and tasting room manager Marty Mitchell when you visit!

FiftyThird Winery and Vineyard

Photo: Fifty-Third Winery

Located halfway between Richmond and Charlottesville, Fifty-Third (formerly known as Cooper Vineyards) is so named because – wait for it – it was the 53rd farm winery in the state. David and Susan Drillock purchased Cooper in 2015 and gradually made it their own.

Picture #4 Fifty-Third The new name wasn’t their only adjustment, as around that time the Drillocks hired Chelsey Belvins as their assistant wine maker. A former ‘Wine Librarian’ at Barboursville (which has to be the best library title ever), she’s now head wine maker at Fifty-Third. This year she took Gold for her 2018 Viognier at the Virginia’s Governor’s Cup. It’s not often you see a winery boast as much as they do about their tasting room, but the praise here is well deserved. It doesn’t just look good, it has a “LEED Platinum” certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, the first on the east coast and second Platinum vineyard in the country.

I went over the checklist that granted them this certification and it was impressive. Solar panels, geothermal heating-cooling, pellet stoves, recycled wood, rainwater collection. They even offer bicycle storage, showers and changing rooms so people can ride in.

The huge variety on the tasting menu gives you a tremendous bang-for-yourbuck. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be their Viognier/Chardonnay blend… but their Cabernet Franc is a close second. But the most popular bottle is their “Noche” chocolate wine. Let me tell you; I’m not a chocolate wine drinker, or a sweet wine drinker in general. I’ll make an exception to this. It was rich and desert-y, kinda like eating a chocolate cheesecake.

GRAPEVINE > PAGE 34

Old Town Crier

EXPLORING VA WINES

DOUG FABBIOLI

I

real people. earth friendly. fabulous wines.

HOLD YOUR ‘FABB’ EVENT AT FABBIOLI CELLARS! WEDDINGS • CORPORATE OUTINGS • GRADUATIONS • CELEBRATIONS

email us at info@fabbioliwines.com 15669 Limestone School Rd • Leesburg, VA 20176 703.771.1197 • fabbioliwines.com Old Town Crier

Spring has clearly Sprung! turned around the other day and Mother Nature had caught me napping. Now, I know that we had a very mild winter, and my crew was able to keep up with most of the winter pruning, but things are really greening up now! For us on the farm, the main work is on the early crops. The hops need attention by trimming the heads of the plants and cutting off any runners that will spread out the plant. For the asparagus, it’s clearing out the growth from last year, doing a light tilling to knock back the winter weeds and the mulch to keep the spring weeds from getting a strong foothold. For the raspberries, it’s those weeds again. Compost is always good to add and then incorporate when tilling in the soil along the plants.

The sap in the grapevines is running a bit. Bud break usually happens a couple of weeks after the Cherry Blossoms in DC so I have a rough way to measure the critical timeframe. At this point, it looks like bud break will be in the 2nd week of April but our frost threat is not over until Mother’s Day. So… we have about a month where our potential crop is exposed and a late season frost could destroy it for the vintage. We know that some varietals may not have broken buds and some sites are better than others, so not all the grapes would be hurt. On our farm, we have

our frost protection system which will help us on the cold nights that could cause a major crop loss. My gut feeling is that we will stay warm and not have an issue this season. I hope my gut is right!

The rest of our spring preparedness includes mulching, spreading compost, tree trimming and cleaning up the grounds.

Also we will be expanding our vegetable gardens.

Our efforts with The New Ag School is teaching our youth the skills of agriculture - processing crops, hospitality and leadership. There is no better time to teach these young folks how to be productive and make a living off the land.

Our expanded vegetable garden is one of the proving grounds for these folks.

We have been able to get our program into a few of our local high schools and are getting traction where it is needed most.

The trick has been getting the other farmers involved in mentoring these folks.

The ones that have taken on this mission, have been enthusiastic and successful at helping the next generation find their passion and a bit of work.

Getting produce off the land is a practice almost as old as mankind itself.

Gardening, horticulture, farming; these cannot be repacked with technology, just enhanced. It is great to be a part of such a basic and essential industry!

April 2020 | 33

GRAPEVINE FROM PAGE 32

Loving Cup vineyard view

Photo: Matthew Fitzsimmons

Loving Cup Winery & Vineyard All wineries work hard at minimizing the use of chemicals, but Loving Cup is the only Virginia winery

that can claim to be certified organic. Given there are nearly 300 wineries in the state, you can imagine what an accomplishment that is. “Eco-friendly” is an understatement here.

Loving Cup is located off Route 29 just outside Charlottesville. Although this area is packed with wineries, they couldn’t be more different from some of their larger neighbors in appearance and style. After you pass Dr. Ho’s Humble Pie you turn onto a long dirt road, which winds around until you are rewarded with

a view of their 150-acre farm.

All vineyards are farms by definition, but somehow that term feels more accurate here.

Winemaker & vineyard manager Karl Hambsch was inspired to plant an organic vineyard after seeing all the chemicals used in today’s farming. That isn’t meant to be a slight to those who use these techniques; chemical spraying is standard practice around the world and Virginia’s humid climate makes them even more important. Karl simply decided this process wasn’t for him. So after a lot of research he planted his first vines in 2008, beginning the long process of having both a certified organic vineyard and

winery.

Unfortunately being organic comes with a tradeoff; you won’t find your ‘standard’ wine varietals like Cabernet Franc, Merlot, or Viognier here. Instead they use grapes that are naturally more resistant to disease and Virginia’s quirky weather. Don’t fear a wine like Marquette just because you haven’t tried it before!

I’m looking forward to trying their first sparkling wine; hopefully it will be as good as the Apple wine I had on my

first visit.

Dog owners – rejoice! You can bring your pups inside (on a leash). Try their “Dudley Nose” Rosé, as a portion of this wine’s proceeds goes towards a local no-kill animal shelter.

Matthew Fitzsimmons is a wine blogger well on his way to visiting nearly every one of Virginia’s 300 wineries.

Track his progress on https:// winetrailsandwanderlust.com/.

ORDERS YOURS NOW!

Your Guide to Virginia Wine Country Winery Maps Check-off lists Virginia’s top wines & wineries Dog-friendly wineries Family-friendly wineries + much more!

Get FREE shipping with Promo Code OLDTOWNCRIER from Shopify

(virginia-wine-in-my-pocket.myshopify.com)

Or pick one up at these select wineries: Pearmund Cellars, Magnolia Vineyards, Two Twisted Posts Winery, Narmada Winery, Desert Rose Winery, Lake Anna Winery, Sassafras Shade Vineyard

Casanel Vineyards’ curb-side wine pickup

Photo: Casanel Vineyards

Helping Your Local Winery during the Coronavirus

OPEN YEAR ROUND THURSDAY-SATURDAY & MONDAY from 11-5

Wineries around Virginia are changing their operating procedures due to the impact of the COVID-19 virus. It’s a scary time for all of us, but those in the service industry are amongst those hardest hit.

SUNDAY from 12-5

offering ITALIAN VARIETALS 10100 Three Fox Lane, Delaplane, VA (540) 364-6073 • www.threefoxvineyards.com

tuscany EXPERIENCE

IN VIRGINIA

Their tasting rooms may be closed, but Virginia wineries are still open for business!

Many are offering special deals, ranging from discounted shipping, curb-side pickup, or home delivery. You can also participate in a virtual wine tasting or purchase gift certificates to use down the road.

Please support your local winery community.

Contact a favorite and see how you can help a small business.

For an updated list of wineries that are offering specials check out Virginia Wine In My Pocket – vawineinmypocket.com.

34 | April 2020

Old Town Crier

FITNESS

1. TRICEPS DIP WITH REACH

SAMANTHA CLAYTON

This exercise targets the backs of the arms and shoulders.

Sit on the floor with your knees slightly bent.

Place your hands behind you with your fingers facing your body.

Lift your butt up off the floor so that you are supported by your arms and feet.

Five Exercises to Keep You Healthy While Social Distancing

G

yms and workout studios are closing across the nation, and people are being asked to stay at home in order to slow the further spread of the highly infectious COVID-19 (coronavirus). And for good reason-- the gym is a well-known and populated place where germs can be easily spread. A new study has shown that the coronavirus can live on surfaces—those popular free weights, cable machines, treadmills and floor mats-- for up to three days, so your sweat towel is not going to do the job.

And between all of the excessive hand sanitizer and anti-bacterial purchasing, fears of contracting the virus have many people on edge-- the combination of breaking news and misinformation on social media is enough to put anyone in a state of panic, stress and or depression.

Thankfully, many are taking the government’s requests to practice social distancing very seriously, and while the unknown and a drastic change in lifestyle can be quite stressful, I propose this: while we continue to be vigilant to not spread this disease further, use this time at home for more self-care and focus on (or adopt) a fitness routine.

Benefits of Exercise The body’s natural release of endorphins is enhanced during bouts of physical activity, and this surge in happy hormones can boost your mood, your confidence and help reduce your levels of stress and anxiety.

Along with what we eat, where we live, how much we sleep, and even who we live with—exercise also causes chemical reactions that can alter our health status. Regular exercise has been linked to improved heart health, improved bone density, improved joint mobility, improved cognition, improved mood, enhanced metabolic function, an increase in muscular mass, tone, and strength. The list goes on, but during stressful times, one of the greatest benefits of performing regular exercise is its ability to make the activities of everyday life feel easier.

It’s About Balance “Exercise stress”, when managed well, is a healthy stress that over time pushes your body to adapt and become stronger and more efficient. Some studies suggest exercising on a regular basis is beneficial for immunological health, as it can have Old Town Crier

a positive effect on your body’s ability to remain well and fight off common illness. Other studies have found that during flu season, the temporary rise in body temperature can discourage certain bacterial growth and the stress relief benefits of exercise helps to keep you feeling at your best.

If you do choose to work out when you’re sick, you need your immune system to be firing on all cylinders, so you must carefully manage the duration, intensity level and overall volume of your exercise routines. Managing your exercise routine, consuming a healthy diet and getting enough rest are just a few great ways you can strive toward getting the best physical and emotional results, and avoid overexertion while sick.

Working out at Home The good news-- being stuck at home doesn’t mean you should stop working out—in fact, working out will likely help you keep a feeling of normalcy and protect your psyche while you’re cooped up in your house. Exercise will help you maintain a centered and more rational mindset. You can work out anywhere no matter how much space you have. All you need is your own bodyweight and exercises where minimal equipment is required.

You can do a quick full body exercise routine at any time to stretch and strengthen your body. Here are five exercises to do at home.

In short, use this downtime to practice self-care, and to make time to take care of your body. Don’t let yourself miss out on all of the wonderful health benefits associated with exercise. But remember, if you are sick and choose to work out, listen to your body and don’t push yourself too hard with your exercise routine, or you can risk a temporary decline in immunological function.

About Samantha Clayton, AFAA, ISSA Samantha Clayton is an Olympic runner, personal trainer, and Senior Director of Worldwide Fitness Education at Herbalife Nutrition, where she is responsible for all activities relating to exercise and fitness education for Independent Herbalife Members and employees. . If you’re interested in finding some more routines to do in the comfort of your home, you can access a free fitness portal at https:// herbalifenutritionfitness.com

Bend your arms at the elbow until your butt touches the floor then push back up to the starting position.

If you want an extra challenge as you push up lift your left leg and reach forward with your right arm.

2. PUSH UPS This is a total-body exercise as it requires the use of lots of muscle groups.

Lay face down on the floor and Position your hands palms-down on the floor, approximately shoulder width apart and near your shoulders.

The balls of your feet should touch the ground and feet just slightly apart.

Raise yourself using your arms.

Make a straight line from your head to your heels and contract your abdominals to keep your hips from sagging. This position is the beginning and the end position of a single push-up. Lower your chest toward the floor by bending your elbows hold for a second then return to the start.

3. HANDS AND KNEES BALANCE WITH CRUNCH This exercise challenges your balance and works your abdominal muscles.

Get onto the floor on all fours.

Hands directly under the shoulders, knees under your hips. Keep your back flat. Raise your right arm forward and your left leg back behind you. Bring your knee toward your chest at the same time as brining your elbow to meet your knee.

Do these 10 times then switch legs.

4. SQUAT This is a functional exercise that works the largest muscle group in the body-- your butt and legs.

Stand with feet a little wider than shoulderwidth apart, hips stacked over knees, and knees over ankles. Extend arms out straight so they are parallel with the ground, palms facing down. Start by getting into a position as If you are going to sit in a chair. While the butt starts to stick out, make sure the chest and shoulders stay upright, and the back stays straight. Keep the head facing forward with eyes straight ahead for a neutral spine.

The best squats are the deepest ones your mobility allows. Optimal squat depth would be your hips sinking below the knees.

Engage core and, with bodyweight in the heels, push back up to standing, driving through heels.

5. REVERSE LUNGE WITH KNEE LIFT This exercise targets the front and back of your legs.

With your chest lifted, chin up and abs contracted, take a big step backward with your left foot. Sink straight down so that your back knee points down toward the floor. You are on your back, left toe. Your front foot is firm on the floor, as you push back to the starting position lift your knee up in front of you hold for a second then repeat and switch legs.

Images courtesy freepik.com and vecteezy.com

Reps: Perform 10-12 of each exercise. Repeat the exercises 4 times for a complete routine. Time to Complete: About 20 minutes.

April 2020 | 35

FIRST BLUSH

KIM PUTENS

FRAGRANCE: What to Wear and How to Wear It

T

he smell of spring is in the air. With the smell of spring brings about the desire to try a new fragrance.

Switching to a new fragrance in the warmer months is like shedding our heavy winter clothes.

I’ve even heard of fragrance referred to as woman’s clothing. And, the type of fragrance notes chosen are referred to anything from a spring dress to a fur coat.

Since we are all ready to put our fur coats away after this

OLD TOWN DENTISTRY Frinet Kasper, DDS • Family & Cosmetic Dentistry • Crowns & Bridges • Invisalign • Sealants • Fillings • Whitening • Same Day Appointments 1203 Prince Street • Alexandria, Va. 22314 • 703.683.0800 • www.oldtowndentistry.com Hablamos Español

historic winter, allow me to guide you toward your “spring dress” and teach you how best to wear it.

What to Wear Warmer months call for lighter fragrance notes – floral, citrus, and clean are most common. Floral is by far the most popular fragrance category. It becomes even more popular when the temperatures rise. Consider floral notes such as gardenia, orange blossom, lily, rose and peony. These are most often found in fragrances. In fact, Casablanca lily is the most popular fragrance note sought out by customers.

Citrus Notes – orange is too fruity, grapefruit too ordinary.

But, bergamot, bitter orange, and mandarin are just right.

For a greener smell, look for fragrances that pair citrus notes with green leafy notes.

Some examples of common combinations are verbena, lemon and cedar or lemon, basil and oak. Because citrus notes tend to evaporate quickly, pairing them with woody notes will make them last longer.

Ozonic (or clean) Notes – When sniffed, these fragrances are reminiscent of the seashore or fresh water.

Most often people will refer to them as clean and fresh.

The scent will remind them of a breeze coming off the ocean or the way we expect a summer breeze to smell.

When mixed with floral notes, these ozonic fragrances gain more depth, last longer and are unique.

How to Wear It Believe it or not, there are many ways to apply a fragrance to ensure maximum impact for the occasion or event in which you are 36 | April 2020

wearing it. For day, the objective is to smell good and leave behind in your path a waif of your scent. It’s not meant to overpower those around you, but make you feel elegant and sophisticated.

The movement of our body throughout the day makes a fragrance rise which makes it important to apply it low on the body. Behind the knees, on the wrists and even applied to your skirt or pants will ensure the fragrance rises and lingers as you move throughout the day.

Night brings out a different objective for fragrance.

Sensuality is usually associated with applying a fragrance at night. To create the allure of fragrance at night, proper placement is of utmost importance. Target areas of sensuality such as behind the ears, around the neck, and on the hair.

There is also the decadent way of applying fragrance.

We all need a little decadence every once in a while. Keep in mind, unless you want to replace your perfume bottles often, apply your fragrance with decadence on rare occasions. The decadent approach is to spritz an area in front of your body and walk through it. This approach allows the fragrance to settle lightly on the skin and clothing. In order to be effective, you must spritz a fair amount of fragrance before you walk through it.

Finally, some general rules about applying fragrance.

Hold the fragrance bottle a minimum of 5-7 inches away from the body and mist it over you. Spray each area only once. If the body or clothing is “wet” after spraying, then you’ve held it too close.

Enjoy the art of choosing a new spring fragrance and applying it with decadence!

Old Town Crier

SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE PEGGIE ARVIDSON

A Fond Farewell

A

s I write this, the world has more or less shut down to slow the growth of the Coronavirus. Student athletes who have prepared to play their hearts out won’t get their chance, moms and dads who don’t have health insurance and are working multiple jobs in the hopes that they can provide their kids a better life, are torn – because their kids won’t be in school for a while, and those of us who have cared for people with severely compromised immune systems are dealing with it all as best we can. And I opened my word processing tool to see that the above quote was just sitting there in one of those – unsaved shut down moments.

I truly have no idea when I saved this quote. The Universe is like that – the answer you didn’t know you were looking for shows up and you smile and nod.

Today I’m writing you my last column for the Old Town Crier.

It’s time, perhaps some of you may say it is long past time. I feel like a new voice is emerging that should be heard by you all, even though I’m so grateful for you for helping me find and hone my own voice. All I’ve ever wanted to Haircuts $15 Shampoo, Cut & Blow Dry $18 (extra charge for long hair) Scissors Cut $17+up Color $43+up Permanent $45+up (including haircut & conditioner)

do was write and here you and the wonderful Lani and Bob have let me write for so many years – my gratitude is hard to express.

You all have been with me as I started and shut down businesses. You’ve listened as I’ve worked through divorce

country twice and I’ve tried, inadequately, to let you know how deeply and profoundly I cherish you and this limited time we have on the planet.

Why am I leaving the Old Town Crier?

It’s comfortable. Which is a good thing of course.

hope those people “get” you when they read what you’ve written.

You, my readers, have gotten me for so long and I love you for it. Now it’s time to keep growing and branch out into some scary (for me) waters when it comes

Someone asked me, Aren’t you worried about the state of the world? I allowed myself to breathe and then I said, What is most important is not to allow your anxiety about what happens in the world to fill your heart. If your heart is filled with anxiety, you will get sick, and you will not be able to help.

There are wars - big and small - in many places, and that can cause us to lose our peace. Anxiety is the illness of our age. We worry about ourselves, our family, our friends, our work, and the state of the world. If we allow worry to fill our hearts, sooner or later we will get sick.

—THICH NHAT HANH and marriage strife. You have been along as I’ve said good-bye to two beloved pets and more recently as I’ve mourned the very deep loss of my Dad. You have listened as I searched for and found my birth family.

You’ve patiently read along as I shared my “deep thoughts” and you’ve even argued with my assumptions about God and Spirit. You have made it possible for me to stay in the moment as I moved across the

A Very Good Price!

Good Haircut!

Beautiful Perm!

Long Lasting Color!

As I stretch myself into the second half of my life, I realize that the comfortable zone isn’t where I’m able to keep growing. To be a writer is a weird life because you are always open to other people, you listen in a different way than non-writers and you

to writing. There are more opportunities now (thanks in large part to you) to write for larger audiences and I’m scared and excited to take on the challenge. There are more places where I feel called to spread the words that help me deal with my own anxiety in

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.

Van’s Hairstylists

Peggie helps you assess your situation, using ancient and modern tools to help you move forward with a specific plan of action.

703-836-1916

Private Sessions are available by phone or Skype.

Biolage • Vital Nutrient • Socolor • Matrix Perm • Paul Mitchell • Nexxus

PeggieArvidson.com peggieParvidson@gmail.com

107 North Washington Street (near corner of King & Washington streets) Monday-Friday 9 am-7 pm • Saturday 9 am-6 pm We care and will give you only the best!

Old Town Crier

the hope of helping more.

My life has changed in wonderful and beautiful ways that would never have been possible without you and I want you to know that you have the power to care for yourself. To address your own worldly and personal anxiety.

There are people who will listen, who will hug you, who will encourage you and maybe even give you a pep talk if you need it.

I’m hoping that you’re reading this and you’re healthy. That you checked on those who needed you and those you need have checked on you. That you’re looking those you love in the eyes and telling them about your heart.

That you’re working to be the healing that YOU need. Today I hope that whatever lesson needed to be learned in the time of the modern Pandemic (or as I like to think of it – Mother Nature showing us humans who is in charge) is wisdom gained for you.

My deep and abiding gratitude goes with you always. Thanks for listening.

April 2020 | 37

GO FISH

STEVE CHACONAS

Cyber Fishing

N

ational bass fishing magazines used to be the end all source for fishing information.

The best writers and photographers shared secrets of the pros, the top 10 ways to fish any technique, and strategies for every season.

These collections provided resources to improve angling success. However, the top publication, Bassmasters Magazine, excluded some of the sport’s best due to their tour affiliation.

Before television cameras were mainstays in tournament contender boats, fans were misled by pros seeking acknowledgment for their sponsors. Pros often credited sponsor products rather than the bait that led to their success. Co-anglers and cameras captured the truth, but in many cases, the media turned a blind eye and printed the words coming from the angler’s mouth. This changed in the last decade with truth winning out. But still, the integrity of national fishing media was tarnished.

As these publications shrank not only in numbers but in pages, top writers took a financial hit and embarked on a medium speculation, settling on the internet.

Onetime Bassmasters writer, Jay Kumar ventured out to create an alternative view of B.A.S.S. This all-inclusive platform was unencumbered by publishers and editors, creating fishing’s first straight talk, Bass Fan. This on-line newcomer found fans and a voice as the leader in all that was tournament bass fishing.

Wired2fish angled its way into laptops and phones of weekend anglers who wanted more than just tournament results. Videos with pro anglers and guides brought lures and techniques to life to shorten learning curves.

Staying ahead of that curve, outdoor writing pro Terry Brown brings 40 years in the 38 | April 2020

biz to the digital multi-media pages of their site. The latest fishing gear is detailed in print and video. Updated “howto” reviews are catalogued and can be accessed 24/7.

Brown is joined by another industry icon Jason Sealock, a great angler in his own right.

Sealock has done it and can pick apart pro minds to break down nuances for angler consumption.

GoPro and YouTube have created fishing monsters.

Anyone with a camera and a fishing pole can make a video and gain followers. But a select few have the ability to communicate valuable information in a concise consumable package. Tactical Bassin’ features two solid communicators who play well before the cameras. Behind their modest appearances are decades of time on the water, many as tournament partners. Matt Allen has fished across the country and now shares his knowledge with guide clients. Partner Tim Little is a Warden for the California Department of Fish & Wildlife. Together they produce a video/print package to inform and educate.

Products used are linked for purchase.

Pro anglers Michael Iaconelli and Pete Gluszek have taken an old concept and delivered a multi-level platform. In the Bassmaster heyday, when they were the only game in town, their pros traveled across the country for weekend seminars.

Audience members got up close and personal to learn the “secrets” the pros had picked up on various tournament trails. Iaconelli and Gluszek improved upon the theme, creating Bass University. Not only do audience members attend real time Power Point classroom curriculum delivered by the hottest pros on all tours, but smartly packaged videos are available to a subscriber base for

continuing education.

But wait, there’s more! You can take it with you. Dial up the BassForce app and enter conditions to a database of 9 pro anglers with nearly 200 years of tournament experience. The BassForce pros are just a click and swipe away to consider conditions and then offer specific fishing advice to quickly size-up waters to produce effective patterns for the conditions at hand. This on-the-water cheat sheet teaches as well. Rod, reel, lure and smartphone will be credited with fishing success.

Surviving the fallout of big

glossy magazines, regional publications with local experts are still flying off the shelf at local tackle shops. Anglers can pick up one publication with local experts on regional waters detailing their monthly fishing reports. Regular features keep outdoors people updated on year round fishing techniques, local features and news. If you want to learn how to drop shot in California, go to the web.

If you want to drop shot in Virginia and Maryland, pick up a copy of Woods & Waters Magazine. Local businesses support these regionals and it’s always a good idea to shop

local.

Just as fish need to learn the difference between real and artificial, anglers need to take most web content with a grain of fish attractant. Remember the adage that fishing lures don’t catch fish. Fishermen catch fish. Fishing lures only catch fishermen. Local publications keep it real.

Author Capt. Steve Chaconas is Potomac River bass fishing guide. Potomac fishing reports: nationalbass.com. Book trips/ purchase gift certificates: info@ NationalBass.com.

Potomac River Bassing in April Water is warming to 55 degrees. This has bass in the mood for love. They are moving shallow seeking out nesting areas.

Lots of techniques work well. Red lipless crankbaits are a great way to cover pre-spawn flats. They can be crawled along the bottom on 10 pound test Gamma Edge fluorocarbon line.

Another technique is the Carolina rig. Use 30 pound test Gamma Torque braid with a 10 pound Edge leader. A 2/0 Mustad Mega Bite hook will hold most plastics. Try green pumpkin lizards and small creature baits. Drag slowly with frequent stops.

Look for grass and stay in those spots. If you can see clumps, pitch Texas rigged Mizmo tubes into the center of the clumps. Rig on 3/0 Mustad Ultra Point Tube hooks with a 3/16 ounce Water Gremlin bullet weight with 10 pound test Edge fluorocarbon line. Use green pumpkin patterns.

If the water is clear, try clown colored suspending jerkbaits. Twitch and pause on 10 pound test Edge. Red squarebill cranks also work when deflected off cover or snapped from grass.

For all treble hooked baits, consider upgrading to Mustad Ultra Point Short Shank Triple Grip trebles. Move up a size when replacing.

Old Town Crier

OPEN SPACE

LORI WELCH BROWN

I

n 2018, XXL and I were able to realize our dream of purchasing a second home near the ocean. We love it. I mean, what’s not to love about being 250 steps from waves breaking on the sand?

We are both native Alexandrians. We love our city—especially Old Town and all the great destinations within our reach—Middleburg, Leesburg, Occoquan, the Chesapeake Bay, etc. That being said, we have also grown tired of everything that comes with living in a heavily populated metropolitan area—traffic, politics, Costco, congestion and aggression. Some days it feels like Migraine City. We are fortunate that we can now slip away to our beach retreat to get away from it all.

Like most of us when we go on vacation, my beach self is different from my home self. The more miles I get under my belt, the more skin I begin to shed. By the time my tires hit the causeway bridge, I’m a different person.

I’m more relaxed, calmer, and happier. When it’s time to pack up and head home, my neurological pathways begin rewiring. My mind begins processing a myriad of to do lists and tasks, and starts mixing an emotional cocktail of melancholy infused with a tad of anxiety.

Who isn’t sad leaving the beach? Ocean air, salt water and the sound of waves crashing is magical, but there had to be something I could do to transport my freer, happier self back home. I gave it some thought, and realized, yes — I am different, and there is something about the ocean air that is life changing. But, my routine is also different.

Maybe, just maybe, there were things I could replicate that might add a little daily joy to my life back home.

Hanging my laundry out to dry Don’t laugh - I have a fullyOld Town Crier

Live Your Beach Life functional dryer in both homes, but for whatever reason, I hang my laundry out on the line when I’m at the beach, and it makes me so frickin’ happy! It is a simple act that brings me so much pleasure. Not only do I love how my clothes smell and feel, but I love all the steps involved. Have you ever really looked at a clothes pin? What a marvelous little invention.

an amazing job of it for years.

What I’ve discovered in doing it at the beach is that some chores, such as mopping, have a meditative quality.

I’ve always hated vacuuming, but hand me a mop and I’m all over it. I may be cleaning floors, but I’m actually cleaning my mind. Mr. Mop and I dance around to some Van Morrison and suddenly I’m transformed.

When I’m back home, my usual dress code is black everything with a touch of make up. When I’m at the beach, I dress in brighter colors, and I don’t bother with hair products, blow dryers, and/or make up. I feel lighter, healthier - and prettier.

Hack: Embrace my beachy, Bohemian look at home.

Hack: Install a clothes line on my back deck.

Hack: Invest in a good ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ mop.

Shell collecting

Food shopping & meal planning

God - is there anything better than showering outside? It’s my fave. I do it year ‘round - there can be frost on the ground, but I’ll be outside shivering until that hot water hits my body.

I love to walk along the beach and collect treasures.

So many unique and beautiful shapes, colors and patterns.

What it really boils down to is: a) I’m taking a lovely walk, and b) I’m living in the present moment. When I’m looking for shells, I’m not thinking about tax season, dad’s declining health or this month’s cell phone bill.

Hack: Schedule a morning or evening walk . Shake things up and find a nature trail to explore.

Mopping the floors Confession—I don’t do a lot of the regular housecleaning at home as we have a lovely person who has been doing

I’m not a big fan of grocery shopping so I try to buy as much as possible to get it all in one weekly haul. One trip means over spending and wasting food. When I’m at the beach, I shop at small ‘mom and pop’ shops and farmer’s markets. I’ve gotten to know the market owners and a few of the bakers and farmers.

I’m not only buying highquality food, but I’m building a community.

Hack: Plan 2–3 days worth of meals at a time. Shop at smaller stores and hit the weekly farmer’s markets.

Embracing my natural, beachy look

Showering outdoors

Hack: My suburban neighbors probably wouldn’t appreciate my affinity for shuffling outside in my robe, but perhaps there is something else I normally do inside that I could start taking outdoors - like my morning coffee.

Time for creative pursuits Once my car hits 95 North, my brain transitions into ‘must be productive and busy’ mode. My calendar fills itself with mind-numbing errands and meetings as opposed to when I’m down South and have more ‘play’ time. Not

only do I write and paint more, but I am more creative in general. I chalk paint furniture, I’ve repurposed mirrors from flea markets, etc.

Hack: Build more creative time into my schedule.

Puzzle time What is it about the beach that makes you want to work on a puzzle? This has become a fun ‘vacation’ tradition.

XXL and I always have a puzzle going at the beach. He meanders over it while he’s having coffee, and we huddle over it together while we are making dinner. It’s relaxing, fun and works our brains!

Hack: Have a puzzle going in both locations.

Non-car time Once we get out of the car after our long commute to get to our beach destination, we are loath to get back into it. We try to either walk or bike wherever we are headed - dinner, yoga class, shopping, happy hour, etc.

Hack: While I’m not within walking distance to most places I need to go, I could perhaps ride my bike to the library and/or farmer’s market or maybe to go visit a friend.

My ‘beach’ self is more relaxed and happier because I have more time for selfcare and mindfulness. I am actually living in the present moment more because I am focused on daily rituals vs. when I’m home and hamster brain kicks in. Our vacation selves are slower (hopefully) and change is forced upon our normal routines. Shaking things up is good for the soul, and of course, a change of scenery and the sound of the ocean doesn’t hurt either.

Cheers to living your beach life wherever you find yourself.

Please follow Lori on Instagram at loriwritesanddraws or subscribe to her on Medium at Lori Welch Brown.

April 2020 | 39

NATIONAL HARBOR

LANI GERING

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words…

T

he main photo accompanying this column pretty much says it all. It expresses many of our sentiments.

While I am hoping that by the time you are reading this, things will have started heading back in the direction of some sort of normalcy - right now seems pretty bleak. My mission with this column has always been to promote the Harbor and all it has to offer to our neighbors far and wide by enticing them to visit, eat, shop and gather for events, but that isn’t really pertinent this month. All indications are to have people stay away in the hopes that we can get this stupid virus corralled and under control and that’s what we should do.

The Harbor is normally host to several large events and seasonal weekend

happenings on the Plaza and these things will all come back. Like many of the eateries in the DMV, several of the Harbor restaurants are offering curbside pickup and delivery in order for you to continue to enjoy their wares. The offerings have been changing on a regular basis but you can check nationlharbor.com/togo to find the latest updates.

Several retailers are also offering opportunities for you to shop online. If you have an interest in doing some virtual retail therapy, check out nationalharbor. com/covid19.

However, I don’t want any of you readers to forget for one minute that the Harbor will be waiting with open arms when the restrictions are lifted.

The Wheel will be back in action, the Carousel will be

turning and the restaurants and shops will be open and ready to greet you. In the meantime, we still have our beautiful sunsets and you can stroll the waterfront and American Way and look at the sculptures and artwork.

The “Guide by Cell” tour that was featured in this section in the March 2019 issue is still available and can be downloaded to your phone by texting ACNH to 56512. The virtual guide will lead you around the Harbor while she explains each piece, including the history of the persons depicted in the art and the artists who created the art as you walk along. You can pick and choose the works that you want information about and go at your own pace.

Keep up with that “social distancing” thing and wash those hands! This too shall pass…..

NATIONAL HARBOR DINING GUIDE Log on to NationalHarbor.com/ToGo for curbside & Delivery Options

AC LOUNGE 156 Waterfront Street 301-749-2299 BOND 45 149 Waterfront Street 301-839-1445 BRASS TAP 164 Fleet Street 301-965-9116 BROTHER JIMMY’S BBQ 177 Fleet Street 301-909-8860 CADILLAC RANCH 186 Fleet Street 301-839-1100 CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL 158 National Plaza 301-749-2016 CRAB CAKE CAFE 140 National Plaza 240-766-2063

40 | April 2020

ELEVATION BURGER 108 Waterfront Street 301-749-4014 FIORELLA PIZZERIA E CAFFE 152 National Plaza 301-839-1811 GRACES MANDARIN 188 Waterfront Street 301-839-3788 GRANITE CITY FOOD & BREWERY 200 American Way 240-493-3900 IRISH WHISPER 177 Fleet Street 301-909-8859 MASON'S FAMOUS LOBSTER ROLLS 156 National Plaza 410-298-7850

McCORMICK & SCHMICK 145 National Plaza 301-567-6224 McLOONES PIER HOUSE 141 National Harbor Plaza 301-839-0815 NANDO’S PERI-PERI 191 American Way 301-567-8900 NATIONAL PAST TIME SPORTS BAR & GRILLE Gaylord Resort 301-965-4000 gaylordnational.com OLD HICKORY STEAKHOUSE Gaylord Resort 301-965-4000 gaylordnational.com PIENZA ITALIAN MARKET Gaylord Resort 301-965-4000 gaylordnational.com

POTBELLY SANDWICH WORKS 146 National Plaza 301-686-1160 PUBLIC HOUSE 199 Fleet Street 240-493-6120 REDSTONE AMERICAN GRILL 155 National Plaza 301-839-3330 ROSA MEXICANA 135 Waterfront Street 301-567-1005 SAUCIETY AMERICAN GRILL 171 Waterfront Street 240-766-3640 SUCCOTASH 168 Waterfront Street 301-567-8900 THAI PAVILLION 151 American Way 301-749-2022 WALRUS OYSTER & ALE HOUSE 152 Waterfront Street 301-567-6100 Old Town Crier

Find trip info and order your free guide at

www.visitstmarysmd.com

Exceptional Alexandria Living with Craftmark Homes

GRAND CLOSEOUT | JUST 3 LEFT - DON’T MISS YOUR CHANCE! 2-Car Garage, 4-Level Rooftop Townhomes from the Mid $700s Discover a unique sense of place in a lively community close to Old Town Alexandria, Amazon HQ2, Yellow Line Metro, and much more. Take advantage of the best that D.C. has to offer just beyond your brand-new Craftmark townhome featuring designer packages, upgraded features and Bosch appliances. Enjoy walkability to the upcoming South Alex Town Center-Alexandria’s new Hot Spot!

Now Selling: Liberty at Lorton 24' Elevator Townhomes from the upper $600s Sales Manager | Lori Windsor (703) 507-6882 lwindsor@craftmarkhomes.com

CraftmarkHomes.com/SouthAlex DECORATED MODEL NOW OPEN | QUICK MOVE-INS 4-Level Rooftop Townhomes from the Low $800s Explore Craftmark’s luxurious new townhome, The Bradley, available in a remarkable Alexandria neighborhood.

Central to our nation’s capital, major commuter routes & metro, and Amazon HQ2 in National Landing in Crystal City, the stage has been set for extraordinary living.

Come tour our brand new model home, and discover it all for yourself!

Sales Manager | Eric Yakuchev (703) 989-6662 eyakuchev@craftmarkhomes.com

FillmorePlaceWestAlexandria.com Brokers Warmly Welcomed.

Must register and comply with policy terms.