Since 1988 • Priceless
June 2016
From the Bay to the Blue Ridge
Road Trip
THE DEEP CREEK EXPERIENCE Deep Creek Lake Garrett County, Maryland Dining Out
DINING WITH DAD Some Local Favorites
To The Blue Ridge
VIRGINIA SEARCH & RESCUE DOGS Finding Missing Persons Business Profile
THE CARHARTT STORE NATIONAL HARBOR
Gear that Outworks Them All!
oldtowncrier.com
june’16 A Division of Crier Media Group OTC Media LLC PO Box 320386 Alexandria, VA 22320 703. 836.0132
7
18
14
office@oldtowncrier.com oldtowncrier.com Published the first week of every month. Worth waiting for! PUBLISHER Bob Tagert MARKETING & ADVERTISING Lani Gering Bob Tagert SOCIAL MEDIA & WEBSITE Ashley Schultz
A Bit of History After Hours
Alexandria Events DESIGN & PRODUCTION Electronic Ink Art & Antiques 9 Royal Street, SE Leesburg, VA 20175 703.669.5502 Chris Anderson Peggie Arvidson Sarah Becker Frank Britt Bonnie Browning F. Lennox Campello Steve Chaconas Doug Coleman Jimmy Deaton Doug Fabbioli Nicole Flanagan
CONTRIBUTORS Lani Gering Miriam Kramer Sarah Liu Jeff McCord Kate McLean Julie Reardon Chester Simpson Bob Tagert Carl Trevisan Ryan Unverzagt Lori Welch Brown
Behind the Bar
8
6
Personality Profile
4
First Blush
43
Pets of the Month
17
Fitness
40
Points on Pets
16
15
From the Bay…
24
Publisher’s Notes
28
From the Trainer
41
Road Trip
20
11 3
5
Financial Focus
2
Gallery Beat
14
Spiritual Renaissance
44
Caribbean Connection
18
Go Fish
39
The Last Word
13
Chef’s Special
34
Grapevine
36
To the Blue Ridge
26
Civil Discourse
9
High Notes
12
Urban Garden
Dining Guide
32
National Harbor
46
Dining Out
30
On the Road
1
Exploring Virginia Wines
38
Open Space
45
Business Profile
7
© 2016 Crier Media Group, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. The Old Town Crier is published monthly and distributed to select Alexandria residents, hotels, restaurants and retail shops. Also distributed in the Annapolis, Fredericksburg, Blue Ridge and Washington, DC areas as well as St. John, USVI.
On the road with OTC About the cover Muddy Creek Falls at Swallow Falls State Park in Garrett County, Md. Photo courtesy of Garrett County Chamber of Commerce.
Amy Wolfe, of Old Town, traveled to London "on holiday" with husband Ken to hear Big Ben chime before he's silenced for restoration. If you would like to see your picture here, take the OTC with you on your next trip, snap a high resolution photo and send it along with information for the caption to office@oldtowncrier.com.
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 1
PUBLISHER’S NOTES BOB TAGERT
Y
eah, man! As I write this, the sun is shining and it is warm — almost 90 degrees outside. It is about time. This weekend I will finally be able to go sailing for the first time this season. Speaking of sailing … well, at least water …be sure check out Road Trip this month. We took a drive to Deep Creek Lake in beautiful Garrett County, Md. This is one road trip where the trip was as exciting as the destination — especially when you take the road(s) less travelled. It is Father’s Day this month, so everyone treat Dad to a great day. In this month’s Dining Out we have compiled a few words about our favorite restaurants in Alexandria to help you pick the perfect restaurant for a Father’s Day feast. The choices are many and all are very good. Along the Father’s Day theme, Lori tells us about her Dad in Open Space. I am sure there are many
things in this piece that those of you who grew up in the 60s, 70s and 80s can identify with. I’m going to take this space to do a little venting. I have become so annoyed with Facebook and the internet that I think I will subscribe to The Washington Post. At least that way, when I am reading something, I know that the page will not go blank. Not only is that annoying, but now when they sucker you into clicking on an item, it goes to a damned ad and then you can’t get back to what you wanted to read. You need to get entirely out of Facebook and start over. Maybe I am just too old for all of this! There. I feel a little better now! The summer solstice is June 20 and heralds the beginning of summer. Take some time to relax and enjoy the warm days ahead. Have a very fun-filled and safe season.
About May’s cover Photographer and hiker extraordinaire, Shannon Koprivich of Shenandoah Originals took this shot in her back yard in Front Royal, Va. If you are interested in seeing more of her images contact her at Shenandoahoriginals@gmail.com.
LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS OLD TOWN FARMERS MARKET
MARKET SQUARE • 301 KING STREET SATURDAY 7 A.M. – NOON, YEAR ROUND Free parking in Market Square garage during market hours
Alexandria’s Confederate Statue: Stay or Go? We here at the Old Town Crier feel Alexandria’s Confederate soldier should remain standing. But we'd also like to hear from our community. What’s your opinion? Send your comments to office@ oldtowncrier.com
People who come to Alexandria on Saturday mornings find themselves in a busy plaza where local farmers and artists have been selling their products since 1753. Old Town Alexandria’s Market Square is thought to be one of the nation’s oldest continually operating farmers markets, serving as a primary source of meat, dairy, fish, fruits and vegetables for Alexandrians. George Washington sent his produce from Mount Vernon to be sold
here. Today, the market offers folks a way to reconnect to the past, while participating in an ongoing local and national tradition.
DEL RAY FARMERS MARKET
CORNER OF EAST OXFORD & MOUNT VERNON AVENUES SATURDAY 8 A.M. – NOON, YEAR ROUND The Del Ray Market is producer grown, with fresh vegetables and fruits in season. All year round, this market offers meats, eggs, fresh pasta and sauces, Amish cheese, yogurt, bakery goods, eggs, jams and jellies, fancy nuts and bakery goods.
OLD TOWN’S NEWEST FARMERS MARKET NORTH MONTGOMERY PARK 901 NORTH ROYAL STREET THURSDAY 3-7 P.M., YEAR ROUND WEATHER PERMITTING
NEW!
Old Town's newest Farmer's Market debuts on Thursday, May 5. The market will feature local growers, bakers, and other area providers of wholesome foods including Twin Springs, Grace's Pastries, Bread & Water, and Relay Foods.
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
2 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
Alexandria JUNE TOURS, EXHIBITS, EVENTS
FIRST THURSDAY OF THE MONTH FIRST THURSDAYS DEL RAY 6-9 p.m. Admission: Free; pets welcome Mt. Vernon Avenue VisitDelRay.com/page-1718168 First Thursdays is a series of free outdoor street festivals along Mt. Vernon Avenue in the spring and summer. Every first Thursday of the months of April, May, June, July, August and September the Del Ray Business Association features businesses along Mt. Vernon Avenue, special events, food and music from 6-9 p.m. Each month has a different theme with activities for children, live music and a festive atmosphere. 4 FORT WARD CIVIL WAR CAMP DAY 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission: Free; $5 suggested donation Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site 4301 W. Braddock Road 703-746-4848 AlexandriaVA.gov/FortWard Union and Confederate reenactors interpret Civil War military activities in camp settings, present drills, infantry and artillery demonstrations, and civilian impressions. 5 8TH ANNUAL TASTE OF DEL RAY FOOD FESTIVAL 1-3 p.m. Admission: $10 adults; $5 children Mt. Vernon Avenue VisitDelRay.com Mark your calendars, clean your palates and prepare to taste some of the yummiest flavors ever at the 8th Annual Taste of Del Ray, sponsored by the Del Ray Business Association. More than 15 neighborhood restaurants will participate in the outdoor competition that will name the 2016 Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice awards. Ticket holders will enjoy a variety of tastes and cast their votes while enjoying live music and various exhibits tied to food.
are invited to explore the history that inspired PBS’ Mercy Street through various crafts and hands-on activities. Visitors will have the chance to meet a Union Army surgeon and learn about medical tools and equipment from the era. One brave volunteer will have the opportunity to have an operation performed on them! This event is designed for children ages 3-12 but all are welcome!
SUMMER CONCERTS AT CARLYLE HOUSE 7-9 pm. Admission: Free; $5 donation suggested Carlyle House 121 N. Fairfax Street 703-549-2997 carlylehouse.org Join Carlyle House Historic Park for our annual summer concert series! We are excited to welcome back Howard University’s DuPont Brass for not one, but two concerts. They will be the featured band for our June and August concerts. The July concert will feature a surprise band you won’t want to miss! So pack a picnic basket and join us on the lawn for an evening of music. This is a cosponsored event by Carlyle House and Alexandria’s Black History Museum. CANINE CRUISE 11 a.m. Admission: $16 adults; $10 children; dogs ride free Alexandria City Marina 1 Cameron Street 703-684-0580 PotomacRiverboatCo.com/canine-cruise. php With four-legged friends in tow, board a Potomac Riverboat Co. cruise and tour the Alexandria Seaport on this popular 60-minute waterfront excursion. Dogs must be on 6 ft. flat leash at all times.
From the Bay to the Blue
Ridge
Since 1988 – Priceless
11 HOSPITAL ADVENTURES OF THE CIVIL WAR: HANDS ON HISTORY TENT Noon -3 p.m. Admission: Free; $5 suggested donation Carlyle House 121 N. Fairfax Street 703-549-2997 carlylehouse.org Step through the doors of the Mansion House Hospital for our annual Hands on History Tent! Children and their families
June 2015
THE OLD TOWN ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Admission: Free Market Square 301 King Street 703-836-2176 VisitAlexandriaVA.com/summer Now celebrating its 36th year in operation, the Old Town Arts & Crafts Fair features more than 80 arts and crafts vendors. Visitors can browse artisan stalls and purchase handmade pieces in the heart of Old Town at Market Square.
12 MAGNOLIA TEA AT MANSION HOUSE Noon-4 p.m. Admission: $40 Carlyle House 121 N. Fairfax Street 703-549-2997 carlylehouse.org Enjoy the beautiful historic setting of Carlyle House’s Magnolia Terrace for an elegant summer’s day tea. History buffs, tea lovers and fans of the PBS series Mercy Street will be welcomed with true southern hospitality at this Civil War themed tea, worthy of the finest patrons of the Mansion House Hotel. Reservations are required and this event will take place on the tented terrace, rain or shine. The first seating is at 12:00 p.m. and the second seating is at 2:30 p.m. 18 CINEMA DEL RAY OUTDOOR MOVIES Fun begins at 7 p.m.; films begin at dusk Admission: Free Mt Vernon Recreation Center 2701 Commonwealth Avenue VisitAlexandriaVA.com/summer Bring family, friends, neighbors and a blanket to watch these open-air movies including Peanuts, Toy Story and Aladdin at Cinema Del Ray, now in its 11th season.
get your !
19 ALEXANDRIA’S HISTORIC BREWERIES GUIDED TOUR AND TASTING 2 p.m. Admission: $20 Old Town Alexandria portnerbrewhouse.com/events-tours Join Alexandria’s Historic Breweries author Garrett Peck and Portner Brewhouse cofounder Cat Portner on a guided walking tour around Old Town Alexandria exploring the foundations of local brewing. The tour includes highlights from the print brochure, a Portner Brewhouse beer sampling and culminates at one of Alexandria’s current Hops Stops. ARLANDRIA CHIRILAGUA FESTIVAL Noon -7 p.m. Admission: Free Four Mile Run Park 3700 Commonwealth Avenue 703-685-5697 VisitAlexandriaVA.com/summer This annual festival celebrates and highlights the Arlandria community’s Latino community featuring musical entertainment, food, crafts and cultural vendors. FATHER’S DAY MUSEUM TOURS 1-5 p.m. Admission: FREE for visiting fathers; prices vary by location Carlyle House Museum 121 N. Fairfax Street Friendship Firehouse Museum 107 S. Alfred Street Gadsby’s Tavern Museum 134 N. Royal Street Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum 105-107 S. Fairfax Street VisitAlexandriaVA.com/summer In honor of Father’s Day, visiting dads will receive free admission to some of Alexandria’s premier historic sites and have the opportunity to peruse the grounds once frequented by America’s founding fathers.
25 VINE ON THE WATERFRONT FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL June 25, 2016, noon-6 p.m. Oronoco Bay Park 100 Madison Street 703-746-5592 Admission: Free; tickets required for food and wine samples AlexandriaFoodandWine.com Vine on the Waterfront Food and Wine festival is a one-day communitybased event focused on showcasing the numerous diverse restaurants of Alexandria and Virginia wineries combined with the opportunity to give back to the community through local non-profit organizations. Named as the “top 10 events to attend” by DC Metro Magazine, this is a lively, family-oriented event. The festival offers food and wine tasting along with live entertainment, children’s activities and arts and crafts vendors. WELL RAY 2016: AN OUTDOOR CELEBRATION OF HEALTH & WELLNESS 1-6 p.m. 2214 Mount Vernon Avenue 703-683-2228 Admission: Free www.MindTheMat.com/Well-Ray/ The third annual Well Ray festival is a community wide effort to highlight resources for living healthily and happily. Come browse health and lifestyle inspired tents. Wellness practitioners will offer services including therapeutic massages, acupuncture, physical therapy consultations, chiropractic adjustments, nutritional counseling, blood pressure screenings, and more. Check out wellness inspired fashion from local fitness clothing designers, jewelers, and boutiques. Join us at the open field across from Mind the Mat Del Ray (between our friends Bean Creative and Kiskadee).
Subscribe today and enjoy every issue of the Old Town Crier at home. Fill out this form, enclose a check for $25 (12 issues) and drop it in the mail to: Old Town Crier, PO Box 320386, Alexandria, VA 22320
monthly fix
Name _______________________________________________________
Father’s Day
A TRIBUTE TO DAD Business Profile
SEAPORT PROPERTIES
Dedicated to Professionalism
Address _____________________________________________________
Road Trip
Baltimore’s
CHARM CITY
Fells Point, Inner Harbor & Canton Grapevine
BLUE VALLEY VINEYARD & WINERY Love of Wine
Old World Sensibility and a Deep
Across the Bridge
NATIONAL HARBOR
City/State/Zip ________________________________________________
Through a New Visitor’s Eyes
oldtowncrier.com
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 3
PERSONALITY PROFILE BOB TAGERT
Rick at Sonoma Cellars
R
ick Myllenbeck, owner of Sonoma Cellars in Old Town is truly a guy on the move. An adventure seeker with a flair for technology, Myllenbeck has found a way to combine the two throughout his life. Growing up in Silicon Valley in California, he was immersed in the technology culture at an early age. He started his career at Amdahl Corp, a manufacturer of mainframe
complicated, “ he explains. “They weren’t sure what questions they should be asking, and they didn’t understand the answers.” Myllenbeck’s solution to the problem was to hold a seminar on networking technology for 40 reporters in Cupertino, Calif., bringing in technology experts to lecture and write chapters on their particular subjects for a take-home binder. Apple’s PR team was then positioned
RICK MYLLENBECK
Owner, wine boss & mystery man computers. This certainly was the dark ages. In 1987 he move to Apple Computers where he experienced one of the high points of his career. “It was during the glory years when Apple was pushing business marketing,” he says. Little was known about the networking ability of the Mac, which had been considered by users and the media to be a stand alone machine. The whole area of networking was an exciting new market, but it was a problem explaining the technology to unseasoned business and technology reporters. “The editorial community was skeptical and not familiar with networking technology, which was June is Adopt a Cat Month!
4 | June 2016
as a resource on the subject, providing clarification on specific tech questions. “The benefit was huge,” he says. “The reporters walked away with enough knowledge that when they came back we had some ground to work with.” When asked what he thought of Steve Jobs, Myllenbeck reflects, “He was such a visionary…he could see things before anyone else.” After Apple, Myllenbeck worked at financial services newcomer Start, then moved to Novell and Creative Labs, and had a brief stint at UpStart Communications. Sybase hired him, in part, to help fulfill its long-term objectives of building relationships
in the business press. Myllenbeck is a former US Navy pilot and today serves as a captain in the US Naval Reserve. He has served n the military in America’s war against terrorism in the office of Naval Intelligence. His love of flying came from his dad who was a test pilot during WW II. “I would always hang around my dad, he was my hero,” he says. “Every day I wake up loving my freedom and life.” Myllenbeck’s love of speed is not just limited to jets. He owns a 1962 Ferrari 250 GT and a 1983 Toyota Starlet, which was the first car Toyota built in the US for racing. When Myllenbeck moved to Alexandria he brought with him his love and passion for California wines. A year ago Rick and his wife Elizabeth opened Sonoma Cellar, a on/off premise wine tasting room and restaurant located in the heart of Old Town. This unique wine tasting room leverages the historic, pre-revolutionary provenance of the locale, while providing a traditional and unique wine tasting experience found in Sonoma County California wineries. For Rick and Elizabeth, wine is viewed as creative content – much like music and art – ready to be shared for the enjoyment of all. While Rick attends to his Naval
Rick’s father flying Deadeye II over Iwo Jima, 1945; and Rick and his race car
career, Elizabeth runs the business. Since opening, they have added a chef and are now serving dinner. There is a courtyard out back for dining as well as inside. On Tuesday nights it is cigar night in the courtyard. On this particular Tuesday night I learned a little more about the compassion of this career Navy man. I was introduced to a young man, Terry, who Rick had given a job and helped him find his way back to T.C. Williams High School and an education. I overheard Terry tell Rick, “If it weren’t for you, I just don’t now what might have happened.” This is the sort of caring that not only Rick displays, but also Elizabeth and the whole restaurant staff. You can bring your own cigar or buy one of the ones that are hand rolled for you that night. The pairing of the wines with the cigars make for a truly festive time. While I was sitting there talking with Rick, a gentleman comes over to shake his hand and utters, “Thank you man for doing this!” and then takes a big puff on his cigar. Rick is definitely one of a kind. Old Town Crier
BUSINESS PROFILE LANI GERING
A
Carhartt Comes to Town
Being a Wyoming girl with close merica’s premium workwear brand since 1889, opened the relatives who have been wearing doors to its first MarylandCarhartt outerwear for years, I was a based company store at the bit surprised by Carhartt’s choice of National Harbor shopping the very “urban” National Harbor for a center in early May. The Carhartt retail location. I have always identified National Harbor store will be the Carhartt with my farming brother-inbrand’s 26th company law Dave, my lineman nephew Willy and my store and the first in the CARHARTT telephone cable splicer state. 142 WATERFRONT ST ex-husband Chuck. “The Washington, NATIONAL HARBOR, MD All three professions D.C. metropolitan area HOURS: mandate heavy duty is an ideal location to MON-SAT, 10AM - 9PP outerwear on the job SUN, 11AM - 6PM and the Carhartt brand is one of their favorites. My friend and copublisher of the OTC, Bob, purchased a pair of bibs and a jacket when he was responsible for the maintenance of a small acreage in the Fredericksburg area and made good use of both when the snow was falling down in piles. He has been a city dweller for several My brother-in-law, Dave, wearing his Carhartt years now and has since given the bibs sweatshirt to feed Cody, the family horse. to his brother to wear in the winter serve hardworking men and women months while taking care of his horses and outdoor enthusiasts with our and chopping wood near Waldorf. durable, rugged apparel,” said Jamie He still brings out the big guns when Millar, vice president of retail at the weather here drops to freezing or Carhartt. “We are pleased to be part when we travel to the mountains and of the National Harbor community cooler climes. because of its industrious men and After visiting the store a couple of women who rely on durable gear, both days ago, I can see where they are on and off the job site, every single taking the brand beyond those who wear the clothing line for work and day.”
outdoor pursuits. They have a fun line of shorts and T-shirts as well as the trendy plaid button ups and lots of accessories. It is sort of reminiscent of the days when Banana Republic transitioned from safari and serious travel wear to what it is today. I am glad, however, that Carhartt is staying true to its roots by keeping the traditional clothing up front. There is a very cool pair of boots in the store that have my name written all over them as well! I get the distinct feeling that they are trending toward the younger set — twenty- and thirty-somethings. It sort of reminds me of the days, in the 70s and 80s, when we all were drawn to painters pants and Dickey denim bib overalls. We girls even cut the legs off of them and frayed the hems to make the coolest of cool “shortalls.” We took work gear to another level then and now Carhartt is picking up the ball and running with it. The National Harbor store occupies 3,388-square feet and carries 325 styles of men’s, women’s and kids’ apparel, footwear and accessories. Expect to find Carhartt’s iconic brown duck, sandstone and denim styles as well as the brand’s all-new Force Extremes™ and Force performance line, Full Swing® products offering full range of motion technology, lightweight Quick Duck® outerwear, among
other products infused with rugged technologies such as Rain Defender® durable water-repellent outerwear and sweatshirts. The National Harbor store is the latest to join company store locations in Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin. Stop in and tell them you saw their write-up in the Old Town Crier. ABOUT CARHARTT, INC. Established in 1889, Carhartt is a global premium work wear brand with a rich heritage of developing durable products for workers on and off the job. Headquartered in Dearborn, Mich., with approximately 5,400 associates worldwide, Carhartt is privately owned and managed by the descendants of the company‘s founder, Hamilton Carhartt.
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 5
FINANCIAL FOCUS CARL M.TREVISAN, CFP© & STEPHEN M. BEARCE
Dividend-Paying Stocks: A Staple for Your Portfolio
N
o matter your age or your approach to investing, there is one kind of investment that may be considered for your portfolio: dividend-paying stocks. That’s the opinion of Scott Wren, Managing Director and Senior Global Equity Strategist for Wells Fargo Investment Institute. While hardly the sexiest of investment choices, Wren says dividend-paying stocks may offer a difficult-to-beat combination — good quality and a history of typically lower volatility than the overall market. He likens this kind of investment to the slower competitor in the classic fable of the tortoise and the hare. The tortoise is not flashy or speedy, but over the long haul, he runs a steady and rewarding race. Wren cites an impressive number in this regard. “During the past 80 years, about half of the market’s growth, as measured by the S&P 500®, has come from dividend-paying stocks.”
The Essentials
Some investors equate dividend-paying stocks with “blue-chip” stocks, but Wren is quick to point out that these terms are not interchangeable. While there are some
longstanding, bellwether firms that pay dividends, such as AT&T and Johnson & Johnson, any number of large, high-profile social media and tech companies pay no dividends. They might be regarded as blue chip based on performance and growth potential, but they are not dividend-paying stocks. Wren likens the presence of these stocks in your portfolio to breakfast items in your pantry. In the morning, you see staples such as namebrand coffee, cereals, and other breakfast foods, and you know the essentials are there. The quality is what you depend on, and you never have to think twice before starting your day right. Not long ago, however, these stocks drew little interest and almost no enthusiasm. “From 1995 to the early 2000s, they fell out of favor while the focus was on the tech boom,” says Wren. After that boom went bust, many investors were risk-averse. But with traditional conservative investment vehicles such as CDs (Time Accounts) yielding miniscule returns, investors started looking again at dividend- paying stocks. Wren notes that 5% CD yields are not likely coming
Coleman Law Group Attorneys at Law Serving Virginia and DC for over 20 years (703) 739-4200 coleman-lawyers.com 602 Cameron Street Alexandria, VA 22314
back any time soon, so the trend is likely to continue. It’s important to note that CDs may offer guarantees and insurance that are not available in stock investing. Investing in dividend-paying stocks involves the possible risk of principal.
The Benefits
While younger investors typically may be better served by looking for greater growth at higher risk, Wren says, they also should consider having some dividend-paying stocks in their portfolio. The steady growth may have a payoff over time, especially if dividends are immediately reinvested in additional shares. For those approaching or in retirement, the scenario is a little different, and the importance of having this type of asset in your portfolio may be greater. There’s another quality, sometimes overlooked, of many dividend-paying stocks. A large number of corporations that pay dividends have significant
interest and investment in emerging and global markets, which gives you additional exposure to that potential growth as well as the risk of these economies. Wren says that the populace’s aspirations to reach the middle class in many countries translates to the production of commodities such as better hygiene products, higherquality food, more modern appliances, and other goods that enable a healthier and more productive lifestyle. “Many of the name-brand, dividend-paying corporations consistently produce these kinds of goods,” notes Wren.
The Drawback
He cautions, however, that any investor needs to understand that when interest rates rise, the returns of dividend-paying stocks could take a hit. And when the market experiences a big boom, these types of stocks do not always match the growth rate of other stock types. These are all reasons why it’s
important to maintain balance in your portfolio.
Additional Resources
Even if you’re aggressively seeking growth, it’s important to hold some assets that may provide the potential for consistency. All investing involves risk including the possible loss of principal. There is no assurance any investment strategy will be successful.There is no guarantee that dividend-paying stocks will return more than the overall stock market. Dividends are not guaranteed and are subject to change or elimination. Generally, CDs may not be withdrawn prior to maturity. CDs are FDIC insured up to $250,000 per depositor per insured depository institution for each account ownership category. CDs may be issued by out of state institutions. U.S. based corporations that have significant exposure to foreign and emerging economies may have their earnings impacted by factors such as currency fluctuation, political and economic instability, as well as different accounting rules for operations within those countries that other U.S. companies may not be subject to which can lead to additional price volatility. This article was written by/for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Carl M. Trevisan, Managing DirectorInvestments and Stephen M. Bearce, First Vice President- Investments 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, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate nonbank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. ©2016 Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. All rights reserved.
We help people. That’s what we do. Our goal is to make a difference in each member’s life.
Experience the Signature difference We’re here for you and your family through every life stage with accounts for every generation. We invite you to join our family and see how we can make a difference in your financial life. Join today at www.signaturefcu.org (use promo code OTC2016), and visit www.signaturefcu.org/products to view all our products. You can also contact us at (800) 336.0284 to speak with a member care team representative. Federally insured by NCUA
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
6 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
URBAN GARDEN
Farmer Jimmy Deaton, our regular Urban Garden columnist, is taking the month of June off for some much needed R&R. Look for his sage advice for keeping your garden in top shape during the summer in the July issue. In the meantime, here are a few June gardening tasks and projects that you can do to help keep your garden looking it’s best for the rest of this spring season.
H
as your spring been somewhat less than a sunny, gardeners delight? Haven’t had enough time to get the garden looking quite right yet? ‘Color Spots’ may be your quickest and easiest way of catching up with the neighbors. Color Spots are easy care, blooming size annuals that the nurseries have grown in 4” pots. They have taken care of the feeding, pinching and early care for you. The result is a nicely
branched plant, blooming and ready to set in the garden. You will be able to see what your flower will look like before you even pick it out, and have some early summer colors before the sun sets. Prepare the soil; water the new plants before you remove them from the pot; plant the color spots at the recommended spacing on the label; water them again. Result: Instant Color! Pinch back any annuals, fuchsias, geraniums, cosmos or any other plants that might be getting a little leggy. Pinch your chrysanthemums to encourage them to be bushier and have more blossoms. Pinch them again, every 6 inches or so, as they grow. This is an excellent month to pick out a few new perennials, and put them into the garden. Divide spring flowering perennials,
like primroses, arabis, and aubrietia. Once the soil has warmed, you may sow seeds for perennials directly into the garden. Check your roses for mildew, aphid, black-spot or other insect or disease problems and if they appear take steps to control them right away. Roses will need to be fertilized each month through the summer. Make sure your climbing roses are securely tied into position. Prune them after blooming. Deadhead your annuals to encourage more flowers. Remove dead foliage from your spring flowering bulbs, but only after it has died back naturally. Sow seeds for flowering kale and flowering cabbage for colorful plants next fall and winter. Stake tall flowers to keep them from blowing over in the wind. Add
a stake to each planting hole as you’re transplanting, and tie the stem loosely to the stake as the plant grows. As the weather dries out, your container plants may need daily watering especially if the pots are exposed to the drying sunlight. Gladiolus corms can still be planted for successive blooms. Tuberous begonias can now be safely planted outdoors. Once the foliage of daffodils has died back, you may divide and move the bulbs to a new spot. Daffodil clusters should be divided up every three years to ensure good blooming. Publisher’s note: This column courtesy of GardenHelpers. Com. Please visit their website for tips on taking care of your shrubs, trees, and lawn.
color in the
GARDEN June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 7
A BIT OF HISTORY SARAH BECKER©
The American Whiskey Trail
H
ow do lawyers and historians pass their respective bar exams? Lawyers mostly study hard. Spirited historians sip booze. The American Whiskey Trail, championed by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, includes local sites such as George Washington’s Mount Vernon Distillery and Gadsby’s Tavern Museum. Reconstructed as of 2007, Washington’s Distillery was originally built in 1797. Two years later it was the country’s largest 18th century facility, producing approximately 11,000 gallons of whiskey annually. Whiskey sold for $.50 a gallon and a federal excise tax was paid. Washington’s Distillery generated a substantial profit, thanks mostly to the efforts of experienced farm manager and Scotsman James Anderson. The Estate produced ample grain; the gristmill and water system were previously installed, and slave labor was cheap. Better still, the remaining slop—distilled grain—was recyclable. The Distillery was home to 150 pigs and 30 cows. Alexandria’s George Gilpin was among the Distillery’s earliest customers. A King Street property owner, Gilpin sold Washington’s whiskey at his store. The un-aged whiskey was made from 60% rye, 35% corn, and 5% malted barley. Today the standard alcohol drink is
GEORGE WASHINGTON’S BEER RECIPE To make Small Beer take a large siffer full of bran hops to your taste – boil these 3 hours. Then strain our 30 gall[o]n into a cooler put in 3 gall[o]n molasses while the beer is scalding hot or rather draw the molasses into the cooler. Strain the beer on it while boiling hot, let this stand till it is little more than blood warm. Then put in a quart of ye[a]st if the weather is very cold cover it over with a blank[et] let it work in the cask – Leave the bung open till it is almost done working – Bottle it that day week.
either 12 ozs. of regular beer, 1½ ozs. of 80 proof distilled spirits, or 5 ozs. of wine. Who has not heard about the health benefits associated with drinking red wine? Only recently did I hear that Colorado State University “is one of several colleges now offering a major in beer.” The curriculum includes biochemistry, microbiology, physics and organic chemistry. The beer industry overall produces $101.5 billion in sales. Craft beer accounts for 19.3% of sales including Small Company Brewery of the Year Port City Brewery’s Optimal Wit. “Beer is proof God loves us and wants us happy,” Benjamin Franklin allegedly said. In truth the beer industry coopted the phrase as part of a 1996 marketing campaign. In an undated letter to French economist Abbe Morellet Franklin said: “You have often enlivened me, my dear friend, by your excellent drinking songs; in return I beg to edify you…We hear of the conversation of water into wine at the marriage of Cana as of a miracle. But this conversion is, through the goodness of God, made every day before our eyes. Behold the rain which descends from heaven upon our vineyards; there it enters the roots of the vines, to be changed into wine; a constant proof that God loves us, and loves to see us happy!” “To confirm, still more your piety,” Franklin continued, “reflect upon the situation which it has given to the elbow…man, who was destined to drink wine, must be able to raise the glass to his mouth.” Today it is the millennials who enjoy good wine. They drank 42% of the country’s wine in 2015. “The difference with beer and wine is we taste beer,” University of California Davis Professor Charlie Bamforth said. “And we swallow, none of this ridiculous spitting.” The country’s first light beer: Williamsburg’s Virginia Middling Beer. Not that many years ago alcohol consumption was illegal. For 13 years—from 1920 until 1933—America
said no to liquor. “The temperance movement hijacked Washington’s persona in a flagrant attempt to rewrite history by portraying him a nondrinker,” former Mt. Vernon Vice President of Preservation Dennis Pogue said in 2012. The temperance movement reached its zenith in the early 20th century, the result of anti-lobbying activity which began in the 1830s. Alcohol use was associated with social ills, social reform, and German and Irish immigrants. Prohibitionists couched their middle class message in conformity and, as with any morality play, the ending was prescribed. Prohibition exhibited many of the characteristics inherent in progressive reforms. Dr. Benjamin Rush, as early as 1784, argued “that the excessive use A BIT OF HISTORY > PAGE 10
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
8 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
CIVIL DISCOURSE DOUG COLEMAN
A Legion of Unknowns and The Origins of Memorial Day
T
he Civil War was America’s bloodiest conflict; about as many died in the Civil War as all of our other wars combined. Typically the dead were buried on the battlefield where they fell in shallow graves; visiting the Manassas battlefield a week after the first fight, Vaucluse’s Constance Cary commented upon the “hasty graves” littering the hillsides and shuddered to witness a withered hand reaching out of the ground. The graves were deeper and marked if they were your people, less deep and less marked if not. Sometimes the opposing dead were buried in the ditches of recently disputed trenches, sometimes in mass graves. We should not necessarily interpret these hasty burials as disrespectful to the dead. Keeping in mind that most fighting was done in the warmer months, men and horses would begin to decompose and stink very quickly; witness the photos of the bloating dead taken at Antietam. Being in a burial detail must have been absolutely nauseating. When one finds a bayonet bent into a hook on a battlefield, it is not to hold a cooking pot - these were used to drag the dead into their scrapes without having to handle putrefying flesh. Horses were burned where they fell. Officer’s bodies were frequently sent home as a courtesy, regardless of which side held the field. Dying in a field hospital increased one’s chances of having a marked grave, unless the hospital was overwhelmed by casualties and the intake process broke down, as did happen on several occasions. Comrades were aware that someday the soldier’s family might want to recover his remains to take home. By the end of the war, experienced soldiers were wearing brass identity tags. Those lacking that sort of forethought pinned their name and shipping address on their uniforms prior to an assault.
Northerners treated the Confederate dead better than the Yankees who fell in Virginia; at Gettysburg, the locals at least took the trouble to bury everybody. Conversely, it was a source of outrage in the North that a Virginia farmer might take great care to honor Confederate dead, but not bother to bury a Yankee at all. This outrage may have been misplaced, as it assumes the civilians were still in the neighborhood following a fight and, again, digging holes for and handling dozens of stinking corpses is not an activity most folks would leap at. Still, at common law, every landowner owed a duty of decent burial to any corpse found on his property, so there may actually have been an element of malice in leaving the invaders to the crows and buzzards. The result was that we have many accounts of horrified Yankees stumbling across the bones of their predecessors. Some real estate was fought over more than once. Manassas and Fredericksburg each saw two battles. Cold Harbor and Gaines Mill were fought in the same neighborhood. The Wilderness was fought in the same woods as Chancellorsville. In each case, unambiguous memento mori lay scattered in the weeds and leaves. As the war wound down in 1865, there was an urgent effort to recover and identify these dead. At best, temporary wooden grave markers were decaying, while exposed bones were being gnawed and carried off by the critters. At worst, there were rumors that Southerners scavenging the battlefields for horse bones to be ground into bone meal fertilizer did not always distinguish between horse and rider. In June of 1865, the 1st Veteran Volunteers were detailed to search the Wilderness battlefield for the Yankee dead. They fanned out in lines to systematically search the wooded scrub, marking graves with CIVIL DISCOURSE > PAGE 10
Unburied dead, Gaines Mill
photo: Library of Congress
Collecting the Dead, Cold Harbor, April 1865
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 9
Old TOwn Shoe & luggage Repair • Serving Alexandria for over 17 years • Shoe & Luggage Repair • New Luggage
824 King Street Old Town Alexandria, Virginia 703.299.0655 Mon-Fri 7:30 am-7 pm • Sat 9 am-5 pm 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)
A Very Good Price!
Good Haircut! Beautiful Perm!
Long Lasting Color!
Van’s Hairstylists 107 North Washington Street (near corner of King & Washington streets)
703-836-1916
Monday-Friday 9 am-7 pm • Saturday 9 am-6 pm We care and will give you only the best! Biolage • Vital Nutrient • Socolor • Matrix Perm • Paul Mitchell • Nexxus
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK facebook.com/oldtowncrier
A BIT OF HISTORY FROM PAGE 8
of alcohol was injurious to health.” In 1789, two hundred Litchfield County, Connecticut farmers swore off alcohol during farming season. The nation’s first temperance group formed in 1789; Virginia’s in 1800. Over time Rush’s call for drinking in moderation morphed into a religious cause. In Boston, in 1826, an allmale gathering of clergy and laymen founded the American Society for the Promotion of Temperance. Mark Twain was a Cadet of Temperance from 1846-1850; the Prohibition Party formed in 1869, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union in 1874. Tired of enduring drunken behavior at home, many of the early temperance advocates were women. Maine, in 1851, became the first State to prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages except for “medicinal, mechanical or manufacturing purposes.” Although patent medicines were well-known for their alcohol content, such products remained protected. For example Lydia E. Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound was a liquor-laced, herbal remedy sold to women with female complaints. Although Maine’s abstinence law eventually failed, temperance education did not. Temperance was the panacea for poverty, crime, and domestic violence. Abolitionists and suffragists eagerly joined the temperance movement. Advocates like Carrie Nation sometimes resorted to violence, physically destroying bars with a hatchet. In 1917 — perhaps timed to coincide with America’s entry into World War I and the country’s anti-German sentiment — the country’s Prohibition amendment passed. On January 29, 1919, the 18th Amendment was ratified by the States: “After one year from the ratification of this article, the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.”
The 1920’s were a behavioral experiment, a “noble experiment” Herbert Hoover said. Public behavior deteriorated and enforcement was difficult. Bootleggers, speakeasies, and bathtub gin were common. Hoodlums, gangsters and corrupt politicians teamed for financial gain. By the 1930s the stock market had crashed and Americans were thirsty for change. Congress repealed the 18th Amendment n 1933. Alcohol flowed almost as easily as it once did at Washington’s Distillery. Moderate alcohol consumption was again the public’s behavior of choice. Booze is big business. Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump — a teetotaler — once promoted “T&T,” Trump and tonic. The brand: Trump Vodka. The slogan: “Success Distilled.” Unsuccessful the Donald now owns the largest winery on the east coast; Virginia’s former Kluge Estate. South Carolina’s Rational Spirits uses Lost Spirits Technology, a reactor to age its Sunteria Rum and Anheuser-Busch InBev proposes to buy SABMiller for $104 billion. Washington’s Mount Vernon Distillery is open seasonally, from April 1 through October 31. It is located on Route 235, three miles south of Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens. Visitors are invited to sip wine, locally crafted beer and other treats June 10 & 11 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Beer-brewing demonstrations are included. For additional information, visit www.mountvernon.org. George Washington first attended Gadsby’s Birthnight Ball, an Alexandria tavern party given in his honor, in 1798. The Ball is now an annual Museum event. For more information, visit http://oha.alexandriava.gov/gadsby. Admission fees apply to both. Travel the American Whiskey Trail. The Puritans knew the value of alcohol. They loaded more beer than water for their voyage to the New World. Email: abitofhistory53@gmail.com
CIVIL DISCOURSE FROM PAGE 9
new markers as they found them and collecting bones in large sacks. These were good guys - they marked or re-marked Confederate burials as well, almost doubling their workload. Two cemeteries were established and coffins were filled from the sacks, ten skeletons to a coffin, buried in orderly rows in mass graves. This process repeated itself on battlefields throughout Virginia and eventually national cemeteries were established to receive unidentified remains and those who were known but unclaimed by relatives. The bones recovered at the Wilderness were later moved to the Fredericksburg National Cemetery. Cold Harbor got its own little cemetery, as did those who fell near Richmond. Alexandria has one next to Hooff ’s Run, home mostly to those who died in the local camps and hospitals. Most famous, of course, is Arlington, established by a spiteful Montgomery Meigs to avenge his son’s death when a couple of Mosby’s gunslingers pulled him over for “driving while Yankee” on the Valley Turnpike. Meigs rendered Lee’s home forever uninhabitable by sowing corpses on the grounds in the same spirit as the Romans sowed salt at Carthage. Arlington has a monument to unknown Civil War soldiers holding the bones of 2111 men collected
from the Manassas battlefields and route to the Rappahannock. Richmond’s Hollywood Cemetery similarly has a 90 foot high pyramid honoring the 18,000 Confederate dead there, the majority of whom are unidentified. It is estimated that 150,000 — one out of four deaths — ended up as unknowns. There are almost certainly thousands of battlefield burials the bone collectors missed. Even if identified, many families found it best to leave their warriors to rest in the soil they had struggled over, becoming part of the landscape itself. The national psyche understandably craved a means to remember and mourn this vast loss of life. Perhaps the first spark was seen in Charlestown in May of 1865, as the Yankee dead from a POW camp at a racecourse were collected and moved to a fresh national cemetery. Roughly ten thousand former slaves and U.S. Colored Infantry turned out to thumb their noses at the local whites by singing John Brown’s Body and to parade in gratitude to the Yankee’s who perished freeing them. Waterloo, New York claims to be the birthplace of the first Memorial Day, when in May of 1866 they closed businesses and flew CIVIL DISCOURSE > PAGE 11
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
10 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
AFTER HOURS Birchmere 703.549.7500 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave. birchmere.com
The Fish Market 703.836.5676 105 King St. fishmarketoldtown.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.
Morrison House 703.838.8000 116 South Alfred St.
Southside 815 703.836.6222 815 S. Washington St.
King Street Blues 703.836.8800 112 N. St. Asaph St.
Murphys Irish Pub 703.548.1717 713 King St. murphyspub.com
St. Elmos 703.739.9268 2300 Mt. Vernon Ave.
La Portas 703.683.6313 1600 Duke St.
O’Connell’s 703.739.1124 112 King St.
Las Tapas 703.836.4000 710-714 King St. lastapas.us
Rock It Grill 703.739.2274 1319 King St.
The Light Horse 703.549.0533 715 King St. thelighthorserestaurant. com
Shooter McGees 703.751.9266 5239 Duke St. shootermcgees.com Austin Grill & Tequila Bar 703.836.8969 801 King St.
Taverna Cretekou 703.548.8688 818 King St. TJ Stones 703.548.1004 608 Montgomery St. tjstones.com Trattoria da Franco 703-548-9338 305 S. Washington St. Two Nineteen 703.549.1141 219 King St.
These establishments offer live entertainment. Call to confirm show times, dates and cover charges. Check our advertisers’ websites.
CIVIL DISCOURSE FROM PAGE 10
flags at half mast to honor the fallen. The “official” rolling out of what was then called Decoration Day was in May 1868, when General Logan, commander of the Grand Army of the Republic (the Union veterans organization), ordered members to decorate the graves of war dead with flowers. Logan and President Grant turned out in front of about five thousand on the veranda of the Arlington house to make speeches, following which war orphans and veterans placed flowers and small flags on the graves, including the Confederate dead, saying prayers and singing hymns. The South had its own Decoration Day in various states to honor the Confederate dead. In April 1866, a group of women from Columbus, Mississippi decorated the graves of Confederates killed at Shiloh. Noting that the Union graves had been neglected, these good Christian ladies decorated those as well. Mississippi observes Confederate Memorial Day on the last Monday in April; Alabama on the fourth Monday in April; the Carolinas on May 10th; Louisiana and Tennessee on June 3rd. Texas supersizes it with Confederate Heroes Day in January. Conveniently, Virginians observe our Confederate Memorial Day on the last Monday in May. Following the First World War, the holiday was expanded to commemorate all of our
dead from all of our wars. Decoration Day became Memorial Day. It was not until 1971 that it became a national holiday. Now it is the American Legion rather than the Grand Army of the Republic that places the little flags. But the concept is the same — no fallen warrior is forgotten and the graves of the unknowns are cared for where their families cannot.
Sources
• Memorial Day History, http://www.va.gov/ opa/speceven/memday/history.asp • The Bone Collectors; Creation of Wilderness Cemetery #1, https://npsfrsp.wordpress. com/2010/09/07/the-bone-collectorscreation-of-wilderness-cemetery-1/ • The Great Unknowns, http://www. nytimes.com/interactive/2010/05/31/ opinion/20100531opartpoole.html Publisher’s note: While we realize Memorial Day has passed since the publication of this column, we think it quite fitting as another reminder as to what the day is about. Doug Coleman is an attorney and amateur historian in Alexandria, Va. Comments and corrections are welcome: dcoleman@colemanlawyers.com.
ALEXANDRIA HAS A LIVELY MUSIC SCENE. CHECK IT OUT! June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 11
HIGH NOTES CHRIS ANDERSON
I PRINCE ROGERS NELSON 1958-2016
barely know where to begin. It’s been over a month since we lost Prince and it still doesn’t feel real. There’ve been far too many losses in the music world lately and while each has affected me in one way or another, none was as shocking or heartbreaking as Prince — one of my all time favorite artists. I remember the first time I heard Prince. I was 10 years old, in summer camp, and “When Doves Cry” came on the radio. I immediately thought it was the best thing I’d ever heard. It just dripped with cool, but didn’t sound like a put-on. I never bought any of his albums then, but I loved everything I heard on the radio. But then I discovered U2 and pretty much lost interest in anything else for a few years, as those who knew me would attest. By the time I came to, Prince’s music had gotten dark and funky. That wasn’t where my head was, at the time, and I couldn’t get into it. One exception was in 1988, when my friend scored the then-unreleased Black Album. It was a terrible copy but we were blown away. Maybe it was because we weren’t supposed to hear it; maybe it was because it was so fresh. Either way, it left quite an impression. It wasn’t until college, when I snagged a cheap copy of the “Symbol” album, that my love for Prince finally
took root. My appreciation of all things funky was at a high, by that point, and songs like “My Name Is Prince” and “Sexy MF” knocked me out, while others like “Morning Papers” proved that he could still write songs. Soon after, I was given a tape of an unreleased project called Welcome 2 The Beautiful Experience. I played that tape to death and, to this day, it’s my favorite Prince bootleg. After that, I soaked up every Prince album and bootleg recording I could get my hands on. Early albums such as For You and Controversy, where he played most of the instruments, were inspiring. Later albums like the instrumental N.E.W.S. showcase Prince as a hell of an improviser, while Musicology and Planet Earth prove that age only made him better. My favorite Prince album is 1996’s Chaos And Disorder. The final album released by WB to end his contract, he made it clear that it was recorded “for personal use” and delivered under duress, and he refused to promote it. Too bad — this album is amazing. The opening combo of “Chaos And Disorder” and “I Like It There” borders on metal while “Dinner With Delores” is as tender a song as he did. “The Same December” is among his greatest songs EVER and that leads right into the slammin’ gospel of “Right Or Wrong”. “Zannalee” is silly but man does that guitar smoke – no one could shred like Prince. His piano ballads are always a welcome breather and “Into The Light”, with its tender verses and epic chorus, is one of his best. Closing the album, the somber “Had U” was perhaps the best middlefinger he could have given to WB. It’s unfortunate that this album is a footnote - had it been released and promoted properly, this could’ve been his biggest hit of the 90’s. It’s common to find used copies for $1 so if you ever come across it, pick it up. Another overlooked gem is The Truth, which is an acoustic-based album he threw in as a bonus on the Crystal Ball box set. By far his most unique album, songs like the bluesy title track, the dark “Don’t Play Me”, and the classic feel of “Dionne”, in their stripped-down simplicities,
reveal even deeper layers of an artist who could strike gold even when no one was looking. Good luck finding this but if you ever do, it’s worth whatever they’re asking. A consummate workaholic, Prince maintained a low public profile, spending the majority of his time in his studio at Paisley Park. As prolific as his official output was, his vault is where most of his work remains — there could still be “new” Prince albums fifty years from now. It’s a testament to his commitment that he died at his studio. Then again, if he didn’t work so hard … . One of the things I admired about Prince was his dedication to his craft. It’s because of artists like him that I have almost fifty of my own albums. Prince taught me that it’s okay to be self-indulgent and he taught me that it’s okay to stockpile recordings. Sure, his records sound much better than mine, and he certainly was capable of far more focus than I ever have been, but he was inspiring nonetheless. I also admired his subversion to the Man. Sure, he went about it in odd ways — writing “slave” across his face, changing his name to a symbol, etc. But he stuck it to the corporations. Despite Emancipation being a lackluster album, what it represented — Prince breaking free from corporate pressure and making music on his own — was a massive breakthrough in the industry, inspiring countless artists to follow suit. What I admired most about Prince, however, was his persona, and the command he had over it. Prince was slick, cool as all hell, a perfect balance of head-in-the-clouds and feet-on-theground. He didn’t play a character he was a character. Prince didn’t care what anyone thought about him. He didn’t need to. No one looked, talked, or acted like Prince. One of the most unique individuals to ever be in the spotlight, he stayed true to himself, all the way to the end. Fortunately, Prince will always live on in his music. He was the Mozart of our age and his music will be studied for the remainder of human civilization. And, like Mozart, Prince has a body of work that will keep us all busy for a long time.
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
12 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
THE LAST WORD MIRIAM R. KRAMER
Something Is Rotten in the State of Denmark
L
ifestyle gurus and sociologists extol Denmark as a Scandinavian wonderland, a nation that is possibly the most happy, or at least content, in the world. That assessment may be the truth, but it certainly is not in the imagination of Danish author, publisher, musician, and entrepreneur Jussi Adler-Olsen. He writes the Department Q mystery novels, a series that explodes like a bomb, flinging Denmark’s social and political dirty laundry, criminals, and cops into the center of the carnage. The author shares a common personal background with popular Norwegian thriller author, Jo Nesbø. He also parallels Nesbø somewhat in the way his main character, Carl Mørck, a policeman, dives into the seamy underbelly of society. Recently I have been ensconced in Nordic noir novels, so reading The Keeper of Lost Causes, The Absent One, and A Conspiracy of Faith has been a fun way to lose myself in a madcap subterranean view of dirty Denmark. In The Keeper of Lost Causes, we first meet Carl Mørck, a morose, cynical detective, a true contrarian with decided views on government and police corruption, and a tendency to take naps. He does not play well with others and has an odd existence at home, living with his stepson and a closeted gay boarder while
his separated wife lives in a garden cottage some ways away with her latest ne’er-dowell boyfriend. Yet he stands out in the police force as a stubborn and determined officer who diligently solves his cases. So the chief of homicide digs money out of government funds to create a department for him somewhere reasonably far away—Department Q in the basement. While in the same building as the regular police, it remains a galaxy away from the politics and interpersonal maneuverings in Department A. Carl, who has PTSD from a previous botched investigation, has been assigned to be the head of this new department to give him time to recover away from others. Department Q solves leftover cold cases of special interest. Carl has been given an office off the basement corridor with a fly problem, no windows, asbestos issues, and two assigned assistants, including at first a unexpectedly jolly and efficient Syrian asylee who starts by mopping the floor and making tea and coffee, until his diligence and insights help Carl investigate his new case. In
The Absent One, the next book in the series, the police department also thrust upon him an abrasive secretary who hides a strange secret. In fact, Department Q is the department of odd and often gory secrets, and the two- to three-person team nimbly fits the warped pieces of old jigsaw puzzles together with intuition and peculiar insights that come from their hidden selves. The Keeper of Lost Causes focuses on the disappearance of a beautiful politician, Merete Lynggard, who is on her way up the ladder of Danish politics, navigating its bureaucracy with panache. She suddenly vanished five years earlier from a ferry when traveling with her brain-damaged brother, Uffe, who is found wandering the German countryside afterwards. When Carl begins to half-heartedly poke around, interviewing passengers and wondering whether he is wasting his time with someone who committed suicide or fell off the boat, he is suddenly surprised at the persistence of his assistant, Assad, whom he begins to take seriously. As Carl grumbles constantly about his corridor office,
whose paint job reminds him of an Eastern European hospital, his tiny team begins to come together. After solving his first cold case, Carl continues to offer sarcastic and frustrated insights into Danish politics, the police department, publishing, business, and Danish social hierarchies. Often his views
are very funny, as are those of his asylee assistant. Assad mangles Danish and sometimes presents a superficial image of himself as someone not to be taken seriously, which proves to be a smoke screen as he repeatedly exhibits initiative, sharp investigative skills, and THE LAST WORD > PAGE 42
MYSTERY READING AT ITS BEST by Virginia author Jeffrey Roswell McCord
CARIBBEAN MYSTERY AND INTRIGUE A dead Marine washed ashore on a Caribbean island leads investigators to otherworldly perpetrators in historic pirate waters and high level abuses in Washington. An intrepid maritime historian working the case for U.S. Naval Intelligence discovers a 60-year record of extraterrestrial activity in the Caribbean basin. History and national security politics meet science fiction in this mystery based on exhaustive factual research and informed conjecture.
CARIBBEAN hISToRY AND ADvENTURE Where did the villain General Santa Anna of Alamo infamy retire? Is time travel possible? What was it like on the ground in the worst hurricane of the 19th century? Can a band of rogue sailors from Coral Bay, St. John, defeat ruthless corporate mercenaries? These questions and more are answered in Jeffrey Roswell McCord’s new fact-based novel “Santa Anna’s Gold in a Pirate Sea.”
Available from Amazon or as a Kindle download June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 13
GALLERY BEAT F. LENNOX CAMPELLO
I
clockwise from top left: • Jose Bermudez, He who Shines by Day, 1961. Welded steel, 56 x 68 x 31. Private Collection, Washington, DC • Frida Larios, Underworld Serpent, 2016. Installation, American University Museum entrance. • Ric Garcia, Goya Star, 2013. Acrylic on canvas, 30 x 30 in. Photograph by Pete Duvall, Anything Photographic. • Juan Downey, Detail from The Looking Glass (Velazquez, Las Meninas), 1981. Video still. © Juan Downey. Courtesy of the Estate of Juan Downey. • Naúl Ojeda, Fleeing from the Storm, 1981. Woodblock, 2/30, 19 x 25 in. Courtesy of Estate of Naul Ojeda.
am often asked by people interested in collecting art, but have never collected artwork, what they should “collect.” Many years ago, I formed an opinion based on empirical observations, that there are really only two rules to start an art collection: collect what you like, and; whenever possible, buy the original. That’s clear, right? Buy and collect what you like, what attracts your eye, what interests you personally, and is within your economic means. If you like the work of a particular artist, or
a specific kind of prints (like Japanese woodcuts), or drawings (such as figurative drawings), then focus your collection in those areas. This also comes with a caveat, as a lot of excessive attention is often placed on a focused collection. A diverse collection may make less sense to some than a focused one, but it only has to make sense to you! After all, it is your collection. It has also been my experience, that the more affluent a beginning collector is, the higher the probability that he/she will get swindled into spending a lot of money for wall décor
and fancy frames. Since most of us are not affluent, the high end of the commodified art market is not where I’m focusing this discussion. The DMV offers an immense variety and multiple, diverse sources to begin an art collection. The key is the number of art schools, art leagues, art centers, and reputable commercial art galleries that exist in our area. Add to that the number of independent artists’ studios, and you have the perfect mix for starting an art collection. Let’s start with the schools —
nearly all art schools and universities put together student shows. Usually these are Master of Fine Arts (MFA) shows, the graduation show for MFA program students. American, Catholic, George Mason, George Washington, Maryland, Montgomery Community College, Northern Virginia, and others are a sampling of excellent places to troll for student artwork. Buying student artwork equals buying an artist early in his/her career. Buying an artist early in his/her career is the “golden nugget” of most GALLERY BEAT > PAGE 17
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
14 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
Imagine-June 2016.qxp_Layout 1 5/23/16 10:32 AM Page 1
Celebrating 25 years together! How time and fashion flies, but the look is still as sophisticated and classic as when we started representing Kiki Verveniotis and her line, “Go Lightly.” Many of Imagine’s customers have already collected Kiki’s suits, coats, jackets and the most comfortable pants you've ever owned. Meet our Connecticut-based designer at a very special event.
alidaanderson
Saturday, June 25, 2016 10 am to 4 pm
The model is Kiki’s daughter, Koula, who attended shows with her mother from the time she was born and is now a cover girl and chief assistant. Kiki wil bring many of her bestsellers, updated for today, plus new styles from her line of recycled and repurposed clothing,”Kiki & Pooky.” Put it on your calendar now!
Come see our entire line of amazing American-made clothing, jewelry and crafts.
1124 King Street | Alexandria, Virginia 22314 (703) 548-1461 | www.imagineartwear.com Mon – Sat 10 am – 7 pm
•
Sunday 11 am – 5 pm
ART&ANTIQUES ANTIQUES Spurgeon-Lewis Antiques 112 North Columbus Street BW Art, Antiques & Collectibles 108 North Fayette Street Imperfections Antiques 1210 King Street The Antique Guild 113 North Fairfax Street Silverman Galleries 110 North St. Asaph Street Red Barn Mercantile 1117 King Street Washington Square Antiques 425 South Washington Street Susquehanna Antique Co. 608 Cameron Street Old Town Antiques 222 South Washington Street Verdigris Vintage 1215 King Street Cavalier Antiques 400 Prince Street Sumpter Priddy III 323 South Washington Street Henry Street Antiques 115 South Henry Street Curzon Hill Antiques 108 South Columbus Street The Hour 1015 King Street A Galerie 315 Cameron Street Random Harvest 810 King Street
Acme Mid-Century + Modern 128 South Royal Street
Johnston Matthew 105 North Union Street
Van Bommel Antiek Hous 1007 King Street
Huddy Studio 105 North Union Street
Lloyd’s Row 119 South Henry Street
Mezzanine Multiples 105 North Union Street
GALLERIES
Silverman Galleries 110 North St. Asaph Street
Torpedo Factory Art Center 105 North Union Street
Cochran David 105 North Union Street
Principle Gallery 208 King Street
Betty Grisham Studio 105 North Union Street
Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery 105 North Union Street
Imagine Artwear 112 King Street
The Batman Brooding From the Naked Superheroes series Charcoal on Paper, 20x16 inches ©2015 F. Lennox Campello Represented by Alida Anderson Art Projects, LLC Washington, DC For more information or images of other works from the Naked Superheroes series, email us at info@alidaanderson.com
feast your eyes. feed your soul.
St. George Gallery 105 North Alfred Street The Art League 105 Union Street Local Colour Old Town 218 North Lee Street
visit a museum.
Icon Galleria 101 North Union Street B&B Art Gallery 215 King Street Gallery West 1213 King Street Enamelist’s Gallery 105 North Union Street Printmakers, Inc. 105 North Union Street Kelly’s Art & Frame 510 North Washington Oerth Gallery 420 South Washington Street Jeffrey Winter Fine Arts 110A South Columbus Street
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AT facebook.com/oldtowncrier June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 15
POINTS ON PETS SARAH LIU
KING STREET CATS ADOPTION CALENDAR JUNE 2016 FOR DETAILS & MORE INFO website: www.kingstreetcats.org email: contact@kingstreetcats.org King Street Cats is looking for foster homes! You provide the spare room and TLC and we provide food, litter and all vetting. Please email for our Kitten Fostering FAQ at: contact@kingstreetcats.org KING STREET CATS 25 Dove Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Every Saturday & Sunday 1:30 - 4:30 pm PRO FEED Bradlee Shopping Center 3690 King Street Alexandria, VA 22302 Every Saturday & Sunday 1:00 - 4:00 pm PETCO UNLEASHED AT PENTAGON ROW 1101 S. Joyce Street Arlington, VA 22202 Saturday, June 4 Saturday, June 18 Sunday, June 19 1:00 - 4:00 pm PETCO UNLEASHED 283 S. Van Dorn Street Alexandria, VA 22304 Saturday, June 25 1:00 - 4:00 pm THE DOG PARK 705 King Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Saturday, June 14 1:00 - 4:00 pm
Pets and Vacations: Three Options
W
ith school out and warmer weather, it’s time for vacation. But what about your beloved pets while you are away? Consider these three options:
The Trusted Friend
Asking a friend to provide care in her own home or at the pet’s home, can be an economical option. However, it’s important to consider your pet’s needs as well as the personal preferences and lifestyle of your friend. Does your dog thrive on walking four times a day? Does your cat have a penchant for scratching furniture? Does your friend have young children? Like to stay out all night? Before broaching the topic, make a list of your pet’s habits, good and bad, and prepare for full disclosure. It’s critical to address any medication needs and/or allergies. Gauge your friend’s enthusiasm, and schedule visits to ensure she is well acquainted with your pet’s personality and routine. Observe your pet’s rapport with his temporary caretaker. If your pet is staying in your friend’s home, make a visit to ensure proper facilities and to observe your pet’s behavior in the new place. Once a comfortable arrangement for all parties is properly established, you can enjoy the advantages. For example, especially in cats, a great deal of stress is eliminated by staying in a familiar environment. For dogs, staying at a friend’s house can be healthier and more stimulating than sitting in a boarding kennel. For any pet, care by a familiar face will be more enjoyable than care by a hired stranger. And you may be pleasantly surprised at the outcome. For instance, one pet parent told us about a time she was called out of town and had to leave her cat in the care of an ex-boyfriend. Though apprehensive, she was greeted on
return by a happy cat, further evidenced by cat toys strewn across her living room. Obviously, fun times were had, and a comfortable arrangement was established for future care.
The Hired Professional
Though more expensive than a friend, a professional pet-sitter is usually more experienced, and can be a better choice for administering medications or dealing with high-maintenance or easily stressed pets. Additionally, for owners of multiple pets, an in-home visit by a hired petsitter can be cheaper than boarding in an outside facility. However, prices will increase based on the number of visits per day, length of time, and special services required. It’s important to meet the sitter before entrusting your pet’s care. Schedule an in-home visit to observe how the sitter treats your pet and your pet’s reaction to the sitter. Make sure to thoroughly explain your pet’s needs and routines, and show the sitter where supplies such as food and medications are located. Make your expectations clear, and arrange a method for updates such as email or phone calls. Supply the sitter with a list of emergency contacts, including your number, the vet’s number, and the number for an after-hour’s emergency care facility. Ask the sitter about his or her policy in emergency situations, and don’t be afraid to request references. Notably, retired veterinarian technicians are often available for professional pet-sitting and come with additional benefits. According to one pet parent, a vet tech pet-sitter noticed her client had stopped eating, and knew fasting in larger cats can cause liver damage. The vet tech knew techniques to relieve the cat’s nasal passages, and hand-fed the cat by syringe, averting a
JUNE IS ADOPT A CAT MONTH!
potentially serious medical situation. If you’re interested in a similar level of care, ask your veterinarian for recommendations on professional petsitters or contact information on area retired vet techs.
Boarding Facilities
If you are uncomfortable leaving your pet alone in your own home, or leaving him in a friend or relative’s home, it’s time to consider boarding. Though many pet parents associate boarding with cold isolated kennels, modern facilities are actually quite posh, with round-theclock care, amenities like ‘TLC,’ treats, and roomy “condos.” Moreover, many facilities work in conjunction with on-site veterinary clinics, ensuring immediate medical care in cases of emergency. Prices vary, increasing with extra services, but may be less than a hired pet-sitter in cases of dogs who need multiple walks per day or cats who require spotlessly clean litter boxes. As with professional pet-sitters, your veterinarian can be a good resource for reputable boarding facilities. Additionally, most veterinarian offices will board pets and can administer vaccinations, check-ups, and other routine services while you are away. When boarding, ask to see where your pet will be staying and playing. Make sure he has suitable bedding, toileting, and feeding arrangements. Discuss your pet’s routine and needs, and ask about the resident policy for emergencies. Make sure your contact information is up to date, as well as the information for an individual authorized to make decisions in your absence. Many facilities allow you to bring your pet’s preferred food, and will feed according to your pet’s schedule. Finally, make sure you understand the policy for late or early pick up, as many facilities will charge for
ADO YOU K PT! NO YOU W WANN A!
Adopting a cat not only saves the life of a shelter pet, it also improves the life of the human! Yep, that’s right: owning a cat has a host of healthy benefits, from lower stress and anxiety to reduced blood pressure and general happiness. Cats provide fairly low maintenance companionship – a Swiss study found that having a cat in the house was nearly the emotional equivalent to having a romantic partner! And just think: cats don’t care what you’re wearing! Cats make wonderful pets, and adopting one from a shelter means you’re offering a kitty a second chance at a forever home. So why not adopt one this month? June is Adopt a Cat Month!
16 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
POINTS ON PETS FROM PAGE 16
GALLERY BEAT FROM PAGE 14
an additional day if the pet is picked up after a certain time. Ultimately, whichever option you choose, it’s difficult to leave your pet in the care of another. Alleviate concerns by maintaining contact via updates and feedback. Upon return, be observant! Carefully gauge your pet’s health and demeanor before deciding whether to reuse a particular friend or service. Something seem off? Find a better fit, as in our final story where a pet parent made lastminute arrangements to board her cat at the vet. Though concerned, she returned to the vet’s office to find the cat comfortably lounging in the waiting room, claws neatly clipped, and well bonded with a particular vet tech. She noted her cat’s happiness and health, compared to prior stays at the other facility, and frequently boarded her cat with the vet thereafter. And of course, there is a fourth option. Take them with you! But we’ll save that for a future column.
art collectors’ hopes. That puppy crossed my road a few times in my life. In 1989 I stood in front of an original oil painting by Scottish painter Jack Vettriano. I loved it! It was Vettriano’s first ever show (a group show, actually a painting competition). All three of his first paintings were done at his first — and only — art class. It was on sale for 300 British pounds (about $500 US dollars), which, at the time, for me, may as well have been 300 million pounds, since my US Navy Lieutenant’s salary barely covered expenses in Scotland, where I was stationed at the time. That painting sold for 300 pounds. Today, although he is despised by the art critics and the British arts establishment, he is adored by the public and by some very important collectors, and his works, if you are lucky enough to get on the waiting list for one, ranges in the hundreds of thousands of pounds. And that early one that I passed on? Sold at Sotheby’s a few years ago for 2.5 million pounds. Beginning art collectors can find their own early Vettrianos at art competitions, MFA
Sarah Webber Liu resides in Alexandria and is a long-time volunteer at King Street Cats. She is devoted to her cat, Mrs. Huggins, and loves animals of all kinds.
top to bottom: • Carolina Mayorga, Mesera (Waitress), 2016. Performance art and video. Courtesy of the artist. • F. Lennox Campello, ASEre ¿SI o NO?, 2009. Charcoal on paper, 19 x 48 in. Courtesy of the Drs. Steve Pieczenik and Roberta Rovner Pieczenik Collection
shows, outdoor art festivals, and open studios. Before I conclude, let me plug an upcoming group show at American University’s Katzen Art Museum, one I am honored to be part of. The Katzen was built thanks to a major gift from Cyrus and Myrtle Katzen. He is a brilliant art collector, she a talented artist with a refined eye for great artwork. The Katzen’s head honcho,
Jack Rasmussen, continues to shame all other DMV museum directors and curators when it comes to tending one’s own artistic back garden. At the risk of repeating myself: most DMV museum curators would rather take a cab to Dulles Airport and fly to Berlin to visit an emerging artist’s studio than take a cab to the Gateway Artists’ Studios, or to any area artists’ studios, to
look at local artists. The show is titled The Looking Glass: Artist Immigrants of Washington and it runs June 18 –August 14. There will also be an artist’s talk on July 14, 5:30-7:30 pm, free and open to the public. It is part of the amazing Alper Initiative for Washington Artists (if you don’t know what that is, and you are a DMV artist, you should! Contact the Katzen). The opening is June 18, 6 8 pm. There will be plenty of adult beverages and munchies, and the artists will be there to talk about their work. The exhibition celebrates ten artists who left Latin America for many different reasons over the last sixty years — primarily for safety, freedom, and opportunity — and made their homes, and their artistic careers and contributions in the Washington region. They include Joan Belmar and Juan Downey from Chile, Carolina Mayorga from Colombia, Ric Garcia, Jose Ygnacio Bermudez, Muriel Hasbun from El Salvador, Frida Larios from El Salvador/Honduras, Irene Clouthier from Mexico, Naul Ojeda from Uruguay, and yours truly from Cuba. They brought with them artistic traditions that took root and bore fruit here in the United States.
PETS OF THE MONTH
THANKS TO A GENEROUS SPON SO MY ADOPTION FE R E HAS BEEN PAID!
OPIE (A067025)
Greetings from the AWLA! My name is Opie and I’m waiting patiently to find my new family. I’m a neutered male Pit Bull, estimated to be about two years old. Some of my favorite hobbies include playing fetch with tennis balls, playing operation with squeaky toys, basking in the sun, and getting tummy rubs. I have a few quirks that you’ll discover, like chewing on leashes, but I’m an avid learner who just needs a patient teacher to balance me out and bond with. If you’re ready for an outstanding new best friend, visit me today!
ADDY (A067093)
If you can’t already tell from her photo, let us tell you that this fabulous feline is full of Addy-tude! She is a spayed female Domestic Medium Hair, estimated to be about six years old. Even though Addy is a little on the larger side, she loves to play and chase after toys. When she’s in the mood for some snuggles, this lovely lady will crawl on your lap for chin rubs and a snooze. Addy is also a dog-tolerant kitty! Everyone at the AWLA hopes that you’ll come fall in love with her today!
The DC stands for Dog and Cat For more info: www.dcPawsRescue.org
CHANGE A LIFE.
ADOPT
GEORGE (A067002)
Like many great figures sharing his name, George is a pig with ambition. He has a whistle that would make George Harrison jealous, a curiosity that rivals the famous monkey, and a face as strikingly handsome as Clooney’s. Don’t let this guinea pig be the one that got away!
4101 Eisenhower Avenue • Alexandria, VA 703-746-4774alexandriaanimals.org Mon-Fri, 1-8 pm • Closed Wed • Sat & Sun, 12-5 pm June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 17
CARIBBEAN CONNECTION JEFFREY R. McCORD
T
The ‘Emporium of the Antilles’ Depended Upon Women and Hassel Island
oday, the world’s largest cruise ships regularly visit St. Thomas’ superb harbor and dock facilities. Hundreds of thousands of visitors disembark annually at the U.S. Virgin Islands’ capital, Charlotte Amalie, to enjoy a wide variety of on-shore attractions including day trips to the nearby island of St. John. There have likely never been so many big ships in St. Thomas since the mid-1800s — the heyday of West Indies trans-continental steamship travel. The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company (the largest service of its day) and the Hamburg-America Line (Germany’s largest) both had their hemispheric headquarters in St. Thomas, among other American and European steamship companies to regularly anchor and moor in Charlotte Amalie’s harbor, one of the best in the Caribbean. Steamers, as well as sailing vessels, took advantage of the Guinea Ocean current and trade winds that helped propel ships from North Africa to St. Thomas. Once there, cargoes
and passengers were transferred on to steamers heading north to the United States (taking advantage of the northerly flowing Gulf Stream) or south to other islands and Central and South America. Its’ unique maritime benefits and neutral Danish ownership made St. Thomas the “Emporium of the Antilles.” British novelist Anthony Trollope arrived in St. Thomas in December, 1858 aboard the Royal Mail Steamer Atrato, then the world’s largest passenger ship. In his “The West Indies and Spanish Main,” Trollope described the scene: “Seen from the water St. Thomas is very pretty. It is not so much the scenery of the island that pleases as the aspect of the town itself. It stands on three hills or mounts, with higher hills, green to their summit, rising behind them. Each mount is topped by a pleasant, clean edifice, and prettylooking houses stretch down the sides to the water’s edge. The buildings do look pretty and nice as though chance had arranged them for a picture. Indeed, as seen from the harbor, the
town looks like a panorama exquisitely painted.” Most modern visitors are unaware that the virtually uninhabited and somewhat overgrown Hassel Island — lining most of the western side of Charlotte Amalie’s harbor — was a key to much of St. Thomas’ historical maritime success. Ninety-five percent of the 135 acre mountainous island is today owned by the Virgin Islands National Park. Beginning in the 1700s, Hassel Island’s excellent “careening” cove provided a perfect sandy bottom and protected beach on which to partially haul out and roll over wooden ships on their sides so that their hulls could be scraped free of barnacles and worms and repaired as necessary. Further along the Hassel Island shoreline and closer to Charlotte Amalie, local investors in 1840 built a state-of-the-art marine railway that used a giant steam engine and chains to haul out of the water larger wooden and iron vessels so that their hulls could also be cleaned and repaired. The advantages of Hassel Island
no doubt encouraged the Royal Mail Steamship Company and HamburgAmerican Line to build their headquarters and repair and factory buildings on-island. Steamship travel, of course, depended upon coal and mountainous piles of the flammable rock were stored along Hassel Island’s shoreline. The whole enterprise, though, rested upon the strong bodies of hundreds of Danish West Indian women who, from an early age, learned the posture and skills needed to balance baskets of coal upon their heads and carry them up ships’ sides on ramps and ladders to be dumped into open hatches. The women were paid one cent per basket of coal, which could easily weigh eighty to 90 pounds. Some carried 200 or more baskets to coal just to fuel one steamer. The St. Thomas coal women became internationally famous. In 1898, Harpers Bazaar, then one of the most popular magazines in the U.S., wrote of “The Coal Women of St. Thomas”: CARIBBEAN CONNECTION > PAGE 19
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
18 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
CARIBBEAN CONNECTION FROM PAGE 18
“They do the work better and quicker than men . . . While at work, they usually sing and, barefoot, walk rapidly over the rough wharves and coal paths.” Afterwards, usually at nightfall, they often sang and danced. Martin M. Ballou, the first editor of the Boston Globe newspaper, visited St. Thomas in 1881 on board the American steamship Vigilancia. In his book “Equatorial America,” Ballou described the scene: “They . . . formed a group upon the [Hassel Island] wharf and held what they called a ‘firefly dance,’ performed by the flickering light of flaming coal torches. Their voices were joined in a quick chant, as they twisted and turned, clapping their hands at intervals to emphasize the chorus. Now and again a couple of the girls would separate from the rest for a moment, then dance toward and from each other, throwing their arms about their heads, and finally, gathering their [dresses] in one hand and extending the other to perform a movement similar to the French can can.” Although the women made it look easy, theirs was dangerous and back-breaking work. Simmering discontent broke into action when inflation meant each dollar of their wages — paid in Mexican silver coins — was worth only 62 cents. Led by a dancer named Queen Coziah, the coal women went on strike, bringing the port to a near standstill. They won their demands and were thereafter paid in Danish gold coins. Each year in September, Virgin Islanders commemorate the strike in a “Dollar fo’ Dollar Culture and History” tour of the harbor including
a ferry ride to Hassel Island. The event includes Bamboula dancing by women dressed in period costumes. St. Thomas Source reported on the event’s 2010 boat ride to Hassel Island: “Queen Coziah, in the form of local Bamboula teacher Mary Ann Christopher, was also on the boat Sunday, framing the women in lifelike effigy as they prayed for their ancestors. Then, as quietly as the tribute began, the silence was broken by the sharp raps of drums and Coziah was in the middle of the deck, twirling and gyrating to the beat.” The world of 1860s Hassel Island is recreated in my fact-based novel “Santa Anna’s Gold in a Pirate Sea” (see my ad pg. 13) Today, Hassel Island and its Marine Railway, steamship artifacts and buildings, the careening cove, 19th century fortifications and more are part of the Virgin Islands National Park (VINP). For information on the island and tours, contact VINP Supervisory Ranger Laurel Brannick at 776-6201 ext. 257. Jeffrey R. McCord is a free-lance journalist and media relations consultant who has called Northern Virginia his home for more than 20 years. The author of “Undocumented Visitors in a Pirate Sea,” a quarter-finalist in the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest, Mr. McCord’s articles on international economics and consumer protection have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, Gannett newspapers and Truthout.org, among other publications. He now divides his time between Virginia and St. John, USVI.
You Could Be Swimming in Warm Waters Right Now
Park Place
Apartment on St. John. $170/Night, no minimum stay. Pets allowed with some restrictions. Pool, kitchenette, private bathroom, screened porch overlooking tropical forest with banana and papaya trees, double bed, and separate living area. Perfect for a couple or young family. Amenities include kayaks, snorkel gear, and bamboo walking sticks. More than 60 percent of this spectacular Caribbean island is Virgin Island National Park, offering hiking, snorkeling, and unbelievable views. Get out of traffic and come to paradise.
Reservations: mjtoomey1995@yahoo.com Listed on Airbnb.com, St John
CLIFFHANGER
SEE OUR AY HOMEAW 5 AT #28629 LISTING AY.COM HOMEAW
k
Ann Street Gardens
y
ey west getawa
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 June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 19
ROAD TRIP BOB TAGERT
Deep Creek Lake
GARRETT COUNTY, MARYLAND
O Mountains of Garrett County
ver Christmas of last year our road trip took us to the New River Gorge in Fayetteville, WV. Looking forward to a snowy getaway in the high country, we were greeted with temperatures ranging from a low of 72 degrees to 78 degrees during the day. This past month we took our road trip to beautiful Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County, Md. and with a reversal of fortunes; we endured temps as low as 40 degrees at night and highs of around 65 in the afternoons. As we all know by now, the weather the past few months has been anything but routine. Deep Creek Lake in Maryland’s Garrett County has long been an attractive place to go in the winter to ski at the popular Wisp Ski Resort. I can remember skiing there with friends twenty years ago and staying a short drive from the mountain at one of the many rental properties available in and around Deep Creek Lake. Wisp is the only full service ski resort in the state of Maryland. When we were out there last month, the snow was gone from the lush ski slopes however the resort is still open offering events throughout the spring and summer including bonfires, kayak tours, paint ball, skate park and disc golf, not to mention a full size golf course. For the thrill seekers there is also the zip line tour that
lets participants fly over the slopes and through the woods covering the mountain. The resort also includes the Mountain Coaster, which is a hybrid coaster car going 3,500 feet downhill over 350 vertical feet on the eastern side of the mountain. My pal Lani says she is going to ride it the next time we are in the area. In 2007, the Adventure Sports Center International white water rafting and canoe/kayak slalom center was opened at the top of the mountain at the resort. Constructed at a cost of $24 million, it is the third pump-powered artificial whitewater facility built in North America. Since the Wisp Ski Resort already had a pump-filled mountaintop reservoir to supply its snowmaking machines with water in the winter, the artificial whitewater course was sited next to this reservoir to make use of its water in the summer. The Wisp Ski area sits at the north end of Deep Creek Lake, the reason we made the road trip last month. Deep Creek Lake is the largest inland body of water in the state of Maryland. The man-made lake covers approximately 3,900 acres and has 69 miles of shoreline. The lake is home to a wide variety of freshwater fish and aquatic birds. Fishing is extremely popular on the lake, for species such as largemouth bass, small mouth bass, walleye as well as fly fishing for trout. Wildlife is abundant and chances are pretty good that you might see deer, small mammals, and occasional
bear and for sure…lots of chipmunks. These little guys are everywhere … right Sherry? Deep Creek Lake is an outdoor paradise offering boating, hiking, mountain biking, swimming and just about anything that you have the equipment for, including a view of the lake and a cold drink. Garrett County itself is striking. Garrett County is Maryland’s westernmost county, bordered o the north by the Mason-Dixon line with Pennsylvania to the south by the Potomac River and West Virginia, to the west by a land border with West Virginia, and to the east by a land border with Allegany County, Maryland. Garrett County is located entirely within the highland zone of the Appalachian Mountains. The county’s highest elevations are located along four flat-topped ridges and range to a height of 3,360 feet at Hoye Crest along Backbone Mountain, the highest point in the state of Maryland. The Eastern Continental Divide runs along portions of Backbone Mountain. The western part of the county, drained by the Youghiogheny River, is the only part of Maryland within the Mississippi River drainage basin. The “Yough” is also the source of three waterfalls in the area, Swallow Falls, Muddy Creek Falls and Tolliver Falls. All other parts are in the Chesapeake Bay basin. As is typical in the Allegheny region, broad flats generally lie below the ridge (mountain valleys) at elevations of approximately 500 feet. River valleys are generally narrow and deep, with ravines typically 1,000 to 1,800 feet below surrounding peaks. These high mountain valleys and deep ravines make for a great road trip if you are willing to take the “road less traveled” and have a full tank of gas.
The scenery is spectacular. I can’t wait to go back in the fall. This is the first time that I have had the opportunity to meet the “locals” at Deep Creek Lake…or as they are known- “The Lake People”. There seem to be two separate groups… the ones who live outside the lake and work there, and those who have second homes there or live at the lake year-round. The first group tend to be on the young side while the lake people are, well, sort of retired. This diversity plays into the marketing of some of the lake establishments. We were there on Wednesday and had to attend the “Double Nickel” night at Uno’s Chicago Pizzeria. I hadn’t heard the term “double nickel” since the days of the 55 mile an hour speed limits, but here it referred to 55 years of age…young by my standards. On Wednesday nights the double nickel club got 40% off their drinks…and the place was packed. Next door to Uno is Honi Honi, a place for the younger crowd. This place was not open for the season yet, but will be by months end. Our accommodations were at the Suites at Silver Tree, a delightful place to stay. Our room was a two-story suite with two TV’s and a bed on each floor. The reported best dining at the Lake is Dutch’s, which is adjacent to Silver Tree. We didn’t dine, but did some research of the area with our bartender Sherry. Sherry lives in West Virginia and commutes 35 miles to work, so she is not a “lake person”, but was a whole lot of fun and full of information. The next morning we hit Little Sandy’s for a classic down home breakfast. In a renovated gas station, Little Sandy’s had it all at a real low price. There are all kinds of accommodations available at Deep
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
20 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
Fred, proprietor of Ken’s Irish Pub in Friendsville, Md.
Creek Lake, from a one night stay at a place like Silver Tree or weekend or week long accommodations for two or twenty at one of the many cabins and houses. Check out the ads associated with this article. Getting to Deep Creek Lake is pretty straightforward…Alexandria to 270 north, to I-70 north to I-68 west, to state route 219 to Deep Creek Lake. This drive is fast and under 3 hours, or as our new best friend, local Alexandria and Deep Creek Lake realtor, Delaine Campbell says…”From Old Town’s Slater Lane, there is not one stop light until you get to the Ski Slope turn in McHenry (Deep Creek)! However, for my tastes…take your time and take the old roads. Coming back we picked up Route 40 (the old route), which parallels the new I-68.
Leaving Deep Creek Lake, the first place we came to off of route 42 and before route 40 was the cool little town of Friendsville, Maryland and Fred, the owner of Ken’s Irish Tavern. These are the encounters that make these road trips so much fun. We found out that Ken’s Tavern and the town of Friendsville is hosting the Garrett County Celtic Festival on Friday and Saturday June 3-4. Deep Creek Lake is only 16 miles away. Another advantage of back roads is that we had the opportunity to see a wagon train “Travel the Road that made the Nation” which was part of the National Pike (route 40) Festival. It doesn’t matter what road you take…just take the trip!
Swallow Falls after two weeks of rain.
Sherry doing her thing at Dutch's!
Locals’ favorite breakfast joint
Mountain coaster track
Locals’ favorite summetime hangout
Wagon Train, part of the “Travel the Road that Made the Nation” National Pike Festival
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 21
Visit
DEEP CREEK LAKE
GARRETT COUNTY, MD
Deep Creek Lake Maryland . . . Only 3 Hours from DC! 247 WINDING TRAIL LANE #6B Gorgeous TH in private community near the lake. Over 3,300 sq. ft. of open living space. 5 beds, 4.5 baths, great location. $378,000
2443 MARSH HILL ROAD Entertainer’s delight! Fabulous 8,600 sq. ft. lakefront estate on approx 1 acre. 5 beds, 7 baths. A must see! $1,600,000
154 TARN DRIVE MOUNTAINSIDE 5 beds, 3.5 baths, boat slip, beautiful interior, never been rented, community lakefront clubhouse, original owner $495,000
565 GLENDALE ROAD There are severa studio size units, 2 story units, FPs, lake view, waterfront. All with access to marina, slips, beach, restaurants, night life. FROM $87K UP CALL FOR PRICES
For more information on these or other properties or to arrange a visit, call us at 800-482-0716 482-0716
Ask for Delaine Campbell, REALTOR(R) 0
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
22 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
CalvertCounty
DISCOVER
MARYLAND
ALEXANDRIA’S PLAYGROUND
Best Art Gallery
13480 Dowell Rd., Solomons, MD Open Daily: 10am-5pm annmariegarden.org
Sculpture Garden & Arts Center Where Art & Nature Meet
WHEN IT COMES TO A GOOD TIME ON THE ISLAND, NOTHING TOPS THE STRIPED ROCK! Casual Dress First-Come, First-Served Seating Room Rentals and Event Planning Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday Catering Available (On- and Off-Site) Amazing Panoramic Views of the Patuxent River Open for Lunch, Happy Hour, Dinner, or a Night Cap
VOTED BEST CRAB CAKES IN SOUTHERN MARYLAND 2012 Maryland Life
Deep water anD covereD slips available large pool anD two restaurants on the property
14470 SOLOMONS ISLAND ROAD SOUTH 410-326-2424 STONEYSSEAFOODHOUSE.COM/THESTRIPEDROCK Hours: Mon-Thu 11 am-9 pm • Fri 11 am-10 pm Sat 8:30 am-10 pm • Sun 8:30 am-9 pm
14485 Dowell road solomons, MD 20629 410.326.4251 calvertmarina.com
HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS
LIVE ACOUSTIC MUSIC • CRAB CAKE SHIPPING DOG FRIENDLY OUTDOOR PATIO • SUNDAY BRUNCH • 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 JAZZ AND HALF PRICE WINE June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 23
Calvert Marine Museum
FROM THE BAY…
This month we are supporting our friends at the Calvert Marine Museum with some extra editorial coverage. We have always felt that they play an important part in the history and preservation of the heritage of the Bay and the waters of Calvert County. Put the Calvert Marine Museum at the top of your list of fun things to do this summer! There are activities and events for all members of the family. For a complete schedule, visit www.calvertmarinemuseum.com. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $9 for adults, $7 for seniors, military with valid ID and AAA members, and $4 for children ages 5 - 12; children under 5 and museum members are always admitted free. For more information about the museum, upcoming events, or membership, visit the website atwww. calvertmarinemuseum.com or call 410-326-2042. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, Google+, Instagram and Pinterest. SATURDAY, JUNE 4 CHRIS YOUNG IN CONCERT GATES OPEN 6:00 P.M. See country music star Chris Young live in concert at the PNC Waterside Pavilion. Southern Maryland’s very own Sam Grow will open the show for the chart topping Chris Young and emerging country star William Michael Morgan. Tickets are $39 and $49 (additional fees apply). Buy tickets at www.calvertmarinemuseum. com. Museum closes at 3:00 p.m.
TUESDAY, JUNE 7, THURSDAY, JUNE 9, AND WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15 SEA SQUIRTS 10:00 A.M. AND 11:00 A.M. Pirates at Sea – Ahoy Matey! Come dressed as a pirate for this fun program and become the scallywags of the high seas. Free drop-in program for children 18-months to three years and their caregivers.
THURSDAY, JUNE 9 PUB NIGHT 7:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M. Bring your friends and join well-known chantey singer, Myron Peterson of Ship’s Company, for a rollicking evening of sea chanteys and hearty cheer. This will be a regular monthly gathering through September. Beer and wine available for sale. FREE event.
Thiscould be your view! Only one hour from Old Town Alexandria on
the Patuxent River in Calvert County, MD!
THURSDAY, JUNE 16 CHILDREN’S KALMAR NYCKEL TOURS 12:00 P.M. AND 1:00 P.M. Waterman’s Wharf located at the end of Williams Street in Solomons. Children in the 1st – 8th grade are invited to climb aboard the beautiful Kalmar Nyckel, the Tall Ship of Delaware and experience what life on a tall ship was like in 1638. The ship is a full-scale recreation of the colonial ship that brought the first permanent European settlers to Delaware. Throughout this interactive tour, guests will learn how to steer a tall ship without a steering wheel, set and douse a sail, and learn about the ships’ tools and navigation. One adult is required for every five children. Fee is $5. Purchase tickets online at www.KalmarNyckel.org or call 302-429-7447. FRIDAY, JUNE 17 TOBY KEITH CONCERT GATES OPEN 6:00 P.M. Country music legend, Toby Keith, will perform live at the PNC Waterside Pavilion. Opening the show is The Davisson Brothers Band. Tickets are $20 - $89 (additional fees apply) Museum closes at 3:00 p.m.
• $695,000 • Waterfront Property • 4 BR 2 BA • For detailed information on this wonderful place, send inquiries to office@oldtowncrier.com!
SATURDAY, JUNE 18 LIGHTHOUSE ADVENTURE CRUISE OF THE NORTHERN BAY LIGHTHOUSES 7:45 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. Participants will see six lighthouses as they cruise aboard a private charter boat. The cost is $130; $120 for members.
Lunch is on your own at Kentmoor Restaurant. Registration required at least 5 business days in advance. SATURDAY, JUNE 18 FOSSIL FIELD EXPERIENCE 9:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. Explore the fossils of Calvert Cliffs with a trained museum educator. For ages 8 and up. Cost is $20 and includes museum admission. Space is limited; preregistration required. Call 410-3262042, ext. 41. SATURDAY, JUNE 18 SUNSET SUPPER HISTORY CRUISE 5:30 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. Coby Treadway, museum educatorhistorian, will talk you through time along the Patuxent River, highlighting events that range from paleo-Indians to World War II. Enjoy a 90-minute narrated cruise aboard the Wm. B. Tennison followed by a light supper provided by Lotus Kitchen in the 3rd floor lounge. Learn more about our fascinating local history. Cost is $60 per person. BYOB. Space is limited; preregistration required; call 410-3262042 ext. 41. SUNDAY, JUNE 19 FATHER’S DAY BRUNCH CRUISE 11:30 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. Dads love being out on the water. What better way to say ‘You’re the best!’ than a brunch cruise aboard the Wm. B. Tennison. Adults $25, children 12 and under $15. Preregistration required. Call 410-326-2042, ext. 41.
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
24 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
FATHER’S DAY EVENING CRUISE 5:00 P.M. – 6:30 P.M. What dad wouldn’t fell special with this treat? Enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres cruising aboard theWm. B. Tennison. Adults $25, children 12 and under $15. Preregistration required. Call 410-326-2042, ext. 41. THURSDAY, JUNE 23 LITTLE MINNOWS 10:00 A.M. – 11:00 A.M. A Pirates Life For Me! Ahoy There Matey! Come join the crew for a pirate adventure. Wear your favorite pirate garb, choose a pirate name, select a trade, and join a pirate band. Together we will hunt for hidden treasure. For children ages 3 to 5 years old. Members are free; $5 for non-members (cash only). SATURDAY, JUNE 25 DEE OF ST. MARY’S PUBLIC SAIL 2:30 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Sail on board the Dee and experience the Patuxent River like never before! Boat leaves from the museum dock. Fee is $25 for ages 12 and up, $15 for children 8 – 12. No children under 8 please. Preregistration required, call 410-326-2042 ext. 41 to register. SATURDAY, JUNE 25 LORE OYSTER HOUSE DAY 1:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. Come learn everything you want to know about oysters at the J.C. Lore & Sons oyster house in Solomons. Travel back in time in this oyster packing house. Meet the skimmer, tie on an apron and become a shucker, try your hand at oyster tonging and more. FREE program. Also offered on July 16 and August 20. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29 PERFORMANCE BY SUPER MAGICMAN REGGIE RICE 7:00 P.M. IN THE HARMS GALLERY See D.C.’s two-time Comedy Magician of the Year. This family show is a high energy, magic production that is filled with fantastic illusions, dancing, and comedy that’s fun for all ages. Admission is $5 per person, cash or check at the door.
Experience
NORTH BEACH FARMERS’ MARKET, CLASSIC CAR CRUISE-IN & ART FAIR Every Friday through October 7, 6 to 9 pm WEDDINGS BY THE BAY Discover unique and charming waterfront venues for your wedding. OUTDOOR SCULPTURE COMPETITION & ART FESTIVAL July 23, 12 to 6 pm. Seeking artists! Prizes will be awarded! 6th ANNUAL EAT, DRINK, GO LOCAL July 23, 12 to 6 pm. Swirl and sip while you stroll & browse local produce & specialty vendors. Live music! Entry is free; tasting passes may be purchased.
TOWN HALL 8916 Chesapeake Ave 410.257.9618 301.855.6681
M YC OB OT H P CK CLO
WELCOME CENTER/PIER 9023 Bay Ave 410.286.3799
WWW.NORTHBEACHMD.ORG
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
HY AP GR O OT PH
June 2016 | 25
…TO THE BLUE RIDGE JULIE REARDON
P
erhaps you’ve seen them on the news, the hardworking search and rescue dog and handler teams that work to find missing persons. Few of us can forget the haunting images of the dogs and humans working late in the night desperately looking for survivors as they sorted through the horrific wreckage of the Twin Towers in 2001. But other than doing occasional educational demonstrations for schools and fairs, the search and rescue dog community shuns the limelight, and the members of the Virginia Search and Rescue Dog Association, based locally in Northern Virginia, are no exception.
DOG DAY AFTERNOON
“We can’t talk about specific rescues, because of privacy and the health information privacy act,” said one volunteer handler at a recent training session. Many missing persons are dementia or mental health patients; and some of the work VSRDA does is for locating human remains for ongoing criminal investigations.
The VSRDA is the Southeast’s oldest air-scenting wilderness search dog unit. Its members own and train their own dogs, and are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at no charge to the requesting government agency. Its members are highly trained volunteers that use dogs to locate missing persons in wilderness, disaster, human remains and water search and rescue/recovery missions. Each dog/ handler team trains for a minimum of one year before becoming operational to insure a professional level of performance. All of VSRDA dog/handler teams are air scent trained to locate missing persons in wilderness situations; handler training includes advanced skills in such areas as emergency first aid, land navigation, and grid searching. Some members and dogs have had specialized training in disaster response; these members received their training from and are volunteer members of the Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue Team and can be deployed immediately on all natural or manmade disaster searches. Specialty training and certification is held by some VSRDA members and their dogs for the location of human remains and related criminal evidence. And in 1979, VSRDA pioneered the use of canines BLUE RIDGE > PAGE 27
VSRDA president Robin H. demonstrating her dog Leah, a German Shephard, doing a search/find. The dog is trained to return to the handler to let her know and lead her back to the subject. First: dog takes off to search/ find; Second: dog returns to alert handler; Third: dog gets handler to follow her to the location and last is dog playing tug as reward, after the successful find of the subject.
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
26 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
BLUE RIDGE FROM PG 26
for water recovery. Specific unit members and dogs are trained to locate subjects that are either partially or totally submerged. VSRDA can respond to requests involving any body of water including lakes and seashore. In addition to the dogs’ training, each handler is certified in Advanced First Aid or as an Emergency Medical Technician. Handlers are also required to qualify in areas such as; land navigation, wilderness survival, search strategy and tactics, missing person behavior, and terrain analysis. Each dog works towards certification in various wilderness conditions. Dogs are also required to pass obedience and agility tests in addition to all their search and rescue training. VSRDA is a member of the American Rescue Dog Association (ARDA) the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR), and the Commonwealth of Virginia Search and Rescue Council (VASARCO). A love of working with dogs and the outdoors is what draws people to train and apply for VSRDA certifications. According to members, the breed of dog is less important than its drive and motivation, although certain breeds are more naturally suited to the work. These include German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and Labrador retrievers. VSDRA member dogs have also included Standard Poodles and Border Collies. “The dog has to be highly toy or play motivated,” explained Aaron P., one of the handlers at a recent training session. “The kind of dog that might be a real pain to live with if it doesn’t have a job and daily training.” Some successful search and rescue dogs have even been rescues—likely pet dogs that were given up because they were too busy and high maintenance for owners who didn’t train and work them regularly.
Members work with and train their dogs daily, usually beginning when the dog is a puppy. The training starts with basic obedience, the foundation for the specialized training the dog will learn later. Training philosophy is usually unique to the handler, since many are drawn by a love of working with dogs in general and have successfully trained dogs in other venues. Some use all positive training methods; others use a mix of positive and negative reinforcement. VSDRA president Stacy P., a native of Fauquier County, explained another difference: some of the wilderness search dogs are trained to sit and bark after they’ve located the missing person; others return to the handler to give the indication. “You train the method you want the dog to use,” she explained. She gave a demonstration of her own dog, Leah, a German Shephard who is trained to return to the handler to indicate a find. She had a friend hide in a bush, and sent Leah, who shot off like a rocket on this easy find. She sat once on locating the person, then returned to her handler, sat and barked to let her know of the find. All the handlers agreed that regardless of training method, you have to find something that motivates the dog, and use that as a reward for the tasks they perform. For some dogs, it’s a favorite toy, others like a game of tug. It’s clear from watching the dogs work that they live for this job. Those that live nearby often get together weekdays after work, and on weekends; VSRDA holds more formal monthly training sessions at various rural properties at least once a month. They’re always looking for new ground to train on; ideally at least 100 acres, with water features and structures such as barns, and no hazards such as major roads and livestock. For the handlers, clearly a
BEER. BED. BREAKFAST. VISIT THE BREWERY NEAR SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK AND STAY THE NIGHT
47 MAIN STREET • SPERRYVILLE, VIRGINIA 540.987.3383 • HOPKINSORDINARY.COM love of the outdoors is part of the attraction, because they receive no compensation and in fact, all have regular “day jobs” and work with their dogs in their spare time. VSDRA relies on donations; as a federally recognized, volunteer supported organization; 100% of donations are tax-deductible and directly support the organization’s continued operation. This month, on Friday, June 17th, Foster’s Grill in Manassas is featuring “Burgers for K9s” from 4 to 9 pm; Foster’s will donate 20 percent of the proceeds of all purchases accompanied by the voucher (see www.VSRDA. org for details) as well as other ways you can help. VSDRA only responds to search calls from state and local agencies, mainly law enforcement; private individuals cannot initiate searches, nor does the VSDRA search for missing pets. The members accept no compensation; this is an entirely volunteer organization. For more information or to make a donation, visit their website.
Visit the scenic Blue Ridge …
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 27
BEHIND THE BAR
YOUSIF KHALIL (aka JOE)
Joe serves up the infamous 6th Street Breeze — Caladonia Barr Hill Gin, muddled fresh basil and cucumber with lemon juice and simple syrup topped off with club soda. Joe is behind the bar evenings, every Tuesday through Friday. You won’t be disappointed if you stop by to say hi!
How did you get started in the bartending business? Many, many years ago I was working in the family business and slinging subs at the ole Philly Cheesesteak Factory in G-town on the side. All the bartenders from Rhino Bar and Pump House would come in and I finally went there. One day they asked me to help in the kitchen. Then at the door. Then bar backing. And then …wait for it … “Hey Joe, you wanna bartend?” What is your biggest bartender pet peeve? I don’t have any pet peeves but I do have three pet dogs. Oh, and by the way, mean and foul language people — stay away.
JOE IS BEHIND THE BAR AT BAR DECO 717 6TH STREET, NW WASHINGTON, DC 202-774-5867 BARDECODC.COM What is the most clever/original line anyone has ever used to get a free drink from you? Can I speak to a manager? What is the best/worst pick up line you have overheard at the bar? A girl asked a friend I was working with to lean closer because she
couldn’t yell. When he did, she licked his neck. Startled, he said, “What are you doing!?” She then replied, “Now we’re both wet.” Tell us about an interesting encounter you have had with a client. I served an alien, (the illegal kind)! If you could sit down and have a drink with anyone in the world (past or present), who would that be? Blanche from Golden Girls. Ooh oh oh. Chikachikaaaaa! If you would like to see your favorite bartender featured in this space, send contact information to office@ oldtowncrier.com.
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
28 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
This is where your new favorite whiskey comes from. Visit us in Sperryville. Tours daily. www.copperfox.biz
Paradise found Beautiful, wide water views from this Coles Point lot. Spend your summer weekends fishing and water skiing here ...
Coles Point is only a 2 ½ hr. drive from Metro DC.
Approximately .71 acres with 110’ water frontage on the Potomac River makes this lot a rare find! Just 2 nautical miles from the Coles Point marina in Westmoreland County, VA. County sewage and well permit already in place. Asking $250,000.
For information, call 540-751-9603
Food & Drink SPECIALS ® 713 King Street • Old Town Alexandria 703.548.1717 • murphyspub.com
CELEBRATE LIFE’S MILESTONES WITH A LOCAL FINE DINING EXPERIENCE
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 29
DINING OUT BOBTAGERT
IT’S HIS DAY!
And there’s no shortage of stellar dining options to celebrate dad For this month’s Dining Out experience we thought we would highlight our favorites and give you a little insight as to where you could take dear old dad to celebrate Father’s Day. Here, in no particular, are the best! RAMPARTS TAVERN & GRILL craft beer selection that is huge. This is casual dining at a very moderate price. RIVER BEND BISTRO
traditional Irish food and entertainment to their community at affordable prices. Hearty food at a very reasonable price and entertainment every night is the benchmark that Murphy’s has set. CITY KITCHEN
A tradition in Alexandria for over 30 years Ramparts has been a local place serving quality food at a very reasonable price. The newly renovated dining room is a calm respite from one of the best local bars in Alexandria. With different lunch and dinner special every day there is a variety from the regular menu serving great soups and salads to their focus on hearty servings of beef, ribs, pork and seafood. Prices are in the moderate range and check out their monthly specials. UNION STREET PUBLIC HOUSE
Going into their second year, River Bend has made a great addition to the Hollin Hall/ Mount Vernon area. At a very reasonable cost you can enjoy Chef Caroline’s excellent selections as well as daily specials. Even though it is located in the Hollin Hall shopping center it is worth the destination… ample free parking and a great wine selection. Simple good food and quality wines.” What more could one ask? MACKIE’S BAR & GRILL
Occupying a renovated Colonial warehouse, USPH has been serving revolutionary American cuisine in a warm and lively atmosphere since 1986. Locals and out- of-towners alike flock to the waterfront location for fresh seafood, grilled steaks, and a taste of Old Town’s “favorite tap and grill.” The Oyster Bar is one of Old Town’s best-kept secrets where you can get the freshest catch from the Chesapeake Bay. T.J. STONES A relative newcomer to Alexandria, T.J.’s made an immediate impression with their house specialty of barbecue, steaks and southern cuisine. The bar area is separated from the masculine dining room which has one of the few wood burning fireplaces. Not necessary now, but you get the idea. They have a
For true connoisseurs of good food, good friends and the perfect steak- Mackie’s is where you’ll find all three at their uncomplicated best. Serving a melt-in-yourmouth dry aged steak combined with the fun of dinner at a friend’s house...this is Mackie’s. The bar out front with all of today’s sports playing is engaging and lively while the heavy glass door to the dining room offers a quite respite.
MURPHY’S GRAND IRISH PUB Opened in 1978, Murphy’s is located in the heart of Old Town, Alexandria. This authentic Irish Pub was opened by friends and family with a passion for their Irish heritage and the desire to bring
The newest addition to the Fat City Restaurant Group, City Kitchen is inspired by foods found in cities across America with a toast to their craft brews, wines, and spirits. American food has become a blend of traditional American dishes and those from around the world. Another restaurant in a shopping center…free parking…the décor is a reflection of American industry with iron, concrete, wood, and steel. Pops of leather, bronze and copper colors warm it up along with their fireplace. DANIEL O’CONNELL’S IRISH RESTAURANT AND BAR
Born in Ireland, raised in Old Town, shipped 4,527 miles and 400 years young and called after Ireland’s greatest patriot, Daniel O’Connell. All of the furnishings in O’Connell’s were imported from Irish churches and castles. Food choices range from traditional Irish to Virginia Bone-In Pork Chop, steaks and seafood. The prices are very reasonable and the food is hearty and the Guinness is cold. DINING OUT > PAGE 31
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
30 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
PITA HOUSE
The Pita House is an authentic Lebanese, Middle Eastern Restaurant. They specialize in Kabobs, Baba Ghanoui, Hommos and Falafel. The restaurant also offers a great selection of vegetarian options and delicious Mediterranean desserts. The Pita House is family owned and has been serving authentic Mediterranean dishes since 1992. TEMPO
CEDAR KNOLL
Cedar Knoll is a historic restaurant with sweeping views of the Potomac River, and has recently reopened with a flair provided by the new young owners. The restaurant was built around a log cabin dating back to the early 1800’s, so the history is apparent from the moment you step in. The menu selections are extensive with a nod toward the unique. The view can’t be beat.
Bastille is French dining at its best. This award winning brasserie and wine bar located in old Town has continued to offer guests a contemporary spin on French cuisine set within a sophisticated yet comfortable atmosphere. Bastille’s creations are sparked by the use of seasonal, locally sourced and farm fresh ingredients.
CHADWICKS
LANDINI BROTHERS
Chadwicks is a throw back to the restaurant heydays of the 1960’s and 70’s. With one of the largest bars in Alexandria, Chadwicks has been serving up quality food in a casual environment for over 30 years. The portions are large while the price is reasonable. Upstairs seating has a great view of the Potomac River. The menu offers just about anything you want with my favorite being the Chicken Virginia…a must try.
Featuring the cuisine and culture that has made Tuscany the most popular region in Italy; the same can be said about Landini Brothers, an Old Town destination for regulars, locals, tourists and business travelers. Opened in 1979, Landini’s has been one of Alexandria’s most popular and successful restaurants. Experience the spirit and flavors of Tuscany in a casually elegant environment.
GERANIO
The Internationally famous Fish Market has been an Old Town staple since 1976! They brag about offering the best and freshest seafood in Northern Virginia. We will vouch that it is pretty darn good. This is a great place to treat Dad to an ice cold schooner of beer, oysters on the half shell, and some steamed shrimp!
Old Town Crier
Family Owned & Operated Come and Enjoy a Cozy Candlelit Dinner Carry-Out Available • Free Delivery Open 7 Days for Lunch & Dinner
719 King St. Old Town Alexandria 703.684.9194 • thepitahouse.com
BASTILLE
Located in the west end of Alexandria, Tempo Restaurant is one of Alexandria’s bestkept secrets. This elegant but unpretentious, neighborhood restaurant is where the locals dine. Tempo’s menu displays a blend of northern Italian and French cuisine, featuring fresh seafood. Owned and operated by local Alexandrians, Tempo has been a favorite destination for many.
Geranio Restaurant has progressed through a multi year metamorphosis, focusing on Italian ingredients and methodology. The cooking is a conglomeration of Chef/Owner Troy Clayton’s life-long travels and experience in Europe, Asia and the United States. The menu changes with the seasons and available ingredients. This is elegant dining in an elegant atmosphere.
“The Finest Lebanese Cuisine” –Washington Post, 2001
FISH MARKET
eat like a local!
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
June 2016 | 31
Dining Guide AMERICAN BILBO BAGGINS 208 Queen St. 703-683-0300 BITTERSWEET 823 King St. 703-549-2708 BLACKWALL HITCH 5 Cameron St. 571-982-3577 CARLYLE CLUB 411 John Carlyle St. 703-549-8957 CHADWICKS 203 Strand St. 703-836-4442 chadwicksrestaurants.com An Old Town tradition since 1979 and an original Georgetown pub and restaurant since 1967. CHART HOUSE One Cameron St. 703-684-5080 CITY KITCHEN 330 South Pickett St. 703-685-9172 fatcitykitchen.com USA City inspired menu choices that bring together traditional American and global cuisine with their own personal touch. Casual dress. $30 and under. Lots of free parking. Open 7 days a week with brunch on Sat & Sun 11-3. AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa COLUMBIA FIREHOUSE 109 S. St. Asaph St. 703-683-1776 DUTCHS GRILL (Holiday Inn) 2460 Eisenhower Ave. Alexandria, VA 703-960-3400 THE GRILL RESTAURANT/ PIANO BAR AT MORRISON HOUSE 116 S. Alfred St. 703-838-8000 EVENING STAR CAFÉ 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-549-5051 FAST EDDIES BILLIARD CAFE 6220 Richmond Hwy. 703-660-9444 FIN & HOOF 801 N. Saint Asaph St. 703-836-4700 FINN & PORTER AT MARK CENTER 5000 Seminary Rd. 703-379-2346 FIRE FLIES 1501 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-7200 FOSTERS GRILLE 2004 Eisenhower Ave. 703-725-1342 GADSBYS TAVERN 138 N. Royal St. 703-548-1288 HARD TIMES CAFE 1404 King St. 703-837-0050
BERTUCCIS 725 King St. 703-548-8500
PITA HOUSE 719 King St. 703-684-9194 thepitahouse.com Family owned and operated; carry out available and free delivery.
THAILAND ROYAL 801 N. Fairfax St. 703 535-6622
BUGSYS PIZZA RESTAURANT 111 King St. 703-683-0313 bugsyspizza.com
TOKYO JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE 66 Canal Center Plaza 703-683-8878
DELIAS MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 209 Swamp Fox Rd. Alexandria, VA 703-329-0006
FACCIA LUNA 823 S. Washington St. 703-838-5998
CAPHE BANH MI VIETNAMESE 407 Cameron St. 703-549-0800
BISTRO DU SOLEIL 1116 King St. 571-312-2754
GERANIO RISTORANTE 722 King St. 703-548-0088 geranio.net Still Old Towns highest-rated Italian restaurant (Zagat). Discerning Old Towners flock here for refined cuisine in this comfortable, yet sophisticated restaurant. With entrees from $14, there is no reason not to enjoy a selection from their Wine Spectator award-winning list, while being attended by the friendly staff of seasoned professionals. Reservations recommended and casual attire welcomed.
HUNTING CREEK STATION 1106 King St. 703-836-5126
RAILSTOP GASTROPUB 901 N. Fairfax St. 703-683-8793
RED MEI 602 King St. 703-837-0094
INDIGO LANDING #1 Marina Dr. Washington Sailing Marina 703-548-0001
RAMPARTS 1700 Fern St. 703-998-6616 rampartstavern.com
STREETS MARKET AND CAFE 3108 Mt. Vernon Ave. 571-431-6810
JACKS PLACE 222 North Lee St. 703-684-0372
REYNOLDS STREET CAFÉ 34 S. Reynolds St. 703-751-0830
JACKSON 20 480 King St. 703-842-2790
RIVER BEND BISTRO 7966 Fort Hunt Rd. Hollin Hall Shopping Center 703-347-7545 riverbendbistro.com
JOE THEISMANNS 1800 Diagonal Rd. 703-739-0777 KING STREET BLUES 112 N. St. Asaph St. 703-836-8800 LAPORTAS 1600 Duke St. 703-683-6313 LIGHT HORSE RESTAURANT 715 King St. 703-549-0533 LOST DOG CAFE 808 North Henry St. 571-970-6511 MACKIE’S BAR AND GRILL 907 King St. 703-684-3288 MAGNOLIA’S ON KING 703 King St. 703-838-9090 MAJESTIC CAFÉ 911 King St. 703-837-9117
ROCK IT GRILL 1319 King St. 703-739-2274
SANG JUN THAI 300 King Street 571-312-3377
SAMUEL BECKETTS IRISH GASTRO PUB 2800 S. Randolph St. Villages of Shirlington 703-379-0122 SHOOTER MCGEES 5239 Duke St. 703-751-9266 SOCIETY FAIR 277 S. Washington St. 703-683-3247 SONOMA CELLAR 207 King St. 703-966-3550 SOUTHSIDE 815 815 S. Washington St. 703-836-6222
MASON SOCIAL 728 Henry Street Old Town Alexandria 703-548-8800 mason-social.com
T.J. STONES GRILL HOUSE & TAP ROOM 608 Montgomery St. 703-548-1004 tjstones.com American cuisine with libations from around the world. Bar specials Mon-Fri, 4-7 pm. Brunch served Sat & Sun.
MOUNT VERNON INN Mount Vernon, Va 703-780-0011
TRADEMARK 2800 Jamieson Ave. 703-253-8640
MURPHYS IRISH PUB 713 King St. 703-548-1717 murphyspub.com Old-world Irish pub featuring a roaring fireplace, serving a variety of imported, domestic and non-alcoholic beers in a friendly atmosphere. Serving robust American-Irish meals at fair prices. Favorites include fish and chips and Irish stew. Irish-style entertainment nightly.
TRADITIONS (Holiday Inn) 625 First St. 703-548-6300
NICKELLS AND SCHIFFLER 1028 King St. 703-684-5922 NINAS DANDY Potomac Party Cruises Zero Prince St. 703-683-6076 dandydinnerboat.com OCONNELLS RESTAURANT & BAR 112 King St. 703-739-1124 danieloconnellsrestaurant.com OVERWOOD 220 North Lee St. 703-535-3340 PORK BARREL BBQ 2312 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-822-5699
UNION STREET PUBLIC HOUSE 121 South Union St. 703-548-1785 unionstreetpublichouse.com Old Towns favorite neighborhood tap and grill. Distinct southern style menu, fine steaks, fresh seafood. Sunday brunch, private parties, happy hour. VERMILLION 1120 King St. 703-684-9669
THE WAREHOUSE BAR & GRILL 214 King St. 703-683-6868 ASIAN
MALAYA 1019 King St. 703-519-3710 MAI THAI 9 King St. 703-548-0600
CONTINENTAL BRABO by Robert Weidmaier 1600 King St. 703-894-3440 BRABO TASTING ROOM 1600 King St. 703-894-5252 RESTAURANT EVE 110 S. Pitt St. 703-706-0450 TEMPO 4231 Duke St. 703-370-7900 temporestaurant.com Northern Italian, French provincial and American cuisine featuring fresh seafood, meats and pasta served in a contemporary, romantic atmosphere. CEDAR KNOLL INN GW Parkway at Lucia Ln. 703-799-1501 FRENCH BASTILLE 606 N. Fayette St. 703-519-3776 bastillerestaurant.com 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
VIRTUE GRAIN & FEED 106 South Union St. 571-970-3669
ASIAN BISTRO 809 King St. 703-836-1515
KAI ZEN TAVERN 1901 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-836-1212
TWO NINETEEN RESTAURANT 219 King St. 703-549-1141 YVES BISTRO 235 Swamp Fox Rd. (in Hoffman Ctr.) 703-329-1010 LA BERGERIE 218 N. Lee St. 703-683-1007 labergerie.com
ITALIAN
SEAFOOD HANKS OYSTER BAR 1026 King St. 703-739-HANK RTS RESTAURANT 3804 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-684-6010
IL PORTO RESTAURANT 121 King St. 703-836-8833
FISH MARKET-OLD TOWN 105 King St. 703-836-5676 fishmarketoldva.com Internationally known and locally owned! We serve shrimps, a few crabs, tall people and lots of nice people, too! Live music and lively food!
LENA’S WOOD-FIRED PIZZA 401 East Braddock Rd. 703-683-5330
ERNIES ORGINIAL CRABHOUSE 1743 King St. 703-836-0046
LANDINI BROTHERS 115 King St. 703-836-8404 landinibrothers.com Elegant, classical Italian cuisine served in a lovely historical setting. Fresh veal, homemade pastas, and fresh fish are some of the daily choices. An extensive list of wines and champagnes served in a sophisticated and friendly atmosphere.
THE WHARF 119 King St. 703-836-2834 wharfrestaurant.com "Its All About the Seafood," traditional and creative coastal cuisine.
LENA’S WOOD-FIRED PIZZA & TAP 401 East Braddock Rd. 703-960-1086 PARADISO 124 King St. 703-683-5330
FISH MARKET-CLINTON 7611Old Branch Ave. Clinton, MD 301-599-7900 INDIAN DISHES OF INDIA 1510A Bellview Blvd. 703-660-6085 MEXICAN LATIN SOUTHWESTERN
PINES OF FLORENCE 1300 King St. 703-549-1796
AUSTIN GRILL 801 King St. 703-684-8969
RED ROCKS FIREBRICK PIZZA 904 King St. 703-717-9873
LOS TIOS GRILL 2615 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-299-9290
TRATTORIA DA FRANCO 305 S. Washington St. 703-548-9338
LOS TOLTECOS 4111 Duke St. 703-823-1167
VILLA DESTE 600 Montgomery St. 703-549-9477
TAQUERIA POBLANO 2400-B Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-TACO (8226)
MEDITERRANEAN LA TASCA 607 King St. 703-299-9810 “Spring into Spain and Feast Like a King.” Offering unlimited tapas at lunch and dinner. Choice of dessert included. Lunch 11:30 am - 4:30 pm for $20.07; dinner 4:30 pm - close for $30.07. Eat a little, drink a little, have a lot of fun!
CASA FELIPE 835 N. Royal St. 703-535-7868
TAVERNA CRETEKOU 818 King St. 703-548-8688 tavernacretekou.com
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
32 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
Now open for BRUNCH Saturdays & Sundays at 10AM
G GERANIO RISTORANTE Redefining Italian Cuisine in Old Town Alexandria Dinner Entrees from $14 722 King Street Old Town Alexandria 703.548.0088 www.geranio.net
BOURBON
121 South Union Street, Old Town Alexandria 703.548.1785 unionstreetpublichouse.com
TASTE•EAT DRINK BOURBON TASTE•EAT DRINK BOURBON TASTE•EAT DRINK BOURBON TASTE•EAT DRINK BOURBON
4 Kentucky Craft Bourbons and a selection of Appetizers $35
6 pm, Monday, June13
Call for Reservations!
7966 Fort Hunt Road
(In the Hollin Hall Shopping Center)
703-347-7545 RiverBendBistro. com June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 33
CHEF’S SPECIAL CHESTER SIMPSON
JAMES DUKE IS THE CHEF OF COPPERWOOD TAVERN 4021 CAMPBELL AVENUE VILLAGE OF SHIRLINGTON 703-552-8010 COPPERWOODTAVERN.COM
JAMES DUKE
Who/what are your biggest inspirations? I draw inspiration for my work everywhere. On a day to day basis it has typically been the people I work with. Talking about food and getting excited about new ingredients and techniques pushes me forward. I read and watch documentaries about the culture of the grand tables in Europe and try to tap into their dedication and drive to excellence.
What dish on your menu are you most curious to see how it is received by your guests? I am always curious to know if people are enjoying my spaghetti squash dish. It has the most delicate balance of flavors. The dish is built to order with grilled ramps, roasted peppers, oven dried tomatoes, white wine, garlic, Grana and baby basil. It is a hot vegetarian entrée and I want to make sure that the highlight of my guest’s meal is exquisite. I taste it all the time and I trust my cooks to execute this dish on a daily basis. What steps do you take to insure that the quality of your food is of a high standard? I am constantly tasting sauces and garnishments and auditing my product. I believe in starting with the best ingredients and that means putting pressure on my distributors. Considering the volume that our restaurant does it is impossible for me alone to manage. Everyone in the restaurant has eyes on quality, from the dining room managers to the servers to the sous chefs. I create
photo: ©2016 Chester Simpson
When did you first become interested in cooking and what made you choose a culinary career? I first became interested in cooking when I was 21. I was working on my BS in psychology and losing patience. To support myself during college I was working at The Carlyle here in Shirlington serving tables, enjoying the restaurant more than my studies. That’s when I discovered that my passion was in hospitality. After consulting with my mother*, a 30 year veteran of the restaurant industry, she told me that if I was going to be serious about this career I would need to learn about food. Within a year I was enrolled in L’acadamie de Cuisine.
weekly focuses and communicate them constantly to my staff. If any chef if the world was willing to prepare a meal for you, who would that be? That is a difficult question right now because there are so many chefs I respect. I would say that Ferran Adria — one of the pioneers of modern cooking — would be my choice. His style, technique and flavor combinations in the late 90s are still considered avant guarde today.
What is your guilty food pleasure? Digiorno pizza. *We couldn’t pass up this opportunity to tell our readers who James’ (we know him as Jamie) mother is. Our longtime friend, Susan Duke Hergenrather, has been keeping the Landinis in line for more than 30 years, keeping the bar running smoothly here in Old Town! If you would like to see your favorite chef featured here, send contact info to chester@chestersimpson.com.
(l - r) Spring Spaghetti Squash, Ossabaw Pork Chop, Duck Breast, Deviled Duck Eggs, and Free Range Fried Chicken and Compressed Watermelon.
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
34 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
GRAB A BITE! CELEBRATE DAD WITH US ON FATHER’S DAY NOTHING BEATS A GOOD STEAK AND A COLD BREW!
Great Steaks
USDA Prime Cuts
Late Night Menu Available Every Night
907 King Street Old Town Alexandria 703.684.3288
Great Steaks Great Steaks uts ime C
Old Town Crier
USDA Prime Cuts USDA Pr
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
June 2016 | 35
GRAPEVINE FRANK BRITT
JUNE IS WINE FESTIVAL MONTH ACROSS VIRGINIA
Festivals are favorite outings for Virginians, particularly wine festivals. They provide opportunities to learn about Virginia’s wonderful wines and to visit some of the state’s most interesting sites. There are wine festivals in every region of Virginia this month, and we are pleased to feature just a few here.
NORTHERN VIRGINIA JUNE 4-5 VINTAGE VIRGINIA BULL RUN SPECIAL EVENTS CENTER CENTREVILLE Thirty-five years and counting, this ALL VIRGINIA event is presented by the Virginia Wineries Association. Sine 1982, Virginia’s oldest wine festival has been offering wine lovers an opportunity to taste nearly half of the state’s homegrown wineries, from the oldest and the largest to the smallest boutiques and exciting new players. The festival is a must for everyone from newbies to foodies. Try your favorite wines, find new favorites, buy bottles and cases and take them home to enjoy all summer. Great Local foods to taste from festival favorites to DC’s hottest Food Trucks. Live Music from Great Regional
Bands, all in a family friendly setting with kids activities. Tickets: $30 advance $69 VIP 7700 Bull Run Drive Centreville, VA 20121 www.vintagevirginia.com
CENTRAL VIRGINIA JUNE 11 JAMES RIVER WINE & MUSIC FESTIVAL RIVERFRONT PARK DOWNTOWN LYNCHBURG Once a campground for Monacan Indians, Riverfront Park is today a premier venue designed specifically with events in mind. And, the first event at the Park since it closed in January 2014 for major construction is the fourth annual James River Wine and Music Festival on Saturday, June 11. The festival is an opportunity to showcase Lynchburg’s
revitalized downtown and Arts and Cultural district to residents and visitors. On June 11, wine lovers will gather to taste award-winning Virginia wines, listen to “cool” music and enjoy a variety of foods from popular food trucks. An exciting new feature is the participation of noted area artists showcasing and selling their work. Tickets: $20 advance $25 at the gate $10 Non-tasting 1000 Jefferson Street Lynchburg, VA 24505 www.jarfest.com
EASTERN VIRGINIA JUNE 11 SUMMER CELERATION WINE FESTIVAL LEE HALL MANSION NEWPORT NEWS
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
36 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
11 am – 6 pm The 15th annual Lee Hall Mansion Summer Celebration Wine Festival takes place on the grounds of Lee Hall Mansion. Nine Virginia wineries will be featured with a variety of craft vendors and food will be available for purchase on site. Entertainment includes the bands Joe’s Day Off and the Rhythm Kings. The historic house will be open for touring. Tickets are $20 advance; $25 at the gate. Non-tasting tickets $10. Sponsored by the Virginia War Museum Foundation, proceeds from the festival benefit the Foundation’s preservation and education initiatives for Lee Hall Mansion, Endview Plantation, and the Virginia War Museum. Built by prominent Warwick County agriculturalist Richard Lee in 1859, Lee Hall is the only surviving building designed in the Italianate architectural style on Virginia’s Lower Peninsula. The home’s rich history illustrates the strategic importance of its location during the Civil War. 163 Yorktown Road Newport News, VA 23603 www.leehall.org
WESTERN VIRGINIA JUNE 17-18 BUSHELS & BARRELS LOCAL FOOD, WINE & BEER FESTIVAL REYNOLDS HOMESTEAD PATRICK COUNTY 11 am – 7 pm A pre-festival concert on Friday evening will precede the Saturday Bushels & Barrels festival. This is an event that demonstrates what Patrick and Henry counties have to offer, with local producers and growers on hand to showcase their wares. There will be local artists and artisans, and local food products, as well as local entertainment. Wineries are Hamlet Vineyard, Stanburn Winery, The Homeplace Vineyard and Preston Ridge Winery. Breweries include Licking Hole
Creek and the Devil’s Backbone. Reynolds Homestead was built in 1843 and is listed on the State and National Registers of historic places. It is a major venue for arts and cultural activities in Patrick County. Tickets: $15 advance $20 at the gate $40 VIP $10 Designated Driver $5 ages 13-20 12 and under free 463 Homestead Lane Critz, VA 23082 www.reynoldshomestead.vt.edu
SOUTHERN VIRGINIA JUNE 18 8TH ANNUAL WINE & ART FESTIVAL ROSEMONT VINEYARDS LA CROSSE Admission is free, so bring the entire family! Each year there is more art, food and fun than the year before! This year, over 30 artists and exhibitors will attend, including paintings, photography, pottery, jewelry, woodworking and more. Gregory’s Grill and Light It Up Concessions will offer great food options. Three $100 gift certificates will be drawn to redeemed at any artist’s booth! A $5 commemorative Wine & Art Festival glass with unlimited tastings will be available at the big tasting tent in the middle of the Artist Village. The 450-acre Rosemont Estate has been in the Rose Family since 1858, with the home place dating back to the mid1700’s. Over generations, operations have included vegetable farming, a peach orchard, beef cattle, dairy farming and commodity crops such as hay, tobacco, corn and soybeans. The first grapes were planted in 2003 and the winery was built in 2006. 1050 Blackridge Road LaCrosse, VA 23950 www.rosemontofvirginia.com
SHENANDOAH VIRGINIA JUNE 25 SHENANDOAH VALLEY WINE & JAZZ FESTIVAL FRONTIER CULTURE MUSEUM STAUNTON 1:00 – 7:00 pm The Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton is the venue for the 8th Annual Wine & Jazz Festival which features member wineries of the Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail and brews and entertainment from Blue Ridge Beverage and Blue Moon. They will be joined by a variety of food and craft vendors. The Museum tells the story of the thousands of people who migrated to colonial America, and of the life they created here for themselves and their descendants. These first pioneers came to America during the 1600s and 1700s from communities in the hinterlands of England, Germany, Ireland, and West Africa. Festival admission includes a tour of the Museum which is not to be missed. Tickets: $16 advance $20 at the door $10 Non-tasting $9 Student $6 Children 6-12 5 and under free 1290 Richmond Road Staunton Virginia 24401 www.frontiermuseum.org Frank Britt is publisher of the Official Virginia Wine Lover, an online publication that promotes the Virginia wine industry. He was the cofounder of Virginia Wine Lover Magazine and consults with a number of wine festivals. Britt can be reached at frank@ brittmarketing.com
VIRGINIA WINE TRAIL PROFILES BEDFORD COUNTY WINE TRAIL bedfordwinetrail.com The Bedford Wine Trail in the Central Virginia region includes five vineyards and wineries surrounding Bedford. BLUE RIDGE WINE WAY www.blueridgewineway.com The Blue Ridge Wine Way features eight wineries and vineyards in the spectacular mountains of the Northern Virginia region. BOTETOURT COUNTY WINE TRAIL botetourtwinetrail.com The Wine Trail of Botetourt Country features three wineries in the Blue Ridge Mountains. EASTERN SHORE WINE TRAIL esvatourism.org The Eastern Shore of Virginia Wine Trail hosts three wineries along the Land Between Two Waters. This area is a unique rural coastal environment. Hundreds of miles of Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay shoreline provide a wealth of recreational opportunities for beach-lovers, fishermen, and boaters in addition to wine lovers. FAUQUIER COUNTY WINE TRAIL fauquiertourism.com/wineries.html Fauquier County is home to 16 wineries and vineyards —each with its own unique flavors. Enjoy awardwinning Virginia wines, wine tastings and tours. SHENANDOAH VALLEY WINE TRAIL svwga.org The Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail is an association of six vineyards and wineries. LOUDOUN WINE TRAIL visitloudoun.org Loudouns Wine Trail in Northern Virginia takes you through Virginias hunt country to 23 participating wineries. CHESAPEAKE BAY WINE TRAIL chesapeakebaywinetrail.com The Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail, in the Chesapeake Bay region, highlights six different wineries. HEART OF VIRGINIA WINE TRAIL www.hovawinetrail.com The Heart of Virginia Wine Trail in Central Virginia presents several events throughout the year at four wineries located in the central region of the state. BLUE RIDGE WINE TRAIL blueridgewinetrail.com The Blue Ridge Wine Trail features five wineries and vineyards in the spectacular mountains all within minutes of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
VISITING VIRGINIA’S WINE COUNTRY Its always a good idea to call before visiting. Many Virginia wineries are small, familyowned operations and may be closed during the time you are planning to visit. If you are a group of eight or more, call ahead to help the winery prepare for your visit and to make sure they can accept groups. Most of our wineries have grape cluster highway signs within a ten-mile radius pointing the way to the winery. Many of these signs also tell you how many miles to go before reaching the winery.
GENERALS WINE & HISTORY TRAIL thegeneralswinetrail.com In 2009, 10 wineries banded together to form a new type wine trail experience. The new wine trail experience was to tie our rich wine heritage with our rich historical heritage and thus the Generals Wine & History Trail was born. MONTICELLO WINE TRAIL monticellowinetrail.com The Monticello Wine Trail leads to 24 wineries from its hub in Charlottesville. Source: Virginia Wine Marketing Office
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 37
EXPLORING VIRGINIAWINES DOUG FABBIOLI
WHAT’S WITH THE WEATHER?
W
n THREE FOX VINEYARDS JUNE EVENTS n
n 5: YOGA AT THE VINEYARD n 11: FOOD TRUCK n 18 & 19: FATHER’S DAY WEEKEND n n 25: LIVE MUSIC WITH ‘MOVIN’ ON’ n 26: UNCORK & COLOR: WINE & PAINTING CLASSES n
Tasting Room Hours - Open Year Round Thursday-Saturday, & Monday 11-5 pm • Sunday 12 pm (noon)- 5 pm
Mention or bring this ad for a complimentary tasting for two through 12/23/2010 10100 Three Fox Ln. • Delaplane, VA • 540-364-6073
A small, family winery focused on quality, sustainable farming and our community Visit us and other quality wineries on the Loudoun Wine Trail–www.loudounfarms.org Serving your local red wine needs since 2006 Open Daily 11am - 5pm Educational wine events
Fabbioli Cellars Douglas Fabbioli Colleen M. Berg 15669 Limestone School Rd Leesburg 703-771-1197 www.fabbioliwines.com
e have all experienced a rainy stretch in the past. It’s been cloudy, cool and very damp. Overall we have not received deluges of rain. Other areas like Texas and Florida have had flooding conditions and severe weather conditions. As for our situation, what does this mean for the wine vintage of 2016? It has been a slow start. Our vineyards have dodged the frost situations from earlier in the season. Some of the vineyards in the Charlottesville area have not been as lucky. The rains of May are not the end of the vintage. The key is to keep the plants healthy through this time. Once the sun comes out and the temperatures rise, the vines are ready to grow and deliver their crop. Timing is critical for our success. We look for gaps in the weather to apply the fungicides that are critical to growing our vines in these conditions. Some of the hillside vineyards can be more challenging because the ground can be steep and slippery as we drive the heavy tractor and loaded sprayer down the rows. Also, we need to keep the weeds down and the rows mowed to keep the airflow in the vineyard. The air will allow the vines to dry quicker after a rain and keep the disease pressure low. Also, in the gaps between the rain, the crews have been getting out and shoot thinning the vines, planting new vines and training the vines that were planted last year. If we can keep the leaves and clusters free of disease, we can survive the year. Warm and dry are generally the best conditions to grow quality wine grapes. Every successful grower in this region realizes that there will be losses, challenges and added expenses. This is the dance we do with Mother Nature in order to deliver what we can. So 2016 is not anything new or terrible. It’s just a little more challenging at this point and we will make it through this vintage as well. It has been a very successful year for our region’s rural enterprises. Strawberries, livestock, farm stands, hops farms, craft breweries and many other ventures all add up to an economic flow that has evolved the culture here in Western Loudoun as well as the surrounding rural regions. Respect for the local products as well as the foodie movement have given these businesses a chance to sell in smaller volumes at a higher value. They are also able to offer an experience of meeting the farmer or producer, education of the industry and business, as well as a level of collaboration between businesses to increase the customer experience. It is a win-win for all and I am very proud to say I had a hand in this effort. Enjoy the evolution of agriculture and encourage a young person to be a farmer. It’s possible to make a living and a life on the land! Doug is the proprietor and winemaker at Fabbioli Cellars in Loudoun County and has been penning this column for several years. He has been instrumental in the success of many of the Commonwealth’s vineyards and wineries.
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
38 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
GO FISH STEVE CHACONAS
OH NO! Not Another Tie D
ude, don’t get Dad another tie! He might wear it…only when you are in town or when you mention it. He really dreads having to tie one on for you! It’s Father’s Day, put a bit of thought into the gift for the guy who was always thinking of you! Klean Kanteen has been offering non-toxic watering solutions in durable and reusable containers. And now they serve up a nearly endless, up to 6 hours, hot cup of coffee in this sharp vacuum insulated splash proof to-go mug. The cool thing about this dishwasher safe mug is the lid! Easy to disassemble to clean. You don’t want to see what’s living under Dad’s lid. Get 2, one for yourself! kleankanteen.com Covering Dad from the bottom up, the comfortable and versatile Teva Kitling sport sandal protects all of Dad’s little piggies with
Bassing IN JUNE POTOMAC RIVER
It’s topwater time! Lucky Craft walkers like the Gunfish and G-Splash poppers are perfect for clear and calm water with overcast skies! Walk the dog with the Gunfish and don’t stop when fish strike! They will come back. The Lucky Craft Kelly J prop bait is a great post spawn tease! For poppers, pop and stop, varying retrieves until a cadence produces. Also try Mann’s Waker over cover. Use a follow-up, weightless stickworm like the Mann’s 5-inch HardNose Freefall worm on 10-pound test GAMMA Edge Fluorocarbon line for missed bites!
integrated toe protection! The Spider 365 rubber outsole provides, wet or dry, durable traction, and a nylon shank keeps feet stable. Dad’s feet won’t stink out the room. Kitling’s have a Microban zinc-based anti-microbial treatment for odor free feet. Water drains from the open construction. Perfect for water activities like fishing, canoeing, and amphibious hiking. teva.com Make your gift the sharpest all-season sock in the drawer. Dad would rather be fishing and the leaping fish design on the 100% American Farm to Feet Concord socks reminds him. When he takes his shoes off, wool from USraised merino sheep fights odor naturally with bacteria-resistant properties. Wool also provides temperature regulation through GO FISH > PAGE 42
A steady dose of shallow diving Mann’s Baby 1-Minus crankbaits, in craw and baitfish patterns will work over wood and grass. Mann’s Reel N’ Shad is deadly this time of year. For line, 12-14 pound test Edge on a KVD Quantum cranking rod. Pitch soft plastics like Mizmo tubes on 3/0 Mustad Tube hooks with 14-pound Edge to docks and wood at higher tides, then grass during every tidal phase. Use scents like garlic Jack’s Juice Bait Spray. Also try swimming jigs like Mann’s Stone Jigs with a HardNose Reel ‘N’ Shad around cover. Beef up tackle for this technique. Mann’s Classic ¼ ounce spinnerbaits with white skirts are effective around shallow cover. Try these and chatterbaits close to grass, wood and rock, bumping cover or snapping free from grass. With high water, cloudy skies and some chop with clear water, try a 3/8-ounce double willow spinnerbait with a firetiger skirt.
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 39
FITNESS NICOLE FLANAGAN
Build Strength and Stability While Increasing Flexibility
I
ncorporating yoga positions into your workout can greatly improve your core strength, stability and flexibility. For those of you who have never taken a yoga class, I recommend giving it a try. A yoga class will challenge you in a way that is incomparable to a strengthtraining workout. Yoga increases flexibility through various positions that act on the joints. It gently stretches the muscles, tendons and ligaments that we usually don’t focus on in a workout. For someone with limited flexibility, yoga will help to improve the range of motion that the joints can handle. Performing yoga moves will also increase blood circulation and help the body move vital fluids throughout. By gently stretching muscles and joints
as well as massaging the body’s organs, yoga ensures that blood is reaching all parts of your body. This increase in circulation improves your body’s ability to flush out toxins. With so many benefits of yoga there is no reason not to give some of them a try. Here are some moves to do on your own, or add to your existing workout that will help improve strength, stability and flexibility.
• Draw abs inward (as if pulling belly button to spine) to lift your hips up higher, keeping your face forward. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths.
The Lunge
Downward Dog
• Start on all fours with hands directly under shoulders and knees directly under hips • Walk hands a few inches forward and spread fingers wide, pressing palms into mat. • Curl toes under and slowly press hips toward ceiling, bringing your body into an inverted V, pressing
shoulders away from ears. Feet should be hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. • Hold for three full breaths
• Make this move more challenging: once you are in the V position bring one leg straight up toward the ceiling keeping your hips level. Hold each leg for three breaths.
Crow
• Starting from the downward dog position walk feet forward until knees touch your arms. • Bend your elbows, lift heels off floor, and rest knees against the outside of your upper arms. Keep toes on floor, abs engaged and legs pressed against arms. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths • Make this move more challenging: starting from beginner position, squeeze your inner thighs to lift heels off floor. • With fingers spread wide, slowly move body forward until your weight is balanced over your hands.
• Start in downward dog position. Step your right leg forward to the inside of your right hand. • Drop your left knee to the floor and lift your chest up. Keeping your right knee in line with your ankle and your back straight, place hands on your knee. Hold for 10 breaths. • Return to downward dog; switch legs and repeat • Make this move more challenging: from beginner pose, press into the ball of your back foot and lift into a standing lunge. • Straighten back leg, place heel down on floor, and turn foot out a few inches. Lift arms toward ceiling (Warrior I). Spread your fingers, turn palms in, and open up chest. Hold for 10 breaths. • Switch legs; repeat As I have said many times before, adding new things to a workout will make it more fun and help to prevent an injury due to overuse. Increasing flexibility will help improve posture by releasing some of the tension caused by stress. If yoga is not exactly your style, try taking a look at what your fitness club has to offer. Give some of these moves or a new class a try. You may just start incorporating a yoga or “Body Flow” class into your regular workout!
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
40 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
FROM THE TRAINER RYAN UNVERZAGT
Hydration Explanation
T
his month officially marks the start of the summer season. I hope all of you have cool vacations planned that include lots of physical activities. As the temperatures rise through the summer, it becomes extremely important to monitor when, where and how much exercise you should be doing along with hydrating properly. Did you know that water accounts for more than 60% of the human body’s volume? Water is so vital to life that we can survive only about three days without it depending upon climate conditions. The hotter and more humid the environment, the faster we become dehydrated. It takes as little as a two percent change in body weight to negatively affect exercise performance. For a 150 lb person, that equates to only 3 lbs! There are many factors that affect your hydration status such as:
• ambient air temp. (outside) • humidity • individual sweat rates • body temp. (internal) • exercise intensity and duration • fitness level • individual body fat percentage • existing health conditions such as cystic fibrosis, diabetes, kidney failure Dehydration can have several negative effects during exercise such as
decreased muscle strength & endurance, coordination, mental acuity, and impaired thermoregulation. One of the most important functions of water within the body is to help regulate body heat. When the body is properly hydrated, exercise will feel easier and you will typically have a lower heart rate at the same intensity than you would if you were in a dehydrated state. This is due to optimal blood volume and cardiac output to deliver nutrients and oxygen to your working muscles. There is no single “Gold Standard” for measuring hydration levels because too many factors play into how your body stores water. However, here are some general exercise and hydration guidelines to follow this summer: ✔ Try to work out during the coolest part of the day if outside (usually mornings). ✔ Weigh yourself before and after your workout. ✔ Drink about 10 ounces of fluid 1 hour before your workout. ✔ Drink 8 ounces of fluid every 15 minutes during exercise. ✔ Drink 20 ounces of fluid per pound of weight lost through sweat after exercise. ✔ Always finish a workout with a cool-down by gradually decreasing intensity.
✔ Use a cool, damp towel on the neck to help bring body temperature down. ✔ It’s better to have a sports drink (Gatorade, PowerAde, Propel) to replace electrolytes (mainly
sodium) after a prolonged workout over 60 minutes. Unverzagt holds a BS in Wellness Management from Black Hills State University. He is a Certified Strength &
Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA), and a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS) through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS).
Old TOwn denTisTry FrinetKasper,DDS Family & Cosmetic Dentistry Crowns & Bridges Invisalign • Sealants Fillings • Whitening
1203 Prince Street Alexandria, Va. 22314
703.683.0800
www.oldtowndentistry.com Hablamos Español • Same Day Appointments June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 41
THE LAST WORD FROM PG 13
unusual fighting techniques. Carl the insular contrarian then gains a new secretary named Rose, a grating Goth-looking woman who hates his smoking. She has the tendency to say inadvertently offensive stereotypes about Arabs that Assad ignores, but she also has the efficiency that begins to bring the three together as a team. In The Absent One, his second shelved case, he is on the hunt for a member of the wealthy upper crust of Danish society, Kristen-Marie Lassen, known as Kimmie, who has lived as a bag lady for years after a nervous breakdown, dropping the societal role expected of her. He has the hunch that she is the key to solving a bunch of murders committed by fellow members of her elite boarding school. They resemble the gang from A Clockwork Orange in getting their kicks from brutality and hunting exotic animals. When Carl and Assad start putting the pieces together regarding the gang’s history, they hunt these potential criminals and wealthy “Masters of the Universe.” Yet the hunters may become the hunted, with Kimmie an unpredictable hand grenade who may appear at any moment. Through Carl Mørck and his team, Adler-Olsen’s third book in the series, A Conspiracy of Faith, brings out his
sardonic views on strange religious sects in Denmark and other parts of Scandinavia. When a message in a tar-sealed bottle arrives by sea near John o’ Groats in Scotland, a police officer sees remnants of blood inside and suspects that it may contain a message relating to a violent crime. When this message is examined and identified as sub-standard Danish, it is sent on to Department Q, which works to decipher words and letters that have disappeared after the years it spent bobbing in the ocean. The assistant Rose suddenly disappears, substituting her equally weird and garish twin sister, Yrsa, whose peroxide perm and clothes are the only real physical difference between them. Yrsa’s different personality and ability to do crosswords proves a useful key in cracking the inadvertent code of the message in the bottle. During her stint at Department Q, she is very eccentric, as odd as her sister. She is one of the many secrets that lingers in the department, along with the unusual nature of Assad’s sharp intelligence and ability to fight liked a trained warrior. When Carl finds the address of Assad’s apartment, he finds that it is empty, and that Assad rarely if ever uses it. His assistant offers explanations, and Carl accepts them momentarily as he
be blown away haircuts for men & women color highlights, full & partial conditioning treatments ask about our happy hour blowout special appointments suggested– walk-ins welcome
1002 king street old town alexandria 703.683.5555 blownsalon.com
focuses on the case at hand. With the help of forensics and the team’s diligence, they begin to believe that this garbled message indicates a serial murderer, one who focuses on harshly domineering, insulated religious groups that stick to themselves and do not report missing persons. In his personal life, Carl and the therapist he respects but also physically wants begin to dig deep into his guilt and PTSD, the result of an unsolved investigation that ended in violence. He was left alive, with one colleague dead, and the other, Hardy Henningsen, paralyzed from the neck down. Desperate, Hardy asks Carl to help him commit suicide or take him away from the hospital. Feeling both guilt and tenderness, he thinks about adding another factor to his household, already overflowing with odd, random people. Adler-Olsen had now written six novels in the Department Q series, and I will continue reading them. These books are picaresque, overthe-top stories featuring quirkiness, political incorrectness, and black humor. Yet at the same time Mørck, his colleagues and opponents toss out dark insights into human nature, criminal behavior, European underworld influences and Danish society that ring true, although seen
GO FISH FROM PG 39
varying conditions. A seamless toe adds comfort. Farm to Feet socks are more than a stocking stuffer! The Concord will become Dad’s sole mate! farmtofeet.com Toss out Dad’s cutoff shorts! Wrangler Performance Hybrid Cargo Shorts wick moisture away to keep him cool and dry! Not ugly old cargo shorts either. A zippered pocket for security and a quick access flapped pocket provide fishing function. Side and back pockets are standard open style for easy access. Keep dad looking cool while he feels cool. wrangler.com On the water, keeping cameras and phones safe and dry, Flambeau’s Tuff Box Series provides heavy-duty, waterproof protection. Infused Zerust technology provides additional protection against rust and corrosion from moisture, so Dad’s stuff won’t rust. The clear box lets him see what’s inside and the tough polycarbonate protects the outside from getting in. A rubberized bumper system reduces shock. The Tuff Box gets tougher with a pressure release valve for air travel, atmospheric pressure changes and elevation variances. Also includes a quick-release lanyard with swivel hook so even Dad won’t lose it! flambeauoutdoors.com For the guy who always gave you the shirt off his back, AFTCO salutes dad with the Spangled long sleeve sun protection shirt keeping him cool and patriotic while wearing red, white, and blue. Moisture wicking and UPF 50 blocks 98% of the sun’s harmful UV rays. Keep dad comfortable and cool while showing his true colors. aftco.com Don’t forget Daddy’s hands! Hanz Extremity
mostly through this anti-hero’s very jaded lens. Adler-Olsen’s Nordic noir novels are quite different from those of Jo Nesbø, despite the authors’ similar backgrounds. Nesbø writes a more serious, carefully organized, and detailed book, with a hero who is a loner and a former addict. AdlerOlsen’s series has some relationship to Stieg Larsson’s blockbusters in commenting on society, although Larsson went into Swedish politics and societal problems in much greater depth and created a character for the ages with the amazing Lisbeth Salander. In the end, though, Jussi Adler-Olsen’s novels skate like humorous dragonflies across a scummy, nasty pond, quick-reading and enjoyable. Hamlet himself says in Act 1, Scene 5: “[M]eet it is I set it down, That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain; At least I’m sure it may be so in Denmark.” Despite some less-than-ideal English translations and exaggerated scenarios, these procedurals are quite simply bizarre and fun to read. After the third book, Adler-Olsen has left some lingering mysteries about the characters in Department Q. I want to continue to solve these mysteries about the cast of strange characters along with their peculiar and engaging cold cases.
Wear, known for keeping hands and feet warm and dry, introduces the Hanz waterproof Tap-Knit glove! Finally, answer the phone or navigate through new touchscreen boating electronics without lifting a glove. These lightweight gloves also have tiny “gripper dots” for active control to go from steering wheel to navigation screen. Pressure tested, Dads new gloves won’t leak. Hanz makes waterproof socks too! hanzusa.com Only one part of Dad left exposed. New HT lenses from polarized sunglass expert Maui Jim offer High Transmission contrast perfect for spotting the fishing hole or finding a lost golf ball, while protecting aging eyes from the sun’s mean glare! UV protection isn’t just for skin; eyes are damaged in a more permanent way from sunrays! Maui Jim’s latest style is Kumu, or show Dad you have class with a gift certificate so he can choose his own Maui Jim style. mauijim.com Dad likes to fish, but often comes home empty handed! The tell-all book Surf Fishing by David A. Brown is the A-Z, step by step, ABCs of fishing from beginner to master caster! The techniques and gear give Dad the hook line and sinker of fishing from the surf, pier or jetty! DVD included! floridasportsman. com/2014/01/15/sportsmans-best-surf-fishing/ If you give it, Dad will use it, wear it or eat it … make a good choice so he won’t think of you when he’s in line returning it! Capt. Steve Chaconas is Potomac bass fishing guide and contributing writer for BoatU.S. (BoatUS.com). Potomac River reports: nationalbass.com. Book trips/ purchase gift certificates: info@NationalBass.com.
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
42 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
FIRST BLUSH KIM PUTENS
Transitioning to Summer
A
s we prepared for our daughter’s lacrosse game, my husband and I began talking about how our grooming routines have changed as the weather has gotten warmer and the sun sunnier. The conversation turned to how best to protect his skin because he burns so easily. And, he commented on how much quicker I am getting ready. It made me think how many people are having similar conversations and wondering how best to prepare their skin for the warmer and sunnier months of the summer. With the change in weather comes adjustments in the way we care for and dress our skin. For men, the changes may actually mean more work. They may actually have to consider caring for their skin before heading out into the bright sun. While, for women, these changes might mean less work – lighter skin care products and less make-up. For women, the result may be a quicker routine. So, what must you do to get ready for summer? For starters, get a really good sunscreen. Consider two different types of sunscreen products. One that is for maximum protection. This would be a typical sunscreen product that you would use when playing sports and going to the pool or beach. Another sunscreen product would be for everyday. This would be a light moisturizer with sunscreen. A tinted moisturizer with sunscreen would be a good choice to add a little color, even out skin tone, and provide protection from the sun. Second, take a look at your skin care regimen. Even the driest of skin types need to lighten up on skin care products in the summer. I have dry, like the Sahara desert, skin in the winter, but in the summer my skin is much more moist due to the natural humidity in the air. Be sure to switch up your skin care regimen to products that are more appropriate for the current climate. Many products used during the winter months can be pore clogging in the summer. Even
though my skin is dry in the winter, I reach for much lighter moisturizers in the summer. If you have combination skin, consider only using moisturizer at night. Your skin may be naturally moist enough during the day that you may not need one. Try it out, play with your routine. If you are oily, consider more oil absorbing and mattifying products for summer. It is also important to rethink your cleansers. The humid summers in the metro area are ripe with opportunities to clog pores allowing bacteria to prevent skin from breathing. It is even more important than ever to ensure you select cleansers and toners that get your skin clean. If you are not a typical “cleanse and tone” type of girl or guy, this is the time of year to adopt these habits. The combination of both will ensure that you are getting your skin very clean and ridding it of all the bacteria that is collecting in your pores as a result of the sweat and buildup of the day. After a day of work, I cannot wait to get home and wash my face. It just feels dirtier in the summer and it is when I am most likely to have breakouts. Finally, for women, this is the time to rethink your makeup regimen. Everyone’s skin – and I do mean everyone – looks better in the summer. Most of us pick up a bit of color in the summer, even though we are not trying. And, everyone’s skin has a natural glow from the summer heat. So there is no reason to cover up your skin. If anything, it is more important to give your skin the opportunity to breathe. Make minor changes. Switch from foundation to tinted moisturizers. Go lighter on your eyes. Choose colors that are lighter, choose textures that wear better in the summer, and choose to wear less make-up altogether. Try these tips to learn if your skin performs better in the summer. And, trust your instincts when something does not seem to be working. Best of all, have a great summer! This column first appeared in the June 2010 issue.
Experience the Difference JUNE SPECIAL
RECEIVE A SPA MANICURE & PEDICURE AND GET 20% OFF ANY PRODUCTS. DISCOUNT MAY BE USED THE DAY OF NAIL SERVICES.
LULU SAGE SALON & SPA 610 Madison Street, Suite100 • Old Town Alexandria, Virginia 703.894.0709 • LuluSageSalonAndSpa.com Don’t forget about our rewards program! June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 43
SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE PEGGIE ARVIDSON
5 Irresistable Benefits of Palmistry at Work
P
almistry can be used in many professions. It can also be useful in your personal life. Here are five possibilities for you to put your palmistry prowess to work for you! Disclaimer: Don’t read someone’s hands without their permission!
In Healing Professions
I use this term for anyone in the business of helping people transform their lives. Some examples: nutritionists; medical professional but especially nurses and other front-line techs; life or business coaches; pastors; therapists; massage and Reiki practitioners; etc. If you are a healer you want the best outcome possible for your client/patient. When they see results they are obviously happy and they end up
The
referring their friends and family to you. When they see results faster than they expected they are over the moon and can’t do enough to sing your praises. Pragmatic Palmistry or Hand Analysis can actually speed up the process of whatever healing you do by helping you and your client focus on symptoms and the underlying challenge that they may be overlooking. You cut out the time it takes to get to the heart of the challenge and get to work right away, united with your client and focused on the most effective way to get results.
In Hiring & Recruiting Jobs A long time ago I was a professional recruiter in a cut-throat industry. As good as I was in that career; I could have been even more successful if I knew how to read hands back then.
Palmistry helps a recruiter or hiring director clearly see the strengths and challenges of the applicant. If you’ve narrowed your search down to a few excellent candidates for a position that will require a great deal of concentration, quiet and focus you might think twice about the person whose hands show they have a strong need for socializing in order to feel effective. Knowing this by reading his or her hands, you can have a frank discussion about the position and the toll it could take on them and maybe even point them to an ancillary position that would benefit from their gift of gab.
In Teaching Positions & Roles Teachers have so much on their plates in the traditional school system! According to my friends and family who teach, their job is part
Pragmatic Palmist PEGGIE ARVIDSON
Are you ready to use the wisdom in your hands to manifest the business of your dreams? Would you like to find out once and for all how to get out of your own way and attract love and money, using the gifts of your own DNA? Private readings, group sessions, classes and workshops are NOW available by appointment at:
Phone and Skype appointments are also available!
ring-master, part Mother Confessor and part imparter of wisdom. You may not work with school students, but if you teach, wouldn’t it be nice to know the underlying motivation for each of your students? Wouldn’t it be great to see into their feelings and thoughts so you could home in on what makes them tick in and out of the classroom? Of course you can’t create individual plans for everyone, but you can be aware of what Bobby responds to and what turns Sally off as you deliver your lessons. You’ll have an insight into who is likely to be stoic in the face of true trauma and why the class clown or diva acts the way they do. All this can be seen in the hands of your students.
In Sales Positions
Sales people have tough jobs, they spend their days being rejected and yet they get up in the morning and do it all over again. All sales people know that closing a deal is a natural outcome of building a relationship with someone who needs and can pay for what you’re selling. Building relationships requires time. If you’d like to know how your prospective clients prefer to receive information, it’s worthwhile to learn to read hands because you’ll have instant insight into their preferred ways of communicating and an understanding of their true personality. Knowing how your potential clients are hard-wired, helps you to help them throughout the sales cycle and beyond.
In Entrepreneurial Endeavors 9028 D Prince William Street, Manassas, VA • 703-392-9200 • RisingPhoenixHC.com
Entrepreneurs wear lots of hats and it can be hard to focus on specific goals.
Odds are good that the idea of picking your niche drives fear into your heart! Whether you’re afraid you’ll pick the wrong niche or that you’ll limit yourself too much by picking a niche, you’re stuck. You might feel like a plane, taxing over the runway, unable to land until you narrow your vision of your audience, niche or perfect customer. If you’re in business for yourself you either make something that changes people’s lives for the better, or you provide a service that changes people’s lives for the better. You do this because it helped you at some point in your life, right? Your favorite clients are going to be those who need the same thing and feel an awful lot like you did before your product or service came along. They may not look like you, they may not be the same gender or sexual orientation as you, but they do have at least one of the challenges that you have in your hands. So there you have it. Five spectacular ways that truly knowing and understanding palmistry can help you in your professional life. Peggie Arvidson, the Pragmatic Palmist is a healer, teacher and soul coach as well as the founder of The Profitable Alchemist Academy. She’s helped thousands of people connect with their life purpose and put it to work for them through private readings, small group classes and individual coaching programs. You can learn more & sign up to receive your free mini-reading at PeggieArvidson.com. She’s also available for private sessions at Rising Phoenix Holistic Center in downtown Manassas, Va.
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
44 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
OPEN SPACE LORI WELCH BROWN
G
rowing up, I was fortunate to be raised by a stay-at-home Mom. She was no June Cleaver by any stretch, but she did a pretty darned good job of keeping us in line. She took care of the house, the kids, the shopping, the cleaning, the whatever. Dad made the bacon, both literally and figuratively. He got up at the crack, left the house before I was awake, and was home shortly after I got off the bus. Mom was our family’s Elmer’s glue. She held us together and filled in the unsightly cracks. If there was a birthday, anniversary, or illness, she picked out the card, signed everyone’s name and put it in the mail — and trust me — she missed no one. I think she was probably sending cards to my ex-boyfriends up until she passed. She organized family get-togethers, made the phone calls, etc. The rest of us just had to know where to show up and at what time. Oh — and for sure, she confirmed that we had enough gas to get there, had cash once we arrived and wouldn’t be cold. Got your jacket? And, that’s when I was 39. Annoying, right? Except that last week, I forgot my jacket and near froze to death. Mom—where are you when I need you? You know you’ve reached middle age when you appreciate your Mom’s wisdom and desire for everyone to have a good quality fleece on hand at all times. After Mom passed, balls dropped. And that’s not the only thing. Hallmark stock dropped as well. My apologies to all the investors. It was the first year in many that I didn’t open up a Valentine’s Day card from my parents or a Mother’s Day card from my cat, Safari. (Mom—the Hume postmark was a dead giveaway even if I didn’t recognize your handwriting cleverly disguised as Safari scribble). Granted — it is not like my father was some dead beat who never lifted a finger. He was what I would call a typical 1950s husband and father. He went to work, came home dutifully every day (didn’t stop at the neighborhood watering hole). He ate a snack, took a nap and got cleaned up for dinner. He didn’t attend to boo boos, help with math equations, come up with science projects or dress my Barbie. That wasn’t his thing. He would, however, throw us in the car on a summer evening and head to High’s Dairy for an ice cream cone or Wendy’s for a Frostie. He was the neighborhood umpire to all our backyard wiffle ball tournaments. “Over the fence is a foul!,” he would yell from his spot on the cement retaining wall. He was never a big drinker, but occasionally, he would pull a Bud from the fridge after mowing the lawn or enjoy a few Jim Beam and cokes during his regular poker outings with my uncles. He was the guy that all the neighborhood kids were slightly afraid of, but
HAIL TO THE BACON GUY respected him nonetheless. He didn’t yell a lot, but when he did, you listened. Or else. Funny—all my classmates complained about being dragged to church every Sunday. My brothers and I whined because Dad woke us up early every Sunday to come out to the table for the breakfast he had waiting. Pancakes, bacon and eggs. Every. Single. Sunday. Without fail. Occasionally he would switch it up and serve scrapple. Another one of my dark secrets—I actually like scrapple. Now that I’m an educated consumer, I can’t bring myself to buy it, but that’s another story. Sunday morning breakfast was a Welch family ritual of its own sacred kind. Hard to believe I ever complained about someone making me pancakes, but trust that it was sorely missed when he wasn’t around which was rare. When I was
about 8, his union went on strike. Dad didn’t want to break the strike, but he had a family to feed. He left for Canada to find work, and was gone about 6 weeks. I still have the silver maple leaf pendant he brought back for me. Mom’s passing in 2006 brought a lot of change to our family, but especially to Dad. He lost his wife of 52 years and was left to fend for himself — which he hadn’t done for a long, long time. Initially, I tried to carry the torch. I made the hour drive out to their place every weekend, stopping at Bloom on my way to load up on food for the week. I’d buy things that I thought would be easy for him to make on his own and also make him a few dishes to eat throughout the week. I did some laundry, cleaned, and convinced him to hire someone to come in a couple times a month to clean. I worried about him when I wasn’t there. I hoped he remembered to turn the stove off and visualized him falling down those steep wooden stairs to the basement. Turns out — he lived the lessons he taught me my entire life. When life hits you between the eyes, you pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep on truckin’. And that is what he did. He never complained or wallowed or made us feel guilty for not being around more. He showed us how independent and strong he was — which we already knew, but had never really seen in action. At 76, he made new friendships and built a social life. Within a couple of years, he met a lady friend who became his companion. At 82, they threw us all for a loop when they packed up two households and moved to Pensacola to begin another chapter. Dad now makes the calls. At least weekly. We chat, talk about the weather, my job, his pool (color me jealous), the usual stuff. Recently, my oldest brother was diagnosed with a serious illness. Dad calls him daily to check in on him. He also insisted on going to visit him which meant getting on a plane by himself (at 86), traveling several states away so he could show his support and give him a hug in person. I sure do miss my mom, but I am beyond grateful to have this guy around who is still teaching me lessons about how to live a courageous, purposeful life. Fatherhood ain’t for sissies. I’ve watched my own husband navigate his share of challenges. I’m sure there are a lot of great Dads out there who don’t always feel appreciated or respected — and many of whom are forced to wear the Mom hat too. They might not be dodging land mines or rescuing kittens out of burning buildings, but they are heroes all the same. Happy Father’s Day! June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 45
T
WELCOME, SUMMER!
Holding Out
Embracing Peace
Forever Marilyn
your households. In fact, he was working here is always something cool going in the family business until he was fired on here at National Harbor. No one by his uncle in 1962. It is obvious that his could ever say this is a boring place creative side was calling so his dismissal to live or visit! Some time in early was probably a good thing! May the sculptures pictured here He is best known for his trompe l’oeil popped up randomly on the corners of the painted life-size bronze statues, which are intersection of American Way and Fleet actually castings of living people of all ages Street. There appears to be quite a bit of BY LANI GERING engaged in day-to-day activities. A good mystery behind them since I was unable example is “Holding Out.” He also has his to get any official information about their hand in creating statues of famous icons, the likes of final destinations. All I do know is that there is “Forever Marilyn” and “Embracing Peace.” I am happy a total renovation of American Way in the block to have them here and hope there are plans for many between Waterfront Street and Fleet Street going more to be placed around the Harbor. on right now and these fun pieces of art are part of Friday nights during the summer have taken on the final plan that is supposed to be completed this a life of their own. In years past, we were treated to September. “Embracing Peace,” “Forever Marilyn” and live concerts by local musicians every Friday night “Holding Out” are the work of J. Seward Johnson, but this season things have changed. Now referred to well-known sculptor of our very own “Awakening” as Summer Fridays, the activities begin at 4 pm on down on the Plaza. Johnson is a member of the the astro turf on the Plaza. There are all sorts of lawn successful Johnson & Johnson family of whom I games including bocce, corn hole, tic-tac-toe, and am sure you all have a couple of their products in jenga.
NATIONAL HARBOR JUNE EVENTS
Visit www.NationalHarbor.com for more information and holiday itineraries. SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS THRU OCTOBER Farmers Market American Way 10 am - 5 pm Miller Farms Farmer’s Market returns to National Harbor with their wide array of fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, beautiful flowers and plants, and much more. TUESDAYS THRU SEPTEMBER Turbo Kick/Cardio Kickboxing On the Plaza, 7-8 pm FREE! Compliments of No Excuse Workout WEDNESDAYS THRU SEPTEMBER Family Fitness Class On the Plaza, 10 - 10:30 am FREE!
Compliments of No Excuse Workout Hip Hop Zumba Class On the Plaza, 7-8pm FREE! Compliments of No Excuse Workout SATURDAYS THRU SEPTEMBER Yoga On the Plaza, 9 - 10 am FREE! Compliments of No Excuse Workout
SUMMER FRIDAYS THRU SEPTEMBER On the Plaza, 4 - 8:30 pm New this season! Join your friends for one of the many lawn games the likes of bocce ball, corn hole, yahzee, tic-tac-toe and jenga! Games start at 4 pm. From 6-7 pm Bobby McKey’s Dueling Piano Boom Box will be on hand. The evening rounds out with a DJ and dancers handing out give aways! FREE! SATURDAYS THRU SEPTEMBER Salute the Sunset Concert Series On the Plaza, 7 pm FREE! World-class performances by bands from the nation’s Armed Forces at National Harbor will stir the hearts and souls of civilians and military personnel alike, while their tuneful stylings in a variety of genres please music lovers of all ages. 4th USAF Singing Sergeants 11th USN Country Current 18th USAF Concert Band 25th USAF Strings
Bobby McKeys Dueling Piano Bar will have its mobile piano “Boom Box” providing entertainment between 6 and 7 pm and the evening rounds out with music provided by local DJs and dancers handing out giveaways until 8:30. Check out the calendar of events in this section for featured movies on the big screen and the schedule for the Saturday Military Concerts. At the time of this writing, Brother Jimmy’s BBQ and the Irish Whisper — located in the former Harrington’s Irish Pub space on Fleet Street — were still in the throes of construction. We were hoping for a Memorial Day weekend opening but it is looking more like the middle of June before they will be up and running. These new dining and drinking spots will be a great addition to the line-up along Fleet! Our friends at Bond 45 and Fiorella’s are all geared up for outdoor dining and both have stellar waterfront views! Come to the Harbor and play for the day or spend an evening under the stars. There is always something new popping up!
Movies On the Potomac On the Plaza Nothing says summer like an evening under the stars—and there’s no better way to enjoy the season than a Date Night at National Harbor. Join us on the Plaza every Thursday night and Family Night on Sundays. Pack your chairs, grab food to go from one of our delicious dining establishments, and meet us at the Plaza screen for a FREE evening of fun for all ages!
FAMILY NIGHT • 6 PM 5th Meet the Robinsons 12th Toy Story 3 19th Maleficent 26th Minions 17TH & 18TH BEER BOURBON & BBQ FESTIVAL 6 pm - 10 Friday Noon - 6 pm Saturday What’s Cooking: All guests receive a souvenir glass for tastings The first 200 guests in line for each session receive a free collectible BBBBQ bag to celebrate the show All you care to taste beer & bourbon tastings as you stroll from table to table and tent to tent.
DATE NIGHT • 7 PM 2nd Crazy Stupid Love 9th Interstellar 16th Hitch 23rd Dirty Dancing 30th Viewers Poll
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
46 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
HAVE BREAKFAST WITH A PIRATE Capt’n Bones Buccaneer Breakfast Join Capt’n Bones for the finest fare on the Potomac River! After filling up your belly, join our pirate crew for games, arts & crafts and more! 7:30am and 9:00am Saturdays & Sundays all summer long.
It’s all part of SummerFest only at Gaylord National Resort. Find out more GaylordNational.com/SummerFest 201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD 20745 I 301-965-4000 Located just across the River in National Harbor, MD
BENEFITING
Enjoy Great Food & Fun For One Great Cause. The Walrus Oyster & Ale House • Granite City Food & Brewery • Old Hickory Steakhouse McCormick & Schmick’s • McLoone’s Pier House • The PEEPS® Store and more
June 26th | 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. Tickets available at www.TasteofNationalHarborEvent.com $35 Per Person & $60 Per Couple
*Must be 21 years or older and present this printout, your confirmation number and a valid U.S. ID. E-ticket must be presented to upon arrival. Non-transferable ticket if lost. It cannot be replaced or redeemed for cash. Photocopies will not be accepted. Offer is not retroactive and subject to availability. Other restrictions may apply.
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
Old Town Crier
June 2016 | 47
Potomac
RiveRboat
comPany
SightSeeing – Private CharterS – Water taxiS
private yacht charter Cruise the waters of the Potomac River with its postcard views of the DC skyline. Business entertainment, private parties, weddings, birthdays and anniversaries are our specialties. We take the art of entertaining to a whole new level, no matter what the occasion. You and your guests will remember the cruise for years to come. Quality service begins with custom planning to suit your needs.
alexandria – national harbor Water taxi
washington by wateR monuments cRuise
National Harbor is a waterfront destination across from Alexandria. Round-trip and One-way service provided.
Enjoy our nation’s monuments and historic landmarks on a narrated cruise between Old Town Alexandria and Georgetown Washington D.C.
george WaShington’S mount veRnon by wateR cRuise
Water taxi to the national Mall
potomac belle Docked in Old Town Alexandria
For reservations and additional information
703-868-5566 • potomacbelle.com “What a perfect evening you provided for my guests from out of town and out of the country. Your crew was helpful and professional, from working with my caterer to keeping safety uppermost.”
NATIONAL HARBOR DINING GUIDE AC LOUNGE 156 Waterfront St. 301-749-2299 BOND 45 149 Waterfront Street 301-839-1445 BREWS & BITES Capitol Wheel Pier 301-749-1300 CADILLAC RANCH 186 Fleet St. 301-839-1100 cadillacranchgroup.com
Arrive by boat and spend the afternoon exploring the 45-acre estate, grounds, Museum and Education Center.
For additional information, visit our ticket booth located in the Alexandria City Marina, behind the Torpedo Factory Art Center.
703.684.0580
CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL 158 National Plaza 301-749-2016
McCORMICK & SCHMICK 145 National Plaza 301-567-6224
CRAB CAKE CAFE 140 National Plaza 240-766-2063
McLOONES PIER HOUSE 141 National Harbor Plaza 301-839-0815 mcloonespierhousenh.com
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
Arrive in style at the National Mall to view the Roosevelt Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, World War II Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and more!
NANDO’S PERI-PERI 191 American Way 301-567-8900 NATIONAL PAST TIME SPORTS BAR & GRILLE Gaylord Resort 301-965-4000 gaylordnational.com
|
ww ww w . PP o ot to om ma ac cR R ii v v ee R R bb o oa at tc co o. c co om m w
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 publichousenationalharbor.com
ROSA MEXICANA 135 Waterfront Street 301-567-1005 SAUCIETY AMERICAN GRILL 171 Waterfront Street 240-766-3640 THAI PAVILLION 151 American Way 301-749-2022 WALRUS OYSTER & ALE HOUSE 152 Waterfront Street 301-567-6100
REDSTONE AMERICAN GRILL 155 National Plaza 301-839-3330
June is Adopt a Cat Month!
48 | June 2016
Old Town Crier
Three Magic Words Outdoor. Waterfront. Dining.
The moment we’ve all been waiting for is here. Days are getting longer, nights warmer. Outdoor waterfront dining will soon be on display at Cedar Knoll. Stay tuned for our patio opening.
Food & Ambience Deserving of Its Waterfront Address Sunday Brunch 11-2:30 • Happy Hour 4-6:30, Tuesday-Friday • Dinner 5-10, Tuesday-Sunday Now Open for Lunch 11-2, Thursday-Saturday
9030 Lucia Lane Alexandria, Virginia 22308 • 703-780-3665 cedarknollva.com • reservations@cedarknollva.com
G
leonardtown A great place to spend the weekend! et a taste of Southern Maryland at the Port of Leonardtown Winery. Winer Paddle the McIntosh Run water trail. Enjoy a sunset along Breton Bay. Dine at an outdoor cafe. Located conveniently in the heart of St Mary’s.
DON’T MISS THESE GREAT EVENTS!
St. Mary’s Crab Festival June 11, 2016 Southern Maryland Film Festival July 15-16, 2016
visitstmarysmd.com/leonardtown
Just a short drive south of D.C., and along the Patuxent Wine Trail.