Old Town Crier- August 2016 Full Issue

Since 1988 • Priceless

August 2016

From the Bay to the Blue Ridge

Road Trip

BERRYVILLE, VIRGINIA Dining Out

BOND 45

Italian Grill & Bar Personality Profile

BILL ROSS

Boat Captain, Restaurateur, Friend Business Profile

JUNCTION BAKERY & BISTRO The New Kid on the Block Grapevine

KESWICK, VIRGINIA’S CASTLE HILL CIDER A Refreshing Alternative

oldtowncrier.com

august’16 A Division of Crier Media Group OTC Media LLC PO Box 320386 Alexandria, VA 22320 703. 836.0132

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

Worth waiting for!

PUBLISHER Bob Tagert

46

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

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Personality Profile

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First Blush

43

Pets of the Month

17

Fitness

40

Points on Pets

16

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From the Bay…

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Publisher’s Notes

28

From the Trainer

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Road Trip

11 3

5

Financial Focus

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Gallery Beat

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Social Media Message

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Caribbean Connection

18

Go Fish

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Spiritual Renaissance

44

Chef’s Special

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Grapevine

36

The Last Word

13

Civil Discourse

9

High Notes

12

To the Blue Ridge

25

Dining Guide

32

National Harbor

46

Urban Garden

Dining Out

29

On the Road

1

Exploring Virginia Wines

38

Open Space

45

Business Profile

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© 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.

About the cover On the road with OTC Sunny enjoying the surf and sand in Malibu, Calif. Sunny is longtime OTC friend Penny Lalich's grandpup. Photo by Bonnie Lalich

Old Town Crier

David and Linda Allin, Grand Junction, Colorado residents and long-time subscribers and friends of the Crier, took to the road, with OTC in the northern Rocky Mountains, to take in some of the sights preserved by the National Park Service. Happy 100th, NPS! 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.

August 2016 | 1

PUBLISHER’S NOTES BOB TAGERT

M

AN ALEXANDRIA

ORIGINAL! Alexandria’s Renowned Neighborhood Restaurant and Bar Featuring Creole and Cajun Specialties

JOIN THE TRADITION!

ESTABLISHED 1985 3804 Mt. Vernon Avenue • Alexandria, VA 703-684-6010 • rtsrestaurant.net

LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS

2 | August 2016

OLD TOWN FARMERS MARKET

MARKET SQUARE • 301 KING ST SATURDAY 7 A.M. – NOON, YEAR ROUND Free parking in Market Square garage during market hours People who come to Alexandria on Saturday mornings find themselves in a busy plaza where local farmers and artists have been selling their products since 1753. Old Town Alexandria’s Market Square is thought to be one of the nation’s oldest continually operating farmers markets, serving as a primary source of meat,

an, is it hot!

July certainly earned the reputation as the hottest month of the year. Hopefully in August the temps will begin to decline. No worries, the days are getting shorter and the next three months are the ones to really enjoy. There are a lot of fun events to look forward to in the next three months. Solomons Maryland will be hosting their annual Plein Air art festival in mid September. St. Mary’s County in Maryland will be presenting the 50th anniversary of the popular Oyster Festival in October at the fair grounds. Look for articles about both of these popular events in the September issue of the Crier.

We have received many comments on our question in the last four issues of this publication concerning the future of the Confederate Civil War statue at the intersection of South Washington Street and Prince Street. Next month we will compile the responses and print excerpts since there are way too many to publish. We will make the entire responses available on our online version at oldtowncrier.com. There wasn’t one vote to remove the statue! That should send a message.

We also would like to welcome aboard our new advertisers, the Wharf and the Warehouse restaurants as well as Solid Kitchen and Bath. If you are looking for some of the best southern cuisine and seafood, visit these two established restaurants and for that remodel of your kitchen or bath call Ike at Solid.

Enjoy August and enjoy reading this issue of the Old Town Crier. For those of you who prefer digital reading go to oldtowncrier.com to read the entire issue and also look for the Pokemon stuff.

Stay cool during these “Dog Days of Summer” just like my dog pal Cayman and I are in the above photo! It is a good time to get out on the water!

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 AVES SATURDAY 8 A.M. – NOON, YEAR ROUND The Del Ray Market is producer grown, with fresh vegetables and fruits in season. All year round, this market offers meats, eggs, fresh pasta and sauces,

Amish cheese, yogurt, bakery goods, eggs, jams and jellies, fancy nuts and bakery goods.

OLD TOWN’S NEWEST FARMERS MARKET

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

Old Town Crier

SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGE ASHLEY SCHULTZ

Social Media Politics

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ampaigning has changed from the times of passing out buttons and hanging flyers. Now it is all about tweeting and posting on various social media platforms. Social media sites are frequently visited more than the actual websites of the candidates. Why has this platform become so essential in a

political campaign?

Social Media allows others to share their opinions whether or not they agree with the policies of the candidate. Everyone can voice his or her opinion of the issues a candidate might present by posting a comment or simply hitting a “like” button.

With the campaigns run this past year, social media has been in the forefront in “making or breaking” a campaign. We have seen Donald Trump’s “tweets” showcased almost every day. This shines a light on his campaign and becomes water cooler talk the next day. He is known not just because of his behavior, but also because of his tweets.

Social media has provided the areana for constant banter between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. She has been able to reciprocate his insults over Twitter or Facebook and vice versa. This allows the public to see the relationship and personalities of the candidates.

Social media is a campaign tool just as effective as a T.V. advertisement or a radio ad. Facebook and Twitter allow candidates to appeal to a younger crowd. Many people feel as though following a candidate on a social media site provides a more personal relationship with the candidate. Social media has allowed content to be broadcast to those that might not ordinarily be interested in political issues.

Although social media is the enabler of many break-ups and lost jobs, it also provides many Americans an opportunity to be educated on political issues. Just be sure to check your sources!

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WHEN: 10 Days, August 19-28, 2016 WHERE: Neighborhoods throughout Alexandria, Virginia, including Old Town, Del Ray and the West End

ALEXANDRIA SUMMER RESTAURANT WEEK

Old Town Crier

HOW: $35 three-course dinner OR $35 dinner for two; select locations offering lunch from $10-20 per person INFO: www.AlexandriaRestaurantWeek.com 703-746-3301 This semiannual event spans two weekends, making it an extraordinary time to transform Restaurant Week into a delicious Restaurant Weekend with special rates at luxurious hotels just steps from eateries.

To find hotel information, go to www.VisitAlexandriaVA.com/Hotels

August 2016 | 3

PERSONALITY PROFILE BOB TAGERT

Bill, left, and I during the Inaugural Old Town Crier Cup, 1996

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his will be fun. I have known Bill Ross since the mid 1980’s and we have spent many days on sailboats both large and small.

He has been an integral part of the fabric of Alexandria in business, volunteering and charity work for the last thirty years. He has also been my friend.

Returning to Maryland, Ross attended the University of Maryland where he graduated in 1976 with a degree in Advertising Design. His first job was in 1976 as an intern at WTTG, a local television station. Back in those days cable was in its infancy and there were only four television stations in the Washington D.C. market. In

BILL ROSS

Boat Captain, Restaurateur, Friend Born in Baltimore on August 24, 1950, Bill spent his formative years in Baltimore graduating from Brooklyn Park High School, which closed its doors in 1990. In 1969 Bill enlisted in the U. S. Navy reaching the rank of Petty Officer before being discharged 4 years later.

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two years Ross was made Art Director of the station. In the 1970’s, WTTG was one of the leading independent stations in the country, running a broad lineup of cartoons, off-network sitcoms, first-run syndicated shows, older movies, local newscasts and locally produced programs. The most

Bill aboard the George Washington (above), and the George Washington on the Potomac

popular show, Panorama, was one of the first afternoon talk shows on TV. The show was hosted by John Willis, Maury Povich, and later by Ross’s friend Jackson Bain. Today, WTTG is one of Rupert Murdocks Fox stations.

After leaving WTTG, Ross worked as general manager of various graphic companies in the Alexandria area. It

was during this time that Ross met Bill Harris, founder and owner of Letter Com, one of Alexandria’s largest mail houses and printing businesses.

Letter Com had no in house graphics PERSONALITY PROFILE > PAGE 42

Old Town Crier

BUSINESS PROFILE BOB TAGERT

MEET ME AT THE JUNCTION! Junction Bakery & Bistro

JUNCTION BAKERY & BISTRO 1508 MOUNT VERNON AVE ALEXANDRIA, VA 22301 703-436-0025 JUNCTIONBAKERY.COM

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ast month the long awaited Junction Bistro & Bakery opened in the space formerly occupied by Mancini’s on Mount Vernon Avenue in the Del Ray area of Alexandria. Noe Landini was looking to open a bakery to supply fresh breads to their restaurants, Landini’s and the Fish Market in Old Town as well as their new project, Bar Deco, in D.C.’s Chinatown. The idea began to take form when Noe was introduced to Nathan Hatfield, a very good friend of Landini bartender Tami Hatridge. Hatfield had previously worked for Le Diplomate, Society Fair and Restaurant Eve. The more the three talked, the more Junction took shape and the Bistro/Bakery was opened in mid-July with Hatfield as chef and head baker and Hatridge resigned her position at Landini’s to take over general manager responsibilities at Junction.

For the first month Junction worked on a soft opening and was only open from 7 am to 3 pm. The bistro/café was busy from day one and the bakery began their operation at 3am in order to make the breads and pastries for

Old Town Crier

Margaret and Nathan Hatfield and Tami Hatridge

their restaurants. Hatfield has standing orders from other restaurants as soon as they can get the operation working smoothly and they can handle the increased load. By that time the bakery will be operating around the clock.

Hatfield is also the chef for the kitchen and is assisted by his wife Margaret, who is also a chef as well as an instructor at the Academy de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

As I write this piece, the Bistro is serving their first dinners to family

and friends, and by the time you read this Junction will be open from 7 am to 10 pm serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and brunch on Saturday and Sunday.

The lunch and dinner menus offer small and large plates, sweets and food choices for the “little ones.” Small plates range from vegetables and salads to soups and the large plates from smoked turkey and roasted chicken breast to short rib grilled cheese to confit chicken leg and thigh.

The dinner menu will mirror the lunch menu but will offer more choices.

The coffee served at Junction is made in Culpeper, Virginia by a local roaster. The company is called Commonwealth Joe and their coffee is terrific. I have gotten in the habit of stopping by every morning for my cup of Joe. They also provide the new kick in coffees…nitro cold coffee. This is high test, nitrogen infused coffee out of a beer tap. Not only does the nitro coffee taste great, it will certainly give you a boost.

To make this a true family business, Noe’s wife Kimberly has established the Grateful Juice Co., which makes fresh, natural fruit juices in an array of flavors. They are dedicated to “putting the best things into your body, to get the most magnificent version of you”.

The juices are made daily and are also available at Zweet Sport Yoga Studio in Old Town.

Even though it was a soft opening, the Junction Bistro & Bakery is well on its way to becoming one of the more popular stops along the avenue. If you haven’t been, stop by and “Meet me at the Junction!”

August 2016 | 5

FINANCIAL FOCUS CARL M.TREVISAN, CFP© & STEPHEN M. BEARCE

Seniors: Helping Prevent Investment Fraud

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rotecting your retirement nest egg and sustaining your retirement income are challenging enough.

Taking precautions to help guard your investments from fraud is important.

People who are older can be common targets for fraud and financial crimes. Scam artists and unscrupulous sales people target seniors, who are often seen as: • Generally trusting • Home alone during the day • Accustomed to answering the door or the phone • Reluctant to report fraud • Confused by online ads and offers Scam artists are well aware of these common perceptions and often use these tactics: • Phone calls • Emails • Personal sales pitches • Pop-up ads on the Internet Here are a few guidelines to follow that may help protect you or a loved one from investment fraud.

Proceed with Caution

Don’t jump into an investment. Slick websites, smooth-talking solicitors, high pressure sales pitches, and extravagant promises can be misleading.

Before investing in any investment product or service, it’s important to consider your overall financial situation. Is the product or service right for you?

Be aware of your liquidity needs, fees, and costs associated with an investment.

Consider your income needs and the overall risk you can afford to bear with any investment.

Beware of Misleading Information

There is some wisdom to the old adage, “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”

Offers of an investment with an above-average rate of return or income rate and little-to-no risk are almost always deceptive.

Some representatives and salespeople may use

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scare tactics to gain access to seniors’ savings and investments. They may threaten physical or financial harm, use intimidating statements, or call repeatedly.

Be wary if the solicitor asks you not to tell anyone else about the investment, tells you it is a one-of-a-kind deal, or that other people (maybe even dropping the names of prominent people in the area) have already bought in to the arrangement.

Services described as a “limited-time offer” or any person who pressures you to make an immediate investment decision should also raise a red flag. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or to seek a second opinion.

Beware of guarantees to make money or to achieve a guaranteed rate of return. Con artists often use promises of

high returns to lure people into financial scams.

Few Things in Life Are Free

For example, seminar invitations that come with an offer of a free meal may seem appealing. However, some of these seminars turn into highpressure events where you may be given bad advice or be pressured to open an account that is not suitable for your financial situation.

Skepticism Is Healthy

Contact your law enforcement agency immediately if you suspect an individual or organization is employing fraudulent actions.

Investment fraud can take many forms. There are Ponzi schemes, for example, where fraudsters advertise high rates of return on client investments. High

payouts may continue until new investors are no longer available. Then the scheme and all the money disappear.

Other common schemes to watch out for: • pyramid schemes • scams involving coins and precious metals • ownership interests in oil and gas interests • viatical scams (known as “cashing out” of a life insurance policy, or a “living benefit”) • affinity fraud through community groups, clubs, and even places of worship Healthy skepticism is a wise strategy for seniors when approached by any person with a sales pitch.

What to Do

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Old Town Crier

URBAN GARDEN JIMMY DEATON

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his month I’m not focusing on tips and tricks or what we have accomplished — and haven’t, for that matter — in the garden. I want to focus on what gardening does for one’s soul — whether in the form of veggie gardening, growing flowers, taking care of one’s houseplants or practicing the ancient art form of bonsai. We all strive for one important thing in doing so, and that is to have some peace and tranquility in our lives.

For myself, my past is far from perfect. Believe me, I have more than my share of skeletons in the closet.

Born (in 1962) and raised in Prince George’s County, Md., I was a wild child, especially in the 70s and early 80s. Been there, done that, is all I’m going to say for that time period.

As I got older in the 90s and raised a family, I realized it was time to settle down and I got back into gardening.

Old Town Crier

It was a way of attaining a Zen-like atmosphere. I was so happy to be out working in the vegetable garden or transforming the landscape — it brought me peace of mind. Gardening has also allowed me to reconnect with my deceased grandmother

So what does gardening mean to me?

It’s a time to relax and enjoy what Mother Nature has produced during the eons this planet has been around.

To savor the sights and sounds of a gentle breeze rustling a plants leaves

The Zen of Gardening who raised me from birth. She was an avid gardener both outside with vegetables, fruits, roses and her bed of bearded iris as well as inside with her houseplants. Grandma was awesome!

I still use many of her tricks to get the results I do. While the newer generation is pushing gardening to the next level, it pays to listen to those old timers — their methods are tried and true to the bone.

or the buzzing of a bee as it collects the much needed pollen he (and we humans) need to survive. The beauty of a butterfly as it transforms from a caterpillar into a beautiful piece of art or the melody a song bird produces as it sits perched on a tree branch enticing one’s ear with a song from nature. It’s a chance to reconnect with the earth and produce your own food to feed yourself and family. Or maybe

it’s to savor the sweet smell the cut flowers that you grew from seed. It’s a time to turn off the cell phone and get away from the fast pace of everyday living.

I hope that the images I have provided for this column — which have come from our yard — will stir something in you. There really is something very satisfying knowing that you brought a seed to life, nurtured it and then collected its offspring to carry on its legacy year after year.

No matter what kind of gardening you may do, I hope you, too, can attain the peace and tranquility I cherish.

Questions or comments about Urban Garden or a garden question for Jimmy: office@oldtowncrier.com. Write “Urban Garden” in the subject line.

August 2016 | 7

A BIT OF HISTORY SARAH BECKER©

Neighborhood Composition Rule

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n 1932 America was in the throes of the Great Depression.

Thirteen million people were unemployed and, because of this, newly elected Democratic President Franklin Roosevelt was given unprecedented authority to jumpstart the economy. His first 100 days, starting March 4, 1933 were action packed.

Roosevelt traded Jim Crow and his newly created Neighborhood Composition Rule for Democratic passage of New Deal legislation.

The Neighborhood Composition Rule assured southern Democrats, segregated cities like Alexandria that the new federal presence would not alter the existing racial composition of any given project area.

“The southern attitude toward the Negro provides the bedrock of southern sectionalism,” V.O. Key, Jr. wrote. “Democratic Congressman Howard W. Smith, of Alexandria, was even more extreme than Virginia Democratic Senator Harry F. Byrd.” Southern Democrats, typically segregationists voted as a Congressional bloc 85% of the time.

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The Public Works Administration was created soon after passage of the National Industry Recovery Act of 1933. It was designed to make grants to Federal and local bodies for various types of construction, construction which included public housing. The PWA was a New Deal construction agency whose policies “effectively established…an overwhelmingly, inner-city, multi-family, rental nonwhite, public housing program.

“Because many urban neighborhoods then housed both black and white (mostly immigrant) low-income families, the Neighborhood Composition Rule resulted in placing all black housing projects in neighborhoods that were only partially black, further concentrating the black population.”

The victim of late-19th, early20th century segregation policies, Alexandria’s Braddock cum Old Town neighborhood (Census Tract 16) developed a disproportionate share of concentrated public housing.

The Braddock neighborhood, mostly mapped in 1798, is of two eras. Described now as diverse, it is promoted historically as black. In 1870 census data was reported by ward. In Ward Three, the Braddock neighborhood’s black population was 1,724 or 37% of Ward Three’s total. In 1924 segregated black residents were 50.88% of the population. In 1947 they were 55.98%.

The Federal Housing Administration was the first federal agency to openly support racial division. Three out of every five American homes purchased between 1930 and 1950 were financed by the Federal Housing Administration.

Fewer than 2% of FHA loans were made to non-white home buyers.

“If a neighborhood is to retain stability, it is necessary that properties shall continue to be occupied by the same social and racial classes,” the 1947 Federal Housing Administration underwriting manual explained.

“In planning diversity typically refers to mixed land use,” Bill Klein,

Director of Research for the American Planning Association explained in 2009. “But sometimes it includes socio-economic profiles, a diversity of population or outcome.” In Alexandria’s Braddock neighborhood concentrated public housing settlements are genteelly referred to as communities. On June 10, in the wake of Pierre Clark’s daylight murder, Alexandria Police Chief Earl Cook referred not to concentrated public housing settlements, but “concentrations of poverty.”

“The term deconcentration has become central to Federal housing policy,” HUD’s Journal of Policy Development and Research said.

“But what do we actually mean by neighborhood quality and income diversity? Neighborhood characteristics include access, especially to good schools and informal [referral] networks; presence of good adult role models and the absence of negative influence from peers, and low levels of crime and violence.”

In November 1941 the United States, not yet at war, “already equaled the world war I record for the number of American vessels sunk or damaged by torpedoes.” Federal workers sent to Alexandria to manufacture torpedoes found housing in short supply. The local Housing Registration Office “encouraged the conversion of Alexandria homes into multiple family dwellings as a means of relieving the housing shortage.”

In December 1941 “Alexandria’s Beverly Hills area together with the North Ridge Civic Association opposed a huge housing project favored by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Speaker after speaker, some 250 strong, warned that construction of the project would lop off more than half a million dollars from the aggregate value of adjoining residential properties.” Alexandria’s segregated Rule insured the intact survival of both neighborhoods.

The city’s first segregated public housing was constructed in 1942

in the Braddock neighborhood; the 90 unit white-only John Roberts and the still standing, 15 unit blackonly Ramsey Homes. The Federal Public Housing Authority’s prefabricated, concrete slab Ramsey Homes—“an experimental project for Negro war workers”—was leased to the Alexandria Housing Authority, now the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority, beginning November 1942. AHA acquired the Homes in 1947 and by 1957 its public housing program was “paternal in its management; crude and segregated.…”

“Inner cities will go on losing too much of the Negro middle class almost as fast as it forms until, in actual fact, the choice of remaining there no longer means an implied acceptance of ghetto citizenship and status,” influential author Julia Jacobs concluded. “In short, unslumming is at the very least inhibited by discrimination.”

Neighborhood construction continued through 1967, despite the 1954 Brown decision. In 1970 the Braddock neighborhood, Census Tract 16 was 92.2% black. Did the Braddock neighborhood gentrify or did bottledup, middle class black residents amscr?

Split by income and class?

From the City of Alexandria’s 1981 Annual Report: “The 1970-1980 population figures, by race, show that a geographical shift of the City’s blacks has taken place, so that the area immediately east of the RF&P Railroad Tracks (Census Tract 16), traditionally a predominantly black neighborhood, has lost over 1300 black residents in the decade.” Black lawyer and HUD employee A. Melvin Miller was among the middle class homeowners who fled. The 1968 Fair Housing Act, Virginia’s 1972 Fair Housing law were their path to freedom.

Scholars describe affordable housing as a means to an end. To house defense workers during world wars, to create jobs, and or to stimulate the economy generally. Today one-third of Alexandria’s Resolution 830 low A BIT OF HISTORY > PAGE 10

Old Town Crier

CIVIL DISCOURSE DOUG COLEMAN

Stone Cold Killers

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n Ambrose Bierce’s short story One of the Missing, we have a hint of how Civil War soldiers felt about snipers.

Bierce fought for the Union and speaks first-hand. The subject of the story is a Union scout sent out to reconnoiter retreating Confederates. I won’t spoil the story for you, but let’s just say that karma finds our sniper and there is a sense “he had it coming.”

The Civil War soldier, like soldiers of all ages, despised snipers. Sharpshooters were a breed apart. Regular soldiers after the first few months of the war honored an understanding that they would not be shooting at each other unless actively engaged — hence the many stories of opposing pickets getting along and exchanging newspapers, coffee and tobacco. Snipers did not take a day off and were perfectly aware that counter-snipers, artillery and ordinary soldiers were going to try hard to obliterate them once their position was discovered. If captured, it would probably not go well for them. At Appomattox, a Whitworth was recently found smashed and buried — certainly its owner did not want the accurate weapon turned against the Confederacy, but also probably appreciated that stacking that rifle on the pile might single him out for “special attention.” His apprehension is supported by remarks from soldiers in Sherman’s army, who swore death to any Confederate captured with a Kerr rifle.

The Union army copied earlier Napoleonic units of riflemen in Hiram Berdan’s regiment of sharpshooters.

To gain entry into this elite unit, each man had to put ten bullets within five inches of center shooting from a rest at 200 yards and the same offhand at 100 yards. Like the Napoleonic Jaegers and British rifle units, Berdan adopted a green uniform and black hat. Some men kept their own specialized target rifles, but standard issue after May 1862 was the .52 caliber breech loading Sharp’s rifle, fast-firing and easier to reload from the prone position than a clumsy muzzleloader. These could reliably hit a man out to about 400 yards, a little better that the standard muzzleloader’s 300. Berdan’s men were particularly effective at Yorktown, Old Town Crier

where they took credit for silencing the artillery in the enemy fortifications. In one case they kicked up sand from a sandbagged embrasure into a cannon’s muzzle; this caused a barrel obstruction and burst the gun upon discharge.

But mostly they silenced the artillery the old-fashioned way — every time a gunner (often a conscripted slave) stepped into the embrasure to load or swab, they shot him.

It does not appear that the Yankees took full advantage of Berdan’s men, as they tended to fight as a regiment rather than being dispersed to best advantage; generally they acted as skirmishers on their own front.

Once, though, this was good — they, together with the 3rd Maine, broke Longstreet’s advance at Gettysburg with accurate fire from their fast-firing breech loaders and arguably were the decisive factor in turning the tide of that battle. The regiment dispersed when enlistments ran out in late 1864.

The Confederates were a little late catching up, but in 1863 General Rodes experimented with a battalion of sharpshooters for each of the brigades in his division. In early 1864, Lee expanded the concept to his whole army. Now it was the Yankees caught by surprise and Grant soon adopted the battalion per brigade system in his army. These troops would have been armed primarily with standard Enfields and Springfields; though they were distinguished by their superior marksmanship, they should be thought of as light infantry, mobile skirmishers more than designated marksmen.

In practice, all Confederate infantry was light infantry and uncommon marksmanship was common in the Confederate ranks. Sam Watkins, who was regular infantry in the 1st Tennessee, writes how he and his buddy Tom dealt with a Yankee sharpshooter that was killing every man assigned to a certain picket post. After both were narrowly missed, Watkins “saw a smoke rising above a tree and about the same time I saw a Yankee peep from behind the tree, up above the bushes.” Pointing out the location, they waited. “Finally we saw him sort ‘o peep round the tree, and we moved about a little so that he might see us, and as we did, the Yankee

stepped out in full view and bang, bang!

Tom and I had both shot. We saw that Yankee tumble out like a squirrel.”

According to his autobiography Company Aytch, Watkins would kill a lot of Yankees before it was over, some at spitting distance.

The true sharpshooters — elite snipers — in the Confederate army were issued Whitworth or Kerr rifles when available. These were English rifles of .45 caliber, often scoped. Firing a paper-patched hexagonal bullet with a fast twist, high sectional density and a muzzle velocity of 1400 feet per second, the Whitworth was marvelously accurate, capable of 12 inch groups at a mile. Firing one from a machine rest in 1860, Queen Victoria’s shot hit 1.5 inches from center at 400 yards. Not many modern rifles will do this. The Kerrs were only slightly less accurate.

But the Whitworths were expensive and rare, with probably no more than seventy or so in service in Lee’s army at any time. Watkins, who served in the Army of Tennessee, writes about his regiment’s competition for a small number of Whitworths: “We all wanted the gun, because if we got it we would be sharpshooters, and be relieved from camp duty, etc.” The test was to see who could get the smallest group with three shots at 500 yards; “every shot that was fired hit the board.” But one guy did just a little better and became an elite

Sharpshooter by Winslow Homer

CIVIL DISCOURSE > PAGE 11

August 2016 | 9

A BIT OF HISTORY FROM PAGE 8

income public housing units remain concentrated in the Braddock neighborhood.

The 24 unit Pendleton Park Apartments and other recent set asides, including The Bradley, are in addition.

ARHA’s business model varies, and if Ramsey Homes is an example, its properties are poorly maintained.

Financial accountability is wanting and city bailouts include ARHA-Glebe Park (2008). The issue is not availability of rental housing.

It is price point; re-segregation and ARHA’s failure to consistently disperse. John Roberts was wholly off-sited.

Alexandria, in 1990, had the lowest level of owner-occupied housing of any Northern Virginia jurisdiction. Sixty percent of Alexandria’s total housing units were renter-occupied, the 17th highest in the United States. Today—25 years later—57.4% of Alexandria’s occupied housing units are renters. That said ARHA’s

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redevelopment plans, when combined with increasing land values and the failure to off-site, give Roosevelt’s Neighborhood Composition Rule new verve.

“Zoning is the filter for determining what actually gets built,” Klein reminded. “It is a local power and there are all these fiefdoms.” Fiefdom: something over which one person or group exercises control.

“Pulling poor people all in one place is terrible,” Klein who retired in 2013 concluded. “Concentrated public housing settlements are not a good idea. Residents should be dispersed.”

“The Braddock Road area has become familiar with tragedy,” The Alexandria Gazette wrote on June 16.

“The [June 8] murder is the third within the same three block radius, near the Braddock Road Metro Station, in the last year.”

In Alexandria, “public housing was first created during the 1930s to provide decent, safe, and sanitary low-cost housing…to predominantly working-class and middle-class households,” the 2008 Braddock East Plan explains. “However, over time, public housing has evolved

to house lower-income families…[today] over 83% of public housing households are extremely low income…The result is…less than desirable living conditions and other negative impacts for both public housing residents and the surrounding community.”

ARHA’s 2012 strategic plan does not include dispersal of the Braddock neighborhood’s public housing population.

It claims dispersal is hard, an off-site cost is implied, and only 50+ unit buildings are profitable. ARHA’s land parcels date from the city’s segregated past. The settlements management

structures differ; police and social services costs are rarely addressed, still ARHA residents speak publicly regarding domestic violence, murder and crime.

“If I lived here [Braddock] I would petition the Mayor and Council to disperse public housing,” a police official told the West Old Town Citizens Association on June 9. On July 2 a fourth murder occurred.

To paraphrase Johnny Cochran: if you contain it, you must explain it.

Talk with a Financial Advisor about the ways you can protect yourself or a loved one by monitoring your personal financial information and being selective in providing access to personal data.

Find out more and print out a pamphlet to read over later.

The SEC has prepared “Seniors: Protect Yourself Against Investment Fraud”.

The Better Business Bureau and the FINRA Foundation created a website and pamphlet for seniors and their families to find out more. Visit http://www.bbb.org/smartinvesting/ for more tips, and download “Fighting Fraud 101: Smart Tips For Investors”.

and insurance products are: NOT FDIC-INSURED/NOT BANK-GUARANTEED/ MAY LOSE VALUE. Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered brokerdealer and a separate nonbank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. ©2014-2015 Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. All rights reserved. 111503492 [94323-v1] 11/15. Wells Fargo Advisors is not a legal or tax advisor. This article was written by/for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Carl M. Trevisan, Managing Director-Investments and Stephen M. Bearce, First Vice President- Investments in Alexandria, VA at 800-2478602.Investments in securities and insurance products are: NOT FDIC-INSURED/NOT BANK-GUARANTEED/ MAY LOSE VALUE. Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered brokerdealer and a separate nonbank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. ©2016 Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. All rights reserved.

Email: abitofhistory53@gmail. com

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Practice saying “no”, or telling the person you always speak with someone else before making decisions. Have an exit strategy.

Turn the Tables

Ask questions. A legitimate investment professional — as well as his or her firm — must be properly licensed with a regulator depending on the type of business the individual (or firm) conducts.

Talk to Someone

Stepping away from the situation and asking for another opinion can help you see the true value of an offer.

This article was written by/ for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Carl M. Trevisan, Managing Director-Investments and Stephen M. Bearce, First Vice President- Investments in Alexandria, VA at 800-2478602. Investments in securities

Old Town Crier

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La Portas 703.683.6313 1600 Duke St.

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CIVIL DISCOURSE FROM PAGE 9

sharpshooter. On the way back to camp, one of the guys who did not win shot a running rabbit with his service rifle at 250 yards, leading the commander to lament that he did not have more Whitworths to hand out.

Operating in small groups of two to four, camouflaged in gray and butternut, they would stake out a position no closer than 400 yards — just a little beyond the accurate retaliatory range of the standard issue rifles firing .58 caliber minie balls. Using an instrument called a stadium to estimate range, they prioritized officers, artillerymen, and other sharpshooters, but any soldier who exposed himself could suffer for it. They were in fact quite capable of silencing enemy batteries, conserving Confederate ordnance for other purposes.

The Yankees were right to fear the Whitworths, whose bullets made a whine instead of the angry bee buzz of the minies as they passed. Federal troops at Spotsylvania, taken under fire at long range and recognizing the whine of Whitworths, were dodging about so as not to present stationary targets.

General John Sedgwick rode up to admonish the men for acting silly, pointing out that the Confederates “could not hit an elephant at this distance,” estimated as 800-1000 yards. About thirty seconds later he was knocked off his horse with a bullet to the face, dead before he hit the ground.

Not all Confederate snipers were white.

Berdan’s men had to contend with a lone black sharpshooter who constantly harassed them with accurate fire. After many days he was discovered in the chimney of a destroyed house, having knocked a small hole in the Old Town Crier

bricks for a firing port. He was not taken alive.

Not all Southern snipers were soldiers.

Jack Hinson was originally a Unionist from Tennessee, but his politics changed after two of his sons were captured while hunting, summarily tried as guerillas and shot. The Yankees cut off their heads and left them on the posts of his front gate — not much of a “hearts and minds” program. Unhappy about this, Hinson had an 18 pound .50 caliber target rifle custom-made. Then he picked out a hide on the Tennessee River at a spot where the current was strong and passing boats travelling upriver were almost stationary. He took his time killing every Yankee officer and pilot he could put in his sights, estimated at around 100 by war’s end. His first two kills were the lieutenant and sergeant who had impaled his sons’ heads on his gatepost. Sic semper tyrannis.

Sources

• Sam Watkins, Company Aytch; Robert Loring, reviewing Tom C. McKenny’s Jack Hinson’s One-Man War; https://www.mcamarines.org/leatherneck/bookreview/jackhinson-s-one-man-war-civil-war-sniper; • C.A. Stevens, Berdan’s United States Sharpshooters in the Army of the Potomac, https://archive.org/ stream/berdansunitedsta00stev/ berdansunitedsta00stev_djvu.txt; • Geoffrey R. Walden, The Kentucky Sharpshooters, http://www.rootsweb. ancestry.com/~orphanhm/sharpshooters.htm Doug Coleman is an attorney and amateur historian in Alexandria, Va. Comments and corrections are welcome: dcoleman@colemanlawyers.com.

August 2016 | 11

HIGH NOTES CHRIS ANDERSON

T

ucked away in the farthest corner of North America is the magnificent island of Newfoundland. You may remember that I spent a summer up there in 2014, soaking up the culture and even laying down some roots. While much of Newfoundland’s music, landscape, and culture is reminiscent of a slightly more raucous Ireland, there is far more to discover

GREEN

&GOLD

And Then The New Crow Came once you really start paying attention.

One such discovery is the music scene, particularly in St. John’s.

Newfoundland has a rich musical heritage that goes back to the original settlers, who brought folk songs from their native English and Irish lands.

This tradition can be heard today in Shanneyganock, Irish Descendants, Ryan’s Fancy, and Buddy Wasisname & The Other Fellers, as well as the late great Ron Hynes, Newfoundland’s answer to Bob Dylan.

But that’s only one side of the story.

Any time spent in St. John’s, at the listening stations in Fred’s Records, or anywhere near George Street will reveal a self-contained, thriving music scene, every bit as inspired as those found in Athens, Seattle, San Francisco, Halifax, and Boston. Some of these bands, such as Great Big Sea, The Once, and Hey Rosetta have found success off the island but, really, geographical isolation has kept most of these artists in town. This isolation has kept them from becoming big rock stars but it’s also created a scene that is diverse and about as true to itself as one could get. Every band 12 | August 2016

sounds wildly different, yet they all still scream “St. John’s”. Whether it’s the Celtic punk of Rogues or the mellow folk of the Domestics, the laid-back island vibe of Baytown, the stoner metal of Sheavy, the quirky songwriting of Thom Coombes, or the post-punk sounds of London Above, there is a great deal of inspiration in the music found in this city.

Perhaps my favorite discovery from my time in St. John’s is Green & Gold.

Founded by Len O’Neill (guitar, vocals, songs) and Steve Doyle (drums), Green & Gold plays a post-modern indie rock with incredibly thoughtful lyrics and arrangements. At times you can hear hints of outside influences but, really, this band just sounds like Green & Gold.

The lineup was eventually fleshed out to include bassist Keenan McGregor and guitarist Chris Meyers and the band spent time touring Canada, won several local music awards and was featured on CBC (performing at St. John’s iconic Signal Hill).

Just released is their second album, And Then The New Crow Came.

Recorded last fall in Len’s father shed, in the middle of nowhere, this album finds the band growing even further into its own sound, creating some of the freshest jams I’ve heard all year.

Some of these songs were in the works for a number of years while others are on the newer side. Some have a familiar sound while others stretch out into wild new territory.

“Out” kicks the record off with a mighty bang, with verses reminiscent of The Tragically Hip and featuring an explosive chorus that takes all the fire of their first album and condenses it into one knockout punch. One of the best songs of 2016.

“Medic” finds Len getting reflective on those crazy times that we all had in our youth, perhaps with a shade of regret. Musically, it sounds like it could have fit on their first album, though there is a level of maturity that’s not usually found on a debut album.

From here, they slow things down a bit, with “The City Dance” and “Hold It Back”, which continues the theme of someone who made it just beyond the end of their rope and, perhaps, is still making sense of it. The song closes

with a dark and dirty jam that is one of the coolest things I’ve heard from this band.

The title track picks up the pace with shades of The Hip and even a bit of mid-period Pavement. One of the things I love about this band is their dynamics. Steve Doyle is one of those rare drummers that’s more than just a timekeeper. He understands songwriting and creates drum lines that color the songs, rather than drive them. That goes for the entire band as well. Keenan’s bass lines prove that he is more than just a rhythm player, as melodic patterns weave in and out of Len’s often unorthodox guitar lines.

More often than not, it’s Chris Meyers who holds down the rhythm, while the rest of the band floats around him.

The result is a truly unique sound.

This dynamic sense is never more prevalent than “In The Garden By The River”, which starts as a slow, reflective lullaby that slowly builds, over the course of six minutes, into an absolute frenzy, before closing on a hypnotic groove that gives way to the brilliant and intense “Black Dot” and its shades of Faith-era Cure.

From there, Green & Gold wins this year’s award for wildest musical juxtaposition with the calypso-tinged “Fool’s Free Ticket”. While the first couple of passes through this could confuse, it actually makes a great deal of sense. “Thanks for drawing the line/I get carried away”, this song is clearly the light at the end of what was obviously a very dark tunnel.

Next up is the laid-back yacht-rock of “Island Of Gold”, a number that reeks of gold medallions and polyester suits, but in a good way. Closing out the album is “Nebula”, a dark, psychedelic coda, that perfectly concludes the story laid out on the record. While I don’t think this is a concept album as such, it does tell a story, one of someone who stumbled into the abyss only to eventually find their way out. It’s a tale told many times and, honestly, it never gets old.

Kudos to the band for pulling it off so brilliantly.

This album, as well as their debut, The Body Knows, can be found at greenandgold.bandcamp.com — check it out!

Old Town Crier

THE LAST WORD MIRIAM R. KRAMER

Circling the Sun

A

frica is not for the weak. When I lived in Africa as a child, I went on safari in Kenya and Tanzania.

A hungry mongoose targeted my brother as the smallest and therefore weakest member of our group, causing us to grab him and retreat to the top of a table. A monkey grabbed the food out of my hand and then nimbly leaped off me and onto a tree branch. At night elephants brushed by

our huts as they followed traditional paths to water. I saw firsthand that humans living on these harshly beautiful stretches of grassy savannah, cooler highlands, lakes, and forests always encounter the predators and prey inhabiting them. At some point early colonial settlers had to decide whether they would find the strength to eke out an existence by farming the land and raising livestock, refusing to become

prey to either the wild or personal circumstances. Paula McClain’s book Circling the Sun gorgeously depicts the remarkable horse trainer, farmer, aviator, free spirit and inadvertent feminist pioneer Beryl Markham. Markham decided not to become prey as she matured from child to adult in the British East Africa Protectorate of the 1920s, suffered and found happiness while facing huge challenges, and wistfully watched her colonial home change as it became Kenya.

As McClain notes, Markham’s parents moved to the British East Africa Protectorate from England, where her mother could not grow accustomed to the hardships involved in starting a farm in the isolated area of Njoro. She took Beryl’s frail brother Dickie back to England when Markham, then Beryl Clutterbuck, was a small child, leaving her under

an African warrior. Without a mother, she deliberately became tougher, putting her loss into the past and looking forward as a way to survive the emotional hole left in her life. As she became a horse-loving teenager she made the decision to remain independent, fighting against becoming prey to either Africa’s dangers or the society that expected her to obey colonial female conventions of the time. She rebelled against the lady-like advice of her father’s common-law wife, running away from boarding school multiple times. Back at

the farm, she matured while breeding and riding horses at Green Hills, her father’s farm over a hundred miles from the growing provincial town of Nairobi.

When her father lost Green Hills due to economic hardship and had to find a job, young Beryl faced her first substantive test of independence at age 16. Her dad urged her to marry a handsome farmer in Njoro to make sure she had a secure existence. Despite her internal doubts, she had no suitable THE LAST WORD > PAGE 17

MYSTERY READING AT ITS BEST

by Virginia author Jeffrey Roswell McCord

photos: Miriam Kramer

the care of her farming, horsetraining father. Through benign neglect, Beryl grew up a wild urchin running free with her best male friend from the Kip tribe, hunting game and planning to become Old Town Crier

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

August 2016 | 13

GALLERY BEAT F. LENNOX CAMPELLO

GUERRILLA TECHNIQUES FOR

A

ccording to some stats that I read a few years ago in a framing trade magazine, the average cost of framing in the Greater DC region was $75 an hour.

It’s probably more than that now.

Other than time, framing twodimensional work is often the most expensive step in organizing an exhibition (to the artist), and it’s astounding how little most art schools prepare students (and faculty) for avoiding the trap of spending a lot of money on framing.

There are some steps that artists can take to reduce significantly the cost of framing. I will try to list the most common mistakes, how to avoid them, and more importantly, how to get your artwork framed for a lot less than taking it to a framing shop to get it framed.

First and foremost: Prepare! Do not leave your framing to the very last minute. Having said that, I know that most of you will leave the framing to the last minute and, then panic, as this is part of the average artist DNA. You will then go to your neighborhood framing shop, and drop way too much money to get custom frames made for 14 | August 2016

your artwork. If you can afford it, and the price history of you artwork can sustain it — then skip this article. But if you want to save a lot of money on framing, then prepare!

Do not, under any circumstances, let the gallery or a second party take care of your framing unless you have the full costs ahead of time and in writing and they make sense to you.

Otherwise you will get stuck at the end of your exhibition with a giant framing bill rather than a commission check.

First of all: If (and only if) you can, work in standard sizes. Most photographers and painters already do. But unless your compositional demands call for it (like mine does), avoid working in one of a kind oddball sizes. American and European standard sizes are different, but US sizes cover a huge range of sizes, such as 5x7, 8x10, 11x14, 12x16, 20x24, etc. If you can work within one of those sizes — i.e. do your watercolor on a sheet in one of those sizes, or print your photo on paper that size, etc. Then half the battle is won, as you should be able to buy readymade frames that will automatically accommodate your matted work.

This is important, as a good frame

SAVING MONEY ON FRAMING from any craft store, or from any art catalog, is usually a lot less than having one built from scratch! For example, a 16x20 metal molding frame, back metal brace/clips, wire, glass, pH-balanced acid free mat, hanging wire and acid free foam core backing is anywhere from $20 to $30 in any art catalog or local art supply store (or IKEA). Having the exact same frame hand-made in a frame shop is around $100.

If your work, because of composition or whatever, doesn’t fit into a standard size mat or frame, then another tactic is to go and shop for a ready-made frame that is larger than your artwork — at least three inches all around the diameter of the artwork.

Then take that frame and your artwork to a frame shop and have them cut the appropriate mat for you. Now you are only paying for the labor and materials to cut a mat — not to build everything from scratch.

If you can’t find a frame in a shop that fits your unique sizes, then shop through art supply catalogs and have them make you one. The savings over storefront framers is still significant.

Once you sign up for an online art supply dealer, you get their catalogs as well, and then hit them when

they have a sale going on! From any supplier you can order moldings in one inch increments, so if your work is 18x30 inches, then you’d order a set of 18 inch molding, a set of 30 inch molding and it will be delivered with the hardware needed to assemble it all you’ll need is a screwdriver. Then visit your local glass shop for a piece of glass.

Because most solo shows involve a larger number of works, you should start thinking way ahead of time as to the number of frames that you will need. If you can decide that you will need twenty frames for your show, and you know what size they will all be, and then go shopping for information on ready-made frames in any of our local area arts and crafts stores, or other stores that stock frames, such as IKEA or Bed, Bath & Beyond. Once you find a frame that you like, turn it over and see who makes them. Write the manufacturer’s information down, and when you get home, call the manufacturer of the frame and place an order for the number of frames that you will need. You are now buying the frames wholesale and saving yourself the entire store mark-up!

Don’t let the process of establishing Old Town Crier

Imagine-July 2016.qxp_Layout 1 6/18/16 10:25 PM Page 1

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an account with the frame manufacturer scare you. They may require an Employee Identification Number (EIN) — you can give them your social security number — and they will have a minimum purchase (usually $250) — but by the time that you purchase 20-25 frames, that will be easy to meet. All you are doing is ordering the frame directly from the manufacturer rather than buying them through a store — it’s perfectly legal and saves you a considerable amount of money.

If you work on canvas, you may not even need to frame them. Ask the gallery owner — a lot of galleries will be happy to hang canvasses that are “gallery dressed.” That means that the edge of the canvas wraps to the back and that’s where it is stapled — rather than the side.

Many galleries actually prefer to show canvas paintings that way.

Do not cheapen your artwork by choosing cheap materials. At all costs avoid using acidic mats (use only pH-balanced, acid free mats) and do not use cardboard to back the work — use acid free foam core. Using cheap materials not only damages the work eventually (as the

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

Old Town Crier

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acid migrates to the artwork) but also tells a potential collector that you are not serious as an artist to properly display your work. I am shocked at the number of badly handcut acidic mats that I see in galleries all over the country. This often caused by just plain ignorance of the business side of the fine arts, and the importance of presentation of artwork in a professional environment.

If you are an artist that moves a lot of work a year, then you should seriously consider learning how to cut your own mats. A sheet of museum quality archival 32x40 inches mat board is around $8-16 and you can get four 16x20 inches mats from it. To have one 16x20 archival mat cut in a frame shop will be around $20-$25. You can buy a decent mat cutter for around $150, and it comes with a video to teach you how to cut mats.

The bottom line is that minimizing framing costs not only reduces the amount of money that an artist has to invest in offering a show, but also reduces the price point of the artwork — an important issue, especially for young, emerging artists without a sales history track.

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.

VISIT A MUSEUM.

Susquehanna Antique Co. 608 Cameron Street

Random Harvest 810 King Street

The Art League 105 Union Street

Jeffrey Winter Fine Arts 110A South Columbus Street

Old Town Antiques 222 South Washington Street

Acme Mid-Century + Modern 128 South Royal Street

Local Colour Old Town 218 North Lee Street

Johnston Matthew 105 North Union Street

Verdigris Vintage 1215 King Street

Van Bommel Antiek Hous 1007 King Street

Icon Galleria 101 North Union Street

Huddy Studio 105 North Union Street

Cavalier Antiques 400 Prince Street

Lloyd’s Row 119 South Henry Street

B&B Art Gallery 215 King Street

Mezzanine Multiples 105 North Union Street

Sumpter Priddy III 323 South Washington Street

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Gallery West 1213 King Street

Silverman Galleries 110 North St. Asaph Street

Henry Street Antiques 115 South Henry Street

Torpedo Factory Art Center 105 North Union Street

Enamelist’s Gallery 105 North Union Street

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Curzon Hill Antiques 108 South Columbus Street

Principle Gallery 208 King Street

Betty Grisham Studio 105 North Union Street

The Hour 1015 King Street

Potomac Fiber Arts Gallery 105 North Union Street

Printmakers, Inc. 105 North Union Street Kelly’s Art & Frame 510 North Washington

A Galerie 315 Cameron Street

St. George Gallery 105 North Alfred Street

Oerth Gallery 420 South Washington Street

Imagine Artwear 112 King Street

August 2016 | 15

POINTS ON PETS KIMBERLY GILL & SARAH LIU

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16 | August 2016

S

Exotic Pets: How About a

o you want a pet, but cats, dogs, guinea pigs, birds – they just aren’t the right fit? The apartment is too small? The maintenance is too much? You’re allergic? Just not interested in bunnies or puppies?

These are all legitimate roadblocks in the journey of traditional pet ownership.

But there are still interesting options.

Exotic options!

Keeping a pet lizard offers several advantages over traditional mammal or bird companions. For example, reptiles in general are relatively low maintenance.

Pet lizards don’t require the same level of attention as a cat or dog. They can be left alone longer than more traditional pets, and are great for vacationers or families who work out of town or long hours. Conveniently, there are no litter boxes, daily walks, or grooming. Most lizards don’t eat every day, and when they do, it’s an easy and interesting event with crickets or fruits and vegetables.

Most pet variety lizards don’t take up much space. Enclosure habitats will depend on the size of your pet, but many species are comfortable in a ten or twenty gallon sized terrarium. They also don’t have the exercise needs of a cat or dog and are virtually silent, making them perfect for a quiet household. On top of all that, lizards, and reptiles in general, don’t come with the fur and feathers that make other pets unwelcome in families with allergies. Though best discussed with your doctor, lizards can be an interesting and enriching non-allergenic alternative for families who want a pet, but can’t tolerate feathers, dander, or fur.

But before you go out and buy your lizard, it’s important to be aware of potential drawbacks. Significantly, lizards, like other reptiles, do not crave the attention that cats, dogs, or some birds do, and won’t provide the warm and cuddly experience that many pet owners desire.

Though some lizard owners report that their pets enjoy interaction, most reptiles are highly independent, and will go about their day without much concern for what you’re doing in yours. And while there is no litter box, the lizard’s habitat will still require regular cleaning.

Moreover, while lizards are low maintenance in terms of attention and ongoing care, they do come with some initial set up costs and concerns. For example, lizards are cold blooded and

will require specific configurations for providing light, heat, and humidity.

Special equipment may be required, such as water filters or hygrometers, to ensure optimum care for your new companion.

Your local pet store can provide you with advice and equipment, but a prospective owner should take ample time to set up a proper habitat well in advance of acquiring the pet lizard.

Additionally, many traditional veterinarians do not provide care for exotic pets. This includes lizards and other reptiles. Before acquiring your lizard, make sure you touch base with your current vet, or research your community for exotic pet practitioners who can assist you in caring for your new friend. It’s a great practice to call ahead, before acquiring any new pet, for tips and recommendations related to optimum preparation and care of your future companion.

Finally, though generally nonallergenic in terms of fur, feathers, and dander, reptiles can pose other health risks such as salmonella bacteria, or other zoonotic diseases involving fungi, viruses, or parasites. While these issues can be prevented with proper hygiene, it’s always best to discuss concerns with your doctor before acquiring your new pet, especially in families with young children.

So, now that we know some pros and cons, what are some great lizards for beginners? According to Reptiles Magazine, good choices for beginners and children include bearded dragons, water dragons, anoles, and certain types of geckos (particularly leopard and crested). Interestingly, Margaret A Wissman, D.V.M., writing for Reptiles Magazine, does not recommend the green iguana as a starter pet. The United States Humane Society also cautions against keeping iguanas as pets. Though readily available in the pet trade, green iguanas can grow to be very large, require

Lizard?

spacious accommodation to thrive, and can become aggressive. By contrast, bearded dragons — native to Australia — don’t get too large (16 to 24 inches), eat a variety of foods, are inexpensive, hearty, and gentle. Likewise, the green anole — native to the southern U.S. — is a small but beautiful lime green lizard (4-6 inches), very affordable, widely available, and agile but easily handled.

Leopard geckos — native to Asia — are small to medium sized nocturnal lizards (8-10 inches long), with several color and pattern variations, generally docile and easier to tame, and happy to live in a 15-20 gallon tank with one or two roommates.

The above are just a few species potentially available to an individual or family interested in keeping a lizard.

However, as with any pet, the best approach is careful research to ensure a good fit between your lifestyle and the habits and needs of your prospective lizard companion. Find a veterinarian who treats reptiles, and ask which species he or she recommends and why. Ask about common ailments and associated health care costs, so you aren’t taken by surprise when something goes wrong.

Research your local pet stores to make sure your companion is captive bred and hand reared vs. wild caught. Find out as much as you can about the lizard’s history, habits, and health. Finally, consider consulting your local shelter organizations for adoptable lizards and other reptiles. Just as with other pets, many reptiles are surrendered through no fault of their own and looking for a second chance.

Most of all, have fun, and be safe!

Resources

• Cleaning and disinfecting reptile cages: www.peteducation.com/article. cfm?c=17+1796&aid=2847 POINTS ON PETS > PAGE 17

Old Town Crier

THE LAST WORD FROM PAGE 13

place to go unless she wanted to stay in her beloved Njoro and marry Jock Purves, a Scottish-born farmer. She soon recognized her mistake and decided to divorce him, have love affairs, and break free from a domestic life of traditional women’s duties.

As a result, she started gaining a reputation within the incestuous, gossiping colonial community. Her decision to become the first female horse trainer in Kenya led to grudging respect for her abilities despite her nonconformity. She found that she could love others and her experiences but not chafe in chain-like bonds to people, convention, or the past.

Paula McClain is a lovely, atmospheric writer of historical fiction. Her lucid, penetrating language carries the reader along and creates a completely believable reality in her depiction of pre– and post–World War I East Africa.

I also adored her book The Paris Wife, which profiled

Ernest Hemingway’s littleknown first wife, Hadley, and their marriage as they lived artists’ lives with the Lost Generation in Paris and abroad. Circling the Sun also addresses Beryl Markham (her best-known married name) as an important bohemian and underrated figure in history, a beautiful woman who attracted scandal through her real and reputed love affairs and atypical female occupations as a vanguard horse trainer and the first woman to fly from England to the Americas. She never claimed the ultimate fame that the Countess Karen Blixen, otherwise known under the nom de plume Isak Dinesen, attained through writing Out of Africa in 1937. Markham’s writing in her own 1942 book, West with the Night, was praised to the very heavens she soared through by Ernest Hemingway. (Reputedly he also made a pass at her while traveling with his second wife in Africa, so there is even a historical connection between McClain’s two books.) Yet

POINTS ON PETS FROM PAGE 16

• Best reptiles for beginners and best reptiles for children: www.reptilesmagazine.com/ Good-Beginner-Reptiles/ www.reptilesmagazine.com/Reptile-

Markham’s work achieved average sales upon release, and her notoriety turned into obscurity until the re-release of her book in the 1980s.

McClain’s novel is so bittersweet, so gorgeous in its description of Markham’s relationship with the East African land and animals, her absolute inner need for freedom, and her suffering through the ups and downs of finances and societal acceptance. She paints a vivid and engaging picture of the many complicated relationships in Markham’s life. The most important and symbolic was the romantic triangle between Blixen, Markham, and Denys Finch Hatton, Karen Blixen’s true love. Finch Hatton was an intelligent and highly attractive individual, a cultured, charming aristocratic big game hunter whom Blixen described in Out of Africa. Unlike Blixen, who wanted to marry Finch Hatton, Markham shared with him a disdain for societal bonds. They cared deeply for

Care-For-Beginners/Best-PetReptiles-For-Children/ • Iguanas: humanesociety.org/animals/ iguanas/?referrer=https://www. google.com • Bearded Dragons: www.beardeddragonguide.com

another, despite his intense and enduring love affair with Karen Blixen, who eventually divorced her husband in a vain attempt to solidify her ties with Finch Hatton.

He was Icarus, reaching for the sun in his eternal and eventually doomed quest to live to the very limits of experience. Markham circled his sun, knowing better than to try to rein him in or tame him, despite her overwhelming love for him. Throughout Markham’s doomed marriages and affairs, she turned to Finch Hatton whenever possible, keeping their affair necessarily secret from Karen Blixen, whom she also cared for greatly as a friend and exceptional raconteur. Through Markham’s relationship with Finch Hatton, she understood that change was preferable and inevitable. He exemplified to her that living in the past was unnatural, a way of being that would never help her survive in her beloved, unyielding, and ever-shifting environment.

• Green Anole: www.reptilesmagazine.com/CareSheets/Green-Anole/ • Leopard Gecko: exoticpets. about.com/cs/lizardsaspets/p/ leopardgecko.htm

Reading this novel brought me back to sunny, flickering memories of traveling among elephant herds in Kenya, watching rhinos snort in a small muddy lake in Tanzania, and hours spent scattering wildebeest herds and galloping towers of giraffes as we crossed golden plains and the occasional stands of thorn and flame trees.

McLain’s depiction of the endless change, death, birth, and renewal in Africa rings true. It makes for a curiously comforting depiction of eternity. In McLain’s eyes, Markham experienced a pantheistic sense of connection to the universe through riding over endless plains, rifts, and valleys, looking up and then flying towards that brilliant African sun. In this work, Markham keeps her relationship with Finch Hatton alive through her endless adoration for the land and skies of the Africa she had embraced as a child, the homeland she would embrace forever.

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.

REWARD! Help Us Find Echo

PETS OF THE MONTH

Echo has been missing for 7 weeks but has been sited in the Jones Point Llighthouse Park area south of Old Town.

She is shy and very frightened so we ask that you not chase her but call immediately if seen. She is a female mix breed, black back with tan and white markings. Reward for info leading to her safe return.

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DARBY (A060002)

SASHA (A054328)

MICKEY (A068247)

Dare to be dazzled by Darby! Darby is a spayed female Pit Bull, estimated to be about three years old. She has a ton of energy and will need a family who is prepared to keep her body and mind fully worked out! After she has run and played to her heart’s content, she is an absolute doll face who just wants to snuggle with you. Despite her sweet disposition, Darby does not have polite dog-to-dog manners and will need to be an only dog in the household. If her adorable pictures haven’t already won you over, come see how much fun she is today!

Meet sassy Sasha! She is the perfect cat for those who know cat behavior well. She has a history of being frightened by children and getting a little cranky with the vet…but who could blame her?! In typical diva fashion, she prefers not to be held, but will certainly reach out to you if and when she wants some affection. If you’d like to get to know more about this golden-eyed beauty, please call or visit the AWLA!

“Oh Mickey you’re so fine, you’re so fine you blow my mind…Hey Mickey!”

Sweet little Mickey is a chinchilla that came to the AWLA after his owner unfortunately passed away. He is very shy, so would likely do best in a quiet home with adults or older kids.

If you’ve never owned a chinchilla before, they can make fantastic pets, but require special care since they are desert animals. If you’d like more information on chinchillas and how to care for them, or would like to give Mickey a forever home, feel free to call or stop by the AWLA!

facebook.com/LostDogEcho

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

August 2016 | 17

CARIBBEAN CONNECTION JEFFREY R. McCORD

Rethinking Paradise

W

hen one spends most of their time in “paradise” (or, rather, the U.S. Virgin Islands), you tend to vacation on the North American continent. And, going to the mainland after nearly a year “on island,” one is impressed by things many continentals now take for granted. The growing efficiencies and prevalence of recycling is one example.

In the state of New York, for instance, plastic and glass bottles can be recycled in easy to use machines stationed at most supermarkets. The deposit one pays when purchasing beverages is returned at the point of purchase and can add up. This provides obvious incentives for enterprising retirees and other folks to make the effort to search-out cans and bottles along road sides and elsewhere to feed into the machines.

At a Rhinebeck, NY, supermarket recycling machine a man, carrying big garbage bags full of bottles and 18 | August 2016

cans, explained that people can make thousands of dollars picking them up and turning them in.

In the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, consumers routinely separate and place everything of value — plastics, glass, aluminum, paper products — into separately colored bags. On trash pick-up days, every driveway has a neatly piled array of bags that can easily be picked up and sorted at transfer stations.

On the island of St. John, the environmental imperative of recycling is becoming clear to more and more people. But, our recycled materials must be shipped by boat elsewhere, imposing economic costs — not to mention the carbon footprint of diesel fuel — that make the process cumbersome.

For this reason, the Virgin Island focus has been on reducing the waste stream and recycling whatever products make sense given our location. For several years, the Island

Green Builders Association has donated excess building supplies — including wood, doors, toilets, nails, screws, tools and other products — to a central depot where consumers and other builders can obtain great products at a fraction of their usual costs.

The Island Green Builders Association has recently expanded and morphed into the broader eco-nonprofit Island Green Living Association (ICLA). In a recent interview with St. John Source, the IGLA’s new president Harith Wickrema said Virgin Islanders need to add “Rethink” as the fourth R in the “old sustainability mantra of recycle, reduce, reuse.”

Like many first-time visitors, Mr. Wickrema — a former professor at the Temple University School of Tourism and Hospitality Management — immediately fell in love with St. John when he traveled there on business.

He then conceived Eco Serendib Villa

and Spa, an eco-luxury retreat on St. John where he now makes his home.

For each night that the villa is rented, a donation is made to Friends of Virgin Islands National Park and IGLA for restoration and recycling efforts on St. John.

With generous support from Mr. Wickrema and other donors, those recycling efforts now include an aluminum can crushing machine that in one minute can crush 600 cans into a 12 inch by 12 inch by 6 inch bale.

Volunteers assist in stacking the bales onto pallets that can be shipped offisland where aluminum prices make recycling more feasible.

The IGLA is now working with shipping companies to seek donated space on container vessels that often return from the Virgin Islands to their ports of embarkation with empty containers. The group is also working with the non-profit St. John Community Foundation to fund, CARIBBEAN CONNECTION > PAGE 19

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CARIBBEAN CONNECTION FROM PAGE 18

purchase and install solar panels to power the can crusher currently runs on a diesel engine.

Residents of the Virgin Islands have long practiced the habit of placing reusable “trash” outside dumpsters for others to use. Servisable beach chairs, clothing, furniture, books and other items are routinely found alongside dumpsters throughout the islands. And, they disappear rapidly — sometimes to be fixed-up as needed and re-sold by enterprising “second hand” store owners or in island garage sales.

During the high season winter months when tourists flock to our islands, this informal system of recycling can get competitive on Saturdays — the visitor “turn over day.” On those days, thoughtful tourists who have bought beach chairs and toys and cannot take them back on planes will leave the virtually brand new prized items by the dumpsters.

Quick thinking and acting locals get the pick of their leavings.

In a somewhat bohemian and very laid back community on St. John’s lesser developed East End, the dumpsters are jokingly called Coral Bay’s K-mart.

Recycling is just part of the solution, though.

Progress is being made to reduce the waste stream before recycling becomes necessary.

One step toward achieving that goal was the installation at the Virgin Islands National Park Visitors Center of St. John’s first water station earlier this year. Previously, the Visitors Center had sold tens of thousands of plastic bottles of water to hot, thirsty visitors. Now, through a joint venture of the Friends of the Virgin Islands National Park and the National Park Service, a water station linked to the

Cruz Bay water system (providing desalinated water) dispenses cool and filtered water to all who want it. Next to the station, inexpensive reusable water bottles are sold.

This water station “demonstration project” has attracted the interest of hotel and villa managers who often provide bottle water to guests. Why not provide water stations and inexpensive reusable bottles instead?

Supermarkets are also getting into the swing of waste reduction by encouraging customers to bring their own shopping bags. Starfish Market, for example, does not have plastic bags. And, as I write this, the Virgin Islands legislature is moving a bill that restricts the use of plastic bags in retail throughout the Territory. The Governor is expected to sign this legislation because it was his idea.

In short, residents of paradise are catchingup with their continental neighbors.

Environmental re-thinking is taking place, though at a more laid-back pace.

Jeffrey R. McCord is a free-lance journalist whose work on international economics and consumer protection has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Gannett newspapers and Truthout.org, among other publications.

For more than 20 years, he’s called Northern Virginia his home. Jeff is the author of two fact-based Caribbean novels: “Undocumented Visitors in a Pirate Sea,” which was a quarterfinalist in the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest; and, “Santa Anna’s Gold in a Pirate Sea,” a finalist in the 2016 Next Generation Indie Book contest. He now divides his time between Virginia and St. John, USVI.

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Old Town Crier

August 2016 | 19

ROAD TRIP BOB TAGERT

BERRYVILLE, VIRGINIA

&THE WAYPOINT HOUSE

Rachael and Jonathan, proprietors of Waypoint House

20 | August 2016

With all of this July heat beating down on us, we decided to take a road trip to the Shenandoah Valley and visit the town of Berryville. We are familiar with Berryville since we have been distributing the Old Town Crier there for a number of years.

Getting to Berryville is quite easy and makes for an enjoyable drive.

Route 7 out of Leesburg, Virginia is a straight and easy drive, however we opted for the more picturesque drive on Route 50, through Middleburg, Upperville and Paris, across the Shenandoah River, through the town of Millwood and on to Berryville.

The drive is very pleasant and there are many fine places to stop for refreshment along the way.

Founded by European Americans and surveyed by George Washington in 1750, Berryville today serves as the county seat of Clarke County.

According to legend, Col. Daniel Morgan, who had distinguished himself in the American Revolution, would engage in combat with young toughs at the intersection of Winchester Turnpike and Charlestown Road, having piled large stones nearby to use as ammunition in case of need. Because of this story, and a rowdy tavern nearby, the area was first given the informal name of “Battle Town�. Today the Battle Town Inn (unfortunately no longer open for business) stands on that spot.

While in Berryville we stayed at the Waypoint House Bed and Breakfast. Waypoint is a very clever name because a waypoint is a reference point that one puts in their GPS and marks the location for a return trip. In sailing, waypoints are the norm for marking places that are worth a return trip, and the Waypoint House is certainly worth a trip.

Owned and operated by former Alexandrians Rachael and Jonathan Worsley, the Waypoint Old Town Crier

is a historic home built in 1884 that has been remodeled into a modern bed and breakfast. Although there are a few antiques spread throughout the house, most of the furnishings are contemporary in nature.

Rachael and Jonathan are a very interesting story in their own right.

They had known each other for years and were good friends. As they learned more about each other they realized that they both had the desire to own and operate their own bed and breakfast. They got married (held their rehearsal dinner at Southside 815) and were living in Alexandria when they discovered the house in Berryville and became fans of the property. When the woman who owned the house decided that it was time to sell…the Worsley’s jumped at the chance. They sold their home in Alexandria and purchased the Waypoint House in 2012. Except for a brief closure for a month in December of 2013 for renovations, the Waypoint House has been welcoming folks to Berryville ever since.

Berryville is the largest town in Clarke County, but is still a small town by Alexandria standards.

Approximately 6 blocks long, the main street of town is anchored at one end by the Berryville Feed and Grain store and the Battle Town Inn at the other. If you don’t do anything else, stop in the Feed and Grain store. It is way more fun to shop in than Southern States. The town has inviting restaurants ranging

Old Town Crier

from authentic Mexican to Southern cuisine and everything from handcrafted goods made by local artisans that you can find in Elizabeth Mock’s store, Modern Mercantile. This is one very unique place and is a great stop for a one of a kind gift for someone or just a treat for yourself. There are also many places where you will find one-of-a-kind antiques.

Located in the middle of town you will find the Barns of Rose Hill, a location for the performing and visual arts. Barns of Rose Hill are two early 20th century dairy barns that were part of a farm estate, which was donated to the Town of Berryville in 1964. Today, this four-acre park as become a central focus of community programs and activities. After 6 years of fundraising, the restoration reached its completion and officially opened in September 2011. The extensive renovation included a world-class sound system, acoustic engineering, and a highly flexible architectural concept. The facility includes upper and lower galleries, a great hall and open deck.

The main performance hall holds up to 175 people for live concerts. Check out their website for performance dates and take a road trip.

If a visit to a winery is of interest, there are three wineries near Berryville…Bluemont, 612 Vineyard and Veramar. I have been a big fan of Veramar Wines ever since I tried their Governor’s Cup, gold medal winning Malbec about 10 years ago.

It was an exceptional wine as all of

The charming Modern Mercantile

their wines continue to be. Actually, I believe the Malbec came from their sister winery Bogati. Recently the Veramar wine family added their third winery…James Charles, named after the founder of it all…James Bogaty. A visit to these wineries is a great way to spend an afternoon.

So, if you are thinking of taking a

road trip, consider the town of Berryville, its wonderful shops, nearby wineries and maybe make it to a concert. It is only about an hours drive, but with all there is to do, you should plan to stay at the Waypoint House Bed and Breakfast…W 77 59’ 01 N 39 08’ 54.

August 2016 | 21

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Old Town Crier

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August 2016 | 23

FROM THE BAY… MOLLY WINANS

T

The Joys of Overnight Racing

here are three types of big boat racing sailors on the Bay: those who have not yet tried overnight racing; those who have done it once and checked it off their bucket lists; and those who have tried it and gotten addicted. The been-there, got-the-T-shirt types remember a cold, stormy, windless night or a sleepless, slow, thankless night or a combination of such.

Sailors who compete regularly in such races overlook the discomfort and relish in the challenge.

Solomons sailor John Edwards, who used to sail his Farr 30 Rhumb Punch in a couple of overnight Bay races per year says, “The darkness and uncertainty of your surroundings add to the sailing experience… and keep me awake all night. A part of it is fear, but the lure is mostly the challenge. By 3 or 4 a.m., I would pay to know where the other guys in my class are on the course. But, I don’t know, and every stern light has to be passed. If you have some percentage of that passion and are not willing to accept that you are going fast enough, then the benefit of racing at night is greater than the discomfort of dampness and the fear of thunderstorms.

Bruce Gardner, who has sailed his Beneteau 10M L’Outrage in the Solomons Island Invitational and the Governor’s Cup Yacht Race, says, “It’s a different challenge than daytime windward-leeward races.

You prepare for wind conditions and currents and work the boat hard all night, staying focused on 24 | August 2016

COG [course over ground] and SOG [speed over ground] in hopes others are not and are tiring.”

Concepts that may seem too daunting for some sailors, such as dodging freighters, cruise ships, and barges or avoiding fish traps add to the challenge for enthusiastic overnight racers and keep them coming back for more. Edwards says, “Everyone who has sailed at night has seen luminescent jellyfish and shooting stars. Sometimes, the moon lies a path

“THE DARKNESS AND UNCERTAINTY OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS ADD TO THE SAILING EXPERIENCE.” across the water for you to follow, but the best you can do is get on 180 degrees as soon as you can when you are looking for St Mary’s City [as one does during Governor’s Cup].”

Both sailors agree that the lightning storms are as memorable as the crew stories. “The lighting is so much more vivid at night,” says Edwards. “What I see is something in crew. Some unexpected tough guys emerge and some tough guys sleep through the night.”

Gardner remembers his scariest overnight racing moment as broaching with no moonlight. Some of the seemingly scary moments end up being the

funny ones in the end. The L’Outrage crew heard a bang after the finish at Solomons and then realized it was another boat hitting the shoal marker in the dark. “The boat’s name was Bump in the Night.”

Edwards says, “The scariest story I might have is not scary at all now. We were becalmed one night near the Poplar Islands, so we drank a beer and decided to take a swim…got a bit spread out and away from the boat. The main and jib were still up, but the boat was motionless. Then, a blast of wind from nowhere snapped the sails, and the boat started to move.”

“All but one of us boarded before the boat got far but Jason Bell was out there in the dark yelling mostly obscenities. When we finally got him onboard, he had lost his skivvies. Completely naked, he walked from the cockpit to the bow, set the spinnaker pole, and hoisted the chute. Only after one of us threatened to put his own eyes out with his thumbs so he would not have endure such a horrible sight did Jason put clothes on again. He had planned to air dry but the rest of us would not have that!”

Publisher’s note: This is an excerpt from Winan’s August 2012 “From the Bay” column. Molly is the Editor of the ever popular sailing magazine SpinSheet and power boat magazine PropTalk located in Eastport, Maryland.

Old Town Crier

…TO THE BLUE RIDGE JULIE REARDON

I

t’s that time of year again: the dog days, that time when “the Sea boiled, the Wine turned sour, Dogs grew mad, and all other creatures became languid; causing to man, among other diseases, burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies.” The excessive panting of dogs at this time was once thought to be a disease, but that big dripping tongue just means your dog is hot and probably feels the same way you do about our area’s high heat and humidity. So why not try something cool you might both enjoy? Dive into the newest canine craze of dock diving.

From the very beginning, all three loved diving!” After a few training sessions, Phillips tried their first actual competition at the Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Md. two years ago. “[We entered and went] without really knowing what to expect” Many of the events are held at large outdoor and sportsmen’s fairs; and they’re as popular with spectators as they are with the dogs and owners; the Easton Waterfowl Festival draw large crowds of enthusiasts. Phillips’ debut there last year was an instant success.

“We had a great beginner’s weekend,

photos: Julie Reardon

DOG DIVING DURING DOG DAYS More people than ever are discovering the fun of getting involved in canine water activities, ranging from long jumps off a dock, to timed speed retrieves in water.

Dock diving has grown exponentially and competitions are held indoors and outside year round, but summer is one of the best times of the year for the events. Mel Phillips, who lives in Western Loudoun County, competes with her Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, including an elderly female who got a late start, but competed up til she was 14. “We have a lot of friends involved in dock diving and are always up for trying something new with the dogs. I found a local club, Chesapeake Dockdogs, and went to a few practices.

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Recce was First Place in the Junior Division Big Air and Dee Dee finished Second in Senior Division Big Air. We were absolutely hooked!”

As dock diving has increased in popularity, different groups offering doggie water sports have evolved, all with similar events and rules.

Dockdogs, dockdogs.com, is one of the oldest; it offers titles and awards as well as regional, national and world rankings. Big Air is the best known; this is their signature long jump where dogs launch off a dock. The world Big Air record is 31 feet and the current top ranked Big Air jumper has an average of 28 feet, 11 inches (rankings are determined by averaging a dog’s BLUE RIDGE > PAGE 26

August 2016 | 25

BLUE RIDGE FROM PG 25

5 best scores). The record holder isn’t a retriever or even a sporting breed; it’s a 10 year old whippet! Close in popularity to Big Air is Extreme Vertical, or the canine high jump. The dogs launch from the dock, but they must grab or dislodge a bumper that is suspended above the pool. A Belgian Malinois leads these rankings with an average height of 8’8”. The speed retrieve is a timed event; a bumper is placed at the end of the pool. The dog is released by the handler, and the clock starts, at a line 20 feet back from the edge of the dock; the clock stops as soon as the dog grabs the bumper (the return is not timed). Iron Dog is the awards program for dogs that compete in all three Dockdog events.

Other groups that host events and offer titles and rankings are the North America Diving Dogs, and Ultimate Air Dogs. NADD awards are recognized by the American Kennel Club; divisional titles can be earned for novice, beginner, intermediate, advanced and elite. NADD’s distance jump and vertical retrieve divisions are very similar to Dockdogs’ Big Air and Extreme Vertical; however their Air Retrieve division differs from Dockdogs’ speed retrieve. In the air retrieve, the dog isn’t timed but distance is measured as it jumps out and either grabs or dislodges a bumper hanging 4 feet above the water. UAD was started in 2005 by Detroit Tigers’ pitcher Milt Wilcox and his son

26 | August 2016

Brian; and prides itself on a grassroots background, and ability to make every competitor feel welcome; it’s all about family fun. UAD offers titles in several different divisions; theirs are recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC). In both NADD and UAD, dogs do not have to be purebreds nor is registration with AKC or UKC required to compete.

Phillips’ dog Dee Dee is a rescue dog she and her husband adopted.

She’s working on titles for Speed Retrieve and Air Retrieve. While many of the best jumpers are retrievers, especially Labs and Chesapeakes — other breeds and mixed breeds, excel too. Little dogs and senior dogs even have their own divisions; NADD has a separate division and awards for lap dogs (anything under 14” at the shoulders). “You see people clapping and cheering just as loudly for the little guys and the ones that barely plop in,” said Phillips.”Dock diving is a very social sport and everyone cheers for

everyone, no matter the distance.”

Could your dog dock dive?

Most events use a portable, aboveground pool filled with 30,000 gallons of water, with a 40 foot dock that is actually a flatbed trailer. The owners use the dog’s favorite toy as a lure to entice the big jumps — sometimes this is a ball, bumper, or floating squeaky toy. Distance is measured from the end of the dock to the point at which the base of the dog’s tail enters the water. Dogs with the longest jumps, performed in what are known as “competition waves,” earn both numerical and honorary rankings. The longer of two jumps becomes the dog’s score for the “wave.”

Waves also often allow non competing dog time to give the sport a try at events, and all the organizations have clubs that hold training sessions at area facilities People active with dock diving dogs agree that breed and size matter less

than certain characteristics. A good candidate is a dog that loves being in and around water; is a good swimmer, and has a high toy drive with desire to chase or retrieve. It helps if the dog is also healthy and fit and the owner is motivated and loves the sport.”While people are competitive and want their dogs to do well, it is also a friendly group,” said one competitor, adding that no one is ever allowed to push or throw dogs into the water, and absolutely no abuse or negative behavior is tolerated. Everyone cheers for each other, and newcomers are welcomed and given assistance in working with their dogs.

How to Get Involved

If you’re interested and think your dog could be a jumping star, try to attend an event or training session on a warm summer day. Most events allow interested people to jump their dogs, and this is an ideal introduction.

For a fee of usually $20, owners can let their dogs jump in the pool between the actual competition waves. Those that are serious about dock diving join a local club; membership allows you to receive advance information about training days and upcoming events.

Locally, Chesapeake Dock Dogs, ChesapeakeDockDogs.com, holds practices in Virginia and Maryland and a bit further out, Blue Ridge Dock Dogs (check out their Facebook page) near Charlottesville also holds practices and sponsors events.

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August 2016 | 27

BEHIND THE BAR

HANNI MEKONNEN

Hanni serves up The Susie—Stoli vodka, St. Germaine, lemon juice and blackberry syrup. She is behind the bar Monday through Saturday, 11 am - 4 pm

How did you get started in the bartending business?

I started bartending when I moved to the United States. I needed a way to make money!

What is your biggest bartender pet peeve?

Rudeness! I feel like the bar should be the least tense place. No need to get cranky! Let’s have fun!

What is the most clever line anyone has ever used to get a free drink?

28 | August 2016

I’ve heard it all, LOL. Probably the best one was getting a “gift card” for a free drink.

go well. Just give a compliment!

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

What is the best/ I have had so worst pick up line many interesting 703-684-3288 you have ever heard and precious MACKIESBARANDGRILL.COM at the bar? encounters, but my This guy started most favorite one a conversation with a lady whose hair was when Erin Brockovich came into he assumed was fake. That did not my bar. That was nice.

HANNI MEKONNEN IS BEHIND THE BAR AT MACKIE’S BAR & GRILL 907 KING STREET OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA

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

Probably Rihanna. She looks like she knows how to have fun!

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

Old Town Crier

DINING OUT LANI GERING

Bond 45

The feel of old New York on the shores of the Potomac

B

ond 45 is located in the heart of National Harbor and is one of the first white table cloth eateries to open after the resort itself finally came in to fruition.

The original Bond 45 is a landmark located in the theater district in New York City and while we haven’t had the privilege to frequent the original, the National Harbor version is one of our favorite places in the Harbor. From the cool neon sign on the exterior to the rich, warm interior this restaurant exudes class.

In addition to our favorite place to

drink and dine — the extensive bar and front dining room — Bond has five private dining rooms that can host anywhere between 8 and 250 guests.

There are also two balconies with outside seating that provide a great view of the Plaza, the Capital Wheel, the Potomac River and the Old Town Alexandria skyline.

Steaks, pasta and seafood all reign supreme at Bond. For those readers who have already had the Bond 45 experience, I am sure that you have

Spaghetti and seafood platter, above, and Branzino

DINING OUT > PAGE 30

photo: courtesy of Architizer.com

Old Town Crier

August 2016 | 29

Fine Seafood, Historic Setting Outdoor Seating • Happy Hour • Private Events 119 King Street • Old Town Alexandria 703.836.2836 • wharfrestaurant.com

KING SALMON & HEIRLOOM TOMATOES

SSAMJANG SHRIMP

CITRUS GINGER SPICED SWORDFISH

Top to bottom: cookies and Prosecco, focaccia bread, summer salad, crab cake A GROWN-UP TWIST TO A CAMPFIRE CLASSIC

CUBAN SPICED SCALLOPS & SHRIMP

S’MORES CRÉME BRÛLÉE

Spectacular Waterfront Dining

One Cameron St. • Alexandria • 703.684.5080 • chart-house.com 30 | August 2016

DINING OUT FROM PAGE 29

your favorite go-to steak cut and pasta. While the original menu was all inclusive and included a wide array of choices in all categories, it was a little overwhelming for me. The new menu that was just rolled out in mid-July is a nice change. There are still plenty of choices in all areas — 7 steaks, 12 house-made pastas, 7 seafood selections and 4 Italian classics the likes of Eggplant and Chicken Parmigiana, Chicken Marsala, Mamma Perla’s Chicken and a Veal Chop Parmigiana. The appetizers and salads are plentiful and the house-made meatballs are still a staple. They have a new Summer Chopped Salad that we tried that was over the top.

We had a different sort of dining experience when we were there last month. They have added a “Family Style” section to the new menu that offers 7 appetizers, 6 pasta selections and 5 DINING OUT > PAGE 31

Old Town Crier

DINING OUT FROM PAGE 30

entrees. We decided to let our hosts pick two of their favorites this section. Fortunately for us, two good friends walked in while we were dining and volunteered to help us out. The family-style portions are advertised for 4-6 and those are generous portions. The centerpiece of our experience was the family style Spaghetti, Lobster & Seafood. Served on a large platter, this dish was chock full of jumbo shrimp, two split lobster tails, cherrystone clams and mussels. The pasta was tossed with the perfect amount of marinara (one of the best in the area) and served piping hot. The photo really does not do this dish justice – that platter is huge! Along with the platter, we sampled the summer chopped salad (see comment above) – little gem romaine lettuce, market vegetables, tomatoes, salami, fontina cheese, cucumbers and olives tossed in a house-made ranch dressing. We also sampled the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake & Shrimp combination and the Striped Bass Branzino with roasted vegetables from the “normal” entrée selections.

We are both Maryland Crab Cake purists and while the Bond 45 version isn’t prepared quite like we prefer them, this crab cake was very, very tasty and a good size. The jumbo shrimp that accompanied it added an extra Dining Room boost. The Branzino was very flavorful and the sausage, choice of potatoes or parmesan grits, presentation was fantastic. The accompanying toast, glass of orange juice or Prosecco, coffee photo doesn’t really do it justice either. or tea) and the Healthy Day for $20 (Greek No steak was consumed on this visit but yogurt, granola, hardboiled egg, seasonal I have yet to be disappointed in any of the berries, almonds, walnuts, glass of orange steaks that I have had over the last 6 or years. juice, coffee or tea). These are both a good Serving New York steaks, dry-aged 28 days, value. Non breakfast items are also plentiful ranging from an 8 ounce Filet Mignon and for those of you looking for more of a lunch.

14 ounce Rib Eye (my favorites) to a 36 ounce Porterhouse for two, Bond strives to make sure Also something very attractive to us is the Unlimited Bubbles for $18. This offer includes that you are never disappointed. your choice of the Bellini One of our favorite things — peach puree & prosecco, about the Bond 45 experience Puccini – raspberry puree & is the tradition of welcoming BOND 45 prosecco and the Risdini – guests with a complimentary 149 WATERFRONT STREET strawberry puree & prosecco. flute of Prosecco and saying 301-839-1445 Unlimited is the key word good bye with freshly baked BOND45.COM here. They also have $12 complimentary chocolate HOURS OF OPERATION: Bloody Mary’s – the classic chip cookies! Not too many MONDAY - THURSDAY, 5PM - 10PM and the bloody Italian that other restaurants extend that FRIDAY, 5PM - 11PM is made with San Marzano sort of hospitality. I can’t SATURDAY, NOON - 11PM tomato juice. Brunch is forget to mention the house SUNDAY, NOON - 10PM served on both Saturday and made focaccia that they start Sunday from 12 Noon – 3:30 you off with when you are pm. seated either. This can almost Bond has an extensive wine list and a full be a meal on its own! bar that can accommodate everyone’s adult Bond is also serving Brunch now. The menu beverage wish. The drink and wine pours are has several breakfast favorites including eggs quite generous. benedict (classic, crab cake and Florentine), Pricing at Bond is consistent with other steak and eggs, 2 kinds of pancakes (buttermilk establishments of this caliber in the metro area and chocolate chip), tiramisu French toast, an and there is both metered parking in front of Italian omelette and a three-cheese omelette the restaurant and garage parking a short walk as well as lobster scrambled eggs. Also on the away. Reservations are encouraged.

Brunch menu are The Bond Brunch for $25 (eggs any style, Canadian bacon & Italian

Old Town Crier

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

719 King St. Old Town Alexandria 703.684.9194 • thepitahouse.com

eat like a local!

August 2016 | 31

Dining Guide AMERICAN ASHAR RESTAURANT AND BAR 116 South Alfred St. 703-894-6356 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 EVENING STAR CAFÉ 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-549-5051 FIN & HOOF 801 N. Saint Asaph St. 703-836-4700 FIRE FLIES 1501 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-7200 FOSTERS GRILLE 2004 Eisenhower Ave. 703-725-1342 GADSBYS TAVERN 138 N. Royal St. 703-548-1288 HARD TIMES CAFE 1404 King St. 703-837-0050 HUNTING CREEK STATION 1106 King St. 703-836-5126

32 | August 2016

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

MALAYA 1019 King St. 703-519-3710

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

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

MAI THAI 9 King St. 703-548-0600

JACKSON 20 480 King St. 703-842-2790

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

JOE THEISMANNS 1800 Diagonal Rd. 703-739-0777

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

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

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

Favorites include fish and chips and Irish stew. Irish-style entertainment nightly.

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

ROCK IT GRILL 1319 King St. 703-739-2274

RED MEI 602 King St. 703-837-0094

SAMUEL BECKETTS IRISH GASTRO PUB 2800 S. Randolph St. Villages of Shirlington 703-379-0122 SHOOTER MCGEES 5239 Duke St. 703-751-9266

THAILAND ROYAL 801 N. Fairfax St. 703 535-6622

FACCIA LUNA 823 S. Washington St. 703-838-5998

CAPHE BANH MI VIETNAMESE 407 Cameron St. 703-549-0800 SANG JUN THAI 300 King Street 571-312-3377 KAI ZEN TAVERN 1901 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-836-1212 CONTINENTAL BRABO

by Robert Weidmaier 1600 King St. 703-894-3440

SONOMA CELLAR 207 King St. 703-966-3550

BRABO TASTING ROOM 1600 King St. 703-894-5252

SOUTHSIDE 815 815 S. Washington St. 703-836-6222

CEDAR KNOLL INN GW Parkway at Lucia Ln. 703-799-1501

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.

RESTAURANT EVE 110 S. Pitt St. 703-706-0450

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 VIRTUE GRAIN & FEED 106 South Union St. 571-970-3669 THE WAREHOUSE BAR & GRILL 214 King St. 703-683-6868 ASIAN ASIAN BISTRO 809 King St. 703-836-1515

BERTUCCIS 725 King St. 703-548-8500

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

SOCIETY FAIR 277 S. Washington St. 703-683-3247

TRADEMARK 2800 Jamieson Ave. 703-253-8640

ITALIAN

BUGSYS PIZZA RESTAURANT 111 King St. 703-683-0313 bugsyspizza.com

TOKYO JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE 66 Canal Center Plaza 703-683-8878

RT's RESTAURANT 3804 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-684-6010 rtsrestaurant.com

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

TEMPO 4231 Duke St. 703-370-7900 temporestaurant.com Northern Italian, French provincial and American cuisine featuring fresh seafood, meats and pasta served in a contemporary, romantic atmosphere.

FRENCH BASTILLE 606 N. Fayette St. 703-519-3776 bastillerestaurant.com LE REFUGE 127 N. Washington St. 703-548-4661 FONTAINES CAFFE & CREPERIE 119 S. Royal St. 703-535-8151 LA MADELEINE 500 King St. 703-729-2854 TWO NINETEEN RESTAURANT 219 King St. 703-549-1141 YVES BISTRO 235 Swamp Fox Rd. (in Hoffman Ctr.) 703-329-1010

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.

HANKS PASTA BAR 600 Montgomery Ave. 571-312-4117 IL PORTO RESTAURANT 121 King St. 703-836-8833 LANDINI BROTHERS 115 King St. 703-836-8404 landinibrothers.com Elegant, classical Italian cuisine served in a lovely historical setting. Fresh veal, homemade pastas, and fresh fish are some of the daily choices. An extensive list of wines and champagnes served in a sophisticated and friendly atmosphere.

LENA’S WOOD-FIRED PIZZA & TAP 401 East Braddock Rd. 703-960-1086 PARADISO 124 King St. 703-683-5330 PINES OF FLORENCE 1300 King St. 703-549-1796 RED ROCKS FIREBRICK PIZZA 904 King St. 703-717-9873 TRATTORIA DA FRANCO 305 S. Washington St. 703-548-9338 MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA 529 East Howell Ave. 571-970-1006 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!

TAVERNA CRETEKOU 818 King St. 703-548-8688 tavernacretekou.com PITA HOUSE 719 King St. 703-684-9194 thepitahouse.com Family owned and operated; carry out available and free delivery.

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

Live music and lively food!

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

FISH MARKET-CLINTON 7611Old Branch Ave. Clinton, MD 301-599-7900 INDIAN BOMBAY CURRY COMPANY 2607 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-836-6363 DISHES OF INDIA 1510A Bellview Blvd.

703-660-6085 MEXICAN LATIN SOUTHWESTERN DON TACO TEQUILA BAR 808 King St. 703-988-3144 LOS TIOS GRILL 2615 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-299-9290 LOS TOLTECOS 4111 Duke St. 703-823-1167 TAQUERIA POBLANO 2400-B Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-TACO (8226) CASA FELIPE 835 N. Royal St. 703-535-7868

Old Town Crier

Now open for BRUNCH Saturdays & Sundays at 10AM 121 South Union Street, Old Town Alexandria 703.548.1785  unionstreetpublichouse.com

G GERANIO RISTORANTE

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Old Town Crier

713 King Street • Old Town Alexandria 703.548.1717 • murphyspub.com August 2016 | 33

CHEF’S SPECIAL CHESTER SIMPSON

JEFFREY LEWIS IS THE CHEF OF CHART HOUSE RESTUARANT ONE CAMERON STREET OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA 703-684-5080 CHART-HOUSE.COM

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

I was 14 or so. Got my first job and I was hooked. I really enjoyed it. When I was younger it was about the food, all the interesting people you work with and serve. However, the older I get the more I realize that all of that is very important, but serving others is why I do it. Nothing is more satisfying than a happy guest.

Who have been the biggest inspirations for your career?

Julia Childs, for giving me an interest as a child through TV; Ferdinand Point, for sticking to his principals and demonstrating service to others. There are many and not just food-oriented.

photo: ©2016 Chester Simpson

JEFFREY LEWIS What dish on the menu are you most curious to see how it’s received by guest?

Our Banh Mi. Having pork belly on our menu is something outside of what we typically do, but our guests really seem to love it. It is delicious.

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

Mise en place (pronounced MEEZ ahn plahs), means having all your ingredients prepared and ready to go before you begin cooking). Training and retraining. Systems that remind you to check before, during, and after dining. Reminding your employees what the standard is. Passion is great, but remember what drives you, find out what drives others and we can all be driven to ensure the quality and the experience that our guests have.

If any chef in the world could prepare you a meal, who would it be?

I cannot pick one! That said, how about: Ferdinand Point, (was a French chef and restaurateur considered to be the father of modern French cuisine); Thomas Keller (an American chef, restaurateur, and cookbook writer); Charlie Trotter (was Chicago’s most famous, revered, groundbreaking, and feared chef); Marco Pierre White (an English chef, restaurateur and television personality from Leeds.

White has been dubbed the first celebrity chef, and the enfant terrible

of the UK restaurant scene). The list could go on forever.

What’s your guilty food pleasure?

Anything smoked or grill. I don’t generally feel guilty, I just exercise more.

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

Left to right: NY Style Top Sirloin with sliced tomato & onion marmalade, loaded potato wedges, smoked cheddar cheese sauce. Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich with braised pork belly, Asian slaw, five spice bourbon ketchup, 72 Hour Pork Chop - Blue cheese & pancetta mash, apple chutney, sun-dried cherry sauce and Ice Cream Trio with pistachio, peanut butter chocolate and strawberry-all made in house.

34 | August 2016

Old Town Crier

GRAB A BITE! KEEP IT COOL WITH OUR $10 LUNCH SPECIALS AND THE HAPPIEST OF HAPPY HOURS 3-7 PM AT THE BAR!

Great Steaks

USDA Prime Cuts

Late Night Menu Available Every Night

907 King Street Old Town Alexandria 703.684.3288 mackiesbarandgrill.com

Great Steaks Great Steaks uts ime C Old Town Crier

USDA Prime Cuts USDA Pr

August 2016 | 35

GRAPEVINE FRANK BRITT

CASTLE HILL CIDER

CASTLE HILL CIDER 6065 Turkey Sag Road Keswick, Virginia 22947 434-296-0047 castlehillcider.com photo: Kristen Finn

A REFRESHING ALTERNATIVE ALONG VIRGINIA’S WINE TRAIL

C

photo: Kristen Finn

36 | August 2016

astle Hill earned a place in the history books on June 3, 1781, when Jack Jouett set off on his perilous 40-mile ride to Charlottesville to warn Thomas Jefferson of an impending British raid. As the story goes, it was at Castle Hill that owners Dr. Thomas and Mrs. Walker succeeded in delaying British forces, providing time enough for Jouett to fulfill his mission and save the day.

Today Castle Hill continues to make history as a world class event center and producer of artisan hard ciders. Located a short distance east of Charlottesville along the wine trail of Central Virginia, Castle Hill’s cidery and event center is spectacularly set among 600 acres of meadows, ponds and orchards with mountain vistas.

In the cidery at Castle Hill, ciders are meticulously produced in small batches, using traditional and modern methods, and boast a crisp, contemporary style in a range of flavor profiles. Favorites among the assortment are the classic off-dry Celestial, a balanced blend Old Town Crier

CASTLE HILL CIDER RECIPE

GRILLED CHIMICHURRI MARINATED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH GRILLED CORN, GRILLED BREAD AND TOMATO SALAD A great dish for late summer cookouts—pairs perfectly with Castle Hill Serendipity Chimichurri Marinade

• Pour over tenderloin and let marinate for 2 hours, turning every ½ hour

Ingredients • ¾ cup fresh parsley • ¼ cup fresh cilantro • ¼ cup fresh oregano (can use 1T dried) • ¼ cup chopped red onion • ¼ cup chopped garlic (4-6 cloves) • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil • ¼ cup Castle Hill Cider Albemarle Pippin apple cider vinegar • Salt and pepper to taste

Grilled Salad (serves 4)

prep in advance if possible and keep ¼ aside for plating

Preparation • Put all ingredients together in a food processor and pulse gently until combined. with a firm tannin structure and notes of spice and citrus; the extradry Terrestrial, with notes of apple and peach and a clean, refreshing dry finish; and the fruit-forward, semi-dry Serendipity, with a hint of sweetness.

Recently introduced and very popular is the fortified Big Pippin cider, with notes of fresh ginger on the nose, hints of vanilla and caramel on the palette, and a lengthy finish.

Awards for Castle Hill’s ciders are many and include Silver medals for the Celestial and Ancient Orchard ciders at the 2016 Great Lakes International Cider competition and ‘Best Cider’ at the 2016 Virginia State Fair for the Serendipity.

Castle Hill Cider is available to taste or purchase by the glass or

Preparation • Grill corn until just done then slice off the cob (when cool enough)

into bowl.

• Slice bread lengthwise, coat with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on both sides until browned but not burned then cut into ½-inch cubes.

• Slice tomato into ½-inch cubes • Finely chop basil and thyme • Combine ingredients in bowl and season with salt and pepper then drizzle with evoo while mixing and let rest while grilling tenderloin • When grilling tenderloin be sure to baste with used marinade while turning • Just before plating drizzle some CHC serendipity over salad while tossing for extra zing!

• Slice tenderloin into medallions

bottle in the tasting room in Keswick.

An assortment of specialty breads, spreads, nuts and cheeses are offered to complement tastings. The Tasting Room features a mahogany tasting bar, fieldstone fireplace and French doors that open to a dramatic outdoor tasting area with 360 degree pastoral and mountain views.

Hours of operation are 11 am to 5 pm Monday through Sunday, with a sunset concert series on the first and third Thursday of the month through October 20. On Sunday September 4, Castle Hill will host their very own cider fest featuring cider from six other Virginia cideries, live music, food trucks and balloon rides. Cider enthusiasts will appreciate The Castle Hill Cider Club, offering member

benefits such as limited release ciders, monthly deliveries, discounts and exclusive events.

The event center at Castle Hill was recently recognized by Borrowed and Blue in their “Best of 2016” in the wedding venue category. The ethereal setting includes a historic 11,000 square foot barn that has been totally modernized as a year-round party venue, with ample room for seated receptions and terraced lawns with spectacular views.

With its colorful legacy, natural beauty, and the distinctive cider that proudly bears its name, Castle Hill is a destination not to be missed. Visit the tasting room any day of the week for a refreshing alternative along Virginia’s wine trail.

Ingredients • 4 ears fresh corn • Fresh tomato (ideally a mix of heirlooms, ½ cup cubed per person) • 1 baguette • ¼ cup fresh basil • 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon thyme • Salt and pepper to taste • ¼ to ½ cup extra virgin olive oil • CHC Serendipity

and plate over salad then top with reserved chimichurri either individually or family style • Serve with chilled CHC Serendipity and enjoy!

Frank Britt is the publisher of the Official Virginia Wine Lover, an online newsletter that promotes the Virginia wine industry. He was the co-founder of Virginia Wine Lover Magazine and consults with a number of wine festivals. Britt can be reached at frank@brittmarketing.com

FREE SUBSCRIPTION to the official VIRGINIA WINE LOVER E-NEWSLETTER www.vawinelover.com

photo: Jacob RG Canon, New Canon Media ©2016

Old Town Crier

August 2016 | 37

EXPLORING VIRGINIAWINES DOUG FABBIOLI

A

new thing for us and much of the country is the interactive game Pokémon GO. I will be dead honest: I don’t play the game. My wife and 19 year old son play, and I am taking an observational view on this subject. As our winery is on google maps, we are a location for a few of the games activities. Also, for many years

Pokémon. Go? we have a geocache located at our site as well which is a 10 year old technology style treasure hunt game somewhat similar to Pokémon GO. Through the years many people have visited our property at all hours to locate the geocache and people are slowly finding out we have a Pokémon stop and gym on our property.

I look at this phenomenon as a way that technology is changing our entertainment, our social interaction and even our mobility and transportation. People are going places they have not gone before because of this game. Points of interest, museums, parks and other sites. Because Pokémon has been around for a while and

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38 | August 2016

Fabbioli Cellars Douglas Fabbioli Colleen M. Berg 15669 Limestone School Rd Leesburg 703-771-1197 www.fabbioliwines.com

the game is catching on so quickly, we are seeing a lot of people of all ages playing. My wife is playing because she played the game years ago with our son. I realize this may be a fad, but hopefully it is entertaining some folks that may be dragged to a winery and are too young or not interested in wine.

I am still processing this new phenomena and how it may impact us. I guess I always want to be aware of new technology that effects the public’s activities and possibly my business or our industry. The mobile apps are pretty incredible these days and I look forward to a wine themed interactive app.

I am a traditional style producer in an industry that is based on centuries old style and judged on a regular basis. But the breweries and cideries may be a little like the Pokémon Go game. If we welcome the new and different entity, it may bring another element to the experience. The fruit wines and ciders that we make at my winery I believe are signs that we are willing to embrace the evolution of our rural lands. So does this computer programmed interactive scavenger hunt squared fit into a traditional winery business plan? I think so…. if

people are willing to embrace change.

Now for a complete change of topic…our summer weather continues to show us that Mother Nature is in charge. Earlier this season, a powerful thunderstorm unleashed hail onto a swath of land from Bluemont through Middleburg. A number of vineyards and other crops along with homes were heavily damaged by the baseball sized ice balls. The recovery process of this can be challenging as the fruit clusters may be damaged or totally destroyed. The green shoots that have the leaves to get the fruit ripe may be broken. New shoots will grow, but the fruit is gone for the season. Now we all face the seemingly unrelenting heat and Japanese beetles. Some days it seems like producing grapes in this region is a never-ending battle….much like the battles that take place in the Pokémon Gym. 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.

Old Town Crier

GO FISH STEVE CHACONAS

Something’s Fishy Potomac Riverkeeper (PRKN), and Virginia State Senator Scott Surovell.

After a brief notification period, comments protesting the permit to allow the wastewater to flow began, but Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) found the Dominion process to be adequate. Apparently determining toxic chemicals can be diluted in the Potomac

O

ne of the most frequently asked questions about the Potomac River is, “Can I eat the fish?”

Well, you may not want to. In addition to urban runoff and sewage spills, there’s this.

Dominion Power owns and operates the Possum Point Power plant located between Quantico Creek and the Potomac River. Power plants were located close to water systems for water to heat to produce electricity and to cool power generators.

The plant burned coal from 1955 to 2003. Coal ash is

disposed of in five retention “ponds”, basically holes in the ground, holding over a billion gallons of toxic coal ash and contaminated water. Coal ash contains metals that are toxic at high levels, including lead, arsenic, chromium, selenium and vanadium.

Although switching to natural gas in 2003, the ponds are still being used to store millions of tons of this toxic slurry just a few feet from Quantico Creek. Some ponds were lined to prevent toxin leaching. Quantico Creek water samples show the presence of coal ash

Bassing IN AUGUST POTOMAC RIVER

Hot hazy and humid. Find shaded areas like grass mats and pad fields. Mann’s Hollow Super Frogs on 60-pound GAMMA Torque braid will haul big ones out the entire day.

Punching on the same line with a stout Mustad Flipping hook and 1 ounce Round Valley Tungsten weight will also work in

Old Town Crier

watershed.

The PRKR reported that earlier this year, prior to DEQ approval, Dominion revealed it dumped 33.7 million gallons of untreated coal ash wastewater in May 2015 into Quantico Creek. Dominion Power then met privately with Virginia DEQ on February 3rd and revised its GO FISH > PAGE 42

pollutants. In 2014, the Potomac Riverkeeper Network discovered all five ponds were seeping directly into the creek or leaching coal ash waste into local groundwater around the facility, resulting in groundwater contamination and illegal surface water discharges from the site.

This is when the ash hit the fan. Complaints were filed in advance of Dominion applying for a permit to drain the ponds into Quantico Creek by the Potomac River Fisheries Commission (PRFC), Maryland, the

thick mats.

Early mornings try poppers like Lucky Craft G-Splash in clearer areas. Crank Lucky Craft BDS 4 on 16-pound Gamma Edge fluorocarbon line down to submerged grass at higher tides.

Skip weightless stickworms, soaked in Jack’s Juice, under cover like docks and allow to drop. Watch for bites. Slowly crawl chatterjigs and swim jigs like Mann’s Stone jig with Mann’s HardNose Mullets through the grass and snap free.

Craw patterns work. Use either braid or 16-pound Edge.

Other times use Mann’s Baby –Minus cranks over cover.

August 2016 | 39

FITNESS NICOLE FLANAGAN

HOW TO SAFELY WORK OUT IN THE HEAT

T

he dog days of summer are upon us, and with the warm weather and longer days we can all have a chance to get outdoors and enjoy some summer activities. Whether you are participating in sports or other physical activities during these hot months, it is important to keep in mind the potential risks that come with exercising in the heat. As

long as you understand how to safely work out in the heat, there is no reason not to take advantage of what summer has to offer.

There are many factors that contribute to how our bodies adjust in the heat. Air temperature and humidity play a major role in the body’s ability to regulate itself. Let’s say you’re running in 80-degree heat and the

humidity is low. Your body will be able to regulate temperature easily because the environment is cooler than your body temperature— which is typically 98.6 degrees. Up the humidity to 95 percent, and your shirt is sticking to your body because the sweat is no longer evaporating.

When the temperature outside exceeds our internal

temperature, the body relies on its only natural defense against overheating, which is the ability to sweat. The evaporation of sweat from the skin allows the body to cool down. However, when the humidity level is too high, there is less evaporation and therefore less cooling. This combination of high humidity and high temperature can be dangerous if a person is exposed for too long without proper hydration. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are two dangerous side effects that can happen when the body can no longer handle the heat.

Signs of heat exhaustion include general fatigue, weakness, nausea, dizziness, muscle cramps, and an increase in body temperature.

A body temperature above 104, an inability to sweat, acute respiratory distress, and loss of consciousness can be signs of heat stroke, which is more severe and can lead to death if not treated immediately.

This does not mean that you should avoid going outside to have a great summer workout. Just be aware of the risks and take steps to prevent overheating and dehydration. Here are some tips for exercising in the heat.

By following these guidelines, you will be able to safely exercise outdoors during the hot summer months:

Keep hydrated!

It is very important to drink plenty of fluids throughout the day. Once you start to feel thirsty you are already dehydrated. Try to stick to non-caffienated beverages (preferably water) or some type of sports drink. To stay properly hydrated during exercise, drink at least one cup of water 15 minutes prior to the beginning of exercise, and a gulp or two every 15 minutes during the workout.

Eat regularly

It is important to keep eating during the day. Try to get five small meals a day.

For many people, the heat 40 | August 2016

decreases appetite, but your body still needs the energy.

Fruits and vegetables are great for energy and will also help with some hydration.

Wear loose-fitting clothing

Try to find clothes that are light and breathable. The best type of clothing to wear is something that is designed to wick sweat away from the body.

Wear sunscreen

Even if you are out early in the morning, if you are exposed to the sun, it can give you a burn. Sunburns can hinder the body’s ability to cool itself.

Work out at times of the day that are cooler and stick to familiar activities The best times to work out are in the early mornings before the sun has a chance to warm up, or in the late afternoon when it starts to cool down. Try to avoid exercising during the hottest parts of the day (usually between 10am and 4pm).

Warming up before exercise and cooling down after is very important

Give your body a chance to adjust to the outside temperature before beginning your activity. Five minutes of walking or a light jog is a good way to prepare you for a workout. When you are done with the workout be sure to cool down. An example of a cool down would be walking for five or ten minutes to allow your heart rate to return to normal. Avoid extreme temperature changes.

Never go right from a hot sweaty workout into cold air conditioning.

Don’t forget that we’re living in a city where we don’t have the luxury of running on unpaved country roads. The majority of the trails we enjoy are paved, and radiate heat which greatly increases the heat from the environment.

Don’t let the summer temperatures stop you from going out and enjoying your favorite activities!

Old Town Crier

FROM THE TRAINER RYAN UNVERZAGT

REST&

RECOVERY

T

his month we address all you hardcore fitness enthusiasts who constantly work out to the point of no return. Don’t get me wrong, I promote physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week. These activities can include leisurely walks, bike rides, roller blading, or taking the family to a water park.

However, structured exercise (in which there are specific, measurable parameters such as intensity, duration, sets and reps) should be performed in moderation to prevent overtraining. There are very few personal trainers who will admit that more exercise is not always better.

Rest and recovery are probably the most overlooked aspects of any fitness program, even above flexibility. A little bit of R & R is important because you want to prevent needless injuries, burnout or staleness, and avoid the overtraining syndrome.

Here is a list of symptoms associated with overtraining: ✔ Performance plateau, followed by decreased strength and endurance ✔ Decrease in lean body mass ✔ Decreased appetite ✔ Less energy and desire to exercise ✔ Irritability ✔ Interrupted sleep patterns ✔ Excessive muscle soreness ✔ Increased heart rate at rest and during exercise Without adequate rest, there will not be positive

Old Town Crier

adaptations to exercise.

Exercise is a stressor to the body, so what you do between workouts is just as vital as what you do during your workout. During that time between exercising, your body is trying to regenerate, recover, and ultimately adapt to handle the physiological stress placed upon it. Just because you had an awesome workout doesn’t mean you should sabotage it by not taking care of yourself until the next workout.

Overtraining is a serious issue for the extreme exerciser.

Here are a few suggestions for meaningful rest and recovery: ✔ NUTRITION: This is the first thing you need to address. It’s true that you are what you eat and the best time to eat for recovery is within one hour after finishing a workout.

You should include a mixture of protein and carbohydrates. Try a turkey and cheese sandwich, or cottage cheese with fruit or sliced tomatoes, or just a glass of skim milk does the trick. ✔ SLEEP: Get as much of this as you can because your body recovers best with rest! Try for at least 8 hours a night. If your schedule allows, take a 20-minute nap during the day too.

(Just not at work!) ✔ADD IN A FEW LIGHT WORKOUTS: Yes. It’s ok to lighten up the intensity a bit. This way you get a

chance to recover while still staying active. Even professional and Olympic athletes take advantage of this strategy to help them prepare for an important game or event. ✔ LISTEN TO YOUR BODY: Don’t ignore the symptoms

listed above because you could end up ultimately giving up on exercise, which is by far the worse consequence of all!

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

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

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August 2016 | 41

PERSONALITY PROFILE FROM PG 4

production, and soon the two established a partnership and Letter Com Type was born. The profitable business lasted for 15 years, but with the popularity and accessibility of the personal computer, the graphics business began to change and Ross sold his shares back to Harris.

It was during this time that I began to get to know Bill Ross. For 10 years the Old Town Crier sponsored the Old Town Crier Cup sailboat race, and Ross not only designed our t-shirts but also crewed on my boat in a number of those races. In 1989 he volunteered his time to serve on the board of directors of the Seaport Foundation, which was developing their successful boat building school, and was the custodian for the three -masted schooner, Alexandria. Ross got me involved with the Alexandria, which became the sailing ambassador for the City of Alexandria. We shared many wonderful trips on the 125-foot ship, which was built in Denmark in 1929.

We sailed with Captains Pete Hall and Chip Reynolds, and the friendships that developed helped Ross to decide to work toward his own captains’ license, which he achieved in 2004.

While pursuing his captains’ license he worked as a deckhand on some of the boats from Potomac River Boat Company (PRBC) to satisfy his time

Bill at the helm of sailing vessel, Therapy

on the water requirement. After he received his captains’ license he then served as captain on the same boats for PRBC. About 12 years ago I introduced Ross to a friend of mine who owned and operated a tour boat out of Georgetown. Clayton needed a part-time captain to give him some days off. The two captains hit it off and in two years Ross bought the boat and business. Soon after, Ross sold the smaller boat and replaced

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it with a 45-foot pontoon boat, the George Washington, that can carry 42 passengers. His business — National River Tours — runs from April to October 7 days a week and is available for private charters.

In the mid 90s Ross met a young lady who would later become his wife. Caroline Bruder was a successful chef who was executive chef at such places as Café Milano, Isabella, Bistro Bis, La Bergerie and worked with Chef Cathal Armstrong at Old Town’s

GO FISH FROM PG 39

number to 27.5 million gallons, which is still more contaminated coal ash water than was spilled into the Dan River by Duke Energy in 2014. Dominion didn’t publicly acknowledge this dumping until after they received DEQ approval on January 14th 2016.

This is a two round fight. The first round goes to Dominion as they are permitted to dump 200 million treated gallons of pond water into the creek. The second round is all about the solid waste portion of the ash.

Dominion’s proposal calls for a cap in place procedure. This basically buries the ash and covers it to prevent it from being disturbed.

Many don’t see how this can be effective especially since the ponds are either unlined or have older liners, limited by the technology of the day and their age. Since the Clean Water Act requires the use of the best available technology, many interpret this action to be at worst ineffective in protecting the environment and illegal at best. A precedent has been set by the massive Duke Power coal ash spill into North Carolina’s Dan River in 2014 resulting in over $100 million in fines.

In spite of the DEQ and Dominion assuring water quality for human and aquatic health, questions are being raised about the high levels of ash byproducts in fish and how this may affect the valuable fishing resource. Specifically, the PRFC is asking the DEQ to present testing documentation about the impact on specific endangered species including the Atlantic and short nose sturgeon.

However, Maryland, which owns most of the Tidal Potomac River, has withdrawn their appeal to stop Dominion. The Petition for

Restaurant Eve. During one of the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner races that Ross was running, Ross convinced Caroline to sail along and act as chef for the crew. The race started in Baltimore and ended in Norfolk and lasted three days…then you had to come back. Well, that provide for a long time together in that race in 1997 and in 1998 they were married.

Caroline had always wanted to have her own restaurant and the two of them began casting an eye to the old Village Wharf restaurant in Hollin Hall. As he was driving by one night in 2010 he noticed that the light was no longer on and began to investigate the next day. He wrote a proposal to the landlord and the proposal was accepted. After raising capital and going back and forth with zoning and the rest of the red tape with Fairfax County, they finally opened River Bend Bistro together in 2014.

Caroline knows the kitchen and the wines and Ross is the business end of not just his tour boat, but also the restaurant.

For a sailor who would much rather be at the helm of a sailboat with a boat drink in his hand, this young mid60ish year old has embarked instead on two new careers. He is captain of both of these ventures, but at least with the restaurant he has a first mate that actually works as hard, or harder than he does.

Appeal raised concerns regarding the potential discharge of coal ash pollutants from ponds to groundwater that could affect water quality within Quantico Creek or the Potomac River.

Some say they withdrew because their motion came outside the legal comment period, but Maryland says otherwise. They say subsequent measures have been taken by DEQ, Dominion, and the EPA that address their concerns. DEQ has further discussed its intent to engage Maryland during this permitting process as groundwater monitoring and surface water monitoring safeguards are included to protect Quantico Creek and the Potomac River. In discussions with DEQ and Dominion, Maryland is seeking a Memorandum of Agreement that would result in increased monitoring for Potomac River health by sampling fish tissue, water quality and sediments.

At this time, other than Sen. Surovell, not many political representatives have stepped up.

Campaign contributions from Dominion have been suspect for the lack of outrage. In fact, on March 14, 2016, WAMU88.5FM News broke a story on the relationship between DEQ and Dominion citing public disclosure documents reporting Dominion paid for a 2013 dining and a golf outing ($3500) for David Paylor, the head of Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality.

To stay on top of this potentially disastrous action, follow the Potomac Riverkeeper, Dean Naujoks dean@potomacriverkeeper.org. Until then, eat more chicken.

Author Capt. Steve Chaconas is Potomac bass fishing guide & contributing writer for BoatU.S. (BoatUS.com) Potomac River reports: nationalbass.com. Book trips/purchase gift certificates: info@NationalBass.com.

Old Town Crier

FIRST BLUSH

It’s Summer!

Lighten Up!

I

t has been an unusually hot summer. I have been struggling with every aspect of my grooming.

Every product I put in my hair either feels sticky or does not perform at all. With such thin hair, I rely upon my products to perform. But, in this heat and humidity, it is almost impossible. My solution: a ponytail almost every day. Most daunting for me, however, has been my makeup. I need to wear makeup. I have dark circles under my eyes – thanks to heredity – and my skin can be sallow when I get a bit of color. The problem: the extreme heat and high humidity make my makeup feel like it is slipping off my face.

I wonder if others are struggling with this same problem. So, I thought I would offer some tips and solutions I have found that help to keep my makeup in place and looking good.

KIM PUTENS

Tip #3 Consider Multi-Uses

I can hardly stand the feel of heavy eye shadow on my eyes in the summer time. I simply take my powder blush and brush it over my eyes. It is quick, easy and gives you a hint of fresh color.

Tip #1 Lighten Up

All of us, despite our best attempts to cover up, will get a little bit of sun this summer.

This presents an opportunity and a challenge. The opportunity — to lessen the number of layers of makeup you would normally wear.

The challenge — the colors we wear when we are paler will change when we get a hint of color.

My suggestions: Put away the foundation. Either switch to a tinted moisturizer or wear nothing at all. I would lean toward nothing. Even a tinted moisturizer will feel heavy in extremely humid climates.

Substitute foundation or tinted moisturizer with a powder or bronzer. If you use powder, however, only dust on your skin lightly with a brush.

Please resist the need to blot with a sponge. If you use a puff or sponge, you could make the powder look like pancake batter. Bronzer is a

better choice because you get the benefit of a powder with a bit of color.

Tip #2 Brighten Up

Sun-kissed skin can sometimes be sallow and, because of the browning of the skin, look monotone.

The best way to offset these tendencies is to add pops of color like pinks and corals. Be careful not to add too much and look clown-like. Some more suggestions for adding color: Use powders, not creams.

While cream cheek color can be more vibrant, it can slip in humidity. If you choose a cream, be sure to set with a powder to avoid slipping.

Try gel-tints. Gel tints stay in place better and penetrate the skin so the color “sticks around.” They also are very natural looking. They also serve multiple uses because they can be applied to cheeks and lips.

7 Minutes to Gorgeous

Finally, instead of thinking of summer as a challenging time for makeup, consider it an opportunity to lighten your routine and cut out a significant amount of time.

You can keep your look clean and fresh by not using too many products and get out the door quicker. My suggested routine for summer: • Step 1: Apply tinted moisturizer, light bronzer (or nothing) all over the face. (1 minute)

• Step 2: Apply concealer (be sure it is the right color – too light will make you look like you have raccoon eyes) under the eyes. NOTE: You can also use the concealer to spot conceal other imperfections. But, make sure the color is right.) (1 minute) • Step 3: Apply color to cheeks and eyes.

(2 minutes) • Step 4: Line upper eyelids with eye pencil (1 minute) • Step 5: Apply mascara to upper lashes — if you do the lower lashes, you run the risk of it melting and running. (1 minute) • Step 6: Apply lip gloss. (1 minute) Done in seven minutes!

Experience the Difference

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This gel cream relies on EMS peptides and seaweed extract to instantly firm the appearance of skin and support collagen, while crosslinked sodium hyaluronate protects the skin’s natural moisture mantle.

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Old Town Crier

August 2016 | 43

SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE PEGGIE ARVIDSON

Manifesting the Life of Your Dreams: It’s Easier than You Think

B

y the time you read this I will be living in the foothills of the Catalina Mountains in Tucson, AZ! Twenty one years ago I made my first trip to Arizona and I fell in love. As a Northeastern native, this was a shock and surprise to me. Yes. It’s hot – my first trip was mid-July and it didn’t deter me one bit from falling madly, deeply in love with the landscape and southwestern lifestyle.

You see, people consistently tell me and my hubby that we’re being brave for moving clear across the country and him without a solid job offer.

It’s not so much brave as it is answering the calling of our hearts. I’m also asked what happens if we find out we don’t like it there. The answer is simple — we move back to DC or somewhere else.

Since when did we get

The

this idea that we’re meant to ignore our longings to shift and change our lives and our living situation? Staying put is great if that is your highest desire, but if you are called to fulfill a dream — whether it’s starting a business, getting married, pursuing a creative project or moving across the country — why do you stop yourself?

I find many people feel righteous in what they define as their stability. Yet they’re mistaking stability for rigidity.

Staying for the sake of staying is not the way I want to live my life. Neither is leaving simply for the sake of stirring the pot. Each of us knows what our true longings and desires are, and we’re the only ones who can make them come true.

Simply wanting to make your dream come true isn’t enough of course. You’ve got

to chart a course and put the plan in place. Then you let go and let the Universe do its work! One of the key lessons I share with my clients is how to work in collaboration with All That Is. The Universe (God, Spirit, All That Is) wants you to be happy. (Okay, that’s my belief, if you don’t believe in that sort of entity, that’s okay too, but you probably want to stop reading right now.)

Today I want to talk a bit about manifesting and making your dreams come true.

In order for the Universe to conspire to help you, you’ve got to get really clear on what it is you need to be, do or have to be truly, deeply in your bones happy. It’s like ordering a meal at a restaurant — if you ask for a chicken sandwich you shouldn’t expect to get a spaghetti dinner. Sure a spaghetti dinner might be

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nice, but don’t expect it to show up if you order chicken!

Understand that manifesting your desires in this world is like that restaurant meal — you state specifically what you want and then you’re happy to receive it. You don’t worry about whether or not you’ll never be able to order anything else at the restaurant when you order your chicken sandwich, do you? You know you can come back another time and order a spaghetti dinner, right?

So why would you think that if you “order” a life in Tucson, Arizona you’ll be stuck there forever if you don’t like it? Why would you think that you have to make the one, perfect, request because it’s the only chance you’ll ever get?

Even if you don’t want to move across country, start thinking about what you do want to be, do or have in your life and start manifesting it.

Here’s how: Be specific about your desire. This means pick one at a time — whether it’s starting your first painting, learning to drive a race car or launching your own business.

Write down exactly what you want. Fill in as much detail as you possibly can.

Write down how it feels to have/be it and include things that make it real — what colors are involved, what the weather is like! Go deeper than the surface and really make this real to you.

Take a break and go for a walk. Yes. Get outside even if it is 100 degrees and 80% humidity.

Read through what you’ve written. Is it as specific and clear as it possibly can be?

Can you close your eyes and see it happening in your mind’s eye? If not, fill in

whatever you feel is missing.

Take a few minutes and answer this question, Why do I want/need/desire this outcome? What does it mean to you? What are the obvious and not so obvious reasons this is meaningful to you?

Now ask, who do I have to be to make this real for me? If you want to run your first marathon, do you need to be a person who chooses to get off the couch for more than getting a snack? Do you need to be a person who has discipline? Get clear on the person you will be when you have this goal manifested.

Finally, what things can you do today to close the gap between where you are now and where you want to be?

We tend to get a dream and then tell ourselves it’s not possible. I assure you, that if you have the idea, it is possible, but the timing and shifts to make it so are up to you. You have a choice in moving toward the vision or staying put. No matter what you think, you’re changing all the time, so why not have a say in what that future looks like?

Who knows, maybe I’ll see you in Tucson?!

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. Old Town Crier

OPEN SPACE LORI WELCH BROWN

E

ver have one of those days when you look in the mirror and wonder ‘who the frick is that?’ You know—the one with the gray hairs, fine lines around the mouth, and the occasional rogue chin hair? The one who went to bed at 9:30 PM, woke up feeling tired and has bags under her eyes? The one who had three glasses of Chardonnay and feels like Keith Richards took up residence in her head? Heck—she used to drink a bottle of wine while she was getting ready to go meet Keith out for a night of real partying. Yeah—that woman has taken over my bathroom and my brain. I guess that’s why they call it middle aged ‘crazy.’ Instead of asking “should I get another piercing,” she wakes up asking “what’s my purpose in life? Why am I HERE? Where’s my bucket list? Why aren’t there better presidential candidates? Why don’t all lives matter? And, more importantly— where are my glasses?” Let’s face it.

I can’t find anything without those.

Why is it what when a woman is going through the change of life she wakes up looking for change—and not the kind that fell behind the cushions of the couch. That was my twenty year old self and the purpose was beer money.

Clearly I’m not a woman who is change averse. Within the past four years I went from being selfemployed to re-entering the corporate world, traded in a cool row house in Del Ray for a house in the ‘burbs, and got married for the first time. I should be nominated for a change Grammy for crying out loud. For the Old Town Crier

TBD record, I’m not averse to changing my grays to brunette either, or even red if the mood strikes. I’ve just never really courted change the way I have recently. Change isn’t just occurring in my physical body—it is happening in my head. First, the ‘itch’ for change set in. Or maybe it was more like a burn as in ‘burn out.’ I was feeling tired, cranky and dreading going into the office on more days than I should.

My energy felt zapped. Granted it was winter and I’m menopausal so it was really hard to point the finger at the J.O.B. Then I noticed that daily co-worker interactions were turning into annoyances and feeling Dilbert’esque on a consistent basis.

Things that I used to enjoy started to wear me down. My daily commute was depressing me, and I felt like my life was passing before my very eyes.

Check, please. Time for a change.

You can talk about stuff in your head all you want, vent on the phone to your husband while languishing on the beltway behind a convoy of semis, but once you tell your boss (whom, for the record, I adore), there is ZERO turning back. I hate those kinds of discussions, but once the band-aid was ripped off, I did start to feel a sense of relief so I knew I had made the right decision for me. It was a really difficult one—one that involved almost daily pros and cons lists. I need to give a moment of thanks to my husband, XXL, who patiently supported my crazy periods of indecision and waffling. After a few months of listening to me whine over wine, he just wanted me to make a frickin’

decision already. The months of inertia have now turned into a countdown to launch of merely days. At this writing, I have 11 beltway commutes left and I am freaking the f*#$ out. Who quits their job?! What was I thinking?!

What if this was nothing more than a ill-timed midlife crisis. I am turning 50 for Christ’s sake. Shouldn’t I have just gotten some Botox and a new Tory Burch bag? Shouldn’t a major life decision require my dad’s signature or at least a note from my husband?

Now that my paychecks, as well as my beltway commutes are dwindling, I find myself coping like any confident, mature woman—with retail therapy!

OMG. Nordstrom anniversary sale!

I need new boots! New yoga gear!

Spanx—I’ve never worn them, but I NEED them. Baaaaahhh! Wait—I can’t afford retail therapy! Time for wine therapy—cheap wine. No more of that expensive $15 a bottle stuff. Or maybe stress eating therapy! I’ll have more time to work out later. Sigh. Fear raised its ugly head and realized it needs a trim and partial highlights.

On the flip side, I have another ‘want’ master whispering in my ear.

I want to bake a pie. I want to sleep past 5:30 AM on a Tuesday. I want to write someone a letter—a real letter.

I want to take tennis lessons. I want to cook my husband a home cooked meal from a real recipe. I want to visit my dad in Florida and not have to worry about checking emails or how many vacation days I have left.

I’m not gloating—I’m blessed beyond measure. I know not everyone has this option—and trust that I’ve never had

the luxury of quitting a job without having a good, solid back up plan. I can still hear my dad whispering in my ear, “as long as you can pay the bills.”

I’ve been a responsible bill paying member of society for a few decades and I’ve got the credit score to prove it. I’m not planning on doing anything too reckless, but I’m definitely planning on giving my brain a much needed break.

So, it’s official. I am about to be unemployed for the first time in a very long time. It is at once scary, exciting, and liberating. I’m an organizer and a planner to the core so free styling doesn’t come naturally to me. People keep asking me what I’m going to do, and my first response is ‘TBD.’ My non-plan is to spend a couple of weeks navel gazing, couch surfing, and catching up on Netflix right after I organize the junk drawer, clean out the garage and purge my closets! I can’t help myself! In reality, I’m so used to tracking my boss’s every movement, I’ll likely have to fill that void by stalking someone for a period of time.

XXL is scared to say the least. “Hey, hon. Aren’t you supposed to be at that client meeting in 10 minutes? Did you call the accountant back? Should I send an email to the electrician and follow up on that quote for you?”

Relax. Breathe.

After my navel gazing, Netflix phase—who knows? I know I’d like to write more. About what, I’m not sure.

TBD. August 2016 | 45

Lazy, Hazy Summer Days at the Harbor

I

The opening of Jimmy’s

can’t believe that there really isn’t anything major going it is now six on other than the years that I Crab & Beer Fest. have lived However, the heat in National and slower pace Harbor. The landscape has hasn’t put a damper really changed in on the latest craze — Pokémon Go! It has this relatively short BY LANI GERING taken several different time and there people in several have been many wild and crazy events in those different age ranges to try to explain just how this whole years as well but August is game works since I really always a quiet month. Maybe have no idea who the original because of the heat. You can Pokémon “people” are. In the tell by the calendar of events past month or so I cannot believe the number of human people — pretty much from all age ranges — I have seen roaming around Old Town Alexandria and Southern Maryland where our sailboat is docked with heads down and at a zombie’s pace. Just when I was hoping that National Harbor had dodged the Pokémon Go bullet (since I haven’t really seen many roaming around), I discovered there are serious “Pokémon Go Specials” taking place, enticing the Pokémon geeks to my neighborhood!

46 | August 2016

After thinking about it for a minute or so, I guess if a business is going to have people wandering in looking for one of the creatures, or whatever they are called, they might as well try to make a buck. Here is what I ran across: • AC Hotel and Lounge is offering a special Trainer Cocktail in the AC Lounge for $5. Evidently AC is located right by a Pokéstop and has plenty of places to charge your phone.

• The Capital Wheel is offering a$10 admission if you snap a picture of the Pokémon that you caught on the Capital Wheel Pier and share it on Facebook or tag them onTwitter.

• Capital Teas is giving a 10% discount on all teas if a Pokémon is caught at the store. A screenshot of the capture has to be presented to the cashier at check out the same day.

• Go Blue Wash on the first floor of the Fleet Street garage is offering 10% off any car wash service and FREE parking if a screenshot of a Pokémon taken anywhere in the

Harbor is presented.

• Peeps & Company will take 15% off of your purchase with a screenshot of a captured Pokémon.

• Walrus Oyster & Ale House are giving away dessert with an entrée purchase with a screenshot of a captured Pokémon.

I am sure there are other places in the Harbor that have jumped on board but you will have to research them on your own!

Restaurant Update

Of note on the Harbor restaurant scene, Brother Jimmy’s BBQ finally got its doors open in mid-July. We were happy to join them on the first night. BJBBQ is a welcome addition to the eatery line-up here. The BBQ really lives up to the hype — “Put Some South In Yo Mouth” — and the beer is nice and cold. By the time you all are reading this, they will have worked through the opening kinks and will be on a roll.

BJBBQ joins sister restaurant Public House on Fleet Street with the soon to be open, Irish Whisper coming onboard next door.

Old Town Crier

New at the Gaylord • GAYLORD NATIONAL RESORT has launched an all-new nightly Summer Lights Laser Show in its 19-story atrium at 9 p.m. Featuring a kaleidoscope of colors, visitors can enjoy a dynamic show including music, lasers and dancing water from its water fountain that shoots up to 60 feet high.

• CONSTRUCTION ON THE RESORT’S FREESTANDING RIVERVIEW BALLROOM continues, with a projected opening date of July 2017. The ballroom will be the region’s largest waterfront ballroom with floor-to-ceiling window views of the Potomac River.

• RELACHE SPA AT GAYLORD NATIONAL RESORT has introduced new menu of treatments designed for the specific needs of its male guests. The new offerings include body treatments, facials, hand and feet treatments and salon services. It also offers Express treatments for the man on the go. For a complete menu of services, visit escapetorelachespa. com.

NATIONAL HARBOR AUGUST 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

Old Town Crier

Hip Hop Zumba Class On the Plaza, 7 - 8 pm 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-tactoe and jenga! Games start at 4 pm.

From 6 to 7 pm Bobby McKey’s Dueling Piano Boom Box will be on hand. The evening rounds out with a DJ and dancers handing out giveaways!

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.

6th: US 257th Army Band, 1 pm USAF Singing Sergeants, 7 pm 13th: USAF Airmen of Note 20th: USAF Concert Band 27th: USAF Airmen of Note Movies On the Potomac On the Plaza, FREE! 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 Sundays for Family Night. 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!

DATE NIGHT • 7 PM 4th: Remember the Titans 11th: The Longest Yard 18th: Zoolander 25th: Online Movie Poll (check

the website)

FAMILY NIGHT • 6 PM 7th: Cars 14th: The Karate Kid 21st: Hook 28th: Cool Runnings

All You Care to Taste Over 50 beers and wines and a few spirits. All of your favorite craft beers and some great wines will be served to highlight the summer afternoon on-hand.

27TH 7th Annual Crab & Beer Festival 300 Waterfront Street

All You Care to Taste Crabs Enjoy all the crabs you can handle during the four hours of the show. Our crabs vary in size and will be offered at 6 crabs at a time, per person.

Session 1: 11 am - 3 pm Session 2: 5 pm - 9 pm Join us for the World’s Largest Crab Feast – This is the 7th Annual Maryland Tradition! The Festival is an allyou-care-to-taste extravaganza complete with over 60,000 crabs, lots of beer, arts & crafts, live music, family fun and so much more! Find out what over 20,000 people have come to enjoy. Lots of summertime fun for the whole family. Thousands of tables and chairs and huge tents for crackin’ to your heart’s content.

We’ve even ordered enough crab paper to stretch all the way across The Potomac and back.

Other Great Food There will be other great food options as well available for purchase. There are no vegetarian options available. Unless outlined, all food is sold ala carte.

A la carte crabs option will be sold 6 crabs (½ dozen) at a time, per person for $35, cash only and while supplies last. www.mdcrabfest.com

August 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 BROTHER JIMMY’S BBQ 177 Fleet Street 301-909-8860

48 | August 2016

CADILLAC RANCH 186 Fleet St. 301-839-1100 cadillacranchgroup.com CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL 158 National Plaza 301-749-2016 CRAB CAKE CAFE 140 National Plaza 240-766-2063

Arrive by boat and spend the afternoon exploring the 45-acre estate, grounds, Museum and Education Center.

Arrive in style at the National Mall to view the Roosevelt Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, World War II Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and more!

For additional information, visit our ticket booth located in the Alexandria City Marina, behind the Torpedo Factory Art Center.

703.684.0580 GRACES MANDARIN 188 Waterfront Street 301-839-3788 GRANITE CITY FOOD & BREWERY 200 American Way 240-493-3900 McCORMICK & SCHMICK 145 National Plaza 301-567-6224

ELEVATION BURGER 108 Waterfront Street 301-749-4014

McLOONES PIER HOUSE 141 National Harbor Plaza 301-839-0815 mcloonespierhousenh.com

FIORELLA PIZZERIA E CAFFE 152 National Plaza 301-839-1811

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

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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

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

publichousenationalharbor.com

OLD HICKORY STEAKHOUSE Gaylord Resort 301-965-4000 gaylordnational.com

ROSA MEXICANA 135 Waterfront Street 301-567-1005

PIENZA ITALIAN MARKET Gaylord Resort 301-965-4000 gaylordnational.com POTBELLY SANDWICH WORKS 146 National Plaza 301-686-1160 PUBLIC HOUSE 199 Fleet Street 240-493-6120

REDSTONE AMERICAN GRILL 155 National Plaza 301-839-3330

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

Old Town Crier

Taste the Virginia Original Hand Malted Applewood Aged Ask for it by name.

Available in better stores now.

This is where your new favorite whisky comes from.

Free tours in Williamsburg and Sperryville.

Tastings and Copper Fox products available for purchase.

www.copperfox.biz

Three Magic Words Outdoor. Waterfront. Dining

The moment we’ve all been waiting for is here.

Days are longer, nights warmer.

Outdoor waterfront dining is on display at Cedar Knoll.

Join us on the patio for a great time!

Food & Ambience Befitting Its Waterfront Address Sunday Brunch 11-2 • Happy Hour 4-6:30, Tuesday-Friday • Dinner 5-9, Tuesday-Sunday Now Open for Lunch 11-2, Thursday-Saturday

9030 Lucia Lane Alexandria, Virginia 22308 • 703-780-3665 cedarknollva.com • reservations@cedarknollva.com