Old Town Crier- September 2015 Full Issue

Since 1988 • Priceless

September 2015

From the Bay to the Blue Ridge

Road Trip

ST. MARY’S COUNTY, MARYLAND Real People. Real Places. Real Close.

Personality Profile

XUN NIAN ZHANG

Combining Chinese Culture & Western Art Dining Out

THE MAJESTIC CAFE New Chef, New Menu Grapevine

DuCARD VINEYARDS

Boutique Winery in a Grand Mountain Setting

oldtowncrier.com

Landini’s

ZAGAT

Setting The Standard In 2006 Old Town For 35 Years AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

AND THE PAST 15 YEARS

115115 KingKing Street Street • Old Town Alexandria Old Town Alexandria 703-836-8404 • landinibrothers.com 703-836-8404

G -11 pm N I RK :30

PArday 5 T E AL atu

V y&S a

Frid

Valet Parking Friday & Saturday 5-11 pm

Noe and Franco welcome you!

COME FOR THE FUN, STAY FOR THE FOOD!

Old Town’s Favorite Raw Bar Featuring the Freshest Shellfish in Virginia

Fish Market has continued to rise above the tide with its winning recipe for success–good, fresh seafood, excellent service and a great location. Such dedication to high quality and customer service has helped launch Fish Market as an Old Town landmark since 1976!

105 & 107 King St. Old Town Alexandria

703.836.5676 fishmarketva.com

Eat Fish, Drink Beer, Live Longer!

september’15 A Division of Crier Media Group OTC Media LLC PO Box 320386 Alexandria, VA 22320 phone: 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

35

MARKETING & ADVERTISING Lani Gering Bob Tagert SOCIAL MEDIA & WEBSITE Ashley Schultz DESIGN & PRODUCTION Electronic Ink 9 Royal Street, SE Leesburg, VA 20175 Chris Anderson Peggie Arvidson Sarah Becker Frank Britt Bonnie Browning F. Lennox Campello Saúl Cardona-Luciano Steve Chaconas Doug Coleman Jimmy Deaton Dean DeGood Doug Fabbioli

CONTRIBUTORS Nicole Flanagan Lani Gering Miriam Kramer Jeff McCord Kim Putens Julie Reardon Chester Simpson Bob Tagert Carl Trevisan Ryan Unverzagt Lori Welch Brown

A Bit of History After Hours

8

Festival Season

11

On the Road

1

11

Financial Focus

6

Open Space

45

3

First Blush

43

Personality Profile

5

Art & Antiques

15

Fitness

40

Pets of the Month

17

Behind the Bar

28

From the Bay…

23

Points on Pets

16

Business Profile

4

From the Trainer

41

Publishers Notes

Alexandria Events

2

Caribbean Connection

18

Gallery Beat

14

Road Trip

20

Chefs Special

34

Go Fish

39

Spiritual Renaissance

44

Civil Discourse

9

Grapevine

36

The Last Word

13

Dining Guide

32

High Notes

12

To the Blue Ridge

26

Dining Out

30

Labor Day

46

Urban Garden

Exploring Virginia Wines

35

National Harbor

47

Virginia Wine Trails

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© 2015 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 selected 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 Wildlife at McIntosh Run in Leonardstown, Md. – this month’s Road Trip. photo: Bob Tagert

Old Town Crier

Chris and Jim Byrnes, Julia and Creighton Byrnes and Ashleigh and Brad Byrnes. They were spending a week in Estes Park, Colorado fishing, horseback riding and relaxing. The Rocky Mountain National Park was celebrating its 100th anniversary. Pictured here at the cabins in Dunraven Estates on the Westward O Ranch.

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.

September 2015 | 1

PUBLISHER’S NOTES BOB TAGERT

W

ell, the kids are back to school and Labor Day is soon approaching. The last vestiges of summer are upon us. Folks will be heading for the beach or joining family and friends for an outdoor barbeque. Where did it all go? Even though it has been enjoyable and even fun at times, cranking out this publication for 28 years has taken its toll, physically and mentally. Sometimes it seems like it all just runs together, and you forget where you are and what got you here. Time for a deep breath and a renewal of that fighting spirit!

The serenity of fall will be found throughout our region. The harvest begins in Virginia wine country as well as in southern Maryland.

The tributaries of the Potomac as well as the streams of Virginia will be welcoming canoes and kayaks as folks take to the water and fall sailing is at its the best. Camping, outdoor concerts, and fairs will be on the upswing as people take to the country.

This month our road trip found us in St. Mary’s County in southern Maryland for a kayak paddle on McIntosh Run, while our featured winery took us to the Blue Ridge

foothills and DuCard Vineyards. In Dining Out we explore the magic that is being made at The Majestic Café. Doug Coleman writes about secession and not just about the Civil War but, throughout our country’s history.

The Plein Air Festival is the middle of this month on Solomons Island in Maryland. This is a great four-day event. Also in Solomons will be Anne Marie Garden’s art show. In Alexandria we will have the 13th Annual King Street Art Festival and the 20th Annual Art on the Avenue in Del Ray. There for a while we were saying good bye to a friend every month and then summer was going along so well until the last part of August. Big Al, aka John Severson, iconic owner of Al’s Steak House on Mount Vernon, passed away after a battle with lung cancer. He was often called “Uncle Al, the Nation’s Pal” and he served up one of the best Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches this side of Philadelphia. He will be missed.

On a much lighter note, get out there and celebrate fall. It is going to be a great season!

FALL EVENTS

2 | September 2015

Old Town Crier

Alexandria

Local Farmers Markets

events

Laughing Stock at The Little Theatre of Alexandria September 5-26, 2015 Wed-Sat at 8pm and Sun at 3pm $19-$22, plus service fees Little Theatre of Alexandria 600 Wolfe Street 703-683-0496 www.thelittletheatre.com A play within a play! Backstage mischief abounds in Laughing Stock, where the audience gets a front row view of a ragtag troupe of actors’ attempt to stage three repertory productions – Hamlet, Charley’s Aunt, and Dracula. This show is a hectic and hilarious testament to theaters everywhere that never seem to have enough time, staff, money, or talent to pull off the show, but in the end, the show must go on! Written by Charles Morey and directed by Shawn g. Byers.

13th Annual King Street Art Festival September 19-20, 2015 Saturday, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

King Street, from Washington to Union streets 703-746-3301 www.visitalexandriava.com/artfest Free At this popular art festival, King Street from Washington Street all the way to the Potomac waterfront is transformed into a gallery filled with art from more than 250 artists from the US and abroad. Visitors can purchase original artwork, participate in hands-on art activities at the Torpedo Factory Art Center, and enjoy a scoop of ice cream at The Art League’s annual Ice Cream Bowl Fundraiser.

A Scottish Heritage Weekend: Outlander Style!

September 19-20, 2015 Sept. 19, 10 a.m. - 2:15 p.m.

Fashion show, highland dance, Scottish Celtic concert, and pipe and drums Sept. 20, 11 a.m.

Outlander Tea and Tour Carlyle House Historic Park 121 N. Fairfax St. 703-549-2997 Various programs are free, ticketed, or require reservations. www.carlylehouse.org During the King Street Art Festival weekend, stop by Carlyle House for some Scottish fun, Outlander Style! On Saturday, September 19 at 10 am, there will be a Scottish fashion show discussing dress at the time that Jamie, Claire AND John Carlyle lived in the 18th century!

Advanced tickets must be purchased.

Coffee and shortbread cookies (baked by the Dairy Godmother) will be provided Old Town Crier

as refreshments and included in the ticket price. At11:15am the Granfling School of Highland Dance will give a free performance of Scottish dancing which has strong roots in history. Then at 12:30pm, the Devil’s Tailors will perform on period style instruments. This event will also include the City of Alexandria Pipe and Drums making an appearance. On Sunday, September 20th, Carlyle House is hosting an Outlander Tea and Tour. Check our website for details and pricing at www. carlylehouse.org. Advance reservations will be required. Call us at 703-549-2997 or email us at carlyle@nvrpa.org with questions or to reserve your spot at the fashion show or tea.

Mount Vernon Colonial Market & Fair September 19-20, 2015 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

George Washington’s Mount Vernon 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy. 703-780-2000 Event included with general admission $17/adult • $9/children free/ages 5 and under www.mountvernon.org

The annual Colonial Market & Fair at Mount Vernon features dozens of America’s finest craftspeople and family fun. Fifty colonial-attired artisans will demonstrate 18th-century crafts and sell traditional wares such as baskets, woodcarvings, tin and ironwork, leatherworkings, weavings, furniture and much more. “General Washington” will be on hand overseeing the lively Revolutionary War military drills and 18th-century entertainment including music, fire-eating, sword-swallowing, puppet and magic shows, while costumed interpreters will demonstrate the 18thcentury chocolate-making process using an authentic colonial recipe. This weekend only, Potomac River sightseeing cruises,

courtesy of Spirit Cruises and the Potomac Riverboat Company are free of charge (while supplies last).

74th Annual Historic Alexandria Homes Tour September 26, 2015 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Old Town Alexandria 703-823-1273 Advance: $35 Day of: $40 www.thetwig.org/homes-tour For the 74th annual Historic Alexandria Homes Tour, the public can step inside and get a glimpse of six gorgeous homes and gardens in Old Town Alexandria, all within walking distance of one another.

Tickets are $35 each in advance and may be purchased online through September 25th. Thereafter, tickets will be $40 and available at The Twig’s Thrift Shop (106 N. Columbus St.) or at various locations to be determined. Tickets are also available at the Alexandria Visitors Center (221 King St.). Proceeds will go to Inova Alexandria Hospital.

Old Town Farmers Market

Market Square • 301 King Street Saturday 7 a.m. - Noon, year round Free parking in Market Square garage during market hours People who come to Alexandria on Saturday mornings find themselves in a busy plaza where local farmers and artists have been selling their products since 1753. Old Town Alexandria’s Market Square is thought to be one of the nation’s oldest continually operating farmers markets, serving as a primary source of meat, dairy, fish, fruits and vegetables for Alexandrians. George Washington sent his produce from Mount Vernon to be sold here. Today, the market offers folks a way to reconnect to the past, while participating in an ongoing local and national tradition.

Del Ray Farmers Market

Corner of East Oxford & Mount Vernon avenues Saturday 8 a.m. - Noon, year round The Del Ray Market is producer grown, with fresh vegetables and fruits in season. All year round, this market offers meats, eggs, fresh pasta and sauces, Amish cheese, yogurt, bakery goods, eggs, jams and jellies, fancy nuts and bakery goods.

20th Annual Art on the Avenue October 3, 2015 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Mount Vernon Avenue 703-746-3301 Free www.artontheavenue.org This annual family-friendly festival includes more than 325 juried artists selling handmade wares across ten blocks of Del Ray’s Mount Vernon Avenue, along with five stages for live entertainment plus food vendors and interactive art activities.

Nancy Belmont, creator of the Courage Wall, will build a Canopy of Courage, a living sculpture of courageous declarations soaring as origami birds.

September 2015 | 3

business profile

stomping ground 2309 Mt. Vernon Avenue Del Ray, Alexandria 703-567-6616 stompdelray.com

Nicole Jones

Stomping Ground Buttermilk Biscuits Always!

T 4 | September 2015

his new “cool cat” addition to the Del Ray area of our fair city is just that — cool. Located in the old State Farm Insurance building next to the parking lot that is home to the Del Ray Farmers Market on Saturdays, Stomping Ground has filled a special niche in the dining spectrum of this neighborhood — a combination coffee shop, breakfast joint and light lunch place.

The brain child

of Nicole Jones, Stomping Ground opened its doors this spring. When asked what prompted her to jump into owning her own eatery she told us that she just really wanted to have a job that she could say she literally loved.

Jones comes to Del Ray from the deep south — Paulding County, Georgia via a childhood stint as an Army brat in the suburbs of Chicago.

Her formal education found her pursuing a career in marketing and she ended up being the youngest executive at the local Atlanta NPR affiliate. While working in Atlanta she met her partner — whom she claims is a nerdy economist who absolutely loves his job — and his career brought them to the DC area. This is when Nicole decided that she wanted to love her job as much as her nerdy economist so during her brief stint in the marketing department of Whole Foods she enrolled in night courses at L’Academie de Cuisine. You guessed it — her real love is food. She says her cooking style is deeply rooted in the south and she has an affinity for the beloved buttermilk biscuit, the staple

item on the menu.

In fact, there are 12 various biscuit offerings ranging from the basic biscuit with butter to the Cowboy Steak & Egg sandwich (espresso-chili rubbed tenderloin, salsa verde and a poached or baked egg) on a biscuit; and, of course, biscuits and gravy.

Other breakfast offerings include a chef ’s breakfast (rye toast, raw radish, poached eggs and sweet cream butter); veggie hash (ingredients change daily); granola & yogurt and chia seed pudding. Fresh pastries are made daily. They vary depending on seasonal ingredients but most usually there are scones, hand pies and coffee cake.

The lunch menu is short and sweet with a “BLT” biscuit (pork belly, tomato, avocado, mayo and greens), a mixed green salad (you guessed it … mixed greens, herbs and lemon vinaigrette) and a farmer’s salad (seasonal veggies, market greens, farro and cider vinegar) and a daily special.

When I visited, the frittata was the special.

They proudly serve Swings Coffee BUSINESS PROFILE > PAGE 22

Old Town Crier

PERSONALITY PROFILE bob tagert

L

ocal Springfield resident Xun Nian “Sidney” Zhang came to our attention in a very roundabout way. A former Personality Profile subject, Jamey Turner, called the office and said he had someone he thought would be a good profile. Many of you have watched/ heard Jamey perform down near the Torpedo Factory with his brandy snifters of all sizes full of water at different levels. He does make some beautiful music in a very creative way.

I have known Jamey for more than 20 years — and he is sort of a local icon — so I decided he had probably made a good recommendation.

1960 to 1962 where he received art training influenced by 19th century western academic teaching by Mr. Zhang Ming Yan. Zhang was ordered to be a farmer and construction worker due to China’s political “cultural revolution” from 1968 to 1980. During that time, his works were often selected for art exhibitions and published by art press in Shanghai. He told me that during this time he painted great scenes from China’s revolution. Their purpose was to reflect the political spirit of the revolution and the times, and also to express his own individualism. He worked as an illustrator for Shanghai

Xun Nian ‘Sidney’ Zhang Combining Chinese Culture & Western Art Let me introduce you to Sidney.

Sidney was born Xun Nian Zhang in Shanghai, China in 1947. When he was 13 years old, he attended Shanghai Jian An Qu youth art school from Old Town Crier

Xim Mine Evening News from 1981 to 1988.

In 1988, Zhang was awarded the Fellowship from Savannah College of Art and Design and came to the United

States to pursue an M.F.A. degree. He tells me that he spoke hardly a word of English when he arrived and it took some doing to get a command of our language in a very short period of time.

This is also about the time he decided that he would go by “Sidney” since his counterparts had a difficult time pronouncing his given name.

He graduated in 1991. He said he loved being in the south and looks forward to moving back there some day. He has had several art shows in Savannah, Atlanta, New York and Shanghai over the past few years.

Zhang tells me that his artwork has matured over the years from a cool illustrative style to a more warm and romantic style. He strives to a very high standard of excellence, but also has a gift for expressing his aesthetic feelings about art. I am not an art critic but according to my research, sources say “Zhang’s paintings have revealed a tremendous concern for

method, content and craftsmanship. He is profound in his understanding of Chinese aesthetics and is unique in conveying his always magnificent conceptions by combining Chinese culture with western art language of his own.”

After much time in the south and traveling around displaying his art, Zhang settled down in the Springfield area.

He tells me that now that he is in his “older” years painting allows him to express what he sees and feels. He says, “I try to express an atmosphere that is filled with tranquility and soft beauty.”

Sidney currently works out of his Virginia studio.

We hope that you enjoy the few images that appear with this column. We are hoping to feature his art on the cover of a future issue of OTC. If you would like to see his paintings and meet him in, he will be exhibiting his art at the Arts Club of Washington, September 4-26.

The exhibit reception will be Friday, September 11, 6:30-8:30 pm.

September 2015 | 5

FINANCIAL FOCUS carl m.trevisan, cfp© & stephen m. bearce

Making the Grade: Test Your Knowledge of Key College Planning Facts

C

ollege planning is a major financial goal for countless American families, and it can be a source of much anxiety and confusion. This “Test Your Knowledge” quiz can serve as a refresher course for some, or an introduction for others, to the world of financial aid and 529 college savings plans.

The latest report on college costs published by the College Board brought some good news: The increases in tuition and fees for the 2014-2015 academic year were lower than the average annual increases in the past 30 years across all sectors included in the study.

Yet even though college price increases are not accelerating, the report’s authors affirmed that, in real terms, college costs have been rising for decades. For instance, the report, “Trends in College Pricing 2014,” revealed that the inflationadjusted average published price for in-state students at public four-year universities is 42% higher than it was 10

years ago and more than twice as high as it was 20 years ago.

In the private nonprofit fouryear sector, the increases were 24% over 10 years and 66% over 20 years.

Given this reality, it is easy to see why devising a plan to pay for college is a major stressor for many American families.

Underlying that anxiety are numerous misconceptions about the financial aid process and how a family’s savings might affect a student’s eligibility to receive aid.

Further, there also seems to be a general lack of knowledge about college savings vehicles, specifically 529 college savings plans — how they work, and the many benefits they have to offer families struggling to juggle multiple financial goals.1 529 plans have altered education planning in much the same way that the 401(k) altered retirement planning.

A unique combination of features — high contribution limits, professional asset management, account holder control of assets, flexibility in transferring the money,

Coleman Law Group Attorneys at Law Serving Virginia and DC for over 20 years (703) 739-4200 coleman-lawyers.com 602 Cameron Street Alexandria, VA 22314

and perhaps most important, generous tax advantages — have solidified the 529 plan’s position as a leader in the education planning world.

Test Your Knowledge

Here’s your chance to test your knowledge about college planning and 529 plans. We hope that the information shared here will shed new light on some of the details of the process.

What form do all colleges require of students applying for financial aid? _____ CSS Finan. Aid Profile _____ FAFSA _____ EFC Answer: FAFSA. Any college or university that awards federal student aid requires the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For the majority of colleges this is the only aid application required.

The CSS Financial Aid PROFILE is required by some private colleges for assessing eligibility for the specific college’s institutional aid dollars. The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is a number calculated by the financial aid forms.

Saving for college in a 529 college savings plan negatively impacts eligibility for financial aid. _____ True _____ Maybe, but often the effect is minimal in the financial needs-analysis process _____ False

Answer: Maybe, but often not enough to worry about.

The value of a 529 savings plan account set up by a parent or legal guardian is reported as a parental asset on the FAFSA and only increases the EFC by a maximum of 5.64% of the total account value. 529 plans and Coverdell Education Savings Accounts tend to be two of the better options for saving for college without jeopardizing financial aid. Income is generally more of a determinant of needbased financial aid eligibility or lack thereof.

Assets held in a 529 college savings plan can be used to pay for what type of school? _____ 4-year college/university _____ 2-year comm. college _____ Qualified trade school _____ All of the above Answer: All of the above.

With a 529 savings program, you can use your account at any accredited college or university in the country (and some outside of the country).

What happens to the 529 college savings funds if the student does not go to college? _____ The money can be used by another family member to pay for qualified expenses _____ The federal govt. will seize the account _____ Nothing _____ The plan will be declared void, and the money returned to the plan owner Answer: You may generally change the beneficiary.

That money can be used by a sibling, cousin, or other family

member for qualified higher education expenses, without penalty.

529 assets held in the grandparent’s name are shielded from the needsanalysis process. _____ True _____ False Answer: True. Assets saved in the name of a grandparent are not reported on the FAFSA and do not typically count toward the EFC. Caution: Distributions from a grandparent-owned 529 plan used to pay for a student’s college expenses generally weigh heavily in the federal needs-analysis process and are typically counted as student income on the following year’s FAFSA form, with an assessment rate of 50%.2 529 plan distributions from a parent-owned 529 account do not increase the family’s EFC. _____ True _____ False Answer: True. Unlike distributions from a grandparent-owned account, distributions from a parentowned 529 plan that are used to pay for a dependent student’s college expenses are not reported on the FAFSA and do not typically count as income in the federal needsanalysis process.2 What is assessed most heavily in the federal financial aid formula for dependent students? _____ Student’s income FINANCIAL FOCUS > PAGE 10

1 Investing in 529 plans involves risk, including loss of principal. Before you invest in a 529 plan, request the plan’s official statement and read it carefully. The official statement contains more complete information, including investment objectives, charges, expenses, and the risks of investing in a 529 plan, which you should carefully consider before investing. You should also consider whether your home state or your beneficiary’s home state offers any state tax or other benefits that are only available for investments in such state’s 529 plan. Section 529 plans are not guaranteed by any state or federal agency. By investing in a 529 plan outside of the state in which you pay taxes, you may lose the tax benefits offered by that state’s plan.

Withdrawals used for qualified expenses are federally tax free. Tax treatment at the state level may vary.

2 Note that some private colleges may treat the needs-analysis process a little differently from what is reported here, and generally the comments in this document apply to the federal needs-analysis process. Individual situations will vary.

6 | September 2015

Old Town Crier

URBAN GARDEN JIMMY DEATON

Jimmy and Angie’s Garden of Eatin’, Part V

H

ere it is September and I bet most of you all, like us, are getting more vegetables than you can consume at this point in time. For us, the peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes are still pumping out loads of fresh produce. The beans are starting to come in so it’s time to think about preserving some of this for winter’s consumption.

We use a variety of methods depending on what the vegetable is. For the sunflowers we’ll roast the seeds in the oven either plain, with some sea salt or various spices depending on the mood. These will be stored in quart glass containers. For the beans we like to grow them out till the pods are dry. Then we store the shelled beans in glass containers to use for soups and stews. Tomatoes and peppers are simply sliced into1 inch thick slices, placed onto a cookie sheet and partially frozen.

Angie then vacuum seals them into freezer bags and into the freezer they go. These are great for using in stews/soups or stir-fry’s but can’t be used in salads or on sandwiches. The cucumbers, and peppers can also be pickled along with other vegetables as well. One of our favorites for the hot peppers is to make what is called “cowboy candy”. You can find recipes on the internet and they go great with some cream cheese and crackers.

For those of you who wish to do canning with the extra produce please DO NOT cut any corners when doing so. Doing so can pose great risks to your health or worse. I highly recommend the book “Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving” as well as the website sbcanning. com. They have a Facebook page as well and the folks will not steer you wrong.

Another method we like for the hot peppers is to dry them. I’ll cut the tops off and then slice them in half length wise and let them dry naturally in the sun. If you do this bring them in at night and they’ll be ready for storage when they snap in half with no problem. I like to also put them into the smoker and smoke them for a few hours. They are usually dry in 4-6 hours if smoked at 225 degrees. These are great for adding a little smoky flavor to your recipe or in our case we use them in our product Jax’s Wing Rub which pairs nicely with a peach bbq sauce and will have your family and friends envious of your grilling skills.

A few things folks may wish to start considering is getting ready to put the cool season vegetables into production. Kale, spinach, cabbage, peas, salad greens, collards, radishes are just a few that can be grown now that the cool season weather will soon be upon us. Angie’s favorite is kale which she uses to make kale chips. For myself it has to be spinach — preferably in the baby stage — which I use for the base of my salads.

In next month’s issue I will touch base on the vegetables/fruits that we grow inside in the basement during the cold winter months. We do salad greens, along with patio tomatoes, as well as limes and lemons. Yes, you read that right … tomatoes, limes and lemons. Stay tuned for the adventure.

If you would like to comment or have a garden question for Jimmy, please email him at office@ oldtowncrier.com. Be sure that you have “Urban Garden” in the subject line.

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September 2015 | 7

a bit of history sarah becker©

The Confederate Statue

I

n college my roommate, an Arkansan and I often discussed southern history.

One afternoon—I will never forget—she turned her tiny torso and snapped: “Yankees do not understand! America did not fight a Civil War. It was the War of Northern Aggression.” Aggression was news to me. I am a Hoosier by birth.

The War Between the States began in April 1861 with the shelling of Fort Sumter. Alexandrians — initially — were reluctant to separate from the Union. However the mood changed when President Abraham Lincoln assembled 75,000 troops to respond to the rebellion. Virginia seceded as of May 24, 1861 and the War ended with General Robert E. Lee’s surrender at Appomattox on April 9, 1865.

“After four years of arduous service, marked by unsurpassed courage and fortitude, the [Confederate] Army of Northern Virginia has been compelled to yield to overwhelming numbers and resources,” Lee told his troops on April 10, 1865. “I need not tell the survivors … that I have consented to this [surrender] from no distrust of them; but, feeling that valor and devotion could accomplish nothing that could 8 | September 2015

compensate for the loss that would have attended the continuation of the contest, I have determined to avoid the useless sacrifice of those whose past services have endeared them to their countrymen. By the terms of this agreement, officers and men can return to their homes…”

Reconstruction did not proceed easily. President Andrew Johnson, a southerner and Unionist Democrat, failed to win widespread political support. In 1870 Negro males were granted voting rights. The economic downturn, when combined with the emotion of Robert E. Lee’s 1870 death resulted in a surge of southern sentiment.

In April 1885 Edgar Warfield, a pharmacist and former private in the 17th Virginia Infantry, asked the R.E. Lee Camp of the United Confederate Veterans to construct a monument on behalf of the Confederate dead. In 1888 the Alexandria City Council approved the project, permitting placement of the Statue— Appomattox—at the intersection of Prince and Washington Streets. The Confederate Statue stands where local soldiers, mostly between the ages of 19 and 26, assembled prior to evacuation.

“Alexandria’s fair daughters found a labor of love in their efforts to raise funds for the Confederate monument,” The Washington Post reported in 1888.

The Statue now falls within the purview of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. The UDC was established in 1894, an outgrowth of Confederate memorial, monument and veterans organizations. Its mission is “to collect and preserve the material necessary for a truthful history of the War Between the States.”

(Italics added) The Confederate Statue was dedicated on May 24, 1889 [Alexandria’s Confederate Memorial Day]. Warfield invited former President Jefferson Davis to attend but he declined: “I regret that it will not be practicable for me to… meet the survivors of those who so nobly sacrificed [for] the purpose of preserving for themselves and their

posterity the rights their revolutionary fathers secured and left to them for inheritance forever.” Davis published his memoirs, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government in 1881.

In 1890 Virginia declared Robert E. Lee’s January birthday a holiday. The Commonwealth also confirmed The Confederate Statue’s permanence: “Whereas it is the desire of the said Robert E. Lee Camp of Confederate Veterans and also the citizens and inhabitants of said City of Alexandria that such monument shall remain in its present position as a perpetual and lasting testimonial to the courage, fidelity and patriotism of the heroes whose memory it was erected…the permission so given by the said City Council of Alexandria for its erection shall not be repealed, revoked, altered, modified, or changed by any future Council or other municipal power or authority.”

The Robert E. Lee Camp copyrighted The Confederate Statue in 1892. Why? Because it was the copycats meow. The soldier, a private, embodies “the complete history of the lost cause graphically presented to posterity.”

In 1979 black City Council member Nelson Greene, Sr. argued the Statue’s removal. “It’s asinine for me as a black to pass by it every day when it represents a cause that was trying to keep me in bondage,” Greene told The Washington Post. The hateful actions of white supremacist, accused murderer Dylann Roof drive this year’s discussion of the Confederacy.

The bronze Confederate Statue is the creation of Confederate veteran and Fredericksburg, Va. artist John A. Elder. It is born of a “clay model of the figure in his painting “Appomattox.”

Elder’s oil painting, the property of the State of Virginia, includes a Confederate soldier pensively perusing the battlefield. Sculptor M. Casper Buberl executed the design.

“We must expect reverses, even defeats,” Lee wrote President Davis in 1863. “They are sent to teach us A BIT OF HISTORY > PAGE 10

Old Town Crier

civil DISCOURSE DOUG COLEMAN

If at First You Don’t Succeed, Secede, Secede Again

O

kay, friends – let’s wrap our heads in tinfoil, because today we are going to talk about secession!

American history is a history of rebellion. Our defining moment was our secession from the British Empire. As a people, we decided that in the balance of government versus freedom, we were going to go long on freedom and try to make the ride last forever. Our Constitution was very deliberately drafted to try to maintain this balance favoring liberty over government. Nonetheless, some states, including New York and Virginia, pessimistically reserved the right to secede at the same time they ratified the Constitution. As Virginia put it, the powers ceded to the Federal government, “being derived from the people of the United States may be resumed by them whensoever the same shall be perverted to their injury or oppression…”

The first president to have to deal with secession was not Abe Lincoln, but Thomas Jefferson. The New England Federalists were very proud of their lily-white English bloodlines and culture. They were concerned that the Louisiana Purchase was going to pollute their gene-pool with icky Spanish and French blood as those people assimilated from the new territories, plus they were not crazy about Southerners. So they wanted to have New England, New York and New Jersey amicably leave the Union to form a “Northern Confederacy.”

Everyone took for granted in 1804 that they had the right to secede and President Jefferson would not have stopped them: “God bless them both and keep them in the union if it be for their good, but separate them if it be better.” The break-away Yankees ultimately determined to stick with the Union at the Hartford Secession Convention in 1814.

Old Town Crier

Andrew Jackson was less relaxed when South Carolina was talking secession in the 1830s. The Federal government imposed a tariff which disproportionately impacted the Southern states which traded with Britain, but helped Northern interests in competition with Britain. Having none of it, South Carolina passed an Ordinance of Nullification declaring the law void in South Carolina and threatening a separate government if the Feds pushed pack. Jackson made the commonsense observation that one could not be a member of the Union and pick and choose which Federal laws one might obey. But then Jackson took the position that no state could leave the Union by its own choice alone, that we were now one nation, and that secession was treason.

Given that no one doubted what Old Hickory might do to a traitor, cooler minds prevailed and the Union remained intact.

Right up to the Civil War, the mainstream position was that the states could come and go as they pleased. In the 1830s, Jackson’s predecessor John Quincy Adams defended secession. In 1848, freshman Congressman Abraham Lincoln’s speech on the Mexican conflict took for granted that: “Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better.” Northern newspapers like the New York Tribune were still saying nutty things like “The great principle embodied by Jefferson in the Declaration of American Independence, that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, is sound and just”, such that any state wishing to withdraw had “a clear moral right to do so.” The crazy-talking Trenton True American felt “there is room for several flourishing nations on

map image: Matthew Crist

this continent; and the sun will shine brightly and the rivers run as clear” if states were to amicably divorce over irreconcilable differences.

The North referred to the Civil War as “the Great Rebellion.” Think about that — a subject rebels against a king, a slave against a master, a child against a parent — but equals can never rebel against one another. Lincoln was changing the game by breaking the states to the Federal yoke — thug stuff. Further, it is a misnomer to call Lincoln’s war a “civil war.” When Cromwell went against his king in the English Civil War, what was at stake was the government of the entire country. Same with the Spanish Civil War, Fascists versus Communists, winner takes all. The South was not trying to overthrow Lincoln’s government — the Confederacy wanted to be left alone.

Notwithstanding that Virginia had expressly conditioned her entry into the Union upon her right to leave it, our second-most divisive president from Illinois ordered Federal troops to invade Virginia on May 24th, 1861.

Four years later, the official estimate of deaths was in the neighborhood of 620,000, perhaps as high as 850,000.

Civilian and partisan deaths are educated guesses, but are estimated in

the neighborhood of 60,000. Lincoln claiming he had “saved the Union” would be a lot like the wife-beater bragging he had saved the marriage, at least until the missus comes out of the coma.

Asked if secession was legal in 1861, most people will answer: “Didn’t the Civil War settle that?” Not really — the question actually settled was whether an agricultural nation of nine million could hold off an industrial nation of 22 million. The first “legal” precedent addressing the legality of secession was Texas v. White, 74 U.S. 700 (1869). The Supreme Court decided that secession was rebellion and therefore not legal — duh, vae victis — what other answer might one expect from the folks who just won the Civil War? And of course it has been downhill ever since in the States’ rights department. From the New Deal and the Great Society, the Federal government dominated the states completely. Nowadays the Feds bully the states by imposing mandates and threatening to withhold Federal money unless the states roll over like beaten dogs.

Increased central power did not bode well for individual rights either.

CIVIL DISCOURSE > PAGE 22

September 2015 | 9

“It is preposterous to suppose that the people of one generation can lay down the best and only rules of government for all who are to come after them.”

U.S. Grant A BIT OF HISTORY FROM PAGE 8

wisdom and prudence, to call forth greater energies, and to prevent our falling into greater disasters.” Defeat is “to win victory over; to prevent the success of.”

What does the Confederate soldier’s defeat teach us? That defeat is not the end; it is the beginning of something new.

The extent of the defeat is determined by how well the defeated and the victor adjust.

On May 1, 1869 President, former General Ulysses S. Grant invited College President Robert E. Lee to the White House. He accepted.

“True patriotism sometimes requires of men to act exactly FINANCIAL FOCUS FROM PAGE 6

_____ Parent’s income _____ Student’s assets _____ Parent’s assets Answer: Student’s income is generally assessed at the highest rate. The federal formula considers up to 50% of a dependent student’s income as being available to pay for college. Here are the approximate rates for the primary financial resource categories that are assessed in computing an EFC: Student’s income up to 50% Parent’s income 22% to 47% Student’s assets 20% Parent’s assets 2.6% to 5.64%

contrary, at one period, to that which it does at another, and the motive which impels them — the desire to do right — is precisely the same,” Grant said. “The circumstances which govern their actions change, but their conduct conforms to the new order of things.”

The Confederate soldier, as depicted by Elder, carries no weapon; wears a hat, shoulder bag and canteen. His arms are folded, his eyes cast downward. He reflects on the past; presumably battlefield carnage. Said Lee when asked about sadness, “I’m thinking of the men who were lost after I knew it was too late.”

With defeat comes

education. “The march of Providence is so slow and our desires so impatient; the work of progress so immense and our means of aiding it so feeble; the life of humanity is so long, that of the individual so brief, that we often see only the ebb of the advancing wave and are thus discouraged,” Lee mused. “It is history that teaches us to hope.” Hope inspires the effort that creates change.

“It is preposterous to suppose that the people of one generation can lay down the best and only rules of government for all who are to come after them,” Grant declared. “At the time of the framing of our constitution

…the application of steam to propel vessels against both wind and current…had not been thought of…We could not and ought not be rigidly bound by the rules laid down under circumstances so different.”

Tourists know Robert E. Lee as Alexandria’s hometown boy. This month the Alexandria City Council discusses Confederate symbols, best practices, and the display of the Confederate flag and Statue. My suggestion: The Confederate flag is shown only within Alexandria’s Confederate Veterans Building and Museum. The Confederate Statue remains in its present

location and the nearby Lyceum, the city’s museum develops interpretive signage suitable for side yard display.

The Confederate Statue, “a statue of heroic size,” is “not the soldier who led brigades and divisions and corps, and whose reward has been the glory of renown, but the private soldier who is unknown.” The United Daughters of the Confederacy “guard this statue with sacred care.” The Confederate soldier, as explained in 1889, fought “for a principle which he deemed righteous, and yet apparently all for naught.”

Federal loans tend to be the most common type of financial aid used for the education of dependent undergraduates. _____ True _____ False Answer: True. For many families, the lion’s share of financial aid is in the form of federal loans often supplemented by private loans, particularly when incomes are above a certain level and many need-based grants have been ruled out.

Important caveat: If you combine all grant/scholarship aid dollars from all sources for all undergraduates, the

amount would exceed the total federal loan dollars.

Federal loans constituted 34% of total undergraduate student aid in 2013-14, according to the College Board.

For more on the financial aid process, the following organizations offer ample, free information: • The College Board: Call your regional office or visit collegeboard.org • FinAid: Visit http://www. finaid.org • U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid Information Center: Call 800-433-3243 or visit www.fafsa.ed.gov.

for the results obtained from the use of such information.

In no event shall Wealth Management Systems Inc. be liable for any indirect, special or consequential damages in connection with subscriber’s or others’ use of the content. ©2015 Wealth Management Systems Inc. All rights reserved.

This column is provided through the Financial Planning Association, the membership organization for the financial planning community, and is brought to you by Carl M. Trevisan, a local member of FPA and Stephen M. Bearce.

McLaughlin Ryder Investments, Inc. and McLaughlin Ryder Advisory Services, LLC and their employees are not in the business of providing tax or legal advice. These materials and any tax-related statements are not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used or relied upon, by any such taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties. Taxbased statements, if any, may have been written in connection with the promotion or marketing of the transaction (s) or matter(s) addressed by these materials, to the extent allowed by applicable law. Any such taxpayer should seek advice based on the taxpayer’s particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor. Securities offered by McLaughlin Ryder Investments, Inc. and investment advisory services offered by McLaughlin Ryder Advisory Services, LLC.

How Did You Do?

Hopefully this information has helped you to better understand the financial aspects of college planning — in particular the powerful but somewhat complex 529 college savings plan. To learn more about 529 plans and selecting the right plan for your situation, contact a qualified financial advisor.

Sources

• The College Board, “Trends in College Pricing 2014,” November 13, 2014.

• Wealth Management Systems Inc., “Increasing 529 Sales & Savings Rates: The Role of Personalized Planning Tools and Education: Part 2,” June 2015.

• The College Board, “Trends in Student Aid 2014,” November 13, 2014.

• Forbes, “How Much Do You Know About a 529 Savings Plan? [Quiz],” June 23, 2015.

Because of the possibility of human or mechanical error

by Wealth Management Systems Inc. or its sources, neither Wealth Management Systems Inc. nor its sources guarantees the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or availability of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or

10 | September 2015

Comments and questions: abitofhistory53@gmail.com.

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Carlyle Club 411 John Carlyle Dr. 703-549-8957 thecarlyleclub.com Chadwicks 203 S. Strand St. 703.836.4442 Evening Star Cafe 703.549.5051 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave. The Fish Market 703.836.5676 105 King St. fishmarketoldtown.com Flying Fish 703.600.FISH 815 King St. flyingfishdc.com

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ALEXANDRIA HAS A LIVELY MUSIC SCENE. CHECK IT OUT!

Festival Season finale!

Check out the last of summer’s local festival scene. See the schedule, right, and hopefully you’ll become part of a great local summer tradition while there’s still time.

See ya there!

Old Town Crier

2015 Music Festival Schedule September Lockn Sept. 10-13 www.locknfestival.com Watermelon Park Fest Sept. 24-27 www.watermelonparkfest.com

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September 2015 | 11

HIGH NOTES CHRIS ANDERSON

I

was having a conversation with my friend Darren the other night and we started talking about great years in music. Some years that came to mind were 1967, 1972, 1987, 1994, and even 2012, but the one that sparked the most discussion was 1983. That was the year that saw many landmark, career-redefining albums by long-established bands, as well as debuts that completely rocked the music world. While I might not agree that it was the best year in music, it was still a very strong year. The following albums are only the tip of the iceberg…

U2: War

It’s hard to think of a time when U2 was not royalty but in 1983 they were still a little known college rock band with big aspirations. While their worldwide status would skyrocket with 1987’s The Joshua Tree, War is the album that first broke U2 in the States. Featuring classics like “Sunday Bloody Sunday”, “New Year’s Day”, and killer deep cuts like “The Refugee” and “Seconds”, there was no turning back after this.

The Police: Synchronicity

1983: a year

in your ear 12 | September 2015

By 1983 The Police was one of the biggest bands in the world, thanks to a long string of hits that are radio staples even today. Synchronicity, their fifth album, wound up being their last, thanks to the kind of band tension that legends are made of. But what a bang they went out with. About half of this album wound up being massive hit singles, including “Every Breath You Take”, “Wrapped Around Your Finger”, and “King Of Pain”.

REM: Murmur

While much of the music scene was moving towards glitzy, slick arena rock, around this time there started an underground trend towards lowerkey, more clever music. One of the biggest bands to come out of this scene was REM, from Athens GA. While it was still a number of years before they would be superstars, their debut album immediately shook not only the underground but also was Rolling Stone’s album of the year. While this

was but the first in a long string of exquisite albums by REM, they never made another one quite like this one.

Yes: 90125

After spending the 1970s as the biggest band on the progressive rock scene, it had pretty much all dried up for Yes by around the turn of the decade. Enter guitarist Trevor Rabin and hot-shot producer Trevor Horn (who formerly played in Yes) and the resulting album was a commercial smash. Fusing en vogue arena rock styles with the technicality of prog, songs like “Owner Of A Lonely Heart”, “Changes”, and “Hold On” brought the band to an all new level.

Genesis: Genesis

This was the album that completed Genesis’ transition from prog warriors to pop icons. While they had gone pop years before, and they still hadn’t totally shed the prog, this was where it really all came together for them, like it or not. Songs like “That’s All” and “Mama” were huge hits while other tracks like “Home By The Sea” kept the old fans happy.

Sonic Youth: Confusion Is Sex

Coming out of the ashes of postpunk and new wave, Sonic Youth burst into the scene and created some of the most innovative and unique recordings over the course of almost thirty years.

Their first full-length release finds them moving into left field relatively quickly, and experimenting with modified guitars and alternate tunings to create a sonic palette that not only helped create “alternative rock” but immediately brought it to its knees.

Stevie Ray Vaughan: Texas Flood

There wasn’t much of a mainstream scene for blues in 1983 but that all changed when Stevie Ray Vaughan exploded with his debut album. A true Hendrix disciple, it soon became clear that SRV was one of the only guitarists who could really give Jimi a run for his money. Featuring his stellar take on Buddy Guy’s “Mary Had A Little Lamb”, his own classic “Pride And Joy”, and the title track, this album was some kind of wonderful.

Big Country: The Crossing

After leaving the Skids, Stuart Adamson put together this band which, following in the footsteps of U2 and The Alarm, brought out a fiery fusion of post-punk and Celtic rock. With their guitars-as-bagpipes sound, this album might not have been the commercial smash that it should have been but it is one of those special albums that is flawless, through and through. Songs like “In A Big Country”, “Harvest Home”, “Chance”, and “1000 Stars” are only mere highlights of this stellar release.

Marillion: Script For A Jester’s Tear

Prog was dead by 1983. Or, at least, that’s what it seemed. All the big acts from the 1970s had either broken up or changed their sound dramatically, to appeal to a more mainstream audience. It was up to a new school to take the reins and no one did it more successfully than Marillion. Their first of four albums with original singer, Fish, was a throwback to early Genesis, with a mad flash of punk thrown in, for extra oomph. Songs like “Chelsea Monday” and the title track were the rebirth of prog, while “Garden Party” is still played occasionally by the band.

ZZ Top: Eliminator

By the time their eighth album was released, ZZ Top was well into their second decade together and had enjoyed occasional mainstream success with some of the most classic songs to grace the airwaves. Adding synthesizers to their brand of Texas boogie, this album blew the band wide open, making them one of the biggest bands of the year, thanks to smash hits like “Legs”, “Gimme All Your Lovin’”, and, perhaps their best song ever, “Sharp Dressed Man”.

So there you have it. Ten mustown highlights from one of the biggest turning point years in music. 1984 would go on to be perhaps even stronger, with killer releases by Van Halen, Rush, U2, Bryan Adams, The Smiths, and The Cars. But this was the year that set that up.

Old Town Crier

THE LAST WORD MIRIAM R. KRAMER

From Russia with Love

R

ipped from the heart of Mother Russia, Jason Matthews’s spy novels Red Sparrow and Palace of Treason are two very enjoyable ways to while away this month.

Red Sparrow won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel by an American in 2014. Its successor is a worthy followup, packed as completely with inventive plots, the type of burned-on-the-retina characters that make thrillers actual page-turners, and a dizzying variety of locales that would satisfy even Jason Bourne’s lust for travel.

The characters dancing first in Red Sparrow are the SVR operations officer, Corporal Dominika Egorova, and CIA case officer Nathaniel Nash.

Egorova, a once-promising prima ballerina and pureblooded Russian patriot, sidelined by a foot injury, is introduced to the world of Russian spycraft by her sleazy uncle, First Deputy of the Foreign Intelligence Service Ivan Egorov, who uses her beauty and brains to “sideline” one of Vladimir Putin’s rival oligarchs during an evening à deux in the oligarch’s apartment on Moscow’s Arbat.

After her training in traditional operations, her uncle sends her to Sparrow School, a degrading Sovietstyle institution where she must learn to act the courtesan professionally, using sex to compromise foreign operatives with access to intelligence. Egorova, an artistic synesthete who sees objects, music, dance, and people’s personalities in waves of color, makes great progress in understanding their motives with the aid of this gift, unknown by her colleagues. Gradually the bright and sensitive operations officer begins Old Town Crier

to grow disgusted with the bureaucracy, brutality, and chauvinism she encounters on her way to becoming an officer. She longs to exhibit her independence and defend Russia, but her superiors make it impossible.

Her counterpart, Nate Nash, has other points to prove. One of the scions of a staid Southern family with his father heading an old Richmond law firm, he breaks free of tradition to study Russian. While his family doubts that he will stay in the service, he makes his way through school and lands a plum assignment in Moscow, where he ends up running an extremely high-placed mole code-named MARBLE. When Nash is ejected from Russia by an incompetent superior and sent to run his Russian mole from Finland’s CIA station, he is set on a collision course with Egorova, whose uncle sends her to spy on Nash.

Their meeting seems to set the course for a potential series of spy novels, of which Palace of Treason may only be the second.

The novels pick up one after another as each service hunts frenetically for highplaced moles in their midst, each coming close to finding them as plots spiral and take shortcuts down dark alleys.

Characters take on new roles as the plots progress.

Matthews packs his writings with an alluringly overthe-top cast of characters.

On the Russian side, they include everyone from a Lubyanka-era torturer with Kremlin ties slithering his way upward in the 2010s, hired assassins with equally dubious pasts in Afghanistan, honorable generals, and the calculating Soviet-Man toadies surrounding President Vladimir Putin himself at a St.

Petersburg retreat.

The Americans include fresh-faced recruits in training, screw-ups who have somehow been shifted to important positions where they can do the most damage, and funny, capable veterans and Chiefs of Station who have served in European capitals and every hardship post from Managua to N’Djamena.

Cowboy heroes abound on the American side, but that is as it should be in American spy fiction.

These works prove their strength with plots that move incessantly, bringing in outside players such as the Iranians, who are searching for ways to improve their nuclear program unbeknownst to the Americans. In the meantime, the old Cold War partners spar, thrust, and occasionally expel each other’s diplomats.

Unless spy novels are clearly literature with theoretical points to savor, I prefer them action-oriented, and Jason Matthews has delivered copious suspense with plausible drama. A probable amateur chef, he includes a recipe for a dish mentioned at the end of every chapter in both books, adding a fun touch for foodies.

For armchair travelers, these works will help you check in to a great destination.

From Moscow to Athens to Helsinki to Paris to Vienna, operations hopscotch across Europe. Readers living in and around Washington, DC will have great fun following the players on the DC-area stage, from Georgetown to Southern Maryland to the George Washington Parkway, not to mention the lovely Meridian Hill Park in DC, site of a huge plot development with the FBI and CIA in Palace of

Treason.

As one who studied Russian at The College of William & Mary, Middlebury College and while living in Russia in the 1990s, I appreciate Matthews’ understanding of certain types of Russian mentalities that never seem to fade away. His understanding of current geopolitics and how Russia fits into that picture, in particularly regarding the United States of America, is spot-on.

Unfortunately, it seems that

the more things change in Russia, the more they stay the same. Therefore, Matthews’s books fulfill one of my requirements: accuracy within the fictional context. Not only are they entertaining, they also give someone new to the subject a broad overview of Vladimir Putin’s goals and paranoia as the head of the Russian leadership, and accurately show how he operates. As Egorova notes when listening to one of her classmates, “Interesting.

The Cold War never ended.”

Indeed it has not.

CaribBean Mystery and intrigue

Jeff mccord 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 by Virginia author Jeffrey Roswell McCord.

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September 2015 | 13

GALLERY BEAT F. LENNOX CAMPELLO

T

his months’ column is not about art shows, but more of a tip/lesson for artists in an area where many artists agonize over.

One of the most curious things that I have puzzled about in the many decades of making art, presenting art, selling art and dealing with both artists and art collectors (as well as art dealers) is how often artists anguish over a signature.

head of the print department at Sotheby’s, which sells approximately thousands of prints per year with prices ranging from a few hundred dollars to more than $100,000. “Chagall did a series of prints called ‘Daphne and Chloe’ and those that are signed are worth 10 times as much as those that are not. Otherwise, they are the same prints.”

the faded black ink.

You want to know where to sign, right?

Cough, cough...

By the way... I’m meandering all about signatures on two dimensional work; you sculptors are all on your own, as long as you don’t pull a Michelangelo on the Pieta stunt. In case you’ve forgotten your art history, Michelangelo was so upset that some people had erroneously attributed his work to one of his rivals, that one night he snuck into the Vatican and chiseled his name in giant letters on the belt across the Madonna’s torso.

Where to sign two-dimensional work

There are gazillions of ways to screw up a work of art with a signature — the most common one is where a work of art is marred by a giant signature in glow-in-the-dark silver color marker or some hideous color like that.

Even a tiny and elegant signature can distract from a work of art if placed in the wrong area of the work.

Imagine an elegant abstract, such as a Mondrian, with a signature in the middle of one of the color geometric shapes.

And, the real truth is that if you care at all about art as a commodity, then I will tell you that most collectors, especially the savvy ones, will always ask about the signature, if one is not apparent at first inspection. You can give them all the certificates of authenticity on the planet, but they want that siggie somewhere.

“A Picasso with a signature may be worth twice as much as one without a signature,” said Mark Rosen, former

14 | September 2015

By now you’re itching to yell at me: “Lenster! What is this? Damn if you do and damn if you don’t?”

Nope — it’s just damn if you don’t; just do it in the proper place(s).

Some easy to remember DO NOT Rules when signing artwork

• Never sign with a gigantic signature; a normal signature (or even smaller than normal) will do fine.

• Never sign anywhere on the surface where it interferes with the composition.

• Never sign with that glows, shimmers, is metallic or will fade.

• No need to put the little “c” inside the circle “copyright” sign by your signature. You already own the copyright no matter what!

• If you sign on the back (verso in Sotheby’s jargon), make sure that it doesn’t bleed through!

• Don’t sign using inks that will fade in time, or worse, separate, such as “Sharpies” do after a few years, when they acquire a yellow border around

1. On the back (make sure that it doesn’t go through and can be seen from the front); in fact, the more info that you can put on the back to help art historians of the future, the better.

2. On the lower margin of the piece (usually the right margin, but that’s up to you).

3. Photographs can either be signed (and numbered in a small edition, cough, cough) on the verso (there’s a million “special” photo-signing pens for all you photo geeks; they “write” on photo paper and dry in nanoseconds and don’t smear, etc.)

Or you can sign them if you leave a white border all around the printed photo. Even signing the mat in the lower margin in pencil was in vogue in the last century and is OK. If you don’t believe me about the power of a signature, then just go online and research the difference in price between a signed Picasso (most of them) and the two dozen or so fully validated, authenticated and documented unsigned Picassos (the ones that he gave to one of his exwives that he hated).

Old Town Crier

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Newest arrivals are in the shop now.

Come see our entire line of American-made clothing, jewelry, accessories, and home furnishings by American artists.

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Kellys Art & Frame 510 N. Washington St. Alexandria, VA 22314 703-549-3313

SPURGEON-LEWIS ANTIQUES 112 N. Columbus St. 703-548-4917 STUDIO ANTIQUES & ART 524 N. Washington St. 703-548-5188 STUDIO BIANCO 220 S. Henry St. 703-299-0662 TIME JUGGLER 411 Cameron St. 703-836-3594

MARIS ELAINE GALLERY 178 Waterfront St. National Harbor 301-686-0323

TORPEDO FACTORY ART CENTER 105 N. Union St. 703-838-4565

MINDFULL HANDS GALLERY 211 King St. 703-683-2074

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OLD COLONY SHOP 222-B S. Washington St. 703-548-8008

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visit a museum.

September 2015 | 15

POINTS ON PETS SAÚLCARDONA-LUCIANO

Our Ancient Love of Pets King Street Cats Adoption Calendar september 2015 For details & MORE INFO website: www.kingstreetcats.org email: contact@kingstreetcats.org King Street Cats is looking for foster homes! You provide the spare room and TLC and we provide food, litter and all vetting. Please email for our Kitten Fostering FAQ at: contact@kingstreetcats.org King Street Cats 25 Dove Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Every Saturday & Sunday 1:30 - 4:30 pm Pro Feed Bradlee Shopping Center 3690 King Street Alexandria, VA 22302 Every Saturday & Sunday 1:00 - 4:00 pm PETCO UNLEASHED AT PENTAGON ROW 1101 S. Joyce Street Arlington, VA 22202 Saturday, September 5 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Saturday, September 19 Sunday, September 20 1:00 - 4:00 pm THE DOG PARK 705 King Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Saturday, September 12 1:00 - 4:00 pm DOGMA 2772 S. Arlington Mill Drive Arlington, VA 22206 Sunday, September 13 1:00 - 4:00 pm

16 | September 2015

K

eeping pets is often considered to be an invention of modern society. The indoor dog who lounges most of the day and faithfully brings the master’s slippers is a scene right out of a 1950s family sitcom. But, in fact, our penchant for keeping pets as loyal companions stretches back to antiquity; indeed, the vast majority of settled ancient civilizations kept one form of pet or another.

In Egypt during the time of the pharaohs, for example, cats were a regular staple of domestic life. Undoubtedly they were useful for catching pesky mice who might otherwise pilfer the family cupboard, yet they also appear to have had an emotional significance to the Egyptians, who often brought their pets with them in their journey to the afterlife. More extravagant still were the cheetahs of the royal court. Paintings show that they were brought from SubSaharan Africa as gifts or tribute from distant kingdoms and were used for sport hunting, rather like modern day falconry.

While the Egyptians had pets primarily for utilitarian purposes, the Greeks viewed their pets as companions and even classified them. The philosopher Aristotle names numerous breeds of dogs, including the Laconian hunting hound, the Molossian sheepdog, and a small Maltese terrier. He comments on their loyalty and their “spirited … affectionate and fawning” character. He also takes the time to comment on the “remarkable courage and endurance of hard labor” of mixed breed dogs, which anybody who has lived with mutts and strays will readily agree.

Dogs were so important to the ancients that the wealthy decorated their gardens with statues of various breeds. Many of them look almost life-like and have been identified as the ancestors of many

modern breeds. Even within the house, artwork demonstrates the affinity the ancients had for their pets. A famous mosaic from Pompeii advises visitors to CAVE CANEM, “beware of the dog,” and is accompanied by the image of a blackcoated hound who appears to be in a “let’s play” posture. Perhaps the owners meant it as a joke, the same way we put up signs that say “Beware of the Guard Beagle” or “Guard Bichon on Duty”?

This demonstrates the great esteem and affection the ancients felt towards their pets. They were even considered worthy of immortalization. Funerary stele (burial markers decorated with sculpture) from across the Classical world show the loyalty of man’s best friend. One particularly poignant example in the Acropolis Museum in Athens shows the heroicized deceased looking out at the viewer. At his feet a small boy rests his head on his knees mournfully; alongside stands the master’s dog, who likewise lowers his head in mourning.

But dogs and cats were not the only pets kept by ancients. The emperor Tiberius, according to the biographer Suetonius, reportedly kept a snake as a pet, which he fed by hand. Julius Caesar, before his assassination in 44 BCE, allegedly acquired a pet giraffe from Cleopatra. The oddest pet, however, must certainly be the eel. The Roman politician Crassus kept numerous eels as pets and was so infatuated with one that he adorned it with earrings! And this was apparently not unusual. Antonia, niece of the emperor Augustus, likewise adorned her pet eels with earrings. How exactly they put earrings on earless eels is anybody’s guess.

Birds held a particularly special place among the ancients as they were thought to be harbingers of fortune and fate.

Perhaps for that reason they were usually considered lucky and were a favorite pet

for children. A funerary stele from the Greek island of Paros shows the love children had for their pet birds. It shows a little girl holding her pet doves, one of which she adoringly kisses on the beak.

Whereas the Greeks made their pets ancillary characters in the drama of their own lives, the Romans took the love of their pets a step further, setting up elaborate and incredibly touching funerary monuments for their beloved companions.

Their epitaphs are as moving today as they were two thousand years ago. One from the town of Salernum (modern Salerno) in Italy is dedicated to a dog named Patricus; the epitaph conveys the depth of his master’s grief: My eyes were wet with tears, our little dog, when I bore you (to the grave) …

So, Patricus, never again shall you give me a thousand kisses. Never again can you sit contentedly in my lap. In sadness have I buried you ... In a resting place of marble, I have put you for all time by the side of my shade. In your qualities, perceptive you were like a human being. Woe, me! What a loved companion have we lost!

A shorter one from southern Italy is no less poignant: I am in tears, while carrying you to your last resting place as much as I rejoiced when bringing you home in my own hands fifteen years ago.

So rest assured, fellow pet-parents, the love you feel for your pet is not at all unusual — it is as ancient as history itself!

Saúl is a Ph.D. student in Ancient Mediterranean History at the University of Maryland. He has worked for DoggyWalker.com since November 2014.

He and his wife have a lovable mutt.

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September 2015 | 17

CARIBBEAN CONNECTION JEFFrey R. Mccord

Aliens

in the Caribbean?

18 | September 2015

A

s a Star Trek enthusiast and lover of the Caribbean, imagine my surprise to learn that reputable scientists in Britain and the U.S. have long considered the octopus to be so different from every other creature on Earth as to be virtually alien. In the Virgin Islands, these non-terrestrials can often be spotted in coral reefs or amid submerged mangrove roots.

In media stories reporting his recent study of octopi DNA published in Nature magazine, Clifford Ragsdale, PhD, of the University of Chicago says: “The octopus appears to be utterly different from all other animals, even other mollusks, with its eight prehensile arms, its large brain and its clever problem-solving capabilities.

The late British zoologist Martin Wells said the octopus is an alien. In this sense, then, our paper describes the first sequenced genome from an alien.”

Just how different is this sentient creature with its bulbous head and hard, bird-like beak at the center of eight arms? Compared to the 85 million neurons in the human brain,

the octopus boasts between 100 and 500 brain cells. Half are located in its arms. This enables it to move all eight arms independently, use tools and “see” light through its skin. Octopi can identify and react differently to individual humans and open jars — even the child-proof pill bottles many of us struggle with. And, each individual sucker on its intelligent arms do more than catch prey. They taste it.

In addition to its well-known ability to spray disagreeable black ink at predators, in the blink of an eye an octopus can camouflage itself to perfectly simulate the background colors and textures of reefs, rocks, sand or vegetation.

With fossil records dating back 400 or 500 million years, octopi are Earth’s first intelligent beings. This begs two alternative questions. How did they evolve? Where did they come from?

While marine biologists and other scientists work to answer the evolutionary question, it’s fun for the rest of us to ponder the “alien” CARIBBEAN CONNECTION > PAGE 19

Old Town Crier

CARIBBEAN CONNECTION FROM PAGE 18

question. Certainly the oceans have long been associated with otherworldly incidents and strange beings and vessels. The Caribbean Sea, in particular, is a hot bed of sightings of unidentified flying and submersible objects.

Sir Eric Gairy, the first Prime Minister of the island nation of Grenada, told reporters and the United Nations General Assembly that he’d seen frequent UFOs and had even found the body of an extraterrestrial on the beach. Sir Eric managed to get the UN to adopt a resolution calling for the open study of UFOs and the exchange of information among nations.

Hundreds of miles north of Grenada, in the rain forested mountains of Puerto Rico, flying saucer sightings are relatively common. The El Yungue rain forest is one haunt of UFO watchers. In remote P.R. forests, the chupacabra, a reportedly erect reptilian “alien,” has become part of island folklore.

Chupacabra masks are worn at festivals.

As a hobby, I collected such accounts of Caribbean sightings — many from Naval officers and other credible sources. They form the basis for my fact-based novel “Undocumented Visitors in a Pirate Sea” (available on Amazon.com).

In the story, an Intrepid maritime

k

historian Thayer Harris, PhD works with U.S. Naval Intelligence to solve the mysterious death of a Marine.

In the process, the fictional Dr. Harris discovers a 60-year record of extraterrestrial activity in the Caribbean basin.

Fantasy? Perhaps. But, knowledgeable people with interests in the Caribbean are not so sure.

Laurance Rockefeller, for instance, is widely known as the father of the Virgin Islands National Park on St. John, among other accomplishments.

He was also a pilot and large investor in post-World War II commercial and defense aerospace industries.

Ann Street Gardens

Fascinated by UFOs, Mr. Rockefeller funded substantive scientific research of the phenomenon. He met with President Bill Clinton’s science advisor in a failed attempt to gain declassification of all UFO-related government documents.

Another famous St. John part-time resident was New York Times science reporter Walter Sullivan. In the 1960s, he researched and wrote the book “We are Not Alone.” He reported on discoveries in meteorites and radio astronomy proving that space contains at least 20 amino acids required to form DNA molecules and cellular life.

Some scientists believe meteorites

brought the first seeds of life to our mostly ocean covered planet two billion years ago.

The well-received 1989 movie “The Abyss” (produced by James Cameron of “Titanic” fame) builds on these ideas. In the film, which some believe is based on a real incident, a group of engineers and divers trying to recover a nuclear submarine mysteriously sunk in two-mile deep ocean waters encounter a curious, friendly alien life form.

Whether alien or a marvelous Earthly evolutionary adaptation, the octopus is an intelligent invertebrate worth getting to know. With many reefs within an easy swim or boat ride, the U.S. and British Virgin Islands are the perfect place to drop into an octopus’s garden for a visit.

Jeffrey R. McCord is a free-lance journalist and media relations consultant who has called Northern Virginia his home for more than 20 years. The author of “Undocumented Visitors in a Pirate Sea,” a quarterfinalist in the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest, Mr. McCord’s articles on international economics and consumer protection have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, Gannett newspapers and Truthout.org, among other publications. He now divides his time between Virginia and St. John, USVI.

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September 2015 | 19

ROAD TRIP BOB TAGERT

W

ith the arrival of September and cooler weather, I decided to take a drive to Leonardtown, Md. and join Dave Lane, owner Dave of PAC Paddle Sports, and take two kayaks down McIntosh Run to the headwaters of Breton Bay and Leonardtown Wharf. PAC Paddle Sports is located next to the Port of Leonardtown Winery at Port of Leonardtown Park, a passive park that provides access to the McIntosh Run water trail.

The McIntosh Run watershed is currently one of the most ecologically intact watersheds remaining in Maryland, containing large blocks of contiguous forest, providing habitat for many different species of wildlife. The cool water, which flows freely from upstream, offers a good habitat for restocking and seining yellow perch. The Maryland Coastal Conservation Association seines in this area three to four times a year to study fish population. Additionally, the watershed supports thriving populations of plants and animals. In fact, McIntosh Run supports one of three viable populations of endangered dwarf wedge mussels in Maryland and several rare plant species.

The paddle itself is fairly easy, beginning at the launch ramp and gradually increasing in width as we come nearer to Breton Bay. The run is affected by the tides running up Breton Bay from the Potomac River. If you begin your journey at low tide, which we did, there are a few shallow spots where you have to get out of the kayak and drag to deeper water. Soon you are in continuous deeper water and can concentrate on the wildlife and flora.

On the day of our paddle the weather was still in the hot and humid cycle of summer, but the canopy of trees provided much appreciated shade. The work of Dave’s crew can be seen along the way as brush is cleared and fallen trees are cut back from blocking any passage. As the run broadens the trees give way to tall grass, which line the banks. The trail here meanders through grasses and receding trees which are home to Bald 20 | September 2015

Leonardtown, MD.

Old Town Crier

&McIntosh Run

Old Town Crier

Eagles, Baltimore Orioles, wild turkey and other bird species.

As you quietly drift around the bend in the water it is not uncommon to see a Great Blue Heron perched on a fallen tree or standing in the shallows searching for a small fish. As the trail opens up at Breton Bay we spotted the Blue Heron that is on the cover as he quietly took to flight. As the marshes continue to recede and the waters broaden, you will see a dock, a few large waterfront homes and duck blinds hidden by cattails to the right. A few more strokes of the paddle and the kayak guides silently through the water and The Leonardtown Wharf Public Park comes into view on the left.

Leaving the canopy of the trees we were soon drenched it the warm sun and began to feel the heat. There was a light breeze that was pleasant and also gave us a little push for the return trip. We turned back after about 2 ½ miles and made the entire round trip in about 2 ½ hours. In addition to the Blue Herons we saw Bald Eagles, White Egrets, muskrat dens, turtles and a brown water snake sunning on a log.

St. Mary’s County is the birthplace of Maryland and Leonardtown is the county seat. Shaped by the Chesapeake Bay and its mighty tributaries, the Patuxent and Potomac Rivers, the St. Mary’s peninsula has fostered a traditional lifestyle anchored in the natural bounty of the Tidewater.

Today, Maryland’s oldest county blends a vibrant economy-it’s the state’s fastest growing region it terms of technologyrelated jobs-with its rural past.

After a day on the water, treat yourself to one of the award winning wines available at Port of Leonardtown Winery, or head into town for a leisurely lunch or quiet dinner at one of the great restaurants in Leonardtown.

Leonardtown is a country drive down Route 5 in Maryland. Another route that has less traffic is to take Route 4 from the beltway in Maryland.

Drive about 50 minutes to Hollywood, Md. and make a right to Leonardtown.

McIntosh Run is part of the park at Port of Leonardtown Winery. For more information and details call (410)3942770 or paddle.paxadventure.com.

September 2015 | 21

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The people who want to be in charge of you are exactly the people you would never want to be in charge of you. Yeats might say: “The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.” And this passionate intensity has had a decidedly leftist bent, laying long siege to an open-minded and tolerant middle class lacking the conviction to defend their core virtues.

Now we are closing in on endgame. The middle class is shrinking. The American Dream is dying. Our jobs have gone to China, Mexico and the huddled masses outside Home Depot. Or, like coal mining, the jobs have been regulated out of existence. The Federal government is so broken that no election can fix it. No matter who wins the next presidential election, on the day after Election Day we will have the same corrupt Congress, the same gazillion laws, taxes and regulations, and the same bureaucracy killing us with a thousand small cuts. Ask a regular American who this government represents. The answer is almost always “not me,” though the banks, big corporations and illegal aliens seem to be doing okay.

Americans who love their country are frustrated and angry — really angry. Some of them hate this government — not like “I hate liver and onions,” more like “I’d like to strangle those bastards with their own intestines.” In researching this column for the last couple of years, I have often been struck by the rhetoric leading up to the Civil War — it is practically indistinguishable in intensity from the comments one sees on the Internet. We are every bit as divided now as then. Half the voters want to save the Republic and the other half want to pillage it. And we are never going to agree. One side is going to win and one side is going to lose.

Does this mean another civil war is coming?

Doubtful — who could coax the necessary volunteers away from their video games?

The cops and military will not play — these folks generally love their country and its Constitution and would be more likely to protect their fellow citizens than obey orders to fire on them. Ask them — they have already talked it over among themselves. Also, the good guys own the rifles (Google “Gran Torino/get off my lawn”).

Our Union is not a suicide pact. It is time

for revolution or divorce. A third American Revolution can be accomplished peacefully and lawfully through an Article V constitutional convention. If 34 state legislatures agree, we can assemble delegates. Amendments can be proposed. If three-fourths of the states, 38, ratify the proposed amendments, the Constitution changes. It is all legal and there is not a damned thing the President or Congress can do about it. We could have a balanced budget amendment, term limits, an overhaul of our tax system, abolition of direct election of senators, sunset provisions on all laws except the Constitution and treaties, reversion of Federal lands to the states – you name it. Republicans presently control the governorships of 31 states and both legislatures in 30 states. And why would any of the states pass up the opportunity to restore the balance of power? This is not only doable, but would be vastly entertaining – a debate that matters, where the losers are amended into impotence.

One of those amendments could make clear that every state has an unconditional right to secede, perhaps during a window which opens every ten years. Even now, every state has a petition for secession pending with the White House; Texas and Vermont may even be halfserious. The Federalist reported on August 6th that IRS political operative Lois Lerner’s now-recovered e-mails contained stuff like: “Look my view is that Lincoln was our worst president not our best”, that “He should have let the south go” and that “We are witnessing the end of America.” Our masters despise the South, the West, all of “flyover country.”

They have contempt for the rubes, the rubes are sick of getting screwed — why not get a divorce? The Left Coast could split off into a Pacific Republic; the Northeast can finally have that elite Northern Confederacy. Hawaii and Alaska may go it alone. California could give itself back to Mexico. The rest of America can get back to a life where every day is not opposite day. Best of all, the real possibility of secession might actually save the Union by providing an incentive for everyone to crank it down a notch and try to get along.

If not, will the last one out of D.C. please turn off the lights and pay the national debt?

Doug Coleman is an attorney and amateur historian in Alexandria; comments and corrections are welcome at dcoleman@colemanlawyers.com.

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CIVIL DISCOURSE FROM PAGE 9

(there is a Del Ray Swings located on Monroe Avenue) at their full service coffee and espresso bar. I was pleasantly surprised that they also have a fun beer and wine list along with the usual sodas and teas. I am really happy that they have good ole’ Coors original beer. It takes me back to my old “stomping ground” in Wyoming!

They also serve communal dinners on Thursdays and Fridays from 5:30 to 9 p.m. The menu changes every week so you may want to call ahead to see if the choice of the evening is something that will please your palate.

They pride themselves on making “almost” everything from scratch — including the vinegar — using local meats, dairy, produce and grains whenever possible. They don’t, however, make their own mayo since Nicole feels like you just can’t improve on Duke’s.

The staff here all share great senses of humor and don’t take themselves too seriously. In

addition to Nicole (Chef & Head Janitor), Katie Haughey (Sous Chef & Voice of Reason), Rory Kraus (Pastry Chef & Self-Proclaimed Ninja) and Cassie Meddis (Front of House & Exalted Busser) round out the team.

The décor is simple and welcoming. There are very fun signs in various locations around the restaurant. There is sidewalk dining in front and the patio in the back is a work in progress including the popular game of corn hole. When the cosmetics are complete on the patio, it is going to be a great place to hang out.

Open Tuesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays for breakfast, they are closed on Mondays.

Most items on the menu are available for carry out and they cater as well as offer the restaurant as an event space. They don’t take reservations or call ahead orders — they are too busy making biscuits!

Old Town Crier

FROM THE BAY‌ MOLLY WINANS

A Dinghy Diary A few evenings ago, while docking after a sweet sail and sunset, a friend and I were on deck, preparing to retrieve docklines, discussing nostalgia. I had just told the crew about how our stormy and then overcast trip home from Oxford felt autumnal to me, except for one major detail: I was barefoot.

I knew my comfortable barefoot days were numbered.

FROM THE BAY > PAGE 24

photo: Al Schreitmueller

Old Town Crier

September 2015 | 23

FROM THE BAY FROM PAGE 23

I told my friend that I understood how fall could make him feel yearnings for the past with leaves turning and summer ending. He said, “I don’t just feel nostalgic for summer. It’s more visceral than that. I feel nostalgic for like eighth grade.” Such moments—a guy pushing 40, leaning on a shroud and talking about how smelling leaves makes him miss junior high—are hard for this fallen French literature major to shake. I get how an image, such as one yellow leaf stuck to your windshield or the sight of a flock of geese, can transport you to another time and place, du temps perdu.

free Rhode River. At anchor on the Magothy, my teenage niece asking if we could turn the radio off to just listen to the night sounds. While riding in the SpinSheet Protector with Dan Phelps for the Governor’s Cup start, watching him be as excited as a kid with his new camera lens in hand. The list went on, but one vivid memory kept bobbing back to the surface.

Some back story: it all started at a dinner party at Rebecca and Chris Neumann’s house. I had written about the Neumanns before, three years ago during their yearlong cruise with their sixyear-old daughter in a Bristol

was amusing, but the trip back in the evening is the one etched in memory. We both crewed on log canoes that afternoon—he on Island Bird, I on Flying Cloud. It was a wild ride. Log canoes sail beautifully in eight knots of wind; add gusts deep into the teens, and there will be swimming. Flying Cloud snapped her foremast. Island Bird capsized. Only four of 12 log canoes finished the race.

Hours later, after helping to bail and clean up lines and masts, telling war stories, and enjoying rum drinks and a crab cake and corn-on-thecob dinner, we dragged the dinghy back off the TAYC

I can see all of the elements of a great summer condensed into that humorous little image — generous sailing friends, a nail-biter of a sailboat race, a scenic anchorage, adventure, mishaps, laughter, and getting wet.

The next day, I jotted down a list of memories of the summer. The day after a steamy St. Michaels visit, sailing down Eastern Bay in a surprisingly fresh breeze.

Before breakfast, diving off a swim platform into a nettle-

45 from Annapolis to New England and the Bahamas.

Although they sold the Bristol post-adventure, they have two dinghies in their garage - both obtained for free (or almost), one of them with a moody engine, the other with oars.

The one with the oars belongs to our friend Josh, who right there in the kitchen, offered it to us for our upcoming Oxford Regatta trip. “I would be thrilled,” said Rebecca, “if you removed one of those dinghies from my garage.”

Two weeks later, out the eight-foot inflatable went, up on a car rack, across Eastport, back in the drink, rowed over to the slip, hoisted up on deck via spin halyard, and lashed down. Two mornings later, after a healthy rain storm in Oxford and inspection of said dinghy, tied by then to our stern, the skipper said, “I think there’s more than just rain water in there.” We threw a couple of lifejackets and an old school bailer pump in the little boat and set off for the Tred Avon Yacht Club (TAYC) for our dock time.

The trip over to the club

beach. My guy, still sporting his soggy Margaritaville T-shirt, rowed me back to his sloop, in a comical zigzag fashion (he has a strong right arm), as I was perched precariously, yet princess-like on a throwable cushion on the stern gunwale, being the worst kind of back seat driver, but smiling and pumping to avoid sinking Josh’s free dink.

I can see all of the elements of a great summer condensed into that humorous little image — generous sailing friends, a nail-biter of a sailboat race, a scenic anchorage, adventure, mishaps, laughter, and getting wet. Maybe from now on, the sight of a swampy dink will transport me back to Oxford.

That would be okay by me.

Molly Winans is the Managing Editor of SpinSheet and PropTalk Magazines in Annapolis, MD. This article first appeared in the September 2011 issue of SpinSheet.

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Old Town Crier

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14442 Solomons Island Road Solomons, Maryland 20688 SolomonsKingfisher@gmail.com

410.394.0236 EVERY WEDNESDAY JAZZ AND HALF PRICE WINE

Come to Artsfest ‘15

“The Finest Arts Festival” in Southern Maryland

Art by Ann Preston

September 19 & 20, 2015 10am - 5pm rain or shine Adults - $6 ($1.00 Off coupon online) Kids 11 & younger - FREE Annmarie Members - FREE Please, no pets at Artsfest!

Sculpture Garden & Arts Center • 13480 Dowell Rd • Dowell, MD Old Town Crier

www.annmariegarden.org September 2015 | 25

…TO THE BLUE RIDGE JULIE REARDON

harvest happenings

I

Adventure Vacations New River Gorge, West Virginia

800.463.9873 RAFTINGINFO.COM

f you haven’t visited a farm or a farmer’s market this summer, September is an ideal month to enjoy the last of the summer corn, peaches and berries as well as apples, squash, zucchini, herbs and more.

September also heralds the start of hunting season, with many harvesting dove, geese and early season ducks like teal for their table fare.

Out here, informal fox hunting, called cubbing, begins to teach young hounds how to hunt.

From fox hunting, many of the traditional horse sports have arisen, such as the hunter classes at horse shows and steeplechasing.

Horse events from shows to polo continue through the fall.

Corn mazes have become popular with families and there are several to choose from in Fauquier County: one at the Barns at Archwood Greens next to its farmer’s market that is open Sunday afternoons, and one at Cows-N-Corn, a farm in Catlett. If wine is your thing, you won’t want to miss the granddaddy of wine festivals mid-September at Great Meadow, the oldest and largest in the state.

Corn Maze at Cows-N-Corn Opens September 5 (and every weekend in September) Weekends through October: Saturdays, 10 am-9 pm Sundays, 12:30 pm-7 pm 5225 Catlett Road, Midland

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26 | September 2015

116th Annual Warrenton Horse Show September 2-6 Opens each day at 8 am Horse Show Grounds Rt. 29, 60 E. Shirley Avenue, Warrenton

Drawing many local and out of state exhibitors, this show is a Labor Day weekend tradition among locals and has classes for horses and ponies. Some exciting features of the show include, Hunter classes, Ladies Side Saddle, Leadline, and Walk-Trot for children.

Saturday features the Thoroughbred and Non-Thoroughbred Hunter Breeding and the USEF National Breeding Championship, for yearlings, two year olds, and three year olds.

Saturday night will host the $5,000 Hunter Classic sponsored by Warrenton/Miller Toyota and Sunday will present the foxhunter classes, and Side Saddle. This years show will benefit Head Start & Bright Stars, The Fauquier SPCA, The Make-A-Wish Foundation, and The Fauquier County Fire and Rescue Association.

The show begins at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday and at 8:00 am each other day, with evening classes on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Admission is $5 per person, which can be purchased at the gate, and children 12 and under are free. There will be food available, as well as other gift concessions and tack shops.

For information: 540-347-9442 or 540-788-4806 www.warrentonhorseshow.com

Annual Virginia Scottish Games & Festival September 5-6 8 am-6 pm both days Great Meadow 5089 Old Tavern Road, The Plains Everyone loves a corn maze! Bring the kids out to explore this year’s maze - a different design every year. Take a farm tour, visit cow class, enjoy hand-dipped ice cream and homemade cheeses. Let the kids play in the “Play Pasture” and more!

For information: 540-439-4806 www.cows-n-corn.com

The Virginia Scottish Games and Festival will again be held at Great Meadow Events Center in The Plains. The rolling pastures of the Great Meadow landscape are reminiscent of the Old World that so many of Virginia’s first families left behind when they traveled to the colonies. Festival highlights include: highland athletic and dance competitions, piping competitions culminating in a massed pipe band performance, Scottish country dancing, Old Town Crier

“Like our best friends’ home if our best friends were amazing chefs and knew

in the blue ridge

exactly what we wanted before we asked.”

Trip Advisor

40th Annual Virginia Wine Festival September 12-13 Great Meadow 5089 Old Tavern Road, The Plains

As the longest-running wine festival on the East Coast, the Virginia Wine Festival has become a grand Commonwealth tradition and a wine enthusiast’s paradise. The Virginia Wine Festival offers a unique array of both free and ticketed tasting and learning opportunities.

www.hopkinsordinary.com Sperryville, Virginia 540.987.3383

clans, living history encampment, fiddling events, Scottish dog events, children’s games, musical performances, British car show and a variety of food and craft vendors.

For tickets and information: 703- 912-1943 www.vascottishgames.org

1st Annual Piedmont Harvest Fest September 13 10 am – 4 pm Fauquier Fairgrounds 6209 Old Auburn Road, Warrenton

The Fauquier Chamber of Commerce hosts a brand new event this year, the Piedmont Harvest Fest. The Piedmont Harvest Fest is an outdoor event that will feature live demonstrations, local artisans, grape stomping, punkin’ chunkin’, alpacas, pony rides, face painting, a fire engine, farm equipment, food and local businesses. This event will connects the business community with potential customers by offering fun and educational events for both children and adults in a setting that celebrates the harvest of Virginia’s Piedmont region. Tickets MUST be presented at the gate for admission, no exceptions will be made.

If you do not wish to purchase your tickets online, please contact the Chamber directly at 540-347-4414 or visit: http://events.r20. constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=rxgsl9 dab&oeidk=a07e9iyah31cdbd2edf

Old Town Crier

Visit the seminar tent to broaden your knowledge and understanding of wine and wine culture, or make a grand day of it with a ticket to our gourmet wine and food pairing tent. Shorten your wait and enhance your experience with a ticket into the You Be the Judge tasting tent. Descriptions and purchase links on our ticketing page.

For tickets and information: 540-253-5000 virginiawinefest.com

7th Annual Ride to Thrive Polo Classic September 19 Chetwood Park Estate, The Plains The event features a fast-paced, exciting grass polo match in the heart of Virginia horse country! Additional highlights include live music, a silent auction, great food and family-friendly fun! Children under 12 get in free. Gates open at 1pm. Advance ticket purchase required. The Ride to Thrive Polo Classic is the largest fundraiser of the year for Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program. Funds raised help provide equineassisted activities to children and adults with disabilities, youth-at-risk, military service personnel, and their families.

Purchase tickets and tailgate passes: www.NVTRP.org/polo

September 2015 | 27

BEHIND THE BAR

steve furtado IS BEHIND THE BAR AT bistroT royale 1201 north royal STREET OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA 703-519-9110 bistrotroyal.COM

Steve Furtado

How did you get started in the bartending business?

When I was 20 years old my older brother was working in a family restaurant in Mattapoisett, Mass. I’m from a small town in southeastern MA called Fairhaven where everybody knows each other. They needed a bartender for some short shifts during the busy dinner rush so I worked with my brother. He cracked the whip while training me because he did not want me to embarrass him….or myself for that matter. Some tough love was applied. I learned quick!

What is your biggest bartender pet peeve?

Everything has a place so if you use or touch something, please put it back where it came from. If I had a quarter for every time I said that I would be in the Florida Keys with Jimmy Buffett.

Steve serves up a Ginger Collins — you have your choice between vodka or gin! He is behind the bar Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday nights and Sunday day and night.

28 | September 2015

What is the most clever line anyone has used to garner a free cocktail from you?

A gentleman came in the bar where I was working and had me pour a shot of bourbon and a shot of water.

He said if he could put the water in the other glass and the bourbon in the water glass without using another glass or his mouth, would I buy him the bourbon. I bit. He pulled out his drivers license and put it on the shot

glass with water, tipped it over on the bourbon shot glass and slid the card a hair. The liquids change glasses water is heavier than bourbon and gravity did the rest. He got his shot!

What is the best/worst pick up line you have overheard at the bar?

“Lend me some sugar, I’ll be your neighbor”. And … yes, if anybody is asking, I am available!

Tell us an interesting encounter you have had with a patron.

I was in the kitchen grabbing food for a customer and the other bartender on duty came in to the kitchen and said she “needed” me. A guy at the bar had asked for a Bud. She asked for ID while opening the beer and putting it on the bar. I walked up to him from behind the bar and asked for ID also. He just kept pushing his credit card toward me shaking his head no. I grabbed the beer off the bar, gave him a menu and told him without ID we can’t serve you alcohol but you can have a juice, soda or some food. He kept pushing his credit card towards me. I told him to pick up his credit card since there had not been any service or goods exchanged. He stood there for a couple minutes not BEHIND THE BAR > PAGE 29

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BEHIND THE BAR FROM PAGE 28

saying one word. I waited on other customers. Eventually, he looked at me and pointed to the end of bar indicating he wanted me to meet him there. Keep in mind still no words were exchanged. He pulls out his wallet and shows me an ABC badge, nods “OK” and walks out never saying one word. People in the industry, be careful.

Old Town Crier

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

It is going to be a 5 top: Red Auerbach (GW grad), I always wanted to know, while smoking his cigar in the Garden, who the good looking blonde that sits right behind him was.

He must have some have good stories about the great Celtics. Franklin Delano Roosevelt & Winston

Churchill and listen to them exchange stories. I would say JFK but if we invite Marilyn Monroe she will have some great stories about John and maybe Bobby. She would certainly be a hit and easy on the eyes.

I would like to take this opportunity to say that Michelle and Christophe have put together a wonder restaurant with a kitchen to will rival any. They kept some of the quality staff from

Bastille and Dina (the GM) has blended the new and the old employees very well. Chef Sal takes a lot of pride, his second hand Mixer (who I like to call Sir Mix–a-Lot), Gilbert, and the rest of the kitchen staff make it easier on the front of the house.

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

September 2015 | 29

DINING OUT BOBTAGERT

the majestic café

THE MAJESTIC CAFE 911 King Street Old Town Alexandria 703-837-9117 majesticcafe.net

I

have been in Old Town Alexandria since 1977. As King Street began to develop west of Washington Street, one place remained closed but the large sign was clearly visible…The Majestic Cafe. As more restaurants and shops opened down to the new metro stop, the brown paper remained in the windows of the Majestic.

The Majestic Cafe is as old as the George Washington Masonic Memorial and as new as the 21st century. John Gadonas founded the original Majestic Café located at 622 King Street, in 1932. He opened the new Majestic Café at its current location at 911 King Street in 1949.

Mr. John, as he was called, altered the building to enlarge the space, added an Art Deco façade, and outfitted the new restaurant with the latest restaurant equipment and furnishings. The Gadonas family closed the restaurant in 1978, but kept the building, hoping to reopen someday.

That hope became a reality when

a group of local investors, removed the brown paper, refurbished and reopened The Majestic Café in 2001.

The Art Deco façade is original to The Majestic. Two outside neon signs that were the building’s signature were rebuilt, including one running 25 feet to the rooftop. A third sign, carried over from the original Majestic in 1932, remains in perfect working order and hangs once again inside the front window.

The service kitchen visible from the dining room is where all cooking happens while the restaurant is open. A prep kitchen was added in the basement, with the area dug out completely by hand. The terrazzo floor is largely original. A team of expert craftsmen matched and repaired the original, then extended it throughout the expanded dining area. The tin ceiling on the sides of the dining room reproduces the tin design of the original Majestic.

The booths and banquettes are similar to the original Majestic Café.

The chairs are a 1945 Austrian design from Thonet, the company that developed the bent wood concept.

The bar incorporates Art Deco light fixtures from the original Majestic.

Under the new management of Alexandria Restaurant Partners (ie.

Virtue Feed & Grain), a new Executive Chef, Lisa Marie Frantz, is now on board. Chef Frantz has created a fresh menu offering classic dishes with a southern twist, with a big emphasis on what is local and in season. Butcher selected steaks and chops reminiscent of classic steakhouse fare are available along with fresh local seafood. Meats and produce are sourced within the greater Commonwealth of Virginia whenever possible.

We were invited to a media dinner with other local “foodies” and were treated to a broad selection of menu items which made for a varied dining experience. This is a good way to get a good take on what varied palates like.

The appetizers ran the gamut from DINING OUT > PAGE 33

Chef Frantz

photos: Bob Tagert

30 | September 2015

Old Town Crier

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geranio ristorante Redefining Italian Cuisine in Old Town Alexandria 722 King st old town alexandria 703.548.0088 www.geranio.net

Old Town Crier

$22 Three Cours

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First Course Choic e Of Creamed soup of as paragus with Chive Field green salad wi s th He traditional Caesar rb Mustard Vinaigrette, gorgonzola & salad with garlic Cr W outons & Parmesan alnuts Second Course Ch oice Of our Homemade La Parmesan risotto wisagna with spinach Pasta & tradition th gr al Bo angel Hair Pasta wiilled Zucchini, asparagus & shaved Palognese rmesan th Fresh tomato sa Wild Mushroom ri uc sotto with Pancetta, e & Basil Pesto english shaved Parmesan & White truffle oil Peas, Third Course Choic e Of our tiramisu with H om em ad e Mas selection of our H omemade ice Crea carpone m or sorbet

713 King Street • Old Town Alexandria 703.548.1717 • murphyspub.com

September 2015 | 31

Dining Guide american BILBO BAGGINS 208 Queen St. 703-683-0300 BITTERSWEET 823 King St. 703-549-2708 BLACKWALL HITCH 5 Cameron St. 571-982-3577 CARLYLE CLUB 411 John Carlyle St. 703-549-8957 CHADWICKS 203 Strand St. 703-836-4442 chadwicksrestaurants.com An Old Town tradition since 1979 and an original Georgetown pub and restaurant since 1967.

CHART HOUSE One Cameron St. 703-684-5080 CITY KITCHEN 330 South Pickett St. 703-685-9172 fatcitykitchen.com USA City inspired menu choices that bring together traditional American and global cuisine with their own personal touch. Casual dress. $30 and under. Lots of free parking. Open 7 days a week with brunch on Sat & Sun 11-3.

AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

HARD TIMES CAFE 1404 King St. 703-837-0050 HUNTING CREEK STATION 1106 King St. 703-836-5126 INDIGO LANDING #1 Marina Dr. Washington Sailing Marina 703-548-0001 JACKS PLACE 222 North Lee St. 703-684-0372 JACKSON 20 480 King St. 703-842-2790 JOE THEISMANNS 1800 Diagonal Rd. 703-739-0777 KING STREET BLUES 112 N. St. Asaph St. 703-836-8800 LAPORTAS 1600 Duke St. 703-683-6313 LIGHT HORSE RESTAURANT 715 King St. 703-549-0533 LOST DOG CAFE 808 North Henry St. 571-970-6511 MACKIE’S BAR AND GRILL 907 King St. 703-684-3288 MAGNOLIA’S ON KING 703 King St. 703-838-909 MAJESTIC CAFÉ 911 King St. 703-837-9117

COLUMBIA FIREHOUSE 109 S. St. Asaph St. 703-683-1776

MANCINIS 1508 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-838-FOOD

DUTCHS GRILL (Holiday Inn) 2460 Eisenhower Ave. Alexandria, VA 703-960-3400

Mason Social 728 Henry Street Old Town Alexandria 703-548-8800 mason-social.com

THE GRILL RESTAURANT/ PIANO BAR AT MORRISON HOUSE 116 S. Alfred St. 703-838-8000 EVENING STAR CAFÉ 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-549-5051 FAST EDDIES BILLIARD CAFE 6220 Richmond Hwy. 703-660-9444 FIN & HOOF 801 N. Saint Asaph St. 703-836-4700 FINN & PORTER AT MARK CENTER 5000 Seminary Rd. 703-379-2346 FIRE FLIES 1501 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-7200 FLAT IRON STEAK & SALOON 808 King St. 703-299-0777 FOSTERS GRILLE 2004 Eisenhower Ave. 703-725-1342 GADSBYS TAVERN 138 N. Royal St. 703-548-1288

32 | September 2015

MONROES AMERICAN TRATTORIA 1603 Commonwealth Ave. 703-548-5792 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

ASIAN BISTRO 809 King St. 703-836-1515

OVERWOOD 220 North Lee St. 703-535-3340

MALAYA 1019 King St. 703-519-3710

PORK BARREL BBQ 2312 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-822-5699

MAI THAI 9 King St. 703-548-0600

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

RED MEI 602 King St. 703-837-0094

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

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

REYNOLDS STREET CAFÉ 34 S. Reynolds St. 703-751-0830 RIVER BEND BISTRO 7966 Fort Hunt Rd. Hollin Hall Shopping Center 703-347-7545 ROCK IT GRILL 1319 King St. 703-739-2274 SAMUEL BECKETTS IRISH GASTRO PUB 2800 S. Randolph St. Villages of Shirlington 703-379-0122 SHOOTER MCGEES 5239 Duke St. 703-751-9266 SOCIETY FAIR 277 S. Washington St. 703-683-3247 SOUTHSIDE 815 815 S. Washington St. 703-836-6222 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. TRADEMARK 2800 Jamieson Ave. 703-253-8640 TRADITIONS (Holiday Inn) 625 First St. 703-548-6300 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.

asian

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

CHEZ ANDREE 10 East Glebe Rd. 703-836-1404 LA BERGERIE 218 N. Lee St. 703-683-1007 labergerie.com ITALIAN BERTUCCIS 725 King St. 703-548-8500 BUGSYS PIZZA RESTAURANT 111 King St. 703-683-0313 bugsyspizza.com FACCIA LUNA 823 S. Washington St. 703-838-5998 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.

IL PORTO RESTAURANT 121 King St. 703-836-8833

BRABO Tasting Room 1600 King St. 703-894-5252

LA STRADA 1905 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-2592

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

SAPORE DITALIA RISTORANTE & PIZZERIA 1310 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-683-9680

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

CEDAR KNOLL INN GW Parkway at Lucia Ln. 703-799-1501 FRENCH BASTILLE 606 N. Fayette St. 703-519-3776 bastillerestaurant.com LE REFUGE 127 N. Washington St. 703-548-4661 FONTAINES CAFFE & CREPERIE 119 S. Royal St. 703-535-8151

VERMILLION 1120 King St. 703-684-9669

LA MADELEINE 500 King St. 703-729-2854

VIRTUE GRAIN & FEED 106 South Union St. 571-970-3669

TWO NINETEEN RESTAURANT 219 King St. 703-549-1141

THE WAREHOUSE BAR & GRILL 214 King St. 703-683-6868

BISTRO ROYALE 1201 N. Royal St. 703-519-9110 bistroroyal.com YVES BISTRO 235 Swamp Fox Rd. (in Hoffman Ctr.) 703-329-1010

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.

OLD CHICAGO PIZZERIA 2245 Huntington Ave. 703-960-1086 PARADISO 124 King St. 703-837-1245 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 VILLA DESTE 600 Montgomery St. 703-549-9477

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 DISHES OF INDIA 1510A Bellview Blvd.

703-660-6085 MEXICAN LATIN SOUTHWESTERN AUSTIN GRILL 801 King St. 703-684-8969 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

MEDITERRANEAN LA TASCA 607 King St. 703-299-9810 “Spring into Spain and Feast Like a King.” Offering unlimited tapas at lunch

Old Town Crier

DINING OUT FROM PG 30

Pork Candy (roasted pork belly, Virginia peanuts and hot honey), Chicken Fried Quail, Baked Pimento Cheese Dip and Blistered Okra to Roasted Jalapeno & Cheddar Corn Bread. All were outstanding other than I have to admit I am not a fan of the ever popular pork belly so I passed on it. All of the other diners raved about it. I am sort of a Georgia boy and I love okra and the okra appetizer is just right … not over cooked and a little al dente making for a bite with a crunch.

The second course was the Baby Kale Chopped Salad that had roasted Belmont peanuts, apples, feta, golden raisins, avocado and sweet mustard dressing. Kale has taken over where spinach left off and we all agreed that this was a good way to serve it.

Our main courses included Shrimp and Carolina Grits (another of my favorites), Papa Weaver’s Pork Chop served with corn pudding, collards and Coca Cola barbeque glaze; Twice Roasted Chicken that consists of forest mushroom stuffed fields of Athenry Farms chicken, Carolina gold rice and sea island red peas; and the Creekstone Ribeye served with Edwards Country ham mac and cheese. Not a bad choice in the bunch.

Hard to believe that anyone had room for dessert but when they brought out the Key Lime Pie and Cherry Chocolate Cheesecake we all caved in!

The wine and beer lists are fairly extensive and they pride themselves on their craft cocktails.

The dinner menu is a little on the high priced side keeping in line with most of the other upscale restaurants in Old Town - but lunch and brunch prices seem very reasonable to me. The Majestic serves lunch and dinner Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Brunch is served Saturdays and Sundays 11:30 a.m.to 4:00 p.m. They have Happy Hour Monday through Friday from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

We have watched a few chefs come and go at The Majestic over the years but let’s hope that Chef Frantz plans to stay for a while. Her menu is a good one and as long as the quality remains the same caliber as what we experienced, that shouldn’t be a problem.

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

Great Steaks

USDA Prime Cuts

Late Night Menu Available Every Night

September 2015 | 33

CHEF’S SPECIAL CHESTER SIMPSON

Michael Wagner

photo: ©2015 Chester Simpson

michael wagner IS THE CHEF of blackwall hitch 5 Cameron street old town alexandria 571-982-3577 theblackwall hitch.com

Chef Wagner with his (l-r) Scallops & Risotto, Salmon Kale Salad, Shrimp ’n Grits, and the Blackwall Prawn.

34 | September 2015

B

orn and raised on Long Island, NY, Chef Michael Wagner graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1995, then relocated to Miami in the early 90s. While there, he worked his way through various high profile Miami kitchens alongside local legends such as Mark Militelio (Mark’s Place), Jonny Vinczencz (Astor Place/Johnny V), Tim Andriola (Timo), and Chef Allen Susser (Chef Allen’s). Realizing a lifelong dream of opening his own restaurant, Chef Wagner concentrated his efforts on developing the menu, concept and décor for Lola’s on Harrison, a namesake to his late grandmother. After working for such groups as the Fireman Hospitality Group and Blue Ridge Restaurant Group as their Corporate Chef, he has now taken his talents to Blackwall Hitch where he recently opened the Alexandria outpost.

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

My story might be a little different than the typical chef ’s. Even though my Grandma (Bobby) and my Mom are great home cooks, I didn’t spend any time with them in the kitchen growing up. I was a very active youth who couldn’t wait to be outside playing sports and food was something that was on the table, not an activity I participated in preparing. After attending the University of Maryland on a tennis scholarship, I really didn’t have a clear direction for my life. This

seems very in line with many kids who attend school without any clear goals.

All I knew is that I didn’t want to be behind a desk and work the typical 9-5 office job. My final year at school, I had a roommate who worked in a local restaurant and he would cook in our not-so-user-friendly kitchen. He talked me into just looking at culinary schools once I went back home to New York. I said to myself, “Why not?”

After many road trips checking out schools on the east coast, my last stop was the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. Once I entered the main building and had a chance to walk around the premises, I was in awe. I remember coming home to tell my parents I wanted to sign up for the culinary program. That decision was a little out of left field but, as always, they supported it. Once I started school, I knew in my heart that I had found something that I felt deeply passionate about. This profession aligns with many of my creative personality traits and a great outlet to express myself to the world.

Who have been the biggest inspirations for your career?

I graduated in 1995 when we had a rough winter in the northeast.

Growing up all of my life in New York, I felt like this was an opportunity for a major change. I decided one freezing cold morning that I wanted to live in a warmer climate and not have to scrape ice and snow off my car anymore. At that moment, I literally packed up CHEF’S SPECIAL > PAGE 42

Old Town Crier

EXPLORING VIRGINIAWINES DOUG FABBIOLI

Getting Back to Basics

A

s much as I tend to wax philosophical about the direction of the rural economy, the workforce or the next generation of leaders, I also need to roll up my sleeves and get some work done, especially as we gear up for harvest.

While I find it refreshing and invigorating to get the blood pumping and focus on accomplishing one task, there are so many projects and responsibilities that fall back on me that it can be more effective for me to stay out of the trenches and instead define work for my team and give them direction.

Just for fun, here are a few of the winemaking and production projects I’m directing right now: We are picking the pear bottles off of the tree. 24 bottles will go to Catoctin

Creek Distillery. We will pick and process pears for Una Pera, pear port-style and pear brandy next week. We need to get more rice hulls from Pennsylvania in order for that to work properly. We are picking raspberries every three days and processing weekly. The chiller for our wine tanks broke — fortunately it was just a blown fuse — but I was on the phone with the manufacturer for a good long while before the problem was diagnosed and solved.

The vineyards are ripening up quickly. The hot and dry weather along with lower yields have accelerated the maturing process. Our Viognier in California was picked yesterday and is being shipped as I write this. We will sample our Chardonnay and Chambourcin grapes this

week, and expect to pick in three weeks. The estate fruit is thin but looks clean. We will sample the estate grapes next week.

I received our annual truckload of new and used barrels from California last week. Some of the barrels are for us, and the rest will go to other wineries, so those pickup and deliveries will need to be coordinated.

One more thing. With the dry weather, I need to keep the irrigation up on the hops. We planted two acres this year and it is looking good. We hand harvested our quarter acre and sold some for wet hops along with drying some for later. The freezers are full leaving little room for raspberries and tasting room stuff. (Where is that additional freezer that I ordered?

I need to track it down!) I better make sure that the raspberries

get the water they need as well.

They suck up a ton of water at this time and the forecast is for pretty dry weather still.

I did not want to further complicate this column with the construction of the new tasting room as this is a whole other level of challenges, including landscaping, septic, permits, concrete, kitchen design, furniture, fixtures, trim work, and painting the ladies room a third time in the hope that we finally got the

color right.

This is all part of the bigger picture that there may be many things that I want to do, but I need to make sure that I do the things that need to get done. That would be leadership and setting the right example. I am sure I will drop a few things along the way, but I hope they are small things that are easy enough to pick up.

I’m looking forward to slowing down someday.

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Chez Andrée Restaurant Français & Bar 10 East Glebe Road Alexandria, Virginia 703.836.1404 chezandree.com

September 2015 | 35

GRAPEVINE FRANK BRITT

Ducard vineyards

40 GIBSON HOLLOW LN. ETLAN, VA 22719 540-923-4206 ducardvineyards.com

DuCard Vineyards T ONE OF VIRGINIA’S TOP WINERY

photo: Tom McCrystal

36 | September 2015

DESTINATIONS

he scenic foothills of the Shenandoah Mountains in Madison County are home to DuCard Vineyards, a boutique winery that produces more than a dozen varieties of elegant premium wines. DuCard is well on its way to becoming one on Virginia’s top winery destinations.

Scott Elliff, DuCard owner, started the vineyard as a hobby 15 years ago, planting seven acres of such noted varietals as Viognier, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Norton. He has since added Cabernet Sauvignon to the mix, as well as several acres locally with additional varietals including Chardonnay and Merlot. Elliff also brought on board Julien Durantie, formerly of Bordeaux, France, as DuCard’s vineyard manager and winemaker.

One of the admirable things about DuCard is the focus on green and sustainable principles. The tasting

room floor and bar were constructed of reclaimed lumber from 100-year locally sourced barn wood, and the siding came from poplar trees ecoharvested on the property. The tasting room is powered by a bank of solar panels, making it Virginia’s first solarpowered winery. Also, the winery boasts its own artificial wetland system that filters wastewater to protect the environment. Composting, recycling, use of non-plastic picnic ware, lighter weight bottles, reduced use of chemical sprays and other practices all contribute to reducing the winery’s carbon footprint. It’s no wonder DuCard continues to win the Virginia Green Travel Star award as one of Virginia’s two “greenest” wineries.

In addition to breathtaking views and elegant wines, DuCard boasts a full calendar of special events. Among the many activities are music on the patio performed by a variety of area artists, a murder mystery dinner, a winemaker’s brunch, Wineappalooza Old Town Crier

FREE SUBSCRIPTION to the OFFICIAL VIRGINIA WINE LOVER E-newsletter

www.vawinelover.com Arts & Crafts, a music festival, cigar and wine pairings, vertical tastings, chocolate pairings and the popular Oyster Festival, coming up on September 26. Oysters are from the Rappahannock River Oyster Company and the music is by Kat and the Travelers.

DuCard Vineyards’ food and wine pairing program has gained the attention of a number of top food and lifestyle bloggers, garnering rave reviews. A new event room and patio are popular for private functions and weddings. Obviously, the winery is a busy place, but there are also plenty of quiet days just to relax, enjoy a bottle of wine on the patio, and experience the excellent service of the friendly staff.

As the saying goes, “Virginia is for wine lovers” and DuCard has some excellent wines to love.” They have won numerous awards, including doing oh-so-well in the Virginia Wine Summit competition where their 2010 Viognier was put up against a French Old Town Crier

Condrieu in a Virginia vs. the World competition. “We don’t like to brag about our awards,” says owner Scott Elliff, “because we think you should be the ultimate judge. Come out to DuCard Vineyards, taste our wines and judge for yourself.”

For additional information about DuCard Vineyards and a schedule of events, visit the website at www. ducardvineyards.com Frank Britt is the former co-publisher and co-founder of Virginia Wine Lover magazine and current publisher of the Official Virginia Wine Lover e-newsletter, “THE Source for Virginia’s Wine news.” www.vawinelover.com, complimentary to Old Town Crier readers. He also consults with several wine festivals and can be reached at frank@brittmarketing.com; www.vawinelover.com

BALSAMIC GLAZED SALMON FILLETS Pair with DuCard Quaker Run Chardonnay

Makes 6 servings Ingredients 6 (5 oz.) salmon fillets 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon white wine 1 tablespoon honey 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard salt and pepper to taste 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

• Arrange salmon fillets on foil-lined baking sheet.

Brush fillets with balsamic glaze, and sprinkle with oregano.

• Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 14 minutes, or until flesh flakes easily with a fork. Brush fillets with remaining glaze, and season with salt and pepper. Use a spatula to transfer fillets to serving platter, leaving the skin behind on the foil.

Preparation • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

• Coat a small saucepan with non-stick cooking spray. Over medium heat, cook and stir garlic until soft, about 3 minutes. Mix in white wine, honey, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for about 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

September 2015 | 37

VIRGINIA WINE Trail Profiles Bedford County Wine Trail bedfordwinetrail.com The Bedford Wine Trail in the Central Virginia region includes five vineyards and wineries surrounding Bedford.

n three fox vineyards september events n

n 5: annie stokes n 5: roma’s mobile kitchen n 6: richard Giersch n 7: alex younG n 12: the institute of catholic culture n 12: 8th annual feast of san Gennaro n 12: the exaGGerations n 13: richard Giersch n 17: Wine dinner at ruth chris steakhouse in fairfax n 19: 9th annual lucy stomp n 19: the exaGGerations n 19: farm effect food truck n 20: yoGa in the vineyard n 20: 2nd annual lucy fun stomp n 20: richard Giersch n 27: richard Giersch n

Blue Ridge Wine Way www.blueridgewineway.com The Blue Ridge Wine Way features eight wineries and vineyards in the spectacular mountains of the Northern Virginia region.

Botetourt County Wine Trail botetourtwinetrail.com The Wine Trail of Botetourt Country features three wineries in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Eastern Shore Wine Trail esvatourism.org The Eastern Shore of Virginia Wine Trail hosts three wineries along the Land Between Two Waters. This area is a unique rural coastal environment. Hundreds of miles of Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay shoreline provide a wealth of recreational opportunities for beach-lovers, fishermen, and boaters in addition to wine lovers.

Tasting Room Hours - Open Year Round Thursday-Saturday, & Monday 11-5 pm • Sunday 12 pm (noon)- 5 pm

Mention or bring this ad for a complimentary tasting for two through 12/23/2010 10100 Three Fox Ln. • Delaplane, VA • 540-364-6073

Fauquier County Wine Trail fauquiertourism.com/wineries.html Fauquier County is home to 16 wineries and vineyards —each with its own unique flavors. Enjoy awardwinning Virginia wines, wine tastings and tours.

Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail svwga.org The Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail is an association of six vineyards and wineries.

Loudoun Wine Trail visitloudoun.org Loudouns Wine Trail in Northern Virginia takes you through Virginias hunt country to 23 participating wineries.

A small, family winery focused on quality, sustainable farming and our community Visit us and other quality wineries on the Loudoun Wine Trail–www.loudounfarms.org Serving your local red wine needs since 2006 Open Daily 11am - 5pm Educational wine events

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

Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail chesapeakebaywinetrail.com The Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail, in the Chesapeake Bay region, highlights six different wineries.

Heart of Virginia Wine Trail www.hovawinetrail.com The Heart of Virginia Wine Trail in Central Virginia presents several events throughout the year at four wineries located in the central region of the state.

Blue Ridge Wine Trail blueridgewinetrail.com The Blue Ridge Wine Trail features five wineries and vineyards in the spectacular mountains all within minutes of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Generals Wine & History Trail thegeneralswinetrail.com In 2009, 10 wineries banded together to form a new type wine trail experience. The new wine trail experience was to tie our rich wine heritage with our rich historical heritage and thus the Generals Wine & History Trail was born.

Monticello Wine Trail monticellowinetrail.com The Monticello Wine Trail leads to 24 wineries from its hub in Charlottesville.

Source: Virginia Wine Marketing Office

38 | September 2015

For More Information: virginiawine.org Visiting Virginia’s Wine Country Its always a good idea to call before visiting. Many Virginia wineries are small, family-owned operations and may be closed during the time you are planning to visit.

If you are a group of eight or more, call ahead to help the winery prepare for your visit and to make sure they can accept groups.

Most of our wineries have grape cluster highway signs within a ten-mile radius pointing the way to the winery. Many of these signs also tell you how many miles to go before reaching the winery.

Old Town Crier

GO FISH STEVE CHACONAS

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otomac River invasive species discussions have focused on hydrilla, Northern Snakeheads and Blue Catfish. Now it’s Water Chestnuts. On a snakeheadshocking trip last summer Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) biologist John Odenkirk observed a small patch of Water Chestnuts thriving in Pohick Bay off the Potomac River. “When we passed by the bed last year during an electrofishing run, we knew it was different and unusual but did not know what it was. Thus, we collected a sample and returned to the office.” A few minutes and texts later, Odenkirk verified the presence of Water Chestnuts. “I was astonished since I’d heard so many bad things about it. However, there was no mistake, nothing looks even close, and it’s very unique.” Knowing the

plant’s problematic Potomac history, he quickly organized a group to pull it out to haul to a compost area. In one afternoon these efforts netted 3.6 tons. Herbicide and mechanical removal, including manually pulling are the best ways to eradicate.

The Pohick patch was relatively small and isolated.

Odenkirk said, “Everyone we spoke with, including Maryland Department of Natural Resources currently dealing with several similar small outbreaks, recommended manual removal.”

Water Chestnut is a rooted, aquatic plant with both floating and submersed leaves.

Floating leaves form a green, glossy and triangular pad with toothed edges. Submersed leaves are feathery and wound around cord-like plant stems up to 16 feet long. This annual plant, spreads by seeds produced in July. Mature

Bassing IN SEPTEMBER Potomac River

Target thick grassbeds with hollow frog, toad and matpunching fishing!

In clear and calm water with overcast skies, fish open areas without grass. Use Lucky Craft Gunfish walkers and G-Splash poppers. Walk the dog with Gunfish and don’t stop when fish strike! They will come back. For poppers, pop and stop, varying retrieves until a cadence produces.

Try Mann’s Waker over cover.

Mann’s Hollow NEW Goliath frogs on 60-pound GAMMA Torque Braid are perfect over matted grass.

Old Town Crier

seeds are green to greenish brown and sink, remaining alive in sediment up to 12 years! Floating black nuts won’t sprout. This invasive is not the same water chestnut found on Asian menus!

Since last year, Odenkirk and volunteers from VDGIF, Bureau of Wildlife Resources and Complimentary Workforce, U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Belvoir Environmental Services, Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority along with others have monitored ground zero near the Pohick Bay boat launch. “Although the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has legal authority over noxious aquatic weeds, that agency has not previously been active in management of invasive or nuisance aquatic plants.” Again this year, volunteers waded to hand pull

Worse than Snakeheads? and load water chestnuts to be hauled away. This year the same area produced 5.8 tons, nearly double last year. A few nearby small patches indicate the spread of this highly invasive plant.

But hydrilla and milfoil were supposed to be bad.

These invasives cleared the Potomac, providing

largemouth bass habitat.

According to Odenkirk, while some fish use dense water chestnut cover, the plant’s structure blocks all sunlight and doesn’t allow much room underneath. Every nonnative is different. “Some can cause great ecological and economic damage depending GO FISH > PAGE 42

Also try toad style soft plastics with a Mustad Ultra Point Swimbait hook. Weighted hooks allow baits to go faster and cast further! Follow-up with weightless stickworms like Mann’s 5-inch HardNose Freefall worm on 10-pound test GAMMA Edge Fluorocarbon line for missed bites!

Wacky rig with 2/0 Mustad RED Octopus hooks.

Round Valley ¾ to 1-ounce Tungsten weights with 60-pound Torque braid and a strong Mustad Grip Pin Flippin hook, punch through thick grass mats.

Mann’s Baby 1-Minus crankbaits, in craw and baitfish patterns work over wood and grass. For line, 12-14 pound test Edge on a KVD Quantum cranking rod. Mann’s Reel N’ Shad is deadly this time of year.

Pitch Mizmo tubes on 3/0 Mustad Tube hooks on 14-pound Edge to docks and wood at higher tides, and then grass during every tidal phase. Use scents like garlic Jack’s Juice Bait Spray. Also try swimming jigs like Mann’s Stone Jigs with a HardNose Reel’ N Shad around cover.

September 2015 | 39

RETHINK YOUR EXERCISE

FITNESS NICOLE FLANAGAN

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e all have mental hurdles that we need to jump before getting into workout mode. For some of us it’s just getting up and out of bed and making it to the gym first thing in the morning. Sometimes it’s the end of the day exhaustion that you have to convince yourself will go away once you get on the elliptical. Whichever

problem you may be having here are a few ways to rethink a pre-workout hesitation.

Don’t think: The scale doesn’t budge, why bother working out.

Do think: Keep up the good work and it will pay off.

Stick with the scale: Love it and you’ll probably lose pounds. In a study at the University of Minnesota,

Twin Cities, of 3,026 adults who were watching their waistlines, those who weighed themselves more frequently lost more weight over two years or regained fewer pounds. Plateaus are part of the process, Stay motivated in the meantime by giving yourself credit for how much better your clothes fit and for improving your overall health. Fix the problem by

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40 | September 2015

changing up your routine.

As your metabolism changes to accommodate your smaller size, you are going to have to change what you’re doing to keep your body responding and shedding fat. If you’re eating light already (around 1,500 calories a day), don’t cut back more; turn up the intensity and/or increase the length of your workout session a smidge. This will not only burn more calories but also increase your cardio capacity, meaning that everything feels easier to do, so you can keep exercising.

Crank the resistance on your stationary bike, push the pace of your walk or run for oneminute intervals, or add stepups or jumping jacks between sets of toning moves: The cardio-strength mix of circuit training burns 512 calories per hour, more than double that of lifting alone.

Don’t think: Run a mile?

No way.

Do think: If I can walk a mile I can run a mile.

Split your run into walking and running parts at first.

Jog a quarter of a mile, walk for half a mile, and finish by jogging another quarter.

As you improve, stretch out the jogging and shrink the walking segment before jogging that final quarter mile.

Do this three or four times a week and you’ll be able to run the whole distance in about six weeks.

Don’t think: I hurt my knee, I will be out of the gym for a few weeks.

Do think: There has got to be another type of exercise

I can do.

Your body starts to lose conditioning within three days of your becoming a couch potato. Depending on your injury, moderate elliptical training, cycling, or jogging in water can be an appropriate alternative.

As with any injury, be sure that your doctor clears you for exercise and follow his recommendations.

Don’t think: Classes like spinning and boot camp seem too intense for me.

Do think: Any exercise can be done at my pace.

The great thing about Spinning is that you control your experience, If the instructor tells you to turn up the resistance, go to where you feel you can keep up; then if you get tired, lower it. In any group exercise class, your main goal is to get the hang of it, so aim for form over speed.

Don’t think: I simply can’t shake the after-work energy slump to exercise.

Do think: Just 10 minutes.

There’s a difference between being mentally tired and being physically tired. Doing something physical will actually help combat some of the mental fatigue. Tell yourself that you’re not going to do more than 10 minutes of exercise. Often this leads to extending the time once you get into it. If you do make it to 10 minutes and still feel completely exhausted then you probably do need the rest.

In that case missing one day at the gym is not going to do any harm.

Old Town Crier

FROM THE TRAINER RYAN UNVERZAGT

❶

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elcome to another edition of From the Trainer. Let's get right to it. September's exercise of the month is the Barbell Lunge. This particular exercise challenges your balance, core, and leg strength. The starting position is shown in Figure 1.

The barbell will rest on the upper back as you take a long stride forward. Lower your body toward the floor by bending your front knee and hip to about 90 degrees. As this happens, shift your body weight to the front leg (Figure 2). Avoid leaning forward at the waist but make sure your knee stays over the toes and aligned with the front foot. Without pausing at the bottom, push forcefully up and backward. Body weight will then shift back to the “trail leg” to bring you back to start position. Try at least 10 reps on each leg.

Variations to this lunge include alternating legs on each repetition or stepping backward to perform a reverse lunge.

If you choose to reverse the lunge, make sure you shift your weight to the front leg first, and then step backward. Keep body weight on the front leg while the trail leg is used for balance.

Another variation is the walking lunge in which you keep moving forward with each lunge. You could also hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides instead of using the barbell on the upper back.

Either way you choose to do the lunge, it will provide the challenge and intensity you’ve been looking for! Until next month…..enjoy the Barbell Lunge.

❷

THE BARBELL LUNGE

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). Ryan is also a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS) through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS).

Old Town Crier

September 2015 | 41

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GO FISH FROM PG 39

on how they interact in newly colonized waters. Although it’s still too early to say with certainty Northern Snakeheads are not an issue (or less of an issue); it certainly seems likely that chestnut has the greater potential to cause harm, based on history and its proclivity to form extraordinarily dense, impenetrable mats.” Navigating or fishing is impossible in waters with full chestnut bloom.

In 1923 a 2-acre Water Chestnut patch appeared near Washington, D.C. In just a few years, it covered 40 river miles. In 10 years, by 1933, dense beds had spread from D.C. to just south of Quantico, Va., covering 10,000 acres!

Native grasses were depleted as the invasive took over. One acre of water chestnut produces enough seeds to cover 100 acres the following year. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers engineered a massive removal effort from 1939 to 1945. Hand removal lasted until 1965.

Water Chestnut removal cost an estimated $2.8 million (converted from 1950 to 1992 dollars).

Most southern states, including Maryland, have banned all water chestnut species sales to help control distribution.

Volunteers are needed. Odenkirk predicts several years of monitoring the site to reduce the seed bank through attrition. “Last year, we were too late in removal and allowed seeds to CHEF’S SPECIAL FROM PG 34

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my Jeep Wrangler and drove down to Florida to start a new life. Before making the trip, I secured a position at Chef Allen’s which, at the time, was a top restaurant in the greater Miami area. Allen Susser, who was the chef owner, was very well respected in the community and this was an amazing opportunity to work with a James Beard Award winner. My first day was a little rough and I wasn’t sure I was going to last through the shift. Chef said to me, “Mike, go into the walk-in and grab the boniato, yucca, mamey, jackfruit, lychee, etc.” These were all very foreign ingredients to me — remember, I grew up in New York. If I can’t even identify them in the walk-in, how can I even think about cooking or preparing them? Well, this was just a test of my product knowledge of fruits and vegetable indigenous to the area — which I obviously failed miserably. At that moment, I was truly inspired to identify and prepare these ingredients and work side by side with an amazing culinary team that supported me every step of the way.

What dish on the Blackwall Hitch menu are you most curious to see how it is received by your diners?

Why do veggie burgers and/or sandwiches always become the stepchild on just about every menu? We have created something different … a little outside the box. Our sandwich contains ingredients such as sundried tomatoes, white corn, scallions and goat cheese. We serve it on a brioche bun with smoked paprika spiced mayonnaise and lots of fresh arugula. I am always curious to hear feedback from our guests — especially from a very unique menu item that even a meat lover will crave.

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

It all starts with creating partnerships with your vendors and setting the standard of quality even before any food enters the building. We have a checks and balances

Worse than me? mature. This year, we beat seed drop; so next year’s chestnut footprint should be smaller and smaller each year until gone.” Recreational Potomac enthusiasts can assist in the eradication of Water Chestnut by learning what the plant looks like, and to be on the lookout for it. Photos and GPS coordinates should be reported to VDGIF. Author Capt. Steve Chaconas is Potomac bass fishing guide and contributing writer for BoatU.S. (BoatUS.com) Potomac River reports: nationalbass.com. Book trips/purchase gift certificates: info@NationalBass.com. system within the restaurant to ensure that any product that has been presented for our guests has been tasted along the way from preparation to final plating. We are sourcing local products when available, offering our guests the best resources that are in the surrounding area.

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

This is a great question and I spent a lot of time trying to think of who and why a chef of my choice would prepare a meal for me. I have come to the conclusion that I am fascinated by the creativity and thought that goes into molecular gastronomy. I personally have never worked under a chef who has the skilled techniques into this forward thinking cuisine, but I am intrigued. That is why I selected Grant Achatz who, in my opinion, is an American pioneer in this style. Approaching food in a new perspective while challenging my brain and senses, has me wanting to be catered by the best. His restaurant Alinea in Chicago is usually at the top of self-proclaimed foodies’ bucket lists.

What is your guilty food pleasure?

My guilty food pleasure — with a doubt — is sea urchin, Uni. Once I trust a restaurant to serve me the freshest and highest quality Uni, they have a customer for life. Each bite of sea urchin is full of a creamy and briny flavor that melts in my mouth. It leaves a lingering ocean taste that has my eyes rolling back in my head.

It’s a fact that Uni has a euphoria-inducing chemical ingredient (albeit in very small quantities) similar to what you find in some illicit drugs. So the few people who really enjoy this delicacy as much as myself, share the feeling of pure joy. No matter what is going on in my life, eating a small piece of Uni always transforms me to my happy place.

If you would like to see your favorite chef featured in this column, send contact information to chester@chestersimpson.com.

Old Town Crier

FIRST BLUSH kim putens

Just the FAQs, Ma’am Answers to Frequently Asked Questions How do I choose the right moisturizer for my face?

Believe it or not, the most important thing about choosing a moisturizer is the weight, not the fancy ingredients. The wrong weight of moisturizer can actually cause as many, if not more, problems than the ingredients. If too heavy, it can clog your pores and cause breakouts. If not heavy enough, the lack of moisturizer can lead to premature aging.

In choosing the right weight, apply a normal amount to your jaw line. Wait a few seconds and check the area. If the moisturizer feels sticky or greasy, it means that it hasn’t absorbed into your skin and is too heavy for your complexion. If the moisturizer soaks in and still feels dry and your skin feels taught, then the moisturizer is not heavy enough. Look for a moisturizer that soaks in to your skin, but your skin feels relieved and looks plump.

Everywhere I look, all the makeup has shimmer and glitter. How do I embrace it without looking like a teenager?

Shimmer can actually be your friend. Glitter, not so much. Leave glitter to stage performances. A bit of shimmer can actually make old skin look young. And, it is the easiest and cheapest way to freshen up your skin and bring about a youthful glow.

But, if you overdue it, you could end up looking like an over-aged teenager. Keep in mind, dry and dull looking skin exacerbates looking old.

So, the best thing to do is be strategic about your placement and amount. The best place to get the most bang for your buck is to apply a bit

Old Town Crier

of shimmer along the base of your eyebrow along the brow bone. It gives the illusion of an instant lift to a sagging eye (which happens to all of us as we approach 40).

Another good place for a bit of shimmer is along your cheekbone. Again, it gives the illusion of an instant lift to the face but it also gives a punch of glow and dewiness that is associated with youthful skin.

It is okay to go for broke and put a bit of shimmer along the brow bone and the cheekbone. You’ll be amazed at how your friends will compliment your new youthful appearance.

bar of soap, but it provides users with a soap that lasts much longer than its counterparts. A triple milled soap usually lasts a month or more.

Also, the French have the oldest and best known milling process which is why triple milled soaps are often known as French triple milled soaps.

Do I need a lip liner with my lipstick?

Most of the time lip liner is a personal preference.

For some, they do not feel complete without lip liner.

The only time lip liner is absolutely necessary is if (1) your lipstick tends to bleed, no matter the color and (2) if you are wearing a deep and dark color like red, which bleeds on everyone.

I would not recommend lining your lips when wearing lip-gloss. What you can do, however, is use a lip liner to fill in your lips to add more color and staying power to your lip-gloss.

I’m 40, should I be wearing foundation?

Not necessarily.

Determining when to wear foundation has nothing to do with how old you are. In fact, I would argue, that if your skin looks good, you should avoid foundation because it can make you look older than you are. Using foundation has more to do with the condition of your skin. If your skin is blotchy and uneven, you may want to consider wearing foundation. If not, skip it all together and apply a good moisturizer.

Remember, foundation’s primary goal is to even out your skin tone to create a monotone surface in which to apply color. Think of foundation as the canvas before applying the artwork – eye shadow, cheek color, lipstick, etc.

What are hair powders or dry shampoos?

Hair powder and dry shampoo are actually the same thing but referred to differently. These are essentially talcum powders that have been colored to match your hair color. By applying the hair powder/ dry shampoo to your scalp, the powder will soak up the excess oils and freshen up your hair as if it was washed.

Basically, the powders give life to second day hair without having to wash your hair.

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September 2015 | 43

SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE PEGGIE ARVIDSON

Career Satisfaction in the Palm of Your Hand

Y

our hands are a treasure map for your life’s journey — if only you know how to read it. While palmists generally have a reputation for being fortune-tellers and even charlatans, my clients know that when they apply the wisdom in their hands they can stop repeating mistakes that hold them back. That way they can move forward with confidence in their careers and relationships. Isn’t that a great thing?

If you’re not happy at work you may think it’s because of your boss, or your commute or that annoying co-worker who dumps everything on your desk while she sashays out to get her nails done, but

The

you’d be wrong.

The reason you are not happy at work is because of you.

I’m glad I’m not sitting next to you because I know you’d like to smack me for saying that! Still, the common denominator in all your dissatisfying situations, including work, is you. When you tolerate a job that is not satisfying you’ve got only yourself to blame.

Instead of wallowing in excuses about the economy, or the great benefits, or whatever story you’ve been replaying to get yourself up out of bed each morning put that energy into clarifying why you believe that you deserve a life that is less than satisfying.

That’s step one.

By clarifying why you’re willing to “suck it up” or settle for something less than satisfying you’re on your way to getting out of the morass and into the joy-space. Yes, even a job can be a source of joy, if you believe it.

If you want to shorten the time it takes to go from stuck to satisfied, you can take a look at your hands.

William G. Benham wrote a book called “How to Choose Vocations from the Hand,” but it’s not likely to help you a great deal because the language is outdated and the hands used as examples aren’t likely to look like yours.

There is no marker in the hands that says “be an

Pragmatic Palmist PEGGIE ARVIDSON

Are you ready to use the wisdom in your hands to manifest the business of your dreams? Would you like to find out once and for all how to get out of your own way and attract love and money, using the gifts of your own DNA? Private readings, group sessions, classes and workshops are NOW available by appointment at:

Phone and Skype appointments are also available!

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44 | September 2015

accountant” or “you’re a natural systems analyst” or even, “you’re a goat farmer!”

There are however markers in the hands that show your natural inclination and curiosity.

I’ve created a fictional case study to give you an example.

Nancy has short and straight heart lines on both of her hands and a star formation on the base of her right Jupiter finger. She also has a Saturn line that starts around the middle of her hand that ends abruptly at her head line before picking up steam and a parallel line to push through to the base of Saturn. Nancy’s fingerprints reveal her life purpose as an Innovative Successful Leader and her life lesson tied into letting go of control.

Nancy has a job as a project manager for a government

contracting company. She finds herself constantly feeling stress and pressure at work and can’t understand why her team doesn’t seem to respect her authority. The more she tries to impose deadlines the more resistance she receives.

She’s taken training for leadership and has her PMP Certification, so while she knows she’s qualified, she can’t seem to find a reason for all this heartache and stress. She’s thinking there must be more to life than what she’s doing but she has no idea what it might be.

When we first started our chat Nancy was at her wit’s end - and was even more confused when she heard her lesson and purpose! “How can I lead and let go of control?”

“Innovation is frowned upon on my job site!”

SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE > PAGE 45

Old Town Crier

OPEN SPACE LORI WELCH BROWN

The Paper Trail

A

s XXL and I approach our oneyear anniversary (where does the time go?!), a mutual friend pointed out that it’s our paper anniversary to which XXL responded, “huh?” After a quick lesson in wedding anniversary tradition, XXL’s response morphed from “huh” to “hmmm.” I believe it was manner maven, Emily Post, who came up with the anniversary categories—probably around the time our grandparents were celebrating their first year so who are we to judge? For me, paper is very symbolic and fitting for any couple with one year under their respective belts. Important moments of our courtship were captured on paper via cards and notes. Our scrap book is full of movie and concert ticket stubs—mementos of nights out on the town and airline ticket stubs commemorating our travels. Our marriage license is printed on a very official looking paper. Paper is strong enough to hold the weight of our most important thoughts and feelings, yet soft enough to wipe away our tears of which there have been a few.

Friends and family members were quick to ask me after the nuptials if being married felt different. I wasn’t sure it would as we had been cohabiting for well over a year before we

walked down the aisle. I was surprised to learn, however, that married life did indeed feel different. Maybe it was because XXL kept reminding me over coffee every morning that we were ‘hitched.’ For the first month or two, I felt a bit like Sybil juggling my 18 different personalities as I struggled with my newfound identity as Mrs. Who was I in this new role? One minute I was giddy with excitement as I dried myself with one of our new Pottery Barn monogrammed bath sheets. The next I was paralyzed with fear as I slipped into my usual morning coffee ritual as part of a duo—breaking my long run as a solo act. Did I fall and hit my head? Who is this camo-wearing man sitting across from me in the robe? Did he just call me his ‘wife’? Are those children I see playing in a quiet, tree lined cul-desac I see out that front window? Who is this middle-aged married woman in my chair and what the BEEGEEZUS is that on my left ring finger? WTH? Once the fog cleared, I realized that XXL and I have created many awesome memories during this year of paper. We’ve traveled to more places, done more things and laughed more times than I could begin to count. I’d be lying, however, if I painted a paper trail full of nothing but unicorns,

rainbows and Facebook moments. Our first year together as man and wife has also had its share of life’s more fragile moments—it is the paper year after all.

We’ve had our share of disagreements, stubborn, bull-headed moments, and out and out fights—not of the War of the Roses variety, more like the Cold War. They say the first year of marriage is the hardest, and while I don’t have anything to compare it to, I would agree that it wasn’t always domestic bliss. Not only are you trying to do the Venus/Mars dance (challenging), but you are realizing that you better figure the dance out soon because you’ve got an eternity with this dude/ chick, and unless you’re a masochist, you probably don’t want to spend it arguing about how to load the dishwasher or the proper way to wipe crumbs off the counter (dry rag or wet sponge?). The real kicker is that being in a relationship—especially when you’re married—is a great way to draw attention to your own warts. When you’re single, you can either convince yourself that there’s something wrong with you or you can convince yourself that you’re perfect and everyone else is flawed. I’d say most of us veer towards the latter because we have to sleep at night…alone. Once you get hitched up, you have to own your stuff…not

only own it, but drag it out and put it on display for someone else to inspect and analyze on a daily basis. You test drive that notion a bit when you’re dating, but you’re so intoxicated by the new car smell that you don’t really notice anything else—which is a beautiful thing. Once married life sets in, you begin to realize that the car parked out front is yours—muffler noise, balding tires and all. Hopefully, like me, you took your time, kicked the tires a bit, and made an informed decision. You picked something suited for the long haul—something that doesn’t just look good sitting in the driveway. It’s got to be able to maneuver the curves, handle the rough terrain, and perform well under varying conditions. Sure it can be fun to drive, but it also has to be comfortable and safe. You’re going to be putting a lot of miles on that baby, and it can’t break down on you.

A long, beautiful journey awaits… you just have to make it past the paper trail.

SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE FROM PG 44

the mission and focus of the overall company and each project she worked on.

Her heart lines indicated her need for lots of down time and her preference for short and to the point communication, so we created a plan where she could feel more comfortable in her communication with her team and others. Instead of focusing on “business speak” she’s practicing “Nancy speak” and being more open on her vision and mission with her team.

This was just the beginning of

course, Nancy is using the tools in her hands to create a transition plan to work that honors her hard-wiring and uses her experience and certifications.

Nancy is also focusing on the best way to apply her gifts of leadership and innovation in her current workplace while she finds a new job that’s more in line with her life mission.

This is a perfect example of how your hands can begin to help you gain clarity and move forward into work that is satisfying and fulfilling for not only your bottom line but your heart line as well.

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.

As we worked through the markings on her hands in conjunction with her purpose and lesson we identified some of the ways that Nancy is bulldozing through the “grasshopper” path of her gifts and purpose rather than embracing the master path.

We discussed the requirements of her perfect job situation, one where she could feel effective as a leader by empowering her team to reach their highest and best and one where she was completely on board with Old Town Crier

September 2015 | 45

LABOR DAY L

abor Day in the United States is a holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It is a celebration of the American labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of their country.

had rallied to commemorate the Haymarket Affair in International Workers' Day. All U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the territories have made it a statutory holiday.

Celebrations

Striking American Railway Union members confront Illinois National Guard troops in Chicago during the Pullman Strike

Labor Day Parade, Union Square, New York, 1882

Labor Day was promoted by the Central Labor Union and the Knights of Labor, who organized the first parade in New York City. After the Haymarket Massacre, which occurred in Chicago on May 4, 1886, U.S. President Grover Cleveland feared that commemorating Labor Day on May 1 could become an opportunity to commemorate the affair. Thus, in 1887, it was established as an official holiday in September to support the Labor Day that the Knights favored.

in May 1882, after witnessing the annual labour festival held in Toronto, Canada. Oregon was the first state to make it a holiday on February 21, 1887. By the time it became a federal holiday in 1894, thirty states officially celebrated Labor Day. Following the deaths of a number of workers at the hands of the U.S. military and U.S. Marshals during the Pullman Strike, the United States Congress unanimously voted to approve rush legislation that made Labor Day a national holiday; President Grover Cleveland signed it into law a mere six days after the end of the strike. The September date originally chosen by the CLU of New York and observed by many of the nation’s trade unions for the previous several years was selected rather than the more widespread International Workers’ Day because Cleveland was concerned that observance of the latter would be associated with the nascent socialist and anarchist movements that, though distinct from one another,

This 1886 engraving was the most widely reproduced image of the Haymarket affair. It inaccurately shows Fielden speaking, the bomb exploding, and the rioting beginning simultaneously.

The equivalent holiday in Canada, Labour Day, is also celebrated on the first Monday of September. In many other countries (more than 80 worldwide), "Labour Day" is synonymous with, or linked with, International Workers' Day, which is observed on May 1.

History

In 1882, Matthew Maguire, a machinist, first proposed the holiday while serving as secretary of the CLU (Central Labor Union) of New York.

Others argue that it was first proposed by Peter J. McGuire of the American Federation of Labor

46 | September 2015

President Grover Cleveland

The form for the celebration of Labor Day was outlined in the first proposal of the holiday: A street parade to exhibit to the public “the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations,” followed by a festival for the workers and their families. This became the pattern for Labor Day celebrations. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the civil significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the Labor movement.

The holiday often marks the end of the traditional summer season (although summer doesn’t officially end until September 21), as students normally return to school the following week, although school year start days now vary.

On the Lighter Side

To take advantage of large numbers of potential customers free to shop, Labor Day has become an important sale weekend for many retailers in the United States.

Some retailers claim it is one of the largest sale dates of the year, second only to the Christmas season’s Black Friday.

Ironically, because of the importance of the sale weekend, some of those who are employed in the retail sector not only work on Labor Day, but work longer hours.

In high society, Labor Day is (or was) considered the last day of the year when it is fashionable to wear white or seersucker.

In U.S. sports, Labor Day marks the beginning of the NFL and college football seasons. NCAA teams usually play their first games the weekend of Labor Day, with the NFL traditionally playing their first game the Thursday following Labor Day. At Indianapolis Raceway Park, the National Hot Rod Association hold their finals to the U.S. Nationals drag race. Labor Day is the middle point between weeks one and two of the U.S. Open Tennis Championships held in Flushing Meadows, New York.

In the United States, many school districts resume classes around the Labor Day holiday weekend. Most begin the week before, making Labor Day weekend the first three-day weekend of the school calendar, while others return the Tuesday following Labor Day, allowing families one final getaway before the school year begins. source: wikipedia.com

Old Town Crier

W

Succotash!

e have been inundated with Succotash is going to feature a variety of inquiries about the opening of Chef Lee’s southern recipes. Some favorites Succotash here in the Harbor. on the menu include: Fried chicken — For those of you who haven’t both traditional and a dirty version glazed ventured to the Harbor lately or with sweet and spicy gochujang and to the southern end of Waterfront Street, honey sauce; fried green tomatoes served for that matter, the trio of Chef Edward with goat cheese, arugula, peaches, and Lee, Jason Berry and Michael Reginbogin buttermilk dressing; Weisenberger Mills are opening Succotash. Coming from such By Lani Gering skillet cornbread served with sorghum vibrant and metropolitan cities the likes of butter; Rappahannock oysters served with New York City, Los Angeles and Miami, these three a refreshing watermelon mignonette; smoked dry gentlemen bring expertise from the west coast, the rubbed chicken wings; baby back ribs; and shrimp n’ east coast and the south! grits, just to name a few.

Chef Lee is the Chef Edward Lee of “Iron Cocktails will be a big part of this place and I Chef,” “Top Chef ” and the Cooking Channel’s am told that they will be both contemporary and “Foodography” show fame. Any of you readers classic including: the Manhattan, the Old Fashioned, who are real foodies are probably familiar with the Whiskey Sour, etc.; but what will probably get Lee’s culinary style. He draws inspiration from a lot of attention is their golden, clear milk punch his Asian heritage, his New York training, and which is blended with old Forester Bourbon, Averna his embrace of the American South, coupled Amaro, Carpani Antica, Rhum Barbancourt, and with the best ingredients from local farms. clarified creole bitters. I am a pretty adventurous Jason Berry grew up in Los Angeles and has adult beverage consumer but I may have to think been in the restaurant business since he was about this one.

15 years old. He was the Regional Operations Initially, the restaurant will be open for dinner Director of Rosa Mexicano and helped grow only from 4 pm to 11 pm Sunday through Thursday the popular chain from three locations to 19. and until Midnight on Friday and Saturday. They We definitely like the Rosa that we have here in hope to offer breakfast and lunch in the near future the Harbor. beginning at 7 am on weekdays and weekends at 9:30 Michael Reginbogin has been working am. Happy Hour is slated to run Monday through in the restaurant industry in Miami for years and Friday from 4 pm to 7 pm. owns the popular restaurant Tongue & Cheek there.

We welcome another new eatery to the Harbor.

Michael also owns his own design company and is We really are getting to be a fine dining mecca and responsible for the design of Succotash. that is a good thing!

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September 2015 | 47

F FACEBO

national harbor SEPTEMBER EVENTS Visit www.NationalHarbor.com for more information and holiday itineraries.

Saturdays and Sundays Millers Farm Market On American Way

Live Music on the Plaza On the Plaza – Free!

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

10:00 am - 5:00 pm

4th The Fabulous Exaggerations 18th Raymi 25th Bad Influence

25th & 26th DAS BEST OKTOBERFEST On the Plateau Friday: 3:00 pm - 9:00 pm Saturday 12:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Military Concert Series On the Plaza – Free!

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm 11th U.S. Air Force Band with the Airmen of Note

Miller Farms offers a wide variety of local seasonal fruits and vegetables along with some imports: lemons, limes, pineapple; as well as baked goods and flowers. It's mum season–get yours here!

Fitness on the Potomac with WillPower Functional Fitness On the Plaza – Free!

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm 3rd Cardio Kickboxing 10th Zumba 24th Zumba

12th Air Force Heritage 13th U.S. Air Force Concert Band Band featuring the Singing Seargeants!

Movies on the Potomac On the Plaza – Free!

6:00 pm Celebrate the end of summer with a movie under the stars. Bring you chairs and grab food to go from one of the fun places on the plaza and meet in front of the jumbo screen. Fun for everyone. No coolers.

This is a free, fun and exciting event for the whole family no matter how big or how small. There will be a German and festival food for purchase: bratwurst, knockwurst, potato pancakes, pretzels, pickles and more. There will also be beer and schnapps stands along with German wine available. Be sure to wear your Lederhosen!

27th the color run 5K Carousel lot 9:00 am - 12:00 pm Known as the “happiest 5K on the planet,” this event is fun just to watch as runners get splashed with paint as they follow the race course throughout the Harbor. This is an untimed race with only two rules: show up dressed in white and be prepared to finish plastered with color! Followed by a Finish Line Festival this is a party not to be missed. Sign up for the race at thecolorrun.com!

NATIONAL HARBOR DINING GUIDE AC LOUNGE 156 Waterfront St. 301-749-2299 AROMA DITALI 156 National Plaza 301-839-3492 BOND 45 149 Waterfront Street 301-839-1445 CADILLAC RANCH 186 Fleet St. 301-839-1100 cadillacranchgroup.com ELEVATION BURGER 108 Waterfront Street 301-749-4014 FIORELLA PIZZERIA E CAFFE 152 National Plaza 301-839-1811 GRACES MANDARIN 188 Waterfront Street 301-839-3788 GRANITE CITY FOOD & BREWERY 200 American Way 240-493-3900

4th Disney’s The Kid ENCORE 6th Viewer’s Choice TBD 13th Matilda 23rd Back to the Future Part III 20th Monsters, Inc. 27th James and the Giant Peach

48 | September 2015

Harringtons Pub and Kitchen 177 Fleet Street 301-909-2505 harringtonspubandkitchen.com McCORMICK & SCHMICK 145 National Plaza 301-567-6224

McLOONES PIER HOUSE 141 National Harbor Plaza 301-839-0815 mcloonespierhousenh.com NATIONAL PAST TIME SPORTS BAR & GRILLE Gaylord Resort 301-965-4000 gaylordnational.com OLD HICKORY STEAKHOUSE Gaylord Resort 301-965-4000 gaylordnational.com PIENZA ITALIAN MARKET Gaylord Resort 301-965-4000 gaylordnational.com POTBELLY SANDWICH WORKS 146 National Plaza 301-686-1160 PUBLIC HOUSE 199 Fleet Street 240-493-6120 publichousenationalharbor.com REDSTONE AMERICAN GRILL 155 National Plaza 301-839-3330 ROSA MEXICANA 135 Waterfront Street 301-567-1005 SAUCIETY AMERICAN GRILL 171 Waterfront Street 240-766-3640 THAI PAVILLION 151 American Way 301-749-2022 Walrus Oyster & Ale House 152 Waterfront Street 301-567-6100

Old Town Crier

Blessing of the Fleet

Saturday & Sunday, Oct 3 & 4 St. Clement’s Island Museum Grounds and St. Clement’s Island, Maryland

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