Old Town Crier - October 2014 Issue

Since 1988–Priceless

October 2014

From the Bay to the Blue Ridge

Dining Out

LANDINI BROTHERS RESTAURANT Celebrating 35 Years of Excellence Business Profile

BEVERLY’S GIFTS & FLOWERS A Chesapeake Beach Gem Personality Profile

ROBERT F. ‘BOB’ CONDON Man About Town National Harbor

FALL IS IN THE AIR

October

IS VIRGINIA WINE MONTH

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Road Trip

A VIRGINIA WINE ADVENTURE

oldtowncrier.com

Landini’s

ZAGAT

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

AND THE PAST 15 YEARS

115 King Street Old Town Alexandria 703-836-8404

G -11 pm N I RK :30

PArday 5 T E AL atu

V y&S a

Frid

115 King Street Old Town Alexandria 703-836-8404 landinibrothers.com

Valet Parking Friday & Saturday 5-11 pm

Franco and Noe 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!

october14 14

A Division of Crier Media Group OTC Media LLC PO Box 320386 Alexandria, Va. 22320

36

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phone: 703. 836. 0132 office@oldtowncrier.com oldtowncrier.com Published the first week of every month.

Worth waiting for!

PUBLISHER Bob Tagert MARKETING & ADVERTISING Lani Gering Bob Tagert SOCIAL MEDIA & WEBSITE Laura Parker

A Bit of History After Hours

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Art & Antiques Electronic Ink Behind the Bar 9 Royal Street, SE Leesburg, Va. 20175 Chris Anderson Vincent Arrunategui Peggie Arvidson Sarah Becker Frank Britt Bonnie Browning F. Lennox Campello Steve Chaconas Doug Coleman Ashley Denham Busse Jaime Elliott Doug Fabbioli Nicole Flanagan Lani Gering

CONTRIBUTORS Elizabeth Jones Frances Killpatrick Miriam Kramer Genevieve LeFranc Laura Parker Julie Reardon Chester Simpson Bob Tagert Carl Trevisan Ryan Unverzagt Lori Welch Neil Williamson Molly Winans

Business Profile

8

First Blush

43

Pets of the Month

17

11

Fitness

40

Points on Pets

16

15

From the Bay…

22

Publishers Notes

28

From the Trainer

41

Road Trip

20

Gallery Beat

14

Single Space

45

5

2

Caribbean Connection

18

Go Fish

39

Spiritual Renaissance

44

Chefs Special

34

Grapevine

36

The Last Word

12

Civil Discourse

9

High Notes

10

To the Blue Ridge

24

Dining Guide

32

National Harbor

46

Urban Garden

13

Dining Out

30

On the Media

3

Virginia Wine Trails

38

Exploring Virginia Wines

35

On the Road

1

Personality Profile

4

Financial Focus

6

© 2014 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.

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About the cover On the road with OTC Chambourcin grapes hang ripe and ready for harvest at Dog and Oyster Vineyard in Irvington, Va. on the Northern Neck. Photo: Bob Tagert

Old Town Crier

Left to right: Marco Toro, Emerson Minor and Quinn Minor from Morgantown, WV enjoying the Old Town Crier on Ocracoke Island, NC. photo: © Chester Simpson 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.

October 2014 | 1

PUBLISHERS NOTES BOB TAGERT

The Lamplighter Our staff has 3 generations of experience to assist you in your lamp and lamp shade needs!

1207 King Street Old Town Alexandria 703.549.4040 www.lamplighterlamps.com Haircuts $15 Shampoo, Cut & Blow Dry $18 (extra charge for long hair) Scissors Cut $17+up

A Very Good Price!

Color $43+up Permanent $45+up (including haircut & conditioner)

Good Haircut!

Beautiful Perm!

Long Lasting Color!

Van’s Hairstylists 107 North Washington Street (near corner of King & Washington streets)

703-836-1916

Monday-Friday 9 am-7 pm • Saturday 9 am-6 pm We care and will give you only the best!

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

private yacht charter Cruise the waters of the Potomac River with its postcard views of the DC skyline.

Business entertainment, private parties, weddings, birthdays and anniversaries are our specialties.

We take the art of entertaining to a whole new level, no matter what the occasion.

You and your guests will remember the cruise for years to come. Quality service begins with custom planning to suit your needs.

potomac belle Docked in Old Town Alexandria

For reservations and additional information

703-868-5566 • potomacbelle.com “What a perfect evening you provided for my guests from out of town and out of the country. Your crew was helpful and professional, from working with my caterer to keeping safety uppermost.”

2 | October 2014

A

s a very pleasant September comes to a close we can begin to bring out the long pants and sweaters—Fall is in the air. This Fall may be quite unlike any before. We will be watching the Nationals in the post season for the second time in three years, with hopes they can make it to the World Series.

Our other favorite team in Baltimore also has a chance to make it to the World Series, and wouldn’t it be great to see the Nats and O’s battle it out for world champion. No matter what the outcome, the Maryland, Virginia, DC and Baltimore areas would come out winners. Worldwide attention would be concentrated here!

As the Civil War 150 years later continues, Doug Coleman takes us to Saltville in Smyth County, Va. Of critical importance, the salt marshes provided salt to cure and preserve meat. No salt, no meat—you lose the war! Doug also enlightens us to the “dead” who show up and participate in the reenactments. Happy Halloween!

While Lori Welch Brown was on her honeymoon, Bonnie Browning filled in in for Single Space.

See what Bonnie has to say about the “Love” boat. When Lori returns to writing her monthly column she will be armed with a lot more material as she begins to find out what “Double Space” will be like.

Happy anniversary to Landini Brothers Restaurant for 35 years of serving excellent food and drink. Check out Dining Out and see why this restaurant has become an Old Town institution.

October is also Virginia Wine Month and our Road Trip this month will give you some of the history of Virginia wines and a little about the wine trails that you can travel.

On yet another sad note, our friend Jim Parker passed away in September. Jim and his brother Fred founded Hard Times Café here in Old Town in 1980. When we had our first “Old Town Crier Cup” sailboat race in 1999, Jim was at the helm of one of the 33-foot Hunters and Jim had enlisted his date, Monica Disa, as crew. Soon after, they were married. Our condolences go out to brother Fred and the whole Hard Times family.

Get out there and enjoy the cool fall weather and take a drive to see the foliage that is all around —From the Bay to the Blue Ridge!

Local Farmers Markets

Old Town Farmers Market

Market Square • 301 King Street Saturday 5:30-11 a.m., 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 Alexandrias Market Square is thought to be one of the nations 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.

through October 30 Upper King Farmer’s Market

King Street Station Courtyard Thursdays 3-7 pm Located just steps from the King Street Metro in the courtyard next to Embassy Suites Hotel on Diagonal Road. The market will offer locally grown produce, meats, cheese, flowers and homemade sweets and bakery items. 30 minutes of free parking in the underground garage entering from 1755 Duke Street.

Old Town Crier

ON THE MEDIA LAURA PARKER

5 Marketing Challenges for Anyone Who Likes Setting (and Achieving) Goals

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5.

ow, more than ever, the fall months seem to be the opportune time for challenges. From the #ALSicebucket to the 30-Day fitness challenge, we seem to have become a society that gets a kick out of setting (and meeting) hard to reach goals. It is with this in mind, that I invite you to keep a few marketing challenges in mind.

1.

Keep your eyes on the prize, but don’t set an unattainable goal.

2.

Stick to your marketing calendar; it’s too easy to get side tracked and say, “I’ll get to it tomorrow.”

3.

Find a great mix of songs that are sure to jump-start your creativity.

DESTINATION DINING

Stick with those blog posts and keep them original!

You never know when your future customer is going to decide to read one of your posts; so make each post the best that it can be.

Enjoy Autumn’s Beautiful Colors in Paris, Virginia at the Ashby Inn & Restaurant

Excelling at the above challenges will help you to stay disciplined, create exceptional work, and improve your marketing capabilities.

But then again, I might be a bit biased as I start on my own 100-Day Writer Challenge and #100HappyDays. What can I say, a good challenge is the perfect way to keep me motivated as the beautiful fall foliage begins to beckon.

“A Taste of Spain” Wine Dinner • October 2, 2014 Fridays: Half Price Bottle of Wine Wine Tastings Wednesday-Sunday, 2-5 pm with Sommelier Stuart Brennon 692 Federal St • Paris, Virginia 540 592-3900 • ashbyinn.com

Laura Parker is a full-time freelance writer and marketing guru. For more marketing tips or to schedule a marketing advice session please contact her at laura@lauraparker.com; www. lauraparker.com

4.

Read, read, and read some more.

If you don’t open yourself up to new ways of thinking, then you will soon find that you have on ’creative blinders.’

Priceless

Since 1988–Priceless

October 2009 From the Bay to the Blue Ridge October is…

October 2012

From the Bay to the Blue Ridge

October

VIRGINIA WINE MONTH Personality Profile

FRANCO LANDINI

IS VIRGINIA WINE MONTH

n

Daytripping

FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA Spooky Fun

GHOST TOURS & HOWL-OWEEN PETS!

Grapevine

DEMOCRACY VINEYARDS Coming into Their Own

VOLA LAWSON

Alexandria’s Animal Advocate Road Trip

LE TASTEVIN

ELIZABETH FURNACE … and Beyond

Old Town Crier

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October 2014 | 3

Personality profile BOB TAGERT

B

ob Condon, man about town, and his wife Kathy, have been Old Town residents since 1997. They were pleased when they moved from the District to Old Town and count it as one of the smartest moves they ever made. Often seen at local restaurants and watering holes, Bob’s elegant dress and casual demeanor is a product of his rise from the streets of New York City.

Bob Condon Man About Town

Condon grew up in Long Island and attended high school in Brooklyn, N.Y. After graduating he enrolled in St. John’s University.

After graduating from the university, Bob enrolled in Georgetown University law school in 1958. Keep in mind that back in the 60s Georgetown University was a huge source for future restaurant and bar owners, as well as a built in source of customers. This would play out in the years to come.

By the time he graduated from law school, Bob was married and soon had children— 4 | October 2014

four to be exact—three girls and one boy. The family moved back home to New York so Bob could pursue a career in law. He was hired by the New York County District Attorney’s Office and went to work for then District Attorney, Frank (Mr. Integrity) S. Hogan. During his time in the New York County DA’s Office, Hogan conducted many high scale and widely publicized investigations. Corruption and racketeering were high on his list. Concerning itself with both innocence and guilt, street crime and high-profile cases, the Hogan administration molded a national reputation based on resourcefulness, objectivity and honesty and Bob was with him every step of the way.

“Those were the best five years of my life,” he tells me. “I learned how to practice law, how to look, act, and not draw attention to myself in a courtroom.” The reference to acting is not entirely out of context, as there is a strong resemblance to the characters of Frank Hogan and Jack McCoy on NBC’s long running Law and Order. And the road to Hollywood doesn’t end there.

“I knew Frank Serpico very well,” Bob tells me. “He wanted me to handle all of his cases.”

Serpico was assigned to the 81st precinct, PERSONALITY PROFILE > PAGE 7

Old Town Crier

business profile bob tagert

S

o what does an ambitious retailer do when the big boys come in and take over your store? Take what you can and open your own store—and that is just what Beverly Dillon did. Beverly ran the Chesapeake Pharmacy in Chesapeake Beach, Md. for 28 years. When the owners had a conflict with their landlord over a new lease, CVS moved in and took over. The new owners also eliminated some merchandise that “didn’t fit their model,” so Beverly moved the popular items to her new store this past June and Beverly’s Gifts and Flowers was born.

Via the Chesapeake Beach Railway, Chesapeake Beach was once the beach getaway for Washingtonians in the early 1900s. In the 1950s the Bay Bridge was built and Washingtonians could then travel to the Atlantic beaches. Even though a lot of business was lost, Chesapeake Beach and neighboring North Beach has never lost their appeal which brings us back to Beverly’s Gifts.

With the elimination of the products she had worked so hard to make available to her customers at the original location, Beverly decided to open her new store about three blocks from the pharmacy in the former Nationwide Insurance building. “In the four months we have been open, our business has been good,” Beverly tells me. “However,” she continues, “some of my former customers don’t even know that we are here.”

The store, which was once a single story house, carries gifts for all occasions and specializes in seasonal gifts and selections.

Beverly’s has a great display of Halloween gifts and spooky accessories as well as everything else, well … Halloween! Not to be overshadowed by the lure of the Halloween, October is Breast Cancer awareness month and Old Town Crier

Beverly will have a selection of gifts available for you and your loved ones.

You can find just about anything you might need in this jam packed store. From fresh cut flowers and helium balloons to jewelry, home décor, Crabtree and Evelyn products, Peppers line of crab salsas, hot sauces and Chesapeake Chocolates featuring chocolate crabs and bushel baskets of crabs in milk, dark and white chocolate. The store offers an extensive selection of Maryland and Chesapeake Bay souvenirs.

There is also a selection of Chesapeake Bay books including the popular Taste of the Beaches Cookbook. In the near future Beverly hopes to pick up the popular Alex & Ani jewelry line.

So where does she go from here? “My mission is to provide tourists as well as the community with a wide spectrum of value priced gift selections for all occasions. I would like to be known as the “goto place” when in search of a gift for someone or to treat yourself to something special while providing exceptional customer service.”

If you live in the area, stop by this unique store. If you visit our friends at North Beach make sure that you swing over to Chesapeake Beach and say hi to Beverly Dillon—you’ll be glad you did. Beverly’s Gifts and Flowers is open 7 days a week, Monday–Friday 9 am–6 pm; Saturday and Sunday 9 am–3 pm. Or visit her website: www.beverlysgiftsandflowers.com

Owner Beverly Dillon

Beverly’s Gifts & Flowers A Chesapeake Beach Gem

October 2014 | 5

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

Beyond 401(K)s and IRAs

O

Think tax efficiency in all your investment choices

btaining a high rate of return is what drives most investors, but managing investmentrelated tax obligations should be an equally compelling investment priority—especially for individuals in the highest income brackets. If you are interested in taking a more proactive approach to managing your tax burden, consider creating an investment plan that fully utilizes a range of tax-efficient strategies.

The Tax-Exempt Advantage

They may lack the flash and dazzle of stocks, but municipal bonds, or “munis,” have long been appreciated by high-net-worth investors seeking a haven from taxes and stock market volatility.1 Interest earned on municipal bonds is typically exempt from federal income taxes and may be exempt from state and local income taxes as well.2

Tax-Efficient Mutual Funds3

Some mutual funds are managed in ways that help reduce the tax impact on shareholders. These funds accomplish their goal by relying on a combination of tactics, such as minimizing portfolio turnover (the buying and selling of securities held within the fund), selling stocks at a loss to counterbalance gains elsewhere in the portfolio, and buying only those stocks that generate few dividends. Likewise, index funds often are considered to be more tax efficient than equity funds that adhere

to a more active management style.

Through their strategic mandate of buying and holding the securities held in a specific market benchmark, such as the S&P 500, index funds typically have low portfolio turnover rates.4

Shifting Income to Minors

Gifting assets to children via a Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA) account or a Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) account can help reduce your overall income tax exposure. Although tax laws governing these accounts differ by state, in general you can “gift” investments, cash, or other assets worth up to $14,000—or $28,000 for married couples—to a child, grandchild, or other minor beneficiary in 2014 without incurring a federal gift tax.5 Current tax rules state that the first $1,000 of a child’s investment income generally is tax-exempt, the next $1,000 of unearned income generally is taxed at the child’s tax rate, and unearned income over $2,000 generally is taxed at the parent’s tax rate if the child is under age 19 (or is a full-time student under age 24) at the end of the year.

Taxes and Foreign Investments

It is important to note that there may be special tax consequences associated with investing internationally.6 For instance, mutual funds that hold stock in foreign companies have unique tax implications. Both global and international funds may be required to withhold taxes on income distributed to foreign shareholders. In these

“

Municipal bonds have long been appreciated by high net worth investors seeking a haven from taxes and stock market volatility

circumstances, U.S. investors may be entitled to a tax credit for foreign taxes withheld that can be used to offset their U.S. federal income tax obligations.

No matter what your age or investment objective, keeping the tax implications of your investment decisions in mind should be an integral part of your lifelong investment plan.

Contact your financial professional before deciding on any tax-advantaged investment strategy.

This article offers only an outline; it is not a definitive guide to all possible consequences and implications of any specific tax strategy. For this reason, be sure to seek advice from knowledgeable tax and/or financial professionals.

Because of the possibility of human or mechanical error by S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications or its sources, neither S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications nor its sources guarantees the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or availability of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of such information. In no event shall S&P Capital IQ Financial

Communications be liable for any indirect, special or consequential damages in connection with subscribers or others use of the content. © 2014 S&P Capital IQ Financial Communications. 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. Tax-based 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 taxpayers 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.

1 Investing in stocks involves risks, including loss of principal. Municipal bonds are subject to availability and change in price. They are also subject to market and interest rate risk if sold prior to maturity. Bond values will decline as interest rates rise.

2 Interest income may be subject to the alternative minimum tax. Municipal bonds are federally tax free, but other state and local taxes may apply. Any capital gains are taxable for federal and, in some cases, state purposes.

3 Investing in mutual funds involve risk, including loss of principal. Mutual funds are offered and sold by prospectus only. You should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, expenses, and charges of the investment company before you invest. For more complete information about any mutual fund, including risks, charges, and expenses, please contact your financial professional to obtain a prospectus. The prospectus contains this and other information. Read it carefully before you invest.

4 Standard & Poor’s Composite Index of 500 Stocks is an unmanaged index that is generally considered representative of the U.S. stock market. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.

5 These amounts are adjusted for inflation periodically in $1,000 increments.

6 Foreign investments involve greater risks than U.S. investments, including political and economic risks and the risk of currency fluctuations, and may not be suitable for all investors.

6 | October 2014

Old Town Crier

Let’s Make Banking Fun for Everyone

Ted Johnson, Erik Dorn, Shannon Catlett, Charlie Collum, Pam De Candio and Kerry Donley

You know us. We know you. Our Old Town team brings a friendly, fun and helpful flair to your personal and business banking needs throughout Alexandria. Stop by our newest branch and let us show you why so many others have made John Marshall Bank their bank.

We make banking fun.

640 Franklin Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 703-289-5950 • JohnMarshallBank.com

Member

PERSONALITY PROFILE FROM PAGE 4

and then worked for the Bureau of Criminal Identification for two years. He was finally assigned to work plainclothes, where he uncovered widespread corruption in the police force. In 1973 the movie Serpico was made with Al Pacino playing the lead role. “It wasn’t like the movies, and these guys kept me busy,” Bob says. We dealt with drug addicts, murders and the bullets were real.”

Bob was also friends with Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso, the real detectives portrayed in the 1971 it movie The French Connection, for which Gene Hackman won an Academy Award portraying Eddie (Popeye) Egan.

Grosso and Egan, with other NYPD detectives, broke up an organized crime ring in 1961 and seized 112 pounds of heroin, a record amount at the time. “This kind of stuff went on all the time,” Bob tells me.

“Cops were bringing in heroin all of the time.”

“We had the largest jewel heist in history at the New York American Museum of Natural History.” Jack Roland Murphy or “Murph the Surf ” was a surfing champion from California who discovered that the security at the museum was pitiful at best. He unlocked a window during the day and he and two accomplices returned that night and strolled out with about eight million in jewelry including the “Star of India.” The heist was made into a film in 1975 titled Murph the Surf.

The excitement was one thing, but the low salary was another, so after about five years Bob pulled up stakes and, after several years learning to try civil cases with a life insurance company took a position in D.C. at the powerful law firm of Danzansky, Dickey, Tydings, et al in 1972. “I had my duties and Old Town Crier

things went well until 1981 when both my career at that law office ended and so did my marriage. D&D merged with a large law firm in New York, which was good for me, but those partners started arguing and eventually the whole thing fell apart in 1987. “Once again, I had to reinvent myself,” Bob quips. He practices now as Counsel to the Alexandriabased firm of Mitchell & Dunn, working with attorney Anne Mitchell on a variety of immigration-related matters.

While trying to find his niche, Bob met Kathy and in 1989 they were married and moved to Old Town in 1997.

Together they have started a new life and seem to be living it very well.

“Back in 1990 there were only about 45 wineries in Virginia,” Bob tells me, “and we decided to visit them all.” Well they made it to about 35 of those with about 25 new ones visited. His top three Virginia wineries are Sunset Hills, Linden and Tarara. They have joined many wine clubs and say they have never been disappointed.

Bob and Kathy also travel extensively with trips to the beach, Europe and beyond. “Kathy grew up in Minnesota and never saw the ocean until she was 19, so to this day we try and get away to the shore,” Bob says.

Oh yeah, the DC bar scene. Over the years Bob has grown to represent and become friends with many of the original bar owners in DC. He was a member of the “Lunch Bunch” which would gather at Fran O’Brien’s back in the day. If you are out and about in Old Town Alexandria and see Bob, our “Man About Town”, be sure to introduce yourself and tell him you read it here.

Old TOwn Shoe & luggage Repair • Serving Alexandria for over 17 years • Shoe & Luggage Repair • New Luggage

824 King Street Old Town Alexandria, Virginia 703.299.0655 Mon-Fri 7:30 am-7 pm • Sat 9 am-5 pm October 2014 | 7

a bit of history sarah becker

The Diffusion of Knowledge

I

n 1824 utopian secularist Robert Owen departed Scotland to meet Virginia’s Presidential dynasty; the Marquis de Lafayette arrived from France to begin his triumphal tour, and Congress passed the Tariff Act. Indiana passed a progressive Fugitive Slave law; English chemist and mineralogist James Smithson published on fluorine, and the U.S. House of Representatives elected John Quincy Adams President. John Quincy Adams, who defeated Andrew Jackson, would later meet social reformer Robert Owen in The White House.

Frances “Fanny” Wright, the Marquis’ Scottish traveling companion, responded well to introductions, especially her introduction to former Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Like the Marquis, Wright abhorred slavery. Unlike Lafayette, she promoted “A Plan for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery in the United States without Danger or Loss to the Citizens of the South.”

“The magnitude of this evil…is so deeply felt…that no merit could be greater than that of devising a satisfactory remedy for it,” Montpelier’s James Madison wrote of Wright’s Plan. “Unfortunately the task…is vastly augmented by the physical peculiarities of those held in bondage, which preclude their incorporation with the white population; and by the blank in the general field of labour to be occasioned by their exile; a blank into which there would not be an influx of white labourers, successively taking the place of the exiles, and which, without such an influx, would have an effect distressing in prospect to the proprietors of the soil.”

“The remedy for the evil which you have planned is certainly recommended,” Madison concluded, 8 | October 2014

“in that ’experimental establishments’ contemplate the removal of those emancipated, either to a foreign or distant region….” Like Fanny Wright James Madison favored the experiment farm, preferably colonization.

When Lafayette’s American tour ended in 1825, Wright remained.

She found a home in Robert Owen’s New Harmony, Indiana; a communal or “United labors” experiment.

Owen’s work experiment fizzled, but neither Wright nor colleague Robert Dale Owen, Robert Owen’s son, gave up on social reform. They temporarily moved to New York and philosophized: in the Free Enquirer expounding on emancipation, public education and republican government.

In Indiana partner William Maclure’s educational and scientific “firsts” continued. New Harmony for example became “the first headquarters” of the U.S. Geological Survey, from 1839 until 1856.

Maclure, who arrived in 1826, was a teacher and founder of New Harmony’s Workingmen’s Institute; the father of American geology and the man for whom Yosemite National Park’s Maclure Glacier was named.

R.D. Owen returned to New Harmony in 1832 and in 1842 was elected, as a Democrat, to the U.S. House of Representatives. He served successfully until March 3, 1847. The Smithsonian Institution is but one of Congressman Owen’s successes.

In 1829 James Smithson, a “liberal and enlightened donor,” died. In his will he bequeathed “the whole of ” his property “to the United States of America, to found at Washington, under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase & diffusion of knowledge among men.” Great Britain informed President Andrew Jackson of the gift in 1835.

Once advised, a grateful Congress responded. U.S. Representative, former President John Quincy Adams [NR-MA] chaired a select House

Committee which recommended acceptance. Smithson’s bequest, received in 1838, equaled 100,000 gold sovereigns or more than $500,000, approximately 1/66 of the country’s federal budget.

South Carolina Senator John C. Calhoun objected to the inflow. He felt Smithson’s endowment, the lack of legislative “limitations and restrictions” violated states’ rights.

A nullifier, the regional pressures were many. Banks were failing, but the South’s investment in slavery determinedly continued.

“Mr. C. was not friendly to the Smithsonian Institution but was very friendly to me personally,” Joseph Henry, the first Smithsonian Secretary later wrote. “He thought the money should not have been accepted. I made several appointments to discuss with him the subject of the Institution but we always got on some other subject.”

After years of contentious debate U.S. Representative Robert Dale Owen let his legacy speak. Educated in natural science and medicine, Owen introduced the hand-written Act which established the Smithsonian Institution. President James K. Polk signed the law on the day it passed, August 10, 1846. Owen was then appointed to the founding Board of Regents.

The Act [9 Stat. 102] specified a Chancellor, Board of Regents and Secretary; “a suitable building of plain and durable materials and structure, without the necessary ornament, and of sufficient size, and with suitable rooms and halls, for the reception and arrangement, upon a liberal scale, of objects of natural history, including a geological and mineralogical cabinet; also a chemical laboratory, a library, a gallery of art and the necessary lecture rooms.”

It “further enacted that…all objects of art and of foreign and curious A BIT OF HISTORY > PAGE 42

Old Town Crier

civil DISCOURSE DOUG COLEMAN

October, 1864: Haunted Saltville

S

altville—the name says it all—there is salt there.

Set near the North Fork of the Holston River in a beautiful valley a few miles off Interstate 81 in Smyth County, there are salt marshes in the middle of town. Salt has given the valley incredibly rich layers of paleontology, archeology and history. Mastodons left their bones in the salt licks. Pre-Clovis mastodon hunters were there 14,500 years ago. Mississippian Indians built a town on the spot to exploit the local riches. This Indian town, located on the present site of Northwood High School, prospered until 1567, when its chief sent a threat to the commander of a Spanish fort in North Carolina that he was going to eat the Spaniard and his dog. The Conquistadors responded by burning the town and killing 1,000 of the inhabitants. This was 20 years before the Lost Colony at Roanoke was “lost” and 40 years before Jamestown, reminding us that Virginia history does not start with John Smith and Pocahontas.

The locals fared a bit better in October of 1864 when Yankees came to burn the salt works. In 1864, Saltville was a town of critical importance to the Confederacy as the blockade and Yankee incursions cut off alternative sources of salt. In an age before refrigeration, salt was essential to the preservation of meat.

No salt … no meat … you lose the war. Additionally, lead mines in the area were important to the war effort.

The Confederacy fully appreciated the strategic importance of the little town and had crowned the surrounding hills with forts, batteries and breastworks, garrisoned by a few hundred Home Guard reserves. Traces of many of these earthworks still exist today.

So, in October of 1864, as Sheridan and Custer are busy burning the Shenandoah Valley, Yankee General Stephen Burbridge launches a raid from eastern Tennessee, while General Old Town Crier

Alvan Gillem comes up from the southeast. The converging Yankee forces number about 8,000, while the defenders are barely 1,000. A few hundred Confederates under General Henry Giltner slow the Yankees at Clinch Mountain, but by October 2 Federal troops are on the outskirts of Saltville. Fortunately 2,500 Confederate cavalry arrive as the Home Guard mans the trenches and farmhouses on the ridges overlooking the ford on the Holston.

On the morning of October 2, The Yankees come on in three columns, encountering Confederate pickets.

Trimble attacks the oncoming columns, then falls back slowly to a line along the Holston. Midmorning, the Yankee columns assault Saunders’ hill on the Confederate right, where Confederate reserves are barricaded in the farmhouse. The reserves fight well until they are surrounded. Then they panic and retreat down the hill towards Chestnut Ridge; the slope is afterwards littered with greybeards and teenage boys of the Home Guard.

The Yankees are halted on Chestnut Ridge and fall back down the slope.

The three Yankee columns now try to ford the Holston for an uphill assault on Trimble’s men entrenched near Elizabeth Chapel and hunkered down among the tombstones of the Elizabeth Cemetery. There is fierce fighting for about thirty minutes; the Yankees are turned back, but Colonel Trimble is killed. In the center, the Yankees are thwarted by Confederates on high cliffs above the Holston. They attempt to ford where the modern bridge is; well-sited trenches on the facing slope rain lead onto the ford, while a battery above and behind these trenches hammers them with shell and case. This assault fizzles as well and the fighting trails off around 5:00 p.m.

That night Burbridge disengages and in the dark of October 3rd heads for Kentucky. His losses are 329 killed, wounded and missing. Confederate losses are probably fewer than 100.

The salt works are untouched.

Unfortunately, Burbridge leaves behind him on the field and in a field hospital at Emory and Henry College a number of wounded. Even more unfortunately, many of these wounded are black troopers from the Fifth and Sixth Colored Cavalry. As we know from Fort Pillow and the Crater, the not-quite-official Confederate policy on Colored troops by 1864 was “no quarter.” And so it was at Saltville – while there is argument as to the extent of atrocities, there is little doubt Federal soldiers, predominately black troopers of the Fifth Colored Cavalry, were murdered after surrendering or being rendered hors de combat by wounds.

Confederate surgeon George Mosgrove claims that on October 3, three armed Confederates entered his field hospital and shot five Colored troopers in their beds. Confederate Captain Guerrant noted the sound of gunfire on the battlefield, which he interpreted as the execution of the Colored wounded, stating that no Negroes were spared. No one knows how many were executed versus killed in combat, but it is certain that some, perhaps forty, were in fact murdered.

One Richmond newspaper reported without condemnation that 155 Colored troopers had been killed

and that the Confederates took no prisoners, conveying the sentiment that this was a good thing. There is a story that the massacred were concealed in a sinkhole. Local relic hunters have discovered a sinkhole littered with homemade lead buttons, as if a body of ill-equipped troops had swapped clothes with better-dressed Yankees and left their own tattered duds behind. Is this sinkhole a mass grave?

Mosgrove’s complaints were ignored. Though the reports of atrocities disgusted Lee, the Confederacy convened no courts of inquiry. However, a local partisan, Champ Ferguson, became one of two Confederates to hang for war crimes (the other was Henry Wirz, commandant at Andersonville).

Ferguson was undoubtedly a mean hombre – he readily admitted to having killed over 100 men, some of whom he decapitated. Post-war, he was tried for 53 of those killings. This included a Lieutenant Smith who had once humiliated Ferguson’s wife by undressing her in public; Ferguson put a bullet in his head on October 8 as he begged for his life from a hospital bed.

Ferguson was found guilty and his neck broke on a Federal gallows just a year after the battle.

CIVIL DISCOURSE > PAGE 42

October 2014 | 9

HIGH NOTES CHRIS ANDERSON

U2

U2:Songs of Innocence

seems to have been in a rut lately, scrapping a follow-up to 2009’s No Line On The Horizon, titled Songs Of Ascent, and spending the next five years trying to figure out how to remain relevant, an exercise in self-doubt that frustrated fans who felt that incessant tinkering would spoil the finished product. Enlisting producer Danger Mouse (wise choice), U2 cracked the code and, in a revolutionary move, struck a deal with Apple to rush-release the album to everyone with an iTunes account, for free.

It was the greatest gift U2’s fans ever received.

It’s no secret that U2 is very prolific behind the scenes—hundreds of songs exist that no one’s ever heard—but they’re always careful about what they release. Sometimes what gets released gets blown so far out of proportion that it cheapens the music. This time,

10 | October 2014

however, they let the music speak for itself.

And it speaks volumes.

In January, U2 released a single called “Invisible” and they did make a big deal, premiering it during the Super Bowl and performing it on the Tonight Show. They claimed it wasn’t the first single but rather a “sneak preview” of what was to come.

Then things got quiet.

But, lo and behold, on 9/9/14, Songs Of Innocence materialized and blew the world away once again. “Invisible” was nowhere among the album’s eleven songs, but what is there is even better.

While Bono claims this is no concept album, it really is. Reportedly the first part of a two-album cycle (Songs Of Experience is apparently on the way) these songs deal with the band’s, and specifically Bono’s, early days in Dublin. Their first encounters

with the Ramones and the Clash, first loves and losses, and also the social issues of the times. They wanted to get back to what made them want to be a band. And they did. But, after looking back almost 40 years for inspiration, they made a giant leap into the future and created one of their best and most honest pieces of work.

Kicking off with “The Miracle (of joey ramone)”, sonic-boom vocal chants and superfuzz guitar set the tone. Describing his first experience with the Ramones, Bono claims that he “woke up” when he heard “the most beautiful sound” he ever heard. It taught him how to write and sing and do it with all the feeling he is known for. While it sounds nothing like the Ramones, it’s still one of the most fitting tributes I’ve heard.

HIGH NOTES > PAGE 11

Old Town Crier

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HIGH NOTES FROM PG 10

“Every Breaking Wave” was originally slated for that scrapped album and was even performed live. A classic, U2 mid-tempo number, this is one of the best things I’ve heard from them in long time. If they were wise, this would be the next single.

“California (there is no end to love)” is an ode to the band’s first appearance in its namesake state and has some of the most solid music of any song on this album. The chorus is huge and instantly classic but some of the verse lyrics seem a bit clunky.

“Song For Someone” recounts Bono meeting his sweetheart Ali when he was 13 (they are still married) and is a very sweet song, with some beautiful acoustic guitars and emotive vocals. A perfect slow-dance number.

“Iris (hold me close)” deals with the death of Bono’s mother, who passed away at her own father’s funeral when Bono was 14, and is a really beautiful tribute with some clever production flourishes. That said, it’s probably my least favorite song here.

Things get back on track with “Volcano”, one of the quirkiest songs here, a rocker with a really cool chorus that reminds me of the material they did in the late 70s, before they had a record deal. They hit hard and Adam Clayton plays some of the most aggressive bass of his career. Like I said, they went back to the source and it works.

Easily the best song here, and one of their best ever, is “Raised By Wolves”. Buoyed by a killer groove and one of the best choruses of their career, this deals with a bombing in Dublin in the mid-70s, and includes imagery of the drug issues that plagued the city. The only Old Town Crier

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issue I have that is the ending, which recalls “Endless Deep”, should have led to another verse. This song should have been longer.

The Edge brings back the brutal fuzz-guitar riffs for “Cedarwood Road”, written about the street where Bono grew up and the friends he had there. This is about as heavy as U2 gets and this song is going to be a monster onstage.

“Sleep Like A Baby Tonight” is a dark groove that could have been on 1997’s Pop, but is so much better. That’s one thing about this album – the production is very thick and very involved and is what the band seemed to be going for on Pop, without getting there. This gets there.

Paying tribute to The Clash, “This Is Where You Can Reach Me Now” gets martial, singing to the “soldiers” of rock & roll and how they were happy to sign up. Like their experiences with the Ramones, when U2 saw the Clash, that’s what gave them purpose and it is nice to hear them repay the favor with this excellent track.

Last up is “The Troubles”, featuring Lykke Li on vocals, that continues U2’s trend of closing out albums with slow, moody, reflective songs (“Shadows and Tall Trees”, “40”, “Love Is Blindness”, “Wake Up Dead Man”). A beautiful way to end a most impressive record.

This will be available for free until it gets a physical release in mid-October (which will feature a couple of extra tracks that I can’t wait to hear) and is well worth the listen.

Like The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby, it’s a masterpiece.

Let’s just hope they get the next album out before they get too wrapped up in themselves again. I must hear more from these sessions.

October 2014 | 11

THE LAST WORD MIRIAM R. KRAMER

The Warmth of Other Suns

I

Meet Me At The Bar–I’m Hungry

nds in the bars of e feelings of being to activate social

rgetown University ington Mystics and Verizon Center

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John Laytham, Restaurant Group

Meet Me At the BAr

inually trying to loon at Clyde’s. e good food and ble to all. It is a continues today. many “bar star” ays, Mike Soper saloon kitchens. tic sophistication legion of loyal k tells the whole

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MIke Soper

ooking in the wrong DC bars. He spins ves on to the lesser hadwicks, Nathan’s, y of them southern neo-Italian(Chicken condiments: hot dog z.”

Longtime DC and Old Town chef, Mike Soper, debuts his new cookbook, “Meet Me At The Bar–I’m Hungry,” with a book signing at King Street Blues on North St. Asaph Street in Old Town Alexandria, 3–6 pm, October 2.

According to Soper, “This cookbook-memoir draws on stories and recipes mined from a restaurant career spanning more than four decades. The tales celebrate the Golden Saloon Era of Georgetown, when a position in one of the area’s establishments provided the employee preferred social status and an enviable lifestyle. 1970’s Georgetown introduced him to the lifelong pursuit of dining astride the barstools in top area establishments. The recipes are a result of many years of cooking in hectic restaurant kitchens alongside terrific coworkers–the stories are a bonus. The book proceeds like a great menu, starting with appetizers and ending with some of his signature dishes we haven’t seen anywhere. This book isn’t meant to teach the reader how to cook but rather offer a variety of appealing recipes requiring different skill levels. The hope is the stories will inspire readers to expand their cooking repertoire at home and encourage them to find a great bar for their next meal away from home.”

For a listing of all book signing events in the area and to order your copy, log on to MeetMeAtTheBarImHungry.com.

y four decades after I emember his zucchini $00.00 U.S.

12 | October 2014

am a naturally eclectic reader.

How fun it is to browse: to go on vacation in a rented house and randomly pick out a book from the ever-changing bookcase in the living room, or find an unexpected steal in the books on discount trolleys outside a used bookstore. Lately I have been looking for amusement or lightheartedness, however, and the “serious” books just sit there.

I know I should get to them, but somehow they don’t make it into my hands.

On a recent weekend, I traveled a different route and picked out The Warmth of Other Suns

by Isabel Wilkerson, which won the National Book Critic’s Circle Award for Nonfiction in 2010. It had sat on my bookshelf for some time.

I started it early one Saturday, and finished it one day later without sleep. It may be the best and most absorbing book I will read this year.

It is certainly one of the best histories I have ever read.

Wilkerson is a former Chicago bureau chief for The New York Times—in 1994 the first black woman to win a Pulitzer Prize and the first African American to win for individual reporting. The child of migrants, she started doing research in the 1990s on an underreported subject, the Great Migration of African Americans from the South to northern or western cities from about 1915 to 1970. Over time she interviewed thousands of subjects who had either escaped from the difficulties of the Jim Crow South or had descended from those who did. This astounding work is the tiny tip of a colossal iceberg of research: time spent criss-crossing the country and talking to social groups, church members, members of senior centers, the children and grandchildren of African-American migrants. In the process she examines the interwoven ideas and movements that have created the America we live in today, along with some of our most distinctly American forms of artistic expression.

Isabel Wilkerson’s exceptional journalistic abilities combined with her exhaustive research make The Great Migration such a vivid and truthful historical work. Many respected academics write poorly despite their knowledge. They can drain exciting stories until they are Sahara dry. Instead, Wilkerson makes this history book about millions of people and their travels through the twentieth

century to a new American life deeply personal by focusing on the biographies of three select subjects. One, a sharecropper named Ida Mae Brandon Gladney, leaves a tiny town in Mississippi to travel with her husband to the dizzyingly large city of Chicago in 1937. In 1945, George Swanson Starling, an independent-minded citrus picker and one-time college attendee escapes Wildwood, Florida, to head to an unknown future in Harlem and away from a potential lynching. A flashy, aspirational doctor and military vet named Robert Joseph Pershing Foster departs his Monroe, Louisiana country roots and marital connections to Atlanta’s notable academic black community in 1953.

Like many Americans before him, he points his car towards California and ultimately Los Angeles, a place where he hopes to find the gold in Tinsel Town: an America that will let him exercise his exceptional abilities and oversized personality.

As Wilkerson tells these three individual stories, one of which lasts through the 2000s, she intersperses other oral histories: people who made similar courageous journeys to other northern towns, people who could no longer accept their dangerous and straitened circumstances as second-class citizens in poor southern counties where the so-called War of Northern Aggression had changed few of their civil rights. Also, she draws conclusions about the Great Migration’s trends and effects, such as discussing the way urban descendants of those migrants, like children of immigrants, were culturally somewhat distant from their transplanted country-bred parents. Many of the great twentieth-century African-American writers, artists, musicians, and dancers bloomed in soil far from the rows hoed by their slave ancestors.

Rarely do you find a history book so hard to put aside. I relished every succinct, diamondcut sentence. This work feels completely genuine as Wilkerson discusses the difficulties experienced when migrants arrived in their “Promised Lands.” Its veracity makes it deeply moving—there are no ploys for sentiment, no music swelling up in certain places to tell you how to feel. Instead, I entered the text and lived within it, experiencing its pain, pride, humility, work ethic, and beauty as it became part of my own American sense of history.

Old Town Crier

THE URBAN GARDEN leonard perry

A garden of

ghoulish delights!

Monkshood

h

alloween, with its make-believe ghosts, goblins, and witches, comes but once a year. But you can keep the spirit of Halloween alive by choosing plants for a summer theme garden that conjure up thoughts of this spooky day.

Granted, it’s too late in the year to actually plant the garden, and most of the plants wouldn’t survive fall frosts and still be around for Halloween. But that shouldn’t stop you from planning for next year now, especially as the seed catalogs will soon be arriving in your mailbox.

Chances are you may already have plants in your garden with ghoulish connections. While we all know that the broomstick-riding witches associated with Halloween don’t really exist, folklore tells us that once upon a time anyone who was a bit different risked being called a “witch” or being accused of having special powers. Sometimes a woman was declared a “witch,” simply because of the plants she grew in her garden, plants thought to be used for casting spells.

Do you have witches’ thimbles, devil’s nettle, fool’s parsley, or wolf ’s bane in your garden? If you do, and this was several centuries ago, the talk around town Old Town Crier

might be that you are a “witch.”

Don’t recognize any of those names? How about these instead?

Witches’ thimbles is another name for foxglove, a biennial with tall spikes of large, bellshaped white, pink, purple, or red flowers. It’s a source of digitalis, a heart medicine.

Devil’s nettle or yarrow was once used as a poultice for wounds. This plant comes in a variety of colors and grows to heights of two to four feet.

Fool’s parsley is a hemlock herb, not to be confused with the tree although just as deadly.

Wolf ’s bane, or aconite, has small yellow flowers. In the 1500s it was mixed with English yew, powdered glass, arsenic, and a number of other deadly ingredients to make pills. A word of caution.

If you plant any of these poisonous plants, be sure to keep curious kids and pets away.

According to folklore, other plants that “witches” grew in their gardens include cumin and verbena (both for love potions), opium poppies (sleep potions), and morning glories (wicked spells).

“Witches” also mixed monkshood, which has spiky purple blooms, with cinquefoil, belladonna, water parsnips, and ashes to make a strong potion that allowed them to talk to spirits “on the other side.” An ointment of monkshood and belladonna supposedly made objects fly.

These folklore witches also made sure they planted flowers from every birth sign, so they would have the ingredients needed to cast spells on everyone.

Chrysanthemums, heather, and thorns were needed for power over a Scorpio. Someone born under the sign of Aquarius could be “hexed” with potions using foxglove and snowdrops.

For your witches’ theme garden, you also need to

plant three or four rows of red flowers—nasturtiums, geraniums, zinnias, vinca, and monarda, for instance--around the edges of the garden to keep “witch hunters” away.

To keep “witches” out, border your garden with yellow and green flowers and foliage. Plant marigolds, rudbeckia, sunflowers, green zinnias, and Bells of Ireland, for example. These colors remind “witches” of the sun (which they supposedly hate), so they will keep their distance.

Another way to create a Halloween theme garden is to plant only orange and black flowers. While some gardeners may argue that there are few true black flowers, many near-black flowers are available, especially in the iris and tulip families. There are also some pretty black pansies that will last into fall and maybe even to Halloween. Grow these with an orange variety called “Jolly Joker.”

You can find deep maroon (almost black) varieties of bachelor’s buttons, snapdragons, cosmos, sunflowers, and gladioli. Check seed catalogs and ask the experts at your garden center for other varieties.

For orange, it’s easier. Many common flowers like zinnias, marigolds, daylilies, and cosmos all come in orange. You also might try butterfly weed, orange nasturtiums, and oriental poppies.

Or instead, how about plants with creepy names like bloodroot, bleeding heart, Dragon’s blood sedum, or blood lily for your theme garden? Or scary names like snapdragon and devil’s tongue (also known as the voodoo lily)?

Add a few stone gargoyles or folk art, such as that found at craft shows, like pumpkin clay pots (for candles) or pumpkin and Halloween character silhouettes carved out of wood. Or how about some orange and ghostly green lighting for the garden?

With a Halloween theme garden, you can enjoy this October holiday for many months of the year!

October 2014 | 13

GALLERY BEAT F. LENNOX CAMPELLO

sandra

ramos

Top: “Narcissus,” 2012.

Engraving, etching, aquatint on paper. 19×39 inches (50 cm x 100 cm) Bottom: “Defying Electra,” 2014. Charcoal, acrylic painting on canvas print.

39×100 inches (97×254 cm)

14 | October 2014

Cuban artist Sandra Ramos, considered by many to be the leading Cuban visual artist of her generation, has been working feverishly for the last year to finish a series of new works which are now showcased in a show titled “Bridging the Past, Present and Future:

Recent Works by Sandra Ramos” at The Katzen Museum at American University in Washington, DC. Curated by Diane Camber, this exhibition “is comprised of prints, video, collage, and installations created by Cuban artist Sandra

Ramos. This artist reflects on the conflicting experiences of living in her beloved homeland with all of its many challenges. Her work often takes a narrative form in which she depicts herself as a childGALLERY BEAT > PAGE 17

Old Town Crier

WE’RE CELEBRATING 20 YEARS IN ALEXANDRIA

And you’re invited to the party!

Your consistent and loyal support of fair trade has made our success possible, so please join us on Friday, October 17 as we celebrate with a fair trade wine tasting and international cuisine from many of the countries represented in our store.

Festivities begin at 6 pm door prizes | coupons | silent auction & more!

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Old Town Crier

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Frida Kahlo

by F. Lennox Campello, circa 1981 limited edition of 10 signed and numbered etchings, 8 x 6.5” available from Alida Anderson Art Projects, LLC Washington, DC e: info@alidaanderson.com p: 301.437.1054

feast your eyes. feed your soul.

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visit a museum.

October 2014 | 15

POINTS ON PETS ASHLEY DENHAM BUSSE

King Street Cats Adoption Calendar OCTOBER 2014 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 Every 2nd & 4th Tuesday 6–8 pm, June–September Pro Feed Bradlee Shopping Center 3690 King Street Alexandria, VA 22302 Every Saturday & Sunday 1–4 pm PETCO UNLEASHED AT PENTAGON ROW 1101 S. Joyce Street Arlington, VA 22202 Saturday, October 4 Saturday, October 18 Sunday, October 19 1–4 pm DOGMA 2772 S. Arlington Mill Drive Arlington, VA 22206 Sunday, October 12 1–4 pm Petsmart Willston Shopping Center 6100 Arlington Blvd Falls Church, VA 22044 Sunday, October 26 1–4 pm

If It’s Not Safe for Us, It’s Not Safe for Them

T

he snow is coming …

We all remember the sad stories of displaced, lost, and homeless pets from Hurricane Katrina. The depressing fact is that this kind of thing happens all too often— folks neglect to plan for their pets in case of disaster or emergency, they find out the shelter to which they’re headed doesn’t allow pets, they lock their pets up at home and hope for the best, and then pets get lost, injured, or even killed.

Even as we head out of hurricane season, we head into that jolly season of potentially destructive snowstorms! (Remember all those snow days last winter?) The responsible thing to do is to simply have a plan. What does that mean and how does one do it? Read on…

1. Know your options. In the event of a weather emergency such as a hurricane or snowstorm power outage, you’ll need to take your pets somewhere safe, since many Red Cross shelters don’t accept pets. Ask your vet what she recommends; find out if your local shelter offers foster or emergency boarding. Make arrangements with friends and family nearby or along your evacuation route, or get information about pet-friendly hotels along the way.

2. Make sure your pet is always wearing a collar with ID tag, and has a microchip implanted with your most current information on file. That way if you get separated, officials can get in touch with you.

3. If you evacuate, do so early so you don’t get stuck on the road without fuel or a place to stay. The sooner you leave, the less stressful it is on your pets, too (think high winds, sirens, storms, dangerous roads, stressed humans, etc).

Make sure you have everything on this Basic Disaster Kit list provided by the Humane Society USA: • Food and water for at least five days for each pet, bowls and a manual can opener if you are packing canned pet food. People need at least one gallon of water per person per day. While

16 | October 2014

your pet may not need that much, keep an extra gallon on hand to use if your pet has been exposed to chemicals or flood waters and needs to be rinsed.

• Medications and medical records stored in a waterproof container and a first-aid kit. A pet first-aid book is also a good idea.

• Cat litter box, litter, litter scoop and garbage bags to collect all your pets’ waste.

• Sturdy leashes, harnesses and carriers to transport pets safely and to ensure that your pets can’t escape. Carriers should be large enough to allow your pet to stand comfortably, turn around and lie down. (Your pet may have to stay in the carrier for hours at a time.)

Be sure to have a secure cage with no loose objects inside it to accommodate smaller pets—who may also need blankets or towels for bedding and warmth as well as special items, depending on their species.

• Current photos of you with your pets and descriptions of your pets to help others identify them in case you and your pets become separated—and to prove that they are yours once you’re reunited.

• Written information about your pets’ feeding schedules, medical conditions and behavior issues along with the

name and number of your veterinarian in case you have to board your pets or place them in foster care.

• Also recommended: newspapers, paper towels, plastic trash bags, bleach, and grooming supplies.

4. Whether you stay home or evacuate, keep your pets close by you as well as your supplies.

5. If you end up in a new place, remember to be especially patient and loving with your pet, as he will probably feel nervous and insecure, at least at first. Also, make sure to be extra vigilant so he doesn’t wander off or get lost.

There are other times, too, you’ll want to have care for your pets in place in advance. For example, what happens if you for some reason can’t get home to your pet? Whom do you call? Do they have keys to your home and does your pet feel comfortable with them? Do they know how to feed and care for your pets?

Another situation would be in extreme weather where you’re still at home. For example, in a snowstorm with power outages, if you’re too cold, so are your pets. It’s not safe to leave them in an unheated house. Same goes for heat waves, and the same precautions you take with humans need to be taken for POINTS ON PETS > PAGE 17

Old Town Crier

GALLERY BEAT FROM PAGE 14

POINTS ON PETS FROM PAGE 16

like explorer or modern day Alice in Wonderland.

Ramos’ prints and mixed media works feature exquisite craftsmanship and use of color and naiveté, tempered by wit and irony. This exhibition reflects the mordant wit for which Cubans are famous, as well as a kind of nostalgia and exuberance particular to the The depressing fact is that this kind of artist.”

Ramos, who currently thing happens all too often—folks neglect resides in the US, having to plan for their pets in case of disaster finally had enough of Castro’s Workers Paradise, had or emergency; they find out the shelter previously visited the US to which they’re headed doesn’t allow many times, both for previous shows in other American pets; they lock their pets up at home and cities as well as for museum hope for the best; and then pets get lost, art conferences (as invited speaker). Additionally, since injured, or even killed. her work is in the permanent collection of many prestigious American museums, such as The Museum of Modern to the presence of pets in your Ashley Denham Busse Art (MOMA) in New York home. Make sure to indicate has worked part-time for and the Museum of Fine what type and how many Doggywalker.com since Arts (MFA) in Boston, it is pets there are, and leave the 2006. Doggywalker.com refreshing to see the Katzen number of your vet. If you is a professional pet-sitting bring such an important artist evacuate with your pets and company located in Old Town to the DMV. have time, write “evacuated” Alexandria, celebrating more Her work, which often on the sticker so that workers than 13 years of providing daily delivers visceral commentaries will know not to search for walks and customized in-home dealing with taboo issues your pets inside. You can get pet care. Visit http://www. in Cuban society - such as one of these stickers at many doggywalker.com or email racism, mass migration, pet supply stores, at your info@doggywalker.com. freedoms and liberties and vet’s office, or on the ASPCA the impact of Communism pets to prevent heatstroke and dehydration. Cars and homes can heat up way too quickly.

Don’t forget, too, to keep a sticker somewhere visible on your home—say, your front door or window—alerting rescue workers or firefighters

website: www.aspca.org/form/ free-pet-safety-pack.

Bottom line: do some thinking, have a plan, and make sure to take good care of your pets—they’re depending on you!

on the Cuban psyche—began, in the 1990s, to place Ramos at the very leading edge of a group of young Cuban artists who used their visual art as a narrative medium to describe, criticize and export the images of the world in which they lived and survived.

Following nearly twenty highly successful solo exhibitions in Japan, Mexico, Germany and Holland, Ramos had her US gallery show solo debut at the former Fraser Gallery in Washington, DC in 2004.

One of Ramos’ most poignant works from the 1990s (not in the Katzen show, which is showcasing new work), is now in the collection of MOMA in New York and best exemplifies the work that started her career and made her famous.

Titled “The Damned Circumstance of Being Surrounded by Water,” Ramos transforms her image (as a little girl) onto the shape of Cuba, her body pinned to the island by bright red Royal Palms (the national tree of Cuba); palms changed from their natural color to the color of the Cuban Revolution.

The new work at the Katzen is a huge leap forward in both her art, and her perceptions of

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the world; now from the safe residency in the US. It is both a lesson in impeccable craftsmanship in the professional presentation of several intricate pieces, such as Transitory Identities (2013), a Light-box installation measuring 90x19 inches, plus the use of suddenly available technologies to create very large mixed media works.

Ramos’s psychological analysis of the utter failures of the Cuban Revolution, the separation of Cuban families, and the brutalization of multiple Cuban generations also continues to inform and use the power of the visual narrative to record for posterity the toxic effects of Communism on the Caribbean nation that was once her homeland.

For example, her new series of works that use enlarged images of real Cuban passports, elevate the travel document to another level. In the context of the jailed island, it is a key to freedom, albeit a key poisoned by the bitter taste of exile.

Kudos to Katzen director Jack Rasmussen for bringing this valiant artist to the DMV! The exhibition goes through October 19.

HONEY This people-oriented girl adores affection and will quickly become your devoted best friend!

When Honey’s not busy soaking up love, she enjoys playing with stuffed toys and working on her commands like ’sit’ and ’down’. She is very intelligent and enjoys learning new tricks. Honey would do very well in a family environment, but would prefer a home where she was the only dog.

She does fine with smaller dogs, but can be wary of dogs that are larger than she. Honey would be so grateful for a person of her very own to love.

Could you be the one this brown-eyed girl has been waiting to meet?

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Old Town Crier

October 2014 | 17

CARIBBEAN CONNECTION

clockwise from left: Sunset at Cruz Bay St. John, photo: Annie Ruller; St. Croix Fort Frederik, photo: courtesy USVI tourism; Magen’s Beach, St. Thomas

October Columbus Day: Virgin IslandsPuerto Rico Friendship Day (Second Monday in October) Since Christopher Columbus landed on St. Croix in 1493, seven flags have flown over St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John. Owing to the rich Hispanic influence and abundance of Puerto Ricans who migrated to St. Croix in the 1960s, the USVI honors Columbus Day with their own special holiday. V.I.-P.R. Friendship Day is celebrated during Hispanic Heritage Month.

Locals have the entire first half of October to attend celebratory activities, including a sunset jazz concert, a family-fun day, dance and craft workshops, cock-fighting demonstrations, a paso fino horse presentation and a cultural exchange event.

Liberty Day (November 1) This USVI holiday honors the legacy of labor leader David Hamilton Jackson and the establishment of free press and assembly in what was then the Danish West Indies during the late 19th century. Jackson, who was a St. Croix native, fought hard for the removal of strict censorship that had been in place in the islands since 1779 of which he was successful.

Virgin Islanders honor Jackson and his efforts with ceremonies featuring speeches by public officials. The holiday is also known as Bull and Bread Day owing to the first issue of David Hamilton Jackson’s newspaper, The Herald was published on that day. To fete this historic occasion, a bull was slaughtered resulting with beef and bread being served to the community.

Now, roast beef and bread with gravy are traditionally served on Liberty Day every year in the USVI.

18 | October 2014

U.S.Virgin Islands

Shared history, appeal and attractions Beginning this month we are taking a different direction with Caribbean Connection. We here at the Old Town Crier have formed a partnership with the USVI Department of Tourism and will be offering more information of a general nature as well as highlighting some individual businesses and events throughout the year. We hope you enjoy where we are taking you!

I

n addition to picturesque beaches, the U.S. Virgin Islands share a rich history from colonial forts, restored plantations, greathouse museums, and contemporary art galleries displaying the work of local artists.

Seven flags have flown over St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix since their discovery in 1493 by Christopher Columbus. The islands have been ruled in succession by the Spanish, English, French, Knights of Malta, French (for a second time), the Danish, and now, of course, the islands are part of the United States. This eclectic historical path has influenced the development of all three islands, particularly during the Danish reign. Street, town and area names, architecture and former plantations all reveal the vast influence

on the islands still remaining after 251 years under Danish rule.

Today, the U.S. Virgin Islands are leaders in the development of “sustainable tourism” which protects the beauty of the natural environment while allowing visitors to enjoy its pristine wonder. St. John leads in ecotourism resorts that allow visitors to experience intimate encounters with the natural beauty of the Caribbean outdoors, along with comfort and convenience at an affordable cost. St. Thomas offers a guided kayak tour through its marine sanctuary and mangrove lagoon led by experienced naturalists and biologists. Off the shores of St. Croix, Buck Island provides memorable snorkeling experiences at the only underwater national monument in the United States.

Fun and adventure are abundant because of the islands’ endless choice of activities including tennis, golf, horseback riding, kayaking, biking, hiking and sportfishing. Numerous watersports are also available on each island including scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing, windsurfing, parasailing and “snuba” – a unique sport that combines snorkeling and scuba diving.

A vast choice of accommodations on all three islands is available to international visitors, ranging from scenic, environmentally sensitive campsites to luxurious resorts, private houses, villas and condominiums available for lease.

(See the advertisements in this section for Cliffhanger on St. Thomas and Las Brisas Caribe on St. John – both fantastic villas).

The U.S. Virgin Islands offer yearround warm temperatures with averages of 77°F (25°C) in winter, and 82°F (28°C) in summer. St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas are within the Atlantic Standard Time zone, one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time (except during Daylight Savings Time).

For information about the United States Virgin Islands, call 800372-USVI (8784) and visit www. usvitourism.vi. As a United States Territory, the U.S. Virgin Islands does not require proof of citizenship from U.S. citizens arriving from Puerto Rico or the U.S. mainland. Entry requirements for non-U.S. citizens are the same as for entering the United States from any foreign destination.

Upon departure, a passport is required for all but U.S. citizens.

Old Town Crier

Photography: Rolando Garces

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Old Town Crier

October 2014 | 19

ROAD TRIP BOB TAGERT

O

ur first issue of Old Town Crier was published in January of 1988, almost 27 years ago. Twenty-seven years ago the Virginia wine industry was in its infancy. Those pioneers that led the charge are now gone. Archie Smith of Meredith Vineyards, Wayne and Juanita Swedenburg, Dirgham Salahi of Oasis Winery, and Betty Furness of Piedmont Vineyards. These were the winery folks that we first met back in 1988. Meredith, Oasis, and Piedmont are no longer producing and Swedenburg has been sold. Back in those days you could count the number of Virginia wineries on your two hands.

In the beginning Thomas Jefferson had great hopes for Virginia wines.

His expectations were never met and his Monticello vineyards never produced a single bottle of wine from his years of vineyard trials. Year’s later prohibition came along and the

20 | October 2014

Virginia wine industry went into decline.

After the repeal of probation the wine industry was slow to recover. In the late-1950s, experimental plantings of vinifera showed promise. With the establishment of six new wineries (those mentioned in the first paragraph) in the 1970s, the recovery was officially underway. A renewed effort to grow a European Chardonnay succeeded at the Waverly estate in Middleburg in 1973.

In 1976, Italian pioneer vintner Gianni Zonin convinced Gabriele Rausse to forgo his desire to go to Australia and New Zealand and its new wine industry, and come, instead, to Virginia in search of property. They established Barboursville Vineyards and then helped other vineyards do the same. By 1995, Virginia had 46 wineries. By 2005, 107 and today stands at 250 strong.

The beginnings were not easy.

Rausse, slightly beyond 30 years of age, and a recent graduate of the Agrarian Science School in Milan, planted his vitis vinifera and the results were

catastrophic. Rausse confirms the disaster, saying that half of the three thousand vines planted that first year died. Considered by many to be the modern day father of Virginia wines, Gabriele Rausse maintains his own vineyard not far from Monticello.

The vines that Rausse got from an American grower were not correctly grafted to withstand the cold winters.

Zonin recommended that Rausse graft his own rootstock and the vines that he grafted lived through the following winter. Barboursville was so successful at planting vinifera grape vines that soon others lined up for advice and, more importantly, plant material. In 1978 Rausse grafted 100,000 vines, and sold everything that he had. His customers included Meredyth Vineyards in Middleburg and Oasis in Hume.

Today, and particularly in the past 12 years, the Virginia wine scene has gained momentum. It has taken time for the vineyard managers and the winemakers to understand the terrior

of the soil ‌the unique, indefinable combination of land, soil and climate that characterizes a vineyard. In the early days the vineyard consisted mainly of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, Riesling, chardonnay and pinot noir grapes, popular varieties in the United States at the time. Riesling and pinot noir, for example, favor cooler climates, not the hot, sticky summers of Virginia.

About 12 to 15 years ago the wineries began to plant cabernet franc, pinot grigio, Viognier, the native Norton grape, malbec, Nebbiolo, and other vines that work well in the Virginia red clay soil. Although there is not enough production to help bring down the price point for a bottle of Virginia wine across the board, there is movement in the right direction, and it begins with quality.

Let’s Go!

Now that you have an understanding of Virginia wine history, take a drive through its wine regions. You will

Old Town Crier

find beautiful mountain views and hidden hollows where grapes are being crushed and the wine process begins. Some of my favorite drives, and closer to the Alexandria area, are the roads around Middleburg and The Plains to Delaplane. Right outside of Middleburg on Route 50 is the new Greenhill winery (former site of Swedenburg). New vines have been recently planted and the tasting room remodeled and seating enlarged.

Between The Plains and Middleburg you can find Boxwood winery and some of Virginia’s finest.

In Middleburg as well as The Plains, you will find many fine restaurants as well. Leaving The Plains and passing through Marshall you will come to a number of fine wineries. First is Miracle Valley, which is set back off of the main road in a secluded valley.

Old Town Crier

Here you will find award winning wines and a stocked pond for your fishing pleasure.

A little farther down Route 55 you will find the robust Barrel Oak Winery. Most of these wineries are kid and pet friendly, but BOW takes it to a new level. There is usually entertainment and lots for the kids to do. Near BOW is the celebrated RdV winery, which is by appointment only.

By traveling Route 17 off of Route 55 you will come to Three Fox Winery.

Ascending the hill to the tasting room, you will be rewarded with terrific views as well as a great selection of wines.

This winery, like the others, will have events and entertainment throughout October. Continuing down Route 17 a few miles you will find Delaplane Cellars. This is a boutique winery with nice wines and great views.

Continuing down Route 17 you will come to Leeds Manor Road.

By turning left you can cross over the mountains to Naked Mountain Vineyards. Another one of Virginia’s first wineries, Naked Mountain has been turning out quality wines for 30 years. Continuing on Leeds Manor Road you will cross I-66 and find Chateau O’Brian winery and their wonderful Tannat wine.

Heading west on Route 55 you will come to Linden where you will find Fox Meadow Vineyard at the top of Freezeland Road and their award winning wines and even a Governor’s Cup award a few years ago. On the other side of Route 55 you can find Linden Vineyards and owner Jim Law, arguably the best winemaker in Virginia.

Continuing west on Route 55 will bring you to Front Royal. Take Route

522 south from Front Royal across the mountains to Rappahannock Cellars and Desert Rose Winery. From these points you can head to Little Washington and the Little Washington winery that sits at the foothills of the Blue Ridge and has great views of Old Rag Mountain along with great wines.

If, by now, you are weary, continue on a few more miles to Sperryville where you can visit Copper Fox Distillery and enjoy some of Rick Wasmund’s fine whiskeys, dine at Thornton River Grill and spend the night at Hopkins Ordinary, a delightful B&B with a great breakfast.

These are the wineries that I know best. Take your time and plan your own route, but, by all means, explore the Virginia wine country.

October 2014 | 21

7

FROM THE BAY… MOLLY WINANS

photo: Mark Talbott

48th Annual St. Mary’s County

OYSTER FESTIVAL October 18 & 19, 2014

Reasons

To Go to the

Annapolis Boat Shows

T

he U.S. Sailboat Show (October 9-13) and the U.S. Powerboat Show (October 16-19) unfold in Annapolis every fall, and thousands flock to Maryland’s capital to experience the impressive transformation of a quiet historic town into a sort of Disneyland for boaters. Here are seven reasons you should go.

1. The shows offer great excuses to visit Annapolis. I often hear from friends in the DC metropolitan area or Pennsylvania say, “I love Annapolis, but I haven’t been there for a long time.” We’re all crazy busy. It takes a reason and a date penned on the calendar to escape our regular routines. These are Annapolis’s two most exciting weekends. You don’t want to miss them.

Photo by Wes Stone

Continuing the Tradition Home of the

National Oyster Shucking Contest and the

National Oyster Cook-Off Saturday 10am-6pm | Sunday 11am-6pm $5 Admission smcoysterfestival@gmail.com | www.usoysterfest.com Aero Energy | Northrop Grumman | Wyle MD Dept of Natural Resources Patuxent Partnership | SMECO 22 | September 2014

2. To buy a fall jacket. Really. If you want an attractive hightech, waterproof, layerable shell good in any season for outdoor activities, you will find a myriad of options at the boat shows. The same goes for deck shoes, warm boots, waterproof watches, sunglasses, floppy hats, sport gloves, handmade scarves, serious socks, and even unique nautical jewelry. If you’re already a boat owner, the sky is the limit as to what you may purchase at the shows: electronics, new lines, hardware, canvas, sails, gear, mattresses, hammocks, custom flags, boat hooks, books, ship’s bells, anchors, boatfriendly dishes, and fishing gear.

3. To buy a boat. If you’re considering buying a boat, even someday, don’t miss the show(s). Your head will spin with the hundreds of options you see before you, but by being there and wandering around, you will learn a lot about what you want and do not want, what you can and cannot afford, what feels like “Life of the Rich and Famous” and what feels like your lifestyle. During both the Sailboat and Powerboat Shows, a “brokerage show” (translation = used boat show) runs nearby, and your show ticket earns you entry into it.

This means you’ll find both shiny, new boats and pre-owned yet more affordable options in the same place.

FROM THE BAY > PAGE 25

Old Town Crier

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September 2014 | 23

…TO THE BLUE RIDGE JULIE REARDON

High Tech

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24 | October 2014

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his month’s column is a bit off of the normal beaten path since I’m not going to be writing about what is happening in the Blue Ridge in October like I normally do.

I know most of you regular readers are familiar with the beauty this magnificent area of the Commonwealth offers during the fall so I am relying on you to dig into your memory banks and go ahead a plan a drive through the countryside.

Recently, a friend asked how I trained my dogs, since they’re reliably well behaved and calm in public. She was surprised when I said I used an electronic collar for training them. “You use a shock collar?” she asked in disbelief. She—and many people—seemed ready to believe that electronic collars are cruel and inhumane. Because I had the collar in my training bag in my truck, I pulled it out and to her surprise the dogs crowded around it, excitedly wagging their tails and nudging my hand as if to say, “Me, me! Put it on me!” To my dogs, who wear it for every training session whether or not it’s actually used, that collar means they get to train with me one on one; they’ll get retrieves and they might even get real birds. Now, granted they are all hunting retrievers, and most also compete at high levels in hunt tests and field trials, so they do get more, and more advanced training than the average house pet. But for many performance dogs that work or compete at advanced levels of training, the electronic collar is an important part of the trainer’s tool kit.

Just like with raising children, training

dogs brings out strong opinions in people.

Some believe in all positive training with no punishment (in dog training, these are called all-positive trainers) and some believe in a mix of praise and correction. Both normally hold strong opinions about the other’s methods. All positive trainers do not use training collars or any other aids except clickers and treats. Many family pets can be successfully trained using attrition and all positive methods. However, just as many dogs, especially those bred to hunt, learn faster using a mix of praise and corrections. There is no one size fits all way to train a dog, since their personalities and temperament can vary so much. But they are not humans, no matter how much we make them parts of our family—and indeed, many training problems stem from humans’ lack of ability to communicate with them. For instance, a dog learns nothing from being put in a time out nor do they learn from being told how much we love them. They learn best from repetition, coupled with praise when they get it right and correction when they ignore a taught command.

Dog training has evolved today to where our canine companions can be trained to do amazing things, from drug detection, to searching for escaped criminals or missing persons, to bomb, accelerant and explosive sniffing, to service dogs that aid people with disabilities. Today’s modern training collars have many features and are used to reinforce trained commands for many different types of behaviors, as well as extinguish undesired ones. Most also have a pager or beeper that can

BLUE RIDGE > PAGE 26

Old Town Crier

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photo: Mark Talbott; inset photo: Molly Winans from the bay FROM PAGE 22

4. Just curious. Curiosity about the boating and the on-the-water lifestyle are good enough reasons to go. You won’t be disappointed. Annapolis expands out into the harbor with a mile of temporary docks, creating its own amazing labyrinthine city of new boats to explore. Whether you know how to operate them or not doesn’t matter. You’re allowed to climb on deck and go down below (that’s sailor speak for downstairs) and check out how the other half lives. If you are honestly interested in sailing or boating in the future, you’re crazy to miss this opportunity to talk to sailing and boating schools about where to start, charter companies about interesting vacation options, and boating and sailing experts eager to share what they know.

5. For medicinal reasons. Pussers Caribbean Grille is right next to the show gates along the water, and veteran show goers always stop in for its signature Painkiller (Pussers Rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, and cream of coconut). Don’t drink? Don’t worry. Among show goer favorites are the huge and homemade Nutty Buddy ice cream cones sold outside show gates by the Annapolis Optimists Club to kill your pain.

6. Because it’s there. There are two types of travelers: those who go to Mardi Gras, and those who would rather visit New Orleans in the off season. If you’re the first kind of Old Town Crier

traveler, know that these boat shows are so cool that thousands of people come from all over the world to be there. Click to usboat. com and buy tickets now ($18 each). If you are a quieter or crowd-phobic traveler, know that Thursdays, known as VIP/trade days, may be more expensive ($35), but they are considerably less crowded than the weekend days and also open to the public. Both those who do not mind crowds and those who want quieter days should follow the parking recommendations on usboat.com. Shuttles run frequently and efficiently. These shows have been going on for 40 years; they do parking right.

7. Meet Molly. That’s me. You may know me as an Old Town Crier columnist, but in my other life, I edit sailing and boating magazines and give seminars to introduce people to sailing. Two such free, one-hour seminars run Friday, October 10 at 10 a.m. and Sunday, October 12 at 10 a.m. in the Arnold Room of the Marriott Waterfront Hotel. Seminar attendees may ask local experts everything they always wanted to know about sailing but were afraid to ask.

All are welcome.

Find more information at usboat.com.

Molly Winans is the managing editor of SpinSheet and PropTalk Magazines in Annapolis.

October 2014 | 25

blue ridge FROM PAGE 24

be used for positive reinforcement, or even warnings. And a word about the electronic stimulation—at low and medium levels, the dog feels an uncomfortable buzz much like static electricity. Even at the highest levels, the dog cannot be physically burned or shocked hard enough to cause any physical harm, but a higher level may save a dog’s life if it’s running toward a highway or chasing a crippled duck across rotten ice. Still, the adjustable levels do require a trainer to be well versed in the use and the sensitivity level of the particular dog he is working with before using any type of collar.

Electronic collars are not exactly new; they’ve been around as an aid to help people train dogs for over 40 years. Invisible fence and bark collars have become an invaluable aid to help people contain their dogs and keep them from barking when they might otherwise be forced by animal control to give up their dogs or worse.

Electronic fences have helped owners keep their dogs in their own yards in areas where dog proof fencing might be prohibited by a property owners association; and bark collars have been a godsend to people with noisy dogs that only bark when the owner is absent prompting complaints from landlords or neighbors.

Hunters were probably the first group of people to use electronic collars regularly to train their hunting dogs when they first became available.

The modern training collar, as well as training methodology, has a wide variety of aids for the trainer including tracking via GPS, knowing when and where a dog is on point, and communication/control at a distance.

Training collars have been around for

many years but today have evolved into the many useful functions of today’s modern electronic training collar. Most of them have variable settings for tone and/or vibration as well as electronic stimulation. Hunting retrievers, for example, are often called upon in both field trials and real hunting situations to obey their handler’ commands at a great distance, often over 300 yards. They may, for example, be called off a dead bird that lands in close, to retrieve a bird they did not see fall, called a blind retrieve.

The handler must direct that dog past the close bird it sees to the one it did not see that landed out several hundred yards. In this case the dog is taught to take handler commands such as sit (or turn around and tread water) at a distance on a whistle until the handler gives hand signals to send the dog in the correct direction. This same skill set is taught to IED detection dogs used in war.

Often erroneously called shock collars by their detractors, these modern collars are not made to simply shock dogs with electricity. In fact they are not really used to train, they are simply a tool a trainer uses to reinforce commands the dog has already been taught. Animal rights crusaders try to paint them as cruel by calling them shock collars when the reality is, the real cruelty is the great numbers of dogs that end up in shelters because they weren’t trained at all. Lack of training is far more detrimental to the dog population in general than any use of electronic collar. While it is true that these collars might be able to receive a painful jolt if used on the highest setting, even this will not cause any physical damage. To my knowledge, there has never been a

single case of animal cruelty involving use of an ecollar.

Is the electronic collar right for my dog?

For the average pet owner, an electronic training collar is probably not needed unless you are a student of training and/or desire to train your dog to a higher level than the basics of sit, stay and come when called.

They’re expensive—good ones usually run over $300 when often an $80 training class is what Pooch needs, not an ecollar. If you can’t train your dog without the collar, you won’t be able to

train him with one.

The collars are no panacea nor substitute for regular lessons on the journey to having a well trained dog.

Dogs are situational learners. Just because he sits, stays and heels on and off lead at home does not mean he’ll do that in public. And if he hasn’t been properly socialized, he’ll get overexcited in the presence of other dogs and people. Training classes are the best way to socialize a puppy or young dog and offer ways to proof those commands while getting him accustomed to other dogs and strangers in a controlled environment. I take all my young dogs through training classes because we live on a farm, so they don’t see as many strange people and dogs as city and suburban dogs might.

Dogs that are good candidates for collar training are those that are solid on sit, stay and come at home and in public, and owners who are prepared to put the time in to learn how to properly use the collar for more advanced work, or who desire to train to participate in organized dog sports where remote control is essential. Many types of modern collars can be beneficial to the average pet owner, such as remote tracking collars, bark or invisible fence collars.

Whenever contemplating the use of any electronic collar, be sure and educate yourself first on their use and first consult a professional.

Julie Reardon was born and grew up in Alexandria but moved to the countryside beyond the beltway in her late 20s. She owns and operates Hope Springs Farm in Fauquier County where she boards horses and breeds, raises and trains Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.

26 | October 2014

Old Town Crier

L

o r t h B e i r s n i , I d n n c. a

Landini’s Restaurant Celebrating 35 Years

The Entire Landini Family & Their Devoted Staff Thank Our Loyal Customers for the Opportunity to Serve You These Past 35 Years

Old Town Crier Street • Old Town Alexandria • 703.836.8404 • landinibrothers.com September 2014 | 27 115 King

BEHIND THE BAR CHESTER SIMPSON

christy-lee carter IS BEHIND THE BAR AT

margarita?” followed by “How much is a large beer?” to “OK, how much is a small beer?” That series of questions just screams that I am going reynoldsbarandgrill.com to not only get stiffed on 703.751.0830 the tip, but most likely the drink won’t be strong enough. Hey, if you can’t afford to tip then maybe you should just stay home.

I would also like to add that I enjoy watching a man trying to impress women at the bar by buying those drinks all night, not tipping, and still going home alone. Impressive guy, impressive. reynolds street bar & Grill 34 S. Reynolds street ALEXANDRIA, virginia

story and it is all about how you take it. My parents always told me that life is full of speed bumps; it just depends on how good your shock absorbers are. What may not seem like a great story at the time, or what seems like a huge pothole that just swallowed your front end (you know what I’m talking about), might be looked back upon later as a wonderful memory. Laugh a lot, learn a little, and be kind to one another. Life is short, so make it good.

Who would you like to sit down and have a drink with?

When I was approached with the “Behind the Bar” opportunity a friend said I should name someone

christy-lee carter photo: ©2014 Chester Simpson

What is the best line someone has used to get a free drink?

“Hey, I come here all the time, isn’t there like a point system or something where every third drink is free?”

Christy-Lee serving a Rum Punch. She is behind the bar Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 5 pm to 2 am; and Sunday noon to 5pm.

How did you get started bartending?

Prior to bartending I always had nine to five jobs which required panty hose and boring cubicles. In 2009, when I opted for a change of scenery, I thought of the bar and restaurant industry. I walked into a place I heard was hiring and applied for a cocktail waitress position since I had zero bartending experience.

My application was handed to the manager and he asked “Have you ever bartended before?” “Nope,” I said.

His response was a simple, “Well, we can teach people to make drinks, we can’t teach people to have personality 28 | October 2014

and to be friendly.” From then on I remembered those words. Anyone can make drinks, but it’s true, not everyone has personality.

What is your bartender pet peeve?

This one I had to think about because I know that there are so many.

The first ones that come to mind are the ever so subtle tapping of your glass on the bar; going out to smoke then claiming we took your drink … and it was full; or repeatedly shouting out something other than my name.

All those are mild compared to the infamous “How much is a Patron

What is the most memorable pick up line you have heard?

I was working a Saturday double and it was around 10 pm when I was approached by a gentleman who made a comment about my fingernails. He then proceeded to ask me if my toes looked the same and if he could take me out and rub my feet. Possessing an inquisitive mind, I asked him why he wanted to take me out and rub my feet, to which he replied he had a foot fetish, then asked me out again.

When I replied with a kind no thank you, he turned away for a moment then looked back at me and said, “Well then, can I buy your socks?”

Can you tell us an interesting story?

I’m actually working on a book filled with interesting stories about life! I believe that life is an interesting

interesting for this question, not my mom or dad. Well, sorry Mitch, I’m going to have to say that I would most like to have a drink with my dad. After he passed away in 2013, I began to go through his things from the time he spent in the army in the 1960s. Turns out my dad was quite the catch and quite the artist, on top of being the world’s greatest dad. Not only would I like to hear more about his life and just talk to him, I would also like to thank him for what happened next. They say when one door closes another opens.

I was reunited with my birth mother after about six years and we now have a great budding relationship. So, cheers to you, Dad, for teaching me everything you could, and letting me fumble the rest on my own. It all helps fill that book of interesting stories.

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

Old Town Crier

® Your Home for New England Football Live Music 7 Nights a Week with No Cover!

Sunday Brunch 10 am-3 pm Starting at $9.95 WEdnESday 40¢ Wing night 4 pm-Close

Monday Margarita Mondays 3-7 pm $14.95 all you Can Eat Ribs 5-9 pm THuRSday $14.95 Steak night 5-9 pm

taste original. try rye.

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At Copper Fox we malt our own barley, gently kiln dry the grain with soft sweet apple wood and cherry wood smoke, and pot-still in small batches, one barrel at a time.

Sip it. Mix it. Love it.

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

Old Town Crier

DISTILLERY ENTERPRISES, L.L.C. SPERRYVILLE, VIRGINIA

Tours daily. Go to www.copperfox.biz

October 2014 | 29

DINING OUT bobtagert

C Landini Brothers

Celebrating 35 Years!

elebrating 35 years of bringing Tuscany to Alexandria, we thought it time to share this experience with our readers.

Certainly we know the restaurant, as we have been customers for more than 25 years. Over the years some things have changed, we have grown older, some employees have gone and new ones have come on board, but the quality of food and the service has been consistently great.

If you check Yelp, the reviews are overwhelmingly favorable with a few negatives here and there. I do believe that most of those folks are negative by nature and really don’t get the true dining experience. They should stay at the “Garden.”

Ever since I began going to Landini’s (as the locals call it), I was impressed with the volume of business they did, and not just on weekends, but during the week as well. I soon learned that this was the place that attracted politicians, celebrities, the well-heeled

and regular folks like me. It is a place you can make your own.

The bar is usually filled with regulars on any given day of the week and especially at happy hour. Although there are no special drink prices, the seats are always filled. During the day the bar becomes a place for many locals and visitors to grab lunch.

There is an extensive lunch menu with six to eight specials added each day. The prices are reasonable with pastas going for $12.95 to $14.95 and an option to place a half order for $9.95. The other entrees, including their popular veal, come in at $14.95.

They also offer an assortment of panini sandwiches with either their truffle French fries or delicious potato salad.

My favorites for lunch are half orders of either Penne alla Romana with sweet Italian sausage or Linguine alle Vongole Rosse, baby clams in a white sauce. These pasta dishes also come with a house salad.

The veal dishes at Landini’s are

renowned for their flavor and texture.

If you happen by the restaurant around three in the afternoon, you can hear the kitchen staff pounding the veal to the right tenderness. My all time favorite for dinner is Scaloppine di Vitello Landini, or simply put, Veal Landini for $28.95. This is milk fed veal sautéed in butter, white wine, homemade brown sauce, mushrooms, melted mozzarella cheese and asparagus. Top this off with one of their spectacular wines, and you are set for a fantastic evening. The dinner pastas range from Agnolotti alla Fiorentina—fresh homemade pasta filled with spinach, ricotta cheese, and sautéed in butter, cream and Parmesan cheese for $17.95 to Linguine alle Pescatora—sea scallops, shrimp, baby clams mussels and squid sautéed in garlic, red pepper and white wine for $22.95. As with lunch, you may also place a half order for dinner pastas.

Even though this is an Italian DINING OUT > PAGE 33

Insalata di fagioli, top, and veal parmigiana

30 | October 2014

Old Town Crier

Old Town Crier

October 2014 | 31

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

BILBO BAGGINS 208 Queen St. 703-683-0300 BITTERSWEET 823 King Street 703-549-2708

THE GRILL RESTAURANT/ PIANO BAR AT MORRISON HOUSE 116 S. Alfred St. 703-838-8000

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

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

CLYDES 1700 N. Beauregard St. 703-820-8300 clydes.com

FIRE FLIES 1501 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-7200

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

FLAT IRON STEAK & SALOON 808 King St. 703-299-0777

Dining Guide

FOSTERS GRILLE 2004 Eisenhower Ave. 703-725-1342 GADSBYS TAVERN 138 N. Royal St. 703-548-1288

HARD TIMES CAFE 1404 King St. 703-837-0050 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 MAJESTIC CAFÉ 911 King St. 703-837-9117 MANCINIS 1508 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-838-FOOD MANGO MIKES 4580 Duke St. 703-370-3800

asian ASIAN BISTRO 809 King St. 703-836-1515

RED MEI 602 King St. 703-837-0094

MALAYA 1019 King St. 703-519-3710

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

MAI THAI 9 King St. 703-548-0600

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

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

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.

Caphe Banh Mi Vietnamese 407 Cameron St. 703-549-0800 Sang Jun Thai 300 King Street 571-312-3377

RESTAURANT EVE 110 S. Pitt St. 703-706-0450 CEDAR KNOLL INN GW Parkway at Lucia Ln. 703-799-1501

LA MADELEINE 500 King St. 703-729-2854

CHEZ ANDREE 10 East Glebe Rd. 703-836-1404

LE REFUGE 127 N. Washington St. 703-548-4661

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

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

FONTAINES CAFFE & CREPERIE 119 S. Royal St. 703-535-8151

YVES BISTRO 235 Swamp Fox Rd. In the Hoffman Center 703-329-1010

32 | October 2014

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

FRENCH BASTILLE 1201 N. Royal St. 703-519-3776 bastillerestaurant.com

OVERWOOD 220 North Lee St. 703-535-3340

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

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

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

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

MOUNT VERNON INN Mount Vernon, Va 703-780-0011

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

T.J. STONES GRILL HOUSE & TAP ROOM 608 Montgomery St. 703-548-1004 tjstones.com American cuisine with libations from around the world. Bar specials Mon-Fri, 4-7 PM. Brunch served Sat & Sun.

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

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

NINAS DANDY Potomac Party Cruises Zero Prince St. 703-683-6076 dandydinnerboat.com OCONNELLS RESTAURANT & BAR 112 King St. 703-739-1124 danieloconnellsrestaurant.com

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 LA STRADA 1905 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-2592 SAPORE DITALIA RISTORANTE & PIZZERIA 1310 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-683-9680

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

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 & grill. Distinct southern style menu, fine steaks, fresh seafood. Sunday brunch, private parties, happy hour.

VERMILLION 1120 King St. 703-684-9669 VIRTUE GRAIN & FEED 106 South Union St. 571-970-3669

SHOOTER MCGEES 5239 Duke St. 703-751-9266

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

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

italian • pizzErias

CONTINENTAL BRABO

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

McGINTYS PUBLIC HOUSE 3650 S. Glebe Rd. Potomac Yard Located at Market Square in the Eclipse next to Harris Teeter on Rt.1 703-414-3555

MEDITERRANEAN LA TASCA 607 King St. 703-299-9810 “Spring into Spain and Feast Like a King.” Offering unlimited tapas at lunch and dinner. Choice of dessert included. Lunch 11:30-4:30 for $20.07; dinner 4:30-close for $30.07. Eat a little, drink a little, have a lot of fun!

LAYLA 907 King St. 703-684-3288

LAS TAPAS 710 King St. 703-836-4000 CASABLANCA 1504 King St. 703-549-6464 TAVERNA CRETEKOU 818 King St. 703-548-8688 tavernacretekou.com

seafood Hanks Oyster Bar 1026 King St. 703-739-HANK RTS RESTAURANT 3804 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-684-6010 FLYING FISH 815 King St. 703-600-FISH flyingfishdc.com Traditional American and fancy seafood specializing in sushi.

FISH MARKET-CLINTON 7611Old Branch Ave. Clinton, MD 301-599-7900 ERNIES ORGINIAL CRABHOUSE 1743 King St. 703-836-0046

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!

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

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

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 INDIAN DISHES OF INDIA 1510A Bellview Blvd.

703-660-6085

Old Town Crier

DINING OUT FROM PAGE 30

restaurant, Landini’s also offers a selection of five different steak dinners from a 14oz. Prime sirloin to an 8oz. Sirloin Kebab. The steaks are thick and juicy and cooked just right. Currently they offer the highest in USDA grade beef in quality and intramuscular fat. Only about 2.9% of beef in the United States meets this level of quality.

Our favorite soup is their onion soup, which is only served on Wednesdays. It is a beef broth packed with fresh onion with a piece of bread with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on the bread. The soup is hearty and very tasty and you don’t have to fight the melted cheese found on French onion soup. The salads range from the finely sliced avocado, tomato, and steamed asparagus dressed with a silky vinaigrette to the popular Insalata di Fagioli, white beans tossed

G

with fresh leeks, avocado, shrimp, and jumbo lump crab meat.

Walking into Landini’s you will step back into the time that these old warehouses were built. Centuries old stone walls and slate floors are set off by white linen and works of art.

Old wooden beams and support posts still show where they were hand cut. When the restaurant was enlarged some years ago, you can see where the cut was made through the foot and half stone wall that now joins the two front dining rooms. Upstairs is the wine room, which is used for special gatherings. The glass enclosed wine cellar holds more than 7,000 bottles of some of the best wine in the world.

Owners Franco and is son Noe have spared no expense to make this a world class dining experience. Congratulations on 35 years of excellence!

GERANIO RISTORANTE Redefining Italian Cuisine in Old Town Alexandria Dinner Entrees from $14

722 King Street Old Town Alexandria 703.548.0088 www.geranio.net

GRAB A

BITE!

“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 Old Town Crier

October 2014 | 33

CHEF’S SPECIAL CHESTER SIMPSON

Phuong Ho

PHUONG HO IS THE CHEF AT photo: ©2014 Chester Simpson

RICE PAPER 6775 WILSON BLVD FALLS CHURCH, VA 22044 RICEPAPER-TASTEOFVIETNAM.COM 703.538.3888

Chef Phuong Ho serving Pho Ap Chao Do Bien (fried rice noodles with seafood) with Tra Thai (Thai iced coffee)

R

ice Paper is located in the Eden Center, a Vietnamese shopping and dining complex in the Seven Corners section of Falls Church and is usually packed. Co-owner Mai Lam and her family hail from Rach Gia, a city on the Gulf of Thailand, deep in the Mekong River Delta. Her mother, Xuan Tran, and cousin Chef Phuong Ho run the kitchen, bringing to the table family recipes and their own take on contemporary Vietnamese cuisine with 120 dishes.

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

Good cooks within my family—like my grandmother, mother and aunts— influenced me in the art of cooking.

I started early working with my grandmother, about the age of 12, in her catering business. My families were the source of encouragement and their valued input contributed substantially.

Cooking has become my passion and aptitude. I love to experiment, observe, exchange ideas and continue to learn new skills. Cooking added a new dimension to my personality (even as a hobby) and enables others to appreciate the efforts that go behind a good meal. It’s a natural process, never planned; it’s just a passion to feed people. I love to see how people receive the food and enjoy it.

Who have been the biggest inspirations of your career?

Apart from my family of good cooks, the person who really inspired me to pursue cooking was my grandmother. She had catered for parties and events. She had also opened a small place for people to stop

by for meals. It’s very rewarding and enjoyable watching people enjoy food.

What dish on your menu are you most curious to see how it’s received?

Pho Ap Chao Do Bien (fried rice noodles with seafood). This is the dish served with combo vegetables and seafood with special gravy sauce in the center with crispy noodles surrounding.

What do you do to insure the quality of the food going out to customers?

“It’s the quality, not the quantity!”

I taste my recipe before it is served.

To ensure good quality/freshness I constantly use my senses and make sure I am always using fresh ingredients.

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

I would love to have meal prepared

by Charles Phan. I love reading his cook book. He has had a profound influence on changing the way we view Vietnamese food. He has a very upscale and authentic approach to Vietnamese food. To be honest, the person I would also love to prepare a meal for me is Chef Gordon Ramsay. I would be honored to have someone like him stop by. I watch his show all the time.

He makes cooking so fun and simple.

What’s your guilty food pleasure?

I am sure we all do our best to avoid greasy, ultra-processed fast food items. Inevitably there are times when the reliable taste, convenience, or low prices are too much to resist.

I love sweets and have a sentimental attachment to Taco Time.

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

Chef preparing Pho Ap Chao Do Bien (fried rice noodles with seafood).

34 | October 2014

Old Town Crier

EXPLORING VIRGINIAWINES DOUG FABBIOLI

Sandals vs. Work Boots

S

ometimes I get caught just looking at my own little world: how many grapes are on the vine; how much wine we sold last weekend; and how is our wine progressing in the barrel. We all need to monitor our own operations for productivity, growth and financial success, but we always need to be conscious of the business climate that will allow us to sail or force us to sink. I have spent a lot of time along with many others to maintain and improve the business climate that favors agriculture and rural businesses that help feed agriculture. Focusing on revitalizing the local rural economy, we have been able to encourage businesses to start and expand based on the idea that we can grow and produce quality products that people are willing to buy.

We also have created experiences like wine tastings, bed and breakfast stays and farm dining that help our customers enjoy the rural experience as recreation as well as a product.

Much of our rural economy, though, is not based on the experience or niche product, but instead on the commodities market. Beef, pork, soy beans, corn and hay are often produced on a large scale and sold based on the pricing of the national market. I often overlook this kind of farming in my thought process. I understand that we all eat and use the products from farms such as these. This is what most of the farming acreage is around here. As we talk

Old Town Crier

about farming, it is critical that we always think and include all types of farming. I have heard the terms Crocs and Timberlands referring to the footwear that different farmers would wear. (me, I tend to wear sandals and scrub my feet each night in the summer). Organic growers are tagged with wearing the Crocs while the more conventional farmers would wear the work boots. Recognizing that farming practices are different without segregating groups is important.

Groups like Future Farmers of America, Farm Bureau and Farm Credit University are recognizing these potential rifts in the industry.

In our efforts to grow more farmers, our programs need to keep in mind that agriculture is a wide range of products and growing styles that our students can devote themselves to for the future. The growing part of the ag world is the local niche crops like wine grapes and hops but we will always need conventional farmers to keep the commodity crops growing.

As you drive around the countryside this fall and choose your pumpkins and gourds for seasonal decorating, remember that somebody grew that pumpkin. We will always need a farmer to capture the sunshine and convert it into food and other products. They need to make a living like everyone else. Harvest is here and we are happy to deliver.

Visiting Virginias 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.

October 2014 | 35

GRAPEVINE frank britt

L

ocated near historic Leesburg, Va., just outside the tiny town of Hillsboro (near Purcellville), Doukénie Winery encompasses 415 acres in Loudoun County. Just 50 miles from Washington, DC in Virginia’s famed “wine country,” this wine farm provides visitors and locals an escape from reality while increasing their knowledge of wine and wine making. doukénie winery Founded in 1985 14727 Mountain Road by the Bazaco family, Doukénie Winery Purcellville, Virginia 20312 harvested its first 540-668-6464 vintage in 1995 doukeniewinery.com and within the last several years has received numerous prestigious awards.

The winery produces 4,000 to 5,000 cases per year that include five white wines, two fruit wines and nine red

wines. Wine can be purchased at the tasting room and through the winery’s Heritage Club.

Visitors to Doukénie Winery learn as they taste from the selection of six white wines, nine red wines and one dessert wine. The knowledgeable staff in the tasting room is trained

by Sebastien Marquet, winemaker and general manager. During each training session Sebastien explains vine management, distinct differences in each varietal and what to look for when tasting.

Doukénie Winery takes the educational aspect a step further when they host events. A Taste of Science, offered the first Saturday of every month through December, is a fun day with resident geologist, Leanne Wiberg.

Coming up at Doukénie in celebration of Virginia Wine Month

photo: Ken Garrett

wine paradise in the blue ridge Doukénie Winery

36 | October 2014

Old Town Crier

doukénie has been winning awards consistently since 2006 is the Harvest Festival on October 18 featuring the harvest crush and barrel tasting. The event includes delicious Monks BBQ and music by The Short Hill Mountain Boys.

Doukénie has been winning awards consistently since 2006. Most recently eight wines were winners in the 2014 Virginia Governor’s Cup. You can explore the complete listing of awardwinning wines on their website (www. doukeniewinery.com).

Doukénie Winery is an idyllic setting for weddings, as well as corporate functions and special events. Tours are always available by calling Bill in the tasting room (540-668-6464) which is open daily between 10 am and 6 pm.

photo: Ken Garrett

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). Frank also consults with several wine festivals and can be reached at frank@brittmarketing.com; www. vawinelover. com

Old Town Crier

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

Serve with Doukénie Winery 2012 Viognier or 2012 Pinot Grigio INGREDIENTS 1 (2-2 lb) butternut squash, peeled and seeded 2 Tbs unsalted butter 1 medium onion, chopped 6 cups chicken stock Nutmeg Salt and freshly ground black pepper PROCESS Cut squash in 1 inch chunks. In large pot melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove squash chunks with slotted spoon and place in a blender and puree. Return blended squash to pot. Stir and season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

October 2014 | 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 OCTOber eVeNTS n

4Th: 7Th ANNuAl ‘AlPACA’ luNCh n 5Th: CVCC ClASSiC ViNO-ClASSiC CArS n 11Th: COluMbuS dAy WeekeNd n 13Th: COluMbuS dAy n 18Th: hArVeST dAy n 25Th: liViN’ lA dOlCe ViTA n 31ST: ANNuAl hAllOWeeN CelebrATiON

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 3 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 Taste Our Award-Winning Piemontese Nebbiolo 2010 Virginia Governor’s Cup Silver Medal Winner

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 | October 2014

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

A Day Off On the Water

T

he pressure of producing fish in August heat for fathers, who forgot to take their kids fishing during cooler months, is over! Time to fish with regular clients and friends, relaxing, and enjoying life! Decades ago I fished small rivers, either wading or drifting in canoes. My buddy Bruce Ingram, author of The James River Guide (www.bruceingramoutdoors.com), told me, “The James below Lynchburg offers a number of outstanding trips…feature(s) lots of water willow beds, riffles, and current breaks. Really, there are no mediocre floats over the course of the next 30 miles of river.” So, when my buddy Alan Friedlander, who fishes deepest oceans to shallowest streams, invited me to fish for smallmouth bass on the Upper James, I was excited.

Speaking with guide Matt Miles

Bassing IN OCTOber Potomac River

Open the tacklebox, from the top down! Lucky Craft G-Splash poppers and Gunfish walkers on GAMMA torque braid covers water! Try Mann’s Waker too! Use weightless stickworms on 3/0 Mustad Ultra Point Mega bite hooks for missed bites on 20-pound test Torque braid with a 12-pound test GAMMA Edge fluorocarbon leader.

On sunny days use Mann’s Baby 1-Minus in chartreuse or shad patterns on cloudy days. Classic spinnerbaits with white skirts work on cloudy days. Craw patterned chatterbaits

Old Town Crier

(mattmilesflyfishing.com) in advance of our trip, he described the fishing terrain and vessel in which we would be spending our eight-hour trip, giving me confidence. He’s young in years but long in guide experience, 16 years including Colorado and his James River Virginia home waters where he grew up fishing. Matt has designed many baits, including Umpqua Feather Merchants signature series trout flies; Matt’s Midge, Winter Foam Stone, and Ride Sally Ride.

Waking at 3 a.m. isn’t something I look forward to, but when fishing’s involved, I usually beat my clock to the alarm! Preparing for three weeks, downsizing my Potomac River largemouth bass fare and grabbing a couple of my Quantum rod and reel combos, Mizmo tubes and grubs, and a few jerkbaits, I was GO FISH > PAGE 42

work anytime. Swim Mann’s Stone Jigs around cover. Use a HardNose Frankentoad trailer on 14-16 pound test GAMMA Edge. Crank deeper with power cranks like Mann’s Baby-X. Swim Mann’s HardNose 5.5-inch Swim Shads with ¼ ounce weighted 7/0 Mustad Swimbait hooks on 20-pound Edge Fluorocarbon. Pitch Mizmo tubes, Texas rigged with 12-14 pound Edge and 3/16-ounce weights to grass clumps, wood and docks. Soaking in garlic Jack’s Juice keeps fish holding on! Punch through grass mats with ½- 1.5-ounce Round Valley Tungsten weights on 60-pound Torque braid with small soft plastic craws.

Drop shot drops with GAMMA Torque 20-pound braid with a 12-pound test Edge leader on a Quantum EXO spinning outfit. Use 2/0 Mustad Mega Bite hooks and Mann’s HardNose 6-inch Jelly worms anchored with 1/8-ounce Water Gremlin Bullshot weights.

October 2014 | 39

FITNESS NICOLE FLANAGAN

The Start of the Holiday Season: Staying Fit

O

ctober marks the beginning of the holiday season. This is the time of year when we start making all those yummy baked goods and delicious homemade soups. Instead of letting all this wonderful food catch up to us this year, let’s make a goal to maintain our fitness.

Fall is the best time to get yourself back into a fitness routine and gear up for the cooler months ahead. Well, it has been thirty days since then and hopefully everyone has been able to stick with his or her fitness routines. In case you are starting to falter from your schedule, here are some tips to keep you motivated for the next month.

I’m sure that some of you have had a little extra time to set aside for your workout now that the kids are back in school. Just remember that dedicated workout times

are great but you can get your exercise other ways as well. You don’t necessarily have to set aside a whole hour to workout. Exercising can actually be a lot of fun.

Wondering what to do on a Saturday afternoon? Look for an activity that suits the whole family! Check out a local climbing wall or hiking trail. Push your kids on the swings or climb with them on the jungle gym. Plan a neighborhood kickball or touch football game. Find an activity you enjoy, and go for it. If you get bored, try something new. If you’re moving, it counts!

Exercise helps us deal with stress and can increase the energy we need to deal with all of our daily activities.

Exercise stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out.

You’ll also look better and feel better when you exercise regularly. This will boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem. Exercise reduces feelings of depression and anxiety. Use regular exercise as a way to improve your own well-being and as a way to keep up with your busy life.

If your weekdays are anything like mine, you are running around from the minute you wake up in the morning until you climb into bed at night. While exercise can help you have more energy throughout the day, it can also help you sleep better at night. Regular exercise can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. The timing is up to you. If you’re having trouble sleeping, you might want to try late afternoon workouts. The natural dip in body temperature five to six hours after you exercise should help you

fall asleep. When you sleep better at night, you wake up feeling more energized for the day. Having a good night’s sleep can improve your productivity, mood and concentration.

As if all of the above aren’t enough good reasons to exercise, here is yet another one that will keep you motivated through the cooler months. Exercise helps improve your immune system. We are exposed to viruses and germs every day.

As the weather gets cooler we tend to spend less time outdoors and more time inside.

The average adult will get sick with a cold about two times a year. Some

people are less susceptible to becoming sick because their immune systems are stronger. More and

40 | October 2014

more research is finding a link between moderate regular exercise and a strong immune system. Regular exercise has been linked to a positive immune system response and a temporary boost in the production of macrophages, the cells that attack bacteria. It is believed that consistent exercise can lead to substantial benefits in immune system health over the long-term.

With the holidays right around the corner and things becoming more hectic, we can all count on exercise as one way to de-stress and stay healthy. Aside from the many benefits I have mentioned already, I’m sure you have come to find that exercise is something that can help the many aspects of our busy lives.

Whether you work out to de-stress from work, keep up with your family, or simply for the feeling of a good hard workout, exercise is something that you can always fall back on.

Old Town Crier

FROM THE TRAINER RYAN UNVERZAGT

❶

❷

the lat pulldown

W

elcome back all you faithful readers!

October’s exercise is the Lat Pulldown. This exercise strengthens the largest muscle group of the back called the latissimus dorsi. A wide grip will help make this muscle work even harder which is why a longer bar is more beneficial. In this example, I used a Fitball to sit on. Most lat pull machines will have an adjustable seat and/or knee pads to anchor your legs during the pull down. Traditionally, this exercise was performed by pulling the bar behind the head and neck. I recommend pulling the bar to the front side of the body to protect the head, neck, and shoulders from potential injury.

Whether you use a Fitball or not, the start position should look like Figure 1. A wide, overhand grip (as opposed to underhand used for a chin-up) should be utilized with your upper body slightly leaned back. Keep good posture and don’t let your lower back “round out”. Pull the bar down toward the upper chest (Fig 2). A common mistake is to pull the bar down past the chest into the lap. If you can do this before the weight stack hits the top, you need to select a heavier resistance.

Try to touch the bar on your upper chest.

It’s obvious that you need to use your arms to perform the pull down, however, you should Old Town Crier

also focus on using your back by squeezing the shoulder blades together, especially once the bar passes the chin. Maintain the same body position as you did when you started, meaning don’t lean back as you pull on the bar. If you find yourself doing this, choose a lighter resistance. Control the weight on the way back up. This part of the exercise is the most important. The majority of strength gains come from the eccentric portion of an exercise (when the muscles are lengthening while under tension). Again, if you are unable to control the weight, this means that it’s too heavy. Try at least two sets of 10-15 reps.

The Lat-Pulldown is an excellent exercise to strengthen and shape your back. If one of your goals is to do a pull-up with your own bodyweight, this exercise is the place to start because you can select a resistance that is lighter and progress toward your bodyweight.

Enjoy the month of October, but try not to eat too much Halloween candy!

Unverzagt holds a BS in Wellness Management from Black Hills State University and is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS). He is an active member of the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA).

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Keep a Beautiful Smile October 2014 | 41

CIVIL DISCOURSE FROM PG 9

A BIT OF HISTORY FROM PG 8

The Yankees did not give up on Saltville and were back in December of 1864 for a second try. This time they succeeded in destroying some of the buildings and equipment needed to process brine. However, the town repaired the damage within two months. Saltville was still feeding the Confederacy at the end of the war.

In September of last year, my friend Bill Hoffer and I took off for Saltville to tour the battlefield ourselves. We met local historians Terry Hunt and Eleanor Jones at the Museum of the Middle Appalachians, which is worth a trip in its own right. The curator, Harry Haynes, is well up to speed on the site’s Indian and Conquistador connections. And, while the museum contains vast treasures of Pleistocene and American Indian artifacts going back 15,000 years, it is the modern section on salt works and Civil War battles we have come to see.

Terry is a relic hunter and amateur archaeologist who records his finds to help tell the story of the battles at Saltville. Terry shares the story of lead buttons in the sinkhole as hinting at a mass grave. He also tells of finding “skid-marks” of buttons at the base of Saunders’ Hill, testimony of local boys shot in the back as they retreat, tearing off buttons as they slid to rest. Terry additionally corrects the notion that the Colored Cavalry went into battle encumbered with muzzle-loading Enfields; in fact they were well armed with breech-loading Starr carbines.

The abundance of spent Starr bullets recovered testifies that they fought hard and put out a lot of lead on October 2.

Many battlefields are haunted and Saltville reportedly has its share of ghostly orbs that one comes to expect from such sites. But Saltville is unique in that the dead show up at reenactments of the fighting to participate as enthusiastically as if it were the real thing. Thus participants are sometimes startled by a rush of shells overhead, notwithstanding the

cannon cannot possibly be firing live ordnance. Similarly, it is unsettling to hear the hiss of lead in the air, even if the bullets are ethereal. On one occasion, the Union reenactors received a full volley from a tree-line where their opponents were forbidden to be. Protesting this breach of protocol, the Bluecoats were surprised to learn that the sharp volley had not come from living Confederates, as their counterparts were on the other side of the river. Terry Hunt shared a photo of a Confederate sergeant major dressing the end of Terry’s line—the problem is that this guy is not in his unit and that one can see through him.

Take a look at the photo and decide for yourself.

Better, come to the reenactments held each August and see for yourself.

Or spend half a day at the Museum of the Middle Appalachians and discover slices of Virginia history served nowhere else. There is no friendlier town or prettier valley in Virginia.

Don’t overlook it.

GO FISH FROM PG 39

and comfortable, providing a perfect fishing platform. Controlled by an occasional gentle burst from Matt’s oars, we were sliding down the river.

A train rumbling along the riverbank or a small single engine plane gliding around for few minutes only occasionally disturbed nature’s white noise. After that, no one disturbed our day except a few bald eagles and ospreys. Fishing was spectacular, in spite of having less than favorable conditions. Sunny skies put fish where you can catch them. We had clouds!

Calm water allows covering water with topwater lures. We had 10-15 MPH winds.

Orvis-endorsed fly-fishing guide Matt Miles accommodates spinning gear clients too! Guiding for a living most of his adult life, he perfected his teaching skills out West. Watching and listening to his lesson clarified the

ready! Alan was too! I met him at 4 a.m. and headed to southwest Virginia.

My 20-foot Skeeter bass boat with advanced electronics, powerful electric trolling motor and 250-horsepower Yamaha outboard has spoiled me.

Not to mention 40 rods, unlimited tackle storage and of course padded carpeting! Matt’s boat didn’t look like much to me, but experienced and diversified angler Alan saw a top of the line drift boat. No electronics or carpeting, but perfect for skimming across rocks and through small rapids. Seeing oars and no motors, I couldn’t visualize how we would traverse the 8-mile stretch of river.

But our guide Matt was a couple of decades younger than me. His highend 17-foot Boulder Boat Works drift boat with a 5-inch draw was stable 42 | October 2014

Sources

Museum of the Middle Appalachians http://www.museum-mid-app.org/ Saltville, Jeffrey C. Weaver; Remembering the Saltville Massacre, Tonia Moxley, http://home.comcast. net/~5thuscc/Moxley.htm Battle of Saltville, http://thomaslegion. net/battleofsaltville.html 16th Century Spanish Invasions of Southwest Virginia, Jim Glanville, http://www.holstonia.net/files/ Conquistadors2.pdf Doug Coleman is an attorney and amateur historian in Alexandria; comments and corrections are welcome at dcoleman@coleman-lawyers.com.

research, and all objects of natural history, plants, and geological and mineralogical specimens…shall be delivered…and arranged in such order and so classed, as to best facilitate the examination and study of them, in the building to be erected for the institution….”

Owen, who spent his life advocating for universal public education, communicated his foresight through architecture. His vision: “a Romanesque castle” that would “occasion such awful grandeur and sublime sensation” as to “astonish” the “mind of the beholder.” Architect James Renwick, Jr. supported Owen’s notion. Secretary Joseph Henry did not.

Joseph Henry was a research physicist and his knowledge of applied science exceeded most. He presented his first paper on electromagnetism in 1827, was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 1835, and served as a science advisor to President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. An enlightened Presbyterian, he championed “the compatibility of reason and revelation.”

“The design and construction process was a hard-fought battle between extremes,” a Smithsonian archivist wrote. “In the end the combined efforts of [Owen and Henry] created a tried and tested building that has carried the mission of the Institution into the present day.” Regent Robert Dale Owen, in his 1849 book, Hints on Public Architecture, Containing, Among Other Illustrations, Views and Plans of the Smithsonian Institution, made a “deeply personal contribution to… cultural heritage.”

On February 24, 1847 the Smithsonian’s Board of Regents authorized the creation of a seal of the newly established Smithsonian Institution. Robert Dale Owen designed the seal and Edward Stabler, a noted manufacturer of seals, was

hired to engrave it. Maryland-born Edward Stabler of Harewood was Alexandria apothecary and Quaker minister Edward Stabler’s nephew.

Stabler’s talent as a seal-maker was first discovered when, as a seven-year apothecary apprentice, he engraved the copper plates used to make the paper money issued by the Alexandria post office during the War of 1812. Other Stabler seals include the Seal of the President, Departments of State and Treasury, Patent Office and the United States Supreme Court.

Today the Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum and research complex. It has 19 museums, the National Zoo, and nine research facilities. Admission to most, especially the Smithsonian’s District of Columbia museums and National Zoo are free. Museum Day Live! is celebrated annually and participating museums such as Alexandria’s StablerLeadbeater Apothecary Museum are free the day of.

The Smithsonian Institution published its first book, Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, in 1848; its first guidebook in 1857. Benefactor James Smithson was interred in the Castle in 1905.

art of the cast, hookset, and landing of fish with his Orvis outfits! Windy conditions kept fly-fishing at bay, but we were not disappointed nor deterred from catching a lot of fish! Wacky rigging 3-inch stickworms, Alan went to town with dozens of smallmouth bass and quite a few spotted bass! I tossed a Lucky Craft Pointer and Mizmo tubes! With the clarity of the water, I was surprised when Matt recommended a darker junebug color.

But they worked! I tried others, but the pro guide was dead on! Junebug was the ticket. He explained cloudy skies allowed darker colors to show up better. Matt also convinced us to cast into spots only inches deep!

Matt knew every fishing spot leaving no stone unfished. His trained eye spotted bites before we detected any movement or even a tug! He would say, “Set the hook!” A fish was on!

Meeting so-called guides, I’m usually skeptical! Most are part time, inexperienced and not very good teachers. Matt is a pro guide; enjoying his job, teaching and watching his guests catch fish! He’s very good!

Not to mention the shore lunch he serves and his ability to use oars to keep clients on fish for eight hours!

Bottom line, vacationers try to get away and leave their jobs behind. But for me, taking a day off on the water with a professional guide is the only way to unwind! Seeing a friend catch a memory enhances the trip!

Columnist’s note: It is with genuine sadness that I note the September 9 death of former Mount Vernon Director Jim Rees. He succumbed to a degenerative brain disease at age 62. I will always be grateful for his repeated expressions of confidence; our email debates and his love of history. Jim’s standards were high: I know because I served as guest curator for Mount Vernon’s Gardening Days from 1996 until 2004. “Envious of none, I am determined to be pleased with all… until I sleep with my Fathers,” George Washington wrote the Marquis de Lafayette in 1784.

Email: abitofhistory53@gmail.com

Capt. Steve Chaconas, Potomac bass fishing guide, BoatUS “Ask the Expert” (http://my.boatus.com/askexperts/ bassfishing/) Potomac River reports: nationalbass.com. Book trips/purchase gift certificates: info@NationalBass.com.

Old Town Crier

Experience the Difference

FIRST BLUSH

WELCOME RONNIE aNd jEaM Lulu Sage is proud to welcome stylists Ronnie and Jeam to our team.

With many years of combined experience and talent, they make great additions to our team!

Lip Service

A

re you lip locked with your lipstick or wish you were? Are you convinced there is a conspiracy to make your lipstick fade quickly? Well, you’re not alone. The most frequently asked questions are: how do I make my lipstick stay on longer … what is the longest wearing lipstick? In reality we are all simply in the dark about the different types of lipsticks and their “wearability.” Let’s shed some light.

So, what is the longest wearing lipstick?

Well, I wish I could say it is Brand X in so and so color. It’s just not that easy, but it is simple to understand how to find the longest wearing lipstick.

Lip color is generally broken down into three categories—lip gloss, sheer lipsticks and matte lipsticks. Lip gloss does not wear long.

It isn’t meant to and it usually doesn’t have enough color to stain the lips. It only offers a hint of color balanced with a lot of shine. It is perfect for the woman that doesn’t like the look of lipstick or the trouble of putting it on, but wants a little color to brighten her lips.

Lip gloss is also perfect for drier, chapped lips because all that glossy shine instantly makes the lips look moist.

Sheer lipsticks is the second category. These have really accelerated in popularity in recent years. Almost every major brand of cosmetics has a collection of sheer lipsticks. Sheer lipsticks come in a traditional lipstick tube, but they don’t pack as much color punch as a traditional matte lipstick. These sheer alternatives are usually lighter weight, moisturizing, and a lighter pigment than a matte counterpart. Sheer lipsticks wear a little longer than lip gloss, but not much.

If you do have a favorite lipstick color but don’t always want the look of a severe lip, there is probably a sheer alternative. These sheer lipsticks also make it easier to switch from the office to the soccer field without having to completely change your look.

The last category is the matte lipstick. Think of this as the gold standard of long wearing lipstick. Matte lipsticks are the longest

Old Town Crier

Ronnie

wearing lipstick regardless of the brand. Since they don’t have any moisturizing ingredients, the color almost sticks to the lips. The pigments are also typically deeper and richer.

The deeper colors, combined with a lack of moisturizing ingredients makes the lipstick last much longer on the lips. So, the longest wearing matte lipstick is one that is darker or deeper in color. A deep red matte will last longer than a bubble gum pink. The problem with matte lipsticks is that they make the lip look dry. If you suffer from chronically chapped lips, you might want to consider layering your matte lipstick over a good lip moisturizer and add a dab of lip gloss.

Now that we all know which type of lipstick stays on longer, let’s now solve the mystery of how to make your lipstick stay on longer.

The obvious first answer is to choose a matte lipstick. However, there are a few tricks to making any lipstick stay on longer. First, take a little face primer and pat it on your lips. Your foundation with a little powder over it will do the trick too. Next, line your lips with a lip liner that is the same color as your lipstick.

Take that liner and color in your lips. Make sure to stay in the lines. Now, apply a matte lipstick over the liner. Remember, if you choose a darker color, it has a better chance of lasting longer.

The next step is to blot your lips with a tissue or, even better, a piece of paper.

Paper is preferable because it won’t leave any tissue residue. Now, go ahead and apply another layer of your lipstick color. Finally, finish off your look with a little lip gloss to make the lips look less dry. Voila! You now know the trick to making lipstick stay on longer.

Keep in mind, ladies, if you are a lip licker or can’t go five minutes without drinking something, you will have to reapply your lipstick, lip gloss, or sheer lipstick more often.

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Publisher’s note: This is a reprint of the October 2008 First Blush—amazing how some things remain the same!

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11:49 AM

SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE PEGGIE ARVIDSON

I’m

often accused of being a Polly Anna. Since my mid-thirties I’ve taken the stance that the glass is half full. Sure, I can still be snarky and I do my share of eye-rolling at some people’s social media updates, but, generally, the world is a good place to be.

So forgive me when I assert that, at this moment, there is something in your life disrupting your flow. It could

How Do You See the Glass? be your financial fears and debt woes, or maybe it’s your single status, or even the soulsucking job that you commute to and from in never-ending traffic.

What it is it for you?

Go ahead and say it out loud or write it down in the margin.

If you do any spiritual, self-help, art-of-attracting work, this little exercise feels somehow wrong doesn’t it?

Did you just have the urge to

interested in living your purpose at work & beyond?

Check out PeggieArvidson.com where you’ll find: • Live and virtual workshops • Private coaching opportunities • Personalized hand analysis readings • And discounts on services for newsletter subscribers

For more information contact : Peggie@peggiearvidson.com 44 | October 2014

whisper “Erase! Erase!” or to scribble out your note because you are desperately afraid of putting it out there to the Universe?

Just take a big breath and allow yourself to be where you are, right now. If you’ve been mantra-ing and affirming and vision-boarding and there is still something that not only feels bad, but downright scares the bejeesus out of you, it’s okay.

You are perfectly and completely human and that is better than fine.

Just because something isn’t going right doesn’t mean that it’s bad, or that you’re bad.

The fact that you’re still single when all your friends are coupled up and making babies doesn’t indicate that you have some primal flaw or that you need to magically become more or less of anything in order to live the dream you have.

Being an optimist as well as a spiritual coach, I know that you’re exactly where you should be. Being a realist I know that you don’t really give a dang that you’re exactly where you should be when you really want to be somewhere else!

Here are some pragmatic tools to use to jump start your change from where you are to where you want to be:

Get clear on where you are and where you want to be and focus on the gap

between the two. Spend some time understanding exactly who you have to be to live your dream. What do you have to change? What do you need to bring into your life? What habits are bringing you down?

Here’s an easy way to work through this. Imagine that

you are living the dream (job, relationship, business, financial windfall) and picture how you are in that scenario. Now ask yourself what’s keeping you from being that person.

As you imagine this new life, dig in and figure out what happens next. For

instance, if you land that fivefigure client, what happens next? What changes in your life? Keep asking yourself “What’s next?” for any scenario and let it lead you to what’s lurking behind the curtain. Often the dreams we have stay dreamy because there’s a little piece of us afraid of the changes we have to make to sustain the dream in reality. I had a client once who was—in her words— incapable of finishing her book. Once she played this game, she came face to face with the fear that when she finished her book, she’d have to travel to promote it and this meant she’d be away from her boyfriend for long stretches of time. She was worried that her relationship wouldn’t withstand that challenge.

Ask for help. No matter where you want to go, or what you want to change, there’s someone who has been there already. If you hate your job, do some networking and ask others to brainstorm with you.

Find people who are open to reviewing your resume, your strengths and challenges and ask them to honestly help you come up with a new plan of action. You can hire a coach, but there are others out there who are willing to help if you’d only ask. Start with people you know, but who aren’t your best friend or

family (they have a way of wanting to tell you what they think you want to hear) and ask for what you need. Not sure what exactly you need?

That’s okay—let them know you’re looking for clarity and help forming a plan.

Be specific. Particularly when it comes to finding love we put on rose colored glasses.

Clients come to me and say, “I want a good, healthy relationship with someone who is my equal.” This sounds awesome, doesn’t it? Yet it doesn’t really clarify exactly what you want! Get really specific on what it feels like to be in that perfect-for-you relationship. Hone in on what happens in the day to day life of you and your perfect partner and recognize how things are going to change for you, in your life, once you find this partner.

If something in your life feels “less than,” I invite you to pick one of these four tips and get going. Feel free to let me know about your successes!

Peggie Arvidson, the Pragmatic Palmist, is a contemporary thought leader whose message of joy and self-empowerment has drawn hundreds of people from around the world to have their hands read, and to attend her seminars and workshops. Her mission is to help thousands of people world-wide love themselves without hesitation and live their hearts desire. If you want to glimpse how your hard-wiring and truth shows up in your hands, visit her website (PeggieArvidson. com) and attend her classes and workshops throughout Northern Virginia.

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SINGLE SPACE BONNIE BROWNING

I

was on a cruise last week. We set sail from NYC to Bermuda for seven days on the glorious blue seas with all of the anticipation of two traveling singles, looking forward to a captive prospect pool of 4,000 people. Our own little city to navigate and charm. Exciting, glamorous—we even upgraded to a suite with a balcony—all the possibilities in the world!

We weren’t planning on any additional upgrades but two were no brainers: Ultimate Beverage option (unlimited drinks for $54 per day)— check! We will save money on this plan! And the WiFi Package—check!

We must stay connected. And we couldn’t wait to see how all the social media and internet dating sites work on a cruise! How else are we going to bubble sort through the 4,000 on this ship and decide who to meet?

All’s well and our spirits are high as we embark. Once on the ship and settled into a place at the first bar we spotted, we stopped to look around for the first time. All at once, panic sets in as we begin to absorb our surroundings: all the families, strollers, grandparents, couples … wait! WE MAY BE THE ONLY TWO SINGLE PEOPLE ON THIS BOAT. Where are the rest of us? They must be on another special section of the boat waiting for us! I know, I know—let’s log in to our dating apps and see who’s on the boat!

After dozens of attempts and dangerously high data usage we Old Town Crier

realize there will be absolutely no connecting by proximity to other singles on this ship.

These apps simply do not work off stateside.

OK—light bulb! We’ll get rich by developing an app

Cruise Dating Is there an app for that? for Cruise Singles Dating that works on board. But alas, this is not going to help us for the next seven days!

I’m happy to say after three days and 770 miles of cruising, our latitudes and attitudes changed dramatically.

We can’t stop smiling. We are happy (cue “Happy” song that we danced to a good 10 times on the ship). You see, after finally accepting that being “connected “ through technology was something we left at the docks in NYC, we gave in and joined in with abandon and just quit fighting the system. We embraced it and started connecting with people in a way we hadn’t focused on in a long time— organically.

That’s right! We were actually meeting people on the ship organically instead of electronically. Without the ability to geographically “search” the internet for potential singles we

found ourselves actually connecting person to person in real time with conversations and eye contact! One of the biggest limitations on the cruise turned out to be our saving grace and saved our sanity. Social media was no longer necessary to connect artificially first and “pre-screen” our in-person meetings.

We are now spokespersons for meeting people on cruises and on cruise life in general!

Let us regale you with sailor’s yore and tales of the high seas replete with practical cruise advice! TIP: Double your 200 sq. ft. room’s counter space by ordering an iron and ironing board on day one (as a fire hazard, there won’t be one in your room). We left ours up the entire trip although we only used the iron once.

After a day on Bermuda on mopeds and hanging out on golf courses, bars

and swanky restaurants we look at each other, “Let’s go HOME!” Home?

Did we just say that? Suddenly getting back on the boat was solace and comfort. We’d been re-engineered to want to be on the ship!

I actually got a text from someone I met on the cruise today. “Hi Bonnie, it was nice to meet you on the ship last week. Keep in touch.” How nice. An electronic communication from someone I have already met, connected with and got to know a little bit about. Too bad I can’t remember who he is?

Note to self: Do not take business cards to Bliss Nightclub after four Long Island Iced Teas.

About Bonnie Browning: Bonnie is co-founder of AVID Productions, Inc. with founder and partner Glenn Morel. AVID Productions is based in Washington, DC. Bonnie is based in Austin, Texas but travels frequently for events around the world and to DC for AVID Productions corporate activities.

Bonnie is 48, single and the proudest mom of two grown daughters, Caroline and Charlotte.

Publisher’s note: The OTC thought it wise to give Lori and XXL a little time off—who wants to meet a column deadline while you are on your honeymoon! We think Bonnie did a stellar job filling in!

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OCTOBER EVENTS Miller Farms Farmers Market Saturdays and Sundays through October 10 am – 5 pm Fresh fruits and vegetables, baked goods, flowers and plants that suit the season.

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11th & 12th Columbus Day Weekend: National Harbor Goes“Pink” In celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness month, the Capitol Wheel, the Gaylord Resort and several stores will light up “pink” for the weekend. A portion of all ticket sales for rides on the Capitol Wheel will be donated to two local charities supporting breast cancer research.

17th National Children’s Museum Free Family Night 5 pm – 7 pm

Enjoy free admission to the museum for the whole family, as well as hands-on activities and interactive programming in the theater and exhibit areas.

Tickets available on a first-come, firstserve basis at the museum box office beginning at 5 pm on the day of the event. The museum is located at 151 St. George Boulevard.

26th Halloween Trick-or-Treat Celebrate Halloween early at the Harbor. Trick or treating will commence at all participating retailers from 11 am to 1 pm. Disney’s “Hocus Pocus” will be the featured movie on the Jumbotron in celebration and the farmers market will have many small pumpkins for sale. There will also be a pumpkin decorating station on site. This event is for children 12 years old and under.

46 | October 2014

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WATERFRONT DINING

Loc Riv Wil from and Ale Mt. from ´

NationalHarbor.com

1-877-NATLHBR

Miller Farms will continue to offer fall produce Saturdays and Sundays through October.

Fall Is in the Air

F

down the Potomac River. all is in the air! Lots of Construction continues activity is going on here at a fast pace on in celebration the building of the of the season. much anticipated Miller Farms MGM National has crisp local apples Harbor Casino and and a nice selection our new luxury of mums on display apartment complex, every Saturday and The Esplanade, has Sunday along with opened a leasing their vast array of

By Lani Gering office at 163 Fleet vegetables and baked Street. I have been goods. Stonewall watching the progress on this Kitchen has their fabulous fall project from the comfort of edibles and kitchen wares on my balcony and I can attest display. Football games are that it is going to be a very being aired on the Jumbotron high class structure. It will down on the plaza and all truly be a “complex” complete sorts of football game day with retail shopping and specials are being offered at a new restaurant from the Public House and Harrington’s Minnesota-based Granite Pub and Kitchen during the season. This is also a great City Food & Brewery group time of year to take a spin taking up 11,000 square feet on the Capitol Wheel for of the first floor. Granite City a beautiful view of the currently operates the Cadillac changing leaves up and Ranch bar and restaurant here

FAC

rum concoction in the Harbor. on my last trip The Walrus Oyster there. Put it on your and Ale House is finally radar for your next open for business after trip to the Harbor! an arduous build I can’t believe out of the former that we will be space occupied by gearing up for the Ketchup on the corner holidays in just a few of American Way and weeks. Seems like Waterfront Street. just yesterday I was This restaurant is a trying to figure out welcome addition to what I was going the food scene Tasty rum concoctions at to do for the 4th with its offering Walrus Oyster & Ale House of all things of July holiday!

Chesapeake Bay and Once again the Harbor will be more. Like any other new all dolled up with thousands operation, they are still of lights and decorations with working out some kinks activities beginning the week but you can be sure this is before Thanksgiving at the going to be a destination Gaylord with this year’s ICE! restaurant for locals as well Stay tuned for a complete as conventioneers! They have listing of holiday happenings! a very fun drink menu and In the meantime, enjoy the offer two Walrus Oyster & upcoming Indian SummerAle combos that change on a like weather and the change of weekly basis. I sampled a tasty the seasons!

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Am Sat

Mo Fri

Sou Fri June 21, 2014 • 7 - 9:30 p.m.

Join us on the banks of the Potomac River for an unforgettable night

of great food, wonderful drinks, live entertainment, charity raffle, and fireworks while helping children in need at the first annual Taste of National Harbor benefitting the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.

MORE THAN 25 PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS & BRANDS The Sunset Room

by Wolfgang Puck

National Harbor’s

The much anticipated MGM National Harbor Experience the best of Casino, now fully under construction.

New Columbia Distillers

Old Hickory Steakhouse

Old Forester and Woodford Reserve

Just Born Company

Tropicana

Sam Adams

The Cocoa Bean

McLoone’s Pier House

Grace’s Mandarin

National Pastime Sports Bar & Grill

Costal Produce

Nando’s Peri-peri

McCormick & Schmick’s

Country Vintners

Bacardi Mango Fusion and Oakheart

WATERFRONT DINING Spagnvola

premier restaurants at the

Pepsi

Taste of National Harbor Charity Event To purchase, call (301)

Tito’s Vodka Miller

Pienza

Keany Produce

Bond 45 Reyka Vodka Green Hat Gin Stella Artois Thai Pavilion Rosa Mexicano

Fiorella Italian Kitchen

$40 PER PERSON*

965-4000 or visit

Proceeds from this event will benefit:

TasteOfNationalHarborEvent.com *Excluding tax. Must be 21+ years old to consume alcohol. Event will occur rain or shine. Other restrictions apply. No refunds. Offering subject to change without notice.

The Esplanade has a leasing office open in anticipation of its opening with high end restaurants and retail.

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Ab Sep

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NationalHarbor.com

1-877-NATLHBR

DISCOVER PARADISE AT YOUR DOORSTEP Who said luxurious spa treatments are only available on the Islands? Introducing Relâche Spa & Salon – a spa unlike any other in the region. Our professional therapists will provide you with the latest treatments and personalized service to refresh and rejuvenate your body and soul.

F FACEBO

STARTING FROM $215 MONDAY – THURSDAY STARTING FROM $230 FRIDAY – SUNDAY

YOUR CHOICE OF ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SPA TREATMENTS: 50-minute Customized Massage • 50-minute Customized Facial • 50-minute Lemon Grass Body Polish

AND YOUR CHOICE OF ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SALON TREATMENTS: Classique Pedicure • Shellac Manicure

YOUR PACKAGE ALSO INCLUDES: One lunch entrée from our spa menu, three hour complimentary self-parking, a complimentary glass of champagne during your salon treatment, full use of spa facilities including steam room, sauna, whirlpool, and the Riverview Relaxation Lounge.

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RELÂCHE SPA at GAYLORD NATIONAL RESORT call 301.965.4400 or visit RELACHESPA.COM

October 2014 | 47

NATIONAL HARBOR DINING GUIDE AROMA DITALI 156 National Plaza 301-839-3492 BAJA FRESH MEXICAN 186 Waterfront Street 301-839-1377 BOND 45 149 Waterfront Street 301-839-1445 CADILLAC RANCH 186 Fleet St. 301-839-1100 cadillacranchgroup.com All-American cuisine 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

48 | October 2014

Harringtons Pub and Kitchen 177 Fleet Street 301-909-2505 harringtonspub andkitchen.com Enjoy traditional Irish fare and more!

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

PIENZA ITALIAN MARKET Gaylord Hotel 301-965-4000 POTBELLY SANDWICH WORKS 146 National Plaza 301-686-1160 PUBLIC HOUSE 199 Fleet Street 240-493-6120 publichouse nationalharbor.com Whether its lunch, happy hour, dinner or a late night party, we can meet your needs.

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

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