Old Town Crier- October 2015 Full Issue by Old Town Crier

Since 1988 • Priceless

October 2015

From the Bay to the Blue Ridge

Road Trip

BUCK’S PEAK CABIN A Shenandoah Retreat Open Space

COUNTDOWN TO GRAYTNESS Dining Out

KING STREET BLUES

Celebrating 25 Years in Old Town Grapevine

DOUKENIE WINERY Drink in the Scenery, Taste the Wine

oldtowncrier.com

Landini’s

ZAGAT

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

AND THE PAST 15 YEARS

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

G -11 pm N I RK :30

PArday 5 T E AL atu

V y&S a

Frid

Valet Parking Friday & Saturday 5-11 pm

Noe and Franco welcome you!

COME FOR THE FUN, STAY FOR THE FOOD!

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

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

105 & 107 King St. Old Town Alexandria

703.836.5676 fishmarketva.com

Eat Fish, Drink Beer, Live Longer!

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

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 Ashley Schultz DESIGN & PRODUCTION Electronic Ink 9 Royal Street, SE Leesburg, VA 20175 Chris Anderson Peggie Arvidson Sarah Becker Frank Britt Bonnie Browning F. Lennox Campello Steve Chaconas Doug Coleman Jimmy Deaton Doug Fabbioli Nicole Flanagan

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

A Bit of History After Hours

8 11 3

Open Space

First Blush

Pets of the Month

17 16

Financial Focus Fitness

Points on Pets

Art & Antiques

From the Bay…

Publishers Notes

Behind the Bar

From the Trainer

Road Trip

Business Profile

Gallery Beat

Spiritual Renaissance

Alexandria Events

Caribbean Connection

Go Fish

The Last Word

Chefs Special

Grapevine

To the Blue Ridge

Civil Discourse

Dining Guide

High Notes

Dining Out

National Harbor

Exploring Virginia Wines

On the Road

Halloween Fun

Urban Garden Virginia Wine Trails

© 2015 Crier Media Group, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. The Old Town Crier is published monthly and distributed to selected Alexandria residents, hotels, restaurants and retail shops. Also distributed in the Annapolis, Fredericksburg, Blue Ridge and Washington, DC areas as well as St. John, USVI.

About the cover On the road with OTC Turn to page 5 for fun Halloween trivia!

Old Town Crier

Old Town Crier fan, Laurie Norcross, on Bond Street in London on the day of the 70th anniversary of V-J Day. Laurie appears to be sharing with Winnie — FDR not so much. 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 2015 | 1

Local Farmers Markets

PUBLISHER’S NOTES BOB TAGERT

Old Town Farmers Market

Market Square • 301 King Street Saturday 7 a.m. - Noon, year round Free parking in Market Square garage during market hours

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.

ell, here we go again—another month and another Publisher’s Notes. On second thought, if I think this is tough, how about the great writers who contribute to this publication. I think I better rethink my position. We have a fantastic group of talented people on board this crazy ship and I cannot thank them enough for their contributions and dedication each month. The weather has changed more this past month than any month since last spring. Fall is definitely in the air, the leaves are changing and Halloween creeps up on us the end of the month. Read about all of the ghosts that haunt Alexandria from Civil War times in Doug Coleman’s Civil Discourse column. Our Road Trip is about the local mountains where half of the folks on the east coast will be the next two months taking in the fall foliage. Our journey took us to the Luray side of Skyline Drive at Thornton Gap. There is a variety of things to do in Luray, Sperryville and Washington, Va., but the best time is to stay put and enjoy the scenery. If you do head for the mountains, check out our Destination Dining section for the best places to eat. It seems that there are more events to attend during the month of October than there are during the holidays this year. This month there is the first Harvest Taste of Solomons as well as the 49th Annual Oyster Festival in St. Mary’s County. The ghost tours of Old Town Alexandria will be in full swing and fitting for this time of year. October is also Virginia Wine Month, a great time to not only catch the fall foliage but also check out the harvest and sample some really good wines across Virginia. Especially during the Columbus Day weekend there will be events at most wineries with the foliage reaching its peak. Stop in at Three Fox and Fabbioli Vineyards on your trek — they are good advertisers and make some good vino to boot! Take time to slow down—see the foliage, take in a winery, or get spooked this month! Before you know it the hub-bub of Christmas will be in full swing!

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2 | October 2015

Old Town Crier

Virginia Tourism Corporation

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

20th Annual Art on the Avenue October 3, 2015 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mount Vernon Avenue Alexandria, VA 22314 703-746-3301 FreE www.artontheavenue.org This annual family-friendly festival includes more than 325 juried artists selling handmade wares across ten blocks of Del Ray’s Mount Vernon Avenue, along with five stages for live entertainment plus food vendors and interactive art activities. Nancy Belmont, creator of the Courage Wall, will build a Canopy of Courage, a living sculpture of courageous declarations soaring as origami birds.

19th Annual Mount Vernon Fall Wine Festival & Sunset Tour October 2-4, 2015 6-9 p.m. George Washington’s Mount Vernon 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy. Mount Vernon, VA 22121 703-780-2000 $40/Friday, $46/Saturday, $36/ Sunday. Available starting August 24 www.mountvernon.org Enjoy live blues, tours of Mount Vernon’s basement where George Washington stored his wine, plus spectacular views of the Potomac River while sampling wine from 17 Virginia wineries. Visitors learn about the successes and failures of our Founding Father’s wine endeavors and meet “George and Martha Washington” on the mansion’s piazza. Alexandria Celebrates American Craft Week October 2-11, 2015 During store hours

Alexandria events

Various shops and studios in Alexandria Free for most activities www.visitalexandriava.com Home to many creative artists producing unique, hand-made decorative and functional objects every day, Alexandria is a top destination for American Craft

Week. Step into shops and studios to meet the artists and try flower petal art, mosaic knitting, or fabric block printing. A sampling of activities: animal papiermâché for kids at Ten Thousand Villages, card weaving workshop at The Art League, Midwestern Knits trunk show at fibre space, cloth doll making at Hooray for Books!, and more. 6th Annual Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon, 6k, and Kids’ Mini Half October 4, 2015 All races start at 7 a.m. Half marathon from George Washington’s Mount Vernon to National Harbor, MD 6k from Bell Haven Park in Alexandria to National Harbor, MD Half Marathon registration/$100 (price increases to $125 on October 1st), plus service fees 6k registration/$55 (price increases to $65 on October 1st), plus service fees

www.wilsonbridgehalf.com Ranked among the top 27 best half marathons in the United States by Runners World magazine, this 13.1-mile foot race sanctioned by USA Track & Field treats runners to eight-plus miles of the beautifully scenic George Washington Memorial Parkway into historic Old Town, and on to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, which arches over the Potomac River. This race benefits several nonprofit organizations and is supported by various local and national running, civic and business organizations. Registration fee includes parking and shuttle transportation. The WWBH will also serve as the Visually Impaired Half Marathon National Championship. 20th Annual Art Safari October 10, 2015 Noon-4 p.m. Torpedo Factory Art Center 105 N. Union Street Alexandria, VA 22314 703-838-4565 Free www.torpedofactory.org An Alexandria family tradition, Art Safari returns to the Torpedo Factory Art Center for its 20th year. Resident and visiting artists lead young visitors in an afternoon full of hands-on creative activities such as papier-mâché, fiber, and printmaking. Enjoy the Alexandria Archaeology Museum’s special activities featuring their collection of 18th- and 19th-century pottery and china, as well as The Art League’s popular Gallery Scavenger Hunt. Children should wear clothing that can

get a little dirty. All activities are free, with most appropriate for children ages 5–11. Some activities require parental assistance.

Art on Tap at The Art League October 16, 2015 7-10 p.m. $45 ($35 early bird) Art League Gallery at the Torpedo Factory 105 N. Union Street Alexandria, VA 703-683-1780 www.theartleague.org Local brewery craft beers have been artfully paired with a work of art. Local restaurants then chose a brew/artwork coupling as their muse and created the perfect complementary appetizer. The result--a truly unique brew, bite, and artwork trifecta! Sample the creative combinations while listening to live music and drinking from a take-home Art on Tap beer tasting glass, and then vote for your favorite at the end of the event! Ghost & Graveyard Special Halloween Tour October 23, 2015 7-9 p.m. Tours begin at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum 134 N. Royal Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Reservations accepted 703-519-1749 www.alexcolonialtours.com For one night only, Alexandria Colonial Tours will end its special one-hour Halloween tour in the very room where one of Alexandria’s most mysterious

women became a ghost. Weave your way through some of Alexandria’s most haunted locations hearing tales of this historic city’s past and end in the bedroom of the “Female Stranger” at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum. Tours run every 30 minutes. Reservations are suggested and tickets can be purchased online or in person. Partial proceeds benefit Gadsby’s Tavern Museum. 19th Annual Del Ray Halloween Parade October 25, 2015 2-4 p.m. (Participants should meet on Mount Vernon Ave. south of Bellefonte Ave. prior to 2 p.m.) Mount Vernon & Commonwealth avenues Alexandria, VA 22314 Free www.visitdelray.com Don your best Halloween costume and march in the 19th Annual Del Ray Halloween Parade, which historically has attracted thousands of participants. Awards will be given for Best Pet Costume, Best Decorated Business, Best Decorated Home, and Best Decorated Stroller. Awards will be presented in a brief ceremony after the parade, along with refreshments and goodie bags for the children. Adults, children and dogs are all welcome to join. Bark or Treat Halloween Canine Cruise October 30, 2015 7 p.m. Alexandria City Marina 1 Cameron Street Alexandria, VA 22314 703-684-0580 $16/adults, $10/children, dogs ride free www.potomacriverboatco.com The Potomac Riverboat Company invites guests with costumed-pup in tow to cruise around the Potomac River on this 60-minute ride, set to some classic Halloween tunes. Halloween doggie treats will be provided, as well as a photographer to capture the festivities.

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From the Bay to October 2009

October is…

VIRGINIA WINE MONTH

Personality Profile

FRANCO LANDINI Daytripping

, FREDERICKSBURG VIRGINIA Spooky Fun

GHOST TOURS &PETS! HOWL-OWEEN

Old Town Crier

the Blue Ridge

monthly fix

October 2015 | 3

business profile BOB TAGERT

Alexandria Businessmen Purchase Little Washington Restaurant Tula’s Off Main Has New Owners with Big Plans

ocal Alexandrians, Mark Allen and John McCaslin, have recently purchased Tula’s Off Main, a contemporary American restaurant in Washington, Va. (commonly referred to as Little Washington). I recently visited them at the restaurant to see if they had lost their minds (they haven’t!). Both businessmen have homes in the area and absolutely love it out there. They have also bought the building. McCaslin was born in Alexandria at the old Alexandria Hospital, which was located at Duke and Washington streets. Five years ago McCaslin bought a home in nearby Woodville and permanently moved out there last year. “You know, fifty years ago when I was a kid, Old Town was a little like this is out here,” he tells me. “There was a lot of space and green. Reminds me of my youth!” McCaslin graduated from Old Dominion University in 1980 with a 4 | October 2015

degree in speech communication. In 1980 he began his journalism career in Kalispell, Montana (more green space), working as news director and anchor of radio station KOFI-AM. In 1982-84 he joined stations KJJRAM and KBBZ-FM in Whitefish, Montana. He was also an awardwinning correspondent for United Press International and a stringer for NBC and ABC. In 1984, McCaslin returned home and joined The Washington Times as a White House correspondent. He was appointed assistant national editor, and became metropolitan editor when DC Mayor Marion Barry was the target of a federal investigation and indictment. In 1992 he began writing the popular column Inside the Beltway, which was later syndicated by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate and Chicago Tribune Media Services. He has contributed to a number of publications including Reader’s Digest and Tennis as well as traveled all over

the world as a travel writer. McCaslin has been a regular guest on numerous local and national news programs. In June of 2009, McCaslin became co-host of America’s Morning News located here in Old Town and with 300 affiliate stations. It was a new format aimed at showcasing investigative reporting, accountability journalism and live reporting from around the country and around the world. Following massive cuts to the show’s budget the writing was on the wall that the news product was declining and people were being let go, so in 2013 McCaslin resigned his position. Now McCaslin’s many talents will be focused on the day-to-day operations of Tula’s and the office building. We can expect great things from this restaurant. Mark Allen is a practicing real estate lawyer with an office here in Old Town Alexandria located at 111 Oronoco Street. Allen has more than 32 years of

experience in real estate settlements. Allen has a well-regarded reputation, offering high quality service at very competitive prices. He has earned an AV Preeminent Peer Review by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest recognition possible in the legal industry. Allen received his law degree from Georgetown University in 1980 and worked as legislative assistant/press secretary to U.S. Representative Melvin Price, U.S. House of Representatives from 1976-1979, and law clerk to Judge Robert L. Kuzig, U.S. Court of Claims, 1979-1980. In 1983 Allen opened his own law practice. In the spring of 2014 Allen rented space in Little Washington and opened a satellite office while keeping his main practice in Alexandria. With a small farm in neighboring Culpeper, Allen found himself drawn to the area more and more, until he and McCaslin decided to purchase the building from Ken Thompson, which not only contained his law office but Tula’s as well. “When Tula’s first started out it was just a corner Danish and coffee shop,” Allen says. “When Ken bought it he enlarged it and made it into a small restaurant.” Over the next several months Thompson annexed the room next door and hired nationally known furniture maker Peter Kramer to create new flooring, new furniture and build a bar. With the renovations and the addition of a large outdoor patio, Tula’s Off Main was complete. They have just rolled out their fall menu, which is sourced locally from more than 30 Rappahannock County farms, farm stores, distilleries, vineyards and orchards. “We are going about this slowly and carefully,” McCaslin says. “We want to develop our local sources with a farmto-table approach as well as add more Virginia wine to our wine list.” (We here at the Old Town Crier have been writing about Virginia wines for more than 25 years and they have come a long way, with some of the better ones produced within a 10-mile radius of Little Washington). With fall upon us, it is a great time to hop in the car and take a drive to the mountains. Be sure to read this month’s road trip since I will be on the Luray side of the mountains only about 15 miles from Tula’s Off Main.

Old Town Crier

History of the Jack O’Lantern

BATS!

edieval folklore describes bats as witches' familiars, and seeing a bat on Halloween was considered to be quite an ominous sign. One myth was that if a bat was spotted flying around one’s house three times, it meant that someone in that house would soon die. Another myth was that if a bat flew into your house on Halloween, it was a sign that your house was haunted because ghosts had let the bat in!

The Witches Caldron “Eye of newt, and toe of frog, Wool of bat, and tongue of dog” “Adder’s fork, and blind-worm’s sting, Lizard’s leg, and owlet’s wing” “For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and babble” “Double, double, toil and trouble, Fire burn, and caldron bubble” William Shakespeare • Pumpkins are a fruit. A pumpkin is a type of squash and a member of the gourd family (Cucurbitacae), which also includes squash, cucumbers, gherkins and melons. • The largest pumpkin pie ever baked was in 2005 and weighed 2,020 pounds. • Pumpkins have been grown in North America for five thousand years. They are indigenous to the western hemisphere. • In 1584, after French explorer Jacques Cartier explored the St. Lawrence region of North America, he reported finding gros melons. The name was translated into English as pompions,

which has since evolved into the modern pumpkin. • Pumpkins are low in calories, fat and sodium and high in fiber. They are good sources of Vitamins A and B, potassium, protein and iron. • The largest pumpkin ever grown was 1,689 pounds. It was grown by Joe Jutras of North Scituate, Rhode Island. • Pumpkin seeds should be planted between the last week of May and the middle of June. They take between 90 and 120 days to mature and are picked in October when they are bright orange in color. Their seeds can be saved to grow new pumpkins the following year.

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Pumpkins But Were Afraid To Ask!

Old Town Crier

Pumpkin carving is a popular part of modern America’s Halloween celebration. Come October, pumpkins can be found everywhere in the country from doorsteps to dinner tables. Despite the widespread carving that goes on in this country every autumn, few Americans really know why or when the jack o’lantern tradition began. Read on to find out! People have been carving jack o’lanterns at Halloween for centuries. The practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed Stingy Jack. According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack didn’t want to pay for his drink, so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross, which prevented the Devil from changing back to his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for one year and that, should Jack die, he would not claim his soul. The next year, Jack again tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up in the tree, Jack carved a sign of the cross into the tree’s bark so that the Devil could not come down until the Devil promised Jack not to bother him for ten more years. Soon after, Jack died. As the legend goes, God would not allow such an unsavory figure into heaven. The Devil, upset by the trick Jack had played on him and keeping his word not to claim his soul, would not allow Jack into hell. He sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved-out turnip and has been roaming the Earth ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as “Jack of the Lantern,” and then, simply “Jack O’Lantern.” In Ireland and Scotland, people began to create their own versions of Jack’s lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from these countries brought the jack o’lantern tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack o’lanterns.

Witches have a long history

with Halloween. Legends tell of witches gathering twice a year when the seasons changed, on April 30, the eve of May Day; and the eve of October 31, All Hallow’s Eve.

The witches would gather

on these nights, arriving on broomsticks, to celebrate a party hosted by the devil. Superstitions told of witches casting spells on unsuspecting people, transforming themselves into different forms and causing other magical mischief.

It was said that to meet a witch you had to put your clothes on wrong side out and you had to walk backwards on Halloween night. Then at midnight you would see a witch.

When the early settlers came to America, they

brought along their belief in witches. In America, the legends of witches spread and mixed with the beliefs of Native Americans, for example, who also believed in witches, and then later with the black magic beliefs of African slaves.

The black cat has long been

associated with witches. Many superstitions have evolved about cats. It was believed that witches could change into cats. Some people also believed that cats were the spirits of the dead.

One of the best known superstitions is

that of the black cat. If a black cat was to cross your path you would have to turn around and go back because many people believe if you continued bad luck would strike. October 2015 | 5

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

Searching for Yields in Today’s Market Consider Total Return

When evaluating incomegenerating opportunities investors need to consider total return — income plus price appreciation, while maintaining a consistent focus on risk reduction. When you think in these terms, certain asset classes can emerge as relatively more attractive. Given these parameters, here are a few equity and fixed-income investments to consider.

Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

Equity REITs are investments consisting of diversified portfolios of commercial real estate that are publicly traded on major exchanges.1 Because their focus tends to be on owning U.S.-based properties, equity REITs stand to benefit from improving economic conditions, such as the boost in U.S. job growth, which, in turn, could increase demand for commercial real estate.

From a yield perspective, REITs are required to distribute 90% of their annual income to shareholders in the form of dividend payments. When this incomegenerating capability is coupled with real estate’s potential to appreciate in value, equity REITs may be considered an attractive investment from a total return perspective. To manage risk, it is wise to maintain a portfolio that is broadly diversified by property type, location, and geographic area. In addition, even though equity REITs are considered equity investments, they historically have had a low correlation with stocks, which allows investors to benefit from the potential for enhanced returns

while lowering their equity portfolio’s overall risk profile.

Global Bonds

One of the key arguments for considering an allocation to global bonds is to add currency exposure to a portfolio.2 Although currency adds another level of volatility to a portfolio’s fixed-income allocation, it also provides investors with a natural hedge against the devaluation of the dollar, which traditional domestic fixed-income asset classes cannot offer. Another reason to consider adding global bonds is the prospect for higher economic growth rates outside the United States (see table, below).2 As world economies grow more quickly, investors with an exposure to

World Economic Growth Rate

2014

2015 Projected

United States 2.4% 3.1% Developing World (including the United States

1.8%

2.4%

Emerging/Developing Markets

4.6%

4.3%

Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Growth, April 2015

Headquartered in Alexandria, VA

serving members nationwide for more than 45 years.

Income-oriented investors have had a tough go of it for the past several years. Persistently low interest rates have curtailed traditional sources of yield. Yet, by broadening their search criteria, investors may uncover new ways to diversify their income portfolios with potentially more attractive options. global bonds stand to benefit from this growth. When researching global bonds from an income perspective, it may be important to consider that many foreign countries typically run on different business/interest rate cycles than the United States. Therefore, when interest rates are higher abroad, global bond investors potentially may be able to take advantage of these varying cycles to earn higher yields. Keep in mind that unlike international bond funds, which typically are bound by their investment policies to adhere to a non-U.S.allocation mandate, managers of global bond funds have the flexibility to shift allocations out of foreign markets back into domestic securities (and

vice versa) as conditions warrant. In this way, U.S. investors in global bonds may potentially gain protection on the downside while retaining the ability to participate on the upside.

Leveraged Loans

When considering high yield, few investors tend to think of leveraged loans.3 Briefly, leveraged loans are floating rate loans that banks make to below-investmentgrade companies, hence their high-yield status. Since they are adjustable rate instruments, tied to shortterm interest rates, they can provide investors a hedge against interest rate risk — if interest rates rise, the coupon on the loan resets accordingly. This feature can potentially FINANCIAL FOCUS > PAGE 11

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Old Town Crier

URBAN GARDEN JIMMY DEATON

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

i Folks! Can you believe it’s October already and yet we are still harvesting tomatoes and sweet peppers? We’re also harvesting chilis, including Jalapenos, Serranos and another one of our creations the Del Ray Cajun? The Del Rey is a very versatile chili that has gotten a great review by national chili pod reviewer, Jim Johnson. You can watch the video on our website’s main page at lynnhavengreens.com. This particular plant measures over 6 feet in width and is now just a tad under 6 feet tall. I want to touch base on what we will be doing this winter to ensure that we have some fresh vegetables and fruits available. Our set up consists of growing — in our finished basement — tomatoes, baby salad greens, microgreens and lemons and limes. We grow our plants under different lighting depending on the variety. The microgreens and baby salad greens are grown on an industrial metal shelf that stands 6 feet tall, 4 feet wide with a 20 inch depth. They are four shelves each having a 48” T-5 HO fluorescent tube to illuminate the shelf. For the microgreens we use 10’x20’ nursery flats using Sure to Grow mats which are inert, ph neutral and sterile. I love using these because you Old Town Crier

don’t have to worry about soil-borne pathogens which could wreak havoc in an enclosed area such as a basement. Our microgreens go from seed to harvest in 10 days The baby salad greens are grown the same way and we allow them to get about three sets of leaves before they are harvested. I’ll sometimes grow them in coco coir mix which I find superior to peat based mixes. Coco’s air to water ratio is greater than peat, does not compact like peat does and can be reused after harvesting by allowing it to dry out. I then use a bonsai soil screen to remove old roots which get tossed into the compost bin. From a nutritional standpoint microgreens and baby salad greens are superior to their full size cousins and are a superfood. The problem though is the nutrient value is only good for 2-5 days from harvest and the ones we found in three different organic markets had been on the shelves six days average. This is why we grow them ourselves and offer them for sale to the public. Our company guarantee’s is “From harvest to your hands in under 60 minutes” and we can also supply flats of uncut greens as well for you to harvest as needed. For the lemons, limes and tomatoes, we grow them under what’s known

as a high pressure sodium light, commonly known as an HPS. It comes in various wattages starting at 70 watts. We have 150 and 400 watts. The 150 will cover an area approximately 2’x2’ and the 400 watt a 4’x4’ area. These lights will illuminate not just the aforementioned plants but also our bonsais of tropical origin such as the bougainvillea. Our lemon and lime trees are of the Meyer variety and kept compact by pruning. They are grown in two gallon containers in cactus soil mixed with course contractor grade sand. I like to have a quick draining soil and treat all my houseplants in this manner. This way I never need to worry about root rot due to over-watering. For the tomatoes, we grow the Lizzano variety which is a patio type. It averages 18 inches tall and wide and has the sweetest baby cherry tomatoes. For those that are adventurous there are cucumbers of the bush/patio types that I would imagine can be grown inside as well. Your best bet to find anything small is to go to rareseeds. com which is owned by the Baker Creek seed company. The tomatoes are also grown in two gallon pots using a coco coir based mix. We foliar feed using the following schedule: On weeks one

and three Neptune’s Harvest Fish and Seaweed is used at 1 Tbs. to a gallon of water. Weeks two and four, Epsom salts at 1 Tbs. to a gallon of water. Spray your leaves paying attention to make sure that the underside of the leaves are covered with the solution as well. Neptune’s Harvest is a complete organic fertilizer and will give your plants everything they needs to be healthy. The Epsom salts will bring in the much needed magnesium that fruiting plants require. We also mist our fruit trees every other day since they are of a tropical origin. We also grow herbs — mainly basil and thyme. Both are compact and what we use in the kitchen most. Angie, being Italian, has to have fresh basil and I love thyme. If I was to pick another herb to grow inside it would be oregano since it, too, stays petite. As you can see, growing vegetables, fruits and herbs inside is possible. It just takes a little more diligence and making sure you select the right varieties for your growing environment. If you have any questions or comments about Urban Garden or have a garden question for Jimmy, please email him at office@oldtowncrier.com. Be sure to write “Urban Garden” in the subject line. October 2015 | 7

a bit of history sarah becker©

States amounted to 31,041,977, an increase of 8,449,921 as compared with 1850.” The increase in free men was 38%, “a material increase due to immigration from abroad.” Slaves accounted for 12.9% of the total population. Post-Civil War, Virginians chose either the restoration of labor or ruin. “It is…delusional to hope that immigrants…will…come into Virginia and remain merely as laborers,” Virginia’s Land and Immigration Company wrote in 1868. “But as actual settlers—as landed proprietors, they will only come, and come by the thousands….” The Company offered to sell land “to actual settlers,

Immigration

“F

orebears created this Nation,” President Lyndon Johnson said on January 20, 1965. “In each generation, with toil and tears, we have to earn our heritage again…They came here—the exile and the stranger, brave but frightened—to find a place where a man could be his own man. They made a covenant with this land,” an economic decision. America is primarily a nation of European immigrants. We are, Johnson explained in 1965, “one nation and one people.” An immigrant American is one “who, leaving behind him all his ancient prejudices and manners, receives new ones from the new mode of life he has embraced,” French Consul to New York and later immigrant J. Hector St. Jean explained in 1782. “Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men.…” Immigrate describes the move relative to the destination. Emigrate describes the move relative to the point of departure. In 1840 The Legislature of Jamaica “encouraged the emigration of free colored persons to that Island.” In 1858 Chinese emigrants “bought up abandoned claims in California.” Alternatively, in 1866, Virginia initiated “a practical plan for the introduction of sober and industrious immigrants, from England and Scotland, into this State.” The Census of 1860 “showed the aggregate population of the United 8 | October 2015

[especially British and German], on such terms as will induce them to come…” “We have not one-quarter the population in Virginia that we ought to have,” Governor Walker said in 1872. “I go heart and soul for keeping our young men at home, but we want others to help us build up the Commonwealth. The importance of immigration is generally conceded… We want no pauper immigrants, nor others to break down Virginia. We can keep that class out. What we want is honest, industrious, thrifty citizens—who will come and improve and build upon our lands. These we can easily obtain, from the North and from Europe.” On October 3 President Johnson signed the Immigration Act of 1965. “This bill says simply that…those wishing to emigrate to America shall be admitted on the basis of their skills and their close relationship to those already here,” Johnson declared. “For over four decades the immigration policy of the United States has been twisted and distorted by the harsh injustice of the national origins quota system.” “Under that system the ability of new immigrants to come to America depended on the country of their birth,” Johnson continued. “Only three countries were allowed to supply 70 per cent of all immigrants. Families were kept apart because a husband or wife or child had been born in the wrong place. Men of needed skill and

talent were denied entrance because they came from southern or eastern Europe or from one of the developing continents.” “This system violated the basic principle of our democracy—the principle that values and rewards each man on the basis of his merit as a man,” Johnson concluded. “Those who come will come because of what they are—not because of the land from which they sprung.” Fifty years later, the Immigration Act of 1965 is hardly mentioned when recounting the high points of the Kennedy brothers’1960s liberalism. “It transformed a nation 85% white in 1965 into one that’s onethird minority today, and on track for a nonwhite majority by 2042,” The Boston Globe reported on 2008. Yet President Johnson maintained “This bill is not a revolutionary bill.” Before the Act, immigration visas were apportioned based on the demographic breakdown that existed at the time of the 1920 Census. “That is, there were few if any limits on immigrants from Western and Northern Europe, but strict quotas on those from elsewhere.” Passage of the 1952, ideologically based McCarren-Walter Act reconfirmed the quota system. In 1920 the aggregated total of American inhabitants was 106,021,537 persons; 179,323,175 persons in 1960 and 321,664,150 persons in 2015. In the last 50 years “far more relatives of citizens asked to be admitted than the State Department had expected.” Reform waits. The Immigration Act of 1965 took “full effect” in 1968. It “established a limit of 170,000 on annual immigration from countries outside the Western hemisphere and put a ceiling of 120,000 on the number who could enter from within the Hemisphere.” The stated order of preference: “immediate relatives of those who were already U.S. citizens or alien residents; professionals or others with special talents or education, and refugees who had fled a Communist dominated country [like Cuba], or the Middle East.” Skilled or unskilled laborers, of the type who established America’s pre-eminence during the industrial revolution, were among the last to be considered. “The accent on reuniting families… has drastically altered the immigration mix,” The Washington Post reported in 1966, “so much so, in fact, that

an American-Irish Immigration Committee was formed recently in New York City to protest the unaccustomed difficulty that the Irish were having getting in.” More and more immigrants are of color. In 1990 Congress approved broad immigration changes, including a large increase in the total number of family-related immigrants. By 19951997 the educational level of new immigrants was lower, immigration applications for Supplemental Security Income much higher. In 2013, the U.S. Census American Community Survey estimated that 29.6% of Alexandria’s population was foreign-born. This compares to 13% nationally, 3.2% locally in 1960. Today’s means test relates more to family reunification, than job skills. In 1998 Alan Reynolds, the Hudson Institute’s Director of Economic Research, argued “U.S. immigration policy serves primarily to increase the number of U.S. residents who lack even a high-school degree.” Approximately 20% of Alexandria’s 2009-2013 foreign-born residents 25 years or older lacked a high school education. Is America “recruiting workers for jobs that exist only at the lowest wages?” The Immigration Act of 1965 “changed the racial narrative in America.” In 2008 Presidential candidate Barack Obama spoke of cultural diversity, of heritage and “a new generation of Americans.” In fact, the 2010 Census found 75% of Americans identified as White, either White alone or in combination with one or more other races. “The bosom of America is open to receive not only the opulent and respectable stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all nations and religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and privileges, if by decency and propriety of conduct they appear to merit the enjoyment,” George Washington told the lately arrived Members of the New York Volunteer Association of the Kingdom of Ireland in 1783. President Lincoln’s Cottage, a NTHP property located in the city of Washington, opens a new exhibit, American by Belief, on October 16th in the Special Exhibits Gallery of the Robert H. Smith Library. For more information, visit www.lincolncottage.org. Email: abitofhistory53@gmail.com Old Town Crier

civil DISCOURSE DOUG COLEMAN

Alexandria’s Civil War Ghosts & Graveyards

n 1860 the population of Alexandria was 12,862. When the Civil War ended five years later, about half this number of Union soldiers, “contrabands” and Confederate prisoners remained behind in Alexandria’s cemeteries. It is not surprising, then, that a few restless souls remain behind as well. Among these may be the first two combat casualties of the war, Elmer Ellsworth and James W. Jackson. Jackson was the proprietor of the Marshall House, a hotel located at the southeast corner of King and Pitt. A secessionist and ardent patriot, Jackson flew a large Confederate flag from the roof of his hotel, so large that Lincoln could see it from the White House. Lincoln requested his friend Ellsworth, a colonel of the New York regiment of Fire Zouaves, tear the flag down. He did so when Alexandria was occupied on May 24, 1861. Jackson took exception, fatally wounding Ellsworth in the left breast with a shotgun blast as he descended the stairway from the roof. A zouave named Brownell won the Medal of Honor avenging Ellsworth by shooting Jackson in the face, then bayonetting him for good measure. The site of the Marshall House is today occupied by the Hotel Monaco, where a plaque commemorates Jackson’s defiance of Federal tyranny - sic semper tyrannis. Lore is that spirits persist on the sixth floor, in the location of the old staircase where the struggle over the flag occurred. The Mansion House Hotel, gone now but once located in the front yard of the Carlyle House, was used as a hospital. The upcoming PBS series Mercy Street is set in this hospital. One or more of the wounded threw themselves out of the upper stories to end their suffering on the bricks below. Heads up on Fairfax Street – their ghosts are reportedly still falling. Not long after the occupation, a local Old Town Crier

hero taking pot shots at the invaders was killed and dumped in a shallow grave at the side of Duke Street near the Metro Station. Judging the sniper did not merit a formal monument, the Yankees drove a stake through his chest to mark his unconsecrated grave. For all we know, he is still there, but the stake should hold his spirit at bay. The Wilkes Street tunnel has earned some bad karma over the years. The Alexandria Gazette recalls in 1909: “Nearly forty-four years ago a young soldier was stabbed to death in the Wilkes Street tunnel. The murder was committed between five and six o’clock on a bright summer evening. The party or parties who committed the crime were never identified. The victim wore new clothes, but there is every reason to suppose he had enlisted in order to procure several hundred dollars bounty. He had been lured into the tunnel, where he was murdered and robbed. A short time before this murder some fiends who had murdered a man placed his dead body upon the track at the western end of the tunnel. The head of the corpse had been placed on the rail and a passing train crushed it.” The Gazette also reports that on August 25, 1862, a drunken soldier had his leg severed by a train at the eastern end of the tunnel. So, it turns out there is good reason for the “cold spots” in the tunnel. On Seminary Ridge, Vaucluse graced the spot where Alexandria Hospital now stands. In 1930 Marguerite Du Pont Lee told the story of the Vaucluse ghost in her classic Virginia Ghosts. Vaucluse did not survive the war, torn down for bricks to construct the powder magazines at nearby Fort Worth. By 1862, the estate had been devastated and a certain attractive young woman (probably Constance Cary) had fled south. But her beau, a young Confederate soldier, did not know this when he tried to slip CIVIL DISCOURSE > PAGE 10

October 2015 | 9

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A BIT OF HISTORY FROM PAGE 9

through the lines to see her. The Confederates were nearby at Bailey’s Crossroads, while the Federals were on an entrenched line between the newly-constructed Forts Ward and Worth, with sniping and occasional firefights in the intervening no-man’s land. Our hero made it as far as the garden of Vaucluse and was probably wondering where the mansion had gone when Yankee pickets turned him into a ghost. Lee says the boy was buried where he fell, next to the spring in the garden. In the 1930s, Lee regrets: “All that remains of that chapter in [Vaucluse] history and of the once beautiful old garden are the hardy daffodils and narcissi, blooming here and there on the hillside in the spring sunshine; the thread of living waters surging over pebbles as of old, and the ghost of the unlucky lover, visible on moonlight nights, lying at full length among the ferns, violets and periwinkle beside the spring.” Deprived of rainfall by the asphalt and concrete of Alexandria Hospital, the spring runs no more. The nameless ghost is described as “a boy in his gray uniform, his breast stained a dark red, his youthful face turned upward towards the leafy roof of the interlacing poplars. Children of a later generation bend over him and gaze in breathless wonder as through the soft grey of his Confederate uniform they see the little violets blooming on the sod! Gradually he

years ago. Before the National Cemetery opened, soldiers were buried at the camps and forts where they died, or in Alexandria’s potter’s field, Penny Hill. Fort Worth had its own burial plot located on a knoll, “directly beneath” the guns of the fort, corresponding to the old garden of Colonel Herbert’s Muckross, now the cul-de-sac of Moss Place. Colonel J. Howard Kitching, camped at Fort Worth in December of 1861, described it to his wife: “You will remember that I wrote you about the little grave-yard where they laid the poor fellow who was shot two weeks ago, and where several of our pickets are lying, who have been shot at various times. We turned out our companies last week, and put a little rustic fence around it, and the place looks really pretty, only so lonely, and reminds one so strongly of the realities of war, lying, as it does, directly under the guns of our fort; their black muzzles seeming to point directly upon the new-made graves.” Records indicate at least some of these burials were moved to the National Cemetery. In the late ‘70s, across from Alexandria Hospital at the northwest corner of Seminary and Howard, bones were discovered as houses went up. Although Union eagle buttons were associated with these graves, they were almost certainly not soldiers. Most likely this was a burial ground for the freedmen who served the

In 1860 the population of Alexandria was 12,862. When the Civil War ended five years later, about half this number of Union soldiers, “contrabands” and Confederate prisoners remained behind in Alexandria’s cemeteries. It is not surprising, then, that a few restless souls remain behind as well. fades from their sight…” The movie Poltergeist warns against building on old burial grounds. Yet there are many places in Alexandria where this may have happened. A wartime map shows a cemetery at the corner of Seminary and Quaker, where the rectory of Immanuel on the Hill now stands — this was likely associated with the Fairfax Seminary hospital. The hospital already had a dedicated cemetery about 100 yards northeast of Aspinwall Hall, so it is not clear whether this is a second “overflow” cemetery for soldiers or whether it was occupied by “contrabands.” If soldiers, coffins were likely disinterred and moved to the Alexandria National Cemetery; if not, it may still contain burials. And, as the Reverend Joseph Packard relates in his autobiography, not all of the roughly 500 burials in the main cemetery were moved: “Some boys playing in Dr. Walker’s garden, as late as 1870, fell through a hole in the ground into a shallow grave, where a skull and bones were found.” Now, of course, a house occupies the site of the main hospital graveyard. At one time 39 Confederate prisoners of war who died in Alexandria were interred in the National Cemetery as well. All of the Confederate soldiers are now buried elsewhere, including 34 reinterred in a mass grave in Christ Church Cemetery by the Daughters of the Confederacy in 1879. Some of these Confederates may have been interned in the Odd Fellow’s Hall on North Columbus. A particularly mean guard went missing one day and was never heard from again – unless he was the corpse found under the floorboards during renovations of the Hall about forty

forts, hospitals and camps nearby. Jane Stuart Woolsey, nursing superintendent at the Seminary hospital, writes sympathetically of the condition of these “contrabands.” “The huts about us, first homes of the wandering, sorrowful race, were strange patchwork; bits of shelter-tents and blankets, ends of plank, barrel staves, logs and mud, but most of them were neatly whitewashed and with the likeness of a little fenced garden behind, and near many and many, by the roadside, was a rough grave with a red wood cross at its head.” In her autobiography Hospital Days, she reflects that: “The huts and gardens are gone, and the forlorn graves were trodden long ago into the fine white dust of the Virginia highway.” These “forlorn graves” remain. The old roads widened now for modern traffic, crumbling bones shudder beneath our tires daily. Might we hope to assuage this indignity by not forgetting? Happy Halloween!

Sources

Joseph Packard, Recollections of a long life; J. Howard Kitching, More than Conqueror; Alexandria Gazette; Jane Stuart Woolsey, Hospital Days; Marguerite Du Pont Lee, Virginia Ghosts; Alexandria National Cemetery, http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/national_ cemeteries/virginia/Alexandria_National_ Cemetery.html Doug Coleman is an attorney and amateur historian in Alexandria; comments and corrections are welcome at dcoleman@colemanlawyers.com. Old Town Crier

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FINANCIAL FOCUS FROM PAGE 6

result in better performance relative to longer-term fixed income in a rising rate environment, as traditional fixed-income asset prices tend to move inversely with changes in interest rates. One unique feature of leveraged loans that makes them potentially less risky than traditional high-yield bonds is their senior-secured status, meaning in case of a potential default, investors in leveraged loans may be more likely to get their money back. To learn more about any of these income-oriented investment options contact your financial advisor. Because of the possibility of human or mechanical error by Wealth Management Systems Inc. or its sources, neither Wealth Management Systems Inc. nor its sources guarantees the accuracy, adequacy, completeness or availability of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of such information. In no event shall Wealth Management Systems Inc. be liable for any indirect, special or consequential damages in connection with subscriber’s or others’ use of the content. © 2015 Wealth Management Systems Inc. All rights reserved. This column is provided through the Financial Planning Association,

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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 taxpayer’s particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor. Securities offered by McLaughlin Ryder Investments, Inc. and investment advisory services offered by McLaughlin Ryder Advisory Services, LLC. or marketing of the transaction (s) or matter(s) addressed by these materials, to the extent allowed by applicable law. Any such taxpayer should seek advice based on the taxpayer’s particular circumstances from an independent tax advisor. Securities offered by McLaughlin Ryder Investments, Inc. and investment advisory services offered by McLaughlin Ryder Advisory Services, LLC.

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Old Town Crier

October 2015 | 11

HIGH NOTES CHRIS ANDERSON

panic on the street widespread panic: street dogs

s Widespread Panic enters their fourth decade as a band, they cap off their first thirty years with a mighty bang. Taking their freewheeling spirit all the way back to its core, WSP recorded their 12th album, Street Dogs live in the studio. The result is as close an account of their legendary live performances as they have ever been able to capture in the studio. With drummer Todd Nance on extended leave, Duane Trucks has been performing with the band for about a year and he extends that duty to this album. While it’s odd to imagine a Panic album without the rock-solid Nance holding it down, Trucks does a magnificent job, adding a looser swing to the band’s sound without messing with the formula too much. They kick things off with a super funky take on Alan Price’s “Sell Sell”, a song that previously appeared on their 2012 acoustic live box set, Wood. While both takes are nice and swampy, this version sets the stage for what can only be another solid album from this band. Given that they write by committee, it could be easy for Widespread Panic to fall into that trap where their songs just sound like jams with vocals added on top, but that tendency seems to be a bit tempered here, especially on the exquisite “Steven’s Cat”. While the song

12 | October 2015

itself, with its punchy chords, dramatic build-ups, and dynamic contrasts, could be considered paint-by-numbers WSP, it is still a killer track, one of the best since 2003’s Ball, and this is a sure-fire contender for the album’s single, should there be one. One of Widespread’s great strengths has always been in their song pacing. There is always careful attention paid to their setlists (even though they change every night), with all the light and dark and rise and fall in all the right places, and that is something that carries over to their albums as well. Case in point, the eight-minute, jazzy “Cease Fire”, which finds the band really exploring the spaces between the notes - a perfect simmer after such a hot opening salvo. Guitar god Jimmy Herring continues to prove his worth with not only his burning solo during the tripped-out jam that closes the song, but also in his atmospheric chording in the body of the song. As it surely would do in a live show, this soon melts into a slow burning jam that segues seamlessly into the next track, “Jamais Vu (the world has changed)”, a long, mellow number that reminds me of their classic, “Blue Indian”, recast as a sleepy, late night, rainy night blues. Taking inspiration from the aforementioned Wood album and tour, “Angels Don’t Sing The Blues” features acoustic guitars and some really inspired band interplay, including more stellar soloing from Jimmy Herring and some great drumming by Duane Trucks and percussionist Sunny Ortiz. The second of three cover songs is the dark and dirty “Honky Red”, an obscure cut from Canadian singer/songwriter, Murray McLauchlan. Typical of Widespread, they took this song and totally made it sound like their own creation. In fact, had I not already known it was a cover I would’ve been shocked to discover it wasn’t their song. They completely own this track. Most of the songs on this album are sung by front-man John Bell. As they probably should – to this day, there is no singer in the entirety of the “jamband” universe that can come anywhere close to being as good a singer as Bell. From his gritty snarl to his backwoods holler to his mellow, storyteller voice, he is as engaging a vocalist as you might ever

find. That said, however, he gives up the mic, from time to time, most often to keyboardist Jojo Hermann. His output might be slimmer than Bell’s but his songs are always some of the most fun, and his two offerings on this set are no less. The first is the mid-tempo countryrock of “The Poorhouse Of Positive Thinking”, one of his most mature numbers (and, no doubt, his greatest song title), and a perfect kind of song to drunkenly strum on an acoustic guitar by a campfire. Jojo’s forte is his New Orleans-inspired piano playing and there is plenty of that in the breaks between the verses. Jimmy Buffett couldn’t write a better song. Following that bit of sunshine is the dark and heavy “Welcome To My World”, because Widespread always loves to take it there. A solid song with some blistering slide guitar and a swift rock groove, this is the kind of number that makes you want to drive fast. It’s not my favorite song on the album but I can imagine this really getting a crowd riled up and I am looking forward to seeing them play this one sometime. From there, they keep up the pace with Willie Dixon’s “Taildragger”, a song they have been playing live for a number of years now. That time spent in the setlist has really given the band a strong handle on this tune, especially in Dave Schools’ thunderous bass bombs. Sometimes it gets to be a little too “blueshammer” for me, but it is still a tight track that showcases the band’s strengths. Closing out the album is Jojo Hermann’s second offering, “Street Dogs For Breakfast”, a loose, swingin’, goodtime sounding number with a kind of a low-life, rock-bottom sort of lyric that totally fits the song’s Tom Waits-inspired title. A killer way to close this album, knowing that this was recorded live makes it feel all the more right. It’s clear that Widespread Panic is in it for the long run. 30 years in and no sign of stopping, they could still very well be in the mid-life of their career. And even though Street Dogs might not be as vital as albums like Bombs & Butterflies and Til The Medicine Takes, this is still one of their finest latter-day albums.

Old Town Crier

THE LAST WORD MIRIAM R. KRAMER

The Girl in the Spider’s Web

lifetime of reading has taught me that my favorite characters in a book are often the most perverse. One of my beloved fictional characters of the last ten years is brilliant Lisbeth Salander, the pierced, tattooed computer hacker in Swedish journalist Stieg Larsson’s three crime thrillers, which exploded as bestsellers on the international market. (I reviewed The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest in a previous issue of the Old Town Crier.) Larsson died of a heart attack after he had finished the third book, leaving his loyal readers sorely disappointed that they would hear no more of Salander’s maneuvers in tracking crooks who, among other criminal acts, commit violence against women, and her partner in solving crime, the passionate, dedicated financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist. When I read that the franchise had passed to another Swedish writer, David Lagercrantz, I broke one of my cardinal rules this month in reading The Girl in the Spider’s Web, a recently published follow-up. I almost never read writers finishing other writers’ work and am against it in principle. The devil didn’t make me do it; Lisbeth Salander did. I missed her and had to find out what she did next. Lisbeth Salander compels me because of her originality as a character. At 4’11” and 90 pounds, with dyed black hair and a sometimes wild, sometimes icy personality that registers somewhere on the autism scale, she has been a victim of the social welfare system since childhood and still erroneously looks like one. After having been mistakenly institutionalized until young adulthood after defending her badly beaten mother from her father, she is put in a psychiatric home, creating in her a deep mistrust of any authority figures, a strongly felt sense of right and wrong, the need to enforce justice as she sees it, a disdain for bureaucracy, a loathing of violence against women, and the tendency to defend herself through any means necessary. She relies only on the help of a very few friends and Hacker Republic, a small circle of fellow hackers, using her photographic memory and dazzling computer and mathematical skills to solve any problems that arise. Training in a boxing ring is another of her Old Town Crier

undercover activities, allowing her to protect herself physically when needed. I love her ability to defend herself. She is a fierce fighter who can always find a way to win, either with her brains or by physical means. Stieg Larsson based her in small part on the wonderfully outrageous children’s character Pippi Longstocking, who also possesses that skill. Along with Salander, Larsson needed to create the journalist Blomkvist as a balancing counterpart. As an attractive man who likes women and coowns a muckraking hard-news magazine named Millennium, he gradually earns her trust, develops a rapport, and helps her gain some sense of normalcy. They team up often throughout the first three books and the fourth to solve thorny criminal problems in the worlds of high tech and finance, among others. As The Girl in the Spider’s Web starts, Frans Balder, a computer scientist who specializes in building artificial intelligence, leaves a tech company named Solifon and returns to Sweden to show responsibility and take care of his young autistic son, August. From his assistant, Mikael Blomkvist finds out that one of Balder’s video game inventions has been hacked and stolen, although Balder is more concerned about security surrounding his work on delicate and difficult A.I. technology. As a result, he beefs up alarm systems at his house and encrypts his phone and all communications, becoming paranoid in the process. In the mean time, Alona Casales from the NSA alerts her colleague, Gabriella Grane at the Swedish Security Police, that there is a group of sophisticated Russian and Swedish computer criminals that performs industrial espionage and possibly murder. Balder may be in danger through finding out about them and those wanting to steal his work at Solifon. Her guess comes true. Balder and his mute young son are attacked but the assassin accidentally

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THE LAST WORD > PAGE 17

October 2015 | 13

GALLERY BEAT F. LENNOX CAMPELLO

BACK TO SCHOOL

s many of you know, for more than a decade or so I have been teaching a course for artists and arts professional. That course, for the last few years, has been known as “Boot Camp for Artists.” The seven hour seminar, which has been taken by more than 2,000 artists and arts professionals from all over the Mid-Atlantic, is designed to deliver information, data and proven tactics to allow artists to develop and sustain a career in the fine arts. In the past, I’ve discussed the importance of artists having their work at the various art fairs held around the world, most notably during Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB) week in the greater Miami area. Presentation is a huge part of an artist’s professional life, and more

14 | October 2015

often than it should be, presentation is a detractor and takes away from the artwork. Why am I discussing that here? Because before you start exploring the various ways to get your artwork invited to the “big dance” during ABMB week, as an artist you should be ready to play with the big dogs, using all the tools of the trade needed to set foot in a world-class art fair. It is not unusual for me to enter an gallery and see artwork which (at least from a presentation point of view) is “not ready for primetime” … this situation is more rare as galleries struggle to survive, but still there. Over the course of the seven hours, the seminar covers a wide range of structured issues, including those listed below, items artists should at least be aware of and explore:

1. Materials: Buying materials and strategies for lowering your costs, where and how to get it, etc. 2. Presentation: How to properly present your artwork including conservation issues, archival matting and framing, longevity of materials, a discussion of limited editions, signing and numbering, prints vs. reproduction, discussion of Iris Prints (pros and cons). 3. Creating a Resume: Strategy for building your art resume, including how to write one, what it should include, presentation, etc. 4. Juried Shows: An insider’s view and strategy to get in the competitions. GALLERY BEAT > PAGE 17

Old Town Crier

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navigating autumn Handcrafted compass in shesham wood box. India, $59. From a workshop that formerly made navigational and surveying equipment for the British Raj. 915 King St. • Old Town Alexandria 703.684.1435 • alexandria.tenthousandvillages.com Monday-Saturday 10-7 • Sunday 12-6

1124 King Street | Alexandria, Virginia 22314 (703) 548-1461 | www.imagineartwear.com Mon – Sat 10 am – 7 pm

•

Sunday 11 am – 5 pm

Art&Antiques ABACA IMPORTS 1120 North Fairfax St. 703-683-5800

ELDER CRAFTERS 405 Cameron St. 703-683-4338

JAMES WILHOIT ANTIQUES 227 S. Washington St. 703-683-6595

AMERICAN HERITAGE GALLERY 901 North Columbus St. 703-519-7869

FACTORY PHOTOWORKS 105 N. Union St. 703-683-1501

Jeffrey Winter Fine Arts 110A S. Columbus St. (in the courtyard) 703-962-6266

THE ANTIQUE GUILD 113 N. Fairfax St. 703-836-1048 ARTCRAFT 132 King St. 703-299-6616 ARTS AFIRE GLASS GALLERY 1117 King St. 703-548-1197 THE ATHENAEM 201 Prince St. 703-548-0035 AUBURN ARTS GALLERY 110 South Columbus St. 703-548-1932 BANANA TREE 1223 King St. 703-836-4317 BELGRAVIA FINE ART 411 Cameron St. 703-549-2011 BIRD-IN-THE-CAGE ANTIQUES 110 King St. 703-549-5114

FINE OLD POSTERS 1015 King St. 703-684-3656 FIVE OAKS ANTIQUES 2413 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-519-7006 FOLIOGRAPH GALLERY 217 King St. 703-683-1501 FRASER GALLERY 7700 Wisconsin Blvd. Suite E Bethesda 301-718-9651 FRENCH COUNTRY ANTIQUES 1000 King St. 703-548-8563 GALLERY G 215 King St. 703-836-5400 GALLERY INDIGO 1607 King St. 703-838-8098 GALLERY LAFAYETTE 320 King St. 703-548-5266

BROCKETTS ROW ANTIQUES 277 South Washington St. 703-684-0464

GALLERIE LA TAJ 1010 King St. (Gadsby Arcade) 703-549-0508

THE CLASSICAL GALLERY 110 S. Columbus St. 703-836-7736

GALLERY WEST 1213 King St. 703-549-7359

CURZON HILL ANTIQUES 108 S. Columbus St. 703-684-0667

GOSSYPIA 325 Cameron St. 703-836-6969

DIEHL ANTIQUES 614 N. Washington St. 703-706-8191

IMAGINE ARTWEAR 1124 King St. 703-548-1461

Old Town Crier

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

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

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

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

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

TRASTEVERE 303 Cameron St. 703-683-9555

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

VAN BOMMEL ANTIEK HAUS 1007 King St. 703-683-4141 703-629-6521 by appt. Steve Young, Proprietor

P & C ART 212 King St. 703-549-2525 PAUL McGEHEES GALLERY 109 North Fairfax St. 703-548-7729

THE VON BRAHLER LTD./GALLERY 1437 Powhatan St. 703-798-8686

POTOMAC WEST INTERIORS & ANTIQUES 1517 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-519-1911

WASHINGTON SQUARE ANTIQUES 689 S. Washington St. 703-836-3214

PRINCE ROYAL GALLERY 204 S. Royal St. 703-548-5151

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.

THE PRINCIPLE GALLERY 208 King St. 703-739-9326 SCULPTURE GALLERY 115 S. Patrick St. Studio 303 703-683-5056 SILVERMAN GALLERIES ANTIQUES 110 N. Asaph St. 703-836-5363

visit a museum.

October 2015 | 15

POINTS ON PETS Dr. Karen Mcconnell

King Street Cats Adoption Calendar October 2015 For details & MORE INFO website: www.kingstreetcats.org email: contact@kingstreetcats.org King Street Cats is looking for foster homes! You provide the spare room and TLC and we provide food, litter and all vetting. Please email for our Kitten Fostering FAQ at: contact@kingstreetcats.org King Street Cats 25 Dove Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Every Saturday & Sunday 1:30 - 4:30 pm Pro Feed Bradlee Shopping Center 3690 King Street Alexandria, VA 22302 Every Saturday & Sunday 1:00 - 4:00 pm PETCO UNLEASHED AT PENTAGON ROW 1101 S. Joyce Street Arlington, VA 22202 Saturday, October 3 10:00 am - 2:00 pm Saturday, October 17 Sunday, October 18 1:00 - 4:00 pm THE DOG PARK 705 King Street Alexandria, VA 22314 Saturday, October 10 1:00 - 4:00 pm DOGMA 2772 S. Arlington Mill Drive Arlington, VA 22206 Sunday, October 11 1:00 - 4:00 pm

16 | October 2015

Halloween Tips for Fido & Felix

or Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI), the nation’s oldest and largest pet health insurance provider, the most frightening aspect of Halloween is the increase in pet accidents and injuries, especially from ingestion of chocolate, a poison for animals. Each year, the haunting holiday is followed by a 30 percent rise in claims for pet poisonings and foreign body ingestions — incidents that can be prevented. Pet owners are encouraged to follow these simple to avoid accidents and ensure pet safety this Halloween:

Candy & Treats

Keep candy and treats sealed and out of reach from pets. The amount of claims for substance toxicity more than doubles following Halloween, a majority of these claims come as a result of pets ingesting candy and used candy wrappers. Chocolate can be toxic, if not deadly for pets, depending upon how much they eat and the size of the pet. Store treats in a place where your pet cannot reach it and take out the trash regularly to avoid the pet’s temptation to dig out used wrappers.

Decorations

Place festive decorations out of the reach from pets. Foreign body ingestion claims also increase significantly in late fall, nearly doubling after Halloween. Chew toys are designed for pets to chew on, but Halloween decorations are not. Pets have a hard time distinguishing any small object from another and if it’s shiny and small, your pet will eat it. If you like to decorate for Halloween, stay away from small or low-hanging items, or even large items with parts that could appeal to a pet.

Safe Space

Designate a secure spot for your pet inside your home. Since traffic to your door will increase dramatically on Halloween night, guard your pet from excessive stress or barking by keeping him inside and away from the front door. Also, remember that Halloween night is prime time for pranks, some harmless and some vicious. Keep your pet inside the entire night to make sure he doesn’t become a victim of prank. Exercise caution when walking your pet outside. If you decide to bring your pet trick or treating, grab the leash and prepare to hold it

tightly. Many of the sights and sounds of Halloween can startle or frighten a pet. Frequently scan the ground for dropped candy that your pet may want to consume.

Costumes

If you dress your pet for Halloween, make sure the outfit is roomy, reflective and fire retardant. Lit pumpkins or candles may line house walkways creating a fire hazard. Also, make certain that your pet’s costume doesn’t include easily accessible parts that could be chewed off or swallowed. Be careful with masks and capes that tie on to your pet; a piece of costume tied too tight could cut off circulation or choke your pet. To prevent your pet from stumbling while dressed up, avoid costumes that hang low, drag on the ground or block your pet’s vision. A little extra care can make a significant difference in preventing tragic and potentially costly pet accidents this Halloween. While we all expect a happy and safe holiday, as a pet owner, understanding the risks to your pet’s health is part of responsible care. Dr. Karen McConnell is the chief veterinary officer from VPI.

Old Town Crier

GALLERY BEAT FROM PAGE 14

5. How to take images of your artwork 6. Selling Your Art: A variety of avenues to actually selling your artwork, including fine arts festivals, corporate acquisitions, galleries, public arts, etc. 7. Creating a body of work 8. How to rite a news release 9. Publicity: How to get in newspapers, magazines, etc. Plus handouts of email and addresses of newspaper critics, writers, etc. 10. Galleries: Discussion on area galleries including vanity galleries, cooperatives, commercial galleries, non-profit art spaces, etc. 11. How to Approach a Gallery: Realities of the business, contracts, gallery/artist relationship, agents.

THE LAST WORD FROM PAGE 13

leaves his son alone, not knowing that August Balder is a mute savant who can create beautiful and precise drawings of the people he sees, as well as creating complicated mathematical equations. The Millennium team and Grane from the Swedish Security Police work together to find a safe place to shelter him from any return visits. The incorrigible Salander, on the other hand, has hacked into the NSANet perfected by the NSA’s irascible senior security chief, Ed Needham, in her pursuit of information about the remnants of her criminal Russian father’s network, who are perhaps the same network Casales mentioned to her Grane, her Swedish colleague. Being Salander, she cannot help but cheekily tweak Needham on his supposedly foolproof system right when he starts to write the memo “I would just like to point out.” She finishes his sentence “that you should stop with all the illegal activity. Actually it’s pretty straightforward. Those who spy on the people end up themselves being spied on by the people. There’s a fundamental logic to it.” While in the system, Salander downloads an encrypted file that may have information about her father’s remaining 12. Fine Art Fairs: Discussion and advice on how to sell artwork at fine arts festivals, which network, but she needs some help cracking it. When her path collides yet again with Blomkvist, she will find that help, and to take part in, which to avoid, etc. other kinds of assistance, from unexpected places, such as August Balder, the young boy she begins to protect. An autistic 13. Resources: Display systems and tents, best savant, he draws, computes, and looks like an angel. All these juried shows and ones to avoid. separate threads between organizations begin to tie together as 14. Accepting Credit Cards: How to set up your Salander comes up against a very surprising but familiar enemy while working with Blomkvist and August to crack the file art business. downloaded from the Puzzle Palace. David Lagercrantz pleasantly surprised me with the decent 15. Grants: How to get grants in DC, regional quality of this follow-up to the blockbuster Scandinavian noir and national, including handouts on who, trilogy. His strength lies in his plot and its ripped-from-thewhere and when. tech-headlines features. The book is not as long and detailed as 16. Alternative Marketing: Cable TV, local media Larsson’s work, and the characters are not as subtle, delineated or colorful. Yet the book carried me along. Throughout the novel, he introduces Larsson-appropriate facts and ideas about 17. Internet: How to build your website at artificial intelligence, computer encryption, and the Darknet. no cost, how to establish a wide and diverse In addition, he continues Larsson’s fictional examination of Internet presence. typical corruption in government agencies, companies, and other entities. Luckily for me, Lisbeth Salander yet again goes I promise to get back to reviewing some art shows next week. Meanwhile get your artwork wherever she wants in cyberspace, as always off the official grid and into my imagination. up to par!

Pets of the Month

The DC stands for Dog and Cat For more info: www.dcPawsRescue.org ANDI ROONEY (A065077)

ELI (A065606)

Hello Andi! Andi is a 3 month domestic short hair with a famous personality to match her name sake. While Mr. Rooney may have been a curmudgeon, Miss Andi is a friend to everyone she meets and would love to talk to you about all of the important events in her life like toys and tummy rubs. If you are in the market for a talkative cat to brighten your day come down and spend a few minutes with Andi Rooney!

Meet Eli! This handsome young man is looking to go home with a loving family with plenty of time to play. Eli is a two year old Pit Bull who has won over all of the staff here at the AWLA with his friendly play style and loveable demeanor. Eli is always wiggly and happy to see you, especially if you are up for a good game of tug! Eli would be a perfect fit in an energetic household, so if you’ve got time to spend on a great dog Eli is the guy for you!

CHANGE A LIFE.

Adopt

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

October 2015 | 17

CARIBBEAN CONNECTION JEFFrey R. Mccord

‘a moral hell’ & HOPEFUL L’esperance

imes were hard on the colonial frontiers of both Virginia and the Virgin Islands. Education and messages of peace offered by struggling missionaries weren’t always well-received by authorities. In the 1740s, German Moravian missionaries, for instance, walked more than 100 miles along the old frontier wagon road from the mostly German villages of Bethlehem and York, Pa. (near Philadelphia) to the Shenandoah Valley wilderness. They kept a diary. “We had to cross several high mountains and deep valleys. We found only two houses within 20 miles where we could get nothing to eat because the people themselves had no bread. Towards evening we came to the Patomik [sic] River separating 18 | October 2015

Maryland from Virginia. We lodged at an English tavern where people complained much . . . at Williams Ferry [now Willamsport, Md.]. They gave us Indian corn and cheese for the journey, although they were poor.” Though often welcomed into the cabins of settlers eager for news and encouraging bible stories, one local militia south of what is now Warrenton, Va. arrested them as foreign spies. Remarkably, in those same years, this small, non-conformist sect originating in the small European principalities of Bohemia and Moravia also sent missionaries to convert slaves in the Danish West Indies, now the U.S. Virgin Islands. In contrast to the muddy log cabin settlements of the Shenandoah, the first two Moravians

arriving in 1732 on a Dutch ship in the harbor of “Saint Thomas” saw a paradise, an early Moravian history reports. “The scene was a panorama of beauty. Along the winding beach the sand was gleaming like crystals of sugar; the rocks as yellow as gold; cactuses and fronded palms adorned the vales; the scarlet roofs of the town of Tapphus [meaning beer halls and later renamed Charlotte Amalie] flashed in the noonday sun. Billowy hills in living green stood out lined clear against a dome of blue.” Though they appeared heavenly, the missionaries soon described St. Thomas as a “moral hell.” Governed by the Danish West India Company, slaves were used to produce sugar, cotton and indigo for shipment back

home. The “Brethren” were appalled by the “scandalous and shameful immorality.” The raucous taverns of Tapphus, filled with seamen, merchants, planters and, at times, pirates, must have been off-putting to the Brothers. Just thirty years before they arrived, on April 6, 1699 St. Thomas authorities had welcomed the English pirate Captain Kidd and his crew to anchor and trade in their virtual free port. Other British adventurers visited and stayed. Though Danish owned, the islands of St. Thomas, St. John, St. Croix and nearby British Tortola had first been settled by the Dutch who had come to the Caribbean as pirates, privateers, smugglers in Spanishclaimed territories and as slave traders CARIBBEAN CONNECTION > PAGE 19

Old Town Crier

CARIBBEAN CONNECTION FROM PAGE 18

everywhere. Later they became planters. In this rough society, the Moravians particularly disapproved of sexual practices. Slaves, for instance, could not marry. “The only system permitted by law was free love . . . practically forced upon them by the planters . . . who spoke of blacks as beasts [but] often treated the women as concubines.” In preaching to slaves, Moravians insisted that “a female slave who had been baptized must not, even against the worst threats, give in to her master,” explains Isidor Paiewonsky, a notable St. Thomas historian. It wasn’t surprising that the planters had the meddling missionaries imprisoned in the stone watch tower known as Blackbeard’s Castle. Soon, however, the impact of the 1733 slave revolt on St. John and support for the Moravians expressed back home by Danish Princess Amalie (who wanted to improve slave conditions) gave the missionaries an opening. On St. Thomas, they first established what became a self-sustaining mission and community called New Herrnhut located near what’s now the Cost U Less store. Later, in the 1760s, they built the distinctive Nisky mission near what’s now the airport. The planters and established clergy on the much more profitable plantation island of St. Croix were less hospitable to the missionaries. On the less profitable and less regulated

St. John of the 1740s, conditions were more promising for converting Africans. Indeed, the Danish overseer of the 200 acre, mid-island plantation L’Esperance (meaning hopeful expectation) was a preacher and helped establish two Moravian missions (in Cruz Bay and Coral Bay) in the late 18th-century. The overseer, named either Hans Rasmussen or Jens Rasmus (depending upon sources), was likely an indentured servant or debtor sent to the islands to serve out a sentence through work. He may have preached Christianity to the slaves on instructions from L’Esperance’s Dutch co-owner Nicholas Tonis. Tonis’ grave can still be seen amid the extensive, picturesque plantation ruins one-third mile down L’Esperance Trail in the Virgin Islands National Park. Home to approximately 70 people in the late 1700s, L’Esperance may have provided a less horrific environment for its slaves than other estates. Moravian sources describe some plantations on which slaves only worked half-day on Saturdays and had Sundays off. They were given modest houses and plots of land to grow their own provisions such as sweet potatoes, maize, beans, mango and papaya. They also caught crabs and fish, and were given salt (“salt fish” is still popular) and weekly allotments of “kill-devil” (rum). The slaves could sell any surplus produce. L’Esperance became a regular

Ann Street Gardens

ey west getawa

meeting place for a growing African congregation on St. John visited regularly by the St. Thomas-based Moravian missionary Frederick Martin. Martin reportedly made a living making spoons and, with Rasmus’ help, bought land for the first mission station (Bethany, on a hill above Cruz Bay). Beyond Christianity, Moravians also taught slaves reading and writing with books and hymnals printed in the Dutch Creole (a mixture of Dutch, low German, English and African words) spoken by slaves. Down the old 2.6 mile Danish road now known as L’Esperance Trail are the ruins of two other plantations named Sieben and Mollendahl. Planted with seeds brought from Africa by slaves, St. John’s only Baobab tree grows in Sieben. Sometimes called the “tree of life,” mature Baobab trees are often hollow and provide habitats for animals, bats and humans. The tree’s fibrous bark can be made into cloth and rope, its leaves are medicinal and Baobab fruit contains a high quantity of Vitamin C. Sieben Estate is also the birthplace of Julius Sprauve, a former US Virgin Islands Senator for whom the Cruz Bay elementary school is named. Born in the 1930s, Senator Sprauve gave most of the L’Esperance and Sieben lands to the Virgin Islands National Park (VINP). His brother Elroy told the St. John Historical Society about an old woman named Sarah

Rasmus (likely a descendant of the L’Esperance’s Moravian overseer) who lived on the trail and had never seen electricity. Further down the trail are the ruins of Estate Mollendahl. Sadly, only 2 miles from L’Esperance and during the same period in which that estate was a center of Moravian teachings, the Mollendahl’s overseer severely beat a missionary preaching to that estate’s slaves. Today, visitors to St. John can see the remains of these historic estates. The Virgin Islands National Park offers ranger guided hikes on the downhill L’Esperance Trail. Hikers end at Reef Bay beach where they can swim. A boat, the Sadie Sea, meets them there and returns them to Park headquarters. Those interested should contact Friends of the VI National Park at 340-693-7275. Jeffrey R. McCord is a free-lance journalist and media relations consultant who has called Northern Virginia his home for more than 20 years. The author of “Undocumented Visitors in a Pirate Sea,” a quarterfinalist in the 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest, Mr. McCord’s articles on international economics and consumer protection have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, Gannett newspapers and Truthout.org, among other publications. He now divides his time between Virginia and St. John, USVI.

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October 2015 | 19

ROAD TRIP BOB TAGERT

The Road to Buck’s Peak

20 | October 2015

ast month we took a trip across Thornton Gap on Skyline Drive to a beautiful cabin three miles down the mountain toward the town of Luray. A Bucks Peak is a beautiful four bedroom frame house with massive vaulted ceilings that is halfway back up the mountainside. Sitting in a clearing at the end of a winding mountain road, the wrap around porch has views up the mountainside as it climbs skyward and back to the northeast towards the valley. With four bedrooms, two bunk beds in the downstairs area and four baths, there is plenty of room for a small group. There were five in our group and just about the only time we saw each other was at meals or on the deck enjoying the hot tub. When we were there in early August the foliage was still green with one small patch of yellow near the top of the mountain. This could either be hickories or birches that are a light, golden yellow, as are milkweeds’ leaves. By September the changes are certainly taking place just like the trees in town. The interesting thing

about this patch of yellow is that we could see it get larger over a three-day period. This time of year the changes can literally appear before your eyes day to day. Because of this, it makes sense to just stay in one place, enjoy everyone’s’ company, and watch the leaves change. This idea is particularly good for whoever drives the car because he or she has to keep their eyes on the road. Speaking of the road, this property is on a REAL mountain road and you are best served to take a 4 wheel drive vehicle. They do have a sense of humor in that the speed limit is posted at 85! Another advantage of a place like A Bucks Peak is the gourmet kitchen, the hot tub and the great fire pit out back. For those who love to grill out, there is a gas grill as well as a charcoal grill. These are the amenities we found at A Bucks Peak, but I am sure that most rental properties have them as well. What I liked about the retreat is that it was big enough that there was really no need to get away… we already were. But then again, we were all 60 something’s and the 90-minute drive out there was enough. However, if you are looking for some adventure, you can find it on either side of the mountain. The town of Luray is only about another 6 miles west. Here you can find inexpensive gasoline, shops and a number of nice restaurants and bars. Even though Luray is a small town, it is very vibrant and the main street of town is exactly that. The spectacular Luray Caverns are open year round and if you have never been, you must go. The temperature inside the caverns is a uniform 54 degrees year round. Discovered in 1878 and developed over the next few decades (the maintenance is never done), the caverns have drawn

Old Town Crier

millions from around the world. Two years ago we visited and wrote about Luray Caverns and had Dream Lake on our cover that has an almost mirror-like appearance. Stalactites are reflected in the water making them appear to be stalagmites. This illusion is often so convincing that people are unable to see the real bottom. It looks quite deep, as the stalactites are higher above the water, but at its deepest point the water is only about 20 inches. If going to the mountains to watch the fall color and making your own bed and making your own meals isn’t your cup of tea, never fear. You can stay in the historic Mimslyn Inn in Luray. As they say at the Inn, Begin with classic, add a hint of charm, mix in some character (tradition and history) and you have “Vintage Southern Hospitality.” The kind only The Mimslyn Inn serves-comfortable, inviting, and ready for you to experience. The Inn has recently added new cottages, so if you want privacy, you got it. The cottages also let you use the Inns services and the dining room is fabulous as is the brunch. If you drove from northern Virginia you probably came down Route 211 out of Warrenton. On the way you would have passed Washington, Virginia and then Sperryville before taking on the mountain. If you were driving from Fredericksburg you would pass through Culpeper. Check out our Destination Dining page this month for our picks this fall. If you are looking for a really relaxing weekend check out the Little Washington Spa and Loft. A newly built and furnished one-bedroom loft is available which also has the soothing features of the Spa at your disposal. Old Town Crier

Before heading over the mountain stop in Sperryville and visit Copper Fox Distillery. This is one of my favorites and it is not just for the spirits…it’s the people. Take a tour and buy a bottle for your mountain getaway (just happen to be sipping on a Wasmund’s Single Malt Whiskey from Copper Fox as I write this). There are also great country stores to visit and shop. The Heritage Hollow Farms and Farm Store raise their own livestock and sell it at their store. Heritage Hollow pride themselves on their grass fed beef and pasture, orchard and wooded lot raised pigs. You can find inexpensive fare at the Headmasters Pub or dine at the Thornton River Grill for an evening out. A ninehole golf course opened this past July at the Headmasters Pub and is open to the public. You can also find accommodations in Sperryville at Hopkins Ordinary, a Bed and Breakfast that also has its’ own Ale House. The three brothers who make up the band PONTIAK have recently returned to their roots and have opened the Pen Druid Brewery in Sperryville. Since I started writing this yesterday I am sure that a few more leaves have turned a yellow orange or red. The mountains are waiting. In addition to the aforementioned roads to get to Thornton Gap, you can certainly take the majestic Skyline Drive, although this time of year it will be crowded. It is best to go during the week. When we returned in August we drove Skyline drive from Thornton Gap to Front Royal and there was very little traffic. Not so now but still worth the drive!

October 2015 | 21

FROM THE BAY… MOLLY WINANS

the butterfly effect Photo: Mark Talbott

“I

t’s good luck,” I said to my beau, as I saw the butterfly flying astern of us with his wings orange and black against the blue sky. Or were praying mantises the lucky creatures? Butterflies signified transformation? As we passed Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse in 13 knots of breeze, gusts up to 18, and 75-degree temperatures, on the sunny side of the cockpit, after a satisfying ham-and-cheese wrap for lunch, that September Saturday buzzed with good fortune. That nature’s orange, fluttering work of art whispered a shift to autumn did not occur to me. Although, I noted other signs of seasonal shift. The black fleece vest with the Truckee Freestyle Ski Team logo I zipped up to my chin. The jeans I had dug out of the back of my closet the previous weekend, now rolled up to mid-calf, as if I were digging clams or walking on the beach—a small rebellious gesture that seemed to say, I’m not really wearing jeans yet. That’s so October. How later, after dropping the hook in a quiet anchorage, we 22 | October 2015

scrambled to spice the chicken and grill it before the early sunset, when we both donned long-sleeved fleeces. And this, the most conspicuous autumnal harbinger: the skipper, who is always the first to strip and jump in the Bay, crinkled up his nose and admitted tentatively, as if it compromised his manhood, that it was too chilly for an after-dinner dip. Then, there were the stars. A few years ago, we had a late fall British Virgin Islands trip to plan for. This year, we will bundle up in our goose down jackets and enjoy the brisk fall days to come. We still have minigetaways to plan. With the U.S. Sailboat Show coming over Columbus Day weekend, we can count on at least two available weekends left this season to comfortably overnight at anchor. In November, we will do something unusual for us, actually pay for a boat slip, and “plug in” at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum docks. Dinner at a restaurant and heat on the boat: for us, that’s unusual luxury. For our final cruise four or so years ago, on a cloudy, windy day, we

took a memorably quick sail from Annapolis, down around Bloody Point, up Eastern Bay, into the Miles River, and up the Wye River, where we slowly motored up Quarter Creek, until we were scared of running out of water. “You’re here already?” my friend asked when we called to say we were anchored in her creek. Not often, but sometimes, the wind blows just the way you want it to. I put the lasagna I had assembled the night before into the oven. A while later, my rain-jacket-clad friends, Kirsten, John, and their two sons, Jack and Ben, motored over in their Whaler through the drizzle and climbed aboard. You may have dear old friends who bring out the laughter in you; for me, that’s the Elstner family. If you are looking for a recipe for warming up a boat’s saloon in 50 degrees at anchor, baking lasagna and gathering six people who crack each other up are surefire ways to steam up the hatch windows. If our last cruise of this season ends as it did that year, we will indeed be lucky. I googled butterflies (and “butterflies

Photo: Bob de Young

and luck”), and based on what I learned, I believe the one I saw that day was a Monarch, known to start its migration in August and yes, thought to be a symbol of change. I also learned that the pioneer of chaos theory’s “butterfly effect” discussed the flap of a seagull’s wings affecting the course of weather; he later changed it to butterfly to give it a poetic ring. Our Monarch friend sailed alongside us for quite a while, his wings apparently well-equipped for a fresh breeze. Perhaps, he will hang out along the West River until the first frost. Then, the circadian clock in his antennae, his inner compass, and some say, the earth’s magnetic field will guide him south, maybe to Key West, maybe to México. Mother Nature loves an escape plan. A version of this article first appeared in the October 2012 SpinSheet. Winans is the editor of SpinSheet and PropTalk as well as an avid sailor.

Old Town Crier

Oyster Farming Sustainability on the Half Shell By Bob Tagert

t the beginning of 2000 the oyster industry was at an all time low and the Chesapeake Bay had just recorded its lowest oyster harvest in history. This is about the time that individuals and the states of Maryland and Virginia began to bring the oyster back to dominance. The states began education programs and helped new private enterprises with the concept of oyster farming, or aquaculture. The Marine Resources Commission strongly encouraged gardening and farming of oysters and clams. These bi-valves provide important economic and environmental benefits. In fact, a single adult oyster can purge 60 gallons of water a day! Shellfish farming reduces harvest pressure on wild stocks, while increasing the overall number of shellfish that help clean the water and serve as habitat for fish and crabs. In the last decade oyster farming has become a booming multi-million dollar industry. Oyster farming under private piers and along the shoreline of privately owned waterfront property has become increasingly popular among environmentally concerned citizens. By encouraging oyster farming on the tributaries that flow into the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay, the waters entering the Bay have become cleaner and clearer than in the past. Disease,

habitat loss, over harvesting, and poor water quality have left the Chesapeake Bay’s iconic wild oysters in a dismal state, at just 0.3 percent of their teeming population in the early 1800s, according to a 2011 research study by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Studies. Increasing the Chesapeake’s oyster population is a high priority in Maryland. That is because of the creatures’ ability to filter vast amounts of water, improving its quality. However, restoring self-sustaining populations of wild oysters to significant levels may prove difficult because of a host of ecological, economic, and cultural hurdles. For example, generations of Chesapeake watermen have harvested wild oysters from grounds scattered around the Bay. Encouraging the remaining watermen to embrace aquaculture-oyster farming at fixed locations is a challenging proposition because this business requires a different set of skills and substantial start-up costs. There are no easy fixes to these challenges. Maryland Sea Grant Extension plays an important role in promoting progress in collaboration with federal and state agencies. Donald Meritt, a Maryland Sea Grant Extension aquaculture specialist, works in cooperation with many partners to operate the Horn Point Oyster Hatchery, which cultivates young oysters for aquaculture and restoration projects. In 2012, the hatchery produced more than 880 million oyster spat (young oysters that are attached to a larger oyster shell), a record. The hatchery works with its partners to distribute oysters for commercial aquaculture and to build up oyster reefs in the Bay. Marylander’s Grow Oysters is a private

organization where over 1,500 waterfront property owners are growing millions of young oyster in cages suspended from private piers. Their goal is to protect the young oysters during their vulnerable first year of life, so they may be planted at local sanctuaries where the oyster can enrich the ecosystem and the oyster population. This is where the new and the old clash. The booming aquaculture oyster business has come into conflict with the watermen of the region, who argue that the cages used to cultivate oysters are a menace to fishing lines and crab pots, and, in some cases, an eyesore for residents with waterfront homes. Unlike commercial oyster farmers, watermen can fish, crab and seek wild oysters with a mere license on public waterways. Farmers must get state-issued leases, which some watermen are pressing them to limit. You don’t put one person out of business to start another,” said Robert Brown, the president of the Maryland Watermen’s Association. “If you put a bunch of cages on the bottom of the water, how are you going to put your trot line down? You can’t sift for crabs, you can’t clam there, you can’t fish there, and you can’t even sport fish there. I am worried about all of it. Oyster farmers — a mélange of scientists, businesspeople, new-career seekers and others — argue that by recreating oyster reefs, they are helping to clean the area’s bays, stimulate the very ecosystem that sustains crab and fish populations and return a tradition to the region. “I think we can be the modern watermen and bring back this area’s heritage,” said J.D. Blackwell, whose company 38 degree North Oysters is one of the players.

49th Annual St. Mary’s County OYSTER FESTIVAL October 17 & 18, 2015 At the Fairgrounds in Leonardtown, Maryland

US National Shucking Competition and National Oyster Cook-Off Arts & Crafts, Music, Family Entertainment, and lots of Food! $5 admission | Under 12 Free smcoysterfestival@gmail.com | usoysterfest.com | 301-863-5015

venture to southern maryland for destination dining at its finest

Old Town Crier

October 2015 | 23

CalvertCounty

DISCOVER

MARYLAND

ALEXANDRIA’S PLAYGROUND

• Piano Bar • Tapas Menu • 1930s Throwback Environment • Largest Wine Selection in Solomons

120 Charles Street Solomons, Maryland 443-404-5332

11 E 20 T 2013 K A C N CRAB ESTAURA T S E YR DB VOTE ST FAMIL E DB VOTE

Deep water anD covereD slips available large pool anD two restaurants on the property 14485 Dowell road • solomons, MD 20629 410.326.4251 • calvertmarina.com

VOTED BEST CRAB CAKES IN SOUTHERN MARYLAND 2012 Maryland Life

at CalvErt Marina

HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS

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

STONEY’S KINGFISHERS SEAFOOD BAR & GRILL

SOUTHERN MARYLAND’S ONLY MICROBREWERY FEATURING AWARD WINNING ARTISAN CRAFTED BEERS

A vibrant space paired with artisan crafted food and beer delivered with passion HAPPY HOUR Weekdays 3-7 pm PRIME RIB DINNER Every Friday DINNER 4 pm daily • Saturday LUNcH & Sunday BRUNcH 11 am 410.394.3825 13200 DOWELL ROAD CORNER OF DOWELL & RT. 4

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

ElEgant WatErfront Dining at CalvErt Marina 14415 Dowell road • Dowell, Maryland 410.326.9900 • backcreekbistro.com

410.394.0236 EVERY WEDNESDAY JAZZ AND HALF PRICE WINE

You “OTTER” celebrate the River with me! October 10 & 11 10am - 5pm FREE fun for all!

RUDDYDUCKBREWERY.COM RUDDYDUCKBREWERY @RUDDYDUCKGRILL

Patuxent River Appreciation Days Calvert Marine Museum www.calvertmarinemuseum.com

Old Town Crier

October 2015 | 25

…TO THE BLUE RIDGE JULIE REARDON

The Perfect Puff

“Y

“Like our best friends’ home if our best friends were amazing chefs and knew exactly what we wanted before we asked.” Trip Advisor

www.hopkinsordinary.com Sperryville, Virginia 540.987.3383 26 | October 2015

ou had our hearts from the start, little brown puppy with the nappy fur born on a summer night 15 years ago. There was never any question which of the six puppies we would keep from a special litter I bred specifically for my next dog the first year we owned Hope Springs Farm. And we named you Puffin because it fit and you picked us to be your people before your eyes were even open. We were smitten.” Of course she was cute in the endearing way all puppies are, but there was no hint in that wooly brown fur of the rich coppery red color her adult coat would be. And what a magnificent beauty she would mature into. Of course she liked birds and retrieving; she was descended from generations of waterfowl hunting dogs dating back to 1807. She was a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, the only true American sporting dog, first AKC recognized breed, a dog bred by and for Americans to hunt our country: canine royalty. I’d had Chesapeakes for nearly 20 years by the time Puffin was born, but other than a little casual hunting and varmint control, they were mostly pets and steadfast farm companions. She represented the fourth generation of what, at that time, was just a casual, once every 5 or 7 years’ breeding program. So there was no reason to think she’d be exceptional, just another in a long line of good dogs. Since Puffin showed a little talent, and her sire had been a serviceable but not spectacular field trial dog, I decided to try retriever hunting tests, where initially she showed outstanding promise. I, however, had a steeper learning curve and was the weak link of the team, pushing her to do things she hadn’t been properly trained to do in the name of competition. So I made mistakes—lots of them in fact. And Puffin didn’t progress as far as she should have because of me. She preferred hunting, but she played the silly games for a scrap of ribbon because if I was happy, she was happy.

When she was two, we ventured into the world of AKC dog shows, mainly because everyone who saw her, even those in the fancy, thought Puffin was beautiful. Truthfully, she was nearly perfect, and I’m not just saying that because she was mine. Although I’d shown horses before, I’d never even seen a dog show, and we picked the granddaddy of them all to make our debut: The American Chesapeake Club National Specialty Show in 2002. Instead of showing against a handful of her own kind, we’d be showing against all the very best showwinning Chesapeakes in the entire country, owned by the top show kennels, handled by professionals and savvy amateurs who did this for a living. To share just how clueless I was then, I decided to take Puffin’s dam, J-Bell, to the national specialty, even though she was 11 by then and almost completely deaf. A serviceable hunting dog and still in good shape despite a white muzzle, I found a class I thought was perfect for her: the veterans’ class, with divisions for older dogs aged 9-10 and 11 and over. Knowing nothing about dog shows, I had no idea that these classes are showcases for breeders and big name kennels to display their retired champions. So not only were my two dogs the only ones of the 400 plus entries that had never seen a show ring, old J-Bell was the sole entry of 47 veterans who wasn’t a show champion. Two farm dogs handled by a total novice—what could possibly go wrong? Upon arrival, to say I was intimidated by the magnificent looking dogs everywhere would be an understatement. Having never seen that many Chesapeakes in one place, and certainly not that many gorgeous ones, it was an eye opener. I’d gotten used to thinking smugly that my dogs were so much better looking than any others I’d seen—the breed is not that common. It was a little intimidating to realize that there is, in fact, a whole dog show world of gorgeous representatives of the breed. Most BLUE RIDGE > PAGE 42

Old Town Crier

destination dining When you find yourself in wine & hunt country, one of these fine restaurants is near Contemporary ameriCan Cuisine

new fall menu loCally sourCed

open for lunCh & dinner thursday-monday

311 Gay street â&#x20AC;˘ washington, Va 22747 tulasoffmain.com â&#x20AC;˘ 540.675.2223

Old Town Crier

Historic Culpeper Virginia 110 E. Cameron Street Reservations 540-825-4444 Open Monday-Saturday Lunch 11A-2P Dinner 5P-9P

October 2015 | 27

BEHIND THE BAR

JAMES ARMEL IS BEHIND THE BAR AT BOND 45 149 WATERFRONT STREET NATIONAL HARBOR, MD 301-839-1445 BOND45.COM

James Armel How did you get started in the bartending business? I was serving tables when the bartender decided to verbally assault a customer and then just up and walked out. The manager asked if I wanted to bartend. I said “hell yea!” I was awful for a week or two but I figured it out. What is your biggest bartender pet peeve? Lack of manners. One example is when I ask someone “how’s it going?” and the response is “vodka tonic.” I didn’t ask you what you wanted, I asked how you are. Don’t be a jerk.

What is the cleverest line anyone has given you to try to get a free drink? I would pay for this drink but it’s Rosh Hashanah and my religion doesn’t allow me to pay today. What is the best/worst pick up line you have overheard at the bar? “I’m ugly, you’re hot — let’s make some average babies!”

BEHIND THE BAR > PAGE 38

James serves up the Bond 45 Negroni with toasted orange peel. He is behind the bar Mondays and Thursdays, 5 pm - 10 pm and Saturdays Noon -11 pm.

This is where your new favorite whiskey comes from. Visit us in Sperryville. Tours daily. www.copperfox.biz

28 | October 2015

Old Town Crier

EVERY OCCASION DESERVES A

Beautiful Setting

‘Tis the season to start planning your holiday event. The waterfront backdrop will make your party picture perfect! Call today

to reserve one of our spectacular spaces.

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

eat like a local!

One Cameron St. • Alexandria (703) 684-5080 chart-house.com Also visit us in Annapolis • 300 Second St. • (410) 268-7166

Old Town Crier

October 2015 | 29

DINING OUT BOBTAGERT

King Street Blues An Old Town Original

s most people know, there are an awful lot of great restaurants in Alexandria, Virginia. One of the most iconic sits right in the heart of Old Town…King Street Blues (KSB). Our restaurant showcase this month is about KSB, but more importantly, with their 25th anniversary coming up this month, we thought that a little history is in order.

KING STREET BLUES 112 N. St. Asaph Street Old Town Alexandria 703-836-8800 18th Street & Crystal Drive Crystal City 703-415-2583 kingstreetblues.com It all started in the mind of Ralph Cappobianco. Ralph had already opened a few restaurants in Alexandria before KSB. The immensely popular Portner’s was his first

it's back.

Our Original Meatloaf. For the Original Price. $6.99 Celebrating 25 years of serving Comfort Food.

one that I can remember. Today the beautiful building is occupied by Columbia Firehouse Restaurant. In succession, he opened Union Street Public House, KSB, Stella’s (now closed) and was instrumental in developing the concept and food menu when the Birchemere moved to its current location. All of this kept Ralph busy, but his baby was King Street Blues. Unfortunately Ralph is no longer with us as he passed away from a stroke a few years ago, but his legacy lives on. The restaurant opened in October 1990 and I can remember Ralph staining the pine booths on the second floor in anticipation of the opening. He was one of those hands-on guys … he did not mind pitching in to make it all work. It was this part of his personality that attracted and influenced employees over the years. The children of many Alexandria families have worked at KSB over the years … three of the four Gossart boys, the Hart brothers, Soch sisters and more. When summer vacation rolled around these young people always had jobs waiting for them. A lot of the employees embraced the culture of KSB and the precedent that Ralph set. Freddy has been the chief cook at KSB for 25 years and Victor has been bringing the food out for 15 years. Rick has been manager for 10 years and Ashley has tended bar as long. The décor at King Street

Blues is unlike anyplace else in the area including the exterior of the building. Being located in the heart of “Historical Society” land, we have never quite figured out how Ralph got permission to paint the mural on the side and the crazy, cool color scheme on the front. The interior is home to a grand collection of Brian McCall papier-mâché figures busting out of the walls and ceilings on all three floors. This is a special delight for kids of all ages. The food at KSB has remained consistently good and at a fair price…and lots of it. This is definitely a place to eat if you are hungry. What started out as a fun menu has become a little more refined but has maintained its innocence. The Po’Boy sandwiches like Hey! Ralphie Boy and My Boy Michael for $6.95 have been replaced with Fried Shrimp and the French Quarter Po’Boy for $10.99, but the large crispy French roll is still packed full of great food. My favorites, the Country Fried Steak and Country Fried Chicken has gone from $9.95 to $14.99 but it is still almost too much to eat at one sitting. For lunch I had the Country Fried Chicken, two plump chicken breasts breaded and fried just perfect…something you would expect from southern comfort food. The chicken was smothered in their

homemade cream gravy and served with garlic-mashed potatoes and collard greens with ham. As a kid all of my summers were spent on my grandfathers farm in Georgia and I learned what southern cooking was all about. This Country Fried Chicken, gravy and greens nail it! Even though I wanted to eat it all because it tasted so good, I decided to bring half back for a tasty meal later that night. Adding some lighter fare to the menu over the years has rounded out the menu substantially. One of the favorites around this office is the Crunchy Spinach Salad. This is a fantastic combination of baby spinach, chopped egg, crumbled bacon, roasted pecans and red bell pepper topped with an onion tangle served with their chilly tomato vinaigrette. With a price point of $8.49 this is a great deal. You can add chicken (Cajun fried, blackened, or grilled) for an additional $2.00). As I mentioned, the Po’Boy sandwiches are huge and come with house made chips DINING OUT > PAGE 33

October 19-25 2015

don't miss it.

Old Town 703-836-8800

30 | October 2015

Crystal City 703-415-2583

Old Town Crier

JOin US fOr STeAK nighT Thursdays 5-9 PM Starting at $15.95

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

hAPPY hOUr 4-7 PM Featuring all draft beers, rail liquor plus half price on select appetizers live MUSic 7 nighTS A weeK wiTh nO cOver YOUr hOMe fOr new englAnd PATriOTS fOOTbAll 713 King Street • Old Town Alexandria 703.548.1717 • murphyspub.com

GRABABITE Old Town Crier

October 2015 | 31

Dining Guide american BILBO BAGGINS 208 Queen St. 703-683-0300 BITTERSWEET 823 King St. 703-549-2708 BLACKWALL HITCH 5 Cameron St. 571-982-3577 CARLYLE CLUB 411 John Carlyle St. 703-549-8957 CHADWICKS 203 Strand St. 703-836-4442 chadwicksrestaurants.com An Old Town tradition since 1979 and an original Georgetown pub and restaurant since 1967. CHART HOUSE One Cameron St. 703-684-5080 CITY KITCHEN 330 South Pickett St. 703-685-9172 fatcitykitchen.com USA City inspired menu choices that bring together traditional American and global cuisine with their own personal touch. Casual dress. $30 and under. Lots of free parking. Open 7 days a week with brunch on Sat & Sun 11-3. AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

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

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

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

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

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

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

32 | October 2015

MONROES AMERICAN TRATTORIA 1603 Commonwealth Ave. 703-548-5792 MOUNT VERNON INN Mount Vernon, Va 703-780-0011 MURPHYS IRISH PUB 713 King St. 703-548-1717 murphyspub.com Old-world Irish pub featuring a roaring fireplace, serving a variety of imported, domestic and non-alcoholic beers in a friendly atmosphere. Serving robust American-Irish meals at fair prices. Favorites include fish and chips and Irish stew. Irish-style entertainment nightly. NICKELLS AND SCHIFFLER 1028 King St. 703-684-5922 NINAS DANDY Potomac Party Cruises Zero Prince St. 703-683-6076 dandydinnerboat.com

OCONNELLS RESTAURANT & BAR 112 King St. 703-739-1124 danieloconnellsrestaurant.com

ASIAN BISTRO 809 King St. 703-836-1515

OVERWOOD 220 North Lee St. 703-535-3340

MALAYA 1019 King St. 703-519-3710

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

MAI THAI 9 King St. 703-548-0600

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

RED MEI 602 King St. 703-837-0094

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

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

REYNOLDS STREET CAFÉ 34 S. Reynolds St. 703-751-0830 RIVER BEND BISTRO 7966 Fort Hunt Rd. Hollin Hall Shopping Center 703-347-7545 ROCK IT GRILL 1319 King St. 703-739-2274 SAMUEL BECKETTS IRISH GASTRO PUB 2800 S. Randolph St. Villages of Shirlington 703-379-0122 SHOOTER MCGEES 5239 Duke St. 703-751-9266 SOCIETY FAIR 277 S. Washington St. 703-683-3247 SOUTHSIDE 815 815 S. Washington St. 703-836-6222 T.J. STONES GRILL HOUSE & TAP ROOM 608 Montgomery St. 703-548-1004 tjstones.com American cuisine with libations from around the world. Bar specials Mon-Fri, 4-7 pm. Brunch served Sat & Sun. TRADEMARK 2800 Jamieson Ave. 703-253-8640 TRADITIONS (Holiday Inn) 625 First St. 703-548-6300 UNION STREET PUBLIC HOUSE 121 South Union St. 703-548-1785 unionstreetpublichouse.com Old Towns favorite neighborhood tap and grill. Distinct southern style menu, fine steaks, fresh seafood. Sunday brunch, private parties, happy hour.

asian

TOKYO JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE 66 Canal Center Plaza 703-683-8878 Caphe Banh Mi Vietnamese 407 Cameron St. 703-549-0800 Sang Jun Thai 300 King Street 571-312-3377 KAI ZEN TAVERN 1901 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-836-1212 CONTINENTAL BRABO by Robert Weidmaier 1600 King St. 703-894-3440

CHEZ ANDREE 10 East Glebe Rd. 703-836-1404 LA BERGERIE 218 N. Lee St. 703-683-1007 labergerie.com ITALIAN BERTUCCIS 725 King St. 703-548-8500 BUGSYS PIZZA RESTAURANT 111 King St. 703-683-0313 bugsyspizza.com FACCIA LUNA 823 S. Washington St. 703-838-5998 GERANIO RISTORANTE 722 King St. 703-548-0088 geranio.net Still Old Towns highest-rated Italian restaurant (Zagat). Discerning Old Towners flock here for refined cuisine in this comfortable, yet sophisticated restaurant. With entrees from $14, there is no reason not to enjoy a selection from their Wine Spectator award-winning list, while being attended by the friendly staff of seasoned professionals. Reservations recommended and casual attire welcomed. IL PORTO RESTAURANT 121 King St. 703-836-8833

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

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

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

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

TEMPO 4231 Duke St. 703-370-7900 temporestaurant.com Northern Italian, French provincial and American cuisine featuring fresh seafood, meats and pasta served in a contemporary, romantic atmosphere. CEDAR KNOLL INN GW Parkway at Lucia Ln. 703-799-1501 FRENCH BASTILLE 606 N. Fayette St. 703-519-3776 bastillerestaurant.com LE REFUGE 127 N. Washington St. 703-548-4661 FONTAINES CAFFE & CREPERIE 119 S. Royal St. 703-535-8151

VERMILLION 1120 King St. 703-684-9669

LA MADELEINE 500 King St. 703-729-2854

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

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

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

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

LANDINI BROTHERS 115 King St. 703-836-8404 landinibrothers.com Elegant, classical Italian cuisine served in a lovely historical setting. Fresh veal, homemade pastas, and fresh fish are some of the daily choices. An extensive list of wines and champagnes served in a sophisticated and friendly atmosphere. OLD CHICAGO PIZZERIA 2245 Huntington Ave. 703-960-1086 PARADISO 124 King St. 703-837-1245 PINES OF FLORENCE 1300 King St. 703-549-1796 RED ROCKS FIREBRICK PIZZA 904 King St. 703-717-9873 TRATTORIA DA FRANCO 305 S. Washington St. 703-548-9338 VILLA DESTE 600 Montgomery St. 703-549-9477

and dinner. Choice of dessert included. Lunch 11:30 am - 4:30 pm for $20.07; dinner 4:30 pm - close for $30.07. Eat a little, drink a little, have a lot of fun! TAVERNA CRETEKOU 818 King St. 703-548-8688 tavernacretekou.com PITA HOUSE 719 King St. 703-684-9194 thepitahouse.com Family owned and operated; carry out available and free delivery. DELIAS MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 209 Swamp Fox Rd. Alexandria, VA 703-329-0006 BISTRO DU SOLEIL 1116 King St. 571-312-2754 SEAFOOD Hanks Oyster Bar 1026 King St. 703-739-HANK RTS RESTAURANT 3804 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-684-6010 FISH MARKET-OLD TOWN 105 King St. 703-836-5676 fishmarketoldva.com Internationally known and locally owned! We serve shrimps, a few crabs, tall people and lots of nice people, too! Live music and lively food! ERNIES ORGINIAL CRABHOUSE 1743 King St. 703-836-0046 THE WHARF 119 King St. 703-836-2834 wharfrestaurant.com "Its All About the Seafood," traditional and creative coastal cuisine. FISH MARKET-CLINTON 7611Old Branch Ave. Clinton, MD 301-599-7900 INDIAN DISHES OF INDIA 1510A Bellview Blvd. 703-660-6085 MEXICAN LATIN SOUTHWESTERN AUSTIN GRILL 801 King St. 703-684-8969 LOS TIOS GRILL 2615 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-299-9290 LOS TOLTECOS 4111 Duke St. 703-823-1167 TAQUERIA POBLANO 2400-B Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-548-TACO (8226) CASA FELIPE 835 N. Royal St. 703-535-7868

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

Old Town Crier

“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 DINING OUT FROM PG 30

or hand cut fries. The Down Home Bowls include Jambalaya Pasta, Louisiana Gumbo, Six Way BBQ Noodles and Red Beans and Rice. The Smokers feature the popular and original Elwood and Sister Mary and the recently added Jake’s BBQ Beef Brisket, and this is very tender. There is also a selection of desserts to top off any meal. I just heard that, although no longer on the menu, they will bring back their fabulous cobbler with ice cream for their 25th anniversary celebration. See their ad in this section. KSB is one of the few restaurants in the Old Town area that caters to kids. They have a great kids menu for the little ones and have offerings on the menu that will please the teenagers and tweens in your crowd. In fact, they have fed over 11,000 kids that come to town on tour busses during the season. I know they are very efficient in getting these guys in, fed and out in a timely manner – I have witnessed it! King Street Blues has also added catering to their repertoire. They now have a fully equipped van all decked out in KSB fashion that will bring the party right to your front door or anyplace you want for that matter. I am happy to be able to say that I have been a KSB friend and patron from the first day that they opened their doors and I am looking forward to helping them celebrate their anniversary. It has been rumored that some of the former bar staff are flying in to take a shift or two behind the stick for old times sake …for those KSB faithful reading this, you may want to make a plan to stop in during the week of the 19th-25th to see who shows up!

Great Steaks

USDA Prime Cuts

Late Night Menu Available Every Night

*The anniversary special will be available at the Crystal City location as well.

Old Town Crier

October 2015 | 33

CHEF’S SPECIAL CHESTER SIMPSON

Marco Tellaki marco tellaki IS THE CHEF of bon vivant café & Farm Market 2016 Mount vernon ave alexandria, Va 571-290-3820 bvfarmfood.com

When did you first become interested in cooking? When I was born! My mother was a great cook, the family cook, and I started to learn about food and flavors from her. Why did you pursue a culinary career? When I was a teenager and I would go camping or on holidays with friends and I would always be the cook. I enjoyed everyone else enjoying my cooking and that inspired me to go into a career that I knew I would find rewarding. Who have been the biggest inspirations in your career? I was classically trained as a chef in Italy, so I am inspired by the flavors of Italy and chefs like Francesco Lurini whose skills and discipline I admire. Even though we do not technically serve Italian food at Bon Vivant, I bring the knowledge that I learned in Italy about flavors and the art of food to my menu here.

What dish on your menu are you most curious to see how it’s received? We change the menu seasonally, so it’s always exciting to see how customers will feel about the new dishes we put on and the items we take off! Both reactions give us insight into what our customers enjoy the most. I work really hard to make our food flavorful with fresh, clean, local ingredients, so that people can enjoy food the way it is supposed to be, uninhibited by things we don’t need like artificial flavors or preservatives,

and I know this effort is well received by our customers. What do you do to ensure that the quality of the food going out to customers is of the highest standard? We start with real food ingredients like 100% grass-fed meats from farms like Polyface Farm, and we cook everything in house. I work hard to ensure my kitchen staff are all well trained so that everything the customer receives is consistent. We have quite a few gluten-free customers as well, so I always try to be creative when preparing new dishes to make them gluten-free, if possible. For example, using potato instead of flour to thicken soups. While this is more work, it tastes better, is more nutritious and appeals to more of our customer base. Giving customers a high quality product, especially at a casual dining establishment, is something I take great pride in. If any chef in the world could prepare you a meal, who would it be? Marcello Comte, because he knows how to marry ingredients in surprising and unusual ways that is truly delicious. What is your guilty food pleasure? Moroccan couscous, because it is not something that is easily found here. When someone does cook it for me it’s a treat and I probably eat too much of it! If you would like to see your favorite chef featured here, send contact information to chester@chestersimpson.com.

(l-r) Salmon Tartar, Salad Bon Vivant, Meatball Plate, and Golosa Egg Panini

34 | October 2015

Old Town Crier

EXPLORING VIRGINIAWINES DOUG FABBIOLI

he other day, I was fortunate to be invited to a collaborative brew day with 14 beer brewers from Loudoun County. (Our hops were used in some of the beer for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;dry hopâ&#x20AC;? process.) I had some great conversations with several brewers about hop growing and the similarities between brewing beer and making wine. The most thought-provoking conversations for me, though, were about our growing industries and

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With Growth Comes Responsibility how we need to monitor our growth. As alcoholic beverage producers, we need to recognize that as flavorful, artistic and enjoyable as our products are, alcohol can be an addictive and sometimes abused substance. As the popularity of the wineries, distilleries, breweries and cideries increase, we want to promote responsibility among our customers and fellow businesses. To that end, some of the things the

businesses do now are training our staff to remain diligent to prevent underage drinking as well as over consumption, having a designated driver program, serving snacks or food to balance the alcohol, and planning and booking events that are more based on education than consumption. On a grander scale, we actively promote other businesses and activities as additional venue options in the region. Farm tours, antique stores, public parks, restaurants and

roadside stands complement the experience of the country winery or brewery visit. Last month in Loudoun County we had a well-respected county supervisor resign his position due to his challenges with alcohol consumption. It is a loss for many, including himself and his family. As our industry grows, we cannot deny our challenges and need to keep focused on our responsibility to the community.

October 2015 | 35

GRAPEVINE FRANK BRITT

Doukénie Winery DRINK IN THE SCENERY, TASTE THE WINES

ctober is the perfect time to visit Doukénie Winery, a 412 acre farm winery in the foothills of the Blue Ridge, on the edge of Virginia DC’s wine country. The setting in Loudoun County is perfection, and there is a sense that fall is in the air

step through the doors of the tasting room, you feel the hospitality of the family and staff. George’s mother, Hope, is the matriarch of the family, treating guests to her homemade Baklava. She may also offer a family story or two. What started out as a hobby for George in 1986, is today one of Virginia’s most visited wineries. The Bazacos trace their success back to George’s grandmother, a 14 year old Greek girl named Doukenie, who in 1919 boarded a boat for the journey to America. 14727 MOUNTAIN RD • PURCELLVILLE, VA 20132 In 1981, George and his 540-668-6464 • doukeniewinery.com wife Nicki purchased the first track of land in with the leaves beginning to put on Loudoun County that is now known their seasonal colors. After you drink as Doukénie Winery. The land at the in the scenery, you’ll be ready to taste foot of Short Hill Mountain was being Doukénie’s award-winning wines. farmed for corn, hay and cattle. In the Owned by George and Nicki mid-eighties, an exciting time in the Bazaco, the winery is above all a family viticulture business in Virginia, the operation, and from the moment you Bazacos planted their first vineyard on 36 | October 2015

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the property. The winemaking business came later as the winery itself was constructed in 1995. Sébastien Marquet, Doukénie’s winemaker, who comes from Burgundy, France, has been making wine since he was 16. His knowledge allows him to combine his Burgundy techniques to the Bordeaux and Cotes du Rhones varietals. After leaving France, he was employed in Sonoma and Napa Valley. Today he finds himself in Virginia, where his challenge is to produce high quality and consistency, vintage after vintage. Doukénie has consistently taken awards in Virginia, US and international competitions, as well as high honors from Robert Parker of “Wine Advocate.” The long list of recognition is not only for Doukénie’s wines, but for their hospitality as well. In 2013 and 2014, they received the Official Virginia Wine Lovers “Visitor’s Choice Awards” for Favorite Tasting Room, and will no doubt be a strong contender for the upcoming 2015 Awards which are chosen by winery visitors. On Saturday, October 24, the

winery celebrates the most exciting and productive time of year with the annual Harvest Festival. It’s a barrel tasting event that includes BBQ from MONK’S, voted best food truck in DC, and the awesome sounds of Little Bit a Blues . . . a great way to join in recognizing Virginia Wine Month. Whether you visit Doukénie Winery for a wine tasting, a wine event, a tour or just to unwind, the Bazaco family and staff take pride in offering an exceptional and educational wine experience and are excited to share it with you. 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., complimentary to Old Town Crier readers. He also consults with several wine festivals and can be reached at frank@brittmarketing.com; vawinelover.com

FREE SUBSCRIPTION to the OFFICIAL VIRGINIA WINE LOVER E-newsletter www.vawinelover.com

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DOUKENIE MINESTRONE Makes 6 servings Ingredients ¼ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped 6 -8 cups shredded cabbage or packaged shredded cabbage with carrot (coleslaw mix) 3 medium red potatoes, diced (about 1 pound) 2 cups chopped carrots (4 medium) 2 cups chopped zucchini (about 10 ounces) 1½ cups chopped, trimmed fresh green beans (about 6 ounces) 1½ cups cooked navy or white kidney beans or 1 15-ounce can navy or cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks) 2 tablespoons dried basil, crushed 1½ teaspoons dried oregano, crushed 1 4oz wedge Parmesan cheese 2 32oz cartons chicken broth 1 14½ - ounce can stewed tomatoes, undrained and cut up ½ cup uncooked arborio or long grain rice Sourdough or French bread slices (optional)

2. Meanwhile, remove rind from Parmesan cheese. Wrap the cheese rind in a double layer of 100 percent cotton cheesecloth. Finely shred the Parmesan cheese; cover and chill until serving time. 3. Stir broth, undrained tomatoes and rice into the mixture in the Dutch oven. Bring to boiling; reduce heat to low. Add wrapped cheese rind. Simmer, covered, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. 4. To serve, remove and discard cheese rind. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. If you like, serve with sourdough bread. Makes 18 cups, 12 (1-1/2-cup) servings. Maria Canora Doukénie Winery Hospitality and Special Events Manager Resident Chef

Preparation 1. In a 7- to 8-quart Dutch oven, heat oil and butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until onions are tender and golden, stirring occasionally. Add cabbage, potatoes, carrots, zucchini, green beans, navy beans, celery, basil and oregano. Cook, uncovered, for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

October 2015 | 37

BEHIND THE BAR FROM PG 28

Tell us an interesting story of an encounter you’ve had with a patron. This happened just recently. I had an Indian chief from Arizona sitting at my bar here at Bond and he asked me what football team I cheered for. This is the first time I truly thought that Redskins may be an offensive term but I blurted it out anyway. He gave me a blank stare and started laughing with his two companions. He said he was asking everyone while he was here and just thought it funny how many people got a little nervous before they replied. That’s my kind of guy. Uncomfortableness can often be hilarious.

n three fox vineyards oCtober events n

n 3: 8th annual “alpaCa lunCh,” the exaggerations, farm effeCt truCk, eriC buCkland, Civil War author n 4: yoga in the vineyard!, paintnite, riChard giersCh n n 9-12: Columbus day Weekend: 10: movin on, 11: roma’s mobile kitChen, paintnite n 11: roma’s mobile kitChen, paintnite n n 17: harvest festival, the exaggerations n 18: riChard giersCh, paintnite n 24: livin’ la dolCe vita, the iCe kittens n 25: riChard giersCh, paintnite n n 30-nov.1: annual halloWeen Celebration n 31: riChard giersCh n

Who would you most like to sit down and have a drink with? (past or present) Easy. Johnny Cash. I’ve loved his music since I was a kid. All of it. From the early years until his last album. I always admire people who face their own demons but have the strength to share their stories with others instead of denying any failures. If you would like to see your favorite bartender featured here, send contact information to office@oldtowncrier.com.

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

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

VIRGINIA WINE Trail Profiles Bedford County Wine Trail bedfordwinetrail.com The Bedford Wine Trail in the Central Virginia region includes five vineyards and wineries surrounding Bedford. Blue Ridge Wine Way www.blueridgewineway.com The Blue Ridge Wine Way features eight wineries and vineyards in the spectacular mountains of the Northern Virginia region. Botetourt County Wine Trail botetourtwinetrail.com The Botetourt County Wine Trail features three wineries in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Eastern Shore Wine Trail esvatourism.org The Eastern Shore of Virginia Wine Trail hosts three wineries along the Land Between Two Waters. This area is a unique rural coastal environment. Hundreds of miles of Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay shoreline provide a wealth of recreational opportunities for beach-lovers, fishermen, and boaters in addition to wine lovers. Fauquier County Wine Trail fauquiertourism.com/wineries.html Fauquier County is home to 16 wineries and vineyards – each with its own unique flavors. Enjoy award-winning Virginia wines, wine tastings and tours. Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail svwga.org The Shenandoah Valley Wine Trail is an association of six vineyards and wineries. Loudoun Wine Trail visitloudoun.org Loudouns Wine Trail in Northern Virginia takes you through Virginias hunt country to 23 participating wineries. Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail chesapeakebaywinetrail.com The Chesapeake Bay Wine Trail, in the Chesapeake Bay region, highlights six different wineries. Heart of Virginia Wine Trail www.hovawinetrail.com The Heart of Virginia Wine Trail in Central Virginia presents several events throughout the year at four wineries located in the central region of the state. Blue Ridge Wine Trail blueridgewinetrail.com The Blue Ridge Wine Trail features five wineries and vineyards in the spectacular mountains all within minutes of the Blue Ridge Parkway. 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 2015

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

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

teaching an old bass guide a new trick

or the last 30 years, I’ve been a bass hound. Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and occasional snakehead were all I targeted. I’d become a species, and tackle, snob. Spinning and baitcasting reels with heavy line and large hooks are my weapons of choice. I winch fish to my high performance Skeeter bass boat, powered by a 250 HP Yamaha outboard. Guiding allows me to fish with anglers of varied skill levels and backgrounds. Some anglers bring spinning reels. Some casting reels. But the dreaded appearance of a fly rod backlashes my mind. Occasionally fly fishermen come aboard for a Potomac River bass trip. With eyebrows raised, I observe with interest as they piece together 9-foot rods, thread heavy fly line, only to tie on light leaders and very small lures. Flailing and subsequent failing begins. Casting at best about 50 feet, they can’t reach strike zones. Spinning

Bassing IN OCTOBER Potomac River

Grass is going…but still around. Find fish in these remnants. Lucky Craft BDS4 crankbaits on 12 pound test GAMMA edge fluorocarbon line can be worked over grass. Catch grass, shake and snap allowing baits to float. At lower tides, try Mann’s Baby 1-Minus on the same line. Crank and rip out of grass, pausing for bites. On cloudy days with chop, try Mann’s Classic spinnerbaits. Buzzbaits with Mann’s HardNose Reel N Shad soft plastic

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or casting outfits can effortlessly reach 100 feet. Tiny fly lures are no match for big, bad and boisterous bass plugs designed not to imitate but instead to intimidate bass into biting. Fly rods are put aside in favor of bass tackle. After many attempts by fly anglers to get me to cross over, I finally accepted the challenge. Meeting Orvis Master Certified Casting Instructor Dan Davala, my education began. They have a different rod for everything. Lots of lines too. Floating, sinking, different weights and tapers, main line and backing had to be mechanically spooled on the reel with a special winding machine. Tapered leaders tie to the fly line. Tippets tie to the leaders. I use GAMMA lines for bass fishing and was pleased to learn GAMMA specialized in fly lines. A call to fishing line expert Dale Black and appropriate GAMMA Frog Hair leader and tippets were GO FISH > PAGE 42

Swimbaits instead of skirts will also produce fall bites. Pitch Mizmo tubes on 3/0 Mustad Tube hooks on 14-pound Edge around scattered grass or into holes at any tide. For deeper edges, try Mizmo Barb Wire shaky heads with Doodle worms. Soak in garlic Jack’s Juice Bait Spray. Mann’s Hollow NEW Goliath frogs on 60-pound GAMMA Torque Braid are perfect over matted grass. Also try toad style soft plastics with a Mustad Ultra Point Swimbait hook. Follow-up with weightless stickworms like Mann’s 5-inch HardNose Freefall worm on 10-pound test GAMMA Edge Fluorocarbon line for missed bites! Wacky rig with 2/0 Mustad RED Octopus hooks. Punch through thick grass mat with Round Valley ¾ to 1-ounce Tungsten weights, 60-pound Torque braid and a strong Mustad Grip Pin Flippin hook.

October 2015 | 39

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Staying Fit for the Start of Holiday Season

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. 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 selfesteem. 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 FITNESS > PAGE 41

40 | October 2015

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FROM THE TRAINER RYAN UNVERZAGT

alance is the foundation for nearly every movement. We rely on it so much without even thinking twice about it. Balance is utilized during sitting, standing up, walking, climbing stairs, running, and not to mention….exercise, which is why I want to share a few ways to test your balance this month. Let me start off by explaining about the two types of balance, static and dynamic. Static balance is the ability to hold a position without excessive movement for a certain amount of time, such as standing on one leg. Dynamic balance is being able to maintain control while performing a movement, such as walking a tightrope. Now, I don’t expect you to be able to actually walk a tightrope, you can leave that up to Barnum & Bailey’s Circus performers! Here is the first exercise to test your static balance: Stand upright with your feet together and arms at your sides. Slowly lift one foot

AN L C A E B

off the ground by flexing your hip and knee and hold that position for at least 30 seconds. Switch feet to find out which leg has better control. The goal is to feel comfortable on each side in order to progress to more challenging exercises. The second balance exercise starts just like the first except that you will be looking over your left and right shoulders to increase difficulty. Start by looking at the wall in front of you then slowly scan the room toward your left shoulder without looking down at the floor. Once you’ve looked over that shoulder, scan back to the right side until you’ve looked over the other one. Repeat this 10 times on each leg. Once you’ve mastered this exercise, try scanning from your toes, along the floor and up the wall to the ceiling directly above you and back down. Sounds easy, right? This third exercise will test your dynamic balance: You

will need something to set in front of you such as a cone or basketball. Stand about two feet away from your object and start by lifting one foot off the ground. Lean forward toward your object by bringing your opposite leg behind you and keep your stance leg straight (knee not locked out). Bend from your hip and avoid rounding the back by keeping great posture. Continue to reach until you are able to touch the object with your opposite hand and slowly come back to the start

position. Your back leg should also remain straight to help counterbalance your torso during this exercise. Try 10 reps on each leg. You can increase the challenge by grabbing a dumbbell. These are very basic exercises to test your balance skills. Remember to keep movements slow to remain in control. If you lose your balance at any time during the exercise, just place the opposite foot on the ground to regain control. Do not hop around on one leg. You can always find ways to up the difficulty level by adding an unstable surface such as a BOSU trainer or Dyna-Disc. If you don’t have

access to equipment or want the ultimate challenge, try these exercises with your eyes closed. The best time to perform balance exercises is at the very beginning of your workout or as part of your warm-up routine before you get too fatigued. Unverzagt holds a BS in Wellness Management from Black Hills State University. He is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA). Ryan is also a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS) through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS).

FITNESS FROM PG 41

because their immune systems are stronger. More and 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

October 2015 | 41

GO FISH FROM PG 39

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on the way. In January my outfit was ready to handle smallmouth bass. My fishing buddy, Alan Friedlander set up a September Upper James River float trip with Capt. Matt Miles. No Yamaha here. The boat bottom skidded over shallow rocks under Matt’s rowing power. A few tips from him and my casting performed well enough to put homemade Miles Slider topwaters in front of fish. Soon I had a few rises, that’s what fly anglers call bites, and finally a hit. Anticipating the hookset, I executed it to perfection and started to strip line, what fly anglers call reeling the fish in. I had my first fish on a fly, but lost him at the net. Enjoying the casting motion, which was therapeutic for my sore shoulder, I was getting more action and landed several fish, albeit quite clumsily. That would improve under Matt’s advisement. Fly angling is more grace, less brute force. The quiet drift boat allows time to stop to hear the cicadas, the flow of water over shallow rocks and the occasional bird of prey boasting a catch. A common angle runs through fly-fishing, the geometry of my fishing triangle. The base is casting, distance and accuracy. Next is lure presentation. This was very interesting as the fish were in crystal clear water only inches deep. Well-placed casts either produced action in a few seconds or another cast was required. Conventional fishing requires aggravating them into biting. Fly-fishing requires choosing

a size, color and shape to match what fish are eating. Fly rods present very small unobtrusive and lifelike natural baits, designed to fool fish. The first day of the James River trip I gazed at my trusty spinning rod, but didn’t pick up this fishing security blanket. The second day, I never even looked at it. I executed fly casts, focusing on accuracy and then increasing distance. Hooksets, topping off my triangle, became second nature and stripping line to keep fish hooked felt natural. And then, I made a well-placed cast under a tree and against a log creating an eddy. A huge smallmouth engulfed the Miles Slider. A solid hookset, controlled stripping and experienced rod work brought a beauty to the net. The culmination of two days listening to Matt and Alan resulted in me hooking and landing a 20.5-inch citation smallmouth bass! With tens of thousands of fish under my belt since my very first fish, something I don’t even remember, it was still very exciting to accept the challenge to try something new and different. Learning and executing to success made this experience memorable. I caught my first fish all over again, but this time, I’ll remember it. Author Capt. Steve Chaconas is Potomac bass fishing guide and contributing writer for BoatU.S. (BoatUS.com) Potomac River reports: nationalbass.com. Book trips/purchase gift certificates: info@NationalBass.com.

BLUE RIDGE FROM PG 26

people were very welcoming and helpful, and it was refreshing to be around a large group and not have a single person ask if my dog was a pit bull, a lab with a bad hair day, a poodle mix or worse. I was even offered, and took, a couple of quick handling lessons. And Puffin actually won her class on the second day of the show. Fully expecting to get my comeuppance in the veterans class, it was a real treat when the judge awarded old J-Bell 2nd place. For good measure, Puffin and J-Bell got a 3rd in the brace class, and Puffin earned a Working Dog Excellent certificate for retrieving on the final day. Armed with a little more knowledge, I continued to show Puffin after that summer and she earned her show championship fairly easily but I cannot really take credit for that since a chimp probably could’ve held the leash—Puffin could show herself. Along the way she competed in obedience trials, earned an obedience title and a few more field titles and more ribbons at two more National Specialties and a few at the National Dog Show in Philadelphia. She also accompanied me to three American Chesapeake Club national field trial specialties where she herself did not compete but at all three she had daughters, granddaughters and a grandson in the ribbons. Speaking of her offspring, Puffin was a good mother and outstanding producer bred to different males, and it’s particularly gratifying that her grandchildren and now great grandchildren are starting to make names and earn titles from coast to coast. But her most important job throughout maturity and especially after retiring from competition (she still competed occasionally until she was 11) was raising and socializing the young dogs and occasional fosters at Hope Springs Farm. Alpha bitch and benevolent dictator of all the Hope Springs animals, Puffin maintained her status not with teeth and fury but by example

and with calm disdain for foolish behavior. Always a lady around people and other dogs, she nevertheless could not abide hyperactive, ill-mannered dogs, especially if she was on leash and could not get away from them. If a warning growl did not do the trick, she was not above shouldering the miscreant, affixing the stink eye, and inserting herself between the culprit and her people or pack. Never one to gulp her meals or take your hand off when a treat was offered, Puffin wasn’t highly food motivated and would do more for an “attagirl” and an ear scratch (or a bird to retrieve) than a biscuit. At mealtime, she ate slowly and deliberately and, I often think, only cleaned her bowl because she didn’t want the other dogs to have her leftovers. Often I’d return from feeding the horses to see her still eating one kibble at a time, with a semi-circle of her offspring around her, keeping a respectful distance but slavering in hopes she’d leave a crumb. Raising the puppies I kept—first her offspring then her grandchildren and great grandchildren, as well as assisting in the socialization of litters born here to her daughters and granddaughters, had been Puffin’s unofficial job these last few years. Even as her health began to decline and age slowed her down, her dog family always accorded her the respect she deserved from lessons well taught. When the infirmities of age finally caught up to her this month, we all gathered solemnly to say our last goodbyes to The Puff, Puffer Puffer, Stocking Stuffer, our beloved Puffin, formally known as CH Puffin II JH CD WDX. Her favorite veterinarian, who’d treated her aches and pains with acupuncture and cold laser the past year, came to the house and we laid her to rest in the same room where she was born. She is buried on a hill overlooking her ponds next to her mother and daughter. We’ll miss you, gal. Old Town Crier

FIRST BLUSH kim putens

Fall Beauty Trends!

nlike previous seasons where the beauty trends were a mixed bag of ethereal and fresh to bold and colorful, the fall beauty regimen is definitive and distinct and anything but a mixed bag. While there are many options for how to fashion your face this fall, there is a definitive trend of colors — berry, rich, charcoal and flush. The looks are bold, but beautiful and quite frankly, a fresh take on recent trends. You’ll find throwbacks from the 80’s and new twists on the classics. The basis for makeup regimens is foundation and this fall’s look is moving away from the matte finish. Semimatte (with a hint of glow) is the foundation of choice. The point is no longer just to cover up flaws, but to allow one’s inner glow to shine through. All you need to do is lighten up - simply brush on light layers of foundation and avoid, at all cost, the temptation to cover up. All that covering leads to layers of cake that only emphasize flaws. Step a step back, peel away the layers, and allow your unique features to shine through. Monochromatic looks are this seasons answer to a quick, fresh look. Pair your cheek color with the same for lips and eyes. Delight in

Old Town Crier

the fact that the colors are light and airy with emphasis on peachy and pink tones with a hint of shimmer. If you can’t find the exceptional balance between the perfect color and a hint of shimmer, opt for layers. Simply take a peach or pink blush and layer a shimmery bronzer over it. Voila! Another note about the cheeks this Fall. For those of you blessed with high cheekbones, don’t hide them … make them come alive. While season’s past has focused on the apples of our cheeks, this year cheek color is taken from the apples to the hairline. Caution though… this is not a road map. Blend it to naturally accentuate the cheekbone. The look for eyes is bold, but the key is knowing when and where to wear these looks. While bold in color, they can be applied subtly for day with the option to amp it up for night. Colors of gray, chocolate, gold and cobalt abound. Matte gray shadow on the eyes is a major focus for this fall. Gray is great on so many skin tones that it’s virtually a neutral color. Sweep the gray over the lid; add eyeliner, mascara and you’re done. Chocolate is another beautiful and bold color for eyes this season. Chocolate mixed with some gold helps to keep the eye from looking flat

or mousy. Achieve the look by putting chocolate in the crease and blending it to the outer corners of the eye. Then sweep gold from the corner

of the eyes and over the middle of the lid being sure to blend with the chocolate so it doesn’t look like tiger stripes. The color is applied lightly, not heavy. Too heavy and you’ll like the outcome of a boxing match. Finally, a quick and easy look for eyes this fall essentially starts and ends with cobalt eyeliner. For evening, line the top, bottom, and edges of the eye. Wear with bare lids, black mascara, soft lips and cheeks. Done. To make it appropriate for day, just line the top of the lids and follow the same rules. The beauty trend for lips is a bit like oil and water. At one end of the spectrum — the nude lip. At the other end – colors reminiscent of red wines … Bordeaux. The nude lip is more sheerly pink than absolute nude. Glossy is better while glitter is almost never. To keep your face from looking naked, pair the nude

lip with either a bold eye or face. The opposite is true for bold colored lips. Avoid looking Goth by pairing these lips with pale shades everywhere else. Hairstyles are a retake on old classics. It’s pulled together without being stiff. Waves are more billow and fluffy, rather than spiraled. Ponytails and buns are tidy without looking greased back and slick. Try a tight, low looped ponytail for a change. Add a bold accessory and you’ve got the look! Headbands haven’t been popular since Hillary Clinton was First Lady, but they are back and not politically correct. Thick headbands are embellished with sparkles and bows. Others are worn in multiples of two or three. And, the only way to wear these headbands is close to the hairline and hair teased at the crown.

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SPIRITUAL RENAISSANCE PEGGIE ARVIDSON

Changing Seasons

hen you change the inside, everything outside you transforms. This is the calling card of my life and it’s the soul medicine I share every day. The challenge is figuring out what to change and how to do it, right? When you feel stuck in a dead-end job you might think that the ‘fix’ is to change jobs, but is it really the best answer? Most of the time, it’s not, because changing jobs is an OUTER shift and what’s called for is an inner transformation. Transformation sounds pretty hard doesn’t it? Transformation sounds like heavy lifting and will power. It doesn’t sound like something I want to sign up for given my busy life. How about you? Still, transformation is happening whether you

The

apply yourself or not. The seasons are a perfect example — I don’t know if the sun has to try extra hard and apply its willpower to move further away from us, or if the trees feel the urge to struggle through changing the chlorophyll levels in the leaves. So why should we, otherwise intelligent beings, find it so hard to get out of spaces that make us feel miserable? We each have our own ‘reasons’ but in the coaching vernacular we refer to your stuck behaviors and habits as your saboteurs. You’ve got ‘em, I’ve got ‘em and even your favorite idol has them too. None of us get through life without limiting beliefs and in order to get through life with more joy and less stress, facing and then learning from our saboteurs is required.

The saboteur is your personal tool for transformation. Whether you’re afraid of being seen because you are certain someone will find out you’re a fraud, or if you’re stifling your social life because you’ll feel guilty letting your siblings care for your aging parents, your saboteur is alive and well. “Yes! But I have a good reason!” you insist. After all it is virtuous to be the one in charge of caring for your parents, taking them to their doctor’s appointments, navigating the insurance and Medicare system on their behalf! You are so good at getting it all done that you don’t even realize how debilitating it all is. Until you feel chronically fatigued. You wake up in the middle of the night after falling into bed exhausted and

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worn out. Once awake your head starts whizzing with what-ifs and should-haves and to-dos. Let’s not even talk about the night sweats! It’s no wonder you feel like you’re walking around in a haze, forgetting where you put your keys or what time your meeting with the boss happens! Let’s agree that this is not the joyful life you imagined when you were 10 or 22 or even 30! Now it’s time to look back at the choices and paths that have gotten you here. Don’t look back with contempt or anger or resentment. Look back with compassion and forgiveness. Forgive yourself for everything you’ve been regretting. Forgive yourself for each road not taken. Forgive yourself for every poor partner selection and lousy career change. Sit with that sense of compassion and forgiveness for as long as it takes – it may be 10 minutes every day or it may be a period of one hour of intensity. When you wake in the middle of the night forgive the thoughts that are making your insomnia go full throttle. Once you feel the sense of true forgiveness settling in like a new habit forming, it’s your chance to review the disappointments with an objective eye. Look for the underlying feeling or thought that accompanied those less than stellar choices. Were the choices made out of a fear of loneliness? Maybe they were out of a fear of rejection, or insecurity or being lied to? There is nearly an endless list of our fears but you’ll find that you have a common thread among yours. It’s tied into

your life lesson. You are here to master, not conquer, your lesson and the first step is in recognizing what it is in the first place. Now that you’ve identified your primary fear saboteur you get to the sweet spot of knowing and loving yourself in a whole new way! This is where the inner transformation begins. The next step is for you to spy on yourself and your decision making processes. When you face a decision that feels major, like quitting your job without a backup plan, or it feels mundane, like whether or not to have that second cookie as your afternoon pick-me-up, notice the underlying feeling in your body. Your body never lies, so listen intently. If you feel exhilarated and expanded, use that barometer to lead you deeper to the truth of the decision and outcome. If you feel exhausted and small, dig in and see if that’s because your core fear/s are running the show. Do this every day, making it a new habit and you’ll see your outer world shift as your inner world transforms! Peggie Arvidson, the Pragmatic Palmist is a healer, teacher and soul coach as well as the founder of The Profitable Alchemist Academy. She’s helped thousands of people connect with their life purpose and put it to work for them through private readings, small group classes and individual coaching programs. You can learn more & sign up to receive your free mini-reading at PeggieArvidson.com. She’s also available for private sessions at Rising Phoenix Holistic Center in downtown Manassas, Va. Old Town Crier

OPEN SPACE LORI WELCH BROWN

ot sure how it happened, but I have officially started the countdown to fifty. My days in my forties are literally numbered as this time next year my cake will be afire with candles to commemorate a half a century of life on this planet, God willing. Yikes-arama! I’ve enjoyed my forties, so I’ll be sad to say goodbye. I’m old enough that I don’t really remember most of my twenties except that I had a lot of fun. My thirties weren’t bad, but they were a lot of work. Oh yeah—and a lot of heartache. Frankly, I wasn’t sad to say goodbye to my third decade – I was excited to turn forty. Maybe it is all about attitude, because in my thirties, I couldn’t seem to get out of my own way. I was somewhat successful in my professional life, but if the saying “work smarter, not harder” holds any water, I must have been an idiot because it sure felt like a lot of hard work. For certain I was a confirmed dating idiot, and that’s all I need to say about that. For you single ladies reading this, my only advice to you would be to treasure yourself and others will too. Stop directing your energy at finding another person and focus all your time and energy on strengthening your inner beauty and emotional, physical and mental health. I’ve read a few articles (2,582 today) about middle age and turning fifty, i.e., you know you’re middle aged when naps are happy hour and forgetfulness is the new sexy. Could someone call my phone, please? Has anyone seen my Old Town Crier

Countdown to Graytness keys? Personally speaking, daily aches and pains aside, mentally I still feel like I’m 22. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Actually, that’s not quite true. I work with a lot of twenty-somethings, and while they’re a smart/sharp bunch, they don’t know what they don’t know. They’ve yet to experience a lot of the life stuff that builds character and fortitude. That’s what makes us older people wiser—at least that’s what I’m telling myself. When that really cute, hip twenty-something guy from Accounting says, “thanks, ma’am” as I drop off my expenses, it’s a bit unnerving, but he must think I know stuff. And, I do. I know that no matter how icky today is, tomorrow is a new day filled with new opportunities. I know that family trumps everything and good friends are worth their weight in gold. I know that the only thing that really matters is your health—no job or cute guy is worth getting upset over. Stress is a fourletter word. Every decision you make impacts your life in some way—make good ones. If you didn’t make a good one today, make tomorrow’s better. You’re in charge of your own energy—make it positive and spend it wisely. Grief is the ultimate bitch, but time does heal all wounds. Mean people suck. The high you get from an act of kindness is better than any drug. There are a lot of metaphors for life in running— it all starts with one simple step. When you think you can’t go any farther, you can. Slow and steady wins the race…which is good news since I’m not as fast as I used to be. I’ve watched a few of my

friends turn fifty in the past few years, and they’ve done it with such grace, style, poise and beauty that I feel blessed to join them in this new chapter. Aging is a natural, beautiful process, and as they say, it sure beats the alternative. Sure, you can fight it with surgery and/or botox, but I don’t even buy fruit with chemicals, why am I going to inject them into my face? If I’m eating organic, I should probably try to age naturally as well. Somehow I feel better giving my paycheck to Whole Foods vs. The Plastic Surgery Wellness Center. Don’t get me wrong. There’s a lot to be said for youth—mostly the great, elastic-y skin, but youth is for the young. I’ve heard from a lot of middle aged women who are frustrated that men their own age want to be with younger women. I say that those men are the wrong men, and it’s unfair to lump all men into that category. It’s like saying that all men want tall women with blonde hair. Not true. Confident, sexy middle aged men want partners not playmates. Dating is the same at any age. The same men who were insecure in their twenties and thirties are still gonna be insecure in their sixties. On the flip side, I know plenty of older women who are still eyeing the charming snake when the nice, ‘mature’ guy is right next to them. That nice guy is worth a second look so put on your bi-focals and give it a try. One of my friends rejected a great guy because of his middle-aged spread. Seriously? I wear my Buddha belly with pride. The only way I’m going to have a

flat belly at this stage in my life is if I lie down and turn off the lights. It’s time to let go of the double standards. All I’m saying is that if you’re middle aged, there are still plenty of awesome men/women out there. Enjoy the journey. I want to walk excitedly into my fifties feeling vibrant, healthy, sexy and beautiful— inside and out—gray hair be

damned. Disclaimer: While I’m anti-botox/surgery at this writing (subject to change as is my prerogative as a woman), I am 100% on board with coloring my hair well into my eighties. This next chapter is bound to be the best ever, but I’m going to enjoy every last minute of my forties. Of that, you can be sure.

Experience

the Art of Jewelry

ExtEnsivE CollECtion of HandmadE JEwElry Open every day and evenings 113 King Street • Old Town Alexandria 703.549.8530 • www.silverparrot.com October 2015 | 45

A S

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S F partner here at the Crier is a local and guilty of the same thing. Sometimes it’s all I can do to get him to attend events and meet friends in the District and he actually knows his way around all of the damned circles and one-way streets! It is a phobia of sorts I guess. Yet, he has no problem crossing the Woody Bridge on a regular basis since it is on the way to his sailboat! I understand that there are lots of readers out there who still think that Prince George’s County isn’t a safe place to be. It hasn’t had the best reputation over the years but it has certainly changed in the 23 years I have lived in the area, especially the last eight to nine years. It is a huge county and there are some questionable areas just like in any other location (think the ‘berg in Alexandria, SE area of DC, etc.) but National Harbor is anything but. I live here, I should know. In fact, it is not unlike what I imagine living in a resort would be. It has beautiful landscaping, fantastic bars and restaurants, fun free entertainment on a regular basis, a great assortment of shops, the Capitol Wheel and of course the Gaylord and the upcoming ICE! extravaganza. With the holidays fast approaching, October may be a good time to make that inaugural visit to the Harbor so you have the lay of the land before all of the festivities kick in. The Harbor is accessible by water taxi from Old Town Alexandria and ´ Georgetown and there is plenty of parking that isn’t any more expensive than anywhere else in the urban area. Really no excuse for not making the trek across that big old bridge – which is one of the best looking in the area, if I say so myself!

WATERFRONT DINING

A Bridge Too Far …

almost non-existent compared to the continue to be amazed at the number other areas within the 50 mile radius of of friends and acquaintances who the DC region. There were significant live and work in Alexandria and numbers of people from Anne Arundel, surrounding area who tell me they Montgomery, Calvert and St. Mary’s have yet to make the short trip across counties in Maryland and these all have the Woodrow Wilson Bridge to experience close to the same demographics as Fairfax, the Harbor. What really amazes me is that Prince William, Loudoun counties and most of these folks are within a mere 5 By Lani Gering Alexandria/Arlington in Virginia. So why mile radius at the max. the vast difference? I was talking to Josh Winston, the After talking, once again, to some of my honcho of tourism at the Harbor, last local pals I find that the stigma about “crossing the week and he confirmed my suspicions when he bridge” to the Harbor is the same one as “crossing told me about an independent survey that was the bridge(s)” to the District. There seems to be conducted a year ago during the holidays. The something about having to cross a bridge around number of interviewees from the land far, far here (other than for work) to be entertained! My away across the bridge to the Commonwealth was

NationalHarbor.com

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Publisher’s note: The bridges go both ways and we know that there are those of you on the “other” side who haven’t been to Old Town Alexandria for a while or maybe never! Now is a good time to take the plunge and treat yourselves to some fun on the Virginia side!

No Tricks, Just Treats at Relache By Rachel Dinbolowitz

all Seasonal Treatments at Relache Spa are here. The theme this season focuses on clementine and pumpkin. They are offering three seasonal treatments and one package to experience them all. I think that you Old Town Crier readers might be interested in pampering yourselves before the hectic schedule of your holiday begins! Treat yourself to:

Clementine Massage

Enjoy the sweet scent of clementine oil and a special hand scrub during this stress relieving massage starting at $150.

Autumn Glow Facial

Experience the health benefits of pumpkin —

46 | September 2015

known to brighten and smooth the skin — during this fall facial special. Our estheticians will cleanse, exfoliate and apply a pumpkin mask to reduce wrinkles and leave the skin glowing. Starts at $150.

Pumpkin Pedicure

Indulge in the best scents of fall during this pampering pedicure including a cider foot soak, clementine scrub, pumpkin foot mask and perfectly polished and painted toes. Starts at $75. To experience all three, clients can choose the Harvest Glow Spa Experience at $325 MondaysThursdays and $340 Fridays-Sundays. These fall treatments are available now through November 20th! Relache Spa is located in the Hotel at the Gaylord Resort here in National Harbor.

Old Town Crier

C S

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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.

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

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

Saturdays and Sundays Millers Farm Market On American Way

Movies on the Potomac ENCORE! On the Plaza – Free!

10:00 am - 5:00 pm

4:00 pm 2nd: James and the Giant Peach New Time! This is an encore airing of this movie. If you missed it last month, you can see it now! Bring your chairs and grab food to go from one of the fun places on the plaza and meet in front of the jumbo screen. Fun for everyone. No coolers.

Miller Farms offers a wide variety of local seasonal fruits and vegetables along with some imports: lemons, limes, pineapple; as well as baked goods and flowers. It's mum season–get yours here! Fitness on the Potomac with WillPower Functional Fitness On the Plaza – Free! 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm 1st: Cardio Kickboxing

AC LOUNGE 156 Waterfront St. 301-749-2299 AROMA DITALI 156 National Plaza 301-839-3492 BOND 45 149 Waterfront Street 301-839-1445

24th: Harbor Halloween The Black Dog Howl-loween Party 11:00 am - 2:30 pm Come to the Black Dog at 121 Waterfront Street for some Halloween fun for your furry friend! Make new friends and enjoy a scenic tour of the Harbor. The Meet and Greet is from 11 am to 12 pm. At 2 pm, you and your pup will proceed down the ramp to National Plaza, pass the Gaylord Hotel, and make your way down Fleet Street and American Way. You’ll end up back at the Black Dog, where prizes will be awarded! All dogs must be leashed or they cannot walk. Trick or Treating at participating merchants! 12 Noon - 2:00 pm Hocus Pocus the movie on the Big Screen! 12:30 pm National Harbor Chef Pumpkin Carving Contest 2:00 pm Come one, come all! Prince George’s County Police Department will have their very best officers in attendance to hand out Children’s ID kits. You will also get an exclusive look at an official police cruiser. Children in costume ride FREE on the Capitol Wheel with an adult purchase!

48 | October 2015

NATIONAL HARBOR DINING GUIDE

CADILLAC RANCH 186 Fleet St. 301-839-1100 cadillacranchgroup.com ELEVATION BURGER 108 Waterfront Street 301-749-4014 FIORELLA PIZZERIA E CAFFE 152 National Plaza 301-839-1811 GRACES MANDARIN 188 Waterfront Street 301-839-3788 GRANITE CITY FOOD & BREWERY 200 American Way 240-493-3900 Harringtons Pub and Kitchen 177 Fleet Street 301-909-2505 harringtonspubandkitchen.com McCORMICK & SCHMICK 145 National Plaza 301-567-6224

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

Old Town Crier

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Great dining, wineries and water trails, plus historic sites, lighthouses and state parks—all on the water. Just a short drive from D.C. and Northern Virginia, in Southern Maryland.

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Historic Leonardtown October in Leonardtown and St. Mary’s

Leonardtown and St. Mary’s County offer lots of seasonal ways to enjoy your October weekends. Getting here is a breeze, and once you arrive, you’ll find Amish farm markets and scenic byways to explore. In Leonardtown, combine a visit to Southern Maryland’s Arts & Entertainment District with a paddle along McIntosh Run, an in-town water trail. Or visit Newtowne Neck, Maryland’s newest state park, just minutes away along the Potomac River. St. Mary’s is full of great fall events including the Oyster Festival which features the National Oyster Shucking Contest and the National Oyster Cook-off.

Leonardtown October Events Friday, 2: First Friday activities around the town and at Port of Leonardtown Winery Sunday, 11: Antique Tractor Parade Sundays, 11 & 25: Multi-Vendor Events at Caught My Eye Thursday, 8 & Sunday, 25: Gretchen Richie Jazz Cabaret at Cafe des Artistes Saturday, 17: Coastal Arts Market and Maryland Antique Center Flea Market Saturday, 24: Trick or Treat on the Square

Other October Events in St. Mary’s County Saturday, 3 & Sunday, 4: Riverside Winefest at Sotterley Plantation Saturday, 3 & Sunday, 4: Blessing of the Fleet, Colton’s Point Saturday, 17 & Sunday, 18: St. Mary’s County Oyster Festival, St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds Saturday, 24: Haunted Ship, Historic St. Mary’s City Weekends in October: Bowles Farms Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch Weekends in October: Forrest Hall Farm & Orchard Crazy Corn Maze

Find event details and all there is to see and do in Leonardtown and St. Mary’s County at www.visitstmarysmd.com