Since 1988 • Priceless
From the Bay to the Blue Ridge
October 2020
Celebrating Virginia Wine Month!
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Setting the Standard In Old Town Since 1979
october’20 A Division of Crier Media Group OTC Media LLC PO Box 320386 Alexandria, VA 22320 571-257-5437 office@oldtowncrier.com oldtowncrier.com Published the first week of every month. Worth waiting for! PUBLISHER Bob Tagert MARKETING & ADVERTISING Lani Gering Bob Tagert Meg Mullery SOCIAL MEDIA & WEBSITE Ashley Schultz
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A Bit of History................................................................ 9
Fitness................................................................................39
Personality Profile: Banshee........................................ 6
DESIGN & PRODUCTION Electronic Ink 9 Royal Street, SE Leesburg, VA 20175 703. 669. 5502
After Hours.......................................................................13
From the Bay...................................................................24
Pets of the Month.........................................................21
Alexandria Events............................................................ 3
From the Trainer............................................................40
Points on Pets.................................................................20
Arts & Antiques..............................................................15
Gallery Beat.....................................................................14
CONTRIBUTORS Meg Mullery Melinda Myers Ron Powers Kim Putens Julie Reardon Ashley Schultz Jaime Stephens Bob Tagert Carl Trevisan Ryan Unverzagt Lori Welch Brown Molly Winans
Business Profile................................................................. 4
Go Fish...............................................................................42
Caribbean Connection...............................................22
Grapevine.........................................................................36
Dining Guide...................................................................34
High Notes.......................................................................12
Dining Out.......................................................................30
Let’s Eat..............................................................................32
Exploring Virginia Wines............................................37
National Harbor.............................................................44
Take Photos, Leave Footprints.................................18
Financial Focus.................................................................. 8
On the Road with OTC................................................... 1
The Last Word.................................................................11
First Blush.........................................................................41
Open Space.....................................................................43
Urban Garden.................................................................16
Sarah Becker F. Lennox Campello Steve Chaconas Scott Dicken Doug Fabbioli Matt Fitzsimmons Nicole Flanagan Lani Gering Miriam Kramer Genevieve LeFranc Sarah Liu Cindy McGovern
Publisher’s Notes.............................................................. 2 Road Trip...........................................................................26 Social Media Message................................................... 2 Special Spooky Feature: Witchy Lore....................... 7
© 2020 Crier Media Group, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. The Old Town Crier is published monthly and distributed to select Alexandria residents, hotels, restaurants and retail shops. Also distributed in the Annapolis, Fredericksburg, Blue Ridge and Washington, DC areas and St. John, USVI.
about the cover On the road with OTC
Celebrating Virginia Wine Month al fresco at Barrel Oak Winery in Delaplane Photo by Bob Tagert
Old Town Crier friends (from left to right) Stephanie Jones, Estella Laguna and Nancy D’Agostino took a fall break to head to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Stopping for some local fare and yummy margaritas at Sammy Hager’s famous Cabo Wabo Cantina and taking a break at the poolside bar, they took these opportunities for a photo op. With the travel restrictions in force due to the pandemic we haven't had many current submissions from our readers with their OTC's in hand while they are "On the Road". Until things get better, we would like you to send a photo of you and yours (including your furry family members) checking out the publication in the comfort of your own home/patio/pool or man cave or doing something fun and submitting it for publication. We can always create some fun captions! If you would like to see your photo in this space, take a high resolution shot and email it with a description for the caption to office@oldtowncrier.com.
Old Town Crier
October 2020 | 1
PUBLISHER’S NOTES
BOB TAGERT
It is now officially autumn and - like this year has run - as soon as Labor Day hit, the temperature dropped 40 degrees. It has stayed very pleasant with a few bouts of moisture generated by the hurricanes that hit the southern coast. With cool weather here and getting colder over the next few months, it may be a good time to head to St. Barth to attend the Caribbean’s Ultimate Rum Experience November 10-15. Check it out in Caribbean Connection. Also get the update on the BVI’s. Check out Doug Fabbioli’s article in Exploring Virginia Wines. The only category he missed was publisher in Cowboy Up. In Take Photos, Leave Footprints, Scott Dicken has rounded up some of the ways you can try and remain happy and healthy on vacation. Take his advice folks, he has been there, and done that. Lots of sun screen! In Open Space Lori Welch Brown puts into words what we have all been feeling as seen through her eyes. This is worth reading twice in these confused days. As you can tell by the cover, October is Virginia Wine Month. We have given you a double dose...Grapevine gives you a good idea of what to look forward, and what to expect this month in Wine Country. Our Road Trip takes you to a few of our favorite wineries and brings you back over the mountains. In Gallery Beat Lenny Campello sets the record straight, “my empirical experience had provided evidence that most people-at least when it comes to emerging artists-and collectors like to see (the art) it in person”. In From the Bay read about how Candida Garcia has lead the way for environmental action on the Chesapeake Bay. In Personality Profile see who screamed like a Banshee. If you were like me, I could fly in my dreams. I can’t...or I don’t any more...maybe age has grounded us all. In A Bit of History, Sarah Becker gets technical, and what a ride...From the Wright Brothers to Space X. Halloween is just around the corner and it is going to be an unusual one for sure - I can’t wait to see what costumes this year’s current events inspire. At least we know most everyone will have a mask. Have yourself some fun and keep in mind that a new year is three short months away. In the meantime, wear your mask, wash your hands, keep your distance and get out and vote on November 3rd. Sipping a Wasmund's Original Single Malt Whiskey at Copper Fox Distillery in Sperryville, VA. October is an excellent month to visit this location.
SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGE
ASHLEY ROSSON
Turn off those Social Media Notifications
D
ing, Ding, Ding! Most of us all know that noise all too well. You just posted a cute picture of your cat, you shared an interesting article regarding some national news, you announced your engagement, and now everyone is letting you know how they feel about it! It’s always great to see responses from your friends regarding your post, but have you ever thought about the negative effects of being alerted about it could have on you?! Amy Blashchka, a contributor to Forbes magazine, recently wrote an article where she discusses how those notifications could be more hurt than help! Let’s see what 2 | October 2020
she discovered when she turned her notifications off! “You’ll start your day less anxious: The first morning I looked at my phone after turning off notifications, I felt a huge sense of relief. Instead of starting my day with a sense of dread, I felt calm and peaceful, knowing that I wasn’t allowing external forces to dictate my mood.” “It redirects your behavior to support conscious and intentional consumption: I have reclaimed my time as my own, and I’m much more intentional with how I spend it. Instead of being in a nearconstant reactive mode, I decide when I want to check and engage on social media.” “You’ll have uninterrupted
blocks of time to do deep work: One of the biggest lessons people can learn is to protect their time. Without the distraction of social media notifications, I’ve found it easier to have blocks of time to immerse myself in deep work.” “You’ll be more productive and less busy.: As we all know, being busy is not the same as being productive, and the former can prevent the latter. When you’re not scrolling through and checking notifications, you’ll have more time to do the things that matter most.” “You’ll be more present for others: Have you ever been deep in conversation with someone when your phone dings? It’s far too tempting to
check it and even if you don’t, your attention is compromised because you’re thinking about it rather than actively listening to your companion. When your notifications are off, you’ll be more present for those that matter most.” “It reminds you of what’s truly urgent and important: When you have notifications constantly bombarding you, it can feel like you have to respond to everything now. With them off, it’s amazing what falls away. If someone needs to reach me, they know they can call, text, or email. Not everything requires an instant response, and as it turns out, not much is truly important and urgent.” Blaschka brought a lot of
good points to light, I myself am going to take some time and turn off my notifications and see how it personally affects me. As she stated, I know if someone really needs to get ahold of me, there are other avenues to reach me. So for the month of October, I am turning off my social media notifications and simply going to enjoy dinner with my husband, call a friend instead of saying hi through Facebook, and not feel the urge to respond immediately to someone commenting on my recent status update. Hey, maybe I’ll have time to finally take that underwater basket weaving course I have been eyeing! Old Town Crier
Alexandria EVENTS & INFORMATION
COVID-19 UPDATE With the current situation with the COVID-19 virus all schedules events have been cancelled. We will post as we get information, in the meantime we encourage you to connect with the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association at:
VisitAlexandriaVA.com Blog.VisitAlexandriaVA.com Facebook.com/VisitAlexandriaVA Twitter.com/AlexandriaVA Instagram.com/VisitAlexVA Hashtags: #visitALX Ramsey House Visitors Center at the corner of King and Fairfax is now open.
ABOUT ALEXANDRIA, VA
OCT.12TH - OCT. 17TH Old Town Alexandria is celebrating everyone’s favorite bivalve for 6 straight days! Sponsored by the Old Town Business Association and Guinness beer, this event should prove to be a fun one. Participating restaurants will be showcasing two or more Guinness products paired alongside an oyster recipe of their choice – all of which will be for sale. This gives you a chance to check out some restaurants you may not have frequented and to experience a variety of oyster delights as you sample Guinness products you may not have tried as well. For a list of participating restaurants check #OldTownOysterWeek or VisitAlexandriaVA.com.
Old Town Crier
Named the #1 Best Value U.S. Travel Destination 2018 by Money magazine, a Top 3 Best Small City in the U.S. 2019 by the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards and one of the South’s Prettiest Cities 2018 by Southern Living, Alexandria hums with a cosmopolitan feel and a walkable lifestyle—a welcoming weekend escape next to our nation’s capital. A nationally designated historic district founded in 1749, Old Town Alexandria is home to more than 200 independent restaurants and boutiques alongside intimate historic museums and new happenings at the waterfront. At the heart of it all is bustling King Street, a walkable mile recognized as one of the “Great Streets” of America. New restaurants tucked in to 18th- and 19th-century architecture still intact from the city’s days as George Washington’s hometown ignite historic and offthe-beaten-path neighborhoods as the waterfront district evolves with new energy.
October 2020 | 3
BUSINESS PROFILE
BOB TAGERT
ul Collie Beautifees mix Pyren
Eric Brin
gs Out
THE PAW SPA 315 SOUTH WASHINGTON STREET OLD TOWN ALEXANDRIA 703-517-4428 THEPAWSPAVA.COM
How much is that doggy in the window? 4 | October 2020
the Flu
ff
The headline for this column is also a popular song from 1953 that was recorded by Patti Page.
I
How much is that doggy in the window? The one with the waggily tail… How much is that doggy in the window? I do hope that doggy’s for sale.
n this case, the doggy in the window at 315 South Washington Street, is not for sale. That doggy is waiting for their human to come pick them up after a relaxing day at the new Paw Spa in Old Town Alexandria. You might even spot two or three dogs waiting to go home, but they don’t seem to be in any hurry to leave until, of course, their human is seen approaching the window. Gabriella (Gabby) Brown was working full time as an accountant for a construction company and with her husband had established a good life in Alexandria. As can happen sometimes, in the corporate world you begin to lose sight of what really makes you tick, so Gabby began to take stock of her situation. Her three dogs at home - Georgia, Mason and Marble – were at the top of the list of things that made her tick. With no real hobbies, she started to work part-time as a dog groomer. As time passed she realized how much she loved the working with all the dogs and eventually decided to start her own business. BUSINESS PROFILE > PAGE 5
Old Town Crier
BUSINESS PROFILE| FROM PG 4
Gabriella quit her corporate job and enrolled in a reputable dog grooming school in Northern VA. After graduating, she looked for a place to lease in Alexandria, which has a huge dog population. We were lucky enough to have her find a space right next door to our office. The Paw Spa concept revolves around “luxury”…. for your four-legged friend. It is a luxury grooming salon for fur families in the NOVA, D.C. and Maryland areas. The Paw Spa philosophy is: There are more than enough animals to go around. Our skill level and attention to detail is far above the competition. The echelon of our spa, our educational background, and professional expertise is unmatched. Our goal is to provide a curated and elegant experience that allows your fur baby the chance to indulge in pampering and love designed solely for their needs. Brown has worked for two of the highest-rated pet spas in the area and boasts extensive Vet Tech knowledge as well as CPR skills, caring for special needs animals, exotic grooming, and more. Gabby has been an animal lover all of her life. From raising horses to having tons of other pets to love on. She truly enjoys watching how happy fur babies get when they are well-taken care of and encourages pet parents to love their fur babies like
family! Unfortunately, she opened her business when the COVID-19 crisis was at its peak. However, since our four-legged friends cannot catch the virus, it was just a case of working around the human factor. The Spa had their official grand opening on July first of this year and have been busy ever since. In the short time that I have known Gabby, I have come to find out how much I really never knew about dog grooming and maintenance. While I was in her shop and she was grooming the hair on the bottom of the foot of a Bernese Mountain Dog (BIG puppy), she explained to me that as the hair gets long it will cover the pad and the dog can slip while walking. I never thought of that. This is where we got in the conversation of how each dog is different and a consultation is an effective tool to achieve an understanding of the dog’s needs. “We have to remember,” she tells me, “Just like people, dogs need some sort of routine maintenance.” As an example...when was the last time your dog had a bath? At Paw Spa a bath is part of the routine. Just by observation I have watched this business grow considerably in three months. Gabby feels pretty good too! “I couldn’t be happier,” she says, “People come in and say we were walking by or a friend told us about you!” I asked her if she was having fun. “I really was in the beginning, but it’s more
of a ‘job’ now,” she responded, “But I sure love what I am doing!!!” Note: Grooming is by appointment only so they can allow the right amount of time for each dog. There is walk-in for a nail trim. They also groom cats as well as almost any animal that can get in the door.
OLD TOWN Shoe & Luggage Repair
Gabby’s favorite animal is the horse.
Her very first pet was Ginger Ale, a Maine Coon cat. She loves shopping Etsy for handmade pet items and accessories. Old Town Crier
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824 King Street Old Town Alexandria, Virginia 703.299.0655 | Donshoe.com Mon-Fri 7:30 am-7 pm • Sat 9 am-5 pm October 2020 | 5
PERSONALITY PROFILE
SERENA Ó LONGÁIN
Images Courtesy Vecteezy.com
6 | October 2020
Old Town Crier
SPECIAL, SPOOKY FEATURE
Eye of newt, and toe of frog, Wool of bat, and tongue of dog Witches have had 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 other was on 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 others, the Native Americans - who also believed in witches, and then later with the black magic beliefs of the 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 you.
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
Images Courtesy Freepik.com
Old Town Crier
October 2020 | 7
FINANCIAL FOCUS
CARL TREVISAN, CFP© & STEPHEN BEARCE
Are You Prepared for a Financial Emergency?
M
other Nature certainly has grabbed her fair share of headlines the past few years. From blazing wildfires in California to devastating floods in the Midwest, from massive hurricanes along the coasts to sweeping tornadoes across the Plains—millions have been affected by the recent natural disasters in the U.S. Less headline-worthy are the financial repercussions following natural disasters and the cash difficulties tens of thousands of families are dealing with as a result. These catastrophes are unavoidable— and often there’s little time to prepare before disaster strikes homes, families, and communities. With this in mind, ask yourself this question: “What’s the biggest threat to my financial stability?” Job loss likely comes to mind, perhaps followed by a serious illness or a natural disaster. But, lack of cash flow and liquidity management should make the list too—and it’s an ongoing challenge rather than an isolated event.
Consider cash flow and liquidity management a tool, not a goal More than just tracking your income and spending, cash flow and liquidity management is also about planning for unexpected cash needs. Without proper planning for an emergency, you might have to round up all your available cash or liquidate a longterm investment. However, liquidating could disrupt your investment plan. For example, retirement account assets may be subject to tax penalties for taking nonqualified distributions prior to retirement. You might do better keeping those assets invested 8 | October 2020
to potentially generate a longterm return—and keeping your overall wealth strategy intact. It’s important to keep in mind that cash flow and liquidity management planning is complementary to investment planning. Not only does cash flow and liquidity management allow you the flexibility to access money in the event of an emergency, it’s a defensive tool to ensure your investment plan is well positioned and not disrupted. Here are three steps you should consider as part of a cash flow and liquidity management plan to help protect your loved ones and keep a natural disaster from becoming a financial catastrophe.
Set up an emergency account In addition to accounts where you currently keep cash assets (including checking, savings, certificates of deposit (CDs), money markets, or other cash alternatives), fund an emergency account as part of your cash flow and liquidity strategy to help protect all your assets. Set aside enough to cover three to six months of expenses (the right amount for you will depend on your risk tolerance). Keep cash on hand in case your area loses power and ATMs are out of commission.
Review your shortterm and longer-term payment needs Understanding when you will need to draw on your money is key to an effective plan. Establish a strategy to cover your day-to-day expenses for funds you will need to access immediately, such as for food, clothing, medical, and transportation expenses. Your cash for short-term expenses
should be very accessible, perhaps in a checking or savings account. For longer-term expenses that reoccur on a regular basis, such as property taxes, you may wish to consider a less liquid investment, such as a CD. This type of investment typically offers a slightly higher return than a regular checking or savings account and you can manage the payout schedule to around the same time you will need the money. Generally, CDs may not be withdrawn prior to maturity. CDs are FDIC insured up to $250,000 per depositor per insured depository institution for each account ownership category. There are other more sophisticated solutions available where appropriate to help you meet your cash flow and liquidity needs, and we suggest you discuss these with your financial advisor.
Establishing a line of credit Establish a line of credit for ready access to cash and if used, pay the funds back with an appropriate source when the timing is right. Borrowing against non-retirement investments, the equity in a home, or other approaches can provide for short-term cash needs if your emergency fund does not stretch to meet all your expenses. These strategies prevent disruption to your long-term investment plan and can help keep you on track to meet your investment goals. A line of credit can also help you avoid dipping into retirement accounts too early. Depending on your situation and the type of retirement account, it may expose you to potential tax consequences. Be aware, costs and risks are associated with any borrowing decision, so it is important for
you to seek good, objective guidance. Your financial advisor can help you begin the process of determining what type of line of credit option is the most suitable for you. Life brings expected and unexpected events— an important part of every investment plan is identifying where to access cash when you need it. Talk with your financial advisor about managing your cash flow and liquidity needs. Securities-based lending has special risks and is not suitable for everyone. If the market value of a client’s pledged securities declines below required levels, the client may be required to pay down his or her line of credit or pledge additional eligible securities in order to maintain it, or the lender may require the sale of some or all of the client’s pledged securities. Wells Fargo Advisors will attempt to notify clients of maintenance calls but is not required to do so. Clients are not entitled to choose which securities in their accounts are sold. The sale of their pledged securities may cause clients to suffer adverse tax consequences. Clients should discuss the tax implications of pledging securities as collateral with their tax advisors. An increase in interest rates will affect the overall cost of borrowing. Wells Fargo Advisors and its affiliates are not tax or legal advisors. All securities and accounts are subject to eligibility requirements. Clients should read all lines of credit documents carefully. The proceeds from securitiesbased lines of credit may not be used to purchase additional securities, pay down margin, or for insurance products offered by Wells Fargo and any of its affiliates. Securities held in a retirement account cannot be used as collateral to obtain a loan. Securities purchased in the pledge account
must meet collateral eligibility requirements. Lending and other banking services available through Wells Fargo Advisors (NMLS UI 2234) are offered by banking and nonbanking subsidiaries of Wells Fargo & Company, including, but not limited to Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (NMLSR ID 399801), Member FDIC, and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Certain restrictions apply. Programs, rates, terms, and conditions are subject to change without advance notice. Products are not available in all states. Wells Fargo Advisors is licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act and the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions (NMLS ID 0906158). Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, holds a residential mortgage broker license in Georgia and is licensed as a residential mortgage broker (license number MB2234) in Massachusetts. This article was written by/ for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Carl M. Trevisan, Managing DirectorInvestments and Stephen M. Bearce, First Vice PresidentInvestments in Alexandria, VA at 800-247-8602. Investments in securities and insurance products are: NOT FDIC-INSURED/NOT BANKGUARANTEED/MAY LOSE VALUE Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. © 2019 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved. Old Town Crier
A BIT OF HISTORY
©2020 SARAH BECKER
Cargo Dragon approaching the ISS
Image courtesy SpaceX.com
I
n 1901 American scientist, astronomer, and mathematician Simon Newcomb [1835-1909] “predicted that man would never fly.” Said Newcomb in 1903: “The desire to fly like a bird is inborn in our race, and we can no more be expected to abandon the idea than the ancient mathematician could have been expected to give up the problem of squaring the circle…The example of the bird does not prove that man can fly.” Two years later the Wright brothers, Orville [1871-1948] and Wilbur especially [18671912] flew a gasoline-powered heavier-than-air machine over Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Successfully for 59 seconds. The brothers’ 1903 ascent marked the beginning of aerial navigation. In May 2020 Space X, entrepreneur Elon Musk’s private venture sent two veteran NASA astronauts— Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley—to the International Space Station [ISS] aboard its “gum-dropped shaped” Crew Dragon spaceship. Space-X’s 29-story, reusable launch rocket is affectionately known as Falcon-9. NASA’s program goal: to restore American access to space using commercial partners. NASA astronauts Behnken and Hurley remained aboard the ISS for 65 days; until their August 2, 19-hour journey home. The Crew Dragon’s splash down in the Gulf of Mexico was NASA’s first splash down landing in 45 years. “Since before the space shuttle was retired, NASA has been contracting with private companies to develop
Old Town Crier
From The Wright Brothers to
Wright Flyer I, built in 1903, front view. This machine was the Wright brothers’ first powered aircraft. The airplane sported two 8 foot wooden propellers driven by a purpose-built 12 horsepower engine.
Rare Historical Photos
spacecraft capable of supplying the station with cargo and, at some point in the future, new crews,” former NASAISS astronaut Scott Kelly wrote in 2017. “The most successful private company so far has been Space Exploration Technologies, better known as Space X, which produces the Dragon spacecraft.” Musk’s “bird” indeed can fly! Like the Wright brothers’ airplanes before. The related principles of space flight and atmospheric flight “are not difficult at all,” right? The study of “these two miracles of modern engineering” is a lesson in physics, technology and history. “The Wright brothers’ 1903 Flyer 1 [gifted in 1948] will be the brightest gem in the Smithsonian’s collection of aircraft,” The Washington Post reported. “It will hang in an honored spot alongside Charles Lindbergh’s [1927] ‘Spirit of St. Louis.’” The Wrights 1909 military plane was also acknowledged. “The Wright brothers’ interest in planes began in childhood when their father brought home a toy with a
propeller wound up by rubber bands and wings of bamboo and tissue paper,” The Post continued. “It fascinated the boys, who were of mechanical and inventive minds, and they experimented in building others.” The mechanically inclined brothers formed the Wright Cycle Shop in 1892. The Wrights 1903 airplane was constructed in the rear of the Ohio Shop; then shipped, in sections, to North Carolina for trial. Until 1903, the Wright brothers had tested only gliders. Wilbur Wright felt flight would fail until such time as man could sustain wings; install a motor and properly control the “bird” in flight. He was the first inventor to equate control inputs—pitch, roll and yaw—with motion. Wing warping was Wilbur Wright’s solution to airplane control. Twisting the wing surface, he concluded, changed the wing’s position relative to oncoming wind. Such changes in position enabled directional changes. Wright tested his theory by twisting an empty bicycle tube box with the ends
removed. Until the airplane, hot air balloons provided the only means of human flight. Joseph Michel and Jacques Montgolfier invented the hot air balloon in 1783. The Archimedes’ principle is the secret to the balloon’s lift-carrying power. Said General Washington in 1784: “I have only newspaper Accts of the Air Balloons, to which I do not know what credence to give; as the tales related of them are marvelous, & lead us to expect that our friends at Paris, in a little time, will come flying thro’ the air instead of ploughing ocean to get to America.” The Wright brothers perfected their flying machine in 1905, but did not begin public demonstrations until a patent was issued in 1908. The U.S. Army agreed to purchase the Wrights’ flying machine for $25,000 provided it could carry two men and enough fuel to complete a 40 miles per hour, 125-mile flight. Military test flights began at Arlington’s, then the County of Alexandria’s Fort Myer in June 1909. On July 2, 1909, the
Alexandria Gazette observed: “Orville Wright late yesterday encircled the Fort Myer drill grounds in his aeroplane in three successful flights. In his last attempt he remained aloft for a few seconds more than nine minutes.” The nation’s first speed trial, also its first cross country flight occurred on July 30, 1909. Orville Wright successfully flew his machine ten-miles from Fort Myer to Old Town Alexandria’s Shooter’s Hill. The average flight speed was 42-miles per hour, more than the Army’s contractual minimum of 40-miles per hour. Wright’s speedy flight earned the team a $5,000 bonus. “The truth of the saying, ‘All things come to those who wait,’ was made apparent to Alexandrians at sunset yesterday when [Wright’s] biplane made an aerial run from the parade grounds at Fort Myer as far as the Southern and Washington Railway tracks south of the reservoir of the Alexandria Water Company,” the Alexandria Gazette reported on July 31, 1909. “The engine worked perfectly. The greatest height reached was probably 400 feet above the gully at Four Mile Run.” The biplane rounded the test marker on Shooter’s Hill and returned to Fort Myer in 14 minutes and 42 seconds. The Wright brothers remained involved with flight until Wilbur’s untimely death in 1912 at age 45. The brothers’ achievements were commemorated in 1932 with the placement of a 60 feet granite statue on North Carolina’s Kill Devil Hill. A BIT OF HISTORY > PAGE 10
October 2020 | 9
From left, Orville and Wilbur Wright, in portraits taken in 1905, when they were 34 and 38 years old. Wilbur Wright makes a 33-minute-long flight during the Hudson-Fulton Celebration in New York in 1909. A feat witnessed by hundreds of thousands of New York residents.
Rare Historical Photos
A BIT OF HISTORY | FROM PAGE 9
From Kitty Hawk’s Kill Devil Hill to Alexandria’s Shooter’s Hill to the International Space Station: as envisioned by President John F. Kennedy. “The ISS is the only object whose components were manufactured by different countries and assembled in space,” former NASA-ISS astronaut Scott Kelly penned. “From the outside the ISS looks like a number of giant empty soda cans attached to each other end to end.” NASA astronauts first boarded the ISS in 1998. “Think of our world as it looks from the rocket that is heading to Mars,” President Lyndon B. Johnson suggested in 1965. “It is like a child’s globe, hanging in space, the continents stuck to its side like colored maps. We are all passengers on a dot of earth.” “Looking down at the planet from 200 miles in space, I feel as though I know the Earth in an intimate way most people don’t—the coastlines, terrains, mountains, and rivers,” Kelly continued. “Some parts of the world, especially in Asia, are so blanketed by air pollution that they appear sick, in need of treatment or at least a chance to heal. The line of our atmosphere on the horizon looks thin as a contact lens over an eye, and its fragility seems to demand our protection.” Orville and Wilbur Wright showed courage and daring when introducing their heavier-than-air machine. The Wright brothers not only gave us flight they, like NASA astronauts Behnken and Hurley gave us hope. Hope as defined by The Oxford American Dictionary: (1) expectation and 10 | October 2020
desire combined; (2) a person, thing, or circumstance that gives cause for hope. The kind of hope found only in dreams. To dream: to imagine; think of as a possibility; to invent. “The development that gave America its greatest edge over the Soviets came in 1958 [the Eisenhower era] courtesy of the private sector,” historian Douglas Brinkley wrote. “Working separately, electrical engineers Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments and Royce Noyce of Fairchild Semiconductor invented the monolithic integrated circuit, also known as the microchip… This tiny, integrated circuit would soon lead to the development of portable, efficient, and affordable high-speed communication systems, revolutionizing space exploration.” In the early 1960s qualified women who dreamed of becoming American astronauts “spoke righteously on behalf of female equality.” Regrettably Ohio reared astronaut John Glenn [Friendship-7] testified against their employment claiming “this gets back to the way our social order is organized.” Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman to travel in space— on June 16, 1963. Tereshkova made 48 earth orbits in 70 hours. America’s first female astronaut—Sally K. Ride— departed on June 18, 1983, aboard NASA’s Challenger space shuttle. The times they are a-changin.’ NASA and Space-X have proven public-private partnerships work. Astronaut Bob Behnken’s wife, NASA astronaut Megan MacArthur will pilot the Crew Dragon’s second launch, its return to the
ISS in the spring of 2021. A happy result! Boeing still needs to complete its Starliner capsule’s un-crewed mission; prove its crewed capsule can successfully rendezvous with the ISS. NASA not long ago announced black astronaut Jeanette Apps, astronauts Sunita Williams and Josh Cassada will crew Boeing’s 2021 ISS test flight. The Starliner-1 will launch atop an Atlas-V rocket; the first of Boeing’s six contracted missions. We also wait for the return of NASA’s spaceship Perseverance. Launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on July 30—with a rover and ingenious helicopter drone on board—Perseverance is en route to Mars. The mission’s goal: to further explore the planet’s latent hints of life. “Like the Wright Brothers moment we are laying the groundwork for sending humans to Mars,” a United Launch Alliance official explained. Sarah Becker started writing for The Economist while a graduate student in England. Similar publications followed. She joined the Crier in 1996 while serving on the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association Board. Her interest in antiquities began as a World Bank hire, with Indonesia’s need to generate hard currency. Balinese history, i.e. tourism provided the means. The New York Times describes Becker’s book, Off Your Duffs & Up the Assets, as “a blueprint for thousands of nonprofit managers.” A former museum director, SLAM’s saving grace Sarah received Alexandria’s Salute to Women Award in 2007. Email: abitofhistory53@ gmail.com
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THE LAST WORD
MIRIAM R. KRAMER
The HOPE of Joe Biden
T
his year’s poisonous political machinations as federal and state governments apply erratic approaches to managing the COVID-19 public health crisis have burdened and saddened us. We have been offered so many reasons to become jaded, furious, and fearful. Before this presidential election I recommend that you step back and take some comfort by turning to former Vice President Joe Biden’s heartfelt and uplifting bestseller Promise Me Dad, a 2017 memoir and ode to public service, family, and in particular his son, former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden. Beau died in 2015 after a long battle against aggressive Stage IV glioblastoma as President Barack Obama and Vice President Biden worked hard to accomplish the administration’s long-term policy objectives before the 2016 election. When picking a president from the two major candidates, it pays to read about their character. How did a seasoned statesman like Joe Biden, already well-versed in personal tragedy, handle matters of state and leadership under the glare of a national spotlight while watching a much-beloved, politically promising son fade before his eyes? We are bombarded with images and speeches and tweets from the current president, who sucks the oxygen out of the media landscape with his unstable rants and attentioncraving cruelty. It is time to turn away from toxic charisma and towards steadiness, kindness, and hard-earned wisdom. We need a more Old Town Crier
stable, united country in which we have a clearer path towards caring about and relying on one another. Vice President Biden’s memoir looks at and beyond personal pain while presenting the values he has learned as a lifetime public servant, one who has aimed to become President since he was a young man. As a newly elected senator, he suffered a crushing blow when his first wife, Neilia, and baby daughter, Naomi, were killed in a car crash. His two young sons, Beau and Hunter, were in the hospital from their injuries and he was sworn in as Senator at their bedside. As a single dad, he decided to spend his time shuttling back and forth between Delaware and Washington, DC, a two-hour commute each way, to spend as much time with them as he could. Throughout this book, his emphasis on family love is profound. He speaks of how he came to know Jill Biden, how she became the boys’ mother, and how Neilia and Naomi were never forgotten even when Ashley, his daughter with Jill, arrived. In his discussions of traditional family Thanksgiving vacations to Nantucket and other family events, it is evident how closely bound the Bidens are, no matter how extended, and how much they love and support one another. Joe and Jill Biden have instilled the value that every family member should always be there for one another. Biden talks candidly about how he came to accept the Vice Presidency against his initial inclinations, since he thought the role would have little impact or responsibility in comparison to his position as head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. His
advisors, and in particular his family, talked him into it. So did President Barack Obama, who valued his experience and wisdom from performing years of public service. Wisely, Obama asked him to take major roles and responsibility in multiple areas, and acceded to Biden’s requests to be in on all major decisions and play a role in diverse realms of domestic and foreign policy. Despite having different styles and personalities, their resulting close friendship and complementary partnership shows how a strong, united administration can operate. This aspect of the book shines a light on the way Biden wishes to repeat this pattern of working closely with the eminently qualified Senator Kamala Harris, the first Black and Indian female candidate for the Vice Presidency. Promise Me, Dad is not a very long book, and it is simply written. That being said, it becomes very intense in its discussion of familial love, public service, and leadership. I found it best to read chapters and then stop and absorb Biden’s insights. Biden cuts back and forth between the time he and his family spent helping his magnetic, up-andcoming son, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, battle an aggressive glioblastoma, and the multiple important policy issues he had to address
simultaneously in his professional life while helping President Obama steer the ship of state and working across the aisle with opposition members of Congress. This memoir shows Biden’s serious attitude towards building effective foreign relations with Russia, the Americas, and Europe, for example, along with leaders in the rest of the world. He also discusses issues as neighborhood policing and his support of Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ rights. Then he flips back to focusing on his son Beau and his closeknit family’s grueling ordeal watching the stoic, resilient Beau undergoing surgeries and experimental drug therapies with the help of medical teams in Houston, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. In his book, Biden gives credit to all the people he loves in his family, his good friends, the Secret Service he has grown to know so well and President Obama for his endless support. He also talks about his sons: Hunter’s endless support for Beau, and Beau’s lost potential for becoming a national leader, mentioning that presidential historian Jon Meacham, among many others, thought Beau had the charisma and character to become president himself. Joe idolized his son, putting him on a pedestal. When Beau died, Biden kept as busy as possible to allay his anguish, and relied
on his large network of good friends in politics and elsewhere, along with his family. If anything, his book shows that his pain allows him to empathize with so many people who stoically go through difficult circumstances every day, whether they be a long-term illness, an eviction, a job loss or mortgage foreclosure, or the other difficult struggles of human existence. The empathy he expresses for the public he serves is deep and sincere. Despite his great pain, Biden also responded to his son’s request: “Promise me, Dad, that you’ll be okay.” He writes of his son’s death as a way to renew his dedication to the very idea of public service after his many years in it. It helped him focus on his own need to live up to Beau’s passion for helping those who desperately needed assistance. In the process, he discusses his own role in reassuring a distressed and fractured nation. Biden emphasizes his role as a longtime champion for the middle class, which he saw waning as tax cuts for multimillionaires and billionaires increased exponentially since Reagan had taken office. As he notes afterwards, “I have come to believe that the first duty of a public servant is to help bring people together, especially in crisis, especially THE LAST WORD > PAGE 13
October 2020 | 11
HIGH NOTES
L
RON POWERS
os Angeles based band “Run River North”, also known as RRN, recently released their fourth single of 2020, titled “Cemetery”. The song highlights the exciting and timid first steps toward love between two people as their relationship blossoms. The characters in the song find themselves at a cemetery at midnight with singer Alex Hwang expressing his wish to “slow the whole world down.” I liken the emotion of this song to a cozy rainy day or a fresh quiet morning with coffee. It creates a warm and fuzzy feeling in the listener like only a love song can. Singer Alex Hwang’s relaxed and mellow vocal performance is delivered over a bed of chilled out guitars, rich bass, atmospheric synths, and crisp drums. Everything comes together to deliver a sweet and catchy feeling that I thoroughly enjoy. “Cemetery” begins with the syncopated strumming of an acoustic guitar. Next a dual lead vocal, reminiscent of the band “Death Cab For Cutie”, is introduced with Alex Hwang and Sally Kang delivering the first lines. Halfway through the first verse, an electric guitar is layered in alongside the acoustic guitar playing the same 12 | October 2020
rhythm which adds a subtle lift. As the prechorus begins, bass and drums are introduced adding excitement without taking away from the chill vibe of the song. For the chorus, reverbsoaked backing vocals are introduced which carry a melody that reminds me a little of Blue Öyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper”. A belllike synthesizer is also included on the chorus which follows and harmonizes with the lead vocal and adds bits of new melody as well. Next, tasteful musical variations are delivered for the second verse and pre-chorus which lead to an extended chorus and one last charming verse to finish the song. The lyrics for “Cemetery” were inspired by a date lead singer Alex Hwang took his now wife on. In an interview, speaking of the date that inspired the song, Hwang said, “I suggested going to a cemetery that I had always wanted to go to, as if it was like going to the beach or on a hike. She later told me she was obviously a little weirded out. [But] we went, and I felt I got to tell her a secret about myself without having to say anything.” The lyrics are simple,
easy to follow, and tell a thoughtful story of new love. The first lines of the song set the stage nicely: “was a Tuesday in the summer, when you started sleeping on my couch, and I lost track of the details, of what is and what isn’t allowed.” RRN show off an impressive storytelling ability with this song in that minimal words are used to express much. With just a handful of verses, the band manages to communicate an ocean of meaning in a way that most can relate to. According to Alax Hwang, Run River North has lots of new music in the pipeline so be on the lookout for new songs from the band soon. If you’d like to learn more about RRN, you can find them on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you’d like to listen to their music, you can find them on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and most other places music is streamed or sold. Ron Powers is an independent A&R specialist and music industry consultant, and is constantly searching for, discovering and writing about new talent. Old Town Crier
THE LAST WORD | FROM PAGE 11
across difficult divides, to show respect for everybody at the table, and to help find a safe way forward. After forty-five years in office, that basic conviction still gives me purpose.” He ended up deciding not to run in 2016 after careful consideration, taking time to be with his family and focus on other initiatives after the White House. Twelve years ago I wrote a column in which I reviewed books by and about each of the presidential and vice presidential candidates. Joe Biden’s book published in 2007, Promises to Keep, is an excellent and clearly written review of his early life, career, and family. I would recommend it too if you want to find out more or know enough to make phone calls to voters to convince them that he is up to the incredibly difficult task of becoming President of the United States. In 2015 and 2016 I went to see Donald Trump and then– Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speak. I also went to see Joe Biden when he came into the area to stump for Hillary. Donald Trump kept his crowd waiting. At that time I did not know what to expect, although I greatly disliked his racist birtherism and knew that I would never vote for him. He was surprisingly boring, verbally bouncing all over the place like a toddler while complaining about “the failing New York Times,” a familiar refrain. He also told the crowd that there were thousands of people outside who couldn’t get in. I left early and walked outside to see six souvenir vendors. Whining and lying were on full display. In contrast, Hillary’s event was well-planned and coherent. She looked calm, controlled, and self-possessed in one of her apricot pantsuits, but more importantly was articulate and impressive in displaying her great-onpaper, and great-in-real-life, qualifications. The venue was full but not packed. I don’t remember what she said, but I enjoyed the event. When I attended Joe Biden’s speech, where the venue was only half full, I was surprised to find that the so-called “gaffe master” gave by far the best speech of all. He supported Hillary Clinton despite the underlying tensions they had when deciding whether to run for the nomination Old Town Crier
Become a Published Author with Dorrance. We want to read your book! Trusted by authors for nearly 100 years, Dorrance has made countless authors’ dreams come true. against each other. He declared that we might lose the international relationships we had if Trump were elected. As the main point person in strengthening our support for Ukraine as Vladimir Putin invaded Crimea, he also warned of the dangers of Russian interference in our election. At that time, out of nowhere, I was struck by his warmth and passion. I knew about him and had thought him to be a good choice for Vice President, yet I did not know who he was as a person. At that time, and ever since, I have hungered for sincerity in our politicians. I am sick of cynicism, and he struck a chord in me. My BS detector is strong, and authenticity goes a very long way with me. I know it does with many others, particularly after the last three and a half years. I was so happy to feel on a gut level that he meant what he said. Promise Me, Dad accords with all I saw and heard that day. Joe Biden comes across as a decent, loving man with his own extensive width and breadth of public service in all policy areas. He is not a flashy marquee candidate, and he does not radiate big charisma over the cameras. He is by far the best man for the job, and he has made an excellent choice in picking Senator Kamala Harris as his candidate for Vice President, a woman who can correct and help fulfill his vision to serve all the people, no matter what color or creed, while establishing a place of her own in the sun. So I take the liberty, for the first time ever, to endorse the former Senator and Vice President Joe Biden for President. My views do not reflect those of the Old Town Crier. If you are voting for him but know someone who does not often vote, such as a disengaged relative in her twenties or a disgruntled,
disenfranchised friend, I hope this column will spur you on to give them a call, or talk to them about voting, even if you normally never talk about politics. I hope it spurs you on to distribute literature or volunteer to make phone calls or texts to support his and Kamala Harris’s candidacy. I also hope it spurs you on to have hope for our uncertain future. As Biden said to help support President Obama during his presidency’s worst moments, “The country can never be more hopeful than its president. Don’t make me ‘Hope.’ You gotta go out there and be ‘Hope.’” I believe that Joe Biden can make America hope again.
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October 2020 | 13
GALLERY BEAT
F. LENNOX CAMPELLO
ARTISTS ADAPT IN THE COVIDIAN AGE
A
s I have been hammering now for several issues, the Covidian Age has delivered significant shockwaves throughout the world, severely disrupting ancient business models all over the place. While it can be argued that the current art business model was somewhat invented in the 19th and refined in the 20th century (can you imagine an original Picasso being sold in the early part of the 20th century in a framing shop in Paris?), the Covidian monster has nonetheless put a nearly full stop on the commodification of art. Yeah, yeah… we’ve got the Internet and virtual art, etc….but even though I have been all onboard with the clear model of having a solid and powerful web presence as an artist, and for dealers, and advisors, and anyone who wants to make money through the creation, distribution and sales of art, and having created my first art website in 1992, and having received millions of clicks/visitors to various art websites, I can still tell you that my empirical experience has provided evidence that most people – at least when it comes to emerging artists – and collectors like to see it in person, chat with the dealer or artist, become peripherally involved/invested in the art – before they make the plunge to buy it. GALLERY BEAT > PAGE 15
14 | October 2020
Old Town Crier
GALLERY BEAT | FROM PAGE 14
Not always, but a vast larger percentage of the times. With that in mind, in the midst of the Covidian Age, artists must adapt and react to Covidism, and the answer is clearly not to sit around, grumbling about face masks, and finding politicians to blame for human decisions which may not suit your political flavor of the moment. Adaptation is the only temporal solution. And (so far), adaptation has been solely based on the virtual model that I’ve just finished bashing a few paragraphs ago. How’s that for a sudden turnaround? In the last two decades or so, via this column I’ve probably written multiple times on the importance of having an artistic digital footprint. If you, as an artist or dealer do not yet endorse that view, then you’re either too much of a dinosaur or perfectly happy being in your studio creating artwork, and could care less if anyone sees it or buys it. If that makes you happy – then stick to it. Happiness is a great asset. But, if like many of us, the happiness is augmented by having someone shell out their hard earned cash to acquire something that you have created, and in turn that “something” gives them visual happiness, then you must adapt… or at least try. How? The art fair model – which I’ve also proselytized via this column multiple times over the year – has all but been destroyed by the surprisingly tenacious virus which allegedly came from bats.
So what have art fairs done? Faced with the loss of a super easy cash cow of money (art galleries paying large sums of money in order to participate in an art fair in Miami, or New York, or London, etc.), they’ve started doing virtual art fairs. Why is this of any interest to an emerging artist from Alexandria, or Fairfax, or any other part of the DMV or that matter… the planet? It matters because perhaps this new virtual model has opened a temporary door for unrepresented artists to crack the “art fair model” and get into this virtual fair – thus setting a presence and history with the fair management and quite probably an easy entry point to the “real” fairs once the Covidian monster has been tamed and art fairs return to the vast halls of Miami Beach and other venues around the world. In some cities, their local museums have come to the aid of their local artists and organized virtual exhibitions to support them. Don’t expect that in the DMV. As I’ve noted before, every once in a while I get to go on the Kojo Nmandi radio show on WAMU to discuss DC area visual art stuff… and at one of those radio shows, many years ago, I was discussing the lack of interest, or better still, apathy, that most Washington area museum curators exhibit (pun intended) towards our DMV area artists. In what was to become a battle cry of the ignored, I noted that “it was easier for a local DC area museum curator or director to take a cab to Dulles to catch a flight to Berlin, or London, Madrid, or even Havana (before it was OK to hang around
Purposeful goods crafted by hand for home and life.
with dictators), etc. in order to visit an emerging artist’s studio, than to take a cab to Alexandria, or Georgetown, or Arlington, or Rockville to do the same.” Information is key! DMV artists need to plug into virtual knowledge fountains such as East City Art (www. eastcityart.com), which not only delivers art reviews of area shows, but is also a great source of information for art calls, grants, etc. These weird times have also opened another door for artists: the secondary art market. I am not talking about the major art houses, those remain the exclusive domain of the 0.0001% members of the rarified upper crust of the artmosphere. But there are hundreds of other auction houses around the nation, and since now all sales are
ART&ANTIQUES ANTIQUES Spurgeon-Lewis Antiques 112 N. Columbus Street BW Art, Antiques & Collectibles 108 N. Fayette Street Imperfections Antiques 1210 King Street The Antique Guild 113 N. Fairfax Street Silverman Galleries 110 N. St. Asaph Street Red Barn Mercantile 1117 King Street Washington Square Antiques 425 S. Washington Street Susquehanna Antique Co. 608 Cameron Street Old Town Antiques 222 S. Washington Street Verdigris Vintage 1215 King Street Cavalier Antiques 400 Prince Street Sumpter Priddy III 323 S. Washington Street Henry Street Antiques
100% online, a lot of them have started to put of auction lots of contemporary, lesser known artists. The bottom feeder of the art world is Ebay, which in Covidian times has possibly become the best place on the
planet to somewhat dispose of those otherwise unsellable art school projects that are still cluttering your flat files. You can now get up to 200 Ebay listings for free (I suspect only during the Covidian Epoch). Do something.
Exclusively representing the works of
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“ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING PEOPLE OF WASHINGTON, DC” Syreni Caledonii (Northern Atlantic Mermaid). Watercolor, charcoal and Conte. 2019, 12x36 inches.
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October 2020 | 15
URBAN GARDEN
I
MELINDA MYERS
t’s time to think spring. Fall is the time to plant tulips, daffodils, crocus and other spring flowering bulbs. Use these early bloomers to welcome spring to your landscape. You’ll appreciate the color and cheery blooms after another long winter passes. Extend your enjoyment by including early blooming bulbs like snowdrops, squills, and winter aconites. Add early, mid, or late spring blooming tulips and early and mid-spring flowering daffodils for a continuous display of color. Check the package or catalog description for bloom times. Gardeners in milder climates should look for low chill varieties that need a minimal cold period to bloom or plant pre-chilled bulbs annually. In either case, wait until late fall or early winter to plant. Create some winning combinations by planting white tulips with grape hyacinths or yellow daffodils with the equally assertive blue squills. Plant a fragrant garden
hardy pansies with your bulbs in fall, adding color to both fall and spring gardens. Or plant bulbs amongst perennials. Early spring flowering perennials double your pleasure, later bloomers extend the flowering season, and both help hide fading bulb foliage. Break out your trowel and gloves and get busy planting. You’ll be glad you did when that first flower appears next spring.
Plant Now for a Colorful Spring Display
16 | October 2020
bouquet by combining tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. Select varieties that bloom at the same time in complementary colors or blends. Include summer flowering hardy lilies. Many are fragrant and these stately beauties provide vertical accents in the garden. Cut a few stems to display in a vase or mix with other flowers in summer bouquets. Don’t let hungry animals stop you from brightening your spring with these bulbs. Include animal resistant bulbs like hyacinths, grape hyacinths, daffodils, fritillarias, and alliums. You can plant tulips, crocus, and lilies, just be sure to use physical barriers like chicken wire or animal repellents. There are several that are organic and come
in both liquid and granular formulations to protect bulbs animals prefer to eat. Check with your local garden store. Lay the bulbs out on newspaper, apply the liquid repellent, and allow them to dry before planting. Add an extra layer of protection by sprinkling the granular repellent over the soil surface. In spring, begin protecting the plants before the animals begin feeding. Follow label directions for proper timing of additional repellent applications. Prepare the soil before planting. Work compost, peat moss, or other organic matter into the top twelve inches of soil to improve drainage, a key factor in growing success. Wait until the soil is cool to plant your bulbs. This is usually after the first
hard frost or when night temperatures average between 40 and 50 degrees. Plant the bulbs two to three times their vertical height deep and at least two to three times their diameter apart. Try grouping at least six to nine larger bulbs, like tulips and daffodils, and 15 to 20 smaller bulbs, like squills and crocus, together for greater impact. Mix a low nitrogen, slow release fertilizer into the soil surface and water thoroughly after planting. Continue watering thoroughly when the soil is dry throughout the fall, while the bulbs grow roots. After you enjoy their blooms next spring, leave the leaves intact until they yellow. Leaves produce the energy needed for next year’s floral display. Mask the fading foliage by planting winter
Melinda Myers has written more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio segments. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned by Tree World Plant Care for her expertise to write this article. Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com. Old Town Crier
DO YOUR PART TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 KEEP YOUR DISTANCE • WASH YOUR HANDS THROW PROTECTIVE ITEMS AWAY IN THE TRASH YOURSELF! AND PLEASE... WEAR THAT MASK!
Old Town Crier
October 2020 | 17
TAKE PHOTOS, LEAVE FOOTPRINTS
SCOTT DICKEN
Staying Healthy When Traveling
I
t’s one of the worst-case travel scenarios: You save up for months, book a life changing trip, pack your bags, travel halfway across the world and promptly fall foul of a mystery illness that wipes you out for days. From poor food hygiene to communicable diseases, there are a multitude of health-related reasons that can turn a year of holiday planning into a health-related disaster; not least in the current pandemic environment. To help you avoid succumbing to this exact scenario, I’ve rounded up some of the ways you can try and remain happy and healthy on vacation.
Water Consumption Drink Bottled Water: It may not be the most environmentally friendly suggestion, but drinking bottled water is good way to avoid some of the nasty bacteria you’ll often find in tap water in countries with questionable water supply. If you do have to fall back on bottled water then ensure that the seal remains clearly unbroken and, ideally, the cap is plastic wrapped and intact. I’ve seen evidence on several occasion during my travels of stores refilling used bottles with tap water and selling them as bottled water. Buyer beware! Background: The Scottish Highlands
Water Purification Options: A more environmentally friendly, but not always
practical, option is to consider using one of the multiple water purification options to purify local tap water. When I first started traveling this typically meant resorting to boiling water twice or using purification tablets such as chlorine, chlorine dioxide, or iodine (the latter is no longer recommended). However, over the past decade a whole raft of filtration options have entered the market, including the much heralded LifeStraw, the Steripen, or the Water-To-Go bottle. Avoid Salads: Not all water consumption issues relate to drinking it. Salads (and fruit) washed in tap water can be equally problematic. If possible, I would refrain from eating salad in countries that have questionable tap water supply unless you have personally seen that it was cleaned utilizing a filtered or purified water source. Don’t Take Ice in your Drinks: You should assume, unless specifically told otherwise, that all ice is made using tap water that hasn’t been filtered or purified and is therefore no different to directly drinking tap water. Luxury hotels will often use filtered/purified water; however, you should certainly ask before you make this assumption. Clean Cans: Finally, if you’re swapping out water consumption for soft drinks sold in cans, then make sure that you wipe the cans with anti-bacterial wipes before you drink directly from them. Cans could have been sitting out for any length of time and may have been exposed to all manner of bacteria before they reach your mouth!
Food Intake Avoid Buffets: Buffets are notorious breeding grounds for E.Coli, Salmonella and Listeria. Serving utensils are often dirty, food is kept at inappropriate temperatures, meals can sit for hours before reaching your plate, and cross-
contamination between foodstuffs is rife….and I haven’t even begun mentioning how unsanitary the average buffet patron is when it comes to picking things up with their hands, putting things back, and coughing/sneezing over food not protected by sneeze guards. Summary - leave buffets well alone! Be Careful with Street Food: I love street food! Until a few years ago if there was anything I could guarantee it was that, regardless of where in the world I was, I would be sampling something from a street food vendor. Then I got hit hard by food poisoning after eating a dodgy chicken empanada in Colombia. After 3 days locked in a hotel room, I have reevaluated my take on street food. I now take a much closer look at raw food storage, avoid reheated foods, ensure food is piping hot throughout and like to see the vendor is practicing some sort of food hygiene. I’m definitely not saying avoid street food (I could never do that). Just make sure you pay closer attention to hygiene. Reconsider Raw Food: When you can’t vouch for the safe storage of raw food prior to consumption, especially things like raw seafood, you’re asking for trouble. You should ideally be sticking to thoroughly cooked and steaming hot food – only that way can you mitigate the risk of consuming bacteria. Play it Safe: Sometimes, and despite one of the main benefits of travel being to sample other cultures, it pays to play it safe and stick to the food you know. By doing so your stomach can recover from unusual ingredients, spices and bacteria. Whilst traveling around Vietnam this was a tactic I often deployed. One day I’d be eating giant rat that had moments ago been presented to me in a bloodied plastic bag, and the next I’d revert to the classic staple of room service pizza. It’s a fine balancing act that often pays off!
Photo: Lauren Fleming instagram.com/lfbphotography
18 | October 2020
Old Town Crier
Sun Exposure The vast majority of my advice on sun exposure results from the fact that I’m a red head! Based on that one mere fact I have more sun-related travel illness stories than the average camper. My guidance is based on 2 particular incidents: On a recent trip to Africa I wild camped out in the bush overnight. Over the course of the evening I consumed way too much vodka and rum around the campfire. In the morning we proceeded on a 7-mile hike in 100-degree heat in search of black rhino without adequate water or sunscreen (yes, I know, stupid). When we finally got back in our vehicle I proceeded to full-body cramp. My body involuntarily curled up in a ball, I lost the ability to move my hands, and could no longer speak. Long story short, extreme dehydration had set in. Thankfully I had others around to help as we sped back to civilization. I was then dumped, fully clothed, into a shower with a water bottle in my hand. On a trip to Samoa I spent half a day snorkeling along the coralline in search of sea turtles (which I spotted, so it wasn’t a complete disaster). It was an extremely overcast day, so I thought the little sunscreen I had slathered on my pasty white British skin was adequate. It. Was. Not! After a few hours of shallow diving amongst the coral reef I headed back to the shoreline. I thought I looked a little pink but wasn’t too worried. After all, I’d doused myself in sunscreen! Later that night the true extent of what had transpired was revealed. Unwittingly I had used EXPIRED
Old Town Crier
sunscreen and not nearly enough of it! My entire back, legs, and arms were red raw to the point that I couldn’t move without enduring searing pain. Flying home (a mere 26 hours in the air back to London) was pure agony. It took weeks to recover. Based on these two incidents alone, you should do the following to avoid sun-related illness: Use High SPF Sunscreen: The higher the better in my opinion. Is a suntan worth the possibility of illness? You should also make certain that sunscreen hasn’t expired. Many bottles contain an expiration date. If yours doesn’t then write a purchase date on it. Sunscreen is only required to retain its original SPF strength for three years. After that it won’t necessarily be as effective. Hydrate: Heat exhaustion and dehydration can be serious. Carry enough water with you to remain hydrated. The consequences of not drinking enough water can be serious. Keep Cool: Avoid the risk of heat exhaustion and sun stroke by remaining as cool as possible. Use fans and water misters if air conditioning isn’t available and move to shade rather than sit out directly in the sun at the heat of midday. Cover Up: Even better than high SPF sunscreen is to cover up. Long sleeved clothing with built-in SPF coverage is an excellent idea. Hats and sun scarves may also be necessary if you’re fair skinned or generally prone to burning.
Disease Avoidance Wash your Hands: Having had the “wash your hands” message drilled into us for several months it should come as no surprise that this tops the list of recommendations when it comes to disease avoidance. In similar fashion, I
would strongly recommend taking anti-bacterial wipes with you. These can be used disinfect surfaces in/around plane seats and in hotel rooms. Protect Against Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes are the deadliest animals on earth, spreading viruses as varied as Zika, West Nile, Chikungunya, dengue, and malaria. Protecting yourself against bites should therefore be a key component to your strategy for staying healthy when traveling. That includes using insect repellent (with a high deet %), portable mosquito nets, and antimalarial medication when recommended by your travel medical practitioner.
Red Pa
Photo: Laur nda en instagram Fleming .com/lfbph otography
Consult a Medical Professional: Last but not least, you should consult a travel medical expert well in advance of your departure date. Required vaccinations typically fall into three categories. Routine ng vaccinations include bathi mursther. e L things like tetanus, BCG o eachauren Fleming raphy g L : and MMR. Recommended to o h P fbphoto m.com/l instagra vaccinations will be tailored to your trip and could include, for example, rabies and Japanese encephalitis. Required vaccinations are those that you’ll need to prove you’ve had in order to enter certain countries. They might include yellow fever or polio, for example. The further out from your flight date you consult a professional the better, especially if you aren’t a frequent traveler! If you’re looking for more travelrelated advice and inspiration, make sure to visit our website: www. takephotosleavefootprints.com
October 2020 | 19
POINTS ON PETS
STEPH SELICE
A
artificial sweetener xylitol is in many low-calorie treats, gum, and mints, and it’s toxic to many animals. And sticks and paper or plastic wrappers can block digestive tracts and require a trip to the emergency vet. To keep your pets safe, feed them before trick-or-treating starts, and keep all your Halloween treats stored where they can’t treat themselves!
s the October issue of Old Town Crier goes to press, we all continue to live with COVID-19 and its effects and remain unsure how the pandemic will play out. Halloween will probably still be celebrated by many families this year; others will choose to sit out trick-or-treating in their neighborhoods and focus on celebrating at home. But we all face the same question: How can we help keep our family members (human and animal) healthy and celebrate this holiday safely?
COVID-19 and Your Pets This Halloween The current consensus among veterinarians and researchers is that humans are far more likely to be infected by SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, than most pets are. It also appears true that the few animals in the United States that have been infected by the virus caught it from humans in close contact. What prevention is most effective? As an August 14 article in Science reported, “Whether it comes to taking your dog to a dog park or petting an outdoor cat, the standard advice still holds: Wear a mask, wash your hands, and social distance.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 20 | October 2020
Decorations and Costumes
Images courtesy freepik.com
(CDC) noted on August 24: • At this time, there is no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. • Based on the limited information available to date, the risk of animals spreading COVID-19 to people is considered to be low. • More studies are needed to understand if and how different animals could be affected by COVID-19. • We are still learning about this virus, but it appears that it can spread from people to animals in some situations. • So taking the recommended
CDC precautions whether you’re at home or out in public is important. Following public health guidelines and keeping current with research updates should help you keep your humans and pets safe.
Halloween Safety Tips for Pets: The Song Remains the Same Celebrating Halloween with our pets safely is certainly possible this year. The precautions we routinely take every October 31st to protect our beloved animals still hold, even if we choose to stay home.
Treats and Food It’s widely reported online that among the most dangerous foods for pets at Halloween are chocolate, candy in general, grapes or raisins, apple seeds, food on sticks (like lollipops and kebabs), alcohol, nuts and seeds (particularly walnuts or macadamias), and any food with wrappers. Sugary, high-fat treats can cause pancreatitis in cats and dogs, an inflammation of the pancreas that is very painful and brings on diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, abdominal pain, and even kidney failure. Raisins can cause kidney failure in cats and dogs. Sugar-free foods aren’t safe for pets, either. The
Holiday decorations are part of what most of us look forward to seeing on Halloween, but our pets’ reactions to these favorites can be mixed. If you use outdoor or indoor decorations with electrical hookups or open flames or that contain chemicals that could be poisonous, be careful that your pets can’t have ready access to them by jumping, clawing, chewing, or wagging their tails. Many Halloween-related veterinary emergencies involve pets who have choked on decorations they’ve eaten or been burned by candles or electricity. Tens of millions of Americans dress up their pets for Halloween, and this year will be no different. If you get costumes for your pets, vets suggest that you try dressing them up before October 31st to see how they like their new POINTS ON PETS > PAGE 21
Old Town Crier
POINTS ON PETS | FROM PAGE 20
getups and if you should try other options. Can your pets see clearly and move freely in their costumes? Does any head gear impair their hearing or breathing or disorient them? You can make sure your pets are as comfortable and safe in their holiday wear as you are in your own.
Visitors, Noise, and Being Outside Animal shelters and vets recommend that having your pets stay indoors during Halloween is the best way to keep them safe. This is particularly true for all cats (indoor and outdoor), especially black kitties, who are sometimes a target for
mischief. If you take your dogs outside, try to walk them early in the evening, and be aware that some trick-ortreaters may not be as friendly this year. Many people have avoided other people’s pets during COVID-19. Others may not want unfamiliar animals (and humans) near themselves or their kids at any time and may be extra cautious now. Because we don’t know how boisterously Halloween will be celebrated this October 31st, you might want to prepare your pets by keeping them in a quiet part of your home, away from visitors in costumes, unknown sounds, open windows, and your front door. A familiar room without treats or decorations
would be ideal. Calm and pamper your pets the way you would during any potentially loud or distracting event. And have a safe and happy Halloween! Steph Selice volunteered with King Street Cats in Alexandria for seven years. She and her husband now live in Pennsylvania with their two kitties, who were adopted from city neighborhoods in Virginia and Delaware.
Bath & Primp • Nail Trim & file • Full Haircut Deshed • Theraclean Treatment • Teeth Brushing Hair Coloring • Exotic Grooming Gianna Schjang, Gabriella Brown • Paw Spa LLC 315 South Washington Street, Alexandria 22314 703-517-4428 • www.thepawspava.com
Love. Brush. Groom. Repeat.
Sources: www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/08/what-does-covid19-summer-surge-mean-your-cats-and-dogs# www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-lifecoping/animals.html#:~:text=There%20have%20 been%20reports%20of,with%20people%20with%20 COVID%2D19. alexandrialivingmagazine.com/lifestyle/halloween-2020coronavirus-trick-or-treat-health-safety-pand/ National Capital Poison Center 1-800-222-1222 • www.poison.org
PETS
OF THE MONTH
PIBB
Adult, Female, Red-Eared Slider
4101 Eisenhower Avenue Alexandria, VA 703-746-4774 alexandriaanimals.org Mon-Fri, 1-8 pm Closed Wed Sat & Sun, 12-5 pm
Don’t let Pibb’s serious expression fool you. She’s a jokester at heart! This sweet slider is always at the front of her tank, ready to greet new friends and would love to meet you. She spends her time basking, swimming and getting in naps of course. So if you’re ready to meet a “turtle-y awesome” best friend, schedule an adoption appointment to meet Pibb!
ARCHIE AND ACADIA
Young, Neutered Male and Spayed Female, Black and Brown Tabby Domestic Short Hairs Hello world! My name is Acadia (brown tabby) and this is my best friend Archie, and we can’t wait to meet you! At 5 months old, I love cuddling with all of my friends, playing lots... oh and I love doing all of this with Archie of course. Let me tell you, he’s the best. Whenever I need someone to nap with, he’s ready! I have a very inquisitive nature, but that isn’t why my head is tilted adorably all the time. When I was younger, I had a bad ear infection, but my friends here at the AWLA were able to help me so my ears are healthy again! They aren’t sure if I’ll have my distinctive head tilt for the rest of my life, but I don’t care because it doesn’t slow me down. Toys beware! I’m ready to play! I hope you’ll make an appointment at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria to meet me and Archie soon.
DAZZ
Young, Neutered Male, Tan and White Terrier Ready, set....here he comes! This boy has one speed, 60. Lock your knees and prepare for when he takes off across the yard straight for you...and your heart. Dazz is an energetic, adolescent boy who when he is not running laps at full speed around our play yards, is capturing the hearts of the staff here at AWLA. Dazz is as cool as a cucumber and as fast as a cheetah. So…brace for impact while he slides right into your home and your heart all at the same time. Set up an adoption appointment with Dazz soon!. Photo courtesy of DeSilva Studios, LLC.
Photos courtesy of Dirty Paw Photography
Adopt by Appointment at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria virtually on Zoom or in-person at the Vola Lawson Animal Shelter! The AWLA is upholding ALX Promise standards to welcome visitors back to the shelter safely for adoptions and other community services on an appointment basis. Learn more at AlexandriaAnimals.org/Adopt-By-Appointment.
Old Town Crier
October 2020 | 21
CARIBBEAN CONNECTION CARIBBEAN JOURNAL STAFF
The Ultimate Rum Experience Returns!
T
Clockwise, from Top: St. Barth WIMCO Villa Rhum Room Tradewind Aviation 22 | October 2020
he Caribbean’s ultimate rum experience is returning this Nov. 1015, 2020 in St Barth. The 2020 edition of the Caribbean Rum Awards and the St. Barth Rum Festival, a week-long celebration of the Caribbean’s finest rum, will return to the Caribbean capital of luxury. “This year’s Caribbean Rum Awards will again honor the best of rum-making in the Caribbean,” said Alexander Britell, editor and publisher of Caribbean Journal. “We’re proud to partner with Christopher Davis and the St. Barth Rum Festival for what will be an exciting, high-level experience tailored for the current realities of travel.” The intimate experience will bring together a selection of rum connoisseurs, aficionados
and rum distillers, centered around the Caribbean’s greatest rum bar, the Rhum Room in Gustavia. “What an honor to spend a great week of events with rum, passionate connoisseurs and interested learners as well,” said Christopher Davis, proprietor of the Rhum Room and the Quarter Kitchen & Cocktail Lab, and founder of the St. Barth Rum Festival. “What surprises me the most about this year is regardless of all the worldwide issues we are still able to put together an incredible Rum Festival program, as almost all other festivals are cancelled. People are excited to come to St. Barth to visit and to taste fabulous rums from around the Caribbean.” The event will kick off with a Ti’ Punch Happy Hour by
WIMCO, followed by a series of evening rum and cigar experiences and VIP master classes. On Nov. 12 will be the Rum Expo, a free outdoor public event featuring samples of some of the Caribbean’s greatest rum expressions, from La Favorite to Rhum Neisson to Ron del Barrilito. The heart of the program will of course be the awards themselves, the Caribbean’s leading competition of premium rum and rhum agricole, bringing together a panel of international judges and an unrivaled selection of top quality expressions. Last year’s competition included a neverbefore-conducted competition of the Caribbean’s most expensive rums, with Don Q Reserva de la Familia Serralles taking the Double Gold. This year’s Caribbean Rum Awards, optimized for social distancing with limited-attendance and outdoor experiences, will include intimate master classes with some of the world’s top rum makers, including Grégoire Hayot of Guadeloupe’s Rhum Karukera, Gregory Vernant of Martinique’s Rhum Neisson CARRIBEAN CONNECTION PAGE 23
Old Town Crier
CARIBBEAN CONNECTION FROM PAGE 20
and Franck Dormoy of Rhum La Favorite. “We have received exceptional support from the distilleries,” Davis said. “Attendees will be able to sample rums from some of the best distilleries in the Caribbean, and there will be more distilleries, depending on whether or not we obtain approval from the Collectivité to use the street for the afternoon.” That’s along with some new experiences for this year, including a tasting of local Rhum Arrangé made in St. Barth. Only VIP ticket-holders can access the full gamut of experiences; there will be a number of free, publicfacing events, including the aforementioned Rum Expo on Nov. 12 and the Ti’ Punch Seminar on Nov. 13. A People’s Choice rum competition will also return this year, featuring esteemed rum enthusiasts from the island. Along with this competition are a pair of Rum Cocktail Pairing dinners, one on Nov. 13 and one on Nov. 14,
set at the celebrated Quarter Kitchen and Cocktail Lab. (To purchase dinner tickets, contact hello@25sbh.com). “The Rum Cocktail Pairing dinner this year is extended to both Friday and Saturday nights due to overwhelming demand and the menu is shaping up to be really special,” Davis said. Caribbean Rum Awards partner WIMCO is partnering on a series of villa packages that include VIP tickets to the event. “The Caribbean Rum Awards event is totally in sync with the spirit of St. Barth, an island that has always been celebrated for its exceptional restaurant scene and passion for gourmet experiences” said Stiles Bennet, WIMCO’s president. “WIMCO Villas is proud to sponsor the event, and is encouraging our clients to visit the island in early November for a chance to taste some of the most exceptional rums in the world.” “Particularly amid the current realities of travel, we’re pleased to keep this year’s Caribbean Rum Awards an intimate experience, and so excited with this year’s impressive group of partners,” Britell said. “There’s no rum
festival in the world quite like this one — and there’s no place in the world quite like St. Barth.” Tradewind Aviation, which operates regular flights (and private charter flights) throughout the day between San Juan and St Barth, is the official airline of the Caribbean Rum Awards. Book your travel early. St. Barth has been open for tourism since June with strict entry protocols that have made the island a veritable sanctuary amid the pandemic; those include required proof of a negative PCR test within 72 hours of arrival (find more info here). For more information, contact rum@caribjournal.com. For VIP tickets, visit EventBrite.com. The OTC is happy to partner with Alexander Britell, Founder and Editor-In-Chief of the Miami, Florida based Caribbean journal, and his staff. Check them out online at caribjournal. com for valuable information on all of the fabulous travel options and things of interest in the Caribbean.
The BVI’s Are Coming Back! The British Virgin Islands is officially reopening for international tourism in December, Caribbean Journal has learned. The beloved Caribbean archipelago will reopen to visitors on Dec. 1st, according to British Virgin Islands Premier Andrew A. Fahie. “The Territory has two full months to prepare and we as a people must get it right and we must get it done by all working together, both the Government and private sector,” Fahie said. Fahie said the BVI’s government intended to reopen the BVI in the “safest way possible, using science and technology as a guide.” Watch this space for updated information in the November issue. In the meantime, more information is available at caribjournal.com!
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October 2020 | 23
FROM THE BAY
JEREMY COX
Candida Garcia and students from Rosa Parks Elementary School in Prince George’s County, MD, teamed up to create the school’s community garden. Maryland LCV Education Fund
Latinx ‘Promotores” Lead the Way for Environmental Action on the Bay
C
andida Garcia had never been involved in environmental causes. But over the past four years, she has founded a community garden, grilled local officials about air quality, campaigned for statewide bans on plastic bags and straws and successfully lobbied her county to purchase electric school buses. Garcia chalks up her transformation to a leadership program tailored to a demographic that the Whitedominated environmental movement has historically overlooked: the Latinx community. Including Garcia’s inaugural class of 2016, Chispa Maryland has produced more than 100 graduates from its Promotores program. Over the course of six to eight weekly classes, they are given the basics of environmental justice, advocacy and community organizing — with the hope of creating a generation of grassroots “promoters.” Garcia and her fellow promotores are finding that their work has never been more difficult or urgent. During one of the most imperative moments in its short history, the program may be the prototype that shows green groups in the Chesapeake Bay region and elsewhere how to diversify their membership, 24 | October 2020
said Ramon Palencia-Calvo, director of Maryland’s Chispa. “I think there’s an understanding among environmental groups that we need to expand our reach beyond the typical audience — the White middle-class person who has disposable time and income to volunteer for an environmental cause,” he said. “We want to create a movement that represents the entire population of Maryland.” Nearly 90% of leadership positions in environmental groups nationwide were held by White people as of 2014, according to a widely cited study. Hispanics and Latinos occupied fewer than 3% of those positions. Due to racist housing policies, their communities, though, tend to bear more environmental burdens, suffering from poorer air quality, greater impacts from climate change and more toxic contamination. “In order to make real change, we needed to build power in those communities that are overburdened by pollution and are underserved,” Palencia-Calvo said. Chispa, meaning “spark” in Spanish, was created by the Maryland League of Conservation Voters in 2014. It was the fourth state-based LCV organization to have its own Latinx-geared program
after New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona. LCV affiliates in Connecticut and Nevada launched programs the following year, bringing the total to six nationwide. Palencia-Calvo, a former fellow at the Worldwatch Institute, has been overseeing the Maryland program from its earliest days. He never worried about finding a receptive audience. Polls routinely show that Hispanics are concerned about global warming and are apt to believe it is caused by humans. They also show a strong commitment to a host of other environmental issues. So, he and his team started knocking on doors, beginning in Langley Park in Prince George’s County. About threequarters of the community’s nearly 20,000 residents are Hispanic. Their housing is often plagued by mold and leadbased paint. The outdoors offers little reprieve because the air is fouled by the area’s heavy traffic. Four years later, about 30 of Chispa’s promotores reside in the densely populated nook just inside the northeastern corner of the District of Columbia’s Capital Beltway. Garcia was one of the first. Speaking in Spanish with Palencia-Calvo acting as a translator, she said concerns about the health of her four children triggered her interest in the environment. Could
one of her son’s severe asthma attacks be linked to bad air quality or her aging home? How could she find out if her drinking water was safe? She and other Chispa participants gathered with their families in the evenings at the local community center. Childcare wasn’t a problem because Chispa had educational activities waiting for them. Everyone brought a dish to share. Chispa staff conducted most of the training, but some sessions featured experts from other environmental groups. After 40 hours of training — the total has since been shortened to 24 hours — Garcia received her graduation certificate. She swelled with pride. “Muy feliz” (very happy) is how she describes the feeling today. Then, Garcia got to work. With financial support from the Chesapeake Bay Trust, she organized a community garden at Rosa Parks Elementary in Hyattsville. It was designed as a “therapy space,” where families could enjoy a rare opportunity to be together, she said. They grew tomatoes, peppers and other staples, which were distributed among some of the school’s low-income families. For the science teachers, it became a living classroom. Because of the pandemic, the garden was left fallow this year, but Garcia’s other efforts continue to bear fruit. In 2017, Chispa Maryland launched a “Clean Buses for Healthy Ninos” campaign, seeking to steer some of the state’s $75 million Volkswagen settlement money toward zero-emission, electric school buses. Garcia
was on the campaign’s front lines, writing a blog post and talking to elected officials. Last September, the Maryland Department of the Environment invested $2.5 million of that funding in an electric– and propane-bus pilot program in four counties, including Prince George’s. The Promotores classes have been put on hold this year because of the pandemic, but Chispa leaders hope to restart the program once it’s safe for groups to gather again. This year’s seemingly unending battle with COVID-19 has plunged Garcia and Palencia-Calvo into territory that would be unfamiliar for many greenfocused groups. Garcia, a board member with the Langley Park Civic Association, partnered with Chispa to apply for a grant from LCV’s COVID-19 fund. The association was awarded $20,000, which will be disbursed to families who have suffered financially because of the pandemic. Chispa and the civic association collected an additional $15,000 through community fundraising efforts. The community has given much to the green movement over the years. Now, it’s time to give back, Garcia said. “Environmentalism is about the health of the families and the people that we love,” she said. Jeremy Cox is a Bay Journal staff writer based in Maryland. You can reach him at jcox@ bayjournal.com. Old Town Crier
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October 2020 | 25
ROAD TRIP
BOB TAGERT
HITTING THE WINE TRAIL
Barrel Oak Entrance
T
Social Distancing at Pearmund Cellars 26 | October 2020
he month of October brings us Virginia Wine Month. Accordingly, we decided to take an extended trip through our favorite wine trails in Virginia for the October Road Trip. Today there are over 300 wineries in Virginia and as many vineyards. When we started the Old Town Crier the most popular wines were Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Seyval and Rose. Today there are more wines available than I can name so…. let’s get on the road. Although we got a late start from Alexandria (10:45 am) we hit very little traffic on Route 66 due to the fact that the road construction has finally created four lanes except for a few merges. If it isn’t a weekday and 5:00 in the afternoon, Route 66 is the quickest way to get to wine and horse country. When we got to Haymarket we took Route 15 south for two traffic lights and made a right
on Route 55. This was the main road before Route 66 was born. Follow the road until you pass under Route 66 again and turn left at the sign for Pearmund Cellars. There will be another left turn in about a quarter mile or less that will get you to the winery. Chris Pearmund is not only wine maker, vineyard manager and owner but he didn’t stop with one winery, he is also involved with Vint Hill Winery, The Winery at La Grange and recently, Effingham Winery. The tasting room is smack dab in the middle of the vineyard with ample seating around the grounds. The barrel room is in the same building as the tasting room and invites a visit to admire the stacked barrels. All pandemic requirements are practiced here and if you forgot your cigars, you can find a good one here. Our second stop was at Barrel Oak Winery and Farm Taphouse. Brian Roeder has created an open space winery that caters to guests with fresh
oysters, pizza and fresh crafted brews in addition to excellent wines. As you will see by their ad in this issue, dogs are almost the preferred guests. There is ample parking here and socially spaced picnic tables. If you plan to go you can log on to their website and check out how to contact them and reserve a table for no more than six... but be on time. None of the wineries offer the traditional tastings but each one has a plan to get the right wine in your hand. Barrel Oak has an outdoor tasting bar set up where you can figure out which wine you would like to enjoy. From Barrel Oak we picked up Route 55 to Markham and then picked up Leeds Manor Road towards Hume. At Hume turn right until you come to Rappahannock Cellars. I might add, Leeds Manor road and Hume road are beautiful this time of year. You will also come to Philip Carter Vineyards on Leeds Manor road, a descendant of one of Old Town Crier
ROAD TRIP | FROM PAGE 26
the founders of the Virginia wine industry three centuries ago. This is a great winery with ample room to spread out. Rappahannock Cellars is one of Virginia’s most dynamic wineries. Notice their solar panels at the back of the west side vineyard. Their wines are always some of the best in Virginia every year and they are previous winners of the prestigious Governors Cup. They also have a neat angle on tasting their products. Although I am used to test tube shooters, they take this to a new level where they create a flight of wines for your tasting pleasure. You can sample reds, whites or a combination and then make a decision on a bottle of wine to drink or a case to take home. While you are here, if you have a taste for a good brandy, gin or vodka, check out Dida’s Distillery. Here classic spirits are made from their high quality grapes. Their products do have a unique taste and well worth trying. We began to head into Front Royal for a bite until we passed the Blue Ridge Country Store. I have passed this iconic country store for years and never stopped. After I passed by again I made a turn around and we went back. On the porch sat Jack Sharp, the proprietor. As a kid, my summer vacations were spent in a small rural town in Georgia...this place is a throwback to it. The required Coca-Cola signs are out front with a few homemade ones included. I have not used the term “laid back” in a long time...Jack is waaay laid back as is the store. Look for a Personality Profile on Jack in a future issue. Reluctant to leave Jack, we were hungry so headed to Spelunker’s shakes and burgers in Front Royal. We indulged in a couple of their famous Cavern burgers and shared an order of fresh hand-cut fries. They are also famous for their shakes and custard but we opted for a diet Coke and some sweet tea on this trip. The next time will be a stop for a shake! Now that we were fortified, we headed to Strasburg and beyond to Woodstock, Virginia and Muse Vineyards. If you have never been to Woodstock, you are missing a real treasure. There are a few towns that dot Route 11 South with Edinburg being the second town. Between the two, you can find restaurants and accommodations from times gone by. The North Branch of the Shenandoah River makes no fewer than eleven turns from Strasburg to Edinburgh. This source enriches the soil and Old Town Crier
makes for productive farms. The owners of Muse Vineyards have figured this out and have 50 acres of vines which are the sole supply for their wines. Muse offers a very unique sampling adventure. A flight of wines by the glass in a vertical display (see the photo). This winery is enclosed in one of the bends of the North Branch and is absolutely beautiful. The wines, as new as they are have already won one Governors Cup as well as other accolades. As is the case with the other wineries, Muse also offers tasty bites to eat. Muse was the last stop on this adventure as it was becoming late and we had an 80 mile ride home. If you decide to venture here and spend some time, Muse has a fantastic house that you can rent. For more details check out MuseVineyards.com. For our return trip we decided to skip part of Interstate 66 and take a ride over the mountains to Luray and Route 211 east to Sperryville and Warrenton. From Edinburg, you can take Edinburg Gap Road that takes you over the North Branch of the Shenandoah River and across two mountains to the Shenandoah Valley. Be sure to take in the view at the top of the mountain before the valley. Once you reach Luray, Route 211 will take you over the next mountain and into Thornton Gap on Skyline Drive. If you need a break, Sperryville is a small town but large in character. There are some ads in this publication from this enchanting town. Cottage Curator is a special place as is Copper Fox Distillery, where you can stop for a sip of their whiskey or a bottle to take home. From here continue on Route 211 East to Warrenton and Route 15 to Route 66. It is truly a beautiful drive after a long day. I really think that an overnight stay is in order for a trip like this. Two great options are available at Rappahannock Getaways – 29 Main in Sperryville and The Loft in Washington. Check out their ad in this issue. They book up fast so make your reservations early. Although this round trip was over 200 miles, there are numerous wineries to visit on the way in order to shorten your trip. With all of the restrictions these past five months, it is a good time to take a road trip to the mountains this fall. Remember to wash your hands and wear your mask. The wineries take care of the social distancing. Find a favorite winery in Virginia and bring a case or two home. Fall is the best time of the year for a Road Trip!
Rappahannock Cellars (Above) and their wine flight tasting tubes (inset) Spelunker's Cavern Burner (left) Blue Ridge Country Market entrance and sign (below)
Muse Winery (Above) Muse Tasting Tower (Right) October 2020 | 27
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Old Town Crier
October 2020 | 29
DINING OUT
The phrase al fresco is borrowed from Italian for “in the cool [air]”, although it is not in current use in that language to refer to dining outside. Instead, Italians use the phrases fuori (“outside”, “outdoor”) or all’aperto (“in the open [air]”).
Y
es…you read the headline correctly. In order to continue to provide those of you who still aren’t ready to dine indoors - due to the virus - an opportunity to keep going out to dine, many of Alexandria’s eating establishments will continue offering al fresco dining with the addition of heat sources to keep you all warm and cozy. Obviously, if it is blowing a gale, sleeting and sideways snow is coming down the option won’t be there. Common sense will prevail… we hope. Many restaurants in the Old Town and metro Alexandria area have extended their outdoor dining in past yearsMichael’s Little Italy and Vola’s Dockside are two that come to mind - so it isn’t anything new but having so many more options will be fantastic in our point of view. Back in the day….the covered patio at 219 was the best 30 | October 2020
THE GASTRONOMES
AL FRESCO DINING THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS
place to be when the snow was coming down since the seating was very cushy and the overhead heaters were such that you could take your coat, hat and gloves off and enjoy cocktails and Cajun food is total comfort. In fact, we had a standing date with good friends to meet for a celebratory beverage when the first snow of the season started coming down. We might have to start a similar tradition this year. Obviously, this isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea, so to speak, but for those of us who love the “apres ski” vibe this is a golden opportunity to sip Irish Coffee, Hot Buttered Rum, Spiced and Spiked Apple Cider and some
mulled wine and enjoy some hearty cold weather cuisine in the crisp fall/winter air. You can bet your bottom dollar that there will be a whole new plethora of hot drinks being concocted by the many “mixologists” who are constantly working on their “craft” cocktails here in Alexandria. And I bet there will be a few that have a “tea” base. The 100 Block King Street will remain blocked off to traffic through the end of the year and quite possibly beyond. If this comes to fruition, you will see improvements to the esthetics of the space and it won’t look like someone just dropped off some portable Jersey walls
(since that is basically what they did) and decorated with some flower pots. Desperate people have desperate ways, and they did a fine job under the circumstances. This street closure, along with the extended outdoor space into the sidewalks and parking areas all up and down King and the side streets, has made a major difference in the economy of the restaurants along the King Street corridor. Granted, it has played some havoc with parking availability on the street but there are several garages that are finally getting used to their potential and once you are parked you don’t have to worry about the meter running out. Many of
the restaurants on the West End and the North Side have extended their dining areas to the sidewalks as well. As with everything that involves the safety of the public, there will be some restrictions on the types of heating “units” – propane or electric – and the storage of said units that will be acceptable to the State/ Commonwealth Fire Marshall. You can rest assured that every precaution is going to be made to be sure that the safety of patrons and residents alike - especially in Old Town since so many residents are in close proximity to King Street - will be a priority. When I asked about putting in a “cool” fire pit or two in the 100 Block, I just got “the look”. They had portable propane fire features all around National Harbor during the winter months a couple of years ago so I thought, why not here…Maryland has different rules. At the time of this writing, to go, curbside and delivery options will still be available from the majority of the restaurants. A good place to get up-to-date information on what is available is by Liking and Following the Alexandria Curbside Dining Facebook page. Until the world has the “Rona” situation under control, we are going to have to live with some “odd to many of us” conditions. Wear your mask when it is mandated, keep the distance, use that sanitizer and wash your hands often and DO NOT litter. In fact, I think they need to name one of the many hurricanes coming up the coast “Rona”….. Old Town Crier
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October 2020 | 31
LET’S EAT
CHARLES OPPMAN
ALMOND CREAM (FRANGIPANE)
W
hat says autumn better than a homemade apple dessert? When the apple harvest is in it’s the perfect time to whip up everyone’s favorite dessert, an apple tart. Apple pies are fine, but here’s a treat with a twist, a one-crust tart. This dessert is not only attractive it tastes great. You can’t just use any apple for this tart. You need an apple that has the right sugar content and texture. The Granny Smith apple is the perfect choice.
Ingredients 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 cup confectioner’s sugar 3 egg yolks 1 cup blanched almond slivers, ground 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions In a food processor, grind the almonds to a consistency of corn meal. Set almond meal aside. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This mixture will turn pale yellow. Mix in almond meal, salt and vanilla. Blend in egg yolks one at time until all is incorporated and smooth, creamy mixture is achieved. Refrigerate for later use.
THE PASTRY Ingredients 1/2 stick unsalted butter, cold 1/2 cup vegetable shortening, cold 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup very cold milk, or as needed 2 cups cake flour, all-purpose will suffice
Directions Mix together sifted flour, sugar and salt. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut butter and shortening into the flour until pieces are pea-size. To form dough, add milk incrementally and mix until a dough ball is formed. Mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Dough should be slightly crumbly, but wet enough to form a ball when compressed. Form dough into a flat disc, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before rolling out. On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten the dough. Roll dough from center to edges into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. To transfer pastry, wrap it around a rolling pin. Unroll the pastry onto a greased 9-inch pie plate. Ease pastry into the plate being careful not to stretch it excessively or puncture the dough as this will allow filling to leak out while baking. Rim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold under extra pastry. Crimp edge as desired. Do not prick the pastry.
Assembling Peel, core and halve 4 Granny Smith apples. With a paring knife, thinly slice each half. Set all sliced halves aside. Line tart pan with rolled-out pastry. Fill tart pan half way up the sides with almond cream. With spatula, smooth-out the almond cream. Arrange apples around for an attractive appearance.
Baking and glazing Bake tart in a 375ºF oven until apples begin to brown and pastry is cooked. This will take 30 to 45 minutes. Remove tart from oven and allow cooling. In a microwave melt ½ cup of apple jelly and brush on tart with a pastry brush. Serve warm with whipped cream that has a dash of vanilla extract and a little sugar.
32 | October 2020
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DINING GUIDE AMERICAN
AUGIE’S MUSSEL HOUSE 1106 King Street 703.721.3970 BILBO BAGGINS 208 Queen St. 703-683-0300 BLACKWALL HITCH 5 Cameron St. 703-739-6090 CAFE 44 44 Canal Center 571-800-6644 CARLYLE CLUB 411 John Carlyle St. 703-549-8957 CHADWICKS 203 Strand St. 703-836-4442 CHART HOUSE One Cameron St. 703-684-5080 CITY KITCHEN 330 South Pickett St. 703-685-9172 fatcitykitchen.com COLUMBIA FIREHOUSE 109 S. St. Asaph St. 703-683-1776 EVENING STAR CAFÉ 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-549-5051 EXECUTIVE DINER & CAFE 1400 Duke Street 703-299-0894 FIVE GUYS 725 King St. 703-549-7991 FOSTERS GRILLE 2004 Eisenhower Ave. 703-725-1342 GADSBYS TAVERN 138 N. Royal St. 703-548-1288 GRATEFUL KITCHEN 727 N. Henry Street HARD TIMES CAFE 1404 King St. 703-837-0050 HEN QUARTER 1404 King St. 703-684-6969 HUMMINGBIRD 220 South Union Street 703-566-1355 JACKS PLACE 222 North Lee St. 703-684-0372 JAVA GRILL 611 King Street 571-431-7631 JOE THEISMANNS 1800 Diagonal Rd. 703-739-0777 JUNCTION BAKERY & BISTRO 1508 Mount Vernon Avenue Alexandria 703-436-0025 LAPORTAS 1600 Duke St. 703-683-6313
34 | October 2020
THE LIGHT HORSE 715 King Street 703-549-0533
LIVE OAK 1603 Commonwealth Ave. 571-312-0402 LORI'S TABLE 1028 King Street 703-549-5545 LOST DOG CAFE 808 North Henry St. 571-970-6511 MACKIE’S BAR AND GRILL 907 King St. 703-684-3288 mackiesbarandgrill.com MAGNOLIA’S ON KING 703 King St. 703-838-9090 MAJESTIC CAFÉ 911 King St. 703-837-9117 MASON SOCIAL 728 Henry Street 703-548-8800 mason-social.com MOUNT VERNON INN Mount Vernon, Va 703-780-0011 MURPHYS IRISH PUB 713 King St. 703-548-1717 murphyspub.com NORTHSIDE 1O 10 East Glebe Rd. 703-888-0032 OCONNELLS RESTAURANT & BAR 112 King St. 703-739-1124 PORK BARREL BBQ 2312 Mount Vernon Ave. 703-822-5699 THE PEOPLES DRUG 103 N. Alfred Street 571-257-8851 RAMPARTS 1700 Fern St. 703-998-6616 rampartstavern.com RIVER BEND BISTRO 7966 Fort Hunt Rd. Hollin Hall Shopping Center 703-347-7545 riverbendbistro.com ROCK IT GRILL 1319 King St. 703-739-2274 RT's RESTAURANT 3804 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-684-6010 rtsrestaurant.com SAMUEL BECKETTS IRISH GASTRO PUB 2800 S. Randolph St. Villages of Shirlington 703-379-0122 SHOOTER MCGEES 5239 Duke St. 703-751-9266 SMOKING KOW BBQ 3250 Duke Sttreet 703-888-2649 SONOMA CELLAR 207 King St. 703-966-3550
Please Contact your favorite restaurants for updates on their "Social Distancing" policies.
SOUTH BLOCK 106 N. Lee Street 703-465-8423 SOUTHSIDE 815 815 S. Washington St. 703-836-6222 SWEETGREEN 823 King St. 571-319-0192 SWEET FIRE DONNA'S BBQ & HOPS 510 John Carlyle Street 571-312-7960 T.J. STONES GRILL HOUSE & TAP ROOM 608 Montgomery St. 703-548-1004 tjstones.com TOASTIQUE GOURMET TOAST & JUICE BAR 1605 King Street 571-312-1909 UNION STREET PUBLIC HOUSE 121 South Union St. 703-548-1785 unionstreetpublichouse.com VERMILLION 1120 King St. 703-684-9669 VIRTUE GRAIN & FEED 106 South Union St. 571-970-3669 VOLA’S DOCKSIDE GRILL & THE HI-TIDE LOUNGE 101 North Union St. 703-935-8890 THE WAREHOUSE BAR & GRILL 214 King St. 703-683-6868 warehouseoldtown.com ASIAN
ASIAN BISTRO 809 King St. 703-836-1515 KINGS RANSOM 728 King Street 571-319-0794 KISSO ASIAN BISTRO 300 King Street 703-888-1513 MALAYA 1019 King St. 703-519-3710 MAI THAI 9 King St. 703-548-0600 NASIME 1209 King St. 703-548-1848 SIGNATURE THAI 722 King Street 707-888-2458 STREETS MARKET AND CAFE 3108 Mt. Vernon Ave. 571-431-6810 THAILAND ROYAL 801 N. Fairfax St. 703 535-6622 TOKYO JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE 66 Canal Center Plaza 703-683-8878 CAPHE BANH MI VIETNAMESE 407 Cameron St. 703-549-0800 KAI ZEN TAVERN 1901 Mt. Vernon Ave. 703-836-1212
THE SUSHI BAR 2312 Mount Vernon Avenue 571-257-3232 CONTINENTAL
BRABO by Robert Weidmaier 1600 King St. 703-894-3440 BRABO TASTING ROOM 1600 King St. 703-894-5252 CEDAR KNOLL GW Parkway at Lucia Ln. 703-780-3665 OLD HOUSE COSMOPOLITAN 1024 Cameron Street 703-717-9361 TEMPO 4231 Duke St. 703-370-7900 temporestaurant.com VILLAGE BRAUHAUS 710 King Street 703-888-1951 villagebrauhaus.com FRENCH
BASTILLE 606 N. Fayette St. 703-519-3776 bastillerestaurant.com BISTRO SANCERRE FRENCH 1755 Duke Street LE REFUGE 127 N. Washington St. 703-548-4661 FONTAINES CAFFE & CREPERIE 119 S. Royal St. 703-535-8151 LA MADELEINE 500 King St. 703-729-2854 TWO NINETEEN RESTAURANT 219 King St. 703-549-1141 ITALIAN
BUGSYS PIZZA RESTAURANT 111 King St. 703-683-0313 FACCIA LUNA 823 S. Washington St. 703-838-5998 HANK & MIMI'S PIZZA AND PASTA 600 Montgomery Ave. 571-312-4117 IL PORTO RESTAURANT 121 King St. 703-836-8833 LANDINI BROTHERS 115 King St. 703-836-8404 landinibrothers.com LENA’S WOOD-FIRED PIZZA & TAP 401 East Braddock Rd. 703-960-1086 MIA'S ITALIAN KITCHEN 100 King Street 703-997-5300 MICHAEL’S LITTLE ITALY 305 S. Washington St. 703-548-9338 RED ROCKS FIREBRICK PIZZA 904 King St. 703-717-9873
MEDITERRANEAN
TAVERNA CRETEKOU 818 King St. 703-548-8688 tavernacretekou.com PITA HOUSE 719 King St. 703-684-9194 DELIAS MEDITERRANEAN GRILL 209 Swamp Fox Rd. 703-329-0006 VASO'S MEDITERRANEAN BISTRO 1118 King Street 703-566-2720 VASO'S KITCHEN 1225 Powhatan Street 703-548-2747 SEAFOOD
HANKS OYSTER BAR 1026 King St. 703-739-HANK FISH MARKET-OLD TOWN 105 King St. 703-836-5676 fishmarketoldva.com ERNIES ORGINIAL CRABHOUSE 1743 King St. 703-836-0046 THE WHARF 119 King St. 703-836-2834 INDIAN
DISHES OF INDIA 1510A Bellview Blvd. 703-660-6085 DIYA 218 North Lee, 2nd Floor 703-706-5338 NAMASTE 1504 King St. 703-970-0615 MEXICAN LATIN SOUTHWESTERN
CASA TEQUILA (next to Crate & Barrel) 1701 Duke 703-518-5312 CHOP SHOP TACO 1008 Madison Street 571-970-6438 DON TACO TEQUILA BAR 808 King St. 703-988-3144 LOS CUATES RESTAURANT 1116 King Street 703-548-2918 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) TEQUILA & TACO 540 John Carlyle Street 703-721-3203 URBANO 116 116 King Street 571-970-5148
Old Town Crier
MATT FITZSIMMONS
GRAPEVINE Background Image: Stone Mountain Vineyards
Getting the Most from
Virginia Wine Month
O
ctober is “Virginia Wine Month” for good reason. A warm, dry fall can turn a so-so vintage into a stellar one…while an early hurricane can wreak a year’s work. 2020 has been especially challenging, be it COVID-19, vineyard-wrecking May frosts, summer humidity, or late-season overcast skies. Since a strong finish can make-or-break a vineyard, you can’t blame Virginia’s winegrowers for chanting “no more rain” extra-loud this year. But Wine Month isn’t just for winegrowers; it’s for those who love spending their weekends visiting their favorite winery (or cidery). The summer heat is over, so now’s the time to sit outside and enjoy the fall foliage. If you’re lucky, you might even get a sample of juice fresh from the crush pad. Yet this is the most unusual Wine Month in recent memory. Gone are the days when you can just show up to a winery, cozy up at the bar and order a tasting in a crowded room. Now, you’re likely to be ushered to a private table, outdoors if at all possible. Many wineries offer reservations; a few mandate them. Glassware has largely vanished. Obviously, masks are mandatory indoors. Wineries are taking “Phase III” seriously, so here are some helpful tips to get the most out of Virginia Wine Month.
Be Sure To (Safely) Visit Your Local Winery Since March, nearly every Virginia winery has made serious changes in their business Old Town Crier
model – so be prepared. Since COVID-19 isn’t going away anytime soon, many of these changes will likely remain in place for a long time.
Make reservations Sadly, not all wineries welcome walk-ins anymore. Several have become membersonly. Others may allow random visitors, but only on weekdays. Many require reservations for 2 hour blocks, sometimes payable up front. Every winery has its own playbook, so plan ahead and visit their website before visiting. Pro Tip: Visit on a weekday when scheduling and social distancing are a lot easier. Fortunately, places like Barrel Oak, King Family, Sunset Hills, Veramar, Veritas, and Walsh Family Winery are open 7 days a week, making them great places to telework (just tell your boss that the scenery behind you is a virtual background…and ignore the live patrons enjoying themselves).
Tastings will be different Most wine tastings are now served in plastic cups with a menu explaining what you are sampling. Some wineries don’t even feel comfortable with this step, opting instead to only allow sales by the bottle. Anticipating this format will go on for a while, some locations now serve you minitasting bottles as well. Pro tip: Bring your own glassware or purchase
a souvenir wine glass. While a nice rosé is likely to taste good regardless of what vessel it’s in, glassware improves the sensory experience of your wine (and let’s face it – it’s hard to swirl your wine in a plastic cup).
Expect new rules The most obvious one is bring your mask! It’s for your safety as well as theirs. And really, do you want to visit somewhere that isn’t practicing sound social distancing protocols? Wineries take this part very seriously – you should too. Also, food options may not be readily available – which is a bummer for those who enjoy a warm baguette with their wine. Fortunately, this means you ***might*** be able to bring snacks to places that didn’t allow it in the past, so break out the picnic basket. Pro tip: Check Facebook or websites for changes to their visitation and food policies, and see if previously child-friendly locations have changed to adults-only (which maximizes their capacity). Also, relatively few wineries offer space indoors. Know what’s available in advance in case there is inclement weather.
Look For Special Events For many wineries, October is their busiest month. Since so much was shut GRAPEVINE > PAGE 38
October 2020 | 35
Providing the security you need and the value you seek wrapped in the experience you love.
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36 | October 2020
Old Town Crier
EXPLORING VA WINES
T
he iconic image of a cowboy and his horse silhouetted against a setting sun, his head heavy from a long day on the range, has been used to represent so many products and thoughts over the decades that it might be worn out. I think the image still says a lot but maybe it needs painting with a broader brush. Nothing says it has to be male, or white, or that it’s even a horse. The cowboy works until the job is done, the animals are safe, and the tools are put away. The cowboy does the job that needs to be done in whatever weather and at whatever time of day or night in order to protect the herd. It is a higher level of commitment, and you can change the word cowboy to farmer, or firefighter, or
DOUG FABBIOLI
sailor, or soldier, or lineman, or teacher, or parent, or any other job that demands that extra push. The challenges could be physical, emotional, mental, or even conflictbased. The term “Cowboy Up” refers to taking on the job that nobody likes to do because it needs to be done. It is an important concept for any entrepreneur to understand and execute. The small business owner learns early on that if more of the challenging jobs can be done in house, they will need to rely less and less on outside contractors. They also learn that if you have staff, relying on them all the time isn’t the answer: I have to be willing and able to do anything and everything I expect my crew to do. I have worked with a number of
winemakers over the years who have set the example and shown how to get the job done. I love to empower
real people. earth friendly. fabulous wines. HOLD YOUR ‘FABB’ EVENT AT FABBIOLI CELLARS! WEDDINGS • CORPORATE OUTINGS • GRADUATIONS • CELEBRATIONS
email us at info@fabbioliwines.com 15669 Limestone School Rd • Leesburg, VA 20176 703.771.1197 • fabbioliwines.com Old Town Crier
my team, and to praise them when they “Cowboy Up” to do the hard part or finish the job well. I also recognize that I can’t force them into it, that it’s a drive that comes from inside. I can only train them and set the example. During the stress of harvest time, it can be difficult to find the energy to hit the cellar floor for your 12th straight day that you already know will last 14 hours or longer. Some days you really have to dig deep. If the grapes are not picked and processed in the right way and at the right time, the quality is diminished. The simple fact is that these few days in September and October set the stage for those wines and their entire lifespan, from my crush pad to your glass. Everything depends on making quality decisions and taking the right action at the right time. You find the internal drive and energy source to “Cowboy Up” to get the next round of grapes
processed and moving forward toward being quality wines. In a bigger picture, there are a lot of people with more important jobs than growing grapes and making wine. Hopefully the new recruits to those positions are learning in their early days how to “Cowboy Up” during their challenging times in order to hold the line, keep their end up, raise the bar, and take pride in whatever job they do. Every job has a need for this mindset and every person will hopefully hit that growth point along the way. Overcoming the obstacles gives you more tools to succeed next time. We old guys may take smaller bites and slower steps, but we stay in the game and help coach the younger folks through their challenges. We still have a little something in the tank. Enough reflection—I need to get back to riding with my grapes. October 2020 | 37
ards harvest Casanel Viney GRAPEVINE | FROM PAGE 35
down over the spring, you can expect many locations pulling out all the stops to celebrate the end of the winegrowing season and beginning of winemaking. Bring on the fall-themed events! Perhaps the biggest outdoor event of the season is fall foliage, which goes full blast in mid-October. For especially great views, visit Stone Mountain Vineyards outside Charlottesville. The ride up the mountain can seem scary, but you’ll be rewarded by an amazing panoramic view of the Blue Ridge from their deck. Also check out the views at the Little Washington Winery and DuCard Vineyards, both on the edges of Shenandoah
National Park. If festivals are more you’re thing – you’re in luck! Several wineries have events this month, including Veramar Vineyard’s Rock The Grapes, DuCard’s Annual Harvest party, and Potomac Point’s “Sipping under the stars” movie nights. Trust me; these places really are smiling at you underneath those masks. If you want to get your hands dirty, help out with a harvest. Vineyards try to let their fruit hang as long as possible before the rains set in, and are always happy to exchange labor for a free wine lunch.
Do an Online Event Not everyone is ready to
Walsh Family Wine Tasting ‘break the bubble’. Fortunately, Virginia oenophiles can still participate in an assortment of online-only events. Sarah and Nate Walsh of Walsh Family Wine are amazing online hosts because they are so darn charismatic. Their bi-weekly DRINKWELL events run the gamut from mini-tastings of different Walsh vintages to team-ups with places like Virginia’s Early Mountain Vineyards and Chateau Musar in Lebanon. Another winemaker that’s been killing it with online events is Stephen Barnard of Keswick Vineyards. He hosts weekly “Tasting Tuesdays” on Facebook, with each new
episode dedicated to a different Keswick wine. The chats aren’t just an online tasting; it’s a Q&A on what makes that grape varietal special in Virginia, plus stories about the vintage. It’s extraadorable that he’s babysitting concurrent to holding his Facebook live chat. Wineries aren’t the only local places with online tasting events. Neal Wavra of Field & Main Restaurant in Marshall hosts weekly blind tastings for a virtual audience, utilizing wines from not only Virginia but around the world. It’s fascinating to watch as he examines a wine’s sight, smell and sensation, using these clues to pinpoint where it’s from and what grapes it’s
Pollak V in
eyards
made with. Watching the audience throw out their own ideas makes the event especially interesting. Pick up a (wrapped) bottle or three the next time you visit Virginia wine country. Before you go out just remember – whatever winery you visit, be kind. Businesses everywhere have just endured the hardest professional and personal challenge they’ve likely ever faced. They’re excited to see you, but they are operating a very different business than they had several months ago. But support local businesses, and get the most out of Virginia Wine Month.
OCTOBER IS
VIRGINIA WINE MONTH There’s something magical about October in Virginia Wine country. A hint of a chill enlivens the air, the foliage bursts with brilliant color, and glasses everywhere are raised to celebrate the harvest.
Find your celebration at:
virginiawinemonth.org
38 | October 2020
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FITNESS
NICOLE FLANAGAN
START OFF THE HOLIDAY SEASON BY STAYING FIT
O
ctober marks the beginning of the holiday seasons. 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. The kids are back in the full swing of things at school and your work schedule starting to fill up, be sure to take some time for yourself before things get too hectic. Working out is your time to unwind and de-stress whether it’s before the start of the day or at the end of a crazy work shift. 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 have to deal with all of our daily activities. Exercise stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out. You’ll also look better and feel better when you exercise regularly. This will boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem as well. Exercise even reduces feelings of depression and anxiety. Use regular exercise as a way to improve
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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
AT A GLANCE... BENEFITS OF REGULAR EXERCISE Increases energy Helps you fall asleep faster Better quality sleep Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety Helps cope with stress Boosts your confidence Makes your body stronger Boosts your immune system
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, but 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 might 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 there weren’t enough good reasons to exercise here is 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 – and now the Covid 19 virus. As the weather gets cooler we tend to spend less time outdoors and more time inside. The average adult will get sick with a cold about two times a year. Some people are less susceptible to becoming sick because their immune systems are stronger. More and 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 regular, 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 that you have come to find that exercise is something that can help many aspects of our busy lives. Whether you workout 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. October 2020 | 39
FROM THE TRAINER
RYAN UNVERZAGT
BALANCE B OLD TOWN DENTISTRY Frinet Kasper, DDS • Family & Cosmetic Dentistry • Crowns & Bridges • Invisalign • Sealants • Fillings • Whitening • Same Day Appointments 1203 Prince Street • Alexandria, Va. 22314 • 703.683.0800 • www.oldtowndentistry.com Hablamos Español
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 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 Bachelor of Science degree in Wellness Management from Black Hills State University. He is a certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength & Conditioning Association and a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography. 40 | October 2020
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GENEVIEVE LEFRANC
FIRST BLUSH
W
ith an undeniable autumnal tinge in the air comes the reintroduction of all things we love about fall; your favorite pair of boots, that chunky knit scarf, and of course your newly adjusted fall beauty regime. Everything gets a bit bolder as we ease into the colder months, fashion and beauty alike. Rich berry hues on lips, striking dark shades on nails, and of course, the absolute must-have fall beauty accessory, natural, full, borderline-bushy eyebrows. Better than a new fall bag or a killer coat, a set of full brows Haircuts $15 Shampoo, Cut & Blow Dry $18 (extra charge for long hair) Scissors Cut $17+up Color $43+up Permanent $45+up (including haircut & conditioner)
are the ultimate statement accessory for framing your face this season. While thick and full eyebrows aren’t necessarily a new trend in the beauty world, this season we are seeing a resurgence of the strong look on every celebrity, model, catwalk, and campaign. Whether your beauty model is the lovely and wholesome Brooke Shields, that badass babe Carine Roitfeld, or trendy fashion itgirl Cara Delevingne, there’s an inspiring look from nearly everyone on red carpets and in the magazines. The trend for bold, almost-androgynous
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brows has made its way from the catwalk to celebrities and now on the streets, so what’s stopping you? Whether you’re naturally blessed with a prominent set of brows or you’ve overplucked one too many times, there’s a product out there for you. Hide your tweezers, cancel your waxing appointment, and read on to find the best products for achieving the look of bold and beautiful brows at home. The look that’s all the rage this fall is not so much arched, tapered, and angled as we’ve seen from starlets in the past, but instead worn thick and straight across. There are a number of products available to achieve this look, and depending on how dramatic you’d like them there are a ton of products out there that work wonders. Remember, the key is application and blending! While not everyone has natural eyebrows to rival Cara Delevingne’s, enhancing what you do have has become as much of a must as curling your lashes before mascara or using a lip liner before lipstick. Having your brows properly shaped, filling them in and setting them is now a makeup ritual everyone should learn stat!
To Grow: GrandeLash MD Eyelash and Eyebrow Enhancer If you’ve been an overplucker for years, you’re going to have to start by giving those sparse brows some much needed TLC to encourage regrowth. Try GrandeLash MD Eyelash and Eyebrow Enhancer. This serum enhances, repairs and lengthens eyelash and eyebrows in just 4 to 8 weeks. It has a clinically tested formula that contains natural herb and plant extracts to create an intense transformation by strengthening and increasing brow and lash density while adding moisture and infusing essential nutrients into the hair to restore health and encourage fuller and thicker hair growth.
To Groom: Tweezerman Pink Perfection Mini Brow Rescue Kit Revitalize your beauty routine with this adorably bright color sensation collection from Tweezerman. Keep brows in check anytime, anywhere with this convenient, travel-sized brow essentials kit. Perfect size for that teeny evening clutch or
your desk drawer. Complete with a mini slant tweezer, mini brow mousse, mini brow brush, and mini brow highlighter pencil.
To Tame: Mary Kay Brow Gel This multitasking clear brow gel instantly tames unruly, curly brows or helps make short, sparse hairs stand out if you’re suffering through regrowth. I love the hold it offers without flakiness. Even better this gel conditions brows with a matte finish that keeps those suckers in place.
To Fill: Benefit Brow Zings This eyebrow shaping kit is my personal favorite and honestly the secret to my polished look every day. This tiny little palette comes with all the tools you need for clean, smooth, perfectly defined brows. One side of the palette is soft, lightlypigmented wax that defines and shapes brows, the other side a complementing setting powder to keep them looking flawless. The kit even comes with a discreet little tweezer for those just-noticed stray hairs, an angle brush, and a blending brush. October 2020 | 41
GO FISH
STEVE CHACONAS
Bass Fishing’s Busiest Angler Just Got Busier
H
ighly successful BASS UNIVERSITY (seminar series), Podcasts, YouTube page (Going Ike and In the Shop videos), along with the IKE Foundation (charity introducing kids to fishing), 48 year old full time bass tournament angler Michael “IKE” Iaconelli is tossing his line into professional kayak fishing. His first outing resulted in a 12th place finish out of 115 anglers from across the country on Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna River. You’d think a Bassmaster Classic Champion with many trophies over his 23 year pro career, who participates in 16-18 major events every year, along with countless smaller events and media commitments, would focus on balls he has in the air. “I’m a maniac. I want to do it all.” Before tournaments, it was just about fishing, “… any species, the art of fishing, something pulling back on the other end.” IKE loves fishing and competition, targeting all species and different ways to catch them. Angling wasn’t always from a Bass Cat fiberglass boat with a 250 HP Yamaha SHO. Leaping from bass boat to kayak was natural, getting back to his jon boat and canoe fishing roots. Hobie fishing is a new adventure, putting 42 | October 2020
him closer to fish. Attending a few kayak tournaments, it was a no brainer to try. “It creates the you against the fish scenario. That feeling is more right in your face. Everything’s at eye level.” Ease of storage, launching and towing, and lower costs make kayak fishing the fastest growing segment, very good for fishing industry companies including Berkley, Abu, and Rapala. Leaving unproductive spots, his Bass Cat speeds to new water at 70 mph. Kayak events forced him to rethink moving. Practicing requires a different approach. He pondered picking one area and learning it, sampling 3, 4 or 5 areas. There was more time management involved. “I want to fish more. I want to get better at it.” While rules don’t prohibit bass boat practicing, Ike kept it pure, peddling 5 miles. No shortcuts. On tournament day he peddled to his spot, finding it muddy. Bass boat Ike would have powered away. Kayak Ike had to deal with conditions. Setting hooks and fighting fish presented another learning curve. Having a 21 foot bass boat, Ike used mobility. In his HOBIE PA 12 foot 360 pedal drive he adjusted. One interesting difference was fighting acrobatic smallmouth. In his bass boat, they tire under his boat, also minimizing athletic
jumps. In kayaks, pedals and rudders prevent that. Adjusting angling skills and using landing nets became necessary. Ike doesn’t give up on trusty tools. A Power Pole Micro anchors the Hobie. Lowrance Elite 9 electronics finds humps, channel drops, low spots, and bait fish. GPS sets waypoints. Lowrance C-Map provides navigation and fishing contours. He even has a HydroWave fish attracting sound generator. In bass boats, 6’6” rods work. “In a kayak I needed longer (7’4 to 7’8) parabolic rods to make up for not being as high, better accuracy and distance, loading for hooksets even when sitting.” His Hobie carries 6 rods. His Bass Cat carries at least 20. Braided line with leaders enables longer casts and better hooksets. 500 pounds of tackle are whittled into a Flambeau Kayak Tuff Krate. Horsepower against
manpower. “My lower body wasn’t prepared for it. Balance required is double than in a bass boat.” After his first tournament, Ike took inventory and found soreness in unusual places. He’s targeting those muscle groups with longer pedals, building endurance. “In general I practiced wrong. I tried 6 areas across 30 miles and a couple hours in each area.” Next outing, he’ll identify 2 or 3 spots with a nearby Plan B. Ike acknowledges he needs to stay in spots longer and adjust. “It’ll help me become a better, well-rounded angler… staying longer to relearn the fish.” He’ll consider areas, unreachable by bass boat, to find new fish. Ike says reception was really positive. “I did think about how people would accept me, but I think because I did everything right for the right reasons, I think people respected why I was there.”
He didn’t hire a guide and didn’t practice in his bass boat. Anglers thanked him for legitimizing their league. Ike told them, “I should be thanking you for letting me out there.” Adding kayak competitions to his agenda, Ike remains active with his Nat Geo Fish My City TV show, and a new show where he fishes with pro athletes and participates in their sport. Initially Ike climbed aboard a kayak for escape and change. “It has become a great new adventure, not a publicity stunt.” The competitor wants to win one of these, fair and square, doing everything right. He can’t wait until his next event. He promises a better finish. I believe him. Author Capt. Steve Chaconas is Potomac bass fishing guide. Potomac River reports: nationalbass.com. Book trips/ purchase gift certificates: info@ NationalBass.com.
Potomac River Bassing in October Water is cooling to around 70. Fish are feeding up. Depending on water clarity, topwater lures are a great way to search for moving bass. Add Mustad feathered trebles to poppers and use red Mustad round bend trebles on the belly. Use either 10 pound Gamma CoPoly or 15 pound Gamma Torque braid. Walking baits are good too. Squarebill crankbaits can also trigger strikes. Again, replacing hooks with Mustad Short Shank Triple Grip trebles. Use red trebles on the belly. Tie to 10 pound Gamma Edge fluorocarbon line. Pitching plastics to remaining grass clumps, wood and docks works too. Bulkier baits Texas rigged on 3/0 Mustad Mega Bite hooks on 12 pound Edge line is better with more sun but can be an all-day bite. Use ¼ ounce pegged bullet weights. Drop shot and split shot rigs with 3/16 ounce Water Gremlin BullShot weights can cover water and drops. Slow presentations with smaller baits will produce. Target flats with grass or close to drops. Use 15 pound Torque braid and 10 pound Edge leaders on spinning gear.
Old Town Crier
OPEN SPACE
LORI WELCH BROWN
STEPPING OUT OF THE
I
t’s officially against the law to write about anything other than COVID, fear, and angst. I jest, but I mean what else is there? The election? No thank you. Oregon fires? Scary. RBG’s death? Depressing. Is Beth Dutton coming back next season on Yellowstone? Mind boggling. On the bright side, Keeping UpWith the Kardashians is finally ending, a sure sign that God hasn’t forsaken us in 2020. My creativity is in the weeds, and my writing is all white woman whining. I haven’t been to the salon since March, I had to remove my own gel nails, and I no longer feel safe strolling through Nordstroms. Blah, blah, blah. What has the world come to? Just this past week I momentarily considered watching a Youtube video on how to make my own dirty martini. I’m being funny—or at least attempting to be. That’s how I respond to grief and anxiety, by making inappropriate jokes and laughing at the absolute wrong times. I’m the person who snickers nervously at funerals and cries at birthday parties. The crux of it is that we are all grieving our sense of normal and floundering to find some darn joy. We want 2019 back—no matter how crappy we thought it was, it was better than this bag of doggie doo. My normal wasn’t even the same as your normal, but I want to find it, wrap it up, and gift it back to you. Instead, it’s as if the universe is playing a really bad joke on us and thrust us into an episode of The Twilight Zone. There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known
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to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge.- Rod Serling I keep expecting Ashton Kutcher to jump out and tell us we’ve all been Punk’d. Not funny, universe. During the past few months, I’ve witnessed—from a safe distance—some of my strongest, funniest, best friends struggle with depression. People who had no history of depression are suffering. People with a history of depression and anxiety are really hurting. For me, it has come in waves. In March, I was freaked out, but like most of us, I was distracted by trying to find toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and Clorox. As of October, I’ve still only found two out of three. April showers brought tears for everything and everyone. By May, I had fallen into a rhythm. Writing became my secret hideaway, and my world expanded a tad. I enrolled in a few online classes, set goals for myself, and even managed to configure a new workout routine. I felt productive and purposeful, and the jiggle in my caboose started to tighten up. By June, I was over it. Dad took a fall, ended up in ICU. On the bright side, with appropriate HAZMAT clothing, I was able to see him. The high bolstered me through July when I began to embrace my inner Bohemian. My husband was somewhat frightened by how effortlessly I
shed my usual grooming practices for a more al a natural look. My make-up bag laid untouched as did my tweezers and razor. I bolstered his spirits by reminding him how much money we were saving on hairdressers and manicurists. By August, I was sullen and smelling something funky under my pits. It was all I could do to lift my tweezers to my chin, let alone a razor to my arms. I was exhausted and tired. Why was I sooo tired? My mind was spinning and I couldn’t stop the constant buzz of thinking. Thinking and worrying became my hobbies. I woke up thinking about all the things I had to do, the things I couldn’t do, and the places I couldn’t go. Worrying about dad, climate change, homeschooling, wine reserves, riots, the next season of Yellowstone, etc. became my pastime. How will John Dutton recover? By September I had a new strategy: Denial. I went out to a couple of ‘risky’ restaurants. I hugged a friend. I didn’t wash my mask every day. I became wild and reckless, rogue even. The dog days of summer were gone, and I swaggered into the wild west of COVID armed with nothing more than a cocky attitude and a dirty mask. It felt good to release
anxiety and fear for a fleeting moment. It felt good to feel ‘normal.’ Then one of my dear friends became depressed. Scary, dark depressed. I washed my mask and snapped back to reality. My friend is strong and funny. How could this be happening? This person is the person who cheers ME up. I’m riding into October with a new outlook, a fresh perspective, and possibly a new pair of boots. I’m taking a hybrid approach of self-care sprinkled with a lot of checkins. Typically, my self-care takes a bit of a nose dive this time of year. Swim suit season is behind me so I begin to add an extra layer of fat by way of a steady diet of pimento cheese and chili. Exercise becomes a sport in procrastination. Wineries call my name, and I embrace a bottomless glass. None of that leads to a healthy, mentally-sound me so I’m on high alert. I can’t lift my friends’ spirits if my own are in the cellar. My struggle to make the perfect dirty martini can’t be compared to your struggle so no use in trying. We are all
trying to find a way to carve out a new normal in this alternate universe or at least figure out what to do with our hair situations. Regardless of our outward appearance— mine closely resembling a cross between Loretta Lynn and Einstein at the moment—we are all contorting ourselves to find our safe space in this fifth dimension. Some of us are doing a better job than others. One of my brilliant friends started a weekly online happy hour where people log in and ‘buy’ drinks, the proceeds earmarked for different charitable organizations. Another friend is guiding weekly meditations. As always, I am in awe of those who find light in the darkness. People helping people—now that’s a great strategy for stepping out of the Twilight Zone. Lori Welch Brown is a selfproclaimed late bloomer, practicing yogi, writer and artist whose mantra is “Laughing More. Judging Less.” If you would like to read more of Lori’s work, follow her on Medium at Lori Welch Brown. October 2020 | 43
NATIONAL HARBOR
LANI GERING
Fun On the Flight Deck Left: Enjoy an evening around the firepit and beautiful sunset views at The National Harbor; Baby Oscar
I
have loved the Flight Deck – officially known as The Flight Deck at the Capital Wheel - since the first day it opened. It was a long time coming but worth the wait if you are into a primo place to sip a beverage, people watch and take in a beautiful sunset on the water. In this day of preferring to be out of doors, the Flight Deck is a good choice. Derek Lovato and his crew have done a
great job of making you feel welcome. I was pleasantly surprised to see that our friend Oscar, Jr. (Baby Oscar to me) was behind the bar. His father, Oscar, works at Bond 45 and has been a friend of ours for over 20 years. It is located at the base of the Capital Wheel and is surrounded by water pretty much on three sides. It is a great location to frequent both during the day and at night.
This time of year, the daytime will most likely provide a nice breeze and the evenings provide a nice view of the shoreline of the Virginia side of the Potomac River. As the weather cools off, this is the place to sit by a fire pit and contemplate the upcoming holiday season — which is going to be one for the record books without Christmas on the Potomac at the Gaylord and ICE not returning due to
the pandemic. I guess it isn’t going to do any good to brood about that so let’s concentrate on the fun stuff happening now at the Deck. October is actually “Beertober” at the Flight Deck. They are offering “Beertober” specials all month long. You can enjoy any on-tap beer, including the popular Flight Deck IPA, for just $5 from 4-7pm daily. There is also a package special
in conjunction with a spin on the wheel. Brew & View includes one ticket, a beer and a souvenir cup for $20! This is a $10 savings from the going rate. If you are really thirsty, they have $5 refills on select taps. If beer isn’t your thing, they offer Angry Orchard Hard Cider ($8), White Claw Hard Seltzer ($7), an assortment of wines ($10), Sangria ($9) and several bottled beverages ($3) and bottle water ($2). There isn’t any real food offered at the Deck but they have an assortment of snacks that varies from season to season. Happy Hour at Flight Deck happens on Fridays (4pm – 7pm), Saturdays and Sundays (12 noon – 4pm). The beers are $5 - $4 for my favorite Coors Light – and wines are reduced to $8. If you are into a little day drinking like myself and 99% of my friends, a Saturday or Sunday afternoon at the Deck should be in your future. Be sure to tell your bartender that Lani and the Old Town Crier sent you! The last thing I will mention is the people watching. You cannot believe what I have seen in the last couple of years while sitting at the bar with my Coors Light. I seriously believe that some people think that you cannot see into the gondolas as the wheel goes around. I will leave the scenarios up to your imagination!
Capital Wheel Update With pandemic restrictions still in effect, it was up in the air (pun intended) as to whether or not any Halloween promotions would be offered this year. However, with all social distancing and mask requirements in place, children 10 years old and under who are dressed in costume and accompanied by a paying adult will ride for FREE on the 31st from Noon to 4pm.
44 | October 2020
Old Town Crier
SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED A GOOD DRINK. NOW’S THE TIME! Whether you’re headed to the mountains or headed to the beach, we’ll be waiting for you with whisky flights and craft cocktails. Grab a few bottles of your favorite to enjoy at your final destination.
Experience the flavor journey that never ends.
9 River Lane Sperryville 540.987.8554
www.copperfoxdistillery.com
901 Capitol Landing Road Williamsburg 757.903.2076
We’re following all safety guidelines. Or let us ship to you directly anywhere in Virginia!
Ready for A Change of Scenery? Your New Craftmark Home is Here!
PRIVATE IN-HOME ELEVATORS | ‘20/’21 MOVE-IN | GOLF & PARK VIEWS New Urban Grand Elevator Towns from the Upper $600s If you like Single Family living without the price or the maintenance, then you need to Go Grand with Craftmark and our 24’x44’, 2,740 sq. ft. New Urban Grand Elevator Towns. From high ceilings and wide windows to a private in-home elevator that’s perfect for everyday conveniences, The Ashford offers the luxury to which you aspire. With new amenities, walkable retail, easy commuting and city access, plus homesites offering green and golf course views – this is an opportunity you won’t want to miss.
Call Lori about a New Alexandria Single Family Community!
Call for a Personal Appointment! Sales Manager | Lori Windsor (703) 507-6882 (Call or Text!) lwindsor@craftmarkhomes.com
LibertyByCraftmark.com
Take a Virtual Tour! PRIVATE ROOFTOP TERRACES | QUICK MOVE-INS | WALK & BIKE!
4-Level Rooftop Townhomes from the Low $800s Explore Craftmark’s luxurious new townhome, The Bradley, available in a remarkable Alexandria neighborhood. Central to our nation’s capital, major commuter routes & metro, and Amazon HQ2 in National Landing in Crystal City, the stage has been set for extraordinary living. Take a virtual tour of our new model home, and discover it all for yourself!
Call for a Personal Appointment! Sales Manager | Bethany Stewart (240) 678-9365 (Call or Text!) bstewart@mcwb.com
FillmorePlaceWestAlexandria.com Brokers Warmly Welcomed. Must register and comply with policy terms.
Take a Virtual Tour!
