Warrenton Lifestyle Magazine April 2023

“We used Patti both to sell our home and also purchase our new place. She is incredibly responsive, proactive and a great person to boot; we were very grateful to find someone like her who really cares and understands the ropes, which was important given how stressful real estate can be. Her energy and positivity are infectious, but she was also never anything but honest and straight with us during the entire process, which we really appreciated. We’re certainly calling her again next time.”

– S. Ritchie, Fauquier homeowner

Let me put my passion for real estate and my love of helping people to work for you!

COMING SOON! BEST

THE 18TH ANNUAL OF FAUQUIER

23

Local business... the heart and the lifeline our of community. From retail stores to restaurants, entertainment and service providers, these are the organizations and people who make this county a great place to live. Our annual “Best of” competition strives to highlight local businesses as voted on by you, our readers.

we

Home is the most comfortable place of all, and the place to provide hospice care. The house you’ve lived in for decades, or an independent, skilled nursing or assisted living facility. Any patient, family member or friend can contact us anytime, 24/7.

the most comfortable place of all, and the place to provide hospice care. The house you’ve lived decades, or an independent, skilled nursing or assisted living facility. Any patient, family member or can contact us anytime, 24/7.

most comfortable place of all, and the best place to provide or assisted living facility. Any patient, family member or e house you’ve lived in for decades, or an independent, can contact anytime, 24/7. Our staff lives and works here because caring for our community is our passion.

Home is the most comfortable place of all, and the place to provide hospice care. The house you’ve lived in for decades, or an independent, skilled nursing or assisted living facility. Any patient, family member or friend can contact us anytime, 24/7.

400 Holiday Court • Suite 101 Warrenton, VA 20186

Home is the most comfortable place of all, and the place to provide hospice care. The house you’ve lived in for decades, or an independent, skilled nursing or assisted living facility. Any patient, family member or friend can contact us anytime, 24/7.

540.349.3970 | heartlandhospice.com

493 Blackwell Road • Suite 319 Warrenton, VA 20186

540.349.3970 | heartlandhospice.com/Warrenton

540.349.3970 | heartlandhospice.com/Warrenton

540.349.3970 | www.heartlandhospice.com/warrenton

“I wish we had known about hospice sooner.”

“I wish we had known about hospice sooner.”

“I wish we had known about hospice sooner.”

“I hospice sooner.”

It’s March...so although Old Man Winter may yet have another sur prise for us, we are moving slowly but surely into springtime. Our town will be waking up and there will be more things to do.

Do you face each weekend with nothing fun to look forward to...just laundry and chores? We can help! FauquierNow and Warrenton Lifestyle produce Best Bets, a curated list of area events each week. We feature music, theatre, nonprofit fundraisers, outdoor activities, workshops, crafting opportunities, restaurant and winery news, and anything else that we can find that seems interesting.

To receive our Best Bets e-newsletter, sign up at fauquiernow.com/ newsletter. You will also have the option to receive other news, such as daily headlines and local offers.

Here’s the best part: if you’re having an event, we can help you get the word out at no charge. Add your event (and all the details) to our online calendar at fauquiernow.com/fauquier_calendar where it will get a lot of visibility, and possibly be selected for the Best Bets newsletter.

PUBLISHER

Dennis Brack dennis@warrentonlifestyle.com

EDITOR Pam Kamphuis pam@warrentonlifestyle.com

ART DIRECTOR

Kara Thorpe kara@warrentonlifestyle.com

ADVERTISING

Sales Director: Jim Kelly jim@warrentonlifestyle.com, 434-987-3542

Senior Account Executive: Cindy McBride cindy@warrentonlifestyle.com, 540-229-6038

CREATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR

Jay Ford creative@warrentonlifestyle.com

ACCOUNTING

Carina Richard-Wheat cwheat@insidenova.com

540-905-7791

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Email: subscribe@warrentonlifestyle.com

540-675-3338

EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING OFFICE

Warrenton Lifestyle Magazine

70 Main Street, Suite 32 Warrenton, VA 20186 • 540-349-2951

ON THE WEB FauquierNow.com/lifestyle

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@FauquierNow, @WarrentonLifestyleMagazine

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The Warrenton Lifestyle Magazine is published monthly and distributed to over 11,500 selected addresses. While reasonable care is taken with all material submitted to The Warrenton Lifestyle Magazine, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage to any such material. Opinions expressed in articles are strictly those of the authors. While ensuring that all published information is accurate, the publisher cannot be held responsible for any mistakes or omissions. Reproduction in whole or part of any of the text, illustration or photograph is strictly forbidden. ©2023 Rappahannock Media LLC.

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Grandmaster Ron Jenkins of Karate Sports Academy

Photo by Luke Christopher

Youth Event with Pam

n the spring of 2008 — 15 years ago, now — my daughter was 9 years old and I had a bachelor’s degree in pre-vet and a completely unrelated and remarkably unsuccessful freelance writing and graphic design business.

I saw a help wanted ad — there was a new magazine in Warrenton and they needed someone to sell advertising — and I thought, “I can do that.” Spoiler alert: I can’t.

So off I went to meet Walter Nicklin, founder of The Piedmont Virginian, in the little office on the second floor of the Fauquier Times building on Culpeper Street. It was a job interview, so I was wearing a business suit, hose, and heels. My future employer was not wearing a business suit. The most remarkable part of his outfit was khaki cargo shorts with duct tape covering a hole. Those who know Walter will appreciate this.

Walter is a Warrenton native who spent much of his childhood in Rappahannock

ICounty and a historian and writer with an unparalleled love for our area. He became one of the owners of the Rappahannock News, which became Rappahannock Media. But before that, Walter started an elegant magazine with a specific goal.

In his words, “The Piedmont Virginian is a richly produced journal of information and appreciation of nature, place, people, and ways of life in the northern Piedmont of Virginia. Affinities, not simply geography, create the Piedmont's unique regional identity. We are inspired, and aim to inspire others, by giving voice to this special—even magical—place, in the hopes that it remains so.”

I was, and still am, inspired by his mission, and I have learned so much in the last 15 years. About our area, and myself.

Today, I have a real career, my daughter is 24 years old and engaged, Walter has retired, Rappahannock Media, now owned by Dennis Brack and a group of other community-minded partners, has

The cover of the first issue of The Piedmont Virginian, Fall 2007

also undergone remarkable growth with the acquisition of multiple magazines, newspapers, and news websites across the northern Virginia area. With so many publications, the financial influence of the pandemic, and staff resources, choices had to be made. We are no longer publishing a print version of The Piedmont Virginian as a stand alone magazine.

But, we didn’t want to let it, and its mission, go entirely.

So, twice a year, we are including a mini version of The Piedmont Virginian as an insert in Warrenton Lifestyle.

While the aim of Warrenton Lifestyle is to celebrate the people and businesses of Fauquier County in general, The Piedmont Virginian has a bit more of a specific angle: cultural, historical, and environmental preservation of the area. We think the two will blend nicely, and readers of both will enjoy the combined content.

Champion Martial Arts Center”. The editor takes full responsibility and extends apologies.

PV3

The Arts

“Quintessentially Mozart”

Castleton Festival’s Spring Festival BY

JENNIFER WALDERA

PV4

People of the Piedmont Rolling Wth It

Walter Moyer: Rolls Royce Mechanic

BY KAITLIN HILL

PV12

Open Space

Riding to the Hounds and

Thornton Hill Hounds Junior Days

BY BETSEY BURKE PARKE

PV 18 Conservation

Making Trash Bloom

Reclaiming “dead” landfills

BY GLENDA C. BOOTH

Sharing the Joy of Music

Warrenton Chorale’s Spring Concert

BY REGINA HOLMES

Spring is a joyful time as the earth wakes up from the cold weather, and especially this year as we also emerge from the pandemic. What better way to celebrate than with music? That’s the way the members of the Warrenton Chorale feel, and they will be sharing their joy with the community in their favorite way: with song, at their spring concerts on Sunday, April 30.

Under the baton of Dr. John Maerhofer, the chorale will be singing familiar songs that you will recognize and enjoy. Among them will be the Irish favorite “Danny Boy”, “Shenandoah”, selections from George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess”, and the spiritual “A City Called Heaven”, to name a few.

The Warrenton Chorale is a non-auditioned community organization established in 1953. The love of singing and camaraderie is all that is necessary to become a member. Singers from all walks of life form a family that thoroughly fancies getting together to learn new music culminating in a concert for the pleasure of the community and surrounding areas. L

Tickets may be purchased in advance or at the door for $15/adult, $5/children.

BY KARA THORPE

our neighbors

Flipping for Restore

Friends Alicia Blake and Donna Comer of Amissville donate their time and furniture restoration skills to the Fauquier Habitat for Humanity Restore

They’re not new to the hobby; both Alicia and Donna have had a lifelong love for furniture thrifting and flipping. The self-taught pair bonded almost 10 years ago while shopping for pieces at estate sales and auctions. They’d then refurbish and repurpose them for family and friends. They admit their car pentry skills are minimal, but sometimes just a little sanding and painting can trans form furniture from junk to treasure.

Now they volunteer their time regularly to the Fauquier Habitat for Humanity Re store in Warrenton. The home improve ment and reuse store sells new and gently used furniture, appliances, and home goods to benefit the Fauquier Habitat for Humanity. The pair donates flipped furni ture to sell, flips Restore inventory to help it sell more quickly, and enjoys styling the store’s window and floor displays. About two years ago they even started sharing their talents by hosting a monthly Redo it at the Restore beginners chalk paint class. “The classes are entertainment with purpose,” they said, “funds from your night of fun go towards helping folks in our community.”

On the following pages you will see a small sampling of some of the furniture pieces Alicia and Donna have flipped for Restore. The ladies will also talk a little about the process for each in their own words. And if you’re feeling inspired, make sure to visit the Restore to see some of their work or sign up for their next chalk painting class. Happy flipping!

This little table was scored on an online auction. Its top had scratches and water marks and the finish was dull –but the beauty of the wood really shone through with a little sanding, some honey

“The base is painted with ‘pencil’ ReColor paint sanded to give it that distressed look.”

The top to this end table purchased at an estate sale had some wear and some pretty deep scratches, so we decided to embrace its chippy goodness and add some distressed ‘winter’ ReColor chalk paint to the tops and sides with some distressing to let the wood peek through. The lovely basket weave on the drawers just had to remain natural and was still in excellent shape.“

We named this one ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ This piece lingered on the floors of the ReStore until it was being offered at 60% off and still no takers. A big part of repurposing furniture is being able to ‘see it’ with a little ‘love’ (work) applied. Again with ‘winter’ ReColor chalk paint and some gentle distressing to give it the appearance of a worn piece and she’s lovely! It sold in 2 days!”

The Fauquier Restore 617 Frost Avenue, Warrenton Shop Tues.-Fri. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sat. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. fauquierhabitat.org/restore

Everyone who shops, donates, volunteers or takes a class at Restore is part of a worldwide movement dedicated to ensuring everyone has a decent place to live.

Alicia Blake (left) and Donna Comer (right)

Some ‘winter’ ReColor chalk paint applied to this little half table really highlights all of its ornate carving. Another online auction win.

Take The Class!...

REDO IT AT THE RESTORE WORKSHOP: A BEGINNER’S CHALK PAINT CLASS

$85 includes painting materials and an item of your choice from a designated selection at the Restore Classes are held the third Friday of most months from 5:30 - 8:30 p.m. Visit fauquierhabitat.org/restore to register.

All proceeds benefit Fauquier

This piece had clearly served its purpose during its heyday. Even though her bones were good, she sat for sale for quite some time. We dressed her up with a coat of ReColor ‘winter white,’ distressed her with some sanding and just the right amount of dark wax, and changed the hardware to update just a hair. As always, we finished the surface area off with a matte topcoat for good protection and out the door she went!”

BEFORE

One of our favorites! Like so many pieces that come to the ReStore, this one had clearly been used and abused. The dated dark finish, knicks, and scratches were keeping some from seeing what life still remained. Notice this piece has very little distressing, mostly found in places where distressing would occur naturally over time and use. To distress or not to distress is a question often asked and lightly debated in most chalk paint classes. We are both fans of the distressed, chippy, worn look, but know all too well that is a personal preference only.“ L

The Bariatric & Metabolic Weight Loss

Center

A Subsidiary of Piedmont Family Practice

Services Offered

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Non-surgical weight loss treatment

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Pre & Post Bariatric Surgery Treatment

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Nutritional Guidance

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Physical Therapy & Exercise Planning

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Mental Health Service

Mental Health Service

Body Composition Analysis

Body Composition Analysis

Jorge Minera MD ABFM, ABOM

Jorge Minera MD ABFM, ABOM

Valerie Oare

Valerie Oare

MSN, RN, FNP-BC

MSN, RN, FNP-BC

493 Blackwell Road Suite 118 Warrenton, VA 20186

Call us today at (540)341-1728 to schedule an appointment

"The only time you should ever LOOK BACK is to see how far YOU'VE COME"

"The only time you should ever LOOK BACK is to see how far YOU'VE COME"

www.piedmontdocs.com/bariatricweight-loss-center/

A Cup of Tea Makes Everything Better

Enjoy a “cuppa” at Nora’s Terrace Tearoom

STORY AND PHOTOS

BY WHITNEY PANDIL-EATON

Her table and chair sit empty but there are remembrances everywhere.

Family photographs on the wall. Her favorite tea set sits below signage of their small Irish village and a photo of their ancestral home.

Her jewelry — housed in a seashell-encrusted box — sits on handcrafted Irish tablecloths at her table that is prominently displayed in the room. Resting next to the jewelry are seashells, an homage to her island-born late husband.

Last year, Jerry O’Brien, owner of O’Brien’s Irish Pub in Warrenton, transformed the sunroom of the restaurant into a tearoom named Nora’s Terrace in honor of his late mother who suffered physical and speech complications throughout her life due to polio. She raised five children alone after her husband died from lung cancer at a young age. Nora died four years ago from ovarian cancer.

“This is a tribute to her. She was a very brave and wonderful woman who raised us all,” said O’Brien. “I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am today without her.”

“She would drink ten cups [of tea] a day,” he said. “Whenever people would come over, she would put on the kettle — it’s tradition.”

At Nora’s Terrace, traditional Afternoon Teas are served, featuring more than 24 tea varieties and a menu including traditional Irish scones (made in-house by Jerry himself), small sandwiches, and petit desserts.

Green Alchemy Herb and Mercantile Company, based out of Lovettsville, provides the more than two dozen tea blends available to try. Tea packages can also be purchased on site.

O’Brien teamed up with Green Alchemy to create two specialized tea blends to honor his late parents.

The first, Nora’s Blend, is a blend of black teas, chicory, turmeric, and a hint of citrus and honey because, O’Brien

Top: Nora’s Terrace, in the sunny front room of O’Brien’s, was decorated by assistant manager Angie Ellis. Above: Nora O’Brien, center, surrounded by her children. L-R: Jerry, Jimmy, Mary, Johnny, and Paddy. Right: The O’Brien family. Back row L-R: Paddy, Mary, and Nora holding baby Jimmy. Front row L-R: Johnny, Jerry, and Paddy.

Whenever people would come over, she would put on the kettle — it’s tradition.”

said, his mother had a sweet tooth.

The other blend, named “Sherky Isle,” is a blend of green teas with a hint of honey, lavender, citrus, and aromatic roses. The name honors O’Brien’s father, Paddy, who was born on the now-uninhabited small Irish island of Sherky Isle, located just off the coast of Kenmare Bay in southern Ireland. Paddy O’Brien died when Jerry was 8 years old.

While Nora’s Terrace has always been part of the greater business plan, O’Brien said, the tearoom operated on a soft opening plan with most reservations coming from word of mouth or social media posts during its first few months.

Reactions have been universally positive.

“Everything, from the atmosphere to the tea and snacks was exceptional and the service was stellar,” posted Paula Marie of her visit.

“A lovely luncheon — tea style — with the ladies,” added PJ Leary. “Jerry’s scones are wonderful!”

For O’Brien, he said Nora’s Terrace is about sharing his family’s history and honoring his mother’s legacy. “She’d love to be sitting here greeting everyone, drinking tea and talking,” he said. “I feel they’re [his parents] sitting there watching us.” L

Nora’s Terrace Tearoom at O’Brien’s Irish Pub 380 Broadview Ave., Warrenton $25 - $42

Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. 24 hour advance reservations required: www.exploretock.com/obriensirishpub or 540-359-6937

Top: Located at the entrance of the tearoom is Nora’s Table which showcases special items from her life.

Bottom: A sample of the set menu includes small sandwiches, petit desserts, and Jerry O’Brien’s traditional Irish scones.

•8 weeekss: Junne 5 — Jully 28

•K K-4 Camps: Brummfielldd, Grreenville, M.M. P Pierce

Summer Camp enrollment is open to rising Kindergarteners (must be age 5 by September 30, 2023) and children that have graduated Kindergarten through 4 th grade this current school year, 2022 -2023.

•T Teen n Camp: : Brumfield/Our Saaviour r Lutheeran Chuurrch h

Teen Camp enrollment is open to children that have graduated 5 th grade and up (for the current 2022-2023 school year) through age 14; child cannot turn 15 before 7/28/2023.

BELLE MEADE

SUMMER CAMPS

Swim Camp

Ages 4-7

Swim lessons, Arts + Crafts, Story Time

Camp Sessions:

June 12-16

July 10-14

Day Camp- Ages 6-13

Hiking, Swimming, Archery, and Canoeing

Camp Sessions:

June 12-23, June 26-July 7

July 10-21, July 24-8/4

July

BELLE MEADE MOUNTAIN SCHOOL

One entrepreneur. Three franchises.

How Wayne Powers turned his business into a family affair

BY JENNIFER WALDERA PHOTOS BY LUKE CHRISTOPHER

Longtime Warrenton resident Wayne Powers often envisioned becoming an entrepreneur, but it wasn’t until he was blind-sided by the events of 9/11 that he decided to make moves to turn that dream into a reality.

After Powers graduated from Penn State, he followed his father’s footsteps and directly joined the military, eventually becoming an EA-6B Navy Pilot flying off the Enterprise (CVN-65). After his service, he was hired by American Airlines in 1990. However, the events of the national tragedy upended

his career at the time. He and his wife, Liz, became concerned about supporting their family in a tumultuous time.

With six siblings living throughout Virginia, and his parents settled in Alexandria, Powers

and his wife started to make the moves to relocate themselves and their children from their home in Illinois to Virginia and build a new life that may be devoid of the uncertainties of work within the airline industry.

In late 2003, Powers moved on his own and acquired a Budget Blinds franchise. For the first six months he worked out of his brother’s garage until Liz and their three children could join him in Virginia in 2004 in a house they had built in Warrenton.

Since then, Powers has broadened the franchise from just the Warrenton location to Ashburn, South Riding, and eventually Charlottesville as well as expanding into closet and garage design with his other companies The Tailored Closet and Premier Garage. While he may have started on his own, his entrepreneurship has grown into a family business.

Powers initially took on all the tasks of the business, from consulting to installation and bookkeeping, but eventually Liz was able to step in and take on the tasks required to manage the office. Then, as his children grew older, they also stepped in to work in various roles.

The couple’s son Danny worked for the company for a period of time as did their daughter Jackie who is now enrolled in dental school in Florida but intends to return to Warrenton. Their oldest son, Bobby, began

Left and below: Wayne Powers at his Warrenton home, and during his Navy pilot days.

Above: The Powers family: Jessica with Lily, Bobby holding Michael, Liz holding Evelyn, and Wayne.

working for the company at a young age, left briefly to attend Virginia Tech, and now has returned in a sales capacity while also learning the ropes to take over when his dad is ready to let go of his ‘baby”. Wayne and Liz have gratefully embraced the business as one that includes all members of the family.

“Multiple brothers, sisters, and even sister-in-law's mothers assisted with consultations and installations in the early years. To this day his father, a retired navy pilot as well, still does the books for the businesses,” said Bobby.

While Budget Blinds is very much a family-run business, they rely on other employees as well, from Cassidy, the indispensable office manager who also has a bachelor’s degree in design, to the talented full time carpenter Tom. Every one of the eleven employees of Powers’ three franchises is either family or considered to be family.

It seems to be a business model that is working. They place a high level of focus on

Budget Blinds of Charlottesville, Warrenton, Ashburn, and South Riding

Window treatments such as blinds and drapes as well as smart home options Budgetblinds.com/ashburn 540-212-9735

their customers, making safety for children and pets and quality a high priority.

The online reviews say it all about the Powers’ ability to provide incredible service, from one client who said, “Five stars just aren’t enough!” to another who said, “Outstanding service and absolutely a great customer experience overall!” Their franchises have been the top in sales every year since they’ve been open in Warrenton.

In addition to their focus on family, the Powers also appreciate their community and give back in all the ways that they can. They’ve been consistent booster sponsors for Kettle Run High School (where two of their children attended), and Wayne has enthusiastically coached local sports. “We’re very family oriented. Whatever the kids are involved

The Tailored Closet

Custom closet organization solutions for the entire home to maximize valuable space Tailoredcloset.com/near-me/ warrenton-charlottesville-va 540-212-9735

in, we’re involved in,” Powers said.

The Powers are also involved in veteran support, contributing to the nonprofit Hero’s Bridge which assists elderly veterans with repairs and improvements on their homes, and have used their resources to help Home for Our Troops by contributing to the installation of motorized blinds and similar systems that help disabled veterans. They’re also active in providing food donations with deliveries of meals to the elderly.

As the couple celebrates close to 20 years of business in Warrenton, and now neighboring communities, they are celebrating what they have been able to give to the community and what they have gotten back as well.

“It’s so good to like what you do,” Powers said. L

Premier Garage

Innovative garage customization to improve storage, organization, and use of space challenges premiergarage.com/near-me/ warrenton-charlottesville-va 540-212-9735

“It’s so good to like what you do”

Left and right: Wayne and his son Bobby have worked together at the Budget Blinds franchise over the years. Center: Wayne holding granddaughter Lily.

Snakes in the Grass

(and Other Places)

Interesting facts and advice about these slithering reptiles

BY SUE BALDANI PHOTOS COURTESY OF BILL CRISP

Spring is coming, and that means that all sorts of animals are coming out to see the sun. Including snakes. That’s not always a bad thing, though. Snakes are handy to have around because they keep the rodent population under control. And that’s good for our homes, gardens, and farms.

Snakes are not always well-liked; some people are afraid of them, some just think they’re yucky, and some really believe that “the only good snake is a dead snake.” For the most part though, they can be left alone.

But sometimes – if they’re in your house, for example – they may need to be removed. Here’s where Bill Crisp, a herpetologist, wildlife educator, and licensed wildlife control operator and caregiver from Bristow comes in.

Working in the Prince William and Fauquier area, Crisp has removed over 200 snakes from residents’ homes, from basements, showers, closets, laundry baskets, and even the engine of a car.

Crisp has had a passion for snakes all his life and hopes to spark that same interest in others. Or, at the very least, teach them what to do and not to do around snakes. Here, he shares some information you won’t want to hiss (ahem, miss).

Bill Crisp

K2C

Wildlife Encounters

571-921-5771

k2cwildlife.com

Eastern Copperhead

Adult Length: 2-3 ft. Fact: Baby copperheads have yellow-tipped tails for the first four or five months of their lives.

danger!

There are only two venomous snakes in and around Fauquier and Prince William Counties

Timber Rattlesnake

Adult Length: 2.5-5 ft. Fact: Can rattle its tail three times as fast as a hummingbird can flap its wings.

WHAT TO DO...

If you come across one of these two snakes, STAY AWAY. If it has to be relocated because it’s in or near your home or business, call an expert.

did you know?

the eastern copperhead is able to detect the difference between a sick rodent vs. a healthy one and will choose to go after the sick one.

don’t fret!

... WE PROMISE!

Eastern Rat Snake

Adult Length:

Fact: The most common in the area and the longest snake in Virginia. Love to eat birds and bird eggs.

Eastern Garter

Adult Length: 3-4 ft.

Fact: Commonly found around houses. Have live babies and rear bone-like teeth.

best snakepet

Northern Ring-Necked Snake

Adult Length: 10-16 in.

Fact: The ring around the neck can be white, yellow, and even orange depending on the region.

Corn snake

Adult Length: 2-6 ft. Fact: Very low maintenance and hardy

SNAKES MAKE GREAT PETS ! They require very little maintenance and adults only eat every 10 to 14 days. To feed, you can buy frozen rodents and thaw them out. Snakes can live 20 plus years, so it’s a big commitment. Just be sure to buy them from a reputable breeder.

These local snakes that you are likely to encounter are completely harmless. In fact, they play a very important role in the ecosystem, so please, let them be!

Northern Black Racer

Adult Length: 2-5 ft.

Fact: A cousin of the Eastern Rat Snake, it’s the fastest snake in Virginia. Can be very moody and doesn’t like to be engaged.

Dekays Brown

Adult Length: 15 in.

Fact: Live underneath rocks, gutter splashes, and anywhere it feels secure.

Allen Real Estate

Allen Real Estate

Properties SOLD in OLD TOWN WARRENTON alone in 2022 including off-market

540-229-1770

“Quintessentially Mozart”

Castleton Festival performance venue to host Mozart-inspired spring festival celebrating the composer’s passion for both music and cuisine.

BY JENNIFER WALDERA

Te historic property of Castleton is nestled in the rolling hills of Rappahannock County. Purchased in 1988 by Dietlinde Maazel and her late husband, conductor and composer Maestro Lorin Maazel, Castleton was transformed by the Maazels into a performance venue and educational facility for musicians. While Castleton offers various performances throughout the year, this year’s “Quintessentially Mozart” Spring Festival offers a unique marriage of both food and music for a weekend-long event.

On April 22 and 23, ticket holders can enjoy rare performances of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s six string quintets, an intricately planned dinner celebrating Mozart’s travels and appreciation for food, a curated brunch that pays homage to Mozart’s favorite breakfast beverage, and a one-on-one conversation between Castleton’s Chamber Player cellist and podcaster Daniel Lelchuk and New York Times’ food columnist and cookbook author Melissa Clark, followed by a book signing. Visitors can enjoy all the events with the backdrop of spring blooming in this rural area in Virginia.

Castleton’s focus on featuring the iconic composer for this performance was inspired by the unifying and uplifting nature of Mozart’s music.

“It has an amazingly unifying message that resonates deep-

ly with kids and adults alike. Whether or not you know his music, whether you’re an experienced concertgoer or have never heard live classical music in your life, Mozart is a composer who will draw you in and make you fall in love with the music at first hearing,” said Lelchuk.

Lelchuk, in addition to his work as a cellist, hosts the cultural interview podcast “Talking Beats” and has a self-proclaimed fascination with the intertwining worlds of food and music. In one episode, he hosted Melissa Clark who is a Mozart aficionado as well as a fan of classical music overall.

“As it turns out, Melissa was a fan of the late Maestro Lorin Maazel. So when the idea of a spring festival came up, adding a live conversation element seemed natural. Melissa is so beloved by millions worldwide for her weekly columns, recipes in The New York Times, and forty-plus cookbooks. We are thrilled she’s joining us,” said Lulchek.

The daytime performance on Saturday will be followed by a ticketed dinner featuring what Dietlinde Maazel describes as a “rich menu of European delicacies – from soups to main courses to desserts” that is reflective of Mozart’s passion for food and the cuisines of various countries in which he performed. The meal will be prepared by two chefs as well as Maazel herself, who grew up

in Germany where she enjoyed her mother’s cooking. She also has lived and worked in, and experienced the cuisine of, several of the countries in which Mozart performed including Austria, France, and Italy.

“Mozart spent many years traveling and performing abroad. As a child prodigy and later as a young man, pushed by his father’s ambitions, Mozart played in Belgium, Germany, England, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, former Czechoslovakia, and in his beloved Italy. Thus, he had a very well-educated palate. Frail in stature with delicate health, Mozart was nonetheless a true gourmet, though often too broke to afford good meals,” said Maazel.

Brunch, which precedes the daytime performance on Sunday, will feature staple drinks like coffee and mimosas but the main highlight will be on chocolatebased beverages.

“Chocolate was introduced to Austria from Spain during the early 17th century. Mozart loved breakfasting with hot chocolate

beverages. We will complement this with freshly brewed strong coffee and a mimosa-Champagne, charcuterie and pretzels, parmesan-schöberl, and more,” said Maazel.

TO ATTEND

Tickets for the one-onone conversation with Lelchuck and Clark, each of the meals, and the performances range from $50 - $150 and can be purchased online.

Proceeds will benefit the production of a studio recording of all six String Quintets and also, in part, help to continue to build Castleton’s community activities, including the interactive SOUND GARDEN which will open on May 6, 2023 as a free community event.

Daniel Lelchuk

Melissa Clark

RollingWith It

Walter Moyer: Master Rolls Royce Mechanic

BY KAITLIN HILL

mon Exxon doing what he calls “choice work.” He explained, “I worked on some Porsches, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Rolls, Bentleys, and all that. I did a bunch of exotic car work.”

In 1982, Moyer thought he might switch to automotive electrical work as computer systems in cars were gaining traction in the industry. He said, “I took some classes and decided that was what I wanted to do. I was always good with electrical problems and automotive stuff.” His desire to work on the electrical side of the automotive industry brought him back to Virginia, to work in a new dealership opening in Fairfax. Though the job he was aiming for had already been filled, he said, “They were desperate for somebody who would do Rolls and Bentley work.”

said ‘no.’ But, I wanted to make people happy and part of it was me watching other guys do it and screw it all up.”

Of Moyer’s skill set, friend and longtime customer John Piper said, “Walt is an incredibly unique mechanic. He’s so precise in what he does. Every screw has got to be the right screw for the right job. He is arguably the best Rolls Royce mechanic on the East Coast.”

Moyer’s unique automotive capabilities have resulted in, to his playful displeasure, widespread notoriety, and has afforded him the opportunity to work on some legendary wheels yielding a lifetime of incredible stories and an unmatched collection. He said, “If you look at the history of a lot of these cars, they belong to famous people. That’s who bought them.”

You never know what you will find in Front Royal. Just off Route 66, the small town is certainly a treasure trove of hidden gems in the form of coffee shops, restaurants, retailers, and nearby hiking spots. Though, given the area’s rural nature and decidedly slow pace of life, you might not expect to find the nation’s premiere Rolls-Royce mechanic, Walt Moyer. And that is just how Moyer likes it.

“I don’t want any more people to find me,” shared Moyer with a laugh. “I’m trying to fix the stuff of the people I care about, who have helped me over the years… and I have a bunch of my own cars I would like to fix before I get off the planet.”

It’s hard to blame Moyer for his desire to slow down. His career fixing cars started early, essentially in childhood. “I got involved in it when I was a little kid,” explained Moyer. He continued, “My uncle and my father dealt with Lincolns, and my uncle also dealt in Rolls Royces, Bentleys, and Jaguars. So, I did some work on his cars.”

A Virginia native, Moyer would move to Arizona to work in a gold mine in 1981, then on to California where he worked at the San Ra-

“So, I told them I had some experience working with Rolls and Bentleys. They had another guy there that was trying to work on them, and he wasn’t qualified to work on a lawn mower as far as I was concerned.” Moyer continued, “He had a car all screwed up…The service manager asked me to look at it and in 20 minutes I had the car straightened out and running.” He finished, “I got the job.”

For Moyer, a cornerstone of his work was interacting directly with the customers. When that policy changed at the dealership, he decided to strike out on his own. He said, “I would talk directly to the customers about their cars, and [the dealership] took that away. That just didn’t work for me at all. It didn’t work for the customers either.”

He founded his Rolls repair shop, in Front Royal in 1987 out of necessity. He said, “I went back and was working on commercial buildings with my father. But, after I would get home, people were bringing their cars and parking them in my yard with notes on the windshield.” He continued, “I started to do a little work on them here and there. I had to build a garage to have the space to do the work… It just got bigger and bigger until I just had to go back to doing Rolls work.”

Moyer admitted, “I guess I could have

Automobiles with connections to Lucille Ball, Sammy Davis, Junior, Tom Clancy, (his golf cart) Billy Joel, Winston Churchill, and even a descendant of Sally Hemmings have passed through his open garage doors or remain on his lot. However, when asked, it isn’t the celebrity that fascinates Moyer, but the challenge of the service or the uniqueness of the ride that keeps his attention and stirs his passions.

A favorite story of Moyer’s is when he assembled a Rolls-Royce Corniche and drove it cross country. He had been in California to buy another Corniche, a 1985 with a black finish, when he got word of a pile of parts just down the road. He said, “It was only like 15 miles away, so I drove over there and… told the guy I wasn’t interested in buying until I saw all the parts. It was completely in pieces, the windshield was smashed in level with the doors, there was no paint on it, the door was off the trunk, the hood was off, no grill, no bumpers, no lights, none of that sort of stuff.” He continued, “Before it was damaged, it was a $268,000 car, but I went around and around with [the guy] and ended up buying it for $25,000.”

With car shell and parts in hand, Moyer went to a hardware store down the street and bought “a Makita screw gun, a little drill, some cheap wrenches, a hammer, and a bunch of other crap.” He started to put the car back together when the shop owner angrily insisted he move the project elsewhere. “On the other side of the fence from him was a CVS. I carried all the parts around

LEFT AND COVER PHOTO BY CAMDEN LITTLETON

BY CAMDEN

to the CVS parking lot and lined them up along the fence.”

to the CVS parking lot and lined them up along the fence.”

Diligently, over 16 hours, Moyer bolted the car back together. He said, “What convinced me to do it is when I put a battery in, it started up. The dashboard was laying on the floor and the steering column was on the floor, but it started right up, and the AC came on blowing cold,” he laughed. He added, “The guy that I bought it from showed up and was there when I drove away in it. He was livid. He was red in the face, cussing, he was just mad.”

Diligently, over 16 hours, Moyer bolted the car back together. He said, “What convinced me to do it is when I put a battery in, it started up. The dashboard was laying on the floor and the steering column was on the floor, but it started right up, and the AC came on blowing cold,” he laughed. He added, “The guy that I bought it from showed up and was there when I drove away in it. He was livid. He was red in the face, cussing, he was just mad.”

Moyer shared that the one hiccup on the way back to Virginia was a bum wheel that he initially couldn’t find a replacement for. “[The wheel] was severely bent. So, I stuck my head up under [the car], I’m working in a parking lot in the bright sun, and there’s no spare.” He continued, “I borrowed a big tire hammer and beat the hell out of the wheel until I got it semi-straight. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible.”

Moyer shared that the one hiccup on the way back to Virginia was a bum wheel that he initially couldn’t find a replacement for. “[The wheel] was severely bent. So, I stuck my head up under [the car], I’m working in a parking lot in the bright sun, and there’s no spare.” He continued, “I borrowed a big tire hammer and beat the hell out of the wheel until I got it semi-straight. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible.”

Moyer proceeded to replace the tire three or four times due to damage from the wonky wheel on his journey from California to Front Royal. Finally, he said, “I got it to my shop, put it up on a rack, and right in the front of the spare tire carrier was a brand-new wheel with a label on it. Since it was black, it blended in with everything under the car because it was so bright outside.” He finished with a chuckle, “So I drove the car 4,000 miles with a bent wheel when I had a brand new one with me the entire time.”

Moyer proceeded to replace the tire three or four times due to damage from the wonky wheel on his journey from California to Front Royal. Finally, he said, “I got it to my shop, put it up on a rack, and right in the front of the spare tire carrier was a brand-new wheel with a label on it. Since it was black, it blended in with everything under the car because it was so bright outside.” He finished with a chuckle, “So I drove the car 4,000 miles with a bent wheel when I had a brand new one with me the entire time.”

Mishap aside, Moyer’s California adventure is indicative of the qualities that make him a fantastic mechanic – patience, ambition, and unparalleled know-how. But perhaps what really sets Moyer above the rest is his generosity. Despite his assertion that he doesn’t want to be found and that he officially closed shop in 2020, Moyer is still a friendly neighbor with a helping hand to offer. As Piper said, “He’s just too nice. If someone can’t pay, he’s like ‘Well, let’s see if we can work something out.’ It’s so nice knowing Walt is out there because you can call him and say, ‘Hey Walt, I got a problem,’ and he’ll be over in a little bit.” He finishes, “He does this for everybody in town. He’s a great member of the community. He’s a great mechanic and just a great human.”

Mishap aside, Moyer’s California adventure is indicative of the qualities that make him a fantastic mechanic – patience, ambition, and unparalleled know-how. But perhaps what really sets Moyer above the rest is his generosity. Despite his assertion that he doesn’t want to be found and that he officially closed shop in 2020, Moyer is still a friendly neighbor with a helping hand to offer. As Piper said, “He’s just too nice. If someone can’t pay, he’s like ‘Well, let’s see if we can work something out.’ It’s so nice knowing Walt is out there because you can call him and say, ‘Hey Walt, I got a problem,’ and he’ll be over in a little bit.” He finishes, “He does this for everybody in town. He’s a great member of the community. He’s a great mechanic and just a great human.”

CAMDEN LITTLETON (BOTTOM); COURTESY OF WALT MOYER (3, TOP)

Walt’s Rolls-Royce Corniche, before restoration (it literally DID come in pieces) and after.

LITTLETON (BOTTOM); COURTESY OF WALT MOYER (3, TOP)

Moyers shop in Front Royal

Walt’s Rolls-Royce Corniche, before restoration (it literally DID come in pieces) and after.

PEOPLE OF THE PIEDMONT

I went to Gordonsville to deliver a Bentley to a client. I saw a car trailer with a car on it just sitting there in the next field. I needed

1953 HOOPER-BODIED R-TYPE BENTLEY

A client of mine had this car in storage for years in Florida. In around 2000, he asked me to go down and pick it up; he wanted to restore it with his son as a project. But after a family tragedy he never came to get it. I eventually bought it from him.

I needed a part for it, and I called over to the Rolls Royce Enthusiast Club (which also includes Bentley enthusiasts) in the UK. They ran the VIN number, and they said it had a connection to Winston Churchill. Then, another one of my customers came into my shop and recognized the car. He’d grown up in England, and his dad and Churchill had been school buddies. He said, “I remember driving that car around with my dad and Churchill in the back smoking cigars.”

1951 GOLDEN DAIMLER, THE GOLD CAR

a trailer, and the client put me in touch with the owner who was in Massachusetts. He told me, “If you take the trailer you have to take the car.” I bought both for a very reasonable price, and put a lot of work into the car.”

It turned out to be the famous Gold Car. I guess he had gotten bored with it. He had a lot of other cars.

The Gold Car was built by Lady Docker, English socialite who owned Hooper Coach Works. She wanted a higher profile in the luxury car world and had the car built as a show car. The chassis was built by Daimler, and Hooper built the body. All

the trim was gold-everything that would otherwise be chrome was gold. It had all sorts of specializations like a bar and a makeup tray. Over the course of the 1950s, she built four more, but this was the first and the largest.

This car was in the movie “Gentlemen Marry Brunettes” with Jane Russell, which was the second part of the Marilyn Monroe film “Gentlemen Prefer Blonds.”

You can see it on YouTube, 1 hour, 10 minutes, and 22 seconds into the movie.

I sold the car to a client, but now he wants me to sell it for him, so it’s back in my shop again.

1953 CADILLAC 62 SERIES CONVERTIBLE

It’s rumoured to be the car that Sammy Davis Jr. lost an eye in in a 1954 accident. I bought it at an auction in Las Vegas, and the seller was a TV production guy, so it could be possible.

DARBY BENTLEY

This car belongs to my friend Sheldon Hofferman but it’s been in my shop for 20 years. He was recently invited to show the car at the famous Amelia Island car show. It was a huge honor. So we drove it down there. The car was a prototype, it’s a “one of”, there’s not another car like it in the world.

1936 JAMES YOUNG PARALLEL DOOR 4 POSITION DROP HEAD

COURTESY OF WALT MOYER (5); BY JOHN PIPER (BOTTOM LEFT)

1927 SPRINGFIELD ROLLS ROYCE

That was my dad’s. He sure loved that car. That was his favorite of all the Rolls Royces I ever had.

1920S ERA ROLLS ROYCE SILVER GHOST

The owner was driving the car down by Fort Valley and was hit by a horse trailer. We came and got it. It was all messed up, and we got it tuned up till it would drive. I took it down to a mechanic in Ohio and he took the repairs from there. It was a very high dollar car, and the repairs would have been a massive insurance deal. It was the beginning of the pandemic, and it wasn’t anything I wanted to get involved in.

I bought it at an auction after his death.

1964

This car was owned first by Debbie Reynolds who bought it new, and then by Lucille Ball who owned it for 27 years.

F86H JET

My dad had been in the Air Force, and heard that the government was retiring a lot of planes from his era. He wrote a “to whom it may concern” letter and sent it to the Pentagon explaining that he wanted to preserve a couple. They called him and told him where to come get them. He eventually got two.

This photo was taken around 1968 at the Front Royal airport, where he was pulling it around with his cadillac just for the heck of it with me and my brother Don and a couple neighborhood kids riding it. That plane is now on display at the Front Royal Airport. My dad loved aircrafts. Once, he borrowed my truck and went out to get lumber, and came back with a helicopter in it.

HJ MULLINER ROLLS ROYCE

TOM CLANCY’S GOLFCART

BY CAMDEN LITTLETON (TOP LEFT, BOTTOM); COURTESY OF WALT MOYER (3)

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Riding to the Hounds and Saving the Land

Thornton Hill Hounds is impressing the importance of habitat conservation and open space on local junior members.

BY BETSY BURKE PARKER AND PAM KAMPHUIS

The Piedmont is arguably the most beautiful landscape in the world. And there’s no better way to appreciate it than from the back of a horse, says Nina McKee, joint master of Rappahannock-based Thornton Hill Hounds hunt club.

Her daughter agrees. “It’s hard to put into words how magical it is,” said 15-year-old high school sophomore Lily McKee. “There you are, looking through your horse’s ears as the fox swiftly runs into the brush. With the sound of the hounds and the gorgeous setting of the mountains in the back, it’s easy to understand why the adults want to work so hard to conserve this precious land.”

Lily is a successful product of Thornton Hill Hounds’ junior program. She has clearly absorbed what her mother has been impressing upon her since she was a child: the need to care for the land, not only to keep the landscape beautiful for people but to preserve the habitat of the wildlife that call it home.

Preserving natural habitat defines conservation. McKee explained, “Land conservation is much more than preserving an unblemished viewshed. Keeping open land open keeps water sources clean for ev-

erybody, provides food for animals, preserves agricultural land for human food, and retains space for recreation.

The sport of foxhunting, brought from England in colonial days, found an ideal home in the rolling hills of the Virginia Piedmont. Organized hunting clubs came into play in 1840 with the founding of the Upperville-based Piedmont Foxhounds, followed by others in the area. But the Piedmont region had been host to foxhunters on a more informal basis for hundreds of years before that. George Washington was a frequent visitor to the area, riding with his hounds kenneled at Mount Vernon and following other packs when he had time.

Now, as real estate developers view the vast rural acreage of the Piedmont with dollar signs in their eyes, a huge land preservation movement has risen.

While those involved in preserving open space are not limited to riders, foxhunters, who arguably appreciate it most, are among the most active.

But soon it will be time to pass the baton. Thornton Hill Hounds leadership considers teaching youth about the importance of protect-

CAMDEN LITTLETON

RIDING TO THE HOUNDS

“Foxhunting is not a blood sport,” said McKee. It can perhaps more aptly be referred to by its old-fashioned name, riding to the hounds. Steeped in tradition, riders in formal attire on their impeccably groomed mounts head out to the countryside with hounds trained to follow the scent of a fox. The hounds are trained to avoid catching or hurting the fox, simply to follow it. When the fox “goes to ground,” or returns to its den, the hounds are called off. The foxhunting season ends before the vixens give birth in the spring, and only very rarely is the fox put to death. “It has to be a dire situation for that to happen,” said McKee, only occurring if the fox is injured or ill. The lure of the sport is the day in the outdoors with the thrill of galloping through the countryside and jumping over fences, interspersed with quieter times that are more like a trail ride.

Junior Day hosted by Joint Master of Thornton Hill Hounds

Nina McKee at her Oronoma Farm August 2022

ing open land is the best way to preserve the beauty of Virginia’s Piedmont for future generations.

“The best way to do it is to start early and engage them directly, to show them the rural land they’re trying to protect,” said McKee. “We love reaching out to kids, to make them into little environmentalists and to help them appreciate the natural resources we have here.”

McKee continued, “When you ride to the top of Turkey Mountain and look literally every direction and see nothing but fields and forest, there’s the teaching moment. Kids may not realize that the coun-

— President Theodore Roosevelt, ssportsman, hunter, rider, and founder of the National Wildlife Refuge System

tryside won’t stay that way without looking after the environment.”

During the year McKee hosts several junior-centric events at her Woodville farm, Oronoma, for junior foxhunters in the region. Riders as young as 3 years old join mounted staff and others trailing the foxhounds in what ends up being as much of a roving three-hour conversation as a foxhunt.

Aside from conservation, foxhunting is a valuable experience for young riders. It is a way of life that involves different degrees of caring for all animals: domestic (the horses), semi-domestic (the foxhounds), and wild (the fox and other wildlife). It is great for kids to keep physically active, learn responsibility, horsemanship, and appreciation for the environment.

“We’re part of a larger movement encouraging children to put down their phones and get out into the beautiful countryside in which we live,” McKee said “We’re giving kids a reason to get outside.”

It seems to be working.

For all its centuries of history and serious implications about land preservation, to Lily there’s another motivating factor to her ardor in following foxhounds.

“The mix of the fun from being able to ride with my friends, and the beauty that is foxhunting, makes for a perfect morning.”

A FOXHUNTING LEGACY

Thornton Hill Hounds joint master and huntsman Beth Opitz (left, with Thornton Hill hounds and members preparing to depart for a hunt), who is celebrating her 50th year of hunting, comes from a long line of hound professionals. Her father was veterinarian and master-huntsman Dr. Todd Addis who started hunting as a youngster, riding behind his vet-huntsman father, Clarkson Addis Senior, from age 6. The author of two books, he was also co-founder of the Penn-Marydel Foxhound, a specialty breed.

BY CAMDEN LITTLETON

“In a civilized and cultivated country, wild animals only continue to exist at all when preserved by sportsmen. The excellent people who protest against all hunting and consider sportsmen as enemies of wildlife are ignorant of the fact that in reality the genuine sportsman is by all odds the most important factor in keeping the larger and more valuable wild creatures from total extermination.”

Lily and Nina McKee

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THE POWER OF POLITICS

Young riders also need to learn that loving the sport and the environment is not enough, sometimes action is required. Hume resident Mike Pearson, a lifelong horseman, foxhunter, conservationist, and lobbyist for the Virginia Foxhound Club representing the 26 recognized foxhunt clubs in Virginia, said “I’d been looking for a vehicle to get more juniors involved down in Richmond. They’re the future of land conservation and protection of the sport.”

Pearson created “A Day with the Delegates”. He arranged a day for the young conservationists to travel to Richmond and meet with their own representatives to talk about land protection and the traditions of following hounds.

“The story of foxhunting in the Commonwealth, and how it is a tradition that deserves protection, is far more appealing to our legislators when it’s presented by, and with, junior foxhunters,” said Pearson.

In addition to the Hunt Masters, other adults involved in the

Junior Day at Oronoma

August, 2022

sport, and even four foxhounds with their handlers from a nearby hunt club, 30-some juniors attended, with positive results in several directions.

“Foxhunting has been in Virginia for hundreds of years. It’s a tradition, and one that warrants protection, said sixth grader Eve Mansmann, 10. The fifth-generation foxhunter lives on a farm in Hume surrounded by thousands of acres protected by open space easement. “We talked to the delegates,” she said, “and I think they understood how important it is to (protect) the habitat for all the animals.”

Director of the Masters of Foxhounds Association, Andrew Barclay, was thrilled with the support and turnout, both by riders and by delegates. “To see these children out here talking to lawmakers is a wonderful thing,” he said.

Pearson said. “I guarantee the lessons these kids learned [that day] – what a smile and a handshake mean to your delegate — are ones they’ll never forget.”

An exhausted little Cooper Olmstead asleep on her pony.

BY CAMDEN LITTLETON

Slow times during Junior Day are as much an opportunity for conversing and learning as riding.

Owen Barry

Making Trash Bloom

Reclaiming “Dead” Landfills

BY GLENDA C. BOOTH

BY

vironmental and educational site, but they go to the landfill and throw out their trash. That’s why it’s worth it.”

Alandfill is not a place where most people would have a party, but on October 16, 2022, 30 people partied on the bare dirt atop Rappahannock County’s landfill near Amissville, romping and dancing to Beyonce’s “Standing in the Sun.” The “performance” was choreographed by Richard Malroy, a senior at Mountain Vista Governor’s School.

They were dancing to press seeds into the ground for a restoration project led by Sustainability Matters, a conservation organization that is installing native plants at three Virginia landfills: the flagship project in Shenandoah County, begun in 2019; Fairfax County’s I-66 landfill; and Rappahannock County.

Dubbed “Making Trash Bloom,” the projects’ sponsors hope their efforts will transform these traditional dumps for residential and commercial trash into robust habitats abuzz with native insects, birds, and other wildlife.

Sari Carp, Sustainability Matters executive director, said, “We learned that the projects are a tremendous outreach opportunity that captures people’s imagination. It reaches people who would never see a native meadow otherwise. A lot of people will not make it to a preserve or traditional en-

Jack Monsted, an assistant curator at Virginia’s state arboretum, told the October volunteers, “Without this, it’s a wasteland. We can reclaim it, make it more productive, and provide ecosystem services.”

WHY MAKE LANDFILLS BLOOM?

Modern-day landfills are engineered facilities designed to bury and dispose of solid waste. Most landfills are covered with non-native turf grasses like sericea lespedeza. They must meet certain legal design, operation, and closure requirements and comply with laws, to, for example, prevent heavy metals, toxic chemicals and methane emissions from leaking out. Methane is a potent greenhouse

WATCH THE PARTY!

A video of the October landfill party won a 2022 contest sponsored by Project Awesome.

GLENDA BOOTH

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gas. The projects are on “closed” landfills, sites no longer accepting trash which typically cannot be farmed, built on, or reforested. Managers usually cap closed landfills with clay, plastic, and soil. They are basically dead spaces, ecologists contend.

The three projects are pilots to test seed mixes, site preparation, planting techniques, erosion control, and invasive plant management. Landfills present challenges because many are sloped, have only one to two feet of dirt, and already have many invasives established and in the seedbank. People and vehicles bringing trash can also bring even more, intentionally and unintentionally. Sponsors hope that native plants will outcompete invasives and the sites will become self-sustaining. “We want [to develop] a seed mix that works,” says Carp. She hopes to develop a model that’s scalable for more communities.

HOW TO MAKE AND MANAGE A LANDFILL BLOOM

Managers must first mow and clear a site down to bare earth. Then teams plant seed mixes, some of which have 20 species of native wildflowers and grasses that can succeed in full sun, preferring perennial plants that can attract pollinators and bloom throughout the year, plants like beebalm, Virginia wild rye, blue asters, and oxeye sunflowers. One goal is to attract insects like bees and butterflies and birds like grasshopper, field, and whitethroated sparrows.

The Old Rag Master Naturalists and area high school students are collecting monitoring data at the Rappahannock landfill, led by Hanna Bement, a science and biology teacher at Mountain Vista Governor’s School. The project gets students outside and gives them a positive experience in nature, she believes.

Local government officials like Rappahannock Board of Supervisors member Ron Frazier, Jackson District, told the October group, “It turns it into something useful. Wildflowers can keep the soil from eroding and reduce mowing. It’s a win-win for the county.”

Board Chair Debbie Donehey, Wakefield District, views the project as an “opportunity to take something that people think of as negative and turn it into something beautiful. It will also help beekeepers.”

Carp sums it up: “Land is becoming increasingly scarce everywhere as native wildlife species, especially pollinators, decline. This is a way to use land that can be used for nothing else and a way to reach community members that we would not reach otherwise and to educate them about native and invasive systems.”

Partners include the State Arboretum of Virginia, Ernst Conservation Seeds, and the Mountain Vista Governor’s School. The PATH Foundation and the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation are among the funders. The Rappahannock Electric Co-operative sponsored the dance party at the landfill.

Volunteers spread native plant seeds on the soil.

SEE HOW THEY GROW

BY GLENDA

BOOTH (2)

Sari Carp, Executive Director of Sustainability Matters, welcomed everyone to the landfill.

Dennis Rustom, MD, FAAP Diana Chalmeta, MD • Joshua Jakum, MD, FAAP Katherine Bovee, MD, FAAP • Debbie Hayes, FNP-C Candace Simpson, CPNPC-PC, IBCLC

Everybody Kneads Bagels

BY ERIKA J. WILSON

WeirdDoughs Bagels

Danielle Bizier-Grimes is a fun-loving business owner with a good heart, a love for people, and a knack for word play. She

customer about how she had found the shop and serving up her freshly baked bagels. Her customer service is friendly, engaging, and efficient. Her next customer wanted a specialty “schmear”, a word for a bagel cream cheese spread originating from German and Jewish cultures and used in New York. When he couldn’t decide, she offered him an off the menu specialty item with cherries. And decisions are not always easy at WeirdDoughs, considering the creative assortment of bagel varieties and schmears handmade daily with the help of her

commercial-grade mixer affectionately named “Doughseppe” (another word play).

Danielle’s bagel journey began while she was growing up in Florida with a love for New York City, and especially the authentic New York bagels available there. Wanting that experience at home, she started creating her own recipes using the traditional preparation methods of hand rolling and boiling. Friends and family loved them, and she even passed the rigorous standards of her native New Yorker friends.

Bizier-Grimes lives in Loudoun County with her two teen sons, Dante (16), Giacobbe (13), and three dogs. When she lost some income from her fulltime career in intelligence and security during the pandemic, she said, “I was miserable, and

my son said, ‘Why don’t you do the bagel thing for real?’ I said, ‘It’s not that simple.’ And then he asked me, ‘How many times does God have to open a door before you walk through it?’”

Convinced, she started the business in March of 2021, making bagels out of a rented commercial kitchen in Chantilly and selling them to enthusiastic customers at the farmers markets in Brambleton and Haymarket. She still treasures the check from her first bagel sale.

The Move to Warrenton

On the lookout for a better location, she began to hear more and more about business opportunities in Warrenton. With the support of the community and

You might find on the menu:

The usual suspects: Plain; Cinnamon Raisin; Rosemary Sea Salt; Poppy; Onion

Specialty favorites:

Asiago, Jalapeño, Margherita (basil and tomato dough with a dash of garlic and mozzarella melted on top); Pumpernickel; Blueberry; French Toast; S’mores

Schmears:

Cracked pepper & Thyme; Goat Cheese, Fig, & Apricot; Avocado; Tuscan herb butter

“Weird is wonderful.”

encouragement on local social media pages, she moved her oneman operation into her current location on Comfort Inn Drive in July of 2022. It was a good move. “Warrenton has embraced me. Everyone has been wonderful,” she said.

Those who taste her bagels become consistent regulars, and her growing social media (approaching 3,000 followers) reflects the bakery’s popularity. Veronica on Facebook wrote, “Out of this world!! Amazing bagels! Hands down, some of the best bagels I’ve ever had…chewy, delicious flavors. Just what we needed in Warrenton.”

Giving Back

Appreciative of the support of the community, she enthusiastically gives back. Unsold bagels are donated to first responders, and she is embracing the local farmers as well. “What’s really important to me is to support Fauquier’s community of growers. I am growing my own herbs right now, but we want to get the produce from local growers and highlight the produce used and where we got them.”

Driven to Succeed

While she is working toward her dream of devoting herself to the bagels full time (with future plans involving bagel sandwiches for the menu and brews in the evening at her own brick and mortar location), right now she is balancing this with another fulltime job and raising her family. By necessity, the bakery’s hours were limited initially but are now expanding as much as possible. Recently, she hired a part time employee, Lexie, to help out in the shop, and she’s made some local partnerships to expand as well. Customers can also find her bagels at Erin’s

Elderberries in Vint Hill, and the bakery is serving freshly brewed coffee from Sticky Bean Coffee Company (available by the cup or 10-cup traveler, or whole beans to enjoy at home).

Erin Mann, owner of Erin’s Elderberries, was excited to talk about WeirdDoughs and Bizier Grimes. “Danielle is a fellow small, woman-owned business, and it has been my honor to be her first retail business for her delicious handmade quality items. We are excited to see her grow.” With Bizier Grimes’ determination, boundless energy, and passion for bagels, that is sure to happen. L

WeirdDoughs Bagels

Just a little side note about their hours:

While WeirdDough’s hours are not full time right now, they are consistent and dependable. Enjoying their bagels and helping this spunky little business grow just takes a little bit of out of the box thinking and advance planning. Ordering ahead on their easy online form is a great way to go, from one bagel to enjoy at your desk to boxes with enough for a meeting or a soccer team, no order is too big or too small. Of course, you can always walk in for the daily selection, but ordering ahead ensures that your favorite will be ready for you.

Hours: Tues. – Sat., 7 a.m. – noon for carryout and preorder pickup Wed. 4:30 – 7 p.m. for preorder pickup and limited carry out Sun. 9:30 – 1:30 at the Haymarket Farmers Market

7373 Comfort Inn Drive (at the back of the REMAX building)

P: 571-429-3473 | E: bagels@weareweirddoughs.com

W: weareweirddoughs.com | F: @weareweirddoughs

I: weareweirddoughs

Dr. Shannon Moore | Dr. Lisa Butterfield | Dr. Barbara Masiello

BOOK PROFILE:

“The Unexpected New Best Friend”

by Fauquier author Michael Duby

BY PAM KAMPHUIS

Mike Duby is The Man. Literally, in his 2022 book “The Unexpected New Best Friend”, he refers to himself, the narrator, as “The Man”. It’s a quirky third-person point of view technique, but it seems to work well for him and his stories.

The text on the back cover of the book describes it as “A memoir of a man’s life and lessons learned, told through funny anecdotes and slightly fictionalized stories.” Duby explained, “The stories are 95 percent true, with modifications made for clarification purposes.”

Duby relates 40 “vignettes”, or stories, from his life, from childhood to present, mostly about family. He said, “The stories can be told on their own, or interconnected. They are all markedly different, about events happy and sad, some excruciatingly awful, but most are funny.”

For example, a section which would certainly qualify as funny is the story of Duby’s father’s battle with black walnuts involving Classic Rock music at full volume, the garbage disposal, some (relatively) minor injuries, and a narrow brush with law enforcement.

He said, “When I started writing the book, it was just for my family. And then all this wonderful material started coming back to me. I was able to build on that. I found I had a knack for [envisioning a story as a picture], and then telling the story [in words] based on the picture. I didn’t know that I had that in me.”

Although there is no way to describe such a wide variety of stories, and the author wished to avoid “spoilers”, we can say the themes of the book heavily lean toward the pride of family and the incredible love and emotions involved, heroism, patriotism, and love of animals and nature. L

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A California native with past careers in both the computer industry and politics, Mike Duby now lives on Sumerduck Road near the drag strip in southern Fauquier County. He is the owner of the strength training business Applied Science Fitness in Culpeper. This is his first book but, he said, “I hope it won’t be my last.” Available on amazon.com

Tora! Tora! Tora!

One day, after The Little Man had turned into “The Teen Man”, The Old Man took him down to the local movie theater. Just the two of them. … The movie was playing ... at a landmark theater in the town and somewhat crowded for a Saturday matinee. The movie ... was called “Tora! Tora! Tora!” It was playing sometime in 1970 and was supposed to be a pretty good film. (Unlike the more recent remakes.) The Old Man pointed to a couple seats … He went back to the snack bar and got some popcorn, JujiFruits, and a couple of Fanta Colas. The Teen Man sat down in the appointed seat and waited for his father to come back with the goodies.

The obligatory previews and animated feature began to roll. The preview was for a film called “Santa Claus Con- quers the Martians” with Pia Zadora (before she became every high school boy’s heart throb in the Dubonnet wine commercials). Next was a Bugs Bunny cartoon. This ani- mated short film starred Bugs in a military type short.

The cartoon was funny. The movie was not.

It turned out that “Tora! Tora! Tora!” was a historical film. It tracked the events leading up to [and during] the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor...which brought the United States into WWII on December 7, 1941. From a young teenager’s perspec- tive, the movie was exciting and entertaining. It had all kinds of airplanes flying and crashing, explosions, and lots of gunfire. As to The Old Man, he was reliving the nightmare that was WWII.

The Teen Man never forgot what The Old Man said as they walked out of the theater that afternoon. “Teen Man, no matter what anybody else tells you about how WWII started for the United States, this movie shows EXACTLY what was happening at the time.”

The Old Man didn’t say much on the way home. But they DID stop and get an ice cream cone.

Duby with his German Shepherd Lucas. While Lucas does cameo in the stories, and was indeed a best friend, the “Best Friend” referred to in the title is actually a different critter.

MARKET UPDATE

Inventory continues to be incredibly low, while there are still many families, desperately looking for homes in this area. The competition continues to be fierce with multiple offers, limited contingencies and escalation addendums on homes that show well and are priced right, from the start. This is the formula for obtaining the most competitive offer as opposed to stalling a sale by overpricing and then having to work the price downward. Pricing right from the start, draws the crowd, results in multiple offers and this is when offers are the most competitive. This is my best advice to sellers.

For purchasers, my best advice is to bring a strong and competitive offer or jump straight to the head of the line and come visit us at Stonehaven! Each week, we sell homes to families without the stress and headache of competing with multiple offers, paying over list price and waiving all contingencies. Easy-peasy but you better hurry because people are snatching up our current inventory FAST!!

Whether you are a buyer or a seller, hire a REALTOR, who is experienced, an expert negotiator, understands the business and strategies to help you win in any market, regardless of extenuating conditions.

For more information or to learn more about strategies to help you win, contact Julia Foard-Lynch, REALTOR® and owner of Cornerstone Realty Team, LLC, an Affiliate of Century 21 New Millennium.

Julia Foard-Lynch has been serving Fauquier and the surrounding counties, with excellence in Real Estate for the last 18 years.

When the Germans tilled our fields

POWs during WWII worked Fauquier County Farms

BY JOHN T. TOLER

With the military draft and wartime mobilization following America’s entry into World War II, it was clear that by late June 1942 Fauquier County would face a critical farm labor shortage. The local War Board estimated that between 800 and 1,000 farm laborers had left the county for other employment, as well as 356 men that had been inducted or enlisted in the armed forces.

The Fauquier County Selective Service Board gave farm workers six month deferments, but they would have to prove to the Board that their contribution to the war effort was more important on the farm than it would be in the Armed Forces.

Other measures included hiring farm workers from other areas, notably Greene County, Va., and having men deemed unfit for military service (4-F) be “drafted” to work on farms. But it was not enough.

Beginning in1942, German and Italian military personnel captured by American forces in North Africa and Europe were taken to the U. S. for internment. Over the course of the war, about 425,000 German and Italian POWs were brought to the U.S.

About 17,000 German POWs came to Virginia, where they were confined in 18 base camps and 22 branch camps. The closest camp to Fauquier County was the Remount Depot outside Front Royal, where the prisoners lived in wooden huts.

In 1943, County Agent Walter B. Nourse opened negotiations with Lt. Col. L. L. Bittenbender, commander of the Remount Depot, about using prisoners of war as farm labor-

ers, and in July 1944, he applied to the War Department for POWs to help with the fall harvest.

However it wasn’t until June 5, 1945 that the first group of 15 POWs arrived in Fauquier County, assigned to work on the farms of Fred Wayland at Hume, and Mrs. J. C. Hamilton, near Warrenton. It was expected that over 100 POWs would be working in the county at the height of the harvest season.

Under the terms of the agreement, farmers hiring prisoners signed individual contracts with the county, paying 35 cents per hour per man worked. The county in turn paid the government, which used the money for maintenance of its prison camps. The prisoner himself received 80 cents per day, paid in coupons good only at the camp canteen. POWs were expected to work 8 to 10 hours a day.

Farmers were required to follow strict rules regarding their relationship with the prisoners, and were not permitted to fraternize with them or furnish food or cigarettes. They were required to provide transportation to-and-from the Remount Depot, to be paid for at the rate of one cent per man, per mile.

Transporting POWs around the countryside was not without risks. In May 1945, a truck carrying prisoners from a farm in Loudoun County back to the Remount

Top: Fauquier County farmer W. B. “Dick” Minter, photographed about 1944 in front of the store at Turnbull. Inset: POWs working on county farms were transported from the Remount Depot near Front Royal and back in open-bed trucks like this one.

Depot crashed into a power pole on Rt. 55, about two miles west of Marshall. An 11,000-volt power line fell at the scene, electrocuting three POWs and a civilian who had rushed to their aid.

POWs in Fauquier

One of the nine children of W. B “Bernie” Minter and Mary Christina Sutphin Minter, Walter B. “Dick” Minter, born in 1924, was too young to serve when the U.S. entered World War II. Dick’s older brothers James and William joined the Army, and brother Emory and sister Helen worked at the Quantico Marine Corps Base, leaving Dick to help their parents run the family farm west of Warrenton. In May1945, Dick got the chance to do his part to serve his country and help local farmers.

During the harvest and planting seasons, Dick drove an open-bed truck carrying six to ten German POWs to Fauquier County farms, mostly in the north, but as far south as Catlett. His son, Randy Minter of Warrenton, recalled that his father ran a monthly fuel tab at the old Mills & Compton gas station in Warrenton.

The POWs Dick Minter transported were enlisted men, not officers or hard-core Nazis. The youngest was 16, the oldest 49. While fraternizing with the POWs was strictly forbidden, Dick – who was not armed – quickly learned that treating his charges humanely made the job easier, and safer. When necessary, he would work beside them or share cigarettes, further earning their respect and cooperation.

For most shifts, Dick had at least one German who spoke a little English and could translate the orders for the others. Most were cooperative and responded to Dick’s kindness.

“Yet another soldier was sullen and ill-tempered,” wrote older son Lyle Minter, of Fairfax, in the family history. “His fellows attributed his bad manners to the fact that he had a Russian mother and German father, and never really knew where he belonged.” Randy recalls that when the prisoner started giving his father a hard time, “… he would be quickly reeled-in by the others.”

How farmers treated the POWs that worked for them varied, and some were subtly hostile or indifferent. “If the POWs were treated like slaves, they picked up on that, and reacted accordingly,” said Randy. “That went a long way on how well they worked.”

Other farmers genuinely appreciated their help, often working with the POWs on big jobs. Neighboring farmers would sometimes pool equipment like thrashing machines and balers, which the POWs learned to operate safely.

Dick realized that when he picked up the POWs at the Remount Depot, all they had been given for a day’s work was “two pieces of bread and some jelly,” said Randy. And when they were hungry, the work slowed down. The farmers became aware of the situation, and while they weren’t supposed to provide food, most began providing a mid-day meal. The benefits were immediate.

Randy recalls a story about one group of POWs that had worked hard in the fields, finishing early. A full meal was brought out, and when they finished eating, asked if there was more they could do - they didn’t want to go back to the Remount Depot. The farmer had a building that needed paint and fences to mend, and they stayed until the work was done.

Dick related some of his experiences with individual POWs. “One was a boy of only 16 who had great mechanical abilities, and could repair farm equipment and re-hang gates and doors,” wrote Lyle. “Another man in his 40s recalled once having a beautiful farm back in Germany, with a fine stone house. But it was bombed. ‘Alles kaput,’ he said.”

Strict policies regarding the POWs were eventually relaxed, and they were treated “just like farmhands,” said Randy. Most brought food and drink to the prisoners working in the fields, others invited the POWs into their homes to join their family meals.

“Dad recalled occasions when after lunch, one of the Germans would play the piano in the front room, and the others sang and danced to entertain their hosts,” wrote Lyle.

On the return trip to the Remount Depot, Dick might stop at John Cockrill’s store near Bethel, where the POWs could buy cigarettes and snacks and sometimes beer, according to Lyle.

Repatriation of German POWs in the U.S. began in late 1945, and would take about a year to complete. The POW facilities at the Remount Depot were closed, and Dick’s deferment terminated.

He was immediately drafted into the U. S. Army and sent to Fort Jackson, SC for basic training. From there, he spent most of his two-year hitch with the U.S. Army of Occupation in South Korea.

Returning to Fauquier, Dick resumed farming, and managed Ashland, the Amory S. Carhart farm across U.S. 211 from the family place. In 1951, he married Elizabeth Ellen Butler (1926-1975), and they had three children, Lyle, Randy and Ellen Minter Digges.

“After the Carharts stopped farming in the early 1970s, Dick rented that farm and others, continuing to raise cattle, hay, corn and grains,” recalled Randy. Over the years, Dick earned many agricultural awards and recognitions for his farming expertise. He died in 2013. L

In late 1946, Dick Minter (right), was drafted into the U.S. Army, and took basic training at Ft. Jackson, SC, with fellow Fauquier County native Billy Fishback.

stops along the way

AN ESSAY BY DON BACHMANN

An Easter Repast

dinner meal – usually a rabbit or an occasional pheasant. We would sit in hopeful expectation praying he would be successful. Sometimes we would hear, or imagined that we could hear, the dogs barking in pursuit of their prey; and, at the climactic moment, the report of the rifle indicating that meat would be on the dinner menu.

Back then rabbit was simple fare seasoned with salt and pepper and either stewed or roasted in the oven, or occasionally fried in a pan. Improperly prepared, rabbit tended to taste gamey and tough, but it was also filling.

Today it is a bit different; actually, it is quite a bit different. This is especially so, if the rabbit is being prepared by a master chef and intended for a gathering of food connoisseurs – connoisseurs who could appreciate both culinary skill and care in presentation. Such was our good fortune this past Easter; and so, it was with eager anticipation that we assembled at the Hume home of a gourmet Italian chef to partake in his gourmet creations.

Now, as to the total menu for the repast, one must first delight the palate with complementary offerings starting with the antipasto. It consisted of assorted cheeses, polenta topped with cremini mushroom ragu and melted fontina cheese, spinach calzone, and rabbit liver pate with fig jam on crostini.

flavorful delight. It was an evening to remember and to be savored for many Easters to come.

Or, so I thought.

On the following Easter morning, we invited the neighbor children to come over for a traditional Easter egg hunt. They were busy searching for the painted eggs that we had hidden in the shrubbery while their parents sat on our front porch overseeing the process.

Once the hunt was over, we all gathered on the porch for some homemade eggnog and examined the Easter eggs the children had collected. We were relaxed and content in our pastoral setting – unsuspecting of the turmoil which was to follow.

We were engaged in casual conversation, and, upon inquiry, I relayed my dining experience of the night before to my neighbor’s family, about how we had enjoyed a delicious Easter rabbit dinner by a renowned chef.

The festive mood was immediately replaced by a look of shock upon the innocent faces of the children. They became accusatory, “How could you eat the Easter Bunny … how gross?”

I was taken aback, but managed to respond by saying, “The Easter Bunny may be dead and gone, but he certainly was appreciated.” My quip went totally unappreciated, and further explanation did not placate their objections or chastisement.

“Yum, yum,” said the bunny to a nibble in the patch;

“Oh, no,” said the gardener to the bunny’s trespass.

“Bang, bang,” went the shotgun to settle the impasse;

And, that is what led to our Easter repast.

Gourmet shoppers of today know that a plump rabbit is re -

garded as a delicacy. It is difficult to find except in a well-stocked specialty market. It wasn’t always that way; we used to regard rabbit as the common man’s staple to supplement a meager country diet – a diet that was often low on meat.

Some of us can remember a father or uncle with his shotgun and his dogs out hunting the

This prepared one for a main course of risotto with mixed spring vegetables, asparagus drizzled with olive oil, and the chef’s magnum opus – a rabbit braised in white wine sauce with hand-grown fresh herbs. And, so as not to overpower the rabbit, the accompanying wine was a light Italian red and a Rhonestyle white.

And, finishing off the feast was a dessert of sponge cake topped with strawberries macerated in Marsala wine and panna cotta.

Everything was superb, and the rabbit met a noble end at the hands of a culinary artist. The rabbit was transformed from a basic meat staple into a tender and

And so in contrition, I would like to offer tribute to the main contributor to our feast; I would like to acknowledge the rabbit. If it wasn’t for its penchant to hop over garden walls in the pursuit of fresh vegetable delights, we would probably have been eating country ham instead.

Ergo to the rabbit, I say, “Thank you for your ultimate sacrifice, and I hope to enjoy another relation of yours this year.”

Buon appetito ... and keep your eyes open for stray rabbits. L

Stops Along the Way is a column from Orlean resident Don Bachmann

A traditional staple from bygone days becomes a gourmet delicacy in the hands of a master chef

it’s gonna bee a

Honey of a Spring

BY KARLA JONES SEIDITA, HOME ECONOMIST

Bees love spring. The warm days tease Mother Nature to open her sleeping blossoms. Bees celebrate the season by flitting from flower-to-flower sipping the sweet nectars. Along the way, they spread the pollen they’ve collected. It’s a honey of a life.

When they’re done for the day, the bees buzz back to their hives for twilight sessions of honey making that can last well into the night. Bees certainly work hard for their honey.

You can help the bees with their work by planting a bee-utiful buffet of flowers that they find irresistible like asters, sunflowers and zinnia. In return, they’ll gift you with an abundance of their gorgeous, healthy, rejuvenating super food.

Hot tea sweetened with raw, local, unfiltered honey is a time-honored remedy for soothing throats and chasing away sniffles but don’t wait until you’re under the weather to enjoy the good taste and good health of honey. There’s a whole hive full of tasty ways to pollinate your meals. Let’s buzz on into the kitchen!

Sweet as Honey Tea Bread

This is a honey of a recipe. Incredibly easy and incredibly delicious, especially when thickly spread with butter. Serve it at your next garden club gathering and you’ll be queen bee!

MAKES 1 LOAF

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

Loaf pan measuring 9 X 5 X 2 ½ inches

Baking parchment

INGREDIENTS

2 cups dairy or non-dairy milk

2 Tablespoons vinegar

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt (optional)

1 cup honey

Note: There are no eggs, butter or oil in this recipe.

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix vinegar into milk and let sit 10 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Cut pieces of baking parchment to fit sides and bottom of pan. Corners of pan may have slight gaps. Grease or mist unlined pan with baking spray. Fit parchment pieces into greased pan pressing down so they stick to the pan. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, whisk both flours, baking soda, salt (if adding), honey and milk mixture. Batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pan.

5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and bread starts to pull away from the sides of the pan – 55 to 60 minutes.

6. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan. When completely cooled, wrap and leave at room temperature overnight to mellow before cutting. Store in refrigerator.

Grow the Flowers They Love

Help the bees make honey! Start with these easy-to-grow basics for your bee friendly garden. Vary the plants to bloom in different seasons so the bees will have a continuing buffet.

Sub 2 cups buttermilk or kiefer for the dairy or non-dairy milk. Omit the vinegar.

The bread may seem dry if cut the same day it’s baked.

Salt fills out the flavor of the bread but if you’re trying to cut down on salt, you can leave it out.

BAKER’S TIPS

ASTERS BEE BALM CONEFLOWERS

JOE-PYE WEED SUNFLOWERS ZINNIA

Fat Free Lemon & Honey Salad Dressing

Don’t get stung by the high cost of bottled dressings with all their preservatives, gums and fillers. Just squeeze fresh lemon juice over your salad then drizzle with honey to taste. Sprinkle with a bit of salt if desired. Tastes like the first bite of spring. Couldn’t bee easier!

Pan-Asian Honey Dipping Sauce

You’ll bee dipping and drizzling this addictive condiment on anything and everything even salads.

MAKES 1/3 CUP

INGREDIENTS

3 Tablespoons honey

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon roasted sesame oil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

DIRECTIONS

Mix. Store in the fridge.

So Easy, Homemade Honey Ketchup

Read the labels of grocery store ketchup and you’ll see that most start with tomato paste. So why not grab a can and make you own? You save a bundle and wind up with a delicious homemade ketchup worthy of any French fry. Best of all, there’s not a smidge of high fructose corn syrup. It’s 5 hives up for this recipe!

MAKES ½ CUP

INGREDIENTS

3 oz. tomato paste

2 Tablespoons honey (to taste)

1 Tablespoon vinegar (your fav)

¼ teaspoon salt (to taste)

¼ cup water

DIRECTIONS

Mix. Good as is or jazz it up. Keeps 4 weeks in the fridge.

JAZZ-ERS UP

(CHOOSE ONE OR SEVERAL)

Onion and/or garlic powder, pickled jalapenos, red pepper flakes, capers, hot sauce, pickle juice, balsamic vinegar and/or more water for the consistency you like.

Where to Buy Local Honey

Local honey means it comes from not too far away - about a 50 mile or so radius. Check the label. And if you see “raw” and “unfiltered” on the label, it’s a plus. Raw honey has not been heated. Unfiltered honey has not been strained to remove pollen or other particles. Many stores in our area sell local honey. Here’s a few:

Honey Mustard

The bee’s knees on hot dogs and sausages. Sandwiches, too. A stinger of a dipping sauce for veggies or nuggets and simply buzzing as a salad dressing.

MAKES 1/2 CUP

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup honey

¼ cup brown or yellow mustard

DIRECTIONS

Mix. Keeps indefinitely in the fridge.

Hot Honey

Worker bees love this tasty addition to ham biscuits, sandwiches, bagels - whatever. Good, too, as a glaze for roasts, grills and broils. Spread on the last few minutes of cooking to caramelize. Keep a jar on hand and use it everywhere.

MAKES ½ CUP

INGREDIENTS

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ cup honey

DIRECTIONS

Mix. Infuse overnight so flavors can develop. Keeps indefinitely at room temp or in the fridge. Stir before each use.

BEALETON: MESSICK’S FARM MARKET

GAINESVILLE: EDEN NATURAL MARKET

LAKE RIDGE: THE BEE STORE (SWEET SOPHIA)

MARSHALL/ MORRISVILLE/ WARRENTON: CFC FARM & HOME CENTER (THE CO-OP)

NEW BALTIMORE: BUCKLAND FARM MARKET

WARRENTON: THE FARMERS MARKET

Roasted Acorn Squash with Honey, Orange, and Rice Stuffing

Don’t let everyday meals drone on and on. Try something new like this yummy stuffed squash. An absolutely lovely vegetarian main dish. Nice, too, as a feisty side with meat or poultry. Bee sure to use “sweet” orange marmalade. It’s not bitter like the regular kind.

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

1 acorn squash (about 3 inches in diameter)

1 ¼ cups cooked rice

2 Tablespoons sliced almonds

2 Tablespoon melted butter

2 Tablespoons honey

1 Tablespoon sweet orange marmalade

2 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped – no stems

¼ teaspoon salt

Pinch pepper

For serving - 1 cup vegetable or chicken gravy

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat to 375 degrees.

2. Cut squash in half. Remove seeds and discard.

3. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Spritz foil with cooking spray. Place squash, cut side down, on prepared pan. Roast till soft and there’s a bit of brown on the cut side - about 45 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, for the stuffing, mix rice, almonds, melted butter, honey, marmalade, parsley, salt and pepper.

5. When squash is done, invert and fill cavities with stuffing. Tent with foil and return to oven until stuffing is hot – about 10 minutes. Serve with hot gravy. L

NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

A MONTHLY DOSE OF LOCAL HEADLINES

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Liberty High School cheer team to perform in the 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Liberty High School’s competitive cheer team has been invited to participate in the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this November.

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Sign up for our e-newsletters VISIT! FauquierNow.com FOLLOW! on Facebook and Twitter @fauquiernow

Last fall, Liberty High School special education teacher and varsity cheer coach Alicia Schrank submitted an audition tape of the team’s most recent performance at the state championships to the Macy’s Parade website. At the end of January, she received the thrilling news that they had been selected. They will be among the 600 or so cheerleaders ages 13-18, which are selected

Warrenton's First Friday and Music on Main return in May

Expect blowout block parties and dancing in the streets in Warrenton this summer, with music, drink, and activities for the whole family.

Warrenton’s nearly three-decade-long tradition, First Friday, is back starting May 5. Residents and out-of-towners of all ages can enjoy live bands, food trucks, kids' activities, beer and wine gardens, and other local vendors.

The events, hosted this year by the nonprofit Allegro Community School for the Arts Music on Main and Warrenton-based Image Marketing Solutions, are free to the public and will also be an opportunity to raise money for donations of supplies for local teachers and students.

Among the artists performing this summer will be Mike Parker, the 27-year-old country singer from Warrenton who made it through to the final seven on “American Idol” last year. Fork in the Road and Junk Food are also on the band list.

Join Allegro Community School for the Arts and Image Marketing solutions for a charitable bowling tournament at Galaxy Bowling on April 18 to help gin up support and interest for First Fridays and Music on Main.

To become a sponsor, businesses and individuals can contact Lachelle Yoder at lachelle@allegrocsa.org

from camps, competitions and auditions nationwide, performing alongside the thousands of adult dancers and cheerleaders in front of about 27 million people on Thanksgiving.

Now the work begins. Rehearsals, of course, but also the fundraising to defray the costs of travel, food, lodging, and a few sightseeing opportunities. The total cost for each athlete to attend is approximately $3,000, so the team needs to raise about $60,000, according to Schrank.

Many people and businesses are stepping up and contributing, but there is more needed to reach their goal.

Anyone who would like to donate may do so through the Fauquier Excellence in Education’s website using the QR code. Sponsors are also able to donate online with a credit card and receive a tax-deductible receipt.

Warrenton native Mike Parker will be performing this summer.

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