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“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!
As a writer and editor, one of the things we need to avoid is repetition of words. For instance, if we featured a particularly happy person, ideally we would use the word “happy” only once in the article, but instead use others such as “thrilled”, “excited”, “delighted”, “joyful”, “ecstatic” … you get the drift.
County. We are a true community. There’s simply no other way to describe us.
It’s March...so although Old Man Winter may yet have another surprise for us, we are moving slowly but surely into springtime. Our town will be waking up and there will be more things to do.
The thesaurus is my best friend.
Within our company, other editors often proofread for each other because a fresh set of eyes often catch errors that the original editor might not. My co-editor, Susan McCorkindale, proofread my magazine and her comment was: “Looks great! But I don’t think I’ve ever seen the word “community” used so many times.”
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.
Just look at the Christmas Parade this year. When I saw the number of floats and the huge crowd of spectators, I was pretty emotional. The first First Friday this year was a huge hit. Sports games are packed not only with parents but many other … community … members in support of young athletes.
But this issue especially seems to use the word a lot. But there’s no help for it. Take a look at the articles on Juneteenth, Pride, TOPSoccer, Jennifer Puffenbarger, and even John Toler’s history article.
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And please, if anyone can think of a different word for “community” please let me know. I have need of it very often.
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.
And she’s absolutely right. “Community” has always been my problem word. But what to do about it? There are simply no synonyms that come close to conveying the meaning. Suggestions like “association”, “neighborhood”, “society”, “residents”, “district”, and others truly do not fit the bill for Fauquier
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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.
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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BY BILL KENT
BY DON BACHMANN
JENNIFER WALDERA
BY LUKE CHRISTOPHER
BY JOHN TOLER
BY PAM KAMPHUIS
BY KARLA JONES SEIDITA
BY BILL KENT
BY SUE BALDANI
We’re excited to announce the addition of Tom Tucker to our local team. Tom has spent the past 22 years providing financial planning and sound investment advice to clients in Warrenton and the surrounding area. He joins Steven Crouch, Jan Kamphuis, and Jennifer Hardcastle in offering a wide range of sophisticated financial services and solutions to individuals and families, businesses and institutions, non-profits, trusts, foundations and endowments.
“I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to introduce both existing and new clients to B. Riley Wealth’s extensive resources. The firm’s focus on our clients’ needs is one reason I chose to partner with the Warrenton team. I look forward to providing my clients with access to unique offerings and the exceptional level of support available here.”
Thomas Tucker
Tom is a Virginia native and graduate of Shenandoah University. He became a financial advisor in 2002 after beginning his career with SWIFT. He and his wife, Krista, have deep roots in the local community, having raised three children here. Locals may also recognize Tom as a talented musician who plays bass and keyboards with a local band and as an amateur photographer.
Contact our Warrenton advisors to learn more about these and other services:
Steven E. Crouch, AAMS | Senior Vice President | scrouch@brileywealth.com
Thomas M. Tucker, Jr., AAMS | Senior Vice President | ttucker@brileywealth.com
Jennifer L. Hardcastle, CFP® | Vice President | jhardcastle@brileywealth.com
Jan W. Kamphuis | Vice President | jkamphuis@brileywealth.com
Amanda Burton | Senior Reg. Client Service Associate | aburton@brileywealth.com
Passion and pride are what drives Jennifer Puffenbarger, a Fauquier native and lover of her community. During her decades of work at her father’s Puffenbarger Insurance and concurrently starting her own marketing company, Image Marketing Solutions, she has also been heavily involved in organizing and promoting local events and supporting the community through her involvement in Cornerstone Church’s outreach program and Fauquier Chamber of Commerce and their young professional group. Puffenbarger thrives on working hard to support family, friends, and the community.
On a professional level, Puffenbarger was a graduate of the first Leadership Fauquier class and was named one of ten “Top Business Leaders Under 40” by the Piedmont Business Journal. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Strayer, with a focus on marketing. While studying for her MBA, she concentrated on digital entrepreneurship, and it has helped her hone her focus to build Image Marketing Solutions. The organization focuses on SEO, strategy, and PR, and more.
“I am often acting as a temporary chief marketing officer, helping a company to understand what their marketing needs are,” she said.
Her marketing skills are put to very good use in another passion: helping nonprofits with fundraising. She specializes in using unique marketing techniques to bring attention to their missions and garner support for them.
An avid musician who plays a couple of different instruments, one nonprofit close to Puffenbarger’s heart is Allegro Community School of the Arts. “I’ve watched music help people,” she said. A past president of the board of directors, she remains on the board and helps organize the school’s events and raise funds for the work it does in the community.
This ties into her enthusiastic work of sowing the seeds to build interest in Fauquier’s community events and
Just a few of the organizations and events Jennifer has assisted:
TASTE OF FAUQUIER
JULY 4TH PARADE WARRENTON SUMMER CONCERT SERIES FIRST FRIDAYS ALLEGRO COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF THE ARTS FAUQUIER FISH
we
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helping to build up the organizations there. She’s the mastermind of organizing and promoting events like the summer concert series, festival-style First Fridays (that also offer options to donate to Fauquier FISH), the July 4th parade, and is also working on Taste of Fauquier. Additionally, she’s been instrumental in bringing out the likes of iHeartRadio, among other similar music-related organizations, to events.
“It’s nice to have a feeling where you’re helping someone to grow their business. I just love watching people grow and I do have a kind heart and I want to see everyone succeed.” L
Top: Puffenbarger with Lachelle Yoder, program director at Allegro Community School for the Arts in the Allegro office. Bottom: Puffenbarger with volunteers gathering supplies for Thanksgiving meals for donation.
James Cornwell supports the area’s LGBTQIA+ community through his nonprofits Warrenton Pride and Fauquier Pride
BY JENNIFER WALDERA PHOTOS BY LUKE CHRISTOPHERFauquier native James Cornwell is a hair designer, makeup artist, and clothing stylist who has traveled the world to represent major beauty brands and to style the likes of Jessica Alba, Alyssa Milano, Paula Abdul, and America Ferrera. After living in other places like Capitol Hill and Los Angeles, Cornwell returned to Fauquier and, in conjunction with his sister-in-law, opened Iva Bella, a high-end hair salon in Warrenton.
In recent years, Cornwell has also taken on the role of an advocate within Fauquier, supporting the LGBTQIA+ (the inclusive abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and more) community through his nonprofits Fauquier Pride and Warrenton Pride.
Being a proponent of equality isn’t new to Cornwell. He recalls being bullied in middle school for standing up for female classmates. While growing up, he also remembers feeling like he was different as a member of the then largely unrecognized LGBTQIA+ community in Fauquier. Cornwell’s passion for fighting for the rights and acceptance of everyone was what inspired his desire to create both Pride organizations.
“There’s a need for a safe place for people to have communication. There was no Pride page or recognition for people in the community that we even exist. I wanted to do something that, even if it touches one person’s life, makes them feel not afraid or not alone,” Cornwell said.
It’s with that in mind that Cornwell began both Fauquier Pride and Warrenton Pride as a means of providing support and resources to the area’s LGBTQIA+ community. The
organizations are still growing and Cornwell says that the response so far has been primarily positive.
While websites are still in the making, Cornwell’s Pride non-profits’ primary online presence exists on Facebook and Instagram. Posts range from advertising Pride events in surrounding areas, sharing educational information, and announcing meetings to spreading messages of equality and support and celebrating individuality.
“It’s about the celebration and truly the acknowledgment and education and advocacy within our community so that we can continue to move forward, share experiences, and help the community as they embrace the movement,” Cornwell said.
Cornwell also notes that there is a growing representation among allies within the community that ranges from individuals expressing support and reaching out for resources to better support their LGBTQIA+ loved ones to businesses that are openly engaging with the community and organizations that are supporting the mission of Fauquier Pride and Warrenton Pride.
Cornwell credits several organizations with supporting the organizations, including the PATH Foundation for providing Fauquier Pride with a Better Together contribution, designed for nonprofits to bring the community together through in-person gatherings.
“They’ve been a wealth of information — they have so many resources and advocacy to help non-profits — they’ve been hugely supportive.”
Cornwell also points to Sandra Packwood of the boutique-style consignment shop Deja Vu Anew as an ongoing ally and someone who has always made her shop a particularly welcoming place. Similarly, Painted Fox owner Vanessa Murphy (known in the community as Murph) has created a LGBTQIA+-friendly space with educational books and other merchandise. On Old Town Warrenton’s Main Street, the tattoo shop proudly flies a queer flag and Murphy is enthusiastically supportive of Cornwell’s movement.
“James came to our Pride event and was
handing out Warrenton Pride stuff. We’ll support him with anything he does,” Murphy said.
Cornwell intends to continue forward with his grassroots movement, building his organizations and working with like-minded members of the community to promote awareness and garner support. Meanwhile, he’s enthusiastic about the progress of the organizations so far, including an upcoming fall Fauquier Pride fundraising event, a proposed festival in 2024, and the inaugural Pride
flag-raising on June 1, with a proclamation from Mayor Carter Nevill recognizing Pride month, all supporting the concept of equality and inclusion.
“I’ve always believed in my heart and my mind that we’re all fighting truly for the same thing — equality, rights,” Cornwell said. “We shouldn’t be judged by who we love, what we wear, whether we’re a man or a woman, the tone of our skin… it shouldn’t be that hard to be equal.” L
From left: Vanessa Murphy, owner, Painted Fox, Sandra Packwood, owner, DejaVu Anew, James Cornwell, co-owner, Iva Bella Salon and founder of Fauquier Pride and Warrenton Pride, and Sal Russo, owner of Giuseppe’s Restaurant in Haymarket which recently held a drag brunch with assistance from Cornwell.“There’s a need for a safe place for people to have communication … I wanted to do something that, even if it touches one person’s life, makes them feel not afraid or not alone”
BY BILL KENT
Every morning, before writing, walking his dog, or beginning the 45-minute commute to George Mason University’s main campus in Fairfax, Rick Davis gives himself time to admire the sunrise. If it is notable in some way, or merely spectacular, he’ll take a picture and post it on his Facebook page.
Davis thinks of it as a gift. “As someone who has spent his life using the arts to create communities, the sunrise does just that. For me it’s a performance to be shared.”
As Mason’s Dean of Visual and Performing Arts, Davis has been one of the most important influences on Northern Virginia’s and the greater DMV’s cultural scene. Ask him his favorite performance and he’ll offer a list that includes choreographers Susan Shields and Mark Morris, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, several soloists, musicians, dancers and productions that have taken their bows at the University’s Arts Center and the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas, two auditoriums that, in addition to his faculty duties, Davis supervises.
He'll also mention student performances. But he returns to the sunrise as “simply beautiful, one of those things you discover over time that tells you that, in being able to see it, you’ve made the right decision.”
Twenty years ago, Davis and his wife Julie Thompson, who is the Arts Center’s Executive Director, didn’t know the sunrises would be so compelling when they bought their Winchester Street home. “We had been living closer to campus,” Davis continues, “and were taking a country
BY
ride when it was just about lunchtime, and we found ourselves driving into Warrenton. We parked, walked around, we had soup and very good club sandwiches and decided right then to relocate. Even then Warrenton was a foodie paradise. Now it’s our great escape.”
Thompson, who often commutes with her husband, says he is the same person he is at home as on campus, “only with lower blood pressure, probably.”
What makes his blood pressure rise these days is the reduction, and even elimination of college level arts programs and what is broadly called the humanities, to make room for more courses in computer science and technology.
“I’m happy to say that at Mason, we’re fighting the good
fight and encouraging engineering students to give the arts a try. But I don’t know anyone teaching the arts who hasn’t felt this pressure. It concerns me deeply. I understand the desire to explore the sciences and get careers in evolving technologies. But if you look at the people who have been the most successful in these fields, you see they are individuals with extraordinary imaginative, creative talent. Studying the arts—even if it’s just one course--is precisely how you learn to find this talent in yourself and use it. I know because, if things had just been a little bit different, I would have gone into engineering myself.”
Born in the Mississippi River town of La Crosse, Wisconsin, Davis’s childhood fascination with electronics
led him to amateur (ham) radio. Asked to maintain the lighting controls at the town’s community theater, Davis noticed that it was the director, and not the actors, who shaped the play into a performance. “I can act, and I have acted when we couldn’t find an actor for a part, but I am much more interested in how to bring so many different elements—acting, set design, music, sound and, of course, lighting-- together and turn it all into a performance that connects directly with the audience.”
He discovered he liked teaching and singing (he is a tenor). He graduated Lawrence University, a Wisconsin liberal arts college with a music conservatory, summa cum laude with a B.A. in Theater and Drama (where met Julie Thompson, who was studying arts management). He then went to Yale for a doctorate in dramaturgy—the study of performance. While there he made a special study of Henrik Ibsen,and translated works of the 17th century Spanish playwright Calderon de la Barca.
From there he landed an assistant professorship at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, and began to stage numerous theatrical productions there, and at the Baltimore Center Stage, where Julie Thompson was stage manager. Thompson also stage-managed productions at Wolf Trap and the Kennedy Center’s Washington Opera.
“While I was in Baltimore, I was contacted by the provost of George Mason. The first thing I said was, ‘Where’s that?’ I’d never heard of the place.”
He and Thompson made the drive south to the leafy Fairfax campus where Davis became artistic director of the Mason’s Theater of the First Amendment, a theater company dedicated to staging new plays that would not normally find a home in commercial or community playhouses. He and Thompson would also teach in the theater department.
“I guess you could say we came to Mason as a package deal,” Davis said, “But for me, Mason and I were a perfect fit. Things happened for me at Mason. It felt like the place where I was supposed to be. I liked, and I still like, everything about it. I was given permission, within parameters, to do great things. When openings in administration appeared and I was asked if I could fill them, it never occurred to me to say no. Could I be a dean and still could do theater, teach classes, and bring artists and performers to the campus who are excellent at what they do? Why not? Excellence is important. It inspires people. It shows the students and the community that the arts are wonderful things to study, experience, and share.”
In nearly 35 years at Mason, Davis has staged—on campus, at the Kennedy Center and at venues throughout the country—more than 40 works of theater and opera. Among the many students who have followed Davis’s teachings is Debra Smyers, Executive Director of the Fauquier Community Theatre. She earned Mason’s first Masters in Arts Management largely because of Rick Davis.
“My favorite was a theater class, Advanced Studies in Directing/Dramaturgy,” she said. One of the assignments … was to create a scene where the actors would end up in positions from a well-known painting.” Davis, she added, “is a teacher and mentor to all who work with him. On the artistic side of the arts at George Mason, from the first table read through opening night, he empowers actors and the production team.”
When he is at home, among several theater works he has in process is The 100th Meridian Project, a “multidisciplinary inquiry” into climate change that had an early work-in-progress performance last April at the Kennedy Center.
Though he is 65, he doesn’t have a thought about retirement. “I see no reason to. I’m too busy having fun.”
At least twice a month, Davis and Thompson anchor a table at Claire’s where he has his favorite Bombay Sapphire martini (shaken, not stirred). During the summer they’ll take time off and fly a four-seater Piper Cherokee airplane (Davis has a private pilot license) for sunny days and relative isolation on North Carolina’s Ocracoke Island.
“I still count the days I spend at home among my best,” Davis says. He recalls a moment shortly after he and Thompson moved to Warrenton, when their dog, a border terrier named Dickens, abruptly ran away. “We did our due diligence. We put up lost dog posters and told everyone we knew. What surprised us was the many people we didn’t know, who helped us look. When things like that happen, you know you’re living in the right place.”
Dickens was found about two weeks later, and hasn’t left since. L
Mitul Gandhi, MD Jey Maran, MD
Growing up in Fauquier County, Barrie Newman said he had never learned about or even heard the word “Juneteenth” until he attended Virginia State University in Petersburg.
Newman said he vividly recalled a transformative moment during one of his classes, where the topic of African American history ignited a spirited debate among his peers about the significance of the date, June 19th, to the African American community.
Although Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all slaves throughout the U.S., had occurred 2 years earlier, it could not be enforced in land still in Confederate control. It wasn’t until June 19, 1865, when Union troops reached the westernmost area of the Confederacy in Texas, that all slaves were truly freed.
“The debate was if Juneteenth was like the Fourth of July. Is it the same thing? And we
had to come up with reasoning if it is or isn’t the same and how do we view [Juneteenth],” Newman said.
In the years that followed, Newman continued to reflect on the thought-provoking debate, grappling with the question of how he had remained unaware of such a significant historical event throughout much of his young adult life. He even wrote a research paper in college exploring the end of slavery.
But it was one thing to research the holiday and another to be able to talk about and celebrate it. Since college, he had fantasized about making Juneteenth a standard yearly occurrence in his hometown.
In 2017, Newman joined the View Tree Masonic Lodge in Warrenton, where, it turned out, many of his Masonic brothers felt the same way.
In 2019, after serving over 8 years in the U.S. Navy, Newman said he and several
Lodge members, including former Lodge president Milton “Trey” Wilborn, were ready to start putting the idea into motion. But the idea was put on the back burner because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A few years later, Wilborn was unexpectedly stricken with a severe illness and received a devastating terminal diagnosis.
Michael Logan, a member of the Lodge and executive member of the Fauquier Juneteenth Committee, said Wilborn’s diagnosis was the catalyst for organizing the Juneteenth event.
“It was right when Lodge members started visiting him that the idea came up that we should actually be working on doing a Juneteenth event because [Wilborn] had always talked about what more we could do for the community,” Logan said.
In early 2021, following Wilborn's diagnosis, Newman and several other fellow Masons began collaborating with various community organizations such as the NAACP Fauquier County Branch, the Afro-American Historical Association of Fauquier, and First Baptist Church in Old Town Warrenton to organize the inaugural Juneteenth event in Fauquier, which took place in Eva Walker Park.
Adding to the already profound significance of the occasion, President Joe Biden signed legislation designating June 19th as Juneteenth a few days before the event, establishing it as a new federal holiday.
“It was affirmation into confirmation. I was like, ‘Oh, we got to do this now,” Logan said.
According to Logan, over 1,000 people from around the region attended Fauquier’s first Juneteenth event in June 2021.
“It was just … it was just amazing,” Logan said.
This year, Fauquier County’s Third Annual Juneteenth community commemoration will occur on Saturday, June 17, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Main Street in Warrenton.
According to the Fauquier County Juneteenth website, attendees can look forward to an array of food options from notable vendors like Smitty's BBQ & Soul Food from Catlett and Bowles Southern Fried from Culpeper.
Multiple bands will grace the stage throughout the day featuring American Soul and Funk bands The Faycez U Know and The Special Occasions.
The event will also cater to younger participants with various activities, including a moon bounce, face painting, and a petting zoo.
The Afro-American Historical Association staff plans to serve as the historical center of the event.
Visitors can explore a variety of exhibits and presentations that delve into the rich history of Juneteenth. The historical association will also provide materials and resources that highlight their own contributions and accomplishments. A slide show titled "A Day at AAHA" will offer insights into their work, accompanied by brochures and publications for further exploration.
Newman and Logan emphasized the cru-
cial role of numerous individuals and organizations who have continued to generously donate their time and financial resources to make the event possible.
“We’ve got to pay for all of it…All of this stuff is coming out of our hearts, sweat, and own pockets,” Logan said, underscoring that the Juneteenth committee looks for support from the whole community to sustain and host the event each year.
“Our monetary goal right now is $20,000,” Logan said. “But we’re nowhere near that at the moment.”
Joe Washington, executive member of the Fauquier Juneteenth Committee and trustee of First Baptist, said the theme of the event
is “community, unity and commitment,” and highlighted the goal is to foster connections among community members from all backgrounds by creating a fun, welcoming and educational environment.
“We want to reiterate that this event is open to the community, and we just want to…make people aware of it even if it's just to spur people to seek more information… and be educated for themselves, not just about Juneteenth, but historically speaking,” Washington said. L
Photos of the 2022 event courtesy of NAACP Fauquier County, who thank those who shared photos and helped capture some of the magic of this historic day: Robin Fields, Leon Williams, Suzanne Nadeau, Marsha Melkonian, MacKenzie Miller, Taryn
Weaver, LaKeisha Bradshaw McIntosh, and the Fauquier County Juneteenth Committee.
“Ioften tell people that the ‘happiest place on earth’ is the Vint Hill Gym, just outside of Warrenton, Virginia, on Saturday mornings. The smiles and laughter are contagious, and the hugs are plentiful,” says Fauquier County resident John Schlenker, chairman of Virginia Youth Soccer Association (VYSA) TOPSoccer and director of TopSoccer for the Northern Piedmont Sports Club and the Virginia Soccer Association. In those few hours, for eight weeks every spring and fall, about a hundred athletes, buddies, volunteers, and parents from Fauquier County, Haymarket, and Gaines-
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Schlenker has over 100 volunteers on his roster. Not all make it every week, of course, but he strives for an athlete to player ratio of 1:1. Schlenker is as passionate about encouraging young people to volunteer as he is about soccer. “Most of our volunteers are ages 13 and up,” said Schlenker, but he never turns anyone away. “If I have a 3 or 4 year old that wants to volunteer, I give them a yellow t-shirt and send them on in. It’s never too young to get hooked on volunteering.” He has had three volunteers that have won volunteering awards: Fauquier resident Abbey Wills and Prince William resident Patrick Casey have been named National TOPSoccer Buddies of the Year by US Youth Soccer, and Fauquier’s Lauren Schlenker was named TOPSoccer Buddy of the Year by the Virginia Youth Soccer association.
ville buzz around the bright space under Coach John’s gleeful direction. Schlenker’s nonstop energy is fueled by a passion for “the beautiful game” — and a cause deep in his heart which began when his daughter Katie, who has Down syndrome, expressed an interest in playing soccer like her siblings.
It’s been over 20 years since Schlenker started one of the first TOPS programs in Virginia. The Outreach Program for Soccer, or TOPS, is a recreational sports program for children and adults with intellectual, emotional, or physical disabilities. TOPS also focuses on developing social and communication skills as well as improving the overall physical fitness of the athletes.
Parents have nothing but accolades for the program and the changes they’ve observed in their children. “Holly has demonstrated hard work and perseverance in improving both her soccer skills and her social skills,” writes Sheri Knowlton. “TOPSoccer has provided her a safe and welcoming environment to be herself.”
“Our son Parker has been coming to TOPSoccer for 12 years and each year I have seen growth in different areas. In the early years it was becoming comfortable meeting
All athletes receive a free soccer ball, equipment and uniform, families are never charged a fee, and all coaches are unpaid volunteers. TOPS volunteers have won national volunteering awards.
Team manager Beth Brooks of Prince William County makes sure the day goes smoothly by getting all the families in and out with ease. Her daughter, Aly, is an avid participant of the program. Pictured with John Schlenker
Lania of Fauquier County enjoys the rainbow tunnel, a fun exercise to boost the spirit between the sessions.
new friends, then it was about learning the sport and now it’s all about improving his skill and scoring goals. He always looks forward to Saturday mornings,” writes Sherri Parker.
“The skills [Hattie] learned or observed, listening, sharing, teamwork, coordination and motor skills, last a lifetime,” writes Katherine Wears.
“Carson’s been going to TOPSoccer since he was elementary school and used to walk with a walker. Now he’s in high school and walks with forearm crutches. Coach John visited Carson when he was in the hospital after our car accident. As a family we often go to eat afterwards and the topic always is how many goals Carson made or how his passes assisted his teammates so they scored! We truly love TOPSoccer and Coach John!” said Kelly Powell. L
TOPS runs for eight weeks in the spring and fall. Visit vysa.com for more information.
Even the parents join in on the fun of the parachute drill.
Just being a spectator at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade ® in New York City is an incredible experience, but this year, Liberty High School’s competitive cheer team will actually be performing in it.
Right after watching the 2022 parade, Alicia Schrank, the Bealeton school’s special education teacher and varsity cheer coach, submitted a video of the cheerleaders in action in the hopes of them getting a spot to perform in the parade. The team had no idea she did this.
“We won our district, we placed second in our region and we were third in the state,” she said. “So I knew that they were super strong and were capable.”
When the team found out they were chosen, they were surprised and thrilled.
“We're all one big family and we work super hard and get rewarded for that,” said rising 12th grader, Kaydance Wren. Noelle Lilly, a rising 11th grader agreed. “It’s all about a team effort and family.”
Kay Ulloa, a rising 12th grader who also plays basketball, loves being part of the cheer team as well. “When you become a Liberty cheerleader, it’s the best thing. Our teammates are so nice and the coaches are the best.”
Many of the cheerleaders have been on the team for years, but they still get a little anxious at times. “For the first competition of the year, it's really nerve racking because we haven't done that routine yet,” said Wren. “But after we do it a couple times, we know what we're capable of and we just go out and do it.”
Of course, being in a televised parade with millions of
people watching is enough to make anyone nervous. “It's a different stage and a different audience,” said Ashlyn Leatherwood, a rising 12th grader. “We're used to doing it in front of judges.”
Spirit of America Productions will send out the routine the cheerleaders will be performing. “We'll probably end up practicing here with them as much as we can to get them ready,” said Katie Waddle, head cheerleading coach and social studies department chair. “We'll go as a group, but once we get there, they'll probably be split up into different areas depending on their strengths. They’re going to perform at a couple of set places on the parade route and then the rest of the time they'll be marching.” They’re also getting Macy's cheer uniforms to wear.
“We're used to performing as a smaller team [there are 18 members in total], but it's going to include a bunch of cheerleaders from everywhere around the country, so that’s going to be a lot different,” said Leatherwood.
When she was a kid, she watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade every year. “I’ve always wondered how someone gets to be in the parade. It was such a far off kind of dream and so unrealistic to want to be in the parade. Then this happened and it's really hard to believe.”
Added Morgan Meredith, a rising 11th grader, “It's really exciting - like a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
In addition to getting ready for the performance, there’s also a huge financial commitment to not only travel to New York, but to lodge there. “It's about $3,000
per athlete to go, so we’re banking on having to raise anywhere from $50,000 to $60,000,” said Waddle. “It’s much more expensive than we anticipated, but we will all be in New York for six days.”
Fauquier Excellence in Education has set up a fundraising page for the team so community members and organizations can make donations.
They will leave the Friday before Thanksgiving, and in addition to performing in the parade, being chosen has other perks. They're going to see the Rockettes, a Broadway play, and take a cruise around the city. And of course, they’re all excited to go shopping!
“Only two of them have ever been to New York City, so this is big,” said Waddle “We're from a small area and it’s pretty rural down here. Our school has about 1,400 kids, so it'll be a little bit of a culture shock for them.”
Said Zoey Smith, a rising 11th grader, “It's such a privilege to be on the team because of how close we are and all the places we get to go because of how hard we work. It's just amazing.”
Leatherwood is proud of their achievement. “As a Liberty cheerleader, we represent our school and the fact that we are successful in what we do is a good representation of both our school and the program that we're in.” L
To make a donation and receive a tax-deductible receipt, go to FlipCause.com/secure/cause_ pdetails/MTc2NTMz.
Ask 86-year-old Jimmy Baird of Bealeton when he first fell in love with trains, and you may not get a straight answer.
“I can’t remember when I wasn’t.” As director of the Piedmont Railroader, a Warrenton-based group of railroad enthusiasts, Baird loves to talk about railroads big and small. He has and has operated his own scenic railroad which carries tourists on twice-weekly excursions through picturesque farmland outside of Frederick, Md. with his son David for the past 32 years.
“Scenic trains are good for the local economy. Tourists stay in local hotels. They buy things in local shops…and eat at local restaurants.”
Unfortunately, scenic railroads are almost like an endangered species. Having ridden more than a dozen scenic railways all over the United States, “We’ve seen so many come and go. The truth is, it’s a very difficult thing to do right.”
So they were delighted to hear last August about the opening of the state’s newest scenic railroad, the Virginia Scenic Railway which operates from the Staunton Amtrak station.
“I think it’s absolutely wonderful, the best thing that could happen, that we have one close by.”
Down in Staunton, Steve Powell, president of the 275-mile Buckingham Branch Railroad, a southern Virginia freight line based in Dillwyn, is living his dream.
Not terribly thrilled with the model trains his dad built for him as a child, he preferred to accompany him to work. “My Dad worked for CSX. I got to ride up front with the engineer. It was a whole different world.”
Now, with a Virginia Tech degree in mechanical engineering, Powell says he has “real trains to play with.” Aside from Buckingham Branch, Powell is also the entrepreneur behind the Staunton’s Virginia Scenic Railway.
Powell’s goal was to create a unique experience combining the thrill of a train ride, breathtaking scenery of the Shenandoah Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains, and an upscale dining experience, all in a cozy, nostalgic railway passenger car departing from the historic mid-19th century Amtrak station.
“It all goes back to the view,” he said. “When you’re on a train, you go over bridges. You go through tunnels. Sometimes you have to go on a siding and wait for another train to pass you, and that train comes so close to you can’t believe the trains aren’t touching. You get to appreciate the incredible engineering that has gone into building the railroad.”
I’ TS OUR FOURTEENTH BIRTHDAY! Every year we’ve been open you’ve voted our hometown bakery the best around; we were born right here in a Fauquier farm house and we appreciate it. Share a taste of the Red Truck Bakery with friends across the country— we ship thousands of baked goods each year at RedTruckBakery.com. There’s a good reason NBC’s Today Show, Esquire, The New York Times, Southern Living, Travel+Leisure and other publications love us, but you know that already.
It took two years to restore a 1940 Budd Company stainless steel 34-seat dining car with cherry and maple wood trim. “I wanted American wood. I wanted the inside to feel comforting,” he said. He found a General Motors GP38 Norfolk Southern diesel locomotive to pull the car.
While the passenger rail cars are historic, they have been retrofitted and modernized with all the 21st-century conveniences visitors are used to. Expect ultra-comfortable seats, exceptional service, modern restrooms, and Wi-Fi.
Above all else, Powell did not want anyone on the three-hour trip to be bored. The staff is trained to tell stories, not only of the railroad, but of the towns, the history, the stories, and fun railroad facts.
And there would be no pokey train rides on Powell’s watch. After riding other scenic trains for comparison, he said, “They went too slow! There is a unique feeling of motion when you’re on a train. Ten miles, 15 miles an hour is boring. Any train on my line would have to go at least 25 mph.”
And considering that eating on a train is part of the entertainment, he wanted the food and service to be as good as it could possibly be. Visitors choose from a menu offering sandwiches, salads, and soups as well as three classic desserts and non-alcoholic beverages.
From the day Conductor Travis Carter called out his first “All aboard!”, tickets started selling fast. Getting a seat on the Virginia Scenic has become like scoring a table at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Nearly every ticket sells out two months in advance, with many repeat riders.
The train does two different excursions each day, with the train passing so close to cliffs and rock cuts that you feel you could almost touch them. The west bound Goshen excursion is the more restful, showing off the rural splendor of the Shenandoah Valley. The eastbound trip to Ivy swoops through the Little Rock Tunnel and the nearly-mile-long Blue Ridge Tunnel built by Claudius Crozet.
The excursions are fun for any age. “We’ve had folks celebrate anniversaries and birthdays. We’ve celebrated with toddlers all the way up
The rides are so popular that they book up quickly, but be sure to check back often and keep an eye on social media: tickets are released in batches periodically so everyone has a chance.
Also keep an eye out for themed events on holidays throughout the year, and at Christmas time try Santa’s Scenic Railway, a magical, roundtrip 40-minute train ride that features dazzling views of holiday lights, sparkly Christmas trees, delectable treats, holiday music, and, of course, Santa and his Missus.
to one fellow who was over 100,” said Carter. And people are thrilled with the experience. Linda Trainum of Waynesboro said, “My husband and I tried an excursion on Virginia Scenic Railway for our anniversary. We were blown away by the experience. Everything was spotless and shiny, the service was excellent, the food was delicious, and the scenery was gorgeous. Virginia Scenic Railway hit it out of the park in every single way.”
Powell also has his eye on additional routes and scenic railways throughout Virginia. “This train has been more successful than we believed. I can’t wait to see where it’s going to take us.”
All aboard! L
12 Middlebrook Ave., Staunton 434-391-9772
virginiascenicrailway.com
FB: @ VirginiaScenicRailway
Steve Powell, President Buckingham Branch Railroad and Virginia Scenic Railway
On June 8-10, 1973, over 20,000 Bluegrass and folk music fans descended on Fauquier County for a festival at Lake Whippoorwill, north of Warrenton. Held previously in Culpeper, the event was moved to Warrenton while renovations were underway at Culpeper Veterans Park.
The event brought together well-known Bluegrass performers like the Country Gentlemen, the Dillards, and the Seldom Scene, and contemporary folk/rock groups, including Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, Don McLean, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
Among the fans was G. Edward Ashby Jr. of Marshall, then 17. “Growing up with an AM radio, Big K (WKCW) was my only
source of Bluegrass music,” Ashby recalled. “But I really didn’t care for the traditional arrangements.” He attended the 1972 festival in Culpeper to hear the new Bluegrass that he wasn’t hearing on Big K.
The 1973 festival at Lake Whippoorwill offered that, and more. “Being young, I agreed to drive home by midnight each day. I had to leave while the music was still playing, and I missed the Dillards when they played at 2 a.m. on Saturday,” said Ashby. “I can still hear the mandolins and banjos resonating from the trees as I left.”
Promoter of the “Warrenton Bluegrass Folk Festival” was Jim Clark, of Fairfax, who worked with talent agents and the Virginia
Folklore Society for the entertainment lineup, and the Warrenton-Fauquier Jaycees, who leased him the site for $2,500.
Music was scheduled to play each day from morning until late night. Clark promoted the event widely, with advance tickets $6.50 per day, or $15 for all three days. Overnight camping was an additional $6.
Although public safety and law enforcement officials were experienced in managing large events – like the National Championship Country Music Contest (also held at Lake Whippoorwill) and the Virginia Gold Cup Races – it was decided to take a closer look at what could become a “mini-Woodstock” event.
“When you have an event advertised as a peace, love, blues and Bluegrass festival, that means you’re appealing to a new audience almost entirely,” wrote Bill Vernon in the Muleskinner News, a national Bluegrass publication.
Vernon’s apprehension was shared by local country disc jockey Tom “Cat” Reeder who helped emcee the festival. “Clark doesn’t have the right line-up here,” he said. “He’s got people who will draw the wrong crowd.”
The difference between Bluegrass fans and the younger crowd – who wanted more and shorter acts, and liked to dance to the music rather than sit and listen – became apparent.
“The traditional Bluegrass fan is recognizable for his web chair, beer cooler, short hair, and golf cap,” wrote reporter Paul Magnusson in the June 14, 1973 edition of The Fauquier Democrat. “He looks a little confused by the chick standing next to him smoking some weed and swaying to the sound of the music, dressed in a halter top and cut-off blue jeans.”
Asked about Vernon’s story, then-Sheriff Luther Cox was confident that his office, augmented by deputies from nearby counties, could handle the crowds. “Í’m not excited or depressed about it,” he said. The Virginia
State Police would handle traffic control on nearby public roads, including U.S. 29.
The Fauquier County Health Department assigned three inspectors on site to watch the food handling, as well as monitoring the sanitation facilities and fresh water supply which had to be brought in by large trucks, since there was no running water. Brightly-colored plastic “pot-o-sans” arrived just as the music started, but would be in short supply. The trash cans never came, as the company that was to supply them defaulted on delivery.
Fans packed tightly on the hill above the stage and in the surrounding area enjoyed the music they had come to hear, but the relentless stream of people entering the grounds, the 90-degree heat and the alcohol consumed began to change the dynamic.
The first arrest was made when “… a confused College Park youth had taken off
his clothing in the tradition of music bashes, and had gone swimming,” wrote Magnusson. “All of which would have been okay if he had not insisted on getting in a little sunbathing. Several deputies pursued him and carried him away,” he added. “Two more arrests for indecent exposure followed when a couple rolled out of a sleeping bag when they shouldn’t have.”
Given the size of the crowd, there were few other arrests, estimated at between 24-30, including several drunks, some illegal drug use, and fighting. One deputy described the crowd as “The friendliest group of people for this size crowd I have ever seen.”
Outside the festival area, 20 State Troopers were busy towing away about 100 cars parked along U.S. 29. “It was lucky that for the number of people there, we had no major problems,” said Sgt. J. C. Ogburn, VSP. “But it cost Virginia a small fortune.”
According to Sheriff’s Office Dispatcher
ABOVE: To escape the heat, some fans jumped into the lake with floats and swam up to the stage to hear the performers. LEFT, TOP: Flying over the festival in a private plane, pilot Jim Davis and co-pilot/photographer Fred Robbins captured the lake (at left), camping areas and the parking lot. Entrances were off Dumfries Road and U.S. 29. LEFT, BOTTOM: The stage at the edge of the lake provided musicians room to perform, and space separating them from the audience on the hill.
Ed Butler, there were 22 rescue calls, all of minor nature. Fauquier Hospital reported treating 25-30 persons mostly for cuts and dog bites. There were no cases related to drug use.
By Sunday, things at the festival were slowing down but the appearance of a gang of motorcyclists raised concerns. “Sheriff’s deputies kept weary, but watchful eyes on them, and plucked several from the crowd with tactical brilliance,” wrote Magnusson.
“The smell of the place by Sunday had definitely turned gamy, from a combination of beer-soaked mud, rotting leaves, hamburger fat, marijuana, sweat and the overburdened port-o-sans,” Magnusson concluded.
Indeed, the hillside became a mountain of trash, and Clark was responsible for the clean-up, which started on Monday. “It was the hardest festival I have ever done,” Clark said afterward. While thanking Sheriff Cox and Commonwealth’s Attorney John Alexander for treating him fairly, he had less kind words for the Health Department, who he claimed had harassed him.
“It would cost a quarter million dollars to put on another festival here,” Clark concluded. “And I’m not going to do it.”
The Warrenton-Fauquier Jaycees held their last country music contest at Lake Whippoorwill in August, 1980, and over the years, the site was developed into a community of single-family homes. The lake is gone, replaced by a pond and recreation area owned by the HOA. L
Photos courtesy of Fred Robbins
By Harry F. Burroughs III and David M. Kelly
Harry F. Burroughs is a well-known non-fiction author in Fauquier County for his two comprehensive local history books on local law enforcement: The People’s Sheriff (Robert Mosier) and A Century of Keeping the Peace, which covers Fauquier County sheriffs from 1914 to 2019. Burroughs, who has lived in Warrenton since 1985, is author of several other non-fiction books including his most recent, Justice Delayed, Justice Denied, about a small Gullah community in Georgia, released on October 25, 2022.
Burroughs answered some questions about this most recent work and his writing process for Warrenton Lifestyle.
I spent the last 20 years of my Congressional service writing speeches for various members of Congress. This was excellent training. Upon retirement, I decided to write books about subjects I cared about using my name on the cover. The Harris Neck book, which I am honored to have written with David Kelly, is the most important one I have written.
In 2011, I was the Staff Director of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs, and a letter from Congressman Jack Kingston arrived on my desk. I did extensive research because I had never heard of Harris Neck. Eleven years later, David Kelly and I decided it was time to tell their story.
and destroyed everything -- their homes, businesses, schoolhouse, and one of two cemeteries. Everything was then burned to the ground. Their community, their culture, and their way of life were obliterated. Left completely homeless, residents were forced to seek refuge in an adjacent pine forest.
Does
Fairness, justice, and keeping promises, in this case one made by the federal government.
This is the story of an isolated community in Georgia known as Harris Neck. Between 1865 and 1942, three generations of former African American slaves and their descendants carved out a subsistence living on its 2,687 acres. In 1942, with the encouragement of white county leaders and despite thousands of acres of suitable, undeveloped, and even uninhabited land in the county, the U.S. Department of War constructed an airfield with three runways to train army combat pilots on Harris Neck.
Community residents were given three weeks to vacate their property. On July 27, 1942, bulldozers arrived
As they were building their new lives, their one hope was the promise made by the United States Federal Government that their land would be returned after the war. This solemn promise was never kept, and the site became the Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge. For over 80 years, the Harris Neck elders and their descendants have fought unsuccessfully for justice through federal courts, Congress, and the Executive Branch. Even now, the people of Harris Neck have not given up. And while this is their fight, every American should be angry about this historical injustice and cry out for it to be corrected
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Taxes are complicated. Getting your taxes done isn’t enough - you need your taxes done right. That’s where we come in. We hire and train the most qualified tax professionals to ensure you claim every credit and deduction you deserve so you get your maximum refund. Guaranteed.*
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Join authors Harry F. Burroughs, III and David M. Kelly for a book discussion on Justice Delayed, Justice Denied
June 17, 2023
6 p.m. Rice Theatre Highland School Warrenton
What did you enjoy about writing the book?
I was honored for the opportunity to tell their story. Unlike most historical injustices, there is still an opportunity to do the right thing for the people of Harris Neck. What did you find the most difficult?
The most difficult part was the research. Trying to find various documents was frustrating and time consuming. The most important document was the Last Will and Testament of Margret Ann Harris. David Kelly, who has dedicated nearly 20 years of his life to this cause, was able to find it in an
different Georgia county because the local copy was lost in a fire.
How long did it take you to write?
From the beginning of our research to publication was about one year.
What is your writing style?
Before starting the process, I put together a comprehensive outline of what each chapter will address. I then undertake the research on each chapter. I write the text on a yellow legal pad using a number 2 pencil. I then edit and re-edit the text numerous times. Only then do I type the text into a document on my computer. What did you learn about yourself from the experience?
I am a better researcher than I anticipated. What is the best advice you’ve received about writing?
Never give up trying to expose the truth. L
Justice Delayed, Justice Denied: The Tragic Story of Harris Neck, Georgia is available on Amazon.com or locally by contacting hburroughs1977@gmail.com
Top: L-R: The author’s wife Gayle Burroughs, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears, Harry BurroughsIf you are looking for a professional in their ield April is it.
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What small child isn’t delighted by a book? And what small child isn’t thrilled with a package in the mail that’s just for them? Thanks to Fauquier Reaches for Excellence in School Health (FRESH), Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library literacy program will make its debut in Fauquier this summer. Children 5 and under can receive one free book every month – yes, through snail mail. What better way to foster a love and excitement for reading?
Dolly Parton began Imagination Library in 1995 with a dream that “all children should grow up with a home full of books.” Established in honor of her father, Dolly believed in the importance and impact of early childhood literacy. While the program began in rural Tennessee, it has since grown into a global sensation, with over 204 million free books
Foundation manages the actual purchasing, storing, and mailing of books, local organizations are responsible for program promotion, enrollment, and, most importantly - fundraising for the cost and shipping of each book.
FRESH is a long-standing proponent of early childhood literacy, providing support services to school and county libraries, hosting permanent and mobile StoryWalks, and collecting and distributing free books for children of all ages throughout the community. As the local affiliate for Fauquier County’s chapter of the ‘Imagination Library,’ FRESH has worked hard to generate enthusiasm for the program and financial support through grants and local donations. Early supporters include Fauquier’s Learning Starts Early (LSE) and the Fauquier Excellence in Education Foundation (FEIEF). FRESH will continue to oversee enrollment and fundraising efforts, ensuring preschoolers across Fauquier are able to benefit from this valuable program. L
“As the local affiliate for Fauquier County’s chapter of the ‘Imagination Library,’ FRESH has worked hard to generate enthusiasm for the program and financial support through grants and local donations.”
The goddess, Thetis, prophesied to her demigod son, Achilles, that if he went to Troy, he would die a warrior’s death. But she also told him poets would sing of his glorious victories in the Trojan War for thousands of years to come. His name would be remembered.
Thetis also foresaw an alternate reality for Achilles — a reality where, if he remained behind in Greece, he would marry, father many children, and enjoy a peaceful life surrounded by a loving family. She told him, however, that though he would be honored and remembered by his family, his name, over time, would eventually be lost to history.
Achilles made his choice, and his mother’s prophecy of glorious remembrance came true. He found his immortality in the panoply of war.
We all seek some form of remembrance.
Fatherhood is generational — whether great-grandfather, grandfather, or father, it is all the same. It has evolved over time but means pretty much the same thing in most cultures today.
My grandchildren remember my son on Father’s Day, but usually drop me a line as well. I like it — remembrance
is an important thing to me. And, after all, I did have a hand in shaping their future — indeed their very existence.
I think often of my grandchildren, and I also think of my parents and grandparents. I think of their progeny, and the generational rippling effect that reaches down to succeeding generations.
My Grandfather Bachmann was an immigrant who arrived at Ellis Island from Germany at the turn of the 20th century. Richard was a manual laborer, fought in WW I, and settled in Chicago, IL where he married a local girl, Anna, and raised two sons. He was an elevator operator in one of Chicago’s skyscrapers and died just prior to WW II.
My Grandfather Schmidtlein was also a German immigrant but arrived in Galveston, TX from Ukraine at about the same time. Having served in the Czar’s army, Matthew sought a new life for his family free from war. He and his wife, Anastasia, settled in Independence, MO and had eleven children together. He worked as a boiler maker for the Santa Fe railroad and died during WW II.
Beyond the meager biographical data notating their lives, history will neither remember the strength of char-
acter of Richard Bachmann or Matthew Schmidtlein nor the hardships they endured on behalf of their families. In the present they only live on in the recollections of their children, but over time those recollections will fade and eventually be forgotten.
I lament the fact that I never knew my grandfathers, they both died before I was born.
I am grateful, however, for inherited stories – stories of steadfast character, wisdom, and fatherly love. As an eager grandchild, I never tired of retelling. The knowledge helped me solidify who I was and also filled a gap in my upbringing.
When my father returned from WW II, he suffered from PTSD and was never able to fully regain his pre-war self. He was incomplete, and I sought familial relationships with other male members of our family. They tried to guide me, but as they all had their own families, their guidance was intermittent. I, like my father, was incomplete and without an active father figure, I struggled.
When I became a father, I was in trial-and-error mode. I stumbled many times and was forced to live with regrets — some small and some large. And now, with the passage of time, I can only hope my
children will not judge me too harshly — that they will always remember they had their father’s love.
As I mentioned earlier, remembrance is an important thing. It is instinctual.
A father wants a part of him to live on through his descendants, not only through his DNA but through his values and beliefs. He wants his dreams and aspirations to help shape his children, their children, and the children that are yet to come.
A father wants to be remembered, and he is willing to fight for it.
The battles he fights are not the epic engagements of an Achilles, but the tedious struggles that the harshness of the world imposes upon him. There are no glorious victories here. A father’s struggles gain little recognition — recognition usually comes later in life as children mature and become parents themselves.
It is not fully realized that fathers act more out of love than anything else. Simply put, they want better lives for their children than they had. They want them to be better people than they are. And, if their children soar beyond expectation, they are proud of their achievements.
This is the remembrance — the immortality fathers seek. It is not so just for present generations, but for past generations and for the generations that are yet to come.
There will probably be no poet to immortalize a father’s accomplishments beyond the testament of those whose lives he has directly touched. All must be content in the knowledge that the fruits of fatherhood will be passed on to unknowing future generations.
Maybe this is a small thing; but hopefully, it is enough.
May you all enjoy this very special day. L
The author lives in Orlean, VA.
During his 8 years in the Air Force as an A10 Warthog jet engine mechanic, Dr. Douglas Smith, owner of Advantage Chiropractic and Massage Therapy in Warrenton, played some rugby. He played wing flanker, a challenging position involving a combination of speed and strength — and stamina; he was running roughly 6-7 miles each game. As with many rugby players, the tackling aspect of the game took its toll, resulting in neck, lower back, and shoulder damage.
Smith was sent to the team chiropractor for spine adjustment and rehabilitation. Impressed by the pain relief and speed of healing, he continued therapy regularly and was able to continue playing and noticed that he was even performing better on the field.
That experience sealed the deal for his future. After his service, he considered studying veterinary medicine but decided to pursue a career as a chiropractor because of his love of helping people. With an undergraduate degree from State University of New York and a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Life University, he has been practicing in Warrenton for 24 years and has been voted best chiropractor in Warrenton Lifestyle’s Best of Fauquier survey over 15 times.
Chiropractic care involves the realignment of vertebrae to take pressure off the nervous system and peripheral nerves, as well as soft tissues such as muscles, ligaments, and tendons. When vertebrae are out of place, it has an overall systemic effect on the body which can prevent peak functioning. When done correctly, the realignment doesn’t take a lot of force, allowing for a smooth and quick adjustment.
While he particularly loves working with student athletes, Dr. Smith sees a wide range of conditions and injuries, noting that he is seeing more and more patients with “text neck”, which is neck pain shooting down to
Wife, Kelly, sons Kyle, 24, and Logan, 21, and labradoodle Jax
Resident of Warrenton
24 years
Community Sunday school teacher at The Bridge Community Church
Hobbies
Shooting sports, maintaining and racing his Corvette
the fingers due to computer and cell phone use.
Each patient is treated with an individualized plan involving not only their spine alignment but their overall wellbeing, which is a large part of healing and achieving a pain-free, normally functioning life.
Smith credits his staff of six as being hardworking and as passionate about helping people as he is. His current marketing manager, Jennifer Ely, will be transitioning to practicing chiropractor this summer when her license is certified. She credits Smith as her inspiration to pursue this career; she worked as his chiropractic assistant and attended the same doctoral university. But it was more than his proficiency in his field that influenced her. “It was the beautiful relationship he has with patients,” she said. “Dr. Smith has had and continues to have a successful practice for a plethora of reasons, but his patient rapport, transparency, and the fact that [his] chiropractic [care] provides results and gets people better.” L
Douglas Smith, P.C.
Advantage Chiropractic and Massage Therapy
400 Holiday Court #106, Warrenton 540-349-8989
advantagehealthchiropractic.com
WARRENTON – WATERLOO NORTH
This impressive home offers a lovely blend of style and comfort. The main level featuresgracious foyer, curved stairs to upper level, two story family room, Brazilian cherry hardwood floors throughout. The stunning family room has a gas fireplace and a wall of windows. Just off the family room find a chef’s kitchen with an island, gas cooktop, double wall ovens, sub zero refrigerator and an abundance of cabinets. Enjoy dining in the breakfast nook with views of the inground pool/spa. The dining room to entertain family and friends. Morning room features a wood burning fireplace and access to an amazing outdoor porch and screenedin porch overlooking the heated pool/spa with flagstone patio and pool/garden house. The laundry room is just off the kitchen with a utility sink, pantry and storage space. On the other side of the main level is a den, powder room, and spacious primary suite with a walk-in closet and renovated spa bathroom. At the top of the stairs are four additional spacious bedrooms and three full baths. The walkout basement has tons of natural light, gas fireplace, full bath with a sizable amount of storage space. The 1+ acre lot offers privacy and beauty with a fenced backyard and electric fencing surrounding the entire property. This home has a solid brick exterior, 3 car side load garage with an electric vehicle charging outlet PLUS detached 2 car garage with upper level finished space. XFINITY internet available! Energy efficient homeSolar panels with Tesla backup batteries! Minutes to commuter routes, shopping, restaurants and all Warrenton has to offer. Don’t miss out on this spectacular and unique home!
There’s just something deliciously elegant about mushrooms. Those scrumptious guardians of the forest who tip-toe over a floor of mossy green carpet in search of the dappled sunlight that peeks through its shady umbrella of trees. Grill them, roast them, saute them in a pan or eat them raw. There’s thousands of wonderful ways to enjoy mushrooms.
Hot roast beef sandwiches smothered in mushroom gravy. Mushroom omelets with creamy cheese-y sauce. Stuffed mushrooms. Mushroom pizza. And, the always yummy, mushroom soup that sits patiently on a pantry shelf waiting to be heated and served with saltines. Is there anything better than a mushroom filled life?
But here’s something you may not know - mushrooms can swap for meat. Yes, really! Mushroom bacon. Mushroom pate. Mushroom BBQ and more. Meat lovers have been known to lick their mushroom meat plates clean. Let’s get into the kitchen!
This is WOW on a bun. Who knew BBQ could be vegan? Better make extra. The meat lovers will want to try this!
MAKES 4 SANDWICHES
INGREDIENTS
16 oz. portobello mushrooms
6 Tablespoons vegetable oil (any kind)
2/3 cup of your fav BBQ sauce (to taste)
1 cup water
DIRECTIONS
Cut mushrooms into ¼” slices. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the sliced mushrooms. Cook on medium, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until their liquid evaporates and they start to brown –about 10 minutes. Stir in the BBQ sauce and water. Continue cooking until the sauce has reduced to a thickness you like. Serve on soft buns topped with slaw like any BBQ.
Call it pate or call it chopped liver. Whatever you call it, this is divine stuff to dollop onto fancy crackers or schmear onto bagels.
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
INGREDIENTS
1 cup walnuts
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion (sliced –about 1 cup)
6 cloves garlic (about 1 Tablespoon)
8 oz. portabella or baby bella mushrooms (sliced - about 3 cups)
¼ cup dried parsley
1 Tablespoon dried rosemary
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
¼ teaspoon pepper (to taste)
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the walnuts into an ungreased shallow pan. Bake till lightly browned – about 5 minutes. It’s OK if they get a little dark but don’t let them burn. Cool. Set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet. Add the mushrooms, onions and garlic. Cook over medium/low heat, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the mushroom liquid has evaporated – about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the browned walnuts. Cool then chill at least 2 hours. Longer is OK.
3. Puree the chilled mixture. Refrigerate before serving.
Love mushrooms? Pasta? Creamy cheese-y sauce? Bring them all together for a dining event that’s too extravagant for words. Fancy enough for a dinner party yet easy enough for a hurry up meal. Make this once and you’ll never buy that overpriced stuff in a jar again!
SERVES 4 TO 6
INGREDIENTS
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 stick butter (divided)
16 oz. mushrooms (sliced - any type or a combo)
4 oz. cream cheese (light, whipped or fat free not recommended)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1-1/2 cups milk (dairy or plant)
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 (6 oz.) package shredded Italian Cheese Blend (Parmesan, Romano and Asiago)
FOR SERVING:
1 (8 to 12 oz.) box fettuccine (cooked and drained)
Garnish – chopped, fresh parsley (no stems)
DIRECTIONS
1. Melt oil and 3 Tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Saute mushrooms over medium heat, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until they start to brown and almost all of their liquid has evaporated – about 10 minutes. Set aside.
2. In a medium pot, mix the remaining 5 Tablespoons butter, cream cheese, garlic powder, milk and pepper. Simmer, uncovered and whisking, over medium/ low heat until smooth, slightly thickened, and gently bubbling – about 2 minutes. Add shredded cheese and stir until melted – about 1 minute. Fold in the sauteed mushrooms and any liquid. Toss with hot fettuccine. If desired, add a splash of additional hot milk for the consistency you like. Sprinkle with parsley.
Don’t eat bacon for religious, health or ethical reasons? Surprise! You don’t have to give up bacon – just swap mushrooms for the pork. Use the mushroom bacon in recipes, over salads - even make a BLT. Use only shitake mushrooms and bake them dark or this won’t taste bacon-y.
MAKES ½ CUP BACON CRUMBLES
INGREDIENTS
5 to 6 oz. shiitake mushrooms (no subs)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a shallow pan with foil, shiny side up. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Cut mushrooms into random ¼ inch strips. Put onto foil lined pan. Sprinkle with oil and salt. Toss to coat. Spread mushrooms into a single layer. Bake 30 minutes. Turn mushrooms over and continue baking till the second side is dark but not burned. Remove from oven. Cool on pan. Store in the fridge or freezer.
So easy. So fast. So good.
SERVES 4 TO 6
INGREDIENTS
10 oz. cherry tomatoes (cut tomatoes in half - about 2 cups)
8 oz. raw white mushrooms (sliced - about 2 cups)
1/4 cup of your favorite Italian dressing (to taste) Zest of 1 thick skinned orange (about 1 Tablespoon)
DIRECTIONS
Mix. Chill. L
Place farm orders in advance by phone or online. Pick up at the farm by appointment. For purchasing at Farmers Markets, contact the farm and ask for info.
CATLETT
Won Shan Mushrooms Co. wonshanmushrooms.com
GOLDVEIN
Rock Run Creek Farm
FaceBook only – no web site
Lovettsville Quartzwood Farm quartzwoodfarm.com
MANASSAS
The Fruitful Forest thefruitfulforest.com
Rt. 29/Gainesville
While all grocery stores sell mushrooms, Wegman’s has the biggest and best selection of grocery store mushrooms in our area including the extravagant and elusive truffle.
A Celebration of Fauquier County
A division of Rappahannock Media/InsideNova
PO Box 3632 | Warrenton, Virginia 20188
540-349-2951 | www.fauquiernow.com/lifestyle
