of NOTE
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BE ON THE LOOKOUT through this issue of
ZEST & Style ZES ST TStytlel &
Personalities, Celebrations and Sporting Pursuits
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© 2019 Country ZEST & Style, LLC. Published six times a year
Distributed and mailed throughout the Virginia countryside and in Washington and at key Sporting Pursuits and Celebrations
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for the hummingbird.
MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 798 Middleburg, Virginia 20118
Country
He appears in two ads and the first two to find him (one each) will receive a gift from that advertiser. Send your reply to badgerlen@aol.com.
PHONE: 410-570-8447 Editor: Leonard Shapiro, badgerlen@aol.com Wine Editor: Peter Leonard-Morgan
GOOD WORKS, AND GREAT PEOPLE
Food Editor: Daniela Anderson Art Director Meredith Hancock/Hancock Media @mhancockmedia Contributing Photographers: Crowell Hadden, Doug Gehlsen, Douglas Lees, Karen Monroe and Tiffany Dillon Keen ILLUSTRATORS Crowell Hadden and Daniela Anderson Contributing Writers: Linda Roberts, Childs Burden, Melissa Phipps, Kevin Ramundo, Justin Haefner, Sebastian Langenberg, Sophie Scheps Langenberg, Caroline Fout, Emma Boyce, M.J. McAteer, Tom Northrup, Tom Wiseman, Jimmy Wofford, Mike du Pont, Leslie VanSant, Louisa Woodville, Sean Clancy, Carina Elgin, Jodi Nash, Mara Seaforest ADVERTISING Kate Robbins, Katepolo@icloud.com For advertising inquiries, contact: Leonard Shapiro at badgerlen@aol.com or 410-570-8447
ON THE COVER This issue features Tom Sweitzer as the cover photo and was accomplished with a Paul C Buff Einstein 640w mono-light as the key light, with a “Beauty Dish” as the light modifier. Beauty Dishes are essential for any portrait photographer because they provide an even light resulting in a soft, smooth skin texture. A Profoto B1 with a gridded 24inch Octabox was placed to the right of the camera to help even out the light. An additional Profoto B2 strobe was focused on the backdrop. This is a typical setup for many studios, with the strobe power and Doug Gehlsen camera settings allowing for a wide range of lighting styles. of Middleburg Photo / Country Zest and Style
/ @countryzestandstyle
/ @countryzestand1
www.countryzestandstyle.com 4
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ebruary remains my favorite month of the year. My birthday is Feb. 2, Ground Hog Day. I was married on a Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. My oldest daughter was born on a Feb. 15th, and my second youngest grandchild came into this world on a Feb. 6th. As for Country ZEST, it’s our first issue of 2020, with another February connection— Black History Month. We offer several stories to commemorate the occasion, including a Photo © Leonard Shapiro piece on a historic black school in Rectortown, Marshiell Fox Clark and and another story on an iconic local bandleader Lorraine Tucker Stewart were who made Upperville’s Buchanan Hall jump to former students at Rectortown the beat of his magical music. No. 12. Speaking of music, we’re profiling another local treasure—our cover subject, Tom Sweitzer. He’s become something of what one friend recently called “a rock star” in music therapy as founder of A Place to Be. The Middleburg nonprofit, celebrating its 10th anniversary, has performed medical/musical miracles on many levels. Many more local folks are doing good works in this area, and we have stories on Habitat for Humanity, an ever-expanding Community Foundation and miniprofiles of several other area non-profits that feed the hungry, provide lowincome housing and help countless residents pay their bills. I’d also be remiss not to mention a recent touch of sadness all around the Middleburg area. In January, Middleburg’s Town Council passed a resolution honoring the late Sam Coleman, who died in December from a virulent form of cancer. Sam was the area’s 25-year FedEx deliveryman, as delightful a fellow who ever came into so many of our lives. “Sam Coleman was far more than an anonymous fellow who delivered packages to your house, your store, your office, your farm,” I wrote. “He was a man with a smile that seemingly never left his face…Even at the busiest times of the year…he never seemed rushed or in a hurry. He knew everyone by name, knew their kids names and often their kids kids names, as well. There was always time to ask how you were doing, what was going on, how’s your sore back or your golf game?” Lately, countless people tell me every time they see a FedEx truck in town, they think about Sam. Me, as well, and oh how he’ll be missed. As for the magazine, we’ve got another jam-packed issue. And it’s February, so add a little more Sam Coleman-like ZEST to my favorite month of the year. Leonard Shapiro Editor Badgerlen@aol.com
Go Green Middleburg | Winter 2020
