of NOTE - IT’S FABULOUS FEBRUARY

of NOTE - IT’S FABULOUS FEBRUARY

It’s February, time to celebrate my favorite month of the year. Multiple family

birthdays and anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, Super Bowl Sunday and, for Country ZEST, it marks our fourth year publishing.

For the Middleburg area’s vibrant African-American community, it’s also time to celebrate Black History Month. We’re including a number of stories relating to that important topic, including pieces on the vital work being done by the Afro-American Historical Association of Fauquier County in The Plains and the 60th anniversary of the desegregation of Loudoun County’s public schools.

We’re also focusing on another demographic—men and women in their 20s and 30s, many educated in local schools, public and private. They’ve returned to this area to raise families, pursue careers and contribute to many worthy causes. All are second or third generation.

As for the next generation, there’s a story on the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra showcasing three immensely talented teenage musicians at its annual Young Artists concert, Feb. 13 at Highland School. For the first time, the PSO also has added a young composer element. The orchestra will perform a movement from one of his works, and Russian Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf.

(On a personal note, growing up, P&W was not my favorite. My parents often recalled once taking me to Carnegie Hall for a performance, with dancers on stage to visually enhance the music. But my folks had to deal with a hysterical four-year-old—me—every time the wolf showed up.)

But I digress.

John Sherman’s hilarious Letter From Paris is a must-read on a near-disastrous rehearsal dinner when he and wife Roma owned the Ashby Inn. Same for a feature on a local dentist with a collection of electric guitars, all lovingly hand-made by him. He plays them, too.

Middleburg has some real straight-shooters, including three members of one family who are sporting clay champions. There’s a terrific tale from Jimmy Hatcher on another intriguing outdoor pursuit—sled dog racing—and a confrontation on a local country road between Huskies and horses that thankfully ended up with no harm, no foul.

We love local students writing for the magazine, with delightful contributions from an aspiring Wakefield ballerina and a budding Foxcroft race car driver.

Finally, we’re welcoming two additions to our formidable freelance contributors.

Joe Motheral, a prolific Leesburg-based writer with numerous articles and several books to his credit, makes his ZEST debut. So does Eugene Scheel, a renowned Waterford historian, author and mapmaker who knows more about our unique corner of the countryside than anyone on the planet.

So here’s hoping you enjoy our winter issue. As always, we’re delighted to add a bit of ZEST to your reading pleasure.

Leonard ShapiroEditorbadgerlen@aol.com