Country ZEST & Style Winter 2023 Edition

ALL’S WELL FARM

MARSHALL, VIRGINIA

Prime Fauquier County location on the Atoka Road | 88.34 acres with bold Blue Ridge views | Neoclassical brick home with slate roof completely updated & expanded | 5 BR, 5 full, 2 half baths, 5 fireplaces, gourmet kitchen | 10 stall barn with attached indoor arena | Pool, pool house, tenant house | Beautiful gardens | Superb condition

$6,500,000

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

WIND FIELDS

MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA

324.18 acres in prime Middleburg location | Frontage on Snickersville Turnpike | Rolling acreage with Blue Ridge views, creeks, ponds, mature woods and Goose Creek frontage | Lime Kiln cottage with remains of original mill | Property is in Conservation Easement, may be subdivided 3 times

$5,511,060

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

OUT WEST

WARRENTON, VIRGINIA

Gracious home with impressive renovated kitchen | Hardwood floors, substantial millwork and fine finishes and 4 fireplaces | Perfectly sited to enjoy the views of surrounding farmland | 5 bedrooms, home office, large family room, newly resurfaced tennis court, wonderful pool with cabana and 4 bedroom guest house with workshop/3 stall stable | Large field for turn out, 1 paddock and lovely hay field | 32 acres in 2 recorded parcels

$3,000,000

helen MacMahon 540.454.1930

WATERFORD, VIRGINIA

74.11 acres | Frontage on Catoctin Creek, sweeping views, pond | 3 homes, all updated in excellent condition “Stabler House” - 3 BR, 1 1/2 BA, FP & wood floors | “Oak Grove” - Stone and frame construction, 3 BR, 1 1/2 BA & wood floors “Tenant House” - Frame construction, 2 BR, 1 BA, FP | Historic stone Quaker barn completely restored, 12 stalls, 4 stalls adjacent, 4 more stalls in pony shed Board fencing, 8 paddocks, 6 run in sheds, water in every field | Property in Conservation Easement

$2,200,000

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

CATESBY VINEYARD

UPPERVILLE, VIRGINIA

44.55 acres of which 15 acres are producing grapes | 8.5 acres of Chambourcin, Traminette on 4.3 acres and Vidal Blanc on 2.1 acres | Vineyard infrastructure includes fencing, irrigation system and computerized well | Perc site for 4 bedroom home | Property is in conservation easement | Property can be converted to Residential use

$1,300,000

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA

Rare opportunity | 2 recorded lots with C-3 zoning in the town of Middleburg | 2 separate buildings with 8 offices, 5 storage bays and ample parking | All buildings are in excellent condition

$1,250,000

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

MINTER-SPILMAN MILL & MILL HOUSE

WARRENTON, VIRGINIA

The house & the mill together offer 4/5 bedrooms | Renovated into a charming enclave of two homes | Almost all of the mill’s working parts have been preserved | Just miles from historic old town Warrenton | Filled with natural light, this property brings together the craftsmanship of Old Virginia with modern luxury

$1,195,000

helen MacMahon 540.454.1930

Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

200 STONEWALL AVENUE

MIDDLEBURG, VIRGINIA

Rare opportunity in the town | 2 story building, hardiplank and stone exterior, zoned C1 | Floor plan perfect for professional use | Ample parking in rear, large yard area, view of Salamander Resort | Furnace replaced in 2012 & heat pumps in late 2021

$985,000

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

JOHN MARSHALL HIGHWAY

MARKHAM, VIRGINIA

49.16 acres in 2 recorded parcels | Frontage on Goose Creek, land rises to great views, mountain meadows on upper portion | Access over Railroad and creek | Excellent hunting land, surrounded by large tracts

$300,000

Paul MacMahon 703.609.1905

Brian MacMahon 703.609.1868

104 & 106 S. PENDLETON ST.

BELLE VIEW FARM

IN and OUT

Jeff Blue- Jet Blue

Oaks at Upperville - Gingkos at Blandy

Lionel Messi - Tom Brady

Business casual - Sweat pants

Upperville green - Avocado green

Ransom notes -Wordle

Tequila - Bourbon

Stanley Tucci- Giada Pamela De Laurentis

Platform tennis- Pickleball

Tattooed eyebrows- all other tattoos

Beagles – French Bull Dogs

Camels – Llamas

Richard Wallach- Greg Norman

Livestreaming-Cable television

Claude Schoch-The Cable Guy

Tom Davenport- Ken Burns

Prince George - Prince Harry

Kate - Meghan

Za’atar -Everything Bagel seasoning

New Italian restaurant - Thai restaurants

Shaved head -Retro-mullet

Virginia Bocelli- Virginia Maestro

Bridge Littleton-Rudy Guiliani

Buchanan Hall – Carnegie Hall

Mangos – Apricots

Piggy Banks – Crypto

Sunflower – Daisy

Ham biscuits - Sweet potato fries

Ted Lasso – Ron Rivera

Mickie Gordon Park- FedEx Field

Gingko trees - Chinese Flame Tree

Safety vests - Broken ribs

Pandemic gray hair - $400 hair color

Gingkos at Blandy - Oaks at Upperville

Subaru -Range Rover

Sheer clothing - Baggy sweatpants

BeReal - TikTok

Espresso martini - Jell-O shots

Street art - Motion art

Pilates – Goat yoga

Exercise - Weight loss apps

SEC universities – Big 10

Water – Diet Coke

Rescue dogs – Any “doodle”

Jet Blue- Jeff Blue

With many thanks to our experts: Ben Wegdam, Carina Elgin, Leslie VanSant, Tara Wegdam, Virginia Jenkins and…

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2023

ZEST & Style

Personalities, Celebrations and Sporting Pursuits

© 2022 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

MAILING ADDRESS:

P.O. Box 798

Middleburg, Virginia 20118

PHONE: 410-570-8447

Editor: Leonard Shapiro badgerlen@aol.com

Art Director

Meredith Hancock

Hancock Media

Contributing Photographers:

Doug Gehlsen

Crowell Hadden

Sarah Huntington

Missy Janes

Douglas Lees

Karen Monroe

Tiffany Dillon Keen

Donna Strama

Contributing Writers:

Emma Boyce

Sean Clancy

Kerry Dale

Philip Dudley

Mike du Pont

Carina Elgin

Valerie Archibald Embrey

Jimmy Hatcher

M.J. McAteer

Joe Motheral

Jodi Nash

Tom Northrup

Ali Patusky

Melissa Phipps

Pat Reilly

Linda Roberts

Eugene Scheel

Constance Chatfield-Taylor

John Sherman

Peyton Tochterman

John Toler

Leslie VanSant

Jimmy Wofford

Louisa Woodville

For advertising inquiries, contact: Leonard Shapiro at badgerlen@aol.com or 410-570-8447

ON THE COVER

Let me cover some of the preparation for a photo shoot. Two basic tools I always use are a light meter and a calibrated color checker card. Light meters measure the intensity of the light and color checkers are used as a reference for the color of the lighting. Color checker cards can be as simple as a 50 percent gray card or relatively expensive calibrated color swatches. I prefer the Calibrite ColorChecker Passport, a notecard-sized folder with a series of calibrated color swatches. A picture is taken of the color checker before or during the photo shoot and used as a white point and color reference in the post-production software, ensuring the colors are accurate.

/ Country Zest and Style / @countryzestandstyle / @countryzestand1 www.countryzestandstyle.com

of NOTE

BE ON THE LOOKOUT through this issue of for the hummingbird.

ZECountry ZEST & Style Country

ZEST & Style Country

He appears in two ads and the first two readers to find him (one each) will receive a gift from THE RED TRUCK Rural Bakery, with locations in Warrenton and Marshall. Send your reply to badgerlen@aol.com

Making History at Five

By Leonard Shapiro

This winter issue of Country ZEST magazine marks the fifth year since we first published in August, 2019. Over those many months since, we’ve tried to inform, entertain and enlighten readers with hundreds of stories and photos focusing on our gorgeous corner of the Virginia countryside.

To be continued, for sure.

This edition, our first of 2023, includes several pieces pertaining to Black History Month celebrated annually in February. Our cover features three of the principals involved in the preservation of the revered village of Willisville, with a story by Dulany Morison on the mission of the Willisville Preservation Foundation. The group was formed to advocate for the predominately Black enclave, preserve its heritage, and protect its historic character.

The hourglass in the cover photo needs a bit of explanation. Board member Dwight Grant, one of the principles in the story, brought it along. He said it was meant to convey time passing or still existing, the better to somehow stress that generations have been involved and connected for a long period of time.

We’re also running a story by Peyton Tochterman on the latest developments concerning Middleburg’s historic Asbury Church building that once housed a bustling Black congregation and is in the process of being renovated for still to be determined other uses.

We’ve got Joe Motheral’s piece on the Black History Committee at Leesburg’s widely-regarded Balch Library and its efforts help trace the roots of many Loudoun residents, and beyond.

A story courtesy of ESPN profiles a young man who grew up in Marshall and still calls Fauquier County home and is definitely on his way to making some serious history of his own. That would be University of Michigan football AllAmerican Blake Corum, considered by many the finest running back in the country and a Heisman Trophy candidate for the 2023 season, his senior year.

There’s lots more. Our Paris correspondent, John Sherman, has Part Deux of his delightful tale about a true Dancing Queen first discovered at the Ashby Inn in Paris, Virginia of course. She later took her act to the Greenbriar Resort, with laugh out loud, oo-la-la results.

Let us entertain you as well with Jodi Nash’s story on a local barbershop quartet that includes one harmonizing member with a day job as a Warrenton dermatologist.

And finally, we’re sadly saying goodbye to a Middleburg institution with Carina Elgin’s story on Chief of Police A.J. Panebianco. He’s announced his retirement effective May 1 after a decade as the town’s beloved chief law enforcement official. If you see him on the street, you might want to thank him for his memorable service.

So welcome to the start of our new year with an issue I’m certain will add plenty of ZEST to your reading enjoyment.

Leonard Shapiro Editor badgerlen@aol.com 410-570-8447

Doug Gehlsen and Karen Monroe of Middleburg Photo

Spectacular custom estate of over 11,700 SF, offers the utmost in a luxurious country lifestyle. Completely rebuilt in 2016, it is a masterpiece of quality and design. Features 5 ensuite bedrooms, private office/guest suite with separate entrance, fabulous gourmet kitchen for entertaining & 6 bay garages for prized vehicles. The stable is an extraordinary showplace for treasured equines and pets and the manicured grounds boast brilliant gardens with mature trees. Included is high speed internet with fiber optic cable, a whole house generator and add to that—privacy and seclusion with breathtaking mountain views! Come for a private viewing of this exquisite estate.

34627 Atoka Chase, Middleburg VA 20117

acres | $4,250,000

SENATOR JILL H. VOGEL Legislative Update - January 23

The 2023 General Assembly convened at the Capitol at the beginning of January. On January 11th, Governor Youngkin held the annual State of the Commonwealth Address before a joint session of the House and Senate. He cited a year of collaboration with the legislature that yielded increased teacher pay, investments in K-12, lab schools, a university tuition freeze, tax relief, and elimination of the grocery tax. He highlighted the Administration’s overhaul of a broken regulatory process in areas like foster care, the Virginia Employment Commission working through a 900,000-claim backlog, and the DMV. He noted recruitment of major investment in Virginia including Boeing, Raytheon Technologies, and as I am most proud, Lego’s first ever U.S. manufacturing facility locating in Virginia.

The Senate welcomed a new member after a special election to fill the vacancy left by Sen. Kiggins’ election to Congress in November. Aaron Rouse, a former Virginia Tech and NFL player, replaced her making the Senate 22 Democrats to 18 Republicans (and adding terrific athletic talent to hopefully help us win the House vs. Senate basketball game). The House has a similar narrow majority of 52 Republicans to 48 Democrats. The biggest legislative questions so far are how to handle Virginia’s $2.6 billion budget surplus. Among the greatest funding needs are in behavioral health, law enforcement, and education. We also are debating proposals to reduce corporate and individual tax rates.

In the months preceding the session, I met with local governments, civic organizations, and community advocates in each of the seven jurisdictions in the 27th District. Many of their requests are part of my current legislation which includes:

• a bill to establish the Virginia Power Innovation Fund to support research and development of energy technologies, including nuclear, hydrogen, carbon capture and utilization, and energy storage;

• a bill to enhance retirement benefits for Public Defenders and Commonwealth Attorneys;

• a bill to clarify that children engaged in reasonable independent activities (walking home from school, playing outdoors) are excluded from the definition of abuse and neglect;

• a bill to limit dirt dumping on property under agricultural exemption;

• a bill to require assisted living facilities with fewer than 25 residents to meet requirements for staff training and minimum staff age;

• a bill to allow Community Service Board employees to qualify for state employee health benefits;

• a bill to allow students 16 years or older to serve as voluntary apprentices in a cosmetology salon;

• a bill to implement underground transmission lines in Fauquier County related to a data center;

• a bill to provide for behavior analyst certification;

• a bill to combat fentanyl deaths by increasing penalties for knowing distribution;

• a bill to change the required time frame for calibration of speed monitoring devices;

• a bill to increase penalties for prostitution as part of a package of bills to combat human trafficking;

• a bill to implement human trafficking prevention training for first year students at public universities;

• a bill to prohibit the state from entering contracts in excess of $100,000 with contractors who boycott Israel;

• a bill to prohibit electric utilities from using remote technology to change a customers’ smart thermostat;

• a bill to allow farm buildings to qualify for an agreement in lieu of a plan as part of stormwater management compliance;

• a bill to authorize the issuance of special license plates for women veterans;

• a bill to revise certain brewery regulations;

• an addition to the budget for Loudoun County Crisis Receiving Center;

• a measure to fund teacher retention;

• an addition to the budget for the conservation application system for the agriculture BPM tracking program;

• a measure to support the Physician Assistant Preceptor Incentive Program; and

• a measure to fund battlefield conservation.

We welcome your feedback and encourage visitors to come to the Capitol. Please contact our office any time you have questions or concerns. I can be reached during the General Assembly session at 804-698-7527, P.O. Box 397, Richmond, VA 23218, or email at district27@senate.virginia.gov.

Bunny Mania

By Vicky Moon

When Bunny Mellon mania hit the Washington Antiques Show in midJanuary, Desiree Lee jumped into the thick of it full throttle.

Lee, who lives in Lovettsville, worked for the garden guru from 2004-2008. She said she received a random call asking her to some table arrangements and a piece for an entrance table at the Katzen Art Center at American University.

As an ode to Mrs. Mellon’s legacy, the Upperville research complex known as the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, there was a display at the event that included the conservatory Trompe l’oeil by Fernand Reynard. There were subtle touches such as topiary, cyclamen and plant stands from the legendary greenhouse.

“She loved green flowers,” Lee said, and many of them have been seen in her gardens. They included Lady’s Mantle, Olive foliage, scented geraniums, peonies, Hellebore, Dianthus, and Parrot tulips.

“She also loved white sweetheart roses,” Lee added, “which were on her breakfast tray each morning.”

Lee grew up on her grandparents 300-acre beef cattle and grain home base at Armarc Farms in Loudoun County. Her father’s family owned Southern Electric. She went on to study forestry at West Virginia University and “fell in love with horticulture.”

Looking back at her time working for Mrs. Mellon, she said, “It shaped my style. Her greatest strength was restraint. Very simple.”

Lee now has her own business, Hunt Country Gardens, and she travels the countryside doing a range of horticulture services and restorative/ annual pruning services for private estates in the area. They include St. Brides, Cleremont, Huntland, Farmer’s Delight and others.

“I adjust to different sets of expectations on each property based on the clients and property aesthetic,” she noted. “From perennial borders, native plantings and kitchen garden cultivation.”

And, then there’s this…Mac Griswold has written a new book: I’ll Build A Stairway

To Heaven: A Life of Bunny Mellon.

Publisher Farrar, Straus and Giroux has defined it as “The story of Bunny Mellon, the great landscape and interior designer, becomes a revelatory exploration of extreme wealth in the American century.”

Revelatory, is just the tip of the iceberg.

Yes, the book includes a review of this stylish woman’s gardening accomplishments—the White House Rose Garden, the landscape design for the Kennedy grave site at Arlington National Cemetery, and her studious restraint in the Upperville gardens at the home she shared with husband Paul Mellon at Oak Spring Farm, now the Oak Spring Garden Foundation. Add to this gardens and grounds in Nantucket, Antigua and beyond.

However, aspects of this book are the insider material following Griswold’s time as a Foxcroft school mate and friend of Bunny’s only daughter Eliza, who died after an accident which left her lingering for years. Yes, the writer was granted access to family archives, but who knew that boarding school conversations and antics would later be published?

Heaven help all of us. After reading that Eliza was gay. Not to mention that Bunny and her daughter did not speak for many years. Said one recent reader, “There should be more respect.”

HUME AND FLINT HILL

CO-CHAIRS

$40 pp in advance at www.vagardenweek.org

$50pp for ticket purchase on day of the tour

Four fabulous properties: High Meadow, Stone Hill, Farfelu, Wind Ridge

Questions: Warrenton@vagardenweek.org

2023 MIDDLEBURG HUNT COUNTRY

Thursday, April 20, 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. • Friday, April 21, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

$50 pp in advance at www.vagardenweek.org

Four magnificent properties:

Gum Tree Farm, Claybrook (gardens only), Oak Spring, Little Oak Spring

Note: Oak Spring Garden Foundation the home and gardens of the late Paul Mellon and Rachel “Bunny” Lambert Mellon, two of the greatest American art collectors and philanthropists of the late twentieth century is available for separate pre-purchase only, $75 at vagardenweek.org, open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. both days.

MIDDLEBURG HEADQUARTERS: NATIONAL SPORTING LIBRARY & MUSEUM, 102 THE PLAINS ROAD, MIDDLEBURG, VA

Tickets available for purchase online at www.vagardenweek.org

Questions: middleburg@vagardenweek.org

Photo by Marissa Hasser Desiree Lee is a garden specialist with her Hunt Country Gardens.

Desiree Lee’s preliminary sketch for Bunny Mellon inspired arrangement.

Final artwork of Desiree Lee’s Bunny Mellon inspired floral baskets for the Washington Antiques Show.

LINDA REYNOLDS AND DOUGLAS WISE-STUART

Discover What Makes Us Experts at Educating Girls

• Designed with girls in mind, courses are interdisciplinary, collaborative & hands-on

• 1:5 faculty to student ratio supports individual learning in small class setting

• Nationally recognized riding & STEM programs

• Students thrive intellectually, socially & emotionally, guided by intentional co-curricular & residential life program

JENNIFER LONG: A Designing Woman In Every Way

By Leonard Shapiro

From her cozy third-floor Middleburg office, Jennifer Long has a birds-eye view of a classic American small town from where she continues to produce fabulous brands for some of the nation’s most well-known companies and sparkly celebrities.

It was Long, a native Californian and founder of Long Design, who created the original logo for Oprah Winfrey’s long-time television show. She retooled eBay’s website after it went public years ago and has handled the design for IBM’s annual report among several Fortune 500 companies.

She’s passionate about her work and finds time to give back, serving as vice chair for the Middleburg Arts Council and branding popular village events like Oktoberfest, Art in the Burg, and a Dickens Christmas.

“I have several local clients, too,” she said. “Some are in start-up mode, some high tech. Right now, I’m working on a brand in the aerospace/defense field. I’m designing their logo and launch materials, including their business system, PowerPoint deck, and website. It’s about developing a family of graphic elements that always begins with the logo. Then, applying that logo to various media needs a consistent look and feel, critical to a strong brand.”

Long’s career started in the late 1980s after earning a BFA in Graphic Design from the University of Arizona. Then, at 21, she headed to New York City, taking her portfolio and considerable skills.

After three years, she returned to the Bay Area for graduate studies at the California College of the Arts in San Francisco. There were plenty of offers when she finished, and at age 26, she ended up at an award-winning Dallas boutique advertising and design firm. After a non-stop year of grueling 6 1/2 work weeks, Long was hired away by the prestigious Pentagram Design in New York.

By 1991, Long was ready to go out on her own and opened Long Design in San Francisco. Her big break came when she got a call from Mike Wilson, one of the founders of eBay.

“He said he needed help with a press release because they were going public,” Long recalled. “Then I re-designed their website. It was a great experience, and I loved the energy of the start-up environment. One success led to another, and I kept getting more opportunities, especially with logo design and branding. I always liked being part of the core executive team, working right alongside them.”

In ‘98, she moved the business to nearby Palo Alto, where her parents had a home, and start-ups were booming.

Her father served as an assistant agriculture secretary during the Nixon-Ford Administration, and Long attended the Madeira school near Washington. Her older sister, Patty Jarvis, and her family were already living in the Middleburg area, so she became s a frequent visitor. Then, she decided to take another leap back across the country to Middleburg in 2012.

“I wanted to raise my two boys (Sawyer, now 23, and 19-year-old Alden) where the community knows your name. It’s a great place to grow up—the nature, wildlife, the horses.”

And these days, the business is thriving, despite its small-town location.

“People are finding me here,” she said, “and I love what I do. It’s great to create a visual face of someone’s life work. It’s a true honor and a tremendous responsibility. I take the work very seriously. Everyone is invested in the experience, and I like that.”

Photo by Leonard Shapiro Jennifer Long in her Middleburg office.

Countryside Welcomes a New Family Nurse Practitioner

By Leonard Shapiro

Amanda Butler knows exactly when she became enamored with the idea of a career in medicine.

It happened for the Warrenton native when she was in the sixth grade. Her mother, Sandy, was badly injured in a motorcycle accident and spent several months in and out of the hospital.

“She had wonderful doctors, nurses and providers,” Butler said. “I saw what they did for her and ever since then, medicine was always a big passion for me. I knew what I wanted to do at a very young age.”

These days, nearly 20 years later, Butler’s passion is quite obvious, both to her patients and her colleagues at Countryside Family Practice in Marshall. In December, she started setting up shop there as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), where she has office hours on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

“We’re very fortunate that she’s here,” said Dr. Robert Houska, who, along with Countryside founder Dr. Norris Royston, was instrumental in bringing Butler to Marshall. “She has a lot of experience in pediatrics and emergency room medicine, and she’s very well rounded. She has 13 years of great people skills. It’s just a big plus for the practice.”

Butler wasted little time pursuing her passion. She graduated from Liberty High School in three years, then became a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) and began working for Warrenton pediatrician Margaret Jeffries-Honeywell for two years. She did a registered nurse program at Lord Fairfax Community College

and graduated there in 2013, then was employed in the emergency room at Culpeper Hospital until 2020.

At that point, she started commuting to Harrisonburg from her home in Midland in southern Fauquier County to complete a bachelors and masters program at James Madison University. She and her husband Corey, a Warrenton based firefighter and EMT, have two children, Emma, 5, and Tripp, 3, and somehow manage to make each of their frenetic schedules work.

“As an FNP, I treat patients from newborns to older adults,” Butler said. “I treat acute or chronic illness, do preventative medicine, pretty much everything.

I’m also fortunate to have joined a practice (Countryside) where I can also consult with two doctors (Royston and Houska) with great experience and unbelievable knowledge.”

Butler said she was drawn to nursing as opposed to going to medical school because “it’s a little different approach to medicine. We follow a very holistic approach in caring for an individual, taking into consideration a number of factors and how they all connect together.

“It’s mind, body and soul. I can do a very individualized approach and take care of each person’s specific needs…I can proscribe, treat and diagnose. We work very similarly to what the doctors do.”

And Butler’s ability to do it in an area where she’s spent her entire life also has great meaning. Her parents own Warrenton-based MRC Plumbing and her husband’s family operates Butler Eichner Septic based in Bealeton.

“I was born and raised here,” she said. “I take a lot of pride in being in this community and from this area. I love caring for the patients, building relationships and finding ways to optimize their health. That’s why I got into this, and I couldn’t the happier.”

Photo by Leonard Shapiro

Family Nurse Practitioner Amanda Butler at her Countryside Family Practice office.

Hail to a Retiring Chief A.J.

By Carina Elgin

If Middleburg had a “Nicest Guy” award, Middleburg Police Chief A.J. Panebianco, surely would be the unanimous winner. He’d also qualify for “Most Professional” or “Having Made the Biggest Positive Impact” on the small town. Soon he’ll also be “Most Missed,” when he retires on May 1, leaving some very hard-to-fill shiny black shoes.

When Panebianco, affectionately known as “Chief A.J.,” came to Middleburg in 2012 to apply for the job, he had risen from patrolman to chief in Buena Vista, VA, and worked in Warsaw and Louisa. He also had never heard of the small town on the fringe of Northern Virginia.

“Like many others who come to Middleburg for the first time, I fell in love,” he said. “I wanted the job so bad, but there was a lot of competition. I told the Town Council that they wanted me, but not because I would raise money through enforcement, but because I would make this a community police force.”

In over a decade, Panebianco has succeeded on both fronts.

Early on he was often seen feeding quarters into parking meters instead of issuing tickets. He and his officers have become a beloved part of the community, frequently walking the streets and visiting with shopkeepers, residents and tourists.

They organize a summer National Night Out of fun and food, the better to ontinue to “connect and build positive relationships.” He and his small force go to the schools for “Breaking Bread” to have lunch and chat with the kids so they’d

Out there every day, they know the people, and their dogs.

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Panebianco noted that when police visit from other parts of Virginia, they marvel at all the people who say hello by name, shake his hand or high five him.

“This community is different then anywhere else in the state,” he added. And as much as folks in and around town will miss him, he’ll miss them, as well.

“Middleburg is such a unique community,” he said. “I was offered more money other places, but you can’t buy the loyalty there is here. I’ve truly never been happier. I believe I was the right chief at the right time. Iit was a perfect blend that we both needed. It made it magical. There hasn’t been a single morning on this job that I woke up and didn’t want to go to work.”

Retirement won’t slow him down. He’ll be remodeling a recently purchased North Carolina beach house and plans to spend more time with family, including his three-year-old granddaughter, Bella, and his German Shepherd, Gracie. He’ll continue his passion for older cars, like his current Camaro convertible, and he’ll keep on playing poker, having competed in the World Series of Poker every year since 2006.

And who will try to fill those shiny black shoes?

Panebianco said the town will soon post a job vacancy announcement. He’s also also been mentoring Lieutenant Shaun Jones, to give him “the best opportunity to be the right fit.”

In the two years since he arrived, Jones also has made a huge impact on the community, and many are rooting for him to become the next chief.

Panebianco plans to come back and visit. After working so many Christmas parades, he said he’d love to actually watch one. The community will surely embrace the chance to celebrate him, as well as Santa Claus.

To find out more, please scan here.

Let

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MARSHAL 7-ELEVEN YOUR HOMETOWN GO-TO CONVENIENCE STORE

“Give the customers what they want, when and where they want it.”

—Joe C. Thompson Jr., 7-Eleven Founder

7-Eleven and their brands are a big part of the American culture and are recognized worldwide. The Marshall 7-Eleven is your go-to convenience store for food, beverages, money related items, fuel, general grocery items and so much more! Check out some of our offerings ...

FOOD

• Hot Foods

• Hotdogs

•

GROCERIES BEVERAGES MONEY FUEL

7-Eleven was the first to provide to-go coffee cups!

7-Eleven was the first to operate 24 hours a day!

7-Eleven was the first to offer a self-serve soda fountain!

7-Eleven coined the phrase “Brain-Freeze®”!

As a franchise owner and an active member of my community, I’m proud to be a part of the 7-Eleven and Marshall, VA story. Stop by and see us!

— Bernice Simpson

Tina Thomas and Middleburg Library

By Leonard Shapiro

Tina Thomas’s official title at the Middleburg Library is “library assistant,” but branch manager Lilly Newton knows full well that’s the very least of it.

“Truth is, she could pretty much run this place on her own,” Newton said recently. “She can do it all.”

Thomas will celebrate 20 years of service at the Middleburg branch this summer. And anyone who’s ever had the pleasure of dealing with her also knows there is good reason to celebrate a woman who has rarely met a question about a book, a magazine, a computer, a scanner or a copying machine she couldn’t answer almost immediately.

It’s problem solved, and always with a warm smile.

Thomas is a native of Purcellville and a graduate of Loudoun Valley High School who said, “I’ve always loved books, so let’s go to the library.” She began with the Loudoun County system 27 years ago, spending the first 6 1/2 years at the Purcellville branch as a library page.

A friend was working at the Middleburg Library and suggested she ought to apply for an opening there.

“I thought it would be fun to work with her,” Thomas said. “But then she switched over to Purcellville and I came here to Middleburg as a library aid. But it all worked out.”

And all for the good.

“I was considered head of circulation but there were so many duties,” she said, adding that her job description now also involves “handling the money, purchasing, curating the magazines, helping oversee the collection inventory and helping with the computers. I’m the back-up for story time, too. Here, we all do a little bit of everything.”

Much of it also involves dealing with the public, young and old. And asked what she enjoys most about the Middleburg Library, Thomas didn’t hesitate.

“I’d say the people. I have met some of the kindest, smartest, funniest people from all walks of life. You look forward to seeing their faces when they walk through the front door. And most people are comfortable with sharing things with you. They feel comfortable here and welcome here, as if it’s a second home.”

A number of regulars spend hours at a time in the library taking advantage of its comfy, quiet work space. They’ll tap into the library’s computers or their own laptops for the free and fast wi-fi. Others will grab a book or a newspaper or a magazine. Students do plenty of homework there, and the children’s section always draws an enthusiastic gaggle of more than occasional boy and girly gigglers, as well.

Thomas and her colleagues are always there to help. She remains a voracious reader, including plenty of book reviews, and often is asked to offer her own recommendations “which I love to do.”

“I like non-fiction, but thrillers and romantic stuff, too,” she said when asked about her own personal literary preferences. “I like Maya Angelou, Lucy Montgomery and her Anne of Green Gables; Steve Berry, Daniel Silva. Lots of others, too.”

When Sheila Whetzel decided to retire after a long career as branch manager in Middleburg last year, some thought Thomas might also like to think about replacing her.

No thank you.

“I had been a supervisor before,” she said. “That’s just not for me. I’m very happy where I am, very content with what I’m doing.”

Clearly comforting words for her legion of library admirers.

Photo by Leonard Shapiro Middleburg Librarian Tina Thomas

Asbury Church Building Has a Rich History and Promising Future

By Peyton Tochterman

In 1829, Asbury Church was built on land donated by Middleburg resident Hugh Grant to provide a place of worship for Methodists. Now, nearly 200 years later, the town of Middleburg is seeking to renovate this historical landmark to preserve its rich history and preserve the oldest church building in the village.

The church served its original purpose until 1855, when a new, larger Methodist church was built on Washington Street. Asbury was emptied and abandoned until the Civil War erupted. The church was then used as a storehouse, a government depot for food, and a morgue and hospital for both the North and South during the war.

Toward the end of the conflict, Asbury was donated to the African-American Methodist Congregation, which repaired the church. By the end of the Civil War, Asbury became the first African-American church in Middleburg.

The 1880s brought about a renovation that included an organ and a church bell. The church also served as a public school for African-American children. It continued to be the center of religious activity for its worshippers until 1994, when the congregation merged with the Willisville United Methodist Church, leaving the building vacant.

Nearly 30 years later, Middleburg Mayor Bridge Littleton said he is excited about the project and looks forward to the continued renovation and bringing a storied community building back to life.

“We want to tell the story of Asbury both physically and virtually, collecting and documenting the history, and putting it back into productive use as one would have seen them in the 1830s,” he said. “There are a lot of Asbury-focused groups -- Friends of Asbury Church and Piedmont Heritage Area are a couple – that want to partner with the Town of Middleburg to help us all be good stewards of our most precious historical landmarks. Asbury Church is central to the rich history of Middleburg.”

Middleburg town manager Danny Davis said he’s also looking forward to the project. “We see this as such an important piece of Middleburg’s history,” he said. “And the opportunity to restore this landmark is at the forefront of our preservation efforts.”

The town already has invested $174,000 to stabilize the building and protect it from further deterioration. It will take time, but other stages are in the works, including a capital improvement project, hiring architects, engaging conservation and restoration professionals to restore the building to its original state, and, of course, community engagement.

Dulany Morison, who serves on the board of the Willisville Preservation Foundation, is delighted to see the Town of Middleburg at the forefront of this preservation effort.

“One of the principal commitments of our mission is to preserve the heritage and history of our local African-American historic resources,” he said. “Asbury Church allows us to connect directly with the past while also living in the present and on to the future. We believe the town taking the lead on its restoration would be widely celebrated across the countryside….Asbury Church will have a bright future.”

Photo by Shannon Davis Asbury church is the oldest church in Middleburg.

Willisville Preservation Foundation: Pondering the Past, Planning the Future

By Dulany Morison

Strong and proud.

Those characteristics have defined Willisville, a village in southwestern Loudoun, since its origins predating the Civil War.

In the 1850s, both free people of color and enslaved lived alongside one another in the hamlet. After the war, they purchased properties and the community expanded through hard work and by taking advantage of new opportunity for self-governance.

With support from neighboring white families and the Freedman’s Bureau, they erected the original Willisville School House in 1868 which became the heart of the village, giving them a place to teach their children and worship together. In the 1920s, the Willisville Church and Willisville Store were built, again with assistance from surrounding landowners, which completed the core of the village, most of which still exists today.

Willisville residents and descendants are intrinsically connected by pride for their heritage and legacy of overcoming challenging circumstances to establish themselves.

The community has a history of working together to achieve its goals for more than 170 years and it’s no surprise that in October, 2019, the Willisville Preservation Foundation (WPF) was formed. It’s a nonprofit to advocate for the Willisville community,

preserve its heritage, and protect the historic character of the village.

The formation of WPF was officially the culmination of a two-year effort, supported by residents of the Piedmont countryside and historian Jane Covington, to get the village listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In many ways WPF has existed since the middle of the 19th-century.

WPF is chaired by Carol Lee, a third generation resident of the Willisville community, and it’s been my privilege to serve with her as one of WPF’s

11 board members. My family has been closely connected with the Lee family for generations, and our bonds have been strengthened further through our work over the past five years to preserve Willisville’s incredible history.

From our standing room only Gospel Concert Fundraiser at Buchanan Hall, to our interview on the Kojo Namdi public radio show, and our unveiling of the new Willisville Historic Road Marker on Route 50, Carol’s passionate determination has been the driving force behind our success.

In early January, she invited me to join her mother, Ann Lee, and her son, Dwight Grant, to reflect on the success and future of WPF.

Ann, who has lived in the village since the 1930s and attended Willisville School, said that, “I want people to know that I enjoyed growing up in Willisville and that we had good opportunities to make something of ourselves. We never felt held back.

“Our community, white and black, has a history of supporting each other, and we were raised to respect one another. Our children grew up to become doctors, teachers, and other proud professionals. Many have moved away and some remain and support WPF’s mission.”

Said Dwight, “I also have fond memories of Willisville. Whether we were sifting through Reverend McDonald’s pile for parts to build bikes or piling into the back of a pickup truck for a ride down

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Willisville Preservation Foundation board members: (first row) Carla Timbers, Ann Lee, Carol Lee, Ramona Payne (second row) Janet Hagan, Zina Miller, Thelma Morris, Janie Motion, Dwight Grant and (third row) Dulany Morison and Gordon Turner

just make donations — make a legacy.

to Bloomfield for candy, we kept ourselves busy during those long, hot days. Willisville is an oasis in its own time, and it takes its own time.”

“Growing up in Willisville,” Carol said, “I never thought of escaping and pursuing adventure elsewhere, never knew there was an elsewhere as a child. We made our own adventure and didn’t see much outside the village until school age. There were so many families that lived there, with lots of children. It was a place that was safe from the outside world or any racism.”

In many ways, the best of the Willisville experience remains unchanged, but the tides of the 21st century are increasingly threatening.

“The best days of Willisville might be behind us

as change continues to bear down on the land in and around the village,” Dwight said. “But it’s my hope that this village remains an affordable place to thrive. The legacy of Willisville stems from humble beginnings and reaches into successful places.”

Dwight is certainly living that legacy, having owned a thriving business in Middleburg, Salon Aubrey, for over a decade.

Carol’s understanding of the importance of preserving her heritage goes back to a childhood car ride with her Aunt Julia.

“As we passed the cemetery, my aunt said, ‘Carol, you better do something about that!’” she recalled. “At that time, it was so overgrown, you could hardly tell it was a

cemetery. So, my cousin Judy, sister Janet and I began the family and Willisville research.”

Today the cemetery grounds are kept in pristine condition thanks to the hard work of WPF Director Gordon Turner.

The conversation shifted to future projects, including a plan to publish a book on the village, described by Carol as “not really a story book, but a book of facts about each property, family, and house…going back to our earliest days.”

WPF also plans to continue an active role supporting the effort to preserve the Asbury Church in Middleburg, “We (WPF) would like to consult on the restoration and assist with future educational programming,” Carol said.

The board also is working on a spring exhibit at the Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum with Anne Marie Chirieleison. It will highlight the lives of Henson and Lucinda Willis, after whom the village is named.

Carol and the Lee family continue to inspire their community and the future appears bright for the historic village. We can all learn from its story of strength, pride, and supportive partnerships. The WPF Board is grateful for all the support it has received, and 2023 promises to be another highly successful strong and proud year.

Dulany Morison is a native of Middleburg, Virginia, received a B.A. in Southern History at the University of Virginia, and is an equities trader.  He serves on the Boards of the Goose Creek Association, Great Meadow Foundation, Land Trust of Virginia, Piedmont Fox Hounds, PFH Conservation Fund, and Willisville Preservation Foundation. He also serves on PEC’s Rowley Goose Creek Conservation Committee, VPHA’s Preservation Committee, and is a member of the Orange County Hounds.

Carol Lee, is a third generation resident of the Willisville community and, chairman of the Willisville Preservation Foundation.

Ann Lee has lived in the village since the 1930s and attended Willisville School.

Dwight Grant has fond memories of growing up in Willisville. He is a living legacy and now owns Salon Aubrey a thriving business on West Washington Street in Middleburg.

Photos by Doug Gehlsen of Middleburg

Photo.

Balch Library Has a Black History Focus

By Joe Motheral

The Thomas Balch Library has a long and distinguished past, going back to 1907 as a primary source of history in Loudoun County presently under the auspices of the Town of Leesburg.

The library building was named in honor of Leesburg resident Thomas Balch (1821-1877), a historian and “father of international arbitration.” One of its most significant features is the library’s Black History Committee. The Friends of the Balch Library started in 1995 to add financial support for the library, and five years later, the Black History Committee was formed.

Donna Bohanon, the current chair of the Black History Committee, said her “responsibility is to coordinate the members in participating in our mission to collect, share and preserve the history of AfricanAmericans in Loudoun County and beyond.”

Accordingly, the “membership is approximately 30 people, 15 being active that attend general meetings on a monthly basis. Our membership is very diverse in terms of their interests in preservation. Just about all of our members are members of other organizations within Loudoun County that are involved in historic preservation or historical research.”

Bohanon recalled one particular piece of fascinating history she discovered in “the very first publication of “The Essence of the People” (newspaper) about the Delegates of a 1883

meeting of 17 men representing African American communities throughout Loudoun County.

“They got together to petition the court to request the right to serve as jurors and election officials. The petition, delegate name and the area they represented were printed in the newspaper. The judge ruled they could serve as jurors but not election officials. Despite this ruling, it was not until the 1970s when an African American served on a county jury.”

She said her own personal experiences strengthened her interest in the library’s Black History Committee.

your support builds the story of home.

It’s the story of kids playing in their own yard while mom or dad cooks in their own kitchen. It’s the story of everyday security and dreams for the future. It’s the story of an affordable home a family built themselves with help from Habitat for Humanity, volunteers and you.

“Being a black person who understands my own family history, reading the stories in Black History Committee publications, I was able to recognize and relate to the people in those histories because they remind me of my own family.

“We help people who are looking to find family history and genealogy. You can come to the Balch Library and explore the collection to extract from that collection a history of Loudoun county and the region, and the nation.”

Once the Black History Committee became connected to the Friends of the Library, a room was dedicated to Howard W. Clark, Sr. of Hamilton, one of the founders of the Loudoun County Emancipation Association. One anonymous donor gave $50,000 to expand the library, requesting a room to be named after an African American Loudoun resident.

Bohanon is a graduate of Catholic University with a degree in political science and joined the Black History Committee in the early 2000s. A financial and policy manager at the State Department, she became its chair in 2014. She also has completed the NOVA Public History and Historic Preservation Certificate Program and serves on the board of several historic preservation organizations in Loudoun County.

“We help people who are looking to find family history and genealogy,” she said. “You can come to the Balch Library and explore the collection to extract from that collection a history of Loudoun county and the region, and the nation.”

Donna Bohanon

Kudos to The Rev. Jonathan Adams, rector at Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville, Virginia and many of his parishioners for donating over 2,500 winter coats (and still counting) that were sent to war-torn Ukraine and distributed around the country. It was featured on Washington’s WTTG-TV Channel 5 nightly news. “One other thing we were prepared to mail 250 which was my goal which would have cost $800 but we were not prepared to mail 2500 which cost $8200,” The Rev Adams noted to ZEST, “If people want to still help they can send a gift to cover the mailing cost.” For details on how to contribute: www.trinityupperville.org.

And this also just in

Lunch, Dinner & To Go Available Wednesday through Monday

Indoor Dining, Garden Patio, or Private Outdoor Cabanas

Pet Friendly Outdoor Seating

Locally Sourced, Hearth-Prepared Cuisine

Former Middleburg resident Wendy Baldwin returned for two stellar book signing events with her first novel “the Sisters We Were”. First, Jennifer Andrews and Lisa Catlett hosted an event in the library room at the Middleburg Community Center. And, the following day, Tara Wegdam hosted a signing at her Crème de la Crème shop on East Washington Street in the village.

Family-Friendly Dining

Chefs’ Tasting Menu Craf t Beer & Cocktails

Award Winning Wine Selection

Private Events & Rehearsal Dinner

The Rev. Jonathan Adams.

Photo by Kat Gemmer

from the cooking crew at Trinity Episcopal in Upperville after preparing a meal for Tree of Life in Purcellville. Left to right Mark Augenblick, Jim Gemmer, Len Shapiro, Mary MacDonnell, Judith AyresBurke and John MacDonnell.

Packing up the coats for shipment to Ukraine.

Wendy Baldwin with Tara Wegdam, Jennifer Andrews, Wendy Baldwin and Lisa Catlett

I Never Soured On Sweet Pickle

By Jimmy Hatcher

Around 1970, my late friend Dody Vehr bought two very small Jack Russell terriers. She had tried to give the small male to her mother-in-law, but was rebuffed by the formidable Grande Dame, who thought the terrier was not enough dog for her.

I admired the tyke, aptly named Pickle, but I put Dody off with “what would I do with him?”

“Take him with you wherever you go,” she replied. And take him with me wherever I went, I did. At full maturity, he could curl up on my flat cap, and not even a foot would hang over.

One winter, I did the Florida horse show circuit and of course, The Pickle went along. In those days, there were “horse show dogs“ – – mutts who traveled freely around the showgrounds. At nine months, Pickle was accepted by the other dogs, the exhibitors and yes, the show horses, as one of the accredited horse show dogs.

The circuit had made its way to Winter Haven, Florida. It had been a cold season and the show at Winter Haven was to be no exception. The daily routine was to ride one’s rounds and then retire to the Chalet Suzanne for sustenance.

Pickle was a little dog with a very big brain. If I was on course, he would beg a lift and watch the entire round. If no pals were around to give him a lift, he would go to the top of the

grandstand and watch from there.

Having finished my classes, I gave a high pitched whistle which would usually bring my dog faithfully at the run. Well, no dog, so I went to the grandstand. No dog there, either.

Frances Rowe was in the schooling ring as I walked by. She had heard my whistle, and with the famous “Frances smile” on her face, she taunted.

“Hey, Hatch, I think Pickle has put himself up for adoption. He’s with the Gussie Busch entourage.”

August “Gussie” Busch had arrived from Tampa to see his horses perform. He traveled in The Eagle, a bus any rock star would have envied.

With trepidation, I approached The Eagle to fetch The Pickle. Softly, I knocked on the bus door and just as softly, the bus door opened.

“Yes,” said a hidden voice from the interior.

“Sir, I am looking for my Jack Russell.”

“Just a minute,” replied the hidden voice.

I humbly backed away from the bus as out came a procession, led by the polo-coated Mr. Busch. He looked every inch the Beer Baron he was. Mr. Busch was followed from the bus by two huge men of the bodyguard variety.

Perched on the arm of the second man was Pickle. I mean the giant had his arm extended, straight out from his shoulder and then bent to form a platform.

There on this perch sat Pickle, all proud of his participation in the ongoing parade and no, he was not looking at me. Pickle had his Washington-crossing-the- Delaware posture, and it was not until Mr. Busch faced me that “Prince Russell Terrier” acknowledged my presence.

“Nice dog,” Mr. Busch said. “I hear he’s only nine months old.”

Timidly, I replied, “yes.”

“Would you like to sell him?”

I was about to launch into a great “but he is the love of my life” speech, but Mr. Busch sensed the situation intuitively as the animal lover he was. He reached up, removing Pickle from the giant’s arm, and entrusted him to my waiting embrace.

With a wink, he offered, “I’ll be back tomorrow if you change your mind about selling him.”

The following day, Pickle did indeed stay at the Chalet Suzanne. I did go to the horse show, but I managed to avoid The Eagle.

Still, I have always had a vision of turning on the World Series. The St. Louis Cardinals are playing, the TV camera spans the sky boxes and yes, there in the Anheuser-Busch box, two faces are intent on the game.

One face belongs to CEO Busch, the Cardinals owner, and the other belongs to a small terrier mounted on a giant’s arm.

By Vicky Lewis

Frank Drew, 74, of Markham was murdered on January 6, 2021, shot to death on Route 55 near the railroad tracks in Rectortown after he pulled over to assist the driver of a wrecked car. The driver, who later committed suicide, was being sought by police for the murder of his father hours earlier.

Good Samaritan Drew was an expert woodworker and wine aficionado and a trained EMT. He had many friends who recently gathered in Rectortown to dedicate a memorial bench in his name. Many came to the service because they viewed his action of stopping to help as representative of the values of this enchanting community.

It was a cold raw day, yet locals Roxanne Willis, Elsa Rosenthal, Shirley Embrey, Feroline Higginson, Lydia Strohl, Matt Calligan, Cynthia Darlington and Heather Parker gathered. Several members of Rectortown Mt. Olive Baptist Church and the United Methodist Church (UMC) also were on hand and the new UMC pastor, Jonathan Lamb, sent a prayer that was read.

Add Frank's old friends and neighbors like Bill Green of Markham, who knew him for 30-40 years, and Jonathan Weber, a wine mentor from Linden Vineyards, shared some memories.

Jeff Farley of Crenshaw Road volunteered to form a committee for the project.

Jeb Hannum of Lost Corner Road and Vicky Lewis on Maidstone Road joined Jeff to find the proper location in Rectortown, design the memorial bench, and coordinate fabrication with several local craftspeople and Frank’s friends and family.

The Embrey family of Marshall and Rectortown have graciously given permission for the placement of the memorial at the Rectortown Depot. Randy Embrey knew Frank and had many memories of their time working together as local volunteer EMTs.

Frank’s brother, Chris Drew, and the ever-eloquent John Sherman of Paris wrote the kind words used

for the memorial plaque. John was a close friend and former owner of the Ashby Inn in Paris where Frank was the sommelier. Eli Lewis of Maidstone Road provided the graphic design and layout for the plaque while its fabrication was handled by Shane’s Signs in Haymarket.

Lewis Whitesell of Middleburg, a local master stone mason, donated time, machinery and labor to install the salvaged sandstone base for the bench. Martin Robinson of Upperville shared a woodworking shop with Frank and volunteered to help with the timber seat coordination. His co-worker, Michael Reid, a fine woodworker in Charles Town, oversaw the preservative treatments and installation of the 100-year-old oak timber seat.

Jeff and Laura Symanski from Rectortown United Methodist fabricated the mounting stainless-steel brackets at their Marshall business CT&D. Andy Lewis, a Middleburg architect, provided hardware and guidance throughout the process. Eddie Payne knew Frank from their days as EMTs and provided the tons of gravel with his Marshall trucking business. Finally, many Rectortown neighbors, church groups and vineyard friends and family have generously donated to the Frank Drew Memorial Fund to support the expenses of materials, surveying and other services.

Photo by Jeb Hannum Friends and family of Frank Drew gathered recently to dedicate a memorial bench in his name in Rectortown.

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Need A Lift? Try Ski Friday at Bryce

By Sean Clancy

Ryan borrows my coat. I now have three coats on the mountain while I sit solitary in the ski lodge, huddled over a laptop.

One of the twins drops their mittens, I retrieve and toss them on their table, and they thank me. A kindergartener screams to go home, then bustles out the door like Franz Klammer at Innsbruck. Natasha smiles and waves. We chat about the auditions for Bye Bye Birdie. Hers was disappointing, at least to her. Miles buys an ice cream cone for $5.70, throws 30 cents on the table. A snowboard falls in a clatter, two skis clang to the floor, the lost and found builds to a leaning tower of hats and hopes. The glass doors swing, pendulums of snow angels and snow pants.

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Austrian Franz Klammer, the downhill gold medalist at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck.

Mothers huddle, some volley work and social. Some, simply work. Some, simply social. Another group ignores the no-outside-food rule and plays cards, “Rummy….” echoing through cookie crumbles and soda cans popping like knuckles on a nervous flight. Some fathers ski, others stake out the bar, others follow their children, picking up, cleaning up, propping up, others are in far-off offices missing all the fun.

It’s a Hill SchooI Ski Friday. I spend most of the day filling out high school applications, realizing that Jan. 31 is looming like a train in a tunnel. I describe my son the best I can. I describe our family the best I can. I probably dwell on the fire too much and allow Miles to delve into rock and roll too much. All bittersweet as I think back to the first Ski Friday, way back when I was nervous, and he was hesitant— about the magic carpet and the bunny slope.

Now, I’m still nervous, wondering who he’s skiing with as the day turns to dusk. He’s no longer hesitant, he doesn’t need me, oblivious to the ticking clock, the flipping calendar in my head, a son never knows how a father feels. I guess that’s good. I’d never want him

to know my apprehension, my angst over him going off to ninth grade, whether it’s around the corner or far up I-81. Oh, to have four children.

I think back to ten years at Hill. And, sure, we wound up as those Hill School parents dominating a dinner party with the trials and tribulations of our little school. But only occasionally. And only with other Hill School parents. I swear.

On applications, I’ve skipped and leapt from Miles reciting the presidents in assembly to singing Promised Land, Ragged Old Flag, American Pie and Tangled Up in Blue to mythology exams to soccer games, the Bayeux Tapestry in fifth grade (oh, the hours we spent, magic markers we bled dry), the days when Miles wouldn’t run on his own in recess to the day he elbowed and banged in the paint of a three-point loss to Wakefield on the Hill school home court.

I’ve skipped the late-to-arrive mornings, sliding under the tag at 8:29, teachers tapping their feet as Miles throws a backpack over his shoulder and runs to homeroom. I’ve skipped a moment or two

when we nearly went another way. I’ve skipped the Covid years, because, well, they were skipped. I’ve told Miles there will always be bumps, it’s how you deal with the bumps that counts. We’ve all had our bumps.

Three Ski Fridays to go. And then it’s over. Goodbye Redeye. Goodbye Bootlegger. Goodbye Hangover. Goodbye Bryce. Goodbye Hill School. A ten-year odyssey, from JK to eighth grade. Ryan, Lea, Charlotte, Poppy and Miles, the only five who made every stop on the tour. They’re all here somewhere, on the mountain, in the lodge or on the way home. Their school applications mixed somewhere between hopes and dreams.

I think about all of this as I proof a list of hobbies and academics on the umpteenth page of an umpteenth school application, wondering what is right for Miles, what is right for us.

Miles tromps into an emptying lodge, snow, snot and spit paint his red cheeks. He’s lost his goggles. Most of his friends have gone home. “I’m done, Dad.”

I wonder where my coat is.

Three Ski Fridays to go. And then it’s over. Goodbye Redeye. Goodbye Bootlegger. Goodbye Hangover. Goodbye Bryce. Goodbye Hill School. A ten-year odyssey, from JK to eighth grade. Ryan, Lea, Charlotte, Poppy and Miles, the only five who made every stop on the tour. They’re all here somewhere, on the mountain, in the lodge or on the way home. Their school applications mixed somewhere between hopes and dreams.

From Marshall, Virginia to Michigan: An All American Story

By Adam Rittenberg ESPN Senior Writer

When Michigan running back Blake Corum went outside as a kid, he never wore shoes.

Barefoot Blake would grab charcoal briquettes from the family grill, mix them in a bowl of water and then paint on trees in and around Marshall, Virginia, his one stoplight hometown. He loved building things, mostly forts and teepees. His parents, James and Christina, didn’t worry about their son’s screen time.

“I was never inside,” Corum said. “There’s nothing much there but to use your imagination. It’s quiet. There’s trees and woods and the air is fresh. I liked growing up there, just because I felt like I was by myself. No one’s going to bother you. You can just sit out there and dream.”

Corum has always been a dreamer. He dreams about buying the Middleburg farm once owned by Washington NFL owner Jack Kent Cooke that his grandfather once managed. He also dreams about ways to impact others, a lifelong instinct he continued over this past Thanksgiving, delivering meals to families in need.

Up until he had a season-ending knee injury late in the 2022 season, Corum had a dream year for Michigan. The week he was hurt, he was tied for the national lead in touchdowns (18), led the nation in first downs (81) and ranked third in rushing yards (1,349) despite logging only four total carries in the second halves of Michigan’s first three games. The 5-foot-8, 210-pound Corum became the top non-quarterback candidate in a crowded Heisman Trophy field.

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh recently called Corum the best college running back he ever coached. Others around the program describe a uniquely impactful player with an unabated will to work.

“A generational back,” said Michigan associate head coach Biff Poggi, who coached Corum at Baltimore’s St. Frances Academy. “You coach your whole life and probably will never have a guy like this.”

Corum plays in the nation’s largest stadium at Michigan, and his football journey took him to the urban epicenter of Baltimore. But his roots are firmly in Marshall where, “Everyone knows everyone,” Corum said.

His parents both grew up there. The family lived in several spots, including farms managed by Christina’s father, David Pierce. In 2005, while the Corums

Courtesy of U-M Photography

Michigan running back Blake Corum, a Fauquier County native, in action against the University of Maryland.

waited for their home to be built, they stayed with Pierce on the farm owned by Cooke.

James noticed his son’s physical gifts early. He walked before age one and rode a bike without training wheels at three. He started playing football at five and began working out before school in fifth grade. James took him to train with local high school players and their strength coach. Blake also had several private coaches.

When Blake reached high school, the family faced a decision. Fauquier High, where James played running back and cornerback, was no longer the county’s only high school. The team had slipped (Fauquier went winless this past season). Neighboring Maryland offered better competition and visibility for colleges. Schools had scouted Corum and wanted him. He chose St. Vincent Pallotti in Laurel, about 75 miles from Marshall.

“We didn’t even think twice about it,” Christina said. “We didn’t doubt his ability to work hard. If that’s where he felt he needed to be, then we’re going to support that. Now I’m not going to lie: It was taxing on the family.”

The drive took two hours each way. Christina usually did drop-offs, returning home in time to take her daughters to school. James handled pickups but sometimes would do both legs. He owns a landscaping business, which allowed him to work flexible hours and pick up his kids.

Blake woke up between 3 to 4 a.m. on school days. Twice a week, he stopped for workouts in Manassas. He arrived at Pallotti around 6 a.m. He would crash on a couch until the school bell rang.

After practice, he’d head home.

The work resulted in several college scholarship offers, including one from thenIndiana assistant Mike Hart, the all-time leading rusher at Michigan. But before making a college choice, Corum wanted to upgrade his high school competition.

Poggi, who had built St. Frances into a national power, initially wasn’t interested. He liked bigger backs. When Ian Thomas, a former Illinois linebacker

who coached Pallotti High and had joined Poggi’s staff, brought Corum over, Poggi saw a more filled-out player than he expected.

Still, he told Corum that St. Frances had plenty of running backs who fit better than he did.

“I said, ‘What do you think about that?’” Poggi said. “He said, ‘I’ll beat everybody out, and I’m coming to win the national championship.’ I said, ‘OK, you’ve got a scholarship.’ The rest was history.”

Corum’s first high school was two hours from home. St. Frances, located in the heart of Baltimore, was a world away from tiny Marshall.

“My first day there, I saw someone get shot,” Corum said. “I’m going from peaceful living, y’all don’t get bothered in Marshall. It was a big change, but one of the best experiences I had.”

Corum quickly became a team leader. St. Frances had a roster filled with elite players, but none trained quite like he did. He became a top-125 recruit and his college decision came down to Michigan and Ohio State. Corum visited each school on back-to-back June weekends in 2019. The Ohio State visit went well, and Christina and James expected their son to become a Buckeye.

But on the last day at Michigan, Blake came to his parents’ hotel at 7 a.m. He said he had called Ohio State to tell them he was committing ... to the Michigan Wolverines.

Michigan saw the complete, best version of Corum in 2022 until that knee injury ended his season before the January playoffs. Corum has already announced he will bypass the upcoming NFL draft and return for his senior season.

Harbaugh has compared Corum to a chess player always thinking several moves ahead. Corum relies on small, seemingly subtle moves to find room.

“You can work on cuts all day, you can work on new moves all day, but if you can’t do it in the blink of an eye, it doesn’t matter,” Corum said. “Before the play, I’m not thinking, ‘I’m going to hit him with the spin move, or I’m going to ‘jurdle’ him.’”

“Jurdle?”

“A jump-hurdle,” Corum explained. “It’s a sudden light jump stiff-arm hurdle, trying to just get your leg out the way. I do the jurdle quite often.”

Off the field, he’s special in another way. He’s often out and about in the Ann Arbor Community working with youngsters, and not just on football.

“Right away, [Corum] starts reading books with the kids, building these connections,” said Bilal Saeed, who helps organize community events in and around Ann Arbor. “Then, he kept showing up. He was hooping with the kids, kicking the soccer ball around.”

Saeed tries not to text Corum often. He’s respectful of Corum’s time, especially during the season.

There’s only one issue: Corum keeps blowing up Saeed’s phone.

“Blake is hitting me up: ‘What about this idea for the turkey giveaway? I want to do this.’ Let’s do a backpack giveaway,’” said Saeed. “He’s come in with all these ideas, based on what he sees.”

Corum has always been a giver. As a kid, he’d bring his own money to church and deposit bills in the offering plate. At St. Frances, he took on a job and gave some of his wages to people on the street.

But the arrival of name, image and likeness opportunities provided the platform for Corum to truly give back. Corum has used his NIL earnings to fund several initiatives, including school supplies, meals and holiday gifts.

Corum wants to be remembered more for how he impacted people on campus and in the community. Seeing Halloween pictures of kids dressed in his jersey “meant a lot.”

So many of the dreams he once had, in the peaceful stillness of Marshall, have come true at Michigan. And more will come.

“I try to remind myself how blessed I am,” Corum said. “So I dream every day. I don’t stop dreaming.”

This story is re-printed with permission from ESPN. “Blake Corum’s journey from small-town Virginia to Michigan’s Big House,” by Adam Rittenberg, ©ESPN was published on Nov. 16, 2022.

Photo by Derek Maloney Blake Corum stopped by Warrenton Middle School on a recent visit back home and made a wonderful memory for Christian Maloney.

MODERN FINANCE

The Dark Side of the Moon

By Philip Dudley

The year 2022 in financial markets can only be described in one way. Simply, it was the “Dark Side of the Moon.”

Pink Floyd’s iconic 1973 album of the same name is a tale of two outcomes: one of living a life that goes unfulfilled and one of society with detrimental concepts that ultimately leads to madness. I don’t know about you, but I definitely feel unfulfilled with a sense of madness following the most difficult year for risk assets since the Global Financial Crisis in 2007-2008.

Let’s dig in a little. Here are a few 2022 returns for some household brand names: Tesla down 63 percent, Meta down 60 percent, Amazon down 42 percent, PayPal down 57 percent, among many others.

And what about bond investors?

Some believe it’s the worst bond market going back 250 years.

And the most speculative asset of them all, Bitcoin, must have been whistling past the graveyard. It was down “only” 54 percent, actually an impressive result considering that graveyard was littered with the bodies of Sam Bankman-Fried/ FTX/Alameda, Three Arrows Capital, Terra Luna, Genesis, BlockFi, Celsius, etc. The carnage in cryptocurrency has been epic.

When one speaks of Bitcoin it’s the blockchain, or distributed ledger, that has staying power and actually has its enthusiasts excited for a new beginning.

Overall, the year in review is full of optimism and despair, with each month seemingly taking one step forward with the next taking two steps back. In April, Fidelity allowed clients to invest in Bitcoin through their 401(k) accounts but May brought the collapse of TerraUSD and Luna. In September, Blackrock partnered with Coinbase to bring its institutional clients crypto assets and by November FTX filed for bankruptcy.

One of the fascinating realities that continues to emerge is that decentralized finance (DeFi) substantially outperformed centralized finance (CeFi) in 2022.

Basically, centralized entities underperformed or even evaporated because they were hacked, were greedy or slipped into a grey zone of illegal activity.

Looking forward to 2023, there should be many lessons learned. In my opinion, simple rules based software that utilizes smart contracts and on-chain transactions should and will be the prevailing blockchain-based protocol.

Of course, there’s always innovation, which displaces inferior thought processes and protocols. And so, we now shall wait and see which fork in the road DeFi developers take. Hopefully, it won’t be toward the dark side of the moon.

It’s Bad for Bald Eagles…and Us

By Dr. Jen Riley Blue Ridge Wildlife Center

Bald Eagles are great hunters but they won’t say no to an easy meal. In Virginia, the fall months are the perfect time of year for opportunistic eaters to enjoy the treats that hunters leave behind. Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a free meal.

Lead fragments from even a jacketed lead core rifle bullet can travel up to 18 inches from the bullet wound into the animal. The gut pile left behind by the hunter will then often be ingested by an eagle or other scavenger. The same problem arises with lead shotgun pellets when animals are wounded or not collected. A piece of lead as small as a grain of rice can kill an adult Bald Eagle.

As a non-profit veterinary hospital and rehabilitation center, the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center in Clarke County sees hundreds of animals each year that have elevated levels of lead in their blood. Our mission is to give them a second chance to do their jobs within our ecosystem and to educate the public on how to reduce man-made threats to our local wildlife.

Sadly, wildlife lead toxicity is directly caused by human actions. Materials used in ammunition, fishing tackle, and fishing gear are the most common contributors to environmental lead. More than 80 per cent of the eagles and vultures who come to the Center have dangerously high lead levels, and this percentage increases significantly in the late fall/

early winter hunting season.

Animals affected by lead toxicity often present with neurologic symptoms, respiratory distress, and poor overall condition. If the lead poisoning alone doesn’t kill the eagle, the effects—poor coordination, altered mental status—make it more likely that they will be victims of starvation, vehicle collisions and other trauma.

This issue doesn’t just impact eagles and other wildlife. Lead ingested by people in game meat, even in microscopic amounts, accumulates over time. One study found that over 80 per cent of ground venison contained these microscopic fragments when lead-

based ammunition was used. This can be especially harmful to growing children and pregnant women, causing significant health issues and developmental abnormalities.

And what happens to donated meat? We often receive donations of venison but we radiograph all of it prior to feeding to ensure it’s free of lead fragments. Unfortunately, places like food banks don’t have the same equipment and may be unknowingly feeding food contaminated with lead to their patrons.

The good news is that non-toxic ammunition is easily available, comparably priced, and has good or better ballistic characteristics than lead ammunition. At the Center, we have great respect for ethical hunters and anglers and understand how they support conservation efforts. Help the hunters in your life switch to non-toxic ammunition by sharing well-researched information and suggesting resources where they can learn more about and buy non-lead ammunition such as http:// www.huntingwithnonlead.org/.

Given the damage lead is causing to wildlife, hunters and their families, and the recipients of venison donations, it’s time to make the switch to non-lead ammunition.

The Blue Ridge Wildlife Center is the only dedicated wildlife hospital in Northern Virginia. A non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, it cares for native wildlife by integrating veterinary medicine, rehabilitation, education and research. The center assists more than 3,000 native wildlife annually. For more information, visit www.blueridgewildlifectr.org.

Photo Blue Ridge Wildlife by: Erik Brito March 2022: Adult Bald Eagle found in Stafford, with high lead levels and injuries.  After six weeks in care at Blue Ridge Wildlife Center, lead levels brought back down with treatment, this eagle was given a second chance to live a wild life.

THOMAS & TALBOT ESTATE PROPERTIES

AN ARTFUL APPROACH at Claude Thompson Elementary

By M.J. McAteer

At Claude Thompson Elementary, the economic situation is “low,” according to Principal Marypat Warter. Nevertheless, her aspirations for the school’s 265 children certainly are not.

“Every child can live up to the expectations you set,” she said. Still, students at the low-slung, brick school on Rectortown Road near Marshall face some stiff headwinds. Claude Thompson is a Title One school, meaning that more than 40 percent of the children, grades K-5, live in poverty, and about 45 percent don’t speak English as their first language.

The school obviously has a shortage of well-off parents to support its educational endeavors, making fund-raising difficult and money tight. Local Rectortown resident Henry Lavine has been a tireless contributor in many ways to the school. And that that’s why Warter was so happy to form a partnership with Artists in Middleburg (AiM).

“Their support has been a game changer for us,” she said of the nonprofit with a stated mission of providing art educational opportunities to people in the area, especially youngsters. When Sandy Danielson, AiM’s executive director, heard about Claude Thompson’s situation several years ago, she wanted to help.

The organization started donating art supplies, including home art kits during Covid. It also initiated a visiting artist program to introduce the children to mediums and cultures they might otherwise never have had an opportunity to know about.

One of those visiting artists was Barbara Sharp, who has taught art classes at the school, donated art supplies and, during Covid, raised money from friends and with AiM to provide over 150 take home bags of art supplies so the art teacher could give remote instructions.

“I was asked to participate in a career day, and what fun,” Sharp said. “I set up a still life and gave the students pastels to draw and express themselves. Afterwards I had them talk about their work and what part of the art-making appealed to them. They asked intelligent questions about being an artist— training, college, and what can you do with an art degree. Every educator at Claude Thompson is engaged and dedicated to these children.”

From the visiting artists, including another dedicated volunteer, retired art teacher Jim Burns, the students also have learned about Inuit art and carved Arctic animals out of soap. They’ve been introduced to the native culture of the Southwest and made their own version of Navajo sand paintings. With the guidance of a scientist, they also created watercolor pigments out of cabbage juice.

Danielson recalled one workshop, in particular, in which a Chinese artist showed the children the proper--meaning Chinese--way to hold a paint brush. They then drew cats and learned how to write their names in Chinese characters. “They were mesmerized,” she said.

Warter called the workshops “beautiful. They are like a field trip that comes to us.”

As an added bonus, once a year in March in honor of Youth Art Month,

the artistry of Claude Thompson students gets displayed in the AiM’s Washington Street gallery. All sales proceeds are donated back to the school.

2 South Madison Street | PO Box 500 | Middleburg, VA 20118 Office: 540-687-6500 | thomasandtalbot.com

GEORGE MILLER HOUSE 303 acres | $3,750,000

This estate is waiting for someone with an eye for interior finishes to bring it to life. Minutes from the charming village of Sperryville and enjoys convenient proximity to Culpeper Regional Airport and Warrenton-Fauquier Airport.

10153 JOHN MOSBY HIGHWAY 10 acres | $685,000

Upperville – Elevated building site offers amazing long distance views in several directions. The land is dotted with mature trees and has a large stonewall, fire pit and sitting area. Certified for a 4 bedroom septic system. Well and pump installed.

In December, Rectortown resident Henry Lavine sent out an email to friends and neighbors about the needs of Claude Thompson Elementary. Our endowment for teachers is still well funded, including ongoing commitments.The Principal, Marypat, told me her greatest challenge is to find funds for two bus trips a year, not paid for by the County; one to Jamestown and the other to DC to see the museums. Many of the kids have never been to DC. I understand some years in the past, funds were not raised, and the trips just did not happen. Two buses are needed for each trip. They cost $1200 each. We have provided seed money, paying for half and we encourage the school to have fundraisers for the balance. They usually come up short and we scramble to provide the shortfall. It would be great to build a kitty to help on an ongoing basis. If the spirit moves you for this, that would be wonderful.

Just make a notation that it is for the trip fund. Our tax number is 90-006 4878. Best, Hank. The Friends of Rectortown, Inc., PO Box 333 Rectortown, VA 20140.

Last year, AiM expanded its work with Claude Thompson. After winning a small grant from the PATH Foundation, a Warrenton philanthropic organization, AiM wanted to do something more for the school.

“They really listened to us,” said Warter, who told them that art therapy classes might do her charges the greatest good. “The biggest thing is trauma of all kinds,” the principal explained. “It’s not a thing in a can. You have to figure it out.”

Before the first therapy session took place, the 50-plus members of the school’s staff participated in the identical class the children would have. That inclusiveness is a reflection of Warter’s approach to running Claude Thompson like an extended family, in which she and her assistant principal, Molly Hess, assume the roles of “parents who get along.

“We consider everyone on the same level,” she said of her staff. “Everyone has a part in teaching.”

In that inaugural therapy session, staff members created collages to express aspects of their lives and personalities and then discussed them. It was “cathartic,” Warter said. “We had emotions.”

The art therapy sessions at Claude Thompson run once a week for six weeks and are “an extra step in helping the whole child,” Warter said, adding they never would have been possible without AiM’s help. After that, the school and the nonprofit will look toward the next step in their relationship.

“We’ll see where we are then, and what they need,” Danielson said.

T u e s d a y , M a r c h 1 4 , 2 0 2 3 6 : 0 0 p . m .

S h e i l a C J o h n s o n P e r f o r m i n g A r t s C e n t e r a t T h e H i l l S c h o o l f r e e a n d o p e n t o t h e p u b l i c

The Middleburg Library Advisory Board invites you to join us for the second event in our new Local Book and Author Series: a screening of the award-winning documentary “The Levys of Monticello ” followed by a Q&A with Middleburg author Marc Leepson, whose book, Saving Monticello, was the inspiration for the film It takes place on Tuesday March 14 at 6:00 p m at The Hill School Auditorium in Middleburg

The Levys of Monticello tells a little-known but important and fascinating story of historic preservation architectural history and Jewish-American history: the Levy family’s 89-year stewardship of Thomas Jefferson’s “Essay in Architecture ” U S Navy officer Uriah Phillips Levy a hero of the War of 1812 who became the Navy’s first Jewish commodore and his nephew Jefferson Monroe Levy owned Monticello from 1834-1923 and saved it from ruin on two occasions

Journalist and historian Marc Leepson is the author of nine books, including Saving Monticello Flag: An American Biography and biographies of the Marquis de Lafayette Francis Scott Key, and Army Staff Sgt Barry Sadler He will be signing copies of Saving Monticello before and after the screening

*This is a free event*

Photo by M.J. McAteer Claude Thompson Elementary Principal Marypat Warder.

A Marshall Plan That Failed Miserably

By John T. Toler

Population growth in Fauquier County over the years has been marked by the establishment of three incorporated towns, with Warrenton in the center, The Plains in the north, and Remington in the south.

While still part of Fauquier County, these towns are incorporated under a state charter, giving them greater local control. They’re led by their own elected officials and governing boards, including planning and zoning, as well as control over taxation and services.

Warrenton was chartered in 1810 and has a population just under 10,000. Remington, dating back to 1890, has just over 650 residents. And The Plains, chartered in 1910, has around 240.

Marshall is the county’s largest unincorporated town – classified as a “Census Designated Place” – consisting of 2.9 square miles and home to about 2,000 residents. Currently completing a massive infrastructure project on Main Street, Marshall is a growing, dynamic community with a proud past.

In 1797, enterprising citizens living in the area that became Marshall petitioned the Virginia General Assembly to enact legislation to establish a town there, which was originally called Salem. Located at the intersection of the main roads leading from the port cities in the east to the Shenandoah Valley, Salem grew over the years. With the building of the Manassas Gap Railroad, it became a major shipping point for cattle and grain crops. The name was changed to Marshall in December,1881.

By the early 20th century, Marshall had limited electricity and water systems. Led first by the Marshall Improvement Company (1907) and later by the Marshall Chamber of Commerce (1924), there were efforts to attract business. By the mid-1920s, Marshall had a bank, a newspaper, a grain elevator, a creamery, a canning company and supply stations for two oil companies.

The Great Depression (1929 to 1939) hit Marshall hard, and the Chamber’s efforts to save the town’s economy by adding new businesses failed. Many citizens were on welfare and food relief programs. Could government funding help?

In August, 1933, “A letter from the National Recovery Administration (NRA) aroused some interest, and the Chamber announced that it was the only official body that could act for Marshall,” wrote historian John K. Gott in High in the Old Virginia Piedmont, a History of Marshall, Fauquier County, Virginia (1987). “The NRA was unimpressed, as the Chamber was not an official body.”

Another major low point came in mid-October 1933, when the Chamber had to notify the Virginia Public Service Company to turn off the street lights. There was no money to pay the electric bill.

Pressley W. Anderson, cashier of the Marshall National Bank, attended a meeting in Fredericksburg in December, 1933, and learned that for a small town like Marshall to receive such aid, it had to be incorporated, and have responsible town officials to present their claim.

Serious talk of incorporating Marshall began, with a committee headed by Lewin I. Poe appointed to outline the projects they would like to have the Works Projects Administration (WPA) consider. Priorities

included street paving, a sewer system and sidewalks. Charles F. Ramey was appointed to find out how the townspeople felt about incorporation. The response was surprisingly negative.

Still, a group of committed citizens moved ahead to at least designate a proposed corporate area. Blackwell Engineering Co. of Warrenton was hired, and completed a survey in January, 1934, that included 183.65 acres.

The survey was rejected by Judge J. R. H. Alexander of the Circuit Court of Fauquier County, on the basis that it was too small in size and population, and did not include improved areas around the town. After tough negotiations with affected property owners, a new survey was completed in October, 1934 that included 480 acres, and added more people.

The second survey, along with a petition signed by 56 area residents, was submitted to the Circuit Court by attorney Paul C. Richards. A hearing was held in December, 1934, and the court issued an order incorporating Marshall on February 7, 1935.

Election of town officers followed on March 12, with Dr. William Sturgis named Mayor, and Charles F. Ramey, Henry Fishback, T. H. Maddux, Pressley W. Anderson, Oscar Pyne and Julius Nachman as councilmen.

Construction of a new water system became the top priority, and an application was filed for funding from the WPA. Councilman Maddux, who owned the small private water system in Marshall, expected that his company would be acquired as part of the project. This didn’t happen because the WPA wanted to create jobs for new projects, not acquisitions.

In August, 1935, the Marshall Town Council applied to the State Public Works Authority for a grant of $18,000 for construction of a public water system,

which would be built with an additional $20,000 acquired through a bond issue.

In other actions, the Town Council successfully dealt with public road issues within the town, and other routine governmental matters, including finances and taxes. At this point, support for incorporation fell apart.

“It should have been realized by those signing the petition for incorporation that the benefits would not be immediate, but that a raise in taxes certainly would be,” Gott wrote. “Opposition to the incorporation crystallized when the first tax bill arrived.”

T. H. Maddux, who originally backed incorporation, resigned from the town council and led the opposition. A lawsuit, T. H. Maddux et al vs. F. R. Johnston, was filed in Circuit Court in early 1937. It claimed that “incorporation was not in the best interest of Fauquier County, and disregarded the welfare of many of those living within the town.”

The fact that it would be impossible to finance any civic improvements without incorporation – which would block any future planning for the community – seemed lost on the opposition.

“Basically, the question was only whether or not the people of Marshall were willing to pay taxes to achieve some of the goals set forth by proponents of incorporation,” Gott wrote. “They were not.”

The Circuit Court received a petition signed by 90 qualified voters, requesting a special election to vote on whether to abandon or continue with incorporation.

A mass meeting was held in Marshall on April 21, 1937, to determine if the town’s charter should be repealed. Present to answer questions about incorporation were the State Director of the Public Works Administration, the Chief Engineer of Public Works for Virginia and the president of the League of Virginia Municipalities. Following the forum, the vote was taken, with 95 voting to repeal the charter, and 69 to maintain it.

All that remained was to dissolve the town government, pay all bills still owed, and return the funds not spent on the water system to the WPA. The remaining $215.40 left in the town treasury was turned over to the Chamber of Commerce of Marshall, to be used for street lighting. The official act ending Marshall’s incorporation was executed by the Circuit Court on December 24, 1937.

“Some of the improvements contemplated by those who favored incorporation were later accomplished in other ways, some never have been,” Gott noted in 1987.

Dr. William M. Sturgis was Marshall’s only mayor

Judge J.R.H. Alexander of the Circuit Court of Fauquier County

Marshall’s only motion picture theater was opened in the Kibler building on Main Street in the mid-1930s, during the brief time Marshall was incorporated.

Young Artists Competition Highlights PSO Concert

The Warrenton-based Piedmont Symphony Orchestra under the baton of conductor and music director Glenn Quader will present its annual Young Artists concert on Sunday, Feb. 19 at 3 p.m. at the Michael A. Hughes Center at Highland School in Warrenton.

The three finalists scheduled to perform were among dozens of area musicians from 11 surrounding counties to enter the competition. Candidates send in their demo CDs and they are judged, and the group is reduced to the best three who will compete in the concert.

Three judges in attendance will evaluate each performance and they will determine first, second and third place. The winner receives $3,000, runnerup $1,500 and third $1,000. The Phillip A. Hughes Foundation matches the scholarship funds for the concert winners. The PSO also is partially funded by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

There is a student art contest as well. Rules are sent out to elementary, middle school and high school art teachers. They are asked to instruct their students to create a picture that depicts in their mind the theme of the concert which is The Pines of Rome. They are also judged, and the winners receive prize money.

“We are very pleased to have three superbly talented young musicians competing this year,” said PSO board president Ernie Hueter. “It makes a statement as to how music can lend character to a young person’s life and a discipline they will use in their future pursuits.”

The final three concert finalists have varied backgrounds but share the same love for music.

Shortly after returning to the United States from Mexico, Diego QuintanarPena, who now attends Highland, knew he wanted to play an instrument. By first grade, he knew it would be the violin and started lessons in the fourth grade. Diego has been studying with Mathew Gattuso, principal 2nd violinist in the

Local Internships

The Oak Spring Garden Foundation is located in beautiful Upperville, Virginia, and has a mission to support and inspire fresh thinking and bold action on the history and future of plants, gardens, and landscapes.

We are excited to offer an array of paid, full-time internship opportunities this summer for passionate individuals with an interest in horticulture, agriculture, conservation, outreach, and more. Visit www.osgf.org/opportunities to learn more and apply.

Piedmont Symphony Orchestra, for three years.

Hannah Choi is a sophomore at Gainesville High School. She’s been under the tutelage of Dr. Mihyang Joo since 2018 and has won multiple competitions. Hannah is the Gold Star Winner of the Elite International Music Competition along with being awarded a Superior Level in the Golden Key Music Festival. She also achieved second place in Charleston International Music Competition and Rotary Club’s music contest in her school district division.

Ninghao Zhan, a 13-year-old Chinese native, started playing violin when he was five. He attends A. G. Wright Middle School in Stafford County and serves as concertmaster in the school’s advanced orchestra. Additionally, he was placed third chair, second violin section, in the Junior Regional Orchestra this past November.

Details: www.piedmontsymphony.org

Hannah Choi Diego Quintanar-Pena Ninghao Zhan

CALL FOR APPLICANTS

2023 EURA H. LEWIS SCHOLARSHIP

Sponsored by Middleburg Library Advisory Board

Due Date: Tuesday April 11, 2023

In appreciation for all that Eura Lee Hudgins Lewis has done for our community, and in keeping with her mantra of making a difference, the Middleburg Library Advisory Board has established a needs-based scholarship in her honor for a local student to attend a local community college.

Eligibility:

• Candidates must be 2023 graduating seniors or individuals who have previously graduated from high school and who plan to matriculate at an accredited post-secondary school in the fall.

With some exceptions, candidates must reside in certain residency zones, served and supported by the Middleburg Library.

• Candidates must have a Loudoun County Public Library card in good standing.

• Candidates must provide a high school transcript and valid supporting documents (proof of residency and library membership) at the time their application is submitted. Scholarships are to be used for tuition and textbooks at the accredited secondary school of the winning applicant(s) for the 2023-2024 school year.

The scholarship amount for the 23-24 year will be $5500. The Eura H. Lewis Scholarship places increasing emphasis on need over merit. While we certainly wish to encourage and acknowledge students of strong academic and extra-curricular achievement, we are also hoping to identify and support students who would especially benefit from some relief of economic hardship through the funding of college tuition and textbooks.

Please contact middleburglibraryscholarship@gmail.com or library staff at 540.687.5730 for additional information.

Online Application can be found at https://forms.gle/3t4cGo1GLhGFkRnf9

PIEDMONT FOX HOUNDS SPORTING WEEKEND

MARCH 24-26, 2023

All are invited to experience hunting, social events, Point to Point racing & hunter pairs in Virginia's renowned Piedmont Hunt Country

A Major Touch of France From Slater Run’s Winemaker

By Ali Patusky

It might be surprising to learn that Katell Griaud left France to pursue winemaking in the United States, but when a job opportunity presented itself, she took it.

“I actually didn’t think I was going to go to America,” said Griaud, the highly accomplished winemaker at Slater Run Vineyard in Upperville. “But I thought it was way more fun to come and make plenty of different types of wines.”

Griaud’s parents and brother are in the wine industry as well, but their familial roots were far from it. When she was born in Limoges, France, her father was working for IBM and her mother was a nurse. Despite her father being “ very successful” in his job, it was his “dream…to own a vineyard,” his daughter said.

Griaud attributes that dream to the French culture he was surrounded by when he was young, a period in their lives when she said her parents were so-called “hippies” .

“

My parents were both born in 1950, and in the ‘60s, there was a type of young revolution in France,” she said. “My dad was especially active on that. He went to work in a big corporation but I think he wanted to go back to the roots.”

This dream was fulfilled in 1992 when the family bought a property with a vineyard and house in the Monbazillac commune of Dordogne, France. They split their time between Limoges and Dordogne until 1995 when they moved to the vineyard full-time, a change of pace for then eight-year-old Griaud.

Friday, March 24

Hunt the spectacular Mellon Country with a tailgate breakfast to follow Cocktails and music in the evening at Buchanan Hall

Saturday, March 25

Piedmont Fox Hounds Point to Point at Salem Racecourse 12:30 PM

Sunday, March 26

Piedmont Fox Hounds Hunter Pairs at Clifton Back Gate 9 AM

To register for the Sporting Weekend, contact Janie Motion: jane@janecovington com or Andi Gilman: justthebest99@gmail.com

To register for the Hunter Pairs, visit www centralentryoffice com Stabling and guest accommodations are available

“It was a big shock because we had always lived in suburbs outside of cities or apartments in the middle of cities,” she said. “I didn’t think I was going to enjoy it and I really enjoyed it. Starting at this point, my brother and I knew there was no way we were going to walk into an office.”

After completing high school, she was accepted to an academically rigorous course at the University of Toulouse. France. Unsure of what sort of career she wanted to pursue, she attended for one year before deciding it was not the right program for her.

“Everyone around me told me ‘if you are accepted, you should go,’” she said. “I went, it was not my thing After one year, I moved on to a more practical twoyear study in agronomy. I wanted to see different aspects of the vegetables.”

During that time, Griaud participated in multiple farming internships, some with animals and some with plants, including data collection on disease in various vineyards in France. That experience, paired with her love of living in the countryside and the nature of the winemaking process, cemented her career path.

“The vineyard is one of the only cultures where you go from the beginning to the end,” Griaud said.

Griaud giving the Roots Vertical tasting in the Slater Run Vineyards tank room.

PSO YOUNG PEOPLE’S CONCERT:

“The vineyard is one of the only cultures where you go from the beginning to the end,” she said. “You plant your vine, you take care of your vineyard. You transform the grapes into wine, and you can actually present your wine to the client who is going to buy it. You express a little bit of yourself

She eventually attended Faculty De Enology of Bordeaux, where she spent three years completing her masters degree in Oenology while also attending the opposing harvest seasons in New Zealand and France. Ultimately, working in a laboratory with Michele Rolland, a “big time consultant in the wine world, connected her to the Kluge Estate Winery in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she began to work in 2009.

“He [Michele Rolland] knew I was going to start looking for a job and that I wanted to go back abroad,” she said. “He started to tell me about a place in Virginia that was looking for a new winemaker. I started my job on April 1, and I remember that date because I thought it was a big joke, because I was 25 or something like that.”

When the Kluge winery went bankrupt in 2010, Griaud returned to France to begin looking for another job. However, she soon returned to America to work as the winemaker for Trump Winery, following Donald Trump the Kluge Estate, turning down another opportunity to work for a well-known French Chateau.

“In Bordeaux in Médoc, you make only red wine,” Griaud said. “Otherwise, if you plant something else, it’s a little bit more complicated to justify. As much as I love some traditions and culture in France, sometimes it’s a little bit restrictive, and I like the fact that here we can play.”

Griaud was employed at the Trump Winery until 2014 when she began working as the winemaker for both Casanel Vineyards and Winery in Leesburg and Slater Run Vineyards in Upperville. She left Casanel in 2018 and now focuses on Slater Run and also works with her husband, Tim Rausse, at Gabriele Rausse Winery in Charlottesville.

And when she’s not making wine in Virginia, she’s helping out at the at her family winery in France, Chateau Kalian. It’s a busy schedule, but she’d have it no other way.

“I can actually say that I do a job I enjoy,” she said.

Our popular Young Artists Competition showcases the talents of three young instrumentalists performing on stage with the orchestra as they compete for scholarship prizes. This competition is generously cosponsored by the Phillip A. Hughes Foundation. The Student Art Contest theme is Respighi’s brilliant and colorful Pines of Rome, as we present the art work of area students projected in realtime during the performance!

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2023 • 3:00PM Michael A. Hughes Center/Highland School, Warrenton, VA

Griaud standing in the barrel room at Slater Run Vineyards.

Photos by Kristen Finn Katell Griaud

Diego Quintanar-Pena

Hannah Choi Ninghao Zhan

Luminescence Foundation & The Ben-Dov Family

The Margaret Spilman Bowden Foundation

Nicolaas and Patricia Kortlandt Fund

The Wise Foundation The Crossfields Group

Guiding Students Makes All The Difference

“It is my hope that, even in these sharply polarized times, we can agree that the purpose of schools is to help grow American citizens (who will become) good parents and neighbors, thoughtful (people), reliable workers.”

John Merrow, in the introduction to Addicted Reform: A 12 Step Program to Rescue Public Education

By Tom Northrup

Kendall was the boy in our neighborhood who everyone feared. Angry and aggressive, he always seemed eager to start a fight, and he was tough. When he walked down our street, my friends and I would go indoors. We weren’t about to take him on.

It was a major relief when his family moved. Our play could now proceed undisturbed.

Several years later when I began high school, I spotted Kendall (he was a year ahead of me) in the hallway. Head down, I tried to avoid him, but he came over, smiled, and asked how I was doing. He was a different person.

Stunned, but relieved, I was clueless about the reason for this transformation. It took me about a decade to understand.

The high school wrestling coach who also was Kendall’s science teacher recognized that his aggressive nature needed to be and could be productively channeled. He encouraged Kendall to join the wrestling team.

Mr. D, this legendary teacher-coach, was an important mentor to hundreds throughout his career.

He was renowned for his ability to not only develop outstanding wrestlers, but more important, to develop meaningful relationships with his student-athletes and to set them on a path to become healthy and mature adults.

In his book, Addicted to Reform, John Merrow, an award-winning journalist, analyzes why the multiple educational reforms, despite their laudable intentions, over the past 30-40 years have not succeeded as hoped.

He argues that instead of blaming “the inevitable failures of school reform on teachers, students, underresourced public schools,” political and educational leaders need to rethink and to reimagine the primary goal of a school. That is to be the partner with parents to guide children on their journey to become competent, psychologically healthy, and engaged adults. His proposed 12 Step Program offers, in my opinion, a comprehensive framework to consider.

In his chapter, “Step Five: Make Connections,” Morrow writes, “Most children don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care… When they don’t feel connected to their school and

the adults therein, they will look elsewhere.”

In her book, The Importance of Being Little, Erika Christakis asserts, “It’s really very simple: young children…need to be known.”

Every student deserves to have at least one adult in the school who knows them well, and can serve as a mentor, advisor, listener, supporter. I believe this should be the most important priority for school leaders to communicate to and expect of their faculty and staff.

A connected, caring community is the first step in developing academically competent students and responsible citizens.

Over half a century ago, when Mr. D was operating, he was highly respected in his community. His worth as a teacher was not being measured by the standardized test scores of his students or the success of his wrestling teams. Those parents of the students he taught and coached understood that his guidance, his expectations and his respect for their children would be sufficient.

Recently I saw Kendall for the first time since high school. He had retired after a highly successful career—at the same high school—as a teacher-coach. He had followed in the footsteps of his beloved mentor.

Andrea Ferrero

Orthopedic patient

Geraldine Carroll

Charles Carroll IV, MD

g o o d h o m e f a r m

G o o d H o m e F a r m , k n o w n f o r i t s n a m e , s i t s i n a s t o r y b o o k s e t t i n g s u r r o u n d e d b y l a r g e e s t a t e f a r m s i n t h e h e a r t o f h o r s e c o u n t r y a n d i n t h e P i e d m o n t H u n t t e r r i t o r y H a v i n g h a d o n l y o n e o w n e r i n n e a r l y 2 0 y e a r s , i t ' s a r a r e o p p o r t u n i t y t o o w n t h i s t u r n k e y , p r i v a t e , p r e m i e r e q u e s t r i a n e s t a t e N e s t l e d t o t h e b a c k o f 5 0 + a c r e s s i t s a c u s t o m - b u i l t , s t o n e a n d s t u c c o , 3b e d r o o m , 4 - b a t h r o o m h o m e , c o n s t r u c t e d w i t h e x t r a o r d i n a r y d e t a i l , q u a l i t y , a n d c h a r m T h e m a i n l e v e l s h o w c a s e s a g r e a t r o o m w i t h w o o d e n b e a m s , P e l l a w i n d o w s o n t h r e e s i d e s , a n d f e a t u r e s a f l o o r - t o - c e i l i n g s t o n e w o o d - b u r n i n g f i r e p l a c e G o r g e o u s h a r d w o o d f l o o r s f l o w t h r o u g h t h e o p e n k i t c h e n , l i v i n g , a n d d i n i n g a r e a a n d t h r o u g h o u t t h e m a i n l e v e l T h r e e s e t s o f f r e n c h d o o r s o p e n f r o m t h e f a m i l y r o o m t o a n o u t s i d e s t o n e t e r r a c e o f f t h e b a c k o f t h e h o m e w h e r e y o u w i l l e n j o y a n a b u n d a n c e o f w i l d l i f e . J u s t i n s i d e t h e f r e n c h d o o r s , i s a g o u r m e t k i t c h e n w i t h t o n s o f c a b i n e t s p a c e , t o p - o f - t h e - l i n e s t a i n l e s s s t e e l a p p l i a n c e s , a n d b e a m s o f n a t u r a l l i g h t . A l a r g e m u d r o o m w a s p e r f e c t l y p l a c e d w i t h a s i n k a n d l a u n d r y , a n d a c l o s e t o n e a c h l e v e l w a s t h o u g h t f u l l y d e s i g n a t e d f o r s p a c e f o r a n e l e v a t o r , i f n e e d e d O n t h e m a i n l e v e l i s a g ra n d p r i m a r y s u i t e , w i t h a l u x u r i o u s b a t h a n d w a l k - i n c l o s e t A d d i t i o n a l l y , t h e p r i m a r y s u i t e h a s i t s o w n p r i v a t e r o o m w i t h a v a u l t e d c e i l i n g , t h r e e w a l l s o f P e l l a w i n d o w s a n d d o o r s t h a t l e a d o u t t o a p r i v a t e s i d e p o r c h . A c o m m o n a r e a s i t s a t t h e t o p o f t h e s t a i r s o n t h e u p p e r l e v e l w i t h b u i l t - i n b o o k s h e l v e s , t o n s o f l i g h t , f r e n c h d o o r s o f f t h e b a c k , a n d s t u n n i n g v i e w s i n e v e r y d i r e c t i o n ! T w o v e r y g e n e r o u s s i z e b e d r o o m s w i t h h i g h c e i l i n g s a r e o n t h e u p p e r l e v e l , e a c h w i t h t h e i r o w n f u l l b a t h O n t h e l o w e r l e v e l y o u w i l l f i n d a s t o r a g e a r e a , a 2 - c a r g a r a g e , a n d a n a d d i t i o n a l r o o m g r e a t f o r a g y m o r a n y h o b b y

D o n ' t G o S o u t h T h i s w i n t e r !

t h i s a l l - w e a t h e r r i d i n g f a c i l i t y l e t s y o u k e e p y o u r h o r s e s h o m e .

T h e 4 - s t a l l s t a b l e f e a t u r e s a w a s h - s t a l l w i t h h e a t l a m p s , g r o o m i n g s t a l l , f e e d r o o m , u t i l i t y r o o m , a n d a t a c k r o o m w i t h a w a s h e r , m i n i - r e f r i g e r a t o r , a n d a b a t h r o o m o f i t s o w n . O u t t h e b a c k o f t h e s t a l l s i s a l e a n - t o r u n - i n s h e d , a n d p a d d o c k w h i c h c a n s e r v e a s a d r y l o t t o o R u b b e r t i l e p a v e r s l i n e t h e c e n t e r a i s l e d o w n t o a 7 0 x 1 7 0 i n d o o r r i d i n g a r e n a w i t h a m a n u f a c t u r e d b l u e s t o n e b a s e , a n d d u s t - f r e e r u b b e r t i r e f o o t i n g w i t h m i r r o r s o n e a c h e n d O n e s i d e o f t h e i n d o o r i s o p e n a t t h e t o p f o r t h e p e r f e c t l i g h t a n d a m o u n t o f a i r f l o w f o r t h e h o r s e a n d r i d e r . O p p o s i t e t h e b a r n , i s a f a r m w o r k s h o p t h a t w a s d e s i g n e d t o e a s i l y b e c o n v e r t e d t o a d d i t i o n a l s t a l l s O n t h e b a c k s i d e o f t h e w o r k s h o p i s c o v e r e d s p a c e i d e a l f o r h o u s i n g f a r m e q u i p m e n t 4l a r g e p a d d o c k s s u r r o u n d t h e f a c i l i t y , e a c h w i t h 3 - b o a r d f e n c i n g , r u n - i n s h e d s , a n d a u t o w a t e r e r s .

From Shambles to Showcase

By Tim Burch

Afamily approached BOWA while still under contract to purchase this 1970s fourbedroom, colonial home in Middleburg.

The buyers knew the home needed a significant update to meet both their style and functional needs and had a list of projects they wanted to complete.

The BOWA Team, which included architect Sarah Armstrong of Studio360, helped them to develop a plan that would accomplish as many of their goals as possible within their desired budget.

When purchased, much of the home’s exterior was in shambles, and it felt out of place in comparison to the other houses in the area. On the inside, it was very dark and outdated, and did not flow well. The challenge was to update the house inside and out, maximize the existing footprint and let in more natural light. The transformation that followed is stunning.

The extensive whole-house remodel began with reworking the layout of the first floor, opening walls and letting in as much natural light as possible. This created an exquisite new kitchen space along the rear wall with an extended island seating four, a triple window above the range and a beautiful, beamed ceiling.

All the doors and windows were replaced, wood flooring was refreshed in each room, fireplaces were updated, the laundry room was renovated, and deferred maintenance was completed. Upstairs, bathrooms were stylishly updated, and a lovely window seat was created in the hallway with flanking built-in storage cabinets.

Outside, the façade was refinished with beautiful high-end finishes and a welcoming front porch was added with a sitting area and beautiful, entry door with sidelights and transom windows. Around back, there is now a covered patio allowing for indoor-outdoor living and entertaining. The homeowners now have lovely places to relax and enjoy the views of their property.

The homeowners’ vision of a bright and sophisticated design, improved functionality and a welcoming atmosphere was brought to life throughout this now-luxurious home.

Tim Burch is a vice president and owner of BOWA, an award-winning design and construction firm specializing in luxury renovations. For more information, visit bowa.com.

And after renovations.

The exterior before renovations.

Tim Burch

The Stutzman Mules: No Horsing Around

It’s very simple. Donna and Garon Stutzman simply adore their mules.

The love affair all began in the early 1980s when a friend suggested they might enjoy attending a large animal auction at the Fauquier Livestock Exchange in Marshall. From then on, they were off and galloping.

“We have nine mules on the hoof and one Kawasaki Mule on tires.”

Photo by Tiffany Dillon Keen Donna and Garon Stutzman share a love of mules.

They now own nine mules who live and romp on their 60-acre farm, Old Denton in Fauquier County. Garon has gone fox chasing on them for years and also used his mules to trail ride, coon hunt, pull carriages and race.

“I ride only mules because I think they’re safer than horses,” he said. “They have more endurance, are better behaved and are handier in the hunt field. They generally require a little less medical care and can be grazed together-- males and females.”

Donna grew up riding and showing American Saddlebreds, including at the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden. She also competed in dressage, hunter and pleasure events.

“When I met Garon he converted me to riding and showing mules,” she recalled. “I wouldn’t go back to riding a horse, especially at this point in my life. Mules are smarter, safer rides.”

When the Orange County Hounds met at Old Denton last November, John Coles, M.F.H., led the field riding Candyman, a Stutzman mule, as an end result of a fundraiser at the group’s dance and auction.

“He rode like a Cadillac and jumped like a deer,” Coles said that day. “Mules can do whatever a horse can do,” Garon said. “Best of all, my mules have created the opportunity for me to meet many more people and to make many more wonderful friends than you could imagine.”

In

2017, the Stutzmans were instrumental in getting an exact replica Twenty Mule Team Wagon built and brought to Washington, D.C. for the July 4th parade.  Donna had a documentary made and the 38-minute film can be seen on YouTube by entering: Twenty Mule Team comes to Washington, DC July 4, 2017.

Photo by Tiffany Dillon Keen

This portrait of Sloe Gin Fizz is by artist Jessica Zupp Schengber.  She was shown by Donna Stutzman in many of the nation’s biggest shows, she is now 24 and retired.

Photo by Vicky Moon John Coles on Candyman.

Photo by Karen Monroe of Middleburg Photo Garon Stutzman rides out with Orange County Hounds on Ellie Mae

Photo by Tiffany Dillon Keen Old Denton is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places. The main two-story brick dwelling in Fauquier County was built in 1860.

Photo by Tiffany Dillon Keen A bit of fun in the sun.

Photo by Karen Monroe of Middleburg Photo The barn at Old Denton is filled with the Stutzmans’ Grove Creek Mules, among them Sloe Gin Fizz, Ellie Mae, Sadie, Jagermeister, Miss June Bug, Tom Collins, Natty Pat Bo, Stella Pearl Artois, and Candyman.

Photo by Tiffany Dillon Keen There is plenty of room to romp and play on 60 acres at Old Denton.

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Worldwide Vets Saving Animals in War Zones

By Louisa Woodville

Dr. Gemma Campling, a veterinarian based in Zimbabwe, has been on a mission to save animals, including those in war-torn regions since graduating from the University of Nottingham, England, in 2014.

“In 2010 I launched Worldwide Vets [out of London]; we started very small, working with organizations that I had met traveling,” she said about her nonprofit, which initially focused on South Africa, Zimbabwe, Egypt, and India.

Today it also serves Peru, Costa Rica, Thailand, the Ukraine and, starting in January, 2023, Iran. The goal is to sponsor vets to visit these areas, provide medications and surgical equipment to charity clinics, to train local vets and technicians, and provide volunteer opportunities to study abroad.

“We set up a system whereby vet students and new graduates can come and get training at a clinic that needs support so they themselves are providing handson help to the charities,” said the 34-year-old vet. ”In paying for their visit, those funds support the organization which is then able to buy medication, keeps vets employed, and enable them to reach out and help more animals than they would be able to do if there weren’t volunteers.”

Dr. Campling came to the Middleburg area a few months ago at the invitation of Dr. Kent Allen of Virginia Equine Imaging. She spoke to an appreciative group about her team’s indefatigable efforts to save horses, dogs, cats, and even lions trapped in the Ukraine.

“A missile drops and explodes small fragments of metal shrapnel, and it blows out for hundreds of meters,” she said, showing a photograph of her operating in a garage. “We don’t know where and when they’re coming. But I have a good team that I work with and solid military backup.”

Connections with the Ukrainian army and an organization of ex-British soldiers, Breaking the Chains, provide security and manpower.

Despite the danger, Worldwide Vets has managed to save hundreds of animals. Today about 20 Worldwide Vet horse veterinarians are stationed in northwest Ukraine—a region still fraught with difficulties.

“I was literally moved to tears at the plight of horses, dogs and cats caught in the middle of man-made conflicts in Ukraine and other places around the world,” said Donna Stutzman of The Plains.  “I believe that this organization is worthy and one which would be of particular interest in our Middleburg community.”

One of Worldwide Vet’s most spectacular saves involved nine lions threatened by starvation in a Biopark in Odessa. Dr. Campling, with the help of British Army veterans, successfully relocated the big cats to a Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado via Romania. The animals crossed three borders over 72 hours to reach safety and ultimately, their permanent location in an 800-acre park.

Worldwide Vets also supports horse and other animal owners forced to flee war zones and abandon their charges. Her team feeds their horses, financed through a grant system in place. All donations Worldwide Vets receive go directly to purchase feed and medicine.

Funds are always in short supply. A mobile veterinary unit was donated to Worldwide Vets, but there’s no truck to pull it and not enough money to buy one. Dr. Campling is on a constant mission to keep donations steady so her non-profit can purchase feed, medicine, supplies, as well as provide the small stipend some vets receive.

Locating feed for these Ukrainian-based animals—most of them displaced—is a challenge, given that there’s little to no grass for grazing animals, especially now in winter.

Because so many animals roam free in the southeast Ukraine, neutering is also a top priority. One video shows Dr. Campling neutering a cat as missiles explode around her; she stands in a rectangular hole, the kind a mechanic situates stands in to change a car’s oil. This makeshift garage is just one of her operating theaters. Electrical power is sporadic; at times she has had to operate in the dark using a headlamp.

“It’s shattering to witness the suffering of Ukraine’s animals in the chaos of this terrible war, and very easy to fall into a paralysis of despair,” said Betsy Manierre of The Plains. “But Gemma Campling’s organization provides us with an efficient, practical way to help them. Her energy and raw courage are inspiring.”

Asked how she keeps herself from despair by the magnitude of if all, Dr. Campling said, “Through working with worldwide vets for ten years, you can never achieve everything you want to, and it’s the drive to help more animals that keeps you in the game. Every human and every team has a physical limit on what they can achieve. But I know that what we’re achieving in the fact of adversity is changing the lives of thousands of animals and people. So we just take it one day at a time.”

For details on how to donate: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/helphorsesinUkraine

Dr. Gemma Campling working on a leopard before its transport from Odessa, Ukraine to Colorado.

Ukrainian dogs are a focus for Worldwide Vets.

Foxcroft Receives a Sweet Gift from Mars Family

The Foxcroft School in Middleburg has received a $22 million gift to support the construction of a STEAM wing on the campus, the largest gift made to the allgirls school by living donors in its 108-year history.

The grant was made by members of the Mars family who graduated from the school, Victoria Beth Mars and Pamela Mars Wright and their daughters Bernadette Schuetz Russell and Charlotte Audrey Rossetter.

The creation of a Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math wing is part of Foxcroft’s $65 million, 10-year “Building for Our Future” campaign.

“For a family to come together and give a transformative gift like this because they see the current and future possibilities of the school is amazing,” said Foxcroft Head of School Cathy McGehee. “This gift will create new learning spaces and laboratories that reflect best practices for teaching girls the way they learn best, which is at the heart of Foxcroft’s mission.

Russell also serves on the school’s board of trustees.

“The four of us—my mother Victoria, my aunt Pamela, my cousin Charlotte, and myself—feel very strongly about the school and our experiences there and believe in the need to give back and help the school advance,” Russell said. “We made this gift because we believe in women supporting women, in investing in the place that is important to us, and in inspiring others to join in support of this vital effort

to help our school reach its campaign goal.”

Victoria Beth Mars and Pamela Mars Wright previously served on the board and have regularly shared with the school community their experiences and expertise as leaders of Mars, Inc., one of the largest privately held companies in the U.S. •••••••••••••••

The Middleburg Library Advisory Board has announced the establishment of a college scholarship in memory of the late Eura Lewis, a long-time Middleburg resident and a former member of the board who died last January 25 at the age of 92. The scholarship amount is $5,500 and would be available for students who will be starting college or resuming their studies.

Eura Lewis championed community involvement and her slogan was “Making a Difference.” She retired after teaching for 40 years in Fauquier County Public Schools, was treasurer of the Fauquier County Retired Teachers Association, and was elected and served on the Town Council of Middleburg for 12 years.

The Middleburg United Methodist Church located at the corner of Washington and Pendleton Streets still retains the original steeple bell with the 1857 stamp. And now, the need for repair of church’s old brick walkway has created an opportunity for members of the church and the community to replicate memories in stone by purchasing individual bricks that can be etched with memories such as births, baptisms, weddings, deaths, etc.

The need to repair the walkway also created an opportunity for local Eagle Scout Thomas Basinger to pursue an organizational honor when he assembled his fellow scouts to deconstruct the old walkway in two days. The scouts then used those bricks to create a patio in the play area behind the church.

The bricks are $150 each and can be engraved with one to three lines with no more than 17 characters and spaces per line.

To place an order, visit the church website, www. mburgumc.org, click on Events, Engraved Brick Fundraisers, then download and print the .pdf form, and mail it with your check to the address on the form.

Mars family members left to right Charlotte Audrey Rossetter, Pamela Mars Wright, Victoria Beth Mars, Bernadette Schuetz Russel.

Cantacuzene Breeds for the Long Run

By IV Hendrix

Make no mistake: Melissa Cantacuzene is a proud Virginian. As a child, she followed foxhounds through the Piedmont’s hardwood forests and rolling pastures. As an adult, she led the Middleburg Hunt’s field through the countryside around her home in Aldie.

But after a short stint living near Hot Springs, Arkansas, Cantacuzene and her late husband, Rodion, decided to base much of their budding Thoroughbred racing stable there. In the years since, Cantacuzene has expanded her operations to Louisiana and Maryland – and occasionally races elsewhere when conditions suit one of her horses.

While Cantacuzene’s horses in training are based far and wide, she raises most at her Landfall Farm in Aldie. Land, she explains, is perhaps the most important factor in raising a horse. And the Piedmont’s fertile soil gives way to the abundant forage necessary to nourish a developing Thoroughbred.

As Cantacuzene stands in her farmhouse kitchen slicing tomatoes for sandwiches, the Bull Run mountains form a silhouette through a south facing window. In the foreground, a group of broodmares graze as two yearling colts romp in an adjacent field.

Cantacuzene’s philosophy is simple: breed to race, then race horses where they can be most competitive.

“I’m in it for the long run,” she said. “I breed to race, and I trust my trainers to place horses where they have the best chance to win.”

She’s found success in route races and sprints, on turf and dirt, and even over jumps. Last year, Cantacuzene won the Louisiana Cup Sprint Stakes with Takes Two to Tango, a third-generation homebred. Other highlights from her career as an owner include campaigning the multiple stakes winning Louisiana-bred The Pickett Factor and winning the Colonial Cup – one of the nation’s most prestigious steeplechase races—with Sailor’s Clue.

At a time when racing is dominated by ownership syndicates that invest seemingly limitless resources into horses with the most promising bloodlines, small owner-breeders like Cantacuzene are easy to overlook. Her racing stock is the product of a broodmare band she’s cultivated over generations – and increasingly, of a shrewd decision to invest in a promising young stallion.

In 2018, Cantacuzene answered a call from longtime friend and Maryland horseman Audrey Murray, who was marketing a well-bred but unproven stallion prospect named Blofeld. A son of leading Kentucky stallion Quality Road, the graded stakes winner showed promise, so Cantacuzene purchased shares with plans to support him with her broodmares.

Her decision proved prescient. From his 2022 foal crop, Blofeld boasted 28 winners from 36 runners – an impressive start to his stallion career. Cantacuzene began 2023 with a pair of wins from two homebred daughters of Blofeld – Alpine Mist and Dance Lil Darling – at Delta Downs in Louisiana.

“I’ll send everything I can to him this year,” Cantacuzene said of her plans for her broodmare band. “So far, I’ve been delighted with the Blofelds I’ve bred.”

As Cantacuzene turned to enter her car for the trip to Baltimore’s Pimilico Race Course, where a homebred was entered later that afternoon, she paused for a moment.

“In this game, planning only takes you so far – the rest is luck,” she said with a grin.

For Cantacuzene, that’s proven to be a successful formula. With any luck, she’ll follow her next generation of homebreds to the winner’s circle from Pimlico to New Orleans’ Fair Grounds Race Course -- and all points in between.

Photo by Hodges Photo. Takes Two to Tango, a 6-year-old son of Half Ours, added his sixth career victory for breeder/owner Melissa Cantacuzene in the $67,000 Louisiana Turf Cup Sprint at Louisiana Downs last August. He was ridden by Luis Quinonez and is trained by J. Luis Garcia.

Tradition and Technology Meet In Field

By Leslie VanSant

The ways our lives have been forever changed and mostly improved by data and technology are simply too numerous to count. From autocorrect (cursed as it is), to smart thermostats, nest cams, Fitbits and all things Apple, Google and Microsoft related, technology touches most everything.

Even the most tradition-bound organizations are finding ways to integrate and use data and technology to their advantage. Consider how many churches initiated “zoom” services during the pandemic that have decided to keep the practice going?

But foxchasing?

The sport tied to the land, tradition, hounds, and horses.

Yes, foxchasing and its enthusiasts are also making great use of technology.

Billie Jo Pearl, director of operations, and Andrew Barclay, director of hunting, recently explained how the Middleburg-based Masters of Foxhounds Association (MFHA), the governing body of organized mounted hunting with hounds and founded in 1907, is using data and technology.

“The welfare of the animals, that the hounds are well cared for is at the center mission,” said Barclay, huntsman at the Green Spring Valley Hunt in Maryland before taking his current role.

“When I started hunting, no one carried a radio,” Barclay added. Today, radios are used by mounted staff and road whips to share hound location to avert dangers like roads or railways with regularity.

“Now, most hunts use GPS collars, and the road whips can monitor on an iPad and act even quicker to keep hounds off roads. This has dramatically improved the safety of hounds and humans.” he said.

Since the earliest days of hunting with hounds, masters and hunting staff alike have been tracking breeding to develop a pack with the best abilities for a given territory and quarry.

The MFHA is the keeper of the “Foxhound Stud Book” where matings and bloodlines of eligible foxhounds are recorded. Billie Jo Pearl has completed the painstaking, six-year-long process of migrating this massive collection of hard paper data to an interactive online database. With about 1,000 hounds registered each year, moving the process to a digital platform increased efficiency for the MFHA staff while also providing benefit to members.

“In addition to registering hounds, now our members can look up a pedigree online or see the possible results of a trial breeding,” said Pearl. Fear not, however, the registry is still printed each year and distributed.

Pearl agreed that GPS collars are the most significant change to hunting and hound safety. She noted that in addition to tracking hounds, the collars could provide additional data to help maintain hound nutrition and health (sort of like a Fitbit for hounds).

As long as people have been following hounds on horseback, they have been keeping track of their days in hunting diaries. The MFHA (and the National Sporting Library and Museum in Middleburg) have many hunting diaries in their collections. The entries marked the weather, the friendships, the rivalries, and the country covered on a given day.

Now, members can add a digital footprint to their memories. Apps for phones including Equilab or Map My Run mark the country covered, steps, speed and gait.

Apple Watch and Fitbits provide insights on the rider’s heart rate and respiration. And then, there’s social media. The photos of friends and good times out riding on Facebook and Instagram are posted almost every day.

Photo by Helen Houghton Hounds and their high-tech tracking collars out in the field.

Photo Courtesy of Middleburg Photo

The Tack Box – Celebrating 75 Years

By Linda Roberts

John Berkeley “Chub” Lee started a horse equipment (“tack”) business out of the back of his Plymouth Suburban paneled truck 75 years ago. His daughter, Berk Lee, owner of what eventually became The Tack Box, recently accepted a plaque from the Middleburg Business & Professional Association for owning the longest continuously operating business in Middleburg.

The late Chub Lee founded his business by necessity. His mother, Mrs. Dorothy N. Lee, who boarded Gen. George Patton’s horses at her stable where the Middleburg Community Center now stands, couldn’t find equipment for her horses and sent Chub off to fill her needs.

Apparently he came home empty handed. Finding others who also lacked quality tack, Chub loaded the back of the Plymouth with equipment he acquired and hit the road, making sales calls—once Mrs. Lee’s orders were filled.

Ever the entrepreneur, Chub also acquired the Middleburg-based Wilson Horse Transportation van line, retaining the business named after Stanley Wilson, who founded the company. With a half-dozen large horses vans, Chub hauled horses up and down the east coast to breeding farms, thoroughbred sales and horse shows for many years.

Back on the family’s 143-acre farm off Rt. 702 near The Plains, his daughter, Berk, grew up learning everything there was to know about horses, from their tack to how to ride in fox hunts and shows. Her mother, skilled horsewoman Frances Lee, taught Berk, who was acquiring the knowledge

Showing perfect form, a young Berk Lee and her pony, Severn Dusty, sail over a jump.

that would stand her in good stead one day when she took over management of her father’s tack business.

At that time, all their horses came off the racetrack, Berk Lee recalled. When a race horse could no longer compete, they became show horses or fox hunters. According to Lee, when she was growing up, horses had to handle multiple careers. And her mother “loved every minute” of their training, she said.

In the early 1970s, Chub purchased the contents of the Middleburg Saddlery, then going out of business. He acquired space at the corner of Madison and Washington Streets, opening what is now known as The Tack Box. By the mid-1980s, The Tack Box had established permanent quarters at its present location, 7 West Federal Street, and Berk Lee was becoming more involved in the business.

She recalled her dad quipping, “if you can’t make it here, I don’t think you can make it anywhere because we’re in the middle of horse country.”

Lee began working at The Tack Box in 1978, but also was quite involved in showing in competitions from Madison Square Garden in New York City to Florida during the winter. She no longer shows horses, but stays busy between the store and taking care of the nine horses she boards for her clients.

“I take care of my clients’ horses in the mornings, grab some lunch and spend the afternoons at the store,” she said. “It makes for a full day.”

Her husband, Jim Furr, who grew up at Llangollen Farm near Upperville, keeps busy mowing grass. “He knows enough about horses to keep away from them,” Lee said with a grin.

Lee, her stepdaughter Laura Furr, Rachael Efird, Jennifer Smith and Leslie Page, keep The Tack Box open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Across Federal Street from The Tack Box is the venerable Journeyman Saddlers, owned by Lee’s first cousin, “Punkin” Lee, another Middleburg fixture. There a visitor can have tack repaired, custom chaps designed and made, nameplates ordered for halters, and all manner of leather goods made and repaired.

Between the two cousins, the visitor can also acquire a good deal of history about Middleburg—and have a great time talking about “the old days.”

Berk Lee said she has no plans to retire, adding tongue-in-cheek that her chiropractor told her if she ever quit “I probably wouldn’t start up again.”

On her bucket list, though, is a desire to see the national parks. She and her husband have a camper and take short jaunts.

“Maybe one day,” she said, “we’ll just head west.”

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Photo by Linda Roberts Berk Lee and paper-mache horse, Prince, in the front window of The Tack Box in Middleburg. Prince has been in the window of a tack shop since the late 1800s.

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THE LOCAL EFFECT

By Pat Reilly

hat do we value about living in the Virginia Piedmont: Quality water, rich soil, historical landscapes, diverse plant, bird and animal species? All of the above say two local men who are trustees of the Virginia Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. They want us to know how important the work of this global environmental organization is to protecting our local environment.

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is the largest environmental organization in the world, with projects that impact more than 70 countries and territories and chapters in all 50 U.S. states. Longtime trustee in two chapters, now in his native Virginia, W. Cabell “Cab” Grayson, of Upperville, points out that Virginia might be the most ecologically important state. He previously worked with the Maryland-D.C. Chapter, which concentrated on the Chesapeake Bay and shared coastal work with Virginia. “Though it’s not next door,” Grayson says, “it’s a stopping point for migratory birds.” The work in the Chesapeake basin affects the quality of water far from the shore line.

From the Chesapeake Bay to the Appalachians and with a huge forest acquisition in the southwest part of the state, “TNC in Virginia controls and protects more land than in any other state,” according to another Virginia trustee, Timothy P. Dunn of The Plains. What TNC scientists, staff and volunteers do on the Chesapeake, in the Cumberland Forest and across the Appalachians affects a lot of what we value about living in the Piedmont. In fact, the Appalachians, which form the spine of western Virginia, are identified by TNC as one of four most important ecological focal areas in the world.

Warming temperatures and extreme weather events are changing and destroying habitats, causing birds and animals to move northward and to The diversity of species that live in or move through the Appalachians is what makes it such a critical landscape to protect, both

“Of the three Rs--reduce, reuse, recycle-recycle is the least you can do.”

Grayson and Dunn emphasize.

Compared to all other national regions, the sheer number of migratory routes show the Appalachians are a superhighway. In addition, their verdant forests and plant diversity counteract some of the worst of the carbon dioxide emissions created in the eastern U.S.

Dunn, who has been a supporter of the organization for 30 years, points out that TNC’s ability to partner with smaller, local groups with shared interests is one of its strengths. He was drawn to TNC because of its “deep bench” of scientists. The organization has 400 scientists, many of them on call to other countries, and it has more than a million members.

Grayson credits the fact that TNC hires local people for its work as a “huge credibility factor. It also contributes to economic development.” And he adds, “I fervently believe that environmental protection doesn’t come at the expense of economic development—the two go hand in hand.”

One of the organization’s goals for 2030 is to partner with indigenous people and other local communities to learn from and support their leadership in stewarding their environments, securing rights to resources and improving economic opportunities.

Dunn, who runs a firm investing in “environmentally smart” companies, says, “Virginia has great opportunities. I want to do what I can to see TNC is helping us realize those.” He says it’s important that Piedmont people know what we can do to support the work. “We have a responsibility to do our share. It’s good to think globally, but we have to act locally. For example, recycling is not the answer, using less is the answer.” He points out that we go to the dump and put our trash in the correct bins and feel we’ve done our part. But if we go to the dump three times a week, we are adding to the problem. “Of the three Rs--reduce, reuse, recycle--recycle is the least you can do,” he explains.

Swans take flight.

Heath Croll: Playing It Forward for Maximum Potential

By Leonard Shapiro

It happens all the time. An appreciative adult talks about their own personal path to a successful career with its roots planted back in middle or high school by a revered teacher or a coach who saw something special in them that eventually blossomed years later.

That’s how it was for widely-regarded Middleburg fitness trainer and coach Heath Croll, a native of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania who now operates his own business, RAMP Athletes, working with 40 to 60 clients a week ranging in age from 6 to 76. RAMP stands for Reaching Athletes Maximum Potential.

Croll ran track in high school until he hurt his knees as a sophomore. His middle school and then high school athletic trainer “was always around and helping me,” Croll recalled. “I chose to get into it because of him. I knew right away in college that I wanted to get a degree in health and physical education.”

Unable to compete at that level, Croll instead earned bachelors degrees in both health and physical education and sports administration along with a minor in coaching. He also holds certifications through the Certified Physical Preparation Specialist (CPPS), National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the International Youth Conditioning Association (IYCA).

His website, rampathletes.com, offers more insight into his motivation, that he’s “dedicated to helping others, regardless of age or experience, reach their full athletic potential. Heath believes that everyone

is an athlete, whether they play competitive sports or not, and that a safe and effective strength and conditioning program is the basis for achieving each individuals fitness goals.

“He specializes in youth training and has developed unique programs geared towards the specific needs of young athletes ranging from 6-18 years old. In addition to teaching safe and proper training techniques, his programs go beyond physical education by helping to promote confidence, teamwork, and respect.”

Croll’s professional life began with an internship at a YMCA “where you basically had to do everything, swimming with the kids, even babysitting. It was a lot of fun.”

That was followed by stints as a trainer at LifeTime Fitness and Gold’s Gym, and a move to Colorado where his wife, Amy, who grew up in Northern Virginia, went to study psychology at the University of Colorado.

That’s when Croll started RAMP in 2010 in Boulder, “where there were rock climbers all over

the place,” he recalled. They eventually decided to return to Virginia, where Middleburg had always been a “dream” location for Amy. She grew up riding hunters and jumpers in Northern Virginia and still rides when she’s not also operating her own pilates studio in Leesburg. They have two sons, seven-yearold Zander and Marcus, 3.

Croll does some of his one-on-one training work at Amy’s Leesburg location. He also handles most of his group training at a facility in Dominion Valley in Haymarket that includes a gym, a pool and a basketball court.

He’s had plenty of success stories, including one female Auburn swimmer who has competed in the Olympic trials. And he’s also proud of his work with a 76-year-old woman who “just wants to be in shape and live her life with no aches and pains. Longevity is the new catchword.”

“I’ll train the kids,” he added, “and then their parents will come in and say, ‘can you train us, too?’” Yes.

Heath Croll

Participants in one of Heath Croll’s classes.

An Old School Educator Still Thriving at Hill

By Leonard Shapiro

In an era of national and local teacher shortages and fewer college students than ever looking to make the classroom their future careers, Don Woodruff, Hill School’s octogenarian ageless wonder, has clearly been bucking that troublesome trend.

He’s 82 and has been teaching history and other subjects for 58 years.

“I love teaching,” he said. “Teaching these kids at these grade levels helps me to have a healthier life, be more in touch with what’s going on and I enjoy the subjects. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Over those six decades, he’s done plenty more. He’s been a coach, a Head and an Assistant Head of School, and a Development and Admissions Officer. All the while he’s pursued his other great passion as a long-time lacrosse referee, from grade school to the highest levels of collegiate competition in a sport he played until his late 30s.

At Hill, he teaches eighth grade American History as well as reading to second and fourth grade classes and one-on-one reading work with students who need extra help. And he still referees middle school lacrosse on the weekends.

All the while, he added, “I still embrace the mantra that I never come to school without great expectations and joy.”

Don and his late wife, Mary, came to teach at Hill in 1996. Tom Northrup, Hill’s former Head of School said, “Don represents the best of old school, someone who will do anything for the good of the school. He will stay after an event and help put away the chairs. Just an excellent teacher and coach and overall person. And Mary was the same way.”

A native of Baltimore, Woodruff said he never took a single education course before he began his teaching career. A three-sport athlete and graduate of Trinity College in Connecticut, he served as a Navy officer during the Vietnam War and spent 11 months on a PT boat tasked with preventing the smuggling of arms from China and North Vietnam into the hands of the Viet Cong.

He finished his military service stationed in Washington, where he “re-met” Mary, a childhood acquaintance, and they married a year later. He said the best advice he ever got came from his father-inlaw, a brilliant doctor and researcher who graduated medical school at age 17.

“When I asked to marry his daughter, he asked me what I was going to do,” Woodruff recalled. “I said ‘I’m going to take some education courses and become a teacher.’ He said ‘don’t bother with the education courses. Go to graduate school and study history.’ So I did.”

He completed a Masters at American University in 1966, then was hired to teach at

St. James School in Hagerstown, Maryland, where Mary became the school’s first fulltime art teacher since its founding in 1842. They stayed for 20 years before he was named Head of School at Hampton Roads Academy in Newport News. After seven years, he helped restart and run Fredericksburg Academy for two years before deciding to accept the offer to come to Hill.

Mary joined the faculty as an art teacher and librarian and was an equally beloved member of the staff until her death last year. He is still moved by what he described as “the overwhelming outpouring of affection” from the community, and particularly so many of his past Hill students and colleagues.

Woodruff lives within blocks of Hill and is often seen on campus and around town walking his black Scottie dog Callie, who spends the school day in Woodruff’s cozy, cluttered office in Hill’s main building, a mini-history museum in its own right.

“Don’s dedication not only to Hill School but to the profession of education is remarkable.” said Treavor Lord, Hill’s Head of School. “His love of history and his drive for instilling this passion in his students is legendary. Don’s devotion to his craft and his school sets an example for all of us.”

Old School? Maybe. But definitely showing the Woodruff Way for the next generation.

Photo by Leonard Shapiro Don Woodruff and Callie, his Scottie pal.

“I love teaching ...Teaching these kids at these grade levels helps me to have a healthier life, be more in touch with what’s going on and I enjoy the subjects. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

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On the Comeback Trail After a Calamitous Crash

By Leonard Shapiro

Patrick McAvoy still remembers how thrilled he was to get his first set of Ben Hogan junior beginner golf clubs when he was in the second grade, the start of his lifelong passion for the game.

Hogan was the greatest golfer of his generation, a nine-time major champion who survived a near fatal Texas car crash with a bus in 1949 that left him hospitalized for 59 days. Sixteen months later, at age 36, he won the U.S. Open championship at Merion in the Philadelphia suburbs, and six of his major titles came in the years after the accident.

McAvoy, 38, can surely relate to Hogan’s remarkable comeback. He’s a fine player himself who now works part-time in the front office at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville as well as Middleburg’s Brick and Mortar Mercantile. McAvoy also was 36 when he was a passenger in a car that was demolished in a horrific accident only a few miles from his home in Upperville.

A friend was driving and when he leaned over to show McAvoy something on his cell phone, he lost control of his Nissan SUV. The car left the road, hit a telephone pole and a tree and left McAvoy pinned inside with a severe leg injury. He had the presence of mind to use his belt as a tourniquet before the ambulance arrived to transport him to the Reston Hospital, which surely saved him from bleeding to death.

Still, he had three breaks in his tibia, a detached heel pad, detached Achilles, detached tendons to his toes, and a total of 20 broken bones in his foot. It happened on Oct. 4, 2021, and after a dozen surgeries, McAvoy’s lower right leg about four inches below the knee was amputated, with his blessing, ten days later.

“They initially tried to save it,” he said. “But when it came down to it, everything they were describing, the rehab it would need, the complications, I knew the recovery would be a lot faster with a new leg.”

Since 1999, the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties has helped generous donors support a variety of charitable causes in our region. We salute the leaders who wrapped their vision and commitment—and arms—around this community to create and sustain a permanent charitable resource.

“My future is where my golf game will take me,” McAvoy said.

McAvoy was only a few miles from his Upperville home when the accident in this car occurred.

couldn’t really push off my back leg the way I needed to, and everything was going to the right. But I was able to figure it out. One of my goals in the hospital was to return to competitive golf and last October, I played in the Amputee Open in Danbury, Connecticut.”

Despite battling his nerves and his swing in a so-so opening round, McAvoy ended up finishing second in the tournament when he shot a closing 75. “That was very encouraging,” he recalled, his voice catching ever so slightly because “I get emotional just talking about it. But once that happened, it was all hands on deck with golf again.”

Before the accident, McAvoy, a divorced father of three, had been fully immersed in the game. In his early 20s, he had completed a two-year course at a branch of the San Diego Golf Academy in the golfing hotbed of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He studied its history, golf business and administration, club repair, instruction and much more.

In recent years, he had caddied at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club and also had several pro shop jobs, including work at the Stonewall Golf Club, also in Gainesville right next door to RTJ. That’s where he now goes to play, usually three rounds a week, with another two days devoted to long hours on the Stonewall practice range.

He’s also still working part-time at the Brick and Mortar Mercantile next door to the Middleburg Post Office, a unique gift shop where he said he’d always enjoyed shopping, giving him the flexibility to play and practice whenever he can. These days, he has a 2.8 handicap and can still hit his drives in the 280-yard range, down 20-25 yards from before the accident but still respectable.

He’s planning to play more tournament golf this year, including some amputee events, and other regular competitions run by the Virginia State Golf Association, including the VSGA State Open at Bull Run Golf Club in Haymarket this May.

“My future is where my golf game will take me,” McAvoy said. “I love playing and competing. You can’t ever really perfect it. One day you’ll shoot 69, the next day you have a hard time breaking 80. But it’s therapeutic for me. It’s what I do.”

A S E P T I C I S

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N e e d S o i l s w o r k d o n e N e e d S o i l s w o r k d o n e f o r y o u r p r o j e c t ? f o r y o u r p r o j e c t ?

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c a n s t a r t y o u r p r o j e c t o f f w i t h

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McAvoy loves his golf and his work at Brick and Mortar Mercantile.

A Place To Be Has A New Place To Be in Leesburg

By Jan Mercker

There’s plenty of magic in Middleburg. And one shining source is a brightly painted studio space on Jay Street, where A Place To Be Music Therapy has helped people with disabilities find their voices for the last 12 years.

It’s been a big year for the beloved Loudoun nonprofit–and for co-founder and artistic director Tom Sweitzer. The organization recently announced an expansion to Leesburg, doubling its capacity to serve clients. But its heart remains in Middleburg.

The new year also brings big developments in Sweitzer’s life. At 50, he’s rediscovered his passion for acting. His new one-man show, “20 Seconds,” will debut off-Broadway this spring. And a feature film based on the true story of Sweitzer, former student Forrest Allen and the healing power of music therapy is in the works.

“Music led me the whole way,” Sweitzer said.

Raised in a working class family in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Sweitzer moved to Middleburg in 1995 to run the theater department at The Hill School after graduating from Shenandoah University with a degree in music theater.

“I fell in love with the community,” he said.

While teaching, Sweitzer met APTB co-founder Kim Tapper, a dancer, choreographer and certified life coach. After several artistic collaborations, they launched a small nonprofit, the Creative Youth Project.

After Sweitzer returned to Shenandoah to earn a master’s in music therapy, he and Tapper launched a music therapy and coaching practice. They launched A Place to Be in 2010 with support from the Middleburg philanthropic community, including cofounding board members Benjamin and K.C. Graham and the late Maggie Bryant. A year later, they took things to the next level with public performances showcasing their clients’ talents.

“We were very aware that the people we were seeing who had disabilities really felt that they didn’t have a voice,” Sweitzer said.

Inspired by a young client with cerebral palsy, the APTB team debuted the Same Sky Project in 2011, featuring teens with intellectual, physical and developmental challenges. The idea was to highlight performers’ gifts and passions. The Same Sky Project and a series of shows that followed raised awareness in the community while providing an opportunity for clients to connect and build relationships.

“Beyond giving somebody with a disability a stage and a platform, we do [performances] because we know that there’s a need for connection,” Sweitzer said. “We were finding out that when these children who wanted to express themselves got up on stage with full-fledged productions with costumes and songs and singing and dancing, we watched the confidence grow– and we watched them connect.”

Word of mouth and expanded productions of the Same Sky Project and other successful shows in schools and venues took APTB from a two-person operation to a thriving nonprofit that now has 26 staffers.

In 2020, filmmaker Susan Koch’s documentary, “Music Got Me Here,” shared the story of Allen’s recovery from a traumatic brain injury and the powerful role of music therapy in helping him regain his voice. Koch’s documentary has been optioned for a feature film with “Outer Banks” star Chase Stokes cast as Allen.

After being hospitalized with Covid in June, 2020, Sweitzer set three goals: growing APTB and keeping it sustainable, finding love and getting “20 Seconds” on stage. In the last two years, all three have become reality.

APTB’s new Leesburg location will provide multiple therapy rooms and offer a more central location, while its Middleburg home remains alive with the magic of music.

Photo by Jan Mercker

From left, A Place To Be Executive Director Judith Hanley with co-founders Tom Sweitzer and Kim Tapper.

A New Pastor Has a Welcoming Mission

By Carina Elgin

Pastor Jonathan Lamb, Middleburg United Methodist Church’s young and energetic new minister, most recently served as the associate pastor of Congregational Care and Youth Ministries in Bridgewater, Virginia, a town of 6,000 near Harrisonburg.

In the United Methodist Church, clergy appointments are made by the Bishop and District Superintendent, so he didn’t know where he would serve next. It was decided the Middleburg church would be a good fit, so he quickly Googled the town.

“The first thing that came up was a photo of the Hunt Parade during Christmas in Middleburg,” he said. “It was so beautiful and I was so excited, especially since I have fond memories of my grandfather enjoying hunting coonhounds.”

Lamb, 34, grew up in Luray, and his family is still there. He attended Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and went on to Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He likes small town life, and considers being in Middleburg “really a blessing. He also loves history and the outdoors, and has found plenty of both in the six months he’s been in town.

“Pastor Jonathan,” as he likes to be called, is working with MUMC members to further their mission and vision. Expanding the Children’s Ministry, called the “Kingdom Kids” is a focus, and Lamb said he has some

very engaged parents helping to expand the programs. This year’s annual Children’s Christmas Pageant also saw a full house in the church, built in 1858.

MUMC is where the non-profit Seven Loaves Food Pantry was started almost 30 years ago and still operates. It’s open five days a week to either collect or distribute food to all in need. Tami Erickson, Pantry Operations Manager at Seven Loaves, said, “Pastor Jonathan was very enthusiastic to join the Seven Loaves board, and is very supportive of our mission.”

The church has a “local mission fund” to help those in need living within a five-mile radius of Middleburg pay for emergency medical bills, medicines, heating fuel, etc. Neighbors helping neighbors.

Lamb also is the pastor at the Rectortown United Methodist Church. He can be found leading services there at 10 a.m. on Sundays, before driving across the countryside to share his ministry in Middleburg at 11:30 a.m. Office hours and special events can be found on the website or by calling the church.

Lamb is looking forward to connecting with and becoming part of the community. He said he’s admired how Police Chief A.J. Panebianco and his staff are constantly out on the street and getting to know people. He’s trying to do the same.

He particularly takes to heart the words featured on the Middleburg United Methodist Church website (www.mburgumc.org):

“You are welcome here. No matter where you have been or where you have failed to be, what you have said or what you have failed to say, what you have done or what you have failed to do, Whom you have loved or failed to love, You are welcome here.”

That Care.

Photo by Leonard Shapiro Jonathan Lamb, the new pastor at Middleburg United Methodist Church, manned the church’s lemonade stand during last summer’s sidewalk sale.

Jane Bishop and Emily Hannum

Jennifer Taylor Jill Marshall and Denya Dee Leake

Mary Crane Michelle Power

Photos by Doug Gehlsen and Karen Monroe of Middleburg Photo

Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2023

KISS MY GRITS

Jefferson “Jeff” A. Van Allen’s day begins at 3 a.m. at his home in Unison when his Bulldog Wubzy wants his breakfast. How could anyone turn that face down?

As manager of Bistro and Bar and Chef de cuisine at the Goodstone Inn in Middleburg, he enjoys “being a part of the guests everyday life and helping them relax and have a good time.”

He studied fine arts and interior design in Newton Centre, Massachusetts and went to work in restaurants in upstate New York, learning from the ground up, from scrubbing pots to line cooking to management. “Cooking and being in the kitchen was a creative outlet for me as a striving artist,” he said.

Chef Jeff has been a part of the transformation of the Bistro, especially on Mondays, when it has been having a life of its own. “It’s almost like a social hour,” said Chef Jeff , 47. “You’ll see tables switch around and people table hop because everyone knows everyone and it’s hard to describe but just a fun time for all.”

On a recent Monday he pulled out all the stops for ZEST photographers Doug Gehlsen and Karen Monroe.

Among the choices?

“Kiss My Grits”… lobster and crab over Carolina grits with asparagus, Parmesan cheese and roasted corn.

Photos by Doug Gehlsen and Karen Monroe of Middleburg Photo

Chef de cuisine Jefferson “Jeff” A. Van Allen at Goodstone Inn

T. Huntley Thorpe III

Karen E. Hedrick

Robin C. Gulick

Chef Jeff A. Van Allen’ with Chase Fincham in the kitchen .

Wubzy

Hashy Benny is breakfast potatoes, fresh herbs from the garden, onions, peppers, and our farm eggs with hollandaise over top.

Kiss My Grits has lobster and crab over Carolina grits with asparagus, Parmesan cheese and roasted corn

Hot (as in spicy hot) Honey Chicken Thigh Over Buttermilk Waffle.

Fauquier Livestock Exchange Going Strong

By Peyton Tochterman

The Fauquier Livestock Exchange (FLX) on the outskirts of Marshall is thriving, serving a wide range of Northern Virginia farms as well as countless countryside animal lovers.

Entering its 61st year in operation, Stan Stevens, FLX’s field representative and a current board member, cherishes the community aspect of the company.

“We were founded back in 1962 by farmers,” he said. “Nine or ten of them pitched in and were our original shareholders. We were a community service then, and we are still one now. The small farmer is just important as the big farms to us. It’s a full agricultural community center.”

Between 12,000 to 15,000 cattle pass through their auctions yearly, with weekly sales at the Marshall Sale Barn and monthly sales in Culpeper.

Shelley Merryman, FLX’s office manager, knows the auction schedule inside and out. “Every Tuesday, we have a regular sale of cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, and lambs,” she said. “The first Friday of every month there’s a graded feeder sale in Culpeper. Twice a year we have a very popular equipment sale. And once a month, we have a poultry and small animal auction.”

The success of FLX has not come without difficulties. On September 27, 2010, a fire tore through the Marshall complex, and when the soot had settled, many were unsure if it would reopen.

But the local community ensured the FLX would remain a significant area enterprise. The immediate response from local fire departments from

five counties—Prince William, Loudoun, Warren, Rappahannock, and Fauquier—helped to mitigate the damage.

Former Marshall Volunteer Fire Chief Eddie Payne, a 34-year veteran, said, “I’ve been fighting fires for 34 years, and this was the worst, quickest spreading fire I ever dealt with,”

Ross Poe, former chairman of the Exchange’s board, credited the local fire departments for their efforts, and also cited several other good samaritans—farmers, law enforcement officers, nearby residents—who showed up that evening and helped rescue a number of animals.

“If it were not for them chipping in, we would have had a real mess,” he said. The first sheriff’s deputy on the scene grabbed a chainsaw to cut a hole in the barn to let the cows out.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been 12 years,” Stevens said. “But we got together and rebuilt it and were back up the next year by 2011. Together. Now we have concerts in our sales ring, too. Recently, Bess Putnam just told stories and played songs, and the local community came out and loved it.”

One of the more popular features before the fire was a breakfast/lunch counter that did a brisk business and served as a local gathering place.

“We’d love to get a grill back up and running,” Stevens added. “We would love to have people from our community come be able to get a good cup of coffee and a quick bite. We have a 900-square-foot area with power and water. All we need is a grill. Listen, we sell your cattle. We haul your cattle. We assess your cattle. We’d love to eat some too.”

A card helps bidders keep track of their sales and purchases.

Photos © Country ZEST

The Fauquier Livestock Exchange is entering its 61st year.

Joe Sitton Forges Friendships and Stunning Works of Steely Art

By Miles Kresic

Apillar of the community and an accomplished craftsman, Joe Sitton maintains a small forge in The Plains where he’s been creating intricate pieces of steel artwork and doing repairs for countless local clients for many years.

A farrier by profession, Sitton’s stunning work coming out of his Ironheart Forge has had a profound affect on many people in Virginia and beyond, almost entirely through word of mouth. Many of his projects take dozens, even hundreds of hours of work to complete, especially his gates and decorative pieces. One such piece, a beautiful iron grapevine featuring dozens of handmade leaves, took 475 hours.

The tools octogenarian Sitton uses are unique, mainly because many of the hammers and other implements in his shop are no longer being produced.That’s the case with some of the heavy equipment as well, such as a large green and yellow press dating back to the 19th Century. All of this machinery does not come cheaply, with an estimated $100,000 worth of equipment in the forge.

Still, despite the valuable cost of his tools and its upkeep, Sitton still provides great value to his clients. “Our rates are pretty much below everyone else in the country,” he said. “It’s the cost of staying in business.”

Growing up in Bedford County, Virginia, Sitton learned to ride and rope from a horse trainer as a teenager, when he also was first introduced to shoeing and blacksmithing. After high school, Sitton trained horses and was a blacksmith apprentice. He worked as a farrier for 25 years and then opened Ironheart Forge in the mid-1990s.

And he obviously takes pride in the quality of his intricate work.

“If you’re not happy with my product, it won’t go through that door over there”, he said, gesturing to the shop exit. “You gotta be satisfied with what I do or I won’t sell it to you. And I have to be satisfied first. If I’m not satisfied with the quality of the work, we heat it up and beat it into something else.”

The most common objects he makes are hooks, garden and yard gates. His favorite creations are steel flowers and leaves. His steel roses have made their way

to 38 different states and five foreign countries.

Sitton not only does artistic projects but also helps out anyone in need of repairs or installations. From fixing combines to installing railings free of charge, Sitton is more than willing to lend a helping hand.

He described one family he recently helped as “good people and they’ve served the community well. They couldn’t afford a railing but they needed one up and down their steps.”

Sitton believes offering his services to someone in need is one of the most important things anyone can do. “You’ve got to give back,” he said. “If you hog it all to yourself, fat hogs go to slaughter”.

Sitton is always eager to teach the skills he’s honed over many years and often hosts those who are willing to learn about smithing and metalworking at the forge.

“If you retain this knowledge and don’t spread it on to other people it’s wasted knowledge,” he said.”When I’m gone, the knowledge will have gone with me and I won’t have shared it with anybody.”

He encourages anyone to stop by, the better to get in touch with their inner smith.

For more information, go to www.joesitton.com

Photos by Miles Kresic Master Artisan Joe Sitton

A typical Sitton creation.

It’s All About Harmony in Mint Condition

By Jodi Nash

Aldous Huxley, the great 20th century writer and philosopher with a dark and somewhat satirical view of the world, once said: “There is no bad day that can’t be overcome by listening to a barbershop quartet. This is just truth, plain and simple.”

Dr. Larry Finkel and his fellow “Mint Condition” singers have been helping people overcome bad days for ten years, harmonizing at festivals, parades, reunions, birthdays, anniversaries, ice cream socials, farmers’ markets, corporate events and, more poignantly, at nursing homes or by the bedsides of families struggling with serious illness.

Dr. Finkel, who has a thriving dermatological practice in Warrenton, sings first tenor, while Ralph Griffith, a retired private investigator, sings lead. At 86, Glen Williamson, who worked at the U.S. Mint most of his life (hence the “Mint Condition Barbershop Quartet”) is their most senior performer, singing baritone. Worth Kirkman, a retired engineer, handles bass.

Barbershop quartets are not just striped-shirt, straw-hatted, bow-tied dudes blithely crooning a tune. They’re serious musicians, who sing a close four-part harmony a cappella without music or lyrics in hand, but with the freedom to interpret rhythm, tempo, style and performance dynamics as they feel.

Typically standing in a semi-circle, a quartet will slow down at specific cadence points to emphasize special harmonies or prolong a note. The second tenor carries the melody, with the first tenor harmonizing above the lead, singing the highest part subtly and nuanced, so as not to overpower the lead.

The baritone handles mid-range, usually harmonizing slightly below the lead, but sometimes above it. The bass, the deepest voice of the four, lays a solid foundation by singing and harmonizing the lowest notes. However, when four pitch-perfect voices merge and mingle, an unseeable fifth voice mysteriously materializes out of their combined musicality.

Between them, these four gents have 60 plus years of barbershop experience. Dr. Finkel, a native of Manhattan who sings with a second barbershop quartet (“Rendezvous”) in Fairfax, is the master of ceremonies for the group. With a background in musical comedy, he’s performed with theater groups in Fauquier and Rappahannock counties in both musicals and plays.

Taking Tuesdays off from his practice, he rehearses with both quartets. “I call it ‘Tunesdays,’” he said. “It’s been a great way to cope with an empty nest.”

Married, with three adult children, he enjoys all aspects of barbershop singing.

“It takes days to learn your part, weeks to learn how to sing it with the quartet, and months to learn how to perform it publicly,” he said. “It’s never a negative experience, though singing a wrong note is a personal disappointment.”

The quartet’s show typically lasts from 30 to 60 minutes. They’re adept at

figuring out what works in a given venue, on a given day, adapting to their audience. They also spontaneously drop in at local restaurants, where, with the manager’s permission, they stroll table to table.

The origins of “barbershop” are obscure, but commonly thought to have originated in 17th Century England, where barbers kept a stringed instrument for waiting customers to tinker with. This evolved into improv group songs. Those who couldn’t carry a tune shook a tambourine, clapped hands or stomped their feet.

The resultant clamor, or “barber’s music” was a far cry from today’s melodious quartet performances. American barbershop music has its roots in the late 19th century south, born from an African-American cultural tradition of rich fourpart hymns and folk songs.

In 1938 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, true barbershop found its forever home in the formation of the “Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America” (SPEBSQUSA, Inc.), now known as the Barbershop Harmony Society, or BHS.

Barbershop organizations and competitions now exist around the world. Typically all male or all female, times are changing, and mixed chorus quartets now exist.

Though all Mint Condition members have competed at one time or another, these days they sing for pleasure and applause.

“It’s another type of family for us,” Dr. Finkel said. “No competitive pressure, travel, or coaching is involved.”

Details on Mint Condition:Regriff721@yahoo.com.

The Mint Condition singers left to right, Ralph Griffith, Larry Finkel, Worth Kirkman, and Glenn Williamson.

The origins of “barbershop” are obscure, but commonly thought to have originated in 17th Century England, where barbers kept a stringed instrument for waiting customers to tinker with. This evolved into improv group songs. Those who couldn’t carry a tune shook a tambourine, clapped hands or stomped their feet.

George Miller House: An Architectural Gem With Stunning Views

The 8,000-square foot circa 1910 George Miller House located on a stunning 303-acre property in Sperryville, Virginia, has gorgeous detailing, woodwork, high ceilings and spacious rooms, not to mention spectacular views of the countryside.

Custom designed and built by renowned architect Charlie Hawkins, the house has been partially remodeled, including substantial updating of the plumbing lines, rough-in electrical and the beginnings of a geothermal heating and air conditioning system.

The home features three staircases, seven bedrooms, and rough-in

plumbing for six full and two half baths. Except for the kitchen, each of the rooms on the main level has a wood burning fireplace which has been rebuilt and lined. Insulation has been added to exterior walls and the attic and drywall has been installed.

The 303 acres included with this property are in four separate parcels and are not in easement, but are in land use.

Located minutes from the charming villages of Sperryville and Little Washington, Virginia, it also enjoys close proximity to Culpeper with Culpeper Regional Airport and Warrenton with Warrenton-Fauquier Airport.

The view from high above the 303-acre property.

The George Miller House.

The main entrance hall and one of three staircases.

Stepping up to the front of the house. Looking out from the back porch. Country ZEST & Style | Winter 2023

Wahoo!  Viviane Warren made excellent use of the 40-pound Wahoo she caught while in Florida this winter. She had it fileted for dinner with Middleburg friends Trevor Potter, Bundles Murdock and Dana Westring.

The Land Trust of Virginia Easement #235 is the 83.07-acre Tourtelot-Johnson property, in Fauquier County and is contiguous with three VOF easements. The property is visible from Scuffleburg Road and Pleasant Vale Road, preserving rural, scenic open space.

Photo by Tara Wegdam Ben Wegdam, a center on the freshman Woodberry Forest Bengal basketball team, with his father “big” Ben Wegdam and Len Shapiro at a recent game at Episcopal High School. Woodberry prevailed and Ben, a Hill School graduate, was a rebounding whiz.

Betsee Parker (right) made a recent trek from Middleburg to the Lotos Club in New York City to attend a gala state dinner to honor Dr. Anthony Fauci (center). Dr. Yanis Ben Amor, a professor at Columbia University, is far left.

Photo by Vicky Moon Jim Gemmer, Heather Dudley, Sandra Markus and Kelly Markus recently planted bulbs along the Route 50 median strip in front of Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville.

A Formidable Book

By Pat Reilly

Formidable: American Women and the Fight for Equality 1920-2020, by Dr. Elisabeth Griffith, is as substantial as its subjects, the Black and White women who struggled to achieve the right to vote and their female rivals.

What makes this book unique in the women’s history literary cannon is that it combines the stories of Black and White women in the early struggle, who, though they had similar goals, had different motivations and were prone to the biases of their era.

Black and White women only coalesced briefly in the early part of the last century to get the vote, but then would not form significant coalitions again until the 1970s. By integrating these histories, Griffith introduces us to a huge cast of characters, many of whom readers may be meeting for the first time. She also includes those who opposed equality, equally dedicated to their missions.

Black women in 1920, most of whom were Republicans, the party of President Lincoln, wanted all the rights enjoyed by Whites, according to Griffith. They also sought safety for their communities from discrimination and violence in the Jim Crow era. White women, split equally between the major parties, had a narrower set of needs. They wanted the same rights enjoyed by men, Griffith says.

The passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920 was not an end, but a beginning in acquiring many of the rights women now take for granted. This is the story of a century of incremental gains that, in hindsight, appear to be massive. Stilll, as Griffith points out, amortized over 100 years, they’ve been slow in coming.

Once women got the vote, they were loath to do anything with it. Though the potential electorate had doubled, general voter turnout in 1920 was at a historic low. The bookend years of this story have a lot in common. Both were election years and riven by racial strife. There is no data on male vs. female voters in 1920, except to note that Black women were barred from voting in the South, but it is safe to assume that women’s vote did not make a big difference.

Black women had to wait until 1964 to have their right to vote protected by the Voting Rights Act. In 2020, the “Black women’s vote” is credited with winning the election for Democratic President Joe Biden. What happened to shift women from the GOP to the Democrat side of the ledger? Griffith has a one-word answer: “Eleanor”.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s wife urged him to give women prominent roles in his administration. She demonstrated that women could do much more than they were thought capable of. Meanwhile, World War II gave Black and White women access to well-paying jobs. “Rosie the Riveter” was well paid and, though she lost her defense job when the boys came home, women’s participation in the workforce did not flag as many think, Griffith says. Nevertheless, jobs women could get post-war lowered their paychecks significantly.

The author enumerates the many inventions and interventions that changed women’s lives, rubber nursing nipples, the sewing machine, access to education, Title IX, the Civil Rights Act, Roe v. Wade. And dominant among all of them was access to birth control. It was not until 1972, with the institution of the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University that “the gender gap” in voting was discovered.

Author Elisabeth Griffith is foremost an educator. She was the celebrated longtime headmistress of Madeira, a girl’s school in McLean. She still teaches courses at Politics and Prose book store in Washington D.C. and lectures widely on women’s history. Her biography of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, In Her Own Right (Oxford, 1984), was named one of the “best books of the century” by the editors of The New York Times Book Review. It inspired Ken Burns’ PBS documentary Not for Ourselves Alone on which she served as a consultant.

The title of the book’s epilogue sums up women’s progress: Not Enough. The U.S. still hasn’t had a female president and very few governors are women. In state legislatures, where they do better, women are only 30 percent. Only twenty-two women are currently CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. As in 1920, the author says, it’s time to begin again.

Dancin’ in The Moonlight and Oh What a Sight

By John Sherman

(This is the next episode of Edna Vaughn, who bought a pair of tap shoes off the feet of an Ashby Inn guest and created her own stage celebrity—-and much joy.)

Two months and weekly dance lessons later, Edna came back for another late night recital in the taproom.

Word of her appearance was discreetly passed to selected Clarke County intimates. The hour turned ten. The curtain was about to go up, were it not for a dour couple, the Fitzpatricks, who, given the chance, would have voted for Coolidge. They were the last reservation on the books, and slow eaters. Edna, in a very un-Coolidge outfit, and a close friend, Jeannie Gilpin, had locked themselves in the ladies bathroom waiting for the all clear knock.

And waited.

The delay was profitable for the house. Edna’s gang drank brown drinks, with the odd order of a double. The Fitzgeralds couldn’t fail to notice the entire room fixed on their progress. They finally paid their bill and left. The double knock came to Edna’s dressing room. She emerged as from a chrysalis.

Not as a butterfly, but a bunny. As in Playboy bunny. From head to foot. Pink satin ears flopped from her short blond hair, held by a headband of the same color. Hoop earrings. The iconic bunny outfit (a white bathing suit) that uplifted her bazooms to within a hand width of her chin. Her ensemble tapered with black fishnet stockings and a pair of patent leather shoes.

The click of her taps on the stone steps announced her debut—direct from the House of Hefner. A cassette was slid into the player. She had the smile of a starlet, bright red lips and shiny white teeth.

The smile held as she raised her arm and gave a flittery Marilyn Monroe wave. She turned full circle, tapping the linoleum floor with a slow heel-to-toe to the beat of “Easter Parade.” She grabbed an empty chair and moved it to the center of the floor, slowly tapping as she went. She had clearly practiced her number, which relied heavily on the chair as her partner.

For legal concerns, her routine avoided impersonating Ginger Rogers running in place, head forward, arms swinging, waving a top hat—-all the while pumping out a staccato of clicks and clacks. But it was far improved since the night she bought those dancing shoes.

Like a magician beckoning a member of the audience to join his act, Edna got a friend to sit in the chair while she circled around. Tapity tap. And then, not out of the night’s spirit, she began a wiggling lap dance. Jim, the bartender, tried to dampen the hoots, pointing to the guests sleeping upstairs.

The devil named confidence coaxed her hand off the chair as she decided to throw in a couple of changes. Her audience picked up on the more daring routine and began to snap fingers to the rhythm, urging her into a higher gear.

Both hands came off the chair. Her show smile had disappeared as she pushed harder. The shoe plates could no longer follow her demands. And her feet shot out from under her, landing with a thump and a click. She stared at the chair with fury, as every man in the room rushed to the rescue.

They got her up to the applause showered on an injured player being carried off the field. She waved and laughed in her Vaudevillian way. She never returned with her shoes.

PS. That’s not the end.

Her husband Denny threw a 40th birthday party for Edna, along with a dozen friends, at the Greenbriar. After dinner the first night they grouped downstairs in a nightclub affair where Mayonnaise, a porter by day, and DJ by night, spun dance tunes.

Cutting to the chase, hearing Edna complain about the lack of entertainment, a friend goaded her to go and change into her bunny costume (which she had conveniently packed). Back came the floppy ears, tap shoes and all. There would be no staged routine with a chair that night. Edna took her game up a notch and got up on the bar and began tapping from one end to the other.

Denny, always playing deadpan, just rolled his eyes as the ruckus swelled. “People were lined up at the door,” Edna recalled the other day. Mayonnaise just spun along.

PPS. On another trip, she and Denny were having drinks at the staid Slammin’ Sammy’s over the Greenbriar clubhouse, which boasted a “touch of class.” Lots of old guys watching golf. As she tells the story, she went up to a couple of the gaffers sitting together and asked whether they’d like a lap dance. Understand, she was not in her Playboy get up.

“They were stunned,” Edna chortled afterward. “I guessed no one had ever offered them one. So I began to wiggle on their laps. They laughed. One of them pulled out his wallet and gave me a fiftydollar bill. Lots of fun all around.”

“You may end up in prison,” Denny warned when she sat down. He made her give back the $50.

The management at the well-appointed club was not amused. Shortly afterward, she received the following from Robert S. Wanco, Director of Security, dated July 2, 1997 at 9:27 p.m.:

“Responded to a call from Slammin’ Sammy’s manager regarding one Edna Vaughn, who was seen lap dancing with several gentlemen throughout the bar. While we were able to prevent a scene, it was—-without a doubt—-one of the most “common” events at The Greenbriar.”

Score another for Edna, a woman so full of life, so original, who’s never poked fun at anyone but Edna. Would that the world had more of her kind to make us laugh. For in laughter we find kindness and hope.

for

an amazing

33846 FOXLEASE LN | UPPERVILLE, VA

$8,300,000 | 10 BD | 9/3 BA | 11,230 SQFT | 153 AC

Welcome to the luxurious Littleton Farm! This premier estate is an equine and entertainer’s paradise. Go to bit.ly/33846foxleaseln for video tour, photos, and floorplans.

|

LEEDS MANOR RD | DELAPLANE, VA

$5,148,787 | 497.3 AC

Located 60 miles west of Washington DC, this beautiful land showcases the rolling hills and majestic mountain views Virginia's Hunt Country is known for. Subject to Conservation Easement.

7945 CITATION DR | MARSHALL, VA

$965,000 | 4 BD | 3/1 BA | 3,690 SQFT | 10.42 AC

This gorgeous, Wheatley Estates Colonial is the envy of the entire neighborhood with its stately appeal, fresh interior remodel, and incredible equestrian lifestyle amenities! Fully-renovated in-ground swimming pool, outdoor riding arena, and a barn.

Eric M. Diello 703.232.7265

Prepare to be impressed. This custom-built brick home boasts 3 main-level bedrooms and is situated on an easy care 2-acres overlooking neighboring horse pasture. This is an excellent property for a small farm. Eric M.

5 LOTS, ST. LOUIS ROAD | MIDDLEBURG, VA

$875,000| 5 PARCELS | 15,000 - 24,000 SQFT EACH

Builders & Investors! 5 residential lots between Purcellville & Middleburg. All parcels are approved, recorded, & ready to build on. Wells drilled & public sewer is available. No covenants or HOA. Create a small, unique enclave of homes. Rare find!

Rocky Westfall 540.219.2633

39465 BOLINGTON RD | LOVETTSVILLE, VA

REDUCED: $795,000 | Commercial | 2,507 SQFT Motivated seller! Renovated circa 1865 brick building in Historic Downtown Warrenton. Commercial kitchen, dining & retail areas, ample storage & extensive list of conveyances. Perfect for a food service business. Great location and beautiful details.

Rocky Westfall 540.219.2633

$3,200/mo| 4 BD | 3 BA | 4,052 SQFT | 3 AC

Private yet convenient! This renovated home has it all - large rooms, lots of storage, granite counters, stainless steel appliances, kitchen island, 2 fireplaces, COMCAST SERVICE, and a large deck. All systems updated, painted and ready for you.

Mary Roth 540.535.6854

Littleton Farm

153 acres

$8,300,000

Upperville – This premier estate is a paradise with the main house for grand living and entertaining; 2 horse barns, riding ring and trails to ride out. Multiple outdoor living spaces perfect for enjoying the landscape of Virginia’s horse country.

John Coles | 540-270-0094

Alnell

541 +/- acres

$8,000,000

Beautiful rolling hills and pasture located in Flint Hill, Virginia. This scenic property is surrounded by unspoiled countryside and expansive views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, offering a private and quiet escape to enjoy.

John Coles | 540-270-0094

101 acres

Millwood Farm

111+ acres

$3,730,000

Boyce – Main Residence w/ 6 BRs /4 full and 2 half BAs, 6 car garage, Swimming pool, hot tub, pool house w/ full BA, Tenant House w/ 2 car garage, Office w/ an apt building of 3 one-bedroom apts + office. Stable w/ 21 stalls, Outdoor riding arena.

John Coles | 540-270-0094

Mountainview

58+ acres $2,500,000

The Plains – Sited on a peaceful hilltop w/ spectacular mountain views. 8,000+ sq ft custom-built brick home with 4 BRs, 3-car garage and pond. Room for your horses. Architecturally designed to blend the serenity of nature with stylish living spaces.

Cricket Bedford | 540-229-3201

Stoneledge Hidden Trail

$5,500,000

A very special and rare private sanctuary. Extraordinary location only 6 miles west of Warrenton, 45 min. to Dulles Int. Airport and one hour to the White House. With world-class construction, Stoneledge is the benchmark for a luxury countryside retreat.

John Coles | 540-270-0094

UNDER CONTRACT

22 acres

Serenity

$1,875,000

Marshall – This private oasis is a 6 BR / 6 BA

Cape Cod home on 22+ open and wooded acres with spectacular mountain views. Immaculate, fully renovated and features a mix of formal rooms and comfortable spaces to take in the gorgeous views.

Cricket Bedford | 540-229-3201

107+ acres

$5,495,000

The Plains – Exceptional and surrounded by magnificent countryside with views. Stone and stucco residence, beautiful terraces. Geothermal heating/cooling, heated 20’ x 40’ pool, 8 stall center aisle stable with 14’ x 14’ stalls. Stunning indoor riding arena.

IMPROVED PRICE LAND

John Coles | 540-270-0094

Moss Hollow

246+ acres $1,800,000 Markham – Beautiful and protected area of Fauquier County. Pristine forest land with several high points and clearings suitable for building. Spectacular views in all directions. Eligible for division and conservation potential with tax benefits.

Rein duPont | 540-454-3355

Foxglove

23259 Dover Rd

Aurora

3+ acres

$1,750,000

Middleburg – Immaculate, solid brick home only minutes to town. Features over 5,000+ sq. ft. to include 5 BRs, 4.5 BAs with oak flooring throughout the main level. Expansive finished walk out lower level. Large deck and a lower terrace.

Cricket Bedford | 540-229-3201

3+ acres

$975,000

Middleburg – MOVE IN ready and/or a structure to renovate on a lovely lot. 3 BRs / 3 full and one half bath. One level living, wood burning fireplace, sunroom, deck, heated pool and spa, storage shed/workshop and nicely landscaped.

Chris Malone | 540-454-3775

3 acre

$899,000

Built in 1799, has all the charm and character of a 200 year old house with the modern amenities of one that has been well-loved and beautifully cared-for over the years. Located just outside the town of Berryville in historic Clarke County.

Cary Embury | 540-533-0106

Glatton Folly Offers

.41 acres $749,000

Middleburg – c.1820 Victorian-era frame house with 3 BRs / 3 full BAs. Unique 2 story portico w/ balcony. Many upgrades and renovations. Standing seam metal roof, 4 fire places, wide board pine floors. Fenced back yard w/sheds. 1 car garage.

Cricket Bedford | 540-229-3201

subject to errors, omissions, change of price or withdrawal without notice. Information contained herein is deemed reliable, but is not so warranted nor is it otherwise guaranteed.