FAREWELL JIMMY

FAREWELL JIMMY

By Leonard Shapiro

The plain brown Manila envelope arrived in the mail in early June, and on the inside were two sheets of notebook paper filled with the familiar handwriting of one of Country ZEST’s most popular writers, a man who always turned in his work the old-fashioned way.

It was Jimmy Hatcher’s column, the one we’ve labeled “Carry Me Back,” and, as it turns out, his final contribution to the magazine. So very sadly, James Linwood Hatcher Jr., died on June 26, 2024 at the age of 89, just about a month after he had moved from Upperville back to Richmond, his home town.

He had lived in the Middleburg area since 1966 and was a masterful storyteller, both in print or in person. You can read Jimmy’s final column and an appreciation of his life elsewhere on these pages. What a great pleasure it was to have edited his colorful stories over the years, what a great delight it was to have been his friend, and what an honor it was to have been asked by his family to pay tribute to his rich and fulfilling life.

A lifelong horseman himself, I suspect Jimmy would have enjoyed reading about our August cover couple, Madison Meyers and Kieran Norris, two extremely talented racehorse trainers based in Middleburg. They’ve had as many as 60 horses in their three barns under the banner of Ballyerin Racing, with great success running them at tracks up and down the east coast, including the iconic Saratoga meet now in full swing in upstate New York.

Don’t miss our feature story on one of Middleburg’s long-time and most beloved residents. That would be Nattie Kaye, who turns 99 in October and first moved to town at age 8. She’s the oldest living graduate of The Hill School, starting there in the fourth grade in 1936. Nattie had her own local real estate business for many years, and was still showing property well into her late 80s.

Another 99-year-old gracing our pages is Marie Ridder, the first recipient of the Orlean Community Trail System (OCTS) Community Service Award. Marie is believed to be one of the first in Virginia to put her 300-acre property near Hume into conservation easement and has been a major force in protecting land all around the area for many years. Of course, Hope Porter, also 99, was THE major force in stopping development in Fauquier. You can read about a new film about her heroic efforts, as well.

We’re also delighted about the debut of what will be a regular column contributed by Middleburg Mayor Bridge Littleton on significant issues affecting the town. The first deals with a troubling housing trend in the village in recent years. It’s a must-read, too.

There’s plenty more to savor in this edition, marking our fifth anniversary of adding a whole bunch of ZEST to your reading pleasure.

Leonard Shapiro

410-570-8447

Badgerlen@aol.com