Front Porch Fredericksburg - January 2015

front porchYEAR 18 • ISSUE 210 • JANUARY 2015 Frontporchfredericksburg.com

T H E R E G I O N ' S free C O M M U N I T Y M A G A Z I N ELocal Good News Since 1997

Y O U R G U I D E T O T H E L O C A L G O O D L I F E

Cover By Pichost

con

ten

ts closeups

8 Peacaloo Boutique’sstefany clare

24 between abstract & traditionalsonja wise

27 made in fredericksburg .... wm.mason violins

porch talk4 on the porch...life in fredericksburg

Messages

6 ‘Angels in our midst: community dinner

.7 downtown buzz

9 VA Wineries... resolve to wine

11 david & dawn mills: story collaborative

12 Cooking with Kylevino: champaigners

13 season’s bounty: sloooww cookin

14 sweets on caroline

15 local night life: jays lounge

16-17 Calendar of events

18 Our Heritage: snowhistory’s stories.: civil war in numbers

20 companions: laser therapy

21 my best buddyautoknown: januarius

22 Senior Care: aging stereotypes

23 renew: have instant healthnatural health: frankincense

25 scene & heard...in the ‘burg!

26 fxbg goes hollywoodhollyburg

27 fxbg music scenetyler lubore

29 poetry corner

30 fredericksburg sketches

31 from my porch.....paying it forward

...And more!5 Safe Home Claudia: emerson remembered

10 under the honeysuckle vine: candice ransom

19 bravo! a new generation of musical artists

31 legacy of hope...grace oughton cancer foundation

8

27

24

front porch fredericksburg January 2015 2015 32 January 2015 Front porch fredericksburg

Alan FursLEATHERS & CASHMERESViirgiiniia’’s Trusted Name for ovver 600 years

804 Caroline StreetFredericksburg,VA

540-3373-88833www.alanfurs.com

SSttoorree HHoouurrss:: MMoonn-SSaatt 1100aamm-66ppmm SSuunn 1122-55ppmm

SALEGoing on Now

SALEgoing on

Now


540-3373-88833

www.bashboutiqueva.comSSttoorree HHoouurrss:: MMoonn-SSaatt 1100aamm-66ppmm SSuunn 1122-55ppmm

Have a Hot Drinkwhere warm hearts wish you Happy New Year

Jack Frost Nipping at Your Nose?

Cover By Pichost

con

ten

ts closeups

8 Peacaloo Boutique’sstefany clare

24 between abstract & traditionalsonja wise

27 made in fredericksburg .... wm.mason violins

porch talk4 on the porch...life in fredericksburg

Messages

6 ‘Angels in our midst: community dinner

.7 downtown buzz

9 VA Wineries... resolve to wine

11 david & dawn mills: story collaborative

12 Cooking with Kylevino: champaigners

13 season’s bounty: sloooww cookin

14 sweets on caroline

15 local night life: jays lounge

16-17 Calendar of events

18 Our Heritage: snowhistory’s stories.: civil war in numbers

20 companions: laser therapy

21 my best buddyautoknown: januarius

22 Senior Care: aging stereotypes

23 renew: have instant healthnatural health: frankincense

25 scene & heard...in the ‘burg!

26 fxbg goes hollywoodhollyburg

27 fxbg music scenetyler lubore

29 poetry corner

30 fredericksburg sketches

31 from my porch.....paying it forward

...And more!5 Safe Home Claudia: emerson remembered

10 under the honeysuckle vine: candice ransom

19 bravo! a new generation of musical artists

31 legacy of hope...grace oughton cancer foundation

8

27

24


Alan FursLEATHERS & CASHMERESViirgiiniia’’s Trusted Name for ovver 600 years


540-3373-88833www.alanfurs.com

SSttoorree HHoouurrss:: MMoonn-SSaatt 1100aamm-66ppmm SSuunn 1122-55ppmm

SALEGoing on Now

SALEgoing on

Now


540-3373-88833

www.bashboutiqueva.comSSttoorree HHoouurrss:: MMoonn-SSaatt 1100aamm-66ppmm SSuunn 1122-55ppmm

Have a Hot Drinkwhere warm hearts wish you Happy New Year

Jack Frost Nipping at Your Nose?

I love new beginnings, and I lovethe month of January for that veryreason. It represents a new start, but italso brings with it pressure, at least forme. I feel pressure to set a resolution orgoal and to become something even betterthan I was the year before, and this yearJanuary brings even more pressure thanusual; the pressure to write this column,and fill the very big shoes of Rob Grogan.

For inspiration, I looked back tothe column that Rob wrote last January,not knowing that he wouldn’t be able toshare 2015 with us. He wrote of theplight of the homeless, and that eventhough he was sick, he was still gratefulfor warmth and shelter especially whenothers did not have the same luxury. Inthe midst of his own discomfort, he stillfound a way to be grateful for life.

As I was reading through thosewords, I felt more than blessed to haveknown and worked with Rob at BistroBethem. Not only do I feel lucky to havehad some enlightening and humorous latenight talks with him, I also owe him a debtof gratitude as he gave me confidence towrite and share my work with othersthrough the Front Porch.

He was an inspiration to us all inhow he lived with a giving spirit filled withgrace and dignity, and as January begins, Iurge you to follow through with hisrealization that gratitude trumps all, evenin the face of unyielding obstacles. Thechallenges that he faced make me put myown life in perspective, and I plan oncontinuing his legacy by making gratitudemy priority in 2015. I will start by beinggrateful for our community and thosewho live in it.

I grew up in Spotsylvania, backwhen there were only two high schoolsand no Central Park or even a SpotsylvaniaTown Center. It was a time when yourmother felt safe letting you play outsidewithout supervision, and as long as youmade it home by dinner, you owned the

world. I am grateful to have grown upin a place that allowed me to be acarefree kid who thought she couldconquer all.

In my mid-twenties, lifehappened and required me to moveaway from my beloved community.While I had the opportunity to live insome nice places, when it came time toraise my son, I knew I had to move backto Fredericksburg. As soon as Ireturned, I was blown away.Fredericksburg had turned into a littlemetropolis with new subdivisions,shopping centers, restaurants, and evena bright and shiny place called CentralPark. Downtown Fredericksburg hadmorphed into an eclectic blend of shops,restaurants and art galleries. It hadturned into a pretty hip place to liveand work (let it be known that Ithought it was way before TheWashington Post). Today there is nottoo much of a need to go out of townfor anything. I am grateful to havewitnessed the growth of this communityand am thankful that it still remains apretty awesome place to live.

Transitions are still happening inour community, especially with theaddition and preservation of naturalresources that we can enjoy. TheRappahannock River is the centerpoint ofour area, and as the recent full houseshowing of Rappahannock proved,Fredericksburg takes pride in the beautyof its surroundings. I grew up exploringthe Alum Springs Park trails andpicnicking at Old Mill Park, and recentlyhave discovered some of our surroundingstate parks, as well as the expanded CanalPath. Nature is at your fingertips hereand I am grateful to live in a place thattreasures its natural resources.

Sure, no community is perfectand there are squabbles and argumentsalong the way as we continue to managethe growth of this area, but the sense of

community thrives here. Rob Grogan knewit when he decided to make this the homefor his family and the Front Porch. He feltthat sense of community that doesn’t justhappen automatically, it has to come fromthe people who live in it. I am grateful forthe people and places that make up theFredericksburg area and make me proudto call it home.

So I urge you to take a look atthe things that you can be grateful for,not only in our community, but in allaspects of your life. Let’s follow Rob’slegacy as we embark on 2015 withgratitude to live in the Fredericksburgarea and thankfulness that the FrontPorch continues to be something we canread cover to cover.

Christina Ferber is a teacher, writer,and mom who appreciates the

opportunity the Front Porch has givenher to share the stories of our

community and of the people who makeit such a special place to live.

Christina Ferber Guest Porch Editorial

Contributing Writers & Artists

Nancy Bauer A.E.BayneMegan Byrnes

C.Ruth Cassell Judy ChaimsonAshleigh Chevalier Rick CollierBeth Constantino Ryan DavisCallista Dunn Christina FerberFrank Fratoe Joan M. GeislerAnn Glave Alexis Grogan

Ralph “Tuffy” HicksKathy Habel Beth HunsingerKarl Karch Susan Ujka LarsonJo Loving Jenny McGeeVanessa Moncure Gary OlsenM.L.Powers Scott RichardsCasey Alan Shaw James Kyle SynderJames Twiford Rim ViningChristine Thompson Suzy WoollamDavid Yazbek

Front Porch Fredericksburg is afree circulation magazine

published monthly by Olde Towne Publishing Co.

Virginia Bigenwald Grogan, Publisher.

The mission of Front PorchFredericksburg is to connect the

diverse citizenry of Fredericksburgwith lively features and informative

columns of interest to our community’s greatest resource,

its people.

Messages from our readers arewelcome. All submissions must be

received by e-mail by the 19th of themonth preceding publication.

Writers are welcome to requestWriter’s Guidelines and query the

Editor by e-mail.

Front PorchFredericksburg

PO Box 9203Fredericksburg, VA 22403

Ad Sales: E-Mail: [email protected]

Web Site:www.frontporchfredericksburg.com

The opinions expressed in Front PorchFredericksburg are those of the contributing writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of

Front Porch Fredericksburg or its advertisers.

Copyright 2015 Olde Towne Publishing Co.

All rights reserved.


OONN TTHHEE PPOORRCCHHGratitude

BY Christina Ferber

I like books. I like reading themand I always have. Reading made me wantto write. Writing, in turn, made readingmore enjoyable and intelligible…evenpoetry. Naturally, I pursued any class thatwould stimulate my delight in reading andwriting. I had several brilliant creativewriting teachers who encouraged me tochase the talent I so admired, and I hadthe great privilege to study under ClaudiaEmerson during my last few semesters atMary Washington College. I graduated in2003 and her influence has stayed withme, as it has for so many others inFredericksburg.

When I learnedof her recentpassing, If o r t u n a t e l ydidn’t stumbleacross it in thenews feed onFacebook or getthe headlineshock while

browsing The Free Lance Star whiledelivering library books to seniors at myLobby Stops. My good friend and fellowMWC alumna Ruth Cassell let me knowquietly, while I was visiting her inRoanoke. She knew the information wouldsadden me, and shared the gentle words ofour friend and writer Jeremy Sutton. Healso studied under Claudia, and as always,said just the right thing.

“I don’t have a lot of fond, oreven detailed, memories of my time in aclassroom in college, but Claudia was one

the few who made an impression. She hada down-to-earth, craftsman-like approachto writing that was very de-mystifying andrefreshing. Being a better writer wassimply a matter of working on and solvinga problem, getting it right and improvingthe piece. I liked her no-nonsense take onwhat’s often a very personal endeavor.”

Beyond being an influentialprofessor, Claudia Emerson was a 2006Pulitzer Prize winner for her poetrycollection “Late Wife”, 2008 Poet Laureateof Virginia, recipient of numerous awardsand fellowships, and contributing editor tothe literary magazine Shenandoah. Sheeven generously donated her time andexpertise to judging the teen poetrycontest every year from 2003-2013 at theCentral Rappahannock Regional Libraryhere in Fredericksburg. A native ofChatham, she taught at the University ofMary Washington for 15 years, helping toestablish and build the reputation for theuniversity’s creative writing program.Having joined the faculty at VirginiaCommonwealth University in 2013, it wasthere she went through her battle withcancer, which ultimately took her life onDecember 4, 2014.

As I remember Claudia, I oftensee the musician who played aroundFredericksburg with her husband of 14years Kent Ippolito, or the iconic poet whois to me as much of a celebrity as any townneeds. Mainly, though, I see her in theclassroom, instructing us andtransforming our lives.

I had five classes with her in thespan of one year. She was the kind ofprofessor who taught you to speak herlanguage, and she also studied yours. Her

writing process was truly a practice, andshe made every effort to pass this skill onto us. We were fresh young writersdabbling in poetry like children finger-painting, and she gently eased us into thehabit of using our words and images aspaint and brushes.

Our development and Claudia’sintertwined, and I feel she benefited fromcoaching us as much as we benefited fromher instruction. I’ll always remember ourfinal exam. We made critiques andobservations of portions Claudia’s thenwork-in-progress, “Late Wife.” Sheprovided us with glimpses into hercreative process of a book which wouldlater receive a Pulitzer Prize for poetry.She showed us how therapeutic it was to

write poetry; how it turned ourexperiences into miniature personalmasterpieces. Her epistles on the end ofher first marriage transformed a difficultperiod in her life into art. I’d alwaysturned to writing poetry to deal withperplexing emotional conflict or toproperly revere the beauties of nature andlove, but her instruction polished my tone.It was an honor to learn what she had toimpart.

Though saddened by her passing,her poetry will always serve as a durablememory of the remarkable instructor,artist, and personality she was. In aninterview with the Danville newspaper, shecommented on the title of “Secure theShadow,” her last publication before herpassing: “We’re always looking for ways tosecure the shadow to keep the memory ofthose we’ve lost.”

Jenny McGee is a UMW graduate whowill be forever grateful for having

Claudia in her life.

Safe Home, Claudiabeautiful legacy

By Jenny McGee

ROXBURY FARM & GARDEN CENTERMAIN: (540) 373-9124

NURSERY: (540) 371-8802601 LAFAYETTE BLVD

roxburyfarmgarden.comSince 1929

We have all your gardening needs!

Come Shop With Us

messages

Front Porch:We visited Fredericksburg last

month and picked up a copy of FrontPorch....what a breath of fresh air! love,love, love this publication.Daniel Reily, Savannah, Georgia

Good afternoon, ….fabulous publication.

Suzy Stone , Fredericksburg

Virginia:Thank you again for all your

diligent and hard work in continuing"The Front Porch." Your efforts areappreciated far more than I am surethat you hear about. Sincerely, Gary Olsen, Fredericksburg,

Virginia:Thanks for all you have taken

on this year. You've done a great jobwith Front Porch.Judy Chaimson, Frederickburg

Publisher’s Note:Wishing the community of

Fredericksburg a blessed New Year!Many thanks for all of the support

this past year.

Christina, Jonas & Amos

I love new beginnings, and I lovethe month of January for that veryreason. It represents a new start, but italso brings with it pressure, at least forme. I feel pressure to set a resolution orgoal and to become something even betterthan I was the year before, and this yearJanuary brings even more pressure thanusual; the pressure to write this column,and fill the very big shoes of Rob Grogan.

For inspiration, I looked back tothe column that Rob wrote last January,not knowing that he wouldn’t be able toshare 2015 with us. He wrote of theplight of the homeless, and that eventhough he was sick, he was still gratefulfor warmth and shelter especially whenothers did not have the same luxury. Inthe midst of his own discomfort, he stillfound a way to be grateful for life.

As I was reading through thosewords, I felt more than blessed to haveknown and worked with Rob at BistroBethem. Not only do I feel lucky to havehad some enlightening and humorous latenight talks with him, I also owe him a debtof gratitude as he gave me confidence towrite and share my work with othersthrough the Front Porch.

He was an inspiration to us all inhow he lived with a giving spirit filled withgrace and dignity, and as January begins, Iurge you to follow through with hisrealization that gratitude trumps all, evenin the face of unyielding obstacles. Thechallenges that he faced make me put myown life in perspective, and I plan oncontinuing his legacy by making gratitudemy priority in 2015. I will start by beinggrateful for our community and thosewho live in it.

I grew up in Spotsylvania, backwhen there were only two high schoolsand no Central Park or even a SpotsylvaniaTown Center. It was a time when yourmother felt safe letting you play outsidewithout supervision, and as long as youmade it home by dinner, you owned the

world. I am grateful to have grown upin a place that allowed me to be acarefree kid who thought she couldconquer all.

In my mid-twenties, lifehappened and required me to moveaway from my beloved community.While I had the opportunity to live insome nice places, when it came time toraise my son, I knew I had to move backto Fredericksburg. As soon as Ireturned, I was blown away.Fredericksburg had turned into a littlemetropolis with new subdivisions,shopping centers, restaurants, and evena bright and shiny place called CentralPark. Downtown Fredericksburg hadmorphed into an eclectic blend of shops,restaurants and art galleries. It hadturned into a pretty hip place to liveand work (let it be known that Ithought it was way before TheWashington Post). Today there is nottoo much of a need to go out of townfor anything. I am grateful to havewitnessed the growth of this communityand am thankful that it still remains apretty awesome place to live.

Transitions are still happening inour community, especially with theaddition and preservation of naturalresources that we can enjoy. TheRappahannock River is the centerpoint ofour area, and as the recent full houseshowing of Rappahannock proved,Fredericksburg takes pride in the beautyof its surroundings. I grew up exploringthe Alum Springs Park trails andpicnicking at Old Mill Park, and recentlyhave discovered some of our surroundingstate parks, as well as the expanded CanalPath. Nature is at your fingertips hereand I am grateful to live in a place thattreasures its natural resources.

Sure, no community is perfectand there are squabbles and argumentsalong the way as we continue to managethe growth of this area, but the sense of

community thrives here. Rob Grogan knewit when he decided to make this the homefor his family and the Front Porch. He feltthat sense of community that doesn’t justhappen automatically, it has to come fromthe people who live in it. I am grateful forthe people and places that make up theFredericksburg area and make me proudto call it home.

So I urge you to take a look atthe things that you can be grateful for,not only in our community, but in allaspects of your life. Let’s follow Rob’slegacy as we embark on 2015 withgratitude to live in the Fredericksburgarea and thankfulness that the FrontPorch continues to be something we canread cover to cover.

Christina Ferber is a teacher, writer,and mom who appreciates the

opportunity the Front Porch has givenher to share the stories of our

community and of the people who makeit such a special place to live.

Christina Ferber Guest Porch Editorial

Contributing Writers & Artists

Nancy Bauer A.E.BayneMegan Byrnes

C.Ruth Cassell Judy ChaimsonAshleigh Chevalier Rick CollierBeth Constantino Ryan DavisCallista Dunn Christina FerberFrank Fratoe Joan M. GeislerAnn Glave Alexis Grogan

Ralph “Tuffy” HicksKathy Habel Beth HunsingerKarl Karch Susan Ujka LarsonJo Loving Jenny McGeeVanessa Moncure Gary OlsenM.L.Powers Scott RichardsCasey Alan Shaw James Kyle SynderJames Twiford Rim ViningChristine Thompson Suzy WoollamDavid Yazbek

Front Porch Fredericksburg is afree circulation magazine

published monthly by Olde Towne Publishing Co.

Virginia Bigenwald Grogan, Publisher.

The mission of Front PorchFredericksburg is to connect the

diverse citizenry of Fredericksburgwith lively features and informative

columns of interest to our community’s greatest resource,

its people.

Messages from our readers arewelcome. All submissions must be

received by e-mail by the 19th of themonth preceding publication.

Writers are welcome to requestWriter’s Guidelines and query the

Editor by e-mail.


PO Box 9203Fredericksburg, VA 22403

Ad Sales: E-Mail: [email protected]

Web Site:www.frontporchfredericksburg.com

The opinions expressed in Front PorchFredericksburg are those of the contributing writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of

Front Porch Fredericksburg or its advertisers.

Copyright 2015 Olde Towne Publishing Co.

All rights reserved.


OONN TTHHEE PPOORRCCHHGratitude

BY Christina Ferber

I like books. I like reading themand I always have. Reading made me wantto write. Writing, in turn, made readingmore enjoyable and intelligible…evenpoetry. Naturally, I pursued any class thatwould stimulate my delight in reading andwriting. I had several brilliant creativewriting teachers who encouraged me tochase the talent I so admired, and I hadthe great privilege to study under ClaudiaEmerson during my last few semesters atMary Washington College. I graduated in2003 and her influence has stayed withme, as it has for so many others inFredericksburg.

When I learnedof her recentpassing, If o r t u n a t e l ydidn’t stumbleacross it in thenews feed onFacebook or getthe headlineshock while

browsing The Free Lance Star whiledelivering library books to seniors at myLobby Stops. My good friend and fellowMWC alumna Ruth Cassell let me knowquietly, while I was visiting her inRoanoke. She knew the information wouldsadden me, and shared the gentle words ofour friend and writer Jeremy Sutton. Healso studied under Claudia, and as always,said just the right thing.

“I don’t have a lot of fond, oreven detailed, memories of my time in aclassroom in college, but Claudia was one

the few who made an impression. She hada down-to-earth, craftsman-like approachto writing that was very de-mystifying andrefreshing. Being a better writer wassimply a matter of working on and solvinga problem, getting it right and improvingthe piece. I liked her no-nonsense take onwhat’s often a very personal endeavor.”

Beyond being an influentialprofessor, Claudia Emerson was a 2006Pulitzer Prize winner for her poetrycollection “Late Wife”, 2008 Poet Laureateof Virginia, recipient of numerous awardsand fellowships, and contributing editor tothe literary magazine Shenandoah. Sheeven generously donated her time andexpertise to judging the teen poetrycontest every year from 2003-2013 at theCentral Rappahannock Regional Libraryhere in Fredericksburg. A native ofChatham, she taught at the University ofMary Washington for 15 years, helping toestablish and build the reputation for theuniversity’s creative writing program.Having joined the faculty at VirginiaCommonwealth University in 2013, it wasthere she went through her battle withcancer, which ultimately took her life onDecember 4, 2014.

As I remember Claudia, I oftensee the musician who played aroundFredericksburg with her husband of 14years Kent Ippolito, or the iconic poet whois to me as much of a celebrity as any townneeds. Mainly, though, I see her in theclassroom, instructing us andtransforming our lives.

I had five classes with her in thespan of one year. She was the kind ofprofessor who taught you to speak herlanguage, and she also studied yours. Her

writing process was truly a practice, andshe made every effort to pass this skill onto us. We were fresh young writersdabbling in poetry like children finger-painting, and she gently eased us into thehabit of using our words and images aspaint and brushes.

Our development and Claudia’sintertwined, and I feel she benefited fromcoaching us as much as we benefited fromher instruction. I’ll always remember ourfinal exam. We made critiques andobservations of portions Claudia’s thenwork-in-progress, “Late Wife.” Sheprovided us with glimpses into hercreative process of a book which wouldlater receive a Pulitzer Prize for poetry.She showed us how therapeutic it was to

write poetry; how it turned ourexperiences into miniature personalmasterpieces. Her epistles on the end ofher first marriage transformed a difficultperiod in her life into art. I’d alwaysturned to writing poetry to deal withperplexing emotional conflict or toproperly revere the beauties of nature andlove, but her instruction polished my tone.It was an honor to learn what she had toimpart.

Though saddened by her passing,her poetry will always serve as a durablememory of the remarkable instructor,artist, and personality she was. In aninterview with the Danville newspaper, shecommented on the title of “Secure theShadow,” her last publication before herpassing: “We’re always looking for ways tosecure the shadow to keep the memory ofthose we’ve lost.”

Jenny McGee is a UMW graduate whowill be forever grateful for having

Claudia in her life.

Safe Home, Claudiabeautiful legacy

By Jenny McGee

ROXBURY FARM & GARDEN CENTERMAIN: (540) 373-9124

NURSERY: (540) 371-8802601 LAFAYETTE BLVD

roxburyfarmgarden.comSince 1929

We have all your gardening needs!

Come Shop With Us

messages

Front Porch:We visited Fredericksburg last

month and picked up a copy of FrontPorch....what a breath of fresh air! love,love, love this publication.Daniel Reily, Savannah, Georgia

Good afternoon, ….fabulous publication.

Suzy Stone , Fredericksburg

Virginia:Thank you again for all your

diligent and hard work in continuing"The Front Porch." Your efforts areappreciated far more than I am surethat you hear about. Sincerely, Gary Olsen, Fredericksburg,

Virginia:Thanks for all you have taken

on this year. You've done a great jobwith Front Porch.Judy Chaimson, Frederickburg

Publisher’s Note:Wishing the community of

Fredericksburg a blessed New Year!Many thanks for all of the support

this past year.

Christina, Jonas & Amos

6 January 2015 Front porch fredericksburg front porch fredericksburg January 2015 7

As the holidays draw to a close, Isigh and smile. It’s been a whirl wind ofactivity this Holiday season unveiling fournew initiatives and three at the same time!This Holiday season sparkled because ofthe many individuals that step forward tosupport Main Street. From Mrs. Claus,Walker Grant Middle School Chorus, WackGeneral Construction, the University ofMary Washington’s dance and musicgroups and the creative and wonderfuldowntown windows to the donations ofcandy canes, and let’s not forget theHoliday promotion committee that had

the vision, Main Street isgrateful. There were manyelves, literally andfiguratively this season. Thesynergy has been positiveand strong. It shows us thatcooperation among thediverse groups – merchants,property owners, historicsites, City, EconomicDevelopment Authority ,andthe Economic Developmentand Tourism Departmentand the visitors – can beachieved AND with success.

It’s staying in touch with the biggerpicture – the economic vitality of thehistoric Downtown. And it doesn’t appearto be slowing down any time soon!

Open Late Fridays was a hugesuccess in the amount of participants andexposure. In the long run, it’s not a sevennight commitment. It’s much more than anumber. It’s a choice that takes 2 years tochange according to National Main Street.

Initial results from the 60+businesses and shoppers indicates thatSmall Business Saturday was well received.Visitors loved the red carpet and

supporting the local small downtownbusiness. Shop small was a shop LARGE inresults for the merchants. The socialmedia campaign brought Shop Small to anew level of awareness. The communityloves our downtown businesses!

Experience FredericksburgDowntown gift cards sold $50,000 in 3weeks and early results indicated thatanother $20,000 could be possible by timeyou are reading this Downtown Buzz.Downtown Gift cards are here to stay!Look for the Valentine’s design later thismonth. It’s always the perfect gift at anytime of year!

Elfie Selfie did a great job ofexpanding Main Street’s FredericksburgDowntown Facebook page from 0 to over1800 likes in less than 9 weeks. Amazinggrowth!

There are tweaks, improvements,and lessons still to be learned. Share yourthoughts and save the date – Thursday,January 15 at 8am at the CourtyardMarriott – for the upcoming communitymeeting. It’s a great foundation to moveforward into the New Year. Upcomingmonths are busy with branding andimaging, strategic and marketing plans. If

you desire to get involved with Downtownand Main Street, let us know. Main Streetis investing in Downtown. We love for youto join us!

Happy Anniversary to The PicketPost located at 602 Caroline Street for 22years and Fredericksburg Parent andFamily Magazine celebrates their 15 yearsof publishing their magazine.

Upcoming ribbon cuttings:Latitudes Fair Trade at 806 CarolineStreet on Monday, January 12 at 11am.We also welcome La Rosetta Ristorante at623 Caroline Street and 806 Bistro at 806William Street.

Let’s keep investing in downtown!The possibilities are exciting!

Ann Glave, Executive Director, of theFredericksburg Main Street, is proud of

Downtown this Holiday season. To stay up to date on Main Street, visitFredericksburg Downtown Facebook and

www.fredericksburgmainstreet.org . Sign up for the newsletter!

Everyone needs a little helpsometimes. Whether emotionally,physically, or just to be there and listen,we all need someone, sometime. There areselfless individuals in our community whovolunteer their time and energies to dotheir part in offering a little of this help toeach other. Some of these people can befound every Monday night at St George’sEpiscopal Church serving communitydinners. The concept of the communitydinner originated here with the MicahEcumenical Mission, who suggestedchurches partner in this ministry.

There is a core group of peoplefrom different congregations thatorganize and set up these meals forwhoever has the need for a good, hotdinner. St. George’s parish facilitates themeals on the last two Mondays of themonth. Every month, the call goes out fordonations of food for a pre-planned menu.The recipes are usually simple things like apasta dinner or beef stew. Donations ofbread, dessert, fruit, and main meals beginto come in. The schedule fills up withworkers who donate a couple of hours toserve, cook and clean up. About mid

month, an email always goes out sayingthat there is still a need for food and help,and the organizers are slightly panicking.Somehow, week after week, month aftermonth, these dinners come off without ahitch.

I could name a list of the workersthat come back every month, but theydon’t want the acclaim. They just feel thecall to help somewhere. I have done foodservice work for most of my life, so thiswas a no brainer for me when I began tooffer my time. But something biggerkeeps me coming back. It may be a varietyof things, but for whatever reason, I don’tlike to miss working these few hours everymonth. I watch the selflessness of some ofthe volunteers who give so much morethan the couple of hours we spend dishingup food. They continually strive to findways to help where help is needed.

In addition to the communitydinners, St George’s parish is home to TheTable. Every Tuesday morning, before thesun comes up, Linda, Chris and their bandof merry workers set up shop. Theycollect food and handle administrativedetails necessary to hand out donated

food to people. Farms, stores, andindividuals all come forward to donatetheir surplus. The line of mothers,seniors, the ill, and downtrodden formsbefore daylight. How can this systemwork? “By the grace of God” is the answeryou get from so many volunteers.

Watching these selflessvolunteers perform this simple act offeeding each other allows me to believethere are angels among us. In a time whenit is easy to be negative about the state ofaffairs all around us, it is so rewarding to

know that there are many people whowant to make things better. If you or yourorganization would like to help out in anyway, go to St. George’s website(www.stgeorgesepiscopal.net) and look atthe outreach programs.

Mary Lynn Powers is one of those angels in our midst

Angels in Our Midstcommunity dinners @ st. george’s

by M.L.Powers

Downtown Buzzwhew!

By ann glave

Wills and TrustsProvide for Incapacity

Trusts for Minor ChildrenWealth Preservation Trusts

Avoid Probate

AhearnEstateLaw.com 540/371-9890

Lexi Grogan’s Pet Sitting Service

“Your pet becomes my petwhile in my care, and I care alot!” - Lexi (540-903-0437;

[email protected]) On facebook as

“lexi grogan’s pet sitting service”

Prices:Dogs - $15 per canine per visitCats - $12 per feline per visit

Better value, more love for your pet than if you

kennel board him!


As the holidays draw to a close, Isigh and smile. It’s been a whirl wind ofactivity this Holiday season unveiling fournew initiatives and three at the same time!This Holiday season sparkled because ofthe many individuals that step forward tosupport Main Street. From Mrs. Claus,Walker Grant Middle School Chorus, WackGeneral Construction, the University ofMary Washington’s dance and musicgroups and the creative and wonderfuldowntown windows to the donations ofcandy canes, and let’s not forget theHoliday promotion committee that had

the vision, Main Street isgrateful. There were manyelves, literally andfiguratively this season. Thesynergy has been positiveand strong. It shows us thatcooperation among thediverse groups – merchants,property owners, historicsites, City, EconomicDevelopment Authority ,andthe Economic Developmentand Tourism Departmentand the visitors – can beachieved AND with success.

It’s staying in touch with the biggerpicture – the economic vitality of thehistoric Downtown. And it doesn’t appearto be slowing down any time soon!

Open Late Fridays was a hugesuccess in the amount of participants andexposure. In the long run, it’s not a sevennight commitment. It’s much more than anumber. It’s a choice that takes 2 years tochange according to National Main Street.

Initial results from the 60+businesses and shoppers indicates thatSmall Business Saturday was well received.Visitors loved the red carpet and

supporting the local small downtownbusiness. Shop small was a shop LARGE inresults for the merchants. The socialmedia campaign brought Shop Small to anew level of awareness. The communityloves our downtown businesses!

Experience FredericksburgDowntown gift cards sold $50,000 in 3weeks and early results indicated thatanother $20,000 could be possible by timeyou are reading this Downtown Buzz.Downtown Gift cards are here to stay!Look for the Valentine’s design later thismonth. It’s always the perfect gift at anytime of year!

Elfie Selfie did a great job ofexpanding Main Street’s FredericksburgDowntown Facebook page from 0 to over1800 likes in less than 9 weeks. Amazinggrowth!

There are tweaks, improvements,and lessons still to be learned. Share yourthoughts and save the date – Thursday,January 15 at 8am at the CourtyardMarriott – for the upcoming communitymeeting. It’s a great foundation to moveforward into the New Year. Upcomingmonths are busy with branding andimaging, strategic and marketing plans. If

you desire to get involved with Downtownand Main Street, let us know. Main Streetis investing in Downtown. We love for youto join us!

Happy Anniversary to The PicketPost located at 602 Caroline Street for 22years and Fredericksburg Parent andFamily Magazine celebrates their 15 yearsof publishing their magazine.

Upcoming ribbon cuttings:Latitudes Fair Trade at 806 CarolineStreet on Monday, January 12 at 11am.We also welcome La Rosetta Ristorante at623 Caroline Street and 806 Bistro at 806William Street.

Let’s keep investing in downtown!The possibilities are exciting!

Ann Glave, Executive Director, of theFredericksburg Main Street, is proud of

Downtown this Holiday season. To stay up to date on Main Street, visitFredericksburg Downtown Facebook and

www.fredericksburgmainstreet.org . Sign up for the newsletter!

Everyone needs a little helpsometimes. Whether emotionally,physically, or just to be there and listen,we all need someone, sometime. There areselfless individuals in our community whovolunteer their time and energies to dotheir part in offering a little of this help toeach other. Some of these people can befound every Monday night at St George’sEpiscopal Church serving communitydinners. The concept of the communitydinner originated here with the MicahEcumenical Mission, who suggestedchurches partner in this ministry.

There is a core group of peoplefrom different congregations thatorganize and set up these meals forwhoever has the need for a good, hotdinner. St. George’s parish facilitates themeals on the last two Mondays of themonth. Every month, the call goes out fordonations of food for a pre-planned menu.The recipes are usually simple things like apasta dinner or beef stew. Donations ofbread, dessert, fruit, and main meals beginto come in. The schedule fills up withworkers who donate a couple of hours toserve, cook and clean up. About mid

month, an email always goes out sayingthat there is still a need for food and help,and the organizers are slightly panicking.Somehow, week after week, month aftermonth, these dinners come off without ahitch.

I could name a list of the workersthat come back every month, but theydon’t want the acclaim. They just feel thecall to help somewhere. I have done foodservice work for most of my life, so thiswas a no brainer for me when I began tooffer my time. But something biggerkeeps me coming back. It may be a varietyof things, but for whatever reason, I don’tlike to miss working these few hours everymonth. I watch the selflessness of some ofthe volunteers who give so much morethan the couple of hours we spend dishingup food. They continually strive to findways to help where help is needed.

In addition to the communitydinners, St George’s parish is home to TheTable. Every Tuesday morning, before thesun comes up, Linda, Chris and their bandof merry workers set up shop. Theycollect food and handle administrativedetails necessary to hand out donated

food to people. Farms, stores, andindividuals all come forward to donatetheir surplus. The line of mothers,seniors, the ill, and downtrodden formsbefore daylight. How can this systemwork? “By the grace of God” is the answeryou get from so many volunteers.

Watching these selflessvolunteers perform this simple act offeeding each other allows me to believethere are angels among us. In a time whenit is easy to be negative about the state ofaffairs all around us, it is so rewarding to

know that there are many people whowant to make things better. If you or yourorganization would like to help out in anyway, go to St. George’s website(www.stgeorgesepiscopal.net) and look atthe outreach programs.

Mary Lynn Powers is one of those angels in our midst

Angels in Our Midstcommunity dinners @ st. george’s

by M.L.Powers

Downtown Buzzwhew!

By ann glave

Wills and TrustsProvide for Incapacity

Trusts for Minor ChildrenWealth Preservation Trusts

Avoid Probate

AhearnEstateLaw.com 540/371-9890







kennel board him!


Over the last year, we have seen atransition on Caroline Street. It looksfuller, there are fewer empty spaces.Towards the end of the street, headingtowards the train station, there are someshops though, that do not get the trafficthat the middle few blocks do. One ofthese shops is Peacaloo Boutique. On awalk, I noticed some clothes hanging outin front of a storefront. So wandering in, Ifound a small space that is chock full ofunique juniors/misses clothing items. Iproceeded to talk with the salesgirl, whoturned out to be the owner, Stefany Clare.Stefany and her mom, Wendy, are bothinvolved in the business, but Stefany is thedriving force behind the enterprise.

Stefany has always known shewanted to be involved with fashionwhether designing, styling or buying. Sheis able to do all of these things since shewent into business for herself. Stefany is ahometown Fredericksburg gal, living heremost of her life, minus a year she spent ata styling school in New York, NY andworking as a stylist for some famousnames in Los Angeles, CA. She graduatedfrom Courtland High School in 2009, anddecided to aim for a career in wardrobestyling. She moved to Los Angeles, andimmediately started interning for thestylist who managed the styling classes atthe school. Soon after, she landed aposition with two highly renowned

professionals who style JenniferLopez, Lily Collins, No Doubt,Rihanna, and many more. Afterthat she began working withMadison Guest who stylesVictoria Justice, and lastly as anassistant to Taylor Swift’sstylist.

It sounds like an act outof The Devil Wears Prada. Butfor those who have seen thatcomedic film, the pressure levelis more than most of us want ina day. This was one of the mainreasons Stefany changed herlife goal. She said that she wasmore stressed than happy inLA. She missed her family andhome immensely, so Stefanywent with the small businessprospect instead. Owning abusiness in these economictimes is also a little taxing, butStefany is confident she canmake it work. In addition, shehas Mom to assist which makesit pretty cool.

Though only open ashort time, Peacaloo has a small cultfollowing not only in the store, but onlineat peacalooboutique.com. I know thisfrom casually mentioning it to one of myyoung college friends, and she filled me inon the celebrity data, which Stefanyconfirmed. She has quickly become part ofthe downtown dynamic, staying open lateon Fridays and working on ways to helpFredericksburg become a thriving smalltown. One plan involves doing a benefitfashion show. She had done this for theMake-AA-WWish Foundation in 2011, andauctioned off a significant amount ofcustom made dresses for the cause.

The shop located at 614 Carolineis small, but you can squeeze a lot ofclothes into a small space. Look at yourcloset! Shipments come in weekly from LosAngeles via connections she made whileliving there. She is looking for a variety ofunique, but affordable clothes that satisfya wide audience. Stefany learned to sewfrom her grandmother, and also doescustom design orders and evenalterations. Check out her website andFacebook for hours, specials andspectacular photos of her clothing line.

Mary Lynn Powers reports the latest oninteresting people, places and businesses

in the FXBG area monthly

VA. WINERIESResolve to Wine

by nancy bauer

It’s all in how you frame it.Lose 10 pounds. Get to the gym. Be nice.Yada yada. Here are four New Year’s

Resolutions you’ll actually want to keep. GET YOUR REST

Snooze at a vineyard. More than20 Virginia wineries offer lodging closeenough to walk to after sharing a bottleon a warm spring day (or a snowy winterone). Choose what suits you, fromcottages overlooking a babbling brook atSharp Rock Vineyards(sharprockvineyards.com, Sperryville) toMongolian yurts in the shadow of the BlueRidge at Wicked Oaks Farms & Vineyard(wickedoakfarms.com, Star Tannery).

EXPAND YOUR HORIZONSSip something new. Chardonnay

and Cabernet Sauvignon are lovely, butconsider branching out in 2015. Youprobably know that Cabernet Franc is kingis Virginia, and Petit Verdot is poised forgreatness, but how about Nebbiolo, thegrape variety behind the top-quality redwines of Piedmont in northwestern Italy?It’s found a home at Breaux Vineyards(breauxvineyards.com, Purcellville), ThreeFox Winery (threefoxvineyards.com,Delaplane), Barboursville Vineyards(bbvwine.com, Barboursville) andelsewhere.

Looking for the next big thing inwhites? Consider a sampling tour ofVirginia’s many incarnations of PetitManseng, from its most popular form as asweet dessert wine – try it at hidden gemGranite Heights Winery(graniteheightsorchard.com, Warrenton) -to the spectacular new dry style recentlyreleased by Michael Shaps at VirginiaWineworks (virginiawineworks.com,Charlottesville).

LEARN SOMETHINGHit the library. While everyone’s

been busy talking about the industry’sexpanding breadth – more than 250wineries now dot the map – the depth ofwinery libraries has gone mostlyunnoticed. Library wines, generallyspeaking, are a limited number of age-worthy bottles held back by the wineryafter their original release.

In Virginia, holding onto wine isno small feat when tasting room

customers are clamoring for more,more, more, and the cellar – and bankaccount - is bare in those first yearsof operation. But with dozens ofwineries now open two decades orlonger, “library tastings” and“vertical tastings” are popping upwith some regularity, offering thechance to taste the impacts ofweather, aging and winemaking stylesover the years.

Barboursville Vineyards recentlyopened Library 1821, an elegant

space for seated tastings away from thecrowds (weekends only, starts at $20including culinary pairings). TararaWinery (tarara.com, Leesburg) turned 25in 2014 and boasts one of the mostinteresting vineyard histories andwinemaking approaches; check out theirPremier Tastings (Saturdays, 90 minutes,$31.80). Gray Ghost Vineyards(grayghostvineyards, Amissville) has aregular schedule of Library Tastings, aswell ($25 includes current releases andtour).

TRAVEL MORETake a wine-cation. More than 70

Virginia wineries are open daily (ornearly), year-round. Off-season is oftenthe best time to visit: there’s a starkbeauty in the gray clouds and leaflesstrees, and you’re more likely to find thewinemaker banging around the tastingroom, looking for someone to chat with or– if you’re lucky and show a lot of interest- invite into the cellar for an impromptubarrel tasting.

For a little summer in the middleof winter, book a room at the B&B at GlassHouse Winery (glasshousewinery.com,Free Union) for the weekend. The winery isfamous for its one-of-a-kind tropicalgardens – we’re talking full-sized bananatrees, flowering hibiscus and toweringpalms – and it’s open until 9 on Fridays.

Nancy Bauer is the co-founder ofVirginia Wine in My Pocket, the

iTunes/Google mobile app and websitetravel guide to Virginia Wine Country.For more tips on Virginia Wine Country

travel, see our website atVAWineInMyPocket.com.

RESOURCES

For a listing of all winery lodgings, go toVaWineInMyPocket.com/wineries/feature/lodging

For a listing of wines offered bywinery, go to VirginiaWine.org

For info about VA Wine Pass,which offers discounts and freebies atmore than 70 Virginia wineries, go toVirginiaWinePass.com (use code VAWIMPto save 25%)

SSppoottlliigghhtt OOnnPeacaloo Boutique

By M.L.Powers


Over the last year, we have seen atransition on Caroline Street. It looksfuller, there are fewer empty spaces.Towards the end of the street, headingtowards the train station, there are someshops though, that do not get the trafficthat the middle few blocks do. One ofthese shops is Peacaloo Boutique. On awalk, I noticed some clothes hanging outin front of a storefront. So wandering in, Ifound a small space that is chock full ofunique juniors/misses clothing items. Iproceeded to talk with the salesgirl, whoturned out to be the owner, Stefany Clare.Stefany and her mom, Wendy, are bothinvolved in the business, but Stefany is thedriving force behind the enterprise.

Stefany has always known shewanted to be involved with fashionwhether designing, styling or buying. Sheis able to do all of these things since shewent into business for herself. Stefany is ahometown Fredericksburg gal, living heremost of her life, minus a year she spent ata styling school in New York, NY andworking as a stylist for some famousnames in Los Angeles, CA. She graduatedfrom Courtland High School in 2009, anddecided to aim for a career in wardrobestyling. She moved to Los Angeles, andimmediately started interning for thestylist who managed the styling classes atthe school. Soon after, she landed aposition with two highly renowned

professionals who style JenniferLopez, Lily Collins, No Doubt,Rihanna, and many more. Afterthat she began working withMadison Guest who stylesVictoria Justice, and lastly as anassistant to Taylor Swift’sstylist.

It sounds like an act outof The Devil Wears Prada. Butfor those who have seen thatcomedic film, the pressure levelis more than most of us want ina day. This was one of the mainreasons Stefany changed herlife goal. She said that she wasmore stressed than happy inLA. She missed her family andhome immensely, so Stefanywent with the small businessprospect instead. Owning abusiness in these economictimes is also a little taxing, butStefany is confident she canmake it work. In addition, shehas Mom to assist which makesit pretty cool.

Though only open ashort time, Peacaloo has a small cultfollowing not only in the store, but onlineat peacalooboutique.com. I know thisfrom casually mentioning it to one of myyoung college friends, and she filled me inon the celebrity data, which Stefanyconfirmed. She has quickly become part ofthe downtown dynamic, staying open lateon Fridays and working on ways to helpFredericksburg become a thriving smalltown. One plan involves doing a benefitfashion show. She had done this for theMake-AA-WWish Foundation in 2011, andauctioned off a significant amount ofcustom made dresses for the cause.

The shop located at 614 Carolineis small, but you can squeeze a lot ofclothes into a small space. Look at yourcloset! Shipments come in weekly from LosAngeles via connections she made whileliving there. She is looking for a variety ofunique, but affordable clothes that satisfya wide audience. Stefany learned to sewfrom her grandmother, and also doescustom design orders and evenalterations. Check out her website andFacebook for hours, specials andspectacular photos of her clothing line.

Mary Lynn Powers reports the latest oninteresting people, places and businesses

in the FXBG area monthly

VA. WINERIESResolve to Wine

by nancy bauer

It’s all in how you frame it.Lose 10 pounds. Get to the gym. Be nice.Yada yada. Here are four New Year’s

Resolutions you’ll actually want to keep. GET YOUR REST

Snooze at a vineyard. More than20 Virginia wineries offer lodging closeenough to walk to after sharing a bottleon a warm spring day (or a snowy winterone). Choose what suits you, fromcottages overlooking a babbling brook atSharp Rock Vineyards(sharprockvineyards.com, Sperryville) toMongolian yurts in the shadow of the BlueRidge at Wicked Oaks Farms & Vineyard(wickedoakfarms.com, Star Tannery).

EXPAND YOUR HORIZONSSip something new. Chardonnay

and Cabernet Sauvignon are lovely, butconsider branching out in 2015. Youprobably know that Cabernet Franc is kingis Virginia, and Petit Verdot is poised forgreatness, but how about Nebbiolo, thegrape variety behind the top-quality redwines of Piedmont in northwestern Italy?It’s found a home at Breaux Vineyards(breauxvineyards.com, Purcellville), ThreeFox Winery (threefoxvineyards.com,Delaplane), Barboursville Vineyards(bbvwine.com, Barboursville) andelsewhere.

Looking for the next big thing inwhites? Consider a sampling tour ofVirginia’s many incarnations of PetitManseng, from its most popular form as asweet dessert wine – try it at hidden gemGranite Heights Winery(graniteheightsorchard.com, Warrenton) -to the spectacular new dry style recentlyreleased by Michael Shaps at VirginiaWineworks (virginiawineworks.com,Charlottesville).

LEARN SOMETHINGHit the library. While everyone’s

been busy talking about the industry’sexpanding breadth – more than 250wineries now dot the map – the depth ofwinery libraries has gone mostlyunnoticed. Library wines, generallyspeaking, are a limited number of age-worthy bottles held back by the wineryafter their original release.

In Virginia, holding onto wine isno small feat when tasting room

customers are clamoring for more,more, more, and the cellar – and bankaccount - is bare in those first yearsof operation. But with dozens ofwineries now open two decades orlonger, “library tastings” and“vertical tastings” are popping upwith some regularity, offering thechance to taste the impacts ofweather, aging and winemaking stylesover the years.

Barboursville Vineyards recentlyopened Library 1821, an elegant

space for seated tastings away from thecrowds (weekends only, starts at $20including culinary pairings). TararaWinery (tarara.com, Leesburg) turned 25in 2014 and boasts one of the mostinteresting vineyard histories andwinemaking approaches; check out theirPremier Tastings (Saturdays, 90 minutes,$31.80). Gray Ghost Vineyards(grayghostvineyards, Amissville) has aregular schedule of Library Tastings, aswell ($25 includes current releases andtour).

TRAVEL MORETake a wine-cation. More than 70

Virginia wineries are open daily (ornearly), year-round. Off-season is oftenthe best time to visit: there’s a starkbeauty in the gray clouds and leaflesstrees, and you’re more likely to find thewinemaker banging around the tastingroom, looking for someone to chat with or– if you’re lucky and show a lot of interest- invite into the cellar for an impromptubarrel tasting.

For a little summer in the middleof winter, book a room at the B&B at GlassHouse Winery (glasshousewinery.com,Free Union) for the weekend. The winery isfamous for its one-of-a-kind tropicalgardens – we’re talking full-sized bananatrees, flowering hibiscus and toweringpalms – and it’s open until 9 on Fridays.

Nancy Bauer is the co-founder ofVirginia Wine in My Pocket, the

iTunes/Google mobile app and websitetravel guide to Virginia Wine Country.For more tips on Virginia Wine Country

travel, see our website atVAWineInMyPocket.com.

RESOURCES

For a listing of all winery lodgings, go toVaWineInMyPocket.com/wineries/feature/lodging

For a listing of wines offered bywinery, go to VirginiaWine.org

For info about VA Wine Pass,which offers discounts and freebies atmore than 70 Virginia wineries, go toVirginiaWinePass.com (use code VAWIMPto save 25%)

SSppoottlliigghhtt OOnnPeacaloo Boutique

By M.L.Powers

front porch fredericksburg January 2015 1110 January 2015 Front porch fredericksburg

David & Dawn MillsStory Collaborative: tell your story to the world

By Christina Ferber

Every person has a story totell about what makes them whothey are and what talents they haveto share with the world. Businessesand non-profits have stories to tellas well, and that is the basis forentrepreneurs David and Dawn Mills’company, Story Collaborative.

Story Collaborative offers anew way to look at the marketing ofyour organization. “First, we helpfigure out what a company’s story isand find the best way to tell it,” saysDavid Mills, co-founder. “People arelooking for depth and somethingreal, and our goal is to create authenticity

through the story.” With 25 years ofextensive experience helping countlesssmall and large organizations see theirown story and ultimately build moreeffective programs, Mills understandswhat sells a non-profit or business tofunders, donors, and clients.

The campfire theme embracesStory Collaborative’s philosophy. “Arounda campfire, we share stories, open upabout who we are, and really get to know

each other.We want to dothe same withthe companiesand non-profits that wework with,”says DawnMills, a co-founder whob r i n g sp r o g r a mmanagementand coachingexpertise tothe company.

Another aspectof Story Collaborative’s offerings includes

helping organizations access story tellingtechnologies that make their narrativecome alive. These technologies includeaccess to a team that is based around anorganization’s needs. With many writers,coders, brand and social media experts,graphic designers, and other skilledprofessionals at their fingertips, David andDawn are able to form a team aroundyour own specific need and pricingstructure.

“Together that team helps workon the story idea helping non-profits andbusinesses make the transition fromtraditional marketing methods tobecoming a story telling organization,”says David. “Companies have uniqueneeds, and we find the right style thatworks with the story you want to tell.”Teaming up with organizations over aperiod of time is also an important aspectof Story Collaborative. “We would muchrather participate in the story tellingprocess over time, instead of handingthem something and walk away.”

David and Dawn value thesupport and energy that theFredericksburg start up community hasoffered them, and along with their teammembers, have given back to that

community through coaching and helpingout during Startup Weekend. “Asentrepreneurs, it is exciting to hang outwith other creative, energetic risk takers,”says David. “We love being a part of thatsupportive community.”

“I think it is important thatpeople can dream, and do whatever ittakes to fulfill that dream by being theirown boss and ultimately having controlover their own lives and ideas,” says Dawn.

That entrepreneurial spirit canbe seen in David as well. “I love to createan idea and make it work. The challengeof it is fun. We want to build somethingthat has values and vibrance, and we enjoyoffering encouragement and being acheerleader to other businesses fromstart-ups to large corporations and non-profits.”

Everyone has a story to tell. Toget help telling yours visit story-collaborative.com

Christina Ferber will be bringing usstories of other entrepreneurs in future

issues of Fron Porch

While trolling the murky sea ofinternet for like-minded blogs withliterary intent, I sometimes find folks withsimilar writing life experiences andmotivations as mine. There arecommonalities among us—we consideredourselves writers before launching ourblogs and see the online presence as a wayto reach even one reader who can connectwith the stories we tell.

I adore when I find a fellowwriter/blogger who I can relate to in avariety of ways. When reading CandiceRansom’s Under the Honeysuckle Vine(www.candiceransom.com/honeysucklevine), I felt drawn to her literary voice andwell-developed posts.

When deciding whether to followa blog, I usually peruse the About Mesection to get a feel for the person behindthe posts. I was delighted to learn Candicenot only teaches at Hollins University,where I am currently studying (andconveniently compiling a final project onblogging that I promptly interviewed herfor), but she also lives in my oldhometown of Fredericksburg. As anyonewith a soul who has lived and breathed inFXBG, Candice draws inspiration from thehistory and beauty of the place.

Her blog posts and writing oftenreflect a sincere appreciation for being aninth generation Virginian, with the blogsubtitle of Notes from a Southern Writerand many of her 115 children’s booksbeing set in our beautiful state.

“I am not ashamed to be aSouthern writer. I would say that most ofmy posts are about country/rural/naturethemes. Sometimes I write about being awriter. Really, I tell stories, which is whatall Southern writers do,” Candice said.

She tells tales of her kindneighbors and her fortune at being able topursue the life of her dreams—as achildren’s book author, amateurphotographer, collector of all things vintage,and lover of a sweet cat Winchester (the starof many of her stories who sadly two daysafter Thanksgiving left her side for his nextadventure).

Candice’s approach to bloggingclosely resembles my ideal for writing, andI instantly realized I could learn a lot from

her. When I interviewed her recently, shespoke about why she first began bloggingin 2008. “At first I meant for the blog tobe an online journal. But over the pastfew years it’s become more of a memoir.Even if a post is about something that’sgoing on at the moment, I often compareor contrast that event to something thathappened in my past,” she said.

I first got the idea to begin a blogwhen I started reading self-help books andwebsites, in an effort to discover a deepertruth in life, to be more mindful and lessworried and anxious. I wanted to create alife practice of self-reflection and personaldevelopment. Writing is that life practice,if only I were a little less busy and a littlemore diligent (I’m obviously still workingon the mindful piece).

Launching Attention Anonymouson May 2, 2012 felt like giving birth to anidea I’d been holding onto for a lifetime.Writing has always allowed me to generatenew ideas and give them back to the worldwith thought and process. I had recentlygone through a divorce, and I was sortingout my personal history, my relationshipwith my son and what I wanted for myfuture. I had high hopes for my ownproductivity and ability to maintain the site.Not all of which have been met, but I stilltrudge on, believing writing to be part of whoI am. I find it quaint that my second child isnow due on May 2, 2015 and I get to birthyet another piece of my ever-evolving senseof self and hopefully a much more importantaddition to the world.

To this day, I have met withminimal, if any success, at developing areader following on the blog. Early on Ibecame more disillusioned than I shouldhave. Soon enough, I realized I need towrite for myself, and not be concernedwith the reaction of others. I now writemore for the practice of it, and hope totake notes from other successful bloggersand put it to use on my own site.

Again, this is where I find Candice,and her perspective is so fresh and realamong the internet bloggers consumed witheither promoting their pay-for-advice sites orblathering unintentionally about a life not sowell lived.

Candice said, “when a post starts‘stirring’ in my head, it’s usuallysomething unformed that I need to figureout. Or a question I want to explore. Theprocess of writing the post is lengthy—often three days—because I am feeling asI go. The end is almost always a completesurprise.”

Ruth Cassell writes for the Front Porchfrom her satellite location in RoanokeVa where she lives with her husband,

son, and soon to be new babyFind her musings at

attentionanonymous.wordpress.com

Candice Ransom Under the Honeysuckle Vine

by c.ruth cassell The Renowned Northern ItalianRestaurant once in Stafford on

Garrisonville Rd moves to downtown Fredericksburg’s

“Historic Chimney’s Building”on Caroline Street adding

Internationality to their Cuisine

Open 7 days a weekMonday to Saturday

11 am to 10pm

International Sunday Brunch9am to 3pm

Dinner from 3pm to 9pm

Private Dining Rooms forYour Holiday parties or any occasion!!!

623 Caroline StreetFredericksburg VA 22401

Tel (540) 658-11107Fax (540) 658-11108


David & Dawn MillsStory Collaborative: tell your story to the world

By Christina Ferber

Every person has a story totell about what makes them whothey are and what talents they haveto share with the world. Businessesand non-profits have stories to tellas well, and that is the basis forentrepreneurs David and Dawn Mills’company, Story Collaborative.

Story Collaborative offers anew way to look at the marketing ofyour organization. “First, we helpfigure out what a company’s story isand find the best way to tell it,” saysDavid Mills, co-founder. “People arelooking for depth and somethingreal, and our goal is to create authenticity

through the story.” With 25 years ofextensive experience helping countlesssmall and large organizations see theirown story and ultimately build moreeffective programs, Mills understandswhat sells a non-profit or business tofunders, donors, and clients.

The campfire theme embracesStory Collaborative’s philosophy. “Arounda campfire, we share stories, open upabout who we are, and really get to know

each other.We want to dothe same withthe companiesand non-profits that wework with,”says DawnMills, a co-founder whob r i n g sp r o g r a mmanagementand coachingexpertise tothe company.

Another aspectof Story Collaborative’s offerings includes

helping organizations access story tellingtechnologies that make their narrativecome alive. These technologies includeaccess to a team that is based around anorganization’s needs. With many writers,coders, brand and social media experts,graphic designers, and other skilledprofessionals at their fingertips, David andDawn are able to form a team aroundyour own specific need and pricingstructure.

“Together that team helps workon the story idea helping non-profits andbusinesses make the transition fromtraditional marketing methods tobecoming a story telling organization,”says David. “Companies have uniqueneeds, and we find the right style thatworks with the story you want to tell.”Teaming up with organizations over aperiod of time is also an important aspectof Story Collaborative. “We would muchrather participate in the story tellingprocess over time, instead of handingthem something and walk away.”

David and Dawn value thesupport and energy that theFredericksburg start up community hasoffered them, and along with their teammembers, have given back to that

community through coaching and helpingout during Startup Weekend. “Asentrepreneurs, it is exciting to hang outwith other creative, energetic risk takers,”says David. “We love being a part of thatsupportive community.”

“I think it is important thatpeople can dream, and do whatever ittakes to fulfill that dream by being theirown boss and ultimately having controlover their own lives and ideas,” says Dawn.

That entrepreneurial spirit canbe seen in David as well. “I love to createan idea and make it work. The challengeof it is fun. We want to build somethingthat has values and vibrance, and we enjoyoffering encouragement and being acheerleader to other businesses fromstart-ups to large corporations and non-profits.”

Everyone has a story to tell. Toget help telling yours visit story-collaborative.com

Christina Ferber will be bringing usstories of other entrepreneurs in future

issues of Fron Porch

While trolling the murky sea ofinternet for like-minded blogs withliterary intent, I sometimes find folks withsimilar writing life experiences andmotivations as mine. There arecommonalities among us—we consideredourselves writers before launching ourblogs and see the online presence as a wayto reach even one reader who can connectwith the stories we tell.

I adore when I find a fellowwriter/blogger who I can relate to in avariety of ways. When reading CandiceRansom’s Under the Honeysuckle Vine(www.candiceransom.com/honeysucklevine), I felt drawn to her literary voice andwell-developed posts.

When deciding whether to followa blog, I usually peruse the About Mesection to get a feel for the person behindthe posts. I was delighted to learn Candicenot only teaches at Hollins University,where I am currently studying (andconveniently compiling a final project onblogging that I promptly interviewed herfor), but she also lives in my oldhometown of Fredericksburg. As anyonewith a soul who has lived and breathed inFXBG, Candice draws inspiration from thehistory and beauty of the place.

Her blog posts and writing oftenreflect a sincere appreciation for being aninth generation Virginian, with the blogsubtitle of Notes from a Southern Writerand many of her 115 children’s booksbeing set in our beautiful state.

“I am not ashamed to be aSouthern writer. I would say that most ofmy posts are about country/rural/naturethemes. Sometimes I write about being awriter. Really, I tell stories, which is whatall Southern writers do,” Candice said.

She tells tales of her kindneighbors and her fortune at being able topursue the life of her dreams—as achildren’s book author, amateurphotographer, collector of all things vintage,and lover of a sweet cat Winchester (the starof many of her stories who sadly two daysafter Thanksgiving left her side for his nextadventure).

Candice’s approach to bloggingclosely resembles my ideal for writing, andI instantly realized I could learn a lot from

her. When I interviewed her recently, shespoke about why she first began bloggingin 2008. “At first I meant for the blog tobe an online journal. But over the pastfew years it’s become more of a memoir.Even if a post is about something that’sgoing on at the moment, I often compareor contrast that event to something thathappened in my past,” she said.

I first got the idea to begin a blogwhen I started reading self-help books andwebsites, in an effort to discover a deepertruth in life, to be more mindful and lessworried and anxious. I wanted to create alife practice of self-reflection and personaldevelopment. Writing is that life practice,if only I were a little less busy and a littlemore diligent (I’m obviously still workingon the mindful piece).

Launching Attention Anonymouson May 2, 2012 felt like giving birth to anidea I’d been holding onto for a lifetime.Writing has always allowed me to generatenew ideas and give them back to the worldwith thought and process. I had recentlygone through a divorce, and I was sortingout my personal history, my relationshipwith my son and what I wanted for myfuture. I had high hopes for my ownproductivity and ability to maintain the site.Not all of which have been met, but I stilltrudge on, believing writing to be part of whoI am. I find it quaint that my second child isnow due on May 2, 2015 and I get to birthyet another piece of my ever-evolving senseof self and hopefully a much more importantaddition to the world.

To this day, I have met withminimal, if any success, at developing areader following on the blog. Early on Ibecame more disillusioned than I shouldhave. Soon enough, I realized I need towrite for myself, and not be concernedwith the reaction of others. I now writemore for the practice of it, and hope totake notes from other successful bloggersand put it to use on my own site.

Again, this is where I find Candice,and her perspective is so fresh and realamong the internet bloggers consumed witheither promoting their pay-for-advice sites orblathering unintentionally about a life not sowell lived.

Candice said, “when a post starts‘stirring’ in my head, it’s usuallysomething unformed that I need to figureout. Or a question I want to explore. Theprocess of writing the post is lengthy—often three days—because I am feeling asI go. The end is almost always a completesurprise.”

Ruth Cassell writes for the Front Porchfrom her satellite location in RoanokeVa where she lives with her husband,

son, and soon to be new babyFind her musings at

attentionanonymous.wordpress.com

Candice Ransom Under the Honeysuckle Vine

by c.ruth cassell The Renowned Northern ItalianRestaurant once in Stafford on

Garrisonville Rd moves to downtown Fredericksburg’s

“Historic Chimney’s Building”on Caroline Street adding

Internationality to their Cuisine

Open 7 days a weekMonday to Saturday

11 am to 10pm

International Sunday Brunch9am to 3pm

Dinner from 3pm to 9pm

Private Dining Rooms forYour Holiday parties or any occasion!!!

623 Caroline StreetFredericksburg VA 22401

Tel (540) 658-11107Fax (540) 658-11108

I have little use for wine snobs,in particular those who suddenly appeararound the holiday season and thendisappear until the next year. Theirpresence is particularly irritating afterChristmas, when people are getting readyfor New Year’s parties. You guessed it,the Champaigners, those who can quoteevery review that has come out in thelast few years and look down their nosesat those who make a choice other thanChampagne. Pardon my rant, but I am afan of a wine known as Prosecco, which isoften confused with Champagne.

Though they are both bubbly,they are quite different and come fromdifferent countries. True Champagnecomes from the Champagne region ofFrance and is the only place where thebubbly we are so familiar with be calledChampagne. Everything else is asparkling wine.

Champagne is made using suchwines as pinot noir or pinot meunier andan occasional Chardonnay. After theinitial fermentation, the wine is bottledand a second fermentation is initiated inthe bottle to produce the sparklingnature. The fact that Champagne ageson the lees (dead yeast) gives it a uniqueflavor.

Recently marketing people havetried to incorporate the nameChampagne in their products and manyhave found themselves sued by theFrench. To the producers of the trueproduct, it is no laughing matter.Another point greatly misunderstood isthe fact that Champagne is good only atNew Year’s or at celebrations, when infact it makes a wonderful accompanimentto a wide variety of foods including Asiandishes and seafood.

So that brings us back toProsecco. Whereas Champagne is fromFrance, Prosecco is from the Venetoregion of northeastern Italy and is madein a completely different way than theFrench sparkling wines. Using the gleravariety of grapes for the most part, thesecondary fermentation that producesthe sparkle occurs in stainless steel tanksinstead of the individual bottles, aprocess known as the Charmat method.Recently, the Italian government hasprotected Prosecco under a DOC (similarto the AVA’s in Virginia).

Prosecco is often drier thanChampagne and usually marked Brut(think brutal), Extra Dry or Drydepending on the amount of residualsugar in the wine. Often used as anaperitif, Prosecco is best served chilled.When being consumed after a meal,chocolate pares exceptionally well.

At this reading, the holidayshave just ended and everyone may havehad their fill of bubbly wines becausethey sucked it down in mass quantitieson December 31. Do not let thisunfortunate consumption of good winedeter you from enjoying Prosecco, orChampagne, or any other sparkling winethroughout the coming year.

Though it has been said a lotrecently, have a happy 2015 and enjoygood wines of your choice responsibly.

Cheers!

Scott Richards is a member of the VAVineyards Association, owner of LochHaven Vineyards, and a writer for FP,

Caroline Progress, The CaroineMagazine, Northern Neck News & The

River View Magazine.


VViinnooChampaigners

By scott richards

Season’s Bountyjanuary sloooww cookin’

By vanessa moncure

After about the eighth trip upand down the basement stairs, the detriusof holidays 2014 becomes a bitoverwhelming. Why won’t Inflatable Santafit back in his perfectly-sized box? Clever!the planned obsolescence of mini-twinkle-lights is less than six weeks - can they berecycled? Where is the Nativity bin? TwoWise Men and an ass need to rejoin theirgroup. No, the practically de-needled treewon’t be street-collected with any tinsel,so pull it off and save it; yes, the vacuumcleaner is clogged with said needles,AGAIN. Hmm...a month of comfort and joysegues into several days of clean-up andteeth-knashing. I do love decorating forthe holidays but dread the un-decorating -much as I love cooking but eye theresulting kitchen mess with majortrepidation. Holidays over, back to work,back to school, back to the daily routineafter a month of heavy festive celebrating- give yourself a culinary break with thatnew slow-cooker found under the tree!

Probably the idea of a “modern”slow cooker was introduced in the 1940s-era Chambers Stove whose motto was“cooks with the gas turned off!” - the stoveappeared to be a four-burner, but the backright was a patented “Thermowell” whose1- or 3-compartment container “boils,steams, stews or roasts” with retainedheat. My “Model B” stove brochurefeatures a smiling housewife in a cardemonstrating that recipes from the “IdleHour” cookbook require no need to standover a stove! Run errands! Go shopping!Meanwhile, your stove is doing all thework! Then along came the slow-cooker…..

CHICKEN SALSASlow cooking requires a minimum ofliquid, a maximum of time. Although notnecessary, a quick browning of meatbefore adding to the cooker increases theflavor. Brown (if desired) 4 large bonelesschicken breasts in 2T. olive oil. Place inslow cooker, cover with 12 oz. salsa and ¼c. minced fresh cilantro - cook 4 hours onLOW setting. Serve with a selection ofsliced lettuce, tomatoes, onions, shreddedcheese, salsa, guacamole, sour cream,heated refried beans - whatever you like -

shred the meat and place in flour tortillas,topping with desired ingredients.

PORK BBQBrown a Boston butt in skillet withoutadded fat - place in slow cooker and seasonwith a rub of salt, pepper, garlic powder,chili powder, cayenne pepper cumin,oregano and paprika. Pour 1 c. cidervinegar in the bottom, and set the cookerfor 8 hours on HIGH. Remove meat fromcooker and discard liquid. Meat should pulleasily off the bone - serve pulled pork onbuns with BBQ sauce and creamy coleslaw.

BEEF OR CHICKEN POT ROASTBrown a beef chuck roast or whole chickenin 3 T. canola oil in a large skillet, turningso all sides are browned. Pour juices overmeat in slow cooker. Separately in largebowl, place 6 medium potatoes cut in half,6 cut onions, 2 c. baby carrots, 4 cutcelery ribs, ¼ c. minced fresh parsley, S&P,garlic powder, ½ tsp. thyme and toss with3 T. olive oil until well-coated. Arrangevegetables around meat, sprinkle meatwith S&P, garlic, paprika and fresh parsley.Cover, cook 2 hours on LOW, then 2-3

hours on HIGH. You may need to addmore cook time if meat is over 3 ½ to 4pounds.

CHICKEN CACCIATOREBrown six floured chicken thighs in 2T.olive oil - transfer to slow cooker alongwith 4 large onions cut into rings. In sameskillet, add 1 c. red wine, 1 c. chicken stock,S&P, garlic powder and cook over mediumheat until slightly reduced and slightlythickened. Stir in 1 qt. whole Romatomatoes, ¼ c. minced fresh parsley, 1 bayleaf, ½ tsp. each oregano, basil and thyme,and 1 tsp. sugar, then add to slow cooker.Cook 4 hours on LOW, one on HIGH - add

tomato paste to thicken if needed. Serveover pasta with fresh-grated Parmesancheese.

Although I’ve seen such recipes, I’venever baked/slow-cooked a dessert, butI’ve used the cooker for most all soups andstews. As a bonus, the delicious aromasemanating from your kitchen basicallycome from a one-step process - you caneasily adapt your favorite recipes, justremember to reduce the amount of liquidas there is less evaporation than oven- orstovetop- cooking. Applesauce is a slow-cooker favorite - just peel and core X-amount of apples (or pears, or amixture!), add small amount of unfilteredapple juice and cook on HIGH until applesare soft and ready to turn into applesauce(either by mashing, food mill orprocessor). Then you can add spices andsugar, cook a bit longer for delicious applebutter….almost no kitchen clean-up! Nowif I can just find the giant candy canebox…….

With the holidays behind us, it istime to prepare ourselves for the yearahead. Almost 60% of us will have made anew year’s resolution of which almost 70%of those will be about getting in shape andeating better. Making new habits can be achallenge if we try to change too manythings all at once. Selecting one day of theweek as a standard can ease the transitionand give you something to look forwardto. Adjusting our eating from holiday fareto healthier and less caloric foods can beas easy as boiling water.

On Ted Schubel’s Town Talkshow, Nancy Farrell from Farrell Dietitianpointed out that just 5 Hershey kisses aday between Thanksgiving and Christmasequals one extra pound of fat on ourbodies. And who stops at 5 anyway? It isthe small choices that pack the pounds onus. She also pointed out how hotbeverages tend to fill us up and decreaseour appetite. Armed with that knowledge,how can we make some better choices in

this new year?Our good friend Kadeana invited

Mitzi and I over one day for lunch. Thesimple delicious meal she provided was theperfect companion for the conversation.The warm atmosphere created by aromasof the simmering broth lured us in. Thebeautifully vibrant array of colors thefresh vegetables provided an enticingpalette for us to choose from as we tookto the task of customizing our own meal.Through thoughtful simplicity, Kadeanaturned the necessity of lunch into a funmoment of sharing and experimenting. Inthe end we were comfortably full withabout half of the usual midday caloriecount. As we move into the coldestmonths of the year, broth soups are agreat way to warm and nourish ourselves.

Nancy further encourages brothsoups saying, “Broth soup- best for weightmanagement. Creamy soups add extracalories mainly from fat sources. One ofmy favorite - can’t go wrong type ofmeals!” So how do you make a broth soup?

Heat up broth (If you can makethe broth yourselves; do. Many of thecommercially available ones are loadedwith sodium) Once the broth is hot, addalmost any raw vegetable you want. Thehot broth will “cook” the vegetables!Shredded beets have Magnesium for hearthealth and fiber to guard against coloncancer. Carrots and spinach are loadedwith beta carotene a precursor of VitaminA; important for skin and eye health. Weadd Quinoa - a complete source of proteinessential for vegetarians and vegans. Theantioxidants in quinoa rival cranberriesfor its protection against UTI’s.

Broth soups can also take theburden out a busy day. Put the broth in acrock pot and everyone can make theirown all day long. Share the soups withfriends. Soups are very communal meals.But what if you want something more butyou don’t have time to even heat upbroth? Head to Facebook and find KellyPawlik’s company City Soup. Kelly is a localwho has turned soup into an amazingexperience. City Soup makes some of thetastiest treats available!

Fredericksburg is a really greatplace. The community is rich with peoplelike Nancy, Kadeana, and Kelly. Mitzi and Ifeel very luck when we think about ourcity and the people who make it what it is.Set you goal for the new year and thenhave a blast reaching it. Life seems lessburdensome if you keep the food simple,easy, and delicious. Be well.

Kyle isn’t the only one who loves soup& Kelly’s is the best!

SSammy ammy T’T’ ssServing Great Food Since 1981

801 Caroline Street (540) 371-2008

Try Our Self-Serve Yogurtopen 11:30 am Daily

Still Owned by the Emory Family

DOWNTOWN FREDERICKSBURG’S

Home of the “Camper Special” & the Best Burger in Town

Olde Towne BUTCHERCorner of William & Charles Streets

Downtown Fredericksburg

540.370.4105

www.oldetownebutcher.com

Winter Hours Monday Tuesday & Wednesday 9 am to 7 pm,Thursday Friday & Saturday 9 to 9; Sunday 11 to 6.

Lee Russell Proprietor

The General StoreRestaurant

Italian/American FoodMonday-Saturday 11 am-10 pm

371-40752018 College Ave.

Fredericksburg

Since 1978

Cooking With KyleSimple, easy, delicious

by james kyle snyder

At the Old Jake and Mike’sLocation

Serving New &Traditional AmericanCuisine with a Twist

Open Lunch and DinnerTuesday - Saturday

11 am to 9 pm

Sunday Brunch10 am to 3 pm

Closed on Mondays

806 William StreetFredericksburg, VA 22401

Tel: 540 899-0941From the Owners of

The Soup and Taco, Etc.

I have little use for wine snobs,in particular those who suddenly appeararound the holiday season and thendisappear until the next year. Theirpresence is particularly irritating afterChristmas, when people are getting readyfor New Year’s parties. You guessed it,the Champaigners, those who can quoteevery review that has come out in thelast few years and look down their nosesat those who make a choice other thanChampagne. Pardon my rant, but I am afan of a wine known as Prosecco, which isoften confused with Champagne.

Though they are both bubbly,they are quite different and come fromdifferent countries. True Champagnecomes from the Champagne region ofFrance and is the only place where thebubbly we are so familiar with be calledChampagne. Everything else is asparkling wine.

Champagne is made using suchwines as pinot noir or pinot meunier andan occasional Chardonnay. After theinitial fermentation, the wine is bottledand a second fermentation is initiated inthe bottle to produce the sparklingnature. The fact that Champagne ageson the lees (dead yeast) gives it a uniqueflavor.

Recently marketing people havetried to incorporate the nameChampagne in their products and manyhave found themselves sued by theFrench. To the producers of the trueproduct, it is no laughing matter.Another point greatly misunderstood isthe fact that Champagne is good only atNew Year’s or at celebrations, when infact it makes a wonderful accompanimentto a wide variety of foods including Asiandishes and seafood.

So that brings us back toProsecco. Whereas Champagne is fromFrance, Prosecco is from the Venetoregion of northeastern Italy and is madein a completely different way than theFrench sparkling wines. Using the gleravariety of grapes for the most part, thesecondary fermentation that producesthe sparkle occurs in stainless steel tanksinstead of the individual bottles, aprocess known as the Charmat method.Recently, the Italian government hasprotected Prosecco under a DOC (similarto the AVA’s in Virginia).

Prosecco is often drier thanChampagne and usually marked Brut(think brutal), Extra Dry or Drydepending on the amount of residualsugar in the wine. Often used as anaperitif, Prosecco is best served chilled.When being consumed after a meal,chocolate pares exceptionally well.

At this reading, the holidayshave just ended and everyone may havehad their fill of bubbly wines becausethey sucked it down in mass quantitieson December 31. Do not let thisunfortunate consumption of good winedeter you from enjoying Prosecco, orChampagne, or any other sparkling winethroughout the coming year.

Though it has been said a lotrecently, have a happy 2015 and enjoygood wines of your choice responsibly.

Cheers!

Scott Richards is a member of the VAVineyards Association, owner of LochHaven Vineyards, and a writer for FP,

Caroline Progress, The CaroineMagazine, Northern Neck News & The

River View Magazine.


VViinnooChampaigners

By scott richards

Season’s Bountyjanuary sloooww cookin’

By vanessa moncure

After about the eighth trip upand down the basement stairs, the detriusof holidays 2014 becomes a bitoverwhelming. Why won’t Inflatable Santafit back in his perfectly-sized box? Clever!the planned obsolescence of mini-twinkle-lights is less than six weeks - can they berecycled? Where is the Nativity bin? TwoWise Men and an ass need to rejoin theirgroup. No, the practically de-needled treewon’t be street-collected with any tinsel,so pull it off and save it; yes, the vacuumcleaner is clogged with said needles,AGAIN. Hmm...a month of comfort and joysegues into several days of clean-up andteeth-knashing. I do love decorating forthe holidays but dread the un-decorating -much as I love cooking but eye theresulting kitchen mess with majortrepidation. Holidays over, back to work,back to school, back to the daily routineafter a month of heavy festive celebrating- give yourself a culinary break with thatnew slow-cooker found under the tree!

Probably the idea of a “modern”slow cooker was introduced in the 1940s-era Chambers Stove whose motto was“cooks with the gas turned off!” - the stoveappeared to be a four-burner, but the backright was a patented “Thermowell” whose1- or 3-compartment container “boils,steams, stews or roasts” with retainedheat. My “Model B” stove brochurefeatures a smiling housewife in a cardemonstrating that recipes from the “IdleHour” cookbook require no need to standover a stove! Run errands! Go shopping!Meanwhile, your stove is doing all thework! Then along came the slow-cooker…..

CHICKEN SALSASlow cooking requires a minimum ofliquid, a maximum of time. Although notnecessary, a quick browning of meatbefore adding to the cooker increases theflavor. Brown (if desired) 4 large bonelesschicken breasts in 2T. olive oil. Place inslow cooker, cover with 12 oz. salsa and ¼c. minced fresh cilantro - cook 4 hours onLOW setting. Serve with a selection ofsliced lettuce, tomatoes, onions, shreddedcheese, salsa, guacamole, sour cream,heated refried beans - whatever you like -

shred the meat and place in flour tortillas,topping with desired ingredients.

PORK BBQBrown a Boston butt in skillet withoutadded fat - place in slow cooker and seasonwith a rub of salt, pepper, garlic powder,chili powder, cayenne pepper cumin,oregano and paprika. Pour 1 c. cidervinegar in the bottom, and set the cookerfor 8 hours on HIGH. Remove meat fromcooker and discard liquid. Meat should pulleasily off the bone - serve pulled pork onbuns with BBQ sauce and creamy coleslaw.

BEEF OR CHICKEN POT ROASTBrown a beef chuck roast or whole chickenin 3 T. canola oil in a large skillet, turningso all sides are browned. Pour juices overmeat in slow cooker. Separately in largebowl, place 6 medium potatoes cut in half,6 cut onions, 2 c. baby carrots, 4 cutcelery ribs, ¼ c. minced fresh parsley, S&P,garlic powder, ½ tsp. thyme and toss with3 T. olive oil until well-coated. Arrangevegetables around meat, sprinkle meatwith S&P, garlic, paprika and fresh parsley.Cover, cook 2 hours on LOW, then 2-3

hours on HIGH. You may need to addmore cook time if meat is over 3 ½ to 4pounds.

CHICKEN CACCIATOREBrown six floured chicken thighs in 2T.olive oil - transfer to slow cooker alongwith 4 large onions cut into rings. In sameskillet, add 1 c. red wine, 1 c. chicken stock,S&P, garlic powder and cook over mediumheat until slightly reduced and slightlythickened. Stir in 1 qt. whole Romatomatoes, ¼ c. minced fresh parsley, 1 bayleaf, ½ tsp. each oregano, basil and thyme,and 1 tsp. sugar, then add to slow cooker.Cook 4 hours on LOW, one on HIGH - add

tomato paste to thicken if needed. Serveover pasta with fresh-grated Parmesancheese.

Although I’ve seen such recipes, I’venever baked/slow-cooked a dessert, butI’ve used the cooker for most all soups andstews. As a bonus, the delicious aromasemanating from your kitchen basicallycome from a one-step process - you caneasily adapt your favorite recipes, justremember to reduce the amount of liquidas there is less evaporation than oven- orstovetop- cooking. Applesauce is a slow-cooker favorite - just peel and core X-amount of apples (or pears, or amixture!), add small amount of unfilteredapple juice and cook on HIGH until applesare soft and ready to turn into applesauce(either by mashing, food mill orprocessor). Then you can add spices andsugar, cook a bit longer for delicious applebutter….almost no kitchen clean-up! Nowif I can just find the giant candy canebox…….

With the holidays behind us, it istime to prepare ourselves for the yearahead. Almost 60% of us will have made anew year’s resolution of which almost 70%of those will be about getting in shape andeating better. Making new habits can be achallenge if we try to change too manythings all at once. Selecting one day of theweek as a standard can ease the transitionand give you something to look forwardto. Adjusting our eating from holiday fareto healthier and less caloric foods can beas easy as boiling water.

On Ted Schubel’s Town Talkshow, Nancy Farrell from Farrell Dietitianpointed out that just 5 Hershey kisses aday between Thanksgiving and Christmasequals one extra pound of fat on ourbodies. And who stops at 5 anyway? It isthe small choices that pack the pounds onus. She also pointed out how hotbeverages tend to fill us up and decreaseour appetite. Armed with that knowledge,how can we make some better choices in

this new year?Our good friend Kadeana invited

Mitzi and I over one day for lunch. Thesimple delicious meal she provided was theperfect companion for the conversation.The warm atmosphere created by aromasof the simmering broth lured us in. Thebeautifully vibrant array of colors thefresh vegetables provided an enticingpalette for us to choose from as we tookto the task of customizing our own meal.Through thoughtful simplicity, Kadeanaturned the necessity of lunch into a funmoment of sharing and experimenting. Inthe end we were comfortably full withabout half of the usual midday caloriecount. As we move into the coldestmonths of the year, broth soups are agreat way to warm and nourish ourselves.

Nancy further encourages brothsoups saying, “Broth soup- best for weightmanagement. Creamy soups add extracalories mainly from fat sources. One ofmy favorite - can’t go wrong type ofmeals!” So how do you make a broth soup?

Heat up broth (If you can makethe broth yourselves; do. Many of thecommercially available ones are loadedwith sodium) Once the broth is hot, addalmost any raw vegetable you want. Thehot broth will “cook” the vegetables!Shredded beets have Magnesium for hearthealth and fiber to guard against coloncancer. Carrots and spinach are loadedwith beta carotene a precursor of VitaminA; important for skin and eye health. Weadd Quinoa - a complete source of proteinessential for vegetarians and vegans. Theantioxidants in quinoa rival cranberriesfor its protection against UTI’s.

Broth soups can also take theburden out a busy day. Put the broth in acrock pot and everyone can make theirown all day long. Share the soups withfriends. Soups are very communal meals.But what if you want something more butyou don’t have time to even heat upbroth? Head to Facebook and find KellyPawlik’s company City Soup. Kelly is a localwho has turned soup into an amazingexperience. City Soup makes some of thetastiest treats available!

Fredericksburg is a really greatplace. The community is rich with peoplelike Nancy, Kadeana, and Kelly. Mitzi and Ifeel very luck when we think about ourcity and the people who make it what it is.Set you goal for the new year and thenhave a blast reaching it. Life seems lessburdensome if you keep the food simple,easy, and delicious. Be well.

Kyle isn’t the only one who loves soup& Kelly’s is the best!

SSammy ammy T’T’ ssServing Great Food Since 1981

801 Caroline Street (540) 371-2008

Try Our Self-Serve Yogurtopen 11:30 am Daily

Still Owned by the Emory Family

DOWNTOWN FREDERICKSBURG’S

Home of the “Camper Special” & the Best Burger in Town

Olde Towne BUTCHERCorner of William & Charles Streets

Downtown Fredericksburg

540.370.4105

www.oldetownebutcher.com

Winter Hours Monday Tuesday & Wednesday 9 am to 7 pm,Thursday Friday & Saturday 9 to 9; Sunday 11 to 6.

Lee Russell Proprietor

The General StoreRestaurant

Italian/American FoodMonday-Saturday 11 am-10 pm

371-40752018 College Ave.

Fredericksburg

Since 1978

Cooking With KyleSimple, easy, delicious

by james kyle snyder

At the Old Jake and Mike’sLocation

Serving New &Traditional AmericanCuisine with a Twist

Open Lunch and DinnerTuesday - Saturday

11 am to 9 pm

Sunday Brunch10 am to 3 pm

Closed on Mondays

806 William StreetFredericksburg, VA 22401

Tel: 540 899-0941From the Owners of

The Soup and Taco, Etc.

I went to Vivify on anevening stroll with my family. So Iinterviewed Alicia.

Q: What makes a milkshake so good?A: Because all of the ingredients aremade from scratch. All of our food isfrom local ingredients.

Q: What is your best selling item onthe menu? A: The Viv. It’s a burger with smokedbacon, fontina cheese, caramelizedonions and mojo sauce.

Q: What’s your favorite food here? A: The All American. It’s a classiccheeseburger and is delicious.

I helped Alicia make aBrownie Blast milkshake and learnedthe special recipe. I also like thedecoration. I really like to stand onthe wavy squares and dance on therooftop deck.

Callie Dunn loves to shop and eat in downtown Fredericksburg. She has not decided on her February pick....so many places to visit!

Watch for her.downtown to get a sneak peek on her pick!


Jay’s Restaurant & Lounge,located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, is theantithesis of what most customers wouldexpect from a business that caterstowards nightlife. For starters, it’sgeographically close by. Situated off ofRoute 3 in the Greenbrier ShoppingCenter, it eliminates the need for locals tospend half their night driving 50 milesnorth or south to enjoy music, dancingand a drink. Instead of feeling suffocatedin a darkened, grimy hole-in-the-wall, Jay’sRestaurant & Lounge offers manycreature comforts including a wide opendance floor, a spacious lounge withmodern high-top glass tables and a V.I.P.area with several enclaves of comfyleather couches.

For owner Sanjay (Jay) Sharma,whose name the business bears, creatingan aesthetically pleasing venue wasimportant. “ I was integral in making thedecisions on how this place would look:everything from the colors that would beused (such as cream, black and copper),the layout of the space, to the modern,classy feel of the furniture,” Sharma said.

After feeling hemmed in by botha cubicle and the corporate world, Sharmareturned to a vocation that allowed him toexpress his gregarious nature. “The reasonI chose this business, rather than stayingin computer programming, was because ofall the different people I get to meet. Ireally enjoy getting to know the clientelewe have.” Sharma said. The owner addedthat he loves music and loves to dance,and even though he doesn’t get to letloose on the dance floor much anymore,he gains much satisfaction from watchingthe positive impact music can have on hiscustomers.

Providing desirable happy hourdrinks and the latest music hits for thecustomers is a priority, but it’s not theultimate goal. Sharma wants to ensureJay’s Restaurant & Lounge is a place thatpeople can enjoy while being safe. The

ethos of being beneficial to thecommunity is an important thread inSharma’s life and it undergirds the visionfor his business. “I want this place tocontinue to grow and stay busy, but thechallenging part is keeping the wrongpeople out and the right people in.”

There exists a learning curve foranyone attempting to make it as anentrepreneur. For Sharma, he hopes thechanges to the restaurant menu items willcontinue to bolster the business just asmuch as the late night crowd does. “Whenwe first opened we provided a unique andclassy menu. It was difficult to try tosustain that during lunchtime, especiallygiven that our location is outside of bothCentral Park and downtownFredericksburg. We changed to a morecustomer-friendly menu and now ourspecialty has become chicken wings.”

Having the willingness to adaptto the preferences of the customers can behumbling, but Sharma takes thechallenges of an entrepreneur in stride. “Ithas all been a learning process: frommeeting new people to altering our menu,but I love it all.” With his enthusiasm andmoxie, Sharma is poised to achieve hisambitious goals.

“Jay’s Restaurant & Lounge is notjust a name anymore; it has become atrademark. Myself and everyone in herewants to continue to have it grow andbecome successful.”

Sharma recently opened hissecond “Jay’s”: Jays Downtown SportsLounge at 409 William Street, featuring45 flat-screen TVs, two pool tables andtwo dart boards

For more information onrestaurant offerings and hours of businessvisit: www.jaysrestaurantlounge.com orcall: (540) 479-6000

Ryan Davis is a graduate of theUniversity of Mary Washington and has

future aspirations of becoming ajournalist.

TheSoup & Taco,

Etc.

813 Caroline St.Fredericksburg, VA

Serving TraditionalMexican, Tex-Mex Foodand Something More!!

Tuesday to Saturday11am-9pm

Sunday 11am-6pm

Phone: 540-899-0969E-mail: [email protected]

720 Littlepage sunkenwelltavern.com 540-370-0911Eat Well Drink Well Live Well

The Sunken Well Tavern

Jan Davis and George Farrar haveopened a second business in downtownFredericksburg. The owners of Taste Oil,Vinegar, Spice are now offering specialtyconfections right next door at Sweets onCaroline, 817 Caroline St.

Sweets on Carolinefeatures “Hummingbird Macaroons”. Thecolorful, french-style, cream-filledsandwich cookies come in a multitude offlavors, including the more traditionalstrawberry, coconut and lemon, and themore exotic rosewater, salted caramel andEarl Grey. Hummingbird Macaroons is aChesapeake, Va., boutique bakery anddessert caterer. They are so popular,Sweets on Caroline sold out within theirfirst three days of opening. Not to worry;deliveries arrive several times a week.

The chocolates of Michel Cluizelare another feature of the shop. TheCluziel family of Normandy, France, hasbeen slow roasting cocoa beans for theirchocolates and other confections since1948, Davis said.Michel Cluizel chocolates

have only been available in the UnitedStates since 1999.

Sweets on Caroline also carriesan assortment of goat’s milk basedcaramels (for the dairy intolerant), sugarfree chocolates and ice treats. Davis callsthe ice treats, “popsicles for grownups,”because they’re available in unique flavors.

Sweets on Caroline is open 11a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday,and 12 - 5 p.m. Sunday. For moreinformation, call the store at 540-371-1481.

Susan Larson is the publisher ofFredericksburg.Today.

Photo by Susan Larson

Local Night LifeJay’s Restaurant & Lounge

By Ryan Davis

My Favorite PlacesJanuary Pick

By Callista Kathryn Dunn

Sweets on CarolineSpecialty Confections in the ‘Burg

By Susan Larson

Open Daily 11am - 4pm540.371.2233

www.thevirginiadeli.com826 Caroline at the corner of Caroline & George Streets

Master Card ~ Visa ~ Discover

Fredericksburg’sHometownSaloonSince1961

I went to Vivify on anevening stroll with my family. So Iinterviewed Alicia.

Q: What makes a milkshake so good?A: Because all of the ingredients aremade from scratch. All of our food isfrom local ingredients.

Q: What is your best selling item onthe menu? A: The Viv. It’s a burger with smokedbacon, fontina cheese, caramelizedonions and mojo sauce.

Q: What’s your favorite food here? A: The All American. It’s a classiccheeseburger and is delicious.

I helped Alicia make aBrownie Blast milkshake and learnedthe special recipe. I also like thedecoration. I really like to stand onthe wavy squares and dance on therooftop deck.

Callie Dunn loves to shop and eat in downtown Fredericksburg. She has not decided on her February pick....so many places to visit!

Watch for her.downtown to get a sneak peek on her pick!


Jay’s Restaurant & Lounge,located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, is theantithesis of what most customers wouldexpect from a business that caterstowards nightlife. For starters, it’sgeographically close by. Situated off ofRoute 3 in the Greenbrier ShoppingCenter, it eliminates the need for locals tospend half their night driving 50 milesnorth or south to enjoy music, dancingand a drink. Instead of feeling suffocatedin a darkened, grimy hole-in-the-wall, Jay’sRestaurant & Lounge offers manycreature comforts including a wide opendance floor, a spacious lounge withmodern high-top glass tables and a V.I.P.area with several enclaves of comfyleather couches.

For owner Sanjay (Jay) Sharma,whose name the business bears, creatingan aesthetically pleasing venue wasimportant. “ I was integral in making thedecisions on how this place would look:everything from the colors that would beused (such as cream, black and copper),the layout of the space, to the modern,classy feel of the furniture,” Sharma said.

After feeling hemmed in by botha cubicle and the corporate world, Sharmareturned to a vocation that allowed him toexpress his gregarious nature. “The reasonI chose this business, rather than stayingin computer programming, was because ofall the different people I get to meet. Ireally enjoy getting to know the clientelewe have.” Sharma said. The owner addedthat he loves music and loves to dance,and even though he doesn’t get to letloose on the dance floor much anymore,he gains much satisfaction from watchingthe positive impact music can have on hiscustomers.

Providing desirable happy hourdrinks and the latest music hits for thecustomers is a priority, but it’s not theultimate goal. Sharma wants to ensureJay’s Restaurant & Lounge is a place thatpeople can enjoy while being safe. The

ethos of being beneficial to thecommunity is an important thread inSharma’s life and it undergirds the visionfor his business. “I want this place tocontinue to grow and stay busy, but thechallenging part is keeping the wrongpeople out and the right people in.”

There exists a learning curve foranyone attempting to make it as anentrepreneur. For Sharma, he hopes thechanges to the restaurant menu items willcontinue to bolster the business just asmuch as the late night crowd does. “Whenwe first opened we provided a unique andclassy menu. It was difficult to try tosustain that during lunchtime, especiallygiven that our location is outside of bothCentral Park and downtownFredericksburg. We changed to a morecustomer-friendly menu and now ourspecialty has become chicken wings.”

Having the willingness to adaptto the preferences of the customers can behumbling, but Sharma takes thechallenges of an entrepreneur in stride. “Ithas all been a learning process: frommeeting new people to altering our menu,but I love it all.” With his enthusiasm andmoxie, Sharma is poised to achieve hisambitious goals.

“Jay’s Restaurant & Lounge is notjust a name anymore; it has become atrademark. Myself and everyone in herewants to continue to have it grow andbecome successful.”

Sharma recently opened hissecond “Jay’s”: Jays Downtown SportsLounge at 409 William Street, featuring45 flat-screen TVs, two pool tables andtwo dart boards

For more information onrestaurant offerings and hours of businessvisit: www.jaysrestaurantlounge.com orcall: (540) 479-6000

Ryan Davis is a graduate of theUniversity of Mary Washington and has

future aspirations of becoming ajournalist.

TheSoup & Taco,

Etc.

813 Caroline St.Fredericksburg, VA

Serving TraditionalMexican, Tex-Mex Foodand Something More!!

Tuesday to Saturday11am-9pm

Sunday 11am-6pm

Phone: 540-899-0969E-mail: [email protected]

720 Littlepage sunkenwelltavern.com 540-370-0911Eat Well Drink Well Live Well

The Sunken Well Tavern

Jan Davis and George Farrar haveopened a second business in downtownFredericksburg. The owners of Taste Oil,Vinegar, Spice are now offering specialtyconfections right next door at Sweets onCaroline, 817 Caroline St.

Sweets on Carolinefeatures “Hummingbird Macaroons”. Thecolorful, french-style, cream-filledsandwich cookies come in a multitude offlavors, including the more traditionalstrawberry, coconut and lemon, and themore exotic rosewater, salted caramel andEarl Grey. Hummingbird Macaroons is aChesapeake, Va., boutique bakery anddessert caterer. They are so popular,Sweets on Caroline sold out within theirfirst three days of opening. Not to worry;deliveries arrive several times a week.

The chocolates of Michel Cluizelare another feature of the shop. TheCluziel family of Normandy, France, hasbeen slow roasting cocoa beans for theirchocolates and other confections since1948, Davis said.Michel Cluizel chocolates

have only been available in the UnitedStates since 1999.

Sweets on Caroline also carriesan assortment of goat’s milk basedcaramels (for the dairy intolerant), sugarfree chocolates and ice treats. Davis callsthe ice treats, “popsicles for grownups,”because they’re available in unique flavors.

Sweets on Caroline is open 11a.m. - 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday,and 12 - 5 p.m. Sunday. For moreinformation, call the store at 540-371-1481.



Local Night LifeJay’s Restaurant & Lounge

By Ryan Davis

My Favorite PlacesJanuary Pick

By Callista Kathryn Dunn

Sweets on CarolineSpecialty Confections in the ‘Burg

By Susan Larson

Open Daily 11am - 4pm540.371.2233

www.thevirginiadeli.com826 Caroline at the corner of Caroline & George Streets

Master Card ~ Visa ~ Discover

Fredericksburg’sHometownSaloonSince1961

Thursday, January 1 “January All-Members Show” featuring originalpaintings, handmade jewelry and other artisan giftitems at Fredericksburg’s oldest co-op artspace.Art First Gallery, 824 Caroline Street .371-7107. www.artfirstgallery.com. Show thru Feb. 2

Jingle Bell Carriage Rides Bring the whole family toparticipate in Olde Towne Carriages MostPopular Ride of the year 5-9pm

Geeks Who Drink. Come join us 8:00 pm - 10:00pm at Adventure Brewing 33 Perchwood Drive,Fredericksburg. Geeks Who Drink is a hosted triviagame where you can test your knowledge, have funand win cool prizes. Grab a group of friends andjoin in on the fun.

Karaoke @Jays Great food and atmosphere. DJCharles has a great selection of music andincredible sound. 8 until closing. Located betweenBurlington and BigLot.

First Friday, January 2PONSHOP Studio and Gallery, 712 Caroline St, isexcited to announce our January “First Friday”Holiday Hangover party. Why stop the festivitiesjust because the New Year has arrived? We inviteour fans to visit us and enjoy all of our offeringsfrom local artists. The gallery will be featuring fineart by Gabriel Pons, Elstabo, Crystal Rodrigue,Kevin Rodrigue, and James Walker with newceramics by co-owner Scarlett Pons.

First Friday opening for “January All-MembersShow,” 6 to 9pm. Art First Gallery, 824 CarolineStreet in downtown Fredericksburg. 371-7107

Brush Strokes Gallery First Friday reception 6-9pm “Guest Invitational Show. Participating artists,Karen Barnhart, Laurie Barton, Peg LaRose, and

Kandra Orr will be displaying a wide variety ofworks in such mediums as sculpture, drawing, andmore. Subjects will range from every dayexperience to the highly dramatic. Show runsthrough Feb 1

Fredericksburg Center for the Creative ArtsJanuary exhibits: National Exhibit, “It’s Small”,Gretchen Schermerhorn. Members’ Gallery, KatyShepard & Dave Bellard. 813 Sophia St.

Lee’s Retreat Brewpub at the Blue & GrayBrewing Co. becomes an authentic Irish pub withlive Irish music and Irish dancers from the

local Muggivan School of Irish Dance, fresh pubfare and fresh beer Just like in Ireland the brewpubis kid friendly. 8pm. No Cover

Saturday, January 3Relive history at the Railroad Museum. Located inSpotsylvania Business Park across from theFairgrounds and near Shannon Airport. See thtools and equipment used to build and maintainthe railroads. Sit in the restored cabooses anWeather permitting step aboard the restoredmaintenance of way train for an open airexcursion out of the business park and along DeepRun. Museum is open every Saturday morningfrom 9AM to noon and train rides conducted whenweather and commercial rail operations permit.

Local Brewery Tours & Tasting. Blue & GrayBrewing Co. free tastings and tours everySaturday. Join us between 10am and 2 pm for ataste straight from the tanks, no appointmentnecessary. brewpub overlooks brewery and bothare kid friendly.

Adventure Brewing presents: Bad Movie NightSaturday Nights 10 PM to Midnight. EverySaturday night we play a bad movie and you enjoymaking fun of it. No admission fee and free snacksare provided. Please be loud and rowdy,outrageous costumes are encouraged.

Monday, January 5Open Mic with Thom Schiff @Colonial Tavern, 406Lafayette Blvd. Bring your instruments and play,or just come to listen and enjoy some ofFredericksburg’s best musicians. 21+.

Tuesday, January 6Colonial Seafood @ Bistro Bethem. 7-10pm Join usfor drink specials, half-priced pizza and live music .No cover!

Thursday, January 8Herbal Enthusiast Meet Up @ Downtown Greens @6:00 pm Join others interested in Herbs, HerbalMedicine and herb growing! We will be discussing 6plants and their attributes. See you there!

Karaoke @Jays Great food and atmosphere. DJCharles has a great selection of music andincredible sound. From 8 until closing. Locatedbetween Burlington and BigLot.

Open Mic @ Grog and Tankard, 1243 Jeff. DavisHwy, Stafford 9pm-1am. do you enjoy local talent?come on out and hear some the the areas’ best onstage. Do you play an instrument, sing, tell jokes,or other stage performance?Come out and sing upfor a great time performing.

Saturday, January 10Creativity and Change for Teens (ages 14 to 18):A workshop that guides teens through the processof self-awareness and growth through the power ofmusic, collage and writing. Kana Zink, BC-MT andDianne Bachman, LCSW. Space is limited to 8guests and the fee is $45 (includes all materialsand snacks). 1-4pm Contact Dianne Bachman at(540) 361-1556, xt. 705

Relive history at the Railroad Museum. Located inSpotsylvania Business Park across from theFairgrounds and near Shannon Airport. See thtools and equipment used to build and maintainthe railroads. Sit in the restored cabooses anWeather permitting step aboard the restoredmaintenance of way train for an open airexcursion out of the business park and along DeepRun. Museum is open every Saturday morningfrom 9AM to noon and train rides conducted whenweather and commercial rail operations permit



Denim-n-Lace @ the Rec, 8-11pm. Awesometalented duo playing Country, Blues and Rock foryour listening and dancing enjoyment. 213 WilliamSt.

Monday, January 12Ribbon Cutting @ Latitudes Fair Trade @ 10:00am Come welcome with Main Street Latitudes toDowntown!

Open Mic with Thom Schiff @Colonial Tavern, 406Lafayette Blvd. Bring your instruments and play,

or just come to listen and enjoy some ofFredericksburg’s best musicians. 21+.

Tuesday, January 13Culture and Cocktails @ FAMCC Town Hall 6:00pm – 8:00 pm Join us as FAMCC President & CEO,Dr. Susan Glasser, talks about Quilt National ’13.Light fare and open bar are included as part of theevening.

The Approach @ Bistro Bethem @ 7:00 pm –10:00 pm Join us for drink specials, half-pricedpizza and live music . No Cover

Thursday, January 15Ribbon Cutting @ 806 Bistro @ 10:00 am JoinMain Street as we welcome 806 Bistro toDowntown. Another restaurant by owners of Soup& Taco.

DeLaura’s Homemade Goat Cheese Tasting @Downtown Greens 6:00 pm Join us for engagingconversation and cheese tasting. Let your culinarysprite run wild, to create your own special cheeseblend, starting with plain ecoganic chevre fromKing George’s own BIOTA farm, with DeLauraPadovan. She will bring a wide variety of spices andingredients to customize your own jar of takehome cheese.

Karaoke @Jays Great food and atmosphere. DJCharles has a great selection of music andincredible sound. From 8 until closing. Locatedbetween Burlington and BigLot. You will not bedisappointed.

Open Mic @ Grog and Tankard, 1243 Jeff. DavisHwy, Stafford 9pm-1am. do you enjoy local talent?come on out and hear some the the areas’ best onstage. Do you play an instrument, sing, tell jokes,or other stage performance? Come out and sing upfor a great time performing

Friday, January 16Fall Line Bluegrass Band @ Home Town Grill, Joinus for an evening of live traditional andcontemporary bluegrass music This local favoritewill keep your toes tapping with some fieryflatpicking, melodic banjo and smooth harmonies..1109 Jeff Davis Hwy, Eagle Village

Saturday, January 17Adventure Brewing presents: Bad Movie NightSaturday Nights 10 PM to Midnight. No admissionfee and free snacks are provided.

Relive history at the Railroad Museum. Located inSpotsylvania Business Park across from theFairgrounds and near Shannon Airport. Sit in therestored cabooses Weather permitting step aboardthe restored maintenance of way train for an openair excursion out of the business park and alongDeep Run. 9AM to noon


FFPA’s Young Artist Competition Finals Concert @Chancellor Baptist Church 7:30 pmFredericksburg Festival for the Performing Artswill present the finals concert for their YoungArtist Competition The concert is held atChancellor Baptist Church at 11324 Gordon Roadin Spotsylvania. Admission is Free. Come out forthis exciting and entertaining event.


Tuesday January 20Laurie Rose Griffith & Peter Mealy @ BistroBethem 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Join us for drinkspecials, half-priced pizza and live No cover!

Thursday, January 22Bumper Jacksons’ Jump Blues comes to AshlandCoffee and Tea 8:00 pm. 100 North RailroadAvenue Ashland, VA 23005. Bumper Jacksons are abig, fat party. Recognized as DC’s “Best TraditionalFolk Band” at the 2013 Washington Area MusicAwards, they perform an exciting blend of thetraditional and non-traditional, western swing,street jazz, bluegrass and country blues $


Open Mic @ Grog and Tankard, 1243 Jeff. DavisHwy, Stafford 9pm-1am. do you enjoy local talent?

come on out and hear some the the areas’ best onstage. Do you play an instrument, sing, tell jokes,or other stage performance?Come out and sing upfor a great time performing.

Fred. Blues Society Open Blues Jam @ ColonialTavern, 406 Lafayette Blvd. Bring yourinstruments or come to listen. Members of theFredericksburg Blues Society will be on-hand forquestions, comments and membership sign-ups.Jam session begins at 8.

Saturday, January 24Relive history at the Railroad Museum. Located inSpotsylvania Business Park across from theFairgrounds and near Shannon Airport. See thtools and equipment used to build and maintainthe railroads. Sit in the restored cabooses anWeather permitting step aboard the restoredmaintenance of way train for an open airexcursion out of the business park and along DeepRun. Museum is open every Saturday morningfrom 9AM to noon and train rides conducted whenweather and commercial rail operations permit


Adventure Brewing presents: Bad Movie NightSaturday Nights 10 PM to Midnight. EverySaturday night we play a bad movie and you enjoymaking fun of it. No admission fee and free snacksare provided. Please be loud and rowdy,outrageous costumes are encouraged

Sunday, January 251st Annual Clothing Swap @ Downtown Greens3:00 pm Join us for our 1st Annual Clothing Swap.Get in the recycling spirit and bring your gentlyused clothes to share and find some treasures tobring home, free! 206 Charles Street

Tuesday, January 27Smith, Party of 3 @ Bistro Bethem 7:00 pm –10:00 pm Join us for drink specials, half-pricedpizza and live music . No cover!

Friday, January 30Songwriters’ Showcase @ Pickers’ Supply ConcertHall 8:00 pm – 10:30 pm presenting BarbaraMartin, Lou Dominguez, Amy Cox, and Bob

Gramann Friday, , above 902 Caroline Street,Fredericksburg, VA (enter through the alley roundback). Admission is $10 ($5 kids and students).

Saturday, January 31Creativity and Change (for adults 18 and over): Aworkshop that speaks to the process of changethrough the power of music, collage and writing.Tap into your inner wisdom and explore yourpotential. Kana Zink, BC-MT, and DianneBachman, LCSW. Space is limited to 8 guests andthe fee is $45 (includes all materials and snacks)9am-12. Contact Dianne Bachman at (540) 361-1556, xt 705




If you are reading this 210th issue of FP, thank an advertiser as we celebrate our

18th year of continuous publication!

If you are an advertiser, list your events. Deadline for February issue is January 20th.

To submit events, follow this link:frontporchfredericksburg.com/how-tto-ssubmit-

online


Each HomeInstead Franchise Office is Independently Owned & Operated homeinstead.com

CompanionshipMeal PreparationMedication RemindersLaundry

Light HousekeepingShopping/ErrandsPersonal CareFlexible Hours

Call for a free, no-obligation appointment

540.899.1422

2388 Fans (& Growing)

Want You to Join

FFrroonntt PPoorrcchh on

CALENDARof eventsjanuary 2015…Happy New Year!


“Your pet becomes my petwhile in my care, and I care a lot!”

(540-903-0437;[email protected])

On facebook as “lexi grogan’s pet

sitting service”

Thursday, January 1 “January All-Members Show” featuring originalpaintings, handmade jewelry and other artisan giftitems at Fredericksburg’s oldest co-op artspace.Art First Gallery, 824 Caroline Street .371-7107. www.artfirstgallery.com. Show thru Feb. 2

Jingle Bell Carriage Rides Bring the whole family toparticipate in Olde Towne Carriages MostPopular Ride of the year 5-9pm

Geeks Who Drink. Come join us 8:00 pm - 10:00pm at Adventure Brewing 33 Perchwood Drive,Fredericksburg. Geeks Who Drink is a hosted triviagame where you can test your knowledge, have funand win cool prizes. Grab a group of friends andjoin in on the fun.

Karaoke @Jays Great food and atmosphere. DJCharles has a great selection of music andincredible sound. 8 until closing. Located betweenBurlington and BigLot.

First Friday, January 2PONSHOP Studio and Gallery, 712 Caroline St, isexcited to announce our January “First Friday”Holiday Hangover party. Why stop the festivitiesjust because the New Year has arrived? We inviteour fans to visit us and enjoy all of our offeringsfrom local artists. The gallery will be featuring fineart by Gabriel Pons, Elstabo, Crystal Rodrigue,Kevin Rodrigue, and James Walker with newceramics by co-owner Scarlett Pons.

First Friday opening for “January All-MembersShow,” 6 to 9pm. Art First Gallery, 824 CarolineStreet in downtown Fredericksburg. 371-7107

Brush Strokes Gallery First Friday reception 6-9pm “Guest Invitational Show. Participating artists,Karen Barnhart, Laurie Barton, Peg LaRose, and

Kandra Orr will be displaying a wide variety ofworks in such mediums as sculpture, drawing, andmore. Subjects will range from every dayexperience to the highly dramatic. Show runsthrough Feb 1

Fredericksburg Center for the Creative ArtsJanuary exhibits: National Exhibit, “It’s Small”,Gretchen Schermerhorn. Members’ Gallery, KatyShepard & Dave Bellard. 813 Sophia St.

Lee’s Retreat Brewpub at the Blue & GrayBrewing Co. becomes an authentic Irish pub withlive Irish music and Irish dancers from the

local Muggivan School of Irish Dance, fresh pubfare and fresh beer Just like in Ireland the brewpubis kid friendly. 8pm. No Cover

Saturday, January 3Relive history at the Railroad Museum. Located inSpotsylvania Business Park across from theFairgrounds and near Shannon Airport. See thtools and equipment used to build and maintainthe railroads. Sit in the restored cabooses anWeather permitting step aboard the restoredmaintenance of way train for an open airexcursion out of the business park and along DeepRun. Museum is open every Saturday morningfrom 9AM to noon and train rides conducted whenweather and commercial rail operations permit.




Tuesday, January 6Colonial Seafood @ Bistro Bethem. 7-10pm Join usfor drink specials, half-priced pizza and live music .No cover!

Thursday, January 8Herbal Enthusiast Meet Up @ Downtown Greens @6:00 pm Join others interested in Herbs, HerbalMedicine and herb growing! We will be discussing 6plants and their attributes. See you there!

Karaoke @Jays Great food and atmosphere. DJCharles has a great selection of music andincredible sound. From 8 until closing. Locatedbetween Burlington and BigLot.

Open Mic @ Grog and Tankard, 1243 Jeff. DavisHwy, Stafford 9pm-1am. do you enjoy local talent?come on out and hear some the the areas’ best onstage. Do you play an instrument, sing, tell jokes,or other stage performance?Come out and sing upfor a great time performing.

Saturday, January 10Creativity and Change for Teens (ages 14 to 18):A workshop that guides teens through the processof self-awareness and growth through the power ofmusic, collage and writing. Kana Zink, BC-MT andDianne Bachman, LCSW. Space is limited to 8guests and the fee is $45 (includes all materialsand snacks). 1-4pm Contact Dianne Bachman at(540) 361-1556, xt. 705




Denim-n-Lace @ the Rec, 8-11pm. Awesometalented duo playing Country, Blues and Rock foryour listening and dancing enjoyment. 213 WilliamSt.

Monday, January 12Ribbon Cutting @ Latitudes Fair Trade @ 10:00am Come welcome with Main Street Latitudes toDowntown!

Open Mic with Thom Schiff @Colonial Tavern, 406Lafayette Blvd. Bring your instruments and play,

or just come to listen and enjoy some ofFredericksburg’s best musicians. 21+.

Tuesday, January 13Culture and Cocktails @ FAMCC Town Hall 6:00pm – 8:00 pm Join us as FAMCC President & CEO,Dr. Susan Glasser, talks about Quilt National ’13.Light fare and open bar are included as part of theevening.

The Approach @ Bistro Bethem @ 7:00 pm –10:00 pm Join us for drink specials, half-pricedpizza and live music . No Cover

Thursday, January 15Ribbon Cutting @ 806 Bistro @ 10:00 am JoinMain Street as we welcome 806 Bistro toDowntown. Another restaurant by owners of Soup& Taco.

DeLaura’s Homemade Goat Cheese Tasting @Downtown Greens 6:00 pm Join us for engagingconversation and cheese tasting. Let your culinarysprite run wild, to create your own special cheeseblend, starting with plain ecoganic chevre fromKing George’s own BIOTA farm, with DeLauraPadovan. She will bring a wide variety of spices andingredients to customize your own jar of takehome cheese.


Open Mic @ Grog and Tankard, 1243 Jeff. DavisHwy, Stafford 9pm-1am. do you enjoy local talent?come on out and hear some the the areas’ best onstage. Do you play an instrument, sing, tell jokes,or other stage performance? Come out and sing upfor a great time performing

Friday, January 16Fall Line Bluegrass Band @ Home Town Grill, Joinus for an evening of live traditional andcontemporary bluegrass music This local favoritewill keep your toes tapping with some fieryflatpicking, melodic banjo and smooth harmonies..1109 Jeff Davis Hwy, Eagle Village

Saturday, January 17Adventure Brewing presents: Bad Movie NightSaturday Nights 10 PM to Midnight. No admissionfee and free snacks are provided.

Relive history at the Railroad Museum. Located inSpotsylvania Business Park across from theFairgrounds and near Shannon Airport. Sit in therestored cabooses Weather permitting step aboardthe restored maintenance of way train for an openair excursion out of the business park and alongDeep Run. 9AM to noon


FFPA’s Young Artist Competition Finals Concert @Chancellor Baptist Church 7:30 pmFredericksburg Festival for the Performing Artswill present the finals concert for their YoungArtist Competition The concert is held atChancellor Baptist Church at 11324 Gordon Roadin Spotsylvania. Admission is Free. Come out forthis exciting and entertaining event.


Tuesday January 20Laurie Rose Griffith & Peter Mealy @ BistroBethem 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Join us for drinkspecials, half-priced pizza and live No cover!

Thursday, January 22Bumper Jacksons’ Jump Blues comes to AshlandCoffee and Tea 8:00 pm. 100 North RailroadAvenue Ashland, VA 23005. Bumper Jacksons are abig, fat party. Recognized as DC’s “Best TraditionalFolk Band” at the 2013 Washington Area MusicAwards, they perform an exciting blend of thetraditional and non-traditional, western swing,street jazz, bluegrass and country blues $


Open Mic @ Grog and Tankard, 1243 Jeff. DavisHwy, Stafford 9pm-1am. do you enjoy local talent?

come on out and hear some the the areas’ best onstage. Do you play an instrument, sing, tell jokes,or other stage performance?Come out and sing upfor a great time performing.

Fred. Blues Society Open Blues Jam @ ColonialTavern, 406 Lafayette Blvd. Bring yourinstruments or come to listen. Members of theFredericksburg Blues Society will be on-hand forquestions, comments and membership sign-ups.Jam session begins at 8.

Saturday, January 24Relive history at the Railroad Museum. Located inSpotsylvania Business Park across from theFairgrounds and near Shannon Airport. See thtools and equipment used to build and maintainthe railroads. Sit in the restored cabooses anWeather permitting step aboard the restoredmaintenance of way train for an open airexcursion out of the business park and along DeepRun. Museum is open every Saturday morningfrom 9AM to noon and train rides conducted whenweather and commercial rail operations permit



Sunday, January 251st Annual Clothing Swap @ Downtown Greens3:00 pm Join us for our 1st Annual Clothing Swap.Get in the recycling spirit and bring your gentlyused clothes to share and find some treasures tobring home, free! 206 Charles Street

Tuesday, January 27Smith, Party of 3 @ Bistro Bethem 7:00 pm –10:00 pm Join us for drink specials, half-pricedpizza and live music . No cover!

Friday, January 30Songwriters’ Showcase @ Pickers’ Supply ConcertHall 8:00 pm – 10:30 pm presenting BarbaraMartin, Lou Dominguez, Amy Cox, and Bob

Gramann Friday, , above 902 Caroline Street,Fredericksburg, VA (enter through the alley roundback). Admission is $10 ($5 kids and students).

Saturday, January 31Creativity and Change (for adults 18 and over): Aworkshop that speaks to the process of changethrough the power of music, collage and writing.Tap into your inner wisdom and explore yourpotential. Kana Zink, BC-MT, and DianneBachman, LCSW. Space is limited to 8 guests andthe fee is $45 (includes all materials and snacks)9am-12. Contact Dianne Bachman at (540) 361-1556, xt 705




If you are reading this 210th issue of FP, thank an advertiser as we celebrate our

18th year of continuous publication!

If you are an advertiser, list your events. Deadline for February issue is January 20th.

To submit events, follow this link:frontporchfredericksburg.com/how-tto-ssubmit-

online


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“Your pet becomes my petwhile in my care, and I care a lot!”

(540-903-0437;[email protected])

On facebook as “lexi grogan’s pet

sitting service”

Regardless of youraffiliation North or South, agood perspective can onlybe made by examiningstatistics. It is a known factthat the Northern Statescontained the entireindustrial base. The factremain that the South paidits share of the cost of theGovernment before 1860.In 1859 the Southern statesexported $161 million whilethe North total exportedgoods were less than halfthat amount with $78million totals. GeneralGrant had said that hisbelief was the Civil War wasmore of an economic issue.Statistics vary drasticallyfrom different sources, however, we can come up with good estimatesfrom using several sources.

The Southern states had a population of 5,300,000 and the Northhad almost five times with 24,400,000 of those totals only 985,000 in the South (18-45) and 2,200,00 in the North were eligible for the military. We do know however thatapproximately 200,000 on both sides under age 18 joined the military. The peakstrength of the North was 1,045,000 and the South was less than half that amount with485,000 of these men 30,000 on each side would die after being captured and sentNorth or South.

Just think about what would happen today if the media we have today wason the scene back in 1862 at the battle of Fredericksburg or several months later atGettysburg. The North had 110,000 killed in battles or dying from wounds along with275,000 wounded that survived. The South lost 94,000 in battles or dying fromwounds and 226,000 who survived their wounds. Amore eye opening figure is that258,000 Union soldiers died from disease along with 60,000 Confederate soldiers. Manyof the deaths were from diarrhea and dysentery. The largest numerical loss in a singlebattle was Gettysburg where 40,300 Americans (North and South) were wounded orkilled.

From 1861-1865 the cost of war for the United States Government was $2million per day compared to WWII which cost $113 million per day. In 1958 thegovernment was paying pensions to 3,042 widows of Union veterans and 526 widows ofSouthern soldiers and two Confederate veterans John Salling and Walter Williams. Thelast Union Veteran Albert Woodson died in 1956. Walter Williams was the last Civil Warveteran to die in 1959 at the age of 117.

Dedicated in memory of Robert Crookshanks & Rev. Sam Gouldthrope

If you have a Fredericksburg History question, contact Tuffy at [email protected]


CIVIL WAR IN NUMBERSBy Ralph “Tuffy” Hicks

his

tory

’s s

tori

es

Snow - it will come this winter, tosome extent or another, whether we hopefor it or wish it away. Winter snowstormshave brought enjoyment, beauty anddifficulties to the Fredericksburg region.Transplants from Northern climes havebeen known to scoff at our response tothe first flake – bread, milk and, for somereason, toilet paper fly off grocery storeshelves, schools close, generators aretuned up. But, in fact, there have beensome notable storms in our history.

Many Fredericksburgers still feelthe way Elizabeth Stearns’s correspondentdid in December, 1933, when she wrote toElizabeth “I saw the first snow in eightyears and it goes without saying twas nota welcome sight. I could do nothing butshiver and pull the covering over my headto shut out the sight of it.”

A storm in January of 1863 madetravel difficult for Confederate troopsstationed near Fredericksburg. RobertKnox wrote to his sister, Virginia: “On the27th [January] Our Division …wasmarched twelve miles through the rain toa point six miles above Fredericksburg…We encamped in the woods on the wetground & during the night it commencedsnowing & did not cease until the snowwas 8 to 10 inches deep.”

Apparently, that storm alsoprovided a means for some recreation forthe young men in Robert’s regiment as hedescribes: “Our Brigade…that is some ofeach Regiment, charged Genl ArmsteadsBrigade this morning & drove them fromtheir Camp with snowballs, then bothjoining together proceeded onward toGenl Toombs Brigade, whipped them [and]then pushed on [to] Genl Kempers Brigade& are now still fighting with snowballsthree miles from here…It is quite excitingto see them & to hear their yells as theycharge. It sounds very much like the realstrife with the exception of the cannon&c.” (Robert T. Knox to sister Virginia – 1Feb 1863)

In 1935, a December stormdumped eight inches in a 35-hour period,

but the City was prepared with twosnowplows continuously on the streets.Due to very low temperatures and thedepth of the snow, however, few sledderswere out on the Cornell Street hill. Thepopularity of Cornell Street hill in thewinters of the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s isreadily seen in oral histories and innewspaper articles of the period. Thestreet was roped off, and sledders wouldbe able to slide from Washington Avenueto Kenmore Avenue in relative safety.

During that winter of 1934-35,Dr. Edward Alvey, Jr. hired a horse-drawnsleigh from the livery and taxi service of R.G. Hilldrup and spent the afternoon withhis six-year-old daughter riding throughFredericksburg. According to Dr. Alvey,“We became part of the Currier and Ivessetting as we glided along that winterafternoon. Adults looked on withnostalgia; some children shouted to us,while others stared incredulously to see areal horse-drawn sleigh.”

Whether we see snow as ablessing or a curse, most of us will try tomake the best of it, as Fredericksburgresidents have done throughout history.The documents at the Heritage Centerreveal human-interest stories for allseasons. Visit us on Tuesdays, Wednesdaysand Thursdays in the Maury CommonsBuilding, Fredericksburg.

Judy Chaimson and Kathy Habel are both with CRHC.

photo Princess Anne St, Feb. 1936

Fredericksburg Festival for thePerforming Arts (FFPA) has been bringingmusical and theatre performances to theFredericksburg area since 1988. Itsannual Chamber Music Festival will be heldfor the 28th year this spring. FFPA has aquieter mission to bring educational andyouth focused events to this communityand to inspire a new generation to loveand appreciate the arts. Among them,FFPA brings Virginia Opera children’sperformances free of charge each year toelementary schools in the city andsurrounding counties.

Another of its youth-focused events, the Young ArtistCompetition (YAC), is hostedeach January for middle and highschool students. Students ofboth voice and classicalinstruments perform before apanel of judges. Followingauditions, the finalists presenthigh caliber performances in apublic concert. The winnersreceive scholarships from FFPAand are invited to perform at theAnnual Chamber Music Festivalas well as solo with the

Rappahannock Pops Orchestra. Luke Payne, cellist and first place

instrumental winner in 2014, shared thatas a young musician YAC gave himsomething to work toward. He feels thatthe constructive criticism and suggestionsby the judges during the auditions werevery helpful to him as a performer. “It isone of the few opportunities that I havehad for solo performing.”

Performing at FFPA’s ChamberMusic Festival was a rare opportunity toplay before a large audience. Luke plansto continue with cello along with other

pursuits in college. Several of his siblingsfrom his musical family have participatedin the YAC competition as well.

Soprano and first place vocalwinner Zoe Woodaman entered into theworld of opera after being inspired bymusic that her mom loved and by hergrandfather’s vast collection of operarecordings. Her voice teacher directed herto the YAC competition. Zoe says thatcompeting in YAC has given her musicalconfidence.

Competitions for youth in musicon the level of YAC are hard to find in thisarea. “I found my first taste ofexcitement as a singer”, shared Zoeregarding YAC. From that spark ofinspiration, Zoe will pursue singing as shemoves on to college in the near future.

Andrew Liang’s experience withYAC is unique. He entered and won firstplace playing piano several years ago. Hereturned as an entrant in violin in 2014and won third place. Andrew said, “It wasdefinitely inspiring knowing that FFPAcould gather so many talented high schoolstudents to one competition.” A highlightfor Andrew was meeting professionalclassical musicians and soloing at the

Chamber Festival.This January 17th, the YAC

finalists will once again be in place toperform for the public and competebefore the judges. After long hours ofpractice, auditions, and training, theseyoung performers will create some magic.Come one and all and be inspired. Warmyour hearts on a Saturday evening inJanuary and see how bright and melodiousour future can be. FFPA believes in passinga love of the performing arts on to a newgeneration.

Beth Constantino is a retired educator,lover of the arts, and office

administrator for FFPA.

Central RappahannockHERITAGE CENTER

Volunteers neededto process historical documents

and aid researchers. Training provided.

Phone 540-373-3704 or email [email protected]

The Heritage Center Maury Commons 900 Barton St Fredericksburg

Open to the public for scholarly research

Old Town’sGreatest Tour35 Monuments, Markers, &

AttractionsAND the

Fredericksburg Battlefields

Weddings ReunionsShuttles Parties

Group Outings

540-898-0737Fredericksburgtrolley.com

Bravo!Bravo! a new generation of musical artists

By beth constantino

OUR HERITAGEA monthly look at the Central Rappahannock Heritage Center collection

Snow

By Kathy Habel & Judy Chaimson

Regardless of youraffiliation North or South, agood perspective can onlybe made by examiningstatistics. It is a known factthat the Northern Statescontained the entireindustrial base. The factremain that the South paidits share of the cost of theGovernment before 1860.In 1859 the Southern statesexported $161 million whilethe North total exportedgoods were less than halfthat amount with $78million totals. GeneralGrant had said that hisbelief was the Civil War wasmore of an economic issue.Statistics vary drasticallyfrom different sources, however, we can come up with good estimatesfrom using several sources.

The Southern states had a population of 5,300,000 and the Northhad almost five times with 24,400,000 of those totals only 985,000 in the South (18-45) and 2,200,00 in the North were eligible for the military. We do know however thatapproximately 200,000 on both sides under age 18 joined the military. The peakstrength of the North was 1,045,000 and the South was less than half that amount with485,000 of these men 30,000 on each side would die after being captured and sentNorth or South.

Just think about what would happen today if the media we have today wason the scene back in 1862 at the battle of Fredericksburg or several months later atGettysburg. The North had 110,000 killed in battles or dying from wounds along with275,000 wounded that survived. The South lost 94,000 in battles or dying fromwounds and 226,000 who survived their wounds. Amore eye opening figure is that258,000 Union soldiers died from disease along with 60,000 Confederate soldiers. Manyof the deaths were from diarrhea and dysentery. The largest numerical loss in a singlebattle was Gettysburg where 40,300 Americans (North and South) were wounded orkilled.

From 1861-1865 the cost of war for the United States Government was $2million per day compared to WWII which cost $113 million per day. In 1958 thegovernment was paying pensions to 3,042 widows of Union veterans and 526 widows ofSouthern soldiers and two Confederate veterans John Salling and Walter Williams. Thelast Union Veteran Albert Woodson died in 1956. Walter Williams was the last Civil Warveteran to die in 1959 at the age of 117.

Dedicated in memory of Robert Crookshanks & Rev. Sam Gouldthrope

If you have a Fredericksburg History question, contact Tuffy at [email protected]


CIVIL WAR IN NUMBERSBy Ralph “Tuffy” Hicks

his

tory

’s s

tori

es

Snow - it will come this winter, tosome extent or another, whether we hopefor it or wish it away. Winter snowstormshave brought enjoyment, beauty anddifficulties to the Fredericksburg region.Transplants from Northern climes havebeen known to scoff at our response tothe first flake – bread, milk and, for somereason, toilet paper fly off grocery storeshelves, schools close, generators aretuned up. But, in fact, there have beensome notable storms in our history.

Many Fredericksburgers still feelthe way Elizabeth Stearns’s correspondentdid in December, 1933, when she wrote toElizabeth “I saw the first snow in eightyears and it goes without saying twas nota welcome sight. I could do nothing butshiver and pull the covering over my headto shut out the sight of it.”

A storm in January of 1863 madetravel difficult for Confederate troopsstationed near Fredericksburg. RobertKnox wrote to his sister, Virginia: “On the27th [January] Our Division …wasmarched twelve miles through the rain toa point six miles above Fredericksburg…We encamped in the woods on the wetground & during the night it commencedsnowing & did not cease until the snowwas 8 to 10 inches deep.”

Apparently, that storm alsoprovided a means for some recreation forthe young men in Robert’s regiment as hedescribes: “Our Brigade…that is some ofeach Regiment, charged Genl ArmsteadsBrigade this morning & drove them fromtheir Camp with snowballs, then bothjoining together proceeded onward toGenl Toombs Brigade, whipped them [and]then pushed on [to] Genl Kempers Brigade& are now still fighting with snowballsthree miles from here…It is quite excitingto see them & to hear their yells as theycharge. It sounds very much like the realstrife with the exception of the cannon&c.” (Robert T. Knox to sister Virginia – 1Feb 1863)

In 1935, a December stormdumped eight inches in a 35-hour period,

but the City was prepared with twosnowplows continuously on the streets.Due to very low temperatures and thedepth of the snow, however, few sledderswere out on the Cornell Street hill. Thepopularity of Cornell Street hill in thewinters of the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s isreadily seen in oral histories and innewspaper articles of the period. Thestreet was roped off, and sledders wouldbe able to slide from Washington Avenueto Kenmore Avenue in relative safety.

During that winter of 1934-35,Dr. Edward Alvey, Jr. hired a horse-drawnsleigh from the livery and taxi service of R.G. Hilldrup and spent the afternoon withhis six-year-old daughter riding throughFredericksburg. According to Dr. Alvey,“We became part of the Currier and Ivessetting as we glided along that winterafternoon. Adults looked on withnostalgia; some children shouted to us,while others stared incredulously to see areal horse-drawn sleigh.”

Whether we see snow as ablessing or a curse, most of us will try tomake the best of it, as Fredericksburgresidents have done throughout history.The documents at the Heritage Centerreveal human-interest stories for allseasons. Visit us on Tuesdays, Wednesdaysand Thursdays in the Maury CommonsBuilding, Fredericksburg.

Judy Chaimson and Kathy Habel are both with CRHC.

photo Princess Anne St, Feb. 1936

Fredericksburg Festival for thePerforming Arts (FFPA) has been bringingmusical and theatre performances to theFredericksburg area since 1988. Itsannual Chamber Music Festival will be heldfor the 28th year this spring. FFPA has aquieter mission to bring educational andyouth focused events to this communityand to inspire a new generation to loveand appreciate the arts. Among them,FFPA brings Virginia Opera children’sperformances free of charge each year toelementary schools in the city andsurrounding counties.

Another of its youth-focused events, the Young ArtistCompetition (YAC), is hostedeach January for middle and highschool students. Students ofboth voice and classicalinstruments perform before apanel of judges. Followingauditions, the finalists presenthigh caliber performances in apublic concert. The winnersreceive scholarships from FFPAand are invited to perform at theAnnual Chamber Music Festivalas well as solo with the

Rappahannock Pops Orchestra. Luke Payne, cellist and first place

instrumental winner in 2014, shared thatas a young musician YAC gave himsomething to work toward. He feels thatthe constructive criticism and suggestionsby the judges during the auditions werevery helpful to him as a performer. “It isone of the few opportunities that I havehad for solo performing.”

Performing at FFPA’s ChamberMusic Festival was a rare opportunity toplay before a large audience. Luke plansto continue with cello along with other

pursuits in college. Several of his siblingsfrom his musical family have participatedin the YAC competition as well.

Soprano and first place vocalwinner Zoe Woodaman entered into theworld of opera after being inspired bymusic that her mom loved and by hergrandfather’s vast collection of operarecordings. Her voice teacher directed herto the YAC competition. Zoe says thatcompeting in YAC has given her musicalconfidence.

Competitions for youth in musicon the level of YAC are hard to find in thisarea. “I found my first taste ofexcitement as a singer”, shared Zoeregarding YAC. From that spark ofinspiration, Zoe will pursue singing as shemoves on to college in the near future.

Andrew Liang’s experience withYAC is unique. He entered and won firstplace playing piano several years ago. Hereturned as an entrant in violin in 2014and won third place. Andrew said, “It wasdefinitely inspiring knowing that FFPAcould gather so many talented high schoolstudents to one competition.” A highlightfor Andrew was meeting professionalclassical musicians and soloing at the

Chamber Festival.This January 17th, the YAC

finalists will once again be in place toperform for the public and competebefore the judges. After long hours ofpractice, auditions, and training, theseyoung performers will create some magic.Come one and all and be inspired. Warmyour hearts on a Saturday evening inJanuary and see how bright and melodiousour future can be. FFPA believes in passinga love of the performing arts on to a newgeneration.

Beth Constantino is a retired educator,lover of the arts, and office

administrator for FFPA.

Central RappahannockHERITAGE CENTER

Volunteers neededto process historical documents

and aid researchers. Training provided.

Phone 540-373-3704 or email [email protected]

The Heritage Center Maury Commons 900 Barton St Fredericksburg

Open to the public for scholarly research

Old Town’sGreatest Tour35 Monuments, Markers, &

AttractionsAND the

Fredericksburg Battlefields

Weddings ReunionsShuttles Parties

Group Outings

540-898-0737Fredericksburgtrolley.com

Bravo!Bravo! a new generation of musical artists

By beth constantino

OUR HERITAGEA monthly look at the Central Rappahannock Heritage Center collection

Snow

By Kathy Habel & Judy Chaimson

When I first heard about lasertherapy, I dismissed the idea as hocus-pocus quackery. I guess I must be gettingsoft, because after a dozen years intraditional medicine I am now givingalternative therapies a second glance.

I think this all started about 5years ago. I was at the typical veterinary continuing education conference doodlingin the back row waiting for someone to saysomething that would help me improvehow I cared for my patients. Typically, Ifind I have ended up in the wrong lecture.The one where the doctor just tries to

repeat everything you learned at vetschool. The one where you learn zeroabout real life medicine. It is the sameluck I have at the grocery store. I alwayschoose the slow line that has theunexpected price check.

Anyway, I am at this nationalconvention. I think it was in Baltimore andthe lecturer starts explaining how certainlaser light wavelengths are absorbed byphotophores on cell membranes and thisturns on cell metabolism. The guy isbreaking out slides from electronmicroscopy and by the end of the lecture,I was intrigued. So what really knockedmy socks off is that vets in the audience

start to raise their hands and givepersonal stories about how laser isimproving their patient’s care. I heardsome even admitting they have beentreated themselves for things like tornshoulders to migraines with success.

So over the last 5 years I havebeen reading whatever I can about lasertherapy, and I have found the amount ofresearch and documentation of itsbenefits has really taken off. I think wenow have a better understanding of howand why it works.

In the simplest terms, therapylasers produce a wavelength of light that stimulate cells to make energy. Thisprocess is similar to plant cells usingsunlight to create energy inphotosynthesis. There are now studiesthat help us understand how lasers workon a cellular level and on a patient level.The known effects of laser therapy are:

pain relief, decreased inflammation, andenhanced healing.

Laser therapy has beenchanging my expectations. After using iton my pets, on staffs pets, and client’spets, I see improvement in healing. I canthink of several “Wow” cases. A few nearand dear to me are Jade, a senior

Weimeriner (owned by one of my staff)whose arthritis is so bad, she takes 3 drugsfor pain. Despite this she usually limpsand shuffles along, dragging her toes whenshe moves. After adding laser therapytreatments, I actually saw her “trot” outthe door. My own case is a sugar glidergiven to my daughter because hechronically self-mutilated his tail andactually had a tail vertebrae exposed.(Yes, this is the type of pet I adopt.) Afteradding laser to his regular treatment, hislick sore is healed and hair is regrowing.FYI, I think that is one great thing about

laser. It works well for pain when a petcan’t tolerate pain medications or if noneare safe for their species!

Of course, not all treatmentsare impressive, but I have yet to get anegative comment from an owner. So Iencourage people to give it a try. Acuteconditions often see improvement in 1 to3 treatments while chronic conditions often need 3 to 5 sessions.

A few random laser facts1. Therapy lasers are the norm in humansports medicine. More sport franchisesown them than don’t. Even ourWashington Redskins use them to gettheir athletes back on the field afterinjury.2. Laser treatments feel good. They feellike a warm bath and only take about 3-5 minutes on average.3. Therapy laser is FDA approved andhas a huge safety margin.4. Laser treatment is affordable. Mosttreatments cost 25 to 30 dollars.5. Laser can positively affect most healthissues that involve pain, inflammation, and/or tissue healing.

Dr. Sandi Pepper is a veterinarian atWhite Oak Animal Hospital.

She has two kids, a husband, and 12 pets (at this moment).


Januarius is upon us. The monthlorded over by the Roman god Janus oftendepicted with two faces representing boththe future and the past. Personally I favorthe description that Janus presides overdoors, beginnings, transitions, gates andpassages… now that would include garagedoors right?

Obviously I would be in favor of amonth devoted to the worship of garagedoors and the safe keeping and passage ofthe treasures locked inside. SaintChristopher may be the patron saint oftravelers and a “Magnetic Mary on thedashboard of your car” may be more thana hip line in a song but most old carsspend 95% of their lives in thegarage. They should have someprotection as they slumber like Smaugwith only the glow of a fully chargedbattery tender giving any indication thatthey are actually alive.

As the days begin to get longerand these Dragons awaken they need safepassage through the garage door into theworld of mortals. Most men are unawareof the link older steel behemoths provideto their past. As they transportthemselves in blue-tooth bliss they ride onwheel bearings hardened and perfected bythe steel wraiths in the mines of RougeRiver. Their silly little low profile tiresstay on the rim with a bead molded fromthe sweat and inspiration of the craftsmenfrom Dayton. Blue hair and blue toothshare a common ancestry.

Now as cliché as it might be, I amof the opinion that 2015 will be a kick-assyear on many levels and Janus is free toprotect us all along the way.

In my world we started a newbusiness in March that has done prettywell making house calls for classic cars inneed. (www.classiccarsolutions.net) Our

shop looks like a 1st grade crayon boxwith cars in primary colors: real yellow,bright red, true blue and even emeraldgreen. Cars weren’t always taupe, silver or

white. Their coats of many colors spokeloudly as either beautiful or incrediblyugly, but they spoke out. We’re lookingforward to the new year.

In my world we started the yearwith a house so full of “stuff” you couldbarely move. Our stuff, my mom’s stuffand boxes piled high with “importantfamily papers” that had not seen the lightof day since the 1930’s and some wentback centuries… really. They needed to besorted through and sent to historicsocieties and interested family membersaround the country. Many items werefascinating and many were “important”like car insurance bills and canceled checksfrom 1936 and notification that myfather’s driving privileges in the District ofColumbia were being revoked in 1939 dueto traffic violations and excessive parkingtickets. (Funny, he never shared that withhis teenage sons)

In my world most of that “stuff”is now gone. The trim around thefireplace that I took down six years agowhile remodeling is back in place. Theupstairs project that started at the sametime is about finished. Kathy and I spenta year practicing music again, her guitarfinally got repaired, our oldest son isgetting married in June and is playingguitar with us for the Honeymoon Tour(you’ll hear more about that soon) andthe youngest moved to Atlanta: so far - sogood.

The house is quiet and clearedout and it’s liberating. This is a new yearand I plan to enjoy it though it does startwith a question: Why is it a Genie garagedoor opener not a Janus?

Rim Vining wishes all a New Year filledwith safe passages

Steam clouded frommy mouth as I walkedthrough the woods. It wascold—unbearably cold.Perhaps camping with friendswasn’t the greatest idea inNovember.

As I exited theforest, Buddy was sittingthere waiting for me. Hissilver exterior shined in themoonlight. I opened the doorand crawled into the backseat, and as sleep quicklycame over me, all I couldthink of was how much Iloved my car.

Everyone dreams about theirfirst car, the excitement, the thrill offreedom. My first car, a 2005 BuickCentury, has been no different. Iremember the day that my older sisterwas leaving for college and she finallyhanded down the keys to me. The metalfelt cold in my hand as I began to imagineall of the possibilities created by finallyhaving my own transportation.

During this magical moment Iwas too excited to realize that my sisterhad handed me more than just a car. Shealso gave me monthly car payments,weekly gas money, and other expendituresthat quickly emptied my already hollowbank account. I began to realize thathaving a car is expensive, but that onlymade me appreciate it more.

My friends seem to understandthat. “It’s not the coolest car, but all ofthe bros appreciate it, and it has becomepart of the family,” FA senior Jake Adamssaid.

Buddy is not the most beautifulor eye-catching vehicle in the parking lot.To a stranger, it is nothing more than anold Buick with some lumpy seats andcrackly speakers, but over the years andthrough my adventures the car hasbecome special, a part of me, and a part of

my experiences with friends and family.It makes it even better now that

there is now another Buick Century, thisone belonging to senior Michael Murphy,in the FA parking lot. “It’s dependable,safe, pretty inexpensive, so I decided tobuy one as well,” he said.

It’s been humorous to watchfrom the sidelines as my close friend hasdealt with many of the same problems I’vehad with my car, whether it was the smallgas tank, the slow engine, the terriblespeakers, or other abnormalities.

“It’s not the most agile car. Asolid car stands flat during turns, but theBuick Century feels like it is about to flipover,” Murphy said.

Nonetheless, it’s all part of theexperience, and Murphy will somedayunderstand that.

Buddy is special, almost magical.It protected our house from a recklessdrunk driver, and despite the damage tothe car, my sister was able to wake up thenext morning and drive to work. It is 10years old but still has not required anyrepairs. This car has been all I needed andmore.

Matthew Vance, the son of Robert Vanceand Mary Skinner-Vance, is a

Fredericksburg Academy senior. Alongwith playing basketball, he loves to

write and film.

ANIMAL RITES, USAPet Cremation Service

When it’s time to say “Good-bye”

Private, Individual Cremation

Personal Pick Up & Delivery

Respect for all “Best Friends”

Serving the Area for 11 Years

Visit Us at Our Website:www.animalritesusa.com

Call Us At: 540-361-7487

"Our family wants to take care of your family."

10839 Tidewater TrailFredericksburg, VA 22408

540-361-7050

www.tidewatertrail.com

We are on Facebook & Twitter.

Hours: Mon, Wed 6:30-6:30

Tues, Thurs 7-7Fri 6:30-6Sat 8-1

Companionslasers - not just for captain kirk

By sandi pepper, DVm

My Best Buddya love Letter

By Matthew Vance

AutoKnown Betterjanuarius

By Rim Vining

540/374-0462www.woahvets.com 10 Walsh Lane

Stacy L. Horner, DVM; Gary B. Dunn, DVM; Melanie M. Bell, DVM; Sandi L. Pepper, DVM; Melissa A. DeLauter, DVM ;

Arlene M. Evans, DVM; Jennifer V. Skarbek, DVM; Sheree M. Corbin, DVM

Full Service Hospitalfeaturing:Grooming Salon

Canine & Feline Boarding Dog Training with Play Time

Alternative Therapies:Therapy Laser:

Helps with Pain Relief, DecreasesInflammation & Enhances Healing

Chiropractic Adjustments: Provides Comfort & Restores

Motion & Function to many patients

White Oak Animal Hospital would like towelcome Dr. Sheree Corbin to our team

When I first heard about lasertherapy, I dismissed the idea as hocus-pocus quackery. I guess I must be gettingsoft, because after a dozen years intraditional medicine I am now givingalternative therapies a second glance.

I think this all started about 5years ago. I was at the typical veterinary continuing education conference doodlingin the back row waiting for someone to saysomething that would help me improvehow I cared for my patients. Typically, Ifind I have ended up in the wrong lecture.The one where the doctor just tries to

repeat everything you learned at vetschool. The one where you learn zeroabout real life medicine. It is the sameluck I have at the grocery store. I alwayschoose the slow line that has theunexpected price check.

Anyway, I am at this nationalconvention. I think it was in Baltimore andthe lecturer starts explaining how certainlaser light wavelengths are absorbed byphotophores on cell membranes and thisturns on cell metabolism. The guy isbreaking out slides from electronmicroscopy and by the end of the lecture,I was intrigued. So what really knockedmy socks off is that vets in the audience

start to raise their hands and givepersonal stories about how laser isimproving their patient’s care. I heardsome even admitting they have beentreated themselves for things like tornshoulders to migraines with success.

So over the last 5 years I havebeen reading whatever I can about lasertherapy, and I have found the amount ofresearch and documentation of itsbenefits has really taken off. I think wenow have a better understanding of howand why it works.

In the simplest terms, therapylasers produce a wavelength of light that stimulate cells to make energy. Thisprocess is similar to plant cells usingsunlight to create energy inphotosynthesis. There are now studiesthat help us understand how lasers workon a cellular level and on a patient level.The known effects of laser therapy are:

pain relief, decreased inflammation, andenhanced healing.

Laser therapy has beenchanging my expectations. After using iton my pets, on staffs pets, and client’spets, I see improvement in healing. I canthink of several “Wow” cases. A few nearand dear to me are Jade, a senior

Weimeriner (owned by one of my staff)whose arthritis is so bad, she takes 3 drugsfor pain. Despite this she usually limpsand shuffles along, dragging her toes whenshe moves. After adding laser therapytreatments, I actually saw her “trot” outthe door. My own case is a sugar glidergiven to my daughter because hechronically self-mutilated his tail andactually had a tail vertebrae exposed.(Yes, this is the type of pet I adopt.) Afteradding laser to his regular treatment, hislick sore is healed and hair is regrowing.FYI, I think that is one great thing about

laser. It works well for pain when a petcan’t tolerate pain medications or if noneare safe for their species!

Of course, not all treatmentsare impressive, but I have yet to get anegative comment from an owner. So Iencourage people to give it a try. Acuteconditions often see improvement in 1 to3 treatments while chronic conditions often need 3 to 5 sessions.

A few random laser facts1. Therapy lasers are the norm in humansports medicine. More sport franchisesown them than don’t. Even ourWashington Redskins use them to gettheir athletes back on the field afterinjury.2. Laser treatments feel good. They feellike a warm bath and only take about 3-5 minutes on average.3. Therapy laser is FDA approved andhas a huge safety margin.4. Laser treatment is affordable. Mosttreatments cost 25 to 30 dollars.5. Laser can positively affect most healthissues that involve pain, inflammation, and/or tissue healing.

Dr. Sandi Pepper is a veterinarian atWhite Oak Animal Hospital.

She has two kids, a husband, and 12 pets (at this moment).


Januarius is upon us. The monthlorded over by the Roman god Janus oftendepicted with two faces representing boththe future and the past. Personally I favorthe description that Janus presides overdoors, beginnings, transitions, gates andpassages… now that would include garagedoors right?

Obviously I would be in favor of amonth devoted to the worship of garagedoors and the safe keeping and passage ofthe treasures locked inside. SaintChristopher may be the patron saint oftravelers and a “Magnetic Mary on thedashboard of your car” may be more thana hip line in a song but most old carsspend 95% of their lives in thegarage. They should have someprotection as they slumber like Smaugwith only the glow of a fully chargedbattery tender giving any indication thatthey are actually alive.

As the days begin to get longerand these Dragons awaken they need safepassage through the garage door into theworld of mortals. Most men are unawareof the link older steel behemoths provideto their past. As they transportthemselves in blue-tooth bliss they ride onwheel bearings hardened and perfected bythe steel wraiths in the mines of RougeRiver. Their silly little low profile tiresstay on the rim with a bead molded fromthe sweat and inspiration of the craftsmenfrom Dayton. Blue hair and blue toothshare a common ancestry.

Now as cliché as it might be, I amof the opinion that 2015 will be a kick-assyear on many levels and Janus is free toprotect us all along the way.

In my world we started a newbusiness in March that has done prettywell making house calls for classic cars inneed. (www.classiccarsolutions.net) Our

shop looks like a 1st grade crayon boxwith cars in primary colors: real yellow,bright red, true blue and even emeraldgreen. Cars weren’t always taupe, silver or

white. Their coats of many colors spokeloudly as either beautiful or incrediblyugly, but they spoke out. We’re lookingforward to the new year.

In my world we started the yearwith a house so full of “stuff” you couldbarely move. Our stuff, my mom’s stuffand boxes piled high with “importantfamily papers” that had not seen the lightof day since the 1930’s and some wentback centuries… really. They needed to besorted through and sent to historicsocieties and interested family membersaround the country. Many items werefascinating and many were “important”like car insurance bills and canceled checksfrom 1936 and notification that myfather’s driving privileges in the District ofColumbia were being revoked in 1939 dueto traffic violations and excessive parkingtickets. (Funny, he never shared that withhis teenage sons)

In my world most of that “stuff”is now gone. The trim around thefireplace that I took down six years agowhile remodeling is back in place. Theupstairs project that started at the sametime is about finished. Kathy and I spenta year practicing music again, her guitarfinally got repaired, our oldest son isgetting married in June and is playingguitar with us for the Honeymoon Tour(you’ll hear more about that soon) andthe youngest moved to Atlanta: so far - sogood.

The house is quiet and clearedout and it’s liberating. This is a new yearand I plan to enjoy it though it does startwith a question: Why is it a Genie garagedoor opener not a Janus?

Rim Vining wishes all a New Year filledwith safe passages

Steam clouded frommy mouth as I walkedthrough the woods. It wascold—unbearably cold.Perhaps camping with friendswasn’t the greatest idea inNovember.

As I exited theforest, Buddy was sittingthere waiting for me. Hissilver exterior shined in themoonlight. I opened the doorand crawled into the backseat, and as sleep quicklycame over me, all I couldthink of was how much Iloved my car.

Everyone dreams about theirfirst car, the excitement, the thrill offreedom. My first car, a 2005 BuickCentury, has been no different. Iremember the day that my older sisterwas leaving for college and she finallyhanded down the keys to me. The metalfelt cold in my hand as I began to imagineall of the possibilities created by finallyhaving my own transportation.

During this magical moment Iwas too excited to realize that my sisterhad handed me more than just a car. Shealso gave me monthly car payments,weekly gas money, and other expendituresthat quickly emptied my already hollowbank account. I began to realize thathaving a car is expensive, but that onlymade me appreciate it more.

My friends seem to understandthat. “It’s not the coolest car, but all ofthe bros appreciate it, and it has becomepart of the family,” FA senior Jake Adamssaid.

Buddy is not the most beautifulor eye-catching vehicle in the parking lot.To a stranger, it is nothing more than anold Buick with some lumpy seats andcrackly speakers, but over the years andthrough my adventures the car hasbecome special, a part of me, and a part of

my experiences with friends and family.It makes it even better now that

there is now another Buick Century, thisone belonging to senior Michael Murphy,in the FA parking lot. “It’s dependable,safe, pretty inexpensive, so I decided tobuy one as well,” he said.

It’s been humorous to watchfrom the sidelines as my close friend hasdealt with many of the same problems I’vehad with my car, whether it was the smallgas tank, the slow engine, the terriblespeakers, or other abnormalities.

“It’s not the most agile car. Asolid car stands flat during turns, but theBuick Century feels like it is about to flipover,” Murphy said.

Nonetheless, it’s all part of theexperience, and Murphy will somedayunderstand that.

Buddy is special, almost magical.It protected our house from a recklessdrunk driver, and despite the damage tothe car, my sister was able to wake up thenext morning and drive to work. It is 10years old but still has not required anyrepairs. This car has been all I needed andmore.

Matthew Vance, the son of Robert Vanceand Mary Skinner-Vance, is a

Fredericksburg Academy senior. Alongwith playing basketball, he loves to

write and film.

ANIMAL RITES, USAPet Cremation Service

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540-361-7050

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Companionslasers - not just for captain kirk

By sandi pepper, DVm

My Best Buddya love Letter

By Matthew Vance

AutoKnown Betterjanuarius

By Rim Vining

540/374-0462www.woahvets.com 10 Walsh Lane

Stacy L. Horner, DVM; Gary B. Dunn, DVM; Melanie M. Bell, DVM; Sandi L. Pepper, DVM; Melissa A. DeLauter, DVM ;

Arlene M. Evans, DVM; Jennifer V. Skarbek, DVM; Sheree M. Corbin, DVM

Full Service Hospitalfeaturing:Grooming Salon

Canine & Feline Boarding Dog Training with Play Time

Alternative Therapies:Therapy Laser:

Helps with Pain Relief, DecreasesInflammation & Enhances Healing

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Motion & Function to many patients

White Oak Animal Hospital would like towelcome Dr. Sheree Corbin to our team

Water, water, everywhere,Nor any drop to drink.”

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

This may not be the mostexciting topic but it will be the closest youwill get to an ‘instant health fix.’

We in America have manyblessings; among them are life, liberty andthe pursuit of happiness. I am sure thatthe blessing of clean drinking water at ourdisposal is a blessing that we take forgranted.

Next to oxygen, water is thesecond most essential life -giving element.Our bodies are made up of 60% water.More importantly, blood is 92 % water,the brain and muscles are 75 % water, andbones are about 22% water.

We all want a quick fix to ourhealth. Keeping our body hydrated is theeasiest, simplest and cheapest way. It isnearly FREE. Thirst is the Houdini ofhealth problems. When we think we havea health issue, it could be disguised asdehydration. By the time you feel thirsty,you have already lost 1% of your body’swater. By 3% loss, your body begins toshow dramatic signs of impairment.

Symptoms of DehydrationIf your body is dehydrated, it

cannot cool itself properly, leading to heatexhaustion or heat stroke. You will beginto feel lethargic and your muscles maycramp up. Your brain won’t workproperly, and you will feel groggy andslow. Your kidneys won’t be able to carryaway waste products, so toxins will buildup in your system, making you feel ill. Youwill have constipation and your skin willget dry and itchy. You will have difficultyregulating your body temperature andmay feel chronically cold or hot. Othersevere symptoms are:

Dry MouthDifficulty Going To The BathroomSlightly Red SkinHeadachesRapid BreathingDizziness And Difficulty ConcentratingNauseaAggravation And DepressionPoor Skin ElasticityDark Urine Color

Imagine having a healthier brainand body by drinking lots of water.

Here are 5 simple ways tohydrate your body.

Drink half your body weight inounces. Using a large glass or bottlewill help remind you to drink more.

Limit caffeine. Coffee, sodas andteas are a diuretic that actually pullswater from our bodies.

Hunger can be disguised as thirst.When you think you are hungry, youcould just be thirsty.

Guzzle a large glass of water firstthing in the morning.

Drink a large glass of water beforeeach meal to fill up your stomach soyou will not eat too much.

We all want to be healthy andkeep our brains sharp. Drinking plainwater or with real fruit in it, is the magic‘pill’ for which we have all been wishing.(Don’t add chemical enhancers, it defeatsthe purpose).

As always, if I can be of help, youcan find me at Gold’s Gym Fredericksburg.

Joan M. Geisler is a writer & a trainer atGold’s Gym. She lives in Fredericksburg

How many of you have eitherheard or said the words “senior moment”,“greedy geezer”, “old man”, “little oldlady”, or “he’s just set in his ways”? Theseare commonly used negative stereotypesabout older adults.

You may have also heardsomeone patronizing an older adult using“baby talk”, a form of “elderspeak”, whichis a particularly condescending negativestereotype. Greeting cards sell when theymake people laugh at jokes about gettingold, or looking decrepit. Older workersface stereotypes on the job like: lessproductive, more expensive, lessadaptable, more rigid, or toooverqualified. You may remember theawful political attack ad that depicted PaulRyan “throwing granny off the cliff”because of his Medicare reform proposal.Some sayings seem cute or funny, othersseem harmless, but negative stereotypingcan have a detrimental effect on someseniors, especially if used often like “I’mhaving a senior moment” implying thatour memory deteriorates as we age, a falsemyth about aging.

Aging has traditionally beenviewed negatively as being a time ofdecline in physical, cognitive, andpsychosocial functioning which results in agrowing burden to society with thepopulation aging and Medicare and SocialSecurity running out of money. The word“ageism” was coined to describe age-related stereotyping and discriminatingagainst people because they are old.Considerable scholarly research has beenconducted on ageist positive and negativestereotypes. One researcher, BradMeisner in 2012 reviewed many of therelevant studies on the effects ofstereotypes on older adults. As expected,he found that positive stereotyping had abeneficial effect on older adults’ healthand mental well-being, and negativestereotyping had a damaging effect. But,

one surprising and significant finding wasthat the detrimental negative effects werealmost three times larger than thepositive effects, which suggests thatpositive effects cannot offset the negativeeffects. Not only are negative stereotypeshurtful to older people, but they may evenshorten their lives. As mentioned lastmonth, Becca Levy, PhD, assistantprofessor of public health at YaleUniversity found that older adults withmore positive self-perceptions of aginglived 7.5 years longer than those withnegative self-perceptions of aging. Shealso found that older adults exposed topositive stereotypes have significantlybetter memory and balance, whereasnegative self-perceptions contributed toworse memory and feelings ofworthlessness. Surprisingly, some studiesactually found that older adults caninoculate themselves from internalizingnegative stereotypes by not identifyingwith the category “elderly”. Because theyfeel younger than their age or morementally active, these ageist stereotypesdon’t apply to them.

Ronald Reagan was our nation’soldest President. At the age of 74, duringan October 21, 1984 televised debate withWalter Mondale, he was questioned abouthis age, implying he was too old to bePresident. Reagan responded: “I will notmake age an issue of this campaign. I amnot going to exploit, for political purposes,my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”

So, as we enter a New Year,resolve not to make aging stereotypes apart of your conversations. You may behelping seniors live longer, more fulfillinglives. Happy New Year!

Karl Karch is a local franchise owner ofHome Instead Senior Care, a licensed

home care organization providingpersonal care, companionship and homehelper services in the Fredericksburg and

Culpeper region. .


Senior Care aging stereotypes

By Karl Karch

Natural Healthwarm winter wishes of frankincense

By Suzy Woollam

The Winter Season is upon usonce again, bringing us full circle in thecycle of the year. Winters chill brings withit tingly toes and frosty window panes,and no boost warmth from mothernature. It’s a time to create our ownwarmth, to dispel the damp and findcomfort in our homes, and in ourselves.A time of reflection, of necessary retreat,that allows us to prepare for our springand to review which of our fields shall be

planted, and which shall remain fallow.It’s a season to give thanks, to begrateful, to find peace and harmony inourselves and our lives.

Frankincense is a wonderful “goto” essential oil during the winterseason. Distilled from the “tears” of adesert tree, its spicy warm glow is theperfect oil for the chill and damp ofwinter, as it helps to dispel the cold inour heart, our mind and our body.Just a few drops in a diffuser or mixedinto a massage cream helps soothe dry,cracked skin and frazzled nerves, andremind us of the warmer days to come.When used in carrier oils like Tamanuand Coconut, it creates a wonderful

warming treatment for muscle aches andpains. Frankincense is also an excellentchoice for meditation, as it allows for agrounding, comforting and nurturingenvironment, providing us with theopportunity to recognize life’s trials andrewards, and find gratitude in each.

During the cold winter season,while hustling and bustling in our busyschedules, we sometimes lose sight of thethings in life we are most grateful for.Quiet moments with friends and lovedones, parties and celebrations, reunions,the kindness of a stranger. Frankincenseallows us the opportunity to celebrate thevictories in life, both big and small, and toopen our mind to the opportunities thatlay ahead.

May 2015 find you all warm,happy, healthy and opening to your ownunique opportunities for change andgrowth.

As Suzy says, “It all Starts in TheScenter of Town” Come by and visit

Barbara Bergquist, CTN Board Certified Traditional Naturopath

891-6200 www.thenaturalpath.us4413 Lafayette Blvd. Fredericksburg

The Natural Path Holistic Health Center

~Nature’s Sunshine Products

~Quantitative Fluid Analysis

~VoiceBio Analysis

~ionSpa Foot Detox

~Zyto Bioscan Compass

Natura l Products for Hea lth & Wel lness

Healthcare For the Whole Person

SPECIALIZING IN:

Gentle, Individualized Chiropractic CareCranio-Sacral Balancing (Sacro

Occipital Technique - SOT)Addressing Your Total Health Needs

with Natural, Holistic Treatment MethodsDetoxification/Weight

Loss Nutritional Programs

Dr. ChristineThompson

Renewhow to have instant health

by Joan M. Geisler

online:www.save7lives.org

in person:Dept. of Motor Vehicles







kennel board him!

Water, water, everywhere,Nor any drop to drink.”

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

This may not be the mostexciting topic but it will be the closest youwill get to an ‘instant health fix.’

We in America have manyblessings; among them are life, liberty andthe pursuit of happiness. I am sure thatthe blessing of clean drinking water at ourdisposal is a blessing that we take forgranted.

Next to oxygen, water is thesecond most essential life -giving element.Our bodies are made up of 60% water.More importantly, blood is 92 % water,the brain and muscles are 75 % water, andbones are about 22% water.

We all want a quick fix to ourhealth. Keeping our body hydrated is theeasiest, simplest and cheapest way. It isnearly FREE. Thirst is the Houdini ofhealth problems. When we think we havea health issue, it could be disguised asdehydration. By the time you feel thirsty,you have already lost 1% of your body’swater. By 3% loss, your body begins toshow dramatic signs of impairment.

Symptoms of DehydrationIf your body is dehydrated, it

cannot cool itself properly, leading to heatexhaustion or heat stroke. You will beginto feel lethargic and your muscles maycramp up. Your brain won’t workproperly, and you will feel groggy andslow. Your kidneys won’t be able to carryaway waste products, so toxins will buildup in your system, making you feel ill. Youwill have constipation and your skin willget dry and itchy. You will have difficultyregulating your body temperature andmay feel chronically cold or hot. Othersevere symptoms are:

Dry MouthDifficulty Going To The BathroomSlightly Red SkinHeadachesRapid BreathingDizziness And Difficulty ConcentratingNauseaAggravation And DepressionPoor Skin ElasticityDark Urine Color

Imagine having a healthier brainand body by drinking lots of water.

Here are 5 simple ways tohydrate your body.

Drink half your body weight inounces. Using a large glass or bottlewill help remind you to drink more.

Limit caffeine. Coffee, sodas andteas are a diuretic that actually pullswater from our bodies.

Hunger can be disguised as thirst.When you think you are hungry, youcould just be thirsty.

Guzzle a large glass of water firstthing in the morning.

Drink a large glass of water beforeeach meal to fill up your stomach soyou will not eat too much.

We all want to be healthy andkeep our brains sharp. Drinking plainwater or with real fruit in it, is the magic‘pill’ for which we have all been wishing.(Don’t add chemical enhancers, it defeatsthe purpose).

As always, if I can be of help, youcan find me at Gold’s Gym Fredericksburg.

Joan M. Geisler is a writer & a trainer atGold’s Gym. She lives in Fredericksburg

How many of you have eitherheard or said the words “senior moment”,“greedy geezer”, “old man”, “little oldlady”, or “he’s just set in his ways”? Theseare commonly used negative stereotypesabout older adults.

You may have also heardsomeone patronizing an older adult using“baby talk”, a form of “elderspeak”, whichis a particularly condescending negativestereotype. Greeting cards sell when theymake people laugh at jokes about gettingold, or looking decrepit. Older workersface stereotypes on the job like: lessproductive, more expensive, lessadaptable, more rigid, or toooverqualified. You may remember theawful political attack ad that depicted PaulRyan “throwing granny off the cliff”because of his Medicare reform proposal.Some sayings seem cute or funny, othersseem harmless, but negative stereotypingcan have a detrimental effect on someseniors, especially if used often like “I’mhaving a senior moment” implying thatour memory deteriorates as we age, a falsemyth about aging.

Aging has traditionally beenviewed negatively as being a time ofdecline in physical, cognitive, andpsychosocial functioning which results in agrowing burden to society with thepopulation aging and Medicare and SocialSecurity running out of money. The word“ageism” was coined to describe age-related stereotyping and discriminatingagainst people because they are old.Considerable scholarly research has beenconducted on ageist positive and negativestereotypes. One researcher, BradMeisner in 2012 reviewed many of therelevant studies on the effects ofstereotypes on older adults. As expected,he found that positive stereotyping had abeneficial effect on older adults’ healthand mental well-being, and negativestereotyping had a damaging effect. But,

one surprising and significant finding wasthat the detrimental negative effects werealmost three times larger than thepositive effects, which suggests thatpositive effects cannot offset the negativeeffects. Not only are negative stereotypeshurtful to older people, but they may evenshorten their lives. As mentioned lastmonth, Becca Levy, PhD, assistantprofessor of public health at YaleUniversity found that older adults withmore positive self-perceptions of aginglived 7.5 years longer than those withnegative self-perceptions of aging. Shealso found that older adults exposed topositive stereotypes have significantlybetter memory and balance, whereasnegative self-perceptions contributed toworse memory and feelings ofworthlessness. Surprisingly, some studiesactually found that older adults caninoculate themselves from internalizingnegative stereotypes by not identifyingwith the category “elderly”. Because theyfeel younger than their age or morementally active, these ageist stereotypesdon’t apply to them.

Ronald Reagan was our nation’soldest President. At the age of 74, duringan October 21, 1984 televised debate withWalter Mondale, he was questioned abouthis age, implying he was too old to bePresident. Reagan responded: “I will notmake age an issue of this campaign. I amnot going to exploit, for political purposes,my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”

So, as we enter a New Year,resolve not to make aging stereotypes apart of your conversations. You may behelping seniors live longer, more fulfillinglives. Happy New Year!

Karl Karch is a local franchise owner ofHome Instead Senior Care, a licensed

home care organization providingpersonal care, companionship and homehelper services in the Fredericksburg and

Culpeper region. .


Senior Care aging stereotypes

By Karl Karch

Natural Healthwarm winter wishes of frankincense

By Suzy Woollam

The Winter Season is upon usonce again, bringing us full circle in thecycle of the year. Winters chill brings withit tingly toes and frosty window panes,and no boost warmth from mothernature. It’s a time to create our ownwarmth, to dispel the damp and findcomfort in our homes, and in ourselves.A time of reflection, of necessary retreat,that allows us to prepare for our springand to review which of our fields shall be

planted, and which shall remain fallow.It’s a season to give thanks, to begrateful, to find peace and harmony inourselves and our lives.

Frankincense is a wonderful “goto” essential oil during the winterseason. Distilled from the “tears” of adesert tree, its spicy warm glow is theperfect oil for the chill and damp ofwinter, as it helps to dispel the cold inour heart, our mind and our body.Just a few drops in a diffuser or mixedinto a massage cream helps soothe dry,cracked skin and frazzled nerves, andremind us of the warmer days to come.When used in carrier oils like Tamanuand Coconut, it creates a wonderful

warming treatment for muscle aches andpains. Frankincense is also an excellentchoice for meditation, as it allows for agrounding, comforting and nurturingenvironment, providing us with theopportunity to recognize life’s trials andrewards, and find gratitude in each.

During the cold winter season,while hustling and bustling in our busyschedules, we sometimes lose sight of thethings in life we are most grateful for.Quiet moments with friends and lovedones, parties and celebrations, reunions,the kindness of a stranger. Frankincenseallows us the opportunity to celebrate thevictories in life, both big and small, and toopen our mind to the opportunities thatlay ahead.

May 2015 find you all warm,happy, healthy and opening to your ownunique opportunities for change andgrowth.

As Suzy says, “It all Starts in TheScenter of Town” Come by and visit

Barbara Bergquist, CTN Board Certified Traditional Naturopath

891-6200 www.thenaturalpath.us4413 Lafayette Blvd. Fredericksburg

The Natural Path Holistic Health Center

~Nature’s Sunshine Products

~Quantitative Fluid Analysis

~VoiceBio Analysis

~ionSpa Foot Detox

~Zyto Bioscan Compass

Natura l Products for Hea lth & Wel lness

Healthcare For the Whole Person

SPECIALIZING IN:

Gentle, Individualized Chiropractic CareCranio-Sacral Balancing (Sacro

Occipital Technique - SOT)Addressing Your Total Health Needs

with Natural, Holistic Treatment MethodsDetoxification/Weight

Loss Nutritional Programs

Dr. ChristineThompson

Renewhow to have instant health

by Joan M. Geisler

online:www.save7lives.org

in person:Dept. of Motor Vehicles







kennel board him!

Sonja Wise’s artistic inspirationcomes from the natural energy of life, asseen in animals, plants, sky and especiallyoceans and mountains.

The Spotsylvania residentprimarily works in drawing, painting anddigital art. If she had to choose, she’dname drawing her favorite.

“Drawing was my first love, andit’s where I start, even when I paint andwhen I’m creating in the computer,” Wisesaid. “It all starts in drawing. When I’mstaring off in space, I’m identifying mysurroundings and deciding how I willdraw them. So I’m pretty much alwaysdrawing, no matter what I am doing.”

Wise studied painting andprintmaking at Virginia CommonwealthUniversity in Richmond, Va. Aftergraduation, she obtained a job with theCity of Fredericksburg Department ofParks and Recreation, where she workedfor 15 years.

“I spent my final years withParks and Rec as the Special Events andMarketing Coordinator,” Wise said. “Iorganized events including First Night,the Fredericksburg Art Festival, the SoapBox Derby and the Children’s Art Expo.”

In 2008 she founded So WiseCo. Her business specializes in branding,graphic design, website development andInternet marketing. She also beganspending more time drawing andpainting.

Wise begins her creative processby writing. “I write the subject, how Ithink I’m going to approach it and whatI’m trying to achieve,” she said. “Ifsomething scares me, like “maybe I can’tget those leaves right,” I write that down,too. It helps me commit.”

The artist experiences aninternal struggle in her creative process,which she calls, “the split artists.” “I’mconstantly struggling with a tensionbetween traditional and abstract,” shesaid.

“I used to be really hard onmyself about my artwork. I didn’t believeI was a real artist, because one day Iwould be in the mood to create a reallydetailed pencil drawing and the next dayI would do a messy, vibrant abstract inpastels. I had decided that because Ididn’t stick to one medium or one theme,that I didn’t fit the definitionof “real” artist. Once I came to termswith the fact that I am my own type ofartist, then both my art and my careerreally opened up for me.”

Her art business also includescustom pet portraits and home drawingsin graphite pencil or colored pencil. Sheworks from photographs.

Wise was raised in Culpeper, andthat’s where she has her business and herstudio. So Wise Co. is located at 404 S.Main St., Second Floor, #B. She also hasa home studio. Both studios are open byappointment. Call or email her [email protected], 540-623-4220 (main),540-273-6667 (cell).

Susan Larson is publisher and editor ofFredericksburg[dot]Today, the onlinenews site dedicated to local news andinformation. You may contact her at

[email protected].

Bill Harris celebrated yet anotherlocal solo art show at Bistro Bethem lastmonth (what does this make, numbers-wise? 546?) with a whole slew of newpaintings. Bill lead a small discussion of hiswork for the guests at the show openingwhich is one of my favorite things to do –listen to an artist talk about their work.Kara Gerenser, Paul Belinsky, Anna Casana,Kellen Gerenser, Ruthanne Baxter, BobMartin, Matt Kelly, Jack Morrison, ToddWoollam, Dick Camp, Dolores Bevan Lecky,Kenneth Lecky, Gregg Holmes, and JoanneBeury Goodin were only some of Bill’sfriends, family and fans that made it outto the opening. If you weren’t able to getthere that Sunday evening, never fear! Theshow is up until the beginning of February.

Heard: Dave Guzman andMaggie McGraw hosted a Mad Men themedholiday party last month. Friends LynnAckermann, Tom Arbisi, and Anne Joneswere a few of the friends who celebrated .

Heard: Recent UMW gradBlaize Rai and former Vivify chef JoeyNelson are packing up their bags andFredericksburg memories to head downsouth to Charlotte, North Carolina tobegin a new chapter in their lives. I’m suregonna miss them both (they’ve both beena fixture in the downtown community forso long, it’s hard to imagine them gone)but I’m excited about their new adventuretogether.

Tommy Manuel and LauraEubanks hosted a holiday party last monthand let me tell you, it was fun. I knowbecause I was there. Alicia and JakeMorgan, Danielle and Mike Payne, HapConnors, Mary Kingsley, Rik and HelenRice, Chrissy and Jon Conway, Terri andDon Mullen came over to Franklin St todeck the halls, wish good tidings to eachother and drink sangria.

Scene: Fredericksburg chef JoyCrump and UMW alum George Pagonisback on Top Chef after both wereeliminated earlier in the competition. The

two were part of a group who were givena chance to get back in the game and guesswhat? George got himself back in! He’sdone well so far and even Joy still has ashot at a late-game retry during the LastChance Kitchen games. I’ve always been ahuge Top Chef fan but I must say it’s evenmore exciting when locals are part of thegame.

Scene: Brian Norton and Drew Fristoe(above) (separately) in DC to see WolfBlitzer interview Bravo TV personalityAndy Cohen at the Sixth and I synagogue.Full disclosure: I also went up to see myfavorite late night talk show host at thePalm restaurant for a happy hour meetand greet. Andy is just as fun, friendly andfunny as you’d expect him to be.

Scene: Sarah Applebyobserving the Northern Lights, AuroraBorealis, Viking ships and quaint, coldvillages that resemble the inside of a snowglobe on a vacation to Iceland.

Heard: Tim and Tracy Brayhosted an open house featuring JoelleGilbert’s artwork. Joelle painted a numberof small, gift-sized paintings for the partyand sold lots! Will Webb, Karen Jonas,Missy Colombo, Mike and Erin Silver, BillCarney, Tina Skinner, Brian Whetzel, BarbPickel, Felix Fraraccio and Sean Walker allshowed up to support Joelle and hang withthe Brays!

Seen: Hugh Cosner with hiswife getting dinner at Bonefish Grill;Richard Friesner shopping at Wegmans;Caroline Carver at a VCU basketball gamein some killer gold jeans; Claire Ellingerwith her two boys perusing the aisles atGiant in Eagle Village; Bistro Bethem’sMatt Mastaliski grabbing a beer atHometeam Grill; Mike Craig at a Ravensgame.

Big congratulations go out toKelly Pawlik for winning the epic battlebetween city and soup and finally gettingCity Soup all licensed up and legit. Ifyou’ve not had the privilege of seeing a bigold mason jar full of homemade soupsitting on your front porch when you gethome from work, I suggest you go followCity Soup on Facebook and remedy thatsituation immediately! Kelly makes themost flavorful, healthiest and mostdelicious soup I’ve had and delivers it rightto your door. Soup-er cool (get it?).

Happy Jan. birthdays toKen Crampton, Mike Skinner, AlyssaBrown, John Eskam, Mary Lynn Powers,Kylie Westerbeck, Jacquie Damm, CaroleGarmon, and Scarlett Suhy-PPons.

Scene: Jess and Jeremy Suttoncelebrating Shanks Downey and MattBarnum wedding at the Sunken Well.Congrats to the newlyweds.

Blind item: What localFredericksburger who has only quiterecently picked up the paintbrush after ayears-long hiatus has already scoredhimself an art show at Sunken Well Tavernfor the spring?


by megan byrnes

Sonja WiseTension between traditional & abstract

By Susan Larson

Sonja Wise’s artistic inspirationcomes from the natural energy of life, asseen in animals, plants, sky and especiallyoceans and mountains.

The Spotsylvania residentprimarily works in drawing, painting anddigital art. If she had to choose, she’dname drawing her favorite.

“Drawing was my first love, andit’s where I start, even when I paint andwhen I’m creating in the computer,” Wisesaid. “It all starts in drawing. When I’mstaring off in space, I’m identifying mysurroundings and deciding how I willdraw them. So I’m pretty much alwaysdrawing, no matter what I am doing.”

Wise studied painting andprintmaking at Virginia CommonwealthUniversity in Richmond, Va. Aftergraduation, she obtained a job with theCity of Fredericksburg Department ofParks and Recreation, where she workedfor 15 years.

“I spent my final years withParks and Rec as the Special Events andMarketing Coordinator,” Wise said. “Iorganized events including First Night,the Fredericksburg Art Festival, the SoapBox Derby and the Children’s Art Expo.”

In 2008 she founded So WiseCo. Her business specializes in branding,graphic design, website development andInternet marketing. She also beganspending more time drawing andpainting.

Wise begins her creative processby writing. “I write the subject, how Ithink I’m going to approach it and whatI’m trying to achieve,” she said. “Ifsomething scares me, like “maybe I can’tget those leaves right,” I write that down,too. It helps me commit.”

The artist experiences aninternal struggle in her creative process,which she calls, “the split artists.” “I’mconstantly struggling with a tensionbetween traditional and abstract,” shesaid.

“I used to be really hard onmyself about my artwork. I didn’t believeI was a real artist, because one day Iwould be in the mood to create a reallydetailed pencil drawing and the next dayI would do a messy, vibrant abstract inpastels. I had decided that because Ididn’t stick to one medium or one theme,that I didn’t fit the definitionof “real” artist. Once I came to termswith the fact that I am my own type ofartist, then both my art and my careerreally opened up for me.”

Her art business also includescustom pet portraits and home drawingsin graphite pencil or colored pencil. Sheworks from photographs.

Wise was raised in Culpeper, andthat’s where she has her business and herstudio. So Wise Co. is located at 404 S.Main St., Second Floor, #B. She also hasa home studio. Both studios are open byappointment. Call or email her [email protected], 540-623-4220 (main),540-273-6667 (cell).

Susan Larson is publisher and editor ofFredericksburg[dot]Today, the onlinenews site dedicated to local news andinformation. You may contact her at

[email protected].

Bill Harris celebrated yet anotherlocal solo art show at Bistro Bethem lastmonth (what does this make, numbers-wise? 546?) with a whole slew of newpaintings. Bill lead a small discussion of hiswork for the guests at the show openingwhich is one of my favorite things to do –listen to an artist talk about their work.Kara Gerenser, Paul Belinsky, Anna Casana,Kellen Gerenser, Ruthanne Baxter, BobMartin, Matt Kelly, Jack Morrison, ToddWoollam, Dick Camp, Dolores Bevan Lecky,Kenneth Lecky, Gregg Holmes, and JoanneBeury Goodin were only some of Bill’sfriends, family and fans that made it outto the opening. If you weren’t able to getthere that Sunday evening, never fear! Theshow is up until the beginning of February.

Heard: Dave Guzman andMaggie McGraw hosted a Mad Men themedholiday party last month. Friends LynnAckermann, Tom Arbisi, and Anne Joneswere a few of the friends who celebrated .

Heard: Recent UMW gradBlaize Rai and former Vivify chef JoeyNelson are packing up their bags andFredericksburg memories to head downsouth to Charlotte, North Carolina tobegin a new chapter in their lives. I’m suregonna miss them both (they’ve both beena fixture in the downtown community forso long, it’s hard to imagine them gone)but I’m excited about their new adventuretogether.

Tommy Manuel and LauraEubanks hosted a holiday party last monthand let me tell you, it was fun. I knowbecause I was there. Alicia and JakeMorgan, Danielle and Mike Payne, HapConnors, Mary Kingsley, Rik and HelenRice, Chrissy and Jon Conway, Terri andDon Mullen came over to Franklin St todeck the halls, wish good tidings to eachother and drink sangria.

Scene: Fredericksburg chef JoyCrump and UMW alum George Pagonisback on Top Chef after both wereeliminated earlier in the competition. The

two were part of a group who were givena chance to get back in the game and guesswhat? George got himself back in! He’sdone well so far and even Joy still has ashot at a late-game retry during the LastChance Kitchen games. I’ve always been ahuge Top Chef fan but I must say it’s evenmore exciting when locals are part of thegame.

Scene: Brian Norton and Drew Fristoe(above) (separately) in DC to see WolfBlitzer interview Bravo TV personalityAndy Cohen at the Sixth and I synagogue.Full disclosure: I also went up to see myfavorite late night talk show host at thePalm restaurant for a happy hour meetand greet. Andy is just as fun, friendly andfunny as you’d expect him to be.

Scene: Sarah Applebyobserving the Northern Lights, AuroraBorealis, Viking ships and quaint, coldvillages that resemble the inside of a snowglobe on a vacation to Iceland.

Heard: Tim and Tracy Brayhosted an open house featuring JoelleGilbert’s artwork. Joelle painted a numberof small, gift-sized paintings for the partyand sold lots! Will Webb, Karen Jonas,Missy Colombo, Mike and Erin Silver, BillCarney, Tina Skinner, Brian Whetzel, BarbPickel, Felix Fraraccio and Sean Walker allshowed up to support Joelle and hang withthe Brays!

Seen: Hugh Cosner with hiswife getting dinner at Bonefish Grill;Richard Friesner shopping at Wegmans;Caroline Carver at a VCU basketball gamein some killer gold jeans; Claire Ellingerwith her two boys perusing the aisles atGiant in Eagle Village; Bistro Bethem’sMatt Mastaliski grabbing a beer atHometeam Grill; Mike Craig at a Ravensgame.

Big congratulations go out toKelly Pawlik for winning the epic battlebetween city and soup and finally gettingCity Soup all licensed up and legit. Ifyou’ve not had the privilege of seeing a bigold mason jar full of homemade soupsitting on your front porch when you gethome from work, I suggest you go followCity Soup on Facebook and remedy thatsituation immediately! Kelly makes themost flavorful, healthiest and mostdelicious soup I’ve had and delivers it rightto your door. Soup-er cool (get it?).

Happy Jan. birthdays toKen Crampton, Mike Skinner, AlyssaBrown, John Eskam, Mary Lynn Powers,Kylie Westerbeck, Jacquie Damm, CaroleGarmon, and Scarlett Suhy-PPons.

Scene: Jess and Jeremy Suttoncelebrating Shanks Downey and MattBarnum wedding at the Sunken Well.Congrats to the newlyweds.

Blind item: What localFredericksburger who has only quiterecently picked up the paintbrush after ayears-long hiatus has already scoredhimself an art show at Sunken Well Tavernfor the spring?


by megan byrnes

Sonja WiseTension between traditional & abstract

By Susan Larson

There is a lot of discussion in theworld about talent, aptitude, “luck”,attitude, and due diligence. Combine thatwith the intangible wills of fate, the popculture connotation of karma, and thegeneral obstacles our jungles mightcreate, and it truly is a wonder anyone inthe darned world would pursue a career inart or music.

Then there are the hearts,quietly, yet steadily, beating true to therhythm of their own souls. The hearts arelistening for the next beat with which topulse, the pulse of the dream and thedestiny.

Tyler Lubore is one of thesehearts. He is a focused, dedicated,talented, and capable young man – aRenaissance man in the making, even-working tirelessly in his art to carve hisplace.

He earned a Bachelor’s in music,with a minor in English, at the Universityof Virginia (in three years), and iscurrently in finishing his second semesterof the University of Mary Washington’sMBA program.

Lubore began playing thesaxophone and taking lessons with ForteMusic Studio owner, Young Devereaux,and continued to study with Jeff Deckerprivately at UVA and perform underD’earth in the UVA Jazz Ensemble. Luboreis currently performing with the UMW jazzensemble under Doug Gately.

He is in purposeful pursuit ofbeing a career musician, experimentingwith popular genres and variousinstrumentalists to develop a unique,accessible sound with his current group,The Lubore Band. This includes collegiatepals Jeremy Hook on guitar, Devin Sullivanon keys, and Alex Rodriguez on bass. Thequartet performs everything from thecurrent Sam Smith’s Stay to their originalinstrumental jazz rock compositions. It isfresh fusion in the makin’, if they aren’tcareful.

“I want to develop my ownmusical voice and take all of thesedisparate influences that I have to tell astory that people can connect with and digin a real way, and to help them dance inthe process.”

Yep. Not to mention the guy isincredibly well read and knowledgeable,and has one of the most positive attitudesaround.

The Lubore Band is one to watchand witness.

Catch The Lubore Band,Wednesday, January 7, 2015 at TheFredericksburg Art Collective Showcase. Visit Tyler Lubore Music on Facebook formore dates!

(When you see him perform, givehim a high five. He deserves it. )

Ashleigh Chevalier is a Blues/Jazz/RockMusican-Vocalist, Songwriter, Music &

Media Journalist and, a mother living inFredericksburg


FXBG Music SceneTyler Lubore

by Ashleigh Chevalier

Advanced Dental Careof FredericksburgCall Us at 540-891-9911

Because we care for you!www.virginiadental4u.com

10524 Spotsylvania Ave. Ste #104 Fredericksburg, VA

$599Crown

With this Coupon only for non-insuredpatients. Not valid with other offers or

prior services. Offer Expires 2/1/15A $239.0000 Value

$699 Per Arch Full

Denture/PartialWith this Coupon only for non-insuredpatients. Not valid with other offers or


HollyBurgArea’s past recognized by oscars

By gary olsen

FXBG Goes HollywoodFXBG Antique Dealer supplies props

By Susan Larson

Barbara Watkins’ passion isantiques. Never did she imagine she’dcontribute to a major motion picture.

An ordinary Saturday working atthe Fredericksburg Antique Mall became aday Barbara Watkins and CharleneTrueman will never forget.

“We were very busy and weren’tpaying much attention to these two menuntil they began piling vast amounts ofantiques up on the counter,” Watkins said.“We were running out of room on thecounter and we were thinking — what inthe world is going on? This isn’t our usual,typical customer!”

Watkins (Barbara WatkinsAntiques) and Trueman (CharleneTrueman Antiques) each have a space inthe Fredericksburg Antique Mall.

“Finally we said to them, ‘Youlook like you have a game plan here;there’s something you’re working on,’”Watkins said. “And for some reason itpopped into my head — a movie, a stageproduction, they’re looking for props. Andone of the men said, ‘Yes, we are. As amatter of fact, Steven Spielberg is workingon a movie.”

That man was set decorator JimErickson and the movie was “Lincoln”.

“‘We’re finding lots of things inyour shop, but we’re really just gettingstarted here in Virginia,’ he told us,”Watkins said.

“When they were finished andchecked out to the tune of — I don’t knowwhat, but most of the dealers in the shopwere pleased, especially me, I asked thegentlemen what else they were specificallylooking for,” Watkins said.

Watkins, who specializes in 18thand 19th century antiques, had items ather home that interested the setdecorator, and he made an appointmentto visit a week later.

“He came to my home with hisassistant and started purchasing thingsoff the walls, off the floor, or asking me ifthey were for sale,” Watkins said. “Andsince I’m of a certain age where I need tobe downsizing, most things were for sale,”she laughed.

Erickson kept in touch withWatkins for a while, and she recommend

other places for him to find props.“He was very well informed,” Watkinssaid.

“He had in his head what heneeded and wanted. I never saw himpull out a list and cross things off,”she said. “He was entirely doing thisfrom his own knowledge. He’d been acollector of antiques for many years,so he knew what was right and whatwasn’t. And he had instructions fromDreamWorks concerning each scene,”she said.

When the movie was released,Watkins was surprised how difficult it wasto identify “her” items in the film.

“They bought all this from meand from our shop and it’s going to justpop out at me I thought,” Watkins said. “Itwas a harder search to find things that Iremembered because they had so much inthe film.”

“I saw a set of chairs I sold himand I believe he used one print of GeorgeWashington I sold him,” Watkins said. Shesaid attorneys for the film called toconfirm the print was an authenticantique. “The chairs were in many sceneswhere the men were sitting around thetables having their meetings,” she said.

Watkins plans to watch the movieagain on DVD so that she can stop andstart and look more closely at the scenedecor. “There are lots of things [in themovie] that you just wouldn’t notice orcould tell were yours — quilts, baskets,jugs — primitive things that were in thescenes of the more modest properties.”

Watkins, who works as anassistant reference librarian at CentralRappahannock Regional Library, wonderedif she might have a chance to repurchaseanything when the filming was completed.Erickson told her no; everything would beshipped to massive warehouses inHollywood.

“Little shops and little townsdon’t frequently touch fame,” saidWatkins, who also sells from a showcase inNew Oxford Antiques Center inPennsylvania. “It was very exciting and weall had a lot of fun.”

Watch the Video (4 mins): StevenSpielberg Talks about Lincoln in Virginia.

www.virginia.org/Lincoln/


This story was first published onFredericksburg[dot]Today.


The Fredericksburg area’s directconnection to my 17 lectures on TheAcademy Awards and The Nominations isindisputable. Throughout the year myresearch has revealed that the area ismore responsible for the talent,craftsmanship and topics that are thebasis of celluloid’s top annual prize than,with the exception of Southern California,any other region in the country.

Three films that I had discussed inmy last presentation showed thatFredericksburg was directly linked to whathad been the most influential films in the past three years.

2013’s Best Picture, 12 Years ASlave, was based on New York blackfreeman Solomon Northup, who wasoffered a short gig in Washington, D.C.Trouble was slavery was still legal inWashington and hosted one of the largestslave markets in the country. Drugged andsold by the two who lured him to D.C.,Northup was sold to a slave trader, who, inthe shadows of the U.S. Capitol, sold thefreeman for, in today’s dollars, $27,000.Shipped to Louisiana, his 12-year ordealeventually became an autobiographywhich film director Steve McQueen readand became obsessed about. His effortsresulted in the most talked about film ofthat year.

Fredericksburg movie goersrecognized several area locations whenviewing Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln,nominated for Best Picture in 2012. Themovie, concentrating on the last monthsof Lincoln’s life and his efforts to haveCongress pass the 13th Amendmentbanning slavery, was filmed in nearbyRichmond and Petersburg. Spielberginsisted upon historical accuracy for thefilm and he couldn’t be any happier withhis scouting team. Filming for 55 days inVirginia, Spielberg used the Virginia StateCapitol for the U.S. Capitol and the White House. What has to be the biggest irony ofany location ever used in film history, thescenes of Congress’s debates on theAmendment were shot in the statecapitol’s House of Delegates, the samebuilding that housed the ConfederateStates’ Congress during the Civil War. Andprops for the movie were supplied byFXBG antique dealers!

Spielberg’s film crews bouncedaround Richmond’s Executive Mansion,the Virginia Repertory Center, Maymontas well as several locals in Petersburg,Mechanicsville, Goochland and State Farmin Powhatan for the battlefield scenes.

Fast forward 115 years to the IranHostage Crises, the period 2012’s BestPicture, Argo, focuses in on. Ben Affleck

plays a CIA agent who poses as a Canadianfilm producer to extract six Americanhostages from Iran in 1980. The real CIAagent, Tony Mendez, has local ties to thearea in that he worked in Virginia for theCompany. In addition, he is a foundingboard member for D.C.’s International SpyMuseum, where you can see items he usedon the so-called “Canadian Caper.” ForArgo’s preparation, Mendez met withAffleck in Washington, taking him to siteswhere espionage events occurred andrelating to him the inner life of a CIAoperative.

After a recent film lecture, I wasapproached by a member of the audiencewho noted that Sandra Bullock, nominatedfor Best Actress for 2013’s Gravity andwho spent her high school years inArlington, has direct ties toFredericksburg. Sandra’s mother, HelgaMathilde Meyer, a popular opera singer,was a voice teacher who drove down to, atthe time, Mary Washington College formany years to teach enthusiastic studentsthe fine art of singing.

Now that these 17 lectures are over,I am preparing a monumental series onthe top 14 film auteurs, or directors inmotion picture history. The first will be onCharlie Chaplin on April 2 at the CentralRappahannock Regional Library on 1201Caroline Street. John Ford, Orson Wellsand Alfred Hitchcock will follow.

Gary Olsen offers a plethora of filminsights with the purpose that

Fredericksburg movie goers will be the most knowledgeablecinematic experts in the world.

SupportingLocal

ArtistsSince 1997


There is a lot of discussion in theworld about talent, aptitude, “luck”,attitude, and due diligence. Combine thatwith the intangible wills of fate, the popculture connotation of karma, and thegeneral obstacles our jungles mightcreate, and it truly is a wonder anyone inthe darned world would pursue a career inart or music.

Then there are the hearts,quietly, yet steadily, beating true to therhythm of their own souls. The hearts arelistening for the next beat with which topulse, the pulse of the dream and thedestiny.

Tyler Lubore is one of thesehearts. He is a focused, dedicated,talented, and capable young man – aRenaissance man in the making, even-working tirelessly in his art to carve hisplace.

He earned a Bachelor’s in music,with a minor in English, at the Universityof Virginia (in three years), and iscurrently in finishing his second semesterof the University of Mary Washington’sMBA program.

Lubore began playing thesaxophone and taking lessons with ForteMusic Studio owner, Young Devereaux,and continued to study with Jeff Deckerprivately at UVA and perform underD’earth in the UVA Jazz Ensemble. Luboreis currently performing with the UMW jazzensemble under Doug Gately.

He is in purposeful pursuit ofbeing a career musician, experimentingwith popular genres and variousinstrumentalists to develop a unique,accessible sound with his current group,The Lubore Band. This includes collegiatepals Jeremy Hook on guitar, Devin Sullivanon keys, and Alex Rodriguez on bass. Thequartet performs everything from thecurrent Sam Smith’s Stay to their originalinstrumental jazz rock compositions. It isfresh fusion in the makin’, if they aren’tcareful.

“I want to develop my ownmusical voice and take all of thesedisparate influences that I have to tell astory that people can connect with and digin a real way, and to help them dance inthe process.”

Yep. Not to mention the guy isincredibly well read and knowledgeable,and has one of the most positive attitudesaround.

The Lubore Band is one to watchand witness.

Catch The Lubore Band,Wednesday, January 7, 2015 at TheFredericksburg Art Collective Showcase. Visit Tyler Lubore Music on Facebook formore dates!

(When you see him perform, givehim a high five. He deserves it. )

Ashleigh Chevalier is a Blues/Jazz/RockMusican-Vocalist, Songwriter, Music &

Media Journalist and, a mother living inFredericksburg


FXBG Music SceneTyler Lubore

by Ashleigh Chevalier

Advanced Dental Careof FredericksburgCall Us at 540-891-9911

Because we care for you!www.virginiadental4u.com

10524 Spotsylvania Ave. Ste #104 Fredericksburg, VA

$599Crown

With this Coupon only for non-insuredpatients. Not valid with other offers or


$699 Per Arch Full

Denture/PartialWith this Coupon only for non-insuredpatients. Not valid with other offers or


HollyBurgArea’s past recognized by oscars

By gary olsen

FXBG Goes HollywoodFXBG Antique Dealer supplies props

By Susan Larson

Barbara Watkins’ passion isantiques. Never did she imagine she’dcontribute to a major motion picture.

An ordinary Saturday working atthe Fredericksburg Antique Mall became aday Barbara Watkins and CharleneTrueman will never forget.

“We were very busy and weren’tpaying much attention to these two menuntil they began piling vast amounts ofantiques up on the counter,” Watkins said.“We were running out of room on thecounter and we were thinking — what inthe world is going on? This isn’t our usual,typical customer!”

Watkins (Barbara WatkinsAntiques) and Trueman (CharleneTrueman Antiques) each have a space inthe Fredericksburg Antique Mall.

“Finally we said to them, ‘Youlook like you have a game plan here;there’s something you’re working on,’”Watkins said. “And for some reason itpopped into my head — a movie, a stageproduction, they’re looking for props. Andone of the men said, ‘Yes, we are. As amatter of fact, Steven Spielberg is workingon a movie.”

That man was set decorator JimErickson and the movie was “Lincoln”.

“‘We’re finding lots of things inyour shop, but we’re really just gettingstarted here in Virginia,’ he told us,”Watkins said.

“When they were finished andchecked out to the tune of — I don’t knowwhat, but most of the dealers in the shopwere pleased, especially me, I asked thegentlemen what else they were specificallylooking for,” Watkins said.

Watkins, who specializes in 18thand 19th century antiques, had items ather home that interested the setdecorator, and he made an appointmentto visit a week later.

“He came to my home with hisassistant and started purchasing thingsoff the walls, off the floor, or asking me ifthey were for sale,” Watkins said. “Andsince I’m of a certain age where I need tobe downsizing, most things were for sale,”she laughed.

Erickson kept in touch withWatkins for a while, and she recommend

other places for him to find props.“He was very well informed,” Watkinssaid.

“He had in his head what heneeded and wanted. I never saw himpull out a list and cross things off,”she said. “He was entirely doing thisfrom his own knowledge. He’d been acollector of antiques for many years,so he knew what was right and whatwasn’t. And he had instructions fromDreamWorks concerning each scene,”she said.

When the movie was released,Watkins was surprised how difficult it wasto identify “her” items in the film.

“They bought all this from meand from our shop and it’s going to justpop out at me I thought,” Watkins said. “Itwas a harder search to find things that Iremembered because they had so much inthe film.”

“I saw a set of chairs I sold himand I believe he used one print of GeorgeWashington I sold him,” Watkins said. Shesaid attorneys for the film called toconfirm the print was an authenticantique. “The chairs were in many sceneswhere the men were sitting around thetables having their meetings,” she said.

Watkins plans to watch the movieagain on DVD so that she can stop andstart and look more closely at the scenedecor. “There are lots of things [in themovie] that you just wouldn’t notice orcould tell were yours — quilts, baskets,jugs — primitive things that were in thescenes of the more modest properties.”

Watkins, who works as anassistant reference librarian at CentralRappahannock Regional Library, wonderedif she might have a chance to repurchaseanything when the filming was completed.Erickson told her no; everything would beshipped to massive warehouses inHollywood.

“Little shops and little townsdon’t frequently touch fame,” saidWatkins, who also sells from a showcase inNew Oxford Antiques Center inPennsylvania. “It was very exciting and weall had a lot of fun.”

Watch the Video (4 mins): StevenSpielberg Talks about Lincoln in Virginia.

www.virginia.org/Lincoln/


This story was first published onFredericksburg[dot]Today.


The Fredericksburg area’s directconnection to my 17 lectures on TheAcademy Awards and The Nominations isindisputable. Throughout the year myresearch has revealed that the area ismore responsible for the talent,craftsmanship and topics that are thebasis of celluloid’s top annual prize than,with the exception of Southern California,any other region in the country.

Three films that I had discussed inmy last presentation showed thatFredericksburg was directly linked to whathad been the most influential films in the past three years.

2013’s Best Picture, 12 Years ASlave, was based on New York blackfreeman Solomon Northup, who wasoffered a short gig in Washington, D.C.Trouble was slavery was still legal inWashington and hosted one of the largestslave markets in the country. Drugged andsold by the two who lured him to D.C.,Northup was sold to a slave trader, who, inthe shadows of the U.S. Capitol, sold thefreeman for, in today’s dollars, $27,000.Shipped to Louisiana, his 12-year ordealeventually became an autobiographywhich film director Steve McQueen readand became obsessed about. His effortsresulted in the most talked about film ofthat year.

Fredericksburg movie goersrecognized several area locations whenviewing Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln,nominated for Best Picture in 2012. Themovie, concentrating on the last monthsof Lincoln’s life and his efforts to haveCongress pass the 13th Amendmentbanning slavery, was filmed in nearbyRichmond and Petersburg. Spielberginsisted upon historical accuracy for thefilm and he couldn’t be any happier withhis scouting team. Filming for 55 days inVirginia, Spielberg used the Virginia StateCapitol for the U.S. Capitol and the White House. What has to be the biggest irony ofany location ever used in film history, thescenes of Congress’s debates on theAmendment were shot in the statecapitol’s House of Delegates, the samebuilding that housed the ConfederateStates’ Congress during the Civil War. Andprops for the movie were supplied byFXBG antique dealers!

Spielberg’s film crews bouncedaround Richmond’s Executive Mansion,the Virginia Repertory Center, Maymontas well as several locals in Petersburg,Mechanicsville, Goochland and State Farmin Powhatan for the battlefield scenes.

Fast forward 115 years to the IranHostage Crises, the period 2012’s BestPicture, Argo, focuses in on. Ben Affleck

plays a CIA agent who poses as a Canadianfilm producer to extract six Americanhostages from Iran in 1980. The real CIAagent, Tony Mendez, has local ties to thearea in that he worked in Virginia for theCompany. In addition, he is a foundingboard member for D.C.’s International SpyMuseum, where you can see items he usedon the so-called “Canadian Caper.” ForArgo’s preparation, Mendez met withAffleck in Washington, taking him to siteswhere espionage events occurred andrelating to him the inner life of a CIAoperative.

After a recent film lecture, I wasapproached by a member of the audiencewho noted that Sandra Bullock, nominatedfor Best Actress for 2013’s Gravity andwho spent her high school years inArlington, has direct ties toFredericksburg. Sandra’s mother, HelgaMathilde Meyer, a popular opera singer,was a voice teacher who drove down to, atthe time, Mary Washington College formany years to teach enthusiastic studentsthe fine art of singing.

Now that these 17 lectures are over,I am preparing a monumental series onthe top 14 film auteurs, or directors inmotion picture history. The first will be onCharlie Chaplin on April 2 at the CentralRappahannock Regional Library on 1201Caroline Street. John Ford, Orson Wellsand Alfred Hitchcock will follow.

Gary Olsen offers a plethora of filminsights with the purpose that

Fredericksburg movie goers will be the most knowledgeablecinematic experts in the world.

SupportingLocal

ArtistsSince 1997



810 Caroline Street(540) 371-5684

Give a Child Something to Think About

Books, Games, Amusing Novelties

M-Sat. 10am-6pm; Sun. 1pm-4pm

Amati, Guarneri, Stradivarius, ohmy! Bill and Elaine Mason run Wm MasonII, a full service violin shop specializing inlessons, bow rehairing, repair work, andnow, violin design andcraftsmanship. Together with six interns,the Masons hope to put Fredericksburg onthe map as a premier location foraffordable, handcrafted violins, violas, andcellos.

No novice luthier, Bill Masonspent four years in Pennsylvania under thetutelage of master makers Ed Campbelland Nelson Steffy, followed by anotheryear with master maker OdedKishony. Mason is on the board of theSouthern Violin Association and is on thenew professional program committee withthe Violin Society of America. While areamusic teachers and musicians may know ofthe Masons’ shop, many locals areunaware of the evolution it has undergonesince opening seven years ago. ElaineMason describes the shop’s progress, “Westarted off with repair work, and then weadded the rental program. Two of ourinterns approached us about makinginstruments, and that’s what led us todeveloping our own line of violins that wemake here in the shop.” Bill Masoncontinues, “We have started The ViolinMaking Studio of Virginia where we’ve puttogether a program that allows interns tospend three years making fiveinstruments.”

Bill stresses the educationalenvironment of the shop, and it is evidentthat everything done here is focused onlearning. Climbing the stairs to the lessonand work spaces, one is surrounded byBill’s Violin Hall of Fame adorned withinformative posters and artworkhighlighting famous violins. He says theemphasis of the internship program is thestudy of the history of violin makingthrough the families of master luthiersand archetiers from Italy, Germany, andEngland. He ruminates, “The first steps to

making a violin involve drawing atemplate, so geometry, fine art,science, acoustics, physics, and evenchemistry are involved.”

At the top of the stairs is a longroom papered with the family trees ofOld Italian masters and lined withwork spaces. Working this afternoonare interns Indy Raccanello, ChristinaWan, and Bob McKelvey. Raccancello isworking on a 16 5/8 viola. He says, “Istarted by working on a violin andsome odds and ends, and I worked onmy own bass for a while. Recently, Istarted this viola, so this is a newproject and I’m really excited and amlearning a lot.” Mason motions to therib set and mold that Raccancello willuse for his viola and explains, “Theseviolins are really personal to the

maker, as compared to buying a copy.”Christina Wan (below) is working

on scrolls for the necks of her violins. Shestarts with a long block of wood andwhittles it down with gouges, chisels, and

knives. She points to three scrolls andshows a finished one, explaining, “Theseare the three I’m working on right now. Iuse templates to draw the lines, and fromthere I make the cuts. I play the violin ina couple of orchestras in D.C., and Iwanted to try something new. I didn’tknow much about violin shop; it’s verydifferent from the performance. I starteddoing bow rehairing back in 2012, andbeing in this environment, Bill asked if Iwould like to try making a violin. I’velearned a lot, and it’s been a greatexperience.”

Bob McKelvey(right) has beenworking on three models from a Stradivaridesign for a little over a year. He holds upthe third violin that has not beenvarnished and then walks over to a cabinetto show two varnished violins hanging inUV light to dry. He explains, “So these arein the process of getting theirvarnish. They’ve been strung up andplayed for a little bit, and we’ve got good

results on these. I wasexperimenting with a couple ofdifferent arch heights. Next, I’ll bestarting a viola. I’ve got the piecesgathered. I’ve been working on thismodel, which is a 1649 NicolaAmati, and I’m just now getting mycorner blocks in place and workingmy lumber down to where I’m readyto start.”

Bill (right) leads the wayinto the next room, a narrowworkspace with walls lined top tobottom with shelves holding allmanner of resins and bottles formaking varnish. He holds up abottle, saying, “We make our ownvarnish here, and I melt anddissolve my own resins. Not verymany painters make their ownpaint.” Elaine chimes in, “They usedto.” Bill responds, “My wife is an artistand jewelry maker, by the way.”

Elaine, who studied art andsculpture in college and had a long careerin graphic design, picks up her latestdesign from the table beside her, “It’s beenexciting, because this year I’ve been sellingmore jewelry. People will come in withtheir kids and see the jewelry and think,‘Ah, presents!’ We’re doing so well that Iactually have a young woman workingwith me part time. We’re currently tryingto create a line of jewelry using violinbridges. We’ve made bun sticks, too. All ofthis line of jewelry will be related to theviolin.”

Bill Mason says that he would liketo see their line of Made in Fredericksburgviolins rolling out of the shop early thisyear, “Not only do we have hand craftedmodels, but we’re also going to haveanother line that will be made in more of

an assembly environment here in theshop.” He opens the door to a small roomacross from the work space and shows a

DupliCarver machine that will help themenhance the new line. He says, “This is atemplate of an Amati, and with thismachine we will rough out the tops andthe backs. From here, they will go backinto the larger workroom to get their ribsand necks attached and varnished. We aregoing to sell outfits – Amati and Guarneri,Made in Fredericksburg. We would like totarget anywhere from $600-$800 becausewe want them to be affordable - abeautiful, locally handmade instrumentfor a nice price.”

Bill says that at this stage, hisgoal is to create personal relationshipswith the players in our area. He sees a gapbetween players and makers, and heinvites players of all stages to visit andwatch what they are doing. He envisionsthese visits, “We need a lot of input andfeedback from the musicians to enhancewhat we are doing here, so I would love tocreate a relationship with our localPhilharmonic, Rappahannock Pops, theRappahannock Youth Symphony, and localquartets. I believe that once we get themin the door and they see the passion andseriousness of what we’re doing, we couldestablish an enduring relationship.”

Elaine Mason nods, “You know,it’s easy to order a violin from somewhereand sell it to someone, like buying a coat,but if Bob or Christina or Indy makes aviolin, and the person buying it comes inand says, ‘I’d like to have this kind of woodor a one-piece back, or this much flame, orthese kinds of pegs, and they get into thepersonalization of it, it’s going to be awhole different ballgame.”

Visit Bill and Elaine Mason at509-1 Jackson Street in downtownFredericksburg, or contact them at (540)645-7498 or onlineat www.wmmasonviolinshop.com .

A.E. Bayne is a teacher, writer, and artistliving in Fredericksburg, VA.

Poetry CornerMade in Fredericksburg Violin shop to be a premiere stop for Virginia’s virtuosos

By A. E. Bayne

RAPPAHANNOCKMAJESTIC & HISTORIC

Own The MovieA 40-minute film with aerial and

underwater photography thattells the story of the

Rappahannock River from theBlue Ridge Mountains

to the Chesapeake Bay.

DVD $14.95; Members $11.96www.riverfriends.org

540-373-34483219 Fall Hill Ave.

Hope is a SeasonHope is a Season- By James H. Twiford

As cold wind north brings seasons changeso God’s pallet does trees flame,falling leaves must be moved, rake and muscle and people few

Wood smoke from chimneys riseportends winter’s crisp bite.Squirrels abound to gather foodto make it through the long cold night.

A pile of leaves, a child’s sweet laugh.as geese fly south from natures grasp.

A year has gone, a new one comes,a hope, a wish, a feeling strongthat love and peace to us belong.

You Walk With MeYou Walk With Me- By David Yazbek

Is it the wind, over my shoulder?Is it the wind that I hear gently whispering?Are you alone, there in the valley?No not alone for you walk, you walk with me

Is it the wind there, over my shoulder?Is it your voice calling quietly?Over the hilltop, down in the valleyNever alone for you walk with me

When evening falls and the air gets colderWhen shadows cover the road I am followingWill I be alone there in the darkness?No, not alone, not alone and I'll never be

Never alone you are walkingYou're walking with me

Is it the wind there, over my shoulder?Is it your voice calling quietly?Over the hilltop, down in the valleyNever alone for you walk with meOver the hilltop, down in the valleyNever alone for you walk with me

Never alone for you walk with me

Fallen StarFallen Star- By Frank Fratoe

A bloom turned to orange divesfrom the topbranch of asycamore,but vines surrounding the trunkstill ruffle green in autumn air.

Another life has descended nowfalling and joining the subsoil,then to wait under winter coveruntil March brings an elevation.

It will become an aura of lightoutdistancing the deepest hour,where horizon can appear to makethe earth and sky blend as one.


810 Caroline Street(540) 371-5684

Give a Child Something to Think About

Books, Games, Amusing Novelties

M-Sat. 10am-6pm; Sun. 1pm-4pm

Amati, Guarneri, Stradivarius, ohmy! Bill and Elaine Mason run Wm MasonII, a full service violin shop specializing inlessons, bow rehairing, repair work, andnow, violin design andcraftsmanship. Together with six interns,the Masons hope to put Fredericksburg onthe map as a premier location foraffordable, handcrafted violins, violas, andcellos.

No novice luthier, Bill Masonspent four years in Pennsylvania under thetutelage of master makers Ed Campbelland Nelson Steffy, followed by anotheryear with master maker OdedKishony. Mason is on the board of theSouthern Violin Association and is on thenew professional program committee withthe Violin Society of America. While areamusic teachers and musicians may know ofthe Masons’ shop, many locals areunaware of the evolution it has undergonesince opening seven years ago. ElaineMason describes the shop’s progress, “Westarted off with repair work, and then weadded the rental program. Two of ourinterns approached us about makinginstruments, and that’s what led us todeveloping our own line of violins that wemake here in the shop.” Bill Masoncontinues, “We have started The ViolinMaking Studio of Virginia where we’ve puttogether a program that allows interns tospend three years making fiveinstruments.”

Bill stresses the educationalenvironment of the shop, and it is evidentthat everything done here is focused onlearning. Climbing the stairs to the lessonand work spaces, one is surrounded byBill’s Violin Hall of Fame adorned withinformative posters and artworkhighlighting famous violins. He says theemphasis of the internship program is thestudy of the history of violin makingthrough the families of master luthiersand archetiers from Italy, Germany, andEngland. He ruminates, “The first steps to

making a violin involve drawing atemplate, so geometry, fine art,science, acoustics, physics, and evenchemistry are involved.”

At the top of the stairs is a longroom papered with the family trees ofOld Italian masters and lined withwork spaces. Working this afternoonare interns Indy Raccanello, ChristinaWan, and Bob McKelvey. Raccancello isworking on a 16 5/8 viola. He says, “Istarted by working on a violin andsome odds and ends, and I worked onmy own bass for a while. Recently, Istarted this viola, so this is a newproject and I’m really excited and amlearning a lot.” Mason motions to therib set and mold that Raccancello willuse for his viola and explains, “Theseviolins are really personal to the

maker, as compared to buying a copy.”Christina Wan (below) is working

on scrolls for the necks of her violins. Shestarts with a long block of wood andwhittles it down with gouges, chisels, and

knives. She points to three scrolls andshows a finished one, explaining, “Theseare the three I’m working on right now. Iuse templates to draw the lines, and fromthere I make the cuts. I play the violin ina couple of orchestras in D.C., and Iwanted to try something new. I didn’tknow much about violin shop; it’s verydifferent from the performance. I starteddoing bow rehairing back in 2012, andbeing in this environment, Bill asked if Iwould like to try making a violin. I’velearned a lot, and it’s been a greatexperience.”

Bob McKelvey(right) has beenworking on three models from a Stradivaridesign for a little over a year. He holds upthe third violin that has not beenvarnished and then walks over to a cabinetto show two varnished violins hanging inUV light to dry. He explains, “So these arein the process of getting theirvarnish. They’ve been strung up andplayed for a little bit, and we’ve got good

results on these. I wasexperimenting with a couple ofdifferent arch heights. Next, I’ll bestarting a viola. I’ve got the piecesgathered. I’ve been working on thismodel, which is a 1649 NicolaAmati, and I’m just now getting mycorner blocks in place and workingmy lumber down to where I’m readyto start.”

Bill (right) leads the wayinto the next room, a narrowworkspace with walls lined top tobottom with shelves holding allmanner of resins and bottles formaking varnish. He holds up abottle, saying, “We make our ownvarnish here, and I melt anddissolve my own resins. Not verymany painters make their ownpaint.” Elaine chimes in, “They usedto.” Bill responds, “My wife is an artistand jewelry maker, by the way.”

Elaine, who studied art andsculpture in college and had a long careerin graphic design, picks up her latestdesign from the table beside her, “It’s beenexciting, because this year I’ve been sellingmore jewelry. People will come in withtheir kids and see the jewelry and think,‘Ah, presents!’ We’re doing so well that Iactually have a young woman workingwith me part time. We’re currently tryingto create a line of jewelry using violinbridges. We’ve made bun sticks, too. All ofthis line of jewelry will be related to theviolin.”

Bill Mason says that he would liketo see their line of Made in Fredericksburgviolins rolling out of the shop early thisyear, “Not only do we have hand craftedmodels, but we’re also going to haveanother line that will be made in more of

an assembly environment here in theshop.” He opens the door to a small roomacross from the work space and shows a

DupliCarver machine that will help themenhance the new line. He says, “This is atemplate of an Amati, and with thismachine we will rough out the tops andthe backs. From here, they will go backinto the larger workroom to get their ribsand necks attached and varnished. We aregoing to sell outfits – Amati and Guarneri,Made in Fredericksburg. We would like totarget anywhere from $600-$800 becausewe want them to be affordable - abeautiful, locally handmade instrumentfor a nice price.”

Bill says that at this stage, hisgoal is to create personal relationshipswith the players in our area. He sees a gapbetween players and makers, and heinvites players of all stages to visit andwatch what they are doing. He envisionsthese visits, “We need a lot of input andfeedback from the musicians to enhancewhat we are doing here, so I would love tocreate a relationship with our localPhilharmonic, Rappahannock Pops, theRappahannock Youth Symphony, and localquartets. I believe that once we get themin the door and they see the passion andseriousness of what we’re doing, we couldestablish an enduring relationship.”

Elaine Mason nods, “You know,it’s easy to order a violin from somewhereand sell it to someone, like buying a coat,but if Bob or Christina or Indy makes aviolin, and the person buying it comes inand says, ‘I’d like to have this kind of woodor a one-piece back, or this much flame, orthese kinds of pegs, and they get into thepersonalization of it, it’s going to be awhole different ballgame.”

Visit Bill and Elaine Mason at509-1 Jackson Street in downtownFredericksburg, or contact them at (540)645-7498 or onlineat www.wmmasonviolinshop.com .

A.E. Bayne is a teacher, writer, and artistliving in Fredericksburg, VA.

Poetry CornerMade in Fredericksburg Violin shop to be a premiere stop for Virginia’s virtuosos

By A. E. Bayne

RAPPAHANNOCKMAJESTIC & HISTORIC

Own The MovieA 40-minute film with aerial and

underwater photography thattells the story of the

Rappahannock River from theBlue Ridge Mountains

to the Chesapeake Bay.

DVD $14.95; Members $11.96www.riverfriends.org

540-373-34483219 Fall Hill Ave.

Hope is a SeasonHope is a Season- By James H. Twiford

As cold wind north brings seasons changeso God’s pallet does trees flame,falling leaves must be moved, rake and muscle and people few

Wood smoke from chimneys riseportends winter’s crisp bite.Squirrels abound to gather foodto make it through the long cold night.

A pile of leaves, a child’s sweet laugh.as geese fly south from natures grasp.

A year has gone, a new one comes,a hope, a wish, a feeling strongthat love and peace to us belong.

You Walk With MeYou Walk With Me- By David Yazbek

Is it the wind, over my shoulder?Is it the wind that I hear gently whispering?Are you alone, there in the valley?No not alone for you walk, you walk with me

Is it the wind there, over my shoulder?Is it your voice calling quietly?Over the hilltop, down in the valleyNever alone for you walk with me

When evening falls and the air gets colderWhen shadows cover the road I am followingWill I be alone there in the darkness?No, not alone, not alone and I'll never be

Never alone you are walkingYou're walking with me

Is it the wind there, over my shoulder?Is it your voice calling quietly?Over the hilltop, down in the valleyNever alone for you walk with meOver the hilltop, down in the valleyNever alone for you walk with me

Never alone for you walk with me

Fallen StarFallen Star- By Frank Fratoe

A bloom turned to orange divesfrom the topbranch of asycamore,but vines surrounding the trunkstill ruffle green in autumn air.

Another life has descended nowfalling and joining the subsoil,then to wait under winter coveruntil March brings an elevation.

It will become an aura of lightoutdistancing the deepest hour,where horizon can appear to makethe earth and sky blend as one.

Joseph Hensley, Jr. grew up inGreensboro, NC attended the NC School ofScience and Mathematics, At UNC ChapelHill, he earned a BA in philosophy. He is a

graduate of Virginia TheologicalSeminary.

Joe worked with the DisputeSettlement Center of Orange Countyas a conflict mediator and trainer,working especially with youth,educators, and parents. And, anAssistant Rector at St. Luke’s, Durham,NC.

While at VTS, he completed atwo-year internship with Church ofthe Epiphany in Washington, D.C.,which included learning a great dealfrom Epiphany’s homeless

parishioners. He has been active inleadership roles beyond the parishincluding as a member of the EpiscopalDiocese of NC Council, the Boards ofDirectors of Durham Congregations InAction, Glory Ridge Ministries and theHuman Kindness Foundation.

Over the years, Joe has workedindependently as a conference musician,spiritual retreat leader, meetingfacilitator, juggler, and clown.

As a family, Joe and Sarah andchildren Lucy, Stella, and Owen enjoyexercise and being outside, making art andmusic, and nightly meals around thedinner table. Rev. Joe and his his familywill be arriving January 12, 2015.

WE welcome the Hensley familyto our community.

Contributed by St. George SearchCommittee

One can never pay in gratitude: one canonly pay “in kind” somewhere else in life.

~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

It happens every year. As the NewYear approaches, we are inundated withcalls for a new year’s resolution. Will wefocus on self-improvement, career,education, health? As 2015 approached Iwas looking for something to do thatwould be different, fulfilling, caring, andloving.

Many years ago, as a singlemother of three children, life was verydifficult. It was astruggle to work fulltime, commute eachday, and still be a goodmother. One of mychildren had chronicillnesses, and at timesthe medical costs taxedmy resources to thepoint that I had noidea how I would beable to pay the bills. Itook in typing andediting jobs, but evenwith these odd jobs, there were timeswhen I was going to be short on payingbills. I didn’t talk about my problems withfriends or family – in my mind, this wasmy struggle, and I had to deal with it onmy own. Each time, when things wereapproaching the breaking point,something unexpectedhappened. Sometimes, a bonus from myjob would come just in time. At othertimes, a gift for my birthday or Christmaswould be enough to get us out of thered. One particular year, it was nowhere

near my birthday; I couldn’t take in anyextra work because the kids were sick. Itseemed that there was no way we weregoing to make it. And then, somethingwonderful happened. A couple of myfriends, unbeknownst to me, paid all ofour utilities, as a gift of love. They wouldnot let me pay them back, and told methat someday, when things were better, tohelp someone else – that I would knowwhen that opportunity came.

So as the New Year approached,and I was trying to come up with ameaningful resolution, it hit me. I am amember of an online “pay it forward”group in my community. We give things toothers that we no longer use. What if, Ireasoned, I gave a skill or talent tosomeone? What if, I gave it to a whole lot

of someones? A fewyears ago, I was laid upat the house withpneumonia and had todo something or gocrazy. So, I ordered asewing machine andtaught myself to sew.And that, my friends, iswhat I will be doing thisyear. Sewing blankets,and burp cloths formothers in need whoare members of the

local pay it forward group. I already havea list of 15 expectant mothers who will begiving birth after the beginning of theyear, one to twins. In addition, I also willbe sewing for a cancer patient who needschemo hats and a lap blanket. As othersare added to the list, I’ll be a busy littleseamstress! What will you be doing thisyear to help others?

Jo Loving is busily gathering fabric andnotions for her 2015 Pay it Forward

Projects. She looks forward to helpingothers in a new way.


It is often in our darkest hourthat we experience true selflessness fromthose around us. So it was for theOughton family between 2005 and 2007,when their youngest, Grace, was diagnosedwith Neuroblastoma, a rare cancer thatmost often strikes children under fiveyears of age. It was during these twoyears, amidst leaving jobs and movingcloser to specialty centers in Boston andNew York, that the Oughtons experiencedan outpouring of kindness from Alec’scoworkers in Henrico County, the likes ofwhich they had never expected. Thisculminated in the establishment of TheGrace Oughton Cancer Foundation.

After Grace’s passing in Octoberof 2007, Alec Oughton and his wifeKrystal found themselves in a unique setof circumstances, “Krystal and I had todecide whether we were we going to putour blinders back on and end ourrelationship with cancer, or would we takethis thing on and pay forward theassistance that people gave to us? Wechose option B, acquiring the foundationin January of 2008. We’ve spent the pastseven years working to fill the gaps inservice that exist in the Fredericksburgarea.”

The foundation has grownthrough partnerships and fundraisingevents, but their main goal has alwaysbeen one of free service to families ofchildren who are experiencinghematological or oncologicaldisorders. Oughton says, “We’re grassroots. We have a primary office inFredericksburg, and the lion’s share ofmoney stays right here in the communitybecause it’s where we offer services. Wehave a lot of exciting fundraising events,like The Race for Grace, sponsorship in ViaColori, Sissy’s Dance, and the Bartender’sBall, but each event’s purpose is to bringin revenue so we can have a clinicalcoordinator and an education programmanager, and we can have the projectmanagers that run the differentprograms. Every service we provide is afree to those in need, and all of it comesthrough fundraising. We don’t get any

money from co-pays or insurance or thefamilies.”

The foundation offers a varietyof programs for all areas of need. Theyprovide financial grants, run emotionalsupport groups for siblings, and offertutoring for children undergoingtreatment. The foundation teamed upwith Ron Rosner YMCA to create awellness program that trains personaltrainers to work with children to addressmusculoskeletal or cardiovascular healthand maintenance during and aftertreatment. Recently, they established apartnership with a commercial airlinepilot to take children to remoteappointments, knocking out painful day-long car trips.

One program that is near toOughton’s heart, though, is thefoundation’s mobile lab project. It has adual purpose: to offer quick access to CBCsand other blood tests, a process that cantake an entire day if a child has to travelnorth to NOVA or south to Richmond tohave it done, and as a registration pointfor bone marrow donors. Oughtondescribes the lab’s importance to familiesfacing these challenges, “When blood workis required, which can be often, familiesare separated, parents miss work, andschool-aged children miss classes. Really,it’s the simplest of procedures - a fingerstick and a five minute calculation todetermine whether the child will need atransfusion. If they need the procedure,we contact their physician; if not, they’reout of there in ten minutes.” Additionally,Oughton says that the lab has registered150 bone marrow donors, people who willhelp to save lives when they are matchedwith sick patients.

To families who need assistance,Oughton emphasizes, “We want to makepeople aware we are here and we’re in itfor the long-haul.” If you would like to getinvolved or make a donation, check outThe Grace Oughton Cancer Foundation’swebsite: thegocf.org .

A.E. Bayne is a teacher, writer, andartist living in Fredericksburg.

Legacy of Hopegrace oughton cancer foundation

By A.E.Bayne

Fredericksburg SketchesA visual Celebration of our community

By Casey Alan Shaw

From My Porchpaying it forward...

one stitch at a time

By Jo Loving

SKETCH #3: View from Chatham Heights.

With a new year beginning comes the opportunity for a fresh perspective and a fresh start. That’s what this sketch symbolizes for me and

that’s why I chose it for January.I first created this drawing last summer. In the Fall, it was chosen as a design

to grace the Downtown Gift Cards. I also used it as the basis for a larger 3-D piece Ipremiered at Art First in November. At that show, someone casually mentioned to me,

“You know, all those trees are gone now.” It was hard to believe. I had studied thisimage and lived with it for so long it had become ingrained in my mind. But, sure

enough, when I visited Chatham Manor later that week, the trees were gone . . . andthe sweeping view overlooking the City of Fredericksburg had been transformed. Ifyou haven’t made a recent trip to Chatham to take in the new view, you should.

2015 has already proven to be like that for me. Parts of my life I hadcarefully tended, that had flourished and grown, are now gone. They were importantand beautiful, but they did obscure a larger, more sweeping view. I’m excited to see

what the new perspective will bring in the new year.

Casey Alan Shaw is a local artist. He exhibits his original artwork at Art First Gallery.

[email protected]

212 William Street,Fredericksburg540-373-5513

Mon-Fri 9:30-6; Sat 9:30-5

FredericksburgTime Co.

Exclusively at

Your Hometown JewelerSince 1940

Every Child Deserves A Family

Learn about our adoption opportunitiesDomestic & International

301-587-4400 Cradle of Hope Adoption Center

Meet Reverend Joseph H. Hensley, JrSt. George Episcopal Church new rector

606 Caroline Street Old Town Fredericksburg

373-7847 www.gemstonecreations.org

Tuesday - Saturday 10-5 Wednesday 10-6:30

Where Fredericksburg Gets Engaged Call for Holiday Hours

Joseph Hensley, Jr. grew up inGreensboro, NC attended the NC School ofScience and Mathematics, At UNC ChapelHill, he earned a BA in philosophy. He is a

graduate of Virginia TheologicalSeminary.

Joe worked with the DisputeSettlement Center of Orange Countyas a conflict mediator and trainer,working especially with youth,educators, and parents. And, anAssistant Rector at St. Luke’s, Durham,NC.

While at VTS, he completed atwo-year internship with Church ofthe Epiphany in Washington, D.C.,which included learning a great dealfrom Epiphany’s homeless

parishioners. He has been active inleadership roles beyond the parishincluding as a member of the EpiscopalDiocese of NC Council, the Boards ofDirectors of Durham Congregations InAction, Glory Ridge Ministries and theHuman Kindness Foundation.

Over the years, Joe has workedindependently as a conference musician,spiritual retreat leader, meetingfacilitator, juggler, and clown.

As a family, Joe and Sarah andchildren Lucy, Stella, and Owen enjoyexercise and being outside, making art andmusic, and nightly meals around thedinner table. Rev. Joe and his his familywill be arriving January 12, 2015.

WE welcome the Hensley familyto our community.

Contributed by St. George SearchCommittee

One can never pay in gratitude: one canonly pay “in kind” somewhere else in life.

~Anne Morrow Lindbergh

It happens every year. As the NewYear approaches, we are inundated withcalls for a new year’s resolution. Will wefocus on self-improvement, career,education, health? As 2015 approached Iwas looking for something to do thatwould be different, fulfilling, caring, andloving.

Many years ago, as a singlemother of three children, life was verydifficult. It was astruggle to work fulltime, commute eachday, and still be a goodmother. One of mychildren had chronicillnesses, and at timesthe medical costs taxedmy resources to thepoint that I had noidea how I would beable to pay the bills. Itook in typing andediting jobs, but evenwith these odd jobs, there were timeswhen I was going to be short on payingbills. I didn’t talk about my problems withfriends or family – in my mind, this wasmy struggle, and I had to deal with it onmy own. Each time, when things wereapproaching the breaking point,something unexpectedhappened. Sometimes, a bonus from myjob would come just in time. At othertimes, a gift for my birthday or Christmaswould be enough to get us out of thered. One particular year, it was nowhere

near my birthday; I couldn’t take in anyextra work because the kids were sick. Itseemed that there was no way we weregoing to make it. And then, somethingwonderful happened. A couple of myfriends, unbeknownst to me, paid all ofour utilities, as a gift of love. They wouldnot let me pay them back, and told methat someday, when things were better, tohelp someone else – that I would knowwhen that opportunity came.

So as the New Year approached,and I was trying to come up with ameaningful resolution, it hit me. I am amember of an online “pay it forward”group in my community. We give things toothers that we no longer use. What if, Ireasoned, I gave a skill or talent tosomeone? What if, I gave it to a whole lot

of someones? A fewyears ago, I was laid upat the house withpneumonia and had todo something or gocrazy. So, I ordered asewing machine andtaught myself to sew.And that, my friends, iswhat I will be doing thisyear. Sewing blankets,and burp cloths formothers in need whoare members of the

local pay it forward group. I already havea list of 15 expectant mothers who will begiving birth after the beginning of theyear, one to twins. In addition, I also willbe sewing for a cancer patient who needschemo hats and a lap blanket. As othersare added to the list, I’ll be a busy littleseamstress! What will you be doing thisyear to help others?

Jo Loving is busily gathering fabric andnotions for her 2015 Pay it Forward

Projects. She looks forward to helpingothers in a new way.


It is often in our darkest hourthat we experience true selflessness fromthose around us. So it was for theOughton family between 2005 and 2007,when their youngest, Grace, was diagnosedwith Neuroblastoma, a rare cancer thatmost often strikes children under fiveyears of age. It was during these twoyears, amidst leaving jobs and movingcloser to specialty centers in Boston andNew York, that the Oughtons experiencedan outpouring of kindness from Alec’scoworkers in Henrico County, the likes ofwhich they had never expected. Thisculminated in the establishment of TheGrace Oughton Cancer Foundation.

After Grace’s passing in Octoberof 2007, Alec Oughton and his wifeKrystal found themselves in a unique setof circumstances, “Krystal and I had todecide whether we were we going to putour blinders back on and end ourrelationship with cancer, or would we takethis thing on and pay forward theassistance that people gave to us? Wechose option B, acquiring the foundationin January of 2008. We’ve spent the pastseven years working to fill the gaps inservice that exist in the Fredericksburgarea.”

The foundation has grownthrough partnerships and fundraisingevents, but their main goal has alwaysbeen one of free service to families ofchildren who are experiencinghematological or oncologicaldisorders. Oughton says, “We’re grassroots. We have a primary office inFredericksburg, and the lion’s share ofmoney stays right here in the communitybecause it’s where we offer services. Wehave a lot of exciting fundraising events,like The Race for Grace, sponsorship in ViaColori, Sissy’s Dance, and the Bartender’sBall, but each event’s purpose is to bringin revenue so we can have a clinicalcoordinator and an education programmanager, and we can have the projectmanagers that run the differentprograms. Every service we provide is afree to those in need, and all of it comesthrough fundraising. We don’t get any

money from co-pays or insurance or thefamilies.”

The foundation offers a varietyof programs for all areas of need. Theyprovide financial grants, run emotionalsupport groups for siblings, and offertutoring for children undergoingtreatment. The foundation teamed upwith Ron Rosner YMCA to create awellness program that trains personaltrainers to work with children to addressmusculoskeletal or cardiovascular healthand maintenance during and aftertreatment. Recently, they established apartnership with a commercial airlinepilot to take children to remoteappointments, knocking out painful day-long car trips.

One program that is near toOughton’s heart, though, is thefoundation’s mobile lab project. It has adual purpose: to offer quick access to CBCsand other blood tests, a process that cantake an entire day if a child has to travelnorth to NOVA or south to Richmond tohave it done, and as a registration pointfor bone marrow donors. Oughtondescribes the lab’s importance to familiesfacing these challenges, “When blood workis required, which can be often, familiesare separated, parents miss work, andschool-aged children miss classes. Really,it’s the simplest of procedures - a fingerstick and a five minute calculation todetermine whether the child will need atransfusion. If they need the procedure,we contact their physician; if not, they’reout of there in ten minutes.” Additionally,Oughton says that the lab has registered150 bone marrow donors, people who willhelp to save lives when they are matchedwith sick patients.

To families who need assistance,Oughton emphasizes, “We want to makepeople aware we are here and we’re in itfor the long-haul.” If you would like to getinvolved or make a donation, check outThe Grace Oughton Cancer Foundation’swebsite: thegocf.org .

A.E. Bayne is a teacher, writer, andartist living in Fredericksburg.

Legacy of Hopegrace oughton cancer foundation

By A.E.Bayne

Fredericksburg SketchesA visual Celebration of our community

By Casey Alan Shaw

From My Porchpaying it forward...

one stitch at a time

By Jo Loving

SKETCH #3: View from Chatham Heights.

With a new year beginning comes the opportunity for a fresh perspective and a fresh start. That’s what this sketch symbolizes for me and

that’s why I chose it for January.I first created this drawing last summer. In the Fall, it was chosen as a design

to grace the Downtown Gift Cards. I also used it as the basis for a larger 3-D piece Ipremiered at Art First in November. At that show, someone casually mentioned to me,

“You know, all those trees are gone now.” It was hard to believe. I had studied thisimage and lived with it for so long it had become ingrained in my mind. But, sure

enough, when I visited Chatham Manor later that week, the trees were gone . . . andthe sweeping view overlooking the City of Fredericksburg had been transformed. Ifyou haven’t made a recent trip to Chatham to take in the new view, you should.

2015 has already proven to be like that for me. Parts of my life I hadcarefully tended, that had flourished and grown, are now gone. They were importantand beautiful, but they did obscure a larger, more sweeping view. I’m excited to see

what the new perspective will bring in the new year.

Casey Alan Shaw is a local artist. He exhibits his original artwork at Art First Gallery.

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Documents

Front Porch Fredericksburg - January 2015