The History Club USO Dance

Photo courtesy of Kate Babcock.

Each year, the Loudoun Valley History Club sends people flying through the air as they prepare for their annual USO Swing Dance, a dance set in the 1940′s to lift spirits before going off to war. “History clubbers” are taught East Coast Swing, a type of swing … Continue Reading

Blue Ridge Leader News – November 29, 2009

Budget- with giblets and gravy- a matter of thankfulness

Y’know, speakin’ of being grateful, folks in the County Seat can thank their lucky stars on one thing: as the county gets ready to go through its annual knock-down, drag-out budget rodeo during the appropriately hellish winter months, the powers-that-be in Leesburg … Continue Reading

Black Friday: Boom or Bust for Teens?

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, so is the day after: Black Friday — the one day when most Americans rush to the mall to find the hottest bargains.  As the economy continues to struggle with recession, retailers are stepping up their marketing techniques in hopes of making a steady profit; for many stores this includes … Continue Reading

Lending a Helping Hand

Volunteer, Mackenzie Grimard, Philip Ward, Zach Gingras, Robin Dezagottis, Sam Beglau, Robert Carter, Michael Carter, Hana Thurman. Back: Scott Grimard, Mrs. Renee Hancher. (Courtesy of Janice Rees)

On Saturday, November 21, 36 teenagers gathered at the St. Francis De Sales parking lot, before heading out to the surrounding community to rake leaves. These young Sunday school students, primarily eighth graders, were building up volunteer hours in order to make their confirmation, allowing them to be acknowledged as adults in the Catholic Church. The houses that were visited belonged to some of St. Francis’s senior parishioners, who would otherwise be left to tend to their yards alone. For some this would involve hours of work. The teenage volunteers, who were joined by ten adults, worked from one until five in the afternoon and were able to rake ten houses before leaving.

This is just one of many volunteer programs offered by St. Francis for those working towards confirmation, or who just want to lend a helping hand in the community. One of their biggest community service events takes place at the Volunteer Farm in Woodstock. There the volunteers prepare the fields and, in harvesting season, collect the produce from the farm, including potatoes, Lima beans, and peppers. The entire yield is sent towards local food banks. In December, the church will bring volunteers to Arlington Cemetery to lay Christmas reefs on the graves, one of the last volunteer opportunities for the year, honoring the deceased during the holiday season.

The volunteer events are organized by Janice Rees, the church’s coordinator of religious education, who has created many opportunities for the students to get their volunteer hours. While the events are church organized, they are not solely to benefit parishioners. In one community service event the volunteers bag lunches for poor families in Loudoun.

Though the church organized events make volunteer opportunities easier to find for some teenagers, there are still many secular service chances available to those who want to help support the community. The Blue Ridge Hospice and ReStore are two businesses in Purcellville that are always open to volunteer support and “Volunteer Loudoun” provides information about any local opportunities to volunteer.

Volunteering is a positive way to make an impact in the community and has personal benefits as well, including vast improvement to a college application for high school students. It is a great way to stay involved while helping out those in need.

Michael Carter is a student in his Junior year at Loudoun Valley High School and can be reached at msccarter@hotmail.com for any comments or questions.  Opinions are the sole responsibility of the author. Michael writes for his school newspaper “The Viking” and has also worked on “The Governor”, a summer news project. He is on his school’s cross country team and is active in his school’s student council.

Stop Sign Removal S. 32nd Street at Nursery Avenue

As determined by the Town Council Infrastructure Committee Meeting on September 28, the stop signs for the northbound and southbound lanes of S. 32nd Street (690 S), at the intersection with Nursery Avenue, will be removed by the Town Maintenance Department. The new traffic pattern will be effective beginning November 30, 2009. Motorists should watch for signage along Nursery Avenue prior to the intersection warning of the new traffic pattern.

The speed limit along S. 32nd Street (690S) will remain 25 mph. The radar sign that currently warns motorists that they are exceeding the speed limit will be relocated.

Since We’re All Here: Short, Painless Family Traditions

Meredith Bean McMath

November 21, 2009

Holidays tend to come and go in a whirlwind. As they fly by at 80 mph, we hear phrases such as “Don’t forget the meaning of the—,” “Make special family time for—,” “Holiday traditions can—.” And most of us contemplate these phrases and give serious time to consider their full meaning and import… right around the time we’re wrapping up leftovers.

But holidays are a rare window of opportunity: holiday feasts are the one time we can usually count on most of the family in one place and in a festive mood. This is our chance! I have some great traditions you might want to add to the table. I promise they don’t take much time and the benefits could last for years.

BEFORE THE MEAL: Go around the table and asking everyone what they’re thankful for. In a rough economy, it’s never a bad thing to remind ourselves of how much we’ve been blessed, and psychologists tell us the exercise is very, very good for us (check out this article from Psychology Today).

Prepare yourself: someone at the table will answer seriously, another will toss off a joke. Who cares? There are no right answers here.

AFTER THE MEAL: Play a parlor game. What… you don’t think your great-grandparents knew how to have fun?

Try one of these on – one size fits all ages!

a. The Neighbor’s Cat – Go around the table and have each person describe the cat with an adverb from each letter of the alphabet, i.e., Aunt Edna starts with “The minister’s cat is an ANGRY cat,” and Jimmy, Jr. says, “the Minister’s cat is a BALD cat.” Now, if the crowd doesn’t like Neighbor’s Cat, try Neighbor’s Dog or Horse, and if someone states a word that does not begin with the correct letter or claims they’re stumped, they have to pay a forfeit.

FORFEIT: This is the fun part. A forfeit is any completely foolish task — like having to sing Happy Birthday to yourself with your nose pinched shut, or having to ask three people a question to which you can only answer “yes” or “no,” but you have to give the answer before they ask the question. Sky’s the limit here.

b. “If You Love Me, Honey, Smile” — Someone at the table is designated “It.” They have to ask anyone at the table “If you love me Honey, smile.” The person must reply, “I love you honey, but I just can’t smile” – but the rule is they can’t smile as they answer. “It” goes around until someone at the table cracks a smile. When they crack, they have to pay a forfeit.

c. 21 Questions — “It” thinks of a famous person or character. The players have 21 questions in which to find out who they are. “Are you alive?” “Are you female?” etc. If no one guesses, “It” gets to choose a forfeit and make the whole table pay it or the victim of their choice.

d. Endless Story – A “Master Time-keeper” is designated to hold a bell. Someone begins a story — any story with any characters — and they tell the tale for one minute, after which the Master Time-keeper rings the bell. The next person in the circle must immediately continue the story, even if it stopped in the middle of a sentence. Game continues until they come full circle. The person who began the tale will now have exactly one minute to come up with a successful ending which includes all the pieces of the story that have been described by all the various players. If he/she cannot wrap things up in one minute (or if the Master Time-keeper decides the summary was inadequate), they pay a forfeit to be determined by The Master Time-keeper.

So, how easy are these, right?

They’re all simple to incorporate and always worth the trouble. For more parlor games and forfeits, visit “Inquire Within” a webpage I created to produce Victorian Balls for living history programs. Every game in there has been tried and loved, believe me.

So give these (and others) a try. At the very most, you’ll wind up with some great new traditions. At the very least, you’ll have some great memories to laugh over as you wrap up those leftovers.

Blue Ridge Leader News – November 22, 2009

Fatal Turn

A Middleburg man may face charges after a fatal car crash this week on Route 50. The impact killed a Centreville man- 69 year old Syan Trilochan-Singh.

Authoroties say Albers turned out of a private driveway and into the oncoming lane of the roadway; he and some juvenile passengers suffered non-life-threatening injuries from the crash.

Medical Personnel transported Trilochan-Singh to Inova Loudoun Medical Center in Leesburg, where he later … Continue Reading

Update: Sidewalk to Nowhere

At the November 19 Board of Zoning Appeals meeting, in The Purcellville Room, the zoning commissioners voted unanimously to grant a variance to Warren and Carmen Howell. The Howells will not have to put in a sidewalk on their 8.5 rural acre property. A motion was made to require the Howells to show the right of way and reservation, for a sidewalk, on the subdivision plat. This will leave the area free just in case the area is ever developed.

The Howell’s property is on Allder School Road and plan to subdivide their property to build a retirement green-technology house . According to the county ordinance the Howells were required to put in a sidewalk along their property. Allder School Road is unpaved and the sidewalk would have been a 437-foot sidewalk on a gravel road, with no other sidewalks on the country road. Not even Mountain View Elementary School, further up the road, has a sidewalk on the side of their entrance. The 17 speakers who came to the meeting to voice their support for the Howell’s position, resoundingly echoed to use common sense and not force the Howells to put in an isolated sidewalk that is better suited to an urban development.

This marks an end to a year long time consuming and costly process.
More…

George Mason Winter Baseball Camps

Youth Infield Camp (Ages 7-13)
Thursday, December 17, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
This camp offers three hours of extensive infield and hitting instruction run by Mason Infield and Hitting Coach Kyle Werman. Coach Werman will cover the building blocks that make up a great infielder, including drills to improve your game both in the field and at the plate.

Youth Pitching Camp (Ages 7-13)
Thursday, January 14, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
This camp offers three hours of extensive pitching and hitting instruction run by Mason Pitching Coach Steve Hay. Coach Hay will cover pitching mechanics, grips, mental approach, as well as arm care and conditioning.

Fundamentals Camp (Ages 7-13)
Three sessions to choose from:
Tuesdays 12/15, 12/22, 1/5, and 1/12 – 6:30-8:00 p.m. or 8:00- 9:30 p.m.
Wednesdays 12/16, 12/23, 1/6, and 1/13 – 6:30-8:00 p.m. or 8:00-9:30 p.m.
Each 1 ½-hour session will be split between hitting and defensive instruction. The hitting instruction will focus on building a fundamentally sound swing from the ground up. Defensive instruction will include proper throwing mechanics and position-specific techniques and drillwork.

Infield and Catching Bootcamp (Grades 7-12)
Four Wednesdays: Jan. 20 – Feb. 10
Infield Bootcamp – 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Catching Bootcamp – 7:30-9:00 p.m.
This four-week defensive skills camp is run by Mason Coach Kyle Werman. Instruction is comprehensive and hands-on to ensure each player gets individualized attention to improve their game heading into the Spring season and beyond. Enrollment is limited to ensure a 4-1 player/coach ratio.

Hitting Camp (Ages 7-18)
Four Sundays: Jan. 24 – Feb. 14, 8:30-10:00 a.m.
This four-week hitting camp is designed to provide players the opportunity to receive quality hitting instruction and get plenty of swings in the weeks leading up to Spring tryouts.

Bill Brown Winter Camp (Grades 7-12)
Six Sundays, Jan. 3 – Feb. 14 (No Camp on Jan. 10)
Session I: 8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Session II: 10:00a.m. – Noon
This six-week instructional camp is entering its 3rd decade and has been widely regarded as one of the top winter camps in the area. Held in our spacious Mason Fieldhouse and led by the entire Mason coaching staff, current players, and other top local instructors, this camp is a great way for players to improve their skills heading into high school tryouts and the spring season.

Click here to learn more about winter camps.

Our Trip to Market Salamander

Chef Todd guided us through a delightful sidewalk cafe market experience- all under the roof of a carefully crafted design- including a perpetual blue sky painted overhead (actually, a perfectly partly cloudy). We started at the ‘front’ of the shop- surrounded by an array of coffees ‘n other drink specialties- and some very tempting (and obviously homemade) cookies ‘n such. We proceeded to the kitchen area- offering sumptuous crab cakes, fresh-cooked greens and the piece de resistance- macaroni ‘n cheese- done in the spirit of Thomas Jefferson- surrounded by an aroma of a home-cooked pork dish. Turning around, we couldn’t help but notice the display of desserts- really more like little, individual, artistic creations for the (now slightly glazed) eye ‘n (now more than watering) palate. Mental notes were made to return at a later moment. Rounding the corner, we felt the jaws drop as our gaze met the assortment of cheeses ‘n sausages- each obviously picked for its individual characteristics of aroma, texture, and of utmost importance, taste. The final leg of the first floor consisted of yet one more stop: another row of shelves lined with countless goodies for home, office, party or any other suitable destination; crackers, condiments, sweet treats, international (and local) beers, cooking kits ‘n other items called to be included in one’s shopping basket- or perhaps a gift assortment for friend/family.

Now visually ‘n olfactorially satiated, we were invited upstairs to complete the journey; our ascent was rewarded with an impressive array of wines- literally from around the world- placed in a quiet, more private, loft setting (yet still offering window glimpses of the goings-on below).

The staff at Market Salamander carefully select each bottle- whatever the variety- to perfectly please the customer ‘n those at their table. Even this wine novice felt a touch of confidence in perusing the shelves (the customer doesn’t need to be the expert, because the Market folks are). We left the establishment in a rapture of sights, smells, friendly sounds- and promises of a return visit at the earliest opportunity!!!!

Enjoy a video tour of Market Salamander and an interview with Cheff Todd

Enjoy a photo tour of Market Salamander

The Stop at Goodstone

Our trip to the Goodstone Inn near Middleburg was an exercise in hospitality. After a complete tour of the grounds (they have something like 260 acres), which included a short conversation with Oliver the Pig (a local rescue animal) and several views which were nothing less than stunning, our attention was drawn to the efforts around the kitchen. The layout for the Goodstone’s basically a lavishly refurbished historic estate- with guest rooms in what once were horse paddocks, cottages and even the Pre-World War II Manor House. The dining accommodations enjoy space in a more modern addition- built seamlessly into the existing ‘horse barn’ structures- with views opening out on the woodsy slope down to a tributary of Goose Creek and the corresponding opposite rise.

We were treated to a brief description (and demonstration!) of our meal by none other than Chef William- in the inner sanctum of his creative domain. What a treat to watch and listen as he prepared our first course- a bouchee of Main Lobster- freshly extracted pieces (too tender to be called chunks) of the crustacean, swimming in a heavenly concoction which included brandy ‘n cream- lovingly served in individual, hand-made puff pastry ‘bowls.’ The first taste demonstrated the importance of William’s precise judgment in balancing the brandy, cream and other delicate flavors (to emerge, but not overpower, the star status of the lobster). Seafood can often be chewy- if not downright tough- or, cooked into disintegration; Chef William proudly serves his lobster in a texture best described as velvety. I’ve never enjoyed the meat of this creature more. We must also pay homage to the future saint who prepared the home-made puff pastry- the perfect vehicle for a creamy seafood dish. And this was just the warm-up. I’m normally a very light eater during the noon hour, but I made an all-out exception for the Chef’s entrée’: Harris Ranch Filet Mignon. This seemed to be an example of taking an exceptional ingredient (beef from Harris Ranch) and, while teasing and accenting and enticing the flavor- certainly not getting in the way of a good thing. The meat was magnificent: butter-knife tender, juicy, cooked to that perfect stage of doneness, and flavored with the natural goodness of the ‘open range.’ Chef William’s impressive truffle sauce made an appropriate accompaniment- possessing the strength to go the distance with the filet, but never attempting to take the crown from the king of the plate. The Chef’s freshly made Bearnaise provided an alluring richness to the last few pieces of our beef; the meat certainly needed no extra ‘sauce’ or ‘jazzing-up,’ but the golden cloyishness made for a wonderful supporting close to an astonishingly delightful meal.

We should say a word about the menu prices: sure, it’ll set you back a bit more than a trip to the Golden Arches, but you’ll get an experience to remember for a lifetime. Chef William and Justin Hunsaker (the Estate’s Food and Beverage Manager) will see to it. Tell ‘em you heard about it from Tim Jon and The Blue Ridge Leader.

Enjoy a video tour of Goodstone Inn and their wine cellar
Enjoy a photo tour of Goodstone Inn

Questioning Sustainability

Tony Noerpel’s reality is not mine.  He promotes the nihilistic environmental ideology fostered by:  sustainability. The premise of sustainability is that humans have exceeded the ecological  (or threshold) of the earth.  The threshold is determined by, of course, environmentalists, who profit handsomely from the exploding “being green” (sustainability) movement.  The problem is the opinion that we are using too many natural resources is just that, an opinion.

Even environmentalists have since trashed the pseudo-science of the influential Club of Rome’s 1972 book, Limits to Growth – A Report for the Club of Rome’s Project on the Predicament of Mankind. Nevertheless, environmentalists agreed growth was bad and would work to fulfill the book’s mission “to establish a condition of ecological and economic stability that is sustainable far into the future. “  They would save the planet from us.

Of course, how does one go about convincing the world that the earth is not ours to use.  United Nations provided a platform for countless meetings by a consortium of over 450 governmental and non-governmental organizations.  They came up with Agenda 21, the action plan to implement sustainable development worldwide, approved at the U.N.’s Earth Summit in Rio in 1992. Every aspect of our use of the environment would be scrutinized.  Women, children and youth, indigenous people, trade unions, business, farmers, heads of state, etc. would become involved. Richer nations would shed their profligate ways while poorer nations would receive wealth and technology transfers from the repentant.

Herman E. Daly even wrote a book describing sustainability in economic terms.  Government would decide the scope of the market—how much the world could produce to be below the sustainability threshold.  Knowing that production would be less than the masses would want, government would make an equitable distribution of what is produced.  The mantra of this movement became “a just, equitable and sustainable future.”  The rich would be poorer; the poorer, richer.

Now if you believe that such an outcome is obtainable, there is nothing I can write to convince you otherwise.

After years of studying this movement, I conclude that I am not willing to give up my economic system, my freedoms, my constitution, my beliefs for a U.N. chimera.  Some ideas on resource use may make sense, but I have found that environmentalists are never satisfied.  They have indoctrinated our children to hate their houses that use the land and capitalism that pays the bills.  It is pure hubris that we can “manage” the world’s climate whose only guarantee is that it will change.   This is my reality (and that of many of my friends and scholars I have read).

(The Club of Rome is now a partner of the United Nations.)

Rose Ellen Ray
Leesburg

Purcellville’s Debt Load

Below you will find a graph of the per capita debt load for the Town of Purcellville. The debt load is compared to Loudoun County and the Federal Government.  Loudoun is drastically cutting their capital plans, but Purcellville is going ahead with theirs.   … Continue Reading

Seasoning

Thanksgiving is more than just turkey.  We all know that. Stuffing is important too.  Besides the test of our seasoning though, it’s also a season of testing.  It’s when we test our ability to deal with our extended family and visa versa, because lets be honest, you’re no walk in the park either.

To begin with, you have to look at the way you normally maintain contact with the family  There are a variety of approaches, all have their pros and cons.

Neglect. This is my preferred method, because, well frankly, as methods go, it’s pretty low maintenance.  To break it down, you do not speak to your extended family at all over the year.  You are busy, they are busy.  All of this is understood.  Then, somewhere in the month of November you contact them and make plans for a visit.  The pros to this method are numerous.  Not speaking to people, the chance to offend is limited.  When you do meet, you are truly glad to be in their company, every nuance of their behavior is a treasured gift from the perspective of your pre-nostalgia.  You love these people!  How can you survive all year without these nuggets of wisdom, these long extended stories?  The stories!  In my mind there’s no downer at a gathering worse than a lack of conversation.  The neglect method spares you that hardship because you have a year worth of talk to catch up on.  It is a love fest of great proportions.  If there are children involved, and let’s be honest in most families, there are, you have an added bonus.  Children are at their most charming in small doses.  Little Joey’s lisping whine is downright cute once a year and if the conversation stalls you can always talk about the growth rate.  You don’t have to pay much attention, it’s mostly a conversation filler, while you go get another plate.  Just remember they grow bigger, taller, older, never the reverse.  Do not comment on Aunt Tootsie’s diminished size, just get down on your knees, look her in the eyes, and tell her you love her, because you do.  The cons to this method are few but severe.  Bouts of guilt may hit you at unexpected moments but if you were raised Catholic this is a bonus because it’s a comfortable familiar kind of guilt.  The biggest con to this method is that someone could die within the period between holidays and not know how deeply you love them.  If you believe in heaven though, you will have lots to catch up on when you see them again.

Frequent contact. Sometimes your relationship develops in such a way that you speak to family members frequently.  This is more foreign to me, but I’ve observed it with curiosity and interest.  You speak to family members on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.  This opens up conversation options to a host of mundane and menial subjects.  You purchased a new garbage disposal, and Aunt Karen had her gutters cleaned.  One benefit is that your stories, should you have any at the seasonal banquet, can include a host of details usually rendered too boring in normal story telling.  Your listeners will be so hungry for any detail they haven’t heard they’ll grasp at them like desperate men at sea reaching for a life preserver.  “You wanted to mail in the rebate but you didn’t have a stamp?  What happened next!?”

The mere act of maintaining this frequent contact conveys a sense of affection so the conversations rarely, if ever, require any undercurrents of actual emotion.  Another pro is that, should anyone pass away, you spoke to them just last week and heard everything they had to say. The patience you exert in the process of these phone calls and emails is an effective antibody for guilt.  You run the risk of falling to the other extreme though, and may get  the sense that you are saint like in your patience to listen to endure the boring.  What you often forget is that you are just as boring on the other end of the phone.  One of the cons of this method of contact is the risk of sharing, or hearing, a family member’s differing opinion on a range of subjects, such as, where you went wrong, or what you ought to do.  Which brings me to the ultimate test of the holidays, the family feud.

Making the most of your family’s troubles.  In every family some don’t get along.  It could be a mild distaste for a person’s company or it could be a feud of epic proportions that makes the room bristle with tension when opposing sides meet.  A small slight, an overlooked apology, grows to be the elephant in the room.  You know the type, long trunk, wrinkly skin, a slight weight problem and the ability to render everyone incapable of either discussing or ignoring him.  Sadly, most family feuds concern money.  I choose to believe that money is symbolic for some deeper meaning of love or protection but truth is, the whodi loves the skrilla.

No one but the parties involved can heal a family rift.  We know they’ve got no inclination to do so and it’s just not likely.  What you can do is use these feuds for your personal entertainment.

For example, Uncle Mike and Uncle Dougie don’t speak because of a falling out in the family business.  Imagine instead, 20 yrs ago Aunt Edna almost ran off with a Tasmanian juggler in the Norwegian carnival.  Her brother, your uncle Mike talked her back to her senses and saved her from the despair of forsaking her marriage for a torrid affair that could only end in international intrigue and despair. Uncle Dougie and Aunt Edna have been married now 27 years.  Doug has Mike to thank.  Little did Mike know, Doug was looking forward to her departure when, released from the bonds of commitment he could pursue his dream as an off Broadway understudy with a part time job as an oil change technician.  This is the real reason for the animosity between them, forever unexpressed, living under the thinly veiled guise of business history.  The stage is set, the house lights go down.  Nibble on your pie, and watch as a highly amusing drama unfolds just for your benefit and amusement.

Don’t forget to clear your plate, help clean up, and you might be lucky enough to be invited next year!

Alice Mullen says a lot of things, and hardly anyone takes her seriously. You shouldn’t either. The Blue Ridge Leader is not responsible for what she says, only the punctuation and grammar with which she says it.  If you are a raging lion of literary litigation, longing for lunch and feel particularly litigious there are tastier morsels elsewhere.  Shoo bad kitty.  Meow.