Reptile Expo in Clarke County

Story by Jennifer Welliver, Photographs by Aiden King

If you think you would never, ever, want to keep a snake, a lizard, or a tarantula for a pet, I suggest you visit the next Reptile Expo at the Clarke County Fairgrounds in June. The event takes place in the Ruritan Building at the fairgrounds four times a year. I visited March 22 with Clarke County High School student photographer Aiden King, who took the photos for 
this article. 

The expo features an array of reptiles, arthropods, and amphibians, along with equipment for setting up habitats, toys, t-shirts, hats, and more.

I truly have never dreamed of having pet snakes or lizards, and most certainly not tarantulas or centipedes. The closest I came was naming a wild frog that would come to visit in my rough old farm home when I worked at Cox Farms in Western Fairfax County at age 19. It might have been a toad, actually. I am not sure. 

My visit to the Reptile Expo may not have changed my mind, but I will say that it opened it.

When you enter, snakes are the first thing you see, lots of them in all sizes and colors — and prices. But as you wander past snakes, you find lizards, salamanders, frogs, giant centipedes, tarantulas, and countless other creepy crawlies that may send shivers down 
your spine.

The ambassador into the reptile world for me was the giant iguana at the back of the room. Brought by Second-Hand Dinosaurs Reptile Rescue, this guy was found abandoned in an empty apartment with his tail stuck in a closed door. He is a beautiful, graceful creature. As humans we want to put our own form of emotions onto animals, and that is easy to do when interacting with 
an iguana. 

Whether or not reptiles become attached to their owner in the way dogs, cats, and horses do, it is important to know that they are, for the most part, not interested in snuggling. In fact, most healthy reptiles carry salmonella bacteria in their guts and therefore it will be present in their habitats and on their skin. When handling them, you should have clean hands, and you should wash thoroughly after handling to keep from getting the bacteria yourself. So, refrain from kissing your iguana no matter how fond you are of him!

Whatever your feelings are about snakes, there are so many sizes and colors. They are really beautiful creatures to observe even if you don’t care to hold one.

Like with any pet, before purchasing it is important to consider what is involved in caring for that creature. They all have very specific requirements for 
their environment.

All reptiles have different needs, depending on the species, for temperature, humidity, lighting and space. Also, what and how often they eat, and the maintenance routine on their habitat varies. A prospective owner needs to consider the amount of time and space they have for their new pet. Reptiles require regular veterinary care like our furry friends do. You will need to find a local veterinarian that cares for reptiles.

If you have brought home a pet reptile and find that you cannot care for it, search for a pet rescue near you. Some regular local shelters also take reptiles 
for rehoming.

Even if you aren’t planning to purchase a new pet, the expo is a fun and educational outing for the family. The June expo will take place at the Ruritan Fairgrounds on June 28, from 9am–3pm. 

Clarke Monthly May 2025

Clarke Monthly April 2025

Maria Zimmerman Elected President of Enders Fire Company

Story and photo by Cathy Kuehner

As the John H. Enders Fire Company & Rescue Squad begins its 125th year of serving the Clarke County community, it does so with its first-ever female president. Maria Zimmerman was sworn in during Enders’ annual banquet in mid-January.

The company is composed of “operational” staff — the firefighters and EMTs who respond to calls — and “administrative” staff who manage finances, building-related issues, and organize community events. J.C. Blaylock is the chief of operational staff.

Zimmerman has long been both an operational and administrative member. “I’ve been a firefighter-EMT and secretary for years, so I have insight into all that’s required to be president.”

Regarding the “first-ever female” qualifier in front of her new title, she said, “I’ve never felt my gender was relevant to my work at Enders. All that matters here are your qualifications and your ability to serve.”

She laughs when she recalls her career path, and credits her first jobs in theatre with developing the skills that serve her well now. “Stage managing has always been my role, and drama is part of working in a firehouse.”

Zimmerman earned a bachelor’s  degree in drama from the University of Virginia in 1990. After a few years of working in theatre, she wanted a more fulfilling career.

“I set my sights on becoming a physician assistant,” she said. “Initially, fire and rescue was a means to an end. I needed medical experience to be admitted to PA school, so I went to Northern Virginia Community College and earned my EMT certificate. Then, I went to my local fire department and said, ‘Hey, I’m an EMT. Do y’all need any help?’” The reply was a resounding “Yes!”

Zimmerman quickly learned this. “When things are at their worst, firefighters and EMTs are at their best. They are brave, honest, and passionate when it comes to answering the call,” she said. “They are creative and smart, coming up with solutions on the fly. In stressful moments, they are probably being funny to ease the tension. They will literally give their lives to save a stranger. And, I decided I wanted to be one of them.”

Zimmerman rose to the rank of rescue chief at the Arcola Volunteer Fire Department, while earning her physician assistant degree at George Washington University and then working as an emergency room PA.

Along the way, she married Loudoun County firefighter Gerry Boudreau.

The couple and their young daughter moved to Clarke County in 2006. It was a 2008 Thanksgiving Day chimney fire in their home that introduced them to the John H. Enders Fire Company.

Gerry joined Enders in 2008 and, after volunteering for many fundraising events, Maria officially joined as a firefighter-EMT in 2014.

Almost immediately, Zimmerman served as a rescue lieutenant and secretary, one of the few people to work on both the operational and administrative sides of the company at the same time.

“I think that’s what set me up for being president,” she said. “The operational side says, ‘This is what we need,’ and the administrative side says, ‘We’ll figure out how to fund it. We also ask, ‘Will the community support this?’”

To that end, the company’s 10-member Board of Directors is a mix of operational and administrative members, although every Board member is or has been an operational member. As president, Zimmerman will oversee Board meetings and guide decisions about personnel, maintenance, and membership.

“I think one of my talents is knowing each person’s strengths and talents,” she said. “I know everyone here and know who to call.”

Like all fire and rescue companies, Enders is dependent on volunteers. Volunteers to run calls. Volunteers to maintain the building. Volunteers to flip pancakes and barbeque chicken during fundraising events.

In 2024, Enders firefighters and EMTs collectively, responded to 487 fires calls and 1,937 emergency medical services calls.

Anyone who’s ever watched a few episodes of “Chicago Fire” has heard characters talk about how the firehouse is a family. Enders is no different.

“There is a camaraderie in a firehouse you do not find anywhere else,” Zimmerman said. “And, working here is the best possible way to forge a community connection.”

With tears in her eyes, she talked about the day her father died at his Berryville home. “All our ambulances were out on calls. I got on our ‘line chat’ to ask for help. When I reached my Dad’s house, the street was lined with vehicles belonging to Enders volunteers. We didn’t cook for a month. That’s what this company does.”

The John H. Enders Fire Company has been taking care of its community for more than a century. Zimmerman explained that Virginia assigns agency numbers to identify fire and rescue squads; numbers are now into five digits. Enders is number 58, further evidence of its long history.

Berryville Town Council purchased its first horse-drawn hook-and-ladder truck in 1883 to provide some fire-firefighting service in town. John H. Enders, a funeral director and furniture maker, moved to Berryville in 1892, and by 1900 he helped Town Council organize the Berryville Fire Department.

The department’s first piece of motorized fire apparatus was purchased with Enders’ help in 1926, and it was kept at his Main Street funeral home. After “Captain John” Enders died in 1933, the department was renamed John H. Enders Fire Company. In 1935, a proper firehouse was built at 23 East Main Street. In 1958 a four-bay firehouse was built at 9 South Buckmarsh St. — the company’s current home — with additions built in 1963 and 1986.

Zimmerman said she feels she grew up in fire and rescue. “The people I’ve met have been with me through major life events, through the sorrows and joys life brings. They are the first people I call in a crisis, and I’m honored when they call me. They have become my extended family.”

To become an Enders volunteer — in any capacity — go to endersfire.com/volunteer. Zimmerman noted, “Running calls can be stressful. A sense of humor helps.”And, she said, “The best way community members can support Enders is by attending our fundraising events.”

Turning The Eggs

By Doug Pifer

It’s eagle nesting season again. The bald eagles at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) in Shepherdstown have laid two eggs and incubation has begun.

Since 2015, we have joined the hundreds of regular viewers of the NCTC live nest camera. It’s very easy to become hooked on the daily drama. As the introduction to the site says, this is a live camera in real time, and anything can happen. This year, however, the nesting season has progressed relatively calmly for the local pair of nesting eagles. One or another of the pair sets on the nest day and night, trading off in shifts. From time to time, the parent eagle will stand up and carefully turn the eggs.

Anyone who has used an incubator to hatch hens’ eggs understands that egg rotation is necessary so the eggs can develop and hatch properly. Having watched many birds, wild and domestic, turn their eggs, I believed they did so to keep the eggs uniformly warm. But there’s so much more to this fascinating story.

Inside the egg, the embryo of the developing chick is surrounded by the egg white and the egg yolk. Egg yolk, encased in a membranous sack attached to the abdomen of the developing chick, is largely composed of fat. Because it is lighter in weight than the egg white, the yolk always floats to the surface inside the egg. The egg must be turned occasionally because if it remains in one position for too long, the yolk is likely to dry out and  stick to the membrane that lines the eggshell, causing the developing chick to die.

How could an egg dry out so easily? The shell of a bird’s egg looks solid but is really  porous, so the developing chick can get all its essential oxygen and humidity from the surrounding air. When a bird turns the egg, it exposes fresh surfaces, allowing more oxygen and humid air to circulate inside the egg.

Normally eagles turn their eggs approximately once every hour. The parent eagle stands up and carefully steps back from the eggs, curling its talons into balled “fists” to keep them from damaging the eggs. Then, using its bill, it gently turns the eggs. The eagle immediately settles back onto the eggs. The bird rocks from side to  side (which my wife calls the Mama Rumba) so that an area of warm, bare skin on its belly, called the brood patch, touches directly against the eggs. Both male and female eagles have a brood patch, surrounded by dense body feathers  that help to insulate the eggs from the cold.

Many birds wait until all the eggs in a clutch are laid before they begin to incubate, so  all the eggs hatch around the same time. Winter nesting birds like bald eagles cannot afford to wait because their eggs could freeze. Typically, the first bald eagle egg appears around the second week of February. They may lay as many as four eggs, although two eggs are usual. Generally, the eggs are laid two or three days apart. The Shepherdstown eagles laid their first egg this year on February 10, and their second on February 13. A third egg was laid February 17.

What’s so exciting about watching a bird sitting on eggs? Tune in for a while and you’ll see. At any time, an approaching eagle, raven, or a night marauding owl or raccoon creates tension and drama for  the incubating parent bird. Winter storms rock the nest tree while snow and ice cover the nest and the setting parent bird. Heavy rain soaks the feathers of an incubating eagle as it flattens itself with wings  spread in a “mumbrella” to cover the eggs. Mom or dad may be late returning with food, or one of them might come in late to take over their shift. Sometimes both parents leave the nest unattended. 

What then?

If you see the eggs lying exposed with no parents around, don’t worry. Even in  the dead of winter, the eggs can overheat. Consequently, the eagles occasionally leave the nest, usually for no more than twenty minutes, to allow the eggs to cool down. Visit the link for an article referenced on the NCT eagle nest chat line at https://birdwatchingpro.com/why-do-eagles-roll-their-eggs/ to read more about the fascinating subject of incubation. Visit the eagle cam at https://www.fws.gov/nctc/eagle-cam; and click on the link to the cam.

Calculating Child Support When Parents Live Apart

By Brenda Waugh

When families live in two houses, the parents will adopt a parenting plan that includes how they make decisions and share custodial time with the children. The best practice is for parents to develop detailed plans that serve as a guide and set expectations for scheduling holidays, vacations, and making decisions about extracurricular activities, religious involvement, and medical care.

In addition to creating a parenting plan, parents must also consider child support, which most states require to be established when the parents are divorced or go to court to address custody. It is also usually required if a child receives Medicaid. The amount of support is generally determined by state guidelines designed to ensure children’s basic needs are met and to minimize financial disparities between households. These guidelines consider several factors, with the most critical being the number of nights the children spend with each parent, the parents’ gross monthly income, the amount a parent pays for the child’s portion of health insurance, and out-of-pocket medical expenses. They may also consider spousal support payments and whether a parent supports another child.

Both Virginia and West Virginia use income-shares-based guidelines, meaning that parents contribute to child 

support in proportion to their income. In both states, parents can review the statutes on the guidelines and use worksheets to manually calculate their child support obligations. 

In Virginia, the relevant statute is Virginia Code § 20-108.2, which provides the guidelines for determining child support. The corresponding worksheet can be found at www.vacourts.gov/static/forms/district/dc637.pdf. 

In West Virginia, the pertinent statute is West Virginia Code § 48-13-403, which includes the worksheet for calculating basic child support obligations in shared parenting cases. The worksheet is available dhhr.wv.gov/bcse/parents/Pages/Income-Shares-Support-Formula.aspx. 

Many states provide free online calculators so that parents do not need to manually use these worksheets, or rely on the courts or DHS to provide even an estimated calculation. However, neither Virginia nor West Virginia offers an official online calculator. Some commercial websites provide estimated payment amounts, but these often only apply to cases where one parent has most of the custodial time and so do not provide reliable calculations for shared custody arrangements. 

In 2010, I met a fellow mediator at the Virginia Mediation Conference, Danny Burk. Danny had extensive experience beyond his work as a lawyer in the tech industry and used his knowledge to create a free online calculator, 

vasupportcalc.com, for Virginia parents. Last spring, I met with Danny and complimented him on the tool, mentioning that I wished West Virginia had a similar resource. Danny got to work, and he recently launched wvasupportcalc.com. 

This is a valuable resource because parents can now calculate their child support on their own. When a parent gets a raise or experiences job loss, they can estimate whether support might be reduced or increased. However, it is important to note that once a court issues a support order, parents must obtain a new order to officially modify their obligation and avoid falling into arrears. 

While the online calculator does not replace legal advice and may not account for complexities such as bonuses or temporary jobs, it is a helpful starting point for parents seeking clarity on their child support obligations. Having access to these tools empowers parents to make informed decisions and better prepare for their financial responsibilities.  Brenda Waugh is a lawyer/mediator with Waugh Law & Mediation, serving clients in the Blue Ridge region of Virginia and Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.

Former Planning Commission Member Receives Land Conservation Award

Anne Caldwell To Be Honored At Autumn Reception

For the eleventh year, the Clarke County Conservation Easement Authority has named the recipient of its Wingate Mackay-Smith Clarke County Land Conservation Award: former Planning Commission member Anne Caldwell. The award is presented annually to individuals, groups, or organizations that have made significant contributions to the preservation and protection of open spaces in Clarke County. 

“Anne has been truly committed to land conservation for as long as I’ve known her,” said Randy Buckley, chairman of the Clarke County Conservation Easement Authority. “She does her homework, she shares her insights, and she’s always an ambassador for conservation and easements, especially during her time spent in Clarke County. That’s why Anne is a perfect recipient for the Easement Authority’s eleventh Wingate Mackay-Smith Land Conservation Award. We still benefit from her contributions to Clarke County’s planning process.” 

Recently retired to Harpswell, Maine, Caldwell and her husband, Peter Elzer, moved to Clarke County with their three children in 1995, purchasing River View Farm, a 120-acre farm in the eastern section of the county. (The couple purchased the farm in two separate land parcels within two years.)  

Caldwell explains she researched the Mid Atlantic region during her relocation search from Connecticut. After reading the comprehensive plan for Clarke County and learning of the county’s land-use philosophy, she told her husband, “We’ve got to live here.” Soon after their purchase, they protected River View Farm by placing it in conservation easement through the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, before the Clarke County Conservation Easement Authority was established.

While living in Clarke County, Caldwell served from 2002 until 2022 on various boards and commissions, including the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, Berryville Area Development Authority, Historic Preservation Commission, and Board of Septic and Well Appeals. 

“It’s an amazing county and I worked with a wonderful group of people,” Caldwell recalls. “So unique. The values of the county and the philosophy about land use permeated everything. The people on the county’s boards were representative of the county as a whole. No political issues were brought up that had national significance. Of course, there were different views, but none of that mattered.” 

As for conservation easements, Caldwell explains: “Easements are one of the few ways to preserve precious pieces of land, especially in Clarke, where the pressure is enormous.” She advises conservation-minded landowners to investigate how an easement may work for them and “don’t be put off by the erroneous information that circulates about easements.” 

Given Maine’s wintry weather, Caldwell plans to return to Clarke County and officially receive her award at the Conservation Easement Authority’s annual reception in the fall.“Easements are one of the few ways to preserve precious pieces of land, especially in Clarke, where the development pressure is enormous.” 

Rat Pack Antiques and Toys Charms on Main Street

Story and photo by Rebecca Maynard

Whether it’s art, retro toys, jewelry or collectibles, there is sure to be something to catch your eye at Rat Pack Antiques and Toys, which opened at 14 West Main Street in Berryville in October.

“I love it here,” owner Brennah Thomas said. “My mom moved here from Brooklyn to go to Shenandoah University, and she just stayed. I was born in Winchester and raised in Berryville, then I moved to Summit Point for about 18 years. I always worked in Clarke County, and moved back last spring. It’s good to be back even though I was only about ten minutes away!”

“It’s really fun being on Main Street,” Thomas said. “We started in the Strasburg Emporium in 2021, and the last year or so we were in Waterloo (the intersection of Routes 340 and 50 near Boyce). That was a great location, but we couldn’t get a long-term lease.”

The new storefront is nestled between the Tea Cart and Brazen Sheep yarn shop. Thomas says she enjoys the sense of community. “We’re a part of the neighborhood. I like being a part of Berryville Main Street and the events they put on. It’s great seeing people go up and down the street, and talking with different business owners. I have a lot of people who come in after tea (at the Tea Cart).”

Thomas said much of the store’s inventory came from her boyfriend and business partner Chris’s family. His grandmother passed away in 2010, leaving her massive collection to his father, who passed away in 2019.

“It was a tough time for Chris, especially with Covid, because we couldn’t have estate sales,” Thomas said. “So Chris decided to buy the collection from the estate, and we started our own little business. I love to shop and so does he, so we also go to auctions, estate sales, flea markets, yard sales, thrift stores —all of that.”

Rat Pack’s offerings include jewelry, antique and secondhand furniture, art, a large Disney collection, tools, toys, memorabilia, and a nook with Thomas’s daughter’s homemade soaps, scrubs, candles and dried herbs.

“There’s a little bit of everything, and way more where that came from. As soon as something goes out the front door, we’re bringing more inventory in the back,” Thomas said. 

She keeps prices reasonable so that anyone shopping can find something to buy, and has kept things fun with events like “soup and cider” days during the cold weather. When she had her previous business, Rapture, on Main Street, she and her mother enjoyed having happy hour events with wine, cheese, refreshments, and sales for customers. Thomas plans to have more fun events for customers to enjoy.

For Thomas, a part-time endeavor has become full time, and she is loving every minute of it. “This is so fun, a labor of love,” she said.The store’s hours are Thursday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm, and 12pm to 5pm Sundays. It can be reached at 540-327-8134, or visit its Facebook or Instagram pages.