From the Editor

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Along the Appalachian Trail this weekend, hikers greeted spring. Flowering redbud reached for sunlight; dogwoods unaware of the blight afflicting their brethren bloomed their crucifix flowers. The understory seemed to leaf out as we watched.

Underfoot, Dutchmen’s breeches and all manner of wildflowers strutted their stuff. Everything seemed as it should in April; the only reminder that this was a season like no other were the masks polite passersby pulled from their pockets as they passed, traveling in the opposite direction, nodding Good Morning with collective eye twinkles not seen in a year.

The Shenandoah Valley below turned green after the morning rains. On pastures near the trail, steer chewed the sweet new grass oblivious to the people passing. The youngest calves finally gave up crying for the mamas to run and play. Yes, even the bovine seemed ready to move on.

Was it only a week ago that we wrapped the blossoming peach and apple trees in tarps against the cold? And ten days since a morning snow squall kept the hens huddled indoors till noon?

Was it only a year ago that we lined up in our cars to retrieve school kids for “two week break” that, for some, will continue till June 2021? And all the rest of it. All of it.

But there was beauty. Walks along the river with kids who would otherwise be way too busy for us. College kids we thought were gone forever, home again for extended stays. Game nights, with the winner memorialized in the box top — and sometime in August, finally, Dad wins a game. It’s there, in ink!

Sadness, too. Parents who died from growing old, but alone, leaving families and friends without the opportunity to grieve in gatherings. To tell stories, to laugh and cry together.

Then, Spring. Is it possible?

Two jabs in the arm. Then, slow dancing to James Taylor with a sweet friend. Then, Easter with Mom. Then, sipping bourbon with buddies, still outdoors but, hey, it’s spring. And, then, a postcard arrives. Save the date. A July wedding. A college buddy’s daughter. A reunion of sorts. It is possible.

Tomorrow is uncertain. Tonight, though, the windows are open, and frogs are singing in the trees. Last year’s rosemary and sage are going strong. In our little corner of the world, we hope we never forget every blessing, every kindness, every act of love, every prayer that got us through.

That’s what we have, what we share.

— David Lillard

Jordan Springs Market is All About the Community

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By Rebecca Maynard

Whether you’re planning a party or just have a hankering for some good barbecue, you’re in for a treat if you have not yet visited Jordan Springs Market. Located near the western Clarke County border in Stephenson, it has been voted “Best Barbecue in the Valley” for many years, and was labeled “Best Pork Barbecue” by Northern Virginia Magazine.

Owner and pit master Olivia Landry bought the generations old store, formerly known as Ellis’s Shopping Center, in 2008. It is one of the few stations in the area to offer ethanol free gasoline, and also sells beer, wine, groceries, tobacco, ice, propane exchanges and much more. And then, of course, there is the award-winning menu, which is available for dining in, carryout, delivery through GrubHub as well as event catering.

The menu, which can be viewed on the market’s website, includes breakfast sandwiches, sausage gravy, smoked wings, smoked beef top round, beef brisket, pulled pork and chicken, chili, brisket grilled cheese, homemade sides and desserts, and more. All the meat is smoked with hickory and cherry wood at low temperatures for long periods of time and there are three sauces, Alabama White, Memphis Sweet and 
Carolina Vinegar.

“I put myself through college working in catering,” Landry said. After graduating from Mary Washington College (now University), she worked in media for a number of years in Washington, DC. While she loved her work, she also eagerly embraced the opportunity for a change by buying Ellis’s Shopping Center. “It was easy to leave my corporate background, but that background also helped me with things like hiring, team development and making changes due to Covid-19,” Landry said. 

Decades ago, teen dances were held in the building that is now Jordan Springs Market, and Landry enjoys continuing the tradition of community togetherness. She has enjoyed having couples come in who met at one of the dances decades ago. “We enjoy doing a lot with and for the community,” Landry said. She and the market staff, most of whom have been with the business long term, enjoy working with nonprofit organizations and schools. Recently, they catered lunch for the entire staff at Rappahannock Hospital. 

There is indoor seating for 15 to 20 people and four outdoor tables, and Landry said that one of the things she loves about the market is how it brings people in the community together. Sometimes people will bump into neighbors they haven’t seen for awhile, but because people often travel many miles to the market based on its reputation on Yelp, new friendships are made as well. “There’s something important about a meal shared, and it’s amazing to see the interactions between people,” Landry said. “Strangers will start talking, and before they leave, they’re like old friends.”

The market caters events ranging from 10 guests to more than 1000. Whether you are celebrating a birthday, marriage, corporate milestone or honoring someone in passing, Landry says she and her catering team will custom create a menu to help make your special occasion unforgettable. “Our focus is food and togetherness,” she said.

Visit www.jordanspringsmarket.com, visit their Facebook page or call 540-662-0601.

As The Crow Flies

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Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine

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Because the invasive, destructive Spotted Lanternfly has established significant reproducing populations in Clarke County, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) has expanded its Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine to include Clarke County.

Quarantine requires businesses that ship materials from quarantined areas to obtain Spotted Lanternfly Permits if their shipments are going to un-infested areas. By mid March 2021, VDACS’ Spotted Lanternfly quarantine area will be Clarke, Frederick, and Warren counties and the City 
of Winchester.

Businesses must complete training and submit their training credentials and completed SLF Permit Applications to spottedlanternfly@vdacs.virginia.gov.

Find information about SLF training, permit application, and inspection statements at http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov//plant-industry-services.shtml?fbclid=IwAR0ZxaKRfv_MB00DOjjNeES_GTXrvnTC6Ns24-Kh1KuHom3JCDXyF7DRUC0.

All residents and business owners are encouraged to learn more about the Spotted Lanternfly and other invasive pests and plants. The Virginia Cooperative Extension also has a website dedicated to Spotted Lanternfly identification at https://ext.vt.edu/agriculture/commercial-horticulture/
spotted-lanternfly.html.

If you believe you have found a Spotted Lanternfly, kill it, and then take the specimen to your local Virginia Cooperative Extension office, or send a photo to Extension Agent Mark Sutphin at mark.sutphin@vt.edu. Provide the address of the location where the insect was found. VDACS and the Cooperative Extension are tracking the insect’s movement in order to mitigate its infestation and destruction to crops. 

The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) was first found in Frederick County, Va., in January 2018. By November 2019, it was in western Clarke County near the Frederick County border at Opequon Creek. The insect was found in Berryville in August 2020. The SLF is native to China, India, and Vietnam. It was introduced into South Korea in 2006 and dramatically spread to become a major agricultural pest. It was first found in the U.S. in 2014 at a Pennsylvania business that imports stone products.

While the SLF prefers to feed on Tree of Heaven, also called Ailanthus Tree, it will feed on more than 100 types of plants, including grapes, peaches, hops, and a variety of other crops. The SLF has also been reported on a range of ornamentals and can become a nuisance pest to homeowners.

The Spotted Lanternfly changes appearance quite a bit between egg mass and nymph and nymph to mature adult. Nymphs are black and white before becoming red, black and white. The adults have multi-colored wings, but are poor fliers. They are considered plant hoppers.

The insects are also hitchhikers, traveling on anything they can, including cars, trucks, and trains, which is why VDACS created the Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine. Spotted Lanternfly quarantine programs currently exist in a number of states, including New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, where the insect was first found, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Find more information at the USDA National Invasive Species Information Center, https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/invertebrates/
spotted-lanternfly.

Information and images provided by Clarke County.

The Quentin Walston Trio Returns to Barns of Rose Hill

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By Keith Patterson

The many styles of piano playing called jazz are too many to name and changing every time a player tickles ivory. My favorite jazz pianists play a gumbo of styles, wielding the threat of improvisation like a carrot dangling just beyond the end of the next measure, driving the music forward while lingering just behind, where nuance dances naked with the beat.

I just listened to Quentin Walston playing a solo version of his original I’m With You. It is stunning. Just the man and his keyboard. Bebop comes to mind. He is playing all of the parts that a trio would perform, solo. So he’s got to set his own table to be the bop. And as all musicians who have ever attempted to solo among a group can attest, you can’t dance around the beat unless somebody is keeping the beat.

Quentin plays with the beat, off the beat, around the beat. And that’s just the beat. Melody, harmony, touch and feel are all fully developed and realized and paramount in every phrase, and after Walston lays out a template of what could follow, his improvisation is as impossibly casual as it is surprising, and yet somehow, inevitable.

And that’s just the piano player.

The Quentin Walston Trio includes award-winning drummer Daniel Kelly II. Kelly is also a composer and an educator, and will soon be studying in London as a part of a drumming master class and mixing workshop with Ash Soan at Metropolis Studios. Mr. Kelly is learnedly precise and creatively explosive, and is a perfect foil for Walston’s polymorphous musings.

The rhythm section is completed by Benjamin Rykhoff on bass. Rykhoff is a stalwart in his own right, a student of all that’s come before and able to manage the fertile turf between the interweaving rows being plowed by Walston and Kelly. But make no mistake based on my awkward metaphor. Even though these young men are locals, this jazz isn’t JUST for farmers. And, not only is the musicianship impeccable, the Quentin Walston Trio will be delivering a set of all originals. 

See you there.

Law Matters

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Covid and Rental Properties:  What Landlords and Tenants Need to Know 
By Brenda Waugh

Since the Covid-19 pandemic hit last spring, landlords and tenants have struggled to address challenges created by economic losses. Governmental responses include restrictions on evictions to curtail homelessness.

A CDC moratorium on eviction, included in the first two Covid-19 relief bills and extended by executive order, restricts evicting tenants who don’t pay their rent. The tenant must provide written notice to the landlord that:

  • The tenant has experienced a loss in income or reduction in work hours and certifies that their income is less than $99,000.00 per year ($198,000.00 for couples filing jointly);
  • The tenant has sought governmental rental assistance;
  • They may be able to pay a partial payment;
  • If evicted, the tenant would be homeless.

The moratorium doesn’t apply to evictions for any reason other than unpaid rents. The unpaid rent continues to be due, and the landlord may begin the eviction process to regain possession when the moratorium expires. The moratorium is scheduled to expire on March 31, 2021 and has not been included in the 1.9 trillion dollar rescue bill passed by the House of Representatives but may be extended by executive order. A recent federal court judge declared the moratorium unconstitutional in late February. The ruling’s direct impact is limited to the Eastern District of Texas and does not impact evictions in Virginia.

If the moratorium expires, provisions enacted by cities and states may restrict evictions. In Virginia, tenants have a right to a sixty-day continuance in an eviction proceeding so long as they attend the first hearing and demonstrate financial hardship.

Many Virginia landlords must also provide written notice before seeking to evict a tenant. The notice includes the amount due, opportunities for a payment plan, and information about the state relief program before seeking to evict a tenant for nonpayment of rent. In those cases, the landlord may complete the application for those programs.

The Covid Relief bills that have passed Congress and the bill that is now pending assists many landlords suffering a loss of rental payments due to the pandemic. They provide landlords with federally backed single-family (1–4 unit) mortgages with a forbearance. In Virginia, most landlords may enjoy many of the same foreclosure protections as other consumers.

When the renter no longer qualifies for the moratorium, a landlord can regain possession only through an eviction procedure filed in General District Court. While litigation may give some relief, many real estate investment experts recommend that landlords consider mediation an alternative to litigation.

They cite concerns that litigation is costly, can be time consuming, and creates an adversarial relationship that often results in a tenant less likely to pay. Landlords may incur attorney fees when cases go to trial, and long delays can result in court processes. Mediation is a voluntary process involving a neutral facilitator who works with the parties to create a legally binding resolution. It does not carry the risks of trial. In one study, the average cost for evictions, including time expended in document preparation and being in court, ranged from $3,500 to $10,000.

The average cost for mediation, on the other hand, was $89. The Virginia Supreme Court funds a mediation program in the General District Court for all cases, including landlord-tenant cases. Some landlords engage a private mediator before filing when a tenant falls behind in rents to reach a written, enforceable agreement to address arrears and possession of the property.

While a landlord can remove a tenant involuntarily only with a court order, the mediation agreements often prevent that action. Current federal or state restrictions do not preclude pre-suit mediation on eviction.

For more information, the Virginia Lawyer Referral Service may be contacted
at 800-522-7977.

The document for a tenant to apply for the moratorium is located online at https://legalfaq.org/covid/va#national and https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/declaration-form.pdf.

Resources for landlords can be found at http://www.vacourts.gov/news/items/covid/2020_0605_unlawful_
detainers_and_writs_of_eviction.pdf.

Supreme Court certified mediators are listed online at http://www.courts.state.va.us/courtadmin/aoc/djs/programs/drs/mediation/
mediators.html.

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. She has conducted workshops throughout the U.S. and in Canada, and has published articles in periodicals and legal journals in the area of alternative dispute resolution.

2021 American Conservation Film Festival Presents FREE Virtual Film Festival

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ACFF features 48 films and complimentary programming

The American Conservation Film Festival is adapting to the times and sees opportunities that it never realized before in presenting its curated film 
line-up entirely online. “While this pandemic has presented incredible challenges to so many people and organizations, including small non-profits like ours, it has also pushed us to come up with innovative ways to share the compelling stories about our environment that are more important than ever,” says Jennifer Lee, ACFF’s executive director.

The 18th annual festival will be presented online starting March 24 and running through March 28.  All of the selected 48 films, including 5 award winners, will be available to watch during all five days of the festival. ACFF has always strived to make films and programs accessible to as many people as possible. The online virtual format increases that potential, and ACFF is going two steps further to create access for all — all films and programs will be free and all films will have closed captions.

“Working for the National Park Service has really inspired me to become a big advocate for captioning,” says ACFF board member and conservation filmmaker Sarah Gulick. “As a federal agency, we are legally required to caption all of our films, but it is also just the right thing to do. I also have a good friend and neighbor who is deaf. While COVID may keep us from watching together in person, I want to be able to share these films with everyone I know. The conservation challenges of today require all hands on deck, and the amazing stories of our natural world should be available to everyone.” 

The theme for this year’s festival— Voices for a New World — speaks to the diversity of film subjects and filmmakers, the new world of virtual programming, and the importance of listening to each other and the environment to effect positive change.  Film topics (searchable on the festival platform) include the standard ones like wildlife preservation, climate change, and food and agriculture while putting new and greater emphasis on environmental justice, youth perspectives, and diversity.

“Everyone wants clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, pristine lands and rivers and oceans to enjoy. I think that’s where we can all literally find common ground that serves everyone, not just a privileged few,” says Lee. Five panel discussions on the themes of environmental justice, greener farming, women leadership in conservation, the role of indigenous leaders in preserving wild lands, and youthful perspectives will also be offered, as well as interviews with filmmakers and film subjects and nightly Zoom meet-ups for audience interaction.

Registration for the festival is now open at: https://2021festival.eventive.org/welcome. Film descriptions and trailers allow people to get a sneak preview of festival offerings and start planning their viewing experience over the five days of the festival.  

For regular updates, follow conservationfilmfest.org and social media channels.

A Proud Moment

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By Carol L Coffelt

There are many events in one’s life that are memorable. But one Clarke County family is busting at the seams with pride because they have a rare memorable moment that few families have, when one of your children is awarded a top honor from the United States Air Force.

That family is ours. Leaders from the Virginia Air National Guard recognized the organization’s top performers of the year during an annual awards ceremony held on February 20, 2021 held at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va. Virginia National Guard Air Component Commander Brig. Gen. Toni M. Lord hosted the event and presented group, state and national-level awards to Airmen alongside Col. Christopher G. Batterton, 192nd Wing Commander, and Command Chief Master Sgt. Richard A. Roberts, 192nd Wing command chief.

Faith Olivia Coffelt, my step daughter and a fourth-generation resident of Clarke County, was one of those awarded Outstanding Airman of the Year for the 192nd Medical Group of the Virginia Air National Guard. General Lord also recognized the 192nd and presented the group with the first Adjutant General’s Air Readiness Trophy for overall readiness in effective manning, training and recruiting, and retention efforts. The 192nd MDG was also recognized for its role and impact on the year’s federal and state missions where they organized and deployed to provide support during the coronavirus epidemic. This mission is ongoing today.

Faith turned just 20 years old in August, 2020. Her accomplishments since she turned 16-years-old rival most adults. Not only was she the youngest female EMT at Boyce Volunteer Fire Company, she also went on to obtain her Firefighter 1 and Firefighter 2 certifications. She then joined the Virginia Air National Guard after High School. Even though she would not be a full-time active duty Airman, she still had to undergo basic military training and over a year of tech schools to become an Air Force Medic. At 20, she has already served over eight months on the front lines of the COVID-19 battle, testing and vaccinating communities all around the Commonwealth.

As her father has been a member at Boyce Volunteer Fire Company since 1984, you can guess that Faith grew up around ambulances and firetrucks. And even though she has completed fire training and has gone into burning buildings, her first love is still helping people as a medic. Her full time job, when not activated by the Virginia Air National Guard, is an ER Tech at Valley Medical Hospital in Winchester. Her response to finding out about the accolade was, “Really? I don’t know why.” Because to her, doing an excellent job, leading and caring for people no matter who they are is just who she is. These inherent traits are skills these jobs require but cannot be taught.

Congratulations to Faith Olivia Coffelt for this amazing honor, and thank you for your service.

Eighth Grade Assignment Sparked Graduate to Top Secret Purpose

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By René White, Lt. Col. (Retired) U.S. Air Force

Graduate Kassidy Zugelder attributes an elementary-school assignment to her life-changing decision to join the U.S. Air Force. 

“When I was in Mrs. Elizabeth Miller’s eighth grade, I had to do an essay about someone who was 35 years or older,” Kassidy said. “I wrote about my O-pa, my father’s dad Milton Zugelder, who lives in Strasburg, Va.” 

“O-pa retired from the Air Force after 21 years. I interviewed him and listened to his stories,” she said. “Then, presenting to the class sparked something inside of me.” 

Military stories from both her grandfathers influenced Kassidy’s future. Her mother’s father, Richard Vance Kave of Clarke County and graduate of 1966, also joined the Air Force. 

“I want to go places and do important things, and have some sort of bigger purpose to serve in my life,” Kassidy said. “In high school, I bounced around from basketball and DECA (Distinguished Education Clubs of America) to the Republican’s Club to robotics and anything I could explore to find my niche.” “Exploring opened me up to new people and new experiences,” she said. “I have always loved math and science; anything with numbers, I’m all over it.” 

Kassidy attended honors classes, completed 30 college credits, and is graduating with an advanced diploma with goal to become a Pharmacist.

“I didn’t want my family or me to go into debt paying for college,” she said. So, at age 17 Kassidy talked with her school counselors and parents about joining the Air Force. “I’m going to be a 1N431 Fusion Analyst in the Air Force,” Kassidy said. “I’ll read top secret documents to detect security threats for the United States and annotate documents to send to higher-ups.”

“This is my best course of action,” she said. Not only because she gets a job now and money for college she added, “I want to find who I am as a person and get a chance to go out and help people.”

After meeting recruiter Air Force TSgt Joshua Walters in Winchester Va., her mom Abby Zugelder said, “If this is what you want to do, who am I to stop you from your dreams to be as successful as you can be?”

Kassidy’s high score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery put her in the 99th percentile for science, 98th percentile for mathematics, and high 90’s for electronics. At age 17 she took early commitment with the Air Force Delayed Entry Program (DEP), which means she was locked in and waiting for an assignment. 

After two-weeks of COVID-19 quarantine, Kassidy departs on July 7 for Basic Military Training (BMT) at Lackland AFB Texas, then five months of technical training school at Goodfellow AFB, Texas. “I’m so excited,” she said. “When I think about going, packing up soon, or anything that deals with serving in the military I get this feeling of butterflies,” she added. “It’s overwhelming sureness! I have never felt so sure of anything in my whole life.”