­­Graduation Day

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Off you go into the world. Some of you from high school, some from college. Whatever your chosen journey, the thing you all have in common is the knowledge that the future is uncertain.

And because your elders are bombarding you with good wishes and advice, we just can’t let you go without getting in a few lines of our own.

Here are some gems gathered over the years from a variety of sources, transcribed over time.

 

Spend as little time as possible trying to find yourself. Actually, spend no time at all trying to find yourself. If anything, try to lose yourself. Allow yourself to abandon your fears and all the things that make you self-conscious. Self knowledge will serve you more than being always aware of your faults.

Focus your energy and your love on creating yourself. The person you will be when you are 22 will be different than the person you are now. You at 30 years of age may have completely different interests and skills than you imagine possible today.

By the time you reach the ages your parents are right now, it’s possible that all that you retain of your current self will be the values instilled in you, your faith, and the special qualities that have been nurtured by people around you. Those, and the spirit of your parents’ fondest wishes for you to live an honest life surrounded by friends and family who “get you,” will be with you no matter what.

Be prepared to reinvent yourself from time to time. Your career, your attitudes towards politics and people, your attitude towards material posessions, your lifestyle—all of it might change from time to time, then change again. Be prepared to enjoy the reinvention. Each time!

Let no person tell you who you should be; let no person tell you that you should be different.

Let no person who says they love you try to change you.

Let no person who says they love you try to stop you from continually reinventing yourself.

Emerging from your own private chrysalis into your new self each time, look at yourself in the mirror and smile, knowing, “I love, therefore I am.”

 

Off you go! Best wishes for good fortunes, inner peace, and frequent trips home.

The Clarke County Way

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By Andrew Nicholson

Clarke County is a bucolic oasis nestled within the expanding suburbia of the Urban Development Zone of Frederick County to the west, the exponential growth of the Eastern Panhandle to our North and the population juggernaut of Loudoun County to the east.

According to the Washington Post, Frederick County is forecasted to grow by a staggering 60,000 people to 144,000 within the next 25 years. By 2040 Loudoun County will have more than a half of a million people (in 1970 there were 37,000). Inversely Clarke County has had the slowest population increase in the region, both in percentage and in quantity.

This is not by accident.

Over the past 40 years, voters in Clarke County have wisely elected to the Board of Supervisors individuals who have had the foresight to implement policies that preserve our rural heritage while still providing for its citizens. These programs include sliding scale zoning, a conservation easement program envied throughout the Commonwealth and development planning that reflects our rural character.

And as they have spent your money, our board of supervisors has exercised fiscal restraint at every turn. While our neighbors to the east and west continue to build $100 million high schools with  abandon, Clarke County bucked fiscal irresponsibility and gave us a new high school at one third of the cost. It was done under budget with enough money left over to renovate the old high school into an elementary school. Other projects completed over the past few years have been the joint government center, the library, renovating the sheriff’s office and building a senior center.

And your taxes? Relatively stable, one of the lowest in the area and less than half the rate of Loudoun County.

The Clarke County Republican Committee is dedicated to ‘The Clarke County Way’. That is why we have nominated some outstanding individuals as our choice to serve on the board of supervisors.

David Weiss, the current chairman of the board of supervisors (BOS), will be our standard-bearer for the Buckmarsh precinct. David was first appointed to the Planning Commission in 1993 and became a supervisor in 2003. Bev McKay is pursuing his second term on the BOS for the Whitepost precinct. Bev’s experience includes over 20 years on the local planning commission. Terri Catlett, a veterinarian, is an excellent choice for supervisor for the Millwood precinct. Last, but certainly not least, we are very proud to have Tom McFillen as our nominee for Berryville precinct. Tom spent over 12 years on the planning commission (appointed by Michael Hobert) and will bring a wide array of knowledge to the BOS.

Our quality of life is not an accident. It is the result of years of dedicated service by neighbors who value the character of our community, of balancing the wants with the needs with what we can achieve. Look to the east, or the west, or the north and ask yourself: What kind of future do you wish to leave your children?

I trust we pass on to our children and grandchildren the same wonderful community to live and raise a family we have been so blessed with. This November we need your help to make that possible.

 

Andrew Nicholson is chairman of the Clarke County Republican Committee.

Hop Blossom A New Shenandoah Valley Tradition

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There was a time when most Americans drank their apples—cider, hard or sweet, was the beverage of convenience for early Americans. In fact, planting apple trees was a required part of staking a claim in parts of the young nation. So it seems only fitting that the valley known for its apples is becoming the valley known for quality craft brews—with a festival to celebrate the connection.

June 16 from noon till 6pm is the third annual Hop Blossom Craft Beer Festival in Old Town Winchester, organized by Beth and Mark Yates. Beth is the president and founder of one of the festivals benefactors, www.GoodDogz.org, a non-profit website dedicated to educating potential dog owners. Proceeds from pre-sale and day-of festival ticket sales benefits the mission of www.GoodDogz.org, as well as the Winchester-Frederick-Clarke SPCA.

Last year, the two entities evenly split $11,000 in proceeds. Mark Bates expects an increase based upon the support of the festival; last year there were about 3,000 guests.

It’s a fundraiser, but the festival is designed for craft beer aficionados. Organizers search high and low for unfamiliar beers to expose festival goers to something new. “We try to have at least one style from each brewery that’s not commonly available,” said Mark. “We look more for ones that are special or that you might not otherwise come across. About half of the breweries at previous festivities have come from the state.”

This year, there will be beers and ales from about 40 breweries, with some ciders and possibly Belgians being featured as well. The list of breweries has not been finalized, but is expected to be complete a week prior to the event.

Hop Blossom Festival is the closing day of the popular Winchester’s Craft Beer Week, which runs seven days prior to the Hop Blossom Festival. Winchester Craft Beer Week is a premier series of craft beer events held at restaurants and craft beer shops in Winchester. Each venue will offer a different craft beer and  host an event featuring that brewery.

The week includes “tap takeovers,” where an outlet will carry one brewery’s beer on tap and other craft beer-related events. More on Winchester Craft Beer Week is at winchestercraftbeerweek.com.

On the day of Hop Blossom, anyone wishing to taste a beer must purchase a ticket. Tickets are on sale now for $25, which includes a commemorative cup, ten 4-ounce tastings and live entertainment. Tickets are also available for VIP attendees at $75 and VIP designated drivers at $40.

Learn more about the festival or make a donation to help homeless animals atwww.HopBlossom.com . Ticket sales end on June 12.

Saying Goodbye Not Easy For Those Who Raise Service Dogs

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Service dogs are no longer just helping the visually impaired. Whether conducting search and rescue, sniffing for bombs and drugs at airports, or assisting with tasks of daily life, service and therapy dogs are at work every day. A service dog is specifically trained to help people who have disabilities: visual, hearing, PTSD, seizures, ambulatory issues, mental illness, diabetes, autism, and more. Sometimes these special animals are trained to pull a wheelchair, to calm a person with post traumatic stress disorder during an anxiety attack or even remind a person with a mental illness to take prescribed medications. Service dogs are invaluable help to the people in need. But who trains the service dog?

To Lesley Moran of Berryville, animals have been her life’s passion. As a small girl she loved horses, dogs, cats, everything. Moran has been affectionately called Doctor Doolittle by those who know her best; she plays Mom to a menagerie of animals that recently included a pet white tail deer. A certified horse dentist and trainer, Moran can now add service dog trainer to her list of accomplishments.

Two years ago, Moran enrolled in the CCI (Canine Companions for Independence) program to rigorously train a puppy for 12 to 18 months. CCI breeds Labrador retrievers and golden retrievers , crossing the two breeds for optimum temperament and trainability, and turns them over to the safe hands of the puppy raisers. Puppies are taught basic commands and socialization skills. It’s difficult at first – puppies are up several times a night. The puppy raiser gets no sleep.

“The puppy raisers are really the backbone of our organization, and we couldn’t serve without them,” said John Bentzinger, a CCI public relations staffer, “The socialization is perhaps the most important, because dogs need to be exposed to any and all types of surroundings.”

After that time, the dog is returned to the regional headquarters for a 6-month advanced training course. Then comes placement with a special needs person. Only four of ten dogs actually make it through the program. “We take only the cream of the crop—our standards are second to none.” said Bentzinger.

On May 15, Moran’s dog Kade II officially graduated from the CCI Northeast region headquarters in Medford New York. Lesley Moran will hand over the leash to the new owner, Eddie Fox from Horsham Pa. For Eddie, this will be his second dog from CCI; his first one has been retired, but is still living with the family.

“This has been tremendously fulfilling, one of the single most rewarding things I’ve ever done” said Moran. “I know the dog will always be cared for and CCI will constantly check on the dog,” she said. “Knowing that Kade will be serving someone who needs help puts a smile on may face!”

Canine Companions for Independence was founded in 1975. It is the largest non-profit provider of assistance dogs and is recognized worldwide for excellence of its dogs, and the quality & longevity of its matches between dogs and people. The organization is headquartered in Santa Rosa, California.

The Older Americans Act 50th Anniversary

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By Karen Cifala

This month marks the 50th anniversary of The Older Americans Act (OAA), passed in 1965 as part of President Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society reform. With the intent of promoting the dignity of seniors, this Act’s funding is distributed to 56 state agencies, over 200 tribal organizations, two native Hawaiian organizations, more than 600 area agencies, and 20,000 local services providers.

This was the first federal initiative aimed at providing comprehensive services for our older citizens. It created the National Aging Network, comprising the Administration on Aging at the federal level and Area Agencies on Aging as well as State Units on Aging at the state level. This law currently provides millions of older adults with services like Meals on Wheels and other nutrition services, transportation, legal services, elder abuse prevention, and caregiver support. Our local agency is called the Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging (SAAA). It serves Clarke, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah, Warren, and Winchester City.

The Long Term Care Ombudsman Program was established under the OAA as a “vulnerable elder rights protection” program and investigates and resolves complaints made by or on behalf of institutionalized populations such as nursing home residents and the funds are allocated based on the state’s proportion of residents over the age of 60. Locally, our Ombudsman Program contact is Susie Grubb. She covers the entire Shenandoah Area from Clarke to Page counties and can assist in resolving complaints and mediating between residents’ families. She is a strong proponent of promoting community involvement and educating consumers about resident’s rights, and good care practices also fall under her purview.

Our Place Respite Centers are yet another service through SAAA that provides respite for individuals with Alzheimer’s or related dementia and gives caregivers needed assistance, support, and resources. To use this service call the SAAA and they will conduct an initial assessment to determine eligibility. There is a sliding fee scale of $10–$25. Clarke County’s Our Place center is located at Grace Episcopal Church in Berryville. Hours of operation are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10am–3pm.

WellTran, a transportation service through SAAA also provides transportation for qualified seniors. Rides must be prearranged and are fee-based as well.

The Medicare Café is an irreplaceable resource for our community. This program is designed for people eligible for Medicare or those who are new and have questions. This is a “no strings attached,” unbiased, free personal resource and is a great way to get help understanding Medicare benefits and choices, as well as where to get the best rates for your prescriptions. Locally you can attend monthly sessions held from 10am to 4pm at the VFW Post 9760 in Berryville; May 28, June 18, Sept.24, Oct 15, and Nov 19.

Clarke County Active Living Center, under the auspices of SAAA, is located right next to the Clarke County Recreation Center in Berryville. There you can get a noonday lunch onsite, or, if you are a homebound senior and qualify, they will deliver your meal to you. The state-approved Meals on Wheels program is available to seniors age 60 or older who are residents of the county, are restricted or confined to their home, and have no one to prepare a meal. Priority is given to seniors with the greatest economic and social need. This Senior Center also holds daily events such as exercise and a variety of musical entertainment, health, and educational programs as well as special trips and picnics. There is no fee to join and there is no income restriction, but you must register as a member to participate.

Recently The Older Americans Act has been plagued with modest resources to support its mission. Federal funding has not kept pace with the rapid growth of the aging boomer generation. Our seniors may face wait periods for many of these critical services in most states. It has been determined that in order for OAA to even catch up with the population growth, its funding would have to be increased at least 12 percent each year for many years. Whichever side of the political aisle you stand on, we can all agree that these types of federal and state program will and do promote a healthier life and improve the quality of life for many of our older citizens. One in five older adults receives these much needed services, and there is a disproportionate number of our seniors who live below the poverty line; most likely female, twice as likely to live in a rural area, and more likely to live alone.

It’s important to remember and appreciate our senior contributions to our country and our families. Every President since JFK has recognized the importance of showing respect and appreciation to seniors who have given so much to our nation. As spoken this year by President Obama during his proclamation outlining the importance of this celebration,

“Drivers of enormous change, they have enriched our Nation and bravely defended the values we cherish; they have broken down barriers and blazed pathways for all who followed; and they have raised us all and endowed us with a freer, fairer, more equal world. After a lifetime of contributions, they have earned our care and respect, and they deserve to live out their years with dignity and independence.”

RESOURCES:

You can reach all of these great resources through Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging (SAAA), email: info@shendandoahaaa.com or call 540-635-7141 or call them direct.

The Long Term Care Ombudsman Program: Susie Grubb (540)551-5635

Our Place Respite Center; Call SAAA to make an appointment or (540)247-6309

WellTran; To schedule a ride call (800)883-4122 ext. 306

Medicare Café; Call SAAA (540)635-7141 ext. 1015

Clarke County Active Living Center; Bonnie Dodson, ALC Director at (540)955-3572

Karen Cifala is a Senior Real Estate Specialist with Remax Roots in Berryville. She specializes in working with our older generation and would love to hear from you. To reach her you can call her at (303) 817-9374 or email her at kcifala@gmail.com.

Bobolinks Are Endangered Songbirds

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Story and illustration by Doug Pifer

Several years ago my friend Ben Weddle asked me to be a tour guide at Oxbow farm as part of Warren County’s 175th anniversary farm tour. Since 1991 the farm’s hayfields have been managed to encourage native wildlife. The week before my talk, Ben gave me a tour of my own to see what the landowner had done. The hay fields were alive with medium sized, black and white birds with an exuberant, gurgling song—bobolinks!

As they chased each other about the fields, their white striped backs made them look like they wore white suspenders. Seeing the creamy patch on the napes of their necks, I could see why the old nickname for the bobolink was “skunk blackbird.”

The name bobolink derives from their bubbling spring song. To my ears, it’s as close to an outpouring of pure joy as any sound in nature. But this song is bitter-sweet to me. Bobolinks, never common, are now rare.

Originally birds of the prairie, bobolinks spread eastward when hay-burning horses were the means of transportation. But a combination of mechanized farming and changing land use kept the birds from thriving. Conservationist in the early 1900s called for farmers to delay their haying to allow the birds to nest. Still, the decline continued. Like most things in nature, the story of the bobolink is complex.

After raising their young in our hayfields, they depart on one of the longest migrations known among songbirds. They spend their winters in the grasslands of Brazil and Argentina. They return again in spring, but on their wintering grounds and en route they face additional dangers.

Consummate intercontinental travelers, bobolinks adapt their lifestyle and diet to suit their surroundings. In summer they feed their young on insects gleaned from the hayfields. But their fall migration route takes them through prime rice growing lands.

Early in the 19th century when rice was the primary crop in the low country of South Carolina, migrating bobolinks would stop over by the tens of thousands to fatten themselves in ripening fields. Farmers hired hunters to shoot “rice birds” by the hundreds and sold them in the markets as a delicacy.

After 1900 it became illegal to shoot or to sell migratory birds for food. But this didn’t stop folks in Mexico and Central America from shooting at flocks of bobolinks on their wintering grounds. A bobolink is called “butter bird” in Jamaica, and is a tasty morsel throughout the Caribbean. Changing land use patterns and development in South America also take a toll on wintering bobolinks.

Worldwide populations have declined about 2 percent per year since the millennium. But it’s not for lack of trying by the bobolink. On the breeding grounds, polygamous males often support three or more nesting females on their territory. Males protect and help the females raise their young. And unmated bobolinks, male and female, all pitch in to feed the nestlings.

To hear their ecstatic spring song, type “bobolink” on YouTube at SoundsOfNature.org to hear and see Lang Elliot’s professional quality video of a singing bobolink.

Crocker Conservancy Preserves Rare Habitat

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By Annie Young

The sound of kids playing echoes through the trees as I tramp along a mulched trail with Kit McGinnis, Development Director at Powhatan School in Boyce. I trip along trying to keep up with McGinnis, who is very familiar with the terrain. Although the students are playing on their playground through a small brace of trees, they are also familiar with this special piece of land. It is the Crocker Conservancy, the newest part of their campus and a premiere outdoor laboratory for students from pre- kindergarten through grade eight.

Agnes Crocker Brengle, Constance Crocker, and Isabelle Crocker Osborne donated the land from their family in 2011. The Crocker family donated the original land that Powhatan School Campus sits on today. Experts, community members, students, faculty and parents helped to create a plan for 30 acres of the conservancy. The whole acreage is now protected by a conservation easement. Through the exploration and planning it was discovered that the land held four unique habitats. The habitats include a riparian stream area with Roseville Run streaming through, a calcareous muck fen, hardwood forest and warm season grass and wildflower meadow. Not only are these habitats incredible places for learning but they also hold special conservation properties.

Simply put, a calcareous muck fen is a where a hill slopes into a spring seep with limestone in the area. It is listed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation as high priority for conservation. Decades ago, wetlands were drained to create more land for grazing cattle. Now this particular wetland has been properly repaired to allow the natural seep, fill and flow for the macroinvertabrae and plants to flourish. The calcareous muck fen is a rare habitat—not just in our area but in the whole world!

The riparian stream area creates a buffer zone along the Roseville Run to prevent erosion and conserve the soil. Where the land and the stream meet is important for plant life to provide structure so that run off does not occur. Conserving this area of land helps the whole watershed be healthier. The other habitats of the hardwood forest and warm season grass and wildflower meadow provide important habitats for pollinators and birds. As I tour the meadow, I see a killdeer skitter along the middle of the meadow as newly planted native species provide a thicker protection for its speckled eggs laid in a ground nest. The hardwood forest and meadow also demonstrate succession of tree growth.

These habitats are natural but take a lot of care to preserve. Volunteers, grants, donations, students, and families have cleared invasive vines, moved soil, planted native plants cleared trails, and mulched new trails. It takes a heroic effort to bring together the efforts of so many willing community members. McGinnis, as development director, has facilitated the partnerships with Virginia Department of Forestry, Clarke County, Casey Trees, Conservation Services, Blandy Experimental Farm, Natural Resource Conservation Services and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay. Parents have also taken an active role in creating this outdoor learning environment for their children. These community members have given their time, muscle, equipment, expertise and care.

This year the whole school participated in helping these habitats become more healthy. During the Tree-Themed Earth Week, students ages 4 to 14 planted over 100 trees on the campus. Small groups of older and younger students worked together to plant native trees. Volunteers and partners from various organizations came to support the effort. The trees were carefully lowered into huge holes dug by the students. They were properly protected with mesh and plastic tubes to prevent deer or other critters from damaging the hard efforts of the students.

Classes are currently using the Crocker Conservancy for their learning. The nature- enhanced approach to learning integrates into many subject areas, especially science, technology and mathematics. Learning about nature in nature is as rare these days as the habitats that are part of the campus. Teachers bring their students out to the shady areas where learning opportunities abound.

The new outdoor laboratory has handmade signs and benches created with conservation in mind and donated by caring individuals. Plans for learning pavilions and observation boardwalks will allow students to observe the habitats and wildlife.

Crocker Conservancy will be used to “implement a framework to connect to curriculum and kids,” says McGinnis. Students have already had an opportunity to connect with conservation as they planted their laboratory for future learning. Current and future students will take this gift of land and share their gift of conserving it.

Enjoying the Quiet of Berryville at Waypoint House

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By Samantha Pigott

Ask Rachael Worsley, who, with husband Jonathan, operates Waypoint House B&B in Berryville, if they are Berryville natives, and you’ll get a reply that every transplant who has found their sense of home in Clarke County can appreciate. “No, but we got here as soon as we could!”

When Jonathan and Rachael Worsley met in college, they didn’t plan for the road of life to lead them to own and operate Waypoint House. The Worsley’s look at themselves as custodians of the home built in 1884 at 211 South Church Street. Nanny Maguire, who was a local piano teacher, first owned the home. They have found remnants of the packaging crate from a piano delivered to Maguire, addressed simply Nanny Maguire, Berryville Virginia.

They are the sixth owners of this beautiful home, and are diligent about its preservation. Both agree that when they were looking for a property, this was love at first sight. The original heart pine floors, the history, and beauty were exactly what the Worsleys’ had been searching for.

The three guest rooms are well appointed and cozy. Each room has a private bath and television (not always the norm for B&Bs). The Worsleys’ aim is to offer their guests a relaxing luxury experience. Rooms are equipped with USB ports, and the entire property has access to wi-fi. There is a beautiful weaving of authentic history and modern necessity.

The grounds are peaceful and inviting, including a delightful back deck area for reading or socializing tucked away beside the greenhouse. Rachael uses the greenhouse and garden patch to grow herbs and veggies that she uses in her cooking for guests. Rachael’s background in catering shines through her menu choices.

Nearly all her ingredients are locally sourced. She has an egg delivery lady, and if Rachael doesn’t grow it she can often find it at the farmers market. The guestbook is full of praise for the breakfasts—like savory ricotta and chive scramble on homemade bread or baked cinnamon French toast. In keeping with the personality of the operation, Rachael serves breakfast around her guests requests. It’s not ‘what time is breakfast served, but what time would you like breakfast?’

The range of guests has been remarkable, over the past three years. “We have had all sorts of people from all around the world here,” says Jonathan. His favorite was a photographer from National Geographic who admired some of Jonathan’s own photography that lines the walls of the dining room and is scattered throughout the house. The pictures are just another personal interesting touch.

 

Rachael has gathered a full lineup of places and things to do in and around Clarke County. She says many guests come for a getaway from the demands of city living, but haven’t thought of what they will do once they get here. Rachael then puts on her tour guide hat and becomes a kind of ambassador for Clarke County to the guests. “We love to share Clarke County with people,” she said.

Waypoint house is also pet friendly. While canine guests are the norm, the Worsleys have also hosted two cats, whom the couple found to be lovely guests and would be welcome back any time.

The Waypoint house is a beautiful and affordable place to stay while passing through. It’s also a terrific option for out-of-town family coming in for a visit.

Rooms range from $125 to $235 per night, including breakfast, depending on the room and the season. For information give Rachael a call at 540-955-8218 or check out www.waypointhouse.com.

This Gathering Is For Everyone

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American Indian living legend to moderate the Harvest Gathering,

By Victoria L. Kidd

One of the best parts about living in the Northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia is that you don’t have to go far to experience history. While that experience is mostly received through exhibits, sightseeing, and other activities that are largely passive in nature, residents occasionally have an opportunity to experience history intimately. Such an experience is coming up this fall.

From October 30 to November 1, the Clarke County Fairgrounds will host The Harvest Gathering (referred to as “The Gathering”), an educational celebration of what’s being billed as “agri-culture.” The term speaks to the two facets of the event—a traditional indigenous outdoor Harvest Dance and living history/cultural exhibition partnered with the agriculturally significant Virginia Gourd Festival. This year marks the 14th year the Virginia Lovers’ Gourd Society has presented the Virginia Gourd Festival at the beginning of Native American Heritage month, and the synchronicity of the two serves to educate the public about the native roots gourds have while demonstrating their contemporary uses.

The weekend will be filled end-to-end with experiences that don’t come along everyday. Participants can join a gourd workshop, listen to Native American singers and drummers, eat foods that are culturally significant to native peoples, sample locally produced honey and other foods, and participate in a communal demonstration of thanks for the harvest before winter. The schedule includes many more activities than can be listed here, but perhaps the most significant opportunity attendees have is the chance to interact with Dennis Banks, a person considered to be a living legend among many Native Americans.

The fact that Banks will be the Master of Ceremonies for the event is “significant,” according to René White-Feather, president of the Native American Church of Virginia and executive director of The Harvest Gathering. In 1968, Banks cofounded the American Indian Movement (AIM) alongside other Native Americans in Minneapolis. He has a long history of advocacy (and at times controversial activism) seeking to address racism and to increase national awareness of Native American issues. He is perhaps best known for leading the 1973 armed occupation of Wounded Knee, the site where U.S. troops had murdered a band of Lakota men, women, and children just 83 years earlier.

Event organizers are excited to have a figure of such national and historical significance moderating an event they perceive to be historically significant in and of itself. For them, the event is comparative to a seed planted in the hope that an increased sense of brotherhood and community among local people and those travelling to the event will grow. Chris (Comes With Clouds) White, spiritual leader and Elder of the Native American Church of Virginia, says, “This is a seed of grand possibilities in human-hood that we are planting. It’s my hope that the seed finds good ground, and I rely on God to bring the increase.”

René uses the term “spiritual phenomenon” when referencing the event because it’s really a convergence of many people from different belief systems, backgrounds, ethnicities, and cultural identities. “Each of us on the Elders Council and others feels a calling towards an elevated spirit in humanity that is fueled by our deep personal desire to create something good for humanity,” she says.

That “something good” may share similarities to the iconic 1621 harvest celebration that school children learn about in school, but The Gathering is not intended to be a recreation of what is often referred to as the “first Thanksgiving.” René relays, “We look back at the first Thanksgiving as a spontaneous act of goodwill involving giving thanks to God by two culturally diverse peoples. It speaks to our heart and we commemorate it as an unprecedented way of being with strangers that are not like us. It strikes a chord in the core of humanity. That’s why we don’t want to act out or mimic what was, although that was good. ‘The Gathering’ is an experiment in humanity, to check the state of community within our community now.”

As such, the event is really one that will be defined by participation—participation by those who join the festivities, participate in the activities, and endeavor to witness firsthand the idea that we are all a lot more alike than we are different. “It’s about you and your participation,” Chris says. “When someone participates in planting seeds, they also have claim on a portion of the harvest.” In this case, the harvest is a greater sense of community, and as René says, “preserving our agri-culture, heritage, stories, and art is about sharing what we know and passing it on. This defines the richness of our culture for generations to come.”

Consistent with a generational view of the impact these types of events can have, the organizers have set aside the first day of the event as a “school day” when school-aged children and youth will be able to participate in planned activities. René explains, “Children will learn tons of things they didn’t know that they didn’t know.” From learning about various animals and plants to participating in activities related to humanities and anthropology, students will have a chance to engage in hands-on learning. (Students also have an opportunity to participate in available internships. For more information, visit http://harvestgathering.org/the-basket.html.)

The public is invited to Saturday and Sunday’s activities, and it is certain that attendees will experience something new. New activities and opportunities are being added each week, and interested persons should visit www.harvestgathering.org. While there, be sure to click on the Basket tab and subscribe to their online magazine, The Harvest Basket. Most importantly, mark your calendars to experience history and contribute to this culturally significant weekend.