The 12th annual Crozet Car Show will be held at Pollak Vineyards Saturday The show will be open to the public from 11 a.m This is the fourth year the show is held at Pollak Vineyards “This is an ideal location,” show founder Steve Sellers said “We are so appreciative of Pollak Vineyards in agreeing to host.” a member of the local chapter of the Porsche Club of America “This is a super nice location for a car show A unique thing about this show is the variety of cars and trucks that are entered It is open to anyone that wants to participate Our local club will promote the show and encourage members to attend.” Participants wishing to enter their car into the show are encouraged to pre-register Cars pre-registered will pay a $20 entry fee those registering on site will pay $25 and are not guaranteed space as the show will be limited to 125 entries Scan the QR code included in this article to open an entry form Cars and trucks entered into the show will be professionally judged with Bob Garland leading the team They were all judges at the Virginia Festival of the Wheel and have various certifications from the Classic Car Club of America National Corvette Restorers Society and Antique Automobile Club of America Trophies will be awarded for Best in Show (The Pollak Trophy) Top Ten People’s Choice selected by show participants the Founders Trophy and three special recognition trophies Several regional car clubs have confirmed attendance and will have reserved areas for their members These include the Blue Ridge Corvette Club Shenandoah Region of the Porsche Club of America the BMW Car Club and the Car Club Council of Central Virginia The car show raises funds each year for a selected benefactor This year’s recipient is The Blue Ridge Tunnel Foundation Volunteers from the foundation will help the show run smoothly The Blue Ridge Tunnel has attracted 362,000 visitors since its opening in November 2020 The foundation is raising funds to refurbish and display the original portal stone that sat over the west entrance to the tunnel Featuring the names of public figures important to the tunnel’s completion in the 1858 the two-part stone broke into several pieces after its installation in 1856 Attendees will be encouraged to stop by the BRT Foundation booth and make a tax-deductible donation You can also donate at blueridgetunnel.org/support-our-project Sponsors confirmed to date are: The Lodge at Old Trail Musical entertainment will be provided by Mike Dantoni and Stan Hamrick Food vendors confirmed are Whistlestop Grill Crozet Seafood and The Molly Harris Lemonade Stand with additional food vendors to be added leading up to the event Attendees can participate in a 50/50 raffle where a single winner will receive half of the total raffle ticket sales Follow the Crozet Car Show Facebook page for the most recent news at facebook.com/crozetcarshow and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" “Why Crozet” is a long-running feature focusing on the many reasons why people move to Crozet We’ve found that it’s the people here who make the biggest difference in the quality of life a long-time resident and one of the most recognizable National Geographic photographers of our time He was recently chosen for the International Photography Hall of Fame Two of his photos—one from his “Life of Tolstoy,” and one from “Charles M Russell and the American West” were included in the 50 greatest photos in the history of National Geographic and for years judged the Gazette’s calendar contest and wrote a popular monthly column about his choices Sam Abell said he doesn’t exactly seek out danger right beside the kind of strange beauty he chased all his life as a photographer for National Geographic He tells a story to illustrate what he means He was assigned to capture life in Northwest Australia After a few days that were uncharacteristically mild he enlisted a pilot to find a storm at sea “That part of Australia is known for its cyclones so I didn’t want to go back without an image.” He got closer to a cyclone than he had intended his frightened young pilot slipped inside the storm Abell sent back exactly the image he’d dreamed of a shot of the edge of the cyclone from inside I couldn’t make a case for us living through it,” he said “But somehow shooting that kept me calm.” Since then he’s looked for the line where nature seems its most beautiful and its most threatening this time when he was chasing an Australian sunset in a plane that was doorless on the passenger side He also came close to a few saltwater crocodiles predatory giants who—unlike domestic crocodiles—will aggressively chase people down Abell has proven he can shoot a still life or a portrait that takes your breath away a set piece with drama all the more powerful because of its restraint and a populated landscape that tells you more about a place than you’d understand if you visited it yourself In spite of being able to take huge risks for a dramatic shot Like a film director who creates a perfectly lit and designed set and waits for the actors to walk on Abell finds exactly the setting he wants and waits for all the elements to come together perfectly He found that focusing on the scene rather than the subject tells the better story He often builds his scene from back to front “I think that’s because I grew up in the Midwest where the horizon is always there.” After retiring from National Geographic in 2001 He received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Photo Society and was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame in 2024 an exclusive group of only 150 photographers from all over the world He’s been extensively honored and his photography has been collected in exhibits and in books some written by him and some illustrating the writing of others He said his favorite students are not the ones who (like him) want to make photography their whole lives It turns out the advice his students most often quote (“compose and the family joke was that it was so rickety that it could only qualify as a darkroom after dark young Sam had a chance to see good photos and bad take form in the developing fluid When one of his early photos won a national honorable mention He later became the photographer as well as the editor for his high school yearbook He received a small grant to attend the University of Kentucky and became the photographer and editor of the school newspaper and the yearbook and released two books at the end of his senior year a conventional yearbook and a bound photo essay of life at the university There was no such thing as a photography major so Abell graduated with a degree in journalism and worked at the Louisville News & Courier He’d applied for an internship at the National Geographic despite many of his best prints having been lost in the mail and the legendary Robert Gilka took him on as an intern On an early assignment to photograph the Pacific Crest Trail a through hiker he kept coming across along the notoriously rugged 2,650-mile trail Jobs at National Geographic don’t require a great deal of office appearances but he needed to be at a reasonable distance from the office in Washington so we looked for a place where we could be outdoors a lot,” Abell said and traveled together all over the world wherever Abell’s work took him Abell wrote a monthly column for the Crozet Gazette for five years explaining why he chose the photos he did in an annual photography contest Winners were featured in the popular Crozet calendar He also generously shared his comments on the winning photographs in a yearly lecture open to all “Writing the monthly Crozet Calendar Clinic column for five years was a meaningful experience for me,” Abell said “It introduced me to many local photographers and their work In my own work I had to live up to the thoughtful practice I was urging on others.” Because of his care to accurately portray his thoughts in writing the world-famous photojournalist said his experience also made him a better writer Abell has invested more than his skill in the communities he photographs He’s approached his subjects with empathy as well as interest the rugged individualism of the authentic American cowboy “That aesthetic just tied in with mine,” he said It was in Japan at the turn of the century that he made a crucial decision “I was there partly to photograph the royal palace,” he said I’d spent months shooting temples and gardens.” Finally he held out his right hand for me to shake but asked me if I was happy.” It was with a mixture of relief and gratitude plus a release from weeks of frustration that Abell decided that day to retire from National Geographic “I don’t leave the country much anymore,” Abell said he recalled that a professor once told him that the central theme of American literature was to try to reconcile what we’ve done to the New World He’s explored that theme in a visual way and he’s shot domestic portraits that feature relics of the recent past as well as modern life taken in bars There’s a horse waiting patiently in a parking lot strewn with junk storage structures fallen into disuse: perhaps another way of looking at the intersection of beauty and danger there are times when he’s not teaching a class or on a formal assignment but Abell doesn’t really think of them as days off He never uses a flash and carries the simplest possible equipment Hundreds of visitors made the rounds of Crozet’s small businesses in mid-April and to discover what’s available right here in Crozet said that merchants counted a total of 1,620 visitors to downtown and Old Trail doubling the number of patrons who attended the inaugural event last year enter them into a drawing for locally sourced prizes but some collected stamps from the all of the more than 30 merchants participating Guterbock said merchants received a lot of traffic during the day-long event She heard from passport-holders that the event gave them a chance to discover businesses they hadn’t been aware of Others said they had intended to visit some of the newer merchants and this event gave them the impetus they needed “We are so grateful to all who participated both businesses and passport-holders,” Guterbock said and love for local businesses brought so much energy and joy to our community.”  Dozens of readers met to indulge their love of books at Bar Botanical last month The “silent book club,” sponsored by Bluebird & Company was just what its name implies: a quiet space at the end of the day to read with the opportunity to continue without interruptions to fix something to eat and drink Crozet author Mollie Bryan was there with her daughter Tess both avid readers (Tess was reading Demon Copperhead while Mollie was deep into historical fiction.)  “In a world of continual distraction sitting in quiet and reading a book is good medicine for your soul,” Mollie said “And an added benefit is having other people around while you do so I thought the event was great!” After the first half-hour of observing silence readers were invited to keep silence or talk quietly: whatever they felt like doing Bluebird’s Flannery Buchanan said the event will continue monthly The Albemarle County Rotary Club is offering a morning of fun to the community along with a way to contribute to its significant support of area youth the club has chosen a pickleball tournament at the nearby Greencroft Club for its annual event Because the round robin competition is flighted the tournament welcomes players of any age older than 12 years Rotarian Barry Cushman said this year’s tournament honors the memory of Dr and a charter member of the Albemarle County Rotary Club Taylor had received the French Legion of Honor for his service to French citizens during and after the war The Rotary hopes to raise more than $20,000 at this year’s event to benefit the All Blessings Flow pediatric program and its various scholarships for area youth and the Greencroft Club has been a wonderful partner in planning the tournament Those with questions can reach Jim Kucera at jim@greencroftclub.net and register through the Rotary Club’s website Those who don’t play may donate through the website as well The Albemarle County Rotarians meet weekly at the Greencroft Club and county residents are eligible for membership Rose’s Inspiration Station at Piedmont Place now offers a subscription service, with delivery of a box of nature-inspired creative ideas and materials for children 5 to 11 years old. Boxes will include plants, art projects, crafts, activities and instructions via videos from Miss Rosie and instructions for using the crate itself. Find out more, and order your crates from rosesinspirationstation.com a gallery representing national and local artists owned by glass blower Minh Martin and artist Anna Shapiro and visitors can watch and join in the art of glass during the festive weekend and activities for children will make it a family friendly event The indoor event space is also available for parties Hidden Valley Forest School Offers Early Childhood Alternative who previously had enjoyed a distinguished career in foreign policy and she found herself with a strong interest in child development especially in the effects of play and nature in early childhood Hagen was fascinated by the forest school concept in Scandinavia a system that embraces play-based outdoor learning so when her family moved to Crozet four years ago she began to formulate a vision for a forest school on their 9-acre property She pursued an education in child development and completed a number of early childhood education classes becoming one of the preschool teachers as well as the school’s director Two other teachers with Master’s degrees in early childhood education––one of whom has had experience in Norwegian forest schools–– complete the faculty Together they teach children from 25 local families with flexible options for children from pre-kindergarten to second grade Many of their students are from homeschooling families who choose outdoor learning as part of the curriculum Hagen said there are a few openings for both the summer session and the upcoming school year has ceased its winemaking operation and was listed for sale Under the guidance of veteran winemaker Brad McCarthy White Hall was one of the first of our local wineries to show that Virginia could produce really good wine Tony and Edith Champ bought the 210-Acre property on Sugar Ridge Road in 1992 White Hall won the Governor’s Cup with a 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon; and in 1998 won a second Governor’s Cup with a 1997 Gewürztraminer More than 60 women rummaged through their closets and drawers to find hats and colorful accessories for the Nelson County Community Fund’s first Spring Garden High Tea was organized by Suzzane McQueen and Lena Kroll with every dollar directly supporting the Fund’s mission to aid nonprofits serving Nelson County residents The Nelson County Community Fund is celebrating its 25th Anniversary with a full lineup of events and activities throughout the year To learn more about NCCF visit nelsonfund.org Crozet Artisan Depot features painter Penelope Matallana of Staunton and ceramic artist Jane Angelhart of Charlottesville as guest artists for May The shows are from May 1 until May 31 in the historic Crozet train depot The public can meet both Matallana and Angelhart on Saturday May 17 from 11a.m watercolor and acrylics and loves the joyful energy of painting en plein air on farms She tries to capture the scene before the light changes she does have to finish the painting in her studio but prefers to finish a painting en plein air on the site as this presents a fresh and spontaneous look Angelhart is an artist in a variety of media Though primarily trained and established in painting she has always enjoyed experimenting with other forms of art creating pieces that reflect her playful curiosity She considers herself a creator of whimsical pottery Both her painting studio and her ceramic studio are in her home Her show is titled “Hippos and Other Nonsense.” Wendell House in Old Trail has been granted a wine and beer license and will begin to sell these beverages in May the leasing agent for the multi-purpose building in Old Trail Village Center said the large restaurant space there has been leased the Crozet Gazette could not confirm its name or type Crozet Crepe Company at Clover Lawn has not set an opening date while CroZeli has attracted old-style gamers to its free arcade CROZET (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Crozet is preparing to welcome visitors for the second annual Yay This event highlights Crozet’s small businesses and provides an opportunity for attendees to explore Western Albemarle while supporting its local economy The passport program encourages visitors to stop by 30 participating businesses Each completed passport serves as an entry into a prize drawing featuring items from local merchants Last year’s event saw strong community participation and organizers expect an even larger turnout this year.adButlerLazyLoad("990033869790127288",100,["688449","688449","688449"],"177030"); Business owners without physical store locations will be represented at the Community Corner a display and information booth located in Piedmont Place that will be set up for this event Business owners who are members of the Crozet Small Business Collaborative have also stepped up to volunteer for the event whose expertise on all things Central Virginia says “This event is an experience you won’t want to miss Hosted by the passionate team at Crozet Small Business Collaborative this event shines a spotlight on the local businesses The Crozet Small Business Collaborative has spent the last year establishing a supportive outlet among local business owners They are excited to celebrate their one-year anniversary as an organization with this capstone event “This passport event has quickly become a beloved tradition and we’re excited to celebrate its second year and our first full year as an organization This event is all about connecting our community showcasing the incredible local businesses and giving visitors a chance to explore the hidden treasures of Crozet Whether you’re here for the first time or are a long-time local and experience the warmth and charm of the small businesses that make Crozet such a special place.” This community-driven event showcases Crozet’s business landscape and promotes local engagement Passport Event is organized by the Crozet Small Business Collaborative which supports the town’s independent businesses and economic growth.adButlerLazyLoad("193840876291726768",100,["688449","688449","688449"],"177030"); For more details, visit https://crozetsbc.wordpress.com/ Jay Hart is a news reporter with CvilleRightNow.com Reach him by email at jhart@charlottesvilleradiogroup.com or call 434-977-6397 UVA Alert Monday morning from self-inflicted gunshot incident The Nelson County Sheriff and The AWARE Foundation of Virginia asking help finding a missing Nelson County teen Governor Youngkin took final actions to complete the legislative session for 2025 in the General Assembly City Council Monday night considers a grant program to assist low- and moderate-income people whose home ownership in the city may be in jeopardy due to financial stress associated with costs owning that home Virginia’s standing as one of the top states in the nation for patient safety in hospital settings has again been affirmed in the Leapfrog Group Hospital Safety Grade rankings Be sure you have your GPS enabled and try again CROZET, VA (Rocktown Now) – Albemarle Police indicate mental health issues may have played a role and the assailant was very well-armed when he shot two customers to death in the parking lot of the Crozet Harris Teeter last month.adButlerLazyLoad("2236039990131765656",100,["688446","688446","688446"],"177034"); along with the county’s human services leader updated the public in a Thursday news conference offering a look at actions leading up to the February event had on his person and in his car when he pulled into the parking lot of the Harris Teeter on the Rockfish Gap Turnpike The Crozet resident arrived with 374 rounds of ammunition The weapon used was a Palmetto State Armory AR-15 Sean Reeves said there were an estimated 75 to 100 people in the shopping center at the time some of whom sped off before police arrived People who were in the Harris Teeter rushed into hiding of Crozet was shot in the parking lot and declared dead at the scene was taken to University of Virginia Medical Center was leaving the store and killed Barbour with his personal weapon The investigation also looked at how Virginia’s red flag rules could have played a role in the lead-up to the shooting law enforcement could not have taken away Barbour’s guns by law.adButlerLazyLoad("1737261126196264052",100,["688446","688446","688446"],"177034"); “In reviewing our prior contacts with the shooter we have found no threats of violence or self-harm to either himself or others that would have met the legal threshold for a substantial risk order,” said Reeves “We recognize that these cases are complex and we are committed to working with our community and mental health partners to assist individuals in crisis.” Albemarle police had four interactions with Barbour Barbour’s family requested an Emergency Custody Order (ECO) out of concern for his mental health The Human Services Alternative Response Team responded to a call involving Barbour in January Barbour’s family was notified of the contact with mental health resources provided to both Barbour and his family.adButlerLazyLoad("294340145594709187",100,["688446","688446","688446"],"177034"); “We know this tragedy has left many in our community grieving,” said Kaki Dimock Albemarle County’s Chief Human Services Officer “I want to remind everyone that healing takes time we encourage community members to utilize the mental health and counseling services available including the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline VDOT is seeking feedback on a transportation study assessing potential solutions on Route 42 (Virginia Avenue) between Gay Street and the Harrisonburg city limit the RHSPCA Pets of the Week sponsored by Bob Wade Subaru The Augusta County Sheriff’s Office responded to multiple calls Monday morning about a Staunton individual which led to him being unresponsive in-custody Showers and thunderstorm will be possible again today CROZET — The Albemarle County Police Department has released more information on the shooting at Harris Teeter in Crozet on Monday that the police department said that it believes the shooter entered the store parking lot and fired a rifle at the first victim Martin was pronounced deceased at the scene the suspect approached a second victim in their vehicle That victim has been identified as Diane G Spangler was transported to UVA Medical Center in critical condition and later succumbed to the injuries sustained during the shooting Police said that an off-duty federal law enforcement officer who heard the gunfire and was exiting the Harris Teeter engaged the shooter with their personal weapon The off-duty officer was uninjured in the incident a tragedy struck our community when a lone gunman opened fire in the parking lot of Harris Teeter in Crozet," said Colonel Sean Reeves Chief of the Albemarle County Police Department "My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in this senseless act of violence as well as to the greater Crozet community." More: Snow and very cold temperatures start Wednesday in Augusta County Reeves said that an "immense debt of gratitude" is owed to the off-duty federal law enforcement professional "This heroic individual selflessly placed themselves in harm's way to stop the gunman and prevent further loss of life," Reeves said the casualty count could have been much higher."  Barbour did not have a criminal history but has had prior contact with law enforcement with the most recent being in January 2025 it is unknown if Barbour had any affiliation to Martin and Spangler prior to the incident The Albemarle County Police Department asks that anyone who was in the area of the Harris Teeter at the time of the shooting and has not yet spoken with investigators to please contact Detective Holmes at 434-296-5807 or Crime Stoppers at 434-977-4000 saying even the smallest details may be helpful in our investigation More: Anti-Trump 50501 protest at Augusta County Courthouse draws large numbers Monday — Patrick Hite is a reporter at The News Leader. Story ideas and tips always welcome. Connect with Patrick (he/him/his) at phite@newsleader.com and on Instagram @hitepatrick. Subscribe to us at newsleader.com Bill Craft fashions lamps that are at once nostalgic and futuristic You won’t find his work in a furniture center or lighting store: each item is unique and he finds it hard to let go of any of them steampunk art will be on display and for sale at a pop-up event at the Crozet Mudhouse May 17 who said his sculptures were already contained within a piece of marble Craft takes his cues from each of his scavenged items That’s what happens when he rummages through his boxes and bags of found materials looking for inspiration He needed a hefty shade for a lamp fashioned from an old warhead and found just the right proportion in a discarded commercial garbage disposal sporting whimsical hats of old colanders or silverware strainers There’s a metal rectangle fashioned from a discarded children’s erector set that made a perfect lampshade and one of his favorites lamp bodies was fashioned from a blow torch There’s a long process before an item becomes part of one of Craft’s lamps He knows where to find discarded construction materials and looks through industrial waste as well as old junk boxes at thrift stores He happily receives gifts of interesting metal objects from friends who know his passion for upcycling A network of friends and relatives helps: he was able to salvage a number of industrial gauges from the old Con Agra plant and friends at the Green Olive Tree will sometimes find a curious metal item they know is perfect for him Craft will find an interesting but non-working lamp and quietly return it to the venerable thrift store The next step requires a bit of elbow grease Many of the items are rusty; some so much so that some of the finer details are obscured Craft spends hours in the doorway of his small apartment at the Meadows removing rust and grime from the dozens of parts and pipe fittings he uses each year Craft understood some things about himself from a young age “I knew I wouldn’t learn everything I wanted to know from books.” When he was 15 or so he helped an older friend work on an old car I was just handing him wrenches.” It dawned on the teenager that he intuitively knew what his friend was doing The finished product was a startling mix of purple and orange but it ran; and Craft was hooked on finding out how mechanical and electrical systems worked He worked as an auto mechanic and an electrician’s assistant and also learning the importance of careful work he moved to Virginia to take a job in Surrey but eventually wearied of the countryside He moved to North Garden where he met his wife often called upon to make minor repairs for those who are frail or immobilized after many years of being a caregiver for her family has become an unofficial caregiver for some of her neighbors and makes grocery runs for those who are unable and Bill said that’s why she’s understanding about him turning part of their tiny living room space into a workroom They’ve fashioned a comfortable living area having made some of their interesting furniture pieces from found objects but “I’m a little worried about the creep into the middle of the room as he makes more,” she said They’re hoping that the Mudhouse sale will clear the room a bit Bill works at Music Today in the receiving department where co-workers are on the lookout for items that might appeal to the lamp artist who has worked as a hairdresser and massage therapist is taking a break from her arduous 20-year stint as a family caregiver They’re both glad they can work together to discover the odds and ends that have ended up in their home Carol said she teases Bill about ending up as “an old man surrounded by lamps,” but he’s not worried The WAHS Drama Dept.’s production of Legally Blonde: the Musical on April 10-13 exceeded expectations contemporary plot about challenging stereotypes and female empowerment It opens with a chorus of UCLA sorority girls singing “Oh my god you guys!” in response to Elle’s supposedly impending marriage proposal They soon face a “fashion crisis” choosing what Elle should wear—an important decision for a Fashion Merchandising major College is not that far off for our cast of high schoolers Elle’s shallow boyfriend Warner jilts her because she is not “Serious” enough but works hard to pass the LSAT and follow him to Harvard Law School The no-holds-barred parade she offers as her personal essay to the Harvard Admissions Director—played with suitable disdain by Principal Jennifer Sublette—in “Harvard Variations” was enhanced by full-sized drums marching down both aisles a chorus of sorority sisters waving pink tinsel pom-poms (Elle’s “signature color”) and ingenious choreography by Audrey Scialla The three frat boys rapping and dancing in “What You Want” were especially strong and amusing Audrey Scialla as Elle skillfully held the whole show together She used her versatile voice to belt out a song when she needed to but modulated to a sweet soprano when singing more softly displaying his lovely voice as he sang “Chip on My Shoulder” and an impressive falsetto in the touching duet with Elle “Take it Like a Man.” With the help of Emmett who tells her she needs to buckle down and study if she wants to succeed at Harvard Emmett eventually replaces Warner in Elle’s heart Elle’s Delta Nu sisters—including best friends Margot (Riley Evans) and Pilar (Lucy Shadel)—become a Greek Chorus that only she can see singing in harmony and dancing as they advise Elle in moments of doubt with songs like “Positive” (as in Mack Whiting as Paulette nearly stole the show Her pitch-perfect rendition of “Ireland” was a real show stopper When Elle is able to use her new legal knowledge to reclaim Paulette’s dog Rufus—played by a real she realizes the value of a law degree to “help the underdog” (no pun intended) The slimy professor Callahan teaches the class that as lawyers they should pursue “Blood in the Water” and enjoy the “thrill of the kill.” But Elle instead uses kindness and women’s intuition to ultimately win the case against exercise maven Brooke Wyndham Her song “Whipped Into Shape” was an hilarious satire of the exercise craze and featured great choreography as the class swung and snapped their jump ropes like whips “You know you’re doing it right when you start to cry,” she advises June Bennett as Vivienne had a powerhouse voice playing double roles as Harvard student Aaron Schultz and hunky UPS delivery man Kyle had a great voice and performed some agile Irish dancing With music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and a book by Heather Hach It is based on the novel Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown and the 2001 film of the same name The WAHS production was directed by the beloved Caitlin Pitts with vocal direction by Abby Smith and Riley Evans and assistant directors Phoenix Claibourn and Steve Kohrherr The most inspiring part of the show for me was Elle’s response to Prof Many college girls experience similar events Elle’s initial response—to hang tail and run away—is typical But with the encouragement of Emmett and Vivienne who recognize her intelligence and potential you have to respond.” She finds the inner strength to rise to the occasion The 80-strong WAHS student cast and crew put on a magical show that made for a joyful evening of music The University of Virginia’s Fralin Museum of Art hosts a writing contest each year called Writer’s Eye in which local students and community members submit poetry or prose inspired by a work of art in the Fralin’s collection This year’s competition drew almost 1,100 entries from ten cities and counties and three of the ten elementary school prize winners attend Free Union Country School a small independent school just south of Free Union “We are thrilled to see our students excel in this local literary competition showcasing their creativity and ability to connect visual art and writing,” said Timothy Baynum “Their achievements are a testament to the dedication of our teachers and the talent of our young learners.” Writer’s Eye is an “ekphrastic” writing program meaning that participants respond to a visual work of art through a form of writing such as a poem or a fiction or nonfiction story—it’s a kind of creative translation of a visual image into words The contest was introduced by former Fralin docents Carole Armstrong and Valerie Morris in 1986 and is the museum’s flagship educational offering Five winners for poetry and five for prose writing are awarded in each category The museum offered guided tours of the ten artworks selected for this year’s contest and more than 2,200 students took part in 167 tours were not able to attend but students worked from images projected in their classrooms and videos of the museum talks Fourth grader Anika Patel said it wasn’t difficult for her to choose her poem’s inspirational artwork—a swirling mass of dark and light color with a red orb suspended above called Meditation by Leonardo Nierman “I just really liked that art and I thought it would be the easiest one to write about,” said Patel I was imagining kind of a quiet space with kind of loud waves but not that loud.” The first few stanzas of her poem “Time and Space” set a calm Fifth grader Anna Saielli chose the same image to inspire her story titled “The Storm Out at Sea,” which features Dawn who decisively guides her fellow villagers to save themselves from imminent disaster “Sometimes I play magic games with my friends and we change up our names a little bit,” said Saielli So I was thinking about that name and how it’s really pretty when I looked at the painting.” In Saielli’s writing the heroine senses a potential calamity in the appearance of the moon and waves: “Her grassy green eyes stared intently at the sea and noticed waves were too high Dawn’s gaze shifted to the sky; the moon was blood red with a little pumpkin orange in the corner Only she knew at that moment a storm was rising and a big one ….” Fifth grader Sammy Sherriff selected a vibrant oil painting called Zebra Farm Bus by Jonathan Green for her poem entitled “I Know I’m Safe with You.” The poem features a series of vivid descriptions “We had gone on a different field trip to Cooper’s Cove [in West Virginia] and I had written something else with that line,” said Sherriff “and when I saw the artwork it gave me the same feeling and I wanted to write the poem around that.” Sherriff’s stanzas are filled with color and sound as the narrator views the sweeping vista with a sense of oneness with nature: The students credited their success to their comfort with reading and trying various types of writing in school and at home “I don’t really read that much poetry,” said Sherriff I think that’s what probably helped me win “My dad tries to read a poem to us every morning,” said Patel with a grin Making various forms of writing feel loose and accessible is one of the primary goals of Free Union’s 4th/5th grade language arts teacher Kanna Lant “Writer’s Eye was our kind of big writing project during our fiction unit,” said Lant they had book groups and those kinds of things going on at the same time and we did block out a few weeks for Writer’s Eye We started by just brainstorming and drawing inspiration from the artwork—which one speaks to you Why do you think you might be drawn to it?” Lant is a fan of using a rubric to guide students’ progress and expectations along the way in a writing project “We had been working on mood and tone and word choice and thinking about why an author chooses the words they do and what kind of feeling does that create in the reader,” she said I put that into the rubric to ask them which word choices are you making Though the students weren’t able to go to the Fralin in person this year Lant said that viewing the artworks in the classroom may have taken some of the pressure off the students’ initial impressions of the large what I might do is start off [in the classroom] and then schedule a tour for a little bit later in the writing process Now let’s go see it and get that sense of it in person,” said Lant Lant tried to remain hands-off during the students’ writing process ‘What do you think about this part,’ or I might make a suggestion that they add more I’ll keep it like this.’ And I would say okay “We did a spring break journal and the idea is—we have all these great life experiences let’s get in the habit of just writing about them This is your writing so you can have that kind of artifact that process of processing what you experience through your writing she encourages reading widely as an integral part of writing well and describes the two activities as mutually beneficial “It’s that play between the two—we write about what we read we read so we can write—just having lots of different ways we can explore To read more from the winners of the 2024 Writer’s Eye contest stop by the Fralin Museum at UVA to pick up a copy of this year’s printed publication Albemarle County Public Schools announced that Rick Vrhovac will stay on as principal of Henley Middle School for the 2025-26 school year after serving as substitute principal there this year stepped in after former principal LaRuth Ensley took a leave of absence last July Vrhovac’s wide-ranging career has spanned 42 years in a variety of positions in Albemarle and Louisa counties He began as a football coach first in Tennessee then at Delaware State and James Madison University before completing a master’s degree and landing in Albemarle as a physical science teacher at Burley Middle School While at Burley he also coached football at Albemarle High School and was the girls basketball coach and track coach “I left to become the head football coach and athletic director at Louisa County High School,” said Vrhovac “and after eight years there I came back to AHS to coach football and teach science and multiple other things Haas [current school division superintendent] was my principal back then so I became his testing coordinator and then assistant principal for several years Then I went to Walton and then Lakeside middle schools and finally was principal at Monticello High School for five years He was out for a mere two months before an opening as assistant principal at WAHS enticed him back for part of the spring semester in 2023 but [the county] started an apprentice program working with teaching assistants in special education,” said Vrhovac “They were working with the Department of Labor and getting their degrees and licensure so they could become special education teachers Responding to a question about whether he’s really ready to retire “The school system has been really good to me “They have treated me awesomely—26 years I think I was with Albemarle County—and I feel like and they can have the whole year to do a search and find who they want in this building.” Having taught and coached and been principal at both the middle school and high school levels Vrhovac said he really enjoys the middle school age group “Middle school is way more relaxed and fun,” he said but middle school kids are different—they’re high energy and all over the place Your sixth graders are just popping with energy The teachers are also very different in middle school where here they love to dress up with the kids and do fun things with them like in sixth grade in the winter they have hot chocolate in the hallway It’s about helping them transition from being a little kid to an adult.” Vrhovac’s background and experience with physical fitness leads him to value exercise for the students physical and mental health recess is still an important part of their day and kids need to still have movement during the day We’re on the block [class schedule] scenario where it’s an 80-minute class you’ve got to break it up for them so they have a little bit of time to run around and just be a kid.” Vrhovac is quick to point out that “it takes a village” to make it all work being with staff—and it really takes everybody teaching assistants to cafeteria workers to bus drivers “It’s important for me to stand outside on that corner in the morning but also to acknowledge those bus drivers who picked up those kids early and got them to us safely We’re with the kids for seven and a half hours each day Vrhovac likes to combine his love for sport with outreach as when he founded an “international soccer club” during lunch period at AHS “When Albemarle was starting to have an influx of foreign students coming in we started running soccer games every day out back with 50 to 60 kids out there.” He has also been passionate about anti-bullying initiatives in schools “Bullying itself is something that is consistently happening and there’s a power difference,” he said you might just be in the cafeteria and someone bumps into somebody and knocks their tray over and walks off—well “It’s an incredible community out here [in western Albemarle] I’ve always been the rival of WAHS—when I was at Albemarle and at Monticello we always wanted to beat Western of course But Jenn Sublette [WAHS principal] changed my mind,” he said but until then he’s making the most of this latest opportunity to help kids learn and grow “I don’t know all 850 of our students’ names “I love to stand at the corner in the hall between classes and just talk to kids and say hi to them Is there something that I can be assistance with And there’s my office right across the hall The school division plans to begin the search for a new principal for Henley for the 2026-27 school year in late winter 2025-26 Charlottesville launches online business survey; Henry named new director of social services a community is grief-stricken and the family of the man responsible say all of it could have been avoided “The system failed my brother on multiple occasions,” wrote Tekaiya Barbour in a public Facebook post traveled to the Harris Teeter grocery store in Crozet in a vehicle with multiple firearms in his possession Monday and proceeded to shoot and kill two complete strangers before he was gunned down by an off-duty federal agent who happened to be in the store at the time It has been described as a random act of violence She said that before her brother opened fire in the parking lot her family sought an emergency order that might have confiscated her brother’s guns or taken temporary custody of him for a mental health evaluation “We asked advice on how to help him and ultimately they told us he needed to hurt himself or someone else before anything could be done,” she wrote on Facebook the magistrate office and a few law enforcement officers told us ‘you don’t have enough evidence,’ ‘he seems fine,’ ‘you can’t keep his weapons away from him legally.’” The Albemarle County Police Department has confirmed that it had contact with Justin Barbour in January but declined to specify what transpired “We are aware of the family’s claim and are conducting a thorough review of ACPD’s interactions with Mr Barbour and the circumstances surrounding this incident,” police spokeswoman Logan Bogert told The Daily Progress in an email we are unable to disclose specific details regarding Mr Barbour’s prior contact with law enforcement at this time.” Young adults are at particular risk from paranoia disorders according to retired forensic psychologist Jeffrey Fracher who noted the late 2022 slaying of three University of Virginia student-athletes by an allegedly mentally troubled schoolmate Fracher contends that Virginia’s so-called red flag law which can remove firearms from troubled people for 14 days should have been applied to Justin Barbour “That should have kicked in,” said Fracher just to at least flag it and and have a cooling-off period.” While the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court was closed due to Wednesday’s snow The Daily Progress visited both the Albemarle County Circuit Court and Albemarle County General District Court and found no evidence of a red flag petition for a Justin Barbour “will examine whether Virginia’s Red Flag Law was applicable during our encounter with Mr The shooting hit close to home for Charlottesville-based state Sen attacked him at their Bath County residence Deeds’ son stabbed him multiple times before dying by a self-inflicted gunshot wound “My heart sunk,” Deeds told The Daily Progress Deeds said the more he read about what transpired in the grocery store parking lot Monday the more distress he felt — particularly after learning that police said the gunman wielded an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle that fires a high-velocity bullet “He could get an assault weapon before he could get the help,” said Deeds The senator emphasized the importance of providing community services to address mental health disorders proactively rather than just responding to crises “Virginia invests more money in hospital care than in community services,” said Deeds “And the community services is what meets people in the communities where they live.” Region Ten Community Services Board is a public child development and substance abuse services and we probably ought to do that,” said Deeds “but we ought to focus more on keeping people out of crisis.” It was less than five years ago that Virginia’s red flag law took effect It empowers police and prosecutors to take guns away from people but only if they’ve issued a threat or shown violence Deeds suggested that this case serves as an example of misplaced priorities and unmet mental health needs but they were able to acquire a weapon of war.” hspencer@dailyprogress.com Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email Email notifications are only sent once a day A fire that swept through University Heights Apartments Friday afternoon displaced 31 residents Two Virginia Beach police officers were shot and killed Friday night after they conducted a traffic stop in the Green Run area of the city but Justice Carr has nevertheless pleaded guilty to grand larceny The fatal shooting at Crozet’s Harris Teeter has reignited interest in Virginia’s “red flag" law but too many Virginians remain unaware of ho… Albemarle County police say the gunman who killed two in a Crozet grocery store parking lot last month showed no signs of violent behavior Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Spend a pleasant spring Saturday getting to know Crozet’s small businesses you’ll be entered into a raffle for the many truly unique and creative products sold by your neighbors and friends Those making the rounds of Crozet’s businesses can jump in anywhere Every merchant on your journey will have passports The event began last year and was well supported by Crozet. In fact, the coalition that sponsored the event has since grown into the Crozet Small Business Collaborative a collection of retail businesses and services that now includes most of our local businesses Here’s how it works: visitors stop by participating businesses Each “passport” with a minimum of five stamps serves as an entry into a prize drawing featuring items from local merchants The initial event saw strong community participation and founders Rose Guterbock and Erica Thomas expect a larger turnout this year You may be surprised at the number of creative businesses in Crozet that don’t have a physical store location They’ll be included at the “Community Corner,” a display and information booth set up for that reason in Piedmont Place the collaborative has successfully established itself as a supportive outlet among local business owners and a chance to help each other in affinity groups Members are excited to celebrate their one-year anniversary as an organization with this exciting event Co-founder Guterbock said the event was more than a promotion for local businesses “There are all kinds of benefits for all of us when we lean into community.” Those planning to attend the event should check the hours of individual businesses to make sure they can collect as many stickers as possible and no purchases are necessary to get your passport stamped that you’ll learn more about what’s available here and will return again and again Overflow parking will be available at Tabor Presbyterian Church and the gravel lot near Oak Street You’ll find ample parking in Old Trail behind the businesses in the Village Center A creperie owned and staffed by two veteran chefs will open in early May in the space vacated by Jax’s at Clover Lawn Julia and Matt Franz will dispense both sweet and savory crepes for a new twist on breakfast and lunch Julia said classic sweet crepes like Nutella and strawberry will be offered as well as a variety of savory crepes Regular breakfast fare like eggs and waffles will be available for breakfast as well as coffee from a regional coffee roaster Less traditional creative fillings will be tucked into the crepes; for instance a variety of crepes will feature vegetarian options as well as fillings like chicken salsa and avocado (the southwest sunrise) and a fat crepe with summer vegetables and mozzarella (the Mediterranean) again with a chef’s twist to elevate them above ordinary lunch time fare The adjoining space will allow for more seating and for those who like to observe special occasions at brunch celebratory drinks like mimosas and Bloody Marys will be served For those of us who have tried and failed to execute a perfect crepe Julia has some advice: “It’s all about the pan,” she said is the day for the yearly “Hop into Spring” event at Chiles Peach Orchard games and music in addition to the egg hunt Reserve tickets at chilesfamilyorchard.com Chiswell Winery is hosting an Easter Sunday event so hunters should arrive by 12:45 ready to participate Your clothes can have a second life in someone’s closet and “Hello Again,” a new consignment and vintage store The first pop-up will take place on Saturday in the garden at Creative Framing & The Art Box will pick up clean and carefully-folded contemporary and vintage clothing from your porch on Tuesdays provided you live 10 miles or less from downtown Crozet That’s because Thomas noticed that some of us have the best of intentions when it comes to consigning our clothes but perhaps are not so good at following through “I have friends who have had the same bag of donations in the trunk of their car for weeks,” Thomas said “We’re hoping porch pickup will create an easy outlet for these friends to resell gently-used clothing that would otherwise be donated or trashed.” Hello Again wants everyone to embrace circular fashion a sustainability pipeline intended to rescue tons of discarded but perfectly good clothing from the landfill the business is working on a partnership with Green Olive Tree to make sure unsold items or donated pieces are redirected to charitable initiatives that benefit individuals and families in need “The local thrift store has been helpful and supportive of Hello Again’s mission,” Thomas said “and the collaboration will further expand the impact of secondhand shopping in Crozet.” Creative Framing & The Art Box is at 5784 Three Notch’d Road For more information about suitable consignments visit www.helloagaincrozet.com or contact Erica Thomas at contact@helloagaincrozet.com The Green Olive Tree is in need of volunteers Edward Jones financial advisor Laura Leigh Scott is moving her office from Staunton to Old Trail relocating to the retail space at the recently built multi-use building according to the Old Trail Homeowners Board of Directors are regional franchises Christian’s Pizza and Jersey Mike’s the board told those attending that there would also be a “upscale toy store.” With Scott’s arrival we could not reach Thalhimer leasing agent Jenny Stoner to confirm After a great deal of optimism about the potential future of the blighted 15 acres and the derelict buildings atop Afton Mountain Deputy Augusta County Administrator Jennifer Whetzel said the $100,000 grant for master planning applied for by the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission was turned down by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development The project—called the “Afton Renaissance Project”—was designed to provide a plan for redevelopment of part of the estate left by Phil Dulaney Augusta County did successfully apply for $50,000 last year for Virginia Brownfields Assistance Funds (VBAF) through the Virginia Economic Development Partnership allowing the Timmons Group to make a water and wastewater assessment of the property Route 250 and I-64 and to draft a preliminary engineering report In its application for the Housing and Urban Development grant the county said the grant would allow it to establish a vision for the future redevelopment of the property A small portion of the tract in question is in Nelson County Whetzel said the county was researching other potential grant opportunities for the master planning efforts on Afton Texas Roadhouse in Waynesboro opened to an enthusiastic crowd on March 17 behind the popular ice cream store on west Main Street and Carolyn Ratcliffe thought it was a good day for soup After joining a friend for lunch at Love2eat she pulled her car closer to Harris Teeter to pick up some chicken stock and celery She was glad to see a free parking place where she could go forward through two spaces positioning her Honda so she was pointed in the right direction to leave without backing up an older red Subaru pulled in a couple of spaces from her She later found out the driver was Diane Spangler a Nelson County resident who normally shopped on Thursdays The snow that week had caused Spangler to postpone her weekly grocery trip Ratcliffe noticed a young man was about to pass by her driver’s side window “I didn’t want to hit him with my door,” she said she was shocked to see he was carrying a rifle clutching it with both hands in a shooting position Within seconds she heard gun shots and glass shattering so she flattened herself against the passenger seat as more shots were fired “but I couldn’t manage it.” Lifting her head to take a look she found herself staring at another man with a hand gun “Something about him made me realize he was an officer of some kind.” She watched him fire his gun stooping to check out the rifle and the body on the ground had the day off to take her mother to a doctor’s appointment Her mother—who lives across from Harris Teeter––asked her to stop there so she could pick up some tissues and a couple of other things she failed to get in her weekly shopping Williams went around to the passenger’s side to help her mother (she’s 85) get out she instinctively positioned herself on top of her mother in the passenger seat so I thought it might be an explosion,” she said From her bent-over position in the passenger’s seat A man behind her asked if she had called 911 She watched as he kicked the rifle away and went back into the store “He told me he had to check on his children,” she said There in the parking lot the two women comforted each other and waited for the police had been hit by several bullets but was still conscious Albemarle County Police said that an off-duty “federal law enforcement officer” happened to be leaving the store as well but referred to him as a “good Samaritan.” Police believe the officer prevented further loss of life He apparently had no relationship with his victims Barbour was dead by the time police arrived Police regard the crime as a “random act of violence.” Additional firearms were found in Barbour’s vehicle suggesting that he intended a mass killing Seventeen shell casings were recovered from the parking lot Police said that only 20 seconds elapsed between the moment Barbour started shooting and when the federal officer dropped him to the pavement Ratcliffe spent the next hours and days trying to make sense of what had happened She’d been driven home by the police and spent time with her good friends and neighbors and returned to the painting of a green heron she’d started When she went back to the store to pick up her car she was comforted by staff in Harris Teeter who as yet have been forbidden to talk publicly about their experience But it wasn’t until her friends told her about a service at Crozet Baptist that she was able to grieve with others who had been affected “That was the purpose of the vigil,” said Shannon Franklin said her Wednesday night prayer group realized how much the community was hurting and wanted to offer a place where people could come and pray “We were hoping that this would give the community a healthy outlet for healing,” she said was one of the sayings that Crozet Baptist’s children’s minister Chuck Miller chose for the hour-long vigil Miller also included a number of sayings from Martin Luther King all speaking to the importance of coming together in times of great sorrow The service was structured so that people could come and sit for a while after days of trying to keep things together found herself sobbing and trembling as she tried to light a candle but one of them was a manager from Harris Teeter,” she said Lauren Washington and her family had been making bracelets for WAHS where her husband serves as the lacrosse coach they made several bracelets with the words “Crozet Strong” as a way to comfort and support those affected by the shooting Three-year-old Harper approached Ratcliffe and offered one to her They proved to be so popular that the family is now offering them at Bluebird & Company with proceeds going to the Martin family foundation again invited people to light a candle to honor those who were killed and all those affected and all the ways we’ve felt pain,” he said Kellie Williams had an experience similar to Ratcliffe’s people came by to see me and to show support The people of Crozet were to learn of the importance of community in the days and weeks following the tragedy Volunteers organized an event at Harris Teeter February 26 to show support for the staff there A gathering at Henley Middle School Friday and the crowd heard from a number of people who had known Martin Another gathering at Crozet Methodist Church March 6 offered several spaces: the sanctuary for reflection and remembrance with music and candle lighting; a space for local counseling resources; and an outdoor space for casual conversation and connection the community learned that the off-duty law officer who happened to be in Harris Teeter with his children did not want to be identified; and they learned more about the three people who lay dead in the Harris Teeter parking lot that awful afternoon Martin, a father of two girls, was extremely active in their lives as well as in the Crozet community. He was a man of amazing gifts and kindness. His wife, Megan, is a mental health professional, and the family has started a fund for community mental health programs. Please read more about Martin and his life here Spangler was a retired nurse who was beloved in her Afton community. She loved sitting out on her porch in good weather, hiking and gardening. She had a close-knit group of friends and neighbors, one of whom wrote a tribute to her took to social media to express their shock and grief and to apologize to the families of the victims gentle and compassionate young man who had begun to feel paranoid and to hear voices and teachers tofld the Crozet Gazette that he had been a good student a kind protector of classmates who were bullied Family described his last year as one of struggle and misery for the young man for whom they had tried and failed to get help Donate to the Martin family foundation for community mental health The Virginia Community Response Network is offering pro bono support to people affected by the violence. Visit vcrn.org/crozet Full video of the Crozet Baptist vigil  Ron Wade of the Crozet Gazette contributed to this article This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page ALBEMARLE COUNTY— Police have released additional details surrounding a shooting incident that left three people dead last month at a grocery store in Albemarle County The shooting took place the afternoon of Feb 17 at the Harris Teeter grocery store at 545 Radford Lane in Crozet and the Western Albemarle Rescue Squad arrived at the scene and found three people suffering from gunshot wounds Police said Martin was shot as he left the store and Spangler was shot in a vehicle An off-duty federal law enforcement officer who heard the gunfire and was exiting the store engaged the shooter with their personal weapon detectives have determined that Barbour had no prior affiliation to either victim or the location where the shooting occurred," the Albemarle County Police Department said "Investigators have also retraced Barbour's whereabouts immediately prior to the incident and determined that Barbour left his residence at The Vue apartment community at approximately 1:22 pm on February 17." Barber arrived at the grocery store at 1:33 p.m with the first shot coming at precisely 1:34:30 p.m Police said Barbour fired 28 rounds in 20 seconds Barbour did not have a criminal history but had prior contact with law enforcement between 2014 and 2025 Those interactions include him being a witness to an incident a minor dispute at a dog park that was resolved without action a mental health-related call in December 2024 and a January 2025 incident where Albemarle County's Human Services Alternative Response Team responded to Barbour's residence "During these interactions with law enforcement Barbour presented a calm demeanor," police said "There was no indication or evidence of violence which are the standard threshold to obtain an ECO or Emergency Substantial Risk Order (ESRO)." "We are committed to not only ensuring a thorough investigation but also helping our community understand and process this tragic event," said Colonel Sean Reeves chief of the Albemarle County Police Department we may never fully understand why this occurred Our team has worked diligently to provide answers and ensure that all investigative avenues have been explored This was a senseless act of violence that has deeply impacted our community we must come together to support one another I encourage anyone struggling in the aftermath of this tragedy to seek support and lean on the resources available." Correction: The headline was corrected to note the shooter fired 28 gunshots More: Gypsy Hill Park stream restoration in Staunton: Timeline for completion and cost More: Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles warns of text scam involving toll roads courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com You can also follow him on X (formerly Twitter) When someone recently remarked that Diane Spangler was a consummate hostess — “like Martha Stewart but with a beer and a cigarette” — her friend Jon Hartline had to agree “That’s right,” he told The Daily Progress was gunned down last month in the parking lot of the Crozet Harris Teeter grocery store including 43-year-old financial analyst Peter Martin and the gunman 28-year-old Justin Barbour Barbour was shot dead by an off-duty federal agent who happened to be shopping at the store that day spoke with The Daily Progress to share what they’ve learned about life and loss in the aftermath of the unthinkable tragedy that befell them on Feb In the wake of a shooting outside a Crozet grocery store on Feb The Daily Progress spoke with the friends and families of the three who died that day They shared what they've learned about life and loss in the aftermath of an unthinkable tragedy Hartline said that police shared what occurred that afternoon that Spangler and Barbour happened to pull into the parking lot simultaneously and beside each other before Spangler could even emerge from her car the gunman leaped out and fired a burst of shots into Martin as he was walking out of the store “He just sprayed her full of bullets,” said Hartline Police said that because the gunman brought four firearms and 374 rounds of ammunition the federal agent’s action prevented a much higher death toll Hartline gets emotional when speaking about his late friend he said it’s his belief that whatever Spangler did in her last moments garnered enough of the gunman’s attention to distract him and pull his eyes away from the store entrance where the armed federal agent was then emerging “His back was to the guy that shot him,” said Hartline “and so it’s maybe possible that her death saved multiple “And if that’s the case,” Hartline continued take me out; let all those people live their lives.’” she cared for the infants at the neonatal intensive care unit at University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville Hartline recalled how excited Spangler would get when her sister’s annual Christmas card would arrive Taking the form of a retrospective calendar the detailed document would show the accomplishments of her sister’s children Hartline said Spangler would spend what felt like an hour poring over the annual missive seen here wearing a hat surrounded by friends The 68-year-old Batesville resident and retired University of Virginia nurse was gunned down in the parking lot of a Harris Teeter grocery store in Crozet “I always liked looking at her face when she was doing this,” said Hartline It wasn’t just children who lit up her world Spangler nonetheless kept a large house and would make surplus bedrooms available to friends dealing with displacement he said that Spangler would jokingly call her home the “House for Wayward Women.” One woman who roomed with Spangler was Hartline’s sister Now married and living in a house of her own Lee Hartline said Spangler’s home was a safe port in a storm “There was a friend who went through a divorce and then moved in with Diane for a while,” Lee Hartline told The Daily Progress “And there was a friend in a job transition.” Lee Hartline said Spangler’s hospitality wasn’t confined to her overnighters “Everybody came to her house,” Lee Hartline said “She was like the hub of all different social circles and groups that would come and have meals.” Lee Hartline said that having grown up on a Pennsylvania farm Spangler was an expert cook and food preserver “She canned her own fruit and vegetables,” said Lee Hartline “and she just knew everything about everything Much of that knowledge came from the childhood farm near Mechanicsburg “She doted on my three children,” Baker told The Daily Progress When Baker and her husband would travel as a couple she said Spangler would care for her niece and two nephews “They always argued over who would sit next to Aunt Diane at dinner or at a restaurant,” said Baker Spangler and Baker lost their brother to an accident in 1987 when he fell off a terrace Spangler suffered a serious shoulder injury that forced her to retire from nursing and Friends said that part of Spangler’s retirement-era routine was leaving her house in Batesville every Thursday and driving to the Harris Teeter in Crozet to get groceries So when friends heard that a 68-year-old woman had been shot on a Monday but we knew it’s not her,” said Lee Hartline But there had been snow the prior Thursday and they now realize that Spangler had delayed her weekly trip Friends were grateful to learn that in her final moments assisted in her own care by providing her medical history to hospital staff One friend who lived with Spangler was Katharine Hannigan the one who likened Spangler to Martha Stewart Hannigan knew something about making pastries from working at the now-shuttered Rising Sun Bakery in Charlottesville she found herself amazed by the way Spangler could whip together a fruit pie while simultaneously entertaining friends at an impromptu porch party at the House of Wayward Women This story has been corrected to say the late Diane Spangler had a niece and two nephews Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter Peter Martin died in a February shooting in Crozet His family says the outpouring of support has reminded them why they moved to Crozet: community Jeffersonland's barbershop singers ready for serenades A Crozet man faces six years behind bars after pleading guilty to possession and distribution of fentanyl and other narcotics in Greene County pleaded guilty in Greene County Circuit Court Monday Keyton was originally arrested in connection to an incident in Ruckersville last April An investigation into that incident remains ongoing according to the Greene County Sheriff’s Office time in court on possession and distribution charges Keyton was found guilty of possession in Albemarle County Circuit Court and was sentenced to 10 years Keyton received another 10-year sentence in 2022 after pleading guilty in Culpeper to possessing and selling narcotics He served two months of a 10-year sentence before being released on probation hives@dailyprogress.com dead Tuesday evening on a road in the Rag Mountain Estates in the northwestern corner of Madison County known as shinrin-yoku in Japan—where it emerged in the 1980s—is a relatively new mindfulness practice recommended for psychological and physiological health Its physiological benefits were confirmed by researchers in the 1990s Most of us already know from experience that time spent immersed in nature is good for us walked the Crozet Connector Trail daily for almost three years from Crozet Park east to Lickinghole Basin and west towards Old Trail and sometimes taking photographs as she went she would jot down reflections inspired by the beauty of nature encountered during these sojourns coffee-table-style book titled Earthwards: Messages from the Greenways of Crozet She gave several copies to the members of the Crozet Trails Crew in thanks for their work creating and maintaining the trails King’s “messages” are incantatory and meditative life-affirming thoughts expressed in simple language They employ repetition to focus and expand on one key idea at a time The photographs—some close ups of flowers or grasses others landscapes of mountains or sky—are peaceful and inspiring enjoying one or two of its gentle messages per sitting “Reading this book is like sitting down with a hot cup of tea and a warm dreary day,” reports Kathryn Hines of Sarasota King owned and ran two natural food stores and later taught the Trager Approach to movement education You may purchase Earthwards for $30 by contacting King at janetspartyhat@gmail.com CROZET – Two people were shot and killed at the Harris Teeter in Crozet on Monday afternoon units from the Albemarle County Police Department and Albemarle County Fire Rescue were dispatched to the grocery store First responders located three adults in the parking lot suffering from gunshot wounds Two of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene A third victim was taken to UVA Health in Charlottesville in critical condition The identities of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of next-of-kin Officers believe the suspect began shooting in the parking lot A person exiting Harris Teeter engaged the shooter with their personal weapon Police are still investigating the relationship between the gunshot victims Virginia State Police is assisting in the probe More: Suspect in Wintergreen cop's slaying pleads guilty to murder More: Elderly Augusta County man loses $238,000 in scam He grew up on the Eastern Shore of Virginia with his sister Michael learned to work on cars beside his father his lifelong commitment to pacifism and compassion for humanity was deeply influenced by his gentle Anyone who knew Michael will recall his peaceful nature He often recalled the source of his serenity—a story that moved him every time he told it He once asked an older gentleman in his childhood neighborhood why he never worried science fiction (he belonged to the Science Fiction Book of the Month Club for 60 years) He graduated from University of Virginia’s 5-year Electrical Engineering Program in 1970 He later realized his passions lay elsewhere He once wrote in a personal reflection that he wanted to be a “writer Michael decided not to work for “the Man,” but instead devoted his life to teaching physics and photography in the Albemarle County School District for nearly 40 years He inspired thousands of students until his retirement in 2008; a lifetime dedicated to education Michael is preceded in death by his parents and his sister Janice Michael will be greatly missed by his wife Lee Miles (Patrick Miles); his grandchildren and Jacob Allen; his extended family on the Eastern Shore; his friends; and his students Donations can be made to the Crozet Fire Department and Western Albemarle Rescue Squad in memory of Michael Celeste Ide and Elin Rudzinski were introduced to the Crozet Gazette last year when they were preparing for the National History Day competition These (then 6th graders) ranked fourth place in the international They competed against 6-8th graders from 12 countries 49 states and all territories for their performance titled “Edwin Chadwick and the Report of 1842: An Unlikely Hero’s Fight for Better Sanitation.” all students from Virginia who made it to nationals convened at the state capitol to meet Governor Glenn Youngkin and our local delegates Governor Youngkin listened to their project and commented “This is important.” Delegate Amy Laufer enjoyed how the students made comedy within a serious topic “This is the poop I threw over the background when we talked about how people dumped their chamberpots in the streets.” Delegate Laufer repositioned to take another photograph to include the unique projectile Senator Creigh Deed’s staffers also attended Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInCROZET (WHSV) - Two people have died and another was taken to a hospital after shots were fired near an Augusta Health clinic and Harris Teeter store in Crozet’s Blue Ridge Shopping Center on Monday afternoon The Albemarle County Police Department were dispatched to the shopping center at approximately 1:35 p.m after multiple reports of shots fired and found three gunshot wound victims upon arrival Two were pronounced deceased and another was transported to UVA Medical Center ACPD said officers believe the suspect began shooting in the parking lot and struck two others A good Samaritan who was exiting then engaged the suspected shooter with their own weapon The suspected shooter was pronounced dead at the scene The identities of the deceased are not public pending notification of the next of kin ACPS is still investigating the relation between the gunshot victims No one inside the Augusta Health clinic in the shopping center was injured; everyone inside was safe and accounted for according to a release from Augusta Health “Augusta Health is closely monitoring the situation to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone involved; thoughts are with all those impacted by this tragic event,” the statement said While ACPD and Virginia State Police’s investigation is ongoing ACPD said there is no further risk to the public Piedmont Place celebrated nearly eight years serving Crozet last month dispensing holiday cheer to neighbors and friends who patronized the free “Yay The evolution of the building in the heart of Crozet reflects the changing tastes and talents of its tenants as well as the community Everyone in Crozet watched as Piedmont Place took shape in 2017 eager to see what businesses would move into the inviting space across from the library Developer Drew Holzwarth wanted a good mix of shops and dining as well as an open public area He got the variety he had hoped for:  a taco shop There have been changes and challenges in those eight years Tenants moved away or sold their businesses to new owners; some businesses just didn’t fit with community needs; others moved to new locations Andrew Baldwin bought the building in 2019 the pandemic sent owners scrambling for alternatives: delivery But nothing was as dramatic as the text message that he sent late in 2022 Baldwin notified his tenants Christmas afternoon that a cap on a water main in an unoccupied apartment had broken and flooded the entire building The fire department quickly responded to the building’s alarm system Although the destruction appeared at first to be catastrophic both the owner and his tenants were relieved to discover the damage was mostly cosmetic The wait for repairs inspired some business owners to sell Baldwin sought a few new tenants over the year or so following the rebirth of the marketplace moved into the space vacated by Morsel Compass; Crozet artist Rose Guterbock set up a children’s arts and crafts center in the former smoothie shop; Carolina Obanda expanded her salon services into the original book store; the small gym downstairs changed hands; and a floral business and gift shop “Horse and Hen” moved into a space previously used as a real estate office Ryan Becklund opened “Bar Botanical,” serving cocktails and healthy plates made from plants with a new owner; and the Crozet Creamery continued to draw a steady stream of people seeking high-quality barbecue or ice cream Some changes are more recent and designed to bring people into Piedmont Place in the evening Jude and Paul Russell expanded their Blue Ridge Bottle Shop into part of the former common space They now offer a welcoming little cafe with beautiful views for clients to try out a glass or a bottle from their carefully chosen selection of beer There are a couple of generous charcuterie boards reflecting their birthplace in the British Isles and a few well-chosen sandwiches and snacks with eight taps to fill growlers and crowlers You’ll also find a selection of food and gifts from local makers CroZeli expanded next door to its original shop into a space left behind by Horse and Hen and now has seating as well as wine and draft beer Customers can order a lunch of deli-style sandwiches as well as salads and soup there are happy hour prices and a pub menu with bar favorites like Frito pie The expansion of these two businesses offers the community a wider choice of casual local places open at night: Wednesday through Saturday for the Bottle Shop an owner of York Place and other holdings in Charlottesville and we wanted to be part of the Crozet community.” Lewis said his aim is to support his tenants as much as possible and Piedmont Place tenants report that this is happening from underwriting the gorgeous holiday decorations right down to showing up in person to make minor repairs Lewis has some ideas about what it takes for small businesses to thrive principles that have guided his family’s businesses for many years “The small businesses that consistently do well are those that immerse themselves in the community,” he said “That’s a big part of being successful today.” Crozet Artisan Depot welcomes artist Carol Sorber of Palmyra and Saylor Denny of Crozet as guest artists for January and February 2025 The shows will continue from January 18 until February 28 Carol Sorber is a glass artist from Palmyra She sculpts with hot glass and finds inspiration for her work in the natural world Her pieces use the four classical elements of earth and water to create human and animal figures in marbles She was a floral designer in Charlottesville for several years and flowers are a prominent focus of her work Denney said she is soothed by images from the natural world and finds both beauty and hope in them A number of area brewers peddled their products to a thirsty crowd last month locally made beer or cider tastes good no matter what the temperature The Winter Brews Festival at Crozet Park was the sixth annual event and festival goers came in ugly sweaters or dated ski wear Patty and Gary Gore announced that they’ve sold East Side Speedway just northeast of Waynesboro The race track has been on sale for about a year The announcement did not include the name of the buyer The combination gas station and convenience store chain Wawa has a following throughout Virginia Waynesboro officials announced that one is coming to the city at the former location of BB&T bank After opening Jax’s Bar and Grill to a great deal of anticipation from the community in March Steve Lovern announced that he would close the restaurant Dec Jax’s was in the former Jalisco at Clover Lawn after those tenants moved to the former Ivy Road House Roger Hodskins will construct a special holiday railroad in Old Trail’s Addle Hill park and neighbors and friends pitch in to help with the expanding enterprise To supplement the miniature models of familiar downtown Crozet buildings added during the 2023 season Hodskins and his helpers plan new construction when the first engine to leave the station makes its rounds at 4:30 p.m Last year the display brightened the dark December evenings for hundreds of neighbors from all over Crozet but there’s another reason driving the intense work required for this intricate model railroad Visitors are asked to bring a personal or household hygiene product to place in the Crozet Cares Closet donation bin positioned near the railroad you can also bring donations to Crozet Baptist Church Visitors can also contribute online through the Closet’s Amazon Wish List or donate funds as a holiday gift of compassion for Crozet area neighbors in need located at the Scott House Outreach Center on Route 250 in Greenwood is a ministry of the Crozet Region Interfaith Outreach Council Editor’s note: This story has been updated with the new start date for the railroad (WVIR) - UPDATE: The missing person alert for Marlon Curtis Johnson has been canceled The Albemarle County Police Department is currently seeking the whereabouts of 21-year-old Marlon Curtis Johnson Johnson was last seen at approximately 2:30 a.m in the 1400 block of Ballard Drive in Crozet Johnson is described as approximately 5′4″with black hair He was reportedly last seen wearing a black hoodie and black backpack Anyone with information on Johnson’s whereabouts is asked to call 911. For those wishing to remain anonymous, please call Crime Stoppers at 434-977-4000 Do you have a story idea? Send us your news tip here Is a long-running feature that examines the many reasons why long-time area residents and newcomers love Crozet and the surrounding villages and countryside This month we’ve chosen a multi-disciplinary team that brings significant experience knowledge and compassion to situations that might otherwise stretch the county’s law-enforcement and medical resources hundreds of Albemarle County citizens find themselves in emergencies that may include but are more complicated than a crime and first responders do their best to sort out the multitude of issues prompting the call those first responders have had a multi-disciplinary team that accompanies them The Human Services Alternative Response Team (HART) a joint program of the county’s department of social services responds to emergency calls related to mental health alcohol and substance abuse and the constellation of challenges facing people with these widespread societal problems They are also very aware of the anxiety and heartbreak experienced by the families involved Navigating our health care system is difficult and the mental health system is even more difficult,” said Sue Hess “There are gaps everywhere.” She had spent the previous day with a child who was suicidal and didn’t have an immediate place to go for protection collaborative approach is apparent in the volume of cases the team has tackled it has responded to 550 people with mental health crises substance abuse issues and related traumas allowing our first responders to move on to other emergencies the members of HART are Master Police Officer Brian Miller It’s an approach that brings the accumulated knowledge of veteran professionals together for the good of the community the team also follows up with affected family members and the ongoing need for services They recently met in Crozet with family and neighbors after a sudden death here Team members have stayed with traumatized witnesses brought warm clothes and blankets to homeless encampments and sorted out the endless needs of a family that’s had an abusive member removed all problems that challenge traditional emergency services The team was recognized recently by the Virginia Association of Counties with an award for excellence Although the success of this program has been particularly striking it’s part of a nationwide movement to provide “co-responders.” Charlottesville has recently funded the ANCHOR program and the county is expanding its program in the next fiscal year monitors the police radio for calls that might be relevant to HART’s mission and responds that they’ll be there either to assist or to completely handle the problem “We get quite a number of calls from the Crozet area,” he said Although HART doesn’t keep an official caseload every morning to decide on appropriate follow-up for recent cases The team has responded to calls from almost every neighborhood in the county “Although crises disproportionately affect lower-income people and we sometimes find people living in squalor mental illness and substance abuse don’t really discriminate and families of all income levels are affected,” Hitchcock said Miller said there are calls inspired by the behavior of people with autism or PTSD “These chronic conditions are really amplified by the hours that children today spend online.” Anyone who works with those with mental illness or substance abuse problems knows these calls are not like responding to someone with a broken bone or a bad cut There’s often an ongoing need for HART’s involvement It’s especially gratifying for them when a client successfully completes treatment and they have stories of former clients becoming sober One of their plans for the future expansion of HART is to add a representative from this group to their team In the year since the program was launched members of the HART team have gotten to know the institutions that provide compassion and practical solutions in each of the communities they serve that she recently found immediate and very helpful support for a client from the people of Crozet United Methodist Church They’ve also identified many of the most skilled veterans of law enforcement in rural communities “It’s not like we show up and just tell long-time community members what they should do,” Hess said “We had an outstanding officer in the southern part of the county who had lived and worked there for many years and knew all his families and their struggles One of the program’s goals is to de-stigmatize those with mental health needs a lot of people are feeling anxious,” Hitchcock said “We really want to encourage people to call 988 where they’ll immediately be in touch with someone who can help.”  The HART team members acknowledge that it can be difficult for them to leave their work behind it’s hard to forget that someone is sleeping in the cold when I’m comfortable in my warm bed,” Hess said “but I do have the advantage of being able to talk things out with my team members.” Miller agreed you have to be able to deal with situations alone,” he said “but it’s much more rewarding when you have the constant support of a team that’s involved in the same work.” tends to keep people out of jail and out of the emergency room solutions that may not do much to solve the problem anyway The HART team represents decades of experience in their individual fields and all of them are realistic enough to know that many of the problems in today’s communities won’t be completely solved a homeless person may not be willing to enter a shelter small comforts that are generously supported by churches and other nonprofits many communities find a more constructive way to confront issues that make them uncomfortable than labeling homelessness or unconventional behavior as a crime one of HART’s mandates is to inform the community about this kind of alternative response they can educate themselves about the proper reaction to someone having a crisis “One important thing everyone can do is to call 988 when the situation is not a criminal one,” Hitchcock said If you or a family member has thoughts of suicide or struggles with depression or other mental health issues where a trained professional is available to talk at any hour of the day or night Fiesta Azteca has been open in its present location for only a year but the popular family-owned restaurant is already thinking of ways to expand from its previous site at Clover Lawn to the former Ivy Road House building at the intersection of Routes 240 and 250 east of Crozet That move was prompted by the family’s desire to accommodate customer demand Business has been so steady that the owners are considering building upward as the horizontal space available is limited He’s also been assessing community interest in a separate Peruvian chicken enterprise either at a place they would build or in the spot they formerly rented at Clover Lawn Ocegueda has some ideas about why the restaurant has done well in a couple of places where other businesses did not succeed Putting down roots in Crozet was important “As soon as we started doing business here we moved here.” Working and living among his customers established a feeling of trust The business keeps people informed via social media but it would be hard to overestimate the value of good in-person customer service “It’s a pleasure to serve people a good meal,” he said said at least two of the four family members are in the restaurant at all times That doesn’t always happen with family businesses.” Like his brother “We’re more authentic than typical Mexican restaurants,” Chris said “We serve the Tex-Mex favorites people like but we also make dishes that are less well-known.” The chips and tortillas are handmade in-house and they’re introducing more authentic dishes like plantains and yucca There’s no magic formula driving why some Crozet-area businesses succeed and others do not or a lengthy pandemic––are beyond anyone’s control but thriving businesses do have some features in common Sarah Kirby-Lennox and Patrick O’Brian manage Fardowners a neighborhood restaurant opened in December 2007 by Mark Cosgrove and W.C in a spot where previous restaurants had not lasted long a favorite gathering place where people of all ages and backgrounds feel welcome and comfortable Community members responded by ordering as many meals as they could afford with some donating sizable sums to support the staff Kirby-Lennox credits much of Fardowners’ success to the staff newer staff members are young people who have grown up here,” she said “You’ll always see familiar faces.” The kitchen manager take out the trash if it’s needed,” she said It’s important to the staff at Fardowners that families feel comfortable which is not always true of places that serve alcohol “There have been a few times when we’ve needed to regulate customers,” she said I give credit to our wonderful clientele for that.” owner of another much-loved neighborhood institution noted that the technological demands on small business owners are more complicated today than in the past patrons accustomed to instant information may be more critical if they can’t find the details they’re looking for immediately “There are so many ways to market your business and everyone has their own preferences as to platforms,” she said when you could just put a sign on your door.” Even internet destinations that seem similar often require a completely different process updating your business in Google maps is quite different from updating it in Apple maps Jen Mediano of the Mediano LLC talked about online marketing priorities to a recently formed group Crozet-area businesses have been meeting monthly to support each other and share ideas who has a business advising clients on structuring their websites for the best possible results She believes that conscientious and logical presentation of information is crucial for success “Businesses can get caught up in their social media and neglect their websites,” she said in a later interview “but it’s the websites that are accessible to everyone and will be scraped first for information when people search.” She said social media may be more fun and immediate but your website is the way that most people will find you “You can keep your website simple and evergreen or update it frequently with new information.” For example if you have a calendar and the last event listed was last year Business owners should constantly look for dead links and outdated information or In many ways this strategy is more reliable than social media be inaccessible for those without the right accounts rather than replace your website,” Mediano said which just adds another layer of complexity without really adding to the website’s purpose Relay the basic information about who you are add up-to-date content according to the time and staff you have available to keep it current Chelsea Powers is the owner or co-owner of several small Crozet businesses and the president of the Crozet Board of Trade She and her partner in Bluebird & Company have sought out ways to help home-based business owners and authors by offering marketing opportunities they’ve successfully managed the Crozet Christmas Market and other events that benefit multiple authors and entrepreneurs as well as their own businesses Like the teams at Fiesta Azteca and Fardowners Powers emphasized the importance of engaging with the community and effective marketing are key pillars that drive our success,” she said Decisions that help business owners engage with the greater community might also be part of a good marketing strategy and provide insight that could help them adapt to changing community needs Powers has observed that businesses that struggle or fail are often those that neglect these strategies: for instance not understanding their customers because of a lack of market research and failing to use consistent and cohesive marketing and branding strategies “These gaps hinder their ability to stay competitive,” she said who has spent her career in food-related community outreach programs suggested that there are different definitions of success besides the bottom line “If you’re just making payroll and paying your bills but also providing what you set out to do in terms of serving the community too.” The market is a beloved gathering place It serves as a community center as well as a place of business When customers want to support local business she said: “You may not have exactly what they want but you may have something that will do just as well.” The market is well-known for its wonderful food and Rabourdin has structured her menu so it doesn’t suffer from the ups and downs of the labor market As long as she has a couple of excellent cooks other staff can be trained to keep the quality consistent She agrees with Powers about keeping current with what customers want “It’s not often that customers will actually tell you what they want—they may not even know— but you can be sure they’ll tell you in so many ways what they don’t want.”  A trio of local hunters has teamed up to help area landowners fend off the menace of coyotes that threaten livestock and pets As Crozet-area coyote sightings increase and farmers and ranchers report damage and Ryan Wheeler use their skills to ward off these clever Just one of them can take down a calf or a full-sized deer.” Coyotes are notoriously difficult to hunt because they are smart Cogan has hunted coyotes at night for the past three years and uses specialized equipment such as a suppressed rifle and a thermal optics scope and scanner to pick up the animals’ heat signatures from as far as 1,000 yards away Cogan recently killed three coyotes in one night in Rockgate Cemetery off Crozet Avenue just east of Old Trail “The first step is to know the property and the area we’re in to ensure safety,” said Cogan “We are extremely careful that no one’s livestock or any person or building is in danger A man in North Garden had five of his cats killed and we found the coyote but could not get a safe shot on it Many hunters use electronic “calls”—digital recordings of a wide variety sounds that are intended to attract coyotes to the hunter’s location These can be sounds of distressed or wounded prey such as mice or coyote communication sounds like a troubled pup The trick is not to overuse a particular call or play it too loudly as coyotes are quick to pick up on anything that seems off I was able to call coyotes in by [playing] rabbit distress but over the years they’ve gotten smart to that,” said Cogan “So now I’m trying to trigger their territorial instinct by using coyote calls Hunting coyotes has gained in popularity in recent years because of the addictive challenge of matching wits with a creature who can smell you from a mile away and learns from your every move Careless hunters can poison the well for others by inadvertently “educating” the coyotes on what to avoid Some Native Americans call coyotes “song dogs” for their many vocalizations they modulate their tones so that a couple of coyotes can sound like a half dozen They quickly figure out how to avoid traps and poison and they learn and remember patterns in human activity on farms and fields They concoct complex schemes using teamwork to take down bigger and faster prey and find land cover near parks and green spaces state except Hawaii and are extraordinarily adaptable Their taste for almost any diet—from small and medium-sized prey to fruits and vegetables to bugs and carrion to trash—means they’re not picky about their digs Though they sometimes work in packs to hunt coyotes generally live in smaller family groups and often hunt or travel alone “Based on the ones I’ve hunted in this area and the males were more like 38 to 40 pounds,” said Cogan coyotes are the apex carnivore in ecosystems that lack larger predators such as wolves Cogan said they’ve killed about 100 this year Coyotes are considered a “nuisance species” by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (VDWR) and as such may be trapped or hunted at any time of year with no limits The VDWR monitors the coyote population via data from hunters and believes that after a large influx over the past two decades the coyote population has stabilized over the last five years or so increased hunting may not be able to reduce the coyote population in the long run a 2024 study published in the journal Ecography—using 4,500 camera traps set up across the U.S over the course of three years—found that “coyote abundance was higher where human hunting was permitted,” and that “directly hunting coyotes may actually increase their abundance.” This finding comports with other evidence of “compensatory reproduction,” where coyotes can respond to being hunted by having more pups per litter and breeding at a younger age “I definitely find them fascinating because of how difficult they are to hunt,” said Cogan and then they do something completely different You set up downwind from where you’re sure they are The other night I heard what sounded like six of them in two groups but only one came in range and the rest disappeared.” Cogan offered a word of caution for pet owners “For people concerned about their pets’ safety the most dangerous time for a dog around coyotes is between December and February because that’s when they’re breeding,” he said “They are dangerous all year round to pets but that’s when they’re more likely to try to lure a dog away from its house That’s the time of year that we really hunt the hardest.” Cogan and Wheeler don’t charge for their services helping friends and neighbors with coyote infestations and their careful and effective approach has spread by word of mouth so they’re now working in Louisa and Buckingham counties in addition to Albemarle “We’re doing it to help people keep their animals safe,” said Cogan who added that they sometimes go out at 10 p.m “The main thing for us is always to make the landowner happy and to make sure that if they have a problem again Some advice for preventing coyote problems in your neighborhood Furbearer Project Leader at the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources: Whether there is one coyote or many in your area it is important for residents to help prevent coyotes (as well as other wildlife) from becoming a nuisance by doing the following: Why Crozet is a long-running feature of the Crozet Gazette examining the many reasons why people love Crozet and the villages and countryside nearby Although residential development attracts a lot of attention on land that’s been in their family for years With agricultural land disappearing nationwide we take a look at the reasons why one farmer has stuck with a life that’s physically demanding Most of the year Joe Jones and his wife Molly can get to their farmhouse pretty easily It’s just a mile or so down Sugar Hollow Road past the hay shed (there’s a trout painted on it and the home is accessible only by maneuvering a high four-wheel-drive truck through a series of gates and fields when random rainfall quickly followed by the outer bands of Helene turned the river into fast-moving white water Joe said there have been times when he’s left his home after a storm and ventured across the Moormans on a tractor only to find that he has to dodge the kayakers who pop up right behind the storm Joe is 75––he’ll turn 76 shortly––and he’s not tired of farming weaving through Joe’s life on the farm and his “side” work He’s worked for the Department of Forestry and the Southern Railroad and helped with controlled burning of depleted fields “All that work was to support my cow habit,” he joked It’s the independence of farming that appeals to him “Maybe I’m independent to a fault.” In fact his hard work and vision assure him and his family a great deal of independence no matter what goes on in the outside world He has facilities to butcher his own animals for family use Joe said he loves sweet corn so much that he usually does three plantings he had to trap 10 groundhogs to save his garden from destruction but he said it’s usually just a way to spend a day in the woods I don’t want to deal with that size bear.”  His father loved to have squirrels in the pot and planted a stand of gorgeous walnut trees to attract them but Joe prefers more efficient sources of meat There’s plentiful trout in the Moormans River and he allows limited trout fishing as organized by a local angling group “There are always one or two calves that are completely unafraid and will come right up to you,” he said “Although they can stand up and walk right after they’re born they’re still pretty weak.” One calf stumbled backwards into a pond and had to be rescued Cold weather doesn’t faze the mothers or the calves but he keeps an eye out for babies born in a near-freezing rain mostly bald-faced cows and other crosses sired by black Angus bulls He uses staggered grazing to keep them on grass from April to November He’s able to raise enough hay on his land to feed them through the other months About 160 of his 250 acres are in either pasture or hay It’s easy to see why Joe can’t imagine another job or another life surrounded as he is by some of the most beautiful scenery on earth and the impassive stares of his white-faced cows brown or black depending on the Hereford or Angus genes they’ve inherited a horse farm that’s been in production for more than 100 years his branch of the family moved to White Hall and operated the Piedmont Store––also serving as the White Hall Post Office––and lived in the residential rooms above it we had electric blankets.”  He remembers his father bringing truckloads of coal back to the store for sale and for the family’s use After his parents bought Sugar Hollow Farm then go about his farm chores while Joe’s mother waited on customers Joe has a childhood memory of local men sitting around the store’s stove telling stories about their hunting exploits until far too late Joe has some ideas for the future of his land after he’s no longer able to farm possibly renting out the pastures or pursuing some form of agro-tourism “I’ve chosen not to grow houses on my land,” he said but he worries about farmers who finally give in to development pressure and notes that 20 million acres have been taken out of production in just a short time He’s frustrated by the sometimes capricious nature of government regulation “We couldn’t do this without land-use taxation,” he said “and there’s nothing that guarantees farmers it will continue It could stop suddenly on a whim.” Sometimes people get the wrong idea about family farms “Just because a farm is recorded as an LLC doesn’t mean it’s a big business That’s just a business decision that helps protect a farm of any size.” but he’s been an advocate for larger issues facing farmers He’s worked with the Farm Bureau in years past to push for guaranteed tax adjustments for long-time farmers and as a former board member of the Albemarle Farm Bureau he worked against a proposed “rain tax” that would have had an unequal impact on farms and rural structures he’s pitched in to repair the Ruritan’s White Hall Community Center and lends a hand to those who need help he doesn’t mind that gentlemen farmers also get tax breaks “They most likely employ a local farmer or two and support the community,” he said