Ride With Pride Open Horse Show
Ride With Pride, Augusta County’s therapeutic horsemanship program will be holding an Open Horse Show on Saturday, July 23, 2011 at Cedar Creek Stables in Staunton. Equitation, hunter, jumper, trail, and game classes will be judged by Judy Bonin. $8 per class, $5 per game/trail class. Concession stand will be available. Rain or shine show begins at 8:30 a.m. Negative coggins test required for each horse competing.
All proceeds will go to support Ride With Pride’s therapeutic riding program. Ride With Pride has 21 years serving children and adults with special needs through a therapeutic horsemanship riding program. For the physically challenged, riding provides the gentle motion, rotations, and balance they cannot perform themselves. This gives the rider a sense of body control, strength, and flexibility. For the emotionally and learning challenged child or adult the programs offer opportunities for providing daily care of the horses which fosters responsibility, self-esteem and trust.
For more information on volunteering or making a donation to Ride With Pride go to www.ridewithprideva.org or become a friend on Facebook.
Schola Cantorum hosting ‘A Little Wine Music’ at Barren Ridge Vineyards
Schola Cantorum of Waynesboro and Barren Ridge Vineyards will be hosting ” A Little Wine Music” on Sunday, Aug. 21, at the Barren Ridge Vineyards, 984 Barren Ridge Road, Fishersville. Between the hours of 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. you may drop in for hors d’oeuvres and a complimentary glass of Harmony, an award winning Barren Ridge wine. Punch and coffee will also be served.
Entertainment for the event will be Llyn Walker, Wanda Eaves-Taylor and The Boogie Kings with Richard Adams, William Hayes and J.T. Fauber. The event will serve as a fundraiser for Schola Cantorum’s fall concert on Nov. 20 when Beethoven’s Mass in C with a full orchestra will be performed.
The cost for this fun-filled evening will be $25 per person. Reservations are limited so please mail your tax-deductible donation by Aug. 1 to: SCHOLA CANTORUM – P.O. Box 253, Waynesboro, Va. 22980. Upon receipt of your payment, the requested number of tickets will be reserved and held for you at the door.
Wine tastings will be available and you may purchase award winning Barren Ridge wines to enjoy at home. A portion of the cost will benefit Schola Cantorum. A raffle will be held for a week at a cozy beach cottage in Surf City, N.C. anytime in September, Oct., April or May (excluding holiday weekends.) The winner does not need to be present for the Aug. 21 drawing. Raffle tickets are $10 each, 3 for $25, 5 for $40 or 10 for $85 and may be purchased now through Aug. 21.
For any further information or raffle ticket purchases you may call 540.949.6752.
For information about Schola Cantorum, visit www.scholawaynesboro.org.
Dinner Diva: Is brown better?
I remember eating Weber white sandwich bread when I was a kid. I’d come home from school, grab a slice, yank out the middle and squish it into a small, firm white “bread” cube and eat it with relish. I think back now on those times and am completely grossed out. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I grew up on white bread. Later on, my mom switched to a wheatberry bread and I loved it and wasn’t even aware that it was a healthier alternative to the white squishy stuff I was raised on.
I often admonish my listeners of my radio show to choose brown over white–brown rice, whole wheat flour instead of their white counterparts. Brown rice has the bran still intact which lends fiber to the rice. Whole wheat flour same thing, as well as some important B vitamins. But without exception, someone always wants to know about sugar–brown vs. white or which substitute is better?
The answer should be none. We are a nation addicted to sugar in all forms and finding an appropriate substitute is a sticky wicket in my mind…shouldn’t the answer instead be to learn to go without that sweet taste? With diabetes on the rise and the implications of the sugar/inflammation connection, sugar is an enemy of huge proportions.
But all things in moderation, right? I have to tell you how much I hate that saying! Would you say that about eating rat poison or something you were deathly allergic to? Of course not. There are times in life where we need to simply buck up and understand that we need to step away from something that is causing great harm. Yes, sugar can and will do that to you!
Another question I’ve been asked repeatedly is for a good sugar substitute for baking. When I think of baking, all I see are cakes, cookies, muffins/cupcakes, quick breads and pies. Let me ask you…if you’re sitting on any kind of body clutter or are dealing with any health issues, haven’t you baked enough? So again my answer is none; there is no sweet substitute that is safe because sweet isn’t “safe”; it manufactures fat and inflammation in your body. Sure you’re going to make pie for Thanksgiving and birthday cakes for birthdays–enjoy the smallest sliver and call it a day.
Reserve any kind of sweet for the rare special occasion and make it a tiny piece or a few bites. If you’re a true “junkie” and can’t take just one bite without a binge, than stay far, far away!
I have even cut out xylitol from my diet as I don’t need to taste sweet anymore by adding anything. (Xylitol is a safe sugar substitute; a sugar alcohol, check out xylitol.org). Sweet translates to fat for me; fat on my body that I don’t need. So messing with xylitol or stevia just isn’t wise for me–I’m done with it all.
You may not adopt my policy on sweet and maybe this post even made you mad! If so, there’s a reason why–I’ve touched a nerve; perhaps you’re addicted to sugar? I invite you to rethink your allegiance and defense of baking, eating sweets and “all things in moderation”. There’s too much at stake with your health!
Are you addicted to sugar? You may need to break free–check out our series of Break Free products including our new Break Free Bootcamp!
FlyLady: Food, music and family traditions
Do you remember those family pot-luck get-togethers we used to have when we were little? Our aunts would cook their traditional family favorites. Our uncles would grill something to go along with all that wonderful food. There was a family rivalry for who could make the best pie! What ever happened to those wonderful family gathering? Did we get too busy?
This afternoon I had the pleasure of spending time with someone else’s family! For a couple of weeks, Jack Tinsley has been in our hometown filming what makes living in Transylvania County, North Carolina a special place to live. Jack grew up here. I had the pleasure of choosing to live here in 1994. As the finale of the two weeks of filming, Jack brought his family together for the last part of his film.
I knew back then that this was a great place to visit. When I had the opportunity to move here, I jumped in with my fishing waders. In fact I moved to Transylvania to fly fish. Over half of our county is Pisgah National Forest, The Blue Ridge Parkway, DuPont State Forest and Gorges State Park. From any point in our area you can be sitting by a stream in just a few minutes.
This year we are celebrating our sesquicentennial. Not only is this a great place to live but it is an even better place to work and build a business. Our community is supportive of people who turn their ideas into jobs for our residents. We work together to help one another.
If you are reading this essay from our local newspaper, The Transylvania Times; you are truly blessed to live in our wonderful community. If you are reading this someplace else; then take some time this summer to come join us as we celebrate our 150th anniversary.
If you can’t make it to our neck of the woods check your local newspaper and websites to find out what is happening for your family to enjoy. Plan a pot luck get together for your family or better yet one for your neighborhood. The one thing I loved most about today was the music. Get your friends and family to bring their musical instruments. The mountain string band called Crooked Pine played for us today. I used to work for Marion at Earthshine Mountain Lodge and Frank and I worked together at the Brevard Music Center. If you get a chance, check out their music – www.crookedpineband.com. It is music that makes our heart sing!
When you have that pot luck, ask all those wonderful cooks to share the recipes with everyone. Today I watched as these great cooks shared the history of their favorite dish. Many of them had been handed down for generations. I got to share my Heart Attack Baked Beans with the Tinsley Family. They were a big hit! http://www.flylady.net/pages/flycrew_recipes.asp
Have a safe holiday weekend! Please take some time enjoy establishing some family traditions of your own!
For more help getting rid of your CHAOS, check out her website and join her free mentoring group at www.FlyLady.net or her book, Sink Reflections, published by Random House and her New York Times Best Selling book, Body Clutter published by Simon and Schuster. Copyright 2011 Marla Cilley Used by permission in this publication.
Tides roll past Yanks
Jake Fox went deep twice Tuesday night at Harbor Park to lead the Norfolk Tides past the Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees 9-2 in front of 5,688 fans.
The Tides slugger crushed a two-run, two-out homer in the first inning off Yankees starter Greg Smith that gave the Tides a 2-0 lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Matt Angle led off the frame with a single to right field and moved to third on consecutive ground outs by Tides hitters before scoring on the blast.
Tides starter Chris Tillman (2-2, 3.82) was good enough to make the lead hold up. In his finest outing this season with the Tides, the right hander went a season-high 7.0 innings and allowed just one run on five hits. His lone blemish came with two outs in his final frame when he allowed an RBI single to Doug Bernier.
Tyler Henson and Angle delivered consecutive RBI singles in the second inning to double the Tides lead to 4-0.
The home team added three more in the sixth inning, starting with Fox’s second home run of the night, a solo shot to leadoff the frame. A single, a hit batter and a walk loaded the bases for Henson, and the Tides right fielder followed with a hot shot to Luis Nunez at second base. Nunez came up throwing to Jesus Montero at the plate, but the catcher couldn’t hold on to the throw, allowing Josh Bell to slide in safely. Angle then drew a bases loaded walk to increase the Tides lead to 7-0.
In all, the Tides scored seven times off Smith, who had allowed just one earned run through 14.2 innings this season with Scranton heading into the game. Smith (2-1, 3.05) lasted 6.0 innings and was charged with six earned runs. He walked six batters.
Nick Green added a two-run double off Fernando Hernandez in the seventh inning to close out the scoring for the Tides.
Bernier recorded a second RBI with a double in the ninth inning off Jose Diaz that plated Jordan Parraz.
The two clubs will continue their four-game series Wednesday with a 7:15 contest. RH Steve Johnson (0-2, 10.90) will take the ball for the Tides opposite RH Lance Pendleton (2-2, 2.61).
Tribe rallies to knock off P-Nats
Two outs from a 3-1 victory on Tuesday night that would have earned a series win in Kinston, Marcos Frias gave up consecutive solo home runs that tied the ballgame and sent it to extra innings. In the 12th, a critical P-Nats error extended the inning and set the stage for Anthony Gallas’s single into left field that lifted the K-Tribe to a 4-3 win.
The Nationals, plagued by errors in the series, had played a sparkling defensive game until the 12th. But Justino Cuevas saw a tough chopper clip off his glove at third and into left field; two batters later with two outs, Gallas drilled a 1-2 pitch to deep left center field that won the game for the Indians and pushed their second half record to 5-1. Potomac falls to 2-4 with the defeat.
The late inning troubles spoiled a fantastic start by Adam Olbrychowski, the best offensive night of J.P. Ramirez’s season, and otherwise sterling defense by the P-Nats. Olbrychowski outdueled Kinston knuckleballer Steve Wright and allowed just one earned run in six and two thirds innings. The Indians got just four hits against Olbrychowski, who struck out four and had an overwhelming curveball.
The Nationals spotted the righthander a lead with single runs in the first two innings. Each time, a lead off single (by Francisco Soriano in the first and Ramirez in the second) became a run on RBI groundouts. Justin Bloxom plated the first run and Eury Perex made it 2-0 with a chopper to third in the second.
The Indians cut the lead in half with consecutive two-out doubles in the fourth by Jeremie Tice and Adam Abraham.
Ramirez pushed the lead back to a pair with his sixth home run of the season, a deep blast to right field in the sixth that made it 3-1.
Josh Smoker relieved Olbrychowski, who walked the last two batters he faced, with two outs in the seventh. He struck out Delvi Cid and retired the Indians in the eighth to give way to Frias.
After Frias struck out Abraham to open the inning, he gave up a homer to Chase Burnette that drew the Indians within one. It was Burnette’s first home run since May 7. The next batter, Tyler Cannon, tied the game with a blast to deep left.
Potomac mounted virtually no threats in extra innings: their only hit was a one-out single by Sandy Leon that was erased on the next pitch by a double play.
The Nationals head home having dropped four of six in the second half’s first road trip. The Winston-Salem Dash come to Woodbridge for a three-game set that begins Wednesday night at 7:05 P.M.
CNBC taps Virginia as top state for business
Virginia has been named America’s “Top State for Business” by CNBC. The Commonwealth took the top spot in the extremely competitive yearly study, receiving the highest point total in the history of the rankings. Virginia finished in the top-half of every category ranked. The number one ranking comes on the heels of Virginia receiving the highest ranking of any state east of the Mississippi in the American Legislative Exchange Council’s economic competitiveness ranking of the states, which was released last week.
“Every Virginian deserves a quality job in the community that they call home,” Gov. Bob McDonnell said. “Our focus, from day one of this administration, has been to put in place the policies that will help private sector businesses create those jobs in the Commonwealth and get our economy back on track. We’ve done that by keeping taxes low, getting government spending under control, having a strong Right to Work law, and making smart investments in transportation, economic development and higher education. And we are telling the Virginia story to job-creators from Beijing to Boston. It is paying off.
“We’re honored that CNBC has named Virginia the ‘Top State for Business’ and that the Commonwealth received the highest score in the history of this study. Virginia is wide open for business,” McDonnell said.
In its official release announcing the top ranking, CNBC noted, “With an unprecedented fiscal crisis at the state level, never has it been tougher to stay competitive. But Virginia met the challenge on every level, achieving the highest point total in the history of our study, and finishing in the top half of every category.”
According to CNBC, to determine the rankings for America’s Top States for Business each state was scored – using publicly available data – on 43 different measures of competitiveness. States received points based on their rankings in each metric, which were then separated into ten broad categories: Cost of Doing Business, Workforce, Quality of Life, Economy, Infrastructure & Transportation, Technology & Innovation, Education, Business Friendliness, Access to Capital and Cost of Living.
Bookworks hosts signing for Highland author
Mixed Freight is one man’s metaphor for his life’s journey from city boy to country gentleman. Novelist and film writer Paul Klein brings his well-honed skills of observation and description to the world he has inhabited for three-quarters of a century (and counting!). In this collection of essays he interprets society, politics, economic, the natural world and, of course, himself. Candid, humorous and imaginative, Klein’s personal point of view makes up a mixed freight readers can carry on their own life’s journey.
Telling part of his own story, Klein writes “When I was very young I wanted to be an architect, live on a farm, and own a radio station. When I grew up I studied architecture, became a film writer, and retired to a farm. Overall, not bad. I have designed and built houses (including the one we live in), had sheep and chickens in the dooryard, and written and produced more than 500 films about industry, labor, agriculture, religion, history, politics, medicine, art and travel. And then I retired. (One of the essays in “Mixed Freight” defines retired as “being tired again”). For most of the last twenty years I have been learning the craft of writing without pictures: essays, short stories and novels.”In 2007, my first novel was published: Accidents of Time and Place. My latest work, Mixed Freight, is a collection of essays (some previously published) that reflect my very personal views about society, government, economics, the natural world and religion. My own film-of-memory without the pictures. The result, perhaps, of three-quarters of a century of observing and describing my world.”
Klein and his wife have lived in Highland County for the past 20 years or so, the 1st of 3 generations of his family that call the Valley home.
Valley 4th celebrates 10th
Valley 4th, Harrisonburg’s annual Independence Day celebration, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year in downtown Harrisonburg. The Valley 4th festivities will take place on Monday, July 4th, from 3 to 10 pm on Court Square. Festival-goers will experience all of the patriotic sights and sounds that they look forward to each year, including appearances by our famous Uncle Sams in the parade, numerous food and craft vendors, the opportunity to dunk a local celebrity in the dunking booth, concerts on the main stage, and other family fun activities.
The festivities will begin with a reading of the Declaration of Independence at noon on the East steps of the Court House and conclude with a grand finale fireworks show over Court Square. One of the most anticipated events at the festival is the Nelson Rocks Outdoor Center parade, which will begin at 5:00 pm and travel from the City Municipal Building to the County Administration Building.
After the parade, attendees will enjoy live performances by Dave Napier, Downbeat Project, and The DJ Williams Projekt. The Downbeat Project, a Charlottesville, Virginia-based band, has been compared to Dave Matthews Band and features a sound that combines reggae, soul, and Americana. The DJ Williams Projekt, from Richmond, Virginia, blends rock, jazz, funk, and soul to create a compelling sound that is sure to satisfy.
The complete schedule can be found on the Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance website at www.downtownharrisonburg.org.
Sox get first second-half W
Tom Ebert dealt five scoreless innings, the Red Sox broke a scoreless tie with four runs in the last of the fifth, and Salem experienced the catharsis of victory for the first time in 10 days, downing Myrtle Beach 7-0 on Tuesday afternoon at LewisGale Field. The win snaps Salem’s excruciating six-game skid, in which all the setbacks were decided by three runs or less. But the Sox pitchers held the Pelicans to four hits on Tuesday while Salem capitalized on three Myrtle Beach errors to win at home for the first time in June.
Ebert went a season-high five innings in his spot start for the Sox, surrendering just one hit and one walk. The righthander retired 11 of the final 12 men he faced after a one-out walk in the second, holding the high-octane Pelican offense to zero production. Ebert improved to 3-3 as the Red Sox bullpen carried the baton to the finish line, with Jeremiah Bayer tossing three scoreless frames before Will Latimer handled a perfect ninth inning. It was the fourth time in 2011 that Salem held its foe without a run, but just the first occasion since May 21 in Winston-Salem.
Offensively, Salem mustered little off Pelican starter Wilfredo Boscan over the first four innings, managing just two hits through four as Boscan delivered dueling zeroes with Ebert. In the fifth, however, Zach Gentile led off with a single and the rally began. Josue Peley singled Gentile to second, and the Sox scored their first run when Pelican third-baseman Mitch Hilligoss fielded Derrik Gibson’s bunt and tossed it wildly down the right field line. Up 1-0, the Sox scored again on Wilfred Pichardo’s sac fly to center. Ryan Strausborger’s throw to third was mishandled by Hilligoss, allowing Gibson to follow Peley across the plate and give Salem a 3-0 edge. Salem’s fourth run crossed on Myrtle’s third error of the frame, with David Mailman singling to the deep hole at short and Leury Garcia bouncing the ensuing toss past first-baseman Chris McGuinness. Vitek, who has been hit by a pitch and then stole second, easily galloped home to make it 4-0.
Two innings later, Pelican reliever Kasey Kiker allowed back-to-back RBI doubles from Mailman and Miles Head added a pair to Salem’s advantage. After being promoted from Greenville on Monday night, Head went 1-3 with an RBI double and a walk in his Carolina League debut, batting fifth and wearing #36. Head was being interviewed after the game by a crew from Comcast SportsNet in Boston when teammate Bryce Brentz drilled him in the side of the head with a shaving cream pie, providing an memorable yet sloppy conclusion to a very smooth debut.
The Sox scrapped another run off the Pelican bullpen in the last of the eighth, with Pichardo doubling home Gibson for his second RBI of the day off Myrtle Beach reliever Ryan Kelly. Pichardo finished with one hit, two sacrifices, and two RBI, while Mailman led the squad with three hits from the cleanup spot. Half of Salem’s eight hits were doubles, and Salem won for just the second time at home since May 7. After beginning the season 13-5 at Lewis-Gale Field, the Sox had been 1-19 in the last 20 before Tuesday’s satisfying shutout.
The lone bad news from Tuesday afternoon was the injury to center-fielder Peter Hissey, who fell down while making a grab in the top of the third inning. Hissey needed to be helped off the field by Manager Bruce Crabbe and Athletic Trainer Brandon Henry, a disappointing sight especially since Hissey was in the lineup for the first time in over two weeks, making his return from an oblique strain.
Salem ventures back on the road to conclude June and commence July, journeying to Wilmington and Winston-Salem over the next seven days. The Red Sox and Blue Rocks will kick off a three-game set on Wednesday, with Pete Ruiz and Noel Arguelles the scheduled pitching matchup. First pitch is set for 7:05 at Frawley Stadium.
Downtown Waynesboro project gets CDBG funds
A Downtown Waynesboro revitalization project is among 12 in Virginia to receive Community Development Block Grant funding, Gov. Bob McDonnell announced today.
The Waynesboro Downtown Revitalization Project will receive $770,000 in CDBG funds.
The project includes an economic restructuring plan and revitalization strategy for the downtown business district. The effort includes as partners Waynesboro Downtown Development Inc., the Waynesboro Redevelopment and Housing Authority and the city.
Augusta Free Press LLC designed the website for the downtown project – www.RevitalizingDowntownWaynesboro.org.
“The Community Development Block Grant program has long provided funding for projects that raise the quality of life for thousands of Virginians each year,” McDonnell said in a statement on the grant awards today. “Through these grants, several Virginia localities will receive aid in addressing housing and infrastructure concerns. Many residents will see improved housing conditions, access to medical care, sanitary improvements, and more of our communities will see revitalization and the creation of jobs.”
Since 1982, the federally-funded CDBG program has been administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, and Virginia receives up to $21 million annually for this grant program. CDBG grants are awarded through a competitive process. Most projects benefit low- and moderate-income persons, and many projects are targeted for the prevention or elimination of slums and blighting conditions.
During this year’s competitive cycle, 30 proposals were submitted by 29 localities. Several projects are noted as either multi-year or letter-of-intent projects. Multi-year projects are those that will receive a contract allocating a portion of the funds this year and, after achieving specific performance targets, will then be eligible for additional funding. Letter-of-intent projects are those which will be awarded after the locality meets specific targets.
“Our goal is to create better communities in which to live, work and do business in Virginia,” said DHCD Director Bill Shelton. “Through CDBG funds we have the tools in place to address housing, economic development, health, safety and other unique needs of each community. We believe these projects will result in significant benefit to the citizens of Virginia.”
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Winning at Working: Herd mentality
Posted on June 29, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Every few years there are band wagons of “solutions” for the ills troubling companies, with contingents of experts ready to sell the latest “fix” to eager herd-minded buyers. Reinforced by trade and business magazines featuring successful company examples of this “new” thinking, they’re gobbled up like chocolate chip cookies in a kindergarten. It’s interesting that started-but-failed initiatives aren’t highlighted, or the long-term impact of unintended consequences scrutinized for what these flavor-of-the year programs elicit.
If generational differences are the headlines now filling business magazines, then you’d better start addressing them, right? If work-balance is unbalanced and hijacking your employees’ morale, it’s time to hire a consultant, right? Maybe. But what if “balance” is as illusive a concept as happiness, needing to be defined and managed by the individual not some company entity? Or it’s a buzz-word for deeper issues undermining effectiveness in the workplace? What then?
The solution to these and other organizational issues is not herd thinking. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not one to dismiss ideas or thought leaders who shift our collective perspective. Nor am I quick to ignore technological changes that make innovative communication more productive and efficient for businesses and individuals. And I’m certainly not suggesting that well-founded and sustained initiatives are not important for businesses or industries or bottom-line results. They are.
But the tag-along herd approach of throwing the latest program or consultant or technology at a problem, or cloning the practices of “best companies” for your department or organization can do more damage than good if these same initiatives are the wrong fit, or sit dormant after launch collecting dust on a shelf in management offices, only to be replaced with the latest, hottest, next thing that ignites a “gotta have it – gotta do it – this is the answer” mentality.
Herd-following fails when the behavior accountability for what is introduced is not linked to bottom line results, or integrated into workplace practices with rampant, sustained, patient focus.
The answers to complex problems that plague your business are usually not band wagon solutions. More often than not, people problems result when what leaders say and what they do are not in alignment.
If you introduce a new program as an important company initiative, but relegate it to HR or training or customer support to champion, instead of making it an accountable strategic objective, don’t be surprised when it’s as successful as those motivational posters hanging on bulletin boards.
If budget tightening happens when sales plummet, but you award yourself a bonus before freezing the salary of your staff, don’t be surprised when discretionary efforts and innovative ideas get frozen, too. When you treat employees as one-size-fits-all interchangeable parts, don’t be surprised when they treat customers that way. And when scathing emails from top leaders feel like parental tirades, don’t be surprised if they’re answered with sandbox antics.
You see, you can buy the latest social-networking interface for collaborative staff work, or the best learning programs for staff growth and development, or even the most innovative gadgets for staying connected, and you can even provide a stellar menu-driven employee benefit plan, but if you’re missing the foundational pieces of credibility, trust, and respect with your staff, you’re missing the ingredients needed for any sustainable and successful initiative. Want a winning organization? Start there.
Filed under Blogs · Tagged with nan russell, winning at working, workplace