Schuyler
Nelson County, Virginia
Producers and crews finished up their shoot Wednesday evening in Schuyler, Virginia where they have been involved in a video production with Nelson County native, Earl Hamner, Jr. We first told you about the production in this post. Earl was the creator of the long running television series The Waltons. Actor Richard Thomas played the part of John Boy. The character was loosely based on Hamner’s childhood experiences growing up Schuyler when The Great Depression was hitting the country hard.
BRL writer / photographer Woody Greenberg is interviewed by crews shooting a biography on the life of Earl Hamner. Woody has been a longtime friend of Earl’s for decades. He’s also very active in the Nelson Museum of Rural History.
“Tim Macabee of FC productions in Nashville and Ray Castro from Morristown, NJ were involved in organizing and producing the biography. Castro has produced several Waltons reunion events and Macabee has produced Jimmy Fortune concerts. They hope to finish by July for Earl’s birthday. The crew has been doing interviews and shooting interiors and exteriors at the Hamner house, in addition to talking to friends, and relatives,”Woody relayed to us while shooting some photos in Schuyler this week.
Photo by Woody Greenberg : Film crews shoot Wednesday evening- April 9, 2014 in the Schuyler Baptist Church while Nelson’s Jimmy Fortune sings. Front row on right from rt to left, Jimmy Fortune, Jr., Earl Hamner, Paul Hamner (brother), Audrey Hamner (sister), Scott Hamner (Earl’s son). Many members of Jimmy’s family were also in attendance.Photo By Woody Greenberg: Earl Hamner thanks Jimmy fortune for singing at church service filmed for television biography of him. Fortune said Earl was an “inspiration” for him to write songs.Photo By Woody Greenberg: Earl Hamner with Jimmy Fortune Jr. and his father, Jimmy Fortune at the Schuyler Baptist Church on Wednesday evening – April 9, 2014Photo By Woody Greenberg : Earl Hamner (right) stops for a photo Wednesday afternoon – April 9, 2014 – with David Pounds, co-owner of Waltons’ Mountain B & B and Country Store. The building once was the spot where Hamner did some of his writing and printing during his early years.Photo By Woody Greenberg : Earl Hamner (left) with BRL Publisher Tommy Stafford & Juniorette Publisher Peyton Stafford. Earl has been friends of the magazine since the early years. Many times in the past he’s written regular columns for us. Was so good to visit with him again. In July Earl will turn 91 years old.
We’ll keep you updated as we know more about the release of the biography later this year.
Schuyler
Nelson County, VA
Nelson native, Earl Hamner, Jr. and Schuyler’s real John Boy Walton was back in the very place he was born on Monday. Hamner who was the creator of The highly acclaimed television series The Waltons. He’s been back in Nelson where a biography is being shot on his life. Our Woody Greenberg tells us the production company out of Nashville hopes to have it to air in time for Earl’s 91st birthday in July.
Woody Greenberg interviews Earl during his visit to Schuyler.
Wintergreen Resort
Nelson County, VA
Good-Bye until late 2014. The ski season officially ended this weekend at Wintergreen Resort as warmer days are starting to move in. In spite of the milder days we’ve been experiencing lately, skiers and boarders have had a nice long season. One of the latest since the resort opened decades ago.
Nellysford
Nelson County, VA
You know the Nelson Farmers Market isn’t far off when you see the white tents go up in Nellysford! This past week volunteers put up the tents and started sprucing up things for an April 12, 2014 opening date. That’s considerably earlier than years past.
The BRL Family then and now. Founders and publishers Tommy & Yvette Stafford on the left in 2005, the year when we started. Right, the BRL family has grown by two and now includes Junior Publisher Adam Stafford and Juniorette Publisher Peyton Stafford. (Click on photo to enlarge.)
Nelson County, VA
Nine years ago today we started a journey that’s been one of the most exciting and rewarding ones ever. Back on April 1, 2005 Tommy & Yvette Stafford started Nelson County Life Magazine. We’d been in the TV news business for years back in the mid-south. The idea for the magazine was to originally launch in the Arkansas Ozarks on the banks of the White River in Izard County. Yes, Izard. It’s near Mountain View, Arkansas.
Back in December 2000, BRL Publisher Yvette Stafford stands next to the original idea for our magazine that almost launched in the mid-south.
We spent a lot of time there, and even bought property in Izard right above the river. We continued working in the news business based out of Memphis. As the years went by, it became obvious the Ozarks wasn’t the place to launch a year round magazine. It was pretty busy in the summer, in the winter, nothing. Meanwhile we began coming to Nelson a lot. Yvette had ties here and is originally from Virginia.
Fast forward to 2004, we sold our land in Arkansas, never built on it, and moved to Nelson County. Then there was that idea for the magazine. Mmmmmmm, we did it and here we are today!
We’ve grown to know a lot of you over the years. We celebrated birthdays, weddings, births, anniversaries, and more with many of you. And sadly, we have said good-bye to more than we should have. Funerals are never fun, but we’re glad to have known some of the finest people around while they were still with us.
The April 2014 issue is our 108th. Hard to believe in just 12 months we will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary with.
We want to thank each of you for trusting us, reading our magazine, and to our advertisers for taking the chance on us way back then when we honestly were pretty darn green. Lots of you have been with us since day one. That means a lot. And it’s very humbling.
While we did expand and change our name over a year ago to take in more of the Virginia Blue Ridge, we are still very much Nelson. We live here, our offices are here, and we are staying here. But at the same time, it’s been exciting meeting our neighbors in nearby counties and telling their stories too.
Thank you again to everyone, and we look forward to 9 more years and beyond!
Lovingston
Nelson County, VA
It was all smiles for 18 year old Hayli Brooke Baker of Nelson County this past Saturday night. She was crowned Miss Nelson County VA during the annual pageant held at Nelson County High School. Over 200 people looked on as Hayli along with several other young women and youngsters were crowned.
“In addition to the pageant itself we donated $850.00 to the Wounded Warrior program and the Ruritans of Nelson either sold out of food or came pretty close. This was a good fund raiser for them,” said Melanie Embrey, Director of the pageant. Miss Nelson also received a 500 dollar scholarship and goes directly to the Miss Dogwood pageant held in Charlottesville on April 26th.
Marlena Kate Holman (13) of Nellysford was crowned Teen Miss Nelson County Saturday night – March 29, 2014 in Lovingston.Jemma Browning, age 2 was crowned Wee Miss Nelson County.Autumn Baker was crowned Tiny Miss Nelson CountyAdriana Vigilante, age 7 was crowned Little Miss Nelson County.Lexy Brooke Holsapple, age 11 was crowned Pre Teen Miss Nelson CountyTo see dozens more of Paul’s photos from the pageant click on the thumbnails above to head on over to his complete album.To learn more about the pageant and the winners head on over to their Facebook page by clicking on the program cover above.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
943 AM EDT SUN MAR 30 2014
AUGUSTA-ROCKINGHAM-SHENANDOAH-PAGE-WARREN-NELSON-ALBEMARLE-GREENE-
MADISON-RAPPAHANNOCK-EASTERN HIGHLAND-HARDY-EASTERN GRANT-
EASTERN PENDLETON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…STAUNTON…WAYNESBORO…HARRISONBURG…
FRONT ROYAL…CHARLOTTESVILLE…WASHINGTON…MONTEREY…
MOOREFIELD…PETERSBURG…FRANKLIN
943 AM EDT SUN MAR 30 2014
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM EDT THIS
AFTERNOON…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS
ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW…WHICH IS IN EFFECT
UNTIL 5 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON.
* PRECIPITATION TYPE…SNOW.
* ACCUMULATIONS…1 TO 2 INCHES ABOVE 1500 FEET AND 2-4 INCHES
ALONG THE RIDGES ABOVE 2500 FEET.
* TIMING…SNOW WILL BE MODERATE AT TIMES THROUGH MIDDAY. SNOW
WILL TAPER OFF DURING THE AFTERNOON.
* TEMPERATURES…UPPER 20S ALONG THE RIDGES. LOWER AND MIDDLE 30S
IN THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY.
* WINDS…NORTHWEST 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH THIS
MORNING…INCREASING THIS AFTERNOON TO 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS
UP TO 50 MPH.
* IMPACTS…ROADS WILL BECOME SNOW COVERED AND SLIPPERY TODAY…
ESPECIALLY IN THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS AND POTOMAC HIGHLANDS.
THE COMBINATION OF SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS WILL LEAD TO POOR
VISIBILITIES AT TIMES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW
WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW
COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES…AND USE CAUTION WHILE
DRIVING.
Map via google.com : Rescue crews are on their way Sunday morning to help at least 8 boy scouts from Amherst County out of the mountains near Montebello, VA. Snow in the higher elevations made it impossible for the scouts to continue their hike.
Near Montebello
Nelson County, Virginia
Updated 3:05PM 3.30.14
We just received word from our buddy Charlotte at the Montebello Country Store & Resort and she tells us all of the boy scouts have made it out and back to the fire department there. The fire department tells her it was Troop 259 out of Chesapeake, Virginia. After getting some food and warming up, they will all be back on their way home.
Great job and kudos to the Montebello Fire & Rescue along with the park rangers that assisted in the rescue. It was a very long, wind, snowy and cold day!
Updated 3PM 3.30.14
Nelson EMS Director Miller tells BRL the scouts have been located and are on way out to Montebello Firehouse.
All ok.
Original post
“They are safe, but were apparently ill prepared for the snow that fell in the mountains along the Appalachian Trail Sunday morning.” That’s what Nelson Emergency Services Director Jaimie Miller tells BRL about a rescue underway in the mountains near Montebello, VA in the far SW portion of the county. “A group of at least 8 boy scouts left on a hike from Mt. Pleasant around 7 AM Sunday morning and when the 3-5″ snow began falling in the mountains, they said they were ill prepared to carry on or get out,” Director Miller continued.
“They are in the Seeley-Woodworth Shelter along the AT, and they are safe. They are awaiting crews with Montebello Rescue to get to them and lead them out. As most everyone knows, Spring in the mountains of Virginia can be very unpredictable with rapidly changing weather. But they are in a shelter and communicating with crews until they get to them,” Nelson County Sheriff David Brooks added.
