All photos courtesy of Henri & Elaine Weems : After years and years of basketball games, concerts, dances and on and on, the old auditorium floors in the Rockfish Valley Community Center were refinished recently to bring out a new look! Click on any photo for a larger view.
Afton
Nelson County, VA For over a year now renovations have been underway at the Rockfish Valley Community Center in Afton. The former elementary school is now home to several businesses and a meeting place for monthly and annual events. The most recent renovations have been taking place with the old auditorium floor in the main part of the building.
A view of the finished floor from the stage looking back into the auditorium.
Refinishing the floors was no easy process. And time consuming.
Over a period of five days workers sanded then refinished the old floors dating back to 1938 inside the RVCC auditorium.Crews place sealer on the refinished floors at RVCC.The foyer entrance to the auditorium ready for the varnish coat.The foyer after the final coat. Shiny!
The money to refinish the floors was raised during a Floor Us campaign beginning in the fall of 2012 and ending that December.
™2006-2013 Blue Ridge Life Magazine : Cheryl Tompkins and her inseparable companion K9 Scruffy in a July 2006 photo shortly after moving her Stoney Creek Pharmacy to Valley Green Center in Nellysford. As we have followed over the past 3 years, Cheryl had been battling cancer. On Thursday – February 21, 2013 Cheryl passed away at her home in Augusta County.
Waynesboro/Nellysford, VA
I first met Cheryl Tompkins about 9 years ago. She was the pharmacist at Stoney Creek Pharmacy inside the old Afton Family Medicine clinic near Bland Wade Road. Shortly after that Cheryl bought the business and continued operating it from that location until moving it to Valley Green Center in 2006. Cheryl was a pistol to say the least. We became instant friends, and always did business there. Her smile was as big as life, and contagious too!
Cheryl (left) and a buddy rider from the Motor Maids Motorcycle Club in front of her original pharmacy in Afton in 2005. Cheryl was an avid motorcycle rider for years.
Friday morning I got the call no one ever wants to get. Our friend and that smiling face that thousands came to know behind the counter at Stoney Creek Pharmacy over the years, was gone. “Tommy, I have some bad news. Cheryl is gone. She passed away yesterday, “Tasha Hall told me. She was one of Cheryl’s best friends and had worked with her for years and years at the pharmacy. She’s still there today with the new owners that bought Cheryl out back in 2011.
Cheryl (center in denim top) and the entire Stoney Creek Pharmacy gang in front of the Valley Green Center location in June of 2009.
We followed Cheryl’s battle with breast cancer pretty much from the beginning. She wasn’t bashful about letting people know what she faced and how she was coping. She always told us she wanted people to not be afraid, hoping her story would help people battling cancer feel more at ease about their own journey.
Above: Cheryl pictured in our July 2009, then Nelson County Life, article while undergoing one of her many chemo treatments at UVa in Charlottesville. Click on the image to read that story.
Cheryl initially beat her breast cancer and eventually returned to the pharmacy ready to move on. But, several months later she knew something wasn’t right, sadly the cancer had returned. This time vigorous. But not swayed Cheryl dug in for the fight once again. Eventually it all took a toll and she needed to sell the pharmacy and concentrate on getting herself on the mend.
Cheryl and Scruffy back in 2006 during her relocation from Afton Family Medicine to Valley Green Center in Nellysford.
As hard as she tried, it wasn’t in the cards. Cheryl slipped away from all of us this past Thursday. If there had to be one hero in all of this, and there have been many, it was her husband Allen Cash. Allen married Cheryl some years back knowing he might be facing this day. It didn’t deter him. He loved Cheryl with all of his heart, and stood by her side day and night.
Cheryl (left) and her husband Allen Cash back in June 2009 during one of her chemo treatments at UVa.
Cheryl hasn’t been behind the counter now at Stoney Creek Pharmacy for well over a year. But I still pictured her there even after she sold it. Now with Cheryl being gone for good. I’ll still picture that perky, happy, smiling pharmacist behind the counter, and remember with a smile her dog Scruffy right there beside her.
RIP Cheryl, you made a big difference in the lives of countless people along the way. It’s your turn to rest now. The pain is gone.
VIa NWS: Much of the Central VA Blue Ridge area is under a Winter Weather Advisory until Saturday morning for a mix of sleet, snow and freezing rain. Click on image above for latest summary.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
918 PM EST FRI FEB 22 2013
WASHINGTON-FREDERICK MD-CARROLL-NORTHERN BALTIMORE-
EXTREME WESTERN ALLEGANY-CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALLEGANY-AUGUSTA-
ROCKINGHAM-SHENANDOAH-FREDERICK VA-PAGE-WARREN-CLARKE-NELSON-
ALBEMARLE-GREENE-MADISON-RAPPAHANNOCK-LOUDOUN-NORTHERN FAUQUIER-
WESTERN HIGHLAND-EASTERN HIGHLAND-HAMPSHIRE-MORGAN-BERKELEY-
JEFFERSON-HARDY-WESTERN GRANT-EASTERN GRANT-WESTERN MINERAL-
EASTERN MINERAL-WESTERN PENDLETON-EASTERN PENDLETON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…HAGERSTOWN…FREDERICK…WESTMINSTER…
FROSTBURG…CUMBERLAND…STAUNTON…WAYNESBORO…HARRISONBURG…
WINCHESTER…FRONT ROYAL…CHARLOTTESVILLE…WASHINGTON…
LEESBURG…WARRENTON…HIGHTOWN…MONTEREY…MARTINSBURG…
CHARLES TOWN…MOOREFIELD…BAYARD…MOUNT STORM…PETERSBURG…
ELK GARDEN…KEYSER…FORT ASHBY…CIRCLEVILLE…FRANKLIN
918 PM EST FRI FEB 22 2013
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EST
SATURDAY…
* PRECIPITATION TYPE…FREEZING RAIN AND FREEZING DRIZZLE.
* ACCUMULATIONS…A TRACE OF ICE.
* TIMING…OCCASIONAL LIGHT FREEZING RAIN THIS EVENING FOR
LOCATIONS EAST OF THE BLUE RIDGE. AREAS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL
DEVELOP OVERNIGHT.
* TEMPERATURES…IN THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S.
* WINDS…SOUTH 5 TO 10 MPH.
* IMPACTS…UNTREATED ROADS AND SIDEWALKS MAY BE SLIPPERY…
ESPECIALLY ACROSS ELEVATED SURFACES LIKE BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT PERIODS OF FREEZING RAIN AND
FREEZING DRIZZLE WILL CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR
SLIPPERY ROADS…AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.
Thousands of people will always remember Richard “Frog” Moore as the quiet humble man who sat almost everyday on the porch above at his home on the north side of Lake Monocan in Nellysford’s Stoney Creek of Nelson County. – A special get together will remember Frog on Sunday – February 24, 2013 at 1PM at the Monocan Clubhouse near the lake.
Lake Monocan / Nellysford
Nelson County, VA A few days ago on February 6th we told you about the passing of what many call a legend at Lake Monocan in Nellysford. Richard Moore, known as Frog to most, is best remembered as the man who sat on his front porch and watched thousands of people over the years walk, run or ride the loop around Lake Monocan.
On Sunday – February 24, 2013 – 1PM at the Lake Monocan Clubhouse people will get together to remember Frog, tell stories and just reflect on his life.
Anyone, family or friends, are invited to be a part of the remembrance.
Photos By BRLM Photographer Marcie Gates: A.D. Massie supervises as BRLM Photographer / Writer Marcie Gates tries our her very first chitterling at the 55th Annual Piney River Fire Department Chitterling Dinner on Saturday – February 16, 2013. The event raises money for the volunteer department.
Piney River
Nelson County, VA
Ok, we’ve sent Marcie Gates out on some pretty tough assignments before, but this past Saturday’s may have been the toughest! Marcie covered the 55th Annual Piney River Fire Department Chitterling Dinner for us. And, apparently she felt obliged to sample the delicacy while she was there. Here’s a few lines from her upcoming story:
“It was only after a little gabbing around the water coolers that Ronnie Wood and a Mr. A.D. Massie convinced me to try my first bites of this swanky dish. I eventually, but reluctantly, handed over my camera, knowing the potential for capturing a priceless facial expression outweighed my fear of actually eating a couple bites of fried pig intestines. When in Piney River, right?”
Right Marcie! After all it’s part of the job!
To say it was a packed house would be an understatement. Marcie tells us lines were all the way back to the entrance and beyond at times.Volunteers serve up chittlins’ and chicken (for those not brave enough to eat them) at the 55th Annual Piney River FD Chitterling Dinner – February 16, 2013.See all of the pictures from the dinner by clicking on the image above to head over to our BRLM Facebook album.
So just how did Marcie fair after this assignment? Find out in our upcoming March 2013 printed issue of Blue Ridge Life Magazine!
Nelson County, VA – Snow day on the north fork of the Tye River – Saturday – February 16, 2013 – Photo By Robert Krawitz
Nelson County, VA
Not everyone saw snow Saturday afternoon, but some did. And, where it came down there was lots. In East Nelson County near Shipman, Wingina and Faber moderate accumulating snow fell. People living in SW Nelson in the higher elevations of Montebello reported the same. Folks living up at Wintergreen saw about 3-4 inches of snow on the ground.
Photo By Diana Givens – Route 664 heading into Beech Grove, VA just below the Wintergreen Resort gatehouse. Saturday evening – February 16, 2013Photo By Amanda Cash Browning: Accumulating snow began falling Saturday afternoon – February 16, 2013 in East Nelson County. This is near Shipman.Photo courtesy of Pharsalia – Tyro, VA – Accumulating snow was falling Saturday afternoon – February 16, 2013 at Pharsalia in SW Nelson County too.
BlueRidgeLife™2013 : Photos By Paul Purpura : The James Chamber Players, a sting orchestra based in Lynchburg, VA, was on hand this past Saturday night – February 9, 2013 – at Veritas Vineyard & Winery as part of Wintergreen Performing Arts Valley Concert Series.
Afton
Nelson County, VA
Summer is generally when you think of Wintergreen Performing Arts’ orchestra echoing in the mountains. Not so, even in the winter months several special performances are held. For the first time WPA presented their Valley Concert Series consisting of 6 performances from October through March 2013. This past weekend The James Chamber Players, and ensemble formed by Artistic Director Joseph Nigro, put on a magnificent performance at Veritas Vineyard & Winery. Read more about The James Chamber Players by clicking here and downloading the event program from Saturday night’s performance.
Ross Monroe Winter performing Vivaldi’s “Winter” concerto as part of WPA’s winter series held this past Saturday evening – February 9, 2013 at Veritas Vineyard & Winery.
The final performance in the Valley Concert series will be held Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 7:30 pm at the Lake Monocan Clubhouse at Stoney Creek in Nellysford.
Via NWS – A Wind advisory is in effect from 7PM Monday until 10AM Tuesday for very gusty winds that will arrive Monday evening. Click on image for latest info.
WIND ADVISORY URGENT – WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
216 AM EST TUE FEB 12 2013
AUGUSTA-ROCKINGHAM-SHENANDOAH-PAGE-NELSON-ALBEMARLE-GREENE-
MADISON-RAPPAHANNOCK-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…STAUNTON…WAYNESBORO…HARRISONBURG…
CHARLOTTESVILLE…WASHINGTON
216 AM EST TUE FEB 12 2013
…WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EST THIS MORNING…
* TIMING…TONIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING.
* WINDS…WEST 15 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ALONG THE
RIDGE LINES.
* IMPACTS…THE STRONG WINDS WILL BRING DOWN TREE LIMBS AND CAUSE
SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES. UNSECURED OBJECTS WILL BE BLOWN
ABOUT…AND HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES MAY BECOME DIFFICULT TO
MANEUVER.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT WIND GUSTS OF 45 TO 55 MPH ARE
EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT…
ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES.
Photos Courtesy of Wintergreen Winery & Sherri Brooks : Wendy Ward of Waynesboro shows of her Mardi Gras best this past Saturday – February 9, 2013 during the winery’s 1st Annual Mardi Gras Fete
Roseland / Beech Grove
Nelson County, VA
Everyone is getting into the Mardi Gras spirit this week. Wintergreen Winery held their 1st Annual Mardi Gras Fete this past Saturday at The Verandah. Guests enjoyed a bowl of Chicken and Andouille (direct from New Orleans) Gumbo with rice, piece of Poupart’s Muffuletta Bread (straight from NOLA) with Boscoli’s Italian Olive Salad, and a slice of King Cake shipped to us from the famous Haydel’s Bakery also in New Orleans. And of course Wintergreen wines!
Wintergreen Winery owners Jeff Stone (L) & Tam Stone (R) pause for a picture with Sherri Brooks of Shipman, VA
BlueRidgeLife™2013 – Mandy Baskin (R) from Gordonsville, VA heads toward the finish line with her family this past Saturday afternoon – February 9, 2013 at the Mardi Gras Madness Fun Run held at Devils Playground. Blue Ridge Life Magazine is a sponsor of the monthly events.
Roseland
Nelson County, VA
After a Friday night of winds exceeding 50 MPH, Saturday ended up being sunny and quiet for the Mardi Gras Madness Fun Run held this past Saturday afternoon at Devils Playground. That’s just across the way from Devils Backbone Brewing in Roseland. Bleu Ridge Life Magazine is a regular sponsor of the events there, and BRLM Publisher Yvette Stafford participates in the races too.
Race organizer Woody Elliot of Richmond, VA gives last minute instructions to runners before they head out for the 5 & 10 run Saturday afternoon at Devils Playground in Nelson County, VA
“This was an excellent turnout. The best so far,” said Woody Elliot who organizes various runs and bike races at Devils Playground. About 80 people pre registered for the race with another 30-40 walkups registering the day of the run.
