Virginia

Neighbors cultivate tradition, heritage in The Plains

Published

1 year ago

August 9, 2023

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Neighbors cultivate tradition, heritage in The Plains

August 9, 2023 at 8:00 a.m. EDT

Shoppers examine at a rug outside of David’s Oriental Rugs in The Plains, Va. (Cara Taylor for The Washington Post)

Near the tiny downtown of Virginia’s Fauquier County town The Plains is an unusual gathering spot for residents: the town U.S. Postal Service office, matching the look of its historic surroundings with its light stucco walls and facade front. It remains a popular spot to chat with neighbors, Mayor Lori Sisson said, because door-to-door mail delivery has only been available in The Plains for about a decade. Old habits are hard to break, and The Plains is the sort of place where locals would rather preserve beloved traditions than modernize for the sake of convenience.

“For some people, I think it takes a bit of getting used to,” Sisson, who works as a probation and parole officer for the Virginia Department of Corrections in addition to her mayoral role, said of those who move to The Plains from larger cities. “They realize they’re missing some of the amenities that … we just don’t have. But, you know, I think then they realize that it’s not so bad.”

The city-small town contrast is all the more pronounced because The Plains, population 243, is less than an hour’s drive from the heart of D.C. Surrounded by horse paddocks and lush, rolling farmland, The Plains feels like anything but a commuter town, although Sisson and other locals said more people who work in and around the District are moving to The Plains as aging residents pass away or sell their homes.

“We have people moving into the community, and we try to welcome them just like we do anyone,” she said.

Incorporated in 1910 and boasting a footprint of 0.3 square miles, The Plains, with its rug galleries and antique shops, resembles many of the small towns off U.S. 66 at which city-dwellers might stop for lunch en route to apple-picking or hiking in the Shenandoah Valley. Look closer, though, to see its unique charm. The town’s largest and longest-operating restaurant, The Rail Stop, was revived in the late 1990s with investment from Academy Award-winner Robert Duvall, who has long quietly maintained a 360-acre farm just outside of town and has been known to drop in for meals. While freight trains still pass through town daily, the long-defunct train depot buildings now house art galleries and a picturesque Airbnb.

Coffee and pastry shop Doppio Bunny, a favorite haunt for cyclists who seek out Fauquier County’s hundreds of miles of gravel trails, offers patrons a chance to “pay it forward,” with a wall offering free drinks for “a tired mom,” “a cyclist recovering from a knee injury” or “a multiple myeloma patient.”

The cycling and the laid-back feel of the country were major draws for Chris Malone, a real estate broker who moved to nearby Middleburg from D.C. 37 years ago and has lived in The Plains for 25 years. By local standards, he chuckled, he’s still a newcomer. While Middleburg, with its equestrian events and wineries, has a tonier feel, Malone likes that The Plains has preserved its modest way of life.

“The Plains has always been very unassuming, very working-class, very low-key,” he said. “Not loaded with great architecture, just a simple country town. And we’ve sought to protect that, sought to preserve that.”

Due in part to easements limiting new development, there’s not much annual housing turnover. In the last year, four homes sold in town, ranging from an elegant three-bedroom, 2,000-square foot cabin on 1.1 acres for $727,000 to a 1,700-square foot property requiring conversion from office space for $440,000. One property is currently on the market: a two-parcel offering on one acre including a three-bedroom fixer-upper home and an Italian restaurant, all for $1.95 million.

For Joyce Heflin, a fourth-generation resident of the two-story home her great-grandfather built in 1913, it can still feel that the town is changing too quickly. Her house, she said, didn’t even have plumbing, central heat or a telephone line until she bought out her other local family members and moved into it in 1995. She mourns the recent closure due to attrition of her longtime church, St. Mark’s United Methodist, and worries that, even with local efforts to limit development, the town is becoming less affordable. But, she said, the people keep The Plains special for her.

“It was just such a nice place to grow up in,” she said, “And I’ve had the same neighbors next door on each side for the whole time I’ve lived in the house. They’re exceptional people; I have really good neighbors.”

As new residents, including families with young children, gradually join The Plains community, perhaps the most significant trend for change in town is an increase in youth activities and programming. The Plains Community League, operating out of a historic building in the heart of the downtown, has been revitalized in the last few years, said director Erica Young, and now offers summer camps and tutoring for students. Down the road, the Afro-American Historical Association of Fauquier County, founded by locals Karen Hughes White and Karen King Lavore, features a museum highlighting local Black history and offers youth-focused movie nights with titles including “The Princess and the Frog” and “Hidden Figures.”

From Young’s perspective, inviting local businesses and institutions to participate in programs benefiting the children has given a boost to the entire community.

“It’s brightened up the town and everybody just seems more cheerful,” she said. “We’re doing what small towns should be doing. And that is inviting people in and just enjoying this community that we have.”

Schools: W.G. Coleman Elementary School; Marshall Middle School; Kettle Run High School.

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Virginia

Virginia Tech Football: Three Keys to Victory for the Hokies on Saturday vs Virginia

Published

4 hours ago

November 28, 2024

Press Room

Virginia Tech Football: Three Keys to Victory for the Hokies on Saturday vs Virginia

The rivalry matchup between Virginia Tech and Virginia is nearly 48 hours away and it is a big matchup for both teams. The Hokies and the Cavaliers are both 5-6 and needing a win to make a bowl game. The loser will be getting a headstart on 2025 instead of playing in the postseason.

At the start of the year, Virginia Tech was being talked about as one of the biggest surprise teams not just in the ACC, but in the country. This team’s biggest goals have gone away, but they still have an opportunity to reach a bowl game for the second straight season. That should still be a big deal to the program, but on the other side, the Cavaliers are trying to make a bowl game for the first time under Tony Elliott. They are going to be fired up about playing in this game and having a chance to make a bowl game, so Virginia Tech can’t take it for granted, no matter their past success vs Virginia.

So what are the keys to a win for Virginia Tech on Saturday?

Before you could even blink on Saturday night, Virginia Tech was trailing Duke 14-0 thanks to two long touchdown plays and the Blue Devils have not been a very explosive offense this season. Virginia has found a way to put points on teams like Clemson and Louisville this season and has improved since last year. The Hokies’ pass rush was non-existent on Saturday vs Duke, finishing with no sacks and being unable to disrupt Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy. They will have to be able to play better on Saturday if they want to avoid the upset.

It is still up in the air who is going to play quarterback for the Hokies on Saturday night, but whoever it is would benefit from a big game from one of the nation’s best running backs. Tuten had 84 yards on 19 carries last week, but Virginia Tech might need more than that on Saturday when the face the Cavaliers.

Our own RJ Schafer wrote this about the quarterbavck situation heading into Saturday’s game:

“Brent Pry listed both Kyron Drones and Collin Schlee as questionable ahead of the historic matchup. He added that both will practice, although very limited, and they could “just be watching” from the sidelines.

Coach Pry also added that Virginia Tech is preparing four quarterbacks to be ready to play this weekend, including Davi Belfort, a freshman quarterback from Brazil, a country which could begin to be the future of American college football.

Whoever plays this weekend is going to have to have to manage the game and not turn the ball over. I think the offense is going rely on the run game heavily this weekend due to that.

Additional Links:

Virginia Tech Football Releases Depth Chart Ahead of Matchup Against Virginia

Virginia Tech Football: PFF Grades and Snap Counts For Every Player in Saturday’s Loss to Duke

Virginia Tech Football: Updated Bowl Projections For The Hokies Heading Into Final Game

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Virginia

Big Tests On The Horizon For Virginia Tech Wrestling – FloWrestling

Published

12 hours ago

November 28, 2024

Press Room

Big Tests On The Horizon For Virginia Tech Wrestling – FloWrestling

At 3-0 with marquee victories over #6 Missouri (23-10) and #21 Rutgers (26-11), as well as a second-place finish in the Keystone Open with just a handful of starters competing, Virginia Tech has swept through a tough November and is prepared for a difficult December.

The Hokies, #12 in Flo’s team tournament ratings but top 10 in various dual-meet rankings, are next scheduled for an annual trip to Las Vegas for the Cliff Keen Invitational, featuring 27 teams, of which 14 are among Flo’s top 25. And then it’s another trip west to Stillwater on Dec. 19 to challenge #5 Oklahoma State in a rare Thursday match.

The early key thus far for the Hokies has been the ability to win the bouts they’re supposed to win and grabbing a fair share of so-called toss-up bouts.

To wit, Tech’s #18 Sam Latona downing Missouri’s #13 Josh Edmond (4-2) at 141, or #25 Rafael Hipolito majoring the Tigers’ #32 James Conway (11-3) at 157 and #15 Jimmy Mullen stopping #20 Seth Nitzel (4-2) at heavyweight.

That trend continued at Tech’s Moss Arts Center match against #21 Rutgers when Latona used a late takedown to defeat Joey Olivieri 7-5, #4 Lennox Wolak pinned veteran Jackson Turley at 174 and #9 Andy Smith slipped past #17 John Poznanski 4-3 at 197.

Hokies coach Tony Robie only took a few regulars to the Keystone Open in Philadelphia and, led by championship efforts by #1-ranked Caleb Henson at 149 and heavyweight Hunter Catka, Tech placed second behind Lock Haven. Latona placed third at 141 and Sam Fisher did the same at 184.

Robie opted to use the Hokies’ roster as freshmen Dillon Campbell (125), Matt Henrich (157), Luke Robie (157) and Jack Bastarrika (133) competed as did redshirt juniors Jackson Spires (165) and Ty Finn (174). Spires placed second.

Who’s Ready For Change?

With legislation on the NCAA’s table affecting scholarship and roster limits — unlimited scholarships and a roster cap — as well as revenue sharing, some college wrestling programs likely have a serious dose of trepidation while others are confident they can deal with whatever happens.

Virginia Tech sits in the latter category.

“I have no concerns whatsoever about that,” Robie said earlier this month. “I think a lot of it probably will happen. It’s hard to say whether it’s good or bad for the sport; that’s not really for me to say. What I will say is you have to adjust with what the rules are and what the landscape of college athletics looks like, and that’s what we intend on doing.

“Is it good for the overall health of the sport of wrestling? The kid that’s the 35th kid on your roster? Probably not. But I think definitely there were probably some things that needed to change; the pendulum was starting to swing significantly the other way. At some point, it’ll probably start to go back to the middle.”

Robie said all anyone can do is wait for the final decisions.

“We have some contingency plans based on what we think is going to happen and we’ll move forward with our plan and try to execute it,” he said.

A Pretty Good Gig

Robie, in his eighth year as head coach, has been at Tech since 2006 and as each season passes, the commitment and enthusiasm remain the same.

“Well, you get to do what you like to do. And it’s a pretty cool thing to be able to coach wrestling for a living and be a part of a pretty good program, and work with some great people and try to affect the lives of the kids in your program,” he said.

“I think anybody would want to do that. For me, I’m not young anymore. I turned 50 … who knows how long I’m going to do it, but I’m going to give it the best I can while I’m doing it and hopefully continue to improve as a program and try to try to help these guys as much as possible. But it’s good, Virginia Tech’s a great place to work, it’s a great place to live. I’ve got a great staff and it makes my life pretty easy.”

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Virginia

VIDEO: UVA Football Players Preview the Virginia Tech Game

Published

19 hours ago

November 27, 2024

Press Room

VIDEO: UVA Football Players Preview the Virginia Tech Game

With the game of year looming this weekend, members of the Virginia football team were made available to to the media after practice on Tuesday morning to talk about the regular season finale against Virginia Tech in the Commonwealth Clash on Saturday night in Blacksburg. Watch the video below to hear what UVA senior safety Jonas Sanker, graduate tight ends Tyler Neville and Sackett Wood Jr., and graduate defensive tackle Jahmeer Carter had to say ahead of the Virginia Tech game:

Sanker is the team’s leader in tackles with 89 total tackles and also leads the ACC in solo stops with 60 unassisted tackles. He has racked up 8.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, four pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and an interception as part of a strong senior campaign that should earn Sanker some serious consideration for a First-Team All-ACC selection.

A transfer from Harvard, Tyler Neville is Virginia’s second-leading receiver with 35 catches for 387 yards and two touchdowns. Sackett Wood Jr., meanwhile, has recorded three receptions for 18 yards and a touchdown this season. Between the two of them, Neville and Wood have combined to appear in 83 college football games and make 48 starts.

Saturday will be the 55th game in the five-year career of Jahmeer Carter, who has started nearly every game for the last four seasons at Virginia. This season, Carter has 30 total tackles, including nine solo stops, two tackles for loss, one sack, and a pass defender. For his career, Carter is up to 131 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 7.5 tackles for loss.

Saturday night will be the first time Virginia plays at Lane Stadium in front of fans since the 2018 season, as the 2020 edition of the Commonwealth Clash was played in front of only 250 fans due to COVID-19 restrictions and then the 2022 Virginia vs. Virginia Tech game was canceled due to the shooting tragedy at UVA.

Virginia is seeking its first road victory at Virginia Tech since 1998, as the Hokies have won the last 11 Commonwealth Clash games played at Lane Stadium. Virginia Tech has won 17 of the last 18 overall games against Virginia and leads UVA 61-38-5 in the all-time series that dates back to 1895.

Both Virginia and Virginia Tech bring a 5-6 overall record into the regular season finale and both need to win the game in order to reach the six-win threshold required for bowl eligibility. There is only one other game this weekend between FBS teams who are battling for bowl eligibility (Eastern Michigan vs. Western Michigan). Virginia and Virginia Tech played each other for bowl eligibility at the end of the 2014 season.

UVA Football: Players to Watch in Virginia vs. Virginia Tech

UVA Football Week 14 Injury Report: Kobe Pace, Kempton Shine, Trell Harris

Virginia Football Depth Chart vs. Virginia Tech | Takeaways, Analysis

Virginia Football Opens as Touchdown Underdogs at Virginia Tech

UVA Football Report Card: Handing Out Grades for Virginia vs. SMU

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