Book Signing at Barnes & Noble Charlottesville

For folks on the "other side" of the mountain, we are having a signing for Images of America: Waynesboro on Saturday July 11th from 1-3 p.m. at the Charlottesville Barnes & Noble in the Barracks Road Shopping Center on Emmet Street. Would love to see you there!

Museum Program Today!

Just a reminder that Cortney and I will be at the Waynesboro Heritage Museum today at 3 p.m. to present a Powerpoint talk about Images of America: Waynesboro. The talk is free and open to the public. Hope to see you!

- Beth

Then and Now - Presbyterian Church and News Virginian

At the top of Main Street Hill sits a beige brick building that is now empty. This building, in its various incarnations, has served as a Presbyterian Church (seen here on left; built between 1874 and finished in 1878, then vacated in 1912), the Star Theater, and finally the News Virginian (see here on right.) The News Virginian moved to its current 544 W. Main Street address in 2005.

We'd love to know what happened to the old steeple.

Launch a Success

The book launch for Images of America: Waynesboro went better than we could have even hoped. For two afternoons, hosted by the wonderful Stone Soup Books, we signed books, chatted with fellow Waynesboroians and sold out of all the books, catching ourselves and the bookstore by surprise! Happily, there were copies at Ben Franklin and Rocking R Hardware that some folks were able to run and get so we could sign them.
Thanks so much to Mary Katharine Froehlich, Emily Hancock and all the hard-working family of folks at Stone Soup Books who made this event a huge success and thanks to everyone who came by on Friday & Saturday. We had a great time talking to you all and catching up with old friends. Cortney's colorful print of Mrs. Teas' Tavern was also a hit!

For anyone who wasn't able to make it, don't forget, we have a program at the Waynesboro Heritage Museum on Sunday, June 28th at 3 p.m. Books and prints are available there, too. More about that later.

Book Launch Tomorrow!

Hey All!

Please join us at Stone Soup Books & Cafe tomorrow from 3-5 p.m. or Saturday from 1-3 p.m. for our book launch of Images of America: Waynesboro. We'd love to see you!

And one lucky person who purchases a book tomorrow will win a signed, matted print of Cortney's artist conception of Mrs. Teas' Tavern, the establishment around which the community of Teasville and then the town of Waynesboro grew. Above is a sneak peek of the print.

Images of America: Waynesboro featured in Staunton News Leader Article Today

Today, the News Leader of Staunton features an article about Images of America: Waynesboro, how it was written, and our feelings about history and Waynesboro. Check it out!

http://www.newsleader.com/article/20090607/LIFESTYLE/906070314

Soap Box Racers Sing This Song, Do-Dah, Do-Dah!

Waynesboro’s first Soap Box Derby was held on May 23, 1961, with the cars running down Main Street Hill. At that time, only boys were allowed to participate. The 2009 Blue Ridge Soap Box Derby Classic was held on May 30 on the same Main Street Hill.


While occasionally threatening rain, the weather held and the race ran all morning and afternoon.

Racers hit speeds close to 30 mph. Holding steady, the goal was to reach the finish line ahead of the other driver and not run into the hay bales lining the street.


Winners of the race will move on to Akron, Ohio and the All American Soap Box Derby in July.

Winners of the 2009 Blue Ridge Soap Box Derby Classic are:

Suburban Stock Car Division: Drew White, Metro Stock Car Division: Kyleigh Myhre, Suburban Super Stock Car Division: Joe Kaminski, Metro Super Stock Car Division: Johnny Wheaton

Mystery Photos of the Month

During our research for the book, as we pored over hundreds of photographs in public and private collections, we'd run across some wonderful images that unfortunately, could not be used in our book since they were not identified. Here are two photos from different angles of the same beautiful Victorian house from approximately the same period in time, the last quarter of the 19th century through the first quarter of the 20th century. It is unknown even if this house is or was in Waynesboro.

From close inspection of the photos, no house numbers could be discerned. There are clues that the wintertime photo was taken before the other photo since the saplings enclosed within the wooden protective barriers show obvious growth from one photo to the other. Perhaps the location can be identified by the surrounding houses or the fact that the ground rises sharply up to a hill behind the house in the winter photo. Click on the images for larger versions.
If anyone has an idea where this house might be ...or might have been, please leave a comment, Thanks!

Photos courtesy of Waynesboro Public Library

"Shenandoah Moon" Orginal Cast Recordings

On Saturday, May 23, the cast from “Shenandoah Moon” gathered at the Waynesboro Players warehouse to record songs from that popular musical production which premiered a month ago at the Louis Spilman Auditorium in Waynesboro. The music was just too wonderful to just let it go! Here’s a little behind-the-scenes peek at the recording session.

The incredibly talented Richard Adams, who composed, wrote, and directed the music for the play, adjusts his recording equipment during the recording session.

Dustin Roadcap (“Willie Miller”), Matthew Warner (“Louis Taylor”), Caleb Towns (“Tom Deluca”), and Scott Woofter (“Whitey O’Malley”) belt out “CCC,” the upbeat, often-funny song about life as members of the Civilian Conservation Corps.

A favorite song in “Shenandoah Moon” is the touching “Don’t the Moon Look Pretty,” recorded here by Barbara Spilman Lawson (“Grandma Sally”) and Tara Stoll (“Kathy Shifflett”).

Caleb Towns as Tom Deluca, Tara Stoll as Kathy Shifflett, Scott Woofter as Whitey O’Malley, and Cassy Maxton as Lizzie Marshall consider their differences as well as the love that connects them in “Two Worlds.”
Bill Martin’s character, mountain patriarch Howard Shifflett, struggles with the life-changing events that have turned his life upside-down in the poignant “Howard’s Song.”

Barbara Spilman Lawson, as Grandma Sally, brought down the house with the show-stopping “Shine,” a boisterous, exuberant celebration of one of the mountain folks’ ways of enjoying themselves.


“Lizzie Marshall,” played by Cassy Maxton, sings “Everybody’s Their Own People,” where she lets Kathy Shifflet know that it doesn’t matter where you come from or where you end up living, you are unique and special in your own way.

Images of America, Waynesboro: The Book Has Landed!

We received their first two copies of Images of America: Waynesboro last week and they look fantastic! Those we've shown the book to were equally impressed. Can't wait for the first official shipment from Arcadia! Right now, Stone Soup Books & Cafe has one display copy on hand. Feel free to drop by, check it out, and put in a pre-order if you want. Or you can just come by the book launch June 12 (3-6) or June 13 (1-3) to get a copy then. Cort and I will be there to talk about the book and sign copies. This is fun, Waynesboro! :)

Beth

Getting Down to Business: Old Dominion Performance Arts Studios

Ever wonder what is going on at the location that was once Waynesboro's old Corner Hardware Store? Amazing things, that's what. Old Dominion Studio, located at 313 W. Main Street (website here) opened in downtown Waynesboro nine years ago. Still relatively small, they offer dance and martial arts training with, according to Dulcey Fuqua, studio founder and dance instructor, "a style of training where everyone can find a family, friends, and success."

Dulcey goes on to say, "I know I am biased, but I am really blessed to have such a wonderful, and gracious group of teens to teach and work with. Their talent, accomplishments, and love of what they do, really is something that our community should be proud of."


The community is invited to the "Shine," the 2009 Student Showcase this weekend at Kate Collins Middle school, Saturday the 16th at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday the 17th at 2 p.m.. The showcase will feature both dance and martial arts, and will give the public the opportunity to see the the quality of instruction and the grace, talent, and dedication of the students. Tickets to the performances are available at Chickpeas, Main Street Discount, and at the Studio. Prices are: Reserved (pre-sale only), $10 youth/adult; $7 children (5 and under).General Admission, $7 youth/adult , $8 at the door; $5 child - $6 at the door. For more information on "Shine," go to the studio homepage here.

Getting Down to Business: Short & Sweet Bakery

Short & Sweet Bakery had its Grand Opening on May 11, 2009, and by closing time they were just about sold out. Located at 133 North Wayne Avenue in Waynesboro, this new shop stands in the same location where the first Waynesboro Fire Department station stood at the turn of the 20th century.


The interior still retains some of the classic features of the former business, such as the large white radiator, yet Short & Sweet Bakery is bright, colorful, and cheerful, with places to sit, relax, enjoy some pastries, and watch the world on Wayne Avenue go by. "SWEET-net" Wifi is available free to customers.

Owners and bakers Heather and Terry Short create custom cakes, cookies and more. They've nicknamed the bakery the place "Where it's not all about us." They specialize in pastries for weddings, birthdays, and special occasions. For instance, a pot of cookie flowers and this white rabbit popping out of a magic hat are examples of Short & Sweet pastry art.

Short & Sweet Bakery made this special cake for Waynesboro's 2009 "Taste of the Town" located at Fairfax Hall (formerly the Brandon Hotel) on the Basic City side of town. The cake is a spot-on, confection-based interpretation of Fairfax Hall. It garnered rave reviews from those who attended. And to top it off, Short & Sweet Bakery, which offered delicious samplings to the attendees, won the "Best Professional Pastry Chef" award. The above photos show both the cake and an early view of the Brandon Hotel (circa late 1800s).

You can check out the Short & Sweet Bakery website here!

The Mountain-Valley Connection: Hannibal Crosses the Blue Ridge

On April 1st, Waynesboro native and long-time creator of unique 3-D art Mark Cline erected five life-sized elephant statues atop Waynesboro's slowly-greening landfill hill on the east side of town at the base of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. The display, titled "Hannibal Crosses the Blue Ridge," was intended to be in place for one month. Waynesborians were fascinated with this new point of interest, which was clearly visible from many places along Main Street and particularly clear from the Main-Delphine intersection.


With official permission from City Manager Mike Hamp, we visited the display three days before the scheduled removal (April 30) and were able to get up close and personal with the fiberglass pachyderms. Buffetted by strong winds, we marveled at the sense of fun these creatures elicit, from the snarling yet somehow endearing, fur-caped Hannibal shaking his fist atop Elephant #1 to little tag-behind Elephant #5. Clearly the winds had attempted at one point to throw them all off the hill into the valley, but some ankle-weights and two-by-fours have solved that problem.



A number of Waynesborians have rallied to keep the elephants on Landfill Hill, and for good reason. Word is spreading across the region, state, and even the country about the unique creatures, and this word may well generate new tourists to town. For a very long time now, Waynesboro has depended upon tourism for a large part of its livelihood. This artistic curiosity shows our sense of fun and imagination. And if people drive into Waynesboro to get a glimpse of the elephants, they may well hang around and find other interesting things to explore while here.

At the moment, the elephants remain until further notice. It could be they will remain in place until after the Fall Foliage Festival in October. Maybe longer. Time will tell. There are issues concerning those who live near the elephants as to how to keep folks from trespassing on their land to reach the statues. Our advice is simple and clear - bring your binoculars and view them from town, which was the initial intent. Or, if you simply must see them up close, make sure you obtain official permission from the City Council.

And to Mark Cline we say, "Thanks! We're loving your critters!"

Images of America: Waynesboro Book Launch Scheduled

Images of America: Waynesboro, the new photo-history of Waynesboro scheduled to be released by Arcadia Publishing on June 8th, will have a book launch/authors' reception at Stone Soup Books & Cafe in Waynesboro. The launch will be held from 3-5 p.m. on Friday June 12th and from 1-3 on Saturday June 13th. All area residents and folks from outside the city are welcomed to come either time to get a signed copy of the book and to chat with authors Elizabeth Spilman Massie and Cortney Skinner.

More information to follow soon!

Leisure Times: The New Waynesboro Generals Team

Pictured here are the new Waynesboro Generals ownership and management team plus friends and family being welcomed at a ribbon cutting ceremony by the Greater Augusta Regional Chamber of Commerce at Kate Collins Field this evening. Find out more by visiting the Waynesboro General's new website.

An airbrush-on-canvas portrait of an equestrian statue of General "Mad Anthony" Wayne is displayed at the event. Once finishing touches are applied, the artwork will go on display.
The latest Waynesboro General's cap insignia seen here on new General Manager Chris Graham's hat. Read his excellent article about the resurgence of interest and new visions for the Waynesboro Generals here at the Augusta Free Press.

Rivers, Roads, Rails, & Wings: Waynesboro Riverfest 2009

A baby Rock Bass freshly borrowed from the South River and on display in the Riverfest tent. The staff environmentalists will return him to his home at the end of the day. Riverfest event is held annually in Constitution Park, on the land beside South River where the old Gardner's Mill used to stand.
A female crayfish, with her tail curled under to protect her egg mass, approaches a baby Rock Bass to nip at his tail. She was unsuccessful.
The "Stream Safari" offers kids a chance to wade into the river and investigate different life forms under the watchful, instructive eye of environmental experts.

A small replica of a Native American bark house sits next to a monitor connected to underwater cameras reveal the life under the surface of the South River.

Held on April 25, 2009 to celebrate the interdependence of the South River and the city and to promote “environmental conservation and watershed stewardship in the Shenandoah River basin,” Riverfest features exhibits, an art competition, music, canoeing, and a “stream safari.”

The Mountain-Valley Connection: Waynesboro as Theater

"Shenandoah Moon" an original play staged by the Waynesboro Players and directed by Sandi Belcher, just finished a triumphant five-day run to packed houses from April 16-19 at Waynesboro High School’s Spilman Auditorium. This play, written by Waynesboro authors Duane Hahn, Barbara Spilman Lawson and Elizabeth Massie, and with wonderful original music by Richard Adams takes place in the 1930's depression era Waynesboro as well as the valleys, hills and mountains that eventually were transformed into the Shenandoah National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive.

Few people today realize the ties, both social and economic, that the Blue Ridge inhabitants shared with the citizens of Waynesboro and the surrounding communities, counties and towns. This musical told some of those complex stories peppered with rich depictions of the time and with questions asked about the decisions made by the federal and state governments when the Shenandoah National Park was created by taking land, homes and livelihoods from the families living on that land.

Though the play is over, the novelization by Duane Hahn based on the script can be ordered here:

"Shenandoah Moon"

...and wonderful coverage of the event by Theresa Curry is at the Waynesboro News Virginian here:

"Valley Moon Risin'"

Welcome!

Welcome! This blog will offer up to date information about the upcoming Arcadia publication, Images of America: Waynesboro as well as glimpses of life around town. Please check back soon!