The Community Music School of the Piedmont (CMSP) began humbly in 1994 with two teachers and six students in one modest building in The Plains. It was born out of necessity. Long-time Middleburg residents Martha Cotter and Shannon Davis simply wanted their children to learn how to play an instrument without having to add even more car-pooling miles to their respective odometers.

By Sophie Scheps Food fanciers around the area felt the loss of Forlano’s Market in…

On a front lawn near the intersection of Zulla Road and Route 55 just outside Marshall, you might spot a tiki, a totem pole, an octopus and owls whose eyes seem to follow your car down the road. They represent the latest creations of artisanal woodworker Joshua Paul Frederick. This is also the headquarters for his business, J.P. Woodworks.

There are scholar-athletes, and then there is Middleburg’s Turner Smith, who takes the term to a stratospheric level.

A retired environmental attorney with a distinguished Curriculum Vitae, Smith now devotes much of his time to Virginia land conservation through The Land Trust of Virginia. Smith, the athlete, also has a remarkable resume. Five years ago, at age 70 and almost 50 years after he competed as a varsity fencer at Princeton, Smith decided he wanted to take up the demanding sport once again.

Anthony Barham’s paintings have been shared hundreds of times, even if he doesn’t rent gallery space or host exhibitions of his wonderful creations. His studio and his computer are all that’s necessary to view his art.

At the dawn of a new year, keep in mind the recent record-breaking heat over Christ-mas. And don’t forget that nearly every day on the evening news there seems to be a weather disaster somewhere in the world.