The Valley Today

In this episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael welcomes Justin Kerns from the Winchester Frederick County Convention and Visitors Bureau to discuss holiday events and activities in Winchester.  Justin shares details about the success of Winchester Winter Village, highlighting clear weather, high turnout, and popular attractions like horse-and-carriage rides and seasonal shopping. They dis...

In this episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael welcomes Kit Redmer, the Communications Director for the City of Winchester . The discussion spans various topics, the positive feedback about the city's transportation initiative, WinReady . They acknowledge the collaborative effort of the Winchester team and celebrate the increase in ridership and mobility, highlighting the success and ongo...

In this episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael welcomes her guest, local author, artist, and film producer Kerri Lane Mariano. Kerri is the founder of the Mariano Art and Film Foundation. The conversation begins with Janet's introduction of Kerri and a brief history of their long-standing acquaintance. Kerri shares her journey from her beginnings at Shenandoah University to becoming a fil...

In this episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael, welcomes Guy Curtis, Director of Marketing at Laurel Ridge Community College, and his guest Heather Burton, Interim Dean of Early College and High School Partnerships. The discussion centers around dual enrollment opportunities offered by Laurel Ridge Community College, which allow high school students to take college-level courses and earn...

In this episode of the Valley Today, host Janet Michael sits down with representatives from the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber to discuss various topics related to the chamber's activities and events. Janet is joined by Cynthia Schneider, CEO of the chamber, and Danita Roble, the Director of Membership. The discussion highlights various benefits of chamber membership, including diverse networkin...

In this episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael introduces Dr. Bryce Hayes, the artistic director of Winchester Musica Viva and a professor of music at James Madison University. Dr. Hayes provided insight into the impressive history and offerings of Winchester Musica Viva, a professional-level chamber choir based in the Winchester area. He shared that the organization has been around for 4...

In this episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael welcomes Gina Hilliard, President of the Luray Page Chamber of Commerce, and her guest, Dederick Brooks from Shenandoah Shores Management Group.  Shenandoah Shores Management Group provides transportation to wineries, breweries, and other venues, offering convenience and safety for groups looking to enjoy local attractions without the hassle...

In this episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael visits the soon-to-open ShenArts Collective to talk with Lisa Fisher, Executive Director for Shenandoah Arts Council. Lisa explains that setting up an artist co-op has been a long-standing dream for the Shenandoah Arts Council. The council aims to fill a gap in Winchester's art scene, as many surrounding towns already have artist co-ops but W...

In this episode of Traffic Safety Thursday on The Valley Today, host Janet Michael and Lt. Warren Gosnell from the Frederick County Sheriff's Office cover a variety of topics centered around traffic safety and local issues. They examined the rationale behind school closures during inclement weather conditions. Goz explained the complexities and safety considerations that go into these decisions, e...

In this episode of the Valley Today, host Janet Michael speaks with Niki Foster from the Front Royal-Warren County Chamber of Commerce . The conversation covers a wide range of topics including the significance of Small Shop Saturday, upcoming events, and the importance of supporting local businesses. The discussion begins with a lighthearted exchange about recording on Black Friday and the chilly...

In this episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael and cohost Kary Haun travel to Cave Ridge VIneyard & Winery to experience their unique igloos. They are joined by Randy Phillips, the vineyard owner & winemaker, who explains that these igloos were initially introduced during Covid to allow for social distancing, but have since become a popular and permanent attraction.  The igloos offer a co...

In this episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael engages in a series of insightful conversations with key figures from several Winchester-based nonprofits, discussing their collaboration for Giving Tuesday. The show features Andy Gail, CEO of United Way of Northern Shenandoah Valley , who explains the motivation and organization behind the campaign, emphasizing the importance of community s...

In this episode of the Valley Today, host Janet Michael welcomes back Major Jacob Bixler and cadets from the Winchester Composite Squadron , Civil Air Patrol . The discussion kicks off with an introduction of Civil Air Patrol (CAP), touching on its role as the volunteer auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force and its focus on cadet programs, aerospace education, and emergency services. Major Bixler reintr...

In this episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael welcomes back Brady Cloven, the Executive Director of Friends of Old Town in Winchester, Virginia. The organization is focusing on rejuvenating and promoting Old Town Winchester and Brady discusses the progress made since their inception, including a rebranding from Winchester Main Street to Friends of Old Town. Brady elaborates on the organi...

In this episode of 'The Valley Today,' hosted by Janet Michael, it's Tourism Tuesday - Winchester/Frederick County edition. Janet speaks with Justin Kerns from the Winchester/Frederick County Convention & Visitors Bureau , who provides exciting details about the upcoming Winchester Winter Village event happening in Old Town Winchester during the first weekend of December. The conversation begins w...

In this episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael is joined by Shenandoah County Planner Tyler Hinkle to discuss Shenandoah 2045 , the county's comprehensive planning process which has now moved into the implementation phase. The discussion starts with Janet mentioning the transition from planning to implementing Shenandoah 2045's adopted plan. Tyler emphasizes the importance of making the p...

In this episode of the Valley Today, Janet shares more of the recent conversation with Andrea Cosans, the executive director at Winchester CCAP. The pair explored the types of donations that are most needed at local food pantries. Andrea emphasized that while traditionally only non-perishable items were accepted, these days, many food pantries have the capacity to store perishable items like dairy...

As part of a community health partnership with Valley Health , in this episode of the Valley Today, Janet Michael welcomes back Jason Craig, Director of Community Health from Valley Health for a discussion about social determinants of health and the impact of the health system's Community Health Needs Assessment . Jason discusses how integral food is to health and the impact of social determinants...

In this episode of the Valley Today, host Janet Michael welcomes back Andrea Cosans, Executive Director for Winchester CCAP to discuss various topics related to the services offered by CCAP. Andrea shared that CCAP provides more than just a food pantry; they offer a range of services including small financial grants and clothing. Last year, they supported 3,200 families through their food pantry,...

In this episode of the Valley Today, Janet Michael hosts a conversation with Robyn Miller, Executive Director at WATTS (Winchester Area Temporary Transitional Shelter), and Michelle Smeltzer, President of the Board for HARTS (Hope and Rest Temporary Shelter.) They discuss the immense challenges and operations of their respective organizations dedicated to providing shelter and aid to the homeless...

In this episode of the Valley Today, host Janet Michael is joined by United Way Northern Shenandoah Valley CE), Andy Gail to discuss various aspects of community support.  Andy elaborates on the challenges and the importance of community service in the localities he oversees. He highlights how the increase in living costs hasn't deterred people from volunteering their time for activities like serv...

In this episode of the Valley Today, host Janet Michael is joined by Kristen Laise, the Executive Director at Belle Grove Plantation, and Paige Ulevich, the Festivals Coordinator. They discuss the upcoming fifth annual Kris Kringle Market taking place at Belle Grove on November 23rd and 24th from 10 AM to 4 PM. Kristen talks about the origins of the Kris Kringle Market, which started during the di...

In this episode of the Valley Today, host Janet Michael welcomes Guy Curtis , the Director of Marketing for Laurel Ridge Community College , and Christine Kriz , the new Director of Corporate Training for Workforce Solutions at the college. They discuss the various aspects of workforce training and corporate training services offered by Laurel Ridge Community College. Christine and Guy explain the...

In this episode of The Valley Today, host Janet Michael dives into a special segment centering on the business and community engagement efforts of the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber (TVRC). Janet introduces her guest, Kayleigh Fincham, the Chamber's Director of Events, and special guest Brandon Lorey, the President and CEO of Bank of Clarke . Brandon shares his bank's historic journey and expans...

In this episode of the Valley Today, host Janet Michael welcomes Gina Hilliard, President of the Luray/Page Chamber of Commerce. They discuss several topics starting with Gina's recent chamber-sponsored trip to Italy, highlighting the advantages of group travel. Gina shares future travel plans with the chamber, particularly a 2025 trip to Greece. Janet and Gina then shift gears to the Shop Small c...