The Valley Today

I didn't pre-record today's conversation over Zoom; but, I DID pre-record it several months ago at Lord Fairfax Community College as part of our new podcast series in partnership with the school. This conversation is part of that podcast series. It's just one of over 2 dozen podcast conversations. In the series, we take a walk down memory lane with several current & former professors; we talk with...

We pre-recorded today's conversation via Zoom with Niki Cales, President of Front Royal/Warren County Chamber of Commerce & her guest Herb Melrath, chamber board member and business consultant for Maryland Small Business Development Center's Hagerstown office. Our conversation centered around the Paycheck Protection Program - both the first and second releases - including how it works, who should...

We pre-recorded today's conversation via Zoom with Nathan Stalvey, Executive Director of Clarke County Historical Association. Nathan told us about the many educational resources available through the association, their hybrid programs and events, and the introduction of Patreon for those interested in attending/supporting events without a membership. We talked about how his staff rallied during t...

We pre-recorded our conversation via Zoom with Kimberly Hancock, owner of Code Ninjas located at 217 E. Main Street (Suite 4) in Front Royal. Code Ninjas serves the local area by teaching children computer coding and problem-solving skills while having fun building video games. Children ages 7-14 can look forward to visiting the new Code Ninjas center to learn how to code in a fun, safe, and socia...

We pre-recorded today's conversation via Zoom with Lavenda Denney, Executive Director for Winchester/Frederick/Clarke SPCA to get details about their Light a Path campaign to benefit their Pets for Life program. The Pets for Life program at the Winchester SPCA invites you to purchase a light on behalf of your pet and help Light a Path to end pet homelessness. Your donation will help keep loved pet...

We pre-recorded today's conversation via Zoom with Melanie Hoffman from Easely Created. Easely Created is a local, independent, family owned & operated business located in Old Town Winchester at 47 W. Boscawen Street that opened in June of 2018. They offer workshops & paint classes featuring step by step instruction for learning new skills and creating unique on-trend home decor pieces and more. E...

We pre-recorded today's conversation for The Valley Business Today with Niki Cales, President of the Front Royal/Warren County Chamber of Commerce and her guest Jim Martin, District Director with SCORE. We talked about all the different options for getting business advice through the SCORE organization. January is National Mentoring Month and we discussed the benefits of having a business mentor....

We pre-recorded today's conversation via Zoom with Jenna French, Shenandoah County's Director of Tourism & Economic Development, Kary Hahn from Shenandoah County's Tourism department and Andrew Devier-Scott, marketing associate for Bryce Resort . In the first segment, Andrew told us about all the outdoor activities that are available at Bryce Resort: skiing, tubing, ice skating and more. In the se...

We pre-recorded today's conversation via Zoom with Kristine Villatoro, Supervisor of Outreach for the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) and the President of the Blue Ridge Chapter of the PATC. Kristine explained the work her organization does, it's long history and even told us how the Appalachian Trail began one hundred years ago. The Potomac Appalachian Trail Club is a 100% Volunteer-Support...

We pre-recorded today's conversation via Zoom with Michelle Ross, Executive Director of Samuels Public Library to get details about their new laptop lending program. Michelle explained how the laptop lending program works, why it's important and the benefit of the WiFi hotspots also offered by the library. We talked about the Tutor.com program and many other online resources offered by the library...

We pre-recorded today's conversation via Zoom with Sally Michaels from Frederick County EDA to talk about the Workforce Initiative and the role it plays in educating our local workforce. Sally gave us the history of the Business & Education Summit and the goal for educating our students and parents about the job opportunities available in our backyard. She explained their task of building workforc...

We pre-recorded our conversation today via Zoom with Christine Germeyer, Executive Director of First Night Winchester to learn about the changes to this year's event that will take place online beginning at 2pm on Thursday, December 31, 2020. Christine explained why the decision was made to take First Night Winchester virtual this year as well as the planning that went into making the event fun an...

We pre-recorded today's conversation via Zoom with Corey Childs from the Warren County Extension Office to talk about backyard chickens. Corey explained the role he plays in partnership with localities to determine ordinances and proper care for those interested in keeping backyard chickens. We talked about all the reasons that someone would be interested from food insecurity to simply having them...

We pre-recorded today's conversation via Zoom with Cynthia Schneider, President of Top of Virginia Regional Chamber to look back at 2020 and discuss how both the chamber & local businesses have weathered the pandemic. Cynthia gave thanks to her staff, board and members for their perseverance and dedication to keeping the doors open. We talked about the different ways the chamber pivoted to accommo...

We pre-recorded today's conversation via Zoom with Justin Kerns from Winchester/Frederick County Convention & Visitors Bureau to talk about tourism: past, present & future. We took a look back at what pre-pandemic planning & budgeting looked like; the current state of tourism and Justin talked about what tourism may look like in 2021. We discussed several businesses that have opened, those that ha...

We pre-recorded today's conversation with Sari Carp, Executive Director for Sustainability Matters to get an update about the organization's projects and the impact of COVID-19 on their events and fundraising efforts. Sari gave us the details of their "Grow Your Own" program which gives families qualified for government food assistance the resources, lifelong know-how, and mentorship to grow and e...

We pre-recorded today's conversation with Dr. Jeffrey Feit, Vice President of Population Health for Valley Health to discuss the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine . Dr. Feit walked me through Valley Health's process for preparing to receive the vaccine; how they prioritize it's distribution; and when/how many they hope to receive in the next delivery. We talked about the efficacy of both the Pfizer...

We pre-recorded today's conversation via Zoom for our monthly Community Health series in partnership with Valley Health . We chatted with Laura Walls, MSW with Behavioral Health Senior Outpatient Services at Shenandoah Memorial Hospital and Tiffany Markwood, LCSW with Behavioral Health in Winchester about safely celebrating the holidays in the age of COVID-19. Here are a few of the tips we discuss...

We pre-recorded today's conversation with Lt. Warren Gosnell from the Frederick County Sheriff's Office to discuss several traffic safety topics: the impending winter weather and how best to stay safe on the roads when the snow begins to fall. We also discussed the upcoming holidays and the importance of being sober when traveling the roadways. Lt. Gosnell also reminded us that on January 1, 2021...

We pre-recorded today's conversation for Tourism Tuesday - Luray/Page County edition - via Zoom with Edie from Luray/Page County Chamber of Commerce and her guest, Christina Grieve from Stover Hall . Christina told us the story of how Stover Hall became a wedding venue, how it's grown and the impact the pandemic has had on how they host weddings. We talked about their various packages and what set...

We pre-recorded today's conversation in the studio with Warren County Fire Marshal Gerry Maiatico to talk about fire safety during the holidays. Gerry talked about simple things you can do to prevent fires during the holidays around your Christmas tree as well as your interior and exterior decorations. He also discussed proper removal of ashes throughout the winter to prevent a flare-up; chimney i...

We pre-recorded today's conversation via Zoom with Crystel Smith, a high performance business coach and best-selling author with Crystel Clear Business Strategies . Crystel joined to to talk about Pitch Night happening on Thursday, January 21, 2021 frm 5:30pm - 7:30pm at Innovault located on the Old Town Walking Mall in downtown Winchester. Pitch Night 2021 is a chance for startups with a business...

We pre-recorded today's conversation via Zoom with Guy Curtis from LFCC Workforce Solutions and his guest, Ken Blackwell from TeamLogic IT . Our conversation centered around careers in IT and the high demand for people in various jobs in that field. Guy explained the various programs available for those interested in entering the field, gave us numbers for the positions currently available in our...

We pre-recorded today's conversation via Zoom for The Valley Business Today - Luray/Page County edition - with Edie Emmons from Luray/Page County Chamber of Commerce , and her guest Dave Thomas, owner of Valley Star Farm. Dave told us how he came to be a Christmas tree farmer and explained/described the different types of trees on his farm. He also offered several tips for keeping your tree alive...

We pre-recorded today's conversation with local author, Scott Bradley Hesson. You will recognize his voice too, as a local, lifelong radio personality - most recently on the air as our Assistant News Director. Scott told me about his background in radio including his very first job on the air in our studio. His first book, There Might Be Ghosts Inside Those Hills, was a labor of his second love -...