Breakfast With Barry Lee

Barry's guest on the show today is Jim Smith with the Northern Shenandoah Valley Audubon Society. The topic is the annual Christmas Bird Count, how it got started 123 years ago, why it's done and how the data is used.

Barry is joined on today's show by Lois Hoffman, Conductor of the Clarke County Community Band, and David Worthington, President and trombonist of the band. The conversation revolves around the Band's holiday concerts (Dec. 17, 7 p.m. at Clarke County High School, and Dec. 18, 7 p.m. at Shenandoah University's Armstrong Hall) as well as the 'fun' the Band offers amateur musicians and the community.

Local author Alexandra Grace (Amy Simmons) has released a 'journey series' of three romance novels that tell the heartwarming story of a broken veteran and his journey to find peace, purpose and his 'happy ever after' ...

Rich Follett is back on the podcast today to tell the story from 1987 of how his song "Shenandoah Christmas" came to be. Barry and his wife met Rich at their favorite little restaurant in Strasburg where he was singing, and he shared privately with them a song that he had just written that morning ... and thus the story begins.

On October 19th, Barry's podcast was a true story of how he 'rescued' a cedar seedling from a gravel road, and transplanted it. The story unfolds with twists and turns over a 2 year period, and Rich Follett turned the story into a song.

Barry is joined on today's show by Crystal Pruitt, the Founder and Executive Director of the Kevin Riley Foundation of Hope. Crystal lost her brother Kevin to gun violence, and her family has turned that loss into a non-profit organization that provides children and families with shoes, school supplies, sports team fees and so much more. It truly reflects the love that Kevin had for kids and his community.

Historic Rosemont Manor in Berryville (1811) is all decked out for the holidays and they would love for you to come to their Open House on 12/11 and support local charities! Barry's guest on the podcast today is Danielle Bliven, Communications and Marketing Manager at Rosemont, who shares the history of the Manor including the names of famous folks who have been guests there.

Barry's guest on the podcast today is Oscar Cerrito Mendoza, House and Services Director with 'Aids Response Effort'. Oscar announces the good news that holiday gift wrapping will be available at Apple Blossom Mall to benefit ARE's housing programs.

Middletown, Virginia knows how to put on a parade, and Mayor Harbaugh joins Barry on today's podcast to chat about the 100-plus units that will be marching down Main Street on Sunday.

Every year it's the same ... when the Christmas catalogs start arriving in August, Barry makes notes and circles items and vows to have his shopping done before Thanksgiving...