The Valley Today

Every coffee, dinner out, and stocking stuffer you buy in Page County this holiday season could win you a shopping spree. It's Luray-Page Day, and Gina Hilliard, President of the Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce, joins Janet Michael on the Zooms to share two of the chamber's favorite holiday traditions: the month-long Shop Small Page County promotion and the 11th annual Chamber Holiday Festival.

Gina explains how easy it is to enter Shop Small. Just turn in your receipts from local shops, restaurants, wineries, online orders, and even DoorDash between November 28 and December 20, and you're in the running for five gift card prizes. Then she walks through everything planned for the Holiday Festival on Friday, December 4. This year's theme, "A Century of Holiday Cheer," honors the chamber's 100th year, and the night brings photos with Santa (pets welcome), crafts at the library, live music, s'mores, hot cocoa, a holiday vendor market, and a visit from Yogi Bear. If you want to start your holiday season close to home, this one's for you.

EVENT DETAILS

Shop Small Page County

• Dates: Saturday, November 28 (Small Business Saturday) through Sunday, December 20
• How to enter: Turn in receipts from locally owned, independent businesses anywhere in Page County, including Luray, Stanley, Shenandoah, and the county. Shopping, dining, coffee, wineries, breweries, gift cards, online orders, and DoorDash orders all count. Big box stores and chains do not. You can enter as many times as you like.
• Submit receipts: Email a photo or scan to [email protected], or bring them to the chamber office at 18 Campbell Street, Luray (open daily, 9 AM–5 PM). Include your name and phone number.
• Prizes: Five Page County gift card packages: $400, $250, $150, $100, and $50
• Drawing: Monday, December 21, live on the chamber's Facebook page
• Sponsors: Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce, Page County Economic Development & Tourism, Spark for Small Businesses LLC, and Blue Ridge Bank

11th Annual Chamber Holiday Festival: "A Century of Holiday Cheer"

• Date and time: Friday, December 4, 4–9 PM
• Location: Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce, 18 Campbell Street, Luray, and the Page Public Library next door (the street will be closed between them)
• Cost: Free. Photos with Santa are $5 or a canned good, and all of it goes to Page One and Page Paws. Pets are welcome in Santa photos.
• Highlights: Holiday crafts with the Page Valley Arts Council at the library, live music, cookies, popcorn, hot chocolate, holiday punch, s'mores by the fire pits, barrel train rides, costumed characters from JMU, Yogi Bear, food vendors, and a holiday vendor market. Vendor purchases count toward Shop Small.
• Vendors and sponsors: There's still time to sign up. Sponsorships range from $150 to $1,000. Applications are on the chamber website under Events.

Chamber member events in November

• Women in Business, custom cowboy hats: Thursday, November 12, 5:30–7:30 PM, Big Oak Manor & Ranch. Open to anyone who works for a chamber member business.
• Business After Hours: Thursday, November 19, 5:30–7 PM, River's Bend Ranch
• Chamber Orientation and ChamberMaster Workshop: Tuesday, November 17, 8:00 AM, for new and current members who want to learn the new member portal.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Luray-Page County Chamber of Commerce: luraypagechamber.com · [email protected] · 540-743-3915 · 18 Campbell Street, Luray, VA · Open daily, 9 AM–5 PM
• Shop Small rules, Holiday Festival flyer, vendor application, and sponsorship application are under the Events tab
• Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X

THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon.

Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us.

Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday

If you've lived with a bad back or ringing ears since your time in uniform and figured that's just how life is now, this conversation might change your mind. With Veterans Day next week, Janet Michael sits down with Commander Cole Bradshaw and Adjutant and Treasurer Chris Nelson of DAV (Disabled American Veterans), Northern Shenandoah Valley Chapter No. 9, to talk about what the chapter does for veterans and their families right here at home.

Cole and Chris explain how DAV helps veterans connect old injuries to their service, why survivors and family members can get help too, and how the chapter's emergency relief fund steps in when a car breaks down or the power is about to be cut off. Chris shares that even he waited more than 20 years to file his own claim, and Cole explains how hearing loss can quietly strain a marriage. They also share how you can support the chapter at Golden Corral this weekend and on Veterans Day. Stay for Cole's closing thoughts on what "thank you for your service" really means to him.

EVENT DETAILS DAV at Golden Corral (Winchester)

• Weekend information tables and fundraiser: Saturday, November 7, and Sunday, November 8, 8:00 AM–1:00 PM and 4:00–8:00 PM
• Veterans Day free dinner for veterans and service members: Wednesday, November 11, 3:00–9:00 PM. Chapter volunteers will be on hand to help.
• How to give: Ask to round up your check when you pay, or leave a cash donation in the box near the register.
• Where it goes: Money raised stays with the local chapter to help veterans and their families in Frederick, Clarke, Warren, and Shenandoah counties.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• DAV Northern Shenandoah Valley Chapter No. 9: davwebsites.dav.org/va/09 | (540) 692-6015 | PO Box 2342, Winchester, VA 22604
• Chris Nelson, Chapter Service Officer (benefits and claims help): [email protected]
• DAV (Disabled American Veterans): dav.org
• Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1 — veteranscrisisline.net
• Martinsburg Vet Center: va.gov/martinsburg-vet-center
• Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing: projecthealingwaters.org
• Boulder Crest Foundation (Bluemont, VA): bouldercrest.org

THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon.

Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us.

Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday

Rolling through a stop sign when "nobody was coming" might feel harmless, but Captain Warren Gosnell says that's exactly the habit that leads to a crash someday. It's Public Safety Thursday, and Janet Michael is live in the studio with Captain Gosnell of the Frederick County Sheriff's Office for his monthly visit. A quick heads-up: the first half of the live show didn't record, so this podcast picks up with the second half of the conversation.

After an update on an academy class of 11 recruits getting ready to graduate, the two dig into the traffic violations many people think of as minor: skipping your turn signal, rolling stops, stopping past the line at a red light, scraping just a peephole in a frosty windshield, and pulling into an intersection you can't clear. Captain Gosnell explains when Virginia law actually requires a turn signal (it may surprise you), why officers stop people for these things, and what to do if you see an on-duty officer driving badly. His answer to the "quota" question is simple: it's about building muscle memory behind the wheel. If you've ever been tempted to honk at a cautious driver, give this one a listen.

THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon.

Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us.

Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday

When do you want insurance to be expensive: when you pay the premium, or when you file a claim and find out you weren't covered? On this Valley Business Today, recorded at the Front Royal Warren County Chamber of Commerce, Janet Michael and Chamber President Niki Foster sit down with Jamison Ford, partner and insurance advisor with TWG Insurance (formerly The Winchester Group), an independent broker in Winchester that serves businesses and families across Virginia and up and down the East Coast.

Jamison talks about the risks many business owners never think about: flood damage in the Shenandoah Valley, phishing emails and fake invoices, client data breaches, and remote employees working in other states. He explains why a yearly coverage review matters, why you should be wary of a quote you get in 20 minutes, and why it helps to have a real person on your side when something goes wrong. Niki also shares what's coming up at the Chamber, from Coffee & Conversation with Christendom College President Dr. George Harne to the Christmas parade's new ugly sweater runway contest. If you haven't looked at your policies in a few years, this one's worth your time.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• TWG Insurance — twg-insurance.com (includes a Meet Our Team page)
• TWG Insurance phone — (540) 662-9068
• TWG Insurance office — 24 W. Piccadilly St., Winchester, VA 22601
• Front Royal Warren County Chamber of Commerce — frontroyalchamber.com (LeadShare, Coffee & Conversation, Christmas parade and Merry Market applications, sponsorships)

THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon.

Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us.

Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday

That half-used pack of sparkly blue paper in your basement could be somebody else's next masterpiece. On this Tourism Tuesday, Janet Michael and Justin Kerns of the Winchester-Frederick County Convention & Visitors Bureau head to Valley Avenue for a return visit with Misty Weaver, owner of Art Again Thrift Shop. When Janet first talked with Misty in July, the shop wasn't even open yet. A few months later, it's full of classes, community projects, and ideas, and it caught Justin's eye as just the kind of unexpected stop that small tour groups love.

Misty explains how Art Again turns donated craft supplies into affordable finds, a $10 craft bar, and low-cost classes like paper making and kinusaiga fabric art. She shares the story of the first Trash Bash, a "Chopped for art" competition with a silent disco twist. She also talks about the shop's $25-a-year teacher program, the Granny Square Christmas tree, and big ideas for next year, from a repair fest to a "rage wall" for chipped dishes. Justin brings a Winter Village update and closes with a heartfelt tribute to beloved Winchester artist Eugene B. Smith. Listen in for a fun, creative conversation, and maybe a reason to finally clean out your craft closet.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Art Again Thrift Shop: artagainthrift.com
  • Find them on social media at Art Again Thrift
  • Valley Avenue, Winchester (across the street from Claudio's Pizza)
• Janet's first conversation with Misty (July 2026): thevalleytodaypodcast.com/art-again
• Winchester-Frederick County Convention & Visitors Bureau: visitwinchesterva.com
  • Click the Events tab for Winter Village and holiday events
• Winter Village: Saturday, December 5, and Sunday, December 6, in Old Town Winchester
• Eugene B. Smith obituary: ompsfuneralhome.com/obituary/eugene-b-smith/

THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon.

Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us.

Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday

Every nonprofit needs a roof, the lights on, and a place to meet. On the Our Health campus in Winchester, that roof costs a lot less than you might think. Janet Michael sits down in her United Way office, just down the hall from Kit Redmer, who started as Executive Director of Our Health on October 5. Many listeners know Kit from his years as communications director for the City of Winchester. A month into the new job, he shares what has surprised him most about an organization that has quietly supported the valley's nonprofits for decades.

Kit explains how Our Health subsidizes rent for its campus partners. His early research puts that subsidy at 25% to 50% below private-sector rates. He also talks about the shared services Our Health offers its 94 partners across the Northern Shenandoah Valley, and the new ones he's thinking about adding. Janet and Kit talk about why paying the rent and the electric bill matters just as much as program dollars. They also explain why "co-location" makes life easier for a busy parent with one parking space and a lot of needs, and how a walk down the hall can connect someone to help they didn't know existed. Listen in to hear the vision behind the campus, how Our Health pays its own bills, and why Kit would love to give you a tour.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Our Health: ourhealthva.org
• Organization history, annual reports, and a link to donate
• Kit Redmer, Executive Director: [email protected]. Reach out with questions or to schedule a campus tour.
• Our Health campus: North Cameron Street, Winchester
• United Way of the Northern Shenandoah Valley's 2026 campaign: Be the Missing Piece

THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon.

Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us.

Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday

What does the economy have in store for your business in 2027, and who better to ask than the people actually running businesses right here at home? Janet Michael sits down with Scott Harvard, CEO of First Bank; Cynthia Schneider, CEO of the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber; and Taylor Coumes, the Chamber's Director of Event Management, to preview the fifth annual Economic Summit, coming to Shenandoah University on November 19.

The summit pairs a national view from Curtis Dubay, Chief Economist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, with a local perspective from Dr. Michael Hicks of Shenandoah University's School of Business and a panel of area business leaders from Johnny Blue, Winchester Regional Airport, and Trex. Scott, Cynthia, and Taylor talk about why the event is timed for budget season, why students get in free, why it's only half a day, and why even a 35-person business should make the time. Scott's answer to that last question is one you won't want to miss.

EVENT DETAILS

• Event: 2026 Economic Summit (fifth annual), presented by First Bank
• Hosted by: Top of Virginia Regional Chamber, at Shenandoah University's School of Business
• Date: Thursday, November 19, 2026
• Time: 8:30 AM–noon (continental breakfast and networking at 8:30, a mid-morning networking break, and wrap-up at lunchtime)
• Location: Stimpson Auditorium, Halpin-Harrison Hall, Shenandoah University, Winchester
• Speakers: Keynote Curtis Dubay, Chief Economist, U.S. Chamber of Commerce; featured speaker Dr. Michael Hicks, Director of the School of Business and Eldon R. Lindsey Professor of Economics, Shenandoah University; local business panel moderated by Scott Harvard
• Tickets: $45 Chamber members; $55 non-members; free for students. Open to everyone, not just Chamber members. Seating is limited and the event is expected to sell out.
• Registration deadline: November 7
• How to register: regionalchamber.biz → Signature Events → Economic Summit
• Sponsorships: Still available. Details are on the event page, or contact Taylor Coumes at the Chamber.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Top of Virginia Regional Chamber (registration and sponsorships): regionalchamber.biz
• Shenandoah University School of Business: su.edu
• First Bank: https://www.fbvirginia.com/
• Weekend picks from the end of the show:
• Last Friday market of the season, Church Street, Middletown: vendors, food trucks, and live music (Friday, Oct. 30)
• Monster Mash, hosted by Friends of Old Town (Saturday, Oct. 31): details on the Friends of Old Town Facebook page

THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon.

Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us.

Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday

Blue Ridge Hospice opened its doors on Valentine's Day 1981, and 45 years later, hospice is only part of the story. Janet Michael talks with Ben Weber, Vice President of Business Development for Blue Ridge Care, about how the organization grew from volunteer nurses making home visits into a community care provider, and why it changed its name to Blue Ridge Care.

Ben walks through everything Blue Ridge Care offers today: hospice, palliative and supportive care, free grief support that's open to anyone in the community, eight thrift shops, a growing e-cycling program, and PACE, the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. He explains who qualifies for PACE, why you don't need a doctor's referral, and how it helps seniors stay safely in their own homes. He also shares a few good stories, including the time he chased people through a parking lot to tell them PACE isn't hospice. If you've ever thought "that's not for us yet," this episode is worth a listen.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Blue Ridge Care: blueridgecare.org · 540-313-9200 (ask for a care navigator)
• Blue Ridge Care PACE (Blue Ridge Independence at Home): Hope Campus, corner of Hope Drive and Valor Drive, Winchester
• Ben Weber: [email protected]
• Center for Hope & Healing (free grief support, open to the community): blueridgecare.org

THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon.

Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us.

Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday

A lung cancer screening takes just seconds on a CT table, and it could save your life. With Lung Cancer Awareness Month kicking off in November, Janet Michael sits down with Dr. Percival Buenaventura, a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon with Valley Health at Winchester Medical Center, to talk about who should get screened, the risk factors people overlook, and how far lung cancer treatment has come.

Dr. Buenaventura explains who qualifies for a low-dose CT screening, why quitting smoking years ago doesn't mean you're in the clear, and why feeling fine can be misleading when early lung cancer has no symptoms. He also shares how Hawkeye Pierce on M*A*S*H set him on the path to surgery, why Valley Health's robotic surgery program surprised him after coming from West Virginia University, and why he'd send his own family to Winchester Medical Center. Plus, you'll get details on Valley Health's free low-dose CT screening event on Saturday, November 14, for people who are uninsured or underinsured. Spots are limited, so register early.

EVENT DETAILS

• What: Free Low-Dose CT Lung Cancer Screening Event, Valley Health, in partnership with Valley Health Foundations
• When: Saturday, November 14, 2026, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
• Where: Winchester Medical Center Diagnostic Center, on the Winchester Medical Center campus (Pink Parking Lot)
• Cost: Free for uninsured or underinsured people who meet the screening criteria, including patients with Medicare Part A only and no outpatient coverage
• Who qualifies: Adults ages 50 to 77 with a 20 pack-year smoking history (for example, a pack a day for 20 years or a half pack a day for 40 years) who currently smoke or have quit within the past 15 years
• What to expect: A free consultation with a pulmonologist before your scan, the low-dose CT scan, and a follow-up consultation with a pulmonologist to go over your results. Patient navigators, financial assistance information, and smoking cessation counseling and resources are available on-site.
• Registration: Registration and pre-screening are required, and space is limited. Call the Lung Cancer Screening Navigator at 844-LDCTNOW (844-532-8669) by Wednesday, November 11.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Free screening event and registration: valleyhealthlink.com/LDCT
• Valley Health lung cancer screening: valleyhealthlink.com/our-services/imaging/lung-cancer-screening
• Dr. Percival Buenaventura (profile, accepting new patients): valleyhealthlink.com/find-a-doctor/percival-buenaventura-md

THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon.

Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us.

Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday

Fifty years after the first vines went into the ground, Shenandoah Vineyards is back in the hands of the family that started it all. For Shenandoah County's Tourism Tuesday, Janet Michael and Kary Haun pull up a sofa in the winery's historic tasting room with Olivia Brandt, the tasting room manager, to talk about the 50th anniversary, the return to the founding family, and why a good tasting should feel like a conversation, not a test.

Olivia shares her path from a wine class in Italy to harvest in Paso Robles, her no-judgment approach to "gateway" sweet wines, and the after-hours pairings she's planning, from Route 11 chips to Valentine's chocolate. Then the conversation turns bittersweet as Brittany Clem-Hott shares her next move to Harrisonburg Tourism and the story of Clem-Hott Vineyards, the newest vineyard in New Market, which started with a soil sample (and a pretty good pickup line). Pour a glass and stay for both segments.

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Shenandoah Vineyards: shenandoahvineyardsva.com · 3659 S. Ox Road, Edinburg, VA · Facebook and Instagram
• Hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 11 AM–5 PM
• Sign up for the monthly events newsletter on the website
• Clem-Hott Vineyards, New Market: Facebook and Instagram (@clemhottvineyards)
• Shenandoah County Tourism events calendar: visitshenandoahcounty.com

THE VALLEY TODAY with Janet Michael — A decade of conversations.

New podcast episodes drop weekdays at 11 AM. Catch the show on The River 95.3 and Fox Sports 1450 AM weekdays just after noon.

Subscribe and listen at thevalleytodaypodcast.com — available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you enjoy the show, please take a moment to leave a rating or review — it helps more listeners find us.

Connect with us: Facebook — facebook.com/ValleyTodayFanPage Instagram — instagram.com/thevalleytoday