Our conversation today with Kayla Wright, Director of the Color Guard for Sherando High School gives details for the 2024 Sherando Showcase, a band competition that includes indoor percussions and winter guards. The competition event takes place on Saturday, March 9, 2024, at Sherando High School.

Kayla explains who is participating, the judging process, and the opportunity for promotion to a different class based on scores. She tells of their community involvement and the preparations required for the competition. She highlights the differences between this event and regular school performances and speaks of the time commitment, necessary equipment, and the logistics of the performances.

Kayla encourages listeners to support the Sherando Band Boosters fundraising efforts and to attend future events organized by the band boosters. You can purchase tickets for the event at the door. Learn more by visiting their website: https://www.sherandoband.org/sherando-showcase/ and by following them on Facebook.

Our conversation for The Valley Business Today included Jenny Stover, Director of Marketing & Communications and Kaleigh Fincham, Director of Programs & Events for the Top of Virginia Regional Chamber to give details about Greater Good Awards, Policymaker series, Business at the Bloom, Arising Leadership Program, and the Young Professionals Group.

Get more details about all these events and programs on their website: https://www.regionalchamber.biz/

Our conversation for Tourism Tuesday with Justin Kerns from Winchester/Frederick County Convention & Visitors Bureau gives a bit of insight into the planning for tourism that happens behind the scenes.

Justin explains how the strategic plan for tourism was developed through community surveys and consultation with small business owners, elected officials, and city staff. The strategic plan helps guide the development of the community and the destination. We discuss the importance of tourism in economic development and how quality of life in a destination influences people's decisions to move or open businesses there.

Justin highlights the diverse attractions and activities in Winchester, including historical sites and local eateries. Justin explains the initiatives they have undertaken, such as the Winchester Area Sports Tourism Initiative, and the importance of packaging all the assets together to create a vibrant and dynamic destination. He also gives details for the Newcomers Welcome Event happening in April as a way for new residents to get to know the area.

To stay updated on events and attractions: https://visitwinchesterva.com/

Our conversations with Tyler Hinkle, Shenandoah County's Planner are part of an ongoing series following the work on Shenandoah 2045 - Shenandoah County's comprehensive plan. The planning process will unfold over the course of four years with the majority of the community collaboration occurring from 2020-2022, with input in 2023-2024.

We took a break from our normal deep dive into the comprehensive planning process and talked instead about conservation easements. Joining us for that conversation was McKenzie Allen, an associate planner with Shenandoah County, and E.C. Myers from Conservation Partners.

E.C. explained conservation easements, their benefits, and the process of creating one. A conservation easement is an agreement that limits the future use of a property to protect it from inappropriate development while still allowing the landowner to retain private ownership rights. We discussed the financial and environmental benefits of conservation easements, including tax credits and estate tax reductions. Our conversation also highlighted the flexibility and customization options for easements, as well as the importance of working with local easement authorities.

Learn more about Conservation Partners on their website: https://www.conservationpartnersllc.com/ or reach out to E.C. via phone at 540-464-1899 or email [email protected]

Learn more about Shenandoah County conservation easements on their website: https://shenandoahcountyva.us/conservation/

You can view the comprehensive plan draft in various forms, and learn more about the planning process, on their website: https://shenandoahcountyva.us/future/ and follow them on Facebook.

You can listen to previous conversations with Tyler about Shenandoah 2045 by clicking here.

Our conversation today featured Steve Policastro and Kara Capelli to talk about BikeWalk Winchester, an advocacy group focused on promoting bicycling and walking in Winchester.

They discuss the purpose of the group, which is to make walking and biking safe and accessible in the city. They mention the need for a network of bike lanes and routes, as well as improved infrastructure to connect different parts of the city. The group emphasizes the importance of inclusivity and wants to involve the community in decision-making and planning. They also mention their collaboration with the city of Winchester and other organizations to work towards their goals.

Learn more by following them on Facebook and/or Instagram. You can also attend any of their meetings held on the first Tuesday of each month. More details for locations and topics can be found on their social media platforms.

Our conversation today featured Lynn Downs, Executive Director of ARC of Warren County to give a bit of background about their organization and details for their upcoming fundraiser.

Lynn explains the organization's advocacy for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers and talks about ARC's mission to advocate, educate, and promote inclusion for these individuals, discussing the importance of Medicaid waivers and the challenges faced in obtaining them.

She also touches on the organization's efforts to provide support and resources for caregivers, as well as their plans for a free day program. To this end, she gives details for their upcoming Roaring Twenties gala, which aims to raise funds for the that program.

Learn more on their website: https://www.arcofwarrenva.org/

Our conversation today is part of an ongoing partnership with the US Small Business Administration highlighting small businesses in the Shenandoah Valley as well as offering advice and resources to all small businesses. My co-host for this monthly series is Carl Knoblock, Virginia District Director for the SBA.

We met at Wellness 8 to talk with owner, Marie Imoh about her business and the challenges she faces. Marie shares her deep-seated passion and process of counseling people, molding family ties, and helping members of the community to function better in their personal and professional lives.

The discussion spans Marie's background, her military service, family life, her professional journey, and her involvement in the Winchester Public School system. Marie reveals her entrepreneurial journey, diving into the details of starting Wellness 8, a mental health counseling firm. Marie admits to struggles with balancing her role as a clinician and the operational demands of running a business, reinforcing that maintaining mental health is not just about providing emotional and behavioral support but also involves looking at nutrition, finance, and other aspects.

She talks about the rewards of seeing families reunite and the need for continual education for clinicians. The discussion then evolves into a valuable business counseling session where Carl advises Marie about the vital need to delegate tasks, and sustain herself. He encourages her to establish appropriate boundaries to prevent burnout and offers support in maintaining a sustainable work-life balance and business operation in the future.

Learn more about Wellness 8 on their website: https://wellness-8.org/

Our conversation for Tourism Tuesday - Luray/Page County edition - with Edison Emmons from Luray/Page County Chamber of Commerce also includes Jackie Moe, the owner of Heartfelt Events.

We discuss various topics related to event planning, including the range of events that Heartfelt Events can organize, the benefits of having a single point of contact for wedding planning, the customization options for catering, and the additional services Heartfelt Events offers for cabin owners. Jackie speaks of her attention to detail and the enjoyment she experiences in learning something new to offer to clients.

In addition to weddings, Jackie also helps to plan corporate events, family reunions and numerous other types of events. She explains the pride she takes in the personalization she creates for every event she plans.

To learn more about Heartfelt Events, visit their website: https://heartfeltevents.net/

Our conversation today welcomes back Robyn Miller, Executive Director for WATTS (Winchester Area Temporary Transitional Shelter) and her Community Outreach Coordinator, Cindee Steele to talk about their Coldest Night of the Year fundraising walk happening on Saturday, February 24, 2024. The Coldest Night of the Year is a family-friendly walk in support of people experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness. This is WATTS' second year hosting the event for Winchester to benefit their guests and bring awareness to their experiences. Their goal is to reach 700 walkers.

The pair provide an overview of WATTS and its low-barrier shelter operations, as well as the day program they offer. Cindee emphasizes the importance of the event as a fundraiser for the shelter's services and explains participation options and logistics of the event. Robyn tells us about the speakers while Cindee gives the various ways to support the shelter, such as donating or volunteering.

We also highlight the need for affordable housing and the challenges faced by individuals experiencing homelessness. Robyn & Cindee encourage listeners to participate in the event and show support for the cause.

Register a team or walk as an individual, make a donation to an existing team, or sign up to volunteer here: https://cnoy.com/location/winchester

Learn more about WATTS on their website: https://watts-homelessshelter.org/

WATTS mission is to break the cycle of homelessness one life at a time. They empower individuals to re-enter the workforce and connect individuals to the resources needed to be as self-sufficient as possible while providing a safe, temporary shelter during extreme weather.

In 2009, a group of faith-based leaders recognized there was a population of homeless adults who did not qualify for admission to other local shelter programs. Realizing these folks would be sleeping outside during the coldest weeks of winter and seeing a solution with their warm church buildings which were empty at night, WATTS was born. Since that time, WATTS has grown and expanded to meet the needs of homeless individuals in our area. Today, they provide 21 weeks of overnight shelter from November to March, along with a daytime Warming Center in the winter, and a daytime Cooling Center in the summer. They've also added a Transition Out of Homelessness Program, with staff members who work year-round to assist guests in ending their homelessness.

Our conversation for Extension Office Friday included Joanne Royalty, Program Associate for Frederick County Extension to discuss various topics related to extension programs and gardening.

We talked about the popularity of the Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardener's Symposium and how it sold out quickly. Joanne gave details for another event in partnership with the Winchester-Clark County Garden Club, focusing on conservation and native plants. She explained the importance of learning and making small changes to benefit the environment.

Joanne highlighted the wide range of programs and services offered by extension offices, including financial workshops, youth development through 4-H, and support for people of all ages.

Learn more about extension in your community:

Frederick County/City of Winchester: https://frederick.ext.vt.edu/

Clarke County: https://clarke.ext.vt.edu/

Shenandoah County: https://shenandoah.ext.vt.edu/

Page County: https://page.ext.vt.edu/

Warren County: https://warren.ext.vt.edu/