Kathleen Shaw

Love to read the fun musings from DN-R's new features reporter, Jillian Lynch.

Timberville's Spencer Hatcher Plucks Deal With Mountain Dew It was a snowy day in February when jean shorts and suspenders-clad Spencer Hatcher and his brother Connor posted a video on Spencer’s TikTok account of themselves covering the classic

Void are the streets and basements of clustered groups, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed with an insatiable hunger for independent art. But in homes around the country, the fans and community behind MACROCK live on with just as much frenzy.

https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/harrisonburgs-crown-jewel-of-independent-music-glimmers-again/article_a8556272-cc04-507f-8162-f0699567c481.html

Harrisonburg's Crown Jewel Of Independent Music Glimmers Again Void are the streets and basements of clustered groups, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed with an insatiable hunger for independent art. But in homes around the country, the fans and community behind

From April to October each year, Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA experiences kitten season — a period where a large influx of cats arrive at the shelter. To help ease the new furry friends transition into their temporary homes, RHSPCA is hosting a kitten shower.
https://www.dnronline.com/lifestyle_and_entertainment/kitten-season-around-the-bend/article_a65bef71-25ca-5867-8f24-b50e75367f0e.html

Kitten Season Around the Bend From April to October each year, Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA experiences kitten season — a period where a large influx of cats arrive at the shelter. To help ease the new furry

Level up your holiday sweet tooth with handmade holiday treats from the small bakeries and businesses in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County that are sure to satisfy the family.
https://www.dnronline.com/lifestyle_and_entertainment/sweet-dreams-are-made-of-cream/article_1d29dd8d-712a-598c-a701-d67b33c311d7.html

Sweet Dreams Are Made Of Cream Gooey caramel eggs and fluffy marshmallow critters dominate the nostalgic Easter candy game, but there’s something to be said about biting into a fresh, pillowy pastry made locally.

James Madison University faculty have two art exhibitions in April dedicated to the connection and advancements made during the last year. In the New Image Gallery, Pandemic Highlights uplifts samplings of graduate faculty scholarship while Duke Hall Gallery builds a growing interactive exhibition that provokes conversation and confrontation.
https://www.dnronline.com/lifestyle_and_entertainment/jmu-exhibitions-sowing-connection/article_8e7d8045-ff1b-5f7d-b6e9-361fe080b583.html

JMU Exhibitions Sowing Connection As 2020 raged on, A-list music venues, once-bustling city squares and even top-rated restaurants fell to unprecedented silence, and life as the world knew it came to a screeching halt.

On March 9 at 36 years old, Josh Brenneman died doing what he loved — building a trail in Mount Sidney to be enjoyed for generations to come.
https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/trail-builder-brenneman-remembered-as-humble-quiet-and-good/article_df3b3aba-aff0-52e4-9eba-2283feefde15.html

Trail Builder Brenneman Remembered As Humble, Quiet And Good Some people pick up passions with time, but not Josh Brenneman. Josh found exactly what he loved to do shortly after mastery of putting one foot in front of the

Sock Santa made his annual delivery to Sentara RMH on Thursday with nearly 2,500 pairs of socks for pediatric patients.
https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/annual-donation-knocks-the-socks-off-sentara-pediatrics-unit/article_caac1d50-a1ad-5df3-b787-25e18059b346.html

Annual Donation Knocks The Socks Off Sentara Pediatrics Unit When Steven Faught took ownership of Shenandoah Automotive Service Center four years ago, he knew he wanted to dedicate each season to a specific communal need. While looking for a

“A lot of businesses haven’t done but so well, and it’s kind of been on the opposite side for I think most bike shops because people are trying to get outdoors and do something that is safe,” Knicely said. “We feel like we’ve been blessed.”

https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/sweeping-demand-in-outdoor-recreation-industry-mixed-blessing-for-businesses/article_900f6608-f9ca-5f37-9579-c6314d89b8c8.html

Sweeping Demand In Outdoor Recreation Industry Mixed Blessing For Businesses When worsening news of the novel coronavirus began shattering illusions of maintaining normalcy, swarms of shoppers raided stores, and supplies of disinfectant, toilet paper and N-95 masks vanished from shelves.

Thirty-seven years ago, Kemper Dadisman decided to enroll his son in Cub Scouts. What started as occasional help around the den turned into years serving as an assistant scoutmaster for Troop 40 and eventually advancement chair for the Massanutten District. For the hundreds of Eagle Scouts who have graduated from the troop during that time, Dadisman has been the coach guiding and cheering them on.

Http://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/local-scout-leader-steps-down-after-37-years/article_093e49cf-de41-57aa-a5c6-78f281f50261.html

Local Scout Leader Steps Down After 37 Years Every spring, a column in the Daily News-Record outlines every Scout from the Massanutten District to earn the Eagle Scout rank. Behind the names, faces and countless stories of growth

After 12 months of hardships and closures in the food service industry, Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance announced March will be celebrated as Downtown Harrisonburg Restaurant Month in place of the weeklong Taste of Downtown tradition.

https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/31-days-of-flavor/article_daccfd91-12b4-598a-91e4-b49bc79291ff.html

31 Days Of Flavor Last year, Harrisonburg’s annual expose of culinary destinations, Taste of Downtown, fell on March 9 to 15. What began as a week of exciting deals and promotions quickly came to

Shelves are stocked with cartons of fresh milk, eggs and crates of canned goods at the ready. The doors are open, swung wide to reveal bags and boxes just past the threshold. Yet no one comes.

Around the Valley, faith-based food pantries are locked, loaded and ready to service a community in need, but the regular crowd has disappeared, leaving social service programs in a dizzy.
https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/food-banks-without-delivery-programs-see-clientele-decrease/article_e350ebfe-a99e-520c-b06d-d1e4ed112324.html

Food Banks Without Delivery Programs See Clientele Decrease Shelves are stocked with cartons of fresh milk, eggs and crates of canned goods at the ready. The doors are open, swung wide to reveal bags and boxes just past

When colleagues at East Rockingham High School noticed students coming to school in the same seasonally inappropriate clothes, there was no hesitation: Something must be done. Gathering supplies, donations and information on students, three teachers moved to fill the gap and open the Care Closet for students in need.
https://www.dnronline.com/lifestyle_and_entertainment/caring-beyond-the-classroom-teachers-coordinate-care-closet-for-students-in-need/article_02d4354c-9279-5922-9aed-93746525a681.html

Caring Beyond The Classroom: Teachers Coordinate Care Closet For Students In Need Some parents work diligently to shelter their children from the harsh realities of poverty.

“We see the need firsthand at our school. We don't even have to look very far. Some of the need is right there, and we want to be able to address that,” Dofflemyer said.
https://www.dnronline.com/lifestyle_and_entertainment/caring-beyond-the-classroom-teachers-coordinate-care-closet-for-students-in-need/article_02d4354c-9279-5922-9aed-93746525a681.html

Caring Beyond The Classroom: Teachers Coordinate Care Closet For Students In Need Some parents work diligently to shelter their children from the harsh realities of poverty.

In past years, Harrisonburg has celebrated its diverse dining options in March during the week-long event Taste of Downtown. But last year’s event sank when news of the novel coronavirus drove patrons away from businesses.
Rather than abandon the annual affair, Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance is rebranding the event and declaring March as Downtown Harrisonburg Restaurant Month.
https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/hdr-rebranding-taste-of-downtown-event/article_d528a916-5c8c-5cdf-9dd3-9b8be24137ab.html

HDR Rebranding Taste Of Downtown Event In past years, Harrisonburg has celebrated its diverse dining options in March during the weeklong event Taste of Downtown. But last year’s event sank when news of the novel coronavirus

By day, Torie Topor is the ink master of downtown print shop The Mark-It, and spends her time screen printing designs on Water Street. But by night, she’s recently begun doing the same work, only pro bono to facilitate her new project: Print-ual Aid.
https://www.dnronline.com/lifestyle_and_entertainment/artist-establishes-fundraiser-to-for-by-downtown-harrisonburg/article_0d8ff95b-fc42-527f-954d-1aa81574a9bb.html

Artist Establishes Fundraiser To, For, By Downtown Harrisonburg By day, Torie Topor is the ink master of downtown print shop The Mark-It, and spends her time screen printing designs on Water Street. But by night, she’s recently begun

With polio a shadow of a memory for most Americans today, those who endured the polio epidemic remember the clear parallels of quarantines, school closures and the dread.

Older Adults Remember Polio Vaccines, Prepare For COVID-19 Inoculation Like many kids his age, James Hartt as a teen in the ‘60s enjoyed passing the time with a bit of naive, reckless abandonment. One way Hartt found to amuse

In an age pushing for underdog small businesses and a market enthralled by rustic and handmade goods, the chance of success for rural creators seems just as high as any Americano-sipping metropolitan artist.

https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/modern-factors-help-level-playing-field-for-rural-artists/article_05fb0fd6-9eed-5f55-862d-ccaa14aed74d.html

Modern Factors Help Level Playing Field For Rural Artists At the age of 8, Shea Alexander’s hands were already heavily calloused from time meticulously spent refining his favorite trade: woodworking — a hobby he enjoyed both socially and financially.

February is often associated with extravagant appetizer trays, face paint and love notes. But for one Harrisonburg business, the shortest month of the year only means one thing.

It’s time for the Souper Bowl February Food Drive.

Souper Bowl Kickoff Is On February is often associated with extravagant appetizer trays, face paint and love notes. But for one Harrisonburg business, the shortest month of the year only means one thing.

“Cactus Orange to me is just being able to be your true and authentic self and be open and accept the good and the bad and having that fine line between your life and dreams,” Hogan said. “The stuff I’m creating off Cactus Orange is some of the most meaningful music I've been writing beside the new stuff coming out.”
https://www.dnronline.com/features/from-school-choir-to-cactus-orange-local-musician-steps-into-new-sound/article_eb0eb7c7-9b48-5bce-9a66-48ce35da5615.html

From School Choir To Cactus Orange: Local Musician Steps Into New Sound At 21 years old, local musician Quinn Hogan has over 33,500 followers on the video social media platform TikTok and is preparing to step into the professional music industry, but

Baking and knitting put on a good show for the title, but 2020 was undeniably the year of the plants for many.
https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/plant-fever-takes-garden-centers-by-storm/article_f5f26adb-6f61-5b3b-99fd-57e5a52f90c8.html

Plant Fever Takes Garden Centers By Storm Before the pandemic uprooted normalcy last year, Harrisonburg resident Emma Lundeen thought her gardening capabilities were on par with having a “black thumb,” so far the opposite of a green

New age farming is like organic farming on steroids. Growers are not only ditching the chemical fertilizers and insecticides they argue poison the land; they’re allowing nature to control the direction of what is grown to promote a healthier, more bountiful farm. And it’s probably happening in your backyard.

https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/farming-for-by-and-with-the-land/article_98a61d1f-9974-5cfc-a87d-a85b5ae15757.html

Farming For, By And With The Land For generations, farming has entailed large acreages of land neatly sowed and harvested for commercial crops, but niche pockets across Virginia are reclaiming the land and planting produce with restorative

For more than 60 years, the Turner family in Fulks Run have shared their craft of sugar-cured ham with Rockingham County. Over time, the simple delicacy has drawn fans from across state lines and become locally known as the best place to score the Virginia staple.

Well, the secret’s out, and Food & Wine magazine has rated Turner Hams & Fulks Run Grocery king of sandwiches in the state. https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/fulks-run-shop-named-best-sandwich-destination-in-virginia/article_1adcc606-2951-56e2-8e65-dcaa7ba8c5b8.html

Fulks Run Shop Named Best Sandwich Destination In Virginia Synonymous with summer lawn parties and home-cooked comfort, nothing quite captures the essence of rural Virginia like the taste of a country ham sandwich.

For the past few years, Carter has dreamed of launching an independent press for poets whose writing yearns to be read, regardless of the writer’s connections, certificates or accolades. But her greatest motivator of all for the press was her mother.
https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/closure-in-poetry/article_fd04634b-2150-591d-b54c-c43c8272b441.html

Closure In Poetry It was a sunny August morning, and she had plans to go hiking. But cruelly and without warning, Angela Carter found herself instead inside the hospital room holding her mother’s

Inside The Dayton Market, Landscapes In Miniature sells houseplants, terrarium accents and handcrafted worlds of folklore and fairy tales that fit in the palm of your hand.
https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/dayton-market-shop-owner-handcrafts-tiny-garden-scenes/article_2bc28315-0bfe-55e3-aeb6-349ff5a453c6.html

Dayton Market Shop Owner Handcrafts Tiny Garden Scenes Hands steady as a surgeon’s, Pam Shank guides her tweezers to pick up a delicate staircase of log slices. Fitting the natural pathway onto a stone, what once was a

The Wild Church Network has natural churches located in four countries and over 20 are established in the U.S. Serrels co-founded the network and is the guide and founder of the Shenandoah Valley Church of the Wild — the only Virginia-based congregation, which is surrounded by churches in Shepherdstown, W.Va. and Washington, D.C.
https://www.dnronline.com/features/church-of-the-wild-bridges-theology-ancient-wisdom-and-nature/article_eb2160b9-66d3-5ae0-b94b-43cb33a14acd.html

Church of the Wild Bridges Theology, Ancient Wisdom And Nature Bridgewater resident Valerie Luna Serrels was raised with loose roots in the Christian faith that steadily gave way in adulthood. She felt the four-walled doctrine paled to the sanctuary she

New minimum wage legislation will take effect on May 1 to increase the hourly minimum to $9.50. Chris Hoover Seidel of Harrisonburg-Rockingham Living Wage Campaign said the new state law is a small victory to celebrate, but the bigger picture is creating a lasting change in the valuing of workers. https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/living-wage-campaign-celebrates-certifying-25-businesses/article_c952f209-0090-5c9c-97cb-033802a63852.html

Living Wage Campaign Celebrates Certifying 25 Businesses As an adolescent, Ana Santiago Benito worked as teenagers often do, charging $20 per day as a babysitter. At 20 years old working at Arcoiris Day Care, Santiago Benito continues

“Better With Age: Creativity, Discovery & Surprises” is a collection of personal essays submitted from writers ages 65 to 95 who rediscover or reinvest in their interests.
https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/seniority-to-explore-empowering-older-adults-to-pursue-passions/article_034cc372-e641-5399-aef4-e995f35575d8.html

Seniority To Explore: Empowering Older Adults To Pursue Passions In childhood, parents and schools pave the way of exploration into hobbies and interests, and college offers a gateway into new worlds of obscure sports and pastimes. Once people enter

From front lines to power lines: Valley Electric Cooperative is among a coalition of electric cooperatives implementing the initiative Vets Power Us to pair veterans in need of work with careers on the nation's power lines.
https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/electric-cooperative-finds-veterans-good-source-of-talent/article_bc132aeb-bc0a-5c5c-a844-b957190e6b0a.html

Whether you choose to cuddle up by the fireside with a personal bottle of champagne or grab your mask and coat to head out for a final social hurrah of 2020 — here’s a rundown of how you can say “au revoir” to the year.
https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/celebrate-nye-with-a-bang-or-a-whimper/article_5569ce7e-930c-52db-a7a5-5f9985e92cce.html

Valentin Prince grew up swaddled in a world of color and the musty aroma of drying glue. Restoring and selling vintage prints is a family trade his parents always offered he take up and expand in Harrisonburg, but it was not until the pandemic that he truly began to consider the option.

In October, Prince quit his job and opened The Prince Gallery, a secondhand shop of prints in Harrisonburg.
https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/harrisonburg-resident-opens-extension-of-familys-print-business/article_9c6ebe04-0392-52b2-a4a6-3507806e085f.html

Harrisonburg Resident Opens Extension Of Family's Print Business Valentin Prince grew up swaddled in a world of color and the musty aroma of drying glue. Restoring and selling vintage prints is a family trade his parents always offered

If you or your neighbors are enjoying the holidays by going all out on lights and outdoor decor for passersby to enjoy, please help me add to an ongoing list for the community!

Last winter, Kaiss Abbas of Maestro Barbershop began a tradition of paying it forward by dedicating a portion of proceeds of all appointments to the pediatrics unit of Sentara RMH Medical Center. This year, he has set his gaze and shears to those in need once again.
https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/barbershop-gives-free-haircuts-to-those-in-need-for-holidays/article_f616b0f3-7ce9-5490-9610-93edfef26924.html

On Sunday, Sara Mae Gilly walked alongside her youngest brother, Ditman Flory, through the entryway of the Jennings House for the first time in 60 years.
https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/house-of-memories-flory-family-returns-to-restored-childhood-house/article_b1d79b40-404e-51fa-85a1-0239e4159c33.html

House Of Memories: Flory Family Returns To Restored Childhood House ELKTON — In mid-December, it’s no surprise the trees outside the Jennings House in Elkton are barren, but as Sara Mae Gilly returned to her grandparents’ home, the floodgates of

At 20 some years old, Strunk had dreams for what the future promised ahead. One such fantasy was opening a yarn shop after retiring because the business held fond memories in her heart.

“I thought why am I waiting? Maybe I’ll never retire, maybe retirement isn’t in the cards for me. So, if I want to do it, I should just do it,” Strunk said. “Then I found there was a space in Agora, and it felt like all the stars were aligning.”
https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/harrisonburg-yarn-shop-casts-connections/article_562e4f5f-938a-545e-b8f8-e8131673025a.html

Harrisonburg Yarn Shop Casts Connections When Amy Strunk had a cancer scare this summer, it chilled her to the bone. For anyone who’s had to sit in a starchy office and hear the dreaded words

Had a blast taking on a new project for Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance's Friendly Faces of the Friendly City series. For my first article, lend me the honor of introducing to you, John and Rama Shrestha of Indian American Cafe.

Born and raised in Nepal, the owners have no Indian roots but infuse their culture into a menu of Indian staples to shine a delicate brightness and lightness through each dish.
https://downtownharrisonburg.org/friendly-faces-of-the-friendly-city-rama-and-john-shrestha-of-indian-american-cafe/

Friendly Faces of the Friendly City: Rama and John Shrestha of Indian & American Cafe – Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance Back to list Friendly Faces of the Friendly City: Rama and John Shrestha of Indian & American Cafe November 17, 2020 by Kathleen Shaw   By Kathleen Shaw / Header photo courtesy of Kathleen Shaw — While studying in Nepal, a young Rameshwari “Rama” Shrestha first heard whispers about Shyam “J...

To establish a rapport with poets around the world, Yurcaba and fellow co-director, professor Stan Galloway, have traveled from Austria to Iceland promoting the Bridgewater International Poetry Festival in past years. Because of the college’s layoff decision, Yurcaba said the festival will go into hiatus following this year until she finds stable work to continue supporting her family, as the sole financial provider for her parents and self, and then the festival will be rebranded and relocated to a more supportive institution.
https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/bridgewater-poetry-festival-in-final-year-due-to-layoffs-will-rebuild-apart-from-college/article_36ea14bd-2ae1-5d3d-b18e-9afe2d2d0b42.html

Bridgewater Poetry Festival In Final Year Due To Layoffs, Will Rebuild Apart From College Nicole Yurcaba is a Ukrainian American poet and professor at Bridgewater College who has been closely involved in the Bridgewater International Poetry Festival since its inception seven years ago. A

For local music makers, the loss of Hometown Music LLC and Blue Sprocket Sound threatened to mark Oct. 17 as the day the music died. Over recent weeks, efforts to accrue more resources for the businesses have been nonstop.

https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/unyielding-effort-by-independent-artists-uplifts-heart-of-local-music/article_b1775a04-4279-5531-b3f2-d1f47c469111.html

Unyielding Effort By Independent Artists Uplifts Heart Of Local Music On Oct. 17, the strip mall on Miller Circle erupted into flames after an explosion that shook Harrisonburg for miles. Within the shopping center, Hometown Music and Blue Sprocket Sound

William and Moon's story is a tale of pandemic romance, hometown glory and the expansion of art opportunities in Rockingham County. Read about how the historic Broadway schoolhouse will soon become The Oliver Art House.
https://www.dnronline.com/dnronline/couple-aim-to-turn-historic-broadway-location-into-community-art-haven/article_a04b75c1-ba95-57f1-9611-4a53d88fad10.html

Couple Aim To Turn Historic Broadway Location Into Community Art Haven BROADWAY — When Pennsylvania native William Snyder III matched with a Tindr date in Broadway, he assumed she meant New York. But after talking with her for a few days,

Taking off from Bridgewater Air Park, Matt Crabbe takes his canary and cobalt striped AT5T toward the rolling fields of rural Virginia to create a private sky of endless clouds. Every day, Crabbe and his family fly across Virginia and North Carolina to rain everything from crop protection to fire suppression on the world beneath their wings, but there’s more to the work than beautiful views and cinching adrenaline from cruising at low altitude.
https://www.dnronline.com/news/crop-dusters-seeding-the-future-of-farming/article_e09d707d-6251-5746-8052-7c1c31c11bd2.html

Crop Dusters Seeding The Future Of Farming Taking off from Bridgewater Air Park, Matt Crabbe takes his canary and cobalt striped AT5T toward the rolling fields of rural Virginia to create a private sky of endless clouds.

Harrisonburg's scholastic solar panels made it to West Coast news!

Area residents gathered at Eastern Mennonite School for a solar barn raising earlier this month to install 357 solar panels atop the school’s upper building, the largest K-12 solar array in the city.
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Virginia-residents-install-solar-panels-on-school-15673426.php

Virginia residents install solar panels on school building HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) — When farmers needed help in the past building a barn, the...