ACFF Announces November Slate

 The American Conservation Film Festival has rolled out a lineup of more than three dozen films for the annual festival, November 5–8. Films will be screened at venues throughout Shepherdstown, including the state of the art Byrd Auditorium at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center, the historic Opera House Theater, and three screens on the Shepherd campus.

In addition to the expanded number of screens, ACFF has added more films for kids. There also are films with local ties. “Lords of Nature: Life in a Land of Great Predators,” is based on the book Where the Wild Things Were, by Shepherdstown author William Stoltzenberg, which explores the vital role that North America’s top predators play in our ecosystem and the scientists, ranchers and others who bucked convention to recognize their importance. Another local author, Lynn Cherry, offers a sneak peek at her upcoming film, “Young Voices on Climate Change” featuring kids talking to kids about  what they can do about climate change. For a complete schedule, www.conservationfilm.org.

 Anthology of Appalachian Writers Exhibit

 Photographic Art from the Anthology of Appalachian Writers is on view at Scarborough Library Reading Room until October 5. The “Celebration of Appalachian Storytellers: Photographic and Fiction Art of the Anthology of Appalachian Writers” will take place September 29 at 7pm in the Robert C. Byrd Center for Legislative Studies Auditorium. A reception for both fiction and photographic artists will take place afterward in the Scarborough Library Reading Room.

Five Shepherd University photography students have images featured in the first annual publication and associated exhibition : Carissa Guyot, Rachel Herbaugh, Kathryn Naylor, Melissa Rogers, Jenny Starks. See www.shepherd.edu/ahwirweb/anthology.

 Victoria Vox at First Friday

 First Friday Coffeehouse will feature Victoria Vox, an internationally-recognized singer-songwriter who plays the ukulele among other instruments. The October 2 concert takes place at Trinity Orchard House on Route 45, four miles from the four-way stop in Shepherdstown. Doors open for social time and open mic sign-up at 7:30 p.m. A $10 donation is suggested.

 Poetry Festival In Shepherdstown

 The fifth annual Sotto Voce Poetry Festival will be held in Shepherdstown October 16–18. This year’s festival will feature readings and book signings by four nationally recognized poets: Rick Campbell, Alice Friman, Stanley Plumly and Peggy Shumaker.

Rick Campbell has authored four volumes of poetry, and is a recipient of a Walt McDonald Prize, a Pushcart Prize, and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. Alice Friman’s ninth collection of poetry is Vinculum, forthcoming from LSU Press. She has received prizes from the Poetry Society of America, the New England Poetry Club, and Truman State University, as well as fellowships from the Indiana Arts Commission, the Arts Council of Indianapolis, and the Bernheim Foundation. She won the 2001 James Boatwright Prize from Shenandoah. She has been anthologized widely and published in twelve different countries. She is currently Poet-in-Residence at Georgia College & State University.

Stanley Plumley’s books of poetry include Out-of-the-Body Travel (1977), which won the William Carlos Williams Award and was nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award and In the Outer Dark (1970), which won the Delmore Schwartz Memorial Award. Peggy Shumaker’s latest book is Just Breathe Normally, a lyrical nonfiction work published by the University of Nebraska Press. Her most recent book of poetry is Blaze, a collaboration with painter Kesler Woodward (2005). Her poetry and nonfiction have been widely published.

All of the featured poets will lead small-group workshops that include a range of offerings for poets of all skill levels.  Full details of the Festival’s schedule are posted at www.somondocopress.com/sottovoce. Enroll for workshops online or at 888-812-1885.

 John Brown’s Body

 In John Brown’s Body, a play adapted from the epic poem by Stephen Vincent Benet, three American icons come to life—Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee and John Brown. And there are ordinary people in the midst of extraordinary events: Jack Ellyat and Clay Wingate, one Blue one Grey; boys one day, soldiers the next. Then there are Sally Dupre and Mary Lou Wingate, the loves the boys left behind. And Melora Villas and her father who are hiders, camp followers who have only each other. Together they bring to life Benet’s great work and enlighten  today’s audiences about the arc of the nation’s history.

Performances take place at Camp Hill United Methodist Church in Harpers Ferry and St. Agnes Catholic Church Chapel in Shepherdstown over six weekends in October and November. Tickets are $10. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the venue churches. For tickets, see www.HistoricHarpersFerry.com or call 304-535-2030.

 Appalachian Heritage Festival

 The Performing Arts Series at Shepherd will sponsor the 14th annual Appalachian Heritage Festival in Shepherdstown October 2 and Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009.  Friday night and Saturday night concerts start at 8:00 at the Frank Arts Center Theater on the campus of Shepherd University.

Friday night’s program features performances by the young heirs to the traditions of Appalachia—blues artist Jeffrey Scott and Jefferson County native Lars Prillaman’s old-time string band The Young Napoleons as well as 2009 Appalachian Heritage Writer-in-Residence Silas House and the winner of Shepherd University’s West Virginia Fiction Award.

Saturday’s concert will feature a rare performance by legendary folksinger and songwriter Jean Ritchie as well as Juanita Fireball and the Continental Drifters whose high-energy string band performance recreates 1920s live radio.  Both concerts will be hosted by award-winning songwriter and musician John Lilly.

Tickets are available for purchase at the Shepherd University Bookstore (210 N. King Street in the Lower Level of the Student Center), by calling 304-876-5219 or online at www.shepherdbook.com. 

Cape Breton Fiddle Fest

 From one generation of fiddlers to the next, the legacy of fine Scottish fiddle music has been well preserved in Cape Breton. The Cape Breton Fiddle Fest will present two of the best young fiddlers and step dancers of the next generation – Wendy MacIsaac and Kimberley Fraser on fiddle and piano. These young artists grew up amidst some of the regions’ most renowned families of traditional music. Fraser proudly owns the fiddle of her great, great grandfather, spanning the musical tradition within her family over a hundred years. MacIsaac, Fraser and Patrick Gillis on guitar perform the music of their heritage in a fresh and energetic way.

Joining them will be Elke Baker on fiddle, Ken Kolodner on hammered dulcimer and Robin Bullock on guitar, mandolin and bouzouki. The October 16 show will start at 8pm at Shepherd University’s Frank Center Auditorium. Admission is $15 adults, $10 Shepherdstown Music and Dance members, $8 students and free to Shepherd Students with Rambler ID.  For information contact Joanie at (304) 263-2531 or visit www.smad.us.

 Vienna Boys Choir in Concert

 No group of child musicians has won more renown than the incomparable Wiener Sängerknaben, founded by Emperor Maximilian I in 1498. Six centuries later, the famed Vienna Boys Choir continues to delight music lovers across the globe with their purity of tone, distinctive charm, and a diverse, crowd-pleasing repertoire that encompasses Austrian folk songs and waltzes, classical masterpieces, beloved holiday favorites and medieval chant.

This is a Shepherd University Friends of Music special presentation and will be held at the Frank Arts Center Theater on the University campus Tuesday, October 27th at 8:00pm. General admission tickets are $40 at the door, $35 in advance. For ticket information call 304-876-5765 or visit www.sufom.org.

 Crosby Vorel Show Postponed

 The previously announced exhibit featuring works by photographer Denny Crosby and painter Bob Vorel, October 23–25, has been postponed due to Crosby’s hospitalization for injuries sustained in a fall.

 Harpers Ferry Blocktoberfest

 Harpers Ferry hosts an Oktoberfest block party Friday, October 2, 5–10 pm at the intersection of Fillmore and Lancaster streets. Authentic German bratwurst and draft beer will be available, side dishes welcome. Prizes will be awarded for the most authentic German attire. Lancaster Street will be closed to traffic with tables set up to accommodate activities along Lancaster and Fillmore.

 Bikes For the World!

 Have a bicycle that you’re not using?  Your bike could help someone in an underdeveloped country get to work or school. You can donate it to Bikes for the World, Sunday, October 25, 10am–2 pm, in front of McMurran Hall (corner of German and King Streets), Shepherdstown. Sewing machines and all usable bicycle spare parts and accessories, bike books, and bike tools also will be accepted. A $10 donation for each bike is suggested to defray the cost of shipping to overseas charity partners, who repair the bicycles and distribute them to people who need them. Sponsored by Shepherdstown Elementary School. For information, bftw.shepherdstown@gmail.com or www.bikesfortheworld.org.

Zoning Referendum Educational Forum

 An educational forum on the proposed Jefferson County zoning ordinance will be held Wednesday, October 19 at 7pm at Jefferson High School. The intent of the forum is to provide information to voters prior to the referendum scheduled for November 7. Jennifer Brockman, director of the Jefferson County Department of Planning and Zoning, will answer questions regarding issues that will be affected by the proposed ordinance like agriculture, environment, affordable housing, and historic preservation. County residents are eligible to vote on the referendum. Residents who live within town boundaries are not eligible to vote.  All Jefferson County citizens are welcome at the forum, which is being organized by the League of Women Voters of Jefferson County. For information, call League members Ruth McQuade, 304-876-6619 or Ann Coulter, 304-876-3158.

 Old Opera House Auction

 Old Opera House Theatre Company of Charles Town hosts its annual autumn auction October 3 at the Clarion Hotel in Shepherdstown. The evening begins at 5:30pm. Fine arts, antiques, gift certificates, collectibles, furniture, and a variety of other items will be available.  Tickets are $45.00 for an evening that includes a buffet dinner and a cash bar. Tickets are available through the Old Opera House box office, 304-725-4420.

 NCTC Open House

 The National Conservation Training Center hosts its always popular 12th annual Open House October 17 from 10am to 4pm. Shows and activities will be ongoing throughout the day with animals, activities and informational booths for children, families, and anyone interested in wildlife. The NCTC Dining Hall will be open for lunch. No tickets or reservations are required. This event is free and open to the public.

NCTC is located on Shepherd Grade Road outside Shepherdstown. For information or driving directions, www.nctc.fws.gov or call 304 876-1600.

 Audubon Society’s October Events

 Green Home reception. The Potomac Valley Audubon Society holds its annual “Green Home” fundraising event October 24, from 1–4pm at an award-winning home completed last year in the 300-acre Broomgrass organic-farm community overlooking Back Creek Valley in Gerrardstown, Berkeley County. The featured home was designed by Martinsburg architects Matthew Grove and Lisa Dall’Olio as their own residence.

Green building features include geothermal heating and cooling, passive solar, and the capacity for active solar, and roof water collection, daylighting, LED lighting, soy- and cotton-based insulation products, and a living roof.

The event will include a reception, tours of the home, and opportunities to view other facets of the Broomgrass community like the grounds and a nearby pool and pool house. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served. Dress will be casual. All proceeds will be used to support the Audubon Society’s educational programs for local children.

Tickets are $45 (and are tax-deductible), and must be bought in advance; and space will be limited. For tickets, call 304-676-3397 or e-mail PVASmail@aol.com.

Camping Trip To Great Smokies. PVAS is sponsoring a weekend camping trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Participants will travel Friday, October 30, spend two full days there, and travel home on Monday. Anyone is welcome to sign up. Activities will include hiking and wildlife watching (including elk watching.) Possible additional activities include fishing, horseback trail riding, bicycling, and a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont.

Trip participants must supply their own bedding, equipment, and food, as well as a tent if they have one.  PVAS will provide tent space for those who do not have a tent of their own. The Park is about 450 miles from the Eastern Panhandle. Estimated travel time is about nine hours each way. For more information contact trip leader Clark Dixon, 304-725-9634 or dixonconsultants@aol.com.

Autumn Bird Walk. Join in a fall bird walk at the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship in nearby Loudoun County Va. October 24.The walk, led by veteran birders Nancy and Elliot Kirschbaum of Shepherdstown, is being jointly sponsored with Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, and begins at 8am. It will be held rain or shine. Pre-registration is not required and there will be no fee.

The Blue Ridge Center is a 900-acre property that includes valley meadows and heavily forested slopes. It is located at 11611 Harpers Ferry Road (Route 671), a few miles south of Harpers Ferry and the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. The walking group will meet at the property’s visitor’s center. Directions at www.brces.org.

 Create WV Conference on  New Economy

 Create West Virginia,  a statewide conference focused on the state’s emerging creative economy, will be held October 18–20 in Huntington. New economy enterprises are typically those that generate income from the development of intellectual property and innovative entrepreneurship.The conference is expected to attract nearly 500 people representing the state’s business, economic, academic, cultural and community development leadership. Huntington was chosen as the location for the conference to showcase the area’s creative economy collaborative success.

Local leaders are encouraged to bring teams of attendees representing key areas of the community, including entrepreneurs and small business owners, superintendents of schools and board of education members, economic developers, non-profit and community leaders and cultural leaders. For information, createwv.com/2009conference.

Ram Baseball Fall Clinics

 Shepherd University baseball coach Wayne Riser will offer two baseball clinics for kids ages 8 to 12, October 17 and 24, 9:30am to noon at Fairfax Field. The clinic will emphasize proper techniques in hitting, throwing, fielding and base running. Assistant coach Mike Spry will assist in the camp along with Shepherd players. Enrollment is open to the first 50 campers.  For information contact Coach Riser at 304-876-5472 or kriser@shepherd.edu.

Ram Baseball Fall Clinics

 Shepherd University baseball coach Wayne Riser will offer two baseball clinics for kids ages 8 to 12, October 17 and 24, 9:30am to noon at Fairfax Field. The clinic will emphasize proper techniques in hitting, throwing, fielding and base running. Assistant coach Mike Spry will assist in the camp along with Shepherd players. Enrollment is open to the first 50 campers.  For information contact Coach Riser at 304-876-5472 or kriser@shepherd.edu.

Peacefest

 Mimes and musicians headline PEACEFEST ‘09: “A Concert of Songs and Prayers” at the historic Presbyterian Meeting House in Shepherdstown, 100 W. Washington St. (across from the Post Office), Sunday, October 4 at 7pm. People of various religious and spiritual traditions will come together to sing and pray for peace. For information, 304-876-6466.

Izaak Walton Honors W.Va. Camp

 The Izaak Walton League of America presented the West Virginia State Conservation Camp with the group’s Honor Roll Award in recognition of the camp’s contributions to conserving natural and renewable resources. For more than 65 years, the West Virginia State Conservation Camp has provided a place for students ages 14–18 to enjoy and learn more about the outdoors. Volunteers from a variety of natural resource management agencies lead morning conservation workshops in areas such as fish and wildlife management, forest protection and management, soil conservation, water quality, watershed management, and law enforcement. In the afternoons, campers get outside for mountain biking, outdoor cooking, archery, boating, trap shooting, marksmanship, and rappelling. Each young person attends the week-long camp on a $150 scholarship provided by one of the sponsoring organizations, including the West Virginia Division of the Izaak Walton League.

Antiques Appraisal Fair

 The Old Charles Town Library and the Jefferson County Museum host their fifth annual antiques appraisal fair, a fundraiser event for the library and museum, September 26 from 11am to 3pm. in the auditorium of the library/museum complex, Washington and North Samuel Streets, Charles Town. Verbal appraisals from a team of expert appraisers led by John Newcomer. Cost: one item for $5,  three for $10, with each additional item appraised for $3. For information, 304-725-8628 or 304-725-2208, curator@jeffctywvmuseum.org.