ANNOUNCEMENTS Who Knew: Brenda Dudley GAZ.pdf · was Lady Bird Johnson wishing us a most joyful Christmas. Within seconds another voice took command of the phone. It was President

ANNOUNCEMENTSBoard Meetings:VCA: 12/2 @ 7PMFRCA: 12/4 @ 6PM – Annual meeting

Holiday Gala at The Old Silk MillMonday,December95:30PM–10PM

2019 Holiday Open HouseSunday,December152PM–4PMFree, sign-ups end 12/8

Don’t forget the Toys for the tots!

Unwrapped toys, collection bin in the Center

SERVE welcomes gift cards: $10 for groceries $20for Walmart/Target, or any denomination to anywhere.Leave at Center for Roberta Schreiber

Happy Holidays from the Gazette staff!

www.fallsrun.org Fredericksburg,Va. DECEMBER 2019

Who Knew: Brenda Dudley By Pat Donohue

Brenda Dudley was born in Alexandria, Virginia, the eldest of three children. She worked at a printing company there and one day, while concentrating on her typing, she heard a voice exclaim, “You’re going to hurt your eyes if you keep sitting in light like that.” She remembers it verbatim because, when she looked up, she saw Walt Dudley and it was love at first sight!

She was there for four years until the company went out of busi-ness. Walt helped Brenda secure employment at a Maritime Asso-ciation dealing with American shipping where he happened to be a manager. After a whirl-wind romance, Brenda and Walt married and moved to Hidden Lake in Fredericksburg and raised three sons. In 2002 both Brenda and Walt retired from the Mari-time Association – Walt with twenty-five years of service, Brenda with twenty.

Looking to move to a new locale in retirement, the Dudleys discov-ered Falls Run. The single homes were all built and sold but construction was just beginning on the Villas. Brenda and Walt chose a lot and moved in shortly after their home was completed.

One of the first incidents Brenda remembers was the absconding of their cat. She thinks he was trying to find his way back to Hidden

Lake. Fortunately, a neighbor on Bridgewater Circle found him and returned him to the grateful Dudleys. Then, tragedy struck when Brenda lost her youngest son. In order to recover from the terrible pain Brenda knew she must become involved with something outside her pain. She ran for the Falls Run Board of Directors and served for one year. She remembers it being a turbulent time with the very first Board experiencing growing pains. Several years later Brenda would serve another three year-term.

Brenda immersed herself in volunteer work. She was a member of the Lions Club for eleven years, serving as First Vice President and then as President. Brenda was named a Melvin Jones Fellow by the Lions Clubs

Brenda Dudley

Who Knew: Brenda Dudley on page 2, column 1

2 FallsRunGAZETTE December 2019

© 2019 Falls Run Community Association

Falls Run GazetteThe Falls Run Gazette is the official publication of the Falls Run Community. The magazine, distributed to all Falls Run resi-dences, is published monthly 11 times per year, with a combined July-August issue. Story ideas or articles can be submitted to the Gazette Committee Chair ([email protected]).Committee Chair: Susan Smart

Committee Secretary: Nancy Bevilacqua

Editor: Susan Smart

Staff writers: Nancy Bevilacqua Bob Chapin Murray Corliss Astrid Dick Pat Donohue Joan Frank Carolyn Harmon Susanne Lazanov Susan Smart

Staff photographer: Carolyn Harmon

Advertising manager: Lara Lewis

[email protected]

Falls Run Community AssociationPresident: Rick Chevrette

[email protected]

General manager: Dominic Klepic, (540) 899-9958 [email protected]

Activities director: Lara Lewis, (540) 371-4563 [email protected]

Type of Violation as of 11/7/2019

Occurrences Throughout Community

Tree/shrub trimming 6Plastic/fake flowers 4Remove weeds front flower area 2Mow lawn 2Trim trees 2

FRC Violations as deemed by Management

Who Knew: Brenda Dudley Continued from front page

International Foundation for “dedicated humanitarian services” for which she received an award. For three years she was a member of the Fire Department’s Women’s Auxiliary. In 2016, when the Gazette was in need of a photogra-pher, Brenda offered her services. She also contributed articles and served as Secretary.

For relaxation Brenda could be found at the Center playing cards, Mahjong and Bingo as well as participating in social events. Between them Brenda and Walt have twenty-six grandchildren and seventeen great-grandchildren. Due to illness Brenda has had to resign from her volunteer activ-ities. She looks upon her life in

retirement as very fulfilling. From Falls Run and the surrounding community we extend to Brenda our heartfelt thanks.

Mistletoe MirthBy Carolyn Harmon

Long ago in the land of Druids, They hung a bit of poisonous pest, Parasitic mistletoe, to keep evil spirits away And invite good luck as a guest.

It was present at bonfires and ceremonies of ancient priests. In Norse myths, it evoked love and friendship to say the least.

First Christians tried to ban the little plant for Christmas decor Yet some greenery and fun in cold winter is so longed for.

In jolly old England plucking a berry began the kissing, Ending when all were plucked every berry missing. Yet the name from Old German is not romantic, Literally translating to “Poop on a Stick”!

December 2019 FallsRunGAZETTE 3

By Carolyn Harmon

Today, I made Christmas cookies—the sublime aroma of sugary, buttery, vanilla-flavored cookies baking brought me right back to my mother’s kitchen. I was five years old, crouching on a chair at the kitchen table very carefully pressing cutters down into the cookie dough that my mom had made and rolled out.

She supplied the cookie sheets, as well as an assortment of colored sugars, multicolored sprinkles, and red hots. Using a pancake turner, I carefully lifted each cut-out cookie and placed it on the sheet. Then the fun began as I shook red or green sugar and/or sprinkles and pressed red hots strategically onto the unbaked cookies. Mom would bake them, although she allowed

Let the Sprinkles Fall Where They May

me, armed with pot holders and standing tall, to remove them from the baking sheet. Before the next batch could be readied, I had to scrape and shake off all the loose colored sugar and rolling sprin-kles that I had freely and too zealously applied to the cookies.

Then we repeated the steps. She rolled; I cut out, put on sheet, and decorated. She baked; I plied them off. And so it went until the table

was piled high with cooled cookies, and the kitchen floor was a mess of colored sugar and sprinkles.

My mom’s cookie cutters are older than I am, yet I still use them. I still make a mess, a wonderful sweet, sticky mess that recalls past Christmas baking sessions. Yet, there remains nothing finer than making/baking colorful culi-nary Christmas delights in a hot kitchen on a cold winter’s day.


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By Bob Chapin

It was 1966 and I was serving in the army stationed in Frank-furt Germany. This was going to be my first Christmas away from my family. Due to the top secret security clearance in our line of work, there were 8 of us (all males) living in our own apartment, what the military considered “civilian status.” We were exempt from wearing any type of military uniform. The nature of our work permitted us to wear civilian clothes and the length of our hair was not an issue. Beards and mustaches were the standard by which we lived.

We were pretty much on our own, working in a sequestered part of a huge office building on the top floor of what we considered “The Attic.” Assigned to a top secret mission, my duty was to transmit and receive messages to and from The White House over highly secured transmission lines.

With Christmas fast approaching we purchased a tree and each man added their family’s personal touch with garland, lights, and

Christmas with Uncle Sam, Lady Bird and LBJ

decorations reminding us of our Christmas back home.

On Christmas day, four of us (off duty) were presented a marvelous Christmas dinner at a very nice German restaurant, a fringe benefit from Uncle Sam. Following dinner we would relieve our comrades at the control room and they would be afforded the same gracious meal.

Back at my duty station on what was an uneventful and quiet day where teletype machines were

silenced, I was standing next to the RED telephone designated for communication with members of The White House security room. When it rang, I answered and the voice on the other end was Lady Bird Johnson wishing us a most joyful Christmas. Within seconds another voice took command of the phone. It was President Johnson asking to speak to each man on duty thanking us for a job well done. That is my recollection of my first Christmas in the military.

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President Lyndon B. Johnson and First Lady Lady Bird Johnson

FALLS RUN 2019 HALLOWEEN BASH!It was dark, very dark. The spirits of Indiana Jones and his bride, Cruella,

and Pong, Judge Judy and her bailiff, the King & Queen of Hearts, an early Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus, a few hippies and other characters dined, frolicked and danced by the light of lanterns and a huge Jack ‘o lantern.


Tom Catalano, a murderous menacing mime with his victim - perhaps - his lovely wife Kathy, who also was our charming emcee

A winning couple, hippies, George & Gloria Hassinger

Bill & Joanne York were a prize worthy couple as Manwich,

The Original Sloppy Joe, and a

conventional witch,

Winners also, Pong & Cruella, George & Linda Post


Three winning women: Pat Brennan unrecognizable as a wired witch, Teddy Woods as the Queen of Hearts, and Margie Marfori, the little mermaid

Best men’s: a killer - Tom Catalano; Colonel Sanders - Frank O’Connor;

Indiana Jones -Dick Bly

Rockin’ Ralph

Jack-o!

Cat in the Hat: Maryanne Seidlinger

Alton and Astrid Dick

Photos by Carolyn Harmon and Elisa Paigo


By Pat Donohue

It would be our first Christmas as husband and wife. Most of our married life so far had been spent apart. Tom was at sea fulfilling a three-year commit-ment to the Navy. But now, on December 22nd, he would be coming home. I couldn’t wait!

Most of the Yuletide preparations had been completed. The cards were written and mailed. All the gifts had been purchased and care-fully wrapped. Cookies were baked and a wreath adorned our apart-ment door. Only one thing was missing — the all-important tree!

I was now eight months pregnant. Lugging a real, full-sized Christmas tree home was beyond my capa-bility or any prudent attempt. I simply would have to wait for Tom.

The 22nd arrived and so did my husband to our mutual ecstasy! The next day he departed on his “mission (almost) impossible.” Finding a presentable tree two days before Christmas in New York City is a feat for the fearless. Never-the-less, he accomplished his assignment dragging through

Forgiving Eyes

the door our very first Christmas tree. On went all the decora-tions carefully selected to blend with the color scheme of our living room. We were ready!

During the course of the holiday season we invited family and friends to visit and, of course, to see our tree. When they viewed it was it my imagina-tion that they seemed to be suppressing laughter? And why did so many refer to it by the adjective “interesting?” Not until weeks later when

we immersed ourselves in our plethora of photos did we notice how visible the trunk of that tree was and how few branches really existed. To say it was pathetic would be an understatement.

We loved that tree. It repre-sented something very special to us. I hope it will always serve as a reminder for me to look with forgiving eyes beyond my own faults and those of others and, instead, to appreciate togeth-erness, joy and wondrous anticipation. After all, isn’t that what the season is all about?

Dear Santa,

When you get here, could you please throw a quick load in the washer, vacuum the carpets and wash your cookie plate?

Thanks.


The Year Was 1984By Joan Frank

Ronald Reagan was elected presi-dent of the United States, Indira Ghandi was assassinated, DNA profiling was developed, Prince Harry was born and the Aids Virus was identified. Following the boycott by the US of the Moscow Olympics, the Soviets boycotted the Los Angeles Summer Olympic games. Reces-sion continued to be a problem in the US and seventy US Banks failed in just one year.

Do you remember George Orwell? It was his year for the literary rebellion against Big Brother in his book, 1984; it was published in 1946 as his 9th and final book and it took a while for his predictions to come close to reality! Apple introduced us to the Macintosh through a $900,000 Super Bowl ad; the Ridley Scott Orwellian-themed “1984” ad is considered to be one of greatest commercials ever created. Sally

Ride became the first American woman in space on the Chal-lenger, and the space shuttle Discovery made its first launch and was the longest-serving orbiter, flying 39 times.

What did things cost in 1984? The average cost of new house was $86,730; the average income per year was $21,600.00; movie tickets were $2.50; 1 gallon of gas, $1.10; a Dodge RAM 50 Truck, $8,995.00 and a Chevrolet Corvette, $23,392; apples were 43 cents/lb. and bacon was $1.69/lb.

The song “Purple Rain” was performed by Prince and Rolling Stone placed it among the top 100 in the Greatest Songs of All Time. The music world lost Marvin Gaye when he intervened in a fight between his parents, which angered his father who shot him at point-blank range. Other popular songs included Tina Turner’s “What’s Love got to do with it” and Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called to Say I love You.” The MTV Video Music Awards were begun.

Ghostbusters, Terms of Endear-ment and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom were top sellers in movie theaters. Eddie Murphy became the biggest movie star in the world thanks to “Beverly Hills Cop,” the film that was the top grosser of the year. “Where’s the Beef?” became the phrase in popular culture, thanks to Wendy’s television ad. Vanessa Williams was the first African-American to win

the Miss America Contest, but she was stripped of her title when unauthorized nude photos of her were published in “Penthouse.” The Miss America Organiza-tion has since apologized for the decision, but Vanessa had the last laugh when the scandal raised her celebrity status and launched her into a successful acting and singing career.

“Jeopardy” has been around since 1964 but it was in 1984 that Alex Trebek moved to the podium to begin a record breaking run with over 8,000 episodes and still counting! Other popular TV programs included Magnum, P.I. and Dynasty.

The longest game in major league baseball history was played lasting over eight hours. The Chicago White Sox v. Milwaukee Brewers, who pulled out a 7-6 win in 25 innings. Geraldine Ferraro was the first woman to run on a major political party’s presidential ticket.

For more information please contact

Lara Lewis (540) 371-4563

[email protected]

Veterans Day Program 2019This year’s theme was the 75th Anniversary D-Day, which highlighted four stories presented by Falls Run residents about their family member’s D-Day experiences on June 6, 1944. The presentation also included the Stafford High School Navy JROTC Color Guard, a POW/MIA Ceremony, and music by the Falls Run Singers. It was a day to be proud of and thankful to those who fought for our freedoms as we celebrated the lives and deeds of all those who have served in the Armed Forces.

Haward Boyette, MC and US Army veteran

Bob Brown, USAF, for Dan Rogers

Navy JROTC Color Guard

The MIA/POW table

This program definitely deserves all our accolades as this observance of Veterans Day was outstanding. I could not be more grateful for all our veterans or grateful to be an American…. – JOHNA MC NICHOL

I just want to congratulate the organizers-The Wall of Honor committee and all the volunteers and speakers. It was the best one that I have attended. – PAD RAO



Chuck Bohr, USA veteran

Beth Kelley, USN veteran

Wayne Ploger, USA veteran

Major Michael Michell, Executive to the Assistant Secretary of the Army

Jerry Palmento

I just want to thank the organizers and presenters for the wonderful, moving Veterans Day ceremony today. You all did a great job putting it together, and I found it extremely touching. – LORNA DUNKLEE

This was truly the most moving ceremony I’ve been to since I came here seven years ago! – SUSAN SMART

Photos by Carolyn Harmon and Susan Smart

Singing “God Bless America”


By Nancy Bevilacqua

Not so long ago, holidays were celebrated one at a time. It isn’t just the climate that is changing. What about the calendar? I went to a local garden center in the first week of October. Rows of artificial Christmas trees and inflat-able yard displays filled the space. The sight of people in flip flops and shorts looking at the latest imported holiday trappings seemed odd.

What’s the “why” behind this, apart from profit? It’s known that the end of the year can be a depressing time. Decorating a home with colorful holiday items can be a boost to the spirit. Putting out the decorations before it gets too cold (and before there might be ice to slip on) is practical. This time of year, unsolicited catalogs clog the mailbox. Many seniors shop from the comfort of home.

Others among us long for simpler times. Where is the meaning of Christmas in all this? The over-commercialized end-of-year holiday has become an ecumenical event in the land of pluralism.

Simple Gifts

What was Christmas like when the nation was young? Settlers came to the New World bringing holiday traditions from home. Puritans didn’t cele-brate Christmas, since there is no Biblical mandate to do so. A Virginia Christmas was a simple affair. This from the Colonial Williamsburg website: “Eighteenth century customs don’t take long to recount: church, dinner, dancing, some evergreens, visiting—and more and better of these very same for those who could afford more.” Children were not invited to attend. Gift giving was more likely to take place on January 1st. These predominantly Anglican settlers celebrated the Nativity during Advent and the 12 days following Christmas.

The Santa Claus known worldwide is an Amer-ican invention. His lore combines American, Dutch and English traditions. It began with the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore. Thomas Nast’s cartoons in the 1860’s gave the world a picture of him. The tradition of sending Christmas cards began after the Civil War. Gift giving meant giving of one’s self by means of homemade items, and nothing was wrapped.

As recently as 1900, it’s estimated that one family in five had a Christmas tree. In 2019, one family might have five Christmas trees! Times have changed with mass produced LED lights, orna-ments, and other decorations. The irony is, among the uncounted factory workers in China, few are likely to decorate their homes for Christmas.

Bruce Mork, Realtor The Gardiner Group (540) 847-8471 Email: [email protected]

4840SouthpointDr.,Fredericksburg,VA22407Each office is independently owned and operated.

Falls Run is a Wonderful Place to Call Home!

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near future.

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www.FallsRunHomes.com


By Joan Frank

December 1 – Eat a Red Apple Day – Now if you’re going to observe, make sure it’s a red apple, not green or gold! Then you can make caramelized apples, baked apples, and apple pies. There doesn’t seem to be a down side to this holiday.

December 4 – Wear Brown Shoes Day – The holiday that aims to encourage people to change up their daily dressing rituals. If you always wear brown shoes,

perhaps you can change to a different shade such as tan, camel, or russet. Also, the

shoes that Neil Armstrong wore when he first stepped on the moon were left on the moon.

December 6 – Microwave Oven Day – The holiday honors the invention that makes so many lives easier. To celebrate make all your meals and snacks using the microwave. When they first came out they were called Radaranges, which sounded dangerous to me!

December 10 – Dewey Decimal System Day – Commemorates the birth of Melville Dewey, its inventor. The system has ten main fields that are divided into smaller, more specialized areas. Libraries around the world use the system to classify and orga-nize their books.

December 17 – Wright Brothers Day – The day the brothers successfully flew their heavier than air, mechanically propelled aircraft. President Eisen-hower proclaimed the

holiday in 1959. Orville and Wilbur were the only two in their immediate family never to attend college.

December 22 – Date Nut Bread Day – When we make bread using different kinds of nuts like walnuts and pecans, and add dates to sweeten the flavor. However do not use peanuts because they are not a nut but part of the legume family.

December 24 – Eggnog Day – Originating in England, eggnog usually has some type of alco-holic beverage in it such as bourbon or whiskey. There are also non-alcoholic recipes available. Some believe that the word eggnog comes from the Middle English word noggin. The word refers to a wooden mug used to serve alcohol.

December 27 – No Interruptions Day –The day when you can disconnect from all distractions. If you dare, switch off your phones and disconnect your internet and do something you really enjoy!

December 30 – Bicarbonate of Soda Day – It celebrates one of the most used chem-ical compounds in the history of mankind.

We use it in baking, cleaning, polishing silverware, and treating heartburn.

December 31 – Make up Your Mind Day – Sounds easy, but it’s not. In our fast paced world we have more information and resources to help us make a decision and many times we over-analyze.

December’s Little Known Holidays


It’s a Small World, After AllBy Nancy Bevilacqua

All around the globe, visitors can find exotic holiday traditions.

The Japanese “Santa Kurosha,” with eyes on the back of his head, checks up on naughty children. Kentucky Fried Chicken is a favorite Christmas dinner in Japan. Caracas, Venezuela, is known for people roller skating to morning mass. Noche de Rábanos takes place on December 23rd in Oaxaca, Mexico. Elaborate carvings are made just for this night—out of radishes.

In Iceland, people exchange books on Christmas Eve. They spend the rest of the night reading them and eating chocolate. This tradition is called “Jolabo-kaflod” (Christmas book flood). Syrian children

receive gifts from one of the wise men’s camels. Dutch children put out shoes to be filled with small gifts and candy.

What about the holiday feast? In Greenland the traditional Christmas dish of the Inuit, kiviak, takes seven months to prepare. A seal skin is hollowed out and stuffed with hundreds of sea birds called auks. This is allowed to ferment, and once ready, is served directly from the seal. If that doesn’t appeal, try South Africa’s holiday fare: deep fried caterpillars of the emperor moth.

According to Polish legend, a spider wove a blanket for the Baby Jesus. For this reason, spider webs are used as tree decorations in Poland. Ukrainians decorate in much the same way, covering trees with ornate webs and sparkling spiders. Tradition has it that spiders heard some children crying because they couldn’t afford to decorate their tree. Over-night, spiders spun beautiful, shimmering webs for them.

Hawaiians decorate palm trees. Santa’s outrigger canoe is pulled by dolphins. Christmas dinner is a traditional lu’au. Mele Kalikimaka!

Gurley CandlesBy Carolyn Harmon

Every Christmas I set these little candles out on a colorful doily. I could afford my small treasures, purchased at Woolworth’s Five & Dime in the 1950s, because they were cheap. They show their age, a little beat up with some nicks and missing colors. The small red trees and candle fared better than the choir kids. Nevertheless, these Gurley candles evoke warm thoughts of much earlier Christmas times.

Gurley Novelty, owned by Franklin Gurley, was known for making holiday candles shaped like small figures. The company started in Buffalo, New York in the 1939 as part of the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company (now ExxonMobil) as a way to reuse excess paraffin produced as a by-product of the oil refinery process. The first products were marketed under the name Tavern and consisted of wax lips, wax teeth, and a number of small candle figures such as ghosts, pilgrims, and Santa Claus. In 1949 Franklin Gurley bought the rights to the Tavern brand and changed the name to the Gurley Novelty Co.

Tavern and Gurley candles were inexpensive and were primarily sold at dime stores such as Ben Franklin’s and Woolworth’s, but could also be found at larger stores such as Macy’s. The 3½ inch figures were sold for decades for $0.10 each, two for $0.29, and three for $0.49. Larger ones sold for $0.29. and rarely exceeded $0.99. Most candles had a round paper Gurley label attached to the bottom.


by Chuck Heath, certified advanced master gardener and tree steward

Withwinterjustaroundthecorner,herearethethingsyouneedtodobeforethecoldweathersetsin.

■ If you haven’t fertilized your lawn 3 times this fall don’t put it off. Your fall fertilizer appli-cations spur the growth of your lawn’s root system. This is extremely important to the health of your grass and to sustain it through whatever weather next summer brings. You can put down fertilizer as long as the ground is not frozen.

■ Be sure to apply your “season-long weed control” to kill fall weeds and keep others from germinating. Bayer’s Season-Long Weed Control (hose-end application), available at Lowes, Home Depot, and other stores is recommended. This will keep weeds from germinating between now and your spring application.

■ Cut back perennials that have turned brown. Dig up and divide daylilies, or wait until spring. For optimum flowering, dig up and divide bulbs every three years.

■ Remove leaves and other garden material from your lawn before the first snow.

■ Apply lime, if needed, before the ground freezes, or wait until spring.

■ Clean tools and lubricate them with oil or WD40 to prevent rust.

■ Store your outdoor flower and vegetable pots to comply with Falls Run Design Guidelines and to prevent cracking when water accumulates and freezes.

■ Drain and blow out your outdoor hose bibs to prevent pipes from freezing.

In the Garden: December 2019: “Getting Ready for Winter”

■ Sharpen your lawn mower blade and pruning tools. I will do this for you “free” if you drop them off at my house with a note telling me who to return them to.

2019-2020 Winter Weather Predictions!!El Niño is expected to have a significant influence on winter weather in the North-east, mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes and eastern Ohio Valley just as it did a few years ago. So far, the predictions are on track. The forecast was for a warm and wet fall. This came true. The forecasts for November 2019 into March 2020 are:

■ Winter Temperature Predictions: ColderthannormalwiththePolarJetStreamrunningthroughourarearatherconstantly.

■ Winter Precipitation Predictions: Abovenormalprecipitation.

■ Snow Predictions: Abovenormalinthemid-Atlanticstateswithafewbigsnowstorms.

Enjoy your winter and please feel to contact me with any Master Gardener or Tree Steward questions. [email protected]


Between the covers ItCan’tHappenHere by Sinclair Lewis

Book Review by Richard McCloud

In October 1935, Sinclair Lewis, the first Amer-ican novelist to win the Nobel Prize in Liter-ature, published his cautionary tale ItCan’t

HappenHere, just a month after the assassi-nation of Louisiana governor Huey Long in Baton Rouge. In the novel, Long’s fictional counterpart, Buzz Windrip, a populist and demagogue, runs for the presidency in 1936. Amid the misery of the Depression, he appeals to the poor and out-of-work and the “forgotten man” with the false campaign promise of $5000 for every American family.

When Lewis’s journalist wife interviewed Hitler in Berlin, and then Huey Long in Louisiana, she was struck by how similar they seemed. Fearful of the rise of fascism in America, she persuaded Lewis to write a novel warning the nation of the threat. Through the eyes of the small town Vermont editor Doremus Jessup, we observe the nation’s fervor for a strong leader in Windrip’s election to the presidency on a blatantly anti-Semitic and racist platform. After Windrip puts congressmen in jail, neutralizes the Supreme Court, and suspends his promises to the people in the name of a national emergency, and after one of Windrip’s henchmen shoots a rabbi on the streets of New York, only then does the patient Doremus search for the courage to write against Windrip and his thuggery.

Doremus had heard time and again from his neighbors, “It can’t happen here. This is America.” But sitting in jail for criticizing Windrip, Doremus realizes too late the unimaginable nightmare of Windrip’s attacks on America’s Democracy.

A visit from a Falls Run greeter can provide you with information about Falls Run, answer your questions and, if you care to, tell a bit about yourself so we can introduce you to our community in the Gazette, our monthly magazine. If you would like a visit please contact SusanneLazanov by email [email protected] or (540)310-4082, if you live in a single-family home. If you live in a villa, contact MurrayCorliss by email [email protected] or phone (508)543-2082.

JamesandHelenHerring (19 Herndon Ct.) spent the last 32 years in Newport News. Like so many others, they moved here to be closer to their three children, including a set of identical twins, and their five grandchildren, also including a set of identical twins! The couple are full time care-takers to Helen’s brother, Jimmy, who has multiple disabilities and requires round-the-clock care. While James served in the Navy for 26 years, Helen, who had been a secretary before they had children, volunteered extensively at the family’s church, at the children’s schools and with their sports teams. The couple was attracted to Falls Run because of its sidewalks (Helen loves walking), tranquil atmosphere and safe feeling, and they look forward to getting involved in our community.

RosaleenHnatt (34 Castlewood Dr.) lived in New Jersey for 45 years before moving here to be closer to her children and grandchildren. She retired from Aetna as a broker liaison. Rosaleen found just what she wanted in Falls Run: a smaller home, established lawns and mature trees. She’s already signed up for one community trip and looks forward to doing more as well as checking out the different activities and meeting other residents.

WELCOME NEW NEIGHBORS

Susanne Lazanov

Documents

ANNOUNCEMENTS Who Knew: Brenda Dudley GAZ.pdf · was Lady Bird Johnson wishing us a most joyful Christmas. Within seconds another voice took command of the phone. It was President