“We are here before the break of dawn,” Reed said. “I come in between 3 and 4 a.m. and I don’t usually leave until 5 o’clock. It’s a long day, but I’m having fun.”

Reed will be the first to admit that he has no plan to get rich from his business venture. It is labor intensive to make so many products from scratch on a daily basis, but the decision to prepare food from fresh ingredients was not a hard one.

“We are a flour, sugar and eggs bakery. We make fresh food; it is what we are about,” Reed said. “Just today, we made old-fashioned pound cake with butter, eggs, flour and sugar. That is how I learned and that is how I’ll die trying.”

For fresh-made bakery products, the prices at Father’s Table are competitive. Reed promises his customers ingredients he refers to as “the real thing:” real butter, almond paste and fruit fillings to make his products original and as fresh as possible.

“We try to keep our prices low to keep things affordable,” Reed said. “The price of food is escalating. To provide quality, food from scratch is growing expensive. The food profitability is a very small margin. It would be worth it financially to have processed food, but for me—ethically and emotionally—it is not worth it.”

Reed’s philosophy is to pursue excellence at any cost. He is looking to reduce his carbon footprint by baking from fresh ingredients and buying as much from local farmers and vendors as practically possible to avoid having products shipped.

“I just met with a salesman who suggested I start getting frozen cinnamon buns and what have you, but it just goes against my nature. I specifically ask if we can buy the closest local products available,” Reed said. “Flour might be impossible, but produce we can do. So much is shipped such long distances these days that it can be difficult, but whatever we can get our hands on, we will.”

Father’s Table bought local tomatoes through the fall and fresh Halifax melons while they were in season. Keeping up with what is available at local farms can be tedious, Reed admits, but his dedication to quality has not faltered.

Father’s Table has extended beyond the bakery since its opening. Reed and his staff serve a daily lunch buffet, a Saturday morning breakfast buffet and cater on and off-site events.

“I made the decision to start my own bakery with the equipment I had in storage and started scouting out locations about a year and a half ago. The catering side has always been,” Reed said. “We have diversified ourselves in our business. If it was just the bakery by itself, we would be out of business.”

Father’s Table Catering operated out of an off-site kitchen in Altavista for five years. Traveling from the kitchen to location and back again for each event proved wearisome for business. Opening the bakery in a centralized location has minimized the amount of travel time and maximized opportunities for the catering side of Father’s Table. Currently, they cater more than 100 events a year in addition to the demands of the bakery. Twenty-five employees, including most of his children, cover every aspect of the business.

“We have a fun time here and great people that we work with,” Reed said. “I am trying to create a team that has the same mindset and the same philosophy in pursuing excellence. I want everyone to have a sense of ownership.”

The friendly and attentive staff anticipates the needs of their customers and help to create the inviting atmosphere. As each batch of scratch-made delicacies rise in the oven, it appears that Father’s Table is well on its way on that pursuit towards excellence.

As digital technology rapidly advances in today’s world, AREVA has worked to bring their clients into the next generation, expanding the life expectancy of their nuclear plants while keeping safety at the forefront of their digital upgrades.

Many nuclear plants were designed back in the 1960s and 1970s, said George Beam, senior-vice president of AREVA’s TELEPERM XS. The plants were built with the analog technology that existed then, allowing them to operate for up to 40 years. But with recent advancement in digital technology, life expectancy of nuclear plants has increased up to 60 years.

“As young engineers started coming out of school and companies moved onto the next generation of technology, the ability to maintain, fix and operate the analog technology began to evaporate. So we’ve been blessed,” Beam said.

As today’s society advances with its prolific digital use of Kindles, iPads and smart phones, the nuclear plants have also moved along with advances of their own in digital technology. But never before has that digital technology been placed into the type of safety system AREVA’s TELEPERM XS provides.

“The issue was to put it in a safety system that would be responsible for shutting the reaction down in the event of an unplanned transient. That is where everyone was concerned and lots of analysis and engineering reviews came into play,” Beam said.

AREVA was the first to successfully license this type of new technology. AREVA’s TELEPERM XS now enables nuclear reactors to be shut down automatically at the first sign of trauma.

“It’s almost the equivalent of having your knee or hip replaced with newer technology, but this is the brains for how you shut down a reactor in the event there is a transient or something outside of the normal mode of operation,” Beam said.

The project began back in 2002 when one of AREVA’s clients approached the company with the idea of extending the life of their nuclear plant. As a part of this upgrade, an investment in a newer digital safety system was essential. The project got quickly underway before running into a few complications.

“One of the key challenges was getting people to be open to the new technology. For a lot of people, if it’s working now—why change?” Beam said. “It was a real evolutionary concept to get people to buy in … it was more than filling out forms, it was changing the culture.”

Now that the system is up and running well, Beam believes a majority of plants will take advantage of the lessons learned through this system and will begin making plans to enhance and upgrade their own technologies.

“We’ve broken this ice with the regulators and with the customers, so it’s good for the whole industry,” Beam said.

As the first system of its kind, AREVA’s TELEPERM XS recently won the “Engineering Project of the Year” award at the 13th annual Platts Global Energy Awards in New York. Established in 1999, the Platts Global Energy Awards showcases extraordinary accomplishments by businesses and individuals around the world.

“It’s truly been a global project. It was a nice recognition for AREVA, for me personally and for Lynchburg, but it really does represent the whole gamut of what this company can provide,” he said.

Beam now hopes to be able to take the experience with this system and begin to implement it into many of the other nuclear plants around America, showing those companies that this advancement is worth the investment.

“The key issue is going to be that some plants believe they can still operate their safety systems using the old analog technology because it’s a significant cost—multi-million dollars—to put in one of these systems,” he said.

As the cost is a key factor for many, some companies will be able find that balance by changing out and upgrading bits and pieces of their system rather than the entire system at once. But Beam said, in order to enhance safety, this type of digital upgrade will be necessary.

For more information about what AREVA is doing around the world, visit www.areva.com.

– Sir William Haley

Located in Lynchburg is a school which prides itself in the education of the whole child. James River Day School (JRDS) is a private, non-sectarian school located on Boonsboro Road. The faculty and staff of the school pride themselves on the fact that their school works towards the fulfillment of each and every child that attends there.

“We are a child centered school,” Kirsten McHenry, Director of Admissions, explained. “Our instruction is hands-on and active. We learn by doing. We encourage creativity and problem-solving. We play. We wonder. We are close knit.”

The school was founded over 40 years ago by parents who were also teachers that believed that their children needed the education that only a small classroom environment could provide.  That tradition has been expanded and carried into today.

“We have very high academic standards and a thoughtful, rigorous core curriculum that is taught in inventive ways to individual students, based on what each of them need, as individuals,” McHenry said.

Among JRDS’ many programs, their focus on an individual approach also means pairing each child with another student who is one step ahead in their education—a mentor program, of sorts.

“We have a Cardinal Buddies program that pairs older and younger students, and we do many activities together as a whole school,” McHenry said.

While children are the top priority, JRDS also focuses on the parent-student relationship and how to best engage parents in the education process.

“We have strong parent education programs on child development and other topics of interest to parents, including nutrition and internet safety,” McHenry said.

Academically, JRDS strives to educate the whole child. Their program of study is reviewed yearly to make sure that a coherent curriculum is presented from kindergarten through eighth grade. Realizing that it is an impossible task to teach everything, the school focuses on teaching their students to ask essential questions. These essential questions are designed to be meaningful from the youngest learner in kindergarten all the way through the oldest students in eighth grade, including: “Who belongs? Who decides?  What is success?  What is freedom?  How do you know a true friend?”

With small class sizes—14 students per class on average—teachers are able to focus actively on individual strengths and shape instruction accordingly. McHenry explains that two classes of English instruction in grades 5-8, focusing on grammar, composition and literature, ensuring that students practice reading and writing for both pleasure and analysis. Instruction in world language, visual arts, music and physical education begins in kindergarten.

Technology instruction, part of JRDS’ K-8 curriculum, requires that students use technology for research, communication, presentation and analysis. In addition, public speaking opportunities are embedded in the curriculum at all grade levels.

“Our students graduate James River Day School well prepared for college preparatory programs in any secondary school,” McHenry said. “Our students have opportunities to accelerate in mathematics and world language, if appropriate, enabling some eighth graders to complete Honors Algebra II, French II, and/or Spanish II before graduation.  Eighth graders also take a high school credit class in Earth Science.”

In addition to the typical topics taught to the students K-8th grade, such as the science, social studies, math and language arts listed above, students also take French, Spanish or, when older, Latin as a foreign language. They also take part in musical courses such as band, orchestra or Glee club, and are given a healthy dose of physical education.

The school grounds contain a nature trail, outdoor classrooms and a greenhouse so that the academics can go beyond the bounds of the four walls of a classroom. To further this beyond the classroom mentality, students take several field trips, including overnight trips, to historical sites and students in the sixth grade take part in an outdoor leadership program. Every grade level also participates in a community service project.

The school’s comprehensive website lists some of the projects that the students take part in, which include:

• Making cards and decorations for Meals on Wheels
• Paper recycling
• Taking turns ringing the bell for the Salvation Army
• Collecting shoes and stuffed animals for Gleaning for the World (the JRDS community collects over 7,000 cans of food in November for local food banks)
• Writing and illustrating picture books for the Books of Hope project, for students in Africa who have no books in their schools
• Walking to the Fire House at Thanksgiving to bring a meal to the firemen.

McHenry adds that in addition to the above, “students in grades 5-8 belong to multi-age advisory groups that meet twice a day, have study hall together and do various social and service activities together.”

These same students also participate in athletics, with volleyball, soccer, cross-country, basketball and lacrosse all offered at JRDS.

When asked what she expected the school to be doing in five years, Mary Riser, Head of School said, “In five years, I expect James River will be doing what it is doing now—thriving! Our athletic and arts programs are developing rapidly, so we’ll be a force on the field and on the stage.”

With so many educational and inspiring stories coming out of JRDS, Riser has a lot to be proud of. And yet, when asked, she responded, “What makes me most proud? We do what is best for the child.”

James River Days School is a special place. If you visit the campus, you can see the unique appeal of this school in the faces of both the students and the staff.  The extensive grounds are visually appealing and offer opportunities for an application of the things learned inside the classroom. JRDS works to imbue within its alumni that lifelong desire to know what William Haley spoke of.

All in all, the James River Day School offers a valued service in the educating of the next generation of leaders to the community of Lynchburg and the surrounding area.

First, there’s the legacy that Lynchburger Barbara Lichford McGehee is continuing and passing down through her family business, Century Beverage Distributors. A third generation owner, McGehee has brought her two daughters aboard the ever-growing family business that distributes local and regional beers, wine and sodas, among other beverages.

Meanwhile, Lynchburg business owner Crystal Swinton’s gift for organization is adding up to personal success, simply by doing the daily office chores that most people dread. This former daycare owner turned office organization expert is helping local businesses keep all their files and papers straight and labeled, among other things, all with a smile on her face. Click on the Business Profiles tab to read more on how Smart Way Solutions is letting her live out her life-long dream of owning her own business.

At 99 years strong, the Woman’s Club of Lynchburg is still giving back as much, if not more so, than they were nearly a century ago. Sponsoring scholarships and creating charitable cookbooks, this group of ladies are a far cry from an afternoon knitting club. Learn more about their efforts to give educational opportunities to other women, while also recruiting the next generation of member, under the Nonprofit section.

And for those who doubt that volunteering your time doesn’t qualify as a “job,” meet Frances Giles. As Amazement Square’s “Honorary Goddess” at the upcoming Gathering of the Goddesses fundraiser, Giles puts the rest of us mere mortals to shame with the amount of time, energy and passion she infuses into local causes. Many, many local causes. Her list of pro bono efforts, from co-chairing local boards to giving back to her alumnus, Roanoke College, read like the resume of a professional volunteer—and most would argue that that is exactly what she is, and a heck of a good one at that.

Leading Ladies of Lynchburg, we salute your savvy, smarts and successes in business, the community and the home. Without you, our area would be a pretty dull place to live and work.

To Wonder Women,

Prototype Media

“This is a serious niche business,” David Young, owner of the store, said. “And it’s low pressure. If you like what you see, I’m the only game in town.”

Young grew up in Northern Virginia and moved to the area in 1993. After holding various occupations, including working in the book business and managing two Harley-Davidson dealerships, Young decided it was time to make a shift.

“I wanted to turn my hobbies into a business,” Young said. “When you walk in here, you’re walking into my world. I have an excellent staff; everyone is very tuned into the customers and very knowledgeable about what we have to offer.”

Stones n’ Bones is now going on its 15th year in business after spending its first two years in the Community Market in downtown Lynchburg and 13 years at its current location in Forest.

Young’s business continues to thrive, despite today’s economy, and he says it is mainly thanks to its location.

“I’ve been very fortunate here,” Young said. “Location, location, location. We did the research before moving here, and I don’t have one single regret.”

Young admits he does things a bit differently than many other businesses when it comes to dealing with the economy by spending more money to double his advertising.

“It has paid me back in spades,” he said. “I am constantly re-thinking how to do business in order to keep up. If you don’t run your business like a business, it’s not going to survive.”

As a local business owner himself, Young says he is a huge proponent of buying local.

“You will never see me in a Wal-Mart,” he said.

Stones n’ Bones offers one of the largest selections of sterling silver jewelry, beads and findings in the region. The store also offers classes in beading and wire wrapping for anyone interested in learning how to make jewelry. Full service jewelry repair is available on the premises as well and includes ring sizing and stone setting. Incense, oils and other one-of-a-kind gifts can also be found in this unique store. There is a little bit of everything and something for all ages.

Stones n’ Bones also proudly supports the local art community.

“We hang art in here for many local artists, and it changes regularly,” Young said. “Artists and customers alike come in here all the time and give me bizarre and interesting stuff that they make, and it truly honors me.”

As far as rocks, minerals and fossils go, Young finds most of the items himself.

“I’ve dug all over the United States and in Canada, but the most prolific digging has been done here and in North Carolina,” he said.

Young has received his Federal Mine Safety Certification, which enables him to work underground in operating mines. When he goes digging, he brings back 500 to 600 pounds of unique items at a time.

According to Stones n’ Bones’ website, their large selection of rocks, minerals and fossils include products such as tea light candle holders, massage wands and spheres. Amethyst, Celestite, Quartz crystals, Selenite and Fluorite are also always on hand.

The unique gems and minerals found provide the store with the opportunity to create beautiful sterling silver jewelry with stone set pendants. Moonstone, Labradorite, Lapis, Tourmaline and Rutilated Quartz are mainstays and always available, according to the website. Stones n’ Bones carries an excess of 500 pairs of earrings at all times, many of which are one-of-a-kind.

“The money is in jewelry, but it’s everything else that gets people in this door,” Young said.

While Young continues to enjoy the successes of his thriving business, he is not looking to expand at this moment.

“I’m here for the duration. I’m always looking for ways to increase business, but I don’t see any other stores in the picture right now,” he said. “I have more employees than I need. My store provides me with a great lifestyle. I’m not going to fall into the trap holes of culture.”

Young’s sedate lifestyle revolves around finding artifacts, creating art, reading books and growing plants.

“I strive to maintain a place where people can come in, be themselves and relax,” Young said. “My store is a direct extension of me and who I am.”

Stones n’ Bones is located in the Graves Mill Shopping Center in Forest at 18013 Forest Rd. Business hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For questions or more information about the store, call (434) 385-7127 or visit www.stonesnbones.net.

What might these lessons be? Take a look:

• Pick players carefully. Super Bowl teams don’t usually get there out of luck; they’ve made it in part because they have carefully chosen their players. And to potentially achieve success as an investor, you, too, need carefully chosen “players”—investments that are chosen for your individual situation.
• Choose a diversified mix of players. Not only do Super Bowl teams have good players, but they have good ones at many different positions—and these players tend to play well together. As an investor, you should own a variety of investments with different capabilities—such as stocks for growth and bonds for income—and your various investments should complement, rather than duplicate, one another. Strive to build a diversified portfolio containing investments appropriate for you situation, such as stocks, bonds, government securities, certificates of deposit (CDs) and other vehicles. Diversifying your holdings may help reduce the effects of market volatility. Keep in mind, though, that diversification, by itself, can’t guarantee a profit or protect against loss.
• Follow a “game plan.” Super Bowl teams are skilled at creating game plans designed to maximize their own strengths and exploit their opponents’ weaknesses. When you invest, you also can benefit from a game plan—a strategy to help you work toward your goals. This strategy may incorporate several elements, such as taking full advantage of your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan, pursuing new investment opportunities as they arise and reviewing your portfolio regularly to make sure it’s still appropriate for your needs.
• Stay dedicated to your goals. Virtually all Super Bowl teams have had to overcome obstacles, such as injuries, bad weather and a tough schedule. But through persistence and a constant devotion to their ultimate goal, they persevere. As an investor, you’ll face some challenges, too, such as political and economic turmoil that can upset the financial markets. But if you own a diversified mix of quality investments and follow a long-term strategy that’s tailored to your objectives, time horizon and risk tolerance, you can keep moving forward, despite the “bumps in the road” that all investors face.
• Get good coaching. Super Bowl teams typically are well-coached, with disciplined head coaches and innovative offensive and defensive coordinators. When you’re trying to achieve many financial goals—such as a comfortable retirement, control over your investment taxes and a legacy to leave to your family—you, too, can benefit from strong “coaching.” As your “head coach,” you might choose a financial professional—someone who can help you identify your goals and recommend an appropriate investment strategy to help you work toward them. And your financial professional can coordinate activities with your other “coaches,” such as your tax and legal advisors.

Unless you’re a professional football player, you won’t ever experience what it’s like to play in the Super Bowl. However, achieving your financial goals can be a fairly big event in your life—and to help work toward that point, you can take a few tips from the teams that have made it to the Big Game.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Strike that. At Century Beverage Distributors, it’s more like “Hey, Beer Woman!” With over 110 years of Lichford family history behind them in the beer distribution business, the Lynchburg-based company is led today by Barbara Lichford McGehee and her daughters, Barrett Divina and Corie Saunders. These women are not only continuing to maintain the business of beer but they are also taking it to another level as a complete beverage distributor.

A Beverage Business is Born

In 1900, at the age of 18, Lewis Edmund Lichford, Sr., bought a building in downtown Lynchburg, under what is now the John Lynch Memorial Bridge that runs from 5^th street to Madison Heights, and equipped it with a horse and wagon and four employees. There, he founded a wholesale grocery and produce business named L.E. Lichford, Inc. In 1913, Lichford became a distributor for Anheuser-Busch, Inc., products.

When Lichford, Sr. passed away, his son, Lewis E. Lichford, Jr., became President and began to concentrate on the Anheuser-Busch and Canada Dry business. The wholesale grocery business was sold off in 1956 and six years later, the company handled Anheuser-Busch beers exclusively.

New Leadership, New Name

It was in 2005 that Barbara Lichford McGehee, daughter of Lichford, Jr., the little girl turned grown businesswoman that remembers her family’s past, stepped into the role of President.

“I remember shoveling coal into the furnace downtown—I must have been 8,” McGehee reflected.

But that and some old pictures are about all the reminiscing you’ll get from McGehee. It’s clear that she is focused on the future while honoring the business that her family has worked so hard to build.

McGehee was then joined in 2008 by Phill Sauls as Executive Vice President as they began to transform the company from exclusively an Anheuser-Busch distributor to a complete beverage distributorship for the Central Virginia region. Soon after, in 2009, L.E. Lichford, Inc., became Century Beverage Distributors.

“The name change was about where we are headed,” McGehee said.

Shortly after the change, Century began selling local and regional craft beers. McGehee also began exploring the idea of bringing wine and other beverages onboard. After a trip to California’s “wine country” and a year of research, Century finally received its wine importers license in September of 2009. And in 2010, the company acquired the rights to the Canada Dry line of products and began distributing energy drinks, ready-to-drink teas, soft drinks and water.

A Local Focus

These days, Century also distributes some of the best local and regional craft beers, including Starr Hill Brewery, Legend Brewing Company and, as of this month, Devil’s Backbone Brewery from Nelson County, which just won the 2010 World Beer Cup in the Small Brewpub category.

Local beer and a local impact are key focus points for McGehee and Century. Every time you see a Century Beverage truck at a local event like Friday Cheers (an event McGehee started 20 years ago), know that zero dollars of profit from the event sales go back to Century. That’s right—all the proceeds go to local charities.

In addition to giving back, Century leads in the fight against alcohol abuse by funding national speakers and programs to come to local schools to focus on the dangers of drinking and driving. And one last “did you know:” Century recycles over 80,000 pounds of aluminum and cardboard annually—and all that money goes back to local charities, too.

If you want to see it in action, just take a look at the local Pediatrics floor at Centra Lynchburg General Hospital. Century (along with other key sponsors) made large donations that will not only change lives but create an impact much larger than selling beer. The donations were used to build-out the floor for the youngest of patients to help them heal in a bright and colorful environment that doesn’t feel like a hospital.

“Our reputation is generational. Everyone takes it to heart. We have a pride in our beer and our business,” McGehee said.

A business that Barrett and Corie’s great-grandfather would be proud to witness.

By the Numbers, CBD Distributes:

-223 beers

-217 wines

-101 sodas

-16 waters

-14 teas

-6 sake

-1.83 million cases sold in 2011

-2008: Century Beverage Distributor was the “Regional Distributor of the Year” out of six states

-2010: The company received the “Ambassador of Excellence” award, which recognizes the top distributors in the country based on customer services, sales increase and distribution.

Local real estate agents say it starts outside.

“The outside should be very tidy,” Wendy Reddy, associate broker for Dawson Ford Garbee & Company Realtors, said. “This is a great time to clean up wooded areas because all of the foliage is off. The yard should be immaculate. Get all that junk done. Get it all cleaned up.”

Billy Flint, of Flint Property Group, agreed.

“You definitely don’t want leaves on the porch and steps leading to the house,” he said. “And get the gutters cleaned. That’s a biggie,” he said.

If you still have holiday lights hanging from the gutters, remove them.

“Some people leave their Christmas decorations up too long after Christmas and that can be a deterrent,” Josh Ballengee, of Century 21, said. “Once the holidays are over … you want to get everything down.”

A splash of color can also increase curb appeal. Reddy suggests planting cold-hardy pansies or ornamental cabbages in flower beds or pots. Heather Bonawitz, owner of Becoming Designs, said a “beautiful wreath on the door” and “nice doormats” can make a positive impression.

Also, Bonawitz said, even though you might not be using it in the middle of the winter, “make sure your patio furniture is at least sitting nicely. You might not have the umbrella up but don’t have it looking like it’s in storage.”

Tina Friar of The Realty Group said when she and her husband put their house on the market, he installed outdoor lighting so people could see the property after dark. The woman who eventually bought the house “loved that outdoor lighting,” Friar said.

“She kept looking at the house after it was dark. Outdoor lighting in the winter makes a lot of sense. I think it absolutely helped us in the sale of our home,” she explained.

Once you’ve gotten would-be buyers inside, experts say the house needs to appeal to all of the senses. Light a fire in the fireplace or turn on gas logs, put a fresh coat of paint on the walls or new pillows on the sofa, bake some cookies for the open house.

Reddy cautioned against going crazy with the air fresheners, however.

“[Don’t] do too many Plug-ins,” she said, referring to a popular household air freshener. “Sometimes we go in [a house] and it’s overwhelming. Just use a nice, light scent.”

And although you want visitors to be comfortable and not, as Reddy put it, “freezing their tootsies off,” don’t turn the heat up too high. Flint suggests setting the thermostat at about 62 degrees. That “will be really comfortable,” he said. “Too warm is the bigger mistake.”

Most importantly, however, the house needs to be clean, inviting and bright. Although people often want to “hunker down and close those curtains” in the winter, Flint said, “for a showing you want to have as much [natural] light as possible.”

Windows also need to be clean, Ballengee said, along with carpets.

“In the wintertime, you have to combat the dark side by having everything crisp and clean as possible,” he said, adding that the house needs to be even “more inviting” than usual.

Bringing the outdoors in can also make a house more appealing. Kelly Mortemousque, a local home stager and former real estate agent, suggests displaying branches, leaves, greenery and potted rosemary bushes or other herbs.

Orchids, which can be purchased at local grocery stores, “always look great on a table or countertop,” she said. “Anything that looks live in the house. Live house plants, but not old house plants that are out of control.”

If you don’t know where to start, professional home stagers like Bonawitz and Mortemousque can help. For about $50 an hour, they help reduce clutter, organize and “redesign” homes, using the furniture and accessories that are already there. The goal, as Bonawitz puts it, is “creating an emotion in the house so someone else wants to live there.”

Reddy has recommended her clients use home stagers.

“It does make a huge difference,” she said. “They are worth the money, especially for someone who’s more analytical in their approach and doesn’t care about those things. It’s very subliminal and it’s just amazing what those stagers can do by moving a few items around the room.”

And what of this notion that spring is the best time to sell your house? Reddy and others are quick to dispel that theory.

“Winter is not a bad time to sell. … It’s a great time to sell,” she said.

First of all, she said, a lot of people buy into that idea and take their houses off the market, so there are fewer houses available and greater odds that yours will sell. Secondly, she added, “anyone who’s shopping at this time [of year] is a pretty serious buyer.”

Friar agreed.

“I like buyers at this time of year because they’re not just putting their toes in the water,” she said. “They are folks that are going to be purchasing a home.

The resort generated roughly 35 percent of the entire food and lodging tax receipts the county saw for 2010; more than $970,000. Overall, that’s roughly a five percent increase over 2009, according to Maureen Kelley, Nelson’s economic director.

“Those taxes keep other services improving,” Kelley said.

And it keeps people employed in Nelson and the surrounding counties, in addition to continuing to draw new businesses to the nearby Virginia 151 corridor.

Wintergreen is the top employer among the 486 employers in the county with a core of 400 year-round full time workers, said Mark Maynard, human resources director at Wintergreen.
And that number is down in recent years.

“It’s a combination of the economic environment and our desire to be more efficient at what we do,” Maynard said of having fewer employees.

Including seasonal hires, Wintergreen provides 500-plus part and full-time employees throughout the year to cover seasonal fluxes at, among other things, the slopes, golf course and the resort’s four restaurants. Additionally, the real-estate taxes paid on single family homes, town home and condos puts money in county coffers. Annually, those taxes account for 40 percent of the real-estate taxes taken in by the county.

“We have seen some good activity in the fourth quarter,” said Brian Chase, managing broker for Wintergreen Resort Premier Properties.

Much of that uptick is on the condo side which, in many cases, lost 40 and 60 percent of their value since 2005 and 2006, although those values are beginning to rebound. Currently there are 100 of the roughly 1,200 condos for sale at the resort, Chase said. The condo market at Wintergreen ranges from $80,000 to $450,000.

“The market is at or about as close to the bottom as it’s going to get,” he said.

People looking for second homes are more intent on buying than those before the housing bust three years ago because they are more aware of their finances, he said.

“We’re not going to see a major shift [in purchases in 2012],” he said. “I think we will continue to see a steady sales pace.”

Most resort employees live in Nelson and Augusta counties, with a contingent also coming from Amherst and Albemarle counties and the City of Lynchburg, Maynard said.

According to the Virginia Employment Commission, Nelson’s unemployment rate stood at 4.8 percent at the end of October. Statewide, the November unemployment rate was sitting at 6.2 percent.

With an unusually warm winter thus far, Wintergreen began making snow in fits and starts this year with slopes opening gradually as the weather cools.

“The last two years were unusual,” Dana Quillen, spokeswoman for Wintergreen, said of the early cold spells and generous snow fall in recent years. “They were gifts.”

This year is looking to be “more typical” of a Virginia winter, Quillen said.

Between 150,000 and 200,000 visits are made to the slopes each year. And that number has held steady in recent years, she said. Massenutten ski resort in Harrisonburg, Virginia, the closet direct rival for Wintergreen, was also hindered throughout December, keeping some slopes closed and shortening operating hours because the temperatures would not stay at or below freezing.

For more information about Wintergreen, visit www.wintergreenresort.com.

Top five employers in Nelson County:

1. Wintergreen
2. Nelson County (including schools)
3. Blue Ridge Medical
4. Central Virginia Electric Cooperative
5. California Sidecar and Saunders Brothers

“There was no one walking,” Allen said. “When I first moved downtown, there was nobody out on Sundays.”

Over the years she has enjoyed watching the downtown area grow, as more people moved into lofts, the Community Market opened and additional businesses were established. Events such as the annual Downtown Loft Tour also helped attract people and this year, the Free Clinic of Central Virginia—which hosts the tour—hopes to bring in even bigger numbers. Last February, over 500 people enjoyed touring 11 lofts in downtown Lynchburg.

“It’s a huge event—it’s really quite amazing,” Allen said, who has been involved with the Loft Tour for three years, serving on the committee and opening her loft to visitors in 2010.

This year’s tour will be held February 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with all proceeds going directly to the Free Clinic. As a profitable fundraiser, The Free Clinic of Central Virginia partners with downtown businesses and individuals who are willing to show the lofts above their buildings.

“All of the lofts downtown are unique in their own way,” Allen said. “That’s what makes it so much fun.”

Every year, Robert “Bob” Barlow, Executive Director of the Free Clinic, says they aim to feature new lofts for visitors to tour.

“We try to have eight or 10 new lofts that have not been shown before on the tour that are decorated,” Barlow said, adding that some of the lofts are lived in, and others are decorated as model apartments. “We also usually have one or two repeater lofts, like the Borel Loft, where the loft was so spectacular people want to see it every year.”

This year, Barlow anticipates having at least eight new lofts on the tour. The finalized list of lofts should officially be determined this month, which the Free Clinic believes will be a mix of the right lofts that will interest participants that also offers an adequate touring route.

“You have to find a route that flows,” Barlow said. “If you spread out to too many streets then people can’t walk it easily.”

A shuttle bus will be provided to transport people to each building every 20 minutes, providing an opportunity for those who are unable to walk distances to participate.

“Usually about two-thirds of the lofts are handicap accessible,” Barlow said.

The tour is similar to any home tour, where each participant receives a map, may start at any point and visit as many lofts as desired.

“It’s a nice way for people to come downtown and spend the day,” Allen said.

The fundraiser began in 2004, though the idea began to germinate in 2003. Barlow read about a clinic in Kansas City that hosted a loft tour as a fundraiser. The story piqued his interest, and he wrote them for more information.

“We figured that as a downtown nonprofit, it made a lot of sense for us to partner with the businesses and the rental properties downtown for a fundraiser,” Barlow said. “It brings people downtown and it publicizes that the Free Clinic is downtown.”

While this win-win fundraiser now brings beneficial exposure to downtown businesses and restaurants, in the first year of the tour, only 150 tickets were sold—something Barlow attributes to lack of proper marketing to the public.

“People didn’t know what it was, and my staff and my board said it was not very professional,” Barlow said.

Over the last several years, however, the fundraiser has become more professional and has significantly increased in size.

“The attendance each year has crept up by 50 to 100 people,” Barlow said.

With more than 500 tickets sold last year, Barlow and his team are optimistic that this year’s total will exceed 600.

Since the Free Clinic of Central Virginia opened in 1987, its goal has been to provide top-notch medical, nursing, dental and pharmaceutical services to lower income individuals without insurance. The clinic has nearly 5,000 active folders on file, and treats up to 75 patients a day.

Although the Clinic does receive funding from the Commonwealth of Virginia, United Way, individuals and others, fundraising remains crucial. The Downtown Loft Tour is one of their larger, more profitable fundraisers.

“It’s now a fairly significant fundraiser for us,” Barlow said. “Last year, we raised over $10,000.”

It usually takes between 100 and 150 volunteers to run the event, but finding help is usually not an issue for the Free Clinic—over 500 people volunteer for shifts at the clinic on a regular basis.

For more information about the Central Virginia Free Clinic or the Loft Tour, visit www.fccv.net.    

Tickets will officially be available February 1, 2012 at the following locations:

• The Free Clinic of Central Virginia
• Beeswax Candles
• The Silver Thistle
• Lynchburg Visitors Center
• Lynch’s Landing
• Bedford Visitors Center
• The Good Cherry
• Westminster Canterbury