YMCA partners with the VA to offer therapeutic yoga program for veterans battling PTSD

By Drew Menard | Photos by Ashlee Glen

The sacrifice of our American heroes in defending freedom goes beyond the time and distance of service, and the physical offering of their bodies, be it through blood, sweat and even lives. In protecting our country, many soldiers have carried home with them an unseen burden—scars of the mind.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that some 10-20 percent of veterans are affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or PTSD-like symptoms after returning from military service. As high as 31 percent of Vietnam veterans are afflicted by PTSD.

PTSD symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic, include persistent, distressing memories, hopelessness, negative thinking, irritability, trouble sleeping, self-destructive behavior and overwhelming guilt.

In cooperation with Lynchburg’s Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) office, the Downtown YMCA established a Yoga for Warriors program to help veterans who have suffered physical or emotional trauma as a result of military service and combat deployment.

There are close to 25,000 veterans in the Central Virginia region and their struggles “should not be ignored,” explained Kathy Thomas, Director of Healthy Living for YMCA of Central Virginia. “Research shows that programs like Yoga for Warriors at the Downtown YMCA can help individuals build physical, mental and emotional stamina to overcome issues caused by combat or non-combat trauma experiences.”

A group of veterans first presented the idea to the Y last summer and a pilot program for 10 veterans was held that fall. Since then, a yearlong program has launched with approximately 19 active participants in 2018.

“This was a grassroots effort of veterans working in our community to help other veterans heal and recover from PTSD,” Thomas said. “The YMCA and the VA have the tools and skills to be of service and we are grateful to be participating with veteran groups to support the program.”

Participants are recommended by the VA after undergoing proper medical care and group counseling sessions.

“YMCA Yoga for Warriors helps veterans who have experienced traumatic events during active military service deployments and are working to overcome physical, mental and emotional issues remaining from the experiences,” YMCA Yoga for Warriors Instructor Gary Sullivan said. “Trauma builds up in the body and has a detrimental effect on mental and emotional stability. In the yoga program, we work together to restore peace of mind and recover physical capabilities needed for active daily living.”

Sullivan evaluates the individual needs of each veteran and works with them to establish personal improvement goals over the course of the 12-month program.

“Yoga poses and movements help strengthen and stretch the body to overcome physical limitations, while restoring range of motion without pain,” Sullivan said. “Our goal is to achieve the full pain-free range of motion available to the body. We build strength, flexibility, balance, coordination and physical stamina in each class.”

Weekly small group sessions provide the tools and instruction to help veterans reach their goals.

“The weekly yoga class at the YMCA allows the individuals to participate together in physical exercises and mind body techniques to eliminate stress and anxiety,” Sullivan explained. “These include breathing techniques and yoga to relax the body, quiet the mind and restore present awareness.”

The rest of the week, participants are encouraged to continue the prescribed practices daily and Sullivan is available to evaluate and encourage them along the way.

“Each participant has reported steady progress, including weight loss, improved strength, better flexibility with better balance and physical coordination,” Thomas said. “The program has helped reduce physical pain and improved emotional stability as well.”

Mark Davis said he joined the program for stress relief after learning about it from a fellow veteran at a medical clinic in Lynchburg.

“Participating in this program has helped me with increasing the range of motion of my right arm and has helped with other physical limitations,” he said, noting he still must proceed with caution due to the nature of his injuries.

The best part of the program, he said, has been the positive, supportive community.

“Connecting with fellow veterans has been helpful to me all the way around,” Davis said. “Participating in the program has turned out to be a very positive experience for me after years of being mostly housebound due to physical limitations and illness, both mental and physical. I am grateful to Gary for all he has done.”

Robert Clay joined the Y with his wife in January, hoping to spark a healthier lifestyle.

“I had struggled with my weight and pain management since leaving the Marine Corps,” Clay, who served from 1997-2003, recalled.

He learned about the program after chatting with his spin class instructor, who happened to be Sullivan, one day.

“The guys in the group are fantastic and it’s nice to revisit the bond that I shared with my fellow Marines,” he said. “I also appreciate the different approach to managing my lifestyle goals that Gary coaches us on. He is also very willing to help everyone on a one-on-one basis if more is required.

“Physically, I have lost almost 25 pounds and I feel much more flexible,” Clay continued. “I also have a very high stress job and the emotional release that yoga helps me achieve is better, in my mind, than any prescription medication that a doctor can prescribe.”

Vietnam veteran Steve Bozeman served as a Marine helicopter mechanic and machine gun door gunner, experiencing many near-death situations.

“I saw enough carnage to last a lifetime,” he said.

Bozeman, who has two Purple Hearts and 18 Air Medals, struggled after his service ended, but found solace in exercise.

“When I was discharged from the Marines in 1970, I would put my combat boots on and go up to the local high school track and jog about 3 to 5 miles to help deal with the stresses of Vietnam,” Bozeman described. “Didn’t know it at the time, but … tens of thousands of other Vietnam veterans were dealing with the same stresses. It was called, ‘Vietnam Syndrome’ back then.”

Today, the syndrome is understood as PTSD.

Bozeman is very active in the local veterans community and was among the first group of yoga warriors.

“I have lost about 8 pounds and I know at age 72 that doing yoga will help me be more flexible and strengthen my core and muscles,” he said. “I feel more in the ‘present’ with my mind and body while doing yoga, blocking out all the ‘stuff’ that clutters the mind.”

Part of the initial grassroots effort, Bozeman has been actively promoting the program to other veterans.

“The other veterans, I’m sure, are seeing the same benefits and want to support each other, knowing the camaraderie we shared in the military is not over—it continues for a lifetime,” he said. “Gary Sullivan has been the perfect person for this as he does an excellent job leading us through the warm ups, stretches and encouraging us to do more as we warm up. But he also stresses to not do anything that hurts and stop at that point.

“The highlight is at the end of the hour of stretches and yoga movements that we can lay on our backs stretched out on our mats and start to relax and get into some mindful meditation for 10 to 15 minutes.”

Sullivan said it is rewarding to see the veterans achieving their goals.

“It takes commitment on their part to do the work, but the results are amazing,” he said. “We build lasting friendships and support one another. I have seen life-changing results and am truly grateful for each one of those who join our program.”

7 Ways to Cope When Life Gets Overwhelming

School is in full swing. The busy holiday season is around the corner with its gift lists and get-togethers. It can be hard to find time to slow down—especially for women. In fact, since 2007, the American Psychological Association’s annual Stress in America survey has found that women consistently report higher levels of stress than men.

According to Lynn Bufka, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist and Associate Executive Director for Practice Research and Policy with the American Psychological Association, here are seven stress-relieving suggestions with women in mind.

1. Track your stressors. Use a journal to identify which situations create the most stress and how you respond to them. Taking notes can help you find patterns among your stressors and your reactions to them so that you can develop a management plan.

2. Set limits. List the projects and commitments that are making you feel overwhelmed. Identify which commitments are priorities and cut back on anything nonessential.

3. Tap into your support system. Reach out to family or friends. Your friends or family members may have tackled similar challenges and have useful ideas and perspectives.

4. Make one health-related commitment. Do what you can to boost your health so that you have the energy and strength to tackle the challenges you are facing. One small step, like cutting back on excessive snacking, can have a positive effect.

5. Manage your devices. People who report constantly checking email or social media typically report more stress. Give yourself a break over the weekend and in the evenings. Put your phone to bed before you go to bed.

6. Enhance your sleep quality. Women who are chronically stressed often suffer from lack of adequate sleep and, in some cases, stress-induced insomnia. Begin winding down an hour or two before you go to sleep and engage in calming activities such as listening to relaxing music.

7. Seek additional help. If you continue to feel overwhelmed or are having trouble getting through your daily routine, seek help from a licensed mental health professional, such as a psychologist.

Source: www.womenshealth.gov/blog/7-ways-manage-stress

Look What I Found!

Have you bought Dad a tie more times than you can count? Or do your kids’ presents always seem to be the same cheap plastic year after year? Whatever Christmas shopping dilemma you’re facing, the 13th annual “Look What I Found!” Holiday Gift Guide is a place to get ideas and inspiration. On the next few pages, check out some items we hand-picked from local stores—a little something for everyone on your list!

Enjoy our Virtual Gift Guide below! You can zoom in to read all the details!

How Seniors Benefit from Geriatric-Focused Care

Aging is inevitable, but living a healthy and productive life as a senior is possible with the right planning and care. Seeking medical professionals who specialize in geriatric care will help seniors through the aging process and put their minds at ease.

“As we age we have a lot of unique issues related to aging, so it’s important that you have someone who is familiar with specific needs of seniors in the geriatric population,” said Brenda Dixon, marketing director at The Summit.

As you age, you might find a doctor who specializes in geriatric medicine to be more helpful. Geriatric medicine focuses on medical issues and diseases caused by aging. Geriatricians must be certified by two separate medical boards—certified in either internal or family medicine—and they must also work primarily with patients 60 years of age or older to become board certified in geriatrics. Doctors who work specifically with seniors are knowledgeable about the aging process and keep up-to-date with how aging can influence medical conditions and medication interactions.

“As seniors do get older, they seem to have more health issues,” said Melissa Hames, who works for Centra Home Health and is a home health liaison to The Summit. She explained that transitioning to a doctor that specializes in geriatric health is important because they are more aware of the common health issues pertaining to seniors, including hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, dementia, Alzheimer’s, kidney disease, and depression.

“When [seniors] have multiple chronic illnesses and disability, or some complicated medical problems, that would be a good time to seek out a geriatric physician,” Hames said.

Dixon explained that a geriatric physician is more knowledgeable about interactions between common illnesses and better understands how they factor into other medical conditions.

“Being able to navigate through those issues is going to be very important,” Dixon said.

Aside from seeking out a geriatric physician, it’s also important to stay a step ahead when planning your future. If you or a caregiver cannot meet your needs, you need to have options in place rather than waiting until the last minute when options become more limited. Finding the right facility is key.

“If people can start looking ahead of time, so that they are not in a predicament where they do not have as much choice, then you can wait for the place that meets your needs, and the place you are looking for,” Hames said.

Many times seniors are reluctant to receive help, but Hames explained that there are a lot of options, including home health care, which is covered 100 percent by Medicare.

Places like The Summit offer a comfortable lifestyle for seniors. They have a variety of living options, such as apartment homes and lakeside garden homes. Community amenities include restaurant-style dining, a private dining room, library, spa, lounges and living rooms, creative arts room, multipurpose activity room, billiard room, fitness center, business center, a wellness clinic, and chapel. Outside, they have an eight-acre lake, a gazebo, boat house, garden house, raised garden beds, and walking trails.

The Summit provides seniors with an opportunity to live independently, with the assurance that help is there when needed.

Learn more at summitlynchburg.com.

Story & Photos by Susan Timmons

As passions go, gardening and art are at the top of my list. It’s pure joy to combine my love for flowers, plants, and indeed all nature, with my love for painting, sculpture, and other visual arts. I can’t pass by a blossom or interesting stick, shell, rock, or sloughed-off bark without taking pleasure in its shape, color, texture, or some other compelling characteristic.

Even as a small girl, I had a penchant for bringing newly discovered natural treasures home to savor their wonders for a while longer. This early pleasure gave rise to a lifetime of combining favorite finds in simple, unpretentious groupings with a flower and an interesting branch, or perhaps several of each, to enjoy the arrangement of the whole while featuring each special element.

This innate predilection, combined with an art degree and travel to Japan (where I felt a kinship with the Ikebana style of flower arranging), fueled my interest in floral arts and lured me to several Fine Arts & Flowers exhibitions at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond and a similar exhibition, named Art in Bloom, at the Taubman Museum in Roanoke in March 2017. There I reveled in the magic of the unique art form created from pairing museum masterworks with floral arts that interpret them to create works of art that transcend both.

Pairing Masterworks with Floral Arts

These exhibitions reflect a trend in recent decades in the U.S. toward floral design with an objective of story-telling, education, and enlightenment—a purpose deeper and more complex than merely presenting elegant, beautiful arrangements that conform to classical principles of design and current aesthetic norms. The arrangements are NOT a floral copy of the masterwork.

They engage, expand, and enrich the artistic experience, and the result is a new creation that is greater than the individual effect of either. This synergy not only enhances and enlivens the selected masterworks, but also has a practical effect of drawing large crowds and increasing knowledge and appreciation of the featured artworks, as well as offering floral artists a perfect venue for displaying their artistry.

According to Victoria Jane Ream, in her 1997 book, Art in Bloom, the concept of this art form was first conceived by Charles (Chuck) Thomas at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston with the first Art in Bloom exhibition in 1976. It was a raving success, and the concept quickly spread to museums across the U.S. in cities such as San Francisco, Birmingham, Denver, Detroit, Rochester, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Houston, New Orleans, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, Hartford, Baltimore, and Richmond.

Today, these exhibitions, called by a variety of names, are a well-established practice. They continue to grow in popularity, expanding the museums’ visitor base and financial coffers through popular related events, such as galas and lectures.

Richmond’s VMFA organized its first museum-wide exhibition of Fine Arts & Flowers in 1987. This year the VMFA promises yet another spectacular biennial museum-wide FA&F exhibition of floral designs inspired by masterworks in their collection with 84 exhibitors from across the state. Floral designs will be created by members of the Garden Club of Virginia, Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs, and other garden clubs in Virginia.

The 2018 exhibition will be Wednesday, October 24 through Sunday, October 28 and is free and open to the public Thursday-Friday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., and Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The VMFA is promoting special events that kick off on October 24 and include renowned guest speakers, several luncheons, a luncheon-fashion show featuring designs by VCU students, workshops, docent guided exhibition tours, curator talks, and a variety of family activities. For a complete schedule and advance purchase of tickets (recommended), visit www.VMFA.museum/FAF or call 804-340-1405.

According to the VMFA website, “Proceeds from Fine Arts & Flowers events will benefit the inaugural tour of VMFA on the Road, the museum’s new artmobile for the 21st century. Through interactive learning experiences with staff educators, virtual-reality tours of VMFA exhibitions, and a traveling gallery of original artworks, VMFA on the Road will bring the museum experience directly to citizens in all areas of the Commonwealth.” This traveling gallery will, of course, enrich our own community here in Lynchburg.

Representing Lynchburg

Lynchburg has been well represented in previous VMFA Fine Arts & Flowers exhibitions by local Garden Club of Virginia member clubs, Hillside Garden Club and Lynchburg Garden Club. And the tradition continues this year. Imagine my excitement last December when I was invited to submit an entry into the 2018 FA&F exhibition, partnering with my fellow Hillside member and friend, Carter Paxton!

The next steps were an opportunity to prioritize masterwork preferences from a pre-selected list sent by exhibition chairs, assignment, and instructions to guide us through a polished process, including informative meetings at the VMFA and regular related communications. Our assignment is a 19th-century painting, A Boar Hunt in Poland, by the French artist Carle Vernet. Carter and I then started considering possibilities for our creation. Where to begin?

At our first meeting in Richmond, Carter and I not only received a private docent-led visit and discussion of our artwork, but we also were schooled by experienced, knowledgeable, energetic, and enthusiastic exhibition chairs on guidelines and factors to consider in our design toward a goal of enhancing and enlivening the masterworks, including:

• The subject matter of the work of art

• The aspects of culture and the historical time period of the work of art. Floral designers are not limited to only using design elements and materials that match the culture and historical period.

• The inspiration, mood, and meaning of the artist in creating the work of art

• Color – hue, value, and intensity

• Composition, line, shape, and pattern

• Positive and negative space

• Shape and form

• Mood

• The effects of light

• Texture

• Medium and materials

• Scale of the work of art

• How the viewer connects and reacts to the work of art

Well-organized exhibition chairs gave us logistical details pertaining to display pedestals, arrangement size constraints, lighting, and the required written description to explain how we created our floral art to be shared with visitors. They also shared information on floral and container requirements, set-up day, and daily watering/refreshing. Since the flower arrangements must be in top shape for the entire five-day duration of the exhibition, we were urged to use cut flowers with long vase life that perform well in dry museum conditions and offered examples of flowers to avoid for various reasons, such as short vase life, expense, or seasonal availability.

Carter and I analyzed our painting and researched our artist and his oeuvre, as well as the historical context and Romantic period in which this artwork was painted. We next considered our approach, style, and design; and we agreed to keep it simple and symbolic, with a focus on emphasizing the structural elements and color palette of the painting as well as the energetic action and mood.

We next decided on a container —a repurposed wooden box that evokes a feeling of the woodlands setting—and tested the liner for leakage (an absolute no-no at the VMFA); and we found a replacement liner after discovering the original wasn’t reliable. Then we hashed out details of our basic design and debated materials to use, selecting a couple of swirling fantail willow sticks (I had to include sticks, of course) to interpret the high-spirited horses, a rough pinecone to represent the boar, and spikey white spider mums to conjure up images of snarling dogs. Then we tackled challenges and decisions that weren’t so easy.

Challenges

The requirement that all plant material be sourced from professional florists for protection of artworks from bugs, diseases, molds, etc. is completely understandable; and Strange’s Florist in Richmond is the official source for most floral material, although other professional sources may be approved. However, for garden club arrangers whose comfort zone traditionally is plant material from our own gardens or scoured from surrounding countryside, this is both constraining and challenging. (Happily, a concession is made for us to use our own favorite sticks if well-seasoned and sprayed.)

A key to our design is the concept of power and control in this violent sporting scene as symbolized by the Polish nobleman’s lush red velvet coat. But what red flowers will be best? We love velvety roses and are most comfortable working with roses, but their growth habits (straight stems, upward facing blooms, etc.) don’t lend themselves to our design. Shall we use gladiolas? Will florist-provided gladiolas hold for five days? If not, how many additional glad stems must we provide to replace wilted flowers during the exhibition period? Ordering deadline for Strange’s Florist is September 8. The jury’s still out.

We’re still considering technical and mechanical details and have decided on frogs (pin holders) and a wire cage in deep water rather than floral foam for anchoring our flowers to give them a better shot at lasting five days. And we did a five-day water test on the dried fantail willow sticks to be sure the submerged stems wouldn’t turn soggy and fall over. How will we cover our wire and still leave a watering hole and finger hole for testing water level? Will it all come together as envisioned? We’ll give it all a trial run before wiring and gluing elements in place. And we’ll remain flexible to changing course as other challenges present themselves.

We continue to research this painting’s place in history since we learned that Verner, although French and painting in Rome, produced the artwork in 1831, right in the middle of the Polish rebellion of 1830-32. This cosmopolitan artist had supreme skill and control in balancing technique and narrative. Could he, as a master lithographer and political wit as well as master equestrian and horse painter, be making a political statement about this uprising as well as a statement about an exotic, intense, and grisly sporting scene? After all, the 19th-century Romantic period in art history featured fine arts subjectively interwoven with philosophical and political ideas and events of their time. These artists embraced emotionalism and rebellion against social conventions in addition to energetically expressing love of the natural world.

Food for Thought

As we know, creating a work of art using flowers and other plant material is a bit tricky. A painting, once the artist applies paint, is a permanent addition to the artist’s oeuvre; and with quality materials and care, the artwork can be preserved for millennia.

But flowers and the art works created by arranging them are ephemeral. So floral artists offer fleeting beauty for perhaps a day, or up to a week or even longer for some hearty varieties. Floral artists aren’t looking to amass a body of artworks for posterity. They revel in the process and delight in the product for a fleeting time; living in and for the moment. Then that moment passes, and they create again, as would sand artists awaiting the next big wave to wash away their creation.

This very characteristic of floral design is precisely what makes it such a complex and appealing challenge. We know that appreciating the beauty of botanic forms and their place in the order of life has inspired and informed the practice of floral artistry of devout spiritualists, royals, nature lovers, and aesthetes dating as far back as 2,500 BC in Egypt; and the art form was revered in ancient India and China before gaining global following. Purposes throughout history have ranged from pure decoration to celebration of the gifts of nature to a spiritual or religious discipline, and much more as cultures have evolved and flower arranging has become a common language of artistic expression worldwide.

And now we have yet a new purpose of expressing the essence or spirit of a work of art, integrating perceptions and feelings into the arrangements that educate members of the public to have more discerning eyes and open minds when they view the artworks, seeking to understand finer points of symbolic interpretation, and encouraging others to see the artwork as well as botanical materials in an entirely new light.

Why not consider such an exhibition in Lynchburg? The Maier Museum at Randolph College comes quickly to mind as an ideal location. I’d love to see how floral artists interpret the spirit of works of art in the Maier’s permanent collection.

Meet the Gardener

Susan Timmons served in the 1970s as Virginia’s first Environmental Impact Statement Coordinator, then Assistant Administrator and Acting Administrator of Virginia’s Council on the Environment and editor of The State of Virginia’s Environment. During that time she also served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Environmental Professionals and received the National Wildlife Federation’s Award for Environmental Communications. More recently, she worked in higher education and nonprofit management and, in retirement, she serves as a member of the Speakers Bureau of the Hill City Master Gardeners Association with a series of talks on “Gardens of the World.”

Provider at Dermatology Consultants discusses the importance of regular skin exams

Skin cancer affects 1 in 5 people in the United States, and according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), one American dies from skin cancer every hour. One of the most important ways to detect and treat skin cancer before it becomes deadly is to visit a dermatologist for a skin exam.

Skin cancers are an abnormal growth of skin cells, which are commonly caused by overexposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. According to the EPA: “Both UVA and UVB rays can cause damage to your skin. Sunburn is a sign of short-term overexposure, while premature aging and skin cancer are side effects of prolonged UV exposure.”

Although it’s not as common, skin cancers can also form from scars caused by burns or disease, occupational exposure to certain chemicals, and repeated X-ray exposure. People have a higher risk if they have a history of skin cancer, burn easily, have blond or red hair and have a history of excessive sun exposure, which includes being sunburned and using a tanning bed. Additionally, people who have or have had an immune system-suppressing disease, are also at a higher risk.

Kappa M. Peddy, M.D., a provider at Dermatology Consultants for 18 years, recommends an annual skin exam as a method of skin cancer prevention and says these can either be full body or partial.

“Typically, an exam will include a review of your family history of skin cancer and any areas of concern. You can expect to get fully or partially undressed to allow for a thorough examination from head-to-toe. For females, it’s best to wear no make-up, nail polish and have hair down,” she says.

Peddy says the visit does not typically take more than 10 to 20 minutes. If something suspicious is discovered, they will most likely take a biopsy to help diagnose the skin condition.

“Skin exams are important because early detection of skin cancer provides the greatest chance of successful skin cancer treatment,” she says. “Skin cancer is most treatable when discovered early.”

Dermatology Consultants offers a variety of skin cancer services from prevention, to diagnosis and treatment.

“The dermatologists at Dermatology Consultants have a combined 150 years of dermatology experience, unmatched by any other local dermatology practice,” says Peddy. “We are patient-centered, … quality, and offer comprehensive dermatology services that include everything from general and medical dermatology to specialized skin cancer surgery.”

Other ways to prevent skin cancer include avoiding sun exposure at peak times (between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.), avoiding tanning beds, covering up with clothing including a wide-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses when outside, and using a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher (re-apply every one-and-a-half to two hours).

Despite skin cancer being the most common type of cancer in the U.S., that doesn’t mean you should always stay indoors.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun can stimulate production of vitamin D in the skin. Having little or no sun exposure may put a person at risk for low levels of vitamin D, but too much UV exposure from the sun or artificial sources can increase risk of skin cancers and eye disease.”

The key is to find the right balance—we need the sun, but we need to protect ourselves at the same time. The most important aspect of prevention is finding the skin cancer early, meaning it is crucial to contact your dermatologist immediately if you notice anything suspicious on your skin or think you might have skin cancer.

“If left untreated, skin cancers can continue to grow and lead to disfigurement, loss of function and/or become life threatening,” says Peddy.

Dermatology Consultants is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. They can be contacted by phone at 434-847-6132 or by email: info@lynchburgdermatology.com. Learn more about Dermatology Consultants online at LynchburgDermatology.com.

Lynchburg’s first luxury hotel is back on the map, more than 100 years later—with no detail overlooked

Four years ago, George Stanley and Blair Godsey, the developers behind Imperial Tobacco Lofts, Cliff’s Edge Lofts, and other recent Lynchburg building projects, were looking for a new challenge.

Then the Virginian, a former hotel at the corner of Church and Eighth streets, went up for sale.

For 30-some years, the Virginian had served as low-income housing. Before that, it spent 10 years as a dormitory for Liberty University, then Lynchburg Baptist College. For a brief time, in the late 1960s/early ’70s, it was the Stewart Arms hotel. But before that, from 1913 to 1968, it was the Virginian Hotel.

When the Virginian Hotel first opened on April 30, 1913, Woodrow Wilson was president of the United States, a loaf of bread cost six cents, and Lynchburg was amid what The Times Dispatch in Richmond would call its “Great Building Boom.”

At the time, the Virginian was one of several high-profile construction projects underway in the Hill City. The Times Dispatch credited the city’s chamber of commerce with not only seeing the need for a luxury hotel but also with raising the $300,000 needed to build it.

Hundreds of people attended the Virginian’s grand opening. The following morning, the Lynchburg News praised the hotel’s “artistic beauty,” saying it was “completed with every detail,” with a “spacious lobby … finished in tan, with a blue tapestry effect” and a “men’s café,” decorated with mission-oak furniture.

According to the paper, the first guest to sign in was Mr. S.E. Blackford, of Hampton, Virginia.

A ‘crazy’ idea

By 2014, when Stanley and Godsey first saw the Virginian, it wasn’t much to look at. As Godsey puts it, the hotel was a “very much-depreciated asset,” with leaky plumbing, a leaky roof and other serious issues.

Despite that, Godsey said he and Stanley “were able to see beyond the filth and disrepair.” There also was a hidden gem: the original marble staircase, which had been walled off from public view for more than 30 years. “It was beautiful,” Godsey said.

Initially, the developers thought they might convert the Virginian into high-end apartments, the kind of work they’d been doing for years. They soon realized that wouldn’t work because there was a large amount of space that couldn’t be easily converted into apartments.

So, Godsey floated an idea: “I proposed the idea of ‘How great would it be if it could be redeveloped and brought back as a luxury hotel?’ And everyone, at first, thought I was crazy.”

Intrigue, scandal and the ‘Hot Virgin’

Proposing that the dilapidated building be returned to its former glory wasn’t the first “crazy” thing to happen in the hotel’s history.

In April of 1916, for example, a Kentucky man wrote his hometown newspaper from the Virginian, described by the paper as a “swagger hotel at Lynchburg.” The man, Walter Stadelman, wanted to set the record straight on why he hadn’t been seen around town lately.

“Dear Sir,” he wrote to the editor of the Hopkinsville New Era. “Will you be kind enough to let my Hopkinsville friends know through the columns of your paper that I am living at Lynchburg, Va., and not in prison as a German spy, as reported in your city? I am no pirate or spy but enjoying the pure air and freedom of the mountains of Virginia.”

In 1958, an ax-wielding Virginian bellhop named Clarence Dabney wounded one man and killed another before being arrested. The murder victim, William Owen Grubbs, was attacked at a service station across the street from the Virginian. A Tennessee newspaper said Grubbs’ body was discovered by another bellhop and a hotel guest.

Then there was the “Hot Virgin.” During the Virginian’s first stint as a hotel, light bulbs on the hotel’s rooftop sign—it said “Hotel Virginian” at the time—would suspiciously go out. When they did, the sign would read “Hot Virgin.”

‘Full-speed development’

Stanley and Godsey decided to go for it. After some preliminary design work, they put the building under contract and spent the next year wrangling financing and state and federal historic tax credits. Construction began in 2016 and from that point on, Godsey said, “it was full-speed development.”

Asked about the challenges of resurrecting the Virginian, both Stanley and Godsey laughed.

“It was an incredibly challenging project,” Stanley said, citing, among other things, the creation of Lynchburg’s only rooftop restaurant, the Skyline Grill. “The rooftop addition was structurally very challenging. From a historic-approval point, we were able to get that rooftop addition approved and we were extremely fortunate.”

Stanley and Godsey also negotiated with Hilton Hotels for the Virginian to be part of the Hilton Curio Collection, a global chain of boutique hotels that also includes The Hotel Roanoke. “We realized very quickly, when we decided to do a hotel, that we were going to need, and wanted, an affiliation with one of the big hotel brands,” Godsey said.

“We identified the Curio Collection, a soft-branded, four- or five-star brand by Hilton that allows you to … utilize their reservation system and the Hilton Honors program, but also allows you to develop a unique, independent property.”

While Hilton gives owners creative freedom, opening a boutique hotel isn’t easy. “There’s a level of detail that goes into developing a boutique property,” Godsey said. “There were no grand standards, so it created huge amounts of design complications and challenges.

“Everything in the hotel was custom designed, from the furniture to the beds to the carpet. Trying to figure out how to bring [together] 115 guest rooms, almost 10,000 square feet of banquet space and three restaurants with a common, but unique, design was the most-challenging part.”

Two years and $30,000,000 later, which Stanley said included “acquisition, renovation and the rear parking-deck construction,” it appears they’ve done it.

‘Completed with every detail’

Like the newspaper’s 1913 description of the hotel, the second coming of the Virginian was “completed with every detail.” Throughout the hotel, there’s a midcentury-meets-Hollywood-Regency vibe, with white marble, crystal chandeliers, satin-brass accents, and Moore & Giles leather furniture. There’s also lots of original artwork, much of it local.

Above the check-in desk is a metal-and-glass piece by Paul Clements, creator of Lynchburg’s LOVE sculpture. In a gallery off of the ballroom are impressionist landscapes and cityscapes by Lynchburg painter Annie Harris Massie.

Local artist Kevin Chadwick was commissioned to do two series of paintings, one of which hangs in the elevator lobby, near the Marigold Café. Chadwick said the owners gave him lots of leeway, asking only for something in the art deco style that incorporated marigold flowers and told a local story.

The end result is four dazzling paintings that feature notable people from Lynchburg’s past: pioneering aviator Chauncey Spencer, folk artist Queena Stovall, architect Amaza Meredith, shoe-factory owner John Craddock, dancer Helen McGehee, poet Anne Spencer, painter Pierre Daura, writer Pearl Buck and surgeon Dr. Rosalie Slaughter.

Chadwick’s subjects are intertwined with marigolds, as requested, along with Italian greyhounds, a favorite breed of the artist’s. Chadwick also incorporated his signature technique, a patchwork of different patterns that is woven through each painting. As he describes it, it represents “peeling back the layers, through the years.”

Lynchburg’s ‘Eloise’

One person who’s anxious to see the resurrected Virginian is Barbara Chavatel. Chavatel grew up at the Virginian Hotel, much like “Eloise,” title character of the popular children’s book series, lived at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Chavatel lived at the Virginian, where her father was general manager, from 1938 to 1957, from the age of 2 to 21.

As a youngster, Chavatel rode her tricycle down the Virginian’s halls. She met movie stars, who were in town selling war bonds, and Helen Keller. “I remember that very vividly,” Chavatel said of Keller, the blind-and-deaf activist, author and lecturer. “She put her hands on my face and looked at me with her hands. I remember her saying, ‘What a pretty girl.’”

Chavatel was a favorite of the hotel staff, who called her “Miss Barbara” and doted on her. “They were very much a part of my family,” Chavatel said, adding that Lacey, the hotel’s maître d’, was particularly dear. “Lacey was one of my favorites and I think I was one of his favorites.”

When she went to Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, Chavatel said Lacey “told the major cook there that ‘I’m seeing Miss Barbara out to school and I want you to fix her something good to eat.’”

When Chavatel married in 1958, the largely African-American staff gathered to see her off to her wedding. Many attended the wedding as well. Because it was during segregation, however, the usher was flummoxed as to what he should do. Chavatel told him, “Well, you seat them. On my side.”

After her marriage, Chavatel moved away. The decades passed, the Virginian closed and the property fell into disrepair. When she returned to Lynchburg for college reunions, Chavatel said couldn’t bear to drive by her old home.

Now, she’s ready to see the Virginian again. “I have a friend in Lynchburg who’s been sending me articles,” Chavatel, who lives in Richmond, said. “I’m delighted that they’re [redeveloping] it. I certainly commend the owners and everyone who had something to do with it.”

She’s planning to attend the grand opening, which will likely be held in September. The owners are looking forward to seeing her. “We invited her to come up before the grand opening,” Stanley said. “We’ve told her we’d comp a room [for her] anytime she wants to [come]. She’s absolutely invited to stay. Our idea, for the grand opening, is to have her serve as guest of honor.”

Connect with Nature… Without Sacrificing Comfort

My husband is an Eagle Scout who spent lots of time backpacking throughout Virginia; thus, he digs camping. I didn’t last a day in Brownies back on my native Long Island and have never actually been camping. Now, while the notion of telling ghost stories around a fire, playing music, roasting hot dogs, and making s’mores appeals to me, the idea of spending the night in sleeping bags and tents does not. No AC, no running water, no bathroom? No thank you!

So the question looms: how can my husband and I enjoy the great outdoors together? Glamping! Glamourous camping combines the best in modern luxuries with rustic settings and views aplenty, and Virginia is home to several properties that each has its own unique (and posh) spin on the glamping concept. Sign me up!

Look Out from a Treehouse

The Primland Resort in Meadows of Dan is known for its remarkable 12,000 acres of secluded Blue Ridge mountaintop complete with top-rated cuisine and first-class service. Over the past several years, guests have had the chance to take advantage of the resort’s newest accommodations: three luxury treehouses.

Primland vice president Steve Helms says the idea came from one of the resort’s owners who knew Mr. Alain Laurens, famous for his treehouse work in Europe. Laurens, who has built more than 200 treehouses throughout Europe, accepted the invitation to visit the resort and look for a great tree to use as the first treehouse. This project at Primland became Laurens’ first treehouse project in the U.S. He designed and built the Golden Eagle house for Primland in 2011. “It was constructed in France and shipped to Virginia in two containers, and it took only two weeks to reconstruct the treehouse on site,” says Helms.

All three treehouses are located at the end of a ridge point with a view of Kibler Valley 1,500 feet below. According to Helms, the treehouses are “great for couples looking for a peaceful getaway or for celebrating a special occasion. The deck is also a perfect spot for a proposal or writing the next best seller!” Guests stay upwards of 1,300 feet high and enjoy privacy and stargazing in addition to having access to all of the amenities of the greater resort.

Any season is perfect for staying in a treehouse, says Helms. “Spring has more in bloom along with baby fawns, turkey chicks, and wildlife coming out. Summer has lush greenery and cool mountain breezes. Fall has the mountainsides transforming to vibrant red, orange and yellow as the leaves change. And winter allows for clear views and the ability to see the rock outcroppings on the mountainsides.”

Booking Tip:
Bring the kids to Primland, but not to the treehouses, since children are not permitted in these accommodations. Also, the treehouses are closed in January and February.

Channel Your Inner Nomad

Ever since I saw A River Runs Through It, I thought fly-fishing looked like fun (and no, it wasn’t just because I was a teenager and the film featured a young Brad Pitt). What looks like even more fun to me is staying in one of the new, modern yurts at Rose River Farm in Syria, Virginia.

Fly angler and outdoorsman Douglas Dear purchased 20 acres in the Rose River Valley (two hours north of Lynchburg) about 10 years ago and transformed it into Rose River Farm, a nature retreat for lovers of fly-fishing and the great outdoors. Guests stay in one of several yurts, which are circular tents typically made from canvas or wood that perform well in high wind terrains. Yurts originated in Mongolia, but Dear first saw them on a fly-fishing trip to Patagonia. “I liked them, and I kept thinking about them when I came back to the States. I just loved all the space that they offered—there’s no wasted space at all,” he explains.

Dear wanted to offer his guests the opportunity to stay in a yurt. “With our mountain views, they would fit the site really well, but with our climate in Virginia, canvas would get mildew,” he says. He contacted a company in Washington State that fabricated alternative yurt components, and a local contractor assembled them.

Each 1,100-square-foot yurt is made from steel and 2,500 separate pieces of cedar hand cut to fit. They feature full kitchens, Wi-Fi, and high-end club furniture. Fly anglers from around the world come to enjoy the Farm and families can fish on the stocked catch and release pond (or even take private fly-fishing lessons). If you don’t fish, don’t worry—you can still find immense enjoyment at Rose River Farm. Couples and families come to hike Old Rag Mountain, check out the wineries, or just kick back and read a book and relax. “We supply firewood for the fire pits every night, and that just becomes a big family event,” Dear says.

Booking Tip:
Make your reservations several months in advance and up to a year ahead of time for the October and November season.

Book a Tiny Cabin

When people hear that I’ve never been camping, they ask, “Would you stay in a cabin?” Evidently, cabins are the gateway to camping, and I’d be up for a weekend at a cabin for sure. One stellar example is Tim and Cindi Spaulding’s adorable tiny cabin in Big Island.

A few years ago, the Spauldings were hiking in Bedford County and started wondering what land would cost up near the mountains. They stumbled upon an old hiker’s loft that was in rough condition and thought, “Could we make it work?” In order to purchase the 2.5-acre property, they’d have to delay their planned kitchen renovation. “We decided to go with it and have some fun,” explains Tim. The Spauldings and their three young children spent every weekend up at the house, completely renovating the whole thing. “It was really a team effort,” he says.

Because the Spauldings originally purchased the cabin to use as a family getaway, they didn’t spare any expense or overlook any detail. However, it is a “tiny house,” with just 308 square feet of living space. To make it work for their family, “we decided to maximize the space as much as possible,” Spaulding says, so they deliberately designed the home to be bright, airy, and functional for everyday living (such as including a washer/dryer).

The Spaulding’s property is located near the Blue Ridge Parkway—ideal for hikers. The inside features a wood burning stove and a loft with a queen-sized bed; step outside and enjoy al fresco dining at the picnic table or a dip in Battery Creek. A swimming hole in Arnold Valley is just 10 minutes away. With wildlife, greenery, hammocks, and a fire pit right there, Spaulding says, “it’s a great place for a weekend getaway.”

Booking Tip:
The cabin is open year-round, but plan on making a reservation at least three months in advance in order to accommodate your desired date. You can find the Spaulding’s cabin on Airbnb: Airbnb.com/rooms/18385835.

Experience Native American Culture

For the past six years, outdoor enthusiasts have been taking advantage of the canopy tours, paddle boating, and mountain biking at Sandy River Outdoor Adventure and Retreat in Rice. With grounds that highlight a 3-hour tree top adventure (complete with tight ropes, swinging bridges, and zip lines), accommodations ought to fit the scenery. Interested guests can choose to stay in a cottage, one of the rustic log cabins, or one of four luxury tipis on the property, which are the newest additions to Sandy River.

That’s right: a luxury tipi. (It’s not an oxymoron.) Each comes with radiant heated floors, AC, a kitchenette, queen-sized beds, and a full bathroom. They also feature Wi-Fi and televisions with Netflix as well as fire pits, picnic tables, and grills.

Booking Tip:
The tipi fabric does not block daylight, so plan on waking up with the sun. A tipi rental also gives you 20% off on any adventure activities you book during your stay.

Other Glamping Sites In Virginia:

Seasonal glamper cottages at Blue Haven 151 Farm in Roseland

Custom luxury glamp sites by Solid Ground Shelters in Ruckersville

An old watch house and kayak tour with Southeast Expeditions in Chincoteague

Cabooses by Grassy Creek Cabooses in Fancy Gap

Cabins, pods, yurts, tipis and more at Explore Park in Roanoke County