October 2015 - Northern Virginia

OCTOBER 2015
VOLUME XLV, ISSUE 1
NORVA NEWS
President’s Message for October 2015
Lew Brodsky
One never knows how an event will turn out when the planning is
left to others, so I must admit there was some nervous anticipation prior to the start of NORVA’s joint September rally with our
neighboring Virginia Unit #109. I need not have worried; the rally
was well-attended and a spectacular success. Even a few hours of
drenching rain on Thursday and Saturday could not dampen the
spirit of the occasion. Steve and Kay Lambert of Unit 109 served as
perfect organizers and were delightful hosts. Virginia Unit President Gary Brink and First Lady Lynn were brimming with good fellowship. Our rally venue, Douthat State Park near Clifton Forge,
provided beautiful camping facilities in a lovely mountain setting;
the pot luck dinners were sumptuous; and the members of our two
Airstream clubs got along splendidly, like long-lost cousins. And,
wasn’t the time we spent at the C&O Historical Museum simply
great! It was also a special delight for everyone to welcome and
share the good times with Richard and Donna West of Manassas,
two of NORVA’s newest members. You can read more about the
Douthat Rally in a separate article in this issue of NORVA News.
It was very timely to be with the good people of WBCCI’s Virginia
Unit at Douthat. As you may have heard, their unit and ours are
having difficulty in getting adequate numbers of members to participate in rallies and events. Sadly, in both units, volunteers to
serve as club officers and directors have been few and far between. For these reasons the subject of merging the units has
come up repeatedly. The idea would be to coalesce into one larger
unit with significantly more members than we have, or can attract,
as individual units. Merging would also broaden the talent pool from
which leadership positions can be filled. The possibilities will be
explored thoroughly by NORVA’s leadership over the next few
months and during 2016. Everybody’s input on this subject is welcome. If a merger is in the cards, we should probably lay the
groundwork for it during the year, with the goal of completing it by
October 2016.
Talk of a merger is not the only exciting thing affecting NORVA and
Virginia Airstreamers during 2016. We have heard recently from
WBCCI Region 3 President Matt Hackney regarding the 2016 Region
3 Rally. The decision has been made to hold it in Virginia! On September 9th, I joined Tom Carmichael on a day-long fact-finding visit
for Matt. We went to The Meadow Event Park near Doswell, VA, just
down the road from Kings Dominion. The Park is now the new home
of the Virginia State Fair, and its operators are seeking to cater to
RV groups who seek a large rally venue. Of note, they have constructed a beautiful new pavilion building (The Farm Bureau Building) with loads of wide open interior space. They are in the process
of installing equipment on the grounds to provide full hookups for up
to 150 trailers and motor homes. Matt is now negotiating pricing
with The Meadow Event Park officials and it fairly certain to be the
place where the Region 3 Rally will be located. You can bet that the
WBCCI members who live in Virginia will be called upon to help host
this event, which should attract more than 100 rigs from WBCCI
units in Virginia, Florida, and all the states in between. The Region 3
Rally is planned for April 27 to May 1, 2016, so stay tuned for more
details!
Farm Bureau Pavilion at The Meadow Event Park, Doswell, VA
Location of next Region 3 Rally
Page 2
NORVA Officers
Lew Brodsky, President
703-451-0122
[email protected]
Tom Carmichael , 1st Vice President
804-245-1710
[email protected]
Jackson McBroom, 2nd Vice President
757-345-0060
[email protected]
Jane Quinn, Secretary
540-825-7785
[email protected]
David Baker, Treasurer
703-250-3028
[email protected]
Lloyd Ulrich, Membership Director
703-724-3954
[email protected]
Della Hoosier, Newsletter Editor
540-937-3527
[email protected]
NORVA NEWS
Joint Rally at Douthat State Park
By Kathy Simmons
This was the first time for NORVA to have a rally at the beautiful Douthat State Park near Clifton Forge. We were asked to join Virginia Unit for this combined rally and a great rally it was.
Thursday evening we had a potluck supper at a very nice shelter, with a fireplace at each end.
We took a dish to share and our meat to grill. Everyone enjoyed the campfire. Eighteen couples were in attendance if you count Lew and Paisley as a couple.
Friday morning we had a very informative tour to the C & O Railway Heritage Center. It was an
impressive exhibit for the small town of Clifton Forge. Our guide had worked for C & O and was
enthusiastic in talking about the museum, the railroad buildings and the tour through the caboose, passenger car, the club car, dining car, the freight car and the diesel and steam engines. Friday evening we all had dinner at Douthat's Lakeview Restaurant. The weather was
perfect for outside dining overlooking the lake.
On Saturday morning, several people took a bike ride on the Jackson River Scenic Trail. Others hiked around the beautiful lake. Some explore the mountainous area by truck. For our
evening meal, we went back to the Railway Heritage Center, took a dish to share and our meat
to grill. We all had a wonderful evening around a campfire. It was fun rally, having such a large
and diverse group.
NORVA members present were Lew Brodsky, Bruce and Danette Campbell, Cecil and Della
Hoosier, Jack and Janice Hornbeck, Edgar and Kathy Simmons, Richard and Donna West.
Virginia Unit members present were Host Steve and Kay Lambert, Doug and Debby Doberer,
Russ and Julia Harper, Bob and Linda Lee, Doug and D. A. Powell, Sam and Karen Bernard,
Randy and Xan Rinehart, Guy and Nila Sager, Frank and Norma Bobbitt, Gary and Linda Brink.
Also joining us Brook and Pam Gwathmey from Tidewater and Frank and Jane Hewins, members-at-large.
Kathy Simmons, Legislative Director
540-421-3045
[email protected]
Cecil Hoosier, Storekeeper
540-937-3527
[email protected]
Ed Jones, Parliamentarian
703-780-6597
[email protected]
Dick Arnold Past President
540-582-5261
[email protected]
New members Richard and donna West.
First Rally

Pictures from Lew Brodsky, Cecil
Hoosier and Edgar Simmons

No Anniversaries this month
Page 3
VOLUME XLV, ISSUE 1
Page 4
NORVA NEWS
September Rally Awakens Childhood Memories of Western Virginia
In 1956, nine-year-old Cathy-Jane Cooperman’s older brother taught her to
swim in the gentle, clear waters of a stream beneath the scenic Humpback
Bridge, a covered bridge located just outside the town of Covington, Va. She, her
mom, and her brother had traveled to Covington from their apartment in Brooklyn, N.Y., spending that summer in a rented house with dad, George Cooperman.
George had traveled there a few months earlier. He was employed by the New
York City-based Salterini Company, and his job was to set up and run a new
factory in Virginia for the manufacture of wrought-iron outdoor furniture. The
company’s founder, Italian immigrant John Salterini, was renowned and admired for the quality of his unique iron furniture.
The Salterini Company
The Salterini Company no
longer exists. The business closed down in the 1960s, but the vintage, “mid-century
modern,” outdoor furniture Salterini designed and created can be found in antique
stores, at auctions, and estate sales. The pieces generally sell for premium prices.
Today, Cathy Cooperman is Cathy Brodsky, NORVA’s First Lady. It caught her attention
when NORVA and the Virginia Unit of WBCCI scheduled a joint September rally at the
lovely Douthat State Park near Clifton Forge, which is only a stone’s throw from Covington. Attending the rally would have provided Cathy with the chance to revisit a
place of childhood memories but, alas, she was scheduled to be on a west coast business trip that
weekend! So it
fell to Lew
Salterini outdoor furniture
Brodsky and his
ever-faithful companion, “Paisley,” to hop over to Covington during the
rally, take photos, speak to the locals, and let Paisley swim in the cool
waters her “mom” enjoyed nearly 60 years earlier! Afterwards, Lew
reported his findings to Cathy: the famous covered bridge and the
stream are still there, of course; the area having been converted into
a pretty wayside park. At Covington’s library, Lew spoke with (and
audio-recorded) some of the older folks who remembered the
Salterini plant and the “Yankees” who operated it. The factory building is still
s ta n d i n g .
Today it is an unmarked warehouse belonging to the Richmond-based MeadWestvaco Corporation, which operates a large paper mill in Covington. But the rented
summer house of 1956 could not be located, based on Cathy’s description of it.
Lew’s visit to Covington proved to be an interesting rally side trip, and his photos
and recordings provided Cathy with a walk down memory lane!
Page 5
VOLUME XLV, ISSUE 1
Voting Results
Slate of Officers 20 YES
Question 1 Sixteen Yes Two NO and Two No Opinion
Question 2 Sixteen Yes Two NO and One No Opinion
2016 Membership Dues Reminder
If you haven’t already sent in your dues please mail to David Baker
the original or copies of the WBCCI’S “Renewal Dues Request” with
the appropriate dues. If you have any questions please call David or
email him. Dues must be in by the end of October to be in the International Membership Directory. David Baker, Treasurer
Phone 703-303-7334 Email; [email protected]
Douthat Rally Group
NORVA Members
Where are they?
2015
NORVA Caravan
To Sugar Creek
September 23-October 5
Lloyd & Elaine Ulrich
Cecil & Della Hoosier
Larry & Rhonda Evans
Mike & Betty Ivy
Fred & Sharon Schultz
Larry & Debra Owens
Balloon Festival
Albuquerque
October
Paul & Cynthia Pearce
2016
September
The American Revolution in the
Northern Colonies
Ed & Beth Jones Leaders
Lew Brodsky
Dick & Jane Arnold
Jack & Janice Hornbeck
Cajun Country Caravan
March 8-23
Jack & Janice Hornbeck
International WVA
June-July
Paul & Cynthia Pearce
Don & Myrtle Bell
Cecil & Della Hoosier
Jim and Edie Caldwell
Let us know
where you are
in 2016
Page 6
NORVA NEWS
AARP Driver Safety Rally Misty Mountain Campground
56 Misty Mountain Road Crozet Virginia
November 13-15 2015
We have reserved 13 campsites (site #1-#13 on the campground’s map) in the
lower section for Friday till Sunday, November 13-15, 2015. The rate will be
$55.15 (full hook ups) per night less 10% for our group. Call the campground to make your reservations at
1-888-647-8900 and identify yourself as participating in the NorVa Rally.
On Friday evening we will have a “Pot Luck” dinner in the campground’s meeting room, which has been reserved for us. Bring something to
share along with your drinks, and set ups.
The AARP Driver Safety Course will be held on Saturday, November 14, which will be an all day class with a lunch break. Receipts will be given so that you may provide them to your auto insurance company for possibly a discount. The seminar fee for AARP members is $15.00; for
non-members the cost of the class is $20.00.
On Saturday evening Cynthia and Paul Pearce have offered their beautiful home for a barbecue dinner. The dinner fee is $5.00 per person.
The Pearce’s will provide ice, cups, and coffee. Please bring your set ups and whatever you’d like to drink including beer and wine. We will
plan to carpool to the Pearce’s.
So that we confirm the number of seminar participants to AARP, please return the attached coupon with your check NOW. Jack Hornbeck
Norfolk, VA Mail Coupon and Check to: Jack Hornbeck, 1309 Llewellyn Ave, Norfolk, VA 23517
NAME:_____________________________SPOUSE_______________ UNIT # ___________
Address: _______________________________________________________
Phone Number _________________
Rally fees;
AARP Class
Yes_______ No__________
AARP MEMBER _____CLASS FEE $15.00 X____ $
NON-AARP MEMBER_____ CLASS FEE $20.00 X ____$
RALLY FEE PER PERSON $5.00 X_________ $
Total $
CAMPING FEES PAY WHEN YOU CALL THE CAMPGROUND 1-888-647-8900
Note from Peter West
On this summer's trip to Yellowstone we saw this Airstream dressed up as a
toaster out our window. We put 6,200 miles on our Airstream visiting the
Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier Park,. Rushmore, Battle of Little Big Horn
in SD, Buffalo and Syracuse before we got home. Pete West
Page 7
VOLUME XLV, ISSUE 1
Edgar and Kathy Simmons Dream Trip
This past August we took a dream trip to sites in Peru and Ecuador. There were 8 couples in our Avalon tour group.
Machu Picchu is a UNESCO World Heritage site in Peru. It stands at 7972feet in an
extraordinarily beautiful setting. Just being there and thinking about it was overwhelming. The next day, at my age, at that elevation, I took one of my most challenging
hikes, the Inca Trail up to Sun Gate. Machu Picchu was built in the fifteenth century
and was abandoned when the Inca Empire was conquered by the Spaniards in the
sixteenth century.
Cusco, Peru is a UNESCO World Heritage Center in the Andes Mountains The population is about 400,000, and the elevation is about 11,200 feet. It was the capitol of the
Inca Empire. It is a beautiful city with well preserved colonial architecture. Walking
around the museums, churches, historic sites, squares and markets was challenging
at this elevation. We even visited a chocolate factory museum that gave us free samples. This is a interesting city spread th rough the mountains.
Quito, Ecuador, a UNESCO World Heritage Center, is the highest (9350 ft.) capitol city in the world. We
visited beautiful churches, museums, the presidential palace around the square. A lot to see and do and
we always felt safe. It a modern and thriving city, a notch above Cusco and Lima in Peru. About 15 miles
south of Quito we visited the 'Middle of the Earth' Park where we straddled the equator with a foot in each
hemisphere. We could see the volcano Cotopaxi (19,685ft) about 31 miles south of Quito spewing smoke.
On a bus ride about 60 miles north, we saw hundreds of green houses that grew roses. Most are shipped
to the US.
There are 18 major Galapagos Islands about 600 miles west of Equador. We sailed around 4 islands on the
Isabella II. There were 35 passengers on the boat. Each day we had a morning and a late afternoon excursion including beach walks, hikes, kayaking, Zodiac tours, snorkeling and swimming. Yes, we saw a herd of
Galapagos tortoises, blue and red footed boobies, sea lions and all of the animals and birds that you hear
about.
NEWS LETTER EDITOR
DELLA HOOSIER
3448 HOLLY SPRINGS ROAD
AMISSVILLE VA 20106
www.northva.wbcci.net
Www.facebook.com/groups/421841571177543/
Remember the
Wounded Warriors
2015 NORVA SCHEDULE
September 23—October 5
Caravan to Sugar Creek OH Leader Cecil and Della Hoosier
Enjoy the Swiss Festival at the Sugar Creek Rally Tours in Amish country
October 9-11
Virginia Commonwealth Rally North 340 Campground 1125 East Side Hwy
Waynesboro, VA 22980 Host Shenandoah of Virginia Unit
November13-15
AARP Class at Misty Mountain Host Jack and Janice Hornbeck Dinner at Paul and Cynthia Pearce Lovely
Home
December 5 or 6
Holiday Dinner Rally Knights of Columbus Arlington
Host Fred and Tom Carmichael