COOPERATIVE FOCUS
Becoming a Nature Hero
An inside look at wildlife rescue and rehabilitation April 2025 by Amanda S. Creasey, Contributing Columnist One of the greatest thrills of spending time outside is encountering wildlife. Whether it’s a box turtle or bird, fox or frog, rabbit or raccoon, seeing native...
Community Roots
Charles “Charlie” Cawley and his wife, Jane, aren’t just tree farmers. They are also the creators of holiday memories.
Of Light & Magic
Every Halloween, Noel Dickover turns the front lawn of his Centreville, Va., home into a sprawling showcase of beautifully intricate, hand-carved pumpkins, all softly aglow.
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Jolly old Saint Nick gets escorted by local volunteer firefighters through many neighborhoods in December, as a sort of precursor to Christmas.
Keeping History Alive
“We want to enlighten people and preserve history about local Black education prior to integration,” says Northside High School alumnus Silas Musgrove, a retired educator, school guidance counselor and coach.
Fixated on His Future
Kaleb Jeffries watches only one TV channel — The Weather Channel. The repeated use of drone footage in covering storms and viewing ocean life from above fascinates the 23-year-old.
A Very American Celebration
When it first opened, American Celebration on Parade offered only self-guided tours. Present-day visitors, however, will find themselves treated to a delightful, 45-minute guided tour of the vast warehouse and its colorful contents.
Making The Cut
Mercer’s passion for rocks and gemstones began as a child. He says one of his earliest memories is taking an empty chocolate candy box that his father gave his mother for Valentine’s Day, and filling it instead with colorful rocks found in his Cape Cod, Mass., hometown.
A Museum Piece
In addition to the Elk Run Mining Company, Harrisonburg is also home to The Museum of American Jewelry Design & Manufacturing, operated by Hugo Kohl.