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...
Called to Serve
Smith Point Sea Rescue celebrates 50 years June 2024 by Audrey T. Hingley, Contributing Columnist Nonprofit groups are often borne from need, and Reedville’s Smith Point Sea Rescue in Virginia’s Northern Neck is no exception. In 1973, a father and his two young...
Down on the Farm
Say Cheese: Special Edition May 2024 by Laura Emery, Staff Writer Double the Fun on the Farm [gallery order="ASC" itemtag="dl" icontag="dt" captiontag="dd" columns="1" link="post" size="full" style="no-strip" caption="desc" thumb_width="75" thumb_height="75"...
Arwen’s Arrow
Mounted archery program empowers youths and adults By Steven Johnson, Staff Writer Prince was not the first option, but when Arwen Adams laid eyes on the white-and-grey maned Gypsy Cob, she knew he was her heart horse. Adams had traveled with her family to Missouri...
A Life of Gaffs & Guitars
CASTING a Line Rick Robbins is a custom fly rod maker and fly fisherman BARC Electric Cooperative member Rick Robbins of Lexington, Va., can’t remember a time when he failed to enjoy fishing. “There’s a photo of me fishing when I was four. I’m 76 now, so that’s 72...
Zooming into Music
Northern Virginia artist opens the door to competition for budding talents MARCH 2022 by Laura Emery, Staff Writer Like the graceful dancers that pirouette daily on the floors of the Virginia National Ballet studios in Manassas, Va., life sometimes requires a little...
Reflections of Light and Color
Patricia Brennan’s artistic path didn’t run straight to the beautiful stained-glass windows she has been creating for years. Along the way, she tried her hand at various forms of art. “I was interested in learning how to make something that I could make a living from,” says Brennan.
Casting a Line
BARC Electric Cooperative member Rick Robbins of Lexington, Va., can’t remember a time when he failed to enjoy fishing. “There’s a photo of me fishing when I was four. I’m 76 now, so that’s 72 years of fishing,” he says.
Welding Steel into Art
Some students are lucky enough to land in a class taught by a truly inspiring teacher. That happened to Albert “Buck” Doughty when he enrolled at Eastern Shore Community College in Melfa, Va., and signed up for a welding class taught by Lewis Shields.