DJ Double D Now in Crozet
Long-time South Carolina residents Gwen Bouchie and Lane Dortch always wanted to relocate to the mountains, but they assumed their eventual move would be to Asheville or somewhere closer to their low-country home.
As it turned out, the location for their new home in the hills was chosen for them. Bouchie, an accomplished communications professional at the Medical University of South Carolina, worked closely with Lori McMahon, who was recently chosen to be the vice president of research at U.Va. Part of McMahon’s agreement with the university was to bring her communications expert with her. The transplanted South Carolinians looked around Charlottesville but it didn’t take them long to settle on the Crozet area as the place they wanted to live.
Dortch and Bouchie are in temporary quarters in Old Trail, not far from where colleague McMahon is building her home. They recently met many of their new neighbors at Old Trail’s back-to-school celebration, where they acted as the DJs. This is something the couple has done for years for fun as well as extra cash, and they’ve already managed to book a significant number of events at local establishments. “People have been great,” Dortch said. “I’ll stop by and introduce myself and come away with either a job or a referral.
While Bouchie is well into her new day job, Dortch, an IT professional, is still looking. Meanwhile, they’re meeting people and having a lot of fun with their side business, DJ Double D.
Dortch said he’s been in the business since back in the days of vinyl, before he met Bouchie, providing music for weddings and birthdays. He put it aside for a while as he focused on his IT career. “I was that nerdy kid,” he recalled, “fascinated by every new electronic advance.” Over the years, the couple found that they worked well together in the DJ business, and their offerings expanded as patrons expected additional services.
He focused on the hundreds of small details involved in finding new clients, keeping up his music selection, and making sure everything was planned in a way to please the clients. He’s learned a number of ways to make sure everyone enjoys each event, with appropriate music carefully planned, and covering every genre. Bouchie found she had a knack for what they call “bar games.” She writes her own trivia questions, and they’ve added karaoke and music bingo. They can provide a photo booth complete with props and fast photo delivery for parties and other events. Starting later this month, you’ll see all of these games around Crozet at venues as diverse as The Lodge and Starr Hill. Meanwhile, you can book any of these services and find out more at the website, wwwtagteamdjs.com.
Wendell House Aiming for October Opening in Old Trail
In spite of construction delays, Sarae Janes, one of the owners of Wendell House, said they’re getting close to opening. The store, which will include groceries as well as garden supplies and gifts, has joined with local purveyor 4P foods to offer a selection of produce, dairy, and meat from farms like Seven Hills Beef in Lynchburg, Papa Weaver’s Pork in Orange, and Seamans’ Orchard in Nelson County.
Recently, Wendell House has added granola, bread, and treats from Praha, pasta from Valente in Charlottesville, coffee from Crucible (co-owned by a Crozet resident), and a full range of groceries chosen for quality and wholesomeness. This includes staples like pasta, rice, cereal, and canned goods, but also gourmet grocery items, Janes said. The store will offer a selection of low-maintenance houseplants chosen by Crozet Plant Social in addition to garden plants from Milmont and pots by Cline Creative, a Crozet pottery.
Apple Butter Benefits Rural Communities
Using the natural materials at hand, both the Batesville and White Hall Ruritan Clubs will be boiling apple butter during October. In Batesville, those wanting to peel, chop, feed the fire, stir, or bottle can sign up at the Post Office and then show up in the Batesville Field at the appointed time during apple butter weekend, October 12 and 13. A pancake breakfast is served in the field Sunday morning for the hungry workers. Those who want to support the good works funded by the proceeds are invited to come to the field between noon and 2 p.m. Sunday; or stop by the Batesville Store later in the week.
If you’d like to lend a hand to the White Hall Ruritans, show up at the community building to peel apples Thursday, October 24, starting at 2 p.m.; or help with the stirring outside the building on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 25 and 26. Purchase apple butter on site Oct. 26 after 2 p.m. or at local stores after a few days.
(See more on apple butter on pages 37, 44 and 46)
Cello Chronicles at King Family Vineyards
Marinus Vineyard Concerts (formerly Marinus in the Vineyard) presents the Texas Cello Quartet as the first concert of the 2024 season. The quartet will be at King Family Vineyards October 29.
Four cellists who individually have played at the Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center will play a collection of pieces from the Renaissance and classical periods. They’ve chosen Schubert’s “Erlkönig” and Elgar’s nostalgic “Nimrod Variations,” but have gone beyond the classical tradition with Radiohead’s “Karma Police” and Mancini’s “Moon River.”
The goal of Marinus Vineyard Concerts is to bring together the best classical musicians from around the country twice a year at King Family Vineyards in Crozet. Rachel Yonans, who co-founded the group with her brother, Joseph Kuiper, said the goal is to create a concert experience that makes classical chamber music accessible and available to both music lovers and newcomers.
At these concerts, the audience is invited to come early to enjoy a picnic and glass of wine on the vineyard grounds before gathering in the carriage house for an hour-long concert. With only 200 seats surrounding the musicians, the listeners are essentially on stage with the artists and can hear their breathing and read the music over their shoulders. Those unfamiliar with cello music are invited to come at 6 p.m. to meet the musicians and learn how cellos produce their unique sound. Everyone’s invited to come at 6:30 with a picnic, and order a glass of wine before taking their seats at 7:30.
“It’s a chance not only to hear, but participate and come together as a community to listen together,” Yonan said
Find more details, biographies of the musicans, and make reservations at celloquartet.eventbrite.com.
Paintings and Jewelry at Crozet Artisan Depot
Artists Megan Davies of Gordonsville and Anita Fontaine of Lynchburg are guest artists at the Crozet Artisan Depot until November 12. Both artists will be at the historic depot on Saturday, October 19, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Davies is an artist based in Central Virginia who said her inspiration comes from the simple, joyful moments of life. She preserves memories of everyday joys: from botanicals to landscapes, from busy bus stops to bugs, consistently using unique contour lines and a calm, earthy palette.
Fontaine is a jeweler using a mix of metals, including brass, sterling silver, gold fill, and copper paired with semi-precious stones, shells and glass beads. She’s inspired by movement and light and the many ways they interact in nature. Fontaine also practices other forms of art, and will have small abstract paintings at the Depot.
Urology Office Opens in Crozet
Theo Cisu, a urologist based at Augusta Health in Fishersville, opened a Crozet office August 30 in the Blue Ridge Shopping Center. Dr. Cisu said he’s observed that Crozet has a number of family medicine physicians but few specialists, and he’s wanted to open a Crozet office for years.
As a urologist, Cisu performs prostate, bladder and kidney surgeries, vasectomies, and also sees patients concerned about prostate health and urinary incontinence. He specializes in a new, gentle “no scalpel, no needle” vasectomy technique. He sees female patients with recurrent urinary tract infections, incontinence or urgency issues. Cisu is in his Crozet office Mondays and Fridays, and in Fishersville Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Cisu said he’s part of a trend of U.Va. doctors who at first moved to large urban areas after graduation. “All of our friends who moved to D.C. or New York City in their 20s have since moved back to the area, in Crozet, particularly,” he said, showing there’s clearly an increasing demand for numerous services, including medical specialties. Find out more about his services at www.theocisumd.com.