To synthesize the luxury fashion industry feels a fruitless task, for it is in many ways a field emphatically characterized by the four changing seasons. The sense of the liminal permeates each fashion season, as a sundry of new garments are brought onto runways and into stores across the globe, rendering designs from only a few months prior out of trend.

But this kinetic energy was paused by the COVID-19 pandemic. With government-mandated lockdowns, the fashion industry has been forced to reckon with a society forcibly moved into the private. The public necessary to the performance of fashion was put under quarantine, and in April, as COVID-19 cases began to escalate, clothing sales fell nearly eighty percent. Consumers, now put under the duress of work from home, traded their suits and dresses for sweatpants and slippers.

The synchronized fall of landmark tastemaking boutiques, then, feels anything but coincidental. In 2020, Opening Ceremony shuttered its doors, while Barneys officially filed for bankruptcy both closures seemingly signalled that the luxury fashion house was no longer marketable.

In Irina Aleksanders profile for The New York Times Magazine of sweatpants designer Scott Sternberg, she described the fall of so-called fashion giants during COVID-19. Over the next few months, J. Crew, Neiman Marcus, Brooks Brothers and J.C. Penney filed for bankruptcy, Aleksander wrote. Gap Inc. couldnt pay rent on its 2,785 North American stores. By July, Diane von Furstenberg announced she would lay off 300 employees and close 18 of her 19 stores. Fashion, an industry characterized by excess and frivolity, seemed to bear the brunt of both a health and economic crisis that denied these exact things.

This industry apocalypse seems to be a necessary precursor to understanding fashion houses subsequent scramble to rethink consumer interaction. With production suddenly put on pause and in-person runway shows largely inaccessible, fashion houses accustomed to the luxury of in-person runway experience were forced to consider alternate modes of presentation and marketing.

Yet, perhaps the halt of the interminable fashion cycle was exactly what the industry needed. Sophie Elgort 08, a fashion photographer who has worked with the likes of Vogue and Elle, pointed to the pandemic as perhaps a catalyst for preeminent changes.

Fashion was sort of changing anyways already, Elgort said. For example, brands were sort of trying to get out of the normal fashion cycle, whether it was because they were responsible for too many collections per year and they couldnt keep up, or whether they were just kind of fatigued by the fashion calendar.

Menswear designer Robert Geller RISD 01 has embraced this new mode of fashion production that Elgort pointed to. Geller previously won the GQ Best New Menswear Designer Award in 2009 and went on to receive the CFDA Swarovski Award for Menswear in 2011.

Because of Covid-19, I have decided to move away from the two big annual collections and work off schedule to drop products as they are ready, Geller said. The existing structure was kind of falling apart anyway.

Geller, who majored in apparel, maintains this strong sense of personal change and innovation as intrinsic to his time on College Hill. RISD gave me the chance to build my confidence to believe that I could have my own brand. The foundation year really made me believe that if I put my mind to something, I could come up with a good solution, he explained. That was the most important thing in all of my studies.

Elgort, who has spent much of the past six months quarantining with her family in New York, saw her whole photographic calendar uprooted by the pandemic. Basically, all of my shoots that were scheduled past March 15th were canceled, she said. I remember I set a reminder for a month later to reschedule all my meetings, because I thought within a month it would have been sorted.

But as the pandemic persisted relentlessly, the fashion world was forced to adapt.

In April 2020, Elgort did her first shoot over Zoom and Facetime for M Milenio, a magazine based in Mexico. I mostly shot over Zoom, and I had the actress mom use a phone camera to take the pictures, Elgort said of the virtual directing process. We had two phones going so that the actress could hear me directing her poses and so that I could direct the mom taking photos. It was kind of more like directing a film because youre directing both the cameraman and the subject.

But much of the collaborative, interpersonal effort so imperative to the photographic process was lost, Elgort said. Being able to collaborate with the other creatives on set is one of the things I love most about taking photos, so it was almost more like creating personal work or something, she said.

And, it is this in-person experience this intimacy with the creative process and garments that consumers are ostensibly missing as well.

Nicholas Picchione 86 P20 pointed towards the difficulties of digitizing luxury fashion.

It could just be that the digital model has to evolve, as technology and AI evolves and such, you never know. But from the people Ive spoken to, a digital showroom can never replace picking up a garment, trying it on, touching it, feeling it, seeing how the fabric drapes theres a disconnect there, Picchione said. With apparel, it will always be about that tactile experience how it makes you feel, and its hard to replicate that digitally.

When Picchione graduated from Brown with degrees in Biology and Economics, he knew neither medicine nor strict business were right for him, and he made his foray into fashion through retail. I just started pounding the pavement and applied off the street at the Armani boutique on Madison Avenue in New York, and I was hired as a cashier, Picchione said. He has worked as senior vice president and chief merchandising officer of Ralph Laurens luxury Childrenswear, Mens Purple Label and Mens Black Label lines.

This in-person experience in luxury fashion was formative to the fondness Picchione developed for the industry. I was super excited to be working in fashion, and even though I was making no money, I just really loved the environment, he said.

But the fashion world is changing, Picchione explained. There are still a few exclusive brands that still dont consider selling online, but weve seen a general acceptance of the digital space, he said.

Although much of the digital shifts have been mandated by the pandemic, Picchione, like Elgort and Geller, suggested that this was a change already in motion.

I think particularly as brands need to attract a new and younger customer, you need to talk to customers in a different way, he said. And because those younger consumers are so digitally savvy, it was first informational and then it became transactional, and now, in the past six months, its for everyone.

It is the ability to adapt to the unprecedented global and cultural shifts, to engage with the younger customer without alienating the old customer, that allows a company to succeed in the contemporary landscape, Picchione said. With the bankruptcies of household boutiques like Neiman Marcus and J. C. Penney, a lot of people are blaming it on the pandemic, but those companies were having problems all along. This just brought it to a quicker conclusion, Picchione said.

Picchione says that consumer priorities are more different now than ever before. Younger customers, in particular, place more value in brand authenticity and issues of ethics. Now, you look to brands that are socially responsible, that treat their employees well, that are environmentally conscious that becomes part of the brand message, he said. Its not just about imagery in a magazine, which is what it used to be. Those digital story moments, whether its online on their website, or on Instagram however they choose to convey that message is important to connect with the customer.

Trends have shifted during the pandemic landscape as well. I think that the definition of luxury is changing, Picchione said. Athleisure is the work from home uniform.

There has been a general casualization of how people dress no one is buying a suit or a gown now, Picchione said. But, he also thinks there could be a resurgence of fashion-experimentation once the pandemic is over. I think its very possible the trends will change, and when people are able to go back to work and parties, theyre going to dress up like they havent in ages.

And, Picchione maintains that once the pandemic is sorted, the physical shopping experience so central to the fashion landscape will be reignited as well.

Even with the tremendous rise in e-commerce, I think that brick and mortar stores will always be important, he said. Its just a question of what that looks like.

Geller, who has spent his quarantine in Lisbon with family, hopes to see small boutiques carrying indie designers revivified. Here in Lisbon, there are tons of small boutiques with really amazing things, that you dont see everywhere else, Geller said. Shopping became so boring, because you saw the same 10 brands in every store. There was no originality.

Speaking to the sudden economic challenge that the pandemic poses, Geller offered his own perspective. Sometimes (life) makes things very difficult and it is by working through these difficulties that you gain your experiences and come out stronger for having worked through the challenges, he said.

At the same time, Geller sees the pandemic as a possible stimulus for creativity and agility. The one good thing from dropping rents is that it will give a chance to a boutique that has more of a vision and is willing to take chances, he said.

Perhaps the in-person shopping experience will be necromanced, reinvigorated with a youthful life-source that begets a new frontier in the fashion industry.

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Brown alums talk future of fashion - The Brown Daily Herald

Coherent Market Insights released a new market study on 2018-2026 Pressure Relief Devices Market with 100+ market data Tables, Pie Chat, Graphs & Figures spread through Pages and easy to understand detailed analysis. At present, the market is developing its presence. The Research report presents a complete assessment of the Market and contains a future trend, current growth factors, attentive opinions, facts, and industry-validated market data. Report offering you more creative solutions that combine our deep geographic experience, intimate sector knowledge and clear insights into how to create value in your business. The research study provides estimates for the 2018-2026 Pressure Relief Devices Market Forecast till 2026*.

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Pressure Relief Devices Market report provides key statistics on the market status of the Pressure Relief Devices manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the Pressure Relief Devices industry. The Pressure Relief Devices Market report also presents the vendor landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the major vendors operating in the market.

Top Key Players of Pressure Relief Devices Market: Gentinge Group AB, Invacare Corporation, Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc., Talley Group Limited, Paramount Bed Holdings Co. Ltd., Stryker Corporation, Acelity L.P., and Medtronic plc

Regions of Pressure Relief Devices Market:

In the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of Pressure Relief Devices Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of the global Pressure Relief Devices industry covering all important parameters.

Pressure Relief Devices Driver Pressure Relief Devices Challenge Pressure Relief Devices Trends

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Production Analysis Production of the Pressure Relief Devices is analyzed with respect to different regions, types, and applications. Here, the price analysis of various Pressure Relief Devices Market key players is also covered.

Sales and Revenue Analysis Both, sales and revenue are studied for the different regions of the global Pressure Relief Devices Market. another major aspect, price, which plays an important part in the revenue generation is also assessed in this section for the various regions.

Supply and Consumption In continuation of sales, this section studies supply and consumption for the Pressure Relief Devices Market. This part also sheds light on the gap between supply and consumption. Import and export figures are also given in this part.

Other analyses Apart from the information, trade and distribution analysis for the Pressure Relief Devices Market, the contact information of major manufacturers, suppliers and key consumers are also given. Also, SWOT analysis for new projects and feasibility analysis for new investment are included.

In continuation with this data, the sale price is for various types, applications and regions is also included. The Pressure Relief Devices Market for major regions is given. Additionally, type wise and application wise consumption figures are also given.

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In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of the 2018-2026 Pressure Relief Devices Market are as follows:

History Year: 2015-2017Base Year: 2017Estimated Year: 2018Forecast Year 2018 to 2026

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Excerpt from:
Pressure Relief Devices Market Trends Shaping The Future of The Industry | Gentinge Group AB, Invacare Corporation, Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc., Talley...

Coherent Market Insights released a new market study on 2018-2026 U.S. Hospital Beds Market with 100+ market data Tables, Pie Chat, Graphs & Figures spread through Pages and easy to understand detailed analysis. At present, the market is developing its presence. The Research report presents a complete assessment of the Market and contains a future trend, current growth factors, attentive opinions, facts, and industry-validated market data. Report offering you more creative solutions that combine our deep geographic experience, intimate sector knowledge and clear insights into how to create value in your business. The research study provides estimates for the 2018-2026 U.S. Hospital Beds Market Forecast till 2026*.

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This research report also provides an overall analysis of the U.S. Hospital Beds market share, size, segmentation, revenue forecasts and geographic regions of the Market along with industry-leading players are studied with product portfolio, capacity, price, cost and revenue. The research U.S. Hospital Beds report analysis on the market current applications and comparative analysis with more focused on the pros and cons of and competitive analysis of major companies.

The U.S. Hospital Beds Market report identifies the Market dynamics and trends within the global and regional Market considering numerous aspects including technology, supplies, capacity, production, profit, price and competition. Furthermore, this study highlights the company profiles and competitive landscape of the involved key players within the U.S. Hospital Beds Market.

Synopsis U.S. Hospital Beds Market Research Report covers insights of U.S. Hospital Beds industry over the past five to eight years and forecasts until 2018-2026. U.S. Hospital Beds Market report helps to analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global U.S. Hospital Beds Market 2018 Industry Trend and Forecast 2026

U.S. Hospital Beds Market report provides key statistics on the market status of the U.S. Hospital Beds manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the U.S. Hospital Beds industry. The U.S. Hospital Beds Market report also presents the vendor landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the major vendors operating in the market.

Top Key Players of U.S. Hospital Beds Market: Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc, Carevel Medical Systems Private Limited, Getinge AB, Invacare Corporation, Stryker Corporation Linet spol S.r.o, Paramount Bed Co. Ltd., Meditech (India) pvt ltd, and Linet Group SE.

Regions of U.S. Hospital Beds Market:

In the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of U.S. Hospital Beds Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of the global U.S. Hospital Beds industry covering all important parameters.

U.S. Hospital Beds Driver U.S. Hospital Beds Challenge U.S. Hospital Beds Trends

Browse U.S. Hospital Beds Research Report:U.S. Hospital Beds Market

Further, in the U.S. Hospital Beds Market research report, the following points are included along with an in-depth study of each point:

Production Analysis Production of the U.S. Hospital Beds is analyzed with respect to different regions, types, and applications. Here, the price analysis of various U.S. Hospital Beds Market key players is also covered.

Sales and Revenue Analysis Both, sales and revenue are studied for the different regions of the global U.S. Hospital Beds Market. another major aspect, price, which plays an important part in the revenue generation is also assessed in this section for the various regions.

Supply and Consumption In continuation of sales, this section studies supply and consumption for the U.S. Hospital Beds Market. This part also sheds light on the gap between supply and consumption. Import and export figures are also given in this part.

Other analyses Apart from the information, trade and distribution analysis for the U.S. Hospital Beds Market, the contact information of major manufacturers, suppliers and key consumers are also given. Also, SWOT analysis for new projects and feasibility analysis for new investment are included.

In continuation with this data, the sale price is for various types, applications and regions is also included. The U.S. Hospital Beds Market for major regions is given. Additionally, type wise and application wise consumption figures are also given.

Get Free PDF Brochure Of this Research Report @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-pdf/996

In this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of the 2018-2026 U.S. Hospital Beds Market are as follows:

History Year: 2015-2017Base Year: 2017Estimated Year: 2018Forecast Year 2018 to 2026

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See original here:
US Hospital Beds market Comprehensive Insights, New Project Investment and Growth Potential In The Future | Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc, Carevel Medical...

There is a new way to promote the arts during the holidays, and dozens of local artists are taking part in a national movement.

The arts are the conveyor belt of culture in our world, said LaRae Zawodny, the chair of the Clark County Arts Commission. I think the arts really bring together generations, other cultures. They help us understand each other.

The hope is that the conveyor belt will be at top speed on Nov. 29, bringing the gift of art to the masses as part of Artists Sunday.

There is Black Friday. And Small-Business Saturday. And Cyber Monday. This year, Artists Sunday premieres, celebrating art and promoting its sales throughout the country on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. The sales are all online, with thousands of artists throughout the country putting links to their work on one giant site.

Currently, there are more than two dozen Clark County artists who have signed up to participate.

Its a new thing. Im willing to see what its about. Im seeing that because of all thats going on right now, virtual has got to be the way. Getting someone to come to your studio is next to impossible, said Vancouver artist Tom Relth, a painter.

Im 72 years old. Im a lifetime learner. I appreciate trying new things to do. Artists Sunday is a new adventure. Well see what it does.

Jennifer Williams of Ridgefield is a board member of Artstra, a nonprofit advocacy group designed to elevate the arts in Southwest Washington. That groups Clark County Open Studios Tour was called off this year due to the pandemic. In fact, many artists lost most of their opportunities to showcase their work this year.

We as artists have to adjust to the conditions that are thrown at us, said Williams, a painter. Artists Sunday is a movement to promote and support art and artists.

While the Artists Sunday website lists thousands of artists all over the country, she hopes Artists Sunday will be a reminder to support local artists.

She is confident that this is just the beginning, as well.

I know this is going to grow and become something bigger, Williams said.

Kathy Marty of Washougal said she is excited about the potential for Artists Sunday.

I think its fantastic. We kind of get lost in the shuffle of Amazon and all the big guys with their sales out there, said Marty, who weaves rugs. I think its a great idea. I hope it takes off. So many people seem to be interested in it.

The website, artistssunday.com, asks visitors to shop art this season.

Theres perhaps nothing more personal than a gift of the arts, the site claims.

There is also a directory of artists. Clark County Today searched for all artists in Washington state, then found all the artists from Clark County. The list is below.

Among the local artists who have signed up are Relth, Williams, and Marty.

Relth is both a contemporary abstract and landscape painter, working generally on larger format canvas, paper, and wood panels, according to his website, relth.org.

He has a masters in fine arts but worked 35 years in commerce before returning to the arts. He moved to Casablanca, Morocco, where he became an arts teacher. He also resumed his own painting. He now has a studio in Vancouver.

We all seek meaning in life. My art is an attempt to create a kind of beauty and point to the divine, Relth said.

Williams was always drawing as she grew up in north Clark County.

I was always everyones artist, going through school. People came to me for things, she recalled. I didnt start painting until college.

Now, she has her own studio in Ridgefield.

Using thick textures and atmospheric layers, my images reference the Pacific Northwest where the sky and water are constantly moving and nature in a state of change, she says on her site: jenniferwilliamsfineart.com.

Her work means more to her today, as well.

During these times, art has really been a saving grace, Williams said. I am a professional artist. It is my livelihood. But when COVID happened, all of a sudden I realized art is also my escape.

Williams also appreciates being able to express herself.

Art is a way to communicate those things that cant be put into words, she said.

Marty of Windy Hill Weavers in Washougal, fell in love with weaving in college. She was a sculpture major, but took a weaving class and was intrigued.

She took a 35-year break, though, and returned to weaving just three years ago. Marty uses wool selvage from Pendleton Woolen Mills to create her eco-friendly reversible rugs.

It brings me a lot of joy, Marty said. Its challenging. Its frustrating sometimes. Just like anything you love to do, you try to work through the roadblocks. Once you come out of the other side, Oh, I did it. This is fun.

Now, her website, windyhillweavers.com, is listed as part of Artists Sunday.

There is still time for other artists to sign up, as well.

This is a chance to connect, Williams said. As individuals, we can work hard and be successful, but we are stronger when we come together. In facing a pandemic of this magnitude seeking connection is more important than ever before.

Here is the list of Clark County artists who have signed up for Artists Sunday as of Nov. 18:

Bellavara Studio, Washougal

Betsy Soifer (Recycle with Soifer), Vancouver

Cathie Joy Young, Vancouver

Cheryl Hazen, Battle Ground

Cynthia Mosser, Vancouver

Frederick Jones, Vancouver

Hilarie Couture/ H.Couture Arts, Vancouver

India de Landa, Camas

Jackie Stewart Art, Ridgefield

Jane Degenhardt, Vancouver

Jane Wolfe, Vancouver

Jeff Gracz Elemental Images, Vancouver

Jennifer Williams Fine Art, Ridgefield

Jill Mayberg Art, Vancouver

John Knoten, Vancouver

Kelly Neidig, Vancouver

Kenneth E. Meyer, Battle Ground

Kim Eshelman, Battle Ground

Linda Kliewer, Battle Ground

Michelle Allen, Vancouver

Nancy Jacobson, Ridgefield

Orange Bead Art, La Center

Shirley Bishop Glass Artist, Washougal

Studio C S. Grover & C. Hale, Washougal

Stefanie Adams, Yacolt

Tamara Dinius, Washougal

Terri Shinners, Vancouver

Tom Relth, Vancouver

Toni McCarthy, Camas

Upswings Jewelry, Vancouver

Windy Hill Weavers Kathy Marty, Washougal

Wisepots, Vancouver

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Artists Sunday coming to your computer on Nov. 29 - clarkcountytoday.com

Global Disposable Lead Wires Market: Snapshot

The number of hospital acquired infections is directly proportional to the high morbidity and mortality rates. These infections are caused due to antibacterial-resistant microorganisms and directly impact the hospital economics. The expense for hospital acquired diseases and infection heightened after 2008 when Medicare no longer provided reimbursement for these diseases. Thus, in or to prevent or eliminate these cross-contamination infections, three potential methods are generally applied, one of which is eliminating the route that will enable the infection to get transferred from one patient to another. As electrocardiography wires are not 100% of the time disinfected, they are the possible contributors to the growth of the type of resistant bacteria causing infections. The several pathways that are presented by reusable wires containing resistant bacteria for cross-contamination by resistant bacteria highly triggers the threat of hospital-acquired infections when these types of wires are used and reused.

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The employment of disposable lead wires helps in eliminating the risk of infection via these pathways. The adoption of these disposable lead wires also is as an aide for the complete infection control program and can further help in decreasing the rate of infections in acute medical and health care facilities.

Global Disposable Lead Wires Market: Trends and Prospects

The global market for disposable lead wires is expected to witness a stable growth over the coming years owing to the rising occurrence rate of cardiovascular diseases. This factor is expected to trigger the use of ECG equipment and related accessories, thus propelling the demand for ECG lead wires in the coming years. Additionally, the usage of reusable lead wires on patients is the key reason behind the growing occurrence of blood stream infection and are the principal source for the spreading of antibiotic resistant bacteria among patients. The ever rising global geriatric population is anticipated to help in widening the consumer base of the global disposable lead wires market by pushing the frequency of cardiovascular diseases. This factor, in return is expected to propel the sales of patient monitoring devices such as disposable lead wires over the forecast period. One of the primary drivers of growth of the market is rise in healthcare associated infections across the globe.

According to a recent study published by SunTech Medical Inc, each year over 2 million suffer from hospital acquired infections alone in the U.S. and the number is likely to rise in the coming years. These factors are thus expected to contribute towards the evolution of this market over the forecast period.

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Global Disposable Lead Wires Market: Market Potential

In order to stay competitive in the market and secure a strong and stable positions, many market leaders are entering into strategic alliances or are merging with other leading companies. For instance, Welch Allyn was acquired by Hill-Rom Holdings Inc. in September 2015 for approximately US$2.05 mn. This acquisition enabled Hill-Rom Holdings to decrease the cost of healthcare for consumers and present patient care services with far more efficiency.

Global Disposable Lead Wires Market: Regional Outlook

Region-wise, North America is expected to hold a strong position in the global disposable lead wires in the coming years owing to rising mortality rates which is the result of heart disorders among people in the region. The growing expenditure on healthcare in the U.S. and the presence of local players is also expected to aid the growth of the global disposable lead wires market in the coming years.

Global Disposable Lead Wires Market: Vendor Landscape

The nature of the global disposable lead wires market is extremely price sensitive and the competition among the players is intense. The companies are constantly focusing on producing low priced products and implement better pricing strategies.

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About TMR Research:

TMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.

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Disposable Lead Wires Market Competitive Landscape Analysis with Forecast by 2025 - Cheshire Media

The Trump administration is reportedly poised to take another step to advance drilling at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska.

Two people familiar told Bloomberg Newsthat the Interior Department will host whats known as a call for nominations as soon as Monday to gain advice on which parts of the refuges coastal plain to lease out.

The administration formally approved opening up the entire 1.56 million-acre coastal plain to oil and gas drilling this year.

Bloomberg reported Friday that the call for nominations could help shape a future lease auction, though the department is required to issue a formal notice before holding the actual sale.

"Congress directed the Department to hold lease sales in the ANWR Coastal Plain, and we have taken a significant step in meeting our obligations by determining where and under what conditions the oil and gas development program will occur,Interior spokesperson Ben Goldey told The Hill in an email.

Goldey didn't immediately respond to questions seeking clarification.

President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenViolence erupts between counter-protestors, Trump supporters following DC rally Biden considering King for director of national intelligence: report Here are the 17 GOP women newly elected to the House this year MORE has pledged to permanently protect ANWR, though a measure in a 2017 tax law requires one lease sale to be held there by Dec. 22, 2021 and another by Dec. 22, 2024.

The Trump administration, meanwhile, has been eager to open up the refuge to drilling, with Interior Secretary David Bernhardt saying earlier this year that it could "create thousands of new jobs and generate tens of billions of dollars."

The department has also recently taken another step to advance drilling, proposing a plan for the Kaktovik Iupiat Corporation to test for oil deposits there starting as soon as December.

Critics, meanwhile, argue that drilling at ANWR could harm animal species that are found there, negatively affect the landscape, exacerbate climate change and harm the Gwichin people who hunt caribou there.

ANWR is home to a number of species, including grizzly bears, polar bears, gray wolves, and more than 200 species of birds.

Environmentalists slammed the latest reported action Friday.

Its not surprising that Trumps Interior is pushing a last-second lease sale in the Arctic considering its political appointees are essentially industry insiders, but it is disappointing that this administration until the very end has maintained such low regard for ... public lands, or the wildlife and Indigenous communities that depend on them, said Adam Kolton, the executive director of the Alaska Wilderness League, in a statement.

Updated: 7:07 p.m.

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Trump administration to further advance lease sales at Arctic refuge: report | TheHill - The Hill

Tax system is key to preserving farms and vistas

By Tim Carrington For Foothills Forum

The grain mills have rusted away, the clothing assembly lines are silent, and the apple business has mostly rolled off to North Carolina, Winchester, the Pacific Northwest and China.

Rappahannock Countys surviving treasure island land tucked inside sunsets, punctuated by fences and streams, home to calf-and-cow operations, vineyards, fine eateries, art galleries and footpaths. The cows, cooks, artists, tourists and retirees all are here because of the land, whether they gaze at it or graze on it. The county treasury needs it just as badly: real estate taxes this year will bring in $10,668,017, or 70 percent of local revenue, to support the schools and help fund a panoply of services.

Mount Vernon Farm has been in Cliff Millers family for eight generations.

But ringed by towns and exurbs subject to crowding and commerciality, Rappahannocks timeless hills command ever higher prices. The average price per acre has soared from just under $1,000 in 1974 to about $7,000 in 2017. In 2020, despite COVID-19 (or maybe because of it), real estate offices and construction firms have never been busier, with building permits rising above pre-pandemic levels. By driving up prices, land buyers threaten the landscapes that enthralled them in the first place, because for farmers, costlier land makes it harder to get started or show a profit after taxes. Should a developer approach, its more tempting to cash out.

For the artist, tourist or weekender, the land needs to be a beautiful and evocative backdrop. Not so for most farmers and owners of substantial parcels. For them, the landscape is also an economic asset. It doesnt only have to be protected; it also needs to generate income.

The threat of landscape loss extends far beyond Rappahannock County. The American Farmland Trust found that between 2001 and 2016, 11 million acres of U.S, farmland was paved over, chopped up and built on, effectively taking those thousands of pastures out of agriculture forever. Some of the lost farmland still looks something like a farm, though it has effectively become a piece of exurbia. In Virginia, in the same time period, 340,000 acres of farmland, twice the size of Rappahannock County, was developed or threatened with development.

Using one measure of development population density Rappahannock County is succeeding in maintaining its open spaces, notwithstanding its 75-mile proximity to a major metropolitan area. In 1930, there were 28.9 persons per square mile in the county, and following a decades-long tapering off in population, the latest calculation shows 27.7 per square mile still below the level 90 years ago.

The number of farms has been rising, with fluctuations; in 1987, there were 288, and in 2017, there were 439. But the farms are getting smaller, shrinking from an average of 268 acres in 1987 to 160 acres in 2017.

Taxes: A tool for conservation

Tax policy has always been a tool for encouraging some activities and discouraging others, and in Rappahannock theyre calibrated to encourage farming, forestry and generally, letting land be. Conservation easements lower tax rates while placing permanent limits on development. But some farmers want a tax break without taking options away from future generations. So in 1982, the county adopted land-use tax deferrals to keep the farmers farming, including weekenders who grow hay that a farmer cuts, bales and takes away. Deferrals also are available for land used for forestry and horticulture (the latter being a tiny proportion of the acreage subject to land use). In some cases, the benefit shrinks the tax bill to about half of what it would be if taxed at fair market value.

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To qualify, residents must have at least five acres dedicated to agriculture or horticulture, or 20 acres in forestry, to gain that land-use deferral. The arrangement particularly when applied to those whose only crop is hay can be an irritant to long-time residents whose taxes are based on fair-market value because their holdings are too small to meet the land-use threshold. But by giving the weekend hay farmers an incentive to enter land-use, the tax structure helps cattle farmers avoid buying hay. Easing the financial strains, it keeps farmers farming, and protects the landscape.

By any measure, land-use is widely used and popular. Together with conservation easements and public land holdings, it whacks deeply into the revenue that the county might earn from its main asset. Heres the breakdown: Starting with 170,496 acres, the Commissioner of Revenue Mary Graham must immediately subtract the untaxable Shenandoah National Park as well as various tax-exempt properties, plus highways, roads and rights of ways, leaving 136,581 acres of taxable land. Of that, 33,634.9 acres are under conservation easement and 83,363.8 acres are in land-use. That leaves just 19,582 acres, 14 percent of all taxable land, that is taxed at fair-market value.

Farmers say that without todays land-use tax breaks, for-sale signs would proliferate and Rappahannocks beloved landscape would begin to mutate. According to Mike Kane, the Piedmont Environmental Councils land conservation director, studies show that land-use tax deferrals, by easing the burden on farmers, help preserve the landscapes that visitors and homeowners prize, generating more economic gains for the county than they cost in lower tax receipts. He adds, You cant find a study that doesnt support the notion that agricultural and open spaces generate more revenue than they demand in services.

Given its commitment to protect farms and farmers, the county counts on construction of new houses to generate new tax revenue. There are 171 homes that the assessors designate to be mansions, old and new. Amassing to a total assessed value of $202 million, the mansions account for 12.7 percent of the taxable value for the county. Says Al Henry, a member of the countys Planning Commission: Thats where the increases in our taxes is going to come from people building houses.

Of course, there can be too much of any good thing: Build too many over-large, showy houses in visible locations, and the county loses its rural ambiance. So far this year, there are 20 building permits for new homes, up from 17 a year earlier. The 20 new structures covered by this years building permits will provide a boost in the countys tax revenues, but, depending on location and design, some may encroach on a cherished landscape.

For the time being, there is no groundswell to raise taxes on land thats farmed, forested or protected under easements. In fact, the one idea that gets some attention is an additional land-use category for open space. The State of Virginia allows this tax break, and a number of neighboring counties, such as Madison and Fauquier, have adopted it. The open-space tax break was initially understood as a way to encourage golf courses and other private recreation spaces. But experts point out that the participating county can attach a variety of conditions to qualify, such as cultivating native plants, providing habitat or encouraging pollination. And to avoid competing with the farming tax deferral, the county could set the tax reduction for open space below that for agriculture.

Heres a hypothetical situation where an open-space tax break could help preserve the landscape. A large farm cuts back, opting for a family farm, or smaller, more specialized commercial operation. The land taken out of active farming would lose its agricultural land-use advantage, immediately bouncing into a higher-tax category. The owner might decide to carve the old farm into parcels to sell to home-builders. An open-space land-use deferral would allow the farmer to retain the agricultural land-use deferral for the new, smaller farm, applying the open-space tax advantage for the rest. The formerly farmed land would be tended according to healthy land-use practices, encouraging native plants and pollinators, which would benefit neighboring orchards and vineyards. As a result of careful environmental management, if the land were to transition back to active farming, it would be in healthier condition. Its not known how many Rappahannock land-owners would claim the open-space tax deferral if it were available, but PEC analysts say it has worked well in Fauquier and Madison Counties, without resulting in a significant loss of tax revenue.

Farmers and conservationists see landscape preservation as a three-legged stool: conservation easements to remove land permanently from development; land-use tax deferrals to lighten the tax burden on land under management; and third, business strategies for generating enough income from land to reduce the temptation to sell.

Addy Hausler of Castleton digs into an apple crate at Thornton River Orchard, which has found success selling directly to consumers. Overall, orchards occupied 1,378 acres in 1992, but by 2017 covered just 211 acres in the county.

The strategies dont follow a single rule other than a willingness on the part of landowners to rethink and reinvent. A look at two defining agricultural mainstays for Rappahannock cows and apples underscores how much, and how quickly, rural economies can shift. The cattle population, which stood at 17,548 in 2002, dropped to 12,997 in 2017. The prospective sale of the 7,000-acre Eldon Farms would bring the numbers down further. Apples, once an economic engine, show an even starker decline; orchards occupied 1,378 acres in 1992, but by 2017 covered just 211 acres in the county.

U.S. agriculture is increasingly concentrated, dominated by a handful of processors and distributors, with prices set by sweeping market forces well outside the control of the producers. The large commodity-type markets arent friendly to agriculture on the scale that is practiced in Rappahannock County, says one land-use expert in the region. But because cows need large swaths of land for grazing, the calf-and-cow businesses are uniquely valuable in keeping Rappahannocks landscape looking as it does now.

For comparison, a major vineyard adds beauty, diversity and income to the county, but it requires no more than about 25 acres. A comparably positioned cattle farm needs ownership of, or access to, hundreds of acres. Once the land is in place, these businesses can generate profits, though not at the level that alternative sectors might offer in todays economy. The proposition shifts when farmers have to acquire the land. But if the land is already in the family, or can be economically leased, many believe that beef cattle can become a solid business.

While the tax policies for easements and land-use are stable. But business strategies, the third leg of the stool, are constantly in flux, and likely to remain so. And other than repeatedly, and calmly, asking, What now?, theres no single template for success.

The following trio of snapshots offer three currently successful approaches. They are wildly divergent, suggesting that Rappahannocks future will be more of a quilt than a monochrome blanket. But for all their differences, the three management approaches have these elements in common:

All three take advantage of Rappahannocks proximity to the large customer base in the Washington metropolitan area.

All three engage the fresh thinking and continuity brought by younger generations.

All three focus on the future more than the past, listening closely to todays customers.

With 840 acres, eight generations of family owners and 193 years of farming, Mount Vernon Farm rises from the eastern edge of Sperryville, an icon of Rappahannock County history and beauty. At one time, 115 cows were milked twice a day in the 235-foot barn that stretches along the lowland section of the farm, down the hill from the graceful brick farmhouse John Miller Sr. bought in 1827 from Francis Thornton and later expanded. At other times, grass-fed beef cattle, pigs, lambs and chickens were rotated through the pastures, with llamas parading to scare away coyotes and other visiting predators.

Weve got the perspective of 200 years,Cliff Miller III says. Weve seen a lotof things that worked well at one time, but stopped working well.

Today, the animals are gone. The barn, emptied of cows, caters to brides and grooms, celebrating their vows with family and friends, flanked by tables heaped with offerings from the countys best cooks. The Miller family no longer sleeps in the farmhouse, which, newly renovated, is The Inn at Mount Vernon Farm, with rooms starting at $250 a night. The grazing pastures are filled with wildflowers, native grasses, and in the summer and early fall, hundreds of butterflies darting across miles of grassy trails where guests walk and enjoy breathtaking views.

Its a new business, and the product is beauty. Young couples, stressed city-dwellers, environmentalists and fishing enthusiasts flock to the place. Cliff Miller III notes that his immediate ancestors would be reeling if they saw the changes, but he applauds the vision brought by his son, Cliff Miller IV, who arrived in 2010 after trading NASDAQ stocks on the West Coast. His idea was to turn the farm into an eco-refuge and hospitality business. The reengineering includes a nine-hole golf course along Route 211, tied to the Headmasters Pub, which anchors the old Schoolhouse structure, which the Miller family also owns. Since the pandemic hit, Headmasters put its menu online, and business picked up smartly. Golf activity benefitting nationally as an apparently safe pastime has doubled in recent months. Active farming is part of the picture only through the successful adjacent vegetable and flower mainstay, Waterpenny Farm, which leases acreage from Mount Vernon Farm.

Weve got the perspective of 200 years, Cliff Miller III says. Weve seen a lot of things that worked well at one time, but stopped working well. For Miller, the environment evolved from a parallel preoccupation to the central focus. In the late 1990s, he worked to eliminate toxic fertilizers and pesticides, cleaned up the stretch of the Thornton River that traverses the property and used federal subsidies to help cover the necessary green investments. He stopped cutting hay, concluding that it took nutrients away from the land. Six hundred and four acres went into conservation easement.

Mount Vernon has migrated from being a farm inside a landscape to being a landscape that remembers farming. Visitors share the Millers passionate appreciation of the local environment, and the hospitality business so far is working out. Reflecting on past and present, Cliff Miller III prefers the current incarnation of their Mount Vernon. Im not here because my family owned the land, he says. Im here because of the beauty of the place.

In contrast to Mount Vernon, animals are the center of life at Bean Hollow Grassfed near Flint Hill. Soon after Bill and Linda Dietel bought the 200-acre Over Jordan Farm in 1980, sheep arrived. Linda Dietel set up a meat and wool business she managed for 20 years. After her retirement, a neighboring cattle farmer leased part of the land for grazing and haying. In 2012, the Dietels daughter Betsy and her husband Mike Sands moved in, and after giving the land a few years to rejuvenate, launched Bean Hollow Grassfed on 105 acres of the original farm. Sands, a long-time consultant on community-based agriculture and animal science, preferred sheep to cows, because theyre less expensive, mature faster and are smaller (If all else fails, I could push a sheep where I want it, he explains.)

Pigs came next, but in modest numbers initially. Theyre now the second-highest contributor to farm revenue, with about 25 on the farm. Today, in addition to the pigs, there are 21 beef cattle, 98 ewes, five mature rams and 65 lambs.

Mike Sands feed pigs atBean Hollow Grassfed

Initially, Sands recalls, it was a very simple market. The farm sold animals to three buyers, who then handled slaughterhouse bookings, processing and marketing. But one of the main buyers moved, and Bean Hollow ventured into retail sales. The sticking point was the cost of staffing the farm store. A Midwestern farmer persuaded Sands to operate the farm store on a self-service basis. People thought I was nuts, he says, but its worked. The only irregularities result from customers paying too much, either by accident or as a gesture of good will.

The COVID-19 crisis brought a surge in demand, and a challenge to meet it. People associated large grocery stores with empty shelves and infection risks. Nightmare stories of COVID surges at huge meat processing plants added to the aversion. The result: Bean Hollows customer base quintupled, and the challenge to keep up was intense, particularly when local processing facilities began to get overburdened.

Once the pandemic subsides, Sands hopes to retain half the new customers, selling them meat at the farm store and the farmers market in Sperryville. Staffing includes his son and daughter-in-law, plus a younger-generation hire, Amanda Frye, who has managed pasture quality, the health and growth of the animals, and more recently, integration and marketing. When her responsibilities expanded, Bean Hollow extended her salary with in-kind payments in livestock. Shes now off on a paid maternity leave.

If trends continue for local and grass-fed, you could see some real benefits for the county, says Mike Sands.

Sands says the team, and the customers, are happy with the focus on animals. The farm provides recipes and tips on grilling the meat. Customers want to reserve their favorite cuts and return. He says financial strains would ease if the county showed more flexibility by allowing farms like Bean Hollow to supplement their revenue through occasional events like weddings and weekends for agro-tourists. What youre really looking for is to grow the revenue base without further burdens on the land base, he says.

Sands says hes optimistic. If trends continue for local and grass-fed, you could see some real benefits for the county, he says, not in the sense of a boom, but youd see a healthier landscape, higher returns through higher management of the pastures and more opportunities for young farmers.

When he was a year old, Allan Clark moved from Fairfax to the base of Old Rag Mountain, and he has been fastened to the Rappahannock landscape ever since. After school, he mixed carpentry work and small-time farming, turning in 2015 to the countys one-time economic mainstay apples. Leasing land from the Jenkins family, he planted apple and pear trees, including lesser-known varieties like Evercrisps, Pink Ladies and Arkansas Blacks. Tall deer fencing went up to protect the newly planted trees.

Youve got to diversify and sell directly to the customer, says Thornton River Orchard owner Allan Clark.

Strategically located between Sperryville and the national park entrance, the 30-acre orchard is positioned to intercept hikers and foliage watchers as they come off the mountain. But more customers were waiting in the city, so Thornton River sets up at two Washington area farmers markets every week.

As Clark sees it, the orchards of old were ensnarled in a complex business of juicing, processing and distributing fruit through a chain of intermediate businesses. Contracts were complicated and regulations could beheavy. Direct sales to customers are simpler, cleaner and more profitable. The younger-generation component comes through the Clarks 27-year-old daughter, Megan, who studied business and agriculture in college. Four workers help from August through December.

Luis Barrios picks some of the orchards last Pink Lady apples of the season.

Youve got to diversify, Clark says, and sell directly to the customer. Alongside the fruit and vegetables, the Clarks churn out a stream of value-added products: Bloody Mary mix with horseradish, Vidalia onion peach sauce, hard cider, and in the latest innovation, apple cider slushies.

Like other Rappahannock farms, Thornton River found that the pandemic expanded business. The two farmers markets led to direct customer deliveries. In the late spring, Thornton brought in as many as 50 boxes of fruit and other products for individual customers to pick up. For one Chevy Chase, Md., customer who was wary of crowded markets, Clark delivered the produce box to her door. We show people were loyal to them and they show us theyre loyal back, he says.

A natural optimist, Clark expects problems, but also solutions. Stinkbugs damage the apple trees, but Samurai wasps are beginning to punish the notorious pest. Berries involve a lot of work, but Thornton might draw people to the farm with a pick-your-own arrangement. Apples were left spotted by the surprising Mothers Day freeze last May, but they recovered their flavor.

Although he leases the land his orchard occupies, land-use tax policy is important because it helps the owner keep the leasing costs down. Land-use to Rappahannock County and to rural land is the only way youre going to keep people doing this, says Clark. We dont want to be the next Prince William or Fairfax County.

Tommy Starts atop a straw horse at the front of the Thornton River Orchard store in Sperryville, Va.

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Protecting Paradise Land and landscape: A backdrop and a business - Rappahannock News

When Dr Wilfrid Fox began his arboretum in 1938, he envisaged not simply a collection of tree species, but planting on such a scale as to create its own landscape. Under its new manager, this extraordinary place is, at last, being given the attention it deserves, reveals Charles Quest-Ritson.

Winkworth was the brainchild and passion of Dr Wilfrid Fox (18751962), who planted this most beautiful arboretum in the middle years of the 20th century. It is now a much-prized asset in the National Trusts portfolio of grand gardens.

The Trust calls it a Museum of Trees, but, actually, its better than that. Ever since Fox started planting in 1938, much thought has gone into the artistic effects made possible by planting for flowers in spring and leaf-colour in autumn.

Fox was an interesting man. He came from a family of Liverpool merchants who made their fortune in South America. Independently wealthy, he nevertheless qualified in medicine and ran a thriving Harley Street practice as a venereologist (politely known, in those days, as a dermatologist). During the First World War, he converted his motorcar into a field ambulance and drove to France to serve with the Royal Army Medical Corps.

Winkworth Arboretum is set in a valley within a rolling landscape in Surrey.

He retired from his medical practice aged 51 in 1926 and spent the rest of his life at Winkworth Farm, three miles south-east of Godalming in Surrey. His acquisition of 65 adjoining acres in 1937 enabled him to create the arboretum of which he dreamed. Further land was added subsequently, so that Winkworth now extends to about 100 acres.

Foxs passion for trees dated from his earliest youth. He was one of the founders of the Roads Beautification Association, which, in the 1930s and 1940s, was responsible for planting thousands of ornamental trees, such as pink cherries, along trunk roads. He admired the tree collections at Exbury, Westonbirt and Sheffield Park and knew their owners.

Not for him the bitty plantings of plantsmen who simply want to collect as many species as possible. A mistake which is commonly made in landscape planting, he wrote, is making the groups too small. Fox wanted massive plantings and mega colour effects. He believed that, if one planted on a grand scale, the result would be a landscape of its own and no longer need to be in harmony with the landscape beyond. He explained: If one plants exotics (sometimes a term of opprobrium) sufficiently boldly, they can, in a very short time, become part of our English scenery.

Most of the land at Winkworth lies on a greensand plateau, but part of it runs down a steep hill to a valley where an artificial lake was made long before Fox bought the estate. He saw he could plant the dramatic escarpment with bold groups of trees, the shapes and colours of which would be reflected in the calm waters below. Accordingly, he placed two massive drifts on the lower slopes: 24 trees each of American red oak Quercus coccinea and Liquidambar styraciflua.

The lake at Winkworth Arboretum.

Over the years, the oaks have proved a disappointment because they dont colour as well as expected and seem to be short-lived. The liquidambars, on the other hand, have thrived, and their display of autumn colour is the longest of all trees up to 10 weeks from start to finish. The Trust has decided, quite correctly, to increase the number of liquidambars and to try the oaks in another part of the arboretum.

Fox called himself an artist using trees and shrubs to paint a picture. He loved maples and planted many species. Some have fared better than others. Acer rubrum is one of the most successful and, over the years, mature specimens have been limbed up to create a woodland canopy under which shade-loving species flourish. Layered planting is now the key to maximising the ornamental effect.

In the lee of Acer rubrum are some 80 different Japanese maples, some dating back to the earliest days of the arboretum, their fallen leaves creating a carpet of red, orange and yellow in late October. Acer palmatum Osakazuki is consistently one of the best.

The Canadian sugar maple, Acer saccharum, is always among the first at Winkworth to show its brilliant red colouring, early in September. Nyssa sylvatica, the American tupelo, is also a dependable vehicle for autumn colour, but its leaves do not last long upon the trees. A smaller tree that does give a lengthy autumn display is the Persian ironwood Parrotia persica; three specimens planted as a group down by the lakeside have spread themselves out very attractively.

There are many habitats at Winkworth and Fox exploited them to meet the different needs of ornamental trees and shrubs. Some of his ideas, such as underplanting ancient bluebell woodland with azaleas, might not be considered acceptable nowadays. He had an interest in Sorbus species rowans and whitebeams all of which have handsome leaves and impressive flowers, usually followed by autumn colour and splendid clusters of fruit (S. cashmiriana keeps its large white fruit until well into the new year). Once, Winkworths Sorbus were recognised as a National Collection, but severe losses they are often short-lived are now being made good with help from another National Collection at Ness Botanic Gardens in Cheshire.

Fox planted mainly for spring and autumn colour, but a Trust property open to the public must support visitor interest all through the year. Mahonias, hamamelis cultivars and Cornus mas are always much admired when they flower in winter. This is also the season to study the infinite colours and patterns of tree bark: snake-bark maples and almost all birches show their trunks off best in winter. Late-summer colour comes from such shrubs as hydrangeas, Clerodendrum trichotomum and flowering trees of Eucryphia Rostrevor and E. x nymansensis Nymansay, both of them champion specimens.

Winkworth has many champion trees. Among the largest examples in the British Isles are Acer davidii Madeline Spitta (named after Foxs secretary), the upright tulip tree Liriodendron tulipifera Fastigiatum and the American chestnut Castanea dentata, now blighted almost to extinction in the wild. The many Surrey champions meaning that they are bigger than anything at Wisley or the Savill Garden include three huge magnolias flowering in early spring Magnolia campbellii subsp. mollicomata, M. Lanarth and M. x veitchii.

Sunlight falling on tree trunks in an autumn afternoon in Winkworth Arboretum.

There is much to entice the knowledgeable visitor, including a huge Halesia monticola and a magnificent Nothofagus obliqua. Fine horse chestnuts include the invaluable Aes-culus indica, late flowering and resistant to leaf-moth, and Japanese Aesculus turbinata, the leaves of which are the largest in the genus, twice the size of our common conker trees.

There are several Cercidphyllum japonica trees at Winkworth and the intriguing smell of burnt sugar their leaves emit in autumn catches the visitor unawares. An avenue of the Japanese Hill cherry, a close relation of Prunus serrulata Kanzan, was one of Foxs first plantings. Almost all those trees have died, so the Trust needs to consider whether to replant them and, if so, where to put them.

You will not see a single eucalyptus tree they were far too exotic even for bold Dr Fox. For simple tree worship, however, Winkworth remains a most enjoyable place of pilgrimage.

Winkworth has been owned and managed by the Trust in some degree since 1952 and now has 140,000 visitors most years. It is the charitys only dedicated arboretum and perhaps the knowledge and skills required to manage it have not always been readily available in-house.

The current manager, Graham Alderton, came from outside the Trust and is quickly putting Winkworth on the right tracks for the next 30 years or so. A programme of restoration and upgrading is on the way, as are better parking, refreshed reception buildings and improved signs.

Nevertheless, the Trust is hampered by a lack of records nothing to indicate when the individual trees were planted or where they came from. Labelling was, at one period, completely neglected. There are important trees that Mr Alderton, a Kew-trained tree-expert, is still trying to find. Others are in need of accurate naming. He is assisted by three full-time gardeners not really enough for 100 acres, although two are qualified arboriculturists. In a normal year, as many as 30 volunteers undertake essential tasks pruning, clearing, chipping and mulching, as well as working with strimmers and light machinery. Although building work is on hold for now, the future looks positive.

Winkworth Arboretum, Godalming, Surrey, near Gertrude Jekylls Munstead Wood http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk

A riot of autumnal splendour has broken out across the country.

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Winkworth Arboretum, the Museum of Trees that celebrates the art of planting for autumn colour - Country Life

How did these abandoned cars and trucks from another era get here? The forest is too dense, too rocky, and too hilly to drive a 1953 Oldsmobile 88 two-door coupe to its final resting spot, wedged tightly between trees. And could that 1941 Buick have arrived under its own power? Neither car has wheels.

The cab of a pickup truck intact at the bottom of a hill seems to have somehow found its way here without benefit of any motor, chassis, or doors.

A cemetery of maybe half a dozen vehicles, all seemingly dropped from above, sit in silence, subsumed in varying degrees by a patient but relentless natural world. And all without a hint of explanation as to their presence.

Stepbrothers Allan Bezanson and Don Haitsma, 85 and 86 years old, respectively, know the answers.

Theyd grown up here on Stirrup Brook Farm, a small dairy with maybe 20 cows and a few fields of corn and hay. Farming was hard work, but the boys found diversions when they could. They carved a track into the brush around their fields, where they raced aging automobiles bought on the cheap, even though they werent old enough to have drivers licenses. Farm kids often drive early.

And then, just a few years out of high school, Haitsma bought a used Oldsmobile, an otherwise great car cursed by an infamous transmission. Its reverse gear didnt work.

General Motors designed an advanced automatic transmission, the Hydra-Matic Drive transmission. The companys factory in Livonia, Mich., churned out thousands every day until it went up in smoke in 1953, in one of the countrys largest industrial fires. With no Hydra-Matics available, Oldsmobile had to install inferior Buick transmissions in many of its 1953 models and they had the defective reverse gears.

Haitsma recalled buying the car when it was just a few years old. I didnt have it for too long. Just a couple years. I got really tired of looking for parking places that I wouldnt have to back out of, he said.

Don got so mad at that car he drove it out behind a field and left it there and walked home, Bezanson said. The sleek sky blue coupe was parked for good before the 1960s began.

With a laugh, Bezanson fondly recalled that recurring method of disposing of the cars with his stepbrother. Cars and trucks that were beyond their useful lives wound up dumped behind the field, vandals stripping parts as the elements took their toll.

Before too long, the little dairy couldnt compete with larger operations. Over time, the farmlands were sold off or taken by eminent domain. Nature reclaimed what once had been tilled. A new forest grew up around the cars, 60 years of growth transforming the landscape. Just one field remains, visible from the cars only when foliage has fallen off the trees.

Northborough began carving an impressive trail network through private and town-owned land in 2001, now linked with the Boroughs Loop Trail and nearly 30 miles of paths in Marlborough, Southborough, and Westborough.

The Old Farm Trail named for Stirrup Brook Farm leads hikers right past that Oldsmobile and its rusting brethren, waiting to intrigue the next baffled visitor.

Lane Turner can be reached at lane.turner@globe.com.

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In Northborough, theres a secret resting place for relics that once cruised the highways - The Boston Globe

Damon Pla's 'The Delay of Winter,' an acrylic work, is featured in an exhibit of the artist's work at the Rehoboth Art League starting Nov. 13.

On Friday, Nov. 13, from 5 to 7 p.m., the Rehoboth Art League will host an opening reception for two new exhibits featuring Damon Pla, with his Memory of a Late Afternoon collection of landscape and surreal paintings, and Linda Hill, with her collection of work She the People, a series recognizing the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment. Both exhibitions will run through Dec. 13.

The opening reception, which is free and open to the public, will be held on the RALs campus. To ensure the safety of all attendees, RAL will continue to require masks to enter the galleries, and volunteers will monitor attendees numbers in buildings and direct one-way traffic flow.

We look forward to recognizing these accomplished artists in a safe public forum and are delighted to be able to provide an in-person opening for our community, representatives said.

The Corkran Gallery will highlight Plas paintings, which are inspired by ambient music and the late afternoon light. Plas work explores landscapes and surreal compositions in an effort to provoke thought and meditation. His artwork consistently exposes his obsession for late-afternoon light and the subtlety of both cool and warm ambient spaces. Pla said he was drawn to express himself through art at an early age, and after a decade of largescale projects throughout Florida and neighboring regions, the largely self-taught artist moved to Delaware and continues to work full-time creating timeless murals, large paintings and limited-edition reproductions.

Linda Hill's 'Second Look in Cherokee Red' is among her works inspired by the women's suffrage movement, on exhibit starting Nov. 13 at the Rehoboth Art League.

Hill will be featured in the Tubbs Gallery with her collection of works inspired by the suffragettes/suffragists movements both in the United States and in England. Hill said she wanted to design a show that would reflect the voting-rights struggles of the early 20th century. Her research, she said, left her in awe and admiration for the dogged determination, courage and tenacity of the women who participated in this movement.

Hill said she is hopeful that her art will serve to suggest that one should not take voting for granted. In researching some of the more prominent women of this early enfranchisement movement, Hill found so many faces compelling, so full of spirit and strength of character, that, she said, it was impossible to not want to paint them all.

The Rehoboth Art League is located at 12 Dodds Lane, in Henlopen Acres. For additional information on the RAL, its classes, events and exhibitions, visit the website at rehobothartleague.org or call (302) 227-8408.

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Surrealism and suffrage exhibits to open at RAL on Friday - Coastal Point