CLARKSVILLE - Cooperative Living Magazine

Thrift Store has also acquired a special reputationamong area residents.There’s always been a spirit of eager volunteerismin the town.Teresa Beck, bookkeeper at Berry HillIrrigation, notes, “All it takes is a call ora need and people here really gather andget it done ... We all support eachother’s causes.”As Davidson points out, Clarksville residentsare genuinely concerned about theirneighbors. Newcomers and visitors find thefriendliness of the townspeople one of thecommunity’s main attractions.ONLY TOWN ON THE LAKECathy Ramsey has been here for 40years, and is the current owner ofClarksville Florist on the Lake.“Clarksville really stands out, because,for one thing, we’re the only town on thislake. That’s an asset for us,” she says.Ramsey has come to appreciateClarksville as a small, quaint, friendly town;an excellent place to live.Barbara Martin owns the VirginiaAvenue Mall, with 40 vendors. She appreciatesthe community’s support. Asked toexplain the appeal of this town, sheobserves, “It is very grounded. People arefriendly ... people will say hello in themorning, even if they don’t know you...”She moved to Clarksville from thenorth, and has enjoyed a comfortable life inthe community for 33 years.Caparatta and his wife, Aggie, have beenhere 32 years. He runs the very popularPizza Pub and has developed a side businessrepairing computers.“Clarksville’s a unique town,” he says.“The lake’s a well-kept secret. Clarksvillehas a lot to offer – fishing, a great golfcourse (the award-winning KindertonCountry Club, featuring its Donald Rossdesign), the people are friendly. We gettourism in here from all over the state, really.It’s hard to believe over at Occoneechee(State Park), which is so close toClarksville, we get over 200,000 visitorsevery year.”Caparatta is also very pleased with thenew Marina project. “When you offer betterthings to people, they want to come,” saysCaparatta. “I just love Clarksville. I just loveliving here, I love the people.“I’m originally from up around thePennsylvania, New Jersey area ... it took mea while to get used to life here,” he adds.“Now, when I go back up toPennsylvania or Jersey, it’s overwhelming. Ilove coming back to Clarksville.” February 2012/www.co-opliving.comJUSTIN EUBANK PHOTOIF YOU GO...Prestwould Plantation, the 1790shome of Sir Peyton and Lady JeanSkipwith, is a stunning national historiclandmark open April 15 – Oct. 31.Prestwould is located two miles north ofClarksville on U.S. 15.Prestwould Plantation has receivedimportant new additions to its originallibrary of Lady Jean Skipwith, whichwas the largest library of any woman in18th-century America, according toJulian B. Hudson, president of thePrestwould foundation.The library is noted for its volumes onhorticulture, astronomy, geography and18th century taboos, such as risqué fictionfor that period.The Clarksville Regional Museumhouses an 1800s parlor, the permanentBuffalo Springs room and a tobacco room.An exhibit at Occoneechee StatePark tells the Occoneechee Indian story,the Native Americans who first inhabitedthis area.The Mecklenburg County VeteransMemorial is dedicated to nearly 600 patriotsfrom Mecklenburg County. The Memorialis located at the intersections of Highways15/49 and Business 58 in Clarksville.The town has its own historic walkingtour, including some 60 buildings, homes,churches and businesses dating back to1824. There are wonderful architecturaltreasures on the Virginia NationalRegister of Historic Places.Clarksville’s Lakefest draws huge crowdsannually with a wide range of attractionsincluding hot air balloons, helicopterrides, live music and hundreds of vendors.Voted by the Southeast Tourism Society in2011 as “One of the Top 20 Festivals In TheSoutheast,” Lakefest is capped off eachyear by a spectacular display of fireworks.In 2012, the venerable Lakefest is 35years old, capped by the annual paradeof fireworks on the lake.Lakefest, planned for July 19-21, is oneof the major summer events in the region.Other fun events include the Fourth ofJuly Parade, Harvest Days Festival onOct. 6, Christmas Holiday Open Houseon Nov. 18, and Christmas Parade onDec. 7. For a full schedule of communityevents go to www.clarksvilleva.com, orcall 434-374-2436.Kinderton Country Club hosts a varietyof events for golfing enthusiasts, withpopular tournaments and other attractionsthat boost the overall tourist base.Clarksville also produced Lane Hite, thisyear’s Virginia State amateur medalist forstroke play.Clarksville has a variety of restaurantand culinary choices, including the distinctiveCooper’s Landing Inn and Traveler’sTavern. There’s the Great Wall Chineserestaurant and, as always, the ever-popularPizza Pub, among other options.Clarksville has extremely convenienttransportation links.The town is locatedoff U.S. Highway 58, which runs thelength of Virginia’s southern border. Thearea also features soon-to-be-expandedmarina boat options, and the LakeCountry Regional airport (formerlyMarks Municipal). JUSTIN EUBANK PHOTO33