Cultivating Community
Locals and Riverworks enliven Poolesville
by wib middleton
In any community there are those who influence and shape it , the people who look around and imagine the future , dig in , and begin weaving an exciting tapestry of possibility . Poolesville has a couple of those folks in long-time residents David Therriault and Sandy Wright . A little over a year ago they found themselves in the restaurant business , or at least phase one of their dream . They had opened Locals Farm Market as a gathering place to savor the culture of the Agricultural Reserve .
As construction got underway on the town ’ s iconic red brick building , Steven ’ s House ( circa 1840 ), they opened outside on weekends offering farm fresh veggies , artisanal breads , scones , muffins , crazy-good cookies , and delicious coffees and teas . As word spread , a loyal fan base quickly formed , anticipating the completion of the restaurant buildout . The vibe was happy , conversations flowed … a welcomed respite from the endless shut-in days of the pandemic .
Then in late March of 2021 , the close-knit community of
Poolesville was devastated by the news that Sydney Wright Therriault , David and Sandy ’ s daughter had suddenly passed away . At the young age of 22 , Syd was already an accomplished artist . “ She wanted to buy a bus and drive around the country making art ,” says David . So in the back of my head I said we can create a restaurant so there is something she can fall back on whenever she wants to come home , because it ’ s tough being an artist .”
In the recent celebration of Syd ’ s life at the family home at Alden Farms , the outpouring of love through tears and laughter was profoundly moving . Friends and family spoke of Syd as a spirited force of compassion . Sandy described Syd as a spark that ignited passions and energy in others that gave confidence to their dreams and life . David says , “ She loved this little town . She loved the people . She was always the type that was silently there to pick people up . After her passing we got notes from kids who grew up with her who revealed things like … ‘ I was a weird kid , and I invited Syd to my party and hardly anybody came , but she did .’ She wouldn ’ t leave that person hanging … that ’ s just who she was .”
Moving forward under the impossibly painful loss of a child can take many paths . “ Sydney lived life
16 plenty I summer growing 2022