NEW YORK – Nearly everyone has heard of the Shenandoah Valley, either through song, history class or an item that was produced there by the many artisans who populated the region in the 18th and 19th century. More on that shortly, but first a brief geography lesson: The Shenandoah Valley is a fairly modest stretch of land that straddles northwestern Virginia and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. To the east are the Blue Ridge mountains. To the west is the edge of the Alleghenies. Three rivers loosely define the region: the Potomac, the James and, of course, the Shenandoah.