Stafford Magazine | April/May 2021

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NATUR E’S SP ORT Popul ari t y of di sc gol f cl i mb s i n St aff o rd

MEET A MAN OF MANY VOICES

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IN THE HEART OF STAFFORD. Stafford Hospital is committed to providing the best cardiac care and life-saving procedures for you, performed by talented, highly trained cardiologists. We’ve expanded our cardiac services with a new, $2.5 million dollar state-of-the-art Cardiac Catheterization Lab. This investment is enhanced by the newly formed Mary Washington Cardiology practice in affiliation with Oracle Heart & Vascular.

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CONTENTS 6

AMAZING KIDS

Unique Dreams 11-year-old entrepreneur, public speaker writes about being a twin

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NEIGHBORS

Man of Many Voices From a cowboy to Mickey Mouse, Daniel Purcell can do them all

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COVER STORY

Nature’s Sport Popularity of disc golf climbs during pandemic

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NONPROFITS

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BUSINESS

An Ax to Grind Business lets weekend warriors pretend to be Thor

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SPORTS

Hard to Miss Stafford High graduate Josh Ball has the size to become an NFL Draft pick

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COMMUNITY

The Gift of Time

A County That Cares

CuddleCot can help bereaved parents in their darkest hour

Stafford program seeks to help community beyond pandemic

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Honoring women, a new coffee shop, and more

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VOICES

Growing our own firefighters and EMTs ON THE COVER:

Ferry Farm resident CJ Torres, a U.S. Army veteran, plays disc golf on one of Stafford’s courses.

Photo courtesy of Stephen Miller/ Stafford Disc Golf Club.

Wood Shutters

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AMAZING KIDS

Unique Dreams

11-year-old entrepreneur, public speaker writes book on being a twin

BY TRACY BELL

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C

reativity runs in the family for fifth-grader Selene MorenoLapierre, who recently wrote a book about being a one-of-akind twin.

Her jewelry-making business is on the back burner, swapped for a new interest in selling bath bombs and soap — oh, and she earns a paycheck speaking to children about being an entrepreneur.

It’s all in a day’s work and play for the busy 11-year-old Conway Elementary School student, who lives with her family near south Stafford’s Leeland Station.

Selene’s 24-page paperback, “Not All Twins Are Alike,” was independently published in January through Baobab Publishing and is available for $10 on Amazon. The book draws from her relationship with her twin brother, Semaj, dishing on what it’s really like to be a twin.

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Above: Selene with her twin brother, Semaj, and their younger brother, Greyson, 5.

An voracious reader, Selene wrote in her book introduction: “I wanted to read more books about brown twins that looked like me, but I was saddened when I could never find many.”

After all, people often ask Selene what it’s like to be a twin — a trait she enjoys, “sometimes.”

Selene said that she and Semaj are total opposites, although being a twin comes with the mistaken stereotype that twins always look and sound the same. So, she rattled off differences between the two — Semaj likes jelly; she likes peanut butter.

She likes dressing up; he doesn’t — but they often unite on certain things.

“Me and my twin want to write a comic book together about radioactive food that goes on adventures,” Selene explained.

Their mother, Laurasha Lovett, said the

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twins and her two other children – Aiden, 16, and Greyson, 5 – are full of imagination.

“I could not make this up if I wanted to, how creative they are,” she laughed, as Selene spoke of Pizza Girl and Hot Dog Man — her own made-up book characters.

When Selene isn’t plotting stories, she’s selling bath bombs and soap.

The switch from jewelry to soap was initiated by a need for change and the fact that she received bath bombs for Christmas and tried out a lather bath-bomb recipe.

She said she wanted to try making soap and bath bombs herself because she likes to mix formulas to see what happens.

“I want to go to college for chemistry and get a master’s degree,” Selene said.

The interest later inspired her online company, Selene’s Bubby Bath Bombs, which evolved into an expanded product

line and kick-started the family’s online business, Artistry Lather. There, she sells her haul of fragrant merchandise and delivers or ships them to customers.

In late February, her family set up a table and sold their goods at the Fredericksburg Expo & Conference Center, along with other vendors.

Soon, another opportunity came knocking when Selene’s mother heard about a speaking opportunity for child entrepreneurs. She connected with Behind the Book, a New York-based literacy nonprofit that brings authors into New York schools to inspire students to love reading and writing.

Before the family knew it, Selene was being paid to speak to fourth- and fifthgraders in Harlem about her experience as an entrepreneur and author.

After her first speaking engagement and despite being nervous, she was asked to do more.

Lovett, married and medically retired from the U.S. Marine Corps, is a fashion designer, blogger, painter and author, with her hand in many projects as well. That’s probably why Selene was interested in writing her own book, she said.

For Selene, spare time is spent reading

Selene often persuades her twin brother, Semaj, to help with the bath bomb business.

plans to write more books — perhaps about “a big shedding dog named Journee,” she said of the clan’s Newfoundland.

What will Selene and her family get into next?

Lather up, pups. Journee shouldn’t be too surprised at being chosen as the face of the family’s brand-new product — bar soap for dogs. equestrian books, painting, drawing, sewing, playing with her brothers and watching television — but not a lot of television.

In fact, Lovett said part of her children’s creativity probably comes in part from her policy on television and screens — which they aren’t allowed to watch during the week. Even on weekends, screen time is limited.

“They may need to read for 20 minutes to get an hour of electronics after dinnertime,” she said, noting her need to “think outside the box” with alternative entertainment.

Lovett, who enjoys sharing her ideas with other moms, swaps the screens for creative outlets like arts and crafts, monthly subscriptions, science kits, pretend play, projects and books.

Selene, for one, isn’t short on ideas, and

Tracy Bell is a freelancer living in Stafford County.

SELENE’S PROJECTS To purchase, “Not All Twins Are Alike,” visit amazon.com or get a signed copy through her family websites. For more information on Selene’s projects, visit selenesbubblybathbombs.com, artistrylather.com and behindthebook.com or search the websites on Facebook.

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NEIGHBORS

Man of Many Voices

From a cowboy to Mickey Mouse, Daniel Purcell can do them all

BY DAV E ST E G O N

PAUL LARA

O

ne second Daniel Purcell is talking like a hard-scrabble cowboy, the next a soft-spoken woman, and then, Mickey Mouse.

Everyone can do voices and impressions, but only a few can do them well.

Over the past 11 years, Purcell, a Rivercreek resident, has carved out a second career as a voice artist and stage and screen actor – quite a change from his days as a civilian computer scientist for the Department of Defense.

To date, he has recorded more than

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80 audiobooks, giving each prominent character their own voice to create an immersive experience for the listener – sometimes creating dozens of different voices for a single book.

“I like to pick books that I want to read,” Purcell said. “Like a lot of people, I’m already doing the different voices in my head when I read so now it is just saying them out loud.”

Born the fifth of sixth children, Purcell grew up in Vienna, and he and his siblings performed plays in the basement. He

acted and sang in productions growing up (his first role in elementary school was as a filing cabinet) and debated studying drama in college before deciding a career in computers offered more stability.

(In what could be its own story, Purcell created a combat simulation program that Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf used to help plan the Desert Storm invasion. He received the Meritorious Civilian Service award following more than 25 years of federal service.)

Although he was no longer acting on stage, Purcell never stopped performing. He

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would do fun voices with his wife and three children, not to mention his co-workers. He recorded audiobooks on cassettes for his children’s school. When the family went to Walt Disney World, he helped a bus driver by reading the safety rules in character voices. He did his Donald Duck impression so much that a nephew started calling him “Uncle Duck.”

“When my daughter and I would go to the mall we would pick a different accent to speak in for that day,” Purcell said. “It was just a way for us to have fun together.”

A RETURN TO THE STAGE

As he turned 50, Purcell decided to try acting again and didn’t realize how much he had missed it. He began with roles in community theater and other local productions while also auditioning for roles in television shows and movies in our area.

One of his first big moments came playing a background character for The History Channel’s mini-series “The Men Who Built America.” Purcell wears an oldtime bowler hat in a historical re-enactment about the stock market.

“The whole episode goes by and then all of a sudden there was a close up of me,” Purcell said. “I’m watching and went ‘Holy crap, that’s crazy!’”

From there he was hooked. Purcell has appeared in many roles since, most notably as Gen. Winfield Scott and Mr. Charles in the Fox News documentary series “Legends & Lies,” an Olympic soccer coach in One Voice Productions’ “For the Glory,” and as a background inmate in “Jamesy Boy,” a movie that also featured noted actors Ving Rhames,

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James Woods and Mary-Louise Parker.

MASTER OF A THOUSAND VOICES

Purcell always loved doing voices and as his acting began to take off he wanted to explore voiceover work. He found he was a natural fit as his job was not to simply read the book, but turn it into a living production.

He finds interesting projects on the Audiobook Creation Exchange, a platform for authors and voice actors to connect.

He attributes his first big break to his perseverance, getting his first gig after asking an author for feedback about why he was originally turned down for a part.

“The author liked my voice but wanted a straightforward voice for the narrator, and I had done an accent,” Purcell said. “He gave me another chance and because of that I got the book.”

Recording from his Stafford home, Purcell has performed books from dozens of authors – everything from westerns and spy thrillers to science fiction and even romance (although he says not the kind with Fabio on the cover). Some books have dozens of different characters, with a record of 85 in just one book.

To keep them straight, Purcell records audio clips of each character and keeps them in a folder on his computer. When the character appears again in a book, he pulls up their file and recreates the voice.

“I’m a great parrot,” he said.

His favorite author to work for, though, is his daughter, Trish, who writes as T. Purcell Dodge. The Colonial Forge High School graduate and former Spotsylvania County Sheriff ’s Office deputy has written two books her father has performed: “Revelations” and “Prey: Emergence,” both highlighting a secret law enforcement squad who put themselves in harm’s way to catch criminals when traditional methods have failed.

“Storytelling has always been our passion,” Trish says. “He acts them out; I tell them. It has been an honor and a privilege to listen to him bring my creations to life. I can’t imagine a single person I’d trust more to truly care about the product he puts into the world.”

Trish jokes that she’ll throw her dad curveballs. In one book, a character sings karaoke. That part makes her laugh every time.

“He’s my best friend, my hero, and an asset in every way,” she said. “I’m certain I’d never have had the confidence to publish my books without him in my corner. Hearing him perform my work is the icing on the cake. He grasps the characters because they’re a part of me. I love what he does when he brings my vision to life. From the brother Australian gun runners to the Puerto Rican female journalist, I can see my story while I listen, and that makes all the difference.”

Dave Stegon is a free-lance writer who lives in Stafford County.

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N AT UR SP W

BY TR ACY BELL

hen U.S. Marine Corps veteran Jason Searls discovered disc golf, he played alone and used the sport to mentally reset. It was his outlet after suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety following a stint in Afghanistan.

Searls, who lives in Stafford County’s Seasons Landing subdivision, was matched with a service dog named Hawkeye at the start of the pandemic and ultimately connected with a group of encouraging members of the Stafford Disc Golf Club.

“What I love most about disc golf is being outdoors and thinking through how I can conquer the course today,” said Searls, who now brings along his son, Ethan, to play. “With changing conditions daily, the course does not always play the same and as I learn and grow into the sport, I enjoy that physical and mental challenge.”

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E ’S O RT

Jason Searls (far left photo) is joined by his service dog, Hawkeye, for a round of disc golf; (center) CJ Torres retrieves his disc from a basket; (right) Scott Stumpf, a U.S. Army veteran, says he enjoys the scenery and lowimpact exercise of disc golf.

Po p u l ar ity o f dis c g olf climb s d u rin g p an d emi c

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Often, Searls will meet people who inquire about Hawkeye, which helps bring awareness to options available to help post-9/11 veterans — as well as the organizations such as Leashes of Valor, who help them. Along the way, he’s making new friends on the course.

What started as self-imposed seclusion has evolved into Searls enjoying a new sport that, with Hawkeye by his side, is helping him cope.

Stephen Miller established the disc golf club in 2020 and is its president. It now has 105 members.

Disc golf is played with rules like traditional golf, but instead of a ball and clubs, players use flying discs that resemble Frisbees. And instead of hitting a ball into a hole, a disc is thrown into a basket. The object of the game is to complete the course in the fewest number of throws, with typical courses consisting of nine or 18 holes.

Stafford has two public disc golf courses: one at Curtis Park and the other at John Lee Pratt Memorial Park.

On Feb. 6-7, Stafford hosted the 2021 Disc Golf

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Clockwise from top: Stafford resident Thomas Faller enjoys a round of disc golf; Hawkeye is a service dog for Jason Searls; Crystal Wallace, a board member of the Stafford Disc Golf Club, and her husband, Scott, at a tournament at Curtis Park last year; Searls and his son, Ethan, pause during a round.

Invitational at Curtis Park, drawing 161 players. About 70% of the players came from outside Stafford — traveling from Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Washington, D.C., and even one player from Japan.

“Disc Golf is currently going through a period of unforeseen growth, and America is taking notice,” Miller said. “We hope to bring new opportunities like this in the future.”

The sport has gained recreational popularity during the coronavirus pandemic because players can be outdoors and socially distanced, while exercising. In fact, 50 million rounds of disc golf were played worldwide in 2020, nearly doubling the previous year’s total — and 50% of new players played at least five rounds their first month, according to the scorekeeping app, UDisc.

“The pandemic skipped us ahead about three years in our growth curve,” said UDisc CEO Josh Lichti.

Stafford’s Gauntlet Golf Club also joined in on the fun of the recent tournament by creating a hybrid pop-up course.

“My team and I believe strongly that our place in this community is to give the residents of Stafford County and its guests a reason to go outside and safely recreate,” said Mike Byrd, New Direction Golf Management president for Gauntlet Golf.

“Sometimes it requires outside-the-box thinking; disc golf is different for us, but we love it.”

Lisa Logan, tourism program manager for Stafford County, said the department is excited to see the partnership between the two clubs bringing new people to Stafford.

“Sports tourism is a primary initiative for Stafford, as we have seen tremendous growth since 2016.”

Miller, who attended Stafford High School, grew up on Truslow Road and recently moved back to the area off Route 218. The sponsored disc golf athlete topped out in late 2020 among the highest-rated disc golf players in the world. He began playing in 2005 and admitted he was “absolutely terrible” at first — a challenge that intrigued him.

UGH!!

There’s got to be an easier way to get to work!

Drawn to the mental-health benefit of the sport, Miller said he strives on influencing the next generation of players.

Stafford Disc Golf Club is a Professional Disc Golf Association affiliate club. Its board and members seek to bring new tournaments to the community, maintain upkeep at current courses and increase membership. A few members like Miller have competed nationally and internationally.

CJ Torres, a U.S. Army veteran who lives in Ferry Farm, is a newcomer to the sport, playing for about seven months after moving to Stafford. He played ultimate Frisbee in college but discovered disc golf at Pratt Park after being challenged by co-workers.

Working from home during the pandemic, Torres said he and his co-workers made new friends and used disc golf as a safe outlet as they dealt with unforeseen stressors.

“I love being out in nature in the woods,” he said. “It reminds me of things greater than stress and anger and war. While I enjoy getting out with friends, I also enjoy the solitude of the woods. It helps quiet my mind and I can forget all my troubles for a short time, and then when I finish a round I can return home and focus better on the life tasks that are in front of me.”

The club also sponsors and participates in special events, Torres said; for example, a doubles event in October for Throw Pink — a charity highlighting breast cancer awareness.

Scott Stumpf, a U.S. Army veteran and son of Medal of Honor recipient Kenneth Stumpf, serves on the Stafford Disc Golf Club’s board and as a sport ambassador. He recalled playing disc golf in high school in the mid-1980s.

“The pins back then were these cone cylinders with a basket around the cone — nothing like the catchers we have today,” he said. “Fast forward to 2016, I found that Curtis Park had a disc golf course. My youngest daughter and I shared a round, and we were instantly hooked.”

For newcomers, Stumpf recommends a starter set of discs, which cater to beginners.

He loves the scenery of disc golf, along with the lowimpact exercise of throwing and walking on Virginia’s courses — usually a two-mile or more walk.

“I love the ever-changing challenge of the courses and the light-hearted competition with friends,” Stumpf explained. “Beating my best score. Light-hearted smacktalking. Sharing a round with friends to catch each other up with our families and lives. Sinking the impossible putt — fist bumps all around.”

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Tracy Bell is a freelancer living in Stafford County.

For more information on the Stafford Disc Golf Club, search for the group on Facebook.

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NONPROFITS

The gift of time

CuddleCot can help bereaved parents in their darkest hour

BY TR ACY BE LL

W

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MARY WASHINGTON HEALTHCARE

omen whose pregnancies result in miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death at Stafford Hospital will now be able to hold their babies a little longer while they say goodbye.

In February, the hospital received a donated CuddleCot, which combines a specially designed bassinet with a quiet cooling unit that preserves the baby’s condition so parents can have more time with their baby while they grieve.

It’s a device no one wants to need, said Springfield residents Janice and Steve Schlesinger, whose son and daughter-in-law, Mike and Emily Schlesinger, lost their baby, Mason, before he was born. The Schlesinger family raised money for the CuddleCot through Ashlie’s Embrace — an Ohio-based notfor-profit that places CuddleCots in U.S. hospitals.

“I hope this system collects dust and it is never used, but it was a godsend for our family in allowing us time with Mason,” Janice Schlesinger said.

Originally from the Washington area, Mike and Emily Schlesinger now live on the West Coast, and the CuddleCot allowed time for Mason’s East Coast grandparents to make the trip when the stillbirth occurred.

It was instrumental in allowing hellos and goodbyes and supporting the family amid their grief, Janice Schlesinger said, grateful that the hospital they used had a CuddleCot — because not all hospitals do.

Stillbirth and infant loss are difficult topics but for many parents a reality, according to Ashlie’s Embrace, which notes that more than 24,000 babies are stillborn each year in the United States. The group has raised more than $531,000 and placed more than 90 CuddleCots in 20 states.

Despite medical technology and the best effort from parents and physicians, child loss can unfortunately still occur, according to Stafford Hospital.

“We are very pleased to acknowledge the gift of a CuddleCot from Ashlie’s Embrace and for the financial contributions made by the Schlesinger family to make this gift possible,” said Debra Marinari, director of nursing operations and practice at Stafford Hospital. “Parents can spend time with their baby, form a bond and say goodbye during this unfortunate time.”

Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg also received a donated CuddleCot, thanks to the Schlesingers and Ashlie’s Embrace.

Tammy Ruiz Ziegler, a nurse and perinatal bereavement coordinator for Mary Washington Healthcare, which oversees Stafford and Mary Washington hospitals, was matched with the Schlesingers to bring CuddleCots to both hospitals.

CuddleCots cost about $3,000 apiece, according to Ashlie’s Embrace — an organization created after its founders suffered their own loss. Erin and Anthony Maroon of North Canton, Ohio, lost their full-term baby, Ashlie, at birth in October 2015. They had less than an hour to hold her before saying goodbye.

Later, they created Ashlie’s Embrace in memory of their daughter.

CuddleCots, invented in the United Kingdom and distributed by Flexmort, are compact and have a cooling pad that can be placed in a crib or bed, a connecting insulated hose, a cooling unit and a carrying case. The devices can give the gift of time to bereaved parents for hours, days or sometimes weeks in extreme cases, according to Flexmort.

In the United States, the average time a family keeps their baby in a CuddleCot is about two days, according to Ashlie’s Embrace, but in the United Kingdom, some parents will do so for a week or more.

Steve and Janice Schlesinger donated the CuddleCot systems to Mary Washington Healthcare in memory of their grandson, Mason Schlesinger.

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The Stafford Hospital Family Birth Place team with the donated CuddleCot system.

Stafford Hospital plans to retain its CuddleCot on site, but increasingly many hospitals allow bereaved parents to take the devices home, according to the distributor.

How long the baby can be kept in a CuddleCot depends on factors including the baby’s condition, bed availability, whether the baby passed in utero or at birth and whether the device was used immediately, according to Ashlie’s Embrace.

The group shared one case of a pregnant Colorado mother in a coma after a car accident. The baby did not survive, but hospital staff used the CuddleCot until the baby’s mother woke up and could say goodbye.

Because hospitals worldwide differ, families sometimes have limited access when an infant is in a morgue, while others are told they would not want to see the baby in such a state, according to Flexmort, though they typically look like they are sleeping.

And because death causes quick deterioration, parents find it difficult to easily spend time with their baby. Without a CuddleCot, a baby who has died would be kept cool through refrigeration in a hospital’s morgue but that would mean separation from the family, according to Flexmort.

Now part of Stafford Hospital’s comfort services for bereaved parents, the CuddleCot is compact enough to allow the baby and parents to be together in a hospital room, said Ruiz Ziegler.

“This helpful option, in addition to the care from our interdisciplinary team,” she said, “will assist us to integrate our care to bereaved families in a supportive and meaningful way, which may contribute to them finding a path of healing.”

Tracy Bell is a freelancer living in Stafford County.

For more information on Stafford Hospital’s perinatal bereavement services, visit mybaby. mwhc.com. To learn more about Ashlie’s Embrace, visit ashliesembrace.org.

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An Ax to Grind

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BUSINESS

Business lets weekend warriors pretend to be Thor

BY ERIC ALTHOFF

T

ERIC ALTHOFF

he year-long pandemic has given even the most patient among us an ax to grind.

Thankfully, David Crawley sharpens his blades in anticipation of giving customers of FXBG Axes a chance to toss away some of those very frustrations.

Crawley, a Marine, and his wife, Krista, tried axthrowing on a date night when he was stationed in North Carolina. To their surprise, not only did they have fun, but they couldn’t stop talking about the experience.

“I got orders to Quantico, and we discovered there weren’t any [ax-throwing] locations in the area,” Crawley said of Stafford County. “You had D.C. or Richmond — nothing right in the middle in the Stafford, Fredericksburg, Quantico area.”

In 2019, the Crawleys and partner Justin Soaper opened up shop in an unassuming industrial park in Dahlgren Junction, just behind railroad tracks leading into Fredericksburg. Crawley tantalized potential customers one at a time, be it military colleagues at his base or by handing out flyers to passersby on the streets of Fredericksburg.

Due to his efforts, people soon came from as far away as Richmond and even Maryland. Food trucks parked outside FXGB Axe’s garage doors kept patrons from wandering too far away for refueling — or while waiting their turn as a line wasn’t uncommon if you didn’t reserve a lane ahead of time, especially thanks to a neon-infused weekly event.

“We have a ‘Glow Throw,’” Crawley said of the Saturday ritual that runs from noon until 10 p.m. “We’ll lower the garage doors, [turn on] black lights and [play] a lot of cool music.”

Thanks to word of mouth and Crawley’s emphasis

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on prompt, personalized customer service, business was brisk until COVID-19 forced the reconfiguration of all forms of recreation last spring. Like nearly all small businesses, FXGB Axes had to buckle down and work even harder to ensure it would still be there for customers when things turned around.

With the weather warming and restrictions on indoor gatherings now easing, FXBG Axes is once again hopping — with restrictions — Thursdays to Sundays.

Because the pandemic isn’t over, social distancing and a proscription against mixing

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groups are enforced inside the range, as is mask-wearing. Indeed, safety must be paramount any time a dangerous item like an ax is being thrown through the air.

“Every group, including people who have been here multiple times, still get the same safety briefing,” Crawley said. The pep talk reminds people not to toss the ax at the target past a certain line on the ground (in case of a bounce), nor to throw the weapon when another person is in the lane. “[It’s] the same rules as a gun range,” Crawley said.

As opposed to similar businesses that use axes with wooden handles, the ones at FXBG Axes are made of steel and have rubber handles. This allows for a better grip and, with enough oomph and precision, ensures the blade can puncture the wooden target if thrown properly.

Crowley explained that wooden handles have a different throwing profile because the center of gravity is more at the top of the axe, whereas metal handles center the weight.

“These last longer,” Crowley said, before applying a military metaphor: “These are the F-151 of axes.”

Crawley says that in addition to a certain subset of hipster and military personnel — several Marine Corp flags hang prominently in FXBG Axes in homage to Crawley’s service branch — the business has hosted bachelor and bachelorette parties, as well as out-of-state athletic teams in town for conferences. Lanes have also been rented for gender-reveal fetes and even “sweet 16” parties.

Even children above a certain age are welcome to try tossing axes, with smaller implements for the little warriors to try.

“We've had families come in [with] their baby in a car seat,” Crawley said. “People come here after church. They bring lunch [and] throw axes.”

Crawley and his partners also have a mobile trailer, with two ax-throwing lanes inside. The trailer can be toted to homes or businesses for a fee and may be used as

TRYING NOT TO MAKE IT A HATCHET JOB “overflow” at the main location heading into the summer and beyond.

“Like going to a restaurant, you want seating inside or outside,” Crawley said of adding the trailer to the complement of lanes.

Tossing axes costs $20 per hour per person. Crawley said visitors occasionally push for as much as two hours, but he advises that more than 60 minutes will be too tiring. (“I’m here all the time, and I usually just want to do an hour,” he said.)

On the days when the business is closed, the Crawleys and Soaper restore and replace the wooden targets, sharpen axes and field reservation requests.

Crawley and his partners maintain a watchful eye on their customers, and if someone is spotted mishandling an ax or acting carelessly, a warning is usually all that’s needed to bring the offender back in line.

So even as the axes continue to fly, Crawley, thus far, hasn’t had to toss anyone from the premises.

David Crawley had me set one foot forward, then lift the ax behind my head as if preparing to bring down a mallet on one of those old-fashioned carnival strength tests.

“Now just step through and throw,” he instructed, adding that it wasn’t a test of muscles but of precision.

Remarkably, I nearly hit the bulls-eye on my first try.

Crawley, who can toss two or even four axes at one time, coached me on both overhand and underhand methods of release. Some hit, some missed — and, just as he said, my arms began to tire close to the one-hour mark.

I returned on a recent Saturday to both watch and enjoy “Glow Throw” in action. My wife, Victoria, and I arrived just after the noon opening, and the place was already full under current restrictions. As I’d been told, the neon lights turned the place into a pastel paradise, and classic rock music enlivened the proceedings.

Employee Darian Diggs showed me a few new types of throws and even allowed me to use a longer-handled axe, which was decidedly harder to aim true. Several times, its handle instead of the blade met the poplar target board, bouncing off and landing with a thud — nearly in time to several other misplaced throws across the other lanes.

Next to Victoria and I, a family of parents and several preteen children took turns tossing axes. They told me it was a fun way for the entire clan to get some exercise together.

To our other side was a couple excited to try “something new” as an afternoon date.

The woman was thoroughly enthused each time she hit even close to the center circle, asking her date to snap a cellphone photo of the weekend warrior standing proudly next to her target — no doubt headed to social media.

—ERIC ALTHOFF

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SPORTS

Hard to Miss Josh Ball earned first-team allConference USA honors as an offensive lineman in 2020.

MARSHALL UNIVERSITY

At 6-foot-8, Stafford High graduate Josh Ball has the size to become an NFL Draft pick

BY DAVID FAWCETT

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O

ne day while working at Torrey Smith’s local football camp, Josh Ball spoke with the former NFL standout wide receiver about Ball’s future aspirations.

At the time, Ball was a Stafford High School student. But he had big plans for himself beyond competing in the prep ranks. And Smith was the perfect person to offer encouragement.

Smith also played at Stafford before going to Maryland, then enjoying an eightyear pro career that included playing for two Super Bowl champions.

During a brief break at the camp, Ball told Smith he had a bunch of Division I offers. Impressed by what he heard, Smith told Ball something that still sticks with him today.

“Maybe you can be one of us and get to the next level,” Ball recalls Smith telling him.

Ball assured Smith that’s been his plan since he first started playing football in middle school.

“I’ve always had the motivation,” Ball

said. “I just don’t stop. I keep working as hard as I can.”

Now Ball has positioned himself to take that next step when the NFL Draft is held April 29-May 1. Draft analysts project the offensive lineman as a mid-tolate round selection.

Ball would become the third Stafford High School graduate to be drafted, joining Smith, a second-round selection in 2011, and Dexter McDougle, a 2009 Stafford graduate who was a third-round pick in 2014 by the New York Jets.

At 6-foot-8 and 308 pounds, Ball’s size is his most obvious draw. Tall genes run in his family.

Ball’s dad is 6-4, and his uncle stands 6-9.

But he also is versatile, strong and quick, characteristics that stood out to then-Stafford head football coach Chad Lewis when Ball joined the varsity as a 6-7, 315-pound sophomore and continued to define him at the next level where he eventually earned first-team, all-Conference USA honors in 2020 as a redshirt senior at Marshall.

“I’m not surprised at all,” Lewis said of Ball’s NFL prospects. “He has the athleticism and the size. If he stayed injuryfree and kept progressing, I thought he could play in the NFL.” Tony Pauline, chief draft analyst for Pro Football Network, cited how well Ball performed this season at Marshall against two highly regarded defensive linemen in Western Kentucky’s DeAngelo Malone, the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year, and Appalachian State’s Demetrius Taylor. Pauline said Ball has the potential to develop into a starting left tackle in the NFL and gives Ball a third-round grade.

“He has excellent size and excellent length,” Pauline said. “He’s fundamentally sound and consistent.”

FLORIDA STATE TO MARSHALL

A four-star recruit who received over 25 college offers coming out of Stafford, Ball began his college career at Florida State. He redshirted his first season with the Seminoles before starting the final nine

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In preparation for the draft, Ball first announced Dec. 20 via Twitter that he would skip Marshall’s bowl game Christmas Day against Buffalo. Three days later, Priority Sports announced Ball had signed with the agency.

A number of agents reached out to Ball, but he felt most comfortable with Kenny Zuckerman.

“He’s a blue-collar guy,” Ball said. “I know he’s going to do everything for me and be there for me in any situation. I heard

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Dave Fawcett is sports editor of InsideNoVa and lives in Stafford County.

NFL DRAFT PICKS FROM STAFFORD COUNTY HIGH SCHOOLS NATE ILAOA High school: North Stafford (2001 graduate) College: Hawaii Position: Running back NFL: Seventh-round pick (No. 236 overall) by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2007 TORREY SMITH

High school: Stafford (2007 graduate) College: Maryland Position: Wide receiver NFL: Second-round pick (58th overall) by the Baltimore Ravens in 2011 DEXTER MCDOUGLE NEW YORK JETS

THE NEXT STEP

from a ton of agents, but this was easy for me from the get-go.”

Zuckerman sent Ball to a training facility in Agoura Hills, Calif., where he worked out with three other NFL draft prospects represented by Zuckerman from early January through early March.

During his time there, Ball performed a variety of weekly drills, while also doing things like weightlifting and conditioning exercises and breaking down film. Most of that took place at the facility, but sometimes training meant hiking up a mountain or performing yoga, something Ball had never done before.

Ball planned to showcase his skills in front of NFL teams at the Hula Bowl, the NFL Combine and then Marshall’s Pro Day. The pandemic, however, upended the schedule. First the NFL canceled the combine in Indianapolis. Then Ball missed the Jan. 31 Hula Bowl after coming down with the coronavirus.

The only event still going was Pro Day on March 10. Without the combine and the postseason all-star game, Pro Day took on more importance than usual because it would provide the only opportunity for on-field workouts in front of NFL teams.

Interviews were conducted virtually.

“It’s a big deal for sure,” Ball said. “It’s our only shot in person.”

With scouts from 21 NFL teams in attendance, including the Washington Football Team, Ball was one of five Marshall players at the school’s Pro Day. He ran the 40-yard dash in 5.19 seconds, while benchpressing 28 times. His wingspan measured at 81 5/8 inches, his hand 10 inches and his arm 35 inches.

Before he arrived for Pro Day, Ball had already done numerous interviews with NFL teams.

“It’s been so crazy,” Ball said. “It’s so different from any other year. It’s a learning process.”

Ball said he plans to watch the draft with his family, who recently moved to King George County.

“It’s all God’s plan,” Ball said. “He has a story for every person. This is part of my story. He keeps writing it. I take it day by day. That’s all I can do.”

BALTIMORE RAVENS

games at left tackle in 2017.

In May 2018, though, Florida State suspended Ball after an accusation of dating violence by his former girlfriend.

Ball was never charged and transferred to Butler Community College in Kansas, where he played in the fall of 2018.

There was a belief Ball would return to Florida State after the school reinstated him.

But on Dec. 13, 2018, he released a statement on Twitter that said in part: “I have made the determination to stay closer to family and not return to Florida State even though I have been cleared and in good standing to do so by the Florida State administration.”

He added he was “an advocate of women’s rights, equality, and due process,” and said he would “never be intimidated nor shamed into stopping the pursuit of my dreams.”

Six days after Ball released his statement, Marshall University announced he had signed with the Thundering Herd.

Marshall said in a statement at the time that it was “fully aware of Josh’s situation at Florida State.”

“We have done our due diligence in reviewing all available information, as we do with any student-athlete who enters our program,” the statement said. “We are comfortable with the information we have gathered, and all of the individuals with whom we have spoken are confident that Josh will embrace this opportunity to represent Marshall Athletics and this university with class.”

Ball has not publicly commented about his departure from Florida State since his statement on Twitter, but there’s no doubt NFL teams will question him about what happened there.

“They are going to look hard at that,” Pauline said.

High school: Stafford (2009 graduate) College: Maryland Position: Defensive back NFL: Third-round pick (80th overall) by the New York Jets in 2014 DAESEAN HAMILTON High school: Mountain View (2013 graduate) College: Penn State Position: Wide receiver NFL: Fourth-round pick (113th overall) by the Denver Broncos in 2018 GARY JENNINGS High school: Colonial Forge (2015 graduate) College: West Virginia Position: Wide receiver NFL: Fourth-round pick (120th overall) by the Seattle Seahawks in 2019

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COMMUNITY

A County That Cares Stafford program seeks to help community beyond pandemic

BY TR ACY BE LL

N

ow over a year into the pandemic, Stafford County residents have seen their share of challenges as COVID-19 took its toll. County leaders responded by creating Stafford Cares to help the community recover, but those working on the initiative want the effort to extend well beyond the pandemic.

Stafford Cares, announced at the end of last year, includes projects and programs created to address local social, economic, mental and physical challenges caused by COVID-19’s whirlwind.

Its first project, led by the Stafford County Department of Economic Development & Tourism, focuses on assisting both restaurants and families in financial need by distributing meal certificates or cards to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients. The SNAP recipients, in turn, can

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John Holden, director of Stafford County Economic Development & Tourism, meets with staff members Courtney Swenson and Theo Zotos about its part in Stafford Cares.

use the cards they’re given at participating local restaurants.

The money comes from $700,000 in federal funds by way of a Community Development Block Grant through the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.

“The Stafford Cares ‘umbrella’ became more than just this grant opportunity, but a chance to develop a campaign centered on how Stafford will continue to care for its community,” said Andrew Spence, the county’s director of community engagement.

John Holden, the county’s economic development director, said that the restaurant card initiative has been the focus of the first quarter of 2021, but it’s just the start.

About 50 restaurants have signed up to participate in the restaurant-card program, said Linzy Browne, a marketing specialist with

the economic development department.

The county will buy about 7,500 cards from the restaurants, Holden said. The meal cards will come in $75 denominations and are expected to be delivered to families in two mailings in April or May and another in the summer. The process will continue until the money is depleted, he said.

About 3,500 SNAP recipient families in Stafford are expected to benefit from the program, with the minimum benefit to any family being $150, according to the county.

Restaurants seeking to participate in the program were required to obtain a DUNS number, which uniquely identifies businesses, and to complete an application, Holden said.

“This project is significant,” Holden said.

“The beauty of it is that it’s an immediate infusion of cash, followed by the ability to spread out the funds and give them to people who are struggling and even introduce them, perhaps, to a new restaurant.”

Other programs under the Stafford Cares umbrella are in the works or planning phases, Holden said. Donna Krauss, Stafford County’s deputy county administrator, and various county departments are working on project plans.

He and Spence shared one project that will address mental health needs.

The county has partnered with the Rappahannock Area Community Service Board to promote better mental health in the community, Spence said, explaining that signs are being posted with the RACSB’s helpline number (540-376-6876) and the words, “You are not alone. Help is here.”

The signs have been and continue to be posted at county facilities, buildings and parks, he said, with the goal of reaching those who need to see them.

Stafford Cares projects will continue, Spence said, especially after the grant program — the initiative’s current focus — ends.

“Throughout this pandemic, we have relied on our community partners and closely understood their pulse on the community,” he added.

He noted that a concern for the mental state of the community during and beyond the pandemic also motivates Stafford Cares.

“The Stafford Cares initiative is something more than just these programs,” Spence said, “but the start of something great for our community.”

Tracy Bell is a freelance writer who lives in Stafford County.

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Coffee Bar 1010 Opens at the Quantico Cyber Hub

T

Stafford Recognizes Women in Leadership

S

tafford County recognized women leaders in local government in its annual proclamation honoring Women’s History Month. This year’s honorees included staff members in leadership positions in the commonwealth’s attorney office, the courts, the sheriff ’s office, fire and rescue and county government.

The women were recognized at the meeting of the Board of Supervisors on March 16.

“Stafford has more women than ever in positions that are integral to moving the county forward,” said Stafford Board Chair Crystal Vanuch of the Rock Hill District.

The female staff members recognized included: Commonwealth’s Attorney: Lori DiGiosia, Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney; Amy Casey, Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney; Marilyn Dufrat, Victim/Witness Assistance Program Manager and Director.

Courts: Honorable Victoria A. B. Willis, Circuit Court Judge; Honorable Angela M. O’Connor, General District Court Judge; Honorable Andrea M. Stewart, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Judge; LaQuita Buffington, Court Services Unit; Markita Brunston-Lyons, Court Services Unit; Bonnie Lee Camp, Clerk of the General District Court; Kimberly Shelton, Chief Deputy Clerk of Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.

Sheriff’s Office: Captain Michelle Gibbons; Sergeant Carol Burgess; Sergeant Christine Hammond; Sergeant Alexandra Lugo; Sergeant Heather Torrance; Retired First Sergeant Nancy Morin.

Fire and Rescue: Retired Deputy Chief Lori Knowles, Emergency Medical Services Operations; Angela Wilhelm, President, Aquia Harbour Rescue 9; Patricia Copeland, Chief, Aquia Harbour Rescue 9; Jayne Toellner, Past Chief and current Lt., Aquia Harbour Rescue 9; Christine Schoon, Past President and current Vice President, Aquia Harbour Rescue 9; Jean Helmandollar, Chief, Rockhill Rescue 8; Martha Newton, President, White Oak Rescue 7; Laurie Adams, President, Brooke Fire Company; Rebecca Raines, Rescue Chief, Mountain View Rescue 4.

County Government: Donna Krauss, Deputy County Administrator; Shannon Wagner, Director of Human Resources; Rysheda McClendon, County Attorney; Andrea Light, Director of Budget and Management.

ucked into the main level of the Quantico Cyber Hub at the top of Quantico Corporate Center is the newly opened Coffee Bar 1010.

Taking its name from the building address, uniquely labeled as a “binary number,” this new bistro offers specialty coffees, craft beers on tap, and fine wines by the glass or bottle.

Food includes made-to-order breakfast sandwiches, quiche, specialty salads, gourmet wraps, and melts. A unique feature offered is the “Pour-MyBeer” wall, allowing customers to use a Pour My Beer card to redeem for a flight or 16-ounce pour of rotational brews.

Coffee Bar 1010 is capable of accommodating small gatherings or business meetings either inside or on its patio.

Virginia Tech joins Quantico Cyber Hub

T

he Virginia Tech Richmond Center has joined the Quantico Cyber Hub in the Quantico Corporate Center, next to Marine Corps Base Quantico.

“This new partnership balances technology training with faculty expertise,” said Supervisor Tinesha Allen of the Griffis-Widewater District. “This parity of formal education and practical experience prepares students to advance rapidly in their chosen technical field.”

Virginia Tech joins an education portfolio that includes the University of Mary Washington and Germanna Community College.

Virginia Tech’s faculty will bring new continuing education units courses in data analytics and cybersecurity, said Cesar Nader, chief executive officer of XCorp Solutions and founder of the Cyber Bytes Foundation.

The state-of-the-art equipment and technology offered at the facility will be used by participants as they work together to strengthen and develop a next-gen cyber workforce.

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VOICES

Growing our own firefighters and EMTs

BY DAVID S. KE RR

F

ire department and emergency medical technician careers aren’t for people who like normal 9-to-5 schedules, they’re not for people who are afraid to work under dangerous and difficult conditions, and they are definitely not careers for the squeamish.

They are professions for brave and dedicated individuals.

They are also ones that many people choose early in life.

When I was doing a television report on the Stafford Firefighter Academy, I asked one young man when he decided to become a fireman. He said he got hooked on it watching reruns of a vintage 1970s’ TV show called “Emergency.” It’s all about the lives and adventures of fire and rescue personnel. He knew, having repeatedly watched all the episodes, that this was the life for him.

Fortunately, thanks to a collaborative program between the Stafford County Fire and Rescue Department and the Stafford County Public Schools, prospective firemen and EMT personnel can begin

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their training while still in high school. We’re in the second year of the program, and despite COVID-19, which held things back somewhat, the program kept moving forward. That took a lot of perseverance and commitment from everyone involved.

Stafford Fire Chief Joseph Cardello said, “The goals we set for this program were simple – to provide students with a career path to fire and rescue work, and to infuse our volunteer system with new, eager volunteers.”

He noted that upon completion of this program, students will have the certifications and basic skills that will make them eligible to enter career fire academies or become volunteer firefighters.

“We would love nothing more than to hire the graduates of the program.”

This training stays close to home, too. One of the requirements of the high school fire program is that each student must join one of the county’s volunteer stations. In a practical day-to-day environment, the students, under the tutelage of actual firefighters, refine their skills and learn how a fire station operates.

However, the program has taken a step beyond hands-on firefighting and lifesaving. In any emergency, communications – from receipt of the initial reports, to analysis of the data, to dispatching resources, such as firefighters, EMTs and police officers – and protocols are vitally important.

Information has to flow through

A P R I L / M AY 2 0 2 1

a disciplined process, and operators and dispatchers, the ones who make sure that happens, are as much a part of the action as anyone else.

This year the program trained 13 Stafford high school students to successfully complete the International Academy of Emergency Dispatcher certification exam.

When these students complete the program, they will have the certification necessary to apply for dispatcher and coordinator jobs in state and local centers.

“It’s a wonderful collaboration of academics, vocational training, and on-the-job instruction.”

— S TA F F O R D S U P E R V I S O R TO M C O E N

Not every young person who starts this program goes on to be a fireman or an EMT. But a majority do, and many have expressed their desire to start their career in the Stafford area.

Stafford Supervisor Tom Coen of the George Washington District, a teacher himself said, “It’s a wonderful collaboration of academics, vocational training and on-the-job instruction that helps everyone in the community. I am very proud of the program.”

David Kerr is a Stafford resident and an adjunct professor of political science at VCU. He worked on Capitol Hill and for various federal agencies for many years.

Stafford Stafford Stafford

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The Fantastics

Tuesday, April 20 3:30–5pm or 5-6:30pm Limited space available!

Virtual Open House Live: May 1-15 Zoom Q&A Panel: May 2, 7:30 & 8:30pm RSVP Online!

Shows: Friday, April 16 and Saturday, April 17 @ 7:30pm Sunday April 18 @ 2:00pm

Return to In-School Learning Five Days a Week this Fall!

Applications Now Being Accepted!

Visit us online at jpthegreat.org SAINT JOHN PAUL THE GREAT CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL 17700 Dominican Drive | Potomac Shores, Virginia 22026 | 703.445.0300

Apply Online!