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EMPORIA/GREENSVILLE COUNTY VISITOR & NEWCOMERS’ GUIDE Complimentary Please take one!

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Stay a while, or come back soon! This is the inaugural issue of Discover Emporia and Greensville County. In putting this publication together, we sought to include stories and articles that will give the visitor to the area, or the new resident, a little bit of the flavor of the place we call home. As you will read in the following pages, residents of the Emporia and Greensville County community enjoy a rich history, pleasant environs, and access to the best that Virginia has to offer. As editor of the Independent-Messenger, I am also a relative newcomer to the Emporia and Greensville County area. I grew up in Northwest Ohio, but for the better part of the last two decades have called Southside Virginia home — first

in Hampton Roads, then Franklin, then South Hill. I’ve worked in community newspapers in each area, and about four years ago I came to Emporia to work as editor of the newspaper of record for this region. In my travels through Southside Virginia, it’s been my experience that people in this part of Virginia are truly the warmest individuals I’ve ever met in my life. When I refer to “this part of Virginia” I’m referring to the entire southern tier of the state. However, to be more specific, in my move to Emporia and Greensville County, I’ve found the warmest of welcomes and find myself inclined to want to stay forever. Everyone who contributed to this

publication — leaders in government commerce and industry, staff members of the Independent-Messenger, and community members — extend the warmest of wishes for you in your stay here. If you’re just passing through, we hope that something in this publication will spark you to return. If you’ve got a little more time to spend here, we hope that these articles are only the begining of your journey of discovery in this part of Virginia. We call Emporia and Greensville County home, and we want to share the region with you. Don Koralewski Editor, Independent-Messenger

Table of Contents Welcome from the City of Emporia

Page 5

Area Contact Numbers

Page 23

Welcome from Greensville County

Page 6

The Meherrin River Arts Council

Page 24

Highlights of Development

Page 7

Lodging and Restaurant Guide

Page 27

Chamber of Commerce

Page 9

Good Things from The Good Earth

Page 28

The Places We Know

Page 10

Drive in, or Fly in

Page 30

Washington didn’t sleep here

Page 13

History Lives Here

Page 31

The Virginia Peanut Festival

Page 16

Library Services

Page 32

The Great Peanut Tour

Page 18

Sadlers First Family of Racing

Page 34

The Virginia Pork Festival

Page 20

Area Boasts Vibrant Sports Scene

Page 36

Three Hundred Years of Commerce

Page 21

Quality Healthcare

Page 38 Copies of this publication are available on the Web at: www.DiscoverGreensvilleandEmporia.com

The Independent-Messenger is a newspaper of the Womack Publishing Company 30 North Main Street Chatham, Va. 24513 © 2011 Womack Publishing. All Rights Reserved. 2 Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011

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City of Emporia

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The moon rises behind the water tower in downtown Emporia.

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erched on the fall line of the Coastal Plain, the City of Emporia has historically been a commercial hub in Southside Virginia. The area along the Meherrin River was first explored in 1670. The Town of Hicksford was settled in 1710 where the Fort Road of eastern Virginia crossed the Meherrin River en route to Fort Christanna. The Town of Belfield was established in 1798 on the north bank of the river. The two Greensville County towns merged in 1887 to form Emporia, which was chartered as a City in 1967. Once strategically located on an important north-south Confederate States railroad and supply line, Emporia today has a similar advantage of another transportation crossroads: Interstate 95 and US 58. The City is an ideal stop-over point for thousands of travelers on Interstate 95, as well for those heading to the coast on US 58. Much of the local retail economy is therefore strongly tied to See EMPORIA, page 5

4 Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011

Welcome to Emporia, Virginia Whether you are a new resident or visiting, we are excited to share the wonderful amenities and resources of our community with you. The City of Emporia is ideally located along the center of the East Coast at the intersection of Interstate 95 and U.S. Sam Adams 58, and has long Emporia Mayor been an important travel stop along the Boston - New York - Florida route. With over 1,100 motel rooms and numerous restaurants and shops, the Emporia-Greensville community extends its warm, southern hospitality to over 365,000 overnight travelers annually from near and far. Nestled along the border of Virginia and North Carolina, the 300-square-mile Emporia-Greensville region has been called the “Gateway to Virginia,” and is centrally located between the fast-growing metro areas of Richmond and Hampton Roads in Virginia and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. Emporia enjoys the advantages of friendly, small-town

living, a comfortable way of life, beautiful scenery, pleasantly moderate climate, and low cost of living. Emporia is a place where you can escape the hustle and bustle of the urban sprawl, watch the sun set over picturesque fields of the day’s harvest, enjoy a stroll down our historic Main Street, an afternoon of fishing on the Meherrin River or a round of golf any time of the year. Emporia is home to many festivals such as the highly popular Virginia Pork Festival and the Virginia Peanut Festival. Visitors should stop by our Chamber of Commerce and tourism center, located on Halifax Street in a historic train station, to get the dates for each season’s events. Be sure to check out the locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables at the Emporia Farmers Market at 107 South Main Street adjacent to the Meherrin River and Veterans Park. This attractive facility serves as a magnet for local citizens as well as travelers and outdoor enthusiasts who want to hike and bike in the area. Future expansion plans of this project include a canoe landing and connection to existing biking and walking trail along the Meherrin River. The Meherrin River Arts Council

brings in national entertainment including great performers such as Burt Bacharach and Tony Bennett and other national recording artists, and theater, ballet, and symphony concerts. This area is rich in many historic sites such as the Virginia Civil War Trails, a tour that traces Civil War history in our community; Village View, a restored 1830s home; and the Hicksford Raid, a Civil War battle that culminated in present day Emporia. The Emporia-Greensville region has a strong retail economy and a well diversified employment base of manufacturing, distribution, health care, state government and travel industry employment. Emporia provides exceptional, state-ofthe-art health care facilities anchored by Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center, and a new Family YMCA of Emporia-Greensville brings the added advantage of a full health and fitness complex to the area. The City of Emporia has much to offer our citizens and visitors alike, and we invite you to relax, revitalize, energize and enjoy our warm and friendly community. Sincerely, Mayor Sam Adams

Street (434-634-9441). Emporia is home to several festivals and events that also make it the cultural hub of the region. Each year the Meherrin River Arts Council lines up an impressive list of performers, which in the past has included Ray Price, Kathy Mattea with the Richmond Symphony, Melissa Manchester, Lou Rawls, Ronnie Milsap, Diane Schurr, Jack Jones with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, the Manhattan Transfer, Tony Bennett, Dionne Warwick, Shirley Jones, Johnny Mathis, Roger Williams, the Platters, the Richmond Ballet, Roy Clark, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme with the Richmond Symphony, and Crystal Gayle, the Oak Ridge Boys, and the Lettermen with the Virginia Beach Symphony. The 2011 concert series featured Clint Black, Elliott Yamin, Boyz II Men and Three Irish Tenors. Since 1974, the Virginia Pork Festival

has been a major attraction to Emporia. 15,000 people partake in 20 tons of pork served 30 different ways each year on the second Wednesday in June. The Great Peanut Tour draws 1,500 annually to bike various routes of 13 to 125 miles in length from Thursday through Saturday after Labor Day. The Virginia Peanut Festival draws 12,000 to the City each year during the last weekend in September for the Parade, Fireworks, Car Show, carnival, and craft fair. Veterans Memorial Park The City of Emporia (pop. 5,700) is the southern gateway to Virginia. Just 8 miles from the North Carolina line, it is the first municipality on I-95 heading into Virginia. Emporia is an hour’s drive (65 miles) from the Capital City of Richmond, three hours’ drive (180 miles) from the Nation’s Capital, Washington, D.C., and strategically “mid-way between the Big Apple and Disney world.”

EMPORIA

Continued from Page 4 the travel industry. It has recently been ranked among the top five cities in the nation for retail sales per capita. Emporia is also at the crossroads of two key railroads, CSX running northto-south and Norfolk-Southern going east-to-west. The accessibility to major rail and highway routes contributes to a growing industrial base. Like the rest of Virginia, the City is also rich in history. The recently renovated 1781 Greensville County Courthouse, located in the 300-block of South Main Street is the focal point of downtown Emporia. One block east of South Main Street is Village View (ca. 1795), a federal-style home with significance in the War Between the States. Tours of these and other historic sites and markers can be arranged at the Greensville-Emporia Historical Museum at 419 S. Main Street or through the Chamber of Commerce, 326 South Main

Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011 5

Welcome to Greensville County Greetings! The Greensville County Board of Supervisors is pleased to welcome you to our community. Greensville County, a county rich with tradition, takes great pride in its unique blend of homes, businesses, agriculture and industry. Our central location along the eastern seaboard of the United States between Raleigh, Richmond, and Hampton Roads, places Greensville County within a day’s drive of over 50 metropolitan areas and nearly two-thirds of the United States population. Our location at the crossroads of I-95 and U.S. Route 58 provides prime access to the eastern part of the United States. More than 12,000 people call Greensville County home, but because of our location, relative to the excellent road and highways, the area effectively draws in labor and customers from a much larger region — serving a potential population of nearly 147,000 people. The Greensville County landscape, location, and market area are some of the factors residents, tourists, businesses and industries find attractive. One of the great attributes of Greensville County and the City of Emporia is its residents. Numerous charitable events are held annually all attribut-

able to volunteers in the community. It is always impressive to see what can be accomplished when this community joins together for one common goal. Some examples of successful volunteer work in the community Peggy Wiley Greensville County are the Virginia Pork Festival, Board of Supervisors Chair The Great Peanut Tour, Relay for Life, The Virginia Peanut Festival, and Meherrin River Arts Council. The Virginia Pork Festival has been a major attraction to Greensville County. 15,000 people partake in 20 tons of pork served 30 different ways each year on the second Wednesday in June. The Great Peanut Tour draws 1,500 cyclers to bike a series of rides and tours designed to appeal to all levels of bicycle riders, and the beautiful Greensville County countryside serves as the backdrop. Once a year participants attend The Virginia Peanut Festivities to celebrate our community’s heritage. The Virginia

6 Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011

Peanut Festival honors Virginia’s heritage through civil war re-enactments and Native American ceremonies. The festival also highlights the children of our community, who will one day proudly continue our legacy. The Virginia Peanut Festival draws 12,000 to the event each year during the last weekend in September for the parade, fireworks, car show, carnival, and craft fair. Greensville County is also a proud supporter of the Meherrin River Arts Council and strongly believes in their goal of bringing nationally known entertainers to our community to perform a wide genre of music at a reasonable cost to their patrons. Over the past quarter century, local audiences have enjoyed everything from opera and ballet to plays and symphonic concerts. National and international stars have brought the sounds of jazz, country, contemporary and popular music to the region. Once again, welcome to Greensville County. We hope you enjoy all of the activities that our community has to offer and make Greensville County part of your family tradition. Sincerely, Peggy Wiley Board of Supervisors Chair

Ideal for new business, new industry Economic development is an important element in how we look to the future in the Emporia-Greensville community. Throughout our history, commerce, agriculture, industry and travel have blossomed here. The Emporia-Greensville region must continually push forward and adapt to the changes presented by the overall national and global economies. Advancing through these challenging economic times, the EmporiaGreensville region continues to market and capitalize on its strategic location in the center of the East Coast at the crossroads of I-95 and US 58, strengthening its position as a rapidly emerging commerce and industry center. The Emporia-Greensville region has a strong retail economy and a well diversified regional mix of manufacturing, distribution, health care, state government and travel industry employment. The community has a pro-active economic development program in place to attract, retain and expand the region’s employment base. The Emporia-Greensville region has the added advantage of three fast-growing metro areas within commuting distance - Richmond, Hampton Roads and Raleigh-Durham. Within a 20-mile radius there is a regional population of approximately 68,000 and 25,000 households. The population within 60 miles of the Emporia area is 1.9 million, with a workforce of nearly 1 million. Long an important travel stop on the New York to Florida route, the EmporiaGreensville region provides more than 1,100 motel rooms attracting more than 365,000 overnight visitors annually.

Fourth District Congressman Randy Forbes tours Oran Safety Glass in Greensville County. Mid-Atlantic Advanced Manufacturing Center (MAMaC) The new 1,545 acre MAMaC megasite is Virginia’s only independently selected and certified mega-site ready for large-scale, fast-track projects involving investment of $1 billion or more and new jobs of 1,000 or more. In January 2011, The Virginia Tobacco Commission awarded Greensville County, the City of Emporia and Brunswick County $6.6 million for continued development of MAMaC. The site offers over 7,000 feet of frontage on I-95. The Development Team includes CSX, Virginia Port Authority, Virginia Manufacturer’s Association, Mid-Atlantic Broadband Cooperative, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, and Southside Virginia Community College. The MAMaC site will have an enormous impact on the area’s economy and holds the potential to drive economic growth for decades to come.

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Education and Workforce Development In November, 2010 EmporiaGreensville leaders announced plans to proceed with development of the third phase of the Southside Virginia Education Center (SVEC), located in the Greensville County Office Park on US 301 approximately one-half mile north of the I-95, Exit 13 interchange. The $5 million project was financed by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, the US Department of Education, the US Department of Agriculture-Rural Development, and Greensville County. The third phase of the SVEC encompasses the Employment Enhancement Center that will house additional classrooms to train and equip the region’s workforce with the skills needed by employers. Tenants include Southside Virginia Community College and Longwood University. The project also includes a high production manufacturing lab and an industrial arts lab for conducting certification courses for welding, plumbing, electrical, automotive maintenance and other types of high-performance manufacturing designed to improve the job skills of area residents. Both labs have been designed with input from local employers. Phase 1 of the SVEC opened in September 2008, with Southside Virginia Community College as its anchor tenant. The 18,000 SF Workforce Development Center provides 11 classrooms, See IDC, page 8

Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011 7

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�� MAMaC is a 1,545 acre certified “megasite” located in Greensville County north of Emporia with direct access to the CSX mainline rail and approximately 1.3 miles of frontage along Interstate 95. including a virtual learning classroom where students will be able to pursue degrees from four-year colleges, and a computer lab. The building also contains a health science lab, industrial lab, and resource center for Work Keys programs, job search and general computer research. A second phase of the SVEC opened in March 2009, called the Golden Leaf Commons, and provides a 9,000 SF facility with a full catering kitchen used by area employers when addressing large groups of employees. Planning for Next Generation Industrial Sites Emporia-Greensville leaders are also diligently

working to develop the next generation industrial sites — building on the success of the Greensville County Industrial Park. The new industrial park will ensure the availability of good sites, with necessary infrastructure to continue attracting the kind of small- to mid-sized distribution and manufacturing operations that form the backbone of the regional economy. For More Information Contact: Jack Davenport Executive Director Emporia-Greensville Industrial Development Corp. 425-H South Main Street Emporia, VA 23847 434.634.9400 Web: www.egidc.com

8 Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011

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The Emporia-Greensville Chamber of Commerce welcomes you Welcome to Emporia-Greensville. Let me tell you some things about our City and County. More than 17,000 people call Emporia-Greensville home. We are located on the fall line between the Piedmont and the Atlantic Coast Plain. Our landscape varies from very gently sloping plains in the southeast to rolling hills along the western boundary. Our location at the crossroads of I-95 and US Route 58 gives excellent access to Florida-New York, the beach or Blue Ridge Mountains and other metropolitan areas such as Richmond, Hampton Roads and Raleigh, N.C. We have a warm sunny climate with an average annual temperature of nearly 60 degrees. There is plenty to do in EmporiaGreensville beginning with a state of the art YMCA Facility, over 60 acres of park facilities with paved walking trails and picnic pavilions. Emporia-Greensville is

less than 30 minutes away from Lake Gaston — featuring boating, camping and fishing. We have over 50 civic clubs, a 280 member Chamber of Commerce, a library, and historic Victorian homes and businesses. We have many historic sites LaVerne Jolly such as the Virginia Civil War Trails, a tour that traces Civil War history in our community, Village View, a restored 1830’s home and the Hicksford Raid, a Civil War battle in 1864 that culminated in present day Emporia. We also feature festivals such as the Virginia Pork Festival, The Virginia Peanut Festival and the Meherrin River Arts Council that brings in top name entertainers several times a year. Emporia-Greensville is a warm and

friendly community. People come to the Emporia Greensville area for the beautiful scenery and stay for the low cost of living and comfortable way of life in our tranquil rural community. Whether you are traveling along I-95 between the northeastern U.S. and Florida or headed to the beaches in Virginia or the Blue Ridge Mountains consider stopping at our crossroads for a little southern hospitality. Call our chamber office 434-634-9441 and allow our Executive Director to serve you. Warmest regards, LaVerne Jolly, President Emporia-Greensville Chamber of Commerce

The healthcare services you need (without the long trip you don’t). Sometimes the things you need most are right under your nose, like skilled care close to home. Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center offers many of the same services and procedures you’ll ﬁnd in big-city hospitals, along with a genuine concern for your well-being. We treat our patients like friends and neighbors, because most of the time, that’s what they are. If you don’t know about the great care available right here in your community, it’s time to discover Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center for yourself. Learn more at SVRMC.com or call 434-348-4400. Don Koralewski/Independent-Messenger

727 North Main Street • Emporia, VA

The Chamber sponsors one of the best fireworks displays you’ll ever see for the Fourth of July. Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011 9

The places we know Emporia and Greensville County are well-known for being a place where pigs and peanuts are celebrated and race car drivers are born and raised. But to the people who live here, it’s so much more. Locals are heavily invested in many ways to this unique and special community, and in making it a better place for all to live, work and enjoy. What else would be expected from a locality so bold to be called Greensville in a world full of Greenvilles? The area’s historical significance dates back to colonial times. It was first explored in 1670 but wasn’t settled until 1710, when the town of Hicksford was formed. Hicksford eventually merged with the town of Belfield (the two were separated by the Meherrin River) to form Emporia. The focal point of the city’s downtown to this day is the 1781 Greensville County Courthouse, located at Courthouse Square on the 300

block of South Main Street. One block east of South Main Street is the Village View Mansion House, a federal-style home built in the 1790s on a plantation that dates back to 1726. During the Civil War, the front parlor hosted a council of Confederate generals discussing plans to defend a major railway and supply line from Union attack. That defense eventually came along the banks of the Meherrin River, which still defines the landscape of central Emporia and Greensville County. The Meherrin is a 92-mile river that begins in central Virginia about 50 miles Northwest of Emporia, before weaving through Southside Virginia, splitting Emporia and Greensville County and crossing into North Carolina, where it joins the larger Chowan River. Just as in the days of Belfield and Hicksford, the • Continued on page 11

10 Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011

Patrick Love/Independent-Messenger

U.S. 301 was once a major thoroughfare running through Emporia and Greensville County.

• Continued from previous page

Patrick Love/Independent-Messenger

Tucker’s Mill Pond dates back to Revolutionary War times.

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City of Emporia is still split by the Meherrin River and holds two distinct downtown areas, one on the North side of the river on North Main Street and the other on the south side of the river on South Main Street. Another river, the Nottoway River, separates Greensville on its northern border from Dinwiddie and Sussex counties, while Sussex and Southampton counties lie on the eastern border. Brunswick County, from which Greensville was originally cut, borders to the west, while the southern border is also the Virginia-North Carolina state line. Upon exiting the city, callers are taken by the rustic, rural beauty of the county, with its vast areas of farmland and nature dotted by history. U.S. Highway 301, which runs from North to South and parallels Interstate 95, was once among the most predominant roads not only in the area, but in the Eastern United States. Its influence can still be seen in the area, along with Highway 58 and Dry Bread Road, which was originally called Fort Road because it connected eastern Virginia to Fort Christanna in Brunswick County. Another of the area’s oldest roads, Low Ground Road, is the gateway to sites such as Taylor’s Mill Pond, which has origins during Revolutionary War times, and Tucker’s Pond, which hosts multiple recreational events in the area. It’s also where passers-by can find chicken muddle, a thicker version of Brunswick stew that’s popular in Greensville County. Trains still pass through the area, with Emporia being at the crossroads of two key railroads, CSX running northto-south and Norfolk-Southern going east-to-west. The county holds two municipalities, Emporia and the town of Jarratt, and is home to a number of unincorporated communities, such as Skippers, Purdy, Bryant’s Corner and Doodlum, population 32, which is up near the Dinwiddie County border. Purdy and Jarratt have boat landings on the Nottoway River, and campsites are located at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park on U.S. 301 north of Emporia. The area is also home to one of the deepest holes on the east coast, Vulcan Material’s Company’s Skippers quarry. There are few out there who circle • Continued on page 12

Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011 11

Patrick Love/Independent-Messenger

The trains still pass through Emporia and Greensville County, a crossroads for multiple railroads. • Continued from previous page the wagons better than the natives of Emporia and Greensville County. Rest assured, if there is a person or people in need or a worthy project to be undertaken, more than enough do-gooders are always ready step up and help out in any way they can. When the Family YMCA of Emporia-Greensville needed a new facility, the people here made donations, hosted fundraisers and meetings and made it happen. Now the local YMCA is housed in one of the finer facilities around, complete with an exercise room, a full-size basketball court, a climbing wall, playgrounds, day and after-school care programs for youths, recreational programs and much more. Anyone interested in learning more about the area and what it has to offer would be advised to visit the Greensville-Emporia Historical Museum at 419 South Main Street and/or the Emporia-Greensville Chamber of Commerce, located in the Emporia train station at 400 Halifax Street. The chamber’s phone number is (434) 634-9441. The offices of Emporia can be reached at (434) 634-3332, and Greensville County’s phone number is (434) 348-4205. 12 Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011

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George Washington didn’t sleep here It seems many of the great personalities in American history had one thing in common — they were great journal writers. That’s definitely the case with “the Father of our Country”, George Washington. In 1791, then President Washington made his way through what is now Greensville County and Emporia on his way south, to what is now Roanoke Rapids. And, he wrote a considerable amount with regard to this portion of his trek. Excerpts from his hand-written journal, dated April 16 to April 24, show that Washington intended to stay here… however; he found the population “too noisy”. Washington’s journal states: “Got into my Carriage a little after 5 o’clock, and travelled thro’ a cloud of dust until I came within two or three miles of Hix’s ford, when it began to rain. Breakfast at one Andrews’s a small but decent House about a mile after passing the ford (or rather the bridge) over the Meherrin River. Although raining moderately, but with appearance of breaking up, I continued my journey — induced to it by the crowds which were coming into general muster at the Court House of Greensville, who would I presumed soon have made the Ho. I was in too noisy to be agreeable,” Washington goes on to write that in passing up a stay in Greensville County and the Emporia area, because of the stir, he ended up forcing his men and horses to continue the journey south in stormy weather all the way to Halifax in North Carolina. Passing up whatever accommodations there were (because it was too noisy to be agreeable) in Greensville County, Washington and his escorts had to trek on to Halifax, some 27 miles south in bad weather, because there were no other accommodations along the way. Not having any local accounts from the residents of the area during the time of Washington’s pass-through, we can only assume that the crowd of noisy people at the Greensville County Courthouse in 1791 was just excited to see the new nation’s first president. And, had he decided to stay, we’re confident he would have thoroughly enjoyed local

But, Grace Kelly did family here about 20 years ago, when they lived (on) West End Boulevard. Many of the neighbors on that street remember her as a child visiting here.”

Portrait of General Washington in Dorchester Heights after the siege of Boston. White House Collection. hospitality of the day. Grace Kelly While President Washington only passed through, many more prominent people in American History and culture have spent considerable time in Emporia — making an impression on them, and making an impression on us. One noted visitor was Her Serene Highness, The Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly. Though locals who knew her during her childhood visits knew her as Grace — or, the Kelly girl. Community newspapers tend to stick with what’s happening in immediate vicinity. In this case, the IndependentMessenger covers what’s happening in Greensville County, Emporia and the surrounding areas. We make the exception when national news affects someone close to our readership. On January 26, 1956, the Independent-Messenger reported the engagement of Kelly to Prince Rainier III of Monaco under the headline “Grace Kelly was a childhood visitor to Emporia.” As printed in the article, “Grace Kelly is the niece of Bruno Majer, a former resident of Emporia, her mother being Mr. Majer’s sister. She visited the Majer

Laura Ingalls History has largely forgotten her, but Emporia hasn’t. Laura Ingalls was a highly successful female pilot of the 1930’s with several unusual records to her credit, according to the Smithsonian Institute. Daughter of a wealthy New York City family, Ingalls learned to fly in 1928. She held several records for flying, beginning in 1930, and was a contemporary to Amelia Earhart. Among Ingalls’ flying exploits: ■ In 1935, she became the first woman to fly nonstop from the east coast to the west coast and then immediately broke Amelia Earhart’s nonstop transcontinental west-to-east record with a flight from Los Angeles to New York in 13 hours, 34 minutes. ■ She made the first flight over the Andes by an American woman; ■ She made the first solo flight around South America in a landplane, the first flight by a woman from North America to South America — setting a woman’s distance record of 17,000 miles. In addition to her noteworthy flying record, Ingalls had a very political nature, one that brought her and her aircraft to Emporia. In the lead up to the 1941 presidential elections, Ingalls was staunchly against the politics of then President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Taking her message to Washington that there should be “no third term”, Ingalls was forced down into a cotton field south of Emporia. A printed news account of the time noted the cause for the emergency landing as “a rapidly diminishing gasoline supply.” Ingalls — world renowned as an aviator — noted that she intended to fly into a local airport in Greensville County to refuel, but was in possession of an old map. The airport had moved, and she wasn’t aware of it. So, with daylight fading, and fuel almost gone, she decided to put down in the cotton field and pick up See PERSONALITIES, page 14

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PERSONALITIES Continued from Page 13

the flight in the morning. “I wish they wouldn’t move these airports,” she told a reporter. “It’s very embarrassing at times, but I guess I’m to blame for having an old map.” She added that she was sure that the cotton farmer, whose field she landed in would not be mad because her plane is so small it didn’t cause much damage.

Laura Ingalls made a stop locally on the way to make a point in Washington, D.C. in 1941.

Ingalls was met with a fair degree of hospitality while on the ground here. She noted that the folks here treated her “simply wonderfully”. A supporter of Wendell Willkie, she pinned many of them with his presidential campaign buttons. The next morning, many residents turned out at the cotton field to help Ingalls prepare the aircraft for flight, and get it on to a nearby road that served as a runway. Once she was airborne, the excitement faded, according to Cecil Reid Jr., who was a teenager at the time. About two hours after the launching, Reid said he heard a radio report out of Washington, D.C. noting that the Whitehouse was being over-flown by Ingalls, who was dropping leaflets calling for Roosevelt not to run for another term. “They would have shot her down today,” said Reid. “She was buzzing the Whitehouse, throwing leaflets.” Wingless aircraft Keeping with aviation, many local residents still remember the introduction of the wingless aircraft in Emporia. If you were to do a simple Internet search of the wingless airplane, you will

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�� 14 Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011

Technicians work on the wingless aircraft in a local garage prior to the machine’s debut and “test flight” at an airfield in Skippers. come up with a search result that show some serious effort by designers to build what they refer to as wingless — NASA has a few designs and prototypes; the patent office has patent applications for such aircraft; and, several aircraft manufacturers have constructed craft that have small wings (but they still have wings). Here in Emporia, in the 1940s, Reid recalls an aircraft designer coming to town with a model of the “wingless aircraft”. It had an engine and a fuselage, but no wings. Reid said that the model was a working model, and was set to fly out of an airfield in Skippers, south of Emporia. Before the flight, the design team and partners recruited investors for the project from area residents. Reid reports that they were successful in getting money from local folks for the project. On the day that the aircraft was scheduled to be tested, Reid reports that many residents made their way to the airfield to watch. “We sat on a hill to watch it take off,” Reid said. “It revved up the motor and started moving, and thud… it went off the runway. “‘Oh, just a slight error, we’ll have it flying in no time’,” Reid recalls a flight crew member reporting to the gathered crowd. “Then the tail went up, and the motor went down.” No one ever saw the aircraft leave the ground on its own power, but Reid may have been the last person in the area to see the aircraft move. “Sometime shortly after that (the ‘test flight’), mother and I were on our way See WINGLESS, page 15

WINGLESS

Continued from Page 12 to Chase City for lunch, when all of a sudden I looked behind me and there was a flatbed truck with that on it,” said Reid. “They were taking it to the Lawrenceville airport. No one could ever tell me what happened to it.” The wingless aircraft didn’t make it into the air, and thus didn’t make it into the history books. But it did make an impression on Reid that still ticks him off more than 60 years later. A family member invested nearly $2,000 in the project, and all she got for the contribution was a model of the “aircraft” sitting on a wooden block, said

Reid. “That made me mad as hell.” Editor’s Note: If you come across the “wingless aircraft” pictured in this article, please give us a call at the Inde-

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We celebrate the peanut

This year marks the 49th Anniversary for the Virginia Peanut Festival 16 Discover Emporia and Greensville County â&#x20AC;˘ 2011

Don Koralewski/Independent-Messenger

The Virginia Peanut Festival celebrates the labors and the economic impact peanut growers provide to Southside Virginia. Here, peanut growers are a main attraction during the Peanut Festival Parade. Dozens of them participate in the parade down Main Street in Emporia, and they are joined by community organizations, clubs, civic groups and others.

Join the party September 22-25, 2011 In 1949 the Emporia Chamber of Commerce, under the leadership of President T. Gunter Cook, sponsored the first Southside Virginia Peanut Festival. Records fail to show why the festival did not continue for several years. In 1962, the Chamber of Commerce once again sponsored the festival. Through the years the focus remained always on The Virginia Peanut and the farmers of the peanuts. The festival names changed from the Southside Virginia Peanut Festival to The Emporia Festival to The Emporia-Greensville Peanut Festival to The Peanut Festival. In 1981 the Chamber of Commerce franchised the name of the festival to The Virginia Peanut Festival. The peanut grown in Greensville County-Southeastern Virginia is the Pictured left, Jaquan Washington pleads for more candy as his friends and siblings scramble to pick up what’s already been thrown from trucks during the Virginia Peanut Festival Parade in Emporia. Photo by Mark D. Faram

Virginia-type peanut making the festival name more specific to the area. The Emporia-Greensville Chamber of Commerce continued sponsorship of the festival and in 1994 with volunteerism dwindling, the Chamber hired an event company to direct the festival. In 2001 the Chamber of Commerce, the City of Emporia and the County of Greensville could no longer afford the cost of the event company. Ending The Virginia Peanut Festival was news the community would not accept. Immediately, local leaders Robert C. Wrenn and Bobby L. Flippen met to organize volunteers to continue the festival. Volunteers came forward and the 40th Virginia Peanut Festival was touted as being one of the “best festivals ever”. The committee’s success was due only to the great support it received from all those who came forth with sponsorships, including the City of Emporia, the County of Greensville, businesses, industries, as well as the local citizenry. The Virginia Peanut Festival continues today through the work of local volunteers.

Over the years some very well-known people have served as Grand Marshal to include actresses Elizabeth Taylor and Ruth Warrick; Miss America, Kylene Barker; football great, Ken Willard; NASCAR great, Cale Yarborough; NASA astronaut, Mike Lounge and politician, Watkins Abbitt. The festival will celebrate 50 years in 2012. It is held every September. This year the event is Sept. 22-25. Every year there is a beauty pageant and The Great Peanut Bike Ride, The Virginia Peanut Festival Car and Truck Show and Competition. The Parade and The Peanut Party in the Park are very popular events. Some other events taking place over the years during the festival days have been the carnival, arts and crafts, luncheon/dinner fashion show, canoe races, rodeos, cocktail party, peanut farm tour and pancake breakfast. Over the last almost half-century, The Virginia Peanut Festival has focused on festival events to please the entire family while improving their quality of life, but never losing sight of the Virginia-type peanut and the Virginia peanut farmers.

Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011 17

Photos by Patrick Love/Independent-Messenger

Several 2010 participants walk their bikes down the path from Cattail Creek Campground prior to the featured ride.

Easy Ridin’ on the Great Peanut Tour The Great Peanut Bicycle Tour is as much about the stopping as it is the going. Presented annually by the Emporia Bicycle Club and based at Cattail Creek Campground in Skippers, the four-day event treats participants to more than 400 miles of leisurely biking around Southside Virginia, Northeastern North Carolina and Lake Gaston, along with a host of other family-friendly activities. “It’s very well-organized, and it’s got wonderful SAG (support and gear) stops,” said Jean Insley, of Albany, N.Y., who rode the tour on a tandem bike with husband Herb for the 13th time in 2010. “It’s been one of the best things we’ve ever done.” The 2010 edition, which took riders through sections of Greensville, Southampton and Brunswick counties in Virginia and Northampton, Halifax

“Even the slower rides are too fast for us, but this one is slow enough.”

Jean Insley 13-time participant

and Warren counties in North Carolina, marked the 32nd running and was attended by approximately 500 riders from across the U.S. and beyond. While the routes to the six different rides, culminating in the featured Great Peanut Tour on Saturday afternoon, are low-traffic and dotted with beautiful scenery and old-fashioned Southern hospitality, many repeat participants say it’s not necessarily the time spent on the bike that keeps them coming back.

18 Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011

See TOUR, page 19

A rider ﬂashes the peace sign.

TOUR

Continued from Page 18 “What makes this ride special? It’s got to be the rest stops and the people,” said Ted Zeh, of New Kent County, who’s been attending the Great Peanut Tour with family for 23 years. “Everybody’s so friendly down here, and the route’s not hilly. It’s just a good ride.” The stops are where riders pull over to rest, socialize and take in a bit of the culture of the area. “You meet people every year, and then you come back the next year and just pick right up where you left off the year before,” said Jo Keister, of Fairfax, who’s been attending since 1995. In 2010, there were 25 SAG stops, both educational and recreational in nature, set up by volunteers from the local community. The stops ranged from the classic peanut and tomato stops to the ever more popular watermelon rind pickle stop and the increasingly famous cucumber stop, both introduced to the biking world by the Emporia Bicycle Club, event organizer Bobby Wrenn said. “Over and over again, people tell us that no other ride equals this one,” said Wrenn. “They think we’re the standard of comparison, because we go the extra mile in having things different and inter-

Event organizer Bobby Wrenn preps the group for an overhead picture. esting.” There is also plenty going on at the campground between rides, including hikes, music, entertainment and marshmallow roasts. In 2010, the Meherrin Ruritan Club and Gravel Pit Hunt Club provided meals, and members of the Meherrin Indian Tribe entertained participants on Saturday night. “I call it adult camp,” said Loan Pheops, of Arlington, who’s attended the tour 11 times. “The camaraderie, the ambience, that’s what it’s all about. I see a lot of the same people who I wouldn’t see any other time but here. They come from all over, and they’re the same people.” The 2011 event is scheduled for Sept.

8-11. All routes begin and end at Cattail Creek Campground, which will be open for this year’s event, and are marked with painted arrows at all state road intersections. The terrain is flat or slightly rolling, perfect for cruising along at one’s own pace. “Even the slower rides are too fast for us, but this one is slow enough,” said Insley. “You can go at your own pace.” Pheops said she takes a good number of leisurely rides throughout the year but doesn’t always return for a second goround. “We know what’s the good stuff,” she said. “The good stuff, we keep coming back.”

Y’all come back, now!

Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011 19

The purpose for this party is the pig You are invited to experience the sights and sounds of a long-standing tradition of the past 40 years — the Virginia Pork Festival. The festival is considered one of the East Coast’s largest food festivals, combining tons of pork and other dishes with continuous live music, from five stages. Although the primary goal of the Virginia Pork Festival is to promote the pork industry, it is a nonprofit organization that provides local clubs and civic organizations with an opportunity to raise funds for their respective groups. Over the past three decades more than $1 million has been donated to: Hospice, Shriners, The American Red Cross, area civic, rescue and fire departments, and many others. All dishes are prepared and served by these groups, all of whom make the festival a great success year after year. Food is served hot off the grill—more than 43,000 pounds of it! At the festival you can choose from barbecued loin chops and spare ribs to chitterlings, sausage burgers and everything in between. Whether you want minced barbecue, French fried sweet potatoes, banana pudding, hot dogs, Boston butt, or pigs feet, you can find it at the Festival. Your ticket includes all of your food and favorite beverages. The Festival attracts people from all walks of life, including local businessmen, farmers, and politicians. Not only does the Virginia Pork

Virginia Pork Festival among largest food fests on East Coast

Forty-three thousand pounds of pork made the menu at the last Virginia Pork Festival.

Richard Bass enjoys the freshest pork and most delicious barbecue ever.

Festival captivate Southside Virginia like no other event, it welcomes pork lovers from as far south as the “Sunshine State” of Florida up to “The Big Apple” New York and from the West Coast visitors from Washington to the “Lone Star State” of Texas...all of whom enjoy the opportunity to sample the fare and enjoy the festive atmosphere. If you are ready to kick up your heels

and do some dancing you will find pop, country, beach, rhythm or blues to dance to. The Festival is always held on the second Wednesday in June from 4-8 p.m. at the Greensville Ruritan Club on Ruritan Drive in Emporia. For additional festival information you can log-on to the event’s web site at www.vaporkfestival.com or call 434634-6611.

The Embers play to a large crowd during this year’s Virginia Pork Festival. 20 Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011

Teresa Welsh/Independent-Messenger

Patrick Love/Independent-Messenger

Commercial crossroads for 300 years In 2009, Emporia and Greensville County celebrated 300 years of commerce. Presented here isn’t a definitive history, but it is the result of countless hours of research and interviews by Emporia resident and Greensville County Clerk of Courts Bobby Wrenn. “Picture this region when the first European settlers came 300 years ago,” said Wrenn. “No roads, no buildings, no railroads. What was here? Woods that had never known an axe and the Meherrin River Falls. A fall on the river is where the tide stops. You can’t see the tide but it is there.” Indian trails and a few cleared fields where Indians lived was the only sign of life, according to Wrenn. The first explorers came down the Indian paths from the early fort and trading post on the falls of the Appomattox, Fort Henry at what is now Petersburg. The trail went in a north-to-south direction. It was used primarily by the Tuscarora Indians and it crossed an eastto-west trail at the ford in the river, he said. A Ford is a narrow, shallow place in the river where people and horses could easily cross. That location is believed to be where the railroad crosses the Meherrin behind the present Post Office. The east-to-west trail from Williamsburg to the western frontier also crossed the ford. “The few settlers who lived outside the Petersburg area lived in fear of the Indians. Just a few brave souls lived away from settlements,” said Wrenn. “This area was the western frontier of America. Just think about it. The western frontier of the Colonies—hard to imagine, isn’t it? “This was flat country compared to the mountainous land west of here. Being flat made paths easy. Swamps had hindered exploration from the north and east, but the adventuresome traders found the Indian Trail—the path that followed the tracks of wild animals, which had been discovered as the easiest, driest and safest route to travel. “So they came down the trail that was later to be Halifax Road between Petersburg and Halifax, N.C. Crossing the

Meherrin River at the ford, the intersection of the two trails made the crossing a significant place. “Then there came upon the scene a brave, daring businessman, explorer, entrepreneur, who was an outstanding individual, Robert Hicks. Hicks was a successful trader, often called an Indian trader who spoke their language, so well, in fact, that he often was called on by the government to deal with them.” Hicks was born in what is now Charles City County about 1658. He was a private trader and became so successful that he formed a company that had enough backing to purchase packhorses, trading goods, guns and ammunition, provisions and funds to pay the packhorsemen, said Wrenn. In 1707 the government of South Carolina seized a large quantity of Hicks’s skins and other goods because of a dispute between Virginia and South Carolina. He only regained a few of his goods. In 1709, he purchased 1,280 acres in two tracts of land, one of which would

later be known as Hicks’ Ford. A short time later Hicks moved from the Petersburg area to the Ford, and began a local trading post. “This was the start of commerce in this area—300 years ago, our tri-centennial of trade and commerce and a significant point in the history of our area,” said Wrenn. In 1713, Hicks became a captain of the Surry County Rangers and in 1714 Fort Christanna was built and Hicks was selected as commander. “Hicks accompanied Gov. Spotswood as he set out on a journey to the southern frontier, as our area was referred to then, to insure that the Indian treaties he had made were carried out,” said Wrenn. “The plan was that the Sappony, Occoneechee, Stuckanox and the Toter Indians were to settle on the south side of the Meherrin River. The Nottoway and Meherrin were to settle on the north.” In 1722 Hicks went with Gov. �� Spotswood to Albany, N.Y. to make a ��

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Success Starts Here �� Get Direction in life...www.southside.edu 1-888-220-SVCC Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011 21

COMMERCE

Continued from Page 21 treaty with the Iroquois. The northern Indians had been attacking Virginia Indian tribes as well as the outlying settlers. The southern frontier was always in turmoil. He was a very significant person for this trip. His knowledge of the Indians made him a tremendous asset.” For a few days in 1726 Hicks joined Col. William Byrd and a survey party to survey the boundary line between Virginia and North Carolina – the line that is used today. The Captain’s son, Robin, was a permanent member of the survey party. In 1730, at age 72, as a public service, Hicks rode horseback through the wilderness 238 miles to the Catawba Nation for the Governor of New York to demand the liberty, or release, of some Iroquois prisoners. In 1733 the executive council of Virginia sent Capt. Hicks to a treaty meeting between the Sappony and the Tuscarora at Fort Christanna and requested that he make a report to them. He did. In 1738 he made a will, in part saying, “I acknowledge the divine favor and mercy of God in so safely conducting me through all the dangers to which human life is exposed to this present time.” “I could not find the date of his death, but his will was presented to the Brunswick county court on February 7, 1739. His estate was large, having over 3,500 acres of land,” said Wrenn. “Captain Robert Hicks had an exciting, eventful and significant life. “From our point of view 300 years of trade and commerce began here at Hicks Ford where the Tuscarora trail and the east-west trail crossed the Meherrin River.” Wrenn gathered his information from the Sketches of Greensville County, from William Byrd’s book, Histories of the Dividing Line Betwixt Virginia and North Carolina, from historical records of Eleanor Eanes, from Hicks family records, and conversations with Miss Karen A. Hicks of Richmond, a ninth generation descendent of Robert Hicks. “We are indebted to Capt. Hicks, he truly was our founding father and we should point with pride to the start of commerce here on what was the western frontier of America in 1709.”

Crater District Planning Commission map

Emporia and Greensville County mark the southern most reach of Intestate 95 in Virginia. Richmond is an hour’s drive north on I-95, and Hampton Roads is about an hour-and-a-half away to the east on Route 58.

22 Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011

Want speciﬁc information about the area? City of Emporia Administration 434-634-3332 Animal Control 434-634-2122 Building Inspector 434-634-6315

Clerk of Circuit Court 434-348-4215

Greensville Elementary School 434-336-0907

Commissioner of Revenue 434-348-4227 Commonwealth Attorney 434-348-4205

City Clerk’s Office, 434-634-3332

Circuit Court 434-348-4215

City Manager 434-634-3122

General District Court 434-634-5400

Commissioner of Revenue 434-634-5405

Dept. of Social Services 434-634-6576

Community Services & Engineering 434-634-4500 Emergency Services 434-634-3332 Family Violence Prevention 434-348-0100 Police Department 434-634-2122 Public Works 434-634-4500 Sheriff’s Office 434-634-4671 Treasurer’s Office 434-634-2349

E.W. Wyatt Middle School 434-634-5159 Greensville County High School 434-634-2195 Private Schools Brunswick Academy 434-848-3779 Faith Christian School 434-634-9313

Health Department 434-348-4210

First Christian Academy 434-634-4281 Southampton Academy (757) 653-2512

Planning Department 434-348-4232

Colleges St. Paul’s College (Lawrenceville) 434-848-3111

Sanitary Landfill 434-348-3379

Southside Virginia Community College (Alberta) 434-949-1000

Treasurer’s Office 434-348-4229

Southside Virginia Education Center (Emporia) 434-634-9358

Greensville County Public Schools Administration 434-634-3748 Belfield Elementary School 434-634-5566

Industrial Development Emporia-Greensville Virginia Industrial Development Corporation 434-634-9400

Voter Registration 434-634-9533 Waste Collection 434-634-3808 Water Department Business Office 434-634-2349 Zoning Administration 434-634-3332 Greensville County Administration 434-348-4205 Animal Control 434-348-4200 Building Official 434-348-4232

Photo by Mark D. Faram

Jeff Holloway, right, of Purdy, and Bain Rideout, of Jarratt, watch the Virginia Peanut Festival Parade from the front window of Logan’s Diner in Emporia. Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011 23

Headliners in a hometown setting The mission of the Meherrin River Arts Council is to produce an annual concert series that features nationally known entertainers who perform a wide genre of music at a reasonable cost to our patrons and to provide various performing arts programming in the local schools. They have accomplished their mission annually providing such artists as Crystal Gayle, Temptations, Platters, Kenny Rogers, and many more. In 1978, after perceiving a tremendous need for a performing arts series in the Emporia-Greensville area, a group of concerned citizens formed the Meherrin River Arts Council (MRAC). The MRAC — named after a historical river that runs right through the heart of the City of Emporia and Greensville County — took on the unusual task of bringing national-quality arts entertainment to a small-town setting in Southside Virginia. The group’s goals have been twofold: create a series that showcases a variety of entertainment styles and genres while keeping tickets affordable to all segments of the population. In fulfilling this mission, an annual concert series of four performances was begun in 1979. The series is developed and administered by an all-volunteer board of directors.

Meherrin River Arts Council brings national acts to a local audience

This year the MRAC will be celebrating its thirty-fourth anniversary season. Over the past quarter century, the MRAC has hosted over 100 performances.

Teresa Welsh/Independent-Messenger

Wanya Morris performs “On Bended Knee” during a Boyz II Men concert this January. 24 Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011

Local audiences have enjoyed everything from opera and ballet to plays and symphonic concerts. National and international stars have brought the sounds of jazz, country, contemporary and popular music to the region. The completion of the Emporia Greensville Performing Arts Center has greatly enhanced the concert series. The facility, located in a new local elementary school, not only provides exceptional viewing capabilities from all of its 906 seats; it also boasts theater-quality sound and lighting systems, highly unusual in any school setting. In addition, the MRAC produces a performing arts series for students in the local schools. The students have seen performances that have featured ballet, opera, theater, chamber orchestra and plays. Many of these programs show children the importance of math, reading and science through the performing arts. Students experience programs that are both challenging and entertaining.

Debbie Boone took the stage for a MRAC concert in the spring of 2010.

The Spinners

For more information about the Meherrin River Arts Council Concert Series, or information about how to obtain tickets, visit the website at www.mrac-arts.com.

Country music group Diamond Rio has headlined the Meherrin River Arts Council Concert Series in recent years.

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� Vickie Lawrence brought Mama to Emporia for a MRAC performance in April 2010.

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Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011 25

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•• 2 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU ••

I-85 & Hwy 903, Exit #4 • Bracey, VA 23919 • (434) 689-2221 I-95 • Skippers Rd, Exit #8 • Emporia, VA 23847 • (434) 634-9269

Daily Specials ��

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Lodging and Restaurant Guide Lodging Best Western 1100 W. Atlantic St. Emporia, Va. 23847 434-634-3200 Country Inn and Suites 107 Sadler Lane Emporia, Va. 23847 434-336 -0001 Days Inn 925 West Atlantic St I-95 and US 58 (West Exit 11-b) 434 634-9481

Restaurants Applebee’s Grill & Bar 105 Sadler Ln. Emporia, VA 23847 434-336-9540 Arby’s of Emporia 109 Market Drive Emporia, VA 23847 434 634-8693 Bojangles of Emporia 929 W. Atlantic St. Emporia, Va 23847 434 336 1118 Burger King 100 Market Dr. Emporia, VA 23847 434-634-6247 Carolina BBQ & Chicken 500 W. Atlantic St. Emporia, VA 23847 434-348-3435 Cracker Barrel #50 103 Sadler Lane Emporia, VA 23847 (434)336-9115 Five Guys Burgers & Fries 916 W. Atlantic St. Emporia, VA 23847 434-348-3483 Fo Sho 916 W. Atlantic St.

Econo Lodge 454 Moore’s Ferry Rd. Skippers, Va. 23879 434-634-6124 Fairfield Inn & Suites 104 Cloverleaf Drive Emporia, VA 23847 434-348-3800 Hampton Inn 898 Wiggins Road Emporia, VA 23847 (434) 634-9200 Holiday Inn Express 1350 West Atlantic Street Emporia, VA 23847

434-336-9999 Knights Inn 3173 Sussex Drive Emporia, Va. 23847 434-535-8535 Quality Inn Emporia 1207 W Atlantic St, Emporia, VA 23847 434-348-8888 Sleep Inn 899 Wiggins Rd Emporia, Va. 23847 434-348-3900 Red Carpet Inn 1586 Skippers Rd.

Emporia, Va. 23847 434-634-4181 Reste Motel 3190 Sussex Drive Emporia, Va. 23847 434-535-9100 Spring Church Road Bed and Breakfast 928 Spring Church Rd. Skippers, VA 23879 434-634-2724 Super 8 Motel 1411 Skippers Rd. Emporia, Va. 23847 434-348-3282

Emporia, VA 23847 434-348-1057 Hardees 101 Market Dr. Emporia, VA 23847 434-634-4988 Huddle House 1589 Skippers Road Emporia, VA 23847 434-634-2829 Kentucky Fried Chicken 107 Cloverleaf Dr. Emporia, VA 23847 434-634-3122 Logan’s Diner 414 S. main St. Emporia, VA 23847 434-634-5512 Lucky Garden Chinese Rest. 102 E. Atlantic St. Emporia, VA 23847 434-634-4011 McDonald’s of Emporia 606 West Atlantic Street Emporia, VA 23847 434-634-9695 McDonalds (Skippers) 770 Moores Ferry Rd. Skippers, VA 23879 Norma’s Luncheonette 334 S. Main St.

Emporia, VA 23847 434-634-5823 Pino’s Pizza 923 W. Atlantic St. Emporia, VA 23847 434-348-7466 (Pino) Pizza Hut 602 W. Atlantic St. Emporia, VA 23847 434-634-6445 Pueblo Viejo 931 West Atlantic Street Emporia, VA 23847 434-348-0362 Quizno’s Sub/Race-In 932 W. Atlantic St. Emporia, VA 23847 434-348-7827 (SUBS) Sadler’s Milestone Restaurant I-95 & US 58 W. Emporia, VA 23847

434-634-6709 Shoney’s 1201 W. Atlantic St. Emporia, VA 23847 434-634-4199 Squire House Restaurant 632 South Main Street Emporia, VA 23847 434-634-0046 Wendy’s 900 Market Dr. Emporia, VA 23847 434-348-0274 Wilsons BBQ & Grill 769 N. Main St. Emporia, VA 23847 434-634-4147 Wongs Garden 301 Market Dr. Emporia, VA 23847 434-336-0888

Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011 27

Great Things from The Good Earth

Patrick Love/Independent-Messenger

The Good Earth Peanut Company’s Skippers showroom lies in an 1850s general store that sits beside an old peanut warehouse turned processing plant that company president Lindsey Vincent’s ancestors used to store peanuts.

Skippers company an ambassador for Virginia peanuts It’s been said that life is like opening a box of chocolates, in that you never know what you’re going to get. The opposite is true of browsing The Good Earth Peanut Company’s catalog, as one gets a sense of exactly what’s in store — a taste of Virginia peanut-induced euphoria. There are classic peanut recipes like gourmet salted, honey roasted, chocolate covered and butter toasted mixed with tongue-tingling creations, such as Cajun and wasabi covered nuts, and a host of other offerings that are not necessarily limited to the peanut. Of course, pictures and words only go so far in describing a delicious edible treat. For a taste, one would be advised to stop by the family-owned company’s Skippers showroom to sample some of the 50-plus offerings from The Good Earth. Located at 5334 Skippers Road one mile east of Interstate 95’s exit 4 and four miles from the I-95 Virginia Welcome Center that also hosts its samples, Good Earth’s showroom lies in an 1850s general store that sits beside an old peanut warehouse turned processing plant that company president Lindsey Vincent’s ancestors used to store peanuts. From there, Vincent and his wife,

Scott, are heavily involved in the roasting and selling of the Virginia-grown peanuts for which their company has become a flag-bearer. Their markets include Internet and catalog sales around the world along with traditional wholesale and retail outlets, with more than 30 percent of sales going to large convenience store chains. That’s a far cry from the company’s humble origins, which began with Lindsey Vincent returning to the family farm from college in 1981 to find that there was little to come back to. Drought and See GOOD EARTH, page 29

Peanuts, oil and salt are the only ingredients in these extra large nuts.

100% Fragrance Free & Allergy Tested

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28 Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011

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Peebles/Emporia Marketplace Shopping Center Lori Kessler 434-634-2818 Ext. 9

GOOD EARTH Continued from Page 28

high production costs had pushed many peanut growers into other ventures, including Vincent’s family, which had been farming peanuts since the crop was introduced in Virginia around 1830. That didn’t stop Vincent from having boxes printed and filling them with peanuts during his last semester of school. The idea for The Good Earth Peanut Company is one he had nurtured over the years. “Among my favorite memories growing up in southeastern Virginia is eating the large kernel peanuts grown here and prepared using my grandmother’s special recipe,” he has been quoted as saying. “I couldn’t get it out of my mind that someday, I would use her recipe to process peanuts.” His grandmother’s recipe, made with or without salt, is currently the company’s best seller. After a couple of false starts, Good Earth’s official opening came in 1989, albeit in the Vincents’ kitchen with the couple cooking up peanuts late into the night. “We cooked in our home until 2 and 3 a.m. after my wife and I had both worked full-time all day,” said Vincent. “We would get up the next morning at 5 to label and package our product to take to our jobs and sell to our friends and anybody else who was interested.” The sales kept the part-time business afloat, and in 1991, the Vincents bought back the family warehouse and moved the operation out of their home. A good number of peanut-lovers say the sandy soil that is prevalent in the Virginia/North Carolina area gives peanuts a better flavor. The type of seeds used in Virginia also makes for larger kernels and shells than those of the peanuts grown in other areas, Vincent says. Into the early 2000s, Virginia produced approximately 70,000 to 80,000 acres of peanuts. But with high productions costs and low contract payouts driving many growers out of business, that number had fallen to a 50-year low of 16,000 acres in 2006. Nevertheless, specialty markets such as Good Earth are keeping the industry going. Not only does Good Earth provide an outlet for several tons of Virginia-grown peanuts per year (the Vincents reportedly buy from a number of Virginia growers), the company serves as an ambassador to customers who are

The sandy soil that is prevalent in the area coupled with the type of seed that is used gives Virginia peanuts a unique quality. just becoming acquainted with the high quality of Virginia peanuts. Among the variety of peanut products offered by Good Earth are double-dipped chocolate, redskin, brittle and squares, etc. The company also deals in products contrived from almonds, cashews, pecans, raisins and pistachios and sells trail mixes, gift baskets, preserves, butters,

pickled items and country hams. For more information, call (434) 634-2204 or (800) 643-1695 or email goober10383@aol.com or mandy@goodearthpeanuts.com. The company’s website is goodearthpeanuts. com, and the fax number is (434) 6342204. Its mailing address is P.O. Box 325, Skippers, VA, 23879.

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Drive in or ﬂy in: We can accommodate Wherever you’re going in Southside, or south-central Virginia, you can always get there from here. The Emporia-Greensville area is home to a crossroads for Interstate 95 and Route 58. I-95 offers direct access to the major metro areas of Richmond and points north, and Route 58 offers direct access to all of Hampton Roads, including Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach. However, you don’t have to take to the roadways to get from here to there. Nestled in the Greensville County countryside, just east of the City of Emporia is a unique regional airfield that can serve either as your launch site or landing site for your journeys in Southside Virginia. Like so many smaller airports across the nation, the Emporia-Greensville Regional Airport came about as an asset to national defense. “It was built in about 1943 as a Navy Auxiliary Field,” said Rick Franklin, airport executive director. Franklin adds that during World War II, the Navy constructed numerous auxiliary airfields in localities away from Virginia’s coastline. These airfields were built specifically to act as backup for U.S. Navy’s airfields that might have been target to enemy actions during the war — specifically, Navy airfields in Norfolk and Virginia Beach. While that was the purpose, not a lot of military activity took place at the airfield during the war. And, as with most auxiliary airfields built during the war, this particular airfield was turned over to Greensville County and the City of Emporia after World War II ended. At the time construction of the airfield was complete it hosted three runways. One of those runways measured 5007feet long. This runway is said to have been built specifically to handle heavier aircraft of the era — perhaps bombers (though, no one locally recalls a bomber of the era ever landing at the airfield during the war). Bombers or no bombers, construction of the nearly mile-long runway just about amounts to a gift to the people of Emporia and Greensville County in that this longer runway will accommodate larger and heavier aircraft than most any of the other regional airfields built at the time.

Rick Franklin Photo

The Emporia-Greensville Regional Airport can accommodate large and small aircraft.

Rick Franklin Photo

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Bill Clinton flew into Emporia-Greensville Regional Airport on his way to a campaign stop in North Carolina for his wife, candidate Hillary Clinton.

“Pilots love that,” said Franklin, “Especially those flying in on business aircraft that are larger.” When the airfield was turned over to the localities, there was some effort at maintaining all three runways. However, financially, and with little outside assistance, it was daunting. Early on, the Emporia-Greensville County airport commission made a decision to concentrate on maintaining the main runway. That runway is, of course, the primary focus of activities at the airfield,

30 Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011

but throughout the years the City and the County have invested in major improvements to the field and facilities there. In 1999, a new terminal facility was constructed. The facility features a meeting room that can be used for small conferences, and state-of-the-art weather observation and communications capabilities. Additionally, the airport commission anticipates that runway resurfacing will take place in the near future, adding an additional $3.5 million in improvements to the facility. Currently the airport serves the pleasure pilot, but the mainstay for the facility is business aviation. Several major industries in the region utilize the airfield for fly-ins related to their activities. Additionally, the airport is a frequent stop for busy travelers who find the location more central and convenient for their itineraries. One prominent example is former President Bill Clinton’s stop at the Emporia-Greensville Regional Airport while he was campaigning for Hillary Clinton’s bid for the presidency in 2008. Aside from the casual, or the prominent flyer, Franklin notes that the airport is a key feature in the region’s tool kit for economic development, and the airport commission stands ready to help interested businesses and industry find a permanent place in this part of Southside Virginia. “We’d do everything in our power, working with the state department of aviation to enhance their use of the airport,” said Franklin.

Village View: History Lives Here The Village View Mansion House is among the Emporia-Greensville area’s most historic places. Located at 221 Briggs Street, the Mansion House was built during the 1790s as the centerpiece of a plantation that dates back to 1726. It currently appears on the National Register of Historic Places. During the Civil War, the front parlor of the Mansion House served as the site of a council for Confederate generals W.H.F. Lee, Wade Hampton and Matthew Butler, who discussed plans to defend the Petersburg and Weldon Railway from an expected Union attack in December 1864. “It’s a piece of the South, which, love it or hate it, it’s still standing, which is more than you can say for most of the buildings from that time period,” said Hannah Barrett, vice regent of the Hicksford Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution. The Mansion House still stands due largely to the efforts of the Village View Foundation, a collection of history enthusiasts and volunteers who maintain the site with a goal of restoring it to its 1837 appearance. Adjacent archeological remains of an 18th century house with a large English style basement and plastered walls are believed to be from the residence of the Rev. John Betty, the first minister of one of the oldest congregations in the area, St. Andrews Parish. Betty and his family inhabited the property from 1735 to 1751. While much of the current Mansion House structure is fully restored, Village View Foundation members and volunteers are constantly at work bringing historic elements back to the property. Currently, a smokehouse that rises off the original foundation is being reconstructed, with a goal of staying as true to original construction methods as possible. The reconstruction started in June 2010, according to Village View Foundation member Gerald Wozniak, who said local contractors, officials and volunteers have donated much in the way of time, effort and materials to the project. Fundraisers such as the annual Village View Christmas Social helped fund the project, and there were also many cash donations made by friends and members of Village View. “There is still work to be done,” said Wozniak. “The roof needs to be finished, a hand-crafted outer door needs to be made and installed and we are currently looking for some large stones to use for

The Village View Mansion House was built during the 1790s as the centerpiece of a plantation that dates back to 1726. the steps.” Future plans for estate restoration include the iron fencing at the Village View cemetery and reconstruction of other buildings that existed on the property. “Village View Foundation is working hard to preserve the house for future generations and we continue to make improvements,” said Wozniak. While its age alone makes the Mansion House a historic place, it also gained a measure of historical notoriety during the Civil War when the Confederate generals used its front parlor for a council on defending a strategically important railway. The Petersburg and Weldon Railway was a major supply line to the Confederate army in Petersburg and Richmond, so the Union army made an effort to destroy the line in Hicksford (now Emporia). The episode became known as the Hicksford Raid, or the Apple Jack Raid. On Dec. 7, 1864, Union general Gouverneur K. Warren, with a force of 26,200 infantry and cavalrymen, moved from Petersburg to destroy the rail line, striking it below Stoney Creek. Confederate forces, led by Hampton, were organized to resist the advancing Union column. A decision was made to establish the main line of defense along the Meherrin River at the railroad crossing and around the villages of Belfield (north bank) and Hicksford (south bank). At midday, Dec. 9, the Union cavalry appeared at Belfield and attempted to

reach the railroad bridge but was stopped by the entrenched Confederate cavalrymen. These defenders, in order to prevent the Union from crossing the river, burned the nearby wagon bridge. Later that evening, Warren ended his attack. About 16 miles of track were destroyed in the raid. This initially was a serious blow to Lee’s supply line. By early March 1865, the line was reopened as far as Stoney Creek, where supplies could be sent into Confederate lines by wagon. In the late nineteenth century, rooms in the Mansion House, as well as its dependencies, served as a doctor’s office, a dentistry, an apothecary and an academy for boys. The plantation grew from its original 200 acres in 1726 to its maximum size of 4,990 acres in the late 18th century. In 1986, the Mansion House and its remaining four acres of land were given to the community by its last private owner, Sidney Briggs. The Mansion House is currently available for rent for events, pictures or meetings, etc., Barrett said. “It’s a beautiful building, and with Village View, the structure is still historically accurate,” said Barrett. Village View can be viewed from the exterior anytime during daylight hours, and tours are offered with advance notice. E-mail villageviewemporiava@yahoo. com or look up Village View, Emporia Va on Facebook for more information.

Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011 31

Library system offers full line of services The William E. Richardson, Jr. Memorial Library is a branch of the Meherrin Regional Library, which serves the citizens of Brunswick County, Greensville County, and the City of Emporia. The mission of Meherrin Regional Library System is to serve as an essential public asset by providing evolving information, serving as a repository of knowledge, and promoting reading, life-long learning and enjoyment for all. The Richardson Library offers a full range of traditional and high-tech library services, including an interactive website, www.meherrinlib.org with an online catalog. The catalog provides access to the collections of both branches of the regional library. Patrons may view their borrowing records online, reserve materials, and even renew books they already have checked out. The website links local and global information for our viewers. Research and Reference, Medical Matters, Kid’s Spot, Teen Scene and Employment Avenues are just a sampling of the many links bringing opportunity and knowledge to

Every child is a star at the William E. Richardson, Jr. Memorial Library. patrons. All links are updated on a regular basis. New books, movies, and audio books come in each week. Best-sellers, popular fiction, a wide variety of non-fiction, and terrific new books for children and young adults are always available. Patron requests for specific books are welcome, and are filled as often as possible. The library also purchases mov-

ies and recorded books on CD, as well as PLAYAWAYs for patron’s viewing and listening pleasure. The library has a small collection of e-books available also. The music collection of over 600 items includes a variety of popular music, rock, classical, jazz, blues, children’s and holiday music in CD format. See LIBRARY, page 33

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Continued from Page 32 Traditional walk-in and telephone reference and renewal service is available, and the library staff members are experts at finding useful and valid information utilizing a multitude of resources. E-mail reference service is available at rml@meherrinlib.org and bcl@meherrinlib.org. For the student, distance learner, or researcher, an extensive database of periodical literature, newspapers, and full-text professional journals is available through Find It Virginia (www.finditva. com), a resource provided free to public libraries by the Library of Virginia. Access to the service is free to all Library patrons, or to cardholders of any other Virginia public library. The Richardson Library subscribes to over 70 magazines and newspapers, which are available for borrowing. The Meherrin Regional Library system offers services to senior citizens, children and teens. The libraries also feature a Spanish language collection. In addition, the library offers online language skill development with Mango Languages. It is a free database subscription to all library card holders. Twelve languages are featured with multiple levels of learning in a fun audio format. Health Information and Advocacy@ your library is new program offering funded through a grant from the Massey Cancer Center and Tobacco Indemnification Fund. Ms. Ann Wrenn serves as Health Information Specialist connecting citizens to authoritative health information as needed or requested. To learn more come and see Wrenn at the Library Wednesday from 1-3 p.m. or give her a call at 434-594-4150. The library is well maintained and the facility has received many upgrades over the years. These include new reading materials, seating, meeting room tables, exhibition space and a quiet area for study and reading. Of special mention is the new extended wall mural in the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s area depicting characters from Brown Bear, Brown Bear. Other library services include photocopy and FAX service, local history and genealogy resources, public meeting facilities, A/V equipment rental, exhibit space, and State and Federal tax forms. Public access computers provide high-speed Internet and a variety of software programs. Wireless access is also available.

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NASCAR Photo

From the ninth position, Elliott Sadler (back, right) watches a wreck unfold in front of him toward the end of the Nationwide Series 5-hour Energy 200 May 14 at Dover International Speedway. Sadler navigated through the incident to ﬁnish sixth.

Sadlers First Family of Racing Aside from peanuts, pork and an exit on Interstate 95, what’s Emporia, Va. best known for? Probably for being the hometown of NASCAR racers Hermie and Elliott Sadler. The Sadlers were born in Emporia and still reside here to this day. They got their start racing at go-kart tracks in the area, and the cool thing about these hometown heros is, they’re still visible around town. At 42 years old, Hermie is the older of the two brothers. The 1993 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year, Hermie has posted two Nationwide victories with 44 top 10 finishes in the series to go along with more than 60 Sprint Cups starts, the latest being the spring 2011 race at

Hermie (left) and Elliott Sadler break together at the track. Martinsville Speedway. Hermie’s also a racing commentator for the SPEED Channel, a frequent contributor on the radio to the John Boy and Billy Big Show and a wrestling promoter who all too often finds himself inside

34 Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011

the ring. Aside from that, he can usually be found around Emporia advancing the family business, Sadler Oil Company, operating his new restaurant, Fo Sho Italian Sports Grille, coaching the girls’

basketball team at his alma mater, Brunswick Academy, or even running his own cars at local dirt tracks, such as Brunswick Speedway. Elliott, meanwhile, is still heavily active in NASCAR racing at 36 years old. One of only 22 drivers to win in all three of NASCAR’s top series, Elliott moved into a full-time ride in the Nationwide Series in 2011 driving for Kevin Harvick, Inc., after 12 years driving full-time in Sprint Cup. For his career, Elliott has three wins and 68 top 10 finishes in Sprint Cup, five wins and 36 top 10s in the Nationwide Series and one win and four top 10s in the Camping World Truck SeSee SADLERS, page 35

SADLERS

Continued from Page 34 ries. A scholarship basketball player at James Madison University when he went to college, Elliott’s also a golfer who frequents local courses and tournaments. He participates in adult softball leagues in the area and can be found on a given weekday eating lunch at Fo Sho or Five Guys Burgers and Fries or attending local high school basketball games. Otherwise, the Sadlers are wellknown for being autism advocates, after Hermie’s daughter was diagnosed with the condition in 2001. The brothers run the Hermie and Elliott Sadler Foundation, which is dedicated to raising autism awareness and promoting research. While visiting Emporia, race by the Sadler Fanclub, located at 517 North Main Street. It houses not only the Sadlers’ racing memorabilia but also offers official Sadler merchandise for purchase by friends and fans alike. Call (434) 348-0267 for more information.

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As one of his many ventures, Hermie Sadler served as head girls’ basketball coach at his alma mater, Brunswick Academy, during the 2010-11 season.

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Area boasts vibrant sports scene The Emporia and Greensville County area has a rich sports heritage that extends beyond being the hometown of NASCAR racers Hermie and Elliott Sadler. Greensville County High School has been called a basketball school, and for good reason. The Eagles have contended for state championships in both boys’ and girls’ basketball within the last decade, most recently in 2009-10 when the girls’ team finished as Division 3 runnerup with a record of 27-1. That team featured multiple future college athletes, including all-state selection Gabby Tyler, currently a sophomore forward at UNC Charlotte. In her freshman season with the 49ers, Tyler helped the team to the WNIT semifinals and was voted to the Atlantic 10 Conference’s all-rookie team for her efforts. Greensville County High School fielded 13 varsity teams during the 2010-11 academic year. In a bid to return to the glory days of the early 2000s and to the playoffs for the second consecutive season, the Greensville football team shook off a 1-4 start to finish 6-4 in 2010, including 5-2 in Southside District play. The Eagles are considered a contender for the district championship in 2011. After a rebuilding basketball season in which the Lady Eagles took third place in the district while the boys’ team did

Patrick Love/Independent-Messenger

Long known for their prowess on the gridiron, the EGRA Renegades claimed the 2010 championship in the ﬂag division. not post a winning record, Greensville made its first postseason appearance in baseball in five seasons in the spring while sending multiple athletes to the

Patrick Love/Independent-Messenger

When border rivals Greensville and Brunswick meet on the hardwood, it’s usually a standing-room-only affair. 36 Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011

Group AA Outdoor Track and Field State Championships. A Region I school that competes in Group AA Division 3 at the Virginia High School League’s state level, Greensville competes in the Southside District along with rival Brunswick, Southampton, Park View and Prince Edward. Long dominated by Powhatan, the Southside District is downsizing from eight to five members for the 2011-12 school year, with Powhatan moving to the Region II Division 4 Jefferson District in 2011. Also departing are Nottoway and Bluestone, which are moving to the Division 2 James River District. Meanwhile, private school Brunswick Academy may be smaller in numbers, but the Vikings are big on athletics. Sitting just outside the Greensville County border about halfway between Emporia and Lawrenceville, BA fielded 11 varsity programs in 2010-11 and reached a high point toward the end of the spring, when the baseball team capSee SPORTS, page 37

Patrick Love/Independent-Messenger

The Greensville County High School football team could be a contender for the district championship in 2011.

SPORTS

Continued from Page 36 tured the school’s first-ever state championship in the sport in the school’s 47-year history. The Vikings compete in the Virginia Commonwealth Conference and at the Division 3 level in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association and also feature a state championship-caliber softball program to go along with a three-time state champion football team and hoops teams that compete in one of the best basketball conferences in the state. Brunswick Academy also fields middle school sports teams, as does E.W. Wyatt Middle School in Emporia. Both youths and adults have several outlets in the area they can turn to for recreational sports, most notably the Emporia-Greensville Recreation Association. The EGRA partners with other organizations in the area, including the Jarratt Recreation Association, the Family YMCA of Emporia-Greensville and the Boys and Girls Club of EmporiaGreensville, to offer a variety of sports leagues at multiple age levels. The EGRA Renegades are infamous in youth football circles for being for-

Patrick Love/Independent-Messenger

Operated by the EGRA, Meherrin River Park has hosted a number of events and tournaments over the years. midable opponents on the field, and basketball, baseball and softball all-stars from the area routinely win games in postseason play. The EGRA also operates the Meherrin River Park, which includes five lighted athletic fields with facilities for baseball, softball, soccer and football. The park is many visitors’ gateway to the area, as it has hosted a number of tournaments and events over the years. Outside of organized team sports, the Lake Gaston Golf Club in Gasburg is the closest public golf course, featuring an 18-hole, par 72 layout just 17 miles

from Interstate 95. Call (434) 577-2888 for tee times. The area also has a plethora of water holes perfect for watersports and fishing. They range in size from large lakes, such as Kerr/Buggs Island Lake and Lake Gaston, that host national and international fishing and watersports competitions to small ponds on the family farm. Hunting is also a favorite recreational activity of the area, with the rural, undeveloped nature of Greensville County serving as the perfect arena for hunting game such as deer, rabbits and turkey.

Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011 37

Quality healthcare without the drive We hope your stay in the area, or your journey thorough, is a safe and memorable one. But, should the unexpected happen, we’ve got you covered. Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center (SVRMC) opened its doors to patients on December 18, 2003, continuing a tradition in healthcare that began in 1961, when the first patient received care at Greensville Memorial Hospital. The $35 million medical center has 80 acute care beds, and offers advanced technology for surgical services, orthopedic surgery, diagnostic imaging (including CT, MRI, ultrasound, nuclear and digital mammography), emergency medicine, cardio-vascular services, cardiac rehabilitation, respiratory care, oncology, dialysis, physical, occupational and speech therapy, gastroenterology, pain management, inpatient behavioral health services, sleep services, and occupational medicine. Adding primary care providers and specialists to the existing medical staff to meet the changing needs of our community, continues to be a priority for the medical center. In 2010, Paul Hogg, MD, General Surgeon joined the medical staff. Dr. Hogg, who attended medical school at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Medical College of Virginia and completed residency at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC, joined the practice at Southern Virginia Medical Group in January 2011, specializes in minimally invasive general surgery and breast health. Throughout 2010, SVRMC made con-

Teresa Welsh/Independent-Messenger

SVRMC invested millions and opened this state of the art facility in December 2003. siderable capital investments in the Radiology Services Department including a new nuclear medicine system, a patient archiving and communication system (PACS) and most recently a new digital mammography system. These upgrades demonstrate the commitment to continually provide the most up-to-date technology for the patients served. Giving back to the community has always been a priority at SVRMC and the hospital is proud to participate in many activities and events within the service area. Each year, the medical center sponsors the Relay for Life in both Emporia/Greensville and Brunswick and provides a reception for the cancer survivors. In addition, SVRMC also supports the Emporia/Greensville Family YMCA, the Boys and Girls Club of Emporia/Greensville, the Emporia/ Greensville Chamber of Commerce, the Brunswick Chamber of Commerce, the

Nuclear Medicine Technologists Lisa Walker, Patricia Horne, and Wanda Powell with the BrightView equipment. 38 Discover Emporia and Greensville County • 2011

Emporia Rotary Club, the Emporia Jaycees, the Emporia Junior Woman’s Club, the Lion’s Club and the Lawrenceville Rotary Club. Additionally, SVRMC provides numerous health fairs, screenings and educational series like “Dinner with the Doctor” and “Living with Diabetes”, that are complimentary and open to the public. The Senior Circle at SVRMC provides benefits, discounts, and entertainment and travel opportunities for over 850 members. In 2010, SVRMC employees joined in the efforts to give something back to the community through several different charities including the American Red Cross’ Haiti Disaster Relief, the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, and the local Christmas Happiness Fund. Through their efforts, SVRMC’s staff personally See SVRMC, page 39

Pam Low, RT-R, Director of Radiology, Alison Phillips, RT-R, CT, Andrea Hux, RT-R, PACS Administrator, and Amanda Thomas, RTR, CT are ready in the Radiology Department.

SVRMC

Continued from Page 38 donated monetary gifts to these organizations totaling nearly $5,000.00, and collected over 1550 lbs. of food during the holiday season for the Family Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Program. SVRMC is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and is licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Services Offered ■ 24-hour Emergency Care ■ Adult Behavioral Health Services ■ Cardiology ■ Cardiopulmonary Services ❏ Cardiac/Vascular Studies ❏ Respiratory Studies ❏ Sleep Services ■ Diabetes Education ■ Diagnostic Imaging ❏ CT Scanner ❏ Digital Mammography ❏ Mobil MRI ❏ Nuclear Medicine ❏ Ultrasound ■ Dialysis ■ Intravenous Infusion Center ■ Gastroenterology ■ Occupational Medicine ❏ Oncology ❏ Chemotherapy ❏ VCU Massey Cancer Center Rural Outreach Program ❏ Otolaryngology (ENT) ■ Nephrology ■ Pain Management ■ Pathology Services ■ Registered Dietitians ■ Rehabilitation Services ❏ Cardiac Rehabilitation ❏ Occupational Therapy ❏ Physical Therapy ❏ Speech Therapy ■ SVRMC Auxiliary ■ Senior Circle ■ Surgical Services ❏ Endoscopy ❏ General Surgery ❏ Gynecology ❏ Laparoscopy ❏ Ophthalmology ❏ Otolaryngology ❏ Pacemaker Insertion ❏ Urology

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40 Discover Emporia and Greensville County â&#x20AC;˘ 2011