Evince September 06 by Andrew Brooks Media Group

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September 2006

Table of Contents Averett Brings 2

Averett Brings Religion Scholar and Richmond Ballet to Danville by Joyce Wilburn

Look Up in the Sky... by Gordon Bendall

Downtown With Liz Sater Summer in the City Contest

Second Thoughts Foot Joy by Kim Clifton

Averett University Opens New Student Center by Emily Cropp Averett Announces its 2006-07 Theatre Season by Emily Cropp Where Can I Find an EVINCE?

South Boston's Tobacco Festival Ball Remembered and Revived by Joyce Wilburn

Golden Memories of the Golden Leaf by Woodson Hughes

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Calendar of EVINCE

No Boundaries: Contemporary Basketry by Lynne Bjarnesen

The Way We Were: The Prizery's Film Forum

Temptations in the Garden (of Eden) by Marianne Aiken

A Passion for Cars: The Old Dominion British Car Club by Steve Hecox

SOS is Calling You

Religion Scholar and Richmond Ballet to Danville by Joyce Wilburn

Two major September events will open Averett University’s impressive Concert-Lecture Series. The first presentation by Dr. Carol Meyer is All About Eve: The Latest Word on the First Lady. Dr. Meyers, a member of the Religion Department at Duke University and a well-known scholar in the study of Biblical women, describes the content of her talk, "Eve is one of the most prominent Biblical figures, but much of what we think about her comes from traditional interpretations of the Garden of Eden story rather than from the text itself." The author of several books and co-director of Duke’s Summer in Israel Program continues, "In this lecture I will first review some portrayals of the Eden tale of Genesis 2-3 and note how early feminists struggled with its meaning. I will highlight

Barbershop Chorus Presents "September Song" by Keith Yeatts

Learning More Through Music by Joyce Wilburn

Into the Wardrobe by Scott Foran New Instructors and Classes at Swanson Studios by Shawn Jones

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Around Downtown South Boston Harvest Fest A'Comin' by Marynn Skelton Lasting Thoughts A Job for Every Danville Citizen by Joyce Wilburn

On the Cover:

Averett University students Shyla Lessington, Ebony Johnson, Amanda Bradley and Joey Kierson meet between classes in front of the new student center. Ebony is the SGA President and Shyla is a SGA Senator. Photo by Bobby Carlsen. For more information visit www.bobbycarlsen.com.

Deadline for submission of October stories, articles, ads, and calendar items is 5pm on Wednesday, September 20th.

Dr. Carol Meyer traditional perspectives, many of which cast Eve in a negative light. And then I will describe new approaches, which pay careful attention to the text itself as well as its ancient context. Doing so will provide an enhanced understanding of this foundational tale." The lecture will begin at

7:30 pm on Monday, September 11th, in Frith Hall’s Blount Chapel on Mountain View Avenue. American Masterpieces of Dance, the second event in the series will be a performance by The Richmond Ballet on Tuesday, September 26th. Virginia’s first professional ballet company will bring sparkling quickness and agility to the stage in George Balanchine’s "Allegro Brillante" with music by Tchaikovsky, and then shift into a sensuous and contemporary mood with the sleekness of "After Eden" by John Butler. "Who Cares?" features the work of legendary choreographer George Balanchine and his whimsical and very American take on notable tunes by George Gershwin including “I Got Rhythm,” “Embraceable You,” and “Strike Up the Band.” The audience will also enjoy the fun and romance of duets from Agnes de Mille’s ballet entitled "Inconsequentials." The ballet begins at 7:30 pm in Pritchett Auditorium on Mountain View Avenue. Both events are open to the public and are free. For more information, visit www.averett.edu.

EVINCERE, INC. P.O. Box 2396 • Danville, Virginia 24541 © 2006 by EVINCERE, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part in any medium without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Publisher

Sales Manager Cathy Farley (434.793.7767) Sales@starmark.net

Contributing Writers

Sales Associate Christi Ingram (434.836.1319) ChristiIngram@starmark.net

Robert M. Sexton Publisher@starmark.net (804.285.0645) Marianne Aiken, Lynne Bjarnesen, Gordon Bendall, Kim Clifton, Emily Cropp, Scott Foran, Steve Hecox, Woodson Hughes, Shawn Jones, Liz Sater, Marynn Skelton, Joyce Wilburn, Keith Yeatts

Editor Emyl Jenkins Editor@starmark.net (804.285.0644) Managing Editor Joyce Wilburn ManagingEditor@starmark.net (434.799.3160) Associate Editor Larry G. Aaron Art & Production Director Vaden & Associates (Dan Vaden) Graphic Designer Kim Demont Distribution Kim Demont (434.836.1247)

Printer McCain Printing Company, Inc. EVINCE is a member of the Virginia Press Association, first place winner of the prestiguous PIVA award in its category for five straight years, and winner of Virginia Press Association awards for 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and Virginia Press Women’s Competition Awards for 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004.

Editorial Policies:

EVINCE is a monthly news magazine covering the arts, entertainment, education, economic development, and lifestyle in Danville and the surrounding areas. We print and distribute EVINCE free of charge due entirely to the generosity of our advertisers. In our pages appear views from across the social spectrum. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. We reserve the right to accept, reject, and edit all submissions and advertisements.

evince\i-’vin(t)s\ 1: to constitute outward evidence of 2: to display clearly: reveal syn see SHOW MISSION STATEMENT EVINCE is a monthly publication, which focuses on arts & entertainment in the surrounding area through an array of features, articles, columns, and photographic essays. Its primary objective is to inform and educate the community of opportunities, organizations, and events in all areas of the arts. In addition, it is the vision of EVINCE to enrich the cultural awareness and develop support for the arts in the entire community.

How to submit information to EVINCE:

Please send all information in electronic form to e-mail address evince@starmark.net. For calendar information, please submit e-mail to evinceda tes@starmark.net. To submit information, please copy and paste the text information into the body of the e-mail. We do not accept any e-mail attachments due to the very real danger of Microsoft-supported computer viruses.

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Look, up in the sky. It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s Rod Tomlinson atop The Downtowner. by Gordon Bendall “Downtown Danville needs a heartbeat,” says Rod Tomlinson about the revival of the historic commercial district overlooking the Dan River. “There has to be a reason for people to come here. When downtown becomes a fun place to be, it will come back to life. You’ll see crowds on the streets, specialty shops, coffee shops, antique shops, bookstores, a totally different community.” At 60, Tomlinson has never worked harder on a mission. After only two years in the city, he has restored three historic properties near downtown and started ambitious plans to renovate The Downtower. The vacant seven-story hotel on Main Street across from the Masonic Temple was built in 1965. It has been unoccupied for the past 18 years. Its fate was perhaps a parking lot or public housing. But within a year, Tomlinson plans to re-open the old Downtowner as The Collegian--a comfortable and secure housing complex for college students who call Danville home away from home. There will be over 118 low-cost units available. “Downtown can’t compete with a shopping mall,” he said, “but we can make downtown a fun place to come. It’s happening everywhere else and it’s going to happen here. College students create energy that you feel when you come into a town. We feel it here already.” Tomlinson and his wife, Maria, chose Danville after searching along the East Coast for the place that offered the most opportunities. He said about 40 cities were in the running, including Richmond, but Danville rose to the top of the list because of the friendly people and the investment opportunities in the historic district. Nowhere were there more gems available. Maria wanted to fix-up an old house and Rod thrives on challenges. They live in the former Boatwright house at the corner of Main and Chestnut Streets, still a work in progress. Their son, Rodney, resides in one of their renovated homes on Jefferson Avenue. The couple has pulled up all their stakes on Long Island, New York, except for their bread-andbutter business, a very successful monthly magazine called “Boats for Sale.” Tomlinson has been

involved in real estate and construction all his life and shows no signs of letting up. He directs his own construction crew at The Collegian, where every surface will be refinished. He plans to have a Boston Market-style deli-cafeteria and other support services for students: a gym, a computer room, a study area, laundry room, and a student lounge. The building is sound and the location speaks for itself. Commercial properties in downtown are being investigated for their investment potential and City of Danville officials and the Downtown Danville Association are working closely with his project. “People would be wise to invest in downtown now,” Tomlinson said, “It’s going to happen here. It’s already started. Investors are coming in from all over and Main Street buildings are being renovated. This is a regional center for this part of Virginia.” Tomlinson said Danville is fortunate that much of its historic architecture, both commercial and residential still stands. “Many downtowns have deteriorated to the point that they can’t recover. Not so here. The citizens of Danville are lucky there are so many dedicated city employees with the vision of how exciting downtown can be. They have kept it alive for the investment in apartments and condos for the repopulation of downtown. It won’t be long before downtown will be the place to be.” Gordon Bendall, former editor of The Caswell Messenger in Yanceyville, North Carolina, lives on the family farm in Purley with his wife, Louise, a librarian at Gunn Memorial Public Library in Yanceyville and a music teacher at Carlisle School. They have a son, Loudon, 5, and a daughter, Hattie, 3. Gordon, GWHS ’68, grew up in Danville and started off delivering newspapers twice daily and working for his father on Craghead Street at Bendall’s Drug Store. He has recently signed on with Carl Manasco at Century 21 in Danville as a North Carolina provisional broker.

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Executive Director of Downtown Danville Association

DCA

How do you detect the heartbeat of the city? You surely don’t need a stethoscope. You can find it with your feet. Just lace up your shoes and make a regular walking tour of beautiful, historic downtown Danville. Over the spring and summer, I have observed increasingly larger numbers of exercisers walking and running through town and in fact, have a fine example of that breed in my own household. It just so happens that the love of my life has set a fine pace, exercising throughout the downtown for many years. There is much to be gained by such doings—the cardio-vascular workout involved in traversing Main Street hill at a brisk pace is guaranteed to keep your doctor happy - providing, of course, that you go both down and UP Main Street. Your weight, blood pressure and cholesterol count would undoubtedly go down and your spirits and self-confidence would surely elevate. But here’s the best part about walking downtown. When done on a regular basis, you become in tune with the heartbeat of our city. You will see the same shopkeepers sweeping out their doorways and opening for business, the downtown employees on their way to work each day, and the regulars at the coffee shops as they gather for their daily dose of caffeine and camaraderie. Urban workers and dwellers become familiar, and yes, even comfortable with the traffic patterns, parking issues, the street characters and the very intimate atmosphere that is unique to a downtown setting. For that is just how a thriving downtown is designed. With a good mixture of retail shops, service businesses, municipal and office workers, all carefully packed into a pedestrian friendly environment, there develops an authentic sense of community. As Executive Director of the Downtown Danville Association, I try to visit the downtown businesses at least once a month. During the summer months it remains a challenge, especially in August. That month is predictably brutal-hot and humid for sure. Yet, in the thirty-plus years we have

lived in Danville, I have noticed that somewhere during the dog days of August, there almost always appears a tiny preview of the fall-like weather to come. It is usually just enough of a tease to make you start thinking about open windows, football games and sweaters. On one such pre-autumn day, I had an early dentist appointment and decided to walk the short distance from my office. With tiny little iPod speakers plugged into my ears, I perambulated past some of the most beautiful, historic homes in our city. It was immediately evident to me that by ordinarily just driving through this part of town, I had been missing quite a few details. There are homes with gorgeous doors and windows and intricate cornices, not to mention brick corbelling, turrets and wooden millwork the likes of which are no longer seen in architectural design. I walked past a church where a craftsman was repairing the one-of-a-kind stained glass windows and joined another pedestrian who took time to marvel at those pastoral panes. My hike brought home a message. By strapping ourselves into gas guzzling vehicles, and speeding past our heritage, we are missing not only visual details of our surroundings, but also that visceral feeling of being connected to our neighborhood. What will it take for us to slow down and allow ourselves to steep in the authenticity of our community? If you grew up in Danville, you may remember jostling amongst the crowds of Christmas shoppers in downtown, the Christmas parade, Woolworth’s lunch counter and parking in that rickety wooden garage behind Belk’s. I want my grandchildren to remember special treats from the fudge shop, the jam-packed General Store and having fun at downtown events like the recent “Summer in the City.” I feel sorry for those upcoming generations who will grow up with only memories of drive-through dining, gigantic warehouses, and internet shopping. For you can have that kind of experience in any city. I urge you to take the time to walk through Downtown Danville.

September 2006 There is a wonderful brochure available that gives information about the historic Victorian homes along Millionaire’s Row. On foot, you can peruse at your leisure the first two murals that depict Danville’s proud history—the Old 97 at the corner of Main and Memorial and the Transportation Mural on the corner of Spring and North Union Street. As you walk through the district, you will see over thirty façade improvements that have amounted to more than $3 million in renovations to historic properties downtown, and even more projects in the works. Then, avail yourself of the specialty shops downtown. Treat yourself to becoming known by your first name and soon, the customer service specialists will be treating you like royalty. Your coffee will be served just as you like it and your pant size will be remembered, but never uttered, even if it changes for the worse. Most of all, allow yourself to develop a relationship with the very core of our city. Downtown is where Danville began and it is where the heart of our community still beats its unique cadence. You won’t “get it” by just driving through. You must embrace its changes and its challenges. It will always be the heart of your City. Feel the beat—it’s getting stronger every day.

Photo by Tony Adcock

Summer in the City Contest

Congratulations! The winner of the August Summer in the City Contest is Steve Bridges, whose name was chosen from all the correct entries. Last month’s picture showed the entrance to the office building where the Downtown Danville Association is located. If you can name the location of this month’s picture shown above, email your answer to downtowndan@gamewood.net or mail to DDA, 635 Main Street, Danville VA 24541. All correct entries will be eligible to win tickets to the Jazz on the Patio on September 22. Winners will be selected in a random drawing and announced in EVINCE. Deadline for the September contest is 5pm on Thursday, September 21.

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Foot Joy I’m usually uncomfortable when my worlds collide. I want to either take a bath or to sit in a chair. But not at the same time. But it’s the required first step for a pedicure. As soon as you get to the salon, you’ll find your feet stuck in a miniature Jacuzzi and your britches rolled up to your knees. Which feels weird to me. It’s almost like talking on the telephone while you bathe. Or anything involving plumbing, for that matter. These are precisely the times I want to be left alone. One day I’m going to invent a bathroom tile that deflects cell phone signals. Soaking is relaxing, but there are some side effects. Just like what happens at a pajama party if someone puts your hand in warm water while you sleep. You’re going to have to answer a call from Mother Nature, not Ma Bell. I’m really not the pedicure type, but I went because my sister got me a gift certificate for my birthday. When I didn’t put my best foot forward during an airport shoe check, she knew I’d reached the age where someone else needed to do my feet. And she was right. I’ve tried to reach my toes all kinds of ways. Bending in half cuts off my air supply besides giving me acid reflux. If I sit on the side of the tub and prop my foot on the toilet, I can reach my toes…I just

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can’t see them. And reading glassOn second thought, pedicures es do little to steady my hands. don’t make me feel as strange now. Which brings me back to needIn fact, I like the sit-n-soak chair ing a pedicure, a procedure inso much that I’m pricing one for volving some planning before the my den. But, ultimately it’s the appointment....such as buying names of the polishes that really flip- flops to wear when you leave. give me happy feet: “Teal the Cows Otherwise you’ll have to go bareCome Home,” “Beets Me” or “Don’t foot with a “wet paint” note pinned Wine...Yukon Do It.” to your cuffs. I enjoy the royal treatment, but I don’t own flip-flops and can’t I feel sorry for the woman whose remember the last time I had a head is over my heels…because I pair. I’m fairly certain it was during certainly couldn’t do her job. EvVacation Bible School because I eryday would start off on the wrong stubbed my toe and dropped the foot if I had to sand calluses for a box of cupcakes I was bringing for living....regardless of how much refreshments. they paid me. I was six. Donna Summer had to be talkYou can’t buy plain flip-flops ing about her pedicurist when anymore. If I wanted bejeweled she sang, “She works hard for the beachwear, the world would be my money. So hard for it, honey. She oyster. If I wanted a flappy flower works for the money, so you better sprouting between my toes, the treat her right.” selections would be overwhelming. I couldn’t agree more. And anyBut finding a plain pair was about one who doesn’t...can kiss my foot. as easy as finding Jimmy Hoffa. Or a tape for my 8-track player. General Assembly Chorus

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Visit a Real Bookstore!

Chatham Books 10 North Main St. • Chatham, VA 24531 www.ChathamBooks.us

434•432•2488

Books • Journals • Stationery Summer Hours: M-F 10-5 • Sat 10-3

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Where Can I Find An EVINCE?

It’s easier than ever to find a current issue of EVINCE. There are over 100 distribution points and here are a few:

In Danville,VA

The Pepsi Building, 1001 Riverside Dr. WAKG/WBTM 710 Grove St. Clement & Wheatley, 549 Main St. Meredith Gravely School of Dance, 131 Tunstall Rd. Frank’s Pizza, 1340 West Main St.

In South Boston, VA

The Prizery, 700 Bruce St. Enchanted Surroundings, 211 Main St. Halifax Public Library, South Main St. Distinct Impressions 309 Main St. Pufff & Stufff, 413 Main St.

In Chatham, VA

Chatham Books, 10 North Main St.

If the rack is empty, email managingeditor@ starmark.net or call 434-836-1247 and it will be refilled immediately. Thanks!

Where Can I Find Evince Racing? In Danville, VA

Holiday Inn Express, 2121 Riverside Drive Innkeeper, 3020 Riverside Drive Comfort Inn, 100 Tower Drive Dan View Restaurant, 116 Danview Drive Western Sizzlin, 3211 Riverside Drive

In South Boston, VA

Bistro 1888, 221 Main St. Holiday Inn, 1074 Bill Tuck Highway

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Averett University Opens New Student Center by Emily Cropp Averett Public Relations Assistant Like a village square, the main street of a small town, or a café, all strong communities have a place where its members gather to share stories about their lives, make new friends, and renew their spirits. Averett University now has such a place. The University’s 35,000-squarefoot student center, located on the corner of Townes Street and Woodland Drive, opened this fall and is already a central gathering place on campus .”I think the student center will have a huge impact on our students,” says Averett’s Dean of Students Mark Govoni. “Certainly for our commuter students it will give them a place to hang out between classes. It provides us with the feel-good space we’ve always wished for. I think the students will love it.” One of the facility’s assets is that it’s an indoor/outdoor building. There are outdoor seating and eating areas on the second and fourth floors and an open commons area on the ground level where students can also gather to meet. “I think you’ll see a lot more students around campus,” says senior Ebony Johnson, president of the Student Government Association (SGA). “It gives us something to do and somewhere to do it.” Shyla Lessington, a graduate student and Senator on the SGA, adds that previously students had to “hang out in our dorm rooms” if they wanted to talk or see each other. She thinks “the student center will bring a close community of students even closer together.” Another asset to having a new student center is the spacious dining hall with extended hours for flexible scheduling and a new food service company, Bon Appétit Management Company,

which prepares food from scratch with fresh seasonal ingredients and serves a wide variety of items. Already, news about the new food service company is positive. Johnson and Lessington arrived on campus before the rest of the student body and had a chance to sample the food. “It’s better than some of the restaurants around town” according to Johnson and Lessington agrees, “It’s good, too good,” adding, “I like to eat a lot.” The dining hall also contains a stage for small concerts and a snack bar/coffee shop, Jut’s Café, named after alumnus Garland Wyatt, who was given the nickname “Jut” by an Averett French professor in 1941. When Wyatt couldn’t pronounce joi in French, faculty, staff, and students picked up on the name and began calling him “Jut,” a nickname that sticks today. In addition to the café and the other various places to meet and eat, the new student center contains offices, a multi-purpose room, computer lab, counseling center, and academic support services area. . Not only does the building serve the needs of current students, it will become the gathering place for alumni during Homecoming Week September 25-October 1. In addition to the grand opening ceremony on Saturday morning, a pep rally, beach party, and other surprises are planned at the center for all former students. Then the Averett University Student Center will fulfill its destiny of being a place where new friendships begin and old relationships are renewed. Both the dining hall and Jut’s Café are open to the public. The dining hall is open Monday-Friday from 7 am-8:30 pm and on Saturday and Sunday from 9 am-7: 30 pm. Jut’s Café is open MondayFriday from 10:30 am-10 pm, from 11 am-10 pm on Saturday, and from11 am-11 pm on Sunday. The dining hall features nine mall-type venues: Global Fusion (dishes from around the world), Campus Deli (meats and cheeses and in- house baked breads for sandwiches and wraps), The Fresh Grille (beef and veggie burgers and grilled sandwiches), Ovens (pizza, pasta, and calzones), Comforts (pork loin chops, fried chicken, lasagna, etc.), Cucina Verde (vegetarian selections), Fresh Produce (fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables), Stockpot ( soups and fresh breads), and Double Treat Bakery, which needs no explanation.

September 2006

Averett University Announces its 2006-07 Theatre Season by Emily Cropp

The Averett University Department of Theatre is pleased to announce its 2006-07 theatre season with shows in September, November, and March. It’s a season that provides “a wide range of theatre experiences from a current event to a classic,” according to Averett Theatre Professor Jackie Finney. “We’re very excited about this year’s theatre season and look forward to showing off the talents of our students and area residents to the Danville community.” Adults and children alike will thoroughly enjoy the first production of the season as Averett’s Theatre and Music Departments perform Schoolhouse Rock Live! from Sept. 21-23 in Pritchett Auditorium. The Thursday and Friday performances are at 7:30 pm and the Saturday performance begins at 2 pm. A part of Averett’s Theatre for Young People Series, Schoolhouse Rock Live! brings to life the fourtime Emmy Award-winning 1970s cartoon series “Schoolhouse Rock.” The popular cartoon series taught history, grammar, math, science and politics through clever songs, and this production features such songs as “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly,” “The Preamble,” “Conjunction Junction,” and “Zero, My Hero.” The second production of the season will be The Laramie Project on November 16-18. The final play of the season is Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize winning production Our Town on March 29-31. Tickets for each production are $8 for adults and $6 for students/senior citizens and can be purchased in advance or on the night of the show at the Pritchett Auditorium Box Office on Mountain View Avenue. Season tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for senior citizens and students. For more information call 434.791.5712 or visit www.averett.edu.

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South Boston’s Tobacco Festival Ball Remembered and Revived by Joyce Wilburn

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Want to learn a little history, have a good time, and be a community supporter? It’s all coming together at The Prizery in South Boston, Virginia, on Saturday, September 23rd. First the history. Seventy years ago, two local businessmen organized the first Tobacco Festival in South Boston, Virginia, to promote the superior quality of the local tobacco leaf. As the 3-day event gained popularity, it moved to the capitol city of Richmond, and eventually became the National Tobacco Festival. Now for the good time. Once again South Boston’s Tobacco Festival will come alive to honor the history of the town and promote its bright and ever-changing future. The first celebration in 1936 included pageants, parades, beauty queens, band competitions, fiddling contests, and an outdoor square dance. This year, on the third Saturday evening of September, Festival guests will delight to the big band sound of the Nelson Riddle Orchestra under the direction of Riddle’s son, Christopher. A shrimp and beef fillet dinner catered by Cooper’s Landing Inn will be served. And to add a touch of nostalgia to the festivities, guests will be treated to vintage film footage of past balls and parades before the evening concludes with dancing to the incomparable Nelson Riddle Orchestra until 11 pm. Dress for this gala evening will be black-tie optional, but participants are urged to help recreate the era by donning vintage clothing of the period or reminiscent of the age. And for the community— As a keepsake of what is sure to be one of South Boston’s great events of the year, a group of pine benches will be auctioned. These benches will carry the designs of many talented and award-winning local artists solicited by Dr. Ralph Wileman for this purpose. Organizers of the Festival hope that this celebration will be the

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beginning of a new tradition in a New South that honors the Old—an event that, like the first Festival, will be talked about for years to come. Tickets are $75 ($37.50 is tax-deductible) and can be purchased by calling the Prizery at 434.572.8339 or sending a check to: The Prizery, 700 Bruce Street, South Boston, Virginia, 24592. You will then receive confirmation of your purchase and a detailed program of the evening’s events. For more information visit www.prizery.com.

Golden Memories of the Golden Leaf By Woodson Hughes

The Old South. How that phrase evokes pictures of a certain time and place. There are images of great homes filled with finely crafted furniture, luxurious fabrics, and stunningly beautiful decorations. This splendor was achieved by people who lived in concert with the land from which strength and bounty sprang. Life in the Old South was eternally tied to the gifts that nature brought forth from the fertile ground. Rice, cotton, and, most golden of all, tobacco, proved to be the foundation upon which this unforgettable world was built. In Virginia, tobacco proved to be king. That one leafy crop replaced the notion of the non-existent gold the first English explorers to the New World hoped to discover and became one of the principal reasons why colonies were established in a strange and inhospitable, though lushly beautiful place. It was tobacco that enabled the colony of Virginia to prosper and continue to thrive after it became a part of the United States. It sustained Virginia through war on its own soil, times of economic hardship, and global conflict. Tobacco helped to establish towns, build schools and libraries, and fund other worthy projects.

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Perhaps tobacco’s golden era came, paradoxically, during one of the worst of times for the United States—the Great Depression. To showcase one of the few industries that was prospering by sponsoring a festival that would honor and publicize the crop, local businessmen proposed the Tobacco Festival. The centerpiece of the festival would be a glorious ball, reminiscent of those held in the Old South. At this most luminescent of events, a Tobacco Queen would reign. Beginning in 1941, The Tobacco Festival took place in Richmond, a city large and gracious enough to accommodate the crowds that came to join in the celebration. But, the inaugural festival, September 25-27, 1936, took place in South Boston, Virginia. That year the queen was Westwood Byrd, the daughter of U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd. Her court consisted of beautiful young women from 34 localities in Virginia and North Carolina. The first year approximately 25,000 people flocked to the small Southside Virginia town that only had about 5,000 permanent residents. All were treated to a grand parade, demonstrations showing the cultivation, processing, and marketing of tobacco, and dramatic presentations illustrating the role of tobacco in Virginia throughout the ages. The first festival was a huge and unqualified success. It was clear that this would be the start of another fine Southern tradition— though not exactly from the Old South, but one that, like the traditions before, sprung from the soil and history of its native land. And thus the residents of South Boston planned a festival and ball (then a square dance) every year thereafter until 1941. One of the great highlights of the festival’s history was the choice of 1939’s queen, the legendary actress-producer Mary Pickford, known as America’s Sweetheart and widely considered to be the first great motion picture star. In 1940 the distinguished Martha Scott, an Academy Award best actress nominee for her work in the film version of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, served as queen. Thereafter, organizers determined that the event had simply grown too unwieldy for the small town to accommodate and the festival was moved to Richmond. The venue changed but the golden memories linger on to this very day.

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• calendar of evince • Support the Tank Museum 434.836.5323 • www.aaftankmuseum.com

August Through September 4

Enchanted Museum - Blend art, science, math and ancient history as you experience this exhibit. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.

Through September 22

Teachers, Masters, Mentors Exhibit - Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History - 434.793.5644.

Thru September 29

Property Tax Relief & Reduced Refuse Fee Program. M-F 9 am2 pm. Ballou Recreation Center. 434.799.5216.

Through January 1

Koplen’s View - Photographs with a science and nature theme by local artist and businessman Barry Koplen. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.

September 1

Fridays at the Crossing - Souled Out. 6:30 pm. Crossing at the Dan. 434.793.4636. Averett Volleyball vs. Maryville College. 7 pm. Averett University - 434.791.5600.

September 1 (thru 3)

Historic Sports Car Racing - Some of the most memorable and powerful racing cars of the past three decades roar back to life. VIR - 434.822.7700.

September 1 (thru Oct. 5) No Boundaries: Contemporary Basketry Exhibit. 9/10 Opening Reception 2-4 pm. Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History - 434.793.5644. (see page 13)

September 2

Danville Powwow. 434.724.1816. www.piai.freeservers.com Bob Ross Painting Class - red barn. Complete a painting in one day. 10:30 am–3:30 pm Ballou Park - 434.797.8848. Made in America Whelan 300 NASCAR Modified Tour. Martinsville Speedway - 1.877.722.3849. Averett Football vs. Mount Union College. 1 pm. Averett University - 434.791.5600 .Inside RC Race. - 4 pm. Cooper’s Radio Controlled Race Center 434.724.4182. NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series - late model/limited/pure stock/legendary flatheads. South Boston Speedway - 434.572.4947.

September 2 & 3

Grand Championship Series. Birch Creek Motorsports - 434.836.7629. Volleyball Cougar Classic. 9/2 Averett vs. Mary Baldwin College. 5 pm; Averett vs. Roanoke College. 7 pm. 9/3 Averett vs. Centre College. 12 pm; Averett vs. Lynchburg College. 2 pm. Averett University - 434.791.5600.

September 4 (thru 28)

Blood Pressure Checks and Body Mass Index. Locations & times vary. 434.799.5216.

September 5 (thru 8) Kindermusik Registration (see page 16)

September 5

Evening Yoga - Tuesdays 5:30–7 pm. Pepsi Building. 434.797.8848. Computers for People Who’ve Never Touched One - 5:30 pm. IALR - 434.766.6793. Full Moon Canoe - Dan River. 6–8 p.m. Outdoor Rec - 434.799.5215.

September 5 (thru Oct. 10) Theatrical Dance Class - Mixture of modern, American, and other cultures. Tuesdays, 6-7 pm. IALR - 434.766.6772. Drama Class - Learn useful tools for public speaking, interacting & listening. Tuesdays, 7:30-8:30 pm. IALR - 434.766.6772. Yoga Class - Tuesdays, 7:30 -8:45 pm. IALR - 434.766.6772.

September 5 (thru Oct. 24) English as a Second Language - Tuesdays, 6:30-7:30 pm. IALR 434.766.6772. French Class - Conversational French. Tuesdays, 7:30 - 8:30 pm. IALR - 434.766.6772.

September 5 (thru Oct. 26) Art Class - Learn basic drawing techniques Tuesdays & Thursdays 6:30–7:30 pm. IALR - 434.766.6772.

September 6

Hiking Hiawatha - Explore a variety of local plants and experience local geology along the Hiawatha Nature Trail. 9 am-12 pm. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160. Club Zoom - Compare the density of different liquids. Ages 7-11. 3:454:45 pm Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160. Indoor Wall Climbing Class for Beginners - 6–8 p.m. 434.799.5215. Averett Volleyball vs. Salem College. 7 pm. Averett University - 434.791.5600.

September 7

Pleasing Planters Class – Create a terra cotta planter you paint or stencil. 1-2:30 or 7-8:30 pm 434.799.5216.

September 7 (thru 28)

Jammers - Acoustical musicians are invited to perform at this weekly informal jamming session. Thursdays 4-6 pm Ballou Center - 434.799.5216.

Line Dance Classes. Thursdays. Beginners 6:30-7:30 pm/Advanced 7:30-8:30 pm. 434.799.5216.

September 7 (thru Oct. 26) Spanish Class - Learn basic vocabulary, pronunciation, sentence structure, and grammar. Thursdays 6: 30-7:30 pm. IALR - 434.766.6772.

September 8

Barbecue Dinner. 5:30-8 pm. Sons of the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary. Dan River Post 1097 - egor1@adelphia.net.

September 8 (thru Oct. 27) What’s That? Thinking in 3-D - TriState Sculptors 2006 Exhibition and Conference. Piedmont Arts Association, Martinsville 276.632.3221.

September 9

Personality Uptown. 9 am-11 pm. Main Street Pavilion, Roxboro, NC. 336.599.8333. Paleontology Along Potomac River . Amazing trip, bring lunch. 9 am. 276.666.8603. Corn Maze Opening Day. 10 am. Owen Farm Tours and Petting Zoo - 434.685.4123. Radio Control Tank Battles - On the only radio-control battlefield in the world. 10 am-5 pm. AAF Tank Museum - 434.836.5323. Averett Soccer - Women’s vs. Wilson College. 1 pm. Men’s vs. GardnerWebb J.V. 4 pm. Averett University - 434.791.5600. Beginner’s Kayak - 2–4 p.m. 434.799.5215. Outside Race on Asphalt. 2 pm. Cooper’s Radio Controlled Race Center. 434.724.4182. Harvest Jubilee Concert Series - Lou Gramm, lead singer for Foreigner with Eddie Money. 6 pm. Carrington Pavilion. 434.793.4636. September Song Vocal Concert - The Heart of Carolina Chorus. 8 pm. GWHS 434.334.7688. (see page 15)

September 9 (thru Oct. 28) Pre-School Ballet - Saturdays, 11:30 am-12:45 pm. 434.797.8848.

September 11

African Dance – Whether it’s dancing, drumming or just enjoying the beautiful rhythms, learn the beautiful art of African Dance.

September 2006 SEPTEMBER 2006 S M

T W

3 4 5 6 7 10 11 12 13 14 17 18 19 20 21 24 25 26 27 28

F S 1 2 8 9 15 16 22 23 29 30

Mondays, 6-7:30 pm. City Auditorium. 434.797.8848. Indoor Wall Climbing Class for Beginners (See 9/6) Eve and Adam - Lecture by Dr. Carol Myers. 7:30 pm. Blount Chapel. Averett University - 434.791.5600. (see page 2)

September 11 (thru 25)

Boogie Mondays - Learn the Mambo. Mondays 7-8:30 pm Ballou Recreation Center - 434.799.5216.

September 11 (thru Oct. 9) Shag Class- Mondays. Beginner I - 6:30-7:30 pm. Beginner II - 7:308:30 pm. IALR - 434.766.6772. Spanish For Beginners - This class can help you advance to the conversational level. Mondays, 6:30–8 pm. Coates Recreation Center. 434.797.8848.

September 11 (thru Oct.16) Beginning Middle Eastern “Belly Dance” Classes. Mondays, 5:30 pm. Pepsi Building. 434.797.8848.

September 12

Internet for People Who’ve Never Gone Online - 5:30 pm. IALR 34.766.6793.

September 13

Polliwogs & Science Stars Explore the five senses with games and activities. Ages 3-4 1-2 pm; Ages 5-6. 3:45-4:45 pm. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160. Mariachi Band. 6:30-9:30 pm. Los Tres Magueyes Mexican Restaurant - 434.792.0601.

September 13 (thru Oct. 18) Art With Flo - Wet on Wet technique. Wednesday or Thursdays, 6-9 pm. Ballou Annex Building. 4343.797.8848.

September 14

Averett Women’s Soccer vs. Emory & Henry College. 5 pm. Averett University - 434.791.5600. Increasing Health with Passing Time -Information and answers to improving health as one gets older. 6:30–7:30 pm. Danville Public Library. 434.797.8848. Meet the Author - Charles Shields, author of Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee, Chatham Book Store, 4:30-6pm, and Shadetree Rare Books. 6-8 pm 434.432.2488.

September 14 (thru Nov. 2) Get Fit and Lose Weight – Thursdays 5:30-7:30 pm. Pepsi Building. 434.797.8848.

September 15

COA Country Western Dance. 7-10 pm. Ballou Center. 434.799.5216.

September 15 &16

Indian Festival. Farmer’s Market, Martinsville. Virginia Museum of Natural History - 276.666.8659. Riverfest - classic car show, river flotilla, BBQ competition, music, market, kid’s zone, 5pm-11pm 9/15; 10am-11pm 9/16. Washington Street, Eden, NC www.edenriverfest.com

September 15 (thru 23)

Danville Pittsylvania County Fair Demolition Derby, live music, bingo, exhibits, and a midway featuring rides, games, and shows. 5 pm. DPC Fair Grounds - 434.822.6850.

September 2006 September 16

Beginner Rock Climbing - Pilot Mountain State Park N.C. This is a beginners’ trip, but climbers of all levels are invited. Orientation required (9/13 - 7:30 pm) 8 am–6 pm. 434.799.5215. Cooper’s Inside Race (See 9/2) Averett Football vs. Guilford College. 1 pm. Averett University - 434.791.5600. NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series - late model stock, limited sportsman, pure stock, legends. 4 pm. South Boston Speedway - 434.572.4947. Averett Women’s Soccer vs. Salem College. 4:30 pm. Averett University - 434.791.5600. Swinging by the Tracks - Music, dancing, casino games, heavy hors doeuvres, cocktails and silent auction. 6:30-11 pm. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160 Hyannis Sound – 10-member male a cappella singing group. 7:30-10 pm. Piedmont Arts Association, Martinsville - 276.632.3221.

September 16 (thru Oct. 7)

Tumblin’ Tots - Children will participate in tumbling, stretching, flexibility and other basic movements. Saturdays, 9:30-10:15 am. Coates Recreation Center. 434.797.8848. Just 4 Kicks - Children learn the fundamentals of soccer. Saturdays, 10:30-11:15 am. Coates Recreation Center. 434.797.8848. Pre-School Cheerleading - Basic skills of cheerleading. Saturdays, 11:30 am–12:15 pm. Coates Recreation Center - 434.797.8848.

September 17

Film Series at The Prizery - His Girl Friday (1940 movie). 2 pm. The Prizery, South Boston - 434.575.4228. (See page 12)

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September 20

September 18 (thru 20)

September 21

Indoor Wall Climbing for Kids 6–8 pm. 434.799.5215

Hunter Safety Education Class - Required for first-time licensees and a great refresher for novice & experienced hunters. 6:30–10 pm. 434.799.5215.

September 18 (thru Oct. 23) Clay Creations. Mondays, 5-6 pm. Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History - 434.793.5644. Forms in Clay. Mondays, 6-9 pm. Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History - 434.793.5644.

September 19

Introduction to Windows XP - Overview of the Windows XP operating system including how to execute and manipulate programs; work with the start menu, taskbar, etc. 5:30 pm. IALR - 434.766.6793.

September 19 (thru 28)

Beginning Horseback Riding Class. Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6:30–7:30 p.m. Shady Knoll Stables. 434.799.5215.

September 19 (thru Oct. 24) Knitting I. Tuesdays, 5-6 pm. Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History - 434.793.5644. (See page17)

September 20

Club Zoom - Build boats and test possible fuels. Ages 7-11. 3:45-4:45 pm Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160. Averett Women’s Soccer vs. Methodist College. 4 pm. Averett University - 434.791.5600.

September 20 (thru Oct. 25 Elements of Art. Wednesdays, 4-5 pm. Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History - 434.793.5644. (See page 17) Knitting II. Wednesdays, 5:30-6:30 pm. Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History - 434.793.5644.

Indoor Wall Climbing for Kids (See 9/18) Fall Wreath Class - 1-2:30 or 7-8:30 pm. 434.799.5216. Nourishing Yourself To Good Health - 6:30–7:30 pm. Danville Public Library. 434.797.8848. Sky Watchers - Observe the constellations Pegasus and Cassiopeia and focus in on the Andromeda Galaxy and the double star cluster in Perseus. Begins at dark, weather permitting. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160. Meet the Author - Linda Hamlet Childress, author of Rural Route 2 and A Tobacco Farmer’s Daughter, Chatham Book Store, 4:30-6 pm and Shadetree Rare Books, 6-8 pm 434.432.2488.

September 21 (thru 23)

Schoolhouse Rock Live! 9/21 & 22 - 7:30 p.m. 9/23 - 2 p.m. Pritchett Auditorium. Averett University 434.791.5600. (See page 6)

September 21 (thru Oct. 26) Creative Expressions. Thursdays, 5-6 pm. Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History - 434.793.5644. Portrait Painting. Thursdays, 5:307:30 pm. Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History - 434.793.5644.

September 22

Chakras - Meditation and review of the body’s energy centers. 6-8 pm. Danville Yoga and Meditation Center - 434.822.0007.

September 22 (thru Oct. 27) Beginning Sculpture. Fridays, 6-9 pm. Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History - 434.793.5644. (see page 17)

Page 11 September 23

Honey Day - Taste recipes featuring honey and enjoy a morning of music, fun, activities for kids. 8 am-12 pm. Uptown Martinsville Farmers’ Market. 276.638.4221. RC Tank Battle Days - On the only radio-control battlefield in the world. 10 am-5 pm. AAF Tank Museum 434.836.5323. Painting Photo-Realism with Colored Pencils. Learn color theory, tools and techniques to get realism in your paintings. 10 am–2 pm. Prizery, South Boston - 434.572.8339. Cooper’s Outside Race (See 9/9) Sorghum Festival. Climax. 434.432.9679. Film Series at The Prizery - Hawaii, Oslo (Sweden, 2006) 2 pm. The Prizery, South Boston - 434.575.4228. (See page 12) Averett Men Soccer vs. Mountain State University. 3 pm. Averett University - 434.791.5600 Tobacco Ball - Dinner and dancing with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. Enjoy an evening of great food, music and silent auction. 6:30-11 pm. Prizery, South Boston - 434.572.8339. (See page 8)

September 23 & 24

Championship Cup Series Motorcycle Racing - Spectacular elbow-to-elbow racing. 8:30 am. VIR - 434.822.7700. Danville’s Old 97 Rail Days Operating N-scale model railroads, local tours, children’s activities, evening concert and more. Crossing at the Dan. 434.791.5160. Bright Leaf Hoedown Entertainment, food, crafts. 9/23 10 am; 9/24 - 1 pm. Yanceyville, NC. 336.694.6106.

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Amazing Feats of Aging - Explore the mysteries of why and how animals, including humans, age. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160. Eyes on Earth - Learn what a satellite is, discover the different types of orbits, and explore cutting-edge technology similar to that used by the Earth Observing System (EOS) scientists. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.

September 25 & 26 55-Alive Class. 9 am-1 pm. 434.799.5216.

September 25 (thru Nov. 1) Body Sculpting - Full body exercises for complete body sculpting using a combination of techniques. Mondays & Wednesdays, 7 pm. IALR - 434.766.6772.

September 25 (thru Nov. 13) Stained Glass Class - The Magic of Light Through Glass. Learn the basics of stained glass design, cutting, grinding, foiling, and soldering or enhance and refine existing skills. Mondays - 8-weeks, 9 am–12 pm. 434.797.8848.

September 26

Navigating the Net - An overview of Internet Explorer 6.0. 5:30 pm. IALR - 434.766.6793. The Richmond Ballet - 7:30 pm. Pritchett Auditorium. Averett University - 434.791.5600. (See page 2)

September 27

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Polliwogs & Science Stars - Explore the science of sound while playing with things that make noise. Make a fun instrument to take home. Ages 3-4 1-2 pm; Ages 5-6. 3:45-4:45 pm. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160. Averett Men’s Soccer vs. Methodist College. 4 pm. Averett University - 434.791.5600. Averett Volleyball vs. Peace College. 7 pm. Averett University 434.791.5600.

September 28

Web-based E-mail - Designed for those who want to explore the differences between web-based and client-based e-mail; obtain a web-based e-mail account; use the features of Yahoo mail; and discuss e-mail etiquette, acronyms, emoticons, and terms. 5:30 pm. IALR - 434.766.6793. Perpetual Motion - Info about the daily incorporation of exercise and fitness in your life. 6:30–7:30 pm, Danville Public Library. 434.797.8848.

September 29

Uptown “TGIF” Outdoor Concert - Featuring the band - FATZ. food, beverages. Bring a folding chair or beach blanket. Uptown Martinsville - 276.632.5688. Temptations in the Garden 5:30pm8:30pm Washington St. Eden NC.$25 336.623.3336. (See page 13) The Dan River Follies. 7:30 pm. Mt. Hermon Courtyard. 434.432.2124.

September 29 (Oct. 1)

Sports Car Vintage Racing Association - Step back in time with the historic machines that carved out the history of what we know today as road racing. VIR - 434.822.7700.

September 30

Southern Heritage Harvest Street Festival - Craft vendors, food, pony rides, magicians, balloon sculpturing, clowns, face-and-hair painting, the moonwalk and more. 9 am11 pm. Downtown South Boston - www.soboharvestfest.com. (See page 18)

September 2006 Southern ATVA Extreme Dirt Track. Birch Creek Motorsports. 434.836.7629. Cleaning at the Dan - Clean the riverbanks and waterway from Union Street Bridge to Angler’s Park. 10 am1 pm. Danville Science Center 434.791.5160. Canoe Anglers' Park to Milton NC. 10-mile stretch of the Dan River that provides relaxing paddling, great scenery and fun for all. 10 am–5 pm. 434.799.5215. Averett Football vs. Ferrum College. Homecoming. 1 pm. Averett University - 434.791.5600. Chiara Civello – Italian singer, songwriter, and pianist. 8 pm. Chastain Theatre. The Prizery, South Boston - 434.572.8339. Soundcheck - open mic night for teens. 7-9pm, 18 N. Main Street, Chatham. Students in grades 9-12 are welcome to perform music, poetry, readings, dramatic skits, or display visual art for the evening. Email frhughes@gamewood.net . PLEASE NOTE: The location and dates for the Sterling Classic Car Auction originally scheduled for September have been changed. It’s now at VIR and the dates are in October. See the new ad on page 11.

The Danville AARP Chapter

is accepting letters of nomination

for the Citizen of the Year Award. Nominees must be age 60 or older, have a desire to a make a positive impact in the community, be a community leader and volunteer, and show outstanding service to the community. Nominations should be sent to Martha Flanagan, 124 Dakota Drive, Danville, VA 24540 before October 1. The winner will be announced at the noon meeting on November 9 at the Senior Center in Ballou Park. For more information call 434.724.4538.

The Way We Were: The Prizery’s Film Forum The Film Forum at The Prizery is bringing classics films to local audiences the way they were intended to be seen—in a cozy, neighborhood theatre. The series began in January, 2005, at The Prizery’s modern and wellequipped Chastain Theatre. The 2006-07 season will include a variety of foreign and American films shown on Sunday afternoons starting at 2pm beginning with His Girl Friday on September 17th. Admission is $1. Check the Calendar of EVINCE for specific dates and films. For information about this program or any film, call the South Boston Library 434.575.4228 or email folhalifax@yahoo.com.

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Page 13

No Boundaries: Contemporary Basketry by Lynne Bjarnesen

Basketry is widely accepted as the oldest known form of craft. Since ancient times, people have constructed baskets to fill specific needs: gathering, carrying, displaying, or storage. Even in contemporary western society, nothing has yet replaced the wastebasket, the picnic basket, and the shopping basket: low-tech but essential articles. Artists, however, have taken the simple basket form and pushed it in new and exciting directions. Visitors to the current exhibit at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History, No Boundaries: Contemporary Basketry, will see new methods of construction often using highly unconventional materials to transform the everyday into the exotic. Twelve artists from the United States and Japan have turned the

familiar basket form into objects infused with content and meaning, creating both utilitarian and non-utilitarian vessels, even abstract sculptures. The exhibit runs through Thursday, October 5. Opening reception is Sunday, September 10, from 2pm-4pm. For more information visit www.danvillemuseum.org or phone 434.793.5644. Interactive tours will be offered to schools, daycare centers, and after-school groups for a small fee. They will include a take-home craft project. To book a tour, call Sharon Hughes, Education Coordinator, at 434.793.5644. There is no admission charge to the museum. Hours are 10am-5pm Tuesday through Friday and 2pm-5pm Saturday and Sunday.

Temptations In The Garden (of Eden) by Marianne Aiken

You can look forward to a beautiful, elegant evening by an old canal, if you participate in “Temptations in the Garden—A Celebration of Food, Wine, Music, and Art.” This fund-raising event, jointly planned by the Eden (North Carolina) Chamber of Commerce and the Eden Preservation Society, will take place in the picturesque garden and “river walk” beside the historic Spray Mercantile building. The very best chefs, cooks, and caterers in Eden will be offering their specialties, and local wine shops and wineries will be presenting their wares for sampling. The Miller Brewery will serve its fine beverages, and non-alcoholic drinks will also be available.

Well-known local artists will display their works for viewing and for sale. There will be a silent auction featuring many unique items especially one-of-a-kind homemade cakes. Classic blues by Beaucoup Blue, the fatherson duo from Philadelphia, will complete the romantic atmosphere of the evening under the stars. Tickets for the celebration on Friday, September 29, from 5:30pm to 8:30pm, are $25 and include 10 “taste tickets” entitling the holder to a portion of food or drink. Extra food tickets are $1 each. Tickets will be available at the Eden Chamber of Commerce, Price Tire Company, and the Eden Preservation Society. For more information, phone 336.623.3336.

photo by Victor Newman

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I love nice cars. So a few weeks ago, as I was coming out of a store in Riverside Plaza and noticed a number of MGs and Triumphs driving into the parking lot in the area between Wendy’s and Subway, I had to find out what was going on. What I stumbled onto was a meeting of the Old Dominion British Car Club. The club consists of a group of people with a passion for British cars—most either MGs or Triumphs, but Austin-Healeys, Lotuses, and Jaguars are also in the mix. Even Mini-Coopers are welcome, and of course, an Aston Martin DB5 would be prized. Like most clubs, the ODBCC membership is made up of people with like minds who enjoy sharing their enthusiasm and their passion. It was founded in 1999 by Danny Talbot when he moved back to Danville, his hometown, after about 20 years away. By then Talbot had acquired a few British cars—some MGs and a Lotus Cortina—along with a passion for any sort of British automobile. Because English manufacturers have always made cars that are both technically efficient and totally enjoyable, Talbot’s objective was to find people with interests similar to his. Initially, the club boasted 3 members. In the succeeding 7 years, membership has expanded to 22 enthusiasts who love to get their cars in top shape and show them to the world. These days members of the Old Dominion club regularly participate in concours d’elegance along with other clubs based in places such as Richmond, Raleigh, and Salisbury. In 2004, in fact, the club hosted its own show in conjunction with the Danville wine festival at the Crossing of the Dan. In the future, they hope to make such an event an annual part of the local scene. One of the great benefits members receive from the club is support in refurbishing their

cars to make them as nice as they can be. Often that is a challenge. Take the MGB for example. The last one was built in 1980. Although catalogues can provide the hardware, finding garages to provide the expertise needed to make those parts work are hard to find. Therefore, the club

September 2006

A Passion for Cars:

The Old Dominion British Car Club by Steve Hecox

occasionally has tech sessions for members to discuss various aspects of maintaining and refurbishing their automobiles. Bill Adkins, current ODBCC President, is the point man for these sessions. Adkins is also an ASE certified mechanic who is now working on his sixth MG—this one an orange 1974 MGB. When it comes to the mechanics, even Danny Talbot defers to him. “Bill is an excellent technician,” he says. Talbot is more than qualified to know. Behind his Pittsylvania County home is a large garage housing numerous MGs in various states of disrepair, as well as an impressive array of used parts— from engines and transmissions to doors and fenders to rear axles and springs. This is also where Quincy Adkins is building his own MG, taking an engine from one old car, the body of another, floor boards from another, and so on. Adkins is now at the point where he needs to install a clutch and drop in a new motor. When those tasks

are accomplished, the car will be ready to roll, although there is a good deal of cosmetic work still to do. Despite some members’ technical expertise, the club isn’t designed as a forum for serious technological gearheads. In fact, Bill’s family is as much a part of the club as he is. His wife Kathy acts as the secretary for the club. His son Quincy, at 16, is the club’s youngest member. Bill likes the idea that young people participate in the car club. It is a way for them to explore their creative side rather than other things that can distract them these days. As Kathy Adkins says, the ODBCC is a way for people “to get together and enjoy” each other’s company, their cars, and their work. When they meet, they talk about their current projects and needs. And then they often take drives together—a sort of informal parade about town. So the next time you notice a convoy of beautiful British sports cars cruising through the streets of Danville, know that the game is afoot. Enjoy the spectacle as much as they enjoy presenting it. The Old Dominion British Car Club meets on the fourth Monday of every month. Dues are $20 a year and families are welcome at all events. For further information, contact Bill Adkins at 434.799.9527 or visit www.odbcc.com.

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Page 15

SOS is Calling You!

This S.O.S. is not a plea for help, but an invitation for fun with the Danville Shag Club and the Society of Stranders in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The local group of 150 dancers from Eden, North Carolina, and the Virginia cities of Danville, Lynchburg, and Martinsville are ready to help novices prepare for the dance trip South by hosting a Pre-SOS Party and by offering inexpensive shag lessons. The Pre-SOS Party is Sunday, September 10, from 1pm to 7pm at The Eagles Club, Highway 58 East. Multiple continuous DJs from all over the shag world will supply the music. Admission is $5. Five weeks of shag lessons will be held in the Pepsi Building at the Crossing at the Dan on Craghead Street beginning the next evening, Monday, September 11th. John and Janice Gilstrap will teach the Beginner I class at 6:30pm and the Beginner II class at 7:30pm. The Danville Shag Club was formed in 1991 to promote and preserve this distinctive style of Southern beach swing dance. It became a member of the Association of Carolina Shag Clubs in 1992. The club originally met at Bogies on South Main Street, then at Nate’s in the Riverside Shopping Center, and currently meets at the Stratford Inn on the second and fourth Friday nights of each month from 8pm to 11pm. The group holds several fund-raisers each year and profits are donated to DOVES, Stepping Stones in Martinsville, Shop With a Cop, the Alzheimer Association, and the Chad Scarce Foundation. The 2006 SOS Fall Migration (to Myrtle Beach) is from September 15-24. Most Danville Shag Club members will attend the weekend of September 2224. For more information visit www.shagdance.com or contact Jerry Wyatt, President of the Danville Shag Club, at jerrick@dancom.com.

�� Rodney and Donna Pleasants,

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Janice and John Gilstrap demonstrate fancy footwork.

Barbershop Chorus presents "September Song" by Keith Yeatts

The Heart of Carolina Barbershop Chorus, under the direction of Chris Slacke, will present their first annual fall show, September Song, in Danville on Saturday, September 9th. The show will feature the Heart of Carolina Chorus and Quartets along with guests Storm Front (a top ten finalist in international quartet competition) and Southern Yankees (Sweet Adelines Region 14 Quartet Champions). The Heart Of Carolina Chorus will offer a number of fresh and fun arrangements, including “A Cup Of Coffee, A Sandwich, And You,” “Strike Up The Band,” “It’s A Most Unusual Day,” and of course, the show theme song, “September Song.”

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Storm Front has over 75 years of barbershopping experience among them and will bring a wealth of energy, skill, emotion, and fun to the stage. Southern Yankees has been entertaining across the Southeast for the past six years, with a repertoire that includes swing, gospel, romantic ballads, and comedy. Their beautiful harmony and lively on-stage presence has charmed audiences everywhere they’ve performed. September Song will begin at 8pm on Saturday, September 9, at George Washington High School in Danville. For tickets, email tickets@HeartOfCarolinaChorus.org or call 434. 334.7688.

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• What can you give your children for their 40th Birthday? Give them the gift of

Music...

the gift that lasts a lifetime Danville Community School of Music

�� A Music and Movement Program for Children ages Birth to 7 years • Play Musical Instruments • Singing • Movement & Dance • Musical Games • Listening • Creative Storytelling • Children’s Literature

“Music Makers: At the Keyboard” (a “Musikgarten” beginning piano course for children ages 7-9 yrs.)

Call now to register for Fall Classes. Lynn Dinkle 791-3868 email: lynndinkle@yahoo.com Classes held in Danville at West Main Baptist Church

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Learning More Through Music by Joyce Wilburn

From shakers to social skills. Castanets to coordination. Cymbals to self esteem. There is much more to Kindermusik than melodic tunes explains Lynn Dinkle, a Kindermusik teacher in Danville for 12 years. In fact, in her enthusiasm for the musical learning program that began in West Germany in the 1960s, Dinkle literally sings its praises. "Music is a universal language that every child enjoys," she says as she begins to enumerate the many benefits of lessons for newborn-to-seven-year-olds. "All of the classes are success oriented. Children learn positive self image, good memory skills, general knowledge, and social skills,” she says, her warm brown eyes exuding sincerity. The 47year-old former special education teacher with a degree in music from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro continues her litany, "It works with every area of brain development. It is calming and mood changing." Dinkle offers four different classes based on a child’s age. Her youngest students are newborns to 1 1⁄2 years old who participate with a parent. In Kindermusik Village, mom and/or dad learn how to stimulate learning through vocal play, object exploration, and creative movement. "Parents hold their babies facing out so the baby can see other babies while we are dancing or doing some other activity," she explains. Since the tiniest music makers can’t sit or walk alone, bells are placed on their ankles and wrists with Velcro straps so they can join the group in making a joyful noise. The youngsters also take pleasure in story time, rocking, dancing, listening, and singing. Dinkle vows that her daughter Elizabeth was cooing (an infant’s way of singing) when she was only days old. "Babies can hear music before they are born between the fourth and fifth month of pregnancy," she explains. Singing or cooing might be easy for infants, but it is impossible for little ones to verbalize their thoughts and that "leads to frustration," Lynn says. But because the fine muscles in young hands develop before the muscles needed for speech, toddlers can use sign language to communicate. Thus, starting this year, Dinkle will introduce signing in the baby class.

September 2006

Progressing to the next level, toddlers ages 1 1⁄2 to 3 years old begin their 45 minute class, Kindermusik Our Time, with instrument exploration from the cultures of Spain, Africa, Germany, Mexico, and America. The class continues with singing, playing instruments, dancing, listening to stories, and rocking. "Rocking on mom’s back helps with a sense of beat, inner balance, and coordination," says Dinkle. Every toddler class ends with Ring-Around-the-Rosie using a colored parachute. Toddlers can graduate to Kindermusik Imagine That! when they are 3 to 4 years old. The focus at this age is pretend play with a theme. For example, if weather is the topic, the children will use a rainstick and drums to simulate the sounds of a storm. Students also explore different types of instruments and learn to label them. "We focus on language through music," Dinkle says, "along with dance and story time." Five-to seven-year-olds in the Kindermusik for the Young Child class continue the musical journey with a pressure-free approach that includes exposure to various types of multicultural music. They learn about composers, write and perform their own music, and participate in the telling of classical musical tales such as "Peter and the Wolf." Dinkle also offers a keyboard class for this age group. Parents remain involved at all levels and the classroom learning continues at home with unique creative activities, reading, and listening to music. "I love what I do," says Dinkle. "I really believe in the positive aspects of music at a young age," she continues mentioning that another outcome of Kindermusik is the forming of life-long friendships. "Some of my former students who started in the 3-year-old class a decade ago are still friends today," she says, which brings to mind another benefit. "They are so busy having fun together; they don’t know they are learning," she says with a soft chuckle revealing the best benefit of all. Registration for all Kindermusik classes will take place at West Main Baptist Church, 450 West Main Street, the week of September 5-8 from 9:30am-noon each day. Extended hours on Tuesday and Thursday will be from 4pm-6m and on Wednesday until 1pm. For more information phone 434.548.4623 or 434.791.3868. Email lynndinkle@yahoo.com.

September 2006

Into the Wardrobe by Scott M. Foran

Halifax County Little Theatre will open its 51st season with a magical interpretation of C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the first book of the popular Chronicles of Narnia. Since its initial publication in 1950, there have been a number of adaptations of this children’s classic for television, radio, film, and stage, and the HCLT production promises to be an exciting adventure in its own right. Kristin Berry, a Little Theatre veteran who worked on Charlotte’s Web and A Christmas Carol, will make her directorial debut with this heroic tale. "I’ve always loved the Chronicles of Narnia," says Berry. "As a child, I found the books to be full of adventure, and, as an adult, I appreciate the lessons of faith and redemption." The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is the story of four children (Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy) who are sent away from the dangers of WWII London to live with an old professor in his countryside mansion. While exploring the house, Lucy discovers a magical wardrobe that serves as a doorway between her world and the fantastic realm of Narnia. This sets off an adventure for the children who become caught in an epic battle between the forces of the usurping evil witch, Jadis, and the rightful lord of Narnia, Aslan the lion. Although The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe might seem a simple bedtime story, it is also a marvelous exploration of the themes of good and evil, betrayal

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and redemption. Berry observes, "I was drawn to do this particular show because it encompasses all the attributes of moral clarity. I want people to have fun watching the show, but this production should also provide food for thought." The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe will open in the Prizery’s Chastain Theatre on September 1, with subsequent performances on September 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, and 10. All shows will begin at 8 pm, with the exception of Sunday performances, which will start at 3 pm. Tickets can be purchased by calling 434.572.8339 between 5pm7pm or by visiting www.hclt.org.

New Instructors and Classes at Swanson Studios

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by Shawn Jones, Arts Program Coordinator, Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History The Swanson Studios at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History is offering a wide array of classes taught by three wellqualified new instructors, Michelle Bloomer, Nicole Floyd, and Celia Tucker. Michelle Bloomer will direct Exploring Portrait and Figure Studies, a class designed for adult beginners and more experienced artists. Students will have the opportunity to work from live models and from personal photos while learning techniques for catching likenesses and creating movement. Bloomer, who received her bachelor’s degree in fine art from Longwood, is an active member of the Danville Art League. In Knitting II Nicole Floyd will teach students how to make a scarf in time for winter. And Celia Tucker who holds a B.A. and M.A. in sculpture will show students how to translate ideas into 3-D reality using very basic materials in Beginning Sculpture. These new instructors will join an already impressive group of teachers including Teresa Craig (Clay Creations), Judy Sudduth (Knitting I), Linda Gourley (Elements of Art), and Jonathan Scollo (Forms in Clay). For more information, phone 434.793.5644 or visit www.danvillemuseum.org.

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September 2006

Around Downtown

South Boston Harvest Fest A’Comin’ A Child’s Perspective An experience-based account by Marynn Skelton DDSB Graphic Designer

OPEN 24 HOURS • FRIDAY & SATURDAY

AY NIGHT, 50% OFF ENTREES FOR SENIORS EVERY MONDAY

BREAKFAST

LUNCH

Purchase any regularly priced breakfast entrée and two beverages and receive a second breakfast entrée of equal or lesser value

Purchase any regularly priced lunch entrée and two beverages and receive a second lunch entrée of equal or lesser value

FREE Any Time (Excluding Holidays)

Please present coupon when ordering. Valid at participating Danville and Lynchburg locations. Not valid with any other coupons, discounts, specials or Senior Menu. One coupon per person per visit. Dine-in only. Offer Expires: September 30, 2006.

DINNER

ANY MEAL

Purchase any regularly priced dinner entrée and two beverages and receive a second dinner entrée of equal or lesser value

BUY ONE MEAL, GET ONE FREE!

FREE Any Time (Excluding Holidays)

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Purchase any regularly priced menu entrée and two beverages from our regular menu and receive a second entrée of equal or lesser value

FREE Any Time (Excluding Holidays)

Having grown up in a Southern home, I know Fall is coming when I can smell candied apples in the morning air. When a breeze from the river carries with it a spicy hint of Brunswick stew and there are tobacco plants in big black pots on Main Street, Mama tells me, “People from Pennsylvania to Georgia are loading up their trucks for a long drive to South Boston.” Then it is very hard to wait patiently. I know that Harvest Fest is a’comin’! I’ve heard that the Southern Heritage Harvest Festival has been a tradition for 15 years. That might be true, but I’ve only been around for ten of them, so I don’t know. The people who set up Harvest Fest must have worked awfully hard, because there’s even more happening this year than last time! Mom and Dad are going to the National Tobacco Ball on September 23rd at the Prizery. Mom got a new dress and Dad tells me there’s going to be a “jazz-orchestra,” whatever that is. They’re eating dinner there, too, except they call it a “banquet.” I’d go, but I think you have to dress up. I don’t like dressing up. So I guess I’ll just let the adults have fun without me. The next Saturday, September 30th, will be a huge party, except everyone is invited--and it’s free! The whole town will be filled with people laughing, shopping and eating. With the cars parked behind the buildings, you can run

in the street--and not get run over. There are almost a hundred cool crafters, pony rides, face-painting, moonwalk, pumpkin painting and clowns, too. This year I heard there will also be a magician named Chaz doing shows in the street, and two guys called Speed and Thro who do “high energy magic” on the stage. I can’t wait to see the Mountain Marionettes present Stories from Aunt Nelly’s Mountain Home. There’s really good food, too. Mom likes crab-cake sandwiches and sweet potato fries, and Dad gets funnel cakes and hamburgers. I like the hot dogs and pizza, but my favorite is the cinn-sational cinnamon rolls! We’ll probably go see the arts and crafts in the Prizery, and that night lots of people will go to Constitution Square for a concert by B2B. My parents say that B2B is a “Jimmy Buffet tribute band.” I’m not sure who Mr. Buffet is, but he must have pretty good music, if there’s an entire band named for him. Last year the newspaper reported 14,000 people were at Harvest Fest, and there are supposed to be even more at the Festival this year. All I know is that Harvest Fest is awesome. I can’t wait! For more information call Sarah Rorrer 434.575.4208 or visit www.soboharvestfest.com .

September 2006

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Lasting Thoughts… A Job for Every Danville Citizen By Joyce Wilburn I never intended to write this story, but when an unsolved riddle fell in my lap, I started typing. This brainteaser came to mind on a Wednesday morning in early April when my plane landed at Chicago’s Midway Airport. My riddle? “How do you teach the entire population of Chicago to be friendly, welcoming, and helpful to tourists?” Before you judge this story as a fluffy promotional piece for a city hundreds of miles away and turn the page, let me recount the extraordinary events that transpired during a brief fourday period, and think how the lessons I learned can be applied to Danville. Joyce and Larry’s excellent adventure began when we rode the EL to our hotel in downtown Chicago. Immediately upon exiting the subway car, we realized we had left a small canvas bag under the seat. Sickened at the thought of never seeing it again, we told our tale of woe to a Chicago Transit Authority customer service representative. (Remember, we were new to town and didn’t know not to worry.) A phone call from the CTA a few hours later brought good news. The bag with all of its contents had been recovered and was waiting for pick-up at our convenience. The next pleasant surprise occurred as we were searching for a place to eat lunch in the neighborhood near the hotel. Seeing our apparent confusion, a well-dressed young man asked if we needed help. When we replied that we knew nothing about the city or where to eat, he said, “I’ll show you.” While leading us to our gourmet destination he called on his cell phone to tell the maitre d’ that his “friends from Virginia” were coming. After introducing us to the restaurant staff, he left as quickly as he had appeared. We were led to our table and presented with complimentary appetizers…because we were “good friends of Tim, who is a regular customer.” The next day while ordering lunch in the Frango Café at Marshall Field’s, the cashier noticed our Southern accents and said, “If you are visitors, we can’t let you go home without dessert! I’ll bring you some in a few minutes.” True to her word,

within ten minutes, she presented us with two large complimentary slices of rich, creamy, chocolatemint Frango pie. Amazed at the service we’d received and very full with delicious food, we started to leave. At that point, a grandmother-type employee cleared the dirty dishes from our table and softly said, “Thank you for being my guest today.” I asked her to repeat what she had said to make sure I’d heard correctly. “Thank you for being my guest today,” she repeated with sincerity. Well-fed and feeling appreciated we left Marshall Field’s, the second largest department store in the world. While trying to decide which route to take on our return trip to the hotel, a passerby asked if we needed directions. This spontaneous offering of help happened on several occasions as we walked the Magnificent Mile. It was almost as if these strangers could read minds. Checking in at the airport for our return trip, I overhead another traveler ask an airline employee if she read minds, because she answered questions before he asked. “Yes, I can read minds. It’s part of my job,” said the Southwest Airline employee with a big smile and a twinkle in her eyes. Could it be that in that last hour of vacation in the busy Chicago airport, I found the answer to my riddle? Maybe customer/visitor service means being able to read minds, which sounds like an inherited skill. A different explanation that Tyron, an employee at the Tourism Department offered was that customer service is just second nature to the people of Chicago. Can good customer/visitor service be a product of nature or nurture? Probably a little of both. The point is, tourism is a major industry for a lot of cities and can be a new business for Danville. Tourism isn’t just about buildings or events. It’s also about the family-friendly nature of people who live in the city. That means that everyone who is reading this (and those who aren’t) must learn to be a Danville visitor/customer service expert. It’s your new job. Why? Because you are the living face of Danville.

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September 2006