December 2007
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December 2007
Table of Contents Christmas Past 2
Christmas Past Returns to Downtown Danville by Heather F. Vipperman
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Believe by Liz Sater
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So There’s Nothing to Do in Danville? Look What You Missed! Reviews of American Chamber Players by Kathleen O’Hare Georgian State Dance Company by Joyce Wilburn Toxic Audio by Angela Sanom
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Second Thoughts by Kim Clifton
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She Said He Said by Dena Hill and Larry Oldham
Looking at the Big Picture by Kathryn Davis
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Lee Sandstead A Man on Fire by Emyl Jenkins
Christmas from Russia to Hollywood! by Julie Parker
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Sweetbay Review: A Writers’ Studio Anthology by Larry Aaron
Top Selling Pianist to Perform by Joyce Wilburn
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Christmas in Chatham Celebration Has A New Twist by Mary Lee Black
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Calendar of Evince
Candlelight Tours Offered at Chinqua Penn Plantation
Spotting Exceptional Customer Service by Kevin Martin
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Wine on 29…Continued on 64 by Joyce Wilburn
35th Annual DHS Walking Tour Expands to 3 Days
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Memories from the Shadows by Donna Waymouth
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Teacher Angel Tree by Nancy A. Combs
Make Plans for New Year’s Eve Now by Laura Holloway
The Lettermen Sure to Score by Gordon Bendall
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Lasting Thoughts Glimpses of John Smith’s Chesapeake, And Ours by Tom Horton
On the Cover:
Photo by Robert M. Sexton taken inside the Bruton Parish Episcopal Church in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia
Returns to Downtown Danville by Heather F. Vipperman
As Downtown Danville proudly reclaims its historic origins, the Riverview Rotary Christmas parade is returning to its tried and true traditional roots. For the first time in over 30 years, the annual event will be held after dark to provide a perfect backdrop for The Festival of Lights, the theme of this year’s pageantry. The night parade will begin at Ridge Street, float down Main Street through the heart of Danville, and end at the Community Market on Craghead Street. Join your friends and neighbors on Saturday, December 1, at 6:00 p.m. to experience the excitement of the holiday season the way Christmas ought to be-Main Street decorated in swags of lights and lined with sparkling trees. People huddled together for warmth while jockeying for the best position to see the parade. Parents cheering for their kids on festive floats or in their marching units. Spectators humming and singing along with the band music....
Plus, you can duck into one of the cafés on Main Street and purchase a hot cup of coffee or chocolate to whet your appetite for yet another cup of hot chocolate during the awards ceremony following at the Community Market. It’s going to be fun and it’s free.
Thank you, Riverview Rotary, Danville Parks, Recreation and Tourism, and URW Community Federal Credit Union for giving this Christmas present to the community. For more information, call the Welcome Center at 434.793.4636
December 2007 In an age when a wealth of information can be accessed with the click of a mouse, it seems there might be fewer and fewer patrons of a city's public library. In Danville, however, that is not the case. Library records have tracked over 500 checkouts on some days, but the books, books-on-tape, and videos are just the tip of the iceberg for this unique community resource. The director of the library at 511 Patton Street in Danville’s historic district, Otis Alexander, is also rather unique. He's a sensitive, intellectual man, who exudes enthusiasm, warmth, and a gentility that is infectious. His aim is to make the library accessible and valuable to the entire community. To this end, Alexander is developing many outreach programs to stimulate intergenerational learning, such as Game Night on the third Thursday of each month. The programs are often youth-based initiatives, but because someone must accompany children to the library, an opportunity exists to engage the adults too. It is not unusual to find grandmas teaching a game of chess to unrelated little tykes. And when the latest Harry Potter book debuted, Children’s Programming Director, Karen Everrett, began reading the first chapter at 12:01 a.m. to a room full of children and their guardians. She is still not sure which age group was most enthralled, but you could
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Believe...
In the redevelopment of Danville’s Historic Downtown and the Tobacco Warehouse Districts by Liz Sater, Re-Development Coordinator
have heard a pin drop until 1:00 in the morning. Learning happens on many levels at the Danville Public Library. An archival management program will soon be created and implemented that will enhance and further develop the Genealogy Research Department. Sign language classes are given for the public, so that the profoundly deaf may be better understood in our community. “Lunch-and-learn” type programs include quilting, book reviews, fabric art, and scrapbooking instruction. Alexander hopes the recent gift of a baby grand concert piano, a gift from the Friends of the Public Library, will stimulate the curiosity of future performers and further add to everyone's appreciation for music. During the upcoming holidays, local pianists will be invited to play their favorite seasonal pieces during library hours.
The library will also make an effort to involve media partners in archiving historic materials. Such things as unpublished dissertations, photos, audio tapes, video tapes, marketing materials and letters should be preserved and the research value of them recognized. Another of Alexander's goals--to develop a collection of realia - is also being examined. Realia would include any non-printed or written 3-D object that can be manipulated. For instance, the Chicago Public Library has a full size skeleton that patrons may take home to study. Greensboro has certain hand tools available for checkout. There are many people of all ages in our community for whom the library provides alternative venues from which they can learn. We are indeed fortunate to have such a valuable resource in our downtown and in our community, and even more fortunate to have
Page 3 a director like Otis Alexander at the helm. The Danville Public Library is open on Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information call 434.799.5195.
Upcoming Adult Events:
• Dec 6: 11 am – 12 pm Aesop's Fables and discussions • Dec 13: 11 am –12 pm Remembering Christmas • Jan 10: 11 am – 12 pm I Have A Dream by Martin Luther King Jr., reading and discussion • Jan 17, 22, 24, 29 & 31: 10 am11 am Basic computer applications • Jan 19: 10 am – 11:30 am Newcomer civics and citizenship workshop
Upcoming Children’s Events:
• Mon, Dec 3, 10, 17: 6 pm – 7 pm Holiday Craft Night (registration required) • Tues, Dec 4, 11, 18: 1 pm – 1:30 pm Preschool story time • Tues, Dec 4, 11, 18: 6 pm – 6:30 pm Afternoon story time • Thurs, Dec 20: 6 pm – 7 pm Stories by Santa • Sat, Dec 29: 10 am – 12 pm Book Into Movie • Thurs, Jan 17: 6 pm – 6:30 pm Family Game Night (registration required)
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Look What You Missed!
American Chamber Players Provide Sublime Entertainment by Kathleen O’Hare
Concert-goers who heard the American Chamber Players at the North Theatre in November were privy to one of the finest concerts ever heard in Danville. The group’s artistry, combined with its consummate musicianship, produced a sublime evening of music-making. The Players, each a fine soloist, presented an interesting and beautiful program of rarely heard works, including the Mahler Piano Quartet, written when Mahler was only 16. But the audience favorite was an exhilarating performance of the Brahms Piano Quartet in G minor, Op. 25. One gentleman, who said that he arrived at the concert exhausted after a day of hunting, asked his wife to nudge him should he fall asleep. “Need I tell you,” he said, “that not only did my wife not have to nudge me, but I was wide awake shortly after the first few notes and it took me half the night to come down from the Brahms!” The next event sponsored by the Danville Concert Association will be the Empire Brass on Saturday, December 8, at 7:30 p.m. at the George Washington High School Auditorium. Tickets are $10/$25. For more information call 434-792-9242.
Georgian State Dance Company – Amazing Feet and Feats
and movements that can only be described as gravity defying. Truly amazing was the effortless toe dance performed while wearing boots, the dance style completely unique to Georgia that has made the company famous since its beginning in 1945. But the favorite number was probably the Georgian mountain village sword dance. Sparks literally and figuratively flew from the sharp weapons and the perfectly timed quick footwork. In contrast to the excitement and fervor of the male performers were the ethereal female dancers. They, too, performed a style of dance that is uniquely Georgian. By taking tiny steps on the balls of their feet, the dancers gracefully float along like long-gowned dolls moving on unseen rollers. If you missed this performance, don’t make the same mistake twice. Make plans for the next Danville Area Association for the Arts & Humanities event in December. See page 8 for details.
by Joyce Wilburn
If you missed the Georgian State Dance Company’s performance sponsored by the Danville Area Association for the Arts & Humanities in mid-November, what a mistake! The performance by the 80 member classically-trained troupe, accompanied by musicians playing traditional folk instruments, was outstanding. Appreciative viewers received a unique glimpse into the history and culture of an Eastern European country as seen through dances that represented war, work, play, love, rituals, competition and ceremonial walks. Throughout, the male dancers showed off with high steps, quick turns, acrobatic leaps, airborne spins, athletic knee-dancing, deep-kneebend kicks, full-body flips, frog-leaps
Toxic Audio Sounds Better Than Its Name by Angela Sanom
Although the name Toxic Audio might have scared some people away from the a cappella quintet’s recent concert, I was lucky enough to join them on stage at
December 2007 the Caswell County Civic Center. Despite being a part of the show’s impromptu segment, describing this high-energy group’s performance is still difficult. Why? Because these five world-class vocalists magically presented a fullband sound—but the only instruments they used were their voices while they presented their songs in comedy skits that sometimes involved audience participation. My 5 minutes of fame came when I was serenaded by one of the group’s members imitating a record player. As the other singers changed the speed of the music, he skipped, sped up, and slowed down. The unique character of their show doesn’t bother founder Rene Ruiz. He thinks it has helped to promote them as their fans encourage others through word of mouth to go see for themselves why the group won a 2004 Drama Desk Award for best unique theater experience. All that talk precedes them on tour and the house is usually packed. When I left the stage, their newest CD, Toxic Audio Word of Mouth, was handed to me for being a good sport. It was nice to be thanked, but my thanks go to them for 90 minutes of amazing entertainment. The next adult event at the CCCC is on Friday, December 21, at 8pm. The Lettermen will present a Christmas show for the whole family. For tickets to see these legends of American popular music , call 336.694.4591. The CCCC is located at the intersection of NC 62 & US 158 in Yanceyville, North Carolina.
Join the Community Sing-Along of Handel’s Messiah by Carolyn Smith The Danville Area Choral Arts Society is sponsoring a community sing-along of Handel’s Messiah on Sunday, December 2, at 2:30 p.m., in Sacred Heart Catholic Church on Central Boulevard. All area singers are invited to participate. The concert will include the Christmas section of Messiah plus the Hallelujah chorus. Singers will sit in their voice section with Danville Area Choral Arts Society members and be directed by Robert Sutter. DACAS will provide the soloists. Piano accompaniment will be provided by Sylvia Curl. If you have a copy of the musical score please bring it. A limited number of scores will be provided. Choral groups and church choirs are welcome to wear their choir robes or concert attire so that their group may be recognized, but it is not required. Non-singers are encouraged to come, listen, and enjoy this free concert. For more information call 434.822.0977.
December 2007
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Cat Woman It’s not beginning to look a lot like Christmas at my house. It’s beginning to look a lot like we’ve moved or were robbed. There’s no china in the hutch or pictures on the end tables. Amish families decorate more lavishly than I do these days. What’s worse is that our home is infested with mice. Every room is littered with rodents of all sizes and colors now that I’ve discovered PetSmart has a toy section just for kittens. And I’ve got a six-month-old. Last spring, we lost our four-legged child of 17 years‌a Tonkinese named Ko-Ko. Well-meaning people struggled to find comforting words because they knew the pain was unbearable for us. Some said it was almost like losing a family member. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. It wasn’t like losing a family member. We did lose a family member. With a mink coat that would have stopped Ivana Trump in her tracks, KoKo was as regal as she was beautiful. There is something so special about this breed that we were willing to drive to the ends of the earth to find another, which is what happened when I got an email saying our newborn could go home. We left a relaxing Myrtle Beach vacation one day to frantically get to Philadelphia the next. With birth parents named Hershey and Sugar, our newly adopted baby has a peanut butter coat accented by chocolate kisses for ears. Her coloring and heritage inspired a variation of a candy name: Reesie.
For every inch that Ko-Ko was a monarch, Reesie is a monkey. You can bet that she’ll never shop with me at PetSmart like other families. She’d go crazy there. She already goes crazy here. While our house doesn’t look like Christmas, it does sound like it. The pitter-patter of little feet makes her collar jingle more than a bell at a Salvation Army kettle. I’ve accepted that a tree is out of the question this year, although I’d hoped
to at least enjoy my snow village. The tiny ice skaters are fun to watch, but I fear for their safety. Reesie loves to jump onto countertops, so it’d only take seconds for Santa Claws to swat all the townspeople. Or for Catzilla to stomp all the cottages. That’s a fundamental difference between cats and dogs. Dogs use the floor to walk. Cats use the floors to land. Short of a solution that would warrant an investigation from the
Humane Society, I’ve tried everything to keep Reesie at ground level. I hoped the adhesive tape I found at PetSmart would keep my creature from stirring, sooner than the night before Christmas. Theirs was different from the tape I saw at the Dollar Store. I knew it must be better since it had a picture of a kitten on the front and a price tag of $10.99. Not to mention the sweeping endorsements from veterinarians everywhere. Back at home, Reesie, perched on the kitchen counter, watched me carefully unwind the roll. She tested it first with her right paw, then her left‌puzzled by the sticky situation. Irritated that her feet had to touch the tacky film, she quickly jumped down. It worked. Just like the sticker on the label said it would. It just didn’t say for how long. Within seconds, she was back. This time, and every time after that, she took steps wide enough to skip the gummy area. Talk about dumb animals. Unlike me, she’s no sucker who’ll fall for a gimmick. And she can be naughty and still get presents‌even if we don’t rock around the Christmas tree. Which only proves that it’s right to have named a store PetSmart. Especially if the owners aren’t.
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December 2007
She Said
He Said
by Dena Hill The Christmas season is upon us and as I contemplate doing the dishes or going shopping, my mind wonders about why the Christmas holiday is so special: Giving and receiving presents. Buying an extra gift for the dog. Sitting by the fire and gazing at the Christmas tree lights. Driving around town looking at the Christmas decorations. Thinking and wishing it would snow for Christmas. Finding a new ornament for the tree. Finding an old ornament that I had forgotten about. Praying for peace around the world. Visiting old friends. Receiving a Christmas card from someone far away. Singing Christmas carols. Smelling the potpourri. Hanging the Christmas wreath on the front door. Decorating the house for Christmas. Wishing strangers "Merry Christmas." Saying “Merry Christmas” and really meaning it. Eating all the food I want and planning to diet after the new year. Giving to the Salvation Army kettle and knowing I am helping a child. Going to Christmas Eve service at church with family. Feeling the Christmas joy and happiness bestowed upon me from my family. Seeing a child's face light up when opening a present. Trying to remember all the words to the Twelve Days of Christmas. Opening the last Christmas present and wishing Christmas wasn't over. Feeling close to God and celebrating the birth of Christ. These are just a few of my favorite things at Christmas. by Larry Oldham In the spirit of Christmas I agree with everything she says.
Merry Christmas to all of you and may God bless you. Dena and Larry larryoldham0@gmail.com
by Kathryn Davis
Now that we've entered the season of giving, do you find the process of picking out just the right gift a joy, or a bother? I’ll admit it can sometimes be a bother for me. Yet nothing gives me more pleasure than to find a gift that I'm absolutely certain will thrill someone, like the one I gave to my sister, Diane, a few years ago. My husband had taken me to New York City in November to celebrate my birthday. As we had on several previous trips, we went to Macy's where I like to collect a small Christmas ornament or two as a souvenir. At first I couldn’t find anything special, but then I saw the collection by Christopher Radko, the premier designer of every type of glass ornaments. They ranged from Santas to 9-11 hero tributes to lighthouses. The lighthouse ornament was perfect for my sister. She already had a collection of lighthouse pitchers, statues, cross-stitched pictures, and such, plus, she already had several Radko ornaments. I knew she would love it, especially when I learned that Radko was there to autograph his
ornaments. She was thrilled, and I couldn't have been happier. I’m sure those of you who try to pick out just the right toys and gifts for the Salvation Army or the Samaritan's Purse toy drives find a similar joy as you spend the time making your selections. Even though we never meet the child we're buying for, we know that those who distribute the gifts take special care in matching the presents with the children. We’re hoping that the little boy or girl who receives our gift will not only find joy in it, but feel the love with which it was given. We, in turn, find a sense of joy in the giving of that gift. So this year as I start my Christmas shopping, rather than seeing it as a bother, I'll think of the gift we received at the Nativity. If God loved us so much that He gave us His only Son, shouldn't we be more like Him and look for that joy in giving? I'll take a little more time to think (and pray) over my Christmas list, so that I can express God's love and mine with every gift I give.
December 2007
photo by Donna Swanson
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Lee Sandstead, A Man on Fire by Emyl Jenkins
Lee Sandstead is a man on fire—figuratively, of course. But his breakneck schedule has been known to burn up the highways. These days it’s dashing from his home base in South Boston from one city to the other for his new cable TV show, “Art Attack,” coming on December 21st on the Travel Channel. In the past it’s been to catch the perfect light on a great piece of sculpture, whether in Des Moines or Richmond. His firey brand of passion goes back to the day he first discovered art history. From that day on, not only has Sandstead never seen the world through the same eyes, his mission has become to inspire others to see in art the same magic, the same guideposts through life’s adventures, that he sees. It is that passion that Lee Sandstead is now about to bring to television audiences. To kindle that sort of spark for art in others, Sandstead turns to another artistic form: music. “I begin by thinking of a great song,” he says. “One with incredible highs, incredible lows, and imagery that deeply impacts the listener. I then transfer that message to the audience’s real life experience.” But then Sandstead takes the connectivity a step further. He shows how an artist has captured those highs and lows and imagery in a painting. But it is how Sandstead connects this all that builds the fire in his audience. He does it with what he calls jarring, power words—“Words that can stir anybody, that can unite them to life’s experiences.” Now if you’re thinking that Sandstead is going to point you to the music of Bach or Beethoven or Mozart to get his point across, think again. Think Garth Brooks.
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“Right now I’m fascinated with how Garth Brooks is able to take country music to a level in society that it has never seen before. Take the song, ‘More Than a Memory.’ It the ultimate song of unrequited love today. Listen to that song,” Sandstead says, his eyes bright. “Think about it in your own life, read The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks or see the movie, then look at the great paintings of unrequited love….” At which point you can feel the heat in the room rising. Yes, Lee Sandstead’s a man on fire with his love for all the art forms. And it is that passion he will bring to his audience at The Prizery in South Boston on Thursday, December 13th, at 7 p.m. That passion, combined with knowledge, and a great sense of humor. So, does Lee Sandstead think of himself as a Garth Brooks of art history? He laughs, but with a hint of his Tennessee accent creeping through the sound of steel determination in his voice, he says, “Well….I, too, am a little overweight, loosing hair, and…am in love with Trisha Yearwood!” Should Garth Brooks just happen to be watching the Travel Channel on the night of December 21st at 8:30 p.m.....
Christmas from Russia to Hollywood!
Page 7 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 good beginning never ends
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 classes Lynn Dinkle 791-3868 email: lynndinkle@yahoo.com Classes held in Danville at West Main Baptist Church
by Julie Parker
RELEASE FOR: August 2005 Issue The Danville Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Charles Ellis, will AD SIZE: 1/8 Horizontal present its Christmas concert on Saturday, December 15, at 8:00 p.m. in CLIENT: Kindermusic the George Washington High School auditorium. This concert aptly titled “From Russia to Hollywood!” will feature classical, sacred, and traditional holiday fare by popular composers Rimsky-Korsakov and Andrew Lloyd Webber, to name just a few. Signature Approval on Ad Required. Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Christmas For your protection, your ad will not run without this approval. Eve Suite” provides a treatise on Christmas, dark in its beginning and grandiose at its conclusion. In contrast, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s moving “Pie Jesu” will feature Customer Approval/Signature Susanne Martin and Mack Williams, soloists, who will be complemented by a chorus. Other selections will highlight traditional Christmas fare including music from popular holiday movies such as Home Alone, Polar Express, and Miracle on 34th Street. The concert will conclude with Clement Clark Moore’s well-known Twas the Night Before Christmas set to new and exciting music. Phil Watlington will provide the thrilling narration of this unique work. The symphony’s traditional Christmas performance is free and open to the public. Concertgoers are asked to bring two non-perishable food items to be donated to God’s Storehouse. For more information visit www.danvillesymphony.net.
Attention:
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Sweetbay Review:
A Writers’ Studio Anthology by Larry G. Aaron
Small beginnings for a writers’ group in South Boston has led to an annual anthology replete with stories and poems—a first for local authors in the Dan River Region. Last year the group published its first collection of writings by local authors, Sweetbay Review: Anthology of Southern Virginia. The 2007 Sweetbay Anthology marks the continuation of a project that was begun last year and will contain poetry, along with fiction and non-fiction prose. This publication is sponsored by the Writers Studio, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to the enrichment and development of local authors. Studio founder and director, Scott Foran, is the editor of Sweetbay Review, and he also does the design and layout work. He has been assisted this year by Gene Curtis and D.S. Curtis (Curt and Donna Brauda). The 2006 Sweetbay Review includes an eclectic collection of works by 28 authors ranging from poetry by Margaret Covington, a Halifax County teacher and Evince contributing writer who knew in the 5th grade that she wanted to be a writer, to a science fiction selection by Gene Curtis from his novel Regal Wind. Curtis, a retired police sergeant, has turned his professional attention to detail into exciting scenes, exquisite settings,
December 2007 and character dramatizations. The 2007 edition promises no less a treat. In addition, each edition of Sweetbay Review features the work of a local artist. The 2006 edition featured “Country Walk” by Dianne Hills, and the 2007 edition features “In the Mood for Jazz” by Wyatt Ramsey. Scott Foran says, “Sweetbay Review has become a surprise success. I started the project with the hope that local authors would have a public venue available for their writing, but this publication has since developed into a sophisticated literary showcase for authors from across the Commonwealth. I know that much of this success is due to our 2007 judges, Kelly Cherry, Emyl Jenkins, and Larry Aaron. Their reputations helped us draw a larger number of entries, nearly triple that of the 2006 anthology. Their generous donation of time and energy has been invaluable.” The 2007 edition is available at The Upper Case in the Vintner’s Cellar in South Boston and the gift shop in the South Boston-Halifax County Museum of Fine Arts and History. Copies are available online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Lulu Press, inkwrit@yahoo.com or visit http://members. gcronline.com/writersstudio/
Top Selling Pianist to Perform at Christmas Concert by Joyce Wilburn
“It’s going to be a great beginning to the holiday season,” pianist Emile Pandolfi promises, speaking of his appearance at Danville’s North Theatre the first weekend in December. Pandolfi, whose lush arrangements of familiar music have sold over two million copies nationally, will add color and depth to popular Christmas songs and traditional carols such as Winter Wonderland, White Christmas, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Joy to the World, Silent Night and other favorites. Using his classical training at Baylor University, Pandolfi draws on Chopin and Debussy to add sensitivity and passion to his arrangements. This unique sound has earned Pandolfi the distinction of being the top-selling artist in the alternative music industry, distributed primarily in specialty, gift, and book shops across the nation. But as serious as he is about his work, Emile Pandolfi says, “I want the audience to have fun. There will be a lot of light-hearted silliness between selections of intense
music.” In fact, he’s so serious about having fun that he jokingly promises that his audience won’t have to sit up straight and fold their hands. Adding to the merriment and holiday spirit, comedian James Sibley will introduce songs and offer humorous commentary. For this talented and versatile musician, it’s all about enjoying life…accompanied by a musical soundtrack—something he recommends for everyone. Pandolfi will perform at the North Theatre on Saturday, December 1, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 2, at 2:30 p.m. For more information contact the Danville Area Association for the Arts & Humanities at 434.792.6965 or visit www.emilepandolfi.com.
December 2007
Christmas in Chatham Celebration Has a New Twist
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7i½Ài
by Mary Lee Black
The 2007 Christmas in Historic Chatham celebration will keep the beloved events from past years and add something new this year. The weekend of fun begins on Friday, December 7th, at 7:00 p.m. with the traditional Lantern Lighting Celebration, Christmas Caroling Festival, and Yule Log Celebration in front of the courthouse on Main Street. Following those events, Soundcheck, a popular teenage open-mic coffee-house experience, will be held in the cellar of Chatham Baptist Church on Court Place from 8:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m. The “something new� in this year’s celebration will commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of America’s first permanent English colony at Jamestown. Chatham First is including the traveling Jamestown exhibits: Uncovering Home: A Visual Essay in Jamestown Archaeology, Jamestown and Beyond: The World of 1607, and Looking for Jamestown Today: Photographs by Steven Coates. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Office of Statewide Partnerships has developed this exhibition with the assistance of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. Chatham is the only location in the state to host all three exhibits. The exhibit will be ((continued on page 13)
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• calendar of evince • Support the Tank Museum 434.836.5323 • www.aaftankmuseum.com
December Thru December 16
Museum Exhibition – Adam Weatherford. Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History – 434.793.5644.
Thru December 20
Museum Exhibits – Danville Art League Juried Exhibition; Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History – 434.793.5644.
Thru December 21
Teacher Angel Tree – See page 14.
Thru December 23
Museum Exhibit – Christmas Cards by Carson Davenport and Lucille Walton. Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History – 434.793.5644.
Thru December 28
PAA Exhibits – A Soldier’s Life: Selections from the Charles J. Brown Trust; Exclamation of Exploration: Works by Celeste Tsaklis; Lori Nix: Photographs. Piedmont Arts, Martinsville – 276.632.3221.
Thru December 30
Holiday Tours – Chinqua Penn Plantation & Vineyard. See page 11.
Through January 2
Fly, Glide & Stride: Natural History Machines. Interactive sculptures combine with science, technology and imagination. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.
December 1
First Saturdays – Find that one-ofa-kind item. Trade Lot, Altavista. 434.944.5530 or 434.369.5001. A Victorian Holiday Christmas for Children. 10 am–12 pm. Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History – 434.793.5644. Bob Ross Painting Class - Humpback Covered Bridge. 10:30 am–3:30 pm. Ballou Park Annex - 434.797.8848. Caswell Co. Christmas Parade – Lighting of the Christmas tree after parade with singing & refreshment. 4 pm. 336.694.6106. South Boston Christmas Parade. 5 pm. 434.575.4208. Riverview Rotary’s Christmas Parade. See page 2. DRBA’s First Saturday Outing – Sprig Outing on Upper Little River to collect mistletoe and other holiday greens. 10 am. Forrest Altman – 336.234.8556.
December 1 & 2
Emile Pandolfi – Master pianist. See page 8. A Christmas Carol – 12/1 – 7:30 pm; 12/2 – 3 pm. Kirby Theater, Roxboro, NC. 336.597.1709.
December 2
Town Of Halifax Open House & Christmas Parade – Holiday shopping, pictures with Santa & more. 1–5 pm; Parade – 6:30 pm. 434.476.2164 or 434.476.7246. Eden Christmas Home Tour. 2–5 pm. Eden Chamber – 336.627.1762 or 336.623.3128. DACAS Holiday Concert – See p. 4.
Averett Singers and Handbell Choir Fall Concert. 4 pm. West Main Baptist Church. 434.791.5600.
December 3
The Littlest Angel – 10am & 12:30pm Caswell County Civic Center. Recommended for grades K-5. 336.694.4591. Alzheimer’s Presentation – Medical Deductions: Ask the CPA. 12 - 1 pm. United Way Meeting Room. 434.792.3700 ext. 30. Averett Women’s Basketball vs. Eastern Mennonite. 5:30 pm. Averett U. - 434.791.5600. African Dance Ensemble – Learn the beautiful art of African Dance. Mondays 6-7:30 pm. City Auditorium. 434.797.8848. Boogie Mondays – 2007 Dance Review for all the dances during this year. 7-8:30 pm. Ballou Center – 434.799.5216.
December 4
The Littlest Angel. See 12/03
December 4 & 6
Using Digital Cameras & Photo Editing Software – 6–9 pm. Institute for Advanced Learning & Research – 434.766.6793.
December 4 (thru 27)
Fitness For Older Adults & Ladies. Tues/Thur, 9–11 am; Ladies 10 am– 12 pm. City Armory. 434.797.8848.
December 4 (thru 29)
Kuumba-West African Dance Company - Traditional West African dance and drumming classes. Times vary. City Auditorium. 434.797.8848.
December 5
Senior Bowling Tournament. 10 am–12 pm. Riverside Lanes. Ballou Center – 434.799.5216. Fetch! Lab - Learn about structures and towers as teams see who can design the tallest tower using marshmallows and spaghetti. Ages 8–12. 3:45–4:45 pm. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160. Averett Men’s Basketball vs. Apprentice School. 6 pm. Averett U.434.791.5600.
December 6
Kids Kooking with Klaus – Bake some great holiday cookies, listen to Christmas stories, create nature crafts for gifts and get ready for someone special to check in. Ages 3-5. 12–1:30 pm. Ballou Park Nature Center. 434.797.8848. Holiday Bow Making Class. 1-2:30 or 7-8:30 pm. Ballou Center – 434.799.5216. Christmas Night On The Town – Holiday shopping, visit Santa and enter to win Downtown Bucks. 8 pm. Downtown South Boston. 434.575.6246.
December 6 (thru 27)
Jammers – Sing or sit back and listen to good music each Thursday. 4- 6 pm. Last Thursday of the month enjoy the Coffee House with the Jammers. 5-6 pm. Ballou Center – 434.799.5216.
December 7
Holiday Laps. VIRginia International Raceway – 434.822.7700. Luminary Trail Walk - Stroll along candle-lit walk enjoying music provided by carolers. 6–8 pm. Dan Daniel Memorial Park. 434.799.5215. Berry Hill Jazz Club Fall Concert Series – Cle Thompson. 7 pm. The Berry Hill Estate, South Boston – 434.517.7000. Soundcheck - Open Mic Night for Teens. Grades 9-12. 8:30-10 pm. The Cellar, Chatham Baptist Church. 434.432.0347.
December 7 & 8
Christmas in Historic Chatham (See ad page— and story page )
December 7 (thru 9)
Holiday Walking Tour (See ad page -- & story page -- )
December 8
Lunch W/ Santa – Lunch, prizes, balloons, crafts and meet & take pictures with the Jolly Old Man. Ages 3-8.10 am–12 pm. Coates Recreation Center. 434.797.8848 or 434.799.6564. Science of Giving -- Seeing Stars. Learn about telescopes. Ages 7–10. 10 am– 12 pm. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160. Holiday Traditions – Come downtown for the best in holiday shopping, take a carriage ride with
December 2007
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Santa and Mrs. Claus, spend time with the storyteller, and enjoy the carolers and holiday window decorations. 10 am - 1 pm. Downtown Danville Association Chatham Christmas Parade. See page 9. Empire Brass – A Christmas program. 7:30 pm. GWHS Auditorium. Danville Concert Association – 434.792.9242.
December 9
Christmas Open House – Visit Santa, quilt raffle, view Christmas Through the Decades display, decorate gingerbread ornaments, enjoy festivities and refreshments. 2–4 pm. South BostonHalifax County Museum of Fine Arts & History – 434.572.9200. Gretna Christmas Parade. 3 pm. Main Street. 434.836.6990. Holiday Pops Spectacular – Roanoke Symphony Orchestra & Chorus. 7 pm. Martinsville High School. Piedmont Arts Association – 276.632.3221. COA Christmas Ball – Dance to your favorites with the City Limits Band. 7:30-10:30 pm. Ballou Center – 434.799.5216.
December 9 (thru 28)
Chrismon Tree Viewing. Ascension Lutheran Church – 434.792.5795.
December 11
Polliwogs & Science Stars - Learn different ways of telling time as you decorate your very own 2008 calendar. Ages 3–4 1–2 pm; Ages 5–6 3:45–4:45 p.m. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160. Photography Club. 6:30 pm. Ballou Park Annex . 434.797.8848.
December 13
Recipe Club – Share great recipes, learn different ways to cook your favorite dishes & more. 11:30 am. Pepsi Building. 434.797.8848. Alzheimer’s Presentation – Partnering With Your Doctor. 12 - 1 pm. United Way Meeting Room. 434.792.3700 ext. 30. Healthy Holiday Cooking – Learn how to reduce the amount of fat and sugar in popular holiday dishes. 5:30–6:30 pm. Pepsi Building. 434.797.8848.
December 14
Concert – Ralph Stanley and The Clinch Mountain Boys. 7:30 pm. The Prizery, South Boston – 434.572.8339. The Danville Shag Club. 8–11 pm. Stratford Inn. danvilleshagclub.com.
December 15
Holiday Open House. 11 am–5 pm. Tomahawk Mill Winery - 434.432.1063. Christmas Tree Lighting. 4:30 pm. Ballou Park. 434.799.5215. DSO Christmas Concert. GWHS Auditorium. Danville Symphony Orchestra – 434.797.2666. See p.7.
December 17
Healthy Holiday Cooking. 11 am– 12 pm. (See 12/13) Mariachi Band. 6:30-9:30 pm. Los Tres Magueyes Mexican Restaurant 434.792.0601.
December 2007 December 18
Santa Calling – Santa makes telephone calls from the North Pole to local children (Ages 3-8). 5:30–8:30 pm. Registrations required. 434.799.5200 or 434.797.8848.
December 19
Alzheimer’s Presentation – Legal Issues: What You Need to Know. 12 - 1 pm. United Way Meeting Room. 434.792.3700 ext. 30. Holiday Open House – Light refreshments, entertainment, crafts, and display. 2-5 pm. Ballou Center – 434.799.5216. Table top levers. Ages 8–12. 3:45–4:45 pm. Danville Science Center - 434.791.5160.
December 20
Moms Day Off – Let your child decorate an outdoor tree and go on a candy cane scavenger hunt, while you catch up. Ages 3-5. 9:30-11:30 am. Registration/payment required by 12/10. 434.797.8848. Recipe Club (See 12/13) Skywatchers – Observe the planet Mars, Pleiades star cluster and the constellation Cassiopeia. Nightfall. Danville Science Center 434.791.5160.
December 21
The Lettermen Christmas Show – Legends of American popular music in a holiday show the whole family will love – CaswellCounty Civic Center 336.694.4591. See page 14.
December 31
New Years at the Institute - See p. 14. COA New Year’s Eve Ball – 8:30 pm– 12:30 am. Ballou Center – 434.799.5216.
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Page 11
Candlelight Tours Offered at Chinqua Penn Plantation Chinqua Penn Plantation and Vineyard will be open for holiday and candlelight tours Wednesdays through Sundays until December 30. The 1925 home of Jeff and Betsy Penn, a 27-room English Tudor mansion filled with art and furnishings collected from their extensive world travels, is decorated for the season with themed Christmas trees and garlands throughout the house and a poinsettia "tree" in the reception hall. At dusk, the house is illuminated with candlelight. A variety of live entertainment will be offered on select weekends. Tour hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays 10 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.; and Sundays 1:00 - 4 p.m. Group tours are available by appointment by calling 336.477.4453. For more information, including directions, admission, and on-line advance tickets at reduced prices, visit www.chinquapenn.com or call 336.349.4576. Chinqua Penn is located at 2138 Wentworth Street in Reidsville, North Carolina, just north of Greensboro. The wine tasting room at Chinqua Penn opens at noon on all days that the plantation is open, except Sunday, when it opens at 1 p.m.
To encourage exceptional customer service, the Dan River Hospitality and Travel Committee of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce and EVINCE would like to recognize those who give it. When you experience exceptional customer service, tell us about it in 300 words or less. Include your name and phone number. Email your story to managingeditor@ starmark.net. A mystery customer will visit your nominee’s place of business for verification. We’ll publish the best entry received. The chosen honoree will receive a small gift and a framed copy of the published story citing his/her exceptional service. Where do I start? business, budget, or honeymoon? I had a business trip recently that needed to be planned around the time of my honeymoon and I was on a budget for both. Looking at the time frame for each, and knowing that the business by Kevin Martin conference dates couldn’t be changed, I asked me questions about expectations, gave up on making the conference. Then, Wilburn and travel experience. preferences, at the recommendation of a friend, I wentby Joyce I felt pretty good, but my expectations to see Carley Douglas, a consultant at A-1 were still low because my budgets were Travel Service on Piney Forest Road. tight. A few days later, I received a call, I had never traveled to Europe before. then e-mails, then more calls, and then Rome, Italy, was my first choice for the WOW, it was done! honeymoon, but the problem was the Carley had created a custom- tour budget. I had looked at many Rome package of Rome, Naples, Pompeii, and packages online, and they all exceeded Venice for my honeymoon, squeezed in the my budget. My second choice was business conference, and stayed within Madrid, Spain. the budget. She not only spent more time I explained to Carley what I was looking than expected, she delivered more than for in a honeymoon trip, gave her my she promised. She even handled a flight budget, mentioned that there was a delay to Italy that interfered with waiting business conference that I needed to attend drivers and prearranged tours. When we for work, and let out a really big sigh. arrived in Italy, it was like nothing had I’m a bit long-winded, but Carley gone wrong. She even followed up with hung in there and patiently listened me after the trip to make sure everything to me. When I was done, I expected went as planned. her to go to the back somewhere and In my opinion, Carley Douglas is pull out a pile of travel brochures for absolutely the greatest! me to look through, but instead she
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Page 12 My exploratory trips to find wine on Route 29 and win a Virginia Wineries Association Contest by visiting 25 wineries before December 31 has now expanded to include wineries on Route 64. The rules tell me that at each winery I must take a tour and/or taste the fruit of the vine. I gladly accept the challenge. Why should Californians have all the fun? On this new leg of my adventure the first stop was Williamsburg Wineries, Virginia’s largest winery with an annual production of 60,000 cases. Established in 1985, the winery has received over 250 awards in regional, national, and international competitions. Just minutes from Colonial Williamsburg, its location undoubtedly explains the crowded tasting room, nearby tavern, and the fact that there is an $8 charge for tours and tastings. But a nice etched souvenir glass makes the fee a little easier to swallow along with the merlot. Leaving the vineyard, we passed the driveway for Wedmore Place, a 28-room European Country Hotel, scheduled to open in March. Its existence lends credence to the Virginia Tourism Department claim that winery visitors spend twice as much per person as the average traveler. (Maybe Danville should turn a few tobacco fields into vineyards?)
Heading west on Route 64, we stopped next at Grayhaven Winery in Gum Spring, 30 minutes from Richmond. Dubbed a boutique farm winery because the wine is made in limited amounts by its creators, Grayhaven was founded in 1978 by Charles and Lyn Peple and their daughters, Mallory and Max. A friendly family member and Ramona, the family dog, greeted us, providing an isn’t-that-cute moment in sharp contrast to the previous winery where the focus was on crowd control and the grapes weren’t the only thing being crushed. It happened when Ramona inadvertently became locked inside our car, but, once free, ran, us in tow, toward the wine tasting room. After learning that the gourmet meats and cheeses advertised in the description of Grayhaven really don’t exist, we left in search of lunch at Green Springs Winery in Louisa. (The knife-and-fork symbol pictured at the heading of their description in the Virginia Wineries 2007 booklet means food is available.) Unfortunately, after driving down country lanes and dirt roads for 30 minutes, a weathered
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December 2007
35th Annual DHS Walking Tour Expands to 3 Days
Wine on 29.. Continued on 64 by Joyce Wilburn
Closed sign nailed haphazardly to the entrance greeted us. Why wasn’t that sign hung a little closer to Route 64, for gosh sakes? By this time, I was fading fast from hunger, but the next winery, First Colony, just 10 minutes from Charlottesville, held hope. First Colony’s gracious hospitality was immediately evident when a smiling young woman asked, “May I help you?” “Yes, we need lunch,” I said trying to speak the words before collapsing from hunger. “Oh, we don’t serve food,” she replied sweetly. “But there is a knife and fork by your name.” In disbelief I pointed to the cause of this misunderstanding.
“We sometimes have cooking classes and catered events,” she said, watching me slowly sink into a chair. My eyes never leaving hers, I begged for anything edible that might be in the kitchen. Within minutes, my husband and I were eating gourmet chocolate cheesecake and cold fresh grapes— leftovers from the previous day’s wedding reception—and tasting wine. If there is an exceptional customer service award given at wineries, First Colony has my vote. After licking my plate clean and taking note of my favorite wines, we were ready to head home on Route 29 South. We were making good time until I spotted a grape cluster on a highway sign—the marker for a vineyard nearby.
A quick right turn onto Route 616 and we were on our way to Delfosse Vineyard and Winery, one of Virginia’s newest wineries. Located in the Hickory Creek Valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains, their official directions warn rural scenic road, please drive carefully, so the bumpy graveled narrow road didn’t surprise us. What did surprise us on our return back to Route 29 after our visit was the temperature gauge on the car registering past hot. Alarmed at being stuck in the middle of “a rural scenic road,” we coasted to a driveway near the intersection with 29, raised the hood, and waited for the motor to cool. We had quenched our thirst during the wine tour, but unfortunately, we had neglected the car, and its radiator was as dry as a bone. Not a problem. Within minutes, good Samaritans named John and Troy arrive, checked a few wires and fans, poured some water into the radiator, and we were on the way home. As we turned onto the highway and drove through the early evening dusk, I checked off number 15 on my list of Virginia wineries to visit. The wine has been good on this leg of the tour and we purchased a few bottles for our Virginia wine cellar back home. But to quote the Virginia Wineries 2007 Wine Guide: A winery visit is much more than tasting “a hint of vanilla and peach or the bouquet and finish. It’s about gracious hosts, a nice setting, and a new Virginia experience.” I agree and look forward to 10 more winery visits before December 31. I hope to see you there when I arrive. For more information visit www.virginiawines.org or phone 800.828.4637.
A holiday candlelight reception on Friday, December 7, from 6:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m. opens an expanded weekend of events marking the 35th annual walking tour of the Danville Historical Society. The Friday evening fundraiser with carriage rides and professional photos will take place at the Lawson-Overbey Inn, 782 Main Street. The mansion, built for tobacconist R.W. Lawson in 1881 as an Italianate structure, was given a Georgian revival portico 30 years later. Nine other structures will be open for the tour on Saturday from 10 a.m. 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. with trolley transportation. One stop on the tour is at 124 Broad Street, site of the recently restored II Georges Inn, which was featured in the November Evince. This Queen Anne dwelling was constructed in 1885 for R.L. Dibrell, one of two brothers who founded the tobacco firm, Dibrell Brothers, a decade earlier. Across the street, the Langhorne House at 117 Broad Street, birthplace of Lady Nancy Langhorne Astor, will host a concert by The Heartstrings at 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Another tour destination is 926 Main Street, where, in 1890, banker W. F. Patton erected a stone-and-brick Queen Anne mansion of varied textures and colors in a distinctly urban design. It holds the distinction of being the first local house rescued in 1966 as part of Danville’s early historic preservation movement. Hot chocolate will be served on the front porch. The tour continues one block north at 842 Main Street at the Henry A. Wiseman House. Built in 1917 from plans created by local architect J. Bryant Heard, the English cottage-style house has recently been transformed from many years of institutional service for the Red Cross into a comfortable home. Nearby, at 253 Jefferson Avenue, this once-forlorn, burned-and-boarded relic now gleams in a row of Queen Anne wood houses dating from the 1890s. Originally income-producing property for Drs. Franklin and Sumter George, it was built on a portion of the former side yard of Jefferson Avenue’s only antebellum dwelling—the early residence of a Danville pioneer, Robert Ross. Earliestknown residents at 253 Jefferson include the family of A.E. Summerfield, who operated a popular Main Street shoe and boot store in the late 1890s. Next stop is at the late-19th-century F.X. Burton Plug and Twist Factory on granite-cobbled Bridge Street, product of master contractor T.B. Fitzgerald. It now features contemporary condominiums retaining the post-andbeam-factory construction and heart pine floors. The condo at 522 Bridge
124 Broad Street
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Christmas 1935 by Carson Davenport
Memories from the Shadows by Donna Waymouth
Sitting in the shadows I gaze at this table and see Christmases past. The long silken linen was shiny and vast, tickling the floor with its edges like a kiss on my cheek. Now, just a remnant from its mother piece, it holds all the memories from brighter times in its dust-filled threads. Around the table I see people at age-old repasts, all seated at the grand dining place. The flames from an elaborate candelabra dance with the breath of the laughter and love which surround them. My silent gaze from the shadows rests now on a lonely, wilting plant; its starry foil container emanating all of the sparkles it can muster. Endless spirits spill from containers filled to the brim with luscious vintages making my taste buds tingle with the memory. Shiny crystal, clinking with merriment, alert me to the stillness of the room as I continue to gaze from the shadows. One bottle, one glass, one small pear, for but one. No one with whom to share. Alone with the passage of time. Time’s wake leaving this once vibrant room lonely, cold, and full of shadows from the past. Time’s hand leaving me lonely, cold, and full of memories from the shadows. Donna Waymouth won first place in the adult division of the 4th Annual Writing Gallery Competition sponsored by the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History. Waymouth is a 2006 graduate of Averett University and a teacher at Sacred Heart School. Unlike the print she writes about, her Christmas holidays will be filled with the laughter and love of many family members including husband, Bill, and children Lynn, Billy, and Alison.
(Continued from page 12) #2B and the carriage house/stable, which retains its original façade bays and stable door, will be open. In addition to the homes listed, the walking tour also includes the 1879 High Victorian Gothic edifice formerly in use as the First Presbyterian Church and the former First Christian Church at 200 Jefferson Avenue now known as Sacred Spaces. A seasonal concert for tour-goers will be held at Sacred Spaces on Saturday at 2 p.m. Ticket holders can also visit the W. T. Sutherlin mansion at 975 Main Street, which now serves as the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History. Public rooms will display Yuletide decorations in a style reminiscent of the Victorian era. This Italian villa dwelling became famous as the temporary residence where Confederate President Jefferson Davis signed his last official executive proclamation on April 4, 1865. Tickets are $30 for the Friday reception or $40 for the reception and tour. Tour tickets only are $12. Tickets are good for one visit to each site on either day and may be purchased in advance from Rippe’s on Main Street, the Gingerbread House on Memorial Drive, the Danville Museum on Main Street, and Danville Parks, Recreation and Tourism at the Welcome Center or on tour days at 124 Broad Street, 926 Main Street, and 522 Bridge Street. For more information visit www.danvillehistoricalsociety.org.
Christmas in Chatham
(Continued from page 9) displayed in the fellowship hall of Chatham Baptist Church on Friday, December 7, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Saturday, December 8th, the celebration continues with the sale of the specially created 2008 calendars, The Churches of Chatham, with proceeds to fund the lighting of Frances Hallam Hurt Park. Bus tours of the many churches featured in the calendars and carriage tours of Whittle Street, whose decorated houses will reflect a Victorian theme, will be given starting at 10:00 a.m. Vendors and crafters will be open for business with Christmas specials starting at 8:00 a.m. Historic re-enactors, Mr. and Mrs. Claus, and Scrooge will add to the festive atmosphere throughout the day. From 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. visitors will enjoy the “old time music” of Kinney Rorrer and the New North Carolina Ramblers in front of the courthouse. The grand finale will be the Dickens Christmas Parade starting at 2:30 p.m. Plan to enjoy something old, something new, and a lot of Christmas fun in Historic Chatham. For more information, call 434-432-7721.
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Teacher Angel Tree A Tradition of Giving to Learning
by Nancy A. Combs
If you were to ask the area’s elementary classroom teachers about their students’ access to basic classroom supplies, you might be surprised by what you’d hear. It’s a real eye-opener to learn that every day young, energetic, and eager-to-learn children arrive in the classrooms without the necessary supplies essential for proper learning. Throughout the year, Southside teachers use their personal funds over and over to supply students with such items as paper and pencils and notebooks.
Make Plans for New Year’s Eve Now by Laura Holloway
You don’t have to travel far distances for dancing and merriment this New Year’s Eve. Big Brothers Big Sisters is hosting a benefit gala to rival all others at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Danville provides mentors for children from single-parent families. This is a grand mission, but this end-of-the-year celebration will be even grander. Music will be provided by Men of Distinction, a top-rated, high-energy East Coast band with a repertoire of over 150 of the greatest dance and party tunes from beach music and big band to swing and rock. No New Year’s Eve Gala would be complete without fantastic food
The Lettermen Sure to Score atby Gordon Caswell County Civic Center Bendall Tony Butala has been singing love songs all his life, and loving it. His musical career spans 45 historic years…and counting. No one can forget Butala and The Lettermen. Their warm breathy vocals led the trio to international fame. From the sixties on, their hits played round the world, in 14 different languages, earning them 18 gold records. When I Fall in Love, Theme from a Summer Place, Goin’ Out of My Head/ Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, and Hurt So Bad, still touch the heart. Long gone are their signature letter sweaters. They now don tuxedoes for the Vegas shows and jeans for the county fairs. No matter what the venue or dress might be, their timeless love
December 2007 This holiday season, in a tradition of Giving to Learning, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research is proud to sponsor the 3rd Annual Teacher Angel Tree. The goal of this project is to partner with individuals, businesses, and organizations to provide elementary classroom teachers with basic classroom supplies for their students. More than 600 requests are hanging on the Teacher Angel Tree in the Institute’s atrium. The requests from Danville and Pittsylvania County Public School teachers include pencils, cap erasers, notebook paper, glue sticks, 24-pack crayons, 10-pack colored markers, one-subject notebooks, white copy paper, and hand sanitizer. Each wish list costs less than $20. To participate in Giving to Learning, individuals or businesses can visit the Institute by December 20th and select a teacher angel tag or make a donation from the list. Supplies will be distributed after winter break. For more information call 434.766.-6725 or email at nancy.combs@ialr.org.
and an open bar --and that will be available too. This gala will be a wonderful way to welcome in 2008--surrounded by friends and enjoying a magnificent evening. Tickets are only $60 a person or $120 a couple. Reserve a table for eight of your closest friends for only $500 or $65 a person, which will ensure you enjoy the activities and festivities together. Tax-deductible gifts added to your ticket purchase are always welcomed. The gala will begin on December 31 at 8:30 p.m. and will end around 12:30 a.m. For more information contact Laura Holloway 434.792.3700, ext 27. To purchase tickets send a check to Big Brothers Big Sisters, 1225 W. Main Street, Danville VA 24541. Tickets will be mailed to you, or you can buy tickets online with a credit card at www.ialr.org.
songs are appreciated because their sound set the standard for romantic harmonic ballads. To keep the show on the road and in the studio, two accomplished vocalists have joined the founding father for the past 20 years. Donavan Tea and Mark Preston, stars in their own right with long lists of musical credits, live up to the trio’s reputation of being the best to blend big band with rhythm and blues. Butala is proud that The Lettermen have been a historic part of modern musical Americana. He plans to continue bringing their special harmonies and showmanship to the stage for years to come and especially to local fans on December 21 at the Caswell County Center in Yanceyville, North Carolina. Treat yourself or a loved one to an early Christmas present. The Lettermen Holiday Show will be presented on Friday, December 21, at 8pm. For more information, call 336.694.4591.
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Lasting Thoughts
Glimpses of John Smith's Chesapeake, And Ours by Tom Horton
As we come to the end of the 400th anniversary celebration of the settling of Jamestown and Captain John Smith’s daring exploration, which literally put the Chesapeake on the map, a modern adventurer can still glimpse what the English explorer saw, still feel some of the highs and lows of his voyage. Bald eagles still soar above the Cliffs of Fone along Virginia’s Rappahannock. Tall cypress still brood over almost undeveloped shores of the Pocomoke on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Rockgirt, forest-clad Garrett Island still dominates the mouth of the Susquehanna flowing out of Pennsylvania. Only two springs ago, kayakers following Smith’s route found themselves pressed and buffeted on all sides by acres of spawning striped bass, recalling the Captain’s legendary account of fish so thick his crew tried (and failed) to dip them out with a frying pan. And last summer, a squall forced a band of paddlers to spend a wet and buggy night on uninhabited Bloodsworth Island. A similar storm forced Smith ashore in the same mid-bay spot. He dubbed it “Limbo,” the staging place for the souls of the hell-bound. Yet the Chesapeake ecosystem of today is profoundly altered from the estuary John Smith described. Start with its watershed, 64,000 square miles of land veined by rivers stretching north to Cooperstown, New York, and south nearly to North Carolina. In Smith’s day it was forested. The forests absorbed rains and peak flows to the bay were 25-30 percent less than today, when
downpours flush from thousands of square miles of paved surfaces. Similarly, “base,” or drought flows down bay rivers then were 10-15 percent higher because so much more rainfall soaked into the ground, replenished the water table, and slowly seeped to streams. The upshot was a cleaner, clearer, stable bay. The original inhabitants described by Smith did manipulate nature, using fire across large acreages to clear the understory for hunting and planting. But there were at most 30,000 Native Americans around the bay, perhaps 100,000 watershed-wide. Today there are 17 million of us — including, remarkably, thousands of descendants of those natives who have preserved their tribal identities. Most of the bay John Smith sailed was a virtual seafood sanctuary. The fishing gear of the natives only exploited the nearshore shallows and upstream portions of the rivers. Not until the late 1800s would dredging by steam and sail begin to break up the mammoth reefs of oysters that filtered and cleansed the Chesapeake of sediment and algae. And it would be the mid20th century before the crab pot effectively invaded the main bay, dramatically ratcheting up the harvest pressure on crustaceans. Shad and herring in John Smith’s day thronged the bay’s tributaries each spring to spawn, running all the way to upstate New York on the Susquehanna and to the foothills of the Blue Ridge on the James. Beginning in the 1800s, dams began to amputate thousands of miles of these great fish highways. Smith may have seen less marsh along the bay’s edges and islands than we see today. Sea level was nearly a meter lower 400 years ago. Clearing for agriculture and clear-cutting of forests led to massive sedimentation that filled open waters and formed marshes. The most radical shifts have occurred, however, in just the last half-century — not just the biggest changes since Smith’s time, but probably the largest in the 3,000-year history of the estuary. Since around 1950, both population and the human “footprint,” our per capita impact on the environment, have exploded. Our population, which took 350 years to reach 8 million,
doubled in the next 50 years. Within the watershed, we have developed more land in the last 60 years than in all previous time. Similarly, demand for energy, generation of waste, and acres of paving have all increased even faster than population. Fertilizer use on the millions of acres of farms in the watershed doubled — and then tripled — during the 1960s and 1970s. Industrial-strength poultry and dairy farming in recent decades has created more manure than nearby farmlands can absorb. The levels of nitrogen and phosphorus running off the land have increased many-fold, growing more algae, making the water soupy, depleting oxygen and blocking light to hundreds of thousands of acres of aquatic vegetation where crabs and fish used to take refuge. Smith’s age of bay exploration led to ages of increasing consumption of the bay’s
resources and ultimately to ages of degradation. One hopes that 50 years from now, on the 450th anniversary of John Smith and Jamestown we will look back and see that recent decades marked the start of a golden age of bay restoration. Certainly we have made a start: planting oysters and submerged vegetation; curtailing the overharvest of crabs, shad and striped bass; and removing dams and constructing wetlands. But in voyaging to reclaim the bay of even 50 years ago, let alone what John Smith knew, we have just unfurled the sails, barely wet the oars.
Tom Horton covered the Bay for 33 years for The Sun in Baltimore, and is author of six books about the Chesapeake. He is currently a freelance writer, splitting his time between Baltimore and Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
Riverstone Technology Park Building is located at 1100 Confroy Drive off of HWY 58. For information call 1.434.575.7768 (Michael W. Moore)
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