Debra Parker
Les Miserables Comes to the Prizery Stage Page 12
Keeping the Beat Going at the Heart Line Restaurant Page 3
July 2014
Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography
Page 2
Editor’s Note
Which restaurant in Danville was a prize given to a local person after an appearance on a TV game show? Need a clue? Look at the picture on the cover and then read the story on page 3. If you’ve never been inside this quaint eatery, give it a try. Mid-summer is a great time for learning more about familiar places and exploring new ones. Road trips are synonymous with summer. The Hill-Oldham duo of She Said He Said took a journey by car recently and probably learned more about each other than about their destination. See page 4 for a good laugh. When you’re planning a trip, deciding what to do with your pet will be easier after reading Who’s Watching the Pet? on page 15. If you’re going to be near water, please read Water Safety Begins at an Early Age. Following the tips on page 18 could save a life. Staying close to home, Mack Williams walks the same trail daily, but always sees new things. Read Led by a Sweet Breeze to a Perfect Garden on page 23. When the seasons changed last month, Kim Clifton was at home experiencing The Changing of the Garments (page 9). Of course, even mundane things become funny when she’s in the room. If the heat becomes unbearable, stay inside, grab a book and let your mind travel. Writers Larry Aaron and Diane Adkins have three recommendations on page 20. Another cool option is attending Les Miserables at the Prizery. See page 12. Mid-summer very quickly turns into the end of the summer so don’t miss any opportunity to explore and learn about places near and far. Let Evince be your guide.
July Contents
2
Editor’s Note
3
Debra Parker Keeping the Beat Going at the Heart Line Restaurant by Crystal Gregory
4
She Said He Said / Road Trip by Dena Hill & Larry Oldham
5
Where Can I Find an Evince?
7
Race to the Finish Line by Ciji Moore
9
Second Thoughts / The Changing of the Garments by Kim Clifton
12 Les Miserables Comes to the Prizery Stage by Mike Doan 14 Calendar Clips
Associate Editors Larry G. Aaron (434.792.8695) larry.aaron@gmail.com Jeanette Taylor Larry Aaron, Diane Adkins, Mavis Brantley-Lloyd, Kim Clifton, Mike Doan, Crystal Gregory, Dena Hill, Sarah Jones, Telisha Moore Leigg, Linda Lemery, Sue Macke, Emma Miller, Ciji Moore, Mary Moon Moore, Larry Oldham, Carollyn Lee Peerman, Melanie Vaughan, Joyce Wilburn, Annelle Williams, Mack Williams
Business Manager Paul Seiple(1.877.638.8685) paul@evincemagazine.com
15 Who’s Watching the Pet? by Sarah Jones 16 Calendar 18 Water Safety Begins at an Early Age by Sue Macke 19 Dare to Ask by Carollyn Lee Peerman 20 Book Clubbing / As American as Apple Pie a review by Larry Aaron Book Clubbing / Five Sisters: The Langhornes of Virginia and Rose: My Life in Service: Recollections of Life in One of England’s Grandest Households reviews by Diane Adkins 21 What’s Happening in the Pittsylvania County Public Libraries 23 Led by a Sweet Breeze to a Perfect Garden by Mack Williams 24 Reflecting Forward It’s Summertime and the Living Should be Easy by Linda Lemery 25 Around the Table / Mid-Summer Memories by Annelle Williams 26 Photo Finish
Don’t Forget to Pick Up the July Edition of Showcase Magazine
Meet Some of Our Contributors
Marketing Consultants Kim Demont (434.792.0612) demontdesign@verizon.net Moriah Davis (434.334.4583) moriah@showcasemagazine.com Lee Vogler (434.548.5335) lee@showcasemagazine.com Art & Production Director Demont Design (Kim Demont) evince\i-’vin(t)s\ 1: to constitute outward evidence of 2: to display clearly: reveal syn see SHOW
Deadline for submission of August stories, articles, ads, and calendar clips is Saturday, July 19, at 5 p.m. Submit stories and articles to: joycewilburn@gmail.com. Submit calendar items by Saturday, July 12, at 5 p.m. to www.showcasemagazine.com for Evince and Showcase. For ad information contact a sales associate or sales manager above.
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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 publisher. We reserve the right to accept, reject, and edit all submissions and advertisements.
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President Director of Sales & Marketing Larry Oldham (434.728.3713) larry@evincemagazine.com
Contributing Writers
11 The Girl in the Sky-Blue Dress Part II / Fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg
Photo of Debra Parker by Michelle Dalton Photography. Photo of Ryan Crawford and Victoria Montes-Bradley by Michael P. Calvo.
OICE OF MID-SUMMER
CEO / Publisher Andrew Scott Brooks
Editor Joyce Wilburn (434.799.3160) joycewilburn@gmail.com
10 Spotting Exceptional Customer Service by Mary Moon Moore
On the Cover:
THE
Sue Macke is the Executive Director of the United States Swim School Association.
Sarah Jones is the president of PetPeeple, an independent pet sitting business, and spends her free time writing novels.
Mike Doan is a retired journalist who lives in Arlington and in South Boston, where he and his wife Pickett run Oak Grove Plantation Bed & Breakfast. He also has the role of the priest in Les Miserables.
Larry Aaron is a retired teacher, a published author and happy husband of Nancy Aaron.
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Evince Magazine
F
or the past 24 years, Debra Parker, owner and operator of the Heart Line Restaurant on Riverside Drive, has awakened at 3:00 a.m. By 6:00 a.m. she has coffee ready for her early-morning regulars. They sometimes wait in their cars for the restaurant to open and sometimes Debra surprises them with steaming cups delivered curbside. No wonder her customers are loyal. And they are hungry. Debra’s customers consume at least a thousand eggs a week. Scrambled eggs sizzle on the grill while Debra whips up more eggs and tosses in cinnamon and some sugar grabbed from the countertop to make French Toast; simultaneously, she carries on at least two conversations, hugs three customers and oversees the cash register. The breakfast crowd moves on; lunch time arrives and the menu switches to plate lunches. Roast beef is a favorite, but again, eggs reign supreme. The Heart Line is famous for its Western Cheesy Burger consisting of a cheeseburger topped with bacon and a scrambled egg. Wow! What’s not to like? Good home cooking is more than a slogan. Many of the ingredients come from Debra’s garden. Her chicken vegetable soup is stocked from it; her 14-day pickles made from the home-grown cucumbers are the key ingredient in her chicken salad; every summer she freezes turnip greens to use throughout the year. Furthermore, many of Debra’s recipes come from family traditions; she still uses several that are in her grandmother’s handwriting. Debra fondly remembers staying in the kitchen with her to help cook while the rest of the family worked in the tobacco fields. Debra is willing to share some of these recipes, like her chicken salad that uses only white meat, celery, mayonnaise, and her 14-day pickles; on the other hand, others are secret.
Photos by Michelle Dalton Photography
Debra Parker
Keeping the Beat Going at the Heart Line Restaurant by Crystal Gregory The only clue she will give to someone trying to imitate the customer-favorite spaghetti sauce is to say, “It sits for two days.” Every day, family and friends fill the restaurant. Not surprisingly it is frequently the scene of prom pictures, celebrations, and dayof-birth progress reports. Most employees are related to Debra. In fact, her mother used to work for her. On one busy day, Debra snapped out an order to her. Her mother complied, but when the rush was over, she quietly asked to speak to Debra privately. Then, using that voice reserved for mommas only, Mother said, “Don’t you ever talk to me that way again,” and gave Debra a little smack. Debra smiles at the memory; nevertheless, she never forgot the instruction. Her mother’s
portrait graces the wall with the just-for-fun caption, “Beware of Attack Waitress.” Currently, Debra’s daughter-in-law, Penny Jordan, is training to be the new manager; grandson Chris Trammell is the nighttime dishwasher. When granddaughter Kala Reynolds was a little girl, she would go from table to table with an order pad and pretend to be a waitress. Now that she is a teenager, Kala fills in as a cashier. Additionally, one of Debra’s best friends, Krista Jones, who is the prep person, is famous for her pleasant voice on the phone when people call in orders; Vickie Draine, another best friend, has been Debra’s “right-hand morning person” for 20 years. The restaurant is one of the oldest eateries in Danville. In 1957, Hassel
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T. Boaze, a disabled veteran, appeared on the popular TV quiz show Strike It Rich. He and the other contestants told heartwrenching stories and tried to win money by answering questions and make their dreams become reality. Although Boaze worked for Merita Bread, he aspired to own a restaurant. He didn’t win any cash on the show, but the emcee opened the Heart Line-- a phone line for viewers who wished to donate to the cause. In response to his story, funds, supplies and equipment—everything from the grill to the booths-- were contributed; a Star Laundry branch that had occupied the building relocated; the show’s emcee, Warren Hull, visited to cut the grand-opening ribbon and the Heart Line Restaurant, named in honor of the Strike It Rich Heart Line, was inaugurated. Unfortunately, Boaze died shortly after the opening. Since then, the Heart Line has had several owners, including Hubert and Peggy Hamilton who owned it for 30 years. On February 12, 1990, when she was only 24 years old, Debra bought the Heart Line. Although she has needed to make some changes -- including climbing onto the roof to fix a leak -- she has preserved the Heart Line’s character. For instance, she still cooks on the original grill. She admits that it could stand replacing, but it is part of the restaurant’s tradition. The regular customers still come in daily and newcomers are always welcome. As for Debra, despite the hard work and arduous schedule, she says, “I can’t imagine waking up every day and not being here.” The Heart Line Restaurant, 1817 Riverside Drive, is open Wednesday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 6:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. For more information, call 434.799.2070.
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July 2014
SHE SAID by Dena Hill
Road Trip Larry and I went to Newport, Rhode Island, to see my son, Chris Hill, graduate from Officer Development School in the U.S. Navy. Here is the rest of the story. On our short road trip to Newport, Rhode Island, last month I discovered a few new things about you. One was that it takes two navigation systems for you to find your way on a trip. That’s the ultimate sacrifice to make instead of stopping to ask directions, Mister. At first I thought it was just because you didn’t want to listen to a woman’s voice giving you directions so I bought a Garmin that could be switched to a man’s voice. You must have hidden that one under a book somewhere. Now we have the car navigation system and your phone to deal with. So instead of relying on just one of them, you had them both arguing with each other. If one of them said to turn left, the other one said to turn right. I assume that was the reason it took us 16 hours to drive what should have been a 12-hour trip. The other thing I learned was that you would rather shop than eat. Our whole group went out for lunch and you begged off so you could shop. I often wondered which came first, eating or shopping, and now I know. Of course
She said He Said
And whose idea was it that we drive up I-95 anyway? The traffic was horrendous. Once we finally got through there, the toll roads depleted our cash. Cars were bumper-tobumper when they moved at all. We spent just as much time stopped as we did moving. An 18 wheeler overturned on the George Washington Bridge in the Bronx and that slowed us down for hours. We had planned to meet our group for dinner and needless to say, we missed that. Of course, it was my idea to return home on Interstate 81. It was much more peaceful. It took the same amount of time but at least we kept moving. It was a beautiful drive on a bright sunshiny day. You’re welcome! Next time, I’ll plan the road trip.
HE SAID
by Larry Oldham
Dena and Larry join Chris Hill at his graduation ceremony. we did plenty of eating too. After lunch, some of us went to tour a Downton Abbey type mansion, but you were still shopping. It’s unfortunate that you missed it, because it’s going to take a house that size to contain all of your treasures.
The streets in Newport are barely wide enough for two cars to pass through so you decided that those people don’t know how to drive. That was evident in your choice words for them. Could it be that you were the one who wasn’t used to such close quarters?
It is funny how two people can be in the same car together for a total of 28 hours and remember different stories. Let’s start with the first sentence. I drove 25 of the 28 hours on a 1,600+ mile trip so I don’t consider it a “short road trip.” A short road trip might be from Danville to Greensboro or Roanoke. You’re right about the shopping part though. I would rather shop than eat. I knew nothing about dinner the first night. Someone forgot to mention that. I will say that I could not control the 40 miles of construction work that we encountered, the overturned tractor trailer, or the $50 worth of toll roads, plus the heavy stopand-go traffic. Your car GPS has a reputation for being wrong or giving the directions to every country road between here and New England. My cell phone is much more reliable and even she had a difficult time with the northern driving patterns and the tendency of roads to change course every five minutes. You brought along two sets of printed instructions from MapQuest and they, too, gave different directions to follow. About the mansion tour-- no one told me of those plans, so I don’t think I can be held responsible for something like that either. The reason we were in D.C is because you wanted to go to our favorite restaurant in Baltimore for crab cakes. They were delicious, but not so sure of the $130 tab that I so graciously paid. As far as the driving habits of those wackos in the north I only mentioned that they were just as bad as the wacko drivers in the south so that was a wash. I was glad you suggested I-81 to come back on since I had never heard of it. (I think I suggested I-81 to begin with but someone had to stop off in Maryland to eat.) Welcome, world, to our road trip to Rhode Island. He Said / She Said can be found in Showcase Magazine.
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July 2014
Evince Magazine
Get Fit joined law enforcement officers for the Special Olympics Torch Run. They ran through Danville, Chatham, and Gretna. Running or walking is a great cardio exercise for losing 1⁄2 pound. For more exercises go to 25,000 www.teamgetfit.org. 37,500
12,500
50,000
Race to the Finish Line by Ciji Moore Education & Outreach Coordinator, Get Fit Dan River Region WHAT! Who said this Challenge was over? We are running full speed ahead to the finish line and we want you to join us. You still have plenty of time to lose that half pound this month. Not only are you giving us a half pound, but you’re also helping give back to our region. Now, you can join a spokesperson’s team and give them your pounds. The spokesperson with the most pounds lost will receive a $5,000 donation to be given to a local non-profit. What a great way to support your community and make our region healthy. Tell a friend, a family member, church member, and a co-worker. We’re all in this together and together we can make a difference.
Here’s what you do: 1. Join Team Get Fit. Go to www.teamgetfit.org. 2. Click on a team captain and the non-profit you want to support. 3. Fill out the pledge and the desired pounds you want to lose. That’s it--you’ve joined the team. We will be at the Fourth of July Celebration at the Carrington Pavilion. Come enjoy fireworks with us and join the Challenge while you’re there. The last day to report pounds lost for the Challenge is Friday, July 18.
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July 2014
Evince Magazine such pride in her appearance, but changing closets, especially hers, is the one chore in life I dread the most.
Second Thoughts by Kim Clifton ©2014
The Changing of the Garments I helped my mother change her closets last month. It’s an odd expression when you think about it. When we were finished, nothing about the closets was really changed. They still held slacks, shoes and jackets. It’s not as if we were replacing bi-fold doors with sliding ones.
She still lives in my tiny childhood home and has single-handedly filled every open space that used to be shared by four people. She is to Alfred Dunner what Imelda Marcos was to shoes. Those of you who know her will agree that what she wears to Wal-Mart is dressier than what most people wear for Easter. I’m glad that she still takes
Growing up, the ceremonial moving of the garments was a big deal. They say in the South you aren’t a man until your father tells you that you are. It was sort of like that at our house when it came to seasons. It wasn’t officially fall until my mother declared it to be. Regardless of the calendar dates or cooler temperatures, summer wasn’t over until sweaters were neatly folded in the drawers and long sleeves hung from racks. The effort was grueling. Not because the wire hangers cut into my hand while I hauled stuff from a storage unit to my room. Nor was it because the clothes mountain on my bed slowly slid onto the floor like lava flowing down Mount St. Helens. It was the fashion show. All incoming pieces had to fit before they could be hung. For hours, I’d stand in my skivvies waiting to try on each piece. “Now, walk down the hall and let me see how it hangs in the back,” my mother would repeatedly say. You have to understand that I’m a plain Jane and my sister is a girly-girl. Making me parade in her hand-me-downs only added insult to injury. Her dresses had more ruffles than a Frito-Lay truck. Unlike my mother, nowadays I don’t put myself through the ordeal. Besides, if I pulled out what I own and
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what I can actually wear, there would be two very different piles. Every December, I promise my husband that I’ll go through my stuff to make a Goodwill donation. Every year I break that promise. It’s not that I don’t want to take the time to weed out what doesn’t fit. I already know what doesn’t fit. What doesn’t fit practically takes up the entire closet. What does fit is paired in outfits and usually hung on the back of a door so I can easily find something to wear in the mornings. Giving away means giving up. Getting rid of my clothes proclaims that all hope is gone. Chances are every woman reading this piece just nodded. Who hasn’t pulled out pants and said, “These would look great if I would just lose ten pounds.” Maybe that’s it. Maybe what I dislike most about the process, whether I’m a kid or an adult, is that it isn’t about welcoming a new season. It’s about documenting that I’m getting older and bigger, which isn’t nearly as much fun as it was in elementary school. Even though my mother and I begin our new seasons differently, we do have one thing in common. We still buy our clothes off the rack, even though we have a closetful still on them.
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July 2014 To encourage exceptional customer service, the Business Development Committee of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce and Evince will 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 joycewilburn@gmail.com or visit www.dpchamber.org; under Business Development, click Customer Service Award Nomination. by Mary Moon Moore
Spotting Exceptional Customer Service
After having our bathroom shower tiled, the tile guy suggested the folks at A-1 Economy Glass, 2450 Riverside Drive in Danville, as the place to buy a frameless glass shower door for the newly tiled shower. Two employees from the glass company, Robert Arnn and Caleb Sexton, came to measure for the shower door and told me I would be notified when the door was ready to be installed. In less time than was predicted, they were back at the house with the beautiful new glass door and put it up. After a few days, the door wouldn’t open properly. (It’s one of those very heavy doors to pull open.) I notified the company of the problem and that evening after work hours, the owner of the company, Paula Richardson, called to ask if she could come to our house to look at the door. She went out of her way to drive from Danville to Chatham to check on the problem we were having with the door. My husband and I really appreciated her concern and professionalism. Paula told us that she wanted to see for herself what the door was doing so she would be able to tell the guys who were coming out the next day exactly what they needed. We now have a great glass shower door that we are enjoying in our bathroom thanks to Paula Richardson and her two wonderful employees--Robert and Caleb! This show of excellent customer service is the reason I wanted to let the people of Danville and Pittsylvania County know that there is a glass company in our area that goes above and beyond to give its customers the very best products and services they possibly can. Thank you Paula, Robert, and Caleb for being so dedicated to your jobs.
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WE’RE SELLING HOUSESSM
Evince Magazine
The Girl in the Sky-Blue Dress Part II
fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg
“Y
ou go on back, ‘Rissie. I got this.” And I hadn’t called Clarisse that since years before the divorce. “Okay?” Clarisse said; she was puzzled but not worried. I reached under the chair and when I did get it--what the girl in the sky-blue dress left-- I put it, wrapping cloth and all, in my pocket. Here is what I wanted. I wanted to wave my hands violently like some crazy bird, wanted to slap fists through the slats of those white chairs. The few people around me backed away. More people left, maybe because of me. I don’t know. A man ain’t got time to worry about all that he can’t fix when he fixing his world. Maybe ten, maybe fifteen remained, including Clarisse and Darla and Darla’s boy. I headed to the iron gate. I started to pitch it over the black iron gate, because I knew what it was. I hugged it close, because I knew what it was. Everyone looked at me, was standing there right with me, but I felt all alone. I got it in my hand; my dead boy’s ring, and it feels like the beginning collection of a pebble-star going cross the universe. I have what she left me, the girl in the sky-blue dress, this sad angelwoman. And I want to give it back like a drunk wants to undo his ceaseless thirst. I know what a boy would do... I could tell Clarisse, and she would hold me, despite her new man, despite the hell I brought to her heart with my busted-trying-to love. But a man can’t do that. I hear Darla in the distance by the arbor and vines, tangling, and pulling down weeds with her boy. I could go to her, but she wouldn’t understand how I lost a world with her in my life, and how her boy who want me for a daddy would look at me, and I could cry but a man can’t do what he wants. I keep the ring in my pocket. “Tim, what’s wrong?” Clarisse said. Her new man, Marco, came up beside her, Marco’s hand was on her shoulder. “Think I cut my foot on some glass. Y’all stay back,” I said. No one really believed me. “Let me see, Timmie. May I see it?” Clarisse asked. But I wouldn’t show her any more pain to share. Darla’s shoulders shook in sadness by the arbor. People hedged a loose circle around me, until they too drifted away. That is how my daughter’s wedding ended. After the wedding, the quiet eyes off me, the cigarette butts burned out in the now dewy grass, I still sat there in the park field where my daughter wed. I sat for hours thinking about that girl in the skyblue dress, just me and Fat Robbie who
had the cancer. We drinking 40 oz. St. Ides tumbled together with cheap white wine in paper cups and we can’t go home till we sober up. I see how Fat Robbie can’t stand long, how his clothes belted and cinched in, how much weight Fat Robbie done truly lost, how his skin is all that holds his bones up, and how his bones seem to be seeping down. His wife left him too. He don’t have no kids. He, how we say, got “no recommend for him,” when he go on. And he going on. Soon. We smoking cigarettes next to the arbor. “You see that girl in the blue dress? You...,” I start and my throat choke up; I feel my dead boy’s ring burning in my pocket, know that someone done tried to knife out his name inscribed inside. I am angry, and folks know things around this place, ‘round the old neighborhood. I could find this girl in the sky-blue dress, if I wanted. I could finally have some righteousness for me and mine. And so, right now, I want to know what Fat Robbie know, but he just singing to himself. And this knowledge won’t be free. I know this, but I’ll pay the price. Fat Robbie said, “Burn, everything just burns. Girl, you burn me right!” I know he heard me and I am feverish in my anger in the dark blue night. I try again, but Fat Robbie put his fingers to his lips and keep singing. “Tim, my man, I don’t think you will see me no more, so I’ll tell you something....” I wait with impatience. “This drink for crap,” Fat Robbie says. He tries to smile, wanting one back, but I can’t. I know he’s dying and he made a special effort to come to the wedding, and I’m trying so hard to hear him, trying to be a friend and hear this man. I know she wasn’t invited. Then Fat Robbie look at me like he on a ship that’s going down and he telling me not to step out from the safe harbor. “It’s bitter, but just swallow it on down, man.” And Fat Robbie won’t talking about the St. Ides mixed with the wine we done put together. I make myself think then maybe she was some angel, her eyes speaking to me in sad underwater tongues. I will always wish she had not come. I will never want what she left me. The scratched inside of my dead boy’s ring cuts into my own finger. How could anyone leave me like this? Because that’s how a man has to do it; has to pour it out and drink down his portion, no matter if it’s all busted glass with the swallowing, and too damn late.
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July 2014
Photos by Michael P. Calvo
Victoria Montes-Bradley and Gabrielle Toledo play the tragic mother-daughter duo of Cosette and Fantine.
Jacob Waid (Jean Valjean) carries Ryan Crawford (Gavroche).
Les Miserables
Comes to the Prizery Stage by Mike Doan In the heat of summer, many Southern Virginians will head indoors for a cool performance of Les Miserables, possibly the most ambitious show tried in five years of summer theater at the Prizery in South Boston. “Les Mis is a major musical I have always wanted to do,” remarks Chris Jones, the artistic director of the Prizery and the driving force behind the summer stock shows. Based on the historical novel by Victor Hugo, the play traces the life of a French peasant who is imprisoned for 19 years for stealing a loaf of bread for his sister’s starving child. After breaking parole, he tries to lead an honest life but is pursued by a police inspector and both are caught up in the drama of the French Revolution. With striking solos and harmonic choruses, Les Mis is about as close as the musical theater comes to grand opera. It’s a sharp contrast to the other summer theater show, Hairspray, a light-hearted romp that ends its run on July 5. “Les Mis is a sing-through
musical, with music throughout the performance,” Jones says. He says he wanted to obtain the rights for local performances before they are possibly withdrawn when the show returns to Broadway. In the starring role of Jean Valjean is Jacob Brian Waid, a vocal performance major at the University of Kentucky who is a trained opera tenor. “Luckily, many shows, including Les Mis are very classical in nature and allow me to tread a very fun line between opera and musical theatre,” he says. Javert, the detective, is played by Fergie Philippe-Auguste, a student at Elon University in North Carolina. Of the role, he says, “The biggest goal or challenge is turning Javert into a person and not just a robot cop, as the writers portray him.” Playing Cosette is Claire Kaputska, a musical theater major at Belmont University in Nashville. In her second year with the summer theater, Kaputska also played Penny in Hairspray and Brooke in last year’s Legally Blonde. Fantine is played by Gabrielle Toledo, an acting major at Elon. Says
Toledo, “Fantine symbolizes the tragic stories of so many women and children who have had to turn to sex slavery due to their circumstances. I hope to do those beautiful souls the justice they deserve.” Jones and Music Director April Hill auditioned graduating college music and theater students at the Southeastern Theater Conference in Mobile, Alabama. They supplemented them with auditions of local and regional talent. “We make an effort to support our local theater students from South Boston, Clarksville, Danville and elsewhere,” says Jones. Among the locals are four Averett University students: Rosie Anderson, Austin Bowen, Breyona Coleman, and Jacorey Jones. Says Jacorey, “This is my first professional job in theatre and I am very ecstatic to be a part of this production.” Like Jones, Bowen plans a theatrical career. “Regardless of being on Broadway or not, doing what I love to do and making a decent living out of it, I’ll be happy either way,” Bowen says. Perhaps
most notable among the locals are two youngsters, including nine-year-old Ryan Crawford of Danville, who has a big role as Gavroche, the streetwise urchin who dies in the barricades defending the revolution. Ryan had the lead role last year in Oliver. The other is nine-year-old Victoria Montes-Bradley of South Boston, who plays young Cosette. Victoria, who also appeared in Oliver, began her stage career in the Prizery’s Annie at age 4. Forget the heat outside. Reserve a space for yourself and others in the 250-seat air-conditioned Chastain Theatre and enjoy an evening or matinee of great summer theater entertainment. • Show times are July 11, 12, 15, 17, 18 at 7:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on July 13, 16, 20. • The Prizery is located at 700 Bruce Street in South Boston, Virginia. Visit www.prizery.com for more information.
Evince Magazine
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July 2014
Calendar Clips Clip it. Post it. Do it.
For more activities, see the calendar on page 16.
Friday, July 4
July 4th Celebration
Spend Independence Day in Danville among family and friends from 6:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. at the Carrington Pavilion on Craghead Street. The children’s area will have free arts and crafts with magic provided by Marlo the Magician. Amusement rides, entertainment by Janice Price, food concession and fireworks after dark are all part of the fun. Admission is free. This event is sponsored by the URW Community Federal Credit Union, J&J Equipment Rentals and the Danville Parks and Recreation. For more info, call 434.793.4636.
Tuesday, July 8
Virginia Healthcare Policy & the Affordable Care Act: What they mean for you, insured or uninsured
Do you know what the Virginia legislature is doing about your healthcare? How does the Affordable Care Act affect our community? How does it affect cancer care? How does it impact the Medicare “donut hole”? What are your options? Whether you already have health insurance or not, have you or will you make the right choice? Missy Neff Gould, Market Director of Community and Government Relations for LifePoint Hospitals South Central Virginia Market, and Dr. Andrew Barnes, Assistant Professor, Department of Healthcare Policy and Research VCU School of Medicine, will address these issues and answer questions in a free program from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Ballou Recreation Center, (lower level), corner of West Main Street and Park Avenue. This program is part of Keeping Well in Mind, Body & Spirit Series for those concerned with cancer prevention and survivorship. It is brought to the Dan River Region by the Cancer Research and Resource Center of Southern Virginia/Danville in partnership with Danville Parks & Recreation and with the support of Danville’s Cancer Task Force. Bring your lunch and a friend. Drinks and dessert are provided. Boxed lunches can be ordered in advance for $6.00. Call to make a reservation, 434.421.3060 or email cllitzenberg@vcu.edu. (submitted by Melanie Vaughan)
Friday, July 25 – Sunday, July 27 Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Everyone Productions will present this Edward Albee play at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History, 975 Main Street, on Friday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The play is not recommended for children because of adult language. The play, directed by Michael Edwards and Rebecca Rinn, will feature Mavis Brantley-Lloyd, Michael Edwards, Rikki English and Tyler Bushong. Tickets are $12.00 in advance at the DMFAH and $14.00 at the door. (submitted by Mavis Brantley-Lloyd)
Upcoming Friday, August 8 – Sunday, August 10 World Premiere of Milton
Award-winning interdisciplinary theater company PearlDamour announces the world premiere of Milton, a three-person performance comprised Lisa D’Am of spoken word and our; Kati e Pearl song that examines what it means to be American through the lens of smalltown life. The production is a culmination of two years worth of site visits made by PearlDamour’s Katie Pearl and Lisa D’Amour to five towns named Milton across the United States. In Wisconsin, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Louisiana, and Oregon, PearlDamour interviewed local residents and community groups about where they live and how they define their role in the world. The result is an experimental performance about American community involving scale models of Milton’s landmarks, artifacts from each town, and large video projections of the five skies over five towns captured in each Milton. The performance will be brought to each town before expanding to bigger cities. Milton, North Carolina, will be the first place it is presented. Performances take place on Friday at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.; Sunday at 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. at the Milton Women’s Club, 11928 Academy Street, Milton, North Carolina. A post-show discussion will follow each performance. Admission is free for Milton residents. A $5-15 donation is suggested for other patrons. Visit www.skyovermilton.com for more information. (submitted by Emma Miller)
Evince Magazine
Emmet, Michael and Diane Roe’s beagle puppy, sleeping peacefully.
Who’s Watching the Pet? by Sarah Jones Summer is in full swing and with all the hot days and beautiful sunshine come the best part of the season--vacation time. There is a lot of planning that goes along with vacationing, but the dilemma that halts many travelers in their tracks is their concern about who will watch their beloved pets while they are away. Boarding is a possibility, but many pet lovers dislike the idea. They could take their dogs along, but only some hotels allow dogs and that still doesn’t solve the problem of pets that don’t travel well, such as cats. Also, some dogs don’t like being left in an unfamiliar room. Even the most dog-friendly hotels lose patience with a dog howling due to separation anxiety. That’s where I come in. I am a professional pet sitter with a business in Danville called PetPeeple. There is actually quite a lot to being a pet sitter and more than a few things to consider before hiring one.
with their pets or stay in their homes during their trip. Throughout their absence, I keep them updated with daily texts or email. I asked one of my clients, Diane Roe, what she likes about having a pet sitter, and her response was, “I love having a sitter because the dogs are so much more comfortable in their own home and their routines don’t have to be upset.” There are some things you should keep in mind when looking for a pet sitter. For instance, do you feel comfortable with the sitter? Does the potential sitter greet your pets without any distaste or fear? A good pet sitter will love spending time with your pets and will be trustworthy, doing everything you ask them to without cutting corners. Be sure to sign a work agreement. If the sitters you’re hiring don’t have anything for you to sign, then they might not be ready to care for your pets. For example, how would they take your pet to a veterinarian in an emergency if they have no signature proving you gave them permission to do so?
Pet sitting starts with a home visit. I meet the pets, assess whether they are comfortable with me and ask questions about their habits, favorite toys, feeding schedule, and daily walks. I begin to know my clients I’ve been told by some clients that and what they they have delayed need for me to vacationing do while they’re because they What to Look for away. As well as had no one to taking care of look after their in a Pet Sitter their pets, I often pets. I hope that • Are they licensed, bonded, and bring in mail and this isn’t you. insured? water plants. Whether you call • Do they have paperwork for on PetPeeple or you to sign? (e.g. house key I provide either another pet sitter, release, vet release) • Do they have prior experience drop-in or you shouldn’t or references? 24-hour care hesitate. The • Do they love animals and greet service. Either beach is waiting. your pets with enthusiasm and I go to a client’s warmth? house daily to For more • Are they willing to contact you feed, freshen information, call with updates periodically during water and play 434.713.6978. your absence?
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July 2014
July Calendar Ongoing
Guided Walking Tour – Millionaires Row & Holbrook Street. 434.770.1974. www.danvillehistory.org. Danville Science Center Digital Dome Theater - Open for guests to fully explore the known universe as well as some fascinating phenomena right here on Earth. The immersive dome setting showcases the scientific wonders of space, engages visitors with live astronomers, and offers large format films. Danville Science Center (DSC). 434.791.5160. Estlow’s Trains Exhibit - John “Jack” Estlow, Jr. originally constructed this “N” Scale Train layout which was donated by his daughters and grandson so visitors can enjoy trains running in the train station. DSC. 434.791.5160. Virginia Grown Farmers’ Market – Features fresh products produced locally within Pittsylvania, Henry, Franklin, Bedford, Campbell, & Halifax counties throughout growing season. 7:30am12pm. Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex. 434.432.8026. Pittsylvania County Public Library Events. See story page 21. Bingo – Bring a gift to exchange and have blood pressure and body index checked. Location/times vary. 434.799.5216. Tai-Chi Day Classes - Increase strength, balance, flexibility and progress at your own pace. M 11:15am-12:15pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. Intro to Social Networking Computer Class – Learn how social networking can be used in daily living. Ages 50+. M 11am-1pm. Danville Public Library (DPL). 434.799.5195. Let’s Dance – Formerly Boogie Mondays. Learn new dances, make new friends and have loads of fun. 7-8:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. Yoga Classes - Stress-relieving wellness class. M 11:30am-12:30pm, DPL; 5:30pm, Ballou Rec Center. 434.797.8848. Art with Judie – Learn how to paint with acrylic, oil or watercolor. M/TU - Times vary. Ballou Annex. 434.799.5216. Ladies, It’s Time to Work It Out. MW 8:30-10am. City Auditorium. 434.797.8848. Kuumba African Dance – Live drumming and energetic dancing that helps raise cultural awareness, uplift and provides a great workout. MW 6-7:30pm. Stonewall Youth Center. 434.797.8848. Prime Time Fitness - Low-impact aerobics workout with a mix of various fun dance steps. MTH 9:30-11am or 5:307pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.797.8848. Get Moving with Chair Exercises – Lowimpact class ideal for adults 50+. MTH 11:30am-12:30pm. Coates Rec. Center. 434.797.8848. Basic Email Computer Class – Learn the basics of email and set up an account. Practice receiving and sending as well as composing and replying to emails. Ages 50+. W 11am-1pm. DPL. 434.799.5195. Basic Word 2010 Computer Class – Learn how to use the basic features of Microsoft Word. Prerequisite: Meet the Mouse/Keyboard or comparable knowledge of using the mouse and keyboard. Ages 50+. W 11am-1pm. DPL. 434.799.5195. Zumba Classes - Hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves create a oneof-a-kind interval training fitness program with fun routines that tone and sculpt the body while burning fat. W 5:15-6pm Pepsi Building. TH 7-8pm. Coates Rec. Center. 434.797.8848. Art with Flo – Wet on wet technique of oil painting. Ages 18+. W 9:30-11:30am, Glenwood Community Center; 6-8pm, Ballou Annex. 434.799.5216. African Cardio Blast - A unique workout that includes dance movements from various regions of the African continent. W
6-7pm. City Auditorium. 434.797.8848. African Rhythms by Nguzo Saba – Learn West African dance technique to live drumming. W 6-7pm. City Auditorium. 434.797.8848. Cardio Step Class – Up-tempo, high energy class. TTH 8:30-9:30am. City Auditorium. 434.797.8848. Baby Boomer Style Work Out – Walking, cardio activity & weight training designed for older adults. TTH 9-10:30am. City Auditorium. 434.797.8848. Senior Bingo. Ages 50+. 11am-12pm. DPL Auditorium. 434.799.5195. Ballou Jammers - Acoustic musical jamboree. Bring a stringed instrument or just listen. TH 3-5pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. Ballou Book Swap - Take a book or two to read and leave a book or two to share. F 9am-5pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. Friday Night Fun and Dance – Enjoy a night of dancing with live music by City Limits Band or Country Pride Band. Ages 50+. F 7:30-10:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. Preschool Story Time – Share stories and songs with a set theme. Ages 3-5. S 8am-5pm. DPL. 434.799.5195.
Through July 4
Expressions Exhibit – Offering an eclectic mix of styles and media, this open-entry judged art exhibit features work by local and regional artists. Piedmont Arts Association (PAA). 276.632.3221.
Through July 5
The Hidden Lives of Ants – With the aid of a macro lens and the insights of ant expert and photographer Dr. Mark Moffett, SITES and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History present the world of ants. Moffett’s stunning macro photographs tell incredible stories about the lives of ants—hunting, communicating, dealing with disease and agriculture—and chronicle the work of entomologists in the field. This sciencebased exhibit includes a live ant colony and hands-on models that will awe both adults and children. Virginia Museum of Natural History (VMNH). 276.634.4141.
Through July 16
Telling Your Story Workshop - Be guided through story telling sessions which leave you with a detailed history of your life to share or keep. W 2-4pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.
Through August 11
Mad Science Camp - Exciting science activities such as vinegar volcanoes, crazy putty, balloon speakers, and much more. 7:30am-6pm. Glenwood Community Center. 434.799.5150.
Through August 31
Summer Discovery – The museum will have Sunday hours through the summer and offer a $10 discount on new memberships at the “Individual” level and higher purchased during the promotion period. 1-5pm. VMNH. 276.634.4141.
Through September 20
Walk to End Alzheimer’s - Register for the Danville Walk, 9/27. Ballou Park or the Martinsville Satellite Walk - 9/20. Alzheimer’s Association Central & Western Virginia. 434.792.3700 x244. alz.org/walk.
Through October 11
Butterfly Station & Garden – The garden is open and full of lovely butterflies and flowers. Bring a camera and enjoy the scenery. DSC – 434.791.5160.
Through October 25
Uptown Farmers’ Market. 7am-12pm. Uptown Martinsville. www.martinsvilleuptown.com.
July 1
Ballou Choir Rehearsal – Join the choir and share talents. Performances at various locations. Male vocalists especially needed. Five performances per month. Ages 50+. 11:15am-12:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. African Violet Club - Learn about garden tending, pest control and more at this meeting which includes a covered dish meal. 12-1:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. Deco Mesh Wreath Making Class Beach Time. Learn how to make a seasonal wreath. Materials included. 3-5pm or 6-8pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.
July 1 (thru 29)
Urban Line Dance - Each week a new dance is introduced in the dance fitness class. 6-7:30pm. Pepsi Building. 434.797.8848.
July 1 (thru 31)
Art Exhibit – Avalon – A Photographic Journey to the Outer Banks. Reception 7/3 6-8pm. Kirby Gallery, Roxboro. 336.597.1709. Danville Braves Baseball. See ad page 24.
July 2
Daily Walkin’ with Patsy Cline - A tribute to one of country music’s biggest stars. Lunch included. 12-2pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. See ad page 13. How to Adopt a Pet from DAHS – Find out how to adopt a pet at the local animal shelter. 2-3pm. Danville Public Library. 434.799.5195. Pet-Themed Backpack Accessory – Create a pet-themed bead craft using a simple weaving technique. Ages 6-12. 3:30-4:30pm. DPL-Westover. 434.799.5195.
July 2 (thru 5)
Hairspray - A family-friendly musical piled bouffant high with laughter, romance, and deliriously tuneful songs. 2:30pm/7:30pm. The Prizery. 434.572.8339.
July 3
Job Corps Information Session – Job Corps is currently recruiting young adults for its vocational training program. Job Corps helps young adults prepare for a career, earn a high school diploma, and gain the skills needed to succeed. Ages 16-24. 10:30am-12:30pm. Workforce Development Center. 434.455.2521.
July 3 (thru 31)
Teen Books to Movies – Popcorn and lemonade will be served. 7/3 - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (PG-13); 7/10 Perks of Being a Wallflower (PG-13); 7/17 - Vampire Academy (PG-13); 7/24 Princess Academy (G); 7/31 - Hunger Games (PG-13). Ages 13+. 4-6pm. DPL. 434.799.5195. Pajama Story Time – Dress in PJs and share stories and songs with a set theme. Ages 5-10. TH 6-6:45am. DPL. 434.799.5195.
July 4
Patriot Challenge 5K/10K Race. Anglers Park. See ad page 13. Fourth of July Celebration. Carrington Pavilion. See ad page 13 & story page 14. Singing at Ballou - Karaoke - sing or just listen and enjoy. 2-4pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. July 4th Dance – Enjoy a hot dog and dance. 6:30-7:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.
July 2014 S
M
6 13 20 27
7 14 21 28
T 1 8 15 22 29
W 2 9 16 23 30
T 3 10 17 24 31
F 4 11 18 25
S 5 12 19 26
July 4 (thru 6)
Doodle Bugs – Farm to Table. Find out where your food is coming from. Explore the world of gardening and learn about the benefits to growing and eating your own farm fresh products. Ages: 3-5 w/adult. 9:30-11:30am. VMNH. 276.634.4141.
July 5
Safe Teen Driver Course – Teen Driving Solutions School’s two-day course provides teens a combination of behindthe-wheel training and classwork focused on mental skills. While teenage drivers are in the classroom, parents are led by a master licensed relationship and communication expert who teaches how to best help new drivers. 8am-5pm. VIRginia International Raceway. 919.802.4304.
July 5 (thru 26)
PAWS Family Movie. 7/5 - C.H.O.M.P.S. (G); 7/12 - Horse in the Grey Flannel Shirt (G); Mighty Joe Young (PG); Super Buddies (G). 10:30am - 12pm. DPL. 434.799.5195.
July 7 (thru 10)
Basic Woodworking for Children – Class will concentrate on safety skills, measurement skills, and use of small hand tools. Ages 9+. Mid-morning snack provided. 9am-12pm. Spencer Penn Centre. 276.957.5757. Rocketry – Build a functioning rocket from cardboard tubing and balsa wood and personalize with paint and decals. Rockets launched last day of class. Ages 9+. 1-4pm. Spencer Penn Centre. 276.957.5757.
July 7 (thru 11)
Architectural Model and Design Camp Students will create a virtual model of a house that will be used to create a set of residential drawings including floor plans, elevations, sections, and multiple 3D renderings. 8:30-11:30am. The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461. Junior Ace of Cakes - Students will mix, bake, fill, carve and finish a creation. 8:30-11:30am. The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461. STEM of the Body Summer Camp – Campers will learn parts of the body, seen and hidden, and their purposes. Through STEM based activities, crafts, literature and Experiments, campers explore 5 special “powers” called senses and discover that choices made can keep them healthy and happy. Ages 4-7. DSC. 434.791.5160. Outdoor Adventures – Discover the natural treasures around VMNH and why it is important to care for the environment. Dress for the outdoors. Ages 6-8. 9am4pm. VMNH. 276.634.4141. Green Challenge – Looking for a way to make a difference or give back to the community? Be a part of an incredible experience that will leave a lasting impression on neighborhoods, the environment, and more. Ages 12-14. 9am-4pm. VMNH. 276.634.4141. Artist Adventures Camp - Students will learn about drawing, painting, printmaking, collage and sculpture, and using animal fibers to create works of art. 1-4pm. The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461.
July 7 (thru 18)
Sports Camps - Camps designed to enhance athletic skills and character development. Participants will hone individual skills, learn important lessons regarding teamwork and life skills. 7/7 Playground Sports; 7/14 - Football
If you’d like to submit an item for the Evince calendar, visit www.showcasemagazine.com. The deadline for the August issue is Saturday, July 12, at 5:00 p.m. Please send just the basic information following the format on these pages.
Evince Magazine Camp. 9am-12pm. Squire Rec. Center. 434.799.5214.
Roxboro. 336.597.1709.
July 7 (thru 25)
PAWS for Summer Movie Matinee. 7/14 - March of the Penguins (G); 7/28 Seabiscuit (PG-13). 4-6pm. DPL. 434.799.5195.
Outdoor Adventure Camp – Take part in climbing, canoeing, kayaking stand up paddle boarding, zip lining, hiking, learning survival skills, braving the challenge course, exploring nature, treasure hunting, swimming fieldtrips and more. Each week features a unique all-day trip. 8:30am-5:30pm. Ballou Park. 434.799.5215.
July 7, 19 & 28
Anime Club – Come watch anime, talk manga, and enjoy things Japanese. 7/7 - Death Note (TV-16); 7/19 - Ouran High School Host Club (TV-16); 7/28 InuYasha (TV-14). Ages 12+. M 4-6pm. DPL. 434.799.5195.
July 7 & 21
PAWS for Trivia – Test animal knowledge. 7/7 - Name that...; 7/21 - Animal Quiz. Refreshments provided. 4:30-5:30pm. DPL. 434.799.5195.
July 7 (thru 28)
Maker Monday - Explore your creative side. Each week will feature a different craft with informational books and project ideas. Ages 5-9. M 11am-12pm. DPL. 434.799.5195.
July 8
Keeping Wellness Program Series – Virginia Healthcare Policy & the Affordable Care Act: What they mean for you, insured or uninsured. See story page 14.
July 8 & 10
Intro to Genealogical Research– An intro to online genealogical databases to aid in research. Ages 18+. 11am-1pm. Computer Lab, DPL. 434.799.5195.
July 9
Animals with Class – Featuring Nature Henry. Learn about birds, reptiles, arthropods,mammals and about habitats, animal tools, food chains, and camouflage. Live animals on display. 23pm. DPL. 434.799.5195. Stained Glass – Make a beautiful faux stained glass pet picture. Ages 6-12. 3:304:30pm. DPL - Westover. 434.799.5152.
July 9 (thru 11)
Doodle Bugs - Farm to Table. Find out where food comes from. Explore the healthy and fun world of gardening and learn about the benefits to growing and eating farm fresh products. Ages 3-5. 9:30-11:30am. VMNH. 276.634.4141.
July 10
Bob Ross Technique Workshop – Big Barn. 9am-3:30pm. PAA. 276.632.3221. Senior Movie Day - Enjoy the movie Gravity with snacks. Ages 50+. 11am1pm. DPL. 434.799.5195.
July 11
Comedy Night-Good Clean Fun. 8pm. The Historic North Theatre. 434.793.7469. Harvest Jubilee Concert Series. See ad page 25.
July 11 (thru 20)
Summer Theatre - Les Miserables. The Prizery. See story page 12.
July 11 & 25
Centra Summer Movies in the Park Series – Watch great family flicks in the park as gentle summer breezes flow through the trees. 7/11 - Tangled; 7/25 - Elf. 9- 11pm. Ballou Park Stage. 434.799.5215.
July 11 (thru August 1)
Grandma, Let’s Play - Grandparents and grandchildren come together to make age-appropriate arts and crafts. Ages 6+. 2-4pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.
July 12
Bob Ross Painting Class - Complete a painting, Big Barn, in one day. 10:30am– 3:30pm. Ballou Annex. 434.799.5216. Zip Line-Saturday Soaker – Take the heat out of the summer by riding the zip line through streams of water being sprayed along the path of flight. Ages 8+. 2-4pm. Dan Daniel Park - Skate Park. 434.799.5215.
July 13
Classic Movie – Glory. Robert Gould Shaw leads the U.S. Civil War’s first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices of both his Union army and the Confederates. 3pm. Kirby Theater,
July 14 & 28
July 14 (thru 18)
CADD Engineering Modeling and Design Camp - Students will create sophisticated engineering part models, drawings, assemblies and assembly animations. 8:30-11:30am. The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461. Photography Camp - Students will learn to use a digital camera and will be introduced to Adobe Photoshop for editing photos and creating a photo collage. 8:30-11:30am. The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461. Junior Top Chef - Students will get hands-on experience using kid-friendly recipes, learn proper kitchen safety and how to set a table and serve a meal. 8:30-11:30am. The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461. Make & Take – Design, build, and explore the perfect futuristic community. Ages 6-8. 9am-4pm. VMNH. 276.634.4141. STEM in the Air Summer Camp – Campers explore the air they breathe and beyond. Young learners will study the weather (wind), life in the air, and transportation in the air through STEM based activities, a Dome show, crafts and literature. Ages 4-7. DSC - 434.791.5160. Camp Move It! – Campers embark on a journey to learn how things move from one place to another. From cars to boats, there are many different ways to get from here to there. Force, motion, and energy drive a week full of STEM-related activities sure to get them moving. Ages 8-12. 1-4pm. DSC - 434.791.5160.
July 14 (thru 28)
Taste & Talk - Learn ways to create balanced meals. Lunch provided. 11:15am-12:15pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.
July 15
Visit Newport News – Tour the Virginia Living Museum and the Mariner’s Museum/ USS Monitor Center as well as City Center and Patrick Henry Mall. 7am-10pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. Healthy Cooking Class - Learn how to make healthy, nutritious, inexpensive smoothies, omelets, salads and wraps. 9:30-11am. City Auditorium. 434.797.8848. Summer Camp Play Day – A day of fun, crafts, games, water activities and entertainment. Ages 3-13. 10am-3pm. Crossing at the Dan. 434.799.5150. Southern Afternoon Tea – Come in out of the afternoon heat and cool off with a sweet glass of our Southern iced tea. 3-4pm. DPL. 434.799.5195.
July 15 & 17
Court Records for Genealogical Research – Learn how to utilize court records to guide genealogical research. Ages 18+. 11am-1pm. Law Lab, DPL. 434.799.5195.
July 16
Comics 101 - Intro to Comics. The basics of comic making, including a brief history and survey of the medium, an overview of commonly used tools and resources, and drawing exercises. Students will create and share a one page comic. Ages 12+. 1-3pm. DPL. 434.799.5195. Danville Center Stage Presents – Your neighborhood children’s theater will present an exciting play. 2-3pm. DPL. 434.799.5195. Yarn Birds – Get creative with yarn and make colorful birds. Ages 6-12. 3:304:30pm. DPL. 434.799.5195.
July 17
Gardening Basics - Fertilizers & pesticides. Info and answers about gardening topics and more. 12-1:30pm Pepsi Building. 434.797.8848. Music on Main – Les Moore. A variety of music from Jazz and Blues to County. Bring a chair. 6:30pm. Main Street Plaza. 434.793.4636.
July 18
Ultimate Track Car Challenge – Noholds-barred track competition, aimed to find the fastest machine on four wheels. Bring a raucous, flame-belching beast to the track and see who can
best the competition. 8am-5pm. VIR. 434.822.7700 ext. 300. Painting in a Day - Students create a piece of art to treasure whether or not they’ve painted before. All materials included in cost and refreshments served. 1-4pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. TGIF Concert Series - Katelyn Marks. 6:30-10:30pm. Uptown Martinsville. www.martinsvilleuptown.com. Movies on Main – Bring your blankets and chairs and enjoy a free movie, Saving Mr. Banks (PG-13) under the stars. 911pm. Constitution Square, South Boston. 434.575.4209.
July 18, 19 & 20
Shakespeare in the Park – Local actors bring the Bard to life. Bring a blanket, lawn chair, and bug spray. All ages. 7-9pm. Dan Daniel Park, Picnic Site #19. 434.799.5215. See ad page 9.
July 19
Dog Wash. 9am-12pm. Danville Community Market. 434.799.0843. Get Out in the Neighborhood – Activities planned at parks within walking distance or biking distance throughout the city. Special attractions at each site. 10am2pm. 434.799.5215. Zip Line-Summer Breeze - Zip through the trees. Ages 8+. Register by 7/7. 34:30pm. Philip Wyatt Memorial Skate Park Shelter. 434.799.5215. Cruise In – Check out cruisers ranging from motorcycles, classic cars, and new cars. 4-8pm. Uptown Martinsville. www.martinsvilleuptown.com. Moonlight Stadiumcross Race – The up close action of the race will get adrenaline pumping as racers speed past, headed into one turn after another. 5:30pm. Lake Sugar Tree Motorsports Park. 276.650.1158.
July 19 (thru August 30)
PAA Exhibits - Fighting Physics + Retrospect and Revival. Joint exhibition by Virginia artists Ed Dolinger and Mark Shepheard features a dichotomy of styles. Dolinger’s abstracts read like a draftsman scratchboard, while Shepheard’s dappled landscapes reference an Impressionistic eye. And Dancing with Color by Audrey Caywood. PAA. 276.632.3221.
July 21
Beginner Internet Computer Class – Learn how to connect to the internet, and perform basic searches. Ages 50+. 11am1pm. DPL. 434.799.5195.
July 21 (thru 24)
Make it your Business! Camp - This camp will introduce students to the basics of starting a business. Brainstorm ideas in a creative and fun atmosphere, develop leadership and critical thinking skills, and create a business plan. 8:30-11:30am. The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461.
July 21 (thru 25)
Creature and Character Modeling Students will learn to create creatures and characters using a virtual clay modeling environment software. Students will be able to print photos of their creations. 8:30-11:30am. The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461. Video Game Design and Development Students will design video games and learn other computer applications. 8:30-11:30am. The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461. STEM in the Water Summer Camp – Campers will be challenged to think of all the places water can be found on Earth. From the “Ocean Bound” exhibit to the Dan River, learn about animal and plant life in the water, the water cycle, uses of water, transportation and more. Ages 4-7. DSC - 434.791.5160. Time Travelers – A journey through time to uncover the mysteries of Martinsville and Henry County’s past. Explore local historic sites, examine authentic documents, and participate in a mock trial in a real court room. Ages 9-11. 9am4pm. VMNH. 276.634.4141. Art Camp - Learn about art-making with hands-on experience creating costume art, salt paintings, Koi garden windsocks, mosaic art, soap making and more. Ages 8-12. 9:30am-12pm. PAA. 276.632.3221.
July 22
Antique Appraiser Roadshow - Learn about favorite family items and have them appraised. 10-11:30am. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.
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July 23
Pet Toys – Make a toy for your best cat or dog friend. Ages 6-12. 8am-5pm. DPL - Westover. 434.799.5152. Comics 101 - Character Design. Intro to the basics of character design. Students will explore the elements of creating visually dynamic characters for comics and animation, and will create their own characters. Ages 12+. 1-3pm. DPL. 434.799.5195. Scooby Doo Party – Games, snacks and crafts. 2-3pm. DPL. 434.799.5195.
July 25, 26 & 27
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History. See story page 14.
July 26
Chef at the Market – Local chef Chris King prepares various entrees and meal ideas using local produce, meats and more. 8-9:30am. Danville Community Market. 434.797.8961. Kayaking the Staunton River - Get unplugged from all electronic devices and get back to nature. Ages 12+. 8am-6pm. Abreu-Grogan Park. 434.799.5215. Living on the Water Festival – Come celebrate the many uses of water through games, crafts and activities for the entire family. 9am-4pm. VMNH. 276.634.4141. Autos by Nelson Cornhole Tournament. 6-11pm. Smith River Sports Complex. 276.638.5200. Live at the Fillmore – The definitive tribute to the original Allman Brothers Band. It includes the music of the original Allman Brothers Band as it was performed in those early years before the untimely deaths of Duane and Berry Oakley and the departure of Dickey Betts. The highly talented and committed musicians bring back authentically the performances of the original Allman Brothers Band for those who were there to hear and still remember them along with those who have a similar love of this music and wish they had been there. 8pm. The Historic North Theatre. 434.793.7469.
July 26 & 27
Virginia Angus Breeders Show and Field Day – Showcase of Angus breeders and cattle. Features cattle handling practices, equipment displays, educational forums, and a stockman’s contest. 7/26 - Sit down catered beef dinner, and family activities; 7/27 - Devotional and Junior Angus Breeders Show. Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex. 434.432.8026.
July 28 (thru August 1)
Advanced Video Game Design and Development - Students will receive software to take home for designing their own games or making changes in games developed. 8:30-11:30am. The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461. Green Team – Experience the beauty of the community green spaces and discover how important they are to future generations. Ages 9-11. 9am-4pm. VMNH. 276.634.4141.
July 30
Comics 101– Background Design. Intro to basics of background drawing. Including lessons on one, two, and three point perspective, tips and tricks for creating cityscapes and landscapes for use in comics and animation. Ages 12+. 1-3pm. DPL. 434.799.5195. Children’s Summer Reading Finale Party – Celebrate the great books read and the fun programs had. Pick up prizes for completing reading log. 2-3pm. DPL. 434.799.5195. Create Marshmallow Animals – Join a fun time creating animals with marshmallows. Ages 6-12. 3:30-4:30pm. DPL - Westover. 434.799.5125.
Upcoming Events August 4 (thru 8)
EngiSci Girls – Discover phenomenal feats of female engineering greats and meet female scientists and educators. Explore the world of engineering and science through fun, exciting challenges designed just for girls. Ages 9-11. 9am4pm. VMNH. 276.634.4141.
August 8, 9 & 10
World Premiere of Milton. See story page 14.
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July 2014
Water Safety Begins at an Early Age by Sue Macke Cooling off and having summer fun happens simultaneously when there’s water involved. Unfortunately, the good times can quickly turn to tragedy unless a few water safety precautions are taken by parents with children as young as six months. In the United States, approximately 3,533 people drown each year and most are children under the age of four who drown in backyard swimming pools. The U.S. Swim School Association (USSSA), the preeminent swim school organization in the country, has compiled the following life-saving water safety and swim instruction tips.
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Drowning Prevention & Water Safety Tips • Start swim lessons at 6 months •
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of age and continue them yearround. Create a process the child must go through before entering a pool such as putting on a swim diaper and a swimsuit and applying sunscreen. Never allow your baby/ toddler in the pool without a swim diaper. Create a verbal cue for your toddler or child that must be given by you before he or she can enter the pool Never use flotation devices or water wings when swimming or when teaching kids to swim. Teach children to swim without goggles and to open their eyes under water; if they fall in they can find the side of the pool or a step and exit safely. Build comfort with water by having a very young child practice putting her/his face under water in the bathtub and blowing bubbles. Create a water safety plan for your family and have water emergency drills with your kids including how to recognize the signs of someone struggling in water and what to do in this type of emergency. Make sure all guests know your pool rules before they go outside and enter the pool. Always make sure your children wear life jackets on boats, personal watercraft and in open bodies of water.
For more information, visit www.usswimschools.org.
Evince Magazine
Dare to Ask by Carrollyn Lee Peerman
Asking what might seem like stupid questions is easier than correcting stupid mistakes. Ask. “No man really becomes a fool until he stops asking questions,” said electrical pioneer, Charles Steinmetz. Asking costs nothing and may prevent a costly mistake. If you are afraid of asking, you are afraid of learning. Asking two or three times will keep you from losing your way once. Ask boldly. Asking timidly invites refusal. You know the feeling. It takes a certain amount of courage to stick your neck out and ask a question but it is easier than trying to correct a mistake. For example, once you leave an interstate highway at the wrong exit, you might drive miles and miles wasting both time and gas before you find the exit you originally needed. If there is something you don’t know, then ask. You risk being a fool for a moment but a wise person for the rest of your life. Why waste your time wondering what the answer is, when with the knowledge gained from asking a question, you can know? So whom do you ask? Ask anyone who wishes you well. Ask your Heavenly Father. Rely on the promise of His word: “Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.” You will find that people appreciate the boldness of a
person who reaches out to ask a question. “A decent boldness ever meets with friends. It is the bold man who every time does best, at home or abroad,” wrote Homer in his Odyssey. Other people will recognize your decency and respond in kind. They will extend themselves to you with the correct answer or guide you to someone else who can answer you correctly. Your decency will be mirrored in their actions. You will repeatedly find that in trying situations, when all seems lost, the boldest plans are safest. The Japanese put it this way: “Unless you enter the tiger’s den you cannot take the cubs.” When you ask a question you are entering the tiger’s den to take the cub of a right answer that will save you from making a stupid mistake. “Audacity augments courage; hesitation, fear,” wrote Publilius Syrus in Moral Sayings during the first century before Christ. If you are audacious, you are willing to challenge assumptions or conventions or tackle something difficult or dangerous. Do you have the audacity to ask what seems like a stupid question? You have much to gain and nothing to lose. Audacity and courage walk along together. By all means, dare, dare, dare, and dare again. You might learn something.
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July 2014
Book Clubbing A review by Larry G. Aaron
As American as Apple Pie by Justin Dupont
In 1963, when Justin Dupont was ordered to report to the draft board in Lowell, Massachusetts, his mother made a huge breakfast including his favorite apple pie. He remembered those days when he wrote this book about his involvement in a tragic event related to submarine warfare. Dupont was inducted into the army and later assigned to the Military Police. He received top secret clearance and was assigned to the army’s Rocky Mountain Arsenal in Colorado. Unbeknownst to him when he arrived, the facility manufactured sarin nerve gas, napalm, and mustard gas. This was during the Vietnam War era when napalm especially was used. Because of his secret clearance, he worked with a civilian contractor on the Polaris missile project after leaving the army. Later, he was in charge of writing the process sheet for testing the huge batteries that powered torpedoes in submarines. But there were problems with the batteries. Sometimes they would activate and explode during the production process. Dupont recalls, “Every so often I would come to work and find firemen putting out the smoke from batteries that had been stored on shelves. These accidental explosions were brought to the attention of the government, but the production continued, with the government’s take being that the malfunction would not be enough to sink a ship, so they shouldn’t be a problem.” They became a problem, however, for the USS Scorpion nuclear submarine. One of the batteries, half the size of a 2’ x 8’ table and stored in the head of a torpedo, exploded while the Scorpion was on an underwater mission. The explosion tore open the torpedo tube cover, allowing sea water in that caused more system failures and added weight, sending the Scorpion down to dangerous depths. It imploded, killing all 99 aboard. The exact cause and the government’s culpability in the matter stayed secret, withheld from the public until the information was declassified during the Clinton administration. Dupont felt he and others were somewhat responsible for the deaths of those men, although he was just doing his job and had no control over the situation. His part plagued him for years until, in the middle of the movie, Red October, he decided he had to write about it and so he did, including his perspective on other subjects. He reasons, “The work reveals critical events that could have brought us to the brink of domestic holocaust or all out global nuclear war.” This behind the scenes look at America’s involvement in warfare is a tantalizing tale of government cover-up and disaster in the making. It’s like putting sugar on sour apples to make apple pie. Sometimes the sour truth gets sugar-coated for public consumption. As American as Apple Pie is available at Amazon.com, Kindle, Barnes & Noble, ChathaMooCa in Chatham, Karen’s Hallmark in the Danville Mall and at the Piedmont Shopper.
A review by Diane Adkins
Five Sisters: The Langhornes of Virginia by James Fox
Rose: My Life in Service: Recollections of Life in One of England’s Grandest Households by Rosina Harrison
Summer reading is a chance to engage in an adult version of dress-up. You can pretend to be someone else either by reading things you normally wouldn’t read or by leaving your everyday world and reading about someone else’s daily life. I generally steer clear of history and historical novels, but after reading Evince’s cover story last month about Cliveden, the country home of Lady Astor, I was inspired to stretch my horizons and read more about Nancy Langhorne Astor, her sisters, and her family. James Fox, the author of Five Sisters, is the grandson of Phyllis, one of the five famous Langhorne sisters. He possesses an entire collection of letters written between Nancy and Phyllis-- original material to which other authors have not had access. He uses the correspondence to paint a picture of the five siblings. There is Lizzie, the somewhat embittered older sister; Irene, who eventually marries Charles Gibson and becomes the model for the renowned Gibson Girl; Phyllis, who marries Bob Brand, a famed European economist; and Nora, the proverbial wild child of the family, whose exploits with men may have included a dalliance with F. Scott Fitzgerald. At the center of it all is Nancy--not surprisingly, given her outsized personality, her stature as the first female member of Parliament, and her strongly stated opinions on nearly everything and everyone. The book is a behind-the-scenes look at this fascinating family who once lived in this area. However, if you are experiencing a little Downton Abbey withdrawal, then what better cure than Rose: My Life in Service, Rosina Harrison’s book about her life as the lady’s maid to Nancy Astor? Just a few pages in and I was right back to Downton. There are clear parallels. After all, Lady Grantham of Downton is an American, just as Lady Astor was. Mr. Lee, the Astor’s butler, is every bit as formidable as Carson. But I like Rose much more than Lady Grantham’s maid, O’Brien! Rose was Lady Astor’s lady’s maid for 35 years. Despite their social inequality, both were strong-willed women who spoke their minds even to each other. Rose knew Lady Astor was not an easy personality from the very beginning of her service and yet she accepted the job. They disagreed, they argued, but they were thoroughly devoted to each other. The book is a clear-eyed look at the family and at the times, told by a reliable and insightful narrator. You can learn a lot when you let her take you by the hand and lead you. If you prefer your history straight up, then James Fox’s book is the one for you. If you like a bit of dress-up in your summertime reading, you should enjoy being transported back to late 1800s/early 1900s England with Rose Harrison. Pour yourself a spot of tea and get started. Diane S. Adkins is the Director of the Pittsylvania County Public Library System; both books are available at the library. Editor’s Note: Highclere Castle, where Downton Abbey is filmed, is about 45 miles from Cliveden. The characters on Downton Abbey have mentioned visiting Lord Astor and Cliveden in past episodes. Send information about what you or your book club is reading to joycewilburn@gmail.com.
Evince Magazine
What’s Happening in the Pittsylvania County Public Libraries Reading/Learning Programs:
Paws to Read: Something for every age group, babies through adults. Book Discussions for Adults: Second Thursday Book Discussion Group: July 10, 4:00-5:30 p.m., Chatham. Book Talk: July 11, noon, Brosville. Books based on a movie. Science Programs: Fun with Engineering: July 29-31, 10:30 a.m.4:00 p.m., Chatham. Activities include engineering, robotics, rocketry, computer technology and circuits; focused on engineering. All activities are hands-on experiments. $10 signup fee; participants will receive a $10 Hobby Lobby gift card upon completion. Open to rising 4-6 graders; limited to 15 participants. To register, call Julie Weddle, 434.432.3271. Offered in partnership with the Institute. Friends of the Library Book Sales Brosville: Friday, July 25, sale is open only to members of the Friends of the Brosville/Cascade Library; July 28 through August 1, sale is open to the public. Hardbacks $1; paperbacks 50 cents; DVDs $1.00. Join the Friends for $5/individual or $10/family per year. Gretna: July 28-August 2. Book sale starts at 10:00 a.m. each day and ends 30 minutes before closing. In conjunction with the book sale, there will be an exhibit of Re-Use It Tuesday past crafts and a silent auction. Chatham: Friends book sale Saturday, July 19.
Read. Play. Live: Health Happens @ the Library
Brosville/Cascade branch; Zen Zone: 4:00 p.m., Wednesdays, July 2, 9, 16, and 23. De-stressing techniques you can use including reflexology, aromatherapy, and music. Low-impact Exercise: Monday and Friday 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Uses the Go4Life routine from the National Institute on Aging as well as Tai Chi, Wii, yoga, and chair exercise routines. Aromatherapy Workshop: Thursday, July 24, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Computer Class Individual Help: Wednesdays, July 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30, 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Chatham. Art & Crafts Knitting: Mondays, July 7 and 21, 6:30 p.m., Mt. Hermon. All skill levels and ages welcome. Needlework: Tuesdays, July 1, 8, 15, and 22, noon, Brosville. Knitting, embroidery, crochet. Re-Use It Tuesdays: July 1, 8, 15, 22, 5:30 p.m., Gretna. Call to register. 434.656.2759. Film Discussion Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle Tuesday, July 24, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., History Research Center and Library. This month’s program is based on the film The Loving Story. The discussion will be led by Dr. Andrew Canady, Assistant Professor of History at Averett University. All are invited. Endorsed by Danville United; refreshments provided by Chatham First. Monday Movie Matinee: July 7 Monsters University; July 14 Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, 2:00 p.m., Brosville. Family Game Night: Thursday, July 17, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Brosville. Lego Play Day: Saturday, July 12, 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., Mt. Hermon. Unless otherwise noted, all programs are free. For more information, contact Gretna Library, 207 A Coffey Street, 434.656.2579; Mt. Hermon Library, 2725 Franklin Turnpike, 434.835.0326; History Research Center and Library, 340 Whitehead Street, Chatham; 434.432.8931; PCP Main Library, 24 Military Drive, Chatham, 434.432.3271 or visit www.pcplib.org.
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Evince Magazine
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Led by a Sweet Breeze to a Perfect Garden
was recently met (possibly lured) by a sweet breeze in the walking of my West Main Street trail. The sugary source was the blooms of the great magnolia trees adjacent to The Wednesday Club’s home. Its great lower limbs touched the ground, then arched up, looking even sittable and suitable for children to imagine a horse ride. Opposite those blooms in the boughs, lay one shattered on the ground—shattered because it was all there, just disassembled. Petals were browning like unrefrigerated Mother’s Day orchids. I picked up one, leafsized, holding it to my nose, but almost no fragrance was left. Perhaps its death came, not from time passed, but when all of its allotted scent was dispersed.
living, the pale green, waxy leaves had the smell of a massive, dried boutique arrangement.
Continuing on Main Street, I encountered more magnolias. Their creamy flowers made me think that if I took a bite, I would taste vanilla. Man’s closest relative, the chimp, relishes flowers, but I decided not to ape him that day. Walking on, a different perfume came from giant bushes on both sides of the bridge over Highway 86. Though
Soon, I reached the perfect garden. Although a yard, it was beautiful like European gardens that are often fenced or walled in. This one, in true American spirit, was out front for all eyes to enjoy. Although clematis climbed a lanterned pole and there were a couple of great flowered urns, the central theme was green, a green rainbow. It consists of
by Mack Williams
the richest grass, succulent ivy (I once told the owner that with the appropriate dressing it almost looked edible.), variegated plants (some ghostly pale), decorative grassy plants, great hanging ferns, hinoki cypress, boxwoods, and above everything, the sky-filling green of a massive pin oak. There was also a fountain consisting of a figure pouring water into a birdbath. Overlooking from the porch was the statue of a rabbit like a Golem placed to prevent the
living members of its species from trespassing to cause mayhem. The whole scene was perfectly composed. In that entire garden, I saw only the slightest evidence of death in the form of a few, fallen, withered clematis blooms. In their dying, however, they evinced respect for a special place by having seemingly fallen in symmetry.
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July 2014
My friend Kathie says the recipe below is a metaphor for my life, but I was just thinking about what the Voice of Mid-Summer meant to me: cooking and cookouts with friends and flowers and color and home improvement projects. I’d add travel but I’m in the midst of filing for trip cancellation travel insurance reimbursements. Since it might be easier to never travel again, I went back to thinking about cooking. That led me to recipes and there I was at a yard sale with a recipe book. I opened it up and boom, there was a recipe for elephant stew*. Yowser, I thought. This is intriguing. Elephant Stew (serves 3,800) 1 elephant brown gravy salt and pepper 2 rabbits Cut the elephant into bite-sized pieces. This takes about 4 months. Cook it over kerosene at 525 degrees until it’s tender. This takes about 5 months. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover with brown gravy. If you expect more people, add the rabbits, but you only do that if absolutely necessary, because most people don’t like to find hare in their stew. It occurred to me that if you start making the stew in September, it’ll be ready the following June, just in time for summer get-togethers.
Reflecting Forward It’s Summertime and the Living Should Be Easy by Linda Lemery Unfortunately, there are no elephants around here and they’re probably endangered anyway and I don’t have a stewpot that big. But I do have a crockpot. Maybe it would be quicker to make my version of pulled pork barbeque. Pulled Pork Tenderloin 2 whole pork tenderloins 12 oz. can of root beer BBQ sauce Stick two whole pork tenderloins into a crockpot on low. Dump a 12 oz. can of root beer over them; let ‘em rip for 8 hours. Pull the meat apart with forks and serve it with your favorite bottled barbeque sauce. I use a gargantuan bottle that serves about 200 people so I don’t run out. I serve this with fixings I can’t screw up, such as store-bought buns, watermelon, Kentucky Fried Chicken’s coleslaw (my secret recipe), and low-carb ice cream.
not to love? You have friends over. You cook outside so you don’t heat up the kitchen. It’s 99+ degrees outside and humid so everybody wants to be inside in the air conditioning, except for your husband who has to do the cooking on the grill. You plan to cook burgers and dogs. The living is easy ... except that maybe your husband burns a lot of what he cooks. (“It’s that cheap gas grill you bought,” sez he. “I can’t regulate the flames. Even when I shut the lid, it’s a bonfire in there. This is the only fire on the planet surface that burns hotter without oxygen.”) I coped with that one by luring him to Lowe’s and getting him to buy a new grill. (His take on it: “It’s harder to clean. I can’t get used to the diffuser. I never know when the meat is done.”) When he finally got used to it, we had guests over, and boom, the propane tank ran out and we had to finish cooking inside.
And then there are cookouts. What’s
And what’s better on the outside
summer table than fresh flowers? Unfortunately, they wilt in the 99 degree heat, so I leave ‘em in the garden and we admire them from afar. I love summer colors and perhaps the strategy of just sticking plants in the ground wherever there’s a vacant space results in slight overplanting. It’s a wilderness out there. Everything is in bloom, spreading, and needs to be mowed, pruned, weeded, staked, separated, deadheaded, fed, fertilized, mulched, trimmed or sprayed. Those words all represent work to me. When the going gets tough, the tough go inside and wave at the garden through the window. They go back outside in November when it cools off. I didn’t even get to the home improvement projects. Maybe Kathie is right. Maybe the elephant stew recipe is a metaphor for my life. I can’t wait to find out what recipe I’m going to find at the next great yard sale. After all, it’s summertime and the living is easy. About the Author: Linda Lemery’s (llemery@averett.edu) life just seems to always be like this when she’s not working as Circulation Manager at Mary B. Blount Library at Averett University in Danville. She welcomes your comments. *Sutton, G. (2012). Elephant Stew. In: American Legion Auxiliary Unit 123. Legion Family Cookbook, 3rd edition. Kearney, NE: Morris Press Cookbooks: 71.
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Evince Magazine
Mid-Summer Memories by Annelle Williams
Can you take the heat? It makes me lazier and slower than ever, but give me somewhere to dangle my feet in the water and I’m a happy, contented woman. Add food and my happiness level reaches a new high. One of my favorite summer meals happened a long time ago in early marriage. We had a boat on Lake Norman. (Confidentially, I enjoyed the food much more than the sailing.) At the end of the day we’d come back to the dock and grill, eat and swim. On this particular Saturday afternoon we had ribs. We all took our inner tubes into the water, tied them together and ate ribs with no thought of greasy hands or dirty faces. Best ribs I’ve ever eaten! I still think about that day and it’s been over 30 years. For these hot summer days it’s nice to be able to plan picnics or cookouts where there’s a little water to keep you cool. When our grandson grew big enough to sit sturdily, we put a big baby pool in the carport. Often, I’ve seen adults sitting in the water with him or at least cooling their feet with him. It makes a hamburger or hot dog taste even better. Here is an easy dessert recipe for July 4th celebrations, but it can easily be modified for any summer gathering. Stay cool and enjoy the summer weather!
Red, White and Blue Tart 2 pre-made pie crusts, or make your own 1 (8 oz.) cream cheese 1 (8 oz.) Cool Whip 3/4 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoonful
1 (10 oz.) jar of strawberry jelly 1 pt. fresh blueberries 16 oz. fresh strawberries 1 egg 2 tablespoons milk
Roll part of pie crust to fit an 8 x 11 casserole dish. Place pie crust into dish, folding under edges inside dish. Cover with parchment paper and bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove parchment; pierce bottom of crust with fork tines and continue baking until crust is browned. Remove from oven and cool. Combine cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread evenly over cooled, baked pie crust. Cool in refrigerator. Heat jelly in saucepan just until melted and remove from heat. Pour blueberries into melted jelly, stir to cover berries. Remove berries with a slotted spoon from pan and place in a bowl. Set aside to cool. Add sliced strawberries to jelly; stir to coat and remove to another bowl to cool. Top tart with fruit: blueberries in upper left corner and strawberries in stripes. Cut stars and stripes from remaining dough. Combine egg and milk and brush over dough. Sprinkle with extra tablespoon of sugar. Bake at 375 degrees until browned. Place stripes between strawberry rows and stars on blueberries. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve. Questions or comments? Email: AnnelleWilliams@comcast.net I look forward to hearing from you! For more pictures and recipes, visit my blog: http://aroundannellestable.blogspot.com.
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Photo Finish July is prime time for buying fresh locally grown produce. Evince photographer, Von Wellington, arrived early at the Farmers Market in Danville, 629 Craghead Street, to snap pictures of buyers and sellers. Evince intern, Sarah Jones, met local farmers at the Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex on Route 29, two miles north of Chatham. Both markets are open from 7:30 a.m. until noon on Saturdays. The Danville market is open on Wednesdays from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. The Market at the ODAC is open on Tuesdays from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00
Corky Medaglia proudly holds a bottle of wine produced at Tomahawk Mill Vineyard & Winery in Chatham and offers several varieties for sale. Danville Master Gardeners, Emily Tomlinson, Barbara Page, and Jim Clark offer good advice to anyone who wants to start a garden or improve an existing one.
Connie Fletcher buys fresh produce from Frederick Holland of Goodes, Inc.
For more info about Von Wellington Photography, visit www.vonwellingtonphotography. com or call 434.770.3553. See more
Sierra Johns and Donte Johns sell handmade jewelry from Equilla’s Place.
Ruth Whitt from Skunk Hollow Farm in Keeling happily shares her produce with Ruth Whitt and Chrys Gunn.
Shoppers Shirley Ferrell and Monte Cassidy purchase turnip greens and/ or collard greens from Mammi D. Tanner, Robinson Tanner, Vennie Richardson and Frederick Holland.
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John M. Pleasant purchases fresh herbs from Chris and Avery King of King Cropp Farms in Yanceyville, North Carolina.
There’s nothing better early in the morning for Alicia Waller than a fresh cup of coffee served by Samuel Howell from Café Lilu in Turberville. Organic scones, gluten-free teff products and organic fair trade coffee are his specialties.
Maggy Gregory looks at Catharine Hannan’s goods while baby Warren waits patiently, enjoying the sunshine. Hannan is known to regulars at the Farmers Market as the egg lady.
Betty Lane (far left), of Betty Jo’s This and That, stopped to chat with Laurie and Patrick Allen, owners of Westwind Farm Organics.
Dorothy Zook sells her homemade baked goods and vegetables from the greenhouse at Hodnett’s Mill owned by Joanna Brenneman. Jenny and Jacob Bayer sell perennials, annuals, herbs, and veggies from the Growing Place owned by their aunt, Rachel Bayer.