Evince Magazine October 2019

Jessica Testerman Page 3

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service Bryan Andrade Page 8

Photo Finish

Phillip Gardner & Blooper Page 15

Creating a Home Away From Home on the DCC Campus See Page 5

Page  2 October 2019

3D mammograms reveal more life-saving detail.

Breast imaging that offers better accuracy and fewer callbacks can be life-saving, especially for women with dense breast tissue. A 3D mammogram at Sovah Danville Imaging Center can improve cancer detection by 40%.*

Schedule your 3D mammogram by calling 434.793.1043

*breastcancer.org

Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography

Editor’s Note

Who knew that Spiderman would be the perfect host of a tea party for a magical creature and a Disney heroine?

Spiderman (aka Eli Daniel) is the picture of hospitality serving a mythical unicorn (aka Caroline Testerman) and a princess, Belle, (aka Regan Adams) at Helping Hands Child Development Center owned by Jessica Testerman.

Jessica’s story “Creating a Home Away from Home” is on page 5. Maybe you’d like to be the perfect host/hostess like Spiderman? For advice on making that happen, read page 14, “Hospitality is....”

Check out how others show hospitality in “Photo Finish” on page 14, in “Spotting Exceptional Customer Service” on page 8 and in “The Wine Spot” on page 12. The symbol of hospitality since Colonial times has been the pineapple.

In honor of that tradition, make a pineapple upside-down cake as instructed on page 14. Then slow down for a “Meditation Moment” and read page 7.

Practice the necessary conversational skills for good hospitality at one of the many free community events listed in the Calendar (page 10) or at a concert described in “Where’s the Music?” on page 13.

It all boils down to treating guests and strangers in a friendly manner. If Spiderman can do it, you can too! Enjoy this month of hospitality.

October Contents

3 Editor’s Note

5 Jessica Testerman

Creating a Home Away From Home on the DCC Campus

by Joyce Wilburn 6 The Application Fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg 7 Meditation Moment

by Casey Molloy 8 Spotting Exceptional Customer Service

by Kathy & Ricky Dix 9 Book Clubbing / The Substitution Order

by Martin Clark

review by Diane Adkins 10 Calendar 12 The Wine Spot

Hospitality at Hamlet Vineyards

by Dave Slayton 13 Where’s the Music? / The String Theory Project

by Larry Wilburn 14 Around the Table

Pineapple Upside-Down

Skillet Cake = Hospitality Cake

by Annelle Williams

Reflecting Forward Hospitality is…

by Linda Lemery

15 Photo Finish On the Cover:

Photo of Caroline Testerman, Eli Daniel, and Regan Adams by Michelle Dalton Photography.

Evince Magazine Page 3

THE

OICE OF HOSPITALITY

CEO / Publisher Andrew Scott Brooks Editor Joyce Wilburn (434.799.3160) joycewilburn@gmail.com Associate Editors Jeanette Taylor • Larry Wilburn Contributing Writers

Diane Adkins, Debra Brown, Sara Davis, Kathy & Ricky Dix, Lewis Dumont, Adam Goebel, Karen Harris, Barbara Hopkins, Cassie Jones, Telisha Moore Leigg, Linda Lemery, Charlotte Litzenburg, Josh Lucia, CB Maddox, Dianne McMahon, Casey Molloy, Bernadette Moore, Carrie Petrick, Dave Slayton, Melanie Vaughan, Joyce Wilburn, Larry Wilburn, Annelle Williams, David Worrell

Art & Production Director Demont Design (Kim Demont) Finance Manager Cindy Yeatts (1.434.709.7349) Marketing Consultants For ad information contact a marketing consultant listed below.

Lee Vogler Director of Sales and Marketing (434.548.5335) lee@evince magazine.com

Kim Demont (434.792.0612) demontdesign @verizon.net evince\i-’vin(t)s\ 1: to constitute outward evidence of 2: to display clearly: reveal syn see SHOW Deadline for submission of November stories, articles, and ads is Sunday, October 20, at 5:00 p.m.

Submit stories, articles, and calendar items to joycewilburn@gmail.com.

Editorial Policies:

Evince is a free monthly magazine with news about entertainment and lifestyle in Danville and the surrounding area. We reserve the right to accept, reject and edit all submissions and advertisements.

EVINCE MAGAZINE 753 Main St. Suite 3, Danville, VA 24541 www.evincemagazine.com For subscriptions to Evince, email info@evincemagazine.com.

Cost is $24 a year. © 2019 All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part in any medium without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

joycewilburn@gmail.com Credits: Amber Wilson: hair; Catherine Saunders: skin care and makeup; Genesis Day Spa & Salon, 695 Park Avenue, Danville.

Janelle Gammon: nails; Salon One 11, 111 Sandy Court, Danville. Clothing and jewelry: Lizzy Lou Boutique, 310 Main Street, Danville, lizzylouboutique.com

Page  4 October 2019

Evince Magazine Page 5

Jessica Testerman

Creating a Home Away From Home on the DCC Campus

by Joyce Wilburn

O

The spacious rooms are sparkly clean, freshly painted, and filled with new educational toys, but there is more to this child-care program in the 4,400 square foot building than its physical appearance. “DCC

Usually, brushing teeth is not something youngsters like to do. Eating is a cherished activity, however, and Jessica makes sure the food is healthy and delicious. “We follow USDA guidelines, serving fresh fruit and vegetables when available, and we have a kitchen on site to prepare the meals,” she says.

Thinking about the rest of the day, Jessica adds, “The Virginia Department of Social Services has strict regulations on all of our operations including outside play time and space.”

Among the children at the Center is four-year-old daughter Caroline, the youngest of three children in the family. She comes to work with mom and learns while playing in a room near her mother’s office. There is time for Jessica to chat with her two sons while driving. “I am the taxi driver for fifth-grader Jacob and eighth-grader William, taking them to baseball and basketball practice and games,” she laughs. Husband Nathan joins in after he finishes work as control room operator for Duke Energy at Hyco Lake. “Nathan works twelve-hour swing shifts and then comes here on his days off to help me if I need it. My family has been very supportive and loving,” says the Danville native.

Caroline Testerman, Eli Daniel, Jessica, and Regan Adams. Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography.

n the Danville Community College (DCC) campus, Jessica Testerman is creating a home away from home for children ages six weeks to twelve years. As the new owner and Program Director of Helping Hands Child Development Center, the DCC graduate, mother of three, and former director of the local hospital’s child development center, she has the background, experience, and skills. “My main goal? I don’t want parents to worry about their children while they are at work or in class. They should be focused on their classwork or job not whether their child is safe or having fun or being cared for,” she whispers to a visitor, while walking past rooms with closed doors and napping toddlers.

They engage them and make it fun.”

Photo by Joyce Wilburn

owns the building and property, but everything inside belongs to Helping Hands,” Jessica explains. To further describe the partnership with DCC, she recites a list: “The DCC students in early childhood education are interns here and observe sixty hours a semester. The nursing students observe once a semester as part of their clinicals. The dental hygiene students visit during Dental Health Month to teach the children how to brush their teeth.

Overseeing a staff of six full-time employees and the programs that fill the day from 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. can be stressful at times. Fortunately, that’s a problem with an easy solution.

“I told the staff that if they can’t find me, I’ll be in the nursery holding a baby. It’s my favorite place,” she says softly, while tiptoeing back to her office.

Jessica reiterates that Helping Hands Child Development Center on the DCC campus is a safe, loving, daytime home for dozens of children. From the smile on her face, it appears that is also true for its director.

• Helping Hands Child Development Center is open to the public. In addition to daycare, it also provides before and after-school care and a pre-kindergarten class.

For more information, call 434.793.0040, visit www.dcc.vccs.edu, or email helpinghandscdc1@gmail.com.

We’re

on Danville!

Janet Donna Holley • Gibson Owner Owner

HOLLEY & GibsOn REALTY COMPANY

339 Piney Forest Rd., Danville, VA 24540

Office: (434) 791-2400 Fax: (434) 791-2122 Visit our website at

www.holleyandgibsonrealty.com

Page 6 October 2019

The Application fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg I call Fallen my aunt; she’s not really. Twelve or thirteen years older than me, even though we fought and bickered as I grew up, we were close. And anyway, it didn’t happen to me, what happened to her, to my friend Fallen.

Women are stars, fresh worlds, matters unmated in universes we haven’t yet discovered. And no one is going to ask me, but I wonder what men would do if God turns out to be a woman--no throne, no crown, just a soul-sad wanderer among us, her evereye seeing everything, her every word all true all along, claiming vengeance over peace like sleepy knives honing sharp on our men’s arrogance. I tell you we wouldn’t do what we do to them, if we really thought God wasn’t a man. Noblesse obliges and all that.

I’m the one who found Fallen sitting on the leaked oil-andgrit floor of our garage; it was around dusk. It was getting dark in October, but Mandy Blue wouldn’t go in the garage; my mother Keisha was cussing and smoking and going to get the .45 she doesn’t think I know she keeps locked in a blue-black case under her bed. Keisha said she going to do some thangs; make it right. I was 15 then, and I couldn’t immediately understand why Fallen wouldn’t get up. I thought that maybe they were waiting for me to go in that garage and get her. I was her little Kwon, after all.

I’m not particularly the sensitive type man by choice; it was forced on me, being raised by women, sad women, that is. Their forms and frailties are no mystery to me. For nineteen years I navigated their stoic tears or the sharp tones, their cracked eyes when I disappointed them, mother, “aunt,” friends alike.

Fallen was a friend. And even when they were scream-scolding, with their pointing fingers trembling with rage wrangling silently some promise from me not to be like the rest. I won’t I promise; sometimes I can keep that promise.

So, I go in to pull her up. My mind couldn’t see the ripped skirt and slip, the scrapes, the dead eyes. I saw the busted lip but it didn’t register. Anyway, finally, my heart slowed my brain just as I reached her past the paint cans, by the slightly chipped-worn bedroom furniture Mandy Blue said we were going to sell. And then there was Keisha who had no doubt what had happened, screaming with a loaded gun in her hand she didn’t have a permit for, scaring the neighbors until Mandy Blue made her go inside still crying and cussing.

Fallen wouldn’t come to me. She looked at me like I was a man. I was fifteen, gangly, hurt. I ain’t got the words. Anyway, later, Mama, I mean my mother, Keisha, took Fallen’s two kids into the house, both girls, five and seven, just babies, trembling for their mother who just stared ahead.

Allan, her ex, came running to her, but he knew not to touch her.

She wouldn’t come close to him either. Later, three police came, and one was a female wearing gloves. Anyway, they were the ones who got Fallen out of that garage. Finally, she went with the woman with gloves to the station.

Fallen looked at me like I was a man.

Of course, I don’t remember how the college application worded the essay question now that I’m older, nineteen. It was something about obstacles that defined you. I didn’t think I did the essay right, even years later with my killer-bee anger punctuated with no sting. Hell, I even handwrote it because Fallen was the one I would have asked to type it for me. But they let me into State probably in part because of it. I still remember Mandy Blue tried to get me to write something else, anything else, said I might not get in because of it. My mother, Keisha, stared at me and then told me nothing, just spit in the corner of the front porch and said to write what I damn-well wanted.

I remember calling my essay something stupid, something like “How I Became a Man.” That was my college entry essay. I never told Fallen. We never talk about what happened to her that day.

In fact, we don’t talk much now. I can see how that might be, and I try to accept it. Because it didn’t happen to me, what happened to her, to my friend Fallen. I’m just a man telling it.

Evince Magazine Page 7

Meditation Moment

by Casey Molloy, RYT Oh, hospitality, the masterful art of entertaining and accommodating! Some love to host (you know who you are), while others prefer to be the recipients of superb hospitality. Luckily, those two roles create a perfectly symbiotic relationship. A little hospitality can go a long way, with the ability to transform an experience from mediocre to unforgettable.

Our lives are flush with appointments, meetings, dinner plans, and parties, upon which we tend to impose an expectation of hospitality to a certain degree.

Maintaining a rational level of expectation is the key to being a good guest, patient, coworker, or companion. It is important to discern the difference between our wants and our needs.

Admitting that you have all you really need in this world can

be the catalyst to making the most of each experience and encounter. Having gratitude and appreciating the gracious hosts throughout your day who offer you their time, energy, and effort is of the utmost importance at each of these encounters.

Humanity flourishes when it is grounded on the foundation of positive interactions and time shared with those around us.

Honoring these moments by contributing conversation or even a simple smile can bring you fully into the present. When you are present in each moment, you feel the hospitality of the universe as it surrounds and supports you.

From this centered awareness, we are able to cultivate constant appreciation for the world around us, and we share in the joy of togetherness.

Page 8 October 2019

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service

by Kathy & Ricky Dix

We would like to nominate the staff at Los Tres Magueyes Mexican Restaurant at 2818 Riverside Drive in Danville and especially Bryan Andrade for the Spotting Exceptional Customer Service Award. Some of the nicest folks you’ll ever want to meet work there. On a recent evening, we were greeted by Betty Ochoa* and served by Bryan. He made sure we had plenty of salsa and chips, never an empty glass, and fast, hot food served promptly. There is nothing better.

Los Tres is our restaurant of choice and has been for the past ten years.

There are so many reasons why we enjoy going there. We like the pleasant atmosphere of the quaint patio and the sound of festive music. We also appreciate the new décor, the cleanliness of this establishment, the affordable menu, the delicious food and, of course, exceptional customer service. Thank you, Bryan!

*Betty Ochoa won the Spotting Exceptional Customer Service Award in April of 2012.

Evince and the Danville Pittsylvania Co. Chamber of Commerce want to encourage and recognize exceptional customer service. When someone gives you exceptional service, please let us know.

In 300 words or less, tell us what happened. Email your story to joycewilburn@gmail.com or chamber@dpchamber.org. It’s a nice way to show appreciation for a job well done. We look forward to hearing from you.

Evince Magazine Page 9

Book Clubbing a review by Diane Adkins

The Substitution Order

by Martin Clark

Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. That boilerplate language is often found in the first pages of a book.

It’s found in The Substitution Order, too. But in this case, it’s just not true.

For many years Martin Clark was a circuit court judge in Patrick County, Virginia. This novel, just as his previous ones, is sprinkled with characters who are real people in Patrick and Henry Counties and in Martinsville. Though his readership is wide---he’s been on the New York Times bestseller list— seeing friends and neighbors portrayed as supporting characters in works of fiction adds an element of fun for local readers of Clark’s books.

This book has another hallmark of Clark’s fiction—an intricate plot. Kevin Moore, a Roanoke lawyer of excellent reputation (and completely fictional), falls from grace and is disbarred. On probation, he works at a sandwich shop in Patrick County while he tries to rehabilitate his reputation. He’s making progress, staying clean and sober, when he is approached by a stranger who tries to entice him to take part in an insurance scam worth millions. Moore refuses and disaster ensues. He is set up by those behind the scam so that a weapon is found in his car, and he fails a drug test. His legal situation goes from bad to worse.

All of Clark’s characters are realistically drawn and even the fictional ones ring true for those of us who live in this part of the state. Kevin is a likeable guy who adopts a mongrel dog, helps his co-worker at the sub shop, and is truly sorry for the mess he made of his marriage and career, but his friends, especially fellow lawyers, have difficulty believing the story that he is being framed. As Kevin laments, “Once you make a single mistake, everything else you do is viewed through a warped lens and any new narrative begins with the assumption that you are simply up to more of the same.” Hard to argue with that.

Clark excoriates bureaucracies of several types---legal, higher education, and health care---while creating a tightly plotted, convoluted legal thriller. The ending pulls every seemingly errant plot string together in a satisfying, if somewhat sad, conclusion. Read it to see your neighbors and southern Virginia in a bestselling novel, or because it is a wickedly well-told story by one of our region’s very best writers.

Diane S. Adkins is a retired library director.

Page 10 October 2019

October Calendar Abbreviation Key

• AU=Averett University, 434.791.5600 www.averett.edu • DMFAH=Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, 975 Main St. 434.793.5644 www.danvillemuseum.org • DSC=Danville Science Center, 677 Craghead St. 434.791.5160 www.dsc.smv.org • HNT=Historic North Theatre, 629 North Main St. Danville 434.793.7469 www.TheNorthTheatre.com • PA=Piedmont Arts, 215 Starling Ave, Martinsville 276.632.3221 www.PiedmontArts.org • The Prizery=700 Bruce St., South Boston, 434.572.8339, www.prizery.com

Ongoing

Guided Walking Tours: Millionaires Row, Holbrook Street and Tobacco Warehouse District. Danville Historical Society. www.danvillehistory. org. 434.770.1974.

DMFAH: self-guided audio tours.

Brosville Library: 11948 Martinsville Highway www.pcplib.org 434.685.1285 Danville Public Library: 511 Patton St. readdanvilleva.org 434.799.5195 DPL Westover Branch: 94 Clifton St. www.readdanvilleva.org 434.799.5152 Gretna Library: 207 A Coffey Street, www.pcplib.org 434.656.2579 Gunn Memorial, Caswell County Public Library: 118 Main St, Yanceyville, NC www.caswellcounty. gov/library 336.694.6241 Halifax County Public Library: 177 South Main St. www. halifaxcountylibrary.org 434.476.3357 History Research Center and Library: 340 Whitehead Street, Chatham www.pcplib.org 434.432.8931 Mt. Hermon Library: 4058 Franklin Turnpike www.pcplib.org 434.835.0326 Pittsylvania County Public Main Library: 24 Military Drive, Chatham www.pcplib.org 434.432.3271 South Boston Public Library: 509 Broad St. 434.5575.4228 www.halifaxcountylibrary.org The Children of Langhorne House: 117 Broad St. Danville; a retrospective exhibit; free Sat. 2-5pm

October 1 (thru Oct. 6)

Jane Carter Student Art Exhibition: DMFAH

October 1 - 20

String Theory Project: an exhibit of unique stringed instruments DMFAH

October 5

Masquerade Party: ages 21+ Danville After Hours Rotary $40 eventbrite.com; Cottontail, Craghead St. Healed Broken: drama that reintroduces you to God. $20/$25 HNT 5pm

October 6

Danville Area CROP Walk: dedicated to the memory and legacy of Marie-Louise Crane; Ballou Park 3pm; danvillecropwalk.org

October 7

LEGO Brick Engineers: Create with the bricks provided. All models will be displayed in the DPL Children’s Department. Grades K-5 Registration required 434.799.5195 free 4-5pm Popular Antebellum Humor: presented by Dr. Jennifer Hughes from AU. Halifax Public Library 6:30pm

October 8

Business Expo: Danville Pittsylvania Chamber of Commerce; Institute for Advanced Learning & Research, 150 Slayton Ave. 4-8pm Comic Book Collecting: presented by Stephen Davidson AU Student Center Multipurpose Room Woodland Dr. 6pm free open to public Book Review: The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gates; review by Amanda Paez; hosted by Friends of the DPL di’lishi, 309 Main St. Danville 5:30-7pm refreshments

October 9

Everything Pumpkin: learn how to grow, choose, and use pumpkins.

Watch how to make a flower arrangement with a pumpkin as a vase. Ages 16+ Registration required 434.799.5195.

Heritage Winds: United States Air Force Heritage of America Band. free HNT 7:30pm

October 10

Family History & Genetic Counseling: Cancer Research

& Resource Center free 12:30pm1:45pm YMCA Danville Register at 434.421.3060.

Kiwanis Pancake Day: 115 Broad St. Martinsville; 6:30am-7pm kiwanis.org

October 10 & 11

DCCEF Golf Tournament: ladies’ round 10/10; gentlemen’s rounds 10/11. Tuscarora Country Club. Proceeds go toward creating scholarships. 434.797.8495.

October 11

Drizzle + Drink: Burn + Blow: acrylic paint pouring with instructor Alisha Bennett; focus on funnel drag and the use of a straw and a blowtorch. Bring drinks, snacks or dinner. 6-9pm $35 members/$45 nonmembers Register at PiedmontArts. org or call 276.632.3221 before October 9.

October 12

Community Breakfast: to benefit the United Way of Danville-Pittsylvania County Kickback Jacks, 140 Crown Dr. Danville 8-10:30am pancakes, bacon, tater tots, beverage $8 ticket purchase qualifies for drawing of four Goodyear tires. Purchase at Kickback Jacks or United Way, 308 Craghead St. Danville 434.792.3700 Kinney Rorrer & Friends Concert: DMFAH 2-4pm See page 13.

Jeanette Williams Concert: to benefit Bachelors Hall VFD; 7pm concert follows a 5pm pinto- bean supper; 1301 Berry Hill Road, Danville $7; 434.685.3394 Kruger Brothers: worldrenowned innovative acoustic music of Jens and Uwe Kruger, and Joel Landsberg blending classical and folk music, wellknown for their “Dueling Banjos” in the film Deliverance Danville Community Market 7:30pm beverages for sale

by Ballad Brewing 6:30pm www. danvilleconcert.org 434.792.9242.

Comedy Night: Kevin Lee’s journey to fame is emotional, authentic, funny and captivating. Enjoy good clean award- winning fun. $15. HNT 7:30pm

October 13

Celebrate: local churches coming

October 2019

S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

together in song; Ringgold Baptist Church, 4620 Ringgold Church Rd., Ringgold 5pm

October 15

Book Review: The Life of Camilla Williams: African American Classical Singer and Opera Diva

by Camilla Williams and Stephanie Shonekan: review by Fred Motley DPL 5:30-7pm refreshments

October 17

Health Summit: Join the Health Collaborative. Cottontail Event Venue, Craghead St. Danville 8:30am-1:30pm free An Evening of Concert Music: featuring soprano Dr. Louise Toppin; High Street Baptist Church 630 High St. 7pm free danvilleconcert.org

October 18

AU Homecoming Hometown Party: Community Market 6:30pm open to all www.alumni@averett.edu Glow with the Flow: race and block party Main Street Plaza $20 434.799.5150 Opening Reception: Hands, Head, Heart: Jill Jensen and Wild and Colorful World of Barbara Kobylinska.

5:30-7:30pm free Exhibits on display at PA until January 4, 2020.

Mix & Mingle: DMFAH free 5:3o-7pm Of Ghosts and Stories: live music and storytelling; Crema & Vine,1009 Main St. Danville hosted by DPL 7pm

October 18 & 19

Murder at the Pie Auction: The Prizery 6pm

October 19

Cars & Coffee: hosted by Old Dominion Classic Sports Car Club 9-10:30 am Crema & Vine, 1009 Main Street, Danville 434.548.9862 Main St. Art Collective 1st Anniversary Celebration: free art demonstrations, music, food 326 Main St. Danville 11am-5pm AU Homecoming Football: vs NC Wesleyan 6pm $10/$5 for children + seniors; under age 5 are free Danville Half Marathon: 8am DanvilleRunner.org 434.793.3409 Fall River Clean-Up: DSC free 9amnoon 434.799.5150 Bus to Broadway Aladdin: $115 trip only/ $125 with boxed lunch Bus departs PA 11 am for a 2 pm performance in NC. Guests may bring lunch or snacks. Tickets at PiedmontArts.org

The deadline for submitting information for the November calendar is Sunday, October 20, at 5:00 p.m. Please send just the basic information following the format on these pages to joycewilburn@gmail.com.

Evince Magazine Page 11 100th Birthday Celebration for Camilla Williams: HNT 1-4pm

October 19 & 20

Second Annual Axton Fall Festival: www.mtnvalleyartisanbarn. com

October 21 (thru Dec. 2)

AU Student Art Exhibit: Mary Blount Library, West Main St.

October 22

I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness

by Austin Channing Brown: review by Marilyn Gunter; O’Kelly’s 875 Piney Forest Rd. 5:30-7pm hosted by DPL; refreshments

October 23

Picnic on the Plaza: See Photo Finish page 15.

Book Review: The Book I Wish I Had Written; Pictures I Wish I Had Taken presented by Danville native, Barry Koplen, author, poet, photographer and world traveler 3:45pm free, open to the public; refreshments at 3:15pm Koplen will share his fascinating life, interests, and pursuits. See his photographs, some from his world travels others from his “Men at Work” series taken in Danville. The Wednesday Club, 1002 Main St. Danville

October 24 & 25

Ghosts & Gravestones of Grove Street: Smokestack Theatre & DMFAH $15-$13 6:30pm 7pm 7:30pm 8pm

October 25

Haunted Zip: Skate Park - Dan Daniel Park, Danville 6-8pm ages 8+ $12 Blues, Brews + Stews: GravelyLester Art Garden 6 pm $20/$5 ages 12 and younger Tickets at PiedmontArts.org.

Chatham Concert Series: The Saturn Piano Quintet with bassist Yi-wen Evans Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 66 N. Main St. Chatham 7pm

October 26

Smoke & Mirrors: the health effects of radon, vapes, Juuls, cigarettes and smokeless tobacco; speakers from VCU and the American Lung Association free, open to the public 8am-2pm. register 434.421.3060 Downtown South Boston Trail of Treats: 11am-1pm street carnival games, candy scavenger hunt, prizes, food www.infodowntownsobo.com 434.575.4209 Danville Symphony Orchestra Concert: free classical season opening gala GWHS Auditorium, 701 Broad St. 7:20pm www.danvillesymphony.net Halloween Spooktacular Magic Show: starring Celebrity Magician Wayne Alan featuring scary magic and illusions. $20/$15/$10 HNT. 7:30pm

October 27

Opening Reception Danville Art League Exhibit: DMFAH 2:30-4:30pm free and open to the public; paintings in oils, acrylics and watercolor; photography, digital art, graphite and charcoal drawings, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry and more. Artists will be present to answer questions and art will be for sale.

Award winners will be announced.

To receive a show prospectus call 951.415.0312. Exhibit runs through December 20.

Kayak Trip-Fall Foliage: Dan River ages 8+ Register by October 21. $12 10am-noon 434.799.5150

October 29

CyberUp Summit: How vulnerable are you? Safeguard your digital assets. AU 10am-3:30pm free Lunch provided. www.sptc-va.org 434.766.6771. October 15.

The Toll by Cherie Priest: review

by David Worrell Crema & Vine, 1009 Main St, Danville 5:30-7pm refreshments hosted by DPL

October 30

Mark Gignac Presentation: Executive Director of the Institute of Advanced Learning & Research will talk about its growth. The Wednesday Club 1002 Main St. free open to all 3:15pm

October 31

Market Monster Mash: Trunk-orTreat; activities free 5pm Community Market & DSC area 434.793.4636

Plan Ahead November 1 Howling Halloween: Enjoy the music of Jerry Wilson and the Rocking Soul Band, food, cash bar, 50/50 raffle and a Halloween costume contest. The Community Center, 115 S. Main St., Chatham. 7-11pm. $20. 434.483.7458 Night of the Living Dead: This cult classic movie was heavily criticized at its release for its explicit gore. It eventually garnered critical acclaim. $7.

HNT 7:30pm

Leadercast Women: nine women leaders will share inspirational stories of courage while teaching steps to change lives; Institute of Advanced Learning & Research; 9am-4pm www.dpchamber.org

November 2

Shred Out Hunger: Bring papers to be shredded for donations of canned goods and/or toiletry items/cleaning products to God’s Storehouse, 750 Memorial Drive Danville. 9am-12pm. www.godsstorehouse.org 434.793.3663.

November 2 & 3

A Salute to Pittsylvania Patriots: Yates Tavern, 29 Business, Gretna 10am-3pm. living history with 18th century reenactors 434.203.1252

November 3

Celebrate: local churches coming together in song; The River Church, 120 River Oak Blvd. 6pm

November 9

Paws & Claws: Danville Area Humane Society fundraiser. Music by The Pazazz Band, heavy vegetarian hors d’oeuvres, silent auction, cash bar and photo booth. $35/$40.

Cottontail Event Venue, Craghead St. 6pm.

Page 12 October 2019

D

id you know that the primary reason customers choose to purchase a particular wine and join wine clubs is not price, wine quality, or the view at the winery?

In a Wine Industry Advisor article, Elizabeth Smith writes that excellent hospitality has a direct impact on sales. Also, Tammy Boatright is quoted in the article as saying: “I think the best hospitality associates have a natural affinity for taking care of others. This cannot be trained.

Wine knowledge can be trained, and processes can be taught, but a service heart is a necessary characteristic.”

I once received less than stellar hospitality when ordering a glass of Viognier. I pronounced it vee-OWNnyay. The waiter sternly corrected me saying, “It’s pronounced veeON-yay.” I did not comment but remembered reading an article in Wine Spectator stating that there are different and acceptable ways to pronounce Viognier. I use veeOWN-nyay because I learned that pronunciation first. I didn’t order another glass of wine, but I tipped the waiter even though he needed to learn a little more about hospitality.

There are six makings of Southern hospitality according to the lifestyle

magazine Southern Living: politeness, home cooking, kindness, helpfulness, charm and charity. Most of these qualities, such as politeness, take time to develop and can’t be hurried. Tasting Virginia’s signature grape, Viognier, also requires time for wine lovers to stop and smell its floral aromas and enjoy its lighter flavors of tangerine, mango and honeysuckle.

Photo by Dave Slayton

A welcome sign greets visitors at the entrance to Hamlet Vineyards in Bassett, Virginia.

The Wine Spot Hospitality at Hamlet Vineyards

by Dave Slayton

a member of the Master Court of Sommeliers

The 2018 Viognier at Hamlet Vineyards in Bassett, Virginia, was a Gold Medal Winner at the Atlantic Seaboard Wine Competition and a Silver Medal Winner at the Virginia Governor’s Cup. Some aficionados believe that Virginia Viognier might be the best Viognier made outside of Condrieu--an area specializing in Viognier near the community of Vienne within the Northern Rhone Valley in France. If you appreciate good wine, good food and hospitality, I suggest visiting Hamlet Vineyards during October, Virginia Wine Month, and taste it. I think you’ll be glad you did. Cheers!

Editor’s Note: Dave Slayton received the Spotting Exceptional Customer Service Award in August 2017 for his hospitality and service at Vintages by the Dan on Main Street in Danville.

Evince Magazine Page 13

Where’s the Music?

The String Theory Project

by Larry Wilburn

A

n exhibit of rare

and unusual

stringed instruments entitled The String Theory Project recently opened at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History (DMFAH). Located in the Schoolfield Gallery, visitors will find over thirty instruments, see a very rare collection of old recordings of “Wreck of the Old 97” (some by Danville natives), and periodically take in a concert.

This exciting ensemble of dulcimers, fiddles, banjos, autoharps and guitars reveals a variety of locally-made, old and new exquisite instruments.

Attendees can marvel at the skill of a tinsmith who crafted a banjo from what appears to be the bottom of a milk can. A fiddle made from copper sits alongside a crudely fashioned wooden one that hails directly from the mountains of western Virginia. Perhaps the oddest item is a double-neck, twelvestring guitar designed and built by a furniture maker from Martinsville in 1929 (see photo). A favorite among visitors is a Martin D-10 guitar signed by members of REO Speedwagon and Styx.

Elegant craftsmanship is also on display with guitars built by Jeff Liverman, Tom Townsend and Phil Baughman. For anyone looking for a weekend project, be sure to notice the 1950’s-era book published by Popular Mechanics entitled How to Build Your Own Stradavarius.

Photo by Wenn Harold

With a nod to the local mill culture, Kinney Rorrer, former host of “Back to the Blue Ridge” on WVTF, has loaned photos of millworkers/musicians he calls “Millbillies.” When they came to work in the mills, these men brought their mountain music and instruments with them.

Rorrer and Friends will tell stories and perform in a concert on Saturday, October 12, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the DMFAH Auditorium.

• The String Theory Project exhibit runs through Sunday, October 20. A color catalogue is available for visitors to use as a guide. It explains the provenance of the instruments and gives viewers a glimpse into the rich musical history this area of Virginia offers.

Souvenir catalogues are available for sale in the Museum’s gift shop.

• For more information call 434.793.5644 or visit DMFAH, 975 Main Street.

If readers would like to recommend a local musician for a future article, email lewilburn46@gmail.com with contact information.

Page 14 October 2019

Pineapple Upside-Down Skillet Cake = Hospitality Cake

Reflecting Forward Hospitality is …

by Annelle Williams

The pineapple has long been a sign of welcome and hospitality beginning back when sea captains traveled to the Caribbean and returned with exotic fruits, spices and rum. Tradition says that pineapples were so rare that only the wealthiest could buy and serve them to their most honored guests. This led to the use of the pineapple image in buildings, furniture, and art to symbolize a welcoming gesture of hospitality, even when the real thing couldn’t be served.

George Washington wrote in his diary that he liked the taste of the tropical fruit. At today’s prices, he would pay nearly $8,000 for a single pineapple. It’s good that we can pick one up and enjoy it for about $4! In 1903 when Mr. Dole began canning pineapple slices, it made the fruit available to everyone. Hence, the Pineapple Upside-Down Skillet Cake came into being as people turned to their iron skillets for baking. I added the rum and cinnamon to give you an even warmer feeling of hospitality when enjoying a slice of this very traditional cake.

Pineapple Upside-Down Skillet Cake (Adapted from Delishably Blog) 14 T butter, divided, room temperature 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup pecan pieces 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 cup dark rum 6 maraschino cherries

6 slices canned or fresh pineapple, drained 2 cups flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda pinch of salt

1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 1 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup rum

Preheat oven to 350°. Place 10-inch iron skillet over medium heat. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in skillet. Add pecans. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add 3/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, and rum. Stir until brown sugar is melted into butter. Arrange pineapple slices in skillet with a cherry in the center of each one. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove pan from heat and allow to cool.

Cream remaining butter (10 T) with white and brown sugars. Add one egg at a time, mixing after each to combine. In another bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Combine buttermilk and rum.

Add 1/3 buttermilk and 1/3 flour mixture to sugar mixture. Add buttermilk and flour in two more batches, mixing after each. Spoon the batter over the cooled pineapples with a large spoon and spread evenly. Bake for 25-35 minutes until cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool for only 5 minutes before turning onto a serving plate. If you wait too long, sugar will harden.

Don’t worry if you have to do some spooning and rearranging.

Questions or comments?

Email me: AnnelleWilliams@comcast.net I look forward to hearing from you!

by Linda Lemery

H

ospitality makes people feel welcome, whether they are guests in our homes, visiting our workplaces, or touring our city. So, come on in, have a seat, take your shoes off, and enjoy some homemade Evince pie.

Some of the ingredients for making people feel welcome include: 1. A ready environment. At home, I have clean sheets on the bed, a place to store luggage, and space where visitors can retreat. Though we usually know when visitors to our home are coming, with our workplaces and our city, sometimes we don’t. We just have to be ready. Some of the things we do at home we can also do in other places to make unexpected visitors feel both welcomed and expected. At work, I try to tidy up whenever I see a public space that’s in disarray. When we’re out walking at night, I carry bags to pick up trash. It’s surprising how much difference can be made on those nightly walks.

Maybe litterers who see us will become more responsible.

2. A plan for sustenance. At home, this means marinating or roasting food or having snacks and drinks. I’ve noticed that some businesses have a coffeemaker to provide patrons with a warm drink while they wait for a private meeting. That’s very welcoming. At restaurants, rapid service translates to being ready. This means a waitperson is there to take orders, deliver food, and smooth over any wrinkles in the dining experience. (See page 8) 3. Smiles and conversation.

I’m so happy to see our home guests that I sometimes run out and hug them when they get out of their cars. Of course there are smiles and conversation.

We have a lot to catch up on

and we reserve time for that.

An introvert by nature, I’ve learned to compensate conversationally.

It’s easier for me to move past my introversion at home with people we know, but, in the workplace and in our city, I may be called upon to share information with people I don’t know. Customer service training can help with this. In conversation, we all improve with practice, just like athletes practicing on the field or writers honing their craft.

A friend of mine gave me an illuminating article* about conversations between friends.

It states that conversations: allow people to share information, not as an argument that someone eventually wins, but rather as a non-judgmental information exchange. Conversations help both parties understand that equal time should be given to speaking and listening and may build the habit of paying attention, which is a strong contributor to critical thinking.

So what does this have to do with hospitality? Conversation that is engaging and memorable for both parties shows a sincere interest in people and makes them feel welcome.

This brings me to my last point: the foundation of helping people feel welcome is preparation, which drives us to clean up whatever environment we share, organize for food or services, exhibit welcoming behaviors, and learn to converse.

Like everything else, I’m a work-inprogress: always preparing, never quite prepared enough. Maybe that’s what growth is all about. *Kerwick, Jack. Against “practical” knowledge. www.frontpagemag.com.

About the Author: When she’s not trying to figure out why she’s laughing, Linda Lemery llemery@averett.edu works as Circulation Manager at Averett University’s Mary B. Blount Library in Danville. She welcomes reader comments.

Evince Magazine Page 15

Photo Finish

Phillip Gardner, Chairman of the United Way Board, and Blooper give the campaign a thumbs up.

Jackie Rochford organizes the monthly Picnic on the Plaza.

She is also helping with the 2019 CROP Walk on October 6. See Calendar on page 10.

United Way Campaign Kicks Off at Picnic on the Plaza

After rain caused the United Way to cancel its 2019 Campaign Kick Off at a Danville Braves game, Blooper came to the Main Street Plaza in Danville to greet supporters and officially begin the fundraiser in August.

Phillip Gardner, United Way Board Chair explains, “This event signifies the official start of our annual campaign which will run from now through December. Employee campaigns will begin throughout Danville and Pittsylvania County in the coming weeks.” Many United Way supporters and representatives from the sixteen programs funded by the United Way enjoyed the $4.00 lunch, served by United Way Ambassador volunteers.

The public is invited to the last United Way Picnic on the Plaza scheduled for Wednesday, October 23, from 11:45 a.m. until 1:45 p.m.

Waiting in the sunny buffet line are: (front to back) Alan Hepler, Monica Karavanic, and Michael Williams.

Vanessa Scearce, Rhonda Dark, and David Gusler stand in the shade.

Leon Zimmermann III adjusts the United Way banner.

United Way President and CEO, Jennifer Smith, talks with Cathy Gore.

Campaign Coordinator Vicki Robertson stands ready to distribute info about United Way.

Stephen Falden holds his plate while Sandy Wingate and Barbara Robertson serve cole slaw and chicken.

For more information about United Way call 434.792.3700, visit www.unitedwaydpc.org or 308 Craghead Street. Become a part of the 2019 campaign by donating at your workplace or on the website.

Traci Petty, United Way Director of Public Relations and Operations, and J.P. “Slim” Parrish from 105.9 Country Legends watch the crowd enjoy lunch.

Tim Melton retrieves a bottle of water for Emily Mahan.

Photos by Von Wellington For more info visit www.vonwellington photography.com or call 434.770.3553. See more pictures on Facebook.

The buffet line moves quickly for those who must return to work.

Blooper is surrounded by his fans.

Volunteer Lynn Lawrence collects lunch money from Ted Laws.

Robyn Raines, Tina Graham, and Jacob Graham enjoy every bite of the picnic.

Page Page 16 16October October 2019 2019