Evince_0114_WEB by Andrew Brooks Media Group

Second Thoughts Perchance to Dream Page 11

Amanda McBride

Christy Dawson

Seeking Community Involvement Page 20

Putting Family First at Home and at Work Page 3

January 2014

Photo by Lona Kokinda

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Editor’s Note

Almost every story and column in the next 28 pages has a nugget of advice for making 2014 a stellar year. Amanda McBride, who is pictured on the cover, has found that setting priorities keeps her calm and gives balance to a hectic life. Her story on page 3 could help you do the same. Christy Dawson, a promoter of high expectations for herself and others, invites you to become involved with the youngsters who surround her because she knows you will both beneﬁt. Read about it on page 20. When the New Year’s ball dropped, was it a reminder that you were getting older? Not to worry. Read the book review on page 23 of Younger Next Year. Now that sounds like a deal, doesn’t it? Annelle Williams has cooked up some bits of wisdom for overachievers along with another delicious recipe on page 25. Even if you don’t have young children, read Britta Petrich’s article on page 9 because her observations apply to all ages. Ciji Moore of Get Fit Dan River Region warns, “Don’t Over Commit in 2014.” The title alone is worth remembering, but read the rest of the story on page 7 for more guidance. A balanced life is something that Kim Clifton can only dream about and unfortunately, she doesn’t dream very often. For a good laugh read Perchance to Dream on page 11. Our newest feature Photo Finish is on the last inside pages. Do you like it? Write and let us know what we’re doing right and what we should change. Otherwise, we won’t be able to make 2014 the best ever for our readers.

January Contents Editor’s Note

Amanda McBride / Putting Family First at Home and at Work by Joyce Wilburn

She Said He Said / The Car Story by Dena Hill & Larry Oldham

Don’t Over Commit in 2014 by Ciji Moore

Finding the Parent’s Sweet Spot by Britta Petrich

THE

OICE OF 2014

CEO / Publisher Andrew Scott Brooks President Larry Oldham (434.728.3713) larry@evincemagazine.com Editor Joyce Wilburn (434.799.3160) joycewilburn@gmail.com Associate Editors Larry G. Aaron (434.792.8695) larry.aaron@gmail.com Jeanette Taylor

11 Second Thoughts / Perchance to Dream by Kim Clifton

Contributing Writers

Dr. Jeff The Family Vet by Dr. Jeff Smith

Diane Adkins, Janet Aponte, Malinda Bowles, Kim Clifton, Patsi Compton, Leslie Dobbins, Crystal Gregory, Dena Hill, Telisha Moore Leigg, Linda Lemery, Ciji Moore, Larry Oldham, Susan Paynter, Britta Petrich, Annette Roncoglione, Jeff Smith, Joyce Wilburn, Annelle Williams, Mack Williams

12 Spotting Exceptional Customer Service by Joyce Wilburn 13 Iron and Tulle / Fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg

Business Manager Paul Seiple(1.877.638.8685) paul@evincemagazine.com

14 Calendar Clips

Director of Sales & Marketing Larry Oldham (434.728.3713) larry@evincemagazine.com

16 Calendar 18 Where Can I Find an Evince? 19 Reﬂecting Forward / Balancing Act by Linda Lemery 20 Christy Dawson / Seeking Community Involvement by Crystal Gregory 22 PCP Library Special Events 23 Book Clubbing / Younger Next Year for Women a review by Diane Adkins 24 Walking Past Danville’s Past by Mack Williams 25 Around the Table / An Over-Scheduler Makes Plans by Annelle Williams 26 Photo Finish

On the Cover:

Cover photos of Amanda McBride and Christie Dawson by Michelle Dalton Photography. See stories on page 3 and 20.

Sales Associates 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 February stories, articles, ads, and calendar items is Monday, January 20, at 5 p.m. Submit stories and articles to: joyce@evincemagazine.com. Submit calendar items by Wednesday, January 15, at 5 p.m. to www.showcasemagazine.com for Evince and Showcase. For ad information contact a sales associate or sales manager above.

Editorial Policies:

Don’t Forget to Pick Up the January RAVE Edition of Showcase Magazine Featuring this years RAVE Award Winners

Meet Some of Our Contributors

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.

EVINCE MAGAZINE 753 Main St. Suite 3, Danville, VA 24541 www.evincemagazine.com © 2014 All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part in any medium without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.

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Leslie Dobbins is the Director of the Conference Center at the Institute for Advanced Learning & Research.

Ciji Moore is the Outreach Coordinator for Get Fit Dan River Region, 308 Craghead Street. www.getﬁtdanriver.org.

Telisha Moore Leigg’s ﬁction has been published in magazines and anthologized. She teaches Japanese and magazine journalism at George Washington High School. She is a wife and a mother of four-year-old twin boys.

Kim Demont is the owner of Demont Design in downtown Danville and the Art & Production Director for Evince Magazine.

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Evince Magazine property, changed its name to Danville Mall and began renovation. “We went from the mall being almost gutted with no ceiling and walking on concrete surfaces to this beautiful transformation,” she says looking around the upper level at the classic white columns, pendant lighting and sound-mufﬂing carpet. “I wasn’t too sure about the carpeting,” she confesses, “but when I saw it the morning after it was laid, it took my breath away it was so beautiful.” Another improvement that Hull Storey Gibson made that complements one of Amanda’s guiding principles is the Family First Program. “My favorite thing that they have done here is the introduction of a policy on Friday and Saturday nights from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. It states that minors 18 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. That means come to the Mall and come with your family. It’s a wonderful shopping environment and experience now,” she says, noting that the program had a smooth implementation. “The community respected that decision,” she adds. Handling a job that can be chaotic and stressful requires a good support system and Amanda has that covered. “God is with me and gets me through the little trials and problems and helps me work it out

Amanda McBride Putting Family First at Home and Work by Joyce Wilburn Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography

manda McBride is a woman of ﬁrm convictions. The Operations and Marketing Manager at the Danville Mall on Piedmont Drive and Liberty Fair Mall in Martinsville is a selfdescribed woman of faith, always puts family ﬁrst, and never gives less than 100% to any task. Setting those priorities early in her career has provided balance to what would otherwise be a crazy schedule and a hectic lifestyle.

“I know them and their children and care about my relationship with them.” Her association with store personnel began shortly after graduating from Averett University in 2006. With a bachelor’s degree in business administration on her resume, she quickly garnered the position of administrative assistant at Piedmont Mall. “I started on Monday, November 18, 2008,” she says with obvious delight. To say she has seen a lot of changes in the last ﬁve years would be an understatement.

“It feels like the Mall is my world sometimes,” says the Martinsville native without complaint and then explains, “It’s a 24/7 job, but I try to keep a balance and stay focused on what’s important.” What’s important includes her husband of ten years and their beautiful daughter, Haylee, the ﬁrst baby born in Martinsville in 2007. She explains that the Mall tenants are also like family,

During her tenure, Boscov’s closed and the company that owned Piedmont Mall ﬁled for bankruptcy. “In September 2010, I became the associate property manager and in April 2011 we transitioned to being managed by a third party company and owned by a lender. It was a tough time,” she admits. But brighter days were just around the corner. In March 2012, Hull Storey Gibson Companies purchased the

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daily. I am very blessed,” she says. Listed among her blessings is husband Eric. “He is a voluntold,” she jokes playing on the word volunteer. “He’s a good man and is supportive of whatever I do. Also, I couldn’t function without my parents who babysit our daughter most of the time. God, my husband, my family, my staff, my tenants --I’m surrounded by a wonderful support system,” she notes, while waving to the morning walkers whom she refers to as her buddies and then adds, “It’s hard to balance career and family, but it helps to stay focused on my priorities: God ﬁrst, family next, and then everything else.” Amanda has put family at the heart of her life which is a nice coincidence because at her homeaway-from-home, Danville Mall, families have also been placed ﬁrst in the order of priorities. • For more information about Danville Mall, visit www.hullstoreygibson.com. Click on Mall Properties or visit www.danvillemall.com • Danville Mall, 325 Piedmont Drive, is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. and Sunday noon until 6:00 p.m.

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January 2014

SHE SAID

HE SAID

by Dena Hill

by Larry Oldham

The Car Story Now it’s my turn to yak about you and your new car (well, new to you anyway). When we bought our CRV (compact recreational vehicle), you teased me unmercifully at home, in the magazine, and to friends and family about how much I loved the car more than you. I paid more attention to the car; I washed the car; I parked a mile away from my destination so it wouldn’t get scratched--on and on and on. Well, after your car died, you drove mine for a week. Now I know who got little dings, dents and scratches on it so let’s not even go there.

Well, you told part of the story and you even got some of it right. Now for the rest of the story. Yes, I did buy another car while you were at work. I had talked about getting another car and could not decide what to buy. All of the times we went to the car lots, you acted agitated like you needed to be home to paint your toe nails or something. I never saw the excitement in your eyes about buying another car.

She said

I did join with you in parking your car away from others and I did notice the care you gave it daily. I couldn’t help but notice that you started sleeping in the car all night, The real slap leaving me in the face alone in our was when you bed. (Okay, bought your I might have car. I wanted embellished to see what it that part a looked like, but little.) I am I wasn’t invited glad to see Photo by to go along on you show care Michelle Dalton Photography. the shopping for your car. trip. The day That gives me hope that as I age you you bought your car, you said you will bathe and feed me and sit me far would pick me up in your new car. I away from people who might want to stood at the door waiting for you. It scratch me. was dark outside. All I knew was that

He Said

your car was black. Lo and behold, what did I see? The CRV! I got in and asked you what happened to your car and (Readers, are you ready for this?) you said, “It was raining and I didn’t want to get it dirty.” To add salt to the wound, when I ﬁnally got to ride in your chariot, you told me to brush my shoes off and not to leave an empty cup in the holder. I feel like Cinderella’s coachman has turned back into a rat!

About driving your car on the night in question in the pouring rain-- I did that so you could see my car the next day all spruced up and clean. Your car was already dirty and wet from the rain. Let’s agree to keep both cars clean and well preserved, much like I trust you will do for me as I age gracefully. He Said / She Said can be found in Showcase Magazine.

Evince Magazine

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January 2014

Education Station Introducing Terri Bowman as Center Director at Sylvan Learning of Danville

After 19 years of teaching elementary school, I have made a career change to join the team of educators at Sylvan Learning of Danville. I am excited to carry on my influence with children and families in the area, but now I’m in a different venue. I come from a family of educators - with three sisters and a husband in education - but I’m the first to venture into private, supplemental education services like Sylvan. Even though I was a teacher at Westover Christian Academy in Danville, I honestly knew very little about Sylvan, other than what we all have seen on TV and online. I’m so new to Sylvan and still learning all that we do, yet I am very impressed with what Sylvan does and how we do it. Sylvan is a perfect complement to any student’s education plan. Sylvan is meant to address academic needs that influence a student’s success in the classroom – in public school, private school, or homeschool. Whether it’s a student who’s struggling in school and worried about retention in a current grade year, or someone who’s just not challenged enough in school, Sylvan can help students at all ends of the education spectrum. I have found a highly capable group of skilled teachers

at Sylvan who love to teach and help students learn. The entire team is focused on each individual student’s needs. Sylvan has a system designed around each student and the education goals their family has, and the system works! The Sylvan Insight assessment starts the process to help us learn how that student is performing when compared to their peers and to the family’s goals. Then a personalized plan is created to teach the skills that child needs to improve and reach their goals. What a dream for any teacher! At Sylvan our teachers work with students on each skill until they MASTER it, not just “pass” it. Every teacher can relate to how nice this system is, for inevitably the pacing of the curriculum that has to be covered over a school year forces teachers to move on to the next lesson, even though we know some students haven’t yet mastered the current lesson. Sylvan moves ahead only after the student demonstrates their mastery of the skills. I am still learning, but I would look forward to helping any of our readers learn more about how Sylvan can help their child catch up, keep up, or get ahead! Call me today, so we can get started.

Evince Magazine

Don’t Over Commit in 2014 by Ciji Moore Education & Outreach Coordinator, Get Fit Dan River Region Happy New Year! Have you started on that New Year’s resolution, yet? You know the one where you commit to joining the gym and promise to work out every day to lose those pesky love handles and extra weight you gained last year. Sound familiar? Sometimes we can over commit when we have so little time in the day to go towards the things we really need to accomplish and sometimes exercise is at the bottom of this list and it never gets done. The next thing you know—boom! It’s a new year with the same resolution. How about starting 2014 with ﬁnding some balance? Often it’s hard to add a workout to a hectic schedule. When trying to balance your workout with your busy day, don’t over commit to doing something you know you can’t do. Set realistic goals--not the goal where you lose 50 pounds in one month. First, that will take tons of

dedication and loads of hard work. Second, it’s impossible. Making a resolution to be healthier in 2014 should be fun and something you look forward to each day. It should also ﬁt into your schedule-- whether it is 10 minutes or 30 minutes. I know making time for working out and trying to balance life can be overwhelming at times, but the one thing to remember is never give up. If you are tired of constantly starting over, then don’t quit! Set realistic goals each month and take it day by day. Commit to doing some type of physical activity you enjoy and just do it. Forget the fad diets and magic pills. With persistence you’ll see a difference in how you look and how you feel. • For more information on living healthy, visit Get Fit Dan River Region at 308 Craghead Street Suite 102B, call 434.770.9137, or visit www.getﬁtdanriver.org.

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January 2014

Evince Magazine

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Finding the Parent’s Sweet Spot of Balance by Britta Petrich When I was pregnant with my daughter, I wondered how I would be able to balance the individual needs of two small children at once. Of course, centuries of women have achieved this and some with more than two offspring. I knew if I gave it my all, life with two would fall into place, yet I also knew ﬁnding the sweet spot of balance was something I would have to learn along the way. To say the least, I was uncertain. Last January, my baby girl was born and the delicate task of balancing newborn needs and toddler needs began. Now, one year later is a natural time to evaluate the direction of a forever swinging pendulum in the parenting arena. Both children have birthdays this month, so I begin 2014 with a one-yearold and a three-year-old. Have I found the right formula to keep my attention from swinging too far toward my daughter’s needs or too far toward my son’s needs? Have I found the answers to equal attention and fairness between them at all times? Not really. Instead, I have learned that my pendulum swings back and forth with every new stage. I have also found the sweet spot in the middle where I happily and conﬁdently rest on occasion, but my equilibrium never stays that way too long.

Over the last year I have learned to recognize the who-needs-me-most moments from the I-need-timefor-myself moments in order to ﬁgure out which way the inertia is pulling me. Carving out precious moments of kid-free time almost always re-centers the forces of parenting responsibilities between more than one child. Prioritizing a few off-duty hours to write, jog with a friend, have a movie night on the couch with my husband, or grab a drink with the girls usually leads to a more natural rhythm. Part of that rejuvenation also includes time to simply be still. Only then do I ﬁnd myself back in that sweet spot of balance at home with my children. Then, I can assess new ways to engage two growing little minds while simultaneously creating boundaries. I can balance my son’s thirst for new challenges with a consistent discipline plan when he steps out of line and balance my daughter’s intense curiosity with the “No” to keep her away from danger. This year I continue to strive for the art of parenting as a mother of two -- with much more certainty than I had last January. In fact, I will not reread this article to make sure I made the same number of references about my son as I did about my daughter. Instead, I will sit back and continue to watch their budding personalities with equal love.

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January 2014

Evince Magazine Sufficient air flow is also made possible by the nasal coils sold at CVS. The good news is that I could snort a bowling ball when I wear them. The bad news is I look like Petunia Pig. I’ve tried Breathe Right strips, but unfortunately, I need a stronger adhesive to flare my nostrils. Duct tape works but rips the skin off my face. Of course, I also breathe through my mouth which leaves my throat drier than the Mojave Desert. Repeated spritzes of water from a squirt bottle really just tease my thirst rather than help it. Even so, any amount of water greater than a drop of dew will send me repeatedly answering the call of nature.

Perchance to Dream Hollywood is quick to provide us with explicit movies showing how to sleep with someone. Oh please...enough of that already. It’s more important to know how to sleep beside someone. Before you stuff this magazine under a mattress, rest assured my essay is only about slumber...or at least my attempts at it. This Evince Voice of 2014 issue focuses on the signiﬁcance of a balanced life. If you’ve read my columns, you know that there is little about me that’s balanced. From my checkbook to my thought processes, my world is about as upright as the Tower of Pisa. It’s not that I don’t know how important a good night’s sleep is. It’s just that I don’t know how to get one. And if I do, I’m too shocked to remember how it happened. In fact, I’m so grateful that I’d write a check if I knew who I owed. What comes naturally to babies all the time and to men after dinner is nearly impossible for middle-aged women at night. For us, conditions have to be ideal. Minds must be cleared, rooms must be darkened

and linens must be soft. That’s just the short list. There are tons of other distractions such as ringing telephones, running dishwashers and roaming pets. When I enter our room, the bed stands ready for combat. We both know that dreams await beneath the covers but I can’t claim them until they’re earned. Every night I box springs and pillows until one of us caves in... usually me. I gave up on actual rest years ago. For now, I’m only asking for sleep; rest is something I look forward to in my next life. Sleep is a hard gig to book and something I can’t have without assistance. Beside me is a nightstand hosting a full tray of pharmaceuticals to get me through the night. I have nasal sprays so our cat and I can cohabitate. There’s also a tube of nasal gel, which means instead of sneezing stuff out, I’m smearing it in. Let’s just say it’s expensive and gross and let it go. Even with all that, sleep still eludes me if there is even the slightest twinge of pain, so I also have an assortment of Tylenol, leg cramp tablets, and muscle rub ointments within easy reach for repeated dosing during the night.

While I’ve got a box full of things that help me start breathing, my husband has to wear an apparatus to make sure he doesn’t stop. His CPAP machine, complete with a goggle facemask and snorkeltubing, is plugged into a device that looks like a clock radio. I’ve grown so accustomed to the ampliﬁed breathing that I’d rather hear it than a white-noise machine. Besides those that broadcast the sound of ocean waves work faster on my bladder than putting my hand in a bowl of warm water. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my mouth guard, although it’s more for protection than sleep. Thicker than the ones they issue to NFL players, this guard keeps my teeth from being worn down from my grinding, the force of which has been likened to that of a great white shark. Lastly, while most people sleep on their sides, stomachs or back, few sleep like me...on a wedge. My triangle-shaped base pillow props me high to prevent acid reﬂux, but means I have to swat the ceiling fan chain out of the way whenever I turn over. Hollywood goes to great strides to show real life but they never get it right. Just once, I would love to see a movie where Jennifer Aniston pushes away George Clooney from their slumber party because of his killer morning breath. Daybreak at my house is not as pretty as it is in the movies. I look like Porky Pig’s linebacker girlfriend and Robert sounds like Darth Vader, but it’s more realistic. And is the stuff dreams are made of...at least ours.

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January 2014

Spotting Exceptional Customer Service 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; click What’s New - Customer Service Award Nomination.

by Joyce Wilburn A few days before a recent trip to the mountains where I’d be riding my bike, I remembered that the strap on my helmet was broken. Not wanting to buy a new helmet, I went to Spin Bicycle Shop, 404 Craghead Street, to ask if the strap on the old helmet could be repaired. Salesman/Mechanic Stetson Franklin told me “no” but perhaps the shop would have a strap from an old helmet that could be used. The next day I returned to the Spin Bicycle Shop. The helmet had been repaired and when I asked about the charge, he said there was none. That’s customer service! When I purchased a bike rack at Spin last year, Stetson and store owner, Jerry Henley, installed it on my car. At other times, if I have put the rack on by myself, one of them will check it to make sure it’s secure. I know that whenever I need exceptional customer service given with a friendly smile, I will ﬁnd it at Spin Bicycle Shop. Thank you!

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Evince Magazine that was only if Laurel lived. Clarisse saw all this not with the truth, but with a mother’s truth, which is just as good, that her last child was a vase broken and put back together with her own hand and that Clarisse was looking at the cracks when she should have been seeing the whole of her art, but a mother can’t do that. This marriage was good. It would be good. And yes, she knew that right now Laurel didn’t care, but Clarisse knew indifference to love was better than the actual love and that feeling could grow. Wasn’t that what she was doing with Marco after her divorce from Tim, treading water and smiling through it?

Iron and Tulle ﬁction by Telisha Moore Leigg

larisse Knox held her daughter’s hand the whole time in Arabella’s Bridal Boutique on North Street in Burlington, North Carolina, as they altered her mother’s wedding gown, pulling in the waist to deepen the darts in the breast seams. The sleeves were lace and long and came softly over her daughter Laurel’s scarred forearms and wrists. It was late in the afternoon, almost closing time for the shop, and a week before the wedding. If the seamstress thought it strange, Clarisse holding the tall girl’s hand or the girl letting her, Rosie Sanchez didn’t say. She simply moved around them, tucking, putting multi-colored straight pins from her wristband pincushion into the satin below her spread out like a bell. Clarisse knew this marriage they were planning would end well. Laurel didn’t really love Colby Keen, and Colby Keen, well, the moon wasn’t high enough for him to get for Laurel. Clarisse thought their marriage wouldn’t be what her and Tim’s was, two people pulling the sky back to get to each other then later left with nothing but bruised clouds, upset ﬁelds of sun and broken light. “You know you can write your vows?” Clarisse asked. Laurel just nodded, so Clarisse jerked her hand again, pulled Laurel back to her again. “Would you and...Colby...would you like to do that? It’s not too late.”

Laurel was humming again, almost without tune, so at first Clarisse didn’t know if the words were from a song or if they were from her. She asked for the repeat and Laurel said what Clarisse thought she said. “I ain’t foolin’. I got all the happiness I can eat,” Laurel had said and she smiled a watery smile, like a tide moving away, back to where the sea came from. Clarisse got panicky, deep into her grief--a well too full of recent things dead: an old mother, a young son, a marriage. Clarisse would not lose Laurel. “We can cancel this...the wedding,” Clarisse whispered, but inside she hoped Laurel was too proud to do it. Rosie Sanchez kept pinning. And Clarisse kept holding the hand of her last child. Laurel just looked at her sad and gave a smile like Clarisse was the child. One week out, all that money spent, people thinking a 19 year-old and an 18 yearold barely out of school and one not even graduated from high school yet, that it was a foolish endeavor when there wasn’t even a baby coming. Clarisse didn’t fault them for those things, but she didn’t agree. Clarisse saw hope in this marriage. She knew that if Laurel didn’t marry now, she never would. She would waste away and she would be a bitter woman sitting in her hate with filth and wonder. Clarisse looked through the lace of the wedding sleeves and knew that Laurel’s selfinflicted hurts would only get deeper and

Again Laurel sang, higher this time, more than a murmur and the words were clearer. Laurel looked into the floor- length mirror. She watched a tear or two fall on the satin of her grandmother’s dress, Laurel still smiling. Rosie Sanchez looked up, her brow furrowing as she basted the dress faster. Even Clarisse realized the moment was eerie. The sun was going down. Clarisse’s hand was hot to Laurel’s colder one, Laurel’s fingers limp, unmoving despite Clarisse’s constant gripping. “I’m full of wine; fate gonna stir me some sun,” Laurel had sung. “Baby, what’s that song you singing? Honey?” Clarisse didn’t let go of Laurel’s left hand, but pulled her face from the mirror with her right. Laurel turned to her, her cheek in her mother’s palm, some sweet sacrifice. “Because it’s all love. Every damn time that’s what you want...,” Laurel sang these words just above a hum, sang them straight into Clarisse’s eyes. “... I’ma bloom in the future.” “Jesus, baby, shhhh....we don’t have to do this? Everyone will understand.” But inside Clarisse knew they still would have a wedding. One week from now, Colby and Laurel would both stand trembling at that altar. Clarisse didn’t drop that left hand and looked at both of them in the mirror, tucked the memory like a pleat. And the sun was setting beyond Arabella’s Bridal Boutique picture window. And Clarisse didn’t dare let go of the hand even as Laurel was taking off the dress in the dressing room. She went with her, held on to the lace, the underskirt made of iron wire and tulle. Rosie Sanchez moved the sign on the door from open to closed and peered through the picture glass, the last stitch of that hem still in her memory, the last notes of that sad girl’s song making her uneasy. If Rosie Sanchez thought it strange that they both got in the car on the same side with the old one pulling the young girl through, both still holding hands, that they sat in the parking lot with the dress bag between them and the older woman holding onto her child while the girl’s lips just moved, well, Rosie Sanchez didn’t say. The author welcomes your reactions at telishamooreleigg@gmail.com.

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January 2014

Calendar Clips Clip it. Post it. Do it.

For more activities, see the calendar on page 16-17.

Saturday, January 4

American Red Cross Blood Drive

The blood drive at West End Church of Christ, 610 Vaden Drive in Gretna, from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. is being held in honor of two people who are battling cancer: Teresa Dalton and Claire Parker. Throughout their treatments they have required the administration of blood and blood products. Teresa is 23 years old and Claire is a year old. There is no better way to honor them than by replenishing the life-saving blood supply in the area. There will also be stew for sale with all proceeds going to Teresa and Claire to help pay their medical expenses. To schedule a time to donate, call 434.841.5322 or email fambowles@gmail.com. (submitted by Malinda Bowles)

Friday, January 10

Robert Marsh: Drawings and Paintings

The public is invited to the preview reception from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. of Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History’s newest exhibit at 975 Main Street. Marsh’s work has been described as graceful, elusive, precise, visually seductive, stark and static. Critics have said that he has “total control over color, tremendous energy and fearless organization of negative space.” His laid-back North Alabama “good ole’ boy” demeanor is belied by the intense concentration evident in his work. Most Danvillians recognize his architectural renditions of historic structures, particularly roof tops of the West End and the historic district or the snow encased tobacco barns of Pittsylvania County, but few have seen the kinds of works to be featured in this exhibition. There is still some of what is easily recognized as Marsh--Dan River smokestacks looming over a Park Avenue mill house, for example. There are also ﬁgurative pieces – heavily made-up older women in pre-club meeting dishabille and poignant portraits of the elderly and inﬁrm whose only contact with the outside world is a sign in the lobby of their nursing home prominently displaying the date, the weather, and the countdown until Christmas. For more information, call 434.793.5644 or visit www.danvillemuseum.org. (submitted by Patsi Compton)

Friday, January 17 Corks & Forks

The Danville Science Center’s annual fundraiser will begin at 6:30 p.m. and end at 9:30 p.m. at 677 Craghead Street. Taste wines from the Southern Hemisphere, specialty beers and heavy hors d’oeuvres. Also, participate in an exciting auction. Tasting wines and beers will be available by the glass/bottle for $5.00 each. Tickets are $50.00 per person and all proceeds beneﬁt the educational programs at the Danville Science Center. For more information, visit www.dsc.smv.org or call 434.791.5160. (submitted by Annette Roncaglione)

Sunday, January 19

Mozart and Brahms in Chatham

The Chatham Concert Series continues with Mozart and Brahms Quintets for Clarinet and Strings. This program features Pittsburgh Philharmonic Principal Clarinetist Alex Jones, members of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and the Classic Strings Duo. Linger for the postconcert reception to visit with the artists and fellow music lovers. Concert begins at 3:00 p.m. at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 66 North Main Street, Chatham. Admission is by donation for the artists. For more information contact kstrings1@hotmail.com. (submitted by Susan Paynter)

Monday, January 20

Registrations due for Spring to Green Horticultural Symposium

The Danville Master Gardeners and Virginia Cooperative Extension will present this event on Saturday, February 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Spring to Green will be held at the Institute Conference Center on Slayton Avenue. Gardeners will receive advice from outstanding speakers who are professionals in their ﬁelds. Mark Blevins (right), as the Director for the NC Extension, Brunswick, North Carolina, enjoys working with farmers, landscapers, nurseries and beekeepers to help them become more efﬁcient and environmentally responsible. Mark will present two sessions: ways to integrate edible plants into your landscape and techniques to restore your lawn and keep it growing. In addition, Marie Butler, Landscape Coordinator for the Virginia Zoological Park will present her earthfriendly valuable design and maintenance tips plus a session on creating eyecatching container gardens. Brent Heath from Gloucester, Virginia, co-owner of Brent & Becky’s Bulbs will address using bulbs in your landscape for year-round effects. Cost of $45 includes lunch. For more information call 434.799.6558 or visit www.danvillemastergardeners.org. (submitted by Janet Aponte)

Saturday, January 25

River North Dance Chicago

Rooted in jazz, River North Dance hails from that historic American jazz crossroads, Chicago. Its skilled dancers move to stimulating music with bold choreography calculated to energize and inspire. Artistic Director, Frank Chaves, summarizes, “You don’t just see it, you feel it.” Recognized after almost 25 years as a cherished Chicago treasure, River North is one of the nation’s most popular repertory companies. Its program will delight seasoned dance patrons and newcomers to concert dance. Curtain rises at 7:30 p.m. at the George Washington High School Auditorium, 701 Broad Street. For more information, call 434.792.9242 or visit www.danvilleconcert.org.

Wednesday, January 29

The Lees and the Consequences of Independence

Paul Reber will present this program at The Wednesday Club, 1002 Main Street, starting at 3:45 p.m. Reber is the Executive Director of Stratford Hall in Westmoreland County, Virginia, the birthplace of Robert E. Lee and home of the Lees of Virginia. When Americans think of the Revolution, they probably see it as a distinct event with a beginning in 1776 and ending some years later. The history of the Lee family neatly encapsulates both the longterm structural issues that lead to the revolution itself and the impact of the many changes that resulted from this event over the next 100 years. One historian has compared the Revolution to a bungee jump, with an immediate snap back followed by a series of continuing modulations. In this analogy, the Lees were the ultimate bungee jumpers. For more information, call 434.203.7258. (submitted by Leslie Dobbins)

Evince Magazine

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January 2014

January Calendar Ongoing

Guided Walking Tour – Millionaires Row & Holbrook Street. 434.770.1974. www.danvillehistory.org. See ad page 19. 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. Danville Science Center (DSC) – 434.791.5160. Tai-Chi Day Classes - Increase strength, balance, ﬂexibility and progress at your own pace. M 11:15am-12:30pm; W 5:30-6:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. Yoga Classes - Stress- relieving wellness class. M 11:30am-12:30pm, Danville Public Library (DPL); 5:30pm, Ballou Rec Center. 434.797.8848. Bingo – Bring a gift to exchange and have blood pressure and BMI checked. Location/times vary. 434.799.5216. Kuumba African Dance – Live drumming and energetic dancing that helps to raise cultural awareness and provide a great workout. MW 6:30pm-8pm. Stonewall Youth Center. 434.797.8848. Pickleball Play. MWF 8am-11am. Coates Rec. Center. TTH 5-8pm. Glenwood Rec. Center. 434799.5216. Prime Time Fitness - Low-impact aerobics workout with a mix of various fun dance steps. MTH 9:30-11am or 5:30-7pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.797.8848. Get Moving with Chair Exercises – Low-impact class ideal for adults 50+. MTH 11:30am-1pm. Coates Rec. Center. 434.797.8848. Hand and Foot Social - Play, socialize and enjoy refreshments. TU 2-4:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. Sewing Classes – Learn how to use a needle and thread, make simple alterations or even clothes. Bring portable sewing machine, material, pattern and thread. Beginners and experienced welcomed. TU 6:30-8:30pm. Coates Rec Center. 434.797.8848. Zumba Classes - Hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves create a one-of-a-kind interval training ﬁtness program with fun routines that tone and sculpt the body while burning fat. TTH 78pm. Coates Rec. Center. 434.797.8848. Cardio Step Class – Up-tempo, high energy class. TTH 8-9:30am. City Auditorium. 434.797.8848. African Rhythms by Nguzo Saba – Learn West African dance technique to live drumming. W 6-7pm. Pepsi Building. 434.797.8848. Mommy & Me Fitness - Safe and effective workout for moms, babies, toddlers and preschoolers. TH 8:30am. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.797.8848. 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 Dances - Live music, dancing and refreshments. Ages 50+. F 7:30-10:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center 434.799.5216.

Through January 3

Danville Art League Juried Show – Works by the region’s best artists will be on display Danville Museum of Fine Arts

& History (DMFA&H) – 434.793.5644.

Through February 8

PAA Exhibits - Tapestry and Old News. Piedmont Arts Association (PAA) – 276.632.3221.

Through April 5

Dinosaur Discovery – A walk-through maze, consisting of a series of dinosaur murals on the inner-walls, dinosaur specimens and interactive elements and dozens of real dinosaur fossils. Virginia Museum of Natural History (VMNH) – 276.634.4141.

Through May 10

VMNH Exhibits – Stories from Skeletons: Hard Evidence & Nano exhibit. VMNH – 276.634.4141.

Through May 17

DSC Exhibits - From Here to There explores the science of how things move by land, sea and air. Participants will lift, launch and levitate with hands-on exhibits that make gravity, friction, and the laws of motion fun; Blood Suckers focuses on the biological wonders of creatures that eat blood - through encounters with live species and interactive exhibits. DSC – 434.791.5160.

January 2

Bingo Madness. 4pm. DPL. 434.799.5195.

January 2 (thru 23)

Polar Bears Time Trials – Runners cover a 5K course while bikers ride a ﬁve-mile section. TH 5-6:30pm. Anglers Ridge. 434.799.5215.

January 2 (thru 30)

Pittsylvania County Public Libraries Programs. See page 22. Adult Children of Alcoholics & Dysfunctional Families. 6:30-8pm. West Main Baptist Church. 434.833.7336.

January 3

Singing at Ballou - Karaoke - sing or just listen and enjoy. 2-3:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. First Friday Art Walk. 5-7pm. Studio 107, Martinsville. 276.638.2107. First Fridays Painting Party – Bring friends and beverage of choice for a night of painting. Explore your creative side in a casual studio environment, while being guided step-by-step, through your own acrylic masterpiece. All experience levels are welcome. Painting supplies and light refreshments provided. Ages 21+. 6-9pm. PAA. 276.632.3221. Sky Watch Meteor Shower – The Quandrantid meteor shower will dazzle with its stellar light show. Learn the best way to observe a meteor shower and how to navigate the night sky, identify constellations and locate other objects in space. 9:30pm. Anglers Park Field. 434.799.5215.

January 4

American Red Cross Blood Drive. See story page 14. Maker Lab – Different theme and art medium each month. Ages 5-9. 10-11am. DPL – 434.799.5195. Bob Ross Painting Class - Complete a painting, Blue and Gold McCaw, in one day. 10:30am–3:30pm. Ballou Annex. 434.797.8848. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Jr. Auditions - Prepare a 45-90 second monologue & song with instrumental CD or a capella. Ages 8 to 18. 10am. North Star Theatre Project. The Historic North Theatre. 434.203.2870.

January 4 (thru March 22)

Beekeeping Classes - Instruction provided by Pittsylvania County Beekeepers Association. SA 9-11am. Dadant Bee Supply 820, Tightsqueeze Industrial Road. 434.432.8461 or 336.234.9320.

January 6

Meet the Mouse Computer Class – Intro to the mouse and keyboard. Ages 50+. 11am-1pm. DPL – 434.799.5195. Anime Club – Come watch anime, talk manga, and enjoy things Japanese. Ages 12+. M 4-6pm. DPL – 434.799.5195. Gluten Free Cooking - Unravel the mystery behind gluten-free ﬂours and how to create personalized blend to ﬁt needs. 5:30pm. Stonewall Recreation Center. 434.797.8848.

January 6 (thru Feb. 25)

Art with Judie – Learn how to paint with oil or watercolor. M/TU - Times vary. Ballou Annex. 434.797.8848.

January 7

African Violet Club - Learn about garden tending, pest control and more at this meeting which includes a covered dish meal. 10-11:30am. Ballou Rec. Center - 434.799.5216. 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. Deco Mesh Wreath Making - Easy and quick to make. 3-5pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.

January 7 (thru 28)

SHS Tours – Parents are invited to attend a informational school meeting. Children are invited to shadow a student in a classroom. 9-10am. Sacred Heart School. 434.793.2656. Beginning Watercolor – All experience levels are welcome. 1-3pm. PAA – 276.632.3221.

January 7 (thru Feb. 25)

Urban Line Dance - Each week a new dance is introduced in the dance ﬁtness class. 6pm. Pepsi Building. 434.797.8848.

January 8

Senior Bowling Tournament - Exercise, make new friends, have fun. Have BP and BMI checked while waiting to bowl. 10am-12pm. Riverside Lanes 434.791.2695. Polliwogs & Science Stars – Take a ride on the exhibit hovercraft and learn about new modes of transportation. Test engineering skills while creating a mini hovercraft to take home. Ages 3–4, 1–2pm. Ages 5–7, 3:30–4:30pm. DSC 434.791.5160.

January 8 (thru 19)

Averett Basketball. See ad page 12.

January 8 (thru 29)

Wees Story Time – Dance, sing, listen, make crafts and have fun. Ages up to 2. 10-10:45am. DPL (Downtown & Westover) – 434.799.5195. Art with Flo – Wet on wet technique of

January 2014 S

W 1 5 6 7 8 12 13 14 15 19 20 21 22 26 27 28 29

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F 3 10 17 24 31

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oil painting. Ages 18+. 9:30-11:30am, Glenwood Community Center; 6-8pm, Ballou Annex. 434.799.5216. Wednesday Friends - Bring a lunch and enjoy a special activity or speaker. Shopping day is the second Wednesday of the month. Ages 60+. W 11am-1:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.99.5216.

January 8 (thru February 12)

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.

January 9

Bob Ross Technique Workshop – Blue and Gold Macaw. 9am-3:30pm. Piedmont Arts Association (PAA) – 276.632.3221. Senior Movie Day - Enjoy the movie Peeples with snacks. Ages 50+. 11am. DPL – 434.799.5195. Mystery Trip - A surprise trip limited to 10 people. Wear comfortable shoes. 11am-12:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. Brain Picnic - A lunch and learn about preparing loved ones to receive home health care. 11:30am-1:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. Teen Movie Night – Popcorn and lemonade will be served while watching Man of Steel. Ages 13+. 4-6pm. DPL – 434.799.5195.

January 9 (thru 30)

Technology Woes Lifeline - Bring tech woes to one-on-one trouble-shooting with a computer-savvy technician. 3-5pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. Pajama Story Time – Dress in PJs and share stories and songs with a set theme. Ages 5-10. 6-6:45am. DPL – 434.799.5195.

January 9 (thru Feb. 20)

A Taste of African Heritage - The best way to inspire healthy eating is through wonderful foods that happen to be healthy. 5:30pm. Stonewall Rec. Center. 434.797.8848.

January 10 (thru 31)

Preschool Story Time – Share stories and songs with a set theme. Ages 3-5. 11-11:45am. DPL – 434.799.5195.

January 10 (thru March 9)

Robert Marsh Exhibit – Drawings and Paintings. See story page 14.

January 11

Ballou Indoor Yard Sale - Shop indoors 7am-12pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. Dino Day Festival – Spectacular family festival featuring exhibits, games, food, fascinating presentations, and fun hands-on activities for visitors of all ages. 9am-4pm. VMNH – 276.634.4141.

January 13

Rubber Ducky Day – Share stories, crafts and fun. 10am-7pm. DPL – 434.799.5195. Beginner Internet Computer Class – Learn how to connect to the internet, and perform basic searches. Ages 50+. 11am-1pm. DPL – 434.799.5195.

If you’d like to submit an item for the Evince calendar, visit www.showcasemagazine.com. The deadline for the February issue is Sunday, January 12, at 5:00 p.m. Please send just the basic information following the format on these pages.

Evince Magazine January 13 (thru 20)

God’s Storehouse Donation. See ad page 8.

January 14

Seniors on the Move Trip - Tour the Newport News Visitors Center, Virginia Living Museum, Mariner’s Museum/USS Monitor Center, City Center & Patrick Henry Mall. 7am-10pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. Crafter’s Corner – Bring current projects or learn new ones. 4:30-5:30pm. DPL – 434.799.5195.

January 14 (thru Feb. 6)

Beginning Swimming – Kids can learn how to swim and have fun in the water through classes that teach strokes, water games and ﬂoating positions. Ages 6-12. TU 3:30-4:15pm. YMCA. 434.799.5215.

January 14 (thru Feb. 11)

Intro to Beaded Jewelry – Wellrounded overview of beading which covers different beading techniques, types of beads, metals, tools and when to use them. 5:30-8:30pm. The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461. Intro to Stained Glass - Explore the history and techniques of stained glass. Students will produce stained glass samples using traditional joining techniques. 5:30-8:30pm. The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461. Nuts & Bolts of Your Digital Camera Learn how the menu and buttons affect camera and images. 6-8pm. The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461.

January 15

Snowﬂakes – Enjoy fun snow activities and make a faux glass snowﬂake. Ages 6-10. 3:30-4:30pm. DPL-Westover – 434.799.5195.

January 15 (thru Feb. 5)

Facing Life’s Challenges, Overcoming Adversities - Using the climbing wall, group games, challenge course and zip line to help youth ﬁnd positive ways to face and overcome adversity and obstacles. W 3:30pm. 434.799.5215.

January 15 (thru Feb. 12)

Advanced Quilting Techniques Open lab for completing assignments or individual designs and working in a self-paced, supportive and creative environment. 9am-12pm or 5:30-8:30 pm. The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461. Basic Glass Fusing - Learn to cut glass, select the correct types of glass and design a project. 5:30-8:30 pm. The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461.

January 16

Senior Bingo. 11am. DPL. 434.799.5195. Senior Citizens Club - Monthly meeting and covered dish luncheon. Ages 50+. 12-1:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. AGLOW Meeting - Topic: Identity Seeing ourselves as God sees us. Everyone welcome. 1-2:30pm. Danville Community Lighthouse, 285 W Main Street. 434.799.0947. Garden Soils - Information and answers about gardening topics and more. 6pm. DPL. 434.797.8848. Sky Watchers – Observe the constellations Taurus (The Bull), Orion (The Hunter) and Cassiopeia (The Queen), also the Great Nebula in Orion, the star cluster of “The Hyades”, the orange giant star Aldebaran, and the famous open star cluster, The Pleiades (Seven Sisters). Jupiter and its four brightest moons will also be visible. Nightfall. DSC – 434.791.5160.

January 16 (thru 23)

Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar & Grill – In a seedy Philadelphia bar in 1959, Billie Holiday gives one of her last performances before her death four months later. More than a dozen musical numbers are interlaced with salty, often humorous reminiscences creating a riveting portrait of the lady and her music. Advise: Adult content, Adult language. Times/dates vary. The Prizery. 434.572.8339.

January 16 (thru Feb. 13)

Decorative Painting - Explore the basics of color and simple decorative painting techniques to enhance your home decor. 9am-12pm. The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461. Intro to Hand-Building Pottery - Learn fundamental hand building techniques, both ancient and modern. Includes coil pots, pinch pots, slab work and sculpture. 5:30-8:30pm. The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461. Knitting II - Advance your knitting skills in pattern reading, advanced stitches, and cabling. 5:30-8:30pm. The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461. Intro to Woodturning – Learn the safety and functions of lathes and all essential tools used in woodturning. 5:30-8:30pm. The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461.

January 17

Just Everyday Women Walking by Faith. 11am-1pm. Mary’s Diner. 434.793.1075. Corks & Forks. DSC. See story page 14.

January 18

Snow Tubing – Tubing adventures at Wintergreen, Virginia’s premier tubing park. Ages 12+. Register by 1/10. 8am-3pm. Ballou Park Nature Center. 434.799.5215. Family Movie Matinee - Enjoy the movie Planes, popcorn and lemonade. 10:30am-12:30pm. DPL – 434.799.5195.

January 19

Mozart and Brahms in Chatham. See story page 14.

January 20

Fill the Bus. See ad page 8. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration & A Day of Service. See ad page 15. Celebrate Service. See ad page 8. Registration for Spring to Green Symposium. See story page 14. Herbs for Stress – An intro to some ways to clean out system and brighten outlook through the use of herbs. 5:30-8:30 pm. The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461.

January 20 (thru Feb. 24)

Belly Dance - Learn basic belly dance techniques. 5:30pm. Pepsi Building. 434.797.8848.

January 21

Intro to Genealogy I – Learn basic methods of research. Ages 18+. 11am1pm. Law Lab, DPL – 434.799.5195.

January 21 (thru Feb. 25)

Dog Obedience - Learn basic commands, loose leash walking and how to be a strong & caring leader. Or get more training with behavior problems, house manners, socialization and more. TU. Basic 6-7pm; Intermediate 7:158:30pm. Glenwood. 434.797.8848.

January 23

Intro to Genealogy II – Continued basic methods of research. Ages 18+. 11am1pm. Law Lab, DPL – 434.799.5195. Brain Picnic - Lunch and demonstration of local canines that assist law enforcement. 11:30am-1:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.

January 24

Night Hike & Campﬁre - Hike and enjoy roasting hot dogs and marshmallows by the ﬁre. Ages 10+. Register by 1/17. 6-8pm. Anglers Park Picnic Shelter. 434.799.5215.

January 25

PFLAG Meeting - Meeting is to welcome new friends, discuss helping feed the hungry through Grace and Main, and support the local community. 11am12pm. Danville Yoga Meditation and Wellness Center. 434.429.1078.

January 25

DCA Concert - River North Dance Chicago. See ad page 3 and story page 14.

January 26

Broadway Rox Show Trip - Enjoy an unique concert experience. includes transportation, mezzanine level ticket and

refreshments. 2-6pm. Ballou Rec. Center 434.799.5216. Broadway Rox. Caswell County Civic Center. See ad page 23.

January 27

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+. 11am-1pm. DPL. 434.799.5195. Sacred Heart School Open House. See ad page 12. God’s Storehouse Meeting – All donors, partners and faith community representatives are encouraged to be present. 7pm. 434.793.3663.

January 27 (thru March 10)

Learn to Shag - Learn the basic to more complicated steps. Beginner-7pm; Intermediate-8pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.797.8848.

January 28

Researching Your African American Ancestors I – Learn how to ﬁnd African American ancestors using the genealogical databases. 11am-1pm. DPL. 434.799.5195.

January 29

The Lees and the Consequences of Independence. See story page 14.

January 30

Researching Your African American Ancestors II – Continued learning how to ﬁnd African American ancestors using the genealogical databases. 11am-1pm. DPL. 434.799.5195. Autism Workshop - Workshop for the parents, grandparents and guardians of autistic children. 6:30-8pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216. SHS Middle School Info Night. See ad page 12.

Page 17

Upcoming Events February 1

Southside Virginia Wildlife Center Volunteer Meeting – Meeting will give info about what is expected of volunteers, how to volunteer, what help is needed, etc. Must be 16+ and have transportation to volunteer. 10am. Danville Science Center. Facebook. Spring to Green Horticultural Symposium – See story page 14. Thomas Pandolﬁ Concert - A Night of Gershwin. An evening of song by one of America’s greatest composers. 7:30pm. The Prizery. 434.572.8339.

February 7

First Friday Art Walk. 5-7pm. Studio 107, Martinsville. 276.638.2107. First Fridays Painting Party. 6-9pm. PAA – 276.632.3221.

February 10

One Noble Journey: A Box Marked Freedom – Riveting one-person play performed by Mike Wiley tells the true story of Henry “Box” Brown, a slave from Louisa County, Virginia, who escaped bondage by mailing himself to freedom in a small wooden box. Brown’s life unfolds like a Mark Twain adventure— perilous and somber at times, while humorous and heroic throughout. 7pm. Black Box Theatre. 276.632.3221.

February 13

The Hit Men – Amazing super group of musicians, the authentic rock and rollers, whose legacy includes hundreds of hits from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. 8pm. Caswell County Civic Center. 336.694.4591.

February 15

Ana Vidovic Concert. Danville Concert Association. See ad page 3.

Page 18

January 2014

Where Can I Find an Evince? Ten thousand copies of Evince are distributed each month at over 100 locations. Find your copy at:

Riverside Drive/Piedmont Drive/Marketplace Area:

Buffalo Wild Wings Checkered Pig Danview Restaurant on Danview Drive El Vallarta on Westover Drive Goodwill on Westover Drive Hibachi Grill on Executive Court Joe & Mimma’s Karen’s Hallmark @ Danville Mall Los Tres Magueyes Ruben’s Shorty’s Bakery @ Coleman Marketplace The Highlander URW Credit Union Western Sizzlin

Main Street/Downtown/ Tobacco Warehouse Area

American National Bank Comcast on Patton Street Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History Danville Public Library on Patton Street Danville Regional Medical Center on South Main Street Danville Science Center on Craghead Street Dell ‘Anno’s Pizza Kitchen on Main Street H. W. Brown Florist (they deliver an Evince with your order) Jake’s on Main Main Street Coffee Emporium Midtown Market on Chambers Street Rippe’s YMCA

Memorial Drive Frank’s Pizza

Gingerbread House

Piney Forest Road Area

Commonwealth Pharmacy ERA Holley & Gibson Realty Company Mary’s Diner, Piedmont Credit Union

Franklin Turnpike Area

Medo’s, Ruben’s Too, Village’s Pizza

Other

Danville Welcome Center-River Park Dr.

In Chatham Area

Chatham Community Center Chatham Health Center Chathamooca, Frank’s Pizza Pittsylvania County Public Library

In Yanceyville, NC

Caswell County Civic Center Gunn Memorial Public Library The Drug Store

In South Boston, VA

Ernie’s Restaurant O Sol Mio on Bill Tuck Hwy. Prizery Southern Virginia Higher Education Toot’s Creek Antiques

In Gretna

American National Bank Carter Bank & Trust Western Auto

Evince Magazine

Reflecting Forward Balancing Act by Linda Lemery Imagine you’re barefoot. You have on black leggings and a t-shirt. When you look at your image in the mirror, you see a woman with an average build. Your hair might be brown, blond, black, gray, multicolored, or white and short, or maybe it’s long and tied up in a knot. You’re wearing earrings and makeup. You’re poised for the day. You think you’re ready. The one-foot-wide stairs directly in front of you lead all the way up to the level of a polished wooden beam mounted on silver stands. The beam leads away from you and stretches a long way into the distance. You climb the stairs, take a deep breath, and step gingerly onto the beam. Your lead ankle wobbles slightly. You put down your other foot to steady yourself. Your arms are extended, wrists cocked, fingertips arranged in “C” shapes, and you stare off into the distance, various muscles tensing and relaxing as you try to find your center of gravity. Your heartbeat slows. Your ankle quiets. You breathe deeply. You find your balance. A person in a suit and tie approaches from your left. He’s holding something in his arms. It’s a doll. He stops just short of the beam and tosses the doll up at you. He doesn’t wait to see if you catch it. He then walks away. In the meantime, the doll, its eyes wide, is sailing toward you. You turn slightly to grab it. You’re teetering. In slow motion, the doll lands on your chest and you slap one arm over it and you’re flailing your other arm to keep your balance on the beam. By some miracle, you teeter rather than fall, clutching the doll, breathing deeply. You turn and begin to move forward. A woman in a suit approaches from the other side. She tosses a ball up to you. The doll shifts. You hang onto the doll, field the ball, sway, and somehow stay on the beam.

Somebody walks by with a broom, looks up at you, and the broom is now headed your way. You get lucky and catch it and then you pause, seesawing, ﬁghting to stay upright. Does any of this strike a chord? It’s all about balance. So much of life is about balance. My friend Audrey once told me that we can juggle only so many repeating things. Home, work, school, relationship, hobby, exercise--all must be sandwiched into the limited number of hours we have per day. The hours just won’t expand, no matter how hard we try to stretch the time into taffy-like strands, no matter how hard we try to elongate ourselves to extend our coverage. Sometimes we have to make hard choices in the name of balance, because if we fall, if we fail, the consequences can range from mild inconvenience to fullblown catastrophe. So in this brand new month of the brand new year, I’m going to strive for balance. It’s good to think about what to do before the wobbling gets out of hand. If that entails sliding off the beam for awhile, changing clothes, tracing a new path, then sometimes that’s necessary. If I need to ﬁnd another person to toss the ball to, then maybe I need to involve more players. If I have to pass the doll on to someone else, then I’ll do that. If I need to get rid of the broom, maybe I don’t need one or maybe it would be okay to just let it rest on the ground. There’ll be times when I’ll need to choose carefully what to use as I teeter and sway. There’ll be times when I need to let things go. So be it. After all, it’s a balancing act. About the Author: Linda Lemery, llemery@averett.edu works as Circulation Manager at Averett University’s Mary B. Blount Library in Danville. She wishes you Happy New Year and welcomes your comments.

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January 2014 Taedeon Harden (green shirt) reads to Principal Christy Dawson as Curtasja Brooks (red) and Alexandria Hopkins (blue) listen.

Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography

Christy Dawson

Seeking Community Involvement by Crystal Gregory If you want to discover what’s right with the public schools in Danville, accept Christy Dawson’s invitation. “Come to see us,” says the Westwood Middle School Principal with a beaming smile. “We do some spectacular things.” Dawson is not waving pompoms and leading an exaggerated cheer. She’s a professional administrator running a fullyaccredited, 600-student middle school that maintains a safe, orderly, productive and caring environment. Together with her “extremely talented,” faculty and staff, she is targeting the needs of “the whole child.” Thus, success at Westwood builds on individual aptitudes and stimulates its students to achieve academically and to make wise social choices. Westwood’s academic goal is to have 100% of its students meet the rigorous standards mandated by the Commonwealth of Virginia. Undaunted by

high expectations, Dawson sees these standards as a framework providing curriculum structure. She points out that state mandates may tell “what you teach, but they do not tell you how to teach.” That’s where the teachers’ creativity emerges. At Westwood, a science teacher may have a group of students drop balloons from the second-story balcony to the lobby below so that the youngsters can better understand gravity. Another teacher may lead a class in songs about fractions; another may transform a classroom into a medieval castle. These are not frivolous activities because, as Dawson points out, the demand for rigorous academic expectations means that students must use higher-order thinking skills. Instead of merely recalling facts or making semi-informed decisions to pass multiple-choice tests, Westwood students are learning to explain, demonstrate, analyze and form judgments. In other words, they are learning to think. Furthermore, at Westwood the emphasis is on more than book-

learning. Career planning is an important part of the curriculum as are the fine arts and special education. The over-all academic goal is “to build on talents.” Over 2,000 years ago Aristotle complained, “The children now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority, they show disrespect to their elders...,”and since then adults have not stopped fretting about teenagers. Westwood Middle School is filled with these “delightful” creatures, and sometimes their behavior merits the ancient philosopher’s criticism. But, Dawson and her team are finding ways to teach socialization. For example, confronted with 470 discipline issues during one month of school, they focused on the problem behaviors and established RBC – the Refocus Behavior Center. If a student acts out of turn in class, the teacher sends him to a supervised environment where he or she must decide how to behave differently. Little academic time is lost; the student remains in RBC

for only one class period and must complete appropriate subject work. Requests made by teachers for discipline intervention from the principals have dropped to a monthly total of 70. That’s a remarkable 85% improvement! With innovative programs like RBC, Westwood teachers are protecting the learning environment; thus, they maximize academic success while they teach students to make positive choices. Westwood is famous – or notorious, depending on your point of view – for its dress code. Sixth graders wear red shirts; seventh graders, green; eighth graders, blue. Shirts are tucked in and everyone wears khaki-colored pants. Reactions vary with experience. Dawson acknowledges that some parents initially resisted providing the required clothing; however, as they witnessed the effects, approval became nearly unanimous. The students tolerate the code and many appreciate the security it promotes. Teachers and administrators love it because the code gives an extra level of safety. Instantly, they can identify an intruder or someone who has wandered into an inappropriate area of the building. The dress code also promotes an attitude of, “We have on our work clothes.” Dawson has observed that when students earn a day without dress code as a reward for stellar behavior, the noise level throughout the school increases. Having a dress code actually inspires productivity. Westwood Middle School is succeeding. To build on its accomplishments, Dawson wants greater community involvement. She needs individuals and/or organizations to become mentors. She seeks volunteers who can bring expertise and provide new learning experiences. When citizens involve themselves in their schools, Dawson knows that they will “expose my children to as many positive things as possible.” So, she smiles and offers the invitation, “Adopt us.” I think I will. How about you? • Westwood Middle School is located at 500 Apollo Drive. To volunteer, call 434.797.8860 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. or email cdawson@mail.dps.k12.va.us.

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January 2014

What’s Happening in the Pittsylvania County Public Libraries READING PROGRAMS:

• Preschool Early Literacy Programs: Spring semester of preschool programming begins on January 13. Mother Goose on the Loose—Chatham, each Monday morning at 11:30 a.m; Wednesdays for Wees: Chatham, Gretna, Mt. Hermon and Brosville/Cascade, 10:00 a.m. every Wednesday morning. • Brown Bag Book Discussions: Held every Wednesday through March from 12:00-1:00 p.m. at the Chatham library beginning January 8. Reviewers for January include Glenn Giles, Mary Tallent, Joan Shelton, and Chris Heying. Open to all adults. • Read to Wrangell and Friends: Wednesdays, January 8 , 15, 22, and 29, 4:00-5:00 p.m., Chatham. Children are invited to read to a therapy dog. Come and practice your reading skills with Wrangell. • Second Thursday Book Discussion Group: Thursday, January 9, 4:00 p.m. • Book Talk: January 17, noon, Brosville. • Snow Story and Craft: January 9, 4:00 p.m., Mt. Hermon. • Family Story Time: Thursday, January 23 and January 30, 4:00 p.m., Mt. Hermon.

WRITING PROGRAMS:

• Poetry Break Day: Stop in and create an acrostic poem with your name; all day, Monday, January 13, Brosville.

HEALTH PROGRAMS:

• Blood Pressure Checks: Gretna: Mondays from 10:00 a.m. until noon; Mt. Hermon: Tuesdays, 2:00-4:00 p.m; Brosville: Thursdays 10:00 a.m. until noon; Chatham: Thursdays 1:00-3:00 p.m.

COMPUTER CLASSES:

• Individual Help: Wednesdays, January 8, 15, 22, and 29, 6:00-7:00 p.m., Chatham. Bring your questions and get the help you need with your computer or device.

FILM PROGRAMS:

• Special event: Downton Abbey Tea, Saturday, January 4, 3:00 p.m., Mt. Hermon. Watch last season’s ﬁnal episode while having tea and snacks. Adults. • Movies in January: Monday, January 6, 5:30 p.m., Chatham. Title TBA. Saturday, January 18, 10:30 a.m., Mt. Hermon, Family Movie: Despicable Me 2, 10:30 a.m.

ART AND CRAFT PROGRAMS:

• Knitting: Mondays, January 6 and 27, 6:30 p.m., Mt. Hermon. • Re-Use It Tuesdays: Tuesdays, January 7, 14, 21 from 6-7 p.m., Gretna. Egg carton rooster three week workshop. Please call to register, 656.2759. • Crochet: Tuesdays, January 7, 14, 21, and 28 at 10:00 a.m., Brosville/ Cascade; Wednesday, January 8 and 22, 1:00-3:00 p.m., Chatham. • Snowﬂake Craft: Tuesday, January 7, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Chatham. • Make and Take Craft: Tuesday, January 14, all day, Chatham. • Crafternoon at the Library: Tuesday, January 14, 3:30-5:30 p.m., Brosville. • Sock Snowman Craft Night: Thursday, January 16, 6:30 p.m., age 12 and up, Mt. Hermon; please call 835-0326 to register. • Art Class: Tuesdays, January 21 and 28, 4:00-4:45 p.m., Chatham; open to ages 6-11.

GAMING PROGRAMS:

• LEGO Club, January 11, 10:30 a.m., Mt. Hermon. January 23, 4:00-4:45 p.m., Chatham. • Wii Night: Tuesday, January 21, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Chatham. • National Puzzle Day Celebration: Wednesday, January 29, all day, Brosville. Diary of a Wimpy Kid jigsaw puzzle, Sudoku puzzles— come and give a puzzle a try. Unless otherwise noted, all programs are free. All PCP Libraries are closed January 1 for New Year’s Day and January 20 for Martin Luther King Day. For information about any of these programs, email info@pcplib.org, call your local branch library, or visit www.pcplib.org.

Evince Magazine

Book Clubbing A review by Diane Adkins Director of the Pittsylvania County Public Library System

Younger Next Year for Women by Chris Crowley & Henry S. Lodge

Every year at this time I start thinking about how I can make my life better and how I can improve what I have been doing professionally or personally. This year I find myself returning to the idea of strengthening my health by being more active. Many of us work at desks most of the day, sit when we should be standing and drive when we could walk. Research shows this is detrimental to leading a long and fit life. The twinges of aging, the forgetfulness, the joint that refuses to function—those make me think that I need to change. With that in mind, I happily discovered Younger Next Year for Women by Chris Crowley and Dr. Henry Lodge. (These two have also written a volume, Younger Next Year for Men, based on the same research). Lodge contends that the quality of our lives and our health past middle age is largely under our control. “Which is a good reason to make the last third of your life terrific—and not a dreary panoply of obesity, sore joints, and apathy. ‘Normal aging’ is intolerable and avoidable. You can skip most of it and grow old, not just gracefully but with real joy.” (p. 32) Lodge, a clinical professor of medicine at Columbia and a practicing physician, explains the scientific underpinnings of this startling claim—that we don’t have to become stooped, tired, sick and fat. The signal to our bodies to grow and heal can overcome the signal to decay and we have the power to choose. The authors alternate writing chapters; Lodge provides the science. Crowley, a lawyer who changed the trajectory of his health under Lodge’s medical care, provides the colorful anecdotes and the motivation. Together, they will convince readers that they can be functionally younger than they are now if Harry’s Rules are followed: exercise six days a week for the rest of your life, with serious aerobic exercise on four of those days and strength training with weights on the other two. Quit eating bad food, or what the author Michael Pollan would call “edible foodlike substances.” Finally, care, connect, and commit to others in ways that make you happy. The new year is traditionally the time people decide to make a new start. Crowley urges the reader to go “all in” on a commitment to this approach. So, if 50 is barreling down the road at you or even receding in your rear view mirror, I can think of no better place to start a year of improvement than with this book. Diane Adkins is the Director of the Pittsylvania County Public Library System, with branches in Brosville, Chatham, Gretna and Mt. Hermon, as well as a History Research Center and Library in Chatham, and a bookmobile with stops all over the county. For more information, visit www.pcplib.org Send information about what you or your book club is reading to joycewilburn@gmail.com.

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January 2014

I look forward to walking past scenes of Danville in the coldest, deadest part of winter, but I’m not a glutton for punishment by the elements. Those Danville scenes past which I will be walking are from Danville’s past–photographic ﬁlm turned into artwork on the inner walking space of both levels of the Danville Mall. It was so cold the other day that I walked there. The recently installed carpet made it seem as if additional Dr. Scholl’s footpads were tucked into my shoes beneath the ones already placed there at home. In the Mall, I saw a virtual gallery of Danville’s past, at least about as far back as the photographic art reaches. There are a series of massive pictures, each putting any picture window to shame and I wasn’t the only one noticing. Pairs of people paused before several scenes, one person in each group directing the other’s vision with a pointed ﬁnger. The one doing the pointing was invariably older and gray-haired, as opposed to his more youthful, Danville-history apprentice.

she was a teen. A very senior man didn’t point, but seemed to ask the young lady with him to just embrace the whole of the picture, which she appeared to be doing.

Walking Past the Past by Mack Williams One grandfather with apparent grandson gestured toward the 1940s White Mill, perhaps indicating his past individual worksite.

A fortyish woman pointed out the picture of GW’s 1973 Kiltie Korps to a high-school age girl at her side. Perhaps she was showing her daughter a picture of herself when

Some scenes differed from my ground-based West Main Street walk, being taken aerially. Others showed building interiors, also unseen when walking. One particularly memorable scene from Danville’s inner past showed uniformed students studying at their desks in the old Danville Military Institute’s Castle Building. Like those military boys, I had the “eyes right” look of a parading soldier while walking around the Mall, my curiosity about the old photographs getting the better of me. I look forward to walking past those pictures of Danville’s past in the coldest, deadest time of 2014’s winter. When spring comes and I am out and about, I will resume my walk past Danville’s present, that place from whence its future will come.

Evince Magazine

An Over-Scheduler Makes Plans

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to take home and taste-test with my husband. It was so delicious that the next day I called the restaurant and asked if the chef would share the recipe. She gave me the main ingredients and told me to make it like a regular cheesecake. I’ve put it together and now I’m sharing it with you. It’s wonderful as an appetizer or as a salad course with greens, which is how they were offering it at the restaurant. Thank you, nice lady in Floyd!

(and a Mushroom Cheesecake) by Annelle Williams At the beginning of every new year, I have a chance to start over and do better. It’s not just one thing I want to do better, I have visions of doing everything better. The only detail that remains constant is who I am. By the time the Christmas holidays are over, I am well aware of who I am: an overscheduler who never has enough time to ﬁnish everything I need to do, much less the things I want to do. This past year my family gave me a week away in a quiet, healthy environment to think about this and to come up with a way to make good changes. At its conclusion, I wrote a letter to myself and left it with my mentor. It arrived in the mail last week. Along with other ideas, I listed three important points to remember: • take time to be grateful every day • be connected • schedule realistically. Taking time each day to be grateful has resulted in a redirection of attitude. I’m still over-scheduled, but maybe not quite as bad as before and it doesn’t bother me as much. It’s just who I am. You probably won’t be surprised to know that I’m always grateful for a really good recipe, especially when it’s shared. While having lunch in Floyd, I saw this savory cheesecake on the menu and ordered a piece

Savory Mushroom Cheesecake Makes one 10-inch cheesecake or 3 smaller cheesecakes. Use for a party or as hostess gifts.

Crust 1 1⁄2 cups panko bread crumbs 3⁄4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 1 T mixed Italian herbs

1⁄2 tsp. salt 1 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°. Line the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan or smaller pans with parchment paper buttered on both sides. Also butter the sides of the pans. Mix crust ingredients and press into bottom and up sides of pan. Bake for 8 minutes or until ﬁrm and crisp. Remove from oven and cool.

Cheesecake 18 oz. mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped 1⁄2 sweet onion, chopped 1⁄2 red pepper, roughly chopped 1/3 cup parsley leaves

1 T butter 1 T extra virgin olive oil 2 lbs. cream cheese, softened 2 cups grated smoked Gouda 4 eggs

Add butter and oil to large sauté pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onions and peppers. Sauté just until softened. Remove from pan; drain and cool. Add cooled vegetables and parsley to food processor and pulse until chopped into small but still discernible pieces. Combine softened cream cheese and smoked Gouda in mixer bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, and blend until combined. Fold in vegetables. Pour into prepared crust. Reduce oven temperature to 250°. Bake cheesecake for one hour. Turn oven off and leave in the oven for another hour without opening the door. Remove from oven and cool for at least 4 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. This will keep in the refrigerator for several days. Serve with crackers or toasted bread rounds or place a small slice on a bed of greens and serve as a salad. For more pictures and recipes, visit my blog: http://aroundannellestable.blogspot.com.

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January 2014

Photo Finish

Associate Katie Johnston (left) and Karen Johnston (far right), owner and manager of Karen’s Hallmark Shop, show a decorative tobacco leaf to Newton Ray (Raywood Landscaping) and Mimma Brooks (Joe & Mimma’s Italian Restaurant.

Evince Photographer Von Wellington, joined the shoppers at the new Danville Mall and caught these energetic employees at the stores on the upper level. Meanwhile, photographer Michelle Dalton was at Westwood Middle School visiting the ofﬁce staff.

Store Manager Chris Shoffner, Lead Merchandiser Jamario Neal, and Sales Associate Briawna Dildy check the latest shoe at Finish Line.

Fabian Martinez, General Manager at Katie’s Pretzels, offers good tasting snacks and drinks to weary shoppers.

Preparing delicious pizza for hungry shoppers at Rufﬁno’s are cooks Miguel Segundo and Salvador Martinez (holding pizza). Assistant Manager Ronneka Garland always has sweet treats ready at The Cookie Store.

Aeropostale Assistant Manager Jessica Matherly and Cash Wrap Specialist Phylicia Cobbs prepare a display of the latest fashions. Employee Andy Jones and Support Leader Christian Whicker serve a smile with every order at Chick-ﬁl-A.

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Stefanie Davis, Sales Lead at Kids Foot Locker can make anyone’s feet feel happy. Angela Joyce, salesperson at Spencer’s, knows every item in the store and will ﬁnd what you are seeking.

Family Christian Stores’ Kelley Dalton and Carla Porterﬁeld stand ready to help.

Assistant Manager of Foot Locker, Lawrence Keene, makes sure everything is perfect before the ﬁrst customer arrives. Customer Service Representative Mathew Moser at nTelos Wireless has a wealth of knowledge and products to share with customers.

Sara Wade, Assistant Manager of Claire’s, loves working with jewelry.

Danville Public School Superintendent, Dr. Edward Newsome, and Westwood Principal, Christy Dawson, review teaching materials.

Westwood Middle School secretary, Venessa Toomer, pauses from her work to read Evince.

Bonnie Hayes, Westwood Middle School ofﬁce manager, is part of the team that makes things run smoothly.