Evince 414 4web

Kim & William Gentry

Preserving History One Building at a Time Page 18

Sara Spissu

21st Century Gibson Girl Page 3

April 2014

Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography

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Editor’s Note

April Contents

2

Editor’s Note

3

Sara Spissu / 21st Century Gibson Girl

by Joyce Wilburn

4

She Said He Said / The Rites of Spring

by Dena Hill & Larry Oldham The Voice of Readers

7

Can You Lose 1⁄2 Pound in 90 Days?

by Stephanie Ferrugia

9

Returning to Family Roots

by Britta Petrich

Editor Joyce Wilburn (434.799.3160) joycewilburn@gmail.com Associate Editors Larry G. Aaron (434.792.8695) larry.aaron@gmail.com Jeanette Taylor Contributing Writers

Larry Aaron, Mary Lee Black, Cara Burton, Kim Clifton, Cathy Cole, Patsi Compton, Elaine Day, Stephanie Ferrugia, Dena Hill, Emily Holder, Peter Howard, Telisha Moore Leigg, Linda Lemery, Jane Murray, Larry Oldham, Carollyn Lee Peerman, Britta Petrich, Katie Rohrig, Dolly Supernault, Melanie Vaughan, Joyce Wilburn, Annelle Williams, Mack Williams

The inspiration for this editor’s note was written 22 years ago and 13 years before I started working for Evince. Reflecting on this month’s theme, The Voice of History, I was reminded of a letter I had written and given to my daughter the day she graduated from GWHS in 1992. The letter was part of a personal history book of pictures and information about her ancestors. It contained the following message:

11 Second Thoughts / Going Green

by Kim Clifton

....Many books have passed through your hands in the past 13 years, from the picture books of primary school to the sophisticated and often difficult books of senior high school.

The book that you are holding in your hands, however, is the one that has had the greatest impact on your life.

20 Book Clubbing / Chatham Hall by William Black a review by Larry Aaron

This is your heritage. These are the real flesh-and-blood people from the past whose decisions, abilities, likes, dislikes, and physical characteristics have helped to shape you. You are at a milestone now. Now it is your turn to take what has been given to you and shape your future. For most of the people in this book, their story is finished. For you, it is just beginning. My greatest wish and hope for you is that you will be able to look back on your page in history with pride and contentment.

That is my wish for every Evince reader. I hope that the people and events in this issue will provide inspiration for your journey through history and help you to create a page that fills you with pride and contentment.

12 Spotting Exceptional Customer Service

by Dolly Supernault 13 Drowned / Fiction / by Telisha Moore Leigg

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

14 Calendar Clips 16 Calendar

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

18 Kim & William Gentry Preserving History One Building at a Time

by Joyce Wilburn

22 Hello Butterflies / by Mack Williams 23 Reflecting Forward / The Voice of History

by Linda Lemery 24 Between the Lines / by Patsi Compton 25 What’s Happening in the Pittsylvania County Public Libraries 27 Around the Table / Looking Back in the Recipe File

by Annelle Williams 29 What I Know: Real Sex Appeal Is in the Imagination

by Carollyn Lee Peerman 30 Photo Finish

On the Cover:

Cover photos of Sara Spissu and Kim & William Gentry by Michelle Dalton Photography.

See stories on page 3 and 18.

Don’t Forget to Pick Up the April Health Talk Edition of Showcase Magazine

Meet Some of Our Contributors

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 May stories, articles, ads, and calendar clips items is Saturday, April 19, at 5 p.m.

Submit stories and articles to: joycewilburn@gmail.com.

Submit calendar items by Saturday, April 12, 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:

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.

Sincerely,

Credits: Hair: Amber Wilson; Skin Care & Makeup: Catherine Saunders; Nails: Janelle Gammon; Genesis Day Spa & Salon, 695 Park Avenue, Danville

OICE OF HISTORY

CEO / Publisher Andrew Scott Brooks President Larry Oldham (434.728.3713) larry@evincemagazine.com

Where Can I Find an Evince?

5

THE

Cathy Cole is on the board of directors for Parsons-Bruce Art Association serving as secretary and publicity co-chairman. She and her husband, Johnny, live in Halifax and have two children and five grandchildren.

Mary Lee Black is active in community organizations supporting beautification, the arts and the wellbeing of the residents of Chatham and Pittsylvania County.

She also loves traveling, reading, cooking, and golden retrievers.

Sally Susan Popu is a photographer and makeup artist at Sally’s Studio on the upper level of the Danvillian Gallery on North Union Street.

Stephanie Ferrugia is the Director of Get Fit Dan River Region.

We now accept Visa, MC, and Discover for ad payments

For Subscriptions, call 1.877.638.8685 ext. 6.

Evince Magazine

D

uring the week, Danville native Sara Spissu is a loan administrator at CIT, but on weekends she transforms into a curator, mender, photographer, model, seller and shipper of vintage clothing on eBay and Etsy.com. Even though she lives on the upper floor of an historic building in Danville’s River District, the UVA graduate, with degrees in anthropology and philosophy, is being found by shoppers world-wide under the name of GibsonGirlVintage.

at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History, 975 Main Street. Foxglove Clothing will present modern fashions from their current collection worn by models Sara Spissu, Stephanie Ferrugia, Lily Hungerland and Heather Rosenbaum. Vintage outfits including bathing attire that were created by Linda Woodard will also be shown.

Piano music from the period will be performed by Nathan Hayes on the DMFAH’s baby grand piano. Tea will be served with a complement of sweet and savory finger foods and scones provided by the Golden Leaf Bistro.

(See story on page 18 about the couple who owns Golden Leaf.) Attendees will take home a folding fan memento. This event is sponsored by Rick and Kristen Barker. Tickets are $20 per person or $150 for a table of eight and can be purchased at the DMFAH and at Foxglove Clothing, 1011 West Main Street.

Why did she choose the name Gibson Girl for her business?

Sara explains succinctly, “Irene Gibson was the epitome of a confident woman.” Irene Langhorne Gibson was a Danville resident in the late 1800s who became known as “every woman’s ideal, every man’s dream, and the American girl to the world.” Although Sara’s humility would immediately deny it, her friends and acquaintances probably think it’s plausible that she could be a 21st century Gibson Girl with her sense of style and her dark, upswept hair.

The attractive, talented woman, who lives with a solid-black cat named Theo, started collecting vintage clothing when she was 16 years old. “I worked at the DAV Thrift Store and found awesome hidden treasures on the clothes racks,” she explains.

“Also, in the mornings while I was getting ready for school, my mom would have the TV on American Movie Classics (AMC).

I grew up watching old blackand-white movies and fell in love with the costumes, especially Edith Head’s elegant and overthe-top designs in What a Way to Go,” she continues, referring to the 1964 film starring Shirley MacLaine and Paul Newman.

Sara’s collection of clothes from the last 40 years fills an entire room in her small apartment.

“The old clothes are very wellmade. Everything was a work of art--even the things that no one would see like the lace trim on the inside of a skirt or a tag that is sewn on the back of a dress and made to look like a vine. Everything was done with such care and style. Now we are working so hard to meet the demands of the masses. If you want something special it needs a careful hand to work on it,” she says. With that in mind, Sara takes sewing classes at Coates Recreation Center. “I’m the youngest one there and they show me all the old tricks,” she

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Sara Spissu

21st Century Gibson Girl

by Joyce Wilburn adds, “I also want to learn to make my own jeans so they will fit.”

Sara’s love of classic clothing combined with a love of Danville’s history led to her becoming involved in an upcoming fundraiser fashion show for the Langhorne House, the museum on Broad Street where Irene Gibson spent

her formative years. It’s on a Saturday and that’s perfect, because that’s when Sara sheds her weekday identity and becomes Gibson Girl Vintage.

• On Saturday, April 12, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., the Langhorne House will hold a fundraiser tea and fashion show

• On Thursday, April 24, a free public exhibit of memorabilia connected to Irene and the Gibson Girl era will open with a wine and cheese reception from 5:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at the Langhorne House, 117 Broad Street. On display will be Charles D. Gibson illustrations, photographs, dolls, books and memorabilia that reflect the Gibson Girl influence both then and now. An elegant fan that was the property of Irene will be displayed, along with a chair with a Gibson illustration carved in its back. Special music from the era will be sung by vocalist Carolyn Smith and will include the song, “Why Do They Call Me a Gibson Girl” from the 1906 Broadway musical comedy, The Belle of Mayfair. For a small donation, women can have photos taken in a Charles D. Gibson illustration cut-out. This exhibit has been sponsored in part through the City of Danville’s matching art grant program that is offered in association with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Virginia Commission for the Arts.

• For more information about the events, call 336.592.0222.

• To view Sara’s Etsy shop, visit www.etsy.com/shop/ GibsonGirlVintage.

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April 2014

SHE SAID

by Dena Hill

The Rites of Spring Welcome spring! I am so glad to see the winter that wouldn’t end finally over.

I’ve missed mowing the grass, planting flowers, feeding the birds and taking Sophie, our poodle, for long walks.

The sunshine feels so good and its health benefits are endless.

Sophie has missed nesting in the back yard. I’m even glad to see the squirrels again.

I’m thinking about hanging Photo by several more Michelle Dalton hummingbird Photography. feeders so there will be more visitors.

As long as we are thinking about good healthy eating and exercise, we could go to the store and select a mix of salad ingredients and eat only that for dinner. You know we’d have to skip desserts too.

We wouldn’t want to go through all of the above and then consume more calories by eating pecan pie or chocolate cake. Before bedtime, we could do several reps of sit ups and deep squats to keep our joints loosened up.

Yes, spring time is a time for rebirth of all of nature’s plants, animals and us. I can’t wait to see if the images of us in my mind match up to reality.

She said He Said

After the pollen settles, I’ll power wash the sidewalks and driveway. Guess I will need to clean the porch so you can sit, drink your tea and watch me to make sure that I do everything right. You could go for a walk with Sophie and me, you know. Oh boy!

Your surgery is over and you can now walk up hills with me. Think about all the calories we’ll burn.

HE SAID

by Larry Oldham

NO! He Said / She Said can be found in Showcase Magazine.

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

Piney Forest Road Area Commonwealth Pharmacy ERA Holley & Gibson Realty Company Mary’s Diner Piedmont Credit Union

Memorial Drive Frank’s Pizza • Gingerbread House

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

Franklin Turnpike Area

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In Chatham Area

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

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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

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The Voice of Readers To the Editor: We want to express our sincere appreciation for featuring our new venture, 2 Witches Winery and Brewing Company, on the cover of the March Evince (Julie & Ethan Brown, Opening Virginia’s First Winery/Brewery, page 3).

We truly enjoyed sharing our story with Joyce!

As captured by the Voice of Fun edition, we hope 2 Witches will be embraced by the community as a meeting spot where friends gather and new relationships flourish. Our goal is to put Danville on the map as the first co-located (under one roof) winery/brewery in the Commonwealth. We’ve literally put Danville on the map already; pick up a copy of the Virginia Winery Guide and you’ll notice our farm winery listing.

Our goal is to open late April; however, we’ll definitely be open for American Craft Beer Week, May 12 -18th. Be sure to “like us” on Facebook and check our website for updates. www.2witcheswinebrew.com.

Thanks again.

Ethan and Julie Brown It’s talking to people like Ethan and Julie that make working for Evince a pleasure.

To the Editor: What an encouragement you are to me! I especially liked the picture of the young couple going out for the evening as it perfectly matched the essence of what my article was all about (When You Are Down, Dress Up, page 25, March Evince) Thanks again.

Carollyn Lee Peerman Thanks for offering inspiration to all of us.

To the Editor: Thank you so much for the part Evince played in helping to create a resounding success for Spring to Green (January Evince, page 14).

Our horticultural symposium held at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in February had quality publicity along with the hard work of the committee. On behalf of the Danville Master Gardeners and Virginia Cooperative Extension, appreciation for Evince.

Truly yours, Janet Aponte Evince loves playing a part in making events successful.

Thanks for letting us know.

Letters must contained the writer’s name, address and phone number.

Letters may be edited for space or style. Submission constitutes permission to use.

Tell us what you think.

Email your comments to joyce@evincemagazine.com or send mail to Evince Editor, 753 Main Sreet, Suite 3, Danville, VA 24541.

To read past issues of Evince, visit www.evincemagazine.com.

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April 2014

Evince Magazine Is 30 seconds a long time? Is 50 cents a lot of money? Is 1⁄2 mile driving distance a long way? Generally speaking, most of us would answer “No” to these questions. Now, for the final bonus question. Could you lose 1⁄2 pound in 90 days?

Of course you can, especially when you follow a simple nutrition tip each week, along with a body resistance workout developed by local trainers at zero cost to you. This is exactly what we’re recruiting everyone in the Dan River Region to do.

Evince readers, we are thrilled to announce and are asking you to join us for the Get Fit 50,000 Pound Weight Loss Challenge.

If the 100,000+ people in our community lose 1⁄2 pound each, we will be well on our way to taking a healthy bite out of our hefty obesity statistics. Want to offer up more than 1⁄2 pound?

We’ll take it. Here’s how: The Challenge kicks off on Friday, April 4, and wraps

25,000 37,500 12,500

50,000

Can You Lose 1/2 Pound in 90 Days?

by Stephanie Ferrugia Program Director, Get Fit Dan River Region

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up on Friday, July 4. Visit www.getfitdanriver.org to take the pledge and join our 50,000 pound team. Visit the webpage each Monday morning for a fresh and easy workout video created and demonstrated by one of our superstar Team Get Fit trainers and some very recognizable faces from our community. Prepare to be surprised and to have a weight and stress-busting great time.

Recruit your friends and family for this interactive challenge that is sure to transform your physique, your mindset and our entire community’s overall health. It’s challenge time to stay healthy and fit, Dan River Region!

April’s Special Challenge Event: Saturday, April 5: Downtown Danville Doggie Dance Walk.

Team up with Get Fit and the Danville Humane Society and bring your favorite four-legged friend for a spirited spring stroll down Main Street at 9 a.m.

Then, head over to the Danville Humane Society from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for more fun-filled pet friendly activities.

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April 2014

Evince Magazine whether or not you will live there for the rest of your days.

For the past five years I have happily done my laundry in Danville. Nonetheless, you cannot escape the importance of your roots. Almost my entire extended family lives throughout Pennsylvania and now my nuclear family is moving smack dab in the middle of the state.

We will be surrounded by family in any direction a weathervane might point. Regardless of which way the wind is blowing, this fact calms me.

Pregnant Britta Petrich stands outside Danville Regional Medical Center a few hours before her son was born on January 6, 2011.

Returning to Family Roots

by Britta Petrich Next month my husband and I will have lived in Danville for five years. Coincidentally, next month we are moving to Pennsylvania. As we prepare to pack up our two children, both of whom were born here in Southern Virginia, we are taking pieces of their family history along with us.

I was born in Pennsylvania and it is no coincidence that it is where we are returning. When I was 18, I left the comfort and security of my rural hometown in north central Pennsylvania for Virginia Tech. After I graduated in 2002, I bounced around from Florida to a brief stint back in Pennsylvania, but only to return to Virginia again for a job.

When I had my first baby three years ago, I began to miss

home. When I had a second baby, I really missed home. Before I had kids I taught a writing course for a few years. I remember giving my students a writing prompt that read, What does home mean to you? One of my favorite responses was, “Home is where you do your laundry.” The response initially made me laugh, but it also made me realize that you have to live fully and function where you are, regardless of

I don’t know if my kids will ever return to Danville and as hard as it will be to close the front door to our Danville home for the last time -- the home we brought both babies into from the hospital -- I am filled with gratitude that my husband landed a job that will take us back to where my deep-rooted family history began. I am eager to give my children the gift of more frequent get-togethers with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins as I reacquaint myself with the state I call home.

When the children become older, we will certainly share photos of the positive start they received in their first home. My husband and I will take memories of the friends we made and the people who loved us while we lived here, but like all things in life, nothing lasts forever. I will move on, a more experienced mother and writer as I integrate my family into a new town. In the process, Danville will always have a special place in my heart.

Fond farewell to the birthplace of my children.

This will be my final story in Evince. Special thanks to Joyce Wilburn for giving me a chance at something I love by printing my submissions.

Lance Petrich sleeps just hours after birth at DRMC.

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April 2014

Evince Magazine than a fireman answering a call.

Even though it was well before dawn, I didn’t turn on a lamp because I didn’t want to disturb my snoozing husband. I brewed coffee so strong it practically melted the spoon.

Meanwhile, fate had been making a record of my anxieties so that the day ahead would make all of the previous night’s dreams come true.

Second Thoughts

by Kim Clifton ©2014

Going Green A Note from Kim: The Voice of History - My mother has asked me for years to revisit my inaugural column written in 1994 as it has always been her favorite.

I submit this in celebration of her 84th birthday this month.

the piece back onto the bottom. It’s more problematic than just resetting clocks. The time shift affects my rest.

I can only sleep when it’s dark. This schedule makes it harder to get up in the morning and even harder to go to bed at night.

Vanna, I’d like to buy a vowel, I thought as I examined a key on a rawhide cord attached to a wooden paddle with “Wmn” etched on the front. One step inside the ladies’ room, though, and I knew I’d made a mistake. Because my feet were stuck to the floor, I had no choice but to stay. Wait, though, that’s not how the story begins. As always, I’m ahead of myself, so let me explain.

What’s worse are days that begin while roosters are still snoring.

Such was the case when I had to be in Richmond one morning for an important meeting. I’m a worrier, so I spent most of the night before just napping. When I did sleep, it wasn’t peaceful. I anguished about rush hour traffic and keeping my linen suit crisp.

This was a big day for me. I’d never been invited to participate in a statelevel workshop. I needed to make a good impression.

Daylight savings time has never been my friend. I agree with humorist Sam Levenson who said that it makes about as much sense as cutting the top off a blanket and sewing

Adrenalin and sleep deprivation are a lethal combination. I was so eager to get on the road that I dressed faster

Like getting there on time...a road resurfacing project made certain that was never going to happen.

Snails laughed and waved as they passed me. This was no patch job.

VDOT had moved so much dirt that it looked more like an archeological dig than a new highway. Either they were searching for fossils or they were plowing a shortcut to China. As traffic inched along, I conceded that beating the steering wheel didn’t help.

The caffeine woke me up in more ways than one. I was forced to choose between having an accident in the car or crossing traffic and risking an accident with the car.

Bladders easily trump bumpers, so I pulled into the first station I saw.

When I stepped out, fate showed me how ridiculous I looked in my new suit.

I had green feet. In the darkness of my bedroom, I’d reached into an assortment of colored pantyhose and pulled out what I thought was a gray pair. Turns out they were avocado.

Instead of looking good enough to be in court, I looked good enough to be a court jester. All that was missing was a pointy hat with bells on the ends.

Thankfully, the gas station sold hosiery, but unfortunately the

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selections were limited to only extra tall/off-black. I groaned when I took them out of the package. Off, they looked black. On, they didn’t.

Time was marching on, but I wasn’t.

Locked in this filthy restroom, I had to redress without touching this breeding ground for the Bubonic Plague. I didn’t want my body or my clothes brushing any surface, so I turned my pants upside down and stuck my head in the seat. I removed one shoe at a time, pawing at the flimsy fabric with my toes. I was so off-balance that I hopped around the bathroom like a giant bunny with trouser ears. It didn’t take long to figure out I couldn’t do this standing up, but there was only one seat in the house, and I wasn’t about to perch without some kind of protection. With the pants’ zipper pulling my eyebrows, I winced as I repeatedly spun the permanently fused roll of toilet paper. The brand should have been called Alpha/ Omega because it had no beginning and no end.

When I got the pantyhose on, I pulled up on the waistband until it finally stopped at my armpits.

Unfortunately, when I put my slacks back on, the extra material didn’t distribute as evenly as I’d hoped. I left there with legs more wrinkled than a Chinese Shar Pei. Twenty years have passed since that ill-fated day. I now roll more with the punches and am a little less anxious. I’ve also learned to believe something that my mother always swore was true. With the obvious exception of avocado panty hose, everything looks better in the morning.

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April 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; under Business Development, click Customer Service Award Nomination.

by Dolly Supernault A few weeks ago I shopped at Food Lion on Westover Drive. After returning home I was putting my groceries away and checking the sales receipt when I realized the prices were above what I had expected to pay.

A day or so later I took the receipt back to Food Lion so an employee could help me re-check the receipt. Upon looking at the receipt she immediately identiďŹ ed that the reason for the difference was that my Food Lion MVP Card had not been swiped. Without hesitation she offered to ďŹ nd all the items that were MVP items and re-ring them so I could receive the discount that totaled a little more than $14.00! She graciously gave me the money. This took a great deal of her time, but I had shopping to do and certainly did not mind.

This associate, Tia McQueen, went far beyond the call of duty and could not have been more helpful and polite. She deserves the Outstanding Customer Service Award.

Evince Magazine

Drowned fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg

T

ruth is folks want me to make pretty with my pain, but there is no getting rid of pain like I know. And if it were possible, well, the end of that grief is dying again, like drowning.

—Clarisse Knox, mother, at the wedding of her daughter, mourning the death of her son.

I see Tim and that woman across the lawn at our daughter’s wedding, and I think of the first time our son, Matthew Knox, ran away from home; he was four, and I found him in Sears.

The second time he was 13. He stayed away for three days hiding out at a friend’s house even though that friend repeatedly told Tim and me, still married then although unhappily, that Mattie was not there. The friend swore he had not seen our son. Later, Tim and I, after hours of calling around, searching, and crying and raging found out that while we suffered, Mattie (Matthew) had eaten shortbread cookies and drunk orange Fanta soda, that the friend, another 13-year-old boy, had brought down to him in the friend’s basement. Mattie had watched reruns of The Jerry Springer Show, and played Mortal Combat video games--the violent ones that I would never let him play. The parents of the friend finally noticed the activity in their basement and called us. All this came out while Mattie stood stoic, staring like a captured soldier into his father’s angry face. Every time Tim poked his finger into that tiny chest, his spittle and grief came out.

“Boy, why shouldn’t I just knock the damn fool out yo’ sorry butt?” Tim raised his right hand; he wanted to beat the boy into compliance and beat his own pain—someone had to pay for that pain—out of Mattie.

And this pain being removed couldn’t be a spanking, some time-out, or a talking-to. Our living room was tense; we were still in our coats; Tim’s keys, still in his hand, were cold from the January air. Mattie stood still through it all looking into the wall above his father’s head.

I stood in the doorway, nervous and dazed from losing and then finding

our son. I knew, even if Tim didn’t, that the boy was too old for spanking and too young to be beat like some man.

Sometimes I think, only a mother could truly know the pain of it. I touched Tim’s sleeve, pulled slowly down the right hand softly.

“Why, Mattie?” I wanted to rage too. I wanted to tell him how for three days we couldn’t drive over a bridge without thinking of him drowned, how we shivered inside at our sad thoughts as we had crisscrossed the town again and again, back and forth over at least four bridges, looking, hoping, asking, and begging.

“Why you leave us, Mattie? Didn’t you think we would worry?” Mattie wavered some, enough for one tear to come down, but still he wouldn’t break rank, not the way Tim needed him to. “’Cause,” and Matthew stared at his father. We waited for more words. And when none came, Tim slapped him then like a man, and the little boy fell into my arms, me cradling him and him cradling his cheek. Tim stepped back, both shock and satisfaction in the tense line of his jaw. He stared at the boy until Mattie put his eyes to the ground. Then the pain had been paid to Tim’s satisfaction, and Tim left me to heal the child. Only I couldn’t. “Mama, I don’t think he want us no more.”

That was all he said to me, then. “What kind of stupid talk is this?” Stoic again, Mattie went into himself, but some part of me was shaken in a way I couldn’t explain. I remember then thinking that this is what death feels like coming, and I wanted to snarl and protect my family from danger. I had a feeling of mortal danger in my house, but there was nothing tangible to fear in my living room. Still that feeling never went away. I held him in my arms until he wouldn’t let me anymore.

“Mama,” he began, searching my face, and then stopped. Something in my eyes and my little boy couldn’t say what he needed to say; he saw something weak there and he wouldn’t break me. He struggled in my arms then. My arms only released because he pulled away— because he was more of the man than I knew, and I couldn’t hold him any longer.

Today at the wedding, I see Tim frown, pull some table linens straight, talk again with the band, peer at some young girl in a sky blue dress that we didn’t invite.

Everything must be right now for our daughter, Laurel. He’s a tight wire and I don’t think he can take anymore loss.

Because three years after he ran away, our little boy was dead. He had run with the wrong crowd, got shot. And even though he didn’t drown, I always think he drowned. And if any stranger would ask me, (although no one ever did), I would tell them my son drowned. And we were just a little away, and we rushed to the shore, and he was four or just a little older, and we both held him still wet from the water. I know it didn’t happen

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that way. The truth was that we were away, and lost, losing ourselves in deception, denial and divorce. I know it didn’t happen that way, but I can’t tell anyone else the truth. I see Tim across the lawn talking, and I think of the truth that our Mattie was so alone and probably scared—because he knew what his father was doing, knew his family was sinking. Someone had to pay for that pain. I could tell Tim what I know, but no one deserves the truth I think I know. I swallow back a river’s current. Sometimes, I think, only a mother could truly know the pain of it.

The author welcomes your reactions at telishamooreleigg@gmail.com.

Page 14

April 2014

Calendar Clips Clip it. Post it. Do it.

For more activities, see the calendar on page 16.

Thursday, April 3

Poetry Reading by John Guzlowski

The author of Lightning and Ashes and Third Winter of War: Buchenwald: Poems will read from his work at Averett University’s Mary B. Blount Library, 344 West Main Street, beginning at 4:00 p.m.

Danville resident and Professor Emeritus at Eastern Illinois University, Guzlowski was born in a refugee camp after World War II and came with his family to the United States as a Displaced Person in 1951.

His parents had been Polish slave laborers in Nazi Germany. Growing up in the immigrant and refugee neighborhoods around Humboldt Park in Chicago, Guzlowski met hardware store clerks with Auschwitz tattoos on their wrists, Polish cavalry officers who still mourned for their dead comrades and women who had walked from Siberia to Iran to escape the Russians. His poetry, fiction and essays recall them and their voices. For more information, visit www.discover.averett.edu/coffeetalk. (submitted by Elaine Day)

Saturday April 5

Danville Sings!

Choral Concert

The public is cordially invited to this event presented by the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, 975 Main Street, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 pm.

The choir will be composed of 100 singers drawn from 12 local churches. The concert, which will include traditional hymns and African American spirituals, Is being presented in conjunction with Danville United, a coalition of individuals and groups committed to making Danville a more tolerant, friendly, and welcoming community for all. The free concert will be held on the grounds of the Museum rain or shine. For more information, call 434.793.5644. (submitted by Cara Burton)

Sunday, April 6 Saturday, May 3

Allegory of a Painting exhibit

The most recent oil paintings and oneof-a-kind pottery by Nelly Zamora-Jones will be on display at The Prizery presented by the Parsons-Bruce Art Association of South Boston.

Zamora-Jones is currently an adjunct professor at Averett University, Danville Community College and Southside Community College. She has traveled and studied fine arts in Europe and taught art for over 36 years at Halifax County High School. Her paintings, poetry, pottery and songs all portray her roots as a Cuban-American and love for God, family and life.

The exhibit opens on April 6 with a reception from 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 pm in the Bob Cage Gallery at The Prizery, 700 Bruce Street, South Boston. (submitted by Cathy Cole)

Friday, April 11

Permanent Civil War Exhibition Opening

In preparation for the Sesquicentennial in 2015, the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History, 975 Main Street, has upgraded its permanent Civil War exhibition, Between the Lines. It includes the role Danville played in the Civil War, information about the role of women, African-Americans, and city government. Two lifesize murals by local artist Billy Newcomb and interactive exhibits complement newly added artifacts.

The exhibition opening from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. is free and open to the public. For more information, call 434.793.5644 or visit www.danvillemuseum.org. (submitted by Patsi Compton)

Billy Newcomb sta

nds beside mural.

Friday April 11 – Saturday, April 12 Civil War History on the Lawn

Join the 18th Virginia Infantry Re-enactors as they set up camp on the grounds of the historic Sutherlin Mansion, 975 Main Street. Discover what the life of a soldier was like—the food, weapons, uniforms and drilling. Learn about the horrors of Civil War medical practices.

Guided student tours on Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Reservations are required and a small fee will be charged. Saturday is free. For more information, call 434.793.5644 or visit www.danvillemuseum.org. (submitted by Patsi Compton)

Thursday, April 17

Down in the Old Belt

The Danville Historical Society will show the film, Down in the Old Belt, starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, 975 Main Street. Following the movie will be a presentation by Preservation Virginia’s Sonja Ingram with an update on the progress of the county-wide tobacco barns project and the oral histories that have been collected.

Saturday, April 19

Butterfly, Hello! and Thyme

Just in Thyme for spring planting, the Danville Science Center, 677 Craghead Street, welcomes a new season of butterflies in the Butterfly Station and Garden. Beginning at 9:00 a.m., visitors can gather information and purchase herbs and flowering plants for their flavors, their beauty or their role as nectar sources for the butterflies. At 11:00 a.m., family fun begins including butterfly riddles, activities on their life cycles, symmetry and habitats.

Children can explore the art of the science in these beautiful insects at craft stations. Call the

Evince Magazine DSC to sponsor a butterfly that will be released in the garden at 11:00 a.m.- limited to the first 75 people. At noon, the garden will open for all to enjoy. For more information, call g Photo 3 Winnin 1 0 2 434.791.5160, and see page 22.

Friday, April 21 – Friday, May 2

Pilot, People, Pets Exhibit

The Luncheon Pilot Club of Danville will display all entries in this annual photo contest at American National Bank, 628 Main Street, from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. weekdays. The community is invited to vote in cash and/or checks for the best picture. The winner is determined by the picture that raises the most amounts of cash votes.

Proceeds will remain in the community and benefit those with brain-related disorders and disabilities. (submitted by Melanie Vaughan)

Tuesday, April 22 It’s Just a Mole!

Could it be cancer? More than 3.25 million people develop skin cancer each year. Lowering the risk of skin cancer, its detection, treatment, and cure will be the focus of a free, dynamic and interactive program presented by Danville dermatologist, Dr. Keith Robinson.

The program will be presented from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the lower level of Ballou Recreation Center, 760 West Main Street. This program is part of the Keeping Well in Mind, Body & Spirit Series for those concerned with cancer prevention and survivorship and is open to the community. It is brought to the Dan River Region by the Cancer Resource Center of Southern Virginia in partnership with Danville Parks & Recreation and with the support of Danville’s Cancer Task Force. Bring a lunch and a friend. Drinks and dessert are provided. Boxed lunches can be ordered in advance for $6.00. Call 434.766.6650 or email cllitzenberg@vcu.edu. to make a reservation or for more information. (submitted by Melanie Vaughan)

Sunday, April 27 Chatham Garden Tour

Sponsored by The Chatham Garden Club, this annual tour from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. highlights three centuries of life along Chatham’s Main Street. The Hunt House dating from 1890 and Buttercup Cottage built in 1916, combine local history, architectural detail and colorful gardens. Leaving Main Street, visitors can tour The Blair House, located two miles from Chatham.

This spacious contemporary rock and stucco house finished in 2014 showcases an imaginative incorporation of nature in the design and decoration of the house and gardens. Refreshments will be served at the law offices of Adams, Elmore & Fisk, 2 North Main Street, an historic building in the commercial life of Chatham since 1880. Artifacts from its history as a bank are on exhibit. Tickets are $15.

For more information, email maryjacm@gmail.com or gigiholly@verizon.net. (submitted by Mary Lee Black)

Page 15

Tuesday, April 29

4th Annual Community Garden Forum

The Dan River Partnership for a Healthy Community’s 4th Annual Community Garden Forum will feature keynote speaker Megan O’Rourke, Assistant Professor of Sustainable Food Systems at Virginia Tech’s Department of Horticulture. Discussion topics include: creating low input garden space, pest management strategies, online gardening resources and more.

The event will be held at 5:30 p.m. at Camp Grove Baptist Church, located at 400 Bradley Road in Danville. The free event is open to the public. A light meal will be provided. RSVP to Karissa at kgrier@vt.edu by April 18. (submitted by Emily Holder)

Upcoming Friday, May 2

Temple Beth Sholom Interfaith Open House

The only Jewish temple in Danville at 127 Sutherlin Avenue invites the public to Sabbath service starting at 7:30 p.m. There will be an opportunity to ask the Rabbi questions about Jewish theology, philosophy and practice.

Refreshments will follow. No tickets required but please call Jo Ann or Peter Howard 434.799.3505 for reservations -- 120 people limit. Temple Beth Sholom is a member of Danville United. (submitted by Peter Howard)

Saturday, May 3 Sutherlin Art & Wine Show

Spend the day at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History, 975 Main Street. A silent auction, music, and food are part of this annual juried art show. An added feature is the opportunity to sample Virginia wines while shopping for that special piece of art work. The free art show is from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The wine tasting is from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Cost $10 in advance, $15 at the gate, and $5 for the designated driver. (submitted by Patsi Compton)

Saturday, May 10

DMFAH Attic Sale

The Volunteer Guild of the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History will hold its annual attic sale from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at the DMFAH, 975 Main Street. A preview sale for members of the museum will be on Friday, May 9, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

As you spring clean, save your unwanted, gently used items (except for clothing and shoes) and donate them to the sale. Donated goods are tax deductible. Furniture is especially welcomed. Drop off donations on May 5, 6, 7, or 8 during museum hours.

Pick up for large items or quantities is available. For more information call 434.793.5644. (submitted by Jane Murray)

Page 16

April 2014

April Calendar Ongoing

Guided Walking Tour – Millionaires Row & Holbrook Street. 434.770.1974. www.danvillehistory.org. See ad page 24.

Danville Science Center Digital Dome Theater - Open for guests to fully explore the known universe as well as some fascinating phenomena right here on Earth.

The immersive dome setting showcases the scientific wonders of space, engages visitors with live astronomers, and offers large format films. Danville Science Center (DSC) – 434.791.5160.

Estlow’s Trains Exhibit - John “Jack” Estlow, Jr. originally constructed this “N” Scale Train layout which was donated by his daughters and grandson so visitors can enjoy trains running in the train station.

DSC – 434.791.5160.

Tai-Chi Day Classes - Increase strength, balance, flexibility. Progress at your own pace. No class on April 21. M 11:15am-12:15pm; Ballou Rec. Center.

434.799.5216.

Yoga Classes - Challenge mind and body, increase flexibility and stamina, build strength, improve balance and concentration, improve circulation, promote relaxation in this stress-relieving wellness class. W 5:30-6:30pm, Ballou Rec Center.

434.797.8848.

Let’s Dance – Formerly Boogie Mondays.

Learn new dances, make new friends and have loads of fun. 7-8:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center - 434.799.5216.

Art with Judie – Learn how to paint with acrylic, oil or watercolor. M/TU - Times vary.

Ballou Annex. 434.799.5216.

Ladies, It’s Time to Work It Out. MW 8:30-10am. City Auditorium. 434.797.8848.

Kuumba African Dance – Live drumming and energetic dancing that help raise cultural awareness, uplifts and provides a great workout. MW 6-8pm. Stonewall Youth Center. 434.797.8848.

Prime Time Fitness - Low-impact aerobics workout with a mix of various fun dance steps. MTH 9:30-11am or 5:30-7pm. Ballou 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 and clothes. Bring portable sewing machine, material, pattern and thread. Beginners and experienced welcomed. TU 6:30-8:30pm.

Coates Rec Center. 434.799.5216.

Hoop Dance Classes - Reduce stress, increase flexibility, improve self-confidence.

Ages 18+. W 2:30-3:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.

Cardio Step Class – Up-tempo, highenergy class. TTH 8:30-9:30am. City Auditorium. 434.797.8848.

Baby Boomer Style Work Out – Walking, cardio activity & weight training designed for older adults. TTH 9-10:30am. City Auditorium. 434.797.8848.

Art with Flo – Wet-on-wet technique of oil painting. Ages 18+. W 9:30-11:30am, Glenwood Community Center; 6-8pm, Ballou Annex. 434.799.5216.

African Rhythms by Nguzo Saba – Learn West African dance technique to live drumming. W 6-7pm. City Auditorium.

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 & refreshments. Ages 50+. F 7:30-10:30pm.

Ballou Rec. Center - 434.799.5216.

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 April 9

DMFAH Exhibits - Magic Realism, paintings of artist-educator Alla Parsons, and Bright Leaf & Tobacco Barns, vintage photographs of the process that took tobacco from seedling to the auction floor. Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History (DMFA&H) – 434.793.5644.

Through April 19

PAA Exhibits. Continuum of Being Featuring new works by Floyd, VA artist Gibby Waitzkin that explores the symbiotic relationship between humans and their environment. Imagining Art - From papier mâché dolls to knitting to quilts, Ursula Allen’s work is full of fun and whimsy. Piedmont Arts Association (PAA) – 276.632.3221.

Through April 26

Light It Up Blue – National campaign to raise awareness of autism. www.danriverautism5k.org.

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.

April 1

Ballou Choir Rehearsal – Join the choir and share talents. Performances at various locations. Male vocalists needed.

Five performances per month. Ages 50+.

11:15am-12:30pm. Ballou Rec. African Violet Club - Learn about garden tending, pest control and more at this meeting and covered-dish meal. 121:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center - 434.799.5216.

Spring Book Reviews - Mayor Sherman Saunders reviews The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates, by Wes Moore. 121:30pm. Danville Public Library Auditorium.

(DPL). 434.799.5195.

Deco Mesh Wreath Making Class Easter. Mesh wreaths are easy and quick to make. 3pm or 6pm. Ballou Rec. Center.

434.799.5216.

April 1 (thru 20)

Averett University Sports. See ad page 10.

April 1 (thru 29)

SHS Tours – Parents can attend a informational school meeting. Prospective students can shadow a student in a classroom. 9-10am. Sacred Heart School. www.sheartschool.com.

Mapping Local Knowledge – Danville Virginia 1963. Exhibit highlights 17 people who were important figures in the struggle for civil rights in the Danville area in 1963.

Tues. thru Sat. 10am-2pm. History Research Center & Library, Chatham. www.pcplib.org.

Urban Line Dance - Each week a new dance is introduced in the dance fitness class. 6-7:30pm. Pepsi Building.

434.797.8848.

April 1 (thru 30)

Art Exhibit – Piedmont Community College Student Art Show. Reception 4/3 6-8pm.

Kirby Gallery, Roxboro. 336.597.1709.

April 2 & 8

Movie Screening - Age of Champions.

Enjoy free showing compliments of Shelley Paschal, Sales Rep for Humana. Ages 50+.

12pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.

April 2 & 9

Tai-Chi Day Classes - Increase strength, balance, flexibility. Progress at your own

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pace. M 11:15am-12:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.

April 4

Wees Story Time – Dance, sing, listen, make crafts and have fun. Ages 3-5. 1010:45am. DPL Auditorium – 434.799.5195.

Wednesdays for Wees. 10am. PCPL- All Branches. www.pcplib.org.

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. 434.799.5216.

Technology Woes Lifeline - Bring tech woes to one-on-one trouble-shooting with a computer-savvy technician. W 1-4:30pm; TH 3-4pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.

Read to Wrangell & Friends – Children are invited to read to a therapy dog. Come and practice your reading skills with Wrangell.

MW 4-5pm. PCPL- Gretna. www.pcplib.org.

Zumba Classes - Hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves create a oneof-a-kind interval training fitness program with fun routines that tone and sculpt the body while burning fat. W 5:15-6pm Pepsi Building. 434.797.8848 or 434.250.0925.

Busted Soles Trail Race Series – This event will test runners on a different race course each week. Every week points will be given to runners based on their finish placement. 5 additional points will be give to all runners who complete all 5 races.

After the last race, finisher’s medals and awards to the first male and female with be given. W 6-8pm. Anglers Park Trail System.

434.799.5957.

April 4 (thru 25)

April 2 (thru 30)

April 3

Bingo Madness – Play bingo with a different theme each month. 4-5pm.

DPL – 434.799.5195.

Poetry Reading by John Guzlowski.

Averett University. See story page 14.

Art @ Happy Hour - Gibby Waitzkin discusses the creative process behind her exhibition, Continuum of Being, in the Piedmont Arts galleries. Dr. Joe Keiper will speak and present specimens from the museum’s collection. Cash bar and refreshments. 6pm. PAA – 276.632.3221.

Sirens of Spring Tour - Enjoy award winning cuisine and an intimate night of great music by singers/songwriters Mama’s Black Sheep and Christine Havrilla. 8pm.

Bistro 1888, South Boston. 434.572.1888.

April 3 & 24

W 2 9 16 23 30

April 5

Halicraft Art Festival - Fine arts, crafts, wine garden, food vendors, kid’s art activities. 9am-3pm. Main St., Halifax.

434.476.2337.

DRBA’s First Saturday Outing – 10 mile paddle on Banister River. 10am.

540.470.1424. danriver.org.

Bob Ross Painting Class - Complete a painting, The Little Visitor, in one day. 10:30am–3:30pm. Ballou Annex.

434.799.5216.

Humane Society Easter Extravaganza – Pet (and children) pictures with the Easter Bunny, adoption fair w/discounted adoption fees. rabies clinic, microchips. lots of other goodies too. 11am-3pm. Humane Society Animal Shelter. 434.799.0843.

Nano Days Festival – Celebrate a really tiny technology. Discover the molecules behind slime, magic sand and liquid magnets. The IALR’s STEM lab will help make some instant snow with nano demonstrations and hands-on activities raising awareness of nanoscale science and engineering in the world. Festival activities are included with paid admission.

This program is in partnership with the Nanoscale Informal Science Education (NISE) network. 10:30am–2:30pm. DSC – 434.791.5160.

Danville Sings! Choir Showcase.

DMFAH. See story page 14.

Family Story Time. TH 4-5pm.

PCPL- Mt. Hermon . www.pcplib.org.

Hiking Anglers Ridge - Relax during a two-mile walk on various sections.

TH 5:30-6:30pm. Anglers Ridge Trails.

434.799.5215.

Pajama Story Time – Dress in PJs and share stories and songs. Ages 5-10.

TH 6-6:45am. DPL – 434.799.5195.

April 6 (thru May 3)

Surface Decoration and Glazing – Learn several finishing techniques used in ceramics, for both functional food-safe pottery and decorative work. Also learn how to add texture to raw clay using tools and slip carving and glaze the final pieces.

5:30-8:30pm. The Artisan Center – 276.656.5461.

April 3 (thru May 8)

Intermediate Sign Language Class - TH 4-5pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.

S 5 12 19 26

Preschool Story Time – Share stories and songs. Ages 3-5. F 11-11:45am.

DPL – 434.799.5195.

April 5 (thru 26)

April 3 (thru May 1)

F 4 11 18 25

Singing at Ballou - Karaoke - Sing or just listen and enjoy. 2-3:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.

Special Poetry Picnic. 4-6pm.

PCPL- Gretna. www.pcplib.org.

First Friday Art Walk. 5-7pm. Studio 107, Martinsville. 276.638.2107.

First Fridays Painting + Pinot – Bring enthusiasm, friends and beverage of choice for a night of painting. Age 21+ 6-9pm.

PAA – 276.632.3221.

A World of Music - Multi-instrumentalist Todd Green’s concert is a uniquely gratifying experience with elements of both the familiar and the unfamiliar and promises to broaden everyone’s musical horizons in an unforgettable way. 7:30pm.

The Prizery. 434.572.8339.

Gallery on the Go! - Averett University Associate Professor of Art Lee Sandstead discusses Hiking through France and Spain for Art, Part I (4/3) & Part II (4/24). Drinks and snacks provided. Ages 18+. 11am12pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.

April 3 (thru 24)

T 3 10 17 24

Maker Lab – Different theme and art medium each month. Ages 5-9. 10-11am.

DPL – 434.799.5195.

April 6

Bridal Showcase and Wedding Expo.

See ad page 28.

Allegory of a Painting exhibit.

The Prizery. See story page 14.

April 7

Homeschoolers Get-Together – NASA. 1-3pm. PCPL- Brosville. www.pcplib.org.

Anime Club – Come watch anime, talk manga, and enjoy things Japanese. Ages 12+. M 4-6pm. DPL – 434.799.5195.

April 7 (thru 28)

Mother Goose on the Loose – Early literacy program incorporates music, poems, and rhythm instruments. Ages birth to 3 with their parents or caregivers. M 11:30am. PCPL- Chatham. www.pcplib.org.

April 8

Spring Book Reviews – Katie Whitehead reviews Dog Whistle Politics by Ian Haney.

12-1:30pm. DPL. 434.799.5195.

Crafter’s Corner – Bring current projects or learn new ones. 4:30-5:30pm. DPL – 434.799.5195.

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

Evince Magazine April 9

Polliwogs & Science Stars – Take a ride on the exhibit hovercraft and learn about new modes of transportation. Pick a vacation spot and figure out how to get there. Test engineering skills and create a mini hovercraft to take home. Ages 3–4, 1–2pm. Ages 5–7, 3:30–4:30pm. DSC 434.791.5160.

April 9 & 11

Intro to Genealogical Research– An intro to online genealogical databases to aid in research. Ages 18+. 11am-1pm. Computer Lab, DPL – 434.799.5195.

April 9 (thru May 7)

Advanced Quilting Techniques – Prerequisite: four sessions of Quilting 101 or instructor approval. 5:30-8:30pm.

The Artisan Center – 276.656.5461.

April 10

Bob Ross Technique Workshop – The Little Visitor. 9am-3:30pm. PAA – 276.632.3221.

Uptown Walking Route Launch – Unveiling of the new Uptown Walking Route.

It will focus on the original 1.5 mile Uptown Route. With a new sign and brochures, the Uptown Walking Route provides a safe and convenient way to exercise. 10am. Merritt Commons Pavilion. 336.599.3116 x3308.

Controlling Pain Naturally - Arthritis.

Learn drug-free, non-surgical approaches to healing and wellness. 11am-12pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.797.8848.

Mystery Trip - A surprise trip limited to 10 people. Wear comfortable shoes.

11am-12:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center.

434.799.5216.

Senior Movie Day – Enjoy Captain Phillips with snacks. Ages 50+. 11am-1pm. DPL – 434.799.5195.

Book Discussion Group – The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. 4-5:30pm.

PCPL-Chatham. www.pcplib.org.

Teen Movie Night – Popcorn and lemonade will be served while watching Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Ages 13+.

4-6pm. DPL – 434.799.5195.

Science Talks – Presentation bringing real-world field experience led by renowned scientists and researchers to the audience through engaging presentations. 6-7pm.

VMNH. 276.634.4141.

Autism Workshop - Informative workshops for parents and caregivers of those with Autism. 6:30-8pm. Ballou Rec. Center.

434.799.5216.

April 10 (thru 13)

Little Shop of Horrors. See ad page 10.

April 11

Permanent Civil War Exhibition Opening. DMFA&H. See story page 14.

Book Talk. Bring lunch. 12pm. PCPLBrosville. www.pcplib.org.

Comedy Night-Good Clean Fun – With headliner Mark Matusof, a comedian who has been described in the press as “funny without being vulgar or nasty” and “going the smarter, hipper direction to the joke.”

Featuring Wes Martens. 8pm. The Historic North Theatre. 434.793.7469.

April 11 & 12

Civil War History on the Lawn.

DMFA&H. See story page 14.

April 12

Bridge to Bridge 5K & 10K Run/Walk & One Mile Fun Run - Benefit for Danville Cancer Association. Registration 8am, run/walk 9am. Danville’s Community Market.

434.793.3409 & 434.791.3227.

Round Robin Pickleball Tournament Danville’s first pickleball tournament with door prizes & refreshments. Bring lawn chairs. Rain location: Coates Rec. Center. 8am-5pm. Ballou Rec. Center.

434.799.5216.

History on the Lawn. DMFAH. See story page 14.

Clarksville Lake Country Wine Festival – 17 Virginia wineries, live music, great food & more. 12-5pm. Downtown Clarksville.

434.374.2436. www.clarksvilleva.com.

Tea & Fashion Show Benefit.

See story page 3.

Urban Line Dance Workshop - Learn the hottest dance crazes to hit the floor such as the Wobble and the Zydeco Bounce. 124pm. Pepsi Building. 434.797.8848.

Zip Line-Saturday Soar – Zip solo or tandem during a day of fun. Ages 8+.

1-2:30pm. Dan Daniel Park - Phillip Wyatt Memorial Skate Park Shelter. 434.799.5215.

Touch A Truck - A unique opportunity for children to explore all types of vehicles emergency, construction, landscaping, military, transportation, delivery and unique.

Children will be allowed to touch, climb on and ask questions about their favorite

trucks in a safe, supervised environment.

Bounce Houses, crafts and kid-friendly food available. 12-4pm. Averett University North Campus Parking Lot. 804.652.9586.

Vintages & Chestnut Lane Open House.

See ad page 4.

Barn Dinner Theater Trip - Travel to Greensboro, NC for dinner and the live performance of Ehtel Waters: His Eye Is on the Sparrow. 1-9pm. Ballou Rec. Center.

434.799.5216.

Bowling for Team Jacob - Fundraiser to benefit Team Jacob and the Dan River Autism 5K. Tickets include 2 hours of bowling and shoe rental. 3pm-5pm.

Riverside Lanes. 434.791.2695.

Wayne Alan’s Close-Up Magic - See world class mini magic that will amaze and amuse you. You’ll be stunned and thrilled at the same time by this eye-popping magic with a touch of comedy. 8pm. Balcony Mini-Theatre, The Historic North Theatre.

434.793.7469.

April 12 & 13

Intercollegiate Dressage Association 2014 Nationals - Championships include annual meeting, end-of-year awards, and two days of competition. 8am.

Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex.

434.432.8026. See ad page 21.

Safe Teen Driver Course – A class to educate students with their learners’ permits or licenses to be safer, smarter, more responsible drivers. 8am-5pm. Virginia International Raceway. 919.802.4304.

April 13

Classic Movie – Ben Hur. 3pm. Kirby Theater, Roxboro. 336.597.1709.

April 14

Spring Book Reviews – Andrea Burney reviews Ebony and Ivy by Craig Steven Wilder. 12-1:30pm. DPL. 434.799.5195.

Senior Bowling Tournament - Exercise, make new friends, have fun. Have BP and BMI checked while waiting to bowl. 1-3pm.

Riverside Lanes - 434.791.2695.

Paint/Craft/Create Series - Create Easter Edibles. Ages 18+. 3-4pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.

April 14 & 16

Court Records for Genealogical Research – Learn how to utilize court records to guide genealogical research.

Ages 18+. 11am-1pm. Law Lab, DPL – 434.799.5195.

April 16

Easter Chicks - Make a cute little Easter jelly-bean chick. Ages 6-10. 3:30-4:30pm.

DPL - Westover Branch. 434.799.5152.

April 16 (thru May 14)

Quilting 101 –learn how to start and finish a quilt and tips and tricks for piecing, hand sewing and machine quilting. Complete a sampler project. 5:30-8:30pm. The Artisan Center – 276.656.5461.

April 17

Senior Bingo. Ages 50+. 11am-12pm.

DPL – 434.799.5195.

Senior Citizens Club - Monthly meeting and covered dish luncheon. Ages 50+. 121:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.

Gardening Basics - Organic No-Chemical Gardening. Info and answers about gardening topics and more. 6-7:30pm. DPL Auditorium. 434.797.8848.

Down in the Old Belt Movie.

See story page 14.

College Information Session – Learn more about this exciting degree-completion program for working professionals. Earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond at DCC. 6:30-8pm. Student Center, DCC. spcs.richmond.edu/weekend.

Centra Enchanted Evening Concert – Bring a chair, blanket and picnic basket for a relaxing evening in the park. 6:308pm. Ballou Park Stage. 434.799.5216 or 434.793.4636.

Steampunk Prom - Dress in steampunk gear and enjoy a unique prom experience.

Ages 13-20. 8-9pm. DPL - Children’s Area.

434.799.5195.

Sky Watchers – Examine the constellation Leo the Lion with Regulus. Look at the constellation Auriga the Charioteer and its star clusters, find the North Star, observe the Ursa Major stars Mizar and Alcor and the planet Jupiter and its 4 largest moons.

Nightfall. DSC – 434.791.5160.

April 18

Racin’ and Tastin’ – All you can eat BBQ, open bar and entertainment provided by the Fantastic Shakers. Ages 21+. 5:3010:30pm. Danville Community Market.

434.793.4636.

April 18, 19 & 20

SCCA U.S. Majors Tour. 8am. VIRginia International Raceway. www.virnow.com.

April 19

American Heart Association’s Heart Chase - Scavenger hunt themed race where small teams (2-5) compete to complete 10 challenges in 90 minutes. Register online. 8am-12:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center.

434.797.8848.

Butterfly, Hello! and Thyme. Danville Science Center. See story page 14.

Danville City Egg Hunt - Games, activities and an old fashioned egg hunt. Pre-register by 4/16. Ages 3-8. 10:30am-12pm. Ballou Park Baseball Field. 434.799.5150.

Family Movie Matinee - Enjoy the movie Frozen, popcorn and lemonade. 10:30am12:30pm. DPL – 434.799.5195.

Ladies Day - Browse the upcoming spring releases of all types of vendors such as Mary Kay, Thirty-One, Pampered Chef, Silpada, Origami Owl, Southern Fashions and more 1-6pm. The Homeplace Vineyard.

434.432.9463.

Tracey J’s Breaking the Silence- A play that looks at true stories of struggle and triumph. 7pm. The Historic North Theatre.

434.793.7469.

April 21

Fool for Herbs – Learn about herbs that help with memory, clearer thinking and overall health. Session will include discussion and samples. 5:30-8:30 pm.

The Artisan Center. 276.656.5461.

April 21 (thru May 2)

Pilot, People, Pets Exhibit. The Luncheon Pilot Club of Danville. See story page 15.

April 22

Keeping Well Program Series – Skin Cancer. See story page 15.

Spring Book Reviews - Author Barry Koplen will discuss his book No Gold Stars. 12-1:30pm. Danville Public Library Auditorium. (DPL). 434.799.5195.

April 24

Controlling Pain Naturally - Back Pain.

Learn drug-free, non-surgical approaches to healing and wellness. 11am-12pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.797.8848.

Expressions Exhibit – Enter work for the annual open-entry art exhibit, Expressions, featuring works by regional and national artists. Exhibit opens May 10. 4-6pm.

PAA – 276.632.3221.

Project Literacy Jeopardbee Fundraiser A mix of Jeopardy and a pinch of spelling bee. 5:30pm. West Main Baptist Church.

434.489.1339.

Gibson Girl Memorabilia Exhibit.

Langhorne House. See story page 3.

April 24, 25 & 26

Pittsylvania Caswell County Junior Livestock Show and Sale - 4/24 Youth Market Show 7pm. 4/25 - Market Show 8am, sale 7pm. 4/26 Breeding Show 8am-10pm.

Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex.

434.432.8026.

April 24 (thru 27)

Death by Design – Set during a weekend in an English country manor in 1932, this play is a delightful and mysterious mashup of two of the greatest English writers of all time. 7pm/2pm. The Black Box Theatre, Martinsville. www.twcp.net.

April 24 (thru May 3)

Beehive, The 60’s Musical – It will lift your spirits and have you dancing in the aisles.

7:30pm/3pm. The Prizery. 434.572.8339.

April 25

Golf Tournament - Fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Club. 11:30am lunch; 1pm shotgun start. Goodyear Golf Course. 434.489.9708.

Seniors Got Talent - Ballou’s senior version of America’s Got Talent. Register by 4/11.

2-4pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.

Kayaking for Beginners - Learn basic strokes. Ages 10+. Register by 4/17. 6-8pm.

Abreu-Grogan Park. 434.799.5215.

Virginia Symphony – the concert features works by Mozart, Gershwin, Debussy and Virginia composer, Adolphus Hailstork, under the direction of conductor Benjamin Rous. 7:30pm. Martinsville HS Auditorium.

PAA – 276.632.3221.

April 25, 26 & 27

Annie Get Your Gun - Annie Oakley is the best shot around. She meets Buffalo Bill and joins his Wild West Show. With one glance, she falls head over heels for shooting ace Frank Butler, who is the headliner. But when she eclipses him as the main attraction, it is bad for romance.

Roxboro Little Theater. 7:30pm/3pm. Kirby Theater, Roxboro - 336.597.1709.

April 26

Uptown Farmers’ Market Opens.

7am-12pm. Uptown Martinsville. www.martinsvilleuptown.com.

Autism Awareness 5k - Compete in a 5K

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run or walk or Walk for the Cause. Help raise awareness today. 8am-12pm. Anglers Park Riverwalk Trail. danriverautism5k.org.

336.471.5461.

Flat Top National Recreation Trail Hike Hike through Mountain Laurel. Ages 10+.

Register by 4/18. 8:30am-5pm. Ballou Nature Center. 434.799.5215.

Photography - Capturing Nature in Pictures - Receive instruction on how to capture various aspects of nature.

Ages 12+. Register by 4/18. 9am-11am.

Shelter #13, Dan Daniel Memorial Park.

434.799.5215.

Earth Day Extravaganza – A day of fun and learning while celebrating Mother Earth. The event includes educational demonstrations from erosion to worm composting with tons of kids activities and crafts. 10am-3pm. Town of Halifax Farmer’s Market. www.halifax-events.com.

Earth Day Family Festival – Smith River Sports Complex. The festival will feature a plethora of games, crafts and activities and live music. 10am-3pm. VMNH. 276.634.4141.

PFLAG Meeting - Welcome new friends, discuss healthy communication within families and support the local community.

2pm. Danville Yoga Meditation and Wellness Center. 434.429.1078.

Grapes & Grains Gala - Fundraiser for the Virgina Museum of Natural History. 6:309:30pm. VMNH. 276.634.4162.

Women Who Rock Grove & Jam - If you love The Voice or American Idol, you will love Rock, Groove and Jam! Our concerts give talented, ordinary, everyday women, men, and children performers the opportunity to become extraordinary. 7pm.

The Historic North Theatre. 434.793.7469.

April 26 & 27

MGM Movie Musicale - A red carpet event and reason to get dressed up in spangles and bling to enjoy the wonderful music from those MGM musicals. 4/26-7:30pm; 4/27-2:30pm. Gretna Movie Theatre.

434.656.3637.

Providence Spring Fling – Music, food, arts & crafts, children’s area and family fun. www.providencespringflingfestival.com.

April 27

Chatham Garden Tour. See story page 15.

April 28

Boating Safety Education – Meet all personal watercraft and boating operation state laws in this free six-hour course. Ages 12+. 6-9:30pm. Ballou Nature Center.

1.888.516.0844.

April 29

Spring Book Reviews - Shahnaz Ahmed reviews I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai.

12-1:30pm. DPL – 434.799.5195.

Deco Mesh Wreath Making Class Mother’s Day wreath. 3pm or 6pm.

Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.

Community Garden Forum.

See story page 15.

Upcoming Events May 1

Danville Garden Tour – See page 18.

Alive After Five – The Mason Lovette Band will perform country favorites and rock classics, which are sure to energize any crowd. 5:30-9pm. Merritt Commons, Roxboro. 336.599.3116 x3308.

May 2

SHS Benefit Golf Tournament – 18 hole, four player, captain’s choice tournament.

Top 3 teams with the lowest scores will receive prizes with 2 cars as prizes for two designated holes for holein one.

1pm shotgun start. Goodyear Golf Club.

434.793.2656.

Ana Vidovic Concert. Danville Concert Association. See ad page 5.

Temple Beth Sholom Interfaith Open House. See story page 15.

May 3

Farmers’ Market Opening Day – Get the year’s first taste of fresh local produce, purchase meats, baked goods, arts and crafts and much more. Free tomato plants for each patron while supplies last.

7:30am-12pm. Danville Community Market.

434.797.8961.

Spring River Clean Up. 9-11am. The Crossing at the Dan. 434.799.5215.

Sutherlin Art & Wine Show. DMFA&H. See story page 15.

May 10

Museum Guild’s Attic Sale. DMFA&H. See story page 15.

May 11

Classic Movie – Viva Las Vegas. 3pm. Kirby Theater, Roxboro. 336.597.1709.

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April 2014

Kim & William Gentry Preserving History One Building at a Time

by Joyce Wilburn

S

itting on a comfy sofa in the 1931 Georgian Revival home built for John Schoolfield, Jr., the scion of the mill dynasty that became Dan River Mills, Kim Gentry recalls the time she and future husband, William, met more than 20 years ago. “I was a DCC student and bartender at Bogies on South Main Street and he frequently came in during the week for lunch,” remembers the Danville native. “At the time, he was co-owner of Piedmont Precision Company on Goodyear Boulevard,” she says, referring to the company that builds components and machines for industries throughout the world.

With a bit of nostalgia in her voice, she continues, “We were formally introduced one day while I was working as a substitute hostess.”

That fortunate encounter led to marriage less than two years later and a move to Caswell County, North Carolina, where William had designed and built a rustic Aframe house for them. “Five years later, when our oldest daughter, Allie, was born, we needed to be back in Danville,” she says, recounting the daily round-trips for pre-school and other errands that caused them to think about relocating.

To solve the commuting problem, William and Kim bought a house that needed renovation in Danville’s first automobile suburb, Forest Hills. “We thought it was worth the challenge and the nine

months it took to remodel it,” she explains. “We gutted the house and enjoyed making it our own. We lived there for eight years and loved it.”

Fortunately, the house was ready in time for the arrival of their second daughter, Elizabeth, in 2002.

Although the new home was perfect for the family of four, more space and privacy were eventually needed for the growing girls. William and Kim eyed the house across the street at 242 Hawthorne Drive and when it went on the market, they made an offer. The mansion and guest house with nine bedrooms and 13 bathrooms, which was known in the community as the Leggett Mansion for 40 years, became theirs on April 15, 2011. This beautifully decorated, well-maintained house didn’t need extensive renovation like their previous one. In fact, only three years after moving into the elegant home, Kim and William are preparing to open its doors to local and out-of-town visitors for Virginia Historic Garden Week.

Having hundreds of tour takers walk through her home doesn’t faze Kim. “I’m more worried about the dance recital that week,” she says, laughing and thinking about Elizabeth’s and Allie’s participation in the recital at Meredith Gravely School of Dance.

“It’s more intense getting both my girls ready for 11 or 12 dances.

The rehearsals and shows are all week and the tour is only one day,” she says putting everything into perspective. “William will help me and make sure I’m not losing it.”

Their house is one of several sites featured this year on the Danville portion of the oldest statewide garden and house tour in the United States. The money raised throughout Virginia is used for the restoration and preservation of the state’s historic public gardens including the grounds surrounding the Sutherlin Mansion in Danville, Mt. Vernon, and Monticello.

The preservation of historic buildings and gardens is high on the list of the couple’s interests. William, who was born in Greensboro but moved to Danville at an early age, has become a major player in the revitalization of

Danville’s River District. His most recent historic renovation was the conversion of a Craghead Street building into the Golden Leaf Bistro that was completed in July 2013.

Kim explains how it happened, “When Fender’s closed, we realized Danville needed a similar restaurant. He came home one day and announced, ‘I’m opening a restaurant.’” Within months, the renovation began and Taylor Alvis was hired as general manager.

“William thought Danville needed it, so he did it. When he saw what was happening downtown, he became very involved,” she says, referring to several buildings that were purchased in the area including the former Dixie Bags on Ridge Street.

“He finds the real estate exciting.”

Making plans for the future while preserving the past seems to be an appropriate motto for this couple.

Not only are Kim and William living in an historic home, they are helping to save Danville’s historic buildings for the community—one building and garden at a time.

• For more information about the garden and house tour on Thursday, May 1, visit www. vagardenweek.org. Tickets are $20 each and include admission to four homes and gardens and five places of interest. They can be purchased in advance at the DMFAH, 975 Main Street and other locations around the area.

• For more information about the Golden Leaf Bistro, 215 Craghead Street, call 434.791.3191 or visit goldenleafbistro@gmail.com.

• William is the CEO of Piedmont Precision Machine Co., Inc. The business began in October of 1971 in a machine shop on Westover Drive. It moved to Goodyear Boulevard in 1975 and again to a state-of-the-art facility in the Airside Drive Industrial Park in 2006. As a result of Piedmont Precision’s growth, a subsidiary company was developed in 1993 in Salem, Virginia.

One of the many beautiful rooms that will be open for the Danville Garden Tour on May 1. Photos by Michelle Dalton Photography.

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April 2014

Book Clubbing A review by Larry G. Aaron

Chatham Hall: A History of Excellence

by William Black

The book is no ordinary story. It is a fascinating journey about a small girls’ school in rural Chatham, Virginia, that encountered multiple setbacks in its first 100-year history (1884-1994) but each time it chose to live. Like the Phoenix bird of ancient lore, it rose from the ashes to soar to heights unimaginable by its founders.

Professor Emeritus Bill Black shows that difficult conditions after the Civil War, with public schools falling on hard times in the South coupled with economic depression, left little chance for area girls from “genteel families” or that “unfortunate class of girls” to receive an education. Thus came the vision of Reverend Clevis Orlando Pruden, rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Chatham, and others such as Chatham lawyer Chiswell Dabney, to “establish a school in which a young lady can obtain a classical education at a minimum cost.”

Dr. Black documents the dramatic growth of the Chatham Female Episcopal School as it grew from a rented house to a collection of wood frame buildings in its first decade only to be devastated by fire in 1906. Black next describes how enrollment dropped to 14 in the 1920s and teachers were told to find other jobs; the school was closing. Then the gardener and head waiter challenged the school’s principal and that moment led once again to its survival. Both the Depression and WWII created their own challenges for the school, but even more so did the latter decades of the 20th century. Black points out how the school continued to survive and thrive during those turbulent times by staying true to its founding principles while “redefining itself to the changing role of young women” in American society.

The book is a fascinating read, especially because until recently, why the school started and some of the many details revealed in the book were not widely known even by alumnae. The fire of 1906 had destroyed all the local records, so reconstructing the history involved searching far and wide among alumnae, libraries, and Episcopal archives.

How Dr. Black became interested in this history is another story. An epiphany occurred after discovering a grimy box of glass slides on a closet shelf in the elevator room at the school. That moment led to another and then to another inquiry during the centennial year of the school in 1994 and eventually to his book. Black says, “History is a lot of facts, a lot of pieces. I’d like to think I have put all the pieces in a box and they are readily accessible. Otherwise, a lot of that history would be lost or buried so far down nobody would ever find it.” His decade-long search for the pieces has brought the school’s history to life once again. But that’s not surprising. Chatham Hall’s history has always been one of survival against the odds to attain a level of excellence few schools of its size can match.

Today, with a worthy endowment, augmented by a $31 million dollar gift by an alumna, Chatham Hall has become a college preparatory high school for girls, providing not only an exceptional curriculum but opportunities to travel abroad on service projects.

• There will be a book signing on Saturday, May 10, at Karen’s Hallmark in the Danville Mall, 325 Piedmont Drive, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

• For more information, visit www.chathamhall.org.

Send information about what you or your book club is reading to joycewilburn@gmail.com.

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April 2014

O

ne early March day, I decided to check on the goldfish in the Danville Science Center’s Butterfly Station and Garden to see if any of them were awake from their winter sleep. Bringing along some fish food just in case, I lifted up the winter-covering net and tossed a few pellets of food on the water. After about 20 seconds a little golden face appeared at the top, looking straight at me.

The goldfish gobbled up a food pellet, then disappeared into the darkness below, but in his momentary stare, he seemed to be saying, “If there is a person standing here, then spring cannot be far behind.” I was saying a version of the same to myself, “If the Butterfly Station’s goldfish are awake, then spring can’t be far behind.”

We support the butterflies and goldfish, but sometimes there are other guests who are a bit rowdy. The occasional groundhog will chew through the net to come inside the garden and look for something to eat. Sometimes on my way to lock the garden gate at closing

was sitting there between the wings, finishing his meal. Even though these creatures are deadly to the butterflies, we at the DSC just escort them out, in about the same manner as a badly-behaved person in a movie theater is shown the door.

Hello, Butterflies!

by Mack Williams time, the ever-wary groundhog has already spotted me and has scurried away in the distance. I didn’t see any groundhogs on that day in March because they were most likely far away in their subterranean dens, the locations unknown. Even if known, we wouldn’t be so rude as to rouse a poor groundhog from his sleep and force him to make some dubious weather prognostication.

Birds will sometimes work their

way inside, so we try to shoo them out. Usually, they will become tired from flapping about and we can gently net them and let them go.

Our deadliest visitors have six and eight legs respectively: the praying mantis and spider, especially the orb-weaving Writting Spider. One time, I saw two butterfly wings at a very unnatural angle to each other in a butterfly bush. Looking closer, I discovered that most of the butterfly’s main body was gone, and that a praying mantis

Making an addendum to what I previously said about the goldfish and making a prediction more accurate than that of any groundhog, “If the DSC Butterfly Station’s goldfish are awake, then spring and the re-opening of the Butterfly Station are surely and certainly to follow!”

• Butterfly Hello and the grand re-opening of the Butterfly Garden at the DSC’s Butterfly Station, 677 Craghead Street, is Saturday, April 19, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Garden gates open at 11:00 a.m. with hands-on activities. Butterfly releases will be at noon and 2:00 p.m. The Butterfly Station and Garden is open during regular DSC hours throughout the summer. For more information, visit www.dsc.smv. org or call 434.791.5160.

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Reflecting Forward The Voice of History

by Linda Lemery I have a history here. We all have histories here, or wherever it is that we live and work and love and raise our families. We create our own histories. The experiences we pour into them are fashioned much by our choices.

Our children grew up here. They went to church, to preschool, to school here. They took piano lessons, played soccer, formed friendships here. Their experiences were formative and helped mold them into the young, independent thinkers they are today.

People hold good values here.

Some examples? Work hard and the work will sustain you.

Love faithfully and that love will support you and those around you.

Contribute to others and those gifts will multiply and come back to you.

Believe in others and worship with all your heart; your efforts will be returned. Stick with the tasks you take on and see them through to the finish; what you learn will be used again in the most unexpected ways.

One of my interests is in how people learn, and to feed that interest, I have been taking graduate courses in education for some years now. One of the buzzwords in current education textbooks is authentic. Textbooks talk about authentic learning and authentic assessment without really defining the terminology. What authentic appears to mean in this context is real, meaningful activities that are important to students in their worlds, are appropriate in size and scope, foster student curiosity and engagement, encourage selfmotivation and reflection, take different creative forms and link to knowledge already present in students.

So, how does this examination of the word authentic connect with a column about history? One of the most powerful assignments our sons had in their years of public school was when the children had to explore their personal histories.

They had to learn from their parents who their grandparents

really were, when they came to this country, where they came from, what they believed in, and how to translate all that into values to be put as stylized designs on a shield to represent the family’s creed or beliefs. Our sons learned a lot about each side of the family and where they came from. This authentic assignment built a sense of personal history that informed them at the time and as they grew.

I have such good memories of our family’s personal history and our boys growing up in this good and safe place: hiking and biking on the Riverwalk trail, cheering at soccer games, playing board games on family nights, going out to dinner together, playing with friends, going out for a snack after school. That’s not to say that some of the experiences weren’t rocky, especially as they grew older; certainly they were. But the positive memories are the bricks of our personal histories; they form the foundations of our relationships.

I’m also grateful to live in this place and to have had these experiences, to work at a job I enjoy and where I can make a contribution to the personal histories of the students with whom I work; though that contribution is small, I try to make it meaningful.

I look at history mostly as personal interactions between people.

A bigger scope of history is interesting, fascinating, horrifying, mesmerizing at many levels, but I live a quiet life. Personal interaction seems achievable; it’s where I can make the biggest difference for others. Although I wasn’t a history major in college, I think a lot about personal history and family history and lessons of history with respect to the rights of others, as viewed through the lenses of education and experience.

I’m glad to have had 30+ years of an authentic personal and family history here, right here in Danville.

How about you?

About the Author: Linda Lemery llemery@averett.edu lives, writes, and works as Circulation Manager at Averett University’s Mary B. Blount Library in Danville. She welcomes your comments.

Taxes and Training?

Here’s the connection...

You’ve probably been busy collecting all the documents you’ll need to file taxes...like it or not, it’s a “given”... one of those things you MUST do to avoid fines and other painful consequences. Though it’s generally unpleasant, you do what you have to do because it’s the law, right?

However, what surprises me is how often businesses will ignore other responsibilities, that are mandated by law, require documents to be filed properly, and are “part of being in business”. That area is regulatory compliance training. Most businesses and individuals don’t ignore the mandate to pay taxes, but when it comes to providing the required compliance and safety training to employees, some would rather look the other way... or procrastinate indefinitely and hope to not get “caught”. You’ve heard the saying, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.” The same goes for regulatory compliance training.

There are training requirements mandated by law for nearly every business in operation today. It’s important for business owners, management and every employee to know what those regulations require.

Compliance training doesn’t have to be overwhelming, difficult, OR boring, but it DOES have to be provided. If you aren’t sure where to start, but want to ensure that your business is in compliance with state and federal OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Act) requirements, help is just a phone call away. If your business is in the pharmaceutical industry, or other specialized industries, there are many more regulations with which you must comply and on which you must train employees.

Just like you realize the value and time saved by hiring a CPA to ensure your taxes are correct, hiring a training professional to ensure your employee training is compliant and documented properly is “part of being in business”.

Don’t look the other way...look for help.

Actually, look no further. Give me a call!

Kristina R. Barkhouser, CPLP Direct: 434.797.6770 Mobile: 434.489.1309 kbarkhouser@ExcelenPerformance.com Kristina R. Barkhouser is the founder and President of Excelen Performance, Inc. She has over 20 years of experience in technical and interpersonal skills development.

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April 2014

Between the Lines

by Patsi Compton Now known as the Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History, the Sutherlin Mansion at 975 Main Street served a memorable role in the Civil War during the week of April 3 through April 10, 1865. It was the residence for Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

Regular visitors to the Mansion have noticed gradual changes to various rooms over the past few years, but those who have not been in many years or who have never been will find new information and interactive displays highlighting the role of women, African-Americans, and city government during the war years.

Text panels about the burgeoning population of Danville during the war years, due in large part to its location “between the battle lines” that rendered so many people displaced from other parts of the Confederacy, are complemented by interactive exhibits spotlighting life on a 19th century urban plantation.

A touch screen mounted in the dining room gives information about the Confederate cabinet that accompanied Davis to Danville, as well as proper Victorian table

manners. “Never display hair, insects, or other things found in your food” is one such tip. A uniformed Confederate soldier stands vigil next to a display that invites visitors to test the weight of the rifle and accoutrements a Civil War soldier had to carry. Another wall recreates the Corporation Store, an attempt by city officials to give provisions to the families of soldiers serving on the front.

Tacked to the window is a list of casualties from the July 1863 battle in Gettysburg. In the lower level, a prisoner sits shoeless and forlorn in front of the interior of the tobacco warehouse turned Confederate prison. Local artist Billy Newcomb based the life-size mural on a drawing by Henry Vander Weyde, a Union prisoner of war whose sketchbook was the basis of an exhibition in 2013.

In conjunction with this year’s History on the Lawn featuring the 18th VA Infantry re-enactors, the public is invited to an opening reception on Friday, April 11, from 5:30 to 7:00pm. For more information, call 434.793.5644 or visit www.danvillemuseum.org.

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What’s Happening in the Pittsylvania County Public Libraries Preschool Early Literacy Programs :

• Mother Goose on the Loose: Chatham each Monday morning at 11:30 a.m. This early literacy program incorporates music, poems, and rhythm instruments. Open to children ages birth to 3 with their parents or caregivers.

• Wednesdays for Wees: Chatham, Gretna, Mt. Hermon, Brosville/ Cascade, 10:00 a.m. every Wednesday. Special Nature All Around program, all branches. Special program “It’s a Party” April 30 at Gretna.

Reading Programs for Children:

• Read to Wrangell and Friends: Mondays, April 14, and 28, and Wednesdays April 9 and 23, 4:00-5:00 p.m., Gretna. Children are invited to read to a therapy dog.

• Family Story Time: Thursdays, April 3, 10, 17, and 24, 4:00 p.m., Mt. Hermon. Special poetry event on April 3; nature scavenger hunt list passed out April 17-23 and a scavenger hunt craft to follow on April 24.

• Special Poetry Picnic: Monday, April 7 from 4:00-6:00 p.m., Gretna • Homeschoolers Get-Together: NASA: Friday, April 4, 1:00-3:00 p.m., Brosville.

Book Discussions for Adults:

• Second Thursday Book Discussion Group: Thursday, April 10, 4:00-5:30 p.m., Chatham. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd.

• Book Talk: April 11, noon, Brosville. Bring your lunch.

Exhibit: Mapping Local Knowledge: Danville Virginia 1963: This exhibit at the History Research Center and Library, 340 Whitehead Street, in Chatham highlights 17 people who were important figures in the struggle for civil rights in the Danville area in 1963. The Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Unless otherwise noted, all programs are free. For information about any of these programs, email info@pcplib.org, call your local branch library, or visit www.pcplib.org.

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April 2014

Evince Magazine

Looking Back in the Recipe File

by Annelle Williams

My sister and I were talking about how hard it is to come up with something truly new and different.

She’s a writer and even though there are hundreds of ways to describe life’s twists and turns, it all comes back to a few basic principles. It’s the same with recipes. There are fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, grains, fats and dairy. Their combinations and varied cooking methods lead to endless possibilities, but there are some basics you just can’t ignore.

A few years ago we went to Paris to celebrate my sister’s birthday. While we were there, we enjoyed delicious, traditional food. For one meal we strayed from the traditional to experience the cutting edge of modern cuisine. It was interesting, but felt more like tricks and science experiments than cooking.

There were foams, dots and glazes that tasted exactly like what they were made from, but none of it tasted like real food. You can infuse, reduce, extract and then trick some of your sensory perceptions, but it never replaces the satisfaction of eating the real thing.

So rather than trying to invent something new, I sometimes look back in my recipe file and think about how I can give an old favorite a new look or an improved flavor. This is one of the first hot dips I ever prepared. It dates back to the 1960s, when artichokes were an exotic ingredient in Southern Virginia. It was new then, at least to me, but I haven’t found anything I like more to take its place. This version is prepared in an iron skillet, with fresh rolls baked with the dip and then taken straight to the hors d’oeuvres table.

Crab/Artichoke Dip with Warm Rolls (Omit crab meat if not available.)

1 package frozen yeast rolls 2 T butter, melted, divided 1 (16oz.) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 3 scallions, chopped 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley 1 (8oz.) package of cream cheese

2/3 cup mayonnaise 1 tsp. garlic salt Tabasco to taste 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1⁄2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 1 lb. crabmeat

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush iron skillet with melted butter. Remove yeast rolls from package and place close together on the outside edge of the iron skillet.

Mix artichokes, scallions and parsley. Place cream cheese into medium-size mixing bowl and microwave for one minute. Stir mayonnaise, garlic salt, Tabasco and cheeses into cream cheese. Mix in artichoke mixture. Fold in crabmeat. Add crab mixture to center of skillet. Brush top of rolls with remaining butter. Place in oven for 20-30 minutes, until rolls are golden brown. Serve warm.

For more pictures and recipes, visit my blog: http://aroundannellestable.blogspot.com.

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Page 28

April 2014

Evince Magazine

What I Know:

Real Sex Appeal Is in the Imagination

by Carollyn Lee Peerman “Loretta Young was the epitome of a lady. She really was one of a kind. She was class, class, class— both on and off the screen,” wrote Norman Brokow, Loretta’s personal friend and agent for 50 years. On her 1953 to 1962 television show, Letters to Loretta, Loretta made a dramatic entrance through her living-room door turning just right so viewers could see the front and back of her dress’s whirling skirt and her tiny waist. There is a thin line between class and trash and nobody knew the difference better than Loretta Young.

Kitty Carlisle Hart (1910-2007) was another lady with class. According to Gail Sheehy’s book, Sex and the Seasoned Woman, Kitty was the only woman at age 95 who was still being booked to sing at supper clubs. When asked how she maintained her magnetism Kitty replied, “I twinkle. I give older men the same thing that younger men need—somebody to listen to them.

I’m a good listener.” She captured playwright Moss Hart by listening to him with rapt attention and making expressive responses. Kitty believed that seduction was mainly a head trip. “Real sex appeal is in the imagination,” said Kitty.

Discipline was the key to Kitty’s youthful appearance. She never gave into growing old. She walked every day and practiced her own

anti-aging exercises. She liked going out and in three months time, she might spend one night a week at home. Kitty learned to take full advantage of her independence and freedom. Moss Hart died when Kitty was just 51 and Kitty’s vitality kept beaus fluttering around her for over 40+ years. It was her zest for life and love that kept audiences at her feet. At 95, she was still working and still dating.

When dating, women frequently want to go dancing. They want to be up and active not sitting.

According to Sheehy, when Dee Williams of Mesa, Arizona lost her husband on Thanksgiving Eve in 1986, “She worked out her grief by going to 187 dances the following year. By the calendar, Dee is 72.

According to her doctor, her body is about 29. She dances almost every dance.” The interaction and partnering between the man and the woman allow them to relax and be themselves.

“I believe in living in the eternal now; in living today, not in yesterday or tomorrow,” said Loretta Young. According to Charles Champlin of the Los Angeles Times, “Loretta Young defied the years better than any actress I can think of.”

Age, like sex appeal, is all in the imagination.

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April 2014

Photo Finish Photographer, Sally Susan Popu, attended Danville Historical Society’s Ides of Marchi Gras fundraiser on March 15th and captured these happy people. To see more photos and to order prints, visit www.sallypictures.com or call 718.350.7814. To learn more about the DHS, visit www.danvillehistory.org.

Mary Barnes & Donald Strader

Carolyn & Phil Hasselvander Jayson & Meesha Walker

Sally Popu is the owner of Sally Pictures on North Union Street.

Heather & Drew Wilson

Gloria Bradley Donna & John Parris

Rachel Thomasson, Crystal Gregory & Roger Wilkes, Matthew Thomasson, Grete & Shawn Hopkins

Jane Reid & Steve Petrick

Sarah & Dan Latham

Evince Magazine

Page 31

Joyce Glaise & James Williams

Larry & Nancy Aaron; Eddy & Rosanne Lloyd

James Buckner, Andy Harbodin, Rachel Nunimaker, Rebecca Harbodin

Dawn Witter

Kristen & Ryan Gusler

Ann Richardson & Madison Whittle

Tim Chisom, Julia Gravely, John Akin, Dana Tapper

Costume prize winners were: Lewis & Mary Dumont, Linda & Bob Weir, Fred Meder, Melanie Reed & Jack Thompson.

SchoolďŹ eld School teachers: Grete Hopkins, Rebecca Harbodin, Janice Gilstrap, Front row: Michele Clark, Melanie Reed