The Library of Virginia Welcomes Evince Page 6
Spotting Exceptional Customer Service Page 8
How to Party Like it’s 2020 Page 9
River City Region Is Invited to Read Saints at the River See Page 4
Page  2 August 2020
Photo by Michelle Dalton Photography
Editor’s Note
I know you are eager to get out of the house and Evince is here to help. Find a copy of Saints at the River, locate a nice spot on the Dan River like Tiffany Haworth and Victoria Worley on the cover and spend time reading and communing with nature. Then join in a community conversation about the book and meet the author. Details are on page 4. Are you eager to host a gathering but want to do it safely? You can. Read “How to Party Like It’s 2020” on page 9. Researchers believe that socializing can help prevent and/or relieve depression. Learn more by reading “Eager to Socialize with Wine?” on page 13. If you’re looking for a bright spot amid all the gloomy news, read “Mask Blocks Virus but Not Kindness” on page 30. More good news is on page 6 “The Library of Virginia Welcomes Evince.” Aromatherapy always lightens a mood. Try making watermelon rind pickles using the recipe on page 27 and good smells will fill the house. DIY projects are always a good source of unintentional humor. Read “Scratch That Itch” on page 26. The Calendar on page 14 has other ideas for safely gathering. Time to get off the couch, put on a mask, wash your hands, and get busy. I’m eager to start. Sincerely, joycewilburn@gmail.com Credits: Amber Wilson: hair; Catherine Saunders: skin care and makeup; Genesis Day Spa & Salon, 695 Park Avenue, Danville. Janelle Gammon: nails; Salon One 11, 111 Sandy Court, Danville. Clothing: Lizzy Lou Boutique, 310 Main Street, Danville, lizzylouboutique.com
August Contents
3 Editor’s Note
4 River City Region Is Invited to Read Saints at the River by Joyce Wilburn 6 The Library of Virginia Welcomes Evince! by Joyce Wilburn 7 The Voice of Readers 8 Spotting Exceptional Customer Service by Robert E. Saunders 9 How to Party Like It’s 2020 by Patty P. Planner 10 Renovation Reality by Carla Minosh 12 Postscript Fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg 13 The Wine Spot Eager to Socialize With Wine? by Dave Slayton
Evince Magazine Page 3
THE
OICE OF EAGERNESS
CEO / Publisher Andrew Scott Brooks Editor Joyce Wilburn (434.799.3160) joycewilburn@gmail.com Copy Editors Jeanette Taylor Larry Wilburn Contributing Writers
Diane Adkins, Kim Eaton, Charlotte Garrett, Karen Harris, Telisha Moore Leigg, Linda Lemery, C.B. Maddox, Patty P. Planner, Robert Saunders, April Simms, Dave Slayton, Melanie Vaughan, Joyce Wilburn, Annelle Williams, Mack Williams
Art & Production Director Demont Design (Kim Demont) Finance Manager Cindy Yeatts (1.434.709.7349) Marketing Consultants For ad information contact a marketing consultant listed below.
Lee Vogler Director of Sales and Marketing (434.548.5335) lee@evince magazine.com
14 Calendar 16 Spirit Award Winners 26 Reflecting Forward / Scratch That Itch by Linda Lemery 27 Around the Table / Watermelon Rind Pickles by Annelle Williams 28 Book Clubbing / review by Diane Adkins Saints at the River by Ron Rashi 30 Mask Blocks Virus but Not Kindness by Mack Williams On the Cover: Tiffany Haworth, Executive Director of the Dan River Basin
Association, (on dock) and Victoria Worley from Angel Search and Rescue (in kayak) discuss their community presentations related to Saints at the River. (photo by Michelle Dalton Photography)
Sam Jackson Marketing Consultant (434.709.3528) sam@showcase magazine.com
Kim Demont Graphic Design, Marketing (434.792.0612) demontdesign evince\i-’vin(t)s\ 1: to constitute outward evidence of 2: to display clearly: reveal syn see SHOW Deadline for submission of September stories, articles, and ads is Thursday, August 20, at 5:00 p.m. Submit stories, articles, and calendar items to joycewilburn@gmail.com.
Editorial Policies
Evince is a free monthly magazine with news about entertainment and lifestyle in Danville and the surrounding area. We reserve the right to accept, reject and edit all submissions and advertisements.
EVINCE MAGAZINE 753 Main St. Suite 3, Danville, VA 24541 www.evincemagazine.com For subscriptions to Evince, email info@evincemagazine.com. Cost is $24 a year. © 2020 All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part in any medium without written permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited.
Page 4 August 2020
“W
e sometimes talk at people instead of talking to them and listening to them. There are usually good points on both sides of an issue and we need to have more empathy,” says Danville native David Worrell while sitting outside a coffee shop on Main Street. He is very eager for people in the community to have productive conversations. “If you don’t agree with someone, at least try to see where they are coming from to better understand them,” he says. With that in mind, David and the volunteers on the Friends of the Danville Public Library Board (FOTL) have created several community events in August and September that center around everyone reading the same book, Saints at the River, and discussing it. The UVA graduate and Treasurer of the all-volunteer FOTL explains why the fictional work by Ron Rash was chosen for a community read. “Rash has an authentic Southern voice and there are a lot of parallels between the Tamassee River in the book and the Dan River and between the small town of Tamassee (South Carolina) and Danville.” There are also things that happen in the book that probably occur in Danville, like the discussion of who has the best BBQ recipe at the local BBQ eatery. Although the book has its light moments, the story opens on a serious note with the heartbreaking death of a twelve-year-old girl caught in a hydraulic of the Tamassee River (a reminder of the tragic accident on the Dan River in 2010 when five-year-old Kolton Brim Karnes died). Tamassee’s reaction to the drowning evolves into serious discussions about the environment, business development, family relationships, religion and more. “There was really no bad guy in their debates. Both sides had sympathetic people with good points to make,” says David. He envisions the same thing happening at the upcoming, free, community events where members of local organizations like the Dan River Basin
David Worrell with the Friends of the Danville Public Library has organized events throughout August based on the community reading the same book.
River City Region is Invited to Read
Saints at the River by Joyce Wilburn Association and Angel Search & Rescue will speak. “I’m really passionate about collaboration and working together to improve the community,” says David, the Resource Coordinator at the non-profit Just Kids Child Development Center. “I take a holistic view of non-profits,” he adds and then gives an example. “We might be helping individuals to read but in the end we’re improving the workforce. There are so many ways to help the community through non-profit efforts.” The not-for-profit FOTL chose Rash’s 2004 book for several reasons. Not only is it well written and a page turner, it received the “Best Book of the Year” award by the Southeast Booksellers Association. David continues, “The novel has general appeal and it’s under 250 pages. If readers are
asked to commit to something they might not ordinarily try, it has to be short.” A limited number of free books is available by emailing David requesting a copy. After finishing the book, readers should pass it on to a friend to read and then consider attending a community event to discuss it. Book clubs are encouraged to include Rash’s book in their schedule for the year. • On Friday, September 11, author Ron Rash will be at Averett University’s Pritchett Hall, 150 Mountain View Avenue, from 5:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. to discuss the book, answer questions, and sign books. This event is free and requires registration at Eventbrite. com. It is co-sponsored by the AU Center for Community Engagement and Career Competitiveness. Read a review of Saints at the River on page 28.
• The FOTL is a 501 (C) (3) nonprofit that welcomes volunteers. For more information or to request a free copy of Saints at the River, email FOTLDanvilleVa@gmail.com. • On Tuesday, August 11, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tiffany Haworth, Executive Director of the Dan River Basin Association, will present a virtual discussion on the environmental and tourism aspects of Saints at the River and how they translate to the Dan River. Check the Friends of the Danville Public Library Facebook page or email fotldanvilleva@gmail.com for login details on the Zoom meeting. Capacity limited to 100 participants. • On Wednesday, August 19, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. a reporter who covers local
Evince Magazine Page 5
politics will discuss the book on Zoom. The virtual discussion is limited to 100 participants. Email fotldanvilleva@gmail. com for more information or to register. • On Thursday, August 20, Victoria Worley from Angel Search and Rescue will lead a discussion on rescue attempts as they relate to Saints at the River. This will be an in-person event with limited seating at O’Kelly’s. Registration is required. The event will be on Facebook. Email fotldanvilleva@ gmail.com to register.
• On Saturday, August 22, the FOTL Author Celebration, an immersive experience, will bring to life Leah Weiss’ If the Creek Don’t Rise. Two bluegrass bands, Bearded Whiskey and The Hothouse Cucumbers, will play. Smokestack Theatre Company will present dramatic readings from the book, and author, Leah Weiss, will speak between 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. at Ballad Brewing, 600 Craghead Street. • On Friday, August 25, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. an open discussion about Saints at the River will be held on Zoom. Email
fotldanvilleva@gmail.com for login information. The event is limited to 100 people. • On Saturday, August 29, a BBQ will be held at Crema & Vine, 1009 Main Street in Danville, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. A representative of C&V will discuss what makes good BBQ. There is a limit of thirty people. Registration is required. From 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., the community will be able to purchase BBQ and sides from C&V while supplies last. Contact fotldanvilleva@gmail.com to register.
• The FOTL has installed an Art-O-Mat machine at Ballad Brewing, 600 Craghead Street. The converted 1990’s cigarette machine dispenses cigarettesize art, jewelry, sculptures, and other works of art that can be purchased. Profits will benefit the FOTL. • These projects are funded through the generosity of the Danville Regional Foundation and the Community Foundation of the Dan River Region.
Page 6 August 2020
T
hursday, July 23, was an historic day for Evince. At 12:45 p.m. 261 issues of Evince arrived in Richmond where they found a forever home at the Library of Virginia, the state’s oldest institution dedicated to the preservation of Virginia history and culture. (To read the backstory turn to page 7 “The Voice of Readers”)
The Library of Virginia Welcomes Evince! by Joyce Wilburn
At the end of our brief visit, I thanked Henry for his time and hospitality and promised to return. Glancing around the Library’s massive lobby, I smiled knowing that Emyl would be so happy to have her cherished Evince in a place that she loved.
I was fortunate to be the chaperone for the two boxes of newspapers--that’s one copy of every issue of Evince published since its beginning in July/August 1996. After parking the car in the Library’s garage, I phoned cataloger Henry Morse who works on the third floor of the building and announced our arrival. A few minutes later, Henry appeared pushing an empty cart, ready for the transfer of Evince from the trunk of my car to a suitable place among the Library’s hundreds of thousands of prints, broadsides, and newspapers. I signed the Deed of Gift and within minutes Evince was on its way to a new life where researchers could pore over its every story. With business finished, Henry gave me a short tour of the Library’s public areas. Walking into the Virginia Writers section, I was reminded of a former Evince editor, Emyl Jenkins, who has eleven books in their collection. She is remembered fondly
by Sandra Treadway, librarian of Virginia, for her service on the Foundation Board and for her “…warmth, vitality, and sparkle…” (Summer 2010 Broadside The Magazine of the Library of Virginia) The Emyl Jenkins Sexton Literary Award for Fiction is given annually in her memory by the Foundation.
• To learn more or to plan a visit, visit www.lva.virginia. gov or call 804.692.3777.
Editor Joyce Wilburn signs the Deed of Gift to The Library of Virginia Foundation. Cataloger Henry Morse waits to load Evince onto the cart. Right: The signed Deed of Gift.
In 1997, The Library of Virginia opened to the public at 800 East Broad Street, its fourth home since its founding almost 200 years ago.
The Library’s lobby is open to the reading rooms on the second floor.
Evince Magazine Page 7
The Voice of Readers To the Editor: I work as an archivist and manuscripts cataloger at the South Caroliniana Library at USC (the local equivalent of the Virginia Historical Society / aka Virginia Museum of History & Culture). For work, I am always keeping an eye out for free newspapers and magazines published in South Carolina for our collections – and when I visit my parents in Danville, I always enjoy reading Evince. I wondered if this title was being collected and preserved anywhere outside of Danville (such as in Richmond or at UVa). I checked in WorldCat/OCLC and found a microfilm copy of a single issue held by the Library of Virginia. I contacted a friend who works there, and he said that the Library of Virginia would be interested in collecting your run of Evince so all your work will
be preserved and available for future researchers. Regards, Brian J. Cuthrell South Caroliniana Library University of South Carolina Brian, we thank you, and the generations to come who might search for Danville news thank you. We appreciate your part in making this happen. Because of the foresight of the layout designer of Evince, Kim Demont, who saved a copy of every issue of Evince since 1996, we were prepared to respond quickly. Please read page 6 to learn what happened after receiving your email. al Exception Spotting r Service Custome 10 Page
Courtney and Samantha stand in front of the barn quilt on the tobacco barn at 3685 R&L Smith Road.
Courtney Dodson sent these photos with the captions: “We are back and loving the Barn Quilt Tour!” (June 2020) Readers might remember when Courtney and her daughter, Samantha, took the tour of public art in Danville a few years ago and sent us pictures. The Dodsons never miss an opportunity to enjoy their hometown. Thank you, Courtney, for making us a part of your adventures!
High school junior, Samantha Dodson, poses in front of the barn quilt at 300 Bowman Drive in Dry Fork.
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Letters must contain 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 joycewilburn@gmail.com or send mail to Evince Editor, 753 Main Sreet, Suite 3, Danville, VA 24541. If you missed any of the stories mentioned, they are still available at www.evincemagazine.com.
Page 8 August 2020
Spotting Exceptional Customer Service
by Robert E. Saunders
I was having problems with my cell phone and not very happy with my provider. After three trips to their store and not receiving a resolution to my problem, I decided to switch to Verizon. Then a new problem arose that couldn’t be solved. Feeling frustrated, I stopped at the Danville Verizon store at 1287 Piney Forest Road near Nor Dan Shopping Center. That’s when I met Alicia Hairston. After that one visit, the problem was solved and my bill was reduced! Alicia was very knowledgeable and, in fact, she anticipated what the problem was before I could fully explain it. Not only that, Alicia was friendly. Now whenever I have a question, I call her. I have returned to the store on several occasions. She is always able to answer my questions and exceed my expectations. For these reasons, I nominate Alicia Hairston, Crew Chief at Verizon, for the Spotting Exceptional Customer Service. Please let us know your experience with exceptional customer service. Email your story to joycewilburn@gmail.com.
Evince Magazine Page 9
How to Party Like It’s 2020 by Patty P. Planner
M
ilestone birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and other celebratory events happen even when there’s a pandemic. So how do you party without giving the virus as a door prize? Follow these steps: 1. Create a limited guest list. Space determines the number who can gather and still remain six feet apart. Outdoor settings are the best. 2. Decide on a date and time. Stagger the time of arrival for each individual or for members of the same family to avoid a gathering of guests at the entry. 3. Invitations need to be in writing so that guests will have a reminder of the unusual parameters of the event. Here is a sample invitation: These are historic times. In addition to the pandemic, I am celebrating (a birthday, graduation, engagement, etc.) and am striving to find a way to party safely. Here is the plan: On (day and date) I am hosting an outdoor party with simple refreshments prepared by a caterer operating under
strict health code guidelines. (X number) of guests are invited. Each family unit or individual will have a different arrival time so only one person or one family is entering at the same time. We look forward to seeing you at (time). Be aware of the six feet of separation rule. Waving and yelling are acceptable.
It can be enjoyed during the evening and taken home either full or empty. Couples don’t need to drink the same color!
Wine, water, and individually wrapped party food will be in a basket with your name on it and placed on one of the benches spread out in the yard. Please bring your own wine glasses. If you forget, there will be extra glasses available. If you want to drink something other than wine or water, please bring it from home in your own cup.
4. Plan a menu that can be packed in individual containers. For example: ask for carrots, celery, and pepper strips in a plastic cup with hummus or dip at the bottom. Order fruit cups with or without
Chairs will be six feet apart. Wear comfortable outdoor clothes and a mask. Be prepared for sun, rain, bugs, heat, and anything else Mother Nature might throw at you. The bathroom is indoors (yeah!) and can be reached by…. Please RSVP and indicate your preference of what type of white wine or red wine you’d like. A bottle marked with your name will be in your basket.
If you don’t feel comfortable in attending, we understand. Please RSVP and indicate your choice of wine. Hope to see you soon!
dip at the bottom. If the fruit is messy to eat, include miniature forks or toothpicks. Wrap beef tenderloin sliders. Have individual servings of mustard, horsey sauce, mayo available. Pack the fruit cups, veggie cups, beef sliders, cups of mixed nuts, and wrapped desserts (like brownies) in small picnic baskets. Add napkins. 5. Place chairs and benches at least six feet apart. Put a picnic basket for an individual or couple on one of the chairs or benches. Include wine and water with each basket. Label each basket with the name of the guest(s). If a guest prefers chilled wine, place a bottle with name on it in a cooler. 6. Write instructions on paper doorknob signs (like the ones used in hotel rooms) on where to find chilled beverages. Place the signs around the necks of the wine bottles in the baskets. Also, tell guests to take the baskets and their contents home as souvenirs. Bonus: There’s no cleanup for the hostess!
We’re
on Danville! Donna Gibson Owner
HOLLEY & GIBSON REALTY COMPANY
339 Piney Forest Rd., Danville, VA 24540
Office: (434) 791-2400 Fax: (434) 791-2122 Visit our website at
www.holleyandgibsonrealty.com
Page 10 August 2020
Renovation Reality by Carla Minosh Unlike HGTV shows where home renovations are completed within thirty to sixty minutes, the Victorian house at the corner of Chestnut Place and Main Street in Danville has been under a transformation for nineteen years. This series explores the truth of home renewal from someone who has been there and done that. If you missed any of the articles, visit www. evincemagazine.com.
T
he large windows that allow light and fresh air into our home are one of its best features. Some are ten feet tall, others eight feet, but all bring in so much sunlight that the rooms are bright. We are exceptionally fortunate that the windows have original wood sashes and were never replaced with vinyl windows. The wavy glass is evidence of how long this house has
existed without damage to the delicate hand-blown glass. I spent ten years removing the multiple layers of paint from this house, and in the first year of that endeavor, I realized that every window I stripped to bare wood had a small rectangle of fill where the hinges from a set of longgone interior shutters once were installed. It saddened me that this original feature was lost. It wasn’t until the following year that I found the original shutters. I was looking for something in the basement, going through every closet and cabinet, when I slammed yet another pink louvered cabinet door, and stood there staring at it as I racked my brain over the missing object. Suddenly, it dawned on me just exactly what I was staring at, and I yelped with surprise, then with dismay. I realized that
After many rounds with local tradespeople, we learned that the cost of new shutters appeared to be out of reach. When that happened, we reacted the way we always do. We did the work! We found Shuttercraft, a small company with a great product, willing to customize our order. Using the old shutters to guide us, we took a billion measurements of all the windows, discovering that out of 82 windows, there was exactly one window that was still square. After 146 years, all the others had shifted and had become some form of either a parallelogram or a trapezoid. Ask a fifth grader to explain these terms to you, but, those shapes are considered less than ideal for fitting shutters.
music room, ordering shutters to fit as well as possible. When they arrived and after spending six hours on the first window, cutting, sanding, shaving, and shimming, we had an excellent fit! The second window took only five hours and forty-five minutes. At this rate we could have all of the shutters in the house installed by 2045 if we worked on them on our everyother-weekend schedule. Fortunately, my husband’s capacity to flatten his learning curve never ceases to amaze me. The third window only took three hours. We were on a roll! After fitting them, we took the shutters down and painted them to echo the colors in the room, essentially polychroming them to echo the wall coverings and trim colors. As one paint contractor said, “This room looks like a carnival threw up in it.” You can imagine the “visual” cacophony of colors, but I was delighted with the result. It’s just perfect!
We began our adventure in the
(to be continued)
every louvered cabinet and closet door had been roughly cut from the upstairs shutters to fit the new space in the basement. We had a large quantity of the original shutters, but they were all unusable in their altered state.
Evince Magazine Page  11
Page 12 August 2020 human condition. Even at 12, the depth and breadth of what you have seen, Dr. Corinth, and what you know, astounds me. “She kept your letters,” I said. “Who?” But his old hands stilled. “You know,” I say back. “My daughter Anna-Margaret, your Mama Mandy Blue,” Dr. Corinth said. “Yeah,” I say. Old Man, Mean Keisha birthed me, but it was Mandy Blue who helped raise me, who curved her pale fragile hand around mine when I was three or four forming the shapes of letters. When I look at you sometimes, I think of your letters, and I remember my gouges on the paper as I tried to write. Mean Keisha wants to burn anything painful. That’s just her way. She would want to burn you, Dr. Corinth. But Mama Mandy wouldn’t. She would just smile. In the end, she just put the letters away in her mother’s old dresser, the one she would not sell. If I go back to the garage, they will still be there, the letters, that old dresser that broke love for your wife, Mama Mandy’s broke love for you, all of it.
Postscript fiction by Telisha Moore Leigg To Dr. Corinth from Kwon (a letter not yet written), Mean Keisha told Mandy Blue Eyes she should just burn those damn letters you wrote long ago. But Mama Mandy never could and never will. Sometimes Dr. Corinth looks like the old classics professor he was, sometimes like the Old Man he has become. No matter what he is called, I sense I don’t have long with him. We sit on the back stoop of the homeless center, him peeling donated potatoes with his own knife and me doing the food stock inventory. I’m Kwon. When I’m not in grad classes, I help run things here at the shelter. We’re not related, Dr. Corinth and I, even though he’s my adopted mother’s long lost father. But we get along all right. Today, Dr. Corinth drinks his black coffee in an off-brand Dixie cup. When I was 12 or 13, I found your
letters to my Mama Mandy in our garage. And you are right, what a child could not know, a man could tell. You loved her. Anyway, today, it is so warm outside this August that there will be a storm later, yet Dr. Corinth wears a sweater, says he is chilled. “I never stopped writing to her.” “Who?” I say, counting the selfrising flour bags, “Mama Mandy”? But I was wrong, and Dr. Corinth shook his head and said, “You know.” And I did know. He meant his wife, the one he also left, even though they had by then had a cold divorce, and she had quickly remarried. His love for her sits like leftover gravy stains on an ivory tablecloth. Dr. Corinth volunteers here with me at the shelter; I mean I guess that’s what it is he’s doing, with his visits and his soft talking. I mean he doesn’t try to teach anyone anything. He’s just here trying to heal like everyone else. Anyway, today, Dr. Corinth lifts an unsteady hand, and I quickly take the cup he had poured for me. I drank some even though I don’t like coffee. “I knew she would read every line…. I hoped she would anyway, you know,” Dr. Corinth
said, frowning at his cup. He puts it down, picks up another potato, and starts scraping. “I’m just an old man like they say, right, Kwon? Right, son?” He chuckles softly into the dregs of his cup. Those letters and your love were tucked inside an old box like loose tea leaves coating the bottom drawer of an oak dresser that we didn’t re-stain and wouldn’t sell. I guess you knew they would be kept, that all love gets kept. “Then she died, cancer, and I certainly couldn’t go to her then,” Dr. Corinth said, and he looked like Old Man then. “Your wife”? He nodded yes. I put pinto beans in a big plastic jar on a higher shelf than the off-brand mac-n-cheese. “Anyway, I don’t think she loved him,” Dr. Corinth said. I read some of them, until I felt guilty. Some I read over and over. Some letters had big words, bigger places I will never see, definitions of complicated concepts like, divinity and autonomy, suspension of disbelief, the mort in mortal, and no guidebook supplied for all this
Dr. Corinth suddenly wipes his eyes, and he says there is an art to the proper salutation, that he bets the sky is always red on Mars. Then he trembles and says that the last letter he wrote he was in Paris, then says that he doesn’t write any more. He looks out the back. Old Man/Dr. Corinth switches topics quickly nowadays, the transitions in his mind rough, furtive strings that flit and collide like clouds. Dr. Corinth, did you know she wrote to you--my Mama Mandy Blue? She has her letters too, Dr. Corinth. Did you know, I mean did you really know, she tried to find you every time from wherever you last landed, and I don’t think you ever really saw the faith she kept in you; I wonder how far her last letter traveled before it came back returned to sender. I wonder when she knew and never wrote again, that giving up is love too, all sad postscript like a torn graft of tongues. Today, Old Man grips his knife, pushes it into the meat of a potato, and hands both to me. He’s done talking for now.
Evince Magazine Page 13
Even when the people (and their nametags) aren’t perfect, the wine and conversations can be. Photo by Dave Slayton.
The Wine Spot Eager to Socialize Again with Wine? by Dave Slayton
a member of the Master Court of Sommeliers
A
s I sip wine at home, I long for the return of a social setting where I can easily listen to good conversations about wine. I daydream about discussions in a relaxed setting that include but are not limited to topics covering taste, flavors, preferences, comparisons, origins, experiences and the list goes on forever. Social interaction is wine’s best pairing partner in my humble opinion. So I’m eager to return to a pre-COVID 19 combination of good wine and good conversation. Writer Aaron Romano states that since winery tasting rooms closed in March, there has been a mad dash to discover new ways to stay in touch with customers via promotions, virtual tastings and other channels. The Covid-19 shutdown has caused sales to restaurants to stop so seeking new ways to connect with customers has become a matter of financial life and death. He quotes Stephanie Honig, public relations director for Honig Vineyard & Winery in Napa Valley, who says they have a plan to get them through the end of the year, regardless of when the shutdown is lifted, taking into account everything from paying
staff to purchasing grapes. The winery has also begun to prepare for opening with guidelines. “Our current permit allows for 100 visitors per day, and we plan to limit to twenty,” she says, adding that a lot of people will probably be turned away. “Maybe we’re overly cautious, but we truly need to control how many people come in and when, and make sure everyone feels safe and comfortable.” (Wine Spectator May 2020) Another Wine Spectator article entitled “Wine’s Biggest Health Benefit Might Be Drinking with Friends” (April 24, 2020 Douglas de Jusus) states, “A new study suggests that older Americans who drink may be healthier because they’re more social.” It speaks of the possibility that increased socialization may help relieve depression. My coworker tells me that I am most certainly an older worker. I long for the return of a social setting where I can easily listen to conversations about wine. Cheers! •If you have a wine question, email Dave at slaytonjd@gmail.com.
Page 14 August 2020
August Calendar Abbreviation Key
• AU=Averett University, 434.791.5600 www.averett.edu • DMFAH=Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, 975 Main St. 434.793.5644 www.danvillemuseum.org • DSC=Danville Science Center, 677 Craghead St. 434.791.5160 www.dsc.smv.org • PA=Piedmont Arts, 215 Starling Ave, Martinsville 276.632.3221 www.PiedmontArts.org • The Prizery=700 Bruce St., South Boston, 434.572.8339, www.prizery.com
Ongoing
The Danville Farmers’ Market, 629 Craghead Street, is open on Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. until noon. The first hour is reserved for seniors and immuno-compromised shoppers. 434.797.8961. The Caswell Farmers Market in Yanceyville, North Carolina, at 2246 Hwy 86, by Goodwill, is open on Thursdays, 4:00-6:30pm with safety protocols in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Danville Master Gardeners will answer inquiries about gardening, lawns and landscaping on Mondays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call 434.799.6558 or send an email to danvillemastergardeners@gmail.com. Guided Walking Tours: Millionaires Row, Holbrook Street and Tobacco Warehouse District. Danville Historical Society. www.danvillehistory.org 434.770.1974 DMFAH: self-guided audio tours Brosville Library: 11948 Martinsville Highway www.pcplib.org 434.685.1285 Danville Public Library: 511 Patton St. readdanvilleva.org 434.799.5195 DPL Westover Branch: 94 Clifton St. www.readdanvilleva.org 434.799.5152 Gretna Library: 207 A Coffey Street, www.pcplib.org 434.656.2579 Gunn Memorial, Caswell County Public Library: 118 Main St, Yanceyville, NC www.caswellcounty.gov/library 336.694.6241 Halifax County Public Library: 177 South Main St. halifaxcountylibrary.org 434.476.3357
History Research Center and Library: 340 Whitehead St,, Chatham www.pcplib.org 434.432.8931 Mt. Hermon Library: 4058 Franklin Turnpike www.pcplib.org 434.835.0326 Pittsylvania County Public Main Library: 24 Military Drive, Chatham www.pcplib.org 434.432.3271 South Boston Public Library: 509 Broad St. 434.5575.4228 www.halifaxcountylibrary.org Langhorne House Museum: 117 Broad St. 434.793.6472 Telehealth study for cancer survivors in Danville: The staff at the VCU Massey Cancer Center/ Cancer Research and Resource Center in Danville is offering help with anxiety and depression by phone. Are you 18 years or older and have a history of cancer and have completed treatment? Do you experience anxiety and worry? OR feel down, depressed or hopeless and live in a rural area? If so, you may qualify for the Telehealth Study. Participants will receive an initial telephone screening and if eligible, participate for 13 weeks. All forms and procedures conducted by mail or phone. 804.827.0000 mkungu@vcu. edu 804.628.5338
August 1 (thru 28)
Camilla Williams Exhibit: Williams was born in Danville and became the first African American to sing with a major American opera company in NYC. Exhibit features her opera costumes including Madame Butterfly. DMFAH
August 1 (thru 29)
Yoga on the Lawn: led by Firefly free-9am $-10:30am Saturdays DMFAH Register at fireflydanville. com. limit of 15
August 1 (thru Nov. 29)
Hearth and Home; Tobacco Exhibition: DMFAH
August 5 & 12
Reading on the Lawn: performed by Smokestack Theatre DMFAH 6:30pm
August 6, 7 & 8
Indoor Treasure Sale: College Park Baptist Church, 114 South Main
August 2020
S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
St. Danville, 8am-noon; must wear a face mask; proceeds will benefit the Grove Park Pre-School
August 8 & 9
DMFAH Free Admission
August 13
Music on Main: Wayne Luliss, Elvis Tribute Crossing at the Dan, 629 Craghead St. Danville, 7pm free Bring a lawn chair or blanket and a picnic basket. 434.793.4636 Beginner Kayak: learn the basics. Ages 8+ Register by August 8. $12 Abreu-Grogan Park 6-8pm 434.799.5150
August 15
Cars & Coffee: See classic cars, sports cars, muscle cars, and more in the parking lot at Crema & Vine, 1009 Main St. Danville 9-10:30am 434.548.9862
August 17 (thru Sept. 21)
Forms in Clay: DMFAH pottery classes on Mondays 6:30-9pm $95 for members/$105 for others 434.792.5355
August 19
Averett University: classes begin Saints at the River Virtual Discussion: See page 4.
August 20
Music on Main: Rivermist; a 2-hour special event; Crossing at the Dan, 629 Craghead St. Danville, 7pm free Bring a lawn chair or blanket and a picnic basket. 434.793.4636 Saints at the River Discussion: See page 4.
August 21
God’s Storehouse Golf Tournament: in memory of Ben Toler; Goodyear Golf Club. shotgun start 10am; lunch sponsored by Subway in Tightsqueeze; $100/ person Register by August 14. www.godsstorehouse.org 434.793.3663 cewalker06@gmail.com
August 22
Barry Koplen Book Signing: The Danville native will be signing Lifesavers-A Touch of Magic and Lifesavers-Letters to Loves 11am to 1pm The Vintage Boutique, 214 North Union Street, Danville, the former location of Abe Koplen Clothing. A memory wall
The deadline for submitting information for the September calendar is Thursday, August 20, at 5:00 p.m. Please send just the basic information following the format on these pages to joycewilburn@gmail.com.
at the Boutique showcases five generations of the Koplen family and includes a signed receipt that is 100+ years old. Author Leah Weiss’ If the Creek Don’t Rise event: See page 4.
August 24
Danville Community College: classes begin
August 25
Saints at the River BBQ: See page 4.
August 27
Music on Main: Jus’ Cauz Band: Crossing at the Dan, 629 Craghead St. Danville, 7pm free Bring a lawn chair or blanket and a picnic basket. 434.793.4636
Save the Date September 1
Eat Out to Help Out: all day local restaurants donate 10% of their total proceeds for one day to help God’s Storehouse feed customers in need. For a list of restaurants visit Facebook www. godsstorehouse.org 434.793.3663
September 5
Derby Day: DMFAH 4-8pm
September 6
Ghosts & Gravestones Audition: DMFAH 2-5pm
September 11
Author Ron Rash event: See page 4.
September 12
Bluegrass by the River: 2 Witches Winery & Brewery, 209 Trade St. 6pm $15/20 benefit for Project Lifesaver www.bluegrassbytheriver.com
September 26
Chatham Rotary Club Auction & Gala: Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex 6-9pm www.chathamrotaryclub.com
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WINNERS
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Exceptional Products
Exceptional Community Spirit
A-1 Custom Windows Service
Blush and Bashful
Bonz N Bubbles
Chastity’s Café
Chuck’s Deli
Danville Community College
Danville Women’s Care/Bellezza
First Citizens Bank
First Piedmont Corporation
KARE Pharmacy
Four Seasons Pest Control
Kickback Jack’s
Hardy Petroleum
Middle Border Forward
Hunting Creek Vineyards
Movement Bank
JW Squire & Co.
Nature Essentials
Karen’s Hallmark
Office Plus
Midtown Market
Paul Grekos DDS
Revitalization Station
River District Association
Riverside Pawn
Southside Urology & Nephrology
Spurrier Orthodontics
W&W Limousine Service
The Brick
Woodall Auto
Exceptional Community Involvement
Exceptional Customer Service
American National Bank
Allocca Law
ARC of Southside
Animal Medical Center
Averett University
Bankers Insurance
Centra
Cherrystone Veterinary Hospital
Daly Seven
Debra Fugate
Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History
Epic Health Partners
Danville Toyota
Harris, Harvey, Neal & Co.
Danville-Pittsylvania Community Services
Haymore & Holland
Gateway Health Habitat for Humanity JJ Hogan Towing Movement Mortgage PATHS URW Community Federal Credit Union Wilkins & Co. Realtors
Motley’s Auto World OB-GYN Associates of Danville Satterfield Insurance Agency Schoonover Insurance Spectrum Medical Womack Electric Wrenn-Yeatts Funeral Home
Page  18 August 2020
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Page  20 August 2020
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Page  24 August 2020
Congratulations to our winners and Thank You to everyone who voted in the
6th Annual
e ince V Spirit Awards
Magazine
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Page 26 August 2020
I
really love crossing off items on my to-do list. Because the pandemic kept us home this summer, we had chores like house painting, shed and garage cleanouts, and chicken run repurposing on the list. As usual, disasters ensued. Painting: The paint on the outside of our house was chipping so badly the house was on its way to being condemned. When our neighbors sat on their front porch, they could count thousands of chipping paint flakes on our house. Over my husband Steve’s protests, I scraped most of the house. Then we started slapping thick, white concealer paint on the dark-green areas exposed by the chipping, pale yellow, custom-mixed paint. I achieved my 10,000 steps on scraping day just by going up and down the ladder. On my last day of painting, I was working between the gardenias and the house on a short ladder. One of the legs split, the ladder lurched off balance, I fell off, expensive yellow paint splashed in a copious arc over my pants and the mulch, and I landed flat on my back in a long pool of yellow. Once I could breathe again, I finished painting as high as I could reach without the ladder. Then I marched inside and told Steve he’d have to finish the high parts and warned him not to step in the paint that still lay pooled like somebody had outlined a crime scene. Days later, so what if my shoulder was sore, my leg still had spots of yellow paint, my knee was swollen, I was black and blue, I had twenty-three chigger bites, I had to wash all the bed linens in hot water from where I threw myself down to take a nap after the painting disaster but before I realized I had chigger bites, and I was spending a small fortune on anti-itch cream. I was done painting. I threw out the pants. I crossed that baby off the list with big, irritated pencil strokes,
Reflecting Forward The Voice of Eagerness: Scratch That Itch by Linda Lemery
although the itching served as a nagging reminder even as we moved toward the shed and garage cleanouts. Cleanouts: Our son and fiancée were moving. I cleaned out the shed so they’d have overflow storage. Steve seemed flabbergasted at seeing an empty shed, but he wondered why there was garage junk strewn all over the lawn. When I cleaned out the shed, it all had to go somewhere. Where better than the garage? I carved out room in the garage that was now lined with the storage shelves from the shed. Other than two air conditioners, seventeen Tidy Cat litter buckets (some filled with dirt), a microwave and collapsible tables, I managed to shoehorn all their other stuff into our already overcrowded house. Though the shed and garage cleanouts were crossed off with a bold, swirling flourish, cleaning out the inside of the house was added in small, cranky lettering just before we tackled the chicken run. Repurposing: We’re gardening this summer and decided to repurpose the chicken run as a vegetable garden encasement. This protects the seven-foot-tall tomato plants, squash, cucumbers, and zucchini from groundhogs that during previous summers have bitten chunks out of every garden tomato I’ve ever raised. Groundhogs across the Commonwealth now drool in frustration because they cannot chew through the doublelayered fencing and chicken wire strung over PVC-pipe framework. This would’ve been cause for celebration except that I was afraid to go inside my vegetable jungle for fear that the cousins of the front-yard chigger family would bite me. I hope to cross off more household tasks this summer, but we’ll see whether I can scratch that itch. About the Author: When she’s not yelling at herself to stop scratching, Linda Lemery llemery@averett.edu) works as Circulation Manager at Averett University’s Mary B. Blount Library in Danville. She welcomes reader comments.
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Watermelon Rind Pickles by Annelle Williams
If you have too much time on your hands during this pandemic, I have a project for you: watermelon rind pickles. It’s a win/win proposition. First, you enjoy the juicy, sweet taste of the watermelon. When you’re finished, trim, peel and cut the rind into two-inch pieces and begin your pickling adventure. These pickles are a tradition in our family. My grandmother made a few jars every summer and saved them for our Christmas meals. She added green food coloring to half the jars, and red to the others. We loved them because they were so sweet, almost like candy, and sometimes we acted like little piggies gobbling them up before anything else on our plates. A few years after my grandmother passed away I searched for her recipe to continue the tradition. Choose a watermelon with a thick rind and you’ll be happier with your finished product. Be prepared to make these each summer because once you bring them to your Christmas table your family will want more!
Watermelon Rind Christmas Pickles (4 pints)
1 large watermelon rind, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces, measure about 4 quarts 1/4 cup salt 4 cups white vinegar 8 cups sugar
4 cinnamon sticks broken into small pieces 2 T whole cloves 1 tsp. green food coloring 1 tsp. red food coloring
Add cut watermelon rind to large pan, sprinkle with salt and cover with water. Simmer for about 15 minutes until rind is tender. Drain well, and place in iced water, keeping very cold for one hour. Drain well. Make two spice packs by adding half the cinnamon and half the cloves to two pieces of cheese cloth. Tie with string to secure spices. In each of two pots, combine two cups of vinegar and 4 cups sugar. Add the green food coloring to one pot and the red to the other. Add a spice pack to each. Bring the vinegar to gentle boil, dissolving the sugar. Divide the drained rind between the two pots (add more vinegar if you need more to cover rind pieces) and simmer over low heat until the pickles begin to have a transparent look. This should take about 30 minutes. Remove spices and pack into hot sterilized jars. Process the jars in hot water bath for ten minutes. Questions or comments? Email me: AnnelleWilliams@comcast.net I look forward to hearing from you!
Page 28 August 2020
Book Clubbing review by Diane Adkins
Saints at the River by Ron Rash
The word terroir is used in the culinary world, meaning that ingredients have specific qualities because of where they are grown. The soil, the water, even the culture, affects the food. In Ron Rash’s writing, the landscape affects the people in a similar way, shaping them and making them who they are, giving them facets and dimensions. After all, mountains can be both protective and confining, water both life-giving and deadly. Maggie Glenn, a Tamassee, South Carolina native and a news photographer in Columbia, is assigned to cover the aftermath of the drowning of a twelve-year-old Minnesota girl, Ruth Kowalsky, in the Tamassee River. Ruth’s parents want her body recovered from the river. The solution involves the installation of a portable dam to divert the river long enough to free her. But the river has Federal Wild and Scenic designation, something achieved after an arduous campaign by environmentalists. Luke Miller, the primary advocate for that status, is opposed to the installation of the dam. He believes, and soon has evidence, that once this exemption to the law is allowed, other breaches will follow. This is a complex story of conflicts—environmentalists versus development, natives versus outsiders--with no easy answers. There are those who see the river as sacred, and for Ruth to be left there is simply for her to be part of something “pure and good and unchanging, the closest thing to Eden we’ve got left” as Luke states. On the other side are those who want the girl’s body to be recovered at whatever cost. But choices are not clear-cut, and people are not all one thing or another, as Maggie knows through her conflicted relationship with her father, another narrative thread in the book. In the end, though, for the people of Tamassee, they are first and foremost members of their community, their relationships with each other of primary importance. As one character admonishes Maggie: “We look after our own. We look after our neighbors before we look after people who come here and tell us to our faces we’re stupid hillbillies. We look after our own fathers before we worry about the father of someone we’ve never met.” As fast food ignores terroir, modern American life’s impetus is to reduce the importance of land and landscape and ties of neighbor to neighbor to an irrelevant footnote. Ron Rash’s work shows us what we lose in the process. Diane S. Adkins is a retired Director of the Pittsylvania County Public Library System.
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Page 30 August 2020
Mask Blocks Virus But Not Kindness by Mack Williams
I
recently learned that even if an asymptomatic COVID-19 food handler coughs on take-out food, the consumer’s stomach acid kills the virus. The only way to get COVID-19 from coughed-on French Fries would be if they were pushed up one’s nose, as Kevin Kline’s character did to Michael Palin’s character in the 1988 film A Fish Called Wanda. With this knowledge and having tired of home fries, I excitedly headed to a fast food drive-through. On the way to my destination, I heard loud clumping sounds within my car. I immediately thought of Mayberry’s Barney Fife’s car trouble, when his
passenger Andy remarked on a loud rattling noise followed by something falling from the car with a thud. Andy said whatever was causing the problem had fallen off, resulting in trouble no more. In my case, the left front wheel had fallen off, taking part of the axle joint with it, and I had plenty of trouble! I immediately called AAA and the Danville Police Department because my car was blocking traffic. Strangers began pulling over, offering me assistance as I stood there wearing my anti-viral mask. One sweet lady even stopped behind my car, buffering it from oncoming traffic. Several men offered to help push, until they saw my car
had only three wheels. When the car was ready to be towed, I could not ride with the tow-truck driver, due to COVID-19 restrictions. That’s when the kind Danville Police officer said he would take me home in the back of his vehicle. Arriving at my apartment a short time later, I fumbled around for an inside door handle, then realized its absence had a reason. The officer opened the door and I got out. Watching him drive away, I thought of all the friendly people who had helped me. It’s nice to know that even though the mask prevents possible pathogens from exiting, human concern can freely enter.
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