Evince Magazine September 2023

by Josh Lucia

Presented by Showcase Magazine

by Dave Slayton

CEO / Publisher / Andrew Scott Brooks Editorial Director / Paul Seiple editor@evincemagazine.com

Contributing Writers

Cord Cothren, Barry Koplen, Linda Lemery, Josh Lucia, Dave Slayton, Mack Williams, Emily Wilkerson

Art & Production Director Demont Design (Kim Demont)

Finance Manager Cindy Yeatts (1.434.709.7349) cindy@showcasemagazine.com

Advertising

For ad information contact a marketing consultant listed below.

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

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evince\i-’vin(t)s\

1: to constitute outward evidence of 2: to display clearly; reveal syn see SHOW

Deadline for this and all other stories, articles, and calendar items is Friday, September 15 at 5:00pm for the October issue. Please send calendar info to demontdesign@verizon.net.

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On the Cover: Pickleball is a hit in Danville. Photo by Scott Brooks.

The

2023 Performance Schedule

As a child, sports gave me an outlet to leave the mundane existence which was my life. For most kids from a small community, competitive sports are over after high school. I filled the void with fantasy sports or slow-pitch softball, but it was not the same level of energy.

Pickleball fell into my life around 2012. Bobby Short came by our local YMCA and introduced me to this thrilling sport. Short taught our directors. We added pickleball to our programs. Besides the competitive boost, pickleball taught me how to work with a partner in achieving a common goal.

Why does this game of a paddle and net attract so many people, including myself? I was familiar with ping-pong. Just about everyone who grew up in the seventies had a ping-pong table. I knew of tennis. John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors were childhood heroes of mine.

But pickleball? What’s the allure?

From the backyard of Joel Pritchard in 1965 to countless courts across the world, pickleball

Why Not Pickleball?

by Cord Cothren

has become a phenomenon. Pritchard and his friend Bill Bell made a game for everyone, regardless of age, gender, or ability.

According to the Sports & Fitness Association, pickleball grew by 159% over the last three years to over 8.9 million playing in the United States alone. As of the end of 2022, there were 11,000 places to play pickleball, with an increase of around 130 new locations each month. USA Pickleball membership had reached over 70,000 as of February 2023.

Danville is on board with pickleball. There’s rarely a time when a group is not playing somewhere. The Danville Family YMCA offers several days of play with a membership. Parks & Recreation offers times and locations. The Danville Pickleball Group has a strong following and plays almost every day.

The players in Danville make the game special. They are there to compete but also to teach. Bringing the community together one match at a time. From the crack of the ball hitting the

paddle to tapping paddles at the end, saying, “Good Game.” Sportsmanship abounds. Whether you are 12, 80, or starting out at 42, honesty and fair play lead the way.

I will always remember the first paddle I purchased ten years ago. The feel of going out and playing that first game. I felt like a magician sometimes having to

say, “Abracadabra” just to get the ball over the net, but I never quit and continue to get better. To hear the “pop” of the ball, to feel the wind in my hair, and the sun in my eyes is something I’m thankful for every time I step onto the court.

So, I leave you with this: Some people say, “Why Pickleball?” I say, “Why not Pickleball?”

photo by Scott Brooks

Imagine that you were given a free ticket to travel to the one place you’d always wanted to see. All expenses would be paid. The only stipulation was this: you had to write a magazine article about that place when you returned.

If that opportunity appeals to your imagination, you probably have some place in mind that you’d like to see. That’s why, when you decide to write an article about traveling, consider the reasons that place seems so appealing to you.

What if, like me, you had always wanted to ‘see’ the Loch Ness monster? As a result, when asked to write about somewhere you had dreamed of seeing, you chose Loch Ness.

Immediately, you would go to the Net to find facts, perhaps even little known facts, about Loch Ness. To your surprise, your research informs you that the lake is so deep that its water appears to be almost black.

As you dig further, you find that Loch Ness is not a popular tourist attraction. It isn’t surrounded by hotels and restaurants and brightly lit shops that sell ‘See The Monster’ tickets.

Actually, Loch Ness is in a remote and sparsely populated part of Scotland. Surprised as you are,

What If You Want To Write About Your Travels?

by Barry Koplen

you try to find someone who has visited Loch Ness. If you can interview that person, you might be able to write an article that most would want to read. As a result, you explored the Net, and you found that a person who had visited Loch Ness had written a piece about it!

Immediately, you responded to the writer and asked permission to publish the writer’s Loch Ness story. Approval came immediately! (HINT: the story you found was mine!):

Unforgettable!

Of all the places I chose to visit, other than renown golf courses while in Scotland, Loch Ness was at the top of my list. That was more than thirty-five years ago when the famous Loch was such a quiet site that only one person who had a boat was there to interest me in a tour.

Of course, I paid for the tour, that lasted almost an hour.

As I looked around the deep, dark Loch, I wondered what it would be like to see one of Ness’s monsters. I asked my guide whether that was possible. At first, he didn’t answer convincingly. Instead, he talked about his lifetime spent with his family; they lived near the Loch.

After we’d ridden on his boat for about thirty minutes, he pointed

to an old building on the far side of the Loch that I’d noticed earlier. By that time, we were in the middle of the Loch. The building appeared much smaller; it seemed little more significant than a tree on the edge of the Loch. That’s when he turned off his engine.

“I want you to see something,” he said. Curious as I was, I watched as he pulled what looked to be a picture from his pocket. It was taken with a Polaroid camera.

“See that,” he said, as he guided my eyes to the same bank and the same building we now stared at. Then he moved his finger. In the picture, about where our boat was, was the long, tall neck and head of a Loch Ness monster!

It reminded me of a plant-eating dinosaur with its smaller head, curved mouth, and thin neck reminiscent of an ostrich’s, but thicker and longer.

In silence, he and I studied the picture. Having taken many Polaroids myself, I knew his picture was genuine.

“Will you tell everyone in America about this?” he asked.

Although he didn’t ask me to share his name, I promised I would write about his photograph I will never forget.

September Calendar of Evince

Ongoing

Danville Science Center Exhibits

Science Unplugged - Back to basics with hands-on elements demonstrating scientific concepts.

Go! - Highlights the intersection between the physics of machines and biology of the human body.

Water - Discover history trapped in ice, experience clouds first hand, uncover life found in a droplet, plunge to the depths of the ocean, learn about water usage from a towering wall of 2,000+ water bottles, enter a room of rain and don’t get wet, and more.

Crescent Crossing - Train-themed exhibit introduces families to important science, technology, engineering, and math fundamentals, such as creativity, problem solving, and cause and effect. Butterfly Station & Garden – Find out which type of caterpillar certain plants attract, learn the best methods to attract butterflies, and get inspired to create your own butterfly garden. www.dsc.smv.org

Ruby B. Archie Public Library Programs

Whodunit Book Club, Adult & Tween Arts & Crafts, Maker Mondays, Tree House Tuesday, The Write Stuff, Puzzlers Club, Unrequired Reading – Classics Book Club, Classic Movie Club, Youth Dungeons and Dragons, LEGO Brick Engineers, Little Explorers Storytime, StoryWalk Adventures-Flower Power, Paint Pals, Book Babies, Bring-Your-Own-Bag Painting Party (Adults/Teens).

Pittsylvania Co. Farmers Market. F 4-6:30pm, Sat 7:30am-12pm. Olde Dominion Ag Complex. 434.432.8026.

Danville Farmers Market. Sat 7:30am-12pm. Community Market. 434.797.8961.

Through September 17 Exhibit. Robert Marsh Retrospective. Sat 12-5pm, Sun 2-5pm, Mon-Tues 10am5pm. Danville Museum 434.793.5644.

Through October 21

PAA Exhibit. Enjoy the art of Compulsory Measures and Photographs by Rick Dawson. Piedmont Arts. 276.632.3221.

September 1 (thru 30)

Live Music. 9/1 Wicked Karaoke & School Donation Drive; 9/2 Dennis O Hagan Duo; 9/8 Old 97; 9/9 Mike Warren & Gina Pulliam; 9/15 90 Weight; 9/22 Deep South; 9/23 Big Bump & the Stun Gunz; 9/29 On the Margins (Mark Precarrio Band); 9/30 Dark Blue Paradox. 7-10pm. 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Co.

September 2

Flame Thrower Day. Come witness the heat these weapons put out. 10am4pm. Exhibition Times: 11:30am, 1pm, & 2:30pm, $$. AAF Tank Museum. 434.836.5323.

Halifax County Farm Bureau Championship Night. 7pm. South Boston Speedway. 434.572.4947.

September 3 (thru 24)

Live Music. Hosted by Stuart Jennings. Sundays 2-6pm. 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Company.

September 4 (thru 25)

Southside Urban Line Dance. Learn to line dance, learn new moves, have fun, make new friends. Mon & Thurs. 6-7pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.

September 5

Eat Out to Help Out. Fundraiser for God’s Storehouse. See ad page 6. Comic Creations: National Comic Book Day? Activities include creating your own comics and drawing the superhero you could be! Bring your favorite comic book. Ages 7-17. Registration required. 4-5:30pm. Maker Space. RBA Library.

September 5 & 12

Page & Screen. “To Kill a Mockingbird”Book Discussion & Movie Viewing. Discussion on which is better - the book or the movie. 9/5-11am-12pm. 9/12-11am-2pm. RBA Library Auditorium.

September 5 (thru 26)

Beginner Southside Urban Line Dance. Learn to line dance, learn new moves, have fun, make new friends. Tues. 5:30- 6:30pm. Ballou Rec. Center. 434.799.5216.

September 7

Tracing My Family Lineage. Learn helpful tips and hear interesting stories related to genealogy topics with our guest speaker, Joseph P. Lovell. Ages 18+. Registration required. 2-3pm. RBA Library Auditorium.

September 7 (thru 10)

Build a New Playground. Volunteers needed. 8am-3pm. Salvation Army of Danville.

Blue Ridge Rock Festival. Virginia International Raceway. 434.822.7700.

September 8

Flip Flop Friday. Bring your lawn chairs and friends to settle in for a fun, relaxing evening. Enjoy music by Michelle Motley & BoCo, food, & wine. 6-10pm. Homeplace Vineyard. 434.432.9463.

September 9

5k with 5-0. Promotes healthy living while also connecting and building positive relationships with your local Danville Police Department. 8am. Danville Police Department. 434.797.8898 X5.

Bunco Fundraiser. Door prizes, auction & 50/50. No tickets at door. 11am. Dan River Region Pilot Club. Westover Hills Community Center. 434.728.1868. Smokestack Improv. Stand-Up Comedy and Improvisational Sketch Comedy. 7pm. See ad page 9.

September 9 (thru 30)

Main Street Art Collective Events.

9/9 Clay Jewelry Making; 9/16 Paint a Scarecrow Door Hanger (18”); 9/20 Puzzle Swap; 9/23 Weave a Market Basket; 9/30 Paint a Fall Watercolor Scene. 11am. MSAC.

September 11

Bats & Badges Charity Softball Game Fun-filled evening with a home run derby, silent auction & more. All proceeds are for God’s Storehouse’s mission to end hunger. Tickets $12 or 12 cans of food. Gates open at 5:30pm. American Legion Field, Dan Daniel Park. 434.793.3663.

September 14

Music at the Market Concert SeriesSahara Reggae Band. Bring a chair, blanket, and picnic basket for a relaxing evening listening to music. 7-9pm. Community Market-Outdoor Stage. 434.857.3384.

Tossing at the Crossing - Cornhole Tournaments. Blind draw for partners, players can bring their own bags, prizes awarded. Registration required. 7-9:30pm. Community Market. 434.857.3384.

September 15 & 16

VWRHOA Fall Show. 9/15-6pm. 9/165pm. Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex. 434.432.8026.

September 15 (thru 23)

Danville-Pitt Co. Fair. Events/times vary. dpcfiargrounds.com.

September 16

Ducks on the Dan. Prizes $500-1st; $300-2nd; $200 -3rd. 10am. From MLK Jr. Memorial Bridge to the Crossing at the Dan Pedestrian Bridge. Rain Date October 7, 10am. Danville Riverview Rotary Facebook.

Celebration of Scotland. Displays and info on Scottish clans, traditional dress, clan tartans, cap badges, coats of arms, ancient territories occupied by the clans, traditional Scottish foods, and history. Display on bagpipes, and performance of bagpipes and drums. 10am-4pm. RBA Library. 434.793.7432. Bluegrass by the River. Bring your lawn chair and enjoy music of Jus’ Cause & Shelton and Williams. 6pm. 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Co. bluegrassbytheriver.com. Hope Center Ministries Gala. Enjoy live testimonies, silent and live auction items, worship, fellowship, a great meal and so much more. The ARC Family Life Center. hopecm.com/gala.

September 22

Savory September: Buon Appetito. Celebrate all things Italy and sample delicious food by local chefs, try your luck in the 50/50 raffle and enjoy live music by Jake Earles. 6:30pm. Piedmont Arts. 276.632.3221.

The Prizery Steinway Artist SeriesSvetlana Smolina. 7:30pm. Prizery. 434.572.8339.

Live Music. End of Summer Patio Party w/Ray Eanes. 8-11pm. Golden Leaf Bistro. 434.791.3191.

September 22 (thru Oct. 1)

SCCA Runoffs. Virginia International Raceway. 434.822.7700.

September 23

Rusty Wallace Racing Experience 11am. South Boston Speedway. 434.572.4947.

Sippin’ Saturdays. Enjoy the music of Norm & Sarah, wine and rockin’ on the screened in, wrap around porch. 12-5pm. Homeplace Vineyard. 434.432.9463.

A Tell-Tale Tale: The Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. Presented by the Bright Star Touring Theater. This show blends rich language with expert storytelling to produce a fun and spooky experience for middle grades. Registration required. 6-7:30pm. Union Street Pocket Park. 434.799.5195. Chris Young Concert. A multi-platinum, global entertainer. 6pm. Danville Harvest Jubilee, Carrington Pavilion. 434.799.5200.

September 23 & 24

Old 97 Rail Days. Experience lifelike landscapes of towns, mountains, rivers and more as model trains animate realistic scenes. 9/23 10am-5pm’ 9/24 11am-2pm. Science Station, Danville Science Center. 434.791.5160.

September 23

(thru 30)

Reflections of Home Arts Festival

Celebrating the written, visual and performance arts, to showcase the many talented artists of Danville, and to highlight the beauty of the River District. 6-8:30pm. Union Street Park. See ad page 4.

September 26

Start-Up Slam. Have a meal, and the chance to enjoy hearing or presenting a new creative idea. 6-8pm. Ma’s Cakes. 434.791.0210.

September 27

Harvest Jubilee Shrimp Fest

Entertainment by Cat5 Band. Menu will be shrimp, baked beans, and slaw. Beer, wine, mixed drinks, Coke products, and water. Must be 21. Community Market. 434.857.3384.

September 28

Nick George the Poet Workshop

Creative writing, free-verse poetry, and generating your own original poetry, followed by a live performance of original work. Ages 18+. Registration required. 6-7:30pm. Union Street Pocket Park. 434.799.5195.

September 29

DRRAR’s Annual Charity Golf Tournament. 18-Hole Captain’s Choice. 1pm Shotgun Start. Tuscarora Country Club. 434.250.5689.

Spirit of Frederick Douglass. Poet, author and spoken word performer Nathan M. Richardson portrays the great writer, orator, and abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Registration required. 6-7pm. Union Street Pocket Park. 434.799.5195. Politikin’ & Pig Pickin’. Meet our elected officials and those running for office. There will be music, food, cash bar. Presented by the DPC Chamber of Commerce. 5:30-9pm. The Homeplace Vineyard. dpchamber.org.

Dance & Dine Series - Dinner of fried chicken, Bar-B-Que and all the fixings and Swingin’ with Elvis. 7pm. Prizery. 434.572.8339.

September 30

Fall 5K Fun Run/Walk. Presented by the Fall Piedmont Pan Hellenic Council. 8-11am. 434.429.4934.

Harvest Festival. Enjoy attractions, entertainment, activities, and food. 9am-5pm. Downtown South Boston. 434.575.4208.

Art of Historical Interpretation with Nathan Richardson. 30 minute in-character performance and a 45-minute lecture on the concepts of Historical Interpretation including creating a character’s foundation, finding a character, research, interpretation techniques, and the business of historical interpretation. Ages 10+. Registration required. 10am12pm. Smokestack Theatre Company. 434.799.5195.

Spirits of Danville. Relive Danville’s history with the ghosts of Camilla Williams, Florence and William Yancey, Police Chief Morris, Mill Worker Samuel Pruett, Dr. Craghead and friends. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and spirits. 6pm. Danville’s Community Market. See ad page 4.

UPCOMING:

October 6

Murder Mystery Dinner - Midnight at the Masquerade. A glamorous evening of mystery, intrigue, and murder. 6pm. Prizery. 434.572.8339.

October 7

Barn Quilt Paint Class. 9am-12pm. Homeplace Vineyards.

October 13

DCCEF Golf Tournament. Danville Golf Club. 434.797.8437.

Though recently being seen as the stoic Mrs. White in Smokestack Theatre Company’s production of Clue, Liz Moser Cervantes considers herself to be “goofy, weird, and (someone who) loves to make silly jokes, do silly voices, and tries to make others laugh.” Having been on stage since high school, Cervantes is no newbie to the acting scene. Acting to her serves as an outlet to release her pent-up emotions and energy. In fact, when asked what her dream role is, Cervantes said, “I dream to always have something to perform. Performing is my escape. I can cry, scream, laugh, whatever, all the while not thinking of the dishes to do, the bills to pay, or other personal struggles.”

Cervantes is very aware of both the roses and the thorns of acting, considering she has been doing it for over half of her life. She claims that the hardest part of acting is not getting direction. She always strives for improvement and thinks that it makes acting rather difficult when she is not getting consistent feedback and suggestions from the director. Directors have a tough role in the theatre, having to both design and help implement their vision for all aspects of a production. That is why Cervantes considers the director of a show to be her role

Action!

Inside the Method of Acting

Liz Moser Cervantes

by Emily Wilkerson photo courtesy of Smokestack Theatre Co

model as an actor. She admires them because they “have the ability to work with a cast and show, ensuring that everything comes together in the best way possible.”

Choosing a favorite production is challenging for Cervantes, but she ultimately feels I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is at the top of the list of shows she has performed in. She loves this one so much because it features a small cast of actors who portray many characters, and she greatly enjoyed the challenge of having to create and switch between so many characters so quickly. This show is also one of her favorites because it is a musical, and Cervantes is quite passionate about singing. She is currently the lead singer for a local renaissance cover band called This Forsaken Epoch.

Many people are not aware of the grueling process it takes to put on a show. Actors must audition, then the production team must cast the show, then there are months of rehearsals that consist of reading the script, blocking each scene, and running the show. Lights, sound effects, costumes, set pieces, and props rarely come into play until just days before the show. It takes a lot of time, effort, and people to get a production ready for opening night. This is when

the best part of the process for Cervantes happens… the day AFTER opening night. The actors have prepared, all the technical pieces have fallen into place, and the cast has now had their first audience. She shared she prefers this night because “you finally know what really works for an audience on stage and you can take the feedback from opening night and feel empowered for the rest of the run.”

Cervantes says that her “midthirties is turning out to be pretty exciting.” Besides performing in Clue and her local band, she recently married the love of her life, Mat, and was also cast as a member of Smokestack Improv. She is thoroughly looking forward to spending the rest of her year performing. Cervantes encourages everyone to “Come see a show. Any show. Play, improv, live bands. There’s nothing like live entertainment.”

Scene: Chatting easily, Linda is hauling a happy Plant out for a wagon ride. The distant drone of an ambulance puts Linda in a certain frame of mind.

Plant: What’s your favorite human character trait?

Linda: What do you mean, Plant? I don’t have a favorite -- I just have character traits. I work at optimizing them.

P: Work at them how?

L: To enhance the positive ones and reduce the negative ones.

P: Probably another growthoriented focus for you? Anyway, list a positive one you work at every day.

L: That’s easy. Being kind.

P: I didn’t expect that answer. Why?

L: Kindness (Figure 1) makes a big difference in people’s lives, including mine.

P: Give me an example.

L: Okay. Once upon a time …

P (sighing): I thought you were giving me an example.

L: Hush. It’s easier to tell this story as a fable.

P: Oh.

L: As I was saying, once upon a time, there was a man who developed cancer.

P: …Ohhhh…

L: He went through many treatments: chemotherapies, surgeries, immunotherapy, multiple radiation events. The disease would wax and wane.

P: This was serious.

L: Yes. Multiple recurrences – life or death -- with brief quiescent intervals in between. And one day, the man and his wife shared news with their family that cancer had raised its despicable head yet again.

P: That would be hard.

L: Very hard. And the extended family felt sadder than sad.

P: Go on.

Plant XI:

Kindness Matters

(A Plant Dialogue)

by Linda Lemery

Sadako died at age 12 before she could finish folding all the cranes, but the daughter-in-law in our fable finished her thousand cranes, then wished that the gods would make the man well. This was all she could do, but she did it.

P: That is kindness and caring raised to another level.

L: Yes. And with excellent treatment and some encouragement, the man survived.

P: Maybe related, maybe not, but tangible kindness might inspire a patient to exhibit more stamina in fighting the disease.

L: Yes. And several years later, the cancer recurred.

P: Oh, no …

L: The man and his wife had a daughter-in-law who felt things deeply.

P: She must have felt so sad for her father-in-law and the family. She must have wanted to do something to help him.

L: Yes. And some weeks later, she came to visit holding an upside-down garbage bag suspended over something hung on a hanger.

P: Garbage bag?

L: Correct. Black. Contractor grade. Open at the bottom.

P: …And…?

L: The family had a clothes rack on rollers used for hanging clothes.

P: A rolling clothes rack?

L: Yes. The daughter-in-law handed the upside-down garbage bag to her husband. Then she went into the storage room and unloaded the clothes rack.

P: … Is that so? … And then what?

L: She rolled out the clothes rack to where the family was and hung the upside-down garbage bag, open at the bottom, from its hanger on the top.

P: And then?

L: The daughter-in-law stripped off the garbage bag, unveiling a colorful, shimmering paper sculpture (Figure 2) she had made for the man with cancer.

P: …Really…

L: Yes. She had finally thought of what to do to express her caring and to encourage her fatherin-law when he was so clearly discouraged.

P: So, she did … this.

L: The daughter-in-law remembered the story of Sadako Sasaki*, a Japanese girl present when Hiroshima was bombed. She developed leukemia and had heard that if a person folded 1,000 cranes, the gods would grant that person one wish.

L: And the daughter-in-law folded another thousand paper cranes (Figure 3) and made her wish for her father-in-law’s recovery.

P: And?

L: Once again, the man survived, and he smiled every day when he saw the colorful, shimmering cranes.

P: But perhaps the daughter-inlaw’s kindness gave him an extra psychological boost to help him get better.

L: Humans crave connection, especially in times of darkness. Tangible gestures connecting people can make a difference.

P: Yes, I can see it now. I will remember. I will produce extra oxygen for you tomorrow. Kindness matters.

*Reference: One Thousand Origami Cranes. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/One_thousand_origami_cranes. Last accessed: August 14, 2023.

About the author: Plant and Linda Lemery llemery@gmail.com welcome reader comments.

photo by Linda Lemery

Figure 3: Second Thousand Cranes hanging

Figure 2: First Thousand Cranes hanging

Figure 1: Kindness Matters plaque

Movies You Missed from 20 years ago

by Josh Lucia

Cabin Fever

(7/10 Rating)

Released September 12, 2003 (US)

For rent/purchase on all major platforms.

Genre: Horror

R: Strong violence and gore, sexuality, language and brief drug use

1h 33m

Five college graduates rent a cabin in the woods. Things go wrong. Yes, we’ve seen it, but this is certainly one of the better takes on this sub-genre, and there is no shortage of homages to some of the best horror films from the 70s and 80s. Certainly

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gory at times, it also teases Director/Writer Eli Roth’s (Hostel) ability to gross us out and make us extremely uncomfortable looking at the screen. There are plenty of well-executed jumpscares and Roth brings some very quirky comedy to the script, including multiple cameos by himself. If you like gory horror, this is a fun ride. If you have a weak stomach, you are not going to want to catch this fever. The film has a bit of everything, pulling from Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Night of the Living Dead, The Evil Dead, The Thing, and even Deliverance, to name a few. Many will recognize Rider Strong, who played Shawn in Boy Meets World. There are multiple sidecharacters who are fun additions and fill in some holes generally left by bad acting extras or unnecessary sub-plots. This film has plenty of stupid decisions, plot holes do exist, and there is some mediocre acting, but in its genre, it is a must-see if it is a

Movie You Missed. Be sure you are playing the 2003 version and not the completely uncalled for 2016 remake. Cabin Fever features a few questionable lines of dialogue that do not age well. One in particular will stand out early on and it comes full-circle as more of a gag, but many will take offense regardless and it is doubtful the joke would or could be made in today’s cultural climate. That said, there are plenty of other things to find offense at, as with most horror films. Fun local fact: The movie was filmed in multiple parts of North Carolina, including High Point, Winston-Salem, Mount Airy, and Mocksville.

Also released in September of 2003: Lost in Translation, Matchstick Men, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Bubba Ho-Tep, Cold Creek Manor, Secondhand Lions, The Fighting Temptations, Underworld, The Rundown, Under the Tuscan Sun (follow @jlucia85 for these reviews and more)

Once home to the city’s iconic Danville Register Bee newspaper building – reimagined for today’s traveler.

Wines for the Labor Day Barbecue

Beyond

by Dave Slayton

I’ve seen a commercial where a man is sitting on a beach looking out on the horizon with an intense, thoughtful look as he eats a piece of candy, and a voice is heard saying, “Why can’t I wear white after Labor Day?”

Depending on your region, some Americans think the Labor Day holiday is the end of summer, even though it does not end until September 22. Those of us who live in the Southern Virginia/ Northern North Carolina Piedmont region can enjoy warm weather barbecuing through most of October. And so, my friends, in this writer’s humble opinion, you can barbecue as long as the warm weather lasts (well past Labor Day). Whether you can wear white past Labor Day, I say do it, but stop before Halloween; you don’t want to be mistaken for someone wearing a ghost costume.

Now, while you are barbequing after Labor Day, what wines shall you enjoy? Note: it’s OK to have

white wine after Labor Day, as well as Red and Rosé. During this warm weather, we probably still want lighter and crisper styles of wines we have been drinking since May. For grilled vegetables, seafood, and poultry, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Unoaked Chardonnay are tried-and-true favorites, but don’t be afraid to experiment with other whites like Chenin Blanc and Albarino or even sparkling Prosecco.

What about grilled meats like hamburgers, hotdogs, sausages, or ribeye steak? We want a red, but a red that is more on the lighter side rather than a robust Cabernet Sauvignon. Possibilities include Sangiovese (or Chianti) from Italy, Pinot Noir from California or Oregon, Cabernet Franc from France or Virginia, or a Tempranillo from Spain or California. Keep your red wine’s alcohol level around 13% to be light on your palate. You may wonder, is it OK to slightly chill a red wine during my barbeque? I say yes, even if it’s after Labor Day. Cheers!

photo by Dave Slayton

and

Chain-fishing and the

by Mack Williams

I’m sure you’ve seen parents with their kids on a leash and kids who “need to be on a leash” (not the same meaning). The nicer term for “leash” is “tether” (however, I don’t think there’s a nicer term for “need to be on a leash”).

But this article isn’t about the behavior. It’s about the leash, or in my childhood experience, the chain.

It wasn’t that I was badly behaved. My father just didn’t want to take any chances when we went fishing from a river bridge or lake bank.

I guess he realized the attention of even the most vigilant father could be tested during the act of fishing, especially when that little float or cork begins to dip.

I remember a dog collar being around my waist (not my neck) and the attached chain being affixed (“affixed,” 18th century British Tax Stamp lingo) to a bridge pylon.

A few years ago, I was talking

“kids,” now grown up, who went fishing with my father and tenyears-older-than-me-brother Joe, long before I went fishing. This same “kid” remembers a group of 4 or 5 neighborhood children riding to the river in my father’s black 1950 Studebaker. He told me when they arrived at the bridge, my father provided them with over-size dog collars to wear around their waists. Some of the dog collars were resplendent with silvery spikes, just like those worn by cartoon bulldogs in The Looney Tunes. My father attached a chain to each collar and connected the other end of each chain to the bridge. My father was determined that on his watch, no child whom he took fishing would be “lost at sea.”

When we fished at a lake, my father would attach a wooden stake to the far end of my chain and drive it into the lake bank. But for my size, I resembled the staked-out elephant outside the great tent when the circus came to town.

On one of our river bridge fishing trips, I’m sure my father wished he had brought along another chain

to safeguard his new rod and reel from “taking a plunge,” but the fishing line might have got caught up in the chain (imagine Jacob Marley’s ghost fly casting).

Somehow, one day, my father wound up dropping his new rod and reel into the river where the water’s depth dropped off about a fathom (6 ft.) just one step’s distance from the rocks upon which we were standing.

In Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore, the ship’s Captain sings he “hardly ever says a big, big D!” This sort of implies the existence of a “lesser D.”

My father and I stood there watching his brand-new rod and reel slip beneath the lapping “riverwaves,” descending into the green water, a drop of which would have “lit up” any microscope No. 37 stage.

So, weighing his options, and finding that using the “Lesser D” would fail to fully express his emotions,

My father opted for that “D” deemed “Greater!”

“Greater D”