Showcase Magazine October 2022

Lots of Change

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A Candy Corn Daydream

My mother loves candy corn. Each year, we stock up on it. I don’t like it. But it holds a special place within me. For another reason…

One of my favorite fall memories is jumping into a pile of leaves in my front yard with my friends. This stands out to me because of my fashion choice. I wore a KISS Alive II sweatsuit that was red, yellow, and white. The sweatsuit could have doubled as a Halloween costume. I looked like a walking candy corn.

I loved that sweatsuit, and I love October. I almost have to love October because I was born on Halloween. Oh yeah, I also love Halloween.

Another memory that happened around Halloween was what I used to refer to as the “Grease Paint Incident.” It was late October. I was shopping at the Four Seasons Mall in Greensboro with my parents. We made an ill-fated pass by the Record Bar. Being spooky season, there was a display of rock records near the entrance of the store. The cover of Destroyer by KISS caught my eye (and sent fear through my body). I was long from the horror aficionados I am today. I was five-years old and seeing four larger than life “monsters” stomping over an apocalyptic landscape was too much for my young eyes. We avoided the Record Bar for the rest of the day.

Two years later, I was the walking candy corn representing my favorite band. I’m pretty sure I went as Ace Frehley on that Halloween. Times flies, fears subside.

Halloween has always been more treats than tricks for me. And I’m not the only one who feels this way. This month, Lee shares with readers his love of Halloween. More specifically, the treats.

Sam Jackson meets with Dr. Angela Hairston to discuss her role as the superintendent of Danville Public Schools and to learn about her vision for the future of our city schools.

Also, we are introducing a fresh addition called Local Notes, where we focus on our talented community. The first series visits musicians. Megan Doss is first up. If you’re a singer, songwriter, musician, or band send me an email (paul (at) showcasemagazine.com) to be considered for Local Notes

There is a lot to look forward to this fall—cooler temperatures, changing leaves, scary movies, candy, etc. Stephen King paints a good representation of fall in Salem’s Lot. King says, “It settles in the way an old friend will settle into your favorite chair and take out his pipe and light it and then fill the afternoon with stories of places he has been and things he has done since last he saw you.”

Keep telling stories this fall and remember to listen to a few.

Enjoy the issue.

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

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Dr. Angela Hairston Photo by Laura Mae Photography Co.

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Lots of Change Dr. Angela Hairston

BY SAM JACKSON PHOTOS BY LAURA MAE PHOTOGRAPHY

For Dr. Angela Hairston, it pays to have a plan, and it pays off even more when you put that plan into action.

That’s what drives Hairston in her role as superintendent of Danville Public Schools. Strategic thinking in the pursuit of academic excellence. That pursuit has come during a challenging time, however, as Hairston stepped into her role Dec. 1, 2020, with a mandate to improve student performance.

“How has it been since I’ve been here?” Hairston said.

“Lots of change.”

When Hairston, who returned to her hometown of Danville after serving as superintendent of WinstonSalem Forsyth County Schools, started work at the end of 2020, schools were beginning returning to face-to-face instruction.

In addition, the district had, working with the Virginia

Department of Education, created a corrective action plan to address the shortcomings VDOE found in the district in previous years.

“We had that in place,” Hairston said, “and I’m pleased to say that today we have a great strategic plan.”

Hairston said the corrective active plan provides “a road map” to where the community wants to go. One of its goals was to improve student achievement by increasing access to new courses, instruction, and other support. It aims to improve such metrics as attendance, teacher quality, and graduation rates— what Hairston calls “measurable achievement standards” in the future.

“We can’t continue with just a focus on past performance,” she said. “We have

to be looking forward, and we feel our strategic plan supports us with a vision that looks forward.”

Hairston said the district also aims to use funds efficiently, making sure the majority of funds in the district’s budget are spent on student achievement and staff recruitment.

Also, all schools are seeking to improve other measurable, such as on-time bus delivery and higher attendance rates. Such advancements will also better the level of public satisfaction with the district, she said.

“The efforts are about improving relations with the community,” she said. “Making sure we have a climate and culture that feels safe for students.”

Under the corrective action plan, Hairston said, “I think supporting improved classroom instruction has been the area we’ve focused on most.” That hasn’t been easy, especially as schools have slowly returned to in-person instruction.

“We’re very proud of the fact that we’ve been able to come back to a face-to-face learning environment with only two missed instructional days,” Hairston added. “Still, we’ve needed to help fill gaps because of the lack of face-to-face instruction during the pandemic.”

Fortunately, “we were able to identify those gaps,” she said.

However, the instructional gaps may have had little to do with instruction itself. Instead, an effort has been made to better relate to the students.

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Continued

“Coming back to the school environment has been an adjustment,” Hairston said. “Clearly, being disconnected from others impacted our children. I’ve seen cases of extreme anxiety, depression… we were able to place mental health counselors in the schools as well as other mentors, probably for the first time in the schools in a big way.”

The challenge has been significant for teachers, as well.

“We’ve had to really go back to understanding childhood development strategies to learn to better relate to kids,” Hairston said. “Especially in the cases of younger elementary students.”

For a young student, for example, “that child has missed two years of time to develop socially in a school setting,” she explained. “We’re having to go back and ask, ‘What does a fourth grader look like? What does a seventhgrader look like?’”

“It’s really looking at the child and how they develop over time,” she added.

Hairston said the district was trying to make better use of the funds the district had in ways such as increased and improved availability of tutors. There are also bigger

projects on the way thanks to increased funding from the city.

“I’m excited about the capital improvements that are before us. I’m excited about the new teachers we’ve brought in and their energy,” she said. “And I’m excited about some of the business partners who come to us and want to invest in our schools.”

“Ground has been broken on a new main office for DPS, as well as a new Galileo Magnet High School. More teachers are being sought, and there is a great sense of optimism within DPS this year,” Hairston said.

“Our school board members are engaged in the work. We’re using data to drive our decisions, and I’m telling you, this year will be one like no other,” she added.

And what about when class isn’t in session? Hairston said parents have called her with questions again, and that’s a good sign, and she encourages parents to take part in their child’s education.

“Our message to parents is to support your teachers. We want your children to read, read, read, beyond the classroom,” she said.

Megan Doss The Musician Series: Episode One

Singing is What I’m Supposed to be Doing

BY PAUL SEIPLE

PHOTO BY THREED MEDIA

Megan Doss was introduced to music early in life. “Like a lot of music folks, I got interested in church when I was younger. My great aunt and uncle were a singing duo. They traveled around and did a lot of church services, so I grew up to do the same,” Doss said. Performing to an audience didn’t come easy, but she found comfort in the church. “I had really bad stage fright to sing anywhere else besides church for the longest time. I’m really glad I got over it,” Doss added.

Around twelve years ago, Doss performed outside of the church for the first time. It has been her career for the last 9 years. “Honestly, it’s hard to imagine doing anything else besides singing,” she said. Before becoming a full-time singer, Doss owned and operated a dance studio. “I will always love dance and it will forever be special to my heart. But I know singing is what I’m supposed to be doing.”

Before hitting the stage, Doss has a simple pre-show ritual. “I usually just sing along with the radio while I’m driving to my show.” Occasionally, Doss will practice new songs she is working on. Other times, she prefers a quiet moment. She added, “I know it’s wise for me to sing a little before a show, but sometimes I use the drive to catch my breath and clear my mind in complete silence. It depends on the day.”

Choosing a career in music is not as glamorous as it may seem from the crowd. The “job” dynamic can overshadow a key component—creativity. “I don’t know if I feel like I’ve been creative lately. I struggle with that because business always ends up coming first,” Doss said. She hopes to change things up next year and to “get into a creative headspace.”

Doss understands that the career path she has taken requires sacrifice and drive. She added, “It’s not always easy to chase dreams.” Doss finds inspiration from people who work hard and want to be better. “Whether it’s weight loss or building a business or going back to school, I always feel inspired and encouraged to see anyone going after something they really want.”

Doss marries her inspiration with the best advice she’s received—”It doesn’t matter how good you are, what matters is opportunity and what you do with each one you’re given.”

When asked if there was one album Doss would recommend, she named Chris Stapleton’s Traveller. “I rarely love every song on a record, but this is one I’ve been listening to front to back since it came out, and I still love every song.”

As far as a dream collaboration, Doss had to think about it. But she said, “If the sky was the limit, I’d say Miranda Lambert or Dolly Parton.”

For aspiring musicians looking to travel a similar path, Doss had this piece of advice. “I would say, listen to some of the feedback. Sometimes the hardest thing to hear is negative things about yourself. But it can also really help. It definitely helped me.”

Looking to the future, Doss wants to have more original music. She added, “I hope to be a better singer and businesswoman.” She would like to set more time aside for family and travel. But mainly, she hopes to “still be jammin’ with all my awesome folks I get to play with now.”

Working Mother The Oppositions of the

BY BRANDIE KENDRICK PHOTO BY BRANDIE KENDRICK

It’s 2022, and there is something that we need to talk about. Specifically, we need to discuss this regarding equal rights for women. Now, before you roll your eyes or allow your brain to run down a million paths; just know I am not here to argue with anyone. I only want to talk about something that needs to be brought to the attention of the masses. Can we talk about the working mama? Like, can we pause for a second and appreciate all mothers? This includes the stay-at-home mamas, work-from-home mamas, foster mamas, and birth mamas. All are wonderful and deserve more love and appreciation. However, this article will be geared toward working mothers and their hardships in a world that feels like it’s against them.

To understand and educate ourselves on one of the biggest struggles a working mother faces, we must first take a deep dive into history. It’s the work schedule. Let’s talk about the 9-5 workday and how it is completely obsolete in 2022. With any simple Google search, you can read all about how the 9 AM to 5 PM, the five-daya-week work schedule was developed. Any guesses of when the idea of a 40-hour-work-week of five 8-hour days starting at 9 AM and ending at 5 PM started? I’ll give you a hint, it wasn’t in this century. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane all the way back to the 19th century, 1926 to be exact. While the typical workday looked different all throughout history, it was during this period that a little well-known man by the name of Henry Ford took matters into his own hands. In 1926, Henry Ford, again this is all Google-search related (so don’t come for me) popularized the average 9-to-5 workday schedule once he realized that working over 8 hours a day didn’t really yield much more productivity. Of course, this schedule was revolutionary during its time and was taking place in the after-effects of the Industrial Revolution. Ford was in what kind of work again? Oh, yeah—industrial work. I am sure school pickup, soccer practice, and dinner prep were not on his to-do list each day. Here in lies the problem. This outdated schedule needs a little TLC in 2022.

So, you must think, why is this chick so dead set on working mothers struggling with a 9-to-5 job? My frustrations have nothing to do with working 40 hours a week. I even think that working 8 hours a day is not the true issue, it is all about WHEN you work those hours. Huge pause for a moment for me to clarify. I am extremely grateful for my job. In fact, I work over 40 hours a week at my full-time job. I also teach online classes to supplement our income. So being a hard worker is not an issue for me. I am very thankful for my education and the opportunity to put my degrees to good use, but sometimes this working-mom schedule and raising young children-schedule just DO NOT mix well. I also work with many other mothers who have expressed the same frustrations.

So, let’s get back to WHEN. Conventionally, most companies operate on a work schedule. Corporate America seems to still lead the world in the average workday hours of 9-to-5. While some of us are extremely fortunate that our employers offer flexibility,

not all working mothers have this luxury. Why is this a problem? Let’s do a little more research.

The average American school day schedule is typically set for between the hours of 8 AM to 3 PM. This doesn’t seem like much of a discrepancy. But, for the mother writing those checks to the after-school care program, she may disagree. Not only is the cost of childcare outrageous, but the school systems and the job force aren’t talking to one another. I couldn’t even imagine how hard it would be if you worked any other hours while attempting to care for children. Let’s also play out the idea that you are a working mother with a wonderful support system. Let’s hypothetically say you work from 9-to-5 every day and you can take your children to school for a drop-off time of 8 AM. Even if you are fortunate to have a mother, babysitter, or childcare facility that picks your children up from school at 3 PM, you still only have a small window of time in which to complete some monumental tasks. Between getting off work at 5 PM and bedtime; mothers must: complete homework, cook dinner, serve dinner, clean up dinner, cart kids to extracurricular activities, and make sure they complete basic hygiene tasks, all while ensuring they get to bed at a decent hour.

Do you see the complications with being a working mother? Not only are most work and school schedules different for most mothers, but society seems to think

working mothers are some type of sorcerer. Between teachers sending home hours of homework, Pinterest telling moms the importance of a healthy diet, and the old ladies in the grocery store telling moms to soak up every moment—the working mother is supposed to do all and be all. The working mother is at a huge disadvantage. We’ve failed before we even opened our eyes in the morning. All avenues seem to point to the fact that mothers should really be at home with their children. I mean, don’t you think that was what Henry Ford thought back in 1926 when he decided this was best for his company? I mean, you don’t think he was considering the working mom back then, do you? We’ve made progress in equal rights for women over the decades, yet we haven’t stopped to think about how society and the workforce are typically seen as oppositions instead of allies for the working mother.

While we can’t change the mind of corporate America, or even change the judgments of society, I think we can make just a small difference. Talking about this is the first step. All working mothers should have an open conversation with their employer about this very topic.

Working mothers (and all mothers) have to stop being expected to do everything. We need to stop the judgment on the mom rolling up to after-school pickup 5 minutes late. We must show some grace to the mother who completely forgot it was picture day because she was up until midnight working on that big work project. Give your kid cereal for dinner, we’ve all done it. No one is here to judge you.

Here I am writing about the working mother’s struggle. I hope you will read this article and share it with a friend. Give it to the single man friend who doesn’t know one thing about raising children. Share it with your coworkers, your besties, and everyone, really. So that the next time you decide to place judgment on the mother passing you in the grocery store in her high heels at 9 PM with her screaming toddler, you might stop and consider things from her perspective.

And a big shout out to all the working mothers out there, you guys really are superheroes!

For more on working mothers, check out: http://pickledproverbs. com/10-reasons-why-working-mamas-are-the-stressed-the-freakout/ Follow me at https://www.facebook.com/pickledproverbs

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Paws for a Cause

WRITTEN BY PAULETTE DEAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DANVILLE HUMANE SOCIETY

In March 2020, our volunteer program came to a sudden halt the second COVID-19 guidelines were announced. As the restrictions were lifted bit by bit, we started having volunteers come back.

The reality of a busy openadmission shelter is this: The employees stay quite busy with the tasks of cleaning, watering, feeding, vaccinating, de-fleaing, de-worming, checking on animals, etc. We do not have a large staff and with thousands of animals received each year, their days are filled with the daily care required.

That means that we rely heavily on volunteers to do the fun work of the shelter. They bathe puppies, play with kittens, take dogs for walks, and help us socialize the animals. In fact, some volunteers come so often that the dogs get excited when they see them because they know they are about to go for a walk.

Years ago, a volunteer came every Thursday to the shelter to help with laundry and to bathe a dog or comb a cat for a pet of the week picture. She thought her contribution of time and effort was small, and we thought it was huge.

Other people come in for a few

This little guy came all the way from Tennessee!

is a huge heart in a small package.

minutes to a couple of hours to walk dogs and play with cats. One man comes in to give every dog a treat and then he leaves.

Other volunteers prefer to spend time with cats or kittens. The ones that live in Camp Meow Meow or Kitty Corner are not in cages, but in rooms. All a volunteer needs to do is enter the

room and sit down. They are quickly being climbed on and surrounded by friendly cats! The ones who are in cages in the main cat room love to have time out of the cage to wander and explore. We have a playroom set aside for that purpose.

A volunteer orientation is required. It is held the first Thursday of each month at 4:00 at the shelter. We give a tour and explain our procedures, laws, and the regulations we abide by. The orientation is designed to keep the volunteers and the animals safe and lasts about 45 minutes.

We love our large group of volunteers and are always in search of ways to improve the program. Will your service have an impact? Most certainly. You will be able to have a positive impact on the lives of animals.

The next orientation is scheduled for Thursday, October 6th, at 4:00 at the shelter.

DANVILLE

Men and their sports…

BY BARRY KOPLEN

Thanks to a leftover concerns about COVID, I have spent more time watching National League and American League baseball games that I seldom saw on TV before.

In between innings, I write my stories or respond to friends on the Net. If the game isn’t crucial regarding playoffs, I’ll only leave my keyboard in time for an exciting at bat or to watch a pitcher who is throwing a shutout.

Now and then, I find that even re-runs are fun to watch.

But that’s not because I’m desperate for anything to see other than television’s talking heads discussing gasoline prices or inflation. Or the upcoming elections in November.

Instead, it relates to the joys of my childhood. As a little boy riding in the front seat of Dad’s Hudson, I shared his rapt attention to the radio broadcast of a baseball game being played in a large, faraway cities like New York or Chicago, places I could only imagine.

Some nights, I sat next to him in the wooden bleachers as the Danville Leafs played in Danville’s stadium near Ballou Park. I’ll never forget Leon Wagner and Willie McCovey while watching my dad cheer when they hit home runs.

Indeed, I loved being there as much as I enjoyed playing baseball with my neighborhood friends in North Danville in our large backyard.

That didn’t change when my parents moved us to our new house near the Park.

That’s why, one bright summer day, I joined a pickup game in the Cross’ yard three houses down from ours. While

batting, I took a perfect swing and launched a ball higher than the bluff that hid the house across the street.

Our game ended suddenly when someone yelled, “Their picture window is broken!”

Unsure about what to do or say, we stopped our game.

Eventually, my dad came home from work and took me to see the home owners. When I saw their busted window, I apologized to the couple and Dad promised to pay to replace it.

When Dad and I left, I told my father that I was glad they were so understanding. Of course, I didn’t mention that I’d never hit a ball that far before.

As we walked home, my father didn’t fuss or yell at me; he seemed as proud of me as if I had hit a home run. I think that was why I was never scolded.

And, despite the broken window, baseball was even more special to me after that.

Other members of my family seemed to notice, especially my Aunt Helene, who had grown up in New York City. During the World Series, she would have me visit at her home (owned by her and my Uncle Herman) near Averett University (it was Averett College then).

We loved to watch the subway Series, when the Dodgers played the Yankees. Every October, I eagerly waited for the World Series, for the umpire to shout, “Play ball!”

And for the games to begin. Even now, you can bet I’ll be on the edge of my seat when the first pitch is thrown…

Confessions of a 30 Something Trick-or-Treat

BY LEE VOGLER PHOTO BY LEE VOGLER

“Black cats and goblins and broomsticks and ghosts Pumpkins of witches are there to roast You may think they scare me; you’re probably right Black cats and goblins on Halloween night!

—TRICK OR TREAT!”

Ok all you ghosts and goblins, it’s that time of year again when the air turns cool, the leaves turn orange, and the creatures of the night roam the streets looking for treats and perhaps playing some tricks.

Halloween originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints. Soon, All Saints’ Day incorporated some traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows’ Eve, and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o’-

lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes, and eating candy.

I’ve always loved Halloween. Next to Christmas, it’s probably my favorite holiday of the year. The crisp fall air filled with mischief and fallen leaves has always appealed to me. (The abundance of candy doesn’t hurt either.) These days, I usually fill my Halloween season with watching my kids getting dressed up in different costumes to attend various parties and

ultimately, trick-or-treating through the neighborhood. I’ve also found myself enjoying decorating our yard and giving out candy to kids even more than I enjoy getting candy myself. That’s probably a built-in requirement when becoming a parent, but I’ll have to check the handbook later.

I’m especially looking forward to Halloween this year because I feel for the first time in a few years, it will truly, and fully, be Halloween. In 2020, everyone was still so unsure of what could happen with COVID that trick-or-treating was largely absent. Last year was better but still not like the days of yore. So this year, let’s live it up. Let’s have fun. Let’s make Halloween great again! I’m going to be giving out a lot of candy, so swing by the Vogler house as you begin your evening of trick-or-treating. We’d love to see you.

What are your favorite Halloween memories? Drop me a line at: lee@ showcasemagazine.com

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