Showcase Magazine March 2016

Your Burning Nutrition Questions Answered See page 22

COPING WITH STRESS

in an Anxiety-Driven World See page 10

Going Inside The Numbers

with a Tax Attorney

See page 20

Read more about the History of the Martinsville Speedway on Page 22

ing Your BurnQu estions Nutrition Answered

ON THE

e 22

See pag

70 Years of Thrills

ith StreSS CopiNg Wiety-Driven World

e Going Insidrs be The Num Attorney

with a tax See page 20

The History of Martinsville Speedway

Richard Petty passing the scoreboard at the Martinsville Speedway

in an Anx e 10

See pag

FEA TURES

ALSO INSIDE

DEPARTMENTS

MAKING CONNECTIONS

One Southern Virginia Artist Links History, Art and Math Through His Works

by Jennifer Doss

ONE MAN’S DREAM BECOMES A RACING REALITY The History of the Martinsville Speedway

by Brooks Taylor

ARTICLES COPING WITH STRESS

HE SAID SHE SAID

FROM THE EDITOR

Throwing Our Hat in the Ring

By Larry Oldham and Dena Hill

FUN AND GAMES

Crossword, Word Seach, & Sudoku

THE YOUNG PROFESSIONAL Lauren Mathena

by Lee Vogler

PAWS FOR THE CAUSE

By Paulette Dean

BUSINESS MINDED

Computer Bookkeeping & Tax Service

AREA EVENTS GUIDE

by Paul Seiple

CAREER INSIDER Harry P. Sakellaris

by Paul Seiple

NOT SO COMMON – COMMON SENSE!

follow us @showcasable

A Perspective on Public Schools

by Stan Jones

in an Anxiety-Driven World

like us Showcase Magazine

by Dr. Maggie Ashworth

EAT THIS, DON’T EAT THAT.

Your Burning Nutrition Questions Answered

by Jennifer Dietz

4 SHOWCASE Magazine

| MARCH 2016 | www.showcasemagazine.com

@

we’d love to hear from you! info@showcasemagazine.com

www.showcasemagazine.com

| MARCH 2016 | SHOWCASE Magazine 5

I watch Disney shows to help ease stress. There, I said it. Truth be told, they are so ridiculously fun, that for thirty minutes, you can turn your brain off and recharge.

Stress is the unwanted houseguest looking to crash at everyone’s home. It’s a given. How we cope with stress plays the biggest part in how it affects us. Simply put, you’re in control.

With the crunch time of tax season here, stress is only going to get worse. It’s important to find things to help keep stress to a minimum.

It’s no secret the damage stress can wreak physically, emotionally, and mentally. The key is finding things you enjoy to take the fear out of stress.

Here’s a few fun things — have some chocolate or cocoa, both are rich in antioxidants which are known to reduce stress. Chew a piece of gum; it eases tension in the jaw as well as stress. Take up yoga or meditation. Laugh. Spend some quality time with your pet.

Showcase

Treat yourself to a massage. Or just help someone out. When you help others you’re giving stress the old two birds, one stone trick.

MARCH 2016

STAFF

CEO / Publisher Andrew Scott Brooks, scott@showcasemagazine.com President Larry Oldham, larry@showcasemagazine.com

The point is there are plenty of fun and enjoyable things you can do to fight stress. Don’t let it control your life and rob you of happiness.

Stress is like the Whammy on that old game show Press Your Luck.

Once it rears its ugly head, its friends are right behind it waiting to steal all your fun. Stare it down and say, “No Whammies.”

Editor Paul Seiple, paul@showcasemagazine.com Graphic Designer Kim Demont, demontdesign@verizon.net Finance Manager Cindy Astin, cindy@showcasemagazine.com ADVERTISING 1.877.638.8685 Larry Oldham, Director of Sales and Marketing larry@showcasemagazine.com, 434.728.3713 Lee Vogler, Marketing Consultant lee@showcasemagazine.com, 434.548.5335 Misty Brooks, Marketing Consultant misty@showcasemagazine.com, 434.728.2905

If you hadn’t guessed, old game shows are another one of my favorite stress relievers. Seventies and early eighties country music is another. I have an ever-growing playlist of Spotify that I will share this month on Facebook for those of you who enjoy Waylon, Willie, and the boys.

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Subscribe to Home Delivery for $24 per year 753 Main Street #3 | Danville, VA 24541 Phone 1.877.638.8685 | Fax 925.380.5404 info@showcasemagazine.com www.showcasemagazine.com MARCH 2016 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dr. Maggie Ashworth | Paulette Dean | Jennifer Doss Dena Hill | Stan Jones | Larry Oldham | Brooks Taylor Paul Seiple | Lee Vogler MARCH 2016 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Michelle Dalton Photography | Jennifer Doss Martinsville Speedway | Von Wellington Photography

Enjoy the issue.

Paul Seiple EDITOR

Evince

to the ADVERTISERS who make this publication possible.

Please be generous in supporting our local businesses.

15 7 5 35 5 29 15 32

2

616 Restaurant Barkhouser Ford Lincoln Beacon Credit Union Centra Medical Group Danville Gastroenterology Center, PC Danville Historical Society Danville Parks & Recreation Danville Regional Foundation Danville Regional Medical Center

6 SHOWCASE Magazine

36 30 7 9

31 8

Danville Toyota Scion Demont Design Excelen Performance Goodwill Industries of South Central Virginia, Inc. Jarrod Brown, DDS DWS Kare Pharmacy & Compounding 11 Martinsville Henry County 15 Michelle Dalton Photography 31 San Marcos

| MARCH 2016 | www.showcasemagazine.com

8

8

29 5

33 15 8 7

Shh... Intimacy on a New Level Southside Urology & Nephrology Stratford House URW Community Federal Credit Union Wilkins & Co. Realtors World of Sports Yates Home Sales Yes Weekly

Opening

Ali Reid Str sa Davis eet Ga ller y Page 14

Spend an Ev

Madam

Secretar

ening with

y Creat

or and

Page 3

Barbara Hal

Execut

l

ive Prod

Don’t miss the March 2016 issue of eVince

ucer

Magazin

e Page 1

www.showcasemagazine.com

| MARCH 2016 | SHOWCASE Magazine 7

8 SHOWCASE Magazine

| MARCH 2016 | www.showcasemagazine.com

HE SAID...

It is a good thing I didn’t make any New Year’s resolutions this year. Here it is March and I don’t even have time to think, much less keep promises I am always destined to break. I like making the resolutions because it gives me something to talk about but, seriously, does anyone ever keep them?

Resolutions are old news by now, so let’s talk about the real problem at hand…getting old. Each day, month, and year flies by too fast. I find myself not being able to check off everything on my daily list. You might remember that I started keeping a list of daily tasks when I found out I was not accomplishing as much as I wanted to. Matter of fact, I hardly got anything done because too many mundane chores kept crowding my personal fun things. I have to blame it on age because that is the only change in my life to date.

You haven’t changed, appearance-wise, since high school. Because we didn’t date then, I don’t know if your life was as consumed then with your projects as it is today. You don’t keep a written list, but yet you accomplish so much more than I do on a daily basis. I would like to be more proactive but in a different sense. I don’t want chores. I want fun. I want to play with the dog, write my stories, paint my pictures, and figure out how to grow rich without effort. Is that too much to ask of life?

I thought about buying a lottery ticket but at 292,000,000 to 1 odds, according to the news reports, I would have a better chance at becoming president. Wait a minute, that gives me an idea.

SHE SAID...

Don’t even think about it. If you’re thinking about running for president you might as well go by the lawyer’s office and pick up the divorce papers.

You do like to voice your opinion like Trump though, so maybe he would take you on as Vice President. What a team you two would make!

Besides, there is no way I am about to become First Lady. How would I ever be able to clean the White House every week plus participate in affairs of State? Forget it.

Your yearly resolutions have always been outlandish and out of reach, so I don’t pay much attention to you in December and January when you talk that nonsense. I try not to pay too much attention to you in the other months of the year, but sometimes you catch me and I have to pretend I’m interested in your drivel. Don’t take this too seriously— you know how much every word that comes out of your mouth means the world to me, more than life itself. I’m just kidding.

You and I must live a different paradigm. All I see you ever do is play with the dog, write your stories, and although I never see you paint, you are always buying paint supplies. Good intentions don’t make it happen; action does. The growing rich part is especially unnerving to me. You don’t seem to make much of an effort to earn great wealth and you never talk about being rich; you even chastise the people who wear designer labels. If you bought a ticket and won the lottery you would be like those people from Tennessee who won the big powerball. You would just go back to work on Monday morning, live in the same house, drive the same car, and continue to hoard your money.

by Larry Oldham and Dena Hill PHOTO BY MICHELLE DALTON PHOTOGRAPHY

Maybe I should run for president because honestly, I think you would make a better First Lady than I would. Of course, that would be one untidy White House.

www.showcasemagazine.com

| MARCH 2016 | SHOWCASE Magazine 9

adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) — a chemical linked to stress. One theory of why you cry when you’re sad is that it helps your body release some of these excess stress chemicals, thereby helping you feel more calm and relaxed.”1

by Dr. Maggie Ashworth

In today’s society many people are affected by constant worry and stress.

Stress not only affects you psychologically, but also physically. Constant stress can cause excess hormones (cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine), inflammation, and decreased immune response. The changes in hormones and inflammation can lead to weight gain, depression, back pain, and may affect homeostasis (the body’s ability to regulate internal conditions to maintain stability). In the documentary Stress: Portrait of a Killer, neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky states the following health disorders are worsened by stress: cardiovascular disease, hypertension, depression, anxiety, sexual function, infertility and irregular menstrual cycles, frequent colds, insomnia and fatigue, concentration, memory problems, appetite changes, digestive problems and dysbosis.1 We are approaching a time that can cause an increase in stress—tax season.

There are many ways to help regulate and reduce the effects of stress. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), mindfulness and meditation, journaling, and exercise are ways to help manage your stress. Having a cry can be one way to help reduce stress at the moment when stress builds up. “Tears contain a concentration of

10 SHOWCASE Magazine

| MARCH 2016 | www.showcasemagazine.com

The way one deals with stress management is a very personal choice; however, I recommended choosing any method that resonates with you and your personal experience. Emotional Freedom Technique can help reduce stress by reprogramming your brain’s response to a particular stress event by helping take your body out of sympathetic response (fight/ flight) for that particular event.2 According to researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, mindfulness mediation can help alter regions of the brain associated with memory, awareness of self, and compassion.3 Mindfulness meditation helps one to take a break from the thought stream that constantly flows in the mind.

The practice of mindfulness meditation is to focus on your present experience instead of thinking about the past, future, and without putting judgment or analysis on that present experience.3 Research has found that mindfulness meditation may assist in lowering blood pressure, increase gray matter in the hippocampus (the area that is fundamental in learning, memory, and the regulation of emotions), decreased gray matter in the amygdala (a region associated with fear, anxiety, and stress).3 The reduction of gray matter

in the amygdala correlated with lower stress levels.3 Mindfulness mediation was also found to help improve attention and social skills in students, decrease test anxiety, and aid in improving aggressive behavior in children with previous conduct disorders.2 Exercise provides many stress benefits.

Exercise helps to release endorphins, a “feel good” neurotransmitter, which can help regulate mood.4 Yoga is exercise that is labeled as a moving meditation.

Yoga is composed of physical and mental disciplines that may help you achieve peacefulness of body and mind, which can help you relax and decrease stress. Yoga is composed of many components including: poses, breath, and meditation. Yoga has been shown to have physical and mental benefits; such as, increased flexibility; increased range of motion; cardiovascular improvement; and aiding in stress and anxiety reduction, help with insomnia, and help with depression.5 Don’t let tax season add to your stressors.

Find a healthy stress reliever that works for you and your body and mind will thank you.

Dr. Maggie Ashworth graduated from Virginia Tech in 2007 and then received her Doctorate in Chiropractic in 2011. She previously worked in Leesburg, VA and North Carolina before deciding to return in Danville, VA. She received her 200 Yoga Teacher Certification in April 2015. Ashworth’s passion is to help grow and expand the community of Danville in addition to her chiropractic work. She strives to provide different health approaches to help you reach your health goal.

1 http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/03/12/chronic-stress.aspx 2 http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2015/10/29/mindfulness-meditationtechniques.aspx 3 http://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/mindfulness-meditation-practicechanges-the-brain 4 http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/exerciseand-stress/art-20044469 5 http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/yoga/art20044733

www.showcasemagazine.com

| MARCH 2016 | SHOWCASE Magazine 11

Lifestyle

Story and Photographs by Jennifer Doss, Martinsville-Henry County Tourism Division

Artist Charles Hill 12 SHOWCASE Magazine

| MARCH 2016 | www.showcasemagazine.com

There’s a hidden treasure located less than a mile south of the Martinsville Speedway on US 220 Business. If you’ve traveled through the Martinsville area, you most likely have driven right past an unsuspecting auto dealership without knowing what lies inside.

Jim Mills loves art, NASCAR racing and cars, which is fitting since he owns a chain of successful automobile dealerships in Ridgeway, Virginia. When Mills purchased a former Lowe’s Home Improvement Center as the location for the Jim Mills Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM dealership, he knew the large

Martinsville Speedway is NASCAR’s oldest track and actually pre-dates the organization.

In 1947, H. Clay Earles carved the track out of clay in the Henry County countryside and began hosting races there. One year later, NASCAR was formed and in 1949, Martinsville Speedway hosted its first race as a sanctioned track. In addition to the primary image of the track, “Dust to Glory” features portraits of many famous drivers who have raced at the speedway since that time including Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, and Daryl Waltrip. Most of the drivers shown are so well known that no introductions are needed.

THROUGH HIS WORKS walls needed something special. Mills reached out to local artist Charles Hill to commission a series of murals to celebrate the history of motorsports in the area.

Hill has painted for more than 45 years. He took art in high school and classes in basic design while attending the College of William and Mary, but is mostly self-taught in the medium of painting.

Together Mills and Hill brainstormed a series of murals that would not only decorate the walls, but also tell a story. They used the 1992 book From Dust to Glory by Morris Stephenson as inspiration for the images.

Hill began painting the murals in 2011 using acrylics and has added to and updated them each year. Four separate scenes are currently on display and span about 120 feet across the showroom wall.

On the upper left of the wall is “Dust to Glory: History of Martinsville Speedway.” This mural shows Martinsville Speedway’s transition from dirt track to paved NASCAR speedway.

The mural is laced with history. Wendell Scott, the first African-American NASCAR driver, is depicted in the scene along with former Miss Winston Cup Penny Barrow, and Red Byron, NASCAR’s first modified champion.

On the lower left of the wall is a mural depicting the founding fathers of racing along with the iconic Ridgeway Clocks Grandfather Clock that is awarded to the winner of each race at Martinsville Speedway. The clock is surrounded by H. Clay Earles, founder of Martinsville Speedway; Bill France, the founder of NASCAR; and Clay Campbell, Earles’ grandson and current track president.

On the upper right of the wall is a scene called the “Wall of Fame.” This section of the mural depicts some of the legendary drivers who raced at Martinsville Speedway in its earlier days. Highlights include Junior Johnson, Cale Yarborough, and the Labonte brothers. Some drivers pictured are lesser known but very much part of fabric of the track like Louise Smith, the first female driver in NASCAR. Each driver on this wall is labeled so that younger Continued to page 14 www.showcasemagazine.com

| MARCH 2016 | SHOWCASE Magazine 13

for sale there and he teaches lessons by appointment. He enjoys painting landscapes and portraits the most. His favorite landscape painted is called “Old Liberty” and depicts a local service station in rural Henry County. Many of Hills’ portraits focus on family members as a way of remembering loved ones.

He noted that portraits often “show dimensions of life and glimpses behind the scenes.” He enjoys painting commissioned portraits for customers because “they capture something meaningful and important in life and something worth sharing with other people.”

generations of race fans can learn their stories.

Below the “Wall of Fame” is a scene called “Martinsville Hotdog.” Painted in 2012, this scene is based off the famous Norman Rockwell painting “The Runaway.” It features a fictional diner and showcases the vintage Martinsville Speedway Hot Dog sign to give nod to the most famous concession item in motorsports history.

Mills loves talking about NASCAR and often takes time to explain the stories depicted to his dealership customers. He noted that the murals have drawn quite a bit of attention to his dealership and he has even been visited by some drivers who come to see their likeness on the wall.

Hill is a participating artist along the Smith River Artisan Trail. His studio can be found at the open workspace called Studio 107 in Martinsville Uptown. His works are

When he is not in the studio working, Hill teaches math at George Washington High School in Danville. Math has been a constant element in his life as he has studied it recreationally for years. Hill pointed out that art and math are closely related and often his paintings reflect that. “Art can provide a connection between mystical air and concrete reality,” he added. Hill was influenced by his brother, a physicist, to take his interest in math to the next level by going back to school. In 2006, he began attending Averett University and graduated with a Masters in Math Education in 2014. Charles hopes that by sharing his love for math and art together with the public he can encourage them to not be intimidated by the subject of math. Through his works, art, math, history and motorsports all tie together into one fascinating story.

The “Dust to Glory” murals by Charles Hill can be seen at the Jim Mills Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM dealership at 4750 Greensboro Road in Ridgeway. The building is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is no cost for admission.

Hills’ studio space at Studio 107 is located at 105 East Church Street in Martinsville.

More than a dozen artists work out of the space and the public is invited to watch them create and shop for locally made works of art. Other artists include jewelers, fiber artists, glass artists and wood turners.

The studio is open Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Saturdays from10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information on the arts in Martinsville-Henry County, Virginia visit www.VisitMartinsville. com/explore.

14 SHOWCASE Magazine

| MARCH 2016 | www.showcasemagazine.com

www.showcasemagazine.com

| MARCH 2016 | SHOWCASE Magazine 15

16 SHOWCASE Magazine

| MARCH 2016 | www.showcasemagazine.com

Danville, as a city, has tried to improve its appeal towards young professionals in the last few years. Not only in attracting new people to our city, but to encourage those who moved away to come back. Lauren Mathena is one of those individuals. A Danville native, Mathena moved away to further her education with no plans to return home. She received her bachelor’s degree at the University of Virginia, and then a Master of Health Administration at Virginia Commonwealth University. The VCU MHA degree is similar to an MBA, but it is specific to healthcare. “For two years, I studied the business of health care and servant leadership on VCU’s Medical College of Virginia Campus,” Mathena says. “My time in the MHA program was nothing short of amazing, and it continues to shape me professionally and as a leader.”

Mathena’s decision to return to Danville was a practical one, but it wasn’t supposed to be a long-term stay. “Six years ago, I chose to come home to Danville to be close to family and because I had an opportunity to start my career here, but I didn’t have any intention of staying more than two or three years,” she says. “At the time, I had no idea about the revitalization efforts underway here. I have repeatedly chosen to stay because those efforts have continuously improved my quality of life.”

She cites the vast improvements that have occurred in the city’s River District over the last several years, such as the streetscape improvements, the addition of a hot yoga studio, and other amenities, as reasons why she has remained in Danville. Beyond that, there is something larger that inspires Mathena to stay.

“The abundant opportunities I’ve had to help

shape the future of this community are what make Danville so special. The best thing about living in Danville right now is that it is so full of opportunities.”

by Lee Vogler

Today, Mathena is a jack-of-all-trades involved in the community in numerous ways. She is responsible for organizational and business development with three different locally owned healthcare companies: All Care Home Health, Danville Orthopedic & Athletic Rehab, and the Center for Pediatric Therapies. She is also a part of Danville After Hours Rotary, the Danville Science Center Foundation, IdeaFest, and the Autism Awareness 5k.

photos by Von Wellington Photography

With everything on her plate, it would be easy to assume that Mathena doesn’t have time to look towards Danville’s future. But that’s exactly what she does. “I see Danville as a recreation destination, as a connecting point for regional startup communities, as a magnetic resource for surrounding rural communities, and as a place offering opportunities for high quality of life to all of its citizens,” she says. “That takes work.

Not just on the economic development front but in every area of community development, including healthcare, education, civic engagement, and infrastructure.” Mathena says that work is not the responsibility of a few elected officials in board rooms, but of every person in the community. “As individuals, we must actively and continuously dream of a brighter future and do whatever we can to make it reality.”

“The future of Danville is now,” Mathena says.

With dedicated citizens like Lauren Mathena in Danville, our future is certainly bright. www.showcasemagazine.com

| MARCH 2016 | SHOWCASE Magazine 17

18 SHOWCASE Magazine

| MARCH 2016 | www.showcasemagazine.com

Debra Dockery grew up around taxes and accounting. In the seventies, her aunt, Francis Black owned a tax and accounting firm. In the late eighties, Margaret Boggs purchased the firm from Black. The firm was called Computer Bookkeeping & Tax Service. “In 1994, I graduated from Danville Community College with an Associate’s Degree in Accounting,” Dockery says.

“With my resume in hand, I went to Mrs. Boggs to introduce myself and she offered me a job that day.” Dockery was floored

individuals. Dockery attributes the company’s longevity to exceptional customer service. She adds, “I know 99 percent of our business comes from word of mouth. I enjoy time spent with our clients. It doesn’t matter whether I see them once a week or once a year. I always ask about their families.”

and honored by the gesture. She started with bookkeeping and later moved on to taxes.

any and all tax questions. When Dockery looks to the future she hopes things stay as they are now. “I love what I do, and I love my clients. I want to always provide special attention to my clients year after year,” Dockery says.

In 1999, Boggs’ health began to decline.

Dockery ran the business while Boggs was in the hospital. She adds, “We had some very special clients that we both cared about, so for her, and them, I kept it together by putting in a lot of hours.”

Dockery’s loyalty and dedication didn’t go unnoticed. “In March 2000, Margaret passed away. Her brother, Robert Brown, saw my faithfulness to Margaret and offered me half of the corporation,” Dockery adds. “Once again, I was blown away by his kindness.”

by Paul Seiple photos by Michelle Dalton Photography

Computer Bookkeeping & Tax Service is at its busiest during tax season, but Dockery and staff are there year round to answer

Computer Bookkeeping is located at 2380 Riverside Drive, Danville and online at computerbookkeepingandtax.com.

Since Dockery became co-owner, Computer Bookkeeping & Tax Service has seen over four times the growth in business. “We went from an office of two to an office of eight. Margaret showed me the importance of being a caring professional. She truly cared about her clients and employees.” Dockery says she wants others to remember her as a compassionate, true-hearted Christian employer and business owner.

Computer Bookkeeping & Tax Service offers payroll, bookkeeping, and tax services to businesses, non-profits, and www.showcasemagazine.com

| MARCH 2016 | SHOWCASE Magazine 19

by Paul Seiple photos by Michelle Dalton Photography

Harry P. Sakellaris knows numbers. After receiving a Bachelor’s of Science in Commerce/Accounting from the UVA McIntire School of Commerce, Sakellaris practiced public accounting, but soon sought more challenges. “I became a CPA but tired of the monotony of audits and tax return preparation and decided to go to law school,” Sakellaris says. He graduated with a JD degree from Mercer University Law School and became a member of the Georgia Bar. Sakellaris continues, “To complete my formal education after law school I obtained the Master of Law and Taxation degree (the highest achievement in law) from William & Mary Law School and became a member of the Virginia Bar. Then it was either go to work or go to medical school. My parents encouraged me to go to work.”

Sakellaris has practiced law for 25 years at Clement Wheatley in Danville. “I was an understudy of Whittington W. Clement, and I jokingly like to tell everyone he taught me everything that ‘he knew’ about estate planning,” Sakellaris adds.

Education and experience build the foundation for a career in tax law. “A tax attorney needs a law degree, beyond that, an accounting background with tax experience is a definite advantage. Tax law is like a foreign language—to become proficient, exposure makes you fluent.”

Grasping tax law is an ongoing process. “It takes years of reading code, regulations, rulings, and cases to really understand tax law. It’s always challenging and a neverending struggle to stay current. That is the one thing I like the most about being a tax attorney, it’s never boring,” Sakellaris says.

There are various types that fall under the label of tax attorney. Some litigate and some research and prepare documents. Sakellaris adds, “I am the latter—the nerdy type. My practice areas include estate planning, estate administration, charitable organizations, and business tax issues such as mergers and reorganizations. Almost every area of law has some tax aspect, and it is often the driving force behind decisions and transactions.”

When not practicing law, Sakellaris has many ways of relaxing and recharging. He jokingly adds, “I like to take long walks on the beach.”

All kidding aside, travel is something important to Sakellaris. Experiencing life is another thing Sakellaris holds in high regard. He continues, “I love searching genealogy for family, friends, and clients. It’s like solving a jigsaw puzzle. It is satisfying to find pieces of a much larger picture and see how things relate to each other. I love a challenge and accomplishing something difficult is satisfying. That applies to work and play.”

Sakellaris adds that he is not a hunter but does enjoy target practice as a stress reliever.

He has other favorite stress relievers. “I read a lot and have a love for animals. I have two grown daughters who inherited my love for animals.” As for the future, Sakellaris is excited to welcome a granddaughter in the next few months.

For those looking to pursue a career as a tax attorney, Sakellaris offers some insight.

“Obtain all the formal education that is possible. Credentials are needed to get in the door. Beyond that, practical experience is essential. Academic skills are important, but common sense is a necessity for complex problem solving and thinking ‘outside of the box.’ Never cut corners or take the easy route, excel in all that you attempt, learn as much as you can about all subjects, and never stop learning. Knowledge is never wasted.”

20 SHOWCASE Magazine

| MARCH 2016 | www.showcasemagazine.com

www.showcasemagazine.com

| MARCH 2016 | SHOWCASE Magazine 21

Entertainment

by Brooks Taylor, Direction of Public Relations, Martinsville Speedway Photos provided by Martinsville Speedway

Jimmy Johnson edges Jeff Gordon

its inaugural season. It didn’t take long for Martinsville to be known nationally as the Universal Radio Network started broadcasting races from the track in 1952. “Hal Hamrick would sit on a Pepsi crate in turn two and call the races,” Campbell says.

There are 23 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racetracks and only one has been a part of NASCAR’s premiere series since day one: Martinsville Speedway. Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, just outside of Martinsville, Virginia, the track has made NASCAR history for nearly 70 years.

H. Clay Earles, a businessman from the area, started construction on the half-mile track in 1946. The track was completed and Red Byron won the first race in 1947. “When my grandfather built the track it had 750 seats, and he wasn’t sure if they would be full,” Martinsville Speedway Track President Clay Campbell, the grandson of Earles, says. “As it turns out there were more than 9,000 people here, sitting anywhere they could find that had a view of the track.”

In 1948, NASCAR formed in Daytona Beach

by Bill France and a year later it would run

22 SHOWCASE Magazine

| MARCH 2016 | www.showcasemagazine.com

Martinsville, along with seven other tracks, was a part of that original schedule. As time passed, one-by-one, the other tracks would fall off the schedule. Earles however had a plan to never be satisfied with the way things were. “My grandfather had a saying, ‘this place is always under construction’,” Campbell says. “He always wanted to make improvements.”

In 1955 the first major improvement came, in the form of pavement. Martinsville, like so many other tracks of its era, was originally a dirt surface. “People told him he was crazy,” Campbell adds. “They wanted to know why and he would tell them pavement was going to be the future of the sport.”

And he was right.

However, while the pavement changed the racing surface, the track’s layout and design remained the same. It was still a half-mile in length (the shortest track on the Sprint Cup Series schedule), with straightaways measuring 800 feet in length and 12 degrees of banking in the

notoriously tight turns. “People ask me about the layout or design of the track and I tell them there wasn’t much choice,” Campbell says. “We have train tracks on the backstretch, hills in the turns, and houses and roads behind the frontstretch.”

In 1960, a young driver made his mark in NASCAR, especially at Martinsville. The King, Richard Petty, picked up the first of 15 career wins at the track, including a 6-year stretch from 1967-73 where he won 10 of the 14 Martinsville races he entered.

On the same day that Petty picked up his first win, the speedway unveiled another first.

Martinsville became the first race track with a fully enclosed, air conditioned press box.

In 1964, Earles introduced something else that made Martinsville Speedway standout from the rest. Instead of the winner getting a trophy, he would get a grandfather clock, made just up the road from the speedway at Ridgeway Clocks. Fred Lorenzen won the first clock and in the 50-plus years since the 8-foot-tall trophy has become the most sought after trophy in NASCAR. “Earles was looking for something different,” Campbell says. “The grandfather clock was, and still is, unique to Martinsville. You can talk to veteran drivers or rookies, and they will tell you they already have a spot picked out for when they win the clock.”

The 1970s ushered in a new era, both for the track and on the track. In 1972, Hollywood came calling. The climactic scene of The Last American Hero, the biopic about NASCAR

pioneer Junior Johnson, was filmed at the track.

The movie starred Jeff Bridges and Gary Busey among others.

In 1978, NBC taped portions of the Cardinal 500 race weekend, featuring Modified and Late Model cars. The races aired on Sports World.

This was the first television broadcast of racing in Virginia.

By the 70s, Petty’s run was coming to an end and two more Hall of Fame drivers were staking their claim to Martinsville Speedway. Cale Yarborough won five races at Martinsville between 1974 and 1979. While Yarborough was already established as one of NASCAR’s greats, another driver, Darrell Waltrip, was getting his start.

Waltrip, who at the time was known as much for his brash and cocky attitude as much as his ability to drive a race car, claimed victory twice in the 70s but would win 9 more times in the 80s and 90s. His 11 wins rank second all-time in Sprint Cup Series victories at Martinsville, behind Petty’s 15.

“The 1970s was a great time for the track,” Campbell adds. “It was the first-time Martinsville Speedway would really start going into homes nationwide. The fact that the racing was great and NASCAR’s superstars seemed to always be at the front helped add to the attraction.”

When the 1980s rolled around NASCAR was becoming more popular than ever and a new face emerged onto the scene, both nationally and at Martinsville. Dale Earnhardt didn’t Continued to page 24

Martinsille Speedway, October 1952 www.showcasemagazine.com

| MARCH 2016 | SHOWCASE Magazine 23

H. Clay Earles in pace car

waste any time staking his claim to NASCAR or Martinsville greatness. “It didn’t take long for people to see how good he was,” Campbell says.

In 1979, Earnhardt made his first start at Martinsville, finishing eighth. The next year he won his first of 6 Martinsville races, in route to his first of 7 championships.

“In the 1980s we had some great battles between Dale and Darrell,” Campbell says. “You knew when the checkered flag dropped here there was a good chance one if not both of them fight for the win.”

In 1984, one driver who was already very familiar with Martinsville’s victory lane from his wins in the modified series, would pick up a win that would change the course of NASCAR’s future forever.

Geoff Bodine picked up the first ever win for AllStar Racing, a team owned by Rick Hendrick.

Prior to that race, the team had struggled and was on the brink of closing. Crew Chief Harry Hyde convinced Hendrick to run one more race.

Bodine would win and Hendrick would be on his way to becoming the winningest Sprint Cup team owner in Martinsville history.

“At the time it seemed like Bodine’s win was big because after winning so many modified races here, he finally broke through and picked

24 SHOWCASE SHOWCASE Magazine Magazine

| MARCH MARCH 2016 2016 | www.showcasemagazine.com www.showcasemagazine.com

up a Cup win,” Campbell says. “We had no idea it would be the springboard for Hendrick Motorsports.”

When the 1990s rolled around, it was Rusty Wallace who was making a name for himself.

Wallace picked up 7 Martinsville wins in his career, including a stretch where he won 5 times in 7 races. However, the benefits of the Bodine win a decade before would really show up in the latter-half of the decade.

Jeff Gordon took the NASCAR world by storm.

Vastly different from the legends that paved the way before him, Gordon was a young, talented kid from California with a bright car and bright future. In 1995, he won at Martinsville, driving for Hendrick. Gordon’s win was no flash in the pan. He won 8 more times at the Speedway, including his 93rd and final career win, in fall of 2015.

“What Jeff Gordon was able to do at Martinsville is as impressive,” Campbell says. “Yes, he had the 9 wins, but it goes much deeper than that.

He had 37 top-10 finishes in 44 career starts and completed 99.5 percent of the laps. Those are the numbers that really stick out to me when you talk about how good he was here.”

The 2000s brought a new group of challengers to the Martinsville throne for Gordon. Two of the

says. “Those two, like Petty, Waltrip, and Gordon, just really have this place figured out.

It seems like no matter what, they are always in contention for the win.” frontrunners were Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson and Joe Gibbs racing driver Denny Hamlin.

In 2004, the biggest change at Martinsville Speedway took place, as the International Speedway Corporation (ISC), which also owns 11 other tracks on the circuit including Daytona International Speedway, purchased the track, but kept Campbell as track president. “ISC could bring resources in that we could have only dreamed of,” Campbell adds. “We wanted to remain a first-class facility and they can help us do just that.”

While Gordon went out on top, it was Johnson and Hamlin who provided the most competition.

Johnson first won in 2004 and has won seven more times since, making him the active leader in Martinsville wins. Johnson has also added 6 championships to his name in the same time frame.

Hamlin, who is from Virginia, finished seventh in his first Martinsville start in 2005. Since then he has won 4 more times, including last spring’s STP 500.

“If it wasn’t for Hamlin and Johnson, Gordon might have a few more wins here,” Campbell

As Martinsville Speedway approaches its 70th birthday next year, Campbell expects the track to continue to be a place where fans know they will get a good race at a top notch facility. “I learned from my grandfather a long-time ago that you can have great racing, but if you get complacent with the race track, it won’t matter.

It’s because of the commitment he made 70 years ago and that I try to maintain today that we can be one of the most talked about and popular tracks in NASCAR. It’s because of our historic past that I can look to the future and know that the best is yet to come,” Campbell concludes.

Top Left: The cast of The Last American Hero Bottom Left: Jeff Gordon victory lap Right: Jimmy Johnson celebrating with the grandfather clock.

• NASCAR returns to Martinsville Speedway April 1-3 for the STP 500 race weekend.

• The weekend starts on Friday, April 1, with Virginia Lottery Pole Day and the Camping World Truck Series will return on April 2.

• The STP 500 Sprint Cup Series race is on April 3.

• The race will mark the first short-track on the schedule and is the first race back on the east coast after the “west-coast” swing.

• Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 877.RACE.TIX or online at www.martinsvillespeedway.com. www.showcasemagazine.com

| MARCH 2016 | SHOWCASE Magazine 25

With March being National Nutrition Month we reached out to registered dietitian Jennifer Dietz to answer some of the most common questions about nutrition.

DON’T EAT THAT. What’s a portion?

Help, I Can’t Lose Weight!

Your burning nutrition questions answered.

What’s the better routine— three big meals or several smaller meals a deal?

You first need to remember to be hungry for meals and snacks. I don’t believe in eating based on the clock. If someone is truly hungry six times a day, meaning they need three meals and three snacks, then that is fine. I find most adults are not hungry six times a day. Most people eat snacks out of boredom, craving, or stress instead of hunger. I encourage most clients to eat three meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and snacks if hungry. I also stress they wait to be hungry for meals except for a healthy breakfast which they need every day. I discourage a one

size fits all approach to meal planning. In addition, we need to stop eating when we are comfortably full. Many people are members of the “clean plate” club.

This behavior is especially troublesome at restaurants where portions are large. It’s very easy to overeat. We could often derive two or more meals out of one restaurant meal. Most restaurant meals are 1000 or more calories. Healthy eating behaviors are just as important as a healthy diet and daily exercise. People often gain weight back after being on fad diets because they didn’t address their eating behaviors.

What’s the best way to determine how many calories someone needs to consume per day?

As a dietitian, we are taught to use a couple of calculations. One of them is the Harris Benedict Equation (HBE). You calculate the person’s basal metabolic rate (BMR) based on the person’s height, weight, age, and gender, and then add an additional 10,20 or 30% or more based on daily activity level. This formula is challenging to use if the person is obese.

To lose weight, another formula is to use 20-25 calories per kilogram of current body weight or adjusted body weight (for obesity) for weight loss and 30 calories per kilogram for weight maintenance. Once again, with an obese or morbidly obese client, these numbers may come out too high.

Typically, I would look at the person’s daily activity schedule, exercise history (to establish muscle mass), age, height, gender, etc. to determine calories needed per day. It is always an estimate and often needs adjustment based on the client’s feedback. You can calculate your calories needed per day using many online calculators that use the BMR.

What are the best foods to eat to maintain proper nutrition?

A daily, healthy diet includes 6-7 ounces of lean protein sources, 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables, 6-11 servings of whole wheat products, 2-3 servings of low fat dairy products, and 4-5 servings of added healthy fats. Eat white meats more often 26 SHOWCASE Magazine

| MARCH 2016 | www.showcasemagazine.com

and red meat once a week is encouraged.

White meats are poultry and fish while red meats are pork and beef. Leaner meats have less saturated fat—the type of fat that clogs our arteries. A high saturated fat diet increases ones risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Avoid fatback, bacon grease, stick butter, and stick margarine.

Use canola oil, olive oil, avocado, and soft tub margarines instead. A 3 ounce serving size of meat is a deck of cards so two decks of cards a day is the most meat the typical person needs in a day. Remember, most foods contain some protein except fruit and added fats so just because you aren’t eating much animal protein doesn’t mean you aren’t eating any protein. Most people double the meat portion at a meal which adds too many calories to the meal.

The meat is typically the food on the plate that has the most calories. A serving of fruit is an apple or orange the size of a tennis ball. A cup of berries is a serving. A quarter of a cantaloupe is a serving. A slice of bread is a serving. A cup of whole wheat cereal is a serving. Most people don’t have trouble meeting the starch servings per day. Remember to count rice, pasta, and starchy vegetables (such as corn, potatoes, pinto beans) in the starch group.

The choosemyplate.gov site can offer more examples of serving sizes.

An easy way to think about it is to divide your plate into four equal sections. Plan for a lean meat, non-starchy vegetable, starch, and fruit at the meal. A low fat dairy serving could be a side item. The choosemyplate. gov site has many helpful recipes and meal planning ideas. This plate replaced the food guide pyramid as an eating guide for Americans. Drinking sugar-free beverages and water is encouraged as well.

What foods should be avoided?

Any that lack nutritional value and are high in calories. Junk foods such as chips, cookies, candy, pies, cakes should be occasional foods and not a daily part of one’s regular diet. These foods lack significant amounts of nutrients, fiber, and protein. Also, as mentioned above, highfat, unhealthy foods such as regular bacon, stick spreads, fatback, bacon grease, and deep-fried foods are not healthy for one’s weight or heart. Also, avoid sugary beverages such as regular soda, regular fruit juice, lemonade, Gatorade,

fruit punch etc. Drink water or sugar-free beverages instead. Your body processes sugary beverages as if you have eaten solid food. A 20 ounce regular soda contains around 250 calories. One of these daily can contribute to gaining a half a pound of body fat a week.

Which is better for weight loss— a low-fat diet or a low-carb diet?

Most studies looking at weight loss show that the person needs to choose the plan they can live with forever. Both low-fat and low-carb diets have produced equal results in weight loss for most people. Sticking with the plan is key. If you try a really weird diet to lose weight you probably won’t stick with it long. I prefer to encourage a low-fat diet because in the south, people fry a lot of foods. Reducing the fat content of the diet leads to weight loss. They can have fried foods occasionally but fried in healthy oil such canola or olive oil.

Jennifer Dietz is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator in private practice (Dietz Nutritional Consulting, LLC).

How can I improve my overall nutrition?

Look at your diet as a whole. Keep a food diary. Add up how many servings a day you eat of fruits, vegetables, whole wheat products, dairy, and meat servings. Determine if you are meeting the recommended daily servings for these foods. Are you consuming too many fried foods, sweets, and sugary drinks? Reducing the intake or eliminating these foods from you daily diet can improve your diet and help you lose weight if desired. Read labels for calories, saturated fat, fiber, and protein.

Most women need 1800-2000 calories per day for weight maintenance but 1200-1600 calories per day for weight loss. Most men need 2200-2500 calories per day for weight maintenance. For weight loss, most men should consume1600-2000 calories a day.

Age, daily activity, height, muscle mass, and gender have to be taken into account when determining daily calorie needs. Aim for 15 grams of saturated fat or less a day for women and 20 grams a day or less for men. Fiber needs are 25-30 grams per day.

Protein needs are based on calorie needs (15-20% of calories coming from protein sources).

For more nutrition and health-related questions, you can reach Jennifer Dietz at www.dietzdiets.com or 434.548.0476 (text available). www.showcasemagazine.com

| MARCH 2016 | SHOWCASE Magazine 27

ACROSS 1 Not cons 5 Sister for short 8 Clean up a spill 12 Very large book 13 Hides away 15 Wager 16 Like a wing 17 Punitive 18 Deer 19 Ablaze (2 wds.)

21 Element evoking pity 23 Creator of Sherlock Holmes 25 Pock 26 Cravat 29 Rested 31 “New Groove” Emperor 35 Doubting __ 37 Regret 39 Root vegetable 40 Turf

41 Most unhappy 44 Flying rodent 45 Vessel 47 Motor vehicle 48 Cracker topper 50 Resources 52 Transport 54 Race car 55 TV lawyer Matlock 57 Military rank 59 Flora’s cousin, plural 62 Rubbish 65 Chat 66 Flying singers 68 Loaf 70 Citrus fruit 71 Sea mammals 72 Lighted sign 73 Dressed 74 North American Indian 75 Fence opening

DOWN 1 School group 2 Rolled chocolate candy brand 3 Asian country 4 Vassal class 5 Braces oneself 6 Cation 7 Switch 8 Bathing location 9 Not out of 10 Parent teacher groups 11 Electroencephalograph (abbr.)

13 Energetic 14 Hit 20 Tiny amounts 22 Facial twitch 24 Hearing necessity 26 Afloat (2 wds.)

27 Movies

28 Secret messages 30 Day of the wk.

32 Small Mediterranean boat 33 End 34 Finned mammal 36 Pocket 38 Escudo

42 Dot 43 Ache 46 Scolded 49 Jewelry type 51 X 53 Horse tack 56 Takes 58 Jessica’s nickname

59 Bomb 60 __ matter 61 In __ of 63 Thought 64 Coin machine 65 What a nurse gives 67 Lab animal 69 East northeast

NAME

HOW TO ENTER Email paul@showcasemagazine.com with the theme of this Word Search (March 2016) for a chance to win a $25 Medo’s II gift certificate. Winner will be announced on Facebook (Showcase Magazine) on April 1, 2016.

WORTHDE SEARC H THEM E& $25 M gift ce edo’s II rtifica te

RATING: EASY

AVOCADO CALORIES CARBS

FRUITS

LEGUME

HEALTHY

MODERATION

HUNGER

NUTRIENTS

FIBER

28 SHOWCASE Magazine

OBESITY PROTEIN VEGETABLES WATER

| MARCH 2016 | www.showcasemagazine.com

ANSWERS ON PAGE 31

by Paulette Dean Executive Director Danville Humane Society

A few weeks ago, we received a stray poodle that was heavily matted.

He was obviously very uncomfortable, and so our groomer immediately started the process of clipping and shaving.

This little guy is the dog mentioned in the column. He is a friendly poodle, about three years old.

He needs a home where he can receive lots and lots of attention!

It took quite a while, and she found leaves, twigs, and lots of dirt in the middle of the mats.

When really got our attention, though, was the stem from a rose bush with the thorns still attached. It was completely entwined by the hair, and went from his bottom area, across his stomach, and was stuck underneath his arm pit. Every time he moved, the thorns would stick him.

The relief on his face when he was free of all the mats and thorns was evident.

We recognized that look because we see it hundreds of times throughout the year when dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, rabbits, ferrets, (the list goes on) are rescued from dangerous, scary, and painful circumstances. The hungry and thirsty ones ravenously eat and drink; they then usually settle down with a sigh. The little puppies and kittens curl up and go to sleep.

It is amazing enough when we see what happens when basic physical needs are met. However, when the animals receive kindness and attention from shelter workers, the relief turns to joy.

Tender, loving care really can work miracles. SM

DANVILLE HUMANE SOCIETY www.showcasemagazine.com

| MARCH 2016 | SHOWCASE Magazine 29

Fast Track - There will 150+ exhibitors on hand to provide visitors to the area and residents with firsthand information about their business and the services that they provide. 3/1 VIP Night, 3/2 Open to the public.

4-8pm. Old Sears Location, The Village of Martinsville. 276.632.6401.

Bullriding, Barrel Racing and Mutton Busting – 2 full days of Rodeo Entertainment!!! Great food, vendors, mechanical bull and more all in a heated indoor arena. Advance Tickets $10 / Gate $15 / Reserved $25. 7:30pm. Olde Dominion Agricultural Complex. 434.432.8026. olddominionagfound@gmail.com

Love, Loss, And What I Wore - Patrick Henry Community College Patriot Players presents Love, Loss and What I Wore, a play of monologues and ensemble pieces written about women, clothes and memory, covering all the important subjects—mothers, prom dresses, mothers, buying bras, mothers, hating purses and why we only wear black. 7pm. 276.632.3221. Piedmont Arts, Martinsville. $12.

Tank Museum Radio Control Tank Battles - Watch RC tankers from all over the country participate in completion battles on the Tank Museum’s 6,000 sq. ft indoor battle field using infrared laser battle systems. Battles go on all day. 10am-4pm. 3401 U.S. Highway 29.434.836.5323. $12 (Adults), $10 (Over 60), $10 (Under 12), Free (Under 4)

&

Virginia Opera’s Evening of Opera and Broadway - A night of Opera and Broadway music featuring singers from the Virginia Opera. In its 40th year of operation, Virginia Opera presents over 40 mainstage performances, reaching 60,000 attendees. In 1994, the company was named The Official Opera Company of the Commonwealth of Virginia. 3/11 -7:30pm, 3/12 - 11am. The Prizery, South Boston. 434.572.8339.

&

Quitting Tobacco Use – Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist Eletta Hansen presents this free program from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Ballou Recreation Center, 760 West Main Street, lower level. Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.

Hansen helps tobacco users quit by addressing underlying health conditions, environmental stress, genetics, and understandable education. Bring your lunch. Drinks and dessert are provided through a generous private donation.

Boxed lunches can be ordered in advance for $6.50.

For more information, contact the Cancer Research and Resource Center of Southern Virginia, 434.421.3060, or email cllitzenberg@vcu.edu.

30 SHOWCASE Magazine

| MARCH 2016 | www.showcasemagazine.com

River City Brass - Free-wheeling repertoire ranges from familiar folksongs, show tunes and original compositions by today’s leading composers. 7:30pm www.

DanvilleConcert.org. Frith Fine Arts Center, Averett University, Mt. View Ave. $25 adult; $10 student.

Malpass Brothers - It doesn’t matter if you’re already a fan of classic old-time “real” country music when you take your seat. You will be by the time you leave. 7:30pm. Kirby Theater, Roxboro. $20/$16/$10.

St. Patty’s on the Dan – Costume contest, 50/50 raffle, door prizes, food truck, cash bar with craft beers from 2 Witches and wine from Virginia wineries. 2 Witches Winery & Brewing Co. 209 Trade St. Hosted by Danville after Hours Rotary. Age 21+ Open to the public. 5:30-9pm.

Green Legs and Hamstrings Trail Run - Tackle the hills of Anglers Ridge on the number one trail system in Virginia. This year’s event will challenge you at every distance and includes plenty of fun and festivities during the after party.

8am. Anglers Ridge.434.799.5150.

Elegance and Romance: Rainer Trio and Friends - An entertaining evening of romantic music and songs, Bryan and Kevin Matheson are joined by Director of Opera Roanoke, tenor Scott Williamson, acclaimed soprano Amy Cofield Williamson, and Judith Clark on piano. 2:30pm. The Prizery, South Boston. 434.572.8339.

Thomas Jefferson Awards - The VMNH Foundation Thomas Jefferson Awards ceremony is a statewide event that honors individuals and corporations for outstanding contributions to natural science and natural science education. 6:30-8pm. Wayne Theater, Waynesboro. 276.634.4162. $20.

Continued from Page 28

www.showcasemagazine.com

| MARCH 2016 | SHOWCASE Magazine 31

Not So Common – Common Sense!

A Perspective on Public Schools – Should we continue to take students who are struggling in school, remove them and expect them to get better?

by Stan Jones, Superintendent of Danville Public Schools I have often wondered about the effectiveness of punishment, especially suspension, in improving student behavior. During my schooling in the 1970s, suspensions were rare and for the most part worked. If a student was suspended, his parents supported the principal’s decision, addressed the behavior with their child, and the student returned to school with improved behavior. Today that is not the case.

While suspensions may be effective in addressing issues of disruption in the short term, the impact of a school’s suspension rate (including short- and long-term suspension and expulsion) is consistently predictive of dropout rates for the whole school for all students. The effect of suspension rates on dropout rates is statistically significant even when you factor in variables of school demographics.

Nationally, over three million public school students received at least one out-of-school suspension and 130,000 were expelled during the 2011 - 2012 academic year (U.S. Department of Education, 2014).

When you begin to disaggregate suspension data using demographic and socioeconomic factors, the information is troubling. Nearly 1.2 million black students were suspended from K-12 public schools in a single academic year – 55 percent of those suspensions occurred in 13 southern states. Districts in the south also were responsible for 50 percent of black student expulsions from public schools in the United States.(https://www.gse.upenn.edu/equity/sites/gse.upenn.edu.equity/ files/publications/Smith_Harper_Report.pdf) In Virginia, suspension rates vary greatly especially in high schools. Collectively, it is clear that high rates of suspension and expulsion will directly affect graduation rates, drop rates, and overall academic performance.

While I am not opposed to punishment (it worked for me as a child), I am more interested in improving behavior. More importantly, I am a proponent of ensuring that all students graduate for the betterment of each student individually and our community collectively.

In Danville Public Schools, we have been successful this year in addressing issues of classroom and school disruption in schools by increasing enrollment in alternative education program, developing intensive interventions for students who have struggled with behavior, and engaging parents and other community partners in improving student behavior. Mentoring, counseling, and other supportive strategies are designed to improve not only the student but his or her parent(s) relationship with school staff as true partners. Our goal is to decrease the amount of time a child spends out of school by leveraging opportunities for students to engage in meaningful learning in an alternative setting.

We have accomplished this goal by creating the Office of School Safety, Community Engagement, and Student Discipline. This team has the responsibility of developing intervention plans for students who have struggled behaviorally, academically, and/or socially. As a result of their work in partnership with our principals and staff, we

have significantly decreased the number of disciplinary infractions in our elementary schools this year 56 percent. We have reduced the number of disciplinary infractions in our middle schools by 63 percent.

Suspensions at the elementary school have been reduced by 47 percent, by 66 percent at the middle schools, and by 50 percent at the high schools. It is anticipated that these changes will directly impact our overall academic performance because a child does not learn or improve when they don’t get help.

Think about it—If a child doesn’t know how to read, we teach. If a child doesn’t know how to swim, we teach. If a child doesn’t know how to multiply, we teach. If a child doesn’t know how to drive, we teach. If a child doesn’t know how to behave, we should teach but instead we often punish (Tom Horner (NASDA President) Counterpoint 1998, p.2). It is my hope that punishment works, but perhaps we should try teaching.

A STRONG EDUCATION BUILDS A STRONGER COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Wilkins & CO. supports education Danville Office • 428 Piney Forest Rd. • 434.797.4007 Chatham Office • 12413 US HWY 29 • 434.432.3009 Property Management • 434.797.4009 www.WilkinsAndCo.com

www.showcasemagazine.com

| MARCH 2016 | SHOWCASE Magazine 33

TIDBITS FROM THE MARCH 2016 ISSUE

According to a 2015 Camelot Group study, about 44 percent of people who win large lotteries are broke within five year.

Cale Yarborough led a total of 3,851 laps at Martinsville Speedway.

Martha Washington was the first wife of a president to appear on a postage stamp.

A University of Scranton, Journal of Clinical Psychology study only 8 percent of people who make resolutions sees them through.

Your Burning Nutrition Questions Answered See page 22

Darrell Waltrip had 8 poles at Martinsville Speedway.

CopiNg With StreSS

in an Anxiety-Driven World

Going Inside The Numbers

with a tax Attorney

See page 10

Through genealogical roots it was discovered that, through blood or marriage, Franklin Roosevelt was related to 11 other presidents.

Speaking of complex problems— D. Andrew Beal is offering a prize of one million dollars to anyone who can solve The Beal Conjecture.

Goldbach’s Conjecture remains one of the oldest and bestknown unsolved math problems.

34 SHOWCASE Magazine

See page 20

Richard Petty had 30 Top 5 finishes.

The Clean Your Plate Club, initially created to ensure food didn’t go to waste, now presents health complications as portion sizes have increased throughout the years. A CDC study shows that restaurant portion sizes have quadrupled since the 1950s.

DON’T EAT THAT. WHAT’S A PORTION? HELP, I CAN’T LOSE WEIGHT!

| MARCH 2016 | www.showcasemagazine.com

Eat the doughnut?

Depending on the type, it could take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour of moderate to heavy exercise to burn the calories consumed.

Drinking one 160-calorie soda a day adds nearly 5,000 empty calories to your monthly intake.

Bring it, Summer.

It’ll be HOT, HOT, HOT! It’s that time of year. Time to think about getting ready for strappy sundresses, cute shorts, tank tops and those oh-so-adorable bikinis. You’ve been dieting and exercising, but sometimes those things can only take your body so far. Why not consider a little help along the way?

At the Centra Medical Group Plastic Surgery Center, you can take advantage of the latest cosmetic procedures. From Botox® and tummy tucks, to lifts and breast augmentation, we’ve got you covered. Our team of board-certified plastic surgeons has more than 50 years of experience in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery.

Every woman has a unique self-image and sense of beauty. During your confidential consultation, your surgeon will discuss options to help achieve your personal goals.

CentraMedicalGroup.com/PlasticSurgery | 173 Executive Drive | Danville

Call today and schedule your confidential consultation, 434.797.1383