Showcase Magazine March 2022

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CONTENTS

Showcase Magazine

MARCH 2022

Showcase Magazine

@showcaseDVA

showcasemagazineva @ info@showcasemagazine.com

FEATURES Write Every Day

An Invitation

8

14

Confessions of a 30 Something Taking Care of Your Gut 13

Write Every Day PG.

8

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ALSO INSIDE Editor’s Letter

The Back Story 6 MARCH 2022

Paws for a Cause

Games

Trixie

Crossword & Wordsearch

11

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PG.

13

INTRODUCING THE BEE HOTEL With its buzzworthy backstory and unique urban style, The Bee made a headline-making hotel debut in Danville’s bustling River District.

420 Patton Street Danville, Virginia 24541

T: 434-234-9440 Email: gm@danvillebeehotel.com

www.danvillebeehotel.com

The 47-room newcomer is located in what was once home to the city’s iconic broadsheet, The Danville Register & Bee, now freshly reimagined as a warm and welcoming home base for business travelers and Virginia vacationers offering the largest rooms for the value in addition to apartment suites ideal for extended stay.

Located in the heart of Southern Virginia on the banks of the Dan River, Danville blends small-town charm with rich history and outdoor activities for the adventure-seekers. A one-time textile and tobacco epicenter, it offers easy access to the Virginia International Raceway and the future Caesars Virginia casino.

Where Contemporary and Historic Meet in The River District

SUITES One and Two Bedroom Suites Ideal for extended stays, nearly half of the hotel’s guest rooms are light filled loft-style retreats featuring full kitchens, lightening fast wi-fi and smart TVs.

FEATURES & AMENITIES:

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS • Danville’s River Walk Trail

• Free high-speed WiFi

• Averett University

• 43 or 55-inch HDTV with cable

• Danville Museum of Fine Arts

streaming services

& History

• Work desk with ergonomic chair

• Virginia International Raceway

• Mini-fridge and Microwave

• Angeler’s Ridge Mountain Bike Trail

• Keurig coffee maker

• Danville Braves

• Premium bath amenities

• Danville Science Center

• Hair dryer

• Dan Daniel Memorial Park

• Iron and ironing board

• Tank Museum

• Pet-friendly

• Wreck of the Old 97

• Smoke-free

• Local Craft Brewing Companies

• Fitness Center • Rooftop Veranda (seasonal) • Free Parking

Staycation With Us!

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EDITOR’S LETTER

The Back Story Barry Kolplen says to “write every day” in this month’s cover feature. Along with “read every day,” it’s the most important advice for aspiring, as well as experienced writers. Stephen King reiterated this when he said, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”

We like to pick the minds of local artists for inspiration and hope their stories will inspire others to unleash their creative flow. If you’ve been reading Showcase for a while, you’ll recognize that creativity is a reoccurring theme in many issues. We’ve had entire issues dedicated to it, like the Meet the Creatives issue and past columns like “The Creative Impulse.”

Writing is an important way for me to express my creativity. I’m not exactly sure when I first put words to paper, but I remember scribbling the lyrics to a song on a napkin in grandmother’s kitchen when I was young. “Corvette Summer” was going to make me a rock star.

I never recorded it. I was around ten and living vicariously through Dynasty by KISS. My next memorable writing was a short story I wrote about an FBI profiler. It’s on a floppy disk in a shoebox somewhere. I wrote my first novel about twelve years ago. I published it and a few years later, unpublished it. A few weekends ago, I revisited it with new ideas. Maybe one day, it will live again.

I’ve released fifteen novels since I typed “The End” in that book. With each one, I feel as though my writing has become stronger. And there’s a key to that.

Write every day.

That advice applies to any form of creativity you’re exploring.

showcase MARCH 2022

CEO Andrew Scott Brooks scott@showcasemagazine.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Paul Seiple | paul@showcasemagazine.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kim Demont | demontdesign@verizon.net FINANCE MANAGER Cindy Astin | cindy@showcasemagazine.com ADVERTISING Lee Vogler | Director of Sales and Marketing lee@showcasemagazine.com | 434.548.5335 CUSTOMER SERVICE Subscribe to Home Delivery for $24 per year 753 Main Street #3, Danville, VA 24541 Phone 434.709.7349 info@showcasemagazine.com www.showcasemagazine.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Paulette Dean | Sam Jackson Brandie Kendrick | Lee Vogler CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Brandie Kendrick | Lee Vogler

Practice it every day.

Enjoy the issue.

COVER Barry Koplen, co-author of Seldome Paired.

Photo by Lee Vogler

Scan with your smart phone for

EXCLUSIVE ONLINE CONTENT at showcasemagazine.com

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FEATURE WRITE EVERY DAY

Write Every Day

BY SAM JACKSON PHOTO BY LEE VOGLER

“W

rite every day.”

Those were the words of wisdom given to Barry Koplen when he was an aspiring writer—before he ran a business, taught creative writing, practiced photography, or wore many other hats he’s tried on over his years in Danville.

But now that he’s “retired,” Koplen does exactly that. He writes every day. So much so, in fact, that he has written book after book, and in a variety of genres and on a variety of topics.

“I don’t think there could have been a better way for me to retire,” Koplen said. “I’m kind of busier than ever… now that I’m doing the writing in a semi-professional form.”

Koplen’s family name has been synonymous with Danville for decades. For over a century, Abe Koplen Clothing served the community at the family’s store on Union Street, the same building where Barry writes his stories each day.

Barry grew up in his family’s store while his father, Albert, ran the business. Later, Barry’s daughters, Mary and Cara, grew up the same way.

Today, Mary is a hospice rabbi in New York, and Cara lives in Israel. Both hold tightly to the lessons passed down through generations of the Koplen family.

“What I found is, if you hold on to the desire, eventually something will click,” he said.

Koplen has written dozens of books in the 10 years since he sold the family business, in an astonishing variety of genres, from tales documenting an alien encounter (Why Won’t They Believe Me? Close Encounter) to fantastic tales (My Dad: A Man From Outer Space) to mysteries (Kissology, Escape) to collections of poems (Briefly, Sarah Smiled) to heavily researched historic documents such as Why the Last Capitol of the Confederacy Became a Capitol Attraction and 510 Spring Street.

Koplen has chronicled the revitalization of Danville heavily, partly because of his desire to tell a story, and partly because of his connection to the downtown business community.

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“The books that I’ve written about the revitalization of downtown Danville have been a joy for me to write,” he said. “It was not a leap.”

“This is crossing disciplines, which makes it much more interesting, and opens up so many more opportunities to different things,” she said.

His latest collection is a bit of a step out, however.

Seldom Paired is another collection of monologues and poetry, which he’s done before, but this time, Koplen has teamed with an artist, Dotti Stone of Bedford, to put their works together into a blending of art and word to create a unique collage that is seldom seen.

With the Seldom Paired series finished, Koplen said he has no plans to slow down soon. Next, he plans to work on a collection of poems he wrote based on his experiences before, during and after having undergone open heart surgery a few years ago. It was a time in his life where he said he would literally have been days from death had he not had the surgery. “That level of turmoil inspires a great deal of emotion to come out in one’s writing,” he said.

“When you look in the book, you’ll see that many of the pages have her mosaics and (my) poetry,” Koplen said. “It’s been a wonderful experience because she’s so talented and just a brilliant mind. It’s been a delight to cooperate with someone like that.”

Koplen, an avid photographer, contributed photos and other ideas, and Stone would often create a mosaic based on those images or Koplen’s words, or vice versa.

“She had a lot of my poetry and pictures,” Koplen said, and Stone often would ask Koplen to write a poem based on a work of his. “Mostly, it was me relating my poetry to her images,” he added.

“It was such a remarkable experience,” Koplen said of the ordeal. “Emotionally, a lot of times, it’s really daunting.”

Experiences like that continue to inspire a man who has seen virtually everything in Danville through the years.

From his experience as a young Jewish boy to his time as a student, teacher, business owner, father, and leader, Barry Koplen continues to live out one of the best pieces of advice he was given so many years ago.

“Write every day.”

“We worked nonstop for hours and hours each day for four months or so,” Koplen said. “What we produced was enough for two books.”

In fact, a sequel to Seldom Paired is already in the works. The two also are going to collaborate on an exhibit at the Bower Center for the Arts in Bedford, where Stone is the Exhibits Manager.

“We’ve been using her catalog,” Koplen said. “It’s been interesting.”

Stone, who has never taken part in a project like this, said she didn’t expect the collaboration to take off like it has. Especially since the process for Seldom Paired mainly involved her working from Bedford while Koplen was in Danville, and the two communicating primarily via email.

“We were rarely physically in the same place together,” Stone said. “I thought It was an interesting idea, (but) I had no idea it was going to go where it went.”

Like Koplen, Stone said she was intrigued by the idea of working directly with an artist from another discipline. And like Koplen, she’s been grateful for the experience and the inspiration that comes from their collaboration.

2022

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PAWS FOR A CAUSE

Paws for a Cause We have a problem with our foster home program and it is a wonderful problem to have! Most of our foster homes become the new forever home for the animals. We would, however, like to expand our foster program.

WRITTEN BY PAULETTE DEAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DANVILLE HUMANE SOCIETY

Our biggest need involves litters of kittens and puppies who come to us without their mother need to be in a home where they can be bottle-fed, taught basic puppy/kitten skills, and then brought back to us for adoption when they can eat solid food.

In late summer of 2005, Annette Nolen-Ferguson found a litter of orphaned, unweaned kittens in this area. She took them into her home and lovingly bottle fed them and provided them 24 hours a day care.

When they were about seven weeks old, she found all of them homes.

Annette and her family had no way of knowing that shortly after that, on October 25, 2005, Annette would pass away suddenly, leaving a griefstricken family.

Her parents, George and Judy Nolen, decided that they wanted their daughter’s life to be remembered and memorialized, and they did that by establishing the Annette Nolen Ferguson Foster Fund with the Danville Area Humane Society.

As many orphaned, unweaned kittens and puppies come into our

using our regular adoption process.

That is a winning situation for the animals, the foster homes, and us!

This fund allows us to provide the food and to pay for the veterinary treatment.

MEET TRIXIE Trixie is about eight-months old. She came to us when her previous owners couldn’t take care of her anymore.

open-admission shelter every year (sometimes in the hundreds), the need is great for people to be willing to provide the care in their homes. As a natural consequence of this, they become adoption ambassadors for their foster animals and help find homes with friends and family members,

The process of being approved to be a foster home is the same for being approved for an adoption. It is not a long process, and it helps us ensure the future safety and well-being of shelter animals. Just stop by the shelter during our regular business hours (125:30 Monday-Friday and 12-3:30 on Saturday) and fill out a questionnaire to begin the process.

We are grateful to George and Judy Nolen for their generosity.

DANVILLE HUMANE SOCIETY

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EXTRA GAMES

Games

Crossword Puzzle ACROSS 1 Cry 4 College (abbr.)

8 Alliance 12 Time period 13 French Sudan 14 Weapon 16 Intellectual 18 Place of business 20 Sounds 21 Direction 23 Mommy 24 South southeast 25 Arbiter 26 List of meals 27 Computer memory unit 29 Middle East country near Turkey 32 Toilet 33 Soap Opera 34 Journals 38 Former Soviet state 40 Warm up lap (2 wds.)

41 Cue 42 Factor of ten 43 Central Intelligence Agency 44 Morning moisture

46 Dirt dweller 47 Conduit 50 Yang’s partner 51 Morse code dash 52 Tree 53 Capital of the Ukraine 55 Positive electrode 58 Data’s __ net 60 Qualifies to something 63 Auger 64 Pull in a fish 65 Elf 66 Opp. of yeses 67 Abide 68 Not pro DOWN 1 Clique 2 Dunking cookies 3 To go out and perform 4 Wander 5 Automobile 6 Wing 7 Plight 8 Sisters sibs.

9 Swipe

10 Spoiled 11 Climate 15 Economics abrv.

17 Soothe 19 Flightless bird 22 Monkey 25 Exhort 26 Horse hair 27 Obscure 28 Join 29 Root beer brand (3 wds.)

30 Association 31 S.A. Indian 33 Cosine’s partner 35 Boozer 36 Den 37 Canned meat brand 39 Nearly horizontal entrance 40 Gofer 42 Golfers 45 Imbue 46 Miss 47 Newsman Rather 48 Old 49 Roil 51 Every 24 hours 53 Cabbage cousin

54 Evils 56 Display

57 Sports channel 59 Rio de Janeiro

61 Gain 62 British drink

Word Search

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AWAKE

CONSCIOUSNESS

BRAIN CLOCK

DREAM

PILLOW

CRANKY

ENERGY

RELAXATION

CYCLE

INSOMNIA

YAWN

DEPRIVATION

MELATONIN

Answers on Page 15

CONFESSIONS OF A 30 SOMETHING

Confessions of a 30 Something Taking Care of Your Gut

BY LEE VOGLER PHOTO BY LEE VOGLER

Did you know March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month? It’s not an awareness month that we hear as much about, but it’s just as important as any other. The colon, aka large intestine, plays a vital role in processing the food you eat. It’s the last part of the human digestive system and functions to process and remove waste from our body. A healthy colon is a key to good health.

on soft drinks almost entirely, drinking more water and eating healthier foods.

My mainstay for the last couple of months is eating lunch at Chipotle at least three times a week, sometimes more. I get the burrito bowl, usually with chicken or the plant-based chorizo, with no rice. Then I add black beans, corn salsa, medium green salsa, cheese, and guacamole. Most nights for dinner, I will eat grilled salmon, tilapia, or tuna steaks with steamed vegetables as a side.

One key to a healthy colon is a healthy diet. Foods such as yogurt, salmon, fruits, vegetables and olive oil are all shown to help improve the vitality of your colon.

On a personal note, longtime readers of this column know that I have been trying to improve my health over the last couple of years, with decent results.

Admittedly, I slip on my commitment to a healthier diet from time to time, mainly around vacations or the holidays. But for the last couple of months, I’ve done really well with cutting back

Combining this with walking more and sleeping longer has led me to feeling better than I have in quite a while. As I have mentioned here before, I am not where I want to be yet. Truthfully, I never will be. Even if I reach a “goal” of mine, I’ll still strive to improve in some aspect. It’s just who I am.

What are some favorite healthy foods that you like to eat? Drop me a line at lee@showcasemagazine.com and let me know.

Offering a positive housing solution: affordable, new single-family dwellings which can reduce a family’s monthly housing payment by 50%. Habitat Village North (HVN) will create hope and break the curse of generational poverty for thirty families by offering them a decent, affordable place to live. This neighborhood will have up to 30 homes and will include a community space. Each new partner family will invest in their community by building their own home and the homes of other partners. Helping to build a community of cooperation, belonging and togetherness. Phase One of HVN will begin in spring 2022.

2805 Riverside Drive, Danville (434) 793-3630

www.danvillehabitat.org

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FEATURE AN INVITATION

An Invitation

BY BRANDIE KENDRICK PHOTO BY BRANDIE KENDRICK

M

y busy day begins at 5:30 AM. I rush towards the shower and the coffeemaker. My only goal is to get ready for work fast and quietly.

Why? Well, because I have two crazy and adventurous daughters who wake up wide-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to tackle the day with each another. My only goal is to get them out of the house fast and sufficient. The longer we linger, the more likely a meltdown and chaos will ensue. My youngest quickly runs into the kitchen while I’m in a robe with hair soaking wet. She smiles and reaches for a cuddle while I pour a large cup of coffee.

My schedule is packed and now time is ticking to get these kiddos out the door and to school on time, barring any major bathroom breakdowns or missing sock situations. I quickly hug my five-year-old and rush her to the table for breakfast. I shove off the opportunity to squeeze her tightly. I miss out on the chance to wipe her sleepy eyes and pinch her chubby cheeks and breathe in her smell.

Her hug was an invitation. An invitation to soak up the moment. An invitation to rest and to be present with her.

After a busy non-stop day at the office. My real job begins when I punch out of work at 5 PM. I race home with my to-do list on my mind. I text my husband the Pinterest recipe and ask what homework has been accomplished. In my five-minute commute from work to home, I manage to call in a prescription refill and add a few groceries to the shared list. I enter the door, gears turning and guns blazing. We have approximately

three hours before bedtime and so very much to do.

Dinner, dishes, long division, and baths are just the tip of the iceberg on the perpetual to-do list. Before I can sit down my work bag and take off my coat, my nineyear-old is screaming, “Mom, look at my amazing fort.

Mom, come see it on the inside. Hurry!” I take a quick look in and I half-heartily offer my pleasure with a lame, “Good job, babe” as I rush to the kitchen to prep for that Pinterest-worthy meal I am about to overcook. I pass up the opportunity to praise my daughter’s creativity and celebrate her small victory.

Her pillow fort was an invitation. An invitation to soak up the moment. An opportunity to see the world through the lens of a child. An invitation to rest and celebrate with her creativity.

The kids have settled in for their evening screen time as it is nearing 9 PM. The kids are clean, teeth brushed, and lunches are packed. My kitchen is clean, and the dogs have been out. I quickly sit down at the kitchen table with my phone and computer to research next week’s meal plan. Or maybe I just want to stroll through Instagram to numb my mind. I am quickly brought back to reality when I hear my daughters in unison, “Hey Mom, come cuddle on the couch.” My response falls out of my mouth before I can take a breath. “Sorry babes, I need to check my emails.” A collective sigh and wine resonate from the living room when I hear, “Hey Mom, just for five minutes. Please?”

The couch cuddles are an invitation. An invitation to soak up the moment. To feel their wiggly toes and smell their freshly washed hair. An invitation to rest and be near my children.

How many “Not right nows” or “Maybe laters” have I used to give up time with my children? The work day will always drag me away from my babies that are no longer babies. The ways of this world will always pull me away from the connection. The daily distractions will always attempt to steal these tiny moments of peace, of presence. My unwritten agenda and the busyness of life will always attempt to take away my invitation. My invitation to be, to exist, to breathe only in that moment.

Every “mommy look” is an invitation. Will you kindly accept or decline?

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