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f.y.i. Suffolk
THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2014
Your ci ty, you r inform ation
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Page 2 – Thursday, July 31, 2014, Suffolk News-Herald, F.Y.I.
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FYI, here's what's special
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hat is it that makes a community special? Is it a collection of statistics describing everything from schools to industrial development and investment? Is a community unique because of the people and government structures that operate from City Hall and various other municipal buildings? If those are the things that make Suffolk spe- Res cial, you’ll find them Spears in this annual edition of Editor Suffolk F.Y.I. Indeed, Suffolk can hardly be described to newcomers or visitors without giving them an idea of the kinds of industries that call the city home or of the structure of the government that runs the city. No newcomer to the city could fully connect to Suffolk without a listing of the important phone numbers and contacts at City Hall. But there’s more to a city than a bunch of statistics and phone numbers. For instance, there are the businesses that have been a part of Suffolk for generations. R.W. Baker & Co. Funeral Home, for instance, is 129 years old this year, and the company is now in its fifth generation of family operation, with the young children of vice president Blake Baker already having told Dad that they’d like one day to continue the family business. Because of their contributions to the uniqueness of Suffolk, you can read about the Bakers and the Suffolk News-Herald, celebrating its 141st
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. . . Table
F.Y.I., Suffolk News-Herald, Thursday, July 31, 2014 – Page 3
of Contents
Volunteers in Service...................4-10 Need to Know...........................11-18 Historic Businesses.........................19 Peanut Festival..........................20-21
ON THE COVER
Tracy Agnew/Suffolk News-Herald From left, Alex and Gabriel Christian and Grace and Brandon Sutton splash in the National Night Out “duck pluck” pool at Constant’s Wharf.
year this year, in this edition. But we’ve devoted the most space this year to volunteers, because they represent the best of what makes Suffolk different. We randomly chose some of the city’s main community service organizations and had their leaders give us the name of a single volunteer whose story could help us illustrate the services each organization provides to the community. The result was a great opportunity to learn about some fine, generous and caring people who spend much of their free time and energy improving the city. And if you want to know what makes Suffolk special, there is hardly a better sampling than you’ll see in these pages. R.E. Spears III is the editor of the Suffolk News-Herald. Call him at 934-9616.
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Page 4 – Thursday, July 31, 2014, Suffolk News-Herald, F.Y.I.
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. . . Volunteers
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Jones educates pet lovers BY TITUS MOHLER STAFF WRITER
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A lifelong love of dogs and passion as an educator have made Rhonda Jones a gift to the Suffolk Humane Society where she volunteers. Jones grew up in a home with a mother and father who were animal lovers, particularly fond of German shepherds. Their influence took hold of her and her siblings as they all got married, had children and got dogs of their own. “Dogs are just a huge part of who we are as a family,” Jones said. Her sister-in-law, Fran Duman, knew this well. Consequently, several years back, when Jones was still working as an administrator with Suffolk Public Schools, Duman was trying to convince her to volunteer for the Suffolk Humane Society. “She kind of got me started about five years ago, I guess,” Jones said. Jones now does volunteer work for Suffolk Humane on a weekly basis, having been asked to step up and become the organization’s director of events about a year and a half ago. Education remains a big part of her life, even though she retired as an administrator about three years ago. “I’m a speech pathologist now at Infinity Rehab,” she said. “I’ve been working with Isle of Wight schools for a while.” But the ability to educate is a crucial part of her job with Suffolk Humane, as well.
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY RHONDA JONES
Puppy love: Rhonda Jones’ love for her dogs, like the one under her left arm, continues to help motivate her volunteer efforts for the Suffolk Humane Society.
The society’s mission is to promote the humananimal bond and reduce pet overpopulation through advocacy for companion animals, humane education, adoption and foster programs and affordable and accessible spay/neuter programs. Additionally, because Suffolk Humane has existed for only seven years, its events are designed not only to raise funds, but also to educate the community on what the organization is and what it does. “Rhonda does a great job of picking the places that we can have the most impact,” said Pat Scott, Suffolk Humane’s director of volunteers. The organization has three primary fundraising events spread throughout the year, and “I do most of the planning,” Jones said, creating long weeks during the school year. That planning includes assembling a committee, deciding what the event will include, and then making arrangements with vendors, emcees, entertainers, caterers, etc. The primary fundraising events include the Mutt Strut in May, the Passion for Paws Picnic and Wine Tasting in September and, this year, the inaugural Paws for the Arts Gala in February, which Jones added to great success. She also helps coordinate Suffolk Humane’s involvement in other events like Driver Days, the Turkey Trot and adopt-a-thons with PetSmart and the Suffolk Animal Care Center. Aside from Jones’ organizational skills, Scott values her consistently positive attitude. “Even when you’re tired, it has been a long event, she just brings you up,” Scott said. “She gets you excited again about what we’re doing.” Jones said she is motivated to volunteer out of love for her dogs and a desire to ensure other animal lovers in the community learn responsible pet ownership. “That’s what Suffolk Humane should be, just that education piece,” she said.
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. . . Volunteers
in Service
F.Y.I., Suffolk News-Herald, Thursday, July 31, 2014 – Page 5
Have meals, will travel MATTHEW A. WARD/SUFFOLK NEWS-HERALD Special delivery: Outside Sentara Obici
Hospital, Meals on Wheels volunteers Carmen and Michael Halley load up their trunk with meals prepared in the hospital kitchen, before setting out around North Suffolk on their weekly delivery mission.
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BY MATTHEW A. WARD STAFF WRITER
A little after 11 a.m. one recent Friday, they start rolling into a parking lot at the back of Sentara Obici Hospital. Inside, along a corridor next the kitchen, they chitchat a little while before totting the big red cooler bags to their cars and setting out. Operating mostly in pairs — so one can navigate — these are the 300-odd Suffolk Meals on Wheels volunteers, upon which almost 150 clients in Suffolk and Isle of Wight County rely. One pair of them are Michael and Carmen Halley, to be found motoring around North Suffolk in a Buick, cooler bags in the trunk, every Friday. “I started in 1997 when our church got
involved in it,” said Michael Halley, pastor at that church — Suffolk Christian. Then, he was new to the area. “My first outing was with one of the men in the church, named Haywood Briggs. He went with me, because I didn’t know my way around the northern part of the city.” This particular day, the Halleys had 10 clients on their list. Each was to receive two meals, one hot and one cold, and two beverages — plus a copy of the Suffolk News-Herald. “If they are on a walker, we call them on the cellphone to give them time to get to the door,” Carmen Halley said. Also, she said, many clients live alone, and an advance phone call — especially for the women — helps set their mind at ease for that knock on the door. “The only problem is,” Michael Halley said, “you are on a schedule. You would like to go in, sit down and chitchat; but you can’t.” Meals on Wheels is a “great comfort” for clients’ families, he said. “Every day, someone is going to knock on their door, and if they saw anything wrong, they would call back into the office.” Carmen Halley added that any
doctor appointment or lunch date, for instance, is flagged with the volunteers, so if there’s no answer at a client’s home, the family can be notified. The clients don’t all fit the Meals on Wheels stereotype of an elderly person still hanging on in their own home. While the oldest client is 102, the youngest is 39, said Roseland Worrell, the executive director of Suffolk Meals on Wheels. “That’s one of the most heartthrobbing moments, when you deliver to someone and you went to school with them,” Worrell said. And not all volunteers are at the mature end of the age spectrum, either. A good few are Suffolk Public Schools students clocking up hours for their community service graduation requirement, Worrell said. “Everybody needs to give back to their community,” Michael Halley said. “This is not a faithbased organization per se, but all of us, I think, have some sort of faith.” Making their Friday deliveries, Michael and Carmen Halley enjoy the scenery, watch the seasons change, and know they are making a difference in the lives of the less fortunate.
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. . . Volunteers
Page 6 – Thursday, July 31, 2014, Suffolk News-Herald, F.Y.I.
in Service
Bringing up a new generation of artists BY HENRY LUZZATTO CORRESPONDENT
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For some, volunteering is a way to give back to the community. To others, it is valuable experience for a growing career. Taylor Berard, who volunteers with the Suffolk Art League for its summer art days at the Suffolk Art Gallery, sees her work as both. Berard, a rising senior at NansemondSuffolk Academy, has been a dedicated volunteer for the Suffolk Art League since June of this year. As an assistant for the Art League’s summer art days, Berard has been working to help children to grow in their artistic abilities. As an assistant, her duties include supervising the young students, organizing materials, and helping the children create their artwork through instruction and demonstration. An accomplished artist in her own right, Berard has taken three previous years of art classes at NansemondSuffolk Academy. Currently, she is enrolled in Advanced Placement art and photography classes at school, with the hopes of studying art in college. Her volunteer time with the Art League stems from two different desires. “It’s a combination of art and helping people,” Berard said. This interest in using her artistic skill to help others extends beyond this vol-
unteer project. After school, Berard hopes to have a career in geriatric art therapy, a field that uses art as a form of mental therapy to help elderly people suffering from senility or dementia. Working with children does not just help their artistic ability and increase their
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interest in the visual arts. “It motivates me to do more art on my own,” she said. The Suffolk Art League’s summer art days provide children with a chance to learn different types of artistic skills, often using non-traditional media or techniques, but with a basis in the fundamentals of art. This combination of basic ideas and
more modern techniques engages the children more, and Berard says, it makes the process more enjoyable for both the teachers and the students. Her favorite aspect of being a volunteer with the art league is “helping kids enjoy art,” she said. She hopes her efforts will help create a new generation of artists who find their calling.
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. . . Volunteers
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F.Y.I., Suffolk News-Herald, Thursday, July 31, 2014 – Page 7
In service for women’s health BY TITUS MOHLER STAFF WRITER
For Dr. Sharon Sheffield, volunteer work is a way to give back to the community and to continue services that she had been providing at her practice for years. For the Western Tidewater Free Clinic, her volunteer work has allowed it to start a Women’s Health Program. Sheffield is an obstetrician/gynecologist who has practiced at OB-GYN Physicians, Inc. in Franklin since 1997. Around 2000, she became involved there in the Every Woman’s Life program, a public health program that helps uninsured, low-income women gain access to free breast and cervical cancer screening services. “We were doing this in addition to our practice,” Sheffield said. “We were pretty much swamped with patients, and we didn’t have the staffing.” She recognized that ideally, the EWL program would be at a place like Western Tidewater Free Clinic. The mission of WTFC is to provide high-quality, non-emergency health care to the residents of Western Tidewater who cannot otherwise afford it. “We pretty much sought them out,” Sheffield said. “They were doing won-
derful things, and we decided that we would transfer our program to them.” Pamela Witt, director of clinical services at WTFC, said, “When she gave up her grant, it was kind of a tradeoff so that we could then apply for it, and she agreed to be our physician that would help us as we transitioned to being an Every Woman’s Life provider.” She said Sheffield’s willingness in this regard was important, because “when you apply for that grant, you have to demonstrate that you have the ability to provide the appropriate follow-up that these women are going to need.” More broadly, WTFC needed to demonstrate this in order to get its Women’s Health Program off the ground. “Dr. Sheffield has been a life-saver to me,” said Ginger Vincent, who runs the WTFC Women’s Health Program. “She’s dependable, she’s an excellent physician.” Starting in 2010, Sheffield has added to her 40-plus-hour work week by coming to the clinic once a month without fail and by being available for a consult by phone, email or fax. For the clinic, she sees patients that need any type of invasive, diagnostic procedure, including, but not limited
to, cancer screening procedures like a colposcopy, endometrial biopsy, cervical biopsy or endocervical curettage. She performs specialty gynecological procedures, sees patients at her office for things that cannot be done at WTFC and has even performed minor and major surgeries on WTFC patients at Sentara Obici Hospital. Vincent said Sheffield, who has also been instrumental setting up some learning classes, seems to enjoy her volunteer work. “She’s always here with a smile on her face,” Vincent said. “Patients love her.” Sheffield said after furthering women’s health in her own practice, she simply wanted to continue and confirmed she enjoys volunteering for an organization like the Western Tidewater Free Clinic. “It’s just wonderful being a part of that,” she said. “And it’s just my way to say ‘thank you’ to the people who helped me coming along.”
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PHOTO SUBMITTED BY ALYSON MILES
Impact: Dr. Sharon Sheffield’s willingness to volunteer her services as a gynecology specialist at the Western Tidewater Free Clinic allowed the organization to start its Women’s Health Program in 2010.
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Page 8 – Thursday, July 31, 2014, Suffolk News-Herald, F.Y.I.
. . . Volunteers
Resurrecting lives from disaster BY MATTHEW A. WARD STAFF WRITER
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Dec. 12, 1999, is a day in history that stands out against most others for Suffolk’s Princess Benn-Coker. It’s when her mother’s house on Skeetertown Road caught fire in the middle of the night. “We lost everything in the house,” Benn-Coker recalled recently. But if one good thing came of the tragedy — in which, thankfully, there were no casualties — it was Benn-Coker’s introduction to the generosity and vital role of the American Red Cross. “The fireman asked did we need the Red Cross,” she said. “We had somewhere to go, and we didn’t need their help, but they still called and checked on us, and I thought that was really nice.” Soon after, Benn-Coker signed up with the Suffolk unit of the Red Cross, becoming a member of its Disaster Action Team. When houses burn, Benn-Coker and fellow volunteers respond with things like food, clothing, shelter, and health and counseling services. Volunteers, 17 of them currently, staff the team on a rotating
basis, and they’re usually on call once a month, Benn-Coker said. The Disaster Action Team is among many services the Red Cross provides. Others include collecting blood donations, classes for new parents and babysitters and organizing for deployed military members to return home during serious family illnesses. One assignment Benn-Coker won’t forget is the tornado that tore through parts of Suffolk on April 28, 2008, leaving a trail of destruction. At the time, she was with the Western Tidewater Community Services Board, from which she retired in July after 11 years. “They told us to go home because they were expecting a tornado,” she said. Benn-Coker saw the sky darken as she drove home and got a phone call an hour or two after the tornado hit. The Red Cross sent her out to canvass neighborhoods. “It was horrendous,” she said of the damage and the impact on human lives. “Imagine a mother at work talking to her son on the phone, and all of a sudden the line goes dead. … But neighbors stepped in
Cypress Creek at Smithfield
to help each other; you should have seen people racing and getting children where they could be safe.” Benn-Coker’s mother didn’t live long enough to move back in after the fire that brought her to the Red Cross, but the house was rebuilt according to her wishes. “The house was rebuilt the way she wanted,” Benn-Coker said. “She always wanted a back porch to sit out on. Everything was made for her to go back in, and she never made it back in.” The experience gave BennCoker insight into what families face when they lose everything. “We help point people in the right direction,” she said of the Disaster Action Team. “I remember when it happened to us. What do you do next? Everything you have is gone. What is the next step for us, where do we go? The Red Cross answers that question for you.”
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in Service
MATTHEW A. WARD/SUFFOLK NEWS-HERALD
Volunteer: At her home, Princess BennCoker reflects on her years of volunteering for the Red Cross. She started after the organization reached out to her family following a house fire.
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F.Y.I., Suffolk News-Herald, Thursday, July 31, 2014 – Page 9
Healthier horizons beckon BY MATTHEW A. WARD STAFF WRITER
MATTHEW A. WARD/SUFFOLK NEWS-HERALD
Healthy: Sandra Sullivan started volunteering with Suffolk Partnership for a Healthy Community in 2009, and runs its quitsmoking program. She also helps out at the partnership’s 5Ks.
How many years has Suffolk Partnership for a Healthy Community volunteer Sandra Sullivan added to how many lives? The quit-smoking program facilitator finds it a tough question to answer. With the partnership, which put her through an American Lung Association certification course, Sullivan has led the eight-session, sevenweek programs since 2011. E a c h program a v e r ages seven participants, and Sullivan says she’ll be running three of them this year. They’re held at the Western Tidewater Free Clinic. Only one smoker failed to quit with Sullivan’s first program this year. “That was the best success rate I ever had,” she said. Sullivan began volunteering with the partnership in 2009, when
she joined its Suffolk On The Move program. She helped out at the first 5K in 2010. “A friend of mine had asked me, because I work out at the Y and I’m a senior,” she said. When the friend told her it was all about encouraging a healthier community, the health and fitness fanatic, who ditched her 45-year smoking habit in 2006, was instantly in. The fifth Suffolk On The Move was held this year, and the partnership has also started the Peanut Fest 5K. Sullivan continues to help at the events, alongside her smoking cessation classes. Each 5K, Sullivan says, relies on dozens of volunteers like her. Together, they make a big difference in the community, she says. “A lot of those that did the onemile walk the previous year, the next year they do the three miles,” she said. “There’s a few that still can only do the one-mile, but they see that — all of a sudden — they can go a little bit farther. And they are so happy when they come across that finish line.” The partnership’s various community health and fitness initiatives all rely on a dedicated vol-
unteer base, according to Sullivan. She cited the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and ROTC students at the 5Ks, helping out with things like parking. Another great partnership activity, she said, is Nintendo Wii bowling for seniors and special needs children. “We do that with (Suffolk) Parks and Recreation,” she said. “Without them, we couldn’t do anything. They are very instrumental in putting the program together.” Sullivan’s daughter invited her to join a partnership-organized fitness boot camp. “To see the difference in people in the last week — it was amazing the things that they could do,” she said. The Suffolk Partnership for a Healthy Community started in 1998. “It’s having a great impact,” Sullivan said. Sullivan says she’s rewarded for helping folks quit smoking by seeing them get a lot more out of life. “I’m into fitness, so I encourage them to do that, to change,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how old you are. It makes them think about the possibilities of things. “There’s a lot of stuff out there on the horizon — it doesn’t matter how old you are.”
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A 'hidden jewel' in Suffolk BY HENRY LUZZATTO CORRESPONDENT
Since she started volunteering at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, Mae Burke has been what she calls the center’s “official greeter.” The title is not official, and Burke admits that she invented the position when she volunteered, seeing a need that had to be filled. Over the phone, it is obvious that her amiable, enthusiastic personality fits that position perfectly. As the greeter, Burke meets audience members at the door of the building and ushers them inside, answering any questions about the performance or about the building itself. As well as allowing her to use her knowledge of the performing arts and her amiable personality, this volunteer position allows CMYK
Burke to create a good first impression. In her “message from a volunteer” page in the Suffolk Center’s playbill, Burke considers her job a way to describe “who we are, what we do, and what we are all about.” Burke has been volunteering in that capacity since the former Suffolk High School building was turned into the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts in the summer of 2006. Though she did not volunteer at every production, she managed to work continually since the building opened, “even when it was under construction,” she said. Before moving to Virginia, she lived in New York for 40 years, living in New York City for 10 years. The difference between here and there, she said, is that there was “always something cultural in a big city,” she said, “and a small town is more lowkey.”
In a small city like Suffolk, a hub of artistic creativity like the Suffolk Center is a rare commodity, offering performances that fit the interests of just about everybody. However, Burke believes the Center is underappreciated. “I’m always surprised about the people that don’t know about what we offer,” she said, describing the building as “one of Suffolk’s hidden jewels.” In the eight years that Burke has been volunteering at the Center for Cultural Arts, she has seen countless performances, and enjoyed her fair share. Her favorites, she says, are musical performances, citing the Masters of Motown performances, which are consistently popular, as well as concerts by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. The key aspect of the center’s events is that, according to Burke, “there’s something for everybody.” From broadway musicals to orchestra performances, from bluegrass to motown, the diversity of style makes the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts an important fixture of the city. For Mae Burke, volunteering at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts is just as rewarding to her as it is to the community. “When you find a job you love, it isn’t a job, it’s a pleasure,” she said.
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Elected Officials
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SUFFOLK CITY COUNCIL Mayor Linda T. Johnson Phone: 514-4018 Term expires: Dec. 31, 2016 Chuckatuck Borough Michael D. Duman Phone: 499-9688 Term expires: Dec. 31, 2014 Cypress Borough Vice Mayor Charles F. Brown Phone: 934-0940 Term expires: Dec. 31, 2014 Holy Neck Borough Jeffrey L. Gardy Phone: 539-0350 Term expires: Dec. 31, 2014 Nansemond Borough Lue R. Ward Phone: 377-6929 Term expires: Dec. 31, 2016 Sleepy Hole Borough Roger W. Fawcett Phone: 377-8641 Term expires: Dec. 31, 2016
SUFFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS SCHOOL BOARD
Whaleyville Borough Curtis R. Milteer Sr. Phone: 934-0630 Term expires: Dec. 31, 2016
SUFFOLK’S CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS Clerk of the Circuit Court W. Randolph Carter Jr. Phone: 514-7800 Commissioner of the Revenue Thomas A. Hazelwood Phone: 514-4260 Commonwealth’s Attorney C. Phillips Ferguson Phone: 514-4365 Sheriff Raleigh H. Isaacs Sr. Phone: 514-7840 Treasurer Ronald H. Williams Phone: 514-4275
F.Y.I., Suffolk News-Herald, Thursday, July 31, 2014 – Page 11
Chuckatuck Borough Linda W. Bouchard Phone: 255-2202 Term expires: Dec. 31, 2014 Cypress Borough Lorraine B. Skeeter Phone: 539-6593 Term expires: Dec. 31, 2014 Holy Neck Borough Enoch C. Copeland, Vice Chair Phone: 657-6179 Term expires: Dec. 31, 2014 Nansemond Borough Judith Brooks-Buck Phone: 647-8842 Term expires: Dec. 31, 2016 Sleepy Hole Borough James E. Perkinson Phone: 285-4222 Term expires: Dec. 31, 2016 Suffolk Borough Michael J. Debranski, Chairman Phone: 934-0194 Term expires: Dec. 31, 2014
Suffolk Borough Charles D. Parr Sr. Phone: 539-1384 Term expires: Dec. 31, 2014
Whaleyville Borough Phyllis C. Byrum Phone: 986-4054 Term expires: Dec. 31, 2016
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Page 10 – Thursday, July 31, 2014, Suffolk News-Herald, F.Y.I.
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. i . y f.
. i . y Industry Shapshot General Services f.
ANIMAL CONTROL
124 Forest Glen Drive 514-7855 Hours of operation: Monday to Friday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Closed Sundays and holidays The Suffolk Animal Control Bureau is responsible for the investigation of all incidents and the enforcement of laws regarding domestic animals within the city. The bureau maintains a shelter, and conducts adoptions and redemption of stray animals. Lost and found pet files also are handled through the facility. Adoptions are $60 for cats and $75 for dogs. Animals are spayed/neutered and vaccinated prior to adoption.
AUTO DECALS
Department of Motor Vehicles 268 Holladay St. 497-7100 Hours of operation: Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday: 8 a.m. to noon City Treasurer’s Office Municipal Center 441 Market St. 514-4275 North Suffolk Treasurer’s Office 2000 Bennett’s Creek Park Road 514-7175 Hours of operation: Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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City decals for vehicles are no longer mandated in the city of Suffolk, but the Vehicle License Fee will be included as a separate item on the annual personal property tax bills sent by the city treasurer. Anyone moving to Virginia must title their vehicle within 30 days of moving to Virginia. Additionally, before operating a vehicle in Virginia, it must pass an annual safety inspection and display a valid safety inspection sticker.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE Genieve Shelter 1-800-969-HOPE (4673) 925-4365
The Genieve Shelter provides a 24-hour crisis hotline, individual and group counseling; court accompaniment, emergency shelter, food, clothing and emergency transportation as well as a children’s program that offers after-school tutoring, a weekly children’s support
group, and recreational activities.
EMPLOYMENT
Suffolk Human Resources Office 440 Market St. 514-4120 hr@suffolkva.us Extension Service Virginia Cooperative Extension Office 440 Market St. 514-4330 Hours of operation: Monday to Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. GED/ABE/ESL classes The Pruden Center for Industry and Technology 4169 Pruden Blvd. 925-5651 www.prudencenter.net
HEALTH DEPARTMENT
The Suffolk Health Department 135 Hall Ave. 514-4700 The Suffolk Health Department offers a variety of health services, including health screenings, immunizations, prenatal and pediatric services, STD and communicable disease testing and treatment, family planning, WIC and SEVAMP Senior Services, and environmental health. Many services are free to the public. When there are charges, they are usually determined on a sliding fee scale based on income.
HOUSING
Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority 530 E. Pinner St. 539-2100 www.suffolkrha.org Hours of operation: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed on Wednesdays during the summer Suffolk Department of Social Services 135 Hall Ave. 514-7450 Both the Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority and Suffolk Department of Social Services help to provide rental and utility assistance as well as affordable housing for lower and limited income families.
IDENTIFICATION
Department of Motor Vehicles 268 Holladay St. (804) 497-7100
Social Security Administration 502 Hillpoint Blvd (866) 835-7769 www.ssa.gov Social Security cards can be issued through the Social Security Administration, and state identification cards and driver’s licenses can be issued through the DMV.
LICENSES –
Animal: City Treasurer’s Office Municipal Center 441 Market St. 514-4275 North Suffolk Treasurer’s Office 2000 Bennett’s Creek Park Road 514-7175 Building and Zoning Permits: Neighborhood Development Services Municipal Center 441 Market St. 514-4150 Business: Commissioner of the Revenue Municipal Center 441 Market St. 514-4260 North Suffolk Office 2000 Bennett’s Creek Park Road 514-7180 Concealed Weapon and Handgun: Clerk’s Office of the Circuit Court Mills E. Godwin Courts Complex 150 N. Main St. 514-4000 Driver’s: Department of Motor Vehicles 268 Holladay St. (804) 497-7100 Hunting and Fishing: Clerk’s Office of the Circuit Court Mills E. Godwin Courts Complex 150 N. Main St. 514-4000 Marriage: Clerk’s Office of the Circuit Court Mills E. Godwin Courts Complex 150 N. Main St. 514-4000 Passports: Clerk’s Office of the Circuit Court Mills E. Godwin Courts Complex
See SERVICES, 22
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TOP 10 EMPLOYERS BY INDUSTRY Industry Healthcare and Social Assistance Retail Trade Accommodation and Food Services Manufacturing Transportation and Warehousing Professional, Scientific and Technical Services Construction Other Services Finance & Insurance
No. of jobs 3,539 3,133 2,228 1,929 1,319 1,260 951 769 373
Source – City of Suffolk, Suffolk Update 2011 Published April 2011
CAPITAL INVESTMENT BY INDUSTRY, 2010 Advanced Manufacturing Retail Office/Administration Healthcare Other Modeling and Simulation Food Processing Warehousing/ Distribution Total
$20,550,000 $18,345,000 $14,283,000 $10,310,000 $3,175,000 $2,000,000 $1,250,000 $1,208,000 $71,121,000
Source – Suffolk Department of Economic Development
JOB CREATION BY TARGET INDUSTRY, 2010 Retail Modeling and Simulation Office/Administration Healthcare Other Warehousing/Distribution Advanced Manufacturing Food Processing Total
507 200 144 130 78 17 10 2 1,088
Source – Suffolk Department of Economic Development
SUFFOLK RETAIL SALES, 2000-09 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
$352.2 million $419.9 million $453.4 million $488.8 million $539.3 million $630.7 million $628.6 million $645.2 million $652.8 million $632.9 million
Source – Suffolk Department of Economic Development
MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME Suffolk Chesapeake Virginia Beach Newport News Hampton Portsmouth Norfolk Virginia
Source – U.S. Census Bureau
MAJOR EMPLOYERS IN SUFFOLK
$66,479 $70,244 $65,980 $50,744 $51,584 $46,269 $44,164 $63,636
Suffolk Public Schools 1,780 Navy Cyber Forces 1, 578 The City of Suffolk 1, 307 J-7 Joint Staff 1, 300 Sentara Obici Hospital 1,200 QVC Distribution 1,000 Wal-Mart Stores 900 SYSCO Food Services of Hampton Roads 500 Kraft/Planters Peanuts 340 Unilever/Lipton Inc. 300 Lakeview Medical Center 270 Bon Secours Health System 269 Towne Bank 230 Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA 227 California Cartage Company 218
General Dynamics 200 Nansemond Pointe Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center 190 Nansemond-Suffolk Academy 168 Birdsong Peanuts Corporation 150 Lake Prince Center 130 Wanchese Fish Company 130 National Roofing Corporation 115 Vitex Packaging, inc. 115 Amadas Industries, inc. 110 BASF 100 Target 100 Dominion Virginia Power 100 Harris Teeter 100 Farm Fresh 100 Kerma Medical Products 85 J.M. Smucker Company 85 Northrup Grumman 85 Southern Oil Co. 85 Kohl’s 75 SPSA 75 Mike Duman Auto Sales 75 Quality Custom Distribution Services 65 Allfirst 65 Sonoco Products Co. 60 Duke Automotive 60 Panera Bread 60 Truestone 60 Towne Prudential Realty 55 Blair Brothers, Inc. 50 General Dynamics 50 ISHPI 50 Buffalo Wild Wings 50 Cobham Composite Products 50 Coastal Logistics Group 50 C.W. Brinkley, Inc. 50 Chasmar Properties Ltd. 50 Paul D. Camp Community College 50
Source – Suffolk Department of Economic Development
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
The Economic Development Authority is authorized by the Virginia General Assembly to initiate and develop a variety of new business opportunities throughout the City of Suffolk. The EDA Board is made up of eight board members appointed by the Suffolk City Council to four-year terms. The EDA holds a regularly-scheduled meeting on the second Wednesday of each month. The EDA’s role is to foster economic development and help with the expansion of existing businesses and to assist new businesses to create new jobs and capital investment. The EDA is funded by city taxes, interest on investments, bond maintenance fees and sale of real estate owned by the EDA.
For more information, contact the Economic Development Depart-
See INDUSTRY, 23
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City Government
CITY ADMINISTRATION
Management of the largest city in Virginia requires an organized government body. For Suffolk, this means operating under the council/manager form of government with an elected, eight-member City Council that sets city policy. Seven council members represent the seven boroughs of the city: Chuckatuck, Cypress, Holy Neck, Nansemond, Sleepy Hole, Suffolk and Whaleyville. Citizens directly elected Suffolk’s mayor for the first time in the city’s history in 2008, electing Linda T. Johnson. She was re-elected in 2012, with her current term ending in 2016. The Suffolk City Council meets twice a month, the first and third Wednesdays, at the Municipal Building, 441 Market St. Generally, the Council holds a work session in the mid-afternoon before each meeting. To assure citizens get to express their concerns, residents can sign up to speak during early or late appearances at the meeting. Residents can call the city clerk at 514-4018 to sign up to speak. City Manager Selena Cuffee-Glenn is charged with implementing policies and procedures adopted by the Suffolk City Council. As the chief executive officer of the city, Cuffee-Glenn takes care of the day-to-day business with the help of her staff. The city of Suffolk also has constitutional officers, who are chiefly employed for the city by the state. These officers include the sheriff, the treasurer, the clerk of Suffolk Circuit Court, the commonwealth’s attorney and commissioner of the revenue.
TAX REVENUE
Personal property taxes on automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, trailers, boats, recreational vehicles and airplanes in the city are assessed by the Commissioner of the Revenue. The taxes are prorated on a monthly basis. The tax rate, as set by the Suffolk City Council, varies according to property type. The due date for personal property taxes is Dec. 5. Real estate taxes vary by district. Land and buildings in the city of Suffolk are assessed by the city real estate assessor at 100 percent of fair market value in accordance with state law. Suffolk enjoys one of the lowest real estate tax rates of any major city in Hampton Roads at a base rate of $1.03 cents per $100 of assessed value. Rates vary in special taxing districts. Real estate taxes are due on Dec. 5 and June 5.
CITY ON THE WEB
For more information on Suffolk’s history, government, transportation and industry, check out the city’s website: www.suffolkva.us. Also, the city airs municipal events, information and meetings on its local cable station, Channel 190. City Council meetings air live, and also stream live on the Web at the city’s website. Meetings since June 17, 2009, also are archived for reference at any time. The city’s administrative offices are located in the Municipal Building, 441 Market St. The mailing address is P.O. Box 1858, Suffolk, VA 23439. The main phone number is 514-4000. The e-mail address is council@suffolkva.us.
CITY MANAGER
The City Manager directs the general operation of the city government in order to meet the needs of citizens in accordance with policies established by City Council. Selena Cuffee-Glenn, 514-4012
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DEPUTY CITY MANAGER
The Deputy City Manager directs, manages and oversees the day-today and long-range activities of the development departments in order to meet the needs of the community in accordance with policies established by City Council. These departments include planning, public utilities, economic development and tourism. Patrick Roberts, 514-4007
CHIEF OF STAFF
The Chief of Staff promotes and evaluates efficiency, accountability and responsiveness within city departments. Debbie George, 514-4106
CITY ATTORNEY
The City Attorney is the chief legal adviser of the city, the City Manager and all departments, directors, commissioners and agencies of the city in all matters in the interest of the city. Helivi Holland, 514-7130
OTHER CITY ADMINISTRATION
Budget and Strategic Planning, Anne Seward, 514-4006 Capital Programs and Buildings, Gerry Jones, 514-4030 City Assessor, Jean Jackson, 5147475 City Clerk, Erika S. Dawley, 514-4018 Economic Development, Kevin Hughes, 514-4043 Emergency Management Coordinator, Capt. James T. Judkins, 514-7586 Finance, Lenora Reid, 514-7500 Fire Chief, Cedric Scott, 514-7530 Health, Dr. Nancy Welch, 514-4700 Human Resources, Dr. Nancy Olivo, 514-4120 Information Technology, Ken Beam, 514-7241 Library, Clint Rudy, 514-7323 Media and Community Relations, Diana Klink, 514-4102 Parks & Recreation, Lakita Watson, 514-7250 Planning and Community Development, D. Scott Mills, 514-4060 Police Chief, Thomas E. Bennett, 514-7900 Public Utilities, Albert S. Moor II, 514-7000 Public Works, Eric T. Nielsen, 5144355 Social Services, Azeez Felder, 5147450 Tourism, Theresa Earles, 514-4130
CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT
The Clerk of the Circuit Court is an elected position and serves as support for Circuit Court judges, maintains city records and provides specific services to citizens. The Clerk’s office is where you may obtain a marriage license, hunting or fishing license or a passport. You may record documents such as real estate deeds, plats or wills, or purchase a city map. It is also a good place to conduct genealogical research. The Clerk’s office is located at the Godwin Courts Building, 150 N. Main St., first floor. W. Randolph Carter Jr., 514-7800
COMMISSIONER OF THE REVENUE
The purpose of the office of the Commissioner of the Revenue is to assess all personal property; issue city business licenses; conduct special tax audits; audit state income tax returns; and collect state income taxes. The Commissioner of the Revenue’s office is located in the Municipal Building, 441 Market St. A satellite office is also
located inside the North Suffolk Public Library, on Bennett’s Creek Park Road. Thomas A. Hazelwood, 514-4260
COMMONWEALTH’S ATTORNEY The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s main
duties are the prosecution of all criminal cases arising under the criminal code of Virginia that were committed in the city of Suffolk. In addition, this office has a Welfare Fraud Division that investigates and prosecutes welfare frauds involving state and federally funded programs. The Commonwealth Attorney’s office is located in the Godwin Courts Building, 150 N. Main St. C. Phillips Ferguson, 514-4365
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SHERIFF
The Sheriff’s Department assigns bailiffs to the Circuit and General District Courts for security. The Civil Process Section provides for the serving of court documents, such as subpoenas, levies, and warrants. The sheriff’s office is located in the Godwin Courts Building, 150 N. Main St. Raleigh H. Isaacs Sr., 514-7840
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TREASURER
The City Treasurer is responsible for receiving, accounting for and maintaining custody of all monies paid to the city. The Treasurer’s Office collects all fees, assessments and taxes for the city as required by state and local codes. The office also sells dog licenses and bicycle licenses. The Treasurer’s office is located in the Municipal Building, 441 Market St. A satellite office is located in the North Suffolk Public Library, on Bennett’s Creek Park Road. Ronald H. Williams, 514-4275
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FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES
The mission of the Suffolk Department of Fire and Rescue is to prevent fires from occurring through world-class fire prevention and public education programs; reduce life and property loss through rapid response and the use of world-class suppression techniques; and provide advanced emergency medical care efficiently by maintaining high levels of training. There are five components to the Suffolk Department of Fire and Rescue: Administration, Fire/EMS Operations, Fire Prevention/Public Education, Emergency Services, and Special Operations. Emergency, 911 Emergency Management, 514-7536 Headquarters, 514-4550 Fire Marshal, 514-7530 Nansemond-Suffolk Volunteer Rescue Squad, 539-6870 Driver Volunteer Fire Department, 538-0519 Chuckatuck Volunteer Fire Department, 255-4240 Whaleyville Volunteer Fire Department, 986-3300 Holland Volunteer Fire Department, 377-6178
POLICE
Until 1858, the sheriff of Nansemond County was charged with patrolling the county and the town of Suffolk, as well. When the town was issued a charter, a town sergeant was hired, and the position remained in effect until Suffolk became a city in 1910. After that, the city appointed a chief of police. The police department’s administrative headquarters are at Henley Place, formerly 120 N. Wellons St. It was renamed in 2008 in honor of the late Officer Drew Henley, who died in the line of duty in 2005. Emergency, 911 Non-emergency, 923-2350 Suffolk Crime Line, 1-888-LOCK-U-UP
Fax: 757-539-3098
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i y Education Services f . . .
Education provides a foundation for Suffolk’s kids Beyond simple reading, writing and arithmetic, the demands of the 21st-century workforce place new demands on education, beginning at the preschool level. The city of Suffolk is home to public and private schools, a vocational school, and two centers for higher learning — all in an effort to educate tomorrow’s leaders today. In neighboring communities, there are also several excellent choices of colleges and universities for the recent high school graduate or adults returning for a diploma. Across the city, there are 12 public elementary schools, four middle schools, three high schools and an alternative program. The area is also home to two private schools, a vocational school and a community college.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Public schools have come a long way in Suffolk since the first one opened here in 1871. At that time, schools operated three months of the year. The first “modern” school building opened in 1893 at the corner of Saratoga and Market streets. Today, Suffolk Public Schools offers a comprehensive program for grades K-12, in addition to special programs for gifted students, students with disabilities, remedial instruction in basic skills, advanced placement classes, alternative education, preschool and vocational education. There were about 14,420 students enrolled in public schools as of September 2013. The system recently approved a $129 million operating budget for the 2014-2015 school year. The
overall student-to-teacher ratio is 25-to-1, and there is a computerto-student ratio of 3.5-to-1. Preliminary SOL results indicate that all of Suffolk’s public schools will receive full state accreditation again this year. To see how city schools fare in comparison with other divisions across the region and state, contact the School Administrative Offices or visit the Virginia Department of Education’s website: www.doe. virginia.gov/
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS Booker T. Washington Elementary 204 Walnut St. Phone: 934-6226 Principal: David Reitz, Ed. D. Creekside Elementary 1000 Bennett’s Creek Park Road Phone: 923-4251 Principal: Katrina Rountree Driver Elementary 4270 Driver Lane Phone: 923-4106 Principal: Melodie Griffin Elephant’s Fork Elementary 2316 William Reid Drive Phone: 923-5250 Principal: Andre Skinner Florence Bowser Elementary 4540 Nansemond Parkway Phone: 923-4164 Principal: Cheryl Riddick (assistant principal) Hillpoint Elementary 1101 Hillpoint Road Phone: 923-5252 Principal: Ronald Leigh, Ed. D. Kilby Shores Elementary 111 Kilby Shores Drive Phone: 934-6214 Principal: Lori Mounie
Mack Benn Jr. Elementary 1253 Nansemond Parkway Phone: 934-6224 Principal: David LeFevre Nansemond Parkway Elementary 3012 Nansemond Parkway Phone: 923-4167 Principal: Chanel Bryant Northern Shores Elementary 6701 Respass Beach Road Phone: 923-4169 Principal: Tara Moore Oakland Elementary 5505 Godwin Blvd. Phone: 923-5248 Principal: Tamesha Dabney Southwestern Elementary 9301 Southwestern Blvd. Phone: 934-6213 Principal: Christopher Phillips, Ed. D.
MIDDLE SCHOOLS Forest Glen Middle 200 Forest Glen Drive Phone: 925-5780 Principal: Melvin Bradshaw John F. Kennedy Middle 2325 E. Washington St. Phone: 934-6212 Principal: Vivian Covington John Yeates Middle 4901 Bennett’s Pasture Road Phone: 923-4105 Principal: Daniel O’Leary King’s Fork Middle 350 Kings Fork Road Phone: 923-5246 Principal: Jennifer K. Presson
HIGH SCHOOLS King’s Fork High
351 Kings Fork Road Phone: 923-5240 Principal: Stenette Byrd III, Ed. D. Lakeland High 214 Kenyon Road Phone: 925-5790 Principal: Douglas Wagoner Nansemond River High 3301 Nansemond Parkway Phone: 923-4101 Principal: Thomas McLemore
GOVERNOR’S SCHOOL The Governor’s School for the Arts, located in Norfolk, offers intensive study in five arts areas: dance, vocal and instrumental music, visual arts, theater arts and performing arts. The programs are designed for students who demonstrate strong interests and abilities in their field. Students who enroll in the school take academic classes in the mornings at their home schools and attend the arts school in the afternoons for three hours. Auditions are conducted annually or on an as-needed basis. Students should see their guidance counselors for information.
VOCATIONAL CENTER The Pruden Center for Industry and Technology is the regional school designed to serve students from the city of Suffolk and Isle of Wight County who want to pursue industrial and technical programs. Adult education and recreational classes are also offered. Adults seeking classes to enhance their job opportunities or to achieve their GED should contact the center at 925-5651, at www. prudencenter.net, or visit at 4169 Pruden Blvd.
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F.Y.I., Suffolk News-Herald, Thursday, July 31, 2014 – Page 17
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION You may contact the division offices for information or inquiries regarding the Suffolk Public Schools. School administrative offices are located at 100 N. Main St. The main phone number is 925-6750. The administration includes: Deran Whitney, Ed.D., superintendent Wendell M. Waller, School Board attorney Jacqueline C. Chavis, deputy superintendent Kevin L. Alston, chief of operations F. Terry Napier, director of facilities and planning John W. Littlefield, director of technology Suzanne M. Rice, Ed. D., director of human resources Antoine Hickman, director of special education Susan M. Redmon, purchasing manager Bethanne D. Bradshaw, public information and community relations officer Randolph Boone, coordinator of pupil personnel Gail V. Bess, coordinator of career and technical education and adult education Pamela L. Connor, director of elementary leadership Douglas B. Dohey, director of secondary leadership Lonnie C. Reavis, coordinator of transportation Carolyn Taylor, Ed.D., coordinator of grant administration and Title I Janice F. White, supervisor of health services
COMMUNITY COLLEGE Paul D. Camp Community College
— Suffolk Campus: 271 Kenyon Road, 569-6700. Web: www.pdc. edu. PDCCC offers one- and two-year vocational, technical and college-level programs in Western Tidewater. More than 30 areas of study are offered to students at Suffolk, Franklin and Smithfield campuses.
AREA COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES Christopher Newport University: 1 Avenue of the Arts, Newport News, 594-7000. Web: www. cnu.edu/. Four-year liberal arts university. The College of William and Mary: P.O. Box 8795, Williamsburg, 221-4000. Web: www.wm.edu. Four year college with schools in arts and sciences, business administration, education, law, and marine science. Eastern Virginia Medical School: P.O. Box 1980, Norfolk, 4465600. Web: www.evms.edu. Community-based medical school.
Hampton University: 100 E Queen St, Hampton, 727-5000. Web: www.hamptonu.edu. Privately-endowed, non-profit, non-sectarian, co-educational, historically black university. Norfolk State University: 700 Park Ave., Norfolk, 823-8600. Web: www.nsu.edu. Historically black university with an undergraduate studies program comprised of five schools. Old Dominion University: Hampton Blvd., Norfolk, 6833000. Web: www.odu.edu. A state-supported metropolitan, regional university with graduate and undergraduate degrees in six colleges. Virginian Wesleyan College: 1584 Wesleyan Drive, Norfolk, 4553200. Web: www.vwc.edu. Small, residential, private school on the border of Norfolk and Virginia Beach.
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Suffolk has a strong and diverse faith community. Below is a listing of some of Suffolk’s many churches. Every effort was made to include everyone. If your church was left out, make sure to let us know at 539-3437 so we can include it next year.
Canaan Baptist Church 2064 Nansemond Parkway 538-1841
AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL
Crosspointe Freewill Baptist Church 100 E. Constance Road 923-9059
Macedonia AME Church 127 Pine St. 539-4502
Saint Mark’s AME Zion Church 809 McKinley Ave. 539-5560
APOSTOLIC
Faith Temple Ministries Apostolic Church 476 Wellons St. 934-2735 Evergreen Apostolic Faith Church of God Live On 2409 Nansemond Pkwy 539-7755
ASSEMBLY OF GOD
Bethel Assembly of God Church 8904 S. Quay Road 657-6188
BAPTIST
Balm of Gilead Missionary Baptist Church 3731 White Marsh Road 934-1700
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Calvary Baptist Missionary Church 545 Turlington Road 539-1567
Diamond Grove Baptist Church 6890 Crittenden Road 255-4770 East End Baptist Church 523 E. Washington St. 539-3324 First Baptist Church — Mahan Street 112 Mahan St. 539-6623 First Baptist Church — Suffolk 237 N. Main St. 539-4152 Gethsemane Baptist Church 1656 Copeland Road 539-5894 Great Fork Baptist Church 180 Great Fork Road 986-4185 Greater First Baptist Church Orlando 600 Factory St. 539-0032 Healing Chapel Baptist Church 2375 Godwin Blvd. 809-4220 Hillcrest Baptist Church 1637 Holland Road 539-8801 Holland Baptist Church 6519 Holland Road
Local Churches
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Page 18 – Thursday, July 31, 2014, Suffolk News-Herald, F.Y.I.
657-2424 Liberty Baptist Church 116 Romans Road 539-3511 Liberty Baptist Church Harbour View 7025 Harbour View Blvd. 826-2110
8165 Whaleyville Blvd. 986-4303 Pleasant Union Baptist Church 215 Webb St. 539-0367 Saint Paul Baptist Church 806 Lincoln Ave. 539-9692
New Mount Joy Food for Living Ministries 307 County St. 539-2931 New Life Suffolk 538 E. Constance Road 539-7001 Faith House of Refuge 461 E. Washington St. 538-0808
Little Bethel Baptist Church 6533 Everets Road 255-4945
Sixth Street Baptist Church 324 Goodman St. 539-7087
Little Grove Baptist Church 6320 Old Townpoint Road 484-4496
Southside Baptist Church 917 Carolina Road 539-6629
Berea Congregational Christian Church of the United Church of God 4109 Driver Lane 538-8872
Little Zion Baptist Church 4701 Sleepy Hole Road 538-8488
West End Baptist Church 105 Saint James Ave. 539-8771
Bethlehem Christian Church 1549 Holland Road 539-4274
Little Mount Zion Baptist Church 3288 Pruden Blvd. 539-1991
West Suffolk Baptist Church 1001 Kenyon Court 761-6832
Bethlehem Christian Church 312 Bute St. 539-1167
Macedonia Baptist Church 8300 Crittenden Road 238-2562
Wilroy Baptist Church 306 Williams Road 539-5658
Philippi Deliverance Church 1008 Nansemond Parkway 934-8788
Metropolitan Baptist Church 125 County St. 539-2696
CATHOLIC
Liberty Spring Christian Church 4213 Whaleyville Blvd. 986-4403
Mineral Springs Baptist Church 4849 Mineral Spring Road 986-3994 Missouri Baptist Church 2020 Lake Cohoon Road 934-1176 Mount Sinai Baptist Church 6100 Holy Neck Road 657-6212 Nansemond River Baptist Church 2896 Bridge Road 484-3423 New Hope Baptist Church 4260 Pughsville Road 484-8939 New First Baptist Church 1105 Hosier Road 934-0833 Oak Grove Baptist Church 2635 E. Washington St. 539-8012 Olive Branch Baptist Church 5200 Milners Road 255-7348 Palm Tree Baptist Church
St. Mary of the Presentation Catholic Church 202 S. Broad St. 539-5732
CHRISTIAN
Church of God 205 Kirby Ave. 934-2526 Church of God 467 Wellons St. 539-9177 Open Door Church 816 Kings Fork Road 934-2671 Greater Sweet Beulah Holiness Church 137 Maple St. 539-9535 New Paul’s Temple Holiness Church of Deliverance 720 Hosier Road 539-0498 Word and Spirit Worship Center 1607 Bridge Road 729-9712 The Living Word Ministry Church 1254 Holland Road
Faith, Hope, and Love Ministires 168 Tynes St. 925-0482 Mount Zion Christian Church 9061 Eclipse Drive 238-2477 Oakland Christian Church 5641 Godwin Blvd. 255-4353 Suffolk Christian Church 216 N. Main St. 539-9182 Tabernacle Christian Church 2500 E. Washington St. 539-7257 Trinity Christian Church 128 Franklin St. 539-7275 Divine Church of Deliverance and Transformation 6315 Whaleyville Blvd 870-6607 Church of God in Christ Saint Mary’s COGIC 3637 Nansemond Parkway
538-0155 Gates of Heaven COGIC 112 Beech St. 539-3856 Mt. Joy Church of God In Christ 307 Country Street 539-2931 Mt. Lebanon Church of God In Christ 1732 Lebanon Avenue 238-3680 Greater New Hope COGIC 159 Wrenn Road 255-2284
EPISCOPAL:
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 213 N. Main St. 539-2478 Glebe Episcopal Church 4400 Nansemond Parkway 538-8842 Saint John’s Episcopal Church 828 Kings Highway 255-4168 Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church 140 Tynes St. 934-0830
FRIENDS (QUAKER)
Somerton Friends Meeting 5239 Quaker Drive 539-6574
LATTER-DAY SAINTS
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 4759 Bennetts Pasture Road 538-9218
LUTHERAN
Faith Lutheran Church 2730 Bridge Road 686-0468 Kings of Kings Lutheran Church 5685 Lee Farm Lane 483-9213
METHODIST
Ebenezer United Methodist Church 1589 Steeple Drive 238-2359 Main Street United Methodist Church 202 N. Main St.
See CHURCHES, 23
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F.Y.I., Suffolk News-Herald, Thursday, July 31, 2014 – Page 19
Change helps funeral home stay alive BY TRACY AGNEW NEWS EDITOR
One of the city’s oldest businesses has lasted so long, its current vice president says, because it has kept up with the times. It’s somewhat oxymoronic, but in the end, it makes sense. “We don’t do funerals anymore,” said Robert N. “Blake” Baker IV, the fifth generation to work at R.W. Baker Funeral Home. “We do celebrations of life.” His great-great-grandfather, Robert Washington Baker, moved to Suffolk from Gates County, N.C., and started the funeral home and a furniture store in 1885 — making the funeral home 129 years old this year. It was common for funeral homes
and furniture stores to be connected in those days, because the caskets and furniture were made from the same wood. The original Baker or a direct descendant of his has operated the funeral home ever since. The furniture store closed in the ’60s, when Blake Baker’s grandfather was pressured by the city to move it to a new strip mall on North Main Street and be open all day on Wednesday. At that time in Suffolk, it was customary for businesses to open for only a half-day on Wednesday, Blake Baker said. “He didn’t want to do it, so they closed it,” he said. His grandfather was diagnosed with cancer soon afterward, and his father — still in college at the time — took over as president after his father's death. Blake Baker's grandmother ran the business until Robert N. Baker III came home from school to work. Blake B a k e r said his
children — ages 9 and 7 — say they want to be funeral directors. But there are many years in between now and when they’ll be ready to work. “I hope they will,” he said. “I wonder what the future holds for the business and the industry in general. It changes so much that I don’t know what will be in 20 years when they will be ready to work.” Even so, Baker said he has been driven to expand and improve the business because of the possibility that one or both of his children will eventually work there. Two years ago, the Bakers opened a Wakefield chapel to serve that area. They also have the Baker-Foster Funeral Home in North Suffolk. Six years ago, the business also opened Nansemond Pet Crematory to cater to animal lovers who want to keep their pets with them, even after death. As it turns out, more and more humans are opting for cremation for themselves and their family members, as well. Baker said 40 percent of its families opt for cremation, and surveys show about 80 percent of millennials will choose cremation one day. “It’s not a money thing, in a lot of instances,” Baker said. “It’s mobility, economics and preference.” Baker also said the business now does custom videos and other products for grieving families. “We’ve been willing to change,” he said about how the business has lasted so long. “We’ve tried to keep up with what people want and listen to people.” TRACY AGNEW/SUFFOLK NEWS-HERALD
History: Blake Baker with an illustration of the funeral home on one of its interior walls. CMYK
News-Herald has 141-year history BY TRACY AGNEW NEWS EDITOR
Among the oldest businesses in Suffolk is the community’s own newspaper. The Suffolk News-Herald has its roots in the Suffolk News and the Suffolk Herald, once competing newspapers that merged in 1929 to form the Suffolk News-Herald. The Suffolk News began publication in 1873, making the Suffolk News-Herald — in one form or another — 141 years old. “We’re very proud of our 141 years of continuous publication and service to the people of Suffolk,” said Steve Stewart, publisher and president of Suffolk Publications LLC and vice president of Boone Newspapers Inc. “We’re even prouder that more people are reading our newspaper than ever before in those 141 years. We count it a privilege and blessing to chronicle a terrific community and to assist Suffolk businesses with their advertising needs.” Suffolk Publications, a Boone Newspapers affiliate, purchased the News-Herald from Media General Co. in late 2000. In the early 1960s, the newspaper was owned by the Hodel family, who also owned and ran a newspaper in Beckley, W.Va. The Hodels sold the paper in 1961 to Suffolk News-Herald Inc., a company owned by newspapers controlled by T. Eugene Worrell, of Bristol, and Carmage Walls, then of Guntersville, Ala. The company sent James B. “Jim” Boone Jr. to Suffolk from a newspaper in Texas. Boone ran the News-Herald until he left in 1968 to succeed his father as publisher of the Tuscaloosa, Ala., News. Boone would go on to become the chairman of Boone Newspapers, which grew out of the Tuscaloosa paper. Its purchase in early 2000 of the Suffolk News-Herald was accompanied by its purchase of the Roanoke-Chowan NewsHerald in Ahoskie, N.C., also from Media General. The paper’s ownership history also includes Planters Peanuts founder Amedeo Obici.
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Page 20 – Thursday, July 31, 2014, Suffolk News-Herald, F.Y.I.
Colt Ford coming to Peanut Fest BY FRANK ROBERTS CORRESPONDENT
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What do you get when you cross a boy horse with an automobile? A Colt Ford. What do you get when you cross country music with rap music? Colt Ford. It’s country rap, or hick hop, or rural rap. These days there are several artists knocking themselves out under those headings. The biggest? Big Colt Ford, who will be a highlight of the entertainment at this year’s Peanut Fest, with a wild, but family friendly show, a knockout for every age. There may still be some nay-sayers who can’t picture the two genres mixing it up. My advice to those misguided souls? Check his videos. “I think of myself as a country artist,” Ford said, during a phone interview while driving through Nebraska. (“All I see is flat land.”) “I did this before it was called country rap.” Many artists are into it. The second most famous is Cowboy Troy. Such country artists as Toby Keith, Trace Adkins, and Blake
Shelton have incorporated it into their acts. One performer who worked with Ford was Darryl Worley, who will have his own show at Peanut Fest. Except for a few gloomy Guses, the public loves country rap. About 1.5 million people have checked the Ford Facebook site. “About 70 per cent are women,” the jovial entertainer said. Adding to those figures: 100 million You Tube viewers, millions of downloads, and album sales of more than a million. Ford’s latest video is “The High Life.” His latest album is “Thanks For Listening,” and he does just that, expressing deep appreciation to his fans for making his music dreams come true. His initial dream was golf, and he was a professional for a decade, but he always loved music, and his wife wisely suggested he could better support her and their three children by going that route. He had done it on the side while he was going after those elusive holes-in-one. Ford, who is also a drummer, drums up See PEANUT, 23
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Fest: Officials with the Suffolk Peanut Fest have confirmed that Colt Ford, who is riding a recent wave of enormous popularity, will be among the entertainers performing at this year's event.
Peanut Festival
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F.Y.I., Suffolk News-Herald, Thursday, July 31, 2014 – Page 21
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enthusiasm with a fast-paced show that keeps his fans howling happily. “It’s fun playing music,” he said. “It makes people forget the bad stuff.” He is into some other “stuff,” too. He is a boots distributor. He is co-founder and head honcho of Average Joes Entertainment. “We manufacture and distribute,” he said. “We’re the only ones (in Nashville) that do it all. We are really an independent label.” As for his singing, he is in demand, recently doing concerts across the country, and in Canada. There is, of course, a down side. “It’s tough being away from home, my wife and kids.” “I know every time I step on that stage and see that crowd reaction that fans are hungry for something different, and I’m here to give it to them,” he said. His reasoning is appropriate for Suffolk: “The best time to sell peanuts is when the circus is in town.” When the rodeo is in town, you will hear a Ford product. He wrote, “Buck ‘Em” for the Professional Bull Riders Association, and “Huntin’ the World,” the award-winning theme song of the Outdoor Channel. Fans are proud to realize that, to Ford, God, country, and family are top priority. You will notice that a cross is in sight during the entire show. “I talk about everyday, real country life, and I believe in real country values — God, family, friends and hard work. If that ain’t country, I don’t know what is.” But keep this in mind. You and the kids will
have a wild, fun time. Ford never quiets down. The show is, as the early rockers put it, “crazy, man, crazy.” You will hear some familiar songs, this time with that “special” beat — songs popularized by the likes of John Anderson, Toby Keith, Gene Watson — songs like “No Trash In My Trailer,” “Swingin’” and his highest charting single, “Back.” The gospeler, “Washed In the Blood,” becomes “Washed In the Mud.” A concert favorite is Charlie Daniels’ “The Devil Went Down To Georgia.” He does Jerry Reed’s, “Amos Moses” and Johnny Cash’s “A Boy Named Sue.” How country can you get? Rain or shine, sick or well, Ford will be on stage at the Fest. He said his fans “will never see me just go through the motions. I’ve been up there with a 103-degree fever, during a bout with kidney stones, and when I’m beyond tired — but that adrenaline and those crowds guarantee they’ll know this fat Georgia boy is giving them every single thing he’s got.” With that in mind, this recommendation is obvious. Head for Peanut Fest, and head for Colt Ford’s show. The 2014 Peanut Festival is set for Oct. 9-12 this year. Schedules have not yet been announced. Visit www.suffolkfest.org for more information.
TRACY AGNEW/SUFFOLK NEWS-HERALD
Mr. Peanut: A statue of Mr. Peanut stands at Character Corner at the intersection of Main and Washington streets in downtown Suffolk. It was put there by the Planters company in honor of the 75th anniversary of Mr. Peanut and to recognize local businesses that "exemplify true character through active and successful business-school partnerships."
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Continued from page 16 150 N. Main St. 514-4000
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Continued from page 18 539-8751 Magnolia United Methodist Church 1764 Wilroy Road 538-8552 Oxford Methodist Church 601 W. Washington St. 539-8253 Providence United Methodist Church 3105 Providence Road 539-9582 Somerton United Methodist Church 8610 Whaleyville Blvd. 639-7701 Virginia Korean United Methodist Church 5701 Lee Farm Lane 484-5988 Whaleyville United Methodist Church 6312 Whaleyville Blvd. 986-4587 Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church 220 Kings Highway 255-2259 Beech Grove United Methodist Church 4251 Driver Lane 538-8353
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Continued from page 16 201 N. Sixth St. 539-7026 Pentecostals of Suffolk 641 Carolina Road 539-4848
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