Suffolk Living Jan./Feb. 2012

suffolklivingmag.com

The Love Edition

The City, The Legacy & ThE Old Wooden Boat

januar y/februar y 2012 • vol. 3, no. 1

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contents | jan. - feb. 2012

EDITORIAL R.E. Spears III Editor Tracy Agnew News Editor Emily R. Collins Staff Writer Beth Beck Land Staff Writer news@suffolklivingmag.com

ADVERTISING Sue Holley General Manager Sue Barnes Marketing Consultant Brett Carter Marketing Consultant Earl Jones Marketing Consultant Tina Louise Harris Marketing Consultant sales@suffolklivingmag.com

PRODUCTION Troy Cooper Designer Suffolk Living is published six times per year

by Suffolk Publications, LLC. P.O. Box 1220, Suffolk, VA 23439 www.suffolklivingmag.com (757) 539-3437

Advertising rates and information available upon request.

Subscriptions are $16 annually in-state; $20 annually out-of-state; $24 for international subscriptions.

Please make checks payable to Suffolk Publications, LLC PO Box 1220, Suffolk, VA 23439

Inside this edition

7

Suffolk Events

You might be tempted to close the doors, light a fire and snuggle under a warm blanket for the next two months, but if you do that, you’ll miss some great events in Suffolk. Check the calendar to find out what’s happening in the world outside your den.

Labor of Love

20

Love bites

F

ood and love are so well intertwined in western sensibilities that any celebration of one must without exception include at least some acknowledgement of the other. Valentine’s Day, for example, hardly would be complete for many lovers without chocolates, champagne or a special meal celebrated with candlelight and soft music.

It’s not necessary to go out and spend a lot of money to make that special someone feel extra special on this lovely day. Send the kids to visit Grandma, dim the lights, put on a little romantic music and all that’s missing is a little something to satisfy the appetite.

And you can worry about washing the dishes tomorrow.

INGREDIENTS 43/4 cup dried cherries (about 5 ounces), 43 Tbsp brandy (or cognac) 43 Tbsp water 41 Tbsp sugar 41/2 of an 18.25 oz box Red Velvet cake mix (about 2 cups lightly filled) 42 large eggs, beaten (see Cook’s Note) 42 Tbsp oil 41/4 cup + 1 tsp water 43 Tbsp butter 4Dark chocolate, shaved or grated 4Whipped cream (optional) 4Powdered sugar (optional)

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.”

PREPARATION Coarsely chop about 1/4 cup of the cherries and set aside.

In a small saucepan, simmer the brandy for a minute to evaporate the alcohol (you can flame off the alcohol instead if you’re feeling theatrical), then add the water and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar, add the whole and chopped cherries, and cook for a few minutes until the cherries soften and plump up a bit. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine the cake mix, eggs, oil and water in a mixing bowl until just thoroughly blended (don’t overmix). If batter seems too thick, add another tablespoon of water. Cook the pancakes in a nonstick pan over medium heat. You want to cook these a little slower than regular pancakes because you don’t want them to brown too much. Keep them warm in a low oven.

When ready to serve, reheat the cherries and whisk in the 3 tablespoons of butter. Spoon the cherry butter over the pancakes and shave or grate some dark chocolate over the top. Decorate with whipped cream or powdered sugar, if desired.

“Cooking is at once child's play and adult joy. And cooking done with care is an act of love.”

“There is no love sincerer than the love of food.”

25

suffolk living 25

Have you seen this image around Suffolk?

Guess the location correctly and you could win a $25 gift certificate.

I Do

Not everyone who gets married in Suffolk chooses a church ceremony with a ring bearer, bridesmaids and groomsmen. Many of those who do so still look for ways to make their special day unique. Sometimes that happens regardless of the original plans. Those experiences become special memories for the people who conduct the ceremonies.

True Love After 57 years, there aren’t many surprises for Billye and Bob Walton. There aren’t many arguments, either. Which is not to say that there’s never any disagreement or frustration.

But true love never gives up.

34

Food and love go hand in hand. Try a couple of new recipes this year to give your beloved a taste of your affection.

RED VELVET CAKE PANCAKES WITH BRANDIED CHERRY BUTTER

As a native of Eclipse and a former waterman, Bill Keeling has been on and around boats all his life. For the past 17 years, though, when he says he’s been working on a boat, he means he’s repairing, restoring or completely rebuilding some antique beauty. His latest project is sure to make a splash.

26

18

18 suffolk living

where am I?

I

n each edition the Suffolk Living staff provides a challenge of sorts, testing how much of Suffolk you really know. We photograph some location in Suffolk that is readily accessible and open to the public, and see if you can tell us where it is.

If you know where this photo was taken, submit your answer, along with your name and contact information to news@ suffolklivingmag.com. If you’re right, you will be entered for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to any one of our partner advertisers.

So, if you know where this is, let us know. If you’re right, you could be a winner.

Go out and enjoy Suffolk!

32 TV GGP ML

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Photo Contest

We received nearly 200 entries from photographers around Suffolk and the surrounding area for the first Suffolk Living Amateur Photo Contest. Picking the best was a tough job. Take a look at which images made the cut.

The Love Issue

7& 7& -0 -07 & -0 LK SUF FO

On the cover: Photograph by R.E. Spears III

jan ua r

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ua r y 20

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suffolk living 7

what to do

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Downstairs at the Center — An Evening of Opera & Broadway

1/7-1/28 — Winterim: "Forever Green" Location: Suffolk Art Gallery, 118 Bosley Ave. The Suffolk Art Gallery hosts its “Winterim: Forever Green” exhibit to honor the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouting. This exhibit is being curated by the Girl Scout Council of Colonial Coast and will feature artifacts, photographs and other ephemera. "Forever Green” will be on display through Jan. 28. A closing reception will be held on Jan. 28 to coincide with the annual Craft Expo.

1/21 — Scrapbook for a Cure Location: Benn’s United Methodist Church, 14571 Benns Church Road The Cancer Kickers Isle of Wight/Surry Relay for Life team will host a Scrapbook for a Cure event from 1 to 11 p.m. Cost is $25 a person. For more information or to RSVP, call Barb Collins at 238-9239 or email JWCANBAC@aol.com.

Winterim: "Forever Green"

1/21 — Downstairs at the Center — An Evening of Opera & Broadway Location: Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, 110 W. Finney Ave. Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts will host Downstairs at the Center — An Evening of Opera & Broadway at 8 p.m. Sung by world-class young artists, the show features soaring opera arias and the top Broadway melodies from the world’s greatest composers.

Complimentary coffee and sweets will be served, and a cash bar will be available. Cost is $25. For tickets, call 923-2900 or visit www.suffolkcenter.org.

Scrapbook for a Cure

1/28 — Annual Craft Expo Location: King’s Fork Middle School, 350 Kings Fork Road The Suffolk Art Gallery is sponsoring its third annual Craft Expo from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fine crafters will be displaying and selling a variety of items. For more information, call Debbie Hill at 514-7284 or email dhill@ suffolkva.us.

1/28 — Southern Hospitality Gala fundraiser Location: Hilton Garden Inn, 100 E. Constance Road The Nansemond River Pilot Club will host its Southern

Annual Craft Expo

Send us your news To submit your calendar or news item, simply email it to: news@suffolklivingmag.com

8 suffolk living

what to do

Hospitality Gala fundraiser at 7 p.m. There will be dinner, dancing and a silent auction. Tickets are $40 per person and include a semi-formal dinner and two drink tickets. Proceeds benefit the Alzheimer’s Association, Project Lifesaver, Social Butterflies Club, March of Dimes, Brain Injury Association, American Cancer Society and the Children’s Center. Tickets are available at Suffolk Insurance or by calling Beck Adams or Nancy Rountree at 539-9988.

1/28 — Clay Jenkinson as J. Robert Oppenheimer Location: Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, 110 W. Finney Ave. Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, 110 W. Finney Ave., will present Clay Jenkinson as J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb and the epitome of the Twentieth Century Man, at 8 p.m. From making important contributions to science and managing the Manhattan Project in 1942 to his eventual fall from grace during the Cold War, this show provides an opportunity to explore Oppenheimer’s complexities. Cost is $25. For tickets, call 923-2900 or visit www.suffolkcenter.org.

1/28-2/5 — Nansemond-Suffolk Academy Art Show and Sale Location: Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, 3373 Pruden Blvd.

View and purchase the works of more than 150 artists at the Nansemond-Suffolk Academy art show and sale, set for Jan. 28 through Feb. 5.

A variety of art, including oil paintings, blown glasswork and jewelry, will be featured. Proceeds from the sale go to the NSA fine arts department.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 28, 1 to 4 p.m.

Jan. 29, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Jan. 30 through Feb. 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 29 and 1 to 4 p.m. Feb. 5.

For more information, call 539-8789.

2/4 — Big Tent Cabaret Road Show Location: Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, 110 W. Finney Ave. Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, 110 W. Finney Ave., will present the Big Tent Cabaret Road Show

by Paperhand Puppet Intervention at 2 p.m. Cost is $15 for adults and $7 for kids. For tickets, call 923-2900 or visit www.suffolkcenter.org.

2/7-3/2 — Exhibit of Excellence Location: Suffolk Art Gallery, 118 Bosley Ave. The Suffolk Art League presents its Exhibit of Excellence, a juried exhibition of 10th-, 11th- and 12th-graders in Suffolk. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call 925-0448.

2/9 — “Isn’t it Iconic” Location: Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, 110 W. Finney Ave. Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, 110 W. Finney Ave., will present “Isn’t it Iconic” by Chicago City Limits, the legendary improv theater company, at 7:30 p.m. The company will take aim at the cultural icons of our day using its unique style of comedy

and audience-inspired improvisations. Cost is $25.

For tickets, call 923-2900 or visit www.suffolkcenter. org.

2/11 — Sweetheart Ball Location: Suffolk Shrine Club, 500 Elizabeth St. The annual Sweetheart Ball will be held from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Suffolk Shrine Club, 500 Elizabeth St. Tickets are $35 per couple and includes two raffle tickets for gift baskets. The event is Bring Your Own Beer and is for 21 and over only.

2/18 — Womanless Beauty Pageant Location: Wilroy Baptist Church, 306 Williams Road The 12th annual Womanless Beauty Pageant will be held at Wilroy Baptist Church, 306 Williams Road. The tickets go on sale Jan. 2 and can be purchased at Ray’s Floral Shop, 430 N. Main St. Tickets are $20 and include dinner. Proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. For more information, call 934-6270 or 650-0667.

2/25-2/26 — Suffolk Art League’s 2012 Antique Show and Sale Location: King’s Fork Middle School, 350 Kings Fork Road The Suffolk Art League will host its 2012 Antique Show and Sale on Feb. 25 and 26. The show will feature 40 antiques and collectibles dealers..

Proceeds from the event go to the Suffolk Art League. Call 925-0448 for more information.

suffolk living 9

suffolk scene CE&H OYSTER ROAST

The Crittenden, Eclipse and Hobson Ruritan Club’s annual oyster roast is one of the premier events in the community each year, attracting hundreds of people eager to enjoy oysters, clam chowder, entertainment and fellowship. Clockwise from right: Jim Backus shovels oysters onto a table for folks to enjoy; Suffolk residents (from left) Derrick Burrus, Tim Sutton, Stephanie Sutton and R.B. Burrus III spend some time together; Linda Wright of Suffolk, left, and daughter Kathryn Wright take a break from the festivities; and Laurie Haynie and husband Ted of Solomons Island, Md., are glad to be in town to taste the huge Nansemond River oysters.

Photos by R.E. SPears III

10 suffolk living

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suffolk living 11

suffolk scene SugarPlum Tea

Among the beloved traditional events in Suffolk during the Christmas season are the annual performance of The Nutcracker by Ballet Virginia and the Sugar Plum Tea that precedes the ballet at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts. Dancers and hostesses mingled with excited young girls and their parents for the event in December. Clockwise, from below: Coral Featherer, 6, of Virginia Beach, awaits an autograph from Brooke Starling of Suffolk, who was serving as one of the event’s hostesses; dancers Hannah Vincent, Olivia Hennessy and Jayla Coco chat during the tea; dancers head downstairs into the SCCA ballroom to meet their young fans; and Wendy Barnes of Suffolk signs an autograph for Alex Belter, 4, of Capron.

Photos by R.E. SPEARS III

12 suffolk living

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suffolk living 13

suffolk scene Wreath Laying Ceremony

Volunteers gathered at the Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery on Dec. 10 to lay Christmas wreaths on every gravesite for the holiday season. Clockwise from left, each stone received a wreath thanks to the generous donations of supporters; Musician 3rd Class Steve Freeman of the U.S. Fleet Forces Band played “Taps” at the conclusion of the ceremony; Jennifer Price and her son Taylor, 7, read the name, dates and service on a headstone before adorning it with a wreath; Dr. David Lotz plays “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes; Carol McClelland sits at her husband Harry’s gravesite during the ceremony.

Photos by TRACY AGNEW

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suffolk scene Care Advantage fundraiseR

Care Advantage held a Casino Night fundraiser for the Alzheimer's Association at the Hilton Garden Inn Suffolk Riverfront in November. Clockwise from right: Curtis and Edith Ralph (with feathers) and Jemil and Qua Cummins of Suffolk enjoy their evening together; Faith & David Gutierrez of Chesapeake had a health care nurse from Care Advantage look after their 13-year-old daughter so they could attend the event; Tanya Bangley, Trisha Mulder, Gayle Lowdermilk, Jodi Morse and Steve Tynes take a break from the casino games; Jodi Morse wins a centerpiece.

Photos by KATE ARCHER

16 suffolk living

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suffolk living 17

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18 suffolk living

Love bites

F

ood and love are so well intertwined in western sensibilities that any celebration of one must include at least some acknowledgement of the other. Valentine’s Day, for example, hardly would be complete for many lovers without chocolates, champagne or a special meal celebrated with candlelight and soft music.

It’s not necessary to go out and spend a lot of money to make that special someone feel extra special on this lovely day. Send the kids to visit Grandma, dim the lights, put on a little romantic music and all that’s missing is a little something to satisfy the appetite.

And you can worry about washing the dishes tomorrow.

Red Velvet Cake Pancakes With Brandied Cherry Butter Ingredients 43/4 cup dried cherries (about 5 ounces) 43 Tbsp brandy (or cognac) 43 Tbsp water 41 Tbsp sugar 41/2 of an 18.25 oz box Red Velvet cake mix (about 2 cups lightly filled) 42 large eggs, beaten 42 Tbsp oil 41/4 cup + 1 tsp water 43 Tbsp butter 4Dark chocolate, shaved or grated 4Whipped cream (optional) 4Powdered sugar (optional)

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.”

“Cooking is at once child's play and adult joy. And cooking done with care is an act of love.”

- Craig Claiborne

- Charles M. Schulz

Preparation Coarsely chop about 1/4 cup of the cherries and set aside.

In a small saucepan, simmer the brandy for a minute to evaporate the alcohol (you can flame off the alcohol instead if you’re feeling theatrical), then add the water and sugar.

Stir to dissolve the sugar, add the whole and chopped cherries, and cook for a few minutes until the cherries soften and plump up a bit.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine the cake mix, eggs, oil and water in a mixing bowl until just thoroughly blended (don’t overmix). If batter - George Bernard Shaw seems too thick, add another tablespoon of water. Cook the pancakes in a non-stick pan over medium heat. You want to cook these a little slower than regular pancakes, because you don’t want them to brown too much. Keep them warm in a low oven.

When ready to serve, reheat the cherries and whisk in the 3 tablespoons of butter. Spoon the cherry butter over the pancakes and shave or grate some dark chocolate over the top. Decorate with whipped cream or powdered sugar, if desired.

“There is no love sincerer than the love of food.”

Courtesy of huggingthecoast.com

suffolk living 19

Crab-Stuffed Filet Mignon Recipe Ingredients 41/2 cup lump crabmeat, drained 42 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese 41 tablespoon chopped green onion 41 teaspoon butter, melted 42 beef tenderloin steaks (6 ounces each) 41/4 teaspoon salt 41/8 teaspoon pepper Preparation 4In a small bowl, combine the crabmeat, cheese, onion and butter.

4Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Cut a horizontal slit through each steak to within 1/2 in. of the opposite side, forming a pocket. Fill with 1/2 cup crab mixture. Secure with kitchen string if necessary.

4Broil 4 in. from the heat for 7-9 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 145°; medium, 160°; well-done, 170°). Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 2 servings.

Courtesy of www.tasteofhome.com

“Don't let love interfere with your appetite. It never does with mine.”

- Anthony Trollope

20 suffolk living

labor of love

Eclipse man dedicates years to an old wooden boat

story and photography by R.E. Spears III

T

he air is thick with mahogany dust.

It has been trapped in the space by the blue tarps that hang over and around the entire area where Bill Keeling has been at work with an electric sander for a couple of hours.

It’s just another morning aboard the M.V. Nymph, a 75-foot Double Ender motor yacht built in 1913 by Matthews Boat Co. Keeling and Capt. C.J. “Sam” Wright,

the project manager, have been restoring and rebuilding the old wooden boat for a client for three years.

The work site is in a small boat storage and repair lot on Shipwright Street in Portsmouth, a dozen miles or so from Keeling’s workshop on Bleakhorn Road in Eclipse. The tarps keep the elements out and a bit of heat inside, but they also hide the scale of this project.

If the men stay on schedule — admit-

tedly a daunting task for such a large project — by the time the yacht turns 100, she will look just as beautiful as she was the day she was launched in Port Clinton, Ohio.

Keeling expects that to be a big day in Eclipse, where the completed project finally will be unveiled.

“It’s going to be a show-stopper,” he says of the Nymph. “There’s nothing out there like it.”

See KEELING page 22

suffolk living 21

A beat-up old photo of the M.V. Nymph is one of only a few images Bill Keeling and Sam Wright have had available as they work to return the 75-foot wooden yacht to its original condition, circa 1913. Keeling, at right, has performed much of the work himself, and the vast majority of it by hand.

22 suffolk living

Bill Keeling, a native of Eclipse, has worked on and around boats all his life, and a family that has included boat carpenters and homebuilders helped teach him about fine woodworking. Those careers come together as he works to rebuild and restore the Nymph, whose main salon will be a bright and airy place with gleaming mahogany when the project is done.

KEELING continued from page 20

And Keeling should know. Since 1995, he and Wright have partnered on two other complete restorations — Frolic, a 1939 44-foot Elco Cruisette, and Hiawatha, a 1937 53-foot Elco Commuter.

“It’s an enjoyable way to make a living if you’re crazy enough to do it and you’re not interested in making a lot of money,” Keeling says.

Between the major projects like rebuilding Frolic, Hiawatha and Nymph and the smaller ones like repairing the workboats and skiffs that are more common sights around Eclipse, Keeling has stayed busy working on boats ever since he came ashore from working aboard them as a waterman in 1995.

Born and raised in Eclipse, Keeling has spent his life surrounded by watermen and the tools of their trade.

Whether on the water or off, he has never been far from boats. A great-uncle was a boat carpenter, he says, and he remembers his father building a boat when he was a boy. In high school, it was his turn, and Keeling re-

members learning about the important “scarf joint” during a project on an old wooden skiff.

“I love boats,” he says. “It’s all I’ve done all my life.”

Since retiring from the life of a waterman, though, he’s learned that he loves building boats more than running them.

“I enjoy problem-solving,” he explains.

“This is just a series of problems.”

Which is a nice way of saying that restoring an old boat is an immense undertaking that is always more expensive and more involved than the owner or restorer can hope for.

When Keeling and Wright found Nymph moored in the Florida Keys, they knew she was the right yacht for their client, but they also knew that he’d want her restored to original condition. That would mean removing a superstructure that had been built above the deck; replacing most of the keels and stern stem; rebuilding cabins, decks and windows; replacing all of the electrical, plumbing, heat, water, engine and propulsion systems with See KEELING page 23

'You can cut corners on a house, but once you cut corners on a boat, you’re taking risks.'

Capt. C.J. “Sam” Wright — project manager

suffolk living 23 KEELING continued from page 22

modern ones; and reworking just about everything that remained.

“The owner wants it original, and I’m doing it as close as I can,” Keeling says.

All he’s had for guidance, though, are a couple of black-and-white photos and the original construction documents from 1912, which described many of the materials used but included no drawings or photos to show how they looked.

Just a series of problems.

Rebuilding a boat is by definition a long and arduous process. Keeling spent five and a half months on his knees replacing the northeast white pine deck boards, and without the modern invention of glue, he says, that work could have taken much longer. He regards his electric planer with a similar sense of appreciation for the time it has saved him.

But even with the help of technology, the work is done by hand — and sometimes without power tools at all.

And rebuilding the boat still means confronting a series of problems, each of which requires a thoughtful solution.

“You can cut corners on a house, but once you cut corners on a boat, you’re taking risks,” Wright says.

For all the problem-solving, all the crawling around on hands and knees, all the sanding and planning and gluing and, eventually, varnishing — and with another year or so of work remaining — 66-year-old Keeling wonders if this will be the last big project.

“This one seems to be the retirement job, I think,” he says. “I’m too old to be working all the time.”

But then he turns to Nymph’s salon enclosure, with its broad-curved ends, places a rough and calloused hand on the mahogany he’s been sanding and begins explaining the difficulties inherent in rebuilding such a structure.

Wright grins and gives a slight, understanding shake of his head. “He’s crazy about these old wooden boats,” he says. ←

The one tool he’d never part with, Bill Keeling says, is his electric planer, but much of the work he’s done on the Nymph has been hand-powered, just as it would have been done in the old days. Chisels and handsaws, like this 1940s model given to him by a friend, are among his most valued tools.

24 suffolk living

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suffolk living 25

where am I?

I

n each edition the Suffolk Living staff provides a challenge of sorts, testing how much of Suffolk you really know. We photograph some location in Suffolk that is readily accessible and open to the public, and see if you can tell us where it is.

If you know where this photo was taken, submit your answer, along with your name and contact information to news@ suffolklivingmag.com. If you’re right, you will be entered for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to any one of our partner advertisers.

So, if you know where this is, let us know. If you’re right, you could be a winner.

Go out and enjoy Suffolk!

26 suffolk living

nuptial bliss

A

I do

story by Emily R. Collins photography by R.E. Spears III & Troy Cooper

s the marriage commissioner for Suffolk, Circuit Court Clerk Randy Carter Jr. is no stranger to out-of-the-box wedding ceremonies.

During his tenure as clerk of the court, he has performed quickie ceremonies for soldiers tying the knot before deployment and for couples getting married for the second time each. He’s even re-married a bride and groom who had been married to each other before.

None of those nuptials, however, soared quite so high as the couple Carter pronounced husband and wife hundreds of feet above Chuckatuck Creek.

“They came into my office and asked me if I did weddings outside of the office,” he said. “I told them, ‘Of course I do.’”

“Then, they asked, ‘Would you do one in an airplane?’”

The groom-to-be and his fiancée were associated with the Hampton Roads Executive Airport and wanted to do something that would reflect their shared interest on their special day. So a few days later, Carter took a seat in a small plane with a pilot and the couple, and watched the wedding guests fade into the distance as the airplane left the ground.

“We did it all over the intercom, so I had the headset on the whole time,” he said. “I had to have a mic, too, because the people on the ground were listening.”

Everything went swimmingly until the pilot decided to make a tight circle in the sky to signify the couple’s union.

“I had a stomach virus that weekend, and he goes into this tight turn, and my stomach starts to rise,” Carter recalled. “The couple looked at me and asked if I was OK.” “As soon as I get back on the ground, I’ll be fine,” he told them.

Carter has seen plenty of unusual things as Suffolk’s marriage commissioner, but he isn’t the only one in Suffolk with unusual memories of “I do.”

Anyone who has been a pastor for long will have collected his own share of wedding stories, and Carl LeMon of Ebenezer United Methodist Church has a couple of favorites.

Out of the hundreds of weddings he’s performed, LeMon said, one couple stands out in memory.

When the couple came to LeMon asking him to perform the ceremony, they refused to go through the usual steps, including receiving counseling from him.

“They just wanted to get married and do it as quickly as possible,” he said.

See Marriage page 27

suffolk living 27

Joe Alvarez and Susan Blair were the first Americans to be married in Oderzo, Italy, Suffolk's sister city. Below inset, them on their wedding day. At left, they still are in love.

MARRIAGE continued from page 26

Though he prefers to have counseling sessions with couples he marries, LeMon agreed, and soon enough it was time for the big day.

“They had told me they wanted to do a unity candle,” he recalled. “I had gone over the details with them to use the candles from either side of the unity candle and light it together.”

Apparently, the instructions did not stick with them.

“When the time came to light the candle, they both pulled out their Bic lighters and lit it together,” LeMon said.

Tim Piland of Nansemond River Baptist Church has performed many wedding ceremonies and has had to deal with plenty of little mishaps — like the time a ring bearer flung the rings across the sanctuary while waving his pillow around like a Frisbee.

But one couple who asked Piland to perform their wedding ceremony almost stopped the marriage dead in its tracks before they even had a chance to say, “I do.”

“We had gone through the whole rehearsal, and it was time for the wedding,” Piland said.

Minutes before the ceremony was to take place, he went to the groom with a logistical problem.

“I told him I needed the license,” Piland said.

“What license?” the groom asked.

The hapless groom didn’t know he and his

bride needed a license to wed.

Left with quite the predicament and a church full of guests waiting to hear the first chords of “Here Comes the Bride,” Piland wasn’t sure what to do. But the bride came to save the day.

“It just so happened the bride had an aunt that worked at City Hall,” he said. “They went in, and they rushed it through.

“But it was a touchy moment.”

Some unforgettable wedding moments happen because of a lack of planning. But one Suffolk couple’s memorable ceremony took plenty of preparation.

Although Susan Blair and Joe Alvarez were married in a civil ceremony in 2002, they always had hoped to have a more elaborate affair later.

Both Susan and Joe are very involved with the Sister Cities program Suffolk has with Oderzo, Italy, and their numerous trips to Italy inspired their wedding.

“We were in Italy in 2006, and we thought, ‘Wow, what a great place to get married,’” Susan said.

At first, they just wanted to renew their vows in the picturesque town, but Italy’s laws wouldn’t allow it.

“In Italy, they don’t do (vow renewals),” she

said. “You have to get married again.”

But the couple was determined to push through the mountains of paperwork and to do whatever it took to exchange vows in Italy.

As it turned out, the wedding was a big day for the whole town. As Susan and Joe passed through the village in an antique Fiat, it seemed that everyone had turned out to see them.

“People were out of their doors and waving,” Susan said. “I thought, ‘What are they waving at?’”

When Susan and Joe said their vows in the city’s municipal building, a crowd gathered there, too.

“I didn’t think we’d have that many people there but when we showed up, there were lots of people,” she said.

It turned out Susan and Joe were the first Americans to wed in Oderzo.

Though many couples opt for the traditional ceremony in their hometown church with a reception to follow, many veer off that path to follow their hearts.

Those weddings, as the Blairs and others in Suffolk can attest, make fond, lingering memories for participants and their guests, alike. ←

28 suffolk living

news happenings Renovations complete, Obici House opens for business

A

mong all the things there are to love about the historic home, Rhonda Rowe’s favorite thing about Obici House is the fact that it wasn’t always standing on the “fairy-tale” site where it does now.

It has been a long journey for the stately mansion that overlooks the 18th hole at Suffolk’s Sleepy Hole Golf Course.

The quiet farmhouse that would eventually become the sprawling Obici House was built in the 1870s at Bay Point Dairy Farm Estate. Obici purchased it in 1924 and had it moved to the shores of the Nansemond River, where he set about a 7,000-square-foot expansion that resulted in the Italianate structure that is so familiar today.

By 2010, the home had fallen into such disrepair the city had posted “No Trespassing” signs, and rumors were widespread that it was in danger of demolition.

Ronnie Rountree, who leases the golf course from the city, hesitated to get involved, but eventually proposed a renovation that would convert the home to a golfers’ lounge, pro shop, restaurant and special events venue.

In the end, almost everything — from the roof to the walls to the floor, even the columns that give the entryway its distinctive style — had to be fixed or touched up or replaced with as close to the original as could be found or made.

“When we ripped out the kitchen, we found the only thing that was holding the floor together was the tile and grout.

There were no beams and support; that had all rotted off,” said Rhonda Rowe, Rountree’s daughter and the manager of the Obici House restaurant and its special events. “The back porch was falling off. We had to peel 17 coats of paint off one of the columns.”

But by the end of 2011, the elegantly restored Obici House was open for business.

“Now that it’s done, I’m glad we did it,” Rountree said. “You get into it and you fall in love with it.”

“We’re amazed almost every day as we go into the house, how well it was put back together and in such good shape,” said Rowe. “To know the time and energy

a lovely legacy story by Beth Beck Land photography by Troy Cooper

See OBICI page 29

suffolk living 29 OBICI continued from page 28

it took to recreate the house, how it looks like it's always been there — I’m in awe.”

Since the house’s completion last year, several parties, events and luncheons have been held, including a successful New Year’s Eve bash.

“Nobody left early, which is wonderful and which I think is a sign of a good party,” said Rowe. “When everyone was leaving at the end of the night, they all hugged and it was like one big happy family.”

That’s the Rountree family’s plan for Obici House — to make visitors feel at home, whether they are there for an impromptu tour, a leisurely lunch or their own wedding.

“I think one of our strengths as a venue is the fact that you come there, and we try to make you part of the family,” she said. “We want you to be a part of the Obici House and not just a customer.”

Nearly 30 weddings already are planned for this year, and Rowe says she takes a half-dozen calls a day asking about availability. Besides weddings and other special events, The Sunroom restaurant — open Wednesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner and for brunch on Sunday — aims to offer a wide variety of food, from fine dining to “hometown favorites.”

When Amedeo Obici died, his legacy to Suffolk included the house and a hospital. Today, Rowe said, her father hopes the newly renovated Obici House will be his own legacy.

“He does truly love the city of Suffolk. He has a heart for this city. And the Obici House is his legacy to the people of Suffolk.” ←

The Italianate mansion of Suffolk benefactor Amedeo Obici and his wife Louise has been remodeled to include a restaurant, golfers' lounge and pro shop for the Sleepy Hole Golf Course, where it sits on the 18th green.

Experience Cadillac.

Lydia Duke, President

dukeauto.com Main Street Suffolk 1-800-733-9325

30 suffolk living

Why we love Suffolk

Carol and Rebecca Warren

Evelyn Wall

where our hearts are

By Carol and Rebecca Warren

W

hy do we love Suffolk?

In Suffolk, we both have the pleasure of working for familyowned businesses, one in agriculture and one in architecture, and we see growth and prosperity that are a big part of Suffolk. We see the land used to help family businesses continually grow and prosper.

We love the wide-open fresh air and to see wildlife before our eyes — to see deer grazing, hear birds singing and watch bald eagles nesting and bears roaming is truly amazing.

We have experienced the pleasure of gaining education that leads to top universities, and of working in and learning the business of architecture and that of agriculture and knowing that this is only a portion of what Suffolk has to offer.

Yes, it is a great pleasure to have grown up in Suffolk and to live here today. We worship, we work, we live and we enjoy leisure time right here in Suffolk.

Within the rural village of Holland, community sports were important starting at a young age, when coaches volunteered their time to

make lasting memories and friendships and to help develop us into the people we are today.

We have been molded and driven to excel by classmates and school functions and competitive games.

In Suffolk, we have the pleasure of annual parades that bring joy to communities, and we love being involved and participating and seeing everyone come out and be a part of them. We have movies and community dinners, theater events, and doctors and hospitals nearby and a variety of local businesses right here in Suffolk. What better place to raise your children?

It comes from the heart to say we love all that Suffolk has to offer. From civic organizations to parks and recreation, Suffolk offers family entertainment and community support that brings families together with love.

Whether traveling north, south, east or west, Suffolk is the perfect place to come from and return to.

Suffolk public schools have served us well throughout the years. Fully engaged family members working together with the school system have shaped us into adults who care about giving back to our communities.

Kenda Council

That commitment to giving back, which is such an integral part of life in a place like Suffolk, manifests itself in many ways. Our small church family helps us in sharing, singing and teaching of God’s love within our quaint village. We have served on committees to support growth and caring for others. We work with our city officials to coordinate functions that bring neighbors outside to fellowship and work together in striving for unity and pride in our communities.

It’s a pleasure to live in Suffolk and to experience the love for this city as it continues to grow in our hearts. Suffolk is our home, the place where we make lifetime memories and the place where our hearts are. We hope that’s true for you, too. ← Carol Warren is a traffic clerk at Birdsong Peanuts. Her daughter, Rebecca, is an architectural student at Virginia Tech and has worked internships at McEntire Design.

purpose and meaning

By Evelyn Wall

S

uffolk has put purpose and meaning in my life.

My motto has always been one of my favorite Christian hymns, “Make Me a Blessing.” The last part of the chorus is, “Make me a blessing oh Lord I pray, make me a blessing to someone today.” Since I have retired, I want to always remember the impact that I made on other people’s lives and still am making today, with Suffolk being the major source of my goals.

After I completed my education with a major in secretarial science at Norfolk State University in 1964, the Suffolk City School Board gave me my first employment opportunity as a school secretary at Oakland Elementary School in October 1965.

In April 1971, the Suffolk News-Herald gave me my second employment opportunity. After I started from the bottom as a typesetter, they

in a nutshell…

T

By Kenda Goldberg Council

o love the place where you live, work and play is a special thing.

I am fortunate to have been raised in Suffolk and to now call it home. My husband, Michael, and I met as kindergartners at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy. We started dating in high school and dated all through college, while he attended Virginia Tech and I attended James Madison University. While dating, we never really talked about where we’d like to live when we got older; we just both knew that Suffolk would be our home one day. After we married, we moved to Suffolk and have enjoyed raising our two young daughters in the city where we grew up.

Suffolk makes me proud to be a citizen. This close-knit community is charming and special.

From an early age, I appreciated the things that make Suffolk unique.

To put it in a nutshell, Suffolk is a place …

4Where the fall brings the sights and

allowed me to write columns under the standing heads “Overcoming Adversities,” “Editorial Assistant” and one in honor of my name, “Off The Wall.” The columns gave me on-the-job training to work my way up to and finally retire as a staff writer. I also helped many people achieve their goals through those columns.

Sometimes, when I visit the fine restaurants and stores in downtown Suffolk or go to the city’s various medical facilities for checkups or medical services, I meet people who thank me for making their news available to the public.

Speaking of restaurants, the continuous growth of this fine city has brought with it many new places to eat with a variety of different cuisines for me to choose from. And the doctors and staff at Lakeview Medical Center on Meade Parkway have provided me with great service. If at any time I might need a specialist, I probably won’t have to go out of town to get one, because so many are located there at that facility.

sounds of the Peanut Festival. I remember attending the Suffolk Peanut Festival as a child and having a ball. Now, my children look forward each year to heading to the festival.

4Where you can head to the northern part of town for new shops or a movie. Where the bell rings at the dry cleaners when you pull up and they come out to your car to greet you and take your laundry. Or, where you hear a local business owner tell you, “I’ll just put that on your account and bill you.”

4Where being stuck in traffic means you had to sit for more than one cycle at a stoplight.

4Where you never really “lose” your maiden name — it always seems to matter.

4Where a handshake is still your word.

4Where it is customary to deliver a delicious treat to a new neighbor.

4Where you walk into the Planters Peanut Center and are immediately flooded with memories of your childhood.

4Where your house isn’t really ever “your house,” because it used to belong to Mr. and

suffolk living 31

To help me maintain my looks as a senior, my favorite beauty salon is just around the corner where I grew up on Lee Street. To stay fit, I take an aerobics class at East Suffolk Community Center, which is only a five-minute drive from my house. Therefore, I save gas by not traveling to other places, because the city of Suffolk offers plenty of places for me to shop, eat, and maintain good health within just a few minutes’ driving distance.

Even in retirement, I am still able to contribute to the Suffolk community, since I have been contracted as a line dance instructor at the East Suffolk Community Center.

Why do I love Suffolk? The city has given me many opportunities to be a blessing others.

And it has been and continues to be a blessing to me. ← Among other pursuits since she entered retirement, Evelyn Wall teaches line-dancing classes at the East Suffolk Community Center.

Mrs. So-and-So or the land on which your house now stands used to be The Old Suchand-Such.

4Where community service is an integral part of being a citizen.

4Where you can take a quick drive and see historic sites and homes, beautiful lakes, the Dismal Swamp or beautiful fields of cotton.

4Where you don’t have to be from here to become a part of the community. Someone who has moved into the area can quickly become an active member of Suffolk by becoming engaged in this community.

4Where you celebrate the roots and the history of the city, but look forward to all the future promises.

If you’re lucky, “home” is a word that evokes warmth, comfort and a sense of belonging.

Suffolk has been my home in the truest sense — always has been and, I hope, always will be. I am a proud Suffolkian, indeed! ← Kenda Council is director of advancement at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy and president of the Suffolk Rotary Club.

32 suffolk living

get to know

true love

story by Tracy Agnew photography by R.E. Spears III

Still going strong after 57 years

H

ad it not been for an exceptionally good matchmaker, Billye and Bob Walton might never have met.

These days, they’re a married couple of 57 years who moved to Lake Prince Woods in Suffolk 10 years ago to be closer to their daughter. But in the early 1950s, they lived in Georgia, where he was a forester and she was an elementary school teacher.

Bob and two other foresters lived in a bachelor pad in the middle of the woods, and one of them was dating a teacher colleague of Billye’s.

They met when the couple brought along two friends each on a group date, and the rest was history. Both blind dates ended up getting married.

After 57 years, Billye still isn’t sure if it was love at first sight.

“It was like at first sight, I know,” she says.

There were other dates — and some mishaps. One time, the

girls were late getting to the cabin for an outing. Billye swears it wasn’t her fault. The other girl, she says, was “notorious for being late.”

By the time they got there an hour after the arranged time, the boys had assumed they weren’t coming and went fishing. After spending an eerie afternoon sitting alone in the cabin in the Georgia forest, the girls left.

“It was a wonder we got back together after that,” Billye says now.

She knew he was serious when he took her home to meet his folks. But he didn’t know that.

“When I said something to him later, he said, ‘I didn’t know that meant that,’” she said. “He just wanted company on the trip.”

Eventually, the couple got married on June 13, 1954 (“but it wasn’t a Friday,” she says). They honeymooned at Fontana Dam in See WALTONS page 33

suffolk living 33 WALTONS continued from page 32

'If all the men in the world were in a heap, piled up, I’d be out there trying to find him, because he’s the only one I think I could live with.'

Billye Walton

North Carolina and set up a life together in Georgia.

They raised three children — Rebecca, Sylvia and Robert — and managed to stay married all those years. But it hasn’t been a bed of roses.

“People say you’re not supposed to go to bed angry,” she said. “We went to bed ready to kill each other. It wasn’t the thing to do to get divorced, so you stayed together.

I’ve often said with the young people today, if it had been that easy when we were that age, we might have gotten divorced.”

But that’s just hyperbole, she insists later.

“If all the men in the world were in a heap, piled up, I’d be out there trying to find him, because he’s the only one I think I could live with,” Billye said.

It’s been a rewarding 57 years, despite whatever twists and turns have come. The couple have traveled extensively together in North America, Europe and the Pacific. They now volunteer at Sentara Obici Hospital and Main Street United Methodist Church, where they are members. Bob also is the president of the resident association of Lake Prince Woods.

But there’s one thing they’ve never done — at least if you ask him.

“We never argue,” he claims. “But one of us will get mad and not say anything for a day or two — the silent treatment.”

What do they give the silent treatment for?

“Silly little things,” Billye says, seeming almost embarrassed to talk about any of their disagreements.

After 57 years together, it’s hardly surprising that the two — she’s 83, and he’s 82 — are always thinking the same things and can tell a story by trading sentences.

“I think any couple that’s together as long as we are, you get to know each other,” he said. “You don’t surprise each other much.”

When asked about what makes a marriage work, Bob is quick to answer.

“Compromise is probably the best way you look at it,” he said.

“That’s exactly what I would have said,” she adds.

To young couples about to get married, the Waltons are willing and qualified to dole out advice.

“I think so many of the young people today think, ‘I’m getting married so he can make me happy, and if he doesn’t make me happy I’ll find somebody else,’” she says. Those folks have it backwards, she adds. “You get married to make each other happy.”

Bob says his best advice is to truly know your partner before you get married.

“You need to talk with each other and be sure you know how each other feels about children, how you want to handle money,” he said. “These kinds of things you need to discuss. After you get married, if you disagree on those sort of things, that’s major.” ←

34 suffolk living

and the winners are ...

W

e asked for your participation, and boy did you respond.

Although things looked bleak for a while — with only one entry in our office in the weeks leading up to the deadline to enter our first Suffolk Living amateur photo contest — during the final days, the entries poured in.

By the time it was all over, we had received almost 200 entries from photographers who call Suffolk home and from others who were only visiting our fair city. They entered a dazzling array of photos in the four divisions, impressing the judges with their vision and talent.

Judging the contest were Suffolk Living editor Res Spears and designer Troy Cooper, both of whom have years of experience

Category: Action

shooting photos for Suffolk Living, the Suffolk News-Herald and other publications.

Joining them in the judging was Brenda Wright, owner of Shooting Star Gallery on North Main Street and an artist with a camera. Wright published a boo k of her own photography, I Have Come This Far, in 2001.

The following pages highlight the best of the photos we received. This year, we named winners and honorable mentions.

The true honor, however, was ours, in that so many area amateur photographers decided to let us look through their lenses with them.

Enjoy!

Photograph by Vincent Wright

Winner

Photograph by Cindy Baker

Honorable Mention

'I like the color.'

Troy Cooper — Graphic Designer & Photographer

suffolk living 35

Winner Photograph by Phillip Long

Category: Architecture Photograph by Mike Byrum

Honorable Mention

'I wish I had taken that one.'

Brenda Wright — Artist & Photographer

36 suffolk living Photograph by Phillip Long

Winner

Photograph by Erin o'Grady

Honorable Mentions

Photograph by Ryan Spruiell

Category: Outdoors

'There's something painterly about how that goes back.'

Brenda Wright — Artist & Photographer

suffolk living 37

Category: People

Photograph by MIKE BYRUM

Honorable Mention

Winner Photograph by Beth chabot

38 suffolk living

index of advertisers 18th Century Merchant......12

Massage Envy....................17

Academy Animal Care......10

Mike Duman......................19

Array 700...........................12

Nancy’s Calico Patch..........16

Bronco Fed. Credit Union...6

Nansemond Suffolk

Carter's Cabinets..............14

Academy...........................13

Celebration Church...........17

Obici House......................13

Charter Communications..24

Parker Oil Propane...........10

Chorey & Associates..........40

Rawlings Mechanical.........16

Davis Lakes.......................17

RL Howell & Associates....16

Denison's......................14

Sentara Healthcare..............3

D.B. Bowles Jewelers........12 Dr. Jett, Dr. Sellers...............8

State Farm Insurance Ken Deloach.....................12

Duke Automotive.........10, 29

Suffolk Insurance.................8

East End Baptist Church....17

Suffolk Quality Cleaners....14

Ellen Drames.......................2

Suffolk Sheet Metal............14

Farmer's Bank...................17

Uniquely Leo's...................14

Harbour Veterinary Office..13

Village at Woods Edge.......4

Holiday Inn Express...........38

Woodard Orthodontics.......7

Isle of Wight Academy.......16

Last edition’s Where Am I? The Where Am I? feature in the November/ December edition of Suffolk Living was apparently another tough one, which is understandable, considering that the church whose wall was pictured is near the end of what became a dead-end road when the Kings where am I? Highway Bridge I was demolished.

The star and initials on an exterior wall of St. John’s Episcopal Church near Chuckatuck, however, are memorable to those who have seen them. Jan Gates, a new Suffolk resident, won the contest and will receive a $25 gift certificate to the advertiser of her choice. Look on page 25 of this edition for a new photo and instructions on how to enter. suffolk living 33

n each edition the Suffolk Living staff provides a challenge of sorts, testing how much of Suffolk you really know. We photograph some location in Suffolk that is readily accessible and open to the public, and see if you can tell us where it is.

If you know where this photo was taken, submit your answer, along with your name and contact information to news@ suffolklivingmag.com. If you’re right, you will be entered for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to any one of our partner advertisers.

So, if you know where this is, let us know. If you’re right, you could be a winner.

Go out and enjoy Suffolk!

suffolk living 39

scrapbook

Young friends: Henry A. Rawls Jr. and Catherine Callis Howerton were friends in the early 1930s,

when this photo would have been taken, probably by Fred Hamblin, who had a studio on Main Street, where the Godwin Courts Building now stands. Hamblin was a well-respected photographer in Suffolk, known both for his portraiture and for his scenic photos.

— Photo courtesy of the Suffolk-Nansemond Historical Society