Suffolk Living by Suffolk News-Herald

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Gardens Suffolkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s old beaches and a traveling doctor

july/august 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ vol. 8, no. 4

2 suffolk living

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contents july - august | 2017 19

WHERE AM I? | Think you know Suffolk well? Then see if you can identify this photo.

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A healing hand

10 Dr. Craig Merrell has spent more than a year of his life on short-term missions of mercy with Operation Smile.

On the cover suffolklivingmag.com

Village Beaches

20 There was a time when a trip to the beach meant a short walk down the road for folks in Eclipse.

Gardens SUFFOLK’S OLD BEACHES AND A TRAVELING DOCTOR

july/august 2017 • vol. 8, no. 4

by R.E. Spears III

editor's note july - august

2017

Beaches in Suffolk?!

EDITORIAL R.E. Spears III Editor Tracy Agnew News Editor Alex Perry Photography news@suffolklivingmag.com

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When most folks in Suffolk think about beaches, they’re recalling a favorite spot along the Outer Banks, or, perhaps, the crowds of Virginia Beach or some isolated part of the Eastern Shore. But as summer takes hold, some people here can still remember the days when a day at the beach meant spending time with their toes in the sand alongside Chuckatuck Creek or the James River. For residents of the Eclipse and Crittenden communities, a trip to the beach once meant a short walk to the river. Hurricanes have mostly erased the evidence of those beaches by now, but we take a look back at those days in this edition of Suffolk Living with a reprint of a portion of the fine book “The River Binds Us: A Story Told by the People of Crittenden, Eclipse, and Hobson,” published by the Crittenden, Eclipse, and Hobson Heritage Foundation Inc., now known as Suffolk River Heritage. The fine folks of that organization have published a handful of historical books on Suffolk and Western Branch, and one would be hard-pressed to find more interesting and useful accounts of the area’s history. Visit www.suffolk-river-heritage.org for information about where to find your copy. I highly recommend them all. Another summertime tradition in Tidewater is gardening, and the Suffolk Master Gardeners are, well, masters at it. To see just how well their gardens grow, Tracy Agnew and I met a few of the organization’s members at Sleepy Hole Park recently. That’s one of several locations around the city where they have planted and maintained what I have come to think of as little oases of beauty. On the July morning when we visited the Sleepy Hole garden, it seemed as if there was a bee or a butterfly or a moth flitting around nearly every red, yellow, orange and blue flower. There were children shouting in the playground nearby, parks and recreation employees were cutting the grass, and cars and trucks passed back and forth along the adjacent park road. But inside the garden, there was a peaceful atmosphere, an encouragement to have a seat on a nearby bench and just enjoy the moment. Have a look at some of what the Master Gardeners do on Page 26. Dr. Craig Merrell knows something about sowing and reaping, too. Through dozens of trips abroad with Operation Smile, he has sown the seeds of compassion in countries around the globe. Watching him as he describes the results of surgeries to repair cleft lips and palates, as well as operations that saved lives in places like Haiti, it’s clear that he has reaped much joy from his experiences. Merrell estimates that he and his family have spent a year and a half of their lives on these short-term trips of mercy. Oh, and he met Harrison Ford and flew with the actor on his private plane on one of those trips, so you might want to cue up the Star Wars music while you’re reading that feature. Enjoy your summer, and God bless. Res Spears, Editor

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

suffolk living 7

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

Nansemond Indian Powwow Saturday/Sunday August 19 and 20

The Nansemond Indian Tribe will hold its annual powwow from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. There will be Native American Traditional and Fancy Dancers, audience and two-step dances. Enjoy arts, crafts and jewelry vendors; a quarter-mile walking trail; and more. Food sales will include Native American fry bread to make tacos, beverages, hamburgers, hot dogs, barbecue and chips. The event is free. Grand Entry, including presentation of colors, the introductions of chiefs and a Veterans' Dance, takes place at noon Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Bring your lawn chairs. Neither alcohol nor dogs are allowed. The site is located off Route 10 on Pembroke Lane, which is opposite Oakland Elementary School in Chuckatuck.

suffolk living 9

what to do Continuing July 29-Aug. 26

As the first-place winner of the Suffolk Art League's annual Juried Exhibition in 2016, Hank Pugh has the opportunity to present an exhibit at the Suffolk Art Gallery, located at 118 Bosley Ave. The exhibition is free, and the gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from 1 to 5 p.m. on Sundays. For more information, visit www.suffolkartleague.org. Friday July 21

Create a masterpiece of your own at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts’ Art and “Wine-ing” Workshop. Learn a bit about different artists and try your brush on the canvas. Art supplies and inspiration are provided. Just bring yourself and your friends, and leave everything else at the door. It’s a great date night or friends’ night out. No experience is necessary. The cost is $40, and registration is limited to 13 people 21 and older. Call 923-0003 to register. Saturday July 22

The Riddick’s Folly House Museum, located at 510 N. Main St., will host an American Girl program, “Meet Kitt Kittredge.” There will be three sittings — at 10 and 11:30 a.m. and at 1 p.m. — for this free program. Space is limited, and reservations are required. Ages 5 and up are welcome. Call for reservations at 9340822 or visit www.riddicksfolly.org for more information. Tuesday August 1

Help bring back a sense of nostalgia and feeling of safety and security by getting involved in National Night Out, a night when citizens of Suffolk will join forces with thousands of communities nationwide for a drug- and crime-prevention event. With more than 45 million people expected to join in, National Night Out will help citizens across America send a powerful message about neighborhood unity, awareness, safety and police-community partnerships. Suffolk’s kickoff ceremony will take place at the Suffolk Visitor Center Pavilion beginning at 5:30 p.m. Motorcade tours will depart for various neighborhoods across the city immediately following the ceremony. For more information, visit www.suffolknno.com. Thursday August 10

Grow your green thumb over lunch from noon to 12:45 p.m. at the Morgan Memorial Library, 443 W. Washington St., with the

TGIF Summer Concert Series

Join your neighbors at Bennett’s Creek Park from 6 to 10 p.m. for the TGIF Summer Concert Series. Enjoy this free and family-friendly event in the park, as various bands play and kids enjoy the children's area. The schedule is as follows: July 28: The Deloreans Aug. 4: Cheap Thrills Aug. 11: Tidewater Drive Band Aug. 18: Rellen

Saturday August 26

The Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts will host the Suffolk Teen Summit, an expansion of a variety of prevention activities and programs developed as a part of the Suffolk Initiative on Youth Crime Prevention Plan. This conference will engage youth ages 11 to 17, along with parents and adults that work with youth, in interactive sessions on topics such as health and wellness, self-esteem and the importance of goal setting. This event, which starts at 8 a.m., is free. For online registration, visit www.suffolkva.us/parks.

Suffolk Master Gardeners. Bring your lunch and enjoy learning about gardening with a few new friends. Registration is required and can be made at www.suffolkpubliclibrary. com. Saturday August 12

Learn, make, and do at Free Skool from 10 a.m. to noon. Join members of the community at the Morgan Memorial Library as they share their talents, hobbies, and passions through demonstrations and workshops. There will be activities for all ages, and supplies will be provided. For more information, visit www.suffolkpubliclibrary. com. The Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, located at 110 W. Finney Ave., will host the fourth annual Mystery Authors Festival from noon to 6 p.m. This one-day festival will showcase best-selling mystery, suspense, horror, paranormal, romance and women's fiction authors. Highlights include book signings, fan meet-and-greets, workshops, a New Authors Expo and moderated panel discussions. This free event is a partnership between the Suffolk Division of Tourism and the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts. For more information, visit www. suffolkmysteryauthorsfestival.com. Wednesday August 16

Saturday September 9

Taste of Suffolk is back in Downtown Suffolk for the 11th year. This annual street festival will span Main Street from Finney Avenue to Washington Street. Enjoy specialty food items from local restaurants all over Suffolk and see all the goods and services the crafters, vendors and merchants have to offer. Taste of Suffolk has something for the whole family, including an expanded children's area and live entertainment from Popwire, Wesley Spangler and The Janitors. Enjoy a petting zoo, contests and games, a beer garden and a new-vehicle exhibition. The free event takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

10 suffolk living

A healing hand Local doc travels the world for Operation Smile story by Tracy Agnew photography by R.E. Spears III

nder ordinary circumstances, most people would be excited to get a free ride from actor Harrison Ford in his private airplane. But Suffolkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dr. Craig Merrell wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t flying with Ford under ordinary circumstances. He was heading to an impoverished and devastated land. Merrell is a plastic surgeon who spends most days in his Plastic Surgery Associates of Tidewater office on Harbour View Boulevard. Most of his practice is dedicated to breast reconstruction after cancer treatment. But more than a year of his life so far has been committed to doing work with Operation Smile, which has taken him on 30-plus missions to Morocco, Liberia, Ghana, Kenya, Romania, Haiti, the Philippines and Vietnam. He flew with Harrison Ford into Haiti less than three weeks after the 2010 earthquake that killed more than 100,000 Haitians, injured thousands more and obliterated many buildings. Merrell operated on victim after victim and watched many, including a young boy, die from severe burns and other injuries, something he experiences very little in his medical practice. See Merrell page 12

Dr. Craig Merrell shows off part of a ceramic apple tree his wife, Teresa Merrell, created on the wall of a treatment room in his Harbour View office.

suffolk living 11 Left overleaf, Dr. Craig Merrell captured a vision of Haiti during his visit following the 2010 earthquake. At left and below, working with Operation Smile, Merrell was able to perform microsurgery to repair the arm of a boy who was missing a bone. At bottom, before and after photos show the results of cleft-lip surgery in the Philippines. (Photos courtesy of Dr. Craig Merrell)

12 suffolk living MERRELL continued from page 10

After joining a medical group with Dr. William P. Magee Jr., founder of Operation Smile, Dr. Craig Merrell (right) became fast friends with the philanthropist and went with the organization on his first medical mission in 1984. Since then, he and his family have been on more than 30 such trips. Here, he stands with Professor Nguyen Huy Phan, who first invited Operation Smile to visit Vietnam. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Craig Merrell)

“That was really tough,” he said. “I don’t deal with that in the U.S. hardly at all. Occasionally, someone will have a melanoma, and it spreads…” Merrell went into medicine because of a “fundamental desire to help other people,” he said. A native of Northern Virginia, he moved to the area in 1983 and joined the medical group with Dr. William P. Magee Jr., founder of Operation Smile. “That was one of the best things I ever did,” Merrell said. “He’s one of my heroes and also one of my best friends.” Merrell’s first trip with Operation Smile was in 1984, and he hasn’t looked back. “I’ve lost count of how many actual trips I’ve gone on,” he said. Most people know Operation Smile for its work giving free surgery to children in impoverished areas with cleft lip and cleft palate deformities. Repairing the clefts not only gives them their smile but also makes the children healthier and less likely to be ostracized in their communities. See MERRELL page 13

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suffolk living 13 Dr. Craig Merrell stands with actor and pilot Harrison Ford, who flew Merrell’s team to Haiti following the 2010 earthquake that devastated the nation. It was a trip unlike any other he has made with Operation Smile, as the team found itself performing lifesaving surgery for people who had suffered severe trauma in the disaster. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Craig Merrell) MERRELL continued from page 12

“The face of Operation Smile is the child with a cleft lip that has been repaired,” Merrell said. But the organization’s work often goes beyond that. In Haiti, for example, Merrell and other doctors amputated limbs that had been crushed by falling buildings during the earth-

quake and helped heal burns from the fires that raged in the aftermath of the quake. And in the ordinary course of business, Operation Smile is dedicated to training surgeons in their home countries to perform the needed operations themselves. Merrell has been a driv-

ing force behind Vietnam’s blossoming program in microsurgery — the skill needed to, for example, replace a hand that has been accidentally amputated. “The most important aspect of Operation Smile is the teaching aspect,” said Merrell, who See MERRELL page 14

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14 suffolk living MERRELL continued from page 13

Dr. Craig Merrell sits with Renaldo, a young Haitian boy who suffered traumatic injuries during the 2010 earthquake. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Craig Merrell)

in 1983 was the first physician in Hampton Roads fellowshiptrained in microsurgery. “Vietnam’s microsurgery program is fabulous now.” Merrell estimates he has saved or vastly improved more than 500 lives through his work with Operation Smile. But the greatest blessing he has attained through Operation Smile are his twin daughters, Anna and Sara, whom he and his wife, Teresa, adopted from an orphanage in Romania where he had been sent to look at other children as patients. The girls had been given up by their birth mother, who had already had two children and did not think she could care for two more. The girls were 13 months old when Merrell first met them, and they came home to the United States at 2 years old. They’re now 25. “They’re a blessing I see every day,” said Merrell, who also has six biological children — all sons. Merrell believes his faith has been enhanced by his work. “It’s impossible to go on one of these trips and not come back believing in God. If you believe in God and you believe we are all His children, when you are serving someone with no hidden agenda, just the desire to serve someone else, in a way you’re serving God. “The payback is when you look at four or six months, a year, 10 years down the road and realize how much better a person you are because you stepped out of your comfort zone and experience and you helped someone else.”←

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through the lens: Dr. John Muller

r. John Muller is an occupational medicine specialist who works for the Navy and enjoys photography, especially during walks and bicycle rides in the Great Dismal Swamp with his wife of 43 years, Sandy. Despite a degree in biology, he depends on her to change the names of images from things like "IMG_1234" or "bird(3)" to "eastern_flycatcher." Email him at johnmuller@ charter.net. If you would like to see your photos featured here, send an email to news@suffolklivingmag.com.

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Folks have been all over the globe with the last couple of editions of Suffolk Living magazine, and we’re having nearly as much fun looking at their photos as we would have had going along on their trips. OK. That’s not even a little true. Still, we do appreciate the thought. From far left: Amanda Phelps fluttered down to Duck, N.C., to spend Easter weekend at the Sanderling Resort. Ellen Drames wasn’t horsing around during her May visit to Carova Beach, N.C. Do you think the wild horses know Suffolk Rocks? The only bad part for Ruth Fleak about her recent visit to the Badlands in South Dakota was fighting the wind long enough for a photo. Britni Kawalkiewicz, Sarah Kercsi and Amanda Phelps (yes, that one) braved the cold air to hike to Waterfall Skogafoss in Iceland. That’s a long way from Duck, by the way.

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where am 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 youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re right, you could be a winner. Go out and enjoy Suffolk!

20 suffolk living

A group of youth at Rivershore Beach in the late 1930s or early 1940s. Pictured are Ruth Hunt (lying down), Tommy Martin (background), Rheva Gray, Jackie Moore, Frances Atkinson, Richard Sommers Mertig, Millie Gray and Norman Hunt.

suffolk living 21

s e h c a e b e g a l l i V k l o f f u S f o Story and photos courtesy of Suffolk River Heritage

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is an excerpt from the book “The River Binds Us: A Story Told by the People of Crittenden, Eclipse, and Hobson.”

he late 19th and early 20th centuries were the era of simpler entertainment and homemade fun, especially in the isolated watermen’s villages of Suffolk. Not until 1928, when the three bridges of the James River Bridge System opened, could residents drive easily to neighboring cities and towns for shopping and entertainment. Even then, many preferred to enjoy their leisure time close to home, and they found plenty of options, even including enjoying time at the “beach,” right here in Suffolk. Years ago, Rivershore Beach in Eclipse was wide and sandy, a place where families had cookouts and picnics. Miss Minnie Corson relates in her memoirs: There was a wonderful sandy beach at the end of Rivershore Road on the James River where even the smallest child could safely play. We went down there with See BEACHES page 23

22 suffolk living

suffolk living 23 BEACHES continued from page 21

picnic baskets and spent most of the day many times. There were small saltwater bushes, pine trees and shrubs — it was a playground for many to enjoy. The August storm in 1933 damaged the beach severely. The 1954 storm, Hazel, changed this sandy beach, taking all the sand and leaving sticky mud, also taking much of the hill with the pine trees, shrubs and marsh grass. This meant no more sandy beach where we could go swimming. “The rule in the Newman house was children had to be accompanied by an adult to visit Rivershore Beach. I would go to the beach with an adult,” recalls Alese Newman Hazelwood, “and when they had to leave, I would meet another adult coming down to the beach so I could then return and stay longer. Sometimes this lasted all day.” “The beach was so wide and the water so shallow that you could almost walk to Newport News,” says Arlene Gray Matthews. “I remember attending picnics and swimming parties at the beach and soft shell crabbing.”

Swimmers enjoy a warm afternoon in Chuckatuck Creek. Beaches used to be abundant in northern Suffolk, but hurricanes changed the topography of the area and removed the sand.

See BEACHES page 24

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24 suffolk living BEACHES continued from page 23

Darlene Hogue Alexander says: There used to be metal stairs from the top of Rivershore Drive down to the beach that were in two sections with a small platform in the middle. My mother and father took the family to the Rivershore Beach for picnics and cookouts. At the end of the Mt. Zion Christian Church Vacation Bible School, my entire family picnicked at Rivershore Beach, swimming all day, and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows before returning home. I remember that you could walk out into the water far from shore because it was so shallow and so clear that you could see the sand and your toes. The sand was real soft, almost like quicksand. We would wiggle a foot and leg up to our hip and then pull it out and do it with the other foot. You could walk from the Rivershore all the way around the peninsula to Bleakhorn Creek. On Sunday afternoons, about 75 local residents descended upon the beach at the Rivershore for swimming and fun. Willard Moger remembers the water being extremely clear, where you could stand in water up to your neck and still see your toes.

Millie Green and Eclipse youth enjoy their day on Rivershore Beach. Picnic and cookouts were common on the beach among local families. They would swim and roast hot dogs and marshmallows while enjoying their carefree days.

See BEACHES page 25

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suffolk living 25 BEACHES continued from page 24

Eclipse girls walk on Rivershore Beach. Local residents of the time recalled that the water was so shallow and so clear that you could walk far out into the water and still see your toes on the bottom. Dozens of locals would be on the beach on summer Sunday afternoons.

“You could walk out far into the James River, since the water was shallow even during high tide,” he said. “Due to erosion, the Rivershore bank has probably lost over 100 feet during my lifetime. “I spent a lot of time on the water and at Blinkhorn (aka Bleakhorn) Beach,” remembers Millie Bagnell: I liked to fish, row and swim. The ladies would picnic at Blinkhorn Beach all day, taking their lunch or cooking out on the beach. The whole community (friends and family) would swim off the Crittenden boats every Sunday, but everyone had to be in church that night. After I had my two boys, Bob and Terry, I played with them and their cousin, Ginny Bagnell. I rowed them out to Blinkhorn Beach, where they played and learned to swim. One day, a storm came up, and I had to push the boat back to the house. It took lots of time, and I was eaten by stinging nettles, but all were safe, and that is what mattered.” Thank you to Suffolk River Heritage for allowing us to publish this excerpt from “The River Binds Us: A Story Told by the People of Crittenden, Eclipse, and Hobson.” For more information about the nonprofit organization or to order a copy of one of its publications on area history, visit www.suffolk-river-heritage.org.←

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26 suffolk living Suffolk Master Gardener Pam Courtney works in the Sleepy Hole Park garden on a hot July Wednesday.

Growing beauty

suffolk living 27

A day in the garden with the masters story by Tracy Agnew photography by R.E. Spears III

In a triangular garden at Sleepy Hole Park, a swallowtail butterfly’s egg rests peacefully, almost invisible, on a stalk of fennel. Nearby, bright green striped caterpillars munch on the plant, growing bigger and greener as the days go by. Butterflies float from flower to flower, resting their delicate wings as they collect nectar from butterfly bush, lantana and zinnias. Bees vibrate among purple coneflowers and black-eyed Susan, and hummingbird moths hover like their namesakes as they nectar on the blooms. Nearby, squash and corn are beginning to produce vegetables, and potatoes grow unseen as grasshoppers jump among their aboveground greens. Lamb’s ear and mint and many beautiful flowers provide stimulation for the senses. In between, the signs of human guidance are almost invisible. Footshaped stepping stones, well maintained fencing, perfectly shaped garden sections, a rain barrel and trellised entrance all betray the fact that this garden isn’t entirely given over to entropy, though the insects might well prefer it. The learning and demonstration garden at Sleepy Hole Park is one of more than half a dozen locations around the city where the Suffolk Master Gardeners maintain gardens that are open to the public. “We’ve got some beautiful gardens we maintain, and I think they beautify the city,” said Janet Carr, one of the co-presidents of the Master Gardeners. But the main purpose of the Master Gardeners is to educate home gardeners on their hobby. “One of our major goals is education,” said Jim Winters, the other co-president. “How do you help the home gardener? How do you help the person that says, ‘I’ve got some kind of green bug eating my flowers’?” Many of the organization’s programs focus on educating children about gardening. The garden at Sleepy Hole Park was started as a children’s learning garden by Suffolk Parks and Recreation employee Cheryl Pisani and has grown from there. Programs are held at 10 a.m. the second Wednesday of the month during the warmer months and will run through October this year. “We want to get kids involved,” said Brad Halcums, a Master Gardener volunteer. “They think tomatoes come from Walmart. We get See GARDENER page 29

28 suffolk living

At left, Suffolk Master Gardeners Deb Cady and Pam Courtney take a break from volunteering in the Sleepy Hole Park garden. Above, a butterfly nectars on one of the hundreds of flowers blooming in the garden. Opposite page, caterpillars feed and grow in the garden while trying to avoid predators before they metamorphosize into adults.

Smiling is Good for Life

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suffolk living 29

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GARDENS continued from page 27

them exposed to different things. Just because you see a bug doesn’t mean you have to step on it.” But educating adults on gardening has become especially important these days, as more people become concerned about supporting pollinators like bees, helping improve water quality and knowing where their food comes from. “With the way the economy is and the way mass food production is, a lot of people want to know where their food comes from,” said Wanda Gerard, a longtime volunteer and former president of Suffolk Master Gardeners. Testing soil before fertilizing and planting a smart garden from the beginning can improve the environment immensely, the volunteers said. “Gardeners can have a lot to do with helping clean water,” Winters said. “You can do a lot with what you plant and how you plant it to slow down the stormwater runoff.” Master Gardeners hold and participate in many events throughout the year to meet the public and provide information. They have a section at the annual Taste of Suffolk festival in September. The Master Gardeners say they enjoy using their hobby and expertise to serve their community. Master Gardeners were created to support local agricultural extension agents in educating the general public. Virginia alone has more than 4,000 Master Gardener volunteers who donated more than 400,000 hours of service to the state last year. “If you are paying somebody like the county agent to do that, that’s millions and millions of dollars we’ve saved taxpayers,” Winter said. The Suffolk Master Gardeners’ work can be found at Bennett’s Creek, Sleepy Hole and Lone Star Lakes parks as well as at the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Westminster Reformed Presbyterian Church and Liberty Spring Ruritan Park, among other locations. For information on programs or volunteering, email Gerard at vagardengurl@aol.com.←

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30 suffolk living

suffolk scene

B2B Business Expo The Hampton Roads Chamber held the B2B Business Expo at the Hilton Garden Inn Suffolk Riverfront on May 31. Vendors got the chance to meet other local business people, network and have a good time. Photos by TRACY AGNEW

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suffolk scene

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suffolk scene

Beer, Bands & BBQ The Crittenden, Eclipse and Hobson Ruritan Club’s annual Beer, Bands and BBQ fundraising event drew hundreds of people to the community in May. Photos by R.E. Spears III

Katelyn Simpkins, Carden McKinley, Kaitlyn O'Neill, Kaleb McManus and Jessica Elmore

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“Elwood Blues” of the Blues Brothers Soul Band Timmy and Debbie Daubenspeck and Ricky Light

Stacy Anderson, Lou Nemes and Larry Williams

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suffolk living 33

Relay for Life The Suffolk Relay for Life was held May 19 at Nansemond River High School. Participants have raised more than $114,000 and counting for the American Cancer Society. PHOTOS BY TRACY AGNEW

Ann Herring and Veronica Thomas

suffolk scene

Ruby Evans, back left, a four-time cancer survivor, and family members Kyree Bynum, Tonya Bishop, Kederer Holland, Kishena Holland, Kerye Bishop and Kimare Bynum

Pioneer Elementary School team members Dr. Danielle Belton, Lisa Rath, Gwen Mann, Stephanie Lowe and Karen Graham

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34 suffolk living

suffolk scene

TGIF Summer Concert Series The TGIF Summer Concert Series takes over Constant’s Wharf and Bennett’s Creek parks most Fridays during the summer. Attendees get to enjoy time with family and friends, entertainment by local bands, children’s activities, food and merchandise vendors and more. PHOTOS BY ALEX PERRY

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36 suffolk living

on vacation At left, Ashley and Dixie Cox took a copy of Suffolk Living magazine to the Electronic Entertainment Expo, better known as E3 2017, held in Los Angeles in June. We’ll try to overlook the fact that they didn’t bring us any cool convention swag. At right, Jeremy Branch and Shannon Gayle attended a wedding in Riviera Maya, Mexico, for Woody and Amy Howard on May 20. Don’t tell the Howards, but it looks like Suffolk Living crashed the party. Next time you crash a wedding or do something awesome like visit the biggest gaming convention in the universe, take us along, snap a photo and send it to news@suffolklivingmag.com. We really need to get out more.

5 Ways to Keep Pets Cool in Summer Heat Symptoms of heat exhaustion for pets and humans sound very similar. They include labored breathing, excessive panting, elevated heart and respiratory rate, and drooling. In more severe cases, vomiting and seizures can be seen with sustained body temperature of 104 or higher! Follow these tips to keep your furry friend safe from the heat this summer. Find Some Shade - Save your outdoor time with your pet for early morning or evening once the sun has set. Keep them out of direct sunlight or give them a shady place to get out of the sun. Leave Fluffy or Fido at Home - Although your pet may love riding in the car or spending time with you, if it’s hot out and there’s a chance they’ll be uncomfortable the best thing to do is leave them alone. Hydration, Hydration, Hydration - Provide plenty of fresh, clean water. Water alternatives are especially great for pets since they replenish electrolytes and taste great. To Trim or Not to Trim - Not every pet benefits from shaving. The fur layers can actually be protective from sunburn and UV exposure. Please discuss this with your veterinarian. Not Every Breed Handles Heat the Same - If your pet is brachycephalic — or has a flat-shaped face — like Pugs, Pekingese, Boston terriers and Persian cats, they cannot pant as effectively and are more susceptible to heat stroke. Monday-Friday 7:30am to 6:30pm Sat 8:00am to 1:00pm

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suffolk living 37 suffolk living 19

where am 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!

Last edition’s Where Am I? We had a flood of correct answers to the Where Am I challenge in our last edition, because that big ol’ stag painted on the side of Cazadores Mexican Restaurant is hard to miss. For those of you who keep track of such things, this is the second time we’ve used a piece of that mural for this feature. Fair warning: It’s not likely to happen again soon. Judy Parker said she read the magazine and was driving along North Main Street two days later, when she looked up and saw the mural. Compounding her luck, we drew her name from among the correct guesses, so she wins a $25 gift card. For your chance to win, check out page 19.

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38 suffolk living

scrapbook

School Bus: A Nansemond County school bus is shown in 1927 near the Kimberly area with a Mr. Williams nearby. The bus is “No. 25.” PHOTO COURTESY OF SUFFOLK-NANSEMOND HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Time and again, the

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